Gordon Pt. II

Jazz nation, you are weeping right now that Gordon Hayward has left for the Celtics. I am not going to offer consoling words, just reality. Before I do, at least read this, Gordon's words. Secondly, I think even Gordon would concede that the announcement wasn't handled in the way he wanted. He planned a careful and respectful announcement, but it was thwarted. At least he didn't get on national television and burn Utah. He was very gracious in his post. Move on. Finally, realize the facts about playing for the Jazz and being a fan of sports.

Yup, he’s getting booed. He owes Jazz fans nothing, Jazz fans owe him nothing.

— utEdADdy (@utedaddy) July 5, 2017

Hayward leaving wasn't a slight against the Jazz fans. In his own words it came down to his relationship with Coach Brad Stevens and the chances for winning a championship. Booing a player for leaving in the fashion that Hayward left is childish. Utah is a very unique place and a franchise that players have a hard time dealing with. Salt Lake offers a lot, but also comes up short in many respects. Aside from just the city, the franchise has yet to win a championship. You may shake your head and say, "Who cares?", but there is something to a tradition of winning... no, a culture of winning championships. Celts have won before and know how to do it again. There is the expectation that it can be a reality. That's powerful.

Look at the current landscape of the NBA. The west is in an unparalleled arms race to combat the Warriors. The east is weak. Wether you like it or not Gordon's move to the Celts is smart. The best players in free agency have head west, while he is going east, thus increasing his chances of going to the finals. Why go through a gauntlet of hell when you just have to beat the Cavs to make it to the finals? Making the finals > not making the finals. You can never win a championship if you don't get to the finals. Thats bullet proof logic.

Just a heads up to potential jersey burners to do so away from dry vegetation this fire season

— Carter Williams (@cwilliamsKSL) July 5, 2017

Burn and boo, great way to attract other free agent players. It's business, nothing personal.

I want my legacy to be a Clipper.

This NBA's free agency has been one of the most exciting I can remember in my lifetime. Franchise players are moving to new teams it seems every day (CP3, Paul George, etc.) and plenty of rumors to munch on. The contract values are highest they have ever been -- I think the leagues salaries are far outpacing inflation...

A post shared by SportsCenter (@sportscenter) on Jun 30, 2017 at 10:09pm PDT

One player yet to make his final decision, and that has drawn a lot of national interest, has been Jazz Star, Gordon Hayward. He is weighing his options seriously, visiting the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics before making his final visit with the Jazz (check out this article on his rise). The question to me comes down to a simple would you rather: Would you rather be immortal or have a championship ring? This assumes that you won't have both.... which is reasonable. The Jazz have yet to get a title (and aren't likely to ever win one. They need a lot more than just Gordon..) and other teams are poised to capture a championship sooner. Let's go back to ancient Greek mythology to help us answer this question. See the video below:



You should know the rest of the story... Achilles goes to Troy. He died and his memory was forever cemented (I know this is just one version of the story, but this is a pretty damn popular one). I mean, Hollywood made a movie about Achilles with Brad Pitt portraying him. If Brad Pitt being you isn't immortality, I don't know what is. Look, finding the tree of life or the fountain of youth isn't going to happen, so the closest you can get to living forever is to have your memory and stories carried on about you forever. Death knows every man and woman, but we bury people and have a gravestone for a reason. Anyway, Achilles was a hero to his people first and then known to all. I would think a guy like Hayward has to consider this in his decision. He has to think about the stories that will be told about him after he is retired, or in other words, his legacy.

You want a more recent example? Legacy, that is what Blake Griffin wanted. He told the front office gents, "I want my legacy to be a Clipper." Wow, I find this so significant and interesting. I think this shows so much awareness of where he is in the historical arch of the NBA. There is an arms race to match the all mighty Warriors and Blake Griffin is saying, "Nah, build around me and I am keeping the red, white, and blue on." Pretty patriotic, right? These colors don't run, homie! I bet Balmer ate that up with his cheesy smile. What did Blake do with this move, regardless of the next five seasons? Immortality. Legacy. Whatever you want to call it. He placed himself as The Greatest Clipper of All-Time. Don't believe me? Name the greatest Clipper of all time? Couldn't, could you... Did you say CP3? Don't tell me you said Elton Brand. Chris Kaman?!! Bob Macadoo? Bet you had to google that last one (I had to!) So what if you did! Proves my point. There is not a deep history for Clippers nation. If we can project ourselves 15-20 years from now and I asked you that same question, what will you most likely say? Blake Griffin. Talk about seeing the future! Talk about self awareness! Keep making your silly commercials Blake, you get it. It isn't about the ring. There is a value in what Blake has chosen to do with his career. The prestige of having a lasting legacy is bigger than just a single ring on a team where he was just a contributor. If you say "Clipper" to me I will say, "Blake Griffin." If you ask me how many championships Sam Cassell won, I will say, "I have no idea. One? Two? That's the guy who looks like an Alien?" Am I belaboring the point yet? Do you see what I am getting at? Why chase a ring when you can live forever?

a billboard funded by fans of the Jazz

Chasing...that is what Hayward would be doing if he goes East. Yes, he goes to a playoff team (bc the East sucks), but it doesn't ensure he gets a ring. It is also a place where he is not the center of the team. He isn't going to be the face of the franchise (maybe more so in Miami, but they still have a ways to go to become a true contender.) There are plenty of players that didn't win a ring and are still considered in "the greatest players of all time" debate. I would say that it is more likely they will be included in that conversation if they stuck with a team for a considerable amount of time. You think of them and you think of their franchise; it's synonymous. Guys like Elgin Baylor (Lakers) Gary Payton (Sonics), Allen Iverson (76ers), Stockton/Malone (very relevant to this conversation... although I don't think the chose to just have legacy and no ring, which I do think the case is here for Hayward), Patrick Ewing (Knicks), Dominique Wilkins (Hawks), Reggie Miller (Pacers), Pete Maravich (another Jazz man!).... I hope you get the idea.

Here is how I see the facts for Gordon:
1) Gordon is LOVED by Jazz Nation. They bought a freaking billboard for him. They launched a campaign to keep him! HIM! No matter what place he goes to next, he will not be loved the same and he will not be THE face of the franchise for years to come.
2) If he leaves, he loses immortality. He will go down as one of the greatest Jazz players of all time if he stays. If you think that is a stretch just wait and watch him will the Jazz to a few more playoff runs in the very challenging West. Loyalty will pay huge dividends for him. To be part of the Jazz hall of fame is some great basketball company.
3) He is going to a place that doesn't guarantee anything other than an easier road to the playoffs in the East. He isn't going to win the whole thing with Boston or Miami, not yet at least (and honestly, beating a team from the west is going to be impossible with the any of the current suitors). If he wants a ring so bad, he could sign a short deal and go somewhere later that can deliver a ring immediately. I don't really think the grass is that much greener on the east coast.

A post shared by SportsCenter (@sportscenter) on Jul 2, 2017 at 7:03am PDT

4) He is not the type of player that will be legendary otherwise. Look at a guy like KG. He was going to have a legacy regardless of a ring. Great that he won a ring with Paul and Ray, but he was a HOF even with the Wolves. The reality of Gordon's situation is this: he has developed into a very fine player, a desirable asset, but his talents don't transcend a franchise. He isn't a KG type of player.
5) He gets paid basically the same.

The question is simple for Gordon. Do you want to live forever?
Yes? Say the magic words, "I want to be a Jazzman."

Polarizing Sports Figures

Sports dominate so much of my time. I love sports and am a huge fan of the athletes that entertain. The athletes god-given ability, trained skill, luck, and evident dedication to a singular sport is inspiring to me. I can often forget that these athletes are humans, with greater ambition and influence than almost all of the population. They often find themselves at the intersect of a current issue and maintaining their own brand. Which isn't something to be taken lightly. A brand is a valuable asset and can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This crossroads can be an almost paralyzing place to be - holding onto ones morals and beliefs vs the monetary benefit and longevity of a career. Consequently, fans choose a side based on the action of the athlete. For example, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a black leather fist on the podium of the 1968 Summer Olympics. They stood for something they saw greater than a medal and we vilified in the same way they were lauded as heroes.

Athletes don't have to stand for a social cause to be viewed as polarizing. On the other end of this spectrum is the brash, the loud, and the cheaters. The ones who annoy and enrage opponents and fans. They wag their tongues with the same kind of vigor they execute their sport. You hate them for their supposed lack of integrity or respect for the game; "they don't play in the right way".

You could write a long list of athletes. I have listed a few. And I found that you can bucket them in three categories: Shifters, Loud and Proud, and Cheats. Look, these buckets aren't perfect, but they simplify and make this conversation fun... And by that I mean, fun to simplify why they are loved and hated to a couple of sentences at most with some YouTube links. It should also be noted that they aren't just average players. They are sometimes one of the best if not the best of their team or sport. I have selected past and present... basically those who came to my mind in a span of 5 minutes...

I am not going to try and justify what they did, or who they are, but just state it as I see it.

Shifters
These are the athletes that moved the line or acted like a tectonic shift in the sporting landscape, forcing fans and spectators to take a side. They stood for themselves or for something bigger. They influenced future generations of athletes.

• Jackie Robinson - His loudest statement was playing through the disgusting treatment thrown his way. He rose above the hate and played at a high level as the first African American athlete to play in the MLB. 
• Muhammad Ali - Not going to Vietnam was not popular and hurt his legacy for a short period. Funny how time plays out and how the war is now perceived. He is lauded as the greatest boxer of all time. He was loud and brash, with a sharp tongue that matched his jab. 
• Colin Kaepernick - Kneeling for the national anthem in protest of police brutality has killed his career, but he did it for what he felt was bigger cause. 
• Jim Brown - An outspoken civil rights activist. He has had his fair share of personal issues, but is still considered a sage of wisdom for other young athletes.
• LeBron James - He has toed the line between protecting his brand image to a point where he was criticized, but how now sought guidance from those before him. He is very willing to state his opinion and make a vocal stand. 
• Tim Tebow - He's as passionate is he is religious. The Heisman trophy winner may seem out of place, given this line-up mentioned, but he doesn't fit neatly into any other category... And I really do see him as an athlete that changed the playing feild just enough to warrant a spot on the list... People were "Tebowing". 

Loud and Proud

• Mike Tyson - He once told a reporter that he would eat children... bit off Holyfield's ear... rape charges.... has some screws loose. No doubt. 
• Floyd Mayweather - If posting betting slips with hundreds of thousands of dollars isn't obnoxious enough, just watch his tactics and listen to his mouth.
• Connor McGregor - Absolutely obnoxious. NSFW video of him just talking.. for 10 minutes.... A lot of this, if not most of it, is for entertainment. He's gotta promote himself. But his antics know no bounds... And its landed himself a fight against Mayweather. So.....
• Terrell Owens - After the Catch II, a loudmouth was born. He was a fierce competitor. I remember he came back after a broken leg when he was with the Eagles and had the game of his life. It wasn't enough. But I also remember his sharpe, the pom poms, and the Dallas Star Celebration. He wasn't afraid to be brash.
• Draymond Green - Look, if he was on my team, I would love him. I love Ron Artest; a complete physco, but facts are facts. Draymond Green is the most annoying player in the NBA.
• LaVar Ball - If I need to post links of why he is so loud then you have been living under a cave this last couple months. I will post them anyway. Stephen A. Smith. LeBron. White guys slow, lost us the game. Kristen Leahy. The last one to me is the most telling of who he is - a total jackass. 
• Richard Sherman - Highly educated and incredible athlete, but lost his cool in a very passionate moment on the largest stage. I had no idea who he was until that happened. It was smart, because outside of Stanford and Seahawks fans, no one knew who he was. 

The Cheats

• Pete Rose - Not a baseball guy. Wish I was. I'll try to get there one day. The history of baseball is so rich. Part of this rich history is the cheats and most notably, Pete Rose. Betting on games, even his own, has kept him out of the HOF. Remember the saying, "Hate the sin, love the sinner." Fans and writers have a real challenge of how they can separate the two. 
• Alex Rodriguez/ Barry Bonds/ Mark McQwire/Sammy Sosa - So coveted and valued in baseball's history is statistics. They have stats for everything. Acronyms for stats. WAR, OBP, BABIP, UZR... it goes on and on. You get it. One of the mosts precious stats to track was the HR. I said was, because after the guys listed, it now has a * next to anyone. They changed the way we look at baseball and hitting. Shoot. Throw in Roger Clemens in the same pool of guys. For a good five years or so, maybe longer, baseball was really fun to watch. It was great. Guys were slamming balls out of the ball park. Pitchers were doing amazing things. All the while fantastic lies were being told to fans. They were all cheating. Steroids changed baseball. Its no longer "pure". 
• Lance Armstrong - I mean, the lengths he went to win six tour de France made people care. Shoot, we all had the yellow wrist band. America suddenly gave a crap about cycling. CYCLING! Lance Armstrong was a household name. Name ANY other cycler EVER. You can't, but you can name him. It all came crashing down too. 
• Tiger Woods - I don't know if people hated him before he had a wild episode with his wife, but his golf game and life went to crap after that. I guess people hated him before, cause he was so good, but after he was found to be cheating on his wife and later having an issue with drugs, people definitely didn't have a rooting interest for the guy. 
• Kobe Bryant - Being accused of rape never helps. In fact its horrible. Before that people just hated him for how much he shot. Then his morals came into the picture. 
• Metta World Peace - Malice in the palace to a sharp elbow to James Harden's head. I am sure there is more ole Metta did, but those two stick out like a shore thumb. He has some screws loose. 
• OJ Simpson - Just watch the fantastic documentary O.J. Made in America. 
• Ndamukong Suh - He stomps on people. He just does dirty stuff. 

The lists aren't perfect. They aren't complete. The categories might be off, but these were the athletes I thought of. I am sure its slanted with my viewership and attention to certain sports (no Soccer, women, etc.). On second thought, there are definitely some polarizing women athletes I should mention. Danica Patrick came to my mind, Abby Wambach or Hope Solo, Billie Jean King, even Ronda Rousey. 

For quite a few of us our hopes and escapes from reality are tied so closely to sports, a vehicle of entertainment. This isn't scripted though and we can't get after the director or screen writers for having our star player make a controversial stand or hitting a woman (Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Joe Mixon). Life is messy, but that is part of why sports is so great, the players aren't perfect. If they were, we would just stick with watching Hoosiers. 

Why people hate the Warriors

I will try to not be as long winded here as I was on the LBJ post.

You were never a fan of Golden State. 
When I used to think about the Golden State Warriors nothing would register in my brain. I never thought about them. Then, I would think harder and come up with Baron Davis (2007) and Chris Mullen (1990s). That is it. That was all I knew about them. Overnight it seemed Golden State became really, really good. With that came the sudden, "Oh, I have always been a fan of Golden State." No, no you weren't. I bet you were a huge fan of Bryan Cranston before Breaking Bad! Loved him in Malcom in the Middle.

No one like a bandwagoner.

Draymond Green. 


Steph Curry.

I mean...... yeah......
Sweet guy, right?
But the running down the court....
The crappy shoes....
Chewing on his mouthguard.....
His... Why do people hate this guy?

He is like, 134 lbs in wet clothes.









Kevin Durant.

His move from OKC to GS was a bitch move. Total bitch move. I can't even slice it in any other way. Shows a lack of courage. A lack of competitiveness. A cowards way out. Et tu, Brute?

How do you do that? Join the enemy. Piss poor man. You could have had something in OKC with Westbrook! You had something! So, SO, SOOOOO close. Bitch move.

"I hate LeBron James"

As I have previously pointed out, and it should be rather obvious, LeBron James is the best basketball player on the face of the earth right now. I don't think its even close. I am not going to try to convince you of that. Arguing some topics in sports fall into the realm of disagreements that you see in politics and religion. Greatest has that weight.

Secondly, to hate someone requires a lot of emotion and I would think some personal interaction. I get that there are people in the world that hate others because of race, religion, beliefs, creed, ethos, etc. etc. To me however, someone must truly offend or hurt you or someone you love to hate them. My point being is that when some says, "I hate LeBron" I know its not true. How can you hate a person you don't truly know and someone who is playing a part in entertainment (LaVar Ball maybe? JK.... but seriously annoyed with him). That would be like me saying I hate the Javier Bardem or Alan Rickman. They played the bad guys, but I don't know them. LeBron has played the hero and villain equally. Its his image or brand that motivates him. LeBron is playing a character. He's an actor.

In my expert opinion, here is why people say they "hate" LBJ.

1) He crowned himself - When you give yourself a tattoo on your back proclaiming you are the second coming or literally coronate yourself "King James" people are not going to like that power grab. I am a huge Kobe fan, but even when he gave himself the nicknames of Mamba and Vino, I cringed (even though I will defend it till the day I die! He earned that RIGHT!). Its hubris to do it, reeking of pride and over self confidence. However, this was intentional and brilliant from a branding and marketing standpoint. All professional athletes have a brand to maintain. The moniker King James, while it ruffles feathers, was smart.

LeBron has vocally come out and said he wants to be the greatest ever and he believes it. How dare he! Right? That place is sacred and we the fans decide. You don't get to choose, Mr. James! LBJ is a once in a generation athlete and talent. Why not shoot for the stars and have a realistic chance. But just like how carving "Chosen1" on your back it doesn't make it true, saying it aloud doesn't change that fact. He continues to speak openly about how he compares to Mike. It's no secret, he wants to be better than him. That bothers people and gets them fired up.

2) LeBron is good - Because he is an All-Star you see LBJ way more than other players. He is the face of the NBA internationally. I guarantee more people in the world could name LBJ as a current NBA player than anyone else. Being in that spotlight attracts a ton of media attention. Just the fatigue of seeing LBJ annoys.

Also, because he is good at basketball he beats people at the game of basketball. He makes them look bad. It's not fun to lose. If you have fallen to the sword of LeBron, why would you like him?

3) The King complains - There is an unspoken rule of the universe: If you are the most talented, the most gifted, you do not get to complain. That seems to be the rule ingrained in us like a primal instinct. Dunno where it came from, but its just not fair if you are better to complain!

And then you have the perception that there is All-Star treatment with officiating [I say perception because (1) usage - the best players usually have the ball more (2) the best players attack and force calls (3) as one of my brothers pointed out, they are better than the average player... the whole reason they can get to the hoop - their ability - also helps them be a better defender (sometimes)]. When LeBron throws his head back in disgust or races like a torpedo back to half court with his hands reaching upwards to heaven, after a foul is called on him, it only deepens the resentment and bias against him. See video here.

A sister to complaining is his flopping game. He is the size of an NFL DE. That is another rule of the universe: If you are big you cannot be hurt or fall down.... But like it or not, flopping is part of the game. A player should look to every advantage to win the game - like walking in slow pitch softball  to bring in a run or flopping like a fish to get a call. But flopping seems like the cowards way. Beat me straight up! Don't fake it. 

4) Social Media Era - I think this is the most fascinating parts to a seismic shift in professional sports. Never before have we been able to have this much access to athletes. They are willingly and freely sharing themselves. It also opens the door to direct criticism and trolling (looking at you, Grant Hill, you coward). This has also ushered in a new reporting wave, where sensational headlines are suddenly created as quickly as a deleted tweet. Athletes are no longer protected in the same way they used to be and it is because they are being more open and sharing. As discussed on the Dan Patrick show with Ernie Johnson the other day, after every game or some kind of playoff record, the media instantly starts a debate or silly argument about how player X is the greatest X of all time.

There is no doubt that the power of social media has altered our way of communication, habits, beliefs, and behavior. Our sitting President, the flapjack head, knows its power. We need instant gratification.

5) Fans are irrational - For some reason fans think they dictate "the way the game should be played." This entitlement or right to say how a player should play or live out their career came from a misplaced sense of ownership. A ticket doesn't suddenly get you at the table to discuss the business of a franchise. It gets you into the arena. Before we get all in a huff about this idea (fans = revenue), lets look at a career defining moment for LBJ that could help illustrate my point - The Decision.

No one had done what James did so publicly to a city or franchise. He set up a televised press conference and infamously burned Cleveland with "I am taking my talents to south beach." OK. If you were kind of on the fence before about LBJ, you had to go on side or the other at that moment... A lot of fans took to anger and burned his jerseys, quickly forgetting that the same player brought their franchise back to relevance in a very short timeframe with little help. How irrational is that? Fans don't own the players and never will. The marketplace owns them. LeBron didn't make a power move at the draft like other superstars (ala Kobe). He stuck with his hometown, something he did not have to do.

Imagine you are at a company where you are spread so thin that you are working overtime and everyone that surrounds you in below average. You carry their workload. And finally, you live in a crappy city. The competition sees your value. They make overtures to you with more money, a better city, and better talent. You are going to stay right? The grass is literally greener on the other side, but you will remain loyal. Stay strong and true... LIKE. HELL. YOU. ARE.

LeBron had to make a decision, win now, get paid, or stick it out in Cleveland and become a "what could have been." Its all about the titles for him. Check this out - before LBJ was drafted in 2003, Cleveland last made the playoffs in 1997 and were bounced in the first round. They hadn't made a conference final since MJ took them down in 1992, which was only their second time ever reaching it. Look at James' timeline below:

2004 - Drafted, ROY. Finish 5th with a .427 win % - up 3 spots from 8th, .22 better win %, +18 more wins than the previous year. A significant pump.
2005 - Finish 4th, up one spot, .512, +7 more wins
2006 - 2nd, Lose in 7 in the conference semifinals, .610, +8 wins
2007 - Swept in NBA finals

He took them to an NBA finals in his 4th year and averaged 40+ mins on average. He did that with Ilgauskas, Gooden, Larry Hughes, Sash Pavlovic, Daniel Gibson, Eric Snow, and Varejao (included these players as they started most game and averaged +20 mins a game). Fans in Cleveland burned LeBron's jersey? Their best player... like ever...

He stuck around till 2010 and things didn't really improve in terms of upgrading the roster. I can totally see why LBJ left and why fans feel betrayed, but be real here. You are dating a 6 and getting by and then a 10 drops a note on your desk and says she and her friend are interested in you (yes, I am looking at you Wade and Bosh). What isn't to like?! He was in Free Agency. Up to him. Not Fan Agency. So buy your billboards hoping to entice a player to stay, but the chance to win and make more money at the same time wins out.

____________

Hate LeBron. He doesn't know you:

"All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they have to get back to the real world at some point."

"Cleveland fans are awesome, but I mean, even my family gets spoiled at times watching me doing things that I do, on and off the court."

"A LeBron James team is never desperate."

white chocolate...

as he was nicknamed... i love watching jason williams...

It's an orange ball.

I read this article the other day on ESPN.com, mostly because the link inferred that Kobe Bryant is overrated, that talked about 'Hero Ball'. Mr. Abbott, the author of said article, doesn't tell us anything that we don't already know; team work wins-- the majority of the time. He blames Michael Jordan for 'Hero Ball', because he was so clutch in pressure situations. Just watch the highlights, and look at the stats, Jordan was the exemption. As I was reading, I couldn't help but get defensive, even mad that someone was calling my Kobe over-hyped. By the way, Henry Abbott is bald and ugly. Looks like he will be always under-hyped. Then I hear sacrilegious propaganda, from Ric Bucher, saying that Kobe should be traded. All I can do is throw up my hands in disgust and shake my head at such outlandish propositions. The dude wore a black mask like Zorro!

The NBA is full of talent, but no one like Kobe. Name a current player that has the career comparable to Kobe? No one. Someone who plays like him? No one. Many would like to, but they simply can't. The NBA needs Kobe. He is the villain, that somehow people love. Because as a human, I don't think he is worth much.  Every game he will do the same thing, head fake until it looks stupid, take one hard dribble to the elbow and shoot, exploit defenders with his footwork, act like he was hacked every time he goes to the hoop, and look at the officials as if they were born with an arm coming out of their butt. In essence, he will never back down, he plays the same game every night. I don't think you can say that about any other player. He obviously won't make all of his shots, or even half of them, but when he gets hot.... we all start getting hot, if you know what I mean. And I think you do know what I mean. 


Basketball fans need Kobe to be Kobe, he makes the NBA enjoyable. He creates a storyline that is better than a highlight. While his style, which is diametrically opposite of what is best for the team, it has led him to five championships. I know he had help from Shaq Daddy, but the young brash Kobe shot a lot, and the Diesel conceded that KB is the best Laker ever. 

See, he is never afraid to shoot. It doesn't bother him that he just missed 20 shots, lost a double digit lead point lead for his team,  or that everyone is shouting at him to pass. He wants to be #1 every single game. That is what makes me love KB24 so much. To have that kind of mentality, that will power, is what separates him from everyone else. Bean probably says to himself, "Screw everyone else around me, damn the consequences, I am getting mine. I am alpha male. I am alpha predator." I know that he is egotistical, selfish, arrogant, rude, and probably really unfriendly. He is the only player that night in and night out will play with absolutely no regard for anyone else, his own team included.I wouldn't want to be his friend. I probably wouldn't want to be his teammate. He doesn't play team basketball, but that's why we watch.

Kobe lover or Kobe hater, you have to admit that without Kobe who would we talk about? LeBron? Ugh. That story is overplayed and under-performing -- The Dan Marino of basketball. Derrik Rose? SNORE fest. If he had an ounce of marketability that guy would be IT. I would buy his shoes tomorrow. Dwight Howard? Those big shoulders are so inconsistent and full of talent, it makes me sick. Jeremy Lin was perfect, while he lasted. By the way, Lin is NOTHING like Tim Tebow. Ricky Rubio/Rajon Rondo? Broke jumper, no hops, great passing, and that is where it ends. Not a great story line. Kevin Durant is compelling, but he plays for OKC, and has yet to make it to the 'ship. He is also too cool and nice. Americans love controversy and blood, just like The Bachelor. 

Like every Drama, we need major roles to fill. Kobe plays the antagonist and protagonist. Not many can do that. As any audience would like from a play, we need a compelling plot, action, and summary. How much better of a story is last year's NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks, because they swept the Lakers - the 2010 NBA champions. Or how about the comments that Kobe made about Lin and the Thunder? His hubris attitude is a challenge to these rising stars and validates them when they prove him wrong. Finally, look at him calling out LBJ for not taking the last shot in the All-Star game; it makes James look like a fool.

If we didn't have Kobe to hate or love, the NBA would be a substandard entertainment system, like the game cube.

The Grinch who stole the NBA

I've waited in anticipation for months for the NBA to be "back," and even now, I wonder if it will ever be the same. I doubt it will. With the lockout and the current antics, that commissioner David Stern is involved in, prove that the NBA is in serious peril.

Stern certainly talked the talk during the lockout. He talked real big. He made everyone believe that the players were fools, incompetent, and selfish, denying any compromise. He had us believe that Billy Hunter was self serving, and sure, he might have, but now, I am wondering if it was the other way around.

My case in point is CP3. His veto of not just the Lakers trade, but the Clippers (THE CLIPPERS! How can you not LET them try to get better? Not allowing them to trade up, is like not allowing Lindsay Lohan to go to rehab. Does he just let them trade down-- "have em trade Eric Gordon for Okur. That's cool.") is evidence that he is trying to dictate what happens in the NBA. He killed one of the most exciting free agency trades in the history of the NBA. This was a make up call for letting King James go to Miami; plain and simple. He heard the whines and moans from the owners on the James omission, and wouldn't allow it to happen again. The son of a bitch. He is so weak. I wish the NBA only had a problem with roids, then everyone would dunk over cars, not some pansy commish.

What is his problem really? He looks like he was picked last for every game ever played in the school yard. That's unfair of me though. This is more like a game of monopoly. You know the guy who plays banker, by default, he thinks he runs the show. Mostly cause he can add. But the whole time he has been slipping himself a hundo every time he rolls a seven. Shoot, he even has the light blue monopoly five rolls into the game. Then, around 11:30 pm, you conjure up a risky trade. You trade Kentucky, Indiana, and two Railroads, for the Boardwalk monopoly and some cash. The player at the other end of the trade will get all the Railroads, and has leverage to get the last red. He is in good shape. But the banker, knowing you have enough capital to build four homes on each, pipes up. He says it's not fair. Only because he is rounding the corner toward the greens and boardwalk. He actually says he will quit if the trade happens. Suddenly, no one can trade without his consent. The next roll he hits luxury tax and scoffs, "Wouldn't have got me anyways."

You of course play the remainder of the game with just your four lousy properties and lose... everyone loses, just that damn banker comes out on top. With his light blues, pinks, and utilities. No one can trade or last past 3:00 am. You go to bed with bloodshot eyes and realize how much monopoly teaches about the real world. You're not mad that it seemed like ever other time around the board people landed on Boardwalk and Park Place, you're not mad that you're just slowly bleeding out; you're mad that you were never given the chance to see what could happen. You weren't allowed to take a chance, to see if your move came to fruition. There was no choice. Just a tight wad banker.

In summation, suck an egg Stern. I hope you break the egg shell and swallow the pieces. Would CP3 garuntee a 'ship for LA? No. They gave away two of their biggest pieces to the championship teams of '09 and '10. We can only speculate. Now we're stuck with watching Miami... ugh.

Retire No. 23?

Bron Bron said that no one should wear the number 23, out of respect for Jordan. He has since sought out the number 6 (Bill Russell's number). There are some rumors that the league may retire his number. An action like this, no matter how great Michael was, would take away from the legacy he is and the future of the NBA.

The greatest player of all time. Stats prove it, players agree with it, the rings prove it, but should the NBA really pay homage to him? I thought that was what the hall of fame was for. The Bulls have already paid tribute to "His Airness" by retiring his number. Isn't that enough?

Basketball is a team sport. Dispute that and it as if your disputing the law of gravity. A league wide retirement would only encourage selfish play and pride. Some would argue that it wouldn't, because to truly emulate Jordan, you have to make everyone around you better. And that is my point exactly. Emulate Michael, you have to adopt the team player spirit. He never asked for an MVP, retired number, or to be called the greatest, he earned it.

I want to be like MIKE. But he wasn't the first. There were many players before him, who revolutionized the game. He just re-invented aspects of it, he changed the way the game is played, but last time I checked basketball hasn't changed its rules in quite some time. You still have to put the ball through the orange cylinder to get points. Giving Jordan this honor would downgrade what the other greats did, like; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Pete Marovich, Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson.

He is remembered. He isn't forgotten. He isn't God. Let's remember that.