>Much Ado About Dunking

I was at a conference all last week. I briefly caught ESPN one day in my hotel room and noticed that a video of the infamous LeBron-James-getting-dunked-on-at-his-own-camp surfaced. In case this hasn’t been stuffed down your throat yet, here it is:

As we all expected, right? This was no big deal. Of course, many have over-analyzed this thing and want to explain why “it was weak” and so on. The major lessons all fans, especially young ones, are these:

1) A dunk is still worth two points or in the case of a pickup game, one.

2) EVERYONE gets dunked on at some point. It’s like an average hitter taking a great pitcher deep for about 460 feet. It happens, and it happens to the greats. I still remember a very young Allen Iverson crossing Michael Jordan over and Kevin Johnson dunking over Hakeem Olajuwon.

3) Hype breeds ignorant, hateful critics. There are many out there who want to see guys like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade fail for no reason. They’ll take any miniscule detail and use that as some viable evidence.

Thank goodness the tape came out and it’s now over.

>NBA Players not on the move

2009 Free Agency has been a whirlwind since it started this offseason. Many have changed teams, most recently point guard Andre Miller leaving the Sixers to go play with Brandon Roy in Portland for three years and $22 million. But there have been some names not moving as quickly as expected.

Sticking with point guards, who wants Raymond Felton? The Blazers went with the thirty-three old Miller, and who can blame them. But Felton’s numbers are not much different than Miller’s, and his salary last season with the Charlotte Bobcats was $4.1 million. Felton, however, is only twenty-six.

The Bobcats have another young point guard in D.J. Augustin who’s only twenty-one and made under $2.5 million last season. I’m surprised that the Bobcats and Felton have yet to reach a deal and that there doesn’t appear to be too many offers coming in from other NBA teams. The point guard position seems to be much less of a worry in the pros than it is in the college ranks.

Lamar Odom remains on the market. He and the Lakers have resumed negotiations after the Lakers rescinded their first offer. The Miami Heat have also shown Odom some options and Dwayne Wade has openly expressed his desire to bring the Rhode Island product to South Beach.

David Lee continues to search for suitors. The New York Knick met in Vegas recently with Portland but no formal offers have been announced. I thought Lee drew a lot of attention during this past season and he would sign quickly elsewhere. Knick teammate Nate Robinson also remains on the market.

I heard news of the Memphis Grizzlies possibly not re-signing Syracuse product Hakim Warrick in order to possibly sign Allen Iverson.

The Atlanta Hawks’ Marvin Williams is still classified as a restricted free agent. The latest update on his negotiations with the Hawks was on July 12. Hoops World says that the demands of Williams ($40 mil) and the amount the Hawks are willing to offer ($37.5 mil.) make it very likely that he’ll re-sign with Atlanta.

Sekou Smith, a writer at Hawks Blog, finds the title of HoopsWorld article to be a bit of a misnomer and cites some evidence that the projected offer/deal was simply not true. Smith goes on to provide his take on several different scenarios for the former UNC standout.

>If the WNBA has news, does it make a sound?

As of 3:44 PM on Saturday, ESPN.com’s lead article was the WNBA all-star game. I enjoy taking in a game once in a while. But for some reason, the games rarely make the news, which is why I was pleased to see the San Antonio Stars’ Becky Hammon and the Indiana Fever’s Tamika Catchings gracing the front page of ESPN’s web site.

Since the start of this WNBA season, I’ve heard the following news stories while giving the TV a cursory examination:

1) The Phoenix Mercury sold their jersey rights to LifeLock. Now the sponsor, not the team’s name, stretches in large font across the Mercury jerseys.

2) Candice Parker returned to the Los Angeles Sparks a couple months after giving birth to her first child.

3) Diana Taurasi was recently arrested for DUI.

That’s literally it; all the details are from memory. Anything else I know about the WNBA I looked up, and I watch ESPN and other sports stations much more than usual over the summer time.

Back to ESPN’s article. They pointed out the various strategies the WNBA had for promoting some interest in the all-star game. Among them were some of the players and analysts blogging and using twitter during the game.

When I went back to ESPN to view the box score, I couldn’t find a link to the game anywhere. And this was less than an hour after its conclusion. I had to go to the WNBA’s own page on ESPN.com.

David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images

The Chicago Sky’s Sylvia Fowles dunked and pretty convincingly. Only thing is that the rest of players cleared out of the way so she could have a clear path to do so.

Many think the financial folding of the WNBA is inevitable now more than ever. It’s a shame to think that another women’s sports league will see its demise, after women’s professional soccer has made its return this year.

The WNBA conjures up so many negative connotations from “Joe Sports Fan” that it’s hard to imagine it ever being mainstream in America. Unfortunately, many of these “sports fans” have probably never seen a DI girls basketball game or professional game up close and in person.

On a personal note, congratulations to Temple-alum Candice Dupree. The fans voted Candice a starter for the first time in her WNBA career and she scored 12 points. She currently plays for the Chicago Sky and averages 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2 assists a game this season.

Got any NBA news or comments? Take a seat on the bench and let your ‘pickins’ be heard.

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

by Patrick ‘Rey’ Reynell

In some ancient folklore, the quest for immortality came by way of courage, loyalty, and successful battle. No currency existed; no riches, so to speak, upon a warrior’s return. The quest was more about valor and honor in one’s people and purpose.

Check Beowulf. Scandinavian folklore is entrenched with those continuing to fight well beyond what could have been suited an illustrious career for a warrior.

Check the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Sumerians had little to provide for their audacious advocates of virtue. This is why according to Sumerian legend, Gilgamesh’s friend Enkidu feared his own death should it not come in battle.

Legacy made men rich. Wealth and immortality came in consecration of something great. One’s financial gains does not concern legacy.

If sport is a microcosm of epic tales, then Lamar Odom must decide if greatness and financial wealth are woven of the same thread.

The twenty-nine year old forward became a free agent fresh off of winning his first NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have recently rescinded a three-year $27 million offer to Odom. Reports have Odom seeking a deal in the realm of five-years and $50 million. Portland, among a few other teams, might be interested in offering Odom the money he desires.

Portland seems like a fine destination for Odom. Brandon Roy has shown he can be one of the heavyweight scorers in the league, and if Greg Oden can possibly stay healthy the Blazers are an inside and outside force to be reckoned with.

However, Odom’s best chance at winning another title in the next few years has to be in L.A. The question is, in what way does Lamar Odom want to be considered rich? Does he want his money or a lasting legacy with one of the more glorious franchises in the league?

When he first came to the Lakers via the Miami Heat, Odom became the Lakers’ second option. He averaged 15.3 points a game and nearly 10 rebounds in his first season donning the purple and gold.

The Lakers saw little success during Odom’s first three seasons with the team. They failed to make the playoffs in 2004-05 and lost in the first round the following two seasons. Unfortunately for Odom, much of the criticism came to him. Many said that he could not deliver in big game situations and could handle his important role with the team.

Though critics existed then, many realize now in retrospect that neither Odom nor Bryant had the supporting cast to foster a championship run. Besides, Odom’s first three seasons with the Lakers did not see a significant drop in his overall career numbers.

The trade for Pau Gasol in Odom’s fourth season with the Lakers gave them a legitimate, and consistent, third option – Lamar Odom.

Gasol averaged 18.9 points the past two season with the Lakers. Odom’s scoring output dropped to 14.2 in 2007-08, the year Gasol joined. This past season saw Odom’s lowest scoring average yet at 11.3. His playing time also decreased as he averaged less than 30 minutes a game during the regular season for the first time in his career.

With a minimized scoring role, albeit still an important role, Odom and the Lakers made the NBA Finals two consecutive years and finally won a ring this past trip.

Now perhaps feeling his worth has somehow been proven to the league, Odom is seeking a big payday and long-term contract. Certainly one could argue that Odom is deserving or vice versa. For whatever reason, be it the business of the league, Odom threatens what could be his immortality in the NBA.

Should Odom stay with the Lakers, he and Bryant and Gasol have a unique opportunity of winning multiple championships the next few years.

Odom won’t be remembered for winning one championship. People will talk about the leadership of Kobe Bryant after years of disparagement. They’ll talk about the acquisition of Pau Gasol. They’ll extol the virtues of Phil Jackson returning and surpassing Red Auerbach with ten championships.

But why do people remember the likes of Michael Cooper, Danny Ainge, and B.J. Armstrong? Do these players cement a place in the NBA lexicon without being a part of a dynasty? More than likely not. Does any fan care how much their contracts were worth? Absolutely not. Lamar Odom has that same opportunity.

Odom may be able to get the money he seeks; his hard work over the years and performance with the Lakers certainly makes him deserving. Or maybe Lamar Odom became satisfied with just one title. Maybe, after just one title, he’s lost his desire for NBA gold.

Odom needs to understand what is at stake and consider what’s more important. It is possible he goes to a Portland, Miami, or Dallas and wins another title. Even so, he’d still be far from being immortalized like Robert Horry.

But winning with one team, especially if it can be in consecutive fashion, is something only made of epic proportions. No, fans won’t remember the numbers to this impending contract with whatever team it may be. They remember the greater good and the plural form of success.

Ancient history does not remember those who went off and won one small battle that many other men have also achieved. No – it remembers the epic heroes who returned, time and time again, and conquered over and over and over.

Beowulf didn’t beat Grendel and return home to bask in the spoils of his heroism. Gilgamesh didn’t weep for an eternity and pity the death of his friend. They’re remembered because they picked up the sword or the ax and fought on. Not for money, but legacy.

Lamar Odom deserves his ring; the Lakers could not have done it without him. Lamar Odom also deserves to give his teammates a shot at becoming an epic NBA tale to be told for years to come. After all, if he doesn’t re-sign with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol may go ahead and achieve that legacy without him.