This Is It!

NBA London

2007-10-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

This time last year I was hiking across France, Belgium and Germany following the NBA Europe circus. This year I didn’t have to travel very far as they were on my doorstep at the phenomenal O2 Arena. Having seen Prince twice in the last month in Greenwich I wondered how the atmosphere would be in the place once called the “Millennium Dome”. Let’s face it the British Basketball fans aren’t the best in the world at creating the loud presence found in all football stands throughout the country. Maybe it’s because in the last few years there is not much to cheer about in our professional game.

As I was working for FIVE I was unable to mingle amongst the fans and get a good feel for the game. However there was an electric vibe in the arena, way better than what I’d witnessed in the Cologne Arena in Germany the previous year. I suppose the sea of green supporters had a lot to do with that as the Celtic fans are sniffing championship. After an awesome pre-season shopping trip by Doc Rivers and GM Danny Ainge; the Boston boys acquired 2 All-Stars in the shape of shooting Guard Ray Allen and the extraordinarily talented 7 footer Kevin Garnett. They will team up with the Celtics own All-Star Paul Peirce and will hopefully live up to the hype.

One thing is for sure; all eyes will be on this Boston team as they look to bring the “Celtic Pride” back to the East by making it all the way to the NBA finals. However Boston fans should proceed with caution! This is a huge gamble by the club; yes it will fill the Garden every night and do the same when they are on the road, but fans, GM’s and team will have to pray to the basketball gods, imploring them to be delivered safely to the finals. As I mentioned in last weeks telecast, these boys are one injury away from collapse as this team is not very deep once you get past the big 3.

What people are failing to mention is that it is important for the rest of the team to step up – big time! Rajon Rondo is the most important player of that supporting crew, he has the job of leading the team and distributing the ball (evenly) to the scoring machines he has at his disposal. So I am figuring that he will earn himself many free meals from his superstars! After all they must keep him happy and playing confidently and in a manner way above his potential! June is a very long road!

Portland Choose...........

2007-06-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

If I were a betting man I would have said that (and I did say), the Suns would have definitely won this year’s play-offs!! But that debacle in game 3 which sent Amare and Boris packing for game 4, literally handed the Spurs their 4th title in 10 years.

As for the finals between the Cavs and Spurs – this could only be described as ‘yawn-ball’. It was quite dead. Cleveland didn’t help things by continually getting blown out in the first 2 quarters. This prompted everyone in the US to switch channels and watch the final episode of the ‘Sopranos’. Meanwhile fans in the UK opted on an extra couple of hours sleep before work the following day.

It won’t be long before Lebron is doing a Kobe and screaming for reinforcements! His Cavs, shot their load to get 4 in a row against the Pistons - this meant empty tank when they travelled to Texas. Speaking of the Pistons, Billups is going to pimp himself in the NBA market this summer, as he attempts to secure his final lucrative deal. GM Joe Dumars, knows he’ll have to pay big if he is to secure the services of the sought after point guard.

With the draft coming up on Thursday evening, Portland are failing miserably in their attempts to try and bluff everyone into thinking that they are “still” deciding who to take with their 1st pick. After passing up on Michael Jordan in the ’84 draft (they took Sam Bowie who was a bust!), they will not take any chances this year and go with Greg Oden, the solid centre form Ohio State. OK – you can’t go wrong with the second pick as Kevin Durant is no scrub! I think that it is fair to say that forwards come around more often than a legitimate game changing big man like Oden.

I look forward to the list on Friday morning, to see who goes where; this is supposedly the deepest draft since ’84 and ’85. It will be interesting to see which players will get their opportunity to shine.

Been A While....

2007-03-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

I know very slack you are thinking.....wrong! So much hardwood action so little time so here goes:

BBL - I can't really tell you what's going on in my own backyard, but I do know that my boys in Guildford are representing by winning trophies.

All-Star Weekend - Damn I had a good time (from what I can remember). Yes I agree it should be there every year! Shout out to the man that found my wallet!!

Old Skool Rapper - Thanks DMC of Run DMC for banging on my hotel room at 10am in the morning for an interview. Appreciate you giving up your time and showing the UK crew some love.

English Schools U14's Final 8's - Bad luck to my Lanfranc High School players, they fought hard and the broken leg to shooting guard Matthew Waldron was real bad timing. To the referee who thought he was trying to get one over me, beware I may follow thru like Kobe next time!

NY Knicks - So you won more games this year than the previous season, well done. Now learn to play D and get into the play-offs! I can only wish.

March Madness - I thought both Patrick Ewing and John Thompson had retired?! Don't get it twisted - both the aforementioned off-springs are showing that they have that winning DNA. So in 2007 we are privileged to witness Hoya Paranoia all over again. Knocking off UNC in the process!

NBA in the UK - Robert Parish came by to promote the US invasion we will experience in October of this year. Spoilt for choice with NFL, NHL and the NBA won't need to look for cheap flights in the pre-season, as the sports over there will be over here!!

MVP Race – Nash or Dirk? You decide!

Bring On 2007!

2007-01-02T03:03:00.000-08:00

So here it is in a nutshell. The Knicks decide to have a lil’ brawl with less than 2 minutes remaining; in a ball game they were getting waxed-up by 20-points. The man at the helm, Mr D Stern hands out some harsh sentences, letting the players (and owners) in the league know that this kind of behaviour will NOT be tolerated!

Carmelo Anthony got slapped with a 15 game ban for his sucker punch he threw at New York’s Mardy Collins. JR Smith and Nate Robinson both got hit with 10 games. With other suspensions handed down it seemed like doom and gloom for both New York and Denver. No way! After that the Knickerbockers go on to beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA, the Utah Jazz; squeezing out a buzzer beater with an undermanned squad. To prove it was no fluke they beat Charlotte and another tough team, the Chicago Bulls! Giving head coach Isiah Thomas something to smile about, as he is under pressure to turn his ball clubs fortune around.

Meanwhile in Colorado – Melo is gone for 15 games, so head coach George Karl comes up with a gem, he trades his point guard Andre Miller (and some 1st round picks), for AI, Allan Iverson. So Coach Karl has the job of looking after and coaching the two highest scorers in the league. It will be interesting to see him do it!

Even though AI and his people have refused me interviews over the last 8 years, I still like his style. Having recently had conversations with him off the record, Iverson is just out there trying to win. He’s a hard worker contrary to what’s been said about him in the press. Let’s face it, if he was as lazy as they say he wouldn’t be that good! When all is said and done, he will still remain one of the top 50 greatest players that has ever graced the hardwood!

2007 - hold on tight cause here we go!

Barca Baby!!

2006-11-27T06:36:00.000-08:00

Having been on air for the last month, staying up every Tuesday night until 6am, I really needed to recharge my batteries. A trip to Barcelona was the perfect remedy - a good way to see some hoops, experience good weather and eat in really nice Tapas restaurants!

The plan was to watch DKV Joventut as Andy Betts, Andrew Sullivan and Robert Archibald are all members of the squad clocking major minutes. But in recent weeks Betts has been sidelined due to injury. Archibald is coming of another off-season knee surgery and is being rushed back due to Betts’ untimely sick note. Meanwhile Andrew Sullivan is currently playing a very undersized power forward position; hence not clocking the kind of minutes he has been accustomed to.

On my arrival DKV Joventut were on the road in their Euroleague match-up against Lottomatica Roma on Thursday night. They lost to the Italian side 71-69. My return flight was scheduled for Sunday morning, so I was unable to catch their ACB league encounter against Etosa Alicante; which they won by a comfortable 81-63 margin.

Having not seen the guys play I had to at least call them to see how they were getting on in Spain. Apart from the obvious injuries and lack of court time, the English cats seemed very upbeat and in good spirits. Their team are currently 2-2 in Euro play and 6-4 in their domestic league, so it’s not all bad news.

I did have time to catch-up with Ed Scott. Ed (a budding young coach), is now working for FIBA Spain and is based in Barcelona. We chilled at Starbucks on Las Ramblas and parlayed about world basketball, the UK side to be precise! Agreeing this is where we would like to see things develop.

Ed and I kicked it for a couple of hours whilst I chugged on a Mocha Frappaccino. As my trip in Spain came to an end, it was time to hit the road and head back to the howling wind and rain of South London!

Now fully recharged and ready for a full week, I have the NBA match-up of the Knicks @ Bulls on Tuesday night to look forward to. Bulls are failing to live up to the hype as they sport a rather dismal 4-9 record, whilst my New York crew are just continuing on their downward spiral from last season. They are the proud owners of a 5-10 record, which is not good news for Coach and GM Isiah Thomas! It will be interesting to see how the soap opera in the Big Apple develops…

BBL Experience

2006-11-20T05:32:00.001-08:00

Having been a part of the BBL for quite some time, I now find myself in the wilderness. First, there is no local team to visit. The London Towers have gone on a year’s sabbatical and the Brighton Bears are hibernating. To compound the issue the marketing of the BBL is quite poor (bordering on non existent), so I no longer know what’s going on in the league unless I make a couple of phone calls.

This weekend I had one such call which prompted me to head to my old stomping ground, Guildford. The Heat faced Tony Garbs’ team, London Utd. Driving to the game it became clear in my mind that I was not supporting the BBL (that’s crystal clear). I was supporting the young English talent which make up the nucleus of both teams. Having coached most of their players at some stage in their careers, it was easy for me to relate to both clubs; therefore hiking to the game was not a chore. This however would have been the case if I could not identify with the players in anyway.

Apart from the Heat blazing Garbs’ crew by 13-points, Guildford were up as much as 20 at one stage. The officiating at the game was 'piss-poor'!! I thought it was bad in my day as a coach – but what I saw on Saturday was just simply atrocious! At one stage London’s Phillip Perry and the Heat’s Chad McKnight had a verbal confrontation during a timeout at mid-court. An official stood in front of them drinking water and said nothing. This confrontation was one of many the two were having throughout the course of the game. The question I asked was, ‘why are you allowing this situation to escalate?’ As we’ve seen in the past, if the referees don’t take control, the trash talking will undoubtedly turn ugly!

I can only hope that my return to a BBL match-up in the future is a little more enjoyable. It was great catching up with the guys after the game; I have much love for both teams and their coaches. However, the whole English professional league is far from where it needs to be, in the mid to late 90’s it was huge, to see it degenerate into local league is not something you want to witness.

Stern Rules!

2006-11-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

New season, new attitude, new rules… new ball.

Banned this year are tights, also there is to be no showing of any emotion whatsoever, if you do? Just ask Rasheed Wallace, Mike Bibby and others. The zero tolerance rule has got players on edge as it seems any reaction is a free pass for an early shower. The aforementioned players found out in the first week of game-time in the NBA. All were shown the red card in the first couple of quarters of action.

I am all for discipline, following the rules and having respect for the officials; however I don’t feel it should be to the detriment of the game. Fans pay big money to see stars - the excitement and the emotion of a basketball game. Most would feel thoroughly disappointed and cheated if they only saw their stars play for a couple of quarters, due to some ref getting his feelings hurt.

I expect there to be some revolt or reassessment of the situation. Throwing out T’s like Frisbees isn’t going to the help the cause from a player’s standpoint, or indeed the fans.

NBA Live Europe Road Trip - Day 5

2006-10-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

After a much needed lie in, the crew and I headed to the Rhine River at around 3pm, to film some stuff for the upcoming NBA season which begins in a couple of weeks. The timing was perfect, as we wanted to catch NBA Commissioner Stern’s press conference. He (Stern) has as much pub’ as the players he is in charge of, so getting there early meant we could get a seat.

As expected the European interest with David Stern was massive and we were able to get a good seat to check out what the visionary had to say about the global game. After he delivered his opening speech, the floor was opened to the media to ask questions. There was a slight pause; no one raised their hand, so it was left to me to break the ice. I asked him, “is there any truth to the rumours that the NBA event will be held in London next year?”

He glanced at me for a spilt second as he thought about his response, then Stern went off on a serious tangent, giving me the kind of response that George Bush or Tony Blair would when they are not able to answer a question until they have confirmation. Stern finally came back to my question some minutes later and said, “To answer your question, there are opportunities in other major cities, including London, but as yet nothing has been confirmed”. However, the talk of this year’s NBA Live Tour is that it may take place in London next year.

The Kolnarena was not buzzing as much as the previous days Sixers Suns encounter. I suppose the fact that the German National football team had a European qualifying game accounted for this. As I pondered why the joint had many free seats, I glanced in the VIP boxes and noticed they all had the football game on their TV screens. While on the court the Suns struggled against Maccabi early on, but blew them out in the second half. The crowd did pick up slightly for the 76ers CSKA game. The team from Russia tried to upset their second NBA team in a week, after they had destroyed the Clippers in Russia.

Philadelphia had other ideas as they had also fallen to Spanish champions Barcelona last week. Allan Iverson, though evasive, had a monster game and showed why he is still one of the most feared guards in the world. He may be only 5’10” but has skills and plays much bigger than his size. Philly ran out to an easy win.

As this was my last day, I tried one last time to see AI for an interview. He came out, but I was interviewing Kyle Colver at the time and he skipped right by me…again. Later that evening I passed him (AI), he was on his own, no bodyguards. We spoke! There was not a camera or microphone in sight. It would seem he is a very private guy who just wants a simple life. Hard to believe, but true.

NBA Live Europe Road Trip - Day 4

2006-10-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

AI. This cat managed to put the slide on me twice today – I thought hiscbeef was with the US media, not the brothers from South London. Fact is, this is one baller that just does not relish rapping with the likes of me unless he has to.

The Koln Arena is quite a huge spot compared to the Paris Bercy. It’s located in the centre of town and it’s arch can be seen clearly from our hotel which is to the south west corner of Cologne. There was not much action at the arena this morning, however the Suns and Sixers had practice so we thought we’d catch a few players. This was a little difficult though as the official media day was yesterday, but who could resist not talking to a cat like me?

AI. That’s who.

Philly finished their practice, Andre Iguadola (the new AI) and Shavlik Randolph (former Dukie and Deng teammate); both stopped to kick it with me. But our boy crept out the back way to avoid us. We made our way to the team bus, there he was, laid at the back cheesing because he had successfully given us the slip!

At the conclusion of the Suns practice, Nash made sure he stopped by to show me a lil’ love. Steve is another class act - this interview was a lot easier to get as we have a good relationship stemming back from the days when he would join the Manchester Giants practice sessions.

The game action started at 6pm - CSKA Euro champions v Maccabi Tel Aviv. Trajon Langdon’s boys (CSKA), controlled that contest and advanced to tomorrow’s final. Obviously the main interest was on the 9pm match-up between the Sixers and Suns. It started out as lesson on how to run the fastbreak. Phoenix broke away for dunk after dunk. Countless alley-oop’s
and deep 3’s were the daggers that Philly just couldn’t handle.

Unlike Paris, the crowd were big into this game...these were true basketball fans. They were incredibly loud and on their feet from the beginning. In fact, they gave the players a reception usually reserved for rock stars. Press row was located in the mid section of the arena, quite a few rows up from the court but a good spot to view the game. I sat with my Five crew next to Christine Holzig, a German reporter from a talk radio station called Deutsche Welle Radio. She was a true Suns fan getting very excited as Shawn Marion and the boys built a commanding 18-point lead in the third quarter.

Christine’s smile soon died as the taxi squad from Philly chipped away atthe Suns lead in the fourth quarter. The majority of the crowd were behindthe 76ers, their benchwarmers began to cause Phoenix problems. AI, C-Webb and company watched from the comfort of their bench as Philly launched what seemed like an impossible comeback. With 20 seconds on the clock and trailing by a point, the crowd exploded when Rodney Carney jacked in a 3 to put
Sixers ahead. With 10 ticks remaining Steve Nash’s men were unable toreclaim the lead. Now they must play for the wooden spoon against Maccabi Tel Aviv, whilst Philly will try and avoid back to back losses to Euroleague clubs.

The game finished around midnight, I had no time to hang around as I was once again on the prowl for a couple of sound bites. I had my man Shawn Marion messing with me, again so I asked him if he has enjoyed his time out here. His reply, “It’s all good, but I’m ready to get back to the crib on the first thing smoking. I got to get back quick!!”

We made a quick dash to Philadelphia’s locker room, yes, you guessed it. We waited him (the elusive AI) out until 1am. He gave us the slip for the second time in a day. Iverson’s obviously got the art of disappearing down to a science.

I’ll try again tomorrow.

NBA Live Europe Road Trip - Day 2

2006-10-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

While in Paris I thought I’d take advantage of the good weather and had breakfast outside a café. For October it felt like a spring morning, pretty cool. After taking in the early morning sights and some much needed fresh air, I met the others to head down to Paris Bercy for the game.

It was quite incredible, the interest in basketball. If this event were held in England you would not even come close to selling out your tickets. However a four hour drive from London it is a different story; as the match was sold out!

An hour before tip Bercy was buzzing, there were a number of French celebrities in the house, I recognized none of them, I figured the amount of flashes that went off meant that these folks standing next to me were quite well known. There was a big cheer at one point, as I turned my head, I did this time, know who the cheer was for – former French basketball legend Richard Dacoury, a bad boy from Limoges’ glory days.

I think the biggest cheer of all was saved for Eva Longoria (Mrs Solice). She did look quite stunning. She is a class act, not because she looked flawless, but she blanked me for an interview by giving me a smile and a wink and being very apologetic!!! As for her partner, all I can say is “He’s a chain!!” (If you don’t know what I mean, ask someone).

The game turned out to be a bit of a bust, as the starting five from San An’ drilled Maccabi Tel Aviv early. Popovich ran his bench which allowed the game to appear on the scoreboard, as a competitive encounter. Which it was not! Former standout guard from Georgia Tech, Will Bynum, was made to look very average. He was determined to drive the lane against the trees, but found that the new Spalding didn’t agree with his skills – consistently getting his shot batted into the cheap seats.

At the conclusion of the game it was the usual mad scrum for interviews, Ahmad Rashad, Iceman Gervin and anyone else that was willing to talk. I had noticed Thierry Henry on courtside, flanked by security and the NBA bigwigs who were trying to usher the football ace away. I was surprised to see him there after the drubbing they took from Scotland the night before. He must have been in a very good mood, he came up to me, Yes, I said it!! He came up to me and said “I’m a fan of your show, I watch it all the time”. In my mind I’m like, “Are you kiddin’ me?” Now I’m very chuffed as one of the worlds greatest sportsman is a fan of mine. As my boy Simon Ho would say, “Ya havin’ a larf!”

Night time in Paris was off the chain – after dinner we decided to crash TP9’s private party! Both teams were in da club getting their groove on. Even Tim Duncan let his hair down and was spotted jamming to ‘Ridin’ Dirty’. At this point I text my boy Rog Ho and asked the question “What jam can’t we get into?”

3am…… “TAXI!”

Tomorrow begins our five hour trek to Cologne, Germany. I’ll be catching up on some Z’s in the back with I-pod and noise excluders. I’ll hit you on Tuesday.

NBA Live Europe Road Trip - Day 1

2006-10-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

Day one turned out to be a slow yet productive day. Upon arrival at the Paris Bercy Arena, we (the media), had to wait a while for the Spurs to finish their practice session. When we were finally allowed to hit the hard court, boy was it a mad scrum! Literally all man and TV network for himself. As I’m a man who can’t deal with crowds, I sat back and waited for the dust to settle before making my move for the intended targets.

Bear in mind these guys have been answering questions, the same questions for over a week; so you can understand if they sometimes feel unenthused. The majority of the interviews went well, however the likes of Matt Bonner, Eric Williams, and Co of the San An’ Spurs decided to try and mess with the kid (me), from London. It was humorous fun, but I don’t think they’ll be trying to yank my chain anytime soon! We can hold our own in the South of London!

As well as a practice and media session, the Spurs were also on hand to treat over 100 Parisian kids to a mini basketball clinic – part of the 'NBA Cares' program. Whilst this was going on I kicked it with my former boss, Kevin Cadle. No longer a coach hollering from the sidelines in his Stacey Adams shoes, he is now, and has been for a number of years, the presenter of NFL and NBA on Sky Sports. Yes, we were talking about the good old days at Towers. Then he unleashed on me that we nearly recruited NBA man, Damon Jones. So why did we not sign the sharp shooter? Answer. We had too many US players! What could have been? Ah well, I guess we’ll never know.

At the conclusion of the afternoon, we bundled out of the building like something out of 24, CTU got the Spurs out of the building fast, they did not want us (the media), firing anymore awkward questions in their direction.

The game against Maccabi Tel Aviv is tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. How will San Antonio do? One thing is for sure, they won’t be taking this club lightly - knowing that CSKA Moscow shellacked the Clippers, and that the Sixers became the first NBA victim since 1987 to lose to a European ball club. Two losses in one week, the gap is definitely closed!

Londoner 'Pops' Off In Dallas

2006-09-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

Before this years 2006 NBA Draft, I wrote about Nick George (VCU), Richard Midgley (CAL) and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (GW). Of the latter I said “…Pops is looking to break into the 1st or 2nd round of the draft. He played well for his GW Colonials this year - they finished the regular season ranked in the top 10 which should see his stock rise a lot from this time last year”.

At the conclusion of July’s draft a British player did get chosen, but none of the aforementioned. It was the unlikely name of Joel Freeland who was taken by Portland with their 30th pick in the 1st round. Freeland has since been shipped back to his Spanish team, Gran Canaria Fadesa to work on his skills. His rights still belong to the Trailblazers and should he live up to his potential, Portland would exercise that right and make him a permanent fixture in the league.

After the draft I also spoke of one last opportunity for the above mentioned to impress in Summer Leagues and free agency market. Midgley’s tendonitis in his knees proved too much for him to accept any invitations to play or tryout. Pops was invited to play on the Dallas Mavericks Summer League team - he impressed the Mavs, more importantly he caught the eye of their animated head coach Avery Johnson. Johnson likes Pops’ work ethic, his hustle, and feels that the forward from Tottenham, London, will be a valuable member of his team. The Londoner has since signed a 2-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks for an undisclosed amount.

On a quick visit to London last week, I met up with Pops for an interview which will be aired on Channel Five in November. His London trip was a quick turnaround, so I interrupted his shopping venture to kick it with him for an hour. We both tried to remember the last time we hooked up and came to the conclusion it was somewhere in between his high school days and when he was a freshman at George Washington University.

Pops explained that he really wants to help Dallas in anyway he can and was looking forward to the opportunity to play against the NBA’s elite. Most of all he anticipates the moment his team plays against the Bulls and Luol Deng, his friend from their junior days in the UK. The on court meetings between the Mavs and Bulls are scheduled for the 14th November in Dallas and 25th January in Chicago.

If Pops is given a roll on Dallas’ rotation I’m sure he will make an immediate impact. I have always said, you can’t teach an athlete to play his heart out; he just wants to perform that way. Pops wants to play that way every time he steps on the court, that’s why I’m sure he will have a permanent place in the NBA.

What Next For Team GB?

2006-09-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

Now that the WCOB are over, Team USA fell way short of their goal; getting served by a Greek ‘Baby Shaq’ called Sofoklis Schortsanitis. What next for the once World Champions? My main concern should really be why can’t Chris Finch get anybody to play for the GB national team? Truth is - no progress has been made to really sort out the GB problem. Too many times we are begging veterans to come out of retirement and help the cause. What’s the point? These guys are nearly (or over!) 40.

We have a gang of talent in the UK, but none of them want to go that extra yard for Queen and country. They seem to have a belief that growing up they got zero help from their federation. Now they are in a position with considerable leverage, they decline any invitations to slide into a tight GB uniform.

I would love to see Pops, Midgley, Eric, Luol (passport pending), Rasheed, Nick and the rest of the UK talent come together and go to work on the hardwood. But until the cats in Sheffield sort out the list of problems in order to get that cheddar from the government, then we’ll have to wait another decade for our potential to be witnessed on the world’s stage.

I ain’t hatin, but the best move Finch made was to bring in Tony Garbs as his assistant. Tony has an affiliation with most of the above mentioned players; he may have some sentimental persuasion powers in getting these guys to buy into a very poorly run system! This way they can tell the likes of Roger Huggins and Co. “enjoy your retirement and QT on the golf course”. Only time will tell if this will ever happen!

Young Bull Looks Ahead

2006-08-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Luol Deng at South London's Ballers Eve at Crystal Palace

I have arrived back safely from my vacation and avoided the smouldering bushfires in Halkidiki, Greece. It’s time to settle back into my weekly regime - clocking hoops!!

Before I left I spent quite a few days and hours with our London boy Luol Deng. I must say it is great to see a millionaire who hasn’t forgotten his roots. Luol is definitely one guy who has his feet firmly on the ground. Not only did he make himself available to every kid that wanted to speak with him; he visited or played at all his old stomping grounds including Brixton, Midnight Madness and Thursday night’s Ballers Evening at Crystal Palace.

I caught up with him in South London to crack a couple of jokes about last season’s All-Star Game and generally yank his chain about anything I could. This is a guy that loves to share a joke and is thoroughly humble about his talents and the opportunity he has with the Bulls. Luol also held his own Deng Basketball Camp at the Sevenoaks School in Kent for 250 kids; here’s the deal – he coached his own camp!! He had a team and coached the kids and at one point he stretched with them before the game in the hallway!! The reason I bring this up is the fact that not many, if any, players actually take an active role in their camp. This young man was definitely hands on!

Naturally I asked him about the upcoming season, especially as Chicago has made significant changes to their roster thru the off-season. He is optimistic but cautious, saying that the team “must perform every night” as they try to live up to expectations. I’m sure they will make the Eastern Conference interesting; this season will open with the Bulls playing the NBA Champions Miami Heat in Miami, on the 31st October.

"K" Could Be The Answer?

2006-08-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

As Team USA prepare for the FIBA World Championships, it looks like they are getting back to the glory years. Coach Mike Krzyzewski seems to have gone back to basics, with a truly fundamental approach and TEAM ethos. Yes the roster is packed with stars, but more importantly it has roll players to compliment the egos. With convincing wins over Lithuania, China, Puerto Rico and a 4-point win over Brazil; confidence is riding high before the FIBA tournament begins on August 19th.

Team USA’s Group D, features China, Slovenia, Puerto Rico, Senegal and Italy. On current form they should make it through this group with the least amount of fuss. However, should egos creep in and become a factor then it may be a repeat performance of the last Olympics in Greece (Bronze Medal)!

No doubt our man from Duke, Coach K, will make the guys feel that they are indeed back on campus and must follow the basketball laws of Krzyzewskiville! Failure to comply may result in a one-way ticket back to the crib!

North Dump South!

2006-08-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

After taking a much needed summer break I found myself busier than ever. Last weekend not only was I helping my close friend Richard Scantlebury coach the HSC team to the Summer League final, but last Saturday night I received a phone call asking me to coach the Women’s North team as they took on the South in the warm-up game at Crystal Palace.

Looking at our team sheet before the game began I had my reservations, as the team looked light compared to our Southern opponents. Names from the South included the likes of Commonwealth Bronze Medallist Rosalee Mason and previous MVP Michelle Brown.

The North had a little family feel to it, as there were three sets of siblings on our team. The Leedhams Jen and Jo, the Naylor sisters Helen and Sarah; plus the Sterling twins Naomi and Crystal, who's names I had trouble getting correct even though they don't look at all similar!! The Northern Girls didn’t let the other team phase them – my girls came out strong, throwing in some deep 3’s and running our opposition to death. We did squander the big lead but we managed to overturn a 10-point deficit going into the 4th quarter and we came out eventual winners by a margin of 7-points. On top of that it was the first time the North had won in a while!

Coaching the girls game is a fundamental pleasure; missing are egos and the concentration level was that much higher, as they seem to be able to run plays without deviating from the X’s and O’s. Maybe if the men’s game were the same I’d still have a coaching job? Well maybe not!

Italian Taken With 1st Pick!

2006-06-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

After weeks of speculation Andrea Bargnani became the first pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. He was one of nine players that were chosen from Europe, the most surprising choice being England’s own Joel Freeland, who? That’s Joel Freeland! He was taken by Portland with the 30th pick in the first round. Only 2 weeks ago I was speaking with Mark Clark, whose son Dan plays in the same Spanish league as the 7’0” forward. Mark and I discussed the interest in the forward by NBA scouts, but neither of us believed he would be taken this year and so high!

It’s pretty major as most people thought Pops Mensah-Bonsu would be the next British name called behind Luol Deng a couple of seasons ago. Mensah-Bonsu was not chosen in either round, so he will have to wait and see if he is invited to play in the summer league in order to get another chance to impress.

However Freeland, a former player at the Solent Stars, was never really a player that you would have predicted to go so high in this year’s draft. But his time in Spain at Gran Canaria Fadesa seems to have paid off. Don’t expect to see him lighting up the NBA courts anytime soon – scouts feel he may need a little more time perfecting his skills and bulking up his 225ilb frame before he’s ready to take on a gruelling NBA season.

No 'Sub' For Experience

2006-06-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

So cats out there were thinking Miami were cooked, no one thought that a 4 game winning streak was on the cards; but they did it!! A monster play-off performance by D-Wade was enough to get his team their first Championship in franchise history.

No, I’m NOT jumping on the bandwagon (just check my show tape before the play-offs started). I felt that the experience of such a big occasion would be the deciding factor. Between Shaq and Riley, they could write an encyclopaedia on how to win and lose a championship.

You look at the hunger of Alonzo Mourning, who has been through so much, his career on the brink after having a kidney operation a few years back. Gary Payton, who chased the dream in Seattle, then crawled to the Lakers and failed. With one last desperate attempt at putting his ego to one side, he finally acquires a ring in dramatic fashion by hitting the eventual game winner in game 3. The veterans came up big.

No doubt every coach who thinks he has the stomach will look to recruit some NBA strays, egos and underperformers. As they will look to turn them around and by doing so earn them a championship! Easier said than done, Riley already knows it takes a serious case of ‘nutz’ to manage egos and get them ALL to focus on one goal. That’s why a huge amount of respect must go out to Pat, he has what it takes (a cupboard full) to get it done!

Summer's Here

2006-06-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Summer 2006 – Ballers is back!! The regular season has come and gone (again). Now is time for the summer action to kick in. The reason it is welcomed with open arms in the UK (London especially), is that all the fellas return home to give us another glimpse of their skillz!

Not likely to be seen are Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Nick George and probably Richard Midgely. Of the three, Midgely had a rather poor senior year at California; he produced some mediocre performances which saw him fall way off the potential he showed as a budding sophomore. No doubt he will still be chasing his dream of making it to the next level - by trying to catch the eye of NBA scouts at pre-draft camps that he is lucky enough to get a squeeze into.

Like most, I thought he would be a perfect fit for the league, however unless he shows up ‘BIG’ at a camp his next stop will be Europe. On the other hand Pops is looking to break into the 1st or 2nd round of the draft. He played well for his GW Colonials this year, they finished the regular season ranked in the top 10 which should see his stock rise a lot from this time last year.

Nick George is an outsider at this moment in time; currently he (and Pops) is attending the Orlando NBA Invitational Camp, hoping to be given an opportunity to fulfil his dream. Nick is talented and must show that he has the work ethic and basketball savvy to make his way onto a roster and into a uniform.

The Right Choice

2006-05-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

So it’s nearly been two weeks and some people are still questioning why Steve Nash joined an elite list of names, by winning the NBA’s league MVP, back to back. Well, here’s my theory: his team was expected to tank following the loss of Amare Stoudamire; experts were saying that the team would do well just to qualify. How wrong they were.

Nash led by example and did what an MVP is supposed to do – make others around you better! Not only did his team qualify with the 3rd best record in the West; but his Suns were the highest scoring team in the NBA, they averaged a whopping 108.7 points a game. That was due to his league leading 10.1 assists per game.

As he (Nash) spoon fed his team-mates; running mate and Frenchman, Boris Diaw was honoured with the Most Improved Player award. He also picked up the slack where others thought the Suns would falter. He doubled his scoring tally from the previous season by hitting 13.3 points per game and he dished out 6.2 dimes per outing – Nash played a key role in that too! You’d better believe that.

Nash received his MVP crown after the amazing come back, 3- 1 down against the Lakers and 3 wins in a row to send them packing. Only 6 other teams have ever done that in NBA history! That is nothing short of incredible.

Speaking of the Lakers, K-O-B-E! Yeah, he (Bryant) was dropping numbers throughout the season, B-I-G numbers to be precise; but all of that did not make his team better. The Lakers for the majority of the season looked frustrated and pissed off at the fact that they would have to enter another game and watch ‘their’ boy Kobe take 60 shots! Slight exaggeration, but you get my point. I’ll give him credit; he did become a team player in the first round of the play-offs against the Suns. But the fact that his boys are now chillin’ on the golf course says a lot, we all know it was too much too late, as they nose dived! I think the rest of the Lakers self-destructed as they couldn’t comprehend the fact that Kobe was now passing the rock!!!

Kobe was entertaining to watch, he is one of the greatest offensive machines to ever play the game. At this moment in time he is no MVP. The trophy rests on the correct mantelpiece, at the residence of Mr Steve Nash, MVP for the second consecutive year!!

Girls Battle for Glory

2006-05-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

RAF Cosford saw another weekend of awesome junior basketball, as U18, 16 and 14 boys and girls battled it out for first place in each age group. After watching some incredible match-ups; for me, it came down to the most exciting game of the weekend between the Haringey Angels and the Sevenoaks Suns. The U18 girl’s game was not short of drama, excitement and the mandatory nail biting finish.

Sevenoaks controlled the game from the tap, as they enjoyed comfortable double digit leads. In the 4th quarter I had pretty much thought that Sevenoaks were on their way to the trophy. With less than 3 minutes on the clock, Nicky Avery, Katie Harris and Cristal Turner of the Suns were in control of each possession both on offense and defense.

However Haringey had other ideas – Kashmere Joseph, their 6’0” centre, came alive down the stretch, rebounding Cristal Turner’s
misses and feeding her running mate Mrashi Karumba to force the break. Mrashi, has been criticised this season for hiding when the game is on the line. Not this time. On three occasions with the clock winding down she drilled three 3’s to put the Angels back in the game – now Haringey only trailed by 2-points. Suns’ Cristal Turner had 4 opportunities to ice the game, but only managed a woeful 1 of 8 from the charity stripe in the last minutes. Before she took her final shot the tears were already rolling and her team were still up 4-points at this stage.

A costly turnover on a bad inbound pass by Turner proved costly, as Haringey converted the lay-up. Suns failed to score on their final trip down the floor - Ruby Clarke, a 5’6” guard from the Angels, was fouled hard on her way to the hoop. The scores were tied at this point with only a few ticks of the clock remaining. Clarke calmly stepped to the line and sank both free throws; Haringey celebrated their ‘come from behind’ victory, while reclaiming the title they had won last year for the first time.

On the boys side the East London Royals despatched reining champions, Manchester Magic in the semi final of the under 18 boys. They faced Reading Rockets in the final but pushed them aside, claiming the Royals second championship of the afternoon. Head Coach Chris Morgan said, “Our boys learned a lot from last year’s loss, but we played a really good game to win”.

Andre Alleyne

The Winner Is.......

2006-05-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

So Luol Deng and his Bulls are now done for the season, courtesy of a 96-113 loss to the Miami Heat in game 6. The Bulls pushed the Heat to the edge but didn’t quite have enough strength to get them over the cliff. Luol had a very inconsistent series on offense, but more than made up for it on the defensive end. It was a solid defensive performance by Deng in his first ever play-off appearance. Last year he was unable to play due to wrist surgery. No doubt he and the Bulls will learn from this experience and lose the tag of ‘Baby Bulls’, now they are older and wiser.

Over on the West Coast game 6 between the Suns and Lakers will be decided on Sunday, as the scores are now even 3-3. Game 6 went into overtime but the Suns made sure this time they did not make any errors in the finals seconds; as they won game 6 and head back to the desert for the decider. It will be interesting to see what the Zen Master Phil Jackson, conjures up this time - as the Lakers try to deal with the ‘run n gun’ Phoenix Suns.

Back in sunny England the kids got next, the annual RAF Final 4’s returns to RAF Cosford. This is a solid tournament that has been running since 2000. It features some of the best girls and boys from under 14 to under 18’s – they too will be slugging it out to find an eventual champion at each age group. This should be a thrilling weekend of basketball, unlike my previous road trip!!

Andre Alleyne

Play-Off Disaster

2006-05-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

So Newcastle retains the BBL Play-Off Trophy and took the broom out, sweeping all 4 titles. Great job by the Eagles and Coach Fab, bad job by the BBL; as their production of this year’s final was pretty poor!”

Just a few minor points - current MK Lions coach, Nigel Lloyd and I sat in the stands but we were unable to follow the scores of any of the semi-finals due to a defective scoreboard at one end of the floor. This was frustrating and slightly embarrassing as this pretty much summed up our “professional” league. The inability to provide the most basic of equipment needed to stage a game. Martin Gottfried of the Guildford Heat shouted, “They could have at least given us a flip chart!”

In particular I felt sorry for a family of 5 who came to witness the semi-finals. The mother of the children said they had really enjoyed their day, however felt cheated as they bought tickets in the front row but were unable to keep up with the score of the games. Saying, “I will be calling the league to complain first thing Monday!!” My next point would then be why is it that the league still has no sponsor? Is the product that bad?!

In my humble opinion:
Get the local communities involved.
Find a way to encourage British talent to return home to play.
Limit the amount of US “low budget” players participating in the league.
Do away with the amount of useless games each team has to play. There is no need for a “BBL Trophy”. Heck, it was only invented to satisfy the sponsors. Hey people...... that problem no longer exists!

Meanwhile across the pond our boy Luol Deng (South London’s finest), and the Bulls are enjoying a terrific first round battle with the Miami Heat. Yes, they all (media and experts), said this series would be done in 4! Well, 2-2 and some internal problems with the Heat (as witnessed in game 4). All of a sudden the Bulls find themselves in a position to send shockwaves thru the NBA. Remember the Heat are expected to get to the Eastern Conference Finals at the very least!

Bring on Tuesday!!!!

Andre Alleyne

Survive and Advance

2006-04-29T02:11:00.000-07:00

If this was done purposely, then Phil Jackson is a coaching GENIUS!! All of a sudden Kobe has morphed into a team player overnight. No more 40, 50 or 80 point outings. Just a consummate team leader, professional and NBA player star making his teammates around him play better.

No doubt the Suns must be slightly shocked after the Lakers handed them their 2nd loss of the series, with game 4 Sunday night in the Lakers (and Clippers) house. Mike D’Antoni (my choice for Coach of the Year), knows his team is in a must win situation come Sunday afternoon, as a loss will have the Suns fighting for play-off survival.

Props also goes out to Sacramento Kings, as the return of Ron Artest from a one game suspension, was enough to give them their first win in their match-up against the current defending World champs. The Kings are currently down 1-2 and they were unlucky not to be ahead 2-1. Holding a slim 3-point lead with 4 seconds left, SAC carelessly allowed an open look from Brent Barry in the corner for a 3-point shot which tied the game sending it into overtime. Remember if you are up 3……… DEFEND THE ARC!! I thought everyone knew that?!

Lebron however is on a mission, his performance in game 3; WOW……the boy got skillz (like you didn’t know)!!! The final play of the game for the CAVS, down by a point. King James used EVERY move he had to shake 3 defenders; including an unbelievable hang time move in the paint and a little help from the window to bank home what would be the game winning shot. Cleveland is now up 2-1 against the Wizards with game 4 on Sunday night in DC.

Must say this has been an entertaining opening round of the 2006 Play-offs. I would not be surprised if 3 of the match-ups go the entire 7 games. There just seems to be parity amongst the teams. This may be due to the way the teams were seeded this season. Or maybe teams aren’t willing to roll over this year?

To The Whole

Andre Alleyne