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Title: Like Shooting It Into An Ocean

Photographer: Brandon Bombay

Description: Hong Kong, Main Island, Pok Fu Lam (off Victoria Road). Mainly a neighborhood filled with locals, so not many ex-pats means not many good runs. A gorgeous court deserving of better competition.

Date: October, 2010

Check out this post to learn how to contribute to the My Stomping Grounds image collection.

Gerald Green is literally 'on the rise'

On Monday night a Deron Williams-less Nets took a Dwyane Wade-less Heat to the brink, in a 101-98 Heat win.  At first glance this is typical late season fare between a contender sitting one of their superstars to ensure he’s healthy for the playoffs, and a consummate lottery squad sitting their sole superstar, ensuring they’re healthy for the draft lottery.  In the third quarter Green caught fire, and late in the stanza stopped and popped from three leading Ian Eagle to exclaim “Gerald…with the green light”, inadvertently bestowing a catchy nickname on a swing whose known for being as nomadic as he is athletic.

I love NBA League Pass (#monogamy), and have paid special interest to Green since he was given another chance at shaking the ‘Harold Minor 2.0‘ moniker.  More accurately, I’ve paid special interest to ‘The Green Light’ since he put on a show at All Star Weekend.  During a lull in the February weekend on Saturday afternoon, NBA TV aired the D-League All Star game, and quite frankly, Green stole the show – not of the D-League affair, but for the entire weekend.

The highlight, that made me literally jump out of my seat, and awaken me from a hungover Saturday malaise, was when Green caught an alley-oop on the break as his head rose above the rim and he rocked a windmill that called back to Vince Carter at Gauchos – a dunk attempt that would make Kenny Dobbs blush.  Green shanked the ball off the heel of the rim, bouncing the ball all the way to Albuquerque.

After putting on a show of jumpers, and other-worldly dunks, Green signed a 10-day contract with the Moscow Nets.  I went back to forgetting about him, because maybe there was just something about All Star Weekend that brought out the best in Green, but no one expected him to make any noise in the league this time around.  Well, Green made the best of a second opportunity, and I’m referencing another shot at completing the insane windmill alley-oop.

Green’s literally rose up the League Pass ranks, and has secured himself as a legitimate threat in the NBA, scoring 20 or more five times in his last twelve outings.  The jury’s still out on what kind of impact Green will have in a full NBA season logging serious minutes, but you can count on him being must-see League Pass TV cause this dunk-addict now has ‘The Green Light’.

Here are the results for the second round of the ‘non All Star’ League Pass All Stars tournament.  For more on the selection process view the original post here, and the first round here.  To vote, contact us on Twitter  @IGoHardNow & @BrandonBombay or email atBrandonBombay@IGoHardNow.com

The League Pass landscape has gone through some major alterations in the past few weeks.  Monta got moved from a League Pass staple team, to form a backcourt in Milwaukee with Brandon Jennings instantly earning the Bucks a League Pass Darlings label.  JaVale McGee’s mom’s son got shipped out to Denver and seems to have his act together.  Teams entering ‘tank mode’ have shut down a lot of starters with legit, and faux, ailments.  Steph Curry hasn’t seen action since 2010 which has meant the emergence of Klay Thompson (note: I was calling Thompson ‘the next Reggie Miller, but with a pretty jumper as far back as January).  Isaiah Thomas has been playing out of his mind in Sacto, and Tyreke Evans just seems out of his mind.  The biggest stories are the Cavs shutting down Irving, and the cataclysmic rise of ‘The Manimal’ Kenneth Faried.  Players, like their teams, have been playing above their pay grade, or plummeting and losing valuable League Pass favor.  With the season winding down, it’ll be interesting to see how this shakes up…

2002 Los Angeles Clippers

1 – Kyrie Irving vs. 5 – Greg Monroe:  The Pistons have looked solid down the stretch, and this is thanks in part to the stellar play of Greg Monroe.  Even though he’s been sitting, we still give the nod to Irving here, as Cleveland looks to make addition through subtraction (subtracting wins, to add lottery balls).

2 – Tyreke Evans vs. 6 – Isaiah Thomas: Early in the season I picked The Kings to be one of the top three must-see League Pass darlings with Evans, Cousins, and Jimmer (!).  This team has been all around disappointed, from a play, and entertainment standpoint.  It’s been the play of the last pick in the draft, Thomas, that’s made them worth watching.  Isaiah advances past a lethargic Evans.

2010 Oklahoma City Thunder

1 – Monta Ellis vs. 4 – JaVale McGee: Part of the two biggest trades over the deadline – from  a League Pass view at least.  JaVale looks to finally be putting it together in Denver, and has passed the mantle of ‘craziest nut in the League’ to Andrew Bynum.  The Bucks are amidst a late-season push to make the playoffs, but looks like they will fall short.   Monta-Jennings has been fun to watch, and if the Bucks keep this core together they will be in the running for League Pass team of the year in 2013.  Monta speeds past a sensible McGee.

2 – Steph Curry vs. 3 – Brandon Jennings: I originally put Steph in the same division as Monta because I wanted them to meet for a shot at the Final Four.  Brandon-Ellis moves past an incapacitated Curry and will meet his backcourt mate in the next round.

2005 Phoenix Suns

1 – Ricky Rubio vs. 4 – Paul George: “Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, can’t you see, sometimes your moves just hypnotize me…”  Check out this lengthy, but great piece on Ricky over at Grantland.   We have been robbed of League Pass greatness.   Look for the 2012/13 ‘Wolves to threaten to enter the echelon of all-time League Pass great teams (if they can find a wing).   Actually, Paul George would be perfect, I’ll spare you the Bill Simmons farcical trade scenario though.  Even in a wheelchair, Ricky moves past George and his Tron suit.

7 – Kenneth Faried vs. 6 – Ivan Johnson:  Ivan Johnson has been suspended to conduct detrimental to the team.  My guess is he threatened to stab someone over a game of dice.  Most likely, it was far less cliché, and he threatened someone over something menial like ‘hot tub time’.  Faried is a damn beast!  Although I don’t like the ‘Manimal’ moniker, the guy is literally an animal.  Had he been playing at this clip all year he wouldn’t be relegated at the 7 spot.  A healthy and surging Faried versus a half-season missed Rubio is the matchup to watch next round.

2007 Golden State Warriors

1 – John Wall vs. 4 – Paul Milsap:  Ship out McGee and sit Blatche and suddenly the dysfunctional Bullets look mildly functional.  Wall’s picked up his game of late, and while Milsap maintains his steady play for Utah, who the hell watches Utah?  Quick rant: Matt Harpring has to be one of the most annoying color guys in the L.  Actually, Hapring’s ineptitude behind the mic irk me so I’m going to disqualify Milsap.  Wall moves on via DQ.

2 – Jamal Crawford vs. 6 – Jrue Holiday:  Two two-guards who started out playing too good, and have since have not played too good.  Both teams shot out the gates playing at an incredible clip, and entertaining the League Pass Legion, but now both are unwatchable.  Was going to advance Holiday, but Crawford could not understand as he believes he is always the best – the man has no conscience.   Crawford moves on as Holiday eventually concedes.

NBA extreme ‘fandom’ has been on hiatus during March Madness so we amalgamated a two-week addition of Smoke These Joints.  [Shameless plug] speaking of March Madness and brackets, check out the ‘League Pass All Stars’ 32-man tournament I’ve created.  Onto the recent I Go Hard Now musings.  It’s been a LeBron-centric couple of weeks here, perhaps the staff  was just employing SEO-friendly articles about the  most famous/infamous player in the world.  Likely, a more accurate explanation is this site is manned by die-hard Cavs fans who put on a ‘good face’, but still have trouble moving on.  To make an analogy: it’s like a guy who gets dumped by a long-time girlfriend who was always out of his league, and then he moves onto another girlfriend who is attractive, fun, and loves him, but deep down the guy knows this new girlfriend isn’t as ‘good’ as the lover he was scorned by (to spell it out: LeBron is the girl out of our league, and Kyrie Irving [#swIrving] is the new ‘good’ but not-quite-as-good girlfriend).

Our Joints: 

Good – 2012 NBA All-Hot Team  by SpaceFunMars : I wanted to love this piece, and I did thoroughly enjoyed it.  However, I am confident enough in my sexuality to proclaim Dwyane Wade the unequivocal ‘hottest’ man in the NBA.  From his high cheekbones, to his 3.5% body fat, even his hipster-heavy yet fashionable, style, Wade is a stud – on and off the court.  Therefore, any NBA ‘hot’ list that doesn’t include Wade is suspect.  Plus, no love for Ivan ‘Freeway’ Johnson?  Maybe that’s for the All-Gully Team.

Better - Social Media and Ryan Hollins Mixtapes  by Demetri Inembolidis : Demetri waxes poetic  on the history of posting on NBA message boards and the types of fans you encounter (spoiler: they’re not all insightful).  He posts some of the hilarious comments from  his ill-conceived Ryan Hollins Youtube vid (creating that vid is the NBA equivalent of  writing Battlestar Galactica fan fiction).  The joint is a comment on NBA ‘fandom’ and the effects the rapid changes of the internets has had on us modern NBA junkies.

Best (or ‘Better-est’) - Lessons from LeBron by Angelo Benedetti  : Remember that ‘spurned lover’ analogy I used in the intro?  Well, this article perfectly encapsulates that.   Angelo supposes that the downfall of the Lebron-era Cavs was a middling support cast, which was caused by LeBron being too good.  LeBron’s greatness made the team good too quick, which in turn, by eliminating them from the Draft Lottery, kept those teams from aquiring the talent to be great.  In the process Angelo’s developed a c’est la vie attitude towards the current Cleveland Cavalieros, where, if they win he’s happy to amass the victories, and if they lose he’s happy to amass draft lottery balls. Very ‘Cavalier’ of him indeed.

Joints Heard ‘Round the Internets

Disagree – The Many Evils of Mike D’Antoni by Bethlehem Shoals : I’ll preface this with some ego stroking, I love the work done over at The Classical, and the moth to its butterfly- the work at FreeDarko.  The whole ‘the game is transcending, and by that we mean the way we perceive, analyze, absorb, and proliferate the game‘ thing is fantastic, and yes, even mildly ‘transcendent’.  At the crux of this piece is D’Antoni as an unyielding visionary, and his unwillingness to change that vision leading to his own undoing in Gotham, NY.  The Knicks were skidding, and something had to give.  They weren’t going to ship out the player for whom they had shipped out 86% of their roster only a year previous, so D’Antoni had to bounce.  The reason he didn’t work in New York is because Carmelo Anthony is an asshole.  Of course D’Antoni couldn’t waver and cater to him.  Would Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich have altered their vision to appease someone like Anthony?  D’Antoni wasn’t stubborn he’s just an NBA head coach, and a damned fine one at that.

Agree  - We’ve Got a Pointguard! from Forum Blue & Gold : “Finally, we have Ramon Sessions. Much to the chagrin of the fans of Cleveland, Sessions has sent shockwaves through Lakerland, providing us with a glimpse into a life that heretofore might as well have existed in another galaxy. Not since the days of Nick Van Exel have Laker fans had a young and explosive point guard at the helm. On Wednesday night, Ramon Sessions played the point guard game that this fan base has desperately been waiting for.”  As I’m sure you’re aware, this site began as an ode to the Cavs, and many of the writers (myself excluded) bleed whatever the hell color the Cavs jerseys are (wine???).  Sessions contributing for the heralded Los Angeles franchise is a story of semi Linsanity-like proportions.  Back to that girlfriend analogy, Sessions is that girl you broke up with, but now want back only because you see how great she’s doing with somebody else.

Tube

Warning: NSFW because even if you have seen this vid before, you will laugh uncontrollably.

For all I know you all have seen this before, but who cares, this clip never gets old.  I first came across this Youtube classic about five years ago just checking out random NBA clips (probably while drinking).  Since viewing it, my friends and I have adopted the announcers chant when someone hits a big shot, or just when we want to be funny, but mostly annoying.  RA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZAAAA RA-ZA-ZA-ZA-ZA ad infinitum…

Here are the results for the first round of the ‘non All Star’ League Pass All Stars tournament.  For more on the selection process view the original post here.  To vote, contact us on Twitter  @IGoHardNow & @BrandonBombay or email at BrandonBombay@IGoHardNow.com

2002 Los Angeles Clippers

1 – Kyrie Irving vs. 8- Byron Mullens: Mullens snuck into the tourney with a semi-breakout season, and his affinity for playing ‘prison ball’ in the offseason.  A smooth shooting big man with legitimate street cred is still no match for the phenomenon which is Kyrie Irving (#swIrving).  He’s been playing at such an incredible clip during his rookie campaign that Cleveland’s management shifted to rebuild overdrive and dumped Ramon Sessions to ensure more Cavaliers losses while building for their bright future.  Slick handle, smooth jumper, and the ability to carve up any defense with the game on the line.  Irving has the potential to be a better version of Chris Paul, and is the epitome of must watch League Pass goodness. Kyrie Irving advances in a laugher.

2 – Tyreke Evans vs. 7 – Kemba Walker:  Both these players are extremely entertaining to watch when they’re rolling, and frustrating when they’re struggling.  Tyreke was born a forward with point guard skills, and Kyle Watson sensibilities.  Kemba was born a point guard with a two-guard’s brain.  After his M.O.P. performance for UConn in last year’s NCAA Tourney, we had such high hopes for Kemba to become a League Pass staple, but at this point he’s just a ‘tweener on a horrible squad.  Tyreke Evans wins this one-on-one dribble off.

3- Ty Lawson vs. 6 – Isaiah Thomas: Early in the season this would have been a no contest decision for Lawson, as he looked unstoppable during the Nuggets fantastic start.  Lawson’s productivity, along with Denver’s win totals, has plummeted.  Isaiah Thomas, the man who usurped would-be League Pass darling, Jimmer’s, minutes and notoriety, has produced far beyond his size as of late.  Couple that with being the final pick in the Draft and you have the makings of wonderful League Pass darling.  Isaiah Thomas wins going away in the second half.

4 – Kevin Martin vs. 5 – Greg Monroe: A consistent cog for League Pass viewers, Kevin Martin can look like Reggie Miller when he has it going (right down to the retina hurting release). Greg Monroe is one of the only bright spots for this year’s oft-pathetic Detroit Pistons.  The rookie has been an absolute beast down low averaging 16/10 and much needed toughness.  Houston has enjoyed unexpected success for a team that seemed decimated by losing out on Pau Gasol during ‘Void-Gate’.  Monroe edges out Martin, for bringing a glimmer of hope to the city of Detroit.

2010 Oklahoma Thunder

1- Monta Ellis vs. 8 – Ersan Ilyasova: These two were not teammates when the bracket was released, which wouldn’t have affected the outcome.  Ilyasova is having a breakout year after Bogut went down for the Bucks.  Ersan’s numbers are nothing that can contest with a long-time League Pass darling, Monta Ellis.  He’s a ballstopper with a ‘tweener body, and athleticism that would make Jesus blush.  Monta has been dominating the 10:30pm EST League Pass timeslot for a few years now.  Too bad we won’t get to enjoy a full season of a Monta/Jennings backcourt because this Bucks team is making a push in the standings, both for wins/losses, and for League Pass viewership.  Monta leapfrogs Ersan into the next round.

2 – Steph Curry vs. 7 – Tracy McGrady: T-Mac made the tournament as a nostalgia selection, and basically on the merit of one quarter of play where he lead the Hawks over The Heat.  Steph Curry could have been a 1-seed in the tourney, but his ankles have kept him off the court too often.  Still, Curry runs away with this one – that’s if he physically can run.

3 – Brandon Jennings vs. 6 – Marcin Gortat: Oh, how different this entire League Pass season would have been had Monta joined Jennings earlier.  Before Ellis’s arrival, Jennings was having an inefficient, but entertaining season for the much maligned Bucks.  The Gortat selection could easily have been Grant Hill as a representative for the surging Suns (or Michael Redd had he played like this all season), but the ‘Polish Hammer’ got the nod.  Jennings speeds past Marcin to join Monta in League Pass supremacy.

4 – JaVale McGee vs. 5 – MarShon Brooks:  MarShon Brooks is long, athletic, and can create his own shot –  he’s just a joy to watch operate. JaVale McGee is long, athletic and…well, I wouldn’t describe him as a joy to watch.  McGee is ranked so high because you never know when he’s going to do something like this, this, this, or this.  He amazes in so many different ways, that his ‘watchability’ is immeasurable.  McGee sprints past Brooks in this round, but it will be interesting to see how the trade to Denver affects his League Pass viewership.

2005 Phoenix Suns

1 – Ricky Rubio vs. 8 – Klay Thompson: In late January I heralded Klay Thompson as ‘the next Reggie Miller, but with a beautiful jumper’.  He’s hit a mini rookie wall, but I stand behind my hyperbolic statement, if only to incite sensationalism.  Ricky Rubio embodies sensationalism.  His ‘watchability’ ranks in the highest ever, up there with ’06 Steve Nash.  Whereas Nash seemed to will himself to greatness, coming on late in his career, Rubio seems destined to wear the League Pass crown for years to come.  There’s a fluidity and naturalness to his game that reminds me of playground great Booger Smith.  ACL be damned, Ricky passes Klay easily in the first round.

2 – Lou Williams vs. 7 – Kenneth Faried:  Lou Williams gets buckets.  Kenneth Faried gets everything else.  This one comes down to pure ‘watchability’, and while Williams can be a joy to watch with smooth handle and pull up jumpers, Faried is pure frenetic energy.  Faried races past Williams, and keeps going, for a major upset in this round.

3- OJ Mayo vs. 6 – Ivan Johnson:  OJ Mayo is the best pure shooter/scorer on a long-time League Pass favorite, the Memphis Grizzlies.  Ivan Johnson is the most impure human in the league, and we love him for it.  Ivan ‘Freeway’ Johnson doesn’t watch basketball, has a diamond grill, and was banned from a Korean league for anger issues.  His real life exploits have earned him an on-going series on Grantland, which of course he’ll never read, or even hear about.  OJ Mayo originally won, but Ivan Johnson Deebo’d it from him – Ivan Johnson pushes through.

4 – Paul George vs. 5 – DeMar DeRozan:  In a battle of underachieving Dunk Contest performers the edge goes to Paul George because of his Harold Minor-esque reverse pump dunk, and because the Toronto Raptors franchise, and even their fans, are insufferable.  Paul George advances on four dunk attempts to DeMar’s five.

2007 Golden State Warriors

1 – John Wall vs. 8 – Gerald Green: Gerald Green is the embodiment of what a League Pass All Star is.  He originally made the tourney on the strength of one dunk, and if we could include highlights from the D-League All Star Game he might have even upset Wall [yes, even if we included Wall’s Rising Stars Game highlights because in the D-League ASG guys don’t clear out for you to dunk.]   Wall and the Wizards had descended into must watch Leauge Pass for the wrong reasons.  Hopefully Wall can reach his full potential with the departure of McGee, and amnestied-bound Andray Blatche  collecting DNP-CDs.  Wall survives a late game scare and moves on.

2 - Jamal Crawford vs. 7 – Tristan Thompson: Jamal Crawford was a precursor to other combatants in the League Pass tourney, OJ Mayo and Lou Williams, and still holds the thrown for swingmen flamethrowers who come off the pine.  Tristan Thompson is going to be a fine pro (or even All Star), and has been a nice addition to the unexpected League Pass darling, Cavaliers.  Even Portland’s mid-season rebuild can’t thwart Crawford’s unconscionable shooting.  Jamal Crawford defeats Thompson by getting buckets – or whatever the term is that describes an immeasurable amount of buckets.

3 – Kyle Lowry vs. 6 – Jrue Holiday:  Thanks in part to Kyle Lowry, the Houston Rockets have enjoyed a modicum of success this year.  The Sixers representative oscillated between Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner, and although Turner’s come on fierce as of late the pick went to the more consistent Holiday .  Lowry wins this matchup based on his stellar early season work that even garnered All Star Game talk.  Lowry’s all around complete game nudges him past Holiday.

4 – Paul Millsap vs. 5 – Luis Scola: Both players are forwards that get it done down low without much flair or fanfare.  Luis Scola has some Olajuwan inspired post moves and scores by carving up defenders down low.  Millsap doesn’t own as many up-and-under fakes as Scola, but he gets it done at a higher output in both points and PER.  Scola takes the flop, and Millsap moves onto the next round after a no-call.

In 1998 Stephon Marbury was one of my favorite players in the league.  A poster hung on my wall with Starbury ascending to the heavens, the moon cupped in his hand like a basketball, and some not-so-clever timber wolves phraseology pun plastered on the top.  I had become a fan of the budding point guard after only seeing him play once,  which was during an afternoon game versus the Raptors (this was even before the young ‘Wolves squared off against Gary Payton and the Sonics).  Through what little highlights I caught – this predated Youtube –  and articles I peeped in SLAM, he had become a mythical point god – think Kenny Anderson with a jumper, or Mark Price with handles.

This year another young point guard playing in forlorn Minnesota captured the attention of NBA fans.  This time around, thanks to League Pass, you could catch every minute of burn Ricky Rubio logged – even if you are in Canada, hell even if you’re in Korea.  League Pass has redefined NBA fandom, transforming die hard fans into fullblown ‘junkies’ with a seemingly never ending stream of games featuring all the stars you want to see, and plenty of unheralded studs.

To honor those players mostly unfamiliar to the average fan, but  are stalwarts for League Pass viewers, I’ve compiled a list of thirty-two players deemed “The Non-All Star League Pass All Stars” and pitted them against each other in a tournament.  To qualify, a player could not be on the 2012 All Star team, and must play for a small market team, or a team that receives little to no national exposure.  That means no players from the Boston, Chicago, Dallas, either Los Angeles team, Miami, New York, Miami, Oklahoma City, or San Antonio will be represented.

The players have been split into four divisions, each named after a transcendent League Pass team of years past: 2010 Oklahoma City Thunder (Rise of Durantula); 2007 Golden State Warriors (Fear the Beard); 2005 Phoenix Suns (League Pass/League MVP); and 2002 Los Angeles Clippers (Original League Pass Darlings).

Player rankings were established by an approximate mix of 60% statistical output, and 40% ‘watchability’.  ‘Watchability’ being defined as entertainment derived from on-court performance (highlights), or a player with riveting pathos (see: Ivan Johnson).  Simply put, a player you want to watch.

Contact us to help decide matchups like: can #3 Ty Lawson hold off fast rising #6 Isaiah Thomas, and who should win the battle of Dunk Contest disappointments #4 DeMar DeRozan or #5 Paul George.  Take a look and chime in on the comment section below, or email at BrandonBombay@IGoHardNow.com (or tweet @igohardnow).

“Only free men can negotiate.  Prisoners cannot enter into contracts”  - Nelson Mandela

Steve Nash is a prisoner.  A unique one held captive seemingly on his own accord; the keys to release are in his possession, but his freedom comes with stipulations.  In February 1985, Nelson Mandela had been a political prisoner for thirteen years.  South African President P.W. Botha offered him freedom contingent on disarming his anti-Apartheid sect the African National Congress (ANC).  This was not the first such offer of release for Mandela, and not the first he would reject.

Fans want to see Steve Nash freed from Phoenix, and all he seemingly needs to do is ask to be traded, but Nash rejects this notion.  If he is to leave Phoenix, it will be on his terms, without any concessions.  He has waited patiently as the Phoenix Suns have rotated through general managers, growing hopeful each time that change is imminent, only to be disappointed and left with a depleted roster.  Now seems to be the time for our Canadian hero to change his approach.

When the leader of the Apartheid Party, Daniel Malan, was in power the Mandela-led ANC attempted to set up a round table discussion, but were soundly ignored; when Prime Minister Strijdom was in power the ANC tried again, but continued to be ignored; and when Prime Minister Verwoerd took office, the ANC requested a national convention, but still no notice was taken.  After years of thwarted peaceful negotiations, the ANC resorted to violence.

Steve Nash’s requests to upgrade the roster have gone unheeded by his last three leaders: Jerry Colangelo, Steve Kerr, and current oppressor Lance Blanks.    Perhaps, our Canadian compatriot holds out hope that change, not just in leadership, but a shift in culture for Phoenix Suns management.  Unfortunately that has not happened, and good faith negotiations have been ignored, now is a time for action.

Five years after daughter, Zindzi, delivered his speech rejecting the conditional offer of freedom, Mandela was finally released by F.W. de Clerk, without conditions that would compromise his beliefs, and the decades long ban on the ANC was lifted.  Later, Mandela and de Clerk would go on to win a Nobel Peace Prize together for their efforts to end apartheid.

A resounding change of fate does not seem imminent for Nash and the Suns.  He does not deserve to toil away on a lottery-bound team in the twilight of his career.  Time is running out on his championship aspirations.  The time for a diplomatic approach is over and he needs to take matters into his own hands.  The time has come to rise up, as we all must push, to ‘Free Steve Nash’!

Excuse the glib and porous analogy.  The point is not to marginalize Mandela and all those who suffered through Apartheid (Lord knows I could not begin to fathom their struggles, then and now), but to compare the ‘Free Steve Nash’ movement as bordering on asinine.  We all want to see Nash doing his whirling-dervish point guard thing on a team that ‘matters’, but to imply that he is suffering some type of hardship, or injustice, is absurd.   Robert Sarver is not an evil man oppressing Nash by keeping him from what he truly deserves, a shot at another title run.

The general census: Steve Nash must be freed from the shackles of the Phoenix Suns because if any veteran player deserves a championship, or at least a legitimate shot at one, it’s him.  Take a moment to think about that, has Nash not been given all the accolades he deserves?  He and Jason Kidd are the two best point guards of this generation.  Last year Kidd collected his chip, along with an intimidatingly large ring, so that leaves little Stevie Nash out in the cold right?

Nash might not have a championship, or even a Finals appearance on his resume, but his back-to-back MVP seasons in ’05-‘06 leave him in truly elite company: Russell, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Moses, Bird, Johnson, Jordan, Duncan, and LeBron.  Reread that list, if you listen closely you can hear the ‘One of these things is not like the other…’ song playing.   Perhaps the reason Steve hasn’t demanded a trade either directly with management, or through the media, is because he realizes he has already received more than he deserves.

Now, let’s not devolve into the ‘Kobe was robbed in 2006’ discussion, which has already been discussed ad nauseum.  Nash has won two MVPs, with the ’06 win being one of the most hotly contested of all time.  He does not look at himself in the mirror and ask “what did I ever do to deserve this, how did I get so unfortunate?”  He’s a back-to-back MVP and that means first ballot Hall of Famer, so what if he doesn’t eventually raise a banner.  If you think Nash deserves another shot at a championship, do you also think Kobe deserves a retroactive vote on the ’06 MVP?  Kobe has his rings, Nash has his MVPs – both have been awarded for stellar careers.  In a perfect world Nash has a championship, and Bryant has two MVPs.  We do not live in perfect world.

There’s no point in seeing the Suns guard moved if he can’t continue to be the Steve Nash we have all grown to love.  It would be disheartening to see him moved to a contender like The Heat, and watch his dazzling abilities neutered by greatly deferring.   The sexy pick is for Nash to be reunited with D’Antoni and Stoudemire in New York.  Plus, apparently Nash loves New York [note: so does everyone].   That Knicks squad, with Nash helming the point, could still not overthrow Miami, or even Chicago in the East.

What if Nash moved to cross-coastal big market powerhouse The Lakers?  Watching him setup Pau and Bynum seems nice on paper, but Nash loves the ball in his hands, almost as much as Kobe Bryant does.   Plus, replacing Derek Fisher with another old point guard is not the answer.  Pairing Nash with Dwight Howard in Orlando could be interesting, and that’s only if, and we’re talking a Howard-size if, Dwight decides to stay.  Even then, I can’t picture them beating Heat/Bulls in a seven game series.  Nash rejoining Dirk in Dallas, has a nice cyclical career-arc  feel, but that’s supposing the Mavs whiff on acquiring Deron Williams this summer.  It seems the only way Nash is moving to a contender is if it takes a significantly reduced role.

Our world is not perfect.  If it were, Steve Nash would have an NBA title.  However, moving to a contender where he is relegated to the bench, just for a chance at a ring is not the answer to ‘Free Steve Nash’.  As Nelson Mandela’s has taught us, if you cannot be yourself then you are not truly free.