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Can’t Spell Elite Without Eli (Ep 75)
Friday, January 20th, 2012Kobe Bryant vs Father Time and Mother Nature
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Kobe Bryant is arguably one of the most polarizing figures in sports history. He is also without much argument the second best shooting guard to ever live, and to some a top 5 player of all time. We’ve witnessed an amazing 15-year career which has given us rings, scoring titles, an 81-point BIG-BANG EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENT, we’ve seen him cheat on his Vanessa, we’ve seen him snitch on Shaq, we’ve seen him shoot, dunk, finger roll, dunk…and shoot again. Some say “he doesn’t trust his teammates”, “he’s too selfish”, “he’s a pistol/gun/uzi/bazooka/scud/ball-stopping hog who refuses to pass” (but would you pass to Kwame, Smush, and Derek?). “He isn’t Mike” (this is my favorite because I used to use that both in my own mind and to others). At 33, most professional basketball players are winding down from their prime years if not preparing for that exit stage left in 2 to 4 years. Production dips, 25 ppg scorers become 16 ppg scorers, 2 steals a game becomes 0.8 steals per game…and ultimately…those guaranteed 22 shots per game becomes 10 or 11. This isn’t basketball, this is the human experience. You cannot box with God, Father Time, or Mother Nature…you will lose. Michael Jordan didn’t listen and Kobe Bryant isn’t listening. With 15 years of service in, it’s not without reason that the whispers of fading athleticism and diminishing skills have become an audible undertone. It’s reasonable. The average player Kobe’s age is suffering “the slow down”. But with 15 years already in, Kobe should be stopping. He’s not.
Just some Facts:
First NBA player this season to score over 40 points, with a 48-point outburst against the Phoenix Suns on 1/10/2012. He followed that up the very next night with a 40-point performance in Utah, making him one of only THREE players in NBA HISTORY (Shaq and Kareem) to post back-to-back 40 point nights in their 16th NBA season.
He’s averaging more points (on less shots), more assists, and more rebounds per game than in any of his three previous seasons.
-1st in ppg, 1st in total points scored.
-Every other player in the top 10 is 26 years old or younger
-Has 364 points through his first 12 games this season. That is the third most since 1985 among players who are at least 33 years old. (Kobe [who has done this while being in the league
16 seasons], Bernard King [my favorite 3-man of all time], and Michael Jeffery Jordan [who had the benefit of fewer miles…Kobe has 14 playoff appearances]).
-In NBA history, only 2 other players have scored 48 points in a single game and have been in their 16th season. The other two are HOF’ers, multiple Finals MVP winners, and NBA MVP winners.
-109 games with 40 points or more. Most by active player.
-17 in the 1st quarter vs the Suns – most in a quarter by a player 33 or older since MJ.
Comments from Kobe’s mouth courtesy of Tuesday night’s post game interview:
“Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league”… [referring to an online ranking of the NBA’s top 500 players].
“If I play bad or have one bad game like I did in Denver, everybody cries for a change or cries for the fact that I’m too old. It’s just a bad game with a bad wrist” [referring to his 16 points in a loss against the Nuggets on New Year’s Day]. “You got to figure out a way to get it done.”
From his teammate, Derek Fisher:
“He’s always going to be aggressive and assertive to score, but he’s picking his spots and he’s doing it in a very efficient manner”…
“That [the 48 vs the Suns] ranks it right up there with the best of them because it doesn’t look like he’s trying to do it. He’s just doing it within the flow of the game. That’s been very effective for him and for us.”
From 2-time NBA MVP Steve Nash:
“He’s the best player in the game, so you come to expect that type of performance from him, if not regularly, then throughout the season at different times…He was phenomenal.”
Suns’ leading scorer from Lakers-Suns game Channing Frye:
“If he don’t care about his wrist, I don’t care about his wrist…Everybody makes a big deal about it, but he’s been scoring 28, 30 a game. So let’s just call it what it is. He’s a great player, he’s the best individual player in basketball, and every night he comes to work. For us, we don’t like losing to the Lakers. But they came out and played a good game, and he played an amazing game.”
The thing that puts Kobe in that rare air…we are witnessing COMPETITIVE GREATNESS…willing himself to win rounds in a fight against Father Time and Mother Nature.
Bradley Anderson of The War Room, for War Room Sports
(Norris) Cole Not Affected By Pressure?
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
Cole Directing Traffic in College
After watching Norris Cole light up the Boston Celtics last night I decided to post this Blog from statements I made on our show (Episode #71 at the 28:15 mark) last Thursday December 22, 2011 here.
(This is posted from the actual show statements)
I just wanted to take to the time to talk about one of the NBA Rookies this year out of Cleveland State. This young man averaged 22 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts, and 2 stls during his senior year which included a 41 point, 20 rebound, and 9 assist performance. His name is, Norris Cole, and he has the rare combination of handles, passing ability, three point shooting, mid range shooting, and pure toughness that can lead to an NBA guard having a long career. After watching Cole give out work during the NBA preseason, in limited minutes, I became a believer. He averaged 10 points and 5 asts during the preseason, but I felt as if he may be the missing piece for the Miami Heat in those crucial situations when they need a bucket from someone other than the Big 3 (Wade, Lebron, and Bosh). Watching Cole on the floor, you could see that he was not in awe of the Big 3 and that he did not mind taking big shots. I envisioned Cole hitting crucial shots every now and then when the Heat’s offense breaks down. I also envisioned Cole being effective when teams institute a zone defense. We all remember how the Heat struggled with zone defenses in the 2011 NBA Finals. (Shout out to the Dallas Mavericks zone defense that slowed down the Miami Heat) What I found interesting about Norris Cole off the court, is that he was the salutatorian of his high school’s graduating class and he graduated from Cleveland State with a Bachelors degree in Health Sciences. He is also the cousin of Philadelphia Eagles DE, Trent Cole. So it seems that Norris Cole is a well rounded, highly educated, and down to earth athlete who does not shrink back in big moments. Well, it should be interesting to see how this young man’s NBA career unfolds, because at the end of the day, it has only been 2 NBA games.
Cole Going To The Basket
Overseas Ballers: Mike Jordan Edition
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
Overseas Ballers: Jarrett Stephens Edition
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011Overseas Ballers: Lou White Edition
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011Wes Manchild Will Be Rockin’ With The Best (The War Room)
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Hip-Hop producer Wes Manchild will be in The War Room this Thursday, December 8th to discuss Hip-Hop, his recent award nomination, and of course…SPORTS!
Tune in Thursday, December 8th at 6pm ET to hear our conversation with Wes! To tune in, go to www.WarRoomSports.com and click the “Listen Live” button…or dial 323-410-0012 to listen LIVE by phone.
In the meantime, check for Wes Manchild on Twitter @WesManchild and check out some of his tracks at www.soundcloud.com/wesmanchild.
You should also join the War Room Sports Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/WarRoomSports and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/WarRoomSports (@WarRoomSports)!
If you are interested in the 2011 Philly Hip-Hop Awards, where Wes is nominated for Best Producer, follow them on Twitter @2011PhilaAwards.
Finally, if you own an Android phone or tablet…an I-Phone, I-Pad, or I-Pod, please go to your Market and/or App Store and download the FREE War Room Sports mobile app! It’s the VERY BEST way to stay up on all of our media content!
Jackson’s MMA Cleans House at TUF Season 14 Finale and The Warrior’s
Monday, December 5th, 2011
Diego Brandao and John “The Magician” Dodson did well to represent Greg Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, NM Saturday evening, winning their respective Featherweight and Bantamweight bouts and earning the title of “The Ultimate Fighter” for this final season on SPIKE TV. The UFC has on their hands arguably the two TUF winners with the most legitimate odds of truly contending in their respective divisions at the UFC level since the first 3 seasons of the reality TV show produced fighters for us the likes of Forrest Griffin, Josh Koscheck, Chris Leben,Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, and Michael Bisping.
Greg Jackson (left) & War Room Sports Writer Tommy Comeau (right)
For true fight purists who favor passion and aggression in the heat of battle over technical prowess and well executed game plans, it’s going to be difficult not to find appeal in Featherweight Diego Brandao. Diego is a fiery, emotional Brazilian who won all of his fights inside the Ultimate Fighter house with first round KO’s. His style is representative of the old-school Brazilian Vale’ Tudo, made famous by the likes of Wanderlei Silva and Maricio Rua.
Diego Brandao
However, it’s not what Diego does inside the cage that I find the most enthralling. Having grown up in the slums, he made a death bed promise to his Father to watch over his Mother at all costs. I find it hard to deny his purpose in life and therefore fighting, especially in light of the relative atmosphere inside the house on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality TV show. A midst young 20 something American guys with more tattoos and TAPOUT clothing than skill or genuine appeal, Diego’s simple, brutal, aggression and drive were a breath of fresh air throughout the season. During his post-fight interview, Diego proclaimed that he would be returning to Brazil to buy his Mother a home, and try to get his Brothers off of the streets. Stay tuned as Diego appears primed to make his mark on the UFC Featherweight division. Imagine a clash between Diego and current Featherweight champion and fellow Brazilian Jose Aldo?
Tommy Comeau, for War Room Sports
Tommy Comeau lives in Washington, D.C. and is War Room Sports’ Mid-Atlantic Region MMA Correstpondent.
73 Year Olds Brawl at CFL Alumni Luncheon
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
Joe Kapp and Angelo Mosca have somewhat of a shaky past. But before I explain their animosity-filled history and what led to the bizarre scene in the video below, I’ll tell you a little bit about the men themselves.
Joe Kapp is a former pro quarterback for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was also once general manager of those same Lions and is a current member of the College Football and Canadian Football Halls of Fame. Kapp is the only player in history to play QB in the Rose Bowl, Grey Cup, and the Super Bowl.
Angelo Mosca is also a Canadian Football Hall of Famer. He was a defensive tackle who played in more Grey Cup games than any other player in CFL history (9) and won 5 championships. He then went on to become a professional wrestler under the monikers “King Kong Mosca” and “The Mighty Hercules”.
The animosity between these two men stems from the infamous (if you’re from Canada) 1963 Grey Cup game between the BC Lions (Kapp’s team) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Mosca’s team). During the contest, Mosca put Lions star running back Willie Fleming out of the game with a late-hit, out-of-bounds. Kapp, his teammates, and many fans believed that because of that hit, Mosca’s Tiger-Cats went on to win the game, and Kapp refused to shake his hand afterwards.
This past Friday, at a pre-99th Grey Cup alumni legends event, the two were called to the stage at the same time. Joe Kapp tried to make peace by presenting Angelo Mosca with a flower. When Mosca refused, this is what ensued:
