Magic Johnson Is The Latest To Do The John Wall Dance

February 27, 2010 – Allen Moll

In a phenomenon that has spread like wildfire, seemingly everyone is doing “The John Wall Dance.” The Kentucky freshman phenom unknowingly started a pop culture dance move nicknamed, “The Blue Jesus“, that has become so popular to do, that it has been seen all across the globe as thousands of John Wall fans clamor to imitate his moves that he unveiled during player introductions at Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness pre-season celebration.

The craziness has even spread to his teammates since fellow freshman, DeMarcus Cousins and even the Kentucky mascot were caught on tape doing the dance in celebration of the Kentucky program’s 2000 wins. Wall’s moves were first imitated by the rabid Kentucky Wildcat fan-base, who instantly accepted Wall as one of the most hyped freshman to come to Lexington in recent memory. It became the cool thing to do, whether by the student section at KU games, while deer hunting, or by even 3 year old KU fans.

But Wall’s new moves couldn’t be contained by just the United States as videos popped up everywhere like from The Great Wall of China, the Egyptian Pyramids, to even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Even some of the entertainment business’s biggest stars just can’t resist doing the John Wall Dance like rapper Drake and actor Kris Joseph on ABC’s Cougartown.

In basketball, anyone and everyone has seemingly been caught doing the John Wall, like the ESPN College Gameday Crew and most even Coach Calipari during a Hoops for Haiti Telethon. It’s refreshing to see Digger do some moves from this century.

Following in the footsteps of Lebron James at the Vanderbilt game, NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson was in Lexington this week for the Kentucky/South Carolina game, as he was introduced as the letter ‘Y‘ in the halftime ritual of spelling out KENTUCKY on giant flash-cards.

Apparently Magic just couldn’t resist doing the John Wall dance:

Check out this funny and creative John Wall video as he is inserted into historical events in history:

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen is a regular columnist for thehoopdoctors.com, Bleacherreport.com, UpperDeckblog.com, and his own site, Hoops Haven.

Michael Jordan Buys Charlotte Bobcats

February 27, 2010 – Dr. Anklesnap

We told you in early February that Michael Jordan had less than a month to make an offer to buy controlling interests in the Charlotte Bobcats or he may find himself out of a job. It was quite likely that any other new owner would want to put his own stamp on the team and may not look fondly on Michael continuing to fully run the Basketball Operations.

We truly believe that its good for the league to have the greatest player of all-time and certainly the most recognizable name in all of basketball to continue to be affiliated with the league. That’s why we are really excited to hear that as recently as last night, Michael Jordan and his ownership group have come to terms on an agreement to buy the Charlotte Bobcats.

ESPN had this on the deal today:

Jordan has struck a deal to buy controlling interest of the Charlotte Bobcats, putting the six-time NBA champion in charge of the money-losing team in his home state.

Owner Bob Johnson announced in a statement that Jordan was able to put together an ownership group late Friday to buy the team he has been a part-owner of since 2006. Jordan has been running the team’s basketball operations.

The purchase price and details of Jordan’s ownership group — called MJ Basketball Holdings LLC — weren’t immediately available. A spokeswoman for Johnson and a spokesman for Jordan said neither man was available for comment early Saturday.

The league’s owners must still approve the purchase.

So the final hurdle will be to get the approval of the league and its owners on the deal. That shouldn’t be a problem as Jordan has strong relationships with many of the owners in the league. Not only that but the other owners surely recognize the financial impact Jordan’s presence can have on the league. He continues to be a polarizing figure in sports and draws the attention of media, sponsors, and the world. This is good for the league as a whole and good for the economics of the sport.

MJ has taken a lot of heat for his executive decisions while in Washington, but he has certainly begun to redeem himself in Charlotte since taking over basketball operations. Key player moves and bringing in Larry Brown as Head Coach last summer has the Bobcats this season on the verge of possibly making the playoffs for the first time. At a record of 28-29, the Bobcats currently sit just a half a game out of the last playoff spot, behind Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.

Kevin Durant’s Emergence Makes Greg Oden Look Even Worse

February 26, 2010 – Kevin Burke

Kevin Durant’s string of consecutive games scoring 25 points or more came to an end a few nights ago, at 29, against the Spurs. That’s the second longest streak in history. Second only to MJ’s 40 straight games in the ‘86-’87 season. Durant is an unguardable scoring machine. When he was a Longhorn, I said that he would be an NBA scoring leader before long. Well, in only his 3rd season, he’s about to prove me right. But as Durant has emerged this year, I can’t help but think about Greg Oden. Three years ago, I told anyone who would listen that the Blazers should take Durant number 1 and not Oden. People called me crazy. Imagine where Portland would be if they took Durant (although you could make the argument that Durant and Brandon Roy couldn’t coexist). The verdict is in by the way, Oden is officially a bust.

I labeled him a bust last year, but I was told my opinion was premature. I don’t think so anymore. As you know Greg Oden is done for the season after fracturing his left knee cap against the Rockets on December 5th. This is added to the long list of injuries he’s had in his short career. He missed his entire rookie season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. This now means that he’ll have 2 surgically repaired knees that will be supporting a 7 foot frame. That’s not a good combination.

I wasn’t high on him coming out of Ohio State. I didn’t understand the love affair with him. His best basketball skill was that he is tall, and that’s it. Despite missing his entire rookie season, Oden played in 61 games last year. I was surprised he made it that far. And now this. He is definitely injury prone. No doubt about it. But take his affinity for injuries away, and he’s still not that talented of a player. His offense makes Dwight Howard look like Hakeem Olajuwon. He rarely cracks double digits in points or rebounds, and is always in foul trouble.

Video:

I don’t wish injuries on anyone, but I think it’s safe to say he’s a bust. But where does he rank on the all-time bust list? I think it’s time to start including him in this conversation. He is along the lines of Same Bowie. Is it ironic that they were both drafted by Portland? Let’s not forget about Michael Olawokandi or Kwame Brown either. But for as much hype that he received coming into the league, I’d put him at the very top of the bust list because people were acting as if he was the next best thing. I didn’t think so then, and definitely don’t think so now. When he returns to the court, and at his very best, I see him being a 7th or 8th guy off the bench, getting about 12-15 minutes a night. If that’s what he is, then fine. Let’s allow him to be what he is and stop trying to make him into something that he clearly isn’t.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. For example, I bet you’ve never heard anyone provide legitimate reasons as to why Tim Duncan may be overrated, so buckle your seat belts and enjoy the ride.

25th Anniversary of The Bob Knight Chair Toss

February 26, 2010 – Allen Moll

Whether unfairly or not, Hall of Fame coach and current ESPN college basketball analyst, Robert Montgomery Knight, will forever be best known for his tossing a chair across the court incident during an Indiana/Purdue game back in 1985.

While most may not agree with “The General’s” methods of expressing himself on and off of the court, no one can deny he was a genius on the hardwood both as a player and a coach, as evidence of his 3 National Championships with the Hoosiers and more than 900 career NCAA Division I wins.

Knight has more than proven himself to be an icon in college basketball for not only his hoops acumen but also his propensity towards a good sound byte or entertaining press conference. Who could forget the time he used a drinking glass to predict the future, his ‘08 Volkswagon commercial poking fun at the chair tossing incident, or his hilarious interview explaining his favorite word.

While all of his antics may overshadow his supreme skills as a recruiter, motivator, and in game strategist, everyone always comes back to his most memorable moment on the sidelines, the now infamous chair he tossed across the floor to get the attention of some Big Ten Conference officials, most namely Teddy Valentine and London Bradley, whom Knight had quarrels with on a nightly basis in his heyday. Most casual fans account of the situation was that Knight tossed the chair at the officials but a closer look shows that he casually tossed the chair a good 10-15 feet in their direction to, both get their attention and make a point to fire up his squad.

Even though the Boilermakers eventually won the game 72-63, all anyone remembers is Knight’s now infamous chair heaving incident. Although Knight probably wouldn’t want the spectacle to be remembered and immortalized, it definitely goes down as one of my most memorable moments in NCAA history.

Check out a video featured on Sportscenter showing Bob Knight’s Top 10 Soundbites:

Maryland Hits Two Buzzer Beaters In 3 Seconds [Video]

February 25, 2010 – Allen Moll

The Washington D.C. area has had a tough year so far for hoops fans. Before the NBA and NCAA seasons began, both the Washington Wizards and Maryland Terrapins had high hopes of making deep post-season runs. While both have either struggled at times(Maryland) or imploded(Wizards), Maryland has apparently righted the ship after a mid-season swoon to again be players in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Coming into their game with a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets squad which had been in and out of the Top 25 all season, senior point guard Greivis Vasquez had been on a tear by averaging 24.5 ppg, 6.5 rebs, and 7.3 ast over his last 5 games, helping the surging Terps win 4 of their last 5 games to inch within one game of first place Duke(11-2) in the ACC.

A win over Georgia Tech(18-8), who have an RPI score of under 50, would bolster Maryland’s chances of making a return trip to the NCAA Tournament for the 8th time in the past 10 seasons. The Yellow Jackets have been struggling as of late by posting a 4-4 record in their last 8 games even though they started the season 11-2 before the New Year. Highly touted freshman, Derrick Favors(11.5 ppg, 8.5 rebs, 2 blks) has been every bit as good as advertised by ranking among the nation’s leaders in double-doubles in points and rebounds.

With both teams having a lot at stake in the match-up, experts predicted a tightly contested game between conference rivals. Both teams didn’t disappoint as Favors’ tip in with only 3 seconds remaining put GT up by 1 point. Maryland then in-bounded the ball to Vazquez who promptly banked in a half-court shot which would have won the game, except for the fact that a Maryland assistant called time-out to set up a play.

After setting up quick hitter, Maryland again in-bounded the ball as seldom used junior guard, Cliff Tucker curled off of a pick and hit a 3 point shot at the buzzer to give the Terps a 76-74 victory. The win spoiled a great game by GT’s Favors, who tallied 21 points and 18 rebounds, his 10th double-double of his freshman campaign. The win moved Maryland(19-7, 9-3 ACC) to within one game in the loss column of the Blue Devils(11-2) in conference and almost assuredly will grant the Terps an at-large berth into this season’s NCAA Tourney.

Check out footage of the final minute of play as Maryland hits two game winners to beat GT:

TNT Crew Discusses The Greatest Celtics Of All-Time

February 25, 2010 – Allen Moll

Recently, during the 3 Point Shoot-Out won by the Celtics’ Paul Pierce at All Star Weekend, TNT announcers Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith argued over whether Pierce has done enough in his career to be mentioned as one of the Top 10 All Time Celtics players. While Charles disagreed with Smith’s putting Pierce on the list, the debate sparked a pretty interesting debate which spilled over onto the Barkley Zone segment of Inside the NBA on the TNT network last Friday night.

As the segment began, the crew consisting of Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Celtics legend Kevin McHale somehow goated Barkley into doing an impression of what a zebra sounds like. As a side note, isn’t TNT’s coverage any more based entirely on poking fun at the Hall of Famer’s(Barkley) expense?

While everyone chose Bill Russell, Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, and McHale, the list after those players who have all won multiple NBA Championships varied with Barkley being the only one not to include Pierce. The meat of the discussion came as to who you would take off of the tail end of the list like Dennis Johnson, Sam Jones, and Robert Parish, all of which are in the Hall of Fame. Charles wouldn’t budge on his stance that although Pierce is a great player, he will probably not become a member of the Hall. McHale made an interesting point that Reggie Lewis, who passed away prematurely, would have probably made the list if he had continued to play for his entire career.

Upon Charles’ unwillingness to budge on altering his selections on the list, the crew finally asked Charles if he had played on the Celtics during his career, if he would be placed on the list of Top 10 Celtics. Typically, Charles responded that he would be “Way up there.”

Who would make it onto your Top 10 Celtics?

Check out the video:

NBA Power Rankings: Week 17

The Hoop Doctors NBA Power Rankings

February 25, 2010 – Chip Patterson

NBA Power Rankings

1

Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe’s back, with a force. In case you couldn’t tell by the 32 point performance and ice-cold three pointer with 4.3 seconds left, he hasn’t lost a step. The Lakers were 4-1 without Bryant and a loss to a smoking hot Mavericks squad is no reason to think they should not be right here in the number one spot again.

2

Cleveland Cavaliers

A couple of losses should not be disheartening for Cavs fans, but it should remind you that this team is human. A difficult back-to-back with Boston and Toronto will be the end of a rigorous test run with Jamison. But the question remains, where does Big Z fit in this new lineup?

3

Dallas Mavericks

Strange karma afoot getting rid of Josh Howard less than a week before he goes down for the season with a torn ACL. Haywood looks less grumpy than I imagined he would be in the big D and Caron Butler looks absolutely rejuvenated. Cuban wanted to make this team a Western contender in 2010, and they are looking awfully tough to beat in a 7 game series.

4

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic not only look comfortable with their lineup these days, they are looking like they are starting to have fun again. If Carter can continue to deliver as the go-to guy down the stretch, then the Magic may be able to ride those old knees right back to the Eastern Conference finals.

5

Utah Jazz

I haven’t heard as much uproar about a trade since Pau Gasol than I did about the Jazz shipping out Ronnie Brewer. In what was blatantly a financial move, the Jazz got rid of what many people considered (your writer included) to be one of the “X-factors” that could make the difference in a series. (ex: Leon Powe in the 2008 NBA Finals)

6

Phoenix Suns

Well Steve Kerr just looks just as smooth as he did in 1998 these days. Not only did he decide to keep the Suns in tact for the rest of 2010, but he has Stoudamire pleased enough to be talking extension? Not that I would suggest it with his age, but still very different than him telling his friends he had played his last game in Phoenix.

7

Denver Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony claims that the Nuggets are playing with a chip on their shoulder that will be there for the rest of the season. My hope is that this squad will be able to keep that focus and keep from bonehead mistakes like the ones that littered Friday’s game against the Wizards.

8

Boston Celtics

It is difficult to figure out whether or not Nate Robinson will be Eddie House yet. That is mostly because the things that made House so good was his energy and quick scoring in the Playoffs. Robinson, who has never been in the playoffs, will have his chance to prove that in April. So chill out Boston fans, give him some time.

9

Oklahoma City Thunder

Back to back losses seem kind of expected at this point for OKC. It was hard to think that a team this young could play this well without tripping at some point. What hasn’t stopped though is Durant’s 25+ streak. After the Phoenix game, Jared Dudley said that Durant was the hardest player to guard in the NBA behind Kobe. With that size and skill set, I believe it.

10

Atlanta Hawks

You can bet the birds are happy to be home after an exhausting road trip that included a meltdown against Golden State and an inspired win against Utah in back to back nights. As we grow closer to April, it will likely be a battle between Atlanta and Boston for 3 and 4. I would suggest to avoid the Raptors in a 4-5 first round series. Strongly suggest.

11

Toronto Raptors

Yeah, that suggestion above? That’s because the Raptors have been giving the Eastern Conference fits recently. They score in bunches and are 21-8 at home. They will get a nice test on Friday when the Cavs come to town. It will be a chance to play against the East elite and see where they really stand.

12

Portland Trailblazers

After spending the better part of the last month out with a hamstring injury, and even rumors that it could be a potential season-ending injury, it has been great to see Brandon Roy put up 20+ in his last three games. Even more importantly, he has played 30+ minutes in all of those games including 38 against Toronto.

13

San Antonio Spurs

I have trouble putting the blame on any one person in the San Antonio locker room, but instead it really looks as though the entire team is just lazy. It is not even really a health issue anymore, one of the dynasties of the last decade is falling from grace, and possibly out of the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

14

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee’s recent hot streak has pulled them out of the Eastern Conference basement and into a 9-team playoff picture. It will be the Eastern Conference musical chairs, with Charlotte, Milwaukee, Miami, and to a lesser extent Chicago all fighting for three spots.

15

Chicago Bulls

Clearing house of pretty much everything they got to try and make room for a superstar to put beside D-Rose…I like it. A lot. Perhaps an attempt to bring in a Chicago native from the Heat to play the two-guard next to Rose? Man, that’s a scary (and possible) thought.

16

Miami Heat

They sat on their hands right up until and through the trade deadline, and now it might cost them the playoffs. Wade is only capable of so much and their inability to bring in a super star may be enough to have him packing his bags at the end of the season. Prediction: if they miss the playoffs – he’s gone.

17

New Orleans Hornets

If New Orleans fans are willing to take their Super Bowl and accept this as a rebuilding year, they would enjoy the games much more. Darren Collison and hometown favorite Marcus Thornton have been getting some great experience and with a little more help inside, I like their (2011) playoff chances.

18

Memphis Grizzlies

Losing 7 of your last 10 games is not a fast-track to get to the playoffs. While I spent weeks boasting this team’s ability to score in bunches and dominate the glass, they have certainly morphed back into the inconsistent Grizzlies team we expected at the beginning of the season.

19

Houston Rockets

Last Thursday everyone praised Daryl Morey for being the smartest guy in the room for the moves he made to get rid of McGrady and pull in the kind of talent that can turn the Rockets into a playoff team in 2010, and Western contender in 2011. His moves required foresight, and foresight is always dangerous to trust in the Association.

20

Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats are much better as a sneaky team in the East. When people start paying attention is usually when the Bobcats choke away their playoff chances. That usually happens in March. So, um, will you guys just check out other teams so they can sneak into a 6 seed? That’d be great. Thanks.

21

Philadelphia 76ers

Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams make a fantastic and fun to watch backcourt. Iverson’s daughter’s illness is no business of ours and no reason to make judgements about the Sixers. Having said that, they have won 7 of their last 11 games, so whatever lineup they have been using in that stretch is working.

22

Los Angeles Clippers

They lose Marcus Camby to trade and Baron Davis to injury, then win three straight? Steve Blake seems to really be enjoying himself running the offense, and why wouldn’t you? Minus Kaman, it’s a super athletic starting five with low expectations. Sounds fun to me.

23

Detroit Pistons

Now decently healthy, the Pistons are occasionally throwing together some really impressive performances. Saturday against San Antonio was one of those, outscoring the Spurs 16-8 in overtime and getting 21 from Ben Gordon. The 21 points was nice because at Gordon’s current scoring average he is earning $8,352.82 per point this season. To put that in perspective, Durant at his average earns $1,963.04 per point. I know it’s his rookie deal, but still. You get the point.

24

Washington Wizards

After dealing away the remainder of their starting five, their new addition goes down with a torn ACL. We should change the phrase from “Clippers Luck” to “Wizards Luck.”

25

Indiana Pacers

“Oh Granger’s gone? Yeah, change the channel, I can’t watch this team without him,” says my buddy who is a Duke fan and has every reason to watch the Blue Devil-filled roster.

26

New York Knicks

If you had two games as the over/under in the office pool for Tracy McGrady’s length without injury, congratulations. I actually picked the starting lineup introductions of game one, but that’s just because I’m an optimist.

27

Golden State Warriors

I like Al Thornton a lot, but the clean up power forward does not always do the best job creating his own shot. Thankfully, there will be Randy Foye.

28

Minnesota Timberwolves

Hey look! Darko sighting! #FreeKevinLoveandJohnnyFlynn

29

Sacramento Kings

Just what I feared. So many people blamed the hectic backcourt for the Kings’ failures, but in reality the issue lies deeper. Their five game losing streak is a fast track to a better draft pick, so that’s the bright side.

30

New Jersey Nets

Alright boys, you have Washington at home on Sunday. Calling them crippled right now is an understatement, so let’s go kick ‘em when they are down. It really is the only chance you have to win next week.

Chip Patterson, graduate of University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, writes for TheHoopDoctors.com and serves as Basketball Editor for BusterSports.com.

Rudy Fernandez May Leave Blazers for Europe

February 25, 2010 – Dr. Anklesnap

If you told me a year ago that Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trailblazers would be talking about leaving the NBA and heading back to Europe to play ball just a year later, I would have told you that you were completely insane. Seriously. Why would Rudy even dream about leaving the NBA or the Blazers when he was one of the top rookies in the league and clearly one of the key pieces to the future success of one of the leagues best up and coming teams?

Well fast forward a year, the Blazers who are still considered one of the best up and coming teams but have been plagued by injuries to their front court, and have found themselves littered with quality players in the backcourt with not enough minutes or touches to please everyone. Between Superstar Brandon Roy, Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless, Martell Webster, and Rudy Fernandez, there just isn’t enough minutes to go around in the backcourt. Rudy’s minutes are down from 25 to 22 and his ppg down from 10.4 to 8.4 this year. Although that doesn’t sound like a huge dip, you have to consider the context of the fact this year was supposed to be a ‘breakout season’ of sorts for Fernandez who is no longer a rookie and showed all the potential in the world last season as being a potential starter and go-to player this season for the Blazers.

Interbasket had these quotes from Fernandez on his season and the possibility of going back to Europe:

“Since the operation, I have not had any problems with my back. Yes it does hurt a bit if I get hit, but overall I feel fine physically. Maybe better than ever,” he explained. “Last year we had a different team and at least I had Sergio (Rodriguez) who understood my game. I have noticed a change this year. I don’t get the ball as much and the system is different. I guess I have to adapt to it. That’s it. Whenever I get on the court, I have to make the most of it. I have good games and bad ones. I must be more regular.”

Asked if the problem lies with head coach Nate McMillan’s style, Fernandez pauses before answering.

“It’s business as usual. He is a coach who makes things very clear and has his philosophy. I don’t always get it. I try to play the way he wants, but I don’t feel the trust that he had in me the first year,” he conceded.

And Portland’s glut in the backcourt and at the small forward position hasn’t helped him either. Minutes are hard to go by between All-Star Brandon Roy, Andre Miller, Fernandez, Frenchman Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and Martell Webster.

“It’s complicated and difficult to deal with,” Fernandez said. “In front of me I have Brandon Roy, a superstar player and we need him. My minutes have dropped but I have to be mentally strong and do my best to achieve my goals.”

Personally I hope that Fernandez sticks it out through this lull in minutes and consistency. It’s true that for his skill set, like many other players in the league, he fits better in a certain system (fast, up and down, energetic, passionate). But that doesn’t mean he can’t be one of the major contributors on a successful team in a different style of play than he’s used to. I would equate it to what Manu Ginobili brings to the table off the bench in San Antonio. His style of play is completely different than the Spurs as a whole, but Ginobili provides that change up spark off the bench that we all have come to recognize as crucial to the success of the Spurs organization.

But from a bit of a different angle, what are the Blazers thinking right now? If i’m on Portland’s management team I may need to have a conversation with Coach McMillan about Rudy’s role on the team. You can’t cater to every player’s complaints about playing time, but given what Fernandez means to the future of the team, and what we know he’s capable of doing on the court, you may need to make it work with him before you are sitting around holding the bag while he bolts back to Europe with a bitter taste in his mouth.

What do you think Rudy should do?

Lebron James Pre-Game Routine is Borderline OCD [Video]

February 24, 2010 – Dr. J-Water

We love the King here at The Hoop Doctors, that is quite obvious. But that doesn’t mean we can’t poke a little fun at Lebron James’ borderline obsessive compulsive disorder pre-game routine. Fans in Cleveland will call it ’superstitious’ but the way Cavaliers star Lebron James prepares for each and every game is way beyond superstition. Between doing and touching things in a specific order, giving each and every player on the team a special individualized handshake, and the now infamous throwing of the chalk with arms spread wide, we have to say Lebron needs to see a therapist. Given his physical dominance, mind for the game, and skill-set, we’d have to venture a guess and say Lebron would probably be a success on the court with or without the pre-game routine. For those of you who haven’t seen the ‘on-court’ portion of the routine in its entirety, thank World Star Hip Hop for the video:

Kobe Saves the Day, but Bynum Steals the Show

February 24, 2010 – Kevin Burke

Even at the tender age of 31, Kobe Bryant is still inarguably the most talented player in the league (the Kobe vs. LeBron debate isn’t even really a debate as far as I’m concerned) and his performance against the Grizzlies Tuesday night is exactly why. After sitting 5 games, plus the All-Star Game, due to a bum ankle, Kobe picked up right where he left off. In his 1,000th career regular season game, he reminded everyone why he is excellence personified. He dropped 32 points, grabbed 7 boards and handed out 6 assists. He also hit the game winning 3 with 4.3 seconds left on the clock as he scored the final 9 points for the Lakers. It was a classic performance by number 24.

But that wasn’t the impressive part of the game for me. What impressed me the most was that Andrew Bynum didn’t get hurt. In each of the last 2 years in games against the Grizzlies in the beginning of the calendar year, Bynum suffered serious knee injuries. On January 13, 2008, at the Staples Center, Andrew dislocated his left knee cap in somewhat of a phantom play, and was lost for the season (that ended up being the only reason why the Lakers lost to the Celtics in the Finals, but I digress). On January 31, 2009, Kobe rolled into Bynum’s right knee causing it to hyperextend. He came back later in the season but wasn’t as effective, despite the Lakers still winning the championship. Well, they played Memphis again tonight but luckily for LA, he walked away unscathed (I’m glad because I didn’t want to have to put him into the Greg Oden Club). Because of recent history and his luck in games against Memphis, him walking off the court under his own power was far more impressive than anything Kobe did tonight. With their full unit in tact, they will be next to unbeatable come playoff time.