When the Los Angeles Lakers held a Super Bowl party last February at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, Chris Ballard, a Sports illustrated senior writer, wrote that everyone was there to relax and watched the game, except for one: Kobe Bryant. (article in Sports illustrated vault)

Kobe preferred to stay on a corner as his therapist worked on his limbs. With so many things to do and with so little time in Kobe’s world, the clock is always ticking.

LA has 16 NBA championships, and Kobe has five of the 16. At 33 years old, Kobe is relentlessly chasing his sixth championship. He would do anything to get another ring, even if he travels to Germany to pump new blood on his legs, even if it takes forever to get there. He would always try.

Their last outing was a blowout game against the Oklahoma City Thunders. It was a 29-point loss, although many believed that OKC would win the game, however, nobody thought that the Lakers would get humiliated. That is not what Kobe envisioned his team’s direction to be in the second round of the playoffs.

LA, as a franchise, has only won two out of 17 in losing the first two games of a best-of-7-series, and Game 2 would be a crucial game for them.

Losing to the Dallas Mavericks last year was a realization that brought Kobe to think that his playing days are nearing to an end. His arthritic knee has become seemingly impossible to repair. He couldn’t move without experiencing unbearable pain, and most of all, he couldn’t deliver when his team needed him to. His experimental platelet-rich plasma therapy in Germany gave him a second chance and an opportunity for another championship run, and that is why losing to OKC was never an option.

The turnover-prone OKC had only four in the game, and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 25 and 27 points respectively. The Lakers need to defend the pick and roll more to close the gap. They need to use their size and impose it more. For Kobe, the team needs to play good defense.

Offense wins games, but defense gives you championships.

This is not the time to push the panic button, although the Lakers are having multiple blowouts throughout the season. However, this would be the first time they were convincingly defeated.

Kobe knows they need to bounce back. They need Game 2 more than ever. It’s not going to be about how the franchise struggled after being down two games, and it’s not going to be about leveling the series when they are playing at home. This is all about knowing if they ever get a chance against OKC.

So many things to do, yet so little time.

Kobe’s clock is ticking.

One championship left before basketball immortality.

Tick, tick…Tick.

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John Wall would throw the ball as high as he could, and he knows JaVale McGee would catch it every time…

The seven-foot center, JaVale, was the same player who stuffed three balls at a time, and dunked two balls on one side in a slam-dunk contest.

He is a special player. He can play defense and can dominate any talented center with his 7’6” wingspan and 32-inch vertical leap. However, he never gets to maximize his talents.

Most of the time it was on him, attempting free throw dunks and goofing around on big leads. Twenty-four years old and yet maturity seemed far-fetched. A YouTube clip entitled, “Javale McGee top 8 dumb plays” that garnered over a million views, has shown JaVale’s decision making.

Two of the “dumbest” plays? The part when he wasn’t able to post up against the 5’9” point guard Isiah Thomas and the time when he ran to the opposite side while they were still on offense. People have been so used to seeing him fail that people are already calling him “Jafail.”

On the last part of the YouTube clip, JaVale was called for a technical foul, for hanging on the rim for too long. However, it was his 11th points that gave him an unusual triple-double with 12 rebounds and 12 blocks. It was a feat that was last made 14 years ago by Shawn Bradley (22 points, 22 rebounds and 13 blocks). Everybody is so focused on his weaknesses that they failed to see his strengths.

He’s a rough stone who needs a lot of work.

The Denver Nuggets see something in him that made them trade their most defensive and polished player on their team (Nene). They saw a raw talent that needs a lot of work, but could be very beneficial to them in the long run.

Maturity will always come with experience; JaVale needs the guidance of a George Karl. He needs the environment of a winning team that strives on teamwork rather than individual plays.

The Denver Nuggets are poised to clinch a playoff spot, and with their current position (seventh place), they would be facing the power house Oklahoma City Thunder (second place). They need McGee’s defensive presence, but most of all, they just need him to finally grow up.

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Marshon Brooks ran as fast as he could on the open court and saw a running Gerald Green.

Green was way ahead of Luis Scola and Samuel Dalembert, who both stand a couple of inches short of seven feet. As Brooks lobbed up the alley-oop, Green went up high, caught the ball in mid-air and went into a freakish windmill slam, soaring way above the rim.

The crowd cheered and applauded Green as he scored two of his 26 points that night against the Houston Rockets.

For a moment, Green was transported way back five years ago, when he was the slam-dunk champion and a scoring threat. He was a far better player back then.

At 26 years old, Gerald played with a total of 11 teams in a seven-year span. He traveled all the way to the D-league and to Russia. Last December, Green was released by the Forshan Dralions in China without ever getting chance to prove his worth.

Nobody has given him a chance…nobody dared and nobody cared. He was always the player with good skills, but he was never the coach’s favorite. His former coach Doc Rivers said (via The New York Post): “I think there still is a very good chance for Gerald Green. He was just so young when he was here,” Rivers said. “He’s skilled. People look at Gerald and they just saw this freak athlete that won the dunk contest. Gerald can make shots. He can really shoot the basketball. He just hadn’t been taught how to play basketball.”

When you hit rock bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up. However, Green would have to go through a series of heartaches before getting back. Backing up two steps before moving three steps forward… this has been the life presented to Green.

Gerald has finally found his way back in the NBA. The New Jersey Nets didn’t have to worry about any risk in signing him. But nonetheless, it was an opportunity for Green to get his redemption.

The windmill slam clearly represents Green —turning the ball in a cycle —sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down.

He soars above on top for now, and he intends to stay that way.

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Just a few ticks before the end of regulation, Tim Duncan scored a fade away 18-foot shot.

The deafening sound of raging decibels went into crackling window panes as the crowd cheered in appreciation. With less than a second to go, the dome came into an abrupt silence when Derek Fisher struck the dagger.

0.4 of a second remaining, and Fisher delivered that famous shot eight years ago at the Alamo dome.

And that’s the funniest thing about noise—it eventually dies down.

Five NBA titles in a 16-year career, Derek was always the reliable veteran who would sacrifice everything for the team. The voice that echoes all throughout the locker room while everyone listens.

209 playoff games and hundreds of victorious battles later, somehow the once sturdy and reliable leader has slowly lost a step, like a light bulb that has gradually faded.

With the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Ramon Sessions, Fisher knew his time in LA was up.

The Lakers were moving forward, and it was clear that he was not part of the plan. A year or two would have been a perfect time to retire for Fisher. He would have wanted to end his career where it all started.

But anyone becomes dispensable, even All-stars Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum have been in constant trade discussions.

Derek was traded to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill and a first-round draft pick. We knew that this would happen—favoring a young, athletic point guard in Sessions against a veteran who is just two steps away from retiring. However, you can still feel the pain, like a marriage bound for separation.

Thursday night will be such an awkward night for Fisher. His new team, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be playing against the Lakers, and all those screaming fans, those championship banners and the bond that he had tediously built for 16 years will become a distant memory.

Oklahoma City is Derek’s home now. He wanted a young and championship-contending team; he wanted a team who needs him more than he needs them.

It would have been a good fairytale ending if he and Kobe were gunning for their sixth NBA championship and both ended up swinging. But reality has its way of waking us up. Derek will have to ride his final journey on his own, guiding his young team to its first championship.

0.4 of a second, and everything changes in a snap. The noise might die down but the memories continue to echo around on Basketball history.

Derek Fisher, at 37 years old, will continue to deliver championships.

Don’t blink, though, because it could happen fast.

From my bleacher report

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Kobe Bryant shrugged everything off as he puts on his protective mask. He was like a gladiator putting up his gear before going to battle.

“The man with the mask,” and this time, the hero shows no anonymity, Kobe had only one battle cry—this is going to be war!

Bryant had the sense of urgency that nobody in the NBA has. After undergoing an experimental platelet-rich plasma therapy last year and an ongoing torn ligament on his right wrist before the season began, Kobe has endured the pain, brushed everything off and still played effective basketball.

This is not going to be all about titles this time…Kobe will have to deal with one player whom nobody could ever guard—father time.

So little time and so much to do…he is now one title short of tying Michael Jordan’s six NBA titles and after scoring 27 points in the All-Star game, he moved past Jordan as the career scoring leader. However, he had to undergo a broken nose and a concussion coming from a hard foul by Dwayne Wade.

This has become a realization, as we get older, it gets a little bit harder. Being the Alpha dog means you are a walking target. But Kobe delivered a sterling message—even with a broken nose; a concussion or a torn ligament, nobody could stop him.
He wanted to win…and with injuries and so much uncertainty, winning has become his haven.

All roads lead to June…with bigger and stronger competition, there is no time to rest…endure the pain now, rest later.

Nobody will stay in the game forever…and sooner or later, Kobe will have to pass his baton. But as long as he can play competitive basketball, we won’t be seeing him hanging up his jersey in the rafters any time soon.

The man with the mask steps into the court and goes to battle, dropping 31 points against Minnesota and 38 points against Sacramento. And with just a few hours left before the Lakers plays Miami, Kobe has only one mindset—this is going to be war! And everybody should be ready.

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A sturdy tree stood right in the center of the busy New York City, unmindful of the tall buildings around it. The tree had his roots, spread out mostly on the foundations where those buildings were built. It was different from the outside, but it was unknowingly connected beyond everyone’s sight…

Jeremy Lin, on his first day of training camp, was waived by the Golden State Warriors. It was not a popular decision, but it was a risk that they had to do to free some salary cap in luring DeAndre Jordan from the L.A. Clippers. The Houston Rockets claimed Lin’s waiver, only to waive him again for Samuel Dalembert. After constant trips to the D-league and a pile of frustrations, Lin’s NBA dream was slowly drifting away.

The Asian-American, who was a Harvard graduate and a college standout, was never given the chance to prove himself. Frankly, nobody really thought that he could make it. He was too small and skinny. Many doubted him.

But Lin was never fazed about how everybody treated him. He just looked around the bleachers and saw some of the people who believed in him and all the doubts went away. This was an added pressure. However, it gave him strength to move on and never quit.

He never craved attention and he never talked more about himself—always crediting others for their win.

Just weeks ago, Lin had an unguaranteed contract. He even slept on his brother’s couch just to secure him a shelter. He was virtually a nobody. New York Knicks coach Mike D’ Antoni had seen how Lin worked so hard in practice. But being the fourth point guard in the team, Lin was dispensable. He was the first one to be out or waived if the team went shopping for marquee players elsewhere.

This was before D’Antoni started to use Lin when two of his superstars, Amar’e Stoudemire and Camelo Anthony, were unavailable.

After Baron Davis’ injury got extended and with shortage of point guards, Lin finally got the chance that he had been waiting for. Three straight games he scored an average of 23.3 points and eight assists per game.

This was a Cinderella story where the “happy ever after” still continues.

On the biggest game and right in front of a hometown crowd, Lin’s ultimate test came from one of the NBA’s greatest player, Kobe Bryant. Kobe and the Lakers had just won a one-point game against their bitter rival Boston Celtics. And without Carmelo and Amar’e the Lakers wouldn’t have any problem in winning against the Knicks. Except they failed to hand out the script to Lin.

Lin scored a career-high 38 points and outshined the game’s biggest star. This was a testament of his greatness, a seemingly touching message that everyone can make it.

As a fan waived his placard with the message L.I.N. (Legend In New York), I remembered that tree standing right in the center of the busy New York City.

Greatness comes in different sizes and form. We may be different but somehow connected.

submitted also in bleacher: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1063613-new-york-knicks-the-jeremy-lin-connection

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Sir Isaac Newton got the idea of the law of gravity from a falling apple. It is through a simple natural event that came out very special.

Andrew Bogut might have learned a lot from falling—no matter how high you got up, there’s always the possibility of going down. He had been in and out of the injured list since 2006. There were a lot of promises and talent.

However, somehow everything falls short of what was expected. In his sophomore year when he was averaging close to a double-double performance, he sprained his left foot and missed the final 15 games of the season.

He also missed the end of the 2009-10 season when he dislocated his right elbow and broke his right hand in a fall. He was also sidelined for 43 games with an injured back in the 2008-09 season.

It seems like a never-ending list of injuries throughout his career. It was inevitable for a seven-foot, 260-pound giant to get injured—the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Bogut knew the risk of going after loose balls or grabbing a rebound on top of everybody. He knows that his physical play will surely take its toll eventually. But this is all about playing your best. And Bogut knew what he had to do to contribute to the team.

This is all about self-worth and no one puts more pressure on him than himself.

Bogut was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, and his position (center) has required full attention—center of the offense and center of hope on a struggling franchise that had constantly failed on a championship run.

In their January 25 game against the Houston Rockets, Bogut was more motivated than ever. This was the team that has continuously dominated them since 1999. And while a driving Kyle Lowry went straight to the basket, Bogut was prepared to get up and block the shot.

For a moment, he was successful, however, when he came down his foot landed awkwardly on Carl Landry’s foot. Bogut will miss eight-to-12 weeks with a fractured left ankle in a compressed season. Bogut now has another setback and another pile of frustrations on his promising career.

For 12 games, he was leading his team in blocks and was averaging 11.3 points with eight rebounds, and now he will spend again more time on the bench and in rehabilitation.

Bogut is hoping something good will come out of his injury. If Newton came up with gravity on falling apples, why not on a falling Bogut?

Lesson learned: There are failures more triumphant than victories.

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Six years ago, people would laugh at the thought that Tracy McGrady would end up as a role player in the future.

A seven-time All-Star, a two-time NBA scoring champion and a future Hall-of-Famer, it was never a question, not even an inkling of doubt on Tracy’s greatness.

However, with an injury-laden career, those glory days are seemingly over.

Tracy was like a veteran boxer who refused to accept defeat and continued to fight, hoping for that one redemption to get him back on top.

Bounced around for four different teams in two seasons, quitting was never an option. It was about getting back and proving everybody wrong.

This was the same player who scored 13 points in 35 seconds on a game against the San Antonio Spurs, including a steal and the game winning three-point shot in the 2004-2005 season.

He had always been a leader, a clutch shooter…and when it mattered, Tracy became the game’s biggest closer.

He could drop 62 points and averaged 28 points per game, but he never got past the first round in the playoffs. This was his Achilles heel—a label that somehow haunted him throughout.

T-Mac wanted that chance—redemption that could somehow prove his legacy that he is just more than skills and empty promises.
Tracy Mcgrady’s 13 points in 35 seconds

The NBA is on a shorter season—a shorter route to a championship, and this could be that one magical run for McGrady. This could be the promise of going deep into the playoffs, and maybe winning a ring in return.

Everyone thought his career was over until Atlanta took the risk and signed him up. The team knew how fragile and risky Tracy is with all his injuries. However, they knew that sometimes little steps can get you back on top…you just have to let them try.

For Tracy, he got another opportunity…another shot on that elusive first round.
He had been in the benched for too long, mostly in street clothes and this has become a reality check for him—one man could not carry a team.

Tracy McGrady knows his role in Atlanta. He would be having limited minutes and sometimes get to stay more often in the bench. But he could help this team to reach their true potential. He could be the big brother and the guiding voice.

Although he won’t be the scoring champion anymore, somehow being there can be equally effective.

This time, last chance entails a definite promise.

“You should have seen me when I put on my uniform. I felt like a kid all over again.” -Tracy McGrady

Jess Matthew Beltran is also a blog contributor of Gold Star Games, a tailgate gear company.

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“Cancer might’ve taken my leg, but it can’t take my smile,” said Wayman Tisdale as he smiled while holding his bass guitar. This is how he approached life—he smiled while playing his music.

I was one of the lucky few to be given a chance to watch the advance screener on the Wayman Tisdale story. And it was a privileged look on a person who gave so much and expected nothing in return.

Wayman was an All-American, Olympian and 12-year NBA veteran. He was a ferocious rebounder and a great scorer. He always went on and off the court with a smile. This was his trademark, a gesture that lifted up any person’s or teammate’s spirits.

It was his way of saying that even if you are on the losing end, everything is still going to be all right.

And when Wayman was alone and frustrated, he would slip out of a room and grab his guitar and start playing.

This was his therapy…it got him through frustrating games, through losing teams and through the death of his father. It always brought him back to his childhood memory, when his father was a pastor, and he would listen to all the music and start playing.

Wayman had no formal training; he didn’t even know how to read notes. It was like the moment he grabbed the guitar, he already felt a connection. Music was his first love and when he was not lifting people’s lives, it’s his music and his family that kept him going.

After his NBA career, Wayman finally went back to his first love. He became a jazz artist and produced eight albums. His last album was called Rebound, released after he was diagnosed with the cancer that led to amputation of his right leg.

“You have to be strong mentally; you have to be strong mentally…” Wayman said as he went through the whole ordeal with a positive outlook. Many questioned and were amazed how he handled the situation so positively, and he just said, “You got my leg but you can’t get my spirit” then flashed that familiar grin.

It was also a situation that made Wayman’s faith stronger.

He wanted to preach about how to be strong and always to trust God’s infinite plan. This was his calling, and his music was his instrument to reach wounded souls. He received calls from strangers thanking him for his music. There was one who contemplated suicide, but after hearing his music, he changed his mind.

“Rebound” was Wayman’s last word of encouragement—rebound to what you are going through right now…

Though Wayman is no longer with us, the fight that he fought wasn’t in vain. Even though I never met him personally, his story inspired me to get up and to stand with my head up high.

This is Wayman Tisdale’s legacy…and his music lives on.

THE WAYMAN TISDALE STORY SCREENING DATES

October 29 Holland Hall Tulsa, OK (reception
6:30p/screening 7:30p)

November 3 Murdoch Theater Wichita, KS (screening
7:00p)
*Charity Event for Victory in the Valley Cancer Center

November 4 Lloyd Noble Center | Oklahoma University Norman,
OK (reception 6p/screening 7p)
*Sponsored by the Scott Carter Foundation

November 6 Moorehouse Church Oklahoma City, OK
(screening 7p)

November 9 Oklahoma Hall of Fame Muskogee, OK
(screening 7p)
*with Marcus Miller

November 11 Tabernacle Baptist Church Wichita, KS
(doors 6:30p/screening 7p)

November 12 Booker T. Washington High School Tulsa, OK
(doors 6:30p/screening 7:30p)

November 12 Skokie Theater Chicago, IL (screening
7p)

November 13 Bishop McGuinness High School Oklahoma City, OK
(screening 4p)

November 16 LA Live Cinemas Los Angeles, CA (doors
7p/screening 8p)
*Charity event for A.C Green Youth Foundation

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Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf could only nod his head and smiled when asked about the recent NBA season lockout. It was something Abdul-Rauf had gone through after the 1998-1999 shortened season. He was always the ever reliable point guard who is destined to greatness but came out stumbling on his way out. He had always hoped for a graceful exit, but it was a luxury that he could never get.

No regrets… everything happened with a purpose. His refusal to stand for the “Star-Spangled banner” before games was a choice—standing to the flag, conflicts his Ismalic beliefs.

The league was able to make a compromising agreement with Rauf, but it shortly backfired. People don’t seem to understand such an act, especially when he was born and raised in America. Everybody knows who Chris Wayne Jackson is. He was the two-time consensus All-American first team.

He had an illustrious college career in Louisiana State University that landed him as Denver Nuggets third pick in the 1990 draft. Chris Jackson in 1991 converted to Islam and changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.

Mahmoud continued to play in the NBA until 1998. And after his contract ended with Sacramento going to a lockout season, he was one of the first few players who went to play overseas. It wasn’t what he really wanted, but he waited for offers to other NBA teams, but it never came.

He played in Turkey, Russia, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and had a short stint in the expansion NBA team, the Vancouver Grizzlies. It was tough, but he knew he had to be tough. He was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome back then, and yet he still came out athletic. Because it’s his choice, no one can tell him to stop basketball or he is not good enough to land minutes in the NBA.

Choices… and somehow it became the word that best explains this lockout.

As the situation (lockout) continues, Mahmoud wants everyone to carefully study their options. Not everyone gets to play in the NBA, and not everyone gets to stay there forever. It is always a privilege and players, coaches, commissioners and owners should know that.

At 42, Mahmoud still plays competitive and professional basketball. His recent stint was with the Kyoto Hannaryz team of Japan. He will still play even if he goes in the golden age of 50.

Every now and then, he thinks about the NBA. He thinks about what could have been a great career.

Everything happens with a purpose, and slowly it becomes a powerful phrase that put him back into reality.

A lockout seems to become a crossroad—you got to pick your road of destination. The only catch is there is no turning back.

We cannot choose our exits, but at least we are given choices.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf still plays with passion and plays with the same intensity. This is what he wants everyone to remember. It’s been quite a journey so far but for some instance, it was worthwhile.

“No regrets…”

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