A FRONT ROW SEAT



LORD OF THE RINGS

The curtain rises tonight for the debut of The Three Basketeers!

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, together for the first time, ready to conquer the world for "Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five... "

Whew... not even Richard Pryor could have pulled that joke off.  Ease off the hype throttle a little big fella. The fact that James and Bosh have to date won "Not one, not one, not one..." championship, makes me hold off on getting the popcorn ready.  They're used to the heat in Miami, but fans have been drinking SPF 70 ever since James and Bosh decided to join Wade.

Tonight's game at Boston needs no introduction.  The Celtics have added the Big Leprechaun in Shaquille O'Neal to fill a void in the middle that clearly cost them a championship last season.  That's the same O'Neal who won three championships with Kobe Bryant, one with Wade and zero with James.  The Celtics are long in the tooth with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but they are all battle tested veterans who've tasted the ultimate prize as a unit.  You don't have to convince James that experience matters down the stretch.

One of 82.  That's really all tonight's matchup means.  The outcome won't give either squad an edge over the other for later matchups.  Only a number of games will reveal if the Heat's bench is adequate enough to give The Three Basketeers a lift.  Injuries have to be avoided for both the Heat and Celtics.  The same can be said for other contenders.  The Lakers can't lose Paul Gasol and the Bulls can't have Carlos Boozer or Joakim Noah sidelined for any measurable length of time.

It should be an interesting race to the finish and if the Heat manage to pull of a championship, they will have done so before packed arenas and the best even the lowly Timberwolves can muster night in and night out.

So I have a front row seat for tonight.  The beer is perfectly chilled, not six dollars a bottle and there is no line to the men's room.  Bring on the 2010-11 season!

KOBE BRYANT - THE GREAT DIVIDE

Where is the love?

When discussing the NBA's best player over the past several years, there doesn't seem to be a middle ground.

You either love or hate Kobe Bryant.

I can understand the love.  Bryant is fiercely intense, always engaged on the court.  He demands the best of himself on both ends of the floor.  At times, he makes the incredible look routine.  With each postseason appearance and NBA Championship ring, he creeps ever so softly into the Jordan discussion.  He may never be crowned with the "Best Ever" label, but Bryant definitely owns property in the neighborhood.

You'd expect a player with those attributes and drive to be cherished and admired by all who claim to be students of the game. You don't necessarily have to root for Bryant, but you should  at the very least, respect his talent.

So why the hate?  Especially it seems from women.  Is it totally based on the 2003 Colorado incident when he was accused of sexual assault?  A case that prosecutors dropped after his accuser was unwilling to testify.  Of course, she later brought a separate civil suit against him that was settled out of court.  One only needs to read the details of the case to make a judgement on what possibly happened that night.  But since there was no one else in the room that night except for Bryant and her, it became a he said, she said regrettable moment in their lives.

I would like to know how many women would stay with their man if they truly believed he was a rapist?  Sure, the financial cost to Kobe was astronomical.  There's never been an account of how much the civil suit was settled for.  He lost a number of endorsements (only to eventually either gain most back or get new ones).  Bryant also did what all guys do when they really have to apologize to the wife.  Nothing says I love you like a 4 million dollar ring.  To this date, Vanessa is still Mrs. Bryant.  Guess Kobe had to wait on purchasing the big screen TV that year.   

Is the hate because Kobe isn't outwardly fun loving as say Dwight "Superman" Howard?  If that's the case, and he's judged as being unapproachable, too bad.  There's no law that says Kobe has to kiss babies and pose for photos.  If he isn't on Facebook or didn't accept your friendship request, get over yourself.  If Kobe doesn't Tweet, perhaps he realizes he doesn't have to brag or boast or let you into his world.

Is it that Bryant sometimes gets on his teammates for not giving more when they should be leaving everything on the floor?  Michael Jordan certainly required the best from his supporting cast and they were better for it.  A lot of people and players in the league didn't like Jordan either.  Six rings and the Hall of Fame later, guess we know who dominated that era. 

When Kobe Bryant walks through the tunnel to take the court, I wonder if the lyrics of a popular song are   looping through his head.

So hate on but guess what

I feel like I can't miss

I know they want me to fall

But ain't nothing bigger than this

So just pass me the ball

You know you looking at a...

Winner

Winner

Winner

"EASE HIS PAIN"

The Messiah has apparently landed in Memphis and he'll be wearing a Grizzlies uniform. It's written and believed he'll bring never before seen crowds to their feet, extolling his virtues and forgiving his shortcomings.

Allen Iverson twitted to the masses that "God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career".

If I were Iverson I'd consider going to church more often because in NBA circles, landing in Memphis is more like "God has exiled" the scoring machine into oblivion, never to be seen again except for those who've opted for the NBA package on DirecTV.

Make no mistake, this is the same Iverson that put the Sixers back on the map, leading them to an NBA Final appearance. This is the same Iverson that wore out his welcome in Philly, resulting in a Rocky Mountain High destination where for the first time in his career, the term "second option" applied.

Denver smiled like they stole something when Detroit Pistons general manager Joe Dumars all too willingly gave up on point guard Chauncey Billups and his ballooning contract in exchange for the expiring one of Iverson.

The switch worked magic in Denver as Billups brought steadiness and control to a Nuggets lineup, allowing All-Star forward Carmello Anthony to better showcase his skills.

In Detroit, a team known for its toughness, mental fortitude and unselfishness, all of a sudden looked like a disoriented puzzle with few pieces fitting together. One and done head coach Michael Curry was inexperienced to handle a

Iverson - Richard Hamilton rotation situation which contributed to a team that lost its way.

After the season was done, (which judging by the product on the floor was sometime in mid-March), Iverson was not resigned and even occasional hothead Rasheed Wallace couldn't wait to vacate the Palace.

While a member of the Pistons, worse than Talking about practice was trying to fit into an offensive scheme designed to share the ball. Iverson remarked after one game, "I've never been on a team where so many guys have plays."

The Detroit experience behind him, Iverson repeatedly uttered he'd rather retire than be forced to accept a role of coming off a team's bench. With the days of summer beginning to get shorter, it looked like the sun might set on Iverson's proclamation.

The Memphis Grizzlies management must have heard The Voice from the movie Field of Dreams... "Ease His Pain... Ease His Pain". With much fanfare, they signed the 10 time NBA All-Star to a one year deal, thus handing him the guitar to the city.

So after every team in the league with a pulse passed on the services of the career 27.1 points per game performer, Iverson declared upon signing that this will be a season to remember.

"This year for me is so personal," Iverson said. "It's basically going to be my rookie season again. It hurts, but I turn the TV on, I read the paper, I listen to some of the things people say about me having the season that I had last year and me losing a step, things like that. They're trying to put me in a rocking chair already."

For the Grizzlies, the Answer is simple. Season ticket sales have undergone their biggest boom in franchise history and number three jerseys are flying off store shelves.

Memphis is not just for Blues and barbecue anymore. The Grizzlies will now be electrifying while posting numbers in the loss column.

Even Former Bad Boys Deserve A Chance

Let me start by saying I'm from Chicago.

Only the passage of time has allowed me to discard my ill feelings toward a couple of bullies, gangsters, thugs - Bad Boys!

And even though I know them personally now, there are times when I just want to throw Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn an elbow just to make amends for roughing up my Michael Jordan led Bulls back in the day. I quickly think better of the idea because both Laimbeer and Mahorn, though mellowed, are still behemoths.

After achieving success as members of the Detroit Pistons with two championship rings, Laimbeer and Mahorn have reigned supreme, as head coach and assistant respectively, for three WNBA championships with the Detroit Shock. And yet, I find it shocking that the NBA has not come a calling. In fact, there appears to be this ridiculous notion that coaching women does not translate into coaching men. Another WNBA coach, Michael Cooper of the Los Angeles Sparks, was tough as nails when he hit the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers. Cooper also has a WNBA title under his belt.

I hardly think the X&O's are that much different from the men's game to the women's game. So why is it NBA executives that Laimbeer doesn't get a shot at coaching in a league where he demonstrated his toughness night after night?

Ah, a trip down memory lane... game 3 of the1987 Eastern Conference Finals. Laimbeer and Larry Bird hook up, both ejected. Same series, game 5, Robert Parish punches Laimbeer in the face. Michael Jordan took a swing at Laimbeer in game 3 of the '88 Eastern Conference Semifinals and in 1990, Charles Barkley and Laimbeer tussled during a regular season game. He even frustrated Isiah Thomas so much during a team practice that Thomas took a swing. There was little Laimbeer wouldn't do to put his team in a position to win.

So why won't the NBA give Laimbeer a chance? Owners certainly have a lot of explaining to do especially when you look at the current landscape of coaches parading up and down the sidelines with little or no previous head coaching experience. Lets look at Washington, Chicago, Toronto, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and Detroit. As of this writing their combined record is 112 wins, 224 losses.

The Wizards think so much of Ed Tapscott that they don't even post his bio when you click his name on their website. It's as if he fell out of the sky. And perhaps to make the organization feel better, they list the team's record at 12-33 on his page. It's actually 12-43.

This is what it says on the Sacramento Kings (12-45) website, under Kenny Natt's bio: "Natt, who played for the Kansas City Kings in 1984-85, is re-united with then teammate and current Sacramento King's Head Coach Reggie Theus." Hmmm. Wasn't Theus fired in mid December and replaced by Natt on an interim basis? Someone should tell the Kings who's running the show. In terms of prior head coaching experience, Natt did coach the Cape Breton Breakers in the Canadian-based National Basketball League.

Oklahoma City's (13-43) official website has no info on head coach Scott Brooks. Vinny Del Negro, zero prior head coaching experience, is leading the Chicago Bulls (25-31). To where, only time will tell. For the Pistons (27-26), there are nights when it's obvious this is Michael Curry's first go round of calling the shots.

At least Jay Triano of the Toronto Raptors (22-36) spent six years as head coach of the Canadian men's national team.

None of these fine men mentioned have anywhere near a resume that stacks up against Laimbeer's.

I can only conclude that NBA executives deem unworthy and look down upon the achievements of coaches who happen to exhibit ability while coaching women. It's as if they're grading on a curve.

The next time a head coaching job opens in the NBA, I hope someone has the courage and foresight to give Laimbeer a serious look. Time heals all wounds. He's paid his dues to society for being such a roughneck in the paint when he played.

Having said all these nice things about Laimbeer, excuse this Bulls fan while I go wash my mouth out.

Is Zach Randolph Gonna Have To Choke A ...

Late in the first quarter of Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns, Zach Randolph must have woken up and realized he was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. That's when the nightmare set in and a panicked Randolph lashed out and struck Suns reserve forward Louis Amundson with what amounted to a left-handed bitch slap. Randolph, his 22 points per game average and 10.7 rebounds a contest, was excused for the night, leaving his teammates to endure a 140-100 blowout. That was a bad beat for even a Clippers team.

Did somebody inform Randolph that All-Star weekend was over? There were no parties to go to that night. Randolph probably does have a short fuse this season. He escaped what was a zoo in New York last season, only to be sent into exile with the Clippers. Come on, right now... name three Clippers' players? And for a bonus, why not pull a rabbit from the hat and name one key reserve. Okay, that's more copy already than the Clippers warrant but maybe, just maybe Randolph was trying to do the Suns a favor by allowing them to showcase their bench.

Remember Louis Amundson? I watch my fair share of NBA ball and can honestly say I've never heard of the third-year forward before this incident. Wow... I knew the Suns weren't having the best of seasons but Louis Amundson? Comedian Louis Anderson I know. The Suns Amundson is a 6-9 forward who made his mark at Nevada-Las Vegas. This season he's averaging just under 10 minutes a game and is shooting .521 from the field. He played over twenty minutes in the win against the Clippers, matching his season and career high point total of 13 points. He also hauled down eight rebounds.

Forget Amar'e Stoudemire. Amundson could be the man. Need proof? He torched the Boston Celtics as well in January for 13 points in a 104-87 loss. I'm really going to have to start watching my Directv NBA package more.