Durant's Injury Opens Door for New MVP

Reigning MVP Kevin Durant

Over the weekend, troubling news circulated through the basketball world: Kevin Durant had been hurt and expected to miss time. Since the initial reporting, it has since been clarified as a fractured foot. A tenative six to eight week time table for recovery has been given, but the reigning MVP will have to most likely wait through the first month to two months of the season before getting a chance to defend that title. The Thunder still have Russel Westbrook, one of the best players in the NBA, and he might be ready to explode with this opportunity to run the team while Durant gets himself healthy.  More than anything, if you are the Thunder, the most important piece of this to manage and take cautiously is Durant's recovery.

Sport for Thought: Wiggins or Love?

Love and Wiggins. Two stars entering different stages of their NBA careers. Is Kevin Love or Andrew Wiggins more valuable to a NBA franchise?

Sport for Thought: #23

When LeBron James left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 for the Miami Heat, he decided  to exchange his #23 for #6. He said the number 23 should be retired throughout the NBA to give respect to arguably the greatest basketball player that has ever stepped foot onto a basketball court.

Hometown Delivery: LeBron James

Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven….only two. As most of you know LeBron James is going back home to start the next (and final?) chapter of his career. In his four years in Miami he reached the NBA Finals four years straight but only won two. Is this considered a failure? There are some who say it was but some who argue winning two titles is still a heck of an achievement. In his first year in Miami, the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games. I still believe losing that series, made him take a hit on his reputation. They were the heavy favorites against Dallas and they lost in five games. What a disappointment to start the “Big Three” era off. The next two years is what was expected of the Miami Heat, winning two straight titles defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. This past year, the Miami Heat were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs in five games. The Spurs were the better team but the Heat had the best player. It is unfair to blame LeBron for this loss but being the best player on the planet, he will take a lot of the heat.

Year of the Freshman

Another year another NBA Draft.  This year was considered one of the strongest and deepest draft classes since 2003 when LeBron, Melo, Bosh, Wade, and company were selected and given mega-million dollar contracts.  Eleven years later, the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embiid will each get their time to shine in the spotlight.  Nobody will know for sure how good this draft class is until several years down the road when each gets professional playing experience in the NBA.  But how can we say that this class will make a major impact right away when each of the top ten picks are twenty years old or younger?  Seven of the top ten picks were freshman!  (Dante Exum is eighteen years old and the equivalent to a freshman.)

The Future of the Miami Big 3

Now that the NBA Playoffs have ended and the ageless Spurs have taken the throne from King James and co., we can all relax and await the futures of the "Big 3":  LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.  Each of the three have a player option available to take (one more year with Miami) or they can decline and become an unrestricted free agent.  We all remember what happened the last time James hit the free agent market.  However, are we going to see more decisions to be made?  Is this the end of an era for the Miami Heat?

Post NBA Final Takeaways

The NBA season is over. Talk about a spanking. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the two time defending champions, the Miami Heat, four games to one and it wasn't even close. In the Spurs four wins, they won by 15 or more points each game. The question now is, what will LeBron James do? Will he opt out and leave Miami or will he stay in Miami? Of course this is the first question that people think of. But lets just talk about how good the San Antonio Spurs are. The word dynasty doesn't get tossed around too much, but it's safe to say the Spurs are a dynasty and as long as Coach Popovich is coaching, the Spurs will continue to be competitive. Five championships in 15 years is remarkable but we are too busy trying to keep up with the "superstars". The Spurs are not flashy and they wear boring colors and that is a reason why not many people talk about them. Tim Duncan is a legend, but we rarely hear about him. Had it not been for Ray Allen last season, we're looking at six championships in 15 years. Here are some things to takeaway from these NBA Finals.

Sport For Thought: Heat vs. Spurs Rematch

New year. Same teams.  Same goal. But will their be a different outcome?

1.7

1.7 is just a number, a very small number, a number nobody really thinks of because it's so small.  When the number is made into a percentage, it is virtually forgotten:  1.7 percent.  That means, every one or two times out of one hundred tries, this thing will happen.  And on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, the odds were forever in the favor of the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Of the twenty-three total NBA lotteries, the worst team has won only three times (the Magic in 2004, Cleveland in 2003, and New Jersey in 1990).  There is no rhyme or reason for a team winning the lottery, but many believe the system is rigged.  Is it?  Should changes be made to the current NBA Draft Lottery?

Sport For Thought: The Brooklyn Nets Playoff Debacle

"I think we match up well against them" were the words Brooklyn Nets shooting guard, Joe Johnson said when asked about their semifinals matchup against the Miami Heat after struggling to beat the young and promising Toronto Raptors in seven games following an improbable last second block by Paul Pierce. After finishing the regular season 4-0 against the two-time reigning champions, many speculated the Brooklyn Nets would have a legitimate chance of defeating the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2014 NBA playoffs in their pursuit of a championship.

Sport For Thought: Johnny Football is the First Pick of the 2014 Endorsement Draft

Although uncertainty surrounds the pick in which Johnny Manziel should be chosen in the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft, he was unanimously the most sought after rookie by all major endorsement companies. A reigning Heisman trophy winner on the field, and a multitude of events that have been magnified by the media off the field, Manziel is arguably the most marketable and well-known athlete entering this year's draft.

 

Full 90: Becks and 'Bron Take Miami

On Wednesday, Major League Soccer announced David Beckham exercised his option to purchase an MLS expansion team in Miami. Within his MLS contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, existed a clause to enable Beckham to purchase an expansion team at a discounted fee of $25 million, a strategic effort to keep one of the most polarizing figures, connected to the MLS. The announcement was made on Wednesday during a news conference that featured MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

The Power of Jay Z: Samsung and the NBA’s New Relationship

The NBA is on the verge of receiving a major payday at the expense of Samsung, which will be taking over basketball arenas and televisions across the country. As the 2013-14 NBA season is underway, Samsung recently signed a whopping $100 million sponsorship deal, that would make the company the official handset, tablet and television provider of not only the NBA, but the NBA’s D-League, and WNBA. This deal will become one of Samsung’s most extensive partnerships, with the hopes of enhancing the game of basketball and providing a much needed and improved fan experience. If you have watched any of the games so far this season, I’m sure you have come across Lebron James’ new commercials with Samsung. The endorsement with such an elite and high caliber player like King James is only the beginning of the company’s takeover. This is a significant deal for Samsung because it is furthering their push to top their competitor Apple, and become dominant in their market.

NBA Sneaker Sales: Who is number one?

As I’ve stated in previous posts, there are not too many more lucrative ventures for NBA players than the world of high-priced sneakers. The sales numbers for 2012 are in from SportsOneSource and the top sellers are not much of a shock to be really honest. Michael Jordan still leads by a wide margin with a $2 BILLION dollar sales figure (read my old post about Air Jordan’s continued dominance if you do not believe me), followed by Mr. Chuck Taylor and his Converse line. But those are givens, how did the current crop of NBA stars stack up? Who was in the top 3 for currently active hoopers? (Hint: Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant missed the cut)

Let’s see:

Above the Rim: Utter Dominance

In the wake of Miami’s big three era, greatness was always expected. The hype was undeniable, and the winning seemed like the only possible outcome. In the new team’s first year, a savvy, veteran-lead Mavericks squad ousted them in the Finals. The following year, the Heat found their stride and won the championship, making quick work of the Thunder in six games. This season, Miami has found their groove and are clicking on all cylinders imaginable. As if things couldn’t get any better, their season was recently highlighted by an epic 27-game winning streak, the second longest in NBA history.