Dirk Nowitzki and Dwaye Wade Helped Shape the Modern NBA

Last night two great NBA careers ended. Both Dirk Nowitzki and Dwayne Wade played their last NBA games last night. And they both played pretty well. I think they are both doing the right thing walking away now, but both look like they could still contribute, albeit in a small way, to most NBA teams. But I wanted to take a minute today to congratulate both of them on their hall of fame careers.

That's right, both are surefire first ballot hall of famers. Dirk was the first Euro league player I saw that was that big and could shoot that well. He was 7 feet tall, but he played an outside game. He had a nasty pull up jumper. He could also elevate over smaller defenders, which was the majority of NBA players, and hit jumpers with ease. He was the first big guy that made jumpers fun. To see him do the things he did, at his height, amazed me. He was a less athletic KD. He was a stronger Manute Bol. He was a taller Karl Malone. And when he first was in the league, he did a go to the basket move. He, Steve Nash and Michael Finley were a ton of fun to watch when they were all on the Mavs. They ran a great fast break, with Dirk finding the open spot on or near the elbow, and Finley filling the lane. He also came back from some hardships on the floor. He won the MVP awhile back, and that team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the "We Believe" Warriors. But, Dirk came back next year and helped lead the Mavs to the title. The team they beat in that Finals, it was the first year Big Three Heat. The Mavs totally shut down LeBron, and Bosh was neutralized. This helped Dirk play top notch offense, and he led that team to its only title. He totally redeemed himself. And like I said before, he paved the way for big guys like KD and KAT and AD to want to shoot, and make, three pointers. He made the pull up jumper en vogue. If I heard Steph call him an innovator and an influence, I would totally buy it. Dirk was also a great teammate. You never heard anyone complain about him. He took on free agents and rookies like family. He seemed like a genuinely fun guy to be around. He was always good in interviews and on TV. He was the consummate pro. What I loved most about this final season though, he waited until the very end to let everyone know he was retiring. It seemed like a foregone conclusion, but he didn't want the hubbub or fanfare. He left the game like Tim Duncan, on his own terms.

As far as Dwayne Wade goes, he more than deserved his sendoff. I adored that he made this season a farewell tour. Prior to all that though, Wade was a killer and a winner. From his draft day slip to now, he has always played like he has something to prove. People seem to forget that he was the MVP in a Finals before LeBron joined up with him. Wade, and a much older and slower Shaq, beat the Mavs in 6 games to win a title, and Wade was the man in that series. Sure, there is some question to the officiating, but Wade did what he had to do, and dominated those Finals. It was his big time coming out party. It was when he ascended to superstardom. After that, he was always an all star, a perennial all NBA player, in talks as an MVP. He was one of the best shooting guards in the game, and one of the best shooting guards ever. Even when LeBron showed up, I still thought that Wade was the engine that made that team run. He did the veteran move and stepped aside, but without him, the Heat don't win those titles. He always had big time playoff games and would constantly remind the nation that he was a monster on the court. And even when he left Miami and joined LeBron back in Cleveland, he was still important. His one year with the Bulls he almost helped them upset the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. He then went back to Miami and helped them back to the playoffs with a team filled with no big named people. And while this final season didn't end in a playoff appearance, Wade played really well and seemed to enjoy every moment. I also love that Paul Pierce tried to claim he was as good as Wade, and he was not having it. Wade has better averages across the board, more titles and is much more important to the game than Pierce could've ever dreamed of being. And I think Pierce was a great NBA player, he just isn't Dwayne Wade great. Wade, like Nowitzki, was also a great teammate and a consummate pro. He was just more fun to watch, at least for me. I think it is awesome that he went out with a triple double too.

Last night saw 2 great careers end, but not in a sad way. They both went out on their terms, in their own personal ways, and I loved every second of their illustrious NBA career's. Enjoy retirement you 2, you both more than deserve it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Is Adding Dwayne Wade Good Enough to Win the Cavs Another Title?

Another day, another big NBA name on the move. This one isn't as shocking as Carmelo to OKC though. As many expected, after being bought out by the Bulls, Dwayne Wade made it clear that he will sign with the Cavs once he clears waivers at some point today. Two thirds of the Heat's "big 3" will be back together for what seems like one final season.

This move I am a bit more bullish on than I was with Carmelo to OKC. Where I like the fit in OKC, I see this as the Cavs having way too many guards that all will want equal playing time. It should be fine at first, what with Isaiah Thomas supposedly out until the All Star break. But, when he comes back, they have a glut of guards. On their roster now they have Derrick Rose, Kay Felder, Kyle Korver, JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, LeBron James, Isaish Thomas and, when it becomes official, Dwayne Wade. For those of you keeping track at home, that's 7 legit guards, and for all intents and purposes, LeBron pretty much runs the offense, so 8. They have 8 guards on a roster that holds 12 players. That is too much. Now, I'm sure someone like Kay Felder will be relegated to the D League, and they will look to move Shumpert most likely, but that still leaves you with 6 guards. How is Ty Lue going to find playing time for all 6 of these guards.

As pointed out, it will be a bit easier at the start of the year with the Thomas injury. Lue should be able to find a rotation where Rose, Wade and LeBron get the brunt of the minutes at the 1 or 2. So, that leaves 2 guys, Korver and Smith, in unknown territory. Korver will probably switch to an instant offense off the bench guy, but they are paying a player of his talent a lot of money for what will be 10-15 minutes a night. Korver's best days are far behind him, and he will see his playing time almost completely disappear. Smith, on the other hand, is a much better scorer than Korver, and he can play some defense when engaged. He has also come up big at times for the Cavs in the last 3 Finals. He has made, and taken, some of the biggest shots for this team. Now is he just going to have to give those minutes to Wade because he and LeBron are best friends? That is unfair to a guy that has found the perfect place for him to play basketball.

I think JR Smith is going to become very unhappy at the diminished role he will see.

Then we have Derrick Rose. By virtue of trades and injuries, he will probably be the starting point guard on opening night for the Cavs. Yikes. Rose was great while in Chicago for his first 3 years. Hell, he won an MVP. But his last 2 years with the Bulls were riddled with injuries and last year with the Knicks was a total disaster. I do not think he is the driving force that he was 5 years ago, and he cannot shoot the jumper with any consistency. He is also a ball dominant player, and we saw what happened to another ball dominant guy playing with LeBron, Kyrie. Irving got so much better, but he was so unhappy. So much so that he begged to be traded, and he was. Also, Derrick Rose is nowhere near the player that Kyrie Irving is right now. They are not even on the same planet.

And now they have to insert Wade into their starting 5 because he is Dwayne Wade and he and LeBron are best buddies. Wade is an all time great. I love the way he plays basketball. He is a joy to watch when he is fully engaged. The problem lately with him though, he cannot go a full season. He either gets hurt or needs rest. He is old, Carmelo Anthony old, in basketball terms. The Cavs will be lucky if he plays 60 games this season. I know that he has had a ton of playoff success, but not lately. He disappeared in the last couple of finals he went to with the Heat and LeBron, and with the Bulls last year, it was all about Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo. Wade was a non factor. But, he will be starting on this Cavs team.

The Cavs will also have to find a way to insert Thomas back into the lineup when he gets back, and I just don't know how that is going to work for him and the Cavs.

So, if I sit down and try to figure out the starting 5 for the Cavs this year, I come up with Rose, Wade, LeBron, Jae Crowder and either Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson, depending on if they want defense or offense that night. I don't think Love or Thompson will be thrilled with a move to the bench. I also think JR Smith will be pissed off too. But, this is what LeBron wants. He wants to play basketball with his buddies. And for the East, this will work because the East is horrendous. The Cavs will, barring major injuries, win the East again, and get smoked by the Warriors again. Sure, they are getting smaller, but the guys they have are much older and will not be able to keep up with the Warriors. Who is going to guard KD? LeBron. Great, then put someone like Rose on Curry and Wade on Klay. Both of those guys will torch them. Same can be said for any number of matchups between these 2 teams.

Like I said yesterday, I love that teams are trying to match the Warriors, but in the long run, it doesn't matter. The Warriors are too young and too good. Also, this move makes the Cavs a much older team, and that just won't cut it against the Warriors. So while I'm happy that LeBron and Wade are back together again, I still don't think it will matter in the end. The Warriors will sweep them out of the finals and run them off the floor.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

LeBron James is Saying Super Dumb Stuff about Super Teams

What in the hell did he just say?

In my NBA Finals recap yesterday I forgot to mention one thing that has really been eating at me since I first heard it last night while listening to the Ringer's "NBA Show" podcast. That is why this did not make my piece yesterday because I was not made aware of LeBron James asinine comment that "he has never played on a super team". This threw me for a loop. I literally yelled out loud in disgust in my car on the way to play basketball last night.

As I'm sure a lot of people did, I turned the game off after it was over Monday night. I knew who the MVP was going to be, I knew what all the interviews would be like, I knew what everyone was going to say, so I felt there was no need for me to watch all the post game stuff. Well, apparently during his final presser, LeBron was asked what it was like to face a super team, or something along those lines, and that was when he gave this dumbass response. Hell, it was only a few weeks ago that KD himself said that LeBron was the one guy that made forming super teams possible when he bolted Cleveland for Miami to team up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. So, for LeBron to be this sore of a loser and this arrogant took be by surprise.

LeBron James is a guy that has always said and done the right things ever since he has been in the spotlight, which has been pretty much his whole life. He has never really come off this ridiculous, at least not to me, before. He has always won like a champ, and taken defeat like a champ. He has always been the good guy. Even when he left Cleveland the first time, I never viewed him as a villain, I viewed him as a ring chaser, much like I do with KD now. But for him to be this holier than thou because his team, that he formed, got their ass beat by a far, far superior team, I mean, come on man. He played great. He was virtually unstoppable on offense throughout all five games, but it wasn't enough. Maybe that is why he gave such a moronic answer to this very reasonable, and truthful question.

These are the facts, when LeBron left Cleveland 7 years ago, he formed the first of this new era of "super teams". Some may say the Celtics did in 2008, but they traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The Heat signed both Bosh and LeBron to pair up with Wade, thus forming the first real super team of the 21st century. I remember when he had that stupid little television special, then a concert to announce his decision. Those days were the first time I ever really heard the term "super team" used. And, it was true. To pair him up with Bosh and Wade was deemed unfair at the time, and it started to take the parity away in the NBA, at least in the East. These were 3 All Stars in their prime coming together to try and win a title. This was, and always will be, the first super team that I remember being pissed off about because it started to water down the competition.

Since his decision to "take his talents to South Beach", all anyone wants to do now is form "super teams". After LeBron signed on in Miami and they had their run to 4 straight Finals appearances, winning 2, other players started to join forces to try and dethrone the Heat. The Lakers tried by acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. That didn't work. The Rockets then tried, after they acquired Howard to pair up with Harden. They made the conference Finals, but that was it. The Mavericks tried to do this by offering DeAndre Jordan a contract. He decided to return to LA instead. Hell, even the Spurs tried when they signed LaMarcus Aldridge 2 years ago when he was the prize free agent. It hasn't worked for them either. Even LeBron formed a second super team when he returned to Cleveland and all but demanded they trade away Wiggins and Bennett for Kevin Love.  

LeBron needs to get the hell out of here with a quote or comment like that. He is far too good a player to have to say some stupid shit like this. He is, and always will be, the godfather of forming a super team. He had to in order for him to win a title. There was no way he was going to win a title in his first go round with Cleveland, and he knew that, and he knew that teaming up with a couple other All Stars was his only chance, thus creating the "super team".

Make no mistake, LeBron is an all time great. He is the type of player kids should strive to be, he is a total class act and seems like a good guy. But, this comment, I don't know if it was made out of frustration, anger or if he actually believes it, was one of his biggest oversights, if not his biggest, that he has ever made. He needs to take this loss like he took his 4 other losses in the Finals. I didn't hear anyone on the Warriors last year say they weren't a super team after Cleveland won the title. LeBron shouldn't have, and more importantly, didn't need to say this the other night. It was way out of his context and character.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Pelicans, Mavericks, and the Bulls

Day 4 of my NBA countdown features teams 21, 20 and 19. These teams are good, but they could be better, or it is just a weird collection of players that I don't think will work out that well, or they are way too old to be highly competitive anymore.

Coming in at number 21, I have the New Orleans Pelicans. This team should be so much better than what they put out there on the floor. I know they had a ton of injuries last year, but that doesn't excuse their horrendous start, and the total lack of defense they "played". I really like their coach, Alvin Gentry, but I think he is better fitted to be an assistant as opposed to the head coach. He did great things while in Phoenix, but that was another team that he was the head man for, and they never reached their full potential. The roster has some great players, but they either get hurt too much, play hero ball or just haven't figured it out yet. Look, I'm about as big an Anthony Davis fan as there is. He is the new wave of centers. He can score in the post, rebound, block shots, run the floor, shoot the three and guard multiple positions. But, he has not been able to stay healthy for one full season since he has been in the league. I think he is a legitimate MVP candidate, if he can stay healthy. Unfortunately, that is a big if. He has all the tools, he just needs to not get injured. I really like their pick of Buddy Hield. As you all know by now, I would have taken Hield over any of the "one and done" players in this most recent draft. I love his game, he can score at will, and he will learn to play defense. He and Anthony Davis should make a fine pair. But, as I look at the rest of the roster, I don't see much. Omer Asik is done. He is garbage now. He can't score, he can't rebound and he doesn't defend like he used to. He and Davis were supposed to be the ultimate rim protectors, but Asik has not lived up to it. Tyreke Evans is not that good either. Sure, he can go for 30 one night, but the next night, he will go for 5 or 6 points on 2 of 15 shooting. He is exactly like Jeff Green. Has all the tools, but can never put it all together for a full season. Jrue Holiday is a very good point guard, but he too, much like Davis, just can't stay healthy. Kendrick Perkins was washed up in OKC, Solomon Hill is, at best, a tenth man off the bench, Norris Cole is a waste of a roster spot, Langston Galloway shouldn't even be in the NBA and they signed Lance Stephenson. Why on Earth would anyone want him on their team? He is a team killer. Their other pick in the most recent draft, Cheick Diallo, barely played in college, so who knows what he brings to the table. This team has one super star, one rookie that should be good, and nothing after that. The Pelicans will hover around 35 wins, depending on health.

So Ty, how will the Pelicans win the title? The only way they win the title is if Davis stays healthy and is the MVP, not impossible, Holiday stays healthy and continues to be lightening quick and the rest of the roster plays the best basketball of their lives, impossible. I feel sorry for Anthony Davis because he is a great player stuck on a mediocre team. Maybe Buddy Hield will be the guy they need to be Davis' sidekick.

At number 20 I have the Dallas Mavericks. This team would be much lower, like near the 76ers and Lakers, if Rick Carlisle wasn't the coach. He is one NBA coach that is near Poppovich's level. The Mavs still have Dirk, but isn't he like a trillion years old? How much game does he really have left? I know he is a great shooter, but he is a total liability on defense, he can't rebound and his legs are going to give out on him soon. Wes Matthews played pretty well last year, coming off a torn ACL, but he may be the new first option for the Mavs. Can he handle that? I don't think so. He is a good spot up shooter and a good slasher, but to be the main guy, that doesn't suit his game. They did end up with Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, after the whole KD signing, but does that even matter? Barnes looked atrocious in the finals. He couldn't make anything, and he was wide open. He also got abused on defense, but the Mavs gave him a max deal. Maybe he needs a change of scenery, but I just can't shake how bad he was in the finals. Bogut is a fine rim protector, but he is always injured, he cannot run anymore and his offense is non existent. He brings nothing to this team. Seth Curry, not Steph, signed with the Mavs, but he is, at best, your tenth or eleventh guy off the bench. The Mavs will look for more out of him, and I don't think he can do it. Deron Williams is still there, and while he played okay last year at times, his career was over while he was in Brooklyn. The rest of the roster has guys like Charlie Villanueva, Jose Barea, Justin Anderson, Devin Harris and Dwight Powell. Anderson and Powell are young, but not really all that good, and the rest of those guys, they are dinosaurs when it comes to NBA age. The Mavs will step back to about 30-35 wins, at best, this year.

So Ty, how will the Mavericks win the title? They can win the title if they find a fountain of youth, everyone drinks from it, returns to their primes and Harrison Barnes plays like a completely different player than what we saw in the finals. It's too far fetched.

At number 19, just missing out on the playoffs, I have the Chicago Bulls. This team is so much like the Knicks, with one major difference, it is scary. First off, I loved when they moved Derrick Rose to New York for Robin Lopez. I thought that was one of the best offseason decisions, but everything after that, total chaos. To go out and sign Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rando made absolutely no sense at all. First off, those two guys hate each other. Go back and watch some old Boston-Miami games, they despise one another. Second, they are both ball dominant players. Spoiler alert, there is only one ball, so only one guy can have it at a time. Third, Wade is only good for about 41 games of full effort now and Rando, he couldn't hit the ocean with a pebble. This may end up being a disaster. The only reason they aren't as low as the Knicks is Jimmy Butler. He is a much, much, much better all around player than Carmelo Anthony ever was/is/will be. Butler is a great defender, a great scorer, a great slasher and an awesome teammate. I would take him one hundred times out of one hundred to be on my team over Carmelo. He is the one reason the Bulls aren't as low as the Knicks. But, how will he fare playing alongside Rando and Wade? Will he get the touches he has earned? Who knows, but Jimmy Butler deserves better. He is an awesome basketball player. From there you have guys like Doug McDermott, average shooter, horrible defender, Nikola Mirotic, great shooter, even worse defender than McDermott, Taj Gibson, good glue guy, but not great at any single thing, Robin Lopez, good big man, but not even the best Lopez brother and Bobby Portis and Tony Snell, neither has had a real chance to play all that much. Not a loaded roster. I think Denzel Valentine could be good for them, but I don't know how often he will see the floor, considering all the three point shooters they seem to think they already have. He is a much better defender right now than both Mirotic and McDermott though. The Bulls could be the first team to crack 40 wins, or they could totally implode with this odd roster and only win 25 games. I'll go with the 40 wins because I think Jimmy Butler is that good.

So Ty, how will the Bulls win the title? The Bulls could win the title if all these weird pieces find a way to coexist and play team basketball, and the Cavs or Celtics or Raptors suffer catastrophic injuries to their star players. I just think teaming up Rondo and Wade, while you already have a great, young star, is going to blow up in their faces. What an odd offseason the Bulls had.

That does it for today. come back tomorrow for the next three teams. We are finally at the playoff eligible teams. Woo hoo!

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. What a difference a year makes. Both New Orleans and Chicago were in his top ten teams last year. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Dwayne Wade to the Bulls is more Free Agency Nonsense from the Teams in the East

The moves of the East confuse me greatly

Dwayne Wade shocked the NBA world yesterday when he agreed to a 2 year deal with the Bulls. I assumed that if he left the Heat, he'd go play with LeBron and for the Cavs. Those 2 are the best of friends and they've achieved the highest success you can in the NBA. That seemed to make the most sense. I figured the other reports, places like Denver for example, where pipe dreams. But, the Chicago signing was just as shocking, at least to me.

The Bulls have made some interesting moves this off season. Some I've liked, trading Derrick Rose, but others are head scratchers, letting E'twaun Moore walk and signing Rajon Rondo. This Dwayne Wade signing is a head scratcher to me. I thought they'd be giving the keys to the team to Jimmy Butler, as they should, but Wade and Rondo are ball dominant players that can't consistently make jumpers, so there will be little to no spacing for Butler. It's all very weird.

This leads me to my main point today, why does the East think signing players well past their prime will give them any shot at beating the Warriors? The Warriors, by signing Kevin Durant not only stayed young, but they've got much, much better shooting than any team ever. The "big" acquisitions in East are laughable if they think they will even compete with the Warriors in the finals, and yes, the Warriors will be in the finals, mark it in pen. Do teams like the Knicks really think acquiring Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee really makes them title contenders? Rose is old and coming off a slew of injuries. Noah can barely jump or run because his feet are damaged. And Courtney Lee, he wasn't the top option in Memphis or Charlotte last year. I already mentioned all the problems the Bulls are going to face. I mean, they finally traded Rose, but the guys they are bringing in now, they'll be a 6 or 7 seed, at the very best. I feel so bad for Jimmy Butler. He deserves so much better. Now, the Cavs are, reportedly, acquiring Mike Dunleavy Jr in a trade from the Bulls. Is Mike Dunleavy Jr really any threat to anyone? Is he really going to help the Cavs repeat as champs? I don't think so.

The moves in the West have been so much better and trending towards athletes in, or nearing, their primes. There's the much talked about Durant to Warriors move. The Mavericks are bringing in Harrison Barnes. I know he didn't show up in the finals, but right now, I'd much rather have him than Joakim Noah. The Spurs got their Tim Duncan replacement by signing Pau Gasol. The Grizzlies re upped Mike Conley Jr and signed Chandler Parsons. Hell, even the Timberwolves went out and signed Cole Aldrich and Brandon Rush to small, easy to manage contracts. The West is going to be so much better than the East for awhile. I know the Cavs won the title, but that will just be a small blip in the radar in the long run.

What it all really comes down to, the NBA has two really, really good teams, the Warriors and the Cavs. And they will continue to face each other in the finals until LeBron leaves Cleveland, or the Warriors suffer some catastrophic injuries. The moves the teams in the East are making are bizarre, and no threat at all to the Cavs or Warriors. The finals, for the third year in a row, will be a rematch.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Hear all about his heartburn over NBA free agency on this weeks mini edition of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Pathetic State of LeBron James Fanboyism at ESPN

Being in the bag for LeBron must be cutting oxygen off to the ESPN anchor's brains

To wrap up my week of NBA talk, I am going to criticize two of ESPN's lead anchors that are completely in the bag for the Cavs, and more specifically, LeBron James.

The first anchor is the loud mouthed piece of garbage known as Stephen A Smith. You'll remember him as the same guy that said that Kevin Durant made an enemy for life when Durant questioned a report that Smith put out about his impending free agency. Durant said that himself and his people didn't, or do they ever, talk to Smith. He called him out on his false report and said he was a liar. Well, instead of owning up to his mistake that he was caught red handed doing, he decided to go into attack mode, making that dumbass "you don't want to get on my bad side" comment. That shit was laughable, and I'm sure Durant and his people had a hearty laugh over his all around nonsense.

Before last night's game one, Smith was on some show saying that LeBron is the most disrespected and one of the most underrated NBA players of all time, and that if Kobe Bryant was the leader of this Cavs team, they'd be favored. All of that is utterly ridiculous. Everything that comes out of Stephen A Smith's mouth is garbage. He is not good at his job and he isn't that smart either. First of all, no one that knows even a little bit about basketball has ever disrespected LeBron James. Sure, some people may not care for him, but we all know that he is one of the 5 best players to ever play in the NBA. He is a legend and an all time great. Second, LeBron is not underrated at all. In fact, he may be the most perfectly rated player to ever step foot on an NBA court. He had high expectations when he entered the league as an 18 year old, and he won rookie of the year. Then, the Cavs got better every year he was there, even making the finals once. Then, he bolted for Miami, won 2 titles and went to the finals four straight years. He did as expected there. He comes back home, takes the Cavs to the finals last year, and they are back this year. LeBron has exceeded expectations everywhere he has been. He is not, not even a little bit, underrated. He may be under appreciated, but he is not underrated.

And the whole Kobe Bryant thing. If this Cavs team had Kobe in his prime, they wouldn't even be able to have this argument because they would be a mid to lower level playoff team. People think Kyrie Irving can be a ball hog, but imagine if he played with Kobe. Kevin Love would barely ever see the ball. Tristan Thompson wouldn't even touch the ball unless it was an offensive rebound. And, they would be even worse on defense than they are now, and they are terrible on defense now. If this Cavs team had Kobe and not LeBron, they'd be lucky to be a 43 or 44 win team. They would be a lot like the Rockets are now.

There, I just disproved all of Stephen A Smith's nonsense in about 500 or 600 words, yet he is a millionaire and he still hasn't lost his job at ESPN. Stephen A Smith is a moron and a jerk and he needs to get his smug face off my TV. I'm sick of hearing his stupid voice. My TV cannot handle it when he starts to yell talk, which is whenever he is on TV.

The next target of my ire is Brian Windhorst. This guy is an absolute joke. Yeah, he is from Cleveland and he has been following LeBron's career since LeBron was in 8th grade, but he is one of the worst journalists I have ever read or seen on TV in my life. He is so in the bag for the Cavs and LeBron, it's almost sad. As I just said, he's been following LeBron since he was a 13 year old, but Windhorst was in college when he started following him. Think about how creepy that is for a second. Windhorst was in his late teens or early 20's and he was following this child around the AAU circuit. First off, he looks like a creep, so if I was a parent of a kid on that team, I would have reported him to the authorities immediately. Second, what kind of college student decides that they are going to follow the career of a child? Yeah, LeBron turned out to be an all time great, but what if he didn't? What if he was just average, or a complete bust? Brian Windhorst wouldn't have a job if that happened. He would be looked at as another vulture that tried to capitalize on a young kids talent. He is so much worse, in my opinion, than any AAU coach or a guy like Sonny Vaccaro. At least those people pushed LeBron to greatness and gave him things, all Windhorst did was show up to his games and write some bull shit columns about a young phenom. And now, he has followed him to the pros, all the while, writing shitty article after shitty article. He even moved to Miami when LeBron went to play there and moved back to Cleveland when LeBron went back. This guy is like the worst possible friend that the group cannot get rid of. He is always there, whether you want him to be there or not.

When Windhorst would go on TV to talk about the Cavs, or the Heat when LeBron was there, he would always put the blame on someone else. It was never LeBron James' fault, it was always his supporting cast or coach. When LeBron did win titles, it was because of his greatness. Never mind the fact that Ray Allen made one of the most improbable shots of all time, or that Dwayne Wade found the fountain of youth during their second title run, or the fact that Chris Bosh completely overhauled his game to fit in with LeBron, none of that mattered to Windhorst because he is so far in the bag for LeBron James that it disgusting.

In the ongoing Windhorst shit show, he goes on TV yesterday to talk about how LeBron will never admit to being an underdog because he "has the heart of a champion" and he "will never admit that anyone is better than he is". Yeah, we all agree that he is the best basketball player in the world. Why do guys like Windhorst and Stephen A Smith need to keep bringing up something that we already know? The fact is that LeBron is the underdog in this finals series, no matter how much that may hurt Windhorst to say. The Cavs are playing a 73 win team. No other NBA team has ever won 73 games in a single season. LeBron James is the underdog, deal with it. But Windhorst is just another douchebag that is still on ESPN's payroll and he is one of their lead NBA guys. What a shame. He is a moron with blinders for anything negative that people may say about his beloved LeBron James.

Brian Windhorst, much like Stephen A Smith, is a blow hard and a piece of human garbage. But, this seems to be the down direction that ESPN is heading with their anchors. They want fan boys that are only loyal to their teams. That's not what a journalist should be. They should be non biased, so other people can take them seriously. Well, I don't take anyone seriously that works for that garbage company in Bristol. The sad fact is that Stephen A Smith and Brian Windhorst are the biggest dummies in an office filled with dummies. Pathetic.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is going to continue his quest of pointing out overrated pop culture when the X Millennial Man talks about musicians that are not as good as people think. The newest episode will premier tomorrow, wherever your fine podcasts are sold. Also, make sure you follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Let's Count the Reasons Kevin Durant Needs to Stay in Oklahoma City

Look upon my Abacus Mr Durant

With game 7 of the western conference finals coming tonight, I want to talk about some stories I've read the past couple of days that, if the Thunder lose, Kevin Durant is going to sign somewhere else this offseason.

First of all, why would he sign this offseason when the cap is going to be astronomically high in 2 years? He will get much, much more money in 2 years. He'd be making the best decision to just sign a one year deal and wait to see how much he will get in 2 years, because he is going to get a whole lot of money.

Two, why do all the modern superstars feel the need to team up as opposed to competing with each other. People will say this all started when LeBron, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up, but it really started when Shaq signed with the Lakers. He couldn't get over the hump in Orlando, so he figured he could team up with a young Kobe and have a coach like Phil Jackson and it worked. He won multiple titles while with the Lakers. He also won another title after teaming up with Wade in Miami.

So, Dwayne Wade and Shaq have both been parts of these "super teams". But, the whole idea of teaming up with other great players became popular when LeBron joined forces with Bosh and Wade. I absolutely hated this. LeBron, for as great as he is, knew he couldn't win with the role players he had his first go around with the Cavs, so he chickened out and helped form a super team. He made 4 finals and won 2 of them, but it was a total cop out. I grew up watching basketball in the late 80's and early to mid 90's, and it would have been sacrilege if guys like Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan teamed up. Or if Bird and Magic joined forces. Or if Dominique Wilkins and Isaiah Thomas decided to play together. Imagine the brutal trash talk that would have come from other players. The fact that these guys didn't join forces and were rivals made the NBA that much more competitive. Bird and Magic had some of the best battles on a court ever, dating back to college. Barkley, for as great as he was, could never beat Jordan, but he didn't take the cowards way out and join his team, he signed elsewhere and tried his best to beat him, to no avail. Dominique had the unfortunate luck of playing for Atlanta, but he made that team super competitive and he had many historic showdowns against Jordan, Bird and Isaiah Thomas.

These guys didn't chase titles, they wanted to earn them. Now, it's all about forming super teams, and it is watering down the game. Going into every season, there are only three or four teams that have a legitimate shot at winning a title. That was not the case in the 90's. A lot of teams had viable title aspirations. Hell, even my Seattle Super Sonics made it to finals led by Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. Yeah, they lost to the Bulls, but Payton and Kemp didn't decide the next season to join Jordan and the Bulls, they wanted to beat him. A rivalry was born. But, that is not the case in today's NBA and Kevin Durant is the latest player that is considering forming a super team.

If the Thunder lose tonight, which I think they will, I've read that Durant will leave and sign with either the Wizards or the Lakers. It would be hilarious if he signs with the Lakers because they are a long way away from competing for anything at all. The Lakers also have no point guard and Durant is currently playing with one of the best point guards, Russell Westbrook, in the league. Then there is the Wizards. Yeah, they have John Wall, but Westbrook is much better than John Wall, and he would be playing for Scotty Brooks again. This too would be a dumb move. I've heard the Celtics, that's a pipe dream, the Warriors, no way they blow up this historically good team and the Spurs, they don't need Durant, as possible suitors as well. He won't join any of those teams.

The only one that seems likely is the Wizards. This is like LeBron with the whole homecoming thing, but Durant doesn't have the clout and the Wizards front office is too stingy to let him form a super team, a la LeBron getting Kevin Love and ridding the Cavs roster of anyone he didn't like. Durant just doesn't have that power. He will be forced to play alongside John Wall, who I like, but he also will be playing with Bradley Beal, Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris. I'd much rather play with Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams if I had the choice.

To the people saying that he doesn't like playing with Westbrook and that Westbrook is the reason they get beat, shut up with that nonsense. Russell Westbrook is incredibly frustrating to watch, but he has played incredible in these playoffs. Durant, not Westbrook, lost that game Saturday night. He shot them out of any chance to close that game out. So, for Durant to leave and blame it on the front office and Westbrook would be a cowards way out.

I love Durant, he is my favorite player in the NBA, but this whole nonsense of leaving the Thunder to form another super team is a joke and cowardly. Stay in OKC and help build something special. The Thunder have been excellent these playoffs, and if they stick together, they could be a dominate team for years to come. Just give it, at least, one more season in OKC with Westbrook, Ibaka, Adams and everyone else on that roster. Durant, you will not regret it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not take a vacation when a game 7 is on. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

LeBron Keeps Himself from Being One of the Greatest Players of All Time

How can LeBron be unhappy in Cleveland?

I was reading stories on Bleacher Report and ESPN and SI.com yesterday, to make myself angry I'm sure, and I came across one where LeBron James said that he hopes one day in the future, he gets to play on a team with Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. He said he wants to play with his friends and he feels that this ultra super team could be created with him taking a significant pay cut. He also seems to believe that they could play together for one or two years and win a ring or two. Then, I was watching "PTI", as I do everyday, and Kornheiser and Wilbon brought up this same topic and they had very differing ideas. Wilbon seems to think that this is totally okay and had no problem with it. Kornheiser was the total opposite. He said that LeBron is always looking for a better situation than he is currently in. He said that LeBron is never happy with his current team and he is always looking to pair with a super star or two.

I couldn't agree with Kornheiser more.

I know that Wilbon can't fully tell the whole story because he is, for the most part, a basketball writer and he has built relationships with these guys, but he is also, notoriously, very biased towards teams and players he likes personally. He won't say a bad word about Derrick Rose, Jahlil Okafor, anyone from Chicago really, and he won't talk bad about the Cubs, Blackhawks or Bulls, no matter how good or bad they are. He is a very, very biased journalist, and that shouldn't be how he carries himself in his profession. Kornheiser is also biased for any team from Washington, but at least he has the guts to call out super star players.

I totally agree with Tony Kornheider about LeBron and this current story. Why would he say something like this right before the playoffs? Each team has about 12 regular season games left and while he should be preparing to lead his team to the finals again, he is opining to play basketball with his friends. Also, since he returned to Cleveland two years ago, they have let him do whatever he wants to do. He wanted them to trade Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins so he could play with Kevin Love. The front office obliged. He "wrote" some phony coming home letter, trying to win back the fans that burned his jersey when he first left. The front office and Sports Illustrated obliged. When he complained about Kyrie Irving not passing enough last year, he went out and passed up every shot to "prove" that he was the teams true point guard and then bad mouthed Kyrie Irving on Twitter the next day. The front office didn't say a word. When they made the finals last year, he couldn't say anything that wasn't glowing about Tristan Thompson, basically spitting in Kevin Love's face. The front office did nothing about this. This season, they started out 30-11, but LeBron was upset with David Blatt and he wanted his buddy, Tyronn Lue, to be the head coach. Within a week of LeBron openly complaining to the media, Blatt was fired. Once again, the front office obliged their star player. I remind you, Blatt helped lead this team to the finals last year and had a 30-11 record when he was let go. Lue hasn't really set the coaching world on fire, going something like 14-8 or 15-7. Those aren't Red Auerbach numbers by any standard. LeBron still goes out and openly complains to the media about Love and Irving daily. He claims it's hard to play with Love "clogging" the lane. Bull shit. Love just sits at the three point line while LeBron dribbles for 20 seconds and shoots. He complains that Irving isn't a true point guard. Sure, he doesn't pass all that much, but he is a phenomenal ball handler and a great scorer. Also, LeBron, you wanted these two guys. You told the front office to keep Irving and to go out and trade for Love. It was your idea. He then had the front office get rid of Anderson Varejo, sign Tristan Thompson to a max contract, trade for Channing Frye, re up Matthew Dellavedova and not worry about the draft. But, none of that was good enough for him because they didn't sign Joe Johnson after the Nets bought him out. He really wanted Joe Johnson, and he let the media know it.

So, in less than two years, he has gotten his way, like a spoiled rotten little brat, but he still isn't happy with what he has created. I'm not the first, and I won't be the last to say it, but he is the star player, coach and GM of the Cavs. When they do all this, at his beck and call, it makes him the guy pulling all the strings. Don't get me wrong, I think LeBron is one of the greatest players of all time. He is a champion, multiple MVP winner and will go down as one of the best of all time. But, since his return to Cleveland, I'm beginning to believe that he is a whiner, a prima donna and possibly, the most uncoachable player of all time. Then, this story comes out. Sure, it sounds nice, but I guarantee, within two months, he would be unhappy with his role on this super team. He would clash with Chris Paul because they are both ball dominant players. They both need the ball in their hands at crucial moments. Paul is also very hard headed and would definitely fight with LeBron. He is very old, in basketball terms, right now too. Carmelo Anthony is a ball hog and has proven that he can't come up in clutch moments. This would drive James nuts. I also think the amount of iso ball and threes that Anthony takes would take it's toll on James very, very quick. He has already played with Wade, and they won two championships, but he was old during their last trip to the finals as teammates, and he would be extremely old if they team up again. Wade is also only good for about 50 quality games nowadays, so just imagine how few games he would be able to give his all in a couple of years. This all sounds good and well to James now, but I know he would get frustrated and fed up quicker than he has in his return to Cleveland.

What it all sums up to, I'm sick of James complaining and blaming everyone else for the faults of the team he has personally created. Quit opining for stars and deal with the hand you picked. Sorry that the Warriors and Spurs are historically good and one thousand times better than your Cavs team, but these are the guys you wanted. And stop saying this stuff to the media because it opens you up for criticism, which you don't handle well. Stop bitching and moaning like a baby and be happy that you get to play a game for a living and you make millions upon millions of dollars doing it. You also already have two rings. Charles Barkley would trade his whole career away for one of those rings. Also, Michael Jordan never openly complained about his teammates and he also won with guys like Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington and Luc Longley. Jordan would never want to make a super team just to win a title, he would will lower level pros up to his level and win with them. This complaining and whining is why you will never be as good as Jordan. This current story also proves why you will never be at Jordan's level. You are a great, great player, but you are also a world class whiner and you always think the grass is greener elsewhere. It's very off putting.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His basketball knowledge was acquired through years of rec league trash talk. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty is Not a Big Fan of Johnny Clipboard

Johnny's money will still come from daddy, just not from the NFL

Now that the NFL has finished it's regular season we are about to see a bunch of coaches get fired, players declaring for the draft, free agents signing elsewhere and players opting out or asking to be traded. One such player that will be asking for a trade, or will just be traded straight up, no questions asked, is Johnny Manziel.

Now, before I get going on a roll, it needs to be said that I'm not a Johnny Manziel fan. I really, really hate the player and the person. He's an entitled, snotty, frat boy douchebag that's never worked that hard for anything in his life. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and he acts like it. Take the court side seats he had in Miami while he was still in college. I mean, come on, how much more of an asshole can you look like. It's not enough that you are getting your college paid for with your scholarship, but you get to sit courtside at Miami Heat games when they had Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh? That's unfair. First of all, I'm sure there are lifelong Heat fans that are much more deserving of those tickets. Secondly, don't flaunt it in this day and age of very prevalent social media, you know that people are going to roast you, such as I'm doing right now. It makes you look even more douchey than you already do.

Then, there's the antics while at Texas A&M. Sure, as a red shirt freshman, I found you a bit enjoyable to watch. You were exciting and you made games fun to watch, even for a person like me that thinks the SEC is wildly overrated. You deserved the Heisman that year, but that's when you became the supreme asshole that you are now. You got way too big for your britches. You thought you were some kind of superstar when you are not. Yes, you won the Heisman, but the competition for it that year was very light. Manti Teo was up for the award that year. Anyone else remember him?

During the offseason between freshman and sophomore year, you were spotted at many night clubs and bars partying way, way too hard for someone that's under age. I get it, young kids make stupid decisions, it happens to everyone, especially in college, but you are on the national radar. You have to make the right decision, not the fun decision. That's the price of being a high profile college football player. You did get suspended going into your sophomore year, but only for a half of the first game against a nobody opponent. Then, when you got in the game, you popped off at the mouth and kept doing that dumbass money gesture where you rubbed your fingers together. That's when my hatred reached a boiling point for you. I don't mind celebrating, go ahead and celebrate your accomplishment, but keep it to a minimum, don't make it all about you, involve your teammates. But, Manziel only celebrated himself. So much so, Kevin Sumlin pulled him out of the game because he kept getting personal foul penalties for excessive celebrations and taunting. That's childish.

During his sophomore year, Manziel was not the same player. He bought into the hype and played like he thought the other teams would lay down because "Johnny Football" was coming to town. Quite the opposite happened. Opponents wanted to crush him. Linebackers, safeties and the defensive line would gang tackle him and just hope that they'd get a blindside hit on him. Texas A&M finished his sophomore year with a whimper and he declared for the draft, to no one's surprise.

Then, there was talk that he would not only be a first round pick, but he could be the first overall pick of the draft. I couldn't believe my ears. Let's leave the fact that he's a selfish, self involved dick head out of it and just look at his ability. Yes, he's good enough to be a backup in the NFL, but no way is he a starter and no way is he the first overall pick. He abandons plays way too early, he relies on his legs way too much, he doesn't slide, he takes too many hits, he's wildly inaccurate and he's not interested in putting in the work to be a starting NFL quarterback. GM's and owners, for the most part, realized all of this and he dropped to the late first round, I think 21 or 22 overall to the sorry ass Cleveland Browns. I still couldn't believe he was a first round pick, but at least he was with a terrible team and I could go on irrationally hating this guy. What made it even better, he continued his partying ways and failed to do his job and was a backup behind Brian Hoyer his rookie season. There were national media guys, mainly Tony Kornheiser, saying he should start, but we all knew he wasn't a starting QB. He wasn't even good enough to beat out Brian Hoyer. When he did get a start, the Browns started hot, cooled off as they always do and Hoyer got hurt, so he was pushed into the starting role, he failed tremendously. He missed on his first four or five passes against the Bengals, his first completion was to a Bengal defender and he was sacked and hit repeatedly. It was exactly what I thought would happen.

After this game, he was relegated back to clipboard duty and that's when one of the greatest t shirts ever created came out. His nickname in college was "Johnny Football", still a god awful nickname, so some other haters of Manziel created the "Johnny Clipboard" t shirt of Manziel doing his money celebration, but he's holding a clipboard. It is genius.

He obviously didn't take this well and retreated to being an asshole alcoholic. He tried to get better last offseason, even going to rehab, but he still had his arrogant, asshole attitude. He threw a water bottle at a heckler during an open practice in Cleveland. I know that hecklers are the worst, but you have to carry yourself in a professional manner no matter what, especially in sports because there's always going to be people that hate you. He once again was a backup to start this season to Josh McCown. He hadn't done enough in the offseason to get the starting job and he was "Johnny Clipboard" once again. The Browns were the Browns all year, playing awful football and being covered by ESPN like a god damn super bowl contender.

Manziel got to start, again against the Bengals and while he played a teeny bit better, he still played with his legs more than his arm, over and under threw passes and complained all the way to a blowout at the hands of the Bengals again. He was covered like an All Pro, something I will never understand, and people thought he turned a corner, but they were all wrong. He was spotted partying again. A video surfaced of a drunken Manziel, he went to rehab I remind you, and then he tried to get people to cover it up. He lied to his employer but, did they fire him, no, they gave him his ten thousandth chance, something he didn't need or deserve. They should have cut him right then and there, but they didn't. They even let him start again.

Now, the night before the season finale, he missed curfew and was spotted at a casino in Las Vegas. How arrogant and childish is that?! You are a professional football player. You have one of the easiest, best jobs in the world. Show some god damn gratitude for the awesome lot in life you have.

Reports have come out the past couple of days saying that he wants out of Cleveland and they want to be rid of him too. Finally is all I have to say. I also read that he wants to play for Dallas. Please, please let this happen. I cannot think of anything better than Jerry Jones signing Johnny Manziel and the Cowboys being 2-14 for the next couple of seasons until they finally cut Manziel. It would be glorious.

Manziel is at a point in his career where he either needs to accept the fact that he's not a starter in the NFL or be relegated to playing in the CFL or any other "minor" league football. I don't even think he's good enough for the CFL, but that's me. This prick needs to grow up and realize that he's not the superstar that he thinks he is. He's a never was that will never be. He had his highest moments in college and he is a nothing player in the NFL. He's the equivalent of a freak show. People cover him because it's an easy story, not because of his playing ability. The love for Manziel needs to stop and stop now. He's a mediocre QB at best who only cares about himself and partying.

Johnny Manziel is a selfish asshole.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His enjoys flashing the money sign to his kids when they ask for a new toy. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Thank God Kobe is Finally Leaving

The hoop will not miss Kobe, even if he misses it nearly 70% of the time

Over this past weekend Kobe Bryant announced his retirement from the NBA effective at the end of this season. I saw and read the story via The Players Tribune and my only thought was, "this was two years too late".

Now, I have a long standing dislike, some would say hatred, of Kobe Bryant the player and the person. I dislike Kobe Bryant the person because he seems like a curmudgeon that got away with sexual assault. The incident in Denver should have sent him to jail. I wholeheartedly believe that he had relations with that lady against her will and he got away with it. Why else would he buy his wife a very gaudy, very expensive piece of jewelry if he was innocent? No man or woman that is innocent would buy someone a gift to cover it up. That just doesn't happen. Then, he goes and changes his number from 8 to 24 and claims he's a new man. No, you are still the same person that forced yourself on an uncooperative woman. Daniel Tosh has a great stand up bit about him. The long and short of the bit is him changing his number and making a commercial saying things like, "hate me because I'm a champion", or "hate me because I work hard", but Tosh claims, and I agree, that, "no, we hate you because of the sexual assault". Hilarious and very, very true.

Kobe is also just a terrible teammate. I guess, this is where I transition into why I dislike Kobe Bryant the basketball player. When he first came into the league, he was gifted with having one of the greatest centers of all time fall into his lap. Shaquille O'Neal signed a free agent deal to be a Laker the year Bryant was drafted. So, Bryant should have been thrilled by this, right? The exact opposite. He constantly fought and complained with Shaq and the Laker front office. He wanted to be the man. Never mind the fact that Shaq was leading the Lakers to three consecutive titles and was opening the whole floor for Bryant, that wasn't good enough. He needed to be the franchise player. So, the Lakers caved and let Shaq walk. This was one of the dumbest decisions I've ever seen made in professional sports. A year or two after Shaq left, he went to the Miami Heat, they won a title. This was pre LeBron. This was Dwayne Wade in his prime. Wade showed how to play championship ball with Shaq. Instead of bitching and moaning about shots, he picked his spots and did whatever he had to do to win the title. After Shaq left, the newly led Kobe Bryant Lakers struggled. Sure, Bryant was putting up numbers, but the rest of the team suffered. Nobody else got the ball and when they did, if they missed a shot, Bryant gave them a death stare. They made the playoffs, but they never got out of the second round. They were languishing. 

In the summer of 2005 the Lakers rehired Phil Jackson, who said he'd never coach Kobe Bryant again. He came back to coach Kobe Bryant because that's what his girlfriend and partial owner of the Lakers, Jeanine Buss, wanted him to do. Phil Jackson is a great coach, and he gave Kobe Bryant another title, but it wasn't because Kobe Bryant willed his team to a championship, it was because the Celtics blew it. Boston should have won that series, but Kevin Garnett got hurt and Ray Allen got old and Paul Pierce cannot do it alone. Detractors and Bryant fans will scream and holler that he won that title for them and they wouldn't have been close without him, but that's not the case. Phil Jackson is one of the greatest coaches of all time and he figured out how to use the whole team around Bryant's ego. That's how they won that title. 

Look at the way he's "leading" this young, god awful Lakers team. Instead of mentoring the young core they have, he belittles them to the media. For example, the other night they got blown out by the Warriors and his comment was, "I could've scored 80 and it wouldn't have mattered". First of all, you can't score 80, not when you're shooting less than 35 percent from the field. Second of all, help these young guys out, don't just toss them off like trash. The Lakers have some good young players. Guys like D'Angelo Russell, Juilus Randle and Jordan Clarkson have the makings of being good NBA players, but Bryant's constant belittling is doing nothing but making these guys hate him and not perform to the best of their abilities. 

People say Kobe isa big competitor, yet look at how he handcuffed this franchise with his terrible contract. How much more money do you need? Do you need to buy your wife more gaudy jewelry? Two years, 44 million dollars. No wonder they can't sign any big time free agents. They can't afford anyone because they are paying the corpse of Kobe Bryant 20 million dollars a year. Now, he is one of the all time greats when it comes to scorers, but anyone would be if they shot the ball as much as Bryant. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I'd be willing to guess that in his 20 year career, he's led the league in attempted shots 14 or 15 times. He is also one of the most overrated defenders in the history of the NBA. The fact that he made multiple All NBA Defense teams is laughable. He made those teams because of his name, not his defensive ability. He was and still is a terrible defender. He can't guard anyone. 

To all these people coming to his defense, come on, Kobe Bryant is an asshole and you know it. You don't have to like someone because they play the same game as you. You can respect him, but you don't have to like him. And the comparisons to Michael Jordan need to stop forever. He will never be Michael Jordan. He won't even be Scottie Pippen. If Kobe Bryant played anywhere besides LA or New York, he wouldn't go down as one of the all time greats. Just think if he stayed in Charlotte, the team that drafted him. Would we still look at him as one of the greats? Even if he had the same stats? I don't think so. 

So, as I close it out, I say again, you should have quit two years ago when you blew out your Achilles. You haven't been the same competitor in ten years and you've handcuffed the Lakers franchise for the next couple of years. I hope this make you happy and I hope you retire during the year instead of at the end because you won't make it. You're either going to get hurt again, or you are going to look real bad like you have the first quarter of the season. You aren't doing anyone any favors by staying in the league. It's best for you to leave now. I can't say it enough, go away and never come back. 

Kobe will NOT be missed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He gave up Sprite and went to 7up when Kobe got his endorsement deal. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty tells you how each NBA team can win the title: Hawks, Bucks, & Heat

Before I continue my NBA countdown I want to take a second to talk about two college football coaches. First, get the help you need Steve Sarkisian. You clearly have a problem and you need the rehab that you're reportedly going to get. Your AD, Pat Haden, is doing you a disservice, but get your life together before coming back to coaching. You can't be drunk and be around young college athletes, that's wrong. Secondly, have a great retirement Steven Spurrier. Your teams haven't been great lately, the Gamecocks are 2-4 right now, but you're one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, terrible NFL coach, but great college coach. You turned Florida into a powerhouse and South Carolina wasn't relevant until you took over that job. Enjoy retirement.

Now, back to my NBA countdown. Did I mention that I love basketball.

Today we have teams 12, 11 and 10. All three are East teams and that means that almost all of the Eastern Conference playoff spots will be filled. To give you a comparison, we've got, after today's blog, 7 playoff teams, and 6 are from the East. Clearly, the West is way better right now. On with the countdown.

At number 12, I have the Atlanta Hawks. Yes, the same Hawks team that played in the East Finals last year. They're going to take some steps back. They have a good roster, but last year was a total fluke. They played out of their minds and won 60 games, but they fell flat when it mattered most. I think the same sort of thing will happen this year, but it will come before the playoffs. I've got them going from the first seed in the East down to number four, which would pit them against the Wizards in round one, and that would be a great playoff matchup. They also lost their best defender in DeMarre Carroll. I know that I called him a one season wonder, but he is a great defender, the scoring output was surprising to me. The roster is good, but not good enough to push past the second round. The backcourt is led by Jeff Teague. He's a solid point guard. He can get to the rim, shoot a little bit and finds the open three point shooter more times than naught. Kyle Korver joins him in the backcourt, but, while he's one of the best three point shooters in the game, that's all he does. He doesn't play defense, reference to the playoffs last year when LeBron James exploded through the lane went up for a dunk and Korver literally ran away from the play, can't drive and isn't that good of a passer. They traded for Tim Hardaway Jr and while I think getting out of New York will benefit him, what does he do besides shoot for a low percentage and gripe at officials. I loved Hardaway Jr while he was at Michigan, but he wasn't the best player any of his three years there and he won't be the best player on any NBA team, except the 76ers. Dennis Schroder is a good player, but he's being under utilized in Atlanta. He doesn't get enough playing time, and in the right situation, he could be an All Star. Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha round out the backcourt. Bazemore is a fine player, but nothing special and Sefolosha has a huge criminal case, he was wrongly targeted and hurt by the NYPD because they're a bunch of racist assholes, and that will effect his play this year. He's a lock down defender, but provides nothing on offense. The Hawks frontcourt is their strength, led by guys like Al Horford and Paul Millsap. Horford, when healthy, is one of the best fours in all of basketball. He's got great low post skills, plays excellent interior defense and can step back and hit long jumpers. Paul Millsap is finally getting the credit he deserves, getting his first All Star appearance last year, and is a great player in the NBA. He's the better version of Horford, and Horford is pretty good. The Hawks got Tiago Splitter in free agency, but he reminds me a lot of Aaron Baynes, with the exception being that the Hawks coach was a Popovich understudy. The Hawks run the same system as the Spurs, but Splitter will struggle since there's no Tim Duncan to take the load off him. Mike Scott comes off the bench, but he's pretty blah. The Hawks are going to take a step back this season and while they'll win somewhere in the range of 45 to 48 games, they won't achieve the success of last season.

How the Hawks will win it all.

The Hawks will win the title if Al Horford and Paul Millsap can stay healthy all season and average 40 plus points and 25 plus rebounds combined, that could happen, Jeff Teague becomes an elite point guard, in the same class as Chris Paul or Russell Westbrook, Kyle Korver hits threes at a record level and the bench gives them big time production. This team was a conference finals away from playing for the title last year, but they are destined to take a step back.

Coming in at number 11, we have one of my new favorite teams to watch, the Milwaukee Bucks. First of all, while he may be a crummy person in his personal life, Jason Kidd is an excellent coach, much to my surprise. His team totally buys into defense and spacing on offense. The Bucks get Jabari Parker back after tearing his ACL during his rookie year. He looks to be a good scorer in the NBA, and under Kidd's tutelage, he will become a good defender. Joining Parker in the back court you have guys like Michael Carter-Williams and OJ Mayo. Carter-Williams isn't much of a shooter, but he's explosive going to the rim, plays good defense and usually finds the open man. OJ Mayo came into the NBA with huge expectations, struggled to score, play defense and stay in shape his first couple of seasons, but has found a good place for him in Milwaukee. He thrives coming off the bench, providing the Bucks with instant offense. In the frontcourt, they got one of the better offseason signings in Greg Monroe. Most people, including me, thought he was going to either New York or Los Angeles, but he surprised everyone and signed with the Bucks. He's an excellent rim protector and rebounder, and if he can get some skills in the post, he will be unstoppable. Khris Middleton is an emerging star. He hit some clutch shots last season and is becoming a legitimate 20 point a game type player. Next to Andrew Wiggins, the Bucks have my second favorite young player to watch in Giannis Antetokounmpo. His nickname is the "Greek Freak", so that's what I'll call him. Anyway, he is long and rangy, explosive to the rim, can shoot the midrange jumper and is pesky on defense. He is an All Star and All NBA player in waiting. He's awesome. John Henson and Miles Plumlee come off the bench in the frontcourt, and while I like Henson's game, he's a decent defender and a decent shooter, Plumlee provides nothing for this team. Other guys off the bench are Jerryd Bayless, a castoff from Memphis, Greivas Vasquez, who hasn't been that good since college, Chris Copeland, who's a fine three point shooter, but that's it and Tyler Ennis, a kid who should've stayed in college. The Bucks are getting better and better, but are still two or three years away from competing with the Cavs and Bulls in the East. They will win 48 or 49 games and be third or fourth in the East.

How the Bucks will win it all.

The Bucks will win the title if Greg Monroe becomes an MVP caliber type of player, Parker stays healthy and puts up huge numbers, Antetokounmpo puts everything together and is an All Star and the bench provides huge sparks every night. The Bucks are good, just not elite yet.

Finally, let's get into the top ten. Coming in at number 10, I have the Miami Heat. You've got to give it up to Pat Riley, the guy loses LeBron James, has one bad year, gets the best young player in the draft in Justise Winslow, gets Dwayne Wade to come back, and Chris Bosh is healthy. Also, he resigned Goran Dragic after trading for him last year. This team, if they can stay healthy, has the horses to compete with the Cavs and Bulls, and may actually be better than both. First, the back court is loaded. Dwayne Wade may be old and only plays half a season, but when he's healthy, he's one of the 15 best players in the league. He's also won three titles, so he knows how to perform in the clutch. Goran Dragic is an excellent point guard, and getting out of Phoenix was the best thing to happen to him. He's an All Star caliber player, and with the teammates he has in Miami, he will flourish. Like I said before, I like Justise Winslow a lot. The fact that he dropped to Miami at number 10 in the draft is appalling to me. He was the best player on the national title champion Duke Blue Devils that had guys like Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones. He is going to be great in the NBA. With the return of Chris Bosh and the emergence of Hassan Whiteside, the Heat's front court is ferocious. Bosh is one of the best shooting big men and while he may be a bit soft, he gets clutch rebounds and plays okay defense. Whiteside has the potential to get a double double every night. And I'm not talking points and rebounds, I mean blocks and rebounds. He loves playing defense and that's what the Heat need him to do. Loul Deng, A'Mare Stoudamire and Udonis Haslem, while pretty old and not as good as they once were, are capable back ups and provide the Heat what they need off the bench. Mario Chalmers and Chris Anderson are still there, but these guys are trade chips. The Heat are good and can be elite this year. If they stay healthy, I see a 50 win team, and competing all season long with the Bulls and the Cavs for the top spot in the East.

How the Heat can win it all.

The Heat will win the title, and they're the first team that I feel has a legitimate shot, if these guys can all stay healthy and produce like they've produced their whole careers. Getting Bosh back healthy is huge. He's the leader of this team, and gives them the leadership they need. I really, really like this Heat team, but they are no higher than tenth overall unless they can stay healthy and that's a big if.

So there you have numbers 12, 11 and 10. Come back tomorrow for numbers 9, 8 and 7. Things are starting to get real.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He made a bid to buy the Milwaukee Bucks, his offer of being awesome was turned down. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.