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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Losing has slowly become his ally. It was through losing battles that he found a way to win a war. His first loss to Antonio Margarito ended in controversy, and his beating against the hands of Manny Pacquiao was life-threatening.

But it was a process that he has to go through in order to be what he is now. The pains of losing his biggest battles are the ones that mold him to be a great fighter.

And now Miguel is reaping the fruits of his labor, his reward—Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This is his definitive battle, and this would be his ultimate redemption. This is the part where he is nearing the finish line, one last push and one last dash before raising his arms in victory.

However, everybody knows that this is not an easy battle. His battered face and inflicted wounds are now gone, but it still left a scar to remind him of those wars. Floyd’s masterful mind certainly knows that one punch could bring back old memories.

On Cotto’s second defeat, he had a hard time adjusting after he was hit by Pacquiao’s left hook that made him back-pedal for most of the fight.

His first loss came in a brutal fashion against Antonio Margarito that brought Cotto’s invincibility cloak down, whether if it as due to loaded hands or not. Everything created a different kind of muscle memory that becomes the ghost in the past that will always come to haunt him.

That is why his TKO victory against Margarito last year was very crucial on his career path. However, he was battling a fighter who is a shadow of his former self, after Pacquiao battered Margarito in a fight that resulted in a broken orbital bone.

This has become the most important fight for Miguel Cotto. This would define his legacy—how well he bounces back after all his adversities.

Miguel’s calm demeanor can be attributed to a duck who swims peacefully on a pond. Tranquil on the outside but its foot is struggling on the inside. However, no matter the struggle, a duck will always stay afloat because it’s accustomed to fighting back.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. might have chosen the wrong opponent. Miguel Cotto is tired of being bullied; he is tired of being underestimated. This is his time, and after all the struggles…he is now fighting back.

Article also posted on Bleacher Report

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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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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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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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“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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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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Manny Pacquiao has done it, and he has paved the way for aspiring fighters. He made it possible─ from the slums to the bright city lights of Las Vegas.

Nonito Donaire, who had recently won his fourth weight division title against the sturdy Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., is certainly on the right track. The Filipino flash had his eyes set on winning titles all the way to the light-weight division.

Four years before, people would laugh at the thought of a fighter in the lower weight, knocking out bigger oppositions and collecting belts on his way up. Pacquiao did it and Nonito with his skills and knockout power had followed Manny’s footsteps and had so far been successful in his quest.

Four down and hopefully four more to go, which means after his acid test in the super bantamweight division, he will move up to featherweight, super featherweight, light weight and light welterweight which is 20 pounds bigger than his fighting weight now.

So Nonito would be on collision course with Yuriorkis Gamboa, Juan Manuel Lopez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley and a lot more hard-hitting fighters.

You would have to think about how will Nonito handle everything? How would he handle the bigger fighters without injuring his hands again? Questions will have to be answered with more questions…

Will Nonito make his own unprecedented eight? Yes and no.

Manny Pacquiao is an anomaly, a fighter that fought in the minimum weight who had an 8-inch wrist similar to Mike Tyson and Joe Louis. (Pacquiao’s wrist) It just goes to show why he carried that power all the way to super welterweight without getting his hands injured.

Donaire on the other hand, generates so much power and force on his size that the impact usually leaves his hands getting injured. It needs to be corrected, but he also needs to fight smarter.

In his fight with Vazquez, he could have dominated him easily, but he was so keen on giving everybody a good fight that he always looks for a knockout. It did come in the ninth round, but his left hand was already injured and bloodied.

Going back to the question…would he make his own eight division world titles? Yes, if he fights smarter and no, if he doesn’t.

However, Nonito doesn’t have to follow Pacquiao. He doesn’t need to create his own pressure. He is equally great and he already made his own legacy.

Muhammad Ali says it better: “I know where I’m going, and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”

Nonito Donaire’s legacy will always be his…we don’t create directions for other people. They are free to choose their own paths.

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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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It was a perfectly-timed left hand that dropped Salido with seconds left before the round expired. Orlando beat the count but got tagged again by a left hand in the fourth round, his unsteady legs falling down to the canvass. Salido survived the round then surprisingly finished off the Filipino challenger in the eighth round via TKO.

When ordinary fighters could have buckled and waved the white flag, it really never crossed Salido’s mind, simply because it doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. This was always what he brings to the table—non-stop action. He never backs down and never quits.

Salido has never been a threat, never been part of the equation. When we talk about featherweights, we could only think of two kingpins that have ruled the division, Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Maybe it has something to do with his 11 losses, eight of which happened while he was between 15 and 21 years old. Or maybe it was the test that stained his career after testing positive for steroids while winning a unanimous decision against Roberto Guerrero. However, he maintained his innocence and immediately took another test at Labcorp which came back negative for any banned substance.

He lost his IBF belt before he even got to keep it. It has always been setbacks piling up one after another.

Winning against Juan Manuel Lopez last year was Salido’s essential moment. He fought against an undefeated fighter who belongs in the Top 10 pound for pound ranking. And after three decades of fighting, the 31-year-old Mexican fighter had finally arrived. The journey was long and bumpy, but he is close to the finish line. Still, one win doesn’t create a legacy.

Lopez needed a rematch, and Salido undoubtedly agreed to a March 3 fight. He needed that rematch more than ever. This time it’s not going to be about the belt…this is going to be a defining legacy after a stained reputation that proved to be futile.

Two knockdowns and Salido fought back with unsteady legs and sheer determination to win against Haya. He knows how crucial and how important the Lopez rematch is. Nobody can drag him down, not now and not on March 3.

Lopez should get ready because it’s really hard to win against an opponent who never quits.

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