Last June, the Los Angeles Lakers were humiliated by the Boston Celtics by 39 points in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the new Boston Garden. That drubbing is still fresh in the minds of Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson. Both future Hall of Famers are chomping at the bit to get back to … [Read more…]
When Paul Pierce was asked which team was the toughest to eliminate in the Celtics’ road to winning their 17th championship, he said, without any hesitation, “Cleveland.” The Cavaliers pushed the Celtics to seven grueling games in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals, and when the series was over, the Celtics and pretty much every team … [Read more…]
LeBron James is a true resident expert of Cleveland sports lore. He knows all too well the monumental failures of professional sports teams in Cleveland. After the Akron native powered the Cavaliers to a 66-16 regular-season record, clinching home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs, James immediately turned his attention to the bigger picture – winning … [Read more…]
Michigan State’s incredible run in the NCAA tournament not only lifted the spirits of an entire state but it also secured Tom Izzo’s place among the elite coaches in the sport. Despite losing badly to North Carolina in the championship game before 72,000 pro-Michigan State fans at Detroit’s Ford Field, Izzo’s Spartans provided Michiganders an … [Read more…]
Vlade Divac’s No. 21 jersey was recently retired by the Sacramento Kings in honor of the groundbreaking Serbian center’s six successful seasons with the club. Divac was the emotional leader and most popular player on the best teams in the franchise’s history, including the Kings’ back-to-back Pacific Division champions and the 2002 Western Conference finalists. … [Read more…]
When a Hall of Fame class includes arguably the greatest player of all time, arguably the greatest point guard in NBA history, arguably one of the best centers of his generation, arguably one of the greatest coaches in NBA history and arguably one of the best coaches of all time in women’s basketball, then it’s … [Read more…]
Your name is Andrew Bynum, starting center for the most popular NBA team in the world. You’re 21 years old and live in the heart of Hollywood. But because of a bum knee, you have some free time. So, if the Playboy Mansion sends you an invitation, would you turn it down? Any male between … [Read more…]
If college and professional basketball were caught in a Matrix, Brandon Jennings would be an anomaly. He is the glitch in the system. He’s the worm virus that everyone needs to pay attention to because the impact could cause a complete overhaul of the system. A year ago, Jennings was considered the best high school … [Read more…]
The comparisons are justified and the start of their careers are becoming eerily similar, leading me to believe that Greg Oden is the HD version of Sam Bowie. Ouch! Back in the 1984 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers committed a basketball sin when they took Bowie, a 7-footer out of Kentucky, and passed on … [Read more…]
Of the 6,711 assists Kevin Johnson has dished out throughout his 13-year NBA career, he recently delivered an even bigger assist to the financially troubled people of Northern California – this time as the Mayor of Sacramento. A tent city that sprang up in the California state capital of Sacramento and became a symbol of … [Read more…]