Anything Is Possible

Celtics' superstar PF Kevin Garnett appears to be healthy heading into the 2009-10 NBA season. The rest of the league is currently in a group voodoo session, from where I'm sitting that's just about all they can do at this point.

It is no secret to any NBA fan that KG has the most intensity of anyone in the league, maybe ever. If any of you saw him on the Celtics' bench in the playoffs, you will have seen that he was a ticking time bomb. And now that time bomb is about to explode. Expect KG to come into this season hungrier and with more emotion than ever. After injuring his knee, KG has probably come to the realization that his career is not going to go on forever, and he's going to take advantage of the time he has left.

Have you ever seen KG at the end of a play when someone on the other team takes a shot heading into a timeout or a dead ball? Well KG jumps up and either catches it or blocks it from going in EVERY time. This is just an example of the grit that Garnett brings to the floor every night. Nobody I've ever seen gets up for each and every game like Garnett does. The heart with which KG plays is a model that every young basketball player should try to imitate.

After missing so much time and feeling the pain which the sidelines brings, expect KG to be hitting his head even harder off the basket support before games. And expect him to be once again hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June at the expense of the Lakers.

It Must Have Been the Booze Talking

Much to the surprise of Carlos Boozer, he is still a member of the Utah Jazz heading into training camp.

"Management brought me back so I'm here in town, I'm ready and looking forward to playing."

I would be too, the Jazz have a solid team in place and have the potential to make a postseason run. Also, if Boozer plays well this year and stays healthy his stock will go up like a launching space shuttle. There are many teams in the NBA who would love to have a guy like Boozer, they include Chicago, Miami, Detroit, New York, New Jersey, Denver, Indiana, Charlotte, Sacramento, and the Lakers. With so many possibilities Boozer is bound to get big money from one of them.

Boozer really should have chosen his words more carefully over the summer, now he is probably going to be hearing some unhappy fans in Utah on opening night. By calling Miami his, "Paradise," he is pretty much saying, "Send me to the Heat". That's not going to go over well with the fans in Salt Lake City.

Even with all the distractions Boozer will still have a good season if he can stay healthy. He has great scoring and rebounding abilities and he will re-establish himself as a force in the low post this season.

Lee and Robinson to Sign with Knicks

After all the speculation of trades and holdouts David Lee's agent is reporting that the Knicks have a deal in place to retain their marquis PF. The exact conditions of the deal are not released but the deal is believed to be worth one year, seven million dollars.

Personally I believe that this is all part of a sign and trade. All summer the Knicks have been refusing to pay Lee over five million for one year and now they're willing to jump to seven? No way, Lee will most likely be dealt for a bunch of expiring contracts because the Knicks are known to be one of the front runners in the LeBron James sweepstakes next summer.

Nate Robinson, the NBA's most intriguing dunker has also reached an agreement to a one year, 2.9 million dollar deal. Robinson is a good bench player who will contribute on a nightly basis. Unlike Lee, Robsinson will most likely be staying in New York for the immediate future.

To the NBA Employees: Have a Heart

ESPN's Chris Sheridan is reporting that a referee lockout is imminent and unavoidable. This would pretty much mean that the league would have to shut down for who knows how long. The biggest problem between the two sides is the referee's retirement plans.

"It looks like a lockout is both imminent and unavoidable," McMorris said. "We have suspended dialogue again today. We've been in constant communication, but it's not going to happen."

This is a disaster for fans everywhere, how can we survive without the NBA? Better yet, what are the players going to do? My hypothesis is that they're going to sign one year contracts with European teams, and play there until the lockout ends. The referees and the NBA league offices should think about the millions of people they're disappointing by being selfish. These are the same fans that fill up their arena's on a nightly basis. What ever happened to the slogan, "NBA cares,"?

Apparently they were lying.

Tim Thomas is still in the NBA?

Tim Thomas, a twelve year vet will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. A time table for his return should be set sometime in the next week according to ESPN.

Most likely the Maverick's Thomas' career is over. All of those tough practices and plane rides from team to team must have taken its toll on Thomas. Taking into account his age and skill level it is unlikely that he will find another job after having another serious injury.

What Did You Expect?

This post is a response to the various articles written in the last 3 days about Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech. The criticisms are that Jordan was too cold, too vengeful, and not nearly as grateful as he should have been. I just don't see how or why anybody believes this.

At the beginning of his speech, Jordan made sure to mention long time teammate and friend Scottie Pippen. Also, he talked about how David Thompson was an inspiration growing up, and that's why Jordan chose him as a sponsor. I felt that MJ gave just the right amount of praise without turning the speech into a long thank you note.

The majority of the head shaking is from Jordan's segment about how Bryon Russell motivated him to return to the NBA while still playing for the minor league baseball team, the Birmingham Barons. “I was in Chicago in 1994 … and at this time I had no thoughts of coming back and playing the game of basketball. Bryon Russell came over to me and said, ‘Why’d you quit? You know I could guard you. If I ever see you in a pair of shorts.... When I did come back in 1995 and we played Utah in ‘96, I’m at the center circle and Bryon Russell is standing next to me. I said, ‘You remember the [comments] you made in 1994 about, ‘I think I can guard you, I can shut you down, I would love to play against you? Well, you’re about to get your chance."

To me there is nothing rude or obnoxious with the way Jordan said that. Bryon Russell even released a statement saying how he was happy to be a part of Jordan's speech, “Out of all the people he came across, he thought about me. I’m happy to be in his Hall of Fame speech.”

I will admit that I cringed when Jordan talked about the conflict between him and the Chicago Bulls organization. Jordan's statement concerning the organization should have definitely been omitted.

“Jerry’s (Reinsdorf; Bulls owner) not here. I don’t know who’d invite him. I didn’t. I hope he understands it goes a long way. He’s a very competitive person. I was a very competitive person. He said organizations win championships. I said, ‘I didn’t see organizations playing with the flu in Utah. I didn’t see it playing with a bad ankle." This quote beautifully illustrates the Chicago tabloids from 1996-1998.

What people need to understand is that Jordan is a competitor in the most literal sense of the word. The day will never come where MJ lies down for anybody, that is what made him who he is. Jordan's absolute need to win is something that more athletes should have, it's what separates good from great. In this speech we can clearly see that Jordan's competitive fire still burns with white hot flames, and personally I was more than happy to see it. It would have been vastly out of character for MJ to go up there and act all humble like he's just another great player. It was obvious to everyone being inducted that this was Jordan's moment, why would anyone want to see him say the same things that we've all heard for years now? He told stories never heard before, and he was able to draw laughter from the crowd on a regular basis. In my opinion that is the definition of a good and successful speech.

The Answer for the Grizzlies?

Twitter.com has revolutionized the way NBA players are reaching out to their fans, and now in the case of Allen Iverson, announcing their career decisions.

Today Iverson Twittered that he is planning on accepting the Memphis Grizzlies one- year 3.5 million dollar offer. The economy is not only effecting the average man's salary, last season Iverson earned 21 million dollars. Hopefully he can find solace in the fact that there will be many more players past their prime who will see a similar drop off in salary.

The Grizzlies have a promising young team with the likes of sophomore SG O.J. Mayo, the electrifying SF Rudy Gay, and a solid young point guard in Mike Conley. Why on earth they would ever add Iverson to this mix I am oblivious to. AI is a cancer, as a 15 year vet he has learned to say the right things, but on the court anything goes. Iverson will shoot when he wants, he will force passes into traffic, and he will be a locker room distraction. AI is possibly the very last player I would want around my young team.

It's About Time: Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame Induction is Here

Michael Jordan is a global icon, a marketing genius, and a hero to basketball fans everywhere. In his fifteen year NBA career, Jordan won the rookie of the year award, 6 championships (all with Chicago Bulls), 6 Finals MVP awards , 5 MVP awards, 2 Olympic Gold Medals, 10 scoring titles, and the defensive player of the year award. In addition he was selected to 14 all star teams, and has won the all star game MVP 3 times. Jordan was named one of the best 50 players ever at the 1996 all-star game.

Jordan started as a kid chasing a dream in Wilmington, North Carolina. Being cut from the basketball program at Laney High School as a sophomore pushed Jordan to work endlessly. He played good enough in his Junior and Senior seasons to earn a full ride to play at the University of North Carolina (UNC). At UNC Jordan scored 17.7 PPG in his 3 seasons playing under Coach Dean Smith. MJ's college career is highlighted by his baseline game-winner in the 1982 national championship game against the Georgetown Hoyas. This is the first of many big moments in which Jordan will deliver throughout his basketball journey. MJ decided to forgo his senior season at UNC and declare his eligibility in the 1984 NBA draft.

If you're a Portland Trailblazers fan I suggest that you skip over this next section. Jordan was picked third overall by the Chicago Bulls. The Houston Rockets were justified in drafting Hakeem Olajuwon because he led them to two titles (Jordan was retired) and he was a very safe pick. The argument can even be made that Olajuwon is the best center ever. But the Blazers, for some reason, decided that Sam Bowie was going to be a better NBA player than Jordan...Blazers fans are still recovering from this catastrophe.

Jordan wasted no time getting his career on the right track, in his rookie season Jordan scored 28.2 PPG, early in his career Jordan was more known as a scorer than anything else. Many writers attributed the Bulls playoff woes to Jordan's inability to trust his teammates. Longtime teammate and friend Scottie Pippen didn't arrive in the windy city until the 1987-88 season where the Bulls would still face difficulties with the, "Bad Boys," Pistons teams. A team that included future Bulls star Dennis Rodman.

In 1991 Jordan and his Bulls would begin a championship run to rival all others. In the 1991 finals the Bulls beat the Lakers in 5 games, in 1992 the Bulls defeated the Portland Trailblazers in 6 games (that had to hurt), and in 1993 John Paxson sealed the Bulls third consecu

tive championship. At the time, the Bulls were just the third team in NBA history to accomplish winning 3 championships in a row.

In the summer that would follow their third title in three years Jordan had his world turned upside down when his father, James Jordan, was fatally shot in the chest. Before his death, Jordan and his father had talked about MJ trying to start a career in professional baseball. In February 1994 Jordan announced that he was going to play for the Birmingham Barons.

Fortunately for basketball fans Jordan came to his senses very late in the 1994-95 season where MJ tried to lead the Bulls to yet another championship, in such little time. In 13 games Jordan averaged 26.9 PPG, that's outstanding considering that he had missed 69 games and was not at all in game shape. The Bulls would advance all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals only to fall to the Orlando Magic.

The next year dawned a new beginning for the Bulls, they added a great defensive and rebounding PF in Dennis Rodman. The Bulls were set to make their presence felt around the league . Chicago went an NBA record 72-10 in the 1995-96 season, they would re-establish their dominance and all the while ripping back their NBA crown when they eliminated the Seattle Supersonics in the NBA finals. The Bulls then beat the Utah Jazz in the Finals for the next two seasons. Jordan put the perfect exclamation point on his career when he crossed up Byron Russell for his championship winning 15 footer. Jordan would retire after the 1998 championship season and there could be no better way for him to have gone out, he hit his last shot, he won a championship, it was perfect. If you're a Bulls fan, this is how you view Jordan's career ending.

In the 2001-2002 season Jordan returned to the NBA with the Washington Wizards. The reason why Jordan was on the Wizards and not the Bulls is because Jordan was the GM of the Wizards before activating himself on the 12 man roster. As one might expect there were no complaints from the coaching staff, it's probably very hard to tell the best player ever that he has no spot on a mediocre team. To the surprise of many Jordan put up very high numbers for a 40+ year old player. In his two seasons with the Wizards Jordan averaged 21.5 PPG. Even in his old age Jordan wasn't done setting records. In the 2003 all-star game MJ passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the top scorer in all-star game history, he was the first 40 year old player to score 43 points in a game, also Jordan passed the 30,000 point mark.

When the Wizards visited the United Center (Bulls home court) for the last time in the 2002-03 season, Jordan received a four- minute standing ovation.

Michael Jordan is the best basketball player to ever live, Celtics' great Larry Bird was certainly convinced when he talked about Jordan after a playoff game, "I didn’t think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us. He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan." That was following Jordan's 63 point performance in the Boston Garden. Magic Johnson also has chimed in saying, " There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."

Jordan's induction ceremony is big enough that the NBA was forced to change the venue of his enshrinement. It has been moved from the Hall's center court room which seats 1,200, to the Springfield Symphony Hall which more than doubles the HOF at 2,611.

The bottom line is that MJ is the best basketball player ever and his induction into the NBA hall of fame has been long awaited. The Hall is now complete with his airness joining those other pictures on the ceiling in Springfield, Massachusetts.

"I hope my legacy would be as someone that never was satisfied with just being where they were."

8 all defensive first teams, and three championships later Bruce Bowen retires from the NBA.

Bowen spent his best years on the San Antonio Spurs from 2001-2009. In that span Bowen asserted himself as the best perimeter defender in the league. Statistically speaking, Bowen doesn't jump out of the pack, his name was made on hustle plays and big shots. In his retirement announcement, Bowen said, "I hope my legacy would be as someone that never was satisfied with just being where they were." Any coach will tell you that he wished all his players carried that attitude. A mindset like Bowen's is what makes good players great. Never being satisfied.

Bowen is one of those guys that are not the best player on the team, he won't score a lot of points, and he won't make many highlight reels. But players like him are absolutely necessary to win on a large scale. In the 2007 NBA Finals, when the Spurs were staring down the King himself, somebody had to go out there and shut him down. That's where Bowen makes his presence felt.

After being traded by the spurs for Richard Jefferson, and then released by the Bucks, Bowen did not have many options going into this season. If AI is having a hard time finding a job then it's safe to say that a 38 year old guard does not have much hope on the depleting free agent market.

Finally a Decision: Rubio to Stay Overseas

Fifth over all pick Ricky Rubio informed the T'wolves front office monday night that he will be staying in Spain for at least two more seasons. David Kahn, T'wolves GM, made three visits to Spain this summer to try and convince Rubio to play for his team. Unfortunately it was all for not when, according to Kahn, Rubio was facing immense public pressure in Spain to stay, "This morning I met with Ricky and his parents and told them that Iunderstood Ricky's decision, it was clear to me yesterday and in this morning's meeting that the pressure surrounding Ricky and his family to remain in Spain for at least two more years had only intensified as the summer wore on and was weighing heavily on them."

Luckily for Minnesota, Jonny Flynn is a more than capable replacement in Rubio's place. Last season at Syracuse Flynn averaged 17.4 PPG to go along with 6.7 APG.

Minnesota is a great place for a guy like Flynn (or Rubio) because there are very low expectations. For any rookie it's great to get a season or two under your belt before the big time pressure is inevitably put on.