3-Pointer by Gary Whittaker (Feb 15)
Point 1: Basketball's Mr. 3000
Lakers celebrate Bryant's return with a loss against the next great one. Hopefully Kobe, who was watching King James on the court for 41 minutes, was able to take enough notes to see that you don't need to be a veteran to be leader. Hopefully Kobe watched enough of King James to realize that you don't have to be surrounded by superstars to have your teammates play like they are. All you need is a player that not only achieves greatness, but that can help his team rise above themselves and do great things. The game of basketball is like a war of attrition. You advance at a slow pace, as you struggle and claw for every point. You know that you will average 90 or so points for the game, and so will your opponent. Solo Artists like Kobe, Iverson and Artest may score 60 in a night, but who cares. They will not score 90. To win, a team must find ways not only to score, but to stop an opponent from scoring. Let the solo artists shoot the lights out, and make single season records. At the end of the day, if the rest of the time can't put up enough points, then all ends with a loss anyway. I think Bernie Mac got it right in his portrayel of a self-centered baseball player in Mr. 3000. Today's players seem more interested in endorsements and Hall of Fame votes, than championship rings.
Point 2: Say it ain't Zo!
Alonzo Morning will be back packing Heat for Miami this year. Just in time to get warmed up for a strong playoff run. Shaq is happy, and so is the city of Miami. I don't know what the Raptors were thinking when they included Morning in the Carter deal. Alonzo had already said that he wanted to be traded to a contender, not a pretender. While the Raptors got off to a smokin' start, and have showed brief flashes of potential, they also are on the brink of extinction. You gotta wonder about the intelligence of Raptor management when a moron could have predicted that Morning would never have renewed his passport, much less played for Toronto this year.
3-Points!: Has Vinsanity affected the Nets?
The jury is still in selection mode right now, but we are keeping an eye on what is going on in New Jersey. Not only have the Nets got back into the playoff hunt, but their recent acquisition of Cliff Robinson for 2 2nd round draft picks may help solidify a place in the post season. We thought with Richard Jefferson being grounded, that the Nets would just turn tail and run, but apparently not. Vince has re-emerged as a force, and Jason Kidd is playing like he deserves the MVP. While I have to stand by my earlier statements about Air Canada, I will at least pause for a moment and see if I don't have to eat my words.
About the Author
Gary Whittaker is the editor of T.E.N Magazine, a social and sports commentary webzine with balls! Check out more articles at http://www.tenwebzine.com