Get Your Fashion Game Up! (NBA Edition)

Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, but Fashion is clearly visible whether one is a trend setter or follows trends. NBA players used to be incorrectly labeled as Hip-Hop thugs who had no sense of fashion outside of what you may find in a club. However, plenty of players dressed in suits for games before Commissioner David Stern implemented the "Dress Code"; which requires players to wear a jacket and less jewelry to and from games. In order to understand how far we have come when it comes to fashion, we must pay homage to the old school while praising the new school. Hopefully along the way you will learn the Do's and Don't s, even if your favorite player wears it. LoL.

80's
1985 Draft-Karl Malone 1986 Draft-Chuck Persons

Clearly Fashion was all about color in the 80's and these former players differently lived up to the standard. Karl Malone wore 3 different shades of blue and a square tie (never do that) for his big day. Nothing I found topped Chuck Person and his pink and white prom tux that of course included a comber bun.






90's



1991-Larry Johnson 1996-Lottery Picks

The 90's are well represented in these 2 pictures as you have LJ a.k.a Grand-Ma-Ma still holding on to the 80's with a vintage Miami Vice look. But..When you are the #1 overall pick in any draft you kind of get a pass for wearing white pants. The 1996 draft was the one that changed the NBA, it is arguably the best class ever (well maybe the 03 class). This group was headlined by Starbury, KB24, Ray Allen and Allen Iverson. The hood and overall street culture was represented with this class which helped re-launch the NBA into a new era.

2000's
2003 Draft-Lebron James 2005 Draft-Joakim Noah
Lebron clearly took his time picking his suit in anticipation of being the #1 overall pick. The 3 piece gray suit is a classic look no matter which hat you have to put on. Now to my right we have the definition of what NOT to wear in any setting. Joakim Noah chose to wear a Searsucker suit...what is that? Yeah had to ask my pops about that one since it its straight out of the 70's. LoL.



I leave you with a classic cut from Outkast...Enjoy!
We used to crush this in High School..So Fresh and Clean Clean.

Rookie Rankings (October)

The 2008 NBA Draft came with a lot of Buzz; as this was to be the first class that would be affected by the 1 yr College Rule imposed by the NBA.

So how will the Rookies fare on the next level? Nobody really knows, but we can always debate and argue all season until the Rookie of the Year is crowned,

I have divided them in 3 categories..Superstars, Sleepers, and Busts. Just like the Power Rankings; these will be updated every month, so bring a good argument to the table if you don't agree with my pics.







SUPERSTARS

1. Mike Beasley-In my opinion he is the most ready out of any of the other rookies in the entire draft. After torching foes in the Big 12, he should see the floor and the ball plenty in the Sunshine State. The only downside is I'm not sure which position he will play, but after seeing him in action during the preseason its obvious that he can get his shot off while playing the 4. His care free attitude makes for a great interview but could backfire in the business driven world of the NBA. He is my pick for R.O.Y, cant wait to see how he pans out.

2.
O.J. MAYO-Yes I have Mayo at #2, not because I think he is the second best player in the draft but because he is the most dynamic. Not only is he ready to step in and produce right away, but has the potential to be the #1(probably Gay) scorer on the team. For some reason Mayo reminds me of Kobe (yeah Kobe) if he had went to school for a year. The explosiveness will come, and the fact that he can play both guard spots all but ensures him to be able to dial up his own number. It will be a close race between him and Beasley for R.O.Y.


3.
DERRICK ROSE-Some may wonder why the #1 overall pick comes in third on my list but its for good reason. Point Guard is the toughest position on the floor in the NBA and maybe in all of sports. Not only will he have to adapt to the speed of the league but also learn how to become a leader on a team with established players and egos. Rose struggled in the preseason but showed flashes of brilliance late, it will take time to see him in rare form as he was in Memphis during the NCAA tournament. Long term he has the potential to be the best player to come out of the draft.





SLEEPERS

1.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK-The athletic guard out of UCLA raised his stock with little fanfare, but may be the steal of the draft. He can play both guard positions and is turning into a great compliment for Kevin Durant and company in OKC. If he learns to become a lock-down defender(he's already close) then at 6'4 he will give most point guards problems in this league.








2.
ANTHONY RANDOLPH-At 6'10 200 pounds, one may think he is not ready for the wear and tear of an 82 game NBA season..until you see him play. With a smooth left hand stroke, Randolph is a dynamic player that can run up and down the court in Golden State and make plays on both ends. Don't be fooled by his size he can actually handle the rock as well, which gives Don Nelson plenty of options whenever he decides to play small ball. Randolph likely wont be R.O.Y but will make an impact and see the floor in Golden State.





3.
ERIC GORDON-Derrick Rose's old teammate finds himself coming in third on this list but its not in spite of his talent. He will have the luxury of being able to study the game under Cutino Mobley and Baron Davis during his rookie year in L.A. I doubt he will crack the starting rotation in the guard happy offense unless he continues to drop 29 like he did 2 nights ago in the pre-season. Great range and an underrated defender.





BUSTS

1.
Danilo Gallinari-Is it me or does he even look liker Darko a little bit. LoL. Still scratching your head over how the Knicks took him with the #6 overall pick? Yeah me too. After a lackluster preseason it looks as if Gallinari might start his career off in the D-League. According to sources since Gallinari missed significant time in the preseason he may be regulated to the NBA's farm league in order to get his wind and stamina back. Not sure why teams are so high on young foreign players who have to be twice as good to off set the learning curve that is the NBA. At only 6'8 I don't see how he fits into the system in New York, or even breaks the rotation. The upside is he is only 19 years of age, so he can only get better. For now, he is my #1 Bust pick for the year.


Hope you enjoyed the Rookie Rankings, if you favorite rookie did not make the list then drop a comment and state your case.

'Peace
Agent 34

Comic Relief

Everyone should always take out time during their busy day and have a laugh...even if the jokes on you. I decided to share this self-made video of T-Pain in anticipation for his upcoming album "Thr33 Ringz." The video is hilarious take a look and let me know what you think.








Peace,
Agent 34

Devin Harris-Vs-Streetballer

Even the most conditioned and skilled players can be beaten on Any Given Sunday..or sunny afternoon in London.  While the New Jersey Nets were in London this past week for their pre-season game against the Warriors, point guard Devin Harris took some time out to mix it up with the locals.  What happened next is living proof that you can never judge a book by its cover....



Truth be told this guys name is Stuart Tanner, who is regarded as London's perennial street ball player.  With jeans and a sweater on I probably wouldn't have picked him up for 5 on 5 if he had next or not. LoL. 

'Peace
Agent34

Throwback Thursday

Today is Throwback Thursday! To commemorate the day I have compiled a list of old songs and videos that should take you back and definitely get your head nodding.

These are some of my favorite artists of All-Time, leave a comment and let me know what you think..and if your song is not on the list let me know.

Slick Rick Ft. Outkast-Street Talkin'

Slick Rick - Street Talkin'
Uploaded by keyzz

Nas-The Message

Nas - The Message
Uploaded by shakura

Notorious B.I.G-Juicy

Notorious BIG - Juicy
Uploaded by tktouz

Tupac-Keep Your Head Up

Tupac - Keep Ya Head Up
Uploaded by samy934

If these songs didn't take you back down memory lane then somethings wrong. LoL.


'Peace
Agent34