Cool NBA Commercial

I love seeing the great legends of the NBA on the court with today's superstars. This is pretty cool.

Pre Season Highlight

I am so happy to have highlights to watch each day when I come home from work. I'm really looking forward to tons of Clippers highlights this year. DeAndre is living up to his last name with this dunk.

 

Playing With Those Who "Know"

Many times when I'm playing pickup games, I get stuck on a team of strangers and we struggle because there is no chemistry since we don't know what to expect from each other. I really hate it when that happens. Occasionally I encounter a new player whose style is compatible with mine and things just seem to click.

Some players are obviously more talented or athletic than others, but some have an intangible ability to communicate and play on a different level with their teammates. It's almost like they on a higher plane or have telepathic abilities when it comes to communicating with those they are playing with.

I refer to these people as guys who "know". Their understanding of the game and experience allows others to put their trust in them. These players don't have to bark out orders to their team or design planned plays to get the job done. Sometimes their communication is conveyed with just a glance, subtle gesture, body language, or just giving off vibes. These players are sometimes referred to as having eyes in the back of their head. Their anticipation, court awareness, and ability to see three or four steps ahead of the present make them very effective. Guys like Bird, Magic, and Nash fit this description.

These kind of players are known for taking advantage of their opponent by running the give and go, making  unexpected passes, or quick outlets. That sort of play is expected from guys who have played with each over time, but one of the most beautiful things about the sport is when two strangers get put together on the same team and have instant chemistry. It's rare when this happens, but I love playing with those kind of players.

Bob Costas- Amen

I know this is supposed to be a basketball blog, but I thought I'd comment on the recent remarks of Bob Costas concerning excessive celebrations and showboating in the NFL since cocky celebrations are not just unique to football. I know many people have criticized his comments and want him to chill out saying it's just a game, but I think he has some very legitimate points.

I enjoy watching great plays and don't have a problem with spontaneous celebrations, but I'm getting sick of seeing so many lame, rehearsed post play attention seeking celebrations. Maybe I'm getting old and I'm probably not as fun as I used to be, but I agree with Costas and I'm glad someone brought this up.



PS- Turn your music down. It's too loud!

Good News

It appears the players and owners have reached an agreement and we may have NBA action starting up again on Christmas day. This is great news for a person with a blog dedicated to basketball. I was getting worried for a while there. I was considering changing the name of this blog to Morning Octagon and going the MMA route during the down time, but now we can get back to the sport we all love and hopefully see more action like this.

I can't remember if Van Gundy was able to submit Mourning with this submission hold or not but I would hate to mess with such a dangerous grappler.

Darryl Dawkins

Darryl Dawkins was one of my favorite players. Not only was Chocolate Thunder a power dunker, but he also had a very entertaining personality. How can you not like a guy who claims to originate from the planet Lovetron? I especially like the comments by Shaq at the end of this clip.

Lockout Professionals

I thought this was kind of funny.