Watching the new and improved Michael Vick this year has put butterflies back into my stomach. Butterflies, that since the early to mid 2000's, had flown away. What Vick is doing on the field is, simply put, amazing. As Jaws put in on Monday Night Football, "Its like a man amongst boys." How about John Gruden's take: "Someone get me his autograph, this guy is on fire." The maturation into a complete quarterback, after 2 years away from the game, can be classified as an anomaly. Weather or not you like Michael Vick the person, there is no denying the incredible story unfolding on the gridiron, and for that, everyone can and should be wowed and amazed.
Think back for me to December 1st 2001, Vikings and Falcons. Vick was going bananas against the Vikings rush defense, gashing them for a NFL record setting, 173 yrds by a QB. The yardage was impressive in its own right, but anyone who remembers that game remembers the way in which he did it: making Viking defenders look absolutely stupid. Tell me you don't remember the clip of him running right by 5 Vikings, splitting two down the middle, and making them run into each other, in OT, for the game winning TD. That was Michael Vick, personified. Never before had the league seen such a force, and freak athlete at the QB position. Sure there was Steve Young, and the great Randall Cunningham, but neither one of those did it with as much ease, and elusiveness as #7. There the reputation was born: Michael Vick, the runner. Let him get outside the pocket, and you're toast. Vick made the pro-bowl as a rookie, and everyone who saw him play in 2001 knew the rest of the NFL would be on high alert, because the superstar from Virgina Tech had arrived.
Vick's 2003 season would be marred by a broken fibula in the pre-season against the Ravens, a game I watched personally. 2004 would see him make the pro-bowl once again. He had 902 rushing yards that season, good for 3rd all time. He also had 14 td's, but 12 interceptions, a completion % of 56.4 and a passer rating of 78.1. Up until this year, his best completion % was 56.4 in 2004, his highest passer rating was 81.6 in 02 (in 09 with the eagles he had a rating of 93.8, but with extremely limited action). His highest passing TD number was 20 in 06, and he threw 13 picks in 05 and 06. Get the point? His passing numbers were mediocre at best. He was doing damage with his legs. If you wanted to beat Michael Vick, make him into a passer, keep a linebacker or safety as a spy, and try and contain him as best you could. That was the reputation of Vick in the mid 2000's.
In 2005 Vick signed the richest contract in NFL history to date: 10 years $130 million, with $37 million in guarantees. He had endorsements from Nike, EA Sports, Coca Cola,Nerf, and Powerade, to name some of the big ones. He was on top of the football world, and still only 24 years of age. No one could see the the extreme downfall that was about to occur.
April 25th, 2007: Police raid Vick's property and find incriminating evidence of dog fighting.
June 7th, 2007: Federal Agents raid Vick's property.
July 17th, 2007: Vick and two co-defendants are indicted by a Federal Grand Jury.
December 10th 2007, Vick is sentenced to 23 months in Federal prison.
July 8th 2008- Vick files for bankruptcy protection.
October 10th-Vick ordered by an arbitrator to repay 19.97 million dollars back to the Falcons.
This time line can give you some perspective as to how quickly he fell from grace. How in an instant, everything was taken away from him. NFL poster boy going to prison, and subsequently going to be suspended for 2 years, everyone assumed his career was over.
July 28th, 2009- Vick conditionally re-instated by the NFL. The fact that he was reinstated by Commissioner Godell didn't really mean much. The interest from teams was minimal, no one wanted the baggage, and no one knew where he would be physically. 2 years away from the NFL, especially for a QB, is devastating, and near impossible to return from. Was he in shape? Could he handle the mental rigors of being an NFL QB? No one knew, and extremely limited interest came his way. However, much to everyone's surprise, on August 13th 2009, he signed a one year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles? The same Eagles who had a franchise QB entrenched in the starting lineup? The same Eagles who a few years earlier had drafted their QB of the future? Why on Earth would they take a chance on Vick? I suppose the mentor-ship of Tony Dungy played a part as did Andy Reid's personal life. Andy Reid was dealing with sons who were going to prison for drug charges, and I think that it had an affect on how he viewed Vick. He, more than anyone, knew first hand the importance of a second chance, and thus he took one on Vick. No one expected much out of him his 1st year, but everyone was eager to see where he stood physically and mentally.
Vick showed up to camp out of shape, out of shape by Michael Vick standards. From training camp we saw he still had not lost any of his arm strength, but the question mark was in his legs. In the pre-season, he had some good plays, but not really anything spectacular. But what did we expect? The guy had just spent 2 years away from the game, away from training, and proper nutrition, of course he wasn't going to come in and dominate the way he used to, it was impossible, even for someone of the genetic make up of Michael Vick.He didn't have that get to the edge speed. The Eagles announced they would use him in the Wildcat, however this proved to be very ineffective, and yielded no results. This 1st year back was just to ease him back into it, get him accustomed to the NFL life once again. There were many questions for next year, mainly, would Vick still be on the team after the 1st year didn't go so well.
Enter the 2009 off season. Eagles had some major decisions to make. The eagles now had 3 QB's on their roster, and many thought Vick was the odd man out. Mcnabb was the starter, and Kolb the heir apparent, so believe me when I say, the football world was SHOCKED when Mcnabb was traded within the division to the Redskins. Kolb was promoted to the starting role, and Vick the backup. Questions surrounded Kolb, who was mostly unproven, who just signed a huge extension, and was automatically promoted to being the starter. In Kolbs two starts, he is the only QB to throw for 300+ in his 1st 2 starts, so we saw some flashes of what he can do. Vick's moment of "Im back" came in the pre-season against the Jaguars. From then one, we knew, he had his legs back. Things were different this year, he came to camp in pristine shape, and worked extremely hard. Fans started to murmur, crowds started to whisper. Had Michael Vick finally re-gained his form from old? Was this actually possible? Those questions would be answered in the opening game against the Packers.
Kolb goes down in the opener, and enter Michal Vick. He put on quite a performance, nearly leading an improbable Eagles comeback and proving to everyone, he had arrived...again. He finished 16 of 24, 175 yrds, 1 TD no INT's, and 11 carries for 103 yards. Trust me when I say this was just a small preview of things to come.
So far this season Vick has put up gaudy numbers. So far he is completing 62.7% of his passes, the best of his career, 11TD's, 0 INTS, 341 yrds rushing with 4 TD's. He also leads the NFL is passer rating at 115.1. Anyone who saw the MNF game this past week should still be in awe of what they saw. Michael Vick put on one of the best performances for a QB that I, as well as many others, including ESPN analysts have ever seen. 20 for 28 333 yrds 4 TD's O INTS, 80 yrds rushing, and 2 TD.s It left ms speechless. The ease at which he was dominating was equally as impressive. He effortlessly threw a 65 yrd bomb on the first play to Desean Jackson who took it 20+ yrds to the house. The first play of the 2nd half, another effortless 45+ yrd bomb to Maclin for the TD. It was simply put, a performance of lifetime, and catapulted him to the top of the MVP race, in my humble opinion. We can only wait to see what he does for an encore against the tough, sound defense of the New York football Giants.
Weather you like Vick as a person, or not, what he is doing this year has to grab your attention and put it into a choke-hold. He has evolved into a complete QB, an extremely efficient pocket passer, and is still freakishly amazing with his legs. At age 30, we are finally seeing the complete package, and all this after spending 2 years away from the game, in prison. It is a captivating tale, one that you do not wish to see end in any other way, except pure success. He is humbled, quiet, and playing the best football of his career. It is a feel good story of the highest degree. The superstar who fell so hard from grace is quickly making his ascension up the football ladder. On his way to the top he is continuing to leave both fans and players speechless, and doing it in dominating fashion. I am personally counting down the days till Sunday, till Michael Vick takes the field once again. Before you make and judgments on him, remember, what he did was wrong, but he has paid for it. Paid for it in the most extreme ways. He started back at the bottom of the food chain, and is now making his rise to the top. Please Michal Vick, continue to leave me shaking my head after every performance. Continue to wow everyone with your play. And maybe, just maybe, this story will have the ultimate happy ending, one where Michael is raising the Lombardi trophy for all the world to see, on the grandest of stages in Jerry World. I'm rooting for you Michael, and I hope every other football fan out there is doing the same.
Z$
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The King's Ransom: A Legacy set ablaze by Heat?
Well it finally came, albeit 23 minutes into the show (when we were told it was going to be during the first ten..smh). Now time to soak in what just happend, and reflect on what this means for Lebron.
A super team was just formed right before our eyes. Lebron willingly chose to join two other superstars in hopes of attaining his goal of winning a championship. In choosing the Miami Heat, Lebron gave up a lot of money (he could have made $126 mil with Cleveland, and probably will make around $100 mil with the Heat) and sacrificed his "brand name" just a bit. In terms of basketball legacy, question marks will be forever forged into his name, as well as any championship he may win. When Shaq decided to join the Lakers, the news was huge. The most dominant player in the game was coming to join a young, on the brink star, by the name of Kobe Bryant. This move forever changed the legacy of Kobe in some people's minds. After winning 3 straight rings, the "but's" began to swirl like a tropical storm transforming into a hurricane. "But, Kobe never won without Shaq." "But Kobe had the most dominant player in the game." The same "but's" are now fully applicable to Lebron, if he is able to win a ring, and this is unquestioned. (Much love to two of the best in the game- Wade and Bosh, but they arent on the same level as KB24 and Lebron.)
Speaking in the language of basketball again, I'm not sure this was the BEST move for Lebron. In Chicago, he had an elite PG, a superstar in his own right in Carlos Boozer, plenty of help off the bench, a slaher/finisher in Luol Deng, and a budding young player in Taj Gibson. The perfect compliments for the alpha dog. In Miami he now must sacrifice a little, and play in a sort of "back-seat" role to D-Wade, or, to put it better, share the spotlight (and shots.) As we have seen in years past with teams trying to do much the same, for example,the Lakers, who assembled somewhat of a "super team", with "at-the end of their career" stars such as Karl Malone, and The Glove, it failed miserably. Aging superstars, who were giving the one final push for the one thing that had been out of their reach for their entire careers, could not put their ego's aside, and sacrifice for the betterment of the team, what makes you think 3 players in the primes of their career will be willing to do that? With every scenario, there are exceptions, such as the big 3 in Boston, however, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are completely different personalities than Lebron James and D-Wade. Chris Bosh seems to be the type of player that is capable of doing such a thing, but the other two, I'm not as convinced.
Is Lebron really the type of player that will defer to D-Wade? Is D-wade the type of player who is OK with Lebron James taking all the shots down the stretch? Will their be jealousy between the 3 stars if one is getting more attention and recognition than the others? Whats going to happen when two players who need the ball in their hand the majority of the time to make plays, share the same uniform? These are all legitimate questions in Miami. Not to mention, they only have 4 players on their roster as of today. Who can they get to compliment those 3? There is still major work to be done in Miami. With Chicago, those same questions are not applicable. It would have been Lebrons team, hands down, with the perfect cast of role players, much better than in Cleveland. It will be interesting to see how the Super 3 are able to handle themselves in Miami-WADE county.
Leborn James has now been set in many people's eyes as a "sell out," unable to take on the task of leading a team to the promised land, such as Michael, and Kobe (who also went through major struggles early on in their careers, in terms of team success." As soon as he was drafted by Cleveland, he was viewed as the savior of all saviors, bringing glory back to a city still dwelling on memories of Jim Brown. He was supposed to lead his team, He was supposed to be the 2nd coming of Michael Jordan, if not better. All of those things now are flipped into a negative. Granted, success is measured by championships, and by signing in Miami, Lebron clearly put that beyond trying to become an unprecedented icon, as well as going for the fattest stack on money on the table, however, by waiting till after both of those players had committed to Miami, he sold his soul to the basketball Gods. Kobe was in LA first. The organization brought in Shaq, not the players. Kobe did was he was supposed to do with the gift that had been laid in his lap, (by no doing of his own.) Lebron purposely waited before making his decision, to see which road was the easiest. If it is ok for people to question Kobe's rings with Shaq, it will definitely be more than OK, and almost expected, with Lebron's, IF they are able to mesh, and play together.
The way Lebron James has handled this entire free agent situation is regretful and disgraceful, when speaking of a superstar. Not only did he drag this thing out and use it to center the spotlight around himself, he undermined his peers and new teammates. According to Dan Gilbert's letter, he was never in contact with the Cavs, and only let them know his plan 30 minutes before going on the air. He pushed an entire city away when they would be willing to do whatever he wanted. He disgraced the city by showing up to Indians games with Yankee gear on, and yet still, he was given a pass, only to shun the fans, and people of Cleveland by going on national TV and divorcing them. For a second I thought I was watching Tiger's personal life unfold on TV. Lebron alienated himself from the fan base who stuck up for him throughout his miserable playoff failures, including this last one. Now that he has walked away from them, the backlash is only just beginning. As far as the people of Cleveland go, he never existed.
With that being said, remember, this is still a business, and Lebron felt like he didn't have the best chance to win in Cleveland. He was there for 7 years, and only reached the finals once. However, in years past, the blame for such struggles were divided up amongst his "supporting cast" or lack there of in some peoples minds. (Remember, this is a team that won 60 games back to back, and had the best record in the NBA for 2 straight years.) Yes, Lebron needs to be blamed for the struggles just as much as any other player, because he was the leader and superstar of that team. Much similar to a Quaterback in the NFL who gets the praise when the team wins, and the blame when they dont. Only in this case, the blame Lebron never even caught a wiff of it. In professional sports, loyalty is a dying term. We see flickers of it every so often (the latest being Kevin Durant), and we are filled with hope, that maybe, just maybe, its a characteristic back on the rise. The fans arent owed anything special, everyone (front office, coaching staff), including Leron, could have pushed themselves a little bit more to try and make this thing work, but in the end, it didnt. Lebron James left, and he had every right to, but with being the savior of a franchise, and a bonafide MEGA Star, loyalty is very much part of the equation. Remember, he is living up to what Michael and Kobe did before him, and leaving via free agency is definitely not one of them.
As a basketball enthusiast, I am more than excited to see the South Beach Show next year. It will truly be unlike something we have ever seen, and everyone should be as excited as I am (except if you reside in Cleveland, or New York.) Pat Riley did one hell of a job, and I for one am shocked he was able to pull it off, but he is def. someone capable of working miracles like the one we just witnessed tonight. Its a good night for D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Pat Riley, the rest of the Heat organization. The bells of victory are sounding through the nightclubs and lights of downtown Miami. In signing with the Heat, Lebrons legacy may have very well been set ablaze. He better hope, for his sake, that it doesn't completely drown in the waters of South Beach like it did in Cleveland on Thursday night. The whole world now has all eyes on #6, #3, and #4.
Z$
A super team was just formed right before our eyes. Lebron willingly chose to join two other superstars in hopes of attaining his goal of winning a championship. In choosing the Miami Heat, Lebron gave up a lot of money (he could have made $126 mil with Cleveland, and probably will make around $100 mil with the Heat) and sacrificed his "brand name" just a bit. In terms of basketball legacy, question marks will be forever forged into his name, as well as any championship he may win. When Shaq decided to join the Lakers, the news was huge. The most dominant player in the game was coming to join a young, on the brink star, by the name of Kobe Bryant. This move forever changed the legacy of Kobe in some people's minds. After winning 3 straight rings, the "but's" began to swirl like a tropical storm transforming into a hurricane. "But, Kobe never won without Shaq." "But Kobe had the most dominant player in the game." The same "but's" are now fully applicable to Lebron, if he is able to win a ring, and this is unquestioned. (Much love to two of the best in the game- Wade and Bosh, but they arent on the same level as KB24 and Lebron.)
Speaking in the language of basketball again, I'm not sure this was the BEST move for Lebron. In Chicago, he had an elite PG, a superstar in his own right in Carlos Boozer, plenty of help off the bench, a slaher/finisher in Luol Deng, and a budding young player in Taj Gibson. The perfect compliments for the alpha dog. In Miami he now must sacrifice a little, and play in a sort of "back-seat" role to D-Wade, or, to put it better, share the spotlight (and shots.) As we have seen in years past with teams trying to do much the same, for example,the Lakers, who assembled somewhat of a "super team", with "at-the end of their career" stars such as Karl Malone, and The Glove, it failed miserably. Aging superstars, who were giving the one final push for the one thing that had been out of their reach for their entire careers, could not put their ego's aside, and sacrifice for the betterment of the team, what makes you think 3 players in the primes of their career will be willing to do that? With every scenario, there are exceptions, such as the big 3 in Boston, however, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are completely different personalities than Lebron James and D-Wade. Chris Bosh seems to be the type of player that is capable of doing such a thing, but the other two, I'm not as convinced.
Is Lebron really the type of player that will defer to D-Wade? Is D-wade the type of player who is OK with Lebron James taking all the shots down the stretch? Will their be jealousy between the 3 stars if one is getting more attention and recognition than the others? Whats going to happen when two players who need the ball in their hand the majority of the time to make plays, share the same uniform? These are all legitimate questions in Miami. Not to mention, they only have 4 players on their roster as of today. Who can they get to compliment those 3? There is still major work to be done in Miami. With Chicago, those same questions are not applicable. It would have been Lebrons team, hands down, with the perfect cast of role players, much better than in Cleveland. It will be interesting to see how the Super 3 are able to handle themselves in Miami-WADE county.
Leborn James has now been set in many people's eyes as a "sell out," unable to take on the task of leading a team to the promised land, such as Michael, and Kobe (who also went through major struggles early on in their careers, in terms of team success." As soon as he was drafted by Cleveland, he was viewed as the savior of all saviors, bringing glory back to a city still dwelling on memories of Jim Brown. He was supposed to lead his team, He was supposed to be the 2nd coming of Michael Jordan, if not better. All of those things now are flipped into a negative. Granted, success is measured by championships, and by signing in Miami, Lebron clearly put that beyond trying to become an unprecedented icon, as well as going for the fattest stack on money on the table, however, by waiting till after both of those players had committed to Miami, he sold his soul to the basketball Gods. Kobe was in LA first. The organization brought in Shaq, not the players. Kobe did was he was supposed to do with the gift that had been laid in his lap, (by no doing of his own.) Lebron purposely waited before making his decision, to see which road was the easiest. If it is ok for people to question Kobe's rings with Shaq, it will definitely be more than OK, and almost expected, with Lebron's, IF they are able to mesh, and play together.
The way Lebron James has handled this entire free agent situation is regretful and disgraceful, when speaking of a superstar. Not only did he drag this thing out and use it to center the spotlight around himself, he undermined his peers and new teammates. According to Dan Gilbert's letter, he was never in contact with the Cavs, and only let them know his plan 30 minutes before going on the air. He pushed an entire city away when they would be willing to do whatever he wanted. He disgraced the city by showing up to Indians games with Yankee gear on, and yet still, he was given a pass, only to shun the fans, and people of Cleveland by going on national TV and divorcing them. For a second I thought I was watching Tiger's personal life unfold on TV. Lebron alienated himself from the fan base who stuck up for him throughout his miserable playoff failures, including this last one. Now that he has walked away from them, the backlash is only just beginning. As far as the people of Cleveland go, he never existed.
With that being said, remember, this is still a business, and Lebron felt like he didn't have the best chance to win in Cleveland. He was there for 7 years, and only reached the finals once. However, in years past, the blame for such struggles were divided up amongst his "supporting cast" or lack there of in some peoples minds. (Remember, this is a team that won 60 games back to back, and had the best record in the NBA for 2 straight years.) Yes, Lebron needs to be blamed for the struggles just as much as any other player, because he was the leader and superstar of that team. Much similar to a Quaterback in the NFL who gets the praise when the team wins, and the blame when they dont. Only in this case, the blame Lebron never even caught a wiff of it. In professional sports, loyalty is a dying term. We see flickers of it every so often (the latest being Kevin Durant), and we are filled with hope, that maybe, just maybe, its a characteristic back on the rise. The fans arent owed anything special, everyone (front office, coaching staff), including Leron, could have pushed themselves a little bit more to try and make this thing work, but in the end, it didnt. Lebron James left, and he had every right to, but with being the savior of a franchise, and a bonafide MEGA Star, loyalty is very much part of the equation. Remember, he is living up to what Michael and Kobe did before him, and leaving via free agency is definitely not one of them.
As a basketball enthusiast, I am more than excited to see the South Beach Show next year. It will truly be unlike something we have ever seen, and everyone should be as excited as I am (except if you reside in Cleveland, or New York.) Pat Riley did one hell of a job, and I for one am shocked he was able to pull it off, but he is def. someone capable of working miracles like the one we just witnessed tonight. Its a good night for D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Pat Riley, the rest of the Heat organization. The bells of victory are sounding through the nightclubs and lights of downtown Miami. In signing with the Heat, Lebrons legacy may have very well been set ablaze. He better hope, for his sake, that it doesn't completely drown in the waters of South Beach like it did in Cleveland on Thursday night. The whole world now has all eyes on #6, #3, and #4.
Z$
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Lebron James Plan: The Quest To be Bigger than the Game
By now, not a basketball fan on Earth has been immune to the historic free agent class of 2010, and all the attention that comes with it. Already 3 of the biggest stars on the marker have already made their decisions, while the rest of the world anticipates the announcement of Lebron James, set to come tomorrow during a one hour special on ESPN. As a student and follower of the game for so long, I recognize that the NBA has never seen anything like the free agent class of 2010. With that being said, the absurdity of the Lebron situation is disturbing on many levels, but most importantly, Lebron is trying to put himself above the game.
The warning signs were clear to anyone who cared to pay attention, and was sucked in by the aura that is Lebron. When he failed to be humble and accept defeat against the Orlando Magic, by not shaking their hands after the series, it set off a mini red flag. Now to the average person,this would not be that big of a deal, but it sent shock waves around the league, and even was talked about in the NFL.The fact that one of the games biggest superstars refused to do what EVERY athlete does was a big deal. Mix this with other small flags, such as wearing an "MVP" t-shirt around after he won, to the whole Dunked-on gate set aflame by one Jordan Crawford, Lebron is slowly but surely trying to position himself to be bigger than the NBA. Anyone who follows the situation closely can recall when Lebron so famously stated that his image was just as big of a part as winning. Take a look at stars past and present, Kobe, Michael, Kareem, Magic, Tim Duncan,etc. The list goes on and on, and yet one thing remains constant: each is a great champion, and understands that BASKETBALL greatness is not achieved by your bank account, but rather whats in the safety deposit box: Rings. They didnt try to show up the NBA by focusing on keeping the media spotlight on themselves. What Lebron is doing is not only disgraceful, it is taking away the importance, and significance of the situation from his fellow peers. You wont hear this publically, but there have been rumbles of ill feelings towards James by both Chris Bosh and D-Wade. No other superstar would even dream of doing something like this. Kobe, who may have a bigger ego than Lebron wouldn't even dare dream of pulling a stunt like this, not when he has failed to accomplish anything of significance, sans 2 regular season MVP awards.
Im going to quote my man Adrian Wojnarowski over at Yahoo on a few things, which I think mirrors my sentiments. "Team LeBron had discussed a documentary on the free-agent process, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, but the narrative changed after James’ Game 5 meltdown in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Carter says there was never a plan for a free-agent tour, but this is what he means: There was never a plan for James to get held accountable, to have his motivations and priorities called into doubt. There was never a plan for the blame to shift from Danny Ferry, Mike Brown and his Cavaliers teammates. There was never a plan that real-world rules applied to the self-proclaimed King."
Again, this whole ordeal is set to do only one thing, boost James' image, in order to mask the disappointment of years past, where he failed to deliver on high expectations, and territory that comes with being one of the best players in the league. Lebron is taking the NBA hostage, and the sad thing is, no one is doing anything to stop it. When we tune in tomorrow night, think to yourself, what other player, even greater than Lebron, can you remember doing anything like this?
Again to quote Adrian "He won’t look so much like Kobe Bryant(notes) and David Beckham, but rather a three-star linebacker from Shaker Heights picking Bowling Green over Kent and Ohio U. on local access television."
The entire sports world awaits tomorrows decision, and even more await the moment it is all over. Will tomorrow be the day that one man becomes bigger than the league? Who knows, but it is clear: it is one man's ego, one man's brand, who will certainly try everything they can to make it happen.
Z$
The warning signs were clear to anyone who cared to pay attention, and was sucked in by the aura that is Lebron. When he failed to be humble and accept defeat against the Orlando Magic, by not shaking their hands after the series, it set off a mini red flag. Now to the average person,this would not be that big of a deal, but it sent shock waves around the league, and even was talked about in the NFL.The fact that one of the games biggest superstars refused to do what EVERY athlete does was a big deal. Mix this with other small flags, such as wearing an "MVP" t-shirt around after he won, to the whole Dunked-on gate set aflame by one Jordan Crawford, Lebron is slowly but surely trying to position himself to be bigger than the NBA. Anyone who follows the situation closely can recall when Lebron so famously stated that his image was just as big of a part as winning. Take a look at stars past and present, Kobe, Michael, Kareem, Magic, Tim Duncan,etc. The list goes on and on, and yet one thing remains constant: each is a great champion, and understands that BASKETBALL greatness is not achieved by your bank account, but rather whats in the safety deposit box: Rings. They didnt try to show up the NBA by focusing on keeping the media spotlight on themselves. What Lebron is doing is not only disgraceful, it is taking away the importance, and significance of the situation from his fellow peers. You wont hear this publically, but there have been rumbles of ill feelings towards James by both Chris Bosh and D-Wade. No other superstar would even dream of doing something like this. Kobe, who may have a bigger ego than Lebron wouldn't even dare dream of pulling a stunt like this, not when he has failed to accomplish anything of significance, sans 2 regular season MVP awards.
Im going to quote my man Adrian Wojnarowski over at Yahoo on a few things, which I think mirrors my sentiments. "Team LeBron had discussed a documentary on the free-agent process, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, but the narrative changed after James’ Game 5 meltdown in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Carter says there was never a plan for a free-agent tour, but this is what he means: There was never a plan for James to get held accountable, to have his motivations and priorities called into doubt. There was never a plan for the blame to shift from Danny Ferry, Mike Brown and his Cavaliers teammates. There was never a plan that real-world rules applied to the self-proclaimed King."
Again, this whole ordeal is set to do only one thing, boost James' image, in order to mask the disappointment of years past, where he failed to deliver on high expectations, and territory that comes with being one of the best players in the league. Lebron is taking the NBA hostage, and the sad thing is, no one is doing anything to stop it. When we tune in tomorrow night, think to yourself, what other player, even greater than Lebron, can you remember doing anything like this?
Again to quote Adrian "He won’t look so much like Kobe Bryant(notes) and David Beckham, but rather a three-star linebacker from Shaker Heights picking Bowling Green over Kent and Ohio U. on local access television."
The entire sports world awaits tomorrows decision, and even more await the moment it is all over. Will tomorrow be the day that one man becomes bigger than the league? Who knows, but it is clear: it is one man's ego, one man's brand, who will certainly try everything they can to make it happen.
Z$
Friday, June 4, 2010
Greatness
After a mini hiatus, I have decided to return to Zmoney sports. As a working man, I dont know how much time I'll have to write, but for now, I hope you enjoy.
So as I was waiting to pickup U.S Congressman Ellsworth from DFW airport, I started to think about the finals and how excited I was, which in turn led me to think about Kobe and his career, so I decided to write this little piece while waiting in my car.
Kobe Bryant is not only the greatest player of our generation, but the argument can be made that he is the greatest player the NBA has ever seen. From his days as a high school phenom, to ruling the NBA, Kobe has transcended himself into a talent that we have only seen once before, and to quote Reggie Miller, “That guy is retired doing Hanes commercials, bad ones I might add. “ Lets face it, Kobe is an enigma, maybe the biggest one in all of sports. You either love him, or you hate him, but to the haters I pose these questions: How can you hate someone who pours his heart into the game? How can you hate someone who is working ever minute of the day to better himself as a basketball player? How can you hate someone who is the ultimate champion? Has there been another player with as much drive and dedication as Kobe has to winning? The answer is No, and to the people who hate him, put your personal team loyalty aside and recognize a once in a lifetime talent when you see one.
As Kobe prepares to try and win his 5th title and add to his legacy of being the greatest champion of our generation, lets put aside the lingering debates of Kobe v. Lebron, and more importantly Kobe v. Jordan, and reflect on just how great of a player Kobe really is.
Early on in his career, he wowed us with freakish athleticism, rim rocking dunks, and the type of swagger no 17 year old kid should have. From the minute he stepped on the court, everyone could see flashes of what was to come, the player that was to be, and a blast from the past (#23.) It took him 4 years to win his first championship, and while Shaq was the dominant player on that team, Kobe averaged 21 ppg, while averaging 39 minuts per game during the playoffs. He played a bigger role than most people remember/give him credit for. Throughout the rest of the 3 peat run, during the regular season he averaged 28.5, and 25.2 ppg respectively. In the playoffs he stepped up his game and averaged 29.4 and 26.6 ppg respectively. I’m not here to get into the “Kobe didn’t win titles, Shaq did”, argument, I will save that for another article, but the point I am trying to make is to show just how big of a part Kobe played, as a 20 something year old, playing for a title. He was cemented as a bonafide star on that team.
In the subsequent years, Kobe spoiled those who watched him, with his flawless offensive game, hitting fadeaway jumpers with 3 defenders in his face, pulling up 8 feet behind the three point line and drilling 12 threes in a game, or getting to the hole and posterizing Dwight Howard for dunk of the year. Of course everyone remembers the 81 point game, but what people do not remember is that LA was actually down in that game, and down big. They came from behind, led by Kobe who in my opinion, played like the best ever that night, hitting shots he had no business making. How about his 4 game, 50+ point stretch, in consecutive games? That’s right, he had 50 plus points in 4 straight games. In today’s NBA we see guys dropping 50, and the next night they can only muster 13. So what does that say about Kobe? How about that night in Dallas, where he went off for 63, in only 3 quarters, against a very solid Mavs team. All of these moments can culminate into one bullet point, one statement that I don’t think is even debatable: Kobe Bryant is the most talented offensive player this league has ever seen. That’s that.
Again, I am not here to get into the argument of Kobe and Jordan, rather I am here to point out specific qualities, specific moments that make Kobe the player he is today. Kobe has no weakness in his game. He puts in countless hours of hard work, and film study and this is what makes him the mamba. It has guys like Tex Winter (architect of the triangle, and coach to both Kobe and Mike) saying he has never seen a player with more dedication and a better work ethic than Kobe. It has guys like Magic and The Logo saying that Kobe is far and away the best Laker to ever play, and just last night Magic said that if he wins his 5th ring, “I think he’ there as the greatest to ever play.” I could give countless more quotes, and in return, find a hundred quotes about Jordan, but I wont go that route.
During these playoffs, Kobe is playing on a level that all players dream about reaching, but know they will never get there. He is doing it with such regularity and leaving people speechless. “Only one way to describe it, greatness.” Guys like Charles Barkley are even left shaking their heads, with no more than one word to describe what they just saw. If a hall of famer cant fully grasp the talent and perfection of the game that Kobe is displaying, what does that mean for the rest of us? As we watch the finals, keep an open mind and just watch Kobe play the game. Watch him score at will, watch him set up his teammates, watch him on the defensive end. He is displaying a mastery of the craft that we all love. The playoffs are his browadway stage, and thus far, he is putting on the performance of a lifetime. We all watch in awe as he does what he has been doing his whole career. I personally get Goosebumps when watching him play. In a few years from now, can we even imagine what he will do for an Encore? Until then, watch in amazement,, as we are seeing something unfold that we may never get a chance to see again., perfection.
Z$
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