Post Season Depression

It's been a year since I started this blog and I can think of no better way to celebrate than being depressed because basketball season is over. I think it's good to take a break, but I miss seeing the daily highlights.

Just like some new mothers get post partum depression, I get post-playoff depression. I feel like I am being mocked when I check for scores and highlights but am only able to see hockey and baseball. 

I know it will be hard for the next several months, but what really makes it hard is the possibility of labor disputes delaying things even further.

The Best NBA Player's Nicknames

If you are a popular NBA player, it's common to have a nickname. Sometimes players sound more like super heroes than they do athletes when you hear some of their aliases. Below I have listed just some of the more popular NBA player's nicknames. I have categorized them by how good I think the names are.

Favorite Nicknames
Dr. J- Julius Erving
Chocolate Thunder- Daryl Dawkins
The Diesel- Shaquille O'Neal
The Iceman- George Gervin
Magic- Ervin Johnson
Thunder-Dan Majerle
Air- Michael Jordan
The Microwave- Vinnie Johnson

Decent Nicknames
The Mailman- Karl Malone
The Glide-Clyde Drexler
AK47- Andrei Kirilenko
The Pistol-Pete Maravich
The Human Highlight Reel- Dominique Wilkins
Dr. Dunkenstein- Darrell Griffith
The Big Ticket- Kevin Garnett

Don't Really Care For These Names
The Dream- Hakeem Olajuwon
The Black Mamba- Kobe Bryant
The Matrix- Shawn Marion
The Birdman- Chris Andersen
The Stilt- Wilt Chamberlain
Silk- Jamaal Wilkes
The Truth- Paul Pierce
Zeke- Isaiah Thomas

Horrible Nicknames
The Round Mound of Rebound- Charles Barkley
Big Country-Bryant Reeves
The Whopper- Billy Paultz
Z-Bo- Zach Randolph
The Big O-Oscar Robertson
The Custodian- Brain Cardinal
The Worm- Dennis Rodman

NBA Conspiracy Theories

I haven't heard as much talk from basketball conspiracy theorists this year as I have in the past. Their theory is that the NBA wants the bigger teams to go to the finals and win the championship each year. They believe that teams like the Lakers, Bulls, and Knicks are more likely to advance because they make more money for "the man" because of their large fan base as opposed to smaller markets like the Jazz, Kings, and Grizzlies.

There are times when I see some bad calls which make me entertain the idea that a ref may want a particular outcome for the game.  I will admit that All stars and veterans get preferential treatment from the refs, but that's noting new. As much as I think the NBA would love to have the most popular teams with the biggest draw in the post season, I don't believe that games are thrown in an effort to get them to the finals.

As tempting as it is to give credence to some of these theories, I think many of them are promoted by disgruntled fans who's teams were eliminated from the play offs. The day the NBA starts to hire WWE refs, then I may change my mind on this topic. Even if the commissioner and the refs were trying to produce a particular outcome, I think it would just make a victory that much sweeter for the underdog teams.

Speaking of conspiracy theories, have you ever looked closely at the NBA lottery machine?  I heard there is a computer chip that controls it which is manufactured by a company which is owned by the Federal Reserved and the Illuminati.