April 24, 2009
There’s no question that LeBron James has earned this year’s Most Valuable Player award, and should win it easily. But lost amidst the incredible statistical seasons put together by James, Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade has been the play – and more importantly the leadership – of Chauncey Billups for the Denver Nuggets.
The impact Billups had on his team wasn’t as dramatic as it was for the Celtics last year, when the combination of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett transformed Boston from one of the league’s worst teams into world champions. Instead, it was his calming presence and demeanor that helped hone and form this year’s Nuggets into a machine that has a chance to do some real damage in the rugged Western Conference. Read the rest of this entry »
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NBA | Tagged: Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, George Karl, Joe Dumars, Kenyon Martin, LeBron James, Marcus Camby | 
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Posted by tbontemps1
April 17, 2009
Ever since Paul Pierce and LeBron James ended their epic duel in Game Seven of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals in Boston, which the Celtics escaped from with a victory en route to winning the NBA title, I have been looking forward to seeing the two teams square off again in this year’s playoffs. But with today’s news that Kevin Garnett is likely to miss the playoffs with his mysterious knee ailment, all that has been proven is that the Lakers and Cavaliers are all-but guaranteed to square off in the NBA Finals this June. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | NBA | Tagged: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jameer Nelson, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Playoffs, Orlando Magic, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen | Permalink
Posted by tbontemps1
April 13, 2009
Does anyone remember that the Bulls lost the game Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the Celtics in the 1986 NBA Playoffs? Or that Duke lost the game in 1995 when Jeff Capel hit the half court shot at the buzzer to send it to overtime?
Of course not. People remember the dramatic moments that happen in sports, whether they lead to victory or defeat. Despite the fact that his team lost the game, that game in the ’86 Playoffs was the beginning of the Jordan Legend. In the same vein, Capel’s shot is still remembered fondly in Duke lore despite the fact that it simply delayed the inevitable against the Blue Devils’ arch-rivals. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Golf | Tagged: Angel Cabrera, Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods | Permalink
Posted by tbontemps1
April 10, 2009
When Roy Williams left Kansas to return to his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels in the spring of 2003, it would have been laughable to put him in the same conversation as coaches like Adolph Rupp, Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski. Instead, Williams was considered one of the more overrated coaches in college history – a man who never was able to win the big one, and who had squandered talented team after talented team.
Now, just a few years later, the conversation isn’t about whether he belongs with those coaches; instead, it is whether or not he will surpass them on the list of all-time greats in the coming years. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | College Basketball | Tagged: Adolph Rupp, Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Duke, Indiana, John Wooden, Kansas, Kentucky, Mike Kryzewski, North Carolina, Roy Williams, UCLA | Permalink
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