Halftime Hype

There once was a professional basketball league ruled by a monarchy. And while power continually shifted between Detroit and San Antonio, you knew that the throne belonged to one of the two powerhouses. You could be sure that Tony Parker would blaze right through any line of defense and come out victorious no matter where the battleground. You could foresee Chauncey Billups hitting a crucial three point dagger as he received the rock at the top of the key. The common fan was furious upon sight of Ginobli, knowing his flops would be detrimental to the success of their own team. Richard Hamilton ran from one end of the court to the other for the sole purpose of scoring that annoying mid-range jumper.

And that was just the backcourt.

When you played Detroit "back in the day" once you found a way to get by Rasheed, you then had to manaveur past Big Ben. And matching up with Tim Duncan not only meant few points for the defender, but plenty of hooks and dunks from #21.

Now, whether it be for good or for bad, both the Pistons and Spurs have seen their downfall. Today, a Motown team that had reached the Eastern Conference Finals three years in a row and had become familiar with the glory of the NBA Finals and championships, was swept to the younger, flashier Cleveland Cavaliers. As for San Antonio, a team that used to always slice the jugular of their opponent, is losing 1-3 to the renewed offensive juggernauts of Dallas. There are very simple reasons for the decline of these teams. When you take elements away from an assembly line, you don't end up with a complete product. We've seen this best in Detroit, where the equation has been drastically modified with the subtraction of Coach Flip Saunders, the defensive capabilities Ben Wallace offered, and most of all, the stability and intelligence that Chauncey Billups provided them game in and game out. The Spurs are a great example of how beauty products can only be so effective when reaching a certain age. Even with the addition of younger players in Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill, the core of their team is still ancient. Bruce Bowen dates back to prehistoric times at age 37, Oberto should be called the "Ancient Argentine" after celebrating 34 birthdays, Tim Duncan can now be considered old school having been born in '76, at 31 years of age fans should actually praise Ginobli for the strength he exerts in flops, and the Brent Barry replacement - Matt Bonner - just turned 29.

However, before we begin to complain about the deprivation of authority in the NBA, one must pause and look both ways - just like crossing a street. In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers have regained their status as a championship-caliber team. And remarkably, there is a team just as fierce and equally feared in the Cleveland Cavaliers. The journey to the top for both teams was actually quite similiar. Step 1 for general managers Mitch Kuptchak and Danny Ferry was to build around their superstars, Kobe and Lebron. Step 2 was to identify the starting position(s) that needed to be filled. Next, was to make rational transactions that would greatly benefit the team. And the last task was to add some depth to the team, to equip the starters with bench players that could do a good job filling in. Nonetheless, there was also that other challenge that the most talented player on each team faced. Diversifying productivity to benefit the team, which in turn, helped their play. What I mean by this is that KB24 and LBJ realized they had to adjust to ensure dominance. The main adjustment: trusting teammates as much as themselves. The fact that those 2 future Hall-of-Famers have reached the MVP status they now hold is because the Lakers and Cavaliers are no longer completely one-man teams. Of course, this is made much easier with the acquisition of skilled players, which means kudos to the GMs.

The Verdict: While we are seeing a decline in the game of Detroit and San Antonio, the ruling powers have been replaced by the Lake Show and the Cavs. A period of pure play may now cease to exist, but a Golden Era of enthralling basketball has only just begun.

Drivin Down the Block - Kidz in the Hall - This is a song for the rap enthusiast. The perfect song for cruising through Los Angeles on a weekend. What got me interested in this song was the juxtaposition of the deep voice proclaiming "Drivin Down the Block" and repeating the chorus along with the intriguing rhymes spoken in the normal "rapper voice," if I may call it. As far as production goes, there are decent bass hits and the claps are well-placed, but nothing too amazing. Personally, whenever I listen to this song, I feel like I'm the town legend and a local celebrity. If you don't feel the same way, that's too bad. You should check out the music video below, at least you'll get a laugh from the track.