NBA All-Star Game Special,...For More Than One Reason!!!

 All-Star games are usually dull. Hard to watch the whole thing.  The one game  I do  enjoy is the NBA All-Star game. "The World's  greatest pickup game "!  Sunday's game for some reason had special energy. Special karma.
 From the opening tip to the final buzzer the game was played at a frenetic pace. Slam dunks galore. Three point shooting. Dazzling passing and a final score of 163-155. I totally ate it up.
  But to me , one other thing really made it "ultra-special". Yes, Violet Palmer  became the first woman to  ref an NBA All-Star Game.
  Violet nice going!!

Elgin Baylor, Truly One of the Greatest of ALL-Time, Still Pursuing Discrimination Case Against Donald Sterling and The Los Angeles Clippers.

Elgin Baylor probably the first "high-flyer", superstar, Hall of Famer, scored 71 points in a regular season game and 61 points in a playoff game, is involved in a legal fight I don't think he can win. His discrimination case against the Clippers and Donald Sterling (one of the worst owners known to mankind) resulted in a defense verdict(jury) in March of this year.
He apparently won't let the case die and has hired top -shelf counsel to seek a new trial. Usually a long-shot at best. So why is Baylor pursuing the case? Because Sterling is a racist? Because he was treated unfairly ? Because he gave his heart and soul to the franchise that just discarded him? Pride ? He needs the money(I doubt it) ? Whatever the reason ,I hope he takes his " best shot " , win or lose and moves on .
He was a great player and a good executive...Still relatively young at 77...Had an amazing career[40 years].
Elgin my friend some advice. Live your life, move on and help put things in place that will protect the next " Elgin Baylor "! But, as Kenny Rogers once said ," You got to know when to hold em, and know when to fold em ".
You were the greatest!

NBA Playoffs; Both Series Still Up for Grabs.

Heat vs. Bulls ; Wade and Lebron vs. Rose! OKC vs. Dallas. Durant and Westbrook vs. Nowitski.
Who do you like ? Both series tied 1 all, with the Heat series shifting back to South Beach and the Mavs series heading to Oklahoma City .
While I love the conference finals, I got spoiled by the coverage of the earlier rounds where you could watch two, three and sometimes(early rounds)four games every night . Now , we get one game a night and the "off nights " like last night we were forced to actually watch baseball in May !
In any event , hoops resume tonight with the Thunder-Mavs game in OKC. I know the place will be rocking...What do you think Durant and Nowitski both get 40, 35 tonight ? These guys are friggin machines!
Heat game tommorrow in Miami will be an intense, fight for every inch on the floor ,defensive struggle. Low scoring again?
Anyway, here's my predictions. Heat in six. Wade and Lebron too good, too strong, too quick, too fast, too athletic, too good defensively and want it too much!
Dallas in seven. Mavs too, too deep and more experienced. I think both series have the potential to be classics.
Enjoy!

Knick Fans get a Grip; Boston is a much better Matchup than Miami.

Let me start out by saying that I am excited and totally looking forward to the Knicks-Celtics first round matchup...not to mention the next 2 months of NBA Playoff Basketball. I truly believe "the Knick series" will be entertaining and competitive . Don't ask me if "competitive " means 1 win, 2 wins or more. Can't and won't predict! All week long on "sports talk radio " fans have been calling in saying "we match up better" with The Heat. Fans, get a grip! While Boston is Boston, and they still have "the big 4", they are older, hurt and not nearly as athletic as Miami. Allright, allright I know they have 3 Hall of Famers, play great team ball and lock you down in the 4th quarter. But the Heat are younger, faster, quicker, more athletic and have a "very hungry Lebron" and "a very hungry Wade ". Not to mention Bosch, who is looking to shine in this playoff opportunity. No, I just can't agree. I, ( in my wildest dreams), can see the Knicks beating the Celts in 7. But, no matter how hard I try I can't convince myself that we can "beat those studs from South Beach". Just can't. Anyway, sit back, let the palm moisture start....Cause Sunday night live from Boston...it's showtime!