THE SPORTS DIVA MAGAZINE

My Apologies To The City Of Cleveland

After watching the Cleveland Cavaliers lose to the Boston Celtics tonight 76-72, all I came away from this was frustration. And I'm not a big Cleveland Cavaliers fan at all. I root for them in the playoffs to show my Ohio pride but that's about it. And if I'm frustrated, God help the actual Cleveland fan right now. Is this what you've had to endure all these years?

I'm from Cincinnati. A Reds fan, they suck now but won a World Series in 1990. A Bengals fan, I can't even explain them now but I did get to watch them in the Super Bowl in 1989. And a Buckeye fan who watched the football team win a title in the 2002 season and the basketball team make the FINAL FOUR  twice (sorry NCAA, still not letting you take that away from me) and become NIT champs this past year. I guess you could say I've had it good compared to a Cleveland fan.

I have to admit that I just thought the Cleveland fans were just whiny, complainers and bad tippers (I worked in a sports bar and that held true there. Even with Cleveland fans who worked with me. Cincy fans were great tippers.) But now I think I understand a little bit. You're watching something that just seems to be within your grasp and then BAM! It's gone. The name of the site WaitingForNextYear.com fits so well with the city of Cleveland and their love of their sports. And wait they will.

Tonight I'm rooting for you Cleveland and I'll continue to root for the Cavs however long they're in this post season. I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy the frustrations I felt after watching the Cavs lose tonight. Now I may not root for you in the future but you can always point back to this post and remind me that I rooted for you once. I'll try not to deny it.

The NBA Shudders – Nonprofit Basketball

by Carolyn Hastings
AND ONE

In America, basketball leads to international fame and fortune for the talented few.  LeBron and Damon Jones are in China and almost every NBA team boasts of players from abroad. 

Ironically, in Sweden, a country which enjoys a high standard of living, basketball players struggle for recognition and a paycheck.

I know this because I came across a wonderful blog (thoughtful, funny, diverse) from -- of all places -- Sweden.  I e-mailed the owner and, to my surprise, received an enthusiastic response. 

For reasons that will become clear as you read this interview, my new friend remains anonymous and wishes to be known only as a source within the Svenska Basketligan (Swedish Basketball League).

About Saturday's NBA Playoffs

Yesterday made me love the NBA more than I didn't know I could. The drama. The passion. The heartbreak. It was amazing. 4 great games. I just hope today's games will be just as good.

We had Lebron James vs. Gilbert Arenas when the Wizards went into Cleveland for game 1 of their series and the opening game of the NBA playoffs. Lebron couldn't get anything early as the Wizards pounded on him and Gilbert seemed to knock down everything as he was 4-4 from the 3 point line in the 1st half. But who in DeShawn Stevenson's camp didn't tell him to not call Lebron "overrated"? Do people like doing stupid things? The trash talking just fuels Lebron. He went off with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assist in the Cavs 93-86 win over the Wizards. Congratulations Lebron James. You've made this anti-Cleveland sports fan root for the Cavs 3 years in a row in the playoffs. Not just anyone can do that. So don't even think about leaving Cleveland. Trust that you won't get showed more love than you do now playing in Cleveland. 

And then the Suns @ Spurs happened. I have to admit that at the beginning of the game, because I got so hyped from the Cavs vs. Wizards game, I was a little bored. The Suns had gotten up to a 16 point lead. But of course the defending champs are never worried. They fought back and conquered. It did take 2 overtimes but they did what they needed to do. They broke the Suns. A game the Suns should have won became heartbreaking for them. Now they have to go back there on Tuesday and face what could have been. Spurs won in double OT 117-115.

The night games seemed to have been a blur for me. I was a little burnt out but I watched anyway. The New Orleans Hornets were down to the Dallas Mavericks. It seemed like the trend of the day. The road team being up early and then crashing back down to earth. That's when Chris Paul showed Dallas they were in his town. The MVP candidate had 35 points, 10 assist, and 4 steals in a 104 -92 win over the Mavericks.

The game that stopped the trend of the day was the Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets. Utah was up early like the other road teams but they never crumbled. Houston did get close but close was never enough. With Deron Williams and 10 assist, we found out home court advantage doesn't matter to everyone. The Jazz won 93 - 82.  

NBA Playoffs Preview

Since I had fun doing my MLB previews and finding some great sites for your favorite team, I thought I'd do the same for the NBA playoffs. So let's get into it.

Eastern Conference

1.  Boston Celtics (Celtics Blog)
2.  Detroit Pistons (Need4Sheed.com)
3.  Orlando Magic (Orlando Magic Blog)
4.  Cleveland Cavaliers (Cavs News and And One) (had to shout out my girl too)
5.  Washington Wizards (D.C. Sports Bog)
6.  Toronto Raptors (Cuzoogle)
7.  Philadelphia 76ers (Depressed Fan)
8.  Atlanta Hawks (Hawks Basketblog)

Western Conference

1.  LA Lakers (Forum Blue and Gold)
2.  New Orleans Hornets (Hornets 24/7 and Chicks In The Huddle) (can not stop shouting out to my girls)
3.  San Antonio Spurs (Project Spurs)
4.  Utah Jazz (My Utah Jazz)
5.  Houston Rockets (The Dream Shake)
6.  Phoenix Suns (AZ Sports Hub)
7.  Dallas Mavericks (Mavs Moneyball)
8.  Denver Nuggets (The Nugg Doctor)

And of course other sites like Ball Don't Lie, Le Basketbawl, True Hoop, and FreeDarko.com. Happy Reading!  

Night Before NBA Playoffs

I feel happy today. It's Friday! (TGIF) and tomorrow is the beginning of the NBA playoffs. YAY! I haven't written that much on the NBA this season but I did what I could (hey, there's only one me). But I plan on going INSANE with post during the playoffs. I heart the NBA and I heart their playoffs. Now I don't have to miss college basketball that much. If you don't already know, here is the roundup for what games will be on this weekend.

SATURDAY
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers 12:30 pm (ESPN)

Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs 3:00 pm (ABC)

Dallas Mavericks @ New Orleans Hornets 7:00 pm (ESPN)

Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets 9:30 pm (ESPN)

SUNDAY
Toronto Raptors @ Orlando Magic 12:30 pm (TNT)

Denver Nuggets @ LA Lakers 3:00 pm (ABC)

Philadephia 76ers @ Detroit Pistons 6:00 pm (TNT)

Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics 8:30 pm (TNT)

So enjoy the NBA this weekend. I know I will. And how bout Isiah Thomas getting fired! Who didn't see that one coming? I'm just surprised it took that long. I wonder what his next move will be. How bout a behind the scenes book about the Knicks while he coached and what the players were up to and what he had on James Dolan to let him stay coach for that long. Reasons why I need to be an editor. I'd publish that book.

Norway - A Kinder, Gentler NBA

by Carolyn Hastings
AND ONE

Basketliga 2000, the initiative behind what is now the Basketball League of Norway (BLNO), the first semi-professional basketball league in the Kingdom, encountered trouble before ever opening their doors. The first sign of trouble surfaced in a poll conducted in August of 1999; sixty percent of “young people” professed to watching soccer instead of basketball:   

"Except for the standard margin of errors, the findings are clear: Soccer is the most popular sport young people like to watch on TV or read about in the papers," researchers Lars Brodestedt Svendsen and Vegard Arntsen told Aftenposten [Norwegian newspaper].

 

 

Taiwan Beer

by Carolyn Hastings
And One

In search of a basketball Googlewhack, I entered "Taiwan NBA" as a Google search.  In 2.4 seconds, approximately 250,000 links piled up.   For someone wishing to write about an obscure yet interesting topic, these results were astounding and confusing.  Why so many links?  Perhaps there is a National Bellydancing Association in Taiwan or a No Better Argument Taiwanese debate site?

Clicking like a madwoman, I soon discovered two things:

1) The NBA is wildly popular in Taiwan.

2) I needed a translator.

One phrase stuck out above all others; Taiwan Beer.  I know lots of beer slurping NBA watchers in the US; could this be true in Asia as well?  Somehow, when I think of Taiwan and basketball, I imagine a culture of polite interaction on the court, followed by periods of jovial team building activities. 

And so Chris Wang came into my life.  Chris lives in Taiwan and operates two basketball blogs, one in Chinese and, thankfully, one in English.  I e-mailed Chris (amazing - he lives in Taiwan, I live in Ohio, we've never met yet we're both on Gmail), asking if he knew the origin of the team name Taiwan Beer.

Chris responded with a wealth of information and agreed to answer more questions:

If Only David Stern Were President …

by Carolyn Hastings
And One

Peace building often begins with the smallest of steps.  Everyone’s children need education; this is an interest shared globally.  Everyone needs food and water and shelter.  Again, a global interest. 

In the US, the NBA cares.  In Iran, winning the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship is a source of national pride.  Common ground.  The same round ball and rims with hoops.  Quite possibly the same goofy socks.  We run, we dunk, we swish.  We just don’t do it together.

Individual players have tried.  Garth Joseph joined the Saba Battery, a local Iranian basketball team, in late 2005.  Oddly enough, the team is owned by Iran's Ministry of Defense – yes, that Ministry of Defense.  The one the United State government accuses of covert weapons of mass destruction creation.

I don’t remember reading about this in any American papers.  The BBC, however, was entranced:

He [Garth] regards himself as an ambassador for his country which has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since the revolution.

Garth, hopelessly and charmingly American, told a reporter from BBC Tehran:

I hope they start relations. I was surprised to see we don't have an embassy here or an Iranian one in America; I thought what's going on.

We both have different cultures, different religions, so if we respect that we will get along very fine.

The Excitement of The NBA

The NBA is having a year that they can be excited about. The fans are excited. With all the trades that happened, Gasol to LA, Shaq to Phoenix, Kidd to Dallas, and Wallace and all to Cleveland (the Larry Hughes "love" will be missed) excitement was felt. And of course we can't forget about the big 3 in Boston. LA looks like they can go far in the playoffs. Shaq is trying to help the Suns get to the Finals. Boston seems like a sure pick to come out of the East. It's exciting to think that the finals could be filled with the stars of the NBA. Get excited people. Get excited to think about that now. Too bad it's not going to happen.

Too bad most of us have forgotten about the two teams that will be meeting in this years Finals; the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Detroit Pistons.

Yes sir. That's right. After all the NBA has done to be exciting this year they will be getting a so called "boring" NBA Final. It won't be boring for me. I watch the Finals every year no matter who is in it. And I think this will be a good one. A rematch of the '05 Finals. Will this one take 7 games too? Who will have home-court advantage? I'm intrigued!

Now I'm not trying to spoil everything for NBA fans but come on. How do you not see this happening? Detroit will learn from that collapse against Lebron James last year. The Spurs are just laughing at everyone in the West right now. It's a done deal.

I know what your thinking though. What about KG and Boston? Stop. What about Kobe and his new posse? Stop. What about Lebron doing it again? Stop. What about.......? Stop. Stop ignoring what is right in front of you. Just stop. Embrace the obvious.

This NBA season is exciting and though you might not believe it now, the Finals will be too. So to all you Spurs and Pistons fans, don't worry. One of you will be happy in the end.   

Boobie Gibson in Elle Girl

The Cleveland Cavaliers should make Tees for girls that say Boobie on the front. I'd where it. He's one of the only things I like about Cleveland. And it seems Elle Girl likes him too. Daniel "Boobie" Gibson was one of their biggest crushes of 2007. Congrats Boobie!