Memories

"Ain't that like LeBron James..."

Kanye West - Gotta Have It

The NBA in my opinion has the best all-star game out of all the major sports...as much as I love baseball, the MLB is close second when it comes to overall presentation.

Nostalgia

As a child I can recall watching the all-star game for two very specific reasons: the first was because I was such a fan of the professional game, and I wanted nothing more than to cheer for the likes of Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, and Reggie Miller. The other point about the game was that Jordan would always wear his new sneakers, so I kept a keen watch on what he was wearing.

Every February Nike would release the new Jordan sneaker. Everyone around the globe anticipated what the new shoe would look like. Once the shoe made it's debut, you would wait an entire calendar year for the next one. Between the man who wore them, and the exclusivity of the footwear...the Jordan sneakers took on a life of their own. 

Fast forward to the present day, and it's safe to say that one man, and one shoe changed the industry, and sports culture forever.

Words: @axgilbert

Photo: AXG

The Villain

"You want me off the scene fast...but good things last..."

Nas - Hate Me Know

With a lithe build, and determination of 10 men...Reggie Miller gave me hope that I could one day grow to be just like him on the basketball court.

Heart

I was always the skinny kid on my team, and while that may not seem to matter...on top of that I had really BIG glasses to add fuel to the awkward fire. My mom didn't indulge in my heart's desire of Nike sneakers, and Ralph Lauren clothing...instead she made sure that my siblings and I had a good education, home cooked meals, a house to dwell in, and a bunch of other things 13-year old children take for granted.

There was one place where my clothes from the local thrift store and poor taste in footwear didn't matter, and that was on the playground where I learned the finer points of playing basketball. Once I became one of the better defensive players in my neighborhood...I took a cue from the very skinny, unorthodox guard of the Indiana Pacers, Reggie Miller, because it was in him that I found solace in being different. At the end of the day Miller, as quirky, and nerdy as he might have appeared...was an ambitious NBA All-Star that got respect, and if and when he did not get it...then the better he played, and the more he was feared.

I began to emulate Miller as best I could even growing my hair into a "pump" or "slope" just like him. I even understood why he loved playing on the road more than at home...because when my high school team was away from our friendly confines I used the crowd against themselves. I begged them to boo and jeer me, because it didn't take me long to make them regret that day. I wouldn't score many points, but it was when I scored...or stole that ball that made the difference. Oh yeah...I was a big trash talker...I would talk to the other team...opposing coaches...as well as the rabid fans...it made me work harder to silence them, and that was better than anyone cheering for me to succeed. My father was always very negative, so in a way...the harsh environment of road games enabled me to shine, just like my hero once upon a time.

Reggie Miller will forever be one of my all time favorite players, and every time I see him, I smile because he provided so much relief for me, all through the wondrous sport that he helped make so great.

Next week on Sunday, March 14, ESPN will continue their ESPN 30 for 30 movie series...and Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks is the one that I will watch with the fervor and joy of a scrawny,13-year old boy from the playground.

The OC - Original Celtic

Success

Class

Style

"I know it's late and I took all year, but you can stop complaining, 'cause I'm finally here..."

Kanye West - We Can Make It Better

I was born a Philadelphia 76ers fan, and throughout their history, they have had a few rivalries, but none of them rank higher than the Boston Celtics.

Dynasty

I was never supposed to like the Celtics, as they were once the most hated franchise in the NBA, because of their many championships, and hall of fame players...so as a child in the late 80's and early 90's I rooted for Dr. J, and Charles Barkley. However I did respect the C's because if not for anything else, they were winners, and in any game...that's all that matters.

Prior to June 2008, Boston's last successful title run was in 1986, and since then I've grown to cheer for both the Sixers and Lakers, as if that's possible, and a few players here and there. From Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, and Eddie Jones, to Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Stephon Marbury, I was a big fan of their game. Things change and while half of that list are no longer playing, the other 3 are members of the Boston Celtics.

So hopefully by now you can see the problem. I liked KG and Steph with the Timberwolves, and Ray Allen has been a favorite since the movie He Got Game, but as they continue their career in Beantown, I had to turn my back on them. It's not that I don't like them as people, I just don't like the Celtics. The only person I have respect for on that team is Paul Pierce. He was drafted by that squad, and it is his team. One of the things that bothers me about the C's and their "BIG 3" is when one of them talks about the fact that there are 3 future hall of fame players in the locker room, it bothers me.

Did I miss something? Or is the Hall a lock for all of them? I can see KG and I feel strongly about him making it, but hmmm...let's consider Pierce, and Allen...I'm just not sure they are going to get in.

Nevertheless, I still dislike the Celtics, and I see a new Eastern Conference rivalry on the horizon, as I am looking forward to watching them and the Cavilers in the playoffs. Tomorrow we will get a preview as LeBron and The OC (I made that nickname, so if you see it anywhere else, it started here), match up in a game that can decide first place in the east, come April.

The only thing I can comprehend about the C's is that they actively sought out players that could bring the Larry O'Brien trophy back to New England, and in that capacity, they are kind of like the New York Yankees, which isn't such a bad team to be compared to.

Photos: Boston Herald

Twenty-10

Sky high

"I'll throw it down your throat like Barkley..."

Chuck-D - Rebel Without a Pause

The NBA Sprite Rising Stars Dunk Contest hasn't been the same since the best of the best dunkers, don't participate anymore...and while Dwight Howard is very deserving to vie for the trophy, things would be a lot more interesting if Vince Carter came out of retirement to challenge him.

Change

I always believe in the adage that the more things change the more they stay the same. First things first, Allen Iverson finally cut his braids off, and he now has a regular low-styled haircut like the rest of us over 25 crowd.

In other news out of Phoenix, last night during All-Star Saturday night TNT analyst Kenny "The Jet" Smith reported that LeBron James would enter the dunk contest next year, and if that wasn't good enough, fellow analyst Reggie Miller just about begged for Andre Iguodala to join him in what would be an epic battle of great high flyers.

Smith and Miller mentioned how the NBA greats have not only played a part in the dunk contest, but they have also won, so for King James to preliminarily put his name into the ring, he could very well walk the path that Dr. J, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant have done before him.

2010, is going to be one of the most watched and interesting NBA seasons since MJ retired.

Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Genesis

Memories

NBA Analysis

1989 Playoffs

MJ vs. MJ

"Flashback who's that...dancing to the latest..."

Teena Marie - Square Biz

I originally wrote this story back in June, during the NBA Finals for The Starting Five. A lot has changed since then, however the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are once again atop the NBA food chain, as they will play in the marquee Christmas game at 5pm EST.

Rewind

The NBA Finals have a nostalgic flavor to it, with Los Angeles playing against Boston for all the marbles. If I didn't know better, I would think I fell into a time portal and landed somewhere in front of a floor model color TV, circa June '87. That last sentence alone is enough to perplex anyone younger than I, because I'm guessing, the thinking by the younger reader would be...since when did television broadcast in anything but color, and why would anyone place a TV on the floor? Nevertheless, let's stay on memory lane, but I'd like to talk about a time near and dear to my heart...1990.

I was in middle school once the calendar read January 1990, and as I reflect, it's funny what mattered most to me during that time. I was an intelligent child, and I had my unique view on the world around me, like Kevin Arnold in the hit drama The Wonder Years. If I wasn't my begging my mother to let me grow my hair proud and tall like Kid in House Party, then I was trying my best to dunk, or better yet get the new girl in my neighborhood, to notice me. In the midst of all that, naturally I had to keep up my grades, and when I wasn't playing outside until the street lights came on, my friends and I played video games. I had a SEGA Genesis, and the company Electronic Arts changed my life when they started making sports titles. I can recall John Madden Football and the long days and nights I spent using the 46 defense on opposing QB's, but it was Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs that changed EVERYTHING as I knew it.

Lakers versus Celtics was important because in my youth we had 2 televisions (one in the living room and the other in my parent's room) and no cable. I would watch the 76ers every once and a while when they played on Channel 17, and when the games weren't on, I would listen along on the radio. I begged for cable, however it wasn't a necessity and by the time the house in which I grew up in had cable...I was already grown and had been graduated from college a couple years. (If you figured it out, it was a few years ago.) Before COMCAST, the games were on PRISM in Philadelphia, and since neither company had roots at my residence, it was the video game that could provide me with the NBA at the flick of the power button on my SEGA. I learned all the rosters, and had hours of fun using the signature moves. My friends and I would play the video game, and then make the half-mile trek to the playground hoping to get picked to play with the teenagers. If that didn't work then we had to play in between games, or wait until the older guys were finished.

Magic had his #32 and Big Game had the goggles For my crew, we were all sports all the time. It was street football, you know 1-2-3 hold, basketball, king ball, wall ball, stick ball, or riding our bikes. I knew about the NBA, but it was more centralized on Barkley, Ron Anderson, Hawkins, Dawkins, G-Man, Reggie Miller (I had to cheer for the skinny guy) and of course Michael "Air" Jordan. Electronic Arts enabled me to appreciate the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry as it delivered the NBA like never before. The Western Conference was a mystery to me before that game, so when I say it was life changing, it started the love affair with pro basketball that will never end.

This video game means more to me now because of the information that it provided way back when. I still have the game as it sits in my office as a reminder of when life was a lot easier.

Life is good, and with sports, it's THAT much better.

Merry Christmas!

Peace.

The Most Known Unknown.

The Fresh Prince

Straight outta Compton

Tayshaun Prince is not one for the spotlight

"As I leave, believe I'm stompin', but when I come back boy...I'm coming straight outta Compton..."

Ice Cube - Straight Outta Compton

I began playing basketball when I was about 10 years of age. It was the third of many sports that I learned, however it was exactly what I needed, as the game has enabled my dreams to come true, both on the court and off. There were two things that I wanted to change in my youth...for starters, I was really short, and I'm sure it was worse in my mind, but I measured at a miniscule 5'5" my freshman year of high school. The other thing that I wrestled with was that I was really skinny, a major problem when suiting up in my JV basketball uniform. I'll never forget what Mimi Crespo said in her boricqua accent, after one of my home games..."good game Ant...DAG you're skinny!"

Everything as I knew it in my world had crash landed. Not only did she and I attend the same school, but she also lived around the corner from my house, which meant I had someone attractive to walk home everyday. Needless to say, nothing but a good friendship ever blossomed from that, so I turned the negative of my resemblance to a stick figure, into a positive by looking up to the skinny ball players of the NBA and NCAA. Naturally I emulated Eddie Jones, as he was the most electrifying and scrawny guy on the Temple Owls, and my other hero was Reggie Miller because he was just as frail as I was, and he had an awkward form on his jump shot...to say I could relate is an understatement.

I went to Temple University because of Eddie Jones, as my mother wouldn't let me apply for the school that Miller attended...UCLA. (I was 17 and still a minor) Fast forward to 2000, as I was a college junior with my sights set on the corporate world...that is after the season was over. My team went to the Elite 8 losing to the eventual champion Michigan State, but it was the play of Kentucky sophomore Tayshaun Prince that had my radar turning. His height, natural ability to score, and really good defense gave me an inkling that he would become a good to decent pro. At a lithe 6'9" (206 centimeters), he reminded me that the smallest guy on the court can not only win, but also excel.

In the midst of the recent Detroit Pistons playoff run, we had a brief minute to talk. I saw him as he just walked out of the locker room...so I asked if I could interview him on the walk to the team bus? He hesitated for a minute, and then said it was cool. He is not the most loquacious, yet when he does speak, its good to listen. The similarities between he and I didn't stop at our weight or lack thereof...he too was raised in a Christian home, doesn't like to go out much, has a college degree, and and is very close with his family.

Here is the final score on our court side conversation:

Talk about your collegiate experience playing under Tubby Smith:

"Its crazy because 4 years of college has a lot to do with being more prepared, being mature about not playing that much, when your name is called...being ready, you know those types of things. More experienced guys are going to be ready for those types of situations. For me it was a great achievement on my part for the simple fact that, I went from not playing that much throughout my whole rookie year and then being able to respond like I did, shows a lot of maturity and patience."

What stands out about last summer with Team USA?

"I just wanted to contribute in any way that I could. I know I'm a versatile guy that can play several positions and I know that intrigues them, [USA coaches] and by having me on the team...I'm a smart player that can recognize different situations, so when the summer comes, those are the things I can help the team with. Last summer I sat out that one game [with an injury] just for the simple fact that...I could have played, but we didn't want to take any risks. The guys were playing great, so I just took a game off to heal, so it wasn't a situation where I was out a really long time."

Who did you look up to when you were younger?

"I looked up to Magic you know...growing up in LA watching the Lakers. It was his versatility. He played the point guard position, directing and getting his teammates into certain spots, and I evaluated how he played. And that gave me understanding when I started to play the game. I started to realize how the game was played and it helped me to mature. I''m 6'9" and can handle the basketball, and do different things, and just watching him helped to show me my value as a player and what I can bring to a basketball team. By watching Magic and experiencing that, gave me an opportunity to see what I could do when I went out to play with my team."

Watch the video below for more on Tayshaun Prince: