Category Archives: Basketball

Kobe is back and LeBron is still really really really good!

Posted on August 8, 2012 by mb149599

After having an atrocious last few games in the Olympics, Kobe Bryant was able to find his killer instinct. He had a pretty awful first half with just two points and a couple turnovers. The second half was quite different.

Australia went on an 11-0 run to start the third quarter and the Americans appeared to be in trouble. Clinging to just a six point lead, Bryant was able to make his first three pointer of the game. On the very next possession, Kobe stole the ball giving the United States a fast break. He pulled up from beyond the arc and nailed another three.

Australia was forced to call a Timeout, which presumably would slow down the “Black Mamba”. But Kobe was not done. Just about halfway through the fourth quarter, Bryant made four three pointers in a row in just a fifty-six second span! That was the dagger!

After the game, Kobe was asked what helped him get out of his ten quarter slump. He said that he got angry. When asked if he was angry about playing Argentina next, he responded, “Livid.”

But I respect the Australians performance. Australia was able to stay with the Americans for three quarters. They were only down fourteen going into the fourth and they had it down to six at one point in the third quarter. Back-up San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills led the team with twenty-six points. But Team USA just has too many All-Stars and LeBron James is one of them.

LeBron was absolutely masterful even though he only converted three field goals. He had his first triple double in Olympic history! James scored 11 points, 11 assists, and 14 rebounds. Might I add that he also did not record even one turnover! He did it all.

LeBron’s performance was riveting and he was seeing the court just as well as Magic Johnson did back in the day. There were two plays where James was on the wing and was able to find a three-point shooter in the weak side corner for wide open buckets. He is so big that he has the length to pass it over the defense. James also had a spectacular pass in the first half when he placed the ball perfectly through the defender’s legs finding Carmelo Anthony who got the “and one”.

James is 6’8” but was running around the court like he was Steve Nash in his prime. And at the same time, he was able to lead the team with fourteen rebounds including three on the offensive end of the court. I used to hate “King James” but I just cannot dislike the guy anymore. He is amazingly talented and is the MVP of this Olympic team.

So after a sluggish first half, Team USA was able to trounce Australia 119-86 and move into the semi-finals. Lithuania was close to defeating the Americans earlier this week but they lost to Russia earlier today. So at this point, only a miracle could stop Team USA from winning the gold medal.

 

Posted in Australia, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Olympics, Team USA, Three-Pointer | Comments Off on Kobe is back and LeBron is still really really really good!

Under Pressure

Posted on July 25, 2012 by mb149599

Everyone knows that to be considered one of the greatest athletes, you have to win a championship. No matter what sport it is, you will never be a superstar if you have not won it all and proven that your team is the best in the world.

Prime example… LeBron James. LeBron James was/is the most scrutinized player in the history of sports. I used to make jokes about him only having 75 cents because he had no fourth quarter and that I put my phone on Lebron mode during class…Ringless. But all of LeBron’s haters (including myself) must now shut up and give credit where credit is due. He has finally won a ring. He is a champion. And he is one the greatest basketball players to ever play the game… still not as good as MJ though.

So now that the pressure is off of King James to win a championship, who has that pressure shifted to? Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard? Those are just a few names that come to mind. But I think the most pressure will be on Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks to win within the next two years.

Anthony can do it all on the offensive end of the court. He can drive, he can pass, he can pull up from the top of the key, and he can drain buckets from beyond the three point line. He has that attack mode instinct in him and he is extremely clutch. Yes, he has been criticized for his lackadaisical defense at times, but when he actually tries and with some coaching, he can be a great defender.

Carmelo is surrounded by talent and arguably has the best frontcourt in the league containing Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudamire, and Melo himself. The Knicks have made a lot of off-season moves in order to make a title run NOW. They have brought back Raymond Felton to run the point and re-signed J.R. Smith to start at the 2 guard until Iman Shumpert returns from his injury. They have brought in three veterans who know how to win such as J Kidd, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas. This team is built to win NOW.

No more excuses Melo! You have had enough time to get used to playing with Amare and Tyson. It might take a little bit to get on the same page with Felton, but this is it. This is your chance. You are 28 years old now and in the prime of your career. Win a championship or be just another under achiever in New York City. The pressure is on…

 

 

Posted in Amare, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Jason Kidd, Knicks, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Melo, NBA, New York, Off-Season, Raymond Felton, Shump, Tyson Chandler | Comments Off on Under Pressure

2012 Vs. 1992

Posted on July 20, 2012 by mb149599

The United States basketball team is the heavy favorite to win the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics. Los Angeles Laker, Kobe Bryant, believes they would also be favored to defeat the “Dream Team” that dazzled the world in Barcelona twenty years ago. The debate has already started as to whether this group of American athletes is as good as the “Dream Team” that won the gold medal in 1992, the first year that active NBA players were permitted to participate in the games. While Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley have openly disagreed with LA’s superstar, Kobe says “… It’d be a tough one, but I think we’d pull it out.”

The world will never know who would win if the two squads were to match up but the current All-Star ballers put on a convincing clinic on Thursday afternoon. Great Britain’s team, led by Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls, struggled all day in this international friendly contest and will have an almost insurmountable task of defeating the Americans in front of their home crowd in London should the two teams meet again. However, that match-up is unlikely to repeat itself. The British would have to defeat the more talented Spaniards to take on Team USA in the Olympic Finals.

If Thursday afternoon’s exhibition game gave any indication as to how the United States and Great Britain would fare in the Olympics, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James should feel quite confident in their chances of bringing home the gold. Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams led the team with 19 points respectively; Russell Westbrook dished out 9 assists, and Lebron James chipped in with 16 points in an absolute route 118-78. Just a few minutes into the game, one could assume that the British were about to get humiliated in front of their own fans in Manchester.

The Americans have moved to 3-0 in exhibition play and have looked solid in two of three of those games. Some say that after the United States poor performance against Brazil earlier this week that the “Dream Team” is definitely better. The Americans struggled both defensively and offensively in the post when facing seasoned veterans who were just as big as them.

Luckily for Team USA, they will not have to go up against Jordan’s 1992 crew in the upcoming Olympic Games. Patrick Ewing of the 1992 Dream Team would most likely destroy whatever defense the current Olympic team could present him with. While Tyson Chandler is a great player, he is no Patrick Ewing or Hakeem Olajuwon. I would love to say that our 2012 team is just as good as the Dream Team but if I said that then I would just be lying. Each team is extremely talented but the Dream Team never even had a close game. They defeated their opponents by an average of 44 points. And while Lebron has finally been crowned as King James, he still has 5 more rings to win if he wants to be compared to MJ.

Coach K will continue to make adjustments as his team gets ready to take on a talented and disciplined Spain team featuring the Gasol brothers. Oklahoma City Thunder’s 23 year old Serge Ibaka, the power forward for Spain, openly said that the Spain team is just as good as the Americans. Expect a tremendous amount of explosiveness and electricity as the United States team tries to prove him wrong. Something tells me that they will do just that. The two teams face off on July 24th in a friendly exhibition. Final Score Prediction: USA: 96 SPAIN: 81

***The United States will play Argentina featuring Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs on July 22nd before taking on the Spaniards two days later.

 

Posted in Basketball, Carmelo, Coach K, Deron Williams, Dream Team, Great Britain, Kobe, Lebron, London, Luol Deng, Michael Jordan, Olympics, Patrick Ewing, Spain, USA, Westbrook | Comments Off on 2012 Vs. 1992