Watch the Throne

"The homies call me lucky lefty, I'm flashy and deadly…" - @S_C_

The game of basketball is often referred to as a metaphor to our everyday lives. Every now and again a person will arrive, and everything, including the game and world around it changes.

Can't Knock the Hustle

Skylar Diggins has become one of the most recognizable faces within and outside of her profession as an athlete. The precocious point guard is a household name, and most certainly can draw a crowd on and off the court.

Diggins possesses an it factor that cannot be taught, and is hardly understood. She is very conscious, strategic, and her business savvy would give any CEO a run for their money. I recently caught up with her on the road in the nation's capital, and she was better than advertised. Skylar Diggins is as rare as she is talented, and her potential is limitless.

Words - @axgilbert

Photo - Getty Images

Cameraman - @appolonaxg

Basketball Jones

"How come the things that make us happy, make us sad..."

Frankie Beverly - Joy and Pain

The WNBA franchise Tulsa Shock, have announced today the signing of Marion Jones, after she worked out for the team last Saturday.

2nd Childhood

Basketball is a sport that has opened many doors beyond anything I could ever envision...so when the Shock signed Jones, it made perfect sense, as I'm sure the game brings her the same satisfaction that I receive from it. Marion Jones was drafted in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury in 2003, but she never played.

She has been associated with controversy and negativity for taking performance enhancing substances, and while I understand to an extent the backlash...she admitted her wrong doing, served time in prison and has since moved forward with her life.

Basketball was her first love, as she helped led UNC to at 33-2 record, and the NCAA national championship as a freshman, so I find it refreshing that she's come full circle, getting back to her roots. She recently had her third child, however I believe Marion is up for this new challenge. I'm not sure how long she will play...but its really good to see her back on the court, and happy in her decision.

In a New York Times interview, she stated: I thought it would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this. It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people on a bigger platform; it would give me an opportunity to get a second chance.

This is a win-win for both parties, as the WNBA can use her star power to promote the league, and Jones as we must remember is a human being and she deserves another opportunity at being the best she can be.

Change

Doty and Delle Donne

End of an era

Post game

MVP

"Guess who's back...since this a new era, got a fresh new hat..."

Jay-Z - The Prelude

A year ago, I interviewed 3 high school student athletes...Caroline Doty, Elena Delle Donne, and Tyreke Evans, as they were the top tier of the national senior class, and I was sincerely impressed by their cool, and resolve. High School hoops has become just as big as the college and professional game, and for these teens to handle the media and hype the way they did...made me think of how "ready" they were for the next level.

Freshman Year

The saying goes, what a difference a year makes, and in the case of Elena Delle Donne, that statement rings true, as she was the number 1 female basketball player in the class '08. Last year this time she was headed to UCONN with her best friend Caroline Doty...however once it was time to enroll, she walked away from the scholarship (after 2 days), and the game...she instead stayed home and entered her 1st year of college at the University of Delaware.

This morning ESPN featured Delle Donne on their program Outside the Lines. Last February I spoke with her, Doty, and Evans, as the latter are contributing heavily to their collegiate basketball programs, UCONN and Memphis respectively.

I attended the 2008 Kobe Bryant Classic and I wrote the following back in February '08:

The big names are naturally the top 2 players in girls and boys basketball, in Elena Delle Donne from Ursuline Academy, and Tyreke Evans of American Christian. Speaking of numbers, Delle Donne wears 11, while Evans wears the number 1…irony at its best. (Evans says he wears 1 because he had aspirations to be the top player in the nation growing up)

I am one of the few people that have not had the pleasure of seeing either player in person and if the phrase as advertised means anything to you, then it definitely applies to them.
Elena Delle Donne, can do it all. At 6’5” the future UCONN Husky can dribble, pass, and shoot, including from 3-point land. She is refined and polished, giving the home Germanton Academy, and Caroline Doty (future teammate at UCONN, DNP-out for the season) all they could handle with 33 points, 13-19 FG, 3-7 3PT, 4-5 FT, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks and MVP honors. Ursuline Academy outlasted Germantown Academy 57-44.

In the boys match-up, the already packed house prepared to see Tyreke Evans and American Christian, against the gritty Academy of the New Church squad.

Tyreke Evans didn’t play as the cliché sounds…like a man amongst boys, in the unreleased Nike Zoom LeBron V, no less, he showed great guard play, a quick first step, and a dribble that looked at times as if he has the ball on a string. His teammate junior guard Lamont Jones (remember that name) also impressed, stepping up as team leader in the 2 half of the game.

American Christian struggled for 3 quarters, with inconsistent play, as they seemed to play down to the competition and not to their max potential…either that, or ANC was much better than people gave them credit for.

In the end Evans took over on two consecutive drives to the basket, giving American Christian a 71 -69 lead with 90 seconds to go in the 4th...with good ball control, and the right amount of made free-throws, American Christian pulled it out 78 – 71 over ANC.
Evans received MVP honors with 33 points, 9-23 FG, 1-6 3 PT, 14-17 FT, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks.

GAME TIME: Talk about basketball in regard to being and playing as the best player in the country:

Elena Delle Donne: “It can take a toll on your body. You can go 7 days and play 14 games. It can take a toll on your body and mentally. You just have to prepare for that, and being on a good team, colleges are around all the time looking at you, so its tough, but its also great because you get to compete against the best players in the country and really see how you stack up and what you need to work on. And being number 1 is a compliment, but it also makes me work harder for the people that have never seen me play before.”

Caroline Doty on Elena Delle Donne: “I was cheering for her today...you can ask my teammates...they were looking at me, like I was crazy. I’m just so excited, and I’m so happy that she decided to come to Connecticut! It’s going to be so awesome, she [Delle Donne] has so much fun on the court and the next time I play I’m going to have as much fun, and playing on the same team at UCONN, it will be even more special. She is such a great player, and she can handle anything, and she is so unselfish, and she makes me and everyone a better player. She knows exactly what to do, and when to do it. I’ve been fortunate to play with her since I was 11, so next year we are going to have so much fun!”

Tyreke Evans on Elena Delle Donne: “This is big, and I’ve seen Delle Donne play one other time, and she’s tough...she’s taller than me, and she’s big and she can shoot the jumper. I think she’s going to be a great WNBA player.”

The 2 top prep players in the nation lead their teams to victory, walked away with MVP awards, and scored 33 points each…just another day in the gym, and next year the saga will continue.

I wrote that the saga will continue...I just didn't expect it to be like this, but at the end of the day Elena Delle Donne is doing what is best for her in staying close to home and playing volleyball for the Blue Hens, so I tip my cap to her for staying true to herself...as we can all learn from her.

Peace.

The Most Known Unknown.

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.

Showtime

All-Star MVP

Lessons from Jellybean

Control

Speed

"Waiting for the Lord to rise...I looked into my daughter's eyes, and realize I'm learn through her..."

Common - Be (Intro)

I first met Nikki Teasley during the 2002 WNBA Draft. I was working with the NBA League Office in New York, and since I have always enjoyed women's basketball, I volunteered to work the event. Everyone knew Sue Bird would become the number 1 pick overall, but what we didn't realize was how much of an impact Teasley would have during the forth coming season.

My job that day was simple, once my player was drafted, I accompanied her to the media availability, and helped to answer any questions she or her family had. She entered the draft with a lot of negativity from the media, but I didn't think about any of that. I approached her with a clean slate and through that encounter we eventually became good friends.

Five years ago I was looking to break into the magazine industry as a journalist, so I interviewed Nikki for a story that I would later use as an example of my work. I'll never forget that day, as I was traveling home from New York to Philadelphia on the New Jersey Transit train. Since that train doesn't go into Pennsylvania, I had to catch a different train in Trenton, NJ. Once I found my seat on the connecting train...my phone rang. It was Nikki Teasley, and I was briefly unprepared. I stalled the conversation by asking her how things were going, as I pulled out my notebook and pen...before long I was ready to go, and the following is an example of hard work, and friendship.

Purple Rein

Born Michelle Nicole Teasley on March 22, 1979, she has excelled in basketball on every level. Basketball to say the least, she is exceptional, however; it is not the only thing she is concerned with not to mention good at. For example, if she were to ever think about another sport, billiards would be the perfect choice. Teasley navigates the cue ball across the soft green velvet with the same precision that she graces the hardwood floor giving the opposition migraine headaches. When asked who is M. Nikki Teasley, she replied “Michelle Nicole Teasley is more of the friendly type. Sweet, laid back, kind, and generous. I am just the everyday person next door. Nikki… on the other hand is the rough neck basketball player with a fierce game and determination.” All-Star point guard, pool shark, and the girl next door all rolled in one. She is many things, but most importantly she is history in the making, that is the future.

Teasley was selected in the 2002 WNBA Draft by the now defunct Portland Fire, with the 5th pick overall. Selected ahead of her were Sue Bird, Seattle Storm (first pick overall University of Connecticut), Swin Cash, Detroit Shock (second pick overall University of Connecticut), Stacey Dales-Schuman, Washington Mystics (third pick overall Oklahoma University) and Asjha Jones, Washington Mystics (fourth overall pick University of Connecticut). Sue Bird became the Rookie of the Year, while Swin Cash has emerged to become one of the premiere players of the WNBA. Dales-Schuman has added a nice one/two combination to All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw, and Asjha Jones has provided a solid all around performance. As for Teasley, she just so happened to get traded two hours later from the Portland Fire to the Los Angeles Sparks. By the end of the season she was the rookie with the bragging rights. Her team won the 2002 WNBA Championship over the New York Liberty in the best of three series 2-0.

Nikki had one thing on her mind when she was drafted after a stellar career at the prestigious University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. “I was just happy to hear my name called. Just to hear my name was good enough for me. I knew Sylvia Crawley (San Antonio Silver Stars and University of North Carolina Women’s Basketball assistant coach 2000-2002), so going to that team [Portland] made me very happy too.”

The unique thing about the trade to the Los Angeles Sparks was that they had just won the 2001 WNBA Championship and they had the best player of the league in Lisa Leslie and at the helm of the Sparks ship is Head Coach Michael Cooper. Speaking of Coach Coop, “he is more than a coach to all of us, mainly me. He is a father figure to me. He does a lot for me not as a player but as a person. He is a player coach.”

“I watched Magic on ESPN Classic and I look at what he has done…”

Comparing this season to last year helps Nikki understand how far she has come. “Last year I was just coming in and getting my feet wet. I had to learn how to be a pro and I was becoming an adult and abiding on my own. This year I am just very confident, more than I have ever been in my career.” Exclaimed Teasley, as the sun has set on the Southern California cool and clear night, like the credits going up the silver screen at the end of a favorite movie. This is Hollywood right? Swimming pools and movie stars, not too mention a little magic. Not Magic Johnson of the famed Los Angeles Lakers but “Lady Magic”, Nikki Teasley as referred to her by Head Coach Michael Cooper, whom played along side Magic Johnson with the Lakers. “I watched Magic on ESPN Classic and I look at what he has done in comparison to me, and Coop (Coach Cooper) thinks that I am a mirror image of him because of my versatility and passing ability. I just pray that I can live up to it.”

Prior to the success of the WNBA she did not always enjoy the serenity that she has today. As a matter of fact many “experts” saw her as a problem child athlete with basketball potential through the roof. Proceed with caution was the warning. “I never shy away from my past. It has made me stronger. I was at a big university with even bigger classes than I was used to. A lot of things were building up inside of me, because I was quote on quote gifted as an athlete. I began not to want to play basketball or go to school.” After taking a year off from school entirely, she explains that, “taking a year off made me see how important basketball and school was. Besides I got a taste of the real world and it really helped me appreciate everything I had in school and sports.”

Ironic how this once “problem” became not only a savoir for her team but for the WNBA as a league. She has been very active within the community and on the basketball stage. Winner is more like it. Not only does she have a WNBA Championship but with 10 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals in the 2003 WNBA All-Star game she walked away with MVP honors in just her first appearance.

Many felt that Teasley arrived when she made the game winning three point shot in the 2002 WNBA Championship. The Sparks as a team and their management knew that she was something special way in advance. The winning shot was the icing on the cake. As Nikki recalls that day, she explains that “the play was designed for Lisa (Leslie) on the strong side of the post. They (New York Liberty) played great defense, I give them credit. Teresa Weatherspoon thought I was going to pass so she played in between Lisa and I, and I saw the clock and just shot it.” The rest is her success.

M. Nicole Teasley has her roots deeply planted in her family. As the girl of the family she has made everyone proud. She admits in her usual cool demeanor that “I have so much going on. I am focused on family. The ability to enjoy time away from the game and give back to the community is important. Autographs and speaking engagements make me feel special. I do not think about it often, but when I do think about the hope that I can give other young people, not just black people, but young people in general are a means to my happiness.” Hard work is always rewarded as you can see. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And if your coach assigns you to guard Nikki Teasley make sure you bring your best because you know that she will.

Flight of the Bumblebee

Staley - the best that ever did it

Teacher, and friend

Coach and AG - Philly's finest

"My name is J-I-L-L-S-C-O-T-T-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhheeeeee...Jill Scott...representin' North Philly y'all!"

Jill Scott - The Roots (Interlude) 

The summer Olympics are in full swing, and I have been switching channels like crazy to observe as many different contests as possible. This morning I watched the USA women's basketball team, as they matched up against Mali, the west African nation. It wasn't much of a contest as their star player Hamchetou Maiga-Ba, also of the WNBA Houston Comets, was forced out of the action with an ankle injury, from Monday. 

The score was 51-28 by the half, and Mali only managed to score 5 points in the 3rd quarter, so instead of focusing on the game, I decided to check my email, and listen to the action rather than watch it. There are two things that had my ear long enough for me to look at the television...the first was an interview with Carlos Boozer of the men's team as he and his squad were there to show their support. A few minutes later, Craig Sager, the sideline reporter made a mention of assistant coach Dawn Staley and how she encouraged the team not to let up because the competition will only get stronger. From there the camera panned right to left and there was a stoic coach Staley giving instructions and guidance to her former Olympic teammates. 

I first met her in July, 1992, as she was my coach at the John Chaney/Sonny Hill Camp. She had such a positive impact on me, as years later in 2002 she would hire me to work under her as the film coordinator and office intern for the Temple women's basketball program. 

It was a pleasure to learn from Staley, who was a legendary North Philadelphia point guard having grown up playing with the late great Hank Gathers on Diamond Street. Coach is a true friend, and mentor, and her departure from Temple University to the University of South Carolina is bittersweet. She changed the atmosphere at TU, and turned a notorious losing team into a nationally ranked program, while sending two players, Candice Dupree, and Kamesha Hairston to the WNBA. (Both were first round lottery picks)

As a high school and collegiate star and All-American, she wore the number 24. After my first encounter with her at camp, I went to school that September and begged my coach for that specific jersey. I wanted to be just like her, and I figured I would start with the number, and I've been wearing it ever since, and when Kobe Bryant changed from 8 to 24, it most certainly bought a smile to my face. 

Coach is an American icon as she proved that with hard work and dedication, anything could be possible. The three-time Olympian is on the verge for her first gold as a coach, but most certainly not her last. 

Photos:   Pat Staub Photography

                  Temple University

                  AXG