"Jiggly Bits"

Do you remember kindergarten? You walk through those doors on the first day as a rookie to an educational system, make friends and learn new skills. Then the school board tells tells your coach (ahem!), teacher, 'Costs are up. You need to tell the rookies they need to pay for play dough, Kleenex and volunteer to raise money for school costs and various charities'. How well a child does in school and later on in life is a testament to our educational system and the opportunities it provides. Do you think Cynthia Cooper or Scottie Pippen will forget all they learned about the game in the WNBA and NBA respectively as they are inducted in the Hall of Fame this week? What about all the work they have done for local charities and promoting their leagues? Not for one second. So you would think the NBA and the player's union would be in a partnership without one barking orders at the other. In kindergarten, you are taught to share and treat your friends with respect. And most of the time, disputes over the sandbox are short-lived and we move on. Now, I am not expecting NBA Comissioner David Stern to solve this issue by inviting the player's union to discuss things over a couple of pudding pops, but it really shouldn't be this difficult. We are talking about grown-ups, now. Sure, things will get heated and words may be exchanged but at the end of the day we shouldn't let egos get in the way. Let's continue this discussion and move onto the Basketball Hall of Fame inductions and Little Caesar's in Detroit.

'And in this corner....'

Now, by comparing kindergarten to the NBA, I am not belittling our country's school system, life's 'rookies' or even the NBA. All I am saying is, for the most part, we got over things quicker then. Your playmate may have ticked you off by taking the blocks but two minutes later, it's snack time and you're planning games for recess. As the years go on, egos and other influences may or may not get in the way and I know, things change. But in all seriousness, the NBA is looking out for the viability of the league and so is the player's union, but the union is thinking of the players first. Both sides are resuming talks this week and working toward a new labour agreement. This is what kills me, though. They started these talks last year and are not even close to meeting in the middle. Remember NBA All-Star weekend back in February? The players said no way to a deal to replace the one that expires next year on June 30th, 2011. The union submitted it's own deal but the league isn't buying it. To top it all off, NBA Commissioner David Stern says the league will loose $370 million this season which the union denies. $370 million, really? So the excuse is, the salary cap was higher than originally thought because revenue numbers were up but the league claims expenses were up, too. But $370 million in the hole? I don't have the financial background for Wall Street but it doesn't take a genius to figure out you don't spend more money than you have. Some have car loans, mortgages and can relate to things going on credit and paying them off. But I don't think any of us can relate to this amount of money. In my mind, the NBA Commissioner is responsible for the league and the decisions he or she makes (including their staff) affects how the league operates. So how do expenses pile up as high as $370 million without being paid down? One side is thinking too much about making money and the other side is thinking too much about winning championships and not enough about the happy medium. Something has to give because a lock out isn't the answer. Maybe Bill Cosby should be the mediator and bring some tasty treats. I'm up for anything.

Little Caesars in Detroit

Last year, Bill Davidson, Co-Owner of the Detroit Pistons, died. His wife and now sole owner, is considering selling the team itself or as a part of a package with Palace Sports and Entertainment. In comes Little Caesars mogul, Mike Ilitch. He owns the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and now wants to buy the Pistons to make sure another buyer doesn't move it out of town. The key in all of this surrounds Mike Illitch and his wife owning a bunch of entertainment hot spots in Detroit. I can see the argument for leverage in corporate sponsorship but what happens if the NBA shuts down because a labour agreement could not be reached this year? Last year, FORBES put the Pistons' dollar value at $479 million and this value could drop with a work stoppage in the NBA. But with the Ilitchs owning the Detroit Pistons, it would certainly secure the team's home there. The motivations for selling the team seem to be more personal than business, so keeping the team in Detroit is a good move.

Friday Night Fame

So this Friday marks the official inductions of this year's nominees into the Basketball Hall of Fame. As per tradition, current Hall Inductees will introduce this year's inductees. So it is only fitting then, Michael Jordan will be alongside former Bulls teammate, Scottie Pippen as he is honoured twice this year - once for contributing to the Chicago Bulls' 6 NBA titles and also for the Dream Team. But for the first time this year, a former player is being inducted in the Hall largely for what she has accomplished in the WNBA: Cynthia Cooper. Her story is both inspiring and funny at the same time. She's played in Segovia, Spain and in Italy from 1987-1996. When she was playing in Italy, she found out about the WNBA being created and called head office to see where she could send her resume. The person on the other end says, "We've been looking for you. You've been assigned to the Houston Comets". And the rest is history. Congratulations to all of this year's inductees.

Basketball Beyond the Floor

Remember to join me here on the DNB this Thursday when we will be discussing Raise the Roof - a book describing another important event in women's basketball history. Don't miss it. See you on Thursday and until then, happy reading.

"Jiggly Bits"

Finally. We sat through the loss to Denver and the even harder to-sit-through blunder against Miami and just when you think they are falling apart at the seams, the Toronto Raptors come up with a win last night against Charlotte. Ahhh..now we can breathe a sigh of relief. Some might say "who cares if they make the playoffs - they won't even make it past the first round". I wouldn't be so quick to judge. I mean, realistically, I don't think the Raptors are going to win any championships this year - that's safe to say. But take a look at the last three games and how they were won or lost. They were close, very close. As you know, in close games, both sides are hungry, working hard and want the brass ring. If a loss turns up on your side of the coin, it doesn't mean your team is not talented or deserved the loss. It means little mistakes like turnovers or missed shots from behind the arc got in the way. In the Raptors case, I think this means they know how to win now and we hope this game puts them back on the right track. After we talk about some of the highlights from last night's game, we'll touch on the Nets, NBA Hall of Fame and some hot comments made by LeBron James lately.

Have Faith in this Team

If there is anything I have learned from running marathons, minis or 30K's, you can be in the zone and everything's clicking or something pops, you hit a wall and as a result, you are left wondering "how am I going to finish this thing". The best advice anyone ever gave me is trust in your training, take each kilometre as it comes and enjoy the moment. So if we apply this to the Raptors, we can trust in the depth of their bench - they showed us that against Denver last week. The loss against Miami was like something popping. However embarrassing giving up a sizable lead like that was, they regrouped and found a way to win last night's game 103-101. I think it shows more character to win like this because it shows they know how to dig deep and stay the course. They need to play four quarters and not walk into saying "I wonder how we're going to loose today" but "how much we are going to win by". Whether you are making millions or playing high school basketball, taking so many losses in a row hurts team confidence and morale. They lost 13 of their last 17 going into Monday's showdown and this was the break they needed. It helped that Charlotte - including MJ - spent most of the night being mad at the officials and were thrown off their game a little. But that's how you win against teams like Charlotte or play-off opponents. Make them uncomfortable, make them take uncalculated shots and throw them off their game. I really hope the Raptors take time to enjoy this win - confidence is everything.

Worst of the Worst - Nets breathing a sigh of relief

According to the official NBA history books, the Nets will not be the most dismal team in the history of the game. As for this season, they may also no longer be the worst team in the NBA. While the Raptors were digging deep, the Nets were too, pulling out a dramatic 90-84 win over the Spurs on Monday night. This win passed them over the worst ever mark (9-73) set by the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1972-1973 season. This was huge, not just because of the impending doom that comes with being the worst team in the NBA, but because the Spurs have been really hot lately, winning 12 out of their last 16 going into Monday night's contest. Proof positive anything can happen when the playoffs are on the horizon. Plus, with three wins in their last four games, the Nets are also looking to enjoy the moment and stay the course.

Hall of Fame puts fans on the guest list

Traditionally, past inductees, people within the game and media members have chosen those individuals who they feel deserve to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Those who vote are not identified and once the screening committee narrows the list of nominations, another committee votes on the finalists and later votes on who will make the Hall. Sound a little cloudy? This is why Hall Chairman Jerry Colangelo is trying to apparently make the process more transparent and get fans interested in the process. The new plan is supposed to be formalized within the next few days and fans may begin participating in the voting process by next year. But don't get your hopes up yet. We don't know what value will be given to the fan voting or if this is just a little marketing scheme. I am a little skeptical.

Bron Bron showing some "braun"

I think those that are complaining about LeBron James' comments surrounding the NBA scoring title as of late are stretching it a little bit. As you know, Lebron is in a close race for the title with Kevin Durant and with the hype comes comments and interviews and things getting blown out of proportion. When asked about the title, LeBron, who is averaging 29.8 points per game, said he could win it every year if he wanted to but it doesn't matter. I took this as he has his eye on a bigger prize like the NBA championship, focusing on team accomplishments and unselfish play rather than individual titles. I heard some of my colleagues say he's being disrespectful to the history of the league or LeBron is setting himself up for a loss to Kevin Durant for the title, so he acts as if it doesn't matter. In the grand scheme of things, it's nice to get recognized for individual accomplishments but anyone who has ever been involved in team organized sports understands that winning a championship with your extended family/ teammates is a lot tastier.

On that note, enjoy your Final-Four-watchin'-turkey-eatin' Easter weekend and the bits will be back next Tuesday.