Diddy or Didn't he?

Diddy or Didn't he?

We have reached the half-way point of this lockout shortened NBA Season and so it’s time for NBA All-Star Weekend.  The weekend will be capped off with the 61^st annual All-Star game Sunday night.  It marks the unofficial half-way point of the season.  But before the big game is played on Sunday, basketball fanatics are treated to the always fun, always creative Slam-Dunk Contest.  But this years contest just didn’t seem to pack the same luster as years past.  It did however pack enough for me to blog about something.  Here we go.   

I mean don’t get me wrong, its entertainment and if I was really…REALLY disappointed I simply would have turned it off.  Seriously though, David Stern the commissioner of the NBA should change the name of this contest to the “No Star Dunk Contest.”  The big names that used to participate in this, simply don’t want to participate anymore. 

This year’s contestants were comprised of Houston’s Chase Budinger, Indiana’s Paul George, Minnesota’s Derrick Williams and Utah’s Jeremy Evans.  Who??????  I know what you mean…  No Dwight Howard…aka Superman, sorry folks.  No Blake Griffin, the guy that leaped over a car last year.  Oh and no little dunk man like Nate Robinson, who won this competition just a few years ago.  With that said, this years contest wasn’t lacking creativity.  These guys did everything they could to make it original and interesting but in my opinion the show was stolen before it got started.  So what was "All-The Hoop-Laa "about?  Well, P-Diddy opened his mouth and what came out seemed a bit odd to me...

Your thoughts?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wjz4QjbIEY

Yes, P-Diddy holding his fist up in the air a-la Hitler and uttering the words “black power.”  Now I don’t want to make this into a huge racially charged blog…but seriously Diddy?  On National TV you can say that…and because it's Diddy that makes it okay?  Really?  Someone please help me understand how that is acceptable but "chink in the armor" isn't?  (See previous blog entry)   

Anyhow I can’t help but think what people would be saying if some white person held up their fist at the start of the All-Star Dunk contest on national television and said “white power.”  I guess it’s only racist if the word “white” is used…

To me it wasn't the time or place to say anything like that.  It wasn't the time or place to promote his stupid new network.  This was a family event, an All-Star basketball dunk contest.  Celebrities should try to keep their mouths shut at events like this!  News alert: It's not about you, it's about the event!    

Oh, by the way, congratulations to Utah’s Jeremy Evans, he won the contest. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVVmOncDgLw

"Chink in the Armor"

“Chink in the Armor”

It seems like everything now-a-days has to be so god damn politically correct!  Honestly it makes me sick!  People can’t say certain things because there are some people in this world that are so sensitive that they scream racist every time they read something or hear something they don’t like!  So what is all the “Hoop-Laa” about this week?  Well, of course it’s still all about Jeremy Lin, but it’s what ESPN wrote and one analyst said about him that have some people outraged.  I write this to find out how you feel.

Even feel good stories like the recent success New York Knick point guard Jeremy Lin is having in the last two weeks results in some employees at ESPN getting fired.  Simply because some people think that a certain headline was a racist remark.  On ESPN.com last week a headline stated “Chink in the armor” and showed a picture of Jeremy Lin.  Some consider that headline was racially insensitive and was a direct shot at Asian-American Jeremy Lin.  What others see is that it is a term that is often used to describe a flaw or a glitch in an otherwise fairly good or potentially flawless system.  This was the Knicks first loss since “Lin-sanity” swept over New York City and subsequently the rest of the world.  The Knicks are 7-1 since he (Lin) has been inserted in the line-up and ESPN is now down several employees.  Seems strange people have to lose there jobs over something that has everyone in such euphoria.  Watch, and honestly ask yourself is this man a “racist.”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ESEGRwnQW4k

I personally don’t think so.  Perhaps, this was an error in judgment but I don’t think there was any malicious intent of racism in that statement.  I do believe that the catch phrases and superlatives that have been used in the last two weeks have gotten a little ridiculous.  Enough is enough with the “Knick names”…..ok I just had to use that one, but seriously as a sports fan as many people are lets just enjoy the excitement this guy is providing and stop trying to read between the lines on someone’s choice of words, attempting to determine if someone is a racist!

On a lighter note, according to Jay-Z if Lin can make it here...he can make it anywhere!  In New York!               

LIN-sanity!

                                                               

LIN-sanity!

As you may or may not have guessed my blog will revolve around the weekly basketball action that was.  My blog aims to spotlight what the current “buzz” is and provide my thoughts on it.  So if something is “trending now” in the NBA or in the NCAA (college ball)…I assure you my blog will touch on it.  Having said that you may be asking yourself what “All That Hoop-Laa” was about in New York City this week?  No, it’s not the NY Giants winning the Super Bowl!

Good guess though…

It’s non-other than Jeremy Lin!  Who, you might ask?  Jeremy Lin, #17 on the New York Knicks.  A man who was un-drafted, played high school basketball in Northern CA, collegiate ball at Harvard and was a bench player on the Warriors last year.  Now he is getting a chance to play with the Knicks and he is flat out “ballin!”    

Call it a “Lin-ternational” sensation or whatever else comes to mind, but this kid is truly someone that you want to cheer for.  Making his first career NBA start last night he scored 28 points and 8 assists which led the NY Knicks to victory over the Utah Jazz.  He’s had 53 points and 15 assists in the last two games and has the rather “tough to please” crowd in Madison Square Garden chanting “MVP!”  A player who has been chewed up and spit in other leagues and was released by the Warriors is making some headlines!  He is truly an underdog if there ever was one, but in all honesty he is making a fan out of me.  I’m on the Lin bandwagon!  The question is…are you?        

Oops Blake did it again...

Oops Blake did it again…

You may be wondering what “All That Hoop-Laa” was about last Monday night at The Staples Center in Los Angeles.  Well, all you have to do is ask Kendrick Perkins of the Oklahoma City Thunder what it’s about, I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell you. 

With one of the most bone jarring, earth shattering, rim rattling dunks I have ever seen, Blake Griffin through down a dunk in the face of Perkins that would make an ordinary slam dunk seem…well…ordinary. 

For those of you that missed it, check it out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_Vy0lDk_A

This dunk got me thinking.  What are some of the greatest dunks of all-time that took place in a game?  Sure there have been some amazing dunks in “dunk contests”, 5’4 Spud Webb in the 1986 contest, Vince Carter in 2000 and 5’9 Nate Robinson in 2009.  All of which can be found on You Tube for your viewing pleasure by the way.  But even this road leads back to Mr. Blake Griffin, when just last year he jumped OVER a f*cking car!  Yes, a car! 

So back to my original question, what are some of the greatest dunks of all-time…in a game?  Well, arguments can be made for many but I think the “crème de la crème” of dunks are: 

1. Blake Griffin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_Vy0lDk_A

Just because of sheer ferocious velocity in which he through it down over one of the best defensive players currently in the game.

2. Tracy McGrady:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKOCy9R-h2A

Just because it’s in the playoffs and it’s over Shawn Bradley who only stands 7’6.

3. Michael Jordan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkEVn1VUBlE

Just because he is the one and only AIR JORDAN!

Dunks bring people to there feet!  Let’s be honest, not everyone can dunk a ball like these guys and when they do it lights up arenas like nothing else!  Blake Griffin may be the best “dunker” the game has ever seen but at the end of the day even the great ones would tell you all they care about is winning not dunking!