Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Last Stand 2012

By Robert Allan Brown



Kevin Garnett aka "The Big Ticket" was traded to the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2007, this was after the Celtics traded for Ray Allen. To say the least I was like a kid in a candy store. My beloved Celtics had fallen on such hard times with the death of Len Bias Reggie Lewis while making some pretty bad draft choices. I knew the passion and high energy Kevin Garnett brought each and every game and being such a great one on one defender and team defender would make the Celtics the team to beat. I was right, the Celtics went on to dominate the regular season and dominated the Lakers in the finals.

Kevin Garnett is and has always been a very unselfish great all around player. In my personal opinion he is one of the best power forwards to ever play the game. There is nothing he cannot do. For his career he averages around 20 points per game, 10 rebounds, 4 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks. The way he rotates on defense is a thing of beauty and how his energy rubs off on others just shows how great of a team leader he is.

Since the addition of Kevin Garnett the Celtics has been a top 3 defensive team in the league. Even this year the Celtics only gave up about 91 points per game. This is one of the main reason why he is so important to the Celtics for next year success. As long as he can still rebound, play with energy, play good one on one defense and team help defense the Celtics will always be a team to be dealt with. Personally if I had to start a team today a guy like Kevin Garnett would be one of my top choices. He is very under rated when it comes to all time on some peoples list simply because he played on some not so great Minnesota Timberwolves teams. Not to mention the West was pretty stacked for most of his career. To say Garnett failed in Minnesota is very unfair considering that franchise has never won anything and being the small market they are, probably never will.

Kevin Garnett is starting to slow down some, he is getting older and I don't believe he will play much longer. I do however believe he has one more good year left. Next year I am calling it the last stand 2012. The last stand is simply the last stand for the great big three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. All three of these guys can still play the Celtics just need to build a solid bench around them and I truly believe the rest will take care of itself.

How important is Kevin Garnett to the Celtics? He simply is the heart and soul of the team.

To read more about the Boston Celtics click here


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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Top Ten Gift Ideas For Basketball Players

Old, but still lots of fun


Basketball players can be tough to purchase gifts for unless you are in the know. My husband loves playing basketball and has opened my eyes to the possibilities.

1. Jumpsoles

Jumpsoles" are platforms that attach onto your sneakers they focus your body weight onto your calves to train you to bounce off the balls of your feet like a "powerful cat"! With continued practice they will help the player to increase his/her vertical jump. My husband has used them and found great success and improvement in his vertical jump. You can also purchase the Proprioceptor which attaches to the Jumpsoles" to make them even more effective, my husband also uses these. Adding the Proprioceptor will bring results faster. The cost of the Jumpsoles" is $69.95 and with the Proprioceptor system they are $99.90.

2. Ball & Water Bag

There are a wide variety of bags available, the key is to find one that will hold a bag and at the very least some water. I have seen them with room for sneakers as well. This gift is practical and will be used often. You will need to decide whether to purchase a backpack or duffle style. For players, like my husband, who ride their bike or walk to the courts a backpack works much better. For someone looking to keep an extra set of clothes the duffle may be the way to go. Another option is the Original Ballbag ($24.99), which can be purchased in the logo of their favorite team, this is worn across the body on a angle or a newer edition is in backpack style, has more storage room and a heftier price tag ($59.99). Bags geared toward basketball are better then a run of the mill bag because they will have room for the ball! My favorite has been one we picked up at Target, it is an NBA drawstring backpack style with rope straps, he can fit a ball and a gallon of water!

3. SLAM Magazine

Give a subscription to Slam and you're giving the magazine that takes its readers behind the scenes and inside the NBA. Slam is $12.97 for a yearly subscription! They will also send a gift card so you can personally announce your gift subscription. With a subscription a lot of online features also become active for forums where your player can exchange comments with other players!

4. Protective Gear

I would never have thought of this but recently I have seen how easily injury can occur. Protect your player with any or all of the following suggestions. Begin with mouth guards, they can be purchased at any sporting goods store and range from $1.99 to $19.99, they have guards geared for basketball and even for adults and youth.

McDavid is well known for their HexPad Technology, which provide unsurpassed comfort and protection. In addition to offering elbow, knee, and ankle braces and pads they offer shirts and shorts with built in protection. The 7910 HexPad 3 Pad Body Shirt ($59.99) is a professional sleeveless compression shirt made to protect the ribs and spine. The compression fabric is also made to support large muscle groups to reduce muscle pulls and fatigue.

Sometimes a player just needs a little extra support, braces and supports can be purchased at any sporting goods store as well.

5. Sneakers

Basketball requires a certain type of sneaker. Some people are easy to purchase sneakers for and do not need to try them on, depending on the person you are buying them for you may want to take them with you or get as much information as you can before hand from the player and then purchase them from a store with a good return/exchange policy. If you opt for the latter make sure that the time frame for returns will not be over when the gift is given!

Fortunately for me, my husband is always the same size, so I can shop pretty easily. Although he has been happy in the past with Addidas and Reebok, And 1 comes out as his favorite always.

I would be remiss if I did not mention there is a new sneaker on the market created Stephon Marbury that is going to be selling for $14.95, he felt that he wanted to make sneakers more affordable. They are going to be sold exclusively at Steve and Barry's.

6. Sleeveless Shirt that Absorbs Sweat

As anyone who plays basketball or knows someone who does, sweat is usually an issue. With this sort of shirt it makes playing more enjoyable for the player since they are not saturated and remain cooler.

New Balance offers a fantastic Sleeveless Temp Top for $25.00. It is designed with Lighting Dry fabric so as you perspire, moisture is wicked away from your skin. They also offer shorts ($27.99) in this fabric, as well, which can also be useful.

7. Basketball Hoop or Shooting Ring

Depending on the space available your options may be limited. You can purchase a free standing hoop with backboard and stand. These are sold to either be permanently placed in the ground or on rolling platforms.

You can also purchase a single hoop that attaches to an outside wall. Very similar to this standard hoop is a shooting ring, which is smaller than a regular hoop to improve shooting aim. These items can be found in sporting goods stores online and in person, retailers like Target also carry them. Prices range too greatly to list depending on which type it is and also if it is professional this will increase price.

8. Lessons from a Retired Pro

Often times retired Professionals Players, especially from Europe will offer lessons. If you are lucky enough to live in the Orlando area you can get lessons from Kelvin Coggins, a former professional player in Europe.

You can also check special event auctions, sometimes professional players volunteer to be auctioned off for lessons. This of course, can be quite costly.

9. Personalized Jersey with their Favorite Pro Team

You have a choice between Authentic, cost ranging from $189.99 to $219.99, or Replicas, cost ranging from $59.99 to $69.99. The authentic is a high quality jersey your player will love for years to come, especially with his/her name and number personalized on it!

10. Tickets to a game

You can purchase tickets to a local game whether college or professional it is a gift to please. Make sure to get two so he/she does not have to go alone! I find that as much as my husband enjoys going to watch the Knicks, he is just as happy to go watch anyone play. He loves playing and loves watching!

If you head to ticket master you can search by sport, basketball specifically, then enter your zip for any and all basketball games in your area!


Happy Shopping and if all else fails a new basketball is always nice too! Especially the new NBA balls!

Article source: associatedcontent.com



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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Paul Pierce - One of the Greatest Celtics of All Time

By Robert Allan Brown



I think Shaq said it best to a Boston reporter back in 2001. He told the reporter that he knew Paul could play, but he didn't know he could play like this. He told the reporter that Paul Pierce was the truth.

The Boston Celtics drafted Paul Pierce in the 1998 draft. I remember this draft like it was yesterday because Paul Pierce is exactly who I wanted the Celtics to draft. Honestly there is nothing this guy cannot do on a basketball court. He can dribble, rebound, pass, defend. He can shoot the three, free throws, and his mid level game is the best in the business. He is one of three Celtics to score over 20,000 points in his career with the other two being Larry Bird and John Havlicek. For his career he averages 22 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 4 assist, 1.5 steals. He is a lock down defender and plays great team defense. One of the best things about Paul Pierce is the fact that no moment is to big for him. What I mean is he plays his best against the best. He loves the big stage and is not afraid to take the big shot. In my book he is very clutch and his nickname fits.

In the summer of 2007 the Celtics traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and I was so happy that we finally were building a championship team around Paul Pierce. Let's face it he played for some pretty bad Celtic teams and I am thankful that he did not bailout on us like Lebron James did to the Cavs. Paul Pierce is also a very unselfish player. I have never seen a player do more with the number of shots he gets. Here goes a guy who can create his own shot and pretty much shoot when he wants, but he always makes the extra pass when needed and his step back is a thing of beauty. Most right-handed players including myself when they do a step back they go to the left, but Paul does it and goes to the right better than anyone I have ever seen. Paul has been one of the best players in the NBA for years, but in my opinion he never got the credit he deserved. When the Celtics won a champions in 2008, the look on his face and the other Celtics was priceless to me.

Paul Pierce a complete player, the truth. Just like Shaq said.

To read more about the Boston Celtics click here


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Allan_Brown



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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The Harlem Globetrotters - Magicians of Basketball


Since 1926 the Harlem Globetrotters have thrilled audiences around the world as the premier exhibition basketball team. Combining their talented athleticism with comedy and theater, the Globetrotters have played over 25,000 games entertaining young and old and becoming ambassadors of goodwill.

The team originated in the 1920s where all the original players grew up on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Most of the players attended Chicago's first predominately black Wendell Phillips High School. Although they were from Chicago, owner Abe Saperstein decided to name them the Harlem Globetrotters to point out that the players were African-Americans and that they had traveled the globe. They did not play in Harlem until 1968.

The Globetrotters started out as a serious competitive team and won admiration when the all-black team beat the all-white Lakers 61-59 in February 1948. Even though they had talented players, the team also had a flair for entertainment, often clowning around for the audience only after gaining a safe lead in the game. As more black players were drafted by the NBA during the 1950s, it became harder for the Globetrotters to attract and retain top talent.

Eventually the Globetrotters became known more for entertaining audiences with their comic routines than a competitive sports team. The team's act was to amaze the spectators in their skillful handling of several basketballs in the way they passed, juggled balls between players, and used their incredible coordination to make difficult shots. Many NBA greats have played for the Globetrotters. Players like Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, as well as baseball Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins. During the 1970s and 80s they had a popular team member, Fred "Curly" Neal remembered as the best dribbler of that era of the team's history. Their first female player was Olympic gold medalist Lynette Woodard who was signed in 1985.

Although beloved by audiences globally, the Globetrotters have not been free of scrutiny and criticism. During the civil rights era they were accused of "Tomming for Abe", a reference to Uncle Tom and white owner Abe Saperstein. This accusation stemmed from the fact that the players were all African American and their skits involved so much buffoonery. Despite the critics, many prominent civil rights activists maintained that the Globetrotters were indeed a positive influence and did not portray blacks as stupid.

In 1993 under new owner and former player, Mannie Jackson, the Globetrotters began playing competitive basketball after having played hundreds of exhibition games. The team had a run of 8,829 straight victories since 1971 until they lost in 1995 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's All Star Team in Vienna, Austria. They have played over 20,000 exhibition games in 118 countries and have achieved a winning percentage of 98.4%.

The Harlem Globetrotters have been featured in several of their own films and television series over the years and continue to entertain audiences around the world. Their new generation of star players will continue the tradition of playing exhibition games and providing audiences with entertainment and the thrill of watching these magicians of basketball perform their magic.


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