Mastering Triangular Zen

Back when Phil Jackson had recently won his 8th NBA championship ring as a head coach (6 with the Bulls followed by 2 with the Lakers) I wrote an article declaring that he was overrated.  I don't remember if calling people a "hater" was a thing back then, but if it was, folks from Los Angeles and Chicago and beyond surely would have called me one.  As a Knicks fan, Phil's championships with the Bulls had rubbed me the wrong way.  I took those he won with the Lakers less personally, but I didn't see his championships with a second team and different cast of players as proof that he had the Midas Touch when it came to hoops.  As I saw it, he had simply gone from one stacked situation to another and done what he was supposed to do in both.  Below I have reprinted my analysis of the legend of Phil Jackson.  These days, as a GM rather than head coach but still, my words seem rather prophetic.  Typically I love to be proven right.  But since the team he's now back with is the New York Knicks, I would have preferred to have been proven wrong.  Hope and logic say that next season will look A LOT better than this one for my Knickerbockers.  Until then, I suffer along with fellow fans.  Phil has been the butt of some jokes lately, but his impeccable legacy can easily handle the hits until he is able to follow up on Jordan+Pippen and Shaq+Kobe with Melo+player to be named later.  Prove me wrong, Phil.  I'm looking forward to it.   

Some people are blessed with a Midas touch. Others are born under a lucky star. Good fortune is the result in either case, but that which we credit for their accomplishments differs. After all, there is a crucial distinction between a man who does great things and one whom great things happen to. It is usually easy enough to tell such men apart, to see who belongs in one category and who resides in the other. But on occasion there are exceptions, enigmas about whom we cannot be certain no matter how closely we examine their lives.

Take Los Angeles Lakers coach, Phil Jackson. There is no disputing the success he has had in the NBA. Six championships with the Chicago Bulls, followed by a year off in which time that dynasty promptly crumbled, succeeded by a return to coaching that has netted him two more championships in as many years. It makes one wonder why pro basketball teams even bother to play out their seasons. Shouldn't David Stern simply head over to the headquarters of whichever team Phil Jackson happens to be running at the time and hand the man his trophy? 


I will admit right now that it's difficult for me to be unbiased in my opinion about Jackson. I happen to be a Knicks fan who vividly recalls the numerous times that they fell to Phil and his Bulls, but I'm not old enough to have recollections of when he played for the Knicks. So, since I only know him as the enemy, the temptation is great for me to side with those who feel that Phil is not a genius, but merely a good coach who has been the beneficiary of having some of the most talented individuals ever to lace up a pair of sneakers play for him. At this point in time (his legend possibly to be either validated or tarnished if he makes yet another comeback), Michael Jordan is a near unanimous choice for greatest basketball player of all time. His teammate Scottie Pippen was no slouch either. When two of the five guys that a coach has the luxury of sending out are at or near the top of the NBA's list of elite performers, how can you lose? In Phil Jackson's case, the answer is that you can't lose, because with that particular hand of cards he never did fall short. 

Of course, Jackson is not the only man in recent memory to have coached a dynamic duo. To name just one, although there are certainly several more examples I can give, Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz has had Karl Malone and John Stockton at his disposal for years. They have been remarkably consistent in winning a great many games while together, but they have not managed to win a single title. Were Malone and Stockton simply not as good as Jordan and Pippen? Perhaps not. Is Phil Jackson a greater strategist and motivator than Sloan. Perhaps. Even so, does coaching "the greatest" entitle one to the same accolades as the men actually performing the feats of skill and bravado? I've yet to hear anyone claim that Muhammad Ali achieved what he did in the ring because Angelo Dundee was the ultimate boxing trainer. Dundee received due credit for his work, but the man who threw and received the punches received the bulk of the praise. In Jackson's case, he gets a considerable degree of glory without having to put up a single shot. 


There is ample evidence that points to Phil Jackson being the greatest coach in NBA history, and perhaps even the most accomplished coach in the history of sports. The man already has eight championships under his belt, and all signs indicate that his current team is capable of earning several more under his helm. When the Bulls disbanded, it appeared as if Jackson's streak of success was over with. No matter what team he went to next, he would not have the safety net of Superman in a number 23 jersey to bail him out. Those who had reason to begrudge Jackson his triumphs reasoned with glee that he would be brought crashing down to earth wherever he ended up. Where he ended up was with the Los Angeles Lakers. Was the drop off in talent he had to work with at all significant when he went from Jordan and Pippen to Shaq and Kobe? The results say - apparently not. Or perhaps they proclaim - give Phil a couple of excellent players to build a triangle around and he'll beat your guys with his every time, no matter who the respective guys happen to be. Which of these conclusions is the correct one? Depends on your perspective. 


Much has been said about Phil Jackson's coaching technique. His vaunted triangle offense has consistently managed to get the ball into the hands of the team's best player, or else their second best player, while a collection of carefully selected role players take care of less glamorous but still invaluable duties. Imitation being the sincerest and most common form of flattery, other teams have employed the triangle with nowhere near the same degree of success. These teams have not had Jordan-Pippen or Shaq-Kobe, but they did feature players who made the star oriented three point offense seem like a fine idea at the time. Does the fact that they failed where Phil succeeded prove that Jackson is a coach without peer? Or does this mask the fact that if Jackson had found himself in less fortunate circumstances throughout his career, he would have had far less impressive results? 

It is easy to be irked by Phil's smug demeanor; the zen aura he exudes and fortune cookie wisdom dispensed; and his largely hands-off approach to dealing with turmoil, such as his habit of refusing to call time outs as other coaches do to stall an adversary's momentum. All of these things add up to a single infuriating perception. Phil Jackson acts as if he somehow knows in advance that he will be victorious. Far more frequently than not, he turns out to be right. It's enough to make one suspect that the man has made a pact with the devil. Has Phil Jackson created his incredible string of luck, or is the streak of good fortune responsible for inventing the sterling reputation of Phil Jackson? 


When Shaq and Kobe were feuding earlier this past season, both even separately demanding to be traded, it looked as if Phil Jackson might finally be exposed for the plain old ordinary man that he just had to be. But behind closed doors the situation mysteriously righted itself, bad attitudes were checked at the door, and the Lakers peaked with perfect timing in order to enjoy the most successful NBA playoff run ever. While with the Bulls, Jackson coached a certain miscreant by the name of Dennis Rodman. Dennis proved to be a distracting divisive force who negated his rebounding prowess with bad boy behavior on other teams.  But he didn’t hurt his Bulls teammates one bit, judging by all of those rings on their fingers. Apparently being a master psychiatrist is also part of Phil Jackson's resume. 


The only thing that those of us not in the Phil Jackson fan club can point to with satisfaction are the two seasons with the Bulls when his best player was MIA chasing after curve balls. During Michael Jordan's foray into baseball the Bulls remained a solid playoff caliber team, but they did not stay unbeatable. The Knicks and the Magic outlasted Phil Jackson in those seasons, both of them ultimately going down at the hands of the Houston Rockets. Scottie Pippen arguably became the game's best player without the shadow of Jordan cast over him, so why were championship trophies awarded to Hakeem Olajuwan and Rudy Tomjanovich? Why wasn't the coaching guru extraordinaire able to continue his win streak without missing a beat? Was his mortality finally exposed? Had holes of reality finally been poked in the myth of invincibility? The point became largely moot when Jordan and Chicago championships returned, and it has been just about forgotten thanks to Jackson's continued success with a different cast of characters in LA. At this rate, the only matter that will be left for basketball scholars to debate is whether the best of Phil's Lakers teams could beat his Bulls in their prime. You aren't doing too shabby when your only worthy competition is yourself. 


After much consideration, much to my distaste, I am forced to admit that Phil Jackson is enormously talented at what he does. What does he do? He gets himself into the best possible circumstances, leaves the real leading to his best players on the floor, and keeps the ship moving forward with a steady hand. The extreme confidence and composure that he possesses transfer to the men under his watch. His players sense no fear in him, whether they are up against a quality opponent or fighting their own inner demons, so they usually gather themselves in troubled times and take care of the business at hand. If Phil Jackson suddenly found himself as coach of the Clippers or the Nuggets or the Bulls as currently constructed, would he end up with yet another championship team by season's end? Most certainly not. I'd take a man like Doc Rivers over Phil Jackson to get a group of marginally talented players to overachieve any day of the week. But on the flip side of the equation, I didn't see former Lakers coaches Del Harris or Kurt Rambis leading the Lakers to the promised land, and they had the same main weapons that Jackson utilized with much greater efficiency. I'm not sure if Phil is suited to make a bad team good, and he has failed in the past to make a good team great. But there is no disputing his mastery as taking a great team and making them a dynasty. We can only question how dubious such a feat is. 


Shaq and Kobe are still young men. As Phil Jackson has done before with his superstars, he has gotten them to submerge their egos for the good of the team and the multitude of endorsements that will surely keep coming their winning way. It may be a long time indeed before another NBA coach gets his hands on the championship trophy, so for those who haven't already done so, get used to seeing Jackson's smug grin of satisfaction. Then again, it would really be something if Michael Jordan does come back and managed to lead the Washington Wizards to the Finals against the Lakers. Could it be that the man most responsible for having created the legend of Phil Jackson is the only one capable of smashing it? 

Midas touch or lucky star? My money is on the latter. After all, if truly everything that Phil Jackson touched turned to gold, the President of this great nation would be his buddy and former teammate, Bill Bradley. Instead, we ended up with George Bush, the equivalent of a first round playoff exit at best. I suggest that Phil restrict the sphere of his influence to men in shorts from here on out.

Fingers crossed for much brighter days ahead at Madison Square Garden.

Post by Basketball Genius.

@sportspickle @DJGalloEtc here's the most Knicks/Lakers moment of the night pic.twitter.com/BjSAn7jpR1
— Michael Tomisser (@MykeeT) March 13, 2015

@ThomasCDee pic.twitter.com/qqmnkiahHa

— Jake Hyman (@JakeHymanNJNY) January 11, 2016

Crime and Punishment or Lack Thereof

The world of sports has been enduring a rather bumpy ride of late, and no one is dealing (quite poorly) with more turbulence than NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.  If his league received any positive publicity regarding gay rights when all eyes were on Michael Sam during the draft, it has quickly been squandered one controversy after another.  As appetizer, the Washington Redskins are under more heat than ever before to change their racist name.  Had the league pressured the team to comply, Goodell could have placed it on the right side of history.  Instead the issue remains a case of team owner Dan Snyder refusing to cater to people’s racial sensitivities while the league looks away.

Squabbling over a team name is nothing compared to what took place next.  Ray Rice was somewhat improbably forgiven by his girlfriend for punching her into a state of unconsciousness.  Now Janay is Mrs. Ray Rice and the two of them are a united front against those declaring that something needs to be done to discourage domestic violence.  Roger Goodell was in as nearly a forgiving mood as Janay, suspending Ray for a mere two games.  That was before TMZ showed us the rest of the tape, the portion showing not just Ray dragging Janay’s body out of the elevator in nonchalant fashion, but the punch that preceded it.  Goodell tried some too little too late maneuvering by declaring that future domestic violence offenses will result in no less than a 6-game suspension.  Eventually he did a 360 and suspended Ray Rice indefinitely.  He thought we would accept his claim that he had never seen the entire video tape prior to TMZ’s public release of it, so that’s why his initial punishment was so lenient.  Nobody bought it.

We weren’t over being angry at Roger for completely mishandling Ray Rice’s transgressions when Adrian Peterson went and got himself indicted for abusing one of his kids.  Did AP possibly think it was an acceptable form of discipline to whip a 4 year old with a switch so severely that it left the back of child's legs looking like he was on the set of 12 Years a Slave?  Oh yes he did.  Reggie Bush chiming in that if necessary he’ll harshly discipline his own 1 year old daughter because tough love is what it’s all about certainly didn’t help matters.  In their infinite wisdom the Minnesota Vikings decided that since Peterson hasn’t been convicted of a crime yet, he could continue playing and not miss so much as a single game.  After public outcry and major corporate sponsors threatening to jump ship, they thought better of it.  Goodell has barely made a peep about Adrian Peterson, still licking his wounds while an investigation is underway regarding his bungling of Ray Rice.  Add names such as Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald and Jonathan Dwyer to the pile of problems that Goodell should be taking care of rather than hiding under his desk.  Agreement on a new drug policy is certainly not the cure to what ails him.  It’s barely window dressing on a gaping wound.

Ray Rice is appealing his suspension. Punishing him sufficiently in the first place would have made life much easier for Roger Goodell. 6 to 8 games probably would have been satisfactory to many who rightfully felt 2 games was ridiculous.  It remains to be seen how lawyers will advise Adrian Peterson to counter.  Since he hasn’t plead guilty or been convicted of a crime, he may have a strong case down the line.  Roger Goodell just wants it to all go away.  But the only way for that to happen may be for him to go away, leaving the NFL commissioner job in somebody else’s hands.

If Goodell is replaced, the new guy/gal may want to study the playbook of NBA commissioner Adam Silver.  Hit with drama almost immediately after taking over for David Stern, Silver has fared well as the new sheriff in town.  I was surprised by how harshly he dealt with Donald Sterling and thought it might blow up in his face, but Silver stood his ground and Sterling tearfully slunk away looking like a crazy old bigot best quickly forgotten.  Perhaps Silver has simply been lucky so far.  Or it could be he’s the smarter commissioner who knows the best way to deal with a troublesome situation is to confront and strongly impose your moral code upon it.    

There were plenty who disagreed with how Goodell handled the Saints in their Bounty-gate scandal, felt his reaction was too severe, but at least Roger came off as a man of conviction with intolerance of violence not so long ago.  Once upon a time Roger Goodell was the tough love guy in charge.  Now he looks like a guy who is in way over his head.  

But when it comes to being lenient on cash cow athletes, he is certainly not alone.

All He Does Is Lin

Petition by fans to keep Jeremy Lin in NY



Anyone who reads this blog with regularity or follows me on Twitter knows that I frequently discuss the subject of race relations. They also know that I love to talk sports. So when a water cooler topic arises that merges the two, I'm usually all over it with swiftness. In the case of the phenomenon that is Linmania, I've held back from writing extensively about it until now. And although I'm finally caving in and joining the runaway bandwagon, my thoughts will be kept relatively brief. After all, pretty much everyone has written pretty much everything about the sensation that is Jeremy Lin. Those who typically write about race but rarely about sports have chimed in. Those who usually write about sports but rarely about race have added their two cents. Those who rarely write or talk much about either race or sports have been compelled to comment. What more can possibly be left to say?

I probably won't unearth any new ways to play with the guy's name. Jeremy is a real Linderalla story and we're all in the throes of Linsanity. He is Super Lintendo come to save the day, and by that I mean a great deal more than merely the fortunes of his New York Knicks. He has also arrived on the scene to make us examine our prejudices and preconceptions, and this ultimately makes better people of us all. Something like that.

What Lin comparison can I make that has not already been brought to light? At first people made a connection to Tim Tebow primarily because Tim was the latest scorching hot trend just a couple months ago. Other than the meteoric rises of their respective popularity, they don't have very much in common though. In the era of social media all trends are magnified more than ever before because everyone is able to see what is on everyone else's mind on a continuous basis. Tebow inspired Facebook updates and tweets gave way to the same regarding Jeremy Lin. They are two athletes enjoying improbable early success, so there's that too. Of course, the most improbable thing about Tebow's success was that he achieved it with seemingly so little talent. One is tempted to call Tim a very lucky man, but since he wears his religion on his sleeve I suppose the word we're supposed to go with is blessed.

As for Jeremy Lin, also a rather spiritual fellow, most who initially believed he was a flash in the pan have by now conceded that he is talented at basketball. The improbable aspect is that he has succeeded in the NBA while Chinese. No point in tip toeing around this perception. Sure he went undrafted, and yes, Harvard is not a basketball powerhouse. But regardless of those factors, if Lin wasn't Asian I wouldn't be writing this blog posting and you would not have possibly found it because you were googling him.

The truly special thing about Jeremy Lin, the man as well as the growing myth, is that his existence destroys a racial stereotype. And at least from my point of view, that's the very best thing one can do to a racial stereotype. People keep double taking because they find it so difficult to accept that they're watching him pull off what a Chinese guy theoretically should not be able to do. If we go back to the reign of Tiger Woods in golf pre Blonde Ambitions, we'll recall a somewhat similar occurrence. Difference is, there is not much if anything in particular about golf that makes it seem a black person would have any more trouble mastering it than a white person. There are far fewer black golfers than white golfers for a variety of reasons, including the very important one that golf is an expensive sport and you don't find golf courses all over the place, unlike basketball courts. Tennis is another sport featuring black stars few and far between. The Williams sisters came along and took over for a good long while. Like Tiger they were exceptions that proved the rule to be a falsehood, although neither golf nor tennis is much blacker in attendance than it was prior to Tiger, Venus and Serena. There have been many African Americans in football for quite awhile, so although it took longer than it should have, eventually they gained foothold in "thinking man" positions such as quarterback and head coach. Each of these situations were unique and therefore headline grabbing at first, but quite plausible when you thought about them. History was made in a fashion much more fascinating than shocking.

But Jeremy Lin pulls off both feats. We are both enthralled and stunned. Basketball at the most elite level demands a degree of athleticism we're not expecting to see from someone Chinese/Japanese/Vietnamese/Korean/etc. I'm not sure why this is since a Martial Arts expert is about as athletic as they come, and that club certainly doesn't exclude Asians. Generally Asian dominance in American sports is uncommon because participation is low. The typical Tiger Mom that we learned about not too long ago is unlikely to be pushing her son to a basketball court, demanding that he average no less than a triple double. Maybe this is because that son is infrequently over six feet tall. Jeremy Lin does not look like a typical pro basketball player in race/nationality/anything, so he had to prove to us that he has what it takes. Boy, did he ever. Some people are so genuinely befuddled by the rise of Lin that they keep mistaking offensiveness for cleverness. Chink in the armor? Did you really think that would fly?

I doubt the NBA will become dominated by a wave of Asian point guards any time soon, but won't call it impossible because the beauty of Jeremy's accomplishment is that it redefines what we view as possible. Nobody is looking very far ahead though. Trends are not about what was or what will be. They're about what's taking place right here and now, and at the moment nothing and nobody is hotter than Jeremy Lin. Even our trendy First Black President is impressed. Barack Obama knows a thing or two about defying expectations. He realizes just as a point guard does, perhaps because he plays some b-ball himself, that it's quite useful when your opponent believes your skills are limited and predictable. This makes it that much easier to take people by surprise.

I'm happy about what Jeremy Lin is accomplishing and bemused by reactions to it, such as the examples below. The fact that he's doing it for my beloved hometown team makes it all the sweeter. Stereotype smashing is great, but it's basketball season and the Knicks have not done diddly squat for more years than I wish to count. Things are finally looking up (granted, I have been teased by temporary success before only to watch it come crashing down) and I could care less how popular or trailblazing their point guard happens to be. I just want to be able to keep counting wins, and since being made a starter Lin has kept them coming at a steady clip. Other sports analysts and sociological bloggers can examine his effect on our collective consciousness with greater depth if they wish. I'm just enjoying the magic carpet ride. By all appearances, so is Jeremy.

New cut 🔥 pic.twitter.com/junaEMZ0Fl

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 3, 2017

IMHO we should all feel free to borrow freely (so long as it's respectfully) from other cultures and wear our hair however we fancy.

Not my first time making this statement btw.

Down goes Lebron - Down goes LeBron

My tweeted thoughts (with a few from other folks on Twitter sprinkled in as well) on defeat of the Miami Heat's Big 3 ("led" by a prematurely crowned king) at the hands of the class act Dallas Mavericks. Proof positive that teams beat collections.



RT @KingJames Now or Never!!


Great players have been prevented from becoming champions before. Ewing, Barkley, Malone, Iverson, the list goes on and on. But they shared a trait. When those guys got to the Finals they went for it with everything they had in them, left it all on the court. Left in defeat but not shame. Can you honestly say that about LeBron’s performance in the Finals this year, particularly in Now or Never quarter #4.

Champs know how to close the show. Snatch spotlight & force other guys to be spectators to their greatness. LeBron is a near perfect hybrid of Magic Johnson & Michael Jordan physically. But at do or die time he was neither magical nor like Mike.

Being in spotlight voluntarily means you take the good with the bad. THE DECISION was choosing to shine spotlight on spotlight, so if LeBron and his fans don’t like the negativity headed his way, there’s only one person to blame and it isn’t the media or “haters”.

The last pro athletes to be as despised as LeBron is (at least for the moment) were probably George Foreman & Joe Frazier because Muhammad Ali was a master of spin control. Lebron’s the opposite.

Ali got people to hate his opponents. Neat trick. LeBron got people to hate HIM. Only useful if you WANT to be the bad guy, feed off it. I don’t believe that’s truly what LeBron wants or what he feeds off of.

Before Ali was beloved he was often perceived as the "bad guy" in the ring. He thrived regardless of whether you loved or hated him. It will be interesting to see if LeBron’s game is affected at all by his popularity level going forward.

Good thing for Miami that Dirk's feelings were hurt by LeBron/Wade mocking, causing him to hoist bricks for much of final game of series, otherwise Mavs win it by 20+. Congrats to the Dallas Mavericks, new NBA champions.

Of course Dirk got his in the 4th. You know why? Cause that's what champions do. Take note, LeBron.



Maybe now Dirk starts getting long overdue credit. The dude shoots 3's like Reggie Miller, crazy handle, fall back Js at ridiculous angles, solid post game, all of this at 7 feet tall. Incredible!



With all due respect, those who thought Miami would win are those who get all caught up in highlight reel dunks rather than fundamental basketball.



Once Dallas manhandled the Lakers, who were a damn good team that very possibly beat the Heat as well, it was clear that this was the Mavs year.



Never anoint yourself KING prior to having a throne. So let it be written. So let it be done.



Mavericks may have had just 1 championship run in them. Heat are just starting. But so are Bulls and Knicks. East is up for grabs.



Good point. Franchise already celebrated. They just didn’t realize they were partying for less than they thought. RT @tclarkusa Heat fans, don't be mad at LeBron think back to huge parade you had when you 1st got him.

Did you see the number of blue jerseys in arena during game 6, supposedly a home game for Miami? If any NBA franchise does not deserve another championship, it's the no real fan base Heat.

Reporters in press conference tried so hard to get Spoelstra to blame LeBron. He wouldn't crack, unlike LeBron.



Heat were nowhere near more talented than Mavericks. Just WAY more hyped is all.

I'm certain Dirk left court after win to gather himself emotionally, not to diss James & Wade. Great series. Great storylines. Great #NBA season.



I don't in any way see Spoelstra taking the fall and getting fired unless there's tape of him telling LeBron to wilt under pressure. How do you get fired for leading a team all the way to the Finals, even if the young man is viewed by his bosses more as a caretaker than coach?



I plan to be happy for a couple months over the Heat loss, then will get back to my own little life. Thx for the advice, LeBron.



God did not want LeBron to win a ring this year, proved it by inventing the 4th quarter



Time for the "I know I repeatedly said Heat would win easy, but always knew they'd get smoked" tweets.



Nice to see both communist Russia and the Heat fall in my lifetime. #TakingItTooFar :-)



Heat fan nation is not based in Miami. Spread across nation in hearts of guys & dolls who drunk the LeBron Kool Aid.



"There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE." - Dan Gilbert



RT @mcuban how amazing was it that dirk, brian cardinal and ian mahini planned to all sign with the Mavs this summer !! #big3 #makingithappen



RT @DanLevyThinks Pat Riley? RT @clintonyates: Awwwwkwwarrrd. —> RT @KingJames The Greater Man upstairs know when it's my time. Right now isn't the time.



LOL RT @Unsilent: I hated LeBron before hating LeBron went all mainstream. #hatehatehate



How many shots did Dirk take & make in 4th quarter after starting game 1of 12 shooting? How about LeBron who started off hot? #TaleOfTheTape



LeBron has proven to be a master of one thing. Taking a bad situation and making it exponentially worse.



Was result of NBA Finals caused by what Mavs did or what Heat (particularly you know who) didn't do? Some of both IMO, mainly Mavs performance.



Most fluffy trending topics on Twitter bore me after an hour or so. LeBron's downfall is an exception, doesn't even require a hashtag.



Tweets defending LeBron are particularly entertaining. Most start "Not to defend LeBron but..." No need to finish such a sentence.


I still can't believe those intense pre-game pep talks by LeBron didn't work. "We should go out and win, man. Or not. Either way I'm rich." LeBron James gives Ray Lewis-esque pep talks, if Ray had a lobotomy that is.



LeBron should get this picture as a tattoo. If it doesn't inspire him to greatness, nothing will. twitpic.com/5b0yo5

When I tweeted & blogged about Pippen's remarks, stating LeBron belongs nowhere near Greatest Of All Time discussion, some guy bombarded me with video clips that were supposed to prove how fantastic LeBron truly is. Wonder where that guy is now. He's been curiously silent.


Here's my G.O.A.T. blog posting: http://bit.ly/lBXZL2

And here are my thoughts on LeBron leading up to his DECISION: http://bit.ly/9inkWn

When I first started going in on LeBron after The Decision, I freely admit much of the anger stemmed from my hopes he'd land on the #Knicks



I know fellow #Knicks fans felt as I did. Obviously fans in Cleveland were enraged. Hopeful fans in a couple other cities also upset...



But reading Twitter over last few weeks and most especially today, DAMN, it's clear a lot of folks from all over the country don't like that supposedly royal dude. It isn’t just spurned fans that he rubbed the wrong way.


This twitter name says it all - @LaughAtLeBron



I get why people don't like LeBron. Seems very arrogant & his DECISION really felt like it went against competitive spirit of the game



I think people who used to admire LeBron when he played in Cleveland turned on him because great players lead. Going to South Beach was following. Point blank



As for those who defend LeBron, they're entitled, but I've yet to see a single compelling reason to do so except maybe pity.



After the tone and content of his comments in that post game press conference, I don't have it in me to sympathize/empathize with LeBron. Showed zero humility



I lost respect for Wade along with LeBron on account of that coughing mimicry nonsense. Dirk as a 13 year vet deserves respect. But at least Wade played hard throughout series. What did LeBron do? Have you ever had a deer in your headlights? Then you know what LeBron did in the Finals.



Playing poorly is not a sin. Playing scared is not a sin. Continuing to be an arrogant jerk while playing poorly & scared? Makes you soft IMO


I am convinced now that LeBron made the right DECISION by picking Heat over Knicks. Pressure of New York would have CRUSHED him.



I'm no hypocrite though. I'd take LeBron in a heartbeat if the #Knicks could acquire him for a bucket of KFC with extra large Coke



But even on #Knicks, LeBron would have to carry Landry Fields bags for at least a month before I started cutting him some slack.



I seriously thought I was hearing things when LeBron made that "go back to their lives" comment. I may have literally said "Oh no he didn't!" A Hollywood scriptwriter could not have come up with a better line to make it clear LeBron was the villain of this story.



Barkley spit at a fan; Rodman kicked cameraman; Artest ran into stands to fight fan; many NBA sucker punches. But LeBron REALLY messed up



Tiger Woods gave lamest public apology ever but was still smart enuf not to say "now go back to your sad sexless lives"



If LeBron defends Jason Terry a fraction as hard as his die hard fans defend him, Heat sweep. Nah. Simply means it takes Mavericks 7 games rather than 6 to get their rings.



Regarding his obnoxious press conference statments, he's been taking questions since high school. LeBron doesn't blurt things out at this stage of the game, he says what he means and either hopes it goes over okay or simply doesn’t care.

LeBron seemed very mature for his age coming out of high school. He has since stood still at best, possibly regressed.

You fail to score on exactly 100% of the shots you don't take.


Poor, deluded Shawn. Our educational system is failing today's youth. lol http://tinyurl.com/3r3mgda

Blame Michael Jordan - http://bit.ly/mK5N7L

@WhitlockJason piles on http://on-msn.com/l782Ut

Another good article about LeBron - http://es.pn/kbHWyF

G.O.A.T.?

My tweetstream went crazy today after Scottie Pippen seemingly stated in an interview that he considered LeBron James rather than his old running mate Michael Jordan to be the Greatest Of All Time. Even prior to Pip’s clarification, many felt he made a valid point. MJ loyalists lost their minds of course. As for me, one who admires both Michael’s and LeBron’s games while viewing them mostly as the enemy throughout their respective careers, below is what I had to say one tweet at a time.

What has Pippen been sippin?


Technically the NBA GOAT discussion should begin & end with Bill Russell. I don't see anybody putting their achievements up against his.


Kareem weighs in on GOAT question. "Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Magic, etc. can all go F themselves & then build me my damn statue!"


To which Karl Malone added "The guy under seven feet tall who scored most points in NBA career is the best of all time. Guys like Kareem and Wilt had it too easy."


Let me settle this GOAT debate once & for all. There have been many NBA princes, only one true KING. Bernard

If you HAVE to pick a guy to be GOAT, with various variables and intangibles thrown into equation, the greatest player ever (i.e. most complete skill set) is probaby Oscar Robertson


If LeBron had played under 90's rules of allowable physicality, he'd be lesser than what we know him to be. If MJ had had today's offensive freedom, he'd have been even greater.


Ultimately you need to see full range of player's career to make an informed judgment. Right now MAYBE you can compare Jordan and James peak to peak


Kobe Bryant was not mentioned by Pippen but surely cannot be excluded from this conversation. I'm waiting to see how he adapts over the next couple years with much less lift to work with. Then I’ll compare him to Michael Jordan who smoothly transitioned from a sky high player to one who excelled from closer to the ground. I’m not even thinking of LeBron as a GOAT candidate yet. He’s a work in progress, or at least his career is still progressing even if his skill set is now as good as it will ever be. LeBron, who entered the league with unparalleled fanfare, may or may not eclipse all who came before him.


RT @ScottiePippen (the guy who got this mess started when many indeed did get him wrong) Don't get me wrong, MJ was and is the greatest. But LeBron could by all means get to his level someday.


Forget GOAT. I'm not even convinced LeBron is better than Carmelo Anthony. And I'm not just saying this because Melo is on the Knicks now. This opinion was formed when he played for the Nuggets, which is why I was in favor of giving up the farm for him.


What remains beyond question is that Michael Jordan to this day is the best marketed athlete of all time. Everything fell into place for him.


MJ's advisers told him do a sneaker line, commercials with Spike Lee, cartoon movie to reach the next generation of consumers. Lebron's advisers suggested THE DECISION. So clearly there's no argument about which phenomenal athlete had the better off court team.


LeBron would've won titles if he replaced MJ on 90's Bulls. I assume this can be shown by simulating it on a variety of video game systems. MJ probably doesn't win titles with 2000's Cavs, even more of a 1-man team than Derrick Rose’s Bulls. MJ maybe leaves Cleveland as LeBron did, but surely not to join a guy like D-Wade who legitimately stakes his own claim to be considered the best in the league at this time.


Much as this Knicks fan hated MJ back in the day, I decided he was GOAT when Ewing went out to double him so MJ dished to Bill Wennington for game winning dunk. I’m referring of course to Jordan’s 55 point game in his return to Madison Square Garden after coming back to league from mini-retirement. The lack of ego display by a most egotistical individual and the determination to win by any means necessary impressed me more than most of his game winning shots.


A big part of what makes a guy considered GOAT is singlular moments. Wilt's 100, Kobe's 81, MJ's 55 in MSG comeback; flu game; heart breaking Father's Day post victory tears; game winner after gentle nudge of Jazz defender (Jordan rules). What is LeBron's signature? I’d say despite many incredible games (as of this blog post in May of 2011) that he’s still in search of one.

                                           ********************

Smell test as G.O.A.T. tie breaker: Maybe the guy who smells best is the greatest of all time?  But who is willing to do that research?

Sugar and Spice and Sports Fanatics

In addition to Obama's presidency, another sign to me that the world is a better place today than my childhood is the significantly increased number of legitimate female sports fans
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I’m sure female sports fans, particularly on Twitter, face a certain amount of sexism about authenticity of their fandom. Here’s my theory…
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The biggest jerk of a male sports fan knows a woman is capable of enjoying & knowing as much about sports as any guy. However…
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Most guys as boys dream of being a sports star someday. Some know it’s just a dream from start, some think it may really happen for years
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When you grow up fantasizing about pro sports stardom (which I still do all the time, btw), it deeply invests you in fandom. You’re living vicariously
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Most women don’t come to sports fandom through quite the same route. Rarely envisioned themselves as pro QB for obvious reason
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So illogically or not, due to his boyhood daydreams a sexist dude will conclude his sports fandom is far more legitimate than that of any woman
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Does this mindset extend to women who are pro sports journalists and broadcasters and commentators? Yep, no doubt. Especially when they’re easy on the eyes
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Not that these guys don’t recognize a place for women in the testosterone fueled world of sports. That place would be on the sidelines and those women are called cheerleaders
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And as Penny Marshall taught us, women less interested in the condition of their nail polish than their sisters in estrogen do have leagues of their own. But the female fans of which I speak are not those drawn to the WNBA. I’m talking about those who root for sports played at the most elite level, and that means watching the guys
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There are men who will never truly accept/acknowledge the existence of women who live for highlight reels and walk off victories and knockout punches and thunderous dunks and bone crunching tackles and recitation of stats from memory as much as them
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But these dudes need to get over themselves and realize they now have more things to talk to more women about than ever before.
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Current stream of thought reminds me of a day when I was playing 2-hand touch with my crew as a kid and this girl wanted to play with us
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She ended up having an amazing game, not because she was so athletic, but because we were afraid to mistakenly touch girlie parts
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This girl was not very attractive. Only thing worse than being slugged for touching boobs is being slugged while deriving no pleasure from it
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I wonder to this day if she thought she was too fast for us to catch or realized the secret of her success.
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I watch and know A LOT about sports but concede A LOT of women in my tweetstream know more than I do. No knock on my manhood.
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Sports blogs that routinely show bikini clad women (which I personally appreciate in piggish fashion) to attract men probably alienate more potential readers than realized
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This is my second time blogging about women’s appreciation for sports. The first time I posed a question and learned that the answer is FOOTBALL

What you up to, LeBron?

My blog allows me to speak publicly about the wonder of the world that is LeBron James, and my beloved Twitter allows me to speak not only of him but TO him. Are you listening, LBJ? If so, the following is what I have to say to you and fellow basketball fans.

"…a high % of sports fans hold little interest in parity. They want a clearly defined best team, a dynasty, led by an easily recognizable star, its emperor." I wrote these words in '01 in response to false Michael Jordan comeback rumor.

Do NBA fans want to see 3 of the game's elite (far more stacked than Boston's Big 3 or even Jordan, Pippen, Rodman) join forces to dominate league?



Do you like parity in sports, to wonder which team has what it takes to come out on top? Or do you prefer obvious supremacy from get go?



Do you prefer when 2-3 guys a team drafted grow into elite status & create a formidable team, or is free agent shopping spree fine by you?



Ideally I like to see homegrown talent blossom with a couple key acquisitions made to fortify (see '86 Mets for prime example).



Breaking News: Every NBA team has fired every player on their roster & are now all sufficiently under the cap to sign LeBron & his entourage.



Mel Gibson has courtside seats at Bulls, Heat, Nets & Cavs games but isn't allowed in Madison Square Garden. #FoodForThoughtForLeBron



Sign #LeBron & co-stars, meet Lakers in Finals, end reigns of Kobe & Phil Jackson for good. The mission is clear. #Knicks



I wonder if way back in 1776 our forefathers & foremothers realized that Independence Day weekend would eventually be all abt NBA free agency.



Nice of Knicks not to wait on announcing Amar’e signing. He deserves moment in sun prior to LeBron signing, at which point earth stops spinning.



I think LeBron should make his decision based on loyalty. Two teams have shown an abundance to him over his career, the Cavs and the Knicks.



The Knicks have assembled teams in recent years good enough to get 8th or 7th seed, but they kept dismantling squad & kept eyes on ultimate prize.



The Knicks strategy is unprecedented, I think. They put all their eggs in one basket, neither rebuilding nor quick fixing, just maintaining a holding pattern during which they’ve sabotaged all chances of improvement in the name of cap space preservation.



The Knicks have almost acted as if a secret deal has been in place all along. Fans kept supporting team of rented players while keeping faith in long term plan.



Obviously any team in NBA would love to have LeBron, but only the Knicks have made public a multi-year strategy to wait for chance to get him.



Will LeBron be a super rich, super famous, superstar anywhere he plays? YES. Is NY the greatest city on earth? YES. To play in? YES, when you win.



LeBron either has burning desire to be the ultimate hometown hero, or else he wants to rule Metropolis like Superman, emperor of Empire State.



If Nets were already in Brooklyn, maybe odds are 33% Nets, 33% Knicks, 33% Cavs, 1% retirement. Since they aren't (Newark, NJ just doesn’t cut it and Brooklyn is nice, but simply not synonymous with NYC the way Manhattan is), Cavs or Knicks it should be.



Newark, NJ already has coolest mayor ever in @CoryBooker - so it would be unfair if they also landed LeBron.



If LeBron goes elsewhere such as Chicago or Miami this story strikes me as having a lame ending. Not just as a Knicks fan but as a storyteller.



If LeBron doesn't come to NYK, Dolan & Walsh will be Lucille Ball, fans will be Desi, Lucy will have plenty of 'splainin to do about last few years.



If LeBron has so much love for hometown team he's played whole career for, why put them through this hellish circus?



How unfair is it that @kingjames has WAY more followers than me even though my tweet game is so much stronger?



What team will you sign with @kingjames? If you're concerned about putting your biz out in public domain, DM me. You'll need to follow me 1st though.



Reading "Why Lebron Will Go To NYK" articles is the equivalent of porn for Knicks fans. Or is it just me?!



LeBron refuses to give journalists the tip they crave. Eventually he'll sign with someone, but he's ticked off those who buy ink by the barrel.



WTF holds a press conference to announce they're staying where they've been all along? If LeBron remains a Cav he's getting #PimpSlapped



Will LeBron beat around the bush for 55 minutes to build drama before finally making announcement at end of his show? That would be a tad overkill, no?



My prediction is that LeBron will reveal on Thursday that he's still thinking about it, then bring out Brett Favre who'll reveal "me too".



People who ordinarily know nada & could care less about basketball are talking about LeBron. He has set the stage nicely. #JordanTigerApproved



It doesn't matter if LeBron has won championship rings yet. The only important thing to him is nailing performance of Man in the Mirror on Thursday. We already know he can dance like MJ. Practice your bawling LBJ, not just your ballin’.



LeBron James will do just fine no matter who he picks. Unless he picks Sarah Palin, that is.



LeBron is going to sign with some team and make a bunch of money just because he's black and black people get everything. #RushLimbaughLogic



Those who believe LeBron will team up with Bosh & Wade believe titles are most important to him, not proving he's game's best.



You can't believe that LeBron has a giant ego AND that he's ready to concede his only shot at title is by playing for an All Star team.



We already know LeBron can win it all when teamed with best of best (see US Olympic Dream Team)? Can he win with merely a solid squad?



How does LeBron continue being LeBron if he has to share the ball with Wade who deserves & will demand it just as much if not more?



LeBron and Bosh makes sense to me, as does LeBron and Amar'e, as does LeBron staying put. But All Star team in Miami? Not so much.



Of course plenty of things that make little sense to me end up happening anyway. I'm making no predictions just sharing my two cents. Okay, perhaps I’ve gone a bit over two cents by this point.



If LeBron joins up to win with Wade & Bosh he simply can't be next Jordan or Kobe. He can't be next Tim Duncan. Barely the next Paul Pierce.



There's no such thing as a co-King. You're either The King or you're one of many subjects.



Prince was right!!!! The internet is going away. Or rather, it's getting a new name. Starting tomorrow we'll be surfing the LeBronet.



Only thing these NBA star summits have been about is establishing timing of individual press conferences, not creation of SuperFriends team. But one never knows, do one?



My respect for LeBron is gone if after all this fuss he stays in place, or if he teams up with D-Wade rather than challenges him for dominance.



So ESPN couldn't or simply refused to send camera crew & reporter to Akron? 'Course not. Why travel to CT to announce that you're staying in OH?



I'm pulling for LeBron to end up on Knicks but can respect (unhappily) if he chooses Bulls or Nets instead. If it's Heat or Cavs, he's an idiot. #PointBlank #ReasonsHaveBeenClearlyStated



As if Twitter wasn't addictive enough before this LeBron craziness. Damn damn damn!



Beware Marbs encore! RT @ShamSports This time last year the biggest thing happening in world of the NBA was Stephon Marbury eating Vaseline.



We're all officially no longer allowed to make fun of Brett Favre.



If LeBron joins Wade & Bosh on Heat, "F Miami" is my new battle cry that I'm sure millions will join me in. Go Kobe, Go Howard, Go anyone else!



Granted "F the Heat" was already one of my battle cries, and not only on these 100+ degree days here in NYC, but ante will be upped big time.



Jordan didn't need to team up with Olajuwan & Malone, just needed a quality wingman and some spare complimentary parts. #JustSaying



Ideally, Wade+Bosh in Miami; LeBron+Amare in NY; Rose,Noah,Boozer+ in Chicago makes for reasonable parity & great rivalries in East.



It will be real nice if the Knicks obtain player who in all likelihood will be the NBA's best over next decade. But I'll settle for any players who make them relevant again. Also, I've changed my mind. Continue poking fun at Brett Favre if you wish. It's fun and the last thing I want to be is a buzzkill.


Is the way LeBron's handling this whole DECISION matter an eensy teensy bit overdramatic? Of course. But you'll find no mockery from me about it. He may manipulate the media however he wishes in whatever ways he's able, but he can't force the public to be riveted to his every calculated, strategized move. He guessed that we'd be fascinated by his plans and the rationale behind them, and the plain truth is, he guessed right.



RT @KingJames Good Morning! It's your chance to ask me a question about my decision, use #lebrondecision to submit and I'll answer them tonight.



Mr. James, my questions to you are – 1) Did you really think declaring yourself “King” was a good idea, even if you’re just claiming the kingdom of Akron for now? 2) Do you really want people to view you as NBA royalty? If so, do it the way prior kings have since the formula is a proven one. Lead a team that you’re clearly the best player on to multiple titles. My recommendation is the New York Knicks.


Final Note: LeBron is and will be a Superstar no matter what his next move is, but his buddy Jay Z is right - Everyday a star is born.

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