2 WEEK NOTICE: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR ABOUT NBA PLAYOFFS

Sadly, April 30 will mark the first day off in the NBA playoffs since April 16th, With only opening round series remaining to be decided , lets took a look back at whats gone on so far....

1. Have Closer, will travel- Denver, Portland, and Indiana all can make cases they could have won their series or at least extended them all to game 6 or 7. Indiana can even make the case that they outplayed chicago for 3.5 plus games....The problem with all 3 of these teams, no one to close the show in the 4th quarter. Brandon Roy's brilliant 4th quarter in game 4 aside, none of these teams had the ability to finish games. Denver, had leads in  4th quarter every game except for game two....Indiana led going into the fourth in games 1, 2, and 3...But the NBA is still a stars league, you can have all the gallinaris, millers, grangers you want, give me a Durant, Nowitzki, or a Rose surrounded by guys who understand their roles and coaches who know how to get their star player the ball.  The Grizzlies have to show they can close. they have outplayed Spurs for more than 75% of this series and truthfully , series should be over. How will they respond?

2. The Lakers are still the Best Closeout Team on the Road- In order to beat the Lakers, you have stockpile your wins early in the series. No one in the NBA is better after Game 4 than the Lakers especially on the road. I know it gets tired but its the truth, they can flip the switch (especially on D) better than anyone. Kobe 24 isn't Kobe 8 but he is still capable of game turning plays (The Okafor Dunk) and big shots on demand.. The new development of Bynum as a go-to offensive threat is a scary proposition

3. Say what you want about the Kendrick Perkins trade-  But at least Danny Ainge didnt cut his entire rotation, which is what Otis Smith did when he pulled off the Arenas-Lewis trade and the Carter-Richardson trade.  Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis were over-the-hill and overpaid respectively, but had to be respected enough to open things up for D12.  Pietrus was a very good wing defender and deadly from the corner on 3's and Gortat was Magic's remaining size. Hedo and Gil Arenas made Magic just another team in the East and the Hawks picked them off. If you are Dwight Howard, those moves have to be in back of your mind as you creep toward free agency and you wonder does SVG survive?

4.  You may be tired of the Hype--- But Miami vs Boston should be a classic. Now i know in my playoff predictions, i had Heat in 5. But the combination the ease that Boston dispatched New York and the still suspect end of game execuion of the Heat, bother me if I am a Heat fan. A now rested Boston team which like LA can still flip the switch and they execute in half court as well as anyone which serves them well in what should be 7 close games. I am going to hold with the Heat but make it 7 instead of 5. I have a feeling Wade or James has one magical game and Bosh has been steady. Heat will hold serve at home to win series but doesnt bode well for Conference Finals

5.  Watch this Space- Russell Westbrook believe he should be option 1 and it will be demise of Thunder. Game 4 vs. Denver, Westbrook shoots 30 times, Durant shoots 18 times. Thunder lose and there are several dirty looks shot his way by Durant and teammates. Game 5 with Thunder down 9, Durant takes over the final stretch while Westbrook looks mildly interested. There is an undercurrent growing in OKC over whether Westbrook is truly the right type of sidekick for Durant and there have been times when the two have seem disconnected. While its obvious who is Option 1, Option 2 doesnt always understand that and its a problem.

6. Even as a Bulls fan, I hope this is wrong- Atlanta vs Chicago has the potentially to be one of the uglier first conference semifinals of all time. both won their series mainly on the defensive end and except for the Bulls game 5, rely on a lot of isolation sets for Rose, Crawford, and Johnson which can make for some bad offensive possessions. The Hawks are as inconsistant as team, not just game to game , but literally by the minute. This series could be a repeat of Orlando's thrashing of Atlanta last year, it could be the Heat vs Hawks series in '09 which was a 7 -game series that featured 7 double digit differences.  I am picking Chicago in 6 but have a sneaking suspicion I will be wrong and this series is a sweep or 5. The maddening nature of the Hawks will be on full display.

GREAT PERFORMANCES OF THE POST SEASON

Happy 4-20 Day (and not for that reason lol).   25 years ago today, The legend of MJ was born with a 63rd point tour de force in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference 1st round vs Boston. The Bulls lost that day (Orlando Woolridge, please pass the ball!) but the sporting world was put on alert that the new sheriff was in town. On the heels of Carmelo's 42-17-5 vs Boston in Game 2. Let's take a look back at some other great playoff performances

MAGIC PLAYS CENTER

THE KING VS ZEKE

MJ GOES OFF IN GAME 2, AGAIN

CHUCKS REVENGE

SHAQ ATTAQ

VEE CEE FOR 3

AI'S ANSWER

KOBE CROWNS THE KINGS

DIRK DIGS THE SUN

WADE IN THE DEEP END

THE NBA'S 50 GREATEST; 15YEARS LATER

15 years has passed since the NBA released the 50 greatest of all time list........ Since then league has had several Hall of Famers enter the league...So here is the activity....Recreate the list in 2012, take off and put on whoever you like!!


A
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*


B
Charles Barkley*
Rick Barry*
Elgin Baylor*
Dave Bing*
Larry Bird*
KOBE BRYANT

C
Wilt Chamberlain*
Bob Cousy*
Dave Cowens*


D

Clyde Drexler*
TIM DUNCAN

E
Julius Erving*
Patrick Ewing*

F
Walt Frazier*

G
KEVIN GARNETT
George Gervin*


H
John Havlicek*
Elvin Hayes*

J

Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson*
Michael Jordan*
LEBRON JAMES

K
JASON KIDD

L
Jerry Lucas*

M
Karl Malone
Moses Malone*
Pete Maravich*
Kevin McHale*
George Mikan*
Earl Monroe*

N
STEVE NASH
DIRK NOWITZKI

O
Shaquille O'Neal
Hakeem Olajuwon*

P

Bob Pettit*
Scottie Pippen

R
Willis Reed*
Oscar Robertson*
David Robinson*
Bill Russell*

S
John Stockton*

T
Isiah Thomas*


U
Wes Unseld*

W
DWAYNE WADE
Bill Walton*
Jerry West*
Lenny Wilkens*
James Worthy*
DOMINIQUE WILKINS (should have made it first time IMO)

THE SECOND SEASON...

Let the real season !  Forget "The Decision"...Sorry Blake and John, your time will come.....A sincere "Wish you were here" to old favorites Utah and Phoenix.....Its time for big-boy ball...So let's break it down.....Round -by- Round. Would I take these pick to Vegas? Absolutely not.....Is there a good chance I will be wrong? Maybe. And that's the beauty of the NBA Playoffs, its best of seven. The best team truly wins (well maybe except the 2002 Kings and 2006 Mavericks....) No Cinderellas, No Mid-majors, No One Shining Moments, No Flukes....With all due respect to March Madness, this is the true madness... 2 months of high intensity, high pressure games....As Bart Scott said,  "Can't Wait"

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

8 INDIANA VS 1 CHICAGO-  Chicago Wins  4-0.  The meteoric rise to the top of the Bulls continues with a sweep of the young Pacers.Should be MVP D-Rose overpowers Darren Collison and the gang mentality on the defensive end is too much for Indiana. Conseco Fieldhouse's college like atmosphere will make games 3 and 4 interesting but its not enough as the Bulls make light work of Indiana.

5 ATLANTA VS 4 ORLANDO- Orlando Wins  4-1.  Despite the Hawks taking 3 of 4 in the regular season against the Magic, I can't shake last years destruction by the Magic in round 2 vs ATL. One year has nothing to do with the next but Atlanta looked uninterested down the stretch and D12 is still a hellacious matchup for an undersized ATL frontline. Hinrich should be able to do a better job on Jameer Nelson than Bibby would have but Orlando's firepower and D12 are too much

7 PHILADELPHIA VS 2 MIAMI- Miami wins 4-1.  Doug Collins has done a great job in turning around a team that looked dead after a 3-13 start. Sixers are athletic and play great team defense but none of that can hide the fact that they cant score. Miami for all the issues gets a favorable matchup against a team that they handled in the regular season. The Heat roll in this series

6 NEW YORK VS 3 BOSTON- Boston wins 4-2.  The much talked about Kendrick Perkins trade does not rear its ugly head....yet.  The most hyped first round series goes to the Celtics who are able to grind out the Knicks at home and tough enough to get one in MSG.  The Melo-Amare duo will keep every game close in what will be an entertaining series which should feature at least one near scuffle. In the end, Boston's experience wins out

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

8 MEMPHIS VS 1 SAN ANTONIO- San Antonio wins 4-2.  The Grizzlies tank job to get to the Spurs combined with a banged up SA team makes this series competitive. Z-Bo and Gasol are a handful for the Spurs front court but Tony Parker has a similar advantage over Mike Conley. Rudy Gay might have made the Grizz an interesting pick but his absence finally shows up and Spurs with a little more effort than what we think win the series

5 DENVER VS 4 OKLAHOMA CITY-  OKLAHOMA CITY WINS  4-2.  This is the NBA equivalent of two really good mid majors. The Post -Melo Nuggets have been one of the better stories in 2nd half the season while the Thunder continue to push for elite status. The difference in this series is the bigger OKC guard of Westbrook, Harden, and Sefalosha punishing the smaller Nuggets backcourt while the lack of Melo comes to bear in close games. I will take OKC.

7 NEW ORLEANS VS 2 LOS ANGELES-  Los Angeles wins 4-0.  Bynum's knee and a sluggish finish has everyone up and arms. Relax, the Lake Show get a nice appetizer in the Hornets without David West and Marcus Thornton (traded to Kings). The wear and tear is evident on CP3 from carrying the franchise and they just are not good enough. Light work for the Lakers

6 PORTLAND VS 3 DALLAS-  Portland wins 4-2.  Dirk, Poor Dirk...Since the 2006 Collapse in the Finals and the 2007 upset by Golden State, the first round has always been a difficult task for the Mavs. The weight of expectations again proves to be too much as they take on an athletic and deep Blazers team. The Blazers throw multiple bodies at Dirk and ugly up the game. Portland, who also has had its first round issue advances which could begin the end of the Mavericks as you know them

EAST SEMIS

4 ORLANDO VS 1 CHICAGO-  Chicago wins 4-3.  Styles make championship boxing matches and Styles makes series. Orlando and Chicago are perfect compliments to each other. Orlando's spread the floor-shoot the 3- dump to Howard offense vs the constricting, agressive Bulls defense. Rose and Howard cancel each other out which leaves it to the supporting pieces. This is where the trade hurts Orlando. Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis were Bull-killers even when bad, not having is difference. The Bulls win all 4 in the UC to advance

3 BOSTON vs 2 MIAMI-  Miami wins 4-1.  A long drawn out series  with New York combined with the Heat having gained their sea legs towards end of season is bad news for the C's. With no Perkins, and the corpses of the Oneals as subsitute, Wade and James drive to hoop with no fear. The Heat are able to speed the game and Boston's age shows. Miami wins this surprisingly easy

WEST SEMIS

4 OKLAHOMA CITY VS 1 SAN ANTONIO-  Oklahoma City wins 4-3.  The old dogs have one last trick up their sleeve as they take advantage of the Thunder's eagerness to run. However, the Spurs don't have an answer for 2-Time Scoring Champ Kevin Durant who is tall for Jefferson, too quick for Bonner and McDyess. Sefalosha and Harden are able to contain Manu and OKC wins Game 7 in SA in a mild surprise to advance.

6 PORTLAND VS 1 LOS ANGELES- Los Angeles wins 4-2.  Portland has a team built to give the Lakers trouble with their athleticism, depth, and toughness. A healthier Bynum along with Odom and Gasol are still a huge advantage over Portland and no one in the league is better in closeout games on the road than Kobe. In an exciting series, Lakers kick it up another level to finish off Portland

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

2 MIAMI VS 1 CHICAGO- Chicago wins 4-3. Bulls fans will remember 1998 win the Larry Bird coached Pacers gave the MJ title teams the toughest series in the dynasty years. In that series, the home team won every game. Homecourt advantage is the only thing that seperates these two in a back and forth series. The young Bulls are extremely tough to beat in the UC and that overcomes their relative lack of experience. Deng is able to hold his own against LBJ and Rose is the difference in what will be several close games.

WESTERN CONFERNCE FINALS

4 OKLAHOMA CITY VS 1 LOS ANGELES- Los Angeles wins 4-2. Just not quite ready , OKC. Championship experience, Kobe staring down the barrel of history and the skill of Odom and Gasol push the Lakers through in six. Durant starts to solve the puzzle that has been Artest at times and Westbrook continues to run circles around Fisher/Blake/Brown but in the end, beating LA in Staples Center is too much to ask of the young Thunder

NBA FINALS

1 LOS ANGELES VS 1 CHICAGO- Los Angles wins 4-3.  20 years ago, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Lakers for title #1. It was the passing of torch officially from Magic to MJ. Unfortunately, Kobe is not so willing a participant in torch passing. The lack of experience appears just one time in the playoffs and that would be in Game 7. Every ounce of my heart and basketball brains wants me to be able to pick this Bulls team. The best record, the MVP, the great team D, the feel-good story it would be about how to build a champion. That being said, I just can't pick against Kobe and Phil while they are holding the 'ship.  As stated before, no one is better in a closeout situation on the road than Kobe..The Bulls are far from overmatched and will lead this series more than once but in the end the championship mettle of two of the greatest of all time is just enough to give Phil a fourth 3 peat, and Kobe a second three peat to match MJ.

((PLEASE LET ME BE WRONG ON THIS.......ENJOY THE SECOND SEASON)

MARCH MADNESS - NBA FANTASY STYLE

(Edited on 3/9/13)

In the spirit of the NCAA Tournament, I have taken the last 16 NBA champions , seeded and match them up. Like the 2011 tournament, this was pretty difficult because all of the teams look the same, literally.....In the past 16 years, there have only been seven different franchises to win nba titles.  Like the NCAA tournament, we are one and done!
First Round
16) 2011 Dallas Mavericks  vs 1) 2001 Los Angeles Lakers  
In front of a raucous SC crowd , the #1 overall seed, come out with a 22-7 run to start the game against the underdog Rockets. Shaquille controls the glass grabbing 10 first quarter rebounds and dominating the paint.   Kobe is too much for the Mavericks despite the best efforts of Deshawn Stevenson to irritate the young Bryant. . The Mavericks got back into the game briefly in true mid major style with 3-pt shooting of Jason Kidd and Jason Terry  but a late run by Kobe  who pours in 39 points ends the Mavericks chances.   Lakers 98, Rockets  88

9) 2007 San Antonio Spurs  vs  8) 1998 Chicago Bulls
Popovich vs Jackson would duel it out one more time  as the Spurs took on the Bulls. The Bulls struggled with quick point guards and it proved to be their undoing early as Tony Parker continunously broke down the Bulls scoring 24 points in the first three quarters as the Spurs led by six. In a move from 1991, Phil put Scottie Pippen on Parker to slow the penetration. Michael Jordan finally found this shot after being limited early by Bruce Bowen but the difference was Toni Kukoc who scored 10 big fourth quarter points to put the Bulls ahead for good
 Bulls 90, Spurs 85

13) '99 San Antonio Spurs vs 4) 2008 Boston Celtics
The Twin Towers of Robinson and Duncan run into KG and Perkins whose rough and tumble tactics throw off the Spurs a bit but Admiral and Fundamental more than hold their own. The difference becomes Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen dominating  Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, and Sean Elliott on both ends.... Rondo goes for  14 pts, 18 assists and Pierce and Allen each hit 25  as the Celtics roll  102- 90

12) '03  San Antonio Spurs vs 5) 2002 Los Angeles Lakers
Usually the 5-12 matchup is where you get the upset in the tournament, but not this time. The Prime years of Shaq combined with young and spry Kobe make this a no contest early. Tony Parker and Manu do their best to keep the game close, combining for 45 points but in the end its too much Shaqobe and too much depth for the Lake Show and the Lakers advance with a  105-85 win.


15) 2010 Los Angeles Lakers  vs 2) 1997 Chicago Bulls- A 2 vs 15 usually isn't too interesting but with the two best two guards of their generations going head to head . The two veteran superstars started out the game feeling each other, letting their teammates get involved as both only took two shots in the first quarter. Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoc paced the Bulls attack early while Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum used their size early. The Kobe vs MJ battle came to life midway through the second quarter when they were issued double technicals. The Bulls led  48-43 at half . In the second half, it became a one on one, with the two starts exchanging fadeways and midrange jumpers, Kobe scored 14 in the third, Jordan with 13 in the quarter as the Bulls held maintained their lead. In the fourth, Pippen took the challenge of Bryant and held Kobe to 1 for 7 in the quarter while Kukoc continued to make big shots and the Bulls went on to win 94-83


10) 2004 Detroit Pistons s vs 7) 2011 Miami Heat 
The Big Three opened up their run in the tournament with a tricky first round matchup versus the 2004 Pistons. The game was a contrast in styles with the deliberate, team oriented style against the star power of the Heatles. The lead changed hands several times throughout the course of the game with the Pistons killing the Heat on the glass while Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh shouldered the offensive load. In the fourth quarter, the Heat were finally able to get a hold of the game led by Wades's 17 fourth quarter points to offset a subpar games by James.  A Richard Hamilton three at the buzzer went down and out with a chance to tie and the Heat won  99-96 behind Dwayne Wade's 38 points

14) '2006 Miami Heat vs 3)2000 Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Shaq vs LA Shaq , Wade vs Bryant. Riley vs Jackson . A lot of hype but unfortunately like a lot of things, it failed to live up to the billing as the role players of the Lakers outplayed the Heat. Robert Horry and Derek Fisher combined to knock down nine threes (seven in the first half). The Prime Shaq then inserted himself into the game and finished with 27 and 18 while fouling out the older Shaq. LA won comfortably  101-83

11)2009 Los Angles Lakers  vs 6) 2005 San Antonio spurs
The first upset of the tournament came as the Lakers and Spurs renewed their rivalry. The key to the game was the trio of Gasol , Bynum , and Odom using their size, skill, and athleticsm combining for 49 points and 31 rebounds. With Kobe played the role of facilitator scoring just 14 points and dishing out 10 assists, the Lakers kept the Spurs at bay and won 104-99

ELITE 8


8) '98 Bulls  vs 1) '01 Lakers
The "Last Dance" vs the Best Team of the 2000s, Phil vs Phil, MJ vs Kobe in different stages were among the many headlines in this quarterfinal contest. The Bulls seemed to be running on fumes as the Lakers jumped out to an early 15 point lead. The 35 year old Jordan struggled to deal with the younger spry Kobe during the contest. Bryant finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals while the older Jordan struggled to 28 points on just 10 for 25 shooting. Shaq's 26 and 12 was too much for Longley ,Wennington on the inside and the Lakers cruised 103-87.

5) '02 Lakers vs 4) '08 Celtics
The Garden was alive as the hated Lakers came to visit the Celtics in this Elite 8 contest. Another back and forth contest that featured several twists and turns. Young Kobe got off to a hot start against Ray Allen scoring 22 first half points to stake the Lakers to a 8 point half time lead. The Celtics turned it up on the defensive end with Rondo pressing the slower Laker pg's to spark a rally...The fourth quarter featured Paul Pierce and Kobe exchanging body blows but the Lakers held a slim lead. With nine seconds left, Big Shot Rob appeared to hit the dagger, dropping a long 3 from the top of the key to give the Lakers a one point lead. However, Pierce had one more bullet hitting a fallaway bankshot as the buzzer went off to send the Celtics to the Final Four


7) '11 Heat  vs  2) '97 Bulls
Could an aging Bulls dynasty hold off the Big 3? With many people predicting the demise of the older Bulls, a determined Jordan went to work early , posting up Wade early and getting him into foul trouble with 2 fouls in the first 4 minutes. Lebron shoulder the load early scoring 19 in the first half to offset Jordan's 15 and the Heat led at the half  49-46. The lead changed hands several times in the third quarter with Bosh getting involved while Jordan continued to attack and get to the line. The fourth quarter came down to two final possessions. Jordan's driving layup with 9 seconds gave the Bulls a 97-96 lead . The Heat had a chance to win but a Lebron jumper came up short . Jordan finished with 32 points (17-19 on the line) while Bosh led the Heat with 29.

11) '09 Lakers vs 3) '00 Lakers 
Phil vs Phil but the story would be a motivated Shaq showing why he was MVP of the 99-2000 season. He ran the floor , controlled the paint, and dunked everything in sight. The Diesel put up 41 and 22 singlehandedly outscoring and outrebounding the entire Laker frontline, he was a oneman wrecking crew as the '00 Lakers coasted to a 101-81 win

FINAL FOUR
This could have been called the Phil Jackson Invitational as Big Chief Triangle coached three of the  four teams at the Dream Final Four

In the first matchup, the '01 Lakers looked for revenge against the '08 Celtics who knocked off the '02 team in the Elite 8.  The Celtics  got off to a slow start as Young Kobe played inspired against Pierce outscoring him 19 to 7 in the first half, complimented by Shaq's 15 and 10 to give the Lakers a 17 point lead   In the second half the Celtics found their stride behind Ray Allen. After struggling in the first two games of the tournament, Allen erupted for 15 points on 5 for 5 three point field goals to get Boston back into the game, cutting the lead from 17 to 4 at the end of the quarter. The Lakers responded to start the fourth behind Shaq and got the lead back to ten. Boston was never able to get any closer as the '01 Lakers won 99-90.

In the second matchup, the '97 Bulls came out seething and blitzed the '00 Lakers 18-2 to start the game.  the  34- year old MJ was determined to not let it become an all Lakers final, Shaq's early foul trouble did not help matters negating the one advantage the Lakers had. The Bulls were on fire as Steve Kerr, Jud Buechler and  the bench pushed the Bulls lead to 22 at the end of the third. The Lakers  turned on the pressure and got within 6 but MJ  finished them off, scoring 13 of the Bulls final 18 points on his way to 42 points and the '97 Bulls won 103- 91.



THE TITLE GAME
A new record was set for the Title Game between the '97  Bulls and the '01 Lakers. 107,000 people were in attendence and of course all of the seats were approved to avoid the Super Bowl nightmare. Phil would face himself for the 5th time in the tournament, Kobe vs MJ for the 4th time. The game started with the '96 Bulls playing typical suffocating D forcing the '01 Lakers into 7 first quarter turnovers to lead by 10 at the end of the first. The Lake Show rallied in the third behind the 3pt shooting of Rick Fox, Robert Horry and Derek Fisher who combined for 8 made three's to give LA a 4 point lead at the break. The third quarter was a tense stalemate and LA maintained its four-point lead at  79-75 to start the fourth. Pippen took Kobe to start the fourth but Kobe was prepared making quick decisive moves rather than dribble to combat Pippen's length. LA Phil , trying to save Kobe's legs, assigned Ron Harper and Rick Fox to MJ. MJ 's eyes lit up and he hit his first six shot of the quarter as Kobe screamed to Phil "Let me cover him"....The game went back and forth, featuring great shot-making and spectacular defense...With the Bulls down two, MJ got to his sweet spot and hit a tough bank shot to tie it with 25 seconds left....The Lakers came down and dumped it to Shaq....Longley fouled Shaq with 18 seconds left...Shaq made the first, missed the second....Rebound to Rodman, Phil elected to not call a timeout like he has done before and let the team play through it...MJ brought it up court, Kobe almost shoved Rick Fox over to Pippen and took up the assignment of MJ....You could see the smirk of MJ met by the nodding of "Yes" by Kobe....One-on-One....The GOAT vs The Next One for the Ultimate Prize...

(don't you love a good cliffhanger?)

A Video Tribute to My First Love

A few select moments from the greatest season of my basketball life

PIP, PIP, HOORAY!!!

SCOTTIE GOES FOR 43 VS CHARLOTTE

YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME

2OT LOSS AT BOSTON -EASTER 1991

19 IN A ROW

HODGES WINS 3-PT SHOOTOUT

POOR PATRICK EWING

GAME 3 1ST ROUND VS KNICKS

NOT THIS YEAR!

GAME 1 ECF VS PISTONS

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD

GAME 4 ECF VS PISTONS

THE MOVE

GAME 2 FINALS VS LAKERS

NOTHING LIKE THE FIRST ONE

GAME 5 FINALS VS LAKERS

20 Years Ago

Twenty years is literally a lifetime. In twenty years one can pass through 4 levels of education, from Middle School to PHD, you can watch a human pass from embryo to young adult. Twenty years while a great amount of time, also can pass you like Michael Johnson going down the backstretch in the Olympics. On March 12, 2011, the Chicago Bulls will host the Utah Jazz at the United Center. As part of the game , the 20th anniversary will be celebrated of the Chicago Bulls First NBA title team.  As mentioned in my other blog "6 titles in 8 years and it could have been better", this was my favorite sports team period, not just basketball.

The 90-91 Bulls won  61 games on their way to best record in the NBA.  They breezed through the playoffs coming within two MJ missed jumpers (Game 3 vs 76ers in ECS and Game 1 vs Lakers in Finals) of sweeping the entire playoffs.  This was MJ at his peak, no longer just a scoring machine, he was the best all-around player player on his way to MVP #1. A still -rising Scottie Pippen playing the role of the ultimate glue guy, guarding 3 postions, gliding up and down the court and finishing like Dr. J. This was a plethora of role players filling every role in the book. Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, Cliff Levingston doing the dirty work on the glass, setting picks and just being in right place at right time. An array of floor-spacing shooters in John Paxson, B.J Armstrong, and Craig Hodges.  And from the bench you got John Bach pulling the strings on D that was as ferocious and opportunistic as any. The wizardry of Tex Winter and the triangle offense which put Jordan in indefensible positions by using his post game and midrange. And all off that led by a young Phil Jackson with the Zen and mindgames.

They were appointment viewing that season. I was in 8th grade that season (yes I am dating myself) and after basketball practice and getting homework done, flipped on Ch.9 or Sportsvision  to listen to my main  man Jim Durham on the call. Durham was the perfect combo of smooth and energy. ...I can still him say "Paxson on the drive right of the foul line, shot rimmminnnnngggg NO"  even a miss sounded good from J.D and of course Red Kerr , the ultimate homer with his outbursts of yells.  You would go to school and talk about what you saw last night..."Man did you see MJ  yam on Smits?" "Scottie had Bird old ass on lock". Everyone rallied around that team. Every win was the best thing ever, every loss was a new low. That Bulls team was a means to gather with family,  I remember going over to my Aunt Edna's for almost every playoff game with my mother, aunts, uncles, and cousin and watching games together. Then after games replaying every moment that happen on the hoop in her backyard. You would have thought it was Thanksgiving or Christmas they way we packed her house during the 1991 playoffs

What also made that team was the old Chicago Stadium aka the Madhouse on Madison. Of course there were other great buildings like Boston Garden, the Forum and MSG but no building was louder and more raucous than the Stadium. After a MJ dunk to cap a 13-2 run on some team or it was time for a key stop, you can still hear 18,676 make enough noise to drown out a Jet engine. The new, corporate NBA with its sterile atmosphere has taken away the atmosphere of the game. The MSG and Portland's Rose Garden are about the last places that have that feel. The Stadium was hot, old, cramped, and drafty but the Bulls were borderline invincible in that place.

While beating the Lakers for the title was the capper on the season, the real championship was the 4-0 sweep of the Pistons in the Conference Finals. The Bulls-Pistons rivalry was built on dislike. There wasn't mutual respect or admiration. The Pistons were a great team but their swagger, dirty tactics, and god-awful short shorts made them completely unlikeable. Isiah was the angel with the dirty face stirring up stuff, the Capo Rodman/Laimbeer/Mahorn/Edwards the goons who carried out the orders from Daly the Don in his Italian suits. They were the Basketball Mafia and if anyone knows what Mafia is its Chicago. The cheap shots, the jersey pulls, the shoves after the whistle combined with a suffocating defense and ability to make big shots or get every rebound made the Pistons a perfect foil to the Bulls game built on speed , transition, and flow.  1988 and 1989 , we werent good enough to beat them. 1990, Scottie's Migraine killed our chances in game 7. 1991 , it was our time, we had the best player in the league on the best team and 18,676 ready for the kill. While I am clearly biased, the Bulls 4-0 sweep of the Pistons is still the most impressive 4-game display i have seen in any series. They took apart the two -time defending champions in every way possible, rendering the Pistons old, slow, and eventually defeated. Isiah and crew sulking off the court before Game 4 ended is still a classic moment. They had no choice but to accept that it was a dawning of a new era, our era

The Bulls are still my favorite team , although I don't find myself glued to the set like I used to. I guess thats part of my evolution as a fan. I am a lot like the nba players now, i save it for the playoffs. but for one night I will be glued to that game to see the reunion of the '91 team. Its a trip back into time for me. Back when responsibilites and decisions were few, back when posting up and watching your favorite team was an event.  Were the '91 Bulls the best team? No.  Were they the most dominant? No. However they were MY team. They gave me my first real joy as a basketball fan and i will be forever grateful. Since then the Bulls have won, Chicago teams have won 7 world championships and the only city to won a title in all four of the major sports.  While all of that is great, those seven world championships combined do not equal the excitement I had or the  love I have for that 90-91 team. If i had a chance to be at the UC on March 12, there is a good chance i may get misty-eyed. 99.9999% of  basketball fans will say they weren't the best ever or the most dominant, but no team past present or future will I ever have the emotional tie to like I had that team.

Thank you guys.  You will always be The Greatest of All Time to me