It seems basketball stars these days are more concerned with Hollywood than they are with winning games. Lebron spent much of last summer promoting his documentary “More Than a Game.” Howard is starring in a Chinese-directed basketball movie called “Amazing” and even Bosh is filming a Sports Illustrated rendition of “A Day in the Life with Chris Bosh.” Not to belittle their work ethics, but I can’t help but feel that this generation of ballers are just a different breed of basketball players.

If you rewind the clock a little to the era of Jordan, Bird and Magic, it really does feel like we’ve gone back in time. Basketball was played differently back then. They played like gladiators in a Roman coliseum, fighting to their deaths. All-Star games were less like one-hour Globetrotter specials, and more like a battle royale for coastal bragging rights. Players wanted to destroy each other, and the animosity drove their game to another level of competition.

A lot of the old school was defined by competitiveness, discipline, as well as talent. Name the top 5 players in the NBA. You might get names like Lebron, Wade, Kobe, Durant, and Chris Paul. To be a little more flexible, let’s throw in Melo, Howard and even Deron Williams. Now, of those five to eight, name one player with a killer instinct besides Kobe Bryant. None. Name another with a discipline to parallel Larry Bird. None. Talent and nothing else; just smoke and mirrors.

Larry Bird, 15 years after retiring, finished a mile in 5:20. Wallace couldn’t jog a half court for more than three minutes at a time. Read Bill Simmons’ book (not that I’ve finished it). It’s a dense book, but it speaks volumes of knowledge. One particular excerpt stood out to me. It was about Michael Jordan and his competitiveness. Rod Higgins, a former teammate, beat Jordan in a game of ping-pong once. Jordan, then, proceeded to buy a ping-pong table and became the best ping-pong player on the team. It’s the stuff of legends. Now the word legend is defined by a man who after seven championship-less seasons, is hailed as the King of NBA despite his lack of champion-esque essence.

Our generation loves natural talent. We love to put gifted players on a pedestal and idolize their innate athleticism. The problem is, athleticism can only take your game of basketball so far. Once you reach a certain mileage, it’s a downhill slope to ground zero. Vince Carter is a shell of his former self, and even T-mac’s future with the Pistons is questionable. They are no longer the superstars that they were in the past. What makes LeBron James any different? Oh, but a better question is, what makes Kobe Bryant any different?

One of the first posts I wrote on this blog was Kobe’s evolving game of basketball. When he first entered the scene in 1996, he had just as much explosive power in his legs as Shannon Brown. We’re all amazed at the athletic dunkability of Lebron, but don’t forget that Kobe was the 1997 dunk contest winner. Not only was Kobe a high-flying rocket butt, but his dunks were creative as well. But no one talks about his dunk on Yao Ming anymore. Those days are gone. But we don’t forget who Kobe Bryant is, because he keeps his game fresh by working his ass off.

“We had the day off, but they said we could get some shots up if we wanted, so I decided to head over to the gym with [Oklahoma City teammate] Jeff Green. Kobe [Bryant] was the only guy on the bus to the gym, and that spoke volumes to me — he’s the best player in the game, yet he’s always willing to come work on his game, so that kind of motivated me and Jeff.” – Kevin Durant

“He wanted to work on his post moves, and he wanted me to work with him,” Olajuwon said. “That’s a great compliment because I know I added value to his game. Now to see him using it, that’s a great thing for me.” – Hakeem Olajuwon

A small forward/shooting guard does not need post moves that centers utilize. But this is how Kobe approaches basketball. He is a student of the game, first and foremost. And while natural talents play a big role in determining success, Kobe Bryant also understands that a good work ethic is equally as important. First to arrive at the gym, last to leave. It reminds me of an old proverb by Thomas Edison: “Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.”

Add to that the ruthlessness and competitive drive, and you have yourself a juggernaut. There are a lot of talented and athletic players on the court today, but no single player comprised of gifting, ambition, the IQ, and work ethics like that of the old school players except Kobe. This is why I scoff at the idea of Kelly Dwyer putting Dwayne Wade as the #1 guard in the NBA. Nobody has the work ethics to work on his game 80% of the time that he’s awake. Nobody has the killer instinct to take over big games that they’re willing to take the fall for. And nobody in the NBA has the desire to win as much as Kobe.

With the generation of Nash, Duncan, and Iverson passing the torch, there’s not a lot of prospects to get excited about. Yeah, it may be overkill, but I do believe Kobe Bryant is the last of a dying breed.

by Steve Han
Xportsnews journalist

The formation of the Miami Heat’s three-headed monster already has basketball fans anticipating their NBA Finals match-up against the Los Angeles Lakers next summer.

It would certainly make for an enticing match-up as only the thought of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, two of the league’s most exciting players, challenging the legacy of Kobe Bryant is already enough for a mouth-watering Finals showdown.

It’s safe to say that the Heat, in all likelihood, will be a dominant ball club for years to come. The initial concern about possible chemistry problems between Wade and James is nothing to worry about, as they are simply too good to not find a way to co-exist. They will run the show down in South Beach, and do it extremely well.

Even with two of the NBA’s best players, however, this dominance will only occur in the regular season. It won’t go further into May, let alone June because of one team that will stand in the Heat’s way — the Boston Celtics. In other words, it’s not likely that the so called “Super Team” will even have a chance at preventing Bryant from getting his sixth ring, and the Lakers from winning three straight titles.

What raises skepticism in Miami’s quest for a title in the upcoming season is the team’s lack of depth in the low post. While the game out in the perimeter can still be dominated by individuals, the current scarcity of dominant big men in the NBA has forced a paradigm shift, and the battle in the paint is now won with depth.

Since the conclusion of the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs dynasty in 2007, the teams that have lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the last three seasons had a solid three- or four-man rotation at the power forward and center positions. The Celtics’ rotation in 2008 consisted of Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and PJ Brown. The Los Angeles Lakers won the next two championships with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom patrolling the painted area.

If Dwight Howard, the game’s most dominant big man, succumbed to the pressure of taking on the Celtics’ deep frontcourt, how will Chris Bosh, who is evidently softer and less defensively intimidating, survive a seven-game series against the same frontcourt that got even better and deeper over the summer? The Celtics more than compensated themselves for Rasheed Wallace’s retirement with free-agent signings of Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal, both of whom have more left in the tank than Wallace did at the dawn of last season.

The Celtics against Bosh will only have to do what they did to Howard and the Orlando Magic last season in the Eastern Conference Finals. Howard, with no support, was helplessly forced to crumble against the depth of his opponents. Amazingly, the Celtics were able to contain Howard and win the series rather comfortably without any of their big guys putting up great numbers individually.

Even Bosh, the best post presence on this team, has conspicuous flaws to his game and needs role players who specialize in traditional post defense. While the natural talent and skills are evident, the former Toronto Raptor is sub-par defensively and relies excessively on playing away from the rim offensively. Had the Heat acquired a top notch defensive big man in the mold of Marcus Camby or Brandon Haywood, the prospect of making the Finals would’ve been far better, but general manager Pat Riley had to settle for free-agent Zydrunas Ilgauskas and re-signing Udonis Haslem.

Granted, Haslem’s toughness and Ilgauskas’ skills are resourceful attributes respectively. Neither of them, however, are proven commodities in a playoff match-up situation against the league’s cream of the crop. Haslem, with his championship experience from 2006, might be the closest thing to what this team needs, but playing alongside an unorthodox big man in Bosh against a rugged Celtics’ frontline is a different ball game compared to having (Shaquille) O’Neal who’s a prototypical center while playing against Dirk Nowitzky and the Dallas Mavericks, a team that was famously nicknamed a “soft cake” by Charles Barkley.

Now add to that every championship contending team this season each having at least one All-Star caliber player who can neutralize Bosh and cancel him out of the equation. Not to mention the Celtics, in particular, have two legitimate players on the wing in Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to match up against Wade and LeBron. For the Celtics, making up for the departure of Tony Allen who has been a pesky defender against the league’s top perimeter players will be no small feat, but keep in mind that the “Super Team,” in return, has absolutely no answer for Rajon Rondo.

All this brings to a conclusion that the Heat will not make the Finals, unless the Celtics let them. Joel Anthony is not talented enough to be a solid role player on a championship caliber team despite having the defensive trait which his team desperately needs. Dexter Pittman has built his reputation of being a solidified defensive big man during his years in college, but will need a few years until he realizes his promise.

The Heat will have to sign or trade for a first class defensive center at some point to be the clear-cut favorites in the Eastern Conference. This, of course, is assuming that Riley isn’t patient enough to wait a couple of years until the Celtics’ veteran roster is completely washed out.

I’ve been waiting for the Doc to slip up. Beneath the formalities and smiles, there lay the brooding vengeance of the Irish.

“They still have not beaten our starting five. Our starting five against the Lakers starting five has a ring. Tell him don’t forget that. We will be back strong and Perk will be there next year if there’s a game seven.”

- Doc Rivers on ESPN 980

I knew you had it in you, Doc. The bitter rivalry never truly ends with a firm handshake and a congratulatory gesture of respect.

Game 7 was a close one. Never have I stood frozen in one place for two straight quarters as my co-workers stared at me like a reprint of Edvard Munch’s Scream. Too close. What a fine line that win was. It was only a four-point victory, but those four points determined fate like Judgment Day.

I re-watched the game a month later, never failing to utter my usual string of profanity in spite of my foreknowledge of the outcome. No matter how I look at it, it was a ghastly performance. Have you forgotten? Pau was 6-16 and made 7-13 free throws. Young Bynum with his overaged knees made one basket in 19 minutes. Odom went 0-3 from the arc, with 7 points in all 38 minutes. Even Kobe was well below his average with 25% shooting.

How did we win? Nothing makes sense on paper. Celtics were 40.8% from the field to Lakers’ 32.5% and 37.5% from the threes to a measly 20% for the Lakers. Even on free throws, we trailed by 20.6% to the Celtics’ outstanding 88.2% team shooting. So how do you explain a four point loss after what appeared to be a terrific display of team basketball?

I really can’t say. Steve, my journalist friend, always tells me that Lakers are all about grinding it out. Maybe that’s what happened. Despite the Lakers’ top 3 players producing below 40%, and Kobe’s off-night in the most critical game of the year… Lakers “grinded it out.” Can you still credit the loss to the absence of Kendrick Perkins? Hardly. Wallace was impeccable as a replacement, especially with that clutch three in the fourth quarter.

And if you do press on with that argument, then what would have happened if Kobe was not playing on a myriad of injuries? What if Bynum had been healthy, and scored more than two points? What if Pau had made his free throws, like he usually does? Does Professor Farnsworth really need to run this by the What If machine (for all you Futurama fans)?

Celtics brought their A game (with the exception of Allen) and it wasn’t enough. Simple as that. Perkins had never scored beyond single digits in the series, except in game 2. Even then, Bynum managed to pound 21 points in the paint with Perkins guarding him. And in light of Doc’s starting five comment, don’t forget that in 2008, Bynum and Ariza were both injured throughout the series, so technically the Celtics starting five never beat the Lakers starting five either. I’m sorry, Doc, but your arguments are invalid here. Let’s not bother the professor.

Now, 2011 is a different story. I think it best to remain humble, but let’s break it down for a second. Shaq is one away from 40 this year, and the other O’neal is injury-prone. Add another year to KG, Pierce, and Allen, and you can almost start a 35 and over club. In a time when they should be considering bench roles, the big three will be starting another season of 82 games, logging a heavy 30-minutes per game. I suppose Doc forgot to mention that we’re not playing baseball here. You can’t play in tip-top shape till you’re 40.

So here’s a rebuttal for you, Doc. Celtics lost the one chance to beat the Lakers while Bynum hobbled on one knee, Kobe was shooting with four fingers, and Pau was choking on free throws like bad broccoli. Need I mention that the Celtics are older than last year? There won’t be a game 7 next year. There won’t even be a match up. Come June, we’re either going to have a rematch with Magic or finally let Nike go through with their cutesy Kobe and Lebron muppet show in the finals.

But we welcome your challenge. It’s another reason to eagerly wait for the season to start. No need to cry, Doc. It’s water under the bridge.

I think I’m a shoe-in for the Player Hater’s Ball this year. Move aside Silky Johnson. Today I’m going after Lebron James. Again.

With Bosh proud of the fact that he managed to vex an entire city with his childish antics, how can I not?

“It’s a healthy hate,” he said. “When the Lakers came to town, I hated the Lakers. It’s what you need as motivation to beat these guys. We know we’re going to get a team’s best every single night. We know we’re going to get the crowds best every single night. We have a big ‘X’ on our back. People are saying our team is not good for basketball. We’re going to hear everything. It’s OK. It’s going to happen. We just have to win and keep on moving.”

-CBS Sports

It’s one thing to harbor an animosity for an opposing team, like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. That’s hate out of respect. It’s something entirely different to be an ass and play games with your own city. That’s just immaturity, and this is something Bosh foolishly heaped on himself. And that is not a healthy hate. Please refer to my previous article, if you have no idea what I’m talking about.

Now, regarding James, if I remember correctly, it was a little less than two weeks ago that Lebron visited Akron for Kids’ Bikeathon event. After weeks of enraging Cleveland fans, James finally thanked them.

“To the city of Cleveland, my fans in Cleveland, my fans in northeast Ohio,” said James, “I want to say thank you for the last seven years and the years that continue to go in the future.”

- NBA.com

Frankly, his speech of gratitude to Cleveland was suspect from the beginning. Prior to his hometown visit, Lebron remained eerily silent about Cleveland. He knew the ramifications of The Decision, but for an entire month, there was no word. In fact, it was Zydrunas Ilgauskas who initially sent out a letter of gratitude to Cleveland, which probably incited Lebron to write a letter in the Akron Beacon Journal.

So was that an attempt at reconciliation? Or was he trying to save face? Because his sudden animosity toward Cleveland is perplexing. In his feature on the GQ Magazine, he tells J.R. Moehringer that

“if there was an opportunity for me to return [to Cleveland] … and those fans welcome me back, that’d be a great story,”

but also continues on to say that

“[Cleveland] is not far, but it is far. And Clevelanders, because they were the bigger-city kids when we were growing up, looked down on us. … So we didn’t actually like Cleveland. We hated Cleveland growing up. There’s a lot of people in Cleveland we still hate to this day.”

- GQ Magazine

Did I misread that and somehow substitute Cleveland for something else? What am I missing here? His opinion about Cleveland fluctuates worse than a Dienetics reading. Where is he going with this? Does he want to play for Cleveland? Or does he want to crush them, motivated all the more by Dan Gilbert’s letter to the fans?

J.R. noted that Lebron thrives under the right circumstances: camaraderie. But it seems he’s more motivated by vengeance and bitterness than friendship; and Bosh has taking a liking to it himself. Let’s be real. Lebron lacks the killer mentality. Wade has the influence of Jordan more than he does. Bosh is non-existent in that category. So someone explain to me these mental games and the logic behind the ebb and flow of Miami’s episodic drama. I don’t know what these three are trying to pull, but if this is to psyche themselves up for the upcoming season, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Because they will soon realize that diesel doesn’t fuel every car; and neither will their newly polished Jordan-esque images.

At least the public loved John Dillinger. I can’t say the same for these three.

In an interview with the New York Daily News, Bosh openly admitted to playing with people’s emotions involving his free agency.

“If you think about how many times somebody asks you, ‘How are you,’ that’s how many times I was asked, ‘Where you going?” said Bosh, who was in Manhattan Wednesday to unveil his Got Milk! advertisement. “So it’s like, well, in my case, I’m going to have fun with it. I’m going to play with people’s emotions. I’m going to be high and low.”

“It’s entertaining to see people react to your real emotions because if it wasn’t fun I wouldn’t do it.”

- New York Daily News

Unbelievable. How do you explain this? What logical explanation is there for this blatant display of presumptuousness? I figured it out. I was sifting through Bill Simmons’ article on Lebron James’s decision and I found this mail from a Cleveland fan:

City: Cleveland
Name: Jeff
I’ve figured out the moral of the story: Stay in school.

Wade: 3 years at Marquette
Bosh: 1 year at Georgia Tech
The kid from Akron: no college

The most educated guy convinced his dumber friends to come play on his team for less money.

“Dumber than a rock,” says my friend. And I must say, at this point, it’s hard to distinguish between the IQ of Chris Bosh and a box of crayons. I cannot imagine such immaturity at the age of 26, for a man who seems so motivated to win a title this year. Personally, I wonder what Lebron James has to say about this. Were they in it together since the beginning? After the many months of meeting together to discuss their futures, is this all that the so-called professionalism amounted to?

The Decision drew criticism from all over the nation, not to mention some legends: Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, and even Michael Jordan himself. So why does Chris Bosh decide it’s time to make matters worse, and admit to the world that he was toying with the people of Toronto with misleading twitter updates? But I feel like I’m taking the focus away from the fact that he was enjoying doing it. He calls it entertainment. I thought Lebron was bad.

I suppose the biggest irony is that the weakest link in the team is causing the most drama. This is like watching bench players getting into a fight during the game. Bosh, despite his fantasy value, will contribute the least amongst the trio. In the most favorable circumstance, Bosh might tie Lebron in rebounds, but even then, I think I’m giving Bosh too much credit. He plays virtually no defense, and with his offensive game getting cut by a good two thirds, he really won’t have much to show on paper. People consider Bosh to be better than Pau Gasol, but that is far from the truth, check the stats. Assists, blocks, rebounds, and field goal percentage all belong to Pau, with the exception of points to which one can argue that the Lakers are more star-studded than the Raptors. Plus Pau plays defense. Bosh doesn’t.

I’m honestly not intimidated by Miami. They lack size and depth, and their chemistry has yet to be tested. Jazz felt the pressure of having three overbearing towers guarding the basket, and Miami will feel the heat as well. This is why I believe Orlando will come out on top in the East, if not the Celtics, both who benefit from having great centers.

Bynum on Joel Anthony, Pau on Bosh, Ron on Lebron, Kobe on Wade, and Fisher/Blake on Mario Chalmers, and people still think Miami will take home 73 wins? Please. Karl Malone, get up on that pulpit.

This is going to be an interesting year. Miami Heat has now turned Cleveland and Toronto against itself. Chicago are bloodthirsty for revenge from the playoffs. Celtics probably feel undermined by the Miami’s hype, and Lakers have a disadvantage in Vegas betting. If there’s one thing I can thank the trio for, it’s that more people will watch the NBA this year due to the stupidity of a certain power forward desperately seeking attention. If I were Bosh, I wouldn’t want to be overshadowed by those two either. But I just don’t see anyone sending him to the All Stars game this year, cowboy hats or not.

I read an interesting interview on ESPN entitled “Get Inside My Head.” So I thought I’d plagiarize (thanks for the spelling correction, sharondipity) the title and open myself up for further copyright violations.

People think that Kobe Bryant is my favorite Lakers. I watch all the Youtube sizzle reels on Kobe. I always defend him when Kobe-haters call him a rapist, and I love jumping on the Kobe vs M.J. conversations, even though I know I’ll never win that argument.

Ironically he’s not.

I will defend his name and his legacy to my dying days (unless he pulls a Lebron on L.A.). He’s still the player that I consider to be the best in the league and almost in history, and I will be watching his game with hawk vision, but favorite Lakers player? No. It’s actually thirteen numbers up from 24: Mr. Ron Artest.

To explain why, I must go off on a tangent, as always, and take you on a long detour just to explain a simple truth.

Someone asked me once why I love basketball so much, even though I can’t dribble three feet without committing a turnover. I’ve pondered, lingered on that question for some time now, because as you all know, my Lakers fandom predates just two years.

My passion started off with a desire to see redemption in a team that was forced to accept their fate, despite enduring endless contentions. And like a good old bait-and-switch, I was immediately entrapped by this simple allure that it’s only a basketball game. There is nothing to stake when you’re a fan except your pride, right? Wrong. With each loss, it feels like you’re losing something very tangible and real. What it is, I still don’t know, but it hurts bad when we don’t get to score free tacos courtesy of Jack-In-The-Box.

And then, one day, I read a magazine article on Lamar Odom. I wonder how many people know that his mother tragically fell victim to colon cancer when he was 12; or that without his grandmother Mildred, Odom would have been one of the myriad of nameless faces in the ghettoes of New York City. Or that he almost had to give up on playing for the NBA, because University of Las Vegas withdrew his scholarship after ESPN questioned the validity of his standardized test scores. And it was then, that I realized, basketball is simply a means to get connected to another person’s life. Though I would probably never be friends with Lamar, I can relate to his childhood struggles. It’s probably why I handed him a box of Kancho (Korean snack) when I met him at a signing in front of Comerica Bank, and more than anything, wanted to tell him to not grow complacent in life but to keep fighting the good fight. But like all wasted opportunities, I was cut off before I could even tell him I read his life story, and walked out with a jersey impersonally signed “Odom.”

Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve lived with a family that was headed by a marriage/family therapist (Yes, Vicky, I’m writing about you in my blog), but for me, it’s all about the people. It’s fascinating to see the motives behind a player’s trade decision. The intricate balance of individuality and teamwork. The broken relationship that split a dynasty. Yes, I’m a little psychotic that way, but to me, basketball is more than basketball. Basketball is life. These are real humans playing ball, not video game characters. These are every day people with every day struggles. Despite what socially acceptable image you may see from these athletic superheroes, they ultimately have their scars, hurts, and flaws. So what does this have to do with Ron Artest?

Everything. Ron fascinates me. He is a total wreck. He’s been called crazy. Psycho. Osama Bin Ron. He’s destroyed $100,000 cameras. He ripped a phone out of a press row out of pure rage. We’ve all witnessed the Malace at the Palace, the infamous brawl between the Pacers and the Pistons in 2004. In 2007, he was arrested for domestic violence of his own wife. And little did you know that he used to drink Hennessey at half-time during his career with the Bulls.

But can you empathize with his life struggles? Have you felt the pain of being a 12-year-old helplessly watching your parents fight and divorce? Or being bullied because you couldn’t afford better clothes? Or turning to alcohol because you simply don’t know where to turn to? I’m not justifying Ron’s actions, but hopefully I’m widening your scope to see that Ron is very much human. And I love who he is, as a person. Through it all, he has learned to become a better father, a better husband, and a better player. He openly tweets for people to come play football with him at Santa Monica beach. He freely hands out $18,000 courtside tickets for penurious Lakers fans who will never attend a single playoff game in their lifetime. He plays dodgeball with local kids and plants dreams and hope for the next generation. (And even reconciled with the fan he beat up at the brawl.)

I still remember the sex allegations that destroyed Tiger Woods’ reputation as an immaculate pro-athlete. The nation was in an uproar over this horrific scandal, and Tiger’s public image was pitifully reduced to the level of a “sex addict.” One man wrote an open letter on his blog to encourage Tiger, saying “Please remember only Jesus is perfect. You made a mistake and you admitted your infidelity. I have made the same mistakes.” In the midst of his own scandals, anger management issues, and drinking problems, Ron Artest became transparent for the world to see, so that another man may be lifted up.

I have yet to see a Laker player more real than Ron Artest, who is not afraid to accept his weaknesses, but chooses to face himself and change. And for that, he will always be my favorite Lakers.

Yeah, maybe I’m taking this a little far. Seems a bit dramatic that I should take something as simple as a game of hoops and turn into a psychotherapy session. But I assure you, it’s not. It just helps me connect with the players more. It gives me joy to see Ron with a trophy in his hands, instead of a bottle of Hennessey. Or seeing a smile on Fisher’s face knowing that his daughter is overcoming retinoblastoma. Or even Kobe kissing his family after a victory, to let them know that despite his adulterous past, he will always be working to better his marriage and his fatherhood.

Sorry for sucking all the fun out of basketball. I know that probably wasn’t what you expected, and neither did I, but it sheds light on why I get so into the game. If you’ve ever watched a game with me, you’d think I’d flip some tables and set the bar on fire. (Yes, I’m that intense. Keep your children away and yourself as well.) But it makes the game that much more real to me. Because I want them to win. I want them to overcome not only season-ending injuries and playoff contenders, but the biggest trials and tribulations in their own lives.

Well, now I just look insane, but what can you do? I’m just as crazy as Ron. Thanks for reading.

You can tell that I’m bored, right? Sorry. Studying for the dreaded GREs and suffering through NBA news drought have left me with idle hands and a lack of motivation to write a worthy entry.

Not to say that there has been nothing interesting to talk about. For example, today, after burying my face in a god-forsaken GRE test book for four hours, I decided to hit up The Grove. While making a left turn on a busy intersection, my friend texts me “You listening to espn 710? Cp3 wants to be traded and wants the lakers, knicks or magic.” After bypassing traffic laws to explore this text message that has piqued my curiosity, I quickly turn on the radio to catch the Brian Long and A. Martinez show. It was true. CP3 wanted to be traded as soon as possible: to the Knicks, the Magic or the Lakers.

Tammy, an avid listener of the show, chirps on air, “We have to get Chris Paul. We should trade Bynum because he’s injury prone and we need to secure our future.”

How many times have we had this conversation? Fisher is old, we need a new point guard. Bynum is injury prone, we should get Bosh. I feel like a hypocrite, because five months ago, I was pro-Bosh-trade due to the financial liability that I believed Bynum was becoming. But after witnessing a championship born out of a dysfunctional and confused bench, an aging point guard, and a center who plays to pay off his hospital bills, I have faith in this team, as motley a crew as they may be. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken.

Don’t get me wrong. Acquiring CP3 will be huge, but how likely is it that we will actually nab CP3 with the luxury tax running well over  $21 mil? Are Hornets really that naive to trade Paul for Luke, Sasha and a sign-and-trade for Ebanks? And how will Paul’s arrival affect team chemistry, especially with Phil Jackson executing the triangle offense; a strategy that demands that no single person handles the ball for too long? And sorry, Tammy. The Lakers are not out to secure a future right now. Buss wants championships and that is why Phil Jackson came back. Our immediate goal is to secure the three-peat; not set the foundations for a new legacy after Kobe.

Why do I babble on about this? Well, one thing that has been bothering me is Lakers fans believing we need more firepower. With the recent assimilation of the Obsequious Trio (like my GRE lexicon?), people have been frantically looking for ways to pack the roster with more Superstardom. And this is where I take my stand.

A funny joke circulated on the internet. The devil walked up to LeBron and said, “If you kill a kid, I’ll get you a championship.” LeBron refused and said, “I can’t do that. He’s just a kid.” And Kobe jumps in on the conversation and says, “Which one?”

Or it was something along those lines. Spare me. I’m not good at telling jokes. But that is who Kobe is. A cold-blooded assassin. He’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Michael Jordan so far, and no one in this league has the killer instincts that Kobe does. And we all know Jordan would not have shared his throne with the likes of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or dare I even piggyback on what Henry Abbot has said: Jerry Krause, his own teammate. In translation, Kobe would never want to play with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, or Chris Paul. This is Kobe’s era, and I think we saw that when he scored 81 points against the Raptors by himself.

I think there has been too much focus on creating the next Super team. As a response to the Batman family in Florida, CP3 wanted to create his own threesome in Knicks with Stoudemire and Carmelo. But we are the Lakers, not the Heat. I don’t know what CP3 wants to accomplish by asking to be traded to the Lakers, but we are not here to create a Justice League. Our team works and it has proved itself two years in a row. There are some visible flaws that we need to work on, but I just don’t see Paul in the mix. Anyway, this post has taken too much time away from my lucubration (sounds scandalous, doesn’t it?), so I must sign off.

Oh, and I must apologize to CP3 if he ever reads this post. I accidentally called him a Batgirl as I was voicing my opinion on the radio today. For some reason, I couldn’t register the fact that CP3 > Gasol and that he would come in as Robin, not Batgirl. My mistake. Brian Long freaked out, saying “CP3 is hardly Alicia Silverstone.” But they cut me off before I had a chance to submit my rebuttal. :/ I thought it was hilarious, though.

“It doesn’t scare you? I mean, come on. They’re a real threat. I think you’re underestimating them.”

After a hard day of demolition work on my friend’s new house, we sat down at a Carl’s Jr., trying to relax and enjoy a hard-earned Famous Star. Of course, he just had to ask, even though he follows the Lakers.

It’s a daunting team. One guy is a towering 6’10″ nimble power forward who averaged a 24-10 last season. Another one is a speed demon guard that erupts for 40pt+ and takes headlines away from Kobe’s circus shots. And finally, we have a freak-athletic who probably could have been just as much a hope for the Cleveland Browns as he was for the Cavs. Threat? Of course. But tell me one season where the Lakers have cruise-controlled their way to the championship without so much as tapping on the brakes.

Why else are three-peats held in such high honor? Only three teams have pulled it off so far: The Bulls in the 90s, the Lakers in the new millenium (also the 50s Minneapolis Lakers) and a ridonkulous eight-peat by the Celtics in the 60s. Nothing is ever supposed to be easy. Last season, all the hype was around Vince Carter joining the Magic, Shaq to the Cavs, and Sheed to the Celtics. It was supposed to be a crazy year for the Lakers, and it has.

This year is no different with the new Big Three. So here’s my two shiny Abe Lincolns. Nothing is decided until someone has their hands around that golden trophy. Lebron’s Cavs led the league last year with an impressive 61 win record and got knocked out of the playoffs without even reaching the Conference Finals. Celtics, who I thought were a dying breed of old veterans, took us to an unimaginable game 7 when we were expecting a story of revenge from the Orlando Magics. I don’t even need to talk about the brute force that OKC is quickly becoming, and the flawless pick-and-roll of last year’s one-two combo Amare and Nash. And need I remind you all, that the Celtics have always been the unofficial Big Four. KG, Allen, and Pierce, as old as they are, are still a formidable trinity. And who can forget Rondo? With the addition of Jermaine O’neal, the Celtics feel more like a complete team than the Heat, who still lack a good bench and role players. My friend always reminds me that the post-season is not the same as a regular season game. It’s a different mentality, and until you actually get there, silence is golden. Lastly, let’s not forget. Lakers are the team to beat, not Boston, not Chicago, and definitely not Miami.

Having said that, I want to move on to the summer league. For those of you who have lost interest in basketball during the “boring” offseason, I am excited as ever to see where our new rookies will end up on our line up. Introducing Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, a slashing small forward who strangely resembles last year’s Ariza and a powerhouse miniature center who can play ball with the big dogs. Ironic how Ebanks knows how to cash in on his money shots and Caracter has proved his name’s worth with his second double double in Las Vegas. Lakers are a lucky team, considering how we drafted 43rd and 58th for these two diamonds in the rough. Ebanks is quickly on his way to securing his spot with his consecutive 20pt+ game. He provides solid defense and outside shots along with his athleticism to score in the paint. Caracter commands a strong presence in the post; though undersized at a measly 6’9″ for a center, his amazing footworks and lower body strength allow him to more than compensate for his lacking framework.

Although he’s infamous as the rookie killer, we’ll have to see what Phil Jackson will do with Caracter and Ebanks. Kobe averaged only 7 points in his rookie year, due to his heavily limited game time. Where Caracter and Ebanks will end up, I can’t say, but I do feel like they can monopolize on some great opportunities this season. So far, it seems they can provide what we have been lacking in our bench: defense, confidence and consistency. Like I said, Lakers are the team to beat, especially if our bench gets revamped with these young blood hungry to prove their worth on this team.

Last but not least: Fisher. I feel a little uneasy with Miami going after our five time champion, but I trust in D-Fish. The Lakers’ offer may not be too great and Miami’s a little too enticing, but I know Mitch won’t drop Fisher without a fight; not after what he’s done for our team. Regardless, wherever Fisher goes, I will support and protect him, as I’ve done with Ariza. Fisher has finished strong and displayed his loyalty and his love for the city. If Fisher leaves, I will honor that decision.

So all eyes on me, as I try to guide you through the next two months of what seems like a basketball drought. The trek through the desert is not as boring as it seems.

*update*

Fisher has returned. Thank you, Fish. Loyalty goes a long way.

Have you seen anything so detestable as this one hour ESPN special leading up to LeBron James’s decision? Yes, and it’s called LeBron James’s decision. I am utterly disgusted by how James had been pulling the wool over our very own eyes, while he pretends to be remorseful about leaving Cleveland. In his quest to preserve and solidfy his legacy, James has shipwrecked all that he’s built in a single decision that unnecessarily kept the world waiting since the pitiful game 5 in the playoffs.

I really don’t know where to start. Or what path I should take you on, to make you understand the magnitude of his betrayal. In games 4 and 5, LeBron was heavily criticized for his lackluster performance. Mo Williams was the only one still in the game, while LeBron had given up two minutes before the game was over. At the time, rumors spread that LeBron’s mom had an affair with Delonte West, which supposedly explained his aberrant behavior in a critical game. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was his own PR working up a headline to divert our attention away from the fact that, already in May, LeBron had set his heart on leaving Cleveland.

There were two things he said that absolutely vexed me. “The major factor was this is the best opportunity for me to win and win now and in the future” and “To my real fans out there, I hope that you’ll continue to support me all the way to Miami.”

First off, his “real fans,” as he would like to believe still exist, are city-less bandwagon fans who have nowhere else to pledge their allegiance. And secondly, his “best opportunity” came at the cost of his destroying the hope of his own people. What good is a legacy if you’re in the limelight by yourself? I don’t discredit his desires to win a championship. Honestly, at this point, I think he would only want one if it would generate more income for his brand name. But putting my hate aside, it’s the truth that every player wants to be a champion and LeBron is no exception. But to sacrifice the very people that had crowned him “the King” in order to preserve his own legacy?

What he had in Cleveland was special. I was watching a small segment on Lebron on the ESPN website, and the impact that LBJ’s departure had on the Cleveland fans. “They cried when they won the rights to draft him. That’s how much he meant to this city before he even put on a uniform. Before he brought the Cavs to their first NBA finals. Before he hit the miracle shots.” These are the people who watched him grow. These are the people who supported him before he ended up on a Sports Illustrated cover for the first time. These are the people who still loved him even though for seven years, he couldn’t bring home a trophy. And now, in his pursuit of a selfish legacy, he left them behind to immortalize the brand name with a championship. Had he stayed in Cleveland, he would have gone down as the Greatest among his people, even if he retired without having a single thing to show for it. He would have been the Jerry West to the Cavaliers, but I guess that’s not what matters to Lebron.

Ironically, he claims that “the number one thing with me is to help my teammates get better and to win.” So, in the end, Mo, Varejao, West, Parker, Shaq meant nothing to him. All the pre-game handshakes and team dance-offs that we were fooled to think were signs of solidarity, were actually just for show. Quite a jester, that King is.

And Chris Bosh, like an immature five-year-old, tweets “YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” without even understanding the consequences that LeBron James now has to face. He will never find acceptance in his own hometown because he threw it away for his own glory. His legacy will be celebrated by his immediate family and friends, and nobody else. He can never eat at his favorite Akron restaurant, without having to endure the scorns that the townspeople will burn through his eyes.

Players like Bosh don’t understand this, because they never had a root to begin with. Mercenaries, as I said before. They will always play for themselves, and there will be nothing to pass down to the next generation. And somehow the magnificently selfish plans of a second tier basketball player attracted LeBron James enough to make him say, “I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James…” He even had to talk in third person to explain his motives. I can’t explain just how naive and how egocentric his decision is. I really can’t.

Earlier, I heard that fans were burning LeBron’s jersey on the local Cleveland news. They should. He has betrayed them all, and he considers it “business”.

“I didn’t want to make an emotional decision. Put the shoe on the other foot. If the Cavs got rid of me would my family burn down the organization? Of course not. This is a business. I had seven great years. I am going to continue to be happy and great.”

That’s where he’s wrong. It’s not business, it was personal to the followers of James. And the Cavs would have never gotten rid of the one they call their King.

I can only imagine the first night that he’ll play against Cavaliers as a Miami Heat. Will people show up to boo him for the entire 48 minutes of game time? Or will the arena even be a fourth of the way full when the “King” comes to visit? Regardless, he will now forever be a Judas to the people of Akron and the people of Cleveland.

I feel for the people of Cleveland. Their history has been wrought with failure (Browns, Indians, Cavaliers), and the one person they thought would bring hope to a hopeless city, decided he would step on them to climb to a higher place for himself. A broken heart is a hard thing to mend and I don’t know if Cleveland will ever put their faith in another hero; and that’s the saddest part of it all.

Eventually Lebron will have to face the impact that his decision will have made on his career. He might win a ring or two, and momentarily he’ll bask in its light, but it will be a hollow victory. The ring will be nothing more than a rendition to his resume. And sadly, but surely, he will see his “legacy” burn to the ground as he realizes his fatal flaw; that he’s a king without a throne, a king without a people.

I want you all to read this article, and tell me that I’m in this by myself.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100709

First off on my list, I’d like to welcome Blake, Crittenton, Ebanks and Caracter to our journey to the second three-peat. I don’t know what to expect, but Blake replacing Shannon Brown is always an upgrade. My journalist friend has high hopes for Ebanks, and I’m curious to see if he can pull off those moves on Youtube at Staples Center. And with that being said, I can’t express just how relieved I feel to have Phil Jackson back. If my predictions prove true by the end of the season, Phil can rest at ease with four three-peats under his belt; a feat no coach has ever accomplished in this league.

Secondly, Farmar. In his Lakers exit interview, he compared himself to D-Will, Westbrook and Rondo. I’m sorry, Farmar, but it’s time for a reality check. Dunking on Kevin Garnett during the Finals does not earn you the title of one of the best point guards in the NBA. I give credit to some of the big shots that he’s made, but with the level of inconsistency that we’ve had to deal with, I wouldn’t mind playing Blake over Farmar on any given day. Truth be told, Farmar has potential to grow, and frankly, with the Lakers, he won’t get it. Not with Kobe and Fisher in the starting line up. So thanks for some great moments in Lakers basketball, but please don’t exalt yourself to the level of Deron Williams, let alone Westbrook. Not yet, anyway. You may prove me wrong.

And now, finally… Welcome to the circus. All pictures photoshopped by yours truly. Let me take a moment to quote another very profound 21st century prophet:

“All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon’ trip just like a circus.”

Preach it, Britney.

Ah, yes. The insanity that is the Free Agency 2010. It’s the very thing that I feared from the day that the world of hoops stopped asking if Lebron would win a championship, and moved on to “What Would Lebron Do?” With all this hype that’s got the media frenzied like sharks in a pool of blood, I could make a decent living selling WWLD wristbands.

How did this start? When the biggest game in Finals history was playing, commentators were still counting down to Lebron’s 40 Days to Free Agency. And now that it’s here, there’s nothing new in play. Every article I read are rumors, speculations and gossip. It’s a complete waste of my time because none of it holds water, and now everyone else is trying to jump in on the spotlight. Wade, Bosh, Johnson. General Managers are throwing extraneous amounts of money on free agents who really don’t deserve that much.

Yes, I said it. Wade, I can understand, because he has a ring. Lebron, I somewhat understand, but don’t necessarily agree with because he hasn’t proven a thing. But Bosh? The Lakers were thinking of trading Bynum for Bosh before the trade deadline. Because the media has put him on a pedestal due to his love affair with Wade and James, Bosh now thinks he can land a $126 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal. Last year, I was dumbfounded to find out that Jermaine O’neal was getting paid $21 million annually, and three years from now, you’ll be working on a Rubix cube called Bosh’s salary, asking yourself the same question: how?

Why all the drama? It’s as if the repeat Champions Lakers have been swept under the rug, and every team thinks they can win a trophy if they just land Lebron James. There’s so many things that go into a championship team. Chemistry, balance, bench, health, etc. Lebron is simply one piece of the puzzle. A rather big piece, but Lebron does not equal a championship. Cavaliers couldn’t hold to that for seven years in a row, and somehow the Nets, Knicks, Bulls (actually Bulls make the most sense), and Clippers believe “the King” is the end-all solution to the years of championship droughts. He’s not, and I guess it’ll take another year of Lebron flashing his alley-oop dunks and circus shots, and getting knocked out of the playoffs early to prove my point that a hype is a hype, nothing more.

In the beginning, it was only the Knicks who dared to chase after the dream. And now three other teams have jumped on the bandwagon, and it’s become more viral than Charlie Bit My Finger. Entertainment at its best. And Lebron knows how to entertain, on and off the court; and he will squeeze every single dollar out of the performance that he’s putting out there to store in his billion-dollar piggy bank. Clippers fans jump at the crack of his whip, and Nets fans wow and wonder in amazement, as he flaunts with the hip hop mogul Jay-Z.

But sadly, it will be the Cavaliers fans lying prostrate on the floor when this circus show comes to an end. Are you still excited to see where Lebron will go?