LeBron..Just Dunk Already!

Flashback to a little over one year ago at the NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, what memory sticks out the most? Was it Kobe and Shaq as Co-MVP's? Nah. What about Nate Robinson dunking over Dwight Howard to win the Slam Dunk Title? Still no. How about THIS, the comments from the King himself as he declared his early candidacy into the 2010 NBA Slam Dunk Competition. I thought you would remember that one. So why wont LeBron Dunk?

He is currently the front runner to win his 2nd MVP.

Arguably the best basketball player on the planet.

The Cavs are on pace to win 60+ games, and have beaten the Lakers twice (convincingly)

Most importantly, LeBron is not hurt..

Still he declined to dunk in this years tournament on Feb 13th. Here is my argument for and against King James joining the dunk contest.

PRO'S

-He's never competed and it would silence all of his critics

-His fans would love to see him enter

-The NBA spotlight would shine on him the brightest for 1 night.

CONS

-What does he have to prove?

-Name another potential 2-Time MVP who competed in the dunk contest

-Why risk the injury

-LeBron wants to be seen as more than a great dunker

-WHAT IF HE LOSES????

The last Con is what I believe has and will forever keep LeBron out of the Dunk Contest. Do you remember the last time he was in a dunk contest? He did not exactly blow the field away when he went up against the likes of Shannon Brown, Von Wafer and JR Giddens. LeBron is an amazing athlete and his leaping ability is legendary, but how many trick dunks have you seen him do? Between the legs, off the backboard, anything else? How about a 360? No. Or better yet a 720? I have always stated that LeBron is a game time dunker. His speed is his greatest weapon not his hops. Once his adrenaline gets going and he gets a running start how do you stop him? You cant, and he attacks the basket as viciously in the air as he does on the ground. He flies through the air like a jet, and nobody wants to get in the way. In my opinion he knows that he has a chance of losing the contest, and that would be an embarrassment. If he were to ever enter, anything short of winning would be a failure, you cant say that about too many other players.

Peace,

Agent34

NBA 2K10 Tournament

Some of my closest friends and I held a NBA 2K10 Basketball Tournament on the Playstation 3 console. I warned them that any such tournament would end with me being victorious. Check out the pictures and see who won.

PLAYERS/TEAMS

1. Sly-Up tempo player that loves to go one-on-one with Carmelo Anthony, loves to block shots with Birdman and will nail the walk up 3 with Billups.

2. Justin (Me) -Run and Gun is the name of my game, I believe in the Suns philosophy of 7 seconds or less. Love the 3 Ball, and will lock up on the wing.

3. Marc -This guy plays just like Tim Duncan! He slows the game down and takes high percentage shots with Duncan, and goes in for dunks with Jefferson.

4. DC-He will either blow you out, or get blown out. The C's will trap you to death and he makes sure to turn those turnovers into points.

5. Mike -Emotional player that relies heavily on Rudy Gay. As Rudy goes so does Mike, which wasn't that far.

6. Ewane-Not the most skilled player but he uses the Hawks well and can get more out of Joe Johnson than Coach Mike Woodson can.

TOURNAMENT RECAP

The tournament consisted of a round robin in which each player played everyone once and then the top 4 seeds were placed into a Final Four...

Marc and Sly competing to get into the Final Four...

Final Four is set

Sly and I duke it out for the Championship...


If there was any doubt about my skills on the sticks, I put them to rest...

The evidence of the Blowout

"If you think you're nice Challenge Him!" -Charlie Murphy (Chappelle Show)

I think he was talking about me. Lol

Peace,

Agent 34

The Future that Never Happened.

Flashback to the 2001 NBA Draft and you will remember that there was quite a buzz in the air surrounding two 7 footers named Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler.  They both were coming out of high school at the raw age of 18 and were supposed to be the future of the NBA.  The Chicago Bulls were officially in the post Jordan era and needed to do something to stay relevent.   After drafting Eddy Curry with the 4th overall pick they chose to ship 20-10 (avg's) Elton Brand to the lowly Clippers in exchange for the draft rights of Tyson Chandler.  This was it, the recipe for success, draft two high school superstars pair them together and take over the league...but it never happened. 

The Bulls had warning signs, as much as they heard praises they also hear rumblings of Curry being un-motivated and Tyson Chandler having a glass ceiling on his skill level.  But they didn't listen, or rather he (Jerry Krause) didn't listen and stuck by his motto that "organizations (not players) win championships" and selected both high schoolers.  The plan was a good one, dominant post in Curry, and use Chandler as the new KG on the wing.  It wouldn't matter who ran the point, and you could always attract a shooter via free agency.  Good plan, wrong players.  Take a look at what went wrong...

EDDY CURRY

The young Bull was dubbed as the new Shaq and was supposed to take over the Eastern Conference that was void of an established big man.  In his first season Curry saw limited action and you could tell the game was moving too fast for him.  His 2nd year with the team was better with averages of 10 ppg and 6rpg repectivley, but still didn't live up to the hype.  The 04-05 campaign was hit breakout year in whcih he led the team in scoring and to the playoffs, but missed the last 19 games and the post season due to an irregular heartbeat.  Curry was traded to the New York Knicks the following season and has struggled to live up to expectations ever since. 

TYSON CHANDLER

The 7 Foot phenom was dunking and blocking shots so loudly in California that he was ranked the #1 high school player in the nation.  He wa basically traded for Elton Brand on draft night and was viewed as the new KG.  Much like Curry his rookie year was a learning curve in which he only aveeraged 6 points per game.  The 03-04 season Tyson was plauged by back problems and he struggled to stay on the floor due to foul problems.  After Curry was traded he received a contract extension woth about $63 million dollars.  In 2006 Chandler and his huge contract were traded to New Orleans and his career caught daylight after pairing up with Chris Paul.  Sadly, the duo has split up with Chandler now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats. 

These two careers although not over, thus far have not lived up to the hype.  Imagine if Chandler and Curry would have taken over the league like LeBron and Melo then the Bulls would have still been winning Championships and Jerry Krause's famous line might have been true. 

Ooops!!

Ooops!! That is what the Clippers,Grizzlies, Thunder, Kings, T-Wolves (twice), Warriors, Knicks, and the Raptors are all saying behind closed doors as rookie sensation Brandon Jennings continues to dominate the league.

I'm not going to lie, I was conned into joining the Ricky Rubio fan club mid May and thought that he would be doing some of the same things that Jennings is doing now. It was around that same time that the young Buck's guard called out Rubio and dubbed him "overhyped." Although the jury is still out on how good Rubio is (he stayed in Europe instead of joining the NBA) one thing is cleat, B. Jennings is tthe truth.

If you don't believe me check out his young resume...

STATS:
-25.5 Points/5.5/Assists/4.8 Rebounds
-#8 leading scorer in the league
-55 Point Outburst -vs- Golden State
-Youngest to score 50 points in a game
-Leading scorer for the Bucks
-Bucks on pace to make the playoffs at 5-3

I know its early and the bandwagon is circling for this kid, but the sky is the limit for him. He seems to really grasp the game and it looks like the 1 year spent overseas -vs- college is paying off. We will see how he holds up, but solid games against the likes of Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd give promise that he may be hear to stay. He reminds me of another #3 that took over the league once upon a time, I think his initials are A.I. (We will see)

Peace,
Agent34

Movie Review: More Than A Game

By now I'm sure you have all heard and some seen the new LeBron James documentary More Than A Game.  I had the pleasure of seeing the movie while I was in New York City last month and thought a review would be in order.

Plot: The movie is based around LeBron of course, and his 4 friends that he had been playing basketball with since the 8th grade.  The group had 1 common goal and that was to stick together and win an Ohio State Championship.

The fab 5 consisted of LeBron, Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee.  (Middle Picture)

















Here are some Highs and Lows of the Movie...

Highs-
1. Home Videos-This movie was basically in production since LeBron was 15 years old, and the videos gave a rare look inside his life.

2. Teamwork-A fundamental element that you have to have on the court and in life was on display all throughout this film  You get to see LeBron channel his own fame into positive leadership for his teammates.

3. Dru Joyce-He almost stole the show away from LeBron.  The skinny and undersized point guard provided plenty of drama; whether he was sinking 6 3-pointers off the bench to spark a win, or going through the tough road of being the starting pg with your father as the head coach.

Lows-
1. Realness-It all seemed to good to be true.  The documentary did shed light on LeBron's eligibility issues but nothing else controversial.  Essentially, you discovered nothing new from the storyline.

2. Length-The movie ran almost 2 hours, and you could tell that some parts were thrown in for length.  Unless you are a true basketball fiend like myself, you could become bored.

3. Where Are They Now?-As the credits roll the movie offers captions of what the guys are up to now, but nothing exclusive. Although each player had an individual present day cameo, I would have liked to see more in depth videos of their day to day lives.  The movie never focused on LeBron the Pro; and only went as far as saying "He found seasonal work in Cleveland"  Lol.

Overall-Great for the collection, and a good movie for coaches to show young players who are growing up into young men.  Go See It!

Peace,
Agent 34

Top 10 NBA Storylines This Season

1. The Emergence of Kevin Durant.

The athletic small forward has pushed his game to the next level each year since he has been in the league, and this year should be no different. Coming off a stellar 08-09 season, Durant seems focused on translating his 25 points per game average into more wins for the city of Oklahoma. Most media/agents would rank Durant as the future of the game, but he is still no household name with the likes of LeBron, Wade, Melo, and even Dwight Howard. The dunk contest catupolted Superman II into the limelight and a trip to this years All-Star team could do wonders for Durant. It will be interesting to see how he and his teamates improve this season


2. Will A.I Fit In?

The Answer is back to prove all the Haters wrong, the only problem is he will be wearing a Grizzlies uniform. Personally I like the Grizz, on paper they have a nice collection of talent and youth but i'm not sure how many games they can win in the Wild West. First things first A.I has to start..right? That's why he's not in Motown anymore due to the fact he had to come off the bench. How does he fit into the Memphis organizations long term plans? I can see this ending ugly if the A.I of old comes out and tries to drop 50 every game while stunting the growth of Mayo and Gay. Or he could be the ultimate team player for half a season, and before Febuary get traded to the Lakers and win a ring with Kobe and the Lake Show. Now thats a stretch, but if it comes true just remember I said it first.

3. A Steph Curry and Monta Ellis Backcourt?

Monta Ellis publicly stated on media day that a backcourt of himself and rookie Steph Curry would not work. (See visual aid) His concerns are warranted, especially in the Western Conference where the likely matchups each night are Kobe Bryant, Manu Ginobli, Tracy McGrady ect. Those players, and many more would have a considerable height advantage over the 6'3 backcourt of Ellis and Curry, but the Warriors still have Don Nelson. The Originator of small ball with dating back to the Dallas days, Nelson will get the most out of the two headed monster of #8 and #30. Ellis may be right in the long run, but on media day when ticket sales are lagging thats not the best way to convince fans to show up.

4. 1 More For Duncan.

Tim Duncan can see the end of his career staring right back at him. I would say the window for the Spurs to win a title is 3 years, and you can tell that they are trying to do it NOW. The offseason aquisitions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess stress the urgency that the team has placed on winning this season. Duncan's numbers dipped slightly at the beginning of the season but he proved to be a force down the stretch leading the team into the postseason. Can the Spurs win one more for Duncan while the window is slightly cracked?

5. The Chase For 18.

The Boston Trio returns with a few new additions on their quest for the franchises 18th Titile. Will KG be healthy? Will Sheed fit in? Is Rhondo and Doc Rivers relationship ok? All of those questions will need to be answered correctly if the C's hope to raise another banner in 2010.

6. Hollywood Lights

The New Look Lakers will try to defend their title this season with Ron Artest and newlywed Lamar Odom. Both of theses stars have had an interseting last few months to say the least. Ron Ron has been courting the Lakers ever since his former team Houston was beaten by LA back in June. He was interviewed and photographed frequently during the Western Conference Finals on the sidelines living up the Hollywood Dream. Now he is in Purple and Yellow as a teamate to his greatest foe Kobe Bryant. Will it Work? Also, Lamar Odom wed month old girlfriend Khloe Kardashin at the same time his new clothing line "Rich Soil " was scheduled to be released. With all of these "distractions" in play how will the Lakers find time to Repeat?

7. The Big Witness Protection

Shaq's slogan this year is "Win 1 for the King!" The "King" LeBron James is in dire need of help after being booted out of the weak Eastern Conference by the Orlando Magic. The Magic wera a better team..in the paint, and adding Shaq proves to bolster the frontline this season. How much does the Big Diesel have left? Only time will tell, but Cleveland is hanging their hopes on a title being brought in to ensure that LeBron stays put in the summer of 2010.

8. D-Wade Needs Help

The man known as Flash put on quite a show last season boasting a career best in points (30.2) which lead the league in scoring. The Heat scrapped their way into the playoffs only to be dismantled by a hungry Atlanta Hawks team. Simply put, Wade needs help. 2nd year players Mario Chalmbers and Michael Beasely played well last year, but they are not consistent #2 options alongside Wade, or at least not yet. Beasely underwent rehab in the offseason and should be ready to contribute again this year. I expect Boozer to be traded to the Heat sometime this offseason, or the Jazz risk letting him walk in the Summer of 2010. This would be an attractive piece to the puzzle to keep Wade in South Beach in the hopes of adding 1 more superstar like LeBron, or Amare.

9. The Return of Tracy McGrady

T-Mac is Back and sporting a new number (#3) to mark the change in his game and life. This year McGrady did a tour of Darfur in an attempt to raise awareness of the war stricken country. The Houston Rockets have made a few changes since he last took the court; Yao is lost for the season, and Artest was virtually swaped for swingman Trevor Ariza. The Rockets are full of hustle players that will claw their way into the playoffs, but the monkey is squarely on T-Mac to get out of the 1st round, something that the team accomplished with him on the sideline nursing an injury last season. So it is his cross to bear, and one that he knows all to well dating back to his days in Orlando. I don't think the Rockets can escape another 1st round exit this year, but I will settle for a healthy T-Mac all year long. Good Luck #3.

10. Rookies

The Rookie class is always a topic of discussion during the regular season. This season the headliner is #1 overall pick Blake Griffin. Can he lead the Clipps back into the playoffs? Steph Curry is already a household name and should see significant playing time in Golden State. Hasheem Thabeet will be a nice addition in Memphis and Ricky Rubio decided to stay in Spain but his rights still remain with Minnesotta. Could this years class hold some future Hall of Famers? It wil be years before that question is answered but I'll take my chances on Blake Griffin being the Rookie of the Year.

Peace,

Agent34

The Air up There must be Cold!

The title of this post says it all on so many different levels, the man who defined gravity over his NBA reign was just as cold in his acceptance speech as he was on the court. While I sat watching the H.O.F induction ceremony I listened to John Stockton, and David Robinson thank old teammates, coaches, and the organization that drafted players in order for them to win. The Admiral even said he prayed to god to send him a compliment the likes of Tim Duncan, and even went on to call him the "Greatest power forward to play the game."

Listening to MJ's speech you only heard him genuinely thank Scottie Pippen for "being there during my 6 championships", and even that was somewhat of a slight. Without Pippen Jordan arguably could have had no rings and just a host of scoring titles. His Airness referenced the Chicago organization saying "The organization didn't play with the flu in Utah". No Mike they didn't, but what they did do was give you Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman (who were both in attendance but not mentioned) to help you win, when your skills were on the decline.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was Jordan's take on Isiah Thomas and George Gervin whom were deemed responsible for his '85 All-Star freeze out. "I wanted to prove to you and everybody that I deserved to be there just much as anybody else, and I hope over the period of my career I've done that without a doubt." I was 2 years old when that 'freeze out" occured and had to research what he was talking about. My point is that it was 24 years ago..WHO CARES! He went on to say that they were the reason his competitive fire never died and even told his kids "I wouldn't want to be you."

Like most great men and women in history they are flawed. JFK had Marilyn, Whitney had Bobby, and MJ has well; his own ego. The sad part of the whole night, is that Jordan didn't see a thing wrong with anything he was saying. You almost wanted him to laugh off some of the lines, but it never happened. He spoke from the heart and you could tell he meant every word of it, even when he said "Don't be surprised if you see me back at 50."

On a night when being gracious and humble is expected, Jordan fell to an all-time low and did more to stain his legacy than he ever could have in a Wizards jersey. Charles Barkley looked shocked during the ceremony (not once did MJ mention him) and rightefully so listening to MJ relish the memories of torching (overated defender) Byron Russel. I admire Jordan for what he did on the court and his business model off the court, but I draw the line there. Our society puts athletes on platforms when they achieve the unthinkable, and its only right to show them to their seat when their time is up.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan Welcome To The Hall Of Fame..Please Take Your Seat!


'Agent 34