Prior to Game 5 of the first-round series between the defending NBA champion and top-seeded L.A. Lakers and the eighth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, Kobe Bryant was asked by one of the reporters if the Lakers felt that their backs were against the wall. In classic Bryant response, he replied: “Backs against the wall? What’s going … [Read more…]
After winning his third consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has clearly established himself as the best stopper in basketball. Howard was second in the league rebounds (14.1) and fourth in blocked shots (2.3), and his presence in the middle allowed the Magic to be the fourth-best defensive … [Read more…]
Trouble in Laker Land? If you decode Phil Jackson’s recent comments after Game 2 of the Lakers’ first-round series against Oklahoma City, you get the sense that there is a certain discord between the Lakers coach and superstar Kobe Bryant. When reporters asked Jackson if Bryant’s shooting performance – 12-for-28 in Game 2 and finished with 39 points … [Read more…]
Kobe Bryant – aka the Black Mamba – recently brought down the Raptors with one killer shot with 1.9 seconds left in the game to push the Lakers to a 109-107 victory, ending their three-game slide. It was Bryant’s sixth notable game-winning, late-game shot that allowed his team to escape with a victory, and three … [Read more…]
I can’t believe it has been 10 years since Kobe Bryant set up Shaquille O’Neal with that memorable lob pass in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals that resulted in a earth-shaking one-handed slam dunk that changed the landscape of the NBA and ignited one of the best runs in league history. This … [Read more…]
LeBron James won Round 2 of his showdown with Kobe Bryant, and I have a funny feeling it won’t be the last time we’ll see those two dueling on the basketball court this season. LeBron James scored 12 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter as the game turned into a playoff-style, possession-by-possession struggle. … [Read more…]
Kobe Bryant has been abusing defenders for much of his career. But last week against the Golden State Warriors in front of all his fans at Staples Center, Bryant felt a little rejected and it came from a familiar face. Warrioars forward-center Ronny Turiaf turned the tables on his former Laker teammate when he challenged … [Read more…]
Dear Santa: Last June, I was deprived of a Kobe Bryant-LeBron James matchup in the NBA Finals when LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers were unceremoniously dumped by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. I know I’ve already asked a ton of gifts this Christmas but I would like one more present. I would … [Read more…]
Apparently, Stephen Jackson is not done talking. After his much publicized blow-up during an exhibition game earlier this month against the Los Angeles Lakers where he picked up five personal fouls and one technical in less than 10 minutes, the former captain of the Golden State Warriors claims that Kobe Bryant is being allowed to … [Read more…]
What would the world look like without Michael Jordan? For one, there would be no Kobe Bryant. Two, there would be no Dwyane Wade. And three, there would be no LeBron James. Greatness can’t be measured by statistics. True greatness is defined by a player’s legacy. Michael Jordan’s impact in the sport can be seen … [Read more…]