TIM DUNCAN VS TIME

Did you know Tim Duncan is 37 years old?

Did you know he first reached the NBA finals in 1999?

Name any of the greatest players in the game -Bill Russell, Jordan, Magic Johnson …. the list can go on and on.

But none of them have reached NBA finals as far apart as Tim Duncan. Duncan is challenging time like never before. In a few hours Tim Duncan will be playing in NBA Championships 14 Years apart.

Yes. 14 Years!

And it’s not like he’s limping into the playoffs sitting on the bench of a team. Duncan is playing Hall of Fame level basketball even today. He’s running on fastbreaks. He’s playing championship level defence. He’s knocking down his favourite bank shot again and again. He’s taken over the overtimes in two games against the Grizzles. Aren’t old people supposed to get tired as the game becomes longer?

Two weeks ago we were thinking Randolph and Gasol were going to have a field day against the old Tim Duncan. The world was so dead wrong. Zach Randolph the beast got man handled by the old Tim Duncan. The Grizzles got dominated by the Spurs interior defence, lead by Duncan leading to a 4-0 blowout. But even after that, Randolph just had respect for Duncan.

Do you know what Tony Parker had to say after reaching the NBA finals?

He said the biggest motivation to reach the finals was to get Tim Duncan back to the finals again. How many teammates would say that after leading their team into the NBA finals?

How many opponents call you the most dominant player of the last 15 years before entering a series against you? Well, Lebron James just called Tim Duncan the best player of the last 15 years.

That’s respect! Duncan has earned every bit of it. This NBA finals, Tim Duncan is standing the test of time! Let’s see who wins? Let me know in the comments who you think will win these NBA finals, Duncan or time?

Is anyone better than Kobe playing 1-on-1? 

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/08/20/comic-kobe-playing-1-on-1/feed/ 0 05396 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/08/16/nba-in-india-vs-china/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/08/16/nba-in-india-vs-china/#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2012 04:40:32 +0000 Pranav Ahuja http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=603337 China:-

Table Tennis and Badminton are the two most established sports in China. But did you know that Basketball arrived in China in the 1890′s and was declared a national pastime in 1935? Besides USA and Canada, China was the 3rd country in the world where Basketball emerged as a sport. So basketball has been played in China for many years. However, Basketball became popular only in the 1990s when globalization and the Internet allowed the Chinese population to come in greater contact with the sport being played elsewhere in the world. In the 1990′s, the NBA started showing a few games on Chinese TV. The NBA gave a boost to basketball in China, but a bigger push was yet to come.

Slam Manga

In the mid to late 1990′s the emergence of Slam Manga, a comic about High School teams who the people could relate to easily gave the support a huge boost. It’s mostly because of Slam Dunk Manga, one of the favorite among kids. It’s easier to relate to (story is about high school teams), art style is exciting and energetic. The theme is healthy and teen appropriate. Everyone read it, even girls.

Yao Ming

In 2002, many years after the effect of the NBA coming to TV and the emergence of Slam Manga, the sport was taken to the next level when Yao Ming joined the NBA with the Houston Rockets as the 1st Overall Pick. Now suddenly, every kid playing basketball in China wanted to be Yao Ming. It was at this point that the NBA jumped full-speed onto the China bandwagon to capitalize on the Yao Ming effect. Yao’s first match had 200 million followers in China. Followed by the NBA, lots of corporates also started pumping in marketing dollars into basketball in China and the rest is history. Today, every basketball superstar including Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, travel to China to promote their personal brands.

 

India:-

Right now basketball in India is at the same stage as it was in China in the mid-late 1990′s before the emergence of the Slam Manga. The NBA and corporates  have been trying to push basketball in India for many years. But we still haven’t reached the next level.

Problem- The NBA is doing all it can to help promote itself in India, but what it’s lacking is a spokesperson like Yao Ming to push itself to the next level. In India, we don’t win many medals at the Olympics like the US or China but whenever anyone is competing for a medal the entire country is watching. And every time we win a medal in a certain sport, people start looking up to the winner and we have many more people trying to be the next Saina Nehwal or Leander Paes.

So, if the NBA manages to even get one player from India, suddenly 500 million people will be interested in watching the NBA and quite a few more will start working even harder to make it to the NBA.

Solution- The NBA needs one player from India playing in the league. The NBA is trying to achieve that by holding events and sending it’s players to India.

Some of the NBA’s biggest events in India are-

1. Mahindra NBA Challenge

2. NBA Jam

3. Jr NBA/WNBA Skills Challenge

Till now 20 NBA/ WNBA players or legends have visited India including Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard.

The Challenges focus on developing the skills of budding young basketball players and pitting them against each other. Through all its events and its tie-up’s with the Basketball Federation of India, the NBA is focusing on improving the coaching and facilities provided to the players, plus giving them expert guidance to help compete at the next level. The NBA is just waiting to find India’s Yao Ming.

The NBA and India’s best hope for an Indian Yao Ming right now is Satnam Singh Bhamara. Kenny Natt, a veteran NBA assistant and head coach who recently took over the Indian men’s team, said that if NBA scouts could see Satnam, they’d be licking their chops at the prospect of drafting him.

I think the only thing stopping the NBA from being very popular in India is an identity, a player who the public can relate to. Lets hope, for India and for the NBA we find our missing identity soon.

But the London Olympics drilled in the fact that International Basketball is growing by leaps and bounds. The tournament was conducted in fantastic fashion, with players from all over the world with diverse skills competing for the gold medal.  The international teams might play better as a unit but as individuals it was still mostly the Americans who dominated the game.

Here’s my all-Olympic team:

Pau Gasol, Spain – CENTER

Pau Gasol

In the semi-finals when Spain was losing by double digits at half-time, Pau inspired Spain to a win. He took the ball in the post, passed out, got it back and then attacked again.  He was responsible for getting the ball to the open shooters and the inspiration behind the comeback even though Jose Calderon hit the big buckets.

In the gold-medal game, Pau Gasol just stepped it up to another level (I have never seen him play an individual game like that since he joined the Lakers). Pau scored 24 points, brought down 8 rebounds and dished out 7 assists to give Spain a chance at victory.

Lebron James, United States of America – FORWARD

Lebron James

King James is the best player in the world. He is hands down the most dominant player on both ends of the floor. But there was always a question on most people’s minds – Is Lebron James a winner? Now he’s answered that by winning a championship and leading Team USA to a gold medal at the Olympics!

He didn’t need to do much during the group stages averaging 13.3 points per game on 60.3 percent shooting with 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists. But when Team USA was struggling from behind the 3-pt line, it was King James who helped bail out Team USA by destroying defenders off the dribble. He even played as the Center when Chandler was on the bench. Lastly, when the Americans were struggling to close out the Spanish players he responded with two big buckets in the 4th Quarter.  In a team with Bryant, Durant and Anthony, it was James who played the closer’s role for Team USA in the Gold Medal.  Let that sink in – Lebron James: The Closer.

Kevin Durant, United States of America – FORWARD

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is the pure shooter on the team. He has the ability to just shoot the daylights off the opponent. Durant played that role multiple times for Team USA over the 8 games in London 2012. He has the ability to score even against a perfect defense. Add his length to his shooting ability and he becomes absolutely impossible to stop.

The international three point line is about 18in closer to the ring and Durant made it count. He  knocked down 34 daggers from behind the 3 point arc while shooting 52%.  He averaged 19.5 points per game( second only to Patty Mills). But most importantly, Durant stepped it up in the Gold Medal match when Team USA really needed his scoring touch by scoring 30 points and also grabbing 9 rebounds along with one steal and a block. Like Lebron, KD was also probably saving his best for last.

Patty Mills, Australia – GUARD

Patty Mills

Patty Mills is the only relatively unknown, non-superstar player who’s made it onto the All-Olympics team, but what a performance he put forth at the Olympics!

Mills drained the best shot of the Olympics when he swiftly moved to the top of the circle to catch a pass with 1.8 seconds left, when Australia was trailing by two to the Russians, and boom he knocked it down to hand Russia it’s only defeat in the group stage.

Patty Mills was the only player to average about 20 points per game at the Olympics. He averaged 21.5 ppg scoring 127 of Australia’s 496 points. That’s an astonishing 25% of his teams points even though he was only on the floor for 29 minutes per game. Mills provided the spark to Australia and led them into the knockout rounds.

Manu Ginobili, Argentina - GUARD

Manu Ginobili

It’s King James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and co taking on the Gasol Brothers. 

But the Biggest Story surrounding the Final isn’t related to the Gold Medal match at all. The  Dwight Howard Trade has sent shock waves through the Basketball Universe. But lets not go off topic here.

What I’m looking forward to see the most in the final is-

1. Spanish Bigs vs Undersized US Team

2. Pau Gasol: Big Game Player or not?

3. US Team Fast Breaks

4. Spain’s Top Defense VS  USA’s Ultimate Offense

Spanish Bigs vs Undersized US Team 

Marc, Pau and Ibaka.

They’re the only chance Spain has against the US Team.

Ever since the Olympics started the only question against the Americans has been that they’re too small. That they might not be able to stop the two 7-foot brothers from Spain.

But so far, Marc Gasol and Ibaka have been heavily under-performing. Marc Gasol is only averaging 12pts  ppg while shooting less than 50 percent from the field. Serge Ibaka is leading the Spanish team in blocks but besides that he’s providing little else.

 Pau Gasol is the only Spanish big who’s stepped up averaging 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and shooting 57.8%. Can Pau do it in the Final? That brings us to our next hot topic.

Pau Gasol: Big Game Player or Not.

Pau Gasol’s resume speaks for itself - 3 NBA Finals, 2 NBA Championships. But he’s still never been able to shake off the “Not big game player” tag. He picked up the tag when the Lakers lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals. After that he’s won 2 Championships but he still the stamp.

Gasol is the Alpha Dog in the Spanish team and if Spain can somehow beat the US, he’ll become a legend. He has a chance to prove all his doubters wrong today. I hope he has a big game. That’ll at-least make it a spectacle to watch.

 US Team Fast Breaks

Who doesn’t love Alley-Oop’s and Dunks. The US Team has provided us with a ton of highlight reels.

Spain’s Top Defense VS  USA’s Ultimate Offense

The US Team has been a delight to watch at the offensive end. They’re destroying teams inside and outside with some of the best shooting performances of all-time. Melo, KD and company are shooting lights out from outside the arc.

 On the other hand Spain has reached the final relying on their solid defense. We know no team can stop the US team in a 7-game series, but can the Spanish put it on for 1 night. It’s the Olympics Best Defense VS the Best Offense. It’ll be very interesting to see the strategy employed by the Spanish to try and stop the US.

The Best part? It’s a single game finale. Anything can happen.

Who do you think will win? Let me know in the comments.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/08/12/olympics-basketball-finale-what-to-look-forward-to/feed/ 2 21437 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/08/11/lakers-championship-favourites-with-howard/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/08/11/lakers-championship-favourites-with-howard/#comments Sat, 11 Aug 2012 11:27:19 +0000 Pranav Ahuja http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=583157 Heat and OKC still have advantages over the Lakers even though many are thinking the Lakers are favoured to win it all, or at least the West.