"Magic"

A kind of person we had never seen

A 6'9 rookie from Michigan State, playing PG

No look passes

One of a kind

The hunger of lion with a warrior like passion

A ring on his mind after capturing the college crown

With all the lights and the cameras

Focused on him in Tinsel Town.

The finals in Philly

The game after you lost Kareem

That brand new rookie point guard

Who should probably have played the 3

Played all five positions that night

Something we couldn't believe

Scoring 42 points with 15 boards

And winning the Finals MVP.

Then came those Celtics

And all your battles with Bird

A player with a loud game

But was rarely ever heard

Who you had to beat in college to get that chip

That blonde haired white boy

All the way from French Lick

Over time became your friend

After a Converse commercial when you two clicked.

Life was treating you great

You were dominating the game

Winning five NBA titles

While becoming a household name

11 All-Star appearances 

Winning league MVP three different times

Until you made that announcement in 1991

That affected so many lives...

You told the world you had HIV

And you had to walk away from the game you adored

Leaving behind a legacy

That had room for so much more.

You vowed that you would fight this disease

For the remainder of your life

And that luckily you were the only one who caught it

Cookie and your daughter were alright.

It's been 10 years since you announced it

And you still look like you're in good health

Building movie theaters and TGI Fridays

Accumulating a lot of wealth.

But your passion is basketball

So you're an analyst on the side

Showing us proof that Magic isn't real

Because you haven't disappeared from the virus

You've actually managed to thrive.

So to Magic Johnson I say to you

From a fan of yours indeed

You have shown the world that your life isn't over

Even if you have contracted the virus of HIV

Top 5 Favorite shoes to hoop in

5. Jordan Spizike

I think I love hooping in these shoes so much because it has components of some of my favorite Jordans'. It has pieces from the III's, IV's, and V's which are all Jordan's that I love and are comfortable enough to hoop in, but have individual issues. This shoe has taken the traction of the III, the comfort of the IV, and paired it with the shape of the VI. A complete win in my opinion.

4. Jordan VIII

These shoes are hella comfortable, and have incredible stability mainly because of the overlapping straps. These shoes were meant for the playoffs, as they don't take long to break in, and seem to mold around your feet fairly quickly. The traction on these are great indoors and the shoe is very responsive because of that. Can't go wrong with these Jordans.

3. Adidas Crazy 8

I've been a Nike or Jordan hoop shoe type of guy my entire life, so when I went to the Adidas store out in Marysville I was a little skeptical to get these. I was always a fan of the design, though the shoe look really cluncky. I will be honest, this shoe takes a few wears to break in, and those wears can be pretty painful, but once you break them in they're great. There is an added amount of cushion around the ankle area to add extra comfort and support as you lace up tight. The traction on these are awesome, as the unique shape of the bottoms of the shoe doesn't collect much dust on the court. Now that I'm seeing Adidas coming out with new colorways of this shoe, I might have to copp a new pair.

2. Nike Hyperdunk

Easily the lightest shoe I've ever played basketball in, which isn't saying much as it's only been recently that shoes are trying to shave weight like prize fighters when it comes to their shoes. What I will say about this shoe is that there is no break in period, and honestly your first or second wear will be unbelieveable. The ankle support is great, the shoe is very responsive to cuts and movements even though it doesn't have much material. The one thing that I wish was better on this shoe was the traction. These shoes collect dust on the court like brooms and I would find myself constantly wiping off my shoes to regain traction. What I do love though, is that after a series of games in this shoe, your feet feel wonderful as your first couple wears are pillow like with this shoe.

1. Nike Hurache 2K4

Take everything that I said about every single shoe, and throw it into one shoe, and voila you'll have the Nike Hurache 2K4. Though this shoe is my favorite (went through two pairs), it does come with it's own set of issues. The only issue I ran into with this shoe was the traction, as the grooves for this shoe are really narrow which collects a solid amount of dust. But put these bad boys on a swept court and you've got one of the most responsive sneakers in the game. The strap adds addition ankle support which is great, the screen on the outside ankle makes this shoe very breathable which is necessary during those long days of hooping. The cushioning is awesome, as it takes many wears for the cushioning to go out in the soles of these shoes. There are a number of colorways, designs, and even NikeID opportunities with this shoe, so the look of it is endless. Hands down my favorite pair and will probably order a custom pair from Nikeid.com real soon.

Sneak(er) Peak

Oowee look at what I stumbled upon. There are two players whose signature line of shoes get a lot of love and respect in Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr. & Gary Payton. Their shoes were not only stylish, great performance shoes, but were a representation of Seattle...at least to us.
Got these bad boys at Goodwill for $7!! They need a little work, not much but they're in okay shape. I plan on getting em right for Spring time. Yeeeeah!!

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Who's Your R.O.Y?

                  

Let's be honest, the race for 2010-2011 Rookie of The Year is a race between two players, John Wall (above) and Blake Griffin (below). For a second let's pretend that the NBA doesn't keep track of stats and the award is given to the person who's play is the best, who do you give the award to? Here's my argument for both players...

John Wall: Watching John Wall it's easy to see why he is considered to be arguably the best rookie in the NBA right now. No one can catch him in the open court, he gets to the rim whenever he pleases, but more importantly he's making his teammates around him better. By being an effective Point Guard he's taking the load of Gilbert Arenas (he could use the lack of attention this season) on the offensive end, and he's making the Washington Wizard bigs actually have to roll to the hoop LOOKING for the ball. He has improved the Wizards with his play so far this season. The only thing hurting him would be is current injury which has sidelined him for a couple games, but those games that he has sat out it is apparent that the Wizards need him on the floor. Wall for R.O.Y

Blake Griffin: If you had to ask anyone if Blake Griffin should be the Rookie of The Year, ask the rim at the Staples Center. Blake Griffin this season as beat up the rim the same way Ike used to beat Tina, the only difference is that people like it when Griffin beats up on the rim. Clippers fans worried about Griffin after losing him for his first season (Griffin sat out all of last season due to knee surgery), perhaps thinking that when he came back he wouldn't be as explosive as he was at Oklahoma University...boy were they wrong. All Griffin has been doing this season is dunking, and if you just so happen to be under, around, or in front of the rim you're just there to be a part of a Sportcenter highlight. Griffin has added a midrange shot to his game, and you can see that through his play so far this season. Teams are gonna try to give him a step but with that square-up-knock-down off the glass shot a part of his game, he's going to be an even bigger problem from the defense. Griffin  is giving fans a reason to go to the Staples Center to watch Los Angeles play...that are NOT the Lakers. Griffin for R.O.Y

With that being said, who do you pick? Wall is going to have the ball in his hands more than Griffin which could contribute to Wall having better numbers at the end of the season than Griffin. Griffin though is going to dunk his way into your memory, trying to make the decision purely based on the excitement level of his play, not to mention his nearly double-double numbers. Could it come down to which team makes the playoffs? If that's the case the Clippers could be in trouble living in the West where let's be honest the better teams exist. The Wizards have a pretty good chance of getting the 7th or 8th spot in the East but can the Clippers do the same out in the West? Or could we have a repeat of the 1995 season where Grant Hill and Jason Kidd split the trophy? All I know is that both young men are fantastic players, and if you get a chance to watch them play jump at the opportunity.

NBA Scores (Nov. 2)

Scores

76ers vs. Wizards

116-115

Wizards: J. Wall 29 Pts, 2 Reb, 13 Ast, 9 Stl

Hawks vs. Cavs

100-88

Cavs: J. Hickson 31 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Stl

Celtics vs. Pistons

109-86

Celtics: K. Garnett 22 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk

Wolves vs. Heat

97-129

Heat: L. James 20 Pts, 12 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk

Blazers vs. Bucks

90-76

Blazers: L. Aldridge 14 Pts, 8 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 5 Blk

Grizzlies vs. Lakers

104-125

Grizzlies: R. Gay 30 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk

 

Opening Night for the NBA 2010-11 Season

The night all basketball fans have been waiting for, Opening Night. All eyes were on the new look Miami Heat and their version of a Big Three with Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. The first half of the game looked like Boston was on their way to a blowout victory, but the talent of this young team (and Boston blowing two big leads in the second half) got them back within three points in the 4th. Boston held on and got the victory. James was the leading scorer for Miami finishing with 31 pts, Allen leading Boston with 20 pts and a key three in the 4th quarter that sealed the win for Boston. Final score: 88-80

                                         THE CHAMPS ARE HERE!!

The Lakers definitely looked good on Opening Night, but the Houston Rockets with the return of center Yao Ming looked really good too. After receiving their rings it was game time, and Houston was looking to spoil the Lakers' ring ceremony. Limited to only 24 minutes a night, Yao didn't put up a lot of numbers, but is impact being in the paint made all the difference. Kevin Martin lead the Rockets with 26 pts, but it wasn't enough to defeat the Lakers. Down by 1 with seconds left in the game, Kobe Bryant found new Laker point guard Steve Blake for a three on the wing, putting them up two. Houston had one more shot at tieing the score but Aaron Brooks was unable to convert on an out of bounds play. Gasol led the Lakers in points and rebounds finishing with a double-double of 29 pts and 11 rebounds. Final score: 112-110

The final game of Opening Night was between the Portland Trailers and the Phoenix Suns. Two teams that are both going to be competing to make the playoffs in the Western Conference, and could possibly see one another in the first round. Steve Nash led the Suns in points and assist finishing with 26 and 6 respectively. Brandon Roy led Portland with 24 points hitting four threes on the night. The Blazer pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Phoenix 33-11 in the final period. The game looked like last years' first round playoff series, but this time Portland came away with the win. Final score: 106-92

1 Playing The 4

If you catch me on the block throw the ball in

5 seconds left I guarantee we're gonna win

I won't let us lose

I feel bad for the man playing D on me

'Cause his teammates are gonna blame him for the L

And get mad at me for the cause of my teams' W

But if it wasn't me it was gonna be you

Just be happy it's not the lane that I'm cutting through

Because my launch pad is located there

So if it's not dunk me it's a dunk on you.

Not a post player, but I got moves in the paint

I'm up and under doing shit other players ain't

And don't let the frame fool you bro

six feet tall with a 6'3 wingspan, here I go

Slappin on you niggas

Blocking all your shot attempts

I don't go soft whether women or gents

Hard in the paint is how I get

So don't you forget

Hard in the paint is how I get

On any women or gent.