Season Opener 2008-09

After a pretty uneventful summer as far as the NBA goes, I could feel the anxiousness approach as I sat down to watch the season opening games with the Cleveland Cavaliers v. the Boston Celtics.Of the regular questions pop into your head as to what teams will be good as usual, who will be this year's surprise winners/losers, who can stay the healthiest, and of course who will end up in NBA Finals?

As good as the talent is in the NBA right now, a lot of the previously asked questions are just too difficult to answer. The Finals question might be more clear cut in the Eastern Conference as the top 5 or 6 teams are pretty much know. But as you look at the Western Conference, it is just as hard as it has been in previous years. The good news for all the teams is that everybody starts 0-0 and everyone is in first place.

Last year in the west it was a 50 game minimum to make that playoffs, and I don't see that changing very much this year. But I do expect a few teams to drop as they have aged, roster moves, or other up and coming teams will just come up and take spots. I expect the Dallas Mavericks to drop, or even possibly miss the playoffs as I feel the hasty trades of last year will continue to hurt them for years to come. I think the San Antonio Spurs may have struggles as Manu Ginobli will be out for extended time, and the roster is just aging.

The only teams in the Western Conference that basically have no chance to make the playoffs are the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and possibly the Sacramento Kings. But the rest is so wide open for those that are going to step up and take the challenge. The Eastern Conference is more clear cut as Boston, Cleveland, and the Detroit Pistons should battle for the top spots. The last 2-3 team that make the playoffs in the East will be unable to make any real impact, as opposed to the West where many of the teams are evenly matched.

I have been away for a while, but since the season is back, so is my excitement. I look forward to dropping 3-5 blogs every week. This is going to be one of the greatest NBA season's we have seen, and last year will be hard to top, but the possibilities are endless.

USA Basketball Dominates Pool Play in Beijing

The United States Men's Olympic basketball team has shown up in the Beijing Olmpics like everyone has expected them to. They have breezed through pool play knocking out China, Angola, Greece, their strongest competition Spain. All that is left for the USA in pool play is an insignificant game against Germany. The USA clinched the pool play after defeating Spain that at the time was undefeated as well. But the Spanish team looked listless as the defensive pressure that that Team USA has shown has been incredible during the entire tournament. 

The last game against Spain was supposed to be a better contest than it turned out as they dominated the game winning 119-82, as Spain never pulled closer than 16 points in the second half. As I mentioned earlier the defense has been incredible for the Americans, as constant pressure, jumping passing lanes, and packing the paint has been so effective in bottling up the opposition. Doug Collins made a great point during the broadcast that the Spaniards felt they could beat Team USA once but not twice, while the Americans were more than confident they could defeat Spain twice. And for the most part this has to be the mindset of most of teams in the Beijing Olympics. The Americans look as confident as any team, and have a confident, but not cocky swagger.

Team USA has seemed to gel more than they had in earlier exhibitions, and are playing a better team game. The ball movement seems crisp, and seems to have a definite purpose. In the last 2 games against Greece, and Spain the assists have come on great passes, many of them coming with a familiarity with playing with people for a while. They are also showing the ability to drive aand kick out, or get dunks. In the 2004 Athens Olympics, the team had a hard time driving and drawing defenses, and showed the inability to hit the open man. This team is showing that they love to make the play for their teammates, and cheer with enthusiasm everytime a spectacular play is made.

Another factor that will help Team USA along the way to gold is the support that the country of China is showing them. Wehn they are out andabout they are treated as celebrities as the game of basketball is wildly popular in China. Earlier in the Olympic games, Kobe Bryant and the rest of Team USA went to watch a women's basketball game, and were mauled as the crowd scrambled to just touch Kobe, or nap a picture of him. The Americans have a measure of a home-court advantage, even as they played China, the Chinese fans cheered both teams, which is a far cry from what they experienced in 2004 in Athens. As things are shaping up, consistency will be the key to gold in Beijing.

Ball-Star Clothing

For a long time the cultures of basketball, hip-hop, and clothing have been infused. Even when I go to the gym and play ball, I want to look fresh, and look the part. In my mind, the clothes are part of the mindset, it sets the mood if you will. When my shoes are right, my shorts are fitting nice and baggy(not hanging off my body), and a cut-off shirt, I feel like I'm taking that first step to dominating the court. I like to see the impact that the hip-hop culture in the game of basketball, from the language, the swagger, and the style.

With as much basketball that is played around the world, there are very few brands dedicated strictly to the game of basketball. Of course there is the brand that is And-1, but other than that, there are very few others out there. With that in mind I felt that as a basketball player, a fan of the game, and someone who feels very deeply for the game, I felt I could put my brand on the market. I want to create something that the everyday ball player can wear and be comfortable, confident, and even wear off the court but still represent their love.

Too often we as people do not move on what inspires us, and my love of the game of basketball, inspired me to create my Ball-Star Brand. It is a logo, and a name that I believe in. Many times an NBA player is mentioned by how many All-Star games that they were selected to, so I said for the average man that just plays for the love of the game, how can he represent himself as that All-Star. So this brand is for the ones who don't get paid, and just play because they just have a passion, they can be their own All-Star, but a "BALL-STAR!"

We make custom designs, we can make the understated, overstated, or just basic. Currently we are offering T-Shirts, hooded sweatshirts, polo's, tanks, and other items, for men, women, and kids as well. So check out the site, email customer service for a custom design options, and just check back often for updates, we are going to be doing some big things here in the future!