Lebron James

The NBA league pass is awesome, but nothing beats a good TNT double-header.

Tonight, we get a great TNT double-header.

The night starts off with Cleveland at Miami. I’ve written this before, but LeBron vs. Wade is the best head-to-head matchup to watch in the NBA right now. These guys always bring out the best in each other.

Continue reading "Great TNT Double-Header Tonight"

LeBron James makes his only trip to Madison Square Garden tonight. 

For the past two seasons there has been plenty of talk about LeBron bolting his hometown of Cleveland for the bright lights of New York City. 

Continue reading "LeBron Makes His Only Trip to "The Garden" Tonight"

The once infamous Lebron James getting dunked on tape is finally out for all to see. But all you see is a bunch of hype over nothing. Like the rest of the sports world, I had built up this monu

Continue reading "Lebron James dunked on hype"

The once infamous Lebron James getting dunked on tape is finally out for all to see. But all you see is a bunch of hype over nothing. Like the rest of the sports world, I had built up this monu

Continue reading "Xavier's Jordan dunks over Lebron James all hype"

Ok, sure LeBron and Kobe are the 2 best players on the planet, but why this rivalry all of a sudden?  Yes, it's good promotion for the league, however, the 2 have never played really meaningful g

Continue reading "Why LeBron vs Kobe?"

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

Steroids has officially gone postal.

The list of all-star players who have been revealed to be using steroids: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, now.......MANNY RAMIREZ.

Continue reading "Manny being Manny: The Latest twist ..."

Say Swine Flu keeps spreading. Say it gets worse, like "Outbreak" worse, and the majority of people in the US get it, including LeBron James. I still don't think I could beat him one-on-one. Even if it was first to score. Or if we played "PIG." Remember when Jordan had the flu in the '88 playoffs, and he dropped 47 against the Knicks, AT the Garden??? We spectators/bloggers/sports fans seriously over-estimate the flu. If LeBron had swine flu, not only would he stuff me like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

Continue reading "LeBron could beat me with Swine Flu"

I'm a Kobe fan. Huge Kobe fan. He's practically my generation's MJ. Nothing against MJ, I just never saw him play much. I went to the United Center once, when I was seven, and all I remember is Scottie Pippen's crew-cut and cotton candy. Also, I'm from D.C., so the fact that MJ ruined the entire development and chemistry of an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team, just so he could milk a little more limelight, doesn't really sit well.

Continue reading "Why Lakers fans should worry about ..."

Cleveland, on the other hand, played phenomenal defense at a high-paced level.

Lebron James was unstoppable on the offensive end and the defensive end scoring 29 and helping C

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: Easter Sunday Holiday"

The first time I ever saw Michael Jordan was when I was searching through the channels one night. I was no more than eight years old. He was flying in the air with his tongue sticking out as he was preparing to dunk. I never saw anything like it. He was this mysterious figure that I would grow up to adore and admire. I wanted to be like Mike, except I was a girl. Truth be told, I wanted to better than Mike. In my entire life, I never thought we would have this discussion: Who is the next Michael Jordan? Everyone keeps saying Kobe Bryant or LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan. They will never touch his status.

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics: The Next Michael Jordan"

First, check out this, it's super hilarious and well written.  Now, on to the good stuff... 

We're less than four hours away from the Blazers and Celtics tipping off in Boston (catch it on ESPN if you don't want to listen to Mike Rice gush over Channing Frye and you love Van Gundy/Jackson as much as I do), so I figured I'd provide a few nuggets of wisdom about what might be the keys to the game for both sides.  Now before you all collectively groan in disgust, let me reassure you that what follows may actually prove insightful, unlike most other "key to tonight's match-up" pieces that simply say score, defend and rebound better than your opponent.  There are a few things that I'm looking for as indicators of successful play by both sides which go much deeper than the usual mundane crap, so bear with me.

Continue reading "Celtics v. Blazers Preview Extravaganza"

(cue the Biggie...)  I'm going out of town for the long holiday weekend, so all of you out there (if there are any of you) are going to have to survive for a few days without my wonderful and insightful analysis about all things basketball for a few days.  (I'll pause for a moment to let you scream in anguish and control your sobbing...)  But fear not, I will be back with even more opinions and prognostications about the realm of professional sports on Tuesday, and by then I should have plenty to write about.

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Send Off Spectacular"

Rajon Rondo should bake a nice cake with the words "thank you for trading Chauncey Billups" written in icing on the top and send it to Detroit Pistons GM Joe Dumars.  It wouldn't hurt if all of the Celtics helped (even Scalabrine), but Rondo in particular should take the lead on this one.  Stop scratching your heads and looking confused and don't ask why, you should know very well by now that some rambling, tangential diatribe of an explanation is forthcoming...

Continue reading "Raving About Rondo Part Deux: A Pat ..."

You can't turn on a TV or pick up a newspaper in the greater Boston area these days without the same never-ending argument slapping you squarely in the face: Does Paul Pierce rank among the top 10 players in the NBA?

Continue reading "Truth Time"

Dear Antonio,

Greetings!  I thought i'd write you to congratulate you on your successful separation from the Denver Nuggets, and to offer some advice to you about how to spend your next thirty days of unemployment before resuming the endless grind that is the NBA season.  As a sportswriter and a liberal arts college graduate, I am an expert in not having a job, so you should read carefully and really consider what I have to say.  Normally, I wouldn't give away my secrets to jobless success for free, but for you, I'm willing to make an exception.

Continue reading "For Your Consideration: An Open Letter ..."

The Celtics started out the season with Paul Pierce crying, then torching the Cavs with 27 points in a 90-85 win on Tuesday night.  Boston started off sluggish after their ring ceremony but came alive in the 3rd quarter outscoring Cleveland 24-13.  Pierce took it to LeBron once again.  Most people talk about LeBron being the best player in the league...but how come Pierce always has his way with him?  I'm not going to consider LeBron to be better than Pierce until he starts making some free throws (4 for 8) or an outside jump shot (0 for 4 from 3 point range).  LeBron had 22 points but they were mostly dunks and layups.  If you watch SportsCenter you'd think James had a great game with a few dunks but if you watched the game you know better.  Rondo had the 2nd best stat online on the Celtics with 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in only 30 minutes. 

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics are 2 games into ..."

three-pointer and two of those free throws, the game could have been a victory for the Cavs.  Lebron James simply cannot shoot a basketball.

If you play fantasy basketball, you love Lebron because he is a stats machine.  He had two steals, six assists, seven boards and scored 22 points against the Celtics last night.  He also shot the ball 21 times, more than twice as much as any other player on his team.  If you are a Cavs fan, that is a disturbing number.

Continue reading "Same Old Lebron Loses To The Celtics"

Lebron James is an amazing athlete. He is big, strong, and fast and he can pass a basketball pretty well, but he is not a good basketball player by NBA standards.

The media love to talk about James. They love to tell us how good he is and how he carries the Cavaliers to victory time and time again. James can hit a fade away three pointer and the commentators will talk for five minutes about James’ amazing ability to get you from all angles on the court.

Continue reading "Lebron James Isn't Really That Good"

Boston Celtics will probably have a harder time beating the following teams below:

1) Cleveland

Lebron James will probably come up with an MVP season this year and his newly acquired teammate Mo Williams will definitely add firepower for the Cavs. Last season was quite close but no cigar for Lebron as he was close to winning an MVP trophy and also close to beating the Celtics in just a single game. Lebron has an upgraded team backing him up and his then new teammates is more acquainted with him now, which means more chemistry than before and also means a harder time for opposing teams.

Continue reading "TOP 5 EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAMS that ..."

f personal experience to draw upon for eastern foes like Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons or Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Familiarity can make an opponent easier to handle to some extent, even if that opponent is better than you.  If you play ball against your big brother long enough, eventually you start to figure out his tricks.

Continue reading "Celtics Look The Same in '08 as in ..."

Did you miss me?  Sorry for the extended hiatus once again, but I was busy being cooped up in a metal box for days on end, plus I had to go ahead and lose all of my money to various undeserving casinos and their patrons, so I've had no time to reflect on the world of sports.  Many of you are probably expecting to read (or at least skim) some bitter, semi incoherent rambling post about Tom Brady's left knee and the dirty Chiefs and the especially classless fans of the NFL who actually had the gall to celebrate and commemorate a horrific injury to the league's best player, but I've gotta leave something for Simmons to do, so that will not be a part of my post today.  Instead, I'm going to hide from my problems inside the twisted world of the NBA, where my beloved Boston Celtics are still champions, and my mistresses, the Portland Trailblazers are looking better than ever and are brimming with talent and potential.

Continue reading "Little Wing?"

When you think Olympics, you think Michael Phelps. Phelps has been plastered all over the past ten issues of Sports Illustrated. He has TV commercials on seemingly every channel. The guy is everywhere.

Continue reading "Olympic Gymnastics"

The BoSox are sputtering slightly and seem unable to cope with the thrilling blend of youthful exuberance, talent and execution of the Tampa Bay Rays (even after 5 months it still seems weird), and I have a sinking suspicion that the only thing that the NFL season will bring is a continuous highlight reel rehashing the painful and humiliating achievement that was 18-1, which means that it’s time for the first NBA preview of the 2008-2009 season (cue the balloon drop, the sirens and the party music!). 

Continue reading "Return of the Rivalry"

Normally, I am not one to be easily swayed by conspiracy theories, but after delving into Eliot Asinof's Eight Men Out, I am convinced that anything is possible (in a much more troubling and somber manner than KG's interpretation of the phrase after winning the title) in the world of sports and the NBA could easily be fixing games and forcing action.  In case you didn't know,Asinof's book chronicles the fixing of the 1919 World Series, in which several of the Chicago White Sox' best players conspired with notorious gamblers and bettors to intentionally lose the World Series to the less talented Cincinnati Reds.

Continue reading "Bull-Plop!"

Today's tangent is inspired by Raymond (shockingly, with me on this one) and Matt Stauffer, who has posed a challenge to me by asserting that the Celtics will lose to either Detroit or the winner of the Western Conference for a few key reasons.  Following the game one victory for Boston, I thought I'd address a few of his concerns (convenient that I waited until a resounding Celtics victory to start talking smack, isn't it?).  Hey, hey, easy now, I'm not fixin' to start a war or anything, in fact I respect the feedback and the fact that somebody is actually reading my posts (anyone else? ...Beuller?).  I'm only out to address the argument and provide as complete a rebuttal as I can, so without further delay, let's get started.

Continue reading "Hungry Like the (Former) Wolf"

What a game it was last night. As I was pacing up and down the modest size of my apartment's living room, my heart palpitations above healthy limits, Celtics managed to cling on to their lead to see away LeBron and his Cavaliers. Make no mistake - despite some of the Cavs' unquestionable talents, without LeBron they aren't that good.

Continue reading "LeBron and On"

I could officially care less about the Celtics road record this postseason.  After seeing the way the Celtics have played at home against some tough competition, I don't think that anybody, not even the mighty Detroit Pistons can beat the Celtics in Boston this year.  The players are hungry and the city is too, and we can all smell a championship now. 

Continue reading "The Truth Hurts!!!"

Going into tonight's game 6 match up of Jeckel & Hyde the Boston Celtics vs. LeBron James & his handicap the Cleveland Cavaliers, I have some thoughts on how the Celtics might finally win a game on the road in this year's postseason.  The problems on the road have been numerous for the Celtics (and everyone else) this postseason, however I believe that the key to victory for the Celtics tonight will be their aggression on offense and communication on defense. 

Continue reading "B E Aggressive!!!"

Before the 2008 playoffs are through, there is an 87% chance that Sam Cassell will give me a heart attack while watching a Boston Celtics game.

           In the past 20 years, only Antoine Walker ranks higher than Cassell in terms of how fast you can go from loving the guy on the floor to demanding that he sit on the bench the rest of the playoffs.

Continue reading "Live by Sam Cassell, Die by Sam Cassell"

Well, I suppose that I am getting what I wanted.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are in Boston for tonight's opening game of the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Celtics.  A month or two ago, I boldly stated that I wanted the Celtics to play Cleveland in the second round because they are so inconsistent and flawed (LeBron James aside) and I thought that the Celtics had a good chance of beating them.  Judging by the way LeBron performed against the Wizards and the way the Wizards performed against LeBron, perhaps I should have been pulling for the upset all along (I was, secretly.  Nobody in their right mind really wants to play LeBron James, right Gil?).

Continue reading "Cross Your Fingers"

I'm upset that I didn't get to watch game 7 of the Celtics/Hawks Beatdown in Beantown on Sunday, but this gig doesn't exactly pay the bills, so alas I was working for the man instead of cheering loudly and laughing my ass off as the Hawks got served in brutal fashion in Boston.  The game speaks for itself (likely won't stop me from speaking for it), and it provided a thunderous and definitive answer to all the doubters and haters (Zaza Pachulia got a personal notice of defeat, the back court pick from KG that leveled the untalented center).

Continue reading "Dirrty South"

    The Celtics seven game series with the Hawks was a beneficial experience for the Celtics.  A team that had never played with each other in the playoffs was able to see what they were really made of.  The Hawks, granted they are an extremely young and inexperienced team, pushed the Celtics to their limit.  But the Celtics responded admirably by absolutely pounding the Hawks in a decisive game seven, ending any hope at all that their team would win.

Continue reading "Watch Out Cavaliers"

Sucks to the site server man, I've been getting blocked (like Scalabrine) by the website and unable to post for a few days.  I'm sorry, and it angers me more than it does you I'm sure.  Anyhow, here is my lovely post, it's not even stale yet! 

Continue reading "Rondo On a Roll, Plus Superstars Shining Bright"

If you don't know what the scoop is for today, I suggest you take a look at my first post from today (the one before this post about the Wizards/Cavs).  For anyone who says that San Antonio plays boring basketball, I refer you to this game.  The atmosphere is intense, and the level of play couldn't be higher.  It's overtime, Suns up by 3 butStoudemire has just fouled out.  San Antonio has the ball with 12.6 left on the clock, and after Phoenix blankets Manu Ginobili, he finds Tim Duncan who just drilled the game tying 3-pointer (his first of the season) with three seconds to go (Mike D'Antoni's  facial expression was priceless).  This season's NBA playoffs are already surpassing all expectations, as we are now headed to double overtime in just the second game (LeBron's throw-down in the first game was also unreal) of this year's playoffs.

Continue reading "Playoff Extravaganza Part Two: Suns v. Spurs"

Seeing as its the first day of the NBA Playoffs, I'm going to be doing a bit of live blogging and writing throughout the course of the day.  This way you'll be able to follow my flip-flopping analysis throughout the flow of the games.  As usual, however, I was not out of bed in time to catch the start of the first game, so although I know you're dying to hear my take on the first quarter of the Wizards-Cavs game, you'll just have to settle for the last three.  Without further ado, here goes.

Continue reading "Playoff Extravaganza Part One: Wizards ..."

Don't blame me for this, it's just that time of year.  Sadly, the Celtics are still in cruise control and I have to do something to fill the void between now and Saturday.  So, for lack of anything better to write about, I suppose I'll put my two bits in about the various award races going on in the NBA.  If I eventually tail off and stop writing mid-sentence, it's because I'm just as bored with the subject as you'll be (actually, if you stick with it longer than I do, I'll be impressed!).  And I suppose it is the popular question du-jour, so let's get down to it.

Continue reading "Award Tour"

Yesterday, I wrote about the Celtics easy schedule heading into their likely first round match up with the Atlanta Hawks.  Today, after watching Cleveland lose to Larry Hughes and Ben Gordon and the Chicago Bulls (the only reason they even get a nod is because of Noah's last second defense on King James, otherwise I'd feel fine about disavowing their existence), I'm just itching to unnecessarily criticize the Cavs and explain to my massive audience (there's at least four of you by now, right?) why I'm salivating at the mere thought of a second round playoff match-up with Cleveland.

Continue reading "I Swear I'm Not Crazy..."

It's been reported that Paul Pierce has been icing his knees lately and wouldn't mind a rest.  While this may seem troubling to Celtics fans, it's actually just a nice means for me to explain for the 365,872 time why it is soooooo nice to play in the Eastern Conference of the NBA.

Continue reading "God Bless the "Leastern" Conference"