Lord of the Ring

"I spit a story backwards...it starts at the ending..."

Nas - Rewind

I covered the NBA Finals this year, and with it being my first time and all, I not only interviewed the players from both teams, but I also filmed a lot of behind the scenes footage. I think the video turned out pretty well, and I'm already looking forward to the upcoming season. I'm thinking about flying out to LA for the ring ceremony in October...stay tuned.

The Super Friends

Strength

Will

Style

"I had to lose myself, so I can love you better..."

Lauryn Hill - Lose Myself

I'm in Florida for the NBA Finals, and while it looks a little like Southern California...things are somewhat different, yet the same.

Superman

The Amway Arena is a welcome change of venue for the Orlando Magic as they...like the Poison Clan have won at home, while losing on the road. These are my first of any NBA championship series so I too had to shake off the pregame jitters. It was quite surprising as I've been writing for a few years, but once I was able to soak everything in, the game began and Kobe Bryant put on a 1st quarter show.

Blue Magic had an excellent game from start to finish aside from their inability to stop turning the ball over, however they were able to play a great swarming defense to cause a few key turnovers, including one on Bryant in the waning seconds. In the end they outlasted the Lake Show 108-104. 

LA leads 2 game to 1...

My keys to the Magic's Game 3 win are as follows:

• Orlando playing at home (They are a great team overall, but nothing beats playing at home)
• Play and composure of Skip to my Lou...says Alston, "The league is a make-and-miss league - first two games I'm missing...I look horrible. Tonight I'm making, I look good. That's what this league is about. It's a make-and-miss league."
• Magic offense highlighted by 4 players in double figures, none with less than 18 points
• Total team defense, described by Kobe as "They threw the whole kitchen sink, and they did a great job staying on my body. They brought help from the weak side, simple as that."

Today at the media availability after the Lakers practice/Magic shoot around, I was able to catch up with Bryant, and Odom, as well Jameer Nelson, and Courtney Lee. I noticed that the teams were extremely loose and comfortable, and have forgotten about the previous 3 games, as they focus on tomorrow and Game 4.

I spoke to everyone in the designated media areas, except for Kobe who I saw along with legendary trainer Tim Grover in the hallway adjacent to the court. The first thing he said was that he saw me last night, but he didn't have an opportunity to say hello. Coincidentally, as I typed that sentence above Dwight Howard walked past the media work room, and politely said hello and waved.

I'm really loving it here...

Antidote

Champion

Unity

Beast of the East

"For me giving up is way harder than trying..."

Kanye West - Champion

The best two teams in the association will vie for league supremacy once the NBA Finals begin on Thursday. 

Blue Magic

I was watching Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals last week with my friend Madeleine, and I expressed to her that the it didn't matter who won the contest because either team would have to play against the Lakers and their ultimate weapon Kobe Bryant.

She's not too high on Kobe, and I tried to explain that anytime your nickname is the Black Mamba, which interestingly enough is Africa's most dangerous and feared snake...then opposing teams had better pack a lunch, because its going to be a long day.

I often refer to her as a "tough crowd", because she doesn't go for the popular vote or opinion...and she calmly turned to me and said that Dwight Howard is the antidote to the Mamba's poison. 

Touche'...point well taken.

If Orlando is in fact a remedy to what the Lake Show can do, then it would rely on the factors below:

• Dwight Howard is the most dominant center in the NBA. With a name like Superman...he can do it all. In this era of power forwards that moonlight at the center position, Howard is young, nonetheless proven as he anchored the Magic to the championship round. He had 40 points, and 14 rebounds in the deciding game against the Cavaliers.
• Rashard Lewis has played well this season as an All-Star, and he has continued to raise the level of his game throughout the playoffs. His height allows him play various positions on the court, making him difficult to defend.
• Hedo Turkoglu proves to be just as difficult to guard as he uses his size, ball handling skills, and sharp shooting to carry his team in victory.
• Standout Rookie Courtney Lee has been playing like a savvy veteran, on both ends of the floor, with hustle, offense, and defense.
• Jameer Nelson was an All-Star this year as the Magic had three players for the Eastern squad, however he did not play in the mid season classic because of a shoulder injury, which has also hindered him from playing for the entire second half of the year. He has proven to give the Los Angeles Laker serious trouble with averages over 20 points per game, and if he can contribute on a high level then his "X" factor could pay great dividends for Orlando.

Photos: Nathaniel S. Butler, Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

Acknowledgement

Intensity

Strength

"Got a hunger for this game..."

Jay-Z - Honey

I didn't go too far from home when I decided to attend college, as I merely was a public transportation ride away from Temple University. As a post graduate I've lived in numerous places, including New York City, and Beaverton, Oregon...I've been homesick as an adult, but never as a student, since I was educated so close to home.

Honor

If you have been watching the NBA this season a few things will stand out, such as the MVP season that LeBron James had, and the way Dwyane Wade led the Miami Heat to the playoffs with a young team, however Courtney Lee, the rookie guard for the Orlando Magic is having the time of his life.

Lee had a standout career at Western Kentucky University, and as a homesick freshman he was befriended and guided by teammate Danny Rumph, which he credits for helping to shape him into the person he is today.

Rumph collapsed and died in 2005 at a playground in his hometown Philadelphia. He used to wear the number 11 for WKU, and now Courtney Lee remembers him twofold by wearing Rumph's number for the Magic, and through a tattoo on his right arm of an angel winged-basketball player, wearing a no. 11 Western Kentucky jersey with a Philadelphia Phillies cap.

The Philadelphia 76ers have drawn the Magic in the 1st round of the playoffs, and as the series shifted to Pennsylvania, these games serve as a homecoming for Courtney Lee. I had an opportunity to interview him before Game 3. Here is the score on our conversation:

GAME TIME: You have a big role with the Magic, can you talk about that?

Lee: "Like you said, I'm playing, and staying ready and prepared to knock down open shots and taking what the defense is giving me...and they're giving me a lot of open good looks, so I'm ready to step in and knock them down. Fortunately my teammates have been able to get me the ball in that position. It's been a long season...I've been working hard from day 1...I was able to break [into] the starting line-up, after the first 30 games.

GAME TIME: What's it like coming from a small school?

Lee: "Coming from a small school Western Kentucky...we really wasn't on the map that much, but we did our best."

GAME TIME: Talk about conditioning...have you hit the rookie wall?

Lee: "Conditioning wise, I'm in the best shape of my life. 82-games, practice...there's no time to get out of shape. My legs are fine...I really didn't hit the rookie wall. I mean there were a couple of times when we would get in late, and I'd wake up the next day and I'm tired...but not really to the point when I needed a break. This is basketball, and I love to do it!"

GAME TIME: What are you feeling now that you are in the NBA Playoffs?

Lee: "This is the biggest stage I've ever played on in my life...I'm definitely having fun out there, and coach does a good job of preparing us in practice and walk through, so we know what we're going to face. It's all about execution, and we're out there playing for each other."

GAME TIME: You had a big offensive night in Game 2, can you talk about playing defense?

Lee: "I've been getting switched from 1, to 3, and I'm just trying to stay in front of my man as much as possible, and make them take difficult shots all night."

GAME TIME: Talk about shooting the big shots:

Lee: "That's what you have to play for, you have to be ready to knock down big time shots. On this team we have other guys that probably get the play called for them, so anytime it comes to me, I have to be ready. I thrive off that."

GAME TIME: Coming from a small school, you are carrying a lot of people on your shoulders:

Lee: "Yeah...after Game 2...I had like 50-60 text [messages] from people just telling me that they're proud of me, and that definitely means a lot. I come from a city where they are basketball crazy, and then as I kept going to the next level, they have followed me and supported me, and it means a lot!"

GAME TIME: Can you talk about your jersey, and the number 11?

Lee: "In college, my teammate which is from the Philadelphia area, passed away after my freshman year, and I wanted to pay a tribute to him at the highest level, so I have a tattoo of him, and I switched my number to his number.