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clexa--warrior · 5 years ago

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Hey, Have You Heard About This Coronavirus Thing? Crazy Shit, Right? (Ferret/Shower Cap)

History texts depicting this period will read like deranged Choose Your Adventure books written by sadists; no matter how frantically you flip backwards, you just can’t seem to find the page when you still had the option to vote for the really smart lady with the email server. Anyway, join me for a quick news round-up, it won’t take long, and when we’re done, I give you permission to run away to join a roving Thai monkey street gang.

(As always, find this post WITH nifty news links here: http://showercapblog.com/hey-have-you-heard-about-this-coronavirus-thing-crazy-shit-right/)

For those of you just waking up from a Rip Van Winkle nap, the United States is facing a massive, coast-to-coast, health crisis, whose tragic consequences have exploded exponentially because our Idiot Manchild President really believed, in that churning campground septic tank he calls a mind, that protecting his personal approval ratings by understating the problem was more important than the health and safety of the American public. I don’t know what you can call that but murder. On the one hand, it’s weird to say “wow, the President murdered a bunch Americans through boneheaded, unforgivably selfish, neglect,” but we already saw him get away with precisely that crime in Puerto Rico, so here we are.

Now, I have come to expect malice from the federal government under Hairplug Himmler, but sometimes their capacity for raw, senseless, evil still shocks me. This is my way of saying that, until they got fucking caught, the Department of, and Someone Should Slap the Word Out of Their Filthy Mouths, Justice attempted to remove CDC fliers offering potentially life-saving information regarding the coronavirus from...immigration courtrooms. My God. What a small but potent horror. Feels like the work of an ambitious intern in Stephen Miller’s office, doesn’t it? Trying to impress the boss? Just a sinister little trick, to spread a little more pain, a little more misery, a little more death in an already vulnerable, and whatta-coincidence-nonwhite, community? Fuck these awful, awful, people.

It seems President Liposuction Clinic Dumpster has been calling up leading Taliban terrorists on a secret U.S. kill-or-capture list, presumably to trade tips n�� tricks on how to undermine the USA at home and abroad. Now, negotiating with these murderous dirtbags is a big diplomacy no-no (and of course Donnie Dotard got rolled anyway) but in all honestly, if I had access to a secret kill list contact sheet, I’d probably give in to the temptation to make some prank calls. “Is your refrigerator running? Yeah? Are you sure it’s not a FLEET OF DRONES ABOVE YOU RIGHT NOW?”

For Jeff Sessions, the wages of sin turned out to be a faceful of Trump-branded fecal matter, as the Candycorn Skidmark, whose campaign Ol’ Beauregard embraced way back before fascism was cool in conservative circles, endorsed his opponent in the coming Alabama Senate runoff. How must it feel to have been the very fellow who flipped the switch on the Rube Goldberg/Mousetrap Board Game device that destroyed America, and to watch the machine work its destructive magic for years, only to realize it’s also got one special crotch punt in store for just you personally. I’d feel bad for Bilbo Bigot, if it he weren’t, y’know, one of the very worst people alive.

Alex Jones got arrested for drunk driving, and, upon his release, got right back to work selling...sigh...selling some bullshit toothpaste that he’s telling the rubes magically cures the coronavirus. Authorities are cracking down on Jones and fellow charlatan Jim Bakker over their odious snake oil peddling enterprises, but I don’t know what’s more shocking and disappointing to me, that there are such vile fuckwads in the world, who seek to profit off the fear of the misinformed during times of crisis, or that said fuckwads have so many blind, willing, disciples?

Speaking of fuckwads, Ron Johnson seems to have backed down, for now at any rate, from his quest to stage a show trial for Hunter Biden in the U.S Senate. And that’s awesome and all, but never forget how ready, how eager, RoJo has been, to corruptly manipulate the vast powers of the government for his democracy-stomping Turdlord’s political benefit. Ron is the kind of fellow you’d have found stamping documents outside trains bound for Dachau.

But yeah, I suppose the big story is still that coronavirus thing. Great choice on evolution’s part, the way symptoms don’t necessarily manifest right away, so we can spread that shit around without knowing we’re even infected. Anyway, I made sure to thoroughly disinfect tonight’s blog before posting, and medical professionals inform me that though the virus can linger on plastic and metal surfaces for as long as days, it cannot survive on a poo joke, so please rest easy, knowing you can safely consume this content in comfort. Unless you're reading it next to somebody with the coronavirus, but that's on you, kid.

The Shart Administration has actually slowed progress in this crucial fight, by classifying high-level coronavirus meetings, because they’re more worried about congressional oversight of their crimes n’ fuckups than they are about OUR LIVES, and y’know what, I do believe I’ll be voting Democrat this November.

And of course, many conservatives are more concerned with blaming the virus on the Chinese than preventing its spread; by gum, there’s no need to abandon yer principles, even when your ineptitude is getting countless folks sick and/or killed! “We may be a cabal of dangerously incompetent assclowns, but let none forget that we are also RACIST assclowns!”

With the stock market finally catching up to the rest of the world in noticing a pudding-brained twit had inexplicably been placed in charge of the most powerful nation in history, Pumpkin Spice Pol Pot oozed into the Oval Office for a prime time speech, and if his goal was “fuck up the entire world as much as humanly possible in ten short minutes,” then he succeeded beyond his wildest imaginings.

It was a speech that completely failed to reassure, instead reminding the world that this drooling manbaby, this bathtub drain hair clog in an ill-fitting suit, truly is President of the Entire United Fucking States, and not only is he light years out of his element but he’s probably spending most of his time practicing his “the world is ending, you have to go out with me now” phone call to Salma Hayek rather than pursuing desperately-needed solutions.

Despite being on teleprompter, with the text of the fucking speech right fucking in front of him, Dorito Mussolini somehow managed to catastrophically misrepresent his own administration’s policies, dropping one more cartoon anvil on the stock market’s already-throughly-bludgeoned ballsack. This is, of course, on top of nonsensical non-solutions like banning travel from Europe, when the virus had already had weeks to spread throughout the country thanks to presidential bungling and neglect.

For 73 years, this cretin has somehow never encountered a problem he couldn’t lie, buy, or bully his way out of, but COVID-19 doesn’t care how much money your daddy gave you, little man. And may I say, on behalf of the thousands who are about to become sick, fuck you. Fuck you eternally with a rusty shovel, for daring to take on such an important job without the skills, temperament, or character to execute its duties. Asshole.

In contrast, Smilin’ Joe Biden gave a speech of his own; calm, collected, solemn, and filled with concrete steps to address the problems facing the nation. And America collectively went, “Oh right, it’s actually highly abnormal to have a gibbering, rectum-mouthed, dolt for a President, and we can actually have a decent, competent, one again! Soon!” It was like leadership porn. I got aroused.

Meanwhile, our already-hopelessly-overmatched Golf Cheat in Chief is multitasking, lobbing missiles at Iran-backed militias in Iraq. I’m just hoping the buttons on his desk are clearly labeled, y’know? Or at least that there’s somebody hanging around who can tackle him before he bombs Seattle and launches 500 respirators at Tehran.

So, um, in the midst of this once-in-generation shitstorm, I guess Sarah Palin dressed up in a bear suit to perform “Baby Got Back” on a reality television program. I’m not a religious person, honestly, but I’m increasingly open to the idea that there is a God, and that s/he’s been on a meth bender since mid-2016.

Social distancing is the zany new anti-dance craze sweeping the nation as we all do our damndest to not get sick and die! As a result, public gatherings are getting called off left and right. March Madness, MLB, NBA, PGA, SXSW, Broadway...personally, I don’t think I fully appreciated the scope of this crisis until I saw the XFL shut down their season. Like, are we even America anymore without one billionaire’s sad attempt to reboot his once-failed vanity project?

As sensible organizations all over the world made painful but obviously necessary sacrifices to, y’know, slow the spread of a deadly disease and save lives, naturally the Velveeta Vulgarian was among the last holdouts, canceling his precious hate rallies only grudgingly, because the safety of even his own fervent base is secondary to the sugar rush of their rageful cheers, filling, if only for a moment, that empty space within him where most people have a soul.

Now more than ever, I am brimming over with gratitude that we took the House back in 2018. Thank god there’s a little leadership, a little accountability, a little common frickin’ sense in Washington now. And thank god for Katie Porter, one of the standouts in a freshman class packed with absolute ass-kickers, cornering the CDC chief into exercising his legal authority to make coronavirus testing free for every American. Imagine if Kevin McCarthy were running the House right now. He’d be fleeing from reporters, in mismatched loafers, trying to sell the public on a bill bailing out nothing but Trump University and Marm-a-Lago.

Well, the Emperor of Hemorrhoids finally buckled and declared (acknowledged) a state of emergency over the coronavirus, which is admittedly a pleasant change from his previous “do everything I possibly can to help the fucker spread” position. We’re still woefully behind, and god only knows how deeply the virus has penetrated while the doddering old bastard diddled and dawdled, but the good news is, the President of the United States finally moved his bloated ass out of the road so we can get to work cleaning up his mess, which is, I suppose, as close to an act of kindness as he’s come in his entire misspent, treacherous, life.

In the middle of today’s press conference, Vice President Mike Pants paused to give Boss Turdworm a rhetorical handjob seemingly designed to last through an entire 14-day quarantine. Jeeeeesus. Mikey Hairshirt was a man once. Not much of one, to be certain, but at least he didn’t have to worry about the possibility of bored schoolchildren pouring salt on him, which would of course prove swiftly fatal in his current state.

A reporter asked Government Cheese Goebbels, “Hey, if you’re not too busy fellating yourself over fucking up slightly less than you’ve been fucking up for weeks, why the fuck did you close down the pandemic office, you nation-wrecking clod?” and he whinged that the question was “nasty,” before reiterating his refusal to take responsibility for the things that are, objectively, his fault. I truly do not understand how this trembling coward’s approval rating isn’t 0%

So Nancy Pelosi spent the week trying to hammer out an emergency bill with Steve Mnuchin, but Republicans naturally balked at many necessary measures. It’s a tricky spot for the GOP; they can’t risk the mass-extermination of the underpaid labor/consumer force that keeps their donor class filthy rich, but doing anything to improve working folks’ lives is just instinctually anathematic to them. But at the time of posting, it does appear as though a deal has been reached, let’s hope no spray-tanned morons fuck it up, right?

In conclusion, I am sick of typing the word “coronavirus,” and you are sick of reading it, so let’s let’s all retreat to our quarantines for the weekend, okay? Enjoy the solitude! Read that novel you bought back in college! Watch that 425-minute Russian film set in a fish cannery! Hey, you can even peruse the archives at showercapblog.com if you feel like reliving just how the fuck it all came to this! Anyway, if you don’t hear from me for a bit, fear not, I’m turning production of this blog over to Jared Kushner, I’m sure he’ll figure it out.

#shower cap’s blog

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abdifarah · 5 years ago

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Snake Charmer

I grabbed my sneakers and ball from the backseat of my car. As I stepped onto the basketball court, the palm of a stranger’s hand suddenly hit my chest before my foot crossed the threshold of the out-of-bounds line, as if to protect me from stepping into molten lava. It was in fact hallowed ground he was preparing me to enter. “I don’t want to mess up your day, but Kobe Bryant died.” The words did not register. He must have meant to say Bill Russell or Magic Johnson or some other retired player, up in years or immunocompromised. My heart sank as the words did. Seemingly coordinated with the stranger’s preparatory address, my phone began to shriek. I shared basketball, above most else, with my closest friends, and for those of my friends “not into sports,” they knew I was and that I was probably the one person in their lives that could explain why their instagram and twitter timelines had been commandeered by the news of Bryant’s death. I sat on the court and texted friends I hadn’t spoken with in years. I mentally ran through all of the Lakers fans in my life, like someone tallying loved ones near the epicenter of an earthquake or tsunami.

The surprises continued. My uncle Kenny called me. Kenny, like most of the men in my life, does not make calls. When I see Kenny during the holidays we do not hug or catch up with small talk. Me and Kenny speak solely in sports. “How are the Cowboys doing?” translates to how are you doing? On this occasion Kenny did not resort to code. “Are you okay?” Kenny asked with a tone of genuine concern in his voice. Strangely, I was not. Stepping out of my body momentarily, I watched myself frantically text friends and scour the internet for updates with large tears welling up in my eyes. Importantly, next to me, five or so other guys on the basketball court were doing the exact same thing. I was dumbfounded, and even a little amused that it was Kobe Bryant, of all people, that elicited this reaction from me. As a basketball fan I loved Kobe Bryant as a player, but I didn’t love him. I loved Kobe the way the world loves the Dalai Lama. Kobe was that inhuman child/god/king we watched grow up, do great exploits, and whose often trite proverbs of ostensible wisdom we warily entertained. His sudden and violent death brought into swift focus that, while famous for almost my entire life, I took Kobe for granted.

Kobe Bryant was the first of us to realize: the camera is always on. In the days and weeks following Kobe’s death I found myself pulling up old games on youtube and having them on in the background while I worked. I was surprised how many of the beats–a certain sequence of plays, a specific call by an announcer–I remembered, like I was watching reruns or listening to a throwback radio station. As much as The Fresh Prince or Martin or Seinfeld, Kobe Bryant was TV. Mostly to my frustration, as someone who ineffectually rooted against the Lakers, Kobe Bryant was always on my screen. Undoubtedly, a cloud hangs over everything related to Bryant now in light of his death, but rewatching games from the 2000 finals, in which Bryant’s Lakers bested the Reggie Miller/Jalen Rose led Pacers, I was reminded of how much uneasiness and sadness I felt for Kobe Bryant watching him even as a teenage admirer. After every exceptional defensive play, flashy pass, or difficult made shot, Bryant made sure the camera saw the fiery glint in his eyes, the licking of his lips, the exaggerated clinching of his jaw.

Even more so than the NBA’s previous generation of celebrities–Bird, Magic, Jordan–Kobe Bryant seemed to be the first superstar to internalize that basketball was a performance: a movie backed by a John Tesh score, or more specifically, a loosely scripted 24-7 reality show complete with story arcs, heroes, villains, close-ups, and backstabbing confessions. Bryant perpetually signalled: to the camera, to the fans, to his haters, to his teammates, that he possessed the most passion, that he outworked everyone, and that he would stop at nothing to be the best. By all accounts this was all true. But we knew it less because it was true and more because Kobe wanted us to know. Even as a youngster I found his thirst obnoxious.

Kobe was desperate, but he was also just ahead of the curve. Kobe Bryant proudly admitted to not having a social life, and almost a decade before Russell Westbrook said it, Bryant proclaimed that “Spalding was his only friend;” a both sad and sobering admission for any would-be competitors tasked with defeating Bryant on the court. Bryant’s performative work, that now permeates and characterizes most of millennial culture, predated social media. The author Touré in his book, I Would Die 4U, contends that despite being a baby boomer, Prince was the quintessential GenX celebrity, whose music perfectly tapped into that younger generation’s disaffected, countercultural ethos. Born in 1978, Bryant technically resides in GenX. The intense outpouring from all corners of the digital world over Bryant’s death stems from the fact that he was truly the first millennial celebrity.

For Bryant, fame came before success. As the photogenic rookie for the Lakers, Bryant had cameos on sitcoms, graced the cover of every teen magazine, took Brandy to the prom, put out a rap album, and pitched every soda and sneaker Madison Avenue could throw at him. But like an inflated college application, Bryant’s extracurriculars read as contrivances. Bryant was named a starter in the 1998 All-Star game, an honor voted on by the fans, meanwhile he wasn’t even a starter on his own team. To suspicious observers, Bryant was an industry plant; the antidote to the fearful influx of hyper-black, hip hop culture embodied in players like Allen Iverson or Latrell Spreewell; a basketball and marketing robot with a pearly white smile, that spoke multiple languages, and would pick up where Michael Jordan left off; ushering the NBA to unprecedented commercial heights.

Despite his superficial charm, Kobe Bryant’s lack of genuine personality proved off-putting, almost creepy. Although possessing a similarly shimmering smile, everyone knew that the real Michael Jordan chomped on cigars, pounded tequila, gambled through the night, and did not actually hang out with Bugs Bunny while wearing Hanes tighty-whities. We acknowledged humanity, healthiness even, in this contradiction. For Bryant’s generation of sports superstars, the public and private arrived flattened. A sports prodigy, a la Tiger Woods, Bryant’s lone-gun, misanthropic persona emerged as a defense against the alienation he felt from his teammates and colleagues around the league, those that did not share his cloistered upbringing. Bryant’s longtime teammate and consummate foil, Shaquille O’Neal, had the nickname, Superman. Despite his titanic presence and supernatural physical gifts, O’Neal epitomized the terrestrial; always joking, dancing; embedded in pop culture; a true man of the people. The true Kryptonian was always Bryant.

As an ignorant seventeen year-old, my initial reaction in 2004 to the accusations of rape against Bryant was amused shock. “Kobe Bryant has sex?!” In 2004, I, like many, put Kobe on the shelf. Less out of a desire to proactively make any bold gestures on behalf of women, but more out of petty schadenfreude. As stated before, I respected the talent, but I was not really a Kobe fan. I always rooted for the underdog, and Bryant was anything but. To the contrary, everything about Bryant was an assault on the concept of the underdog, the diamond in the rough, the idea that anyone, despite their humble or downright degraded beginnings, could rise to excellence. Bryant was born and bread to be great. Sadly, I took grim pleasure in seeing the NBA’s posterboy–the prototype of black celebrity respectability–revealed as the actual embodiment of the entitled, toxically masculine, and sexually predatory stereotype of the black athlete.

Bryant lost endorsements. Nike released the Huarache 2K4, an all-time great basketball shoe originally designed to be Bryant’s first signature release with the brand, as simply a stand-alone product. The Lakers shopped Bryant around for possible trades. Like Sampson sheared and stripped of his powers, Bryant’s hairline appeared to recede, he cut off his signature fro, and he began shaving his head closer and closer. Bryant changed his number from 8 to 24 as one now changes their Instagram or Twitter handle to represent a break from the past. Like a biblical character after a traumatic or transformative event, like Abram becoming Abraham, or Saul becoming Paul, Bryant adopted the moniker of the Black Mamba. He resigned to allow the sorting hat to place him in his rightful house of Slytherin, and embraced the duplicitous snake that many already viewed him to be. Somewhat strangely, the Black Mamba was the assassin code name of the main character in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, who in the film is left for dead, and out for revenge. Did Bryant see himself as this woman wronged, or as the titular character, Bill, contently awaiting his deserved day of judgement. Knowing Bryant, he probably saw himself as both.

In the myth of Hercules (not the Disney version) the famous god-man kills his wife and kids in a fit of hysteria inflicted by a vengeful Hera. If we imagine that the mythical figures of today were really just the celebrities and aristocrats of past millennia who had control over the pen of history and whose carnal tales swelled into sacred gospel; the fits of rage and mania brought on by the devil or hades or a poison arrow, were really the Chappaquiddicks, Vegas hotel rooms, and dog fighting compounds of their time; times when our heroes unequivocally and inexcusably committed evil. If Hercules was in fact a real man of some importance to his time–the son of a dignitary–that unfathomably killed his wife and kids, it follows that instead of being sentenced to death or some other fate reserved for the criminal commoner, that he would be given some lesser sentence and a chance–albeit slim–of redemption. Hercules is banished by the gods to serve an insignificant king and accomplish the arduous good works assigned to him as a means of atonement; the great works–slaying the nine-headed hydra, retrieving cerberus –that ultimately generate his immortal legend.

Bryant’s post rape case/post Shaquille O’Neal years with the Lakers mirror this herculean restitution. Despite years on center stage, the Lakers, like Bryant, were similarly in their nadir, and would spend the middle of the aughts in basketball purgatory. Bryant was no longer primetime television. What happens to a pop-star when no one is watching? Surprisingly, Kobe Bryant kept performing, and at higher heights. Bryant was doing his best work while no one was watching. I remember walking through the door of my college dorm on a non-descript spring day. My roommate, Bryun, yelled at me with no context, “8 1 P O I N T S !” Kobe Bryant’s 81 point game may lay claim as the first social media sports moment. Less because no other great sports moments had occurred between 2004, when facebook emerged, and his scoring explosion in 2006, but because very few people watched that midseason contest between two mediocre teams live. It arrived to everyone, like myself, after the fact.

During a recent lecture, artist Dave McKenzie, when answering a very banal question during a post lecture q&a, about his long term goals as an artist, answered soberingly, “I’m just trying to get through this life and do the least amount of harm.” While we all hope to navigate this life without hurting others, most, if not all of us, will in some way. While we can and must continue to interrogate why powerful (or at least useful to the actual powerful) men like Kobe Bryant seemingly evade the full reckoning of their actions, we must acknowledge that Bryant became something of a patron saint to those who for whatever reason found themselves on the wrong side of right. Maybe they were the underprivileged black and brown boys and girls in over-policed neighborhoods of LA where Bryant played for 20 years. Perhaps they were not pure victims but made some questionable choices and found themselves caught in the system. Or maybe it was the newly divorced father attempting to win back the respect of his kids after breaking apart his family due to his own indiscretions. Kobe Bryant in this second half of his career, culminating in back to back championships, provided a picture of how one climbs back from the depths of hell, even if they were the one that put themself there. This explains the irrationality of Kobe fans, who defended him in everything, and straight-faced spoke his name in the same breath as Michael Jordan, despite honestly being in a class below. For them, Kobe was bigger than basketball, and while many fans share a vicarious relationship with their sports heroes or teams, Bryant’s winning was more profoundly linked to his fans’ sense of self-worth.

Precocity embodied, Bryant arrived in the NBA a generation too soon. As the son of a former player, singularly focused on professionalizing at a young age, even foregoing college at a time when that was still a rarity, Bryant was an alien compared to most players of his generation. The trajectory of players today more resembles Bryant’s. Gone are the days of Dennis Rodman or Scottie Pippen or Steve Nash picking up basketball late, or being undiscovered and surreptitiously landing on a small college team, eventually catching the eye of the larger basketball world. Now, professional basketball starts disturbingly early. Prospects like Zion Williamson have millions of Instagram followers in high school. Second generation pros are commonplace – Steph, Klay, Kyrie, Devin Booker, Andrew Wiggins, Domantas Sabonis, Austin Rivers, Tim Hardaway Jr., Glenn Robinson III, and so on. Bryant was the cautionary tale, a sage mentor, and ultimately an icon to the generation of players succeeding Bryant, who like him, entered the spotlight and scrutiny of an increasingly voracious sports machine as children. Thanks in part to witnessing the triumphs and travails of Bryant, today’s young superstars arrive to the league encoded with the understanding that the fans, the media, the sports industry writ large, wait with baited breath for them to fuck up off the court as much as they do a spectacular play in the game. To these various stakeholders, it’s all good entertainment.

[A bit of a tangent] As the coronavirus began to ravage New Orleans, in particular the homeless and already vulnerable of the city, I had a group of friends, more acquaintances, who took it upon themselves to collect donations, buy groceries, prepare and ultimately hand out meals to the large number of homeless people mostly living under the I-10 overpass downtown. As a naturally cynical person, I immediately questioned the motivations. All of those same homeless people were living under the overpass before coronavirus, where was this energy then? One friend involved with this effort confided that she was incredibly anxiety stricken in all of this, and that this “project” was taking her mind off things. I chafed at the phrasing of feeding the homeless as a “project.” Additionally, daily I would scroll through the Instagram feeds of those helping and see pics of cute hipsters in masks and gloves and in grungy, rugged, but still impossibly chic outfits posing in Power Ranger formations in front of their rusted Ford Ranger filled with grocery bags to distribute. A masterclass in virtue signalling, the narcissism of it all polluted the entire endeavor for me. When I asked a trusted voice why this all rubbed me the wrong way, this person replied curtly, “What does it matter why or how they do it? They’re doing a good thing.”

Kobe did not simply embrace this role of elder-statesman to the succeeding generation, he courted it, campaigned for this mantle as aggressively as he once sought championships. Lacking confidence in the intellect of the public to make their own conjectures of how Bryant resurrected his career, he rebranded himself a self-improvement life-couch, and proselytized his “Mamba Mentality,” even staging a parody Tony Robbins style conference as a Nike commercial. He collected young promising players to mentor like Leonardo DiCaprio collects young blonde models to date. Gossipy whispers swirled every offseason, “Kobes working with Kawhi.” or “Watch out for Jason Tatum this year; he spent the summer training with Kobe.” All of Kobe’s newfound openhandedness seemed spiked with self-aggrandizement. Opting to be the mentor of the next generation ensured that the success of future stars led back to him, and that he would be relevant and sought after long after his retirement.

Whatever the subconscious or even conscious motivations behind Bryant’s mentorship, his movie Dear Basketball, or his show Detail–in which he broke down the games of basketball players across levels and leagues, treating women’s college basketball standout Sabrina Ionescu with the same care and reverence as NBA star James Harden–the result was education, service, stewardship, and love for the game of basketball.

I started writing this soon after Bryant’s death but struggled to synthesize an ultimate point. In the end I am not sure I have one, just that Kobe Bryant, much to my surprise was a figure of enough complexity and enduring relevance to require re-interrogation. In hindsight, I needed to watch The Last Dance; the 10 part Michael Jordan re-coronation. In 2009 newly elected President Barack Obama, after stumbling over the oath of office during the freezing January inauguration, retook the oath the next day in a private ceremony just in case any of his political enemies, or the fomenting alt right with its myriad factions–from the conspiratorial to the downright racist–tried to invalidate his presidency. While trivial in comparison, Jordan, with The Last Dance is attempting desperately to reconfirm that he is the greatest basketball player of all-time, something only a few lunatics question. While the actual game footage is a wonder and leaves no doubt of Jordan’s basketball supremacy, the final tally of this hagiographic enterprise may result in a net loss for Jordan. Jordan, like a 19th century robber baron, seems to genuinely believe that his misanthropy, arrogance, condescension, usury, brutality, workaholism, and myopic focus on basketball, and consummate self-centeredness were all justified, required even, to win. To win what? Championships? With sports leagues and public officials debating when and if sports can and should come back amidst a virus with devastating life or death stakes, sports and success within them feel quite trivial and quaint at the moment.

Having won at everything in life, sitting in his palatial mansion, sipping impossibly overpriced scotch, Jordan does not seem fulfilled. He is Ebenezer Scrooge. Unfortunately, it is not Christmas, and no ghosts of introspection are visiting Jordan, only a camera crew determined to retell the gospel of Jordan with a few non-canonical details sprinkled in for flavor. I am reminded of a line in Pat Conroy’s My Losing Season, an autobiographical account of his college basketball days at The Citadel. After a storied career, Conroy’s senior season is a disaster (hence the title). In it he says no one ever learned anything by winning. The inference is that, while winning is great, the actual growth occurs before, in the losing. Jordan in The Last Dance is the ghastly personification of “never losing. Like Bane before breaking Batman’s back, “Victory has defeated you.” With an unimpeachable resumé, Jordan was never required to question his actions or behaviors towards his teammates and competitors. Worshiped unwaveringly by all, Jordan never felt the need to give anything back to the game or to the communities that supported him.

While never verbally conceding, Bryant seemed to embrace being the loser. Bryant realized early, perhaps as early as Colorado, that he was never going to be as beloved as Jordan. He began planning early for a life outside of basketball. He started a production company. He braved eye-rolls for the n-teenth time when he proclaimed that he was going to be a “storyteller.” Beyond a cliché adage, Bryant became a “family man,” and focused on this part of his life with the same ferocity that he once attacked the basket. Despite braving turmoil very publicly as a young couple, the bond between Bryant and his wife Vanesa appeared, at least on the outside, genuine. They welcomed their newest daughter, Capri, just 7 months before his death. While no less ambitious or busy in retirement, the Bryant who once wore his insecurity and desperation on his sweaty armband, strangely appeared content, happy. The guy who once proudly proclaimed “Spalding his only friend” relented to a verdant life with others.

While undoubtedly compounded by the tragic and sudden nature of his death, the truly astounding outpouring for Kobe–murals the world over, calf-length tattoos, millions of twitter handle re-namings–stands as an accomplishment, or better said, an acknowledgement that “better” athletes like Jordan or LeBron or Tiger or Brady will probably never receive. He wasn’t the best of us, and in many ways we loved him even more because of that. Before The Last Dance we got a preview of the more candid Michael Jordan during Kobe Bryant’s memorial, where Michael, who unbeknownst to us all was a confidant of Bryant’s, admitted that Kobe made him want to be a better father, a better person. In the end even the GOAT was a disciple of the Mamba. It’s only right that the first millennial superstar gained the biggest following.

#Kobe #Mamba #thelastdance #lastdance #michael jordan #goat

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oliivverwood · 6 years ago

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retweet

marcus/oliver + social media for @rlversongs

LONG POST- idk how to put the keep reading from my phone sorry

marcus flint for NBA @marcflintofficial

Are you ready for thrilling Raptors vs Bucks Eastern Conference Final game 5? Tune in on YouTube 2nite aftergame for play by play analysis + predictions. Watch for live tweets. #NBA #Basketball

12:00 PM 2,340 likes 1,226 retweets

montyyyyy @grahamcracker

yo @casswarr five dollas on raps making history. wood has been straight sniping this year. bucks have no chance with that offense. #rapsin5

12:48 PM 5 likes 3 retweets

cassius ;) @casswarr

@grahamcracker ur fuckin insane if u think its gonna be easy for the raps. diggory's been an absolute wall this szn. he'll block potter's nasty dunks easy

1:05 PM 4 likes 1 retweets

oliver wood #0 @oliverw00dofficial

Game 5. Tonight. Air Canada Arena. #WeTheNorth

4:00 PM 1,904 likes 837 retweets

marcus flint for NBA @marcflintofficial

5 into 1st quarter, Wood from the Raps with the filthy cross on Malfoy, ballhandling like a dream. #NBA #NBAGame5 #Basketball

8:43 PM 734 likes 437 retweets

pants park (marky flints cuzzy) @panzyparkkk

@marcflintofficial im sure handling his balls is your dream ;))

8:50 PM 523 likes 277 retweets

marcus flint for NBA (@marcflintofficial) blocked pants park (marky flints cuzzy) (@panzyparkkk)

marcus flint for NBA @marcflintofficial

Potter steals from Diggory, lobs it to Weasley, throws it up to Wood for a dunk on Bole. The Raptors chemistry is off the charts this game. #NBA #NBAGame5 #Basketball

9:22 PM 256 likes 153 retweets

mclaggen the frat god @nolaggingmclaggen

yo why the fuck is flint being so nice about the raps rn. i don't want wood favouritism, i miss asshole flint. talk shit about bole's shitty defense, please.

10:00 PM 333 likes 457 retweets

oliver wood #0 (@oliverw00dofficial) liked a tweet by mclaggen the frat god (@nolaggingmclaggen)

oliver wood #0 @oliverw00dofficial

Eastern Conference dubs, absolutely ecstatic. See you against the Warriors for NBA finals. #WeTheNorth

11:54 PM 937 likes 765 retweets

HARRY POTTER #3 @harrypottter

to the finalsssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!! #WeTheNorth

11:56 PM 832 likes 655 retweets

YouTube

NBA by Marcus Flint

1,267,457 subscribers

Recent Posts:

*Blurry picture of two male figures, seemingly joined by the hand. One of them is brunette, the other black haired. Both tall. One is dressed in a grey tracksuit and clunky basketball shoes, the other in a pressed white shirt and black pants, tie looseness. They are smiling - the photo is too blurry to specify exactly who it is.

marcusflintbae this is obviously marcus flint and oliver wood, that's the tea. im so jealous of wood ugh.

Posted 1 hour ago

Liked by ginnywheeze, percyweasley, panspark, terhiggs, adrianpuc3y, k8iebell, hazzapotter, fredwheeze and 2943 others

Private Chat between Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint

oliver wood: marcus ur an idiot

marcus flint: how is this my fault

oliver wood: u were too nice to me on highlight analysis

oliver wood: and u forgot to tell parkinson that we're not public yet

marcus flint: well u should be happy u wanted to go public like six months ago

oliver wood: nOT LIKE THIS

oliver wood: let's announce it on twitter we've let them suffer long enough

marcus flint: don't use the photo that im wearing the purple tie in

marcus flint: it's ugly

oliver wood: you are in no position to be making demands

oliver wood: im not going to use a photo, i love you, I'll call you later

marcus flint: love u too babe

marcus flint for NBA @marcflintofficial

I'm dating Oliver Wood. I'm not biased to the raptors at all, don't tell him but I actually bet on the Warriors. #NBAFinals

9:03 PM 608,767 likes 438,898 retweets

oliver wood #0 @oliverw00dofficial

Marcus Flint and I have BEEN dating. Keep up. He fr didn't bet on us. If you stop watching him I'll request a trade. Joking. Not really. #NBAFinals

9:06 PM 453,738 likes 234,725 retweets

69 notes · View notes

lakersworld · 6 years ago

Text

1. Kevin Durant

Player Option / Small Forward / 6-9 / Team: Golden State Warriors

26.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 5.9 apg

One of the three best players in the NBA. Rumors are swirling about his interest in joining the Knicks, but when it comes time to make a decision, will he really opt to leave the perfect situation he’s currently in?

Agent: Rich Kleiman 2018/19 Earnings: $30,000,000 Career Earnings: $157,183,333

2. Kawhi Leonard

Player Option / Small Forward / 6-7 / Team: Toronto Raptors

26.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.8 spg

Now healthy, he’s one of the best players in the league again and will surely command a huge contract next summer. The question is: Has Toronto done enough this season to convince him to stay long-term?

Agent: Dennis Robertson 2018/19 Earnings: $23,114,066 Career Earnings: $60,899,944

3. Kyrie Irving

Player Option / Point Guard / 6-3 / Team: Boston Celtics

23.8 ppg, 6.9 apg, 40.1 3P%

One of the hardest-to-defend point guards in the league. Will he listen to outside suitors this offseason or is him re-signing in Boston an inevitability?

Agent: Jeff Wechsler 2018/19 Earnings: $20,099,189 Career Earnings: $75,108,436

4. Kemba Walker

Unrestricted / Point Guard / 6-1 / Team: Charlotte Hornets

25.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.9 apg

For the past three seasons, he has performed at an elite level but hasn’t been paid like it. That will undoubtedly change this offseason.

Agent: Jeff Schwartz 2018/19 Earnings: $12,000,000 Career Earnings: $46,199,401

5. Klay Thompson

Unrestricted / Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Team: Golden State Warriors

21.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 40.2 3P%

One of the best shooters in league history, he is also an extremely able defender who seemingly never gets injured. 2019 will probably be the summer he gets his first massive contract, and it’ll probably come from Golden State, barring a huge surprise.

Agent: Greg Lawrence 2018/19 Earnings: $18,988,725 Career Earnings: $59,318,274

6. Jimmy Butler

Player Option / Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Team: Philadelphia 76ers

18.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 spg

A tough, two-way wing who can defend multiple positions and score 20 per night at an efficient level. His fit with the 76ers isn’t totally ideal, however, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him end up on a different team this summer.

Agent: Bernie Lee 2018/19 Earnings: $19,841,627 Career Earnings: $60,025,227

7. D’Angelo Russell

Restricted / Point Guard / 6-5 / Team: Brooklyn Nets

21.1 ppg, 7.0 apg, 36.9 3P%

He played the best basketball of his young career this season, helped lead Brooklyn to a playoff spot and got the first All-Star bid of his time as a professional. Looks to be someone the Nets might build around, but those plans could change depending on how they fare in free agency this summer.

Agent: Austin Brown 2018/19 Earnings: $7,019,698 Career Earnings: $15,998,280

8. Tobias Harris

Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-9 / Team: Philadelphia 76ers

20.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 39.7 3P%

After averaging career-highs across the board this season, he couldn’t be going into free agency at a better time.

Agent: Torrel Harris 2018/19 Earnings: $14,800,000 Career Earnings: $55,749,880

9. Kristaps Porzingis

Restricted / Power Forward / 7-3 / Team: Dallas Mavericks

After a trade landed him in Dallas, team owner Mark Cuban made it clear the organization plans to keep him around for the long haul.

Agent: Janis Porzingis 2018/19 Earnings: $5,697,054 Career Earnings: $12,953,040

10. Khris Middleton

Player Option / Small Forward / 6-8 / Team: Milwaukee Bucks

18.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.3 apg

One of the most underrated wings in basketball. He scores efficiently and also distributes, rebounds and defends at above-average rates for his position. First-time All-Star this season.

Agent: Michael Lindeman 2018/19 Earnings: $13,000,000 Career Earnings: $46,177,719

11. Nikola Vucevic

Unrestricted / Center / 7-0 / Team: Orlando Magic

20.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 3.8 apg

His numbers this year, across the board, were monstrous, but a porous showing in the playoffs could hurt his stock as a free agent.

Agent: Rade Filipovich 2018/19 Earnings: $12,750,000 Career Earnings: $42,838,639

12. DeMarcus Cousins

Unrestricted / Center / 6-11 / Team: Golden State Warriors

16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg

Upon returning from a torn Achilles, he had a good run to close the season, even flashing moments where he looked like his old self. However, a quad injury in Game 2 of the playoffs will force him to miss the postseason, and cast a shadow on his impending free agency.

Agent: Jarinn Akana 2018/19 Earnings: $5,337,000 Career Earnings: $80,711,986

13. Julius Randle

Player Option / Power Forward / 6-9 / Team: New Orleans Pelicans

21.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.1 apg

Elite finisher around the paint. Specializes in using athleticism to drive by slower big men. Averaged career numbers in multiple categories this year.

Agent: Aaron Mintz 2018/19 Earnings: $8,641,000 Career Earnings: $13,545,962

14. Al Horford

Player Option / Center / 6-10 / Team: Boston Celtics

13.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.2 apg

He doesn’t score a bunch of points, but his all-around game is excellent. Few big men share his blend of playmaking and defense.

Agent: Jason Glushon 2018/19 Earnings: $28,928,710 Career Earnings: $129,458,059

15. Marc Gasol

Player Option / Center / 7-1 / Team: Toronto Raptors

13.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.4 apg

His skill as an outside shooter and passer should help his game age nicely. Does a bit of everything from the center position. His showing in the playoffs, primarily his outstanding defense, will help elevate his stock as a free agent.

Agent: Steve Heumann 2018/19 Earnings: $24,119,025 Career Earnings: $128,292,718

16. Bojan Bogdanovic

Unrestricted / Small Forward / 6-8 / Team: Indiana Pacers

18.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 42.5 3P%

Put up a career-high in points, rebounds and assists. One of the best shooters in the NBA. His value as a free agent is only hurt by his lackluster defense and the fact he just turned 30.

Agent: Jason Ranne 2018/19 Earnings: $10,500,000 Career Earnings: $21,091,796

17. Brook Lopez

Unrestricted / Center / 7-0 / Team: Milwaukee Bucks

12.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 36.5 3P%

One of the few big men in the league who can shoot threes and protect the paint at above-average rates. He’s already in his 30’s, but his game has aged nicely thanks to his high skill level.

Agent: Darren ‘Mats’ Matsubara 2018/19 Earnings: $3,382,000 Career Earnings: $117,423,487

18. DeAndre Jordan

Unrestricted / Center / 6-11 / Team: New York Knicks

11.0 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 64.1 FG%

Even in his 30s, still one of the best rebounders the NBA has to offer. Elite screen-setter as well.

Agent: Jeff Schwartz 2018/19 Earnings: $22,897,200 Career Earnings: $106,710,175

19. Malcolm Brogdon

Restricted / Point Guard / 6-5 / Team: Milwaukee Bucks

15.6 ppg, 3.2 apg, 42.6 3P%

Can play either guard spot effectively, both on offense and defense. Has blossomed into a knockdown three-point shooter.

Agent: Danielle Cantor 2018/19 Earnings: $1,544,951 Career Earnings: $2,237,611

20. Nikola Mirotic

Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-10 / Team: Milwaukee Bucks

15.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 36.5 3P%

An adept floor-spacer from the 4-spot with quick feet on the defensive end. Can be quite streaky with his shot, however, which hurts his value.

Agent: Bill Duffy 2018/19 Earnings: $12,500,000 Career Earnings: $29,131,175

21. Paul Millsap

Team Option / Power Forward / 6-8 / Team: Denver Nuggets

12.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.2 spg

Averaging his lowest points per game in nine years. Still a versatile big man who can defend at a high level and score when needed. One of Denver’s better performers in the playoffs.

Agent: DeAngelo Simmons 2018/19 Earnings: $29,230,769 Career Earnings: $121,314,973

22. Goran Dragic

Player Option / Point Guard / 6-3 / Team: Miami Heat

13.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.8 apg

He displayed clear signs of regression this year, which makes sense since he’ll be entering his age-32 season next season. Reportedly undecided on whether or not he will exercise his player option this summer.

Agent: Rade Filipovich 2018/19 Earnings: $18,109,175 Career Earnings: $77,379,858

23. Danny Green

Unrestricted / Shooting Guard / 6-6 / Team: Toronto Raptors

10.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 45.5 3P%

Relocated his elite shooting form in a big way this season. Shot over 45 percent from three while playing hounding defense on the perimeter in 2018-19.

Agent: Joe Branch 2018/19 Earnings: $10,000,000 Career Earnings: $42,607,624

24. JJ Redick

Unrestricted / Shooting Guard / 6-4 / Team: Philadelphia 76ers

18.1 ppg, 2.7 apg, 39.7 3P%

Despite it being his age-34 season, putting up a career-high in points. One of the best sharpshooters the game has to offer.

Agent: Aaron Mintz 2018/19 Earnings: $12,250,000 Career Earnings: $78,516,715

25. Harrison Barnes

Player Option / Small Forward / 6-8 / Team: Sacramento Kings

16.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 39.5 3P%

He’s still just entering his prime even though it feels like he’s been around forever. Good scorer, especially out of the post, and was a true threat from three this year.

Agent: Jeff Schwartz 2018/19 Earnings: $24,107,258 Career Earnings: $57,874,032

26. Marcus Morris

Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-9 / Team: Boston Celtics

13.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 37.5 3PT%

Provides the Celtics with an element of toughness they wouldn’t have without him. Solid scoring big man who can iso, post-up and shoot the long ball.

Agent: Rich Paul 2018/19 Earnings: $5,375,000 Career Earnings: $22,928,419

27. Thaddeus Young

Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-8 / Team: Indiana Pacers

12.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 spg

A hugely impactful contributor thanks to his plus defense and finishing around the basket.

Agent: Jim Tanner 2018/19 Earnings: $13,764,045 Career Earnings: $81,810,523

28. Rudy Gay

Unrestricted / Small Forward / 6-8 / Team: San Antonio Spurs

13.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 40.2 3P%

Can still score when called upon. Maybe not at the high-volume pace of his prime, but he has become a better three-point shooter to make up the difference.

Agent: Roger Montgomery 2018/19 Earnings: $10,087,200 Career Earnings: $124,025,870

29. Ricky Rubio

Unrestricted / Point Guard / 6-4 / Team: Utah Jazz

12.7 ppg, 6.1 apg, 1.3 spg

Reliable floor general. Coach-on-the-floor type who has become a somewhat respectable three-point shooter. It seems likely that he’ll be wearing a different jersey next season.

Agent: Jeff Schwartz 2018/19 Earnings: $14,800,000 Career Earnings: $55,216,408

30. Derrick Rose

Unrestricted / Point Guard / 6-3 / Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

18.0 ppg, 4.3 apg, 37.0 3P%

Almost out of nowhere, he had moments this year where he resembled his old self. Shot a career-best percentage from three, which helped him offset his drop in athleticism. Nagging injuries still a problem.

Agent: BJ Armstrong 2018/19 Earnings: $2,176,260 Career Earnings: $120,415,866

31. Al-Farouq Aminu

Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-9 / Team: Portland Trail Blazers

9.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg

Not a great scorer, but does the little things that help you win. Plus defender on the wing.

Agent: Raymond Brothers 2018/19 Earnings: $6,957,105 Career Earnings: $35,502,591

32. Willie Cauley-Stein

Restricted / Center / 7-0 / Team: Sacramento Kings

11.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg

Bouncy big man who can switch defensively and throw down with the best of them.

Agent: Roger Montgomery 2018/19 Earnings: $4,696,874 Career Earnings: $15,350,475

33. Jonas Valanciunas

Player Option / Center / 6-11 / Team: Memphis Grizzlies

15.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg

Put up crazy numbers per-36 minutes this season at 25.2 points and 13.8 rebounds per 36. Great rebounder and post scorer with a decent jumper.

Agent: Leon Rose 2018/19 Earnings: $16,539,326 Career Earnings: $45,082,618

34. Enes Kanter

Unrestricted / Center / 6-11 / Team: Portland Trail Blazers

13.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg

Great scorer down low, ferocious rebounder and a good finisher out of the pick-and-roll. His problems are a lack of a three-point shot and subpar defensive contributions. A good showing so far in the playoffs has helped his stock as a free agent.

Agent: Mark Bartelstein 2018/19 Earnings: $19,264,603 Career Earnings: $74,898,362

35. Terrence Ross

Unrestricted / Shooting Guard / 6-6 / Team: Orlando Magic

15.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Athletic perimeter player who can knock down triples with aplomb and score off the dribble.

Agent: Aaron Mintz 2018/19 Earnings: $10,500,000 Career Earnings: $42,589,837

36. Terry Rozier

Restricted / Point Guard / 6-2 / Team: Boston Celtics

9.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Numbers have taken a dip now that he’s returned to a full-time bench role. Proved in 2017-18 that he can handle starting point-guard duties, and handle them dutifully.

4 notes · View notes

onfirebasketball-blog · 6 years ago

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The Remaking of the NBA--In Kawhi Leonard’s Image

Six days ago, Kendrick Perkins was sure Kawhi Leonard was going to be a Laker. Four days ago, Jalen Rose attested that Kawhi resigning with the Toronto Raptors was a 99% certainty. One thing seemed certain as each new supposed leak pinged across the Twitterverse: no way was Kawhi Leonard going to the Los Angeles Clippers. The team to which NBA pundits had thought for sure Kawhi was already committed throughout the regular season now seemed the least probable destination for the two-time finals MVP who had just dismantled another super team to bring Canada its first NBA title.

Everyone was wrong about everything Kawhi might do and how he might do it. And we found out, as much as NBA media types and the Lebroneratti want to make this summer and the 2019-2020 season about the resurgent Lakers and Lebron James and Anthony Davis’s muscled-up version of Lob City, this is Kawhi’s league now, Los Angeles is his town, and the path to the title goes through him.

Last night, news broke that Kawhi Leonard will be bringing his talents to Steve Balmer’s Los Angeles Clippers on a four-year $142 million max deal. Coming with him will be Paul George, for whom the Clippers have traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder five future first round draft picks, two pick swaps, Danilo Gallinari, and impressive second-year point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

These moves make the Clippers immediate NBA title favorites. They will begin the season with a starting five that has the potential to rival the greatest defensive lineups in history, with three premier perimeter defenders in Leonard, George, and Patrick Beverley, some option at the two of the Landry Shamet/Rodney McGruder/Jerome Robinson crew, and a bouncy, rangy rim protector in Montrezl Harrell. They will be switch-happy with guys all over the place who can defend at least three positions. Leonard and George can stagger their load management schedules to keep them fresh for the playoffs with the ability to rely on a deep supporting cast---a luxury Lebron and AD will not have on the Lakers as they navigate the Western gauntlet. The Clippers’ two All-NBA stars have the potential to be the best perimeter defensive pair since Jordan and Pippen.

Both Leonard and George can run the offense, but both are comfortable off the ball as well. Leonard shot 40.8% and George 40.0% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers during the 2018-2019 season, per NBA.com. Both are excellent off the dribble and pulling up from long-range. Neither is a spectacular passer (68th and 75th in assist percentage despite both being top-twenty in usage rate, per Basketball Reference) in the way Lebron or James Harden are, but they can both create their own shots all over the floor, and the defensive attention they draw creates opportunities for their teammates. It will be fascinating seeing how often and in what sets Doc Rivers uses a Leonard-George pick-and-roll. It promises to be a lethal weapon in what could be a killer offensive arsenal.

On the other side of the deal, trading Paul George is a shocking move by the Thunder. Oklahoma City seemed committed to the Westbrook-George pairing for the next several years, and had to have thanked their lucky stars for having resigned George to a huge extension last summer. With Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson injured for the foreseeable future, they might have had a shot at a wide-open Western Conference. Their defense was excellent most of last year, and until George’s shoulder injury during the final third of the season the offense hummed behind the engine of George’s MVP-caliber first half. They might have been a Steven Adams trade (for ever-elusive shooting) away from finally putting together a lineup that could compete for the Western Conference Finals.

There have been reports that George “forced” OKC’s hand in trading him. But this is a trade demand from a player with two more years on his deal! They certainly got a nice haul from the Clippers, but with the uncertainty ahead regarding control of the Western Conference, you would think Sam Presti and company would want to take a real shot at the title next year before moving their second star. Any number of deals would have been there for George at the trade deadline, all of which could have been leveraged against one another.

The one explanation I can ascertain from the reporting about the context of the trade is that Kawhi’s decision to sign with the Clippers rested heavily on their ability to acquire George. If Kawhi’s camp was simultaneously in touch with Presti directly or through a Clippers intermediary, it is possible he promised to sign with Lakers if the deal did not go through. In that case, any hope Presti might have of making a run at the Western Conference title would be meritless anyway. Kawhi, in leveraging his decision on this very trade may have forced two teams to essentially do his bidding, not to mention screwing the Lakers’ ability to sign anyone of real merit to fill out its roster. If so, that is some Kasparov-level gamesmanship.

That said, they certainly made out about as well as any team has in trading George. The future is paved with a massive haul of draft picks and young players for the Thunder. They also may be able to get themselves in phenomenal cap position with another couple of moves.

The trade almost certainly signals that OKC is initiating a rebuilding process, with a Russell Westbrook move lurking on the horizon. But which teams might be interested in Russ’s mega-contract which is set to pay him upwards of---GULP---$46 million on a player option when he will be 34 years old with fifteen seasons on legs that have seen no restraint in the past eleven? The length and risk of the deal may force OKC to accept less value in a trade than we would otherwise expect for a superstar of Westbrook’s caliber.

Several possible suitors come to mind. The Detroit Pistons just signed Derrick Rose to a two-year deal, but given Rose’s injury history and the team’s need to fill seats in a brand new arena, they might look to make a move for Westbrook. However, it isn’t clear they have anything Sam Presti would covet. The Orlando Magic could offer some combination of Aaron Gordon with another salary or two and picks for Westbrook, but the team isn’t close to serious contention, so that seems like a non-starter. Houston could look at swapping Chris Paul’s weighty contract for Westbrook’s, and Morey might shrug at the comparable risk with the athletic upside, but it’s hard to see Presti taking back big, unmovable money.

The Minnesota Timberwolves need a point guard to maximize Karl-Anthony Towns’s talents as his new mega-deal kicks in. Given that players appear to be demanding trades earlier into their contracts in the empowerment era, Minnesota may move into win-now mode. It will be important for the Wolves to impress upon KAT that they can and will provide him with the supporting pieces to make a real run in the postseason. Minnesota has not proven to be a free-agent destination so a trade for a star player may be the only way to do that. However, a deal for Westbrook would seriously hamper Minnesota’s cap flexibility, and OKC probably won’t be interested in taking on Andrew Wiggins, whose salary would be critical to a deal.

Mark Cuban craves All-Star talent and may see a window opening sooner than we might expect with Rookie of the Year Luca Doncic headed into his second season and Kristaps Porzingis on a new max deal. The Mavs could offer Courtney Lee’s expiring deal, and Tim Hardaway’s contract, which is up in time for the star-studded 2021 free agency period, along with picks for Westbrook. But the Mavs see Doncic as their primary ball-handler and Westbrook still hasn’t shown much of an appetite for working (or moving) off ball at all.

Which brings us to the Miami Heat. Pat Riley is militant in his pursuit of superstar players to compete in the East and has shown a willingness to take big swings wherever they present themselves. Heat ownership appears to have no problem rolling out rosters that run deep into luxury tax territory. The Jimmy Butler trade shows that the Heat want on-court production now. Westbrook and Butler share a similar ferocity that Riley loves. The Heat would essentially trade all two-year cap flexibility to OKC, facilitating an open Thunder cap sheet to wave at the 2021 free agency class. Something like Westbrook for Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk, and Justise Winslow, with picks thrown in might make sense.

Whatever happens, know this: this is Kawhi’s Leonard’s league until proven otherwise. The Clippers should be title favorites heading into the season, with the Lakers close behind. What happens with Westbrook could have major repercussions for the Eastern Conference and will certainly reshape basketball in Oklahoma City for years to come.

#nba #nba free agency #los angeles lakers #los angeles clippers #clippers #lakers #oklahoma city thunder #thunder #miami heat #kawhi leonard #doc rivers #russell westbrook #karl-anthony towns #dallas mavericks

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scmfinal · 6 years ago

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The Resignation: Magic Johnson

Just recently, the President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson abruptly left his position. This was done without notice to his boss, nor anyone else within the organization and came to a surprise to the sports world. Many may know Earvin “Magic” Johnson as a point guard of the Lakers, cementing himself as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Others may recognize him as the player famous for becoming HIV positive and having to retire from the NBA. Even through the years, Magic has maintained a connection within sports, becoming a partial owner of the LA Dodgers and most recently, President of the LA Lakers. Any person able to accomplish such feats and achieve their goals must possess extreme will and determination. This was no different for Magic and to many, the way in which he stepped down from his position is a complete shock.

Magic became the President of Basketball Operations in 2017. Having been a larger than life NBA superstar and the LA Lakers needing a big name to hopefully attract free agents, it seemed to be the perfect fit. However, the transition from the court to the front office is not always the easiest. Not everyone is equipped with business acumen or the ability to scout talent, even if they themselves were of great talent. This was also the case with Michael Jordan, whom had the same position for the Washington Wizards after retiring. However, the difference here is that Jordan was more interested in becoming an owner of a team, which he accomplished with the now Charlotte Hornets. It was this similar drive that was expected of Magic to return the LA Lakers to previous glories.

Their was thought to be no more prestigious front office position than that of the LA Lakers president. Living in one of the most glamorous cities in the US and having the ability to return one of the winningest organizations in NBA history to dominance sounds like an amazing opportunity. However, after two years of odd signings and trades, tampering accusations, and lackluster team performance; Magic Johnson decided to forgo many people’s dream job and return to being “himself.” There is no dispute as to why Magic resigned as he stated, “I’m going back to my beautiful life.” Of course there are rumblings in amongst media and insiders of the “real reason” for his resignation. Of those media takes, I was tasked to compare two different outlets. I initially considered the obvious ESPN article, due to being a huge sports story. I instead looked at a few different media sources and decided on an article from Time Sports, Why You Can't Blame the Lakers' Magic Johnson for Calling it Quits by Sean Gregory and For His Final Act, Magic Made The Lakers Disappear by Albert Burneko on Deadspin.

One of the articles I enjoyed reading on the events that unfolded was, Why You Can't Blame the Lakers' Magic Johnson for Calling it Quits, found in the Time Sports, part of Time Magazine. This staple in weekly news has been going since the 1920s and has evolved to becoming an online publication. This particular article took a different approach to covering the Magic resignation. Instead of the normal breakdown of everything that went wrong with during his time as President of Operations, Sean Gregory explored a lighter side of the ordeal. Boasting that giving up on a dream job for many people is easy when you are, in fact, Magic Johnson. Living life as Magic can be far more interesting and rewarding than just being known as the President of one of the most historic NBA franchises.

It is this take on the situation that initially interested me. Being a sports fan, I already knew of all the issues that plagued Magic’s recent tenure. In short, he did little to nothing to return the team to the greatness that once was. So reading about his futility did little to entertain me. However, Gregory’s take that he is far better off just becoming the beloved Magic and not the President of a failing historic franchise was a breath of fresh air. His comparisons to previous failed attempts by other well known NBA players in their attempts to coach or play in the front office was actually something I thought of myself. Gregory portrayed Magic as a man that began to understand his limits, avoiding to tarnish his legacy and instead enjoy his life. Why stress out over a job if you do not have to? This was what Gregory tries to get the reader to understand. Even though few, if any, can actually appreciate his view on the situation, it is surely an interesting take.

Gregory avoids a smear campaign of Magic and his failures. Instead, he has a light hearted outlook of a man just wanting to enjoy life. Even I can see how great it could be to just walk around, being admired and loved. Being able to give back to their community and fully enjoy themselves while doing so. That does seem like a great life to live and even though Magic approached his resignation in an odd fashion, he did it his way.

The other article, For His Final Act, Magic Made The Lakers Disappear by Albert Burneko was found on Deadspin. Deadspin is a sports blog website founded in 2005. Obviously not as much of an American mainstay as Time, however appeals to many as stories have a different approach. In this particular article, Burneko unlike Gregory, focused on Magic’s failure and how it not only lead to his unexpected resignation but also, “disappearance” of one of the NBA’s greatest franchises.

The article focuses on the many different decisions Magic had a hand in during his tenure. Earlier I mentioned knowing a good amount of the decisions that were made, however, Burneko does a good job in telling the facts and creating something that is interesting to read. Where Gregory lauds Magic for his reason to quit; Burneko sees it as a “cold” reason to leave a franchise. Burneko does not go on to speak about all the other failed stars who have tried to coach or work in the front office. Instead, he breaks down the many possible “real reasons” for Magic’s surprise departure. These reasons including not wanting to fire the coach and look like “the bad guy”, bungling the trade for Anthony Davis, and trading away a young asset that has become a star just a few years later. Burneko points out this has culminated with a regressed season (even though the team had a better record), and a lost season for NBA’s greatest star, Lebron James.

Burneko's article, even though mostly a criticism of Magic's tenure as president was written somewhat sarcastically. It never approaches harsh tones, but gets the point across of his failures and interesting reason for quitting. To me, this is the perfect tone to use for an article. The use of slight jabs towards Magic (and the organization as a whole) makes for a better read than blandly discussing his failures. Burneko’s final line embraces his tone of the article, jokingly stating Magic will be able to loudly give his opinion of his former team via Twitter.

Each author had their own take on the situation. I enjoyed reading both, although I did favor For His Final Act, Magic Made The Lakers Disappear due to Burneko’s sarcastic take. I feel that one reason for the difference between the articles is due to the publications. Burneko posting to a blog website, Deadspin, is able to actually give his full opinion on the resignation. Gregory, posting on Time Sports probably has more strict rules and regulations with what is posted. In the end, each article gave an interesting position on Magic’s resignation.

#SCM101final #theresignation

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thestutterstep · 3 years ago

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The NBA Finals that needs to happen: LAL vs BKN

Just a couple weeks ago, the Los Angeles Lakers traded away decent role players in KCP, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl, and their 22nd pick for future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook. Many folks had their skepticism on the new Lakers team. Especially after adding some vets like Ariza, Ellington, Howard, and more.

The skepticism revolves around the fact that Lebron, AD and Russ can’t shoot the ball EFFICIENTLY. However, if we’re comparing the shooting efficiency of the Lakers big 3 to the Nets big 3, then it’s no question. Durant, Harden and Kyrie are better shooters than Lebron, AD and Russ. The shooting percentages say so as well, just go look them up.

What the numbers don’t say is how good the Lakers big 3 can be on defense. They are more athletic and are genetic freaks compared to the Nets big 3. If you need a defensive stop, give me the Lakers big 3. If you need a bucket, give me the Nets big 3. Simple as that.

Now onto the NBA and the fans. We, speaking for NBA fans ;), would love to see Lakers vs Nets in this year's finals. As a Phoenix Suns fan, a Raptors fan, a Hornets fan, or even an average person. They would all want to watch Nets vs Lakers if their team weren’t in the finals. It’s stars vs stars. The last time we’ve had a star-studded finals was in 2017 when Golden State faced the Cavaliers.

There is also the narrative aspect of it all. Russ was KD’s teammate and Kyrie was Lebrons’s teammate. Harden and Russ have never been champions. You can’t win with either on your team. The Nets can’t win with three ball dominant players. The Lakers can’t win with 3 inconsistent shooters. Lebron is old.

If the basketball gods make this finals happen, it’ll possibly reach a high TV rating. The last star-studded finals in 2017 got an average of 20.38M viewers. In fact, that number is higher than the 2020 finals. 2019 finals and even all of Lebron’s finals with the Heat.

If the basketball gods bless us with a game 7, I guarantee it will top the most viewed game 7 in finals history going back to 1998 when the Bulls faced the Jazz. Fans love watching stars play. The biggest star in 1998 was Jordan. The biggest stars in the 2022 finals will be Lebron and KD.

I do see how a Nets vs Lakers finals might make a lot of fans upset. It’s because the teams with the most star power get rewarded and teams with little to no star power don’t get enough credit. We saw this in the 2021 playoffs where the Bucks shocked the Nets even though KD was carrying his team along with a one-legged James Harden. It created an amazing narrative for Giannis and the small-market Milwaukee Bucks. If the Lakers and Nets blow out their opponents in the playoffs, it won’t be fun. There needs to be action throughout the playoffs in order to create the excitement that leads up to the grand finale.

Injuries can derail any team. Especially star-studded teams. We saw this with Harden and Kyrie against the Bucks, when KD and Klay went down against the Raptors in 2019 and the Cavs lost Kyrie in the 2015 finals. Injuries are out of our control, but they can be minimized.

The Lakers and Nets will have amazing regular seasons. I predict both teams will finish in the top 2 seeds of their conference. However, what matters most is what happens in the months of April, May and June. Nets vs Lakers. 2022 NBA Finals. NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

~August 15th, 2021

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bball4u-blog1 · 7 years ago

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“KD Ruined the NBA”

This happens to be an incredibly popular statement that I have seen being used across social media. Many fans label Kevin Durant as a “coward” or a “snake” and claim that he ruined the landscape of the NBA. Throughout this article I am going to be talking about my thoughts on two differing perspectives: Kevin Durant couldn’t win so he left to win a guaranteed championship, and this is exactly the same type of rivalry we have seen throughout the history of the NBA. At the end, I will reveal my true personal opinion on the subject and my current thoughts about the Warriors and this series going forward.

The Snake

Here is a fact. In 2016, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were up 3-1 in a series against the 73-win Warriors and unanimous MVP and ended up not being able to close it out. This happens to VERY few teams and will always be something that haunts the Thunder organization and Durant’s track record. After coming back down from 3-1 against the Thunder, the Warriors thought they were destined for a second straight title. However, they ran into Uncle Drew and King James and eventually found themselves losing an incredibly close series. Afterwards, Draymond Green called Kevin Durant on his cell phone about the possibility of joining them in Golden State. What eventually followed, was one of the most shocking free agency summers in NBA history that would completely reshape the entire Western Conference. Kevin Durant decided not to resign with the Thunder, but instead took his talents to the West Coast. The Warriors already appeared impossible to beat, breaking the all-time NBA win record that season before. However, with adding another superstar like Kevin Durant, this team appeared destined for prolonged greatness. The Warriors were even able to maintain a deep bench that has helped them deep in the playoffs these past two years. The first year they acquired Durant, he was able to win his first championship and his first Finals MVP. Here they are again a whole year later. Still with four all-stars, still with a deep bench, and still staring across at LeBron James, the only thing that stands between them and back-to-back titles.

Now, we all know the Warriors are an incredibly great team, but they also were a great team before Durant. Many people even make the comparison of what LeBron James did to what Durant also did. However, I believe these are two entirely different situations. LeBron took a team with no other all-star level talent to the NBA Finals, but eventually realized that he was not going to be able to win it all with such little level of talent. He single-handedly put the Cavaliers franchise on the map. He then used his friendships in the NBA to establish a “super team” in Miami, who only had one superstar at the time. I do not even know if you can truly consider this team a “super team.” Chris Bosh was hardly putting out all-star numbers, and Dwayne Wade has also been very injury prone throughout his career. If it hadn’t been for their depth and LeBron’s greatness, I do not believe that team would have ended up winning a title.

Now, let’s look at what Kevin Durant did. He left a team that already had one other superstar, because they were up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals and blew it. Did he leave and assemble a new “super team” with Chris Paul, James Harden, Paul George, etc.? No. He went to a team that already had three different all-stars, a two-time MVP, and a who held the NBA record for most wins a season. He went to the team that he blew a 3-1 lead to! He is on a short list of superstar players that have had that same experience. Also, let me know when you ever find LeBron James in a Celtics jersey during his career. I understand that Durant was upset with Westbrook and the coaching staff, but where is the pride and commitment? Rather than come back and work harder the next season on developing the great team you already had (they had 55 wins that season and were one game away from winning the Western Conference), you take the easy way out and join the team that has already guaranteed a Finals appearance for many years to come. Also, I do not believe that Durant would have left had the Warriors won the Finals that year. Even he should be able to see how much of a cowardly move that would appear to be…or would he?

We’ve Seen This Before

Throughout the history of the NBA we have seen teams continue to add tremendous talent whenever it is possible. After this current season, we could possibly see LeBron James going to the Philadelphia 76ers. Would this not be considered a “super team?” They would have three all-stars (Embiid, Simmons, and James) and would easily be making the Eastern Conference Finals. Or, let’s look at this years Celtics. If they were able to stay healthy, we saw just alone what the bench was able to produce in this year’s playoffs. Imagine if their two best players were playing alongside the rest of the team. The former Los Angeles Clippers, with Paul, Jordan, and Griffin. The former Lakers with Shaq and Kobe. The Boston Celtics with Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo. The Spurs throughout the years, with multiple NBA champions and all-stars on the roster. The former Oklahoma City Thunder team. There have been dozens of teams that should be considered “super teams” and just all-time great teams in general. No one should be bashing Durant for finding a team where his talent would fit well, but also somewhere that has an incredible record of winning. The Warriors were able to organically grow Curry, Thompson, and Green, so why not actually try to sign a big name via free agency.

The Warriors have completely changed the game of basketball. We have seen the Houston Rockets switch to shooting loads of threes to try and keep up. We’ve seen the Cavaliers set the record for most threes in a playoff game, and then the Warriors immediately broke it. This year, another team most likely broke it again. This is just a new fantastic era of basketball that features incredible ball movement, creating a lot more open opportunities at the three-point line. We also see teams at the 1 through 5 being able to take threes and space the floor. This has created new defensive schemes, new driving opportunities for phenomenal dunks, and just a great platform for some of the greatest athletes in the world to just go out and be creative with their game. I do not think that Kevin Durant ruined the NBA. I believe that he made other General Managers around the league find the need to go out and acquire massive amounts of talent. We now have the Warriors, Rockets, Timberwolves, Spurs, Cavaliers, 76ers, Raptors, and Celtics with incredible amounts of talent across their roster. I am so excited to see what happens this summer with free agency and the continued evolution of the game!

Where Do We Go from Here?

We now have another Finals matchup featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. This has blossomed into a great rivalry and one that both organizations should be proud of. I am favoring the Warriors currently in this matchup. Last year, they just simply had too much firepower for the Cavaliers, even with Kyrie Irving. However, I’ve learned to NEVER count LeBron James out of the equation. If the Cavaliers happen to lose this year, I do not believe we will see James returning next season in a Cleveland jersey. If he ends up going to the 76ers, I am incredibly interested in how they are going to make that work. Maybe James will work more on his spot-up shooting? They have two ball dominant forwards who are not spectacular shooters. Simmons would most likely play point guard, but still lacks the necessary jumper to be able to space the floor. For the most part, Embiid also needs the ball in his hands quite often to be efficient. It would also be interesting to see the long-term effects this may have on their talent off the bench. They may give up some playing time, but they would also have the mentorship of one of the greatest players of all-time on their team.

I also believe it is a possibility LeBron will take his talents to Los Angeles. Although I feel this is less likely (LeBron has a long rivalry with Boston and the East is generally considered the easier route to the Finals), it would still be incredibly interesting to see what other free agents they could bring on board. I urge my readers to try and keep updated with the trade rumors and free agency signings that will be going on around the league. This will be an exciting summer for the NBA!

#mkt400uwl

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sumukhcomedy · 7 years ago

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LeBron James: I Can’t Even Describe What I’m Watching

I’ve liked and played basketball for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Cleveland and so I was tied to the Cavs. By the time I have any awareness of Cavs games, we had turned ourselves into a formidable organization. The reign of terror of Ted Stepien had ended and we now had a group of players in Mark Price, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty, Craig Ehlo, and Ron Harper who embodied the city.

Of course, despite their talent and how entertaining they were, these Cavs teams could never reach the NBA Finals because Michael Jordan stood in their way. He victimized them with “The Shot,” the iconic moment that really introduced his greatness at a moment when the favorite Cavs should have won the series. It was a time where the Cavs were the better all-around team but just lost to the greatest ever earlier than any of us could have imagined. That’s how quickly the window closes in the NBA. Those Cavs teams got as far as the Eastern Conference Finals but Jordan’s Bulls were always there to torment them.

After that team was deconstructed, the Cavs entered their new Gund Arena with a weird roster and an even weirder logo. We were left to now try to find the playoffs with the likes of Terrell Brandon, Chris Mills, Bobby Phills, Tyrone Hill (why are all our good players’ last names rhyming?), and eventually a blockbuster trade to land now overweight superstar Shawn Kemp. It was a dark period of time watching the team at best get knocked out of the playoffs in the 1st round.

But then the team tanked just in time for the NBA Draft Lottery’s ping pong balls to go their way and for the team to draft LeBron James, a player any Northeast Ohio basketball fan was well aware of. I remember where I was when the Cavs won the NBA Draft Lottery and being so excited at the possibility of getting LeBron, the next in a long line of players the media wanted to anoint as the “next Jordan.”

It’s led to a strange 15 years in the league but, at this point, no one should deny LeBron’s greatness. 11 of those 15 years have been played in Cleveland and the last 4 have been the most meaningful and the most unbelievable. It may seem ridiculous to some but LeBron’s play has inspired more confidence in me as a fan and as a person and there are likely plenty of other Clevelanders who would say the same thing.

Such confidence began in 2016 with “The Block” that led to the first Cleveland championship in 52 years. At that moment, I felt there was no way that the Cavs could lose that game and that a superstar of LeBron’s magnitude was going to will them to the championship. It was just a different feeling than the usual depressing outcomes, absurd chokes, and ineptitude that came to be symbolic of Cleveland sports in big games. There was no way something as unthinkable as “The Block” was going to lead a loss and it didn’t. In a similar way, I felt that in last night’s Game 7 against Boston. After a dunk over LeBron, Jayson Tatum taunted LeBron. Basketball history and particularly history with LeBron shows that you don’t want to poke the bear. Basketball history also shows that there’s a certain passing of the gauntlet that occurs with superstars and with teams in their progression in the league. It happened with our Cavs team losing to Jordan in 1989 before ever having a chance to reach their potential. The superstars push out their opponents and hold strong until the gauntlet gets passed. Bird and Magic passed it on to Isiah and the Pistons and 2 years later they did the same for Jordan. This wasn’t the moment where LeBron was going to relinquish his dominance over the East. It just seemed so obvious. And while Tatum’s dunk cut the Cavs lead to 71-69, the game ended with the Cavs winning 87-79 and James headed to an unbelievable 8th straight NBA Finals.

LeBron is in amazing shape when we discuss this idea of his “legacy” (I’ll wait for the Finals to end before I write an essay specifically on that topic which I have thoughts on as well). From Round 1 until now, many were convinced this Cavs team was going to lose. He’s gotten them to the Finals with little to no to sometimes even negative help from his supporting cast. If the Cavs lose the NBA Finals, it will surprise no one. If he wins the NBA Finals, it will be more unbelievable and more impressive than his 2016 win and probably the most shocking title win since the 2004 Detroit Pisons.

Following yesterday’s game, basketball fans were now fixated on discussing if Jordan or LeBron is the greatest to ever play basketball. I’m not so fixated on this topic. I just want to enjoy greatness. It’s an arbitrary topic no different than who the greatest actor or who the greatest comedian is. It’s all up to our eyes and statistics can’t equate it. Who cares? Let’s just appreciate LeBron as we appreciate the great athletes of sports that we love.

I’m of course in the minority and so plenty of LeBron haters are out on social media. Their reasoning is starting to get more and more flimsy. I can admit that I never liked Jordan when he was playing. He beat the Cavs regularly and dominated the league. But I never denied Jordan’s greatness. I never was unhappy that I was watching one of the best play the game. I was honored by it even if I wanted to see one of the greats lose just in the same way I felt with Tiger Woods at the 2009 PGA Championship. I could say that Jordan is not the best ever because he gambled, because he took 2 years off to play baseball, because he golfed too much, or because of his year coming back to the game to play with the Wizards, or because he stinks as an owner with the Bobcats. Do any of those reasons make any sense? No, and these are the same kind of fleeting criticisms that those who dislike LeBron have put together today. Just accept his greatness. You’ll be much happier and appreciate the game more if you do.

Marketing is usually hogwash in the long haul but it’s also unbelievable that LeBron has managed to achieve the goals of the way in which he’s been promoted. He was nicknamed King James and he’s been nothing short of royalty on the basketball court. Nike’s “Together” commercial for LeBron’s return to Cleveland ultimately saw the destiny of that ad fulfilled 2 years later. Their “Witness” campaign has also been entirely accurate. We are witnesses. We all should be in awe and appreciation of LeBron.

Since he’s returned to Cleveland, there have been numerous moments where I haven’t been sure how to even react to what LeBron has done on the court. After celebrating the 2016 Finals win initially, I just sat in my chair for a half hour not being able to formulate how the Cavs won it and broke 52 years without a championship. Last night I felt the same way. I just sat for a half hour trying to put into words how to describe what LeBron has done and how this not particularly good team could get to the Finals. I really couldn’t. He just does so much. He makes us witnesses.

As a basketball fan, I appreciate every second watching LeBron. As a Cleveland fan, I feel even luckier to have him representing my team and city. That doesn’t happen often. I watched how dark and dull the mid to late 90s Cavs were and I expect we could see decades of terrible basketball in Cleveland again whenever LeBron may depart. But, for now, I’ll just be a witness and, wow, is it something special to witness.

#lebron #lebron james #cavs #whateverittakes #nba #nba finals #nba playoffs #celtics #rockets #warriors #nike #basketball #michael jordan

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dipulb3 · 4 years ago

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'There's never been a time like this': Wall Street is piling into trading cards as prices soar

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/theres-never-been-a-time-like-this-wall-street-is-piling-into-trading-cards-as-prices-soar/

'There's never been a time like this': Wall Street is piling into trading cards as prices soar

In early February, a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card in pristine condition sold for a record $738,000 at an auction run by Goldin’s company. The kicker? The exact same item went for nearly $215,000 just weeks before.

“There’s never been a time like this in the history of the business,” Goldin told Appradab Business. “I would bet that for every person who wanted a Michael Jordan rookie card in 2019, there’s 100 [now].”

The shock sale is part of a much bigger trend in sports collectibles that’s grabbed the attention of sophisticated investors as well as small traders, transforming card collecting from a fusty hobby into a major investment market. But the timing and scale of the price surge has also sparked worries that it may be fueled by the same speculative forces that recently sent bitcoin and meme stocks like GameStop through the roof.

“This is now part of our culture,” Goldin said. “I wouldn’t go anywhere near the word bubble.”

The pandemic push

The trading card renaissance has its roots in the pandemic. Stuck at home without live sports games, people began raiding their attics and basements and digging up old cards. They also sat down to watch “The Last Dance,” the documentary series about Jordan, the legendary former NBA star, that aired on ESPN.

Suddenly, trading cards were everywhere, boosted by celebrity endorsers ranging from actor Mark Wahlberg, whose kids launched a collecting business, to DJ Steve Aoki and Resy co-founder Gary Vaynerchuk. Videos of fans opening packs of cards on YouTube and TikTok started racking up tens of thousands of views.

“This is a market that’s growing in demand, but doesn’t have more supply,” Vaynerchuk, a longtime advocate of card investing, wrote on his website last March. “That’s a recipe for opportunity.”

Prices for top-quality cards featuring all-time greats jumped dramatically. Those featuring newer talent rose, too, as enthusiasts tried to scout the next big stars.

“Instead of betting on a game, people look at this, and they can bet on a career,” Goldin said.

The spike in prices has caught the attention of a wider class of investment professionals, flush with cash following unprecedented stimulus measures from governments and central banks. Rock-bottom interest rates have also made it harder to find lucrative investments, bolstering interest in creative alternatives.

“Funds are being created. They’re getting investors involved and pooling five, 10, 15 million dollars,” said Jesse Craig, director of business development at PWCC Marketplace, a top seller of premium cards.

Josh Luber, the co-founder of sneaker resale startup StockX, left the company last year to form Six Forks Kids Club, an alternative asset management company focused on cards. The moment, he said, was simply too big to pass up.

“It’s hard to find someone [in] my generation whose first business wasn’t buying baseball cards when they were 10,” Luber, who is 42, told Appradab Business. “We’re all of the age where we have a little bit more money, but we’re also in positions of decision-making for investment funds.”

The arrival of institutional money has quickly transformed the market. Goldin said for the first time in his career, he’s fielding calls from hedge funds interested in gaining exposure.

Takeover interest has also emerged, given the limited number of prominent companies in the sector. Last month, angel investor Nat Turner and Steve Cohen, the billionaire hedge fund titan and owner of the New York Mets, announced they were buying authentication service Collectors Universe in a $853 million deal, after sweetening a bid first made in November.

Not just Wall Street

It’s not just big money getting into the game as the sector gets a financial makeover.

Fractional trading has also reshaped the trading card business, allowing everyday buyers to purchase a small stake in a LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes card that would have otherwise been too costly, in the same way people can now buy a piece of expensive stocks like Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN).

“We realized the potential fractional ownership could have to break down a massive barrier to entry,” said Ezra Levine, the CEO of Collectable, which buys sports cards and converts them into tradable assets registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Collectable distributes individual shares of cards on its platform through initial public offerings. The shares can then be bought and sold as if they were stock in Microsoft (MSFT) or AMC Entertainment (AMC).

The firm has completed roughly 40 IPOs since last fall, and boasts of impressive returns. A 1986 Jordan card that went public at $10 per share in October is now trading at $60 per share, while stock in an autographed James card from 2003 has jumped 50% since late December.

Not everyone is going this route. Other hobbyists are gathering on social media as they rip open new packs of cards, hoping they’ll contain younger talent that can later be sold for a huge profit on eBay. Some are making even bigger bets.

“I spent $9,000 on this,” one TikTok user said in a post this week, holding up a James rookie card. “Call me crazy, but I think this is going to hit 20K. Let’s go.”

Is it a bubble?

After Craig brokered the sale of a rare Mickey Mantle card to entrepreneur and actor Rob Gough in January for $5.2 million — labeled the biggest sale for any trading card in history — questions about a price bubble seemed valid.

Those in the business say there could be a pullback in prices for some extremely hot items, like the Jordan rookies, but they don’t think valuations are spinning out of control.

“I think trading cards are one of the most undervalued asset classes out there,” Luber said.

He added that while the 1986 Jordan card appreciated faster than he might have expected, he doesn’t think the value is out of line with where demand is headed.

Everyone in the industry thinks it’s “a $1 million card,” Luber said. “But we all thought it was a year away instead of a month away.”

Scott Keeney, who set up a fund to invest in trading cards and companies like Collectable with venture capitalists Courtney and Carter Reum, is similarly bullish. He thinks that one to two years from now, the prices that Jordan and Mantle cards are commanding will be far higher than they are now.

“We look at all these other people coming in as more validation,” Keeney said. He declined to share how much his fund had raised, beyond stating it was at least seven figures.

There are risks, of course. As with investing in rare art or wine, the potential for fraud looms. The Washington Post has reported that the FBI is looking into cards that were allegedly altered to improve their condition before they were authenticated by Collectors Universe and auctioned on platforms like PWCC.

The industry has also seen a crash in prices before, after overzealous producers flooded the market in the 1980s and 1990s. As collectors discovered just how many were in the system, cards from the era plunged in value.

Goldin acknowledges that prices will inevitably fluctuate. But he believes supply will remain in check, particularly on the upper end of the market.

“The difference between cards and stock [is] nobody loves a stock,” he said. “Some people who buy these cards, to get them to sell it is like getting them to take off an arm.”

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junker-town · 3 years ago

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The Knicks are getting 2019 Duke back together, and they’re only missing Zion Williamson

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

The Knicks are Zion Williamson short of getting 2019 Duke back together.

The New York Knicks were the NBA’s biggest surprise last season. The Knicks entered the year expected to be one of the worst teams in the league before a shocking turnaround in their first season under Tom Thibodeau that saw them earn home court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Unfortunately for the Knicks, the clock struck midnight when the postseason began, and their charmed year ultimately had a sour ending when Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks dominated New York over five games.

The Knicks hoped to build off last season’s success heading into Year 2 under Thibodeau, but it just hasn’t happened. Halfway through the season, the Knicks are a .500 team and would miss the play-in tournament if the season ended today. Part of that is because the East is much improved from last season; part of it is because several key performers — most notably, reigning All-NBA forward Julius Randle — have experienced significant downturns in production. The Knicks aren’t bad in the ways they’ve usually been bad, but they are still disappointing.

On Thursday, the Knicks swung a trade for another piece in attempt to make a push up the standings. New York acquired Cam Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for a 2022 first round pick originally owned by the Charlotte Hornets and fourth-year wing Kevin Knox. Reddish should provide minutes on the wing for New York right away, but it’s more fun to think about how the deal could impact the franchise’s future.

Only a few years back, Duke basketball had one of the greatest freshmen classes in recent memory. The Blue Devils landed the top three recruits in the country for the first time in the modern history of college basketball in RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson, and Cam Reddish. Duke also had another consensus top-20 recruit in Tre Jones.

While Barrett was the consensus top prospect heading into the year, Williamson immediately emerged as a supernova. He was one of the great talents college basketball has seen over the last decade, and it made every Duke game feel like a must-watch. While Williamson thrived, Barrett and Reddish also had their moments. Duke earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and was the favorite to win the national championship before getting stunned by Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

Williamson was the no-brainer top prospect heading into the draft, with 14 NBA teams hanging on the lottery results to see who would get him. The New Orleans Pelicans jumped way up the order to be the shocking winners of the No. 1 pick and the rights to Williamson. The Knicks came in with the third pick. Williamson was reportedly bummed to see Knicks fall to No. 3 because he’s always had an affinity for playing in Madison Square Garden.

Zion went No. 1 to the Pelicans, the Knicks took Barrett at No. 3, and Reddish went No. 10 to the Atlanta Hawks.

Fast forward two and a half years, and Barrett and Reddish are together again playing in New York. Williamson hasn’t played a game all season as he recovers from a foot injury, but he’s been incredible for the Pelicans when he’s actually on the court. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, Zion’s love of New York has never really dissipated. There have been reports he’s been upset with the direction of the Pelicans, and he never misses an opportunity to talk about how much he loves Madison Square Garden.

*throws Molotov cocktail onto the timeline* pic.twitter.com/8pIeG2x4G5

— Kazeem Famuyide (@Kazeem) April 18, 2021

Now Williamson’s close friends Barrett and Reddish are together on the Knicks. Williamson remains stuck in New Orleans, and he might not play all year because of this foot injury. All three players have one more year left on their rookie contracts and then will become extension eligible. Anyone who doesn’t sign an extension will have two options: a) become a restricted free agent and give their incumbent team the right to match any offer, or b) play on a one-year qualifying offer and then hit restricted free agency the next year.

Williamson will still likely get a max extension offer from the Pelicans despite his injury issues. He would have to turn down a contract potentially worth $200 million for the right to pick his team starting with his sixth pro season. That’s a huge risk for someone with his injury history, though perhaps Zion’s lucrative endorsement deals make it more palatable.

It’s no secret Zion loves New York. It’s also no secret Zion loves Reddish and Barrett. With the Knicks move to land Reddish on Thursday, it’s possible New York is laying the groundwork to one day land Zion. It’s still complicated getting Williamson to New York, but at this point it’s hard to imagine him playing anywhere else on his next team.

Are the Knicks going to pluck Tre Jones from the Spurs next? What about acquiring Marques Bolden from the Jazz’s G League team? The Knicks are getting the 2019 Duke band back together, and they just need Zion to finish the job.

The Knicks just better hope they don’t see Cassius Winston or any other Spartan in the near future, because we know how that one turned out.

For now, Barrett and Reddish are reunited on the Knicks. Zion is sidelined in the present, and his future remains unknowable. It just isn’t hard to imagine all three coming together again one day in New York.

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