What can you say?

For those that didn't get a chance to see Thursday nights Dallas/Oklahoma City game, don't worry - you'll get a chance to see it on ESPN Classic real soon. You will have heard about it by now, so I'm not spoiling anything by telling you the Thunder won a thriller at the buzzer 104-102. This was a hard fought game that was more like the Western Conference Finals series of last year than the 4th game of the season for both of these teams. And all I can say is "damn."

Could this be one of those turning points, those defining moments for a team in a season? I could see it easily being a game where folks look back and say "yeah, this was the game when OKC came together and took it to the next level." And the flip side could easily be true as well...this could be the point when Dallas really has the wheels come off their season. Only time will tell if one or both of these futures will come to pass after this game.

This game was an instant classic, and really demonstrates the growth and maturation of an OKC squad that even last year would have found a way to lose this game. And they damn near did. Ibaka makes a great rebound in traffic, only to miss 2 huge free throws that would have all but iced the game. And then a breakdown in defense by KD allows Vince Carter to shoot a wide open 3 pointer. But all is forgiven when KD takes and makes the game winner. Out of all the superlatives you could heap on this young man, the best of them all is "hard working." He played a lot of hoop in the off season and lock out training and preparing himself for this moment. And its terrific (not just as an OKC fan but a fan of hoops in general) to see all that hard work pay off for not only a great basketball player, but by all accounts a great person as well.

Back on the grind

So as a follow up to my last posting, the Thunder went into the T'Wolves place and got the W in a close game, 104-100. As you'd probably expect, KD took care of business and dropped 33 on the Timberwolves, with Russ Westbrook piling on another 28 and Harden chipping in with 16 from off the bench. For the T'Wolves, Kevin Love picked up where he left off as an All Star last season, throwing up a double double of 22 & 12. Also of note in this game was the debut of rookie Spanish PG sensation Ricky Rubio, who (in 26 minutes) had a decent line of 6 points, 5 boards, and 6 assists. As Ricky got busy on the court showing off his passing skills, he managed to impress even LeBron James who tweeted "Rubio can really pass the rock!" - no small praise from a cat who has been known to pass the rock himself from time to time. Fellow rookie Derrick Williams also showcased he belongs in the L by putting up 13 points in 24 minutes. As an Arizona attendee, I'm sure Harden (who went to Arizona State) had some choice words for the rookie during their time on the court together.

Next up for the Thunder - a rematch from the second round of the playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz will get a chance to see how they might have fared against the Thunder last year had they had returning star Rudy Gay in the lineup, as Gay is back for the shortened 2011-2012 campaign. This game is being shown on NBA TV, so you can be sure I'm going to be glued to the flat screen at 5:00pm PT/8:00pm ET. I'll dig deep to give you the real scoop on what went down. Maybe even Tweet live during the game, so be sure to follow @dubbsaq on Twitter if you want the 4-1-1.

In other solid NBA action tonight, there's Clippers/Spurs hotness going on on Fox Sports SW (or NBA League Pass, which is free for a week) at 5:30pm PT and then the late game on NBA TV is the Knicks at the Warriors at 7:30pm PT/10:30pm ET. The Dubs are taking on a pretty nice Knicks squad who got a big night from Melo in their first game of the season, as he dropped 37 on the Celtics. Should be a great night of NBA action. Hell, who am I kidding? EVERY night there is hoops on, its a great night of NBA action.

Make sure you visit The Corner Three often to stay in touch with what's going on in the world of hoops, and while you're at it, tell a friend. Comments are welcome too, if you got the love of the hardwood like I do. Stay tuned for more news and views on the NBA!

1 down, 65 to go...

Christmas Day has come and gone, and with it came also the start of the NBA season. 5 games on the NBA plate and they didn't disappoint. Miami absolutely thrashed Dallas in a Finals rematch, and the Lake Show had their hopes for a win busted by the reigning league MVP in Derrick Rose as the Bulls beat LA by 1. But the real action of the night was in the Oklahoma City/Orlando game. What? Ya'll thought I was gonna sleep on that OKC game? Hell no!

Last years scoring champ showed up again last night, putting 30 on the Magic. Westbrook and James Harden both played well, with both guys shot being a little off but found other ways to contribute. Kendrick Perkins looked lean and quick, and was very mobile on D against Dwight Howard. Serge Ibaka chipped in with a couple key blocks, and OKC's bench really played well. The offensive staple was transition buckets, but the Thunder also played well in the half court and the defense was absolutely great. Orlando was held to just 37% from the field, and just under 29% from the 3 point line (a key feature of Orlando's offense).

The final was OKC 97, Orlando 89 - but it really wasn't that close. This one was mostly a blowout from start to finish. Orlando goes back home to host Houston, and OKC travels to Minnesota to take on a new look Timberwolves team. I hope you all are as excited as I am to see some NBA action on Christmas Day, and the rest of the season to come.

One other item of note: if you get a chance, check out NBA TVs production of a show called "Open Court." Its Ernie Johnson hosting a panel of former NBA stars including Reggie Miller, Shaq, Chris Webber, and Charles Barkley. Its an open and honest look by the players at several topics, including embarrassing moments and players who they felt were their nemeses. The panelists are funny, cover a wide range of NBA experience, and the whole thing is smartly and smoothly facilitated by Ernie Johnson (of TNT fame). If you have the time, I highly recommend checking it out. You won't regret it.

Now that the NBA is back, stay tuned to the Corner Three for news and my take on events during the whole season.

What the heck just happened?

When did everything in the NBA get so complicated? The wild and wacky free agency period we all knew was about to go down just got a lot wilder and a lot wackier. The Chris Paul trade to LA rumors ignited a frenzy in the league over the last few days…and just as quickly things went and took a very bizarre turn when the trade was blocked by the NBA itself (who is also the owner of the Hornets franchise). The reason given was vague at best and rumors of the small market owners complaining to David Stern to block the trade “or else” abound. A lot has been made recently in the media about the collective bargaining agreement and “competitive balance” between the smaller NBA markets and the larger ones. Forgive me as I begin what will only be seen as a rant for the next bit but I have to get this off my chest.

To start, let’s be real about things - small markets are always going to be at a disadvantage to big markets in the NBA - period. There is only one thing that that can negate the extra money, glamour, fame, and amenities that big markets can offer NBA free agents, and that’s winning. Winning cures all ills. Especially in the NBA. And it’s a proven fact that small market teams CAN and WILL keep their superstar players if those players feel like they are having a measure of success. Case in point - San Antonio and the Spurs. More on this later.

A lot goes into being an NBA owner, but the bulk of the job is this: you gotta be smart. To succeed in any business you have to have savvy and a shrewd sense of talent for your field. Professional sports is a guessing game with talent more than most, but there are ways to hedge your bets and take strategic risks on certain types of players. But if you build a culture that puts team first, keep an eye out for the right type of players, get a coach who knows how to win, and get a little lucky, you will be just as successful as the team that throws a ton of cash at every free agent name in the market. Yes, I said you have to get a little lucky, but luck is largely a by product of doing everything you can to put yourself in a position to be successful. Not everyone is going to get a Tim Duncan or Kevin Durant in the lottery, but those teams that did were in small markets and were ready and willing to build around what they knew were “can’t miss” prospects. Both San Antonio and more recently Oklahoma City have taken the small market model and made it wildly successful. How they did it was through hard work and prudent planning. Evaluating and scouting talent correctly. Bringing in guys with character and strong work ethics. Paying contracts to the right players for the right amount of money. Never overspending or taking on too much payroll for the wrong reasons. Not making a big splashy signing just for the sake of making a big splashy signing. Hiring the right coaches, assistant coaches, scouts, and executives. Take care of your veterans and get rookies that know how to play the “right way.” Take chances with some measure of solid information to back why you did it. And THEN and ONLY THEN when you get lucky enough to sign or draft the right guy, you are ready to do the one thing that will keep that player there for the long haul - and that’s win ballgames.

Small market owners complain they don’t get a big enough share of basketball income, and yet they overpay millions to players who under perform or under achieve. They hire “big names” with no track records of success, or worse, have track records of spectacular failure. They make emotional decisions about players and their money and then compound it by making cost cutting business decisions on players they should be trying to keep. Towns like Cleveland and Minnesota are never going to have the sunny beaches and nice weather and lavish lifestyles that places like LA and Miami do - so you have to realize this and fight with the only weapon you have at your disposal that will cut through all of that to the core of most NBA players REALLY want: to win. To be around a culture of winning. And to be a part of the best of a league that boasts some of the greatest athletes on the planet. When you build and keep a culture of winning, no one is really going to care how many nightclubs you have or how many bars you sport or what the weather is like. If you build winning, they will come.

LeBron didn’t leave Cleveland because he didn’t like the weather in Ohio, or because Cleveland didn’t have enough bars or nightclubs, and anyone who thinks otherwise (I’m talking to you little Danny Gilbert) is fooling themselves. LeBron grew up in Akron; he knows what the weather is like. And he wasn’t even old enough to drink legally when he was drafted - so I’m pretty sure the nightclub scene wasn’t on his radar. LeBron left Cleveland because in successive years the Cavs went to the Eastern Conference Finals (lost), the semi-finals (lost), and the first round of the playoffs (lost). LeBron left because in all his years with the Cavs, the best player they brought in to help him as a free agent was Antawn Jamison. LeBron left Cleveland because the ownership, executives, and coaching staff were not committed to building a winning franchise, even though they claimed they were. And that’s it. There’s a reason Tim Duncan never left the Spurs and Kevin Durant signed a recent extension to stay with the Thunder, and you can damn sure bet it didn’t have anything to do with the Riverwalk or Oklahoma City’s nightlife.

And this brings us full circle to the recent unpleasantness that is the current NBA free agency period. For David Stern to block the trade of a player like Chris Paul to a team like the Lakers is nothing short of sheer lunacy. And for the reason behind it to be nothing more than petty vindictiveness on the part of small market NBA owners is even more lunacy; that is to say, these owners and the commish that represents them are lunatics, i.e. crazy. And the only reason given is that its “what’s in the best interests of the Hornets team” and “basketball reasons.” Really? That’s all the media and the rest of the fans get, in a day and age where we have access to the internet, players direct Twitter & Facebook feeds, and an enormous wealth of information in general? Did Stern really think the story about him caving in to petty owners demands and the letter from little Danny Gilbert himself wasn’t going to find its way into the public’s hands? The league offices must really think the public is gullible, stupid, or both.

Here’s my open letter of comment to all the parties involved with blocking the Chris Paul trade debacle: smarten up. Instead of blaming your woes on outside influences, try taking a look in the mirror instead. If you’d paid the right guys the right amount of money, and put smart people in charge of your franchise instead of people with no clue on how to run an NBA business, maybe you wouldn’t be complaining so much. Maybe you wouldn’t be complaining so much because instead of what you have, you’d have a franchise that was actually winning. And when you’re winning, you bring in fans. And fans buy stuff, like t-shirts, players jerseys, and food and beer at your venues. And when you have fans buying merchandise, you can bet your bippy they are also watching your team on TV when they can’t come to the stadium. And when they are watching TV and buying merchandise, you get television and merchandise revenue streams that make you even richer than you already are, and it DOES affect your “basketball related income.” And one other thing happens when you win - you have good, great, star, and superstar players that want to come to your town, and more importantly, they want to stay in your town. Like Duncan did in San Antonio, and Durant did in Oklahoma City. And when your stars stay in your town, they bring their friends with them. And when your stars stay and they bring their friends with them, you tend to win even more. And winning brings in the fans who buy stuff…well, you get the idea. Hey, it looks like I just figured out the business of the NBA, and I’m not one of the dozens of overpaid executives sitting in front offices all across the U.S. I guess at the end of the day, the question is this - if a nobody blogger fan like me can figure out this business, why can’t they?

Guess who's back?

So by now you know…the NBA is back baby! Well, not exactly…the new CBA does have to be ratified by the NBAPA still, but this is pretty much a done deal. When the NBA is adding games to the Christmas Day schedule, you know that smell in the air is optimism. In addition to Celtics/Knicks, Heat/Mavs, and Bulls/Lakers, we also now get Magic/Thunder (booyah baby!) and Warriors/Clippers. So what comes next? I’m glad you asked…because I’m here to help you out with that.

So first things first…a few items of note on the new CBA and the lockout’s ending. We are little past of the point of winners & losers in this whole deal - but for the sake of argument, let’s recap what has come before. Here are a few important links to help you get caught up on what the CBA means to the owners and the players.

Grantland Winners & Losers article

TrueHoop Winners & Losers article

New CBA Details article

Now that you’ve gotten caught up on the past (lockout news) and the present (new CBA details) what’s left…the future of course! Let’s spend a few minutes talking about the upcoming free agency period and current trade rumors. The links below will get you a list of free agents (both restricted and unrestricted) and keep in mind that there are still some cats who are locked into deals in China who WON’T be coming back until March 2012.

ESPN.com Free Agent Listing

Now, who are the big names on the market looking at trade rumors? The usual suspects of course…Chris Paul and Dwight Howard top this list. CP3 is looking for a deal to get him to the Knicks, even though his agent already acknowledges that CP3 knows that the Knickerbockers don’t have any trade assets to send back to Nawlins in trade for him. So why in the heck would NOLA do this deal? A more important question, heard recently on Dan LeBatard’s show “Highly Questionable” is this: how does the NBA, only recently removed from its lockout of the NBA players due to wha it referred to as “competitive balance issues” sanction a trade of a small market team’s best player to a HUGE market and still look itself in the mirror in the morning? Because, as we all remember, the NBA is the current owner of the Hornets after having taken the team into receivorship from the previous owner George Shinn. There is no way in the world the League can say it locked out the players over this very argument and then support the trade of CP3 ANYWHERE.

As for D12...looks like a lot of other team are going to be in the hunt for him. The Lakers and Nets are known to have assets that Orlando might actually want back for him in trade, but the real question is where does HE want to go. So far, he’s been mum on any requests for a trade, but you know dude is hurting. After getting punked by the Lakers in the Finals a few years ago and breaking up their team, the Magic haven’t sniffed the Finals since. And you get the feeling that the team wants to say they are competitive but how much have they really done to make the Magic a player in the East? And how many of the champs have come from the East in the last decade? 2? And both of them were 1 and done. Not repeating like the Lake Show has or doing they dynasty impression like the Spurs did. The East the Leastern Conference and everyone knows this. I smell a “Decision-like” dilemma coming for that team in Orlando. Which is terrible because I wouldn’t wish that LeBron thing to happen to anyone else ever again. The reality is more like something approaching what went down in Denver last year with Carmelo Anthony, with Dwight silently standing on the sidelines while his agent does all the “Dwight wants to be a Laker” talking. And the Magic brass doing their best Vin Diesel impressions working “fast and furious” to find a deal that makes sense, keeps them competitive, maybe (just maybe) sheds a few dollars, and gets slightly more than 50 cents on the dollar back for them in trade.

There’s going to be lots of NBA news to come…December 9th is a our next magic date…with the new CBA signed and locked in, the lockout ends (officially). Free agency begins, training camps open, and the craziness of the summer of the NBA gets compressed into a few short weeks. If you’re a fan of hoops (and if you’re reading this blog, you’d better be) this is going to be a very exciting and interesting couple of weeks.

Episode IV - A New Hope

So, since the so called "nuclear winter" of our NBA discontent began, there has been a new wrinkle...both sides got back together again to see if they can resolve this dispute before the court system takes ahold and won't let it go. Optimism certainly, but cautious optimism at best. Keep in mind both sides have met multiple times before now and were reportedly "close to getting a deal done" only to end in what can only be called a spectacular failure. But since I comment on all things NBA, here it is. In case you don't follow my Twitter feed (@dubbsaq), I've posted the link to the article from ESPN.com below.

New NBA Lockout talks begin again

In other news, as most of you know, I'm a huge KD fan. Well, huge probably isn't the right word but you get the idea. I've been commenting on his webisode series from time to time that is called "The 35th Hour" and you can catch all 4 of the currently out episodes on YouTube.com. But did you know that LeBron also appears to have a web series (called Striving for Greatness)? Nikebasketball.com has posted on their Facebook page a video of LeBron and KD working out together in Ohio while the lockout continues. Some great footage there, especially of the gym workouts where you can see LeBron working on his perimeter game (which, while edited mind you, looks pretty darn good) and KD doing the same. And you can also get an up close and personal look at KD's new ink, if you into repping Maryland on your back as well. The link for that is below as well.

Striving for Greatness Video

That's all I got for now. Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. With any luck and a lot of hard work, we'll have our NBA back as the first present under our collective Christmas tree.

The End is Near (actually, its a long way away)

Well, there you have it folks...we have reached the end of the negotiations between the NBA and the players. With the players rejection of the latest contract offer from the NBA, and the subsequent legal action filed today, 11-15-11, we are pretty much looking at the end of the 2011-2012 NBA season. Games through December 15th have already been cancelled, leading to a loss of about a quarter of the season. I'm really beyond words at this point, and I don't have much good news to share. With the intent to file for decertification of the NBA players union, we have a clear direction - its going to be up to the courts and the legal process to determine if we ever see professional basketball again.

Start with this ESPN.com report on today's news:

Most recent ESPN.com updates

And then check out the 2 part podcast with Bill Simmons, Marc Stein, and Ric Bucher from ESPN:

NBA Lockout Podcast - Nuclear Winter

The decertification process dissolves the union, to allow individual players to in essence, represent themselves, and thus file class action lawsuits against the NBA for unfair labor practices. This is something that goes on a lot in the real world, by employees in companies all across the US every day. But now, its going to go on by our favorite NBA players in a much more public way. Either way, this process is going to drag out for a long, long time. Ask yourself how many lawsuits you know of have been resolved in a quick and tidy fashion. Yeah, I didn't think so.

Since we all need a bit of a bright spot after this craptacular news, check out the latest version of KD's web series "The 35th Hour - Horns Up" in the link below.

Episode 4 of the 35th Hour

And also the Mars Reel's Highlights of KD's play in the Drew and Goodman League games...he IS the NBA Lockout MVP:

KD Highlight Factory Video

As much as it might pain me, I'll keep you all up to date on the latest NBA Lockout news as much as I can. But steel yourself...it ain't gonna be pretty folks.

Peace.

A wild Wednesday coming up folks

So here we go...the lastest news from this weekends talks between the NBA owners and the players & players union have led us to this - David Stern gave the owners latest offer to the players & union and said basically "its good until Wednesday, November 9th. After that, the offer gets worse." Word is that Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher have already told the league that they not only wouldn't accept this offer from the owners, but that they wouldn't even put it to a vote of the players that make up the union. Wow. The details range on the offer from what Stern said (a flex band which is a range of BRI split from 49-51% depending on how much BRI is generated during the season) to what the union lawyers said (basically a refutation of Stern's description, saying it realistically wouldn't be more than 50.2% under best case scenarios) but one thing is for sure: the offer on BRI isn't about to go up from the NBA owners side.

Add into the mix this one nugget of interesting news...the rumor is that none other than Michael Jordan himself has been one of the most vocal hardline owners in the room. As a player, he was interested in generating revenue for the players...and now has completely changed his position as the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His stance now seems to be that he needs to get paid, and that the players should be happy to accept a 47-53% split in favor of the owners. Funny, but perhaps not surprising. As Jordan is legendary for this competitive nature, its small wonder that he wants to "win" these negotiations - and as a small market owner, he has perhaps even more of a vested interest in ensuring that his team has a chance to compete for a championship without the deep pockets of teams like New York, LA, Miami, or Chicago. And if you throw into the mix that he also had to pay his ex-wife approximately $168 million in divorce settlement money; perhaps Jordan is looking to get his divorce financed by the NBA players? Jordan's divorce was finalized a few years ago, but much like the games lost in the month of November, that is money that's gone and won't ever come back again.

Here is the link to the most recent update from the Worldwide Leader

ESPN NBA Article

Coming up next - Decertification: What it is, what it means, and how its the NBA players weapon of last resort.

Stay tuned.

A little hope is now just - little hope

As of 10-28-11, the NBA has announced that they will be cancelling all NBA games through November 30th, effectively ending any hope of a full 82 game season being played this year. This is expected to lead to a loss of approximately $400 million in salaries. Money that will never, ever come back. And even worse, at present there are no more talks planned by the league between the owners and the players union. After a week where the news was mostly positive, and most of the reports were giving signals that progress was being made towards resolving most of the outstanding issues of a new CBA - we still have nothing. And by all accounts the sticking point behind the falling apart is still yet the division of the BRI, or basketball related income. The owners group wants a 50/50 split, and the players union isn't going to budge below a 52/48 split. And while its estimated that 1% of the BRI is worth about $280 million, it really seems like there is more to this issue than meets the eye.

For why else would the players union risk $400 million in salaries for $280 million of BRI? Has this become something of a pissing contest between David Stern and Billy Hunter? Or something else entirely? Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports has written a recent article intimating that Derek Fisher is in league with Stern and that there was a handshake agreement between Fisher and Stern to deliver the new agreement to the owners at a 50/50 BRI split. This would be an unbelievable betrayal of the players union if true. And could be exactly the kind of thing that would lead to Billy Hunter rejecting an agreement the owners would bring to the table and just walk out away from the negotiating table. And would be exactly the kind of backup plan that Stern would have wanted before these negotiations began - holding the power of a continued paycheck AND an ace in the hole in Fisher’s complicity in his plans? A brilliant move on Stern’s part if true. You gotta admire the guys moxie, if nothing else.

But where has all of this gotten everyone? No basketball means that everyone loses. Kevin Durant has been playing flag football for crying out loud! This guy could very well be the MVP of the league this season and he’s been reduced to shredding the local comp at black top parks all across the US and putting up (admittedly very interesting) YouTube videos to pass the time. This is a clear sign that this lockout has gone on far too long. And KD is not the only example of NBA stars for all intents and purposes sitting at home doing nothing but waiting for the phone to ring. While the Twitter campaign by the same name wasn’t a spectacular success, I think it really is time to “Let Them Play.” Past time, actually.

Basketball isn't stopping

So for those that have been living under a rock for the last little bit, there was some damn good basketball going down on Sunday, October 23rd. KD hosted a charity game to benefit the Single Parent Support Network in Oklahoma City, and the stars showed out for real. KD was joined on the White Team by the likes of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. The Blue Team featured heads including Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and James Harden. Aside from the $100,000 donation check that was presented to the Network at halftime, the 12,874 fans who were in attendance got to see a heck of a ballgame. Even though Blake Griffin wasn’t able to show up (as he had an injury to his foot) there were loads of other cats who did work that night. KD of course had to put on a show, and the triple double next to his name in the box score is a testament to his hard work. 42, 26, and 11? Yeah…KD was in the house! And even though Harden was on the Blue Team, playing against KD and Russell Westbrook and the home White Team, it was all love in the Cox Convention Center. CP3 threw Harden a terrific one handed high skip pass that resulted in one of the more spectacular plays of the night, an alley-oop dunk proving once again that the league should “fear the beard.” But truly, everyone there had a bunch of highlights…but don’t take my word for it, check out the video link that shows some of the crazy plays of the night. Ballislife Top 10 Highlights

After the game, KD and Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) were talking on Twitter about perhaps a game in Seattle going down as well. It would be good to see men’s pro hoops again in the Emerald City. There was also the official unveiling of the new KD4 joints in the limited “Nerf” edition. And no matter how ugly some of you might think they be, we all love KD so go out and support him by buying those shoes.

Throw in the fact that now even Allen Iverson is looking to set up a 2 day basketball tournament in Las Vegas in November and this international tour of superstars that’s going to start in Puerto Rico soon (although minus a few of the key names like LBJ, Melo, and Chris Paul) and maybe, just maybe…basketball doesn’t stop. Once more, the stars of the NBA are going to be taking their talents on the road to show the world what it's missing during this lockout. Nothing like having the best basketball athletes on the planet roaming the free countries of Europe dunking, making no-look passes, and in general putting on a show like the Harlem Globetrotters of old to make us wish this damn lockout would hurry up and be over.

No news is...no news.

So here we are more than 100 days since the NBA lockout began...and really, we aren't any closer to hearing that this issue has been solved than we were at the beginning, are we? The NBAPA and the NBA league offices have negotiated, postured, made announcements in the media, and really not much has changed. Depending on who you believe (the players or the owners) some concessions have been made (by both sides) but its always the OTHER side that isn't negotiating in good faith, won't back down from their hardline position, or won't budge on the one thing that the OTHER side must have in order to move forward. Strange isn't it? And now we've got a federal mediator involved in this process...we'll see how that turns out. Several sports pundits have pointed out that if the NFL had cancelled games...pretty much the entire United States would have burned to the ground. But the longer this lockout goes, more and more casual NBA fans will view it as a petty squabble between millionaires and billionaires and just give up and walk away. The hardcore NBA fans (like you and me) will still love the sport and follow it to the death of us...but the NBA isn't really just for the hardcore. It makes the bulk of its money off of the casual fans who go to games, buy merch, and spend cash on Season Ticket. Once those fans walk away...there won't be any recovery. Or if there is, its gonna be a long, long time. Yes, as much as we don't want to admit it, there is a scenario where the NBA folds up shop and goes away. Ask the owners of teams in the CBA if you think it can't happen. And every day that passes...we lose a little more hope.

Reach an agreement fellas. There's lots of money to go around. Divvy it up right, and let's get this thing going again. Before its too late for the folks who make the NBA what it is...the fans. In the meantime, for those of you who are feeling it, check out episode 3 of Kevin Durant's "The 35th Hour" web series. Some runs in Venice, CA and a commercial that KD is pretty "fly" in. Peep it, and give me your thoughts on the lockout or KD when you get a chance. Holla!

Episode 3, the 35th Hour

True hoop fans like...TrueHoop

One other source for hoop related info (like you don't read it already! - but in case you actually don't) is sponsored by ESPN...put together by Henry Abbott, its called TrueHoop. It's a series of blogs from fans all over - the TrueHoop network carries as many opinions as there are teams. Be sure to check it out. You can also follow @Truehoop on Twitter if you into that kinda thing...but if you are doing that, you best be following yours truly too! (@dubbsaq - I always keep it on the really real)

TrueHoop Blog

What time is it? Why, the 35th hour of course!

So, as ya'll know, I'm an OKC Thunder fan, and a fan of Kevin Durant as well. Since there's not much going on in the Association, I though you hoop heads might want to catch a peak at what KD been up to in the off season...aside from tearing up the Rucker and Drew League. KD is putting in work as an actor, and giving us fans a sneak peak behind the scenes of what the real world of the NBA playa is all about. KD's new project is called "The 35th Hour" and I'm blessing you with the links below for the first two episodes.

Check them out and watch them thru to the end...there's a lot of cool stuff you normally wouldn't get a chance to see. Like I say...if you got the love, you know what I'm talking about.

Episode 1 of the 35th Hour

Episode 2 of the 35th Hour

Peep them, and hit me back with what you think. For fans of LeBron, Melo, CP3, and Austin Daye (yeah, I said it) there's a little sumthin sumthin in there for ya too.

Peace.

Who does the NBA lockout hurt the most?

Quick thoughts from reading a lot of noise on the lockout negotiations recently....what teams are going to hurt the most from the lockout being in effect this season? Is it the younger squads like OKC, Memphis, and Miami, who miss training camps and time to gel together? Is it older teams like LA, Boston, and Dallas who squander another year of what is likely to be a short and fast closing window on taking home a championship? Is it small market teams who need the publicity of an NBA season to help generate revenue to help keep their team where it is (and not get relocated potentially?) Or is it big market teams who need the merchandise sales and TV deals to help offset the huge contracts they are paying to their players once the season actually begins?

I'm going to ponder this, and give you all my thoughts real soon. In the meantime...if you have feedback, sound off with your comments below!

Remember the Fallen

As we have reached the 10 year anniversary of September 11th, I wanted to share a few of my feelings about this day. Since its my blog, I get to do that - if you don't like it, you don't have to read. So here goes:

This event marks the greatest tragedy of our generation. Seeing the footage and watching the video makes me angry. It makes me angry that some guy somewhere decided to end the lives of a whole bunch of innocent people because he had a grudge against the policies of our government. Look, I don't agree with all of the policies of our government either, but this nonsense is like me killing a guys kids because I don't like what their father did. Its absurd, and just flat out wrong.

Every man and woman serviceperson who is fighting in wars abroad volunteered to do so - they willingly became of part of this conflict. The folks who died in the World Trade Center towers (both those in the towers and those first responders on the ground), the Pentagon, and out in a field in Pennsylvania (United 93's passengers) did NOT. You may not personally agree with the politics of the war, but by God, if you want to call yourself an American, you better support and honor the sacrifices of the people who died that day, and every day since fighting for what America stands for.

Never forgotten. Always grateful. Remember 9/11.

Basketball Never Stops?

So by now, every hoops fan has been wasting away waiting for the lockout to be ended. But in the meantime, there has been some other events going down in the world of non-NBA basketball. So there's the Eurobasket (of course) if you are into that sort of thing. Which, be honest, most of you are not. But there has also been a run of runs going down in places like LA, Baltimore, and New York. You've probably heard names like the Drew League, Goodman League, and the Rucker being tossed about by people who wouldn't (under normal circumstance) have even known their Drew League from Nancy Drew. So what does this all mean really? It means we're bored without the NBA for one thing. But it also means that we get to see things we wouldn't normally get to see. Things like Kevin Durant going up the NYC way and putting 60+ on dudes at the Rucker. Things like Kobe Bryant going one on one against James Harden in a Drew League game in LA. Things like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James playing on the same team at a game in B'More.

These are all things that don't happen if we have an NBA season, because guys are usually getting ready for training camps or worrying about getting injured at a pickup game and then having their careers and livelihood threatened. But with the lockout in effect, and the threat of a cancelled season looming, heads are considering playing ball in China and Spain if their normal gigs in the L aren't going down. And even though there are guys wearing t-shirts that say "Basketball Never Stops" its pretty obvious to anyone with a brain that basketball HAS stopped. And that means we are in uncharted waters when it comes to players doing things they haven't ever done before and considering things they would never consider before. In a way, its exciting. I mean, how many times will we truly be able to see guys like Bron, Melo, and CP3 playing on the same squad, especially in what amounts to a glorified pickup game? Or see KD go on award tour night after night after night putting on an absolute clinic on how to score at will in cities around the country?

But while these things are new and somewhat of a novelty, it does make you wonder how long events like this can go on. And if the season really is cancelled, will there really be an export of NBA talent to overseas European and Asian leagues? Most of these big name ballers have "out clauses" in their contracts to enable them to return to the League once the lockout is lifted but in the meantime...what? We tune in at 2:15am to watch Deron Williams play in the Turkish League? Or have our DVRs record games in China and Spain that we can't watch live because we are busy at work? How long does the average NBA fan (or even the more hardcore ones) continue to follow their favorite players when the teams they play for don't exist for all intents and purposes? The superstars may be okay...but the majority of the League is made up of non-superstars who need paychecks to survive. Like Cypress Hill once said "Yeah, its a fun job, but its still a job." When the bulk of the league lives paycheck to paycheck, maybe there are some guys who can't get an out from their new Euroclub and can't come back in time for whatever we will get to have left of this NBA season.

Can you envision a scenario where lots of guys in the NBA aren't able to come back this year even if the lockout ends because they needed to get paid and can't take a chance to live on their endorsement money because they don't have any? I can...and the NBAPA is arguing on behalf of these guys right now. But what happens if the players they are looking out for need to look out for themselves and that means they are locked into 1 year deals with clubs that are happy to rent them for the press they will get for as long as they are there? If the lock out continues...the lock in may begin. And then we'll see if basketball truly ever stops...because we may have a bunch of squads who are without key players for quite some time. And the course of the NBA landscape may be changed significantly.

Memories...

So, as promised...I am going to do my best to make waves with this here NBA blog. But since I have little to write on these days, I thought I would crank up the way back machine and throw down a few of my fondest memories. For those of you who have played a team sport, you know there is nothing like the camaraderie you get when you fight, sweat, and (sometimes) bleed with your team. For good or bad, right or wrong, win or lose, you are with them and they are with you and that's what its all about. My rec league team (Gridlock/Freeballers) were a heck of a group of guys and we did battle on the hardwood together, and I wanted to recognize them for some of the best times I've ever had.

Friends become family real quick when you go through some crazy days or nights like we did, and I'm proud to say some of them are still close today. Emotions get hot, and while we didn't always play our best ball, we did always put forth effort for each other. And I'd step onto the hardwood again anytime, with any of them. Like they say in "Blackhawk Down" - sometimes its just about the man standing next to you. And that's it. If you get it, I don't have to say no more. If you don't get it...well you never will and there's no point in me trying to explain it any further.

Long live Gridlock and the Freeballers!

Coming soon...

What's up everyone? Just a quick hit...the Corner Three is going to be back real soon, and better than ever - more hoops, more of the time. Sorry for the long hiatus, but even with the lockout, there's lots to talk about. So we gonna be talking.

Look for more to come in the next few weeks! Thanks for sticking around.

-Shawn