this blog is about my everyday opinions of news (mostly sports) that comes across our brain feeds everyday in life. So sit back, relax, and grab that cup of Joe as you read the words of a Menace named Dennis through your screen.
As a man I can honestly stand here before you and say from the bottom of my heart that I was “Dead Wrong” as can be about over looking this Dallas Mavericks team. As I watched the seconds tick off the clock in the series clinching championship win for the Dallas Mavericks (boy that’s hard to swallow right now), I felt a few things make the hairs on my skin gravitate. I envisioned the harassment I was going to be receiving all off-season from phone calls, text messages, twitter messages, and facebook responses about the Miami Heat crumble. I also anticipate and expect a flurry of “Lebron James hatred” times infinity that is going to be thrust upon him come this off season.
German’s #1 soldier
The big German Dirk Nowitzki was an absolute stud throughout this entire post season this year. Averaging 27 points per game and a surprising 8 rebounds per game. Dirk played with more passion and consistency then ever before, and quite frankly, was just more hungry then everybody else on the basketball court. With this championship win Dirk has elevated himself among the top NBA players in history. Now I know there’s going to be some idiot out there who will compare his play in the finals to that of Michael Jordan so I’m just going to say “SHUT UP” in advance right now. Nonetheless Dirk has at least earned the mention of being compared to the great Larry Bird.
Lebron James is NOT a champion…..this year
2011 was supposed to be “Lebrons Year” he was supposed to be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in the air. It would have made a sweet ending to “The Decision” that was held last year that made Lebron the most hated basketball player on the planet. It was supposed to be Lebron silencing his haters (skip bayless, and predominalty the whole entire world) It was supposed to be Lebron that would be getting the last laugh at the end of the day, but he has dug himself into a hole that is going to be very difficult to climb out of. Can he overcome this? In time, yes he can, but he is going to have to start winning…and I’m not talking just getting to the NBA finals winning. I’m talking about staging off 5, 6, or 7 championships in a row. Losing from here on out will only continue to tarnish his legacy as a basketball player. So your asking this question, What can Lebron learn from this year’s failure? Well, Let me explain a few things I think will help him.
Get better influences
As a Lebron fan, I can truly say whoever is representing him from a Public Relations stand point needs to be fired……Immediately. Lebron’s decision making has been absolutely terrible, and he is consequently digging a hole for himself that is going to be hard to get out of. It all Started 2 years ago when Lebron was dunked on by Jordan Crawford, when he was in college. After Lebron was dunked on his entourage confiscated the tape in hope to keeping the footage hidden. TMZ eventually leaked the tape thus further feeding into the “Lebron hatred” within the public. He needs to go into this off-season quiet as a bear in winter and keep his mouth shut. He should know everything he does or says from here on out will be critiqued with a magnifying class. So he needs to hit the gym hard, stay motivated, and get ready for a heated off-season, because it is going to be long off-season. Losing in the NBA finals couldn’t have come at a worse time for Lebron with a potential lockout on the horizon. He will have a lot of time to think about what just happened.
Lebron needs to Stay hungry
Lebron has to take his lumps from this series and stay hungry for a championship. Its not the end of the world. The beauty of playing a sport is that you get another shot at it the following year. Granted it might be a long summer for Lebron pending an NBA lockout, but if he stays in the gym and keeps his mouth shut during the off-season then the next NBA calender year will come around quick. I hate to say it but the clip below says it all about Lebron ever becoming the best. Once Lebron gets 6 or 7 championships then we can talk about him being the greatest.
and just like that
The NBA season is over, the fat lady is singing..there will be no more basketball for the next five months…its a sad day for me…at least until football starts…congrats to the Dallas Mavericks..
Hello folks….sorry I’ve been MIA (no pun intended) but I have been having computer problems..Im sure you guys have experienced this before…but I have a lot of catching up to do…so lets get to it..
Can somebody tell me where this man is located?
Will the real Lebron James please stand up? So far this has been an inconsistent championship series for “The King” Lebron James…With one stat being very consistent, Lebron James disappearing in the 4th quarter of the games. Now for you guys who have never read one of my blogs before let me get one thing straight; I’m a lebron fan..but at the same time I am a basketball realist, and what is real is that lebron is not showing up when it counts for his team. In the 4th quarter of all five games in this series Lebron James is averaging a mediocre 2.2 points per game for a total of 11 points for the entire series (I know terrible right?). If Miami is going to take this to seven games, the man on the milk carton has to be found.
Dallas is going for the knockout punch
In order for Miami to survive in this series they are going to have to buckle down and find a way to stop Dallas’ penetration (easier said then done). This is an intense boxing style series with each team throwing haymakers, left hooks, and body shots. Miami is the hurt boxer against the ropes to Mike Tyson about to get KO’d. It doesn’t look good but let me tell you why I still have Miami winning this series in 7 games.
Miami is going home….
The single greatest reason why I think Miami will conquer this series is the home court advantage. Some people say the regular season is good for nothing but let me tell you whoever says that is not a true basketball fan. This is why teams play all 82 games with such passion and heart because home court advantage is crucial at these times (go ask the Los Angeles Lakers). Last year the Lakers were down 3-2 going back home. They were against the ropes on the brink of elimination. They found a way to win both games in Los Angeles to capture the coveted Larry Obrien Trophy. I think the Miami Heat will do the same this year.
Lets give those cowboys (Mavericks) some credit
I’m not going to say that Miami is beating themselves (except for game 2) but the Dallas Mavericks are holding their own against the stiff Miami Defense. Coach Carlise is doing an excellent job of keeping the Heat’s defense on their heels using the pick and rolls to a tee, occasionally switching to a zone defense to stop penetration, and just giving the ball to arguably the best player in the series, Dirk Nowitzki, in a one on one situation. I know Dallas has been consistent with closing out games this playoff year, but I really have a hard time saying the Dallas Mavericks and NBA champions in the same breath. Every time I do think of it, I revert back to the 2007 first round upset to the Golden St. Warriors. If this Dallas team has truly turned that chapter in the franchise history books then going into Miami and winning one game will be a covert operation with the task at hand is stealing the Larry Obrien trophy from the already crowned NBA champions, the Miami Heat. Will they do it? My guess is NO..I still have the Miami Heat winning this series…but one thing is for sure; this has been one of the best NBA finals to watch since number 23 laced up the sneakers.
Today, I woke up to the feeling of emptiness..both the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks closed out their respective series’ quite early then many anticipated. That left me feeling a bit hungry for more competitive sports. I don’t have the MLB package and I was growing tired of hearing about the NFL lockout news. So as I booted up my laptop this morning to do my daily sports news intake, I stumbled upon on a quote that many would feel very disrespected by.
What Happened you ask? Well let me break it down for you..
Scottie Maurice Pippen..A top 50 player of all time in the National Basketball Association and future hall of famer made a quote this morning on the “Mike and Mike” morning radio show speaking on behalf of Lebron James that has turned the basketball public into a chaotic frenzy. Pippen was quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan is the greatest scorer to ever play the game, but I may go as far as to say LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will but he keeps everybody involved.”
Now I know what your thinking America….
Whatever Scottie Pipping is puffing on, I need some of it NOW!!! Don’t get me wrong here, Lebron James is my favorite player in the NBA, has been for years, I’ve gotten into multiple arguments about him being better then Kobe Bryant (which I know I’m wrong, I just hate Kobe) but there is NO WAY in gods green earth that Lebron James is the greatest basketball player ever…. and he’s damn sure not better then Michael Jeffery Jordan. For Scottie Pippen to say those words about his ex teammate is quite blasphemy and it irked me. Oh and I have a couple of mini facts to back those reasons up.
Fact number 1: BLING BLING BABY
The determining factor when arguing about who the greatest of all time is in any sport is the number of championships that have been won. Now I know Bill Russell has a ring for every finger on his hand (plus one toe) to brag about; but Bill Russell didn’t change the way people looked at the game of basketball the way Michael Jordan did. Michael Jordan was a trend setter in his time hence the popular phrase “I wanna be like mike” but thats not the only reason why Lebron has a ways to go to ever be considered the greatest player to play.
Fact number 2: He changed jerseys
Like I stated earlier, Lebron James is my favorite basketball player, but he has a LONG WAY to go to past MJ as the greatest of all time. Another point to validate MJ’s greatness is that Lebron switched teams. I hate to say it but Lebron James switching jersey’s tainted his legacy thats going to follow him for rest of his career. He could win 9 championships as a member of the heat and I still wouldn’t say Lebron is better then MJ..
All in all Scottie Pipping should have watched his mouth or at least rephrased his words when talking about who the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time) is. In my opinion Michael Jordan is the Greatest basketball player of all time and will continue to hold that reign for a long time…
And so the stage is set for the 2011 NBA finals. Coming out of the west is the somewhat surprising Dallas Mavericks, and head lining the east is the most talked/gossiped about team since the summer of last year, “The Headles” the Miami Heat. In what should be one of the highest rated NBA finals in recent memory there are some story lines that will be buzzing throughout the festivities of the series. My prediction: The Miami Heat win in 6 games.
1. Dirk’s revenge
Dirk Nowitki’s season in 2006 didn’t fare too well as his Dallas Mavericks team crumbed away four straight games in the finals against a Dwayne Wade and Shaq led Miami Heat squad to lose the championship. Even though this years Miami Heat team is vastly different from the 06 champs, so is this years version of the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk has been absolutely tremendous in these playoffs, withstanding a surge from the Portland Trailblazers in the first round to win in 6, blazing a trail against the defending champs the Los Angeles Lakers leading them to a dominating 4-0 sweep, and taking Kevin Durant and the young Oklahoma City Thunder to school in a 4-1 win. Dirk looks to be on a mission to revenge the loss in 2006.
2. Lebron’s Focus
It has been some kind of year for the self pronounced “King” Lebron James. After bailing out on Cleveland and taking his talents to South Beach, Lebron is 4 wins away from silencing all (and there’s many) of his doubters. In what was a question going into this season on who’s team the Miami Heat would be, Lebron James has been the model of consistency throughout the 2011 playoffs averaging 25.4 points 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Its not only his offensive stats that are separating himself from the pack, its his defensive awareness. In the recent series against the Chicago Bulls his defense on the MVP Derrick Rose in the 4th quarter was quite stifling holding the MVP to a shooting average of just 6% (yes you read it correctly). Not only has his defense been sensational in each series in the playoffs, but his ability to close out games has been very surprising. He’s hit big shot after shot in these playoffs to close out games and I don’t see why he cant continue this in the finals.
3. 3rd times a charm for Jason Kidd???
This will be Jason Kidd’s third time in the NBA finals. His first two trips were unsuccessful running into the juggernaut Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. His window of opportunity is very small considering his age (38). Jason Kidd can be a factor in this series because Miami’s weakness is the point guard position. If Jason Kidd can spread the Heat out with his 3pt shooting and pinpoint passing then that would give the Dallas Mavericks the edge to winning.
my guess is the Heat use their Athleticism to dismantle the mavericks in 6 games and become the 2011 NBA champions silencing all the haters and critics after “The Decision” happened.
