Better Than Jordan...

I am not an NBA guy, at least not in the last 10 years. But I feel the need to blog about an email I received from a friend regarding Lebron James. After James hit his Jordanesque Buzzer Beater against Orlando, this nameless friend claimed James is officially better than Jordan. Ummm, nah, not even close.

Michael Jordan was the reason I watched the NBA. He was the best player in the league and every year he got better. He made the guys around him better. He made the coaches who coached him better. He made the city he played for better. Lebron James, like Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade will always be compared to Michael Jordan, but they will never surpass him.

Lebron James is tremendous basketball player, although to be fair, I haven't watched too much of him. Lebron reminds me more of Magic Johnson, than Jordan. Lebron will put up numbers and they will be based on his lack of competition as opposed to his skill. I have no doubt Lebron will win championships and he might even transcend the NBA to the next level, however, I will miss most of it. The problem with Lebron James is the same problem with the NBA. There's a lot of sizzle, but no substance.

The NBA develops stars, they place these stars on a pedestal. Refs call the game different around these stars (I didn't think it was possible guys today get more calls their way than when Jordan played.) But basketball is played with 5 guys at a time, 7 guys on the bench, 24 second shot clock, Four 12 minute quarters in 30 cities. The NBA needs to get back to the basics, let the game flow.

I have been a huge proponent to forcing college players who choose college to be there at least 3 years or if they chose to play professionally out of high school, let them. The NBA needs to develop a minor league system like Baseball and Hockey. Teach these young guys how to play post school basketball. It would even serve the NBA to open up developmental leagues in South America, Europe, Asia and anywhere else basketball is played.

So to get back to the original statement, Lebron is not better than Jordan. In 10 years, I still have my money on Jordan.

It's A Girl

Over the last year+, my life has been what I can only describe as a Roller Coaster. It seems with every good thing that happens, a road block was thrown in my way. I believe things happen for a reason and sometimes we may not know exactly why. But with all that said, I happy to report I am going to be a daddy to a baby girl. Every morning, I wake up and pray for a smooth day for my better half and for that matter, everyone who is important to me.

Words cannot explain how much I am looking forward to parenthood, at the end everything I have been through, will all be worth it.