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Kobe Bryant will be doing work in Los Angeles for at least two more seasons, as he decided not to use an opt out clause in his contract that would allow him to become a free agent.  Kobe will turn 31 next month and there is talk that he will sign an extension that will keep him in Los Angles for even more years.  The Times reported Bryant would make a guaranteed $47.8 million over the next two years with his current contract and could earn another $86 million to $91 million with the extension, depending on NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011.  If he signs the extension its safe to say that Kobe will be a Laker for the rest of his career, the way it should be.  This news comes as no surprise to me.  After the Finals, when asked if he would opt out of his contract early in interviews, Kobe has said things like: ”L.A. is home”, “where else am I going to go” and “why would I want to leave?”  L.A. is now Kobe’s city after winning the Title.  It’s amazing to see the love and support that all the Laker fans are giving him and the rest of the Lakers.  If Kobe wanted to run for mayor of L.A. he would win in a landslide.  The city just belongs to him, and I know he is enjoying all the love.

Not having to worry about Kobe, the Lakers could now focus on resigning Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, two big contributors to the Title run.  They have both expressed their interest to stay in L.A. and defend the Title, but know that it is not up to them.  The only question is if the Lakers can afford them both with other teams bidding up their price.  That question will be answered very soon as free agency begins today.  My hope is the Lakers do resign them both so that they can repeat next year.  This team has good chemistry so they should keep it together and win more Championships.

Image Source: AP Photo

It was an interesting weekend for sports.  The marquee event the U.S. Open had rain and bad weather all weekend so it needed to end today.  Tune in if you can as big names like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are still lurking for the win.  It has been a surprising tournament so far as two unknown players (Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes) have been pacing the field.  The first two rounds they were playing unbelievably well, but they started to fade back toward the field in the 3rd round leaving an opening for others to win on the final round Monday.  I would say that its all up in the air right now and the player that shoots best today will win the U.S. Open.

In soccer, Team U.S.A. pulled off one of the most improbable runs to the Semifinals in the Confederations Cup with help from Brazil. Needing just about a miracle to happen, it just did.  The only way the U.S. could advance to the next round after losing the first two games to Italy and Brazil was with a win over Egypt and an Italy lose to Brazil.  Not only that they needed to make up the 6 goal differential tie-breaker.  Brazil did their part beating the Italians 3-0 giving way for the U.S. to advance if they won 3-0 also.  And they did, playing their best game of the tournament.  It was very exciting to watch as both games were going on simultaneously, but you could tell that the players on each field knew the score on the other.  When the U.S. game went final there was pure jubilation amongst the players as they knew they pulled off the improbable.  They’ll take on number one in world Spain on Wednesday in the semis.  It will be a very tough game and I don’t see the U.S. advancing, but we will see.  In the other semifinal Brazil will take on the host South Africa.

In baseball, the College World Series has its two final teams as LSU will take on Texas in the Final series.  It will be a good match up between two college baseball powers.  Keep an eye on it during the week.  In the MLB, there were some good inter-league series with my personal favorite, the Freeway Series between the Angels and Dodgers.  The series concluded on Sunday night with the Dodgers pulling the 5-3 victory and World Champion Kobe Bryant was in attendance enjoying the game.

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Overview:

Though the NBA and Nike might not have received the Lebron James/ Kobe Bryant match up that everyone wanted to see, but it still ends up with a great match up.  It’s going to be an unstoppable force aka Kobe vs. an immovable object aka Howard.  See the Nike commercial below:

                             
YouTube - Watch 

The Lakers got a taste of the NBA Finals last year, so they come in determined to avenge last years loss.  The Magic have only been to one other NBA Finals, so they need to show that they are not just happy to be there.  Kind of reminds me of this years Super Bowl between the traditional power Steelers and up and coming Cardinals.  I have a feeling that the results will be very similar.  A great competitive series with the more experienced team winning out in the end.

Match Ups:

Center - Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard:
Bynum has been in constant foul trouble through out the playoffs, that’s going to have to change if he is going to be any factor in this match up.  He also needs to be able to guard Howard one-on-one in the post so that the Lakers don’t have to double team opening up the Magic to their deadly 3-point shooting.  That being said, I don’t really see him slowing Howard who is playing out of his mind right now.

Advantage: Dwight Howard, Magic

Power Forward - Pau Gasol vs. Rashard Lewis:
Both players have a big offensive advantage against each other.  Pau is deadly in the post and Rashard is just too small to handle the 7 footer.  On the other end, Rashard is a deadly outside shooter that Pau is going to have to chase around and guard out on the perimeter.

It’s going to be tough for both, but if there is any big man in the NBA that has skill to guard out on the perimeter it’s Gasol.   He’ll also receive help from Lamar Odom off the bench.

Advantage: Pau Gasol, Lakers

Small Forward - Trevor Ariza vs. Hedo Turkoglu:
his is going to be a great match up.  The Lakers need Ariza to keep up his good play in the playoffs and keep knocking down shots.  He’s been a bigger addition to this years playoff Lakers than Bynum has.  Guarding Hedo will be a little easier than having to guard Carmelo Anthony, but not by much.   Hedo is the Magic’s go to guy whom they like to give the ball to when they need a big play.  He’s shown that he could be a playmaker in these playoffs and if his shot is falling then he is very tough to handle.  I think Kobe is going to be the one guarding him down the stretch.

Advantage: Hedo Turkoglu, Magic

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant vs. Courtney Lee:
Lee has been very good for the Magic playing big minutes and making shots.  That being said, he’s still a rookie and stopping a determined Kobe is impossible.  It’s safe to say Kobe will be doing work all Finals.

Advantage: Kobe Bryant, Lakers

Point Guard - Derek Fisher vs. Rafer Alston:
Fisher has been struggling in the playoffs to find his shot.  Alston has been playing well and is making some big shots.  The Lakers just need Fisher to play good defense, make an occasional open shot and mentor the other young PGs.  The Magic need Alston to keep hitting open shots and give solid minutes.  I don’t see an advantage here.

Advantage: Even

Bench:
The Magic are not a deep team but they have been getting stellar play from Mickael Pietrus and solid play from Anthony Johnson off the bench.  They need this to continue.   Other contributors off the bench are Marcin Gortat and J.J. Redick.  The Lakers are deep but the key factor will be how Lamar Odom plays.   If he plays like he did in games 5 & 6, the Lakers will win the NBA Championship.   They also get good contributions from Luke Walton, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic.

Advantage: Lakers

Prediction:

The Lakers have been talking all year about a chance to redeem themselves. Well, they have it and I think that experience that they gain from it will prove to be to much.

Lakers in 6

Some people are a little down on this years NBA playoffs and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

I realize people are busy with school, work and American Idol, but this years playoff race has been absolutely amazing and the very definition of must see TV.  With so many different things competing for our precious attention, though, I have compiled a list of the top ten reasons why you should be catching the rest of the NBA playoffs:

1] If you grew up watching basketball in the ’80s and ’90s there is a good chance you have found yourself reminiscing while watching recent games.  The amount of hard fouls and seemingly genuine distaste between players has brought old school basketball back.  If only the NBA would stop fining/suspending the hell out everyone!

2] Jumping on the NBA bandwagon is the perfect excuse to go drinking with friends after work on a Tuesday night without feeling like an alcoholic.  Down a few Jäger bombs on an ordinary weeknight and you apparently have drinking problems.  Doing the same in conjunction with your team winning and you’re just celebrating like any good fan would.

3] There are a few bona fide superstars still alive in the playoffs and one of them is Kobe Bryant.  A staple of excellent play for the last decade, the still elite Bryant can’t last forever so you better get your fill while you can.  Plus, for you casual fans, there is always a lot of drama and intrigue surrounding the Lakers, so making the transition from day-time soap watcher to Lakers aficionado is a breeze.

4] Long time NBA watchers have had a lot to enjoy in this years playoffs.  For instance, anyone who watched Boston hoist up another banner last year has had two questions on their mind since the playoffs started this year: can the Celtics repeat and will Kevin Garnett go all Willis Reed on us if Boston goes deep into the playoffs?

5] While there has certainly been a number of blowouts thus far, there have also been some legendary overtime thrillers.  The Boston/Chicago series featured many nail-biting games and will be talked about amongst hoop-heads for years to come.  With a little luck both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will do the same.

6] Remember back in 2005 when the San Antonio Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons?  Not many people do because both teams were excellent on defense and struggled to score a lot of points.  This year is much more casual fan friendly because there have been a lot of fast paced, high scoring games.  Three teams still in the playoffs average at least 100 points per game, and all teams that have a chance to go to the conference finals average at least 94.

7] People who love to hear some solid trash talking are basking in the playoffs back and forth banter. Technical fouls have been dished out by the bushel as players try to get in each others heads. When an owner (Mark Cuban) gets into it with a player’s (Kenyon Martin) mom, you know the trash talking is top notch.

8] If the last decade belonged in part to Kobe Bryant, the next one will have its lion’s share held by Lebron James.  Voted this years regular season MVP, James somehow continues to get better despite already being one of the best players in the league.  In other words, he is reason enough to watch this years playoffs.

9] Most TV series are coming to an end, and while we will all miss our favorite shows (go Scrubs!), the playoffs can certainly help fill the void. There is plenty of action, drama, suspense and comedy (both intentional and unintentional) to help hold you over until fall.

10] The last reason is by far the most obvious: basketball is awesome.  Seeing some of the best athletes in the world go at it in one of the best sports to watch on TV is a real treat.  I defy you to not get excited when James throws down a monster dunk or when Dwight Howard swats a ball into the third row.

Take it from someone who watches a lot of basketball — it’s not possible.

Image Source: therundown.tv

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for the NBA apparel and memorabilia you need to support your favorite team.

For the first time since Tim Duncan did it in the 2001-02 NBA season, a former rookie of the year took down NBA Most Valuable Players honors. That former ROY is Lebron James and he accepted the award yesterday from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his alma mater.

Unlike the MVP race of the past few years, this years award went through little scrutiny.  Sure there were a few dissenters who favored Dwayne Wade (who received seven first place votes and finished third in voting) or Kobe Bryant (who finished second in voting and received two first place votes), but the most deserving player was clearly King James.

Here are ten reasons why James deserved to win this years MVP trophy:

1) The Cleveland Cavaliers 66-16 record was good for the number one seed in the east and home court advantage in the NBA finals should they get that far.  MVP voters put a lot of weight into team success and no team had greater regular season success than the Cavs.

2) At 39-2 the Cavs finished just one game short of the ‘86 Celtics all time best home court record (Cavs final lost was in the last game of season and they rested their starters).  Another team accomplishment, but James deserves the lion’s share of the kudos.

3) Unlike other top scorers in the league (Joe Johnson I’m looking at you) James is a two-way player.  While defense is hard to quantify in statistics, James did finish second in defensive player of the year honors.  He can guard nearly any player on the court and frequently slowed down opposing teams best weapons.

4) James finished second in the league in points per game with 28.4 and did it shooting a very respectable .489 from the field.  His mid-range game continues to improve and no one is better at finishing around the basket than Lebron.

5) Any player that knows how to drive is going to get his share of free throws.  James did just that finishing second in the league in free throws made per game with an impressive 7.3.  Add in his improved free throw percentage (78% this year, 71% last year) and James helped his team with a lot of easy points from the charity stripe.

6) James is also very proficient around the glass.  His 7.8 rebounds per game is good for second in the NBA among non power forwards and centers and is yet another testament to his versatility.

7) As if the shooting, rebounding and defense weren’t enough James also finished ninth in the NBA in assists and second among non point guards with 7.2 a game.  While it would be nearly impossible for him to average a triple double for a season, James is definitely the player most capable of accomplishing it.

Although he isn’t among the league leaders in blocks, he is responsible for popularizing the term come from behind blocks.  Anyone who saw him break up Jason Richardson’s 360 dunk attempt can certainly attest to that, and nothing jacks up a team like a monster block.

9) Another aspect of the game that is hard to quantify is team chemistry.  You could argue all day about how important it is to winning (very), but there is no question the Cavs have it in spades.  From their unique hand shakes to scripted celebrations, they genuinely seem to like each other and James is largely responsible.

10) According to stats from 82games.com, James has a better shooting percentage in the clutch (4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points) than either Wade or Bryant, and it’s not even that close: James, .556; Wade, .470; Bryant, .457.

Image Source: edeporte.com

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for Lebron James memorabilia.

The first round of the NBA playoffs are barely wrapping up yet rumors are already starting to fly about what players might be switching jerseys this off-season.  With the economy continuing to struggle and the salary cap going down for the first time since its inception, many teams will be looking to get creative when it comes to their roster.

One player possibly heading to a new city is the self proclaimed Most Dominant Ever, aka Shaquille O’Neal.  A lot of people think that his monster contract and diminishing skill set are untradeable, but his resurgent play this year has landed him on a few GM’s radars.  Shaq, through the use of his Twitter account, has made it known he is quite fond of Dallas and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

NBA sources say, however, the most likely destination for the Big Tweep is New Orleans.  Shaq has a large fan base in the south stemming from his days at LSU and the Hornets let it be known they wanted out of Tyson Chandler’s contract when they traded him earlier this year (only to have it fall through due to health reasons).

The trade could work in both teams favors should it happen.  The Hornets would only carry O’Neal on their books for one season and he would bring proven playoff experience to a team that really needs it.  He would also sell a lot of tickets, which makes the deal interesting from a business perspective.  The Phoenix Suns would get younger and more athletic in their front court, and if healthy, Chandler paired with forward Amare Stoudemire would be one of the most tenacious big-duos in the NBA.

What do you think? Is the Big Aristotle worth the big bucks? Or is the big man a big waste of money at this point in his career?

Image Source: FresnoBeach.com

If you have been watching the NBA playoffs you probably feel like the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers are destined to meet in the finals.  The reason so many people feel this way is simple — it is the only logical conclusion based on everything that has happened from the beginning of the season to now.  Well, that and the fact that it is David Stern’s dream scenario (kidding … sort of).

One thing that may be less clear, however, is what team is going to prevail.  So for all of you who are unsure about who is going to win it all, here are 10 reasons why the Lakers will be hoisting up another championship banner into the rafters.

1.  Revenge factor:  It is becoming increasingly unlikely that they will see the Boston Celtics should they make the finals, but avenging last years embarrassing game six performance is surely on the mind of everyone in the organization.  There is no way they let what happened then (or 2004 for that matter) happen again.

2.  Kobe Bryant:  Lest we forget amid the flurry of props for Lebron James and Dwayne Wade that Bryant is arguably still the best player in the game and certainly one of its best finishers.  A player of his stature, someone who is already in the top 20 all time and might retire in the top 10, can accomplish a lot on will power alone.

3.  Phil Jackson:  Some people refuse to give Jackson credit because all of his titles have come with either Bryant or Michael Jordan at the helm.  I am not one of those people. Jackson is a calming influence with championship experience and that will come into play during the Lakers run to the finals.

4.  Lock-down defender:  To get through the gantlet of quality players in the playoffs you need someone who can play shut down defense.  The Lakes have Trevor Ariza and he is a flat out beast.  He can guard multiple positions, run the break and knock down the three point shot.

5.  Weaker west:  This is the year the almighty Western Conference finally took a step back.  It still took a better record to get into the playoffs than it did in the east, but no one can argue it is as strong as it was last year.  Even traditional arch nemesis San Antonio is playing with a hurt Tim Duncun and without Manu Ginobli.

6.  Twin towers:  Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are one of the better front court combinations since Duncan/David Robinson won it all in 1999 (they did again in 2003 but Robinson had declined by then).  Bynum is coming off an injury, but if the two start clicking they can guard any front line in the NBA.

7.  Variety of styles:  The Lakers offense can play in half court sets or push it up-tempo.  Bryant and Derek Fisher execute Jackson’s heralded triangle offense to near perfection, making the Lakers the third highest scoring team in the regular season.  No matter who they play the Lakers will put plenty of points on the board.

8.  Team depth:  Part of what makes the Lakers so tough is the minimal drop off between the first and second units.  Their backup guards (Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Shannon Brown) and big men (Lamar Odom, Josh Powell and Luke Walton) are very capable and could start on some teams.

9.  Cavaliers match-up:  Assuming both teams make it the Lakers are best equipped to handle King James.  No one player can guard James, but a combination of Ariza’s quickness, Odom’s length, and Bryant’s all-around defensive efficiency could slow him down better than any other team.

10.  Hunger:  A lot of people in the franchise have something to prove despite the fact that none of them would admit it.  Bryant wants to win a title without Shaq.  Jackson wants to surpass Red Auerbach for all-time championships as a coach.  Gasol needs to prove his toughness.  Odom needs to show he can play a variety of roles in a contract year.  The list goes on and on.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop through a variety of Los Angeles Lakers’ gear.

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Fans of basketball may be locked in on the NBA playoffs, but for USA Basketball Director Jerry Colangelo, it is never too early to start thinking about the next Olympics. Word on the street is he plans for New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni to take over Team USA if Mike Krzyzewski decides not to come back.

Coach K, who guided the US to gold in Beijing last year after the 2004 squad brought home the bronze, has said his status as coach for the next Olympics is yet to be determined and that he would be comfortable coming back in a different role. Krzyzewski has publicly stated before that while he loved his experience on the international stage, it did take a lot out of him.

The US players thrived under the 62-year-old Krzyzewki, but the transition to D’Antoni would probably be smooth considering he served as an assistant during the team’s time in China and is widely regarded as a players coach. He also has strong relationships with many of the players that would be in contention for one of the 12 final roster spots, such as 2008 gold medalists Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.

D’Antoni seems to be a great fit — the players love him and he has coached overseas before — but I remain skeptical over the potential move. For one, I wonder how well his “seven seconds or less offense” would work at the Olympic level. I’m also curious how well he can command the respect of the NBA’s best players. It is one thing for a player to like a coach. It is something else for a player to accept (and embrace) criticism from one. Coaching a team with that much talent is as much about managing egos and touches as it is drawing up X’s and O’s.

What do you think? Do you want coach K to return? If he doesn’t, who would you like to see roaming the sidelines?

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This week in sports blogs and news:

• Brett Myers son is proud to be a redneck - Deadspin
• Kobe Bryant shows up for jury duty - SportsByBrook
• Kevin Youkilis rips Americans for not showing up to WBC games - Larry Brown Sports
• Barack Obama fills out the March Madness bracket - The Sports Hernia

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “I can’t wait to ruin another locker room”
• Quincy Carter to Play in the IFL
• Smush Parker Says Kobe Bryant was the Problem
• Tiger Woods Tells Jessica Simpson No to Lessons
• March Madness: Let the Dance Begin!

If you don’t remember or know who Smush Parker is, we don’t blame you.

But in case you don’t, he’s the former NBA player who’s had stints on clubs such as the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. His stay with the Lakers is probably more well known, as it was rumored he had a falling out with the coach Phil Jackson, that led to his departure from the team.

Parker though claims it wasn’t his relationship with Jackson, rather it’s star player Kobe Bryant, saying “the problems start and end with him.”

Don’t believe me, watch for yourself.

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