STAY HOME | Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

"Black is back, all in, we're gonna win..." - @MrChuckD

Everyone has a story, and professional athletes have narratives that some people know better than their own family history. Nonetheless, the only constant in this world is change, and while that might seem far-fetched, the reality is, change is as necessary as it is evident.

The end of the way things used to be

Earl "The Pearl" Monroe is one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, and he, like a lot of players from his era, attended HBCU's prior to establishing themselves in the league. Monroe (Winston-Salem State University) was one of three players, along with Willis Reed (Grambling State University), and Dick Barnett (Tennessee State University), on the '73 championship team that had starred on teams at black universities.

Two decades later New York was back in the Finals and there were two members on the Knicks, whose background was rooted in an HBCU. Charles Oakley (Virginia Union University), and Anthony Mason (Tennessee State University) were key pieces to that '94 Eastern Conference championship team.

Currently only Robert Covington (Tennessee State University), and Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State University) share the distinction of HBCU graduate turned NBA player. The legacy does not have to stop there. If a highly touted player takes their talent to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the paradigm will shift, potentially opening the door for others to follow suit. 

The argument has been that the HBCU's do not have the facilities, TV exposure, or funding, to attract the caliber of players who attend the bigger programs. However, if the students from the Jordan Brand Classic declared for Maryland Eastern Shore, there would be an influx of money, and the networks would out bid each other for the broadcast rights.

Kevin Durant, stayed home, and his year at Howard University was one to remember:

• Naismith College Player of the Year
• MEAC Player of the Year
• First Team All-MEAC
• 2007 USA Today Sports national player of the year
• HBCU Athlete of the Year
• 32 points per game, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, & 3 blocks
• 34-3 for the best record in school history
• Final Four appearance (lost to #1 seed Hampton University)

Stay home.

Shake up the world.

Words: @axgilbert

Photo: @8eyemedia

Humility

"My city on the map, there is no other option like a slow quarterback..."


Wale - Work


The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the best teams in the league...and they get the job done night in and night out flying seemingly under the radar.


Go Mode


There is no time like the present for the Thunder. They are quite arguably one of the more entertaining clubs to watch, and their 30-8 record makes them statistically the 2nd best next to the Chicago Bulls. 
Last week during their stay in Philadelphia, I took time to get a better understanding of their humble superstar Kevin Durant.


First I spoke with Royal Ivey, and then KD:


AXG: You're wearing the Nike Zoom KD IV...you're with Nike now?


Ivey:  Yeah, KD got me a deal...and I wear his shoes.


AXG:  The Thunder losing last year to Dallas is in my opinion the best thing to happen to y'all.


Ivey:  You're right! We can't wait for the playoffs to start, we're so hungry right now!


AXG:  You mentioned how the lockout games helped you win the All Star MVP.


Durant:  It gave me confidence playing in those games. I was trying a lot of different stuff, and once you try stuff in a game setting, it's easier to try it in a real game, so moves I was trying then...became muscle memory in my mind with the moves I'm doing now. 


AXG:  Did you really take Mega Bus during the summer from NYC to DC?


Durant:  Yeah I did, and it was a long trip too!


AXG:  How is it that you can stay so humble?


Durant:  That's the type of person that I am. No matter what, whatever happens...I always gotta be humble, and know that at any point this can be taken away.


AXG:  You always have your mother and family around supporting you.


Durant:  Like I told you, when I was growing up, I didn't think none of this would happen. My goal was to make it to the NBA, and I had my sights set on making it to the NBA, and once I did I was like cool...whatever happens after this is a bonus. The stuff that's going on for me right now...I'm just so blessed to be in this position. First of all to have people believe in me, every single night, and to showcase my skills, and have teammates that believe in me, they trust in me. But to become an All Star, and to win an All Star MVP...that's just like on a whole other level for me man. It's a blessing, so having my mom there is like we're going through this together. It was just me, mother, my brother, and my dad living in an apartment, 2-bedroom apartment, and to go from that so quickly to this...I was 18 living in a 2-bedroom apartment, with my mom, my dad, and my brother, and months later I was in the NBA, and 5-years later I'm an All Star MVP so stuff is coming quickly, and I never expected it.


This is just the beginning for Oklahoma City, and their budding star Kevin Durant.


Words: @axgilbert


Picture: Anthony Gilbert/AXG

Home Sweet Home

"Now that I've got your undivided attention..."

Andre 3000 - Hollywood Divorce

The Oklahoma City Thunder have evened the series against the Lake Show at 2 games apiece. Everyone loves an underdog, however Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and company are far from overachievers.

Change

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, with intensity, suspense, and enough highlights to last a lifetime, however there is one team that everyone counted out before they started playing...the OKC Thunder. The main reasons why I believe they have been ignored is because of their small market and they don't have a lot of fanfare or recognition...the other thing that hindered the Thunder was that they are matched up against the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Last night from the start Oklahoma City took the Lakers out of their comfort zone. Defensively they have been able to disrupt shot selection around the basket with blocks are good rotation, and offensively they have attacked the Laker guards with a combination of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. Durant is a 7'0" guard causing match up problems across the board and Westbrook, and Harden have found their stride and jump shots.

The series is even and now returns to the city of angels, so the pressure is on both teams to show and prove. The home teams have won all the games, so the first visiting team to win on the road will naturally win and move on to the next round.

A lot has been made about the Lakers' so-called fall from grace, and the tremendous heart and effort of the upstart Thunder.

There is nothing I can write to determine the outcome, so stay tuned for Game 5...it's one game at a time.

Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

A-Team

"You ain't met no dudes spit it cold as me..."

Eight Ball - Stay Fly

Sunday was a great day for all things sports, however nothing shined brighter than three NBA superstars.

Three Times Dope

The Super Bowl is a week away, and the NFL prepared for the world's greatest sporting event by having the best of the best play yesterday in the Pro Bowl. The AFC defeated the NFC 41-34, but it was the heroics of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant that stole the show, as they played in their respective games, leading the Lakers, Cavs, and Thunder to victory with highlights and flair that only they could provide.

I'll keep this short and sweet. It is in my opinion that Bryant is the standard to which basketball players should be measured, followed by King James, and in a few more years the debate will evolve from Kobe and LeBron to LeBron and KD. If the powers that be used some forward thinking...the Kevin Durant MVP puppet commercial would debut during the upcoming All-Star Weekend.

Kobe sealed the Lake Show's win with seconds to go in the 4th quarter on a jump shot over Ray Allen. Meanwhile LeBron outscored the visiting Los Angeles Clippers in the first quarter, with his 23, and their collective 20-points. He had four three-pointers in that first stanza, which led to a 114-89 win. Last but most certainly not least the Thunder earned their 26th W, with Durant scoring at will, finishing the game with a season high 45-points against Golden State.

These are good times for the NBA...well for most teams...the Nets lost once again, this time to the visiting 76ers. Andre Iguodala paced Philadelphia with 14-points, 9 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals. The Nets record is now a lowly 4-42. As for the Sixers there is a lot of trade talk and rumors swirling around the team, and the latest involves Iguodala going to Cleveland to join the James Gang...

Stay tuned sports fans.

Photos: Kobe Bryant - Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE, Kevin Durant - Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE, LeBron James - David Liam Kyle/NBAE

The Future

Rising Star

"You don't see how wild the crowd is..."

Kanye West - Champion

I hadn't seen the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise in person, and since I'm probably the only one of my peers that hasn't...I took a trip to the nation's capital to see what all the fuss was about...

Top Billing

Traffic was a little hectic, or shall I say business as usual on 295 yesterday...so naturally, I arrived a little late to the game...nonetheless fashionable. I watched Jeff Green, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden during their college years, and the talent is there...however things have changed slightly for the better...even for the rookie Harden, as Kevin Durant has extended his calm and maturity to the team.

All of them are going to have nice careers, yet Durant is light years ahead of the league new comers...from his natural ability, height, quickness, poise, and star quality. His game is difficult to explain, and seeing is truly believing.

The argument for the current best is on going...all the while, Durant is on pace to be the best of his era, regardless of position, and or individual awards.

Photo: Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

By Any Means Necessary...

RG and AG courtside in Philly

Sports and sports culture are often a metaphor for our daily lives. You win some, you lose some…basketball, as the game pertains to me, and how I view things, are one in the same, as the game has provided joy, pain, wisdom, and life experiences far beyond my childhood dreams.

Along my journey, I have encountered my fair share of ups and downs, making decisions, right and wrong. The saying of, “you live and learn”, rings so true, and with new ventures on the horizon, I know that I have a lot more learning to do. Sometimes you figure things out later than you would like, nevertheless it is better to learn at any moment, than not at all. The point I would like to make revolves around something that is both black and proud.

“I’m dark like the side of the moon you don’t see…” – Mos Def, Astronomy (8th Light)

The Bold and the Beautiful

A few years ago, I received a gift that I didn’t quite comprehend and or appreciate. Right in front of me was something that I needed, and always longed for, however I believe that I didn’t understand what I had because it was given to me, and I didn’t work hard enough for it. Now that I have your attention I’m talking about my first pair of Nike ACG boots. A good friend had sent them in the mail at the beginning of the winter months, and instead of putting them on right out of the box, I waited until I was ready to wear a boot that Nike had made. Having grown up in Philadelphia, a Nike boot was one of the last things I was going to wear, let alone purchase.

One day on my way to work on a snowy, frigid day, I decided to adorn my feet with the boots I had cast aside like Robinson Crusoe. The first thing I noticed was how comfortable they felt, as if I was wearing a product from Nike Basketball. Once I stood up, I immediately noticed that I was taller, from there nothing was ever the same again, as I have met my match.

There is a region on the eastern seaboard, affectionately called the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) by those who live there, and if style and swagger is what you are looking for, then you will not have to go far around these parts, because the DMV is home to everything from GO-GO music (Chuck Brown, UCB, Wale) to some of the best athletes in the world. (Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Shawne Merriman)

A few miles north in between this area and my hometown of Philly rests Baltimore, home of Carmelo Anthony, Rudy Gay, and no doubt the Nike ACG Boot. I recently sat down with Rudy one day after a game to catch up on things.
Here is the score on our courtside conversation:

Can you shed some light on the Nike ACG Boots?
“Man I was in middle-school when I had my first pair of Nike boots! I wear them the same as I did then. Nike boots go with anything. I used to wear them to church, you can wear them to the club, wear them to school…and we wore uniforms. Nike boots can go with your uniform! I think that people are just learning about Nike boots outside of Maryland, but we never receive the credit. I remember the first time I wore them in college (UCONN) and everybody was asking me what are they? They look like space boots, and now everyone is trying to get a pair. I had the Goadome, and I just got another pair.”

How did you get into sneakers?
“Well I started late because growing up I always had the hand-me-downs, and stuff like that, and I think that is what gave me a love for sneakers. Growing up I had 2 pair of shoes…I had my play shoes, and my old good shoes. My play shoes were sometimes too small and everything, but that’s how it was. Having grown up that way, I appreciate things much more now.”

What is your favorite sneaker of all-time?
“Favorite shoe of all-time…I would say the Jordan XI, they’re crazy, white/black! Oh and how could I forget about the Nike Foamposite shoe, the Duncan’s, I would say those too.”

Talk about your relationship with Nike?
“My relationship is good. I went to their camp when I was younger. Actually they accepted me…I didn’t expect to be in any camps. I wasn’t on the radar at all. They gave me a chance and I took advantage of it, that’s how I see it. When no other camps were looking at me…I really thought I was going to a JUCO, (Junior College) but Nike gave me a chance and there were a lot of coaches out there watching and I made the best of it!”



I sometimes marvel at how things happen…one minute, I figured boots by Nike were irrelevant and now, they have been a staple in my wardrobe for quite a few years now. They are so good, that I’m crazy without them.

I’m so thankful for second chances…luckily for me, it was a matter of comfort, style, and height…and not anything more serious like lost relationships and love.

Peace.


AG.