During a wonderfully entertaining NBA Finals, it is a bit of a challenge to exercise restraint, which, of course, doesn’t exist in TwitterWorld, anyway. After Game 3, it was obvious that no matter what happened the rest of the series, LeBron James would be the MVP. Even if the Cavs lost three straight and the series. James had been sufficiently brilliant – to borrow from the esteemed pundit Moses Malone, LeBron had taken four guys from Australia, Russia, Canada and the
When you have attended more NBA Finals games than you have watched on TV, you take a special appreciation in spending time with and family friends, watching the games in HD and observing those folks’ reactions — especially if you are in the company of people who almost never, ever watch basketball. It is good to break out of the bubble every once in a while, and sportswriters operate in a bubble when they cover the NBA Finals. Yes, they have
If Stephen Curry and LeBron James line up next to each other, it looks like Marty McFly standing beside the Incredible Hulk, which, oddly in a way, works in Curry’s favor. Curry obviously is a player with stellar skills and during the playoffs, he has continued to demonstrate his worthiness as the Most Valuable Player, which he won for his play in the regular season. With an average of 29.7 points in 16 games, he ranks second in scoring behind only
The sun came up the East today in Cleveland, but the gloom did not burn off like the morning fog. No Friday has ever felt like the one the poor folks in Cleveland had to endure. After being one shot away from a Game 1 victory, after watching Kyrie Irving do a little of everything — nothing bigger than his block of Stephen Curry’s layup attempt with 25 seconds left in regulation — after getting almost nothing from their bench yet
Stephen Curry has a legitimate chance to go down as the greatest shooter in NBA playoff history. With just two days before the Golden State-Cleveland NBA Finals finally begins, an appreciation of Curry’s shooting stroke — and the changing landscape of how offenses emphasize the three — point to Curry having a chance to at least be part of an elite playoff performance list. The 27-year-old MVP ideally will be playing in many more postseasons over the course of his career and should be
It would be fitting if the man who helped lead the Sacramento Kings during their most prosperous years could help guide them back after a decade of mediocre irrelevance. You may recognize Vlade Divac’s smooth European voice from your Waze navigation system, but most know Divac— aside from being traded for Kobe Bryant— for being the center of the turn-of-the-millenium Kings team that nearly reached the NBA Finals and turned Arco Arena into the loudest building in sports. With a new arena
The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are preparing for the start of the NBA Finals, but 28 other teams already are evaluating their ever-changing draft boards. Sheridan Hoops has done three mock drafts thus far and probably will do at least three more. Why? Because players can help or hurt themselves with their performances at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and in team workouts. Four players who have improved their stock considerably are Richaun Holmes, Rakeem Christmas, Jordan Mickey and
For the fifth straight year, LeBron James is going to the NBA Finals. How do his numbers stack up this season versus the past four seasons? It’s quite interesting. James is deserving of all the praise he’s getting after becoming the first player to reach five consecutive NBA Finals since the dynastic Boston Celtics of decades ago. James has been asked to do more for the Cleveland Cavaliers on offense than even in his early-career Cavs days, and it’s taken a toll