The League was Wrong to Suspend Draymond Green

The Warriors had a must win game last night and they did just that. They won the game. They won by a lot. And they made this series with the Kings look a whole lot different.

Things could've been much worse for the kings. Draymond Green was suspended for this game. I'm sure you all have seen or heard why he was suspended. He "stomped" on Domantas Sabonis, the league decided they needed to set an example and Green was the perfect person to do this with. He has a past. He has been suspended for big playoff games before. He is a noted agitator. Go ask Steven Adams or LeBron James. They will tell you exactly what you want to know about him. Green is a dirty player who makes no excuses for his dirty play. I am not a fan of his at all. One, he is a Michigan State grad. Two, he is a dickhead. Three, he has been uplifted by the perfect situation for his style of play and been surrounded by great players. But he has earned the right to be talked about as a hall of fame player. I think he belongs. I think he is a very important part of this Warriors dynasty. He is the modern unicorn and one of the best defensive players to ever play the game. He is also one of the smartest players to play the game. So the Warriors got lucky, they got the win with him out and they kept this series interesting. But I don't think he should have been suspended.

I think this was the wrong move by the NBA. I think they reacted too swiftly and didn't really think about all that went into the suspension. I think they saw the "stomp", they saw it was Draymond and they went from there. Hell, they said as much in their press release. But go back and watch the play. At first glance I thought Draymond was in the wrong and I believed he should have been ejected from that game. That would have been the best punishment the league could have given him and we all could have moved on from there. But when you go back and watch the play, Sabonis is clearly grabbing his leg. Draymond is trying to get back on defense, the Kings have been running the whole time so far, but his forward momentum was being impeded upon. Sabonis grabbed him and wouldn't let go. The "stomp" was a bit much, but put yourself in that situation. Sit back and think back to a rec game that you may have played in your lifetime. What would you do if someone was grabbing you? You'd find a way to get out of that hold I assume. I know I would wiggle my leg until I got free, and if that didn't work, I might resort to a "stomp". Again, what Draymond did to get free was dirty, and he was ejected, but how can you see this and not think that Sabonis had something to do with it? Sabonis is a dirty player himself. He throws elbows all the time. He whips the ball in people's faces and, as the Warriors stated, uses it as a weapon. He is always grabbing a kicking and trying to bait other guys into technical fouls. And it worked with Draymond the other night, but the suspension was uncalled for. Sabonis wasn't hurt. I know the team said he had "sternum contusions", but I don't buy that for a second. Draymond didn't "stomp" him that hard. And if they suspended Draymond why didn't they do anything to Sabonis? Why wasn't he suspended? Where is his fine? He didn't get a flagrant called on him. It is unfair.

The Warriors had every right to be upset. Draymond, again, a guy I personally do not enjoy, did not deserve this. Why make an example of him now? What good does that do? This was a bogus suspension and the NBA should be grateful it didn't mess up this fun series so far. Had the Warriors gone down 3-0 this would have a different tone today.

All in all the league needs to chill on this. The fact that Draymond got suspended for his "stomp", but neither Embiid nor Harden got suspended for what they did last night is a joke. This league, while great in most aspects, and is the best professional sports league by a wide margin, messed up here. They need to own up to this mistake and be better the next time. This was an unwarranted and unfair decision they ended up with. Luckily for them the Warriors won last night. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

The Grizzlies Have a Dillon Brooks Problem

I am a Grizzlies fan. I adore that team. They have had their issues this year, and I have touched on them as have many other reputable websites and publications. They still fought their way to the 2 seed and beat the Lakers last night to even their round one series. They looked good without Ja, but make no mistake, they need need need Ja to win this series. But, Dillon Brooks needs to knock it the hell off. Let’s discuss.

If Brooks were on any other team I would loathe him. He talks nonstop. He is a good defender, but the way he talks you'd think he was the perennial DPOY. He is not. His teammate is the DPOY in fact. And the talking, outside of his defense, is not warranted. He is not a good offensive player. He cannot shoot the three with any consistency. He is a subpar passer. He takes worse half court shots than Russell Westbrook. When he rises up to shoot a three I find myself saying "bad shot" more often than not. I get why he starts, it makes sense within the construct of this roster. But the shit talking has got to slow down a bit.

I fully understand basketball is a game of talking. I have played it my whole life and I have shit talked a ton. That is part of the game. But this stuff with Brooks is becoming too much. He thinks he is Draymond Green, more on him tomorrow. But he is not. Draymond is a former DPOY. He is considered one of the greatest defensive players of all time. He has been an extremely integral part of a dynasty in Golden State. Draymond has earned the right to talk. Dillon Brooks has not. And watching him talk to LeBron during the game last night, and the interview afterward, it made me frustrated. LeBron doesn't need motivation. The dude has lived his whole career off of negative talk and motivation. LeBron has earned all he has gotten in the league. Say what you will about him joining a "super team", LeBron is the second greatest player of all time. So for Brooks to stare him down after a jump shot in the third quarter, stop. To clap in his face after LeBron called him a bum, that needs to stop. To constantly chirp at him during the game, that needs to stop. For him to say he likes "poking bears", and to say "he hasn't dropped 40 on me", just stop.

This is the stuff that drives me nuts. I like confidence, but this is cockiness from a guy that is not even close to deserving it at all. Brooks has not earned this place. He is trying to be villainous. My 11 year old son called him a "try hard" last night. I guess that means he is a poser. And I agree with him one hundred percent. LeBron is about to drop 40 on his ass. I wouldn't be shocked if he did it in game 3. LeBron is going to come into that game possesed. And the whole "poking bears" thing, that worries me the most. LeBron will use it. Anthony Davis will use it. D'Angelo Russell will use it. Austin Reaves will use it. Dennis Schroeder will use it. The whole team will use that quote as bulletin board material. And Brooks just won't shut the hell up. Desmond Bane talked some about Rui Hachumura after game one. Hachumura came out and did it again and Bane was quiet. Ja and JJJ and Steven Adams and the rest of the Grizzlies are being quiet, but Brooks is still running his trap.

I have no problem with him being on the team the rest of this year, but it is time to move on. I didn't want the team to trade him at the start of this season, but I'm all for it now. He is the type of trash talker that needs others to back him up. I don't want that type of player on my favorite team. Hopefully he proves me wrong and his talking works in this series. But I do not see that happening. He has poked the wrong bear. LeBron thrives in moments like this. I just hope Brooks trash talking doesn't ruin the Grizzlies postseason. My fingers are crossed. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty Predicts the 2023 NBA Playoffs

I fully understand the NBA playoffs started this past weekend, but today I have my preview and predictions. The first game of the series does play the ground work, but these series are all just getting started. Seven games is a lot, and a ton can still happen. Some things went as expected and others did not. But the first round of the playoffs is always fun and I enjoyed watching games all weekend. With all that, let's get to the predictions.

I will start with the East.

The 1-8 has Milwaukee facing Miami. This series will be tougher than it looks on paper, especially now with Giannis having a bruise. His x rays were clear, but a bone bruise is still very painful. And Khris Middleton is still recovering from injury. But Tyler Herro got hurt yesterday. He is out for the full first round. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are more than capable of making this a tough series. But in the end I see the Bucks winning in six games. Giannis will play and he will dominate. The Bucks are too good.

The 2-7 matchup features Boston and Atlanta. I was kind of stunned when the Hawks beat the Heat in the play-in, but their reward is the Celtics. If game 1 is any indication, the Hawks will be on vacation pretty soon. Boston is too good, too long, too athletic and can shoot the rock. The Hawks have Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, but they haven't clicked all season. The Celtics are going to walk. I'll give the Hawks one game, at home. Celtics will win in five.

The 3-6 matchup is Philly and Brooklyn. Brooklyn made it by having a big cushion before they traded everyone. Mikail Bridges has been great. Cam Johnson is solid. But the Nets do not have a single person that can guard Joel Embiid. The 76ers have him, James Harden and Tobias Harris. They are also playing with a chip on their shoulders. They have a ton to prove. The 76ers need to show that they are for real. I think they will win the series in a sweep.

The 4-5 matchup pits the Knicks and Cavs. This is the best first round series. These two teams are a perfect match. Game 1 was awesome. I have a feeling the full series will be this way. I love that these 2 teams are relevant with their current rosters. This series is going the full seven games and I'm going with the Cavs. I cannot wait to watch more of this series.

This means I have the Bucks facing the Cavs and the Celtics facing the 76ers in the semis. The Bucks should be full by this time. They should have everyone they need. The Cavs will too, but they will most likely be worn down. I think they can get a game, hell, probably two. But the Bucks are too good and have been all year long. I got the Bucks in six.

The 76ers-Celtics series is going to be masterful. I cannot wait to watch. This is going to be epic. Both teams have a ton to prove. As much as I'd like to pick the 76ers, and I will be rooting for them, the Celtics are too damn good. And deep. And they are hitting shots. I have the Celtics in seven games.

That leaves me with the Celtics and Bucks in the East Finals. The 1 and 2 seeds. The two best teams in the NBA all season long. I like that they will match up to go to the Finals. I have the Bucks winning in seven. They have beaten the Celtics most when it mattered this season, and they have a ton to prove from last season. The Bucks will represent the East in the NBA Finals.

Now to the West.

The 1-8 features Denver and Minnesota. Denver kind of slumped to the end the year. Jokic is not the MVP. Jamal Murray is still kind of hurt and has never looked like himself all year. Michael Porter Jr is not the super duper star they thought. But the Wolves are even worse off. They have never gotten it together. They are hurt. They are missing Jaden McDaniels. Rudy Gobert is punching teammates. They are a total mess. The Nuggets are going to cruise. They will sweep the Wolves.

The 2-7 has my Memphis Grizz facing the Lakers. This is going to be a tough, fun series. Both teams match up pretty well. They each do things that will frustrate each other. This will be fun. Game 1 was good, until the very end, and I think that will be the case throughout. Although the Lakers are playing really well right now, I have the Grizzlies winning in seven. Sure, Ja may be hurt right now, but the Grizz have won a lot without him. The Lakers need LeBron James and AD fully healthy to make a real run. I wouldn't bet on that.

The 3-6 has Sacramento facing Golden State. The Warriors have been weird all year. They can't win on the road and can't be beat at home. There has been infighting and injuries. They have a full team. The Kings have been very good and solid all year. They may be the most solid team in the West. But they haven't been here in forever and the Warriors are the defending champs. This is going to be a fun series, but the Warriors will find a way to win one road game and win the series in seven.

The 4-5 is the best in the West. The Suns and Clippers are, on paper, the best teams in the conference. Game 1 was awesome too. It felt like a battle of the best. Kawhi and KD were trading buckets. Devin Booker and Russell Westbrook were going at one another. It was great. I think this will go seven games as well, and even though I picked the Clippers at the start of the season, I'm going with the Suns here. KD is whole and he is too damn good to not get his team out of round one.

That means the West Semis will feature Denver playing Phoenix and Memphis facing Golden State. These are great matchups. Much like the East, the four best teams in the West will be here. The Nuggets will not be able to guard the Suns. The Suns destroyed them last season with a myriad of mid range jumpers and Deander Ayton is more than capable of guarding Jokic. I have the Suns in five.

Memphis is going to finally beat the Warriors. They will finally do it. This series is going to feature a ton of trash talk and a ton of scoring. In the end, the Grizz have home court advantage and they will use that to win game seven in Memphis.

This leaves me with Memphis and Phoenix in the West Finals. The Grizz luck will run out here. As thrilling as it would be to see them get to the Finals, the Suns are too good and the Grizz will not be able to guard everyone. The Suns pulled the trigger on that KD trade at the deadline and that will propel them to the Finals.

So we have a rematch of the 2021 Finals, with the Bucks facing the Suns. And I see it playing out the same way. Giannis is going to eat. He will dominate this series. Jrue Holiday will not have to guard Chris Paul, so he will be able to focus on Devin Booker. The Bucks will throw a ton of dudes at KD. The Bucks are a better team than Phoenix and they will win the title in six games.

As for the MVP, who else would it be besides Giannis. He is the best player in the world and he will prove that tenfold.

There it is my 2023 NBA playoffs preview and prediction. Now enjoy the rest of the playoffs. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

It's Time for Minnesota to Say Goodbye to the Rudy Gobert Experiment

I feel like I have to address the whole Rudy Gobert situation in Minnesota right now. I will do a full NBA playoff preview when the play in is done, but for now I want to talk about what happened the other night.

Rudy Gobert punched, well attempted to punch, Kyle Anderson on the bench during the final game of the regular season. This resulted in a suspension for last night's play in game against the Lakers. The Lakers won by the way. Gobert has come out and apologized, apparently he and Kyle Anderson have made up and they want to move forward. They do have another chance to make the playoffs if they beat the winner of the Pelicans-Thunder game tonight. But this whole season, and trade, has been a complete disaster for the Timberwolves.

I thought the trade was going to work. I figured they'd be a shoo in for the playoffs. I did not think they'd have to fight through the play in. I did not expect them to be 42-40 at season's end. I did not expect them to go scoreless in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter last night. I thought KAT and Gobert would work well together. Gobert is a great defensive player and KAT is a great scorer. It made sense to me. It never worked. They barely played together due to KAT's long term injury this season. But Gobert also took a major step back. He was not the all world defender he has been before. His pick and roll game has fallen off. He is a step slower. Anthony Edwards was asked to do far too much for this team. He is not ready to shoulder a load like that just yet. I am as big an Edwards fan as there is, but he needs more time to be the face of this team. He also had a great season by the way.

The signing of Kyle Anderson seemed fitting this offseason for the T'Wolves. I was bummed the Grizzlies didn't keep him. He is a good vet player who knows his role and speaks his mind. That seems to be the issue that caused the problem the other night. Anderson told Gobert to get some blocks. Gobert chastised him back and told Anderson to get more rebounds. Anderson started to yell back and Gobert decided he had enough. Apparently Gobert was playing through back spasms and he felt like his toughness was being called out. But to try to throw hands, come on dude.

Gobert seems to have a pattern. We all remember how he dealt with COVID. I mean, he is the match that lit the shut down of the NBA in 2020. He felt sick, swore up and down it wasn't COVID, touched a ton of mics, hugged teammates and laughed it off. Guess what? He had COVID. The season shut down. Donovan Mitchell tested positive shortly after all of this nonsense. His teammates came out and complained about his behavior. You could already see the cracks. I wrote back then that the Jazz were going to have to trade one or both of them. They eventually traded both and are doing a full rebuild. But then we have the on court issues with Gobert that I already mentioned. He also came out earlier this year and called out officials for being biased. I agree that refs are biased, but the T'Wolves have stars. They have players that fans want to watch. I could watch Anthony Edwards play all day long. And it is not like the teams he mentioned are world beaters. The Suns are the 4 seed. The Lakers are the 7 seed. They both can go all the way, but I assumed the T'Wolves could too. And now this punching incident. I do not know how the Wolves don't trade him at this point. They have to try and recoup something, anything from the trade this past offseason. The T'Wolves gave up so much. So many players and so many picks. The T'Wolves should try to get picks back. They have two stars, Edwards and KAT. They have a veteran point guard in Mike Conley. Naz Reid may be the best backup big in the league and he should be fully recovered from his injury in time for next season. Kyle Anderson is a more liked player, and that is now very clear. Gobert is not the answer. He may be toast in the league. His best days are clearly behind him, and he has some issues he needs to deal with.

I think it would be best for the T'Wolves to move on no matter what happens during the remainder of the play in. This trade has already run its course and it was not good. The Timberwolves must keep KAT and Edwards and build from there. That would be the best for this franchise's future. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Losing Hunter Dickinson will Make Michigan Basketball Better

Michigan struggled on the basketball floor this season. Their women's team was good, but the men's team was wildly inconsistent. They never closed teams out. They had plenty of opportunities to get signature wins and they found ways to blow it. They never had a complete lineup. They lost games they never should have, let teams like Eastern Michigan stay in games way too long that they eventually won and they couldn't beat the good teams.

With a bad season there was a lot of blame to go around. Most people turned to Juwan Howard, but I do not put much of the blame on him or his staff. I do think the time is ticking, I'd give him two more seasons to turn it around. I turn to some of the players on this team. I think some of the guys that were counted on to be leaders got too big in their britches and thought they were better than they actually are. This team had no urgency. They had no killer instinct. They never showed the will to stomp an opponent out. That falls on players to me, especially now that I am a basketball coach. As much as I would love to go play, I can't. I'm too old and too out of shape. But the players play. The players are supposed to be the ones to take the coach's vision and show it on the floor. Michigan didn't do that. They took too many threes, couldn't rebound or get stops and they played too much individual basketball. Jett Howard wanted to average 20 a game. Kobe Bufkin was asked to do too much, mainly coming from teammates. And Hunter Dickinson only cared about double doubles.

Look, I get the hate surrounding Hunter Dickinson. He is an asshole. He is a jerk. He pops off at the mouth too much. He is soft. But he was Michigan's offense, and he was a Wolverine, so I rooted for him. But he endlessly frustrated me as a fan. He would do these amazing things in the post on offense. His jump hook was unguardable. He was a very good passer out of the post. He could, sometimes, fire himself up and he would throw down on dudes. But he was not a solid defensive rebounder. He was a below average post defender. Opponents would take their big man, who usually outweighed Dickinson, and that guy would cook against him in the post. It felt like all it took was one bump to the chest and Dickinson was done. He was also a very poor help defender. For a 7 footer, he gave up far too many uncontested layups and didn't block a ton of shots. So when he announced he was going into the transfer portal about a week ago I was stunned for a second, but I moved on pretty quick. I mean, the entire offense was built around his style of play. He was the driver of the car. He was the focal point for opposing defenses. So for him to transfer, it felt odd.

After my intial shock I then I thought about the other stuff. The defense. The lack of rebounding. The lack of intensity when he wasn't getting touches. The dumbass things he would say in pre and post game interviews. And I kind of moved on. I figured, oh well, let's get ready for the Tarris Reed era of Michigan big men.

I really like Reed's game by the way, and he is a bruiser in every sense of the word. There is still a possibility of him coming back to Michigan, and if he does I will root for him. But if he does leave, I will not be too disappointed. He was a Michigan great. He will go down in the pantheon of Michigan basketball players. But I miss guys like Jordan Morgan, Mo Wagner and Robert Traylor. Those big men did the dirty work and did it with pride. I see that potential in a guy like Tarris Reed. Michigan also got a 6'10 kid from Seton Hall in the portal. And they were able to snag Caleb Love from UNC. That kid has loads of potential. Add on Nimari Burnett and the two recruits they have coming in, I'm a little more excited by what the Michigan men's basketball team has for next season.

In the end I look at Dickinson's posible transfer as addition by subtraction. The basketball team may not be handcuffed in trying to get Dickinson more involved. Maybe they can run some more. Maybe they will play a little faster. All of that sounds way better than what I watched last season. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

UConn Proved Once Again that it is an Elite Basketball Program

The UConn men's basketball team finished its wonderful season with a title last night. They dominated from start to finish. Sure there were moments that SDSU made it close. I tuned in the entire game because it got as close as six points. But in reality I think we all knew that UConn was going to finish this thing off. And they did, in convincing fashion.

The Huskies were clearly the best team in the men's tournament. They proved it over and over. They won every game by double figures. No team really got close in the second half, with SDSU being the lone exception. This was also the first time I watched UConn closely and they really impressed me. But that is not the main focus of this blog today.

During the game last night the announcers gave the viewers a stat that really impressed me, and I bet a ton of other watchers. This title marks the fifth title that the UConn men's basketball team has won since 1999. In the past 24 seasons they have 1/5 of the men's college basketball titles. That is dominant. They are so good. I mean, all the basketball watchers know how dominant the women's team is. They are an incredible dynasty. They are akin to the UCLA teams from the 70's. But no one mentions the UConn men's team as a dynasty.

The narrative out there says the majority of these five titles are considered "lucky". They won with Kemba Walker only after making the tourney due to his heroics in the Big East tournament. The Shabazz Nappier team grinded out a title over an 8 seeded Butler team. Emeka Okafor was so dominant that no one could beat them. There are seemingly a million excuses for why UConn continues to win titles. No one says this about Duke. They have three titles in the same span of time. Kansas won it all twice in the same time span. North Carolina has as many as Duke. Michigan State has one. Florida has two. Arizona has zero. Gonzaga has zero. Baylor has one. Oregon has zero. UCLA has zero. I could go on and on.

It is time that UConn be considered the bluest of blue bloods. They may have down years, but they always regroup and end up winning titles. I guess they don't get the love because they don't have a bunch of lottery picks, or high profile coaches or recruit a ton of one and done guys. They go out, play old fashioned basketball and win titles every five seasons or so. I was endlessly impressed by this number. I thought about it a bunch last night and even more this morning. UConn is a big deal. They may be the best men's and women's basketball programs in the country. Seriously. If you use numbers, they have the most titles. If you look at wins, they have the best totals. If you look at style, they clearly play a winning style. The Huskies are great. The Huskies should be the college program others strive to be. They are better and more prolific than any other program. Duke, Michigan State, UNC, Michigan, Gonzaga, they all wish they could be where UConn is right now. They all crave that winning tradition and dominance. They all want to be them. It is that simple.

While all the Duke fans will claim to be the best, or the UNC fans or the MSU fans or the UCLA fans, I say go look at UConn's brilliance over the last 24 years and tell me that I'm wrong when I say they are the premiere college basketball program. Congrats on yet another title. I guess we will see you all here again relatively soon. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

If You Run, You Need to Rest

Pictured: not running

It’s no surprise to any reader that I’m a runner. It’s part of my identity. I love the sport. It has, very literally, changed my life. It gives me something fun and important to do. I feel better after most runs. I love the endorphin rush I get from a race or a long run. I love the community. I love the friends I’ve made. Running is my favorite athletic thing to do. It’s the best.

Running these past nine years I’ve learned a lot about myself. I know when and what types of food to eat for certain runs. I am much better at hydrating. I know when and where to vent when I run with people. I know when to let them vent, when to be a listener. I know what I like and what I don’t when it comes to trail and road running. I know when I’m having a good run and when I’m having a bad run. But what I’m struggling most with now, what still causes mild stress for me is rest days.

I tried to do a run streak. I made it pretty far. I got very close to a full year. But it was causing me undue anxiety and stress. I would obsess and that’s no good with my OCD. It was a problem. After a visit with my therapist we decided I had to stop the streak and start adding rest days. In the long run my therapist told me it would help. And it has. Adding two rest days a week has been great for my physical and mental health. But on these rest days, Monday is one of those, I feel like I’m not doing enough. I’ve told myself many times that this isn’t true. I do quite a bit on these scheduled rest days. Today I grocery shopped and cleaned my house. Other days I take my senior dog out for short walks. I go out with my folks and spend extra time with them. I get stuff done around the house. I’m not being lazy, but sometimes I find myself craving a run. It’s hard to let it go at times. I feel useless. That’s the problem. I’m not being lazy. I’m not useless. I’m getting stuff done. I’m taking care of things that are more important. The house needs to be cleaned. My old dog needs an occasional walk. Sometimes things around the house need to be fixed. Just because I’m not burning 700 plus calories or logging 12,000 plus steps doesn’t mean I’m not getting work in. I just haven’t fully bought into all I’m saying yet. I’m finding it a bit easier to get there, but it’s definitely still a work in progress. It’s still going to take time. And I know I’m not alone. Runners are inherently obsessive. We like routine. We like the rush of a good run. I know more people who run feel the same way I do about scheduled rest days. I just wish it was easier for me to accept. I hope it will be no issue in the coming months, but who knows.

Rest days are a good, and important thing. I truly know this. I just need to get over my OCD and accept it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2023 Men's Basketball Final Four Predictions

The men's final four is this weekend. I am going to do a preview and prediction. With that being said, take this prediction with the biggest grain of salt. On my personal brackets I have zero of the final four teams. I filled out multiple brackets too. This tourney has been nuts and all of my "bracket buster" picks were wrong. I also had Arizona in the Final Four. They got beat on the first day. I had Purdue making a run. They were the second 1 seed to be beat by a 16. I was sticking up for Marquette, and they were gone after the first round. I'm just saying, I may not be the best predictor out there. Just a heads up.

Where we stand, we have San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, UConn and Miami in the Final Four. There are two 5 seeds, a 9 seed and a 4 seed. That is wild. Two of the teams are from power 5 programs, but the other two are mid majors. Three of the final four teams have never been this far before. This is pretty much unheard, especially after the blueblood fest that was last season's final four. But I am excited for this four team crew. There is no team I dislike and no team I am a humongous fan of. I could care less who wins. If I am sticking up for any team it is SDSU due to the Michigan connection. But I have always liked UConn. Seeing a perennial football power like Miami here is rad. I am enjoying the whole FAU storyline that is going on. This is fun. This is why they put "madness" within the "March Madness" marketing.

With all that, I am most excited to watch FAU-SDSU. These are the two mid majors. These teams couldn't be more different. FAU wants to move up and down the floor. They want to shoot and shoot some more. They are fast and athletic and want a track meet. SDSU is all about their defense. I saw a stat in their elite eight game that said they have held their last five opponents below their season scoring average and 3 point percentage. I love that. They also like playing a half court game and shortening the other team's time of possession. They are a throwback team. They are also older and experienced. That is why I'm going with the Aztecs to make the title game. They have a little bit of everything, they have played a tougher schedule and they are coming off upsetting the number 1 overall seed. And their defense is otherworldly.

The "blueblood" matchup has UConn and Miami. Miami is fun. They are like a bigger FAU. They also have a ton of experience. They can also absolutely shoot the lights out. Miami deserves to be here. UConn should be the prohibitive favorites, definitely now. They have it all. They have size, athleticism, shooting, speed, experience and talent. They have been very good all season long. They have also been consistent. They are such a good, deep basketball team. They have also been destroying their opponents in the tourney. I think they will do the same to Miami. UConn is so good and they will overwhelm the hell out of you. In each game it is close for a half, and then UConn has put it on teams in the second half. I believe that will happen tomorrow.

So that gives me UConn-SDSU in the title game. And much like their entire tournament run to this point, I think they will be too much for SDSU. I will be pulling for SDSU. I'd love for them to prove me wrong. I'd love to see their defense play their best game all season long in the title game. But I just do not see that happening. UConn can counter anything SDSU might throw at them. They can also play the exact same thing, but their size and talent will win out in the end. UConn is going to win it all this season and announce their return loudly back at the top of men's NCAA basketball. They are loaded and they will win it all in pretty resounding fashion.

Now let's get to these games. I am pumped. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

The Sacramento Kings are No Longer Trash

The Sacramento Kings are back in the NBA playoffs. They have had the longest drought in professional sports, at 16 years, but now they are back.

I love this. I have always had a soft spot for the Kings. I rooted for them back in the late 90's, early 2000's because of Chris Webber. He was a Michigan guy, he was my favorite member of the Fab Five, I always liked him in the pros and I've always despised the Lakers. It helped that I enjoyed players like Jason Williams, Peja Stojakavic and Bobby Jackson. They had dudes they were fun to watch and easy to root for. It was simple to stick up for them, especially against the Lakers. The only Laker I liked back then was Shaq, but even when he went after the Kings, called them the Queens, look it up it is an amazing clip, I rooted hard against him.

Then they fell into a true era of mediocrity. They almost always missed on the draft. For every Boogie Cousins there's a Nik Stauskas. Some players the Kings have taken in the first round include Bysmack Biyombo, Spencer Dawes, Jason Thompson, Thomas Robinson, Ben McLemore, Willie Cauley-Stein, Marquese Chriss and Marvin Bagley. They have hit on a few. I mentioned Cousins. They also took De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell and Keegan Murray in the lottery. Tyrese Haliburton was a lottery pick as well, but they traded him last season in a much maligned trade. That trade ended up working out for them, but at the time, I crushed it along with a ton of other people.

Now it seems like the Kings finally have a quality team built around its best players. Fox is lightning quick, has improved his shot and is, by far, the most clutch player in the league. Keegan Murray has been as consistent as he was in college. He just broke the 3 point record for a rookie last night. He has been taking control on fast breaks here and there. He has been solid as a rock. Damontas Sabonis has been everything they hoped he would be when paired with Fox. They run a tremendous pick and roll game. They play extremely well off one another and they are incredibly tough to guard. Davion Mitchell is proving to be an excellent backup point guard and is their best defender, by a wide margin. Harrison Barnes is the vet that leads the locker room. He also has a winning past, has rings and can tell the younger guys what it feels like to play in the playoffs. Trading for Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk has been tremendous for this team. Both guys add shooting. Both can stretch the defense. Both are willing passers. And Monk has familiarity playing with Fox. That adds a ton. Trey Lyes and Alex Len add depth. And Richaun Holmes is still around and still hitting floaters. The team is constructed properly and they all know what they do best. Hiring Mike Brown was the first right decision this front office has ever made. They also let him hire his own staff and that was, again, a correct choice. This team is an offensive juggernaut. They are number 1 in the league. They can score and score and score some more. They are the team the Mavs thought they would be. Their defense leaves a ton to be desired, they have a lot of work there, but so far they have been able to outscore enough opponents to secure a playoff spot. They are also going to have home court in rounds one and two. They will most likely be the 2 or 3 seed. There is a world where I could see the Kings ending up in a game 7 in round two to go to the West Finals.

I love that the Kings are relevant again. I think the NBA is more fun when the Kings are not a joke. Also, imagine a first round matchup of Kings-Lakers. That would be awesome. It would take me back to my early years of being a NBA fan. Congrats on the playoffs Kings. Now make it last and become the perennial playoff team you are constructed to be. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Tales of My Adventures at an Indiana Pacers Game

I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to talk about the Pacers-76ers game my dad and I took my son to see. That is what I’ll be talking about today.

I love going to NBA games. They’re fun, fast paced, super athletic and they end in just around two hours. I also like watching the NBA live because I believe that pro basketball players are the most athletic professional athletes. I told my son that this is my version of ballet. To see grown men this big do the things they do is amazing. From the footwork to the ball movement to the stops and starts and sudden bursts, it blows my mind. If you ever get to see Joel Embiid play basketball live, do it. He is an amazing athlete. I’ve seen him twice this year and I’ve been absolutely blown away by his skill and how effortless he makes it look. It is wild to see the things he does live and in person.

This is the first time I’ve ventured outside Memphis for a NBA game. I got way back into the NBA within the last 15 years, and started going to live games right before my son was born. Memphis was an easy pick. It was close, they weren’t always good so tickets were cheap and the arena is nice and has bbq nachos. I would go see the Thunder play there because I adopted them as my team when the Sonics moved. After KD left I was looking for a new team and Memphis made sense. So I adopted them and they’re my team. This made the decision to go there for games even easier. But I had already been to a Grizzlies game this season and their tickets are going up again since they’re good. My dad did some research and found that Indianapolis was only eight extra miles in driving distance, and similar tickets were far less expensive. So we got tickets having never been to a game there and took our chances.

It worked out great. The Pacers arena is very nice. It is a little smaller than the FedEx Forum, but that works in their favor. It feels more intimate. You could see everything. I was even able to spot the injured guys in street clothes. You could hear squeaking from the shoes. I could hear plays being called out. They had a mic in the rim so you could hear swishes. The games played during timeouts were fun. I saw a shrimp eating contest at halftime. They also did dunks off trampolines during a timeout. They had puppy races. It was dope. They packed a lot in and I appreciated that. I think they do a little more because the Pacers are mediocre this season and their two best guys were out. They had to find ways to make it more fun. The bathrooms were clean. The team store was two stories. They had escalators or stairs to get to different levels. They had windows where you could see outside within the gym. The floor was great, and that big P they paint with the basketball at center court was a sight to behold. I was into the whole experience at the Pacers arena. I thought they did an excellent job. And with Indiana being such a big basketball state, it all made sense in the end to me.

I walked away very impressed with the whole NBA live game experience in Indianapolis. I say go if you can while they’re still a middling team. It is worth your time.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty Watches the 2023 NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament

I have watched a ton of college basketball in my life and I think this weekend may be the wildest weekend of men's college basketball I have ever watched. There are always upsets.There is always a 12 or 13 seed that goes further than any of us expected. There is always a blue blood that bows out much sooner than we all predicted. But it feels like this tournament has had all of that, and then some.

The first day of March Madness gave us a 15 over a 2 seed. Princeton took down Arizona. I was a believer in Arizona. I had them going to the title game in most of my brackets. I had them in the final four in every bracket I filled out. Princeton beat them and did it pretty handily considering the background of each team. My brackets were busted on day one.

But that wasn't it. Virginia got bounced by 13 seed Furman on day one. This seems to be Virginia's new MO. They had the one title season, and no one can take that away from them, but the three other tournaments they have been to they have been knocked out by a double digit seed. That was more than enough to make day one crazy.

Day two came even harder. I was travelling with my dad and son, more on that to come this week, and Friday night had some wild outcomes. Florida Atlantic beat Memphis on a last second shot and Penny Hardaway chucked a water bottle. I would have done the exact same thing. That had to be wildly frustrating. Creighton and NC State traded buckets and played a very entertaining game. Oscar Tshibewe had 25 rebounds in Kentucky's win. Xavier had to make a furious comeback against Kennesaw State, and just barely did. Pitt held Iowa State to 41 total points.

Yet the upset to end all upsets came at the hands of Fairleigh Dickinson. I'm so sorry for RD's wife, but Purdue blew that game. FDU's average height is 6'1. Purdue has two 7 footers. One of which is 7'4 Zach Edey. He did his job, but Purdue couldn't hit a three to save their lives. FDU also ran and ran and ran all game long. They also made the plays when they needed to be made. They did the scrappy stuff and for the second time ever, a 16 seed beat a 1 seed, and they deserved the win. Purdue showed up like they were going to win by just walking on the floor. FDU had other ideas and shocked the world.

If that wasn't enough, the weekend gave us games just as wild as the first two days. Princeton came out and cruised over Mizzou. Again, sorry to RD, but those "nerds" did beat Mizzou's ass. They earned the sweet sixteen birth. Creighton also came out and smoked Baylor last night. Creighton looks like a sleeping giant right now. Florida Atlantic ended FDU's run, but it was a good, close game. FDU came out and played well again, FAU just played better. Tennessee beat Duke, and I loved it. Anytime Duke gets beat that is a good day for me as a basketball fan. Kansas State beat up on Kentucky. Maybe Coach Cal isn't the genius some think he is. He is a great recruiter, but his X's and O's need a lot of work. Michigan State came out and dominated the team I was rooting for, Marquette, yesterday. I despise that team and their coach, but they are made for March. Miami continued, for the most part, the downfall of the Big 10. Outside of MSU, the Big 10 has been wildly underwhelming and Miami crushed the Big 10 preseason favorite, Indiana. Penn State gave Texas a game, but in the end, Texas' talent won out. That was a fun game though. Gonzaga actually won a close game against a power five team. I was pulling for the Zags, but I thought they were going to blow it. This time they figured it out. Kansas is not going to repeat as champs. Arkansas played a better game and pulled out a close win. It was a sight to behold after the game too. Their coach went shirtless in the cheering crowd and their star player gave a phenomenal postgame interview. I'm not an Arkansas fan, but it was dope to see them win and how excited they were afterward. And try as they might, Northwestern couldn't knock off UCLA. The Bruins would build a lead, but the Wildcats kept climbing back in it. This game was in doubt with a minute left, but UCLA, namely Tyger Campbell, made their free throws, and may be one of the main favorites going forward.

All in all this weekend was wild and incredible. It helps that Michigan is not in the tourney. I'd be a lot more uptight if they were. This way I get to watch with no real rooting interest. And this weekend gave me some fun basketball to watch. Hopefully the rest of the tournament is half as fun as this past weekend was. But it is going to be a tough act to follow. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

So Long Aaron Rodgers

Being a Packers fan has its ups and downs. Sometimes they will enthrall you and deliver a title, but lately it is a good season ruined by a poor playoff performance. Things are not great.

I have never been a fan of Aaron Rodgers, ask RD, and that has come with a whole new set of problems following this team. Ever since the pandemic I have despised Rodgers even more. He lied about being vaccinated. He has claimed that the "woke mob" is after him. He goes on bs "darkness retreats". I have no problem with hallucinogens, but when Rodgers talks about it it drives me bonkers. And now he has come out and said that he intends to play next season, only he wants to play for the Jets.

That is all well and good. I have wanted the Packers to rid themselves of him for the past few seasons. I want to see what Jordan Love has as a starter. I don't mind if this team is not great for the next few years and piles up draft picks to get better. The rest of the division has gotten much better this off season, albeit on paper, and maybe it is just the Packers turn to be bad. But all of this posturing and whining and stating that he wants to play elsewhere next season, even though he is under contract, I just want this to be done. I want Green Bay to move on. The break up is ready. They need to rid themselves of this 40 year old cancer who showed major decline this past season. I'm done. I'm over it. Time to move on.

I will say, all this talk from Rodgers about where he "expects" to play next season, this has given Green Bay all the leverage. The Jets have made no qualms about wanting Rodgers. They said as much, their current players have been pulling for management to make the trade, other sites are already asking questions if Rodgers is one of the best QB's in the AFC and the market for other free agent QB's has diminished quite a bit. Green Bay doesn't have to do anything. They can sit there and wait for the best deal. If Rodgers says he refuses to play for the Packers, okay, eat his salary and let his punk ass sit. They have other options at QB. They already look to be retooling their offense with some of the moves they have made, or more so, have not made. Allen Lazard is gone. Aaron Jones has restructured his contract. Some O lineman look to be on the move. They are going younger at receiver. And they look like a team that is going to lean on defense for the next couple of years. I'm fine with that and so should the fan base.

If I'm in Green Bay's front office, I am asking for a Matthew Stafford type deal that the Lions got. I want a similar player and a boat load of picks. If they come with Zack Wilson, I'd ask for someone like Breece Hall or Garrett Wilson. So what if the Jets balk? Where else is Rodgers going to go? Who else can come in with a last minute deal that may entice the Packers? The only other team I would even talk to right now would be Baltimore, and that conversation stops instantly if they don't offer Lamar Jackson. Rodgers may think he has leverage, he may think he is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers, but he screwed himself by revealing the single team he wanted to play for. That squashes almost all other options out there. He has painted himself into a corner, not the Packers. They don't have to make a move unless they are absolutely blown away by what the Jets offer. I would hold out as long as possible. I would wait and wait and wait for the Jets to blink. They have already corronnated this move, yet it hasn't happened yet. I'm sick and tired of this old ass has been, but you better believe I would make him wait and cringe.

The Packers are not the problem here, and they haven't been the problem for a long, long time. I hope when the season starts Rodgers is not there, but I would not do any type of deal unless I am secured for awhile. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Predicts the 2023 NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament

The men's NCAA tournament field is set. Michigan was rightfully left out. I was bummed to see SLU didn't make it, but figured that would happen after VCU beat them. So I guess I really do not have a team that I am actively rooting for this year. Hopefully that makes watching more enjoyable. We will see.

Today I am going to go through the regions, pick the winner of each, which will give me the Final Four, and pick the title game matchup and winner. I will also do the MVP of the tourney as well. Buckle up everyone, the First Four starts Tuesday and we are full go on Thursday. Enough jabber, let's get to it.

The South Region features the number one overall seed, Alabama. I guess they aren't just a football school anymore. I have a problem with this team because of off court issues. Go look it up, it is disturbing. The on court team, they are great. They could cruise through this region. Hell, they most likely will. I'd love to see SEMO beat them, as I am from Missouri, but that will not happen. Maryland is up and down, but when they are on they are good. Virginia is blah to me. San Diego State is long and athletic. Baylor is two years removed from a title. Mizzou is very fast and can shoot. And Arizona is as solid as it gets. I like Utah State and NC State as my bracket busters in this region. But when I sit back and look at the teams, it is going to come down to Arizona and Bama. Both teams are just too good to mess it up. And because of off court stuff, I'll go with Arizona to win the South Region.

Next we have the East. Purdue is the 1 seed here and they are good. Zach Edey is gigantic and really good. They can shoot the lights out too. And they are solid defensively. Memphis can score in bunches and FAU had, I believe, 30 wins this season. Tennessee is up and down. Duke is on a roll coming into the tourney. Kentucky has a great rebounding team. Kansas State and MSU love to play in the mud. And Marquette has been tremendous all year long. My bracket busters here are FAU, I legitimately think they can beat Purdue in round 2 if they both get there, and Vermont. No one ever likes to play Vermont in the tourney. I see Duke, I loathe that team so much, but they are firing on all cylinders right now, and Marquette getting to the East final and Marquette winning. Marquette is my second Final Four team.

Let's head to the Midwest. Houston is the 1 seed here, and they would have been my easy national title pick if Marcus Sasser didn't get hurt. Missing him is brutal. But, they still play suffocating defense and they can really muddy up their opponents offense. But losing Marcus Sasser is brutal. Iowa is not as good as some writers want you to believe. Miami has had a very good year. Iowa State is much better than their record. Texas A&M may have the best backcourt in the country. And Texas has remained very good despite all the drama with their former coach. My bracket busters here are Penn State, who can shoot and play very good defense, and Drake. You always have to watch out for one or two 12 seeds. Xavier is also having a very good year too. Even with Sasser being out, I'm sticking with Houston here. And I think they will play Xavier in the Elite Eight. Houston's defense is so good and they have been very consistent all season long. The AAC final does nothing to deter me from thinking Houston is the best team in the country. They are Final Four bound yet again.

Finally we have the West Region. Kansas is number one here. They are the defending champs. They have talent all over the floor. They also have veterans. This team is as prepared as any to defend their title. Arkansas and Illinois can give them fits though. UConn is very good and very underrated. Saint Mary's has had a wonderful season. VCU can beat them though. TCU is good. Gonzaga doesn't have the pressure of being undefeated or a number 1 seed. I still don't trust them though. Northwestern is solid. And UCLA is back to being perennially dominant in the Pac 12. The bracket busters here are VCU and the winner of Arizona State and Nevada. Each of those teams could make a surprise run. When looking at this region I like UCLA. Kansas is great, but they have lapses. I'd love to pick UConn, but I think UCLA can tire them out, and they can play bully ball too. I'd love to see Brandon Johns and Zeb Jackson, former Michigan players, make a run with VCU. And I think both Illinois or Arkansas can make a run. But give me the Bruins here.

My Final Four teams are Arizona, Marquette, Houston and UCLA. I've got three number 2 seeds and a 1 seed. Two of my teams are Pac 12 teams. I have zero Big 12 or Big 10 teams in the Final Four. College basketball is wild.

I think of these four teams, Arizona and Houston will meet up in the title game. And, even with the Sasser injury, I'm picking Houston to win it all. I have watched a decent amount of college basketball this year and they have been, by a wide margin, the best and most consistent team all season long. Sasser being out is a bummer, and they will miss him, but basketball is a team sport and Houston has gotten this far as a team. They are not a one man show. They are loaded. And they are an incredible team on the defensive end of the floor. I think that pushes them ahead of all the other teams.

As for the MVP, give me Jarace Walker. He is the second best player on this team and he will be asked to step up big time. I see him doing as such.

Well, I cannot wait for the tourney to start. I will be watching both the NCAA and the NIT this year. I'm going to devour as much tournament basketball as I can. Get the popcorn out. March Madness here we come. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

The Grizzlies are a Mess

The time has come for me to talk about my favorite NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies. A lot of stuff is going on there lately and it is not good.

First off, since they had an early twelve game win streak, they have been wildly inconsistent. They cannot keep late leads or they fall behind by far too much to make a full comeback. They have also been talking a ton of shit, and lately they cannot back it up. I already mentioned the lack of keeping leads or falling behind, but they have not been as good on defense as of late. They may still rank near the top statistically but the eye test is not passing for me as a fan. They are allowing too many open looks. They are getting back cut too much. They are not offensive rebounding like they did to start the season. They are too busy talking shit to fans and other teams. It is becoming frustrating. Steven Adams is supposedly coming back soon, and that will help immensely. But he will not cure all their woes. Add on the fact that Brandon Clarke tore his ACL and is out for a full year, that makes the return of Adams not as impactful. Clarke was a perfect Swiss Army Knife for this team. He has a great floater. He can rebound and defend multiple positions. He was great at running the floor with the guards. And he brought calmness to this team that needs it a lot more than other teams. Clarke is going to be missed and that really bums me out. Jaren Jackson Jr is having a very good season, and since missing some time to start the season, he has been more available than not. But he fouls too much and sometimes has trouble staying on the court. They are going to need him desperately in the playoffs. They need his excellent rim protection and ability to switch on defense. He needs to stay on the court. Dillon Brooks is as good a perimeter defender as there is in the league but he is starting to get on my nerves. He takes bad shots. He gets too many techs. He talks far too much and is having trouble backing it up. Earlier in the season he was mentioned in trade talks and I did not want him gone. Now I kind of wished they had traded him. I would much rather have a guy like Mikail Bridges or OG Anunoby right now. That would be ideal for me. Luke Kennard has not been shooting the three like I hoped he would when they acquired him. I want David Roddy to play more. Santi Aldama is a fun regular season player, but I do not see him getting real run in the playoffs. Tyus Jones has been exactly what I expected, and that is very good for a reason I'm about to get to. As for Desmond Bane, he has been great and he should get a good deal this offseason. I have no qualms with him.

Right now for the biggest issue this team has going on right now is Ja Morant. Morant is my favorite NBA player. When the Grizzlies got the second pick in his draft I was thrilled. I knew that he was the pick and I couldn't wait until they drafted him. I rated him ahead of Zion Williamson in my pre draft write up. And he has more than lived up to the hype. He is a superstar. He does incredible things that I have never seen on a basketball court. He is outrageously athletic and a total blast to watch play. By all accounts he is a great teammate too. Guys like him and like playing the game with him. He watches film and talks with coaches about stuff they can do to help on the court. As a basketball player he is everything anyone of us, fans, teammates and the Grizzlies front office, could have dreamed of. But his off-court life is becoming troublesome. He is away from the team right now due to an Instagram video that surfaced of him flashing a gun at a nightclub. This is worrisome. It terrifies me. I despise guns and to see something like this, it really irks me. And it was not like it was a hidden phone or someone trying to catch Morant doing something wrong, this was on his own phone on his very own Instagram account. That is troubling. Add on the fact that there is the laser pointer incident in Indianapolis earlier this season and the stories coming out about a possible assault during a pickup game in the summer. And we have the whole Shannon Sharpe thing. When it happens once it is an accident. The fact that this keeps happening, that is the problem. And I have no idea if it is the people he hangs with or him trying to be tough. Either way, things need to change and change in a hurry. Jalen Rose and Dez Bryant have come out recently and spoke to him via TV and Twitter, and what they have said makes all the sense in the world to me, and I hope Morant is listening. I truly do hope he is getting the help he needs like he said he was going to get. I think he needs to get a fairly hefty suspension. I know the Grizzlies never actually suspended him but they did say he was out "indefinitely". The NBA is also currently investigating the multiple accusations. This is going to take some time and will most likely derail the rest of the season and playoffs for the Grizzlies. And that is fine if he gets the help he needs. I have been thinking about this a lot the past couple of days and I want Morant to have a long and successful and rewarding career. I want him to be talked about like people talk about Damian Lillard or Chris Paul. I do not want him to be thought of like I think about Gilbert Arenas or Robert Swift. That would be awful.

As a fan I am disappointed by their play lately and disturbed by the off court stuff with Morant. But if he gets help and the team gets humbled a bit, I'm fine with them throwing in the towel this season and coming back even stronger next year. Above all though I want Ja Morant to be thought of as the great, great basketball player he is. That would be ideal. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

I am All for the New Pitch Clock in Major League Baseball

I was listening to sports radio this morning and they brought up the new pitch rules that they did in the minor leagues last season and are doing during spring training. The new rules state, in some form, that the pitcher has 15 seconds from the time they step on the rubber to pitch the ball. If they don't the batter will be awarded a ball. If runners are on it is a balk. The batter in turn can only take two timeouts for an at bat. There is some other stuff they touched on, but the pitch clock and the fact that the batter cannot take endless timeouts left me intrigued.

I have been pretty vocal about my distaste for major league baseball. It has become incredibly boring. Batters will constantly step in and out of the box, they will adjust batting gloves, they will take timeouts right as the pitcher gets into their windup, they will do pretty much anything to mess up the pitcher. In turn pitchers will stay on the mound for too long of a time before pitching. Pitchers will also ask for a new ball multiple times. Pitchers will do herky jerky things on the mound. Both parties, pitchers and batters, are doing whatever they think they can to throw off their opponent. This has made the MLB unwatchable for me. I see enough walks and bad pitches coaching my son's little league team. I don't want to watch professionals doing the same nonsense, just at a higher level.

The radio guys talking said they did this in the minor leagues last year and it shortened games by 26 minutes. That is awesome. I absolutely love the idea of a shorter baseball game. MLB games have stretched to three plus hours now. I find that if I can make it to the 5th inning at a Cardinals game, I've done enough. I usually leave, as long as everyone else agrees, which they do. With these new rules in place, if they keep them, I'd be willing to go to many more Cardinals games. I used to love going as a kid in part due to the length of the games. They usually lasted a hair under three hours. If the MLB could cut off the 26 minutes that the minor leagues did last year, that means two and a half hour long games. I am so on board with this idea.

I understand that the new rules have already messed with some spring training games, but I could care less. I heard that a spring training game was won on a call where the pitcher took too much time. I love it. It has become a problem and the MLB is trying to fix it. And these players are pros. They will adjust. I don't doubt that for one single second. With each new rule in pro sports the athletes may gripe about it, but they adjust and it becomes a part of the game. This pitching and batting rule makes far too much sense not to keep in the game.

After hearing about this this morning I started to think other sports should enact some new rules to shorten games. I saw that college football was looking into ways to shorten the game. That would be ideal. They could cut out so many reviews and replays. I would love a college football game to be cut from the usual four plus hours to three. Ideally I would love a two hour game, but three hours feels more reasonable. The NBA could also cut out all the reviews at the end of the game. Sports are real life, and stuff happens. Refs screw up, that is human nature. I remember when I first started to watch college football games, they were about three hours long. That is because there were no reviews or extra long replays. You got the call you got and dealt with it. And you got over it if you felt your team was screwed. The NFL could cut down on some stuff too.

I love this new way of thinking with the powers that be in professional sports. Games have become far too long and there is way too much deadtime due to a ton of stuff that would be too easy to cut down on. I'm here for it and I want even more. Keep the rule changes coming, as long as it cuts down on the time. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's Second Half NBA Look Back and Look Ahead

The NBA is back tonight. The All Star break is over and teams are ramping up for the playoffs. Each team has anywhere from 20 to 25 games left in the season. This is less than usual, but I like it like that. This is going to be a fun sprint to the finish. With the break being over I want to touch on a few things I was wrong about in my preseason preview and what I am looking forward to as everything gets wrapped up.

I was wrong about Brooklyn, as a lot of other people were. They are a mess and they traded their stars. They needed to do that and the core they have now is fun. The current Nets remind me of the team before they went out star hunting. They should still make the playoffs, but they most likely will not win a round.

I was wrong about the Thunder as well. I figured they were going to tank, and while they are still below .500, they are fun and Shai Gilgeous Alexander is a superstar. That dude is so much fun to watch. I love how well he has adapted to the NBA.

I was also wrong about Toronto. I thought they were going to be a solid 4 or 5 seed in the East. I like the squad and the coach but it has not worked out as they planned I think. This team will be interesting to watch this offseason to see what happens with some of the players. They will still make the playoffs I bet, but they will be an easy out as well.

Now let's talk about the LA teams.

I picked the Clippers to make the Finals. I was nearly certain of this. I assumed they were finally healthy and they have a deep squad. Well, they have shown such little care about the regular season. I do not know how many games Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have played this year, but it isn't much. I feel like they are load managing every other night. That is frustrating. They are still 4th in the West, and should finish right around there, but yeesh are they maddening to watch.

The Lakers are very mediocre. When they have their guys, LeBron and AD, they look good. The problem is, they are barely on the floor together. One of them is always hurt. LeBron is having a great, great year. He looks as good as he always does. But this team is still a mess. They are 13th in the West at 27-32. I saw a Bleacher Report article talking about their "push to playoffs". That should not be the goal with the Lakers. I like the trades they made, and I do think they will sneak into the playoffs, but they will be a round one exit almost assuredly.

The Suns look legit now with KD although they lack depth and everyone on that team is always hurt.

The Grizzlies limped into the all star break, and they seriously miss Steven Adams, but I have faith they are a solid top three team in the West.

The Nuggets look like a very good regular season team and an easy out in the playoffs.

The Mavericks are sloppy and messy and I have zero faith in them. I do not like Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving is an antisemite, flat earther numbskull and they traded away any good defense they had.

The Pelicans started hot but Zion is hurt again and had yet another setback. I will not believe in this team ever until Zion can stay on the court for 40 plus games.

The Bucks and Celtics are the cream of the crop in the whole league. The Celtics seemingly have everything a modern NBA could ask for. As much as I dislike that team, they should be the favorites. They are great.

The Bucks are pretty much fully healthy and are riding a pretty nice win streak. Giannis has a wrist thing but I cannot imagine he will miss too much time. The Bucks defense is elite and the offense seems to be coming along.

The 76ers look like they have figured it out and Joel Embiid is having another MVP type season.

The Cavs are one of the most fun teams to watch in the league. Donovan Mitchell has been everything they could have hoped for and Darius Garland and Evan Mobley get better with every game. Jarrett Allen is a force in the middle and this team plays exceptional defense.

As for a few other teams, the Warriors look sloppy, the Pacers and Jazz have fallen back to Earth, the Wizards are boring and the Spurs, Rockets and Pistons are hoping to get either Victor Webanyama or Scoot Henderson.

What I want to see is this run to the playoffs. Who will get the 8 seed in the West? Will it be Portland or the Lakers? Could it be the Timberwolves? Hell, maybe the Thunder can figure it out. That should be exciting. I am also very interested to watch KD play with the Suns. Putting him together with Devin Booker and Chris Paul could be devastating. They should be the favorites out of the West. I'm personally interested in watching Ja Morant continuing his ascent to superstardom. I want to watch Joel Embiid push for a much deserved MVP. I want to see how the rookie of the year race finishes between Paolo Banchero and Benedict Mathurin. But most of all, what I am looking forward to above all else, is the Finals. If I had to readjust my pick from the preseason right now I'd go with the Suns and Celtics. That would be a solid matchup. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty Kinda Watches the NBA All Star Weekend

NBA all star weekend was this past weekend. I love the NBA. It is the best professional sports league in my opinion and they do the most for player empowerment. Besides college football, basketball, mainly the NBA, is my next favorite sport to watch.

For the past few years I have been really glued to the TV for all star weekend. I love the camaraderie, the spectacle, the events and, for the most part, the game. The three point contest has become the best event for me to watch, but some of the other stuff is cool too. Even with the dunk contest being kind of blah, there have been one or two that have been solid. And this new skills thing is very cool. I enjoy that very much.

I also think, due to the pandemic, that I am prone to be home more on the weekend. That gives me a reason to sit back and watch. Basketball has also been a stress reliever for me since the pandemic started. I can get lost in the action and not think about COVID or the awfulness that happens every day. But this year has been different for me. I go out a little more than I have since 2020. I have gone back to a few concerts. I have been to a couple NBA games. I have seen some movies in the theaters. I have even gone to a restaurant to have a meal inside occasionally.

Point is, I was not as attentive to all star weekend as I have been in the past. I did watch some of it, but other things and more important people got in the way. And I am happy about that. I did not watch a second of the Friday night stuff. I usually skip this anyway. I'm not interested in the celebrity game or the open practices that they broadcast live. That stuff is boring to me. Even when I am familiar with some of the celebs, that game is not watchable. And I do not know who a lot of the current celebrities even are anymore. I'm officially old. I do like to tune in to the Saturday night festivities. This is when they do the skills challenge, the three point contest and the dunk contest. This year I only saw the final round of the dunk contest. My son had an 8pm game and I coach his team. I also forgot that the skills stuff starts at 7, but we were out the door by 7:15 anyway. So I missed the entirety of the skills and three point contest. I did get a notification that Dame won the 3 point contest, which is dope, but it wasn't until Sunday morning when I saw the Jazz were the skills champs. I didn't even bother to look at highlights of either as well. We missed the first two rounds of the dunk contest and it was mere coincidence that we watched the final round. My son got cleaned up and asked if he could watch the dunk contest before he went to bed. I said yeah and told him I'd watch with him. I don't even remember who Mac McClung went up against, I think it was Trey Murphy, but that final round for McClung was dope. I was highly skeptical of him being in the field, but he showed out and did some cool stuff. That 540, or maybe 720 dunk was incredible. I was in awe just like all the NBA players watching courtside. He earned that dunk title and the mythology around his leaping ability was answered on Saturday night.

Sunday is the game and I usually tune in for at least a half. I love the Elam ending, so I always want to watch that. And my son and I watched the whole draft before the game. I love this new format. I like how they switched it to be like you are on the playground. I have to imagine it is so much fun for these superstars to do something like this. It has to make them feel like a kid again. And you could see how cool Giannis and LeBron thought it was to pick their players live. And to see the guys waiting to be picked was cool too. It was neat to see them get their team jersey and take their picture in that same exact moment. This is one of the many things I love about the NBA, their willingness to try something different. I was all about the draft and figured we'd watch a bit. But it was dinner time right after that. Sunday night we turn off the TV and eat at the table. Last night was no different. My son said something about watching after dinner and we both agreed we would, but we forgot, and I did not mind forgetting. The all star game is devoid of defense anyway until the end and it is a glorified dunk contest. I like how high scoring it gets, but it also does get a bit boring after a few minutes. So after dinner my son went downstairs and my wife and I watched other shows. I basically forgot the game was on. My son watched for a bit but he too came upstairs and said the game was kind of boring. He hung out with us until he went to bed. And I never turned the game on. I went to bed and fell asleep, totally forgetting about the all star game. I woke up and watched highlights and saw that Jayson Tatum put up incredible numbers and was the well deserved MVP, Tatum is so great at basketball, but I have no real urge to go back and watch. My son recorded it and watched a bit this morning before turning it off and playing NBA 2k instead.

I guess it is good that I am getting back out into the world and sports isn't the end all be all it was before, but I am kind of kicking myself for not tuning in too much this weekend. My love for basketball is still alive and well, but maybe my love for all star weekend is fading a bit, and that is okay. But believe me, I will be tuning into the second half of the season because we are down to the nitty gritty and it is going to be a fun push to the playoffs. That I will most definitely be watching. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty Watches The Chiefs Beat The Eagles

That was a pretty fun game last night. I watched the Super Bowl, as I do every year, but this time seemed a bit more fun to me. I didn't have any rooting interest. I don't like or dislike either team. I like both teams' QB's quite a bit in fact. I think the coaches are fine. I live in Saint Louis, but am in no way a Chiefs fan. Philly has some wild fans, but I do like the Eagles uniforms and they have one of my all time favorite Michigan players. I like both Kelce brothers. Both teams have dudes that are easy to root for. I don't know, it was nice to watch a game where I wasn't rooting for or against either team. I was cool with any outcome.

And we got a doozy of a game. It felt like it was going to be good to great when both teams marched right down the field and score on each of their opening drives. I was ready for a good, close game after that. And after the College Football Final being such a blowout, this was a nice and wanted refresher. I like a good close game when a team or teams I'm not rooting for are playing.

Patrick Mahomes was dynamic. He proved time and time again last night why he was the MVP and why he is the best QB in the game. After he got hurt in the first half I was nervous for him, thinking he may not return. Not only did he return, he was amazing in the second half. He beat the Eagles defense with his arm and legs too. He played a wonderful game. Eric Bienenemy called a fantastic second half. I don't know that he has ever had a better half as a play caller. The fact that he is not a head coach is wild to me. He was so on point last night. He found plays that worked and finessed and used them in multiple ways. It was masterful. Travis Kelce was not the star receiver last night and he did not let that bother him. Isaish Pachecho had a solid game at running back. Guys like Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore had big plays in the biggest game. It was cool to see those dudes show up with other guys out.

The Eagles showed the hell up as well. Jalen Hurts was incredible last night. I was already a fan of his, and he played a wonderful game. He used his arms and legs and really played a great game. I know he had that costly fumble, but he did more than enough to get his team a ring. AJ Brown was running slants over and over and constantly getting open. I don't think Dallas Goedert dropped anything thrown his way. Devonta Smith keeps showing everyone how elite he is. He has got to be a top three wideout in the league. That O line was phenomenal. This team showed up ready to play last night. I do think the Eagles got a little screwed at the end with that holding call, but the corner admitted he held the wideout, so I guess it was the right call. The Eagles did get away with some holds earlier in the game anyway.

All in all this Super Bowl was what I want every Super Bowl to be like. It was high scoring with teams going blow for blow. The stars for each team played very well. The QB's more than lived up to the week long hype and played great games. The coaching staff for both teams called very good games. The halftime show seemed fun. I know my wife really liked it. The commercials were fine, but also forgettable to me because I do not pay too close attention. The food I had at my home was very good. My son is very into football now and he stayed up for the whole game. This was about as perfect an evening of football as I could have wanted.

Congrats to the Chiefs on their second Super Bowl in the last four years. They have the makings of a possible dynasty and it looks like the important guys will be back to defend their title next season. And congrats to the Eagles on a great season. This team has the makings of a perennial playoff and title contending team. A very, very good night of football last evening. I could not have asked for more. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

That Was One Hell of an NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA trade deadline came and went and it was a doozy. I thought after the Kyrie trade things were going to be quiet. They were not. Not by a long shot. Things started wild and finished wild. I already spoke about the Kyrie trade and today I want to hit on a few others before I talk about the blockbuster of all blockbusters that happened last night.

First, James Wiseman is now on the Pistons. Gary Payton II is back with the Warriors. There were a few other players moved in this trade, but these are the big names. I like this move for the players and the teams. Payton returns to where he thrived, he is being paid and he is healthy. He also brings grit and defense. Wiseman gets to go to a spot where he will play with other players the same age and he will get tons of minutes. He will be allowed to learn while he plays the rest of the season. He wasn't going to get that in Golden State. This is a fresh start for him, and next season he will get to play with Cade Cunnigham, Jaden Ivey and maybe, just maybe, Victor Webanyama. He and Jalen Duren could be a fun front court too.

Saadiq Bey was moved to Atlanta, and this will fit him well. I like Bey and he will bring stability and defense to a team that needs both.

The Nuggets traded Bones Hyland to the Clippers for picks. I love this move for the Clippers. Hyland brings instant offense off the bench. He is better at scoring than anyone else they have on that bench now. He also doesn't have to play a ton of defense because the Clippers have that in waves. If the Clippers are ever truly healthy, this is a good trade for them.

Jae Crowder was traded to the Nets and then the Bucks came calling with five second round picks to scoop him up. I remember two years back when the Bucks won the title they traded for PJ Tucker to shore up their elite defense. Jae Crowder is a better PJ Tucker. Crowder is a solid defender, can handle the ball and is a far superior shooter to Tucker. He is a legit 3 and D guy and Giannis and Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, if he is ever fully healed, will find him in open spots everywhere. I get strong vibes from two years ago. This is a homerun trade by the Bucks.

The Lakers, T'Wolves and Jazz were involved in a big three team trade. The Lakers got Malik Beasley, D'Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt. This is a nice haul for them. They got younger and better at shooting with Russell. Beasley was coveted and he can shoot from everywhere. Vanderbilt is a fine backup big. The T'Wolves got Nickeil Alexander Walker, Mike Conley and picks. The Wolves got rid of an unhappy player in Russell and replaced him with the quintessential veteran point guard. If anyone can calm the seas in Minnesota it is Conley. Alexander Walker was thrown in and doesn't add much. But at least Minnesota got some picks back. They are going to need them. The Jazz got Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano Anderson, Damian Jones and the Lakers 2027 first round pick. I do not know if any player will stay, I'm almost certain Westbrook is going to be let go, but that pick was gold. The Jazz have gotten so many picks and this one was heavily wanted around the league.

Josh Hart was moved to the Knicks for peanuts. Hart and Jalen Brunson are reunited. Brunson was pumped after this trade was made. This is a very good, very smart move by the Knicks. Hart is a consummate pro, does all the little things and is a fan favorite everywhere he plays. I love this deal for the Knicks.

And now for the big one.

Sorry to all the other trades I didn't mention, but this one needs its own space. Kevin Durant and TJ Warren were traded to the Suns for Mikail Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and five, count them five, unprotected picks. The Nets may have lost two super duper stars, but they won the treasure trove of picks. They got so many picks in their two big trades. Picks are coveted and, next to the Thunder and Jazz, the Nets have the goods. They also got some solid players. They did move Crowder, as mentioned before, but the other two players they got are solid. Johnson is a good shooter and an above average defender. He should thrive with more playing time. Bridges is a perennial all first team defense player. He has been up for Defensive Player of the Year the past two years. He has also become a solid shooter, can kind of create off the dribble and is fun to watch. I am a Mikail Bridges fan. The Suns got the biggest name. I thought it was odd this offseason when he wanted to go to Phoenix, but now he is there and the Suns title odds have jumped all the way to second. Their projected starting lineup features CP3, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, TJ Warren and Kevin Durant. That is a damn good starting lineup. That is a murderers row of future hall of famers. CP3 and KD are all but guaranteed to be there. If Booker keeps up his play he will be there too. Ayton is proving to be a very solid big man that can stretch the floor. And Warren is a microwave. That dude can score the basketball. The bench isn't bad but it isn't great either. Saben Lee and Cam Payne are backup point guards. Lee barely sees the floor, but Payne is a very okay backup. He has his moments. Damion Lee and Landry Shamet are the backup 2 guards. I mean, that is very ho hum. Both are decent shooters but they don't do much else. Torrey Craig and Josh Okogie are the back up 3's. I mean. Craig is big and Okogie was a lottery pick, but neither really move the needle for me. Ish Wainwright backs up KD and I don't know anything about him. And I watch a ton of NBA. And Jock Landale and Bismack Biyombo are Ayton's backups. Landale is mediocre and Biyombo is old. Look, the starting five for the Suns is lethal, if healthy. That is a big if. KD is still not back from injury. Booker just got back from injury. CP3 is old and having a bad season by his standards. But all of that can change when they all get back.

I think it was a great trade for the Nets and a good one for the Suns. But I also think my response to a question my son asked me this morning was pretty telling as to how I truly feel about this trade. He asked, "this means the Suns are the favorites now in the West right?". Without hesitation I said, "nope". I think their starting five may be the best in the league, but they have a ton of ground to make up and the teams at the top are good. The Nuggets have a healthy lead and a good squad. The Grizzlies are young and athletic and brash. I love that team so far. The Kings are clicking. The Mavs made a massive trade. The Lakers are clearly buying in and trying to make the playoffs. The T'Wolves are kind of figuring it out. And the Clippers are always lingering. We will see is all I am saying.

This deadline was pretty wild and I loved every second of it. This is just another thing that makes the NBA the best. Keep all the movement coming. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Congrats LeBron

LeBron James broke the all time NBA scoring record last night. What a career for him. I mean, Jordan is still my all time GOAT as far as NBA players go, but James is firmly number two. No one else can touch him at the moment.

I had a feeling LeBron was going to break the record last night. I don't watch the Lakers, I am not a fan, but I kept close attention to this game. I watched for a half and then I kept checking Bleacher Report to see how he was doing. I love that he did it with so many celebrities in the crowd. I love that he did it with his family there. I love that he did it in the Lakers home arena. I love that he was confident enough that he was going to do it last night that he told his kids when he was at 20 points that he was going for it. I love that they stopped the game down and gave him his flowers. I loved his speech after breaking the record. That was epic. I love all the love he was getting from other athletes. I love that it has kept going into today. This is a big deal.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar's scoring record felt like one of those almost unbeatable records. You needed the longevity, the health, the consistency and the level of superstar that both James and Kareem are. LeBron has been doing this for 20 plus seasons now. He has been at the top of the modern NBA for 20 years. Other players have been proclaimed, a good amount from me, the current best player in the NBA, but LeBron has always been the constant. When Kawhi was deemed the best, he was compared to LeBron. When Giannis was the best, he was compared to LeBron. With the younger guys now, like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Ja Morant, they are all put up against LeBron. This was like all the 90's players being compared to Jordan. Every guy I watched during Jordan's first retirement or actual retirement was always compared to him. That is what is happening in the modern era now with LeBron.

LeBron is a different player though. He is a mix of the old and new school. He can pass like Magic. He can control the paint like Barkley. He can shoot like Pippen. He plays defense, when engaged, like Gary Payton. LeBron James brings the best out of the old and new eras. He combines them perfectly. He made the transition from Jordan being the face of the league to himself seamlessly. It all worked out perfectly. James also brought about the era of super teams, and I am not saying that in a bad way. I love player empowerment and these adults doing what they can to make the most money they can and play basketball with the dudes they want to play with. I have no problem with him leaving Cleveland to go play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. I loved when he went back to Cleveland and got them to trade for Kevin Love. I have zero issues with him asking the Lakers to give up all kinds of picks to get Anthony Davis. It resulted in a championship. LeBron James brought about a fun and exciting new era of basketball that I highly enjoy watching. I am a fan of 90's basketball, but I'm not like other people my age who bemoan this new style of play. I adore it. I like to see these guys score in bunches. It is part of the reason why James was able to break this record and look good doing it.

I am also stoked that he did it with one of his signature shots. That spin into a fadeaway jumper from the freethrow line was quintessential. It was like Jordan's shot over Bryon Russell in the Finals. It reminded me of the Tim Duncan side bank shot. It brought about memories of Shawn Kemp's ferocious dunks. Hell, it is as iconic as Kareem's skyhook. LeBron James has stayed healthy enough, been as consistent as ever and more than earned the scoring record. He is one of the greatest to ever do it.

Congrats LeBron. You more than deserve all of the accolades you are going to get and have already gotten. I tip my hat to you. 

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.