So, the other day, I asked some friends to name their favorite basketball movie. My question received many different answers. Blue Chips, Love and Basketball, Sunset Park, He Got Game, Coach Carter and White Men Can't Jump each received serious consideration. However, the movie mentioned the most is Above the Rim. It is also my all time favorite basketball movie. I still remember my first time seeing the movie. My mother took me to the movie theater on Reynolda Road in Winston-Salem to (Can't remember the name of the theater) see this movie when it was released in 1994. To provide some context for my love of the movie, I have to explain where I was mentally at that point in life. I was 12 years old and I had recently begun a life long love affair with the game of basketball. I started playing organized basketball in the 6th grade, which was about a year or so before this movie was released. I had hoop dreams and thought I would eventually play major college basketball. I knew it would require hard work and dedication. Kyle Watson, the extremely talented, yet impressionable, star of the movie faced many issues a top recruit faces. Honestly, I thought I might someday face similar challenges. When I think about the great basketball movies that have been released over the years, Above The Rim has the most authentic basketball scenes. That probably has a lot to do with the players/actors involved in the movie. Duane Martin was actually an excellent basketball player who played for the New York Knicks for a short stint, before sustaining an injury that shortened his career.I believe Wood Harris or "Motar" can really play basketball. "Speedy" was also a really well respected playground basketball player in New York City's famed Rucker Park. Leon is also a really good basketball player. That distinguishes this movie from Sunset Park and Coach Carter. Although those movies are good, the star actors looked clumsy, and awkward during basketball scenes.
I was in the gym last night and I heard two guys debating about who they believed to be the best player in the NBA. One guy made a compelling case for Lebron, while the other guy made a life time achievement argument for Kobe. It was the kind of discussion that never leads to any reasonable conclusion because the Kobe fan refused to acknowledge obvious good points advanced by the Lebron fan. I digress. Whether you like the Heat or hate them, you have to admit that they have been on quite a streak of late. Tonight, they won their 20th game in a row. That is tied for the third best streak in the history on the NBA. Some may say the streak does not matter; but, I would beg to differ. Sure, the playoffs are where teams succeed or fall short. But, the Heat really seem to be peaking at the right time. The excitement and momentum they have flowing right now will help them when the playoffs start in April. During the 20 game streak, they have defeated many good teams. They have won blowout games, close games, overtime games and any other type of game in between. Lebron and Dwyane Wade have been playing excellent basketball. We must also acknowledge the fact that the Heat's best players have been healthy. Many people, including myself, had all but written D. Wade off as too old and a step slow. I think it is clear that he is still an elite player when he is healthy. This year, by in large, he has been healthy and he has put together an excellent season. During the streak, the Heat beat the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are likely the second best team in the Eastern Conference and will provide the toughest challenge to the Heat's playoff run in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers have size in their front court with David West and Roy Hibbert that could help them win the rebound battle. They also have two wings players that have enough athleticism to at least compete with LBJ and Wade. That said, I think people really gave the Pacers too much credit last year in the playoffs. Let's face it, Bosh was not playing and Spoelstra did not display his best coaching effort. I think the Heat are a much better team and they will be able to impose their will on the Pacers in the event they meet in the playoffs. I think Miami would win the series four games to one. Peace
I have been extremely busy the past few weeks, so I have not been able to write much. The weekend before last, I went to Charlotte for the CIAA tournament. By the time I returned to the RDU area Sunday afternoon (Nas and DMX concert day), I was exhausted. I honestly did not know if I would be able to muster enough energy to enjoy the concert. Thank God I was wrong. I stopped at Starbuck's and purchased a grande refresh tea. I do not know what extra ingredients were included in that tea, but I felt revived after drinking it. By the time I arrived at my boy's house, it was nearly 6:00 p.m. and almost time to head to the show. When we arrived at the show, the fact that I was about two see two living legends perform finally dawned on me. I thought about all the years I had listened to Nas and DMX, but had never seen either perform. Nas is in my top five emcees of all time. When I put it all into perspective, I knew I would be in for a great night. That said, I was a little nervous that DMX would not show up. His problems with drugs and the law are well chronicled. DMX was supposed to perform at 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. came and went and DMX was not on the stage. My confidence in him was fleeting, but he ended up coming to the stage about 8:00 p.m. and absolutely tearing it down. His performance was exactly what I thought it would be like. If I had to describe his performance in one word it would be "ENERGY." He did not have a hype man; he came to the stage and controlled the crowd by himself. I think that is the true definition of an emcee. Someone who can move the crowd. He did songs from his first album, It's Dark and Hell is Hot as well as more current songs. Nas was the headliner. Again, Nas is one of my favorite artists of all time. I hope he would perform tracks off of Illmatic. When he arrived to the stage, he was on his A-game. He performed songs from Illmatic to Stillmatic. He even performed his verse from the song of "Live from the BBQ." He performed for about an hour and his dialogue in between his songs was always relevant and interesting. After seeing him and Jay-Z perform, I cannot say who is the better performer. They are both great in their own right and I am glad I had the opportunity to see Nas perform for the first time. I hope to see him perform again on a bigger stage, such as New York. Peace
When Michael Jordan for the second (should have been last time) in 1998, the NBA went through a transition period. At some point, Kobe Bryant, Lebron, D Wade, Chris Paul, and other top players will retire. What will the landscape of the NBA look like when these players are gone? Who will pick up the slack and carry the NBA on their backs? Fortunately for the fans of the game, there are many worthy candidates who are all 25 years old or younger. Kevin Durant
The obvious and easy choice is Mr. Durant. At the age of 24, he is already a three time NBA scoring champion. This year alone he is on the cusp of being the first player in NBA history to lead the league is scoring while shooting at least fifty percent from the field, at least ninety percent from the free throw line and at least forty percent from the three point line. He is easily the best player on this list and I think he will eventually be remembered as a top ten all time talent.
Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose is another very talented player under the age of 25. He won the league MVP award in 2011. He has really improved his shooting ability and he is (or at least was before the injury) the most athletic point guard in the league. I hope he is able to return to his MVP form when he returns from his 2012 knee injury. The Chicago Bulls' hopes for winning a championship rest squarely on his shoulders. I think Chi-town's best is prepared for the challenge. James Harden
James Harden played his position as talented sixth man for the OKC Thunder for a number of years. But, when he saw an opportunity to become the franchise player for the Houston Rockets, he took full advantage. He is the fourth leading scorer in the league. He is a better player than Russell Westbrook and more under control. I think the Thunder made a mistake by keeping Westbrook and trading Harden. Either way, Harden will wreak havoc on the rest of the league for the foreseeable future. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie is an incredible talent and a player that many people thought was overrated when he was selected as the 2011 number one overall draft pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After all, he only played 11 games for Duke University. That should have been a sign that this kid was special though. He combines the handle of a player like Chris Paul (ask Brandon Knight), with the athleticism of Derrick Rose and the shooting touch of Steve Nash. This guy has a chance to be one of the best point guards in the history of the game. CP3 is still the best point guard in the league, but Kyrie will be challenging his position within the next 3 or 4 years.
It is hard to believe Michael Jordan is 50 years old. I still vividly remember watching him dominate the competition. It does not seem like it was that long ago. In every game I watched him play, it was obvious he wanted to win no matter the cost. As great as some of the newer stars have been, none of them can match Jordan's passion to prove over and over that he was the best. He never became complacent. He still remains the standard upon which all great players are judged. Harold Minor, Grant Hill, Anfernee Hardaway, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant. What do these players have in common? They were hailed as the next Michael Jordan. The only player on this list who can even be mentioned in the same breath as M.J. is Kobe Bryant. And even he falls considerably short. Jordan is probably the most competitive basketball player (and maybe athlete) of all time. He refused to lose. He did not take plays off and he never "coasted" through games. Even if he was not scoring 40 points, he was defending (and shutting down) the other team's best perimeter player. I would be remiss if I did not at least mention Lebron James in this post. He is widely considered the greatest basketball player in the world. He recently had a streak where he posted six games in a row where he recorded at least thirty points and shot at least sixty percent from the field. His performance over the streak incited the media and had some members asking if his six game streak was the best streak in the history of the game. It was quite surprising to me that the media would jump to such a quick conclusion. Of course Lebron's streak is not the best. Michael Jordan had a streak of 10 triple doubles in the span of 11 games. If that happened today, the media discussion would be unworldly and never ending. People forget how dominant Jordan was as a player. Fans who never saw Jordan play can easily make this mistake. It is no different than my generation hearing about Wilt Chamberlain's dominance, but never seeing it with our own eyes. Some of Wilt's accomplishments almost become folk lore or urban legend. That really makes it easy to marginalize their accomplishments or to dismiss them as fluff. Jordan played during a time when social media did not exist. If you missed a live telecast of a game, you were unable to go to Youtube or Espn.com to see the highlights. Twitter, Facebook and other internet based sites had not been created. If these devices were available during his time, I do not think there would ever be a question as to who is the greatest of all time. Peace
If you have been following my blog over the past year, you have probably noticed that I am not a big football fan. I have never blogged about any football game or football related issue. However, today is not a normal day. Today is the Superbowl. Before sitting down to watch the game, there were so many story lines that made the game worth watching. Outside of actual game, Ray Lewis has been at the center of media coverage. The media was very interested in whether the 49ers young and relatively inexperienced quarterback would be able to produce on the biggest stage. How would John and Jim Harbaugh prepare their respective teams for the big showdown? Although I am not a huge football fan, I am not oblivious to the sport. That said, I am well aware of Ray Lewis and his many accomplishments. He has been a warrior in the NFL for 17 years and it would be great to see him finish his last season with another Super Bowl ring. Ray is obviously a first-ballot-hall-of-famer. He may very well be remembered as the best defensive player in the history of the NFL. Jim and John Harbaugh are two brothers who have led their respective teams to the top of the NFL mountain. The Harbaugh family must be very proud. Talk about a house divided. As a family member, how do you choose a team to root for? Although I respect Ray Lewis and everything he has done for the NFL, I would not be mad if the 49ers win because Colin Kaepernick is a member of my fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. As the saying goes, "Nupes Win." We shall see. The commercials were a bit of a let down this year. I can usually count on at least three of four hilarious commercials. My favorite of recent history is the Doritos commercial when the little kid slapped the guy who was dating his mother. When the guy tried to take one of his Doritos, he completely lost it. "Keep your hands off my mama; keep your hands off my Doritos." Hilarious.
A few questions. (1) Who is your favorite Wu-Tang Clan member? (2) Who is the best lyricist? (3) Who is the most influential member? (4) Who had the best solo career? A few answers. (1) Raekwon. (2) Ghostface. (3) ODB. (4) Ghostface. Wu-Tang Clan is one the greatest groups ever assembled. Nine rappers from the same neighborhood. Wow. In most groups, there is usually one or two guys who are really good emcees. Think about Tribe Called Quest. Q-Tip and Phife did all the heavy lifting. What about Naughty by Nature? Treach was the catalyst. Even R&B groups are similarly created. Think about the Jackson 5, and New Edition. Each of the nine members of the Wu were good emcees. Rza, Gza, Method Man, ODB (deceased), Raekwon, U-God,Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and U-God. Yep. My favorite Wu member is Raekwon "the chef." His first album, Only Built for Cuban Linx is arguably the best solo release from any Wu member. He has always combined great lyrical content with an impeccable delivery. He has so many great songs, so it is impossible for me to pick just one. However, C.R.E.A.M. is definitely near the top of my list. Verbal Intercourse and Incarcerated Scarfaces are a few of my other favorite Raekwon songs. Ghostface Killah. Where do I start with this guy? Ghost absolutely has one of the best flows of any member of the Wu. Him and Rae rhyme in codes that are not always so easy to decipher. One of the things I like most about Ghost is his ability to be witty and funny all without compromising his impeccable flow. He has too many classic songs to choose just one. All That I Got is You featuring Mary J Blige is one of Ghost's best songs. Mighty Healthy off his LP, Supreme Clientele, is one of his best songs. Although Rae and Ghost are my favorite Wu Members, many other members have contributed to the lore of the Wu by releasing outstanding solo projects. Liquid Swords (GZA), Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version ODB), and Tical (Method Man)are all excellent albums. The group collaborations are crazy as well- Enter the 36 Chambers and Wu-Tang Forever. Peace
