Last night's Lakers loss, in which the team squandered a 19-point lead, certainly did not exemplify how defending champions are supposed to play. However, before everyone jumps to conclusions - "Lakers-haters" that includes you too - the game must be put into context.
First and foremost, the Lake Show is missing the entire cast, with injuries to starting center Andrew Bynum and back-up Theo Ratliff. What once appeared to be depth at the center position with 'Drew, Ratliff, and recent draft pick Derrick Caracter, has dwindled down to the rookie.
What if Bynum had been available in a game like this? Well, I would rather not think about it, because he would probably sustain an injury against the brutal Utah Jazz. However, a sturdy, big body like Ratliff could definitely do a better job holding his own against the likes of Al Jefferson than Caracter could. In all seriousness, though, the presence of a veteran seven-footer - either Bynum or Ratliff - in addition to Gasol would have made a tremendous difference on the boards.
Also, the Killer B's took a break. Rather than extending leads like they usually do, Phil Jackson's "Renegades" could not produce a spark off the bench. In fact, Steve Blake shot 0-7. To make matters worse, Utah's bench was feeling it, lead by a 11-0 run from Earl Watson and Ronnie Price.
It wasn't just the Lakers bench who shot poorly. Derek Fisher was 1-7 and Ron Artest was 3-8, missing a crucial three-pointer in the closing minutes. Whereas, on the other end, Deron Williams had a stellar performance and Al Jefferson hurt the Lakers in the post. Kobe Bryant is the greatest, but even the Black Mamba needs help guiding his squad to a victory. What more can you ask from a guy who scored 14 consecutive points, including a trio of three's, for the team toward the end of the game?
Perhaps most irritating were the shot-clock malfunctions in the final minutes. Trailing by 2 points, the Lakers fast-break opportunity was interrupted with 27 ticks remaining because of a shot-clock error.
"What was going on there?" Jackson asked after the game. "That stopped a break on our part. ... Fish had a nice rhythm going on a transition with a 3-point deficit, and it stops the ball and starts it out of bounds. It's not right; it's just not right."
The verdict: Don't take this game too seriously. Utah is one of the most difficult places to play in the entire league for any team. The bench was due for a bad game and with a decent, but not impressive output from the starters the team was bound to lose.
Nights like this happen - except for the shot-clock malfunctions, which were an unfortunate coincidence - and there's not really much that can be done about them. Tribulations on the road are part of a 82-game season. For the Lakers, it's just a matter of moving onto the next one: what should be an easy home victory Sunday against the Indiana Pacers.
Is Kobe Bryant promoting guns and violence? That is what the sports world is busy debating at the moment. In case you haven't heard, the Black Mamba was in an ad promoting the recently-released video game Call of Duty: Black Ops. The fact that he was holding a gun has caused quite a controversy.
Some are infuriated by a lack of response from Commissioner David Stern. Others simply feel that the most popular player in the NBA should not be smiling with an armed weapon. Whatever the case, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
However, at the end of the day, we're talking about a video game. Think of Allen Iverson's practice rant and just substitute "practice" with "video game." Why are we obsessing over the man's role in an advertisement for a friggin' video game? Are there not more important things to worry about? I guess not.
For those that think Stern should chastise Bryant, keep dreaming. If anything, Stern will kneel and kiss Kobe's feet for all the jersey sales he has racked and his impact on the league's TV ratings. Plus, the ad doesn't concern the commissioner; it is a personal endeavor on Bryant's part.
Could the ad be misconceived? Of course, but that does not mean people are going to say, "Oh, look, Kobe is shooting a gun. Guns are cool!" Bryant's involvement is only to encourage people to buy a video game - not purchase a rifle. Plus, it's not like the superstar's involvement completely changed the potential success of the video game.
Call of Duty was benefiting from heavy word-of-mouth advertisement as well as other ads without the NBA player. Upwards of six million people have bought the game thus far. Clearly, those who wanted the game were going to get their hands on it, with or without Kobe Bryant being in an advertisement.
For Bryant's sake, his life might have been easier if he had decided not to participate in the campaign. Why take a chance with your image? Then again, #24 has never been one to care what others think about him. Exhibit A: His "Hate it or Love it" campaign with Nike.
While the latest hobby may be to bash LeBron James, his Thanksgiving endeavors are admirable. In case you haven't heard, the Miami Heat star is organizing 700 Thanksgiving dinners in his native city of Akron, Ohio. Perhaps it is time to step back, take a break from our criticisms of the former Cleveland Cavalier, and appreciate his charitable efforts.
Sure, some may argue that James is simply trying to improve his image. However, if his hour-long "Decision" special and recent Nike commercial have been any indication, the man could care less about his PR.
In sports, it's too easy to fixate on players as athletes and overlook who they are as human beings. For example, the past few years, Jazz fans have consistently been hostile to their former point guard, Derek Fisher. Fisher, now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, was forced to migrate to L.A. because of the medical facilities it offered for his daughter, Tatum, who has a form of eye cancer. It didn't matter that Fisher was taking a multi-million dollar pay-cut or that he was leaving for the sake of his child's life; people still give him a tough time in Salt Lake City.
In case you are new to the blog, I am not an avid supporter of LeBron James. There are numerous moments, and my previous posts will attest to this, where I disagree with his actions and egotistic antics. Heck, even James himself has expressed he would have done "The Decision" differently. Regardless, James deserves praise for reaching out to Akron. We're talking about the hometown "fans" that burned his jersey. His native brethren have even posted signs dubbing him "2010 NBA Traitor of the Year."
“I’ve always said when I was growing up, being in a small city like Akron, that if I ever became successful or was ever blessed enough to give back to the community, I’ll always do that,” James said before the Heat faced the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. “Especially around holiday times, when you’re supposed to be with your family.”
This time, James certainly made the right "decision."
Even in trash talking, there is a certain line that must not be crossed - a line which the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett is apparently unaware of. As an athlete, Garnett is allowed to talk smack and rattle up opponents, even anger them if need be. However, a reference to a medical illness, especially to a disease which one is born with and basically has no control over, has no place in trash talk.
If you haven't heard yet, the Detroit Pistons' Charlie Villanueva tweeted on Tuesday: "KG called me a cancer patient, I'm pissed because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he's tossing it like it's a joke."
Garnett, in what appears to be a statement his PR staffers worked hard on, answered back with "My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact 'You are cancerous to your team and our league.' I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."
For the record, Villanueva suffers from Alopecia Universalis, a disease that results in hair loss on the body. Personally, I am starting to theorize that Garnett has a disease in which he cannot shut his mouth. In the 21st century, athletes are long past the "role model" responsibility. It is bad enough having Garnett romp around the court yelling, I'll bet several expletives, the entire evening. Now, he's making cancerous references too?
Let's pretend to take Garnett's word for it and say you did not mean to call Villanueva a cancer patient. Why even blurt out that he's cancerous? You obviously have eyes that can see that perhaps Villanueva may have some health issues, if you aren't already aware of it from being one of his NBA colleagues. By dubbing him "cancerous", Garnett was very likely playing off the assumed pun that Villanueva is a cancer patient, thus taking a shot at the Piston for his illness.
Surprisingly, Garnett has people in his defense. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers have backed their player, even turning the tables to criticize Villanueva for divulging the matter on Twitter.
"Both players have completely different stories," Ainge said. "One guy has a Twitter account where he blurts things out, that's the first thing. Doc said he heard what KG said and I believe Doc. Doc isn't going to say that if it's not true. I believe Doc and I believe KG."
Really, Ainge? You believe Doc Rivers? We're talking about the same coach who said this past summer that "[the Lakers] have not beaten our starting five. Our starting five against the Lakers starting five has a ring," when in reality the Lakers played without starting center Andrew Bynum against the Celtics in the 2008 Finals and starting forward Trevor Ariza was playing limited minutes due to injury. I would not trust Rivers, especially with facts.
Really, Ainge? You believe KG? Have you seen this guy during an NBA game? He just keeps mouthing away at everyone. Between elbowing and tripping players, he still has the nerve to continually verbally jab on and on. Sometimes it feels like the technical foul was made for the man and his emotions. I would not be surprised if KG actually said Villanueva was an f'ing weak cancer patient. His mouth simply knows no limits. For goodness sake, he starts fights out of nothing.
Here's the right thing to do Ainge: Instead of coming off as defensive and attacking Villanueva, you should just approach Garnett for a brief chat. Remind him that cancer is no joke. Fans may be entertained by his emotions, but at the end of the day, they also demand a degree of civility and sanity.
Garnett would most likely reassure you that he did not mean any harm by his comments, which is extremely debatable. When you make your appearance on public radio, rather than saying what you said, you should reassure fans that you've spoken with Garnett, he told you he did not have any bad intentions, and apologize if anyone misinterpreted the comment.
All I have to say is that I honestly hope Garnett is sorry. In spite of the fact that he has a cancer patient in his family, he should be aware of the struggle at hand. Indeed, "the game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball." Garnett would be best served to take his own words to heart and starting acting accordingly.