Durant Is A Good Choice To Lead The Thunder

NBAE/Getty Kevin Durant scored 29 points, but the Thunder couldn't hold a five-point lead in a loss to the Cavs.

By Jalen Rose
ESPN

The Thunder's Kevin Durant had another great game Sunday night, scoring 29 points, but LeBron James and the Cavaliers showed Oklahoma City that the Thunder still have a ways to go if they want to be considered among the elite teams in the league.

In a matchup of two of the top scorers in the NBA, James had a season-high 44 points, and showed off his all-around skills by getting seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Durant wasn't a slouch. He had five rebounds, two assists and four steals. Durant is on the cusp of joining LeBron, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade as the players you would most want to build your team around three years from now.

As far as style, Durant reminds me of George Gervin. He has a short memory, shoots it from 3, can post up, gets baskets off screens and in transition, and can handle the ball. He doesn't expend too much effort and is so smooth. He is only 21, and at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot wingspan, the sky is the limit for him.

I have heard people say that he needs to bulk up, but I disagree. This isn't football. Basketball is the ultimate game of skill. Being strong allows you to make a lot of different plays on the court, but when you are 6-10 and play facing the basket, your strength is not as important as your will.

Durant makes plays all over the place. He is averaging more than 28 points and seven rebounds per game. He grabs most of his boards through positioning, will and effort.

After losing to the Cavaliers, the Thunder now have a record of 12-10. If they were in the East, where 10 of the 15 teams have losing records, they'd be considered a good team. MVP candidates will always be judged by wins and losses. From a numbers standpoint and upside standpoint, Durant's skill set is on the level of any of the top players in the game.

Also, it is not a given that your best player is the leader of the team, but Durant has distinguished himself as the leader of that group. He has stepped up into that role. He has the respect of his coaches and the other 14 guys in the locker room.

The main thing he needs to do is learn how to compete on every play on both ends of the court. When your offense is going well, everybody is willing to get into their defensive stance and play hard to stop their opponent. But when you are not making shots, your defense and energy suffer. Becoming an above-average defender is the next step Durant has to take as he climbs the ladder of superstardom.

I appreciate what the Thunder have done as far as building a team through the draft. They have four players who can really play. That is why they are in position, as a young team, to be as exciting as it gets.

I refer to Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and James Harden as the "Core Four." Westbrook is a combo guard who can shoot and handle; like a lot of young guys, he needs to tighten up his decision-making. Green can switch out and guard four different positions. He is strong and tough and doesn't need the ball to be effective. And Harden is a silky smooth lefty. He is crafty, and he can knock down the 3 or slash and get to the basket.

If the Thunder can get a Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire-type player, they will be contenders in the West. They need a power forward who can draw double-teams, defend the post and rebound his position.

ESPN analyst Jalen Rose is a regular contributor to the Daily Dime.

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All About the Ultra Gent: Jalen Rose

You don’t have to be a basketball fan to know who Jalen Rose is. The 6'7, 220 lb gentle giant hails from Detroit, Michigan, this first round draft pick is more than just your average athlete. Having been mentioned in Black Enterprise magazine besides Oprah and Bob Johnson for his philanthropic efforts, Rose has established himself as a man who sees the necessity in giving back.

Jalen Rose was born January 30, 1973 in Detroit, Michigan to Miss Jeannie. Rose's biological father, Jimmy Walker was a former #1 overall pick who started in the backcourt alongside Jerry West in an NBA All-Star game at one point in his career. Walker died in July 2007 of lung cancer. Although Rose never met his father in person, the two spoke several times via telephone prior to Walker succumbing to Lung Cancer.

The Jalen Rose foundation is Rose' heart and soul. The program was founded by Rose to give back to the youth within his hometown of Detroit. So far his foundation has assisted 37 youth within the Detroit community as well as money to fund the Biamba Marie Mutombo hospital in The Republic of the Congo. Rose’s alma mater, The University of Michigan, has even established a full scholarship that is awarded to one student annually for the Jalen Rose foundation.

“Michigan has one of the lowest graduation rates in the nation. Our youth today need more guidance and we stress and influence education heavily,” Rose explains. It’s very rare that you see an athlete as humble and motivated to give back to the youth.

Rose was reluctant to speak out about his foundation to ensure that his fame didn’t overshadow the real issues within the community.

“Philanthropy came from the heart. I didn’t speak about it at first, but if me talking about my foundation can help fund a mentor and educate our youth then I am more than willing to help,” Rose says. Rose has also used his foundation to mentor youth and give young ballers an opportunity to take it to the next level. Team Michigan is a 19 and under league designed to give youth the opportunity for higher level competition.

“Leadership does not come with fortune and fame. Leaderships can come out through anyone. I hope that anyone in my shoes would do it if they had the opportunity.”

Rose has played for six different NBA teams, forging a solid pro career after skipping his senior season at Michigan. A left-handed player, Rose was known to have a smooth and versatile offensive game. Jalen was particularly gifted as a scorer from the perimeter or the post, capable of putting up 20 points most any night.



Jalen Rose Likes:
Pick one: Ludacris or Fabolous?
ROSE: "Ludacris."

Cats or dogs?
ROSE: "Dogs. I’ve got a 10-week-old boxer named Cassius. I call him Cash for short."

Bernie Mac or Cedric the Entertainer?
ROSE: "Wow! Toss up. Those are both my boys."

Is there someone you’d like to meet?
ROSE: "I’d like to meet J-Lo. And I haven’t met Janet Jackson. I used to like Janet as a child.
...My all-time is Halle Berry. She’s the reason I’m not married. I’m holding out trying to find her clone."

What's in Jalen Rose' IPOD
Your Love is King - Sade
In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Ribbon in the Sky - Stevie Wonder
Shining Star - EWF
Successful - Drake
Comfortable - Lil' Wayne

Jalen Rose Dons a Restaurant Critic Hat

Jalen Rose was asked to add to his NBA player, ESPN analyst titles by donning a restaurant critic hat and share a few of his favorite food finds from around the nation. The 13-year NBA veteran is now an ESPN analyst and as busy as that keeps him, in his free time he can be found blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and YouTube-ing. Take it away, Jalen!

"I wouldn’t consider myself a food critic, but during my years as a professional basketball player, I was lucky to travel the country and eat in many fine establishments. Below is a list of my Fab Five Foods and where you can find them. All of these dishes are original — I haven’t found another restaurant that prepares these items in the same way. If you get a chance to check them out, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do:"

1. Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (Chicago, IL) – Double Baked Potato… so good it’s bang is worth every buck – this is one big spud!

2. Philippe (Upper East Side New York, NY) – Maine Lobster Satay… lobster is my favorite dish and this is my favorite lobster on a stick… not only is the satay great, the peanut sauce is so good that you can almost drink it by itself!

3. Crustacean (Beverly Hills, CA) – Roasted Crab – Cracked Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab with a side of AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles… order this crab out of the shell and mix it with the noodles and you’ll enjoy one of the most popular meals among the Hollywood celebs!

4. Sweet Water Tavern (Detroit, MI) – Jumbo Fried Shrimp…. This is my hometown favorite and I can eat more than one order!

5. The Ritz Carlton (Coconut Grove, FL) – Grilled Chicken Wings… this is the only spot I’ve found that grills wings and they’re delicious!

Check out Alicia Cruz' commentary on Jalen Rose' "Cash Rules Everything Around Jalen Rose...Except Jalen Rose..." HERE

Michael Vick ‘Close’ To Finding New Team

ESPN ---Michael Vick said Thursday that he is getting close to signing with a professional football team but refused to elaborate.
Vick made the comment to reporters as he left a courtroom after a hearing in his bankruptcy case. Asked about his progress in signing with a team, Vick said: “We’re getting close.” He declined to answer additional questions.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally reinstated Vick on Monday, a week after the former Atlanta Falcons star completed his 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring. Vick is free to sign with a team and could be playing in the NFL by Week 6. He could also play in one of a couple football minor leagues if no NFL team signs him. His agent, Joel Segal, did not immediately return a telephone message.
Vick, 29, did not speak during the hearing. Afterward, the U.S. bankruptcy trustee and a lawyer for Vick’s creditors shook Vick’s hand and congratulated him on his NFL reinstatement. Vick thanked them and said, “It’s exactly what I needed at this point in my life.”
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro postponed until Friday a decision on whether to approve $1.5 million in legal fees sought by Crowell & Moring, the Madison Avenue law firm representing Vick in the Chapter 11 case. Santoro was astonished that the firm is billing Vick for 8,000 hours of work over about 10 months.

Spike vs Skip on ESPN First Take

Listen to Spike drop some knowledge on Skip of ESPN's First Take!
By: Jarred Powell
Sports Editor
TheBlackUrbanTimes

Baller Blogging With Jalen Rose

CASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME

But it doesn't rule the 6'7 Jalen Rose aka the ultra gentleman. In an interview, retired NBA player, University of Michigan (Fab Five) alumnus, and ESPN commentator Jalen Rose spoke about the trappings of being rich and famous and how he feels about it.

Read on:
“I’d rather have the problem of making a lot of money than have the problem of not making money," said Rose. "It’s weird having everyone know what you make. Growing up in the hood, if you have $100 in your pocket you never want anybody to know. You’re trying to turn it into all ones or two 50s to make it look good. But I was never that type. Making a lot of money sometimes does makes you feel that you’re part of a meat market. People don’t judge you by your character or what you represent."

"Being a God-fearing man, that [aspect] doesn’t agree with me. I try to take away from those scenarios or judgments on my own. But I’d rather have the problem of making money than not making money.

When you’re making the kind of money that athletes make, whether you come into that situation as a girlfriend, a date, or a homeboy, we’re not hanging out in the average car, we’re not hanging out in the average house and we’re not eating in the average restaurant. That’s not normal and I take it like it’s not normal. Your character is what carries you. I don’t meet people on the merits of what I do for them."

"I don’t buy my friends or relationships or situations, so I don’t have to live up to that. I’ve been lucky that I’m not one of these guys who are paying multiple rents around the country or having multiple babies or having women drive around in multiple cars. Guys don’t understand that if you give off that kind of energy, you should expect people to try and take advantage," said Rose.

"As Black people, we haven’t really been exposed to money. In the ’60s, we were still drinking from fountains [for colored people]. We don’t know how to spend it or save it. Some people are like “It comes fast, that’s how I’m spending it.” That’s not living life smartly. It’s not what you cop, it’s what you keep."

It hurts to see my brothers who have been successful lose everything that they worked so hard for -- but it can happen. All the thousands of dollars you spent on people or on things that don’t appreciate. All the people praying for your downfall and those you didn’t help as much as they felt you should have helped them will stand in the background and say, “that’s what you get."

Commentary

Alicia Cruz, Senior writer Theblackurbantimes

Money can buy friendships, sex, love and even happiness. It all depends on what you're looking for or expecting get: the quality and quantity. If you want a man or woman to truly love, respect and date you for you, then don't use your income, career, material possessions or superficial possessions as bait to lure them into your life, house or bedroom.

How something begins, is usually how it will end. If your bank account, vehicle, looks or job are magnets, expect those items to dictate how well and how long your relationships will last.
If you give off "use me, abuse me" vibes then expect to be used and don't blame the user, blame yourself.

We are in control of what happens to us and for how long. People will always try you; they'll try to use you, take what you have, strong you along, lie to you, manipulate you.

Once you become aware of what their true intentions are, it is your personal responsibility to end things. If you choose not to (for whatever reason), you cannot blame them for hurting you.
If you volunteer to be a victim, you have no one to blame be yourself. Being a patsy and pushover for someone you think you love or like won't get you anywhere but used and dumped once you're no longer pliable or gullible.

This is not an attractive trait and no, playing the 'roll over and play dead' role won't make the object of your affection feel sorry for you and fall in love with you. You might get some pity sex and a few more pity dates, but it won't change the course of your relationship.

And if you've sunk to stalking them or hanging around obsessively despite the obvious fact that you aren't wanted or respected, you might earn a stalking charge, restraining order and/or a beat down by their new love or family member.

We only allow people to use and abuse us because we don't love ourselves. For some reason we're struggling with self-esteem issues. All you can do is look inside of yourself, get some help and learn to love yourself first.

I don't care where you work, how much you make, what you drive or wear or how much you spend on someone else, if you do not love yourself you cannot love anyone else and no one will truly love you. Money can buy a lot of temporary things, but it will never buy you an eternity of, as Cuba Gooding Jr said, "The Kwan."

If you're hiding things; going into relationships with lies and secrets and head games, it will end -- eventually and it will likely end badly. Life and relationships always come full circle, mi gentes. Always.

And bear in mind that sometimes, when people are overly generous (to a fault) and give off a "I'm such a nice guy/woman" and "I'll do anything for people" vibes, sometimes...sometimes all of that generosity, niceness and spending is to buy being dishonest and illusive about other things.

If you're putting out a lot of bull, games, lies and other trash, you're going to get it back and probably when you least expect it. So find the fortitude to love yourself or at least like yourself enough to treat yourself and others with dignity and respect and get the creme life has to offer rather than the,uh, manure.

Good love to each and all.

For The 'Love' Of Coaching

NY Post.com - Female basketball coach, Ruth Lovelace leads a group of high school boys through life, on and off the courts. Watch the video:



"A Woman Among Boys," which debuted Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, chronicled Lovelace, a woman coaching the boys' basketball team at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Follow story:http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=24205