The AAU Generation

After a 7 month hiatus (basically the entire football season) I have decided to dust off the keyboard and get back into this blog. The NBA is in full swing and it’s time for me to sound off. This past summer, thanks to the Miami Heat, the world got to know and try to understand, “The AAU Generation.” This is a term my colleague KG and I have been kickin’ around and you may have heard on Sportscenter. “The AAU Generation” are players 30 and under that grew up playing against each other all year round. Back in the day the best players didn’t see each other until college. Thus, they never had any interest to form relationships with one another; they just wanted to beat each other’s face in (i.e. Jordan, Magic, Bird, Isaiah). But since the mid 90s and the emergence of off-season basketball, the best players have been goin’ against each other since the 5th grade. And if you play with or against someone since you were 10 years old you are bound to develop some form of a relationship. These guys call, e-mail, and text each other on the regular because they go through the same struggle.

Take those same 5th graders and fast-forward to the NBA. Now instead of being the only superstar on your team bustin’ your butt everyday just to get knocked out in the 1st round of the playoffs, you decide if I join forces with a couple other stars I know we can win it all, and with less pressure on myself. That is what we are witnessing today. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh made the first step. And rumor is many more are to follow. Some that I have heard are Amare w/ Melo and Chris Paul or Dwight w/ CP3 or Deron Williams. And you know Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are recruiting one more big man to round out their trio.

Many experts don’t understand this and say it’s bad for the game. On the contrary this is exactly what the game needs. 6-8 teams that dominate the league year after year. The Golden Age of the NBA was when Chicago, LA, Detroit, New York, Phoenix, and maybe a few more you can throw in there dominated the league. Year after year you knew that those teams were gonna meet in the playoffs and couldn’t wait to place your bets. Today, Miami and OKC already have a head start. New York and Chicago are makin’ their moves. Meanwhile Orlando, New Orleans, Utah, and others are praying their Superstars don’t leave them for less money to be on a Super Team.

So my suggestion to everyone is to embrace the new super teams. Don’t act like you won’t see them when they come to your town. Let’s say we end up with 8 teams that battle it out. You will be guaranteed to see at least 2 of them in your city every month. People say they like parody, but the ratings show that people only watch the best match-ups. When ABC shows the Sunday Game of the week I can assure you one of these teams will be playing; Heat, Celtics, Bulls, Magic, Lakers, Spurs, Knicks, or Thunder. We want to see the best battle it out. So SUPER TEAMS UNITE!!! Go forth and give us the greatest show on earth.

Southern Football

Even though I am from PG County I currently reside in Florida. Home of Disney World, Palm Trees, and College Football!!! The South Loves.... excuse me, is OBSESSED with their college football. Coming from PG County I am used to the pro team, Washington Redskins, dominating the headlines. But this is SEC (and to some extent ACC) college football country. The schools, coaches, adults, and youth love the game of football. This is where the top coaches and talent come to play. To prove it look at the last 4 National Champions in college football (2006-Florida, 2007-LSU, 2008-Florida, 2009-Alabama). The local TV stations even do full coverage of each schools Spring Game. And if u don’t know, every school has a big practice day highlighted by their Spring Game where they display the talent on their team. In a region of the U.S. where it is beautiful weather 10 months of the year you see why it is a breeding ground for athletes. These boys start at 5 yrs old and never look back. One of my wife’s former students is currently at a 2-week summer camp in Jacksonville where he is running 2-a-Days in 100 degree weather and sleeping in a wooden bunk bed (think of the movie Remember the Titans). I wanna get my hands on the roster of boys signed up for that camp and come back to it in 5 yrs to see who’s playing D-1 football.

And don’t get me started on the games themselves. They are all out parties like I have never seen. The Rivalry games are no joke. People take off of work two days prior to the game just to avoid the traffic. And on the day of the game the bars are filled to capacity and alumni from all over are packed in luxurious houses watching on a Theatre size screen. Overall, it is quite a site to see and I encourage any sports fan to ride down and check out a game or two. Even if you can’t score tickets just hang out in the parking lot. It’s just as fun. A few of the all-time favorites to this day are the “Iron Bowl” (Auburn vs Alabama) and the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” (Florida vs Georgia). Don’t forget the SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. So if American Football is what you love, move down to the South! I promise that after just one season you will be caught in the pageantry and tradition of what this game is all about.

SHOWTIME! the Sequel

They say the older you get the more you reminisce of the "good ole days." I can just image the 65 yr old Pat Riley daydreaming while watching his Miami Heat competing hard just to be average the last two seasons. And as Riley began to wheel and deal during the off-season it became clear he was a man with a vision; however not towards the future but back to the past. Riley wanted to be young again. In a span of two weeks the NBA looks a lot like 1983 it has a team in a glamour city, lead by a young coach, built around 3 future HOFs, and destined to begin a new dynasty.

For NBA fans during the 1980's when you heard the word term Showtime images of fast-breaks started by Magic and finished with no-look passes to Kareem and Worthy are paired with Pat Riley demanding his team to go faster and harder. Now for a new generation of NBA fans the decade of 2010's the term Showtime will come to represent the Miami Heat led by Lebron, D-Wade, Bosh and Spoelstra doing their best 80's Lakers impersonation. While I understand the comparation of LA's 3 and Miami's 3 doesn't exactly fit position wise and unlike the 80's Lakers all three of Miami's players are in their prime. Riley's desire to relive his glory days is clear.

Prior to Magic's arrival in LA Kareem Abdul-Jabar had been with Lakers for 4 years, had been several years removed from his one NBA title, was a dominant offensive and defensive force and one of the best players in the NBA. However, with the addition of Magic Johnson in '79 then James Worthy in '82 the LA Lakers went on to become the team of the 80's. During the 7 year span the 3 played together LA went to 6 Finals and won 3 championships. Throughout the majority of this 7 year run Magic, a dynamic 6"9" point guard, a superstar before even playing in the NBA, and a magnetic personality was their best player. Kareem their leading scorer early in the run and although his body began to break down he always remined "the captain." Worthy, mostly remembered as the 3rd option was vital to their success as evidenced by his 1988 Finals MVP and 7 all-star appearances. And Riley was their 38 yr old defensive head coach with slick hair, designer suits and a personality befitting LA.

So it's not hard to see Riley seeing the similarities. Dwyane Wade-"the captain" who is several years removed from his one NBA championship and in all of his greatness is surrounded by perpetual fear that if he has to carry the load he will break-down physically. Chris Bosh-the reliable 3rd option, perennial all-star, who will never win a regular season MVP, however with the right match-up could feasibly win a Finals MVP. There is Erik Spoelstra a 39 yr old defensive head coach with slick hair, designer suits and a personality befitting Miami. And lastly there is Lebron James a dynamic 6'8" point forward, a superstar before even playing in the NBA, a marketing gold mine who will be the Heat's best player but serve as their best facilitator.

Although, many criticized Lebron for not being more like Michael or Kobe keep in mind Magic is viewed as a step below MJ and either equal to or better than Kobe. Also, if someone is your idol such as MJ is to Lebron you never see your-self better than them, so why try. You can't win so just be you. But what Lebron can do is win the Greatest Team argument. Even at the height of

Jordan's dominance the best '90s Bulls team would lose to the best '80s LA team in a 7 game series and it wouldn't even be close. Thus with the Heat, Lebron gets to showcase the all-around nature of his game and do something that will separate him from all others; that is dominate the NBA defensively and offensively as a scorer (last six years) and as a facilitator (next six years). And most importantly he will lead Miami to multiple championships and usher them into the greatest team debate.

Fittingly after the Heat's salary cap wizardry, Wade said "3 is a magical number," alluding to his new teammates and his own jersey number. But what Wade was really saying was...Magic has returned to the NBA. Showtime!

Lebron, I misjudged you. But we cool.

So LeBron James decided to join the Miami Heat. I told my friends earlier that day his decision will tell the world what he cares about in the game of basketball. Cleveland (determined to prove he can lead his city from obscurity and be immortal), New York (more concerned about his Brand and being a global icon then winning), Chicago (wants to win and be “The Man”), Miami (wants to win but does not thrive off the pressure of being the unquestioned leader). As he spoke the word, “Miami,” I went into a state of shock and disbelief. Not because he said goodbye to Cleveland, but he made me rethink my whole thought process of whom he was as a basketball player. Since he entered the league the media and public perceived him in the Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant type mold.

Guys that said, “Get out of my way, I am the captain of this ship. This ship will either reach it’s destination or drown with me at the wheel. Either way, no one else is wearing my Captain’s Hat.” But alas, this is not LeBron James. He would rather win with his boys then beat them. He would rather be a part of something then carry the load as the quintessential leader. The man is just not wired for INDIVIDUAL greatness.

A colleague of mine suggested he is in the mold of Magic Johnson. Which is not a bad person to be compared to at all. I do see the comparison except for one major difference. Even though Magic would pass the last shot to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or James Worthy, he still was the one controlling where the ball goes. It was his to decide. The decision will not always be LeBrons to decide. Wade will be making many decisions. When we think of the great Celtics-Lakers rivalry the two unquestioned names are Bird vs Magic (they even had a video game with the same title). The 2011 Finals will not be Kobe vs LeBron. It will be Kobe vs. Wade and LeBron. Enuff said.

He actually placed winning over money which is unheard of from today’s superstar athlete. So LeBron I ain't mad at u bro’. However, I can no longer call you “The King.” King’s are unquestioned and unrivaled leaders. When the Heat are down to their final possession it will be Dwyane Wade with the ball roughly 70% of the time. He is the Superman to your Batman. Both great heroes but Superman still leads the team into battle. I wish the best of luck to you and actually hope you achieve what you are looking for. I still think that you are genuinely a good guy and won't deserve much of the criticism you will receive. Thank you for showing your true colors. The ultimate TEAM player. I misjudged who you are as a player, but we still cool.

Side note: KOBE BRYANT is officially the greatest player in the post-Jordan era. No question about it.

Young Phenom Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg, if you haven't heard of him yet he is the new young phenom in Baseball. This, 6'4" 220 lbs, 21 yr old from San Diego, California is taking the league by storm for the Washington Nationals. Being from D.C. I felt it was necessary to follow this story. The kid can throw over 100 mph and already has 3 solid pitches in his arsenal (incl. a breaking ball that is just FILTHY!). Today's baseball is w/o juiced-up Homerun hitters now, so the league is turning back over to the Pitchers. And this kid has a bright future. But on a horrible team. He is 2-2 w/ a 2.45 ERA and 53 K's (That ERA and 53 K's is great for a young pitcher). But he plays on the sorry Nationals that provide him with no offensive help. They also just drafted a power bat, Bryce Harper, with the #1 pick in MLB Draft last month. For Strasburg's first game it was the only time National Park was sold out when it wasn't Opening Day. I close by pleading to Nationals execs to realize what they have in this kid and build around him. MLB is a game where you can buy a Championship (i.e. Yankees). So go out there and put some talent around this kid. The return on investment will be immense.

Playing GM

Where should these boys go?! The whole sports world knows of the epidemic of a free agency class coming into fruition this summer. Therefore, I am placing you in the shoes of GM and asking, "where should these boys go?" If you were a GM of one of these teams (ANY of them), what moves would you make from this day on to get the player(s) you desire. May the best team win!

Here's a quick look at the top players in discussion:
Lebron James
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Amare Stoudamire
Joe Johnson
Carlos Boozer

David Lee

Rudy Gay

Are these Young Men ready!!!

So... the NBA Draft is tomorrow on ESPN. For those who have not been following it is not expected to be the deepest pool of talent the NBA has seen. Experts are saying that there are potentially only 4 future all-stars in this draft class (John Wall, Evan Turner, DeMarcus Cousins, and Derrick Favors). With John Wall, point guard from Kentucky expected to go #1 to the Washington Wizards. But after the first four picks they are projecting a bunch of guys that will basically be no-names to anyone that doesn’t watch basketball faithfully. That equals 4 SUPERSTARS out of 60 guys to be drafted, or 0.067%. I personally feel like there will be more guys that will prove the experts wrong and be stars in this league.

Unfortunately, a majority of these young men have so-called “friends”, family and agents in their ears telling them how great they are when really they are not. Take a look in the mirror and be extra critical of yourselves. These guys were unstoppable in High School and great in College but the NBA is a whole other BEAST! A beast that destroys kids that aren’t ready to work hard and become students of the game. I wish all the best to every young man out there that is so close to living out their dream. Just don’t become complacent once you are drafted and your dream becomes a reality. Improve your game everyday and listen to those that knows what it takes. The best players in the NBA have skills and smarts!!!