LeBron James Versus.

"Don't think for one minute that I haven't been keeping mental notes of everyone taking shots at me this summer. And I mean everyone." - LeBron James

Just helping you out 'Bron...

• I want him to make sure that he puts my name on that (list). I thought that his little one-hour special was a punk move. - CHARLES BARKLEY


• "Hey @kingjames - do your "mental notes" include an answer for why you no-showed Game 5 + quit in the last 90 secs of Game 6?" "Tape don't lie." - BILL SIMMONS


• There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team' - MICHAEL JORDAN


• Mike (Michael Jordan) and I are in 100% agreement on this. If you're the two-time defending NBA MVP, you don't leave anywhere. They come to you. That's ridiculous. I like LeBron. He's a great player. But I don't think in the history of sports you can find a two-time defending MVP leaving to go play with other people. (James) will never be Jordan. This clearly takes him out of the conversation. He can win as much as he wants to. There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as 'The Man.' LeBron, if he would've won in Cleveland and if he could've got a championship there, it would have been over the top for his legacy, just one in Cleveland. No matter how many he wins in Miami, it clearly is Dwyane Wade's team. - CHARLES BARKLEY


• I was surprised that he went to Miami. I thought he was, I guess, more of a competitor. The great ones do and usually stay in one location. This is a new era. It’s a little different than my time. - OTIS SMITH


• (After the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat) It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to south beach now on to Memphis - PAUL PIERCE


• This is the NBA: No Boys Allowed. Big boys don't cry. But, if you're going to do it, do it in the toilet where no one can see. - PHIL JACKSON


• I do chuckle a little bit when they sort of complain about the scrutiny when they get. My suggestion would be if you don't want the scrutiny, you don't hold a championship celebration before you've even practiced together. It's hard to go out yourself and invite that kind of crowd and celebration and attention, and then when things aren't going well, sort of bemoan the fact that you're getting that attention. To me, that doesn't follow. - STAN VAN GUNDY


• I'm not a big fan of the style that Miami plays. Their basketball is very much in standing with Xbox games, or whatever those games are when you play one-on-one. Basketball is not a one-on-one game. It's a team game. - PHIL JACKSON

(But you know what, LBJ's tweet that he's taking note kinda works a little with the players than the executives, old-timers & coaches. Mo Williams & Daniel Gibson said some stuff but it's more of, emotional response to the Lebron coup than direct negative personal statements. Other than the two former friends & teammates, very few players (or none at all) are taking shots negative directed to the Miami Heat and James. Only Paul Pierce's mock made the list.)

2011 NBA All-Star Notes

All Star Saturday Events

If you follow our my tweets (like my over 5000 followers do), you know I picked Stephen Curry to win the skills challenge, James Jones to win the 3-point shooting contest and DeMar DeRozan to win the slamdunk challenge. All my picks won. Ok not all. But there are whispers that go along this line of thought…

From ESPN writer… In truth, McGee should have been facing DeMar DeRozan in the final instead of Griffin, but the hometown Los Angeles crowd swayed the judges heavily in Griffin’s favor.

If you saw the Minority Report docs, it’s there. Precog Agatha saw this, she was shaking and finally gave… “Blake Griffin will win the 2011 slam dunk compete.” We were all programmed that Blake will win the Slam Dunk by virtue of his amazing in-season dunks. And of course, because of Agathas pick!

And I tweeted…

“kahit na aliens ang kalaban ni blake, blake wins. judges and fans were already programed ftw coz of blakes spectacular in-game reel.”

“remember the aliens in the space jam, versus blake griffin in this slam dunk, blake griffin still wins”

You saw the whole thing, Ibaka, DeMar and Javale McGee gave a good show. McGee did a difficult two balls, two rings dunk. If you think it’s easy, try circling your right index finger and make a triangle off your left index finger. That McGee dunk required hand muscle mind body coordination.

And, Ibaka made the boy happy by retrieving a teddy bear off the ring. Tweeted, “that kid with the teddybear, he’s hilarious and cute at the same time. Ibaka should get 50pts for the boy’s acting.”

Meanwhile, DeMar actually dunked from the free throw line, the LINE. He’s the only NBA player who jump off the free throw line, again the LINE. MJ did not. Dr. J did not. Barry did not.

Griffin’s dunk over the car is not even that, it’s a jump over the hood. Not the car. Check youtube, a Euro guy flew over the whole damn car. But still, have no problem win Blake winning, to me, he deserves the trophy coz of his regular season dunks and the presentation (choir and car) he pulled.

And a BIG by the way here, that 2 minute time allotted for a dunk is a stupid rule. I mean, after 8 tries, we’re no longer appreciating the awesome dunk, we’re almost feeling a sigh of relief. Look, do a 3 tries rule, if he efffin can not do it in 3 tries, he cant do it. Ok Stern? Let’s abolish that 2 minute NATE ROBINSON rule. Or else, we’ll protest. Protesting is “in” now.

On three.. I picked James Jones coz I know he’s more of a set shooter, not a jump shooter (a la Ray Allen). And this guy knows only one thing, shoot threes (He said it so, 95% of his shots are 3s). Again, if you’ll bet next year who wins, go for the set shooter (Kapono, Bird). Not jump shooters like Ray Allen or Steve Nash or Kevin Durant. On KD awful 6 point performance… I’m surprised he tired out and his stroke is diff, from his game shot to his contest shot. If there are in-game dunkers, I guess there are in-game three point shooters. KD is an in-game three point shooter.

My Wish Event

Though this years All Star happening is a hit TV ratings wise, buzz-wise, I say there’s still room for improvement, or there is still room for one event, I’d like to see one-on-one hoops. Kobe vs Lebron, LeBron vs Blake, Durant vs Melo, Durant vs LeBron, Shaq vs Howard, Amare vs Horford, Beyonce vs Rihanna booty-showdown @ halftime of every game… who says no??!!

Kobe Bryant MVP

What the heck do you want? The guy played hard end to end, he played defense. Ok, there are ballhogin moments but Amare is right, Kobe is Kobe.

He played the game so dutifully that if Kate Winslet was there, she’ll blurt, so serious!

Kobe scored 37 points on 14 of 26 FGs, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals in just 29 minutes. And his team won. How is he not the MVP? How the heck KD becomes the MVP, he shot just same FG%, and lower stat across the board. Haters, calm down.

If you’ll say LeBron (finishing with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists ) is the MVP though his team lost, that argument has a lot of air and is quite acceptable. BTW, LeBron made a mistake by passing up an open three, gave the ball to Bosh for a three. Bad “DECISION” again? The KD over Kobe argument is a fart. Pfffffffffffffft!

Nike Zoom Kobe VI, LEBRON 8 V/2 and the Nike Zoom KD III Debut in 2010 NBA All Star Game

Inspired by the visual effects of today’s Hollywood blockbuster, Nike Basketball designers took cues from the movie industry when creating special colorways for the 2011 All-Star Game.

When Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James step on to the All-Star stage February 20th, the shoes they wear will be as bold and dynamic as the players that compete in them.

All three shoes – the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, LEBRON 8 V/2 and the Nike Zoom KD III – will feature lenticular material in key areas throughout the shoe to create the illusion of three-dimensional moving images.

The lenticular pattern is best seen on the tongue tops. On the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, Kobe’s logo morphs into the West graphic. On the LEBRON 8 V/2 the East graphic morphs into LeBron’s iconic lion symbol. And on the Nike Zoom KD III, Kevin Durant’s logo morphs into the West graphic.

Lebron James' Nike Lebron 8 Version2 (V/2)

LeBron James KO'd, Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Lakers Finals

After Lakers game 6 close out of Denver, I wanted Magic for the Lakers, now I got it…

Speaking of Magic… Abra-kadabra, wooshhhhh, the King is Gone!

I witnessed that.

Sorry David Stern, sorry Nike, sorry BTV, the Kobe-LeBron dream showdown was spoiled by the Magic. LeBron has left the Building.

To be fair, LeBron’s supporting cast is incomparable to Dwight’s (But you know what, during the 66 win regular season & the 8-0 playoff blitz of the Cavs, I did not hear a lot of people rambling about his mediocre supporting cast).

Sorry LeBron, looks like it’s Kobe time this year.

LeBron is still on his first little toddler steps to greatness so he should be fine. It’s not his time nor the 2007 ring, nor the 2008th ring. It’s now up to Ferry to retool LeBron’s crew. Perhaps a bigger shooting guard & a younger frontline player.

I repeat… After Lakers game 6 close out of Denver, I wanted Magic for the Lakers, now I got it.

I feel that Howard, though he can get his monster numbers, he can not beat the Lakers alone. The Lakers will have some answers. I know, Phil will have the answer with the massive three-point shooting of Orlando.

Though now ousted, I still feel Lebron’s Cavs is tougher team to beat for Lakers. With the Kobe-Lebron greatness debate at stake, that will drive LeBron to go nuts. LeBron (like we’ve witnessed bunch of times), he alone can single-handedly score 1 to 2 wins over the Lakers. And with the way Melo banged-in a couple of high scoring games against Ariza & Walton, just imagine Lebron’s line.

Via Lebron’s heavy numbers & minutes, Cavs is a pretty good team. They are vacationing now because they run into multiple matchup problems in Orlando.

Given, Howard is too much for either Ben or Z and the human-flopping-machine Varejao. What did the Cavs too is the combo of Hedo & Lewis. Hedo feasted on Delonte’s defense. While a roving LeBron allowed his men, Pietrus & Lewis those momentum generating threes. Cavs guard Daniel Gibson said… “It’s hard watching the dream go away with every 3-point shot they made.” And then, Lee & Alston found their shooting rhythm. That spelled SEASON OVER for the Cavs.

Against Lakers, Luke Walton & Trevor Ariza will offer better defense vs Hedo. Odom, AKA Up-Lharma-Down (the inconsistencies, got it?, the band, got it?) pretty much cancels out Rashard Lewis.

It’s up to Bynum & Gasol to counter Dwight Howard energy, defense & numbers. Dwight speed, strength & size present problems really but Josh Powell and D.J. Mbenga carry 12 fouls combined. That’s 24 FT attempts gifts for a supposed poor FT shooter Howard. Foul him, grab him, don’t allow and-ones and the perimeter Lakers should not double off Hedo/Lewis/Pietrus/Lee/Alston and my fave, Redick.

Oh wait, there’s this guy named Kobe Bryant.

As hard as Pietrus tried against Lebron, Lebron fired a close to 40-point average in 6 games against Orlando. That’s with Pietrus as the main cover. With Kobe having 200 more moves than Lebron, can you see him doing better against Kobe. Nahhh!

The problem of containing Kobe (not only scoring but you know, the decoy thing) will have to be the problem of Stan Van Giddy. He aint a bad coach, he can prove to his dad, that he’s the best Gundy coach in the world f he can contain Kobe and the Lakers.

With a streak of 0 and 2 in the finals (1 by Detroit, 1 by Boston), I just can’t see Kobe Bryant letting this one slip away. At 31 (this August), Kobe’s time is clicking, he knows it. This is BEST EFFIN SHOT he’s got in bagging a ring without the Shaq-string.

We’ll hear the familiar chant, Beat L.A. Beat LA… to which Kobe and his gang will say… No Way!