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NBA Loud - by Travis

I’d like to post about the previously finished NBA Draft. A lot of trades were completed/proposed making this years draft exciting and noteworthy. In this first post I will be going through the top five picks and thereafter with updates and all you need to know up to the minute stats and transactions.

Let’s get this post draft analysis going with the first overall pick for the Chicago Bulls DERRICK ROSE. Rose out of Memphis has a solid NBA body and can take the punishment as a player in the paint. He will mold himself into whatever type of player his team needs him to be as evident by the video below. He is one of the most ready-type players to enter the league. A truly solid addition to any team, kind of makes me think of the miss of Jay Williams. In which whom the Bulls took as the savior type PG years ago before he had his motorcycle accident stifling his promising career. With this pick Chicago puts themselves back into contention for a playoff spot in the East.

This video shows how Rose can affect the game as he will become a solid NBA-PG.

# 2

Undoubtedly the Miami Heat selected MICHAEL BEASLEY out of Kansas State. This PF needs no introduction to basketball fans as his huge wingspan makes up for any negativity about his height at the four spot. One of the perfect teams for Beasley to go to, I think his character issues would only become apparent if he were to have to battle with a solid proven veteran for his starting spot. He will be going in battling Udonis Haslem who has seen his stock drop as he needs to create more of his own offence. The heat I am sure are not finished in tweaking their team for the 08/09 season. Marion though will alleviate any concerns of the rookie being overmatched down-low as he is almost like an extra PF out there sometimes with his rebounding efforts and hustle in trying to make the right plays.

# 3

Minnesota at the third spot went with OJ MAYO, who I have seen and been hearing about for a good number of years. Mayo will be a solid two as at 6’4” 200lbs he is limited in selected positions, but this guy is just a born scorer and if he ends up in Grizz-town, look for him to team up with Rudy Gay as Mike Miller was moved with Memphis making the choice to let him go after he admittedly carried the Grizzlies last season at times. In return Minnesota looks to get #5 Kevin Love. I am in love with this deal as the T-Wolves send Antoine Walker also to MEM. Minnesota gets the scoring they desperately need and character guys, to build around. I know what fans may be thinking and no this isn’t the second coming of Wally World, Mike Miller is a gamer playing all three spots from 1-3 for the Grizz and did whatever was asked, as he became a versatile and proven scorer, unlike streaky Szczerbiak.

# 4

Russell Westbrook a surprise at number four as the top three had virtually been decided weeks beforehand. Westbrook though an unexpected pick is an explosive guard that will do well in this league especially when Seattle gets all the parts and can continuously run up and down with Durant and Green. The Sonics clearly want a guard that can break down the D and get up and down the court at breakneck speeds. They have found that guy with Westbrook. People want to compare him to NBA champion Rajon Rondo and maybe Monta Ellis, he is long and skinny and extremely athletic, time will tell if he can make the right passes for a long career with Durant by his side.

# 5

Care of NBADraft.net

Memphis picks Kevin Love at the number five spot and in turn will be sending him to Minnesota in the deal outlined in the third pick paragraph. Love is solid, not an athlete like the Grizz love at the four spot, but the T-Wolves just need ballers in which Kevin is for sure. Down-low he will be helped by Al Jefferson for sure on defense. Also he will have a great passer in Mike Miller to get the ball to him in good spots. I like Kevin Love on a solid team a rebuilding team he may flourish or sink as he’ll need to create his own offence and may struggle with the speed of the NBA at first.

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Playoff Officiating

May 29th 2008 20:54

After watching game 4 of the LA-San Antonio series, I thought it was time for me to address the issue of officiating in the playoffs, or just officiating in general. I'll start off by saying that Brent Barry was indeed fouled on that last second play by the Spurs. I'm a huge Lakers fan and even I felt a bit cheated after that play. I'm all for my team winning, but I don't want to hear any nonsense about how we only won because a foul was (or in this case, was not) called. With that said, the foul on Barry was not a shooting foul, so he would not have iced the game with his three free throws. Don't remember if LA was over the foul limit though, so it might have been two shots.

Another interesting referee-related issue regarding the Lakers-Spurs game 4. One of the refs in this game was veteran official, Joe Crawford. For those of you who don't remember, Crawford was suspended last season by the NBA after he and Tim Duncan got into a little argument. Nothing physical, but Crawford must have done something completely uncalled for for him to get suspended. The league is always quick to side with the refs so I found that one rather comical. But anyways, the issue being discussed prior to the game was whether or not Crawford should have been allowed to officiate the Spurs series. Even if there is no resentment or hate towards Duncan, there can always be that small hint of subjectiveness if a call is close. I don't know who botched that last call in game 4, but it would make my day if I found out it was Crawford.

There were also a few controversial calls in game five of the Detroit-Boston series. I believe a flagrant 1 was called against the Celtics in what I believe was a good playoff foul. We all know that the intent of the foul was to prevent the basket and there was no act of recklessness involved in the foul. It was a clean foul... there was nothing malicious about it. This is the playoffs and with the series tied at 2 apiece, you've got to expect that players are going to play hard to win the game. Later in the game, a similar foul was made and no flagrant was called. Inconsistent? Probably; but that was the right call to make in my opinion.

Overall, officiating in the playoffs have not been all that great. I'm not going to bother going into details. Instead, I'll offer some suggestions. When officials have really bad games, they should be punished. A suspension or something would suffice. Just to let them know that game-changing mistakes will not be tolerated. Currently, these guys fear nothing; they need something to keep them on their toes. Officials are supposed to be invisible; they should not impact the outcome of a game. They're supposed to make the calls and enforce the rules to the best of their abilities. Sometimes the refs let their egos get in the way and refuse to admit their mistakes when consulting with fellow officials to determine the call. With that said, these guys are pros and are doing their job better than any of us could do it. I criticize and offer up and opinion, but the bottom line is, they are human and humans make mistakes. We have the benefit of replay and slow motion when watching the game on tv. Refs don't have that when they're making the call on the court. But hopefully, the officiating improves in time for the Finals; we don't want to see a repeat of the '06 series featuring Miami and Dallas.

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Posted By: Travis - Category: The Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs

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Preview: Lakers vs Spurs

May 21st 2008 05:21

The Lakers are back in the Conference Finals, and they're facing the team they beat in a dramatic series back in '04. Most basketball fans remember than clutch shot against the Spurs hit by Derek Fisher with 0.4 seconds left in the game. As a Lakers fan, I loved that moment, and with Fisher back in an LA uniform, I'm looking for a repeat performance. I'm going to try and keep the bias aside for this preview, but I can't help but pick the Lakers to win this series in 6 and I'll explain why.

The Lakers rolled their way through the first two rounds rather easily by sweeping Denver and taking Utah in 6. Everyone expected LA to take out Denver, but there were a decent amount of people who thought Utah could take the series. I remember reading a John Holinger article a while back and he picked the Jazz to make it to the NBA Finals. From a statistical point of view, the Jazz were one of the best teams in the West and the Lakes outplayed them in four of their six games. The Lakers have proven that their high-powered offense can conquer any obstacle in their way. Bryant is still playing MVP worthy basketball and Gasol has stepped up his game to a whole new level.

I think the Spurs will be their greatest challenge yet, but I don't think they have what it takes to keep up with the Lakers. I admit, San Antonio has proven me wrong time and time again, but I think their luck has just about run out. Duncan and Gasol match up nicely as they can both score the basketball down low and have good shot-blocking abilities. Bryant will most likely be matched up against Bowen. Bowen will have Kobe on a short leash and create some problems for him, but in the end, I think Bryant can break free and score when his team needs him to. Odom will be the X-factor in this series. Anyone put on him will be a mismatch. If he's guarded by a big defender, he should be able to shake his man from mid-range and either take the shot or drive to the basket. A smaller defender will have even less of a chance against Odom as he has drastically improved his post game this season. I expect Fisher to get beat by Parker off the dribble, but with Parker's inability to hit the long range ball, I think his impact will be limited as he will have to drive past Gasol, Turiaf and Odom to get his points. With that said, I do believe that Parker has the ability to turn the series in San Antonio's favour. His performance against the Hornets (and Suns) has been one of the best PG performances I have seen in a while, although he has been shadowed by CP3's even more spectacular play. I don't think Ginobli can be stopped, so the Lakers will have to deal with him scoring 20 points, and just hope that he doesn't break loose for a huge game.

I can't see anyone outside of the Spurs' big three having an impactful series, which is why I think the Lakers will take the series. The stars matchup fairly evenly, but once you factor the bench and the role players, I think the Lakers have the advantage when it comes to skill and offensive firepower. The young guys on the Lakers' bench will mop the floor with the Spurs older bench vets. If Popovic wants a chance at making the NBA Finals, I think he's going to have to run his starters a lot more than they are used to. The Lakers' depth it what makes them dangerous, and I think it is what will win them this series.

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Posted By: Travis - Category: The Playoffs, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Kobe Bryant

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Tony Parker Fakes It According to His Wife, Eva Longoria.

January 29th 2008 13:29

Cristiano Ronaldo does it, and apparently, so does Tony Parker: they both get to have relations with some hot women. Oh, wait, they also allegedly fake it, or they like to “simulate” if you’re searching for another term. Yes, not only are Ronaldo and Parker world class athletes, but apparently athletic thespians as well.

The Manchester United winger is a well known actor, but Tony Parker? He’s French! They

Tony Parker is acting like he is sitting on a chair. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

don’t just roll over and surrender! Do they? According to Eva Longoria, who is married to Parker, he often fakes injuries and milks fouls to get more sympathy from officials. This has led to Longoria being confused as to whether or not her hubby is really hurt when on-court, whilst doing the Frenchman no favours in the eyes of NBA refs.

“Sometimes he acts to get the flagrant foul or, to sell the foul more, he'll throw himself on the floor and really play it up more than what it is…I really don't know what the difference is so I'm like, 'Stop laying on the ground if you're not hurt. Just get up! Longoria also adds, “He's like, 'Honey, I have to stay on the ground sometimes…But I get really nervous, it's nail-biting.” (Lord, DB.com, 2008)

Mr. Eva Longoria must been taking acting lessons from fellow San Antonio Spurs teammate, Manu Ginobili, whose flopping skills have become legendary. The influx of European and South American players into the NBA have bought an added dimension to the game of basketball in the States, but has also seen an increasingly number of players taking football-esque type tumbles. Many Brazilians such as Rivaldo and Dida would be proud of the theatrical abilities of Ginobili, and now, Parker.

There you have it. A seemingly innocent comment in England has focused much attention on the Oscar worthy talents of Tony Parker. You can be sure that officials will now be much more stringent when it comes to calling fouls on opponents of Parker.

In other big NBA news, Chris Webber, the once formally formidable big man for the Golden State Warriors is returning back to the bay area, 13 years after he began his career there. To add an even more ironic twist, coach Don Nelson, who he had a bitter falling out with the first time around is once again also in G-State, and bought C-Webb back!

This is a perplexing move to say the least because Webber is old, has bad wheels and is a defensive liability. Not to mention his less than savoury history with Don Nelson. The Warriors also have great team chemistry and is a run and gun team, things that we don’t associate with Chris anymore. No matter which way you look at it. This is a bad move.

However, we shouldn’t sell, Nelson short, because he is a mad genius when it comes to basketball.

Today’s video is a response to Rudy Gay’s submissions for dunk ideas for All-Star Weekend. With “talent” like this, he can’t possibly lose!

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: All Stars, San Antonio Spurs

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Tony Parker to Sue Naughty Website that Claimed that he was a Naughty Boy.

December 21st 2007 06:46

Being married to the hottest woman on earth is no guarantee of fidelity in celebrity couplings, just ask Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry. For the mere mortal, like this writer, it is almost inconceivable that anyone would stray away from the aforementioned women. However, it would explain why I am just a lowly, dorky blogger, and guys like Billy Bob Thornton, marry, and then cheat on women like Angelina Jolie.

So, with that in mind, it isn’t surprising that rumours have surfaced lately that San Antonio Spurs star player, Tony Parker was accused of getting busy with someone other than his

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)

wife, Eva Longoria.

Celebrity gossip site, X17online.com, alleged that Parker had cheated on the Desperate Housewives star with French Model, Alexandra Paressant. The model told the site that she had a two month affair with the star basketball player after being introduced by French football god, Thierry Henry.

Well, that is the story according to the model.

In response to these allegations, Parker has gone on a fully fledged attack against the website, suing X17online in Superior Court for the false and defamatory story, and seeking at least $US40 million in damages. If he goes after the content providers in the same way he takes apart opponents on the court, the website is as good as screwed.

The lawsuit alleges that the website never contacted Parker or Longoria to refute the allegations, and refused to retract the story even after being told the claims were false. Furthermore, Paressant stated that she was introduced to Parker at his wedding, but the Spur has counterclaimed that a simple call to the Barcelona footballer would have set the record straight – she wasn’t even at the wedding.

"This is false. It never happened. And X17 had to know that the story was false, or, at the very least, it had to have entertained serious doubts about the credibility of its supposed source," the lawsuit said.

"No one from X17 attempted to contact Mr. Henry, who... would have told them in no uncertain terms that this woman was not at the wedding…If this woman exists, he has no way of knowing whether she is one of the many fans who have, from time to time, managed to obtain his cell phone number and called or left messages or who may have engaged him in conversation." (AP, 2007)

Naturally, the couple have come out in public defending both the strength, and fidelity of their union, with Tony saying he has never been happier, and Eva stating that her beau is the perfect hubby.

Today’s video is of a wonder pass made by Jason Kidd to Richard Jefferson. Respect.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Misc, San Antonio Spurs

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Tony Parker Player Profile.

June 20th 2007 01:29

Manu Ginoibili, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker with the NBA Championship Trophy.

The Big 3 for the Spurs celebrate the fruits of their labor. (Image from nba.com)

The NBA Finals came and went at a blink of an eye and what did we learn? San Antonio continues its low key run of excellence, Cleveland and the LeBrons aren’t ready for the big time just yet, while Tony Parker was the MVP. Speaking of Mr. Eva Longoria, what else do we know? He’s French, and, um, he is going to marry one of the most luscious women in the world.

Fear no more NBALOUD readers because we are going to give you a lowdown on Mr. Parker. We’ll begin with the formalities:

Date of Birth: 17 May, 1982.
Height: 6’2” (188cm)
Draft: 2001 (28th overall)
Points Per Game: 15.6
Assists Per Game: 5.4
Rebounds Per Game: 3.1
Steals Per Game: 1
2 Time NBA All-Star
2007 NBA Finals MVP

There are certain people in this world that no matter what they do their number always gets called up in the game known as ‘life bingo’ – Tony Parker is one of those individuals. Born in Belgium and French raised, TP was the progeny of an American father, who was a handy basketball player in his own right and Dutch model, mother. You could just envision his life being full of peaches and cream growing up.

Young Tony, like most European kids, was obsessed with soccer but began to love basketball in earnest watching Michael Jordan do his thing and dominate the NBA for over a decade. Parker would often sneak out of bed in the middle of the night to watch the Bulls title runs and the mould was set, he was hooked on the wonderful game of hoops.

A further turning point was when in 1996, Parker, and his family visited Chicago and got to

Everybody should ask Tony to buy them a lottery ticket. (Image from nba.com)

see the Bulls practice and than some: “My uncle got me, my brothers, and my cousin in to see the Bulls practice. We spoke with Scottie Pippen and we even took a picture with Jordan!” writes Parker on his website. (TP9.com, 2007)

Prior to his life in the NBA Parker started off playing for France in the 2001 European Championship and Paris Basketball Racing in 2000. Tony became a blip on American basketball radar screens during the 2000 Nike Hoop Summit where he put on a star performance with 20 points, seven assists, four rebounds and 2 steals in 30 minutes of basketball, whilst competing against some of the top young talents in the US.

Nominating for the NBA in 2001 Tony worked out with the Spurs who initially rejected the slight Frenchman. Gregg Popovich had the European bias that was still very much prevalent at that stage, and didn’t like the fact that the young point guard wasn’t down with physical contact.

Although, the competitive spirit and blinding speed made the Spurs gamble on Tony and he was on his way to NBA stardom. Coach Gregg Popovich was initially extremely hard on his young charge, often calling him out and deriding his performances. For any fan that is familiar with NBA basketball Popovich is a famously hard task master and perfectionist.

Even after winning a Championship, the Spurs were ready to make a trade for Jason Kidd in 2003. The trade fell through, and this proved to be the impetus for Tony Parker to improve after the personal slight of trying to get him replaced as the starting floor general.

He hasn’t looked back since.

During his rookie season Parker led San Antonio in steals and assists, whilst making it to the 2001 NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Oh, and continuing the charmed life theme that seems to permeate through Parker’s existence he also scored a Championship in his first year of play. He would go on to win another two more, as alluded to earlier, including the one from this season, while notching up a Finals MVP becoming the first foreign player to do so. Lucky bastard!

Perhaps his biggest achievement was winning the hand of Eva Longoria. Can we say this one more time? Lucky bastard!

The video for today is one of Tony Parker showing off his skills in the Finals. Check it out, yo!

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, San Antonio Spurs

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The San Antonio Spurs are 2007 NBA Champions!

June 15th 2007 09:55

San Antonio Spurs with the championship trophy.

San Antonio players celebrating like it's 1999! (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

Break out LeBroom because it was a le sweep, 83-82 to the Spurs – champions for a fourth time since a certain basketball player named Tim Duncan came to the Alamo. While we still have your attention how about a le congratulations to le Tony Parker who also walked away with le Finals MVP trophy. Could Parker be the luckiest guy on earth? Major basketball talent, money, looks, MVP trophy, Championship rings and let’s not forget Eva Longoria! Some people have all the fortune.

Parker who dominated the Cavs with his blistering pace and deadly outside shot scorched them for 24 points doing as he pleased, while his fellow foreign sidekick, Manu Ginobili had 27 – 13 in the final quarter, including some clutch hoops down the stretch. And how could we forget Tim Duncan? He is the reason why the San Antonio franchise has been so successful during his reign, and although Game 4 wasn’t one of Duncan’s best games he still did made his mark with 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Big Fundamental also grabbed some vital boards with Cleveland closing in, and not only that, his hustle and the intangibles he bought to the game were something to behold.

San Antonio thoroughly deserved this one.

Moving to the opposition, LeBron James will have to wait a little longer to be anointed basketball royalty after Bron-Bron and the James gang were handed their asses on a platter. San Antonio picked LeBron and his team apart, brutally exposing their flaws for the world to

Tony Parker plants a kiss on a woman who has been stalking him throughout the Finals. She goes by the name of Eva Longoria. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

see, and James as an intelligent basketball player would now recognise that he has plenty to work on.

Credit James’ ineffectiveness in the Finals to the Spurs team who hounded LeBron whenever he went down the lane allowing for only two dunks, yes, you read that correctly, two dunks, for the whole series. Furthermore, after thoroughly dominating the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Tayshaun Prince, James was met with more resistance by Bruce Bowen who shadowed Bron-Bron like bad body odour. The Spurs were so good at laying down the clamps on the King that he shot a paltry 31 percent from the field for the series.

This leaves us with the rest of the Cavs who were by no means a championship calibre team. Cleveland is woeful in their current incarnation and without the injured Larry Hughes the Cavs were doomed from the very beginning. Cleveland’s loss isn’t primarily due to LeBron because he tried his heart out, it’s just the team around him couldn’t hit shots to save their lives and without James, would be the equal of the Atlanta Hawks – don’t forget Anderson Varejao who thought for one moment that he was the man in Game 3.

As mentioned ad nauseum so far the Spurs played tight ‘D’ on LeBron, forcing him into shooting mid-range jumpers and rushed 3-pointers. They bodied and badgered him to such an extent that his turnover rate was excruciatingly high. Welcome, to Finals basketball young fella.

LeBron will learn from this and the NBA will be his in due time. Even the greatest get their licks

Even Arsenal football star Thierry Henry thinks the NBA is fan-tastic. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

from time to time.

Now, that we have dedicated so much space for the vanquished, let us celebrate the victors.

Before the Finals the San Antonio squad repeatedly dismissed talk of a dynasty, but it certainly can’t be avoided now. The Spurs have built a model franchise that has basketball excellence as the centrepiece. No, one complains about playing time, and egos are kept in check because there is a team ethos that permeates through the franchise. Credit coach Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan for the unselfish mentality that is the hallmark of this dynasty in the making.

Kudos must go out to Tim Duncan because all things are possible due to TD. The continued brilliance he has continued to show, whilst making winning the most important thing is his basketball legacy. While, some measure success in the NBA through such superficialities such as money, endorsements, entourage and shoe deals, Tim Duncan has exposed that the only measure of true and everlasting success is titles. Many a critic (this space and writer included) have derided Timmy and the Spurs but let’s give a pound when the credit is due – Duncan and the Spurs deserve to be lauded.

The Finals started off in a flurry with one young star expected to ascend to greatness, while the other would get lost in the shuffle – Tony Parker would rise to the occasion and establish himself as a superstar, while LeBron James will take solace and joy at the birth of his second son prior to Game 4, because he won’t get to touch the Larry O’Brien trophy.

There really is only one thing left to say: Congratulations, to the 2007 NBA Champions, San Antonio Spurs.

Today’s video is of Game 4. ‘Nuff said.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs, San Antonio Spurs, Lebron James

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LeBron James Blows a Chance to Win Game 3 of the NBA Finals

June 13th 2007 12:20

Cleveland is going…going…gone? In what turned out to be an ugly,

LeBron James argues with ref at the end of Game 3.

LeBron James gets testy at the end of Game 3 over the non-call during his 3-point attempt. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NBAE via Getty Images)

grind-it-out contest saw San Antonio fall over the finish line to win an all important Game 3, 75-72. The Cavs are now 0-3 down and no team in the history of the NBA have overcome such a deep deficit. Cleveland, NBALOUD can assure you are not the team to change the tune of this song.

LeBron James once again had the chance to be the hero in his own house and on the biggest stage in pro-hoops – instead he passed off the opportunity literally and metaphorically. With 13 seconds left on the clock and the with the contest up for grabs James passed the ball off to teammate Anderson Varejao instead of taking it strong to the hoop. In fairness to Bron-Bron he expected to get the ball back, but the big Brazilian with the Sideshow Bob hairdo decided to take the shot himself and failed miserably. Should have made the shot yourself Bron-Bron.

There was one more chance left for the Cavs to take the game into overtime but LeBron’s 3-point heave missed with Bruce Bowen fouling King James on the shot attempt. However, the refs let the play go, which was a travesty in itself because you’d expect the man to get a call in his palace, during the finals, and because he is a superstar, especially when it was a legitimate foul! But it wasn’t to be.

San Antonio can thank their lucky stars that they got out of jail and this space would urge the Spurs players to buy a lottery ticket because it is their day of fortune but the reality is all of these guys make more money than the prize money given out!

Tony Parker wasn’t as dominant as he had been in the series but still managed to torch the Cavs with 17, including a key 3-point basket with a minute to go, while Tim Duncan was even more muted scoring 14 and getting a lot of bench time due to fouls. Manu Ginobili the final piece of the star Spurs star puzzle had a dreadful performance scoring only three points with all of them coming from the free-throw line and with 10 seconds to play.

If you ever get the chance take a look at pictures of LeBron James in the finals, because Bruce Bowen is always in the same frame. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Cavs fans and the players will be rueing a golden opportunity to steal a win.

Daniel Gibson the rookie Cleveland point guard who has been mesmerising during the finals so far got his first start in a postseason game, replacing the injured Larry Hughes and what did the young fella do with his promotion? He proceeded to stink up the building, going 1-for-10 and scoring only two points. Gibson whose nickname is ‘Boobie’ played like a boob.

The Cavs can lament all they want about lost opportunities but it begins and ends with LeBron James, who once again showed to the world that he hasn’t quite mastered the art of taking the proverbial bull by the horns and bitch slapping the opposition. James has been lauded as a superstar and at times he has displayed his wares to the universe, but when the moment demands he steps up and win the game for the team, LeBron has looked like a little kid lost.

History and the moment have demanded that LeBron James take the mantle as the anointed one in the NBA. So, far he has failed to heed the call.

After spending this post bemoaning the clutch abilities of LeBron James it is only fair today’s video is something cool in regards to the King. An artist with too much time on his hand made an Etch-A-Sketch portrait of James and it is rather impressive.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs, San Antonio Spurs, Lebron James

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Tony Parker and the Spurs Cast a Spell, as the Cavs find themselves in Basketball Hell.

June 11th 2007 07:28

LeBron James in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

The Finals so far look awfully lonely for LeBron James. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Before the NBA Finals began, we, like many other spaces dedicated to pro-basketball made the usual predictions about what would be the trends to look out for and the final win ratio. NBALOUD gave the Cavs six games before they got bounced, and when those words were penned the caveat should have been noted at the time was that we were being mighty generous because they could conceivably go down 4-0 and that is increasingly looking like the sad reality.

San Antonio gave Cleveland a beat down of epic proportions today with a 103-92 victory, while going 2-0 up. The final score actually flattered the Cavs because for the whole game they were about as effective as a pornstar acting out Shakespeare in the Globe Theatre.

The Spurs were once again led by the little Frenchman who is going to marry a muy caliente actress in less than a month. Tony Parker had 30 points as he did a merry jig around the Cavs defence which were perplexed at how to stop the slick Frenchy. It didn’t help matters that the dynamic trio for San Antonio played sublime basketball for another game.

Tim Duncan had is usual superb all round output with 23 points, 9 rebounds and eight assists,

Cheap Shot Rob strikes again! This time he puts a hit on his own coach Gregg Popovich. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

while Manu Ginobili the super-sub was a blinding blur adding a further 25 points to inflict serious harm on the psyche of the Cavs.

Cleveland were being blown out of the water and heading into the fourth quarter found themselves 29 points down and then, like in Game 1 they made a run and shockingly were only eight points down at one stage. The Cavs shouldn’t fool themselves because a) everyone makes a run in the NBA and b) San Antonio got bored and disinterested.

Once the Cavs began to have the absurd belief that they might actually steal a win, the Spurs put that to rest with some solid play and clamped down on their opponents. It also helped that with about two minutes remaining Ginobili got clipped on a 3-point attempt that dropped in the basket which turned into a vital four point play.

We’ve gone roughly 300 words without once mentioning LeBron James so here we go: the King had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists – sounds like a good night, no? Well, not quite, LeBron is being dominated by the Spurs who are making him look extremely second rate so far. The only player that can really hold his head up high for Cleveland is rookie Daniel Gibson who is showing absolutely no fear against these Spurs.

Many pundits have voiced their opinion that the Cavs are the worst team in NBA Finals history and for the first two games they have absolutely proved the critics right. There is nowhere to hide and Cleveland is being exposed by an immensely more talented outfit that is better than them in every facet of the game. Hell, even Cheap Shot Rob is showing the LeBron’s how basketball should be played doing his best Bill Russell imitation in registering five massive blocks in this contest.

The series now moves to Cleveland and for the second series in a row the Cavs find themselves in a 0-2 hole which they managed to dig out of last time and land a win. Sadly, for the team this time around is slightly different because they aren’t facing a weak Eastern Conference foe and this is San Antonio – a dynasty in the making.

Today’s video is of 5’9” Nate Robinson blocking the shot of 7’6” Yao Ming. It was one of the most memorable plays of the past season.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs, San Antonio Spurs, Lebron James

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The San Antonio Spurs Win Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Finals.

June 9th 2007 12:39

The Spurs dancers strut their stuff during Game 1 of the Finals. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

For anyone that doesn’t know the San Antonio Spurs drew first blood in the NBA Finals downing the Cleveland Cavaliers, 85-76.

Here at NBALOUD we can do the usual summary of what transpired during the game but that would be nonsensical now wouldn’t it? Especially considering that the game is now over 24 hours old and we missed the reportage boat due to external circumstances.

Instead this post will be a keen observation and dissection on how Game 1 unfolded and what might be the ongoing trends that we’ll be seeing throughout the Finals.

Our analysis today begins with the magnificent play of Spurs point guard Tony Parker who pwned the Cavs with 27 points and going wherever he pleased on the court. Mr. Eva Longoria is arguably the quickest player in the league and back in the day all defenders had to do was try to force Parker to shoot from the outside and that would be that because Tony

Tony Parker lay-up in Game 1 of NBA Finals.

Tony Parker is too quick for the Cavs. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Parker was crap. That was then, this is now, and Tony has developed a deadly outside shot that makes him virtually unstoppable.

You can bet your sweet ass that the mooted move for Jason Kidd to San Antonio a few seasons back gave Parker the green light to become the All-Star that he is today.

San Antonio showed in Game 1 why they have been the most successful franchise in American sports when they dissected Cleveland and made them look second rate for long stretches of the game. The big three for the Spurs had dominant performances, while the team clamped down on LeBron James who looked less than stellar with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. That may sound like a semi-decent night for the King but up until the final quarter he was as quiet as a mouse on Christmas Eve – bar a stretch when he hit back-to-back 3-point baskets to draw the Cavs slightly closer, San Antonio played wonder defence on Bron-Bron.

James managed to shake his defender a lot of the times but the help ‘D’ from the rest of the Spurs was marvellous – if Bron-Bron broke the ankles of his man, two players from San Antonio would quickly cut off the driving lanes to deny LeBron a clear shot. It was an artful display of team defence. James was a paltry 4-of-16 from the field.

Cleveland have to face the reality that this is a different kind of beast that they are used to facing coming from the East – San Antonio are tough, experienced and better in every position, bar whatever spot James is playing in at the time. Tim Duncan ruled the low post with an iron first grabbing 13 rebounds and swatting five shots, while Manu Ginobili dropped a further 16 to sully the Cavs opening stanza in the Finals.

The disconcerting, yet comforting trend for Cleveland is the play of King James during a series opener where he has been as absent from the action as Paris Hilton from the nightclub scene of late during her detention. Cleveland though will warm to the thought that James has stepped up and dominated in subsequent games, while Paris can also be soothed by the reality that her vapid, publicity whore ways will once again be front page in the gossip section fodder. Some things were just meant to be.

Tony Parker is the video focus for today when he threaded a magical pass to teammate Francisco Elson in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs, San Antonio Spurs, Lebron James

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Manu Ginobili has a Flopping Performance for the Ages.

May 29th 2007 12:59

The Olympic diving judges give Manu a perfect score for his dive. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Manu Ginobili is about as popular in Utah right now as monogamy and dance parties that play house music – you can probably make an argument that he is even less popular than the aforementioned things. Although, the Spurs came away with the win 91-79, and have now taken a commanding 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals, they must have felt like winners on paper only.

After the conclusion of the game the San Antonio players made a rapid beeline to the exits because they were coming under a barrage of boos and debris thrown towards their direction by an angry Salt Lake City crowd. The Jazz fans were baying for blood in particular Manu Ginobili’s who infuriated the mob by flopping and hitting his free throws.

El Loco produced a masterful acting performance that was worthy of an Oscar scoring 15 in the final period, 11 coming courtesy of the free-throw line.

So, Manu, what did you think of your performance today? “I'm very proud of what we did in the fourth quarter because it was looking ugly for us," Ginobili said. "We stepped up and did a really good job.” (Aron, AP, 2007)

Granted some of the calls were warranted but Ginobili was swan diving in such a manner that you’d believe that he was playing for the Italian football team during last year’s World Cup, rather than a star basketball player. El Loco managed to get under the skins of the Jazz team

Manu Ginobili crashes into Derek Fisher.

Manu and Derek Fisher get close and intimate. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

to such an extent that Derek Fisher of the Jazz personally sought Manu out to shoulder the flopping Spur and moments later Coach Jerry Sloan got tossed out for venting his anger at that technical.

All in all a grand performance Manu take a bow.

Wh

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Playoff Officiating

Preview: Lakers vs Spurs

Tony Parker Fakes It According to His Wife, Eva Longoria.

Tony Parker to Sue Naughty Website that Claimed that he was a Naughty Boy.

Tony Parker Player Profile.

The San Antonio Spurs are 2007 NBA Champions!

LeBron James Blows a Chance to Win Game 3 of the NBA Finals

Tony Parker and the Spurs Cast a Spell, as the Cavs find themselves in Basketball Hell.

The San Antonio Spurs Win Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Finals.

Manu Ginobili has a Flopping Performance for the Ages.