The Lion King Effect

The NBA Finals are finally over. The Dallas Mavericks are the champions for the first time in franchise history. Dirk Nowitzki legitimized himself as not only a phenomenon at the 4 position, but as a true superstar in the league. And Mark Cuban's investment? Well, it once again pays off for him.

But... this isn't the story that people want to talk about. Journalists don't want to hoist a flag, cheering on a new set of champions in the NBA. We aren't writing about how the Dallas Mavericks displayed great poise and teamwork through the entire playoffs. No. We aren't focused on the champions at all. As fans, we are more curious about what went wrong with the Miami Heat. Can you blame us? We love the drama! Shows like the Jersey Shore don't thrive because everything went right. They thrive because we want to see things unravel. We want our lives to feel a bit more normal than the people than these 'stars'.

Not to beat a dead horse but... we as a public resent Lebron James. He was supposed to be the best thing to ever happen in basketball. We followed him through high school, as he torched every single varsity player, making them look like Oompa Loompas on the court against the Incredible Hulk. We watched him bring a ray of sunshine to the downtrodden city of Cleveland. He created magic, and single handedly brought the Cavaliers to the finals. When things didn't work out however, we saw how he publicly humiliated the city with a one hour special on his 'decision'.

Why didn't anyone tell him this was a bad idea? When you are THE MAN, surrounded by a bunch of 'yes men', bad ideas are never Bad. Because of this mistake, ultimately, we wanted Lebron to fail. We wanted to see him fail so bad, that we taunted him at every arena. We made jokes about Delonte West and his mom having an affair. Everywhere you turned, someone had a jab (or a hook) at Lebron. We made shirts that said 'witless'. Jerseys were burned, and I even took a liking to call him Lebron Shames. He went from hero to zero in the matter of an hour. He is now 0 and 2 in the NBA finals, while Jordan went 6 for 6. And because we (unfairly) demand perfection from this man, we have a right to scrutinize his every move--past, present, and future.

I'll leave it to other people to write long thesis' on how Lebron melted down, why he isn't living up to expectations, and all that good stuff. Bottomline for me is, he is like a child actor. When you find success at a young age, without enough guidance and humility, you will make some bad decisions as an adult. And as such, we all want to chastise him because Lebron was supposed to be perfect. And I think this freaked him out a bit. So much so, that he shies away from the dunk contest because of the risk of failure. He fears not winning a championship, so he wants to put himself in what he believes is the best position possible. Which in my opinion isn't so evil after all. If you were building an intramural team, wouldn't you want the best players on your team? And I hear the 'MJ would never do that' argument, but MJ is a different breed altogether.

Failure is scary. The fear of Failure can drive certain individuals to become great, but it can also stifle. Who knows what Lebron is really thinking, but I feel like this fear is stifling him. Which is only getting compounded by the fact that people question his actual testicular fortitude--his manhood. The Lebron drama reminds me of Hulk Hogan's defection to the NWO. Remember how rowdy the fans became, and how hated he was for that? Yeah, that's Lebron. And do you want to know what my problem is? I'm drawn to polarizing personalities.

Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Tupac, and Eminem. They are all characters that you either love, or that you love to hate. And, I'm a huge fan of that. Maybe it's because I always feel like the underdog. I always have something to prove. Whether its being too skinny and small as a kid to be in Tae Kwon Do, being too young to be in 2nd grade, or even as a professional, I thrive on doubt. If someone were to tell me I couldn't do something, I make it a point to prove them wrong. And if I could... I'd walk over their downed body, lifting one leg at a time, with a smug look on my face, after proving my point (like Allen Iverson did to Tyronn Lue). The hardest part is getting over the self doubt in order to turn it around. But when it's turned around, great things can happen.

Kobe did it and won 5 rings. Tupac did it, and became a hip hop legend. Eminem did it, and overcame the race barrier. And Allen Iverson? Shorter than 6' and singlehandedly took the 76'ers to the finals. Lebron isn't at that point yet. He has to battle the scrutiny of the press and the public. He will have the inner demons of self-doubt and insecurity creep in for the first time in his basketball life. Lebron is at a point where he has to battle Lebron before he can battle other people. When you use doubt as a motivation, failure seems far removed. You no longer fear something NOT happening, because you are so focused on making something happen.

I'm a believer in forgiveness and second chances. I also believe that you have to go experience the rain in order to appreciate the sunshine. I no longer wish failure on Lebron. Kobe is aging and has too many miles on his legs. His time is drawing to its conclusion in the next few years. I need a new polarizing personality to follow. I will call my new theory 'the Lion King Effect' (appropriate for 'King' James). When Mufasa died, Scar blamed Simba, who in turn ran away (James to Miami). He chose to be content with his newfound situation, and shunned off the impending responsibilities, giving it to someone else (James delegating leadership to Wade). Simba eventually faces his demons, some hyenas, and his uncle, then takes his rightful place as King. James is still young. Depending on how he chooses to write his story, he can either be trapped as Simba who will forever ignore his calling, or will rise to the challenge.

I truly wish for the latter. I hope he realizes that he isn't perfect, and he doesn't need to live up to our expectations. He needs to accept his own path, and make us look like fools for doubting him. He needs have that chip that makes him want to walk over a downed opponent. Pressure can either crack, or create a diamond. I haven't hopped on board the cheering for Lebron train yet, but I will keep a watchful eye, and an open mind. Which path will this Simba choose?

It's Showtime for Showtime (Lakers that is)

By now you should know that I grew up in LA. LA represents a few things for many people... Movie Stars, the Lakers/Dodgers/Kings, or cooter shots of Britney Spears. While there are many fantastic things about the city, let's stick with the first two points. Movies and the Lakers. Here's the premise: I'm casting stars to play in a movie about the Showtime Lakers, and I'm looking for current actors to play these amazing athletes. Imagine a blacked out arena, lasers flying around the GW Forum, and the starting lineup coming out of the tunnel... here is my cast (of course ignoring height requirements because we can:


Starting at Power Forward.... AC Green (played by Larenz Tate)




Starting at Small Forward.... James Worthy (played by Ice Cube)




At Shooting Guard.... Byron Scott (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.)




At Point Guard.... Magic Johnson (played by Denzel Washington)



At Center.... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (played by Samuel L Jackson)




And your Coach.... Pat Riley (played by Michael Douglas)



And the crowd goes wild!!! Championship. Done. Blockbuster. Done?

Boo Celtics

Get him Jack... Doc Rivers, good coach? Or by-product of KG's leadership.


Big Baby. 2 donuts shy from getting himself to the D-League.




The Sandra Bullock of the NBA. Versatile actress, and even won an Oscar. Greatest accomplishment to date? Hobbling off court, tears streaming from both eyes, only to return 5 minutes later.

Can we get a chant going against Boston? How about every time Big Baby touches the ball, we start yelling "Donuts, Donuts", or "Sandra" every time Paul Pierce touches it?

Where are you Yeezy?

The first time I heard Kanye West's new single Power, I knew he was back. 808 and Heartbreaks was a good CD, and somewhat revolutionary (in the sense of use of autotune), but we can all agree, we wanted more of the cocky, I'm better than you, and I know you think I'm cocky, but that will make me even cockier, Kanye. But the CD did reveal something to us: there was another side to Kanye that he kept buried inside.

Great albums are built on a source of inspiration. Many times, a musicians first album is heralded as one of their greatest because of the amount of pent up emotions that gets vomited onto the entire CD--Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Dr. Dre's the Chronic, and The College Dropout for Kanye.

Kanye's initial CD can be summed in a few lyrics from the song "The Last Call":

Some say he arrogant. Can y'all blame him?
It was straight embarrassing how y'all played him
Last year shoppin my demo, I was tryin' to shine
Every motherfucker told me that I couldn't rhyme
Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem
Or use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams

There was a lot of heart and soul poured out on every track. He Flipped the bird to record execs with "Jesus Walks" -- 'So here go my single dog radio needs this.... They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus.'

He gave us an insightful reflection of his life after a near life-ending accident with "Through the Wire" -- 'How do you console my mom or give her light support... When you telling her your sons' on life support"

And he even rapped about a time before he got a record deal, 'Let's go back, back to the Gap.... Look at my check, wasn't no scratch.... So if I stole, wasn't my fault.... Yeah I stole, never got caught'

So, you can see where I'm going with this... Kanye's lyrics in his new song Power include these lines:

'Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He know, he so, fuckin’ gifted
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn’t open up my own vault'

I'm excited... I was watching the USA vs. Australia soccer (or futbol) game this morning--at the ungodly hour of 5:30AM--and for anyone who's ever watched a soccer game... you know that build up from pass, to pass, to pass, to pass, to waiting, to pass, to get into a good position, and when they finally get there... you're hanging on the edge of your seat, anticipating for the shot attempt... that's the feeling I have. I will digress for a second and ask... can't we get some sort of shot clock in soccer? And especially one in Lacrosse. Please. Someone try to explain why this shouldn't happen.

So this leads me to my next point. Kanye has the blueprint to one of the greatest Hip Hop albums for this decade. We have a good 3-4 years worth of events that he's harbored inside( Graduation was released in 2007, and again were not counting that 808's album). So in November 2007 - Donde West passes away. Kanye didn't speak about the subject until a year later at a press conference in New Zealand. In 2008, Kanye west and his fiance called it quits, despite being his rags to riches girlfriend. 2009 - Taylor Swift Incident, enough said. The incident itself isn't compelling from a story perspective, but the events that led up to the melt down would make this a very compelling track. Mix in the normal type of bravado we've come to enjoy, and there is no doubt this is going to be a classic.

'I’m livin’ in the 21st century
Doin’ something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music'

Fact of the matter is, I'm jazzed about the new album. I can kick Kanye around for being a d-bag at times, but I will be honest.... He's got me wondering... "Where are you Yeezy?

Billionaire Boys Club

“I wanna be a billionaire… so freakin bad.” Lyrics from the the song by Travis McCoy, probably plays through the white Beats headphones wrapped around his head, while he sits around and contemplates his next move. Immortality. Fame. Winning a championship. Being a Billionaire. The mind of Lebron James and the decision for his next move will be the biggest conversation through the summer no doubt. But while everyone waves their Chicago Bulls flags, I figure why not put look at a different side side of the story. Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith, made a great point after game 2 of the Lakers-Suns series. If Lebron wants to be the first billionaire athlete, he needs to hang around billionaires or other aspiring billionaires. Light bulb for my next post..... With that said, let’s take a journey into how Lebron can become a billionaire.

The Dynamic Duo:

New owner of the Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, is a Billionaire-39th richest man in the world. He goes coast to coast and around the world flying on G5’s, with young female escorts in tote. He’s 6’8”. If he wanted, he could probably buy Russia itself. BS calls him Russian Mark Cuban. I call him Russian Bruce Wayne. Who knows, he might even fight crime at night. He lives the life that most guys want. Even Lebron.

Minority owner of the Nets, Jay-Z, is Lebron's good friend. He's in a three way race with Diddy, and Russell Simmons to be the first hip-hop billionaire. He built his empire in the heart of New York. He wrote this generation's anthem for the city. Some might call him a King in New York. (on a side bet, what odds would you place on Mike Tyson being the first person to owe a billion in debt?)

Resources:

It will be another 2 years until Lebron would get to play in Brooklyn, but Newark is a short hop across the river to NYC. Lebron is contracted with Nike, Sprite, McDonalds, Upper Deck, Glaceau, Bubblicious, and State Farm. Lebron was number one on Forbes list of Top 20 Earners Under 25. He will have access to an infinite amount of resources, before and after the move to Brooklyn.

The Team:

OK. This team isn't great. Its definitely not a step up from Cleveland in its current shape. They posted a horrendous record. They didn't get the top draft pick. You're stuck in NJ. Your best players are Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. But... the upside? We're looking at the best free agent pool, possibly in NBA history. We have a billionaire who owns the club, who probably isn't afraid of throwing some cash around (again he flies in private jets, and sets his friends up with escorts). Let's say they pick up Derrick Favors in the 3rd spot. Now, were looking at a decent squad. Lopez, Favors, James, and Harris. Sign up one of the better upcoming free agents, like a Manu, Ray Allen, or Joe Johnson and you'd be in good shape. Sign on a great player instead, like an Amare, or the stretch Dwyane Wade, and were looking serious. Would this team be able to contend with the Celtics, Magic, or even the Lakers? I'd say no, but hey we're trying to become billionaires in this post. A championship is probably not eminent immediately, but if they grab a few key pieces, and pull in a good coach, who knows what can happen.

*note after a couple hours of debating (and a lame pep talk from the Logo Chick) on whether I should actually play GM and try to piece together a team, I got a headache and decided to keep on with the opinionated portion

Let's rerun that checklist. Rich friends with power and influence. Check. Opportunity to find additional sources of revenue. Check. Playing for a contending team. Check? Whether the New Jersey Nets are a smart move basketball wise would be a debate. But from a financial standpoint, for someone who's trying to grow his fortune, why not go for it? Fortune and infinite exposure? The possibility of being the "King" of New York? Partying with Diddy in the Hamptons? Flying around in a jet with your boss? If Lebron doesn't want it, can I have it? I wanna be a billionaire... so freakin' bad.....

Logo Dude's Manifesto

Face off. A check up against the boards. The Chicago Blackhawks push the puck up the ice. A pass toward the middle over to Sharp... and goal... Chicago ties the game at 1-1 against San Jose. Playoff hockey--the only time of the season that matters to the casual fan fare. While watching these players with chipped teeth and grizzly beards, I confine myself to my couch to draft up my manifesto.

But in order to get to this point, I have to look at how the hell would I scope this thing out so people will read this thing. On one end, of course I want to stay true to myself and write something that I'm genuinely interested in--things that I have a passion for and can develop a unique perspective on. But, the counter point, all that effort is wasted space if the only people willing to take time out of their day to read my dribble include the Logo Chick, and friends who I will probably hassle through Facebook wall posts. "Hey dude, check my link out. Leave a comment." Then, "Hey, you haven't left a comment yet, did you read it?" Then, "Hey idiot, check your wall, I posted a few posts down, read my blog." And finally, "Lebron's Mom might have slept with Delonte West. Read it here."... Success.

The second period of the game is being dominated by the Blackhawks. They are bigger, faster, and more physical. They remind me of the giant Iceland squad in the Mighty Ducks 2. Only the Sharks don't have the 'bash brothers' and where is Kenny Woo to save us?

So I'll spare the noobs from reading my full bio, instead opting to insert random anecdotes in future entries. But the quick and dirty goes like this... I'm in my late 20's. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but live in San Jose now. Like a true Los Angeles fan, being a sports fan is like being at the buffet, you can pick and choose teams as you please. I'm all about the Lakers, the Dodgers are OK, I try to rationale whether the Kings are relevant post-Gretzky, and I openly desire the turn around of the Clippers. But being in the Bay Area, I have an appreciation for being a true fan of a team even when the chips never seem to fall in place, e.g. Warriors fans. I follow the Sharks in the Playoffs, and football? My football loyalty has been shaky at best. I blame it on not having a local team, and a father who enjoyed cheering for parlays and money lines more than the teams themselves. But let's go with the Chargers, and a growing affection for the 9ers.

My passions also delve into a desire to be a part of the music industry. I am a hip hop head through and through, but enjoy all types of music, from the pop to the not. I wanted to join Kaba Modern, from America's Best Dance Crew fame, many many years before any 12-18 year olds caught a glimpse of them on the TV show. I've completely delusion-ed myself to thinking that I would have been on the team, if it weren't for the mishap of UC Irvine thinking the school was better than me. No son, I'm better than you.

So my goal is to infuse music culture and sports, the same way Lebron and Jay-Z bonded and created their friendship. I'll throw in random crap that I think might be relevant, and sometimes throw stuff that might not be.. just so I could say I tried to make it work. So that's it.

*Update, I took a break from posting and came back. Chicago, just like in the MD2, team Iceland won the first encounter. Sharks take a 0-1 position in the series. Shots of the Chicago team fill my TV screen, glorious chipped teeth and all. I give Logo Chick back the remote and engross myself back into my blog. Maybe this post will fare better. Only time will tell. Welcome to the world of Logo Dude's Words.