Old School

"Give him an old face..."

Jay-Z - Streets is Talking

By now most people have seen the new Pepsi Max campaign, starring current Rookie of the Year Kyrie Ivring. For those of you like my sister that live under a rock...allow me to tell you how entertaining it is. It is by far one of the best commercials that I've seen in quite sometime, and I used to work for an advertising agency...but you don't have to take my word for it.

Future Star

Irving has an intriguing story of family unity, success, and sadness. In him, the Cavaliers franchise will have something to celebrate, and soon. Cleveland selected Dion Waiters last week in the draft, and I have a feeling that Waiters and Irving will complement one another's game very well.

Until the season begins, it would be nice to see if Kyrie's Uncle Drew shows up at some playgrounds and courts around the country to get buckets!

Stay tuned sports fans.

Words and picture: @axgilbert

Hometown

"First they love you, then they hate you, then they love you again."


Jay-Z - Meet the Parents


There are certain teams in sports that no matter what they do, or where they play,  people will find ways to dislike them. For example, the New York Yankees, New England Patriots, Duke Blue Devils, and the Los Angeles Lakers.


History


The Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Lakers tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. There are many story lines in this match up, as both teams were seeking to add another victory, however the most compelling fact of the contest was that Kobe Bryant needed 24-points to eclipse former teammate Shaquille O'Neal and move into 5th-place on the NBA's career scoring list.


Much has been made about where Kobe was born or where he is from, and as trivial as that sounds, in Philadelphia it's been a hot topic of discussion throughout his career. What's interesting is that he has had a few meaningful games as a Laker in South Philly...from his clinching a second NBA title, to his first All-Star MVP...these are benchmarks that have helped to define him.


Bryant always seems as if he is on a mission, and tonight was no different as he finished the 1st quarter with 14-points, 2-rebounds, and a steal. With little over 5-minutes left in the second period, he made good on an attempt moving him into 5th place. He finished with 28-points, giving him 28, 601-points overall.


Kobe was candid after the game in saying, "it feels good, it's a tremendous honor...it's a lot of work that we put in to get to this point...I think when players retire, you start kinda thinking about your career and your accomplishments and things of that sort, but when you're going through it and you're playing during the season, all you're thinking about is winning the next game and trying to make some noise in June."


Just to prove a point, I asked him about playing in Philly and how special it has been in his career, to which he answered, "it becomes more significant the older I get in terms of coming back here playing...I don't have many more of these games left."


Bryant took his place in history tonight and the Sixers handled the rest winning 95-90 with a strong effort from Lou Williams down the stretch.


When it is all said and done Kobe is only concerned with championships, as his hunt for number 6 continues.


Words: @axgilbert


Photo: Noah Zuares/AcesHoops.com

Destiny

"Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past..."

Dave Bickler - Eye of the Tiger

Last year UNC won the national title and all was well and good again in college basketball...tonight their ACC rival captured the crown, and the mood around the nation is bittersweet.

Everybody Hates Duke

I'm not going to write a recap of the NCAA tournament, or the championship game for that matter, however I will say that this has been one of the best March Madness brackets in years...and while the Cinderella Butler University didn't win...it still had a storybook ending.

Two summers ago I ventured to LaSalle University to watch Michael Beasley workout prior to the 2008 NBA Draft. Beasley wasn't there when I arrived, however there were a few familiar faces including Hakim Warrick, Mardy Collins, Wayne Ellington, Gerald Henderson Jr., Kyle Lowry, and Nolan Smith. Anyone that knows me personally will laugh at what I'm about to tell you...after watching several pickup games and drills I walked over to Smith and introduced myself. He was very down to Earth, and after accepting some friendly advice on how he could improve his game...I kindly asked him why he was wearing Pro Model adidas?

He gave me a puzzled look, as to say what does that have to do with anything...and I informed young Nolan that he attends an Elite Nike Basketball school and that he should wear his Nike tennis shoes with pride.

It was a typical me moment, but what I didn't tell him was that as a child I cheered for his dad when he played for my hometown 76ers. Tonight I thought about Derek Smith, as his son won college basketball's ultimate crown. 30-years ago Derek won it all with Louisville, and enjoyed a solid career in the NBA...in August 1996 he died from a massive heart attack leaving his family and young son with a huge void.

Basketball is an interesting sport that mirrors life...I continue to use it to this day as a catharsis, and if anyone has found solace on the court...it is Nolan Smith.

Everyone loves to hate Duke, however if they understood some of the stories within the bigger picture...I would hope they would be more caring. Butler was the quintessential underdog, however unbeknownst to the rest of the world...Duke was too.

Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Southern Comfort

"One more time for y'all..."

Big Boi - Red Velvet

A month ago my friend Vince sent me a text that read: Duke is going to win it all. And while I didn't totally scoff at his message...I had a second thought or two on the matter.

Fantastic Four

Coach K always talks about how the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back...and if there is one thing you can say about the Blue Devils...you can express without hesitation that they play together as team. Their last two games are proof positive that they can play with the best of them, after defeating Purdue, and Baylor...no easy task by any means.

This has been one of the best NCAA tournaments in recent years. It was as unpredictable as it was entertaining, and now that West Virginia, Butler, Michigan State, and Duke have advanced...it seems that anything can happen...mainly because it already has.

Nonetheless the ride is far from over...and if the world had it's say, the Dookies would have lost in the first round. I don't understand why EVERYONE despises Duke...they get the Yankees, Cowboys, and Lakers treatment. That's what happens when you are a proven winner, however Michigan State is also an elite program, winning the national championship twice, along with numerous trips to the Final Four within the the past ten years...but they don't receive the distain that Duke does.

West Virginia is the only team I have left in my bracket after watching Kansas, Kentucky, and Villanova fall by the wayside. It's really good for college basketball to see these schools as the last ones standing. On one end there is the familiarity and experience with Tom Izzo leading the Spartans, and then Duke making the return trip after several years on the outside looking in. On the opposite side of that spectrum is Butler making their first ever trip to the Final Four, and West Virginia is back for the first time since Jerry West led them in 1959...his son Jonnie ironically is a guard on the current team.

The possibilities are endless, however I'm going to stick to my Big East pick West Virginia, and just pray that Duke doesn't make me look too bad this weekend.

Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Great Adventure

"Get the point...good...let's dance"

Janet Jackson - Interlude: Let's Dance

As a collegian one of the things I always looked forward to outside my broadcast television classes...was the NCAA tournament.

Madness

Temple University always had great basketball teams...in fact it was the leadership of Coach Chaney...and play of the Eddie Jones/Aaron McKie tandem that attracted me to enroll. Well...that is after my dream of attending UCLA didn't come to fruition, however that's another story...nevertheless I'm happy to say that things haven't changed much on North Broad Street, as the Owls have been ranked throughout the season, and well on their way back to the tournament.

My allegiance is to TU, and then everyone else...one of my favorites outside the alma mater is Villanova, and even though they have struggled recently, I know they will be just fine because the Big East is by far the best conference in the nation.

Everyone talks of the SEC with Kentucky, the Big 12 and Kansas, or the ACC with Duke...however the Big East has several schools that have superior teams with experience, and talent at numerous positions. With their victory over Georgetown, hopefully the world will understand how good West Virginia is, and the Pitt Panthers are another team that plays exceptionally well without the recognition.

I'm not going to make any predictions, however when you are filling out your brackets, remember the Temple Owls, and their neighbors in the Big East.

You can thank me later.

Photo: AXG

Reverse the Curse

Love/Hate

“The Blueprint 2 homie, follow the moves…you put on two tube socks you couldn’t walk in my shoes…”

Jay – Z – Diamond Is Forever

William Michael Krzyzewski took over a struggling Duke University Men’s Basketball program 29-years ago, and while he has had the success of 3 National Championships, and 10 Final Fours…there is a stigma that goes along with being a Duke Blue Devil.

True Blue

I’ve always been a fan of basketball, and teams that play the game the “right” way. In my youth I watch John Chaney, and Mark Macon of the Temple Owls play so well that they were ranked number 1 in the nation during the 1987-88 season. The other team that intrigued me was the Bruins of UCLA, as they had the prestige of the NCAA record books, and the allure of Southern California…so in 1992 when Christian Laettner hit the game winning shot off a Grant Hill pass in my hometown Philadelphia, something changed and I became a Duke fan.

There were two problems with my being a Blue Devil fan…first and foremost everyone where I lived was either a UNLV or Michigan supporter, or both…because in my community, it was easier to identify with Larry Johnson, and Chris Webber, than Brian and Grant Hill. The other obstacle is/was that no one from Duke ever did anything worth mentioning in the NBA…and this argument has been carried on in barbershops, on basketball courts, and living rooms across the country.

In my opinion the players from Duke should be discussed in categories, instead of labeling them all as a disappointment. The way I see things, they can be organized as follows: bust (Alaa Abdelnaby, Trajan Langdon, Shelden Williams), all-star (Grant Hill, Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer), solid (Johnny Dawkins, Christian Laettner, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Corey Maggette, JJ Redick, Dahntay Jones, Luol Deng) tragedy (Bobby Hurley, Jay Williams)

I have my stance, but I never played in the ACC, nor did I attend the university on tobacco road, so instead of going any further with my theory…I asked a few former Dukies why their program consists of equal parts hearsay, judgment, love and hate?

Elton Brand
Philadelphia 76ers

Can Duke players make it within the NBA game?
“In college you know we have so much of a team concept, and everything is really about the team. In the NBA its more about individuals…so when we play our defense, that’s team defense, when we play on offense you get an open shot, you set a pick, you’re focused on a team. When you get to the league, it’s more individual…can I iso this guy…and a lot of our players aren’t those players. It’s a system, and also you know besides North Carolina…it’s not a ton of players from Arizona, Kentucky, or from any other premier powerhouse every year that has ten players doing it, you know what I mean? You know with the high school exodus, guys were coming out of high school…so you know North Carolina with MJ, and those guys, Sam Perkins…getting to the championships all those years, other than that…there isn’t too many other powerhouse colligate programs that have ring after ring, and players. In the league it’s not like those players are translating into top-notch pros also. And you know UCONN…they have some players in the league too…”

What do you think about Gerald Henderson Jr.?
“I saw the Georgia Tech game. That was the game he played really well…he had like 25 points. He’s comfortable in the system, you know finding his way, and learning, and growing as a player. I think he’ll do well [in the league] too. You have Dahntay Jones out in Denver…he’s playing well, and I think he’ll be in the same type of mold or better, he has that same athleticism.”

Is it easy to pick on Duke because it’s an elite program?
“Oh yeah! Other schools have some of the same traits, same stories, but it’s easy to pick on Duke. For one a lot of people don’t like Duke, you know what I mean? Our mantra was hated by few, loved by many, but respected by all. That was our manta…let’s go get it! So Coach K will get the best out of his players in a team concept.”

What ever happened to William Avery?
“Was he cold or what? That was my roommate…that was my dog. You’re right…you got another one for your list.”

JJ Redick
Orlando Magic

What do you say to the fact that people believe Duke players never develop as great NBA players?
“I think the average fan doesn’t realize that 80% of the league, it’s all about being in the right situation. I think Elton [Brand] is exactly right…if you made the league then you panned out, you panned out as a basketball player. So the fact that we have whatever…13, 14, guys in the league is a testament not only to the talent level we’ve had, but the development program that Duke has had in place…I mean I don’t buy it. We’ve had too many good players, especially within the last 7 or 8 years, starting with Elton, that have been a major role…have had major roles on great teams…Grant Hill, Elton, Corey Maggette…there’s a long list of guys, and I don’t know what the numbers are, but I know as of last year I think our salaries…we’re all signed for whatever [laughs]…you know Boozer is an All-Star…Olympic guy, we’ve had a lot of guys that have had a lot of success in the league. I think in the 90’s there…unfortunate things happened with Bobby and his accident. You know people pick on Christian [Laettner]; he was so good in college, that unless he was the next Larry Bird…I mean people forget…Christian average double figures many years. He averaged 18 a game his rookie year, he was an All-Star in Atlanta, I mean the guy played for 13 or 14 years, I don’t buy any of that stuff, and I think Elton is right on…when you’ve had success, I don’t want to say people get sick of you, but you become a target of scrutiny, and I think that’s what happened with Duke a little bit.”

How is Coach K?
“I think Coach K gives us a lot of freedom. I know when I was there, I got to do what I wanted on the court in terms of playing offense…taking shots, I think the locker room atmosphere, how people talked to each other is definitely different from the NBA. I think that was probably the biggest adjustment, because…everything…Coach K is so hands on, whether if it’s meeting with a player an hour after practice, or have a 3-hour team meeting, I mean everything is just very detailed…you don’t have the time in the NBA to do that with 82 games, so I don’t think it’s because Duke plays as a team that guys get to the NBA and are like oh my gosh what do I do? It’s just a different system and it takes some adjusting to do.”

Why do you get so much of that Duke hate?
“I think that the only explanation is that I went to Duke. Maybe early on in my career…my freshman and sophomore year I acted like a bit of a jerk on the court…but let’s say I went to Texas or Florida, 2 elite programs, 2 great programs…their programs have had a lot of success within the last 10 years, I don’t think that I would be a name. So I think that it was a gift and curse, because I made a name for myself…I became a household name in college basketball, but also there was a lot of negative attention and scrutiny, so it went both ways.”

Dahntay Jones
Denver Nuggets

What are your thoughts on Duke players in the league?
“The focus is on us because we are so successful. Guys have had different stories, different routes, people have had career ending injuries, and sometimes it’s not the right situation, but we’ve had a lot of guys stick around and play key roles on teams. We have guys that have had success in this league…Elton, Corey Maggette, Mike Dunleavy plays well in Indiana, Christian had a cool career…he didn’t have a stellar career, but few people have a stellar career. Before Grant [Hill] got hurt he was having an awesome career. It’s just the right situation, at the right time.”

Brand Recognition

Cameron Crazies
Defense first

"You wanna dance? We got what you want...Jazzy Jeff, and Fresh Prince busing out with the brand new funk..."

Fresh Prince - Brand New Funk

I was formally introduced to Elton Brand this past summer...about an hour before I was to interview him for BET News. One of my best friends and fraternity brothers Stanley went to high school with Brand's wife...Stan also works as an ad executive for Converse. It's interesting how people and things from my past help me so much as I navigate through my immediate future.

Star Power

Now that the NBA season has begun I'm a lot busier than normal and because of that fact, I couldn't be happier. I love my job, as everyday presents something new. From the games and match-ups to the coaches, players, and owners. When I graduated from college I went to work for the NBA league office, in NYC...I quickly learned that the game I love is a business, nevertheless, over the years I've adapted to that and now I'm doing more in pro basketball, than I've ever dreamed.

Now that Brand is in Philadelphia, I interview him often, before and after games, at practice, and sometimes I call or text just to see how things are going for him and his family in this crazy city. For me, I don't write stories, I build friendships and relationships. It makes my life and job that much easier. In fact the first time I met him, he already knew who I was saying, "Hey Ant what's up, I've heard that you are the man to know in Philly...make sure you get my information before we leave." Upon hearing that I was both honored, and puzzled at how far I've been blessed to travel. He also said I can call him "Elt", to which I do from time to time. For the most part, it's funny because I hardly use anyone's name, unless it's to headline an email or text.

On Tuesday night I walked with Elt after the game to the family room...after the 76ers loss to the Utah Jazz. Below are his thoughts from the early moments of the season to his Converse signature sneakers:

Talk about leadership, and how you have defined your role as a veteran newcomer:

"I have no ego, it's all about team. There are some tough teams in the east, but I know we can play with all of them."

You played with Andre Miller before, what was that like?

"I played with Andre [Miller] when I played in my first NBA All-Star game. He was the one getting me all those easy shots, and playing with him now...it's more of the same."

You hosted the Converse Philly Open run last Saturday, what are your thoughts on the event?

"Well, where else can the kids come out, play basketball, get free sneakers, and a free lunch? I thought it was a huge success, as I'm all about helping others, and if I can do it through Converse, then it's good for everyone."

The team has struggled a little out of the box, is there any pressure on you?

"It's pressure, but it's fun, and it's exciting. I haven't had that type of feeling since my playoff run with the [Los Angeles] Clippers, and I'm looking forward to playing and getting back to the playoffs."

For more on Elton Brand watch the video below:

Photos: Manny Millan - Sports Illustrated

Getty Images