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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Top 50: Tony Parker, No. 15 The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.
by Adam Sweeney
Look up the word envy and you will see it is described as a noun originating from France that expresses a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another. Ask me to use it in a sentence and I can give you a few. For example, I envy the speed and teardrop floater that Tony Parker shows off every night he plays. You could also say I, a Houston Rockets fan, envy how many titles Tony Parker has helped lead the San Antonio Spurs to in his career. And it should go without saying that any sane individual must envy Parker for his relationship with a certain Desperate Housewife. It’s only fitting that both the word being dissected and the player in focus come from the same country.
Let’s step back a few sentences and clarify a point of discussion. You might be thinking, “Tony Parker didn’t lead S.A. to multiple titles. That was Tim Duncan.” You’d be partially right. Tim has unquestionably cemented himself as the greatest power forward of all-time. Without him the Spurs don’t have a dynasty. But there is a lack of respect that the point guard position receives, none more understanding of this notion than Parker. It wasn’t Tony’s job to take the last shot. That was Timmy’s job. Until recently, it has always been Parker’s job to defer. And while Duncan stepped into the spotlight from day one of his NBA career, there is a certain beauty to the way Parker’s game has grown over the years, so much so that it shouldn’t be surprising if Parker supplants Duncan this season as the franchise player in San Antonio.
To study the timeline of Parker’s career is an exercise in maturity. He was a player that was initally dismissed by Gregg Popovich in a workout because he couldn’t handle the physical nature of the NBA game. Nothing has come easy for Parker. He had to figure out how to craft his style of play. He’s been in Pop’s doghouse plenty of times, even to the point where he was warned not to shoot 3’s. But every season that we see Parker, there is a new facet to his game. He’s not perfect but neither are we. Have any of us not been chastised by a coach for firing outside of our range? Parker is a player worth celebrating because he is the best of us. He has had to weather the same hardships every talented baller with a touch of recklessness had to endure, the difference being that he found a way to put it together. Parker’s growth as an NBA player is what we wish we could have achieved, if only we had that speed, that elusiveness, that… sorry, here comes the enviousness again.
It is only a matter of time before you see an ESPN header that reads “The French-ise” with Parker’s smiling mug underneath it. There’s no accounting for taste in headlines but it is time that we start accounting for Parker in terms of importance to the Spurs and the league in general. He’s already become the first European player to win an NBA Finals MVP, and Parker had career highs last season in points per game and assists, at 22.0 and 6.9 respectively. As Manu Ginobili and Duncan enter perhaps the twilight of their careers, which is strange to hear myself say, Parker is hitting his prime.
Anyone who questions this notion can go back to the 4-1 series loss the Spurs suffered at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. Tony dropped 28.6 a game on Dallas even though the Mavericks knew he and Duncan were the only two players worth guarding on the Spurs. Try convincing me Michael Finley was a threat. You have a better chance of arguing that Paul Blart: Mall Cop deserves an Academy Award. It takes a special player to slash through a defense that is waiting for him. Parker is that player.
Ask someone to name the best point guards in the NBA and you almost assuredly will hear the names of Chris Paul, Steve Nash and Deron Williams listed first. How many rings do those guys have between them? Nada. Parker has three to his name. If he wins this year, and the Spurs have to be considered a serious contender with the acquisitions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess, maybe Parker will be generous enough to keep one ring for himself and give one a piece to the aforementioned PGs on the list.
You can argue that Parker’s outside game is sorely lacking, that his jump shot can be inconsistent at times and that he has been blessed with exceptional talent around him. I’ll give you the first two contentions but you can’t blame a player for being placed on an organization that understands the importance of chemistry, balance and depth. And talent doesn’t equal championships. I submit the Phoenix Suns for your consideration. At the end of the day it is all about winning and right now there isn’t a point guard in the league with the amount of talent and rings to match Tony Parker.
In the same way that the New England Patriots don’t measure success by number of magazine front covers or jersey sales, the Spurs all understand that legacies are measured by championships. Based upon that criteria, Parker’s legacy rises higher than Vince Carter did in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest. Parker said it best. “When there is talk about the best point guards, sometimes they don’t talk about me. But that’s not my main motivation. They can talk about Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Deron Williams and Chris Paul. I still have the most rings.“
Saturday, October 3, 2009
AN OLD XXL INTERVIEW BUT I LOVE THIS WOMAN!
On Her Earliest Hip-Hop Memories
Roxanne Shante was very “hood,” and because I grew up in the hood I felt as if she was speaking for all the little brown girls with hopes and dreams who came from pretty much nothing. Me and my girls would stand in the mirror with our hip-hop gear and outrageous hair and pretend we were them! As I grew older, hip-hop grew with me. As apart of my curriculum at Howard University, I had to study African American music, which prompted my love for jazz music. My relationship with The Native Tongues grew out of my appreciation for jazz, because that’s when I first started hearing jazz music infused with hip hop. I was madly in love with A Tribe Called Quest, The Brand Nubians and The Jungle Brothers.
On Her Favorite Artists
Biggie will always have a place in my heart and music collection even though his life was cut so short. For me, he was the voice of the East Coast hood, and I know if he were alive today I would have all of his albums. Love me some Roots ’cause they are just grown and sexy and they use a live band. Talib Kweli and Mos Def, because they are smart, lyrical geniuses. If you two should happen to be reading this, my soul needs another Black Star collabo! J Dilla, rest in peace. His ear for music was incredible. Common—another lyrical genius. Nasty Nas is just brilliant. Lil Wayne ’cause he can flow to the sound of a washing machine and make it hot! Kanye West because he takes risks. Mary J. Bleezy is my number one soul sister in R&B. She totally deconstructed and rebuilt herself in the public eye through her music and is still going strong. Her music has always spoken deeply to my soul. I often used so many of her songs to help me get where I needed to be emotionally in my work. Dwele, Raheem Devaughn, Musiq Soulchild, their sounds are so grown and sexy because they sing about love and life, not bumping and grinding. I don’t see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind. I just don’t need a whole album about it.
On Why She Loves Hip-Hop
It’s art! It’s poetry! People tried to hate on it back in the day saying it was just a phase, but it is here to stay. With each generation, hip-hop finds a new sound and a new life. People also said it was noise, but guess what? This noise sells a lot of product all over the globe in commercial spots, so hip-hop gets the last laugh.
On Her Favorite Movie Role
That would have to be Talk To Me. Working with Don Cheadle was a dream come true. He is the most talented male actor of our time. I think Vernelle, my character, showcased my range. She was some of everything a human can be. Of course the story was beautifully written and directed. Until then, I had never seen a love (friendship, that is) between two Black men on the big screen.
On Her Favorite Hood Movie
I know I’m not supposed to say that Baby Boy is my all time favorite hood movie, but I have to tell you, Baby Boy is my all time favorite movie. I can’t help it and I must tell the truth.
"WU-TANG DISPUTES ROYALTIES WITH GHOSTFACE" BY MR. R. TICULATE AT FUTUREOFRAPMUSIC.BLOGSPOT.COM
The iconic hip hop collective, the Wu Tang Clan, has completely changed the way rap artists approach the music business. Nine individually talented artists grouped together to become a rap super power. However, as likely to happen to any band of musicians or groups of recording artists, problems are bound to arise.
In 2005, a lawsuit had been filed by original Wu Tang Clan member Ghostface Killa, claiming that he did not receive music publishing royalties on early studio albums released by the group. The suit was filed against Wu Tang Clan Productions, owned and operated by the group's legendary super producer the RZA.
This is a recurring problem in the rap music business. Artists and producers work together, with no prior discussions to royalty shares. After much success is achieved by their music, disputes inevitably arise.
Remarkably, surviving members of the group still create and produce music together, and are still committed to the international brand that they have built. For instance group member Raekwon recently released the follow up to his street classic album "Only Built For Cuban Linx, Pt 2" which features many of the Wu Tang Members including RZA, Ghostface Killah, Methodman and Inspectah Deck.
How do we take proper measures to prevent a dispute such as this one from even arising in the first place? GET IT IN WRITING ! You've heard me write about this numerous times, always get your agreements in a tangible written form. Have you ever became involved in a dispute such as this one ?
"PRETTY WHEN YOU CRY," BY TRICIA J. TAYLOR
Pushing the length of your hair back and out of your face,
Watching streams of tears fight to fall at a frenzied pace,
Pain seeps through the brave gasps you take.
A fight to hold back screams,
Both of us in fetal position, holding on to love gone like crack fiends,
Sucking at the air looking for the love they say blooms in spring breeze,
Eyes to the sky looking for who's hearing our lovelorn pleas.
If we love each other, how can this be the end?
How can a love lost become just a friend?
How can forever be just these years?
And what happened to the love that erased all my fears?
Is this the same place I used to call my home?
How can this be now we're both alone?
Twelve seasons come and gone, met us together,
Like the strongest of oaks, we've lasted all weather,
So why now, what once so strong is light as a feather?
And here while you try to brush away my tears you forget,
That we've both changed from the day we first met,
And less than a blessing, both filled with regret.
We fought like wolves caught under a full moon,
And prayed that the waning of the signs came soon.
Year after year resolutions brought butterflies from cocoons.
I used to believe that love conquered all,
But this is proof that even love can't make a short man tall,
And no miracles can be made without rainfall.
Rainfall was one thing, we sat trapped in a thunderstorm,
Swirling in a hurricane running on hearts torn,
Amidst a disaster of which no good could be born.
Hearts broken. Tears dried.
Burns earned from all we tried
Gripping each other, this the last time
And through it all You're Still Pretty When You Cry.
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