The NBA is truly “where amazing happens.” Top basketball plays are aplenty especially with the refined and extraordinary skill evinced by players such as Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Viewers watching top basketball plays will invariably encounter a difficult fall away jumper by Kobe or a windmill dunk by Lebron James. The capacity for amazing feats of basketball prowess by these two players is unmatched by fellow professionals.

There are occasions where some notable players make “Kobe-esque” shots, however the consistency of such plays is unmatched when compared to this dynamic duo. It is therefore a difficult task to choose the better player as each player has peculiar abilities and potential unique to themselves. Is Kobe Bryant the top basketball player or is it LeBron James. Both possess seemingly immeasurable talent and skills. Both are young. Both exude unparalleled confidence both on and off the court. Both are about the same height. Both play with passion and gusto. Both claim that they are the MVP. Both play to win. So what differentiates these two players? The answer to that question can only be answered on a game to game basis.

Top basketball is interchangeable with Michael Jordan. Is there a little bit of Jordan in Kobe and Lebron? Has the pinnacle of excellence so materialized by Jordan been attained by Kobe or Lebron. Can there justifiably be any basketball player who has the requisite skill and talent to be fielded with the likes of Michael Jordan? Kobe and Lebron are top basketball candidates that can vouch for that level of excellence. Michael Jordan, like Kobe Bryant and Lebron, has the will, tenacity, and potential to win games. Additionally, all three players know that achieving top basketball status requires hard work off the court. Accordingly, all three players hit the weight room hard and frequently to attain a body shape that can embrace the rigors of 48 minutes of top basketball playing.

So who’s the best, Jordan, LeBron or Kobe? There might not be a definitive answer.

The emergence of HIV and AIDS in the early 80′s certainly changed the sexual habits and behaviours of the Western World. Previous to that, untreated syphilis did have deadly consequences but treatment was available and possible, and even inexpensive. Perhaps the most common of all sexual transmitted diseases was genital warts. In fact, finding the cause of genital warts were hardly a priority as in more people were ashamed to find out who gave those warts to them. With HIV and AIDS, everything changed. At first, it was unfairly called a “gay “disease since most of those who contracted AIDS in the early 80′s were from the gay community.

Gradually, as more research was placed into finding a cure for HIV and AIDS, it has become a disease that crosses all ages, sexual orientations, and races. When Magic Johnson told the press he was HIV-positive in the late 80′s, the message that HIV can hit anyone, regardless of age, race, and color hit home. Even the great sports icon, Arthur Ashe, was not spared. He was infected with AIDS because of a tainted blood transfusion. These days, however, getting diagnosed as HIV positive is not a death sentence. Magic Johnson is still very much alive and lives a good life, still with his wife Cookie, and very much active with his businesses. But it would even be better when we find a cure for AIDS. What are the other killers of today that can be avoided?

- Heart Disease- Heart disease can be avoided by a balanced life. Eating well, exercise and having a less stressful life are major factors that can help avoid heart disease. Smoking is a no-no. Even with some people that have a history in their family of heart disease, through proper and balance living, they are able to live longer.

- Accidents cause by Driving Under the Influence. The statistics have shown that DUI related accidents in San Diego County have decreased because of the sanctions imposed by those caught DUI. Perhaps by having stiffer penalties such as having a permanent conviction record, huge fines, and even jail time, there are less people drinking and driving. The media campaign from years back have also been effective in lowering the incidents of people driving while under the influence.

- Drug overdose. Whether it be an addiction to prescription medicines, or hard core drugs, this is a man made situation that has gone global. The production of illegal drugs are now done in such quantities that they are now very inexpensive to purchase and available all around the world. Ridding this menace may almost be impossible, but we can hope that with the participation of governments, international police associations, and parents, this can one day be a thing of the past.

Shoes are very important to each man.so; you must look at his shoes first if you want to know him. As you talk about a man, you never forget to talk basketball, Kobe Bryant who is much well-know to everyone has a lot fans and then Kobe Bryant shoes catch more attention. So, what does that have to do with this piece? Thankfully, nothing. Rather than subject you to the article on the duality of Kobe Bryant that you’ve read a thousand times before, I’ll be taking a look at his career in shoes. Let’s get right into it.

He eventually inked a contract with Nike, and, although the company refrained from giving him his own shoe due to The Colorado Incident, the Huarache 2K4 soon came to be associated with Kobe. His image may have suffered irreparable damage during the early days with Nike, but his feet were as comfortable as they had ever been, going to work every night in the super-light sneaker that made up for its awkward looks with excellent support and responsiveness. With the media pressure gradually lessening, a new member of the Up-tempo line was announced: the Air Zoom Kobe I, Mamba’s first signature shoe with Nike. Sporting the stylized dagger emblem, the designer shoes were the sneaker on his feet on January 22nd, 2006, the date on which the Raptors were the victims of the infamous eighty-one-point outburst.

No matter what your preferences are, Nike always supplies wonderful replica shoes to suit your tastes and endow you with a trendy look. Simply click www.shoesfake.com; you will be amazed by fabulous Nike purses. If you have put them on your must have list, these shoes are going to perfect your four seasons. Just simply move your mouse, you will have different surprises.

Internet reference:

http://www.hoopsvibe.com/nba/nba-articles/kobe-bryant-a-career-in-kicks-ar46579.html

Editor: Louise

As we all know Los Angeles Lakers has always been a great team however many fans are wondering about the future of the team considering that two of its best players are suffering injuries. One of these two players is Andrew Bynum who had to sit out the game against the Spurs and the other player is none other than Kobe Bryant who was not currently participating in games due to his sprained left ankle.

Bryant as well as Bynum are undergoing diagnostic tests in order to determine how soon they will be back and whether or not they will be at 100% which is what the team and the fans need. Out of these two players the one that seems to be suffering the most is Bynum because besides suffering from a bruised right hip he also has a swollen left ankle due to the collision that he had with Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte’s.

According to Phil Jackson, Bryant is still a game-time decision while the team waits for the results of the MRI done on Bryant’s ankle. When Jackson was asked what his opinion was regarding Kobe Bryant sitting out the two remaining games for the Lakers before the All-Star break he stressed the importance of the team winning as many games as possible in order to preserve a competitive advantage against Cleveland as well as a home-court advantage.  He also said that these two injuries are not going to cripple the team; on the contrary, it creates the perfect situation for the team to keep pushing harder and harder in order to keep momentum.

Fans Reactions

According to many fans both Bryant and Fisher should be given a playtime reduction to about 30 to 35 minutes in order to keep these players in top shape and to secure the team has to a home-court advantage against Denver.  At the same time others say that Phil Jackson needs to take action and keep Kobe Bryant seated even if he says he wants to play because this player is too valuable to allow to breakdown especially if Jackson is thinking about using him during the stretch run.

On the other side of the aisle, Spurs fans say that even without these two players there is no guarantee that the Spurs will win the upcoming games and that they will have to keep pushing hard against this tough team.

As we quickly approach the playoffs more and more fans are out there trying to show their support by acquiring as much LA Lakers gear as well as Spurs gear before they become too expensive. Should Kobe, Fisher and Bynum take five while the rest of the team battles towards the playoffs? Who do you support?

Congratulations to those players seleted for the United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team from Coach Jamaal of Boise’s Jamaal Al-Din’s Hoops 227- the everything basketball website!!! This year the Olympic Summer Games are being held in Beijing, China…the home of “chow Mein,” lo Mein, ans Coach J’s favorite- szchezwaun beef!!! The USA Basketball Executive Committee is responsible for the selection process and let’s just say it’s great to select from the NBA who plays host to the most extraordinary basketball talent in the world!!!

Mike Krzyzewski of the storied Duke University NCAA basketball program in Durham, North Carolina (ACC), is the Head Basketball Coach of the United States Olympic Basketball Senior Team. Nate McMillan, Mike D’Antoni and Jim Boeheim of the Portland Trailblazers, New York Knicks and Syracuse Univerity, respectively, are USA the Olympic Basketball Assistant Coaches for the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing, China.

Team members include these National Basketball Association stars!

Carmelo Anthony- Denver Nuggets; the explosive Carmelo Anthony is a versatile NBA talent from Baltimore, Maryland and Syracuse University. With an NCAA basketball championship he’s now paired up with Allen Iverson (“The Answer”) in Denver with hope of bringing a title to the Mile High City! 
Chris Bosh- Toronto Raptors; Chris Bosh is a phenomenal leaper with unparalleled basketball skills in the paint. Chris Bosh’s athleticism makes for exciting NBA dunks and “rim shakers!” NBA basketball at its finest and will be fireworks to see him paired up, on the basketball hardwood, with the likes of Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) and LeBron (“King”) James (Cleveland Cavaliers)!
Michael Redd- Milwaukee Bucks; Michael Redd’s terrific long range game is TOPPS in the NBA and during Olympic play it will be enteresting to see him play bombs away against international basketball teams. Michael Redd played collegiately at Ohio State University.
Deron Williams- Utah Jazz; Deron Williams has both a strong basketball inside game and outside jumper. Slashes his way through opponents with penetration similar to a vibrant “Rookie” basketball version of Gary Payton (The Glove- from Oregon State University). Deron Williams played collegiately at the University of Illinois (Big 10/NCAA)
Chris Paul- New Orleans Hornets; Chris Paul had arguably the best season of all National Basketball Association (NBA) players and and some basketball fans, writers and critics, feel as though he should have won the NBA’s MVP award. Chris Paul is a versatile Point Guard with a knack for penetrating the lane and creating havok for defenders, as big men in the middle have to converge, leaving wide open jump shots for Chris Paul’s (CP’s) teammates in New Orleans. The New Orleans Hornets are having an exciting time with NBA basketball and Olympic basketball fans will be watching one of the best point guards in the modern NBA! Chris Paul played for the Wake Forrest Demon Deacons of the NCAA’s Atlantic Coast Conference (notable ACC basketball programs: Duke University, University of Maryland, North Carolina State University, Florida State University and University of North Carolina).
Tayshaun Prince- (Coach Jamaal’s)! Detroit Pistons; Tayshaun Prince is a wirey, smooth shooting guard with great touch. Coach Jamaal Al-Din of Jamaal Al-Din’s Hoops 227 grew up as a Detroit Pistons fan, watching Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Mark Aguire and Dennis Rodman. It will be basketball heaven to watch Tayshaun Prince teamed up with guards like Chris Paul (Wake Forest Deamon Deacons/ New Orleans Hornets) and Deron Williams (University of Illinois “Fighting” Illini/ Utah Jazz). Tayshaun Prince played NCAA basketball at the University of Kentucky (“Wildcats”) for Coach Tubby Smith. 
Dwight Howard- Orlando Magic; an extraordinary physical basketball talent who is quickly making his mark on the entire National Basketball Association (NBA). Dwight Howard (see 227′s You Tube- Dwight Howard), is a physical inside player who rebounds and scores with the best basketball centers and forwards in the NBA. Look for Howard to control the paint like SHAQ (Phoenix Suns) and dominate Olympic play. Noted for his famous U Tube (YouTube, you tube, utube) “Superman” dunk, Dwight Howard came into the NBA right after high-school, like his NBA counter-part…Kobe Bryant (of the 81 point performance, which can be seen on YouTube)!
Dwayne Wade- Miami Heat; D-Wade of the marketing NBA creatives, is a slashy, creative, shooting guard witha championship ring to go with the exceptional performance he put on during the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Dwayne Wade’s game is versatile and should flourish during Olympic style basketball play. Dwayne Wade played collegiately at Marquette University (NCAA). 
Kobe Bryant- Los Angeles Lakers; Kobe Bryant… well, Kobe Bryant, need I say more. An 81 point scoring outburst and a phenominal 2007-08 season with the Los Angeles Lakers which culminated in a Western Conference Championship. Kobe will be a special basketball treat for all Olympic basketball fans. Kobe entered the NBA right out of high-school, similiar to the legendary Moses Malone (“4, 4, 4″) and Darryl Dawkins “Chocolate Thunder!”  Kobe is a product of Philly.
LeBron James- Cleveland Cavaliers; the most electrifying dunker of modern NBA basketball  and arguably all-time. LeBron’s strong game of dunk-you-very-much and power has took the National Basketball Association by storm! LeBron is only a blink away from establishing himself as the epitome of NBA shooting guards with strength and power to go along with his basketball intelligence which is unmatched! LeBron James came into the NBA, right after high-school and was regarded highly as everyone’s McDonald’s Basketball All-American, from Ohio.
Carlos Boozer- Utah Jazz; the former Duke University Blue Devil is a fierce inside presence and has a soft touch, he’ll be an asset teamming up with Deron Williams, as they’re teammates with the Western Conference Utah Jazz in the NBA.
 
Some of the basketball members of the United States Men’s Basketball (USA) Team have had experience with FIBA Basketball, and the World Championships. Stay tuned and watch the best of the best USA basketball talent during the Olympics in Beijing, China. Coach Jamaal Al-Din of Jamaal Al-Din’s Hoops 227 says “Good Luck, red, white and blue!” Jamaal Al-Din is a former player of Olympic scoring record setter, Ed Palubinskas, who played at BYU-Idaho (formerly Ricks College) and LSU. Coach Palubinskas is a member of the Australia Basketball Hall of Fame. Jamaal Al-Din’s Hoops 227- the everything basketball website!

Follow young Earvin from the driveway where his father taught him the game, to high school, and then to Michigan State, where his Spartan team famously beat Larry Bird’s Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA championship game. The action quickly moves to the NBA and Johnson’s storied career with the Lakers – playing with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy – vanquishing first Julius Erving and the 76ers, then Bird and the Celtics, on the way to five championships and the birth of a great dynasty. (This is Part 3 of

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I know; Phil Jackson has had a lot of talent to work with in his career. He worked with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in their primes. Shaquille O’Neal was perhaps the most dominating big man ever in his tenure in L.A. and Kobe Bryant is still one of the very best players in the game. Naysayers of Jackson, which get fewer and fewer with every title, love to point out that other coaches could have won titles with players like MJ and the Diesel, with the goal of showing that this somehow diminishes Jackson’s 10 NBA championships.

 

Instead, as the Lakers look primed to cruise once again into the Western Conference Finals, it’s time to look at Jackson’s career from a new perspective, one that takes into consideration how he has maxed out the talents of some of the greatest players ever to play the game.

 

To defend Jackson’s coaching abilities, one doesn’t need to look any further than the career of Dennis Rodman. After Jordan returned from his interesting attempt at playing pro baseball, Jackson recognized instantly that they needed a new piece to the puzzle. While the Spurs weren’t sure what to do with Rodman, the Bulls saw a diamond in the rough and brought him in. In Jackson’s system, Rodman fit in perfectly, providing a defensive and rebounding spark that had been missing from the Bulls in previous seasons. It’s no coincidence that each of Rodman’s three seasons in Chicago ended up with a title.

 

With his eyes on the big picture, Jackson let Rodman play his game, which centered on getting under the skin of opposing players and never being far from a technical foul. But not only did Rodman remain the league’s top rebounder in Chicago, he also had the three best years of his career in terms of assists. While the Utah Jazz, backed by Karl Malone and John Stockton, probably had the talent to win a title, it was Rodman who was instrumental in denying them in 1997 and 1998. Jordan was the MVP both years, of course, but Rodman’s swarming defense never allowed Malone to get going and the Bulls were largely able to minimize one of the best players in the league. Without Jackson and Rodman, Jordan’s legacy would be not nearly as impressive.

 

When Jackson signed on with the Lakers in 1999, there was more of the same. Backed by dominant center Shaq and up-and-comer Bryant, the Lakers gelled in Jackson’s first season, which helped them win their first title since the Magic Johnson years. With Jordan, Jackson took a dominant scorer with no accolades into the definitive player of his era, which is similar to what he’s done with Bryant.

 

Bryant increased his assists and points each of his first two seasons under Jackson, which followed three seasons of being an underdeveloped talent. In Jackson’s triangle offense, Bryant became a perennial all-star and was a crucial piece of winning three consecutive titles. Aided by the blossoming of Bryant and Jackson’s system, Shaq had three of his best overall seasons in Jackson’s first three years in L.A., which all ended with an NBA title.

 

Another coach surely could have won a title or two with similar players to this point, but what is truly remarkable is the other players that Jackson overcame. In successive years in the NBA Finals, the Lakers beat Reggie Miller’s best Indiana Pacers team, Allen Iverson’s best Philadelphia 76ers team and Jason Kidd’s best New Jersey Nets team, giving Jackson his third three-peat. Other dominant players never to get a title because of a Jackson-led team include Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler and, of course, John Stockton and Karl Malone. He also beat Magic Johnson in his last NBA Finals appearance.

 

This season in L.A., Jackson has simply maintained his status as the best coach in the game while also helping to sell plenty of <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/los-angeles-lakers-playoff-tickets/”>Los Angeles Lakers Playoff tickets</a>. Phil has shown that he can utilize the Lakers’ overall length with devastating results and, as of May 5th, it seems that they are headed for another shot an NBA title.

 

Jackson’s talents clearly do not lie as much in the X’s and O’s as in evaluating talent and motivation, which is how you can win in the NBA. Lots of NBA coaches can draw up inbounds plays and figure out matchups, but few know what to do with talented players like Lamar Odom and Dennis Rodman, who have been misused in other systems. Fewer still know how to take players with great talent, like MJ and Kobe, and turn them into great players. NBA history is filled with great talents who never realized their full potential; players who could have used Phil Jackson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch a full game from LeBron’s senior year in high school at www.youtube.com To download this song follow this link… www.zshare.net This song is an answer to Kobe Bryant by Lil Wayne.For more music by Debonair visit www.youtube.com To visit Debonair on myspace click on www.myspace.com Be sure to check out www.FlyPaperBlog.com

Intervista di Kobe Bryant in Italiano andata in onda su sportitalia l’8/04/07 durante la partita Lakers-Suns. Seconda Parte Translation : How many sacrifices has he made to get where he is? All the things that u want, that u want 2 become as a person, 2 be rly good, 1 of the best, u have to work a lot. U have 2 make whatever sacrifice. There might ba time when youre away from family. If your friends want 2 go 2 a party, u have to work. Its 1 of the things u have to do. U work hard. I started to do this when I was 12, 13 yrs old. Even now – the same thing. If u want to be a really good player, 1 of the best, it’s necessary. Why are you not yet the MVP? Why I have not yet won the MVP. I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s something that isn’t very important to me. It would be beautiful to win it. It would be great. I hope to win it 1 day. But what’s more important is to win a championship cause when you have the title of champion all the other things like MVP, whether you score 50 or 80 pts, whatever it is, they all come 2nd. When I talk about winning something, winning the championship is what’s most important 2 me What would’ve changed if you went to college? KB: I don’t know. I don’t know. Well it would have been different because I wouldn’t have played for the Lakers. I probably would’ve gone to another team. I don’t know how many championships I would’ve won. It would’ve been different, but my heart is always there. How I work, how I think, how I play, how I love to play …