Le Basketbawl

New York Vinnie has told you this countless times; the biggest Frickin problem on this Planet right now is a lack of Frickin Common Sense! We are so much more Frickin technologically advanced than we were 50 years ago; but we are far less Frickin sophisticated! Unfortunately there are too many people on this Planet in 2010 that think their head is only there for them to put a ball cap on it!

We also have way too many Frickin sheep and not enough Frickin shepherds in this day and age. People hear something said on the Frickin TV and they take it as the Holy Gospel. Whether it is some Frickin Nut Job on a News Talk show asking the American people to stage a revolution; or some Frickin ”TV Pretty Boy” giving out false information people lap that Frickin Crapolla up with two spoons.

Well it took a while but it seems that the “Greatest City To Ever Exist On The Planet, New York City” has finally started to Frickin wake up and smell the Frickin coffee! New York Vinnie has been telling you since last Summer that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James would not be signing a Free Agent contract with “MY BOYS” the New York Knicks at the end of the season. New York Vinnie has consistently told you that he will re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers this Summer. Whether they win it all this June or not they are legitimate contenders. The Knicks even with all their salary cap space for next summer are not.

Wednesday the “New York Post” had a column by Knicks beat writer Marc Berman entitled “LeBron-to-Knicks hope fading.” New York Vinnie has mentioned before how much respect I have for Berman as a writer. However New York Vinnie has to disagree with that headline; there was never any hope of “The Chosen One” coming to the Knicks. It was just delusional!

Knicks veteran big man Al Harrington told reporters that he is sure the reigning NBA MVP will be back with the Cavaliers next season. Harrington said “A lot of teams would love to have him and the Knicks are one of them. But if he’s as loyal as he says, I would think it’s very hard for him to leave, especially because he’s home. If it was a different city, maybe not as much a connection, but at the end of the day, he generates every single thing for this whole state. It would be tough for him to make that decision to leave.”

DING-DING! Al My Man You have rang the Frickin Bell! You hit the Frickin nail right on the head. LeBron James owns the city of Cleveland; he would be a Frickin Dim-Wit to leave! His team is on the Frickin cusp of winning it all; why go to a rebuilding team? It makes no sense!  And finally people are starting to wake up and see the reality!

Now New York Vinnie is not saying that “MY BOYS” can not improve next summer; there will be plenty of talent available. But LeBron James will be in Cleveland at the start of next season; you can take that to the Frickin bank!

The ”Cleveland Plain Dealer“ has reported that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has filed to have his uniform number changed next season. Earlier this  season James had told reporters that he was contemplating changing his uniform number from 23 to the number 6. The reigning NBA MVP told members of the media that he believed the NBA should retire number 23 as a tribute to Michael Jordan.

The Cavaliers All-Star said last November ““I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon. There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn’t Michael Jordan first. He can’t get the logo (that is former L.A. Lakers legend Jerry West) and if he can’t, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I’m starting a petition, and I’ve got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.”

James had told reporters that he would take on the number 6. When asked why he responded “My second-favorite player was Julius Erving, and he wore No. 6. I wore 32 in high school because Dr. J wore it at first. My first child was born on Oct. 6, it’s my Olympic number, my second child was born in June.”

This is the final week that players can fill out the forms to have their number changed for next season. Although “The Chosen One” stated that he wanted to change his number as a tribute to M.J. New York Vinnie wonders if that is LeBron’s only motivation to change his uniform number. If LeBron changes to number six do you realize how many millions of new LBJ jerseys with number six will be sold? I am sure LeBron and his business advisers are; LeBron James is nobody’s dummy.

The “Cleveland Plain Dealer” reported Thursday that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be without a key member of its core for the next 4-6 weeks as Cavaliers starting point guard Mo Williams strained his left shoulder Tuesday night as Cleveland defeated the Toronto Raptors. Williams recorded a double-double in the contest and is the Cavaliers second leading scorer following LeBron James. The Cleveland point guard has averaged 16.9 points, 5.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds this season.

Williams had an MRI on Thursday that revealed the injury. The Cavaliers do not have another “true” point guard on the team however Delonte West will be getting the start in William’s slot. West is more of a combo guard but he can penetrate quite effectively as he proved last year in the NBA Playoffs. West was the most consistent player on the team during the post season other than the Cleveland All-Star James. The Cavaliers will play the Los  Angeles Lakers on Thursday night in Cleveland. They are currently the leading team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 32-11 while the Lakers have the best record in the NBA at 32-9.

In the Summer of 2003 the number one selection in the NBA Draft was a lead pipe cinch but there was a lot of discussion who would be selected at number two. The hapless Cleveland Cavaliers won the number one selection in the Draft Lottery and they would take the young man who is arguably one of the two best players in the NBA today reigning NBA MVP LeBron James. However the team with the second pick in that Draft the Detroit Pistons were hesitant to make up their minds.

Most NBA observers thought that Detroit should select forward Carmelo Anthony who played one year at Syracuse and led that team to an NCAA Championship. However there was another intriguing player out there that had piqued many folks interest. The young man was from Eastern Europe very young and unpolished but said to have a tremendous upside. His name was Darko Milicic he was 7′1″ tall and allegedly had the ball handling abilities of a small forward.

What little was known from him was from scouting reports and film and nobody could really be sure if his skill-set would transfer over to the NBA. However the Pistons Brain-Trust at the time Team President Joe Dumars and head coach Larry Brown decided to roll the dice. They passed on Anthony who was taken with the third pick by the Denver Nuggets and chose the Euro-Player Milicic; they would soon regret the choice.

New York Vinnie certainly does not have to relate the success that James has had with Cleveland or that ‘Melo has had with the Nuggets. As for Milicic the word that comes most quickly to New Yorrk Vinnie’s mind is Disaster; make that an Utter Frickin Disaster especially after Darko revealed his plans for next year to the “New York Post.”

To say that Milicic is a disappointment does not even begin to scratch the surface of how bad this young man has been. You could use the word bust but even that might be far too kind. Because it turns out that not only does Darko Milicic lack the talent to play in the NBA; even more embarrassing he lacks the “Frickin Stones” to play in the NBA. Despite the fact that Darko is 7′1″ tall he is a” little Wussy”; a crybaby who has decided the NBA is too tough for him so he is going to run home to Europe next season. He will head back home a failure with his Frickin tail between his legs!

Milicic told the paper “Whatever happens, I’m going back next year. It’s 100-percent certain. I have to be real and not lie. I’m not going to get it done in the NBA. I’m not going to get another opportunity and there’s nothing wrong with going back to Europe. I don’t want to create a bad atmosphere here, but it’s not working in the NBA.”

Yo Darko; New York Vinnie has two words for you “Good Riddance!” The NBA is a league for men which you are obviously not one of. You see Darko “Real Men” don’t just take their ball and go home. “Real Men” make the situation work or die trying. Little spoiled babies and “Wussies” run home when the going gets too tough! You just showed your true nature.

Here is another question for you Darko; why would you make the announcement in December? Do you somehow believe that some NBA executive is going to say to themselves that they will make it their mission to get you on their team next season? Because if you do that fantasy will never play out anywhere but in your head. Your career totals stink and with this announcement the entire NBA know that your attitude stinks too!

So enjoy your last few months in the States Darko! New York Vinnie would suggest you take a lot of pictures so when you go back to your drab life in your drab little homeland at least you will have proof you were “Almost Somebody Once!”

Your Old Pal New York Vinnie’s favorite TV commercial of all time is the one where Michael Jordan of the Washington Wizards takes on Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls in a game of one on one. Jordan from the Bulls is the far superior athlete however Michael from the Wizards knows the game far better. There are two lines in that spot that New York Vinnie loves; the first one when the Wizards Jordan says “You Reach I Teach.” The other great exchange is when the Bulls Jordan blows a shot and tells the older Michael “I could have dunked it.” The Wizards Jordan responds “You should have dunked it.”

There comes a time in all pro athletes careers when their athletic skills start going downward. At that point you have one of two choices you learn to compensate or you leave the sport. The smart ones learn the tricks that allow them to be almost as effective as they were at their athletic peak.

The Los Angeles Lakers  are playing “MY BOYS” the New York Knicks on Tuesday night and the “New York Times“  sat down recently with their All-Star guard Kobe Bryant. The “Black Mamba” is now 31 years old and he is most likely at his athletic peak right now; or possibly just starting the downward slope. He certainly will not improve athletically at his age. However like Jordan before him he now knows the game of basketball far better than when he was younger.

The paper asked the 2008 NBA MVP if he feels his game has evolved over the last few seasons? Bryant replied “Oh, without a doubt. A lot of that has to do with the team that I have because they allow me to explore those other areas of my game because they’re better basketball players, so that enables me to sit back and say, ‘OK, I don’t have to score 40 points a game to keep us competitive.’ I can start thinking the game more and thinking how can I use the pieces that I have here as opposed to thinking, ‘Damn, I’ve got to put my head down and go out there and try to beat two or three guys just to keep us in the game.’ So, I think they help me get to another level of understanding the game.”

The reporter then asked Bryant what area of his game is he still trying to improve? He responded “It’s all leadership, how I get the best out of these guys, how I make these guys better. Because them better makes me better. For years, all I hear people say is this player makes these players better. But they’re all great players already. It’s like kind of silly to me to say Kobe has become more unselfish or yada, yada, yada with these guys that I have. Pau Gasol’s a great player in his own right. It’s a lot easier for me to make him better. It’s easier for me to make Lamar better. It’s easier to make Derek Fisher better. They have the commitment, they have the work ethic. They’re already here. They’re just making me look a lot better than I actually am.”

Bryant also told the paper he really has no idea how much longer he will play in the NBA. He told the reporter “I think the reason why I haven’t thought about it is I still feel good. I feel like I’ve still got a lot left in the tank. Even though the light at the end of the tunnel is much brighter than the one at the beginning, I’m not quite there yet to think how many years I want to do this.”

You can be a Kobe fan or a Kobe Hater but one thing for sure; the “Black Mamba” has earned your respect. The man has faced adversity on and off the court and come out the other side a better man. That is also part of evolving not only as a player but as a human being.

Allen Iverson seems to be running out of options as the New York Knicks have now broken off talks with him according to “ESPN.com.”  New York Team President Donnie Walsh told reporters that the club reached the decision late Thursday night not to pursue the free agent guard. Iverson was waived earlier this week by the Memphis Grizzlies after the player and the team could not see eye to eye on whether the All-Star would be a starter or come off the bench. The veteran signed a one year deal with Memphis just before Training Camp for a reported $3.5 million.

Walsh did say that the team was intrigued with going after the Free Agent but decided he was not a good fit for the squad. The Team President said “It did get interesting for a while because Allen’s a great player and has always been a great player. You’re 1-9 and you’re thinking, ‘We’ve got to get some help in here.’ But when we rethought it and I talked to Mike and he talked to me, we feel that could hurt our development of the future, and so we want to go the way we’re going. There will be other things we can do during the year that will be more in line with what our philosophy has been entering into this. And I want to really make it clear that this has nothing to do with Iverson. He’s a great player, I’ve always admired him. I think he’d be a great addition for a team that is in a different position than we’re in, and I hope he gets picked up.”

 So is this the end for Allen Iverson in the NBA? Is this the way his career ends with a whimper not a bang? A former NBA MVP unwanted by any team? Or is there a solution a realtionship that could benefit both A.I. and the team? Your Old Pal New York Vinnie has been mulling this over since the news broke that the Knicks were not interested and if Iverson has truly learned a lesson and can be a team player I think I have the perfect solution.

One would hope that the last few months have humbled Iverson but it was apparent during his short stay in Memphis that was not the case. However now after being let go by a team as bad as Memphis and bypassed by “MY BOYS” the Knicks maybe just maybe the veteran has started to smell the coffee. If that is the case then he could be just the right man to take one team to their first NBA Championship; the Cleveland Cavaliers.

 Okay now that you have picked your Frickin jaw off the floor New York Vinnie will tell you why this makes sense. First and foremost there is a need; the two-guard position in the Cavaliers starting lineup right now is that team’s weak link. Last year’s starter Delonte West has been hard by his emotional disorder and one does not know how long it will take for him to recover from what he is going through. Plus West has legal problems due to his arrest this summer on weapons charges.

Anthony Parker is a great back-up for an Elite NBA team but he is not a starter. When Iverson is focused and happy he can still give you 20 points a game. Add that to a lineup of Mo Williams, a healthy Shaq, Varejao or Hickson at the power forward spot and the reigning NBA MVP LeBron James and New York Vinnie could see that team going very far in the Post Season.

Here is another reason why New York Vinnie thinks that this could work; Romeo Travis. Who is Romeo Travis you ask? If you read the book that LBJ put out this summer “Shooting Stars” you would be well aware that Travis was one of the Cavaliers star’s teammates in high school. LBJ had started high school with three childhood friends; Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III and Willie McGee and they called themselves the “Fab Four.” At the beginning of their sophomore year Rome Travis transferred to their school. Travis could play but he was an outsider he never got close to the group.

That is until their senior year when the four childhood friends knowing how badly they needed Travis to be on the same page as them invited hin into their group. They became the “Fab Five” and won the National Championship that year; a small school from Akron, Ohio with a huge desire to win.

If the teams leaders; LBJ, Mo Williams and O’Neal could convince Iverson that he is what they need to get that ring then LeBron could have another “Fab Five” on his hands. There is no doubt whether the talent is still there with Iverson; it is. However is the desire to do what ever it takes to get that ring there? If it is then Iverson would be a perfect fit for Cleveland.

We live in a very cynical age and Your Old Pal New York Vinnie is an extremely cynical man. New York Vinnie learned long ago not to take anything at face value. They say some people look at a glass and see it half empty while others see it as half full. New York Vinnie looks at the glass and thinks do I really want to drink out of this Frickin glass? So no matter how nice the gesture may seem New York Vinnie is always looking for the angle; because if you Frickin dig deep enough 9 times out of 10 you will find one.

The “Cleveland Plain Dealer” is reporting that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward and last season’s NBA MVP LeBron James told reporters after the Cavaliers victory over the Miami Heat Thursday that he is contemplating changing his uniform number at the end of the season. Most likely you are well aware that “King James” currently wears number 23 the same number his boyhood hero Michael Jordan wore during his playing days.

James told reporters he is planning on changing his number from 23 to the number 6 because he believes Jordan’s number should be retired. He also would like all over players who wear that number ro make the change as well. Jordan was at the game between Miami and Cleveland seated next to Heat executive Pat Riley.

What is behind the change for LBJ? The All-Star told reporters “I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon. There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn’t Michael Jordan first. He can’t get the logo (that is former L.A. Lakers legend Jerry West) and if he can’t, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I’m starting a petition, and I’ve got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.”

Yo LeBron; you are correct that M.J. helped the game’s popularity. However if it wasn’t for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson the NBA could have ceased to exist before Michael ever took the court in an NBA game. There also happens to be a guy by the name of “Dr. J“;  Julius Erving who was pretty Frickin special.  In fact you think pretty highly about him your self. And as much as New York Vinnie hates the Frickin Boston Celtics Bill Russell won 11 rings in 13 years and his number is not retired.

Why has James chosen the number six? The Cavaliers forward told reporters “My second-favorite player was Julius Erving, and he wore No. 6. I wore 32 in high school because Dr. J wore it at first. My first child was born on Oct. 6, it’s my Olympic number, my second child was born in June.”

So “The Doctor’s” number should not be retired but Jordan’s should. New York Vinnie is not sure you would say that LeBron if you could have seen the young man I did when I was a teenager play for the old New York Nets of the old ABA. Julius was in many ways better than Jordan offensively. So New York Vinnie is not sure he is on board with retiring Jordan’s number.

However the other thing that New York Vinnie is bothered by is exactly what is “The Chosen One’s” true motivation in this matter. Is this truly all about Michael or does merchandising come into play as well? If LeBron changes to number six do you realize how many millions of new LBJ jerseys with number six will be sold? I am sure LeBron and his business advisers are; LeBron James is nobody’s dummy.

So LBJ you want to change your number for what ever the reason you go right ahead My Man. However New York Vinnie does not believe that Jordan’s number should be retired unless the NBA plans on retiring a few other numbers.