When Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant went down to what is believed to be a torn Achilles tendon, the basketball world was in shock. It could be the sudden end to a career of one of the game’s all-time greats and Bryant seems to understand what the injury could mean. He also all but officially confirmed that he will undergo surgery and begin rehab for his torn Achilles.
You never want to see anyone injured, especially something this severe. After a long and storied career, could this be it for “mamba”?
Here is Bryant’s entire statement from his Facebook page:
This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I’ve done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I’m supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??
I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me…Then again maybe not!
It’s 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I’m wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what’s the purpose of social media if I won’t bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in.
There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.
One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.
“If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear”. Ive always loved that quote. Thats “mamba mentality” we don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.
I know it’s a long post but I’m Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.
Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.
There will never be another Michael Jordan. The man simply was too great, both on and off the court. He wasn’t just a superstar who became washed up and then broke later on in life. The week that Jordan turns 50, he’s making more money than he ever has and he’s arguably as popular as he ever has been. After a half-century of MJ, the basketball world still revolves around His Airness.
Today, Michael Jordan is 50 years old.
Happy 50th birthday to the greatest basketball player of all time. There will never be another Michael Jordan.
David Stern, who has led the NBA since 1984, Thursday said he would retire as commissioner of the league in February 2014.
The announcement came at the NBA Board of Governors meeting in New York. The league also said Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver would replace Stern.
Stern, 70, succeeded Larry O’Brien as the NBA’s fourth commissioner on Feb. 1, 1984, meaning he will have guided the NBA for 30 years.
“I don’t know what else to say other than to recite what I told the owners yesterday in executive session,” Stern said. “I told them that it’s been a great run, it will continue for another 15 months, that the league is in, I think, terrific condition.”
The NBA battled through four labor lockouts during Stern’s tenure, the most recent was last year, which saw the regular-season season delayed nearly two months but ended with a collective bargaining agreement covering 10 years.
Stern became the NBA general counsel in 1978 and helped the league negotiate a salary cap and a drug-testing program with the NBA Players’ Association. The league has added seven teams since Stern became commissioner and established an international footprint, considered a vital move for marketing the NBA. The WNBA started play under Stern’s leadership.
“I said that I like to think that I did an adequate job but one of the things that I did best was to provide a successor that would be able to take kinds of things that we now look at as huge growth opportunities — international, digital, television negotiations — and have somebody in place.”
Silver, 50, has been with the NBA for 16 years. He has been the league’s deputy commissioner and chief operating officer since July 2006.
Dwight Howard is going to the Lakers in a four-team trade. Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images
After months of speculation surrounding the future home of Magic superstar center Dwight Howard — most of it surrounding the Nets — the Magic appear to have dealt Howard to the Lakers, according to a source.
The source said it “looks like” a four-team trade will be completed, sending Howard to the Lakers and ending what has been an eight-month saga surrounding Howard, the league’s dominant big man.
For much of those eight months, the focus of any Howard talks involved him coming to the Nets, whom Howard requested a trade to after the NBA lockout was resolved last winter.
But Howard now appears to be headed to the Lakers in a complicated, four-team deal involving the Magic, Lakers, 76ers and Nuggets, which was first reported by Yahoo! Sports yesterday.
In the deal, the Lakers will receive Howard, the Nuggets will acquire 76ers All-Star Andre Iguodala and the 76ers will receive Lakers All-Star center Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson from the Magic. Orlando will receive guard Arron Afflalo and forward Al Harrington from the Nuggets, second-year center Nikola Vucevic and small forward and former St. John’s star Moe Harkless from the 76ers, along with a protected lottery pick from each team, according to ESPN.com, which reported the deal was done. However, with this many teams involved, there remains a chance that some pieces will change before the deal is completed.
If the deal is completed as constituted, it would push the Lakers past the Heat as the favorites to win the NBA title next season, with a foursome of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Howard that can match up with any team in the league.
Howard heading to the Lakers also would all but end any chances the Nets would have of acquiring Howard because they will be far over the salary cap when he becomes a free agent next summer. Because of the restrictions on teams over the luxury tax in the new CBA, the Nets will be unable to acquire Howard in a sign-and-trade after next season if he wants to leave the Lakers as a free agentAnd it is extremely unlikely the Lakers, who expect to be able to re-sign Howard, will trade him anywhere during the season.
The Nets have been at the center of the Howard saga ever since the superstar center requested a trade to the Nets last December after the NBA lockout ended. At various points, it seemed like the Nets would be able to acquire Howard, only to see trade talks fall apart.
Then, when it looked like the Nets would be able to sign Howard as a free agent this summer, he inexplicably opted-in to the final year of his contract the night before the March 15 trade deadline, removing his leverage in trade talks and removing the Nets’ ability to sign him as a free agent.
It again looked like the Nets might end up with Howard last month when free agency began and discussions with the Magic started up again. But after extended talks with the Magic talks broke down, the Nets quickly moved to re-sign restricted free-agent center Brook Lopez to a four-year, maximum salary contract.
After re-signing Lopez, the Nets were unable to re-enter the Howard sweepstakes until January 15, when Lopez would be eligible to be traded again. But now it looks like they won’t get a chance to give it another shotHoward has been in Los Angeles since having back surgery in April to repair a herniated disk. In his only public comments since the season ended in an interview with Yahoo! Sports on July 2, Howard wouldn’t speculate about whether he’d be ready for the start of the regular season.
Steve Nash, the two-time MVP point guard, is going to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Suns.
Nash spent the past eight seasons with the Suns, was a free agent but a sign-and-trade agreement was necessary for the Lakers to afford him. He agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract. In return, the Suns get four draft picks — first rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2013 and 2014.
The deal was finalized Wednesday evening. Reports say a main reason for Nash choosing the Lakers was to remain close to his children, who live in Phoenix. There had been sign-and-trade talks with New York and a lucrative free agent offer from Toronto.
The deal will put Nash on the floor with the team he tried so hard to unseat as a Western Conference power, teaming him with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and at least for now, Pau Gasol.
The Suns at get something in the loss of their longtime leader and one of the city’s most popular athletes, although no one to help immediately, unless some or all of the picks are used in future trades.
Nash’s Phoenix teammate Jared Dudley tweeted that Nash “has not only been the best but the most unselfish player I ever played with. I only wish him the best. He deserves everything. Steve Nash has made many players millions. Only fitting to trade to a team that has a chance to win the ship and pay what he deserves.”
Nash has never made it to the NBA Finals. He was last in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers in 2010, when the Suns lost in six games and Los Angeles went on to win the NBA title.
The Suns resisted trading Nash during his final season and insisted they were interested in bringing him back, but they never seriously were in the discussion. Toronto and New York dominated the talk until the Lakers came on with a flash on Tuesday.
Nash’s arrival should rejuvenate the Lakers, who lost in the second round for the second straight postseason after their back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. The Lakers struggled to move from departed coach Phil Jackson’s triangle offense to new coach Mike Brown’s system during the lockout-shortened season, with four-time All-Star forward Gasol particularly failing to fit in while getting pushed to the third option on offense most nights.
Nash, 38, has had a stellar career but he’s obviously an older player. The Lakers have been trying to maintain a balance of experience and youth while trying to remain competitive year after year. With Nash, age is less of a concern because he is well known for keeping himself in great shape both on and off the court. Who knows, an athlete like Nash probably benefitted from a top-notch home exercise program? Nash’s peerless playmaking abilities and veteran presence could smooth over those problems, particularly after a full training camp to define the Lakers’ roles in Brown’s offense.
Los Angeles hasn’t had an elite point guard alongside Bryant for several seasons, failing to address Derek Fisher’s gradual decline while the rest of the West got better. The Lakers got sub-par play last season from the 37-year-old Fisher, who was traded to Houston at the deadline.
The five-time NBA champion was replaced in the starting lineup by journeyman Ramon Sessions, who provided speed and scoring but struggled badly in his first career playoff run, nearly disappearing from the Lakers’ lineup. Sessions’ decision last month to decline his player option for next season means his career with the Lakers is finished unless he’s interested in returning as a backup, an unlikely prospect.
Dwight Howard may be gesturing his exit from Orlando if his trade request is honored.
The Dwight Howard/Orlando Magic saga continues. With trade talks starting, the NBA superstar reportedly requested a trade on Friday (June 29).
According to ESPN.com, Howard met with new Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan and told him he wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Word is, Hennigan has not revealed whether or not he will trade the Magic star, but met with him face-to-face in Los Angeles two weeks ago just to hear what he had to say.
As of press time, ESPN experts say they expect to see a trade, but it will not be rushed. Instead, all options will be considered before a decision is made.
Howard picked up the option for the final year of his contract with Orlando back in March, when he signed off on waiver that barred him from opting out this off-season. However, since then, he’s grown more and more disgruntled, even telling people close to him that he feels the Magic blackmailed him into signing the “opt-in” clause.
ESPN reports that Howard went to the NBA Players Association last week to express his feelings of being blackmailed, inquiring about possible legal action over the situation…. which would possibly allow him to become a free agent immediately.
However, sources said the union doesn’t plan to pursue any legal actions against the Magic in the matter.
Jim Rome is burning with fire and he’s directing all of the heat at longtime NBA commissioner David Stern. During his radio show, the controversial host asked Stern about a possible fix to the NBA draft lottery. The controversy surrounding the draft lottery isn’t anything new and has been questioned in the past. Some believe the lottery is rigged to benefit certain franchises.
However, commissioner Stern didn’t take Rome’s comments lightly. Rome asked Stern about the possibility of a lottery fix, to which Stern replied, “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?” Stern wasn’t implying that Rome is a domestic abuser, just trying to point out the inaccuracies of the question he asked.
From there things got a bit heated, as Stern called out Rome’s methods and indicated that he was going to talk to someone more important, such as Stephen A. Smith.
James had a game high 31 points and 12 rebounds, but he received more help on Saturday as three other Heat players scored in double figures. Dwayne Wade added 23 points on 8-17 shooting from the floor and 7-8 from the free-throw line in the victory. Chris Bosh played over 31 minutes off the bench and scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his best performance since his return from injury.
All five Celtics starters scored in double-digits, but the bench players managed just two points and that led to the team’s offensive struggles in the second half. Point guard Rajon Rondo had a triple-double for Boston as he scored 22 points, dished out 14 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough and now the Boston Celtics – and specifically team president Danny Ainge – will have some major decisions to make this off-season regarding their veteran players.
The NBA Finals present a terrific matchup as James looks to win his first championship and the young -and very talented – Thunder look to set their mark on the league. All the action begins later in the week, but the build up will surely have fans and social media all abuzz.
All of the action gets underway with Game 1 (click here for preview) on Tuesday night live from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, and only on ABC.
I think I’ve come down with Lin fever. As I’ve said many times, I’m not an NBA guy and I’m not a regular NBA watcher, nor am I a fan of the New York Knicks. I do, however, love the game of basketball but it’s usually of the college variety. That being said, Jeremy Lin has made the NBA fun again.
Yeah, I was in denial but I finally caved in and caught Lin fever.
Jeremy Lin added another important factor to his rapidly growing mythical status – clutch, with a game winning shot against the Toronto Raptors, with 0.9 seconds left on the clock, to give the New York Knicks a 90-87 win, their sixth in a row, with Lin, as usual, leading the way with 27 points.
In general it was night of point guards, with Jose Calderon leading the Raptors scoring 25 points and dishing nine assists. Amar’e Stoudemire also made his return after dealing with the death of his brother, having a very good return with 21 points and nine rebounds. Above all, for obvious reasons, was Jeremy Lin.
He played 43 minutes in his fifth consecutive career start. He hasn’t played less than 36 since making himself known on February 4 against the Utah Jazz. Lin’s numbers since being discovered? Averaging 26.8 points and 8.5 assists, with his 11 against the Raptors a career high and his second double double of the season. Linsanity, into its second week, simply can’t be stopped.
With six straight wins in what can only be called the beginning of the Lin dynasty before ‘Melo makes his return, the Knicks are back in the playoff picture with a 14-15 record and suddenly, a scary looking team. If Carmelo Anthony does fit in to this very nice puzzle suddenly creates, as if by chance and luck and not by long term planning and actual talent observation.
The dreaded prophecies of the day Anthony returns to the lineup have been hovering around since the moment people understood what a gem the Knicks had stuck at the end of the bench all this time. It’s all quiet in the Anthony district right now, but it’s simply intriguing to see how well does he adjust to the new Alpha on the Knicks’ roster, who clearly flourishes with a different type of basketball to what Carmelo usually prefers and dictates on his team.
The first test, of seeing how well Lin meshes with Stoudemire, went by swimmingly. The Raptors aren’t the toughest of opponents, but a road win is a road win.
Amar’e didn’t have the best of nights in terms of shooting, getting blocked 7 times and finishing with 8-22 from the field, but it’s clear the two can work together.
Lin’s turnovers were an issue, finishing with 8. He’s turned the ball over 30(!!) times in his five starts, with this being the second game of 8 turnovers by the 23 year old Point Guard, in his second NBA season. So far, it isn’t costing his team wins, which is the important factor, but bad habits and stats tend to catch up with you.
Former benchwarmer Jeremy Lin is quickly becoming the toast of the NBA, posting career numbers while leading the injury-plagued Knicks to three consecutive victories. The Harvard grad, a slow-footed point guard who lacks an outside jumpshot, was cut from two teams last year before finding his way to the end of New York’s bench, where he languished until this past week. Now, a series of clutch baskets and other dazzling moves have merchandisers scrambling to get the guard’s number 17 jersey on shelves for an increasingly rabid fan base.
What They’re Saying around the web:
“Linsanity”: The point guard certainly “checks all the Tebow-esque boxes,” says Jake Simpson at The Atlantic. He’s a college star who was expected to fail in the pros. He’s a devout Christian who thanks Jesus after every game. He plays a key position on a team that was flailing before he arrived.
Yes, like Tim Tebow, Jeremy Lin fulfills “several prerequisites for Internet superstardom,” and it’s no wonder his run this week drove the blogosphere “berserk.” As impressive as Lin’s court presense has been, it’s “dwarfed by his larger-than-life image online.”
The comparison doesn’t really work: “The Lin-Tebow comparison is facile,” says Eric Freeman at Yahoo. Sure, the Christianity parallels are there. And Lin even cites Tebow’s approach to winning and off-field charity as an inspiration. But Lin “wasn’t drafted and received no scholarship offers as a recruit,” while Tebow “was a first-round pick, won the Heisman, and was a consensus top prospect in high school.”
In any case, this is a special moment: “I have seen a lot of Knicks fans’ neuroses and breakdowns play out in public before, but never quite like this,” says Emma Carmichael at Deadspin. It’s as if nervous fans are afraid “the mere mention of [Lin's] name might make him disappear, like some kind of magical elf.” After all, despite his solid fundamentals, his playing time and production will not last forever, especially as better teams start giving him attention. He remains a mystery. Still, I can pinpoint at least one reason why Lin’s rise has been so much fun to watch: “He is having the best time ever.”
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