Meet the Newest Sun

With the # 15 pick in the 2008 NBA draft, the Phoenix Suns select Robin Lopez from Stanford. Lopez is a 7' big man who can play both center or power forward. He is only 20, and played two years in college. He is still growing and at 255 lbs, he will need to get bigger. He is known more to be a defensive player, just what the Suns need. It is clear that Suns management is moving away from the "run and gun" on every play style that we have loved over the past few seasons. But that is OK. The Suns will still be able to run, just not like we did pre-Shaq. Robin is both athletic and he can run and that is a plus for this quick team. Robin led the PAC 10 in blocked shots and is known more for his defense. Who better to learn from than the "Big Cactus". On this team, he will not have to be a prolific scorer. We have more than enough players who can score. Here is what the draft experts had to say about Robin:

Really hits the glass hard and hustles for loose balls ... An excellent shot blocker ... With his quickness and explosive leaping ability he has a real chance to be a factor as a shot blocker on the next level ... Foot speed is good allowing him to get to rebounds and run the floor very well ... Tough, hard nosed player willing to do the dirty work to help his team win ... He is extremely long and naturally strong and aggressive ... Scores mostly on garbage baskets and cheapies around the hoop ... Must improve from the free throw line where he shot just 55%...Experience and time should allow him to become a better offensive player, although it's unlikely he will ever be the scorer.

Players always say, "I want to be here," but Lopez, , means it. He turned down opportunities to work out for several teams picking ahead of the Suns because he didn't want to impress them. When Lopez met with the Suns during workouts, he blew them away with his knowledge of the team, its offensive and defensive scheme and how he could fit in. He understood the roster, spoke about ways he could help defend the pick and roll. He understood who the scorers were on this team and emphasized that his ego isn't fueled by how many times he touches the ball. This is significant. The Suns have been hindered by players who were preoccupied with what their teammates make or do. It's the biggest reason Shawn Marion wears a Miami Heat jersey these days. At 7 feet and 255 pounds, with a solid work ethic and a keen awareness of his role with the team, Lopez could make the Suns the real winners. By the way, the last time the Suns picked 15th? It was 1996 and they picked some kid out of Santa Clara named Steve Nash. Yea, he worked out OK. Welcome to Phoenix, Robin!

P.S. Thank you Paola

And Then There Was One...

Let's travel back in time...its the new year, 2005. What New Years resolution can I make? I had been working at the hospital for a couple of years. It was a decent job, I liked well enough. Did I see myself working there in 5 years? I didn't know...there wasn't much room for advancement. Both my father and my wife thought I should go back to school. I had thought about it from time to time. I had actually gone back a couple of times. It just never worked out. To be honest, the biggest deterrent for me at this point was the time it would take to get a degree. Dad: "You should go back to school". Me: "It will take too long". Dad: "So what if it takes five years, the five years are going to go by anyway, why not get a degree?" Along with the support of my wife, that was a fact I couldn't beat back. So the journey began:

January 27th, 2005

GEN 300 SKILLS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2005*

MGT 330 MANAGEMENT: THEORY, PRACTICE AND APPLICATION

MGT 331 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORCIS 319 COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING

* I was also taking classes at Scottsdale Community College

2006

PHL 251 CRITICAL THINKING

SOC 200 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

SCI 362 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND ETHICS

MGT 350 CRITICAL THINKING: STRATEGIES IN DECISION MAKING

2007

ECO 360 ECONOMICS FOR BUSINESS

PSY 250 PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONALITY

MKT 438 PUBLIC RELATIONS

RES 341 RESEARCH AND EVALUATION I

RES 342 RESEARCH AND EVALUATION II

MGT 431 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

FIN 324 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FOR MANAGERS I

FIN 325 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FOR MANAGERS II

MKT 431 MARKETING

2008

MGT 448 GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES

MGT 449 QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY

EBUS 400 E-BUSINESS

MGT 434 EMPLOYMENT LAW

So here we are. Only 2 1/2 years later. One class to go! On August 4th, 2008, I will officially have my degree! Official Program: BSB/M, Bachelor Degree in Business Management. Thank You Babe! Thank You Dad! Miracles do happen!

Sport Blunders

Just a little video showing winter sport enthusists at their worst..

Who Am I?

I was born on June 24th 1901 in Brown County, Indiana. Although I played professional basketball for 11 seasons, I am best known as the creator of the first basketball clinic in 1922, and the designer of the famous basketball sneaker in 1931 that was named after me. I was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 as a contributor to the game.

Who am I?

From the Great Camadini...

Dave is the most intellegent person when it comes to basketball. There is no one that has a greater knowledge or passion for the game. His words speak volumes. Here is his take on the Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan discussion:

It's in my nature to question authority, or in this case the media. I always disagree with the media when they say that Kobe is better than Jordan. But after doing a little research, I realized that they are right. The numbers don't lie. Kobe really is better than Jordan. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the numbers I have compiled below. They are sure to clear the air on the whole Kobe vs. Jordan discussion.

Jordan's 1st NBA Finals (1991 vs. LA Lakers) 31.2ppg, 11.4apg, 6.6rpg, 55.8%FG Finals MVP (age 27)
Jordan's 2nd NBA Finals (1992 vs. Portland) 35.8ppg, 6.5apg, 4.8rpg, 52.6%FG Finals MVP (age 28)
Jordan's 3rd NBA Finals (1993 vs. Phoenix) 41.0ppg, 6.3apg, 8.5rpg, 50.8%FG Finals MVP (age 29)

Kobe's 1st NBA Finals (2000 vs. Indiana) 15.6ppg, 4.2apg, 4.6rpg, 36.7%FG (age 21)
Kobe's 2nd NBA Finals (2001 vs. Phila) 24.6ppg, 5.8apg, 7.8rpg, 41.5%FG (age 22)
Kobes' 3rd NBA Finals (2002 vs. Nets) 26.8ppg, 5.3apg, 5.8rpg, 51.4%FG (age 23)

Jordan's 1st three NBA Finals: 36.3ppg, 7.9apg, 6.6rpg, 52.6%FG
Kobe's 1st three NBA Finals: 22.0ppg, 5.1apg, 6.1rpg, 42.5%FG

I know what your thinking, how come Jordan got 3 Finals MVP's and Kobe didn't get any? That's because Kobe got robbed. Some guy named Shaq was given the MVP all 3 years. Needless to say he didn't deserve it. But don't take my word for it, I've got the numbers to back it up.

Shaq NBA Finals (2000 vs. Indiana) 38.0ppg, 16.7rpg, 2.3apg, 2.7bpg, 61.1%FG (age 27)
Shaq NBA Finals (2001 vs. Phila) 33.0ppg, 15.8rpg, 4.8apg, 3.4bpg, 57.3%FG (age 28)
Shaq NBA Finals (2202 vs. Nets) 36.3ppg, 12.3rpg, 3.8apg, 2.8bpg, 59.5%FG (age 29)

As you can see, Kobe was definately the main reason for the Lakers success. Plus, I think it's safe to say the Lakers played better teams than the bulls. After all, Jordan met teams lead by Magic, Clyde, and Barkley; while Kobe had to contend with teams lead by Reggie, Iverson, and Kidd. But this is only the begining. Jordan left in his prime for two years to go play baseball because he didn't know how to handle his father's death. Upon his return he led his team to another 3peat. But that's not all that impressive if you ask me. What's really impressive is that Kobe found a way to break-up the dynasty they had previously built. Not only that, he found a way to lose in the finals to an inferior team like Detroit. In fact, Detroit is the only team since 1980 that won a title without a legitimate superstar. But it was probably because Kobe didn't have enough help. Shaq, Payton, and Malone just isn't enough to get it done. Plus, Shaq didn't come to play in the finals that year. Don't believe me, here's more numbers.

Jordan's 4th NBA Finals (1996 vs. Seattle) 27.3ppg, 4.2apg, 5.3rpg, 41.5%FG Finals MVP (age 32)
Jordan's 5th NBA Finals (1997 vs. Utah) 32.3ppg, 6.0apg, 7.0rpg, 45.6%FG Finals MVP (age 33)
Jordan's 6th NBA Finals (1998 vs. Utah) 33.5ppg, 2.3apg, 4.0rpg, 42.7%FG Finals MVP (age 34)

Kobe's 4th NBA Finals (2004 vs. Detroit) 22.6ppg, 4.4apg, 2.8rpg, 38.1%FG (age 25)
Shaq NBA Finals (2004 vs. Detroit) 26.6ppg, 10.8rpg, 1.6apg, 63.1%FG (age 31)

Jordan's Career NBA Finals: 33.6ppg, 6.0apg, 6.0rpg, 48.0%FG (35 games)
Kobe's Career NBA Finals: 22.1ppg, 4.9apg, 5.2rpg, 41.1%FG (19 games)

Just a side note, Jordan also averaged more steals than Kobe did throughout their Finals' career. All the numbers in the world don't change the fact that Kobe is better than Jordan. Besides, Kobe couldn't didn't get a chance to dominate because that of that Shaq fellow. Not to worry, no that Kobe ran him out of LA and is in his prime, his numbers will definately show he is better than Jordan. Still don't believe me? I go to the numbers yet again.

2008 NBA Finals (down 0-2 vs. Boston) 27ppg, 7apg, 3.5rpg, 40.1%FG (age 29)

Clearly that's better than what Jordan did when he was 29. Did you forget already, don't worry I'll refresh your memory.

Jordan's 3rd NBA Finals (1993 vs. Phoenix) 41.0ppg, 6.3apg, 8.5rpg, 50.8%FG Finals MVP (age 29)

K-O-B-E!!!!!
K-O-B-E!!!!!
K-O-B-E!!!!!

Stern is in hot water now...

I read a story on CBSsports.com today that claims that the NBA is one big conspiracy. Playoff series are fixed, star players are given special treatment and the outcome of games are controlled in a way to maximize profits. A friend at work and I often talk about sports in general, but basketball most often. He has a passion for the game. A deeper passion than anybody I know and a wisdom and knowledge for the sport of basketball than any of the talking heads on the air (both on TV and the radio). He truly should be a host of a daily talk show on the NBA. To say that he has a finger on the pulse of the NBA is an understatement. So after reading this article, I posed the question to him "Is it true?" fully expecting him to rip it to pieces, this is what I got:

It's tuff to say if it's true and how much of it is true. Everyone knows the star players get calls in this league. It's the same in every sport, at every level, and it's been that way for some time. To be honest with you, it's not a big deal and I don't think it changes the outcomes of games. Now, the whole rigging playoff series is a whole other allegation all together. I don't want to believe it, but a part of me has thought it for about 5 years now. I think the refs do dictate the outcomes of games. Whether it's because they are gambling on them or they are getting paid to call it a certain way or the league itself is telling them to call the game a certain way. Look at this series. In game 3 the Lakers shot more free throws in the first 6 minutes of the game than the entire game 2 in Boston. Leon Powe played 15 minutes in game 2 and shot more free throws than the entire Laker team. That is truly unbelievable. Sure the Lakers were being a little more aggressive in game 3, but you tend to be more aggressive when the refs keep giving you the calls. I was sitting there watching the game last night and at least ten times I saw a play and said to myself...."That's not a foul in Boston" or "They call that the other way in Boston". I understand the home team gets the benefit of the doubt at home, but when one team gets every close call it will dictate the game. Like game 2, where Boston shot 28 more free throws than LA. That's how Atlanta beat Boston 3 times in the 1st round. Atlanta shot 15 more free throws in game 4 and 22 more free throws in game 6.

But going back to those original allegations, the series in question is the Houston vs. Dallas series in 2005. Van Gundy himself said that he was told by an NBA official that the refs were gonna call the game a certain way. It truly is tragic, but we must come to realization that pro sports is purely a business these days. The purity and integrity of pro sports has been replaced by the hunger and greed for money.

At the end of the day, most NBA refs are immoral, bitter men with huge egos. Years ago they were under investigation for tax fraud because they were exchanging their 1st class airplane tickets for couch and pocketing the money. Plus they are in the spotlight big time. Think about how many refs you know by name or by face. We shouldn't know them at all. I leave you with this..... Refs are people who weren't good enough to play and weren't smart enough to coach.

After reading that article, I believe the worse it yet to come. People are going to take this story and run with it (Just wait until congress gets involved, and they will). Pro sports has turned into entertainment for hire. As much as we want to believe that the little guy has a chance, the deep pockets of whoever is concerned is going to conquer. I think that championships particularly in basketball are guided. For example, a Boston/LA series is just what the public wanted to see. Stern and company benefited HUGE from this. Don't misunderstand, both Boston and LA are terrific teams. but the image of the league that is portrayed in an Garnett/Kobe match up is what dreams are made of. That is what the fans wanted and Stern obliged. Is this a bad think? Only if you still believe that integrity is important in pro sports and you love the game for its purity and competition. Otherwise, its all about the money/matches. Stern is a shrewd businessman and has assured the monetary success of his business.

Stern was pretty arrogant when he proclaimed that Tim Donaghy was the lone bad apple. He tried to dismiss the whole situation. There is no hiding it now. It doesn't stop at the referee. The trail leads all the way to the top of NBA management. I think now we are understanding why Stern acted the way he did. He himself was aware of everything that was going on. Conspiracy Theory? Nope! Try Conspiracy Action! Move over WWE! I believe that the NBA will have a new commissioner by the time all this is over.

Are You Kidding Me?

To me, this decision is a no brainer. watch the video. I do not understand people, not just in Arizona, but anywhere. Why would you leave your child in the car? The manager of Food City should be relieved of his duties. The parent should be held accountable. The security guard should have ignored the manager and broke the window. They were all lucky this time. I would think that the security guard would be trained in such situations, especially if it is his responsibility to patrol the parking lot. It makes me wonder if there is a law that would hold people accountable for just standing by and letting a helpless victim die. If this is the case, would have the security guard and the bystander, both who did not act, be responsible? What about the store manager? He stopped the security guard and bystander from acting. Should he have been held accountable if the baby had died? There are times where you have to stop worrying about the action and consider the bigger picture. The child was visibly stressed and a locked car in summer...break the window and get the child out. No brainer...