"Yeah I saw him there... I guess he ain't see me!"

First DeAndre, now this smh.

Then I came to find out that Jason Terry said he wasn't impressed with what the Heat have done on their 23 game winning streak. I wonder how he feels now, lol.

NBA Finals... It's OVER!

I think LeBron's looking for someone to give him some heart.


I know I know, I predicted the Heat to take this series in 6 games. And I know there are two games left in MIami. But the Mavs only have to win one. They won't get the first one more likely than not but they're going to win this series. Dirk's gonna get his ring. Jason Kidd will get his ring, and Jason Terry won't look like a complete idiot for getting the championship trophy tattooed on himself.

This series is over simply because LeBron doesn't have the heart for it.

Unless Wade plays out of his mind for two straight games the Heat will not win this series. All the allegations about Rashard Lewis sleeping with his girl aside, I just don't think LeBron has the moxy or the killer instinct right now. He had in the Boston and Chicago series' but it looks like he's lost it. From a strictly basketball perspective, his jumper is now back to suspect status so he's reluctant to shoot the jumpshot too much and instead be a facilitator (which is made a much easier way for him to go when Wade's hot). But in Game 5 when Wade was out and LeBron was supposed to take over, he didn't. He played pretty much the same seemingly unengaged and uninspired basketball. That led me to believe that he just doesn't have "it". At least not right now.

I'm a big time LeBron fan and I think he a ton of talent and still more potential. He should be out there driving to the hole battering ram style like he normally does if his jumpshot isn't clicking. But he's not. He should know that if Wade is out, he's gotta score. It doesn't seem like he cares all that much. Whether it's on-courrt confidence or off-the-court issues, LeBron just doesn't have it right now and I don't think he will in the next two games. He'll probably play better, but if these games are close and the Heat need him, can they really count on him? I dunno. What I do know is that the Mavs can count on Dirk and if the Mavs can keep these games fast-paced and Barea and Jason Terry hit their open shots, they're going to win one of these last two games for sure.

The Heat are close to pulling it off, but I don't think they have it left in them without a fully functioning LeBron.

Prediction for NBA Finals Game 5

As I mentioned in my previous post, the pressure is now on Miami. Last game of a 3-game set in Dallas to tip the series in their favor before returning home. If Miami wins, they're primed to close-out this series at home in the next game. If Dallas wins, ALL THE PRESSURE is on Miami to keep themselves from being eliminated at home.

All the LeBron talk has been talked about too much if you ask me. If the Heat win the series no one will care about game 4. Even if LeBron has several more subpar games and Miami wins the series, NO ONE WILL CARE other than the so-called "experts".

Point blank, if Miami plays well in the 4th quarter, they have won these games. That'll be the difference in Game 5. And now that DeShawn Stevenson and Jason Terry have called LeBron out in consecutive games, I expect a BIG GAME from LeBron. I said that in my prediction for game 4 and I'm saying it again. Expect a LeBrubble (LeBron Triple Double), lol.

And as for that DirkFlu, I don't expect that to be a factor anymore. But I do suspect that the "legend" of Dirk will only grow with each game over the course of this series whether the Mavs win or lose.

NBA Round-Up

Mark Jackson hired as Golden State Warriors Head Coach

First and foremost, kudos to Mark Jackson on getting this job. I already like him more than Mike Brown (shot fired fool!). I've been impressed with his basketball knowledge as a play-by-play guy even though I sometimes hate his one/two-liners. If I have to hear "Hand down, man down!" or "Mama, there goes that man!" one more time this season I may just throw my drink at the screen. But hey, he's got signature lines that he uses and they haven't gotten him fired yet.

I did find it a little curious that he has been hired with no coaching experience at any level, ANY LEVEL. Not high school, college, or the pros. Maybe he coached a kids team before I don't know, but it just seemed a little odd to me. Like he mentioned on ESPN last night, he has had experience as a "coach on the court" during his playing days in the NBA. That's a good point and I do think that having NBA playing experience works in his favor but I'm not so sure that it correlates to being a good coach and/or substitute for relevant coaching experience. Nevertheless, I hope he is successful because he seems like a smart basketball mind and a straight-shooting guy. I'm also curious as to whether he'll try to bring former coach and current co-analyst Jeff Van Gundy on as an assistant since Mark has stated that he wants his team to be defensive-minded and Van Gundy's a pretty good defensive coach.

Dirk Nowitski's Game 4 Performance

Dirk played great last night considering he apparently had the flu. But let's not get carried away with the Jordan 38 point with the flu in '97 comparisons. This also reminds me that I'd like to introduce the "medical term" Dirk Flu into existence. Not to be confused with Bird Flu (though someone - not me - might say Dirk kinda looks like a bird). The Dirk Flu means you have a 102-degree temperature but still shoot like Larry Bird at the Garden but the downside is that you will miss a single free throw.

Who is feeling more pressure about Game 5 of the NBA Finals?

Miami. Or better yet, LeBron James. If Miami loses I still believe they have a solid chance to win in 7 but the pressure will be on. They'll be returning home to Miami to play a potential series-losing game 6 on their home court. That's pressure! No one wants to lose at home to close out the NBA Finals. And most of all, LeWosh does not want to lose at home in the Finals after all the hoopla surrounding them prior to and during this season. One thing you can't take away from them win-or-lose however, is that they had a hell of a season and made it to the Finals in their first year together. To pull that off wasn't easy and if they win this series there will still be a lot of hate to go around but there'll also have to be some respect given as well. We'll see what happens.

Speaking of LeBron...

Chris Broussard was on Sportscenter this morning talking about how he was in communication with former LeBron teammates or associates and how during the game they were saying that LeBron gave up like people think he did against the Celtics last year in the playoffs. I'm not so sure I buy into this. Wade had an amazing Game 3 and was off-the-charts in Game 4 so I'd guess that LeBron was being passive because Wade's been the hotter hand. I do agree that James looked lazy at times during the game but "mailing it in", I don't think so. Meanwhile, doesn't Chris Broussard remind you (just a tad) of Bob from the Martin TV show?

NBA Finals Game 4 Prediction

I missed my prediction for Game 3 because I was too busy. I actually thought the Mavs would take that game but Dirk couldn't pull off the heroics like he did in Game 2. Instead, Dwayne Wade dominated for Miami and Chris Bosh hit his standard 17-footer to ice the game. Dirk had a shot to win it but Haslem's defense was pretty solid and Dirk's shot was just a little off. I don't think anyone in the entire building would have been surprised had Dirk nailed that jumpshot to take the game to OT. But I will say that Haslem's defense at that moment in Game 3 was far better than Bosh's defense at that same moment in Game 2 where he basically let Dirk drive to the basket and get a relatively easy lay-up rather than forcing him to shoot a jump shot. Haslem did have a two-point lead (not a tie ball game) so he had a little more leeway to be aggressive because he could have just put Dirk on the line to tie the game rather than win it (you know Dirk don't miss free throws, lol).

My prediction for Game 4 is the same as what it was from Game 3. I expect the Mavs to win this game. If they don't the series is over in 6 like I mentioned in my original prediction for the series. Jason Terry's dumb azz went and called LeBron out in a not-so-aggressive way so I expect LeBron to have a big game and I also expect Wade to have another solid game.

When you think about the 1 win Dallas has so far it was really a fortunate situation in that the Heat shot horribly in that final quarter and squandered a double-digit lead. Had the Heat shot a solid percentage that game would not have been close and Dirk would not have had the opportunity to hit that game-winner. Game 3 was similar but the Mavs took a lot of the momentum in the 3rd quarter with a huge run. The fourth quarter was pretty tight and Dirk kept them in it. But in the end, the Heat's stellar defense and multiple offensive options kept them in the game... And a little bit of a lucky roll off the rim at the end.

If the Mavs don't win tonight Miami's going to end this thing as soon as they get a chance to play in Miami again. I think the Mavs recognize that and it will show tonight. I expect another close game but I think the Mavs will come out on top this time.

NBA Finals Game 2 Prediction

In my original post about this series I predicted that Miami would win the series in 6 games. Well, after game 1 I reconsidered changing the prediction to 5 games, but I won't. Game 1 was a close, slow-paced, but good game. I was joking on Twitter about how the first team to 90 would win (which actually did happy by the way, lol) and after the first quarter I joked that I might need to change that to first team to 80 wins. It really was a pretty slow game and there was solid defense on both sides of the ball. That is until…

LeBron and Dwayne Wade took over.

The 4th quarter of game 1 exemplifies just how difficult it is to stop two GREAT players that really really want to win. Miami kept the game close until the fourth when they just seemed to impose their will on the Mavs just like they'd done with the Celtics and Bulls (more so the Bulls). You can tell these guys have the composure, will, and talent (because composure and will only gets you so far, right) to win these games at the end when the tension is high and so are the stakes.

I think Game 1 was a "feeling-out" game for the most part. Dallas was feeling out Miami and vice-versa. I expect Dirk (torn ligament/tendon/heart and all) to have a better game but the question still remains whether Dallas's shooters can knock down shots and whether Dallas can somehow keep Wade and LeBron from showing up and showing OUT! I'm sure the defensive game plan will change a little in Game 2 for Dallas but does that mean that Bosh goes off this game? He's been playing well lately and he's probably due for at least one big game this series. Or are LeBron and Wade going to continue dominating the 4th quarter and lead Miami to a 2-0 lead? Who knows, I sure don't. But it's gonna be fun to watch!

My pick. Well, I'm going to pick Miami to win game 2 because LeBron still seems focused and Dirk seems a bit dejected in his interviews since game 1. They say a series doesn't start until a team wins on the road so I'm gonna guess that this series won't start till game 4 when I expect the Heat to go up 3 games to 1 on the Mavs. I guess I just gave my game 3 prediction too huh, lol.

My Pick for NBA Champion

First and foremost, this has been a great NBA Playoff season so far. Even with the Lakers and San Antonio getting ousted earlier than most of us probably expected, we've had other young/up-and-coming teams step-up and make their mark. The NBA has a bright future and it's shown throughout these playoffs.

Now for the NBA Finals match-up between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. I'm happy to see Dirk and J. Kidd get another shot at winning it all. I'm also happy that my favorite player, LeBron James, is also going to get another shot at winning it all. Both of these squads seem to be peaking at the right time and they both have at least one superstar that can carry the team (in Miami's case, two, maybe even three). I think this series is going to come down to a couple things:

1. How well can Miami's defense close-out on Dallas's streaky but most of the time hot 3-point shooters
2. Can Dallas contain 2 of the Big Three for Miami? It seems like Bosh can be neutralized the easiest since Chandler is a solid defender and Haywood is another big body they can throw at him. But whose gonna stop BOTH LeBron AND Wade?
3. Can the eat guard J.J. Barea? This may sound funny but I think the series may come down to Barea. If he can penetrate the lane and dish out for wide-open 3's or pull his crafty lay-ups around the rim, it's gonna be a tough series for Miami. And I'm not sure if Miami has a PG that can keep up with Barea. Maybe Chalmers but definitely not Bibby.

Taking all those things into consideration, I think this will be at least a 6 game series.

I don't think that Dallas will have an answer for Wade and LeBron. I don't think Miami will have an answer for Dirk (yeah I know they've been saying Haslem and Anthony guard him fairly well and LeBron will have his shots at Dirk too). But in the end I think Miami's safe letting Dirk get his points and neutralizing EVERYBODY else. That is, as long as they can consistently score on the Mavs, which I don't see being such a big hurdle. Miami's the better overall defensive team and Dallas is solid on D but trying to stop Wade, LeBron, and Bosh for 4 wins is gonna be a tall task for the Mavs.

With all that said, I'm taking Miami in 6 games to win the series. It'll be LeBron's first and unfortunately, Dirk won't get his. The Heat are coming together at just the right time and clicking on all cylinders and if they remain focused on defense I believe everything else will take care of itself.

Come on Scottie. I'm a huge LeBron fan and even I know better

Take a listen to Scottie Pippen's thoughts on Michael Jordan and LeBron...


It's important to note that he was asked how good can LeBron be. I think Scottie made some good points but he didn't word his answer properly. He should have made it a point to say LeBron can be the best player ever.

Let's not get it twisted, LeBron is a beast. But let us also NOT forget that Jordan has 6 rings and LeBron has none ("Call me when LeBron has 6 championships...That's the only argument I need Sean!"). Jordan was a beast defensively and a shut-down defender. LeBron has been a shut-down defender lately, but he's been much more of a consistent team defender than a shut-down guy. Both guys are great scorers. MJ was much more prolific in his time than LeBron is now but LeBron could probably average 50 per game if he really wanted to. Which leads me to the real glaring difference between the two, which is that LeBron is just a naturally unselfish guy on the basketball court whereas Jordan was not naturally that way. LeBron likes to pass. Jordan liked to shoot. I think this is what Scottie was trying to key on when he said "everyone is a threat to score when LeBron is on the court". That's 100% true and could not be said of Jordan back in the day.

But with all that said, Scottie Pippen of all people has no place saying anyone is better than MJ because if there were no MJ, Scottie would not have 6 rings! I'm sure there's some axe Scottie's grinding that we may never know about but for him of all people to say that LeBron might be or is a better player than Michael Jordan is probably sacrilegious like Stephen A. Smith has been proclaiming. Scottie should wait a few more years to see if LeBron can get multiple rings before he starts this type of talk. Right now, it's all just conjecture because the rings are what matters, just ask Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, and Karl Malone. All guys who were amazing players but never won a championship simply because they played in an era where Jordan and his Bulls dominated. Once LeBron has a few rings and has kept the other great players of his era - that have solid teams and consistently make the playoffs - from getting rings, then Pippen might be clear for take-off with these type of comments. But until then....

Looks like I'm not the only one that had an answer for LeBron

1. LeBron James is my favorite player in the NBA. Yeah "The Decision" was a gbad look but I'm talking about on-the-court, not off (shot out to Kobe).
2. The Heat have gotten off to a very AVERAGE start at best. I'm not sure of their record, but I know they won't be challenging that 72-10 record the Bulls had back in the day.
3. I've already commented on what I think LeBron should do. Apparently, there are a couple virals floating around the InterWeb that also address what LeBron should do (see below)

Shot out to Clevelanders that are "still salt bout dat".


Shot out to whoever mashed up the Jumpman and LeBron ads together. This is a pretty good job.

LeBron may just want to let his basketball do the talking

I saw this online last night for the first time and my initial reaction was "Hmmmm. Intersting." The more I have thought about it the more I wanted to support LeBron (I'm a big LeBron fan) and this commercial. He comes across introspective and slightly remorseful (or not at all, depending on your interpretation). He pokes Barkley and Jordan in response to their comments about his "Decision" to join D Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. And he asks some rhetorical questions about the happenings of the past few months.

I wanted to feel the rebellion LeBron seemed to feel when filming this. I wanted to feel like this commercial did a good job of justifying the "I'm just doing me" attitude of my generation and LeBron's. But really, I just can't.

"Should I stop listening to my friends" he asks. Then he says, "they're my friends". This isn't high school and I know he's not that far removed from high school but that's a bit immature. Just because they're your friends doesn't mean they give good advice. Just because you're loyal to them (and vice-versa) doesn't mean you should take their advice. Fact is, your friend(s) helped you make what many believe to be a really bad decision in doing "The Decision". I think it was a bad idea no matter how much money it raised for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Had he chose to stay in Cleveland, maybe it would have been a "decent" idea. But to do an hour long special knowing you were gonna go to another team was in poor taste no matter how much you're doing what's right for you and yours. Even when you're "doing you", there's a way to be respectful of others.

In the very beginning he asks, "what should I do?" and at the end he asks "should I be who you want me to be?" The answers to both of those questions are really quite simple. You should just play basketball and be whoever you are. The latter of which we've all seemed to get a much better idea of since "The Decision".

LeBron's legacy won't be tarnished when-and-if the Heat win a couple titles. LeBron will regain popularity this season much like Kobe did after he beat the rape case. My advice would be for LeBron to let his basketball do the talking. No need to care what people think. He didn't break any laws! We live in a society where people are fickle. They'll love you one day and hate you the next and vice-versa. It's like Jay-Z said: "First they love you then they hate you then they love you again!"

LeBron, what goes around comes around. They loved you in Cleveland. They hate you now. But when you guys start winning in Miami and you're droppin' triple doubles, they'll love you again. Well, most of them will, lol. You've got a talent that not many people have and been blessed to make millions of dollars using it. Instead of feeding into the media's reaction and fighting over your so-called marketability and image...

How about you remember that damn near 100% of your "marketability" is tied to the sport you love and are gifted at.

How about you just do basketball well like you've been doing and watch the marketability and brand rebound (pun intended). You've gotta remember that if you couldn't play basketball, you wouldn't be half as rich or as popular as your are right now. Stick to what you do best and find a mentor with experience in the NBA limelight both on-and-off the court but not someone as huge as Jordan or Barkley. Someone with a bit more humility and less fame that's grounded might do you some good.

And last but not least, if you do decide to address something, make it something more worthwhile than what people think about your dumb-azz "Decision". Make it something that counts! Like the fact that no matter how rich you may be, there will always be a white man richer than you that writes your checks for both on-and-off the court activities. Or, the fact that no matter how much money you make or fame you are given, to a lot of people you're still a tall, muscular, lawn jockey. And for all the progressive white folk that may read this, everything isn't about race but a lot of it is. Even if it's subconscious and not overt, it still is.

But to answer your question... What should you do? Play basketball. JUST DO IT!

Time to Play Miami Heat General Manager, Pat Riley

Now that LeBronapalooza is over it's going to be VERY interesting to see two things:

1. How the Cavaliers shape their roster.
2. How the Miami Heat fill their roster with 3 guys who should be getting max contract money.

The latter case is much more interesting in my opinion so I'll stick to that one.

LeWosh (LeBron + Wade + Bosh) should all be getting maximum salaries this year. But if they want to have a real shot at winning a championship, they'll ALL take salary cuts to enable the team to sign better players via free agency. There's a good amount of talent floating around via free agency this summer outside of the players we've all been hearing about over the past few months. If LeWosh really want to take this team to the promised land next season and for a couple seasons after that, they'll take pay cuts knowing that any money they lose in NBA contract money they will MORE THAN make up for via endorsements outside of basketball. I actually believe they could make a couple million dollars just off club appearances in South Florida alone.

All of what you're about to read is my guess at what the Heat could do with LeWosh's contracts and the available free agents right now to have a decent team for next season. I repeat, NEXT SEASON, not the next 2 or 3 seasons.

DISCLAIMER: I don't know exactly how much of a pay cut LeWosh would have to take in order for this to work but I know that this is a possibility.

Step 1: They ask all 3 stars to take a multi-million dollar pay cut this year. Maybe $5 million each, thereby freeing up $15 million to sign other solid players.

Step 2: I hate Duke and I can't stand this particular guy but...Pick up a shooter (JJ Reddick) at 2.8 million (he's already in Florida and he can come off the bench as sharp shooter when needed). That was really tough to suggest, some of you all will understand.

Step 3: Pick up a center (Ben Wallace) at $850K (defensively he may still be serviceable for a seson...maybe). The point is that they DON'T don't need an offensive center, just one that plays defense. Keep in mind they'll also have the Varnardo kid from Mississippi state who is a great shot blocker as insurance.

Step 4: Pick up Juwan Howard at $830K (I know what you're thinking, "He's still playing basketball?" Yes! He is, and he had a decent year last year, has a smart basketball IQ and could play a solid role for this team coming off the bench.)

Step 5: Make sure they sign DeSean Butler (solid back-up at the 2 and maybe even 3 depending on match-ups) and Dexter Pittman (a "project" type of Center like Bynum was/still is). Signing Varnado is also a part of this step as well. If I were the Heat GM I'd consider trading the rights to Pittman to another team that can provide a solid 3 that's a good role player (Matt Barnes anyone? He's out there with a $1.6 million dollar price tag).

If they took these five steps they'd have the following:

Starting 5: Chalmers, Wade, Bron, Bosh, Ben Wallace as starting five. Minus Ben Wallace this is a pretty friggin' good starting five. Especially if Chalmers has a Rondo-type of improvement over the next couple seasons.

Bench: Reddick (SG), Howard (PF), Butler (SG/SF), Varnado (C), Pittman (C)/Barnes (SG/SF). What they would be in dire need of would be a decent backup PG (dare I say Derek Fisher?) off the bench. Derek Fisher would actually be a REALLY good pick-up to instill some veteran leadership with a group of back-ups like this and to support LeWosh the same way he supported Kobe.

Again, this is just my $0.02. I'm not exactly sure how the money/contracts would have to work in order to facilitate all this but I think it makes sense and would give them a decent shot to at least make it to the Finals next season and still have some decent young players to keep around for another year or two if they want.

King Kong ain't got nothing on Dan Gilbert

I think it's safe to say that this is how Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert feels about LeBron. Imagine Ethan Hawk as LeBron, Denzel as Dan Gilbert, and let's just call Terry Crews and Cle "Boan" Slone D. Wade and Chris Bosh for fun...



D Wade: Lebron, go 'head and bounce homie. Get up outta here, we got your back.

D Gilbert: Oh no you didn't...

Hey hey King! King! KING! Come back here! King!

KING! I need my money...

*turns to Wade and Bosh*

Oh you mothereffers...I'm putting cases on all you b*tches!

...You mothereffers will be playing BASKETBALL IN PELICAN BAY when I get through witcha! Shoe program ni**a!

*turns to LeBron*

Go 'head and walk away, cuz WE gon' burn this [Cleveland] mfer down!!!

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!

NBA Real Talk: Where Phil Jackson Signs > Where LeBron Signs

One thing rings true in every NBA-related conversation I have with die-hard basketball fans, Phil Jackson is not to be effed with as a coach. People don't like Kobe. People don't like LeBron. But everybody seems to like and respect Phil Jackson. Why? Because Phil is that dude. Phil Jackson is in a category all by himself when it comes to basketball coaches that have been coaching since the year I was born (you are a fool if you think I'm gonna list the year). Jerry Sloan has had longevity and deserves a mention but you know what he doesn't have, an NBA title (and the sad part is he won't get one). Phil's got like a baker's dozen of them shyts (not really a baker's dozen, but close)!!!

Phil just capped off a second season in a row of winning a title with arguably the best player in the game (definitely the most hated superstar player) and a supporting cast of 2 all-star caliber players (Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol), 1 old guy with a ridiculous amount of heart and resolve (Derek Fisher), and a young kid that may blossom into a pretty good center some day that happens to be like 7 feet tall (Andrew Bynum). The Lakers starting 5 couldn't get much better than it is right now considering salary cap restraints in the NBA. It's not like they're going to go sign Wade, LeBron, Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Bosh, or another one of the big names this off-season AND still be able to keep the nucleus they have. Phil's got nothing left to prove with this team other than they can win a 3rd title in a row.

This would be a great challenge and is the primary reason I think Kobe will go so far as to beg Phil to stay (will he offer to eff him in the A is the question b/c you know how Kobe rolls and Phil's a lil too "Zen" sometimes...Yes, I'm a Kobe-hater). But I think there's a much more interesting scenario that I'd like to see play out, and partly because I'm a huge fan of that guy from Akron.

What if Phil Jackson signed-on to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers?

I don't think I've heard any commentator mention this yet so either I'm uninformed about some reason he can't/won't go to Cleveland, or I need to apply for a job at ESPN. Think about it...

1. LeBron would come back FOR SURE because Phil is a gigantic upgrade from Mike "Can't Figure Out the Proper Rotation" Brown and would immediately give LeBron a coach he could trust without second-guessing. Phil's a proven coach and LeBron's coachable so my assumption is that LeBron would be fine with doing whatever Phils says because it's obviously worked.


2. Phil would have the opportunity to have coached the 3 greatest players of my lifetime and take them all to at least 1 championship. Imagine 10 years from now when they're talking about the greatest coach ever and they say he coached Michael, Kobe, and LeBron to NBA titles. Seriously, that would be amazing! Three sure-fire Hall of Famers and 3 of the best 10 basketball players of all-time (assuming LeBron doesn't get injured, fall off a cliff athletically, or let his mother's scrumpet tendencies screw up his life). Phil's legacy would be completely cemented and we'd probably not see another coach pull that off, eVAR!


3. Phil would also have the chance to build a supporting cast around LeBron the same way he did with Michael in Chi-Town and Kobe in L.A. I'd argue that Kobe's supporting cast is better than what Mike had back in the day and also what LeBron has had since he came into the league. People don't seem to realize just how good Pau Gasol was in Memphis and how Lamar Odom's versatility creates nightmare match-ups even when he is as inconsistent as he is (you've still gotta account for him). And throw in Bynum as another tall guy on the block and that's more trouble to deal with. Then add Mr. Fake-Azz Queensbridge (Ron Artest) to the mix and you've got a defender who can give the best swingmen in the league a tough time. That team is LOADED! Imagine Phil taking a year or two or three to build that in Cleveland and also helping LeBron mature as a basketball player (just like he helped Kobe).

All this makes me feel that the question of where Phil ends up (that is, if he is actually gonna consider leaving) is FAR more interesting than where LeBron will end up. It's been shown that neither Kobe nor LeBron could do it by themselves. Kobe needed the cast he has now and LeBron needs a better supporting cast. M.J. had Scottie (ummm yeah, that's pretty much it people). No disrespect to John Paxson, BJ Armstrong, Craig Hodges, Steve Kerr, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Tony Kukoc, or whoever else you name, but collectively (over 6 championship years)they do NOT compare to the talent of this year's Lakers. Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time because he willed those guys to win and that team played like a well-oiled machine (thanks to Phil).

The common denominator in all this however, is Phil Jackson. In my mind he's without argument the greatest coach ever at this point and he's still young enough to coach for more years should he choose to do so. He's gonna get paid a ridiculous amount of money no matter where he goes so it's going to be about a challenge for him. Whether the challenge of another championship in L.A. is more intriguing than building a winner elsewhere is something we'll see in a few months. I hope Phil elects to take the road less traveled because that's damn sure the one that leads to Cleveland. I can already see the "PhilBron" and/or "LeJackson" signs at the Q, lol.

P.S. - The one wrinkle in my theory is that Phil's girl is Jeannie Buss, daughter of Laker's owner Jerry Buss. I'm sure she could find a way to influence him, lol.

Trailer: More Than A Game

Most of you know I'm a huge LeBron fan. With that said...

Forever: Kanye & The Rest of Them Dudes

For real, Drake should just let Kanye have the "Forever" track they dropped yesterday. Yes, I know its for LeBron's documentary soundtrack! Yes I know it's Drake's song. But Kanye OWNED everybody on that joint. Eminem gave Yeezy a little bit of competition but Kanye owns that track. And Drake's verse on the original is definitely better than his verse on this release.

For those of you that are confusing Marshall's fast flow with him having the best verse, get your mind right. Although the homie DP thinks that Em owned the track (and makes a very good argument on his blog), I think that his post about this track shows exactly why I feel Kanye owned everybody on it. Try this...

Read everybody's verse.

Then read Kanye's again.

Then listen to the song again.

I rest my case.

Video: CNBC NEWBO's The Rise of the New Black Overclass

This is inspiring stuff. It's not all about money, but it IS about working hard to be the best that you can be!

It's the KING

My favorite NBA player since his second year in the league.