When it rains it pours in L.A.

Out West the NBA has a number of teams aiming at the Lakers title, as thee best of the West.  For the past two seasons the Lakers have been the team to beat, not only in the West Conference but in the entire National Basketball Association.  An interesting fact you might not be aware of is that none of Phil Jackson championship teams, which includes the Jordan’s Bulls, has never lost three games in a-row at any period during their runs to a NBA title.  After watching the Lakers get crushed by their rival San Antonio Spurs, lead by DeJuan Blair 17points and 15 rebounds, this marks the second time this year where they have lost three consecutive games.  I never thought I would see the day when the Spurs would defeat the Lakers especially when Tim Duncan’s final stats were two points and only four rebounds. 

After the Christmas game debacle against LeBron and the Heat, I think it might be time for the Lakers to look themselves in the mirror and go back to the drawing board on the triangle offenses.  More so, refocus their attention to defense.  I’m thankful it was a regular season game, one of four between the teams, and not the conference finals.  I feel like Kobe, the ultimate warrior, aka “Black Mamba” might have his greatest challenge in front of him to date.  Aside from the teams in the West, they must keep an eye on what Boston and Miami are doing in the East.  The Lakers seem totally out of character when Derek Fisher receives a technical foul; things are definitely not functioning properly.

I guess it’s time for the Lakers to have their share of lackluster performances; however it shouldn’t be against the top notch teams.  Coming off an 11-day road trip might be the reason for the let down against the Milwaukee Bucks, sorry Bucks fans, but the Heat and Spurs should wakeup the Lakers.  It should never come a time where the champions are out hustled.  That’s what I’ve notice during their past losing straight. The league is to completive for them to turn on the ‘switch’ and show up and beat teams.  I believe the Lakers will locate their winning ways and their swagger before long.  Let’s hope that San Antonio and Dallas hasn’t built a hill to steep for them to climb over come the second half of the season. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.                

Yao Ming truly a worldly player

There has only been one player, which I can think of, in the modern era of professional basketball to have an impact truly internationally. Nope it’s not Kobe Bryant, nor LeBron James.  He stands essentially 7-foot-6, and is the face of an entire country. Drafted number one overall in 2002 from there on approximately 200 million viewers has followed him from China to Houston. It’s Yao Ming if you haven’t guessed by now.  It’s true that time does fly, Yao has been absent over the last two seasons, and again will miss this season with a stress fracture in his left ankle. Houston at one point had two All-Stars starting in their lineup Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, McGrady is now in Detroit. Houston has suffered without Yao during the playoffs without him in the lineup. Early exit three times in the first round while missing the playoffs twice, over the past five seasons. I would have labeled Yao an iron man, over his first three years with Houston he played in 99 percent of all games over a three year period, not to many players can top that. Unfortunately, this latest injury will sideline him for the rest of this season and will jeopardize his career.  Yao has opened the gates to professional basketball to China, and surely the NBA has benefited from it. There are plenty of miles on those size 18 shoes of his, it was a media zoo when he first arrival.  After his games there would be 30 plus reporters in his face, which were just Chinese media. I can’t pick out a single former or current player who demanded that type of worldly attention. Before Yao enter the league a Rockets player could walk through any NBA cities mall and go unrecognized. Talk about an impact on his teammates, some have receive endorsement deals in China simply by playing with Yao. I’m not sure I could have maintained my psyche with that type of following.  As Houston looks to the future I only hope that Yao Ming can come back from this latest injury to contribute his 22 point and 50 percent shooting so that, the league can have another dominate big man as they are slowly becoming extinct. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

NBA Christmas Day gift

It’s a day each year that I have grown to look forward to as young kid and even now as a thirty plus adult, Christmas. Thinking back when I started my career I’ve always had Christmas day off from work, like most of you. Opening gifts, drinking eggnog, and eating a buffet style dinner, nothing work relate there.  In the world of sports, mostly basketball, over the past decade athletes have been taken away from their families and traditions, for another tradition playing on Christmas Day.  The National Basketball Association seeks to capitalize on their high profile players and teams. I cannot fault them for that. This year that means Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the Boston Celtics will be working on Christmas.  For the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant playing on Christmas Day is nothing unexpected.  For a better understanding on how often the Lakers play on the winter holiday, this year will mark the 13^th Christmas Day game for Bryant a 15 year veteran. Bryant and the rest of the Lakers must open gifts, put batteries in toys, and eat Christmas cookies all before you and I start the cleanup process from all the wrapping paper. Lakers coach, Phil Jackson had this to say about playing on Christmas “It used to be Phoenix and L.A. and New York and Boston and New York or Philly or somebody on the East Coast….Now, I see they have like six games on Christmas. It’s like Christian holidays don’t mean anything to (the NBA) anymore. You just go out and play and entertain TV. It’s really weird.” This begs the question, does anyone care if a sporting event is on television or not. Would we be ok with watching ‘A Christmas Story’ over…over…and over again? As a fan of sports I see the value and opportunity to market to a national audience however at some point they, NBA, needs to cut back showcasing the same teams year after year. Kobe, Shaq, and now LeBron should be allowed to stay at home open gifts, find batteries, and eat Christmas. Allow the new breed of NBA talent a shot at the big stage. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.