The NBA Draft's Five Best Second Overall Picks Since 1984 & Sammy Sosa Is a Joke and He Does Not Deserve Induction into the HOF posted by Colin Linneweber

The NBA Draft's Five Best Second Overall Picks Since 1984

The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to pick former Oklahoma Sooners star Blake Griffin Thursday with the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

However, there is not a consensus projection for the No. 2 pick and basketball analysts remain largely uncertain who the Memphis Grizzlies will choose tomorrow in Gotham.

In recognition of the NBA Draft, I have decided to rank the five most accomplished players selected second overall in the past quarter century.

1) Jason Kidd

Kidd, 36, attended the University of California and helped resurrect the Golden Bears dormant basketball program with his stellar play at the point guard position.

After being honored as a First Team All-American as a sophomore, Kidd declared for the NBA Draft and was selected 2nd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1994.

Unfortunately, the Bay Area native’s initial stint with the Mavericks didn’t materialize as most anticipated it would.

According to legend, singer Toni Braxton went to the Mavs team hotel to meet Kidd after a game.

However, instead of rendezvousing with Kidd, Braxton instead left with his Dallas teammate Jimmy Jackson and the two purportedly fornicated until the wee hours.

Subsequently, Kidd loathed Jackson and he demanded an escape from “Big D.”

Kidd, a 9-time All-Star and 6-time All-NBA nomination, was traded to the Phoenix Suns at the conclusion of the 1996 season and his career began to truly ascend in the desert.

Sonics End Skid, Beat the Spurs? posted by kellex

http://lebasketbawl.blogspot.com/2008/01/sonics-end-skid-beat-spurs.html

Tonight turned out to be a nightmare for the ailing San Antonio Spurs. Earlier in the day, coach Greg Popovich decided to bench his All-Star point guard Tony Parker indefinitely while he deals with bone spurs in his left foot. Then the team found its way up I-5 to Seattle to take on a team that had not won in 14 straight games. Well that streak came to an end tonight!

The Seattle Supersonics found a way to win tonight against the reigning NBA Champs. Kevin Durant had his first solid game in quite some time including a late basket to seal the deal for his young Sonics. Seattle desperately needed a win like this to try and salvage some of their season.

The Spurs on the other hand are looking bad in all the wrong places. Parker takes a seat for what could be weeks to come leaving the Spurs with an aging Duncan and a busted up Ginobili. Without one of the big 3 this season the Spurs are just 9-9 and have looked horrible at times.

San Antonio began its season at 17-3 and has gone just 11-13 since. The Spurs are 0-2 at the beginning of their annual 9 game road trip in which the AT&T Center gets overrun with stock and rodeo festivities. This could prove to be the turning point in their season and should be the indicator as to what seed they will find come playoff time.

Wildebeasts or Lions? posted by Donald L. Vasicek

The National Basketball Association exhibits two kinds of NBA players.  One is the wildebeast. The other is the lion.  What do you mean?

I mean that there are players in the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle Sonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, and I apologize if I left anyone out, who cow towe to team owners, peer groups, and making money, glitz, glamor, being effeminate, etc.  There are also professional basketball players who cow towe to their concept of self.  They always go to their strength.  Their strength resides in their hearts and minds. They believe in who they are because they know who they are.  Money, team owners, peer groups, glitz, glamor, being effeminate, etc. are particles of dust when juxtaposing them to their desire to perform to their greatest abilities as a professional basketball player.

 The question is, which of these players is a wildebeast and which of them is a lion?  You only have one guess.