It's been a while since I have last written which means life has been great and I have been busy with work and other stuff. And now I've got some time to blog and get a beer at the same time.. LIFE IS AWESOME.
I have been thinking about what to write and a story on ESPN caught my eye and gave me the inspiration. It was about John Wall signing his five year 80 million contract to stay with the Washington Wizards. And while he says that he hopes to win a championship with the Wizards before he retires, I wonder how much of that is actually real and if it really matters to him at all. Let's face it, the Wizards have been irrelevant for a long time (Yes, I do remember they played in the playoffs against Lebron's Cavs) and because of the trend of super teams in the league and other circumstances, I think they will remain as such for an even longer period of time.
There were quite a few articles this year on the NBA's worst contracts ever. Majority of them were done by a team who has money to spend to get enough hype to sell some tickets and players who generally take the money and could care less about how they play or if they even win at all. These players get paid a fortune (we're talking about 50-100 millions) for lazing, get into legal trouble and eventually passing their bad habits on to their younger team mates. (I keep thinking about Gilbert Arenas as the villain.. Sorry bro~)
On the other end of the spectrum, we have stars (like Ray Allen) who take a fifty percent salary pay cut so they can win another championship. Clearly, winning means more to them than dollars and cents. I am sure your reaction to this is "Well they're rich ain't he?" But aren't they all rich? Even though I am not a fan of stars teaming up to take a shortcut to success, I do appreciate those who sacrifice to win titles.
But don't get me wrong. I am old school. I am not entirely for the oldies jumping teams to chase rings. I love the players like Stockton and Miller who stuck it out with the teams who made them. And no matter how much money somebody else offers them, they won't go anywhere. I do wish for more of these players. But that's really hard to find in today's game.
And after the class of '03 retires ('03 is big because they are dominating, but they are that same pussy class that looks to form teams together), we will still be watching the game. How will the next generation of stars write the next chapter?
"After a certain point, money is meaningless. It ceases to be the goal. The game is what counts."
Aristotle Onassis
Okay, maybe I am biased. But here're my rules. If you are a player that could define and represent your generation like Kobe and Lebron, you should want to play against the other best players to prove that you are the best and not join forces with them. Give us fans something to be excited and be proud of! However, if you are a fading superstar or a role-player and you are chasing that elusive ring.. I will be more receptive...
Showing posts with label mambadt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mambadt. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
The Greatest Assist From the Last Man Standing
We are a day from the announcement of the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes. This decision from Superman will undoubtedly change the fate of the Lakers for a while (a year max). But this post is not about Dwight. It's about the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant.
Basketball is the second longest standing relationship I have with anything close to my heart (My parents are #1). My NBA following started in 95-96 during the second Bulls Dynasty. Like all young fans, I was a fan of the star players and not particular franchises. I deeply loved some players and hated some as well (Sorry Grant Hill. I didn't know what you did but I did appreciate you more recently).Through the years, I grew from the blind media driven fan to the one who appreciates stars for the good character qualities that we can look up to and learn from. And then finally to one loves the game and its history, being able to pick a team team close to his heart and cheer for until he dies. So I have seen the game evolve and Kobe grow to be the man he is today.
I was never a Kobe fan until recent years. In fact, I hated him when he came into the league. Even after the Lakers won 3 straight titles, the hatred did not change. I always thought he was arrogant, selfish and childish. He was a player who would jeopardise the team's future for his own individual glory. I can't remember of how this turned around. But I guess the 04 season where he got into some trouble off the court was a slight nudge in the different direction. Because even though he was going through so much, he never gave up on the season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals. After that, the Lakers broke up the team and went into a rebuilding process. Kobe never stopped fighting and kept going, and when the Lakers miraculously stole Pau Gasol (WORK YOUR MAGIC AGAIN MITCH!!). The Lakers became championship contenders again. They didn't win the gold easily, getting humiliated by the Celtics on their first trip back to the finals after the Shaq and Kobe era. That however, made them closer and forced Kobe to mix team ball together with hero ball, resulting in back to back titles shortly after.
I grew to like Kobe because this dude works his butt off everyday. Even if he just won the title, he would be back in the gym in next day. He wasn't as physically gifted as Jordan or Lebron, he had to work hard to be elite and yes he did.
However, the Black Mamba's career is coming to an end. Even though he said he wants to play another 2 years and the numbers he put up are the best in his career, he is no longer the Kobe Bryant of old. I remember watching a Kobe-Lebron christmas day matchup a fews back.. They went head to head in one possession and Lebron just blew by Kobe, sending him to the ground. That was when I knew he couldn't keep up with the younger elite player. He is still a great player, don't get me wrong. But we all know that he has time off playing defense to save his energy on offense. Basketball is a two way game.
Kobe is known as the player of his generation (along with Duncan and Shaq). He is the last man and also the last great Laker standing. Now we need him to pass the torch to the next Laker generation. Kobe has never been one to share the ball or the spotlight. Even if he shares, he has to be the lead in the cast. It's either he shoots, or he has to get the assist.
When Kobe got injured, there were talks of the Lakers possibly amnestying him to save money and building. I considered this being the greatest assist by the Laker star ever. But now that he seems firm on coming back next season, the game has changed slightly. Kobe's role on the team has to change. He has to be the mentor and a catalyst of this next Laker generation.
If the Lakers manage to sign Dwight, Kobe must be able to take a back seat at times for Dwight to shine. Having everything go through one player makes the team play predictable and easy to beat. This means that he has to be able to let Dwight play the way Dwight plays best. Whether the Lakers manage to get Dwight or not, they will have capabilities to sign two top players in 2014. But before that, they will probably not be able to contend with the top teams. There will be growing pains and this require patience, especially from Kobe himself. And finally when '14 finally comes, he will have to take on an even lesser role and focus on bringing the team together again to do it the Laker way, not the Kobe way. Playing it out for the team's future and putting his huge ego aside will be the greatest assist ever from the last man standing in Lakerland.
In a couple of years, the conclusion to the basketball legacy of the Kobe Bean Bryant will written but the one for the Lakers will continue. How will we be remembering them then?
Basketball is the second longest standing relationship I have with anything close to my heart (My parents are #1). My NBA following started in 95-96 during the second Bulls Dynasty. Like all young fans, I was a fan of the star players and not particular franchises. I deeply loved some players and hated some as well (Sorry Grant Hill. I didn't know what you did but I did appreciate you more recently).Through the years, I grew from the blind media driven fan to the one who appreciates stars for the good character qualities that we can look up to and learn from. And then finally to one loves the game and its history, being able to pick a team team close to his heart and cheer for until he dies. So I have seen the game evolve and Kobe grow to be the man he is today.
I was never a Kobe fan until recent years. In fact, I hated him when he came into the league. Even after the Lakers won 3 straight titles, the hatred did not change. I always thought he was arrogant, selfish and childish. He was a player who would jeopardise the team's future for his own individual glory. I can't remember of how this turned around. But I guess the 04 season where he got into some trouble off the court was a slight nudge in the different direction. Because even though he was going through so much, he never gave up on the season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals. After that, the Lakers broke up the team and went into a rebuilding process. Kobe never stopped fighting and kept going, and when the Lakers miraculously stole Pau Gasol (WORK YOUR MAGIC AGAIN MITCH!!). The Lakers became championship contenders again. They didn't win the gold easily, getting humiliated by the Celtics on their first trip back to the finals after the Shaq and Kobe era. That however, made them closer and forced Kobe to mix team ball together with hero ball, resulting in back to back titles shortly after.
I grew to like Kobe because this dude works his butt off everyday. Even if he just won the title, he would be back in the gym in next day. He wasn't as physically gifted as Jordan or Lebron, he had to work hard to be elite and yes he did.
However, the Black Mamba's career is coming to an end. Even though he said he wants to play another 2 years and the numbers he put up are the best in his career, he is no longer the Kobe Bryant of old. I remember watching a Kobe-Lebron christmas day matchup a fews back.. They went head to head in one possession and Lebron just blew by Kobe, sending him to the ground. That was when I knew he couldn't keep up with the younger elite player. He is still a great player, don't get me wrong. But we all know that he has time off playing defense to save his energy on offense. Basketball is a two way game.
Kobe is known as the player of his generation (along with Duncan and Shaq). He is the last man and also the last great Laker standing. Now we need him to pass the torch to the next Laker generation. Kobe has never been one to share the ball or the spotlight. Even if he shares, he has to be the lead in the cast. It's either he shoots, or he has to get the assist.
When Kobe got injured, there were talks of the Lakers possibly amnestying him to save money and building. I considered this being the greatest assist by the Laker star ever. But now that he seems firm on coming back next season, the game has changed slightly. Kobe's role on the team has to change. He has to be the mentor and a catalyst of this next Laker generation.
If the Lakers manage to sign Dwight, Kobe must be able to take a back seat at times for Dwight to shine. Having everything go through one player makes the team play predictable and easy to beat. This means that he has to be able to let Dwight play the way Dwight plays best. Whether the Lakers manage to get Dwight or not, they will have capabilities to sign two top players in 2014. But before that, they will probably not be able to contend with the top teams. There will be growing pains and this require patience, especially from Kobe himself. And finally when '14 finally comes, he will have to take on an even lesser role and focus on bringing the team together again to do it the Laker way, not the Kobe way. Playing it out for the team's future and putting his huge ego aside will be the greatest assist ever from the last man standing in Lakerland.
In a couple of years, the conclusion to the basketball legacy of the Kobe Bean Bryant will written but the one for the Lakers will continue. How will we be remembering them then?
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Perfect Team
As mentioned in our previous two posts, NBA free agency is upon us. With this topic as my main inspiration, I have decided to write a post about building the perfect team.
In life, we all are part of teams at work or in our daily life (no man is an island). We work as part of a team which is a part of a bigger organisation, we are members of of our families and we are in a relationship with another person. No matter how different our situations and circumstances are, we all hope for the best combo that fits.
As sports fans, we have fantasy leagues where we build our dream team by putting together the best players in the world. We love All-Star games because that's like a dream come true for fans as we get to watch these players actually play together for real. But in the sports world, like in real life... things are never so simple.
I think a friend of mine came up with the best line about putting together the perfect team. "The stars have to be aligned". In so many ways, it's extremely accurate. We need so many elements to fit together that makes it so hard to achieve.
The boss
In any business, the end result is making money. With that as the goal, we put together the most efficient team with whatever means we have to achieve it. Similarly in basketball, the management has to balance between making money and winning championships. With the salary cap in mind, they put together what they deem as the right team to entertain the fans and try to win the championship. It's not easy to get a boss who sticks to the long term plan, backs his crew and pays the high salaries willingly. Therefore, these championship teams are hard to come by and usually don't last very long together.
The coach
The boss is the guy who buys the ship and owns the fleet, the coach is the captain who steers the ship in the right direction. The coach's team philosophy and system determines the identity of the team and how well he manages the players to play within his system will equate to the success of the team. With this new generation of players who focus on individual achievements and personal glory, this is not an easy job. That's why we are all looking for a Phil jackson.
The players
In conclusion, its pretty damn obvious how tough it is to build a perfect team. I have been blessed to be a part of some great teams, both in and out of basketball... We should appreciate the great teams we are part of and those we actually get a chance to watch (whether we like them or not, like Miami Heat). A perfect team is like clockwork, working together seamlessly and yet look so effortless, an absolute beautiful thing to watch.
Today's my partner-in-crime's birthday! Happy birthday bruh!
Hope some of your birthday luck will help us sign Dwight and put us back in glory quickly.
In life, we all are part of teams at work or in our daily life (no man is an island). We work as part of a team which is a part of a bigger organisation, we are members of of our families and we are in a relationship with another person. No matter how different our situations and circumstances are, we all hope for the best combo that fits.
As sports fans, we have fantasy leagues where we build our dream team by putting together the best players in the world. We love All-Star games because that's like a dream come true for fans as we get to watch these players actually play together for real. But in the sports world, like in real life... things are never so simple.
I think a friend of mine came up with the best line about putting together the perfect team. "The stars have to be aligned". In so many ways, it's extremely accurate. We need so many elements to fit together that makes it so hard to achieve.
The boss
In any business, the end result is making money. With that as the goal, we put together the most efficient team with whatever means we have to achieve it. Similarly in basketball, the management has to balance between making money and winning championships. With the salary cap in mind, they put together what they deem as the right team to entertain the fans and try to win the championship. It's not easy to get a boss who sticks to the long term plan, backs his crew and pays the high salaries willingly. Therefore, these championship teams are hard to come by and usually don't last very long together.
The coach
The boss is the guy who buys the ship and owns the fleet, the coach is the captain who steers the ship in the right direction. The coach's team philosophy and system determines the identity of the team and how well he manages the players to play within his system will equate to the success of the team. With this new generation of players who focus on individual achievements and personal glory, this is not an easy job. That's why we are all looking for a Phil jackson.
The players
Michael Jordan once said "the organisation has to build the team, but its the players who win the championships". Putting together the key players who can play together and complement each other is already quite a tall order. Aside from them, you need to have role players who are willing to support them and come up big at certain key moments to be able to win. Like Rick Fox said "sometimes for a few minutes, a quarter or even a full game, you have to be as good as Shaq or Kobe"
If you are lucky enough to do all that and succeed, keeping the team together and prevent the egos from clashing will be even tougher. And simply putting star players together together doesn't equate success (just ask the '04 lakers). These players have to be able to sacrifice part of their individual game to play better together. A flush or straight beats an ace or two any day.
If you are lucky enough to do all that and succeed, keeping the team together and prevent the egos from clashing will be even tougher. And simply putting star players together together doesn't equate success (just ask the '04 lakers). These players have to be able to sacrifice part of their individual game to play better together. A flush or straight beats an ace or two any day.
In conclusion, its pretty damn obvious how tough it is to build a perfect team. I have been blessed to be a part of some great teams, both in and out of basketball... We should appreciate the great teams we are part of and those we actually get a chance to watch (whether we like them or not, like Miami Heat). A perfect team is like clockwork, working together seamlessly and yet look so effortless, an absolute beautiful thing to watch.
Today's my partner-in-crime's birthday! Happy birthday bruh!
Hope some of your birthday luck will help us sign Dwight and put us back in glory quickly.
The Original Dream Team. Widely known as the best sports team ever assembled.
The 96 Bulls team with the best record ever 72-10 and capping it with a championship.
01 Lakers team who almost went on a perfect playoff run.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Hello world, we love basketball.
A philosopher once said "Find a place inside where
there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." I have always said that
I am lucky to have found mine, which helps me to stay inspired and happy.
Throughout the years, I am also really glad I have been great friends (like my
co-writer Smith) who share this passion. This blog is a tribute to this game of
basketball that we love dearly and other parts of our life that are linked to
it.
The 2012-13 basketball season is officially over and I have
to say it's been an awesome year for the game. There were plenty of heartaches
due to freak injuries to many of the star players, but the playoff drama and
competition level kept getting higher with each round, resulting in one of the
best finals ever played.
This year's NBA Final, along with the upcoming free agency
inspired me to write this post. The idea of building super teams and superstars
playing together instead of competing against each other has been an extremely
hot topic throughout the years since Miami put together their Big 3. In a game that
legacies are built on championships and being the leading man behind the
system, we expect the game's superstars to be like Michael Jordan. And because
of that, a lot of fans like myself came down really hard on LeBron for choosing
to team up with Bosh and Wade which was seen as a shortcut to success. But on
the flip side, playing together to win championships and building dynasties by
sacrificing millions of dollars and part of their game to do so, does sound
like the actual sport (not the NBA) itself. I am not saying I love it, I am
just looking at this situation objectively. This is now becoming the trend in the NBA.
The top stories around the league now circle around Dwight
Howard's free agency.I saw an article about Dwight stating his intention of playing with not just
one, but TWO superstars. As an old school baller, I am finding it harder to
accept this trend and the weaker player mindset related to it. Competition is
beautiful to watch. Super teams are fun to watch, but we don't want to watch a
one sided All-Star games all the time. We want to love our stars like LeBron,
Dwight and Durant but we want to watch them go through adversity and grow to be
the heroes that we watch the game for. Isn't this why we follow the game, buy
sneakers and emulate their moves on the playground?
We all know that the game has changed a lot through the years. With David Stern putting up new rules and dictating games from time to time, weaker minded superstars playing in a softer league, the game being heavily influenced by the concept of "7 seconds of less" which believes in scoring and not in big players, defence or the fundamentals of basketball. Despite all this being said, I realised that we are still drawn towards this beautiful game that binds us. We love this game and will always do :)
We all know that the game has changed a lot through the years. With David Stern putting up new rules and dictating games from time to time, weaker minded superstars playing in a softer league, the game being heavily influenced by the concept of "7 seconds of less" which believes in scoring and not in big players, defence or the fundamentals of basketball. Despite all this being said, I realised that we are still drawn towards this beautiful game that binds us. We love this game and will always do :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)