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1/29/13 NBA Recap
Will a Championship End the LeBron Hate?
LeBron James and the Miami Heat lead the NBA Finals 2-1 over Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Through those three games James is averaging 30 points per game, 10 rebounds, four assists and almost two steals per game on 46% shooting. James has been great defensively and shut down Durant in the fourth quarter of game three. The demons that haunted James in last year’s finals against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks seem to have been exercised. James persistence to get to the basket has also put Durant in foul trouble the past two games and Dwyane Wade seems to have found his stride again. However, despite James’ performance in clutch situations throughout the 2012 NBA playoffs, the haters continue to hate. This begs the question; will the LeBron haters continue their attack on the King if he finally wins a championship this season?
The LeBron haters have even found flaws in his performance throughout the first three games of these finals series. The loudest argument came after game two when he came in contact with Durant on his last second shot attempt. The LeBron haters blamed the referees for the Thunder loss instead of the Thunder’s seven missed free throws and bad interior defense. In the mind of a LeBron hater, when the Thunder won game one it was because of the stellar play. However, when the Heat won games two and three it because of the preferential treatment they received from the officials.
But the LeBron hate goes way beyond this finals series. For some reason adults have a hard time understanding why someone would leave Cleveland for Miami. The geographical factors are reason alone. James played his heart out for the Cleveland Cavaliers every night for seven seasons and even took them to the NBA finals while leading a team full of Tito Jacksons. The large mistake James made during his move to South Beach was having an hour-long ESPN special to make the announcement. Even though the event’s proceeds went to charity, it was an arrogant, self centered and self-serving move that disappointed NBA fans around the world. However, I have always wondered if New Yorkers would feel different about the special if James would have chosen to be a Knick, or if Cleveland fans would have felt different if he had announced he was staying with the Cavs.
It seems as if LeBron Haters might be as selfish as they accuse James of being. Unlike a lot of our favorite athletes and celebrities, James has kept his name of the tabloids and off of TMZ. James has been charitable, a seemingly model family man and has never thrown his teammates under the bus (I’m looking at you Kobe & Shaq). I could even understand LeBron hate if he was a ball hog or engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct, but neither has ever occurred. The most laughable product of LeBron hate is the way haters have painted the James vs. Durant battle as a battle between good and evil. Instead of what is really is, the two best players in the world fighting for the biggest prize in basketball.
Real NBA fans acknowledge the fact that this is a series featuring a great veteran NBA warrior who has suffered numerous playoff failures against an up and coming team with a great core on the biggest stage for the first time. My money is on the vet, but I am sure the LeBron Haters will have an excuse when he lifts the Larry O’Brien trophy (66 game season, refs, etc.).
Irving unanimous pick to NBA All-Rookie team
Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving of Cleveland is the lone unanimous choice to the NBA’s All-Rookie team.
Irving received 58 points Tuesday in voting done by the league’s 30 head coaches, who could not vote for their own player. Joining him on the first team were Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio (49 points); Denver’s Kenneth Faried (46); Golden State’s Klay Thompson (43); and New York’s Iman Shumpert, San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and Detroit’s Brandon Knight, who all had 40 points.
Irving, the No. 1 pick in the draft, became one of only six rookies to average at least 18.0 points, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting at least 45 percent from the field, a list that includes Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Short-handed Knicks brace for Heat in New York
Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert are sidelined. Jeremy Lin isn’t back yet.
The New York Knicks are short-handed, and Carmelo Anthony says he doesn’t know where the offense is going to come from in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat.
“Nobody never said it was going to be easy,” Anthony says.
And if the Knicks are hoping to get an advantage from playing at home, well, they can probably forget that. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade thrive at Madison Square Garden and will be extra fired up to try and move the Heat within one victory of the second round.
Stoudemire is out for Game 3 after cutting his left hand while punching the case around a fire extinguisher following Miami’s Game 2 victory Monday. He hopes to return in Game 4.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Knicks’ Chandler is NBA Defensive Player of Year
Tyson Chandler, the catalyst for the New York Knicks’ defensive improvement, has been voted the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Chandler beat out Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka and three-time champion Dwight Howard of Orlando to become the first Knicks player to win the award.
The Knicks ranked in the NBA’s top 11 teams in both opponents’ field goal percentage and points allowed. They gave up an average of 94.7 points, an improvement of 11 per game from the 105.7 they surrendered in 2010-11, when they tied for 27th in the league.
Chandler received 311 points, including 45 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the US and Canada. Ibaka, the league leader with 3.65 blocked shots per game, had 41 first-place votes and 294 points.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Rondo-less Celtics try to even series vs. Hawks
Rajon Rondo lost his cool in the final minute of Game 1, and that means he won’t be on the court for Game 2.
The NBA announced Monday that the Boston Celtics’ star point guard has been suspended one game without pay in the opening-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Rondo will sit out Tuesday’s contest in Atlanta after sticking out his chest to bump referee Marc Davis while disputing a foul call with 41 seconds left in Boston’s Game 1 loss.
The NBA’s assist leader scored 20 points and dished out 11 assists before he was tossed, leaving Boston with a huge hole in its lineup. But the Celtics insist they’re ready to move on without Rondo. Second-year player Avery Bradley will likely take over at the point.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Jordan’s Bobcats could become NBA’s worst ever
Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest NBA player ever, is poised to become the owner of the worst team in league history.
His Charlotte Bobcats have one more shot to avoid the title.
They are teetering on the verge of the worst winning percentage (.106) ever and could clinch the dubious distinction with a loss Thursday night at home to the New York Knicks in the lockout-shortened regular-season finale for both teams.
Charlotte’s record-setting futility would eclipse the mark set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. They finished with a .110 winning percentage and a 9-73 record in a full regular season.
Jordan won six NBA championships, but Charlotte (7-58) has become a laughingstock.
Guard D.J. Augustin says “many people are laughing at us … but we take it very seriously.”
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Rose, Lin top NBA’s jersey sales
Move over, Kobe and LeBron: Only Derrick Rose could top Linsanity when it came to jersey sales over the past year.
The league’s reigning MVP has the top-selling jersey at the NBA Store and nbastore.com since April 2011, the NBA says Thursday. Knicks guard Jeremy Lin was No. 2, despite his merchandise not even being available until his stunning breakthrough in February.
Bryant was third and James fourth, unusually low spots for two of the NBA’s biggest superstars. Bryant had been No. 1 six times and James twice since 2001.
Carmelo Anthony rounded out the top five, helping the Knicks finish second in team merchandise sales. The Bulls were No. 1 for the first time since April 2001.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Video: Kobe Bryant HD
I came across this video on Slam Magazine’s website and thought it was magnificent. Without a doubt Kobe Bryant will go down in history as one of the five greatest players in NBA history. This video looks back at Kobe being drafted into the NBA as a skinny 17 year old and provides the commentary of many NBA greats and journalist drooling over his game. It is definitely a great watch, check it out!
Mike D’Antoni resigns as Knicks coach – NBA – Yahoo! Sports
Mike D’Antoni has resigned as coach of the New York Knicks, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
D’Antoni and Knicks owner James Dolan agreed on Tuesday to end his three-plus-years run as Knicks coach, a source said. “It was a mutual decision to no longer coach the Knicks … conflicting visions of the club’s future,” the source said…
Mike D’Antoni resigns as Knicks coach – NBA – Yahoo! Sports.
