We love Chuck. He’s right up there with Jeff Van Gundy on our list of favorite TV sports personalities. But come on Chuck, keep it clean. Just cause you’re bitter that you’re on at 2:00 AM ET doesn’t mean you can talk like you just lost $20,000 at the craps table.
If you believe this, I have a bridge to sell you...
Basketball is a beautiful game. It can be played with grace and athleticism from the NBA all the way down to your local rec league. Unlike the four other major sports, it requires no alteration of the game or rules to be played by average people. We simplify baseball with softball, pacify football with flag and touch alterations, and forego skate and pucks in hockey in favor of our feet and balls. Basketball requires no such alterations, which makes it a relatable game to everyone. Besides the three point line and playing two 20 minute halves, most rec league games are played under the same conditions as an NBA basketball game. This should be a tremendous advantage to the NBA in terms of generating fans. People are excited about the PGA playing the U.S. Open at a course that regular people play on. The NBA has an almost exact version of this in every game. What is the problem you ask then?
The problems are numerous, and were dealt with quite eloquently by the Sports Guy here. For our purposes, lets just focus on two or three obvious ones:
Continue reading “The NBA has an image problem” →
I’m not talking about 45 and the Sports Illustrated video series. I’m talking about the best story of the NBA Playoffs. I’m talking about the Birdman. I’m talking about Chris Andersen. Even 45 couldn’t fly like the Birdman.
For example, take the main event of NBA All Star Weekend—the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. I know that 45 won the dunk contest multiple times. I still see the highlights of 45 versus the Human Highlight Reel every All Star Weekend.
I ask you—what is more impressive, winning the dunk contest or attempting 50 dunks in a five minute span? The Birdman attempted 50 dunks in five minutes because he can fly. Jordan can’t fly, he simply dunks.
Continue reading “Come Fly with Me” →
Best Block Party: The Birdman
While i do not enjoy NBA basketball as much as some of my fellow writers (Nate, Jordan, Rodney), i am the only one that will write an article about the NBA playoffs. So, with only 4 teams left, lets hand out some awards:
PG Award: Chauncey Billups, Nuggets. The dude just comes up with big, in your face shots. There is no other point guard in the playoffs, outside maybe Rajon Rondo that i wanted on my team (that includes Chris Paul). Watching Billups control a game and put constant pressure on opposing guards is enjoyable.
6th Man Award: JR Smith, Nuggets. With a close second to Mikael Pietrus, of the Magic. Smith can score 20 points in a quarter, of course he can also go 0-12, with 5 turnovers, but he has been playing very well and would be my first choice for guy off the bench in the playoffs.
Continue reading “All NBA Conference Finals Team” →
Finally, the NBA has responded to the cornicopia of confusion surrounding the personal and flagrant fouls calls in the NBA playoffs. And fortunately for everyone, they’re not going to change anything or improve the situation. On Monday, Stu Jackson told the Associated Press:
“I look at it as opportunity for us to further educate the players as well as the coaches in terms of what a flagrant foul is. Certainly the league office has consistently communicated to both the competition committee members, as well as the teams, on an ongoing basis as these fouls occur.”
I think the players and coaches are telling a very, very different story.
Continue reading “NBA to players, coaches, GMs and fans: You’re either stupid or not listening” →
I’m one of the people that wasn’t convinced the NBA had an “image problem” to begin with. I don’t watch the games because I think the players are good neighbors, always take their trash out, don’t let their grass grow too tall and dress like they’re in a J. Crew catalog. I watch the games because these are the best in in the world at the game I love. But I understand when you’ve got a team known as the “Jail-Blazers” and multiple players being involved with gun charges and carjackings that you might want to address those issues before you turn into the NFL and have teams like the Cincinnati Bengals.
Continue reading “How not to fix the NBA’s perceived image problem” →
The basketball world stopped in it’s tracks yesterday with the death of one of the NBA’s greatest coaches, Chuck Daly. Daly will forever be synonymous with the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” teams that won two NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. Daly amassed a 638–437 record during his 14 seasons in the NBA and went 76 and 51 in the playoffs. Daly was a firey coach one the sidelines and occasionally erupted in a Bobby Knight-esqe tirade.
Continue reading “We’ll miss you Chuck Daly” →
The NBA foul-calling issues have ascended to another level. It’s completely out of control now. It’s not to the level of steroids in baseball, but it’s getting there (more on that in a few days). While the incessant reviews and posturing by the officiating crew working the Rockets vs. Lakers game is encouraging, because the ultimate goal is to get the calls right, the sensitivity towards personal fouls, technical fouls. flagrant-1 fouls and flagrant-2 fouls is an utter nightmare. This has been building through the playoffs, starting with the Chicago/Boston series, continuing in the Boston/Orlando series and the frontline has become the Houston/Los Angeles series.
Continue reading “Please, please, please, pleeeeease fix NBA playoff officiating” →
I control outcomes of games before they are played.
Upon seeing the mass amounts of extra-curricular activities in these 2009 NBA playoffs and the inconsistent rulings on suspensions, fouls, etc. it is hard not to question the judgment of the NBA’s front office. When the Phoenix Suns were trying to upend the San Antonio Spurs a few years ago, Robert Horry took it into his own hands to knock down the Sun’s leader. A natural reaction of running toward your fallen and hurt teammate would be acceptable to most, but not the NBA.
Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were both suspended for a crucial game 5, and the Spurs went on to win the Series. Why was this ruling upheld? It was in the NBA’s best interest not to look at intent, but at the letter of the law. You leave your bench area, you are suspended. Rules are rules, this is plain black and white. You want to know what is completely absurd? The following rulings by the NBA:
Continue reading “The NBA, Where Inconsistency Happens” →
So that's how Kobe made NBA All-Defensive first team
First he got passed over for the Defensive Player of the Year award, in favor of Superman, Dwight Howard. Then his team got bounced from the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks. Next he got beat out for the MVP award by The King, LeBron James. In the most recent pimp-slap levied against the Miami Heat star, today Dwyane Wade was left off of the NBA All-Defensive first team. Flash made it onto the Second Team, which is a bit of a back-handed compliment for the runner-up in steals.
Continue reading “D-Wade gets snubbed once more” →
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