Kobe vs LeBron

Over the past week New York Knick fans have witnessed two of the best performances ever on their home floor, the famous Madison Square Garden. The only trouble was neither performance was from one of their own.

First it was Kobe Bryant that lit them up for a record setting 61 points, beating Bernard King's old mark of 60. King's record has stood for 24 years.

Two nights later, enter LeBron James. Lebron dropped 52 on the Knicks as J-Zay watched his buddy destroy the Big Apple's team.

To go along with his half century of points, James was originally credited with a triple double (52pts, 11asts, 10rebs). No one since Kareem Abdul-Jabber in 1975 had recorded a TD which included dropping 50 plus points.

Later, the tape was reviewed and James was no credited with the triple double. His final rebound in the dying seconds has since been rewarded to Ben Wallace.

Both performances are worthy of the attention they have generated but I believe that Kobe's is the better performance.

Sure, I'm a little bias towards Kobe, but he set a record. This was the best scoring performance ever at the famed MSG.

Here are some highlights of both efforts. Let me know which one you think is worthy of top billing.

Kobe


LeBron

Cane Toad Becomes A Hinder-ence

Read below to find out who is intimidated with this creature.

Wow! That is about the only word I have to describe what would appear to be our final encounter with the Cairns Taipans.

The game certainly had the home fans buzzing and has led to some interesting conversations around town.

No, I have never seen someone ejected that fast in a game before. Taipans big man Ian Crosswhite exploded in the face of an official within the first ninety seconds of the game and spent the remainder of the game in the Taipans locker room.

If nothing else it set the tone for the remainder of the game. From that point on, the crowd was on edge and looking for more.

Surprisingly it took until the third quarter to see some more fireworks. This time it was a lopsided scuffle between strongman Rosell Ellis and Cairns guard Dwayne Vale.

There is nothing terribly unusual about a little pushing and shoving. What got exciting in this one was the involvement of the non-players.

One young floor wiper became embedded in the brawl like the meat in a sandwich.
And some of our corporate members got a little closer to the action than they bargained for when this may lay spilled over into a baseline box under on the end line. I had never seen so many people try and save a food platter.

Interestingly enough, I may or may not have seen Cowboys forward Carl Webb actually drop his platter and begin slowly edging towards the court, but that is another story for another day.

I cannot tell you how many people made comment after the game about how basketball could use more action and passion like this to get the fans pumped and excited.

I can’t say that I agree that we need to see it night in/ night out, but it was good to see a little fervor from my team mates, especially against the Taipans.

I also had to have a quiet chuckle to myself when I saw the photo used in Monday’s game report.

In a nutshell, it would appear that while the rest of us had each other’s backs and the battle was erupting, Russell Hinder went ahead and made sure that the ball was in safe hands and clear from any potential danger.

I was not at all surprised to see this moment caught on film. You see, Hinder and his family are regular guests in our home. And it just so happened that recently at the end of an evening of North Queensland hospitality, Rillie style, we tried to send Rusty around the corner with the rubbish for the bin at the side of the house.

“Rusty what’s the matter”, I asked when he returned with a look of terror on his face, rubbish still in hand.

“JR I’m not taking this (rubbish) up the side of your house”, he replied.

“What happened?” I shot back at him.

“There are cane toads up there,” he nervously stuttered.
Don’t worry Rusty,…next time the skinny kid from Toowoomba’s got your back.

You can read my column every Wednesday in the Townsville Bulletin.

News

- Rosell Ellis has copped a $750 fine for his behaviour against the Cairns Taipans, while both Dwayne Vale and Ian Crosswhite got off their charges.

- In a blow for the New Zealand Breakers, Kirk Penney will miss the team's vital road double this weekend. The NBL's leading scorer jarred a knee during practice earlier in the week.

- Perth Wildcat centre Paul Rogers is out for the remainder of the season. Rogers who has been battling injury all year made the decision so the Wildcats can re-activate former St Mary's Gael Adam Caporn.

- A great read about Wollongong Hawk Glen Saville and his career in the Gong.

- James Harvey and Greg Vanderjagt are safe on the Gold Coast.

- Ratepayers to help out Taipans cause?

- Cairns Taipan Martin Cattalini keeps his team's slim playoff hopes alive.

- Basketball's Meltdown

- My own piece of gossip. Look for Joey Wright to be back coaching in the NBL next season.

Brad Newley Joins Us On "The OT"

Click on the logo to download the episode.

The latest episode of "The OT" has landed. Brad Newley joins us from Greece. He tells us about the European way to play the game and how he hopes to join the Houston Rockets, sooner rather than later.





Besides Newley, we look at this week's games and discuss all the hot topics around the NBL.

May Be My Last Blog For A While

We are now 24 hrs on from this photo and the sign is submerged in water now. HELP!

Over the past 48hrs Townsville has seen ran like it hasn't seen in years. The worst flooding in 30 years to be exact.

So I have been surfing the net for a few hours since Rod and I finished our latest edition of "The OT" (will be available sometime tomorrow) but I thought I will provide you with all the latest hoop news before I head to bed.

Who knows what the story will be when I wake in the morning or start floating down the river during the night. (See video for evidence, I'm not storytelling for once.)



I'll see you when I see you, but until then enjoy the news.

- Crocs players involved in incident.

- Ian Crosswhite, Dwayne Vale and Rosell Ellis to face NBL Tribunal.

- You can stick a fork in the Hawks now. More on the situation.

- Cairns are building momentum in trying to stay alive, but they need a little more help.

- James Harvey of the Gold Coast Blaze is the NBL's POW.

- NBL's podcast writes off the Crocs and everyone else besides the two Melbourne teams. Anyone surprised by this?

Hope I'm back in contact with you guys tomorrow, otherwise see you when I'm dry.

Where To Now For Players

Will the Wildcats become interested in Cats instant offense?

The playoffs are just around the corner and we already know what six teams will make up the playoff picture. So, I thought it was time to breakdown the fate of the players who are on those rosters (Cairns, Sydney and Wollongong) that are 99.9% sure they will gone when the new league tips off sometime in October later this year.

I'll writing this as if there will be eight teams in the new competition.

Let's put the Cairns personnel under the microscope.

Guys that will not struggle to pick up a new contract.

Martin Cattilini has already stated that he will be pulling up stumps in the north and heading back home to the west. The question here is, will the Perth Wildcats want him?

I cannot see how they would not want him on their roster. I can see Catt coming of the bench and providing instant offence for the franchise that gave him his first dollar in pro sport.

Ian Crosswhite has been absolutely great for the Taipans (18pts and 11rebs)since their roster become depleted.

Crosswhite is a big body and there are not too many of them floating around at the moment. He is a lock for a contract, purely on size alone.

The situation will have to fit the team.

I will lump Darnell Mee, Aaron Grabau and Matt Smith into this group.

All these guys could add value to a roster but will they be happy moving to a new environment and possible role.

Mee and Grabau have been some of the better defenders in the league for their entire careers. There will be a team that will love the idea of adding a veteran defender to their playing group.

Just how many spots will be available will dictate how many of these guys get picked up.

Smith is rather intriguing for me. He is never flash but has the ability to be in the right spot at the right time. He always finds his way onto a roster. Can his knack of finding a roster spot continue?

The Youth

Kerry Williams has a bright future I believe. He has one of the best handles in the NBL and can get to the rim on anyone.

But, the kid needs to spend the off season working on his "J". Get into the gym and fire up 500 plus shots a day if you are serious kid.

Scott Cook and Dwayne Vale I feel are going to feel the pinch due to the reduced number of teams.

From my understanding both these guys work their butts off at practice and deserve all the court time they are getting rewarded with right now.

The harsh reality is, someone has to miss out.

As for Gary Boodnikoff, my understanding is he has numerous business opportunities happening around Cairns so I'm not sure if he's looking to move.

Sydney Spirit's turn under the microscope.

Guys that will not struggle to pick up a new contract.

Matt Knight has shown over the past ten games that he is a double-double guy. He has expressed interest in looking at Europe but Knight will have no problem finding a new home in Australia.

Jason Smith would get another contract but the question is, does he want to move his family around?

If Sydney gets a team Smith will remain put. Otherwise, I'm sure a team like the Dragons may become interested in the defensive minded veteran since he has shown no signs of his early season shoulder injury.

A question franchises will be asking themselves is, Smith or Grabau?

Damien Martin's phone will ring. Teams that are looking to improve would love to have this tough as nails guard on their roster.

Martin's stats are never going to blow you out of the water but this guy has a knack of coming up with the ball when it's most important. This skill will keep him on a roster for a number of years in the NBL.

These guys need to have a strong ABA season.

Former teammate Drew Williamson needs to go out and put up huge numbers with an ABA team if he is to convince someone to go with him. In truth Drew is a guy that does everything OK, but nothing great.

He needs to go and find a skill that separates him from the rest of the pack.

Greame Dann has all the natural talent under the sun but has not been able to take his game to a consistent level.

I'm sure coaches are starting to run out of patience (and hair).

Dann needs to learn to play with intensity all the time instead of when he wants. But is it too late?

The Rest

Everyone that has been a teammate of Tony Rampton says what a great guy he is. It seems that injury is catching up with the guy so I cannot see the Kiwi international in the league next year.

Clint Reed and David Gruber will become casualties of the new league.

Microscope time for the Wollongong Hawks.

Locks for a new deal.

Two time Olympian Glen Saville will have his suiters providing he wants to leave the sun and surf of the Gong.

I think Sav, like many other long serving players in the league, will have to decide whether they want to pack up and move teams or retire to the place where they want to live the rest of their life.

I'm guessing Sav would love to see a new Sydney team come into the competition.

The situation will have to fit the team.

Cameron Tragardh has shown over the last few seasons that he is more than capable of putting points on the board. He needs to find a team that requires this skill.

Anthony Petrie has been this year's big improver through my eyes. This hard working second year forward will have to pack his bags again if he wants to continue his pro career.

I see him becoming a Mika Vukona type with more offense in his repertoire.

Looking for a strong ABA season.

Rhys Martin and Lindsay Tait do not possess true point guard skills so they will need to produce something special in the offseason to catch a coach's eye.

Tait may fair ok if the Wellington franchise joins the new league as he is playing for them in the New Zealand NBL domestic league.

Tough times ahead.

Larry Davidson and Daniel Jackson will find it hard to go around again if the number of teams are reduced.

Davidson seems to be forever struggling with injury, while Jackson has not cashed in on his limited opportunities.

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

The mayor of Wollongong, Mat Campbell. "Soupy" has played his entire career with this club so you have to really feel for this guy in a time like this.

Campbell would help out a number of teams (see Smith and Grabau) but I'm guessing he does not want to pack his bags at this stage of his life.

Both imports, Dusty Rychart and Kavossy Franklin have served this league well but will probably get caught out in a numbers game.

I believe that Rychart is trying to get Australian citizenship. If his paperwork comes through it becomes a different ball game for him as the picture becomes a little more rosy.

This is one aspect of professional sport that is never good. A reduced number of teams means less jobs to go around.

Sometimes we all have to have a little reality check, the trouble is, it is getting close for everyone.

Global Coverage & News From Home

Can you help Mookie identify these Aussies?

While I have been busy draining some threes against our northern rivals, the Cairns Taipans, it has been impossible for me to keep up with everything that has been happening in our great sport.

To bring you up to speed, let's take a look at what other bloggers have found interesting.

- Mookie my man over at A Stern Warning is all over the NBA.

First he takes a look at the Los Angles Lakers and centre Andrew Bynum's injury that occurred today. How much will this hurt the Lakers chances of another title run.

Then he finds a ripper interview of Shaquille O'Neil with Stephen A Smith. As usual Shaq holds court and talks about himself and Kobe's relationship and how it's all "about the marketing baby".

Finally, there are a group of Aussie puntas (above) that Mookie is trying to track down. They have become stars on American TV. Let us know if you know any of these guys.

- The Basketball Professor takes a look at who will be filling the NBA All-Star benches.

- NBA Mate brings us up to speed with what is happening with the new Ch10 sports channel. Could it be possible we will see multiple games per week?

- With the NBA AllStar game not to far away from hitting Phoenix, The Sport Count us with their nine worst ever All Stars.

- "I was scared, man," said Nathan Jawai, the Raptors' seldom used forward. "I thought I was going to get fined [for being late]."

Click here to find out why Jawai felt he was going to be lighter in the pocket.

- After being stuck in Moscow for a few days early in the week, Brad Newley made it back to Greece as his team beat POAK.

- Here is a full menu of college scores from games played today. Check out how your favourite Aussie went today.

Now to NBL News

- Where have the Breakers gone? The local media is starting to ask questions about their team.

- "It was as hot as hell out there," Adelaide coach Scott Ninnis said.

Is Ninnis talking about the one time during the week he got out of his air conditioned office and tried to exercise? Find out here.

- Looking for the boxscores from the past weekend's action, click here.

- And yes, here is the ladder.

Rudy Gay Talks Dunks For All Star Game

Thanks to BDL I came against this footage. Classic stuff I you ask me.

Rudy Gay tries to get a little help from his friends in deciding how he will woo the crowd during this year's All Star Dunk Contest in Phoenix.



It's a little after the fact, but the Cairns/Townsville rivalry saw some big statements being made by all before the game tipped off. Good to see boys.