LeBron James in L.A.?

This year's NBA free agent market has created a circus and the silent ring-leader of this big top is the NBA's "man-child", (each of those hold equal weight) LeBron James. Although free agency doesn't officially begin until July 1st, the campaigning began unofficially months ago. I've heard a lot of theories and thoughts but the one that i find to be the most scintilating is LBJ re-surfacing in Los Angeles - in a Clippers uniform.

The thing that makes L.A. unique from a basketball perspective is the fact that this market has been able to sustain two profitable franchises, with one being less than average on a regular basis; there are very few cities who can generate this type of revenue. The revenue base is strong, with many multi-million dollar entities, from high-end companies to a Kodiak theatre's worth of a-list celebs. In a study posted on Forbes.com in December of 08, it was revealed that the Lakers were 2nd in operating income while the Clippers were 13th among 30 NBA teams. The fascinating part of this is the Clips holding steady with no legitimate reason for hope or a superstar to rally around. LBJ could change both of those. With a legitimate superstar, and perhaps the most popular, he would be a cash cow for ticket sales (season and isolated). Russell D'Souza, co-CEO of SeatGeek, supports this theory when he talked about this years Eastern Conference playoffs, "Average ticket prices for the Orlando Magic's's home games in the secondary resale market "dropped immediately" to $154 from $177 when the playoff opponent was the Boston Celtics". LBJ would also bring legitimate hope along with his Gucci suitcases, especially when paired with all-star caliber veterans and sprouting superstars in their own right.

The Clippers have all the essential pieces in place to stay and help LeBron. With 18Pt/10Reb center Kaman locked up through 2012 along with fiesty guards Baron Davis (2013) and Eric Gordon (2012), LeBron has an ample amount of help. Not to mention he will be playing with last year's first overall draft pick Blake Griffin who showed quite a bit of promise before his season-ending injury. I have essentially just named their starting lineup. You add a couple of specialists and this team is as rock solid as any. The glaring difference with this Clipper team aside from its obvious scoring firepower is the presence of a veteran leader already in control, Baron Davis. The same Davis who took his 8th-ranked Warriors and slayed the number one seed Dallas Mavericks with primarily heart and grit, something the 09 Cavs obviously lacked. Below is the player payroll for the LA Clippers.

Los Angeles Clippers Date # of total

Player- signed- years- salary- misc- FA

Steve Blake ........... 7/13/07 3 $12 million t-opt '10

Rasual Butler ......... 7/14/06 4 $14 million '10

Bobby Brown ........... 7/25/08 2 minimum '10

Mardy Collins ......... 7/5/06 4 $4,769,702 rc '10

Drew Gooden ........... 7/30/09 1 $4.5 million '10

DeAndre Jordan ........ 7/15/08 2 minimum t-opt '10

Steve Novak ........... 9/11/09 1 $1.03 million '10

Travis Outlaw ......... 7/18/07 3 $12 million '10

Brian Skinner ......... 9/16/09 1 minimum '10

Craig Smith ........... 7/17/08 2 ??? '10

Chris Kaman ........... 7/12/03,10/29/07 4+5 $11,214,368+$52.5mill '12

Eric Gordon ........... 7/2/08 4 $12,290,944 rc t-opt '12

Baron Davis ........... 7/10/08 5 $65 million '13

Blake Griffin ......... 7/10/09 4 $23,298,732 rc t-opt '12+13

Dear cynic, i already hear you lamenting about the Kobe factor. The fact that Kobe already runs L.A. can easily be a deterant to the untrained eye. But every rivalry has to have a genesis and this can be where LeBron makes his historic legacy. Coming into L.A. and creating a gang like turf war (couldn't help the gang reference when discussing Los Angeles) would generate huge buzz, forcing patrons to pick a side similar to the Mets/Yankees dichotomy. LeBron and Kobe are already fighting for what seems like exclusive support from NBA fans, it appears to be one or the other, no in between. This would only fuel the long-suffering argument of who is the real king of the NBA. Although this rivalry wouldn't be Magic vs. Bird, it would be the lone credible personal rivalry since then; we already know Kobe is willing to throw his chips all in. For the NBA this would almost guarantee a Kobe vs. LeBron match-up in the playoffs. Nike would finally get real utility out of their puppets and the basketball world would finally have its wish. LeBron would get to create his legacy, similar to Jordan. The United Center (where the Chicago Bulls play) is known as "The house that Michael built". LBJ could create his own legacy out in LA, especially if he can dethrone Kobe, the king of kings in the NBA.

A large part of this theory is dependent upon LeBron's willingness to collide with and defeat challenges. He obviously wants to win a championship but he has also been quoted saying that he wants to be the first billionaire athlete in the world. I don't know if that takes away from his desire on the basketball court but a market like L.A. would certainly help him find more money, especially if aspiring owner and entertainment mogul, David Geffen, gets majority ownership of the team from Donald Sterling.

This would be a very bold move that can put LeBron exactly where he needs to be on all fronts. It makes sense and dollars. But now we have to see if LeBron has the onions to take on such a challenge.

The Games of Life

Have you ever thought about the essence of sports? Of course it's big business, top-tier entertainment and all that jazz; but honestly what's the big deal? I sat back with my main man KT and we laughed about the notion of grown men playing Sports. The conversation took place on a Sunday afternoon amidst the heart of football season. We sat and watched commentators sit around in suits and talk about big fat men pushing each other, *crickets*, sounds pretty silly doesn't it.

Its quite paradoxical that grown men get paid hefty garbage bag money to play a kids game. The commentators are dressed in the same garb that CEO's wear. The other adults in attendance, fans, paint their bodies and wear ridiculous costumes to games. The whole atmosphere is astonishing. Stadiums are millions of dollars and the furnishings are the best money can find. Players often come to the venue with their suits on, meditate and ruminate on music and philosophies. I hope the vision is now palpable.

With all that is put into it, perhaps you can see now why people take sports so seriously. Many people who aren't big sports fans will say that its just a game and its not that serious, which is true. But when everything else contradicts that i can see where the signals would get crossed. For kids and even adult athletes that lose tempers and go to extremes to get an edge, i can see why they have become this way. I am reminded of the all the athletes caught cheating with steroids and other methods such as Mark McGuire, Bill Romanowski, and Marion Jones; as a fan I have often sat back and thought, "what could make these people think they could get away with this?" Maybe they didn't think they could get away with it but perhaps the potential gains outweighted the losses for them. Sports are games, but everything that surrounds it is a whole lifestyle and culture. I believe from the moment many of us are introduced to sports as children we quickly understand the grandiose environment that sports create.

With the recent win of the New Orleans Saints a lot was made of how the city could really use a championship to boost spirits and help heal some of the traumatic wounds that still ached a recovering city. Journalist are "story-tellers", couple that with carefully selected images to supplement the story and it makes everyone believe that sports are more than what they really are. Honestly there is very little that a New Orleans Saints Superbowl win can do for such a ravaged city. As a matter of fact it will probably hurt more than it helps realistically. The Saints organization doesn't win and then spend an additional amount of money on housing development or community programs. The Saints win and then they charge more for season tickets and spike prices in general because now the demand is higher. Perhaps there are more patrons from Houston traveling across Interstate highways to get there. T-shirts and jerseys may cost more. Then most of the free agent players demand more money because they think they are better than what they are or deserve more money because they've won a Superbowl.

The point is try to keep sports in perspective. Its only a game but it is entertainment.

The Parade

This is for my main man Finney. He helps run the Lakers franchise and he gets everyone in the midwest on board with what the Lakers are doing if they aren't already. He graciously gave me a ticket to ride with the Lakers last year and although we had a slight hiccup last year, we got it done this year. The point is we got it done! Oh and Im sure Autumn Jones is in this crowd somewhere.

Nike Commercial

I thought this was kinda funny. If you have been watching the series of Nike Puppet commercials then you saw this one coming (sort of). King James is subject to the unintentional taunts of a young kid who simply wants to watch Kobe and the Finals. LeBron, you watching the Finals or what son!

The Mamba vs. The King

Alright lets do it! I've been hearing quite a bit of chatter going around about who is better Kobe or LeBron. Here's the climate: It's playoff time and the Lakers lead the Rockets 3-2 in the Western Conference Semis after beating the Jazz 4-1. The Cavs are spectators momentarily as they have gone 8-0 through the postseason and have won every game by double digits. That's just so you can see where everyone's head is.

So let's breakdown Kobe first, after all "K" comes before "L". Kobe is what many would call a virtuoso, he excels at every facet of the game. From beyond the arch Kobe can spot up as well as create his shot off the dribble, mid-range yields the same results. As far as the painted area he can post up with efficiency as well as slash. Offensively he covers the entire gamut. Defense, this is going the undercard of the argument for both of these guys because neither of them actually buckles down and plays great defense on a consistent basis. When Kobe "feels" like it he plays better than average one on one perimeter D against guards and forwards. Now onto a very important litmus test, does he make his teammates better? The answer is a very soft "yes"

Here goes LeBron, most experts would say he is a bruiser. LeBron imposes his game on the opposition. From beyond the arch he is good when hot, not necessarily consistent, and not very good as a "spot up" shooter. His mid-range game is remarkable; creates his own jump shot and can hit anywhere from that area. As far as the paint is concerned he is literally unstoppable when he wants to drive to the bucket, but he is void of a back to the basket or "post" game. On defense LeBron plays exceptional help defense. He doesn't really lock his man down but he will certainly play the passing lane for a steal and come from the help side and block. Also he will voraciously snag rebounds, which is the last part of playing defense. As far as making his teammates better he gets a resounding "Yes".

I have to lean with LeBron actually, although it may seem that he is deficient in a couple of areas, he is unstoppable in others which make his deficiencies null and void, therefore they don't hurt him in this argument. Also it is important to note that he makes his teammates better which goes a long way in a team sport. As good as Kobe is he wasn't blessed with the same physical features as LeBron and that also gives James an advantage and makes the game a whole lot easier for him.

Go ahead weigh in and tell me where im deficient.

Jumping the Gun

A young basketball player, Jeremy Tyler out of San Diego, CA has decided to forgo his senior year in high school and take his 6'11 frame to play basketball overseas with the expectation of returning in two years and entering the NBA Draft.

I don't know how I categorize this yet, either it is smart or it is irresponsible on the parents behalf. Different families have different needs and I do not know his family situation but I do know that he had orally committed to the University of Louisville with future Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino. The morally responsible portion of me wants to antagonize this decision as he is afforded a privileged opportunity and there is a tremendous amount that can be gained from that experience. I also do not know how bright of an individual he is, but i do know that i learned a large heap of knowledge from senior year in high school and through college. However perhaps real world experience may do him more justice. I wish him well as he will be the first young man to jump this gun. The U.S. will learn a lot from him and this endeavor, also they will probably quantify future decisions by youngsters off the success or failure of this decision. Let the game begin.

Culture Shot

Yesterday Jacksonville Jaguars DE, Richard Collier was shot near downtown Jacksonville and was reported to have life threatening injuries. He was sitting in a car with another former football player waiting for a lady to come out of her apartment. The shooting reportedly happened around 2:45 a.m. in an upper-middle class neighborhood.

It seems that lately more and more sports players have been getting attacked. Just earlier this summer Raiders WR Javon Walker was abducted and beaten unconscious in Vegas as he was simultaneously robbed. Apparently they tracked him to his hotel room. I won't detail everybody but look at Eddie Curry, Antoine Walker, Sean Taylor, Sebastian Telfair and Darrent Williams as well. I was just talking about this type of thing with Record and it just so happens that i saw this report. The portentous obstacle that we need to hurdle is the mindset that alot of victims as well as attackers have. I read a comment on one of the boards that said "that's what these guys get... where im from you can't wear it if you can't keep it, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN". A lot of people have this mentality. Despite whoever you may think you may be and your status, there are folks out there that are going to "try you" for it. They don't care who you are. Im not saying that any of these athletes are in the wrong places or anything like that because that's not the case. But i think it would behoove you to know how the goons think. There is also two sides to every coin, that admiration you get for having the luxuries of life is great but those things can get you the same amount of envy or ill-will. There is a level of responsibility and awareness you need to have when you are drawing a little more attention to yourself.

I think it is unfortunate just as many people do, but you have to understand the game if you want to play it. I also understand that every situation is different but overall I just hope that these violent acts calm down but i guess we will have to wait to see.

What a sentence...How bout a paragraph?

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy received sentencing today and was awarded 15 months in a hotel, i mean prison for his involvement and orchestration of a gambling ring. Donaghy's lawyer said the camp is thrilled with the sentence received which is in large part due to Donaghy singing like his life was in jeopardy, perhaps it was.

The NBA is vivacious about Donaghy being a rogue official and considers him an isolated case, despite his 130 phone calls to another referee who has yet to be questioned. These are loose ends that remained tattered and need to be fused together. Let me say this first, the NBA has relied on the government investigation to find and analyze info up to this point. So far everything Donaghy revealed has been the truth even regarding details that have nothing to do with his plea and/or case, so if this man says that there are other officials then it would behoove the NBA to take a look. We shall see how the NBA mends this creeking and weak bridge with its fans, especially after Donaghy also stated the NBA has a proclivity to help large market teams. I think one man is breaking into the NBA mansion through the back door while everybody is looking out the front window at the nice flowers; point blank he is hurting them.

For my latest trick i have to ask which is worse, organizing a gambling ring and undermining the integrity of a billion dollar business or organizing a dog fighting ring on your personal property? Yup, we gon dialogue today! Vick=18 months, Donaghy=15 months, not that either is a heck of a long time but...

We shall see what ensues. Wallo for president in 08'

Besides, Dude's Fakin!

I got a quarrel with Celtics forward Paul Pierce, in game 1 of the NBA Finals my man was hit in the leg by his own teammate and layed on the ground for at least a good five minutes. The ordeal ended rather suspect. Pierce had to be carried by about four Celtics until they could put him in a wheelchair, staff members then rolled him back to the locker room.

About ten minutes later Pierce is jogging out of the locker room and bouncing up and down at the scorer's table. This whole NBA Finals is going to be staged, im looking for former referee and convicted gambling accomplist Tim Donaghy at the next game in the stands. I have played and been around basketball my whole life and rarely, I repeat, rarely do you see a man get CARRIED off the court. Only if the injury is extremely severe, maybe even career threatening. From the 1960's on up guys have been limping off the court and this guy can't limp it out but he can play 10 minutes later, IM NOT BUYING WHATEVER HE IS SELLING! And if you believed that mess then i also have a bridge i want to sell you in Brooklyn. Thats not all, the kicker is that he comes back in the game and hits two three pointers. The NBA is looking for drama huh? Well i don't want to watch this fabrication of the finals.

P.S. Pierce is a strong go for game 2

A Job without Benefits... or Consequences

The New York Knicks have a new president and his name is Donnie Walsh. Walsh obviously comes in with his own ideas and theories. One of the first decisions he made is to strip Isaiah Thomas of his general manager and head coach title. However, they are retaining him in a mystical capacity. Donnie Walsh said that no person will report to Isaiah and he is to have no contact with the team. As a matter of fact the wording states, "he is barred from contact with the team as a result of his reassignment agreement". The question that should be asked then would be, is he still going to get paid? For the record, Isaiah assembled that whole team.

Pretend this is not the Knicks i am talking about lets make it Sony. What person have we ever seen or known that works but reports to no one? They are also allowed to work but can have no contact with another division of the company. This is like the movie Office Space where they move the gentleman down to the basement and he works by himself, but in actuality he doesn't even work for the company, he just thinks he does. Possibly Isaiah will be submitting reports and information to an erroneous email address too. How can this be a real job? Even more peculiar is Walsh's candor (i have always been one of the most fervent advocates for honesty), most executives use some form of soft deception and ambiguity to sugar coat a company position to make it appear more than what it is. Matter of fact think about your job and when they hired you. But Walsh lunged straight forward and virtually said, hey this guy won't be helping anybody and won't be talking to anybody. He should have just said he's useless but we don't want to fire him just yet.

The Knicks are in disarray and there are whispers that Mark Jackson could be in line for a coaching job. A guy that has played but never coached matter of fact he has spent the last few years in the broadcasting booth. Here's a memo to New York, save yourself some money and hire me, I cost less!

NBA All-Star weekend is virtually upon us and this year the festivities are going to be held in New Orleans. A little over two years ago we had the monolithic tradgedy in the form of hurricane Katrina.

Everyone is excited about possibilities for growth in New Orleans. This All-Star weekend is supposed to galvanize the city by pumping tons of tourist dollars and help jumpstart the economy in New Orleans. From a lot of aspects this is a great occurence. However i feel bad for the people that are gone from that reigon never to return. I am pretty certain that the NEW money is going to go to NEW residents. Perhaps there are a few businesses that have remained but im sure the majority of the former establishments have been washed away. I wish there was some sort of program to help restore old establishments and help the previous business owners.

I have not been down there since the hurricane but i am willing to guess that a lot of the rebuilding has been done by people who initially did not even live down there, they just happen to come and take on some of this unoccupied land. There should be a rule if you didn't live here in 2005 then you should have to take a number and be last to recieve anything down there. I know that's crazy but they should give all those relocated folks opportunities first.

As you can see I just feel bad for those people. Im out, im going to get some beads.