Things fall apart.

That was the first thought that came to my mind upon hearing about Greg Oden’s latest and quite possibly final setback. The chronically injured Portland Trailblazers center required yet another microfracture surgery, bringing the tally of such surgeries to three, two on his left knee and one on his right. His body has fallen apart. His career has fallen apart. The hopes and dreams of a proud franchise have fallen apart right along with them.

Things Fall Apart.

That’s the name of The Roots’ album that came out 13 years ago on February 23, 1999. It’s also the name of the 1958 novel by Chinua Achebe, but my mind went back to that classic Roots joint that stayed on heavy rotation back when I was a teenager, and still does to this day. When it was originally released, there were five different album covers, each one symbolizing the title in visual form. I could almost imagine a sixth, with a picture of Oden looking on from the bench, in street clothes, helpless.

While the thought of an oft-injured NBA player gracing the cover of a deep and revered rap album certainly sounds silly, if you delve deeper it’s almost eerie how not just the album title could aptly describe Oden’s career, but also some of the track titles as well. 

“Dynamite!”

For much of his high school career, Oden was far and away the consensus number one player in the class of 2006.  A seven-foot phenom, Oden joined forces with Mike Conley at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Indiana to win three consecutive state titles. His dominant play led him to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year award as a junior, the first time since LeBron James a junior had accomplished that.

Oden was talked about as a once in a generation type of player in high school. At a time when most seven footers such as Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Garnett preferred to play more of a perimeter-oriented game, Oden was a throwback to the days of Hakeem Olajuwan, David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal, big men who relished banging in the paint and protecting the rim. Oden graced the cover of many national magazines in high school, including SLAM 99 which featured the tag line “The Next Big Thing.”

After a dominant high school career capped off by an appearance in the McDonald’s All-American game, Oden headed off to Columbus, Ohio accompanied by Conley, to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“The Next Movement”

Initially sidelined after having wrist surgery, Oden made his college debut, to much fanfare, on December 2^nd, 2006 against Valparaiso. Despite coming off the bench, he finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks. More monster games followed, including a 29 point and 10 rebound performance against Iowa, where he shot 12 of 13 from the field, good for a ridiculous 92%, and Ohio State won by 20.

Perhaps his best moment, however, came in the most important game of the season. Despite leaning heavily on underclassmen, Ohio State found itself in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament going up against defending national champions Florida. Standout junior big men and future lottery picks Al Horford and Joakim Noah had the last laugh as they won the game 84-75 and repeated as champs, but not before Oden made them look silly in the process. Facing constant double and even occasional triple teams all game long, Oden nonetheless was able to put up 25, 12 and 4 blocks while shooting 66% in a losing effort.

On the season, he averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 61.6% shooting from the field. Despite Texas’ Kevin Durant becoming the first freshman ever to win the National Player of the Year award, Oden’s enormous upside made him the favorite to be drafted first overall in the 2007 NBA draft. At 19 years old, he was being hailed as the next David Robinson or even the next Bill Russell, the man that would bring back the dominance of the NBA big man.

The Portland Trailblazers selected Greg Oden first overall, however in September he was forced to have his first microfracture surgery, and he would miss his entire rookie season. Things began to crumble thereafter.

“Ain’t Saying Nothing New”

Fast forward a few seasons. November 2010, the Blazers announced Oden would once again have microfracture surgery, his second, effectively ending his season before it even began. At that point, Oden had played a total of 82 games in three seasons. By then the headlines, the questions and the discussions had pretty much been the same since what should have been his rookie year. Is he the next Sam Bowie? Did the Blazers make a mistake in not drafting Durant? Will he ever make an impact in the NBA? Are the Blazers cursed? Is he really only 22? All old, nothing new.

What should have been the start of a dynasty was instead relegated to a tragic comedy. As Durant, who fairly or unfairly might always be the Michael Jordan to Oden’s Sam Bowie, was piling up scoring titles, all-star berths and MVP consideration, Oden had no choice but to watch from the sidelines in public, and undergo painful rehabilitation, both physical and mental, in private.

Perhaps literally adding insult to injury, Oden also had to watch as former teammate Mike Conley, long thought to be but a mere sidekick to superhero Oden in their high school and college days, signed a five-year $40 million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies. Meanwhile, despite being a former number one overall pick, Oden faced the real threat of not even having his option picked up.

“Act Fore: The End?”

Dating back to high school, Oden was always clowned for looking much older than he really was. Today he is still only 24 but looks closer to 40. These days, however, his old man looks might more aptly describe how he feels inside. Heartbreak after heartbreak, year after year. For those of us on the outside looking in, it must be nearly impossible to imagine the toll this has taken on his psyche. Once blessed with an outgoing personality, he has now retreated to the shadows, declining to comment all season long. 

One can only hope in the wake of this latest setback, his spirit has not yet been broken. After all, despite his geriatric countenance he is, once again, still only 24.

Sometimes the beautiful in things falling apart is that they can be rebuilt and stand stronger than ever. In The Roots’ album, “The End?” was a hidden track, and perhaps there is still the slightest glimmer of hope hidden within the cruelness and unfairness that has been Oden’s career thus far.

February 2003. It was the hottest month in the warmest winter in hip-hop history. But global warming wasn’t the culprit back then like it is now. Nope, 8 years ago a rapper named 50 Cent a.k.a Curtis Jackson was the cause for the fever pitch that engulfed the hip-hop community (except my homie, Khalid Salaam. He was on his Kanye West fix. Way ahead of his time). 50 Cent and his G-Unit mixtapes sold by the millions and in my hood were actually considered a type of currency. That winter I scored three bags of Purple Haze for the “God’s Plan” and the “No Mercy No Fear” CDs. Lovely! But those mixtapes were only appetizers for his upcoming “debut” album, even though “The Power of The Dollar” was his actual – and overlooked – debut album (Dope joint by the way).

I can’t even remember a hip-hop album anticipated like 50’s debut album was. Sure, we were excited about Snoop’s debut and Biggie’s debut and his Life After Death follow-up, but hip-hop heads were waiting on 50’s album like Christians wait for the second coming of Christ, Jews wait for the Messiah, and Kardashians wait for famous black athletes. And it wasn’t because it was produced by Dr. Dre and Eminem or because we were going to hear Ja Rule’s gay lover speak on the record (though those did play a role in it), it was because 50 was – at the time – one of the illest MC’s in the game and was an actual gangster with a story to tell. I mean I remember lamping and building (pull out your Ebonics Dictionary) with my Queens nuccas back in high school in the late 90’s when 50 first came out with “How To Rob.” They let me know that 50 had heads under pressure in that hood. “50’ll kill a n*gga for real, O. He ain’t no joke. Nuccas is scared of him. Now stop hogging the ‘L.’” A few days after having that quick convo with the gods, 50 got blasted 9 times. After that happened, 50 became an afterthought to the hip-hop world.

A few years later – after somehow graduating – I was working at XXL when 50-mania ran wild on you. 24 inch rims would tremble at the treble of Wanksta and the bass of In Da Club. That was during the whole XXL and The Source beef too. Remember how Benzino and his peeps ran up in the XXL office? Sh*t was real. XXL and The Source were always trying to find new ways to one-up the other. But 50 was down with XXL and people don’t even know how 50 teaming up with Dr. Dre and Eminem helped shift the balance of magazine power in the streets in XXL’s favor. Once 50, Em and Dre did the cover for the Feb 2003 issue of XXL, one by one members the hip-hop community started sticking their forks in The Source magazine. And Mr. Jackson’s album hadn’t even drop yet! It was slated for a February 11^th release, but because it was leaked, was pushed up to the 6^th.

On it’s release date it broke records by selling 800,000 copies in it’s first week. Even though I didn’t think the album lived up to the hype, I have to admit that the album was a street classic. The kind of street classic that ran in the same vein as Busta Ryhmes “The Coming,” Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,” and Big Pun’s “Capital Punishment” (But not nearly as flawless as those albums were). Not necessarily ahead of its time, but an embodiment of what hip-hop was at that very moment, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” was an album almost frozen in time that only the heads of that very era could appreciate. That album was sold out everywhere because people just had to have it. A few of my homies was actually out there sticking up cats walking out the record store for their copies. They was taking receipts too. That’s how bad fans had to have that album. They were risking their freedom to get a copy.

From the very moment you heard those two quarters drop and a gun cock, you knew you were in for some gangsta sh*t. Sho’nuff, the very first cut from the album, “What Up Gangsta,” basically set the tone for the kind of album we were in for. Songs like that along with “Many Men,” where he addressed getting Swiss-cheesed up, “Back Down,” where he pulled Ja Rule’s card and had Rule’s boy-toy put him on blast, and “NYPD/LAPD” were the kind of album cuts that most rappers wish they could think up. But they ain’t live it so they ain’t think it. And these were just simple joints with catchy hooks that had commercial appeal without sacrificing a drop of street credibility. I was kind of surprised that “Heat” never caught on as a street banger. Not only was it a Irv Gotti diss record (hating on Murder Inc. was the thing to do at the time), but it also implemented the sound of a gun cocking and blasting into the beat. Though the whole notion of sampling the sound of a gun cocking and shooting had been done before – and used more effectively on Bone Thugs and Tupac’s “Thug Luv” – I still felt like “Heat” was one of the illest and overlooked cuts on the album.

But as dope as those joints were, it was “In Da Club” and “21 Questions” that helped shoot 50 to the kind of commercial stardom that few rappers ever reach. Those songs ruled the airwaves for the next year and change. It got to the point where you just knew that Fiddy was doomed to never repeat that kind of success. “In Da Club” had that bounce that could start in the club, continue to your whip and go on in your iPod. It was a monster and it had a life of its own. Sort of similar to Jennifer Lopez’s ass, which had a career of its own. Jenny was just along for the ride. “21 Questions” was the song that appealed to the females, and man did it prolong Fiddy’s dominance. For the record, my man Nate Dogg – R.I.P. – doesn’t get enough credit for making that song as banging as it was.

But for all the dope songs on it, there were a few joints that were either overrated or just weak. For the life of me I can’t understand why heads were swearing by “Patiently Waiting.” 50’s verse was borderline wack and his flow was worse. “50 fear no man. Warrior, swingin’ swords like Conan.” The only thing more elementary than this rhyme was probably the rest of the verse. But nuccas was taking the oath with this joint like it was the gospel. I would ask “what the hell was these dudes smoking?” but it was the same ish that I was smoking, so I couldn’t call it. I felt that “Don’t Push Me” was the better track, but no one bought it at the time. “High All The Time” was one of the weaker joints that I thought the album could’ve done without along with “Blood Hound,” but I know that “Blood Hound” was Fiddy trying to reach that down south market. I mean Young Buck was the feature on it. But seriously who was the genius on the label that really thought “Gotta Make It To Heaven” would get played more than once by anyone outside of G-Unit? I bet they’d only play it while 50 was around too. There were too many things going on with that beat to actually pay attention to what Fiddy was doing, which was basically nothing.

By the time “Life’s On The Line” was over I felt that New York hip-hop was back with a vengeance. G-Unit was here to stay and 50 would inherit the throne whenever Jay-Z decided to call it quits. No, 50 wasn’t a lyrical monster and he sure as hell couldn’t flow to just any beat, but he had the street history, charisma and muscle – both literally and figuratively – to command the world’s attention. Then he started singing about “Candy Shops,” “Best Friends,” “Disco Inferno”’s and it was all “Just A Lil Bit” too much for me. But I will give him credit for being the savior of the streets of NY when we needed him to be. No disrespect to Jay, Nas or Wu, but their success sort of stripped them of that street edge that NY rappers were and are known for. Curtis Jackson was straight off the block and taking it to any and everyone he felt needed to be checked. He was the underdog filled with confidence that let it be known that he was ready for a shot at the title. And not only did he get his shot, but he took home the hardware. “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” sold 8 million copies and is the 4^th highest selling hip-hop album in history. So I have to give props to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson for not only achieving the improbable, but for also giving the hoods in NYC someone to root for and be proud of… even if it was only until after that weed plate called “The Massacre” dropped. I’m sorry, Mr. Jackson, I am for real…

First time I ever heard of Kanye West was when I copped Beanie Sigel’s “The Truth” back in early 2000. West had produced the title track. At that point, he had already done some tracks for Jermaine Dupri, Goodie Mob and others, but he was still a young producer trying to make a name for himself. When Jay-Z dropped “The Dynasty” and I saw that Kanye did “This Can’t Be Life“, I became a fan.The beat was downright soulful and I was hoping dude would come with more dope productions. He wouldn’t disappoint.

When Jay-Z dropped the classic “The Blueprint”, I was ready to anoint Kanye as the best new producer in the game. He was responsible for the production on “Takeover“, “Ain’t No Love” and others. And yes, that was him on the hook as well as behind the boards on “Never Change“.

He was probably my second favorite producer behind only DJ Premier by the time I heard he’d be dropping an album. At first I was thinking compilation, like DJ Muggs’ Soul Assasins or Hi-Tek’s Hi-Teknology. But wait…dude’s actually gonna rap? Ehh…I wasn’t so sure about that. Many producers had tried to be rappers and just came off as wack so I had my reservations, no doubt. Still, I was looking forward to it.

The release of his first single, which came out 5 months before the album dropped, happened to be a week after I had shipped off to Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego in September 2003. I didn’t get a chance to hear it until February, right before the album dropped. There I was, along with about 30 other young Marines, sitting in the barracks lounge watching BET when suddenly the “Through the Wire” video came on.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen, and I couldn’t stop from damn near breaking my neck to that beat. I thought right there, there was no fucking way I would not be copping that album.

College Dropout, to me, is a borderline classic. That being said, however, it falls well short lyrically of other classics like Nas’ Illmatic or Biggie’s Ready to Die. The beats are the obvious backbone of the album, with West putting together some of his best production work that he had been saving for years, in the hopes he would one day release an album.

Very few albums are as beautifully produced as College Dropout, with its soulful samples, strings, and even a full choir on some songs. Even the interlude “Graduation Day” was soulful and worthy of more than a few listens. But while his mic skills may have been overshadowed by his own production skills, West was no slouch on the mic either.

At a time when everyone was either spitting about how gangsta they were, how rich they were or how smart they were, he came with a different approach, and was just himself instead of trying to copy what was hot at the moment. As he spit on “Family Business” – I woke up early this mornin’ with a new state of mind/a creative way to rhyme without usin’ knives and guns…”

West was probably at his best when accompanied by other MCs, perhaps feeling he had to step up his game more. He more than held his own with GLC and Consequence on “Spaceship“, in which a pre-ballin-so-hard Kanye voiced his frustrations of working a 9 to 5 with no end in sight. He also did well on “Two Words” with Mos Def and Freeway and even managed to hang with “big brother” Jay-Z on the epic “Never Let me Down” .

If there’s a magnum opus on the album, it has to be “Jesus Walks“. It was brave of him to even make a song about Jesus on a mainstream rap album in the first place, and he came correct with it too. The movie Jarhead kind of ruined it for me though (can someone please explain what Marines in the first Gulf War have to do with Kanye West?) but it’s still on point. There’s really only one track I could’ve done without – “Workout Plan“. Other than that, this album is fire.

Overall, this album falls short of bonafide hip-hop classics like Illmatic or Reasonable doubt, but at the very least it has to be counted among the best rap albums of the 21st century. The new “N*ggas in Paris” video that just dropped caught a lot of headlines, but on the 8th anniversary of his debut album, take some time to remember Kanye West back when he was watching the throne with the rest of us.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Those were the famous words came from the immortal Uncle Ben. He gave us a phrase to live by and then later on blessed us with some damn good rice. But his words do ring true… in the comic book world anyway. In real life with great power comes great suffering to the inferior. But in the world where Bob Kane is Yahweh and Stan Lee is Jesus Christ, and where superheros are born through personal tragedy (Superman lost his planet, Batman lost his parents and Spiderman lost his uncle), great power is usually wielded to protect the weak. But this is all inside of a fantasy universe.

What would happen in “real life” should a deeply troubled teen somehow stumble on to great power? If that teen’s last name was Garcia and he lived in Central America he’d probably become yet another illegal alien living in the US. And If the teen happened to be black and lived in the ghetto, Dan Gilbert would somehow end up with his draft rights even if the kid didn’t play sports. But what if this deeply troubled teenager who stumbled unto greatness was Caucasian and living in Seattle? No this isn’t a movie about Kurt Cobain. Though it probably could’ve been about Eminem had it been based in Detroit.

This is a movie about Andrew Detmer (Dean DeHaan). Just your everyday outcast who’s physically bullied (cyber bullying is so last year), an only child, father is an abusive alcoholic, and mother is basically bedridden and dying slowly. The only silver lining in his life is the relationship he shares with his cousin, but even that seems more of a pity friendship than an actual family relation to the troubled Andrew.

Andrew decides to document his life with a video camera straight out of 1989, but only manages to capture the kind of abuse and misery that led to the “It Gets Better” movement.

But his life takes an unexpected turn when he, his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and the school’s most popular black guy, Steve (Michael Jordan), accidentally find a sort of glowing organic life form underground. Once exposed to this they begin to develop superhuman powers which allow them to move things with their minds and eventually take flight like Jeremy Lin on the Washington Wizards defense.

Once the three begin to learn how to manipulate their powers it becomes clear that Andrew is far more powerful and advanced with his newfound gift. Andrew even enables his camera to float in the air and document his every movement. This secret that the three share helps them grow closer as friends and comrades, but when Andrew is reminded by his mentally and physically abusive father that his worth to humanity amounts to as much as that of a Kardashian, the kid reverts to his isolated way of life. Now armed with a brand new bag of tricks, Andrew goes Columbine and decides to take out his aggressions on anyone who’s crossed him and even those who haven’t.

Watching Andrew become the embodiment of Lord Acton’s “absolute power corrupts absolutely” quote and go from obscurity to the spotlight and on to infamy was an intense and entertaining journey. As a viewer you come to actually care about his character – as well as Steve – and want to see him win like Jeremy Lin, but as the movie progresses you want to see him go down like that Crunk sound (whatever happened to Lil Jon?). Not only is Chronicle an entertaining and thrilling piece, but it also has its share of laughs and drama. Definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen in the past year and change.

Christopher Rios, better known as Big Punisher, passed away on February 7, 2000.  When Big Pun’s debut album first arrived on the scene in 1998, it was a time when some thought the lyrics had gone away from rap music a bit (little did they know just how MUCH that would be true years later).

Sure, Nas was still around and Jay-Z was beginning to make some noise, but 2Pac and Biggie had been gone for over a year and albums like Puffy’s No Way Out and Ma$e’s Harlem World had dropped, giving the sense that rap was going in a less lyrical and more shiny-suit and extremely sample-heavy direction.

Pun and several others were able to shift the focus back to lyricism. Along with the likes of DMX, Canibus, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and other new cats that came in at around the same time. Pun’s impact was felt by all, as he is widely considered to have been an elite lyricist regardless of where people might want to rank him. His impact was most felt by the Latino community, however, as we were able to see one of our own achieve platinum status in a genre we’ve loved so much.

On the 12th anniversary of Pun’s passing, we look back at some of his hottest joints by counting down my own top 5 Pun tracks and top 5 Pun guest appearances. Enjoy!

5. “What You Gonna Do”

4. “Super Lyrical” featuring Black Thought

3. “You Ain’t a Killa”

2. “Beware”

1. “Dream Shatterer”

5. Fat Joe featuring Big Pun and Big L – “Bring ‘em Back”

4. Noreaga featuring Big Pun, Cam’ron, Nature, Jadakiss, Styles

3. The Beatnuts featuring Big Pun and Cuban Link – “Off the Books”

2. Onyx featuring Big Pun and Noreaga – “Shut em Down (Remix)”

1. Fat Joe featuring Big Pun and Terror Squad – “Terror Squadians”

What’s your favorite Big Pun joints? I’ll leave you all with this moving tribute to Pun courtesy of Cuban Link -

“For every Rip Hamilton, there’s five Eddie Griffins/ 10 Len Biases/ a hundred Ben Wilsons/ a thousand Will Gates/ daddy always told me that you seal your own fate” – Knaledge, Kidz in the Hall

A shooting star is nothing more than the visible part of a meteor that reaches the Earth’s atmosphere. However, it has come to symbolize other things, such as something you wish upon, or something that’s brilliant for a short amount of time before fleeing our eyesight. It’s that second interpretation of what a shooting star symbolizes that the title of this post alludes to.

There are about 400,000 boys playing basketball at the high school level. At the top of the next level, there are about 5,000 male basketball players in the NCAA’s Division I. The top of the next level after that is the NBA, which has a max of 450 roster spots available for its 30 teams. That’s about 0.001% of high school basketball players who will make it to the NBA.

Most come and go without anyone but their family and friends noticing. Others are anointed as future NBA players by scouts and such, and everything falls into place as if it were scripted.

Some, however, make the country take notice, entice us with their talent, force us to predict their impending stardom, and then we watch helplessly as their flashes of brilliance disappear before our very eyes.

The following three players from my childhood and adolescence perhaps best personify this. They all were all thought to be the next big superstar in their high school days, but none were drafted into the NBA, and thus none ever became the stars so many thought they would.

Schea Cotton

Schea Cotton was LeBron James before LeBron James. He was ranked as the top player high school class of 1997 coming into his freshman year at historic California powerhouse Mater Dei, and was the subject of a Sports Illustrated before his sophomore year. At 6’5″ with a chiseled physique and a 42″ vertical, Cotton was a man among boys early on in his high school career and clearly stood head and shoulders above everyone else as the best in his class and possibly the best in the country.

Things started going downhill after his sophomore season when he transferred from Mater Dei. He suffered a broken hand that kept him from playing most of that following season. His size and strength, which had been such an advantage for him before, became less so after everyone else got taller and stronger as well. Like most players that are high on scouts’ radars at a very young age, many began to see flaws in his game, and his stock subsequently fell some.

By his senior year in 1997, Schea Cotton was no longer the top player in his high school class, replaced by a kid no one had heard of back when Sports Illustrated did a feature on Cotton, a kid from North Carolina named Tracy McGrady.

Cotton was still a highly sought-after recruit, however, and committed to UCLA. Despite scoring enough on his SAT to qualify, the NCAA invalidated his test score due to some technicalities, and he never suited up for the Bruins. He spent some time at a junior college before committing to play for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, where that old NCAA ruling once again held him from stepping on the court.

Cotton ended up playing professionally overseas for a few years and now works with kids, trying to get them noticed and being a mentor to them. His impact is still felt throughout basketball to this day, however, and he is still regarded by many as a basketball legend.

Ronnie Fields

Basketball is a religion in Chicago, and with such a long and deep tradition of Chicago high school basketball, if you were to ask 10 different Chicagoans who the best high school player in Chicago history was, you just might get 10 different answers. Isiah Thomas. Derrick Rose. Kevin Garnett. Benji Wilson. Nick Anderson. Jabari Parker. The list of potential answers goes on.

And on that list you’d likely find Ronnie Fields, who was Garnett’s teammate at Farragut Academy in KG’s senior season in 1995. KG of course went on to NBA stardom and multiple all-star selections, but there are many who still argue Fields was the best player on that Farragut team, and possible the best player in the country at the time.

In Fields’ senior season, with KG gone off to make history in the L, he left no doubt that he was at the very least head and shoulder above other players in the state of Illinois, at times literally as his reported and mind-boggling 50-inch vertical leap allowed him to play above the rim. He was an uber-athletic 6’3″ guard who could play much bigger than he was, similar to Dwyane Wade who at 6’4″ plays like someone who’s 6’8″. In his senior season fields averaged 32.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 4.5 blocks, and 4 steals per game won the Illinois Mr. Basketball award, and had committed to play for DePaul University.

In February of 1996, right before the city playoffs were set to begin, it all came to a halt. Fields was involved in a car accident that left him with a broken neck. Even that injury alone wasn’t enough to derail him, but his struggles to get his grades and test scores up hindered his ability to play for DePaul, and the school had no choice but to rescind the scholarship.

Fields went on to have a solid career in the ABA and CBA, the latter of which he finished as the sixth leading scorer in its history before the league folded.

Lenny Cooke

Much like people almost always seem to bring up LeBron James when Schea Cotton’s name comes up, the same rings true for Lenny Cooke. However, whereas in Cotton’s situation James is brought up in terms of Cotton being “LeBron James before LeBron James”, for Cooke it’s almost always along the lines of “LeBron James ended his career before it really started”, which is not true and unfair.

Cooke was a 6’6″ swingman born in Brooklyn, who had started playing basketball at a relatively later age but caught on quick. He was a tremendous scorer and had a killer instinct, often lighting up opponents both in high school games and in the AAU circuit. By his junior year he was being tabbed as one of the next great basketball players and averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds on the year. He was the top player in the class of 2002, ahead of Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire.

At the 2001 adidas ABCD Camp, Cooke, who had dominated the previous year’s camp, found himself going head to head against LeBron James, who by then many were not just quietly whispering but downright announcing was the best player in the country. James got the better of Cooke, which in the eyes of many solidified James as the bonafide top player in the country regardless of class, and knocked Cooke down a few pegs.

The problem with Cooke started with him constantly moving from school to school, which in itself shouldn’t have been enough to derail his career, as others such as Amar’e Stoudemire have also done the same. However, there were also talks of Cooke lacking a strong work ethic, and having this sense of entitlement in that he was just destined to make it to the NBA, regardless.

In his senior season, Cooke dominated early on but after eight games when he turned 19, the state of New Jersey ruled that he had exhausted his eligibility. Perhaps as a result, he was not invited to participate in the McDonald’s All American Game. Despite having offers from North Carolina, Ohio State and others, Cooke signed with an agent and opted to put his name in the 2002 NBA Draft, where he went undrafted.

Cooke ended up playing in other leagues, such as the USBL and the CBA, where he excelled for the most part. In December of 2004 he was involved in a car crash that left him in a coma for a week. He spent the next year in a wheelchair, not sure about whether he wanted to try and continue to play or not. He eventually made a comeback, before injuries finished his career for good.

Now he focuses on his family and being a motivational speaker, determined not to let others make the same mistakes he did.

All these players could very well have gone on to superstardom in the NBA, were circumstances different. If they had focused more on academics, if tragedy hadn’t struck them, or if they hadn’t been hyped up too much, too soon.

Every year beneath the surface there will be kids who will end up wondering what might have been, what they could have done differently to improve their chances, why their dreams didn’t come to fruition.

The harsh reality is that so few will become stars that will shine bright for all to see, but many more might rather be shooting stars, a moment of brilliance before fading to black.

I wanted to touch more on why I thought Anthony Davis would be the best choice for the number one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

I’m not prone to hyperbole, but while watching Kentucky play against Tennessee the other week, following Anthony Davis’ 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals performance, I found myself tweeting “Anthony Davis is the best defensive pro prospect since Tim Duncan in 1997.”

Immediately afterwards, I was taken aback by what my fingers had just typed onto my iPhone screen. Could this Kentucky freshman really be that great?

Well, in a word, yes. Furthermore, I think he should be a no-brainer for the top pick in the 2012 draft.

Davis’ background is interesting. As a high school junior at tiny Perspectives Charter High School in Chicago, he was a 6’ 2” guard and virtually unknown. By the end of his senior year, however, he was 6’10” and had shot up to the top of most national high school rankings. He was able to maintain much of the speed and athleticism he had as a guard and combine that with a newfound ferociousness as a shot blocker and rebounder to become a uniquely talented player.

Davis signed with John Calipari’s Kentucky program, and in his very first game he put up 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in 23 minutes. The insane stat lines wouldn’t stop there, however. 15 points, 15 rebounds and 8 blocks against St. John’s. 14 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks against Chattanooga. 27 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocks against Arkansas.

Through 21 games at Kentucky, Davis is averaging 13.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game on an extremely stacked squad. As impressive as those 4.6 blocks per game are, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. His ability to alter countless other shots, his cat-quick reflexes, his 7’4” wingspan and uncanny ability to be defensively clutch make him the best defensive anchor in the nation.

That 7’4″ wingspan is the same as Yao Ming’s was. Yao Ming, in case we’ve forgotten, is 7’5″ tall.

Despite this, it almost seems as if most people don’t realize how special he can be in the NBA. Perhaps because he has such a unique skillset, many don’t know how to project what type of player he will be. I’ve seen Javele McGee comparisons. That is worrisome because despite the height, athleticism and shot blocking prowess, there really is no comparison. Davis can guard out to the perimeter, has a higher basketball IQ, is a capable passer, and is a lot more team oriented.

A more adequate comparison might be Marcus Camby with better ball handling and a higher ceiling than Camby had at that age. Like Camby, Davis will most likely begin his career as a power forward until he can gain enough weight to play center, where his ability to patrol the paint will most come in handy. Also like Camby, defensive player of the year awards could very well be in his future.

The fact that Davis is this good already defensively while not even being remotely close to reaching his potential on offense should have owners, scouts, GMs and coaches all salivating. Yet, several mock drafts have him at number two behind Andre Drummond.

On the surface, that’s understandable, as Drummond possesses much of the same skillset and athleticism that a young Amar’e Stoudemire or Dwight Howard had at the same age.

My concern with Drummond, however, is that he tends to coast, while Davis plays full-throttle all the time.

Drummond also seems to not take his craft as seriously as he should at times, such as his admitting to media he didn’t know who Seton Hall center Herb Pope was, despite being slated to face off against him later that day. Drummond had 4 points that game in a losing effort while Pope went for 15 and 8. Safe to say he knows who Pope is now.

Davis’ weaknesses, mainly his lack of muscle and lack of low-post scoring prowess, can be fixed. Drummond’s lack of right positive attitude or motivation to become better, however, could be permanent.

So is Davis truly a once in a decade type player? You’d be hard-pressed to come up with another defensive-minded player who had as much obvious upside as he does. It’s important to note that while Dwight Howard was certainly a great shot blocker in high school, very few could have confidently predicted that he would end up being such a force defensively at the time.

One could make the argument for Greg Oden. Certainly, you might recall he was even getting Bill Russell comparisons at the time. A total of 82 games played since 2007 kind of killed that, though.

The more I think about it, the more I keep going back to Duncan, who hasn’t seen anyone else match his level of NBA readiness on both ends of the court as a rookie since, but strictly on the defensive end I am confident that Davis will have a similar impact.

The 2012 NBA Draft is looking like it might be the best since at least the 2008 draft, if not the historical 2003 draft. The likes of Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, Jared Sullinger, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Perry Jones III are all locks for the lottery. And if the owners of the number one overall pick are smart, all those guys will be taken after Anthony Davis.

What do y’all think? Who should be the number one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft?

A little over two months away from the end of the college basketball season, a little under five months until the 2012 NBA Draft. Perhaps a bit early for an NBA Mock draft? It’s aight, I’ll just do the lottery for now…

1. Washington Wizards – Anthony Davis (Kentucky 6’10″ PF)

There’s obviously no way to tell who will actually have the number 1 pick in the draft until after the lottery, therefore for now I’m doing it based on current standings. It really doesn’t matter though, regardless of who gets the top pick they’d be smart to snatch up Davis.

In my opinion, he is the best defensive prospect since Tim Duncan in 1997. Yeah, I said it. He currently leads the nation in blocks and has more blocks all by his damn self than all but about 40-some odd ENTIRE TEAMS in the country. More than just a shotblocker however, he is a ferocious rebounder, has a high motor, an underrated handle and jump shot, and rarely gets into foul trouble. His lack of muscle is only a small concern as he could always fill out later. Remember how skinny KG used to be?

2. Charlotte Bobcats – Andre Drummond (UConn 6’10″ C)

Drummond possesses the same athleticism and body type a young Amar’e Stoudemire or Dwight Howard had at that same age. He could challenge for the NBA slam dunk title right now. Has a developing post game. Good shotblocker. He needs to learn to play with some more ferocity though. He certainly has the potential to become a top five center in the NBA down the line if he works at it.

3. New Orleans Hornets – Harrison Barnes (UNC 6’8″ SF)

While Barnes may have lost some of his luster since being picked as a preseason All-American before even playing a college game before last year, I don’t see him falling out of the top 5, and in my opinion he should go as high as 3, as he does here in this mock draft. He has the potential to be a 20 points and 7 rebounds per game player in the NBA.

4. Detroit Pistons – Jared Sullinger (Ohio St. 6’9″ PF)

Sullinger is an absolute beast down low and could very well be the best low-post scorer in the nation. He reminds some of a young Elton Brand with his back to the basket game. There could be some concerns of him being undersized, as we’re seen with the likes of Carlos Boozer and other 6’8″-6’9″ power fowards who have struggled against the seven footers some teams employ at the 4. Ultimately though, more often than not, Sully will get his regardless.

5. Toronto Raptors – Perry Jones III (Baylor 6’11″ PF/SF)

Athletic as hell with great size at nearly seven feet tall. And yet he possesses the speed and handle to possibly play small forward for periods of time. He’s been called a bigger T-Mac by some. I wouldn’t go there, I can’t see him every putting up T-Mac in his prime type numbers, but he should be good for about 15 and 8 when he reaches his potential, and could be a mismatch nightmare as he’ll be too big for smaller players and too fast for bigger ones.

6. New Jersey Nets – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky 6’7″ SF)

In high school, much like LeBron James and OJ Mayo before him, MKG was known nationally from a young age. As a high school sophomore recruiting analysts were quietly wondering if he was the best player in the country, regardless of class. Like Mayo, however, he wasn’t able to maintain his top spot and saw the likes of Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers beat him out for higher national ranking spot by their senior year. MKG is a jack-of-all trades who can do it all well, but does nothing extremely well. Still, he will be a solid pro and has surprised many in his freshman year and has others saying “I KNEW he hadn’t really fallen off”

7. Golden State Warriors – Thomas Robinson (Kansas 6’9″ PF)

Powerful and athletic post player who has become the face of the Jayhawks this season. He’s got a really strong motor, goes hard at all times. Good rebounder. He’ll be that type of player every team wishes they had and so few actually do, the hard-nosed hustle guy. Also a bit undersized, might actually be closer to 6’8″ but his strength might make up for the lack of size.

8. Sacramento Kings – Jeremy Lamb (UConn 6’5″ SG)

Very athletic scorer who can shoot from outside as well as slash to the basket. He also has the potential to become an elite defender with his long wingspan, if he puts in work on that side of the ball. As a freshman, Lamb played the Robin to Kemba Walker’s Batman en route to their NCAA championship. As a sophomore he has made the Huskies his team and has had some monster games. Lamb is easily the best shooting guard in this draft and could go as high as number 3.

9. Houston Rockets – John Henson (UNC 6’10″ PF)

Henson is another skinny shotblocker, but he won’t have the same impact in the NBA as Anthony Davis will. Still, he’ll be a good role player who can create havoc on the defensive end and can create most of his scoring opportunities off tip-ins and dunks. He will need to put on more weight and perhaps some low-post scoring moves.

10. Phoenix Suns – Bradley Beal (Florida 6’5″ SG)

Beal has drawn comparisons to Ray Allen since he was in high school Pretty high praise, but similar to Allen, Beal has a sweet shooting stroke and sneaky athleticism. He currently lacks the ability to create own shot, but if Allen can make a career off of coming off screens and shooting from behind the arc, Beal might just able to do the same in the L as well.

11. Milwaukee Bucks – Quincy Miller (Baylor 6’9″ SF)

Miller is Perry Jones’ equally athletic freshman teammate. Miller has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant. While I don’t see any scoring titles in his future, like Durant he will be a tall “small forward” capable of creating his own shot and scoring from pretty much anywhere. If drafting on potential alone, Miller would be worthy of a top 5 pick in this draft. And if he does realize his potential and falls outside the top 10, he’ll make some teams regret passing him up.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers- Meyers Leonard (Illinois 7’0″ C)

Leonard could be the only true seven footer taken in the first round. He’s got surprising athleticism for a seven footer. Plays hard at times, but can coast at other times. Good shotblocker. Underrated passer. A concern with him is his maturity, he’s had problems with on-court altercations and taunting opponents and things of that nature. He could become a serviceable center if he keeps his attitude in check and develops a low-post game.

13. Boston Celtics – Terrence Jones (Kentucky 6’8″ SF)

First of all, it’s crazy to think that if the draft went down today, the Boston Celtics would be in the lottery. Jones has been having a somewhat disappointing season this year. It seems as if he’s had a difficult time finding his role on this super-stacked, freshman-dominated team. But he’s still worthy of a look by lottery teams. Could be a tweener, too small to play power forward but perhaps too slow to play small forward at the next level.

14. New Orleans Hornets – Patric Young (Florida 6’9″ PF)

Young’s got an intimidating muscular physique that could best be described as that of Ben Wallace in his prime, but his game might be more reminiscent of Boston’s Brandon Bass minus the consistent jump shot.He will defend, and grab rebounds. He’s got the potential to become a decent shotblocker as well.

This 2012 draft will have some very talented players from which to choose from. It could become the most talented draft since 2008, which included Derrick Rose, Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook.

For teams looking for a frontcourt player this draft will be exactly what they need, but if you’re hurting for a point guard you might be out of luck. I don’t think any point guard is good enough to be worthy of a lottery pick this year. But there will be some good one at the bottom of the first round, such as Kentucky’s Marquis Teague or North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall.

There’s still plenty of basketball left to be played both at the professional and collegiate level, and many things could change by then. Until then, however, it’s always fun to look ahead and imagine which future players might go where.

And I’m not talking about the book, the Roots album or that movie where 50 Cent wore dreads so awful looking that he made Mekhi Phifer in 8 Mile seem like he was straight from the islands. I’m talking about the train wreck that is the New York Knicks. What was thought to be the “best front court in the league” are slowly and painfully proving to be Moe, Larry and Curley of the Atlantic division. Maybe even the entire league.

First and foremost we all have to acknowledge that yes, this is all Carmelo Anthony’s fault. But not because Ron Artest has shot the ball better from 3-point range than Melo has anywhere from the field in the last week or even because he holds on to balls like rappers on stage. It’s because he allowed Denver to rape the New York Knicks for every single resource they had so he could get paid in full. He could’ve took a stand and said he wasn’t going to sign an extension with anyone other than New York or just wait until free agency to do so.

I remember when Kobe wanted to be traded to the Bulls back on ’07. He was unhappy in LA and wanted to breakout like P. Diddy when he falls back on his Pro Active treatment. But when he saw that the Lakers were demanding a package of Thomas, Nocioni, Gordon and Wallace, he fell back because he knew he’d be going to a team that would struggle something horrible. Anthony should’ve done the same and let management know that he would rather sign with the Knicks in the summer after the lockout ended than be traded to a team with 2 players and a wack coach. Denver would’ve felt the pressure to take a package of Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry’s expiring contract. But instead Melo lead everyone to believe he’d sign with the Nets if the Knicks didn’t give Denver a package they liked. Knowing this, Masai Ujiri took half of the starting lineup, a few great role players from the bench, a veteran towel boy and an iPad. I heard the towel boy’s parents are still scrambling to put a package together to get their son back.

So because Melo wanted his cake and ate it too, we have a “team” that consists of Chandler, Stat, Melo, Fields and Shumpert, and a bench that features Jorts (Josh Harrellson), Walker, Novak, Bibby, Douglas, Jefferies, and a Harvard grad. We could’ve easily had a lineup that started T. Chandler, Stoudemire, Anthony, W. Chandler and Felton on a nightly basis. And we would’ve had a bench that seated the likes of Gallinari, Fields, Shumpert, Jorts, Walker, Douglas and Jefferies. Sure, Melo would’ve been a few millions poorer, but those are the sacrifices you make when you really want to win an NBA title. So yes, Melo, as much as I love your game and root for you to make it rain like Storm in the Garden every night, this is completely your fault.

Melo also has to take partial blame for Amare Stoudemire’s struggles. Everyone knows that Stat needs an actual point guard and the actual ball to be effective. Unfortunately, Baron Davis is still another few days from making his debut (and who knows how long it’ll take him to shake off the rust) and once the ball touches that number 7 jersey, that’s all she wrote. Stoudemire needs to take the rest of the blame. It’s no secret that Stoudemire’s defense is as much a part of his game as the GLAAD is a part of Tim Hardaway’s social life, but Stat’s game is all about the offense. Given, he needs a decent 1 that can execute the pick-n-roll for him to get it rocking, but Stat’s more than capable of creating his own shot. Yet, for the past week and change he seems uninterested in putting points on the board, almost distant at times. Could it be that his back never fully healed as he claims? Or could it be that he no longer feels that this is his team and therefore puts all responsibility on the shoulders of the man whose team he feels this belongs? Only Amare can answer that question.

Now for all those that say Tyson Chandler is a bust, kill yourselves. I’ll bully you on social media sites and call you all kinds of names if it makes it easier on you to take your own life. Tyson Chandler is doing what he was brought here to do. He’s playing defense, getting rebounds and taking the burden of playing the 5 off of Amare’s shoulders. Seriously, did anyone watch that game against Orlando? He was giving Dwight all kinds of problems in the paint. Unfortunately, Orlando’s shooters were hitting more 3’s than death. You can say what you want about Tyson, but he’s probably the only Knick living up to what was expected of him.

As far as the bench goes, everyone knew the only thing more suspect than our bench was our point guard position. Iman Shumpert was supposed to be a 6^th Man of The Year candidate and ended up taking the helms at the 1. That is until Baron Davis makes his heroic return and leads the Knicks to the promised land (is anyone familiar with sarcasm?). On the bench, Josh Harrellson was looking like a decent contributor and instantly became a fan favorite. Then he fractured his wrist and is out for the next 6 weeks. Landry Fields seemed to regress worse than Mark Sanchez this year until finally picking it up the last few games. Walker has the potential to be a difference maker, but Antoni doesn’t give him many minutes. And our Harvard graduate was sent to the D-league. Funny enough, the biggest difference maker off the bench always seems to be Jared Jefferies. His defense and ability to draw offensive fouls makes his presence valuable when on the floor.

Then of course we have Mike Antoni. What happens when you have a coach that emphasizes the importance of offense, but fails to acknowledge the importance of defense? You get a high scoring team that never wins anything. Now, what happens when that same coach has a team with only two offensive options who can’t put the ball in a garbage can for whatever reason? Just watch the Knicks and see. Now, is firing Mike Antoni the answer to the Knicks woes? Not at all, but it is a start. It’s seriously looking like the Knicks need yet another makeover to get the team back on track.

Let’s address two huge rumors and how they can pan out, shall we?

Rumor 1: Amare Stoudemire to the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Deron Williams. Why does this work? The Knicks get an elite point guard to breakdown defenses which allows Melo to cut to the basket and work his magic, and also creates a lot of pick-n-roll plays for Chandler to slam it home. Amare on the other hand gets to be the man on another team while still playing in a big market. Not to mention Jersey still has a few draft picks in next year’s stacked draft class and looks to be a lottery team. They’ll be able to surround Stat with a few decent role players.

Rumor 2: Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler to the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard. This is really interesting for a few reasons. The Magic get two quality players and Stat gets to have his own team in his hometown. The Knicks not only get back an elite center, but they also get some cap space relief that would allow them to make a run at signing Deron Williams. As much as I love Stat and Tyson for taking on the challenge that is New York City, I’d do this trade in a heartbeat. The Knicks would have an elite MVP caliber center to run with an elite MVP caliber forward. Then they’d have a chance to sign an elite point guard. Not to mention with a team that houses Dwight, Melo and Williams, there would be a good chance that the Zen Master would come out of retirement to show them how to co-exist and win a title or two.

But this is all hearsay and nothing is ever what it’s made out to be. For now the Knicks suck, Melo killed them, Antoni is the antichrist and our future rests on Baron Davis’s return. All I can say is thank God for the New York Giants…

One of them is SLAM’s Bryan Crawford, who hails from the Chi. I first became aware of Bryan through reading his From the Go blog on SLAM Online. We chopped it up on the site and via twitter from time to time. When I decided I wanted to try to write a blog, despite not knowing what to expect, I hit him up via email to ask for advice on how to get started in writing, and surprisingly he not only replied but offered sage advice.

Nowadays, I know I can always count on Bryan when I need advice or constructive criticism as I navigate my way through this writing thing.

Never afraid to express his opinions through his writing, and always keeping it one hundred, Bryan’s articles are always a great read. I got with him via email for the following Q&A on the Bulls, the NBA, and more.

Rigo: What do you think of the Chicago Bulls so far? What do you like? What would you like to see improve?

Bryan Crawford: The biggest thing that I like is their depth. They can almost go ten deep and that can only help a team, especially when you’re talking late in the season and going deep in the Playoffs. I’d like to see Boozer and Noah continue to play well together like they have since Derrick Rose has been out with his toe injury. If Chicago is going to make a serious title run, they’re going to need production equivalent of the salaries that those two are getting.

Rigo: We haven’t seen Rip Hamilton much but do you think he’s the answer at shooting guard the Bulls were needing?

BC: Initially, I was skeptical like a lot of people were with the Rip Hamilton addition. But from what I’ve seen so far, Rip has been an underrated acquisition for the Bulls. He knows how to play basketball and he knows what winning in the NBA is all about. Not only has he won a championship, but he played in back-to-back NBA Finals and 6 consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. So he knows what it takes. I worry about him on the defensive end, but with the way he knows how to run off screens and create space, he’ll be a tough cover on the other end.

Rigo: There’s been a lot said and written about Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah not being able to develop chemistry with one another on the court. Do you predict things will improve on that end?

BC: Like I said earlier, since DRose has been out, they seem to be improving on their chemistry and learning how to play with one another. Joakim’s game has always been about heart, energy and hustle and he appears to be getting that back. That’s what makes him effective and he’s been missing that for a while.

If you look at Boozer’s stats, you’d think that he’s been playing well. But if you actually watch the games, you’ll see that he’s been inconsistent, at best. Chicago needs him to be consistent in his scoring and rebounding in order to have success.

Rigo: If the Bulls core remains as it is now, they’ll have four players making $12 million or more in 2013-2014. Do you believe that will hurt their depth if they’re not able to pay the likes of Taj Gibson and Omer Asik or perhaps resign a Ronnie Brewer or Kyle Korver, and if so do you think that will hinder their ability to compete for a title?

BC: If they can’t find a way to keep both Taj and Omer, it’ll definitely hurt their depth and make it extremely difficult to compete for a title. I honestly don’t believe either of them are going anywhere because their value is evident. The good thing is that the Bulls don’t have to make a decision on Omer until 2013 and Taj in 2014. So it’ll give them some time to figure out a way to retain both.

As for Brewer and Korver, I’d like to think that those two are not only expendable, but also easily replaceable when it comes down to it. So I wouldn’t get too attached to those guys.

Rigo: Tom Thibodeau is obviously a great coach, and I’m glad the Bulls hired him. I am concerned, however, with the amount of minutes he plays Deng and Rose. I worry they’ll break down towards season’s end, and the Bulls have a capable rookie in Jimmy Butler that could spell Deng, but he remains buried on the bench for the most part. What are your thoughts?

BC: I think Thibs does play Luol and Derrick an awful lot. At the same time, those are his two best players and gives the Bulls the best chance to win. Obviously he trusts them, and that’s why he keeps them out on the floor as much as he can, but both are in great condition and will do what it takes to win. So I don’t worry so much.

Luol played great last season playing a ton of regular season minutes and even more with the deep Playoff run. But he was Chicago’s most consistent player, and that’s a testament to how hard he works. And now Derrick has put in that same work over last summer, so I think they’ll be fine.

As for Jimmy Butler, he’s a rookie and just simply not ready to step in and contribute right now. But his time will come and he’ll be ready when it does. It’s just that his time is not now.

Rigo: Despite his points per game and field goal attempts going down, and his assists per game going up, we still hear the comments about Rose shooting too much or not being a true point guard. Do you think at this point that’s just a stigma that’s going to follow him around for the rest of his career or might people’s perceptions change over time?

BC: I think people who say that aren’t really familiar with Derrick Rose prior to him coming into the NBA. Some people think that he’s Russell Westbrook in that he was a SG who converted to a PG and that’s simply not the case. There will always be people who feel like PG’s should be set-up men and not scorers. I know, because I’m one of them.

But at the same time, I understand that Derrick Rose is simply unstoppable on the offensive end and his scoring gives Chicago their best chance to win. He’s not Chris Paul and he’s not Steve Nash, but he can learn to do what it is that they do from a set-up perspective. But they’ll never be able to do what he does from an athletic perspective and that’s what makes him so different. Also dangerous.

Rigo: Do you think this will be the year Luol Deng makes the all-star team?

BC: I’d like to see him be an All-Star this year. He’s certainly deserving, in my opinion. But he’ll have to be voted in by the coaches and you never know which way they’ll go. So to answer your question: I really don’t know.

Rigo: Will the Chicago Bulls get past the Miami Heat this postseason? If so, why?

BC: Yes. I think the way the Bulls lost the ECF really hurt them and left a sour taste in their mouths. And even though no one has said it publicly, they really want another crack at Miami. Because the Heat did knock Chicago off so easily last year, I believe they’re cocky enough to think that it’ll be just as sweet… And that’ll be their downfall.

Rigo: Russell Westbrook signed a 5 year, $80 extension to remain with the Thunder. Your thoughts?

BC: His play has shown that he’s worth the money and he’s definitely earned it. But for the many flashes of brilliance, he’s also shown a ton of “WTF!!” moments.

I’m personally not a fan and I thought he’d bail out of OKC the first chance he got because he didn’t want to share the spotlight with Kevin Durant. But this signing says differently. I still think his desire to be “the man” and his unwillingness to defer and his penchant for going off the rails will continue to be problematic for the Thunder, but we’ll see.

Rigo: You’ve been highly critical of LeBron James over the years. Is there any background story to that?

BC: Background story? No. Actually, I’ve come to realize that it’s not LeBron that I dislike but those who talk about him as if he’s the greatest basketball player there ever was and then make excuse after excuse when he comes up short. I’m against the LeBron James propaganda as well as the hype machine. I can’t deny his talent and his ability, but I also don’t believe in it. I’m no longer impressed by his statistics because those numbers haven’t translated into championships. So from my vantage point, they’re meaningless.

To me, he is completely devoid of the one trait that separates the greatest athletes in their respective sports, from those who were just really, really good at the games that they’ve played: An insatiable desire to not only win, but dominate and destroy all comers. Bron doesn’t have that in him, and those are the only types of guys that have my respect and admiration.

Rigo: What are your thoughts on Kobe Bryant’s play this year thus far?

BC: Kobe is Kobe. Period. He takes a lot of flack that manifests itself as blatant disrespect, but Bean is that dude. The insatiable desire to win and dominate that I mentioned earlier? Bean is all about that.

So even though his decision-making and shot selection can be questionable at times, you know that guy will go out there and try to be the reason that his team wins. You have to respect that.

Rigo: Who’s your rookie of the year so far?

BC: Ricky Rubio. I didn’t think that he’s be that great of an NBA player, but that kid has proven that he can be very effective at this level. His play has been nothing short of impressive and he’s been the sole reason that the Timberwolves are must-see TV in the League. No other rookie can say that.

Rigo: You rep Chicago to the fullest, and right now the reigning NBA MVP is Derrick Rose, the top NBA prospect in college is Anthony Davis, and arguably the top high school player in the country is Jabari Parker. All from the Chi. Can you think of any other time when a Chicagoan dominated at every level of basketball like this?

BC: No, I can’t. And it’s actually really amazing when you think about it. The City of Chicago could potentially have 3 players go first in the NBA Draft all in the span of 10 years or less. Derrick Rose in ’08, Anthony Davis in ’12 and Jabari Parker, who will undoubtedly go pro before 2017. That’s crazy.

Rigo: Anything else you’d like to add?

BC: Yeah… Keep writing and keep grinding!!