All Star Weekend: A Warriors Fan's Perspective

All Star Weekend’s are usually times for Warriors fans to take a break from another disappointing 1st half and wonder: “Wow, why don’t we have any players this good?” Well, even though the Warriors didn’t have an All-Star for a professional sports record 14th straight year, the Warriors had two representatives in other All-Star festivities. Stephen Curry competed in the three point contest last year and came in 2nd place to Paul Pierce. This year, the Warriors were represented by Dorell Wright, the league leader in three pointers (and attempts). Curry was curiously bypassed in the three point contest for the likes of Kevin Durant, James Jones and Daniel Gibson this year; confusing considering Curry’s success last year and his popularity with the fans. Curry wasn’t completely out of the All-Star festivities however as he competed in the Skills Challenge against great guards Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and John Wall. Warriors fans are undoubtedly still bitter over Monta Ellis’ snubbing from the All Star Game (Monta Ellis = Snubbed t-shirt anyone?), but the consolation prize were two Warriors competing on Saturday Night. We’re still frustrated, but we’ll take it.

With the Warriors not competing at a championship level for some time now, so these contests are miniature achievements in otherwise lost seasons for the franchise. Regardless, it’s always fun for Warriors to get some national love (minus Charles Barkley) and display their talents in front of the world. Stephen Curry began the night off for Warriors fans with an impressive display in the Skills Challenge. Although not one of the more exciting contests of the night, Curry handled his business and was able to beat out some of the top PG’s in the league. Curry wasn’t praised for his passing skills at Davidson, so it was interesting to see how he did in the contest. We often wonder whether Curry can be the PG of the future, well, he showed us some skills on Saturday night to support his claim. For one night, Stephen Curry was better than Rose, Paul, Westbrook and John Wall. Granted, I think Curry knew what he was playing for. Besides Wall, the other competitor’s respective teams will all be in the playoffs, and Curry clearly was trying the hardest out of the group. Curry is quietly becoming one of the more popular players in the NBA, and competing in contests like this can only help him and the franchise alike. Great to see Curry representing the franchise on a national level.

The next contest of the night was the three point contest. Dorell Wright’s admission in the contest was somewhat a surprise even though he leads the league in three’s made. Warriors fans thought Curry would be an almost automatic admission considering his almost-victory last year and his popularity with the national audience. Either way, the Warriors were represented and I was glad Dorell got the recognition he deserved for his efforts in the first half of the season. Wright rolled through the first two racks pretty nicely, but was able to only finish with 12 points. To further sting Warriors fans, Paul Pierce nailed his very last money ball to knock Wright out of the competition. A decent effort (Durant and Gibson…seriously though?) but not enough to get to the finals of the competition. It would have been awesome to see how Dorell did against the all-time NBA three point leader Ray Allen in the finals, but it wasn’t meant to be. Hopefully Wright keeps Pierce’s last second shot in his head, because what do you know, the Warriors play the Celtics Tuesday night at Oracle.

No Warriors competed in the dunk contest, but that won’t stop me from talking about it. I love the contest, always have, always will. After last season’s debacle of a contest we could only go up. I loved the idea of coaches this season, and it definitely helped the competitors out. Demar Derozan was my underdog pick to win, and I think he had the best dunk of the night with “The Showstopper”. Serge Ibaka, a somewhat odd pick for the contest, showed up big right off the bat. His free throw line dunk was VASTLY underrated and deserved a 50. Anyone else notice Dr. J’s face afterwards, you can almost read his mind: “Man, that dunk wasn’t better than mine. Nope. No way. He stole my dunk. 9.” Javale McGee had the most original dunks of them all: his off the backboard two balled dunk was incredible, and to follow that up with his three ball barrage was almost as impressive. But, we knew it was going to be the Blake show. If he went to the Finals, we knew he would win. Honestly, Blake had the least impressive dunks of the night and made me wonder what else he could have done. His contorted 360 was solid, his off the side off the backboard windmill was nice but not original. His best dunk was his off the backboard Vince Carter arm-in-the-rim one hander. I don’t think the fans appreciate this dunk as much as they should. That was awesome. The over the car shenanigans weren’t all that impressive to me. He easily cleared the hood of the car and Baron Davis showed that passing to Blake Griffin is the easiest job in the NBA. Throw it up Baron, Griffin will find a way to get it. Great contest overall though and looking forward to see the creativity in the future contests. Lebron, I’m calling you out. MJ did it, Kobe did it, now it’s your turn.

Last but certainly not least is the All Star Game itself. I picked the East to win, but always figured in the back of my mind it would be the Kobe show. The game was surprisingly un-exciting until the last few minutes when the game got close. I was hoping for a lot of alley oops, sick passes, nice isomotion-esque handles and a lot of drained shots. What we got was a TON of turnovers, too many stoppages and Kevin Durant thinking he’s Michael Jordan by throwing it up every time he got the rock. There were some highlights: Deron Williams alley-oop to Blake, Westbrook’s one handed stretch slam, Kobe’s dunk in front of Lebron (No, it wasn’t ON Lebron, as you can see, he was in front of Lebron as Lebron tried to swipe it from behind). But it was The Black Mamba who stole the show. There was no way he was going to lose his last All Star Game at Staples Center. Never. The fans knew it, his teammates knew it, and Justin Bieber knew it (Got a small case of the Bieber Fever after his crossover against Common). The East made it interesting late when it became clear it was a Lebron vs. Kobe show. Lebron tried to bring his team back and nearly did, but he passed up a possible three late in the game that would have tied the game. A good All Star game but definitely not great. It’s clear the NBA is in good hands with the amount of talent that was on that floor that night; the amount of young, athletic players is amazing. The NBA has the unquestionably the best All Star festivities in professional sports, and it’s not even close.

Although I’m still bitter that Monta didn’t make the All Star game, I still thought this was a very fun and entertaining weekend. I have always loved the All Star festivities. I just couldn’t help but think during Sunday’s game how great it would have been to see Monta in there with a Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin or Chris Paul. Kevin Love? Sure he replaced another player at his position, but the fans want to see excitement. This is “Where Amazing Happens” and not “Where Rebounds Happens”. Kevin Love is a great player, but he shouldn’t have replaced Yao Ming. Monta Ellis is one of the most exciting players in the league, and I’m positive he would have provided more excitement if he was in the game. This is neither here nor there, but when guys like Kobe Bryant and Blake Griffin are calling it out and saying Monta should have been there, it strikes a nerve. A great weekend and great showing from two Warriors, but there was something else to be desired. Warriors fans don’t usually gripe about potential All Stars, because, well, there usually aren’t any candidates. But, this year, the NBA missed one. A great weekend was soured by the taste of Monta Ellis sitting at home watching while Kevin Love lugs himself across the court. Hey, Mr. Stern, look over here; we got a player you need to see.

POSTED BY: J-RAM

The 2010 Warriors Off-Season Report Card...Mid-Season Edition

We’re a little past halfway in the NBA season, and with the Warriors representing a 23-28 record, there’s a lot to talk about. The Warriors had an eventful off-season by making a number of trades, firing a Hall of Fame coach (He’ll get in eventually) and FINALLY being sold to owners from the handcuffs of a certain Chris Cohan.

In what could be classified as the most important off-season of the franchise’s history, the Warriors made the drastic moves necessary in their quest to become relevant again the NBA. New owners, a new head coach, and the acquisition of defensive minded players (or non-Don Nelson-like players) have all contributed to the new look Warriors.

As the Warriors continue on to another playoff-less season, it’s time to analyze how the moves this past off-season are panning out, and how they will contribute in the future.

(Why David Lee is chilling with Snookie and Vinny I have no idea)

Move No.1: Acquired F David Lee from the New York Knicks for F Anthony Randolph, F Kelenna Azubuike, F Ronny Turiaf and a 2012 second-round draft pick. (Signed Lee to 6 year, $80 million extension)

I was happy when the trade went down, and I’m even happier with the trade as it stands today. The Warriors weren’t completely oblivious to David Lee rumors before this, as it seemed the previous trade deadline and off-season there was rumblings of a possible trade to the Warriors.

Say what you want about the “potential” or “upside” of Anthony Randolph, but he was never going to develop in the Warriors system. With every put-back dunk or ferocious block came multiple turnovers, and Randolph was forever supplanted to the Don Nelson Doghouse. With every game came another disinterested Randolph, and it was clear his future was no more in Golden State. Now in New York, Randolph is once again in his coach’s doghouse, averaging a mere 1.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 0.5 BPG in 7.9 minutes per game. As this year’s trade deadline approaches, he is once again circulating the NBA as trade bait, this time being included in a possible Denver-New York-Minnesota trade involving Carmelo Anthony.

Kelenna Azubuike was a crowd favorite in the Bay. A typical Don Nelson D-League call up, Azubuike contributed immediately to the team and showed how all biceps on men should look. However, his time on the team was often hampered by injuries, and thus made him expendable towards the latter end of his Warriors career. A serviceable NBA player if healthy, Azubuike has had off-season knee surgery and it’s unclear if he will ever be the same player again. A sad, quick ending if true, hopefully Kelenna can come back to being a quality NBA player again.

Another fan favorite, Ronny Turiaf was included in the deal. While Ronny gave the Warriors some swagger on the defensive end, his production isn’t too hard to find elsewhere. The signing of Lou Amundson offsets the loss of Ronny, and the drafting of Ekpe Udoh made Turiaf very expendable as well. The 2nd round pick included was a thrown in draft choice, and the Warriors, with the exception of Monta Ellis, never draft talent in the 2nd round anyway (See: Armon Johnson, Richard Hendrix, Stephane Lasme, Kosta Perovic), making the pick virtually worthless. The Warriors have had some success with their 2nd round picks before (Monta Ellis and Gilbert Arenas), but more likely than not finding a quality NBA player in the 2nd round are few and far between.

David Lee, an All Star in 2010 (injury replacement), is the biggest low post threat the Warriors have had since Chris Webber. David Lee was second in the league last season in double double’s, short of only Dwight Howard. His production this year hasn’t been as good, but it’s still the best the Warriors have had in a long time. Although that might not be saying much, the Warriors now have a legitimate low post threat. In other words, there’s actually a player in the post that the defense has to account for. Is that production worth the 6 year, $80 million contract? That’s up for debate. I think he is. The Warriors have to overpay for anyone to come play for them, and they received an All Star PF for roughly $13 million a year. Not a great contract, but a worthy one because of the Warriors need for that position.

Grade: B- (would be higher without the freakish elbow tooth Wilson Chandler injury)

("Yo, the Warriors got no idea, I'm about to pimp their salary cap!")

Move No. 2: Acquired G Charlie Bell and C Dan Gradzuric from Milwaukee for F Corey Maggette.

Addition by subtraction. The Warriors were miraculously able to find a taker for Maggette’s horrible 5 year, $50 million contract this past offseason. It’s almost irrelevant who the Warriors got back in return for Maggette, as long as his contract is off the books the Warriors made a solid trade. Charlie Bell has shown off probably all his suits in his closet by sitting on the bench this whole season. I’d actually like to see what Bell could do if he gets some playing time. We have a hole at PG and it wouldn’t hurt to see if Bell has something…anything. Gradzuric saw time early in the season but has been in the doghouse ever since. It’s clear these two players are not starters but rather nothing more than NBA journeymen, but in this case, it didn’t matter. Maggette was never an elite…not even close to elite player while on the Clippers, and from the day his contract was signed Warriors fans were up in arms. In other words, the Warriors are extremely happy he’s gone, and they don’t miss him one bit.

Grade: A

("I get traded to the Nets? Damn...")

Move No. 3: Signed G Anthony Morrow and traded him to New Jersey for a 2011 second-round draft pick.

The Warriors traded some fan favorites this past off-season, and Anthony Morrow was another casualty. Morrow first made headlines with a 47 point explosion in the NBA Summer League. The Warriors, not oblivious to Summer League explosions (see: Marco Belinelli), seemed to have found a keeper. An amazing threat from 3 point land, Morrow again made headlines with his first start. 37 points on 15/20 shooting, Morrow seemed like another quality, under the radar Don Nelson pickup. Unfortunately for Morrow, the Warriors had a plethora of shooters already. Morrow was a perfect Don Nelson player: can score like crazy, can shoot the three, but yet play little to no defense. The danger of being known for your 3 point shot only is if you’re not hitting shots, you’re pretty much worthless. Morrow brought little to the table that the Warriors didn’t already have on the roster. As a basketball decision, the Warriors are still the top team in the NBA for 3 point field goal percentage. The Warriors also are 8th in the NBA in scoring at 103 points per game. With Stephen Curry, the improvement of Monta Ellis’ 3 point shooting, and the future emergence signing of Dorell Wright, the Warriors are hardly feeling the loss. As a basketball decision, the Warriors are still the top team in the NBA for 3 point field goal percentage.

Grade: B+

("Huh, what? No no no I'm not dating your girl Floyd...")

Move No. 4: Signed G C.J. Watson and traded him to Chicago for a 2011 second-round draft pick

One move the Warriors wish they could have back is the sign and trade of PG CJ Watson. One of the hot debates this past off-season was whether the Warriors could keep both Morrow and Watson. Once it became clear that they couldn’t, many thought Watson would be a sure-fire keeper with Morrow on the short end of the stick. Shockingly, the Warriors re-signed neither, and now the Warriors have a massive hole at the PG position, the most important position on the floor. Many thought the Warriors would sign a Chris Duhon or Raymond Felton as a possible backup to Curry. Wrong. Instead, the Warriors signed Jeremy Lin (who we’ll get to next), acquired Charlie Bell in a trade and re-signed Acie Law. Wow. CJ wasn’t a dominant guard by any means, but he was a solid backup and could control the floor pretty well. He might take one shot to many sometimes, but there’s no doubt the Warriors would love to have re-signed Watson instead of the mess they have now.

Grade: D+

("I'm from Harvard and I still don't understand Coach Smart's rotations!")

Move No. 5: Signed G Jeremy Lin.

Yes! Our cure to our PG problems! A local kid! A Harvard kid! He shook John Wall in Summer League! He’s Asian American!

Nothing but praise was given to the Warriors when they signed local Palo Alto product Jeremy Lin. But what seemed like a feel good story before the season can only be classified now as a bad PR move for the franchise. Lin has contributed almost nothing since becoming a Warrior. He gets treated to applause when he gets playing time, but that’s few and far between these days. Lin has been in and out of the D-League, and although he has shown some potential, it’s clear he’s far from becoming a legitimate NBA point guard. As the Warriors get farther and farther away from the playoffs, I expect to see more playing time for Lin, and what he does with those minutes will have a huge barring on whether he is on the roster come next year.

Grade: C-

(Dorell shaking the rookie on the pump fake.)

Move No. 8: Signed F Dorell Wright.

After losing both Anthony Morrow and Corey Maggette, the Warriors had a need for a true small forward. The day after the New Jersey Nets signed Morrow to an offer sheet, the Warriors signed Wright. Although pleased that we filled a need on the roster, I wasn’t exactly sure what we were getting in Wright. Before signing with the Warriors on a 3 year, $11 million deal, he had been hampered by injuries as a member of the Miami Heat. Drafted 19th overall by Miami in 2004, Wright failed to play in all 82 games in season, with his most games played being at 72 (last season). 3, 20, 66, 44, 6 and 72 were his games played totals in the NBA per season. With the losses of both Morrow and Maggette the Warriors had a huge hole at the small forward.
The Warriors seemed to find the steal of the free agent class with Wright. In Miami he was averaging a mere 7.1 PPG and 3.3 RPG. This season with the Warriors he’s averaging 16.5 PPG and 5.7 RPG, all while averaging a career high 39 minutes. The Warriors, if you haven’t heard, don’t play much defense. Last year the Warriors had the worst opponents PPG average in the league (112.4). That’s five points higher than the next team. Dorell Wright has been the Warriors best defensive player and has clearly improved an otherwise defensively challenged backcourt. The best defensive player on a defensively challenged team might seem like a Catch-22, but it’s refreshing to finally see a Warriors player have the same hustle and energy he has on the defensive end than the offensive end.

Another pleasant surprise from Wright has been his three-point shooting. Warriors fans love their shooters, and Wright has been an unexpected beast from beyond the arc. He leads the NBA in three pointers made and is competing in the Three Point Shootout during All Star Weekend in Los Angeles (his hometown). Wright has been a great addition to the Warriors. Good defense paired with quality three-point shooting and a decent midrange game makes Dorell Wright the best roster acquisition the Warriors has this past off-season, and I hope Dorell is here for a long time. He’s a keeper.

Grade: A-

Moves No. 9 and 10: Signed F Lou Amundson and drafted F Ekpe Udoh.

With new owners and a new head coach came a different mindset for the Warriors. No more were the days of the Corey Maggette’s and Anthony Morrow’s; offensive minded, single eyed players. Rather, the Warriors focused hard on improving their play on the defensive end. The signings of Dorell Wright, Lou Amundson and the drafting of Ekpe Udoh clearly displayed this new mentality heading into the new season.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, this new mindset was put on an immediate hault with the injuries of both their new big men. Ekpe Udoh suffered a broken wrist during a supervised workout at the Warriors team facility in July. Udoh, the #6 pick in the draft, was out six months after going through off-season surgery. Lou Amundson has been suffering injuries seemingly nonstop this season. He required surgery on his right index finger in October and has been battling through a bad lower back as well. Udoh has played in a total of 28 games this season, with Amundson only appearing in 23.

Udoh and Amundson have the potential to become a very formidable defensive frontcourt, but so far we have yet to see their true impact. Amundson hasn’t showed much this season at all. What he has shown is that Biedrins might not be the worst free throw shooter in the league (Amundson and Biedrins both shooting air balls this season). I liked Lou a lot when he was on Phoenix, and I saw a Joakim Noah type player that I thought would really improve our defense. So far though, his failure to stay healthy has been a huge disappointment. Udoh on the other hand, while missing time early, has shown signs of life in his short amount of minutes. Udoh has excited the Oracle crowd with some ferocious blocks and a couple of nifty low post moves. I don’ t think Udoh will ever be a huge impactful player in the league, but I believe he could be an effective defensive presence off the bench. He needs polishing, so we haven’t seen his ceiling yet, but his development throughout the season is something we should look forward to seeing this season.

We have yet to see either of these two players with any extended minutes, so it's tough to gauge how much these additions can/will help. In limited minutes they've both shown signs of a quality NBA player, but nothing spectacular. Was Udoh worth the #6 in the draft? We don't know yet. Was Amundson worth the deal he received in the offseason? That's to be determined as well. But both these players are quality players when healthy, and I expect them to become nice players for the Warriors very soon.

Grades: Amundson: C-, Udoh: C+

("Psssh...Hey Nellie...let me come with you to Maui when I get fired?")

Move No. 6: Named Keith Smart head coach.

Smart was the coach-in-waiting ever since Don Nelson first became head coach of the Warriors. Nelson made it public that he thought Smart should be his successor. Well, this past off-season, came and Nelson “resigned” from his post. The sale of the Warriors didn’t become official until late in the off-season, which put Joe Lacob in a bind. He was practically forced to name Keith Smart head coach when it became apparent Nelson wouldn’t return. Smart has been an adequate coach, but certainly not the coach of the future. His puzzling rotations, lack of defensive improvement (although being Nellie’s defensive coach before) and similar offensive style to Nelson’s has made him a Don Nelson 2.0. It’s clear the up and down style of basketball doesn’t win championships, and I believe Lacob knows this coming from the Celtics organization. It’s almost an afterthought that Smart won’t last until next season, and I fully expect a Jeff Van Gundy, Byron Scott or Oakland born Brian Shaw to replace him.

Grade: C

("Hey Cohan, the exit is that way")

Move No. 7: Announced Chris Cohan agreed to sell the franchise to Boston Celtics minority partner Joe Lacob and Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber.

"We're not the cure for cancer, but we might be the cure for Cohan." – Peter Guber

The biggest move of the off-season wasn’t a personnel move, but an ownership change. Finally, after years and years of downright embarrassing basketball (minus the We Believe) and horrible management, the Warriors have new ownership. The quote from Guber was taken from their introductory press conference, a refreshing attempt at humor from the new co-owner. It’s clear ownership is now split into two sides: Lacob handling the basketball operations and Guber handling the entertainment/off the court activities. A somewhat peculiar way of running an NBA franchise, but who’s complaining? Nobody.

Oracle CEO billionaire Larry Ellison was the long rumored future owner of the team. When the new owners were announced, many Warriors fans were confused, some frustrated. How they can be frustrated by getting rid of the clown Chris Cohan is beyond me. Peter Guber will run the entertainment side of the franchise. What that means or what he will do I have no idea, but Guber is very successful in the entertainment industry, and I’m sure the “Great Time Out” will continue and get better with him running the show. Hopefully this means the immediate removal of those pizza guys, bad music and bringing back a mascot. Joe Lacob is the basketball guy. He knows the NBA. He prides himself on it. Although a minority owner, Lacob saw and had input in the Celtics rejuvenation from worst team in the NBA to the best the very next year. Lacob has my trust, and until proven otherwise, so should the rest of Warriors nation.

Grade: A++

POSTED BY: J-RAM

Bay Love...

Can the Bay get a little love? It has been 15 years since the Golden State Warriors could say they have someone representing them in the All-Star game and the last All-Star was yes, the infamous Latrell Sprewell, the man who later went on to choke his head coach and turn down $20 million because he thought it was a slap in the face, after all he had to feed his family.

As Warriors fans we haven’t had much to cheer about over the past 15 years. We had a quick glimmer of success in 2007; the WE BELIEVE era. The following year was strong but not good enough to make the eighth seed of the playoffs. Even then, with the team being great and extremely entertaining to watch, Baron Davis got the All-Star snub for then Portland rookie Brandon Roy. The Trail Blazers at the time were trailing the Warriors in the standings and Baron was outclassing Roy statistically.

This year we come to the same issue: is Monta Ellis an All-Star? He is making a strong case this season. Nevertheless being in the western conference, which happens to be saturated with talent at the guard position, and being on a losing team that has little hope for the playoffs do not help his campaign efforts. But most of all he happens to play for the wrong team: the Golden State Warriors. Things never look golden around here but Warriors fans know Monta is a walking highlight reel. The top seven leading scorers in the NBA are all All-Star starters and Monta who is fourth in scoring cant even get the reserve nod. “C'MON MAN!” Monta is the fourth leading scorer in the league this year and he is the only player not named LeBron James who is averaging 25 points and 5 assists a game.... I know, not Kobe, not D Wade, not Derrick Rose, but Monta Ellis... Not to mention his explosive style of basketball is perfectly suited for an All-Star game and yes, the game is being held in the Golden State itself.

Although it is in LA this year, it is still on the west coast and why not give the bid to a player from a west coast team and a team with a great fan base. A fan base that is always in the top ten in attendance. Again I ask where is the bay love??? I guess it will be up to the coaches since they name the All-Star reserves. I would think they are well aware of his talents... I say we end the drought and give Monta the All-Star bid, he deserves it. He is second in the league in minutes played and leaves it on the court every night. Give him a night to shine under the lights in LA... And maybe those lights will make their way up to Oakland and shine on the Warriors.

POSTED BY: Mike

Lebron's Beautiful Dark Twisted Career

“Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem/Or use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams” – Kanye West

Lebron James. Kanye West. Both carry outstanding talents in their respective careers. Both have been claimed at one point to be the very best at their positions. Both with ego’s big enough to satisfy the entire cast of Jersey Shore…twice. Both have experienced incredible success. But both have made terrible public decisions that have hindered their otherwise limitless potential.

It began with Kanye blurting out the now infamous words: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” during a Hurricane Katrina telethon. Some years later, Kanye stormed the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Video of the Year. Although I had no problem with Kanye storming the stage in defense of Beyonce, the public crucified him for ruining the so-called “moment” for Taylor Swift (Who is one of the most overrated artists in music today, but that’s for another time). People in the industry have always supported Kanye West’s talents as a gifted producer and talented rapper. But the incident with Taylor Swift has tarnished Kanye’s potential success with the common music listener.

Lebron James has actually had a much tamer career compared to that of Kanye’s. Lebron, unlike Kanye, has really only made one mistake throughout his whole career. Granted, one, huge, giant, immense, Big Momma’s House sized mistake (seriously, another Big Momma’s House movie? Really?). “The Decision” was seen as a public offering portraying Lebron as some figure he really wasn’t. He’s a basketball star. That’s it. He’s not the President. He can’t hold his own press conference to announce to announce a decision he made. He disrespected his former organization, his former teammates, and his former city and has (for the meantime) ruined his title as the “King.” No one can question his talents, but they way he decided to display where he will play basketball was a joke.

Although both have recently gone through the darkest stages of their careers, it’s now safe to say they are back at the top of their games. Lebron, still loathed by most of the NBA and its fans, has put up huge numbers in Miami (It does help playing with Wade and Bosh) and has brought the Heat on the precipice of something huge. In November, Kanye West released “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” his first album since the VMA incident. It has received national praise and if released before the Grammy deadline date would surely be nominated for numerous awards. Kanye has also been hard at work with Jay-Z on a duel album entitled “Watch the Throne,” which drops sometime in March.

After listening through “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” back and through multiple times (41 to be exact), this masterpiece can be seen as a perfect embodiment of the career of Lebron James. In a very symbolic way, each track is a specific stage in the up and down career of the “King.” Both being good friends, it should come as no surprise that both these integral symbols in pop culture today are very much one in the same. Here, with the help of Kanye West, is the career of “King” James:

Dark Fantasy. The career of any athlete begins with one goal: to become world champion. After declaring for the draft out of high school, it was soon after that we knew Lebron would become a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a franchise synonymous with mediocrity. A perfect entrance: playing for his hometown team with the entire city behind him. Although living his dream of playing in the NBA, his new goal, winning an NBA Championship, is now a dark fantasy. It’s the K2 of challenges: become an immediate superstar with the weight of a franchise and city behind you. Although being blessed with the greatest combination of physique, speed and instincts in the history of the league, his dark fantasy soon begins.

Gorgeous. It didn’t take Lebron long to become the face of the NBA. He soon caught the attention of the world with his fantastic play for a franchise not known for hoisting world class talents. He quickly became a global icon. Signing with Nike, designing shoes, starring in commercials, putting up great numbers and showing the league what he’s made of, Lebron took the NBA and sports world by storm. Lebron became a gorgeous figure, both on and off the court. He became a global phenomenon. His appeal to every type of NBA fan; from young to old, white to black, East to West; made Lebron the most sought after sports figure in American society to date. His soon developed relationships with Jay-Z and Kanye West became public, and it was clear, this kid is here to stay.

Power. As Lebron took the league by storm, it soon became apparent that he had the “power”. The league soon became the Lebron show. Yes, there was Kobe, there was Shaq, there was Carmelo, there was Dwyane Wade, there was Andris Biedrins (just making sure your paying attention)…but even though the league was full of stars, we are a society of the newest and freshest. Why does Apple make new iPhones every year? Society craves the latest and greatest. Lebron fit the bill. New, fresh, hot, entertaining; Lebron carried all the traits of the iPhone 4 (without the reception problems). Whatever Lebron did, the kids wanted to do. Whatever he worse, listened to, watched; the kids wanted to be Lebron. He had all the power in the world, and like Lebron driving in the paint, he couldn’t be stopped.

All of the Lights. As Lebron grew and matured as a player, so did his team. The Cavs quickly became relevant again and the playoffs (“Playoffs!!!!?????”) became a reality. The lights became brighter as Lebron became greater. Any rookie can come in the league and put up great stats, but they have to take their game to the upper echelon, the playoffs, to truly become a legend. The ball was in Lebron’s court now. High flying dunks and acrobatic plays can only take you so far (Ahem…Vince Carter). All of the lights were now on Lebron. With every playoff series came the same thought: If he never wins a title, he’ll never become a legend. This questioning began early in his career, and has continued on to this day. All of the lights were very much bright, and to this day, the lights still are on.

Monster. There has been one performance that has stood out in Lebron’s pursuit of greatness: Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Playoffs. The term “monster” could have been applied to Lebron earlier in his career, but greatness in the playoffs overshadows the regular season any day. Facing a stout Pistons defense (sounds funny nowadays huh?); Lebron scored his then (and current) playoff high 48 points. Great game right? How about one of the greatest playoff performances ever? If the 48 points weren’t enough, King James carried his team by scoring his team’s final 25; which included the end of the 4th quarter, OT and 2OT. Every great player has his “moment,” the moment where he officially arrives. The moment where we say: “This guy could become great”. On that night, we could say Lebron arrived, and he was a monster in every way imaginable.

So Appalled. Although Cleveland became a perennial playoff team since his drafting, Lebron was unable to bring a title to his hometown team. It soon became obvious that there was a good chance that Lebron could leave the Cavs after the 09/10 season. The idea of Lebron leaving Cleveland was non-existent to Cavs fans though: “Could he really leave his hometown team?” “No way…he’s OUR guy!” The ship seemed to have sailed once the Cavs were trounced by Boston in the playoffs that year. Lebron’s body language, the way his team played during the series and his un-willingness to harness his crown was clearly displayed. We saw it coming. The end was near for Lebron in Cleveland. “The Decision” only heightened the anger of Cavs fans, and they more than anyone were so appalled at what they were seeing, and what would soon come.

Devil In A New Dress. It took Lebron just one sentence to change the entire sporting landscape. As an outside observer, most weren’t surprised by his decision to leave Cleveland. For Cleveland fans, well, it didn’t take long for their newfound hatred to the so called “King” to be displayed publicly. Videos of shocked Cleveland fans at local bars and the burning of his jerseys were uploaded on YouTube in the hundreds. For Miami fans, it was the greatest day of their lives. Lebron, Wade AND Bosh? Impossible to fathom early in the off-season. “The Decision” might as well been named “The Public Crucifixion of Cleveland.” Although most agreed that Lebron was good as gone, it was his public display of arrogance and egotism that caught the world off guard. Why hold this public offering at all when a simple press conference or phone call would have sufficed? Why hold it at a Boys & Girls Club in Connecticut of all places? His ego got the best of him. He thought he was bigger than what he really was. What did the world think of Lebron when he made his decision? Well, just a devil in a new dress.

Runaway. Lebron was one of the most universally loved figures in all of sports before “The Decision”. He was used to being the good guy, the one people rooted for, the one people paid extra to see, the new Michael Jordan, the new face of the NBA. He was in no way prepared to become the runaway of the league. It became clear soon after “The Decision” that Lebron would no longer be so universally loved, but rather a symbol of arrogance and stupidity. In his first game as a member of the Miami Heat, Lebron was rewarded with a barrage of boo’s that he had never heard before in his life. He was now alone. Even though he shared the spotlight with two other superstars (Yes, I consider Bosh a superstar), the Heat became “The Lebron Show”. Has he embraced the role of the villain? “I enjoy it,” LeBron said, “I’m very comfortable. I’ve kind of accepted this villain role everyone has placed on me. I’m OK with it. I accept it.” We’ll see Lebron, we shall see.

Hell Of A Life. What became one of the most historic off-seasons in NBA history quickly came to an end with the Lebron decision. The hype was over. The decision was made, and the world had to live with it. It was now time to talk ball. What seemed liked minutes after Lebron made his decision; NBA pundits began claiming them as the best team ever, a dynasty, an 80 win team and basically writing off the rest of the NBA. Why not? The Heat acquired two superstars to join their already spectacular superstar of their own. Lebron, Wade, Bosh: the new super team in the NBA. Three of the most talented players in the league joining forces? Unheard of. With all the cap limitations and luxury tax rules how was this possible? Well, they have three superstars and nine serviceable players, that’s how. Never has so much individual been constructed onto one team; a truly historic event in the history of the NBA happened. Lebron joined forces with his two friends in South Beach and they were about to live a hell of a life.

Blame Game. “Who’s fault” are the first words uttered by Kanye West in the song. Whose fault was it? How could this super team happen? Who do we blame for this madness? Well, we could blame the Cavs. They failed to acquire the right players to compliment Lebron and push them to championship level. Dan Gilbert’s obsession with J.J. Hickson restricted them from acquiring a talent like Amare Stoudemire and instead acquired players like Antawn Jamison, Ben Wallace, Mo Williams and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. We could blame the sheer desperation of numerous teams in the NBA. The Knicks, Heat, Bulls (just to name a few) all tried to clear as much cap space as possible in their pursuit of the “King”. The Knicks, the most successful in clearing up space, failed to lure Lebron, but they got a nice consolation prize in the aforementioned Amare. Finally, we could blame Pat Riley. The legendary former coach and NBA executive was the mastermind behind this plan. He lured Lebron and Bosh. What he said to them is unknown, but to lure two superstars to his team was remarkable. A simple decision soon became a blame game.

Lost In The World. Soon after “The Decision” the Heat held a ridiculous welcoming party for their new superstars. They were now entirely enthralled in their new “Us Against The World” mentality. They were lost in their own world. They thought they could coast by the regular season, coast through the playoffs and coast to a NBA championship. “Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven!” Yeah, Lebron seemed pretty confident in his new team to say the least. They found out soon enough, in their first regular season game, that you have to beat the best to become the best. Boston held the Heat to a mere nine points, yes, that’s not a typo, NINE points in their first quarter of play. Boston embarrassed the lost and confused Heat as they mopped the floor with the quickly crowned super team. This was a clear shot in the arm as the Heat soon found out that talent alone can’t win titles. They were lost in their own world, and only they can get themselves out of it.

Who Will Survive In America. The road to the NBA championship is a long and grinding journey. There will be successes, there will be failures. There will be winning streaks, there will be losing streaks. There will be injuries, there will be grittiness. There will be disappointment, there will be surprises. Only the strongest survive. The team with the greatest amount of unity, harmony and chemistry complimented by a great basketball philosophy will win the championship. Who will survive? We still don’t know. What we do know is the similarities between the two biggest egos in pop culture today. A sir King James and one Kanye Omari West. Don’t let their arrogance get in the way of their greatness. If you already respect the greatness, keep doing so. If you can’t stand them, well, keep on hating, because honestly, they could care less. They adopt this hatred with open arms, and the more you hate the better. Keep on hating, and they’ll keep doing their thing. Greatness personified: Lebron James and Kanye West.

POSTED BY: J-RAM