LeBron James is having an out-of-this-world season. What’s new? Once again, James is absolutely destroying the competition and even though the Miami Heat don’t have the league’s best record, they have to be considered the favorite to win the NBA title come June. James’ numbers are ridiculous, per usual, but this season even more so. ‘King James’ is averaging 27 points, seven assists, eight rebounds and two steals a night, but what’s most incredible is his field-goal percentage.
James is shooting an asinine 56 percent from the field this season. Yes, FIFTY-SIX PERCENT!
That 56 percent puts LeBron at ninth in the league in the category, but everyone ahead of him is a center, with the exception of Serge Ibaka (who can sometimes be considered a center). All of these other guys are getting put-back dunks and scoring on shots right underneath the basket. Again, exception to Ibaka who actually has a pretty nice jumper and some solid range for a big man, but he’s not doing what LeBron’s doing. Not even close.
Setting James apart is the fact he takes 19 shots a night (including three three-point attempts). Out of the eight players ahead of him, nobody is taking more than 10. Of the top 19 players in shooting percentage in the league, the only other non-big that falls into the mix is Spurs guard Tony Parker. Parker lands at 18th in the league with 53 percent, he does a lot of his work in the paint, but credit where it’s due, Tony is having an MVP-type season, his second in a row.
Prior to Friday night’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks game, ESPN caught footage of Thunder guard Russell Westbrook singing along to Ke$ha’s infectious hit “Die Young.” As if the crazy fashion statements weren’t enough of a reason for you to love Westbrook, the fact that he gets pumped up for a game by singing along to Ke$ha makes him all the better, right? Maybe Westbrook should make this a pre-game ritual since the Thunder won 117-114 backed by Kevin Durant’s career-high 52 points. Westbrook was no slouch either, adding 31 points.
Who needs Rick Ross to get amped up for a game when you have Ke$ha?
Nike dropped this Kevin Durant spot today on the web to unveil the three-time scoring champ’s latest sneaker, the KD V.
The Bright Crimson colorway is what you’ll see in the video. A very fresh pair of sneakers, that not only promise to offer premiere support and performance, but have a great look for even casual wear. Over the last two or three years, Nike’s signature lines have greatly improved.
I wouldn’t buy anything but retros for nearly a decade, but that has recently changed, I’m ready to pick up some of these newer lines.
If you’re a KD fan, or a fan of the Thunder, you’ll definitely want to watch this video, but don’t think that the Thunder are ready to win that title just yet, we might have to wait another year or two until the Larry O’Brein Trophy makes a permanent stop in OKC.
I kind of hate when people ‘whore’ their kids out over YouTube, especially in embarrassing moments. Your kid doesn’t want to be on the internet, you’re just doing it for your own personal good. It’s lame. Sure, some of YouTube’s best/most popular videos are of this fashion (including a few that I really like), but at the same time, those moments generally shouldn’t be shared with 43 billion people. Maybe, I’m old fashioned.
Think about it.
Remember when you were 12 years old and your parents had that embarrassing video of you were seven? Remember how it was just a tape, that the only people who would ever potentially see it are people who actually came over to your house? Yet, for some reason — and rightfully so — you were still terrified about the existence of that tape.
Well, in this generation. There isn’t a tape hiding in your house. Your stupid parents just uploaded it to YouTube, so it’s on the internet forever.
All that said, I figured this video was worth sharing (probably because I felt like this kid multiple times in my life growing up and watching NBA basketball). It gets tired after awhile and most of all you just feel bad for this young Thunder fan, who absolutely hates the Heat, LeBron James and pretty much every other Miami player. More so, I just feel bad for this little guy, not only because he’s scared (and has lost all hope) for his Oklahoma City Thunder, but also because his parents uploaded this intimate moment to YouTube.
I used to write a lot. Mostly, about basketball. I need to write more for this site, a lot more. I plan on doing that, so I’m starting with basketball. Here you go, let’s talk NBA Finals. It’s a few hours late. Sorry.
It’s the 2012 NBA Finals, and to say the least, I’m really excited. More than I’ve been in a long while.
I think it’s safe to say that this NBA Finals series between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder is the league’s most star-powered and looked forward to series since the Chicago Bulls played the Los Angeles Lakers back in 1991.
I am pretty confident with that statement.
It’s not to take away from some of the great matchups we’ve seen over the last 20 years, like the Houston Rockets defeating the New York Knicks in seven games back in ’94, or the Bulls and Jazz going at it for six games in back-to-back years in ’97 and ’98, or even my beloved Detroit Pistons shocking the world and beating the Lakers in five games back in 2004. There’s been a lot of awesome basketball with some great performances and tons of legendary names involved, but I don’t think any of those compare to what we are potentially going to see happen during this NBA Finals.
I’m not even saying that this series is going to go seven, with nail-biting games, buzzer-beaters or scintillating overtime finishes. It’s almost impossible to call the specifics, but on paper, there is a lot be excited about.
It’s clear that the biggest headline is LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant. MVP vs. scoring champ. Something we rarely get to see in the Finals. To most of America, it’s the ‘bad guy vs. the good guy,’ and we all know who is who in that assessment.
That whole ‘good guys vs. bad guys’ theme could be, and is pretty much, applied to this entire series. As a whole, and without really having to conduct any Family Feud style surveying, we know who America is pulling for and we definitely know who they are rooting against.
Miami is the enemy here.
Oklahoma City, on the other hand, are making their run at becomming America’s sweetheart.
The biggest NBA Finals in probably 21 years starts tomorrow night.
The three-time and current league MVP, LeBron James, against the three-time and current league scoring champion, Kevin Durant.
Oh, the Heat also have Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Let’s not forget the Thunder have Russell Westbrook and James Harden, in addition to Durant. Even with all that, they also have Serge Ibaka who is an NBA All-Star in the making.
This is the most star-powered NBA Finals since 1991, Lakers vs. Bulls.
A great series is ahead of us and I think the outcome will change the landscape of the league for at least the next five years, if not longer. This series is THAT ‘BIG,’ so the league’s slogan is right on point.
I will have my thoughts and prediction on the series by tomorrow.
Stay tuned.
(Oh, props to the NBA for showing my Bad Boys, the Detroit Pistons)
Dammit. My bad. One last Kate Upton post today. She’s breaking the internet, we might as well call May 1, 2012 ‘Kate Upton Day’. She’s everywhere.
For those that don’t like Kate Upton, if you like basketball, the Oklahoma City Thunder, or two of their stars, Kevin Durant or James Harden, well, you’re in luck.
If you like all of these things, then you’re going to REALLY like this video.
A pretty funny video, which is sexy, because of Upton, and features two of the NBA’s brightest stars, in Harden and Durant.
I wrote the following first-round preview of the 2012 NBA Playoffs prior to any of yesterday’s games starting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fully edit and publish it until today. It wouldn’t be an NBA preview from me, if it wasn’t posted until after the games have started. That said, obviously Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert both had season-ending injuries yesterday, which changes everything, especially for Chicago. Yes, everything I wrote about Rose in this preview was before the injury and game even happened. I didn’t mean to jinx him, I swear.
I still stand by my outcome of the Chicago/Philly series, despite the injury to Rose. As far as the Magic/Pacers series, well, you can already call me out, because I was wrong.
There’s a lot of reading involved with this, feel free to dive in. I’m also going to post my entire playoff bracket, sans explanations, in just a few. So stay tuned for that. (more…)
Lamar Odom wasn’t the only player returning to the city where he helped a team win a championship during yesterday’s serving of NBA games. Kendrick Perkins made his first appearance in Boston since being dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder last February. Perkins was the muscle of those great Celtics teams and an integral part of their 2008 NBA Championship run.
Celtics fans not only gave a very warm welcome to the big fella, but the team played a one-minute video thanking Perkins for his near eight seasons of service in the Celtic green.
Super classy move by the Celtics organization, even though I’m sure Perkins hated the video since it had evidence of him smiling, which nobody thought ever happened before yesterday’s montage. Perkins has the league’s best mean mug (even during his altar boy days).
Perkins and the Thunder improved to a league best 12-2 with the 97-88 victory over the C’s yesterday.
The NBA playoffs are finally upon us, and after what seemed like an eternity of hell for this Detroit Pistons’ fan, at least I can rest knowing that my team will finally be under new ownership. Finally, the best basketball of the season is on its way, and now I won’t have to make the decision of watching a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond on TBS or watching the Pistons fall apart in the third quarter against the Washington Wizards.
Finally, great basketball is upon us, no matter which city you live in.
Will the Lakers three-peat? Can the old Celtics make it back to the Finals with so much uncertainty with their big men? Will the Bulls make a long-awaited return to greatness? Will Kevin Durant and the Thunder shock the universe? Will Tim Duncan and the ageless Spurs stay healthy enough to help the big man capture his fifth ring?
So many questions to be answered, and honestly, it’s not easy to call this season. That said, here are my predictions for the 2011 NBA Playoffs, which has the chance to be one of the most unpredictable playoffs in recent years. (more…)
It looks like NBA GM’s get it, hopefully everyone else does too. This kid should have been MVP last year, but for some reason everyone choose that dude that “took his talents to South Beach.” Anyways, Kevin Durant is only 22 year old, so he has plenty of time to win the most MVP’s in league history. If he wins one at 22, is winning six more out of the question?
