Dwight Howard and the LA Lakers

The 2012 NBA off-season has been eventful.  Just as the Miami Heat figured out how to win as a team, many other NBA teams made significant personnel moves.  At this point, none of the personnel movement seems to compare to the moves the Los Angeles Lakers made.  Not only did they sign a two-time former league MVP in Steve Nash, but they also signed Dwight “crybaby” Howard.  The Lakers finalized the deal, while being able to keep Pau Gasol.  I am somewhat surprised David Stern did not veto the deal, as it appears to epitomize the phrase “the rich get richer . . . “  The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) was believed to strike a major blow to the big market teams by imposing serious luxury taxes.  For a number of reasons, the Lakers pulled the trigger and will be able to have a big four of their own on the court.  Once Dwight Howard returns from injury, the starting lineup will likely consist of: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.  On paper, that lineup certainly seems formidable, but can they co-exist?  Is Mike Brown the dynamic leader the team needs?  Will Kobe relinquish control of the ball and allow Steve Nash to be himself?  These are some of the many questions swirling around Lakerland these days.

Dwight Howard finally whined and made enough behind-the-scenes, shady deals to force his way out of Orlando.  Seemingly, the entire summer, he remained quiet and allowed his designated spokespersons to speak on his behalf.  All the while, reports surfaced that suggested that he did not want to be in Orlando.  He was blamed for the firing of Stan Van Gundy, and he was blamed for orchestrating the departure of other Orlando Magic personnel.  Publicly, he smiled for the cameras and stated that he did not want to be traded.  He even went as far as opting into his contract for another year.  I suppose he attempted to remain in high regards with the Orlando Magic fans.  But, what he did was anger many of them and most importantly, they lost respect for him.  Had he played out his contract and not opted into his contract, he would have been a free agent.  That would have enabled him to “test the free agent market” and sign with any team of his choice.  He did not do that.  He was disingenuous and he finally forced his way out of Orlando.  As shady as Howard has conducted himself, I do not hear anyone calling him a Benedict Arnold.  But Lebron was such a bad person when he signed with the Miami Heat, as a free agent.  I digress.

The impact of the trade has been said to shift the power balance in the NBA back to the West Coast.  I do not agree with that statement and I think the OKC Thunder still have something the Lakers have no answer for.  They have a dominant point guard who is faster than anyone the Lakers can assign to guard him.  He is athletic enough to get Pau and Dwight into foul trouble.  They also have the second best player in the league and the best scorer in the league.  Kevin Durant will have his way with World Peace or any player the Lakers can assign to guard him.  Also, and more importantly, I believe Kobe Bryant can serve as a huge impediment to the team’s success.  Let’s be honest, Kobe is an all time great player and has never seemed to enjoy sharing the spotlight.  He has always been a ball dominant guard and has never trusted his teammates.  In order for the Lakers to experience maximum success, they will have to depend on Kobe “buying in” to the system.  For him, that will consist of fewer shots and the offense not being run directly through him.  He should still be the closer, but with Steve Nash on the team, their pick-and-roll offense could be unstoppable.  If Kobe buys in, the team could certainly win the West and posssbly win the NBA championship.  If not, they will be like the Laker team featuring Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Payton.  That team did not win the NBA championship.

If the Lakers figure it all out, and their aging stars remain healthy, they can make a serious splash in the NBA.  However, if Dwight Howard does not fully recover from his back injury, or Steve Nash gets hurt, their hope of NBA dominance will not happen. 

I still believe that the NBA championship will have to come through Miami.

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Peace

Karolina Diamond AAU Basketball: Complete Domination

The Burlington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated was chartered on November 20, 2011.  Since its inception, its chapter members have strived towards being the very best chapter in the entire Fraternity.  We have vowed to bridge the generational gap between graduate chapters and undergraduate chapters.  We have been extremely busy in the greater Burlington area as we have hosted political, social and academic events to impact the community.  One of the chapter’s biggest and most important initiatives, however, is the Karolina Diamonds Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated has a rich tradition of producing outstanding student-athletes.  Some even continue their respective journeys to the professional ranks.  Inevitably, members of the Karolina Diamonds will someday become members of Kappa Alpha Psi and some of them will reach the highest level of professional basketball.  But, as impressive as that will be, we are even more proud of the upstanding citizens that each of them represent. 

 The Karolina Diamonds are a 14 and Under AAU team comprised of rising ninth grade student-athletes from North and South Carolina.  The team was founded by Burlington Alumni Polemarch, Kevin Graves.  Steven Rush, also a Burlington Alumni member and former standout basketball player at North Carolina A&T State University, is a coach as well.  The team has played together for two years and during that time, it has amassed a remarkable record.  The Diamonds have played 73 games on the “National Level,” which is the highest level of AAU basketball in the nation.  They have won 65 games and only lost eight times, by a total of 36 points combined.  [1]    

In July 2012, Graves and Rush took the Diamonds to the National 14 and Under Basketball Championships at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.  During the course of the competition, droves of high major basketball coaches attended.  Some of the attendees represent a “who’s who” of college basketball, including: Coach John Calipari, Coach Rick Pitino and Coach Bill Self, to name a few.  The Diamonds, adorned in black, red and white uniforms, with black and red custom basketball sneakers took to the biggest basketball stage in the nation.  Their uniforms displayed an image of a “diamond” on the shorts and “Diamonds” is written across the chest of the jerseys.

 

The Diamonds started out the tournament, just as they had every other tournament.  They pressured, swarmed, and outplayed teams.  While in Orlando, they won eight games.  Not only did they win the games, but they won by an average margin of victory of over twenty points—that’s domination.  They defeated The Brevard Bulls (FL.) 72-52; The Houston Phenoms (TX) 64-34; Team Lima (OH) 52-36; The Arkansas View Elite (AR) 65-47; Southern Illinois Tigers (IL.) 73-48; Team Texas (TX) 65-49; Team Penny Hardaway [2] (TN) 72-61; DC Assault [3] (DC) 56-39.  The Diamonds advanced to the final game against the Dunk Dog Elite (LA).  The game was televised on ESPN3 and the gymnasium was filled with over 3,000 onlookers.  The seats were filled with college coaches, parents, high school coaches, other AAU teams and other collegiate representatives.  The Diamonds ultimately lost the game by a score of 58-55.

The Diamonds are one of the chapter’s main community service programs.  The brothers of the chapter have supported the Diamonds both financially and otherwise.  However, the lion’s share of the success and credit for the initiative has to go to Kevin Graves and Steve Rush.  These brothers have taught the Diamonds basketball skills and the importance of competitive spirit, as well as non-basketball related values.  They have preached the worth of proper dress etiquette, and the significance in being politically, financially and culturally aware.  Graves and Rush helped teach the Diamonds the importance of education and how their talent can ultimately help them reach financial security by not owing the government for student loans.  They have been encouraged to visit college campuses and have been coached on the nuances of creative writing and SAT preparation.  The Diamonds know that no matter how good they are collectively as a team, or individually, there will come a day when their basketball days are done.  These young men have represented their families, themselves, Burlington Alumni and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated very well.

We will leave you with the Diamonds’ mantra: The Diamonds strive to be the hardest working, mentally toughest, smartest, most unselfish, defensive minded, attack oriented, nastiest team in AAU basketball with no excuses, no complaints and absolutely no shortcuts!

If you are interested in following the Diamonds, or making a tax-deductible contribution, please visit www.karolinadiamonds.bbnow.org.

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[1] Out of their eight losses, they are averaging losing by just over four points per contest.  Meanwhile, of their 65 wins, they have won by an average of over 20 points per contest.

[2] The Diamonds Defeated Team Penny in the Elite Eight.  Ironically, that game matched brother and former NBA great, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway’s team against the Diamonds.

[3] The Diamonds defeated the DC Assault in the Final Four and the game was televised on ESPN3.

95 Live: DJ Premier

If you know me, you know I love good hip hop music.  During my downtime from work, you can almost certainly find me on the couch listening to music.  As much as I love authentic hip hop, I detest “trash” hip hop.  By “trash” hip hop I am referring to music by artists like Soulja Boy, Young Joc, and Bow Wow, among others.  Nowadays, artists make “music” only for the money.  The artistry, passion and love for the hip hop culture seem to get lost in translation. Where did it go?  Why did it go?  I’m not quite sure when hip hop became a skeleton of what it used to be during the golden era (1990’s-early 2000’s).  Jokingly, I blame Master P and his No Limit Soldiers for ushering in trash hip hop.  The corrosion of hip hop has happened over a course of years and not one group is responsible.  Do not get me wrong, I certainly do not believe hip hop is dead or that good music is no longer released.  My point is simply that hip hop purists have to look beyond the mainstream in many cases in order to find quality hip hop.  

When I was in middle and high school, I looked forward to listening to and recording music from the radio.  In those days, hip hop music was not watered down.  It was very much a new phenomenon and artists tried their best to produce music that would elevate them to the top of the hip hop mountain.  I loved the competitive nature back in those days.  Biggie, Mobb Deep, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Wu Tang Clan, Group Home, Big L, DITC, Shyheim, Redman, Das Efx, Jay-Z, Outkast, Big Pun, Beatnuts, Da Lox, M.O.P and so many others competed for hip hop supremacy.  How could an artist seriously not bring his/her A-game with competition at an all time high?  During those days, I yearned for more hip hop.  Nowadays, kids can visit www.youtube.com or www.google.com and find and listen to almost any song ever released.  In the mid to late 1990’s, the 80’s babies did not have that option, so we had to be more creative.  My curiosities for finding more underground hip hop music lead me to an interesting discovery. One night in 1997, while listening to the radio at my parent’s house, I stumbled upon a gem.  At the time, I usually listened to 102.1 but because the station played the same 30 songs over and over and over, I had to find another option. 

I stumbled upon the type of radio show that hip hop dreams are made of.  90.5 was the station and it was broadcast from the campus of North Carolina A & T State University.  I started listening and I realized that I had found an answer to my craving for more underground, authentic hip hop.  The show was called “The Full Moon Block” and it aired every Friday and Saturday from 10:00pm to 2:00am.  Those people reading this post who hail from Winston-Salem probably remember heading to Friday night football games, then going to Pizza Hut or IHOP on University Drive.  After watching the game and eating, there was not much for a 15 year old kid to do, so usually I went home.  Usually, I returned to my parents’ house by 11:00 p.m. or so.  I would come into my room and immediately turn on the Full Moon Block radio show and start recording music.  Now that I think about it, that period of time is precisely when I fell in love with all that is hip hop.  That love of hip hop has never wavered and that brings me to one of the best hip hop moments of my life.

DJ Premier is a legend and he spun at Five Star in Raleigh, North Carolina.  DJ Ninth Wonder, who is a dope producer and DJ in his own right, usually spins each second Friday of each month. The production is called 95 Live.  95 Live is always a night filled with authentic hip hop from the 90’s and I really enjoy it.  Last night was special, however, because DJ Premier was slated to spin.  And spin he did.  His set was so dope; he started out playing songs from his musical catalog.  Not only did he play the songs; he scratched and interacted with the crowd the way you would expect a living legend to do.  As cool as it was to hear Premo at his best, the best part of the night was the atmosphere. The people in attendance were there for the hip hop culture; they were there because they love authentic hip hop.  The scene at 95 Live is atypical for most Raleigh clubs in that it is never a fashion show.  People attend for the good music.  It kind of reminds me of the scene from Brown Sugar when Taye Digg’s character realizes that he lost his passion for real hip hop.  He promptly aligned himself with a real hip hop artist, played by Mos Def and rekindled his passion for real music.  DJ Premier lived up to, and exceeded my expectation, and for that, I am grateful.  If you love hip hop, you should visit 95 Live.  

Peace

Rick Ross God Forgives I Don't: Album Review

Rick Ross may not be the most lyrical artist, but he manages to produce some of the best contemporary hip hop albums.  The comparisons to the late, great Notorious B.I.G are premature and need to stop.  Although similarities exist between the two; most of the similarities are cosmetic and not important.  Ross is criticized because people say he is not “real” because he worked as a Correctional Officer at a Florida correctional facility.  In short, who cares?  How many people know the celebrities they support?  I’ll wait.  People must realize that artists are first and foremost entertainers and do not necessarily live the image they portray.  Regardless of his level of street credibility, Rick Ross’ latest album is very good.  It combines stellar production with great lyrics and an overall authentic feel.

The album is full of famous guest appearances.  The list includes a “who’s who” of both great and upstart emcees including, Jay-Z, Nas, Andre 3000, Dr. Dre and upstart artist, Meek Mill.  Ross almost produced a compilation album and interestingly, he gets outshined on almost every song that features another rap heavy weight.  Rick Ross also included R&B heavyweights John Legend and Usher.  That, in itself, shows the level of respect fellow artists have for Ross. There are not a lot of hip hop artists that can boast the guest list that he can on this album.  He has truly evolved as an artist.  I still remember going to a Miami night club when “Hustlin” was first released. 

My favorite song on the album is also my favorite song of 2012.  In fact, Andre 3000’s verse on “Sixteen” is the best verse I have heard in a number of years.  When 3000 displays the kind of precision, skill and wizardry as he does on “Sixteen,” you wonder why he does not release his own album.  Andre’s verse is by far the best on the entire album.  That is a big statement considering that Jay-Z and Nas both have memorable verses on the album.  On the song, Andre 3000 tells one of the most clear, candid stories I have ever heard.  Slick Rick would be proud.  He rhymes: “I feel right at home, you’ll sitting right at home all Kelly green with envy while I’m jelly beans descending into the palm of a child, looks up at mama and smiles with such a devilish grin, like “where the hell have you been” she yelling selling’s a sin, well so is telling young men that selling is a sin, if you don’t offer new ways to win, a dolphin gon shake his fin, regardless if he get in or out of water, most important thing is for him to swim and Flipper didn’t hold his nose, so why shall I hold my tongue . . . ?  Even if you do not like Rick Ross, please do yourself a favor and listen to 3000’s verse on “Sixteen.”

My next favorite song is “Rich Forever” featuring John Legend.  If you heard Rick Ross’ “Rich Forever” mixtape, you already know what the song is about.  If not, you are in for a treat.  Ross begins the song in an awkward manner; he basically tells a story by talking as opposed to rapping.  He does a lot of bragging and rhyming about his personal belongings, but, it fits the name of the song.  My favorite line from the song is: Big face Rolie, rose gold cost 40, platinum twenty-one, it’s time to go and spoil shorty, you only live once I’m screaming YOLO in the V.I. . . 

Another one of my favorite songs is “3 Kings.”  This song features Jay-Z and Dr. Dre, two serious hip hop heavyweights.  Jay-Z is arguably the greatest hip hop artist ever to bless the microphone and Dr. Dre is arguably the greatest hip hop producer.  I listened to Dr. Dre’s “the Chronic” and Snoop Dogg’s “Doggy Style” the other day, and Dre has been producing classic projects for well over 15 years.  That said, Dr. Dre is an amazing producer.  I certainly understand the point Ross was trying to prove by naming the song 3 Kings.  However, I only see two kings and maybe one pawn (no shade Ross), but it is still a great song.  My favorite line from this song comes from Jay-Z.  He rhymes: Been hoppin out the BM with your BM, taking her places you can’t go with your per diem, screaming carpe diem until I’m a dead poet, Robin Williams s**t I deserve a Golden Globe b***h!

A few other notable tracks are “Pirates,” “Diced Pineapples,” and “Triple Beam Dreams.”  This album is definitely worth purchasing.  Support Real Hip Hop.

Peace