Lakers Sign Shannon Brown & Ron Artest

The Lakers signed guard Shannon Brown for two more years today, while a few days ago they secured Ron Artest for three years at the mid-level exception.

I can’t say I’m unhappy with those two actions. Shannon Brown obviously contributed plenty to the Lakers’ season last year and with a shaky Jordan Farmar and aging Derek Fisher around, it was important for him to stick around. However, now we have a 3 point guards situation which is never good on any NBA team. I think with Fisher playing less and less minutes, it might actually work out, but I’m shaky on this topic.

Elsewhere, Ariza chose the money and wasn’t happy with the mid-level 5.8 million per year offer. Can’t blame him I guess. The guy shut his mouth all year to put up with Kobe, won a ring, and is 24. Of course he’s going to go for more money elsewhere. And trust me, a lot of people will ask for him! The addition of Artest in his spot is an interesting one. I think Ron is still a good player, but on the other hand, he’s still Ron Artest. Will Kobe and Phil Jackson be enough to control him and keep his head in the game? The thought of Ron Artest & Lamar Odom on the same team would have scared me to death a few years ago. I’m not so sure now… I think in the long term it’s a good deal. We’re going for an older guy (Ron) vs. a younger guy (Ariza) to save money and add more experience to the team. In a couple of years, we’re obviously going into full rebuild mode once Kobe calls it quits. In the long term however, the right move was to keep Ariza. I guess money is tight these days, and one has to do what one has to do…

Live Notes From WWE RAW (5/25/2009)

I took advantage of the given opportunity to attend RAW tonight at Staples Center. I had good seats and enjoyed the night. Here are a few notes I thought I would mention.

- It seemed like a pretty loud crowd for the most part. Staples Center was definitely not sold out with very little wait time to get into the arena, lots of open parking, and a completely tarped off top sections. All the lower sections, however, were filled up and seemed sold out. I would guesstimate at least 8,000 people were in attendance, possibly more. They did a promotion all night long with Lillian Garcia announcing it during commercial breaks that if you took your RAW ticket stubs to the box office, you can buy tickets for SmackDown! at half price, which shows you had bad SmackDown! was doing with ticket sales. This offer was good only for tonight during the show and right after it.

- During the Santino Marella/Vickie Guerrero talking segment, a pretty big guy from the main floor seats was getting escorted out by three security guards (no idea why or what he did), who had to drag him out. He fought back and being so large it got ugly so the security guards had to defend himself and tackled him down. He ended up hitting his head (on the floor or on a seat, or on a step — again, no idea), and laid down for quite a while before he got up and walked off with the guards following behind. WWE did a good job of not showing any of this on camera, but they got lucky as Vickie Guerrero was on stage anyway, and they used close-ups of Santino that wouldn’t have gotten any of this.

- Only celebrity present was Michael Clark Duncan who got on Kiss Cam during one of the commercial breaks. He was pretty funny, as he showed a gum pack to the camera, opened it, took a gum in and then kissed his date.

- In case you haven’t seen it yet, matches taped for Superstars were Jack Swagger over Fit Finlay in a decent bout, and the Colons over Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas in the opening dark match with the help of Cryme Tyme which had A LOT of heat as the first bout of the night. The after-show main event was John Cena over The Miz in a long match where Miz got some offense in.

- Speaking of, without a doubt the two most over guys were John Cena and The Miz. The fans reacted very strongly to every Miz segment, and he was great in most everything he did. I’m not sure how much of this got on TV, but Miz cut a pretty long promo talking about the Cavs, LeBron James, and other anti-Laker topics which was over huge. Cena was the usual stuff. Batista got a loud ovation as one would expect. The Colons were really over as the first act out, but even later on when they came out for commentary, got a bigger ovation than anyone expected which probably explains Carlito’s good mood tonight.

- There really is nothing like watching Maryse. Few people seem to care about the divas these days which only shows how bad women’s wrestling has gotten here, but Maryse is something else. From the moment her music plays, to her strut down the ramp, to her facial expression, her hand gestures, hair flip, and constant giggle on her face, this woman breathes charisma. She blows most guys on the roster out of the water when it comes to presence, character, and charisma.

- The L.A. crowd had a lot of fun with the main event, pulling chants from Laker games such as “Defense!” and “We Want Tacos!” (If the Lakers win at home and score more than a 100 points while their opponent doesn’t get above 100, they give out free tacos to everyone). I’m not sure what this does with WWE in the bigger picture, but it probably served as a great way to hype up the NBA, so David Stern should thank Vince.

The Diary: Eddie’s Latest One-Liners

My name is Stan Van Gundy and I’m Ron Jeremy’s stunt double. I learned how to play Rashard Lewis with Pietrus and Hedo, and it helped me win a big game for once. I’m no Jeff.

My name is LeBron James and I shouldn’t take nine days off ever again. I also finally got to play a half-decent team in the Playoffs, and they were able to expose our offense, which consists of three plays.

My name is JJ Reddick. Sometimes I have bad shooting nights because I don’t go out to practice my three; instead before a big game I sit in the locker room next to Hedo — who’s eating pizza — and work on my hairdo with a bottle of gel and a comb.

My name is Kobe Bryant, and I miss being 25, where no matter who you were, I would have taken your ass to the rim for a dunk or two guaranteed free throws.

My name is George Karl and I simply can’t get it done. Nor can I get a suit that fits perfectly and doesn’t make me look like Koko the Clown. In Game 7 in Los Angeles, when the Lakers are up by 1 and we have the ball with 6 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, I’ll once again have Anthony Carter — the shortest player on my team — take the ball out of bounds where he’s met by Lamar Odom — a near 7-footer who played street ball in New York. I will have him pass to Chauncey, a guy who walks so slow to get the pass, telegraphing it to the entire court, that we’re bound to give them a steal and a win in a game we probably should have won.

My name is Kenyon Martin and I just fouled Kobe Bryant 30 feet from the basket in the biggest game of the last 20 years in our franchise’s history by reaching in for some reason while three people were defending him.

My name is Carmelo Anthony and I need to be traded to a team where my potential will grow into a championship, and not a team where my teammate feuds with Mark Cuban, uses double negatives in every sentence, and where the number of tats on our team combined is greater than the number of dumb decisions our coach has made this season. Either way, I’m set on showing everyone I’m that damn good and MJ knew something when he gave me that Nike deal.

My name is J.R. Smith and I really don’t give a damn if we beat the Lakers or not. Why should I care if my club’s owner doesn’t believe in us and would rather watch RAW?

My name is Blake Griffin and David Stern’s ping pong balls screwed me for life.

Can’t you just picture a depressed-looking Baron Davis bouncing off Marcus Camby and Zach Randolph during timeouts as Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin cry aloud? The NBA – Where Mike Dunleavy Happens.

Disgusting

There is no other word I can use right now to explain the Lakers’ showing today. That was disgusting. Not showing up to a Playoff Game when you’re a title contender is inexcusable. I’m a Lakers fan, and always will be, but today made me sick to my stomach. We don’t deserve to play in the Finals. In fact, I don’t want us to play in the Finals. Why make LeBron look even better than he already is? The Cavs would crush us with this type of play.

Having gotten the emotions out of me, I tried to figure out what happened. We played no defense for three quarters. I don’t know why. I can’t explain to you why. That was the biggest problem today. Houston’s shots were going in, and when you’re not playing defense against a team whose shots are going in, you’re gong to get embarrassed, which we did. Second, Andrew Bynum and Derek Fisher are just non-existent at this point in time. I don’t remember if it was Van Gundy or Jackson that said it on commentary today, but at this point in time you might as well play Mbenga if you’re Phil Jackson, and hope that Jordan Farmar get out of the slump. The Lakers don’t have a point guard. Shannon Brown played well today, but not having enough minutes in the regular season is showing. Those are the two biggest problems. Then there’s also this “heart” argument. Where is the heart?! I’ve been asking this since the beginning of the season! If you want to be a champion in this league, then you have to play like it. You have to show that passion. You have to give it all in your game. The Lakers don’t. That’s not a champion.

I’m disgusted, and extremely mad. What a terrible game!

NBA Playoffs Round 1 Thoughts

Now that Round 1 of the Playoffs is over, it’s time to reflect. There was quite a lot going on this year, and we ended up with a much better-than-expected Round 1 in my opinion. While it was largely due to probably the best Round 1 Playoff Series in history (Celtics-Bulls), there were some other scenarios that developed which should be discussed:

1) It was the end of an era…
Sorry Spurs fans. It’s over. It just is. Duncan is old and while he’s far from being done with basketball, it’s obvious that he’s now on borrowed time. He’s still a great player, but he’s not the Timmy you are all used to and need to win a championship. These next two summers in Texas will be decision-time as far as the future of the team goes. Manu’s constant injuries pretty much cancel out the great ability he has, while Parker is someone you can build around in a Point Guard-driven NBA these days. Lots to think about.

2) It was the beginning of an era…
OK, really — This wouldn’t have been such a good Playoffs’ Round 1 if it wasn’t for the Bulls-Celtics Series, and the Bulls’ arrival to the scene. Most importantly, Derrick Rose is here. You will remember this series for a long time, and when one day Rose is on the LeBron level, chasing a title, we’ll say “Remember the series with the Bulls in ‘09? He’s been there, and he wants it even more.” As good as this series was, I think people fail to realize how important it was for future great series! I can’t wait! I loved this Bulls team. A rookie coach combined with young players gave the defending champions the ride of their life. And I loved every second of it. A KG-less C’s team matched up perfectly with an arriving Bulls team. I like the Bulls for next season. Let’s see if they sign Gordon to a deal this summer and how things work out once Deng comes back. There’s excitement in Chi-town again!

3) It was the question of an era…
Can the Lakers hold a lead? Do they really want to win a championship? We thought that last season was over. There were a few convenient excuses for the Lakers’ performance last year. Kobe was injured; Gasol was new; Bynum and Ariza weren’t around; Odom was shaky. Despite all of these issues, the Lakers almost won the championship. So it was hard to disagree that when the 2008/2009 season started, they were the favorites. Fast-forward 82 games to the Playoffs. The situation is completely different… right?! Kobe’s injury is all but forgotten. Gasol has played the most minutes on the team this season. Bynum and Ariza are back, playing key roles in the Playoffs. Odom is the player everyone wanted him to be. The one thing that hasn’t changed? The Lakers. They seemingly fixed all of these issues, but in reality nothing has changed. They drop big leads. They don’t seem to have the passion to go all out for 48 minutes, play defense, make the key hustle plays, and have the passion of a champion. The Utah series wasn’t easy to watch, and the Houston one will be even harder. I truly hope the Zen Master has a few words of encouragement for his team.

4) It was the disappointment of an era…
There’s no excuse. What the New Orleans Hornets did to their fans is just inexcusable and low. To lose at home in a Playoff game is one thing. But to get blown out by almost a double margin is just embarrassing. Forget the fact that I felt like an idiot picking the Hornets in that series. Forget the fact that Tyson Chandler seemed more confused on the court than a soccer player watching an NFL game. Hell, even forget the fact that this team quit on Byron Scott a long time ago. What you can’t forgive nor forget is the fact that they quit on their fans. They just decided “F THIS! AND F YOU PEOPLE!” That’s inexcusable. No NBA team — I repeat, NO NBA TEAM!!! — would quit on its fans the way New Orleans quit at home in their blowout loss. I was disgusted! Denver deserves to play in the next round. The Hornets don’t deserve to be in the NBA.

Other Notable Events:
– Orlando entertains me. This is a team with no shot whatsoever, but with all the right ingredients of an entertaining team. They have a porn star look-a-like for a coach, who will say anything anywhere at any given time. How haven’t we gotten a reality show out of SVG is beyond me. The sad part is the Magic might make the finals out East because I don’t know how much gas the C’s have left in the tank.

– Portland. Very disappointing. It’s a proven fact that you can beat Houston if you play a certain way. The Blazers, much like everyone in the NBA, knows this. However, they chose not to do it and instead continue using the same strategy that never worked. They are so much better than this!

– Speaking of Houston, my favorite shot of the Playoffs was that of Tracy McGrady on the Rockets’ bench. Yes, Tracy. The Rockets are FINALLY out of the first round, and it probably has a lot to do with the fact that you are on the bench. You should get traded to the Hornets.

– D-Wade. You tried. The Hawks have a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 7 as I’m typing this. The bottom line is that no matter how great a player you have (and Wade was a great player this season), with absolutely no supporting cast, you’re not going anywhere. I felt bad for #3. He played his heart out, and got nowhere because his supporting cast was so poor. We can’t be mad at them. Can we?

Round 2 awaits!

NBA Playoffs Chess

It seems that every year the NBA does a tremendous job with its advertising campaign before the Playoffs and Finals. This year has been no different. The “Where Amazing Happens” campaign continued with slow-mo dramatic-music moments of older Playoffs footage that really manage to capture the spirit of the post-season. Think Kobe’s buzzer-beater against the Suns a few years ago, or Duncan’s shocking three-pointer (again against the poor Suns) last year. They show these moments in black and white, add the dramatic music, and play them in slow-mo, and all you can think about by the end of the ad is “when is the next game on.”

However, the newest piece of advertisement that comes out of the NBA is the best I’ve seen in 2009. It’s over two minutes long and compares basketball to chess. As a concept that sounds a bit out there, but when you watch the video, you get the point. Another key part is that it also features the first tease of Kobe vs. LeBron for the Finals, pinning the two guys on opposing sides of the chess board. Enjoy!

The 2009 NBA Playoffs Are Here!

In only a matter of hours, the NBA Playoffs will begin! It’s been an emotional couple of days for basketball fans. The expected news that Kevin Garrnett will miss the remainder of the year due to a knee injury has shaken the league up. Although I’m a Laker fan, I can’t say I’m happy about this. I’m a huge fan of KG’s, and having him in the Playoffs would have made the post season a whole lot more fun! This news item wasn’t taken in well by true basketball fans, and it certainly didn’t do wonders for Celtics GM Danny Ainge, who suffered a heart attack a few hours later that day. I want to make sure and wish Mr. Ainge (another basketball great) a speedy recovery! I’m glad to hear he’s doing fine!

I think the KG-less Celtics are more dangerous than everyone thinks. Losing their key player will hurt their chances and there’s no way around that. However, the remaining players on the team just got a little extra motivation to try harder. The way the whole story went down — with the Celtics being quiet about the injury, never telling us what it really is, and making their players think they’re getting KG come the Playoffs so they would play a high pace — makes me think that the Celtics aren’t as fragile as we all think. I believe they’re smart, and obviously planned well for this moment.

At any rate, here are my thoughts for the Round 1 match-ups:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons
– The Pistons traded Billups for Iverson, and Joe Dumars convinced us it was a good move. And really, in a league where everyone is trying to dump salary and nobody cares about basketball, it made sense. But a few games into the trade it was obvious this was a bad move for the Pistons. I think they’ll be able to get a game or two out of Bron Bron but I don’t see much else happening at this point in time. I say Cleveland takes it 4 games to 1.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Chicago Bulls
– I just don’t see the Celtics losing in Round 1. They are the defending champions. They are missing their key player. They’ve been playing solid basketball without him heading into the Playoffs, and Paul Pierce will not let them die this early. Ray Allen will be extra motivated. If they can get modest production out of their bigs (Powe has been playing well, Perkins is decent, and Davis is improved from last year), and Rajan Rondo comes through, I think the C’s will prevail. Chicago has been on a role since getting Brad Miller and John Salmons. Ben Gordon will get his, but how will Derrick Rose react in his first trip to the Playoffs? That’s why Rondo’s play is key to this series. If he can play solid against Rose, the C’s will take this. I’m going to go on a limb and say C’s take the serious 4 games to 2.

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers
– I’m not looking forward to this series. At all. Philly has been terrible heading into the Playoffs, almost making us question what they were trying to accomplish in the last month. It’s a season the 76ers would rather forget, I can tell you this much. As far as Orlando goes, count me as one of the people not sold on them. To me, Turkoglu’s health is a big question mark, and Dwight Howard is not your “go to” guy. With no Jameer Nelson, what do you? Magic takes the series in 7 games, 4-3.

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Miami Heat
– Without a doubt the most interesting Round 1 match-up. I can’t wait for this series! It’s time to see what D-Wade will be able to accomplish with a team that consists of a dying Jermaine O’Neal and a rookie point guard in Mario Chalmers. Having in mind what Wade has been up to lately, I’m very tempted to take the Heat in this one. However, Atlanta’s play in the Playoffs last year was phenomenal and I think that Joe Johnson will do a good enough job on Wade, while Bibby pressures Chalmers and Josh Smith gets his. I say Atlanta in 6, 4 games to 2.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Utah Jazz
– You talk about a weird 8-seed. Well I’m not happy about this draw, but so be it. I’m confident that the Lakers will be victorious. Bynum looks good. Kobe seems a bit worried but not as tired as he should be at this point in time. Gasol has been playing amazing basketball all year long. Trevor Ariza has proven to be an important X factor on this team. The biggest question mark is the play of Fisher and Lamar Odom. One of the best-kept secrets in the past month has been how horrible Derrick Fisher and Jordan Farmar have been. Being a smart man, Phil Jackson has shifted the attention away from his two point guards by letting Shannon Brown get some play-time in generally unimportant matches, so that PJ has something positive to talk about in Brown. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Shannon in the Playoffs because that’s a Phil Jackson move. As far as Fisher goes, he’ll be fine. He’s a veteran and will get the job done, plus don’t remember he always has “extra” motivation when he plays in Utah, so that helps. I’m worried about Farmar, who’s become somewhat of a streaky player, but I hope he’ll come through. Really, Lamar Odom is what worries me most. If we get the Lamar we’ve been getting for most of this year, then the Lakers will have no trouble on their way to the finals. If we don’t, then it’ll depend on the rest of the crew. This has been a bad year for the Jazz due to injury problems, and bad chemistry. They might have to think things over this summer. I think the Lakers will play hard and sweep Round 1 because they don’t want to waste time in the uninviting state of Utah. 4-0.

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets
– When the season started I was thinking these two would meet in Round 1 of the Playoffs, only the Hornets would have the #2 seed, and the Nuggets would have the #7 seed. Wow. This might be another 7-game series. While the thought of Paul vs. Billups is entertaining, I have to say that there are way too many other factors in play here. Will K-Mart or JR Smith punch out David West at one point in time during this game, or will they take an ill-advised 3 with the clock running down and their team needing a shot? Will Chauncey manage to control this wreck through the Playoffs? Will ‘Melo finally show up? How will Nene handle West and Chandler? On the flip side of things, can this Hornets team get any weirder? Do you count on Tyson Chandler to come through? Can’t you just picture him limping his way to the basket only for the Birdman Chris Andersen to block his shot and go nuts, causing a technical foul, followed by a JR Smith slap on the referee, an ejection, and a more serious penalty? Nothing would surprise me with these two teams — I just hope George Karl makes it alive through this summer. I think I am going to watch every game of this series. I’m going with the Hornets in 7 games, 4-3.

(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks
– I can’t… I just can’t… AHHHH! OK, fine. Dallas in 7. Damn it!

(4) Portland Trailblazers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
– The second most interesting match-up in my opinion. Keep your eye on Yao Ming. This is a must-win situation for him and the Hornets. On the other hand, Portland and Brandon Roy look unbeatable at home. I think at the end the home court advantage will take its toll but it’ll take time getting there. Portland in 7, 4-3.

If my predictions hold up, we’ll have quite the Round 2! I’ll be back with more thoughts on the Playoffs soon!

To Be a Sports Fan in L.A.

It’s no secret to those of you who follow this blog, and to those of you who know me personally, that I love basketball. It’s one of my favorite sports, and I love writing about it. I realized today, that it’s quite a special treat to be a basketball fan in Los Angeles. I think we, as human beings, often take things for granted in life, and it hit me today that I’m lucky to love basketball and live here.

You see, this is a very unique city when it comes to sports in general. We used to have a football team that moved out, and we still haven’t filled the gap. Other than that major hole, however, we’re covered… and then some!

Basketball — Los Angeles is the only city with two NBA teams. On top of that, they play in the same arena, as the Lakers and Clippers share Staples Center.
Baseball — The Los Angeles Dodgers are a city attraction, while 40 miles away, the Anaheim Angels can be considered “the second L.A. team,” though we don’t all get along.
Hockey — If the Clips and Lakers weren’t enough, Staples Center has to make room on the schedule for hockey, as the Los Angeles Kings play their NHL matches there. Again, the Anaheim Ducks are only 40 miles away.
Soccer — Los Angeles is the only city that has two teams in Major League Soccer, as Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA share The Home Depot Center in Carson, an L.A. suburb.

Not enough to convince you of the power of Los Angeles when it comes to sports? I can probably add by telling you that it’s the only city which will have three representatives in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, as UCLA, USC, and Cal State Northridge found themselves in the big dance.

Because this is Los Angeles, and we all seem to either have a busy life, or some of us don’t care, you can really take all of this for granted. But if you’re a true sports fan like me, you have to be aware of it. Which is why I feel that I haven’t been grateful enough to have these amazing teams play in my city.

What made me realize all this? I spent my Sunday with friends watching on TV the Lakers play against the Mavericks — an early home game at Staples Center, which started at 12:30 PM and ended at 3 PM. Then, as soon as the game ended, I got in my car and drove to meet up with another friend. You see, we had tickets for the 6:30 PM Clippers/Nets game at… you guessed it – Staples Center.

Only in Los Angeles…

Stoudemire Likely to Miss Rest of Season

Living in Los Angeles and being a big Laker fan makes you feel a certain way about the Phoenix Suns. They have been our main division nemesis in the last few years. The Mike D’Antoni coached Suns were quite the team, and every time they faced the Lakers it was dramatic. The games were always good. The match-ups were loads of fun, as Rajah Bell and Kobe Bryant started their weird feud, while Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom tried to out-hustle each other every game. Heck, even Phil Jackson and Mike D’Antoni went at it a few times. Steve Nash was at his peak, and the Suns’ Seven-Seconds-Or-Less strategy was one of the hottest topics in the NBA.

It’s hard to feel bad about your division rival, but today I truly feel bad for the Suns. News broke that Amare Stoudemire will most likely miss the rest of the season (out at least 8 weeks) after an eye injury he suffered on Wednesday night at Staples Center, against the Clippers. You know what’s weird? I went to that game on Wednesday. I saw Amare get hit in the first quarter, and nobody made a deal out of it because he seemed to be fine.

When you go to a Clippers game, you’re bound to be depressed, especially if you’re a Clips fan. The franchise is just one big joke at this point in time. From the moment you arrive at Staples, the lines are minimal, and you get in after 10 minutes because there aren’t that many people going to the games. Once you’re inside, you get a feel of everything that’s wrong with the Clippers. I don’t know what it will take for this team to fire their coach and GM Mike Dunleavy. The players can’t stand him. The audience can’t stand him. The owner refuses to fire him because he has to pay him a large amount of money (due to a release clause in his contract). He might as well pay it because he’s losing money running this franchise!

Thus going to a Clippers game consists of few highlights. Other than the “Fire Dunleavy!” chants the audience starts, the sad picture of Baron Davis, one of the best fast-ball point guards in the league, playing half-sets jogging on the court in disgust, and getting booed when he shoots an air ball, there really isn’t a whole lot going on. On Wednesday, Al Thornton turned it on, playing a decent game, shooting 14-27 for his 33 points. But that wasn’t the highlight either. It also wasn’t the fast-break play that the Suns (who are now back to run-and-gun style basketball) got into at one point in time where Shaq played point guard (this was awesome!). No. The highlight of the game was Amare. The guy who apparently played with a partially detached retina and scored 42 points, going 15-20 from the field and 12-13 from the free throw line.

You see, for the first time in the Steve Kurr era, the Suns were motivated again. There was no drama. There was no misunderstandings or confusion in their play. It’s the style of basketball they were used to playing, and loved playing, thus did great. They scored 30, 37, 36, and 39 points in four quarters for a grand total of 142. They had scored 144 on the Clips the night before in Phoenix. Granted the Clips don’t play defense, it’s not something to go crazy about, but it was a sign. A sign that they were returning to their old form. I can’t describe to you how happy Nash was to be running again. Shaq was sweating like crazy, but wanted in. (By the way, if you get the opportunity to see Shaq live, you really should. Words can’t describe how big he is!) The Suns were that team again.

And it all came crashing down today. There were the talks of trading Amare. Then they fired Terry Porter (good move!), and refused to move Amare. They tried to move Shaq because they knew they’re going back to D’Antoni’s game, and Shaq tries his best, but at this time in his career, it’s not for him. It didn’t happen, but the Suns didn’t get discouraged. They kept playing. Even though I’m a fan of their rivals, I was happy to see all this. A strong Phoenix team makes our division that much better, and our conference that much better. You need good competition to be a solid team. Thus the news of Amare’s injury is a huge blow to all Suns fans, and to me, an NBA fan in general. I hope he gets through this!