NBA Trash Talk: American Psycho; Don't Kill My Vibe; By Oden's Beard

Carmelo suspended one game for waiting for Kevin Garnett at the Celtics team bus?  Yeah, there's no way I'm disagreeing with the NBA on this one, there's just no real way of legitimizing it.  It's not that Melo deserved the suspension because there was a 'confrontation', because as far as the reports show, no hands were thrown.  The reason the suspension is valid is because, if you let a player get into your head to the point you wanna fight him after the game, maybe you need to take a break from playing for a while.
Thing about KG, he's a guaranteed first ballot NBA HOFer.  And also, he will go down in history as one of the greatest trash talkers in the history of sports.  Taunting Charlie Villanueva by calling him 'cancer patient' is not below his standards.  Physically, his game is just as grimey as his speech.  From punching Chandler Frye in the balls to the discrete forearm shiver to Tyler Hansborough's orbital bone last week, there's more than enough evidence to reveal Garnett's obvious propensity for on-court psychotic fits of rage.  Carmelo was trying to show that he's not a bitch, and all that KG tough shit looks and sounds good on the court, but don't mean shit in the real world.  I get where you're coming from Melo.  But on the NBA premises, you will always lose.  In this case, Carmelo let KG beat him twice.  KG succesfully took you out of your game (not to mention some surprising lockdown D by Jeff Green) and you shot 6-for-26 while phasing out your teammates and it was ultimatlely the reason the Knicks lost the game.  And now your team has to play without you in the next one.

Ya wife told me you have a little dick nigga!

There are few things in the NBA I enjoy more than when Kobe Bryant goes into full-on Kobe Mode.  This is the point in the game where Kobe feels like his teammates' intensity is lacking, and it's up to him to be the hero and pull out the win for the Lakers.  As a result, basketball fans get to witness the entire Kobe Bryant offensive repertoire.  You don't know how he's gonna score next: circus layup, miraculous fadeaway, 5-feet behind the line 3-pointer.  But we all know one thing is for certain; he's not passing it no one, no matter what.

Here; give this to Kobe.  I'mma go box out.

It's being reported that former college basketball National Player of the Year and No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden is rehabing his re-surgically repaired knee and plans to make a return to the NBA.  The team being reportedly interested in him is the Miami Heat.  If this were to go down, there isn't a better possible thing for Oden to come out of destroying every possible ligament in your knee after being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers and before playing 100 games in about a 5-year span.  Oden will get to rehab in Miami, which in itself needs no more further explanation.  And he'll get to come off the bench/sit on the bench and have a high-percentage chance of winning a championship ala Juwan Howard.  At the very least/best, Oden could provide the same amount of impact as Joel Anthony or Dexter Pittman.  Meanwhile, Kevin Durant has all the pressure on him to lead OKC to a championship, and he was the No. 2 overall pick that year.  Now that's what I call coming out on top.

Oden in early rehab for is imminent return to the NBA.

JORDAN vs. KOBE.

How were the LAKERS able to comeback against Mike Jordan's BOBCATS for the win last night?  MJ gave KOBE some key advice before the game...ADEDS S/O to Sam Higgins for the caption!

'8 New And Exciting Things To Watch For In The 2012-13 NBA Season'

-LeBron James as a defending champ.
Is it finally no discussion of calling James 'King' anymore? Critics will say that one ring doesn't a king make, and probably not two either, but this will be the first season where 'Bron can call himself the reigning NBA Finals MVP and world champion. As if he didn't already have a target on his back. If LeBron leads the Miami Heat through the gauntlet similar to what he did last year, it will certainly solidify his standing among NBA royalty.

How many more jewels will the King add to his collection?

-Lakers form latest 'Big 3'.
Ask the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat if adding two big name players in an off season doesn't add up to big time results. Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joining Kobe Bryant is the latest trio and may be the most devastating ever formed when you combine career accomplishments. It's not like they'll be trying for 5,6,7 chips as the Heat prophesied, as Nash and Bryant are in the twilight of their careers. One championship would mean a lot for all three players, with Nash and Howard earning their first in their careers, and Bryant donning his sixth, tying him all-time in rings with one Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

This group, when playing as a unit, will be the toughest out in 2013.

-Revamped Celtics squad.
The Boston Celtics threesome of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen produced two NBA finals appearances, one championship, and two notorious up 3-2 games series collapses. As a Celtics fan, it's hard not to feel cheated that this group didn't win multiple titles together, and the eldest of the three -- 37-year old Allen -- would leave the Northeast for the arch rival in South Beach. Despite that, there's still a quiet buzz of anticipation going on in Boston right now. On paper, this year's Celtics squad looks younger, deeper, taller, and more athletic than last year's team. The core of the team -- Pierce, Garnett, and Rajon Rondo -- already has championship pedigree, and a bitter taste in their mouths from allowing Pierce's Game 5 Conference Finals heroics to be inducted into the forgotten-clutch-playoff-game-winner-hall-of-fame. The return of guard Avery Bradley and forward Jeff Green, combined with the signings of guards Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, will help pull weight for whatever drop off you might have lost with Allen's departure.  Rookies Fab Melo and Jared Sullinger add depth to a small frontcourt.

Rondo will need this many rocks to dish to all the talent on the C's roster this year.

-OKC Young Gunners minus Harden.
It almost feels like the Thunder gave up on this year when it was announced that badman-beard James Harden was on his way to the Houston Rockets via trade. OKC was in the Finals last year, and yeah they got dominated by the Heat, but it was alot of James Harden's heroics against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals that got them there.  The daggers, energy and excitement that Harden provided, can that be replaced by adding Kevin Martin (who in his defense has been a consistent offensive threat since the 2006-07 season, averaging right around 20 ppg) and UConn rookie guard/forward Jeremy Lamb?

The OKC gang will be firing with an extra chip on their shoulders.

-Flopping Rule.
In soccer, you get yellow carded for 'taking a dive' and certain accumulation of yellow cards leads to disqualification. The NBA will be similar to this format starting this year. The point being, just as we see in soccer, being penalized for 'flopping' won't actually stop players from doing it completely (see Chris Paul and Manu Ginobili) but at least now the consequences are more severe.

Really, Chris Paul?...really?

-Take a Brow.
The boy Anthony Davis has in the past year won a Gold medal in the Olympics, won a National Championship at Kentucky, won the Naismith and Wooden POTY awards, and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. You gotta give this long, lanky, athletic freak from Chicago his props as no stage seems to big for him. A 6-9 former point guard that can block shots, grab boards, start fast breaks, and has a decent jumpshot? It's only a matter of time until Davis connects that success he's been having into NBA stardom.



Davis' unique skill set will catapult him to NBA stardom in due time.

-Where Brooklyn at?
Deron Williams knows that when it comes to a franchise that is building up high expectations, in the midst of one of the biggest media markets in the world, Brooklyn is on top, and there is no competition. The Nets didn't land Dwight Howard this off season, but BK will be the new perennial hot bed location for off season free-agent player interest. They put up big money to grab scoring guard Joe Johnson from Atlanta, and re-up'd on budding big man Brook Lopez's rookie contract. Add in the Williams extension and swingman Gerald Wallace, and you can clearly see that sky's the limit for Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference.

New look Nets are coming of age in Brooklyn.

-Do it again.
Show and prove time for Jeremy Lin.  Everyone wants to know if it was just a fluke you had, or are you really an elite point guard in this league?



The make or break time for Lin is now.

'Countdown To No More Mike Brown?'

Dwight Howard.  Steve Nash.  Metta World Peace.  And Kobe Bryant.

Coach Mike is either the next Coach Spo or the next Del Harris.

Those are some pretty big egos right there.  Not so much Nash, as he pretty much keeps the same demeanor at all times but those other three guys . . . wow, talk about psycho-emotional roller coasters.  That being said, is current Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown really fit to coach this team?  I must admit that the most recent NBA Championship winning coach, Erik Spoelstra, did prove me wrong as I predicted that he wouldn't last as head coach dealing with the superstars that are the Miami Heat Big Three.  But by comparison, this Lakers collection of headcases seems like a group that not even an acclaimed psychiatrist could fully breakdown.  Unless, of course, he was a master. . . Zen Master possibly?  Let the speculation of Phil Jackson's imminent return to professional basketball begin.  First off, no one really knows if Phil wants to come back to basketball since he really doesn't have anything left to prove in his career.  Furthermore, he's already done the Lakers thing twice.  I would've suspected that if he were up to a new challenge that the recent New York Knicks opening would intrigue him since Jackson spent most of his NBA playing career as Knickerbocker and was part of the 1973 team, which was the last time a Finals championship banner was raised in the Mecca of basketball.  But Jackson turned down the position and remained retired.  But come to think of it, Phil's thing hasn't really been about accepting a 'challenge', it's really more about taking the best collection of talent on the planet and putting them over the top.  When you look at it that way, then a third stint in L.A. for Jackson seems exactly what the universe would prescribe . . . dharma if you will.  But as it stands, Brown is the coach of this team.  The only things stopping Mike Brown from earning (coasting to) his first ring is possibly being out dueled again by Scott Brooks and the OKC Thunder gang, and his good ole pal LeBron James, who helped another low-profile, defensive-minded coach earn (coast to) a ring last year.  And, the order of the universe of course.

WeekleeInsperayshunFrumThaWurldUvSportz

You call it ballhogging. I call it bravery.

Thank you Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant for showing no fear in the face of your critics!  You knew you would get criticized for being selfish if you shot the ball 29 times, and had no assists.  But you also knew that if you're team lost, you were gonna get criticized anyway. . . so f*ck it, might as well drop 40, right?  Stay the course, my friend.  After all . . . is it the Playoffs yet?

The Lake-Slow



Bryant can't do it alone

  "We get behind early on in the third quarter on some stupid plays -- poor passing, poor transition defense -- and then Kobe has to screw up the game and start energizing the team by going one-on-one and that takes the rest of the guys out as a consequence." Lakers coach Phil Jackson after 104-85 loss at Staples Center against the Memphis Grizzlies.

We're almost halfway through the 2010-11 NBA season and one thing that is very apparent to me about the 2-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers is that they don't have the same speed and energy from the supporting cast as they have had on the teams that reached the Finals the three previous seasons.  The problem is not Kobe. (and Phil knows that, he's just doing that Jedi post game presser talk he always does.)  The reality is, it's like everyone besides Kobe and Shannon Brown are playing in slow-motion right now.  Lamar Odom has had sparks of brilliance but has often looked lethargic (crash from sugar high) and disinterested (wishes he was with the other Kardashian sisters).  Pau Gasol looks about 10 years older than he did last year (Miguel Tejada?).  They can still light up the score board on any given night but they don't play with the same intensity and urgency as those other teams.  Bottom line: It's an old team with not much to prove.  We all know in sports that teams experience a 'hangover' after winning a championship and get complacent, but many people believe that the will of Kobe Bryant to be the G.O.A.T., and the manipulative mind-game modus operendi of master-motivator Phil Jackson, would be enough to get the Lakers where they need to be and in position for a three-peat.  It's still early but the guys they have lost and the guys they have replaced them with have either lost motivation or have been quite vast downgrades.

Trevor Ariza - Ron Artest

Odom is dissapointed; he chose the wrong Kardashian

Ariza was an O.K. NBA player when he was with the New York Knicks (and a little less good with the Orlando Magic) but became the most important 'glue' guy for the Lakers for those first two Finals teams.  An L.A. guy through-and-through (Westchester H.S. and UCLA), the then 22-year old Ariza was an athletic defender that grew in confidence with his jumpshot from what was obviously a combination of hard work, and the motivation that can be inspired when playing for a player like Kobe and being coached by a coah like Phil.  His game improved so much from his time in Los Angeles that he was basically given the 'green-light' whenever he was in the game and became the designated team defensive stopper.  The culmination of Ariza's career in L.A. came in the 2009 Playoffs where he shot 48% from three in 23 games and had a 13 points in a crucial third quarter run against Orlando in Game 4 of the Finals to help lead the Lakers to an overtime victory.  When Ariza signed with the Houston Rockets the next year (five years, $33 million), it left the door open for L.A. to sign a seasoned player who was known for his defensive tenacity, Ron Artest.  But Ron-Ron didn't come without controversy.  In fact, many wondered when the eccentric 29 year-old forward from Queensbridge (who signed for . . . five years, $33 million) would transform back into his semi-psychotic side and make the Lakers rue the day they signed him.  For the most part, Artest was majorly motivated to win a championship and kept the antics under wrap, and hit memorable game-winners in the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns and the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.  But what is left on the plate for Artest now? 

Artest is ready to move on to different things

We all know that The Tru Warier can't stay focused for long.  He's always been into music and is now talking about possibly trying out for the NFL or going into boxing.  The lack of focus for Artest has been very noticeable this year, with his point total dropping to 7.5 points per game through 34 games this year after averaging 11 ppg (77 games) a year ago.

Jordan Farmar - Steve Blake (30 years old, 6 different NBA teams in 8 seasons)

Farmar may have been the single most motivated player on the team during this Lakers run not named Kobe Bryant.  Farmar, who like Ariza went to UCLA and played high school ball in the L.A. area, felt like the starting point guard position was in his reach and worked like a mad-man to try and get it.  While he never captured the starting role (two starts in four years), especially with the return of longtime Laker point guard Derek Fisher in 2007, the 24-year old Farmar was probably the fastest player on the team and often the spark for the Los Angeles transition game and, along with Sasha Vujacic, became a key part of the second unit.  With Blake coming in (with a $4 million contract no less) its hard to believe that the Lakers improved their second group, nor did they get bang for their buck.  Blake is a better shooter from the perimeter, shooting 41% from three so far this season, but he doesn't force the tempo the way Farmar did.

New additions: Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks

Barnes balls on and off the court; but mostly off

Barnes, 30, was known as a runner and gunner when he played for those exciting Golden State Warriors teams a few years ago and again in a stint with the Suns.  He tried to reprise that role last year with the Magic but was mostly just known for getting under Kobe's skin and Basketball Wives.  Now that he plays with Bryant, I guess all he has to be known for is Basketball Wives.  Ebanks came out of West Virginia with high-praise and displayed much of his raw skills and athletic ability in the summer league and pre-season.  However, the 21-year old Queens native has been mostly subjcted to the D-leauge so far this year.

Holiday Cheers & Jeers

Gotta luv the holidays.  People that aren't normally nice say things like 'HI!" and "Merry Christmas!" at least until the 27th rolls around; then, business as usual.  I didn't ask for any gifts but I still got some anyway (a Sharper Image six-piece tool kit, 2011 calendar with a bball hoop attached to it, and a coffee mug with a Bible verse on it).  I can't complain.  I currently don't have a job so no one got anything from me.  Except for this:

The gift that keeps on giving

It was the least I could do.  Anyway, some people besides me had really good holidays and others, well, better luck next year . . .

Mike Singletary out as Niners coach

Singletary got dumped the day after Christmas like re-gifted fruit cake.

The 49ers have been ho, ho, ho-rrible this year and someone had to get the ax, namely NFL Hall of Fame player, but not HOF coach, Mike Singletary.   He's had some inspiring times as head coach of Frisco, and some hilarious press conferences, but bottom line, he had to go.  The owner Jed York came out earlier in the year and texted Adam Shefter on live TV that the Niners were going to make the playoffs.  Talk about having your coaches back!  San Fran was 5-9 coming into the game Sunday (a 25-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams) and controlled their own destiny!!!  That means they could finish the season 7-9 and still win the division (the worst division in the history of sports, the 2010 NFC West, click here)!!!!  This is an epic fail.  Furthermore, Singletary couldn't decide which Smith to start at quarterback, Alex or Troy.  Throw in a few starts from league nobody Shaun Hill and this tenure was certain for doom. 

Celtics and Lakers lose on Christmas Day

Don't adjust your television, the shoes are just that ugly.

It was like looking inside you're stocking and getting coal.  That's the feeling I felt as a Celtics fan as Jameer Nelson and the Orlando Magic played Grinch, ripping victory out of the hands of the Boston Celtics in the final minutes of the game and ending the C's 14-game win streak.  Even worse is looking forward, the Magic are a threat with the new acquisitions of Gilbert Arenas and Jason Richardson, and the re-acquistion of Hedo Turkoglu.  The Eastern Conference just got that more interesting folks.  Not to mention that the Miami Heat are finally rolling.  They dismantled the lacksadasical Lakers in L.A. in front of a star-studded crowd and atleast 10 million viewers at home.  What was more embarrasing was that no Laker not named Kobe Bryant really seemed to care.  Throw in the national debut of the most hideous sneaker that Nike has ever released and Christmas was a sad day for the two most storied franchises in NBA History.

Hell Up in Harlem

Hazell, victim of a Harlem Scrooge.

What kind of Scrooge is out there trying to rob people on Christmas Day? Seton Hall senior guard Jeremy Hazell was back home for the holidays in his native Harlem Saturday night when he was shot under his right arm in an apparent robbery attempt.  The details of what exactly happened that night has yet to be specified but one thing we do know is that someone out there was either not hugged enough as a kid or never got what he wanted for Christmas, so he stole it.  Now I know why Cam'ron said "That's Harlem".