One of the greatest ads ever shown on television.
NBA All Stars Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, where Bird challenges Jordan to a game of H-O-R-S-E with the winner eating Jordan's McDonald's meal and the loser watching.
Not much else to say, other than it is fun to watch.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
11 Year Old Hoops Phenomenon
You have to see this video to believe it.
It is not something easily described to another.
Here is an 11 year old who is able to do things with a basketball that defies anything.
His dribbling of two basketballs at the same time and between legs is, for lack of a better word, superb.
Or how about tossing tennis balls back and forth with his dad while dribbling.
And then there is his ouside shot.
No telling where in the NBA this hoopster will play. But, play he will.
Sit back for three minutes and enjoy the vigor and talent of youth.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
It is not something easily described to another.
Here is an 11 year old who is able to do things with a basketball that defies anything.
His dribbling of two basketballs at the same time and between legs is, for lack of a better word, superb.
Or how about tossing tennis balls back and forth with his dad while dribbling.
And then there is his ouside shot.
No telling where in the NBA this hoopster will play. But, play he will.
Sit back for three minutes and enjoy the vigor and talent of youth.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Kobe Bryant, LeBron James - NBA Super All Stars
Without a doubt, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are two of the greatest basketball players to ever play the sport.
This is not a discussion of who is better, nor is it a slight to any other major NBA All Stars, past or present. It is simply an observation of two athletes who can, and have done, virtually anything with that ole round ball.
Some Black Mamba highlights:
A bit of King James:
Nice defense by Kobe (re LeBron):
It is always a pleasure to watch these two take the floor.
Over for Now.
Main Street One
This is not a discussion of who is better, nor is it a slight to any other major NBA All Stars, past or present. It is simply an observation of two athletes who can, and have done, virtually anything with that ole round ball.
Some Black Mamba highlights:
A bit of King James:
Nice defense by Kobe (re LeBron):
It is always a pleasure to watch these two take the floor.
Over for Now.
Main Street One
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Great Alley-Oop: Kobe Bryant to Derrick Rose
In an exhibition weekend in the Phillippines a group of NBA All Stars played the 16-man (one from each team) Fillipino All Star team at Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Manila.
The 2-day event is dubbed Ultimate All Star Weekend. And for good reason.
During one contest there was a play made where one Kobe Bryant put up a sweet underhand alley-oop to Derrick Rose who, of course, took it in stride and slammed it home.
As can be seen in the (short) clip, the crowd absolutely loved it.
In an off-the-backboard play, Kevin Durant grabs a defensive rebound, heads down court and flips the ball off the board feeding teammate James Harden, who takes a bit of an off-balance tumble following the action.
Other NBA All Stars included: Chris Paul, Tyreke Evans, Derek Fisher, and JaVale McGee.
Must have been an ultimate weekend for hoops fans.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
The 2-day event is dubbed Ultimate All Star Weekend. And for good reason.
During one contest there was a play made where one Kobe Bryant put up a sweet underhand alley-oop to Derrick Rose who, of course, took it in stride and slammed it home.
As can be seen in the (short) clip, the crowd absolutely loved it.
In an off-the-backboard play, Kevin Durant grabs a defensive rebound, heads down court and flips the ball off the board feeding teammate James Harden, who takes a bit of an off-balance tumble following the action.
Other NBA All Stars included: Chris Paul, Tyreke Evans, Derek Fisher, and JaVale McGee.
Must have been an ultimate weekend for hoops fans.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Dallas Mavericks, 2011 NBA Champions
When the season started, in October 2010, there were not many people outside of die-hard Dallas Mavericks fans who would have bet any money that Dirk & Company would be able to win the crown.
Especially against the big three of the Miami Heat (Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh), the free agents who came together last summer with plans to win multiple titles.
For Nowitzki it must have been sweet revenge for their embarrassing defeat to the Heat in 2006, after jumping to a 2-0 start in that series.
This was a hard-fought set of games where every night the announcers continuously spoke about how Miami was the dominant team, even when the series was tied at 2-2. That talk subsided a bit when Dallas went up 3-2 on Thursday. It left at the final match-up in Game 6 with the Mavs dominating the second half and ending with a 105-95 close-out victory.
Even though eventual Finals MVP Dirk shot just 1 for 12 in the first half of game six the rest of the team took up the slack until he got his groove back. Key was Jason Terry who, coming off the bench, burned Miami seemingly whenever he touched the ball and topped all scorers with 27 points. Another was speedster JJ Barea who added 15.
Dirk, who pretty much sealed the game with 2:27 left, ended with 21. One great effort was a rainbow 3 he launched 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter.
For Dallas' aging three (thirty-somes Dirk, Terry and Jason Kidd) the glory of victory to garner for the franchise their first-ever trophy certainly was sweet, as can be seen in the below video.
Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks on a hard-fought, well-played and well-deserved championship series.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Especially against the big three of the Miami Heat (Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh), the free agents who came together last summer with plans to win multiple titles.
For Nowitzki it must have been sweet revenge for their embarrassing defeat to the Heat in 2006, after jumping to a 2-0 start in that series.
This was a hard-fought set of games where every night the announcers continuously spoke about how Miami was the dominant team, even when the series was tied at 2-2. That talk subsided a bit when Dallas went up 3-2 on Thursday. It left at the final match-up in Game 6 with the Mavs dominating the second half and ending with a 105-95 close-out victory.
Even though eventual Finals MVP Dirk shot just 1 for 12 in the first half of game six the rest of the team took up the slack until he got his groove back. Key was Jason Terry who, coming off the bench, burned Miami seemingly whenever he touched the ball and topped all scorers with 27 points. Another was speedster JJ Barea who added 15.
Dirk, who pretty much sealed the game with 2:27 left, ended with 21. One great effort was a rainbow 3 he launched 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter.
For Dallas' aging three (thirty-somes Dirk, Terry and Jason Kidd) the glory of victory to garner for the franchise their first-ever trophy certainly was sweet, as can be seen in the below video.
Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks on a hard-fought, well-played and well-deserved championship series.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Friday, June 3, 2011
The NBA Finals: Heat 1 - Mavericks 1
It seemed no one thought the Mavericks could beat the Heat in Game 2 at South Beach, down 15 with seven minutes and change remaining.
Certainly the crowd at American Airlines Arena knew it was over. As did, based on comments, the announcers.
In what had been a relatively close back-and-forth contest for most of the game, the Heat went on a rampage and took what seemed like an insurmountable and commanding 15 point lead in the 4th, assisted by three consecutive Mav turnovers, capped by a D-Wade 3-pointer.
After Wade dropped the corner downtown shot to make it 88-73, LeBron James trotted over and congratulated him.
Perhaps it was a little too much. Some of the Mavericks noticed and took it as a too-soon mini-celebration. Tyson Chandler said it was "upsetting." Jason Terry said it was "a turning point."
What many people seem to have forgetten is that Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs had been in situations like this three different times to three different contenders on their road to these 2011 NBA Finals.
Late in the games, they had been down 12 to the Portland Trailblazers and stormed back, down 16 to the defending Champion LA Lakers and won, as well as down 15 to the Oklahoma City Thunder only to turn up the heat (pardon the expression) to snatch that victory.
Their 22-5 run in the final 7:14 was capped by Dirk sliding around Chris Bosh for what would be the game-winning layup. No one knows why Bosh did not foul as Miami had a foul to give.
Regardless, it was a fantastic comeback by Dallas.
It was also payback. In the 2006 Finals Dallas had a 2-0 advantage over Miami and in Game 3 held a 13 point lead in the 4th only to lose that game and the next three.
The Mavs made a non-verbal statement with their Game 2 victory: Whatever else happens, this is a contest and may the best team win.
In what seems like agreement, LeBron, postgame, said, "It's a ballgame now."
Here are the highlights from Game 2 with fantastic plays by both teams.
It seems a certainty that James, Wade and Bosh will not allow anything like this to occur again in these Finals. It might also be that Dirk and Company will do everything in their power not to find themselves in that kind of position.
The series moves to Dallas on Sunday for the first of three games to be played at American Airlines Center, the airline hosting all of the 2011 Finals contests.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Certainly the crowd at American Airlines Arena knew it was over. As did, based on comments, the announcers.
In what had been a relatively close back-and-forth contest for most of the game, the Heat went on a rampage and took what seemed like an insurmountable and commanding 15 point lead in the 4th, assisted by three consecutive Mav turnovers, capped by a D-Wade 3-pointer.
After Wade dropped the corner downtown shot to make it 88-73, LeBron James trotted over and congratulated him.
Perhaps it was a little too much. Some of the Mavericks noticed and took it as a too-soon mini-celebration. Tyson Chandler said it was "upsetting." Jason Terry said it was "a turning point."
What many people seem to have forgetten is that Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs had been in situations like this three different times to three different contenders on their road to these 2011 NBA Finals.
Late in the games, they had been down 12 to the Portland Trailblazers and stormed back, down 16 to the defending Champion LA Lakers and won, as well as down 15 to the Oklahoma City Thunder only to turn up the heat (pardon the expression) to snatch that victory.
Their 22-5 run in the final 7:14 was capped by Dirk sliding around Chris Bosh for what would be the game-winning layup. No one knows why Bosh did not foul as Miami had a foul to give.
Regardless, it was a fantastic comeback by Dallas.
It was also payback. In the 2006 Finals Dallas had a 2-0 advantage over Miami and in Game 3 held a 13 point lead in the 4th only to lose that game and the next three.
The Mavs made a non-verbal statement with their Game 2 victory: Whatever else happens, this is a contest and may the best team win.
In what seems like agreement, LeBron, postgame, said, "It's a ballgame now."
Here are the highlights from Game 2 with fantastic plays by both teams.
It seems a certainty that James, Wade and Bosh will not allow anything like this to occur again in these Finals. It might also be that Dirk and Company will do everything in their power not to find themselves in that kind of position.
The series moves to Dallas on Sunday for the first of three games to be played at American Airlines Center, the airline hosting all of the 2011 Finals contests.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Shaquille O'Neal Retires
One of the most dominant forces in basketball and a future NBA Hall of Famer, Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal, announced his retirement from the profession today after 19 years.
The annoucement was made via Twitter:
Ever the competitor, injuries hampered his final three seasons, but the years when he played at full force he was something to watch.
With a powerful career that started with the Orlando Magic, then moved to the Los Angeles Lakers and on to the Miami Heat, the last three seasons saw Shaq with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and this past season with the Boston Celtics.
There has been so much written about The Diesel the past two decades that perhaps it would be best to just list a few of his many accomplishments, and then watch this eight minute video showing just how dominant he was on the court.
* NBA Rookie of the Year (1993)
* Twice NBA scoring champion (1995, 2000)
* NBA MVP (2000)
* A four time NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
* Three NBA Finals MVP awards (2000, 2001, 2002)
* 15 NBA All Star Teams (1993-1998, 2000-2007, 2009)
* Three times NBA All Star MVP (2000, 2004, 2009)
* among others
Shaq in Action:
We enjoyed your play, Shaq, as well as your off-court entertainment.
Following is a short Shaq-feature comic hero treatment from the NBA.
Enjoy your retirement, Shaq.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
The annoucement was made via Twitter:
Ever the competitor, injuries hampered his final three seasons, but the years when he played at full force he was something to watch.
With a powerful career that started with the Orlando Magic, then moved to the Los Angeles Lakers and on to the Miami Heat, the last three seasons saw Shaq with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and this past season with the Boston Celtics.
There has been so much written about The Diesel the past two decades that perhaps it would be best to just list a few of his many accomplishments, and then watch this eight minute video showing just how dominant he was on the court.
* NBA Rookie of the Year (1993)
* Twice NBA scoring champion (1995, 2000)
* NBA MVP (2000)
* A four time NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
* Three NBA Finals MVP awards (2000, 2001, 2002)
* 15 NBA All Star Teams (1993-1998, 2000-2007, 2009)
* Three times NBA All Star MVP (2000, 2004, 2009)
* among others
Shaq in Action:
We enjoyed your play, Shaq, as well as your off-court entertainment.
Following is a short Shaq-feature comic hero treatment from the NBA.
Enjoy your retirement, Shaq.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
NBA Finals - Dallas maligned in Game 1 loss to Miami
It's bad enough to lose the first game in the NBA Finals. Especially waiting five years to get back to this stage.
it is even worse to be maligned for losing when not deserved.
The Dallas Mavericks did, indeed, lose to the Miami Heat in game one of the NBA Finals. No doubt about it. Final score: Heat 92 Mavs 84.
Reading what some reporters and bloggers have written makes it seem as if Dallas could do nothing right - yet an 8 point loss is not a blow out by any means, especially when one is in the enemy camp, i.e., playing on your opponent's court. You know, the ole home court advantage thing.
As far as stats are concerned, Dallas shot 37% from the field, Miami hit 39%. Neither of those are very impressive.
From downtown the Heat were at 46% while Dallas shot 41%, a difference of 6 points in favor of the Heat. The Mavs held the edge at the free throw line hitting 78% to the Heat's 71% for a 6 point advantage. They effectively cancelled each other out.
Offensively, Miami took 80 shots to Dallas' 67. That was a huge help for the Heat. And Miami did dominate the boards, 46 to 36, which is what gave them, to a fairly large degree, the winning edge.
Yes, Miami won, mostly due to their better defense and the offensive board advantage they took.
To read the headlines, one would think Dallas did absolutely nothing right. Yes, LeBron and Wade made some big, key plays in the 4th quarter. And those two can be dominating, but they did not "dominate" this first game. And then consider that two of Miami's starters failed to score a single point.
Sweet slam by LeBron.
One article that appeared in Yahoo! Sports mentioned that it would be tough for Dallas and their one star to beat Miami and their three stars, meaning Dirk beating LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh. Apparently that reporter does not consider Jason Kidd a threat, despite the fact he is a 10-time All Star and is in 3rd place all-time for triple-doubles. Go figure.
True, everyone has, and is entitled to, their own opinion. This blogger's opinion is that Miami won, Dallas lost. Miami played better at the right times, especially down the stretch. Neither team played close to a perfect game.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
it is even worse to be maligned for losing when not deserved.
The Dallas Mavericks did, indeed, lose to the Miami Heat in game one of the NBA Finals. No doubt about it. Final score: Heat 92 Mavs 84.
Reading what some reporters and bloggers have written makes it seem as if Dallas could do nothing right - yet an 8 point loss is not a blow out by any means, especially when one is in the enemy camp, i.e., playing on your opponent's court. You know, the ole home court advantage thing.
As far as stats are concerned, Dallas shot 37% from the field, Miami hit 39%. Neither of those are very impressive.
From downtown the Heat were at 46% while Dallas shot 41%, a difference of 6 points in favor of the Heat. The Mavs held the edge at the free throw line hitting 78% to the Heat's 71% for a 6 point advantage. They effectively cancelled each other out.
Offensively, Miami took 80 shots to Dallas' 67. That was a huge help for the Heat. And Miami did dominate the boards, 46 to 36, which is what gave them, to a fairly large degree, the winning edge.
Yes, Miami won, mostly due to their better defense and the offensive board advantage they took.
To read the headlines, one would think Dallas did absolutely nothing right. Yes, LeBron and Wade made some big, key plays in the 4th quarter. And those two can be dominating, but they did not "dominate" this first game. And then consider that two of Miami's starters failed to score a single point.
Sweet slam by LeBron.
One article that appeared in Yahoo! Sports mentioned that it would be tough for Dallas and their one star to beat Miami and their three stars, meaning Dirk beating LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh. Apparently that reporter does not consider Jason Kidd a threat, despite the fact he is a 10-time All Star and is in 3rd place all-time for triple-doubles. Go figure.
True, everyone has, and is entitled to, their own opinion. This blogger's opinion is that Miami won, Dallas lost. Miami played better at the right times, especially down the stretch. Neither team played close to a perfect game.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Monday, May 30, 2011
Top 10 Plays - 2011 NBA Conference Finals
The 2011 NBA Eastern and Western Conference Finals were superb, producing many many moments of both smiles and frowns, cheering and jeering, joy and sorrow, depending upon the choice of team being backed.
Though each of the sets were decided in just five games, they were each hard fought, and there were some outstanding plays by all four teams involved: Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Below are the top 10 plays of the conference finals, as determined by the NBA.
While not everyone will agree on the selections, each one of the them does represent either offensive or defensive greatness on the floor, from a perfectly executed coast-to-coast layup, to incredible downtown shots, to outstanding dunks, to fabulous blocks.
Great ready for what promises to be an excellent NBA Championship Series between the Mavs and the Heat!
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Though each of the sets were decided in just five games, they were each hard fought, and there were some outstanding plays by all four teams involved: Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Below are the top 10 plays of the conference finals, as determined by the NBA.
While not everyone will agree on the selections, each one of the them does represent either offensive or defensive greatness on the floor, from a perfectly executed coast-to-coast layup, to incredible downtown shots, to outstanding dunks, to fabulous blocks.
Great ready for what promises to be an excellent NBA Championship Series between the Mavs and the Heat!
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Celebrity Pitch - TV ads "ad nauseum"
There is no doubt that celebrities (movie, TV, music, sports, etc.) possess a certain flair, an appeal and that "star quality" power that affects people.
There are times, though, where it seems that companies do not consider if the person endorsing a product or service can actually make a positive impact in sales of that particular item.
Perhaps the mindset of the executives, or the marketing firm who sold the concept in the first place, is to simply have their brand tied to a celebrity - any well-known celebrity.
It would seem that a company in choosing a celeb to promote their wares would at least try to match what that talent is known for or at least to something that is loosely associated
The school of thought that says "if that celebrity is endorsing that product it must be good" only goes so far. Sometimes, not at all. There needs to be some form of connect for it to really work.
A few examples of not-so-good:
The character played by Pauley Perrette on NCIS (Abby Sciuto) is priceless. Pauley has that absolutely nailed. Why Expedia believes that Pauley can influence decisions for travel is beyond thought as she does not have anything to do with travel or the services that Expedia offers.
Another would be State Farm featuring LeBron James in a horribly scripted insurance commercial. LeBron is certainly a super-great NBA star but there is a disconnect for him to be hawking car insurance (especially playing the world's smallest violin). Where the "bright idea" originated to have him doing the ad is beyond imagination.
One has to wonder at the market researchers who placed Eminem in a Lipton Brisk commercial. Perhaps those who really love the star will try Brisk, but the manner in which the commercial was produced leaves a lot to be desired and could alienate potential consumers.
As much as this blogger appreciates the athletic prowess of NBA All-Star All- Everything Michael Jordan is he really someone who makes a difference in the brand of tee-shirts and underwear that men purchase? Seems a bit of a stretch.
There are more, to be sure. The above, however, are perhaps examples of the some of the worst match-ups of celebrities "selling" on the small screen.
All this blogger can see is that having random celebrities in many TV spots adds an additional expense to the cost of the product or service. Because we all know, celebs do not do this for free.
As a final note, AdvertisingAge Magazine found that twenty percent of celeb TV ads in 2010 actually diminished the ads effectiveness and yet a 2011 report shows even more celebs appearing in TV ads. Go figure.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
There are times, though, where it seems that companies do not consider if the person endorsing a product or service can actually make a positive impact in sales of that particular item.
Perhaps the mindset of the executives, or the marketing firm who sold the concept in the first place, is to simply have their brand tied to a celebrity - any well-known celebrity.
It would seem that a company in choosing a celeb to promote their wares would at least try to match what that talent is known for or at least to something that is loosely associated
The school of thought that says "if that celebrity is endorsing that product it must be good" only goes so far. Sometimes, not at all. There needs to be some form of connect for it to really work.
A few examples of not-so-good:
The character played by Pauley Perrette on NCIS (Abby Sciuto) is priceless. Pauley has that absolutely nailed. Why Expedia believes that Pauley can influence decisions for travel is beyond thought as she does not have anything to do with travel or the services that Expedia offers.
Another would be State Farm featuring LeBron James in a horribly scripted insurance commercial. LeBron is certainly a super-great NBA star but there is a disconnect for him to be hawking car insurance (especially playing the world's smallest violin). Where the "bright idea" originated to have him doing the ad is beyond imagination.
One has to wonder at the market researchers who placed Eminem in a Lipton Brisk commercial. Perhaps those who really love the star will try Brisk, but the manner in which the commercial was produced leaves a lot to be desired and could alienate potential consumers.
As much as this blogger appreciates the athletic prowess of NBA All-Star All- Everything Michael Jordan is he really someone who makes a difference in the brand of tee-shirts and underwear that men purchase? Seems a bit of a stretch.
There are more, to be sure. The above, however, are perhaps examples of the some of the worst match-ups of celebrities "selling" on the small screen.
All this blogger can see is that having random celebrities in many TV spots adds an additional expense to the cost of the product or service. Because we all know, celebs do not do this for free.
As a final note, AdvertisingAge Magazine found that twenty percent of celeb TV ads in 2010 actually diminished the ads effectiveness and yet a 2011 report shows even more celebs appearing in TV ads. Go figure.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
NBA Official Basketball - Great Playoff Moments
In the world of lame television commercials that we live with and suffer through in order to enjoy whatever it is we wish to follow, promoting anything and everything one can imagine, it is a truly a breath of fresh air to watch the NBA Official Basketball.
Granted there are a couple of them that are just so-so, but on the whole the NBA has got it right with these spots.
The terrific ones feature the Ball in some of the greatest plays in NBA Playoff history.
The sad thing about any incredible "did-you-see-that" performance on the court is that they are over in the blink of an eye. And, for those attending the game, depending on where they sit in the arena, some may not see it at all. For the NBA to place some of these feats in commercials is simply brilliant.
This one was over three decades ago with a superb effort by Philadelphia 76ers star Dr. J. (Julius Erving) playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Dr. J., in a Baseline Move, flies behind the rim, Official Basketball clutched in his outstretched hand, hanging way out of bounds, and then swoops the Ball around and in the bucket with a reverse layup.
This next one features Los Angeles Lakers longtime standout in the clutch Derek Fisher, scoring a game-winning all net jumper against the San Antonio Spurs from an in-bounds pass with just 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
What a tribute the NBA has done to highlight such extraordinary action in these short clips.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Granted there are a couple of them that are just so-so, but on the whole the NBA has got it right with these spots.
The terrific ones feature the Ball in some of the greatest plays in NBA Playoff history.
The sad thing about any incredible "did-you-see-that" performance on the court is that they are over in the blink of an eye. And, for those attending the game, depending on where they sit in the arena, some may not see it at all. For the NBA to place some of these feats in commercials is simply brilliant.
This one was over three decades ago with a superb effort by Philadelphia 76ers star Dr. J. (Julius Erving) playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Dr. J., in a Baseline Move, flies behind the rim, Official Basketball clutched in his outstretched hand, hanging way out of bounds, and then swoops the Ball around and in the bucket with a reverse layup.
This next one features Los Angeles Lakers longtime standout in the clutch Derek Fisher, scoring a game-winning all net jumper against the San Antonio Spurs from an in-bounds pass with just 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
What a tribute the NBA has done to highlight such extraordinary action in these short clips.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Saturday, May 14, 2011
LeBron James finally conquers Boston Celtics dominance
It seems, over the past few years, that the Boston Celtics have always had the upper hand when playing teams with LeBron James.
Well, maybe a few hands - Allen, Garnett, Pierce, Rondo and the rest of the gang.
Consider just last year when the Celtics dominated James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (the top seed in the Eastern Conference with the league's best record) in the second round, eliminating James for a possible NBA Championship in six games.
At the start of the 2011 season it seemed that James and his new team, the Miami Heat (even with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh) could not best the performance of the Celtics, losing the regular season series 3-1.
This year's playoffs, however, were a different story.
After taking both home games, Miami found itself in Boston and a resounding loss in Game 3. With the series at 2-1, and still playing at TD Garden, James et al accomplished something remarkable. They beat the Celtics on their home turf in overtime.
Why remarkable? Prior to that victory James had only won twice in Boston out of 15 attempts and his teammate, Dwayne Wade, had lost 11 straight games on that court.
After the win, James was quoted as saying, "I haven't had much success in this building."
That was a gigantic understatement.
Back in Miami, with Boston trailing 3-1, there was a definite threat to extend the series. It could be seen that the Celtics were gunning for a win at Miami despite the fact the Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal were sidelined with injuries. The game was tied 87-87 with 2:13 remaining and all of a sudden LeBron exploded.
He dropped two shots from downtown, stole the ball and took it in for a slam dunk, then closed out the game with a jumper, scoring the final 10 points of the game. Final Miami 97, Boston 87. Series end: Miami 4, Boston 1.
It does seem that LeBron conquered whatever it was about the Celtics and TD Garden that had haunted him. And it was gratifying to watch him compliment Doc Rivers and the Celtics as he did following the game.
Now, on to the rest of the NBA championship run.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Well, maybe a few hands - Allen, Garnett, Pierce, Rondo and the rest of the gang.
Consider just last year when the Celtics dominated James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (the top seed in the Eastern Conference with the league's best record) in the second round, eliminating James for a possible NBA Championship in six games.
At the start of the 2011 season it seemed that James and his new team, the Miami Heat (even with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh) could not best the performance of the Celtics, losing the regular season series 3-1.
This year's playoffs, however, were a different story.
After taking both home games, Miami found itself in Boston and a resounding loss in Game 3. With the series at 2-1, and still playing at TD Garden, James et al accomplished something remarkable. They beat the Celtics on their home turf in overtime.
Why remarkable? Prior to that victory James had only won twice in Boston out of 15 attempts and his teammate, Dwayne Wade, had lost 11 straight games on that court.
After the win, James was quoted as saying, "I haven't had much success in this building."
That was a gigantic understatement.
Back in Miami, with Boston trailing 3-1, there was a definite threat to extend the series. It could be seen that the Celtics were gunning for a win at Miami despite the fact the Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal were sidelined with injuries. The game was tied 87-87 with 2:13 remaining and all of a sudden LeBron exploded.
He dropped two shots from downtown, stole the ball and took it in for a slam dunk, then closed out the game with a jumper, scoring the final 10 points of the game. Final Miami 97, Boston 87. Series end: Miami 4, Boston 1.
It does seem that LeBron conquered whatever it was about the Celtics and TD Garden that had haunted him. And it was gratifying to watch him compliment Doc Rivers and the Celtics as he did following the game.
Now, on to the rest of the NBA championship run.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
NBA Conference Championship Playoffs 2011
It is definitely NBA Playoff time and as this blog is being written the playoffs are, essentially, midway to having a 2011 Champion.
Some surprises have definitely happened along the way.
The #1 seed in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs, lost in the first round to the #8 seed Memphis Grizzlies in six games.
Perhaps it was meant to be this year, the #2 seed (and defending NBA Champion) Los Angeles Lakers took six games to beat the #7 New Orleans Hornets and then got swept by #3 Dallas Mavericks in four games, completely thwarting their effort for a second three-peat.
In the Eastern Conference, the #1 seed Chicago Bulls, with the league's MVP and best record of all teams, took out the #7 Indiana Pacers in five games in round one and find themselves tied at two games each with #5 seed Atlanta Hawks who took the #4 Orlando Magic out of the picture in six.
Probably one of the most anticipated matchups features #2 Miami Heat and #3 Boston Celtics. The Heat excelled in game 4 to lead the series 3-1.
As it looks right now, the Dallas Mavericks, with time to rest after their sweep, will probably meet #4 Oklahoma City Thunder (providing they get by the Grizzlies, with the series tied at 2 apiece) for the Western Conference Championship while in the Eastern Conference odds are that the Heat will be playing the Bulls to determine who goes for the NBA trophy.
It will be interesting to see.
As the theme of the playoffs is "Win or Go Home," one can see the truth in that short statement.
In the meantime, one of the highlights of every playoff game has been the NBA's own commercials, featuring the "Official Basketball."
This one is absolutely great:
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Some surprises have definitely happened along the way.
The #1 seed in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs, lost in the first round to the #8 seed Memphis Grizzlies in six games.
Perhaps it was meant to be this year, the #2 seed (and defending NBA Champion) Los Angeles Lakers took six games to beat the #7 New Orleans Hornets and then got swept by #3 Dallas Mavericks in four games, completely thwarting their effort for a second three-peat.
In the Eastern Conference, the #1 seed Chicago Bulls, with the league's MVP and best record of all teams, took out the #7 Indiana Pacers in five games in round one and find themselves tied at two games each with #5 seed Atlanta Hawks who took the #4 Orlando Magic out of the picture in six.
Probably one of the most anticipated matchups features #2 Miami Heat and #3 Boston Celtics. The Heat excelled in game 4 to lead the series 3-1.
As it looks right now, the Dallas Mavericks, with time to rest after their sweep, will probably meet #4 Oklahoma City Thunder (providing they get by the Grizzlies, with the series tied at 2 apiece) for the Western Conference Championship while in the Eastern Conference odds are that the Heat will be playing the Bulls to determine who goes for the NBA trophy.
It will be interesting to see.
As the theme of the playoffs is "Win or Go Home," one can see the truth in that short statement.
In the meantime, one of the highlights of every playoff game has been the NBA's own commercials, featuring the "Official Basketball."
This one is absolutely great:
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Monday, February 21, 2011
NBA All Star Game 2011 - Kobe & LeBron
What appeared to be a runaway game by the NBA West All Stars became very tense in the final moments, as the East, under some incredible bursts of steam led by LeBron James, created a nail biter for many fans.
However, one of the most memorable plays was a few moments earlier when eventual MVP Kobe Bryant (with game highs of 37 points and 14 boards) streaked for a dunk with LBJ attempting to deny Kobe on his home court with the now-famous "Chase Down" block.
What followed, aside from the Michael Jordan-style rear tap, was a beautiful behind-the-arc shot by the Black Mamba.
A quick one minute recap of these plays.
A great NBA All Star game to be sure, despite way too many turnovers, with a lot of hustle from Kevin Durant, Pau Gasol, Amar Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, to name a few.
Side Notes: Kobe tied the record of most times named All Star MVP with Bob Pettit at four while LeBron became only the second person to score an All Star Game triple-double (29-12-10) along side Michael Jordan.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
However, one of the most memorable plays was a few moments earlier when eventual MVP Kobe Bryant (with game highs of 37 points and 14 boards) streaked for a dunk with LBJ attempting to deny Kobe on his home court with the now-famous "Chase Down" block.
What followed, aside from the Michael Jordan-style rear tap, was a beautiful behind-the-arc shot by the Black Mamba.
A quick one minute recap of these plays.
A great NBA All Star game to be sure, despite way too many turnovers, with a lot of hustle from Kevin Durant, Pau Gasol, Amar Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, to name a few.
Side Notes: Kobe tied the record of most times named All Star MVP with Bob Pettit at four while LeBron became only the second person to score an All Star Game triple-double (29-12-10) along side Michael Jordan.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Sunday, February 6, 2011
In Honor of NFL Super Bowl XLV
The Super Bowl became famous for some of the best television commercials ever made.
This post, however, is not about a best ad, it is about basketball infiltration of the football championship game, with food as the vehicle.
The following two Super Bowl TV ads feature NBA greats Michael Jordan vs Larry Byrd and LeBron James vs Dwight Howard during the NFL's classic match.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
This post, however, is not about a best ad, it is about basketball infiltration of the football championship game, with food as the vehicle.
The following two Super Bowl TV ads feature NBA greats Michael Jordan vs Larry Byrd and LeBron James vs Dwight Howard during the NFL's classic match.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Long Shots in the NBA
Two Remarkable Shots.
One counted - and won the game.
The other did not. It had touched the timeclock, which is out of bounds.
First, Gilbert Arenas and the 3/4-court shot off the rim, the clock and through the net.
A couple days later, Tyreke Evans heaves a just-in-the-nick-of-time game-winner from behind half-court. All net.
Just gotta love those prayer shots !
Over For Now.
Main Street One
One counted - and won the game.
The other did not. It had touched the timeclock, which is out of bounds.
First, Gilbert Arenas and the 3/4-court shot off the rim, the clock and through the net.
A couple days later, Tyreke Evans heaves a just-in-the-nick-of-time game-winner from behind half-court. All net.
Just gotta love those prayer shots !
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Friday, June 18, 2010
Los Angeles Lakers, 2010 NBA Champions
Sports is a tremendously huge part of the culture of Main Street USA.
Between athletic and theatrical events the citizens of America spend billions upon billions of their hard-earned dollars.
In sporting competitions it is to follow and watch someone become the champion, the best at what they do.
This year, as they did in 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned as the Kings of Basketball after defeating their arch-rival, the Boston Celtics.
The Lakers were led all season by Kobe Bryant.
Make no mistake about it, basketball is a team activity and Kobe received a lot of assistance to acquire his 5th NBA Finals Championship Ring and his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP Award.
The series against the Celtics proved that Pau Gasol (the "Spaniard" as Kobe calls him), Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, and Luke Walton wanted that 16th NBA Title for Los Angeles possibly as much as did Kobe.
However, Kobe is Kobe.
He is a dynamic player for the ages. A winner.
He is a winner surrounded by others who desire to win as well.
Congratulations to coach Phil Jackson and all the Lakers!
Especially to Kobe Bryant.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Between athletic and theatrical events the citizens of America spend billions upon billions of their hard-earned dollars.
In sporting competitions it is to follow and watch someone become the champion, the best at what they do.
This year, as they did in 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned as the Kings of Basketball after defeating their arch-rival, the Boston Celtics.
The Lakers were led all season by Kobe Bryant.
Make no mistake about it, basketball is a team activity and Kobe received a lot of assistance to acquire his 5th NBA Finals Championship Ring and his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP Award.
The series against the Celtics proved that Pau Gasol (the "Spaniard" as Kobe calls him), Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, and Luke Walton wanted that 16th NBA Title for Los Angeles possibly as much as did Kobe.
However, Kobe is Kobe.
He is a dynamic player for the ages. A winner.
He is a winner surrounded by others who desire to win as well.
Especially to Kobe Bryant.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Friday, June 4, 2010
2010 NBA Finals Game 1 Lakers and Celtics
Having lived in California for over four decades, and in the Los Angeles area for much of that time, it is hard not to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan, especially during the NBA finals, regardless of the current place of residence.
And even more so with the opportunity to avenge the tragic loss in 2008 to the Boston Celtics.
It is unlikely that the Lakers will ever get close to evening up the championship series between the two - they are down 9-2 at this point thanks to Bill Russell's complete dominance of the game. Russell lead his Celtics team to 11 NBA Championships during his 13 seasons as a player, including 7 in match-ups against the Lakers.
Even so, the rivalry between the two most storied teams in the NBA is legend.
And continues as Kobe Bryant goes for his 5th title ring as a Laker. Game 1 shows what this series will be about.
In the day, growing up in SoCal with Boston controlling the NBA, the alternate outlet for enthusiasm was watching the UCLA Bruins, the totally dominate NCAA team, who won 10 championship titles between 1964 and 1975, including 4 undefeated seasons.
Those Caliornia memories will always remain, including the year my high school team played Jamaal Keith Wilkes (and lost). Fortunately, I did not have to guard him, my teammate did. Wilkes was later on the UCLA team that won 2 titles during 30-0 seasons in 1972 and 1973 and set the record of 88 consecutive wins and eventually played on four NBA Championship teams, one with the Golden State Warriors and the others with the Lakers.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
And even more so with the opportunity to avenge the tragic loss in 2008 to the Boston Celtics.
It is unlikely that the Lakers will ever get close to evening up the championship series between the two - they are down 9-2 at this point thanks to Bill Russell's complete dominance of the game. Russell lead his Celtics team to 11 NBA Championships during his 13 seasons as a player, including 7 in match-ups against the Lakers.
Even so, the rivalry between the two most storied teams in the NBA is legend.
And continues as Kobe Bryant goes for his 5th title ring as a Laker. Game 1 shows what this series will be about.
In the day, growing up in SoCal with Boston controlling the NBA, the alternate outlet for enthusiasm was watching the UCLA Bruins, the totally dominate NCAA team, who won 10 championship titles between 1964 and 1975, including 4 undefeated seasons.
Those Caliornia memories will always remain, including the year my high school team played Jamaal Keith Wilkes (and lost). Fortunately, I did not have to guard him, my teammate did. Wilkes was later on the UCLA team that won 2 titles during 30-0 seasons in 1972 and 1973 and set the record of 88 consecutive wins and eventually played on four NBA Championship teams, one with the Golden State Warriors and the others with the Lakers.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
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