My TwO FaV LaKer MoMents

RoC BoY To BK

"The Roc boys are in the building tonight", the Jay-Z lead single to his 2007 'American Gangster' album became the staple of every sports team celebration and even more exclusively to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two slaps and the salute from the music video surfaced into every arena where Lebron played. The ultimate hustler Jay-Z and the ultimate hustler on the basketball court Lebron James have more in common than just the balling and rhyming but also the love for the city of Brooklyn. Although James along with another 'Roc boy' Kanye West were not available for the video shoot of the Jiggaman's hit song, Lebron may be 'inked' to Mr. Carter for a long time starting in 2010. The rumors of James being the face of the new 'Brooklyn Nets' are starting to look more and more like a reality.


If you ask any NBA player or even better yet any athlete, who receives the most plays in your 'I-Pod'?, more than likely you will get an answer of Jay-Z or another Brooklyn great the late Notorious B.I.G. So there is no coincidence that Lebron, who wants to be the first billionaire athlete is close friends with Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter, whose worth just over a 'measly' 600 million dollars. Just a year after unanimously winning the rookie of the year for the 2003-2004 NBA season, Lebron's close friend signed on to become a minority of interest,holding a strong share in the New Jersey Nets franchise. Along with lead developer Bruce Ratner, Mr.Carter and the other shareholders, the team plans on moving the franchise with very limited history to the reinvented city of Brooklyn.


There is no question Brooklyn is slowly becoming a great city again, from the million dollar Brownstone homes, Caucasian people calling Brooklyn home, and even MTV using the city as the location for the next 'Real World' season. With the city on the rise again, the inevitable questions follow right behind, Will Lebron leave his hometown for the city of Brooklyn? or even more office cooler worthy, What kind of impact will he have?.


The transition into becoming a great city again has not reached all areas of Brooklyn such as, Brownsville, East New York, and Cypress Hills with the consistent crime, prostitution and heavy drug trafficking daily. If Lebron opts out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavailers in the summer of 2010, his hero like image may help suppress the problems in those areas. In 2010 James will only be 26 and he can provide all the troubled and lost teenagers in the streets of Brooklyn a sense of hope and a heroic type figure to look up to. Instead of the numerous gangs such as the Bloods, Crips and Latin Kings being separated by colors of red, blue and yellow, they can all share a common love with every purchase of a James number 23 jersey. 'King James' wont become the next Ghandi or MLK just by signing a contract to run the city of Brooklyn, but he will be the second young black man these neglected teenagers can look up and relate to, the first being his close friend and potential boss Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter.


Last week marked the first major move towards the dethroning of the 'King' of Cleveland and re-naming him the 'King' of Brooklyn, when the Nets traded small forward Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for second year player Yi Jianlian and 'Mr. Expiring' contract Bobby Simmons. The move cleared nearly 15 million dollars for King James to come through and devour and use to further his future marketing plans. Combined with a young guard in Devin Harris and rookie big man Brook Lopez, Lebron will have a young nucleus to create magic with in a very weak Eastern Conference.


Brooklyn is still dominated by mostly African-Americans, and having Lebron and Shawn Carter as the faces of the future can only boost the confidence of any young athlete or rapper in high school unsure about his or her future. 2010 can also possibly mark the second year in which potential president Barack Obama will be in office, making every teenagers dreams seem like more like a reality and less like a fantasy or false hope. Even though every NBA player in the leagues ultimate goal is to win a championship,helping kids off the street and into the classroom or simply into the arena to support them will be enough compensation for now.


The 'Brooklyn Nets' with Lebron as the leader can be the best thing to happen to the league since the introduction of the three point line, simply because of the rivalry that can reach new heights with the city of New York being separated between the storied franchise in the Knicks and the team looking to make its own history in the Nets. Can you just imagine the opening day of the arena with James being the superstar guard, and the then 40 year old Jay-Z performing at halftime giving back to the city of Brooklyn. The possibilities are endless but the only problem is its just a possibility.

B-DiDDy Runs The CiTy

Today marks the first day in which negotiations between NBA teams and the current free agents looking to call a new city home for the next few years begins. Although verbal agreements occur during this week, no deal can be made official until July 9th in which teams can sign the free agents. Of the current free agent pool Baron Davis maybe stirring up the most noise with his decision to opt out his current contract with the Golden State Warriors and take on the bidders willing to pay max dollars for his services.

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, NBA front offices have confirmed Davis has reached a verbal agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers in a five year deal worth just over 65 million dollars. Still only 29, the versatile point guard will add the swagger, toughness and decision making the Clippers so vitally needs. The possible acquisition of Davis, may also convince current power forward Elton Brand to re-sign with the Clippers to make a push for the playoffs in the very competitive Western Conference. There was no secret Davis had his eyes on the 'City of Angels', from his college days at UCLA to his recent acceptance into the entertainment world with his close friendship with Adam Sandler.

This past season Baron played all 82 games for just the third time in his career averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 assist and 4.7 rebounds per game. His night in and night out efforts contributed to his team winning 48 games, the most by a non-playoff team in NBA history. Davis is still considered one of the top 8 point guards in the league even with injuries and off and on relationships with his coaching staff. Even though he has been in California for the past 3 seasons, his dreams of being back in Los Angles are finally a reality. He can easily go from making acrobatic lay-ups in the lane, to finishing the final details on a movie deal with his business partner Cash Warren with enough time to be a loving uncle to the rap superstar 'The Game's' son 'Harlem'. If Baron finishes his career in Los Angeles as a Clipper, his jersey may not be retired but he will definitely have a star on the walk of fame on Hollywood Boulevard.

Distractions!!

Honestly speaking, I have no excuse for not updating my blog lately with all the current news going on in sports, particularly Basketball. From the Celtics finally bringing a title back to city of Boston after a 22 year hiatus at the top, or the Shaq 'freestyle' in which he fired shots at his former teammate Kobe Bryant, and also the resurgence of the U.S.A Mens Basketball team as a dominate force in the 2008 Olympics. So from this day forward I vow to update my blog daily with all the current news in Basketball and everything in between worth the read.

BreathTaking

One Of A Kind

"Is it the shoes?, is it the shoes?,is it the shoes?", those famous words from the Nike character played by Spike Lee, 'Mars Blackmon' can still be heard today coming from the mouths of avid Michael Jordan fans both young and old. The impact MJ has on the game of basketball and even sports in general is extremely undeniable. Many great players before him may have more accomplishments on the court such as championships, Bill Russell, but his pop culture influence is what set him apart from the rest. Even the most avid New York Knicks fan who goes to sleep in a Walt 'Clyde' Fraizer jersey every other night would find it 'cool' to be MJ. The lanky 6'6 shooting guard with funky basketball shoes graced the covers of every magazine and newspaper article in the late 80's and the media coverage of MJ just blossomed into the 90's. Year after year Jordan fans would wait to see what new pair of shoes MJ would reveal during all star weekend. His impact reached new heights when the Air Jordan 4 was referenced in the critically acclaimed movie "Do The Right Thing", when one of the antagonist of the movie scuffed a pair of another character's brand new pair of Air Jordan sneakers. Twenty three pairs and years later his name will always be tied to the next up and coming swingman with the ability to jump out the gym.

According to Jay-Z's 2003 'Pump it Up' freestyle, Harold Miner was evidently not the right choice to be tagged with the 'Baby Jordan' title. In 1996, the NBA draft was filled with plenty of future all stars worthy of the 'Baby Jordan' title such as Allen Iverson and Ray Allen, but only one had the potential to live up to the legendary guard.'Kobe Bryant'. The seventeen year old shooting guard was drafted 13th overall to the a city where happy endings are written daily and sold daily, 'Los Angeles'. Paired with Shaquille O'neal for the early years of his career the duo went onto to win 3 consecutive championships, leaving Bryant with a void early in his career. The void can only be fulfilled by winning a championship with out the help of a future hall of fame center.

With the departure of Shaq at the end of the 2003-2004 season, the 25 year old Bryant was left to attempt the impossible in becoming the next generations MJ. In his first season experiment in becoming Michael, the Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time in almost 10 years, not exactly Jordan like. The 2005-2006 season marked the beginning of his second attempt to fill the 'void'. As a whole the team had an 11 game improvement from the previous year but was still knocked out of the playoffs by Pacific Division rival, Phoenix Suns. This season also marked a few more glimpses of his Jordan like comparisons with an 81 point performance against the Toronto Raptors. In 2007, Byrant was selected to his 9th consecutive all star appearance and his second All Star Game MVP,but was once again departed from the playoff via phoenix Suns in the first round.

On May 30th 2007, just a few days removed from a year ago, Bryant confirmed he wanted to be traded from the Lakers on the Stephen A. Smith radio show, expressing his anger with the Lakers management and timid strides towards a championship. Just three hours after creating shock waves throughout the sporting news world, Bryant went on to explain his re-consideration to stay with the team after a healthy conversation with Coach Phil Jackson. Bryant's decision to stay with the team may have put him right back into the driver seat towards his Jordan like career. Only two months into the regular season, Kobe went on to become the youngest player to ever reach 20,000 career points, which was just one of his few accomplishments this season. Kobe also went onto to start in his 10th consecutive all star, and was named the leagues MVP. Currently Kobe and his fellow teammates are set to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals for his first championship without Shaq.

Even if Kobe goes on to win his fourth title, his career will never reach the peak left by Michael Jordan because of his lack of personality off the court. Kids in the playground will never scream out Kobe's name as they attempt to make the game winning shot. The jersey number '24' will never be recognized internationally as the greatest number for a basketball player. His sneakers will never make grown men wait on line to get a pair. His sneaker will never be the reason a young man is in heaven due to violence. Most of all, Kobe wll never reach the peak of MJ's greatness because he simply doesn't want to.

92' Dream Team

The 1992 United States Of America olympic basketball team is arguably the greatest sports team in the history of team sports. Unlike the previous olympic teams, the appeal and amazing charisma displayed on the court was secondary to the mass appeal and acknowledgment the team received off the court. The team was headline by 3 all time greats of the game, Michael Jordan, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, and Larry Bird. Along with 8 members of the NBA's greatest players; Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler and college basketball best player; Christian Laettner, the equation resulted in total domination.

The 'Dream Team' served as more than just a dominant team, but also the bridge that helped introduce the world outside of the U.S to the game of basketball. Although the margin of victories was an astonishing 44 point average, some opponents would try to capture the moments of defending Jordan, Bird and Magic on camera through fanatic fans. The team went on to capture the gold by beating all 8 opponents with the final game being the closest with an easy 32 point victory.

Off the court, 'The Dream Team' sent the city of Barcelona into pandemonium similar to the Beatles in the 60's. USA Coach Chuck Daly described the pandemonium as "Traveling with the 'Dream Team' was like traveling with 12 rock stars, thats the only thing i can compare it to". Simple moments such eating at the local city resturant to making appearances at the other events during the olympics were captured. Paparazzi Queen, Lindsey Lohan would be jealous with the amount of coverage the 'Dream Team' received. In true celebrity form the team stayed in a high class hotel, along with police escorted arrivals to the game site and media coverage during simple walk through practices.

This summer the 2008 Olympic Basketball team headline by Kobe Bryant and Lebron James will attempt to replicate the greatness of the greatest team ever assembled. Although players 1-12 are not on the same level as the 92' team, the coverage may help build an argument in their favor, from their political stance on the upcoming election to the relief efforts in China. Only time will tell if 2008 USA mens basketball team will be known as the resurgence of the 'Dream Team'.

I_POD **Motivation** (2)

After a long hiatus due to my injury(skateboarding) the second IPOD dedication will be dedicated to the song playing in the background while i broke my ankle in 3 places.


This weeks "IPOD Motivation" song of the week is:

N.E.R.D--The Way She Dance
I know all of you readers probably ask yourself, "What is a N.E.R.D?", according to Pharrell and his other band-mates Chad Hugo and Shay Walker, the term is simply defined as 'No One Ever Really Dies. The alternative rock band released they're sophomore album 'Fly or Die' in March 2004 with the lead single 'She Wants To Move' gaining its way all the way to number 5 on the UK charts. The song 'The Way She Dance', is an up tempo song with an 80's vibe. With creative lyrics and catchy metaphors Pharrell grabs the listener and never lets them go with a great story about his dream girl who apparently stole his heart. This song will definitely encourage the aspiring model to finish those final laps on the treadmill all the way to the runway.

Hello Brooklyn!!

The ultimate hustler, Shawn Carter also known as 'Jay-Z' added another accomplishment to his list of great mogul power moves. The music executive and New Jersey Nets investor will be representing the team tomorrow at the 2008 NBA lottery. This season the Nets had a year to forget about and look ahead to the 2008-2009 season. With a 34-48 record and the loss of future hall of fame point guard 'Jason Kidd' a major face lift is necessary starting with the draft in June. Although the Nets posses a 1.1 percent chance of gaining the top spot in the draft and a less than 4 percent chance to have a top 3 pick, but having 1 of the first 13 picks will be the first of many transactions in a rebuilding year.

FREsh LeG+ Back to Blogging

Hello to all my avid readers and newcomers of my blog, thank you for having patience while i recovered from my freak accident. I was skateboarding with my boy Vaughn and attempted an ollie(beginners trick) and landed the trick absolutely wrong resulting in 5 screws and a plate in my ankle. Well I'm finally home and able to write about my opinions on sports and everything in between that seems cool. Thank you again for all the love and support during my recovery, it well appreciated.

I_POD **Motivation**

There is no secret that athletes, use music as some form of motivation to succeed in their sport. With the major advancements to MP3 players, athletes are able to run, and lift weights without feeling uncomfortable in anyway. As a tribute to every athlete and MP3 player, every week I will choose a song in which I feel can motivate an athlete to finish that last rep, run that last sprint or simply get into a zone before a game.

This weeks "IPOD Motivation" song of the week is:

Jay-Z--Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Considered one of the best songs off the critically acclaimed "Black Album" released back in 2003. Although the song is just little over 2 minutes in duration, Jay-Z delivers a powerful message in his 2 verses. The great producer Just Blaze, used the sample from Little Boy Blues song "Seed of Love" to provide a rock and roll vibe to the song. This song will leave every one quoting the king of hip hop, "Either Love me or Leave me Alone".

Kenny Got Hops

I Need A Fast Car

Shes not just your typical eye candy. Danica Patrick is an American auto racing driver competing in the Indy Car series. At the young age of 26, her future in auto racing is very bright not to mention she is a female driver in a sport dominated by men. In 2005 she was named Rookie of the year by the Indy Car Series, and in 2006 published her first book, an autobiography "Danica: Crossing The Line". On Sunday April 20th, Danica became the first female driver in the history of the sport to win an Indy Series race. Danica took home the checkered flag after her top contenders were forced to make a pit stop as she strategically finished the final laps. Congratulations to Danica on an impressive win.

May & June- - - Air Jordan Fans Go To Heaven

"I can die happy!!", that infamous phrase maybe screamed out loud by every Air Jordan fan in the months of May and June. The Nike Air Jordan has been the most popular sneaker line since 1985 with its ground breaking release of the Air Jordan 1. The NBA banned the shoe from the courts but Michael still wore them which accompanied a 5,000 dollar fine per game. The controversy led the Air Jordan brand to become a household name. Although the Jordan Brand has dominated the sneaker industry for majority of the 1990's and early 2000's, in recent years the company has been over looked by the more fashionable Nike Air Force One and Nike Air Dunk. 2008 by many experts marks the year of the resurgence of the Nike Air Jordan.
January 19, 2008, Jordan released the first of ten packs which include two different retro Air Jordan's in which the shoes total the number '23'. The first package consisted of the Air Jordan 'X' along with the long awaited return of the Air Jordan '13' original color way. The loyal Jordan fans found no problem paying $310.00 for the package as well as the long line that came along with it. The following package released was the Air Jordan '14' and '9', which also received much praise by the fans in the sneaker community.
With the early success of the packages released, the months of May and June will possibly propel Michael Jordan back to the tip of every sneaker collector and avid fan's tongue. The hype behind these two releases are similar to the retro release of the Air Jordan 'XI' in 2000-2001. On May 24th the fourth pack of the countdown will be released featuring the retro of the Air Jordan 'XVII" and the amazing Air Jordan 'VI'. The Air Jordan 'XVII" will make its first first appearance in the sneaker community since its release in 2002. When the 'XVII" originally released its 200 dollar price tag raised eyebrows of many first time buyers of the MJ experience, but that did not slow down the avid fans that still supported the 6 time NBA champion and his footwear. Along with the sneaker, supporters also received a metal briefcase which concealed the shoe and a CD with unique behind the scenes shots from the production the sneaker.
The hype behind this package obviously comes from the revival of the Air Jordan 'VI'. Entering the 1990-1991 NBA season the greatness of MJ was recognized by many critics, but his critics still had one question, 'Can he lead his team to a championship?'. A championship ring was the only thing missing from his many awards and early records. In 1991 the Bulls finally made the first step towards 1990's dominance with they're win over Western Conference champs Los Angeles Lakers. The championship marked the first of his six titles. Creator of the previous five Jordan releases, Tim Hatfield developed a classic sneaker which Jordan wore during his defining year. The sneaker featured a rubber tongue with two holes for easy slip in and out action along with the numbers '2' and '3' hidden on the shoe. The black and infrared was the first pair released followed by four future color ways. The white, carmine red and black pair received the least support from fans, having the lowest sales of all the color ways. 18 years later Michael and his team of designers have decided to give the 'Carmines' another chance in the sneaker community. In the minds of sneaker collectors the 'carmines' are a prized item which adds more hype to the release of this package.
The following month of June will not provide a decline when it comes to hype and discussions amongst sneaker heads and collectors. The avid fans of the Air Jordan may have to relax on the fast food and usage of the daytime minutes if they plan on owning arguably the most talked about pair of Jordan's. On June 21st the Jordan brand will release two of their best selling sneakers with the Air Jordan 'XVI' and 'VII". Unlike the previous packages released the line for this release is already forming outside of every Niketown and sneaker store with an Urban account.
In February 2001, the Air Jordan 'XVI' was released, the sneaker also marked the first time designer Mike Hatfield was not behind the production of the shoe. Although Hatfield did not have a hand in the design of the shoe the reception from the sneaker community and also the current players in the NBA gave the shoe plenty of praise. The Air Jordan 'XVI' marked the return of the clear rubber soles and the return of the patent leather toe box. Even though MJ did not play a full season in these sneakers, this pair will go down in history as one of the top ten Air Jordan's of all time.
Now for the "Crem De La Crem' also known as the Air Jordan 'VII'. The sneaker originally made its first appearance in late 1991, the buzz behind the shoe was very high due to the championship win for MJ earlier in the year. The pair had many similarities to the the previous release that year with the Air Jordan 'VI'. With its use of the Nike Huarache technology this pair separated its self from any other Air Jordan or basketball shoe period. In 1992 during the Barcelona Olympics, Nike created a special pair of shoes for Michael combining the colors of the USA team and replacing the usual number 23 with the number 9 to match his Dream Team number. The Air Jordan 'VII' has made several appearances since its original debut in 1991. The sneaker was re-released in 2002, 2004, and 2006 but never in the white, red and light gray color way. Sneaker heads can officially make their way up to Heaven without putting up a fight once this pair is in their possession. If the release of this pack does not live up to its hype, it will at least put to rest the argument of the "Bugs Bunny" Jordans.

Air KanYe????

Kanye does it again! his influence on pop culture and the society period is undeniable. Now his influence has reached new heights with his collaboration with Nike. Great minds think alike, Phil Knight and Kanye West has combined they're thoughts to create the 80's, outer space influenced sneaker called the 'Air Yeezy'. April 16th 2008 launched possibly the best tour in recent years with the 'Glow In The Dark' tour. Kanye unveiled his Nike collaboration during his performance which left people in the audience and sneaker heads talking about his shoe game more than his amazing performance. Although no release date has surfaced, the hype behind these shoes will give MJ a run for his money when it comes to the sneaker game.

Cut The Check!!

The deal is done, and the 2008 NFL draft is off to a 30 million dollar guaranteed start. Jake Long, the offensive tackle from the University of Michigan has signed a 5 year 57.5 million dollar deal with an estimated 30 million dollars guaranteed. The contract will make Jake Long the first overall pick in the draft. According to many NFL experts the deal was made prior to this weekends draft to avoid a potential off-season hold out, similar to last year's number one overall pick Jamarcus Russell.
Jake Long was a three year letterman at the University of Michigan earning Big Ten Lineman of the Year in both 2006 and 2007. Although projected as left tackle at the next level, Jake began his career as a right tackle for his first two collegiate years. The 6'7 313 pound lineman was moved to left tackle in 2006 and started his final 26 games, and allowing an outstanding 1 sack to another potential first round pick in Vernon Gholston.
The Miami Dolphins 2007-2008 season was one to forget and never resurface again. After a 1-15 season the outlook for next season can only be an improvement. Jake Long will be the foundation for the rebuilding year in Miami. Along with Vernon Carey and Trey Darilek, the offensive line will provide the protection needed to for John Beck to succeed.

'Maybe' He's The Greatest

1ST Annual CrackWicked NBA Awards

The NBA 2007-2008 season, will possibly make its mark in history as one of the most entertaining and competitive seasons ever. Early signs of this great NBA season came during the off-season with the blockbuster trade between the Celtics and Timberwolves. Kevin Mchale, former Celtic great and current Minnesota General Manager gave back to the city of Boston in a big way. After weeks of speculation the trade which sent Kevin Garnett to the Celtics for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green and many other young Celtic talent was made official on July 29th, 2007. Adding more fuel to the fire was the addition of eight time all-star Ray Allen in a trade that sent him to Boston in return for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and rising star Jeff Green. The combination of Pierce, Allen and Garnett turned the 24-58 Celtics into the powerhouse of the East with an outstanding 66-16 record. The 42 game turn around is an NBA record.

February 20th, 2008, marked one of the most active trade deadlines in recent years. The biggest move was the trade between Phoenix and Miami. The future Hall of Famer and one of the members of the 50 greatest players, Shaquille Oneal joined Steve Nash and the rising Sun in return for wing man Shawn Marion. Other big stars such as Jason Kidd, Pau Gasol, Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace also landed onto new teams. The numerous acquisitions contributed to arguably the tightest Western Conference race in NBA history. At the end of the regular season only 7 games separated 1st and 8th place in the West.

Now finally time to hand out the Hardware......

Rookie Of The Year: Kevin Durant.
This rising star burst onto the scene and never looked back. The four time rookie of the month, averaged an outstanding 20 points per game, just under 5 rebounds per game to go along with 2.4 assists per game. At the tender age of 19, the Supersonics franchise player will be a force in the league for the next 10 years.

Sixth Man Of the Year: Manu Ginobli.
Manu is not the David Spade, Jon Heder, and Rob Schneider type of bench warmer, but more like the 19.5 points per game and 4.5 assist per game type of bench warmer. Although he plays the minutes equivalent to a starter, accepting the secondary role as a player is the biggest accomplishment on any level. 2008 marked the first all star snub for a "bench warmer

Most Improved Player: Hedo Turkoglu.
The Most improved player is also the most reliable player on his team. For the first time in his 7 year career Hedo played all 82 games. The off season acquisition of Rashard Lewis was suppose to be the secondary option to relieve the kryptonite from 'Superman' Dwight Howard, but Turkoglu quickly stole the spotlight averaging 19.5 points per game along with 5.7 rebounds and 5 ` assist per game.

Defensive Player Of The Year: Kevin Garnett
Although his defensive stats are not Perez Hilton or Best Week Ever worthy, Garnett's impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Celtics is very significant. Along with the blocks, steals and rebounds Garnett provides the vocal leadership needed for the big 3 and the young players to mend to become a legitimate force in the league. The Celtics allowed only 90.1 points per game & 18.0 assists per game. Garnett's ability to be a Coach/Player will propel the Celtics into the Finals. Not to mention he is also a MVP candidate.

Coach Of The Year: Byron Scott.
Probably the easiest selection of all the awards. With 1 potential great player and 11 role players along with limited fan support due to recovering Katrina victims, Scott has guided his team to the top of the Western Conference ranks for majority of the regular season. Hopefully he's not rewarded with a pink slip like his previous job in New Jersey.

Most Valuable Player: Chris Paul.
A young Isiah with the heart of a lion. Chris Paul has become a household name in more than just New Orleans, but every major city in the county. For 37.6 minutes per game, Paul has been only secondary to God with his play making ability and decision making on court. Paul averaged 21.5 points per game along with 11.6 and 2.7 assist and steals respectively. Unaware of his medical talents, Paul brought life back into forgotten forward Tyson Chandler with every alley hoop and behind the back pass thrown his way. The 2007-2008 season also marked the year of his first all star selection and the unveiling of his first signature shoe with the Jordan Brand. Although the competitor in him would rather have a championship ring, an MVP award after just his 3rd season will be enough compensation.

SickNeSS 2008 Playoffs will be GREAT!

Whereever I Go She Goes...

Will This Help His MVP Campaign?

1984, 1996, 2003,...2008??

The NBA draft is not for another 2 months, but its not too early to start the buzz on the possible GREATNESS of this draft class. Greatness?? Rose, Love and Beasley are clearly the 3 kings in this class, but players under the radar such as Lopez, Rush and Augustine can propel the class into comparisons with the amazing 84 and 96 class. Unlike the Hall of Famers in the 1984 class this class is filled with "Diaper Dandies" ready to lead a NBA franchise to new heights.

Derrick Rose the fantastic Point Guard from Memphis is my pick for the 2008-2009 NBA rookie of the year. The 6'3 180 pound freshman did not disappoint Memphis fans this season with his great decision making and creativity with the basketball. Derrick posses the rare combination of size and speed at the PG position. His ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates and for himself brings smiles to every GM's face in the NBA. Although he is compared to the current young points guards in the league such as Paul and Williams, his mental toughness as a defender can only help him to surpass them and become the king of the elite

"L O, L O, L O L O V E..im talking bout LOVE!!" where is Ashley Simpson when you need her? she should come out and perform when Love is Drafted. Kevin Love the lovely freshman center from UCLA who is every coaches dream and worst nightmare. Listed at 6'10 255 pounds, this PF/C has the basketball IQ of a veteran Point Guard and the ability to score from anywhere on the court. In contrast to last years number one overall pick Greg Oden, Love's passing ability and low post skills are NBA ready. One of his strongest attributes is his great outlet passing after grabbing a rebound, although the outlet pass will not be as effect in the NBA, it only displays his understanding of the game. Love has a great personality and feel for the game, his skills will not glue you to the TV screen but will always win you basketball games. Tim Duncan.

Micheal 'Be Easy' Beasley is the all everything freshman from Kansas State who undeniably has the most potential of all the players in this years draft. The 6'10 225 pound forward was dominating and fearless this year in the Big 12 conference this year. 'Be easy' averaged 26.2 points per game and 12.4 per game with very little help from his supporting cast. The left handed stud can play above the rim like a banger but can take you behind the three point line like Dirk Nowitzki. On the defensive side of the ball, his love for the game does not diminish, he displayed great range and tenacity in the low post, averaging just under 2 blocks per game. Many experts compare him to a more athletic Derrick Coleman, but his ability to play defense and block shots tells me he has the ability to have a Rasheed Wallace type of career. Although coming into college many scouts labeled him as a great talent with an attitude problem, many GM's will take a chance on this super talent.

The 1984 NBA Draft will always be legendary but this 2008 class has the potential to be something special, as long as there is no Busts like Olowokandi, and its better than the 2000 draft this draft will be a great one.

Treat My First Like My Last....

Ahh yes, after weeks of contemplating, I've finally decided to create a blog just to share my thoughts with you lovely people. Lets see, my name is Dwayne Antione LaFleur, currently a student at Hofstra University. My major is Biology but my heart and soul is in sports and everything that surrounds it. This blog will be dedicated to sports and everything in between in which i feel is cool enough to receive some attention :) i hope you enjoy!!!!!