The New York Knicks new President of Basketball Operations, Donny Walsh, finally did what everyone in New York wanted to. He fired coach Isiah Thomas. Isiah Thomas who at first was President of Basketball Operations before becoming coach held both positions at one point. He was relieved of his President position earlier in the season and was finally fired.
As coach, the Knicks were unable to make the playoffs. As president, the Knicks received lack-luster players while losing many prospects. Thomas cost the Knicks millions of dollars on players who either are injured, no longer play for the Knicks, or are worth only hundreds. He was like a plague to the organization. A video was made showing all the bad things he had done to the New York Knicks organization.
It was only a matter of time before he was let go. I went to a game last November and he was already getting booed and heard the fans chanting "Fire Isiah!" I felt the same way. He single handedly destroyed the Knicks. Now we have to rebuild when we could have been strong by now. I hope that whoever takes over makes the right decisions and leads the Knicks back to greatness. New President Donny Walsh is already adored by many fans including me for doing the greatest thing to ever happen to the organization in years, firing Isiah Thomas.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
It's the Shoes
Kobe Bryant had new shoes come out last month. In order to get people to buy them look what he did.
I think this was a good way to advertise the shoes because many kids are amazed by things like this. It is a very funny commercial because his team-mate who is also in the video (Ronny Turiaf) is very skeptical. He doesn't want him to do the stunt. But after Kobe Bryant successfully completes the stunt he goes crazy and celebrates with his team-mate. I don't think that the car is real but Kobe swears he really did it and did not use any special effects. I think it's possible for him to do it but I'm not sure if he would really risk injury especially during the season when he knows that he is the bet player on his team.
He said "Don't try this at home!" but if I buy these shoes I will. If I don't return to St. John's University next semester you will know why.
I think this was a good way to advertise the shoes because many kids are amazed by things like this. It is a very funny commercial because his team-mate who is also in the video (Ronny Turiaf) is very skeptical. He doesn't want him to do the stunt. But after Kobe Bryant successfully completes the stunt he goes crazy and celebrates with his team-mate. I don't think that the car is real but Kobe swears he really did it and did not use any special effects. I think it's possible for him to do it but I'm not sure if he would really risk injury especially during the season when he knows that he is the bet player on his team.
He said "Don't try this at home!" but if I buy these shoes I will. If I don't return to St. John's University next semester you will know why.
NBA Playoff Commercials
The NBA has made a series of commercials about the playoffs. This is the first year that they've done something like this and I think that these commercials capture what the playoffs are all about. Each player has the same feeling of wanting to win and doing whatever they can to do it. These commercials also show that even though all they do is play basketball, it's still a job as well as a passion. Each player wants to do what is necessary to lead their teams to victory.
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) & Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)
Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers) & Shaquille O'Neal (Phoenix Suns)
Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) & Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)
Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns) & Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks)
All of these commercials are very entertaining and build up a lot of excitement for the games.
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) & Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)
Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers) & Shaquille O'Neal (Phoenix Suns)
Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) & Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)
Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns) & Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks)
All of these commercials are very entertaining and build up a lot of excitement for the games.
2008 NBA Playoffs
It's that time of year. 16 teams, 8 from the West and 8 from the East. All vying for one thing. The NBA Championship. Every team has the motto "Win or Go Home!" This is where stars are born. It doesn't matter what place you were in the regular season because in the play-offs the slate is clean. Until after your first play-off game your 0-0. This is where everyone has to dig in and everyone has the chance to be the hero.
The 8 teams from the West (in order from 1st seed to 8th seed) are the LA Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and the Denver Nuggets (who I completely hate). As of right now, the Lakers have a 2 games to none lead, New Orleans is up 2-1, San Antonio is up 3-0, and Houston is down 2-1. The first seed plays the 8th seed, the 2nd plays the 7th, etc. Each series is a best of 7. I'm kind of upset at how things are coming. I dislike the San Antonio Spurs because they are a boring team to watch while Phoenix is very entertaining. I can't believe that the Suns are losing 3-0. This basically puts an end to their season because history shows that no team in the NBA has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win. I'm also upset with the Houston Rockets, I know that they are only down by 1 game, but there is no way that they are going to win. Tracy McGrady, of the Rockets, hasn't made it out of the first round of playoffs in 8 years. I hope the Lakers go on to win because I would not want San Antonio to repeat.
The 8 teams from the East (in order from 1st seed to 8th seed) are the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards (I hate them also), Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Atlanta Hawks. I'm fairly content with the way things are going in the East. Boston is leading their series, Orlando is leading theirs, the Cavaliers are winning, and shockingly enough the 76ers are winning. I'm not a big fan of the Pistons so I wouldn't mind seeing them as a number 2 seed falter and lose in the first round. The Atlanta Hawks somehow made it to the play-offs. It was their first time in 10 seasons. Aside from the top 4 teams in the East, the rest of the conference is very weak and have no chance at winning the championship. Whereas, any of the top 7 teams in the West can win it.
I hope that the Lakers and the Celtics make it to the Finals and play each other just like in the 80's. Most people say it is possible because they are both the number 1 seeds and both have very strong teams. I would also like to tell you why my font colors have changed. They are the colors of some of the teams in the play-offs. Purple and yellow are the Lakers, Green are the Celtics and Blue, White and Black are the Magic. I can't wait until June to see who is in the Finals.
The 8 teams from the West (in order from 1st seed to 8th seed) are the LA Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and the Denver Nuggets (who I completely hate). As of right now, the Lakers have a 2 games to none lead, New Orleans is up 2-1, San Antonio is up 3-0, and Houston is down 2-1. The first seed plays the 8th seed, the 2nd plays the 7th, etc. Each series is a best of 7. I'm kind of upset at how things are coming. I dislike the San Antonio Spurs because they are a boring team to watch while Phoenix is very entertaining. I can't believe that the Suns are losing 3-0. This basically puts an end to their season because history shows that no team in the NBA has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win. I'm also upset with the Houston Rockets, I know that they are only down by 1 game, but there is no way that they are going to win. Tracy McGrady, of the Rockets, hasn't made it out of the first round of playoffs in 8 years. I hope the Lakers go on to win because I would not want San Antonio to repeat.
The 8 teams from the East (in order from 1st seed to 8th seed) are the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards (I hate them also), Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Atlanta Hawks. I'm fairly content with the way things are going in the East. Boston is leading their series, Orlando is leading theirs, the Cavaliers are winning, and shockingly enough the 76ers are winning. I'm not a big fan of the Pistons so I wouldn't mind seeing them as a number 2 seed falter and lose in the first round. The Atlanta Hawks somehow made it to the play-offs. It was their first time in 10 seasons. Aside from the top 4 teams in the East, the rest of the conference is very weak and have no chance at winning the championship. Whereas, any of the top 7 teams in the West can win it.
I hope that the Lakers and the Celtics make it to the Finals and play each other just like in the 80's. Most people say it is possible because they are both the number 1 seeds and both have very strong teams. I would also like to tell you why my font colors have changed. They are the colors of some of the teams in the play-offs. Purple and yellow are the Lakers, Green are the Celtics and Blue, White and Black are the Magic. I can't wait until June to see who is in the Finals.
It Never Happened!
In the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, my two favorite teams squared off. The Chicago Bulls against the New York Knicks. Nobody could ask for a more exciting and more entertaining matchup. In game 2, John Starks of the Knicks did one thing (that I don't even think was that good) that made him look like he was great. After he pulled off this move people called it "The Dunk." Most Knicks fans loved it because he "supposedly" dunked on Michael Jordan. But if you look at the clip, that clearly doesn't happen. So I want you to first watch the clip...
Now that you have seen it, it is blatantly obvious that he did not dunk on Michael Jordan but indeed did dunk on Horace Grant. Michael Jordan came into the picture after the ball had already been in the basket. So, why is this dunk so special? Does it really deserve its own name? Michael Jordan has thousands of dunks like that. Yet, John Starks has one and automatically becomes a legend. Perhaps the use of the word legend is too much. The name John Starks isn't as known as Michael Jordan. John Starks had his one moment in time. He isn't even going to be a hall-of-famer. Nobody cares about him anymore. I clearly don't and I never did. It just angers me that people think he is great for something he didn't even really do.
If someone were to ask me, "Man, did you see that dunk that Starks had on Jordan?" I would respond by saying, "No, because he never did."
Now that you have seen it, it is blatantly obvious that he did not dunk on Michael Jordan but indeed did dunk on Horace Grant. Michael Jordan came into the picture after the ball had already been in the basket. So, why is this dunk so special? Does it really deserve its own name? Michael Jordan has thousands of dunks like that. Yet, John Starks has one and automatically becomes a legend. Perhaps the use of the word legend is too much. The name John Starks isn't as known as Michael Jordan. John Starks had his one moment in time. He isn't even going to be a hall-of-famer. Nobody cares about him anymore. I clearly don't and I never did. It just angers me that people think he is great for something he didn't even really do.
If someone were to ask me, "Man, did you see that dunk that Starks had on Jordan?" I would respond by saying, "No, because he never did."
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Pick-Up Games
Once again, my friends and I played some ball. For some reason I wasn't really in the mood. There were about 8 of us and only 2 kids really wanted to play. My friends Nick and Jojo were the only two that were playing serious. We played a 4 on 4 and they were on opposite teams. As they battled it out like Ancient Spartan Warriors the rest of us just stood around as spectators. It was really funny to see how hard they were trying while the rest of us didn't. Eventually we all sat down while they kept on playing. After one guy scored, the other would retaliate. The score at one point was 50 to 50. After a while we all wanted to play again. But the two would not let us back on the court. So we decided to just stand and interfere with their game. They eventually got fed up and we played again. This time we were the ones energetic and eager to play while the two of them were sluggish and tired.
After a while we all decided to play serious but the only way to do that was to make a wager. So. we all made a deal that the losing team would have to buy the winning team drinks as well get punched by each member of the winning team. It was once again a hard-fought battle. Like the 2000 election the game was very close. My team consisted of both Nick and Jojo as well as Steve McCann. The other team was a lot weaker. They had Sal Linea, Pizza Man Chris Doro, Luca Panarelli, and this kid Jed. We thought we were going to slaughter this crew of flunkies but they kept it close. The score was 20-14 in favor of the flunkies. They only needed one more point. We had to dig deep to win. We eventually tied it up. In that 6-0 run I scored once, Nick scored twice, Jojo scored twice and Steve scored once. Now that it was tied 20-20 the winner had to win by 2. The other team scored then we scored. We would eventually be the victors with the final score of 24-22. The other team bragged about how they almost beat us with a much weaker squad. But the only reason it was so close was because we gave them 19 points. The game started with the score 19-0 and we still won. So in reality we won 24-3 because Sal Linea is one of the worst basketball players in the world. Seriously. Read the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records. He's under the second worst basketball player in the world.
After a while we all decided to play serious but the only way to do that was to make a wager. So. we all made a deal that the losing team would have to buy the winning team drinks as well get punched by each member of the winning team. It was once again a hard-fought battle. Like the 2000 election the game was very close. My team consisted of both Nick and Jojo as well as Steve McCann. The other team was a lot weaker. They had Sal Linea, Pizza Man Chris Doro, Luca Panarelli, and this kid Jed. We thought we were going to slaughter this crew of flunkies but they kept it close. The score was 20-14 in favor of the flunkies. They only needed one more point. We had to dig deep to win. We eventually tied it up. In that 6-0 run I scored once, Nick scored twice, Jojo scored twice and Steve scored once. Now that it was tied 20-20 the winner had to win by 2. The other team scored then we scored. We would eventually be the victors with the final score of 24-22. The other team bragged about how they almost beat us with a much weaker squad. But the only reason it was so close was because we gave them 19 points. The game started with the score 19-0 and we still won. So in reality we won 24-3 because Sal Linea is one of the worst basketball players in the world. Seriously. Read the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records. He's under the second worst basketball player in the world.
Grab Some Popcorn
There are many movies made about basketball. To me, basketball films are the best of any sports films because the action scenes are a lot more entertaining. The game scenes are more realistic than that of other sports. It is a lot easier to make basketball look real as opposed to football or baseball. Basketball movies are more fast-paced and usually have better story lines. I have watched tons of basketball movies since I was a little kid.
Here is a list of my Top 10 favorite basketball movies:
1. Space Jam- This is number 1 because my favorite basketball player ever is in it. Michael Jordan comes out of retirement and teams up with the Looney Tunes to play in the biggest "Intergalactic Game" ever. Cameos by Bill Murray, Larry Bird and other NBA greats like Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley make this movie amazing.
2- He Got Game- Starring NBA all-star Ray Allen and Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington. This movie is more for a mature audience because of some of its scenes.
3- The Air Up There- A comedy. A college coach (Kevin Bacon) travels to Africa to recruit a prince of a tribe to play basketball in America.
4- Above the Rim- This is the movie where I got the title of my blog from. This is a drama that is more suited for an older audience.
5- White Men Can't Jump- I loved this movie. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes are two on two streetball team-mates and make loads of money hustling other ballers.
6- Coach Carter- Another drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Based on a true story. Shows the hardships that a team goes through in California but eventually succeed and make it to college.
7- Love & Basketball- Childhood sweethearts go through life playing basketball at the same high school, college, and eventually both make it to the pros.
8- Blue Chips- Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway both star in the movie. At the time, they were one the NBA's dynamic duo. They get recruited to play at a college but they are swayed to go there illegally.
9- The 6th Man- Two brothers play on the same college team. After an accident kills one, he comes back as a ghost to help his old team win the NCAA championship.
10- Semi-Pro- Just came out 2 months ago but it was pretty funny. I liked it a lot because Will Ferrell was in it and it wasn't a typical basketball movie.
Honorable Mention:
Eddie, Hoosiers, Hoop Dreams, "O"
Here is a list of my Top 10 favorite basketball movies:
1. Space Jam- This is number 1 because my favorite basketball player ever is in it. Michael Jordan comes out of retirement and teams up with the Looney Tunes to play in the biggest "Intergalactic Game" ever. Cameos by Bill Murray, Larry Bird and other NBA greats like Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley make this movie amazing.
2- He Got Game- Starring NBA all-star Ray Allen and Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington. This movie is more for a mature audience because of some of its scenes.
3- The Air Up There- A comedy. A college coach (Kevin Bacon) travels to Africa to recruit a prince of a tribe to play basketball in America.
4- Above the Rim- This is the movie where I got the title of my blog from. This is a drama that is more suited for an older audience.
5- White Men Can't Jump- I loved this movie. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes are two on two streetball team-mates and make loads of money hustling other ballers.
6- Coach Carter- Another drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Based on a true story. Shows the hardships that a team goes through in California but eventually succeed and make it to college.
7- Love & Basketball- Childhood sweethearts go through life playing basketball at the same high school, college, and eventually both make it to the pros.
8- Blue Chips- Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway both star in the movie. At the time, they were one the NBA's dynamic duo. They get recruited to play at a college but they are swayed to go there illegally.
9- The 6th Man- Two brothers play on the same college team. After an accident kills one, he comes back as a ghost to help his old team win the NCAA championship.
10- Semi-Pro- Just came out 2 months ago but it was pretty funny. I liked it a lot because Will Ferrell was in it and it wasn't a typical basketball movie.
Honorable Mention:
Eddie, Hoosiers, Hoop Dreams, "O"
It's April Now
Not only does April signify the beginning of many rainy days, but it also means the end of "March Madness." The NCAA Championship tournament crowned its new champion and the college season if officially over. I filled out my brackets back on March 3rd and boy did I do bad. I had Stanford winning but that was a long-shot. This years tournament had a lot of upsets and some teams either surpassed their potential or totally blew it.
Davidson, a number 10 seed, was an under-dog through its whole tournament run. They were dubbed the "Cinderella" team this year. First they beat number 7 Gonzaga, then number 2 Georgetown, then they beat number 3 Wisconsin making it to the Elite Eight. There they would meet number 1 seeded Kansas where they would lose by 2 points.
History was made in this years tournament. For the first time ever, all four number 1 seeds from each region made the Final Four. North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, and Memphis dominated their respective regions. Both games were supposed to be very good and close but that wasn't the case. The first semi-final pitted UCLA against Memphis. Memphis won by a considerable margin by using their speed and high-flying abilities. The second game was almost the same. Kansas built up a 28 point lead but North Carolina fought back to cut it to 8. Kansas would eventually regroup and would win the game by 16.
The championship was between Memphis and Kansas. Nobody knew who was going to win but a national poll showed 58% of America thought that Memphis would win. The game was close throughout. Memphis had a 9 point lead with 1:24 seconds left but that lead would relinquish to 3 with just 8 seconds left. Memphis could not hit a free throw which gave Kansas a chance to tie the game. And of course they did. In overtime Kansas dominated the game and would eventually win. I was pretty upset but there was nothing I could do obviously.
This years tournament was one of my favorite tournaments ever because I knew three guys playing in it. I used to play against them in leagues throughout Staten Island when I was younger. Steven Rossiter of Davidson used to play for Farrell in high school and his brother Ryan who played for Sienna also went to Farrell. The biggest star in college to come from Staten Island is Kyle McClarney from Notre Dame. He actually lives around the block from me and went to Moore Catholic High School. They will all be playing again next year and I cannot wait to see them play. Only 6 more months until the season starts up again.
Kansas University Jayhawks 2008 NCAA National Champions
Davidson, a number 10 seed, was an under-dog through its whole tournament run. They were dubbed the "Cinderella" team this year. First they beat number 7 Gonzaga, then number 2 Georgetown, then they beat number 3 Wisconsin making it to the Elite Eight. There they would meet number 1 seeded Kansas where they would lose by 2 points.
History was made in this years tournament. For the first time ever, all four number 1 seeds from each region made the Final Four. North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, and Memphis dominated their respective regions. Both games were supposed to be very good and close but that wasn't the case. The first semi-final pitted UCLA against Memphis. Memphis won by a considerable margin by using their speed and high-flying abilities. The second game was almost the same. Kansas built up a 28 point lead but North Carolina fought back to cut it to 8. Kansas would eventually regroup and would win the game by 16.
The championship was between Memphis and Kansas. Nobody knew who was going to win but a national poll showed 58% of America thought that Memphis would win. The game was close throughout. Memphis had a 9 point lead with 1:24 seconds left but that lead would relinquish to 3 with just 8 seconds left. Memphis could not hit a free throw which gave Kansas a chance to tie the game. And of course they did. In overtime Kansas dominated the game and would eventually win. I was pretty upset but there was nothing I could do obviously.
This years tournament was one of my favorite tournaments ever because I knew three guys playing in it. I used to play against them in leagues throughout Staten Island when I was younger. Steven Rossiter of Davidson used to play for Farrell in high school and his brother Ryan who played for Sienna also went to Farrell. The biggest star in college to come from Staten Island is Kyle McClarney from Notre Dame. He actually lives around the block from me and went to Moore Catholic High School. They will all be playing again next year and I cannot wait to see them play. Only 6 more months until the season starts up again.
Kansas University Jayhawks 2008 NCAA National Champions
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