A NEW SHERRIFF IN TOWN?

The Associated Press is reporting….

The Cleveland Cavaliers are close to acquiring center Shaquille O’Neal in a trade that would pair him with MVP LeBron James, multiple people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press early Thursday.

The Cavs and Phoenix Suns have reached an agreement in principle on the deal, which gives Cleveland two of the league’s biggest superstars.

O’Neal will join Cleveland in exchange for center Ben Wallace, guard Sasha Pavlovic, a second-round draft pick (No. 46 overall in Thursday’s draft) and cash, said the two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league still must approve the deal.
What an awesome trade…IF IT THIS WAS THE YEAR 2001!!

Granted the Cavs are getting Shaq for Ben “bad knee” Wallace and some tall white dude from Yugoslavia, basically they got Shaq for NOTHING! But let's be real, Shaq is pretty much DONE! The Cavs are known for being a defensive team and Shaq just don't do defense, Shaq is known for scoring points and he has not even been doing much of that lately.

It does help the team but the Cavs need some youth in the post, possibly a Zach Randolph maybe?

Let's just be real here, they need a new coach as well. The current coach Mike Brown, is good, but to win a ring they need better. With Mike Brown the team is cohesive, and defensive, which is great but as soon as they play a team with a decent, not great but a decent defense, he cannot draw up an offensive play to save his life.

Brown does not appear to make adjustments offensively, as he says “we just put the ball in Lebron’s hands and sit back and watch”. WHAT? You will never here something like that from Phil Jackson and he coached Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant., 2 of the best that have ever done it and he still made them function with in the offense.

Either way, this trade makes the NBA offseason a little more interesting and helps with the summer sports news which has been on life support since the NBA Finals ended. COME ON FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!

Coincidence? NO WAAAAAAY!!!!!!!

This video is from the man who gave Michael Jordan his fire...Leroy Smith.

He will Motivize! Pulverize! Realize! This is the unbelievable infomercial for Get Your Basketball On. http://www.getyourbasketballon.com

Leroy says... "I'll teach you the skills you need to dominate opponents the same way I dominated Mike...when we were in tenth grade."

Hilarious!

THE G.O.A.T!!!

THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!
In a society with an unlimited passion to rank, to quantify, to compare and contrast everything, Michael Jordan became the universal measuring device for judging greatness. Jordan the athlete, as well as cultural icon, had such an effect on the world that descriptions of standout athletes in other sports, as well as top artists and elite achievers in any field, began with: "He/she is the Michael Jordan of ... "

The person being described was never quite "the Jordan of ..." but it was a point of reference almost universally understood.

Jordan so dominated the basketball world that, for the second half of a pro career that spanned 1984-98, there was no debate about the game's supreme player -- an astonishing distinction in a time when superb athletes proliferate. Previous eras argued Wilt versus Russell, Robertson versus West, Magic versus Bird. But Jordan stood alone, so far ahead of his peers that individual rivalry came to an end.

Today Michael Jeffery Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Here are some of his accomplishments...I have highlighted a few of my favorites

NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996)
Member of six NBA championship teams (1991-93, 1996-98)
Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (1988, 1991-92, 1996, 1998)
Six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable
Player (1991-93, 1996-98)
Ten-time All-NBA First Team (1987-93, 1996-98)
All-NBA Second team (1985)
Nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team (1987-93, 1996-98)
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1985)
NBA All-Rookie Team (1985)
Two-time IBM Award winner, for all-around contribution to team's success (1985, 1989)
Three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998)
Participated in 11 NBA All-Star Games (1985, 1987-1993, 1996-98), starting 10 times, and missed another due to injury
Holds the NBA All-Star Game career record for highest scoring average (21.3 ppg)
Recorded only triple-double in All-Star Game history, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, in the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland
Won the Nestle Crunch Slam Dunk in 1987 and 1988, also participating in 1985
Passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading playoff scorer (5,762 points) during the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals
Passed Dennis Johnson into fourth place on the NBA's all-time playoff assists list (1,006), in an 88-83 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997-98
Scored his 29,000th career point, posting a game-high 41 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, in a 107-93 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 4/3
Broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record by scoring in double-digits for the 788th consecutive game, scoring a
game-high 33 points, against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 12/30/97
Scored a career-high 69 points in a 117-113 overtime win at Cleveland on 3/28/90
Chicago Bulls all-time leader in scoring (29,277 points), assists (5,012) and steals (2,306)
Holds the NBA record for most seasons leading league in scoring -- 10; highest points per game average (minimum 400 games or 10,000 points) -- 31.5; most seasons leading league in field goals made -- 10; and most seasons leading league in field goals attempted -- 10
Shares the NBA career record for most seasons with 2,000 or more points -- 11; and most consecutive seasons leading league in scoring --7 (1986-87 through 1992-93)
Holds single-game records for most free throws made in one half -- 20 (December 30, 1992, at Miami); and most free-throws attempted in one half -- 23 (December 30, 1992, at Miami)
Shares single-game records for most free throws made in one quarter -- 14 (December 30, 1992, at Miami); and most free-throws attempted in one quarter -- 16 (December 30, 1992, at Miami)
Holds the NBA Finals record for highest single-series scoring average -- 41.0 ppg (1993)
Holds NBA Finals record for most three-point field goals made -- 42; and most consecutive games with 20 or more points -- 35 (June 2, 1991-June 14, 1998)
Holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most points in one half -- 35 (June 3, 1992 vs. Portland)
Shares NBA Finals single-game records for most field goals made in one half -- 14; and most three-point field goals made in one half -- 6 (June 3, 1992, vs. Portland); most free throws made in one quarter -- 9 (June 11, 1997 vs. Utah); and most free throws attempted in one half -- 15 (June 4, 1997, vs. Utah)
Holds the NBA Playoffs record for most points -- 5,987; highest points-per-game average (minimum 25 games or 625 points) -- 33.4 ppg; most field goals attempted -- 4,497; most free throws made -- 1,463; most free throws attempted -- 1,766; and most steals -- 376
Scored a career playoff-high 63 points against the Boston Celtics on 4/20/86, setting an NBA record for most points in a playoff game Holds single-game playoff records for most free throws made in one quarter -- 13; and most free throws
attempted in one quarter -- 14 (May 21, 1991, vs. Detroit)
Shares single-game playoff records for most field goals made -- 24 (May 1, 1998, vs. Cleveland); most field goals attempted in one half -- 25 (May 1, 1988, vs. Cleveland); and most three-point field goals made in one half -- 6 (June 6, 1992, vs. Portland)
Recorded two playoff career triple-doubles, both against the New York Knicks (May 9, 1989 and June 2, 1993)
Notched 28th career triple-doubles, the last being a 30 point, 11 rebound and 10 assist effort against the Toronto Raptors on 4/14/97
Member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic team (1984, 1992)
As a freshman at the University of North Carolina, hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game
Named College Player of the Year by The Sporting
News in both 1983 and 1984 and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards in 1984

23 or 24? Oldschool vs Newschool.

With the NBA playoffs fast approaching and with people chanting MVP for Kobe, I feel its time to finally speak my peace.

It’s finally over!!! No I am not talking about the NBA season. I am talking about how ignorant people continually compare KOBE to MICHAEL JORDAN!

That SHOULD be over anyway! After Kobe’s horrible attempt at leading a team to victory, how can anyone else EVER speak on this again? I never understood the comparison anyhow.

As a rookie in the NBA Jordan blasted on the scene scoring 28 ppg, 6.5 RPG, 5.9 apg, all the while was making more that half his shots. (.515) Those stats are OFF THE METER for a rookie! For 13 seasons (Not counting the Wizards) Michael Jordan has always been “THE MAN” on a team that won or lost based on his actions or lack there of.

Jordan was the leading scorer, the facilitator, the go to guy, the best defender and OVERALL LEADER. NO ONE can question that, at crunch time everyone on the planet knew who was getting the ball and NO ONE could stop him from getting the ball or stop him WITH the ball! Jordan put fear in other players, other teams, fear in coaches, and fear in FRANCHISES!!

Not Kobe, No one fears Kobe, Paul Pierce went to his coach at halftime of game 5 of the 2008 NBA Finals ASKING to guard Kobe, you think anyone ever asked to guard MJ? ASKED to be humiliated, ASKED to be on a poster? You think that ever happened?

Have you ever seen MJ score 25 points and 22 points in an ELIMINATION game in the Finals?

NO!!! KNOW Why, because MJ was never in an elimination game in the Finals, he never let it get to that! You also never saw it because MJ averaged over 35 points a game in the NBA FINALS and is undefeated once reaching the FINALS! THE FINALS was his stage, his time and NO ONE outshined him! Unlike Kobe who was totally outperformed by Paul Pierce, whether Kobe was guarding him or not.

For all those who like to say, well Kobe was not guarding Pierce the whole time, I will give you that, but I ask…WHO WAS KOBE GUARDING?!?! Ray Allen against the Lakers averaged 5 more ppg than he did in the entire playoffs (20.3), KG averaged 18.1, Paul Pierce averaged 2 more points per game in the Finals (21 ppg) and even RONDO averaged 1 more point per game (10.2) against the Lakers. So again I ask, WHO WAS KOBE GUARDING?!?!

Don’t get me wrong, Kobe is a great player. Physically he can make all the shots Jordan made and may even be a better long range shooter. However it’s about the heart and when I say heart, I mean his will to win, his mind, his mental toughness, NO ONE was better than MJ in that category.

Jordan could take over a game, make the other team feel helpless and NO PLAYER or TEAM have successfully been able to make him look as weak and intimidated as Kobe looked in his FIFTH (not his first) Finals appearance.

You saw it, Kobe didn’t know whether to pass or shoot. The whole time Kobe was dribbling around looking for Shaq to pass to down in the post. Shooting jumpers, or a fade away, never really attacking the basket the way MJ did constantly.

Not to mention the fact that when MJ played, teams were deeper and more fundamentally sound... Team defense was at its best back then, most the teams MJ faced were defensively sound. Kobe faced one decent team defense and he looked like Lisa Leslie.

Kobe let Boston get in his head instead of getting in theirs. You ever seen ANYONE get in MJ’s head? I know you young whippersnappers don’t understand how nice MJ was cause weaklings like Kobe is all you know. So I will paint a picture for you, Jordan was sooooooo nice that at times people who were guarding him, were wearing HIS shoes, cause he was THAT NICE!

MJ's peers loved and respected him and his game so much, that his peers would go out and purchased his shoes and wear them in a NBA game and even to play against him.

You tell me who YOU know that has even seen a Kobe sneaker much less would go out and spend gas money to buy them. Kobe jumping over Porches and pools but can’t get around Posey and Pierce…please!!

Michael Jordan is the best that has ever done it because he is a winner and came thru EVERYTIME on the biggest stage the NBA had to offer. MJ was the Finals MVP six times, his last 6 full seasons as a Chicago Bull. While Kobe has 3 rings and no Finals ANYTHING, cause KOBE was the sidekick, maybe we should be comparing him to Scottie Pippen.

How does this headline sound for you, “Kobe Bryant, the Greatest Sidekick of all time?”

It’s true because KOBE is not a Big Dog! Kobe is a little brother wanting to be a big brother. Without Shaq, the big brother, Kobe looked very ordinary in the Finals, has that ever been said about MJ?

NO! All you ever see is the amazing move in Game 1 of the ‘91 Finals against the Lakers, switching hands in the air for the left hand layup. Even though they said three-point shooting wasn't his forte, Michael Jordan was 'in the zone' in Game 1 of the '92 Finals vs. Portland, burying six first-half treys. You see him barely able to stand from the flu, while scoring 38 to win a pivotal Game 5 against Utah in ‘97. You see MJ holding his pose as he scores the game winner against Utah in Game 6 of the ‘98 Finals, the last game of his illustrious career. (IN MY MIND ANYWAY)

With Kobe, you see him crying on the bench as he lost to Detroit in the Finals, you see him looking very unsure as he can’t tell whether to pass or shoot against the Celtics, you see Kobe drop his Playoff average of 30.1 to 25.7 ppg in the ‘08 Finals.

I am no mathematician but as of now, 23 is GREATER THAN 24!!!

The comparisons STOP HERE!!!

Just listen to what Magic Johnson, the greatest Laker that ever played, had to say about Michael Jordan, "There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."