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.
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.
Hey guys! I’m so very sorry for neglecting you all since Wednesday. I’ve had some crazy things going on here on my end combined with a hustle and bustle of the season.
I’ll be honest, I found it very odd to have had the majority of NFL games played on Saturday verses today. I understand the NFL’s logic, but I think it would have been received just as well had the games been played today. (At least we witnessed an awesome flip by Jerome Simpson of the Cincinnati Bengals)
Diehard sports fans like myself aren’t left without any sports today. The NBA is back in action with a set of five high profile games to kick off the season. Thats right, nearly six months after we last had an NBA game, the hardwood will be in use once again on Christmas Day. Heres how it sets up:
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks, Noon, TNT: Carmelo Anthony begins his first full season with Amar’e Stoudemire. Tyson Chandler makes his debut for the Knicks as well. The Celtics, meanwhile, don’t have CP3.
Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m., ABC: 2011 NBA Final rematch! Will LeBron James and Dwyane Wade be able to do what they couldn’t in June?
Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 5:00 p.m., ABC: Derrick Rose just received an extension and will go up against an injured Kobe Bryant.
Orlando Magic vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:00 p.m., ESPN: Dwight Howard is still in Orlando while the Thunder look to be front-runners for the NBA title this season.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m., ESPN: Let the Chris Paul Era begin!
Oh yeah, for desert we have the NFL.
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. NBC: Can the Bears find some sort of Christmas present under the tree on Sunday night, namely a victory over the Packers? Doubtful.
Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays to each and every one of you and yours. Thank you so much for reading and for all of your support.
Happy Holidays to my readers out there who stop by every week and read my ridiculous rants. It is always a pleasure to dish out all the sports news, both good and bad. I wish nothing but happiness to you and your loved ones. Enough with the sappy Lifetime diatribe, let’s kick off the blog!
Here are my Top Three Performances from NFL Week 15:
1. Quarterback Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints): Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino and Johnny Unitas both have NFL records that are in major trouble, all thanks to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Unitas’ 47 consecutive games with a passing touchdown will have to wait until 2012 but with the way Brees is gaining passing yards these days, Marino’s single season record of 5,084 passing yards may soon fall into silver medal status. Brees certainly had a field day through the air, as the Saints picked up a huge 42-20 road victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Brees completed 32 of 40 pass attempts (80%), threw for 412 yards, and five passing touchdowns.
2. Running Back Reggie Bush (Miami Dolphins): Every once in a while, he just turns into real life video game. This used to be a constant for Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, who would light up the scoreboard, and rewrite the record books during his days as a USC Trojan. After his tenure with the New Orleans Saints in which writers deemed him a bust, Bush has seemed to be finding his groove again in South Beach, and yesterday was proof of that fact. Bush carried the ball 25 times for 203 yards and one touchdown, a 76 yard score in the fourth quarter, to help the Dolphins pick up the 30-23 win on the road against the Buffalo Bills.
3. Defensive End Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs): Who would have thought that the Kansas City Chiefs would be the team to give the undefeated and defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers their first loss of the season? The Packers and their quarterback Aaron Rodgers have been making mince meat of most defenses on their schedule in the 2011 season, even having blow out victories on the road. Chiefs interim head coach Romeo Crennel and his defensive end Tamba Hali weren’t going to lie down that easily to the Packers or even think of losing for that matter. Hali sacked Rodgers three times, hit him twice, forced one fumble, and helped the defense hold the Packers to 315 offensive yards in a shocking 19-14 Chiefs home victory.
Congratulations should also be in order for the Indianapolis Colts, who picked up their first win of the season, beating the Tennessee Titans 27-13 at home. However, the quest for the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft becomes quite interesting in the next two weeks, as the St. Louis Rams and the Minnesota Vikings have two wins each. If the Colts choose to show up in the next two games and win at least one game, the chances of not landing Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck becomes too high for comfort. Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck both want be the starting quarterback in 2012, and if Dan Orlovsky continues to improve, he may start for a different team.
The ever controversial, media hating, possibly tainted, all-time home run leader Barry Bonds is currently serving hard time…in his mansion. Bonds, who gave misleading information to the federal grand jury in their investigation on steroid use in professional sports, was sentenced to thirty days of house arrest, and two years probation. Not a bad sentence for a guy who used to pay off his former trainer Greg Anderson to keep quiet and serve jail time in order to delay the investigation. If this proves anything, it is that Barry Bonds made a mockery of the system, and the federal jury along with the verdict, looked like a complete joke.
It looks like life as a Lakers fan isn’t faring so well in Los Angeles these days. After a failed trade for Chris Paul which ended up being approved for the Los Angeles Clippers and a trade which sent Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers are left with little to look forward to in the shortened 2012 NBA season. Lakers star player Kobe Bryant will be going through a messy divorce, Derek Fisher isn’t going to play any younger at 37, and Ron Artest, I mean Meta World Peace, is going to be his usual crazy self. New Lakers head coach Mike Brown is going to have his hands full in the Western Conference while other teams around his own continue to grow stronger by the day.
The WWE made a stop at First Mariner Arena in Baltimore last night for its “WWE TLC” pay per view. If you were a fan of surprises and delightful outcomes, last nights wrestling event was the place to be. C.M. Punk retained his WWE Championship in a triple threat ladder match, Daniel Bryan cashed in his “Money In The Bank” contract and won the World Heavyweight Championship, and the WWE’s own internet sensation, Zack Ryder won his first WWE singles title as he defeated Dolph Ziggler in a surprisingly good match to win the United States Championship. And the best part of the event: No John Cena in the main event!
I would like to thank you all for reading my blog this week! In the next two weeks, I will give you my own selections for the 2011-12 Pro Bowl teams, and my NFL 2011 Awards. Be sure to check me out on Facebook (Joshua Collins Hall) or e-mail me at y2joshua85@yahoo.com for any information regarding my blog and future projects. Enjoy your Monday night, I am out.
The on again, off again trade talks surrounding Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be on again – for now. In fact, the Hornets are willing to engage in trade discussions with anyone who is interested.
Hornets GM Dell Demps would not say specifically if he was talking to the Lakers in hopes of reviving the trade that would have sent Paul to the Lakers but was rejected by the NBA Thursday night.
Before the trade was nixed on Thursday, The Hornets had established the framework of a three-team deal that would have sent Lamar Odom to New Orleans and Pau Gasol to Houston. The deal also would have sent Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic from the Rockets to New Orleans, along with a 2012 first-round draft choice.
Demps was very clear when he said this situation could have been avoided entirely if only Chris Paul would have sign the extension.
“It would be real easy if Chris signed the extension, but the reality is he didn’t sign the extension, so we have to do everything we can for the organization. I wish he’d stay. I’m not going to lie about it.”
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.
For now though, the saga continues and we will wait and see if he’s traded after all.
Look out, I’m about to dive into the craziness in the NBA over the last 24 hours.
The Los Angeles Lakers wanted to send Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom packing in a bid to grab star point guard Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets. The NBA didn’t allow it.
Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul were almost teammates but the NBA nixed the trade
Say what?
Most of you are aware that I’m not an NBA guy but this is just to difficult to ignore.
Let me ask you all something. Did the NBA learn something from the NFL?
This entire ‘non-trade’ that was nixed by the NBA [or Khloe Kardashian depending on who you ask] reeks of parity much like the NFL. Not sure where I’m going with this? Hear me out.
People wonder how the NFL became so popular, and the biggest answer is a sudden equality spreading throughout the league. Nobody knows which team will win from one week to the next because steps got taken years ago to curtail massive spending from teams like the Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants. Experts refer to it as parity, a system that aims at making every team good enough to compete each year. Given the nail-biting Super Bowls and improbable playoff runs of the last decade, the revenue streaming in for the NFL says it all. It’s the kind of success the NBA hasn’t had since Michael Jordan left and they desperately want to see again. Preventing Chris Paul from heading to L.A. discourages other players from pulling a coup and joining forces like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade did last season. It also grants small market teams a bit of hope for actually competing for championships.
After all of the things that have gone wrong for the NBA over the years and in recent memory, did the NBA get it right this time? This may not be the popular move but for the sake of the NBA and where it stands right now, I think it’s the right one.
The Dallas Mavericks rallied past the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-96 in game 5 of the Western Conference Finals and will await the winner of the Bulls/Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki has dominated through out the entire post season thus far and game 5 was no different. Dirk hit a straightaway 3-pointer with 1:14 left that put the Mavericks ahead for good. After clawing back from down 15 with 5:06 left in Game 4, the Mavericks were down by six with 4:37 left when they rallied again, outscoring the Thunder 14-4 the rest of the way.
Mike Brown has agreed in principle to become the Lakers’ next head coach, according to an NBA official who was not permitted to speak publicly on the matter.Brown is expected to sign a contract Thursday. The deal is worth between $4 million and $4.5 million per season, NBA officials said. Brown’s contract is thought to be for three years, with a team option on the fourth season that would give him partial pay if he is not retained. Here is a statement from the Lakers:
“In response to rampant speculation and reports about our head coaching position and Mike Brown, we’ve met with Mike and are very impressed with him. In addition, we have an outline for an agreement in place and hope to sign a contract within the next few days.”
The Mets have chosen a limited partner — David Einhorn, according to major-league sources. Einhorn, the president of Greenlight Capital, a hedge fund, reportedly will pay around $200 million for a minority share in the club. The deal is expected to give Einhorn the first option to buy a majority stake in the team if the present owners — Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz — decide to sell.
Philadelphia Phillies infielder Wilson Valdez became the first position player to become a winning pitcher since Colorado catcher Brent Mayne on Aug. 22, 2000, STATS LLC said. Mayne went one inning in a 7-6 victory over Atlanta in 12 innings. Valdez, a journeyman infielder started the game at second base and ended up pitching and getting the win in a 19-inning marathon.
Dirk Nowitski led the Mavs with 32 points, but despite having the momemtum and history on his side the German star was taking nothing for granted.
He said: “We’re not good enough to relax or take the pedal off the metal. You don’t want to ever give a champion life, so hopefully we can have the same effort and the same crowd and a great game on Sunday.”
Could Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant soon be wearing the same uniform?
It’s hump day and I’m feeling kinda mellow, but I might not be the only one. The Carmelo Anthony trade rumors continue to swirl and change on a daily basis. Early on, we heard that he was headed to New Jersey. Then, we were lead to believe that the Knicks were a forgone conclusion to land Carmelo because thats ‘where he wanted to be’. The Knicks went as far as hiring former Denver Nuggets GM Mark Warkentien as a a high-level consultant in a move that certainly is a move that undoubtedly has roots in the pursuit of Carmelo Anthony.
The leverage that the Knicks once had may have gone away because according to an ESPN report, the Lakers have entered the fray and have initiated in talks with the Nuggets to trade talks for Carmello Anthony. The potential deal would revolve around Andrew Bynum for Anthony, though a team source told The Times on Tuesday that the Lakers were unwilling to deal Bynum.
Will it happen? Does it help?
In my opinion, this move isn’t just for this year. This move is for the future. Realistically, Kobe Bryant probably has 3 or 4 years left and it’s more of a move to make the transition from life after Kobe as easy as possible and making sure they don’t miss a beat. I believe this could be a dynamic move for the Lakers to solidify a playoff run to another championship.
For a look on the other side of things, check out Billy Wiltz of Fox Sports West who doesn’t think a trade for Melo would help the Lakers.
In fact, 2010 was a rough year for a lot of athletes, not just Tiger Woods. Both Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre were involved in sexually-charged controversies of their own, and Favre followed up one of his most impressive seasons in 2009 with one of his worst in 2010 – likely his final NFL season.
But 2010 might be remembered most for the players who overcame their demons.
Eagles quarterback Michael Vick literally went from the doghouse to the penthouse in Philadelphia, rising from a backup to Donovan McNabb and then Kevin Kolb, to an MVP candidate.
And LeBron James, who was crucified in 2010 for his “Decision” to go from Cleveland to Miami, is putting together another MVP season of his own.
Which player will wind up with the MVP and potentially capture their first ring remains to be seen in 2011, but they certainly headlined the list of top stories in 2010.
Here’s a closer look at the top stories of 2010, as told by yours truly:
1. LeBron James takes his talents to South Beach
“This fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.” –LeBron James–
It was that quote that started it all. The LeBron James hate parade has marched across the country since ‘The Decision’ aired on ESPN in July. Clevelanders, NBA fans, and people who have never watched a basketball game in their lives united under one massive banner to smite down the man that has become a national symbol of narcissism.
The viral vendetta against LeBron is unprecedented in scope and size for the sports world. Even the most hated professional athletes haven’t felt the web’s wrath like this fallen icon. The Tiger Woods sex scandal drew anger from fans, instantly sparked thousands of jokes and sent some of his sponsors sprinting away, but he wasn’t demonized throughout online media. Michael Vick’s dog-fighting ring set his image on fire, outraged fans and animal rights activists, and inspired countless Halloween costumes, but his recent comeback on the Philadelphia Eagles hasn’t been marred by a nation-wide campaign against him.
Sure, LeBron quit, and he left his city to rot. But others have done the same and it didn’t incite national hatred.
2. Michael Vick goes from the doghouse to the penthouse
It was basically a fact heading into Week 15 that the top two candidates for the MVP are New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady and Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick.
Almost everybody had Brady first and Vick second. (A few threw in guys like Philip Rivers or Matt Ryan.)
And almost everybody agreed that Brady had the MVP race all but wrapped up, myself included. A debate is really not necessary because Tom Brady should indeed be the MVP.
3. Tiger Woods’ fall from grace
What seemed unthinkable until El Tigre was a gray haired overweight golfer on the Senior Tour has happened 15 years too soon – he has lost his #1 World Ranking.
The fall of Tiger Woods is complete.
4. New Orleans Saints win first Super Bowl, Moore of the same this season
Last season, a dynamic offense and a bend but don’t break defense led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl championship, but this season a stingy defense is keeping the Saints in contention as the offense is struggling for an identity while missing their top two running threats in Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.
5. Lakers win 16th championship
Champions should never, ever be counted out. Ever!
But the Lakers didn’t look good from the get-go. The offense was miserable almost the entire night, but enough guys stepped up to hit big shots after big shots. Who would’ve thought that the Lakers would rely on the shooting of Ron Artest on a Game 7 to keep them in the game? Who would’ve thought that Kobe Bryant would shoot just 25% on the biggest game of his entire career? Who would’ve thought that Pau Gasol’s toughness down the stretch would be a key cog in the Lakers’ 16th championship banner?
But above all, who would’ve thought that the Lakers’ on-and-off again defense will be the one that will save them all?
6. Cam Newton overcomes controversy, wins Heisman and BCS?
Cam Newton, the top offensive player in college football, not only gives opposing defensive coordinators a case of the willies, but also causes Heisman voters to shake in fear of placing his name on a ballot.
But this has nothing to do with whether or not Auburn‘s phenom quarterback is worthy of the award based on his performance on the field.
7. San Francisco Giants win first World Series
Celebrating with Cody Ross near the on-deck circle as the ball curved over the wall, Andres Torres said to his fellow San Francisco Giant, “He told me he was going to do it.” And it should come to no one’s surprise that Edgar Renteria did. The 35-year old Columbian shortstop who won the World Series for the Florida Marlins thirteen years ago as a baby-faced 21-year old delivered again in what might have been the final at-bat of his career.
8. Roy Halladay tosses no-hitters, wins Cy Young
In July, you probably read a stat-filled column by Philadelphian Jayson Stark with a title very similar to that one.
But you can expect national columns about “Old Hoss Halladay” Consider yourself warned.
9. Brett Favre’s rollercoaster ride of a season
You may have noticed that I have remained relatively quiet on the whole Brett Favre streak-ending saga up until now. That wasn’t unintentional. We figure you can find your fill of Favre news pretty much everywhere else on TV and the web. In fact, you probably can’t really escape it right now.
But during the Vikings-Giants game, with the NFL’s ironman watching from the sidelines in street clothes for the first time since the Clinton administration, we couldn’t help but notice something.
With all due respect for what he’s accomplished over the course of his career, Brett just looks old. With his hand purpled and his face and body showing the wear and tear of 297 starts, for the first time ever, the guy actually looks his age. It’s painfully clear – surprisingly, even to Favre himself – that it’s time to hang ‘em up.
10. Lady Huskies win streak ends at 90
Top-ranked Connecticut’s record 90-game winning streak in women’s basketball ended Thursday night when Stanford outplayed the Huskies from the start in a 71-59 victory. What the lady Huskies were able to accomplish was unprecedented and deserves every accolade given to them. Unfortunately for them, it’s a big deal when they lose. After winning 90 straight games, their first loss warrants being a top story of 2010.
Happy New Year to everyone. Please be safe. Thank you for your continued support and I can promise you that great things are in store for the blog in 2011. It’s very hard to believe that it has been almost a year for this blog. I couldn’t have imagined it would’ve gone this well. Thank you to everyone for reading and who believed in me enough to launch this blog. I couldn’t have done it without you!
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It was that quote that started it all. The LeBron James hate parade has marched across the country since ‘The Decision’ aired on ESPN in July. Clevelanders, NBA fans, and people who have never watched a basketball game in their lives united under one massive banner to smite down the man that has become a national symbol of narcissism.
