May

24

NBA’S GREATEST CENTERS (Reprinted From 6/27/07)

Filed Under SDC Birthday Bash | 2 Comments

With Thursday June 28, 2007 being the NBA Draft, and as of this writing it looks like that Ohio State University Center Greg Oden will be chosen number one by the Portland TrailBlazers, what better time than to open the discussion of the greatest centers in the history of the NBA. Notice I am saying NBA, NCAA would have a totally different list, and perhaps we will delve into that at some future time. Now realize, that every list like this is subjective, my parameters may be different than yours, and we might both disagree with a third party. After all ESPN had Michael Jordan as their top athlete of the 20TH Century, where I would have him at best number three behind Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. After you read my definitive list I would love to read yours. Just go to the Comments Link on this page. My list will be in order of importance Number One of course being the best. Let the debate begin!

1) Bill Russell-Boston Celtics: The best way to start off any list is with controversy and this choice will probably cause some! The most athletic, best skilled, most dominant greatest scorer? No, the man who follows him on this list is superior in each of those categories. So why does Russell lead my list? As 50 Cent would say it?s the bling baby! 11 NBA Championships in 13 NBA seasons, period end of discussion! Not only the greatest ratio in NBA history; the greatest ratio of any professional sports figure in USA history (although Derek Jeter looked like he could possibly threaten it his first few seasons with the Yankees!) Think of it, it boggles the mind! Russell sacrificed personal numbers on offense to do the dirty work, so that his team could achieve this amazing mark. He knew he did not need to be a scorer, he had Bob Cousy, and Tommy Heinson in the early days, and later Sam Jones and John Havlicek for that. No he needed to clean the glass, rebounding was one of his greatest strengths, and be that force in the middle that would effect games defensively. The greatest team player of all time, how appropriate was it that he presented the Eastern Conference Finals Championship Trophy to the young man who now personifies team player in the NBA LeBron James.

2) Wilt Chamberlain- Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors Philadelphia 76ers LA Lakers: The Most Dominant player ever to play the position. Nobody before him or since has ever had the ability to simply impose their will by sheer size and force, he truly was the Goliath of the NBA. And because of that Chamberlain probably never got the respect due to him in his career, or his lifetime that ended far too quickly. People looked at him and just expected greatness, as if he exerted no effort to become the magnificent force that he was. That combined with the fact that the early part of his career was spent being defeated by his good friend but heated rival Russell. One of three athletes that probably best typified the ?Swinging Sixties? along side Ali, and the New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath.

3) Kareem Abdul-Jabar- Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers: A polarizing figure, a Muslim who changed his name from Lew Alcindor and like Ali who changed his name from Cassius Clay took a lot of heat for it. Abdul-Jabar was really the heir to Chamberlain, breaking his scoring record but never embraced by middle America, the way that Chamberlain was. Abdul-Jabar was a quite man very cerebral, and very proud, and somewhat shy that people took for an aloofness. Took the college game to a new level at UCLA with Coach Wooden, the NCAA outlawed dunking for years because of him. So he came up with the ?Sky Hook? the prettiest rainbow jumper you ever saw, it has always perplexed me why more Pros never took to it. He won a championship with the Bucks as the ?Big O? Oscar Robertson finally won a ring to cap off his career. Kareem then won a string of championships in the eighties when the Lakers picked up a young point guard from Michigan Earvin ?Magic? Johnson, and ?Show Time? was born.

4) Moses Malone- Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee: The Most Dominant center of my generation, Malone was born a year before me in 1955, and went straight to the NBA out of high school. He almost got himself a championship with the Rockets, in 1981 as he took probably the team that had the worst regular season recrord to the NBA Finals by strapping them on his back in the Post Season. Malone and the Rockets knocked off the heavily favored Lakers, shocking the world, and leading the center to say that he and four guys from his old neighborhood would beat their opponents in the finals. The Boston Celtics and their ?Big Three? of Bird, Parish, and McHale had a little something to say about that winning their first of three NBA Championships as a unit. Malone would finally get that elusive ring two years later as he was teamed with Dr. J Julius Erving, and Mo Cheeks to beat the Lakers in 1983.

5) Hakeem Olajuwon- Houston Rockets: Phi Slamma Jamma Baby ! The best foreign born center on the list, first made the Finals in 1986 when he teamed up with a player who probably played 15 years before his time; Ralph Samson. The former Virginia Cavalier was a 7′4″ power forward who was actually a frustrated two guard, a guy who enjoyed dribbling running the floor and shooting the outside ?J?. But this was long before the era of Dirk Nowitzki, as players that size were expected to play with their back to the basket. Houston, in their second trip to the finals in five years, ironically met the same opponent and the same fate as the 1981 edition, going down to defeat to the Celtics. But Hakeem would later be teamed with former college teammate Clyde Drexler and won back to back championships in the nineties.

6) Shaquille O?Neal- Orlando Magic, Los Angles Lakers, Miami Heat: Really my most difficult choice was deciding between number five and six. I debated these choices long and hard before I finally came to this decision. And as I said at the introduction of this piece my own personal bias does play into this list. But I think the reason that out weighed the other factors and had me place Shaq in sixth behind Hakeem, was simply lack of competition in his era. I guess in a way I am guilty of the same thing that I accused people of doing to Wilt. But Shaq truly is the last of the Dinosaurs, the really only dominant back to the basket traditional center of his era. And because he has not had the battles that the above players had I have penalized him in this ratings system. I had great hopes, when he and Alonzo Mourning were drafted 1-2 of Russell-Chamberlain battles but they never materialized, mainly due to Mourning?s health problems. Still O?Neal has taken three teams to the finals and won it with two which makes him a solid choice at six.

7) Robert Parish- Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls: I know another controversial choice, certainly there are others on the list to follow who had better individual skills; Patrick Ewing is a perfect example. But Ewing could not do what made Parish so valuable to the 1980?s Boston Celtics teams, become a third banana offensively behind Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, because he knew that role best suited the team. Ewing although a great player was too much of a superstar to ever sublimate his game for the good of the team. Parish wanted championships, and did what ever it took to win them.

8) George Mikan-Minneapolis Lakers: The NBA?s first big man and the leagues first superstar. Although Boston Celtics point guard Bob Cousy would become known as ?Mr. Basketball? Mikan put the league on the map before Cousy ever played his first professional game. Looking like an overgrown Clark Kent with his wire rimmed glasses, Mikan won four championships (1950, 1952-1954) in just nine NBA seasons. Not quite Russell numbers but still quite impressive. Mikan became Commissioner of the ABA in the 1960?s the rival league that eventually became incorporated and energized the NBA a decade later.

9) Bill Walton- Portland TrailBlazers, San Diego Clippers, Boston Celtics: If he had only stayed healthy, may have been much higher up on this list. Another one of John Wooden?s ?free thinkers? Walton was as well known for his connection with ?Liberal Radicals? and his being a ?DeadHead? as he was for his basketball prowess. Big Bill won a championship with Portland and legendary NBA coach Jack Ramsay in 1977 against Philadelphia. But he suffered a series of foot injuries the next year, which really decimated his NBA career. Walton would have one more season of glory in 1986, after being traded by the Clippers to the Celtics in exchange for Cedric Maxwell. Walton?s feet stayed healthy coming off the bench and became the sixth man on the team that many consider the greatest NBA Team of all time. Walton, suffered more feet woes in 1987, and retired soon there after.

10) Dave Cowens-Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks: Never has one man gotten more out of sheer grit and determination, than ?Big Red?. Cowens, was only 6′9″ amazingly small in an era dominated by the likes of Kareem, Wilt, Artis Gilmore and others. But what he lacked in size he made up for in heart and sheer hustle, diving for loose balls with reckless abandon. Cowens won two rings with Boston in 1974, and 1976 against the Phoenix Suns that featured the triple overtime win that many consider the greatest NBA Postseason game. Cowens, was a product of the seventies, at one time leaving the team mid-season to take a sabbatical, and temporarily became a Boston cab driver.

That is my top ten because of space considerations I will just list in order the rest of list; 11) David Robinson 12) Patrick Ewing 13) Nate Thurmond 14) Wes Unseld 15) Willis Reed 16) Bob Lanier 17) Jack Sikma 18) Artis Gilmore. This is my list and as I said at the beginning let the debate begin let me know your list.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.net?

May

24

Will Cleveland Fans Be More Depressed After They Win It All? (Reprinted From 5/05/08)

Filed Under SDC Birthday Bash | 1 Comment

?Tuesday the Cleveland Cavaliers start their second round series in the NBA Eastern Conference as they travel to Boston to take on the Boston Celtics. And once again hope springs eternal in the hearts of Northeast Ohio sports fans as they set off on yet another quest to grab that elusive championship that has been at times just out of reach since 1964.

If you are a regular reader of mine, you are aware that I lived in the greater Cleveland area for 14 years, and covered the Cavaliers, Indians and Browns as a radio beat reporter for over 11 years. I consider Cleveland my adopted home town, and if not for family obligations would still be there. I know as well as anyone how much Cleveland fans hunger for that championship. They believe their lives would then become complete once one of their three teams win a League title. But actually how much would it change their lives?

Let’s play this scenario out, since we are writing on a basketball site and the Cavaliers conveniently enough are in the playoffs, they will be our example. Let’s say that Cleveland goes all the way, past the Celtics, past the Pistons or Magic, and back for the second year in a row in the NBA Finals. And this time instead of getting swept,?THEY WIN! Your Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Champions!

Now hopefully the fans of Cleveland handle winning better than other cities of recent years, and there are no riots, looting and burning the night they win. Hopefully it’s just a bunch of fans hugging and high fiving and screaming “We’re Number One!” We will assume that is the case. So now you have your Parade of Champions, your celebration party in front of the Rock Hall. You do your chest thumping, party some more. You call your obnoxious cousin Stan in Pittsburgh and give him grief. Also your old college roommate from Long Island. You hear the sports anchors at ESPN call your team the World Champions! It’s now mid July a month later, how has your life exactly changed?

Has Higbees re-opened in Downtown Cleveland? Sorry, No.

Is the Steel Industry all of a sudden rejuvenated? Sorry, No.

Has the Cleveland School System become the pride of the Nation? Sorry, No.

Has your Significant Other, all of a sudden turned into Beyonce/Brad Pitt? Sorry, No.

Are your teenagers any less exasperating? Sorry, No.

Is your Life basically the same as it was in May except the Cavaliers now have Championship Rings? Realistically, Yes.

What is the purpose of Sports in 2008 in the USA? For the athletes, it’s to win, for the fan, it is to be ENTERTAINED. Bottom line, LeBron James is not that much different from Jay-Z or Seth Rogen. All three men are ENTERTAINERS. Jay-Z does it with his thought provoking lyrics, Rogen does it by playing the lovable loser/stoner, LBJ does it with his feats of athleticism. If you shut off a game on TV or walk out of the Q Arena, 99 times out of a hundred you will talk about some incredible mind bending move LBJ pulled off during the contest.

We who are sports fans live vicariously through our teams, we all want to be identified as winners not also rans or losers. But that is just one aspect of our lives; my biggest fear for Clevelanders is what happens when you reach the peak. Do you really think your life will become better?

I would never tell you not to want to see your teams win, that’s contradictory to being a sports fan! I am an extremely competitive human being, just ask some of the reporters I stepped in front of over the years to get closer to Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter and, of course, LeBron. I want to be number one in all aspects of my life. But to think that my team winning is going to give me more than a short term buzz is foolish. As a now defunct bus company used to say in their commercials, “Enjoy the ride, getting there is half the fun!”

Cleveland Sports Fans - Enjoy the Ride!

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.net?

May

24

“Ubuntu” May Lead To Celtics Title Number 17(Reprinted From 4/21/08)

Filed Under SDC Birthday Bash | 1 Comment

Ubuntu is a South African word, it’s loose English translation is unity, but that barely scratches the surface of the meaning of the word. Ubuntu means sacrificing personal gains for the good of the whole. We have sayings that reflect the same thing in the USA, “United we stand, divided we fall“;? “We?must all hang together, or we will all hang separately.”? Ubuntu was a concept brought to the Boston Celtics by their coach Doc Rivers back at the beginning of training camp last Summer. He spent the entire preseason explaining it and instilled it into everything the Green Team did. In Rivers mind he now had three key weapons in Kevin Garnett,?Ray Allen, and the returning Paul Pierce?to bring back the lustre of the “Celtic Mystique.”? But unless his three stars bought into the concept of Ubuntu, it might be just the opposite with the team on a schedule for implosion.

The 1977-1978 Philadelphia 76ers may have been the most talented team ever assembled that did not win a NBA Championship. In fact they did not make it out of the Eastern Conference, losing in the Conference Finals to the Washington Bullets 4-2. But what a roster, George McGinnis, Henry Bibby, Doug Collins, Maurice Cheeks, Lloyd Free, Darryl “Dunkenstein” Dawkins, and of course the Doctor Julius Erving. The?knock on that team was there was just one ball, and everyone wanted it. Yes they had a virtual All-Star roster, but every player wanted to be “The Man.”

Let’s track the evolution of a NBA player. He starts out as the best player in the neighborhood, then the best in his junior league, eventually he becomes the best player on his high school team, is recruited by top colleges, and becomes the go to guy on his team. Mean while, he has the hottest girl friend, he is big man on campus, and people give him things. Is there any wonder that many players who are drafted into the NBA have a sense of entitlement, that they are owed something? Don’t blame the athlete, blame the system!

A few seasons ago when Smush Parker played his rookie season in the Association for the Cleveland Cavaliers, I sat down with him and had a long and deep discussion of “Street Ball Legends.” That was how Smush got his rep, which eventually led to his NBA career. Houston point guard Rafer Alston, was a former “Street Ball Legend”??getting his first recognition playing under the name of “Skip-To-My-Lu.” The best basketball players in the world, do not play in the NBA, or in Europe, or in the Far East. They play in South Central, Watts, Roxbury, MA., Bed-Stuy, Gary, Indiana. They don’t play in luxurious arenas, they play on the street, in the cold, with fingerless gloves. They play in front of crowds of tens, not thousands, and they don’t make a nickle.?Why aren’t they playing in the NBA, these men who can make cross court passes that would take your breath away? Why do these men who can make a slam dunk so incredible it makes most NBA players look like they?belong in a CYO League play on the streets? Because they can play the game of basketball, but they can’t play the game of life. They can’t deal with authority, can’t follow rules, can’t conform. They get waylaid by their pride, instead of concentrating on their mission.

When I saw the Boston Celtics play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the last preseason game before the season started, the thing that struck me most was how cohesive a?unit they were. It had looked like “The Elite Three” had been playing together their entire careers. That was just the first sign that this could be a special season for Boston. Many pundits, and NBA observers worried that The Elite Three would eventually start bickering, wanting more of the spotlight. What those folks failed to realize was all three of these players had enough personal recognition, they hungered for one thing, that Championship Ring.

Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks was a perfect example of Ubuntu, there were no stand out performances, just a bunch of very good ones. The Boston Celtics, with Garnett, Allen, Pierce, along with help from guys like James Posey, Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Rajon Rondo, and Tony Allen have the talent to go all the way. If they keep following the concepts of Ubuntu, Boston Celtics fans may be raising a new banner on Opening Night of next season.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.com

May

24

Danny You Still Have Time To Pull The Trigger to Get Kidd For Cavaliers(Reprinted From 2/01/08)

Filed Under SDC Birthday Bash | 1 Comment

Editors Note: This column was originally written on February 1, 2008. It was written and published long before the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks consumated their trade sending Kidd to Dallas. That being said, the column no longer reflects current circumstances. It was reprinted on May 24, 2008 as part of our One Year Birthday, as one of our most popular columns! Enjoy!

The NBA a lot of times is just like the military, there is a lot of time to hurry up and wait. It seems to get more and more frequent the closer that teams get down to that magic date of February 21, which is the final day for trades in the NBA. Monday we revealed to you here at Slam Dunk Central, that New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd had authorized his agent Jeff Schwartz to talk to New Jersey about working out a possible trade that would get Kidd on a contending team, while the Nets would be fairly compensated.

New Jersey will never be able to replace Jason Kidd, he is a man who will one day end up in Springfield, Mass. in the Basketball Hall Of Fame.?No less an authority on elite NBA talent, than the “Big O” Oscar Robertson believes Kidd does not get the recognition that he should, in the Association. If you are a regular reader of mine, you know?that?I have said for years, that I believe Jason Kidd is the platinum standard at the point guard position at the NBA. And age has not decreased his skills at all, he has just become a smarter player, able to use the skills that he still excels in to their fullest. About a month ago I wrote a column showing you my NBA All-Star teams, I said then if I am looking?to win the NBA Finals this year my point guard would be Jason Kidd, now in about three years it would be Chris Paul. But for a? team looking for the elite NBA QB for now Kidd? would be my number once?choice.

The Nets are being bombarded by offers, the latest being an alleged three team deal involving Portland,?Dallas, and New Jersey. In the this scenario the Mavericks would end up with Kidd, why Portland?a team that seems to have the perfect chemistry would want to change their personnel is frankly beyond me.?Devin Harris is a nice point guard but if I’m a NBA General Manager, I am not? going to risk messing up the continuity of a winning team to get him. Dallas of course being involved, and acquiring Kidd is a no brainer. It would change the?balance of? power in the Western Conference, putting ?the Mavericks if not at the top, then near the top of the West.

When Kidd first announced his intentions to be traded, the Cleveland Cavaliers were named as one of the teams that would be in the hunt for him. Strangely we have heard of no offers emanating from Cleveland, even though the acquisition of Kidd could catapult the Cavaliers back in the NBA Finals this spring. As we have seen Damon Stoudamire go to the San Antonio Spurs, and Earl Boykins go the Charlotte Bobcats this week, Cavaliers General Manager? Danny Ferry has been silent. Even though the major need that his team has is for a point guard, he has done nothing to solve the problem. Even though the closest thing his team has to a starting point guard is the Jurassic-Era Eric Snow, Ferry has stayed pat. Danny now is your chance.

Jason Kidd, and LeBron James playing on the same starting five, would turn Cleveland into instant contenders, along with Boston, Orlando, and Detroit as one of the teams to win the Eastern Conference. A Jason Kidd LeBron James? team would not be swept in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs as Cleveland was last year. In fact they would actually have a chance to win it all.

Danny,?opportunities like these are rare, in Sports, and in Life, you have to take advantage of it. Nobody other than LBJ should be considered untouchable on the team. Whatever you have?to give up to get J-Kidd, you just have to bite the bullet and do it. Making this trade, would not only show the fans of Cleveland you are willing to pull out all the stops to win, more importantly it would show?your star player that. Remember Danny LBJ is only under contract for another couple of seasons. If he sees?that you and team owner?Dan Gilbert are willing to roll?the dice to win it all, it will make him that much more willing to re-sign with Cleveland when the time comes. It is time for Cleveland to take that next step, the acquisition of J-Kidd could get the Cavaliers where? they want to go.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.com?


May

24

Are We Living In The “Golden Age” Of Point Guards? (Reprinted From 12/12/07)

Filed Under SDC Birthday Bash | 1 Comment

Since the earliest days of the National Basketball Association’s existence, big men dominated the game. Starting in the late 1940’s when the league discovered it’s first superstar in George Mikan who was the prototype of the NBA center, giants ruled the court. Mikan looked like Clark Kent on stilts, with his dark rimmed glasses, but on the floor he was Superman. Mikan was so dominant in his time, that once when his team played at MSG in New York the marquee read, “George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers” which caused him to take a ration of ribbing from his teammates. They jokingly threatened that they would not join him on the court because they were just superfluous.

For the next 50 years, it was the “Age Of The Center” in the NBA. Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Bob Lanier, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, were just some of the most celebrated behemoths to rule the hardwood. It was the time of the athlete, who was around 7 foot tall, give or take an inch, and they played with their backs to the basket, and dominated the game.

Although Yao Ming, from the Houston Rockets, and Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic could easily be included on the list of great NBA centers, they are now the exception not the rule. The game started to change back in the mid 1980’s when Ralph Sampson came into the league. Sampson probably was born 10 years too early, but his style of play helped the game evolve. Sampson well over seven feet, was a frustrated small forward. He was not a banger, he was a finesse player. He could dribble, create his own shot, and had a pretty decent outside jumper. The problem was that Sampson was the proverbial square peg in the round hole, and the league never really knew what to make of him. But since Sampson’s brief NBA career ended, we have seen many NBA center who now play the style that Sampson brought to the Houston Rockets back in the 1980’s.

Just as the end of the age of the dinosaurs ended, allowing homo sapiens to become the dominant species on the planet, the age of the big man’s decline has allowed the NBA to morph into a different game. Instead of guys, like Gilmore, Parish, Walton, and Sikma leading the way there has been a change effecting the way the game is played. The NBA is no longer a center dominated league, it has turned into a league where the court leader now on most teams is the smallest man on the court, the point guard.

Although there have been some incredible point guards over the years, Bob Cousy, Tiny Archibald, Isiah Thomas, there has never been the abundance of quality floor generals in the league as there are today. Whether it’s the cagey veteran Jason Kidd in New Jersey, or the fresh faced rookie Derrick Rose, there is almost an embarrassment of riches. With very few exceptions most NBA General Managers have come to realize, in order to get deep into the playoffs, you need to have that floor leader, that quarterback on the floor. And if you look at the standings, you will see in most cases, the impact that an elite point guard has for a team’s success.

If you are a regular reader of mine, you know how much I admire the game of New Orleans Hornets point Chris Paul. Since his days playing at Wake Forest Paul has been destined for greatness in the NBA. Now in his third year in the league other observers are starting to see the greatness in this young man that I have seen since his college days. I said before, during, and after, the 2007 NBA Draft that in my mind Mike Conley Jr. has the chance to be the most complete player drafted that Summer. Conley showed me during the NCAA Tournament last March that he was ready to make the leap to the pros. I thought his skill-set was far more developed than his former teammate number one pick Greg Oden, had I been an adviser to both these young men I would have recommended that Oden stay in school for one more year, where as I would have told Conley to take the plunge.

You travel down the Eastern Seaboard, you have Gilbert Arenas, in Washington, Jameer Nelson in Orlando D-Wade in Miami. Go towards the West, you have Chauncey Billups in Denver, the amazing Deron Williams in Utah, Devin Harris, in Dallas, Steve Nash in Phoenix, veteran Derek Fisher with the Lakers, Baron Davis with the Clippers. And all these players have a major impact on their individual teams.

This trend has changed the game, I think for the better. Scoring has started to rise again in the NBA, no it’s not the Denver Nuggets basketball of the 1980’s every night, but we have already seen some games like that this season. Life evolves, Society’s change, the NBA is a different game than it was 20-25 years ago. Better or worse you be the judge, but for a “Basketball Purist” like myself I like this direction. The league is a lot more fun and exciting than it was during the days of Chuck Daly’s Pistons, and Pat Riley’s Knicks, and it is you the fan who benefits the most.

© Copyright 2008 thesackattack.net

May

24

Slam Dunk Central’s First Annual Man Of The Year Award (Reprinted From 12/28/07)

Filed Under SDC Birthday Bash | Leave a Comment

Well we are getting to that time of the year, where two types of columns are ubiquitous all over the media,”Top Ten Lists” and “People Of The Year Awards.” Not wanting to be let out of all the fun, we here at Slam Dunk Central have come up with our version, the “Slam Dunk Central Annual Man Of The Year Award.” Since we only came into existence in May of this past year it is our inaugural award.

I thought long and hard before naming the award the”Man of the Year Award.” I have been called the most politically correct man in the United States, which to be honest, I’m not sure if it was said as an insult or a compliment. But it would probably be true. My first indication was to call it the “Person of the Year Award.” That being said, this is a NBA Website, therefore our award winner will be involved in some way in the NBA. Except for Violet Palmer, the NBA’s lone female referee, I can’t think of another woman that would be eligible. If Ms. Palmer is one day named the winner, or another worthy female comes into play we will change the Award name at that time. But realistically, this award will most always go to a man.

I also thought about Athlete, or Player of the Year, but this year our selection is neither. And it will not necessarily always go to a player. The other thing is I wanted this to be an award, unlike “Time Magazine.” Their “Person Of The Year” is not an award, they make no bones about it. It is given to the person who most effects society, for good or for bad, this year the “Person Of The Year” is Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was not meant as a compliment. I want our award to be that an award, a recognition of goodness. If it was just the man who most effected the sport, the choice would be simple, Tim Donaghy, or David Stern.

Donaghy of course was the former NBA referee who has pleaded guilty to gambling on NBA games as well as dispersing information that was helpful to other gamblers. Donaghy definitely effected the Sport, but not in a positive way. It was just another sordid example, of what Professional Sports has become in this the Year of the Scandal 2007. Stern of course is the NBA Commissioner who basically was caught asleep at the switch, as shocked by the revelations as the most casual of fans. Stern in my opinion handled the whole situation poorly. Especially rather than enforcing the rules on a bunch of NBA officials that had violated the letter of the law, he changed the rules! That ought to give NBA Fans a feeling of confidence Commissioner.

The calendar year of 2007 actually involves two different seasons, so there were a lot of candidates to choose from. From the 2006-2007 season alone we came up with a bunch of deserving candidates. Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, who was named the NBA MVP for the regular season, was right at the top of our list. LeBron James who just about carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, with a game five performance against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals that was a game for the ages. Tony Parker, the San Antonio Spurs point guard, wining a NBA Title, and the Finals MVP, could easily have qualified.

From the current season the 2007-2008 campaign, any list has to start with Dwight Howard the Orlando Magic center. As dominant as Howard has been in the past, he has taken his game to another stratosphere this season, an early candidate for NBA MVP. The Boston Celtics have a bevy of candidates, Head of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge leading the pack. Ainge this off-season transformed a moribund Boston Celtics team into the most dominant team in the NBA for more than a quarter of a season. By trading for Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, as well as signing key free agent role players in James Posey and Eddie House, Ainge has reinvigorated a team whose glory days ended in the late 1980’s. Garnett, Allen, along with teammate Paul Pierce would also be worthy of consideration.

As we head westward, Carlos Boozer is a name that quickly leaps to mind. Boozer has looked like he did his first seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a nightly threat to get double digits in points, and rebounds. Boozer’s teammate with the Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams is a rising young star. Amare Stoudemire Steve Nash, and Shawn Marion are all having great years in Phoenix. Dallas of course has a bunch of talent starting with Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, and Devin Harris. And how about the turnaround of the Los Angeles Lakers, as Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom have given Kobe some very strong allies.

But the man I chose never wore a NBA uniform. In fact his connection to the NBA is tenuous at best, you see he accepted a job, but never actually worked for a NBA Team. By now you may have figured out, that I am talking about University of Florida head coach Billy Donovan, who actually signed a contract to be the head coach of the Orlando Magic. But after he made the commitment, to the Magic, he had to face the people he was leaving. You have heard the phrase “an eleventh hour decision” this was more like 12:15. But in the end he did the right thing, he followed his heart. He realized that he did not need the extra money, the extra glitz, the extra glamour. When he went back to Gainesville, and saw the heartbreak in people’s eyes, he knew he could not leave.

Billy Donovan became a very hot commodity last spring after winning back to back NCAA Titles with the Florida Gators. All of a sudden Donovan was being, wined, dined, and wooed by Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith and the Orlando Magic Ownership. Donovan was of course flattered, and I think intrigued. After all he had just won back to back titles, he knew his players were leaving, and here was a new challenge, a new mountain to climb. Making more money, to boot! What was the downside?

Donovan found that out when he came back to Gainesville to say goodbye. The downside was the relationships he had formed, that he would be abandoning. At that moment, the grass no longer looked greener on the other side. Now did Billy Donovan basically put the Orlando Magic through a wild goose chase, in a word, yes. Do I feel the least bit bad for Otis Smith or the Magic Owners, I would have to say no. They went after someone who did not belong to them, and guess what they got burned. Is Donovan a babe in the woods and blameless, of course not he was tempted, and he was ready to stray.

But the bottom line is Billy Donovan did the right thing! He showed loyalty to the people who had supported him before he became the latest flavor of the month. Did Donovan burn some bridges? Undoubtedly, he will probably not be getting too many calls in the near future from any NBA teams. And you know what, that might just be okay, because in a world where everybody seems to be obsessed with getting to the next level, Donovan showed it was some times better to stick with right where you are at.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.net

May

24

LeBron James: The Anti-Kobe (Reprinted From 6/11/07)

Filed Under SDC Birthday Bash | 1 Comment

It is tough to be a sports fan in Cleveland, Ohio. Yes, it is a major league city with a MLB, NFL, and NBA team. One of the elite cities in the United States that does(although most Clevelanders, would be shocked with the pairing of the words elite and Cleveland.) But the last time any of these franchises were league champions, was in 1964 when the Browns won the NFL title, in the pre-Super Bowl days. The Cleveland Indians won a series of American League Central Championships from 1995-2001 and went to the World Series twice but have not won a World Series since 1948! And the Cleveland Cavaliers who have been in existence since 1970, long before many of their current fans were on the planet have never even been to the NBA Finals. But they soon will be after defeating their nemesis the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals on June 2.

If you know a sports fan from Northeast Ohio, please excuse the happy and dazed expression that will be on their faces at least until the start of the NBA Finals. This is a day they have long dreamed of but never really thought would ever arrive. Actually between the end of the Mark Price, Brad Daugherty era up until the summer of 2003, not that many people really even cared. In those days in a three team town, the Cavaliers ranked fourth. Most people thought that the facility now known as the Q, formerly Gund Arena, was a building that the Indians stored their bats and balls in. But that all changed in the summer of 2003, because that was the season that Cleveland finally had some good fortune.

The ping pong balls broke the right way, on an evening in May, 2003. The Cleveland Cavaliers had won the NBA Draft Lottery, and if then Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson had picked anybody other than the player he picked he never would have lived through the night. Paxson of course picked the Northeast Ohio native, the man who was named the Chosen One by Sports Illustrated while still a high school junior. LeBron James the player that Clevelanders rallied around like nobody since Bernie Kosar was a Cleveland Brown.

Potential, is the cruelest word in the English language. Once you are tagged with it you are doomed. How many Major League Baseball players were tagged with the “Next Mickey Mantle” label? Lots, how many reached their “potential”, sadly none. To label somebody with “potential” to me is cursing them; if they turn out to be good, well that is what was expected. And if they turn about to be bad, well they are a failure. You can only meet your potential, you can’t exceed it! Except maybe this time someone finally has!

If you are a regular reader of mine than you know I covered the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1995-2006, when my better half and I moved to Central New York. In the Autumn of 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers went from a team that you could not attract people with free tickets to come watch them to the most intriguing team in Ohio. And the sleepy Media Days that introduced the team to the public, usually covered by about ten of us turned into a circus! Reporters who had not been near the team since they played in Richfield, back in the mid-nineties were there! And it was all about a young man who was just out of high school not even a half year before. Talk about expectations, talk about pressure, every local station was there as well as people from ESPN and other National Networks. And this young man just stood there, not a bead of perspiration on him taking it all in with a huge smile on his face.

The two things that struck me about this young man when I first met him was his physical maturity, he looked more like a man in his mid twenties, than the average gangly teenager. The second thing resounded even more, his penchant for saying the right thing at the right time. No stuttering, no stumbling, and no misspoken words this young man was extremely bright and very articulate. And this was not a young man raised with the silver spoon in his mouth, in the lap of luxury. Talking about how he had to pay his dues with the Cavaliers, just like he did in high school. That this was not his team it was Ricky Davis and Zydrunas Ilgauskasas team. This young man was from section eight housing, who was raised by a single mother who was a teen herself when she gave birth. Yet this man was dealing with the media like a seasoned veteran, as if he had been groomed all his life for just such a moment.

I witnessed first hand the first three years of James NBA career, and interacted with him in every home game. Just when you thought this young man had accomplished every athletic feat imaginable, he would top it! James first two years ended in disappointment, a team that was out of it from the beginning in his first year. And a team that looked like they were destined to go to the Playoffs at the All-Star break. But the Cavaliers under went an ownership change mid season, and new owner Dan Gilbert and coach Paul Silas did not see eye to eye. Silas was fired, with about two months to play, and the Cavaliers Playoff ship was sunk.

But the new owner brought in a new management team of G.M. Danny Ferry, who had played for Cleveland for a decade, and whose dad was the former General Manager of the Washington Bullets. And a young NBA assistant out of San Antonio who stressed defense Mike Brown. The Cavaliers looked good out of the gate, but the coach said he did not like the way they were winning. And sure enough he proved to be prophetic, because bad habits that they had gotten away with earlier started to catch up with them and turn games into losses. The team however righted it itself, and went on to win 50 games and make the playoffs for the first time since the late nineties. The season was not without it’s controversy however.

Americans have two National Pasttimes, and Baseball is not one of them. Americans love to take one of our own and put them on a pedestal, to lionize them. However most Americans enjoy even more finding fault with our heroes, finding that flaw. In that way they can feel better about themselves. LeBron James for the first time in his NBA Career misspoke, and the ramifications lingered for quite a while. In an interview with ESPN The Magazine last season James talked about other NBA Superstars. In talking about the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, he said that Bryant had something he lacked a “killer instinct”.

Immediately the haters were all over this statement trying to find flaws, that James himself said he had. Now Notice that I said earlier that James “misspoke” during the interview. LeBron was correct that he and Bryant are different types of players, but the “killer instinct” is not the difference. James has as much if not more “killer instinct” than any player in the NBA. No, the difference between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant is actually quite simple. Unlike Kobe, LeBron is not a selfish player.

Kobe Bryant is the poster boy for the spoiled, rich , arrogant, and selfish athlete that turns off most sports fans. But unlike Bryant, James realizes, yes there is a “M” and an “E” in team but without the other two letters it’s not complete. While Bryant, whines and complains and threatens to take his ball and go home LeBron’s life revolves around the “team” concept. That no one individual is greater than the whole.

James was criticized last season for not taking, or not making game winning shots in crunch time. But during the playoffs last year, it seemed that LeBron had finally silenced his critics, by winning key games with key shots. This season also would end on a rather sour note as Cleveland battling the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals won game five in Detroit, but then lost a heartbreaking game six at home. They were never really a factor in game seven, and their season ended. If Cleveland had lost game five, won game six at home, and then lost in game seven people would have felt better. They would have said that the Cavaliers were a scrappy bunch who fought their heart out at home and just did not have enough left. But the heightened expectations left a bad taste in every one’s mouth as the campaign drew to a close.

Cleveland again had another successful regular season, in 2006-2007, and again made it to the playoffs. They swept an undermanned Washington Wizards team in the first round, and then beat the New Jersey Nets in the second round a team that in the past had always caused them problems. The stage was set for a rematch of the Cavaliers against the Pistons, but this time the winner would go to the finals.

Cleveland lost two close games in Detroit, and the haters started to get vocal again. James had dished off the last shot to a wide open Donyell Marshall in game one, but Marshall missed a three and Cleveland lost. It was the right move, Marshall had been on fire from three point range in the New Jersey series, and he was wide open. However, the haters started saying James was too timid. LeBron tried to win the second game himself, but his shot did not fall, and the Doom Sayers really became vocal. But they quieted down some what when Cleveland held home court and tied the series at two wins each.

Last year LeBron had said that Cleveland went into the “dragon’s mouth” and pulled out a victory as they won game five in Auburn Hills. If Cleveland was to win this series, they had to win one of the two remaining games in Detroit. This year in game five James, did the impossible; he exceeded expectations. That night in a double overtime performance, James put himself in the next level, a rarefied air only occupied previously, by men named Oscar, Earvin, Julius, Larry, and Michael. In a game that will go down as an “instant classic” James scored 48 points including 29 out of his team’s last 30!!! The Cavaliers won and once and for all the haters were silenced.

It would all be for naught however, if Cleveland repeated what happened last year. So James scored another 48 and took over the game, right? No exactly the opposite, James knew he would be double and triple teamed all night long so he told his protege Daniel Gibson the Cavaliers rookie point guard to shoot whenever he was open. Knowing that James had confidence in him, Gibson flourished scoring 31 and the Cleveland Cavaliers were finally going to their first NBA Finals!!!

James had a perfect opportunity to call out his detractors and sing his own praises. He did nothing of the sort, instead he praised the Pistons for bringing out the best in the Cavaliers. The only boast he made, was about his eye for talent, saying he could be a G.M. because he saw the talent in “Boobie” Gibson. No beating on his chest, singing me, me, me. A true champion he praised his team mates not himself. That is why in my eyes he is the Anti-Kobe; if Bryant is the poster boy for the spoiled arrogant athlete, James is the antithesis of that.

I don’t make predictions, I am a reporter, and a columnist not a gambler. I will not predict whether Cleveland can overtake a finely tuned San Antonio Spurs team which is truly a machine. But for the first time in 43 years Clevelanders can wake up and look forward to a sporting event. I’d say that’s a pretty big step for Cleveland.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.net

Next Page →