I am sitting on my couch watching the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets game. This game is not boring, but for some reason, I am not able to focus. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that this game has no significance and I know both teams will be in the playoffs. As I looked to the right of my television, I saw one of my favorite DVDs, House Party. It is absolutely one of my all-time favorite movies. I watched it for the millionth time this past weekend. And, no matter how many times I watch it, I still laugh and enjoy it like it is my first time seeing it. That is the sign of a classic; that is the same feeling I get when I listen to Illmatic, Ready to Die, or Reasonable Doubt. The movie also makes me reminisce to my childhood. Many of House Party's cast members made their respective debuts into the entertainment field. And, it shows that a low budget movie can produce big box office results. Think about the great entertainers who starred in the movie. Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Kid N Play, Robin Harris, John Witherspoon, A.J. Johnson and Daryl Mitchell. Martin Lawrence's career blossomed after his role in House Party. He has had one of the most successful Hollywood careers of all the cast members. That is somewhat ironic because Kid N Play were the bigger stars during the early 1990s. Kid N Play recorded several studio albums and starred in other movies. Tisha Campbell was Martin's co-star in their hit television show, Martin. Witherspoon has made a career of his nappy hair and inappropriate jokes. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Kid decides to sneak out of his dad's house, even though his dad told him he could not leave. Each time I watch the movie, I wonder why he did not put his foot over the letter that was delivered to his house. If he had thought quickly on his feet, his dad would have never known about his little altercation at school, and he could have avoided the proverbial beat down coming his way. In the alternative, I always thought he could have told his father his version of the story. That would have taken the sting out of his situation at school and he would have probably been able to attend the party. But, had either of those things occurred, the movie's plot would have been totally different. Consequently, the movie probably would not have been any good. I digress. What is your favorite scene from the movie? If I asked 100 people this question, 98 would probably say the famous dance scene at the party. That party was so live. It reminded me of college when some of my best friends hosted house parties at their town house. As much as I like and appreciate the dance scene, I am a hip hop head, and therefore the rap battle is my favorite scene. A runner-up scene is when Bilal is mixing and scratching and Chill keeps bumping into the table. "Chill, don't bump the table"!
If you have not seen this movie, you need to check it out. It is just as relevant now as it was when it was released in 1990. Peace
I love this time of the year for a number of reasons. The weather is great and you can watch basketball almost everyday of the week. Some say that the NBA season is too long and that the players do not give maximum effort during the regular season. As a result, they do not watch NBA games until the playoffs. I, however, love the game. I cannot recall a time, nor will there ever be a time when I do not enjoy watching basketball. That said, let's discuss some playoff basketball. Eastern Conference The Eastern Conference championship will run through the city of Miami. The Heat have had an outstanding season. They were able to win the championship last year when they relied heavily on injured players including: Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Mike Miller. This year, however, the Heat are healthy. D. Wade has regained the form that made him an MVP candidate. He has been the picture of efficiency and is shooting over 50% from the field. Chris Bosh is enjoying a great year on the court as well. As if those players have not impressive enough, the Heat's bench players have been producing. Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Norris Cole, Mike Miller, Chris Anderson and even Rashad Lewis seem to be on a mission. Oh, and there is some guy named Lebron James who is pretty good. The New York Knicks are another team that has had a very nice run this year. Mike Woodson has done an excellent job. He has dealt with injuries, and other controversy that comes with coaching one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith are carrying the offensive load. Tyson Chandler has anchored the defense and they look to be a formidable team going forward. They have experienced a great deal of success against the Heat in the regular season. However, if they advance to the Eastern Conference finals agains the Heat, they will lose in 5 games. Their team is too one dimensional and I believe Lebron and Shane Battier can slow Carmelo and he will become a high volume, low percentage shooter. New York will not beat Miami. Western Conference The Western Conference playoff picture is not as clear. I think there are three teams that could win the Western Conference title. Of those three teams, Oklahoma City has to be the favorite. The other two teams are the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers. But, I also think the Spurs and Clippers could just as easily lose in the first or second round depending on match-ups. For instance, if the Los Angeles Lakers can regroup, they would be a tough matchup for the Spurs in the first round. If the Clippers play the Grizzlies in the first round, I think they may make an early exit from the playoffs. The Grizzlies style of play is very physical and they will make the Clippers play a half court game, which does not suit them well. The Thunder are the clear favorites out west. Although they lost James Harden, Westbrook and Durant have made improvements to their games. And, Kevin Martin has played well. They can win playing a fast paced game, or in a half court game because they will almost always have an overwhelming advantage at the point guard and wing positions, respectively. Barring serious injuries to any of their core players, they should represent the west in the NBA Championship. Eventual Champion The Miami Heat will once again win the NBA championship. Their team is too deep and they have the best player in the game. As good as LBJ was last year, he has been even better this year. Peace
Basketball is a competitive sport that often brings out the best qualities in people. However, the pressure of winning and impact of losing can have quite the opposite impact. I watched a video today that is shocking, to say the least. The video showed a Rutgers basketball coach throwing basketballs and even kicking his players. He did not stop at the physical abuse; he also yelled and berated his players, even calling some of them derogatory names. While watching the video, I kept waiting (or maybe wishing) for one of the players to react aggressively towards their coach. But, when I thought about it, it made sense that the players chose the high road. They were probably afraid of losing their scholarships. Where were the assistant coaches and other university personnel who witnessed the abuse? Someone should have intervened. The incident reminded me of the way Bobby Knight often behaved while coaching at the University of Indiana. Knight has been the poster child for inappropriate behavior among college coaches. He is known for yelling, cursing and disrespecting players, referees, members of the media and any other person who dared to get in his way during his infamous rants. On one occasion, he threw a chair onto the floor of a basketball game. He was given unabashed control over his basketball program and to his credit, he was very successful. However, He was given the proverbial boot when a video surfaced of him choking one of his players. I agree that players should be mentally and physically tough. This is especially important for student-athletes playing in programs that are subjected to high levels of media scrutiny each year. However, there is a difference between being tough and being abused. Some coaches are given the ability to do the latter. That is never okay. The abusing party should be responsible for his actions, but I think the problem is larger than a single coach or even the the respective sports program. In some cases, it is an institutional problem. The pressure placed on coaches by athletic directors and boosters is too great at times. This causes some people to do things that are not in their character. It is odd because the university helps create the problem, then when the coach loses his cool, they are fired. It does not seem fair, but I guess life is not fair. One thing is for sure, with the popularity of social media and the internet in general, I would not be surprised if these videos continue to surface. If you have not seen the video, check it out below.
The other day I was reading an article on www.bleacherreport.com when I came across an article about Michael Jordan's prenuptial agreement with his fiancé. His first marriage ended in divorce and he paid his ex-wife, Jaunita, $160,000,000.00 to settle their post marital affairs. For most people that settlement amount would be considered fair. However, there are some people who believe that she deserved half of Jordan's massive empire. Either way, with his new marriage, Jordan has entered into a prenuptial agreement. The terms of the agreement provides that his fiancé would receive one million dollars per year for every year they are married. Once they have been married ten years, she would receive five million dollars per year for each year thereafter. So, if they are married for 12 years and then are divorced, she would receive 20 million dollars. What is a prenuptial agreement? It is a legal contract between two parties before being married. These agreements can cover many things including real or personal property and cash investments. Reading about Michael Jordan's agreement made me think about these contractual agreements. Would I sign one? Would I ask someone to sign one? Would I be offended if someone asked me to sign one? Would you sign a prenuptial agreement? The answer to all these questions is the same for most people-it depends. The main argument in favor of prenuptial agreements is that the agreements guarantee a certain degree of protection for the party with the most assets. When properly drafted, these agreements ensure that the distribution of property will be reasonable. However, Reasonable minds can differ with respect to what is "reasonable." Some compare these agreements to homeowner's insurance policies. For instance, how many people purchase homeowner's insurance policies because they believe their homes will be destroyed? By comparison, how many people enter into a marriage believing that it will not stand the test of time? I think the answer to both questions is "No." There are a few arguments against prenuptial agreements. I think the biggest argument is that people believe that entering into a prenuptial agreement means that the parties do not believe that their marriages will be successful. The other argument against these agreements is that they only consider tangible things such as personal or real property. These agreements do not consider intangible qualities such as love and marital vowels. I understand and respect arguments on both sides. Under the right circumstances, I believe prenuptial agreements are reasonable and necessary. Peace
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
