Random and Pointless thoughts on Lebron James heading to Miami

DISCLAIMER: I am not a Lebron-hater. I still support him and I hope he does well in Miami. As soon as I heard the news, I spontaneously wrote down my thoughts without doing any research or editing, so this note is filled with grammatical and factual errors.

I'm both excited and saddened upon hearing the news. I can't wait to watch Wade, Lebron and Bosh play together for the Heat, but I also feel for the Cavs. Here are some of my thoughts on Lebron leaving Cleveland and joining DWade in Miami.

1. Is the NBA Lebron’s Kingdom? Everyone is rolling down the red carpet when the self-proclaimed King visits. What’s next? Should they all kneel when he walks by? King James is clearly enjoying the spotlight and he wants all the praises from all his loyal subjects. The weeks leading to free agency were just ridiculous: websites such as getlebrontochicago.com, billboards in NY, music videos begging the King to stay. And then the one-hour TV special “The Decision”? Crazy. As an NBA coach commented, how long does it take for one to announce his team? I recall back in 1995, when Jordan returned to the NBA after his first retirement, he announced his decision through a press release with just two words: “I’m back.” The show that matters is what transpires on a basketball court, not on a TV interview set.

2. It’s supposed to be Superstar vs. Superstar. Lebron James vs. Dwyane Wade, not Lebron AND Dwyane. Just imagine if Bird and MJ (and Barkley as “Bosh”) played for the same team in the mid-80s. Magic’s Lakers wouldn’t probably stand a chance. But because MJ, Magic, and Bird were on different teams, they went on to be in the NBA’s list of 10 greatest players EVER. Their legacies were built because they LED their teams to multiple titles. Sure, MJ had Pippen, Larry had McHale and the Chief, and Magic had Kareem, but MJ, Larry, and Magic were the undisputed leaders of their respective teams (none of those “other guys” – Kareem included, are in MY Top10 all-time). Besides, it took years for the Bulls, Celtics, and Lakers to build their dynasties – and not just via the more convenient “get-the-best-players-available” method ala the Lakers in ’04 and the Celtics in ’07. Heroes suffer adversity before they become victorious. The Bulls were tormented by the Pistons before they won their first ring in 1991. Jordan became a superstar because of his playoff exploits (63 points as “God disguised as Michael Jordan” vs. the Celtics, “the Shot” against CLEVELAND–another ouch!), but he became a Hero when he finally overcame the “Bad Boys” from Detroit (who walked out of the arena even before the end of the 4th game after they were swept – much like Lebron refusing to shake the Magic players’ hands when the Cavs lost in ’09). The Lakers had the Celtics, and vice-versa. And with one team’s victory was the other team’s anguish. Magic won, Bird lost. Bird won, Magic lost. It’s one or the other. You become great because of the other. That’s how it’s supposed to be. One Superstar wins, the other Superstars lose. Superstars become Heroes when they conquer other superstars. Heroes become Legends when they are able to maintain that status for so many years.

LBJ and Wade, separately, by the end of their careers, could have easily made it to the top10 all-time. But with them together in the same team, I just don’t see that happening. Talent-wise, they’re clearly in the same level as the legends. Lebron could even be the most PHYSICALLY-talented (with emphasis on ‘physically’) in NBA history. And he might end up winning 4,5,6 rings with Miami, but do you think he would deserve full credit for the championships? As an NBA commentator correctly pointed out, 1 championship in Cleveland equals 3-4 championships in Miami. It’s how you earn it that matters. Even though Kobe (just one of the few things that separate Kobe from Lebron) already won 3 championships from 2000-02, that was with Shaq, and he knew it would be different if he alone LED the team. So he persevered with a mediocre team for a few seasons, ‘loved’ a girl in Denver, scored 81 points against… BOSH(!), changed jersey numbers, until eventually the Lakers were able to rebuild the team and surrounded Kobe with a decent supporting cast.

That was what was happening in Cleveland. The King was given a MORE than able supporting cast. (If MJ had Mo, Shaq, Antawn, Z, Varejao, Moon, West, Parker, Gibson etc in 1995-96, the Bulls would have gone 82-0.) The Cavs blitzed through the regular season and dazzled fans with their…ummm… hand shakes and pre-game gimmicks? But when things got rough, who was first to quit? As the Cavs owner pointed out, Lebron quit during the Celtics series, and even during the Magic series a year ago. (He even pulled out of the Slam Dunk contest even after announcing that he was joining!) Heroes should never surrender.

Had former-hero Lebron won one ring in Cleveland, it would have been legendary. Besides, when it’s all over, Lebron will always have one lesser ring than Wade. And that alone, would make Wade rank higher than LBJ. There goes your legacy, Lebron.

Bottom line is I’d rather watch LBJ and Wade compete against each other 4 times during the regular season and in the playoffs.

3. Is this the Miami Heat or the USA Senior Men’s National Basketball Team? It’s just that ridiculous: Wade, Lebron, Bosh – all in their prime. The Heat will be instant contenders, but, historically speaking, there are actually two possibilities: the Celtics in ’07 or the Lakers in ’04.

When KG and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in Boston back in 2007, the Truth was Truly the undisputed leader, and the newcomers readily acknowledged that. They quickly meshed well and went on to dominate that season. When Lebron (and Bosh) joins Wade, do you think that LBJ wants to play second-fiddle? He may have publicly stated that the Heat is Wade’s team (which is what is supposed to be, no question), but knowing the egocentric self-proclaimed King, do you think he was really sincere? In Miami, Lebron can continue calling himself the “King”, but Wade should be the Ace.

On the other hand, when Rick Fox stood out for the Lakers in 2004 – being the only non-hall-of-famer in their starting line-up, there was much anticipayton, as the Glove and the Mailman joined Kobe and Shaq. Though they reached the NBA Finals, they were demolished by the team-first, no-superstar Detroit Pistons in 5 games. Kobe and Shaq already had their issues, and adding Payton and Malone made it worse. Not even the Zen Master could handle them. I guess you can’t form a triangle with 4 points.

So, about the Heat, would they become the Celtics '07 or Lakers '04? How would they end up? Honestly, it’s hard to say, but a big part of me says it won’t be easy. They may end up winning 2 or 3 in the future, but I don’t think they’d even come out of the East next year. I know the big 3 played great together for team USA and for the East All-Stars, but those games are more free-flowing and street-basketball-esque. The playoffs are different.

4. Was this all planned way back in the 2008 Olympic games when James, Wade and Bosh really bonded together? I know this is crazytalk but I’m sensing a conspiracy. They all declared the “free agent summit” this past off-season. And they were willing to settle for slightly lower salaries just for the Heat to have enough cap space to sign the three. And when Lebron announced last year that he would be wearing jersey #6 this year, was he already expecting that #23 was not available because Pat Riley and the Heat retired that number in honor of MJ?

5. I honestly thought Lebron was joining the Bulls. I thought it was perfect. Chicago has a good young core of D.Rose, Noah, and Deng, and none of them are superstars. They had enough cap space to sign both Boozer (a former teammate) and James. Lebron would have easily fit in the lineup and they would be contenders. But Lebron would be the leader, and his legacy is safe, even if he might only end up being the second greatest Bulls player ever.

Picking New York wouldn’t have been that bad either. Lebron would have surely been the Man in NYC. And playing homecourt in basketball’s Mecca would have been great. It may take 2-3 years before they seriously contend, but at least it was a fresh start.

To me, though, staying home would have been the right choice. I always admire players who remain with one team their entire career –Bird, Magic, Havlicek, even Reggie Miller and Paul Pierce. Besides, it was really his home – were he grew up and played high school ball. And the Cavs have a very competitive team – even without LBJ. It was just a matter of time before they win.

As I said, I don’t think the Heat will win it all this year. Of course, we’ll have to see what developments happen – how Miami fills up its roster (as of now, only 1 player – Mario Chalmers – is under contract), but I do believe that other East contenders have also gotten stronger. The Celtics added former Heat big man Jermaine O’neal while the Magic signed dependable guard Chris Duhon. So it’s basically a three-way battle in the East. And if the Heat does reach the NBA Finals, Kobe and the Lakers will be waiting for them. And it will be Phil Jackson’s 3rd 3-peat!

6. Will Erik Spoelstra continue to coach the Heat? Or will Pat Riley take over just like what he did during that championship season after SVG was doing a great job? As a Filipino, I hope coach Erik will continue. At least a Pinoy will be the King’s boss. (On a totally different matter, I am P-Noy’s boss!)

7. Lastly, Lebron, Wade and Bosh, as well as Carmelo Anthony are members of NBA batch 2003, but guess who in their rookie class was first to win an NBA title.

Obviously, it’s not Lebron. It’s also not Wade, who won it in 2006.

It’s none other than Daaarkoooo Milicic!!! Lupig sila tanan. hehe

NBA Playoffs 2007

The NBA Playoffs has arrived with the following matchups:

Eastern Conference:

Detroit Pistons (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8)
Miami Heat (4) vs. Chicago Bulls (5)

Toronto Raptors (3) vs. New Jersey Nets (6)
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Washington Wizards (7)

Western Conference:

Dallas Mavericks (1) vs. Golden State Warriors (8)
Houston Rockets (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5)

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. Denver Nuggets (6)
Phoenix Suns (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)

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The above matchups are intriguing; and it would ensure an exciting and unpredictable road to the NBA Finals.

I'm gonna break it down series by series:

EAST


Detroit Pistons (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8):

This should be an easy one for the 2004 champions, the Pistons. It is a contrast of experience --Detroit having been to the finals a couple of times with most of its core group while Orlando with its core group having little playoff experience. As a matter of fact, it is the first playoffs for the young Magic duo of Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard. The only Magic with some finals experience is probably Darko Milicic (who played some garbage time for the Pistons themselves in 2004). It is also somewhat interesting to watch Grant Hill in the playoffs after a long absence. It could be his last with Orlando. Overall, the Pistons are the better team with lots of experience.

I believe the Pistons should be able to sweep the series, 4-0.


Miami Heat (4) vs. Chicago Bulls (5):

This, to me, is the most intriguing and exciting series in the East 1st round. The Heat, of course, are the defending champs. A big reason for this is because of Shaquille O'neal. Don't get me wrong, Dwyane Wade is clearly the best player on their team, but without Shaq, they wouldn' t be able advance far in the playoffs. The key would be the play of Shaq, who quite impressively, has been playing well (and healthy) the past month. But then, if we come to think of it, who in the NBA has been able to handle Shaq? The answer, if you watched the 2004 NBA Finals, is Ben Wallace. He's, of course, now with the Bulls, to strengthen their interior defense. Another factor that's favorable to the Bulls is that D-Wade is still not 100%. Add that to the fact the he has to guard the likes of Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. If you recall, also, when the Heat had their ring ceremony at the start of the regular season, the Bulls demolished the Heat 108-66. Lastly, since the Bulls have a better regular season record, they have homecourt advantage. However, we still can't underestimate the defending champs. They won't give up without a fight.

Nevertheless, I look for an upset: Chicago in a full 7 games.


Toronto Raptors (3) vs. New Jersey Nets (6):

The most surprising team this year is the Toronto Raptors. The last time they were in the postseason was when they were led by Vince Carter, who's now with the opposing team. The Raptors have a good mix of foreign and young players. The Nets, on the other hand, is the more experienced team. The Nets will rely on their big-three: Jason Kidd, Carter, and Richard Jefferson. They will perform, but whether they win or not might depend on the role players like Bostjan Nachbar and Mikki Moore. After all, who's gonna contain Chris Bosh? The series could go either way.

But I think, youth will prevail in this series. Raptors 4, Nets 2.


Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Washington Wizards (7):

This is a rematch of last year's thrilling 1st round series where the Cavs won 4-2 (with 3 games decided by 1 point). It would have been as thrilling had Wizard all-stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler not been injured. Thus, it should be an easy series for King James and company. As long as they stay focused, the Cavs can sweep the series. Otherwise, the Wizards may squeeze out a win at home.

The Cavs should easily win the series 4-1.

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WEST


Dallas Mavericks (1) vs. Golden State Warriors (8):

Since I'm a big Mavs fan, I already was hoping for the past month that they won't face the Warriors in the 1st round. I'd rather have them face the Lakers or the Clippers. The Mavs have the league's best record (67-15), but the Warriors have all the confidence heading into the series. They barely made it to the playoffs and have nothing to lose. The Mavs, on the other hand, have been out of sync the past games, mainly due to the resting of their key players. Rust might be a factor since they haven't played together as a complete team for a while. What I'm worried about is the the Warriors play well against the Mavs. A proof of this is that the Warriors swept the regular season series 3-0, and they had a couple of lopsided victories. A reason for this is because of Don Nelson, the current coach of GS who was the Mavs coach for several years and was responsible of turning the Mavs from being a lottery team to a playoff contender. The Warriors today are similar to the Mavs 3 years ago - very talented, fast, and high-scoring -- but do not play good defense. Still, they could win games, and win big, too. They're a very opportunistic team - once they get on the groove, it's hard to stop them. This has the makings of a major upset. Nevertheless, since I'm a huge Mavs fan, I'd still have to go with them in 7.

Mavericks-4, Warriors-3.


Houston Rockets (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5):

This should be another exciting and thrilling playoffs matchup. And to think, these two teams did not even make it to the playoffs last year. Victory could go either way. To me, the Rockets would win with a healthy T-Mac and Yao. They are the new Kobe and Shaq duo of the 3-peat Lakers a few years back. But then again, the Rockets pair has a history of injuries, and it might just be a factor come the playoffs. The Jazz, on the other hand, is the more complete team with what I feel is the most talented frontcourt in Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko, and the point guard of the future in Deron Williams. If they play as a team, it is also hard for the Rockets to stop them. Thus, it could boil down to coaching - Jerry Sloan vs. Jeff Van Gundy and a few bounces going one way or another.

Jass-4, Rockets-2


San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. Denver Nuggets (6):

This is another exciting matchup: the veteran defensive-minded Spurs versus the fast and high-scoring Nuggets. The Spurs have one of the league's best trios: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. They're playoff-tested and should be dependable once more. The Nuggets have the highest-scoring duo in Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. They're very good, but have their own share of struggles. The matchups are exciting: Can Marcus Camby and Nene contain TD? Who's quicker - Parker or Iverson? Can defense specialist Bruce Bowen stop 'Melo? It should be one great show.

Experience would prevail. Spurs 4, Nuggets 2.


Phoenix Suns (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7):

Another rematch of last year's first round series, where the Suns edged out the Lakers 4-3. It was disappointing for the Lakers who led the series 3-1. It is a chance for redemption for the Lakers, especially Kobe Bryant, who only had 1 point in the second half in their game 7 defeat. The Lakers had an advantage last year as the Suns' Amare Stoudemire was injured. This time around, the Suns have him back a hundred-percent. It is interesting to note that both Stoudemire and Bryant have changed their jersey numbers: Amare from 32 to 1, Kobe from 8 to 24. Will these be enough to change their fortunes?

Suns 4, Lakers 2.


How's that for just the first round!?

The Dream Ends

Another big disappointment for USA basketball. After suffering failures in the last two major basketball tournaments, the 2002 World Basketball Championships and the 2004 Olympics, USA Basketball had high hopes as they assembled a new team and a new program for the 2006 World Basketball Championships. However, the end result was all too familiar. Another dream ends for the "Dream Team"

Greece used a sizzling stretch of shooting across the middle two quarters to turn a 12-point deficit into a 14-point lead, and beat the Americans 101-95 Friday in the semifinals of the world championships. "To lose any game is a shock to us," U.S. star Carmelo Anthony said. "We came in with the mentality to win the game and the gold medal." Done in again by their inept 3-point shooting and they weren't much better from the foul line the Americans will fall short of a championship in a major international tournament for the third straight time since winning gold at the 2000 Olympics.

Interestingly, the Greeks had no current NBA players on their roster. It just proves how much the rest of the world has caught up (and even surpassed) with the United States. Basketball is a team sport. And the better team always prevails. Sure, USA had NBA superstars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. But as a team, they sure sucked. Basketball at this level is more than just athleticism and entertainment. It's about playing together. Before the game started, during the warm-ups, the US superstars were pleasing the crowd with high-flying warm-up dunks, while at the opposite side, the Greeks were doing their business, performing some drills and shooting some freethrows.

If only the US team knew. They should have practiced their outside shots more instead of do those acrobatic dunks. During the game, they weren't able to overcome their 32 percent shooting from 3-point range or 59 percent from the foul line. Dwyane Wade added 19 and LeBron James had 17, but the three U.S. captains were unable to make up for their disappointment from Athens. As the Greek coach said it best, "Basketball is not just about dribbling and shooting."

For the US team, it's back to the drawing board. They'll have to wait a couple more years to reclaim past glory. Changes have to be made.

a wicked week for sports

It has been a bad week for sports - nope, I'm not a part of any of it (although I'd like to think I am - in spirit), but as a die-hard sports fanatic, the past week sucked!

NBA FINALS

First and foremost, the team I have been rooting for the past 4 years lost in the NBA Finals. Yup, I'm a big-time Mavs fan! An amazing 2-0 start in the best-of-seven series for the championship ended up with an equally and heartbreaking game six victory on the road by the Miami Heat. Although the Mavs had homecourt advantage, many made them the underdogs. Even 6 out of 10 Dallas journalists predicted a Heat victory (talk about loyalty!). But I was confident the Mavs would win it all, even at the start of the season last November. I predicted the NBA champs (I give out my prediction after each All-Star break) for the past three seasons (2003-Spurs, 2004-Pistons, 2005-Spurs) but that streak failed this year. By the way, I may root for a team, but it doesn't necessarily follow that I predict them to win. This may sound weird but I'm just being realistic. (There are just times when you want a team to win but know that they don't stand a chance) Interestingly, it was only in 2004 wherein the team I rooted for was also the team I predicted to win. It would have been the second time this year. Here's a simple table to illustrate what I mean:

year --- predicted champs --- my team --- eventual champs
2003 -------Spurs---------------- Mavs------- Spurs
2004 -------Pistons --------------Pistons ----- Pistons
2005 -------Spurs --------------- Mavs ------- Spurs
2006 -------Mavs ----------------Mavs ------- Heat

As you can clearly see, the only time I did not root for the Mavs was in 2004. That was the time they had that crazy incompatible lineup (with Walker and Jamison). Then compare the second and fourth columns, as I said, it's only this year that my prediction was incorrect. Blame it on D. Wade.

The Mavs were 2-up in the series and led by 13 points midway through the 4th quarter of game 3. It looked like it would be 3-0 and ready for a sweep, but the Flash just started to "heat" up. No offense to Shaq (who showed glimpses of Superman in the Pistons series - nearly coinciding with the release of the movie "Superman Returns"), Dwyane (that's a "w" before the "y") Wade carried the entire Miami team. Fall 7 times, stand up 8. He is definitely the MVP worthy of MJ comparisons. He was just amazing. Unstoppable. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Wade fan, I just don't like the Heat as a team, mainly because of the old veterans (aka has-beens) who signed for a minimum contract just to have a chance to win a ring.

That come-from-behind Heat victory in game 3 was the turning point of the series. At that time, I already felt the Mavs were in trouble. A disheartening loss like that easily shifted the series' momentum in favor of the veteran Heat squad. And for that, I was correct. The Heat's vast experience (led by Shaq, Payton, and Zo) proved to be the difference.

As for the Mavs, it's not the end of the world. The experience they gained will be valuable as they make another run next year. I'm just a bit worried though because I feel like this WAS their chance. It just got away.

NOTE: That's an old photo of the Mavs. Michael Finley isn't a part of them anymore. Ironically, he's with the team the Mavs defeated in the West Semis - the Spurs.

US OPEN

Next was the U.S. Open Golf Championship. I idolize Tiger Woods (who else?) but unfortunately for him it was his first tournament back after the passing away of his dad, who was a big part of him not only as a father, but a teacher. The world's number 1 golfer just struggled at the extremely tough Winged Foot Course in New York. It was the first time I could recall him missing a cut in a major championship.

Even worse was the fact that sentimental choice Colin Montgomerie (perhaps the best golfer not able to win a major championship) choked at the last hole to ruin his chances (shades of Jean Van De Velde's meltdown at the British Open several years ago). But then again, at least it wasn't Phil Mickelson who won.

WORLD CUP

Third on the list is the still on-going FIFA World Cup at Germany, although this is not totally a disaster. Brazil, without any doubt the favorites to repeat, was unimpressive in their first two games - a 1-0 win over Croatia and a 2-0 win over Australia. The Samba boys didn't show the finesse and flair they are known for, and the intimidating attacking quartet of superstars Ronaldinho, Kaka, Adriano, and Ronaldo never clicked. They clearly were underperforming, even prompting a Brazilian journalist to call Ronaldo a "wobbling heavyweight".

The good thing was that the Brazilians improved in their 3rd outing against Japan, 4-1, but not after conceding the first goal. Proving everyone wrong, Ronaldo, on his 4th World Cup, showed flashes of his 2002 Golden-boot-winning form as he scored 2 goals, tying the record for most goals in the World Cup with 14. One more goal and he would be the leading goal-scorer in the tournament's history.

In the end, at least the Brazilians are still in, through to the last 16. And I believe we have yet to see the "real" dominant Brazil team. It may not be that wicked after all. Lookout everyone!

and one last shot... The New York Knicks just fired celebrated coach Larry Brown (in the process losing millions). Another episode in the Knicks' never-ending moves. If there's an award for the most unstable team, they'd surely win. And who would replace the former coach of the year? Isiah Thomas, who had stepped down from an executive position. Maybe he's just trying to "pull out a Riley." Get this: the Knicks are nowhere close to the Heat.

Too many stars...

For the 3rd straight year, legendary Spanish football (soccer) club Real Madrid will not be taking home any major championship trophy, after their early exit in the UEFA Champions League. I woke up at 3 this morning just to watch them draw the 2nd leg of their last-16 match against English team Arsenal 0-0. Real Madrid lost on a 1-0 aggregate score since Arsenal won the 1st leg played at Madrid two weeks ago 1-0 on a brilliant goal by captain Thierry Henry. Although it was a goal-less game, it was nonetheless exciting till the end. I was of course rooting for Real, and they had lots of chances, including two near-misses by captain Raul. I also thought Ronaldo should have been awarded a penalty in the first half after being tackled from behind by Roberto.

This only proves one thing. The better team would always emerge victors. Sure, on paper Real Madrid would seem much better, with the likes of superstars Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, and Raul in their squad. The club, led by president Florentino Pérez, who had recently resigned, has made a habit of buying at least one galáctico (superstar) every year. (A Galáctico is a term used to describe a world-famous soccer player who transfers to Real Madrid). To show you how much star-power its lineup has, over the past 6 years under Pérez's helm, these are some of the players acquired by the club:

2000 - Luis Figo (2001 World Player of the Year)
2001 - Zinedine Zidane (1998, 2000, 2003 World Player of the Year)
2002 - Ronaldo (1996, 1997, 2002 World Player of the Year)
2003 - David Beckham(2-time runner-up, World Player of the Year)
2004 - Michael Owen (2001 European Player of the Year)
2005 - Robinho (heralded as the next Pelé), Julio Baptista

Although this policy has certainly helped cement Real's status as perhaps the world's most prestigious and most popular club, it has so far had limited success on the pitch. If it's based on star quality, Real would certainly be the best team in the world. However, in the world of team sports, that's not always the case.

Recall a couple of years ago when the underdogs Detroit Pistons dominated the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. The Lakers were a team of superstars - Shaquille O'neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton. They were also guided by a "superstar" coach in the name of Phil Jackson, a man with 9 NBA championship rings. One more would have made it a ring for every finger.

On the other hand, the Pistons did not even have one who could be considered a superstar. Sure, they had good players like the Wallaces (Ben and Rasheed) as well as Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, but none of them were big-names. What they had though was dedication to play as a team on both ends of the floor. They did not care who scored the most points or who got the biggest attention. They were clearly the better team on the court. And they surprised the Lakers and everyone else except me (I knew they were gonna win it all even before the playoffs) by winning the title in a modern day David versus Goliath story.

Another example would be the United States' basketball Dream Team, a team composed of NBA superstars. Of course, it was not like the original Dream Team that ran away with the Olympic gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona games. The players on that team, led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, were all superstars but they also knew how to play as a team. Perhaps, that would remain the greatest team ever assembled in the history of sports.

The most recent USA team, however, placed a very disappointing 6th in the 2002 World Championship and 3rd in the 2004 Olympics. How can a team led by Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and a whole bunch of other superstars lose? You may say that the rest of the world is catching up with the United States, but the bigger reason is that you can't simply toss in the best players and assume that they'd become the best team too. You have to consider the chemistry and balance, and how they play as a unit.

Team USA has began its preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. All players, regardless of their star status will have to do something new to most NBA stars: tryout for the team. Team USA director Jerry Colangelo announced the list of 23 players who will try out for the team in July. Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski will pick a 15-man roster (with 12 active players). Interestingly, 2004 USA co-captain Allen Iverson was not invited.

Unlike the previous Dream Teams, the roster will not be composed of the biggest names available. They would have more role players like Bruce Bowen, Luke Ridnour, and Shane Battier, who were all invited to the tryouts.

The bottom line is that these are team sports. The better team should win. It's not the name at the back of the jersey that matters, but it's the one at the front that's important.

NBA All-Star Weekend 2006

It was another fun NBA All-Star weekend, the greatest showcase of talent and entertainment. Here are the events for the weekend that I watched on TV together with some of my thoughts on each:

Rookie Challenge

76ers other “A.I.”, Andre Iguodala scored 24 of his game-high 30 points in the second half as the Sophomores defeated the Rookies 106-96 in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge. Iguodala, the game's Most Valuable Player, was dominant as he made 13-of-17 from the field, mostly on a flurry of dunks and 3-pointers. It was like a one-man dunking exhibition. Surely enough, it was just a preview of what was in store in the Slam Dunk contest, which he would be participating in.

Shooting Stars Challenge

Team San Antonio, comprised of current Spurs all-star Tony Parker, former Spurs sharpshooter Steve Kerr and WNBA star Kendra Wecker of the Silver Stars, won the 2006 RadioShack Shooting Stars challenge. Thanks to Tony Parker, who hit the half-court shot on his first try, their team had a record-setting time of 25.1 seconds. Interestingly enough, Kobe Bryant of team Los Angeles also made the half-court shot on his first attempt, while Tracy McGrady of the host city Houston made it on his second. This made me think that, perhaps, one of these years, there’d be a half-court shoot contest similar to the current three-point shooting contest. To me, the highlight of this event was not any of the shots made on the court, but it was actually a glimpse of Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria beaming with pride as Tony hit the clinching shot.

Skills Challenge

Miami's Dwyane Wade won the 2006 PlayStation Skills Challenge champion, defeating Cleveland's LeBron James in the final round by completing the obstacle course in 26.1 seconds to James' 33.7-second time. Defending champion and my bet Steve Nash, and rookie sensation Chris Paul were eliminated in the first round, setting up the duel that would probably be a glimpse of one of the NBA’s future superstar rivalries. At 6’8”, I believe LeBron was the tallest competitor in the history of the event, and yet he moved like a true point guard as he hurdled the course. Yet, he never had a chance as D-Wade lived up to his billing as the NBA Live 06 cover boy.

Three-Point Shootout

One of my favorite NBA players, German sensation Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA’s annual Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout 2006. He made 7-of-8 shots at one point and scored a total of 18 points in the final beating Washington’s Gilbert Arenas by 2 points and 2001 champion Ray Allen of the Seattle SuperSonics, by 3. The 7-foot Nowitzki became the tallest player ever to win the event, and with his height, blond tops, and of course impeccable shooting, reminded me of a young Larry Bird. What was even interesting was Nowitzki almost did not make it through the first round. Replays would show that his last shot, a two-point ball, did not make it before the buzzer. Had it not been counted, he would have been eliminated and instead of him, his teammate Jason Terry would have moved on.

Slam Dunk Contest

The NBA’s slam dunk contest is back! To me it was the best one since the Vince Carter-Tracy McGrady-Steve Francis showdown years ago. However, I was disappointed at the results.

It should've been Andre Iguodala's second trophy ceremony of the weekend. Instead, it turned out to be a controversy as 5’9” Nate Robinson won the event after a first-ever “dunk-off” to break the tie. Robinson needed 14 attempts to complete his final dunk – performing a transfer of the ball between each leg before lobbing the ball with his left hand off the glass -- all while midair -- and then catching it for the throw down. He got 47 points for that while Iguodala, who only needed 2 tries to complete a reverse between-the-legs dunk, got 46.

It was clear to the crowd that Iguodala delivered the best dunk of the night in the first round, catching an Allen Iverson pass off the back of the glass and gliding under the backboard and rim for a reverse-slam on the other side. He then followed that up in the final round with another perfect 50 on a lob off the glass featuring a behind-the-back, hand-to-hand transfer slam.

I would still have to agree that Nate Robinson was also spectacular. His most impressive dunk came in the final round. Walking across the court, he handed Spud Webb his old Atlanta jersey No. 4. Robinson, who also wears the same number for the Knicks, caught a bounce pass from the 1986 slam-dunk champ and jumped over all 5 feet, 7 inches of him for a spectacular jackknife slam.

However, I believe Iguodala deserved to win. That crazy behind the backboard dunk alone was the single most creative dunk I’ve ever seen. As for Robinson’s, jumping over a guy was nothing new. In fact, even Vince Carter dunked over a 7’2” guy in a game in the 2000 Olympics.

Overall, I believe the judges – a panel of Houston legends -- Kenny Smith, Elvin Hayes, Rudy Tomjanovich, Moses Malone and Clyde Drexler, are to be blamed. Except for Malone, all of them seemed tentative and had to glance at each other before they revealed their scores.

They clearly lowballed Iguodala with a 44 on his final attempt of the final round to force the first tiebreaker in the competition's history.

In the end, even one of the judges, Elvin Hayes, who awarded 10 points on Robinson’s final dunk, didn't feel too good the results. He felt that the wrong guy won. "I think Andre's (last dunk) was much more difficult and had a lot of power and energy in it….I just feel Andre won but it is all in the tally of the points."

• It is interesting to note that it was 20 years since the only other 5-footer, Spud Webb, won the event. Also, for the second consecutive year, the jersey of an Atlanta Hawk 1980s Slam Dunk champ was worn on the court and was part of the winning dunks. Last year it was Dominique Wilkins' no. 21 that was worn by then winner Josh Smith.

All Star Game

The 2006 NBA All-Star Game came down to an MVP showdown between LeBron James and Tracy McGrady, both high school-to-NBA superstars. In the end, it was a matter of which team won the game. The Eastern Conference won, 122-120, and expectedly James, at 21 years old, became the youngest All-Star MVP ever. He scored 29 points, fueled a second-half comeback and disrupted McGrady's potential tying jumper as the Eastern Conference rallied for a victory over the Western Conference in the 55th annual midseason showcase.
Unlike many of the past All-Star games, this one was relatively lifeless. For the first time that I could remember, defense was actually played. No doubt that it was because of the four Detroit Pistons who were fielded altogether by East coach (and Detroit coach) with about 3 minutes left in the first quarter.

The Western Conference All-Stars held a 21-point lead at one point during the game, but let that lead slipped away late in the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. LeBron James started it, but the Pistons quartet eventually broke it down. They started pushing the ball more and Ben Wallace's two blocks on Pau Gasol hyped up his entire team. No wonder why the Pistons are currently the best team in the NBA. The East eventually tied the game at 97 with almost a quarter left in the game.

There were some flashes of individual brilliance, led by McGrady and James, the superstar swingman of the Cleveland Cavaliers. McGrady, in front of the hometown crowd, scored 36 points, as his teammates kept feeding him the ball. He linked up with several Kobe Bryant lob passes that translated into spectacular dunks.

And yet, compared to the previous all-star games, this one had lesser highlights. Two missed dunks by Vince Carter and Rasheed Wallace’s left-handed three pointer that missed badly typified the kind of show the NBA superstars had put up. In fact, my favorite highlight was Shaquille O’neal at the free-throw line. He threw his second free throw attempt off the backboard and slammed it home. However, it was a lane violation.

The 2006 midseason classic wasn’t as entertaining, nevertheless it was a good hard fought game. And in that game of superstars, the youngest one seemingly rose to the occasion. He would definitely become the King of the NBA for many years to come.