The Phantom Menace

I know you’re out there, I can feel you now.
I know you’re afraid, you’re afraid of us.
you’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future, I didn’t come here to tell
you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin.
I’m going to hang up this phone, and I’m going to show these people what you
don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world…without you, a world without
rules and controls without borders or boundaries. A world…where anything is possible.
Where we go from there…is a choice I leave to you – Neo (The Matrix)

I was talking to my boy Black the other day when he came to my house to cut my son’s hair. We were discussing the Georgetown vs Duke game. As he knows I hate the Blue Devils with a passion we were talking about the difference between athletic (Black) players and non-athletic (White) players. He felt that Jon Scheyer would make it in the league because he can shoot the ball. I told him that he may be able to shoot but the League is different, he is not strong enough to finish at the basket or get his shot off there. Look at JJ Redick he can’t get off on the regular and Scheyer isn’t better than him. Then Black made a statement that made me question his sensibility, he said that JJ Redick is going to be in the league 12 plus years. My mouth dropped I was shocked at this absurd statement my boy had to say. He continued on and said that Redick is a system player and in the right system he could be a star and able to get his shot off. Black then said that Redick is going to come to the Knicks and in that system he’s going to score 16 points a game. As I sat there listening to him rattle off all the reasons for why Redick will have a lengthy NBA career, I started to think that my boy had been kidnapped by aliens. Black turned around after he finished speaking and from the stunned look on my face he could see that I wasn’t buying what he was selling. Then he said the dumbest shit I ever heard in my life; “Redick isn’t like any other white boy. He got nigga is his game”. Damn I thought to myself immediately after he finished speaking, that is the dumbest shit I have ever heard. Ain’t no mother freakin way he just said that dumb ass shit. I said Black I know Redick can shoot but that’s his only trick and he doesn’t do that consistently. He’ll get a coaching job soon because as the older you get the less athletic you become, and like the rest of his melanin challenged colleagues he isn’t athletic now so his time is almost up. You can’t continue to do the same things in the league teams adjust to you and they shut that shit down. So your boy will be back in Cameron Hall sitting next to his coach soon.
Our conversation started to lean towards the upcoming Super Bowl and who I was rooting for. I said I don’t know why you are even asking me that, I’m going with God. As if he didn’t hear my answer Black asked me again. I repeated myself and gave the same answer; I’m rooting for God son. Black gave me the puzzled look and then said what the hell are you talking about son. I’m talking about the Super Bowl and you are talking about God. I said my bad son I might be going a little too deep for you. I’m rooting for the team with the Christ Consciousness; they are going to win the Super Bowl. Black just looked at me and shook his head because he knew what was next; here you go with this shit he said. Now that I have your attention I say to him you know I’m rooting for the team that has the Christ Consciousness; you can’t beat God. He asked me who is the team with the Christ Consciousness none of the quarterbacks are black. I said the Christ Consciousness is a state of mind son. You have to gain knowledge of self to truly understand it but I’ll give you a clearer picture of it. As the quarterback’s of the teams are both white and that is an important part of the team. The quarterback represents the brain of the team, he controls the direction of the team and the team takes on the personality of the quarterback. It’s through the quarterbacks willpower and drive that the team wins. The quarterback is called an extension of the Head Coach. It is the head coach who instills in his team direction. In this case the head coach has the Christ Consciousness and that’s who I’m rooting for this weekend. You still haven’t explained to me what the Christ Consciousness is and what head coach has it Black said to me. The Colts head coach has the Christ Consciousness I say to him; it is through playing for a head coach who has the Christ Consciousness that Peyton has been able to reach his full potential. He had his best years playing for Tony Dungy; he won his first playoff game and his first Super Bowl playing for a black head coach. The Christ Consciousness was able to allow Peyton to develop the necessary tools to win and conquer professional adversity. Until he played under Dungy his career was plague by him coming up short in important games. Playing under Dungy he developed the power of understanding on how to carry his team to victory. He was able to discipline his mind to utilize imagination and visualization to get his team to believe in his ability to lead them to victory in every game they played. By listening to the word of God and obeying Peyton was able to channel Supreme Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding and learn how to command his team. That is going to be the difference in the game this weekend I told Black. He has learned to use the power of the Christ Consciousness and nothing can defeat that son.
Black looked at me and shook his head then said, I can never get a straight answer from you. I’m talking to you about basketball and you start dropping science on me. I say to Black son science and math are everyday parts of the world we live in; you just don’t apply it enough. You know football is 80% mental and 20% physical. Once you conqueror the mental aspect of the game the physical aspect is easy. That’s why teams are afraid to allow too many black head coaches into the NFL, they know that black head coaches are able to bring out the full potential of their players and that will soon translate to them taking over coaching in the NFL and then them moving up into upper management and possibly ownership. They can’t allow that to happen, they have to limit the amount of black head coaches. After this weekend three of the last four Super Bowl champions will be coached by a Black head coach. Sports are just a microcosm of life, Supreme Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding help you reach your full potential. By utilizing your mind’s full potential you have the ability to conqueror anything. The powers that be can’t allow that. They can’t allow people of color to realize that they have the potential to take over not the world not just in sports. So at the end of the day I’m rocking with the team with the Christ Consciousness, always bet on Black son.

SECOND CHANCE TRAILER

This is the Documentary of Washington Wizard Nick Young and his Senior year of High School. "Second Chance Season" is a story of loss, redemption and basketball, the film follows 17-year-old Nick Young and his family through a pivotal year in their lives. One of the nation's top college basketball recruits, Young is struggling to graduate from Los Angeles' Cleveland High and raise his SAT scores to acceptable levels. At home, his family is still reeling from the gang murder of Young's older brother, killed 13 years earlier. Despite all this, Young carries on, facing each challenge with the same qualities he displays on the court — grace, perseverance and an indomitable spirit.

PATRICK EWING

This weekednd is the inductions to the Basketball Hall Of Fame. There are countless greats who have been inducted but this weekend we celebrate the greatness of No. 33 Patrick Ewing. Although he unfortunatedly couldn't win a championship Pat is on of the alltime greatest centers to play the game.

Pound for Pound

It is 8:40 in the morning and I'm watching the Olympics and Team USA play Angola. I'm also watching history in the making Lebron James is taking the mythical title as the Pound for Pound best basketball player in the world.He's on his Jordan shit. He's thugging out everybody he goes against so they will be no dispute as to who is the best player in the world. I expected Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and / or Jason Kidd to step up but Lebron has taken the torch and run with it literally. He has me feening to see what he does this NBA season. I see an MVP season coming. I better take my butt to bed I have to go to work in a few hours.

I USE TO LOVE HER

Hey Boo

What’s good baby girl? This is probably the hardest shit I had to say in my life but I’m got to say it. I’m writing this letter because I can’t face you in person, I’m a coward. I know you are saying that this is a punk ass move breaking up with you via a letter on MySpace for the entire world to see but I couldn’t look into your eyes and go back on what I need to do. The time comes in every one’s life when they have to leave someone that they care for deeply and this is my time. We have been together and known each other for almost thirty years. You have been with me through everything from when I was a shy awkward little boy with the braces on my feet because I was so pigeon-toed to the bow legged man I am today. However the time has come for me to leave you and it is hurting me to even type these words. Damn why must this love affair between us have to end. I love you with all my heart I don’t want it to be over but I can’t risk what I have for you anymore. I have kids to take care of and I can’t lose that because of you. You understand but it’s going to be difficult for you to face. I know we haven’t been together the entire time but you are special to me and I owe you my life. You got me through high school, college, and half of my adult life, shit you made me a motherf-cking man because you didn’t accept anything but my best. The last four and a half years have been hard for me to watch you with the next Nigga. All I could say to myself is that motherf-cker don’t know how to sport that. Shit he’s lucky I ain’t in the game anymore or I’ll come back and claim my chick. That’s always gonna be mine I would say to myself. Who would have known that this Monday that we would hook back up and you and I would get it on like we never broke up. But with anything as emotional and hard as our love is people only get hurt which is what happened to me. So here I am limping around with my aches and bruises and I’m fucked up for real. I can’t even walk baby girl. I know it’s time for us to end what we have and there is no coming back. I’m too much of a punk to face you so I have to take the punk way out and tell you that I will no longer be playing basketball anymore. I hate to give up the game I love but my body can’t do it anymore. I’m sitting here with a possible torn knee ligament and this shit isn’t pretty. So baby it’s over. I love you but I know we can’t no longer be together.

Love Always

Nomad 33

DOWN WITH THE KING

It's a nice summer day and I'm at work. I haven't been to a summerleague game yet and it's already July. This is my dedication piece to the basketball fans courtesy of YouTube.

SPORTSCENTER HIGHLIGHT

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/video?id=3484160

It's Over

It's over I said it. My team the Los Angeles Lakers are finished. How in heavens name do you blow a 24 point lead in the NBA Finals and lose. That's something that shouldn't happen. The Celtics have to believe that no matter what the Lakers throw at them they'll overcome after tonight. I'm sick to my stomach. We need to go see the wizard because we don't have any heart, courage, or a brain. The only bright spot is Kobe can rest up for the Olympics lol. The season is pretty much over game five sunday is just the coronation ceremony for the Celtics.

BASKETBALL DIARIES - GET MY MIND RIGHT

Welcome to another edition of the Basketball Diaries. Today’s chronicle involves self control. When you play basketball it is a mental sport as well as a physical one. You have to be mentally strong as well as physically in order to do your thing on the court. Many of the more physically gifted athletes have crumbled because they don’t have the mental make up to withstand the pressure. Some of the best basketball players were mentally tougher than anyone else so they are the ones who many people remember for finishing plays with players hanging on them and some many obstacles and challenges in their way. I can remember playing basketball in hostile gyms and having a ball because the crowd was nasty and booing me. I enjoyed dominating the home team and taunting the crowd. I was a notorious trash talker when I played I didn’t care what the score was I talked the entire game, shit I got a technical foul for talking trash at Gallaudet College and it was a school for the hearing impaired. Even though I talked trash I was always in control and I would never allow the opposing player and / or crowd to get under my skin. I would call it crowd interaction and it would drive my teammates and coaches mad because they didn’t think I was focusing on the game when I was. I used the crowd as motivation and mental stimulation it made me play better. I was mentally tough enough to not allow the crowd to control my actions because I used it to my benefit.
Life is similar to a basketball game because of the outside variables that can dictate and change the direction that a game is going. It is up to you as a player to not allow these obstacles to take you out of your character. For a long time in my life I was more in control when I was on the basketball court than in my everyday life. Even when I would play games for money I never worried or became stressed. I can remember playing in tournaments in dangerous neighborhoods shooting free throws and people screaming all types of obscenities and threats but I was never bothered by it. Now in my everyday life I was a lot more impulsive and I can’t tolerate too much dialogue. I wasn’t much for the back and forth with anyone. It was either we were going to get it on or you were going to be shut up physically. It took me over thirty years to control my temper but I have it under control now. So when I lose my composure I am very upset at myself because I allow variables to dictate to me what I am going to do. You see it all the time when you see a player at the free throw line preparing to shoot his free throw either he is focused or looking very nervous. He has allowed outside forces; either the gravity of the situation or pressure to take away his focus. Most of the time the player misses the free throw and the opposing team comes down and hits the game winning or game tying shot further destroying that player’s confidence. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, and Isiah Thomas all had this supreme confidence and were unshaken in crunch time. They demanded the ball and wanted to take the last shot which they usually made.
As I sit here writing this piece the person I think about the person who has inspired this. A man who I have grown in my respect and admiration for in the last several months, Barack Obama because he has shown that unwavering confidence that I am talking about. Through all the attacks by the media, debates, opposing candidates, and side line hecklers he hasn’t wavered or broke from his confident stride. He has maintained his dignity and composure in spite of the cowardly actions of many. Barack Obama has taken the best shots that those who are afraid of change have thrown at him and he has remained standing. When they realized that attacking him personally wouldn’t work they started to attack his wife and he was undeterred by their actions. Even former President Bill Clinton when he felt that his wife was being unjustly attacked in the media came to her aid. Which was a noble act but is something that a Presidential Candidate can’t allow to happen because it shows a sign of weakness no matter how minute it may seem. So as the last few months bring about the close to a historic Presidential run it seems to me that we should place our hopes and beliefs behind a candidate that has his eyes on the prize and the wherewithal to get there undeterred. Shit Barack has taught me something these last few month’s I need to step up my focus and get my mind right.