Former NBA player says Nike gave LeBron James billion dollars to keep his mouth shut about concentration camps in China

LEBRON JAMES. IMAGE: NBA

BY BRAD SULLIVAN

LOS ANGELES (LAKERS DAILY) -- “LeBron James was given a billion dollars by Nike, the establishment, anti-human, neo-liberal, Marxist, globalist establishment, which is also church of LGBTQ,” White said. “He was given this billion dollars to keep his mouth shut about the single greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation. That is the two million people being placed in the concentration camps in China for no other crime other than being Muslim.

“Now he (James) won’t speak on that. Why? Number one, it’s an economic injustice that he’s done to take that payoff to shut his mouth because really, he should have asked Nike for $40 billion. He should have got at least $500 million a year, if not a billion dollars a year because Nike makes $40 billion of revenue a year and he represents at least 1/40th of their commercial value and influence.”

The Uyghurs are primarily Muslims who have been imprisoned in camps that the Chinese have described as “re-education camps.”

However, human rights organizations have criticized that description, saying that the Chinese have been guilty of genocide in their treatment of the imprisoned Uyghurs. The United States government has also made that claim.

Nike has also been subject to plenty of criticism for decades with regard to human rights issues, with James’ connection to the company spanning his entire NBA career.

However, White’s explosive claim offered no specific evidence that specifically linked any direct payment to James from Nike for his silence.

Unlike James, White’s NBA career consisted of playing just three games for the Sacramento Kings during the 2013-14 season. That microscopic career was unexpected, considering that he’d been the 16th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.

The cause of White’s brief stint in the NBA was connected to mental health concerns, specifically the affliction of generalized anxiety disorder. A key facet of that disorder is a fear of flying, which is a necessity when playing in the NBA.

More recently, White entered the political arena and ran for Congress this year in his native Minnesota. He lost in the Republican primary to Cicely Davis who is now running against controversial Ilhan Omar.

Without any evidence to back up his claim, White’s charge against James isn’t likely to get much traction when it comes to additional media attention. Right now, James is more concerned with getting ready to start his 20th NBA season, which gets underway on Oct. 18.

Masai Ujiri And Pascal Siakam Are Taking Giants Of Africa To New Heights

Masai Ujiri via Toronto Star

BY GILBERT NGABO

TORONTO, CANADA (TORONTO STAR) -- Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri became a little emotional while recounting an incident from his childhood, in which his mother questioned the overuse of his shoes and wondered whether sports was ever going to feed him.

“It’s feeding a whole

lot of people now,” said Ujiri on Monday while addressing the audience at the United Nations’ Unstoppable Africa Conference.

Ujiri was leading the discussions about moving sports forward. He and Raptors star Pascal Siakam were among high-profile panellists who reiterated a commitment to grow the game of basketball and sports in general on the African continent.

“Sports is here to stay and we are the definition of unstoppable,” said Ujiri. “We should no longer see sports as a recreation alone. Sports is a business. It creates incredible opportunity for all of us.”

Giants of Africa, which Ujiri co-founded in 2003, has for years helped several high-level basketball talents from Africa to reach the NBA. Now the program wants to ensure sports can benefit Africa as a whole through job creation, youth and women empowerment and a pathway to sustainable peace and prosperity.

Ujiri was instrumental in the creation and launch of Basketball Africa League, which held its inaugural tournament in 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda. The league consists of 12 teams representing their respective countries, competing in two conferences with the four best teams in each conference qualifying for the post-season.

Across the continent, Ujiri and Giants of Africa have been working to increase access to the game of basketball, building courts in different countries and holding summer camps to encourage young people to get into organized sports.

Ujiri takes pride in acknowledging the fact that NBA stars like Siakam, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo have African heritage. He has no doubt the continent can produce even more such big names and showcase them on the global stage.

“I can tell you this: there’s a thousand of each one of them walking around the continent,” he told the audience.

BAL president Amadou Fall said his league is taking all the steps necessary to bring the fundamentals of the game to the youth of Africa on a larger scale. As the tournament grows both in size and popularity, so will financial opportunities associated with it.

“Africa needs to cease being an exporter of talent,” he said. “We want to create an entertainment platform right here on the continent.”

Few people know about the importance of growing the sport of basketball on African continent more than Siakam, who came to the NBA after participating in the Basketball Without Borders camps that were hosted by former NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute.

The Raptors power forward has started hosting his own summer camps through his PS43 Foundation, with the goal of introducing basketball skills to kids while they are still young.

“I started playing basketball when I was like 17, which is super crazy,” Siakam told the audience Monday. As “a scrawny kid from Cameroon” it was motivating for him to see other Africans succeeding in the NBA, and now he wants to pay it forward.

“I hope I’m part of these people who inspire other young Africans to dream big,” he said, noting he wants to contribute in building schools and community centres for kids in Africa. “Education is the most important thing. My dad believed in it and so do I.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the work being done by Giants of Africa goes beyond building infrastructure and discovering high-level talents to join professional sports. He praised the program for teaching kids moral values, life skills and how to be productive in society.

“I would include myself as one of those people,” he said, noting he never had a chance to play professionally but playing sports taught him how to be disciplined and work hard.

He said the NBA is now at a level where about 10 per cent of current players were born in Africa, which gives other children from Africa something to aspire to.

Speaking at a panel that included Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, Silver said both sports can coexist and advance the industry collectively.

“We’re not Coke and Pepsi,” he said. “Whether you shoot it or kick it, we can work hand in hand.”

Mo Bamba Presents West African Village With Basketball Facility

ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE (NBA) - Mohamed Bamba and The Mo Bamba Foundation unveiled a new basketball facility at SOS Village Abobo-Gare in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), just 10 miles from where the Orlando Magic center greeted his extended family members upon landing in Africa for the first time this week.

The facility, which began construction in April, will serve over 200 children daily with access to two FIBA-spec basketball courts and fully rehabilitated electricity and plumbing throughout the village. Construction of bleachers and stadium lighting has already begun as part of the project’s next phase, in addition to ongoing programming that Bamba will participate in on a weekly basis via video conference. Mahama Coulibaly, President of the Fédération Ivoirienne de Basket-Ball, is the lead project advisor.

“This is an extremely personal project and I’m proud of how it’s all reflected in the courts, said Bamba. “Everything down to the smallest of details represents an important part of my life, from my African roots, to my Harlem upbringing, to honoring my family who made this all possible. Mahama helped us identify some incredible local artists and architects who perfectly captured all the intersections of my heritage and I’m so appreciative for all their hard work.”

In addition to the court dedication and basketball clinics, Bamba ran a COVID vaccine awareness program alongside former U.S. Ambassador to Ivory Coast Mamadou Haidara to encourage the youth in the community to get vaccinated. Bamba also participated in EducationUSA outreach, a U.S. Department of State network that promotes U.S. higher education to students around the world. His experiences growing up in a West African household in Harlem, NY before attending Cardigan Mountain School in New Hampshire, Westtown School in Pennsylvania, and the University of Texas, allowed him to paint a relatable picture of the power of education and the rewarding journey it can offer.

“I have known Mohamed’s father Lancine for a long time and it has always been a dream of ours to one day have his son come back to Africa and inspire our Côte d’Ivoire community,” said Ambassador Haidara. “Every time the Orlando Magic are in D.C., Mo has made a special effort to visit with me postgame to talk about ways to move this plan forward. We are very excited about the impact that this is going to have both locally and nationally."

Bamba also collected over 100 pairs of basketball shoes from his Orlando Magic teammates and 100 high-performance insoles from Move Insoles to donate to the Côte d’Ivoire basketball development program. Procuring shoes larger than size 12, especially for high-potential, taller players, remains a significant supply chain challenge in Africa.

“I’m not here in Abidjan to just shake a few hands, snap a few photos, and pass on through. I plan to be back next summer, and in the meantime, we’ve got weekly after-school athletic and academic programs that I’ll be involved with. This is going to grow elsewhere too,” said Bamba.

These efforts are being funded by The Mo Bamba Foundation, with additional support from donors including Najmy Thompson P.L., Bradley J. Parker, Nick Giannotti, Victor Hedman, Chris Kubasik, Tyvi Small, Dr. Ramsin Benyamin, Stephanie Gaines, Anup & Rina Patel, Michael & Lynette Ellis, Michael & Kathy Lloyd, Greer & Michelle Love, the Mincberg family, Krauthamer & Associates, MLE Law, PV365 Winery, Andy Zupsic and Omar Soliman. The Foundation is also working with the NBPA to apply for the NBPA Foundation grant, in addition to the U.S. African Development Foundation grant in order to continue to improve critical developmental resources for Abidjan youth. Additional donations are welcome and will go toward funding phase 2 of the project and ongoing programming.

NBA Looks To Africa As Next Growth Area - Silver

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks before Game One of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors, outlining the NBA's plans for global expansion. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

REUTERS

NBA commissioner Adam Silver delivered a state of the league address on Thursday that sounded more like a foreign policy briefing that underscored the league's international ambition.

With the NBA Finals being played outside of the United States for the first time, the Toronto Raptors hosting the Golden State Warriors provided the perfect setting for Silver to detail the league's global vision.

The first question put to Silver and the last along with several in-between dealt with the league's efforts to grow markets outside the U.S. particularly in China, Africa, and India.

"I think symbolically having our first Finals outside the United States maybe has a big impact on countries that follow the NBA but don't have teams, whether that be in Asia or whether that be in Latin America," said Silver.

"So I think as we look back in time at the NBA calendar this clearly is a marker of sorts that here we are 2019 our Game One of the Finals taking place in Toronto, Canada.

"That will, I think, be a milestone."

The NBA announced at its all-star game earlier this year that it would partner with FIBA, international basketball's governing body, and for the first time operate a league outside of North America.

The Basketball Africa League is set to begin next year with 12 teams spread across the continent.

The competition is part of a development model the NBA successfully implemented in China, which is now their biggest market outside of the United States.

The sport will also be developed at the grassroots level with programmes like Basketball Without Borders Africa, with plans to reach more than 2.5 million boys and girls ages 16 and under through programmes in 21 African countries this year.

Silver said the fact that four players on the rosters of the Warriors and Raptors were either born in Africa or had a parent born there was a testament to how the sport had internationalised and could be developed.

"I think it absolutely speaks to the opportunity across the roughly 55 countries of Africa," he said.

"It's one of the places we're looking in the world where we see enormous opportunity."

It is not just an untapped talent pool, however, with millions of potential new fans that can now be reached through technology and social media, he said.

"I think ultimately it's because of transformational nature of digital media where in Africa, a continent of over a billion people, where there are something like 700 million cell phones, 400 million of which are smart phones," said Silver.

"So we see enormous growth opportunities both in terms of players and for participation and ultimately an interest for the league."

Silver said the NBA was aware they were not immune to the forces of global politics and were mindful of a developing trade war between the Chinese and U.S. governments, but he hoped the league could provide some sort of bridge between the two.

"I am not concerned at this time," said Silver.

"Of course we are not immune from global politics, so it's something we're paying a lot of attention to.

"I look though to sports, and this is something Yao Ming and I have discussed, where we can use basketball maybe in the way ping-pong was used in the days of Richard Nixon, that there could be something called basketball diplomacy.

"It is an area where our two countries have excellent history of cooperation."

Charles Barkley Pledges $45,000 For Malcolm Brogdon's East Africa Clean Water Charity

Michael Brogdon. Image: ESPN

BY MICHAEL SHAPIRO

SPORTS ILUUSTRATED

Malcolm Brogdon picked up another assist during an appearance on TNT's Inside the NBA on Friday when Charles Barkley pledged to donate $45,000 to the guard's clean water initiative.

Brogdon came on the Inside the NBA set after the Bucks took a 2–0 lead over the Raptorsin the Eastern Conference finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated Toronto with 30 points and 17 rebounds in a 125-103 victory.

Off the court, Brogdon created Hoops2o in 2018, a program dedicated to providing clean water to East Africa.

"We build clean water wells in East Africa and Tanzania," Brogdon said on TNT on Friday. "So every summer I go over there, I raise money through the season. I have four guys in the NBA that are helping me raise money on different teams, and I'm just trying to raise as much money as I can to build more wells."

Barkley was quick to pledge some cash toward Brogdon's initiative.

"How much does it cost for a well?" Barkley asked Brogdon before learning the $45,000 cost. "I'll give you $45,000 right now."

The Bucks are two games from the Finals and Brogdon's charity received a big boost on Friday night. Life is good in Milwaukee.

The Unique Role Basketball Plays In Developing Nigeria's Economy

By Alicia Jessop,
Forbes, November 24, 2013

The Nigerian economy is in the midst of a renaissance.  Led largely by the oil industry’s presence in the country, experts expect Nigeria’s economy to overtake South Africa’s as the largest in the African continent within the decade.  Some expect that feat to come as soon as the end of 2013, due to a rebasing of Nigeria’s GDP from 1990 to 2008, which will reportedly cause the country’s reported GDP to soar.

Nigeria’s economy has grown and become more stable since democracy came to the country through the end of militarization in 1999. While Nigeria’s government and economy are on the upswing, jobs have been slow to come to the country.  A 2013 survey by Gallup found that only 9-percent of Nigerians reported they were employed full-time in 2012.  That survey also found that 34-percent of Nigerians listed job creation as the most important issue for the Nigerian government to address.  This issue beat out every other issue posed in the survey, including corruption.  With 63.1-percent of Nigeria’s population falling under the age of 24 and over two-thirds of its population living on less than $1.25 per day, job creation is critical to sustaining Nigeria’s growth and political freedom.

Earlier this month, a group of unlikely sources banded together to address the need of job opportunities and leadership development for Nigeria’s rising labor force.  In November, the NBA along with WNBA, Africare and ExxonMobil launched an initiative aimed at using basketball to develop health, leadership and life skills for Nigeria’s youth.  The initiative, called “Power Forward,” will provide opportunities to 300 students in ten public and private high schools in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.  Boys and girls will be equally represented in the program, which will utilize classroom and athletic activities led by coaches aimed at teaching students leadership skills and building health awareness.  A main emphasis of the program is goal setting, which will be facilitated by program leaders evaluating the initiative’s participants at different stages of the program.

In supporting the initiative, one thing the NBA, WNBA, Africare and ExxonMobil committed themselves to ensuring was that each school has the necessary supplies, including basketball equipment, to facilitate the initiative’s mission.  While seemingly innocuous, this commitment is perhaps the most necessary factor for building a stronger basketball presence in the country.  That basketball presence, in turn, will hopefully lead to job creation for Nigerians.

A solid infrastructure is one of the greatest factors preventing Nigerian youth from excelling at basketball.  Currently, soccer is the most-played sport amongst Nigerian youth.  Ugo Udezue, a Nigerian-born NBA agent explained the infrastructure that is necessary for the growth of basketball in Nigeria.  ”Soccer is the biggest sport in the country, because soccer is easily accessible–all you need is a ball.  You don’t need a built-in infrastructure to play the sport.  With basketball, though, you need more of an infrastructure.  You need a court and hoops to play.  And in Nigeria, there aren’t many of them,” he said.

Given the lack of an existing basketball infrastructure within the country, it is perhaps surprising that since the NBA’s founding, over 20 Nigerian-born players have found their way onto the league’s hardwood.  Arguably the greatest of the group, Hakeem Olajuwon, like so many other Nigerian-born children, grew up playing soccer.  It wasn’t until an initiative similar to Power Forward came to Olajuwon’s home in his teenage years, that the twelve-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Champion and 1994 NBA MVP picked up a basketball.  ”I’m one of the beneficiaries of a program like this.  About 32 years ago, basketball was introduced to my school during my senior year.  I know how that impacted myself, my friends and other schools,” Olajuwon said.

Olajuwon is succinct in explaining the role that basketball played in molding his future:  ”Basketball changed my life.”  He goes on to explain, “It gave me an opportunity to go to school on a basketball scholarship, and from there, to be a professional.”  Thus, it’s no surprise that he is one of the biggest supporters of the Power Forward initiative.  ”It’s always been a dream of mine to see the NBA in Nigeria developing a grassroots program that could also be a vehicle for life skills.  For the NBA to actually develop a program in Nigerian schools is such a wonderful program.  I feel very privileged that the NBA came to Africa and looked at Nigeria as a platform for doing this,” Olajuwon noted.

Olajuwon firmly believes that Nigeria is the perfect place to not only develop future basketball talent, but to provide young people with the life skills necessary to chart the course of a newly democratic nation.  ”We have all of the talent here in Nigeria.  All they are looking for, are the same opportunities as others to develop that talent,” he said.

Olajuwon isn’t alone in his belief that basketball is a gateway for Nigeria’s continued economic growth.  Udezue cites Nigeria’s booming film industry, nicknamed “Nollywood,” as an example of how sports and entertainment opportunities can build the country’s economy.  Nigeria’s film industry ranks second in the world in annual film productions, putting it ahead of the United States and behind India.  ”When the film industry exploded, it brought a lot of revenue to the country.  Different people were becoming employed and different avenues for businesses were opened,” Udezue noted.

Using the success of Nigeria’s film industry as an example, Udezue argues that Nigerian leaders could be swayed to follow another method unconventional to economic growth to build the country’s economy.  That unconventional method?  Investing more resources into building the country’s basketball infrastructure.

 ”Most of the leaders in Nigeria don’t look at sports as a means to an end for anything.  They don’t understand how you can develop the country through it or build revenue.  Nigeria, though, has the natural resources necessary for basketball.  Its people are tall and big.  If basketball was developed in Nigeria, it could open up a whole stream of revenue for the country,” Udezue said.

While it will be some time before basketball experiences Nollywood-like heights in Nigeria, one thing is certain:  The path for the sport to develop the lives of the country’s youth and in turn, impact its economy, is being paved.  And paving the path’s way, are basketball’s loyal enthusiasts:  the NBA, its players and former players and biggest supporters.

Gist Around Da Hood

The magnificent Ivorian Didier Drogba celebrates in style after scoring that amazing first goal beating Everton 2-1 in the season finale of Road to Wembley. He will be negotiating a new paycheck to effect his contract extension with Chelsea. A three year contract and bonuses draws him closer to Europe's highest earning players and sits on the elite role of African football players.

Staples Center, 1111 Figuroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90015
Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she will be the first Latino, according to some sources, to be on the Supreme Court. Her parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York. A feminine radical in the 70s and had always defended the underdog but her critics say that's not enough to be confirmed though the overwhelming Democratic majority in Congress is in her favor.

In this world there's much confusion.

And I've tasted the city life and it's not for me

Now I do dream of distant places

Where I do not know but is destiny

If it's the rich life I don't want it

Happiness ain't always material things

I want destiny ...

Neverland Ranch was a rich life. Oh, by the way, the king of pop is about to rise like a phoenix. I have followed this legendary performer all my life and I do think I have every of his recorded album throughout the many phases of his career -- Jackson Five, The Jacksons and the solo acts -- and my favorite tune of all time, Destiny, besides the jams, Shake Your Body Down To The Ground, Thriller, Off The Wall, Enjoy Yourself, ABC, The Girl Is Mine and many other stimulating tracks.

The gist now is billionaire Tom Barrack and AEG Live owner Philip Anshutz are coming to the king of pop's rescue. They want a rebirth of the Thriller years and from media sources, Michael will be heading to the studios soon because his backers -- Barrack and Anshutz have confidence in him and had envisioned a thoroughly remade Michael when the entire deal is struck which would include a three year world tour, series of singles coupled with packages of a museum, casino and movies. Barrack who said Michael could make $500 million a year once he puts his mind into it acknowledged Michael 'is' one of very few artists who could reach that mark in showbizness and at any given time.

But Michael is not done. His 50 concert series at the O2 Arena in London kicks off July 13 and tickets are already sold out. One other thing, though is can Michael do fifty gigs without getting exhausted? We'll see how it plays out starting July 13. Michael in his own words regarding the 50 shows in London: "Thank you for your love and support, I want you guys to know I love you very much," ... "I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater - I need to put some weight on"


Also, around the block, came some political talks about President Barrack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, whom I haven't followed until she was nominated by Obama, last week. And now following her like a tweeter, I know she was one of 70s feminine radicals on campus at Princeton University. She did not like the way Princeton was run and had always defended the underdog. From Princeton to Yale, and as a prosecutor in New York to corporate lawyer and serving on the federal bench for seventeen years, methink the new Democratic controlled congress should let her walk in without much ado so she could start punching the badass Clarence Thomas in his face, and his "high-tech lynching of an uppity black man."

And if confirmed which I expect she would be, overwhelmingly, making her the second Latino on the Supreme Court, although the political blogosphere on Sotomayor's side claims she'd be the first Latina on the Supreme Court, if confirmed, which would nullify the claim from other circles of Justice Benjamin Cardozo whose parents were of Portuguese descent, in the 30s, as first Latino on the Supreme Court. Enough.

Down the street in da hood, talks are popping up on soccer. Obviously, the soccer moms have taken it to a whole new heights which is quite engaging with kids. We called it football until the Yankee's crazy sports began to blow up our minds. I mean, too many in the mix and soccer got to be. The world's most watched sport and we won't erase soccer and permanently keep its original logo? Come on, now, there's tennis not lawn tennis; there's basketball not netball; there's ping pong not table tennis; there's baseball, not cricket and there's football not rugby, whatever that is.

So as it happened, the English FA Cup gathered storm. Ivorian and Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba and his colleagues lifted the FA Cup amid 85,400 and something soccer freaks in Wembley Stadium beating Everton 2-1 which ended the season's crazy-dubby Road to Wembley. Drogba's contract has been extended to another three years and expect the field dynamo's pocket to surpass the 80,000 British Pounds Sterling a week paycheck.

The World Cup is fast approaching and all that Brazillian influence is still hanging on. The quality of play, pattern of play, dribbling style, the celebration, jubilation and the samba has entirely nothing to do with what is going on at USC. Am I perturbed by all the scandals that is now hitting the sports program walls of Pete Carroll saying he knew nothing about Houses and gifts given to the parents of Reggie Bush, the running back for the New Orleans Saints? Nope! There's always something and that's just the way it is. As Bush' investigation continues, popped up another accusation. This time on Tim Floyd, the school's basketball coach, on payments made to O.J. Mayo's associates. And now that NCAA has cut in, we probably would get to know about all the scandals of gifts and cash exchanging hands by the time it's through with its own independent investigation.

In my little political alley, the behind closed doors pundits at Yahooligans, the talk now is why would Obama make Ghana his second point of call and not the sleeping giant, Nigeria. Citing Obama as a second generation immigrant who had adopted Abraham Lincoln's style of approach and politics, and bringing about a "New Dawn" of the internet age in "change has come to America" platform, the economy is still biting and the "Stimulus Package" hasn't been able to subdue the Bush-Cheney made meanspirited economy yet, in my own assessment because the people, I mean, the American people are still talking and complaining.

Well, it's showtime on Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles where Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers sits comfortably with Hotel Figueroa, Nokia Center and the Convention Center as neigbors. Tonight, the Lakers will be tested by the hungry Orlando Magic in Game 1 of 2-3-2 series. "All road leads to downtown and it's Lakers all the way," says one Lakers accessories hawker. "We gonna get them, baby!"

I know I have gunned for Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus when they whooped Lebron James and his Cavaliers. I have already neutralized the firepower of the magic, and hey, this is my hood and my Lakers ain't taking that for granted. It is Lakers all the way and with all the pubs full to the brim, hell will surely get loose if...

We want destiny!

Adios and enjoy the finals.

Relieved

"Don't think the Los Angeles Lakers will make it. With Yao Ming out and the way they've been struggling with the Houston Rockets, I mean, think about it."

"Think about what? You mean if Yao Ming had not been injured that it would have been an easy victory for the Rockets?"

"Oh, yeah! Can't you tell from the way Rockets are playing, giving the Lakers a run for their money?"

"Well, I think the Lakers are the best in the NBA, and I do not care about what you think on how they play. Look, man, this is Hollywood. It's not easy combining both together. Don't you see Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Stephen Spielberg, Ron Howard, Jammie Foxx, and all the heavyweights in da hood cheering for a Lakers victory?"

"Really?"

"Yep!"

That's how it flowed even though I have not been paying much attention to the NBA Finals. Every now and then, I tend to check it out even when I'm making some noise tweeting with my fellow tweeters out there who've got nothing else to do but tweet, tell the whole world about their problems and brag about it all day, and then talk about Hollywood driving Angelenos nuts. No biggie!

Yes, Lakers is tweeting and tweeting is Lakers. They tweet about Kobe Bryant for not carrying the game on his shoulders. They tweet about Derek Fisher being worn out ... "couldn't do a damn thing to save the Lakers," even when Andrew Bynum had problems defending Denver Nugget's Nene. Lakers have raised their fans' blood pressure since the semi-finals of the Western Conference. Mine has been going up and down, reason why I've not been watching the games as I'm suppose to. Sometimes I make calls to ask "what's the score?" If Lakers happen to be behind, I won't even bother turning on the television, that is, if I'm home.

I had called my brother and talked about the Lakers. This was Game 5 of the Western Conference semi-finals between Lakers and the Houston Rockets. My brother had predicted Lakers will be beaten by the Denver Nuggets, that is, if they clear the Rockets hurdle. I had called my childhood buddy, Teddy, and we spoke about it. He wasn't sure. I had called my friend and partner in crime, Basil Nwonwu, and he had persistently said "it's Lakers all the way. This is their year and no team can stop them." I stopped going to pubs where Lakers had been the subject-matter even though I still had faith my Lakers will come out smoking, eventually.

But somehow, I got sickened of the dream Kobe Bryant-Lebron James showdown. The sensationalized media had blown everything out of proportion. The hype had been overwhelmingly disturbing it became obvious a deal had been struck. Those Bryant-James inflated commercials. It's a set up.

No, it wasn't. It's the magic of Orlando Magics. Call it what you want. It's magic not darkness. It's the magic of power play. It's the magic of outplaying and outscoring the Cavaliers. The magic that has befallen Madison Avenue. The magic that dethroned the overrated king. It's the magic of Dwight Howard. The magic of Mickael Pietrus. The magic of Rashard Lewis and the standing ovations of Tiger Woods and Tim Teblow of the Florida Gators quarterback that did it.

King james, another season gone by; no ring, it's winding down.

I'm relieved.

I had wondered if Lakers will ever make it. The struggle. The injuries. The inconsistencies. The uncertainties. Denver Nuggets: Chauncey Billups. Carmello Anthony. Lakers made it.

I'm relieved.

There's been talks about the powerful kingdom. James Kingdom. The Cleveland Cavaliers and King James Castle in Ohio. The best record in the NBA. The team to beat. And there was magic not kingdom. And the magic worked. And the king was toppled.

I'm relieved.

I had diverted my attention regarding the NBA Playoffs. The Lakers had caused me a "heart attack." It's not fair. They had done it to me deliberately, and I had wondered why they would do that. I'd rather watch other sports than the Lakers. They have made my heart bleed. It's not fair and I'm losing my mind. How could that be?

I had gone to the Irish Pub in Santa Monica to watch the European Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United just to erase the Lakers from my memory. Yes, I watched Lionel Messi and his Barcelonaian boys whoop the robust playing Manchester United in a duel three Barcelona fans were slain in Nigeria, immediately upon Man. U defeat. I had gunned for Barcelona. Messi is my man. He's fast. He's taken soccer to another level. Now, Man. U. beer on tap drinking fans wants me dead for following Messi. Again, it's not fair. But who cares. I'm only worried about my Lakers and the showdown. They have the Magics not the Kingdom.

I'm relieved.

Kobe has been compared to Michael Jordan, Dr. J and Bill Russell. It doesn't matter. We are talking about NBA Finals in the year of Our Lord 2009, and I want it over with before I suffer another "heart attack." I'm not saying Orlando Magic will be a walkover. It's the NBA Finals, remember? It's anybody's game, remember?

So Kobe, my Lakers, please, do not let me suffer another heart attack. I've had enough and I will be there on Thursday, in my neck of the woods, Staples Center, to cheer you up in Game 1 of a 2-3-2 series against the Orlando Magic. We are the victor and don't disappoint me and your million fans who've had a minor stroke ever since the playoffs began.

Thanks!