Tag Archives: LeBron James

July 1, 2010 · 1:58 pm

DECISIONS DECISIONS.

Last night while sitting in my room trying (stop laughing) I had, and I kid you not, 10 websites open with pages linking me to different Lebron rumors.  By the way, these were all credible sources telling credible reporters that it was confirmed that Lebron would go here and there.  I decided I’d had enough and closed all the links at once and decided, screw this, Lebron James will NOT ruin my life.

Of course that didn’t happen.  I sat there unhappily and found myself at ESPN.com and theknicksblog.com again.  Like a slave to the situation.  But I came to a few conclusions while thinking about this and Knicks fans you might want to listen to this before you decide to hang yourself after watching the sixth edition of Sportscenter where Chris Broussard definitively says that the Knicks have little to NO chance of coming to New York.*  It has to do not with Lebron, but Dwayne Wade.

*= Two thoughts on this.  1. What does he have against us? and 2. The report is NOT going to change, Sportscenter is the same for the next six hours!  Even the live edition has about two seconds of actual new footage to share but we aren’t changing Chris Broussard’s mind.

Let me explain.  Scanning the list of free agents this summer I noticed one interesting stat: Dwayne Wade is the universal number two guy in this free agent wish list for teams and yet he’s the only guy with bling.  The only guy who was the unequivocal leader on a team that won a title.  He’s the franchise guy every team is looking for.  I mean that would be the requirements right?  Which is why the Heat is smart by focusing all their energy on resigning Wade on so many fronts including the reason I just mentioned.

Yet Lebron hasn’t won any team hardware but he’s being treated like a certified title bearer to whatever team brings him into their fold.  So it got me to thinking about this big summit that happened in Miami according to “reputable sources.”  If Wade, Lebron and Bosh were having this summit, don’t you think as friends that they’ve had it already?  That if they are texting, calling and hanging out all the time that since they all signed those 3 year contracts and left an extra 20 million on the table in 2006 to set up this hostage situation that they’ve discussed what they are going to do already?  So I don’t believe that just because they were in Miami talking that means they were talking about a super team in South Beach.

In fact let me go further in saying that Lebron needs Wade more than Wade needs Lebron.  If anything the three best friends, were perhaps discussing options on what each individually would do.  Bosh is the odd man out in this equation in my opinion.  I think it would be foolish to think any of these guys leave that kind of money on the table again by trying to form a super team.  These three have their sights set on bigger individual goals off the court and that can’t happen with all three trying to get the ball and stats on one team.  Just can’t.  Two stars and a team full of excellent role players I can understand, but not three star players in the prime of their career with the chance of signing one more max contract before all is said and done.  No.  I don’t think its selfish, its the right business decision on all their parts to think that right now, they need to do what’s best for their family.

Lebron and Wade can never team up unless its in a completely muted situation like the Olympics where it would be to each other’s benefit to look like the facilitator instead of the ball hog.  Lebron and Wade were probably sharing notes on who’s going where and how next year’s eastern conference will be markedly different than before.  Instead of creating one super team we’re going to be looking at multiple teams with 2 or 3 superstars in the prime of their careers creating an exciting race that could be the best in years.  Again, its not about being selfish.  I think Wade AND Lebron care about their legacies and while it would be nice for them to team up and give fans of South Beach something to care for more than their tans, it will ultimately come down to their innate competitiveness.  Lebron and Wade are friends but they are guys who I imagine sharing stats with each other after games.

Wade: Hey Lebron, in Houston.  Dropped 35, 11 and 8.  Beat that.

Lebron: I did that last week, I’m in Portland, 25, 15 and 11.  Done.

I think that’s how their friendship works.  They aren’t involved in their work affairs on a daily basis so this dream sequence of all three coming together, while appealing, is a figment of a pretty sad desperate for attention sports writer’s imagination.

As for Chicago’s more appealing pitch, I must say I was a bit upset by that but again, the dominating shadow that Michael Jordan casts over that city and that organization can make any super star uneasy.  Not just legacy wise.  But Wade’s comments rung very loudly for a guy who expects loyalty from his organization.  Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t have cozy relationships with Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen, the two greatest players in their organization and his penchant for being cheap means that while giving two max contracts may seem likely because of cap space, that conversation changes in two years when Derrick Rose comes looking for a max contract.  Imagine Lebron doesn’t win a title with that team and the Bulls don’t resign Rose because he wants a max contract and Jerry refuses to pay, and remember this is the same guy that broke up the greatest team assembled due to finances so there’s precedence, Lebron would never forgive him for that.

No, Chicago, look for Amare and Joe Johnson, though Johnson will more likely be offered the max by his former club than Amare so Amare and maybe Rudy Gay.

So it leaves Cleveland and New York.  Here’s the toss up.  I think loyalty is hugely important for Lebron and if so, Cleveland’ s the choice but the consensus opinion is that he’ll sign a 3 year deal giving him options to leave if he doesn’t see enough improvement on the roster front while giving his conscience peace of mind that he gave his home town team every opportunity to surround him with elite talent because as we learned this past season, no team can win with just one super star.  Not even Kobe Bryant can do it alone.  Lebron needs his Pippen.

Now if he signs a 3 year deal that means New Jersey joins the list with Lebron’s good friend Jay Z set to offer the promise of playing in Brooklyn to Lebron and being the king of New York from Jay’s home state with an owner that could out spend and out do everyone.  THEN, the Knicks would be in trouble or would they?  Now say they strike out on Lebron.  They could sign Amare.  Sign Mike Miller to a three year contract and then go after Carmello and Chris Paul next year.  Now imagine a team with Amare, Melo, and good friend Chris Paul in New York.  I dont care what you think, that would be much more appealing than say a Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and Brook Lopez combo.  Also remember, this was a 9 win team.  No matter how bad the Knicks were, they won 20 more games than the Nets.

That would be the back up plan for the Knicks.  Even if they strike out again with Lebron after the three year deal with the Cavs, the Knicks have a roster in place to compete.  But the hope is that they don’t have to wait.  If Lebron truly wants a change, there’s only one way to go here.  Its New York.  A fresh start.  The biggest market all to himself.  Which is why his decision time table of July 5th benefits New York and Cleveland.  If its purely an emotional decision, no doubt its Cleveland.  If its based on legacy and riches and all that, not even Mikhail’s promise of ruling a Russian province can convince him that he can’t do that from the world’s most famous arena.  Its there.

In the end, I think its New York.  Its always been New York.  That’s been the apple of his eye.  He’s never strayed and that this juncture he shouldn’t.  If he wants to be a billionaire, he should set up camp, office and everything in New York.  But even if he doesnt, Knick fans there are options.  But for Lebron there are no other options.  If you want to be bigger than Mike then you HAVE to step up and come to  New York.

Its past 12:01 Lebron, what’ll it be?

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May 14, 2010 · 5:26 pm

the Fall of Lebron

I’m going to go on the record with this newsflash: I don’t know where Lebron is going.

But in all fairness, I doubt he does either. In a post game press conference after yet another landmark Cleveland collapse (and make no doubt about it, that was a collapse.), Lebron in his best pouty face said he hadn’t yet thought about where he was going to play next season.

THAT, I don’t believe. You don’t need to look any further than the last two games of this series for evidence that his Cleveland basketball immortality might be ending. He played like the weight of the world was on him. Over the last two games, you never saw him smile in that genuine way that would suggest he was having fun. You never saw regular season Lebron during these playoffs.

But I don’t blame him. I felt sorry for him. I looked at his face and nothing came easy for him. He looked confused on the basketball court. He was turning the ball over. He was throwing passes to the Celtics. He was arguing with officials, blatantly telling them that they were making bad calls.

Tony Allen’s defense had something to do with it, but this loss falls on Lebron. Just like any success, that we figured was an eventuality, wouldve been thrown his way. We were so ready to crown him, but we forgot to check his credentials.

This isn’t to say that he won’t get his rings, but as we know and keep being reminded and I hope Lebron is listening, nothing is guaranteed in life no matter how much of a sure thing something seems to be. They cut the lead to 4 with two huge threes from James and had the Celtic crowd on pins and needles. Then when he looked for his teammates to make a shot, nobody helped out. Not a single one.

Turns out everyone was a witness to James on the court, even his teammates, who let the Celtics virtually dribble out the final minute and a half while his lame duck head coach, Mike Brown, looked on. By the time James figured out his teammates couldn’t be trusted to hit a big shot, it got late real early like Yogi Berra would say and he started making frantic drives to the hoop in hopes that the refs would bail him out.

Come to think of it, it reminded me of that final scene in “Training Day” where Denzel Washington’s character asks one of the surrounding thugs to shoot Ethan Hawke’s character and no one will pull the trigger. The Celtics, the refs, and his teammates were the people watching him. Lebron, of course being Denzel, with blood on him was looking around for someone to help him. Ethan Hawke was the guy holding the bag of money which would represent opportunity/legacy/whatever analogy you want to represent the big picture of Lebron’s career.

Lebron didn’t see his life flash before his eyes like Denzel did but the look on his eyes said something was dying and it might have been the air of invincibility that’s surrounded him since he came to the league. He’s been crowned with nothing yet put on his head.

I’m sure most of us would have killed to be Lebron James. The best player on the planet. A gigantic contract on the horizon. A good supporting cast to help achieve basketball immortality. A hometown crowd buckled and ready for the ride. But it wasn’t meant to be. The best player was nursing a sore elbow. The supporting cast were just spectators. The hometown crowd booed the team as they left for what turned out to be the final home game of the season and were thrown into immediate panic mode.

Now begins the most important part of Lebron’s career. Best case scenario wouldve been Lebron bringing a championship to Cleveland and riding off to New York/New Jersey/Chicago with no qualms about not fulfilling his obligation to his hometown. Now he runs the risk of high tailing it to a bigger market and being viewed in a negative light in his hometown. He may never be welcomed back to the greater Cleveland metropolis ever. He will be just another big superstar that let down Cleveland. He was their best hope since Jim Brown of bringing titles and now he could be another big time disappointment.

As a New Yorker who could potentially see Lebron land here in his hometown, I’m not sitting here shedding tears for Cleveland.* But sitting there hearing Boston fans chanting New York Knicks as he shot free throws I began to feel bad. Not just for Cleveland, but for Lebron. Cleveland, I’m sure, is hitting the panic button and over reacting ready to kiss Bron Bron goodbye. There will be a few callers who might be foolish to say “we don’t want him anyway” or “go to NY Lebron, Cleveland doesn’t need you.”. But that’s just hurt feelings talking.

*= Coming from a Met fan, and Knick fan, could be I’ve run out of tears after crying over the last few years with both of these teams.

Nobody knows the next step. Lebron as he looked at the scoreboard and had those long talks with the Celts as he congratulated them, he knew everyone was watching him. He had to. So he untucked his jersey and I’m sure there are people who read into that. When he took off his jersey, in plain view of the camera and threw it to the equipment guy as the door to the Cleveland locker room was open just enough for us all to see, people probably started concocting fake rumors. You know what? He sure was talking a long time to those Celtic players, I’m sure there’s someone out there contemplating how the Celts are going to create enough cap space to get Lebron.

Unfortunately, we don’t know a thing. Unfortunately as lost as Lebron looked as he stared at the clock that read 0.0, he’s heading into the offseason even more confused. Let the summer of Lebron begin. Just don’t expect it to end any time soon.

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February 26, 2010 · 10:16 pm

Lebron Sweepstakes

By the time this post shows up, it will be 123 days and change before the Lebron Sweepstakes really start.  Let’s be clear about a few things:

This is not JUST about Lebron.

This will NOT be resolved on July 1st as much as both Knick and Cavalier fan bases would want it to be.

This will have some kind of negative impact.

Let me begin by reiterating how big this decision will be for basketball as a whole.  Depending on where he goes, Lebron will be viewed as the savior/hometown hero or villain/traitor.  That’s just fanbase wise.  His economic impact will be felt.  Either he jilts the world’s number one market or destroys basketball in yet another small town that is desperate to root for a winner.

As a passionate Knick fan, you know what I think Lebron should do.  He should forget all that mushy stuff about hometown hero makes good stuff and take over the world by being a star on Broadway.  But like I said this Lebron sweepstakes isn’t just about him and his decision.  Its about more than that.

Most sports fans know that the NFL is headed towards a year in which it will play without a salary cap due to owners and the players association not being able to come together on a resolution for a new collective bargaining agreement.  But David Stern dropped a bombshell on everyone during All Star weekend when he released the info that the NBA will be losing $400 million this year and for the past 3 years have been averaging $200 million.  The numbers there tell you how absolutely important it is, for the NBA to readjust its CBA which also comes due in 2011 the same year we may see an NFL lock out.  We can all blame it on the bad economy and all that but there are plenty of reasons why the NBA is in its current state and it has a lot to do with what Bill Simmons, ESPN writer, wrote about in his latest column in which competitively many teams find reason to quit on seasons midway through yet unfairly do so after having collected a season ticket holder’s commitment to buy a season.  That’s one of the problems.

But David Stern knows what he has at stake here.  No player of Lebron James magnitude at the apex of his abilities has ever entered free agency with a legitimate chance at leaving to another team.  But Stern’s hands are tied.  Lebron’s decision will play itself out in many forms.  Let’s consider for a moment that many things will happen as a result of Lebron’s decision.  His decision will effect where D-Wade goes.  His decision will affect Chris Bosh’s next home.  His decision will play into where Chris Paul may want to play in 2011.  Where Carmello stands also that year.  What if Carlos Boozer opts out this year from the Jazz?  Deron Williams openly questioned Jazz management after friend Ronnie Brewer was traded.  So many people will sit and wait out King James.

Let’s first consider what Lebron is looking for.  I’m going to simplify it with just a few credentials because I believe Lebron on any team is at best (meaning a really bad team) a guaranteed 20 game improvement.  Seriously.  He’s that good with his teammates, takes pressure off everyone else, developing that killer instinct, getting calls from refs, and makes your home arena a sell out each night.  The great thing about Lebron is this, he understood the responsibility that came with being a super star and all the hype surrounding him and he made good on the promise and potential everyone saw in him.  He’s great, and an all time player and we’re just aching for the chance to crown him the best ever.*                                             *= kind of like Peyton Manning when he won his first title.  People were just so overjoyed that he finally won one and was beginning to justify all the “greatest ever” talk that they quickly labeled him.

So what’s he looking for?  Complementary pieces and legacy.  Money will not be the deciding factor.  He will have fame.  He will have everything else you can imagine.  What is his legacy going to be?  That’s the more important question that he will answer with this.

So who are the 7 and what are their chances?

NEVER GONNA HAPPEN:

Minnesota and Sacramento: 1,000,000 to 1:  Sure, they have pieces, but if he leaves Cleveland he won’t be going to even smaller cities and markets just for the sake of going.  That would be the dumbest move and I have too much respect for Lebron’s intelligence to say that its even an option.

New Jersey Nets: 50,000 to 1–  A year ago some Nets fans I know were making this big deal about a pending deal to move to Brooklyn, signed off by Jigga man, and using that business partnership to woo Lebron over to the Nets.  Well, since then the Nets have gone an abysmal 5-52, are on pace to average about 17 people per game and are about to be bought out by Russian Mark Cuban which I think is a wild card.  We don’t know what this guy’s capable of.  He could say “screw the salary cap, I will give Lebron whatever he wants, damned be the luxury tax”, but I have a feeling he still has no idea that he owns the Nets.

MAYBE BUT THERE’S TOO MUCH WORKING AGAINST US!

Miami Heat: 100 to 1- No state tax, sunny weather, big market.  All major pluses.  But if the Heat sign Wade which is their first priority, Lebron would have to take a pay cut and neither guy will be willing to do that.  If Lebron comes to the Heat he would be winning on Wade’s team.  Make no mistake, the rumors are just that, these two will NOT sign together.  No way, no how.**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 **= I’m hoping that I said it enough times that the reverse jinx will work and they both come to NY.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: 100 to 1–  What are the chances that Donald Sterling will turn his back on years and years of being stingy and frugal and somehow come to the realization that he could have as much a share of L.A. with Lebron as Kobe with the Lakers?  The Paper Clips have the pieces yet the biggest screw missing is the one in Sterling’s head that refuses to make the Clipper fan believe that salvation is headed there anytime soon.***                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ***= In truth this makes a lot of sense for Lebron.  The market, the supporting cast all make this a worthwile venture and its a market that Nike would be ok with and support.  But neither me, nor any other basketball or Paper Clip fan has any confidence in Sterling’s ability to asses the situation rationally and there fore can’t see a situation where Sterling will see the easy deal and make it.  He’d rather sign Joe Johnson to a max contract.  Which still isn’t bad but the fact that I’m confident they won’t make a push for Lebron is saddening for any fan of any decrepit franchise with a sliver of hope.

THE DARK HORSE WITH A SCARY AND LEGITEMATE SHOT:

CHICAGO BULLS: 10 to 1- He has Derrick Rose, and Joakim Noah to run with on a team that could have a sustained run of excellence for the next 10 years.  I mean excellence.  The Bulls have it all the sizable market, the complementary pieces and also a star already there.  But why aren’t they considered a better player for Lebron’s services?  Well, I’d like to re-enter the topic of legacy.  For Lebron its important.  Its crucial and its what’s driving his decision.  He wants to be the greatest.  Ever.  No one else to compare himself to.  Unfortunately there was this guy who came and became the best player ever, in Chicago.  “Michael Jordan, ever heard of him?”****                                                                                                                                         ****= Why the quotation marks?  Because I just said that in the Andy Bernard voice.  By the way, how crazy is it that I remember more of Andy’s lines from the last few episodes than Dwight in the Office?  Has there ever been a shift in popularity of one character to another?  Andy is getting very close to Dwight’s in terms of funny quotes and awesome moments.  That episode where he thought he was gay was priceless.

Lebron cares too much about carving out his own that he won’t do that.  Its not a place Lebron should go but a place that Wade should seriously consider and should be thinking of as his number one destination.

ALWAYS THE BRIDEGROOM NEVER THE BRIDE:

New York Knicks odds 5 to 1- Before Knick fans start gathering outside of my house please note that this is merely the chances of him landing there.  Like I said Lebron himself doesn’t know what he will do but just know the ball is in his court and no one outside of Lebron knows what he will do.  Know this, the Knicks can offer him the most of any team in terms of overall salary.  Yes, I’m talking about Nike and other under the table deals that would take place if he signed here.  I can’t put into perspective what Lebron does to any crowd.  Bill Simmons wrote it as presence.  Yes, he has a presence, everyone stands to notice him and acknowledge he is there.  What you haven’t talked about is what a stadium like MSG does for Lebron.  No other stadium can offer him that.  The chills, the excitement.  There aren’t better and more knowledgeable basketball fans than the ones that live here in NYC.  The playgrounds are like places of worship where gods are born, honing their craft to use their skills to bring people together.  Rucker Park is that underground place that even the best know and speak highly of.  The city of New York would be in a state of delirium if Lebron were to come here.

Let’s face it, they deserve it.  They’ve been screwed with mismanagement and terrible ownership.  Their best player in the last ten years was Latrell Sprewell.  Go ahead, let that sink in.  We’re stuck convincing ourselves that David Lee is amazing.  Of course he’s amazing, anyone can be on a bad team like the Knicks.  But also a guy like Lebron can immediately change that around.  He can draw attention away and create opportunities for guys that just were never there.  Donnie Walsh went all in when he traded picks and Jared Jeffries for the right to let the expiring T-Mac contract play itself out on their cap.  If he doesn’t get Lebron, Knick fans will feel shafted no matter how they end up acquiring.

This deal is important to the NBA because its their franchise leader going to the number one market in the world and becoming a star there for the next 10 years.  Its important because if this deal doesn’t go through this will murder all the hope for Knick fans and you may see a lot of them disappear or pick up curling.  The NBA needs desperately to put a winner on its grandest stage at MSG.  Lebron understands, but not in its fullness, how unbelievable it would be if he won a title in New York.  He would not only own this city but this country and the world by extension.*****                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 *****=  Out of towners might look at it as some New Yorker blowing the importance of his city out of proportion but let’s be real, its cause their jealous.

Knick fans have been waiting for this moment like the second coming but they see Jesus before they see Lebron because:

THE FAVORITE:

Cleveland Cavaliers 3 to 1 odds- I won’t lie to you.  This is my unbiased opinion.  This is the favorite.  They have everything.  They have teammates who adore him and worship the ground he walks on and a fan base that does the same.  An ownership team that has made it clear that they are willing to part the Red Sea to make sure he signs there.  More than all that, this is home.  Not just because he plays there but because he’s from Ohio.  Born and brought up.******                                                                                                                                                           ******= Which of course kills me everytime.  No one plays up the theory that Cleveland was a barren wasteland, in comes this kid from Akron who could possibly lift a franchise from out of the doldrums and they just happen to get the first pick in the draft that year.  Nothing fishy about that scenario?  Wasn’t like they were the worst team in the NBA.  Ok, moving on.

His community ties are still very much in tact.  He understands that they will live and die with this decision.  Are they appreciating every moment like its their last to see him in their beloved uniform?  Yes.  Are they going to give him carte blanche to do whatever he wants and defend him to the death?  Yes. *******                                                                                                        *******= Even if he killed a guy, left DNA evidence at the murder scene if the trial ever took place in Cleveland, how hard would it be to fathom that he would get off? (yes that was a veiled OJ reference.).  Or for more perspective, if there was sufficient evidence that Lebron raped a woman in a spa in I don’t know let’s pick-a-random-city-and-state-in-the-U.S., oh I got one, Eagle, Colorado and he bought his wife a yeah-I-messed-up-here’s-my-apology disguised as a multi million dollar ring, would Cavs fans irrationally defend Lebron and say that the woman was this sick perverse woman who had it coming.  Yeah.  That’s perspective for you.

But if he leaves will Lebron need secret service protection whenever the Knicks play the Cavs?  Yes.  Will there be rioting in the streets?  No, but maybe in chat rooms.  Those things could get fierce.  Will fans get irrational there and subsequently destroy Cleveland sports for a long time?  Yes.  No doubt about it.  He’s a once in a life time athlete.  He’s the hometown kid.  His window is wide open and his best days are still in front of him which is scary.  In someways he knows he owes it to Cleveland to see his development to the end.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

I won’t venture a guess as to where he will end up.  I am not convinced that Lebron knows where he’ll go either.  I will say this.  I’m pretty convinced one thing will happen, whether he signs with the Knicks or resigns with Cleveland, he will sign a max deal but with an opt out after 3 years.  None of these guys will leave dollars on the negotiating table but he will ask for and get the clause installed.  He’s smart enough to understand that if the Cavs don’t win this year and depending on how they lose, he will have to evaluate whether this roster as presently constructed has what it takes.  No matter how you slice it, this year’s playoffs will play a huge role in whether he resigns or he leaves.  If they lose Lebron will have to question whether they are ever going to win and its a legitimate question.

To leave, to go to the Knicks he would have to be convinced that the Cavs don’t have it.  Obviously he’d have to justify it somehow and it will be interesting to see what transpires in the playoffs.  No matter what he will negotiate some kind of option to leave after 3 years because he understands that he can’t stay in one location for 7 seasons.  At some point he will leave Cleveland to go to New York.  I truly believe that.  Whether its 2010-2011, or 3 years later, he will somehow find his way to New York because after all his eye is on the prize.  His ability to elevate New York to championship status will be something he will take as a challenge.

So did I answer the question?  No.  But if it were posed to Lebron, could he make a decision right now?  No.   He realizes his reputation, his legacy and the NBA are at stake.  No pressure Lebron.  No pressure at all.

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February 19, 2010 · 5:11 pm

SAVE IT!

I know we’re all taught as Knick fans to worship at the feet of King LeBron and made to think that nothing and no one is better than the young Anchor from Akron (corny but really at this point you can call him Boobie and his rep wouldn’t take a hit), but let’s call a spade a spade.

When Lebron walked off the court without shaking hands with his good buddy Carmello after losing a tough game in which the winning shot was made while Lebron was defending him, I’m sure Lebron apologists pointed to his fierce competitive nature as reason enough to bypass any sportsmanship responsibilities athletes of his stature may have.

Let’s face it, I don’t care if Delonte West didn’t shake Carmello’s hand, didn’t care where Big Z was or care THAT much about JJ Hickson’s feelings on not being traded at the deadline like many predicted he would for Amar’e Stoudemire.

But everyone cares about Lebron. From New York to Zimbabwe, he’s being watched and monitored and studied. Forget fishbowl existence, he’s an animal in a zoo. His life has been that way since he was in the seventh grade so none of this coverage over even the minute details of his life should be surprising.

So it shouldn’t surprise him that he’s getting negative feedback over it. He’s, if not the best, in the very limited spaced discussion with the best, he’s also the most hyped athlete ever. Take that sentence for what it is.

As the most hyped up athlete our media has ever had the pleasure of prematurely crowning, we want to see him live up to everything we envision of him. To break Bill Russell’s record for championships, to score 100 points in a game, and to average a triple double every year. All those records are still in play for Bron, and I suppose that its all a waiting game.

But here’s the thing: how are we supposed to expect Lebron to be this really great teammate, model citizen, and channel all his rage for 48 minutes and sometimes more and ask him to switch it off? We’re asking too much from a human being.

I’m not poo pooing his status. I’m not even going to pretend like I know what its like to be Lebron. But that’s just childish what he did to Melo last night.

In the words of Denny Green, “if you wanna crown then crown his ass!”. But hold him to equally high standards. This isn’t even that difficult.

The benefit of being a Michael Jordan, or Peyton Manning is that they don’t play by normal rules. They are supposed to come through in clutch situations, and when they don’t, there’s always someone else there to take the fall.

That wasn’t Peyton’s fault on that interception at the Super Bowl, it was Reggie Wayne’s because he seemed hesitant coming out of his break.

That’s not Lebron’s fault that his team didn’t win or that he slipped coming out of his break, his teammates didn’t support him enough and besides, the ref blew that foul call.

Its interesting how we approach the elite in the game on simple issues like sportsmanship. The flip side is when athletes cheat on their wives like Tiger Woods and golfers he routinely beat come out of the woodwork and ask for apologies for the “gentlemanly” game of golf.

Let me repeat, I don’t agree with Tiger’s decision to apologize on his own terms today, but only because I don’t know why he needs to apologize to anyone BUT his wife. He did this to her, not anyone sitting in that room.

But the standards should be the same. We as a public shouldn’t let athletes on an elite level get away with childish behavior when we expect everyone on the team to be acting a certain way. If this happened in reverse and Carmello walked off the court, he would be labeled a thug and maybe worse.

Why’s that you ask? Well there’s precedent for this: think MJ and Isiah. The long running fued took a turn for the worse when Isiah famously staged the walk out when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons and Isiah, who many consider to be the greatest PG ever, was shunned leading to his exclusion from the 92 Dream Team. One was a bigger star than the other. Its as simple as that. Jordan had star power over Zeke.

We have built up Lebron in our minds as this warrior and champion. We can’t imagine him not winning a title or breaking records. What we should do is let the man win first before we give him his just due.

Until then, let’s call it like we see it. If he’s a sore loser, that’s what he is. Save me your excuses.

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February 19, 2010 · 12:42 pm

Winners, Losers and the Unknown of the Trade Deadline

Hope doesn’t just spring eternal in Florida and Arizona this time of year, its a geyser in MSG as the Knicks wiggled enough cap room to sign two max free agents.  That much we know.  What we don’t know is how everything will play out.  Like many, I was refreshing ESPN.com, SI.com, and Yahoosports.com constantly to see if any updates came through.  As Mark Cuban tweeted it was probably a better idea to “follow NBA Trade Deadline on twitter,” but I’m stuck on archaic methods.

Regardless, the trade deadline has come and gone and we have winners and we have losers of this trade deadline and much to process on both ends:

WINNERS:

KNICKS: Of course I begin with the hometown team and the fact that they were able to move the Jared Jeffries salary, and they were able to move Nate Robinson and move a few guys to get the cap space needed to go after two max free agents.  They mortgaged the next few years on the hope that LeBron makes MSG his home for the next 7 years and calls another one of his super friends to come and help out.  Of course being a Knick and Met fan I’m doomed to be pessimistic about it, but in theory this deal makes them the big winners.

ROCKETS:  Yes, they did make out.  Sure they took on another salary for next year but you always get the sneaking suspicion that Darryl Morey the stat guru MIT grad GM of the Rockets knows just a little bit more than the rest of us.  He swapped first rounders with the Knicks in 2011 and got their 2012 pick (from everything I’ve been reading on it, only the first pick of the draft would be protected in 2011 and top 5 protected in 2012 (thanks to NBA.com)) and managed to set himself up nice with a proven scorer in Kevin Martin a guy that the Kings had been telling everyone was unavailable.  Morey is banking on LeBron not going to the Knicks next summer and the Knicks being bad for the next few years and God help us if he’s right.

KINGS: I think it worked out on all ends here.  The Kings acquired cap space for this offseason where they will attract absolutely nobody but hey, its a nice thing to put on the resume.  They were able to snag two really tough physical players in Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey to play the post and be the mashers and grinders and they are staring down the barrel of a lottery pick this summer again which should help them if they pick as well as they picked last year.  Also throw in Jason Thompson and they have a developing nucleus of young guys and bigs that could make the Kings a minor contender sooner rather than later.  Only, they need another coach, sorry Reggie Theus, he wasn’t even a good coach on their TV show.  Think about that.

BOBCATS:  They got Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff at the trade deadline and managed to keep DJ Augustin a guy they loved.  Larry Brown’s team will be a tough out in the Eastern Conference whomever they face in the first round.  Ten out of their 14 guys are 6’8′ or taller which gives them such an inside presence that it will be tough for teams to score on them in the low post.  They just might sneak up on a few teams in the first round.  Too bad the first round isn’t 5 games anymore, it might have been fun for this team to play a high seed under that format.

CAVALIERS: As much as the Knicks moves were geared towards getting LeBron James, the Cavs decision to trade for Antawn Jamison was to keep LeBron and they did a hell of a job in doing so.  They managed to get the better deal in getting Antawn, that coveted stretch four they were seeking, than Amare- a deal in which they would’ve had to give up J.J. Hickson, something they were not willing to do.  Amare while being more of a physical presence is only that on the offensive end, on the defensive end they are very similiar.  Where Antawn has the advantage is that he can pull a 20/10 night consistently and in more ways than Amare can and that’s what you have to love.  This move was facilitated towards keeping their young guys and also making LeBron happy.

ARN TELLEM:  Why an agent?  Easy.  Tellem had as much to do with the Knicks getting T-Mac as Donnie Walsh.  Let me explain.  When most of us woke up this morning the reports coming out of the Houston Chronicle were that T-Mac had been traded- to the Kings.  I had to stop everything I was doing to make sure I read right.  Of course the following paragraph made me breathe easier when it said they were working on getting the Knicks involved in making sure T-Mac, and more importantly the expiring contract, went to the Knicks.  But the Kings with all their leverage decided to ask for everything the Rockets were asking for, but not Jordan Hill and not the 2012 first rounder, but David Lee.  That put a speed bump in there.  Arn Tellem being the high powered broker he is, and this is just purely guessing on my part, may have called Geoff Petrie’s office in Sacramento and warned him of the dangers of stalling this trade with the Knicks.  He is after all the agent for Tyreke Evans, the guy most responsible for Kevin Martin no longer being a King.  The Kings GM being the wise man he is, decided against making the agent for his franchise player mad and decided to play nice and made sure the trade went down as it went down sending Sergio Rodriguez also.  What’s lost in this is also Tellem being the agent for Danilo Gallinari, one of the players that will be here if and when the Lebron era begins in New York and judging on how he makes every player on his team better it stands to reason that Danilo might be staring down the barrel of a nice little jump in his salary with Lebron’s arrival.  Winners all around.

LOSERS:

CELTICS: I know this may seem a bit biased but Eddie House fit the culture of Boston and the locker room Ubuntu they had going in 2008 when the Celtics won it all.  Now, they bring in Nate Robinson who among other things brings a certain flair for the dramatic and I’m not talking about game winning shots.  The goal for the C’s were to get Kirk Hinrich and send Ray Allen’s expiring contract with it but I’ve always been under the impression that you keep your best guys if you have a legitemate chance to make the playoffs.  I’m basing this rating on the fact that I’m not a huge Nate Robinson fan like every other Knick fan.  Just because he was the best player on the team for the last few years doesn’t make me automatically a fan of his, and the fact that he was should absolutely disgust Knick fans to no degree.  The Celtics just seem to be getting older and not better.  Its time to seriously think about breaking that team up and build around Rondo and Pierce.

HEAT:  In my opinion this trade deadline had to be about convincing Dwayne Wade that the Heat were going somewhere and they didn’t do that.  Now the Heat will have to sign a player a semi star first to properly convince D-Wade that Miami is a place that will be able to compete for a championship if he signs long term.  I’m not too sure they will be able to sign that guy especially when his hometown team the Bulls will have enough cap space to sign him and already have Derrick Rose in place.  Its a tempting offer and as much as South Beach offers I’m sure Wade is tired of giving up his body for a team that seems to be staying in place while everyone else seems to be getting better.  Also its never a good idea when your GM is offering up quotes on how sure he is that a player will stay when nothing has been decided.

UNKNOWN:

DONNIE WALSH:  We will see if he’s either a genius or an idiot come July 1st.  That’s when basically his fate will be decided.  Now its not fair to say that Donnie is a total idiot for giving up picks and much more to secure enough space to make those moves because let’s face it, he had to make sure he had the room to pull this off so doing that was absolutely essential but now it becomes a waiting game for Donnie and for Knick fans.  Also the free agent class of 2011 isn’t too shabby either and with Eddy Curry’s 13 million off the cap it will give them even more space but I don’t think Knick fans can wait another year for another superstar to be available if we strike out on LeBron this summer.

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February 16, 2010 · 2:08 pm

Major gamble at the trade deadline scramble

Tracy- my personal hero at the Lazy Eye of Sports

First off, I want to start of by stating the obvious: i’m not a genius by any stretch of the imagination.  I’m not a GM or training to be one either.  I don’t understand the salary cap and the ramifications of deals as it relates to the luxury tax all that well either.

But people tell me that I’m reasonable.  People tell me that I have my moments where I possess something very rare nowadays in the world and that’s common sense.

So I’m going to use that power, for good of course, and reason that the Knicks trade offer to obtain Tracy McGrady is either a really smart move by Donnie Walsh or a really dumb move.  See, I don’t want to dismiss this immediately because you never know.  Here’s the trade:

The Knicks GET Tracy McGrady (expiring contract valued at 22.5 million), Brian Cook (expiring contract valued at 3.5 million), Joey Dorsey and a 2011 Houston Rockets 1st round pick *

The Rockets GET Jared Jeffries (contract valued at 6.83 million for next year), Jordan Hill (rookie, 2008 first round selection), Larry Hughes/Al Harrington# (10.02 million expiring/13.65 million expiring contract), 2011 Knicks 1st round*, 2012 1st round draft pick and MAYBE a 2012 2nd round pick.

#= The Knicks would admittedly like to send Larry Hughes so they can flip Al Harrington’s 13 mil over to the Bulls for Tyrus Thomas-  this all coming from a number of rumor mill posts.

*= NBA’s rules forbid teams from giving up consecutive first round draft picks, therefore, they have to swap these two first rounders to be playing within the rules.  Don’t you think if Isiah could, he would’ve traded away every draft pick from 2010 to 2015???? C’mon!

The Knicks during the Isiah years were known for future killing deals similiar in structure to this one.  Yet, since the stench of Isiah has wore off with time, Donnie Walsh’s reign has been about one thing: ridding himself of contracts for the summer of 2010.

During that summer, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh will all be available for the low cost of max contracts.

The summer’s grocery list of super stars make for a nice discussion and a nice dream for Knick fans all the way up until July 1st.  When the clock strikes midnight and Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh aren’t able to get LeBron James and one of his super friends to join him in blue and orange, then this will have been a colossal waste.  All this moving parts and pieces will have been for nothing.

In the end, this trade is for one thing: LeBron and co.  Nothing else and Donnie Walsh isn’t hiding his infatuation with being under the cap, that teams recognize this desperation and smart GM’s are willing to squeeze everything they can.  Thus, the hold up.  Thus the 50/50 chance that this deal gets done.  Because here’s the significant difference between Donnie and Isiah, Donnie will stop and think before he presses the big red button, Isiah would’ve pressed it a long time ago.  Donnie understands the ramifications of doing this and chances are, he knows something beyond what he’s revealing.

My hunch here is that Donnie heard through coach D’Antoni that LeBron and a mystery friend gave verbal agreements to come to the Knicks this coming summer.  Now, that’s all conjecture at this point and reserved for the rumor mill but let’s entertain the possibility that Donnie has this little nugget of information in his back pocket.  Doesn’t he move with confidence?  Doesn’t he move a bit more swift here?  Why give up all the draft picks for the uncertainty of 2010?

Since he took over for Isiah and mercifully put an end to that era for Knick fans, his job title might have been waste management.  As in, getting rid of all the garbage contracts that Isiah had accumulated.  While he can’t ever get this year’s draft pick back, or trade Eddy Curry’s fat corpse for a reasonable headache (yes, i’m assuming those kind of headaches exist), the fact is, he will have done everything he can to accomplish this goal.  No one ever thought he could trade Jamal Crawford or Zach Randolph’s massive contracts but somehow did it.   While most think that Donnie gets too much credit and mostly look to his final few years at his tenure in Indiana as reasons to deflate Knick fans’ optimism I’m willing to take my chances since Isiah sucked so bad.

But the risk he takes here in being so far out of the salary cap is the 900 pound elephant in the room: What is LeBron and co. don’t come?  What if he’s serious about wanting to go to a contender or a team ready to contend?  The Knicks don’t look like that team at all.  The magic that people are trying to perpetuate about New York is that if LeBron comes here, he could achieve fame and fortune like no where.

Its partially true, but its also a very nice story that New Yorkers like myself love to build up in our heads.  His fame and fortune are destined to him.  There’s nothing stopping LeBron.  He’s going to win championships.  Yes, plural.  He will be on Madison Ave, even if that’s not his mailing address.  What Donnie Walsh hasn’t done is convince LeBron that the future is promising.

But like I said thats my only worry.  For me, I do this trade.  As painful as it might be to consider a world in which LeBron James doesn’t come to New York in 2010, you have to do everything in your power to get as below the cap as you can.  Donnie may have insider information in his back pocket to consider doing this deal.  Who cares about a 2012 first rounder if we’re picking in the late 20’s?  Walsh’s entire plan rests on the completion of this trade and what happens after July 1st.  Do we HAVE to do this deal?  If you want LeBron? Sure.  Who knows, what if he wants to build a winner to his liking in New York?  What if LeBron is as infatuated with New York as Knick fans are thinking about him in blue and orange unis?  Several different scenarios will play out.

But everything will point to THIS move as either the beginning of something great, or the beginning of the end.

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February 15, 2010 · 7:37 pm

Ten Things I learned while watching All Star Weekend

Honestly, its been ages since I sat myself down through the entire All Star Weekend and forced myself to watch it.  Here are ten things that I learned while watching All Star Weekend:

1.  Tyreke Evans is a beast, but he was smart to share that award with DeJuan Blair. Blair had 22 points and 23 rebounds.  He played more minutes than anyone in the game for a reason.  In these All Star contests, the coaches give every guy an opportunity to play but give the hot hand most of the playing time.  Evans is a spectacular player but Blair is the guy who really stole the show.  Its amazing what guys with a chip on their shoulder can do?  How do teams like the Spurs end up with guys like this?  Isn’t it easy to see that his work ethic was extraordinary?  The first round is littered with talented blue chip prospects you hope will mature into great players but the second round is filled with players you need to score high on the “i’m going to work my butt off in the gym to prove I belong on an NBA roster” scale.  Blair is described as many as one of the most likeable and personable people you will meet which of course is always a plus and he was selected with the 37th overall pick in the second round by the Spurs.  When I heard he went in the second round, I knew that whatever team selected him would have a steal and of course it had to be the Spurs.  He’s going to be a double double machine who is not afraid to use his wide frame and bulky build to punish opponents down low which he showcased in the Rookie-Sophomore game during all star weekend.  Tyreke may have walked away with the MVP award, but everyone walked away wowed by DeJuan Blair.

2. The DUNK contest should no longer be the premiere event of ASW, unless they get a major name to participate. There’s an APB going out to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and any other basketball player who fancies himself a great dunker.  Since Vince won it, I’ve never been really wowed by a dunk contest.  Every year the originality has been sucked out of it by the fact that there are so many “we’ve seen this done” dunks repeated and worse missed a few times and then done.  Nate won it for the third year in a row but does it really matter?  That’s how bad the Knicks are, even when their players are winning awards its for pointless things like the dunk contest.  I Facebooked on Saturday that perhaps I was spoiled as a youngster watching the likes of Michael Jordan, and Clyde Drexler and Vince Carter participate in the dunk contests.  Don’t ever expect to see that kind of star power happen today.  Imagine if LeBron were to lose the dunk contest? How hard would it be for him to have the tape of that dunk contest mysteriously disappear?  Probably not that hard.

3. PRIDE is lacking. Which naturally leads us to the problem with All Star games in general.  Really there’s no incentive for the players to put on a show other than pride.  You know when pride kicks in?  with about 7 minutes left in the All Star game.  These guys don’t compete hard against each other.  Familiarity usually breeds contempt but not in this case.  Bill Simmons, the page 2 writer, made a good point a few years ago when he said that a lot of these guys grew up together.  They played on AAU teams and in summer travel leagues.  They stayed with each other.  Got their first blackberries together and have been texting each other box scores since they were 13.  So how do you expect two friends to be super competitive with nothing on the line?  You can’t.  Not even for normally hyper competitive guys like LeBron and Carmello and D-Wade.  Back in the day, Jordan and Magic and Bird all fought for alpha dog status.  It meant something to them because they came in as loners.  Imagine going to a conference and meeting everyone for the first time in a competitive setting.  You know no one.  You don’t owe them anything or have any link to any one there.  If you channel your normal hyper competitiveness into that room, you’ve got a bunch of highly talented guys trying to be “the man” for lack of a better term.  Now THAT would be sensational.  You don’t have that.
All Star games are not meant to do that but that’s the beauty of basketball.  The NBA is the only sport that can actually have an entire weekend filled with activities to showcase individual ability.  The 3 point contest, the Slam Dunk, HORSE (which as a basketball fan you have to LOVE, although it does need some minor tweaks), and skills competitions are all great ways for fans to see how truly athletic and gifted these guys really are at specific things.  No other sport can claim to have events that truly showcase the wide range of abilities like this.  I mean the NFL, if it were to make a big deal of those QB competitions and skills competitions may come close but it doesn’t so we can’t say that.  The NBA properly uses these events to showcase their talent.  If we raised the pot for the winners of some of these competitions or added a few wrinkles to some of the events, maybe just maybe players might give a damn but with so many outside factors and the globe more tightly connected than ever thanks to facebook and youtube and camera phones, players are more protective of their image and scared to fail because of the possibility that everyone will have the ability to see it in almost real time.

4. Craig Sager can wear normal suits, but his outfit altogether can’t be normal.  Has anyone in sports ever solely kept a career alive thanks to his wardrobe?  He mumbles when he talks, has the creepiest smile in America, and no NBA player feels comfortable enough to look him in the face when they talk.  Would anyone be surprised if we come to find out that his suits were actual human skin painted to those colors?

5. The NFL isn’t the only league in trouble. After the withdrawal of the NFL wore off, the attention quickly shifted to Dallas where David Stern was bombarded with questions about a possible strike looming in the NBA in 2011.  The Players Association apparently ripped to shreds the Owners latest proposal and are not willing to take a paycut to allow owners to have some breathing room as the economy recovers.  Its a tough sell for Memphis fans who really have no ties to their NBA team to sell out every night when their team is barely in playoff contention.  The problem has always been to put an NBA team where it fits.  Not where the guy with the deepest pockets are willing to spend on a team.  Putting a team smack dab in the middle of college basketball country will always be an epic fail and the people who love expansion don’t see that.  Developing a winner takes time and when you are expanding a recession will undoubtedly cause the team to take a hit.  Players have to accept the truth that the league is losing money hand over fist (the NBA is reporting an average of $200 million lost each year over the last 3), and guaranteed contracts will be impossible in the upcoming CBA.  Perhaps partially guaranteed contracts with long term contracts having an out after 3 seasons.  Who knows what kind of details need to be worked out but what we do know is that several teams are in the red and have been for a few seasons now and the CBA must be reworked to fix that.

6. Charles Barkley is by far the best pre game, halftime and post game entertainer in all of sports broadcasting. Since like I said, its been a while since i’ve solely concentrated on basketball, I forget how great it is to have a Charles Barkley around.  I imagine production meetings going on and Barkley walking in, then going to the toilet after about two minutes and sitting there for the duration of the meeting since you know Taco Bell offers you lots and lot, its especially good after you smoked lots of pot.  He walks out with toilet paper sticking to the bottom of his shoe (there’s no relevance to the rest of the comment but come on, you know that’s how it plays out) and he goes out there and totally wings the entire show.  He’s by far the only person with carte blanche to say whatever he likes on national television and rarely see anything more than a slap to the wrist for doing that.

The three best Charles Barkley moments from the All Star Weekend:

A. McLovin coming on to the set (I know he has a real name but I refuse to write it and if he knew what’s best for him, he had better embrace that name for the rest of his life).  Charles looked admiringly at McLovin, and not in a nice way.  He had finally found a guy that Kenny “the Jet” (the most overblown nickname ever by the way.  He was never that good to get a cool nickname like that) Smith and Ernie Johnson (white guys with black people names hall of fame) might look at as more ridiculous than Sir Charles (who by the way has my favorite mock nickname I’ve ever heard given to him by Hall of Fame sportswriter Peter Vecsey: Sir Cumference).  But of course what was unexpected was McLovin thinking the exact same thing about Charles.  He finally had the chance to be on stage with someone that people thought was on the same speed as him.

B. Charles Barkley’s funniest comment of the weekend: “you ever notice how gatorade doesn’t work on players who suck?”  Very true Sir Charles.  This was while you saw Nate Robinson take a chug from his gatorade bottle.

C. Barkley looking like a proud kid when David Stern gave him a compliment.  Look, even I get a little frightened when I hear David Stern speak but it was funny to see the oversized personality that is Charles Barkley address the commissioner in a slightly less demonstrative way.  Stern is an imposing figure for a small guy, but Barkley’s back pedaling and look of sadness when the commissioner gave Kenny Smith a compliment at the expense of Barkley and then paid Barkley a compliment two minutes later was about as revealing to you how scary Stern is and how much of a kid and crazy figure Barkley is.  You just never know with him.

7. I’m convinced NBA players are the least interesting people on the planet.  I had an interesting conversation this weekend about Dwight Howard.  Ever notice how we get all giggly about anything Dwight does and how we gush about his childish acts and get all gaga about it?  I realized why after about two David Aldridge interviews with Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade about how absolutely boring these guys really are.  They don’t even know how to formulate proper sentences.  OF COURSE DWIGHT HOWARD is funny, compared to most NBA players he’s Dave Chappelle. Dirk Nowitzki, God bless him, looked like the least comfortable man on the planet saying “everything is bigger in Texas.”  Its as if he had a cue card and was reading it monotone.  In fact he was walking off as he said it.  He wanted no part of the big stage.  Kobe Bryant always looks pissed off while being interviewed.  I hear LeBron James talk and I just wish he didn’t go to “Clyde Frazier teaches English 101”.  You know, using big words in the wrong context.  Meanwhile there’s only two superstars who I could see being a normal human being outside the court with their friends: Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.  I mean normal in the context of you or I behave with our friends.  I understand that stars operate on a different universe and different rules apply to them.  I would put LBJ on this list but LeBron falls short in one key area.  Amidst all the hype that surrounds him, all the commercials and everything else, looks like a guy that teammates naturally gravitate to.  Bill Simmons a few weeks ago talked about presence.  Jordan had the presence.  That being, the ability to make everyone in an arena or whatever setting they are, stop what they are doing and just watch a person’s every move.  What’s more, Simmons wrote, LeBron knows its and embraces it by putting on shows during pre game warm ups and horsing around.  LeBron is the rare superstar who’s comfortable in his own skin and willing to embrace all that comes with the hype and all the pomp and circumstance.  In that way, LeBron is normal because he hasn’t allowed himself to get caught up in everything around him and looks like a kid when he plays.  But his major flaw other than his language skills is the fact that LeBron needs to be the leader of the group.  He HAS to be.  Every group has that guy who needs to plan the trips and makes the phone calls to find out what everyone is doing or names the email chain you’re in and LeBron is that guy.  He would automatically be the leader of your group whether you wanted him or not.  He knows no other way.  He’s the alpha dog which I will get to more on the LeBron sweepstakes handicap article I will eventually do.  Those guys end up leaving the group and being replaced or he learns to be able to blend in better and not insist on being that guy.  No two ways about it.

Nash and Howard on the other hand are so similiar, they just look like goofy kids.  What sealed it for me for Nash was him accepting the Skills Challenge trophy and doing the goofy “strain to lift the trophy” thing but this article (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2010/02/11/steve-nash-is-the-most-internetiest-basketball-player-in-the-world.aspx) should further prove to you why any guy that takes himself that seriously could fit into any group.  Also Howard is always smiling and always putting on a show and never afraid to be silly.  When David Aldridge asked him about the Shaq controversy (who’s approaching bitter old man status real soon), you could see the pained expression as if telling David through his facial reaction that he did NOT want to talk about this and didn’t feel comfortable being serious.  That right there did it for me.

Otherwise, no other player seems that interesting to me and I despise listening to them talk.

8.  Steve Nash had the best weekend in all of sports. He went to Vancouver to carry the Olympic flame in his native Canada.  Flew to Dallas the next day and won the Skills Contest and then Sunday got almost as loud a reception as his good friend Dirk Nowitzki.  Its easy to see why so many NBA ball players love him and love playing with him but very few can say that they had that kind of weekend.

9. Dallas Stadium raised the bar for all sports All Star games. No doubt the NBA was smart to capitalize on the new Dallas stadium before even the NFL had a chance to (think Super Bowl 2011), but the NBA’s brain trust couldn’t have foreseen how successful the game was going to be.  Granted the competitive level got to normal with about 7 minutes left, but guys were genuinely trying to do the best dunks just so they could run back look up to the rafters at that beautiful screen and see them on the humungo jumbotron.  Granted pride is no longer part of the conversation for All Star games, but certainly guys angling for plays of the game and MVP’s were most certainly trying their hardest.  But how does the NBA address that next year when it comes to Staples?  The flash and the intrigue of having an NBA game at Dallas stadium has come and gone.  How does the NBA make it matter for NBA players next year when they are in a regular arena?  The fact that its in Hollywood will only affect the extra curricular downtown LA area and also Vegas (its only 3 hours away).

10. Everyone wants to be LeBron’s teammate. Just look at the East Squad’s entrance and the West squad’s entrance.  Its clear that LeBron’s repoire with his fellow players is so high and it makes him so likeable to everyone involved that its hard to hate the guy.  He commands attention and respect even from veterans.  We know how great a teammate KG is, even at the All Star Game he was acting like it was  regular season game, at the edge of his seat and cheering on his teammates, but even he takes a backseat to LeBron.  LeBron gets all his teammates involved and the genius of him to do the group intros is further proof of the extras that LeBron just naturally brings.  I see why Cleveland fans think that he’s developed this repoire with his teammates in Cleveland, but if the All Star game proved anything, he can build that up with just about anybody.  Just give him a few minutes, he can teach David Lee how to shimmy.

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