I mentioned on Twitter that I thought LeBron’s new Nike ad came off kind of dickish, and it looks like I’m not the only one. The city of Cleveland responds:
LeBron and the Miami Heat visit the Cavs on December 2nd. It will be an interesting scene, for sure.
I’m sure the marketing folks over at Nike dreamt this one up, but it seems like he’s complaining about the criticism he’s had to endure for his own actions. What should he do? He should not break up with the city of Cleveland after seven great years by holding an hour-long special on ESPN. That’s what he should NOT do.
Love the Don Johnson cameo though!
Trail Blazers 98, Clippers 88
Um, Blake Griffin is good…really good. The ‘rookie’ made his debut with a 20-14-4 evening, but the Clippers still lost in no small part due to the play of Baron Davis (8-5-3 on 3-of-11 shooting, 4 turnovers) and Ryan Gomes (2-3-3, -17 +/-). Eric Gordon played very well (22 points on 10-of-17 shooting), but if the Clippers are going to be a playoff team, this is the kind of game (at home versus a playoff-caliber opponent) that they need to win.
Cavaliers 95, Celtics 87
The Cavs showed some resiliency in this one, coming back from an 11-point deficit late in the third quarter to pull this one out. Maybe the C’s were tired from an emotional opening-night win over the Heat, or maybe Cleveland is greater than the sum of its parts. J.J. Hickson led the way with 21-6 on 8-of-11 shooting.
Hornets 95, Bucks 91
The Bucks didn’t play very well in this one, but had a chance to tie it with under a minute left when Trevor Ariza clearly fouled John Salmons on a three-point attempt, but the officials didn’t blow the whistle. The Bucks had a problem last season getting to the line, but they attempted 28 free throws thanks in no small part to Corey Maggette’s relentless pursuit of the rim. He had 16-7 in his Bucks debut, but had a few defensive lapses that will need cleaning up. Chris Paul posted 17-4-16 on 11 shots and looks as good as ever.
Thunder 106, Bulls 95
Kevin Durant (30-7-3) and Russell Westbrook (28-10-6) led the way for OKC in a game that was tighter than the final score would indicate. Taj Gibson (16-11 on 8-of-12 shooting) filled in admirably for Carlos Boozer, who will be out for a while. Derrick Rose (28-4-6) and Joakim Noah (18-19) are developing nicely.
Other notes: It took 19 games for the Nets to get their first win last season, but they beat the Pistons in the opener last night. Devin Harris (22-9-4) looks like his old self and Derrick Favors (8-10) had a solid debut…Just like that, the Heat are back to .500. Dwyane Wade (30-7-4) had a much better outing while LeBron (16-6-7, nine turnovers) played more of a complimentary role. Chris Bosh posted 15-7. Evan Turner had 16-7-4 in his debut, so maybe people were pushing the panic button a little early with regard to his poor preseason performance…Amare Stoudemire had 19-10 in his debut as the Knicks beat the (lowly) Raptors on the road…The T-Wolves lost to the Kings without Tyreke Evans, so it’s looking like it’s going to be a long year in Minnesota. DeMarcus Cousins had 14-8-5 in a nice debut. Michael Beasley had 17-7, while Kevin Love posted just 11-10 after getting six rebounds in the first nine minutes…Al Jefferson (6-7) was quiet in Utah’s loss to the Nuggets, while Carmelo (23-7-3) was his usual self…The Spurs held off the Pacers despite 28-9-3 from rising star Roy Hibbert, while Darren Collison had 19-2-7 in his Indiana debut…Monta Ellis tied a career high with 46 points in a win against the Rockets, while David Lee added 17-15-6 and Stephen Curry posted 25-2-11. Luis Scola (36-16) had a monster game as the Rockets fell to 0-2.
For years, the passion they shared for winning made Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird the most bitter of rivals. It also made theirs the most compelling rivalry in sports, driving the NBA to new heights of popularity in the 1980s. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, this all-new documentary tells the riveting story of two superstars who couldn’t have been more different — until they forged an unlikely friendship from the superheated rivalry that had always kept them apart.
And that’s how “Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals” is described on its back cover. HBO Entertainment did a nice job outlining the duo’s relationship starting with their joint appearance as part of Team USA’s warmup to the 1976 Olympics and their clash in the 1979 NCAA championship game all the way through their respective retirements.
By now, most basketball fans are aware of the rivalry/friendship that Magic and Larry developed over the years, but this 90-minute documentary digs deeper into each man’s personality and puts their relationship into context based on what was going on in the country at that particular time. Bird was extremely introverted and for much of his career it wasn’t his style to be friends with an opponent. Meanwhile, Magic was an extrovert and loved being loved, so when Bird snubbed Magic before the NCAA title game, the relationship was purely adversarial for several years. That loss bothered Bird for years, and it wasn’t until Converse convinced the two players to shoot a commercial (in French Lick, Indiana, on Bird’s request) did the two men actually become friends.
The documentary also covers each player’s childhood, Larry’s first day with the Celtics, how their rivalry became fodder for racists in Boston and around the country, Larry’s reaction to Magic’s HIV revelation, and how their unselfish style of play effectively saved the NBA. The film relies heavily on interviews with the two players, and it’s refreshing to hear them describe the different milestones in their relationship in their own words. It’s funny, emotional and for those of us that grew up watching the two superstars battle in the Finals — plenty of nostalgia.
The only knock is the complete lack of bonus features on the DVD, so for viewers who have already seen the film on HBO, there isn’t any extra content to dig into. But that’s just a small gripe — on the whole, “Magic & Bird” is an outstanding production.
It was an ugly first half that included a nine-point first quarter from Miami’s new Super Friends, but LeBron James (31-4-3, 8 turnovers) got it going in the second half and led the way as the Heat cut Boston’s 19-point lead down to three. But Rajon Rondo (17 assists) Paul Pierce (19-9-3), Ray Allen (20 points, 5-8 3PT) and Glen Davis (13-5) were too much in the end, and the Celtics prevailed, 88-80.
I actually think the Heat will come away feeling pretty good about the game, given the performance of Dwyane Wade (4-of-16, 13 points) and Chris Bosh (3-of-11, 8 points). Wade didn’t play much at all in the preseason and was obviously shaking off the rust as the game wore on. And let’s not forget that the Heat were without their fourth (or fifth) best player, Mike Miller, who injured his hand and will be out for a while. They also need to figure out how to chase Allen on those off-ball screens. Both Wade and House tried to go over the top when they should just chase, chase and chase some more.
For the Celtics, Shaq (9-7) started the game, but Davis finished it. The best line I saw on Twitter came from @ShotDrJr: “When Big Baby comes in for Shaq, it’s as if the Celtics have opened a nesting doll.” Classic.
Heat fans obviously shouldn’t panic. It was an important game, but the chips were stacked against Miami. Wade was rusty and the Heat haven’t had a chance to work out the offensive kinks, and going up against the league’s best defensive team is not the way to do it. The fact that they scored just nine points in the first quarter and still only lost by eight is actually encouraging.
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