Dwyane Wade Shouldn’t Get A Free Pass From Bulls Fans
If Dwyane Wade thinks he’s going to get a free pass upon his return to Chicago, then I think he has another thing coming.
Doing the media tour during a charity event is one thing, but lacing ‘em up at the United Center wearing a jersey that doesn’t read “Bulls” in the front will be a completely different tale. (more…)
Is Tracy McGrady The Missing Link For The Bulls?
Ten years and countless injuries later, it looks as if Tracy McGrady and the Chicago Bulls seem to be a match for one another.
Once upon a time, McGrady was part of a star-studded free agency class and the Bulls were amongst he suitors hoping to woo the rising star. The Bulls were coming off some dreadful post-Jordan years and hoped a dog-and-pony show would seal the deal to land McGrady in Chicago.
Unfortunately, the Bulls whiffed and McGrady spurned Jerry Krause’s advances and took his talents to South Beach Orlando.
Fast forward to July 2010, where McGrady seems to have unfinished business on his mind. (more…)
LeBron James Is Not And Will Never Be Michael Jordan; Let’s Move On
Since LeBron James announced he was taking his talents to South Beach, basketball fans have sat around waiting for what Michael Jordan had to say about the situation.
And why not?
James was supposed to be the next Jordan, though his most adamant defenders will say James never tried to be like Mike.
He chose Nike’s shoe contract even though they offered less than the competition. He selected No. 23 when it was suggested by others to go elsewhere before saying goodbye to 23 in honor of Jordan. James did everything from the pre-game talcum powder to the rim-rocking slam dunks to try to shoot his name up the NBA ranks.
He referred to himself as King and had “Chosen 1″ tattooed across his back.
LeBron James wrote his victory speech before even stepping onto the stage.
So, when basketball’s true king, His Airness himself, spoke on Sunday, everyone listened. And everyone nodded in approval.
“There’s no way, with hindsight, I would’ve ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, ‘Hey, look, let’s get together and play on one team,’” Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. The interview aired on the NBC telecast of the event. “But that’s … things are different. I can’t say that’s a bad thing. It’s an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys.”
Amen.
Once upon a time, the sporting world was divided into two realms: Good and Evil. It was a simple time in life when the good guys were cheered until they rode off into the sunset and the bad guys were booed mercilessly until they left town in a box or with their tails between their legs.
But when James decided to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, he blurred the line of sports as we knew them prior to July 8, 2010.
With an hour-long special and a clumsy sentence, James effectively admitted to being guilty of fraud. He was no Jordan. He was no king. If he was the “Chosen 1″ as his tattoo insinuates, he must have been chosen to follow. And it all makes sense.
James tried to lead his team to a championship.
He failed.
He attempted to play general manager as he urged the Cleveland Cavaliers front office to bring in the likes of Larry Hughes, Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O’Neal to help in his quest to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
And failed yet again.
So, rather than channel his inner-Jordan, James discarded the essence of competition which made Jordan a basketball deity and chose to LOL with his BFFs in MIA.
The best thing about James signing with the Heat is that the comparisons to Jordan should come to an end. The talk of him being among the top three players in league history should subside. The idea of taking the crown from the game’s true king will be only an afterthought.
Besides, how can one’s head carry the weight of the crown when his hands aren’t strong enough to carry a ring.
LeBacklash: Winners and Losers of NBA Free Agency
Alas, our LeBronathon has come to an end.
After a week of speculation, we can turn our attention away from ESPN and return to our girlfriends, co-workers and families in a peaceful manner. And for us single folks, back to boozing and chasing potential summer loves at our local drinking establishment.
But not before one last observation at the 2010 Free Agency Class. (more…)
LeBacklash: Bulls Improve Despite Losing LeBron James Sweepstakes
LeBacklash is a series of blog posts to run in the next few days, analyzing the fallout from LeBron James’ decision to sign with the Miami Heat. But rather than provide a national point of view, The Big Dead Sidebar will present the cases from a Chicago perspective.
The Chicago Bulls didn’t hit the jackpot, but they did not go home empty handed either.
The grand prize of luring the NBA’s top free agent went by the wayside Thursday when LeBron James used an hour-long made-for-TV special on ESPN to kick the city of Cleveland right in the nut sack. Losing out on Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh meant the Bulls struck out on the market’s top three available players, which in many cases would equal some sort of disaster.
And anyone with a basketball IQ higher than Shaquille O’Neal’s free-throw shooting percentage knows Chicago’s situation is far from a disaster. (more…)
