Whose Fire Burns Brightest?

The 2010-2011 NBA season promises to be one of the league's greatest. Considering this is the first season after the most historic offseason in history, everyone is looking to bring his A game. No more "tanking" seasons for teams like New York and New Jersey, who previously weren't "trying as hard" in order to prepare for the 2010 offseason. Now that that's over and the results of the offseason are in, every team is looking to win - winning to some teams means merely making the postseason, winning to others means championship.

I'm not one to rank each team from 1 through 30, noting which team is the strongest and which is the weakest. If you've been keeping up with my posts, you'll notice that I take into strong consideration a team's motivation, at the individual and collective level. What's driving that particular team to success? Why does he want it more than him, why does this team want to win more than that team? Let's take a look at a couple of teams that will be motivated beyond measure this season.

1). Chicago Bulls. Point Guard Derrick Rose has gone on record stating that he's ready to take his game to the next level. He went as far as to say that he doesn't see why he shouldn't be league MVP next season. Those are lofty dreams for a 21-year old. He has this to prove: though most people are convinced that the league will belong to Kevin Durant in about five years, Rose is looking for part ownership. And he's in the best position to do so now, with the addition of All-Star Carlos Boozer, sharpshooter Kyle Korver, and defensive stopper Ronnie Brewer. Front office was skeptical about giving up Luol Deng and Joakim Noah for All-Star Carmelo Anthony. Noah, in particular, needs to prove to management and the city of Chicago that the right decision was made - Noah is a gem to keep.

2). Los Angeles Clippers. The long-awaited arrival of Blake Griffin has been one year overdue. As a rookie last season, he showed signs of a promising future for the Clippers organization. And then he went down with a season-ending injury before the season started, an all too familiar scenario for Los Angeles Team B. Now that he's back, with Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, and Baron Davis looking healthy and primed for spectacular seasons, and with newly hired coach Vinny Del Negro, the Clippers look the best they've ever looked in a long time. An opportunity to be a good team in the NBA doesn't come often for the Clippers, as long as Donald Sterling is calling the shots for the team. The Clippers finally have a chance to prove to the city of Los Angeles that there are two teams in Hollywood, and they must capitalize now.

3). Dallas Mavericks. Not many people will agree with me here, but Dallas should be the team most eager to start this upcoming season. Everyone had them going to the Western Conference Finals last year in a showdown with the Lakers. Instead, they lost in the first-round to an aged San Antonio Spurs team. This only reminded them and us the nightmare that was the Golden State Warriors in 2007, and all fingers are pointed at All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, who has been dubbed one of the greatest big men in the game but has failed to prove anything in the playoffs. And Nowitzki has had the best roster to work with among all superstars during his career with Steve Nash/Michael Finley, Jason Terry/Josh Howard, and now Jason Kidd/Caron Butler/Shawn Marion, but he still has yet to produce something great and constant. And Dallas tried to do everything it could to benefit from Free Agency 2010, but they fell short. Regardless, however, Dallas and Nowitzki should be looking to prove to the nation that they aren't flukes, especially since Dallas' door is closing as Nowitzki (age 32) is getting up there in age. They must look to take advantage of their roster that can still compete now. 

4). Los Angeles Lakers. If Kobe ever wants to be considered in discussions with Jordan, he needs that sixth ring. And if he ever wants to leave Shaq's shadow, he needs to complete a three-peat by himself. He's always been the most focused player we had in this league, but those two points just fixed his eyes towards another ring that much more. This is Phil Jackson's last year. He has the most rings as a coach with 11, but if he really wants to be considered the greatest coach over Pat Riley and Red Auerbach, he should end his career as a winner.

5). Miami Heat. Need I say more. People are counting them out already. Three stars can't share the spotlight. They won't be able to come together as a team. Have their critics not already fed them food for motivation? The first week of training camp saw a very vocal Lebron James, a defensive-minded Dwayne Wade, and an energetic Chris Bosh, along with the other key pieces that Miami has surrounded this star-studded core with. LeBron has the world to prove. His critics have quadrupled in a matter of two months, and he needs to shut each of them up with his game on the court. If Miami doesn't win a championship, they've failed. It's unfair to the Heat, but it's unfair to the rest of the league that we're feeding a hungry and championship-less LeBron James food for motivation by counting him and his Heat out already.

- Leather Head

Learning from the Mistakes of Your Competitors

A lot of talk has been made about Carmelo Anthony. It's a given that he wants to leave Denver, and there are many reasons out there about why. But I think one of the biggest reasons that can't go unnoticed is Denver's inability to bring about a superstar to form a tandem with Anthony that could contend for a championship.

Allen Iverson? His Philadelphia years were past him when he came in 2007, and even so, he still demanded the ball and hogged the spotlight that rightfully belonged to Anthony. Chauncey Billups? Same sort of situation. He's a solid point guard that brings toughness and leadership to the Nuggets, but he's no Chris Paul or Deron Williams, the more elite point guards in the game today. So because of this, among many other reasons, Mark Warkentien, Denver's general manager, has found himself left with a dissatisfied superstar who wants to ditch his organization in search of something more. For Carmelo, at the core was his dissatisfaction of not being able to team with one of the NBA's elite players and later came his longing to play under the bright lights of the Garden and what not.

Before Denver was Cleveland. LeBron James didn't openly state it, but he was dissatisfied with playing alongside "scrubs", to put it bluntly. Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison sure are great players, but they are no Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh, whom James now has with the Miami Heat. Because of Cleveland's inability to bring superstars to Cleveland, James decided to ditch his hometown as well.

Now, let's talk about a case where an organization correctly satisfied its star player. Kobe Bryant openly demanded a trade in the summer of 2007. By about the midway point of the regular season that followed. Mitch Kupchak, general manager of the Lakers, brought in Pau Gasol, certainly one of the elite big men in today's game. Kobe was satisfied, and he stayed in L.A.

So, it boils down to this for future NBA organizations. Learn from your competitors' mistakes and imitate your competitors' successes. Cleveland has already felt the hit, and Denver is headed towards Cleveland's direction at about 150 miles per hour. The multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts aren't the only things that satisfy the stars like Anthony and James. Winning does as well, and to win in the NBA, you need more than one star. L.A. has Kobe and Pau, Boston has Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. So if this post means anything to anybody, it's a warning for teams, like the New Orleans Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

New Orleans has already felt it a little bit this summer, as its star point guard, Chris Paul, was in trade talks. But Paul becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, so if New Orleans acts up like Denver or Cleveland and doesn't bring that superstar that Paul desires to form a tandem with to contend for a championship, he is likely headed out and probably headed east to New York.

The same goes for Oklahoma City. Since last season and this past summer at the FIBA games, Kevin Durant has become the NBA's poster child, as he graced the league with his unbelievable talent, compromised with his unmatched modesty. Yes, Durant signed a five-year, $86 million deal with the Thunder this summer (Anthony rejected that same amount of money for three years, and you're telling me he's not going to leave?). But if Oklahoma just relaxes and keeps Nick Collison as their starting center and Russell Westbrook as their starting point guard (unless Westbrook becomes as skilled as Paul and Williams in about three years), then don't think for a second that Durant won't openly demand a trade. Wasn't LeBron the NBA's poster child a couple of seasons ago as well? Well, he lost his mind as he became a star, and Durant will as well.

I understand it's easier said than done. If I'm New Orleans, I just can't go out and bring in, say a Dwight Howard or Dirk Nowitzki from their respective teams. It gets much more complicated with that as the team giving away their superstar is going to demand loads of money, draft picks, key role players, and loads of money. But Chris Paul, and pretty soon, Kevin Durant, and other superstars that are alone on their sub-par 500 teams don't care about all those complications. At the end of the day, if they're busting their butts every night and still remain the butt of the conversation when it comes to championship-contending team, they're gonna want to leave. And their organizations aren't going to have a choice when it gets that far.

Example: Denver



- Leather Head

Zero to Hero?

I promise this won't be a post to verbally, in written form, blast on another "professional" athlete. I know the content of my last post was intended to focus on the city of Denver, but I did come down on Carmelo Anthony, like I do with almost any professional athlete in this blog that makes a fool of himself. But this one will be different. I actually see potential to change.

Agent Zero has hit rockbottom. How do you come back from this? All we remember of the three-time All-Star, or at least for me, are his overbearing cockiness that came from stardom, his knee surgery "rehabs" that turned into mass Twitter sessions, his joking persona that makes people question his motivation, and his thuggish attitude to actually pull out a handgun on teammate, Javaris Crittenton. These antics brought him suspensions and jail time, and his team suffered from his absence.

Looking at everything optimistically however, the Washington Wizards did gain something from Arenas' absence - a first-round draft pick in University of Kentucky sensation, John Wall. Now the only question is if Arenas is willing to take a backseat and let Wall take over the franchise that he destroyed?

Now, three years removed from playing a full NBA season, Arenas is all business at training camp. The smile is gone. The phone is on silent. The beard is out. The number has changed. But plenty of NBA players have been in this situation. They woke up one morning and said, "I'm gonna change." Next thing you know, nothing's changed. What makes Arenas different to me?

He's used to people counting him out. No scouts came to see him play at the University of Arizona. No NBA team, until the very last team (Golden State Warriors) that had a draft pick to "waste", believed in his abilities. No one believed he would be a three-time All-Star. No one believed he could be trusted with the ball with 5 seconds left in a tie ball game. No one believed he could lead a team. And no one believes he could come back from this. This is no new predicament that Arenas is in. And as much as we hate the things that Arenas did to himself, his ball club, and the NBA, we have to admit that he proves his critics wrong time and time again. Most Improved Player honors and three-time All-Star for the last pick of a draft class - doesn't happen too often.

Maybe the reason he screwed up so horribly was that everyone was beginning to believe in him, believe in his talents and leadership abilities, as ironic as that sounds. He was drowning in success and fame.

We boil it all down to the topic of motivation again. Shaq has Kobe as his source of motivation. Gilbert needs his doubters. He needs people to give up on him. He needs critics to be skeptical of him. He needs people to doubt him. In this way, he betters himself by proving them all wrong.

Gilbert has gained all of his critics again. I expect a monster season.

- Leather Head

Mile High: 7 Years of Misdirection, Misguidance, False Hope

"Denver's" Carmelo Anthony has been the talk of the NBA. And the reason I put the word "Denver" in quotations is that in a matter of weeks, Anthony might not be Denver's for much long. For all we know, there is an equal probability that Anthony will be wearing a Denver jersey, a New York jersey, a New Jersey jersey, or a Chicago jesey. His future is uncertain. The Denver Nuggets' future is uncertain.

And in the midst of all this uncertainty, training camp has begun. Training camp is when the team roster meets and holds media day, practices as a team, and gels as one cohesive unit before the start of the season. Or, that's what you're supposed to do. Denver's Chauncey Billups is wondering if he'll be passing Anthony the ball in a matter of weeks when preseason begins. Nuggets coach George Karl is still wondering if he'll have the luxury of having Anthony on his roster. How is a team supposed to practice with such distractions? How is a team to gel? How is a city like Denver supposed to get excited for its team?

And unlike the majority of my posts, I'm not going to sit here and type how I think Anthony, along with other select professional athletes, is spoiled and selfish - not because I don't believe it, but because I already did that. I'm more interested in symphathizing with the city of Denver. Here are a couple of things that it has had to swallow over the past couple:

1). "Mile High is nothing compared to City Lights." Although this is not a direct quote, Anthony's actions certainly uphold this statement. Anthony has constantly been showing interest in big-market cities, like New York, New Jersey, and Chicago. How terrible for a city like Denver to respect and support a player who doesn't reciprocate the same respect and support!

2). $85 million for 3 years doesn't cut it. Even after Anthony has constantly flirted with other teams and has repeatedly disrespected his organization, Denver still wanted to pay him close to the salary cap for 3 years, $85 million. He rejects it. Whenever anyone rejects that amount of money, you know his eyes are set elsewhere. And let's turn our attention back to the city of Denver. In the 2007-2008 NBA season, Denver was a sheer contender for the championship. Anthony was the league's leading scorer and his tandem with Allen Iverson, who was the league's fourth leading scorer at the time, was proving deadly for all of Denver's opponents. And then, during one game in Madison Square Garden, Carmelo sucker punches New York's Mardy Collins in the jaw that starts a brawl at the Garden. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as this brawl, but regardless, Anthony was suspended for 20+ games, and after coming back, his team dropped to the last playoff seed in the West and was swept by the #1 seeded Los Angeles Lakers. But the fans stood by Anthony, after he single-handedly disrupted what could have been an exciting year for Denver. Anthony's mishaps that year snowballed into greater problems for the Nuggets, despite one season during the 2009 NBA season where they made the Conference Finals (more credit should go to veteran point guard Chauncey Billups than Anthony).

And now Anthony is complaining that he doesn't see Denver's franchise going anywhere? Isn't he the one that acted like a child rather than a leader? And to see Anthony throwing the offered contract in the face of the Nuggets organization and the city of Denver is disheartening for Denver's fans. They've stood by the 26-year old for seven years, hoping he'd mature, hoping he'd be the leader that Denver never saw but always wanted. I guess some qualities never develop in a person.

But is this maybe the Nugget's fault for believing Anthony to be someone he wasn't? When they interviewed him as a rookie, did they not see that he wouldn't put in the time on the defensive end? Did they not see his lack of drive to meet his potential? Or did they try to see passed all of the "bad" and focus on, not the "good", but the "hopeful" - the hope that Carmelo would mature one day?

And now let's turn our attention back to the city of Denver. Seven years of "hope" all to waste. Every year, anticipating something great from Carmelo, but only to receive the same things - outstanding offensive numbers, but terrible efforts on the defensive end and lacking motivation and drive during spells of the regular season. Carmelo's on his way out, Denver's "hope" should do the same.

- Leather Head

A Dark Cloud Hangs Over the NBA

The 1998 NBA lockout seems all too familiar as the 2010-2011 season rolls around the corner. Though the NBA and its fans are in for another exciting NBA season with headlines, such as the revamped and championship-hungry Miami Heat, the "Big Shamrock" in Boston, Phil Jackson's last season as head coach, the Lakers' quest for a three-peat, Carmelo Anthony's uncertain future with Denver, the NBA still has one dark and haunting cloud that looms over itself. The NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on June 30, 2011, and if the players' union and the league do not come to a mutual agreement by then regarding many issues, among them being players' salaries and the league's use of revenue, then we may not have a 2011-2012 NBA season.

And don't think this idea is too farfetched. The 1998-1999 NBA season was reduced to 50 games because the league and the players' union could not come to an agreement, regarding the minimum salary given to a player and the newly enforced salary cap. The dispute between the two parties threatened the cancellation of that entire season, but the two parties came to a mutual agreement on January 1999, thus beginning the season just before the halfway point of the regular season. That season saw ticket sales and television ratings decline, and these declines would resume into subsequent seasons. This season also saw a rather interesting playoffs, as the 8th-seeded New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals, only to lose to the 1999 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. Nonetheless, any avid basketball fan wants to see a full 82-game regular season and wants to see a playoffs where all the teams are prepared and molded for victory, whereas in the lockout season, favored teams were not as cohesive as they should have been because of the limited number of games.

As of now, the players' union, headed by president and Lakers guard Derek Fisher, and the league have been working tirelessly to come to another agreement before June 30, 2011, the end of this upcoming season. Stern delivered his proposal early during negotiations, giving the league and its owners more shares in regards to the league's gross revenue and implementing a much stricter salary cap, whereas the salary cap now is "soft" and subject to many exceptions that allow players to exceed the limit based on situational circumstances. The players' union didn't receive this proposition well, so now it's up to the players to craft their own proposal. Their most recent one included many of the conditions in the league's proposal, but included the league's gross revenue to be shared more equally, or maybe even more aggressively by the players. The Union notes that the players deserve more of the revenues because they have kept the revenue afloat even during such tough economic times, but the league strikes back noting that net revenue needs to be taken into account. Though gross revenue is growing or staying afloat, it's taking additional costs, promotions, and marketing expenses to do so, immensely hitting the league's net revenues. 

From an NBA fan's perspective, empty negotiations and biased proposals aren't a good sign. The primary problem is regarding players' salaries and how much of the league's revenue is going to feed these salaries. If I had any say, I would propose players to take a cut in their salaries for one reason alone: the love of the game. Your mult-million dollar salary is coming between young NBA fans and their ability to watch their favorite players on television or in sports arenas. Does Joe Johnson really need $120 million to keep his family more than well off for six years? The same goes for the rest of this list:

• Joe Johnson, Hawks: 6 years, $120M
• LeBron James, Heat: 6 years, $110M
• Chris Bosh, Heat: 6 years, $110M
• Dwyane Wade, Heat: 6 yrs, $107M
• Amare Stoudemire, NY: 5 yr, $100M
• Rudy Gay, Grizzlies: 5 years, $81M
• Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs: 4 years, $80M
• David Lee, Warriors: 6 years, $80M
• Carlos Boozer, Bulls: 5 years, $75M
• Paul Pierce, Celtics: 4 years, $61M
• Ray Allen, Celtics: 2 years, $20M
source: ESPN.com

But let's not just blame these players. The teams' front offices that draw up these contracts to bring some flair to their teams are just as much at fault as the players listed above are. And just a reminder, this is a very, very condensed list. Other players are just a little more under the radar.

So if my opinion counted for anything, it would be for the players to take pay cuts. Dont' worry you guys, you'll live. I'm happy with a $12/hour job, being a full-time student, and thus having loads of students loans. I live. You will too.



- Leather Head

The Kobe Factor: Part II

After my last post about Bryant's influence on O'Neal's career, I came to the stark realization that Kobe could have influenced LeBron's future as well. I'm very shocked that I haven't read any columns or blog posts about Bryant's influence on James' decision to "take his talents to South Beach." To me, after pondering this Kobe Factor for a day and half, it's become very apparent that Bryant's influence on O'Neal's actions during the latter part of his career is very synonymous to Bryan't influence on LeBron's actions this past summer. You all probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Let me explain.

I agree that the main reason LeBron left Cleveland in order to team up with Bosh and Wade was that he really wanted to win a championship now. That being the best way for him, personally, to win a championship is going to be debated about until his career is over, but that's besides the topic at hand. But, I truly believe that maybe 5% (a completely arbitrary number) of his decision was motivated by Bryant. Everyone who has any interest in the game knows the rivalry between the two - a rivalry completely developed from third parties, including Nike, NBA, etc. As much as both Kobe and LeBron say that they respect each others' games, they both want to "one-up" the other.

As of 2010, LeBron had the upper hand. He was fresh off two consecutive MVPs, and though Bryant did win two titles for his teams during James' MVP years, James was still considered better. And for the 2010-2011 NBA season, we could talk about all the people who have heavy expectations to fulfill from Spoelstra to Wade to even Kevin Durant, but no one has a heavier burden than LeBron. He basically owned sports news during the summer of 2010 because "the best player in basketball" was going to shift the league with his decision; he was considered that powerful. And true or not, there's one fact that remains: he better go out and prove that he was worth all of that hype in the summer. So all of this debate between Kobe and LeBron should be nonexistent because LeBron clearly must be the best because of all the attention that he was getting.

You don't think LeBron has a conscious? You don't think he knows this? Sure, he wants to win a championship now. But a part of him (and maybe even a minuscule part at that) worries that he won't live up to the expectation of being better than Kobe, so he moves to a star-studded Miami Heat team, where not much individual excellence is expected of him. No one expects him to put up god-like numbers like he did in Cleveland anymore. He's sharing the spotlight now with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. So when the Kobe-LeBron debate does come up next season (and it will inevitably because that is the most intriguing topic in sports at times) and when people start to unravel that LeBron is good but definitely not better than Kobe, LeBron supporters (wherever they're at now) will stop everyone and point out that LeBron's full set of skills aren't on display on a Miami Heat roster with two other superstars. That's how you protect your name. That's how you protect your reputation. Smart move, LeBron.

Shaq, LeBron. Two of the biggest names in all of sports both moving homes, relocating their families, tarnishing their names, and changing their lifestyles - all because of Kobe Bryant. One question remains after all of this: how powerful is this guy?








- Leather Head

The Diesel Never Runs Low on Fuel ... NEVER

                                     

The Miami Heat isn't the only team that revamped its roster. So did the Boston Celtics with the signing of Shaquille O'Neal. Well, maybe "revamp" is a bit of a strong word to characterize this acquisition, since the 38-year old O'Neal is ages (and I do mean ages) beyond his prime. But Shaq is a 4-time NBA champion and the 2000 NBA MVP, so he certainly has credibility.

Throughout his glory days during the new millenium, he was able to, for the most part, not let anyone push him around or tell him what to do. He showed up to the 2000-2001 NBA season training camp considerably overweight, but hey, he was the previous year's NBA MVP and fresh off being named 2000 Finals MVP. He always averaged under 55% from the free throw line, but hey, he got his points by being dominant underneath. He was self-ordained such egotistical nicknames, such as "The Diesel" and "Superman", but hey, no one had the physical ability to handle Shaq in the post. No one dared push him around, until now.

Former "Shaq's Robin" that has since surpassed O'Neal as the most dominant player of this generation, Kobe Bryant, is now pushing O'Neal around, according to Trey Kerby of Yahoo! Sports. He hypothesizes that Shaq's move to Boston is directly because of Bryant. Since their divorce six years ago, Bryant has won two championships, two Finals MVPs, and one season MVP. Shaq has won one championship on a star-studded Miami Heat team in 2006 that was expected to win. After all of this, Kerby is now convinced that O'Neal's recent "travelings" from team-to-team are because of Bryant. What about his move to Miami in 2005? Couldn't that be a direct result to improve emerging young star, Dwayne Wade so that he could surpass Bryant? What about his move to Phoenix in 2008? Couldn't that be a direct result to pose a threat to Bryant's #1 seeded Lakers and counter All-Star forward Pau Gasol's arrival to Bryant's team? And what about his move to Cleveland in 2009? Couldn't that be a direct result to overtake Bryant's Lakers by teaming with Bryant's rival, LeBron James?

All are susceptible assumptions. And if you don't agree, then you're lying to yourself. So I agree with Kerby on a very surfaced level; however, Shaq's antics have been apparent since 2005. He has a never-ending battle within himself with Bryant. Bryant's been pushing the immovable force around since 2005. And Shaq's been quite cooperative.

But what strikes me even more is not that Kerby has realized this now, but how Kerby and other critics of Shaq have been demeaning him because of it. Why are Shaq's antics to move teams to "one-up" Bryant wrong? Since 2005, O'Neal has been on the decline of his career. And it's not that he's been keeping himself out of shape - well, that's not wholly the reason. A guy with that kind of size in such a physical game has a small window of years to shine, and he certainly did shine in his prime by winning three championships in a row. But where does the motivation come after that? How does he add more fuel to the "Diesel"? He decides to pick Bryant as his competition and go from there. That's what's keeping the 38-year old O'Neal going. That's what's keeping him from retirement. When you lose motivation, you retire early and look for a new challenge. Example: the greatest athlete of all time, Michael Jordan. He felt like he wasn't being challenged after the 1993 season, so he moved to baseball. O'Neal didn't want that. And people are criticizing him for looking for that extra motivation that keeps him going for years when he should have retired at least five years ago? No. I applaud O'Neal. I applaud his competitiveness. I applaud his willingness to compete at all costs, even when his body tells him no.

He may appear extremely friendly with Kobe. It may seem like their 2005-2006 feud is over with things like these:

But the aged Shaq is boiling inside to beat the generation's best in Bryant. I think it's great.



- Leather Head

Who Then to Praise?

I'm at fault. The beginning six posts of this blog were all attacks and condemnations to the famed people of basketball - notable individuals such as Coach K, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, the list goes on and on. But it's not to say that they were not for any good reason. The individuals that I've focused my attention on in my previous posts did do things that opened the door for blatant criticism. I only come to the decision that I'm still at fault because I'm making it seem like the institution of basketball is full of selfish, narrow-minded, and thoughtless individuals. Well right now, I'm going to make a case for why this isn't the case. Or I'm going to try to because at the end of the day, as much as I am blown away time and time again by the ridiculous actions of the individuals that make up today's game of basketball (at least in America's perspective), this is my favorite sport (hence the subject of my blog), and it is my duty to defend it.

How am I going to defend it? Well, since I've magnified almost all of the faults of various individuals of the sport, I'm going to have to magnify the praises that some of the individuals of basketball deserve. And no, I am not going to be speaking about "NBA Cares", which is basically the NBA's initiative to show that the league is not full of tweeters that carry around guns or "professionals" who get drunk during halftime.

I'm definitely not beginning my case off very strongly...

Let's turn our attention to Erik Spoelstra. He sounds like a no-name now. Sure looks it to by the picture above. But when the 2010-2011 season hits, he's going to be the most frequently televised coach as coach of the now star-studded, Miami Heat. Let's put ourselves in his shoes for a bit:

1). He visits his hometown in the Phillipines this summer and isn't received very warmly because he is now the head coach of the league's enemy. No one likes sell-out players and teams with too much talent - that's what the Miami Heat is now.

2). Everyone expects Miami to go deep into the playoffs, probably even the Finals. You still have Dwayne Wade, Miami's star. You now have two-time NBA MVP, Lebron James, and All-Star forward, Chris Bosh. Expectations have already been established. You better go far.

3). Pat Riley, Miami's current general manager, was in a similar situation in the 2006 NBA season with the Miami Heat. He was head coach of a star-studded line up that included up-and-coming rising star, Dwayne Wade, then three-time champion, Shaquille O'Neal, and plenty of experieced veterans, Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, and Alonzo Mourning just to name a few. Pat Riley led his team to victory. Same expectations, even worse, same team. Can Spoelstra do it?

Coach Spoelstra has exceedingly, high expectations. And no one likes him or his team. And just another side note that is probably on his mind, but surpisingly hasn't been mentioned in any columns or blogs thus far. Phil Jackson had stars aplenty on his 2004 Lakers roster, including Kobe, Shaq, Payton, and Malone. His team lost in the Finals to Detroit, and Rudy Tomjanovich became the next Lakers coach in 2005.

Not a very comfortable situation Spoelstra is in. But despite it all, he remains calm. And what's more important, he stays away from the press. As NBA coaches, executives, analysts, and players criticize LeBron for his lack of motivation last year or his decision to air his decision on ESPN, almost everyone on the Miami Heat, including executives and players, is caught causing attention to themselves by protecting their new star. Spoelstra, however, keeps his mouth shut and subtlely comments to ESPN:

"I'm not going to comment on other teams. We've turned our attention to the season looming ahead, not the summer that we've left behind."

That's probably the best way to end this war of words. Spoelstra didn't slander his name or anyone else's name. Compared to all of the individuals that make up the NBA, he is probably in one of the most difficult situations. But he's keeping a level-head throughout all of this. And he's finding ways to logically approach some of his issues. For instance, he's moving the Heat training camp to Hurlburt Field, an Air Force Base in Miami, to avoid himself and his team from any distractions. This is a great move because it is less "press-friendly" down there, and it'll give him the opportunity to bring his team closer together. The NBA world is going to be on Miami's case every step of the way come October. Miami has to be even closer to not let that phase them. Good move, Spoelstra.



- Leather Head

Everyone wants a piece...

Everyone's going to want a piece of these guys when the NBA season hits. But for now, NBA players (excluding those of the Heat) and its fans (excluding those of the Heat) have to harness all the anger that fumes from this picture. I'm personally not from Cleveland or Toronto, but I can only imagine how flaming their fans, players, and each respective organization must get when they see pictures like that. And videos like these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyZ2bap7utY&feature=related

Just wait everyone, but Miami Heat and its fans, you'll all get a chance to do whatever you want with them very soon. These three are in for a rude, rude awakening once the season hits. They should enjoy the fun they're having now in South Beach because in about a month, any game that says "Miami Heat vs. ???" is going to be one nasty game.


- Leather Head

Popularity Contest

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are compared in every way. Who's the better player? Who's the better shooter? Who's the better team player? Who's the better defender?

And I think it's terrific for sports. I think it's terrific for the game of basketball. Nike certainly capitalized with all its puppet commercials, but ordinary individuals like myself who enjoy basketball can debate for hours and hours, and the conversation really won't make much progress, but the fact that this topic arouses such a buzz in people's minds is beneficial in many regards. People delve into the complexities of the game, the history of the sport, many unknowns become unraveled.


Trey Kerby in his most recent blog Ball Don't Lie suggests that since LeBron's "The Decision" on ESPN, the public has started to see him in more and more of a negative light. Prior to LeBron's decision to shoot "The Decision", he was clearly the NBA's most popular player, and Kobe was the NBA's most unpopular (unless you lived in Los Angeles). And because LeBron was able to keep such a "clean" image of himself, he won in a lot of the frequently asked questions mentioned previously in this post. But now, the tide has changed somewhat. Q Scores Company created a poll that measured the popularity of athletes, and LeBron has faltered behind Kobe. And Kobe's smile is as big as ever - he's won a ring, he still has arguably the best team, and he's liked more (well, in comparison to LeBron).

Before we put Kobe in the same popularity level as athletes such as Grant Hill and Shane Battier, let's clarify that Kobe is still very unpopular. Just when compared to LeBron, he's a bit more popular in that regard. Does that mean he'll win some arguments, in regards to the best basketball player in the game, in his favor? Absolutely.

But given these two players' extraordinary gifts on the basketball court, they have the opportunity to have an enormous impact off the basketball court. Imagine the lives that they could touch, by inspiring kids to be better human beings. Look, these two players have it all, but they know the importance of maintaining good character. But they choose to do certain things that make everyone just shake their heads. And no LeBron, giving a shout-out to the Boys & Girls club after "The Decision" does not count as being "good".


- Leather Head

Bad Habits are Contagious

My last blog was about Hollywood being contagious. How narrow-minded of me! I'm constantly being reminded that all NBA players, not only those in Hollywood, feed off each other. And since the majority let money, fame, and popularity get the best of them, these players have come to one simple conclusion: I get what I want, I get it when I want it, and I get it the way I see it. I control the universe.

And I point the finger at three players. But before I do, on the subject of criticizing the inner-self of these professional athletes, I want to call out a group of players first - "contract" players. These are players who are on the last year of their contract and decide to play at an unbelievably high level that no one has ever seen for that particular "contract" season, so when the following off-season rolls around, their value goes up. And when their value goes up, the 0's in their contract go up. The NBA is full of these. Let's start with Eric Dampier. His contract year with the Golden State Warriors was in 2004. He averaged a double-double and was molding himself as one of the premier defensive forces in the paint, during a time when Shaquille O'Neal was the only big man anyone ever thought of. After that season, he earned himself a 7-year, $73 million contract, so now he could sit on his cash, miss a couple of games due to "injuries, and forget about life. His only accomplishment after his contract year was making this list. Maybe 2004 is a bit dated. Let's talk Hedo Turkoglu. He had incredible seasons with the Orlando Magic in the 2008 and 2009 NBA season. He won the NBA's Most Improved Player in 08 and was easily becoming the best small forwards in the game after his performance in the 2009 playoffs and Finals series against the Lakers, going toe-to-toe with the game's arguable best, Kobe Bryant. But his eyes were not fixed on his team's success, it was fixed on the cash-stuffed contract that he would receive after his contract year in 2009. Coming off a very positive season with Orlando, you would think Turkoglu would stay to ride the momentum into the following 2010 season, but he ditches Orlando and any chance of making a second Finals appearance to receive his 5-year, $50 million contract with Toronto. And then he dumps off - diminishes his level of play, decreases his motivation and enthusiasm level, and takes nights off.

Now let's turn our attention to the three players I had in mind - Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Carmelo Anthony. What's sad about this list is that these are probably the three best players in the game today, and our youth look up to them as role models, and they go out and act as young as the youth. Since 2007, NBA players have become more and more prone to demanding trades. We saw Kobe do it in the summer of 2007. He went on ESPN, talk shows, newspapers, almost every media outlet and vocalized to everybody that he wanted a trade from the Lakers because he felt the organization was going nowhere. He seemed to forget everything Dr. Buss and the Lakers front office did for Kobe during his early years in Los Angeles. He seemed to forget how crushed his fans in LA, who have stuck with him through all of his struggles (professionally and legally) if he had left. With all this in mind, Kobe still demanded a trade publicly, humiliating the Lakers and his supporters. Personally, I feel that Kobe really didn't want to get traded. He didn't want to leave LA. He publicly demanded a trade to spur action within the Lakers organization. Well, during that following season, Kobe got exactly what he wanted - he stayed in LA, and the LA front office beefed up the Lakers roster with the addition of All-Star power forward, Pau Gasol.

Kobe's action became contagious, and LeBron James was the next victim. He, like Kobe, wanted to contend for a championship. Although Cleveland did everything it could by bringing in a number of talented players, James wanted more, especially to play in a more exciting and historic city, like New York or Chicago. Everyone knew he would be a free agent in the summer of 2010. And instead of dismissing comments about leaving Cleveland during the 2008 and 2009 NBA season, he welcomed them. This proved to be a distraction to Cleveland, New York, almost everyone, and not many analysts and critics appreciated his childish antics. Why did he do this? Probably because he loved the attention. But it also could be because Kobe did the same and got everything he wanted. And what do you know? During the course of these seasons where LeBron flirted with these other NBA teams, Cleveland brought in emerging young guard, Mo Williams, and All-Star forward Antawn Jamison in hopes of keeping LeBron in Cleveland.

And now recently, Carmelo Anthony has picked up these bad habits from LeBron. Carmelo's doing exactly what Kobe and LeBron did - act like a kid. Demand a trade, flirt with other teams, while still being on his current team, the Denver Nuggets. How apathetic do you have to be to care so little about an organization that has matured you as a professional since you were a rookie? And what's worse? Obviously Denver needs to know what is going on in Anthony's head to please him or at least figure out what to do for the future of its organization. But if anyone approaches Anthony about the topic, he gets mad. First we know he acted childish. Now we know that he is a child.

And if history does repeat itself, you know Anthony's actions will bring him everything he wants.

We have great role models in the NBA.


- Leather Head

Hollywood is Contagious

After signing a two-year $3.6 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes made sure to himself and everyone else that he was a Laker - not with championship rings, playoff experience,  or MVP-caliber statistics - but as of this past Wednesday, Barnes became "velcro to paparazzi" and joined fellow Lakers players, Lamar Odom and the always erratic Ron Artest.

Here's a refresher for those who don't follow TMZ - bless your soul. Last summer before training camp, Lamar Odom attracted all the "buzz" with his marriage with Khloe Kardashian, co-star of the reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Everyone has his or her own opinion about about the Kardashians. Mine doesn't see them as any different from Paris Hilton, so I'll stop there. And what more needs to be said about Ron Artest? He dyes his hair another color every other game, admits to drinking tequila during halftime, gets pulled over for speed racing in a miniature race car, and recently wants to sell his championship ring for charity.

And now the most recently added Laker joined in the shenanigans. Barnes was arrested for domestic violence, by disallowing his wife to talk to 911 operators. Though Barnes and even his wife dismiss these accusations, the scars speak for themselves, as several sources describe bruises and scars imprinted on both the individuals' bodies, especially his wife's, which targets Barnes as the primary aggressor.

Even if media may not have all of its facts straight, why is it that the Lakers are always up to something? During the NBA season, the team seems seemingly untouchable, so everyone is talking about them. And when offseason hits, it's almost as if the Lakers don't want the attention away from them so they attract attention towards themselves. Let's get married to one of the most gossiped individuals on the planet, after just two weeks of dating. Let's race down Melrose in race cars. Let's physically abuse our wives and then dismiss it to cause a public stir. Why? Because we could, and we're in Hollywood.

And if that assumption is completely false, is it just the city of Los Angeles that attracts all of this attention? Isn't it ironic that Barnes, a low-profile player that gained recognition through hard work and perseverance, got himself into a mess not even a month into "taking his talents to the [City of Angels]" (I just like that word choice, credit to LeBron James in ESPN's greatest one-hour show The Decision)? Maybe the area in which you live really is contagious. As unbelievable and childish as it may sound, maybe the actions of his teammates and the Hollywood celebrities around him caught up to him.

But people will argue: he was with the Los Angeles Clippers at one point of time in his career. First of all, it was for 10 days. Secondly, it's the Clippers. The only notable celebrity that goes out to those games is Frankie Muniz. And the only drama and media attention that surrounds that organization is the fact that Donald Sterling is still the owner.

Odom, Artest, and Barnes all bring different aspects to the table to help the Lakers in its quest for a three-peat. Odom brings his 6'10" versatility. Artest brings his tough perimeter defense. And Barnes brings all of the intangibles. But they all represent Hollywood's favorite NBA team. And Hollywood expects something all the time - not just basketball.



- Leather Head

Krzyzewski vs. Blatt

It was supposed to be Team USA vs. Team Russia this past Thursday. It's turned into an MTV Celebrity Death Match between Coach K of Team USA and Coach Blatt of Team Russia. Let the games begin.

Back and forth they go, hitting each other with verbal blows, one after the other. This is what their conversation via all media outlets sounds like:

Coach K: You think Russia deserved gold in '72?

Coach Blatt: Now that I look at it, yes.

Coach K: Exactly what I expected from a Russian.

Coach Blatt: I'm not Russian. I'm American like you. I cried when America lost.

Coach K: Where are your tears now? (turns to his players) Let's go guys!Let's get fired up! Let's show this nation who really should have won on this day 38 years ago!

I understand. This is a very condensed version of each other's attacks, but in a nutshell, that's how idiotic they sound.

Does Coach K still think we're in the Cold War? Yes, Russia is the enemy, but only in basketball's parameters, only on Thursday. After that, we made peace with the nation decades ago. He's attached a sort of post-Cold War drama to these quarterfinals. And many believe that Coach K's antics are a direct step towards motivating his somewhat untouchable, godlike players. And I couldn't agree more. I understand Team USA has, for the most part, dominated in this FIBA tournament. And as an American, I think it would be great for Team USA to finally win this tournament, since the last time was in 1994. And yes, Team USA is extremely close. But Coach K just seems desperate here. You are one of the greatest coaches of all sports. Find another way to motivate your team. To put Blatt in that situation is very low, especially for someone with his reputation. 8 national championships? 12 elite eights? You didn't accomplish all those by stooping to that kind of level.

Before I forget, USA won by 10.

- Leather Head

FIBA: USA v. Russia

If you're not at least 37 years old (myself included), then you probably have no idea what happened in the 1972 Olympics in the gold medal basketball game between Team USA and Team USSR. However, hopefully, as educated individuals (myself included), we know know that when you think of the year 1972 between USA and USSR, we think of the Cold War. Here's a bit of a refresher on what happened in this unbelievable Olympic game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKn8jTCkTr8

And if you're too lazy to watch this 9 minute video (even though I urge all basketball fans to watch), here's a bit of a breakdown:

If any of you are fans of NBA on TNT, then former broadcaster now turned Philadelphia head coach, Doug Collins, makes two crucial free throws to give the US a one-point edge with 3 seconds remaining in the ball game. USSR takes the ball out and hurriedly runs the stretch of the hardwood. At the 1 second mark, they call a time-out. As bizarre as that sounds, that's what the Russians did. They should have called a time-out to diagram a play for the length of the 3 seconds; however, they decided to burn 2 seconds  and diagram a play for 1 second.

One quick interjection: Yes, I am American. But I'm keeping a very unbiased viewpoint and explaining the game as any typical American or Russian would describe it if watching it for the first time on YouTube.

Obviously, with 1 second left, your team is not left with much to convert. And that's what happened with the Russians, as it seems that USA had won gold and maintained its place as the athletic powerhouse during the Cold War. After 30 seconds of celebration, the world discovers that the game is not decided and Russia has the ball with 3 seconds left. And probably to the referees' dismay (sure the Americans were upset, but the refs should have been worried sick to have Russia win after the US had celebrated thinking they won gold), Alexander Beloff of Russia receives a hailmary pass that probably only gets completed one out of a million times in basketball, and makes the easy lay-up over two Americans to give USSR the gold medal. And the bronze went to Cuba. Oh, the silver? Team USA decided not to accept.

Hopefully by the drama you receive from these two paragraphs, you're inclined to watch the YouTube video for yourself. And when you do, pay attention to the crowd at the end - a very accurate depiction of the world's reaction: stunned, shocked, what the hell just happened...

Now fast forward 38 years into the future. US and Russia will meet again on the hardwood once again on such an infamous or famous (whichever perspective you look at it) day of any given year, September 9. Of course, the subplots aren't as heavy as it was in 1972. The Cold War is over. The USSR has since become Russia. And it's pretty much fact that US dominates in the game of basketball. And it's pretty much a guarantee the US will win tomorrow's game. Don't believe me? Well, it doesn't help your case when your best national player is a flake. Kirilenko's absence in the FIBA games leaves Russia's chances in the hands of Timofey Mozgof and Sasha Kaun. No, I don't know who they are either. But the name Sasha Kaun does ring a bell.

If you're David Blatt, coach of the Russian national team, and all of the odds are against you to win tomorrow's game, why would you publicly comment that the Soviet Union was the rightful winner of the '72 Olympic gold medal game? You know Coach K, as the mastermind at Duke who's been in plenty of altercations like these with rival UNC, will not only embarass you, but he'll use this to fire up his US squad that is hungry for some motivation, since coming off blowout victories, including 37 and 40 point victories against Iran and Tunisia.

The media has been eating all of this up. It's been able to do its job, by creating some hype for this game, even though when you just look at the skill level between the two teams alone, US stands atop easily.

- Leather Head