DRose Outduels DWade To Claim Jordan Mantle In "The House That Michael Built" As Sidekick Watches From The Sideline

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.  It seemed that a lot of people were disappointed when Lebron announced his "Decision" this past July, however Derrick Rose was not necessarily one of them. 

DRose raised his game higher than any other star in the United Center tonight.

Rumors emerged that DRose did not want Lebron to come to Chicago because he wanted to be "The Man".

Then, DRose stated in an interview before the season that he wanted to be MVP, the Most Valuable Player, in the league.

Well, as of this week, Rose is the frontrunner for the award according to ESPN. And while in Miami, it will always be DWade's team, there is no doubt that Derrick Rose is "The Man" on the Chicago Bulls; and he has delivered in the clutch, when it mattered most.

In many ways, DRose's entry into the NBA mirrors Lebron's: both were super-talented, homegrown products drafted #1 Overall by their local team and heralded as the hometown hero who would save their respective NBA franchise. However, that is where the similarities abruptly end.

After promising to bring a championship to the championship-deprived city of Cleveland, Lebron's decision to leave town to join a stacked team in Miami revealed his complete selfishness and lack of integrity and perserverence. His announcement of "The Decision" in a one-hour special on ESPN was a self-aggrandizing act of pure hubris. While Lebron chose the easy way out to get his championship, the people of Cleveland were witness to nothing but a single NBA Finals appearance and several early playoff exits.

Rose is essentially the anti-lebron; he is a modest, hard-working phenom who relishes the burden of the Jordan legacy, including the effort it takes to be the best. While Lebron and his posse played with the emotions of GMs, cities, and teams' fans, Derrick Rose played the point for the U.S. team that won the Gold Medal at the World Basketball Championships this past summer.

Then he got in the gym, and in his understated, modest tone, "I've been working on my shooting range." All the way out to 3-point range; he is shooting 3-pointers at 37.9%, higher than Lebron's 35.8% clip for the season. Just as Jordan worked to add new facets to his game, Rose has gone from great to unstoppable.

Lebron quit as Rose and Wade battled for the Legacy of Jordan

On the other hand, when faced with stepping into Jordan's shoes, Lebron ran away as fast as he could to join another Chicago product who found inspiration in the miracles Michael Jordan performed as the face of the Chicago Bulls.

Dwayne Wade, more than any other player on the Heat, embodies the will to win that helped Jordan claim 6 NBA Championships. Wade's incredible performance in the 2006 NBA Finals was one for the ages.

How appropriate that Lebron "not Jordan" James stepped aside to allow two Chicago boys to duel for the Legacy of Michael Jordan.

And in the end, it was Derrick Rose who claimed the win and the mantle of heir to the Jordan Legacy in Chicago. In the victory, Rose put up 34 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, and most importantly for the young man and the city of Chicago, the win.

The true Legacy of Jordan was to not only say what you are going to do, but to do it.

Clippers and Blake Griffin Celebrate His Rookie of the Month Award By Ending The Miami Heat's Road Winning Streak

LOS ANGELES, CA.  Staples Center was sold out, and the stars were out for L. A. versus Miami; however it was not the Lakers that played like a champion and held home court against the Heat. It was the Clippers.

Blake Griffin celebrated winning ROTM by ending the Heat's road winning streak at 13 games.

Before the contest, Blake Griffin received Rookie of the Month honors for the month of December. Then he and his Los Angeles Clippers exploded against the vaunted Miami Heat defense, putting up 44 points in the first quarter, and the Clippers cruised to an L. A. victory that people had expected to come three weeks ago on Christmas Day.

Griffin put up 24 points and 14 rebounds against the Heat frontline for his 30th double double of the season, and Baron Davis (20 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists) and Eric Gordon (26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) provided a balanced backcourt attack in the complete team victory. Dwayne Wade lead the Heat with 31 points.

The Clippers victory was a clinic on how to beat a team like the Miami Heat. It all starts with mindset. The Clippers, from the passionate Baron Davis, to the fearless Eric Gordon, to the stoic Blake Griffin, were fired up, and it was clear that the home team was into the game and were not in the least intimidated by the Heat. Their confidence fueled a first quarter 44 point uppercut to the Heat, and every attempt to comeback was met by a great effort play, including a big block on Lebron that sent him out of bounds and awkwardly onto his ankle. Unlike many teams, the Los Angeles Clippers did not allow the Heat to physically exert their will, and that was ultimately the key to victory.

Lebron, learn the meaning of Karma and God before you hurt yourself.

The crushing loss for Miami came just a day after Lebron took a cheap shot on the Cleveland Cavaliers organization via twitter, saying "Crazy. Karma is a b****.. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"; it certainly does seem that God sees everything and that includes your hypocracy, Lebron. The Miami loss ends their road winning streak at 13 games, 3 games short of the NBA record, and even more notable, Lebron sustained a sprained ankle in the loss. It is likely that Lebron will miss Miami's next game, at Denver, tomorrow night. A loss at Denver would be the Heat's 11th loss on the season, meaning that they will have to wait till next year to chase the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' record 72 win season. Speaking of Karma...

Lebron likes to take shots at weaker opponents, but where was his twitter response, not to mention his balls, when Paul Pierce took a jab at him? Can't really say much when you have already lost twice to Boston with your "Heatles".

And even then, when it comes time to take responsibility for his statements, he claims that it was not even him. He doesn't know who it was, but it wasn't him. He can't be responsible for his own tweet, so how can he be the man to lead a championship team? The answer is that he can't, and that is why he joined DWade. Sidekick had to join a real alpha dog who could take over when it is "Jordan-time" because he can't handle it.

No, YOU'RE NOT JORDAN, Lebron. And you never will be. At the end of the day, Lebron is only a bully who will take shots at weaker opponents, and then not even take responsibility for the statements. As villains go, Reggie Miller took on the big boys (Jordan, The Knicks, Spike Lee, etc.)

Lebron, you're not Reggie Miller, either.

Eric Gordon, Baron Davis, and Blake Griffin could have been teamed with Lebron this season.

The Clippers were one of the teams vying for Lebron James' services as a free agent last summer during the "Summer of Lebron", however they were the long-shot. With Eric Gordon, Baron Davis, and Blake Griffin leading the Clippers to victory, Lebron was left looking pretty stupid last night.

Blake Griffin has been an absolute beast in this, his rookie season, and he looks to be a strong favorite for Rookie of the Year as he puts up double-double after double-double. He has quickly become a very popular player with his great athleticism and above the rim game, and one can easily see him, along with Eric Gordon, leading a renaissance of the Clippers with the young talent that the team has been accumulating over the years. Can Griffin be the Anti-Lebron that the NBA needs to regain respectability?

New 2010 Nike MVP Puppets Commercial Featuring... Lebron West?!

Do Wade and Lebron Gamble Too Much On Defense? Let's Go To the Video...

The following is an Ask Ira question that was posed to Ira Winderman, who writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the Miami Heat and the NBA for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. So him being from Miami and all, please excuse that he doesn't know the first thing about basketball.

Q: Ira, I’m not sure people realize how much Wade and James will push each other’s games on the defensive side. Anyone who has watched them compete against each other knows they will continue attempting to one-up each other. Every spectacular block or defensive sequence by James will push Wade to match or beat it on the next defensive sequence. Just because they now play for the same team, doesn’t mean we lose out on them competing to outdo the other. — Shaddy.

Sit down, Ira. I got this one.

Hey, Shaddy! Thanks for the, er, question, or is it just that the man-love between Wade and Lebron is just so contagious down there in South Beach?

Back to your question/comment/flirtation... Yes, there used to be some great tete-a-tetes (that is french for head-to-head) between Wade and Lebron, and Lebron seemed to get the best of many of those contests.

However, since Lebron decided to give up being a man, such competitive displays will certainly be a thing of the past. It should be clear from Lebron's "Decision" that he went to Miami to avoid working hard and carrying any load. He clearly chose to announce his decision to millions of viewers during a primetime, 1 hour special on ESPN so that everyone would know that he was done working for his fame and money and so that no one would ask questions like this one going forward.

Anyway, the answer is yes, Wade and Lebron will gamble too much on defense, and it will be just another reason not to put your money on the Miami Hype. If you don't believe me, check the following video, and without a doubt, there will be more footage to add to the video after this NBA season.



As they say, the video doesn't lie.

"Lebron James is a Bitch" Song by Mike Polk Soon To Send Anti-Lebron Sentiments Viral

Comedian Mike Polk may become the new voice and megaphone for the masses of disenchanted former-fans of Lebron James. Cleveland and fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers have suffered many painful losses when it comes to the history of sports in the city of Cleveland. However, this latest loss especially hurts not only because of the freshness of it, but also because of the treasonous nature of Lebron James' betrayal of the Northeast Ohio-area where James grew up.

Following a summer of high hopes for several NBA team, an extended courtship of the top NBA free agents, and the emergence of a conspiracy, Cleveland was publicly spurned by their own native son, James, who had been embraced by the city with the moniker, "The Chosen One".

After numerous delays, Lebron announced his choice to join with fellow All Stars and Team USA teammates, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, on the Miami Heat, during an ill-conceived 1-hour special on ESPN called "The Decision". The show's name soon became synonymous with the latest betrayal born by the city of Cleveland.

Following "The Decision", there has been harsh backlash against James'. Prior to the infamous decision, James was a much admired sports figure, not only in Cleveland, but Lebron was respected globally to fans of the sport. However, perception of Lebron James has drastically shifted, and Mike Polk's tribute song is the latest emphatic statement of this.



The perception of Lebron James leaving his city, although not the course of champions of the echelon of Jordan, Bird, and Kobe, would not have been a career-killer if James had gone about it with more public-relations savvy. Shaquille O'Neal moved during his prime, much like Lebron James, from an NBA Finals team in the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers, however O'Neal was the main attraction on the Lakers, who won the NBA Championship with O'Neal because of the eventual development of Kobe Bryant.

However, with Lebron stringing along several NBA franchises, announcing his departure in such a self-aggrandizing and self-promotional forum, and leaving Cleveland to join two other established players, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, on a team that Wade has already won a championship with in Miami, many former Lebron fans feel deceived. There was nothing admirable or heroic about Lebron's actions from "The Decision" onward. By subjugating himself to Wade, he has made the admission that he cannot lead a team to victory, and he has revealed the fraud in the advertisements that taut his supremacy.

Sports super-stardom is driven by image and perception, and Lebron has managed to tarnish his well-polished image with quite possibly the worst PR summer of any great athlete in recent memory. A viral video would not help things for James, however the outrage is real and stands to grow with each game Lebron plays with Wade's team.

Postings like this one all over social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have fueled the popularity of Mike Polk's YouTube performance. The following update was posted to the Facebook group, Lebron is a LeBiatch:

This is my new favorite song! Thank you, Mike Polk! Lebron is a LeBiatch.

Within a matter of 2 hours, the hit count on the YouTube video rose by nearly 3500 views, and with the viral nature of social media, Lebron James could possibly be the first NBA star to become globally infamous because of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Nike and other brands don't bank on athletes with the image of being a Bitch.

Bosh Reveals That There Was Never Discussion About Cleveland With Lebron

It seems that as time goes by, tiny morsels of facts regarding "The Decision" and the rest of the farce that was NBA Free Agency 2010 emerge that lend more and more credence to the notion that Lebron's decision to join with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami was contrived well in advance of the start of the free agent signing period on July 1, 2010.

On SI.com's Dan Patrick Show, none other than Chris Bosh, the least talented of the Miami Big Three, was asked about Lebron's attempts to lure him to join the Cleveland Cavaliers. Reportedly, Lebron had spoken to Bosh about the possibility of joining the team in a sign and trade; an option that the Cavs would surely have entertained in order to keep James in Cleveland.

“We never had a discussion about Cleveland,” Bosh revealed, Wednesday morning. "We never really had discussions, period."

This simple statement greatly implicate that James had already closed the door on returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that originally drafted him out of high school first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, which finished the 2010 regular season with a 61-21 record and the best record in the league for the second consecutive season, could have arguably had the addition it needed to be title favorites by adding Chris Bosh and keeping James.

The Lebron James public spectacle, and the infamous "Decision", continues to baffle, particularly those who understand the game and business of basketball the best.

NEVER SURRENDER Cleveland Cavaliers LeBiatch Design T-Shirt

NEVER SURRENDER Cleveland Cavaliers LeBiatch Design T-Shirt

Did he or did he not quit? That was the question. In the playoff series against the underdog Boston Celtics, Game 4 just may be the most infamous game in the career of Lebron James, for when he was supposed to rise to the occasion and put the Cleveland Cavaliers on his back and carry them back to a tied series. However, after struggling for three quarters, Lebron simply stopped shooting and seemed to stop fighting. Following the loss in Game 4 and the series-ending loss in Game 5, Cavs fans actually booed, not the loss, but lack of effort.

In the days leading up to the official start of free agency, Cavs fans were optimistic that their hometown hero would keep fighting for the sports pride of the area where Lebron grew up and played his entire NBA career. They could not imagine that "The Chosen One" could fail in his quest to bring the elusive NBA Championship home.



That is, until the poorly produced "The Decision" show on ESPN (and all the hilarious spoofs that would come about as a result, such as the one above!). When Lebron announced his decision to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, he answered an innumerable number of questions about Lebron James the basketball player, as well as, Lebron James the person.

The world would "Witness" a player who did not succeed with a team, and rather than take responsibility to fulfill his promise to area by accepting the mantle of "The Chosen One" (like the tattoo on his back says), he opted for the easy road. Rather than showing the persistence, mental fortitude, and leadership that was the character of past legendary players, he opted to give up, surrender, throw in the towel, lay down, or his own brand of quitting, QUITNESS.

For all the Cleveland Fans out there fighting and never surrendering and who deserve a role model, a player, and a team that will never surrender, this is for you!


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ACHIEVE GREATNESS LeBiatch Design T-Shirt

GREATNESS... his name is synonymous with it.

He is the unquestioned Greatest of All Time, His Airness, Michael Jordan. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft, and immediately put the League on notice with a first year campaign that included a selection as an NBA All-Star and culminated in the 1985 Rookie of the Year Award.

By the prime of his career, Jordan and his Chicago Bulls teams were a perennial fixture in the NBA Finals having overcome the challenge of the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons teams of 1989 and 1990. From 1991 to 1993, the Chicago Bulls established their dynasty by appearing in three consecutive NBA Finals, and Jordan powered the team to victory in all three.

During the summer of 1992, Michael Jordan was the star of the greatest basketball team ever assembled, the original Dream Team. Despite the marquis names of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Jordan was the in his prime, and he was the unchallenged best player in the league. The Dream Team dominated the 1992 Olympics winning their games by an average of 42 points, and we caught a glimpse of the boom in the global popularity of basketball that Jordan had catalyzed.

The high of winning the Olympic Gold Medal in 1992 and the NBA Championship in 1993 was followed by the tragic murder of Michael Jordan's father leading to a nearly two year hiatus from basketball, during which Jordan applied his trademark focus, determination, and perseverance to the sport of baseball. Jordan's switch to the sport of baseball was in honor of his father, for it was the sport that his father envisioned him playing. Although he met with limited success in his short professional baseball career and eventually returned to basketball, basketball fans gained some insight into the greatness of Michael Jordan.

The world saw that despite being the greatest basketball player in the world, when it came to baseball, he worked hard to become better and he stayed late to put in extra batting practice, the same way he worked on his basketball skills after being cut from his high school basketball team when he was a Junior at Laney High. It was his incredible work ethic was what made Jordan a success.

"I'm back," was the simple statement that heralded his return to basketball in 1995. Upon his return, the doubters questioned what the effects would be of his hiatus from basketball. However, Jordan quickly silenced the doubters with an epic 55 point performance at the Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden, against one of the Chicago Bulls most hated rivals. Jordan was certainly back.

Jordan lead the Chicago Bulls back to the NBA Finals in 1996, and again, he fueled his team to the NBA Championship. The Chicago Bulls dynasty was back on top, and following 1997 and 1998 campaigns that ended in two more Bulls Championships, Michael Jordan retired in his prime, from the game he loved, promoted, and dominated.

Michael Jordan not only dominated the sport of basketball, but the effects of his life and presence reverberate beyond the sport. He is still a hero to millions, and held up as a role model and example of success. And that is why his greatness will never be matched in the history of basketball.

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BECOME LEGENDARY Chicago Bulls LeBiatch Design T-Shirt

How do you become an NBA LEGEND? Follow in the footsteps of the ultimate NBA LEGEND.

He already blazed the trail. His story is legendary.

From his days as a Junior at Laney High, where he was initially cut from his high school basketball team, and the extra work and practice he put into his game to finally make the team. Since then, he has worked tirelessly on the road to becoming the Greatest of All Time.

He is His Airness, Michael Jordan. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft, and immediately put the League on notice with a first year campaign that included a selection as an NBA All-Star and culminated in the 1985 Rookie of the Year Award.

By the prime of his career, Jordan and his Chicago Bulls teams were a perennial fixture in the NBA Finals having overcome the challenge of the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons teams of 1989 and 1990. From 1991 to 1993, the Chicago Bulls established their dynasty by appearing in three consecutive NBA Finals, and Jordan powered the team to victory in all three.

During the summer of 1992, Michael Jordan was the star of the greatest basketball team ever assembled, the original Dream Team. Despite the marquis names of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Jordan was the in his prime, and he was the unchallenged best player in the league. The Dream Team dominated the 1992 Olympics winning their games by an average of 42 points, and we caught a glimpse of the boom in the global popularity of basketball that Jordan had catalyzed.

The high of winning the Olympic Gold Medal in 1992 and the NBA Championship in 1993 was followed by the tragic murder of Michael Jordan's father leading to a nearly two year hiatus from basketball, during which Jordan applied his trademark focus, determination, and perseverance to the sport of baseball. Jordan's switch to the sport of baseball was in honor of his father, for it was the sport that his father envisioned him playing. Although he met with limited success in his short professional baseball career and eventually returned to basketball, basketball fans gained some insight into the greatness of Michael Jordan.

The world saw that despite being the greatest basketball player in the world, when it came to baseball, he worked hard to become better and he stayed late to put in extra batting practice, the same way he worked on his basketball skills after being cut from his high school basketball team when he was a Junior at Laney High. It was his incredible work ethic was what made Jordan a success.

"I'm back," was the simple statement that heralded his return to basketball in 1995. Upon his return, the doubters questioned what the effects would be of his hiatus from basketball. However, Jordan quickly silenced the doubters with an epic 55 point performance at the Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden, against one of the Chicago Bulls most hated rivals. Jordan was certainly back.

Jordan lead the Chicago Bulls back to the NBA Finals in 1996, and again, he fueled his team to the NBA Championship. The Chicago Bulls dynasty was back on top, and following 1997 and 1998 campaigns that ended in two more Bulls Championships, Michael Jordan retired in his prime, from the game he loved, promoted, and dominated.

Michael Jordan not only dominated the sport of basketball, but the effects of his life and presence reverberate beyond the sport. He is still a hero to millions, and held up as a role model and example of success. And that is why he is the greatest legend in the history of basketball.

BECOME LEGENDARY Chicago Bulls LeBiatch Design T-Shirt
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HANG BANNERS Boston Celtics LeBiatch Design T-Shirt

The long-awaited Banner 17 was raised at the home of the Boston Celtics only after a championship drought of 22 years and two blockbuster trades in the summer of 2007.

The Celtics first acquired Ray Allen and a draft pick from Seattle for Wally Szerbiak, Delonte West, and Boston's 5th Overall pick in the NBA Draft. Then on July 31, 2007, the Celtics acquired former MVP and perennial All-Star Kevin Garnett for Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, a 2009 first round draft pick (top three protected) and a return of Minnesota's conditional first round draft pick. Although the trades gutted the roster, Boston was able to assemble a "Big Three" in Garnett, Allen, and All-Star Paul Pierce.

The Boston Celtics would finish the 2007-08 season with the best record in the NBA, 66-16, and after a challenging first round series with the Atlanta Hawks, they advanced to the Eastern Conference crown and faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals.

Factoring in the Lakers strong playoff run to the Finals and the Celtics problems of even reaching the Finals with two 7-game series, the Lakers were favored to beat a seemingly tired Boston team, even with Boston holding homecourt advantage. The first games of the series started with the Celtics once again dominating at home. Game 1 saw Paul Pierce suffer a knee injury early in the game only to come back and make 70 percent of his attempted field goals, resulting in a 98–88 Celtics win. In Game 2, Boston nearly lost a 24-point lead only to win 108–102. The Lakers returned to Staples Center and won Game 3, 87–81. When Los Angeles took a 24-point lead in the second quarter of Game 4 the Celtics appeared to be losing control of the series. Led by a bench that outscored the Lakers bench by 20 points, the Celtics took over Game 4 with a victory, the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.

Although the Los Angeles Lakers won Game 5, 103–98, the series went back to Boston for Game 6, and the Celtics finished off Los Angeles with a 131–92 victory, claiming the most lopsided win in a NBA Finals game since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz by 42 points in the 1998 NBA Finals, and the all-time largest margin of victory in a deciding game. Paul Pierce was named NBA Finals MVP.

The Celtics had won their record 17th NBA championship, a championship 22 years in the making. Banner 17 would be the first new NBA Championship banner to be raised to the rafters in the new TD Banknorth Garden.

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