Category Archives: basketball
Fellow Traveler Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman flew under the radar on his recent trip to North Korea. He arrived the same day Otto Warmbier was released from prison there. Otto soon died from brain injuries sustained during his 17 months of incarceration.
Rodman was uninjured on his trip. Guess he didn’t steal any souvenirs.
Dennis Rodman
A USA Today story says Rodman seems to be taking credit for Otto’s release. “I was just so happy to see the kid released,” “Later that day, that’s when we found out he was ill, no one knew that. We jumped up and down … Some good things came of this trip.”
The State Department and Otto’s father say Rodman “had nothing to do with his release.”
The Block
Before game three of the NBA final series against Golden State, Number 23 noticed old Number 32 in the stands. LeBron James trotted over and bowed to Jim Brown. Brown was pleased. He called the salute, “one of my greatest sports moments.”
One of his other great moments was The NFL Championship in 1964. It was Cleveland’s last major sports title, until LeBron and his co-workers ended 52 years of frustration Sunday night.
The Block
Brown and James bookended five decades of sports despair. Hope was crushed during those years by “The Drive“, “The Fumble“, and “The Shot.”
But now we have “The Block.”
LeBron used speed, grace, and power, to chase down Andre Iguodala and smash his layup into the glass. At Deadspin Chris Thompson called it, “the greatest individual athletic feat in a game of basketball that I have ever seen.”
It reminded me of Jim Brown’s second, third, and fourth efforts half a century ago.
I’m still watching The Block – over and over. You can too, here, here, here, and here.
Click the image for full size
Go here to see some of my less gushing LeBron cartoons through the years.
Cruz in Suspected Basketball Ring
In case you haven’t seen the Cruz Basketball Ring Speech, SB Nation has video here.
Dellavedova the Annoying
Matthew Dellavedova is the most annoying man in the world. Which is to say he is beloved in Cleveland. He has pestered league MVP Stephan Curry to distraction. Curry committed six turnovers in game 3 and is only averaging 24 points per game. The Honey Badger scored 20 of his own on Tuesday, when he wasn’t diving all over for loose balls. He didn’t stick around after the game to take accolades. He took an ambulance to Cleveland Clinic for dehydration treatment. He’ll be back tonight.
One and Done
Duke won the national title with three one and done rental players. Stephen Moore in IBD wonders “How can it be constitutional or ethical in America for the NBA to deny a 19-year-old the opportunity to make a living with its minimum-age requirement?”
