The Gold Medal Men’s Basketball Game was one for the Ages

If you’re a basketball fan and you didn’t stay up last night to watch the Men’s Basketball Gold Medal Game between USA and Spain, you missed something amazing.  It was an incredible game that contained highlight-reel plays literally in every minute, from both teams.  The guys on USA were determined not to see another game go up in smoke like the previous losses of in the Worlds and the Olympics for the last 8 years; the guys on Spain were determined to show that they could win even after a 30+ point loss the previous time the two teams met. 

You can watch the highlights from the USA side, and you can pretty much see every amazing play (albeit without context) that Team USA had, but it’s a joke that this video doesn’t include anything from Spain.  Not only was their determination inspiring, but they had some plays that took me out off my couch, including a monsterous dunk by Rudy Fernandez over Dwight Howard, and some amazing clutch plays by the Gasol brothers.  When you watch the NBC highlight reel you think the game was a blowout, but keep an eye on the score and you’ll see that Spain was within two during the 4th quarter, and within 4 at 2 minutes left- this was a game down to the wire.

One quick note – it’s great that NBC broadcast all of the Olympics streaming free online, but their tight control over the content is a joke.  I couldn’t embed the highlights here (they could have included advertising in the embed); I couldn’t even embed a photo from them.  Also, Yahoo! Sports and ESPN essentially have no visual content available, which I presume is do to lockout.  The best you can get in terms of pictures is the great photo journals over at Newsweek (where all these pictures are from).

USA Mens Basketball Redeems Themselves With Win Over Greece

This is what a resounding victory looks like over Greece after being devastated by them 2 years ago at the Worlds.

Paul Pierce shows he has the heart of a champion

Last night an incredible basketball season ended with the Celtics completely decimating the Lakers - a 6 game finals where Kobe showed little of his expected greatness and a playoffs where many war-torn veterans that became the '08 Celtics showed what it is to put your heart into winning.

I have a hard time rooting for Boston teams - mostly because the fans can be infuriating, and going to college in Boston when you're not a Boston sports fan can be painful. Plus, its hard to think the city deserves more, after the recent string of Red Sox and Patriots. Also there are a lot of reasons the players on the Celtics should drive me crazy - Pierce and Iverson went toe to toe for several years, Ray Allen was on the '01 Bucks when Carl accused the NBA of cheating to make the Sixers a feel good series, and Cassel I flat out don't like (for his part on the Bucks as well).

But watching Garnett, Allen, and Pierce over the last month has been inspiring in terms of heart in sports, and all of them deserve a title in their career. Garnett fought so hard for the Timberwolves when they had nothing, and Pierce fought so hard for the Celtics through thick and thin - loyalty to a city and a team is rare in modern sports and you have to respect it when it's there. Bill Simmons captures the feeling when we watched Paul Pierce during the playoffs, from his smile at the free-throw line during the early round, to his roar holding up the trophy at the end, and you just have to respect and feel a little bit of love towards him today:

"We watched that guy grow up. We watched him become a man. We believed
in him, we gave up on him, and we believed in him again. I don't mean
to sound like the old man in "Pretty Woman," but part of me wanted to
walk on the court Tuesday night and just tell Pierce, "It's hard for me
to say this without sounding condescending, but I'm proud of you." The
guy gave us everything he had, altered his NBA tombstone, earned a
place in the rafters and brought us a 17th title -- just like he
promised, by the way -- and his sterling play in Games 4 and 5 ranks
among the all-time greatest Celtic performances. We spend so much time
complaining about sports and being disappointed that our favorite
players never end up being who we wanted them to be, but in Pierce's
case, he became everything we wanted him to be. When he held up
the Finals MVP trophy after the game and screamed to the crowd in
delight, I don't think I've ever been happier for a Boston athlete. How
many guys stick with a crummy franchise for 10 solid years, then get a
chance to lead that same team to a championship? Does that EVER happen
in sports anymore?"

The NBA Age Requirement

The NBA is considering raising the age limit to 20, from 19 this last season - an Idea that I tend to support. The common argument against it is how can we restrict an athlete from making money if his family needs it, but that's not really what's happening...it's more about making sure a person that is stepping into high-demand, high-intensity, high-profile, high-stress situation is capable handling it, and capability of handling it in a public spotlight. The NBA is business, and it has a responsibility to its customers and its partners, and "hiring" people before they're ready to fulfill all aspects of the job is the wrong decision - for all parties. It's the best interest for everyone if a person matures, gains an education, etc. Maybe not always, but rules are devised for the masses, and it seems likely that the greatest utility comes from an age range. Mark Cuban writes today on his blog:

Raising the minimum age is not about talent, its about maturity. Maturity matters to this league. Mature players are marketable players. Mature players generate far less strain on the league. Mature players can take care of themselves. Mature players understand the business of the NBA and how they can positively impact it to their own benefit.

I would add to it that maturity matters to the players themselves, and to the fans that enable them to make such gross amounts of money.

The Sixers Clinch a Playoff Spot!

  

After a 3 year hiatus, the Sixers have clinched a playoff spot!  They're currently battling for 5th place in the standings, and could end up playing the Pistons, Magic, or Cavs in the first round - not sure who I prefer.  I'll be at one of the last games of the season, Sixers vs. Cavs, in Philly next week.

Iverson returns to Philly for the first time

Allen Iverson returns to Philly to play against the Sixers for the first time since he was traded over a year ago. I hope to see Philly fans cheer for him when he walks onto the court, I hope to see the Sixers beat him while he's on the court, and I hope that they come together after the game. ESPN has several features discussing Iverson's career, and I think they got it right. He is a one of a kind player, he has never shown anything but heart, he makes you believe that he tries with every ounce of his energy, and that is what makes him so inspiring as an athlete. 2000 - 01 NBA season is one of my favorite memories, hanging out with 20 friends every playoff game, people who didn't care about basketball getting into every minute as he went one-on-one with Vince Carter. I thought when he was traded that it was the right thing for Iverson and the Sixers both - while I never wanted to give up seeing him up close, and I never wanted to root for him wearing other colors, I don't think he or the Sixers would have found any more success than they had in '01 together (at least with Billy King around), and they needed to go their separate ways to realize their own dreams. Philly is a team still in Iverson's vision - grit, effort, hustle - and they're winning, but with no-name players, and no single all star. Iverson is shooting a higher percentage, passing more, and turning over less than he ever has. If the Sixers make the play-offs and the Nuggets don't it will be Ironic, and somewhat unfair given how well the Nuggets have played compared to the East teams. I'm psyched about the Sixers success and I'm sad for Iverson that he may not see the success he deserves. I have only love for him as a player, and I hope the city shows him love too.

Make sure to read Sheridan's article on memories of Iverson, specifically his Olympic re-cap.

Also check out the statistical projections that show the Sixers as slightly favored over the Nuggets tonight.

Sixers Flying Up the NBA Power Rankings

ESPN - NBA Basketball Power Rankings - National Basketball Association: "11 (14) 76ers 33-34 March Madness, indeed. The Sixers are 7-1 this month and 15-4 since falling 12 games under .500 on Feb. 4. That adds up to some tasty revenge for not having a single representative in All-Star Weekend events."

The sixers have almost broken the top-10, are almost in the top third; this is a far cry from their 28/30 ranking back at the end of the first month of basketball, when Andre Iguodala was quoted as saying "We suck in practice too"; no they're flying up the standings, playing with hart, showing improvement across the board.

And they're winning against big teams; it doesn't mean they're going to beat them in the playoffs, but it's enough to give me hope. I couldn't be more psyched.

A Sick Kobe - Gasole - Odom Play, Lakers vs. Heat 2/28/08

Check out the amazing play that Kobe, Pau Gasole, and Lamar Odom pulled off last night - a steal, an over-the-shoulder pass, a behind-the-back pass, and a slam - one of the best plays I've seen all season.

The Ridiculous NBA Trade Season

According to ESPN, "43 players changed uniforms in February, with an amazing 19 teams involved in trades"; Shaq is now in Pheonix, Pau is now in LA, Marion is now in Miami, Ben Wallace is now in Cleveland, Kidd is now in Dallas, Bibby is now in Atlanta, the list goes on and on. This isn't even counting and off-season that saw Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett BOTH get traded to the Celtics. 2007 - 2008 has been a ridiculous NBA season - there are exciting players, exciting teams, exciting GM's - Usually by the last third of the season I'm worn out from Basketball, but in the last few weeks I've gotten more and more into it again. Philly is showing everyone up by being a young exciting team that is actually competing for a playoff spot (They are 8th seed right now, albeit in the East) when ESPN/SI basically picked them as the ONLY team in the east that had NO shot at a playoff spot. Even this year's dunk contest, with Dwight Howard and Gerald Green, was too a new level of imagination and competition.

Everything about the NBA this year, as a Fan experience, has been great, with the exception of the fact that I live in New York City and to watch basketball live means I have to go to see the Knicks, which is a combination of slow torture and uncomfortable sleep.

NBA Players Say Kwame Brown Does the Least with his Talent

The Sports Illustrated Players Poll last week (1/21/08 issue) was interesting - of 242 NBA players surveyed, 17% said Kwame Brown is the player that "gets the least out of the most talent." Kwame Brown if you remember was the 1st pick in the draft by Michael Jordan when he headed up the Washington Wizards organization - and the first high school player to be drafted number 1. People often attribute that pressure and Michael Jordan returning to the NBA to play with him in order to 'win now' for stunting his growth. Years later Jordan is retired, Kwame Brown is on the Lakers, and is averaging under 5 points per game.

Other players on the list - Tim Thomas (10%), Eddy Curry (7%), Vince Carter (6%), Darko Milicic (5%). I guess my question is - for Kwame, Curry, and Darko - do players really see flashes of brilliance in them that should make us believe they have the talent to excel, just as scouts did, or are they just going on hype? Also the Vince Carter mention is particularly poignant given numbers he's put up over his career. Still, he was a joke in Toronto when he decided not to care, and his success in any game seems to come down to if he's interested in the game or not. When he wants to, he's unstoppable, but when he chooses not to drive to the basket, and sit outside jacking shots, he's underwhelming. I guess everyone in the NBA seems to notice.

I wonder if players read Sports Illustrated...

Photo: Lakers vs. Clippers 11/21/06
Originally uploaded by Vaguely Artistic.

The Sixers are better than everyone thought

The Sixers were picked by some to be the only team in the East guaranteed not to make the playoffs.  a few months later they're 12-16, which actually makes them on the verge of a playoff spot (number 8 is Cleveland is 13-16), and they're 7-3 in the last 10.  The new GM hasn't made any moves but maybe it's enough to raise spirits and motivate, which is what I'd like to see - there are a lot of young talented guys on the Sixers and letting them develop this year is just what we need.  Above is a shot of Iguodala's game winning shot from the other night.

Watch TNT NBA Games Online

  Apparently you can watch TNT's Thursday night NBA game broadcast directly online - I haven't confirmed this but if I can remember I'll try to check it out this week.  ESPN is already doing it if you already have the right carrier, so I'm basically just live streaming sports-center away from not needing a cable TV subscription.

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Tim Duncan Cares More About the Team Than Money (Unlike the rest of the NBA)

Tim Duncan is reportedly going to accept a $20 million per year contract extension that will keep him on the Spurs until 2012. This is significantly under the max contract he could receive, reportedly up to $10 million less. It's nice to hear an all-star player say that he cares more about finishing his career with his team, and that he wants them to have the flexibility to sign other players in the future. It's nice to hear someone give a little for the betterment of the team, and to show that it's not all about the dollars - not that $20 million per year is anything to scoff at.

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The 76ers Show Heart This Season

So the NBA season ended yesterday, and the Sixers went 35-47.  While that looks pretty bad, the story starts on game 27, after Allen Iverson was traded for Joe Smith, Andre Miller, and draft picks.  The trade changed the face of the Sixers, and it was horrible to see him go, but Iverson, the Sixers, and Philly fans all knew the team wouldn't work anymore going in the direction it was.  So he was traded to Denver, and Chris Webber was bought out.

With Andre Miller at the helm and Andre Iguodala as the star, The Sixers went 30-26.  Iguodala went 19.5 - 6 - 5.7 after the all-star break.  And The Sixers ended in a tie for 9th place in the East.

Had the Sixers played with this team all season, they would be in 6th place.  Now they go into  next season with 3 draft picks in a deep draft.  Some people wanted to see them dive after Iverson to try to get Durant or Ogden, but playing with heart and showing what you're made of after so much is impressive.  I'm looking forward to next year-

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