Lockout Doozies: Part 1

Without further ado, here’s the best and worst quotes of the offseason thus far.

I am confident, check that, I am certain more doozies will be forthcoming so look for Part 2 at the conclusion of the lockout. Let’s hope there’s no need for a Part 3 or 4.

“Talk to the owner. He gave me the deal. When it comes to contracts, the players aren’t sitting there negotiating that contract. I’m sitting at home and my agent calls me, saying, ‘I got a max on the table.’ I’m not going to sit there and say, ‘Naw, that’s too much. Go out there and negotiate $20 or $30 [million] less.’ “
- Washington’s Rashard Lewis.

He’s right.

“All Haters should catch full blown Aids and Die! Do the world a favor! and rid us of you all!”
- Kenyon Martin on Twitter, in response to some criticism over his lucrative Chinese deal.

K-Mart – you’re a bum.

“I wanted to display all of my shoes, so I had this 500-square-foot closet made. I just thought this would be a cool idea, and it would almost look like a museum. I had a fingerprint sensor put on the door to make sure I’m the only one who can get in here. I mostly wear Air Jordans. All of the Jordan guys are selected by Michael Jordan himself. It’s kind of hard to tell MJ no. I have 436 pairs of sneakers in here, and they’re mostly unworn. I’ll wear all of them eventually.”
- Atlanta’s Joe Johnson.

That’s perfectly reasonable.

Read more of my article at NBAMate

June In The NBA

It’s that time of the month folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. It’s All On LeBron

Dirk was legendary and the Dallas team was collectively brilliant, but let’s be realistic. If LeBron James shows up, or even just matches his averages, the Miami Heat bury the Mavs.

The stats don’t lie. LeBron averaged 17.8 ppg in the Finals (that’s an 8.9 ppg drop off from the regular season), attempted only 20 free throws and scored 18 fourth quarter points combined. I was pro LeBron all year but I can’t defend that; it was a meek performance, a meltdown, a good old-fashioned choke job. And quite honestly, his passivity in the clutch was one of the strangest things I’ve witnessed in sports.

Robd wrote a brilliant piece on LeBron’s performance so I won’t cover the same ground here. And I think we can all agree on this – he performed far below his capabilities and he’s got issues between the ears.

But the fact is the Miami Heat were two games shy of winning an NBA championship on their first go-round, so talk of blowing it up or predicting LeBron’s demise is premature to say the least.

The history of the NBA tells us this: you lose, you learn and if you’re good enough you eventually overcome. If LeBron James has one ounce of mental fortitude he will come back next year better and more determined and eventually win titles. However, if he’s not wired in this way and can’t become the ferocious competitor that’s required in order to win on this level (like Dirk evolved into), then he’s headed for heartbreak and endless ridicule.

I am betting on the former, but one thing’s for sure, it will be fascinating to watch going forward.

Read more of my article at NBAMate