More KG Trade Aftermath: The Saddest Person...

...is the one left behind.

Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen, the ultimate of sidekicks, the pet to two of the biggest alpha dogs in the league - Shaq Daddy and KG - is now looking for a new owner teammate to support.

He started off his blog by saying, "Today I got the unimaginable news that Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics." He recounts some fond KG memories before wishing him well and going off to cry in the corner.

People, we must act soon. Guys like Mark Madsen can only exist so long as they have someone to cheer, support, and love and who will, in return, tolerate them back. He only exists by association!!! We need to get a superstar to Minny STAT or else send him somewhere like Phoenix. Hey Peta, this Dog needs a home!

KG Trade Aftermath: Another Reason to Hate Kobe

A lot of people thought/hoped that KG would land in LA. After all, that's where he has a summer home and that's where his mentor and brother-in-law, Jimmy Jam, also moved.

Here's what KG said when asked about why he agreed to go to Boston:

"There was no way I was going to be able to go to some other organization, franchise and have this caliber of talent. There was no way I was going to be able to duplicate that anywhere else.

I really felt like this was my only scenario, to be honest with you. No one wants to be in a situation that you can't be successful. I've been losing the last, what, 4 years. I mean I take that home.

Trying to find the best scenario for myself, my family, basketball-wise, this came out to be the best scenario. I do have a place in LA. LA's LA. Knowing that Kobe situation is up in the air..."

So once again, Kobe, your churlishness has cost yourself and your team. Team Smush!

The Press Conference

Danny Ainge looks like the cat who ate the canary. Or rather the T-wolf.

At the press conference, aside from reassuring everyone that KG does indeed heart Boston, he also went out of his way to defend the trade from Minnesota's end. However, it sounded more like when the big brother scams the little brother and then tries to justify it so the little brother doesn't go crying to Mommy (in this case, David Stern). He said,

"Minnesota got a good deal in this deal...We've invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears with them [Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, et al]...Minnesota's in one phase of their franchise, where we have been, in developing young players. And we're in another phase right now."

Basically, Minny's in the losing phase and Boston is not. Haha.

My favorite quote from the press conference, though, came from Wyc Grousbeck, managing partner and governor for the C's. When talking about Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers, he actually said, "They've created a culture here of being patient."

Ahh, so that's what Danny and Isiah and the Billies (Knight and King) were/are doing. They're creating cultures of patience. Good to know.

The word of the day for KG was chemistry. As he said, repeatedly, "Chemistry is a big thing." The word of the day for Wally Szczerbiak was, "Fuck."

All in all, the press conference went well. Paul Pierce was beyond giddy. Ray Allen was boring. However, to offset his personality, he wore the loudest, gaudiest tie he could find. Danny Ainge thanked everyone but his mama and had to stop himself from thanking Kevin McHale too profusely. Doc Rivers managed to stay semi-conscious. Should be one interesting season.

Photo Source: AP

Now Introducing Kevin Garnett, Red Sox Fan

Celtics fans, it's okay to like Kevin Garnett. He's a Red Sox fan. Or rather, a Red Sox hat fan. Now that that's clear, we may actually be able to talk about basketball in Boston.

At the press conference introducing KG, Danny Ainge went out of his way to clearly delineate KG's loyalties. After Kevin was asked why he decided to let the trade happen, Ainge said,

"The real reason he didn't tell you, is that he has a Red Sox baseball hat collection. He has a tough time wearing those except when he comes to Boston so now he can break out his Red Sox hat collection. He is a big time Red Sox baseball fan."

What a relief. Now just so there's no confusion, Kevin Garnett is a Red Sox baseball fan. And he likes Boston. After his Red Sox comments, Ainge continued with his KG-loves-Boston tirade:

"There was a lot of reports out there of KG not wanting to come to Boston...Those are all false reports. There was a team or two that he liked better than our situation...It had nothing to do with the city of Boston in any way, shape, or form...All the reports out there were false."

Translation: Boston media, be nice to KG.

Photo Source: AP

ET (Knee) Phones Home: An Update with Shaun Livingston

It's not often you hear the word "rehab" in LA and not hear "drug" along with it. However, in the Sunday LA Times, Kurt Streeter catches up with Clipper Shaun Livingston and talks about the knee injury mutilation that almost possibly ended his career.

Imagine being 21, at the cusp of your career, and hearing that you may have to have part of your leg amputated. All because of a bad fall. (As someone who's embarrassingly, prodigiously prone to falling, I have to say that's kinda scary.) Shaun describes the fall as "pure pain...pain so bad it's hard to even describe." He tore his ACL, PCL, and MCL - in layman's terms, a whole lotta shit. It's amazing 5 months later that he's walking, let alone doing lunges and step ups.

I really hope we get to see Shaun playing again in top form, although to be honest, it wasn't a regular occurrence even before this injury. Poor Mr. Glass. Hopefully, he comes back stronger than ever. At 6'7 and 175 pounds, he's like the male equivalent of Nicole Richie. So keep eatin' that Popeye's, Shaun!

Photo Source: LA Times

Out with the New, In with the Old?

The Ray Allen-Allan Ray pairing has officially come to an end, but who knows, there might be a Ray Allen-KG pairing yet.

Drinkin That Gatorade

Joakim's next...

Good Guys in the NBA is Not an Oxymoron

Here are two examples of that:

In Buenos Aires, Manu held a clinic for mentally handicapped children. And in Portland, Channing volunteered at Friends of the Children, a mentoring organization. How adorable are those kids! And there's nothing sweeter or more attractive than seeing grown men interacting with children. Good job, boys!

Photo Source: NBAE/Getty Images

Rookies '07

The rookies gathered yesterday in Greenwich, Connecticut for some NBA Live '08 and the Rookie Photo Shoot. Here are some who stood out.

I've always wondered - if the incoming rookie is clearly the best player on the team, does he still get hazed? Did Lebron ever have to pick up towels or carry all the equipment to the plane? And who's the worst hazer in the NBA? I'm thinking Shaq...or maybe Kobe. I think Shaq would be the most fun and make you do the silliest things. Kobe seems like he'd make you walk to Brooklyn to get him a cheesecake...from LA. I need to check this out.

Photo Source: NBAE/Getty Images

Keep Stepping on that Rake, Tom

I don't get it. Is he just sick of being the Golden Boy? Tired of being beloved? It's bad enough that he's photographed sitting pretty next to Laura Bush, but this is a veritable slap in the face to his fans. I'm not even a Red Sox fan, and having spent 4 years living less than a mile away from Fenway I find them to be rather annoying, but this is just beyond the bounds of common sense. Apparently along with his sperm, Bridget took his mind.

How are those political aspirations of yours going, Daddy?

Photo Source: TMZ

The Man Who Chases Paparazzi (Hint: Not Kevin Federline)

So guess who decided to join the Michael Vick fray?

Al Sharpton signed a Peta letter that said, "Hurting animals for human pleasure or gain is despicable." What about hurting people for your own gain??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but has he apologized to the Duke lax players yet? Didn't that teach him to keep his sizable trap shut until all the evidence is in?

By the way, Al, you know what sports fans hate the most? People who jump on the bandwagon! So please, jump off and fuck off.

Ass.

Manners, Highlights Style

Gallant vs. Goofus

What's different about these pictures?

Photo Source: NBAE/Getty Images

Double Asterisk?

Poor Spurs. When did they become the Barry Bonds of the NBA?

First, Phil Jackson says their 1999 championship should have an asterisk because it happened during the lockout shortened season. Now, in light of Tim Donaghy's bumblings, Suns fans want yet another asterisk placed on a Spurs championship.

I feel for Suns fans, really I do, but I'm sort of over this whole Donaghy thing already. He's an addict who lost control. It happens. Look at Lindsay Lohan. I would hardly call him a "rogue criminal" as if he's some mastermind on par with Kim Jong-Il. Half-a-mind is a more accurate description. If anything, Donaghy is now forcing the NBA to really look at a problem that existed before him and needed to be addressed. Now it is. Let's move on and let the CIA, FBI, and whomever else David Stern has on staff deal with everything else. By the way, I love how Bill Simmons is being hailed as some sort of NBA Nostradamus. He listed the names of the officials of a game he felt was badly officiated - something he's done in the past - but because one of the names listed was Donaghy, he's apparently now a genius. He's about as prescient as Miss Cleo. Now if Bennett Salvatore is ever implicated for game fixing, I'll pay for Simmons's infomercial myself.

Anyway, we just have to accept the fact that the Spurs are a propitious team. (Chance favors the prepared mind. -Louis Pasteur) Suns fans have to get in line behind '02 Kings fans who are still waiting behind '00 Democrats. Really, this is all Bush's fault. :)

The David Beckham Appeal: A Lesson for NBA Players

Dedicated to my gay boyfriend, who's listened to more than his fair share of rants about games, teams, and players of which he knows not, and who I've neglected in favor of Summer League. David Beckham is the one sports figure who we've been able to have a two-sided conversation about and for that, I am grateful and hopeful for the future. I may get him to a sporting event yet that doesn't involve men's gymnastics!

Team USA

The Best of the Best.

Kevin Durant: What can I say?? He's going to leave the League better than he found it.

Tyson Chandler: Was he always this hot?

Dwight Howard: I was always kind of upset that he went #1 over Emeka - seriously, the most beautiful man alive - but he's proven himself worthy of the pick and more. His physique is ridiculous and he's grown into quite The Man. His arms are the best in the biz right now.

First game: August 22nd, against Venezuela

Photo Source: NBAE/Getty Images

More Competition for Kyle Korver

And he's Brazilian, too. Playing for the Spurs should raise his profile, a la Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. But then again, he could also end up along the lines of Beno Udrih or Hedo Turkoglu. Fabricio Oberto's floating in the middle somewhere.

Either way, he has a cool name. Not as cool as Kaka, but cool nonetheless.

The New Look Sixers

I was watching a replay of the Sixers-Spurs RMR game, and I was struck by the look of the Sixers.


It seems in an effort to distance itself from the AI era, it's embraced the Kyle Korver All Pretty Boy era. Should make all the "Kyle Korver girlfriend?" Googlers I get happy. (And there are quite a few.) So, just for the record ladies...and gentlemen, the guys are Louis Amundson and Jason Smith.

Oh Boy!

A-man-duh's main competition.

Photo Source: Jane Magazine

Hey Peta, China: Calm the Fuck Down!

Hey Roger Goodell, David Stern: Grow a pair!!

In the media maelstrom following Michael Vick's dog fighting indictment, I'm sure everyone from sponsors to executives to his momma have proffered their advice to the NFL commissioner. While he should take most of them under advisement, one opinion that shouldn't really figure into his decision is Peta's. Seriously, why is everyone stressing about what Peta has to say or what Peta is going to do?? Why is Trey Wingo on ESPN discussing Peta's reaction? Who the fuck cares, especially a network whose existence was, I'm sure, unknown to Peta before they started getting some press. Why is ESPN and the mainstream media legitimizing a protest by a group that is usually preoccupied with terrorizing the wardrobes of 100-pound women? Yes, animal rights are important and dogs shouldn't be abused for sport, but we can figure this out without Peta's input. So can the NFL and Arthur Blank and everyone else not in Michael Vick's entourage. Allegedly.

The NFL and the Falcons organization should take a page from Jean Paul Gaultier's playbook. When Peta protesters stormed the stage and tried to upstage his fashion show, Gaultier had security cover them with fur coats before taking them offstage. Genius. Now let's see if Roger Goodell has enough ingenuity and courage to take on a rabid non-fan base as a 55-year-old gay designer.

Similarly, David Stern needs to take a stand against another fascist group: China. Especially in light of Tim Donaghy's Jose Canseco-like effort to take down the NBA, David Stern needs to re-establish who really runs his league. Is he really going to allow Chinese officials to dictate where a just drafted player plays?? Only Kobe does that! The Commish should just tell China and Yi Jianlian to fuck off. Who needs whom more? The NBA will survive just fine without Yi. Yi, on the other hand, will become a forgotten footnote - a poor forgotten footnote - without the NBA and the millions and millions it has to offer.

So come on, men. Step up. Oh and let 'Sheed finish what he started.

On a Happier Note...

"Me and Mickey Mouse are going to be here forever!"
-Dwight Howard

Happy Birthday, Gisele! Love, Bridget

With all the hoopla over England's original WAG moving to the States, I started thinking about who is the ultimate WAG. Some candidates that came to mind were:

• Eva "I'm not Bridezilla" Longoria
• Vanessa "I forgive anything for some bling bling" Bryant
• Joumana "I will not only take down my husband but also the entire Nets organization" Kidd
• Jean "I will take EVERYTHING including my husband's masculinity" Strahan
• Jackie (No further explanation necessary) Christie

However, the one that superseded all other contenders in all other sports and raised the bar for future WAGs everywhere is none other than the outwardly wholesome Bridget Moynahan. The Queen Bee, as she will now be known, not only announced she was pregnant by her previously untarnished golden boy ex-boyfriend soon after he started dating the world's richest model, but she also retained her virtuous image and made him look like the bad guy for wanting to date the ultimate male fantasy. But the topper, the ultimate FUCK YOU to both Tom and Gisele...Her baby is due today, Gisele's birthday. You think that might cause a little rift between a couple? Jennifer Aniston is somewhere crying about how Bridget got all the karma in the world.

So let's check the scoreboard here:

• Bridget got the baby she always wanted, fathered by the guy she wanted, and she managed to look like the victim in the process.
• Tom got the supermodel he wanted, but forever shattered his perfect image. Forget his future political aspirations, his current image is what he needs to be thinking about. I'm sure Boston fans would have wholeheartedly forgiven him his baby-mama drama and welcomed him back with open arms, but...BUT...he wore a Yankees cap!!!!!!!! In public!!!!!!!! Yet another point for Bridget as Tom has seemingly lost his mind.
  

All Bridget needs to do is write a hit song about this and she'll be on par with Justin Timberlake on Bill Simmons's Vengeance Scale. So while we ponder Tom's once providential fate - seriously, Tom, what's going on with you?!?!? - we can only lift our glasses to the Queen as she awaits the arrival of her son on Gisele's birthday.

Looking at this picture, I'm struck with one thought: Damn, the Phoenix Suns have hideous colors!!! And MC Hammer is truly one-of-a-kind.

But I hear she's a good swimmer.

ESPYs

Some of the arrivals to the 2007 ESPYs.

Photo Source: Wire Image

Fashion Flash

One of the reasons why I loved David Lee's shirt was that it was so unassuming. That's a trait I love about Dwyane Wade as well, which is evidenced here, here, and here.

Even though be was a burgeoning superstar, he never seemed to buy into his own hype.

However, at the BET Awards on June 26th, Dwyane wore a white blazer emblazoned with a flash, his Shaq-given moniker.

Now I don't know whether that was a one time hey-wouldn't-it-be-cool thing, but hopefully, it's not the start of something similar to Shaq stamping the Superman logo on anything and everything he owns. Don't get me wrong, I love Shaq, but Shaq is so uniquely his own charmingly constructed persona that to attempt to duplicate it just doesn't work.

That being said, I can't wait to see Dwyane at the ESPYs. And hopefully, he still doesn't have an entourage.

Fashion Faceoff: David Lee vs. Kevin Durant

So it's been awhile since I've done a post on the finest guys in the NBA, and as I was inspecting the field, I came across two pictures that made me do a double take.

My initial reaction to David Lee's gateway shirt to Star Wars level nerddom was, "Ohhhhh no." But the more I thought about it, the cooler it became. I mean, this guy plays in the world's most famous arena day in and day out, in one of the biggest cities in the world, and he still gets excited enough for a movie premiere that he'd wear a shirt proclaiming himself its biggest fan. That's the kind of enthusiasm I pay to see pros have on the court. And that's what David Lee brought to MSG after a long absence. If it's fueled by a man crush on Bruce Willis, so be it!

Kevin Durant, on the other hand, is on the receiving end of many a man crush. He's been described as a tenacious competitor and a cold-blooded killer so it cracks me up that he's wearing a Coogi, a sweater whose standard-bearer is a jello-jiggling Father of the Year. It's so cute! An assassin in old men's clothing. I love it.

I say these two men are HOT. We'll see if they make The List (when I eventually get to it, that is). I can't wait for the season.

PS. So David Lee's shirt brought back memories of the funniest segment on Conan. Enjoy.

Le Wedding Guests

Baron Davis: Poor B. Diddy, can't get any love. There isn't one picture of him that isn't obscured by Jessica Alba. On the other hand, maybe he is getting some love....???

Boris Diaw: Best man. Snazzy dresser. Kinda have a crush on him after reading :07 Seconds or Less.

Ronny Turiaf: At first, thought he was selling Red Stripe. My bad. I've been out of the country too long. Je t'adore, Ronny!

Thierry Henry: Adorable. Or as they say in Spanish, adorable!

Tony Parker, Sr: He just never seems happy. I've yet to see him smile.

Pop: A cultivated man without any of the bullshit. What can I say, I love him. Hmm, I wonder if that's his wife or daughter.

Who Says Money Can't Buy Happiness?

The official wedding photos have been released. Now we'll be able to see if The Wedding of the Year lived up to the hype and $2 million price tag.


You know it's all about the dress though. Let's see if Angel Sanchez can do for Eva what Narciso Rodriguez did for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. (For you boys, Narciso Rodriguez basically created THE iconic wedding dress of the '90s, which was subsequently copied by thousands of women.)



I'm also interested to see if OK! magazine will do for Eva and Tony what it did for Posh and Becks, who also had their wedding featured in OK! If ever there was a more self-aggrandizing, sybaritic couple than Posh and Becks, it would be Mme and M. Parker. Let's see if LA is big enough for the 4 of them, starting with the battle of the dueling magazine covers.

As much as I hate to buy into the hype, I already have a subscription to W and my insane curiosity about Le Wedding will most definitely overcome my distaste for pimping your wedding for money and publicity when you're already rich and famous. Ah well. I will now sell my soul to the devil. I just hope the pictures are pretty.


Photo Source: OK! Magazine, People, Just Jared, W Magazine

Le Wedding Pictures

Day One of the festivities officially began yesterday with a civil ceremony at the Hotel de Ville of the 4th arrondissement. It's a gorgeous building in my favorite shopping area in Paris, the Marais. This leads me to the subject of fashion, namely Eva's.

Eva's usually hit-or-miss with her fashion choices, so I love that she left herself in the very capable hands of Karl Lagerfeld and gave in to the restorative power of Chanel. She looks fantastic in those dresses.

One thing, though.

Why on earth would you wear CFMs on your wedding day??? I know Earl Boykins feels like Yao next to her and all, but still...it's your wedding day one of your wedding days! Silver and red stilettos in the day...even in Paris...in the gay district...it's just not...oh hell. She's marrying the reigning NBA Finals MVP in PARIS with the whole world watching. And paying her $2 million for the rights. She can do whatever the hell she wants.

Now, about those bangs...

You can take the girl out of Texas...

Just kidding. She looks fabulous. Tony looks like the second coming of Maurice Chevalier. What can I say but eat your heart out, Posh. Or just eat.

Photo Source: Splash

What Happened to Rick Fox?

Photo Source: Mollygood

Everybody Wants to Be Like Lebron

Originally meant to be posted 2 weeks ago. My bad.

Basketball and politics are two subjects I'm passionate about -- I majored in poli sci and spent the majority a fair amount of time watching basketball -- but it's not often, especially in the Michael Jordan era, that these two topics merge. Well, leave it to the man currently bringing divergent groups of people together to bring these two topics together, too.

In a new book by David Mendell, Barack Obama is quoted at the 2004 Democratic National Convention saying,

"I'm Lebron, baby. I can play on this level. I got some game."

Initially, my reaction was just to chuckle...or is it giggle...Do girls chuckle? Anyway, the more I thought about it, the more prescient I found his statement to be. Remember, this was back in '04 when nobody outside of Illinois and the Democratic cognoscenti knew who Barack Obama was. He was a rookie senator about to take the national stage for the first time, as keynote speaker, no less! He was unproven but well hyped. Since then, you can say he's officially made the Leap, raising $32.5 million in one quarter and surpassing his rivals by at least $10 mil. Now the question remains: which Lebron will Barack be?

• Season 3 Lebron - He'll get a lot of press, make a lot of money, and be thisclose to reaching the next level, but he'll ultimately fail to make it out of the primary round.
  
• Season 4 Lebron - He'll demolish his Democratic rivals but get crushed by the behemoth from Texas.
• Season 5 Lebron???? - Perhaps President Obama will inspire his inspiration.

By the way, I'm still torn between Barack and Hillary.

Backlogged Posts

So I have this tendency to start posts and then get distracted/exhausted/frustrated and subsequently not finish them and ultimately forget about them. I just came across a post I started in '05(!) about Andre Iguodala's mom and another one about Siohvaughn Wade. A more recent post I failed to finish was from 2 weeks ago and about Barack. I'll post that now before going back to 2-year-old posts.