Champions

My beloved New York Knicks have just been crowned champions of the NBA and I felt that I had to say something about this wondrous turn of events. But what is there to say beyond expressing elation? I have been actively rooting for the Knicks since 1990 or thereabouts. Prior to then I was a big baseball fan, following exploits of the New York Mets closely. When they won the World Series in 1986 I was over the moon. Expectation was for a dynasty, multiple consecutive titles, but it was not to be. One and done was less than hoped for, but still beyond my wildest boyhood dreams. After enduring seemingly endless incompetency in the latter half of the 1970's and first half of the 1980's, they finally turned things around and became the boys of summer.

As I wrapped up college, I also put a bow on my era of being a close follower of baseball in general and the Mets in particular. Along with rooting for my beleaguered New York Jets in football, my sporting interest was pulled to basketball. After watching a handful of pretty awful seasons, the Knicks won the inaugural NBA draft lottery. That lucky bounce of ping pong balls, which some to this day believe was rigged to favor a big market team, resulted in the Knicks obtaining Patrick Ewing with the first pick. Several years of excellence followed. The Knicks made it to the Finals in 1994 when Michael Jordan got out of the way to chase his own baseball dreams, but they fell to the Houston Rockets. One memorable evening during that series featured a white Ford Bronco with O.J. Simpson in it interrupting exclusive focus on the game. In 1999, despite being the lowest seeded playoff team and their leader Patrick Ewing out due to injury, they went on an improbable playoff run. The title chase ended in them losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five contests. I was in attendance at the final game in the nose bleed section of Madison Square Garden when the magic ran out. Tickets cost less than a brand new automobile back then.

In 2026, 53 years after their last championship in 1973, the Knicks put me back up on sports fanatic cloud nine, galvanizing an entire city in the process. No, make that an entire tri-state area. They were solid during the regular season but found an awesome new gear for the postseason, winning 13 straight at one point. Several games they made victories look almost too easy. Other games, insurmountable odds were somehow overcome, rendered surmountable. Most notably when they fell behind by 29 points and crawled all the way to being ahead at the final buzzer. That is something you do not see every day, an unforgettable marvel.

How did they do it? How is any great achievement accomplished? The famous Nike slogan is JUST DO IT. The power, truth and beauty of that statement is in its simplicity. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until the journey of a thousand miles has been completed. The road to writing a beautiful novel is paved with plenty of ugly, awkward sentences. Put in the time, put in the effort, conquer all insecurities, then assume your place on bookshelves between Hemingway and Shakespeare. 

If this sounds too basic, too lacking in nuance, too trite - perhaps that is because it is. We all have goals and dreams of varying sizes that we set out to realize, only to eventually be overwhelmed by the various difficulties of reality. Just doing it frequently proves to be insufficient in getting the damn thing done. So, we give up. Sweet surrender. The dream was nice while it lasted, but nothing lasts forever.

Then there are those who persevere. Success often happens only after enduring a long sequence of failures. What may seem from the outside like it took place overnight was in fact the result of a great many nights of coming up short and crippling doubt. Diligence and patience and consistency and fortitude will lead to improvement, but will it lead to your wildest dreams coming true? 

Only sometimes. This is the closest to a guarantee that we get. Some of the people some of the times will get to hoist the championship trophy. The rest will get as close as they can manage to get and hopefully they will derive satisfaction from giving it their best shot. In group efforts, at least there is a brotherhood to help you get through the grind. When it's a solo mission, nobody assists in getting you back up on your feet. The urge to stay on your back can overwhelm willingness to rise again.

Do you want to be the Heavyweight champion of the world? A Hollywood movie star? A rock star? The person who cures cancer? The guy who gets THE GIRL? The girl who breaks the ultimate glass ceiling? Just do it sounds nice, but it probably won't be quite that elementary. Perhaps it's best to be honest with yourself that you are probably going to fail. Not just once when all is said and done, but over and over again on the long journey. It will be frustrating, heartbreaking, soul draining. But if the pursuit of your greatest desire is worth the effort to you despite understanding that the end result may not be a parade of confetti...

Just do it ANYWAY.

Way to go, 2026 New York Knicks!!!

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World champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pqDucOPSVI

— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) June 19, 2026

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Knicks fans watch this without tearing up challenge pic.twitter.com/hCiwQ01KbJ

— CTRL the Narrative (@ctrlnarrative) June 18, 2026

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

Wishful Thinking

Can anything replace Linmania, particularly in New York City, as the biggest story in the history of sports (until the next one comes along, that is)? Certainly. I wouldn't be shocked if Jeremy Lin isn't even the Knicks starting point guard a month from now (minimal regression is allowable with teams now having a full scouting report on him, otherwise Baron Davis may still ascend to the throne as originally planned), but if Lin continues to excel he'd still need to compete for headlines if a certain Manning brother decided to sign with a certain New York football team. Can I picture both Mannings playing their home games in the same stadium? Intellectually I cannot. There are just too many impediments. The Jets can't afford Peyton and Peyton possibly cannot afford to take another big hit. As intrigued as I am by the idea of one of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks being under center for my team (just as I was the last time), this time around I think the Jets may be better off sticking with the cards in hand. Mark Sanchez had a rough junior year campaign but that doesn't mean he can't and won't rebound as a senior and go on to have a great career. New York is an impatient place as the Manning brother with the most amount of Super Bowl rings can attest, so there's temptation for the team with less championship banners to make it Peyton's Place. But sometimes the game plan of the tortoise is superior to that of the hare. Regardless of whether this is one of those times or not, medical reports and Peyton's wishlist will probably be the determining factors rather than any sales pitch the Jets make. So I won't spend much time envisioning what the elder Manning brother would look like in a Jets uniform, especially since thanks to photoshop I don't even need to waste any imagination.


Top Quotes from Patches of Grey at Quotations Diary

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

Rivalry Revisited

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ESPN recently aired their latest 30/30 documentary about the famous/infamous Fab 5 team from Michigan. Their rivalry with Duke was by necessity a major area of focus. Jalen Rose talks about (and as producer he could of course include and exclude whatever he wished) his impression at the time that Duke recruited black players who were “Uncle Toms.” This didn’t go over well with at least one of those former Duke players – Grant Hill. So there was a little back and forth between them, none of it actually face to face, much of it sent indirectly towards the other rather than naming names. On Twitter Jalen wrote: “I didn’t say anything in the doc that I didn’t say to a players FACE”. Okay, not sure how this excuses the idiocy of his thought process. At best it gives him more “street cred”, something that a so called Uncle Tom would of course be sorely lacking. Jalen continued: “For those MOANING about how something or someone was portrayed in the doc note that it was FRAMED from 1991-1993 not 2011 #quit crying.”

The moaning Jalen Rose referred to was an Op Ed piece written by Grant Hill and published by the New York Times in rebuttal to characterizations made in the documentary. He speaks eloquently for himself so I won’t bother to do much summarizing - [Hill's own words]. Bottom line, Grant Hill does not agree with nor appreciate what Jalen Rose had to say. No surprise there. But what I did find somewhat alarming was people taking sides on Twitter, with a surprisingly robust amount on Team Rose. I’m not talking about people who thought Hill overreacted because Rose was expressing the way he felt in the distant past as a teen, not his current opinions as a grown man with public platform. It’s not entirely clear to what degree Jalen has changed his tune but I’ll take him at his tweet that the mentality was “framed from 1991-1993 not 2011”. No, I’m referring to people who believe that what Jalen Rose said and felt in 1991-1993 was then and is today still valid. Certainly if they think Rose was accurately describing Hill then they themselves describe countless African Americans in such manner. For what sins? Growing up in a two parent home? Getting a college degree? Or perhaps a degree is okay but better not be obtained from too “white acting” a college. Having a corporate job? Speaking in grammatically correct sentences? Writing eloquently? Marrying a white woman? Wait up, Grant Hill didn’t even do that last one. But surely he intends to one day dump Tamia for Kim Kardashian. That’s what Uncle Toms do, no? Perhaps I should have picked someone less ethnic than Kim to make a stronger point. Dame Judi Dench?

Grant Hill’s response may very well have been overkill, but I know why he reacted strongly and I’m glad he did. His rebuttal was not merely directed at Jalen Rose but at everyone who ever thought of him (or any other black person) in such a manner, including all those tweeters I just mentioned. What I read in his words is what I’ve always believed in my heart. There is no right or wrong way to be black. There’s no one way to be black at all. There’s simply being human in the best manner you can manage, regardless of your particular set of window dressing. Be who you are and don’t quietly let anyone disrespect you on account of it. But when they inevitably do, it will always say a whole lot more about them than it says about you.

Below are some thoughts I expressed on the matter one tweet at a time, with a few retweets of sentiments expressed by others sprinkled in. What’s your take?

Didn't see the Fab 5 documentary, just tweets about it. Only catching up now to controversial remarks by Jalen Rose & Grant Hill's response.


The concept that if u aren't "keeping it real", speaking mostly slang, dressing 4 opposite of success, classifies u as "Uncle Tom" must die.


I'm tired of black people beating up on black people for not being "black enough". Progress impossible if holding your own self back


The most devout Jew doesn't criticize another for being less Jewish. Super Italian doesn't diss another for not being Italian enough. But blacks…


Complexion adds a whole other layer of complexity. U can wear dashiki & afro & keep fist raised in air all day, but u light skinned? Denied.


As if people are selecting how much DNA from which branches of the humanity tree they wish to have. That's 5 yrs down the road, minimum


Melanin argument is at least tangible. Retarded, but tangible. Calling someone "not black" because they like to read & excel at math? WTF?!


No people are more bigoted against black people than certain black Americans. There, I said it. It's factual. I see proof on here EVERY DAY.


Just let people be whoever it is they happen to be. If they're not personally f'ing with you, their mode of existence isn't your concern.


p.s.- White people are way less preoccupied w/ keeping blacks down than you may believe. Most people of all races are simply looking out for selves.


And by "selves" I don't mean members of same race. I mean you look out for your own damn self, then your family, then out from there.


You give the biggest white bigot a choice between doing something racist for hell of it or accepting $100, cash gets snatched 9 of 10 times.


And that's the biggest bigot I'm talking about. Most of you have been lucky enough never to have actually met that A-hole, whoever he may be.


So in the words of my man Spike Lee - WAKE UP. After that, get smart & get paid. After that, give back to your community & world at large.


And as you'll see if you check out tweets by @ClarenceGaines2 most know zilch about Uncle Tom & are insulting incorrectly. READ A BOOK!!!


Surely there are black men out there named Tom who have nephews & nieces. Does this pose a problem for them?


RT @ToureX Grant notes that in the doc Jalen leaves it unclear what he now feels about Black Dukies. His tweeted "clarification" isn't clarifying much.


RT @rodimusprime: Uncle Tom thing is more abt class at this point than it is about race.
To which I replied - Name 1 white man not named Tom ever called Uncle Tom


Fact: No man of any race ever felt badly about being called an Uncle Nate Dogg. Simply implies improved quality by mere presence.


RT @LLCoolChels Bottom line is GH has a right to respond and defend who he was THEN and where he came from just like JR has a right to tell his story.


There is no intelligent explanation for an ignorant opinion. "I was young & misinformed" is the best anybody has ever come up with.


I'm older but not any wiser is a particularly poor argument.


Calling someone an "Uncle Tom" is not matter of perspective (as I just saw somebody categorize it) in most cases, just plain wrong.


RT @Brandale2221 As a Person who has been labeled BOTH an Uncle Tom & a COON .. both by black folks...IMO the problem is how we label ourselves.


To all those tweeps out there raising your kids in two parent households or being raised in one yourself, keep Tomming.


RT @BritniDWrites Folks shld be happy Rose is able to articulate his past hurt & isn't knocking somebody upside the head cuz he can't express his emotions.
To which I replied - Interesting point. I suppose a documentary is slightly less blunt than a bat upside the head.