Basketball
I know that was some jawing going on at the beginning of the game last night between the Rockets and Lakers, and Artest was bodying up Ariza, so Ariza was pushing back. But could this be the beginning of a rivalry between the two players? I could understand it from Ariza’s stand point that he’d be pissed, just because Artest is the only new guy on the squad this year and basically replace Trevor. But check out this quote from Artest after the game:
“I don’t have hard feelings,” Ariza said. “It was emotional, I guess you could say.”
Artest said he thought about giving Ariza a hard shot, but backed down for fear of a fine or a suspension.
“You know if somebody hits me, I’m going to react,” the famously temperamental Artest said. “I got hit with about three elbows. It’s just not fair. I don’t want to fight, I don’t feel like doing it. If you throw an elbow into Ron Artest’s chest, do you know who you’re hitting?
“But I give up, I just give up,” he said. “I’m not fighting anymore. You could elbow me, smack me, use me as a punching bag. I’m not reacting anymore, I’m tired.”
Really, Stephen? Let’s compare you to a few of the other guys that could be in the running. I know Blake Griffin is out for a while, when he comes back, he can still make a splash.
On the other hand, let’s take a look at a few players that are actually getting some court time, Starting with Brandon Jennings. Here’s a kid that took a year off and played overseas, and it sure seems to be paying off for him. Jennings is averaging less minutes that Curry, yet outscoring him by 9 PPG. Curry is at 5.5 APG, but Jennings isn’t far behind at 5.3 APG, not to mention that Jennings is averaging 2.0 RPG more than Curry as well.
Next on this list, someone getting considerably less minutes, but is right up there in stats, Jonny Flynn of the Wolves. 24 minutes, 14.8 pts, almost 3 RPG, and 3.3 APG. Only knock on this guy is that he’s turnover prone.
But just looking at these 2 guys alone, Curry could have a tough time getting that ROY award.
Maybe the bat knew that it was Halloween and just wanted to come out and play for the night. Check out what happened during the Spurs and Kings game.
So everyone keeps talking about Tony Gaffney possibly making the Lakers, especially with him still being on the team less than a week before the start of the regular season. I personally still don’t get this obsession with him. Yeah he’s tall and can kinda play defense, but his offense is pretty weak and so is his defense.
The worst part is that apparently he doesn’t yet understand the dangers of Social Media these days. Social Media meaning sites like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. Don’t post anything on there that you don’t want getting out to the public. Ummm stuff like this picture…
Nothing against him cuddling with another man, it’s his choice… or he was just really drunk. But there are quite a few things wrong with this photo. A) He’s the freakin little spoon! B) How the hell does a 6′8″ guy fit on a couch with another man? C) WTF? He’s wearing a Celtics shirt!!!
That shirt alone should get him booted from the Lakers. I know he’s already changed his loyalties; he mentioned that after signing with the reigning champs… but come on! There’s just something wrong with this whole thing. What if he’s a spy working for the Smeltics?
I was going to write something on here to kick off the Lakers preseason, but after watching last night’s game against the Warriors, I’m a bit speechless. Just check out one reason why I’m so excited about this season. Wow. WOW WOW WOW! The end.
What’s up with the Celine Dion videos?
It’s alright though. This guy is only going to help the Lakers out even more. He has the skills, now he just needs to get his mind into the game and stay focused.
There are literally no words to describe this video. Marbury has officially lost his damn mind.
It’s been a while since I posted since it’s the offseason and all, but this was definitely worth sharing with you guys. Check out this kid. He’s 3 years old and you can find the story at Oh Me Oh My Jello’s Jigglin
Lebron James and Dwight Howard got nothin on these guys! In the words of my coworker via IM “watch this crzy vid. it’s so sic!”
Sprite ran several dunk competitions nationwide over several weeks in order to pick 10 semi-finalists. 1 winner from each of the 8 cities visited, and 2 online winners. Now it’s up to you. Head over to NBA.com/dunk and check out the videos from each of the semi-finalists, and vote on your favorites.
The four finalists will be flown to the NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Texas next February to put their skills on display. All I know is that if The Air Up There pulls off another 720, no one has a chance.
Here are some details about how this whole thing started:
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NEW YORK, July 27, 2009 – After weeks of dunk contests, ten semifinalists have been selected from among amateur dunkers across the U.S., and it is now up to the fans to select which four dunkers will go on to compete in the first-ever Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown at NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas, Texas.
Fans can visit NBA.com/dunk to watch dunks from each of the ten semifinalists and vote on who they think should be flown to NBA All-Star in February to compete for the chance to be crowned the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown Champion. The winner will receive a grand prize of $10,000 and will attend the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during NBA All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 13, 2010.
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Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown competitions were held in eight cities during May, June, and July at NBA Nation presented by T-Mobile and Kia Motors, the league’s touring vehicle that transforms into a 20,000-square-foot basketball playground. The competitions were open to all local dunkers, ages 18 and up, who were able to show off their dunking skills before a panel of judges at NBA Nation. One winner from each of the eight cities was selected by the fans via SMS text voting.
Fans that could not attend the NBA Nation stops were able log on to NBA.com/dunk to upload videos showcasing the best dunks. LeBron James led a panel of judges that picked two winners from among the online entries. The eight local winners from the tour combined with the two online winners to make up the group of 10 semifinalists, and now fans are being asked to narrow the group to four best-of-the-best finalists. The voting period begins today and runs through August 24, 2009.
Now it’s time for you to stop reading this and get your mouses clicking. Vote for your finalists and let’s see what they can do next February in Dallas. Follow it all on Twitter at http://twitter.com/spriteshowdown or @spriteshowdown if you know what you’re doing. Or you can check out their Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SpriteSlamDunkShowdown
Good luck to the semi-finalists, and we’ll find out soon enough who gets to go to hot and humid Dallas next year.
Looks like the Free Agent signing period is now in full swing and it’s no longer just verbal commitments. Here, we’ll start breaking down the signings and the impact they can have on the respective teams. The biggest so far is the official signing of Ron Ron with the Lakers.
Ron Artest had agreed to sign with the Lakers last week for the MLE, but was finally able to make it official today. As tough as it is to see Trevor Ariza leave the Lake Show, the Artest signing should quickly ease that pain.
It seems like the Lakers are definitely trying to shed the “soft” label still. Artest now gives the Lakers a lock down defender that can play the 2 through 4 spots. Yes, he’s undersized at the 4, but he’s strong enough to guard a lot of the PFs in this league. As great of a team defender as Ariza was, he still had a lot to learn about man defense. Artest may be one of the all time greatest man defenders by the time he’s done.
Yes, he may be crazy and have a lot of mental issues that can hurt the Lakers (just Youtube Ron Artest), but take a look at his last few years. He’s gotten older and a LITTLE wiser. This guy was just born into the wrong era of basketball. He would have fit in perfectly with the tougher old school NBA.
Look for Ron to make a big splash with the Lakers this year. Phil will prevent him from pounding out the shot clock and jacking up shots, and so will Kobe. This is a completely different style of ball than Artest is used to, and that could be what he really needs. Ron will be getting way more open looks than he’s accustomed to, especially to start each half when he’s out there with Kobe, Pau, and Bynum.
This signing just made the Lakers even more stacked than they already were. Imagine Odom coming off the bench when either Artest or Pau need a rest… that’s the next signing the Lakers need to take care of.
I’m giving this signing a huge thumbs up. The Lakers will look even more dangerous this year. Stay tuned for more free agent rankings.
Enjoy the video from Sports Science on the Discovery Channel. They test different scenarios to see what it would take to turn Sasha into Shaq at the free throw line. Kid definitely has a shooting touch. Just wish it was there during this last season.
Check out Amare’s Twitter. He’s at it again.
Just 4 days “Breaking News! Amar’e Stoudemire to the Lakers!!” That ended up just not happening.
Then about half an hour ago he posted “Breaking News! Amar’e Stoudemire to the Lakers!! He might take less money to win a championship.”
I know there has been a lot of talk with him being moved to all sorts of different teams in sign and trades, or free agency, but what’s with all the Laker love? I wouldn’t mind having him at all, but which Laker free agent would have to be let go?
Odom needs to be signed, and so does Ariza. And letting Shannon Brown go doesn’t clear enough money to sign Amare. How about this scenario though? Luke and Sasha for Amare… please? Someone just take Sasha and Luke off our hands, especially Sasha.
But Amare, what’s your deal? How low would you really be willing to go in order to bring home that trophy? Imagine a lineup as follows. You know you want this.
PG: Fisher / Farmar / Brown
SG: Kobe / Brown / Ariza
SF: Ariza / Odom or vice-versa
PF: Amare / Pau / Odom
C: Pau / Bynum / Amare
I know it’s a pipe dream, but that’s just plain disgusting. As the kids on Lakersground.net say, “Do it, Mitch!”
This is finally turning out to be the series that I had expected. After Game 1, I was actually disappointed that the Lakers had won by 25. Then after Game 2, I was disappointed that the Lakers didn’t close out the game and had to go into overtime. Let me tell you this. I am no longer disappointed.
The Magic have finally shown up to make this thing a real dogfight. I thought Game 2 was as close as the Magic were going to come to a win in this series based on how they were playing. Who would have thought that they’d come out last night and shoot almost 70% all night long?
You know those nights where it seems like everything that Kobe threw up was gonna go in? The first half looked like one of those nights when he shot 8-11 from the field. Bad part, the Magic pulled a Kobe also. They absolutely were on fire. Yeah teams go on stretches here and there where they make 5 or 6 straight shots, but last night it felt like they made about 40 straight shots without a single miss. The Lakers defense wasn’t strong, but it was there. The Magic just couldn’t be stopped last night.
Here’s hoping that this continues to be a closely contested series throughout. Even though I’m still calling Lakers in 5, I really don’t see anymore blowouts happening this series. Enjoy what’s left, and thank you Orlando for finally showing up to the Finals. Congratulations on your franchise’s first Finals win as well.
For the NBA Finals, Dright Howard will be sporting a new pair of shoes from Adidas. Check out the details and pics below. Sick sick sick. Apparently, even the big men in the league need to lose a little weight, in the shoes I mean. The man-child will be rockin a pair of shoes that are 6 ounces lighter than the shoes he wore in the regular season. Please don’t tell me that he’ll be able to jump even higher. That might lead to the Lakers requesting that the rim be raised to 13 feet. That way hopefully he won’t dunk every trip down the court. But then again, you never know with this guy. He’ll figure out a way to dunk just about anything.
SUPERMAN ASKS + RECEIVES:
DWIGHT DEBUTS NEW TS COMMANDER LT SHOE AT NBA FINALS
EXCLUSIVE AUCTION OF GAME WORN, AUTOGRAPHED SHOES; ALL PROCEEDS GOING TO CHARITY
With 82 in-season games and 19 Playoff games under his belt, fighting fatigue as he heads into the 2009 NBA Finals is Dwight Howard’s #1 concern. Enter the new TS Commander LT. This exclusive player edition concept is the direct result of Dwight requesting a lighter shoe to carry him through the fourth quarter. At 6 oz lighter than the shoe he was wearing during the regular season, the TS Commander LT will continue to give him the superior cushioning in the paint minus the added weight enabling him to continue to dominate the boards. This exclusive grey and blue Finals design also introduces the new “fat stripes” design concept, which provides enhanced mid-foot support and stability.
The TS Commander LT is a sneak peak of the official player edition shoes for 2009/2010 NBA Season which debuts for $100 at adidas Sport Perfomance stores starting on October 1, 2009.
AUCTION DETAILS
- After each game, Dwight will sign his pair of game worn TS Commander LT shoes
- Signed shoes will go live on auction at NBA.com
- Bidding will start at $1,012 and will run throughout the NBA Finals
- Final bids being accepted on June 20th
- All the proceeds will go to a charity selected and announced by Dwight post-Finals
MORE PRODUCT DETAILS
· Evolved, lightweight cushioning support at the heel counter
· New “fat-stripe” design for additional mid-foot stability
· Synthetic leather upper for light weight and durability
· Perforated upper for superior breathability and ventilation
· Dual-density EVA mid-sole for focused support and cushioning.
· adiPRENE + insert for forefoot propulsion and efficiency.
· Non-marking rubber outsole
· Herringbone pattern outsole for optimum traction.
Check out www.adidasbasketball.com for more information on the 2009 NBA Finals.
What game was this guy watching, and how is there no talk of him getting fined for his comments about the reffing? This was one of the better officiated games this series. Lakers shot 35 FTs, and the Nugs shot 30.
Yes, there were some questionable calls and non-calls, but at least it was happening on both ends of the court. Did he not notice that in less minutes, Carmelo shot more FTs than Kobe? Or maybe he didn’t notice that freakin Dahntay Jones shot more FTs than anyone on the Lakers not named Kobe Bryant? Whatever his excuse, quit your whining. You’re an NBA coach and you’re in the Conference Finals. There’s no room for whining like that in the press conferences.
Pretty much the entire press conference was Karl complaining about the refs. How about this, George? Complain about how your team missed crucial FTs. Or how they went for a good 5 minutes in the 4th without scoring? Or how about your team not stop the wrecking ball that is Lamar Odom.
Good job lobbying the refs, George. I look forward to your team shooting 15 more FTs than the Lakers… oh wait, that already happened in Game 4.
Everyone used to talk about how Bruce Bowen is a dirty player and he tries to injure people etc, and I’m not gonna argue that, but has anyone watched the last 2 games in the LA/Denver series? How the hell has Dahntay Jones not gotten suspended for the cheap shots he’s taken in this video? That’s 2 games in a row with plays meant to injure someone else.
Anyone who has ever played basketball know that you don’t push someone in the back, especially when they’re in mid air. That play alone ranks right up there, possibly higher than Bowen’s step under move. Pushing a player in the back like this can end a player’s career, and is absolutely uncalled for in this league. Something needs to be done… something OTHER than assessing a Flagrant 1 AFTER the game. Thanks again for hiring poor refs, Stern.
http://www.lakersmedia.com/?p=1167
Hey everyone,
This is the third time that PayPal has emailed me regarding the Raffle for Dwight Howard’s autographed shoes. I guess I was right when I said that they weren’t interested in raising money for Leukemia. Apparently, their rules are more important than helping children who have this life threatening disease.
If this is any sign of how they work as a company, I personally do not want them to be a part of this cause anyways. But seeing as how they pretty much have a monopoly on sending money online, I don’t really have any choice but to use them. Unfortunately, what this means is that the raffle will have to come to an end.
Thank you to all of the people who have participated and I will be randomly picking a winner for the shoes soon. I’d like to thank the following people for being so generous and helping this great cause. Hopefully this money can help not only find a cure, but find preventative measures.
- Mark Bautista
- Adeel Cochinwala
- Earl Bolson
- Phong Bui
- Sara Garrison
- Lisa Schramm and Justin Ecker
- Jim and Craig Stob
- Kenneth Johnson
- Gavin Burke
Again, thank you everyone for being a part of this cause. It is truly unfortunate that a company like PayPal does not have it’s priorities in order and would focus on shutting down a raffle for a good cause. Apparently, in the FOURTH email that I just got during the time that I’ve been writing this post, they consider this raffle to be gambling related. Here’s a big THUMBS DOWN to PayPal. I would give PayPal a different finger, but then who knows, they might try to shut down my entire blog.
Now that we’ve raised money for Leukemia research, can we all spend a little time announcing how terrible PayPal is as a company? Anyone with Twitter accounts, please spread this post. Hopefully, it will make them realize how dumb they are and prevent them from shutting down other raffles or projects that are going for a good cause. Thank you again everyone.
Anyone that would still like to donate, can send money to chrisjbui@hotmail.com
You will still be recognized for your contributions, although unfortunately, you can no longer be eligible for the autographed shoes. Thanks again, PayPal.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Artest was quoted as saying “Obviously, the Lakers are more experienced than us, but I thought we were the better team. Individually, it’s a failure for me. With the team that we have, there was no reason why we shouldn’t have advanced. But I thought it was a good learning experience for these guys. They’ve been through a Game 7.”
I understand having confidence in your team, but really? Come on, Ron. Give credit where it’s due. The Lakers were picked to win the championship at the beginning of the year for a reason. Everyone knows who the better team is/was. Stop lying to yourself and go enjoy your Free Agency.
Gotta love these videos from Lakers-Fan.com. Check out the latest after last night’s game.
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Just some thoughts on happenings around the league, responses to the media and other bloggers, and just a good place for you to spend time instead of actually working.
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