There are just four left, the world’s Final Four. The USA deserves to be there. But after looking stats and watching the first half of the USA/Germany game live this morning (thanks to an unhappy baby who apparently wanted to be up for the game at 3:30 on the West Coast), I still have concerns […]
Archives for August 2006
5-0, and now it gets serious
Superior athleticism funneled into a pressure defense has netted Team USA four impressive wins at the World Championships — it’s the Italy game that is the outlier. That’s also the game gave a blueprint to teams like Spain and Argentina, and it’s going to be harder to come from behind against those teams than the […]
Big Norman turns 70
This month Wilt Chamberlain would have turned 70. Long after his playing days and his passing, he remains one of the more complex and misunderstood men ever in the game, a giant who could be both intimidating and gentle. A man who never received the universal love of the fans and who, unfairly, was often […]
Fast Break
It’s the dog days of summer for NBA bloggers, with little news worthy of debate. I just look at the Countdown to tip-off at the right and think, “That long?!?†Still, there are a few things worth noting. • The good news: Kobe, wearing a #24 jersey, will be on the cover of the NBA […]
2-0, but…..
After watching both Team USA games in Japan (thank you TiVo), it’s clear that we deserve to be undefeated. And it’s clear we still have reason to be concerned. The reason for my nervousness: outside shooting. The same issue that plagued the team in Athens two years ago and that some of us were concerned […]
Lakers I Miss: Cedric Ceballos
I look back on Cedric Ceballos the way I look back on a couple of crazy ex-girlfriends — when it was good it was exciting and wild, when it went bad it crashed and burned spectacularly. There was thee 50-point game against the Timberwolves, the start of the 95/96 when he scored 25 for six […]
What NBA Player Are You?
Here’s a fun little sumer diversion (via the always amazing Henry at True Hoop): Over at the site Rum and Monkey you can answer a few questions and, just like that, find out what NBA player you are. I’m Jason Kidd (although I swear I have never hit my wife).
Staples Apathy
I was there the night the building opened, when Bruce Springsteen walked on stage for the first notes of “My Love Will Not Let You Down.†I cheered later when he looked out at Staples Center and said “too many (luxury) boxes.†I was there for maybe the defining basketball moment in the building’s history […]
Carnival of Movies
The new blog Maverick Moneyball has put together the newest Carnival of the NBA, and done it with a movie theme. It’s great to see what the other bloggers are doing here in the slow season. And he made an oddly ironic choice with pairing this blog and “The Matrix” — my brother-in-law won an […]
Quintessential Jerry West
Not a lot of basketball to watch these days, so why not enjoy maybe the greatest shot in Laker history one more time — Jerry West in the 1970 NBA Finals.