Miami evens it up in Chi-Town

Lebron and D-Wade stepped up their games with 29 and 24 points respectively to nab a huge win on the road and even up the Eastern Conference Finals at 1 game a piece against DA BULLS. Bron Bron had 9 points in the final 4:27 despite suffering from a head cold. Guess he got in his dose of vitamin C today. However, he was sick enough to avoid another 15-minute postgame celebration.

The most valuable player tonight, however? Udonis Haslem!

Limited to just 13 games this year because of injury, Haslem posted 13 points and 5 boards in just 23 minutes of action. This is huge because the Heat need someone besides Joel friggin Anthony and Jamal Magloire. Remember Eric Dampier and Zydrunas Illgauskas? Yea, they're still in the league too. Instead of being in a nursing home, they age by the minute on the Miami bench.

A defensive battle (85-75), Miami managed to get an 11-point lead in the 3rd only to see Chicago battle right back. Unfortunately, when you shoot 3 of 20 from downtown and 16 of 26 from the foul line, your not gonna get it done.

The MVP of the association, D-Rose, scored 21, but only 2 in 4th quarter. I won't rag on him, because it was the rest of the team that didn't show up offensively; Carlos Boozer and your 7 point, 8 rebound preformance..IM POINTING MY FINGER RIGHT AT YOU.

Despite the next 2 games being on South Beach, i'm not concerned at all with the possibility of the Heat running away with this series. The presence of the Bulls frontcourt with Noah, Boozer (on a good night) and role players like Taj Gibson, Miami simply cannot compete down low. Miami has managed to play more like a team as the season has gone on and they have 3 of the best players in the world, but as far as fully playing like a team..well..they're not quite at the level of Chicago just yet..

By the way, how did that dunk taste, Dwayne? Don't cry over it..

Drazen Petrovic: What could have been

Ever hear of Dirk Nowitski? How about Pau Gasol?

If Drazen Petrovic have the heart of a champion, you wouldn't have.

If you didn't get a chance to watch the lastest ESPN "30 for 30" film, "Once Brothers", it tells an absolutely captivating story about how Drazen and former NBA star, Vlade Divac's once inseperable bond on and off the court was torn apart due to war and politics between Croatia and Serbia in the late 1980's.

Tragically, Petrovic died in a car accident in 1993 at the young age of 28; the peak of his NBA career and without making peace with Divac. The basketball world was left asking what could have been.

It was known overseas that this man was one of the best to lace up a pair of Nikes, but everyone in the United States was just starting to realize how good Drazen Petrovic really was.

Draz first made his splash onto the scene back home in Croatia when he signed to play professionaly at the age of 15. Over 10 years, Drazen won three Olympic medals, four FIBA Championship medals (one gold), won six separate European Player of the Year awards and once scored 112 points in a single game. Not bad.

In 1989, he brought his talents to the NBA with the Portland TrailBlazers and saw limited time off the bench. Stuck behind Hall of Famer, Clyde Drexler, in the rotation. Petrovic worked harder than ever in the gym and on the court. He was traded to Nets halfway through the 90-91 season and that's when people who were unfamiliar started to realize he was one of the best in the world.

Getting more playing time in 91-92, he averaged 20.6 points per game and improved the win total of a young Nets team by 14 to help them reach the playoffs. In 92-93, his final year, he averaged over 22 points a game and was named 3rd team All-NBA. Somehow, he wasn't named to the All-Star team that year and he began to contemplate going back overseas to play in Greece before his untimely death.

Drazen Petrovic constantly had the terrors of what was going on back home in the back of his mind, but courageously shifted his fire and energy into every second he was on the court, whether he was on top of the world or losing by 20.



He was regarded as one of the most fierce competitors and greatest shooters of his time. He may not have garnered the adulation he deserved during his short life, but he was recognized for his contributions by having his #3 retired by the Nets in 1993 and being inducted into The National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. A statue of Petrovic also stands in front of the Olympic Museum in Switzerland, he was the second athlete to ever receive such a high honor.

"It's hard for you to imagine here in America, because you have so many great players, but we are a country of four million; without him, basketball takes three steps back."

-"Aco" Petrovic

And to think...he was just getting started.

Decision Day is Upon us!

Will he rip the hearts out of his hometown fans in Cleveland? Will he try to build on the legacy Jordan left behind in Chi-Town? Will the bright lights of New York be appealing enough?Maybe we'll see the beginning of a dynasty down in Miami. Regardless of where he goes, at 9pm tonight, LeBron James will change the tide of the NBA with his decision.


However, there's one thing that LeBron has already managed to change: the public's view of his image.

Is it really necessary to announce his decision by means of a 1 hour television special on ESPN? If he does happen to leave the Cavs, what kind of man does it make him to look all of his loyal fans from his home state in the eye and simply say "see ya!"? He'll be destined to become the most hated man in Cleveland since Art Modell moved the Browns out of town.

Reports are swirling that LeBron will be joining the superstar duo of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh down in Miami, but do you really see him playing second fiddle to anyone. Anyone that needs a televised event to make an announcement definitely won't. James wants to win, we know this, but does he really want to take less money? No, he wants to become the sport's first billionaire. LeBron would never get used to D-Wade always getting the last shot. He also would never be able to live with the fact that he'd be playing for Wade's Miami Heat. Even if 'Bron goes to the Heat and a dynasty is born, it will only prove that LeBron needed an All-Star team to get his ring.

So if he's not going to Miami, where's he going?

He's going to the Knicks!

What city is big enough for the ego of King James? The city that never sleeps!

What venue has James dreamed of calling home? Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous arena!

For the Knicks, LeBron would be the man under center and Amare Stoudemire isn't exactly a terrible sidekick to have. The signing of James would instantly revive one of the most storied franchises in basketball and Donnie Walsh wouldn't look like a jackass for throwing the past 2 seasons.

Think about it people, the press conference is being held in Greenwich, CT. That's Knicks country! The funds made from the commercials on tonight's telecast aren't going to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami, or Cleveland, or even Chicago where they could use it. It's going to the prep students of Greenwich.

The writing's on the wall already, but regardless of whatever cap he decides to place on his head tonight, this has, and will continue to be an unbelievable circus. Look at all the coverage it's gotten already. This makes Brett Favre seem as relevant as the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Wherever he goes, his image is forever changed and the pressure will be even greater on him to win.

A Dunk Contest for the Ages?

There will be if Shaq has any say in it...

When asked why LeBron dodged the dunk contest this year...the Shaq diesel suggested that not only LeBron enter, but Kobe and Vince Carter as well...to raise money towards relief efforts in Haiti....

Shaq called out the most prolific dunkers of our generation for a great cause...the question is whether or not they will step up...

If so...I could see Magic Johnson standing on the judges table screaming THE DUNK CONTEST IS BACK!!

Lebron vs. MJ?...No contest

Come one! Come all and hear the story of the king who lives in the shadow...of his airness...

A shadow that he will not only ever get out of, but one he will never outlast.

Ever since he was a junior in high school, Lebron James has been compared to the man who is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all-time...fellow Nike posterchild, Michael Jordan.

Fair? Not at all. However, there are many critics out there who feel that not only is the greatest player of our time, but are also saying LeBron is one of the greatest players ever...even better than the man pictured to his right in the above pic.

When James rides off into the sunset, he may very well be one of the best (he clearly is one of the best today), but mark my words....he will NEVER be as good as Michael Jordan....

Let's compare the numbers shall we...because we all know the statistics don't lie....

Now I know LeBron started out a couple years younger than MJ, but since he's so much better that shouldn't mean much...

Through 1st 6 NBA seasons....

Jordan.....32.8PPG...6.3RPG...6.0APG...2.8SPG...1.1BPG

James.....27.5PPG....7.0APG...6.7APG...1.8SPG...0.9BPG

The King does hold a slight edge in the rebounding and assist category. However, if you compare the defense, Jordan averages a full steal more per game. LeBron is obviously no slouch when it comes to D; he was named to the All-Defensive team this year...Unfortunately for this competition, however, Jordan was named to 3 All-Defensive teams during his first 6 years and won Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.

As far as points are concerned, Jordan not only averaged more than 5 more PPG during his first 6 years, but also scored over 1,000 more points than your King....

Fun fact: Jordan missed 64 games during the 85-86 season with a broken foot so he managed to accomplish this feat in 45 less games....

LeBron did accomplish something that Jordan did not in his first 6 seasons by reaching the NBA Finals so score one for LeBron...but outdoing MJ stops right about....here

The King reached the finals in his 4th NBA season which is an incredible feat, but failed to take the Cavs to the playoffs in his first two seasons in a weak Eastern Conference....

But he had no support, right? Neither did MJ when he walked onto a 27-55 Bulls team..the Bulls made the playoffs every year after that until 1999...the first year of his 2nd retirement..

Not enough for you? Fine....let's go to the individual accomplishments....

Through 6 full NBA Seasons...Jordan made the All-Star team 6 times....LeBron made it 5 times...Both men won an MVP once and also won Rookie of the Year honors...Jordan made first team all-NBA 4 times...LeBron 3...Michael won 2 All-Star Game MVP's...LeBron 1...LeBron led the league in scoring once...by his sixth season Jordan had the scoring title for four years running (a remarkable feat he continued to pull off until 1993, because he retired)..

Now by what you have seen above...i'd be a dope to say LeBron is anything short of great...all i'm saying is Jordan is just that much better....

For all you Kobe lovers...he never averaged more than 20 points per game until his 4th season so he is irrelevant to this conversation...maybe until he wins two more championships to equal Jordan's 6....and let's be honest...Shaq won 3 of those...Kobe was merely Scottie Pippen....

So, LeBron...while your still in hiding because you got posterized at Nike camp...perhaps you can check this video out

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=caNVWoHLejE

Of course, this is all mere opinion. LeBron still has plenty of career left and may manage to squeeze out a couple titles before he's done.. but until he does so, don't compare the man to Michael.. like I said before...the statistics don't lie....

Just another quick fun fact...in his 7th NBA season, MJ won his 1st NBA Championship...pressure's on LeBron...

kudos to basketball-reference.com for the stats