The crazy thing about Steve Nash – who finished eighth in the NBA MVP voting this year – is that he was “overrated†for so long that at some point, he became definitively undervalued.
Basketball
Last name ever, first name greatest: UK ties paying off for LeBron
For a guy who never deigned to spend a day in college, LeBron James has become quite the big man on campus.
Look closer: SportsAngle checks out the scene at the NBA Store
After the Paulie Malignaggi-Amir Khan presser ended – more on that tomorrow – the weather in the City was too nice not to walk around a bit, so I stopped over at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue for a little while. I like to see what initiatives they’re pushing, to stay on the pulse of a sport I like, and also to check out some of the more ridiculous items.
Also, you never know who you’ll find there – I’ve run into Freddy Prinze sidekick Matthew Lillard and failed St. John’s coach Mike Jarvis, to name a couple. Here’s a pictorial look at what I found – or at least, what I found before employees came by and glared me out the door.
Note – If you want musical accompaniment to get the vibe of being at the store, hit play on that dreadful Kesha song after the jump. I think it’s appalling, but lamentably, that’s what was playing when I was there. Brush her teeth with a bottle of Jack, indeed.
Swamp thing: Nets’ departure from Meadowlands just what they need
Contrary to what you’ve heard – or even seen – New Jersey’s a pretty great state.
I’ve been accused of rampant hyperbole about my home state before – correctly – but hear me out. If you get far enough up Route 46, away from the sleazy Teterboro Airport motels and “spas,†you find the mountains. And if you get far enough down the Parkway, you find a beautiful shoreline – and not the sort inhabited by “The Situation.â€Â
My theory about why people get the idea that Jersey is horrible is that most people only see it when they pass through. If you land at Newark Airport and head up the Turnpike to NYC, you see a Godforsaken stretch of highway and smoke-belching factories. If that’s all you see, I can understand thinking it’s the worst area in America.
Which brings me to the Nets, who I went to see against the Orlando Magic last night. In my opinion, they can’t get out of the Meadowlands soon enough. I can’t blame the building entirely for their absurd 6-55 record, but it’s not the proper environment for a professional sports team.
Counterpoint: Rethinking New York’s impending Summer of LeBron
I had a summit at an East Village bar last night with two members of the SportsAngle brain trust – Frank Pepe of Trumbull Island and Mr. Han, the self-appointed U.S. ambassador to Iceland – and our conversation of course veered toward the Summer of LeBron.
Frozen moment: Knicks’ tenuous wait for LeBron has virtue in itself
About a decade ago, Jimmy Johnson said something I’ve always liked:
You can play it safe and be good, or you can take a chance and be great.
Unfortunately, the Dolphins’ then-coach said that to justify his pick of Daryl Gardener over some guy named Ray Lewis in the 1996 NFL Draft. But the words – if not the defensive tackle – stuck with me over the years.
I’ve come to believe that when a shot at greatness presents itself, which doesn’t happen all that often, you owe it to yourself to go for it. It’s clichéd, but it’s almost always 100% true: It’s better to regret something you did than something you didn’t do.
That’s why for the first time in a long time, I’m cautiously excited about the Knicks. Donnie Walsh is trying to shoot the moon, and I couldn’t be more in favor of it.
Humble in the Bronx: Grounded star Durant a resounding hit in NYC
As Kevin Durant sat on stage on Friday gazing out at a group of kids who very much looked up to him, literally and figuratively, he could relate to how they felt. After all, just a few years ago, the 21-year-old phenom was in their position.
“I’ve come a long way,†Durant said when asked how it felt to see a roomful of kids hanging on his every word. “I was in their shoes a couple of years back, wanting to see an NBA player. It just shows me that I want to set a good example and give back.â€Â
Rearview mirror: LeBron-mania reaches its zenith in Trenton
(Note: I originally wrote this during the fall in conjunction with the release of “More than a Game,†but while writing about the Primetime Shootout this weekend, I grew nostalgic for the greatest high school performance I had ever seen at the 2003 Shootout. I usually don’t re-up posts, but indulge me here. Stuff’s about to get crazy with LeBron as July 1, 2010 approaches, but I contend that this game in Trenton was a snapshot in time that will never be duplicated.)
There’s a movie that came out in theaters this weekend that I can’t wait to see. It has extra meaning to me and I find it particularly inspirational. I’d go as far as to go on record and say it’s the feel-good movie of the season.
Obviously, I’m talking about Zombieland, with the great Woody Harrelson.
Okay, I admit, I’m just kidding. Though I do plan to see Zombieland, I’m referring more to More than a Game, the documentary chronicling St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, the high school team that featured a young man named LeBron James. Considering my personal experience with that era of his life, the movie holds extra meaning to me.
As you may have noticed, this site has covered LeBron pretty closely – from his impending cataclysmic free agency, to his relationship with rappers, to his complete dominance of the media. Well, that’s not new. Long before SportsAngle’s hiatus, when LeBron was still technically in high school, we decided to follow him every step of the way.
ATL, stand up: Sojourn to the south reveals unique sports culture
Let it be known that I love it here in New Jersey. North Jersey to me is like Mississippi to Faulkner. It’s a part of the fabric of my life, woven into everything I do.
I’ll almost certainly never leave Bergen County, but if I did, the only other places I’ve considered living are Miami, Durham and Las Vegas, though in recent years I have cultivated a fascination with Los Angeles despite never having been there.
That said, after my second visit this weekend, I came away with real respect for the city of Atlanta. I’m not convinced it makes my short list, but much as I feel about all things Jersey, Atlanta has a manner and rich heritage all its own that give it a fascinating cultural identity, and a refreshing perspective and passion for sports.
Garden variety: Cheap-seats fans bide time as Knicks head for change
I checked out the Knicks for the first time this season at the Garden on Friday night, and of course I looked up in the second quarter and they were down 53-26 to the Raptors.
Despite that, they’re not exactly the same old Knicks anymore. There’s a newfound underlying feeling of hope about the team now. They’re no longer permanently buried in salary cap hell. They’re no longer under the iron fist of franchise murderer Isiah Thomas. This might all be different at this time next season.