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I can still hear Marv Albert commentary, "A spectacular move by Michael Jordan!"

With the 2009-2010 National Basketball Association (NBA) Playoffs & Finals right around the corner, I looked back and realized that this is my 20^th year of watching professional basketball.

Has it really been that long?

The Memories

I can still see the Los Angeles Lakers Sam Perkins drilling a three-point shot to stun the Chicago Bulls at the end of Game 1 as well as Michael Jordan’s classic right-to-left under goal lay-up over the same Sam Perkins in Game 2 of the 1990-1991 NBA Finals.

Bulls versus Lakers.

Those were the years.  The veteran laded Los Angeles Lakers versus the hip, up-and-coming Chicago Bulls.

Memories.

The Questions

With that said, I decided to test that memory (use of references are forbidden!) and challenged myself with these questions: Over the last 20 years, which teams have participated in the NBA Finals?  Who were the winners?

Tall order?

At least not initially as the key to these questions would be to determine who were the winners and the bridesmaids would surely follow suit.

Clutch City won it's first NBA title with the five of Hakeen Olajuwon, Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, Robert Horry, and Otis "OT" Thorpe.

The Answers

Starting with the 1990-1991 season, this was a no-brainer as it signified the first Chicago Bulls dynasty (1991, 1992, and 1993).  This was followed by the Jordan-less years of 1994 and 1995 wherein the Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston Rockets dispatched the New York Knicks in seven games en-route to the first NBA Championship (1994).  The Rockets then repeated in 1995 when they swept the youthful Orlando Magic in four games.  The championship also etched the Houston Rockets in NBA annals as the lowest seeded playoff team (6^th) to capture the title.

From 1996-1998, the Chicago Bulls again regained their dominance over the NBA with their second three-peat.  In the 1998-1999, the league played a 50-game lockout shortened—no All-Star Weekend—season.  The finals featured the overachieving New York Knicks (8^th seed) and the Twin Tower (“The Admiral” David Robinson and “Big Fundamental” Timmy Duncan) led San Antonio Spurs.  If I am not mistaken, it was Spurs in six…or was it in five.  One thing is for sure, the Spurs were simply too much for the Ewing-less Knicks.

The partnership between Tim Duncan (left) and David Robinson has produced two NBA Championships for the city of San Antonio.

The turn of the century brought yet another string of championships for Coach Phil Jackson (2000, 2001, and 2002), but this time with a Los Angeles Lakers team that was bannered by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.  In 2003, the San Antonio Spurs gave their “Admiral” David Robinson a great retirement gift when they captured their second NBA crown.  This also marked the only finals match-up wherein I was unable to recall whom the runner-up was.

Hitting the curb

NBA seasons from 2003-2006 took a little more time to flesh out.  Questions such as the three seasons wherein the San Antonio Spurs captured championships as well as the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat championship years were among the last to be identified.  But once the aforementioned sequencing and cast of teams were identified, everything fell into place.

Back to business

Shaquille O'Neal and a young Kobe Bryant set aside their differences in order to win the coveted Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy in 2000.

The 2003-2004 NBA season featured future hall-of-fame members Karl “The Mailman” Malone and Gary “The Glove” Payton joining the potent Los Angeles Lakers for another run at an NBA Championship.  However, this was not meant to be as they had the rug pulled out from under them by the blue-collar Detroit Pistons led by the likes of Ben Wallace, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and Chauncey “Mr. Big Shot” Billups.

The following season (2004-2005), Detroit again made it back to the NBA Finals but lost out to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.  This season, in my mind, was best remembered for those Rasheed Wallace WWE inspired NBA Championship belts that he got for the whole Pistons team.

I wonder what ever happened to those belts?

The 2005-2006 NBA season featured two first-timers to the NBA Finals stage: The Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.  This season was a classic example of momentum gone awry as it really looked like the Dallas Mavericks had this series all but locked up with a 2-0 advantage and a huge lead in Game 3 of that series.

Then Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. happened and the rest is history.

Miami upset the Mavs in Game 3 and proceeded to take the next three contests and captured their first NBA championship.

Whatever happened to WWE inspired Championship Belt named "Roscoe"? Only Rasheed knows the answer to that one...

The NBA Finals in 2006-2007 was forgettable to say the least.  I remember that the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers finals match-up to be one of—if not the lowest—rated finals in history.  I didn’t even bother to try and watch any of the games that year.  Spurs swept the Cavs in four.

On the other hand, the 2007-2008 season was more promising with Boston Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge engineering several trades that brought Kevin “KG” Garnett and Walter Ray Allen, Jr. to the Celtics for practically everyone on their team with the exception of Paul “The Truth” Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins.  This development, coupled with the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol the year before, set the stage for a Lakers verses Celtics finals match-up.  One that fans haven’t seen since 1986-1987.

It was a great match-up with the Celtics capturing their league-leading 17^th NBA banner in six games.  For more information on this season, I’ve written an extensive post on the Celtics championship season here.

Lastly, the 2008-2009 finals match-up featured the Los Angeles Lakers returning to the big dance along with the young Orlando Magic team lead by the dominating Dwight Howard.  In this particular series, there was a lot of heartbreak for the Orlando Magic as they squandered numerous opportunities to truly establish themselves in the finals.  However, this does not take anything away from the Los Angeles Lakers who truly deserved the The Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy.

After Game 2, everything that Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. threw up against the hapless Dallas Mavericks just seemed to go into the bucket.

This championship also broke a tie between legendary icon Arnold Jacob “Red” Auerbach of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson for most NBA championships by a head coach.  Jackson now takes the top spot with 10 championships.

In summary

Well, that was 19-years of NBA Finals basketball and I look forward to the end of the 2009-2010 NBA regular season, an interesting NBA play-offs, and hopefully, an epic finals match-up.

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Now playing: Incognito – Don’t Turn My Love Away
via FoxyTunes

Peter Francis Newell (August 3, 1915 – November 17, 2008)

Peter Francis Newell (August 3, 1915 – November 17, 2008)

The game of basketball lost a good man with the passing of Peter Francis “Pete” Newell one year ago.

Much has been said with Coach Newell’s advance age and failing health until his death on November 17, 2008. But sometimes—though not always—there are a few people that you wish could live forever because the world is a better place with them in it.

Coach Newell is one of them.

Big Man’s Camp

Since 1976 until the time of his death, Pete Newell has had a hand in developing the fundamental footwork and shooting of collegiate and professional forwards and centers without receiving any compensation in return. Newell shared, “I owe it to the game. I can never repay what the game has given me.”

Newell’s Big Man Camp started with one player—Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers. In the book “The Punch: one night, two lives, and the fight that changed basketball forever,” author John Feinstein recounts that Newell’s work with Washington was so effective that his quickness, ball-handling, and jump shot improved to the point where his inside game became more efficient. Since then, annual Big Man’s Camps (since renamed to Pete Newell’s Big Man’s Camp) have been conducted in Honolulu, Hawaii and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Coach Newell had a positive impact on Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Newell changed the way the game is played

Though I have not had the privilege of meeting Coach Pete, I have been fortunate enough to attend his son, Coach Tom’s camp here in Manila, Philippines during the summer of 2000.

It changed my life. My entire perspective of the game of basketball.

Coach Tom said that after our camp experience, we (the camp participants) would never see a basketball game for what it is—just a game.

And we never did.

Our eyes were opened, as there was a lot more analysis involved now. Putting the ball through the hoop was no longer as important as being fundamentally sound. Basic moves were scrutinized. Countermoves were put into practice. Reverse pivots became secondary. And so on…

All thanks to the teachings of Coach Tom Newell and in turn to his father Pete whose legacy was very much felt in that coaching program.

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Now playing: The Peter Malick Group – Strange Transmissions (DJ Strobe “Sand Under My Havianas” Bossanova Remix) (Featuring Norah Jones)
via FoxyTunes

Before the pain

2nd of November 2009.

Subungual Hematoma is present underneath the nail of the left big toe

Down 16-8 in our three-on-three match up yesterday afternoon, I drove to the basket, pivoted, and made a fall away jumper off the glass to bring our deficit down to six.

However, when I planted my off (left) leg, I suddenly felt a pop. A pop that I didn’t really feel until I hosted my jumper.

I immediately dragged my leg, hobbling to the other end of the court, before coming to a complete stop and clutching my shoe and injured left big toe.

It’s been like this for the last six years.

On three different occasions.

Welcome to my basketball life.

“Injury…an athlete’s worse nightmare…” (Michael Jordan’s Playground)

Visions of Michael Jordan on the ground clutching his broken left foot come to mind when I think of this quote taken from this old Jordan video. It is a passage that speaks a volume of truth as when it comes to the topic of injury, no one is immune. It can hit anyone at any time, and yes, even to the great ones.

A couple of weeks ago, newly acquired New Orleans forward-center Emeka Okafor sat out all of his team’s Pre-Season games because of a “strained toe on his right foot.” It was an injury that was misunderstood by many as something minor. But in an interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears, Okafor defended his cautious nature.

Spears shared:

“You can ask anyone that’s had a toe injury, it sounds super weak and it sounds like an insignificant thing,” Okafor said. “But that’s your foundation. You can have a nice house, and a foundation has a crack in it and then it’s all for naught. The whole thing comes crumbling down.

“People don’t realize how much your toe has to do with your movements. That’s carrying your whole weight. If something is off that carries your whole weight and you’re not careful, it’s something that can trickle and cause other things to mess up. The season is a marathon, not a sprint. You want to give your body a chance to not only heal short-term, but long-term.”

Now that WAS solid advice.

One that I didn’t take after initially injuring the same toe the day before yesterday.

Defining and treating an injured toenail

In a basketball setting, subungual hematoma (Sub pertaining to under and ungual for nail. While hematoma is the term used for a localized collection of blood.) usually occurs when a sudden change of movement forces the toenail(s) to jam into the shoe. The sudden impact then causes several small vessels to break, which then flood the nutrient bed with blood underneath the nail. A gradual shade (e.g., blue, black) then develops as the supply of nutrients needed to sustain the toenail are cut off—effectively killing a portion or the whole toenail.

In cases like mine, this sudden feeling can be likened to a “pop” or “feeling like the whole nail came off,” before the initial pain subsides. About an hour or two later, it may also be difficult to place pressure on the whole injured foot as doing so would cause pain to the toe–brought about by the trapped blood underneath the toenail. Numbness on the toe is also to be expected as well as pain to the injured toe if pressure is applied. This would pretty much rule out shoes for a while.

Possible remedies (depending on the extent of the damage) would include visiting a physician as soon as possible, “evacuating” the dead blood in the toenail via an incision or drilling a hole into the toenail, and in more extreme cases, the extraction of the toenail itself.

In the event of an extraction, prescribed antibiotics as well as regular application of topical medication is advised.

Remember, “fungus never takes a vacation and you shouldn’t either” when it comes to applying the topical cream.

Wish me luck at the doctor’s today…

Update:

3rd of November 2009.

After drilling two holes (or was it more?) into the toenail in order to evacuate the blood, the doctor seemed hopeful that the toenail could be saved.  I on the other hand, being a veteran of this injuries on two other occasions, am not that optimistic.

We will know in a week’s time.

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Now playing: Jars Of Clay – Love Came Down At Christmas
via FoxyTunes

Category: Movies
Genre: Comedy & Drama

A man and his watch

A Timex T56371 wristwatch

Silence.

Our lives usually begin and end with just an act.

But for Internal Revenue Service agent Harold Crick, it begins with the ticking of his (spruced up Hollywood) Timex T56371.

Stranger Than Fiction is a story about a man named Harold Crick and his wristwatch.

But it’s more than that. It is potential a story about you as well.

A serious Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, a meticulous, introverted, unconventional, obsessive-compulsive who goes about his monotonous way of life without much fanfare for the last twelve years.

Crick’s quirks are apparent from the onset of the film as author Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) recounts (in her very prominent British accent) a number of them ranging from the precise hour he snoozes his Timex T56371 in the morning to the diligent precision he takes when he gets dressed, brushes his teeth (76 times broken down into 38 vertical and 38 horizontal strokes), and promptness to make it to the bus stop for the 8:15 that he takes to work.

It’s a preferred albeit poignant existence that Crick has chosen to live in.

When you start to hear a voice that is not your own...that can be a problem.

Redundancy. A life of solitude. Hey, the man eats alone. And sadly, doesn’t even have time stand up and go to the bathroom to take a leak. (I guess that is another way to utilize an empty plastic jar).

Could this be your life as well?

Well maybe not as eccentric as Harold Crick’s, but are there any similarities?

Usual routines. Frequenting familiar haunts. Or my personal favorite, “I just don’t have time to do that.”

More like, you chose NOT to make time for that activity.

So, do you make the most of your day? Better yet, are you willing to stretch yourself to do just that?

As for Harold Crick, he did just that when he experienced an epiphany when Eiffel alluded to his impending death.

Crick began to live his life. He began doing things that he had always been putting off because of one thing or another.

One cannot quantify the value of life

He learned to play the guitar, be more daring and open, and most of all—move away from his tedious existence.

On my end, I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar—it’s been on my wall for the last 13 years—so…all I just need to do is what I mentioned earlier—that is…to make time. The desire is there, all I need is time (I’m sure we have all heard that line at least once in our lives).

Time to act on it. And I think I’ve taken a right step in that direction.

The 2nd of April 2008

On my way home this afternoon from work, I decided to swing by our village park. I hadn’t stepped foot there in quite some time but I had a lot of pent up energy and was looking for a friendly basketball game. And with some luck, I found one.

The 3-on-3 teams weren’t really spread out fairly and the odds didn’t look too good for my squad. I mentioned this once to my opponents but then I turned to my young teammates and told them—“don’t worry guys, we will win this one.”

This is coming from a guy who is in pretty good shape but not basketball shape. As you all know, there is a salient difference between the two mediums. In fact, it has been awhile since I’ve dribbled and shot a basketball in a game setting—so this truly was a challenge.

Diagram of a Basketball Court

Our opponents were raring to go but I told them that I had to confer with my teammates first (both of whom, I had just met that afternoon). After watching the game that most of these guys played earlier, I was able to ascertain some of our opponents’ tendencies. I quickly shared my insights with my teammates and told them—“Play defense.” “Get your hands up when they shoot”. And “Cut, I’ll get you the ball.”

The advantage of youth. They are eager to learn and more importantly, willing to listen.

I wasn’t even dressed to play. Absolutely no gear. I sported a pair of jeans, had a pair of low-cut Jordan III’s rubber shoes, and I removed my short-sleeved polo in favor of a white shirt. That was about it.

Our opponents ran out of the games to start our match and at one point the score was 5-12 and we were playing till 20—two’s were considered a point while three’s counted as two points. Losers’ outs.

It would be an understatement to say that things certainly weren’t going our way. But we caught up and we did it as a team. With crisp passes as well as everyone helping out to find the open man brought us within striking distance—16-17.

My shot also started falling and I hit a three (two points) to make it 18-17. After some good defense, we got another possession and a chance for a potential game winner.

Final score 20-17

My teammates trusted me to take this shot (by this point in the game, I had hit about three long distance shots (6 points) and two drives to the basket (4 points)) and after signaling for a pick—I faked right, went left, and launched the game winner.

Game over!

Final score 20-17.

My team had overcome adversity and I kept my promise to them. We had won. It was a great feeling.

One I haven’t had in quite awhile. And one that I really enjoyed after I exchanged pleasantries with both my teammates and opponents.

Much like Crick, I could have simply set aside any thought of deviating beyond my regular routine and headed home.

But today, I fought it.

And I feel I am a better person for it.

How about you guys?

Examine your lives today and take a chance.

Make that change! Even for a moment.

Believe me, it will be well worth it—whatever it is that you decide to do.

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Now playing: Jamiroquai – Love Foolosophy (Raul Rincon Remix Dub)
via FoxyTunes

Playing the peacemaker

Ford tore her ACL against the visiting Los Angeles Sparks

Do you recall Detroit Shock’s forward Cheryl Ford injuring her ACL a couple of years ago?

Well, it couldn’t have happened in a worst way.

She was a peacemaker.

While trying to restrain teammate Plenette Pierson during the confrontation against Candice Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks, the torn anterior cruciate ligament in Ford’s right knee finally buckled.

Here is the video of the aforementioned brawl.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the four major and stabilizing ligaments in our knees. Studies have found that this type of injuries is common among athletes—especially women—due to a variety of reasons: hormonal, balance, posture, and genes. An ACL can be torn by way of a “sudden dislocation, torsion, or hyperextension of the knee.”

Basically, these type of injury can happen at anytime and anywhere—even outside the arena of sports—as I heard of a story wherein someone did tear their ACL after sitting down for a long time with their legs crossed.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries have hit a number of players over the last twenty years. During their respective careers, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing Sr., and Ron Harper are just some athletes who have been able to return from this type of injury while surgical procedures were in its infancy all those years ago.

Other instances

Diagram of the knee

Probably the worst possible ACL injury occurred in February 2007 when former Los Angeles Clippers guard Shaun Livingston tore three of the four major ligaments in his knee on a breakaway drive in the first quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats. In contrast, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Minnesota Lynx point guard Lindsey Harding, the first overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during a seemingly harmless drive against the Washington Mystics.

Just can’t get healthy

No player has suffered more ACL injuries than NBA forward Danny Manning. Manning was the top pick out of Kansas in 1988 who spent portions of his productive 15 year career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, and Detroit Pistons; suffered three ACL injuries: injuring his right knee during his rookie year in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks (1/4/89), another in the left knee during a team practice in Phoenix (2/7/95), and re-injuring his right knee again two years later in Sacramento (4/7/98).

While in the WNBA, Rebecca Lobo, one of the most decorated collegiate and Olympic female basketball players of this generation, was also not spared of his injury. In the New York Liberty season opener against the defunct Cleveland Rockers (6/10/99), Lobo tore her left ACL 42 seconds into the contest. Six months later, she reinjured the same leg during a rehab session (12/16/99).

Karl "The Mailman" Malone was relatively injury-free for most of his career.

Exceptions to the rule

For every injured player, there are also exceptions and two players come to mind, Karl Malone (Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers) and NBA Iron Man A.C. Green (Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat). Playing in 1,458 games in a career that spanned 19 years, Malone’s only significant injury came during his last and only year with the Los Angeles Lakers wherein he missed 39 games due to torn knee ligament. On the other hand, A.C. Green has never missed any significant time having played in 1,192 consecutive games (an NBA record).

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Now playing: Incognito – Everyday
via FoxyTunes

2008-2009 NBA Playoffs – First Round – Houston Rockets @ Portland Trailblazers (Game 2)

Portland fans sent Dikembe Mutombo off the court with a standing ovation.

As the aged Houston Rockets veteran Dikembe Mutombo clutched his injured knee underneath the Portland basket during Game 2 of last year playoffs, it not only marked the end of a remarkable long career but it also closed the curtain on the last active National Basketball Association (NBA) player that was born in the 1960’s.

I then posit the question…

“With the 2009-2010 NBA regular season right around the corner, how many NBA players born in the 1970’s are still active?”

And the results are not surprising.

How many are left and the luxury of having a guaranteed contract.

As of this writing, there are a total of 120 NBA players born between the period of 1970 to 1979. This target group represents about 27% of the entire player population in the NBA (assuming that all 30 teams carry a maximum of 15 players). This number is further wilted down to 26% if you remove unsigned free agents (e.g., Raef LaFrentz (POR) and Malik Rose (OKC)), players who are still under contract but are unable to play or have retired due to injuries (e.g., Matt Harpring (UTA) and Cuttino Mobley (NYK)), and sadly, players who still have a contract but are no longer valued by their team (e.g., Brent Barry (Free Agent)).

Chicago's Lindsey Hunter is the league's most senior player at 38 years and 10 months.

This leaves the league with a total of 115 players between the ages of 30 to 39.

Age is but a number

There are still a number of prominent players who play on a high level and I’ve listed them down based on their birth year:

1972 – Shaquille O’Neal and Grant Hill
1973 – Jason Kidd
1974 – Steve Nash, Rasheed Wallace, Derek Fisher, Marcus Camby, and Antonio McDyess
1975 – Walter Ray Allen, Jr., Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Allen Iverson
1976 – Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Chauncey Billups, Antawn Jamison, and Andre Miller
1977 – Paul Pierce, Vincent Lamar Carter, Manu Ginobili, and Jason Terry
1978 – Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Richard Hamilton, Stephen Jackson, Mike Bibby, and Shawn Marion
1979 – Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Baron Davis, Mehmet Okur, Elton Brand, and Michael Redd

Brent Barry is the last "active" NBA player who was born in 1971.

Other facts

• The Chicago Bulls Lindsey Hunter (1970) is the oldest player in the NBA and the youngest would have been Ricky Rubio (10-21-90) if he suited up for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. Instead, that honor goes to Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday (6-12-90).

• Players born in 1978 and 1979 (26 members each) represent almost half the players born in the 1970’s (45%). While Brent Barry (1971) and the aforementioned Lindsey Hunter (1970) are the only remaining members of their respective birth years still active in the NBA.

• Should Brent Barry not get an opportunity to latch on to any other team this season, 1971 would be the only birth year in the 1970’s not represented in the NBA.

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Now playing: The Brand New Heavies – After Forever
via FoxyTunes

Hey...It's Skita!

Gone are the days where National Basketball Association (NBA) players were able to sign outlandish contracts such as that of the Los Angeles Lakers star Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s nonsensical 1984 deal that proposed to pay him “a million dollars a year for next 25 years” to a pair of astronomical 1993 rookie deals that gave then Golden State Warriors’ forward/center Chris Webber a 15-year $74.4 million dollar contract and then Orlando Magic guard Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway a “100% guaranteed” 13-year $68 million dollar contract.

These days, the most “stars” can get is a 5 to 6 year deal depending on several factors. But not everyone can get a great deal (or a guaranteed deal for that matter…) and that’s where this story begins.

Mercury News sports writer and blogger Tim Kawakami has been watching the NBA Golden State Warriors for quite some time. In this particular entry, Kawakami described a really funny story involving several of the Warriors’ international players, forward/center Andris Biedrins (GSW’s starting center) and forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili (out of the NBA).

Andris Biedriņš scores on the flush against the Mavericks' Keith Van Horn

Best story with Andris is when I asked him a couple years ago if the Warriors should pay Tskitishvili to stick around. “Yes!” Biedrins said immediately. Why? “Because he’s COOL!” Biedrins said. That’s worth what? I said. “Millions,” Biedrins said. “Come on, being cool is worth a couple million.” And damn, he almost convinced me. Didn’t convince the Warriors, though.

Hehehe…now if only life were THAT easy we would all be cool and millionaires to boot

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Now playing: Prince – Vicki Waiting
via FoxyTunes

Category: Movies
Genre: Comedy

Entertainer, promoter, coach, player, and Flint Michigan Tropics owner Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell)

It is 1976 and the American Basketball Association (ABA) is on the cusp of sending four of their more profitable franchises to the National Basketball Association (NBA) (e.g, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs). However, entertainer, promoter, coach, player, and owner of the ABA’s Flint Michigan Tropics, Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) is livid with such a proposition and instigates unrest among his fellow ABA owners—arguing that the four teams to be elevated upon the dissolution of the ABA should finish in the top four.

Moon’s proposition is granted, however, several stipulations are made along the way (e.g., the Tropics need to average 2000 patrons per home game, etc.) as the four teams elevated to the NBA need to show a stable fan base. The last place Tropics have a lot of work ahead of them and Jackie Moon takes the first step towards his Tropics 4th place goal by trading away his team’s washing machine to the Kentucky Colonels for guard Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson), a league journeyman and former backup point guard for the NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

Once upon a time...underhand foul shots were the way to go.

Despite this new addition, the Tropics are still fundamentally unsound—largely due to Moon’s shenanigans and cheap gimmicks. Monix is elevated to “offensive and defensive coordinator” and the Tropics mettle is tested.

They are within one game of 4th place before ABA Commissioner (David Koechner) announces that because of the Tropics small media market, they will not be elevated to the NBA despite the potential outcome of their team’s standing.

Moon is devastated and trades away his star player–alias Rich Clarence Withers A.K.A. Clarence Coffee Black A.K.A. Downtown “Funky Stuff” Malone A.K.A. Sugar Dunkerton A.K.A. “Jumping” Johnny Johnson (André Benjamin) to the San Antonio Spurs in order for him to realize his NBA dream.

Monix convinces Moon that though the Tropics NBA aspirations may have come to a close—their original 4th place goal is still within reach with a win against the Spurs. Jackie Moon is further revitalized when Monix says that he (Moon) still “has one more promotion left in him.”

Moon is in his element and concocts “The Megabowl”—yet another ambitious and outlandish promotion to fill up seats in the Tropics stadium—for the franchise’s final home game against the aforementioned Spurs.

The game is initially a laughter, as it seems as if the Spurs are going to run away with it in the first half. But Jackie Moon takes a nasty spill and is haphazardly carried to the locker room as he sold the team’s stretcher (it is unclear if it was halftime when Moon was injuries as when they returned to the court, it was already the start of the second half). Unconscious, Moon has an audience with his late mother who gives him the gift of the “alley-oop.”

The Flint Tropics Championship Ring (4th Place)

Armed with this new move, the Tropics turn to Clarence Coffee Black (Black leaves his Spurs teammates at halftime in order to rejoin the Tropics. HUH?) who makes a living of the Spurs inability to adjust defensively.

With two seconds remaining, the Spurs are still up by one. 116-117.

Moon is set to take two free throws and shoots them underhanded (ala Rick Barry of the San Francisco Warriors).

He makes the first.

Misses the second.

But Monix follows it up and put it a short floater.

Final score. 118-117.

Semi-Pro was certainly entertaining.

And I do love the game of basketball.

But not that much to watch this again…

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Now playing: Kanye West – Amazing (Featuring Young Jeezy)
via FoxyTunes

Talking about Camby got the ball rolling…

Recently injuries to Los Angeles Clippers Forward/Center Marcus Camby (knee) brought up a number of subjects (e.g., longevity of the playing careers of basketball players, player assessments, player trade/free agent movement, injuries, trades, etc.) during a recent chat I had with my cousin online.

We remember the good times when all of these players that we grew up watching and emulating were at their peak.

Here is an update on two of them.

1994.

Dallas rookie point guard Jason Kidd (1994)

Jason Kidd.

With the second pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks selected California guard Jason Kidd to run their offense that featured Jimmy Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. Kidd, who signed a six-year $60 million dollar rookie contract (those were the days before the NBA collective bargaining agreement regulated rookie salaries), didn’t take long to impress as he helped the Mavs improve that year by 23 wins. By the end of his rookie year, J-Kidd averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists per contest, and led the NBA in triple doubles with 4.

Grant Hill.

Drafting third overall were the Detroit Pistons who over the last few years had seen their team fall from the NBA’s elite after winning back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. With Duke senior forward Grant Henry Hill, one of the most decorated collegiate players of his generation, the Pistons not only had a new cornerstone (who signed to a tune of eight-years, $45 million) to build under the guidance of veteran guard Joe Dumars, but also what was to become the face of the NBA for the next few years. Hill’s status was never more apparent than in that year’s NBA All-Star Game wherein he became the first rookie (in any of the four major sports—Basketball, Baseball, Football, and Hockey) to be the events top vote getter. Hill finished with averages of 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.77 steals per game. As for triple-doubles, G.Hill didn’t match Kidd’s total but was able to post one against the Orlando Magic on April 7, 1995.

Detroit point forward Grant Hill (1994)

With their individual accomplishments (I can’t really say “AND team accomplishments” since the Pistons only had an 8-game improvement will Hill that year), both Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were named NBA co-rookie of the year—only the second duo (until Chicago’s Elton Brand and Houston’s Steve “Franchise” Francis turned the trick in 99’-00’) to capture the award after the Celtics’ Dave Cowens and Blazers’ Geoff Petrie did it 24 years earlier.

In their own right, both Jason Kidd and Grant Hill have had successful and highly lucrative careers. Kidd is third all-time in triple-doubles (netting 103 as of 4/15/2009), USA Basketball’s 2007 Male Athlete of the Year (going 56-0 lifetime when representing his country as of 2008), and has reached the NBA Finals twice in 2001 and 2002. On the other hand, Hill had been named to numerous NBA All-Star teams (even making the squad during the 2001 season in which he only participated in four regular season games), is one of only three players (the others being Elgin Baylor and the late Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain) to lead his team in scoring, rebounds, and assists on at least three occasions, and is generally a nice guy (having won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award (2004, 2008) and the Magic Johnson Award (2006)).

But in my eyes, arguably the defining point in their respective careers is the element of injury from which no player is immune.

The Good.

After a French Fry throwing incident with his wife, Kidd has his mug shot taken.

In March of 2000, the Phoenix Suns’ Jason Kidd broke a bone in his left ankle with 2/10th’s of a second left in the first half of their game against the Sacramento Kings. Surgery ensued, and five weeks later, Kidd was back on the court for the Suns’ playoff run. Four years later, Kidd had microfracture surgery on his left knee in July 1st and returned five months later without any ill effects—which says a lot because a number of players have either retired (e.g., Terrell Brandon, Allan Houston, Kerry Kittles, Karl Malone, Jamal Mashburn, Bryon Russell, guard Alvin Williams, and Chris Webber), are unemployed (e.g., Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway), not really the same anymore (e.g., Matt Harping, Kenyon Martin (procedure on both knees in successive years), Eduardo Najera), or play like they never got hurt in the first place (e.g. the aforementioned Jason Kidd, Zach Randolph, Amare Stoudemire and the retired Hall of Famer John Stockton). (The jury is still out on Portland Trailblazer rookie Greg Oden and $111 million dollar man Gilbert “Hibachi” Arenas, so we will have to wait and see.)

The Bad.

Once Upon A Time...Collectors would have died for a chance to get Hill related swag.

Grant Hill. Once the poster boy for endurance (averaging 38.93 minutes a game during his first six years in the NBA), Hill’s health deteriorated after severely injuring his ankle during the 2000 playoffs while playing for the Detroit Pistons. The following year, the Orlando Magic’s new free agent acquisition had season-ending surgery to repair a broken medial malleolus (inside bone of left ankle) on Jan. 3 2001. A similar season-ending procedure was done 11 months later (Dec. 19, 2001) and the following season (2002-2003), Hill also missed a majority it before having surgery again on his bothersome left ankle which involved re-fracturing and re-aligning the ankle by re-shaping the heal on March 18, 2003.

Wikipedia.com shares that five days after the said procedure, “the unexpected happened: Hill developed a 104.5 °F (40.3 °C) fever and convulsions. He was immediately rushed to a hospital. Doctors removed the splint around his ankle and discovered that Hill had developed a staph infection, from which he nearly died. He was hospitalized for a week and had to take intravenous antibiotics for six months.”

Grant Hill then missed the entire 2003-2004 in order to rehabilitate his left ankle. Two years later, Hill’s ankle was fine but he still missed 61 games due to a sports hernia.

And the comparisons don’t stop there.

2009.

Entering the twilight of their careers, Kidd and Hill aren’t the same players that they once were.  But growing up watching these guys, they are still very much capable of giving us (the fans) yet another timeless moment.

Don’t blink.

Because it may just happen.

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Category: Books
Genre: Business & Investing
Author: Mike Krzyzewski & Jamie K. Spatola

Beyond Basketball: Coach K’s Keywords For Success’

Beyond Basketball is a collaborative effort by 2008 USA Basketball and current Duke University Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski and one of his three daughters, Jamie Krzyzewski Spatola. The National Bestseller is Coach Kzyzewski’s third book and first after his successful “Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life (2001).

In 171 pages, Coach K shares his personal experiences and learning’s as a coach, husband, father, friend, teacher, and leader through forty solitary words—Adaptability, Adversity, Balance, Belief, Care, Challenges, Collective Responsibility, Commitment, Communication, Courage, Crisis Management, Culture, Dependability, Empathy, Enthusiasm, Excellence, Failure, Family, Friendship, Fundamentals, Giving Back, Guidance, Imagination, Integrity, Learning, Love, Motivation, Next Play, Ownership, Passion, Poise, Pressure, Pride, Respect, Selflessness, Standards, Talent, Trust, Will, and Work.

Overall, the beauty of this book is that Coach Krzyzewski invites his readers to embark on a journey to write their own book using these forty words as a baseline. Coach K adds that by writing one’s own personal experiences and learning’s through these and other solitary words, these words would then hold a special meaning to that person.

So don’t delay. Read Coach K, and start one today!

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