Shaq -VS- Lebron (Pre-Game)

By now I'm sure even the most average NBA fan has seen LeBron's pregame ritual of taking pictures of his teammates before tipoff..right? Well if not here are a few clips of King James getting his troops fired up. This has sparked some uneccesary controversy from the likes of Charles Barkley (not the biggest LeBron fan) on whether or not this should be acceptable as a pre-game ritual. Also, its worth mentioning that LeBron still does his signature "powder toss" in front of the scoring table as well.

Now, the Great Shaqctus has taken it upon himself to openly challenge LeBron to a pre-game celebration contest in which the fans will judge the winner. Here is a clip of what Shaq and the Suns came up with the other night verses the Wizards.
Shaq Goes Bowling

The Big Aristotle says that LeBrons intro is "weak" and that he has an unlimited array of ideas that he will be unleashing if King James accepts the challenge. I'm not sure who will be the winner but I know Shaq is a pretty creative guy, especially after seeing the 300 pounder transform into a Jabawackee.

So who do you think will win the contest? My vote is for Shaq. He's a seasoned vet with more experience in getting the crowd involved.

Heres a few more pictures to help you decide who is more entertaining, and remember this is pre-game only.





















Peace,
Agent 34

Most Anticipated Albums of 09 (Part 1)

On the Hip-Hop side lets take a look at some of the albums that are due to drop this year by some of the top talent in the game.

Jadakiss-The Last Kiss

The NY rapper with the raspy flow is returning after a 5 year absence from the game. Will he be rusty? I guess the jury was silenced after his first two singles dropped. "By Your Side" feat Ne-Yo and the street single "Cant Stop Me" have both received constant rotation on the radio and Kiss looks to be in rare form. This time he returns with a major deal courtesy of Def Jam, so the bar is set high for him to produce a platinum album.

The guest appearances are already set with Ne-Yo, The LOX, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Jazmine Sullivan, Barrington Levy, Pharell, Avery Storm, Ghostface, and Raekwon. Will all this collection of talent finally bring the respect to D-Block? Only time will tell, look for this album to drop April 7th.

Jim Jones-Prey IV Reign

The Dipset General is back with his 4th solo album and he looks to pick up where P.O.M.E left off. This LP sheds light on the rappers upbringing in Harlem and how he was able to make it out of the drug infested streets. The lead single is tittled "Na-Na Na-Na" and is quickly picking up steam in the clubs and on the radios rotation.

Although Jim Jones became a household name with his last single "Ballin" most people still don't know his story. This album looks to bring him full circle as he plans on opening up to his fans. The track list has yet to be released, but the buzz is in the air regarding who may make a guest appearance. Will Juelz Santana get the invite; or better has the hatchet been buried between "Capo" and Camron? The release date is set for March 24th, go get it.

Rick Ross-Deeper Than Rap

The Biggest Boss that you've seen thus far has burst back on the scene with his new album titled Deeper Than Rap. Not only is Rick Ross the self proclaimed Boss of Miami, he now has his sights on taking over the crown of Hip-Hop. At the top of the year his street single "Mafia Music" dropped and sparked the return of Ross. One of the lines in the song was personally addressed to 50 Cent, in which Ross took shots at the G-Unit General. Since then a war of words has ensued between the two and who knows how this will affect his sales. "Cigar Music" and and "Magnificent" are the other singles that are receiving steady rotation. Nobody can take away the fact that Rick Ross has carved his lane in the game and is putting Miami on the map again. Will Deeper than Rap outsell "Trilla"? We will find out March 24th when the album hits stores.


Peace,
Agent 34

A New Star is Born!

WELCOME BACK!















Last week the news of the Knicks and Stephon Marbury reaching a buyout swept through the league and we all knew what was coming next. Less than 48 hours later Starbury made his debut with the Boston Celtics donning Antwoine Walkers old number 8 jersey.

Marbury made his debut against the Celtics scoring 8pts in 13mins and helped key the C's to a win over Indiana. The next game did not go as planned as he failed to score against the Pistons and was ripped at half court twice in 4 mins by Will Bynum of the Detroit Pistons. Clearly, Marbury is not in tip top shape after not playing in 6 months for an NBA team but he is showing flashes of his former self. In the 2nd quarter he took 1 dribble in the lane and fired a no look pass to Leon Powe for an-and-1. The pass was so crisp and fast that the camera guy (on ABC) missed it, and it wasn't clear how Powe got the ball until the replay was shown .

The reunion of KG and Steph has yet to be realized with the Big Ticket sidelined with an injury. Once he comes back, will the magic automatically return to Starbury? If he can somehow turn into the efficient scoring machine and still keep the other Big 3 players happy then the Celtics might cut down another banner this year. Some say that Steph will eventually explode and ruin the team chemistry, but I disagree. I believe this is the 1st (maybe 2nd) time in his career where he has a legit chance of getting out of the first round. Not only winning a series but also a true shot at a championship, and who better to do it with than the person whom he began his career with.

Is Shaq the MVP?

The Phoenix Suns swapped Shawn Marion for the Big Cactus over a year ago and are just now figuring out how to use him.

Shaq has been the force that has kept the Suns afloat this season, putting up some of the best numbers in his career. He is shooting a higher free throw percentage (.629) than field goal percentage (.602) ans has seemed to have found the fountain of youth in the Valley of the Sun. With injuries throughout the season to Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Amare Stoudamire; Shaq has been the most consistent and most dominate of any of the Suns and maybe even the NBA.

So I raise the question is Shaq the MVP of the League?

Think about it..he averages 17.8 pts, 9.0 rpg and has only missed 2 games all year. To make it worse he has the bounce back in his step, no longer just overpowering opponents with dunks; but using jump hooks and the infamous left hand stare. Lol. Once you factor in the fact that Shaq only averages 11.2 shots per game and he plays in the new happy offense the Suns have resurrected then he is one of the most productive players in the league. In his last two games he has poured in totals of 45 pts and 33 pts both in big wins without Amare and Nash. Lebron and Kobe may be the favorites but the Suns would not even be in contention without the Big Diesel. This is probably why the Shaq and Lebron talk never turned into action at the trade deadline. (By the way the Cavs would have won it all if that had happened..sorry Boston.) If the Suns can squeak into the playoffs with a healthy roster then "Shaqctus" will be among the few at the top of the MVP race.

Peace,
Agent 34

Breaking down the NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA was the topic of choice for the last few weeks amidst the many rumors surrounding the trade deadline. Their were several big names floating around such as Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudamire, Chris Bosh and Rasheed Wallace. Sadly, only 1 of the above mentioned names was moved. Fans love to see trades, and new dynamics assembled in the league (Bostons Big 3) which can alter the balance of power from East to West. Here is a look at some trades I like, and some that made no sense.

Rafer Alston to the Orlando Magic

The Magic have lost Jameer Nelson for the season so they were in a dire need for a point guard to keep that high powered offense moving through the playoffs. Enter Skip to my Lou! The trade brings Alston to Orlando in a 3 way deal that sends Kyle Lowery of the Grizz to Houston and Brian Cook and Adonal Foyle go to the Rockets. This trade is a steal for Orlando who gave up 2 bench players for a starting point guard with playoff experience. Houston gets Kyle Lowry who is a better shooter than Alston but not a great passer. I'm not sure who will start Lowry or the quick trigger Brooks who has been great off the bench. The Grizz seem like the clear losers in this trade especially if Mike Conley doesn't step up and earn his starting job.

Shawn Marion to Toronto

The Miami Heat have been dangling Shawn Marion as bait around the league all season long, with no big time takers. Finally they choice to address their low post problem and bring in Jermaine Oneal. Once Marion was traded last season I felt as if Marion's value would drop if he wasn't moved in the off season. Playing in the 7 seconds or less offense has a tendency to make any player look better than they really are, and that's what happened with Marion. With no consistent go-to-move Marion was exposed in the half court offense of the Heat and his value plummeted. I believe had the Heat had moved him as early as July they could have possibly gotten Boozer and another young stud to pair with Wade. Oh well! Now the Heat have to absorb Oneal's massive contract ($23 Million next year) and hope to make a playoff push and keep J.O healthy in the process.

Larry Hughes to the Knicks

The Knicks are always in the mix come deadline team each year, but this year they took the high road and made the small deal instead of trying to hit the home run. They acquired Larry Hughes from the Bulls in exchange for Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson. By doing this the Knicks get a true 2 guard, but I'm not sure how he will fit into the 7 seconds or less offense of Mike D'Antoni with limited range on his jump shot. Is it me or does it seem as if the Knicks and Bulls are just loading up on players who will have no impact on their run to the playoffs. Really don't see how this trade is a benefit to either team other than to save some money. Hopefully while they are trimming the payroll, they can keep fans in the seat.

Peace,
Agent 34

"Think with your Dipstick"

This is one of the funniest commercials that I saw on Superbowl Sunday. I'm not sure why I like the little Irish guy running around smacking people with dipsticks, but Castrol was a big winner with this entertaining spot. You be the judge.

N.Y. Swag

Whomever made the schedule for the New York Knicks this season obviously has a grudge on the once proud franchise. Kobe on Monday, LeBron on Wednesday, with a 3-course meal of the Celtics on Friday. Wow! I'm sure the Knicks will be sure to send some courtside tickets to the schedule makers next year. Arguably the 2 best players in the NBA, followed by the defending champions proved to be too much for the Knicks as they went 0-3 during those home games. Not only did they lose the games but records were set in the process. Which one do you think was more impressive?
Kobe set a new Madison Square Garden record by topping Bernard Kings record of 60 points with a 61 point performance; the second highest of his career. It was an almost flawless game from KB24 as he hit difficult shot after difficult shot while doing so in the flow of the game. This great feat was accomplished while playing only 37 mins and going 19-31 from the floor, and 20-20 from the charity stripe. More importantly the fans at MSG gave Kobe a curtain call with chants of MVP, something that NY legend Spike Lee has never seen before...not even from Jordan.
LeBron had a tough act to follow on Wednesday but he is rarely one to disappoint . It was originally thought that he scored 52pts, 11ast, 10rbs, but the league office took away a rebound to leave him one shy of a triple double. That would have put LeBron in elite company as only the second player since Kareem Abdul Jabbar to record a triple double while scoring 50 points. With all that aside his performance was incredible to say the least. LeBron's jump shot seems to always improve when he is playing on the biggest stage in the NBA. He hit two 3 pointers and reeled in 16 free throws along the way.


From a statistical point of view LeBron is the winner, although if you are a student of the game (like me) then you will understand that LeBrons 52 was hard fought and not as seamless as Kobes 61. Talk amongst yourselves and be the judge...who had the better performance?

'Peace
Agent 34