Nike should have known better.
Even though 99.7854% of the NBA analysts out there picked the Lakers and Cavs to play in the Finals, but we all know what happens to the best-laid plans. Now, I’m not going to count Cleveland out; I’ll leave that to all of you. Orlando’s had trouble closing things out and LeBron is LeBron.
Regardless, I bet Nike (and the suits at Vitamin Water too) is all sorts of hyperventilating and panicking with egg on their faces after pumping seemingly millions into a Bron/Kobe battle that we may not see. This is all too reminiscent of a similarly embarrassing situation Reebok put itself in back in 1992.
Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson will go down as two monumental and costly (for Reebok) busts in sports history. LeBron and Kobe have put up good enough performances to justify the commercials and we will probably see them in a Finals at some point. Still, I can’t help but think of this video as the door closes for the Cavs.
Big Mike – Something Serious
Tony Yayo – The Swine Flu Mixtape
DJ 31 Degreez and Gucci Mane Present Notorious Gucci
Papoose – A Threat & A Promise
DJ Smallz, DJ Scream & Young Buck – Back On My Buck Shit
DJ_Scream_And_Juicy_J-The_Realest_Nigga_In_The_Game
Archie_Eversole-Back_Like_I_Never_Left__Hosted_by_DJ_Scream
Playaz Circle – Ballin In A Drought Mixtape
Collie_Budz-Herb_Tree_Bw_Hustle-7_Inch_Vinyl
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/global/images/default-avatar.jpg){kind=avatar}
![[image]](http://cdn.tss.uproxx.com/TSS/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2012/02/lebron-james-dunk-475-150x70.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.tss.uproxx.com/TSS/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2012/02/LBJ-9-Cool-Grey-main-2-150x74.jpg)
IIIII just think its great that Kobe and Lebron are gonna REALLY get to watch the rest of the series from the couch together just like their muppet fuckets. I’m a fan and I want to see the two best TEAMS play each other in the finals
Dan vs Dave….. wow.
Y’all went wayyyyyyyyyy back w/ that one.
lmao @ CT
… and ninjas called me atheist for not believing in King James! I know the Cavs still have a chance, but I just converted to Islam.
LOL
Where you at Amp!?!
My condolences to David Stern, as well as to the mass sports media. It would seem that your man-crush is on his way to watching the NBA Championship series from his living room.
Don’t get me wrong, I like LeBron James: he’s a tremendous basketball player, but I am completely over the media whirlwind praising him as the next (or better than) Michael Jordan. Come on guys… really? How many rings does James have? Again, he’s good, really good; he has the potential to be the best ever, but at this moment he is no where near Jordan. Let the man play, and let the future play out.
I love watching the Cavaliers go down 3-1, and yet still during every commercial break see three out of five commercials hailing Kobe and LeBron as the national championship match-up. What in the world are Nike and Vitamin Water going to do when LeBron is eliminated, and all of those “NBA Champion LeBron James” commercials (which you know have already been filmed) are essentially worthless?
Mr.Will
http://mrwillssports.blogspot.com/
You can’t blame Lebron though right? Isnt he averaging 40 PPG in the series?
Bulls came up short in 89 and 90 too
Everybody is counting the Cavs out when truth is, if Delonte West gets that board at the end of the game (or leaves it alone where it seems Lebron would have ran it down), then there’s no game changing three from Rashard Lewis. Then everybody would be all on the Cavs nuts saying how the Magic have lost so much momentum…Still Cavs in 7, even if Lebron has to jack up 30 shots a game.
I blame coaching (and Lebron). While they were doing well, everybody was happy. Lebron’s throwing the ball away in the 4th quarter and getting pissed at his coach and other players now.
It really is the Lebron show out there. And it ain’t working, though I could have SWORN that shot was going to fall last night.
The Cavs still have a chance; but it won’t be if Lebron takes 30 shots. His game is similar to Magic’s he is at his best when his compliementary players are playing well. The more assist Lebron has the better Cavs chances are of coming back in the series. Lebron is going to get his points, if he is getting double figure assists as well the will win.
Who decided to put up a link to Big Mike, “Something Serious”?? One of my all-time favorite southern albums.
Lebron is balling out of his damn mind.
Unfortunately, his 2nd-best player is Mo Williams. You can beat 25 of the other teams in the league consistently and get-by with Mo as your #2, and some combo of Delonte/Big Z/Sideshow Anderson as #3, 4, and 5 even though in reality Mo should be a 3/4 option, Delonte a # 5 or 6th man, Z a 4/5, and sideshow Anderson a 5, so long as Lebron is doing his Lebron thing. But against the upper-echelon teams (Bos, ORL, LAL) that isn’t going to work. It showed during the regular season when LAL and ORL won the season series and BOS split and it’s showing again here. Mo Williams is NOT a #2, no matter how amazing Lebron is playing as the #1 go to guy. Lebron has the weakest supporting cast of any of the 4 remaining superstar/olympian guys left.
If I were Lebron I’d be real salty right now that they never traded Wally’s expiring contract worth about 13 million at the deadline to get them another legit, proven scorer.
Whatever, I’m rooting for Orlando to finish the job, Cleveland to lose again next year, and Lebron to leave in frustration to sign with the Bulls. Bron Bron and D. Rose FTW!!!
I’m not sure LeBron really needs a great #2 (not even sure that his style of play would let a great #2 shine) so much as he needs outside shooters who can spot up and knock down big shots and some better-rebounding/defending bigs.
@ Forty
If we are going off of ‘what if’s’ than you have to look at it from the whole perspective. What if LeBron didnt get phantom fouls called in his favor?? (i.e. the last second trip on Peitrus, 90% of the Dwight Howard fouls) Where would the King be??
@ Cell: To follow up what you’re saying, what if Lebron doesn’t hit a miracle 3 in game 2? SWEEP. Can’t do what if’s.
@ Young: EVERY great player needs a #2. In fact, ideally you’d need a 3 as well. Look at all the past champs.
Duncan has Parker/Ginobli and before that had D-Rob.
Wade had Shaq.
Detroit was an anomaly in 04, they were just really balanced/deep and had no clear-cut #1 but they played sick D and had balance.
Shaq had Kobe.
MJ had Scottie.
Hakeem had Clyde the Glyde, and that first title he had Kenny Smith balling out of his mind.
Magic/Kareem/Big Game James
Isiah had Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer.
Bird/Mchale/Parish.
The list goes on.
Mo Williams is not holding a candle to ANY of the #2′s on that list. He’s a liability.
Mo Williams is not holding a candle to ANY of the #2’s on that list. He’s a liability.
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Ooooooooooooooweeeee!!! That was cold pop, Maurice can’t get no love El Ro? I know that guarantee has to haunting him right now.
What the hell have I BEEN telling y’all bout Mo OHe’s No Scottie Pippen” Williams???
Mo’s in the same category as J.R Smith–really talented, but you don’t know what you’ll get from them night in and night out.
He’s not a consistent/good enough player to go around making guarantees, even if he does play w/ LeBron.
in the east, it’s apparent that the magic is the more well-balanced & deeper team.
too bad disgraced referee tim donaghy ain’t here to fix the game & help lebron out.
but the other refs might. you know the NBA is pushin for that LBJ/kobe match-up.
i like lebron but i like rooting for the underdog even more.
by the way, i’ve got porn starlet/model kelly divine at the spizzy.
yes, it’s hoops-related. her azz looks like two basketballs in spandex.
http://spizzyblog.com/2009/05/27/kelly-divine-intervention/
K.STRICK a.k.a. PACINO718
@ El Rosado:
I hear you, but I don’t buy that because it’s almost always been the case in the past that it must therefore also be that way in the future. (It’s also worth noting that a lot of the #1s on your list were big guys who didn’t bring the ball up and create off the dribble themselves, which makes them less useful comparisons for Bron).
I think this Cleveland team was almost good enough to go all the way and that, given LeBron’s game, could have been good enough without a top #2, with a few of the relatively minor changes I mentioned previously. The difference in the games they’ve lost this series have come down to role players not being able to bang down the big shots when they’re open or come up with key rebounds or defensive stops.
I also think that LeBron likes controlling the ball too much for a high-quality #2 to come in and be able to truly shine like those from previous championship teams. But then again, maybe he’d change his style if he had more faith in his surrounding cast.
Lebron is balling out of his damn mind
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Basically. Like I said last night, James has done more with less. I ain’t mad at him and I haven’t written the Cavs off just yet.
Holla at me tomorrow night.
And Dan Vs. Dave?
Epic fail lol.
Good shit Dub D.
ha. yeah, yall did go back with this one. i just tried to tell a co-worker about the post. he mighta been six when dan vs. dave was out…dont even remember it. ahhah.
It’s over. Deal with it Cleveland fans. No way the Magic blow this. Not when LeBron’s buzzer-beater is the only thing that has kept the Cavs from being swept. Pack up your grip – it’s a wrap!