Bleacher Report - Articles by Patrick Mauro

Shaquille O'Neal Defends Tiger Woods

Patrick Mauro — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:04:45 -0500

On Tuesday, Florida Highway Patrol said that Tiger Woods will receive a careless driving citation and a $164 fine for the now infamous Escalade into the fire hydrant (and then a tree) crash near his home, closing the investigation.

Wonder who was paid off to make this part of the saga go away?

Imagine the outrage if he was still a Buick spokesperson.

This occurred the same day allegations of an extra-marital affair other than the one involving Rachel Uchitel surfaced. Better hide the golf clubs Eldrick. And the cutlery. And watch out for those finely manicured nails.

He better hope Elin doesn't go the Anna Benson route who claimed she would "screw every member" of husband Kris's New York Mets if she caught him cheating.

Sorry for the John Daly-having-sex visual.

Tiger might wish he kept his date in California to host and play in the the Chevron Open this week. Chez Woods might not be the best place in the world to be right about now for the world's greatest golfer.

And now comes the reality TV guy with all the Twitter followers to the rescue.

“Tiger’s my guy,” Shaquille O’Neal said on Tuesday. “I’m not going to be like everybody else and say off-the-wall comments. I just hope he’s OK. The problem going on is when you have people disguising as media putting out reports, and then people believing what they read. We don’t know what’s fact, we don’t know what’s true. We just hope he’s OK.”

This is like Alex Rodriguez attempting to defend Manny Ramirez for taking that uterus repairing drug. Preposterous.

If Charles Ponzi were alive to defend the actions of Bernard Madoff, it would be similar to Shaq trying to defend Tiger.

This is the same Shaq going through a messy divorce and the subject of rumors that have him stepping out with the fiance of Gilbert Arenas. If you don't believe me, check out the e.mails between the two .

The real question is if any prominent pro athlete is faithful to his wife. Is it even possible? It wasn't for Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Dr. J, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, O.J. Simpson, Steve McNair...and so on.

Why do these guys even get married? Being young, wealthy, famous, constantly on the road, and targeted by aspiring female reality stars sounds like the perfect recipe for infidelity.

That television show Cheaters could really get some monster ratings if they started targeting pro athletes instead of suburban nobodies. What's with Joey Greco's hair ?

The story gets more interesting by the day and this could just be the tip of the iceberg.

It's not news when a pro athlete gets into this type of a predicament. If any member of the Cincinnati Bengals found themselves in this situation, no one would bat an eye, but this is different.

Tiger's carefully crafted image appears to be just that—a carefully crafted image, not necessarily rooted in reality.

Doesn't mean I won't watch the Masters. If only to hear the new type of heckling he'll endure out there.

Will be interesting to see if any of the companies whose products he pimps decide to back out. Will we still see those Accenture commercials? What the hell is Accenture?

I suppose Shaq could recommend good divorce lawyers if Tiger ends up in the market for one.

He should also go practice some free throws.

Otherwise, if I'm Tiger, I think I could do without the endorsement from Shaq-Fu.

Time for the Golden State Warriors To Fire Don Nelson

Patrick Mauro — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:56:04 -0500

The Golden State Warriors began their trip to Texas Tuesday night with a 111-103 come-from-behind win over Dallas breaking the Mavericks five game win streak in the process.

With only six players, Golden State outscored Dallas 33-21 in the fourth quarter as Keith Smart assumed coaching duties for the pneumonia ridden Don Nelson.

The game in Big D shows Nelson's time has come and gone. After guiding the squad in 2007 to their first playoff appearance since Bill Clinton lived in the White House followed by a 48-win season the next year, it's been nothing but dysfunction in Oakland.

Young players want little to do with this guy and he seems to have little regard for young players at the expense of wins and losses.

He doesn't demand defense, holds petty grudges, and hurts the progress of his team.

Smart did a fine job subbing for Nellie Tuesday night in Dallas and should be named head coach. The W's played hard, held a lead, lost the lead and then fought back to win in the final period, something you don't see this team do when Nelson is on the bench.

Chris Cohan (the worst owner in all of pro sports) can rectify a bad situation by making the bold move of relinquishing Nelson of his duties now. Put Smart in charge and watch the team respond, especially as they get healthy.

Nelson should be a Hall of Famer one day, but what he accomplished in the past doesn’t translate to success now.

With Smart in charge and Nelson gone, Monta Ellis might actually want to stick around. If not, he’ll be hawked for expiring contracts which sounds good heading into the summer when so many big name players will be free agents, but how many of them want to come and play for Nellie?

Management did the right thing in trading Stephen Jackson, but it’s only the first of two moves that must be made.

There are very few Warriors supporters who believe Nelson is the future of this franchise. Time for management to embrace the here and now and rescue this team from its past.

It’s November and not too late to save the season.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 PM to 1 AM PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Does Mark McGwire Deserve a Second Chance With The St. Louis Cardinals?

Patrick Mauro — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:48:18 -0400

You would think after getting swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS, St. Louis Manager Tony LaRussa, who will come back for at least one more year, would be concerned with how the Cardinals can improve. Instead, he seems dead-set on creating a circus-like atmosphere for his 2010 squad.

If you haven't heard, Mark "I'm not here to talk about the past" McGwire will serve as the Cardinals hitting coach next season. And I thought we were heading towards our first Spring Training this decade free of steroid talk.

Why on earth would LaRussa do this? Is he now in the rehabilitation business? Will he hire Jose Canseco next? Maybe he could start campaigning for Pete Rose’s reinstatement.

And why McGwire? This is a guy who apparently needed steroids to rehabilitate his own career. Do you really want a guy who hit .201 in 2001 in almost 500 at-bats instructing your young players on the art of hitting?

The vision of a juiced Sammy Sosa and a more juiced Big Mac jumping around in ‘roid delight that September night in 1998 in St. Louis when—in front of the Maris family—McGwire broke the 37-year-old single season home-run record nauseates me to this day.

And the fact that Mac had the opportunity to clear the steroid air four-and-a-half years back in front of our elected officials and didn’t should permanently bar him from collecting a pay check from a major league team.

If Canseco is unofficially blackballed from baseball, McGwire should be as well.

The game is attempting to move on. Manny Ramirez getting busted for taking drugs that either masked his steroid use or prepped his uterus for insemination doesn't help, but welcoming the guy who, along with Barry Bonds, is the poster boy for the steroid era is counterproductive to moving forward.

Can you think of a worse role model not named Bonds than McGwire?

McGwire wouldn’t have become a household name without the juice. He’d be a Dave Kingman-like footnote in history.

Will he address his past, or naively believe he can work in baseball without saying a word?

To make this right, to clear the air, to avoid the Spring Training circus, Big Mac should call a press conference right now and address his P.E.D. past. Put it in the rear-view. And hope to move forward.

Denials or silence won’t work here.

Take the Andy Pettitte route. Address the situation and answer everyone’s question. It won’t fix everything, but it’s a start.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. Pacific Time.

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Michael Vick: Back in (the Endorsement) Business

Patrick Mauro — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:02:35 -0400

Wow, that didn't take long. I thought he'd at least have to score a touchdown or lead the Eagles to victory or supplant Kevin Kolb or Donovan McNabb as the Eagles starting quarterback. But, despite what the "swoosh people" say, the endorsement spigot has apparently been turned back on for Michael Vick.

Nike's suits in PR put out the damage control statement Thursday that they do not have a “contractual relationship” with Vick, but that they “agreed to supply product to Vick as we do a number of athletes who are not under contract with Nike.”

Yeah, right. I'd bet the farm Vick will be used to sell Nike products in the coming 12-18 months. That Eagles No. 7 jersey is selling quite well, and it's not because of Ron Jaworski.

The story Wednesday was that Nike signed the dog guy to an endorsement deal, two years after deciding they didn't want a canine killer pimping their product, calling his dog ring-leading actions “inhumane, abhorrent, and unacceptable.”

Time heals all endorsement wounds.

“Mike has a long-standing, great relationship with Nike, and he looks forward to continuing that relationship,” his agent, Joel Segal, said Wednesday.

Yeah, he never killed any of their dogs.

Segal also said, "The player and company had agreed not to release terms of the deal."

And to think, all it took to get this deal was an 0-for-2 passing performance with one run for seven yards.

Maybe they got him on the cheap.

Maybe they plan on using him in an ad-campaign in dog eating countries.

I thought he'd have to sit down with the president and a pit bull (not Sarah Palin) and share a beer or a dog bone or something.

This is almost too easy.

But thinking back on it, the fervor died down pretty quickly after the Philadelphia Eagles signed Bad Newz Kennels personified.

The court of perceived public opinion has moved on.

Yes, he served his debt to society and all that, but shouldn't some sort of on-field accomplishment be achieved before rewarding this guy with endorsement dollars?

That's the question of the naive idealist.

What this proves is that the majority of society has moved on. They're no longer as outraged by Vick's actions. Memories are short.

Don't underestimate the suits in research and marketing. Nike doesn't invest in entities they don't think will make them cash.

Sign him now so he's under contract when the public's emotion subsides.

The "swoosh people" have no trouble removing emotion from the equation.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

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Imagine NBA Games Without Referees

Patrick Mauro — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:40:31 -0400

No one really notices the referees in a hoops game unless they're screwing up or, like Tim Donaghy, committing outright fraud.

But we may soon be watching NBA hoop without its regular referees. An October 1st lockout date was set after contract talks broke down between the refs and the league.

Unless you’re a ref, no one will lose sleep over this. Seriously, who would miss Dick Bavetta next NBA season?

Games minus the regular refs means replacement refs, who won't be as good, but what if there were no refs in an NBA game?

Many of us have played pickup games where the argument grows fierce as the whether or not there was a foul, or a travel, or whatever. Imagine this at the NBA level with NBA players making their own calls.

Would Shaq scream foul every time he touched the ball?

It could be a disaster, but it could also eliminate one annoying aspect of the NBA, the charge. Does anyone really enjoy this call?

You'd see less offensive fouls in an NBA without officials. No one calls charging in pickup basketball, because no one tries to draw one. This might actually make the NBA game better. Offensive fouls and the guys who flop to draw them—Shane Battier, Anderson Varejao—are annoying and need to be phased out as a method of defense.

Would a religious guy like Dwight Howard be more likely to call a foul on himself than say J.R Smith?

Would the regular referees picket at NBA arenas chucking fruit at those who crossed the lines and worked as scab refs? Would referees from other sports talk up their cause?

I’m sure the lawyers and accountants will figure it all out before any sort of crisis arises, but the concept is intriguing.

What would it be like if guys respected the calls of others, didn’t flop, played games to 100 instead of being governed by the clock?

Take all fouls out on top. No free throws.

They'll play that game between the Suns and the Warriors outdoors in Indian Wells, CA on October 10. How about an exhibition without refs?

It might be better.

Then again, we might just end up with And 1 Mix Tape Tour type action.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

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How Life Changes Once Football Begins

Patrick Mauro — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:20:07 -0400

It finally started. Football season.

Technically it started last week on the smurf turf in Boise, ID in a game destined to be remembered for what happened afterwards—the blunt Blount bash—more than anything that occurred during the 60 minutes of regulation.

And now the Steelers—hoping to become the first team since the Patriots to repeat—began their title defense with a sweet win over the Titans to inaugurate the 2009 NFL season.

For a lot of us, life changes. Football takes more of your time. It occupies more of your thoughts as you occupy your couch. Takes a few weeks for the indentation I create on the couch to fully go away once the season concludes.

I know I'm not as productive during football season. All of a sudden, I'm only accomplishing stuff during commercials, if at all, on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Thursday nights, Friday nights, and Monday nights.

Then throw in fantasy football—which severely decreases the amount of time I'd otherwise be working, writing, or doing something productive—and more hours than I care to admit get devoted to this game.

I don't know if I'm as good a husband—I ignored the dishes after dinner once Titans/Steelers kicked off, or father—after doing the dishes my lovely wife read to the children and got them to bed while I rode the sofa.

This time of year, I definitely don't eat as healthy.

Wednesday night, I ate salmon with steamed vegetables and went for a swim after a six mile run.

Thursday (game day), I consumed a super burrito, too many chips, several beers, ice cream, more chips, and watched the movie Max Payne after the game before checking fantasy stats for Kerry Collins and then staggering to bed, bloated from the chips.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a gigantic baseball and hoops fan, but football is different. It's a passion for many, a neurosis for some.

It's a time to sit down in front of the flat-screen and not move until it's over.

If you want to hang out with me at any time during the next four-plus months, it will likely revolve around something pigskin.

I spend long stretches stretched out on the couch, screaming at the TV like someone who belongs under long-term psychiatric observation, possibly restrained, and certainly on medication.

I spend the week studying matchups, trying to predict outcomes—like I'm Robert DeNiro in Casino—hoping to anticipate what the week holds in store, and I know I'm not alone.

Don't know if there are any football detox programs and even if there were, I wouldn't voluntarily partake. Hopefully my family wouldn't stage any sort of intervention.

Fact is, I don't want to quit, although as a Broncos fan that could change as the season progresses.

NFL and NCAA football are religion for a large percentage of the population. We're corn chip-devouring cult members following the rantings of Chris Collinsworth.

So it's on. The 2009 season commenced and, for better or for worse, life won't be the same until a month into 2010, when the natural football detox begins.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

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Is Allen Iverson "The Answer" For Memphis?

Patrick Mauro — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:19:54 -0400

The story out of Memphis, is that the Grizzlies are offering Allen Iverson a one-year contract worth $3.5 million. This is a franchise that needs to sell tickets, but bringing in AI to do that is counterproductive to the development of their young back court.

This is purely a business play by the Grizzlies, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Interest in the squad has been at an all-time low the last couple seasons after they gave away Pau Gasol at the deadline in 2008.

The tremendous success of John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers—whether they were cheating or not—also led to a decline in attention paid to the NBA franchise. Coach Cal is gone to Kentucky, but the interest in the Grizzlies remains low. Could AI save the day?

Projected w/o AI

PG Mike Conley/Marko Jaric
SG OJ Mayo/Sam Young and Rudy Gay
SF Gay/Young
PF Zach Randolph/Darrell Arthur
C Marc Gasol/ Hasheem Thabeet

Insert AI into the mix—as a starter or a reserve—and the minutes of Conley, Gay, and Young would certainly decrease, not to mention the potential power struggle with Mayo.

It's tough to say if Conley will ever amount to anything more than a competent NBA player, but Mayo and Gay could form a nice tandem in Music City.

AI, who needs the ball in his hands, doesn't appear to be the mentoring type. This Grizzlies team doesn't look like they'll be contending for much other than the hopes of drafting John Wall or Ed Davis next June.

How does AI react to losing? He didn't react too well to it in Detroit. Why would it be any different in Memphis? Maybe he gained some perspective during the off-season waiting for a phone that hasn't really been ringing. Anything is possible.

This is the same guy who said he'd rather retire than come off the bench when asked to do so last year in Detroit before quitting on his team. Can he accept a supporting role on a team that, best case scenario, wins 35 games?

As an NBA fan with no bias either way towards the Grizzlies, the team becomes infinitely more interesting with AI's presence, but if I'm a season ticket holder and rabid Grizzlies fan, I think I'd swap my NBA seats in the FedExForum for ones to see the Tigers.

Bringing a 34-year-old to town who likes to huck up shots at a frequent rate delays the on court progress of this young team and is definitely not the answer in Music City.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

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Ricky Rubio: The Freddy Adu of Hoop?

Patrick Mauro — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:17:26 -0400

The Ricky Rubio saga—what is the proper incubation period for a teen phenom?—reminds me of another much-hyped youngster.

Remember Freddy Adu? We're bombarded with so much information and as a result own such ridiculously short attention spans. I don't blame you, therefore, if you forgot about the 20-year-old American (via Ghana) who at 14 was the first pick of the 2004 MLS SuperDraft.

He scored a goal in an MLS game that first season. I know it’s not the Premier League, but that’s quite the accomplishment for a 14-year-old playing against men. In four season he scored 13 goals in 98 MLS games.

Manchester United, from the Premier League, were supposedly interested.

But now, where is he? Seriously, how many of the 6.7 billion people inhabiting this planet possess a clue as to where the boy wonder is playing this season?

In 2007, he joined Benfica in Portugal before being loaned out to AC Monaco in France last year. For the 2009-10 season he has been loaned out again, this time to Belenenses of Portugal.

The debate intensifies as to whether the player dubbed "America's Pele" will ever be a star on the international stage. Please. Pele scored a hat trick in the World Cup when he was 17. Adu is in Portuguese obscurity.

By the time Pele was 21, he was a two-time World Cup winner. Next year Adu turns 21 and one wonders whether he’ll be a regular on the pitch for Team USA during World Cup 2010.

We know Adu will be near the Mediterranean Sea this season. Rubio will also enjoy the temperate Mediterranean Winter, hoping his next three years involve the evolution of his game and further physical development, rather than the limbo of Adu’s past two.

Rubio is best known for his highlight moments in Beijing last summer, but when you look at the per game averages—4.8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists during the Olympics, plus his Euroleague averages this spring of .8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 3 assists—you must ponder the possibility that we (so eager for the next Pistol Pete?) have been duped by the Rubio hype machine.

Maybe Brandon Jennings was right.

Rubio has three years in Barcelona to strengthen his case for NBA competence and ideally stardom.

Is this kid, who is most likely to make his NBA debut when the United States votes for its next President, destined to be remembered as potential unrealized, or perhaps potential misdiagnosed? Misidentified?

His trade value has plummeted, but it could easily soar higher than it was prior to the draft with a great showing at Barcelona, or the Timberwolves might look back and wished they’d taken Wilson Chandler and the eighth pick for the Rubio pick in June. It would have saved a lot of travel for Minnesota's man in command David Kahn.

In three years, Ricky could be arriving in America—mega millions waiting—ready to star in the NBA, or people could be asking, the same way they do about Adu, “where is that guy? Whatever happened to him?”

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

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Playoffs to Lottery, Lottery to Playoffs: Three Out, Three In

Patrick Mauro — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:02:47 -0400

Note: Also seen at www.protectthepaint.com 16 teams go to the NBA Playoffs each year. The other 14 go into the lottery hoping to get lucky with the ping pong balls. Last season, the Bulls, the Heat, and the Blazers returned to the post-season after all three participated in the Derrick Rose-sweepstakes as lottery teams during the 2008 draft. Chicago got Rose and nearly knocked-off the defending champion Celtics in the first round. Those three teams replaced The Raptors, the Nets, and the Warriors in the playoffs from the previous season. This year, three 2008-09 playoffs teams will return to the lottery in hopes of nabbing John Wall, or Ed Davis, or whoever ends up as the top pick in next year's draft, while three lottery teams elevate their games to a post-season level. Up first, a team whose time has come and gone, representing a city whose time has come and gone:

Begin Slideshow

"Mozart" to the New York Knicks?

Patrick Mauro — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:30:09 -0400

The Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves at an interesting fork in the Ricky Rubio-road, and judging by June's draft in which they took point guards with both the fifth and the sixth picks, one they anticipated all along.

If you haven't heard, the Spanish teen-ager (AKA "Mozart") has signed a deal with Barcelona that could keep him in Spain and out of the NBA for the next two seasons.

David Kahn--the guy calling the shots in the Minnesota front office--could wait a couple years for Rubio to join the squad, which might not be the worst thing in the world. He won't turn 19 until late October. In a couple years with more experience under his belt, he'd likely be in a better spot both physically and in terms of maturity to live up to the hype.

But is this more a question of better location (than the land of 10,000 lakes) leading to bigger dollars?

Prior to the draft, Rubio's people opined the benefits of a major market, citing more money from endorsements and an easier process of coming up with the package to release him from the pricey buyout.

Kahn has done everything he possibly can to creatively raise the cash for the monster buyout and going so far as to promise exhibition games against DKV Joventut, what is now Rubio's former Spanish team.

It didn't work. That team turned down the offer, instead agreeing on the buyout from Barcelona, keeping the teenager in the "land of paella" for the foreseeable future.

If Rubio is destined to be an NBA star, the realization of that fate seems more likely later than now.

But wait.

According to StarTribune.com, an NBA source claims the New York Knicks, who wanted Rubio to begin with (they offered their No. 8 pick and Wilson Chandler for the fifth pick back on draft day) are back in possible contention, or at least discussions, regarding the teen joining their team.

They don't have an abundance of draft picks, meaning their only trade bait is un-signed David Lee, who has said he may not come to camp if a deal can't be done.

Lee is a good player, but Al Jefferson (who says his knee will be ready for the season) and Kevin Love occupy the minutes at power forward. If the T-Wolves did acquire him, Lee might be used to acquire someone else from someplace else.

Could the best current European-American play the "three"? I'm kidding.

Is Lee worthy compensation for what could be a future HOFer? The possibility Rubio proves "all hype" has to figure into the decision. His trade value could be at its highest right now.

For Kahn and the organization, it comes down to not only whether they believe he is worth waiting for, but also realistically confronting the possibility that Rubio would rather play NBA hoops somewhere other than Minneapolis.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

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David Lee: The Contemporary Larry Bird?

Patrick Mauro — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:38:26 -0400

After a 1987 NBA playoff game between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons, Dennis Rodman made the comment that “Larry Bird was overrated because he was white in a league full of black players.”

When asked about Rodman’s statement, Isiah Thomas responded, “I think Larry is a very, very good basketball player. He’s an exceptional talent, but I have to agree with Rodman. If he were black, he’d be just another good guy.”

In retrospect, Rodman’s statement seems way off, but it’s true that Larry Legend was a bit of an anomaly. He flourished in the NBA like no other Caucasian before or after.

Bird was one of the best to ever play the game and certainly the best American-born Caucasian to suit up in the NBA, with Mr. “Tight Shorts” John Stockton second on the list. Super old-school readers may throw out the name George Mikan as well.

But what about today?

Plenty of white guys not from the states are having huge success. Spain’s Pau Gasol just won an NBA title, Canada’s Steve Nash is a two-time NBA MVP, and Dirk Nowitzki from Germany is one of the better offensive players in the league.

But what about domestic born Caucasians?

We still have a media that wants to compare any good white player to Larry Legend the same way they tried to crown Harold Miner, Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter, and others the “next Jordan.”

Remember when they were calling Adam Morrison the next Bird? I don’t ever remember Larry sitting at midcourt crying.

A bunch of Duke guys—Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Mike Dunleavy Jr.—at some point, by some so-called expert, were dubbed “the next Larry Bird” or “possessing Bird-like skills.”

Charles Barkley said about his 1992 Dream Team teammate, “the only thing Christian Laettner has in common with Larry Bird is they both pee standing up.”

Eric Piatkowski, Mike Miller, Wally Szczerbiak, Keith Van Horn are just some of the non-Dukies I think Sir Quotable would describe with similar, if not more demeaning, rhetoric. Like Laettner, they have been compared to the Celtics great, simply and foolishly because they're white.

Which brings us to David Lee.

He’s currently un-signed as New York Knicks' training camp begins in about a month. He’s coming off a good statistical season (his numbers may look a little large because of Mike D’Antoni’s uptempo offense) and could be considered, by a small margin, the best American-born Caucasian player in the league.

Today’s Larry Bird?

Not that there’s much competition.

Who else is even close? Troy Murphy and Kevin Love are the only two players who put up comparable numbers.

Consider each player's 36-minute averages (see below).

Player	PTS	RB	FG%	FT%	3PT%	AST	STL	BLK
Lee	16.5	12.1	54.9	75.5	0	2.2	1	.3
Murphy	15.1	12.5	47.5	82.6	45	2.5	.8	.5
Love	15.8	12.9	45.6	78.9	10.5	1.5	.6	.9

Lee put up career highs last November versus the Warriors with 37 points and 21 rebounds. He became the first Knicks player with 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game since Patrick Ewing in 1997, and he had a stretch of 10 straight double-doubles.

Murphy takes nearly five shots from beyond the arc every game, but he did have Danny Granger as the focus of the offense, allowing for many offensive put-backs and wide open threes.

Love was a 20-year-old rookie last season coming off just one season in college hoops. He clearly has the highest upside of the three and a pressure-free situation in which to develop, plus uber-talented Al Jefferson to play off of in Minnesota.

I can just imagine the colorful verbiage Sir Charles would use to compare any of these three to the guy from French Lick.

Lee possesses good athleticism and, at 26, is three years younger than Murphy and is just approaching his prime. Too bad he’s on such a bad basketball team. He’ll likely only sign a one-year deal in New York, and might one day be released from hoops purgatory with a chance to blossom in a more functional setting.

As soon as this season, Love—who may up his assists total under Kurt Rambis—could be the best American-born Caucasian player, but if a true comparison is to be made, his game is a lot more Kevin McHale than it is or ever will be Larry Bird.

The comparisons will keep coming and at an even higher rate because of the proliferation of media.

Think about it. Nowitzki was compared to Bird, and as good as Mark Cuban’s highest paid employee is, Barkley’s words apply to him the same way they applied to Laettner.

Who knows if a player like Bird—whose talent transcended race—will ever again grace our presence.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

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Have You Ever Lost Your Grip Because of Sports?

Patrick Mauro — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:52:27 -0400

Sports make people do weird things. Or maybe some people are already weird, and sports simply serve as the outlet for their weirdness.

Have you ever done something you regret or otherwise felt odd about because of your dedication as a fan?

During the 2003 ALCS, I took an old Oakland A's Jason Giambi bobblehead doll and put a soiled (with No. 1) diaper over it in vain hope, as a Red Sox fan, of jinxing the Yankees—Giambi's team at the time.

My first child had recently been born, so I didn't have to venture far for the diaper.

Giambi wound up jacking two bombs in Game Seven, and the Yankees took the pennant.

After that loss, I embarked on a long walk and disemboweled the bobblehead.

I believe this type of event manifests itself in different ways depending on the individual but happens to every hardcore sports fan at some point.

For some people, it happens in public, like the Cubs fan who lost it and threw beer at Philadelphia's Shane Victorino at Wrigley Field earlier this month. (Then again, maybe that guy was just hammered.)

Then there was the White Sox fan who came on the field in 2003 to attack the umpire in the new Comiskey. Do these things only happen in Chicago?

Or, maybe you're forced to deal with the public when you thought it was going to be just you. And maybe it happens in Winona, Minnesota.

From the Winona Daily News:

A woman on her way to St. Paul really got the goat of auto repairman James Prusci. She went to Tires Plus in Winona Friday, wanting a belt replaced on her Chevy Malibu. While he was doing paperwork, she said she had a goat in her trunk. "A what?" he asked. She told him she planned to butcher it.

It was painted Minnesota Viking colors—purple and gold—with Brett Favre's No. 4 shaved on its side.

Prusci called animal control, which took the goat to a local vet. He was renamed Brett and placed in foster care.

Wonder what happened to the woman? Was she a Packers fan? Or maybe she's a Vikings fan and, in some sort of figurative cannibalistic act, was celebrating the arrival of the guy who can't retire.

We'll likely never know, but she can't be well.

Has this ever been you?

Stadiums have holding pens to handle unruly (drunk) fans. Maybe they should have psychiatric experts on hand to deal with the purple goat people.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT.

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529).

Also, you can follow me on Twitter (I don't post mundane minutiae).

The NCAA's Toothless Punishment Of Memphis

Patrick Mauro — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:31:24 -0400

The great success of the Memphis Tigers during the 2007-08 season has been erased from the record books, but it's not like Back to the Future (sorry for the 1985 reference) where the very existence of Alex P. Keaton was at stake if he couldn’t power up the DeLorean and get back to the Reagan years.

This isn't the case. It still happened. We all remember it, and always will. The Tigers still went to the Finals. Chris Douglas-Roberts still missed those two free throws to allow Mario Chalmers to hit his big shot. Kids are still buying Derrick Rose’s no. 23 Tigers jersey.

The technology doesn't exist (I don't think) to zap the memory of that season from our brains. That would be something.

Bleacher Report’s Senior Writer Leroy Watson deftly details the situation in his story Memphis Appealing NCAA Decision, but Is that Enough? and raises the question of just how serious the ramifications are for cheating.

Anyone would be naïve to believe what happened at Memphis doesn’t happen all over the country. It always has and it always will.

So all eliminating wins really does is hurt Memphis in the endowment. They have to cough up some cash. It somehow doesn't seem that severe.

Then again, this isn't about student-athletes or abiding by the rules. It's big business and producing big bucks and fattening that bottom line. And the powers that be want business to run as smoothly as possible.

It marks the second time both Memphis and coach John Calipari had to vacate a Final Four season. The Tigers were stripped of their 1985 appearance (Dana Kirk ended up doing some time) and Calipari’s UMass team lost its 1996 berth.

I still vividly remember watching Keith Lee and the Tigers in 1985 as a 16 year old in Boise, ID. I still think Lee was one of the best college players never to make in the NBA.

I lived in Las Vegas and watched Rick Pitino's Kentucky Wildcats with Tony Delk and Antoine Walker beating Coach Cal's UMass Minutemen with Marcus Camby in 1996—one of the more exciting (top 10) National Semi-Finals I can remember.

The fact that the NCAA has stricken from the record UMass's appearance doesn't change the excitement and drama you feel as a fan.

It still happened. Maybe it won’t be in the record books for some future civilization to discover, but it will always be talked about.

Think of Michigan's Fab Five. Steve Fisher can still claim the best recruiting class ever with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. They came to Ann Arbor in the Fall of 1991 and lost in the national title game—to Duke in 1992 and to North Carolina in 1993—two years in a row.

Will anyone forget Weber's infamous timeout call in 1993 just because the school vacated the wins?

It still happened.

They’re still selling Webber no. 4 Wolverine jerseys.

So in all these cases, they give up the wins and cough up the money, but are likely still making money because of the merchandise they sell.

The punishment seems so insignificant—a little like the original 10-game suspension for the first steroid offense in baseball. It just wasn’t going to prevent anyone from cheating.

If the NCAA were serious about stopping such practices, the penalties would be far more severe, as in huge bucks. In the case of Memphis, not only should the school pay, so should Calipari. The penalties should follow the coach.

Under the current system, Coach Cal was in position to cash in huge in Lexington despite his rule breaking past. That should somehow be rectified. Any suggestions are welcome.

Kentucky sells a lot of merchandise. Good for them, good for the SEC, good for the NCAA. Why get in the way of the cash flow?

Ashley Judd and the rest of the Wildcats fans should enjoy the wins now, because they might not count later, but even if they don’t, they still got to witness the spectacle.

It’s a little like eating a great meal, or seeing a kick ass concert, or good times with a friend, and then having someone tell you it didn’t count.

It still happened.

Until the memory zapping technology is in the hands of the NCAA, more serious ramifications for breaking the rules are necessary.

Or, the players could be paid, attending class could be optional, and the hypocrisy of big time college sports could end.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Follow me on Twitter (I don't post mundane minutiae)

Ben Roethlisberger Beats Shaquille O'Neal in H-O-R-S-E on Shaq Versus

Patrick Mauro — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:26:10 -0400

Also seen at Protect the Paint

At the 16-minute mark of the premiere of Shaq Versus, I hit the "Guide" button on my remote to see how long this show was.

An hour? This takes an hour? Forty-four more minutes of this didn't seem possible.

I assumed Shaquille O’Neal was going to race an ostrich, or rap, or something, but he didn’t.

I wonder if LeBron James was watching? Apparently, not too many people were.

The show began with O'Neal on a private jet flying into Pittsburgh, Pa., with the sole purpose of quarterbacking against the two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger in some sort of college overtime-like scenario with no pass rush.

Not that anything in the show was necessary, but the two announcers on the funny Shaq Versus set served about the same purpose as the ball boys.

I knew Shaq Versus was in trouble when the title character couldn’t beat Big Ben in a game of H-O-R-S-E. But since I’d already dedicated 32 minutes of my life, I felt I needed to gut it out.

To fill up this entire hour, the viewing audience was treated to O'Neal's combine practice, during which he ran a 5.8 in the 40. Then, Charlie Batch tackled the task of teaching Shaq how to quarterback.

Watching late night infomercials could be called more thought-provoking.

O'Neal and Roethlisberger then did a ridiculous face off before the game. For the contest, O’Neal dressed sort of Tom Cruise-like from All the Right Moves. It wasn’t exactly an Ampipe High jersey, but it was close.

O'Neal went ahead two scores to one, but his luck changed when he illegally joined the defense and picked off Big Ben. Shaq wound up losing the circus.

OK, enough with the X-ing and O-ing of this ridiculous made-for-TV disaster that turned out nothing like I'd hoped it would.

If you're James, what are you thinking? Maybe something along the lines of, "don’t get injured" or "go practice your free throws," or "don’t get injured."

O'Neal has four rings, so what does it matter to him? You’d think his motivation to win a fifth title now that Kobe has four would mean an offseason of grueling conditioning, Pilates, thousands of free throws, and maybe even some time with a shrink in case the free throw issues are between the ears.

But few would believe gallivanting around the country participating in sports he normally does not participate in best prepares him for his first—Cavs fans hope not the last—year with LeBron.

Shaq is coming off a good statistical season in Phoenix, but it was one that didn’t result in a postseason appearance. Instead, the lingering memory of Shaq last year was his well-choreographed intro with the JabbaWockeeZ dance troupe at the NBA All-Star Game.

LeBron is hoping Shaq’s goofy TV appearances—you know Dancing with the Stars is in his future—don’t get in the way of his first title.

Cavalier fans are hoping he doesn’t hurt himself during this self-promotion and that his priority is another NBA Title—which would likely keep LeBron a Cav—instead of infamy on reality TV.

Future episodes of Shaq Versus will feature Albert Pujols, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams.

I’m guessing he beats at least one of them in H-O-R-S-E.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Check out: Don't Believe The Michael Vick "Second Chance" Spin

Don't Believe The Michael Vick "Second Chance" Spin

Patrick Mauro — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:56:00 -0400

And they said he couldn’t be coached.

I didn't see that at all on Sunday night's 60 Minutes interview with James Brown.

Team Vick—the best lawyers, PR and marketing people money can buy—did quite well preparing, and Mike Vick stuck with the game plan. He didn't improvise or call an audible.

He came off as fairly sincere and honest, saying the right stuff. “I blame me.”

He claimed to crying in his cell at night. “I let myself down.”

He evoked a higher power. “I lost touch with my savior.”

And then unleashed the quote that will go down in the annals of history, “Love your reptile.”

But come on, who wouldn’t have some humility after losing what he did?

But enough with the "he deserves a second chance" chants. Vick is a ridiculously fast man who plays quarterback. He has the most unique skill-set of anyone to ever play the position. This is why he's even in a position for a second chance.

Is he contrite? Does he feel remorse? Not sure that it really matters.

He beat the Packers at Lambeau in the playoffs. This is why he gets a second chance.

He’s the only quarterback to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a season, and likely just a couple bad Donovan McNabb games away from being the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback.

The second chance propaganda is almost insulting to any random convict who can't get work because of some offense far less felonious than Vick's.

Doesn't mean I'm not excited to see him play.

The idea of an offensive set featuring McNabb under center and Brian Westbrook in the backfield, and then DeSean Jackson, rookie Jeremy Maclin, and Vick going out as receivers makes Eagles games necessary Sunday viewing.

But if it's any other walk of life, how many of you in a position of power hire a guy who did what Vick did? Unless it's organized crime doing the hiring, I think Vick is out of vocational luck.

So unless you’d hire the guy, stop carrying on about this man deserving a second chance, and don’t be deluded as to why he’s receiving one.

They’re not investing in this guy out of the goodness of their hearts or a belief in second chances.

And why is the Humane Society using him as a spokesperson? It would be like O.J. or Chris Brown serving as some sort of poster boy for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

McNabb was instrumental in Vick's Philadelphia arrival, but how will he feel when the entire town is calling for the dog guy to start if the Eagles drop a few consecutive games, or if he has just mediocre stats?

It seems like only recently that he stopped bitterly talking about the Terrell Owens days in Philly.

He likes it now, but how will McNabb react to any adversity? How will he feel about Vick’s jersey dramatically outselling his?

If Vick is around for both years of the deal, the $5.2 million he would earn in 2010 likely spells bad news for Kevin Kolb. If Vick still calls Philadelphia home next year, you’d have to believe he'd be the Eagles starting quarterback.

Give the the organization some credit for removing emotion from the Vick equation.

If two years ago someone told you it would only take $1.6 million for the first year to sign Michael Vick as a free agent, you’d say they were crazy.

Ignoring what he did to canines and focusing what he still could do on the field gives Philadelphia the quarterback of their future who should improve their bottom line right now.

The Eagles were Super Bowl hopefuls before this move. Now, and it might be tumultuous, they’re the NFC’s team to beat.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

If Magic Didn't Retire Early, Would MJ Still Be The Best?

Patrick Mauro — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:40:12 -0400

Also seen at Protect the Paint

Earvin Magic Johnson just celebrated his 50th birthday and is widely regarded historically as one of the NBA's best ever. But what if he didn't retire when he did?

When Magic announced his first retirement in November of 1991, the Chicago Bulls were about to begin the defense of their first of six titles with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson.

The Bulls won their first, in Jordan's 7th NBA season, a few months earlier beating Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

And then, right before the 1991-92 season was set to begin, Magic made his famous announcement that he was forced to retire because he'd contracted the HIV virus.

He did play in the All-Star Game that season and won a Gold Medal for the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics.

Magic wanted to return to the NBA for 1992-93 season but called off the comeback right before the season was set to begin.

He went on to coach the Lakers for 16 games at the end of 1993-94. It was as memorable as The Magic Hour, Johnson's TV talk show.

At the end of the 1995-96 season, Magic played 32 games at power forward for L.A. averaging 14.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds. He still had it.

Magic has gone on to monstrous success off the court rising to the rank of billionaire, no small task in this recent economy. When you consider within five years of retirement, 60 percent of former NBA players are broke, his financial success is all the more impressive.

Chamberlain and Russell fans might argue, but Jordan is regarded as the undisputed greatest player of all-time. Where would Magic rank on this list if his career hadn't ended prematurely?

Would Jordan still be considered, unequivocally, the greatest?

Mike won six titles.

Magic won five.

Mike's last came when he was 34 years old.

Magic was out of championship contention when he was 31.

How many more titles was Magic going to win? His Lakers team wasn't the greatest at that point in time, but so what? He was Magic Johnson. He made average players good and good players great.

Who's to say Jordan would have even wound up with six if Magic had stuck around?

And if Magic won another and Michael didn't have the most titles of his generation, the debate about "best ever" might rage much stronger than it does today.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Check out: Jeremy Tyler: Top Pick Of The 2011 NBA Draft or Korleone Young?

Jeremy Tyler: Top Pick Of The 2011 NBA Draft or Korleone Young?

Patrick Mauro — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:20:06 -0400

Kevin Garnett, in 1995, was the first of this era of players who made the jump straight from high school to the NBA, but he was not the first ever.

A guy called Reggie Harding from Detroit was the first way back in 1962. He was picked by the Pistons, but he didn’t join the team until the following year.

NBA legend Moses Malone went from Petersburg High in Petersburg, MD to the ABA’s Utah Stars in 1974. The next year, Darryl Dawkins graduated from Maynard Evans High in Orlando, FL to the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

After Chocolate Thunder, it would be two decades before the next high schooler, KG, made the jump.

Beginning in 2006, under the new collective bargaining agreement, high schoolers could no longer go straight to the NBA. This meant top talent, needed to attend college for a year, or pull a Brandon Jennings and bolt for Europe after high school.

Because of this, we have another first.

On Wednesday, 6′11” Jeremy Tyler became the first American-born player to leave high school early to play professional basketball.

The kid from San Diego, CA and formerly of San Diego High School averaged 28.7 points per game as a junior.

Before bolting to Europe, he told Louisville Coach Rick Pitino he'd join him, but he then told the Associated Press “he was tired of facing triple-teams, being hacked and being limited to playing the middle when he felt he had much more to his game.”

So, Tyler will now take his game to Israel for $150 thousand to play for Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League.

Will this open the floodgates?

Latavious Williams is following the precedent Jennings set, but how many guys go the “Tyler route” in 2010.

For now, David Stern is left to ponder if the age minimum was really a good idea, if it’s forcing teenagers to leave the continent in search of a paid hoops gig.

You have to believe this issue will be revisited when negotiations begin for the next labor agreement.

And we're left to ponder if Tyler really has big-time, "turn around the fortunes of a franchise" type game, or whether he winds up being some forgettable footnote in hoops history, a la Korleone Young.

Where on the tube can I watch Maccabi Haifa games?

Tyler is the first to bail high school early for pro hoops, but something green that our government prints tells me he won’t be the last.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Check out: Were You Going to Go to Michael Vick Day?

Were You Going to Go to Michael Vick Day?

Patrick Mauro — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:46:17 -0400

The “Michael Vick Community Celebration” has been postponed.

And I was going to bring my dog. Maybe Vick could have autographed her Vick Dog Chew Toy.

I thought this was a joke when I saw it, some sort of satirical piece, but it was in Tuesday's USA Today, so it must be true.

The Michael Vick Community Celebration was scheduled for Saturday in Newport News, VA—Vick’s hometown—but the man about to have his image remade will be in Atlanta with the Humane Society of America likely petting a dog or something.

Yes, he should have the right to move on with his life, find a job, and get back to checking into hotels under the name Ron Mexico, but the idea of celebrating the guy who bankrolled Bad Newz Kennels for serving his 23 months is beyond ridiculous.

As it turns out, it’s not the city of Newport News putting on the event. It’s a guy named Andrew Shannon, president of the Peninsula chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who says he’s "committed to celebrating Vick's return to the community and would not be swayed by negative public opinion."

Sounds like he’s also hoping for a generous contribution from Mr. Vick once the cash-spigot is turned back on.

The more interesting question is whether or not Vick can make it back to the top of the endorsement-dollar mountain.

Kobe did, which sparks the debate of why a crime versus a dog is often viewed as worse than a crime against a human.

If Vick can still excite crowds on the field and if he can help a team win, it doesn't matter what he did or who he did it to, the cash will follow.

Showing he’s really a “dog guy” by doing appearances with the Humane Society—can’t wait for the commercials—is simply laying the groundwork. Before long, if he can still run, we could be talking endorsements from:

Nike.

Coca Cola.

McDonalds.

Purina. A “dog guy” with some street-cred could be big for business.

Hard not to wonder if corporate America will have a more difficult time with the Vick image-remake than they did with Kobe’s.

Kobe is one of the game’s best players.

Is Vick?

And even if he’s not one of the best, can he still be one of the most popular?

You hear about powerful voter blocks—NASCAR dads and mini-van moms—but “dog people” includes the vast majority of the country from almost every demographic.

A corporate sponsor should think hard before tempting that powerful voter block to not buy their product.

This is America though. We’re a great people, but with an extremely short memory.

Oh, I almost forgot, look for the "Michael Vick Community Celebration" in lovely Newport News sometime later this summer, unless he has something more important to do.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Check out: SportsCenter Crosses the Cross-Promotion Line

SportsCenter Crosses the Cross-Promotion Line

Patrick Mauro — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:31:40 -0400

After what I saw Sunday night, I wish I could make the bold statement, "I will never watch SportsCenter again," but I'm pretty sure it would end up being a lie.

I'm way too conditioned to watch sports highlights on TV and ESPN seems to have the sports highlight market cornered.

I’ve largely chosen to ignore the smarmy anchors, the guys (and gals) hoping so desperately to be the next Keith Olberman or Craig Kilborn, shoving a catchphrase—that isn’t even their original thought—down our throats:

“No soup for you!”

“Sit on it Potsie!”

“Run Forrest run!”

“Jumanji!”

“He’s so money and he doesn’t even know it.”

“I am Kaiser Soze!”

Makes you long for a simpler time—the days before the “big sports network” secured the near monopoly on these types of shows and just painlessly gave you the scores and highlights.

Maybe that's too much to ask for in our media proliferated universe.

Up to this point, I hadn’t let this stop me from enjoying my highlights, but what I witnessed Sunday night was so disturbing counseling may be necessary. It ranks right up there as one of the worst things I've ever seen.

It was like being betrayed by a good friend or a significant other.

It was trainwreck-esque.

It nearly induced vomiting.

Let me set the scene that solidified my opinion of the “big sports network” and their signature highlight show.

Towards the end of the Sunday night SportsCenter, David Cook of American Idol fame from a couple seasons ago joined Stuart Scott and John Buccigross on the part of the set where they all stand around.

Call me a traditionalist, but I’m more a fan of sportscasters sitting behind a desk.

This was after he appeared on Baseball Tonight. No guest is ever on just one ESPN show.

To his credit, Cook did seem to know his baseball and appeared to be a real fan, but that's not the point.

After giving some baseball highlights, the anchormen asked Cook if Simon Cowell was intimidating.

Cook said yes, at which point, Scott and Buccigross quite enthusiastically tell him to bend his knees while assuming what appeared to be Queensbery Rules sort of boxing stances.

As if Mr. "Boo-Ya" and his scrawny co-anchor were going to teach the finer points of how to administer a beat-down.

It was cross-promotion gone lamely absurd.

It was no where near as “cool as the other side of the pillow.”

If I'm a SportsCenter anchor, I'm embarrassed/annoyed sharing the stage with a kid semi-famous for singing show tunes.

Even if you like American Idol (I'm not here to judge you), you can’t possibly like it while trying to enjoy some sports highlights.

The two just don’t go together.

It’s like chocolate and tuna.

Or Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer.

Or Michael Vick and your dog.

Or Plaxico Burress and a firearm.

Keep them apart.

Wish I could make the bold proclamation and go cold turkey, but I'm hooked on late-night sports highlights.

I'm an addict.

I know I'll watch tonight.

Doesn't mean I'll enjoy it.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Check out: Kobe Bryant Returns From His "Worship The Swoosh" Asian Tour

Kobe Bryant Returns from His "Worship The Swoosh" Asian Tour

Patrick Mauro — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:05:07 -0400

Also seen at: Protect the Paint A Blog Dedicated Solely To NBA Basketball

Was Kobe’s week on the other side of the world for anything other than proselytizing the good message of the swoosh people and selling Nike gear on that large continent?

At least it wasn't lauded as some great humanitarian effort.

And now it’s over.

Amazing the transformation of the Kobe Bryant brand. Is it the power of PR or the ridiculously short attention span/memory of the 21st century human being?

The development of a human brand—the cultivation, the promotion—is almost brilliant to watch.

Tiger Woods is the best example, and he's always done the right thing. He’s always protected the brand. No scandals. No assaults. No estrangement from his family. Probably why he’s the highest endorsement earner.

Kobe has not always protected the brand so well, but the amazing thing is he went from rape case defendant and the loser of many of his endorsements all the way back to the top.

This year, Kobe is second on Forbes Magazine's list of the world's highest-paid athletes with $45 million, second only to Tiger and tied with Michael Jordan.

Which makes some sense. Since so much was already invested in the Kobe brand, it wasn't allowed to die when trouble came its way.

Kobe originally was an Adidas guy. Anyone still sport the Equipment KB 8—Kobe’s first signature shoe?

He signed with Nike right before the rape allegations and it was two years before the swoosh people used Kobe’s image in ads. Now he’s got his own puppet.

And he pimps Vitamin Water and Guitar Hero.

And is the last guy they show smiling in those NBA Cares commercials.

He never got the Nutella endorsement back.

This trip was all about spreading the good word of “Buy Nike. Buy Nike. Buy Nike.” He unveiled the Nike Zoom Kobe IV Beijing and the Nike Zoom Kobe IV Finals the last day of the tour.

He finished the clinics by tossing signed basketballs and T-shirts into the crowd, then autographing the shoes he wore and giving them to two fans.

A man's sweaty shoe. Sweet. One sweaty shoe. Thanks.

It's like Michael Jackson giving away a glove after a show.

That wasn’t considered a bad reference until just recently. Get it, bad.

Along with LeBron (the other guy with a puppet), Kobe is the face of the NBA and has become one of the most recognizable athletes/people in the world. The power of PR.

What international athlete could bring out these types of crowds in America?

David Beckham hasn’t.

Usain Bolt wouldn’t.

Then again, there aren’t quite as many people here.

I once saw the Dalai Lama at the University of San Francisco’s Memorial Gym (the Dons hoops court). There were nowhere near the amount of people for the Lama as showed up in Asia to see Kobe.

Maybe basketball is the international religion. Or maybe it’s Nike.

Wonder if more people would recognize “the swoosh” or the crucifix?

LeBron or The Lama?

Kobe or the Pope?

Maybe that’s not a fair question. The Catholic Church, as of late, hasn’t done the greatest job in the world protecting their brand.

But the Kobe-brand is thriving, here and abroad and quite possibly in a distant solar system many galaxies away.

Listen this Saturday to Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT and hear Bleacher Creatures:

Glenn Franco Simmons discussing Brett Favre and Michael Vick

Justin Hokanson talking SEC College Football Media Day and Heisman Trophy Favorites

Andrew Nuschler on MLB deadline deals

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Follow at twitter.com/radiopat

Gall of Fame: The 10 Players By Position Cooperstown Has the Nerve To Omit

Patrick Mauro — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:36:53 -0400

Until Sunday, Jim Rice was often the first guy mentioned when discussing the best players eligible for, but not in baseball's Hall of Fame. Rice may never have gained enshrinement had the steroid era not come to a close, sort of (we thought it concluded until Manny Ramirez was exposed). Yes, I know Gil Hodges was great and so was Shoeless Joe Jackson, but that's a tad too "old school" for this list. I'm looking for guys some of us at least remember watching play. Pete Rose was great, but not eligible. He still owes Jim Gray an apology. You don't hear much about Rose ever since he came clean (for cash) in book form. Time will tell if Mark McGwire of "I'm not here to talk about the past" fame ever gets in and what fate holds in store in 2012 for Barry Bonds. Now I give you The 10 Best Players (of the last 40 years) by Position Not in Baseball's Hall of Fame:

Begin Slideshow

LeBron James "Dunked-On" Video Breakdown

Patrick Mauro — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:17:29 -0400

Also seen at: Protect the Paint, A Blog Dedicated Solely to NBA Basketball

So the LeBron James “getting posterized” cell-phone video finally hit the web.

Still trying to piece together exactly who confiscated video of the event. Nike? LeBron himself? Who green-lighted the impounding of this footage?

I can put to rest my theory that Phil Knight, making he sure he could control any video of the event, had the special Nike cell phone de-scrambler employed at LeBron Skills Academy in lovely Akron, Ohio when Jordon Crawford threw one down over the King.

Still trying to figure out the big fuss. Isn’t this a part of basketball when played by men who can so easily soar above the rim?

It’s not like he hasn’t been dunked on before.

And besides, LeBron wasn’t even guarding Crawford, who had a clear path to the hoop. It wasn’t his guy. Crawford didn’t cross him over, or shake and bake, or do anything remotely And1 Mix Tape Tour-like to make LeBron look bad.

Most defenders wouldn’t have even tried getting in the way to defend the dunk. So LeBron attempts to play a little weak-side “D” and now there’s an international incident?

It would be like Tim Lincecum giving up a batting practice home run (if he pitched batting practice) to a minor leaguer and wanting any record of it expunged, or Tom Brady (when he’s not having his way with a super model) throwing a pick in practice the first day of training camp and sending his people out on a search and destroy mission for the video.

Preposterous. WWF-like. Except in wrestling it would have been in the script. This really happened.

I’m surprised Nike didn’t try to erase the memories of all spectators in Akron that night with some newfangled technology we don’t even know about.

The big shoe guys must have been upset LeBron didn’t make it to the Finals (so they could have shown us even more of those lame Kobe/LeBron puppets), but this is no way to handle it.

Bad for Nike, bad for LeBron, but good for YouTube.

It’s often the cover-up, not the crime, many people wind up getting in trouble for. Whichever Nike rep or whoever was behind the confiscation of the video should be promptly canned.

If LeBron ordered the action, he should be publicly scorned. Of course we’ll never know for sure as the powerful Nike PR machine has taken over this operation.

Think about it, if the video isn’t confiscated, we might have seen it on SportsCenter that night, but then that would have been that. Instead, we have this story of a dude named Jordan dunking over King James, with espionage involved, that couldn’t be better scripted.

Someone’s going to lose their swoosh over this, and I doubt it’s LeBron.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Follow at twitter.com/radiopat

Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James: A Match Made in Championship Heaven?

Patrick Mauro — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:34:43 -0400

Also seen at: Protect the Paint A Blog dedicated Solely to NBA Basketball

Michael and Scottie, Magic and Kareem, Shaq and Kobe are tandems synonymous with winning.

What about LeBron and Shaq?

LeBron James, the guy who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior, who could do no wrong, until he lost to the Magic, didn’t shake their hands, then supposedly got dunked on by a dude from Xavier who was wearing an Adidas jersey.

Where’s the cell phone video of that, or did Nike have all cellular communications scrambled? Does LeBron, all of a sudden, not seem as perfect as Nike would like you to think?

He’s yet to win a title, but if he wins next year, in his seventh season (just like Mike) I’ll begin to believe Phil Knight rules the world.

Conspiracy theories aside, LeBron's future in Cleveland depends on how well Shaquille O'Neal plays this season.

The Big Aristotle, The Diesel, the first to tell you they called him “Superman” in Orlando when Dwight Howard was being dropped off at kindergarten has won. Four times. The three with Kobe Bryant, then the prized 2006 title with Dwayne Wade.

He’s changed addresses and now he wants one more. Wants it bad. But is he still capable of winning?

His most memorable moment the last two years, as a Sun, was that Apollo Creed from Rocky 4-like moment during the introduction of the players at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game when he threw down some wicked moves with the JabbaWockeeZ dance troupe.

LeBron’s team played, and lost, in the NBA Finals two years ago. Then the Celtics bought their title via the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, which denied King James in 2008, and the Magic’s stellar play in last month’s Eastern Conference Finals again kept the Nike guy from playing for the ring.

It was no fault of LeBron’s. He averaged 35.3 points on 51 percent shooting, 9.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. Incredible. His game winning three in Game 2 of the Conference Finals was the iconic moment of the playoffs.

Last year in Phoenix, Shaq averaged 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, but spent the post-season not playing basketball for the first time since he was a rookie.

The previous season the Suns made the move with Miami, landed Shaq and thought they finally have a player that could defend Tim Duncan.

The Spurs then eliminated Phoenix in the first round, with Duncan hitting a three after losing Shaq on defense to send Game One to overtime and set the tone for the series.

Who knows if LeBron and Shaq can coexist to the tune of the title, but Cavs fans are certainly excited. Season ticket interest is at an all-time high according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which is saying something considering the dire economic situation in that part of the country.

Shaq will be 38 when the playoffs begin next year.

Here’s the age the NBA’s greatest big men won their last title:

Bill Russell 35
Wilt Chamberlain 35
Kareem Abdul Jabbar 41
Hakeem Olajuwan 32
Shaq 34

Mo Williams will be a year older with playoff experience under his belt. Newly acquired Anthony Parker gives the team versatility in the back-court. Anderson Varejao and Shaq should be a tremendous rebounding tandem, but not so hot when it comes to hitting free throws.

The “hack-a-Shaq-or-Varejao” might be a new term for announcers doing Cavaliers games. Let’s hope Shaq doesn’t flop like Varejao.

STARTERS/RESERVES
Mo Williams/Daniel Gibson
Delonte West/Anthony Parker
LeBron James/Wally Szczerbiak
Anderson Varejao/Darnell Jackson
Shaquille O’Neal/Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Danny Ferry had to do something.

Steve Kerr thought he had to do something in Phoenix a year and a half ago. Thought Shaq was what he needed. The team has their third coach since the trade.

And now Shaq is gone with Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and a 2010 second-round pick in exchange.

Cavs fans and Mike Brown hope the aftermath of their Shaq trade isn’t so chaotic, because if this doesn’t work out now, LeBron will be the big-name player changing addresses next summer.

And Ferry will never again be able to show his face in the state of Ohio.

Check out The Top 10 Under-the-Radar Breakout NBA Players for 2009-10

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

The Media Loves Dead Pop Stars, Dead Pitchmen, and Tracy McGrady

Patrick Mauro — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:11:29 -0400

Tracy McGrady. The guy known for playoff futility, the inability to stay healthy, and for a tremendous aversion to playing defense is in the news for, of all things, changing uniform numbers.

Obviously this is a slow news week. No dead pitchmen or pop stars, yet.

So the story goes that T-Mac, of the Houston Rockets (for the moment), is changing uniform numbers from "1" to "3" for the purpose of promoting his movie “3 Points Darfur,” which chronicles his trip to the Sudan in 2007.

T-Mac is also donating 75 grand, which will hopefully help a few people out. Sounds magnanimous, but this is equal to a guy who makes 20 grand giving 75 bucks. Hardly worth being endorsed as a great humanitarian in a news story.

Is this really a selfless gesture? Is it worthy of a news story? Or is T-Mac’s PR agency just making sure we all know he’s willing to put out what is not, when mathematically calculated, enough to merit comparison to even half of what Brangelina manages to burp up in one evening for orphans from more stable countries.

It’s one thing to use one’s celebrity to promote a cause, quite another to actually put your own money where your mouth is.

T-Mac made $20.37 million last year, averaging 15.6 points in over 35 games—that’s $582,000 per game, almost Bernie Madoff type of scratch. I bet Madoff would have squeezed more than 75 grand out of him.

In total, T-Mac has pulled down $137 million during his career, but still has never been on the active roster of a team that’s won a playoff series. In fact, his Rockets the last two seasons seemed to play better once his annual injury shut him down for the year.

So what does our idiotic mainstream media do? They praise a guy for changing uniform numbers not for a nice car, or diamond encrusted watch, or a fat wad of cash, but to promote a movie.

And swapping numbers? It’s not like he just gave away his first born. In fact, his new jersey will now sell better than it did, which wasn’t so hot as of late. Who wants a T-Mac jersey who doesn’t already have one? Now those people will need the T-Mac jersey with a "3" on it.

I’m sure the team is more interested in making newly signed Trevor Ariza (who will receive McGrady’s "1") happy versus catering to the underachieving T-Mac, who might not even be in Houston that much longer.

This isn’t about bashing McGrady, though if someone wanted to take him to task for not meeting the definitional criteria of “giver” as well as he could, proportionate to what he makes, I wouldn’t object.

The bigger point is pointing out our mainstream media and their idiotic obsession with celebrity. Then again, the media is simply giving the people what they want, so maybe this is more of a critique on what the American public finds important, like dead pitchmen and pop stars.

Do you get teary-eyed when you hear the now dead Billy Mays yelling at you in a commercial?

McGrady is a decent human for making any effort to shine light on the atrocious situation in Darfur, but it just seems that if changing uniform numbers to promote your own movie is lauded as so humane and wonderful, the ceiling is awfully low, and dropping, when it comes to good deeds performed by NBA stars.

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

The Top 10 Under-the-Radar Breakout NBA Players for 2009-10

Patrick Mauro — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:39:23 -0400

Every NBA season sees a few guys break out. Players that finally get the chance to play the necessary minutes to put up legit stats and take advantage of the opportunity. Jeff Green of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kelenna Azubuike of the Golden State Warriors were these type of players from this past season. Green went from 28 to nearly 37 minutes a game upping his average from 10.5 to 16.5 ppg. Azubuike’s minute total went from 21 to 32 and he took advantage upping his points per game average from 8.5 to 14.4. Who will be the guys that rise to the occasion this upcoming season? List originally published at www.protectthepaint.com

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The NBA's 10 Best Second-Round Picks in the Two-Round Era

Patrick Mauro — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:57:27 -0400

The 2009 NBA Draft is in the books and we found out the T-Wolves like guards, James Harden isn’t afraid to wear a purple bow tie, and a few projected first round picks slipped into the second. Beginning in 1989, the draft became two rounds after it was three the year before, and seven for many years prior. Many second-round selections don't even make the team, winding up in the D league or playing in another country, or simply moving on to another profession—accounting, sales, other—destined for the rest of their lives to answer the question, "did you ever play basketball?" Brett Roberts was the last guy taken in the 1992 draft, but got cut after one game. At least he got a sniff. Maybe that makes it worse. You can't miss what you never had. Then again, it was the early 1990's and the league was not quite as glamorous as it is now. Wonder what that dude is doing now? Other? The second round became more of an incubator for potential stars after Kevin Garnett, in 1995, began this era’s practice of making the high school jump (prior to the league instituting an age limit of 19 in 2006). Before the high school players began entering the draft, almost all the players had been to college and therefore were more thoroughly evaluated. A future star was less likely to slip through the scouting cracks. 11 second-round picks in the two-round era went on to be All-Stars (out of over 600) making the strong case for contracting the draft down to one round, but then what would the “big sports network” guys do? Of those 11 All-Stars from the second round since 1989, three didn’t make this list: Cedric Ceballos: 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds Antonio Davis: 10 points, 7.5 rebounds Nick Van Exel: 14.4 points, 6.6 assists Is there a second rounder from Thursday's draft—ASU’s Jeff Pendergraph, Pittsburgh’s Sam Young, St. Mary’s Patrick Mills—who will one day join The NBA's Ten Best Second Round Picks in the Two Round Era?

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Yao and LeBron: Teammates in 2010?

Patrick Mauro — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:45:42 -0400

Last month, a super wealthy Chinese man bought a minority stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers—which could be safer than U.S. Treasury Bills if, and only if, LeBron James sticks around.

So naturally, the whispers by the lake about Yao Ming coming to Cleveland are getting louder. Yao finally addressed the whispers during an interview on Chinese television:

"It's still unknown. I've already been with Houston for such a long time, I still have much affection for this team. Moreover, this past season we were very successful, and that let me see some hope. Regardless of whether its a Chinese boss, or a foreign boss, they're both bosses and a boss is just a boss."

Well said.

Whether white, tall, fat, bald, Icelandic, or from the Galapagos Islands, would you want to work for someone just because they were like you?

Did anyone think for just a sec that maybe the wealthy dude was investing in LeBron?

It's kind of ridiculous speculation at this point. Yao is signed through 2011, but could opt out after next year. Problem is LeBron could be gone by then. But just for fun, projecting LeBron and Yao on the same team beginning in 2010 is quite compelling—offensively unstoppable.

Can you imagine how many open three-pointers a team would see with those two on the floor? Steve Kerr could come out of retirement.

I can see the tee-shirts proclaiming, “Dynasty in the Rust Belt.”

Or, will LeBron be gone? Will Yao—as he ages—turn into Zydrunas Ilgauskas?

Cav’s GM Danny Ferry will need to make a move this summer to make LeBron happy and give him a better chance of going all the way. If not King James may test free agency, which is why the offseason of 2010 is the one everybody is talking about.

Besides LeBron: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Paul Pierce, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Michael Redd could all become free agents.

Ferry needs to focus on this summer and adding another piece. Carlos Boozer (doubtful), Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom (wants to stay in L.A.), and Rasheed Wallace can become unrestricted free agents this summer.

Do any of these guys put the Cavs in a better position to win next year?

And if LeBron leaves, what happens to the wealthy Chinese man’s investment in the Cavs? What happens to the value of the Cavs? Yao?

And if LeBron leaves, Ferry will need to move, and hire a bodyguard, and never return to the state of Ohio again.

Yao’s soonest availability will be too late for the Cavs if he’s their hope in keeping LeBron. Besides, I get the feeling Yao wants to do it in Houston. Wants to finish what he started.

Cleveland is praying LeBron has that same attitude.

Also seen at: Protect the Paint, A Blog Dedicated Solely to NBA Basketball

Listen on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights—Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529).

Follow him @ twitter.com/radiopat.

Check out:

The NBA's Ten Best No. 1 Overall Picks In The Lottery Era

The NBA's Ten Worst No. 1 Overall Picks In The Lottery Era

The NBA's 10 Worst No. 1 Overall Picks in the Lottery Era

Patrick Mauro — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:36:49 -0400

When the ping balls in the NBA’s draft lottery bounce your way, life is supposed to be good, but that's not always the case. If you're in the lottery, you're a bad basketball team, or you were the previous year (exception to the rule: 2007-08 Golden State Warriors who went 48-24). What makes bad worse? When the precious reward for total failure, the top pick, doesn’t become the savior of the franchise—Lebron, Shaq, A.I.—and the reality sets in you’ll be paying many millions to an underachieving, petulant adolescent for years to come. It’s like giving money to Bernie Madoff. Or hoping to retire off the proceeds from selling your David Robinson rookie cards. You want lobster, but the basketball gods give you fish sticks. On Thursday, for the third time in the Lottery Era, the Los Angeles Clippers select first in the NBA Draft. They know all about the fish sticks. The Magic went first three times scoring Shaq, Chris Webber (traded for Penny Hardaway), and Dwight Howard. No banners in Orlando, but not bad. Suffice to say, not all no. 1 overall picks are created equal. Is Blake Griffin destined one day for this list? He plays a position where he’ll be battling guys like Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, and Pau Gasol just to name a few. The Big 12 is good, but what lies ahead is just a teeny bit better. BTW, the four guys who didn’t make either the 10 Best or 10 Worst list: Chris Webber Career averages: 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds 1994 ROY Kenyon Martin Career averages: 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds Elton Brand Career averages: 20 points, 10.1 rebounds Glenn Robinson Career averages: 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds Member of 2005 Champion San Antonio Spurs And now...The NBA's Ten Worst No. 1 Overall Picks In The Lottery Era

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The NBA's 10 Best No. 1 Overall Picks in the Lottery Era

Patrick Mauro — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:13:38 -0400

Since a lottery began deciding the order in 1985, Blake Griffin is poised to become the 25th young man to hear his name called first by NBA Commissioner David Stern on draft night. Before this protocol, the two teams with the worst records in each conference flipped a coin to decide who went first. The Rockets were thought to have purposely tanked at the end of the 1983-84 season so they could draft Hakeem Olajuwan. It got them two titles, thanks to Michael Jordan retiring for a couple years. Patrick Ewing was the first ever lottery pick, although not without controversy. Questions arose if the NBA was on the up-and-up and made certain the big market Knicks got the big-time player. One theory is that the envelope with the Knicks’ logo was purposely scuffed when put in the container so Stern would know which one to grab, thus steering Ewing to the biggest market. I’ve looked at the video (youtube it) over and over and just don’t see it—doesn’t mean the Knicks’ envelope wasn’t somehow made identifiable. Who knows, maybe Oliver Stone will make a movie about it. The lottery evolved, and, in 1987, only the top three picks were determined by the lottery, then, in 1990, the team with the worst record was given the best chance to land the top pick. Then, in 1994, the odds were weighed more in favor of the team with the worst record. The Magic won back-to-back lotteries in the early 1990’s, scoring Shaq and Chris Webber (who they traded for Penny Hardaway). Only three top picks in the lottery era won championships. Six others got there and lost. I excluded future HOFer Chris Webber. Despite the timeout he shouldn’t have called in his last college game and the brutal stretch in Golden State to end his pro career, Webber had a great career statistically. He was on very good teams in Sacramento, but never made it to the finals. Shaq and Kobe keep him out of the Top 10. Derrick Coleman had a good statistical career, but he’s not Top 10 material. Kenyon Martin twice went to the finals, but has always been more of a role player (not that there’s anything wrong with that), making him ineligible for Top 10 status. Where a player lands can often dictate success, so Blake Griffin’s future may not be so bright. Then again, the great ones make previously lame franchises relevant. Lebron did it in Cleveland, Shaq in Orlando way back when. Will Griffin do it with the Clippers? Nothing seems to ever go right there. But now The NBA's Ten Best No. 1 Overall Picks In The Lottery Era

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But Can Kobe Win Without Derek Fisher?

Patrick Mauro — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:26:10 -0400

He finally did it. Kobe Bryant is a champion without that famous guy with all those Twitter followers.

Yes, he won without Shaq, but it's not like he led the Cavs to the title.

Don’t get me wrong, Kobe is a great player—in everyone’s top two—but he’s also on the best team. It’s not pure vindication. His team was superior.

This shouldn’t be all about Kobe, even though Kobe made it seem “all about him” after the game, taking nauseatingly obvious advantage of the family photo-op to promote the Bryant brand. Did the lovely wife dressed in purple and the girls in little Laker-girl outfits seem a tad staged? Wouldn’t the more spontaneous, less photo-opportunistic response be celebrating with the teammates?

What it is about is a successful organization that pulled all the right strings and had some huge luck along the way. The stars began to align after the 2004 NBA Finals loss to the Pistons for this Lakers team to win No. 15 on Sunday night in Orlando, but, at the time, it looked more like an implosion.

Shaq was traded to Miami and two seasons later won his fourth title—the one without Kobe—further igniting the desire for Kobe to win without Shaq.

Kobe—who after the 2004 finals Phil Jackson wanted traded and in his book called “Uncoachable and Selfish”—opted out of his deal and contemplated signing with the Clippers before choosing to remain a Laker. By the way, Kobe could opt out of his current deal next month, but claims he won’t.

Jackson then bailed on the Lakers after management made it clear Kobe was the centerpiece and the future of the franchise. He wrote the book, did his Zen thing, but decided he couldn’t stand not being around Kurt Rambis and returned to the land of silicon and smog after the year without basketball.

Kobe was the best player on the floor in the Finals (with Pau Gasol a close second), but the supporting cast—especially Gasol, Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza—was every bit as championship-caliber.

The running mate Kobe needed came last season in the lopsided trade with the Grizzlies for Gasol, prompting Spurs coach Greg Popovich to say, “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense.” Kobe gets the Finals MVP, but Gasol put up great numbers throughout the playoffs (18.3 ppg, 58 percent FG, 10.8 rpg, 2.5 bpg) and exhibited a toughness belying the soft European stereotype.

Fisher—like Jackson and Shaq—left after the 2004 season spending two years in Oakland and one in Salt Lake before returning last year. With the obvious penchant for draining big shots—he’s Steve Kerr and John Paxson rolled into one—Fisher is a good ball-handler, great defender and a leader on the floor. No way they would be hoisting that trophy without Fisher.

Ariza played in control, hit shots in the fourth quarter, and his physical, quick-footed defense kept Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu in check when it mattered most.

Put LeBron on the Lakers and they don't lose. See how Kobe does with the Cavs. Put Gasol on the Cavs with LeBron and they don't lose.

Players win games, but Lakers management put those players on the court. General Manager Mitch Kupchak—a guy Kobe profanely ripped two years ago for not acquiring Jason Kidd in exchange for Andrew Bynum—deserves major recognition, not only for keeping Bynum, but for not trading Kobe when No. 24 asked for one.

Ask Mark Cuban how acquiring Kidd has worked out.

Kobe got his first without Shaq, but had as much help this go around as he did winning three to start the decade.

Proves it takes more than one great player to win. Then again, LeBron could tell you all about that.

Tune into Patrick Mauro’s Sports Overnight America Weekend (http://www.sportsbyline.com/bios/mauro.htm) on the radio Saturday and Sunday nights from 10:06 p.m. to 1 a.m. PDT

You can call the show at (800) 878-PLAY (7529)

Follow him @ twitter.com/radiopat