Calm Down

I find the need to clarify a couple things before moving on. Apparently some people are up in arms about opinions expressed on here. Calm down people. When I list MY favorite NBA moments, I can have anything on there I want. Am I saying Iguodala is THE GREATEST dunker? By no means. Am I saying the Sixers' Finals game was the greatest game ever played? Probably not, but it was my favorite. I enjoy all of the comments because they lead to great discussion. To further calm down a few people (but maybe fire up others), I will say that I find Vince Carter to be the greatest in-game dunker of all time. His highlights are ridiculous and he has a boatload of them. That said, I still find the Iguodala dunk to be my favorite for various reasons. Dispute it all you want, but I love it.

I also will go so far as to say that dunks in "big" games don't necessarily make the dunk more of a highlight. A great dunk happens anytime. It's still only worth 2 points in the end. Yes, it has the ability to fire up the crowd and shift momentum, but the athletic aspect of it can happen anytime. To me, the most clutch dunk was Dwight Howard's last year that was an in-bounding alley-oop over Duncan at the buzzer to win it. That was just awesome.

Check it out:

My Nemesis Is On The Move

Throughout the course of my fanhood, there have been many a foe that I have richly booed as they made their way through Philadelphia. There are those players that you boo because they are the star on the other team, there are ones you boo for being flamboyant or animated, ones you boo because they just stuck a dagger in you and then taunt the crowd, and various other reasons. There has been one player in my lifetime that I have despised more than anyone else and that is one Antoine Walker. I can tell you quite clearly where the hate developed: the 2002 playoff series against the Celtics. That Sixers team was the defending Eastern Conference Champs and dropped to the 6th seed in the playoffs in the last few days of the regular season (thanks in no small part to a "gimme" game they blew in Chicago). This was also when the first round used to be a five game series. Boston took the first two games and the series came back to Philadelphia. The next two games were incredibly memorable because the Sixers won both in thrilling fashion. Game 3 was eeked out thanks to Derrick Coleman somehow dusting it off to tip in a huge basket and Game 4 was won by Iverson leading the way and drilling a pump-fake jumper at the elbow to clinch it. Game 5 back in Boston.

Now I won't go into much detail other than to say the game was close until the 4th and then the Sixers had no shot. The Celts hit every single shot they threw in the air. I was stunned and will never forget it. They scored 42 points in the quarter mostly on 3's. The Sixers, realizing the season was over, pulled their starters but Boston kept shooting. Then it happened. After hitting a 3 in the corner in front of the Sixers bench, Antoine Walker turned around and looked at Iverson and did his trademark shimmy. A classless move that was rewarded with an immediate technical and him being pulled from the game. Afterward during the post-game press conference he looked in the camera and said plainly, "I don't like Philly and so I'm even happier to knock them out". Now as fans, we need something to drive us, to give us motivation to hate an element of our rivals. This did it for me. I always disliked the Celts but now it was stronger, and I viewed Walker as the epitome of our nemesis. Yes it was me taking it to another level but why not? Why not be passionate in your likes AND dislikes?

I've always viewed Walker as overrated and I think his track record is starting to speak for itself. How come he can't latch on anywhere? Dallas didn't want him. Neither did Atlanta, the Celtics again, and now Miami. This is a man who, supposedly in the prime of his career, had the lowest FG% of any player in the league who averaged at least 8 points. In 2005-06, he was DEAD LAST in the league in plus/minus rating. Try on these career stats for size: FG% - .415/3P% - .325/FT% - .635. Tell me why you're not begging for him to come to your team? He has slow footwork, poor defensive rotation, a propensity to throw away passes to the wing, the desire to hoist 3's at inopportune times, and has famously been suspended by Pat Riley for being overweight. I really don't find the need to go on, I'm done, I've said what I've wanted. He's on the move to Minnesota so at least he won't have as many opportunities to hit the Sixers with another late-game dagger and shimmy and stick it to me more.

Kobe To Be Traded?

Interesting that I would choose to talk about Kobe since I've always been cheering against him most of my life (with the exception being when he suits up for Team USA), but this situation is interesting. It should be even more interesting to those of us in Philadelphia since we seem to follow Kobe so closely. True, we are not thrilled that he calls here home and then, in his words, "came back to rip out their hearts" during the Finals, but this situation should mirror another one we've seen recently. I'm referring to the Iverson trade situation not even one year ago. A lot of the same signs are there: player growing older, team falling from the peak it once enjoyed, a youth rebuiliding movement which does not compliment player's abilities, player finally hinting that they might have to move on, rumors flying everywhere, and constant refusal by both player and management to comment on the situation as it wears on.

There is a third player to join in this discussion and that is Kevin Garnett. A lot of the same things surrounded him prior to his departure from Minnesota. What I find especially interesting is that those three players had/have the longest tenures in the league with one team. Rewind 3-4 years ago and tell me you really thought any of them would end their careers with other teams. Now it's likely it will be a reality for all three. I really find it interesting that no matter what players say, and how much I believe they are truthful about loving a place, they want to contend and win. It throws the whole notion that "all players care about is money" out the window. I know some leave for the money in free agency but I think a lot try to put themselves in successful positions, more so as their careers wind on. Webber, Mourning, Payton, Malone....they all tried to do this and a couple have been successful, others not.

The Kobe situation would mark the end of an era in LA where they were always in the playoff hunt. The same sentiments are echoed in Minnesota and Philadelphia. The key to returning to that status is how you rebuild. San Antonio has become the Patriots of the NBA in that they have built a great system and find players to fit that system, thus they have contended for 8 years straight now. The Hawks can't get it right no matter how many top-5 picks they get. The one I'm intrigued with is Chicago. It took the Bulls too long to rebuild after Jordan's retirement mainly due to the fact that they made poor personnel decisions such as trading away promising players like Elton Brand, Ron Artest, and Brad Miller for less then equal value. Now they seem to have it right. They have built up a wealth of young, marketable, tradable talent. They are in prime position to put together a package deal for a marquee player. This could be their time with Kobe. The Lakers could take back Deng, Gordon, one of the younger guys (Thomas/Noah), and a pick for Kobe. That's not THAT bad of a deal. And don't start about Kobe not wanting to play in Jordan's shadow. Please, do you know the man? He wants to prove himself better. That destination makes the most sense because it also removes him from the West. Trade him to the Mavs and he will burn LA everytime he comes through. We will probably know soon enough...

Favorite NBA Moments

Now I have been a Sixers fan for 25 years and that means I've been a fan of the NBA at large for just as long. While I am 100% dedicated to the Sixers, I still respect other players (not usually ones from Boston though) and can marvel at good plays. I'd like to take a minute to count down some of my all-time favorite NBA highlights. Obviously there will be a strong Sixers representation because I naturally enjoy those more. I was going to do my favorite all-time Iverson highlights but I will save that for a special that will run the week of his return on March 19th. Chime in with your thoughts.

5. Andre Iguodala alley-oop on Pacers (3/26/06). This is just ridiculous in every sense of the word. Look at the feed by Iverson, the elevation Iguodala gets, the reach Iguodala gets, and the overall finish. Now step back and tell me that's not the greatest in-game alley-oop you've ever seen. Honestly, tell me another.


4. Sixers defeat Celtics 125-124 in 3OT (1/13/06). Now this one was special because I was in attendance for it. It was a shame how many fans left early and missed an incredible finish. The Celts dominated the game but somehow the Sixers roleplayers brought them back and we were able to pull it out on some amazing plays (Korver's shot, Dalembert's alley-oop, Webber's steal). Truly one of the most memorable games I have ever attended. Just pick it up at the 4 minute mark.



3. Tracy McGrady scores 13 points in 35 seconds (12/12/04). This was a finish that you dream about from a fan's perspective. No way the Rockets had a shot to win. None. They were done. Then McGrady caught fire like old school NBA Jam and couldn't miss. The best part was that he was doing it against the Spurs and Bruce Bowen. I love how it was destined to happen too. The turnover goes right to him at the end. Unreal when you sit and think about it.



2. Michael Jordan's final shot (6/14/98). Anyone with any clue of sports knows this one. It's an American classic. It's an indelible image burned into the mind of anyone who's ever called themselves a sports fan. Standing there letting his arm hang almost as if he knew the entire time how famous it would become. I remember watching this and how quiet the room got as if we understood just what it meant.



1. 2001 Finals Game 1 (6/6/01). This remains the greatest single sporting event I have ever watched in my life. That Sixers team fought for every last thing they achieved that year and won the respect of the nation. The Lakers were riding a 19-game win streak, including 11 in the playoffs, and were favored by many to sweep the fatigued Sixers. MVP Iverson would not allow it. He scored 48 points in his first career Finals game and punctuated it with the famous step over Tyronn Lue. Best game I ever watched and favorite all-time NBA moment.

Welcome!

Hello everyone and welcome to the start of something new. This blog was started out of a long desire to air my thoughts on Philadelphia sports, namely the Sixers. I cannot promise to limit it to just that though. We will also be subject to the rants and raves of friends which I have given the liberty to muse about anything. Please feel free to add your comments!