In Search of Yang...or Yin: Part 8 - The Gift and The Curse

rIt's a time for elation and celebration. The back cover has closed on the book of the greatest player in the history of Basketball: Michael Jeffrey Jordan. We all know the legacy. We know about the game-winners, the fadeaways, the retirements—and so on. But by now, you should know that my FU way of doing things will make this more than just an essaying of listing all of MJ's accomplishments. Jordan brought more than just amazing sneakers and dunks. He did a lot for the professional athlete, both good and bad. In fact, MJ's career both enhanced basketball and hampered it at the same time. Since Jay-Z always makes MJ references, I decided to flip it and call MJ's career "The Gift and The Curse." All things good will be presented after the random picture.

The Gift
Everything Jordan starts with his partnership with Nike. MJ showed future pro athletes how to turn a name into an establishment. Think of how many other star athletes are under "Brand Jordan." Not even Tiger Woords has any other golfers of significance (if any at all) rocking the TW fitted. Jordan took the foundation of Basketball and applied it to his sales pitch. Combined with whoever those geniuses are at the Swoosh, and His Airness has pushed billions of attire with the Jumpman logo on it. "Sometimes I dream..." indeed.

Because of that marketing, and the growing popularity of the NBA post Bird-Magic, the world was able to see Jordan's supernatural competitive nature and skill level. There was nothing he could not do. Through the midst of hand checks, hard fouls and better competition; he's better than any other player. Period. Then there's the list of HOF players whose championship hopes he's killed with each dagger jumper. One of them is being inducted with him in Springfield. In addition to Stockton and Malone, there's Barkley, Payton and Kemp, Reggie, Patrick (Ch)Ewing—all succumbed to the magnitude of Jordan's awesome. He truly created a legacy and is a living legend.

The Curse
This is that curse I had alluded to in the previous Yin/Yang post involving Jordan. Because he is the Perfect Hooper, he gave young aspiring ballers that they, too, can possess every tool available in the Basketball realm. The problem with that is: not everyone has room in his repertoire for everything; so they either try to do something that doesn't fit their personal style, or their game suffers as a whole. We all know of the many swingmen that received that scarlet letter of a label in "the next Jordan." Only Kobe has been able to overcome that without some hindrance to his career because of it. Jordan's shadow loomed so large over SG/SF blends everywhere that a lot of them were pressured by the mainstream to, "Be Like Mike." Ask Jerry Stackhouse.

Secondly, and more importantly, because of Jordan's marketing dynamic, he was the first megastar athlete post-Ali. I always said the generation after the Civil Rights one—my parents' generation—was softened by integration. As a result, they weren't looking for their celebrities/athletes to take political stands. That's why Ali is as revered as he is. He didn't just make up clever poems and master the sweet science; he did it during a time of racial prejudice and was actively involved in that struggle. MJ, bluntly put, allowed future pro athletes off the hook socially. This means the Lebrons, Kobes, Tigers, Jeters, etc. are able to sell merchandise without having to say anything meaningful. Now, this doesn't mean they have to walk around blasting "Fight The Power" to games. But thanks to His Airness, neutrality is safe and money is all that matters. Now, if an NBA player wants to take any sort of stand, he gets hushed by Commissioner Stern and his goons. That's why Chris Jackson Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is out the league and Shareef Abdur-Rahim was able to stay. But the Association as a whole is watered down and less skilled anyway; so I guess the social side of it is reflective of that. "Republicans buy sneakers, too." Right, MJ?

Michael Jordan is an icon and should never be forgotten. The man is excellence personified and the result of what happens when a man's will is completely focused on success. Celebrate his originality for there will never be another like him.



Peace.

The Inaugural Hoops Movie Draft: Part II

Folks, the dead period between NBA Summer League and preseason is the worst of times for serious hoops heads. Yeah, a lot of the pros go back home or to their home team cities to play in various Pro-Am leagues, such as Mr. Durant and Agent Zero at the Goodman League in Barry Farm here in DC. While those are exciting, the mainstream Basketball realm is quiet. That's where Money Mike over at "Points Off Turnovers" comes in. He solicited my help, and together we young superpowers have combined to formulate the Hoops Movie Draft, sponsored by talented Black men with extraordinary writing ability. Part One is over at Mike's blog spot, which leaves me with the honor of lacing Part Two with that FU awesome. To get caught up with the rules and the first five picks, go read Part One now...


Right now...

Go on...

I'll wait...

...

...

Kwame still is not good...

I wonder what Michael Olowokandi's doing...

Ok, you're back? Good. After the random picture, Mike reveals the movie he selects at #6.

6. Mike selects…Sean Connery & That Black Guy in Finding Forrester.

Imagine walking down the street in your hometown and being asked to star in a motion picture. Well, that’s basically how mystery man Rob Brown got invited to audition for the lead role in “Forrester.” Like your typical broke collegiate graduate, Brown needed to pay the bills. He stumbled upon an opportunity to extra for a quick check and took the bait. The rest is history. The producers saw him, asked him to try out for the lead role…and an actor was born.
Though he was extremely raw, the movie’s premise was easy. He was, well, playing himself.
“Forrester” tracks the growth of a gifted black student (Jamal Wallace) who finds himself trapped in high school’s oppressive subculture, unable to showcase his unbelievable writing talent without ridicule. Jamal gains respect from his peers through his hoop game, not his immense brain. Eventually, Jamal catches the eye of a Manhattan prep school recruiter, who invites Jamal to the academy after seeing that his jumper is wet and his academics are exceptional.

However, Jamal wants desperately to be a great writer. After losing a bet, he stumbles into the life of William Forrester (Sean Connery), a recluse who surreptitiously reminds us of J.D. Salinger. Forrester teaches Jamal how to write, and Jamal teaches William how to live again.
Why do I like this movie? The strictly coincidental scenes they stole from my life’s script. The agreeable transition of Busta Rhymes from rapper to actor. The cameo appearance from Matt Damon. The hoop scenes not being zoomed all the way in like a Jerry Bruckheimer production. The tastefully done pickup game backdrop on the credits page. The reminder of why I chose to become a writer. And the importance of carpe diem and living life to the fullest.

You’re the man now, dawg.

(Aside here: this is the steal of the draft. For young, Black hoopers and writers, "Finding Forrester" wonderfully touched both areas. Low key, I was upset Mike picked this one. That was my Stephen Curry, lol. Now on to my pick.)

7. J-Till selects...Coach Carter

Fact: Samuel L. Jackson is the baddest motha(watch yo mouth) in the acting biz. From his brief cameo as the McDowell's robber in "Coming to America" to Jules in "Pulp Fiction," he is a master motivator. This is mainly because he is so freaking loud for no apparent reason. And don't let his eyes bug out--you know he means what he says when that happens The lead role of Ken Carter is perfect for him. He's witty, sarcastic, and bald. As with all of these movies, you know the story. Carter comes back to his old high school in hopes of making a difference in the place where he was raised. There, he meets a band of half-degenerates that completely lack discipline. Through suicides, pushups and female-named plays, Richmond (CA) becomes a force on the court.
Of course, success on the court is counterbalanced by various troubles off it. The streets, teen pregnancy, and even the community's lack of priorities are all issues Carter and his players must overcome. And, through the power of the Samuel L. Jackson monologue, they do. Let's just be glad no one said "what" to him.

8. Mike selects…Space Jam.

This movie’s not about Michael Jordan. Sure, we can spend these next few paragraphs talking about His Airness, but aren’t you sick of talking about this guy? Six rings, five MVPs, 14 ASG, 10 First Team’s…blah, blah, blah. We know he’s the best to ever play the hardwood game, the best ever to palm the roundball. But this movie’s more about the people that made M.J. look good than about Jordan himself. For the first time in his career, fans saw a flawed Michael Jordan, a man more Boris Kodjoe than Denzel Washington on the big screen...and embraced him all the more.

Space Jam was a blockbuster because of these true heroes of the film strip. The producers had success because they honored the unwritten rule of Hollywood: When the lead can’t carry the movie, make sure your supporting characters hide the flaws. We witnessed Wayne Knight during his ethereal stretch run, Bill Murray before his career dive tailed, Danny DeVito when we still though he was the successor to the Al Pacino/Robert DeNiro throne, and the pairing of Bugs Bunny with newcomer Lola Bunny to break up the, er, sausage fest. Plus, when you’ve got a relative unknown carrying the vocals along with Monica…you’ve really got hakuna matada. Plus, we got to see Eric Gordon in a small role before he became a hoop sensation.

Wait, what?

9. J-Till selects...Glory Road

Long before Glory Road was ever thought of, I felt if there was anyone who could capture the bigotry of Adolph Rupp, it was Jon Voight. I don't feel he's a racist or anything like that. I just felt he had the face for what lies beneath Coach K. Apologies for the digression, but not for the statement. "Glory Road" is the cinematic version of the 1966 Texas Western , led by Coach Don Haskins. The team triumphs over racism, and defeats Rupp and his big, bad Kentucky Wildcats.

Because of the way the story is told nowadays, few people tend to overlook the fact that there were White players on that team. It was a major sacrifice on their part to humbly sit out of that game—the Championship Game—as Haskins played an all-Black, seven-man rotation. If you ignore the fact that these three guys were chosen as players, it's actually a pretty decent depiction of the story. Texas Western is now known as UTEP...shout-out to Tim Hardaway.

10. Mike selects…Whoopi Goldberg in Eddie.

I really think my Knick fandom, love of hoops (did you know that thing had 49 NBA players?), and narcoleptic tendencies got in the way on this pick. I can’t even remember why I made this pick. I’ve never found Whoopi funny or attractive (her face reminds me of Predator), or thought Dennis Farina as anything more than a glorified typecast. The movie was completely absent of gratuitous hot chicks (like Theresa Randle in Beverly Hills Cop 3) and timely one-liners. Why would I waste my time with a crappy G movie when there are still levels of Mega Man left to beat?

I wouldn’t. And neither would you. I’d like to believe I drafted this movie to honor the late great Malik Sealy…but I don’t think he’d want to be remembered as the ball hog who got owned by GP. I’d like to believe I picked this movie to see Rick Fox act, but I already knew that hoop stars that sneak to the big screen for a big payday end up looking worse than Keanu Reeves in everything non-Matrix. I’d like to believe that I picked this movie to laugh my way through the aftermath of the Isiah Era…but it only served as a brutal reminder of his incompetence.
I guess Eddie’ll just be the Luc Longley of my superstar squad. And with “Jump”, “Blue Chips”, “Forrester”, and “Jam” already on tap, my championship team is definitely on lock. Don’t look at me like that. This economy’s no joke, dawg.

So, this concludes the two-part Hoops Movie Draft. Before I say "Peace," I'll share a couple of observations I made while reviewing our picks. First, we picked according to our personalities. Over Twitter, I coined the saying that Money Mike is, "the Martin to my sportswriting Malcolm." This means we have the same goals and mind frame, but execute it differently. Plainly put, Mike's nicer than me. (I won't put what I want to say because I don't curse in my writing.) Even though each movie we picked has some sort of unintentional comedy, all of Mike's movies were more lighthearted than mine. Again, that speaks to our personalities. Mike's on a more "non-violent, non-violent" piece; while I get my point across "by any means necessary." However you put it, we're a dynamic duo and will crush you in any sports debate.

The second observation is that I don't think David Stern would be too pleased with our selections considering that there aren't any movies of the, *ahem*, "lighter" persuasion. Oh well, we're Black. "Hoosiers" gets no love over here. Hopefully, we took you back and allowed you to reminisce over quality basketball cinema while you wait another 50 days for the NBA regular season to begin.



Peace.

One For My Pickup Game Heads

I gotta talk to my people that actively get on the court for a minute. Okay, you're in a game (pickup or organized) and you score. It could have been a nice one-dribble pull-up from 17 or a catch-and-shoot 3 from the corner. Then, you score again. Now, you've hit two in a row and the confidence begins to swell. So your team has possession again and you just know you're getting the rock for a heat check. You've just dropped consecutive buckets and everyone noticed. Here's where things go bad. You're expecting the pass—hands ready, feet square, shooting shoulder locked—and your teammate just hoists what could possibly be the worst shot since Dr. Naismith first put up peach baskets. You watch in confusion as the ball forcefully clangs off the rim, and you're left wondering, "What if," as you scramble (if you scramble) back on transition defense. If you can testify to this, then you were got by a player I like to call, "Run-Stoppers."

*Obama voice* Now, let's be clear. If Player A hits two in a row and his teammate hits an open three or cuts for a nice layup, Player A is not the victim of a run-stopper. Run-stoppers, as part of their fundamental truth, will always take a terrible shot. Said terrible shot will lead to a long rebound, which leads to a score for the opposition. I've been the victim of this plenty of times, and there is no way to avoid them. Also, do not confuse the run-stopper with the "jock," "heist-box," "black hole," or whatever your area's term is for someone that shoots too much. Run-stoppers do not necessarily have to want to shoot all the time. However, they see your consecutive scores as a green light for them to get their shine on. And I must stress that the shot they take while you're waiting for the extra pass is always terrible; and usually after a move that isn't in their repertoire. It's usually after mindless dribble to nowhere and an under-direst hoist towards the basket. The funny part is that everyone observant knows it's a bad shot, and the gym goes silent for about 48 seconds as everyone but the run-stopper has the, "What the hell?" thought bubble pop into their minds. And get this, the run-stopper will not—I repeat, not—say, "My bad," or pat his chest as any form of repentance. He will just jog back down the court behind the play like it's all good. It's borderline disrespect. It's as if he says, "Well, your buckets are okay, but they're inferior to my horrendously awful shot selection." In fact, run-stoppers are habitual line-steppers; continuously crossing the understood boundary of feeding the hot hand for their own selfish wishes. The run-stoppers aren't just found at your local "Y" or shaded blacktop. They have infiltrated the professional ranks. They do not include any of the superstars because superstars, by definition, can shoot whenever they want. After the random picture, I will name a few so you will be on the lookout for them this upcoming season.

Linas Kleiza. I've seen Kleiza play since he went to high school here in the DC area (shout-out to my boy Andrew who dunked on him); and since he was a D-1 talent, he had the proverbial green light. Well, must feel he's still at Montrose Christian because as soon as he's in the game, it becomes all about him. Everyone knows that JR Smith is the flame off the bench. Everyone, except Kleiza, that is. JR could be on the verge of one of his patented scoring streaks, and Linas will gladly hoist up a contested triple. Granted, he can shoot, but he is not good enough to take liberties like that. I don't care if George Karl is the coach or not.

Zach Randolph. Zeebo is really talented. He has impeccable post footwork and is really great at playing angles. But don't let anyone else like, say, Nate Robinson start to catch some fire. Z will gladly take the ball at 15 feet, and proceed to ignore his teammates for however long it takes him to shoot. Maybe that's why he's on his fourth team despite being a proven 20-10 guy. Or maybe it's stuff like this. Eh, take your pick.

DeShawn Stevenson. Picking on DeShawn is easy. He was on the embarrassing end of Lebron's Crabhammer, and has been associated with Soulja Boy. That isn't exactly a winning combination. Combine that with this false bravado that he can actually score, and he is the main reason the Wizards aren't that good (yeah, I said it). Stevenson frequently takes long-range shots like he's a marksman from distance. They always seem to come right when Caron or Antawn are about to get going. Even Nick Young's touches are worth more than Stevenson's. Hopefully, Flip sees the light and buries him next to Mike James (another run-stopper) on the bench.

Sasha Vujacic. First off, no one can have a self-given nickname. That's wack and proves you're not worth much on the court. Second, if you're "The Machine," shouldn't you be more than just a backup shooter that only plays when he shoots well? Shouldn't you be shooting well if you're a machine? Does that mean you're malfunctioning? Anyway, Vujacic will kill any Laker 8-0 run with his quick trigger. Part of it is that's all he can do with some sort of regularity; and part of it is that Lamar Odom—who usually runs the second team—is too unselfish to say anything. Take it back to NY on him...or at least get Ron-Ron to do it next year. I know he will.

That concludes my list of NBA run-stoppers. As usual, if you feel I'm wrong or have some players I've missed, leave it in the comments.



Peace.

No Time For Move Fakin'

Before each season, there are questions that arise that lovers of the hoops are curious to see how they'll be answered. There is also a group of players who have clouds of doubt hovering about them. I'm going to list a few of them, in no particular order. Some of them you know, some of them you will read perplexed as to why I'd question anything about them. Rookies and other young players do not qualify for listing since there is skepticism around them by default. If you're still with me, the list begins after the random picture...

Gilbert Arenas. I figured I'd start with someone predictable. Everyone knows Gilly's shoe pusher, Adidas, has a slogan titled, "Impossible Is Nothing." Gilly has taken that and put his own spin on it by switching his jersey number for "Nothing"—by the mathematics-based property of substitution. Well, after two years of knee problems and still receiving that max contract bread, he'd better be down to take on the impossible. It isn't a matter of him performing, because when he was last healthy, Arenas averaged the same numbers D-Wade had this past season—with two other 20-point scorers on his team. However, his Wizards team has fallen back to the pack and it will take a supreme effort for them to overtake the Crabhammers, the new all-Black Celts, and Orlando (sorry, no clever nickname for them). Shoot, it'll take more than an average performance for Washington to beat Atlanta. We'll see if Gilbert still has a few tricks up his quirky sleeves.

The "Baby" Bulls. Since about the middle of this decade, Chicago has been one of those young teams on the cusp of being a real contender once they, "grow up." In fact, it's not too long ago that they were co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Now it's the end of said decade (weird, huh), and those Bulls are in the same position they were. Kirk Hinrich is almost 30 and he's still grouped in with the young guys. It seems that Derrick Rose knows how to perform in the postseason and wants to be a real threat in May-June. Yes, Vinny Del Negro is a terrible coach, but the fact that team is still "young" is management's fault. Oh, can some psychiatrist get it into Tyrus Thomas' head that he is NOT a jump shooter? And somehow pass the tape of that to Josh Smith in ATL? Thanks.

Vince Carter. Vince's mixture has been diluted with more human and less supernatural. No longer 1/2 man, 1/2 amazing, Carter is coming off his most complete season. Because the Nets were a young team, he was forced into the role of veteran leader; a position he had shunned in Toronto and didn't have to fill while Kidd was in Jersey. Now, Vince finds himself in the scenario that Allen Iverson was in when Denver traded for him. Orlando is hoping to pair Vince with their young superstar in hopes of overcoming that championship hurdle. The Magic need him to provide an element they were missing from last year's Finals team. Carter, even as he loses his uncanny lift, is still a scoring savant—when he's motivated. And even now, once a game, he can call forth that supreme ability and give watchers a glimpse into divinity. As long as he stays focused on basketball, Vince will be a bigger asset to the Magic Kingdom than Mickey Mouse...or at least Donald Duck.

Every significant player from the '05 Draft not named Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Danny Granger. Aside from the aforementioned players, this entire draft is on the hot seat. Paul and Williams further build HOF legacies by the game, and Granger looks to be an All-Star for years to come. But it's the rest of the draftees—the Blatches, the Marvin Williams, the Boguts—that need to become more vital to their teams. This will be those players' fifth season in the Association, and they are reaching the point where their respective teams are no longer waiting on them to develop and want to see more consistent and productive results. Even Monta Ellis has to have somewhat of a rebound year after an ankle injury. Paul and Williams are the cream of the '05 crop, but those other players should increase their output, or be reduced to throw-ins for trades. Right, Raef Lafrentz?

Lebron James. You may be thinking, "What does Lebron have to prove?" If you're not, then you're probably a Kobe fan and walk around mindlessly saying, "Four Rings," or "Crab Dribble." Anyway, Lebron does have something to prove. He's had sort of a rocky off-season in some people's eyes, and his reputation has taken a bit of a hit. He has nothing to do on the basketball court other than win a title, and that doesn't have to necessarily happen since he's still less than halfway through his career and at least four years away from his prime. I'm sure all of the disappointment some people feel will go away with his first highlight-reel move.

I'm sure there are a few more players in which this is a make-or-break season for them. Leave them in the comments.

Peace.

If Money Makes A Man Strange...

Free agency can be a harsh reality. It boils down to the brutal honesty of placing a monetary value on what a player means to a franchise. Disconnect happens when the player's camp feels that the bar has been set too low; and the wrong seven-figured number is a sign of disrespect. I'd like to address the major signings that have happened and take you into the psychology of each situation. More after the random picture...

Turkoglu to T-Dot. Go ahead. Make all the jokes you want about the foreign exchange rate. Maybe Hedo decided to head to Canada for the free health care. But there's a reason he ditched contending teams for the struggling Raptors. Personally, I believe Turkoglu did not want to deal with the pressures that came with being the most coveted free agent this offseason. So rather than go back to Orlando or to Portland and be the focus of that team's success, he chose Toronto so he can continue to fit in his nicely-carved niche as an "under-appreciated player" whose "intangibles aren't defined by box scores." If you scared, say you scared; and it looks like Hedo's actions spoke loud and clear. Or maybe it was about the money.

The Maestro Stays in the Desert. Speaking of Canada, Steve Nash is a magician. He has assisted in getting deals for players that they really shouldn't deserve (see: Richardson, Quentin). He was the leader of an offensive movement that still sends shockwaves throughout the Association. However, you know what's said about all good things; and gradually the SSOL Headquarters are relocating its workers one by one. So why did he re-sign with a sinking ship? Why not head for MSG and reunite with his sensei and perhaps their monstrous creation? I feel it's because he doesn't have enough in him to lead two revolutions. He is growing SSOL in mind only, and his back muscles weaken by the game. Hopefully, Ramon Sessions can learn from a distance.

Huskies to the Motor City. As I mentioned in "All Dollar Bills," the elite teams make moves that are both upgrades and bargains. RJ—who has grown more, um, questionable in recent times—to the Spurs is a perfect example. San Antonio gets a proven secondary scorer with Finals experience as both an insurance policy on Manu's ankles and as another weapon if fully healthy. On the flip side of this intelligent thinking, there are the teams that overpay for super role players—or pseudo-stars—believing that it's clicked for them somehow; and that now those players are ready to ascend to stardom. In the past, Luke Ridnour's contract was the perfect example of a terrible financial decision. Now it seems that Joe Dumars had noticeably overpaid for Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva in a last-ditch effort save some of his credibility as a GM. Signing Gordon and Villanueva may mean that the days of either or both Rip and Tayshaun in the D are numbered. However, each former UConn Husky has a glaring flaw that will make execs cringe at these contracts in three years. Villanueva is a power forward that can do a few things, except he above average at each of them. He's like Kevin Garnett minus the great; he might be Andrea Bargnani minus the good. At any rate, he's inconsistent. Maybe Dumars paid for both in game stats and number of Twitter followers. Gordon can score. He can shoot. But he also takes a lot of shots. It's like the AI move except he isn't that good nor does he have the resume. If Dumars is supposed to be building towards making the Pistons Stuckey's team, I'm not sure that he and Gordon mix. Their fourth quarter lineup will be interesting.

The Answer With Questions. This reluctantly brings me to Allen Iverson. His skill was as gargantuan as his will for over a decade. But if there ever was an ugly truth that AI fans like me ignored, it's that Iverson is purest form of Ben Gordon. He is the origin of the chemical agent known as, "undersized shooting guard." It seems the one weakness that is readily visible in those diminutive 2-guards has finally shown itself in the host. Because of his style of play, Iverson needs others to mesh with him rather than vice-versa. That's fine, as long as he's The Answer. But when inquiries arise within him, things go awry. Can he still average 20-plus? Sure. But name a team for which he is the perfect fit. You can't, at least not in a starting role. And we've seen how he reacts to the whole coming off the bench thing. I hope you land somewhere, AI.

Odom. Lamar's contract negotiations are appropriate and fitting for him. The Nameless X-Factor, Basketball enthusiasts overlook the fact that next to His Mambaness, Odom is the Lakers' most important player; and they need him. His flourishing gets passed by, but he gets the blame when he himself disappears. Naturally, his worth is undervalued by the management; despite Kobe speaking up on his behalf. It has to be this way. Odom has to be overlooked. It is his destiny to live in the shadows, visible only to those that see his value, nod their heads and say, "true."

Free agency is cold-blooded, and each negotiation is a hard understanding that you're only worth your contract life.



Peace.

Chaos to Anarchy: Revolution from the West

Of all the new draftees, including Griffin and Rubio, fans are most enamored with Stephen Curry; and hope he can ascend in the Association as well and as quickly he did at Davidson. He has already captured our hearts through a lightning quick shot release, and we look to him as a source of joy because we naturally assume the Clippers will take Blake's and turn it into whatever potion that Mike Dunleavy uses to keep himself employed.

These youthful warriors have seemed to rekindle the excitement the Team By the Bay experienced in that "We Believe" year. The methodologies are different, but is one team more exciting than the other?

Flash yourself back to 2007. The eighth-seeded Warriors sparked a city yearning for Tim Hardaway in compression shorts. It was like the atmosphere in the Phone Booth during Part III of the Wiz-Cavs trilogy multiplied by Andres Biedrins. Oracle Arena became a place for the fusion of energies, and no team would have defeated Golden State in that first-round series—much less a Mavs team with a mentally weak star player and a coach willing to change lineups after winning 67 games. Mark Cuban became the suburban kid with the cushy life who felt he owned the best collection of talent money can buy. Then his prima donna team crossed paths with a ragtag band of men with beautiful chaos in their collective heart; possessed by the loyalty and all that's positive about a gang. Throw in the variable of the Mad Scientist who was shunned by the rich boy owner, only to actualize his visions each time Al Harrington was in the game at center. It was an S500 with bun warmers versus a '79 Chevelle on Daytons. Excuse all the "rich/poor" analogies, but if ever there was a microcosm for team, then this is it...word to Camp Lo.

Fueled by Baron's beard and their Fearless Leader in S-Jax, four wins over Dallas became inevitable. Oddly enough, the dunk over AK47 in the second round was the monumental moment of the We Believe era—despite it coming in a series loss. It was as if Rocky IV meets Straight Outta Compton in, "You Just Got Broke, Son." Even though that team had an overall losing playoff record (5-6), it was a brief victory for those hoops fans yearning for Basketball anarchy.

Return to the present. Gone are Davis and his beard, the full force of the Oracle's magic, and Matt Barnes figures in their loss somehow. However, they add the Babyfaced Killah, the new Matt Barnes in Anthony Morrow, as well as the impending sign of the revolution that is Anthony Randolph. Combine these youth with the Fearless Leader and Monta, and this team is more exciting than the 2007 edition. The West Coast vibe went from "Xxplosive" to "Dreams." Does that make Stephen Jackson or Don Nelson Dr. Dre? Where the "We Believe" team was a test run, this collection of Warriors have a myriad of possibilities at their disposal. The revolution will be dribbled.

Shout-out to Shoals and everybody at FreeDarko.

Peace.

All Dollar Bills

Two quick apologies before I begin. First, an apology for being away for so long. My schedule's gotten really cluttered; and with the events over last weekend, I just didn't feel up to it. My second apology has a similar premise to the first. This post was originally supposed to be my NBA Wish List that I had begun to formulate while watching the Draft aka "Curry, Point Guards, and Cash Considerations." These recent transactions have sent tremors through the NBA world. To me, they prove that the more things change, the more they stay the same. More after the not-so random picture.

The Lake Show getting QB's Finest is the latest move in an arms race between the five title contenders. But true Basketball fans already knew that there were five contenders: LA, Cleveland, Boston, San Antonio, and Orlando Portland Orlando The rest of the Association are just hoping to make an impression in the playoffs. Yes, superheroes like Carmelo, CP3, Deron, and Wade will undoubtedly use their abilities to push these contenders. But in the end, those five teams will be the best five teams in the Association.

Some of you may be thinking that there's always a team that exceeds expectations, much like Denver did last year and Golden State did two years ago. Well, that's respectable for those franchises and it does provide some impulse to the regular season. That aspect combined with other splendid individual surprises like Mr. Durant, Harris, and Granger of a year ago; and we'll briefly talk about those subplots during the 30 x 82.

When this offseason was approaching, there was chatter going around about how moves will be made based on financial logic. And while revenue remains the root of all NBA evil franchises' respective decisions, it's still and always will be in terms of value. In the case of Ron-Ron to LA, the Lakers got a better, tougher player for the mid-level exception, letting Ariza—a journeyman with these under his belt (note the different jerseys)—go when he would've cost more than that. Jefferson to the Spurs is another example of how the Spurs stay among the elite while other franchises fluctuate between success and rebuilding. The Shaq-uisition is a frontcourt upgrade for a team that won 66 games.

When the dust settles, and people have stopped dunking on Hasheem Thabeet; and Steph Curry has stopped torturing Knicks fans with three after three on the opposite coast; and Brandon Jennings does whatever Brandon Jennings does, those five teams will be atop the standings. They will be the ones we care about and want to see for seven-game series. All it took was one team to make a power move, and the rest of the top-tier franchises attempted to trump each other. It's not about money. It's about who was bold enough to take that chance and force the other teams to respond in kind. Five teams did, and the other 25 are just playing to be "best of the rest."



Peace.