Dennis Velasco -- Barkley's Mouth
The thing that stood out most for me has been the LeBron James becoming a free agent in the summer of 2010 hoopla, which I admit I was a part of (but really, who wasn't to even the slightest degree? ). The hype really started before the season and slowly built up as if a Swedish pump machine was the hype's marketing representative.
But, once the Cleveland Cavaliers started winning, I mean really winning and they seemed for real with Mo Williams playing Gene Wilder to LeBron's Cleavon Little, things went flaccid... err, I mean, the hype died down. In fact there was talk of LeBron possibly signing an extension during the 2009 offseason! Hip hip hooray, Cleveland! The hometown boy was going to bring home a championship and never ever, ever, ever leave! Woo hoo! Cleveland rocks! Many a shirt were ripped in the Forest City, that's how excited with anticipation C-Town became.
Then, the loss to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals happened.
LeBron James left the floor in a foul mood and rumors of Cavaliers newly-minted Coach of the Year Mike Brown being fired were starting to circulate. The NBA Finals, one which many people thought the Chosen One would be a part of (ask Vitamin Water and Nike) is over and Kobe Bryant, now a notch better than James in the classic argument of which player makes a better puppet, has his fourth ring. The monkey is off Bryant's back and ready to jump on LeBron's.
Somewhere, a formerly disregarded Swedish pump is salivating in some dark corner ready to pump, pump, pump!
Sean Deveney -- Sporting News - The Baseline
Definitely Game 6 of the Bulls-Celtics series, the triple-overtime game at the United Center. The Bulls were down by eight with less than four minutes to go and it looked like that was where the series would end. But then Chicago crawled back into it, got a three-pointer from Brad Miller, of all people, and two foul shots from Miller to tie - after Miller's missed free throws had made him the goat of Game 5. John Salmons tied it with a layup in the first overtime, Ray Allen tied it with a late three in the second overtime and Derrick Rose sealed it with a blocked shot on Rajon Rondo. It was the most exhausting game of the most exhausting playoff series I'd ever seen.
Eric Rosenhek -- The Good Point / This Is Toronto Podcast
I was at a local establishment on the night of Friday, Nov. 21. As I sipped a pint or two, I watched the New Jersey Nets narrowly beat the Toronto Raptors in overtime 129-127. It was by far the most exciting game I saw during the 2008-09 NBA season. Toronto power forward Chris Bosh led all scorers with an incredible 42 points. However, it was Nets guard Vince Carter who stole the show. Carter sank a buzzer-beater to tie the game at the end of regulation and then scored the game-winning basket (an alley-oop play) with milliseconds left in overtime. Looking back, the match foreshadowed the Raptors' season which was nothing short of a disappointment. It also gave Raptor fans just another reason to hate Vince Carter.
Tassos Melas -- The Basketball Jones
Anything that gets Marv Albert excited might be illegal, but it also might be one heckuva basketball play (not sure which one would be my more entertaining highlight). The 2008-09 season was filled with a ton of basketball for me - the most I've watched in a single campaign. My best memory is the unexpected, something which one could never envision happening no matter how long he or she had been a fan of basketball.
On Feb. 23, 2009, with the Nets trailing the Sixers by one and inbounding under their own basket with less than two seconds on the clock, Devin Harris got the ball, had it knocked out of his hands and then hit a desperation heave from beyond mid-court. All in less than two seconds. All in rhythm. All so fluid. Watching ball every night can get tiresome, but these plays quickly wake me up and make me realize why I love athletics and basketball so much.
Current Comments
2 comments so far (post your own)great job, thanks..
I'm Peja fan :)))
Posted by pame stoixima opap on Sunday, August 9, 2009 @ 12:45pm
Wow,really nice job!
Posted by King of Rome on Thursday, August 20, 2009 @ 2:12am