The Return

"Good luck couldn't be bought see...plenty of fights had to be fought..."

Big Boi - Return of the "G"

Friday night was a homecoming for a few people in New York City, including me...

Return of the Boom Bap

As you can see from the photo above I was just a face in a crowd, however there is more than meets the eye. Allow me to break it down...

Last February, Kobe scored a Madison Square Garden individual record 61-points...therefore there was a buzz in the crisp cold Gotham city air...it was labeled as must see TV. I always cover the Lakers whenever they play in my neck of the woods, so I headed north to my other hometown.

Bryant has a few nagging injuries, most importantly a broken index finger on his dominant hand, so I had a hunch that he wouldn't out do his performance from a season ago...nevertheless I hadn't seen him since the Finals in June so I was made the trek up I-95.

I interned with the New York Knickerbockers once upon a time, and if being in NYC isn't enough to bring back childhood memories, then my arrival at the World's Most Famous Arena surely reminded me that if you can make it there...you can make it anywhere.

I sat court side and talked about the last 10 years with Allan Houston, then I played catch up with a few people within the Knicks organization, and last but not least I entered the locker room, where I was greeted by Lamar Odom (Queens native)...after our brief moment, I glanced at the throng of reporters around Ron Artest also from Queens, and I thought a few things over. The first thing I did was think how small the visitor's locker room is at MSG...I like it, because its dripping with nostalgia. It's as Kobe once described..."this [MSG] is the last one...the one that holds all the memories..."

After figuring it would be best to catch the rest of the team on the court...I decided to join the other 2-dozen writers in the hallway to speak with Phil Jackson.

This was a welcome home trip for Jackson also, as he won 2 championships with the storied franchise. It was really good to hear the love he had for his old team and teammates. Phil has put his heart into the game, and for that he was been rewarded with 10 titles, and a wealth of stories the world over.

The game was competitive until the Lake Show decided to put it away with a scoring serge from Bryant in the 3rd quarter, as they cruised to a 115-105 victory. Kobe finished with 27-points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal.

What a difference a year makes...yet for everyone in purple and gold the only thing that mattered was the win.

Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Inspiration

"Before Steve Jobs, made the iPod..."

Jay-Z - The Prelude

Thursday I watched a movie entitled BIG with Tom Hanks...whereas he goes from being a child to age 30, and while he became successful at a toy company as a product line manager...all he wanted in the end was to be a kid again.

Innocence

The film made me think of my youth and how I really enjoyed competing and playing sports...now my main concerns are the responsibilities of life after college, and paying bills. When I write and travel to arenas for interviews, I find it as an opportunity to escape...sometimes losing myself in the game, and my work.

I got my start as a journalist with SLAM Magazine in '03, and my favorite subject has always been Kobe Bryant. Aside from the fact that he is the best in the league...what I admire most about him is his drive, determination, and the fact that I know him and his family from our days growing up in Philadelphia. It's not everyday that you meet someone that grows up to become and accomplish what he has done in the wide world of sports.

Last season I covered the 61-point game in the Garden, and the NBA Finals, so this year I'm looking forward to even more memories and inspiration.

KING

Family

2003 to infinity

Nike MVP VI

"KG of the game, LeBron James...you boys must don't know my name..."

Slim Thug - I Ain't Heard of That

Tonight LeBron R. James was awarded the league MVP, affectionately known as the Maurice Podoloff trophy...in front of his family, friends, and a capacity Cleveland crowd.

By Any Means Necessary

I first met the boy who would be King in December of 2002, and within that timeframe he has grown both on and off the court. What amazes me most is his persona, life away from basketball, and business acumen. LeBron is very intelligent in who he is, and what his brand means, so he is very calculated in what he does and says...like Kobe, and Jordan before him...he is ready to lead the association into the next decade of basketball greatness.

I interviewed him several times this season, and all I can say is that it has been a nice trip...from the infamous "crab dribble" game in DC, to the near triple-double in Madison Square Garden...James never ceases to entertain.

Below is the score on a conversation we held recently, which will give you a glimpse into how the MVP thinks:

Talk about the ’03 Draft Class: “Oh we’re known. That’s something that we talk about all the time. That’s something me, D Wade, Melo, Chris Bosh, I mean all of us, Kirk Hinrich, the list goes on…Mo Williams, Sasha [Pavlovic], the class of ’03 is really big in this league, and still getting better. It’s something that we really take pride in, having our draft class…we try to hold ourselves up to the draft class that Z [Ilgauskas] was in with AI, and Ray [Allen] and all those guys, you know Steph [Marbury], and all those guys which was arguably one of the best drafts too, so we try to hold our standards to those guys.”

What has this season been like, as a team? “I know our potential…I can see our potential getting better everyday…things we do on and off the court, it reminds me of the days when I was back in high school. Every time we went out on the court…we knew we were going to win. It was never a doubt. We’ve had guys nicked up, and out for long periods of time, I’m not talking about 1-week or 2-games…we’ve had key guys that have been out 4-6 weeks, you know 2-3 months and guys have been able to step in, and still have been able to hold serve, so this could probably be the hungriest I’ve been because I can see the potential of our team.”

What drives you? “I think what drives me is wanting to be the best player every night I go on the basketball court, and for me to continue to get better as an individual. I think I have a long way…of course I haven’t hit the peak of my career yet but every night I go out I want to be the best player on the court, so that’s the kind of drive.”

Talk about your friendship with Kobe and Dwyane Wade: “I think it’s great, I think it’s great…I think it’s great for the league that arguably the three best players in the league, are in an MVP race, and it hasn’t been like this in a long time. I mean, take nothing away from Steve Nash…great player, but when he was winning, Kobe, and myself, and D Wade were still the best players in the league, you know so…you have three guys that everyone says are the best players in the league…are in the MVP race…I think it’s great man. It’s tribute to the summer that we had…we all made each other work hard everyday. The games came easy to us but the things that we’ve been able to do with our teams are great, we love it, we take the challenge every night.”

Photos: Associated Press and Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Legacy

Past, Present, and the Future

"Destiny lays in my hands..."

Notorious B.I.G. - Victory

In the picture above you can see me whispering something to Kobe as he was preparing to leave, after an appearance at a Nike event in lower Manhattan. Two weeks prior to that encounter...Bryant had scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, making him second only to Wilt Chamberlain for most points scored in an NBA game. 

Candid Camera

I had something to tell KB24, and my friend and fraternity brother Stanley Lumax took a picture. I wanted to connect the Philadelphia dots with Kobe on his historic feat...as history repeated itself on February 2, 2009. 

I was in New York City to cover the Knicks vs. Lakers game, and Stanley was going to attend and take pictures, but at the last minute I couldn't get him a photo credential, so I was flying solo as usual. Bryant scored 61 points...good enough for the top spot in Madison Square Garden, surpassing both Michael Jordan and Bernard King...this time however instead of having a photo to remember the magic moment, I found a video on YouTube that summed it up a little better.

Last week in searching for footage of Spike Lee's upcoming documentary Kobe Doin' Work, I found the clip above that shows in its entirety, the press conference after the 61 point performance...and while I don't boast...I was happy to see and hear myself...as I understand that it's not only the athletes that have a legacy in their respective sports. As a journalist, I too will have something that speaks for me upon my retirement.

Best Show on Earth

"You see black fall back son..."

Black Thought - Thought @ Work

On Monday, February 2, 2009 I attended the first game in the NBA's Dream Week at Madison Square Garden, as the Knicks played host to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Scenario

I always try to cover the Lakers whenever they play on the east coast, so when they flew to NYC last month, I figured it would be just another win for the Lake Show, but what I didn't bank on was the historic show from Kobe Bryant.

Earlier in the day I went to practice, and I began filming as the players were shooting around...after catching up with Kobe, I figured that I would tape a behind the scenes segment for my web TV show, GAME TIME. 

In the end, Bryant set a Garden all-time scoring record with 61 points. In a word, it was amazing, and for the next 48-hours Kobe was King, that is until LeBron James came close to challenging the new record with a near triple-double, headlined by 52 points.

It's a long season, and anything can happen between now and June, but for one night, I was the happiest journalist in New York, because not only did I watch a great performance...I participated in it, making it as memorable for me, as I'm sure it was for Kobe.

evolution

Poise

Maturity

“Caught a glimpse of myself in the Barney’s shop window…kinda see my father’s features creepin’ in a little…”

Nas – War

There is a debate within the NBA and various media outlets that asks the question of who is the better, or best NBA player, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James. Most recently with Bryant netting 61 points, and 3 assists last Monday in Madison Square Garden, and James following that up with 52 points, and a near triple-double in the same building…the discussion has escalated to a fever pitch. Last week LeBron was on the cover of GQ, and Sports Illustrated, and Gentlemen’s Quarterly outright claimed King James as the best while SI alluded to the fact that both he and Kobe are the best.

Boys II Men

The Eastern and Western NBA Conference players of January are KB and the King, as they have helped their respective teams to the best records in the league, as the questions of supremacy linger on. Nevertheless, I believe that there is no argument, because LeBron James, is essentially a younger Kobe Bryant, in terms of basketball…they are one in the same.

By 1998, Bryant had come into his own, no longer the rookie, as he was ready to carve out his niche and take what he felt was rightfully his. The only person in his way was Michael Jordan, so the talks of Kobe being the next Jordan, or better than MJ started, when Bryant was merely part of the youth movement, just as Michael was in 1984.

As Michael Jordan grew in statue and name…becoming Air Jordan, the “so-called” experts figured that he was the next Julius Erving, however all the great players evolved from the players before them. The good Dr. played a similar game to the high flying and scoring Elgin Baylor, so you see the torch is passed down from generation to generation. The mainstream media will mislead you to believe that some athletes are “better” than or possess more basketball prowess than the “other”, when in reality they are very similar, bringing their own idiosyncrasies and desire to their team, and ultimately their game.

A few years ago LeBron was at that same crossroads as Bryant before him, being compared instead of people appreciating him for being his own man. Do Kobe and LeBron want to be the best and win championships…yes…do they want to be compared to one another, Michael Jordan, or Magic Johnson, in the process…no. They are competitive so when James played in New York 2-days after Kobe, you need to understand that winning the game, and setting the new Madison Square Garden scoring record was a high priority. I knew that from the confident look on Jay-Z’s face, when I he gave me dap leaving the game on Monday, and that my friends is the beauty of basketball.

I do not believe in words like Jordanesque, therefore I choose not to use it in my lexicon. I don’t feel that there is one player better than all the others that have played the game, rather each era has it’s dominant player or players, and while LeBron James is the future of the League, the heir to the throne…the chosen one, we must remember that Kobe Bryant was also chosen, and until he retires, the great debate will unfortunately continue.

Photo: LeBron James - Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Bryant on Broadway

61

Will power

"Trust me on this one, I'll detach you..."

Jay-Z - Takeover

New York, NY - February 2, 2009 - Black History Month continues here on GAME TIME, as Kobe Bryant took the liberty of making his-story on the biggest stage in basketball.

Second to none

I haven't been in New York since the summer, so when an opportunity arose to travel to Gotham City to cover the Knicks versus the Lakers...I didn't hesitate. My career in pro basketball started in Madison Square Garden, with the New York Knicks, and Liberty. I did my internship with those teams, the summer before my senior year at Temple University. There is a saying that has something to the effect of "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere...", and the city that never sleeps is tough, but I was able to learn, and grow, as well as make a name for myself there. With that experience, I've been able to build on that success to have a solid career in journalism.

I made sure to arrive early so I could catch Bryant during the afternoon shoot around. I noticed that he and assistant coach Brian Shaw were on one end of the court while some of the other guys on the team were shooting around and joking on the other side. Kobe was in one of his more focused moods, but after he was finished he walked over and addressed me and then the media. Once he was done with the media availability I walked with him down the hallway to the elevator...I told him that I'd heard from his sister on facebook, and I asked him what he was doing with his shoes after the game?

What would happen a few hours later, would be a lasting memory that I am sure my children will hear about one day. My friend and coworker Audie, mentioned a few times throughout the day that Bryant would have a BIG game against his hometown Knicks. Side note about the Knickerbockers, I am really impressed with Danilo Gallinari, he is a decent player that will only get better. It was interesting to see him and Kobe speak with one another during the game, in Italian no less. Trust me on this on Gallinari is legit.

Before the game began, people from the Garden not only remembered me, but they also showed a genuine love and respect for me. That made me feel really good, as I know that I did my best during the time I worked there. Once the game started, I saw the stars were in attendance, as Mariano Rivera, Jay-Z, Spike Lee, Whoopi Goldberg, America Ferrera, and John McEnroe, watched KB go on such an offensive tear that I figured this would become one of his many 40-point games. What I didn't figure, was that it would be the most historic night offensively in the current Madison Square Garden, which was built in 1968. 

He scored 61 points, as he made a perfect 20-20 from the free-throw line. It was the 4th best offensive outing for his career, which was good enough for the best since Bernard King scored 60 points on December 25, 1984. 

With 18 points in the 1st quarter and 34 by halftime, the Garden was electric as I would have to agree that it is the most hollowed place by far to play a basketball game in. Bryant had 12 points in the 3rd quarter, and evened everything out with 15 in the 4th. It was truly an amazing game, and afterward I had an opportunity to interview Kobe...however I forgot to ask him if his shoes had anything to do with it, as he was wearing his new Nike Zoom Kobe IV.

Kobe after throwing his very own "Garden" party, answered questions (click on the link to see Kobe, and listen for my questions at the end) for several minutes, and as he made his exit...he and I walked and talked about his team, and Black History Month.

He is the final score on our conversation:

Talk about this team and how things are a year later, after making the NBA Finals:

"Better prepared..better prepared, you know a lot of guys, it was their first time, you know Pau [Gasol] it was his first time out of the first round, and he goes all the way to the Finals...so a lot of things were new, so I think having a year of experience, and also...you know, learning a lot from that series, 'cause we learned a lot, so now we take those lessons and apply them to this season."

What are your thoughts on Black History Month, because a lot of people don't mention sports in that?

"Sure, sure...well it's a celebration of all of it, it's a big time of the year for us, and Martin Luther King Day, and having [President Barack] Obama being inaugurated the day after that, and now we have Black History Month...it's great, it's a great year for us."

With all that you have done, and then scoring 61 points tonight in Madison Square Garden...you have made a mark within Black History Month:

"Man it feels incredible, it feels incredible, and we obviously have to take the responsibility as African-American athletes and we try to do our best to live up to that."

True Story

Fred, AG. and Paulie in NYC

"If we stay strong, we can get paper longer than Pippen's arms, plead the 5th when it comes to the fam...I'm like a dog, I never speak, but I understand..."

Jay-Z - Never Change

In these historic days after the landslide election of Barack Obama, it's important for me to document it in my own way. GAME TIME with AG. is a sports blog, however special times, call for special measures, so with that said I found it interesting how a few friends of mine got involved with the message of HOPE and Change. 

I attended Temple University, and one of the many things I did as an undergraduate was to join a fraternity. The organization that I belong to is Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, which is host to millions of members around the globe. Luckily for me, I have a group of brothers that are like family to me. 

Membership has its privileges, and during my internship with the New York Liberty, it came in handy for me and the team. 

8-years ago, two of my fraternity brothers Fred and Paul, appeared in the TRUE campaign for BUDWEISER, and on the heels of their success I invited them to join the NY Liberty fans to cheer the team on to victory during the WNBA Playoffs. It was such a great idea that they took my invitation further and created an original in game spot for  Madison Square Garden, making me look like a genius to my superiors. 

The Liberty won that game, and 8-years later some things have changed while others have not. I'm now a college graduate and professional journalist...the NY Liberty were back in the playoffs...Fred Thomas and Paul Williams are well, and back on the scene...this time using the TRUE advertisement to raise the awareness and importance of voting in this election. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same...except in the White House.

By Any Means Necessary...

Focus

Ryan Howard and AG. in DC

Power

Respect

"I done played the underdog my whole career, I've been a very good sport haven't I, this year..."

Kayne West - Barry Bonds

Basketball has done so much for my life. From my early days on the playgrounds to the first time I played on the hollowed floor of Madison Square Garden. Of course my playing days are over, and while I still compete, the games are just for fun, not meaningful wins or losses. Basketball is something that I have trouble putting into words. I love it, but to tell you what that means is tough. On days when things are out of order, I can always find an answer on the court. However there is another sport that I love…baseball. It’s just something about it. First team to record 27 outs wins, and while it may look easy, looks can be deceiving.

It’s not checkers, it’s chess.

A BASEBALL DIAMOND IS FOREVER

Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby have changed baseball forever, and throughout the years since then many stars have followed in their footsteps making history of their own…most recently the Philadelphia Phillies slugger, Ryan Howard. I recall hearing about him while he was a minor leaguer with the Reading Phillies in 2004. Within a year he was called up to the big leagues and by July he was playing as the everyday first baseman…by the way he won the NL Rookie of the Year award (2005).

Growing up I collected baseball cards, and that experience of buying packs and looking for some “good” cards is something that I cherish. In fact, I still purchase cards from time to time, looking for a special insert or All-Star player. But it wasn’t there that I fell in love with the national pastime that would happen many years later once I got to college.

I’m from Philadelphia, but it was the New York Yankees that opened my eyes to what baseball was all about. Without crossing the line of allegiance, I have two teams that I cheer for, my hometown National League, and that American League team in the Bronx. For the sake of this column, I’ll spare the details and stick to the script. I first met Ryan Howard 2-years ago. He had just won the NL MVP award and he immediately became the toast of the town.

Sunday, November 12, 2006, is the day I met Howard, as we were both in attendance for the Eagles vs. Redskins game. I had heard that he amongst some executives and without anything to lose, I located the suite, walked in, saw him speaking to a group of admirers,
and like the patient man that I am, I waited for an opportunity to introduce myself. Unbeknownst to me Ryan and I had more in common than we knew…upon figuring out
that we were both into sneakers, we exchanged information and the rest has played out into not only this story, but also a decent friendship.

This story was also built on another friendship…the one of the Philadelphia Phillies Media Relations Assistant Kevin Gregg and I. Naturally our jobs put us in contact with one another but his father, longtime NL Umpire Eric Gregg and my mother, went to West Philadelphia High School and graduated in the class of ’68 together. Pretty interesting huh? Nevertheless, I respect history and I respect sports, so to have the synergy that I did in preparing this column, made it one to remember.

Thursday, August 16, 2007 was the day, RFK Stadium – Washington DC was the place where I would attend my first baseball game as a member of the press. I arrived early and I ventured into the depths of the arena. Next thing I know, I’m in the visiting clubhouse. I enter, and there is Howard sitting on a couch, watching the St. Louis Cardinals game...so here I am feeling like I’m 10 years old on Christmas, and I have to pretend to be smooth like Paul Newman in the movie Cool Hand Luke.

I was so hype about baseball that we didn’t even talk about sneakers. Sorry about that, but I did ask him about everything else…here is the final score on our conversation…batter up!

So how did you begin playing baseball?
“Well it all started in front of the TV watching games, my pops told me that he used to watch me imitating the players. I had my little red plastic bat, and I just stood up there and started swinging like them. It was fun, and my mom always said that I would hit the ball higher and further than other kids my age, and my parents saw something there. I was just enjoying it, playing in the dirt…getting dirty.”

You have such a natural talent, can you talk about that?
“My parents brought us up to remember that no matter what you do, always do the best in what you do, if you are going to go for it, go all out. Actually baseball wasn’t my first love, it was basketball, but baseball worked out in how I was able to go to college. I was on a baseball scholarship and the rest is history.”

What in your opinion is the greatest record in baseball?
“When you think about it, you have to say the homerun, and then the [Joe] DiMaggio 56-game hitting streak.”

Talk about your SUBWAY commercial with Jared:
“It was cool, and it was different. It was a different element, Jared was real cool, and everyone on the set was cool, and I had a lot of fun. I would do it again, but I have a new respect for actors and actresses because I was there for 3 or 4 hours, for a 30-second commercial.”

Remember it’s all about respect, and you must give it to get it.

Peace to my family, Satchel Paige, “Cool Papa” Bell, Buck O’Neil, Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Bob Gibson, Ernie Banks, Lou Brock, Frank Robinson, Campy, Don Newcombe, Willie McCovey, Pops, Reg-gie Jackson, Willie Randolph, Joe Morgan, Tim Raines, Dave Winfield, Garry Maddox, Tony Gywnn, The Hawk, Barry Bonds, Big Hurt, Crime Dog, Kirby Puckett, Kenny Lofton, The Sheff, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins, Juan Pierre, Dontrelle Willis, Derek Lee, and Torii Hunter.