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Spain’s Sweet Summer: Spain/Gasol/Nadal All Champions

Jul 12

Posted by CTS in Basketball, Columns, Soccer, Tennis | 2 Comments

Spain finally lived up to the hype and won its first World Cup. Sports fans in Spain have also enjoyed an NBA title from Spain’s Pau Gasol and a French Open/Wimbledon combo served up from Mallorca’s finest, Rafa Nadal.

The Lakers’ exciting Game 7 victory over their long-time rival Boston Celtics came just one day after Spain’s disappointing opening round loss to Switzerland in the World Cup. Mixed emotions seemed to be the perfect phrase to describe the face of Spanish basketball Pau Gasol’s feelings that night.

He couldn’t be happier to be a champion and to have dominated the way he did (19 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists), but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but think about his hometown team, the World Cup favorite, losing its’ opening match in Group Play to Switzerland. “Of course its something you think about, but I had to worry about my play and my team, and am just so happy to bring this trophy back to Spain,” said Gasol when asked about how the loss affected his play.

Across the pond another one of Spain’s favorite athletes, Rafael Nadal, was just arriving in London to prepare for Wimbledon when he watched his hometown team suffer in defeat. I’m sure he was glad for his fellow countrymen Pau Gasol, but Nadal’s real passion is unquestionably soccer.

But like Gasol, Nadal had to worry about him, and that he did. At this time last year, Nadal saw his string of four consecutive French Opens come to an end with a fourth round loss to Robin Soderling. He then was forced to watch Wimbledon on TV because of his knee injuries. Having to sit back and watch Roger Federer win both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2009 motivated Rafa to come back better than ever.

Nadal went on to win both French Open tune-ups in Monte Carlo and Madrid, and he stormed through the field in Paris winning his fifth title at Roland Garros. As he arrived in London to prepare for Wimbledon, Spain’s loss to Switzerland may have had more of an effect on him then most think.

He struggled early at the All-England Club being pushed to a fifth set twice in his first three matches. He eventually found his rhythm and rolled through the rest of the draw without dropping a set to win his second championship at Wimbledon. Better yet, his football team had picked up the pace too.

On the verge of elimination after their upset loss to Switzerland, Spain faced Honduras and Chile in must-win games to round out group play. With Fernando Torres struggling, striker David Villa stepped up for the Spaniards scoring three out of Spain’s four goals in two victories over Honduras and the gritty Chileans. The two victories were enough for Spain to claim Group H over runner-up Chile and move on to the knockout round.

Goals were few and far between in the knockout stages but Spain, thanks to Carles Puyol and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, recorded three straight shutouts to advance to the country’s first ever World Cup Final. Puyol’s offense was actually what got Spain into the final as the defenders’ header in the 74th minute sent the Germans packing.

The final featured more of the same as the Spaniards dominated the game defensively, controlling the ball from the Dutch for 60% of the game. Spain’s defense held the Netherlands to zilch through 90 minutes while the offense continued to threaten but could not quite capitalize.

Almost 30 minutes of extra time had passed with penalty kicks approaching and the Spanish were still not on the scoreboard. That was until the 116th minute when Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta took a pass out of mid-air from Cesc Fabregas and drilled a rocket past Dutch goalie Maarten Stekelenburg to send Spain into Fiesta mode for months to come.

Fellow Spaniard athletes Nadal and Gasol made promises that if Spain made it to the finals they would be in attendance. Sure enough they were there and according to Goal.com Nadal was quoted as saying in his broken English “I cried like a little boy,” he said to Marca. “We have to celebrate for a whole year, because this is unbelievable. It is very difficult to repeat this.”

Among famous Spanish actors, politicians, and musicians stood seven foot Pau Gasol who according to FIBA.com excitingly said “It was an awesome game, thrilling, and I have no words to describe what we have experienced, everything that we shared here in Johannesburg,” Gasol said. “This team has settled a historic debt and gives us all hope to continue ever onwards……Many thanks to all of ‘La Roja’ for making us smile and making this summer a real celebration!”

Spain’s sweet summer couldn’t have come at a better time as unemployment climbed to 20% this past month. Hopefully Gasol’s success, Nadal’s two Grand Slams and Spain’s World Cup victory will provide a glimmer of hope for Spain’s economy. Not to mention the Running of the Bulls starts today. Have fun Spain, you deserve it.

-rew

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LeBron/D-Wade/Bosh: The Top 10 Trios in Sports History

Jul 8

Posted by CTS in Basketball, Quick Thoughts | 1 Comment

Wow! No matter Chris Broussard, Michael Wilbon, and David Aldridge have been saying for the past 24 hours, I am still stunned to see LBJ take his game to South Beach and join forces with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. This makes the “Big Three” in Boston now the “Used-to-Be-Three” and puts a whole new perspective on the all-time great trios of sports history. Obviously three stars combined help win championships so it’s no surprise that James, Wade, and Bosh are the only trio in our top 10 that do not have a championship. That bodes well for King James and his hunt for a title and pursuit for greatness. Here’s how King James, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh stack up against the best threesomes in sports history.
  
10. Tommy Frazier, Ahman Green, & Lawrence Phillips - In 1995 this trio of backs helped lead Tom Osborne and Nebraska to another National Championship with a 62-24 victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl. The two stud halfbacks and quarterback Tommy Frazier set an all-time NCAA bowl record with 524 yards rushing against the number two ranked Gators. The three would finish the season combining for over 2,000 yards and all averaging over six yards per carry.
 
9. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, & Manu Ginobili - Many of you are probably wondering why the Boston-Three-Party is not in this position or even Knick greats of the 70′s such as Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier, and Willis Reed. The answer’s simple: these guys won three titles together in San Antonio. They might not have had the flash that those New York and Boston teams had but they put together a dynasty that made San Antonio the team of the 2000′s.
 
8. Bobby Hurley, Christian Latener, & Grant Hill- These three stars shocked the country and another trio of stars when they defeated the UNLV Runin’ Rebels in the national semifinal game in 1991. Duke upset what many thought to be the best college basketball team ever comprised of three top 12 picks in Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony and Naismith Player of the Year Larry Johnson. The trio would go on to win back-to-back national titles thanks to Hill to Latener and “The Shot” versus Kentucky in the Elite Eight in 1992.
 
7. LeBron James, Chris Bosh, & Dwyane Wade- A Two-time League MVP paired with an NBA Finals MVP paired with a legitimate 24-10 big man. Dwyane Wade is the oldest of the three at age 28 so expect this trio to be much higher on this list five years from now.
 
6. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, & John Smoltz- Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine have combined for 26 All-Star appearances and seven Cy Young awards. The three aces came together for a World Series title in 1995 in Atlanta’s six game victory over the Cleveland Indians. The lone championship is the reason the three Braves did not crack the top five.
 
5. James Worthy, Magic Johnson, & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – The second of two Kareem dynasties began with the selection of point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson in the 1979 NBA Draft. The two legends would team up with James Worthy in 1982 to win the Finals two more times for a total of five in the 1980′s. The three Lakers have combined for 38 A-ll-Star appearances throughout their extraordinary careers.
 
4. Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, & Larry Bird – One year after acquiring Larry Bird out of Indiana State, the Celtics rebuilt their famed organization in the 1980 NBA Draft. The Celtics traded their number one overall pick to Golden State for Robert Parish and the number three overall pick which would ending up being Kevin McHale. These three would battle Worthy, Magic, and Kareem throughout the 80′s and also pick up three titles.
 
3. Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, & Emmitt Smith – The NFL’s all-time leading rusher can thank his passing game for opening things up throughout his illustrious career. Troy Aikman had a career completion percentage of 62% including 64% in the postseason with a record of 11-5. The “Triplets” combined for four straight NFC championship games and three Lombardi trophies during the 1990′s. Aikman and Smith are both Super Bowl MVP’s and all three players are Hall-of-Famers.
 
2. Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, & Roger Craig – If the “Triplets” and their three championships of the 90′s are at number three, then you know Montana, Craig, Rice, and their four Lombardi trophies have to be at number one or two. Although Rice and Craig just three, Montana’s first Super Bowl victory puts the 49ers over the Cowboys in the two spot and why shouldn’t they be? The greatest quarterback/wide receiver tandem of all-time paired with four-time All-Pro Roger Craig to become arguably the greatest dynasty of all-time with the Steelers of the 70′s and the Cowboys of the 80′s.
 
1. Lou Gehrig, Earle Combes, & Babe Ruth – These three sluggers dominated the MLB throughout the 1920′s with the New York Yankees and put up numbersthat squashed their competitors throughout the league. The 1927 Yankees, who many argue is the greatest baseball team ever, went 110-44 being lead by a combined 107 homers between Gherig and Ruth. Gherig, Ruth, and Combes finished 1-2-3 in runs scored in the MLB for “Murderer’s Row” on their way to the first of three World Series titles together. While Gherig and Ruth get much of the attention, Combes hit .356 during that special 1927 season and was a lifetime .325 hitter. Combes was inducted into the MLB Hall-of-Fame in 1970
-scf
 

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Signing Day and LeBron’s 5 Scenarios

Jul 8

Posted by CTS in Basketball, Columns | No Comments

In almost identical fashion to high school recruiting, this 2010 NBA Free Agency Class has gone on official visits, met with coaches, talked amongst themselves, and will now wait to see what the top recruit will do on the NBA’s version of national signing day.

Instead of Tom Luginbill, you will have Tom Penn. Instead of a coin-flip’s chance of success, the team chosen will have a sure-fire home-run. And instead of a college town having an 18-year-old to talk about during the spring, a city will have a hero and a king.

The magnitude of King James legacy lies within the kingdom he chooses, and the 5 choices below are ranked from least attractive to most attractive considering both his chance of his success, and highly-discussed brand value. Lets begin:

1. New Jersey Nets – Had this article been written around lunch time on Wednesday, the Nets would have been the most attractive pick. Please remember these choices are judged from LeBron’s point of view, considering his “LeBrand.” The reason it would’ve been most attractive it is the best place for him to be a star, and early Wednesday morning it looked like he could’ve been joined by Carlos Boozer. There is no question King James will be an icon wherever he goes, but Net’s Russian owner and self-made billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov knows a thing or two about brand positioning, and would make it his personal duty to make LeBron his own nike swoosh. Not to mention LeBron’s boy crush on Jay-Z and the Yankees would be fulfilled. As far as the team goes, LBJ could join a top-tier point guard in Devin Harris, a rangy athlete in Brook Lopez, and another free agent in 2010 or 2011 such as Carmelo Anthony. That’d be a sick foursome, but since Boozer has agreed to play in Chicago, James won’t give Prokhorov a year to make the marriage work while watching former co-free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade contend for a title. It’s ok Mikhail, you’re still the 39th richest man in the world.

2. New York Knicks – It is the Big Apple and all the New York stardom that has been overblown certainly applies here, but I just don’t see this happening. Recently acquired Knickerbocker Amare Stoudemire can play some ball, but let’s remember he was playing with one of the best point guards to ever put on an NBA jersey, plus  his defense is dodgy at best. LeBron does have a relationship with Coach Mike D’Antoni from their Gold Medal run in Beijing, and he is the type of player’s coach that would let LeBron do his thing and be the “point-forward” he has always wanted to be. But sorry Spike, not enough to reel him in.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers - Many believe that LeBron’s recent attempt to court Chris Bosh to Cleveland is a sign that he will stay put near his hometown of Akron and be the hero Cleveland needs. While he may not have the glamour and stardom in Cleveland he could in New York, he wouldn’t have to compete against Jeter, Broadway Joe, and Babe Ruth, and it has been said that if he wins a title in Cleveland it would be equivalent to a couple in New York. Can’t argue with that and you have to think that if he stays, Cleveland will make a move to acquire Brendan Haywood, David Lee, or one of the marquis names still out there. Even if the Cavs don’t make a move for another free agent, they have already improved leadership with a proven coach in Byron Scott, and let’s not forget this team had the best record in the NBA the last two regular seasons. Hometown hero and a new coach, but even Kings need a change of scenery.

4. Miami Heat - Hands down the best chance to win. If he does decide to join forces with All-Stars Wade and Bosh they will not only be the favorite in the East, but they will be Vegas’ choice to overtake the Lakers for the crown. Before Boston’s run in 2008, many believed it didn’t make sense to combine multiple All-Stars on one team. They obviously proved all the naysayers wrong, but that situation is night and day from this potential South Beach party. First of all, in Boston you had three veterans who clearly put their goal of winning ahead of themselves, and you had a shooter, a slasher, and a big man. In Miami you would have two slasher/scorer hybrids and a big man, and three stars in their prime who can’t possibly share the limelight to keep up with the stardom they have today. Tick tock, tick tock, the clock is running down – who gets the ball? If LeBron cares about his brand like it seems he does, wearing MVP t-shirts and holding personal selection shows, then he will have to turn down his best chance of getting a ring to go elsewhere.

5. Chicago Bulls - Please forget about the MJ comparisons. The dude used to wear number 23. Those comparisons will be there regardless, and he will undoubtedly fail to compare to his airness. But that shouldn’t influence his decision. The new #6 would be going to a huge market, a great sport’s town hungry for an NBA contender, would still be the man, and would have the best supporting cast he could ask for. Please imagine LeBron playing with not one but two dominant big men who can play defense and dominate the boards in Boozer and Noah and one heck of a facilitating point guard in Derrick Rose. This scenario makes too much sense. He can be the star he wants to be and have the help he’s always wanted. King James, you will never be MJ, swallow your pride and head to the Windy City and attempt to make Bulls basketball synonymous with the Lakers and Celtics for future generations.

No matter where LeBron ends up, his decision on this unprecedented NBA signing day is sure to change the complexion of the league for at least the next four years and possibly the entire decade. Stay tuned and watch amazing happen on Thursday night.

-rew

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This One’s Different: Lakers Capture 16th Title

Jun 18

Posted by CTS in Basketball, Columns | 2 Comments

This time around its different. Whether its number 1, number 5, or number 11 its different.

For the Celtics its obviously different than 2008, who were overmatched physically by the same team who they themselves called soft 2 years ago. Different in a sense that the Boston 3 party could be split up and/or be without the second best coach in the NBA next year. With the age of Ray Allen, KG, Paul Pierce, and Rasheed Wallace its anybody’s guess who will be back, and its certainly different for Rondo, who for the first time in his career will be wondering if he will be on a contender next year.

Similar to Rondo, if you’re a Celtics fan you are between a rock and a hard place. Do you want your front office to stay loyal to the players that have won a ring and been 4 points away from another, or go after some of the big-ticket free agents and add to the younger core of Rondo, Perkins and Big Baby? Personally I think Ray Allen and KG have some fight left in them, and if the C’s can add a 3 point threat off the bench like Mike Miller or J.J. Reddick – whose to say they can’t make another trip to the Finals.

As for the Lakers, it may seem too difficult to see how this ring is much different than last year, but believe me, it is.

For starters, Phil Jackson will now have to get his ring sized as a toe ring, Kobe can go to dinner with Magic, and Ron Artest gets number one. Phil also won his first game 7 in the NBA finals, and continued his insanely underrated streak of 48-0 in playoff series when his team wins Game 1.

In his interview you could tell how relieved he was; you could tell even Dr. Chill Zen Master felt the stress of this series. He mentioned medical issues that could force him into retirement and for a second it seemed like that was the likely move. But immediately after Hannah Storm asked him about the possibility of a 4th 3-peat and his eyes lit up. I don’t care if you have 11 rings or 0, who the hell could turn down returning to a team that has one of the best players of all-time and an All-Star forward inked up through 2013?

Speaking of Gasol, it could be said that this title is the most different for him. Not only because he was able to silence his critics and beat the one team who is the reason for his “GaSoft” label, but he was able to provide Spain with a much-needed bright spot after their World Cup football loss to Switzerland earlier this week. Those who have been to Spain can tell you Gasol is right up there with Nadal and their national futbol team. Coming into this World Cup, Spain had won 37 of their last 38 games and was a heavy favorite to not only demolish Switzerland but to win the World Cup. Thanks to boom boom Pau Gasol they can now enjoy another NBA title and forgot about their miserable loss to Switzerland.

Now for the Black Mamba, anyone who watched his interview with Hannah Storm and his press conference will tell you that describing this title as different for Kobe is an understatement. Sure he can eat dinner with Magic, now has more rings than Shaq, and beat the Celtics – but it’s more than that.

In the past two days he seemed a little off. He was his normal emotion-less, insanely-focused self, but to the extreme degree. He was in his words “suppressing” the big stage, the rivalry, his legacy – but we came to find out it affected him more than anyone else.

He started the game with 20-ft turnarounds hitting the side of the backboard and went 3-14 in the first half. But what matters most is the 4th quarter and of course he clutched up with 10 points, made big free throws, and ended with a season-high 15 rebounds. The team that won the rebound battle won every game, and you better believe Kobe wore his ass out crashing the boards like he did last night. But to me the main difference was his relief, his candor after the game.

Have you ever seen Kobe let down his guard, be honest and engage the media like that? For the first time since his incident in Colorado it appeared he wasn’t reading directly from a script, although daughters in the lap was pretty solid PR. He even told the media that his down-playing or suppressing of the moment was a bunch of B.S. He was smiling and joking with reporters and even admitted he was tired. This was different for Kobe, different for all.

And by all I don’t just mean the Lakers. This is different for all fans of the NBA. Last night’s finals were the highest rated (18.2) since MJ and the Bulls beat the Jazz back in 1998. And according to NBA.com the ratings have steadily increased since 2008 regular season and playoffs alike.

If you’re David Stern what more could you ask for?  You got the two traditional powerhouses duking it out in a thrilling Game 7 coupled with arguably the biggest free agency market the NBA has ever seen. This is a far cry from the boring-ass days of Tim Duncan and the Spurs quietly sweeping a weak Eastern Conference team, and it seems that amazing really does happen in the NBA.

-rew

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Remembering Jr : The Top 10 #24′s in Sports

Jun 9

Posted by CTS in Baseball, Basketball, Football, Quick Thoughts | 4 Comments

With the sad news of Ken Griffey Jr.’s recent retirement from baseball, we get to reflect on his great career and remember the real Jr. The one jumping fences in Seattle at the Kingdome, the man that built Safeco Field and the Michael Jordan of baseball. After Griffey made the switch to #30 and Cincinnati his career was never the same. Because of this, we remember the healthy years of Jr. and honor the top #24′s in sports.

1. Willie Mays – Arguably the greatest baseball player of all time. Mays was an absolute stat machine throughout his legendary career and finished with a .302 lifetime average, 660 home runs, 3283 hits, 2 MVP’s, 12 gold gloves, and a World Series title in 1954.

2. Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners) – The greatest player of his generation and the closest thing to Mays we may ever see. During an era where practically every other slugger in baseball was juicing, Griffey was able to have 7 seasons (6 of which were in SEA) of 40+ HR including back-to-back 56 HR years in ’97-98. Defensively, Junior snagged 10 straight gold glove seasons from 1990-1999.

3. Kobe Bryant – Number 8 may have a couple more titles but number 24 is gaining and continues to prove to be the greatest player in the world. 24 doesn’t have Shaq and is in his third straight NBA Finals. Not bad.

4. Moses Malone (Rockets) – Malone never won a title wearing deuce quatro but he did take home 2 of his 3 MVP awards while in Houston. In a game against the New Orleans Jazz in February of 1979, the 6’10 Malone grabbed 37 rebounds. Just three short of Rodman’s goal we used to all laugh it.

5. Rick Barry – Barry may shoot free throws like a granny but he sure doesn’t play like one. The 6 time NBA first teamer scored 25,729 points in his fifteen year career and even won Finals MVP with the Warriors in 1975.

6. Barry Bonds (Pirates) – Bonds was able to be dominant wearing 24 as a Buc from 1986-1992. During those years Bonds won 2 MVP awards and finished runner-up to Terry Pendleton for the award in 1991, preventing 3 straight. Bonds was a force in the field as well capturing three gold gloves in his final three years in Pittsburgh. The amazing thing is many believe all of this was done pre-juice (allegedly).

7. Jeff Gordon – The #24 Dupont Chevy Monte Carlo won 4 Nascar Cup titles and has 82 wins and 366 top 10’s. While teammate Jimmie Johnson has been doing most of the winning of late, the Rainbow Warrior continues to contend for Cups and is not finished with four.

8. Rickey Henderson – The greatest base stealer of all time wore 24 for many different ball clubs over his career. After leaving the Yankees after 4 seasons in 1989, Rickey left his number to the one player who was faster than he was: Deion Sanders.

9. Champ Bailey – The best corner of the past decade and one of the most humble players in the league. The 9 time Pro Bowler has 46 career interceptions and would have twice as many if people actually threw his way. Well, Romo threw Champ’s way in the fourth quarter last season. We saw how those 3 tries worked out.

10. Manny Ramirez (Red Sox) – One of the greatest Red Sox of all time. Ramirez was an All-Star in all 9 seasons with the BoSox and led the AL in batting, HR’s, and RBI’s all at one point during his Boston career. Ramirez won two World Series titles while in Beantown and was the World Series MVP in the Sox’ epic 2004 season.

-scf

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2010 Free Agency: What Makes NYC the Place to Be

Jun 8

Posted by CTS in Basketball, Columns | 3 Comments

I have officially given up. I have refused to discuss LeBron James and the 2010 class of free agents until the season is over but I can’t help it. It’s so captivating. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t compare to Celtics/Lakers in the Finals, but with free agency just weeks away, it’s hard not to think what the NBA might look like over the next decade. One thing’s for sure though, Madison Square Garden will be rocking.
 
The Knicks are under the salary cap for the first time since the summer of 1996 and are so far under the cap that they can sign two maximum level contracts this summer. Thanks in large part to the deal that sent Tracy McGrady and his $23 million expiring contract to the Knicks in February, New York is more than $30 million under the salary cap and can, and will, sign two big names this offseason.
 
Why New York though? Why do so many of this years’ free agents have New York on their minds? Of all the sought after free agents (Bosh, Boozer, James, Johnson, Nowitzki, Stoudemire, Wade) Dwayne Wade is the only one with a ring. So if players such as King James are trying to develop their legacy and win championships, why would they choose the New York Knicks? During this past decade, the Knicks officially took over the Clippers role as joke of the league as they compiled just one winning season (2000-2001) and lost their only playoff appearance 3 games to 2 to the Toronto Raptors.
 
The Knicks have totally cleaned house in New York and will even lose the club’s only consistent player over the past 5 years in Forward David Lee. Lee, who averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Knickerbockers in ’09-10, will be too expensive to tag along with 2 max contracts the Knicks will add this offseason and will take his game elsewhere in 2010.
 
Whatever big name free agents that want to come to New York and win a title, will have to start from scratch. So if you’re LeBron James or Chris Bosh, what makes New York so appealing? Duh. MSG, the bright lights, and a type of fame and stardom one could only achieve in a place like the Big Apple. Many believe all of this could lure King James and his court of free agents to the city that never sleeps instead of going to a place like Chicago or staying in Cleveland; two franchises that have championship pieces already in place.
 
This summer and the ’10 free agent class is eerily similar to the free agent class of 1996, the last time the Knicks were under the salary cap. During the summer of ’96, big names of the NBA such as Charles Barkley, Alonzo Mourning, Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo, Juwan Howard, Allan Houston, Shaquille O’Neal, and Michael Jordan were all free agents.
 
That summer, the Knicks were determined to grab the big names and team Patrick Ewing up with somebody who could help win him and the Knicks a championship. The first target: Michael Jordan. The Knicks wanted to nab Jordan along with his head coach and former Knick Phil Jackson. The Knicks even offered his Airness a stake in ownership of the franchise but Jordan liked his four titles in Chicago, so he stuck around with Phil and won two more.

MJ to NYC? Spike would've liked that

 
Next on the Knicks wish list was the tandem of Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley. New York believed the trio of Miller, Barkley, and Ewing would be enough to overtake MJ and Chicago in the East and into the Finals. Barkley decided he’d rather form a different trio of stars and take his game to Houston to team up with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. After Barkley went to Houston, Miller decided to remain loyal and try to capture a title in Indiana. With Centers O’Neal and Mourning practically off-limits because of Patrick Ewing, the Knicks finally settled on the one player who wanted to come to New York, Allan Houston. Houston would enjoy a successful career in New York but only took the franchise to the Finals one time. The team’s Finals appearance came in a lockout shortened 1999 season in which the eight seeded Knicks were swept by David Robinson, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals.
 
Fourteen years later and the Knicks are back in position to sign big names and become relevant again. Only this time, the big names want to play in the big city and the Knicks are almost assured of landing two of these stars. Today’s stars are dying to be noticed and want to be on a stage. What bigger stage is there than Madison Square Garden and New York City?
 
Jordan turned New York down but I don’t see LeBron doing the same. With Kobe Bryant currently fighting for his fifth ring and taking back the “best player in the world” label LeBron stole for about four months or so, King James needs the type of attention that six weeks of intense NBA front office recruitment can’t even offer. James needs the attention that only a title or the Big Apple can bring.
 
New York City offers a spotlight to James and other free agents that other cities can’t. LeBron wants to build a legacy similar to that of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and has a lot of trophies to win to do it. James knows that if he stays in Cleveland or goes to Chicago he will have to accumulate enough rings to fill up an entire hand if he wants to be mentioned with the Michaels, Magics, and Kobe’s of the world. If he goes to the Knicks and wins them their first championship in almost forty years, he will be on top of the world and be secured in history. Former Yankee slugger Reggie Jackson talked about New York and the benefits of winning in the city saying “If Jordan won four in New York rather than six in Chicago, he’d be even bigger than he is now”. LeBron’s still looking for number one and he knows one title in New York is as big or bigger than multiple titles elsewhere.
-scf

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Not So Fast My Friend: The Rebuttal

Jun 2

Posted by CTS in Basketball, Columns, Quick Thoughts | No Comments

10 Reasons the Celtics will beat the Lakers

1. D-Fish – All props to the four-time world champion for his fabulous defense over the last month. Only problem is it’s a new month and he’s guarding a different point guard. Deron Williams and Steve Nash are two of the league’s best there is no doubt about it, but neither of them can match the speed and quickness of Rajon Rondo or even a Russell Westbrook. In the Lakers first round series against the Thunder, Fisher had no answer for the speedy Westbrook who shot 47% for the series averaging 20 points and 6 assists per game. Now the Lakers are counting on him to slow down the most dynamic player on the court in what looks to be a long series. Fisher’s played well, but I see Shannon Brown getting more minutes this series in order to keep up with Rondo.

2. Lamardashian – This is not a reason the Lakers will win. Odom has to be good, if not the Lakers have no shot to begin with. In the 2008 Finals against the Celtics, Odom averaged 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game while shooting 51% as the Lakers fell in 6 games. If Odom is anything less than he was in ’08, the Lakers will be watching Boston celebrate after game 6 once again.

3. Doc’s not as hungry? – Well call me crazy then because this statement is false. Anyone who saw the passion that Rivers coached with in the ’09 playoffs knows this man is hungry. You would’ve never known the Big Ticket was on the bench in ’09 if you were watching Doc. That man coached like he expected his depleted team to go back-to-back even though they were without the 2008 defensive player of the year. This is Boston vs. L.A. in the Finals; Doc’s hungry.

4. Gasol & Co. – Okay, I agree with everything said about Gasol. He is playing some good ball and he’s definitely playing with more of an edge than he did in ’08. The problem I have is the “& Co.” part. I have been over Odom and how vital his play is to the Lakers but Andrew Bynum is someone who may just need to stay injured. Obviously the Lakers and the Zen-Master know that KG and the Celtics front line is physical so how will a banged up Bynum be effective against not only KG but a better and more mature Kendrick Perkins? Perkins, who was only 23 when the teams met in ’08, is a great defender and I believe the only success Bynum will be able to have against him is if he gets him T’d up and suspended.

5. Pierce will be arTested – True. But Artest is the one facing the real test. Artest has to guard the ’08 Finals MVP who will be playing in his hometown of L.A., a place Pierce has dominated the Lakers. Inglewood in the house.

6. James Posey + Eddie House > Rasheed Wallace + Nate robinson – Okay, we finally agree on something. Well, kind of. Although I hate the loss of Posey to free agency and I’m still wondering what the C’s were doing trading Eddie House to the Knicks for Nate Robinson, the Celtics bench is fine. Tony Allen will be the biggest player off the bench for the Celtics and they believe that he can come in and contain Kobe for 15-20 minutes a game. Sheed isn’t what he used to be but he can provide a spark and also gives Boston 6 more fouls for the three Laker 7-footers. As for KryptoNate, he is coming off his best game of the playoffs in which he scored 13 in the series clinching game 6 win over Orlando.

7. Maturity vs. Aging – I don’t know if my colleague has been paying attention to the Eastern Conference but Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo are totally different players than they were in 2008. Instead of being weak points, Rondo leads the Celtic offense while Perkins has become a force on the defensive end. O yeah, Rondo’s not bad defensively either and the Celtics championship is only two years old.

8. Home-Court Advantage – Yeah that’s tough to argue but I don’t see the series going to a game 7. The C’s have stolen homecourt already twice this postseason and I expect them to take game 1 and do it again at Staples on Thursday. The series will get back to L.A., but the Lakers won’t last seven.

9. The Zen-Master – Yeah yeah yeah I know Phil is 43-0 when he wins game 1 but like I said earlier, that’s not going to happen. We will all agree that Phil is the better of the two coaches but Rivers has beaten him before and he can beat him again. As for the Phil comments, nice prediction by my partner as Jackson called out KG yesterday.

10. The Kobe Face – Just like MJ’s tongue, chances are if you are seeing Kobe’s fangs, you are going to lose. That’s just how it is and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The Celtics will have to keep fresh bodies on Kobe throughout the series and make sure that face doesn’t appear. Kobe is the ultimate competitor and I don’t believe there’s anything he can’t do. However, he is just one player and one player can’t do everything. Ask Carmello or LeBron. The Celtics will let Kobe have his 30 but they will keep him from exploding and take this thing in 6.

-scf

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