Disappointment

It's been a rough sporting year in the Poop household as the Mets lost the World Series, Syracuse got beaten in the Final Four, the Redskins lost a playoff game at home and now our adopted NBA team, the Golden State Warriors loses a heart-breaking Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
A lot of excitement got us to that point, but all four magical runs ended in disappointment.

Note: I am a Knicks fan. Chase still insists he is a Knicks fan. But Stephen Curry and the Warriors are so much fun to watch, it's a much better introduction to the game of basketball for a young fan than watching the Knicks lose would be.

All season we recorded late night Warriors games and watched them the next day. Throughout the playoffs, I watched the games, recorded them and Chase watched the second half before school.

The boys stayed up to watch Game 7, and ended up going to bed in tears.

A few thoughts:

1) Stephen Curry played like garbage in the Finals, especially during Game 7. It wasn't just his poor shooting, which was his most glaring weakness. It was his lack of urgency and his ball-handling that seemed like it belonged in a February game against Sacramento, not Game 7 of the Finals against LeBron.

I couldn't find any good pictures to prove it but I am pretty sure that Curry's shooting form was off. He used to have perfect form, straight up and down, head over feet. Many times during the playoffs, and especially the Finals he seemed to be shooting while leaning forward. Maybe it's his knee injury, maybe it's fatigue, maybe he just got out of wack, but he just didn't seem right.

2) This game doesn't tarnish the Warriors legacy, much. They are a great team, NBA champs, 73 wins, return trip to the Finals. A couple more years of this and they're right up there with the Jordan Bulls, Russell Celtics, Wilt Lakers as the best teams of all time.

3) It does tarnish Curry's legacy. He came up small in the biggest game of his career. And he wasn't so great in last year's Finals, either.

4) It absolutely does cement LeBron's legacy. He has 3 NBA titles, six straight years in the Finals, and he made a legendary all-time play with his block on Iguodala to preserve the game. He is definitely in the top 5 all-time with Jordan, Magic, Russell and Wilt.

5) I guess I'm the only one who roots for these long championship droughts to continue. I like it, it adds an extra story line and drama. Now no one cares when the Red Sox are in the World Series. And who really cares about San Diego as a loser city, they only have two teams and nice weather. Having Cleveland and their near misses to talk about made it interesting whenever they got close.

The "P" Stands for Player

LeBron James deserves to be MVP of the NBA Finals. And it’s an absolute travesty.
If you’re saying the award has to go to the best player on the winning team you are adding factors into the voting that don’t exist.
There is a team award. It’s called the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The Warriors won it. Commissioner Adam Silver gave them that trophy. I saw it. Here’s a picture:

The MVP is different. It is an individual award given to the player (the P in MVP) whose contributions were most (M) valuable (V).
And even if there were a natural bias towards a player on the winning team (as there should be) shouldn’t this be the one exception – where one player is so transcendent and the disparity of the teams is so great that even his best efforts can’t overcome it.
He averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists. Yes his shooting percentage was poor, but again a big part of that is htat he had to take all those shots. Who else was gonna do it? You want him to give the ball to JR Smith in a key spot?
Plus, LeBron is only competing for MVP against other players in this series. He is not competing against your memories of Michael Jordan, or what you read about Bill Russell and how they single-handedly carried inferior teams to victory (they didn’t) because they are “winners.”
He was competing against Andre Iguadola who averaged less than half as many points, rebounds and assists. And he was credited for his defense on LeBron. Who still averaged nearly 36 points!!!!

The basic summary is this: if you don’t think LeBron was the MVP of this series you are stuck in a decades-old mindset where we were unable to separate individual performance and contributions from team results.
It is the same thing we fought over nearly three years ago when voters robbed Mike Trout of the MVP Award.
Individual awards should be given based on individual performance.
Having the championship title taken away from him when Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving got hurt was bad enough -- don’t steal the MVP too.

Love Me, Love Me, Say That You Love Me

LeBron James is going back to Cleveland, saying he didn't realize four years ago how important the people of Northeast Ohio were to him.
Many people are viewing this as an admission on his part that he made a mistake four years ago when he chose to leave the Cavs for the Heat.
I think he is making the same mistake this time around, only he's doing it in a better way.
Let me explain: First of all, I am talking only about the decision with a lowercase d. The Decision, the TV special, was a complete disaster and at least he learned that lesson this time around.
But the lesson he didn't learn, is that you can't make people happy by doing what you think they want you to do.
I believe LeBron chose Miami four years ago because he thought that's what people wanted and what he needed. He thought he needed to win championships in order to be considered one of the all-time greats. And he was willing to take less money to do it. And he was right, he won two titles and four conference championships in Miami. But he never got the adulation he wanted and desired, in fact the opposite was true. Even excluding the Decision, people were angry that he abandoned his home fans and assembled a super-team.
Upon seeing that his two titles didn't bring him the love respect and adulation he desired LeBron tried to reverse course and go back to Cleveland.
It would be an admirable move, were he really sincere about his intentions. But all he wants is the love. He doesn't really care about the people of Northeast Ohio who felt betrayed by him. He just wants people to stop saying bad things about him.
Well, it's not going to work.
There are always going to be haters and being a person of prominence, they're always going to attack everything he does.
But if he really wants to turn those of us who are mostly agnostic to him (love his play, ambivalent about his personality) he should be less concerned with what we think and more concerned with winning those titles for the people of Cleveland.

LeBron James Listened to "Garden Party"

The LeBron strikes back. In his new Nike ad "What Should I Do?" LeBron goes wild with the Ricky Nelson mantra "you can't please everyone so you gotta please yourself."

The ad is full of subtext reminding the viewer that he "did this before" meaning going to SVSM to play with his friends. And he takes nasty shots at Michael Jordan (for his awful Hall of Fame speech) and at Charles Barkley (for being a fat, loudmouth who never won anything).

I love it. As someone who mostly defended his decision (though voiced displeasure with the Decision special) I'm glad LeBron is basically saying to the world "I did what I did, I'm happy with it, I don't care what you think."

That's a great attitude to have but now the Heat need to start winning some games.

My Six Point Analysis of the LeBron James Incident

1. LeBron really did sully his reputation with this entire episode. I thought it was mostly cranky old white people who were hating on LeBron and calling him an egotist. But it turns out the sentiment against him is nearly universal. It runs the gamut from hating him and refusing to watch the NBA ever again to people like me who are marginally disappointed with the way he handled this thing. But I do think it is worth nothing that what LeBron did was better than a press conference to apologize for sleeping with 15 women, or explaining how that handgun got in your carry-on bag, or to refute rape charges. This was mostly a positive think but I think a lot of the negative reaction has to do with the way the special was handled.

2. The special was an outright disaster. First of all, he said he told only a handful of people. Maybe true, but they told a handful of people and they told a handful of people and so on and by the time he made the announcement everyone knew his decision. I think that was the first embarrassment. The second embarrassment was 15 minutes of Stuart Scott and his merry men (I love Wilbon don’t get me wrong) saying the same things we’d all been saying for months. And then a 15-minute interview of softball questions from Jim Gray. And why say the announcement would come in the first 15 minutes if that’s not what they planned to do? They should have produced some package of LeBron from the summer getting on and off planes (someone must have been shooting this stuff), showed him interacting with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club (wasn’t that the entire reason behind this?) then have him make the announcement, then take questions from the audience/twitter. Sure the ratings would have plummeted in the second half hour but that’s better than ruining your reputation.

3. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert may have also done some damage to his reputation. He wrote a letter ripping LeBron (and used a weird font to do it). He told Cavaliers fans they had been betrayed, called this a cowardly act and then in an AP interview ratcheted up the rhetoric even more saying LeBron quit on the team. I think he was just trying to act like a fan, to show he’s one of them, as he clearly runs the risk of losing his fan base this morning. The fact that he said he guarantees Cleveland will win an NBA title before the Heat is a perfect example of his attempt at a diehard fan’s eternal optimism. This morning Cleveland fans are devastated and setting fire to LeBron jerseys in the street. If Gilbert issued a statement saying something like “We thank LeBron for his years of service and wish him well in his new city” the fans would have been furious, thinking their owner doesn’t care as much as they do. I can see why some say it’s beneath a man of his stature to act like a common fan, but I also think LeBron probably owed him the courtesy of a phone call.

4. From a basketball perspective I think LeBron made a big mistake. He obviously realizes the only way to achieve basketball immortality is to win titles. And he’s willing to take less money and sublimate his ego (contrary to what he evinced with the Special) to accomplish that goal. But I think Chicago especially and possibly even the Knicks and Nets set themselves up to be long-term contenders if they could have added LeBron. Then he could have won titles (or at least competed for them) and had them be his own. It sort of seems like he is taking the easy way out by teaming up with Bosh and Wade. Sort of like when Gary Payton and Karl Malone joined the Lakers. Also, I have significant doubt that this will work out the way they all hope. It might be very hard for these three players to happily share the ball. And if they are not winning 60 games a year the talk with start and the fingers will point and this holy alliance could go south in a hurry. The key test will come late in games when you need one guy to take over. Wade has shown himself to be better in those situations so what if LeBron misses a couple of game-winners and Wade makes some? What if Wade ends up being Finals MVP the first time they win? Is that the type of title Lebron is pursuing with this decision?

5. I’m still not decided on what this means for the greater NBA. Over time history has shown that people like dynasties, so if the Heat become one I could see that being a positive for the league. I also don’t think it will be that easy for the Heat to become a dynasty. And even if they do, they will be like the Yankees, a lot of people will hate them. But there are a lot of teams that really have no chance before the season starts, and as Major League Baseball can tell you, the key to a successful league is competitive balance, and the illusion every team has a chance at the title.

6. As for the Knicks, they are royally screwed. Amare and only Amare with the rest of this roster (including the players acquired from Golden State for David Lee) is good enough to win about 25 – 30 games. Now Donnie Walsh has the choice: he can sign Mike Miller (ok, he signed with Miami, but you get the point) and Luke Ridnour or wait til next offseason and make a run at Melo, Chris Paul or Tony Parker. I think the latter is better because in the former you acquire players who really aren’t that great, for expensive long-term contracts, and that is not the model for success in the NBA. Getting LeBron was Plan A. It took a long time to formulate, and it failed. Plan B is to be bad for a really long time, but actually keep your draft picks. That may take even longer but it is probably the Knicks only chance to become a legitimate title contender capable of competing with Miami’s new juggernaut.

Another Reason For LeBron To Come To New York

The Knicks don't have Delonte West.
According to scurrilous internet rumors West is banging LeBron's mom, Gloria James.
Apparently this has been going on for a while but LeBron didn't find out until the middle of the Celtics series.
The team discord may have resulted in the Cavs losing.
I don't believe this story one bit, but it should at least be part of the Knicks pitch to LeBron.
We promise no one on the team will fuck your mother.

Brilliant Opportunity the Knicks Missed

Note: I got this idea from a letter to Bill Simmons but since The Concierge says its possible to get a patent for an existing product, I'm running with it.

Earlier this season, on November 6th, while the Knicks still had Jerome James they hosted LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks should have paid Jerome James during the offseason to change his uniform number from #31 to #23.

On that date they should have held Jerome James replica jersey night.

Imagine it, 19,763 fans in #23 Knicks jerseys with James on the back.

That would have been the greatest recruiting tool possible and there isn't a damn thing the NBA could do about it, though I'm sure the Cavs would have filed a tampering complaint.

The fact that the Knicks spent three years preparing for this and didn't think of that really upsets me.

LeBron Has Another Pair Just Like It at Home

LeBron James wore one orange and one blue sneaker during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, to match the Cavaliers orange and blue throwback jersey. LeBron claimed the mismatched shoes were a tribute to Craig Ehlo, Mark Price, Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty but I think he just grabbed the wrong one and was trying to play it off.

Rap Battle: Blitzen vs. Santa

A smack-talkin Blitzen (Lupe Fiasco) calls up Santa and starts talking some mess. Santa (brilliantly voiced by KRS-One) and his buddies, the Nike Kobe and LeBron puppets aren't gonna take that.

A Carry, A Travel and a Flagrant Foul

LeBron James gets two steals on this play, the ball, and a theft of a couple french fries from a kid in a Kevin Durant jersey.
Steal of the Night indeed.

Note: this video encapsulates a new problem I'm facing. Do I post the user-friendl youtube videos or take them directly from the source and make Poopheads sit through an ad. I decided to go with the nba.com version because I think it's the honest thing to do, plus it won't get taken down in a few hours. I like having these videos for posterity and for the Poopheads who only check the blog once a week or less. If you are a daily reader who hates sitting through 30 second ads to watch a 20 second video, blame the idiots who refuse to check this blog everyday.

LeBron James is a Murderer

Unbelievable game-winning shot by LeBron James. This shot completes his transformation from really talented player to all-around superstar who can carry a team on his back.
When a guy can do that there's almost no way to beat him.

After Turk hit his shot TNT was showing crowd reaction shots of devastated young Cavs fans, now those kids love LeBron even more. In 20 years those kids will say "I was there LeBron hit 'the shot'"

Incredible.

I Can't Find Any Reason I Won't Love This Show

I like "Friday Night Lights." I like "Entourage." I like Ice Cube. I like LeBron James.

So I think I am going to like this.

"LeBron James has partnered with O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson and ABC for a one-hour drama based on James' experiences as a high school hoops phenom. The series, described as "Friday Night Lights-meets-Entourage," will follow an inner-city 15 year-old prep star who is transplanted to a small town school and forced to come of age while dealing with media pressure, unscrupulous moneymen and the jealousy of his peers.

The pilot script is expected in the coming weeks and, if the network approves, production on the pilot could begin in the spring for a fall '09 premiere. CubeVision and James's newly formed entertainment entity Spring Hill Productions will oversee for the network, while James and Cube will serve as co-creators and executive producers."

And coming summer 2010, the kid moves to New York.

It's Gotta Be the Shoes

The latest hint that LeBron James loves New York and wants Knicks fans to love him back (eventually) was unveiled last night as James led his Cavaliers to a demolition of the Knicks.
LeBron unveiled a new pair of sneakers called the "Big Apples."



Knicks fans did their best to welcome LeBron, sporting makeshift LeBron Knicks jerseys. Personally, I would have started a "We've Got Cap Space clap clap clap-clap-clap" chant.

LeBron James Likes Grease?

I find it hard to believe but evidently LeBron James is a fan of "Grease." He dressed up as Danny Zuko for Halloween and even had a custom leather jacket.



I think I speak for all Knicks fans when I say "you're the one I want, one that I want, ooh, ooh, ooh."

Go Ahead Take That Paper Out of There

The ad for LeBron's new After Six sneakersis absolutely hysterical in an understated, porno-spoof kind of way. It's made even better by the presence of Nicole Scherzinger, of the Pussycat Dolls and my Top 10 Hottest Women Alive List.
It's pretty long, but enjoyable.

You Kiss Your Mother With That Mouth?

Watch carefully as LeBron James gets taken into the first row on a hard foul by Paul Pierce. You'll see a woman in a white shirt get up and enter the fray (Kevin Garnett is holding her back). Turns out that woman is LeBron's mom. And if you can read lips you'll see him gently imploring her to take her seat.



If you are having trouble reading lips he says to his mom "sit your ass down!"

Shouldn't LeBron Be Able To Afford Better?

I was watching this really sweet piece on LeBron James on Sportscenter when a little something caught my eye.
The story was about LeBron being a great father in addition to a great player. Strange that only one of his two sons was featured in the piece, but with about 1:11 left in the story (countdown clock) I noticed that Bryce Maximus has the exact same high chair as Chase Brennan.





Shouldn't a guy who has a casino and a bas relief of himself in his house buy his son a more expensive high chair, even if it's not worth the extra money, just to show his kid he cares about him?
Maybe Savannah just realized that the Rainforest is a great print and a real child pleaser. I wonder if Bryce tries to chew on the Tiger's head like Chase does.

Also I think Bryce has the same car seat as Chase.
And LeBron has the same affinity for sandals and socks as I do.

Why LeBron's Yankee Sneaker is Good

LeBron James (with the help of Nike) is coming out with a pinstriped sneaker in tribute to his favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees.



While normally I loathe the Yankees and anything having to do with them, I like this sneaker for two reasons. First, stitched inside the tongue of the sneaker is "Le-Bron James, clap clap, clap clap clap." That is a nod to the only cool things Yankees fans do, calling out every player's name (Der-ek Jee-tuh!) at the beginning of every game until each player acknowledges the fans.

Second, this move could further alienate Cleveland fans who were angered when LeBron went to a Yankees-Indians playoff game in Cleveland while wearing a Yankees hat. Hopefully, the relationship between LeBron and Cleveland fans will turn sour and LeBron will decide to come to New York to play for the Knicks when his contract is up.

What I Should Have Said Theater

This is what LeBron James should have said about a speeding ticket he got for driving 101 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone late at night on December 30 (his birthday) on his way home after a game. LeBron's reaction was very blase, playing it off and saying that his Benz's speedometer actually shows speeds of up to 200.

This is what LeBron James should have said:
"I was doing 101. That's it. I was speeding. I've just got to abide by the law. I got caught. I made a mistake, and I'll live with it. I wasn't drunk. I was just speeding. That's it."

Note: that is part of what he did say, so he had it half right, but he needed to add this:

"But I also understand that given my profession and my influence on kids things like that can't happen. Too many kids look up to me for me to behave so irresponsibly. I don't want to look like I'm condoning driving 36 miles above the speed limit. The next time I drive 100 I'll be in a racecar on a track somewhere. Maybe I'll build one in my backyard. I've got the land, and the money."

More Congratulations and Felicitaciones and Mazel Tovs

In the same week that Tiger Woods had a little girl, Sam Alexis (June 18), two other great athletes also had kids.
Jeff Gordon and his wife Ingrid Vandebosch, had their first child, a girl Ella Sofia Gordon on June 20.
And on June 14, LeBron and his girlfriend, Savannah Brinson had their second child, a son, Bryce Maximus James.

A couple of side notes, LeBron and Tiger share the same birthday, December 30th.
Jeff Gordon is 35, Tiger is 31 and this is the first child for each. LeBron is 23 and has 2 kids.
Gordon and Tiger are both married to former models.