Salutations World,
2008, was a great year for the sport of basketball. But the one thing that was evident throughout the year is that HISTORY WILL REPEAT ITSELF! Whether it be The Redeem Team capturing gold in Beijing or the dream matchup of the Celtics and Lakers in the final. 2008 was a year marked by players defecting to Europe for enticing mid level contracts, as well as the frenzy that will be the summer of 2010 rearing its head..
2008 was not only good for the NBA, but for the NCAA as well. The future of basketball was seen through the play of Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, and a clutch 3 brought the Trophy back to the program that James Naismith started in 1898..
With all that being said, here are some of the great moments in basketball this season, and 2009 will be sure not to disappoint!
Until 2009,
Peace.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Black Athlete
*As seen on my other site, REAL TALK DC*
Salutations World,
I write this about a week or so after the events that lead to Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg at a club in NYC. When originally hearing this, I automatically knew that there would be an uprising from sports commentators alike about how this is another Black man with millions, acting stupid. True to form, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN fame lends his take on the situation..
And after listing to this, I was somewhat upset that such a major figure in sports entertainment would not take an easier approach to addressing this situation. Ultimately, all athletes are adults and should be held responsible for their transgressions, but does it make us any better to automatically assume that if a young black man is given millions, that somewhere along in his career he will mess it up?
There are a few things that really made me mad about this rant. First of all, black athletes are very rarely ever examined for the good that they do. All we ever hear is whether they have been arrested or how hard and tough their upbringing was. We never hear stories about guys like Allan Houston, who runs a father/son basketball camp, as a tribute to his close relationship with his father. We never hear stories about Grant Hill or even college stars like Gerald Henderson of Duke, and Stephen Curry of Davidson, who both came from NBA household and who are both excelling at top notch universities..
Allan Houston and Jeff Young. In Philly
No, we only hear about Pac Man..Or Plax..Or Allen Iverson.
And who is usually ready at the front lines ready to pounce on our black athletes..Black People. I find it disappointing that instead of taking an angle where he illustrates the number of black athletes that do not engage in extreme acts of coonery and buffoonery, Stephen A. Smith ranted and raved that the black athlete is somewhat of a plague to today's sport. Citing examples of the NBA instituting a dress code as an example of the negative black influence..
My plea to black sports writers as well as blacks in general..PLEASE uplift and educate. Uplift the black athletes that are doing good in their respective sports as well as in the community. And educate those who are unaware or who are ignorant enough to believe that every young black man with millions is merely in training to 'make it rain'..
Like always, until next time..
Peace.
-Yeezy
Salutations World,
I write this about a week or so after the events that lead to Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg at a club in NYC. When originally hearing this, I automatically knew that there would be an uprising from sports commentators alike about how this is another Black man with millions, acting stupid. True to form, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN fame lends his take on the situation..
And after listing to this, I was somewhat upset that such a major figure in sports entertainment would not take an easier approach to addressing this situation. Ultimately, all athletes are adults and should be held responsible for their transgressions, but does it make us any better to automatically assume that if a young black man is given millions, that somewhere along in his career he will mess it up?
There are a few things that really made me mad about this rant. First of all, black athletes are very rarely ever examined for the good that they do. All we ever hear is whether they have been arrested or how hard and tough their upbringing was. We never hear stories about guys like Allan Houston, who runs a father/son basketball camp, as a tribute to his close relationship with his father. We never hear stories about Grant Hill or even college stars like Gerald Henderson of Duke, and Stephen Curry of Davidson, who both came from NBA household and who are both excelling at top notch universities..
No, we only hear about Pac Man..Or Plax..Or Allen Iverson.
And who is usually ready at the front lines ready to pounce on our black athletes..Black People. I find it disappointing that instead of taking an angle where he illustrates the number of black athletes that do not engage in extreme acts of coonery and buffoonery, Stephen A. Smith ranted and raved that the black athlete is somewhat of a plague to today's sport. Citing examples of the NBA instituting a dress code as an example of the negative black influence..
My plea to black sports writers as well as blacks in general..PLEASE uplift and educate. Uplift the black athletes that are doing good in their respective sports as well as in the community. And educate those who are unaware or who are ignorant enough to believe that every young black man with millions is merely in training to 'make it rain'..
Like always, until next time..
Peace.
-Yeezy
Next In Line
"A great shooter has no conscience.."
-Jay Bilas
Picture Madison Square Garden, the mecca of basketball. Bright lights, big city and the stage is all yours. How would you want to end the game? Scoring 13 straight to cap a comeback? Hit 2 big three point shots in the face of a 6'9 defender? Or how about live up to all the hype that has been pumped since your incredible performance in last years NCAA Tournament?..
Well Stephen Curry chose all the above. Last night in the Garden, Curry lived up to the hype, pouring in 27 points and 10 assists. As well as a major steal in crunch time that led to a dagger three..
But what I noticed most about Curry last night, is his ability to close in the big games. That, and that fact alone is what separates the good players from the great players. Every great player had the ability to shake off a bad start to a game, or foul trouble, to close the game whenever his team depends on him. He showcased his closing ability last night in the garden, and one other moment in the garden came to mind..
Next in line for greatness? Only time will tell..
Until Later,
Peace.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Snakes On A Court
"I been real all my life, they confuse it with conceit.."
Jay-Z, "Blueprint 2"
On the ride down to DC, AG and I had a conversation on how you could compare the beauty of Kobe Bryant's game, to a flawless verse by Jay-Z. How only a true fan, and student, of both men's craft could understand the complex yet simple beauty of the work they do..
None of this was more evident then in the fourth quarter of the Lakers game against the Washington Wizards, and with the Wizards surging back, the ball was in the hands of The Black Mamba. And he calmly sank a...Bank Shot! Immediately Mike Tillery and I go crazy. Not only because Kobe sank another game closing shot, but the fact that he had the presence of mind to shoot the bank shot!
And with that bank shot, the greatest closer in the game today added another chapter to his "How To" Manual. Like "Encore" by Jay-z, fans in the Verizon Center chanted "M-V-P" as if it were the same as "HOVA". After the game is over, AG and I caught up with Kobe and talked about everything from his new shoe, to his "Suburban" reputation. Check out the video, as AG ask the questions, Mike plays security in the background, and I get my Spike Lee on behind the camera. Enjoy.
Until Later,
Peace.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
L-O..They Know
Salutations World,
After a brief hiatus, I am back. With a tale of a road trip that ended in a Lakers win versus the Washington Wizards. Alongside of AG, and Mike Tillery, we ventured around the city until it was game time. Of course, I had to take them to the world famous Ben's Chili Bowl, on U st. in NW, DC.
Fast forward to the "Phone Booth" (The Verizon Center, Washington DC). Before the game AG and myself ventured into the visitors locker room to catch up with some of the Lakers. After speaking with Derek Fisher and his love for Nike Basketball, we got a few moments with Lamar Odom..
Now LO is a perfect case of not judging a book by its cover. During last years run to the finals, Lamar was an important member of the starting five. While some feel that he did not show up in the finals, that still takes nothing away from his game. A 6'10 point guard is extremely rare. So entering this season, he was faced with a challenge presented by Coach Jackson. Coming off the bench.
Now to some players, ego would undoubtedly interfere with their ability to contribute, but not LO. "I just bring my energy off the bench. My role is to fill any position that we need...ball handling, rebounding, I come off the bench...score a couple of buckets, and try to get people involved. Basically it's my job to play basketball the right way every night." Spoken like a true veteran..
Odom continues, "That's not really my focus. My focus is to...my job is to basically do what I'm asked, you know what I'm saying...and I just leave it at that, and put my head in the right place mentally, so whatever they ask of me, I can fulfill that. Whether it's coming off the bench or starting...at the end of the day it's basketball."
After speaking with Odom, I developed a new found respect for not only his game and him as a man, but with his ability to put his best effort forward no matter his playing situation to help the team. And with Odom coming off of the bench, the Lakers have surged to a 16-2 start, and on the fast track to finishing another season in June. Now whether or not it will include a NBA title rests on the players, including LO..They Know!
Peace.
After a brief hiatus, I am back. With a tale of a road trip that ended in a Lakers win versus the Washington Wizards. Alongside of AG, and Mike Tillery, we ventured around the city until it was game time. Of course, I had to take them to the world famous Ben's Chili Bowl, on U st. in NW, DC.
Fast forward to the "Phone Booth" (The Verizon Center, Washington DC). Before the game AG and myself ventured into the visitors locker room to catch up with some of the Lakers. After speaking with Derek Fisher and his love for Nike Basketball, we got a few moments with Lamar Odom..
Now LO is a perfect case of not judging a book by its cover. During last years run to the finals, Lamar was an important member of the starting five. While some feel that he did not show up in the finals, that still takes nothing away from his game. A 6'10 point guard is extremely rare. So entering this season, he was faced with a challenge presented by Coach Jackson. Coming off the bench.
Now to some players, ego would undoubtedly interfere with their ability to contribute, but not LO. "I just bring my energy off the bench. My role is to fill any position that we need...ball handling, rebounding, I come off the bench...score a couple of buckets, and try to get people involved. Basically it's my job to play basketball the right way every night." Spoken like a true veteran..
Odom continues, "That's not really my focus. My focus is to...my job is to basically do what I'm asked, you know what I'm saying...and I just leave it at that, and put my head in the right place mentally, so whatever they ask of me, I can fulfill that. Whether it's coming off the bench or starting...at the end of the day it's basketball."
After speaking with Odom, I developed a new found respect for not only his game and him as a man, but with his ability to put his best effort forward no matter his playing situation to help the team. And with Odom coming off of the bench, the Lakers have surged to a 16-2 start, and on the fast track to finishing another season in June. Now whether or not it will include a NBA title rests on the players, including LO..They Know!
Peace.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Campus Chaos
It is that time of the year..
I can practically hear Dick Vitale yelling as I type away. Welcome to the 2008-2009 NCAA Men's College Basketball season. Last year ended with the Kansas Jayhawks raising the championship trophy, but don't expect a repeat this year..
As with my NBA predictions post, I will hopefully shed some light on who is going to win it all, as well as players and teams we should look out for in 08-09.
First, of all, the national championship will make its way back to Chapel Hill, NC this year (shout out to ADS and HyPE LG) . UNC returns the national player of the year in Tyler Hansborough, as well as outstanding guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. And a Roy Williams coached team will always be ready come Tournament time..
But there are a few teams to watch for. Namely UConn, UCLA, Pitt, Oklahoma, Texas, and of course Duke. All these teams have the players and coaching staff to make that 6 game run in March.
Now to the individual honors..
I think this years POY will be Blake Griffin from Oklahoma. Although I love Stephen Curry and Tyler Hansborough's game equally, Blake Griffin is a man amongst boys. He already has a 35 point 21 rebound performance, as well as a 25 point 21 rebound performance under his belt this season and he is poised for many more. Check him out..
Also, besides the obvious choices in the 2009 draft, keep an eye on these players throughout the season..
B.J. Mullens, Ohio St.
Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
Patrick Mills, St. Mary's (also plays for the Austrailian National Team and had a great showing against Team USA)
Chase Budinger, Arizona
Sam Young, Pittsburgh
Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech
Let's see how this all plays out,
Peace.
I can practically hear Dick Vitale yelling as I type away. Welcome to the 2008-2009 NCAA Men's College Basketball season. Last year ended with the Kansas Jayhawks raising the championship trophy, but don't expect a repeat this year..
As with my NBA predictions post, I will hopefully shed some light on who is going to win it all, as well as players and teams we should look out for in 08-09.
First, of all, the national championship will make its way back to Chapel Hill, NC this year (shout out to ADS and HyPE LG) . UNC returns the national player of the year in Tyler Hansborough, as well as outstanding guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. And a Roy Williams coached team will always be ready come Tournament time..
But there are a few teams to watch for. Namely UConn, UCLA, Pitt, Oklahoma, Texas, and of course Duke. All these teams have the players and coaching staff to make that 6 game run in March.
Now to the individual honors..
I think this years POY will be Blake Griffin from Oklahoma. Although I love Stephen Curry and Tyler Hansborough's game equally, Blake Griffin is a man amongst boys. He already has a 35 point 21 rebound performance, as well as a 25 point 21 rebound performance under his belt this season and he is poised for many more. Check him out..
Also, besides the obvious choices in the 2009 draft, keep an eye on these players throughout the season..
B.J. Mullens, Ohio St.
Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
Patrick Mills, St. Mary's (also plays for the Austrailian National Team and had a great showing against Team USA)
Chase Budinger, Arizona
Sam Young, Pittsburgh
Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech
Let's see how this all plays out,
Peace.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Week Two: More of The Same
Well ladies and gentleman,
Week two is in the books, and yes it is more of the same. This week saw the Lakers continue their pace to go 82-0 (lol) by finishing the week 5-0 and closing with an impressive 111-82 win over the Houston Rockets (A team who many think is the Lakers biggest threat in the west this year). Big games by the frontcourt and the emerging star Trevor Ariza, has many in the NBA dreading the day that the Lakers show up on their schedule..
As in the Western Conference, not much has changed on the Eastern coast of the country. Despite the addition of Allen Iverson to the lineup, the Detroit Pistons still took an "L" to the Boston Celtics, behind a strong performance of 23 points by Tony Allen. The Celtics finish week two with a record of 6-1 and sit atop the Eastern Conference..
The biggest surprise after week two, is without a doubt the fact that the San Antonio Spurs are a shocking 1-4, and needed a 55 point 10 assist game from Tony Parker (one of the single best games I have ever witnessed a point guard have) to steal a game from the Minnesota Timberwolves. And now, Tony Parker is scheduled to miss up to a month with an ankle injury. Couple that with an injured Manu Ginobili, and things are not looking good for the Spurs..
And my player of the week goes to Al Jefferson of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jefferson, who is steadily working himself into the top 5 PF category is averaging 21.7 points, 10.5 boards, and 1.5 blocks per game. He has recorded a double double in every game this year and also hung an impressive 30 point 14 rebound performance on the "Big Fundamental" (Timmy Duncan).
Well until next week,
Peace.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Week One In The Books
So, week one has come to an end in the NBA, and what have we learned..
The Lakers Celtics rematch in June of '09 might as well already be stamped. The Lakers opened up the season with dominating performances over the Blazers and the Clippers. While the Celtics handled a formadable foe in the Cleveland LeBron's, oops I mean Cavaliers..
Also, the Hornets, Rockets, and Pistons all finished the week undefeated. And the Pistons pulled off a mega trade in my eyes by giving up Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson (Story to come soon)..
Likewise, the Kings, Clippers, and Wolves all struggled...
But Wait, it's only week one..so lets see what develops.
But for the latest power rankings, check out ESPN.COM
Peace.
The Lakers Celtics rematch in June of '09 might as well already be stamped. The Lakers opened up the season with dominating performances over the Blazers and the Clippers. While the Celtics handled a formadable foe in the Cleveland LeBron's, oops I mean Cavaliers..
Also, the Hornets, Rockets, and Pistons all finished the week undefeated. And the Pistons pulled off a mega trade in my eyes by giving up Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson (Story to come soon)..
Likewise, the Kings, Clippers, and Wolves all struggled...
But Wait, it's only week one..so lets see what develops.
But for the latest power rankings, check out ESPN.COM
Peace.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Let The Games Begin
First and Foremost,
Let me welcome you to 24 seconds. A site dedicated not to just basketball, but everything within the sport itself. Culture, trends, and special interest stories. Also, let me shout out my other site Real Talk DC, and my mentor AG.
Normally, I hate to brag on my supreme knowledge of roundball, but the finals last year made me question that said knowledge. So over the summer and preseason, I went back to my own drawing board of sorts to see where I went wrong. And naturally through that, and a few discussions with friends, I feel as though I'm ready to give my rundown of the upcoming 2008-2009 NBA Season..
First the predictions..
This year, the Larry O'Brien Trophy will make its home in Los Angeles, California. I do believe that it will be a rematch of the Lakers and the Boston Celtics, but the Lakers have arguably the deepest and most talented bench in the NBA. And the return of Andrew Bynum will work wonders for the interior defense that failed them in June of '08. Also, be on the lookout for Houston, Cleveland, and Detroit to make some championship noise as well.
The 2008-2009 MVP will be LeBron James. As much as it pains me to go away from my obvious choice of KB24, LeBron will without question be the MVP. His ability to score and his developing jump shot will enable him to snag the Podoloff from The Mamba.
Also, look for the Sixers (with newly acquired Elton Brand) and the Magic to improve on their playoff runs from a year ago. Like I mentioned earlier, Houston has a shot to break through, yet their chances lie on Tracy McGrady's back (literally), and Yao Ming's foot!
If you are as much of a fan as I am, you cannot wait for this season to get underway. Stay tuned and keep checking in with 24 seconds as we follow the season as well as other aspects of the game!
And as a post script of sorts,
Mike D'Antoni will be coach of the year, Lamar Odom for 6th man of the year, Andre Blatche for most improved player, and the worst record in the league will belong to The Oklahoma City Thunder...Oh, and VOTE!!
Peace
Let me welcome you to 24 seconds. A site dedicated not to just basketball, but everything within the sport itself. Culture, trends, and special interest stories. Also, let me shout out my other site Real Talk DC, and my mentor AG.
Normally, I hate to brag on my supreme knowledge of roundball, but the finals last year made me question that said knowledge. So over the summer and preseason, I went back to my own drawing board of sorts to see where I went wrong. And naturally through that, and a few discussions with friends, I feel as though I'm ready to give my rundown of the upcoming 2008-2009 NBA Season..
First the predictions..
This year, the Larry O'Brien Trophy will make its home in Los Angeles, California. I do believe that it will be a rematch of the Lakers and the Boston Celtics, but the Lakers have arguably the deepest and most talented bench in the NBA. And the return of Andrew Bynum will work wonders for the interior defense that failed them in June of '08. Also, be on the lookout for Houston, Cleveland, and Detroit to make some championship noise as well.
The 2008-2009 MVP will be LeBron James. As much as it pains me to go away from my obvious choice of KB24, LeBron will without question be the MVP. His ability to score and his developing jump shot will enable him to snag the Podoloff from The Mamba.Also, look for the Sixers (with newly acquired Elton Brand) and the Magic to improve on their playoff runs from a year ago. Like I mentioned earlier, Houston has a shot to break through, yet their chances lie on Tracy McGrady's back (literally), and Yao Ming's foot!
If you are as much of a fan as I am, you cannot wait for this season to get underway. Stay tuned and keep checking in with 24 seconds as we follow the season as well as other aspects of the game!
And as a post script of sorts,
Mike D'Antoni will be coach of the year, Lamar Odom for 6th man of the year, Andre Blatche for most improved player, and the worst record in the league will belong to The Oklahoma City Thunder...Oh, and VOTE!!
Peace
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