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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
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Category: Movies
Genre: Drama

An interesting concoction

A great film with a turbulent beginning—starting with its production from Warner Bros and Harrison Ford pulling out due to conflicts over the screenplay and role respectively; to a carousels of who’s who auditioning or being considered for the parts of Nick Frescia (Alec Baldwin and Miami Heat Head Coach (then with the Los Angeles Lakers) Pat Riley were considered for the role of Nick before settling with Kurt Russell) and Dale “Mac” McKussic (Harrison Ford was slated to play this role before he pulled out. Mel Gibson was signed on as his replacement); to admission sales possibly being bloated due to the initial teaser trailer of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) which was shown prior to the film (giddy fans were reported to have paid admission just to see the aforementioned trailer).

Now to the movie. Tequila Sunrise.

Other than knowing it was a film that “may have” won awards (and it did when it captured the Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases and Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures awards), I knew very little else of its history and sadly, even who was staring in the film.

As the credits rolled, I even missed the title of film and Gibson’s name. But then names of Pfeiffer, Russell, and the late Raul Julia popped up. Now this was certainly something interesting to watch. The lead character, Dale “Mac” McKussic (Gibson), is an ex-drug dealer who is trying to go straight. His “friend,” Detective Lieutenant Nicholas “Nick” Frescia (Russell), throughout the film tries to entrap him, believing that he is unable to “go straight.” Jo Ann Vallenari (Pfeiffer) is a restaurant owner and the love interest of both men. Vallenari had a consistent “glazed look,” and in my opinion, was seemingly on drugs for the duration of the film. And lastly, my “the star of the show,” Carlos/Comandante Xavier Escalante (played by the late Raul Julia) who truly made McKussic believe he was a “buddy.”

Lastly, for an independent film, I have to tip my hat to Writer and Director Robert Towne—he really believed in this project and his passion was seen throughout the film and in his characters (especially Escalante).

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Now playing: Fela Kuti – Zombie
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)
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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
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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
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The Celtics New #30: Rasheed Wallace

It’s been almost 16 months since the Boston Celtics celebrated their 17th NBA Championship against the Los Angeles Lakers in the TD Banknorth Garden.

And in all honesty, if the Celtics had a healthy Kevin “KG” Garnett going into the 2008-2009 NBA Playoffs–who knows what might have happened.

In 2009-2010, the C’s are primed (and heavily favored) to bring home yet another Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy back to Boston, Massachusetts with new off-season acquisitions Rasheed Wallace (free agent signee from the Detroit Pistons) and Marquis Daniels (free agent signee from the Indiana Pacers) ready to help out.

Till then, here is a look back to June 17, 2008.

One shot:

“Check it. You know how I be. Last week Kobe couldn’t do without me.”

- Shaquille O’Neal (Freestyle rap in a NYC nightclub [6/23/08])

The world bleeds green once again

For the unprecedented 17th time.

The Boston Celtics are the NBA (National Basketball Association) Champions.

And they made it look easy with a resounding 131-92 drubbing of their rivals—The Los Angeles Lakers—in Game six of the 2007-2008 NBA Finals.

From L to R: Allen, Garnett, Posey, and Pierce pose with the Larry O'Brien Trophy

But that wasn’t always the case.

Longtime Boston Celtics beat writer Peter May shared that at the start of the 2007-2008 NBA season, Celtics’ Head Coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers urged his stalwarts—specifically team captain Paul Pierce and newly acquired NBA All-Stars Walter Ray Allen, Jr. and Kevin “KG” Garnett—of the importance of “seizing the moment” as “the can’t afford to wait” (since they are getting up their in age and opportunities to win a championship are few and far between). Rivers added that the talented trio need to play with a sense of urgency and liken their situation to being their “one and only chance to win.”

Rivers, then 46, sold them on the concept of defense and Garnett was the first one to follow his lead—eventually ending the season as the league’s top defensive player—the first of his decorated career.

And that wasn’t all

An exodus of more than half their players from the 2006-2007 NBA season in order to acquire Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Allen from the Seattle Supersonics posed to be yet another challenged to the 24-win club.

The Celtics defense in 2007-2008 started with Defensive Player of the Year (DOP) Kevin Garnett

By the time the season started, the green and white has nine new faces on board—the aforementioned Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, free agents James Posey, Eddie House, Scot Pollard, rookies Glenn “Big Baby” Davis, Gabe Pruitt, and returnees Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, Brian Scalabrine (whom some sources have said, has the same basketball IQ as the legendary Michael Jordan), Rajon Rondo, and the Captain Paul Pierce. Before the close of the regular season, The C’s added two more faces, 15-year veteran P.J. Brown and guard Sam Cassell.

Cohesion and lack of bench strength were points brought up by critics all season long and despite a 66-16 season—successfully securing home court advantage throughout the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It was the largest single season turnaround in NBA history, yet the critics still kept on talking.

It didn’t help that their journey to the NBA Finals was a rocky one.

Rajon Rondo surveys the court for an open teammate

The young 8th seed Atlanta Hawks (37-45) brought the Celtics to 7 games in the first round. LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37) also pushed the Celtics to the distance in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals (and if it were not for Paul Pierce’s 41 points—who knows how that may have turned out). As for the Eastern Conference Finals, well, that series went six grueling games against the cohesive Detroit Pistons (59-23).

The Celtics went 10-1 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and 2-8 on the road for the duration of the playoffs. Doc Rivers put it best when he said, “that’s why the regular season is so important. We fought for it all year” (Pertaining to home court advantage).

Onward to the NBA Finals

After winning the first two games at home and stealing one of the next three at the Staples Center—The Boston Celtics were on the cusp of greatness—an unprecedented 17th World Championship.

By halftime of Game 6, the outcome had already been decided as the Lakers seemingly lost the fight in them.

58-35 at the end of two—A twenty three-point deficit.

Walter "Ray" Allen, Jr. hit an NBA Finals record 22 treys.

The Celtics were running on all cylinders, led by their injured point guard Rajon Rondo, who finished with a stat line that Jason Kidd would be envious off (21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, six steals, and only a single turnover in just under 32 minutes of action).

Ray Allen also recovered from a first-half eye injury to finish with 26 points (7-9 from downtown). Associated Press Sports Writer Howard Ulman added that Allen also set a record “for most 3-pointers made in a finals series with 22. The previous mark of 17 was set by Dan Majerle with the Phoenix Suns in 1993 and matched by Derek Harper with the New York Knicks in 1994. Allen’s seven 3-pointers also tied the finals record shared by Houston Rockets Kenny Smith and the Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen.”

The Celtics juggernaut didn’t end there as Kevin Garnett tied Allen for game high honors with 26 points and 14 rebounds. James Posey (whom Pierce considers “invaluable” during his brief time with the Celtics) finished with 11 points (perfect from the field, including 3-3 from downtown) three steals, and a block. And who can forget the performance of Paul Pierce (17 points and 10 assists) thought the series.

In the end, it was only fitting that that Pierce, the Celtics Captain, be named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Finals as he had certainly endured a lot of heartaches over the last 10 years in a Celtics uniform.

With a title now safely under his belt, those days are certainly over.

17 banners. Jersey Numbers #1, #2, #3, #6, #10, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #31, #32, #33, #35 and #00 also hang from the rafters.

Could #34 be that far behind?

2007-2008 NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce celebrates with the Celtics fans at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Addendum:

- The Celtics played an NBA record 26th post-season game when they stepped on the Red Auerbach Parquet Floor for Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Associated Press Sports Writer Howard Ulman wrote:

- The Celtics’ 39-point margin in the championship clinching Game 6 win is the largest in a decisive NBA finals game.

- In fact, Boston now has four of the six biggest margins in games that clinched titles. The Lakers have the other two in championships won while they were in Minneapolis. The previous biggest winning margin in such games was 33 points by Boston on April 25, 1965, when it beat the Los Angeles Lakers 129-96.

- Boston’s 52 baskets from 3-point range erased the finals mark of 51 set by San Antonio in 2005.

- The Celtics also put on a record-setting defensive performance Tuesday with 18 steals, eclipsing the single-game finals mark set by Golden State against Washington in 1975.

- The Lakers put their own stamp on the record book, despite being crushed in the decisive game. League MVP Kobe Bryant’s 16 steals in the series tied the mark held by some pretty special players—Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Dwyane Wade.

- And Boston broke its own NBA record for most championships with 17. The Lakers are second with 14.

Associated Press Sports Writer Jimmy Golen added:

- The Celtics joined the 1975 Golden State Warriors and the ‘77 Trail Blazers as the only teams to win it all a year after missing the playoffs.

The Champs share a moment with David Letterman

The Champs on Letterman

The following evening on The David Letterman Show, guests Walter Ray Allen, Jr. and Kevin Garnett shared:

“How you feeling, champ?” Ray Allen asked KG.

“I feel good,” Garnett replied. “How you feeling, champ?”

Said Allen, “Oh, I’m doing good.”

And with that, the world is right again…

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Now playing: Jon Secada – Take Me
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Category: Books
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Author: Michael Leahy

When Nothing Else Matters

Published in 2004, author Michael Leahy shares his experiences during Michael Jordan’s last comeback to the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Leahy’s portrayal of Jordan showed a different side of the basketball legend which is not normally seen in the eyes of the public. Jordan, the “the most marketed player in the history of the NBA,” was finally…”mortal” and did go through the same trials and tribulations (from a heightened perspective) that we all go through at some point in our lives. Leahy accounts the days wherein Jordan was at his best and would score 35 points over the span of several games to the days wherein he wasn’t unstoppable and hit his career lows of 8 and 2 points respectively.

What stood out for me was Jordan’s lambasting of players who didn’t play up to his standards. Leahy quotes Jordan on numerous occasions wherein he would lambast teammates. Coach Fred “Tex” Winter, an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers and former assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls summed it up best, “you either work hard or Michael has no use for you.”

But the one paragraph in Leahy’s entire book which rocked my very foundation of emulating Michael Jordan was the following:

“His people had held him up as a man to be emulated, making Jordan more than a half-billion in endorsement dollars in the process…he had raised the bar on his behavior during 17 years of unremitting self-promotion, in campaigns approved by the Jordan camp and coordinated by Nike and other corporate sponsors that elevated him from great athlete to hero and, finally, to moral symbol.

…when you present yourself as virtuous in years of ad campaigns and TV commercials, you will be fairly held in time to that standard. Fairly held because you have sold your basketball shoes to people plunking down in excess of $100 not merely for a chance at better Ups but for a way to rub up against your aura, to feel a tiny sense of you in that admittedly silly way people feel when they wish to emulate anybody, to be inspired by your class and elegance, your morality and grace, as they’ve heard it told. And if some of that was artifice, then so, too, was everything you sold with your likeness on it.”

Disturbing but quite true, personally, I have seen myself on many occasions wanting to “be like Mike.” I’ve bought the shoes, worn the clothes, gotten the cards, read the books…and it is only now I realized. What about me? Leahy’s book showed me that. In the years that I have been collecting “Jordan” in order to be inspired, all I needed to do in the end was look in the mirror in order to be inspired.

This is a great book that puts any not only Michael Jordan’s life in perspective but also that of your own, especially if you are a Jordan fan who has collected his paraphernalia over the years.

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Now playing: Justice – DVNO
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