Way Back Playback: Vince Carter

I'm from the great city of Toronto. In 1997, I had just begun following basketball religiously as a little 8 year old kid, intrigued by the Chicago Bulls in their NBA Finals series against the Utah Jazz. Since then, I began following basketball on a constant basis, and the only memory I have of the Raptors pre-Vince Carter is picking up "The Toronto Star" (newspaper) when I was around 8 or 9 and reading that the Raptors had just finished the season with a 16-66 [!] record, with a picture of Damon Stoudamire and Doug Christie accompanying that headline on the front page of the Sports section. Yes, our Raptors were pathetic. Soon, there was a lockout in the NBA, Michael Jordan retired (or so we thought), and the NBA began it's apparent downward spiral (as the media would lead you to believe).

On draft day however, the Toronto Raptors selected Antwan Jamison with the 4th overall pick, only to swap him for his good buddy Vince Carter, who was picked subsequently by the Golden State Warriors. And there it was. We had landed Vince Carter. I know VC is a joke now, but if you had the privilege of watching him day in and day out for his first 3 years in the league, you knew this guy had the potential to be an all-time great. People forget that he was a pretty solid defensive player in his rookie year. People also forget that he spent the entire summer following his rookie season developing an outside shot (something he previously did not have) , and working on his left hand. People forget that he promised Toronto a playoff berth following his rookie campaign, and delivered on that promise in a big way during the 1999-2000 season by leading the Raptors to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. People forget how ridiculously clutch Carter really was. I remember during the 1999-2000 season, Vince Carter had a game-winning shot (and one dunk) at least once a week for 3 weeks straight. The fourth week, he assisted in a game winner that was sunk in by Charles Oakley. On top of all that, the dude was a vicious highlight machine. I mean, every game, you KNEW Carter would do something crazy at least once. You expected it. That was the beauty of the phenom that was Vince Carter.

Ahhh, how people forget.

Some of my fondest memories of my childhood include watching Raptors games with my brother, and continually being amazed by Vince Carter - both of us. I hated Kevin Willis, both looking at him and watching him put up his horrible hook shots, but if I got to see Carter play, my day was made. Kobe Bryant turned me into a hardcore basketball fan, but Vince Carter was the one who originally inspired me to keep watching and playing basketball. I don't think some people realize how big of an impact the guy had in Toronto. If you came to Toronto during the summer of 2001, you'd be shocked at how much this city belonged to Carter. The guy was a LEGEND here, no matter what any one else said about him outside of the city.

Regardless of how he left Toronto, Vince still has a place in my heart. Although he's not that relevant nowadays, whenever I hear his name, I continuously think back to the days when I used to tape anything that was Vince, or even NBA-related on my VCR. Watching those tapes again, there is one part that specifically sums up how much of a disappointment Vince's career has been. A local sports channel in Toronto (TSN!) dedicated a 5 minute tribute to Carter near the end of the 1999-2000 season, where they discussed how he had taken over the league following his exposure in the 2000 dunk contest. In it, they also mentioned a poll on NBA.com that asked fans who the most influential player in the next decade would be. Vince Carter was the overwhelming favourite, beating out the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill [!], and Kobe Bryant.

Fast-forward to 2008, and Vince Carter has not been relevant for around 3-4 years now. It's sad. My image of Vince Carter will always be of him as a Toronto Raptor, and nothing can change that. I salute you Vince. Thank you for providing me so many wonderful memories during my pre-teen years. I can't begin to tell you how many times you made me jump out of my seat with all the plays that you made. Thank you.

...Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?....

If Kobe Did That....

In light of the oh-so-hilarious Shaquille O'Neal freestyle, I've decided to post about a concept I've wanted to write about for some time now. Obviously, I'm a Laker fan, and Kobe Bryant is my favourite player. However, I do see things objectively, and even more importantly, I look at events that happen in the NBA in a much deeper context than one should because, as always, there is a more to a a player and an action than what it may seem on the surface. That's not true in all cases, obviously, but it is in some. And that's all I need.

Anyways, my reaction to any player in the NBA doing something that gains media, blogger, or fan base reaction is subsequently followed by my interpretation of how these same people would react if Kobe Bryant were to do the same thing. This is why Kobe Bryant is hands down the most popular player in the league, for good and bad reasons. You mention his name ANYWHERE, and you will get pretty much double the amount of readers or ratings that you would normally get if you mentioned say...Tracy Mcgrady. It also explains why he remains perhaps the one player who gets criticized or blamed for things that aren't really his fault (i.e- People criticizing him for resembling MJ in voice), and just fathoming the reaction that would have followed if Kobe were to have been involved also serves as a funny reminder of just how important ratings and attention really are in the grand scheme of things. It shows the power of the media, and most of all, it shows us the influence (whether positive or negative) that Kobe Bryant has had on this league. I stand by my proclaimation that there has never been an athelete who has been hated on this much, no matter WHAT he does, whether good or bad.

Without further ado, I give to you the situations where you truly have to wonder how the reaction would have been if Kobe Bryant were to have done the same thing.

1. "A Kobe Bryant team is never desperate!"

Original Quote: “A LeBron James team is never desperate" - Lebron James

Original Reaction: Got some attention in blogs, but nothing on ESPN, so obviously, it wasn't that big of a deal to most. After all, this is "King James"....he gets a free pass, no matter what he says. However, what would the reaction have been if Kobe Bryant so boldly referred to himself in the third person and claimed that a team led by him is never desperate?

Expected Reaction To Kobe Bryant:

This is why I hate Kobe Bryant. He is arrogant, and so full of himself. Listen to him, referring to himself in the third person! Who does he think he is, Lebron James?? Plus, the Lakers haven't won anything! He's not MJ, he'll never be MJ!!!

2. "Yo Shaq, How's A First Round Exit taste?"

Original Action: Shaquille O'Neal unleashes a freestyle asking the Mamba how his ass tastes, following the 2008 NBA Finals. "Last week, Kobe couldn't do it without me!" he says.

Original Reaction: "That's just Shaq being Shaq! He's so funny!" It's hilarious when The Big Irrelevant does it, but what would the reaction have been if Kobe Bean was the one freestyling and the words "Shaq" had been uttered even once during that freestyle?

Edit: The perfect place to find ACTUAL reactions to these situations are on ESPN, where some pretty stupid, biased and exceedingly young people continue to post, regardless of whether or not they posess proper grammar skills, or basketball knowledge beyond the year 2004. Anyways, here is an actual post from one of the ESPN commenters:

jacorey32 (1 hour ago)
Report Violation
piratelife are you serious, Kobe the most hated arrogant player/rappist in the NBA. why are you all hating shaq i don't understand. this man has 4 rings that 1 more than kobe and 3 finals mvps thats 3 more than kobe. oh wait Kobe does have the biggest choke series ever by and NBA Most vaulable player. did you watch the Boston series. How they kept saying greatest on the planet. sorry MJ never lost a 24 point lead, MJ never got beat by 40 to close a finals series wait Shaq never lost a 24 point lead wait Shaq neverl lost by 40 points to close out a series. And for all those they say that Shaq has been washed up. If I remember correctly Shaq has been in the playoffs every year since leaving the Lakers yr 1 Eastern Confrence against Pistons, yr 2 Title yr 3 playoffs with Phoenix. what did kobe do oh yeah due to lakers and favorable calls against Spurs they made it to the finals because from a buisness prospective it was a more profitable matchup. Just to discover they were clearly outmatched and didn't belong there. and to introduce the world to there new MVP Sir Choky Bryant. the rapist

Expected Reaction To Kobe Bryant:

Kobe Bryant is so full of himself. He thinks he's a rapper. Stick to playing ball Kobe! Wow, he sucks at freestyling! He's just so...fake. Just look at him holding that microphone. He thinks he's Tupac. More importantly, he just lost in the Finals! Kobe hasn't won anything since Shaq left! Shaq made him what he is! He's not MJ, he'll never be MJ!!!!

3. Paul Pierce: "B's Upppp!"

Original Action: Paul Pierce throws up a bloods gang-sign subsequently after Al Horford drops him and talks trash. Pierce, reverting back to his Cali days, walks over to mid-court and throws up a "blood, sweat and tears" sign....according to Danny Ainge.

Original Reaction: Varied. From Danny Ainge claiming Pierce was signaling "blood, sweat and tears" (which makes me laugh everytime I read it) to people reassuring themselves once again that the NBA is full of thugs, to people debating whether or not it really was a bloods sign in the first place. The action did generate some contreversy, but nothing compared to what it would have been had Kobe Bryant done that in the first round against the Denver Nuggets after Kenyon Martin talked some smack to him.

Expected Reaction To Kobe Bryant:

Kobe is not a gangster. He grew up in Italy. He's so fake. How can he be throwing up gang signs, he has no street credibility! Everyone knows the main thing that basketball players want is street credibility, because you know, carrying yourself intelligently is out of the question! Kobe thinks he's a gangster. He's no Paul Pierce. That was not a blood, sweat and tears sign! Kobe Bryant thinks he's so hood. He's a fake; a phony! This is the difference between him and Michael Jordan, he always tries to be something he's not. He's not MJ, he'll never be MJ!!!!

More to come.....

Yo Shaq, How Did Wade's Ass Taste?

Whoa, wait a minute. Is it 2004 again? What the hell? Is that Shaquille O'Neal dissing Kobe Bryant? THE Shaquille O'Neal? I thought the guy retired? Or wait, wasn't he traded to the Suns and promised to get them a ring since he was "mad" about people saying he was washed up? How far did the Suns get in the playoffs again? Oops...they lost in 5 games? No way! You'd think with an angry Shaq, the Suns would have won the title! He is the "MDE" after all! That's okay though; Shaq will get them next year. He's not done yet. His 36 year old body is still as dominant as it always was....combined with the likes of 34-year-old Steve Nash and 36-year-old Grant Hill, the Suns are definetly going to win the 2009 title!

All right, let me just cut the shit and link to the video that definitely made this summer more lively for the media and bloggers alike: Shaq's freestyle towards Kobe, also dropping as a single on your local hiphop radio station as "(Kobe) Can't Do It Without Me". If you haven't watched the video about 100 times by now, I'm definitely surprised. You should watch it once more, just for fun.

I will admit that the freestyle itself is funny, but what I find even funnier is Shaq's insecurity, as proven by this whole spectacle. People will give him props for being so creative, and say "Oh, stop being so anal! That's just Shaq being Shaq!". No, "Shaq being Shaq" was relevant when he actually could do shit on the basketball court to back up all the immature and (sometimes) funny things that he'd say. This is Shaq being an idiot; this is Shaq trying to be relevant in 2008, when he hasn't been relevant since 2006...or maybe even 2005.

"Kobe, tell me how my ass taste?"

Well Shaq, if that's the question you want to ask, let me ask YOU something. You didn't win shit with Penny, so he doesn't matter. But those three rings you had with the Lakers? Yeah, those three straight championships that gave you the balls to call yourself the MDE? Did you win those with Kobe Bryant? Remind me, cause we all obviously have forgotten. Hmmm...come to think of it, you did! Now I remember. Jeez, the way you're dissing him now, you'd think Kobe Bryant was Devean George in those years. Game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals. Do you remember that? When you were on the bench and Kobe Bryant singlehandedly won your Lakers the game? Yeah, does that bring back any memories? Maybe it should. In that case, maybe you should be telling us how Kobe's ass tastes as well? Afterall, you needed him quite often during those championship years, did you not?

You know what actually, the better question to ask you would be:

"Shaq, How Did Wade's Ass Taste?"

That even rhymes too. I think that's an intriguing question, don't you? After all, had it not been for Wade (and his partner in crime, Benett Salvatore), you would not have won jackshit in Miami. Who was the 2006 NBA Finals MVP again? You? Oh wait, I was thinking of 2002. I forgot you weren't even that relevant in 2006. Your boy D-Wade won it...you know, in those "dominant" days of yours, playing for the wonderful Heat organization. Oh wait, you dissed the Heat organization after you left? That's cool. That's your thing, I understand. You "love em, not leave em" right? That doesn't explain why you dissed LA, Miami, and soon-to-be Phoenix though. But whatever, it's all good Big Irrelevant. We all love you. You are a media darling. Everything you say is funny obviously....but If Kobe Did That, and pulled what you just pulled, would you have taken it "all in fun?" Yeah...thought so.

Whatever though, it's all good, Shaq. Just keep begging your attention. The media loves it, and you give us something to talk about. Just watch out for when the 2008 Western Conference champs face you guys for the first time next year, okay? You might want to give a little extra effort than your usual "5 points-and-3 rebounds-in-28-minutes" kinda games. Good luck on your quest to be relevant again though, for real. I really thought you had retired...or simply you know...gotten over Kobe Bryant? Guess you haven't. I still have hope though Big Irrelevant...just keep trying.

The NBA Draft...a phenomenon I just don't understand.

Every year, bloggers, columnists and media guys that cover basketball seem to get extra excited come draft day. Yes, the Finals are over and yes, mock drafts are a way to cover basketball in the often-boring off-season, but I personally still don't find the NBA draft very exciting. I mean, really, how can you convince me that watching dudes in suits repeatedly come up to shake David Stern's hand is actually intriguing television?

Personally, not following NCAA basketball probably has a lot to do with it. I'm from Canada, and while we do get extensive NCAA coverage (we have CBS, no worries there), I don't know many guys my age (or even older) who actually follow it as religiously as they do the NBA. Furthermore, it's more of a pride/school thing with most people that actually follow the NCAA season. We have our own universities and schools here in Canada, and unfortunately, most of the ones with stellar athletic programs are known as either the "easy" schools, or basically ones where "hot" people who have dominantly "easy majors" decide to go. To be frank, the Canadian education program doesn't give two-shits about athletics.

Anyways, going back to the NBA Draft - I don't really understand why so many people devote such time into making mock drafts, and analyzing what player a certain team is projected to take with the 29th pick. For example, I can just imagine some blogger last year writing up a little mock draft with the following written: "The 76ers are expected to take Petteri Koponen [!] with the 30th pick!" Really, who cares? Moreover, do most of these people who do mock drafts even know who half of these players actually are? Have they watched enough games of each of the players to actually successfully project where they land or do they just get a credible source's mock-draft and just switch some names around to make it seem different?

Let the teams draft whoever. The top 5 picks, yes I somewhat understand the fascination - these could be future superstars in the league (or not, just ask Michael Olowakandi!). However, when is the last time the media (or whoever else) has ever got it right with these picks? Every pick is a toss-up, and a lot of how a player develops and improves depends on a gigantic list of factors, which most notably includes injuries, and of course, the system that they are included in. What about the James Poseys, Bruce Bowens (undrafted), and pre-Chicago/Cleveland Ben Wallaces? Most importantly, what about the Tony Parkers? How about the guys that are picked really low, but end up being studs (Rashard Lewis) in the end?

It's all a toss up, and as the 1998 draft - along with countless others - prove, collegiate stars aren't exactly certainties for success in the league. Just ask JJ Reddick, or maybe Bobby Hurley, or perhaps Chris Jackson. "Upside" is great to have, sure, but players should only be devoted so much time in media-coverage when they're actually ON an NBA team and contributing.

I don't really care who the number one pick is, and by my calculation, it really doesn't matter. Ben Wallace was undrafted, yet I'm certain when I say that the 2004 Pistons would not have won that year's title without him. So, to the people devoted to these mock drafts and what not, continue with what you're doing. Don't let me discourage you. However, I know there are plenty of NBA fans out there who really don't care in any way about the NBA Draft, and to those fans: I salute you.

I know it's 'different' to admit that some things related to the NBA are amazingly boring (as much as John Hollinger wants to convince you otherwise), but forgive me if I'm not very intrigued at the idea of seeing David Stern coming out of the podium every 10 minutes and just changing the name of the pick number, team and player on every 5 second speech he makes, followed by "experts" criticising and analyzing these picks as if their "expertise" really holds that much weight. Really, these are the same people who have repeatedly boosted up (eventually) useless players (Kwame Brown!) and criticized selections of players that were actually useful.

Sorry, but I'll pass on the hype. Wake me up only when there's a blockbuster trade that goes down involving a player that has actually spent time on an NBA basketball court.

My Thoughts On The 2007-2008 Lakers

131-92. While that is nothing more than the Championship clinching score for everyone watching and covering these Finals, that is the score that will indeed be burned into the memories of the players on this Lakers squad.

I know that the Celtics deserved to win this championship, and it would be stupid to say that the Lakers matched even an ounce of the desire displayed by the Celtics, obviously. What I don't understand however, is people doubting this Lakers team regarding next year, and whether or not they can come back to this point again, and maybe capture thier own championship. The only team that I fear from the West are the Hornets and Jazz, and that is only because of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. However, neither of those teams will have the hunger for redemption that this Lakers team will have next year. Nor will they have the experience that this team has just gained. Additionally, I don't fear the likes of the Spurs (their window is closed), Suns (ditto), and the Rockets (T-Mac is involved - nothing more needs to be said). Portland? I need to see them make the playoffs first. Taking all that into consideration, why would it be difficult to bet on the Lakers climbing back to the top next year?

Let's break this down, shall we? Some points that people seem to be forgetting in the midst of all this Celtics-talk:

1. Kobe Bryant played these entire playoffs with a broken pinky. He literally taped 2 of his fingers together and shot the ball this way throughout the playoffs. I don't know if any of you have ever played a sport with ANYTHING broken (I know I haven't), but I doubt that it's easy. Nevertheless, he was the driving force in leading the Lakers to Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

2. Pau Gasol had never won a playoff game, let alone a series, in his career before coming to Los Angeles. In his first playoff run (and that is an understatement), Gasol had his ups and downs, but you're kidding me if this experience didn't make him stronger as a player - or perhaps even as a person. Regardless of the amount of scrutiny and criticism he faced, I feel that Gasol did a decent job overall, especially considering that while he is a veteran of the league, he had never, EVER faced the amount of pressure and scruntiny that he did during this Lakers run. Experience plays a factor in every player's career, and when you finally taste what winning is like, you obviously want to win more. Being so close to the top, there is no way that Gasol doesn't push himself even harder next year and utilizes his experience from this disappointment.

3. The Lakers 'Bench Mob' (and role players) were absolutely horrible in this series, no doubt. But what people fail to see is how young this Lakers team is. Aside from Derek Fisher, Kobe is the only one who is relatively "old" (and he's only 29); the rest of this team is full of up and coming players. Think about it. If the Lakers managed to get this far relying on such a young bench as they did, then there's no denying the amount of experience and (hopefully) motivation that these Finals will give to the Lakers bench. The one player that I have complete faith in is Sasha Vujacic. I know a lot of people hate him, but that kid has heart. He's the same guy that couldn't get minutes a couple of years ago because he could never make shots in a game...and look at him now. He's known as a sharpshooter (or a Machine!), and he's a mortal lock to shoot it when he gets the ball. Whether or not it goes in doesn't matter to him; in that respect, he's very similar to a young Kobe (albeit a lot less talented), and I admire that.

I'm telling you right now, he will be a force to be recokoned with (in a Steve Kerr kind of way) in the future, and this was a great, and MUCH NEEDED experience for him and the Lakers bench. Having seen numerous interviews with these Lakers, the starters have often said that most of the Lakers bench consists of "gym rats", and seeing how far they've gotten this season, I don't doubt for a minute that this unique Bench Mob will be back next year hungry to redeem themselves.

4. The most important thing, however: Failure. The Lakers failed....and they failed miserably. However, people seemed to have forgotten that this inexperienced Lakers team had to defeat gigantic demons such as the Jazz and the Spurs (not exactly easy teams) in order to get to the point they did. It is something that they should be commended for.

This Lakers team was not supposed to be here. Kobe Bryant was not supposed to be in Los Angeles, nor was he supposed to be the MVP. The Lakers bench was not supposed to be considered one of the best benches during the regular season, and throughout most of the playoffs. Lamar Odom was not supposed to have a great year. Andrew Bynum was not supposed to be a force, and the Lakers were not supposed to make the playoffs. While they clinched the playoffs, they were not supposed to be the number one team in the West in a year where every seed won over 50 games. The Lakers were not supposed to get past the Jazz. Or the Spurs. When they were finally SUPPOSED to beat the Celtics, they melted. But that's okay. They were not supposed to be here. Next year, they are.

Failure teaches you a lot of things, and it introduces you to a lot of things; namely motivation, desire, and hunger. In sports, failure is perhaps the greatest thing that could happen to a player or a team, because when you fail, you want to never experience that feeling again. When you lose by 39 AND lose your championship dreams at the same time, you DEFINETLY don't want to experience that feeling again. Success can never come without tasting failure first, and it tastes that much sweeter when you eventually overcome your adversities....just ask KG, Pierce and Allen.

The Lakers Send It To Game 7! Oh wait....I was just dreaming.

First things first, congratulations to the Boston Celtics on winning the 2008 NBA Championship. They definitely were the better team in this series, and as I've been saying since I watched Game 3, there was no way the Lakers were winning this series playing the way that they were playing.

A huge congratulations also goes out to The Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. In this final game, each one of them showed their worth and helped in absolutely dismantling this disgruntled LA squad. I also loved seeing Ray Allen light up 7 three pointers; it spoke volumes about how much of an otherworldly shooter he is, and I'm happy that he proved it in such a meaningful game. Ditto for Kevin Garnett, who surely shut up all his critics by not only having an excellent game, but also for finally winning that first title (albeit with the help of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce...but why should that be a knock on him?).

I will discuss how disappointed I am with the Lakers in another post, but for now, I will leave you with some notes that I made during the game as I was watching it. I didn't take any notes in the first quarter, but I liked seeing Kobe get his stroke on out there. It surely looked like the Lakers were not going down without a fight. That is...until the Boston defense absolutely took the entire Lakers team out of the picture. By the way, these are unedited notes that I took while watching the game; I will analyze these notes later on, no worries, because there are familiar patterns in these (brief) notes that you'll notice, especially in regards to the Lakers. It explains a lot.

Second Quarter

• The Lakers reserves are absolutely BRUTAL tonight, especially with the turnovers. There are way too many lackluster passes being made, and anytime Rajon Rondo has 5 steals in the first half, you're playing quite horribly.
• Regarding Ray Allen: Always loved the dude, and I hope he comes back into the game soon. It's tough playing with a poked eye, I know from experience.
• Kobe turns the ball over (so it's NOT just the reserves!), and James Posey sticks in a three. The Garden is going crazy, and there are way too many threes being made by the Celtics. This is their night.
  

Edit: ...the worst sequence of basketball in history goes to these next five "plays" that the Lakers made:

• Space Cadet Vlad with an UGLY miss on a 3 point attempt.
• Space Cadet Vlad's head must be in his own planet right now: the dude just committed a inexplicable over the back foul on Paul Pierce on a frickin inbounds pass, with the Lakers sitting on 4 team fouls. Pierce is headed to the line.
• Luke Walton misses a wide open jump shot....it goes over the backboard.
• Jordan Farmer loses the ball off his foot out of bounds with no one guarding him....
• Kobe Bryant turns it over....

Edit: Yep, these are the same Lakers that were favoured to win in 5. Back to the notes!

• KEVIN GARNETT! Play of the game so far, a HUGE and-1! The guy hung in mid-air forever and finished it off with one hand! That play literally made me jump out of my seat.
• EVERYTHING is going the Celtics way....even Rondo is knocking down jump shots. You know the Lakers aren't winning this one.
• After seeing this Boston crowd, I am thoroughly convinced that LA has probably the worst crowd you can possibly have in an NBA Finals series. They just straight sucked compared to the Boston faithful.

3rd Quarter

• Once again, EVERYTHING going the Celtics way. Jesus Allen with the three pointer, Rondo with the easy 2.
• Space Cadet Vlad bricks a three...of the frickin BACKBOARD.
• Fisher with the and-one! Thank you for finally showing up in the 3rd quarter of a blowout.
• Kendrick Perkins picks up his 5th (!) foul in the start of the third quarter. What the hell is he doing out there, clotheslining on every play?
• Space Cadet Vlad finally makes a bucket by draining the 3....only to have Rondo make a 3 point play on the other end. Not the Lakers night.
• WORST PLAY OF THE GAME: Boston shoots the ball and misses, followed by 4 Lakers lazily watching the ball just bounce around on the court, with none of them going after it. Kevin Garnett finally grabs the loose rebound on what should have been LA's possession. This is pathetic, and it basically sums up why the Lakers aren't winning this game, nor this series.
• Rondo with the steal.
• WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE OPEN three pointer for Ray Allen. I mean, the dude literally took 5 seconds to set his shot, and of course, buried it. Anytime you leave a sharpshooter open on a corner three for that long, you're not playing good defense.
• Kevin Garnett snatches the ball from Pau and forces a jump ball, and of course, starts pounding his chest like he's king kong. Dude, I like you as a player, but stop that shit please, it's unnecessary. If Kobe Bryant had done that, he'd be criticized by 9982747 blogs within the next 2 hours.
• Speaking of Kobe, where the hell is he?
• Oops, there he is. He just got the ball swept from him by Rajon frickin Rondo!
• Jeff Van Gundy is probably one of the funniest analysts I've ever heard. He should go to TNT.

4th Quarter aka The Celebration Quarter

• Vujacic leaves Ray Allen on another WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE OPEN three. Jesus buries it. Yep, this is the same Lakers team that were favoured to win this series.
• Ray Allen with ANOTHER wide open three. That's two back to back WIIIIIDE OPEN three pointers. I'm emphasizing it because he's seriously having a field day out there with these open threes. It's like he's at practice by himself right now. The Lakers are playing unbelievably bad defense.
• The score is 101-70. Somebody kill me.
• Ray Allen knocks in ANOTHER 3 pointer, only this time it was contested (phew!). That's three straight three pointers for Jesus.
• This game is over...
• On the bench, KG is swearing like a mofo and ABC is bleeping out a lot of things. Eventually, ABC just stops cutting to the Celtics bench and focuses on the court.
• Vujacic starts grabbing his eye on a flop....with 46 seconds to go....in a blow out. He would make Ginobili proud right now.
• Kobe Bryant is now officially heartbroken on the bench. He's displaying the same emotion that I saw from him in the last Finals loss in '04, and the WCF loss against the Spurs in '03. This is difficult for me to watch as a lifelong fan of Kobe Bryant. I absolutely idolize the guy, and the amount of criticism that is going to come his way is going to be gargantuan, and to a large degree, unfair. You can see he obviously cares about winning; I'm not sure I can say the same for any of the other Lakers. I will cover this later on in future blog posts.
• HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT: If you didn't seen it before, you have to see it now. Kevin Garnett's post game interview with Michelle Tafoya has to go down as the craziest interview I've ever seen in the NBA Finals. It was so unpredictable, so crazy, so funny....so KG. I'll link to it at the end of this post.
• KG: "Whatchu gonna say now?" That's to you, critics.
• I laughed when Stuart Scott got booed, but I laughed even louder when David Stern got booed. Thank you, Boston.
• Stuart Scott's interview with Doc Rivers was painful to listen to. I couldn't understand a word Doc was saying in that gruff voice of his.
• ABC cuts to Doc Rivers singing "We are the champions" as he sits waiting for the team photo. Hilarious stuff.
• And that's a wrap...131-92.

Words cannot even explain how disappointed I am right now. For the record though, the Lakers weren't even supposed to make the playoffs this year, so people need to calm down, especially Laker fans, but especially Kobe haters.

And for those of you who missed it, here it is, the greatest post-game interview of all time:

So just remember:

ANYTHING'S POSIBLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Congrats KG.

The Rise & Fall Of The 2008 Lakers

Watching the 2007-2008 Lakers closely since the All-Star break, it's been hard to call them anything but dominant. Since acquiring Pau Gasol, the Lakers pretty much steam-rolled their way to the top of the Western Conference in a year that the conference was considered one of the toughest in the NBA's history. Somehow, in the midst of all the competition, the Lakers - a team that many projected to not even make the playoffs - managed to stand out the most. They were the best team in the Western Conference, and they definitely proved it as they went on to defeat formidable foes in the form of the Nuggets, Jazz and ESPECIALLY the Spurs, on their way to the NBA Finals.

On the other side of the coin, the Boston Celtics steamrolled their way through the entire league on their way to supremacy of the NBA, churning out 66 wins and the top seed in the Eastern Conference, not to mention the best record in the league itself. However, with the playoffs, questions began to arise in regards to the Celtics, as they had to face seven games series' with the likes of the Hawks and the Cavaliers - crappy teams to say the least - before finally getting it together and defeating the Pistons in six. So while the Lakers have had an easier ride to the NBA Finals (not competition wise, I mean in regards to the relative ease that they coasted to this point), the Celtics have had to claw and fight their way to this destination; a destination that many EXPECTED them to be at coming into this season.

The Lakers have been genuinely outplayed EVERY game of this series thus far. Watching Game 5, I really did believe that the Lakers would choke (once again) at home and the Celtics would win the championship in LA. Why? A lack of execution. The Lakers role players have been unbelievably exposed in this series, as has their bench. While Pau is still a good player, he really needs to stop complaining so much about foul calls and be the catalyst for executing the triangle perfectly as he was in the regular season. Odom and Fisher have not shown up at all, and the Lakers bench has been below average at best, even considering Game 5. Luke Walton is not really that good of a player, has never been, nor will he ever be. Vujacic is a hit or miss kind of guy, and most of the times, he will miss, especially on the road. Jordan Farmer is arrogant, but his game doesn't back it up. Turiaf is useless on the offensive end, and Ariza is only good for defence. Don't even get me started on Vladamir Radmonavic. The only consistent player on this team has been Kobe, and even he is struggling.

If you watch the games, it is not that Kobe does not "trust his teammates", but rather that his teammates all of a sudden cannot hit their shots and look extremely shaky out there. Fisher went from looking like a solid, clutch point guard in the Western Conference Finals to looking like a veteran that has shrunk back to insignificance like he did in the 2004 Finals. Kobe Bryant has turned from the well-deserved MVP that steamrolled anyone in his path (including the Spurs!) in the Western Conference to someone that we're used to seeing 5-19 performances from. In this day and age, when you EXPECT Kobe Bryant to struggle in a series, that means that he as an individual has failed because his teammates as a unit are being exposed.

The Lakers have been thoroughly outplayed, outperformed and out-executed (I don't think that's a word) in this series. Paul Pierce has been exactly how Kobe Bryant NEEDS to be, and Boston's players have responded how the Lakers players should have when entering these Finals. Have you seen James Posey in these games? That is how Derek Fisher should be; a veteran that can make shots when needed. Instead, we had Fisher and Vujacic shoot something along the lines of a combined 3 for 20 in Game 4, and somehow the Lakers managed to win. I'm not so much scared of the Celtics, as I am for the Lakers. Basically, each Lakers win is a surprise, as opposed to an expectation.

The Celtics will win this title rather easily, unless the Lakers drastically change their ways, which doesn't seem likely. Phil Jackson seems like he hasn't coached the Lakers at ALL this whole series and Doc Rivers pretty much has everyone convinced that he's out coaching the Zen Master. I don't think that's hard when you have the roster that Boston does to be honest, but credit should be given to him for motivating his guys properly (not that they need much motivation in the first place).

The Lakers have gone from being the epitome of excellent execution to a team that has seemed disorganized, disinterested and at often times, a team that doesn't belong where they are. Something tells me that the Spurs would have fared better against the Celtics, because these Lakers don't look like the same team that beat the likes of an excellent Jazz team and an old-yet-still-efficient Spurs team. After all of the hype of how the Western Conference is unparalleled, an Eastern Conference team is likely to be standing on top of the NBA mountain by tomorrow night.

P.S - The reason you see UK sensation Craig David for this post is because, he has an excellent song called "Rise and Fall" from his second album, Slicka Than Your Average. I think it appropriately represents the Lakers at this point, as they seem to be falling more with every game after peaking against the Spurs. The confidence I once had in this team is all but shattered, and it isn't because Boston is a 66 win team; I stopped being scared of them the moment that the Atlanta frickin Hawks took them to 7 games. Rather, it is because the Lakers look genuinely SHOOK out their on the basketball floor....in the NBA Finals. Horrible time to be wetting the bed to the point that you "can't put the towel over [it]" (Kobe!), guys.

The Pundits Come Alive: Kobe = Not MJ?

Yep, there's been a swarm of articles and blog posts saying that all of a sudden, Kobe (oh...and the Lakers) allowing the Celtics to come back from a 24 point deficit on the road automatically excludes him the magical "Next MJ" discussion because, you know, Jordan would NEVER EVER let any of his teams do that because, of course, Michael Jordan has never missed a shot, lost a game, or generally done anything wrong in his perfect life. At least, that's what I've come to realize after reading blog comments and ESPN articles over the past couple of days.

First things first, this post is dedicated to the guys that are posting ridiculous "insights" like that. It is only IDIOTS that say that Kobe is better than Jordan. No one doubts that Jordan is the best; my problem with the people that constantly bash Kobe Bryant for no damn reason (and sometimes over the stupidest little things - I'm looking at you The Big Lead) is that you guys put Jordan on a pedestal as if he has never done anything wrong in his life. No sane person believes Kobe is better than Jordan - and if it took you a Game 4 NBA Finals loss to finally come to that "brilliant" conclusion then you sir, are an idiot.

If it really did take until last night for you to make the oh-so-great insight that Kobe is not the next MJ, and subsquently bash Kobe in full throttle because of your discovery, then I have reached a conclusion. If that was your mindstate, then that must mean that for the last decade or so, your heart's sank a little each time Kobe has added something "Michael Jordan"-esque to his resume. You must have actually been under the impression that Kobe Bryant was slowly turning into Michael Jordan. Now that he's actually failed, you breathe out a sigh of relief by absolutely destroying him on blogs and articles because you finally feel that Kobe failing in this juncture excludes him from any discussion mentioning Michael Jordan.

Reality check [!]: they're two different players. Dudes, when YOU GUYS (i.e - the writers, broadcasters) stop the comparisons, then people will eventually stop the comparisons as well. It shouldn't take a game in the 2008 NBA Finals, followed by you guys screaming "I TOLD YOU HE WASN'T MJ (!)" on your blogs and columns to realize that Kobe Bryant is just Kobe Bryant. Sorry to say it, but you come off sounding extremely insecure, as if you guys believe that you're some sort of geniuses because you made the (stupid) point that this one game taints anything else Kobe has done. You finally feel vindicated right? You guys finally WON. Wow. You WON the debate. Because of you, I have now come to realize that Kobe Bryant is not Michael Jordan; thank you for enlightening me!

By the way, on another note - I've noticed that usually the same people that absolutely despise Kobe are the ones that are on Lebron's nuts. I will openly admit that while Lebron is a great player, I agree with Deshawn Stevenson that he is quite overrated. His skills are on point, but even in that respect, he is quite overrated as well. I will thoroughly explain one of these days why I feel this way through a post, but the Why I Hate Lebron post will have to wait a while.

To sum it up in a nutshell though, I think his on-court repertoire is extremely limited and overrated and off the court, he shows absolutely no personality at any point, in addition to the fact that the dude's ego is the size of Mt.Everest.

Despite all that, the guy has constant media people, the NBA itself and a lot of major bloggers sniffing his ass on every move that he makes. Talking in the third person, or having absolutely no jump shot doesn't matter at all. After all, he's King James, the greatest to ever play the game because, as his own tattoos say (egotistical much?), he's the "Chosen One" (I apologize for making you look at Lebron's waxed back in the picture). For you guys out there that are laughing at Kobe right now, all I need to say is that Lebron James got SWEPT in the NBA Finals, so please, stop anointing him as the next great thing for the time being as well. Each player has his own legacy, and each will be different. By the way, don't give me crap about Lebron's teammates being shit. If they could get to the NBA Finals, then they obviously had some talent. And if you think Kobe Bryant's cast is amazing, you obviously have not watched these NBA Finals.

I Am Speechless.

Okay. So, I go to work for an 8 hour shift in the afternoon. I don't hear anything about the Lakers-Celtics game all night long because serving customers here in Toronto, I see more people sporting flags of countries that they're cheering for in Euro 2008 (Netherlands is killing it!). So, after hearing cars honk for Crotia's win, and seeing fine girls wearing Italia and Portugal jerseys (because there is nothing sexier than girls from "soccer countries"), I come home, eat and chill for a bit, and then turn on the net. I check out The Big Lead and in it, I read that the Lakers were apperently blowing out the Celtics at Staples by at least 20+ points. Relieved, I figure I'd catch the end of the game on ABC. So, I turn on the TV and go on ABC. I come in to see Kobe Bryant driving to the hoop furiously, and the Lakers TRAILING. I am in shock. I am hurt, I am in disbelief; I cannot believe the Lakers would choke on a game that should have been a blowout in the 2nd half. I cannot believe that a team lead by Kobe Bryant would be that out of sync in such a PIVOTAL game.

Watching Kobe make two free throws, I became a little more relieved, thinking that the the Lakers - although in the choking process - had still not completely choked away the game; they could still win it.

I'm not sure at exactly what time it happened, but Posey finished a Ray Allen drive with a a HUUUUGE three-pointer that silenced the already silent Staples crowd (horrible fans, by the way). The Celtics could feel it; they knew they had sucked the life out of this already lifeless Lakers team (and its faux fans). Nevertheless, I think this was followed by some more Kobe free throws, and then Gasol dunking it in off the Kobe pass.

The next play however, was Ray Allen (Jesus!) absolutely ABUSING Sasha Vujacic on an isolation, leaving the Slovenian crying and taking out his anger on some poor dude who thought he could console The Machine. Who knew the Machine could get so emotional?

I kind of laughed when I first saw that (Sasha getting pissed I mean, not the above picture), but I do respect Sasha for being so into the game and realizing that his lack of ability to properly defend Jesus may have pretty much cost his team the series. It's not totally Sasha's fault though, the Lakers as a unit did a horrible job of helping out the Machine, especially Pau, who came in for the help just as Allen's shot was pretty much about to swish through already.

This excellent execution by the Celtics was followed by a horrible play out of a time out by the Lakers where Sasha shot a clutch three (AGAIN - just like in Game 2) and missed, followed by Kobe dribbling and missing a three, followed by Eddie House being fouled and icing the game. Why wasn't the ball in the hands of Kobe to begin with??

Now, as much as I was in disbelief, I wanted to read over the facts of this game. How the f@!k did this even happen? From searching the net, I have come to find out that this loss is to be blamed on Kobe not really showing up, Pau not showing up, and Odom disappearing in the 2nd half. The Lakers bench was horrible, and Fisher wasn't much of a factor. Some said that Kobe started becoming selfish in the 2nd half, and that's when the game started slipping. Basically, however, the whole team failed to show up in the second half.

It doesn't matter. The loss doesn't need to be on one person's shoulders, it needs to be something that should be held against this whole team. The Lakers have had a terrible series, and for some reason, Boston has always had their number. I am openly rooting for the Lakers, but I remember watching Game 3 and seeing the Celtics claw it out against the Lakers on the road in a game that the Lakers should have been able to win without that much of a fight, and I thought to myself....'wow....these Celtics are really a much better team than the Lakers'. I still can't believe that this Celtics team is the same one that struggled against such shitty teams as the Hawks and Cavs, yet are steamrolling past the Lakers.

Let's make this one thing clear, there is not ONE GAME this series that the Celtics have not looked more dominant then these Lakers. Not one. I won't go into blaming Kobe, because when they were winning, nobody complained about him not scoring in the 1st half, but I will say that I'm disappointed in the Lakers as a team for letting such a lead slip away in such a crucial game.

Ray Allen, welcome back. I loved watching you with the Bucks in the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, and I will be glad if you do win a title. Pierce's injury hoax was horrible in my opinion, but the guy has been playing his heart out.

The series is not over yet, and I will not discount the Lakers, but I will not be surprised if the Celtics beat them in Staples on Sunday. The Celtics have been the better team all series, and unless ALL the Lakers show up committed to winning this thing, the Celts are taking it. And if they DO take it, they took it very easily too I must add.

The NBA: Where Ex-Referees Revealing The Truth Happens

I will get to the Lakers-Celtics Game 3 summaries on my next post, but I just thought I should bring up the wonderful news of Donaghy's allegations in regards to the foul play involved in the NBA in terms of officiating and superstar treatment.

Well, well, well. This is some news! I, for one, love it. I love the fact that this is out in the open, and I would think that the Sternbot is shook right now. The NBA, those greedy bastards, asked Donaghy's team for $1 million in reprimands for "damaging" the league's reputation. From ESPN:

"The NBA claimed that it was forced to spend the nice round sum of $1 million investigating Donaghy and the damage he caused, and the league wants its money back. Clearly enraged by the unexpected demand from the NBA for $1 million, Donaghy and Lauro retaliated with detailed accusations of manipulation by other referees. It is the worst nightmare for the NBA, which might now be reconsidering a withdrawal of its demand for restitution. "

Newsflash to the Sternbot: Your referees haven't had credibility in the past 2 years, and even before then it was quite shaky. However, since the 2006 NBA Finals, it's gotten much, much worse.

The Sternbot, being himself, responded to these allegations by constantly repeating that his old pal Donaghy was simply trying to get a lesser sentence, and that the allegations were "baseless". Yes, SO baseless that people (columnists and fans alike) STILL cite that Game 6 as one of the worst officiated playoff games of all time, if not THE worst. So baseless that something that fans have been suspecting for YEARS is finally coming into fruition with actual proof by someone who was actually a part of the NBA's inner working circle. Donaghy has nothing to lose at this point, he will get a prison sentence no matter what. I love the fact that he's spilling the NBA's dirty laundry because if thousands of fans have been suspecting it in their minds that the NBA is sometimes fixed, then there's no way so many collective minds can be wrong.

It's not that the NBA does it that's a problem (although that is obviously wrong on so many levels). What's worse is the WAY they do it. They make it so blatant that fans watching the game KNOW that its being handed to a certain team (usually the home team). And that's where the NBA is getting it wrong. If you're going to fix games through referees, at least do it in a more subtle and less obvious manner. If you're calling phantom fouls in crucial moments (Dwyane Wade! 2006 Finals!), calling superstars for tick tack fouls in the first quarter (Kobe Bryant! Game 2!), sending bench players to the line more than an entire team (Game 2!), then there is a problem.

Game 3 was fine. The officiating, while shaky at the start, was good. I'm glad the league told its officials to be consistent with the calls, although there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they only called it this way due to the allegations surfacing and because Stern has an unwritten rule about not letting his referees make things lopsided two games in a row. That would be too obvious, of course. I'm not sure if Stern is going to utilize his referee controlling powers for any other game this series due to the allegations surfacing, but I will GUARANTEE you it will come up in next year's playoffs for sure, and even at some points in the regular season.

If one team's fan base is saying it, then yeah, there may be homerism involved. But the fact that fans of the league as a WHOLE have been complaining about officiating for years now - despite whatever team they support - speaks louder then any bullshit that Stern can provide as an answer to these allegations. The product on the court speaks for itself. Need proof? Watch Game 6 of the 2002 Western Confernce Finals. Tim Donaghy recommends it.

My Issue With The NBA & It's Media

The issue is not the "thugs", or the tats. Hardcore basketball fans nowadays grew up in the 90's (some in the 80's), and the hardcore fans that grew up in the 70's are frankly a little too old and outdated to look past anything but the thuggery (small portion, but these kind of people do exist). The problem is not tats and thugs, once again. The problem I have is that the NBA wants to cater its image as being "clean" to white society when it's full of (mostly) black players that are 6-7 feet tall. The PROBLEM with that mission (and it is a mission), is the fact that most of the players in the league came from impoverished backgrounds and struggled to make it where they are (Leon Powe!). I know there are impoverished white people out there, but they're mostly not focused on basketball, I would think. Suburbia rules the NBA ratings, and suburban white dudes just cannot relate to guys like Leon Powe, no matter how thuggish they think they may be.

I grew up in the 90's. I was born in the 80's, but I grew up in the days of Michael Jordan. So, with that being said, most of the fans that are really into the NBA right now (I mean they actually know their stuff and aren't casual observers) would be from the age bracket of around 18-35 or so. This is not counting reporters of course. I'm just making a generalization based on the people I've seen and talked to that actually KNOW their shit. Meaning, if you asked them what country Boris Diaw is from, what team he was drafted from and what his number is, they would respond with France, Atlanta and #3. What I'm trying to say is that, to the hardcore fan, tats don't matter, nor does thuggery. In all honesty, the fans who watch today's game are more concerned about OFFICIATING then anything else. I don't care how many tattoos Iverson has, dude seems like a cool guy. Bruce Bowen seems like a dick, and he has NO tattoos at all. See what I mean?

The NBA thinks that the problem with the league is how people perceive their players. No, the problem with the league is that its covered by 40-60 year old white guys who seem to have a habit of complaining about the "thuggery" of the league simply because its (usually) 10 large black guys on the court with their faces shown to the world and their deadly tattoos visible to the cameras. My problem is with the media, as much as the league's standards itself. For example, there exist writers out there who (unfairly) seem to think that the league is full of thugs (like that loser from ESPN that I can't stand: Gene Wojciechowski - henceforth referred to as "Gene The Geezer") and try to perpetuate that image through the media to the general population. THAT is the problem. If you see basketball on a court, you don't think of thugs. It's a beautiful game to watch when it's not being tainted by referees or nonsensical double standards in league rules. The media and the NBA entwine a lot of the time (hell, all the time), and Stern thinks that by doing things like airbrushing tattoos from magazine covers, the league is in better shape.

Ironically enough, the fans don't have a problem with the product on the floor, we have a problem with the obvious lack of consistency by the league office when it comes to things that actually have an effect on games. Sure, the dress code was cool, and bringing back the leather ball was a good idea (thank god), but the league still hasn't addressed the most important issues: officiating, inconsistency with league rules, and hmm....did I mention officiating?? The NBA needs to stop catering to the general public. What good is that going to do? Honestly, you go on Youtube and click on any random NBA fight videos, all you'll see is racist comments made by obvious dumbasses who have nothing better to do than be ignorant. You know what type of comments I'm talking about. You're NEVER going to change those people. There's no way the NBA can convince a certain segment of the population to fall in love with this sport. As long as 10 big black guys are running around, you can't convince them otherwise. Maybe in the future, the children of some of these individuals will smarten up and open their eyes and refuse to be so close-minded...but my friends, the year is 2008 and while the world is a little less racist than it was the last time the Lakers and Celtics faced off, racism still exists in large doses. To these people that I refer to, the NBA was, and always will be, full of thugs, for a lack of a better word.

My point is this: I know I'm being a tad bit abrasive, but as a minority in Canada, I think it's ridiculous that some obviously biased white dudes get to write and represent the NBA through major networks when they either have a certain bias towards the league in a racial manner, or when they make insane remarks and stories just for shock value and to get a read (usually followed by a billion comments of debate and yelling) for the casual fan. It doesn't even require writing ability anymore. All they have to say is "KOBE BRYANT" and boom! Here come 439872349872 comments, most of them somehow turning into "MJ vs. Kobe" comparisons.

It's sad that the NBA thinks cornrows are the problem when the problem lies within the head office itself. Issues need to be addressed and resolved. These guys NEVER look at it from a fan's perspective. Ask 20 hardcore NBA fans what their opinion on certain things are (Hack-A-Shaq being used randomly, for one) and they will give you an opinion that actually matters. All the league simply does is "look into it". What the hell does that even mean? There shouldn't be a fine for flopping, there should be a suspension, or an ejection, or a technical foul, to say the least. And why is the flopping fine being implemented now, in 2008, when the issue's been relevant for at least 3 years now? I'm not even mentioning the art of Vlade Divac. To add, there shouldn't be a need for the league to apologize to Brent Barry and the Spurs AFTER a game is over due to a non-call because the officials should be able to use INSTANT REPLAY whenever they cannot agree on a call. Why is this not implemented yet, despite the fact that there have been numerous games wherein a controversial call by the referee completely screwed over one team when the instant replay could have proved otherwise?

It's the little things that count in making the product better.

The NBA is so caught up in their god damn image that they fail to realize that the problem lies internally, not externally.

Douche.