The NBA: Where The Space Cadet Taking 30 Steps And Not Being Called For Travel Happens

Updating my last post, I cannot believe I forgot to include within it the FUNNIEST moment of last night's game (despite the excitement), atleast for me. Vlad-Rad took about 25 steps (he started his journey at the free throw line) before finally making this dunk, and the referees, being in full "let's make this game exciting by letting the Lakers bring it to within two" mode, let him get away with the call. I laughed at this play when I saw it live, more out of confusion because the refs DIDN'T call the travel on an obvious call, and I STILL laugh at this play everytime I see it. It might be one of my favourite Finals moments ever...I don't think this is ever going to get old.

The NBA: Where Referees Deciding NBA Finals Games Happens

Now, I know that the "Referee Takeover Game" has happened plenty of times over the last decade. Somehow, NBA refereeing went from sorta atrocious to just downright "disgusting to watch". I remember watching Game 6 of the 2002 WCF, wherein the Sacramento Kings had a 3-2 lead over the two-time defending champion Lakers and were winning in Staples Center in what looked to be the end of the Lakers two-year 'dynasty'. However, since I did not know much about the intricacies (read: the unwritten 'rules', with the 'make-up call' being a prime example) of NBA officiating, I was baffled at how badly the game was being called against the Kings towards the end when the Lakers made a "miraculous" rally to win the game.

Now, I was a huge Laker fan then as well, and I wanted to see them win, but if you watched that game, it was just OBVIOUS the referees were handing the game to the Lakers. Kobe Bryant almost knocked off Bibby's head with his elbow in a crucial moment of the game and was NOT called for a foul, whereas the Kings were called for tick tacky fouls on the other end.

Of course, since then, bad officiating has evolved from Game 6 of a Western Conference Finals game to the Miami Referees winning the 2006 NBA championship, in what became the first referee and NBA team tag-team in NBA history (as far as I know).

Which brings me to last night's game. I remember during the 2007 playoffs, the game that Tim Donaghy refereed obviously stood out to me (and BILL SIMMONS!) while watching it because it was HORRENDOUSLY officiated (with an emphasis on 'horrendous'). While I'm not comparing last night's crew to one that included a compulsive gambler/referee, I will say that the referees subtly (or not so subtly?) planted the seeds for a Lakers loss in the first quarter.

Without sounding like I'm whining, I was taking notes on the game as I was watching it, and I stopped taking those notes after the first quarter. Why? Simply because the officiating was disgusting me. The Lakers were playing horrible sure, but they weren't settling for outside jumpers THAT much. As Phil said, whenever Leon "I swear I'm not Jason Richardson" POW-POW has more free-throws than your ENTIRE TEAM, there is a problem. Let's read that again.

Leon "I swear I'm not Jason Richardson" Powe had more free throws in the game than an ENTIRE TEAM COMBINED.

I don't care if the dude is comparable to the Hulk in terms of aggressiveness (by the way, Powe's physique is HUGE!); those numbers don't sound legit enough to have been from a "fairly" officiated game. What the hell is going on? Stern was in the building as well, which makes me think he was giving secret winks to the referees and telling them to call tick-tack fouls on Kobe Frickin Bryant in the first quarter, while Pau Gasol can go up to the hoop and get mauled by 3 defenders and still knock the bucket in without getting an and-one call, to say the least.

In a game so horribly officiated as last night's was, two calls REALLY caught my eye. It wasn't that Kobe being called for 2 fouls in the first quarter didn't bother me; it did. But the moment I knew that the referees were controlling the game became obvious to me through two specific plays. I'll break them down for you.

Play 1: Ronny Turiaf gets called for a foul AFTER the block



That took me about 3 seconds to find on Youtube, which means at least one other observer noticed this stupid foul as well. Turiaf cleanly blocks the ball (in replays and even when you see it live), but he is called for a foul AFTER THE BALL WAS ALREADY IN THE POSESSION OF THE LAKERS! It's a frickin BLOCK dude (to the referee), obviously he's going to collide with him AFTER the play. It's whether or not he touches the offensive player WHILE he is making a play that matters, and Turiaf obviously didn't.

Play 2: Gasol is mobbed by 4 Celtic defenders at the end of the first quarter

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video of this play, but if you saw the game, you probably remember it. With the clock running down at the end of the first quarter, Gasol took it inside and put up a shot. He got fouled, but it wasn't called. Then another Laker put it up, missed, then another did the same. Neither got the foul call despite at least 4 Celtic defenders being there with one of them having OBVIOUSLY fouled someone since Laker players were either tumbling or falling backwards. Pau ended up getting the last rebound and finished the quarter off by throwing up a shot while tumbling to the cameramen on the floor. Still; no call. What the hell does a Laker have to do to get a call?

Obviously, The Stern Fist is in full effect in this game.

Question of the day: What is the Stern Fist?

It is when the Commish (who rules with an iron fist over his lowly subjects!) has already made up in his mind that a series will go a certain length of games in order to a) increase the revenues for teams and networks alike and b) make a "classic" series.

The word "classic" is thrown around so prematurely by media-members nowadays that it sickens me. I wasn't blogging when it happened, but I laughed out loud when some were calling the Cavs-Celtics game 7 a "showdown for the ages". Puhhh-leeze. Nevertheless, that's a topic for another day.

Anyways, my (not so crazy) theory is that Stern has made up his mind that this will be a "classic" series that is DESTINED to go 7 games (it's Lakers-Celtics after all! Showtime is back! So is Boston Glory!) and he will do everything in his power to ensure that this goes to seven, including approving the fact that Leon Frickin Powe gets more free throws than the entire Lakers team combined in an NBA Finals game. Way to make it un-fucking-obvious, Sternbot. Bravo.

By the way, I believe Game 3 will be called with better consistency (Sternbot doesn't want anybody to know of his tactics; two games in a row is too obvious!), but the calls will still favor the Lakers more slightly. However, Game 4 is probably when the roof will blow off Staples (in a good way for Laker fans) due to the the amount of ridiculous calls that go in the Lakers favor. I'm warning you guys now. To the readers of this blog (all two of you?), you know what's going down on Tuesday.

The NBA - Where Faking A Dramatic Injury Happens

The recent Paul Pierce game 1 debacle has made me realize one (of many) great big flaws with today's basketball media analysts and "experts": The Sports-Movie-Comeback Comparison.

Since Willis Reed did it in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, numerous basketball injury "comebacks" have been labeled "Willis Reed-esque". Notwithstanding the fact that a large percentage of today's fans don't even know WHO Willis Reed is, this comparison needs to go. I hate the fact that the media automatically has to compare an event that just happened, to an event that happened 38 years ago, DESPITE the fact that the present event does not even have REMOTELY the same significance or influence that the original event did. I know that sounded confusing, but I'm sure most of you know what I mean.

What Paul Pierce did was not heroic. If you really are injured, you come back and you limp or show signs of your injury. When Steve Nash had a gash on his nose against the Spurs in 2007, you knew he actually injured his nose because he was profusely bleeding from that location. If you suffer a severe injury, you don't play the rest of the game in the same state you were in before the "injury" happened. Even if you do play fine the rest of the game, it is revealed AFTER the game that you did indeed injure something, hence you were heroic in playing with an injury.

The only known example that I have heard (not seen) of successfully completing the Sports Movie Comeback is by Kareem Abdul Jabber in Game 5 of the 1980 NBA Finals wherein he injured his ankle, but still managed to finish off the game and inspire the Lakers to a 3-2 lead against the Sixers. This, of course, was the injury that set up Magic Johnson playing all 5 positions in Game 6 and winning the Finals MVP as a rookie. Nevertheless, THAT is a heroic performance. Jabbar was a heroic performer considering the circumstances of his injury being one that was season-ending (even though there were only two more games left at the maximum of the NBA Finals). Oh yeah, and did I mention that he didn't need to be CARRIED OFF the court by two of his teammates despite severely injuring his ankle?

Paul Pierce came across as being softer than a European soccer player with that debacle he pulled, and this is the same guy that was throwing up Piru Blood gang signs?? All I have to say is that had Kobe Bryant pulled off such a thing, he would be showered with so much hate from the media and observers alike that we would STILL be hearing about it even after the series was over. I hate double standards, and I hate people faking an injury even more. If you hear a "knee-pop" and have to be CARRIED OFF the court, only to return 2 minutes later and start draining threes, you weren't injured in the first place. Anyone who thinks he DIDN'T fake it is either Bill Simmons (aka a Celtic homer) or basically has never played a pick-up game in their life. I've heard my ankle "pop" a billion times while playing basketball, and not once have I actually injured it. If you can walk or you can shake it off, you can play. Paul Pierce obviously can only play with the help of the Rocky theme to inspire him. What a load of bullshit.

No, my friends, that is not a player who just suffered a torn ACL, nor is it a player who severely sprained an ankle. Rather, it's Paul Pierce, the player who heard his "knee-pop", only to come back two minutes later and managed to (impossibly) play through the pain of a "popped" knee. The NBA - Where Faking A Dramatic Injury Happens.

NBA Finals: Game 2

Based on nothing more than my own intuition, I have a feeling that the Lakers will be able to steal this one on the road tonight. The reason being is, the Celtics were able to BARELY squeeze by the Lakers, and in the process they needed the help of the Rocky theme, Paul Pierce's "heroics", as well as a jump-shooting collapse by the number one team in the Western Conference. I haven't even mentioned that the Lakers superstar franchise player somehow managed to struggle on makeable shots that the defence gave him in the 4th quarter. I think Celtics fans should be afraid, because if the likes of Pau, Fisher, and The Machine can knock down their jump shots off dishes by Kobe (which they failed to do in the crucial moments of Game 1), the Lakers have an extremely great chance of stealing this game and goin-goin back-back to Cali-Cali (anyone catch the Biggie reference?) with a 1-1 tie. I will keep posting as the game goes on with my own thoughts, and follow it up with, of course, more thoughts of my own regarding the outcome. Well, since I mentioned Biggie, I obviously have to mention Tupac Shakur, since this is an East-West matchup ("rivalry"). In an effort to bring luck on the side of the Lakers to bring it back to Cali with an even series, here is one of my favourite rappers of all time, not to mention the number one California enthusiast there ever was (let's just pretend that it's a Lakers jersey he's wearing....with a matching yellow bandana for good measure).

Allright, Lakers, you heard the man. SPIT in the face of the Boston Celtics and let's tie this thing up!

Why Kobe Bryant Is My Favourite Player

Take a look at the picture above. Yes, that is Kobe Bryant, then a 19-year old phenom that had yet to even be the focal point of a team, let alone win an NBA title. In the picture, he is posting up against arguably the greatest player of all time (otherwise known as the GOAT). Now, there's a reason why I chose this picture. No, it's not because I believe Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan. Let's read that again. NO I DO NOT THINK THAT KOBE BRYANT IS BETTER THAN MICHAEL JORDAN. I'm not an idiot. Being "better" than someone in the NBA, specifically if you play the same styles, and put up similar numbers, is judged by how much of a winner you eventually are. It's the reason why I believe Tim Duncan is a better player than Kevin Garnett, and it's the reason that Michael Jordan is better than Kobe Bryant.

Granted, with that being said, there's no reason to not believe that Kobe Bryant is not the best player of his generation. What intrigues me about Kobe Bryant, and what makes many people hate him in my opinion, is his audacity to challenge the norm. Kobe Bryant is like a new idea that dares challenge the traditions and ideas of the past. And that is simply the reason why people seem to hate him: they hate people that challenge the past.

Tell me what Kobe Bryant has done wrong. He was born in America, but grew up in Italy. Apparently now, it's a big fault of his that he grew up in Italy. When he came back to the States, apparently he was not "street" enough, and people became annoyed that he tried to "talk street". People were also annoyed that he tried to mimic MJ's game, look, and to some, even his interview mannerisms. People were annoyed that Kobe refused to pass the ball with Shaquille O'Neal. Annoyed with his apparent swagger; the AUDACITY of this 18 year old kid to hoist up 3 air balls in a crucial game of the NBA Playoffs. Ahhh, those air balls.

Those are the air balls that have shaped Kobe's career. As far as the personal bias against Kobe Bryant goes, I will simply say this. If you watch the man play the game of basketball, it is like reading the works of Oscar Wilde. It is comparable to watching poetry in motion (most of the times, he does make his share of mistakes though, obviously). It is comparable to watching the other great athletes in sports that you just KNOW, when you see them play, that they will go down in history as one of the greatest. I get the same feeling watching Cristiano Ronaldo play for Manchester United or Portugal. However, you know what struck me with Kobe Bryant? I knew, in my heart of hearts, as an 8 year old kid, that he was going to be a legend since I saw him challenge Michael Jordan in an All-Star game. Yes, the 1998 All-Star game was Kobe's stepping stone to becoming a player that would slowly show flashes of his brilliance, as well as his stubbornness to be the greatest to ever play.

I am not enamoured with Kobe Bryant's personality, or looks, or anything else. I am enamoured with his confidence in himself, and his belief and drive to be the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball. His work ethic, his swagger; all of these are things that make me adore the man further as a player. See, not many of us have this drive, this sense of entitlement. Kobe Bean Bryant does. And to hate, or attempt to make it his fault that he is like this is simply over analyzing the situation. We are meant to sit and enjoy poetry. Kobe Bryant writes the most beautiful poetry you will witness at the moment when you watch him play the game of basketball.

His audacity, his confidence, his swagger, his work ethic. That's all it takes for me. Kobe Bryant knew he was on the verge of becoming a legend when he was 17 years old and decided to declare for the NBA Draft. He was a legend as he tore apart Jerry Stackhouse in pre-draft workouts. Hell, he was a legend from the moment he spent his high school mornings practicing the game of basketball, as early as 5 AM, while I (and I'm sure most of you readers) would be on MSN or AIM chatting away till 2 in the morning and sleeping in until 10, missing classes while we were at it.

That my friend, is greatness. When the past is against you, and the people around you surround you with doubt, you have no choice but to prove them wrong. The chip he carries on his shoulder, the drive he has instilled within him; THESE are the marks of a legend. And quite simply, these are the reasons why Kobe Bryant is undoubtedly my favourite player.

Reporting From Toronto....

Hey there.

I'm new to blogging, haven't really done it before, but I do enjoy writing. I also enjoy reading. Whether it's Free Darko or Basketbawful, Deadspin or The Big Lead. I've read all the blogs, and I've loved all the blogs. I will try to be as unbiased and impartial as possible in these writings, but two things you should know about me right off the bat. Number one is that I'm a huge fan of Kobe Bryant. Now, that can either bring in readers, or possibly drive them away. I'm hoping it's the former. Be forewarned though, Laker fans; while I do love Kobe's game, I will also evaluate him in an unbiased manner as much as possible. However, let's face it. The guy does some pretty amazing thigns on the basketball court, and sometimes it's hard not to gush.

I'm obviously from Canada, hence the name of the blog. The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is where I reside, and to kill the generalizations that are probably being made by American readers right now: no, I don't really think much of hockey. I'm actually of South Asian descent, so you could say I'm different from the typical blogger that's on the web (Canadian AND non-white!). To educate some of you about Canada, its crucial for you guys to understand that while on the surface, most of Canada is full of white people who love hockey, the GTA is filled with multiculturalism to the point that in a lot of residential areas, basketball rules. Mostly in Asian (referring to Chinese, Japanese, etc, populations) and South Asian communities, its quite obvious that BALLLINNN is of much more importance than shooting a puck and lacing up skates.

While this is a basketball-specific blog, I might sometimes post about random thigns such as pop culture events and people, other sports, atheletes of said sports, as well as about life in general. However, basketball is the backbone of this blog, and no need to worry, it will stay that way.

I'm a 19 year old University student, and I'm not quite sure where I'm going in life. However, I do love writing and after some contemplation, whether or not I get readers (which I'm hoping I eventually do), I will continue writing this blog, and pray that someone, somewhere, is enjoying reading it (myself not included).

Peace out guys, I'll be making my first official post soon. After all, it is the NBA Finals and who else is playing but the great Lakers and the terrifying Celtics!

See you soon.

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