It hasn’t always been this way.

NBA players are some of the most recognizable athletes in the world with the opportunity for generational wealth over the past 30 years. The players often viewed today by NBA Twitter and mentioned other social media platforms as the most influential such as Steph Curry, the late Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, entered a NBA that was already a healthy, vibrant product. Their impact is great, but for Bryant and Iverson in particular, their impact is much more related to influencing fans and popular culture, more so than the game itself. If the game itself is not healthy, popular culture and social influence matters much less.

Let’s take a look at the REAL most influential players of all-time. What they endured and their experiences directly impacted the league and its future prosperity. All players and fans benefit from what these six players (we lump two together) accomplished or changed about the league.

1. Oscar Robertson (Royals & Bucks) 1961-74
The Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Ind.) product didn’t have it easy while he was dominating the college game at Cincinnati. He was subjected to cruel racism, but he overcame that to become one of the greatest players of all-time and to fight for individual dignity and players' rights. By 1965, the Big O was the president of the National Basketball Players Association, which was founded in 1954 by the Celtics' Bob Cousy. Robertson was the first African-American president of any sports or entertainment labor union in America and in 1970 he sued the NBA to revoke its reserve clause. The class-action, anti-trust filed in U.S. District Court in New York by Robertson and a player rep from each of the 13 other NBA teams against the league was resolved when the NBA agreed to a class action settlement on April 29, 1976. The NBA eliminated the reserve clause in its uniform contracts, which previously bound a player to one team in perpetuity i.e. forever.

The suit was filed to halt the NBA-ABA merger until the anti-trust issues in player contracts were resolved. This was a major victory for players (employees) in their relationship with teams (employer), as the settlement led to players earning market value for their services and to eventual growth of the league. Eventually, the elimination of the reserve clause and the birth of free agency made the players millionaires and the owners billionaires. Without a victory in this lawsuit, NBA players would likely have to work in the off-season as they did until the mid 1970s and they would have little leverage in salary increases.

2. Spencer Haywood (Rockets, Sonics, Knicks, Jazz, Lakers, Bullets) 1970-1983
This Mississippi native who moved to Michigan as a teenager and was the nation’s top schoolboy recruit out of Pershing (Detroit) in 1967 was on a fast track to the pro basketball. There was a road block, however, for the son of a sharecropper with 10 children who made a reported two dollars a day for her family. At that time, players had to be four years removed from high school before they were eligible to be drafted by the NBA or ABA, but Haywood decided to turn pro after a season of junior college, Olympic stardom and one season at the University of Detroit. The ABA’s Mike Storen introduced a hardship exemption for Haywood because of the extreme poverty he suffered from. After a successful ABA rookie season, Haywood joined the NBA’s Seattle Sonics in 1970-71, as owner Sam Schulman filed an anti-trust suit against the NBA to fight its drafting policies. Similar to the Oscar Robertson Rule, Haywood’s case argued the NBA was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Haywood vs. National Basketball Association went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Haywood was granted an injunction to play in the NBA and eventually the case was settled out of court. The settlement led to the NBA allowing players to enter the league early via its new “Hardship Rule”. This opened the door for young players to have an opportunity to maximize their earning potential without having to wait until four years of college passed. Moses Malone bypassed college altogether in 1974 when he signed with the ABA’s Utah Stars out of high school, and he was an ABA All-Star at 19 years old. More importantly, he didn’t have to wait until he was 23 to earn a living in a trade he was capable of as a young adult. Haywood’s case was another significant ruling for player’s rights and also changed the way teams drafted and scouted players.

3. Magic Johnson & Larry Bird (Lakers & Celtics) 1980-1992
There is little doubt the Robertson and Haywood rulings were the most impactful moments in league history with regards to its future. The NBA tried to argue the elimination of the reserve clause would ruin the league, but in reality it opened up the door for prosperity, but it would take some time. With the ABA and the NBA fighting for talent in the 1970s, trouble was brewing. Many teams were bleeding money and until the talent was all in one league, the teams would be on shaky financial ground. The merger finally happened after the 1975-76 season with four ABA teams joining the NBA: the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs.

We contemplated who was more influential, Magic-Bird or Dr. J, and when you look at the terms of the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, it becomes clear the inseparable duo who came into the league in 1979-80 are more influential. Getting Dr. J in an NBA uniform was a big deal, but at the time of the merger nobody could see how wildly successful the NBA would be 10 years later mainly because of the point guard with the big smile out of Michigan St. and the Hick From French Lick out of Indiana St. If NBA commissioner Larry O’Brien and his trusted advisors (including lawyer David Stern) knew how big the money (particularly broadcast rights) were going to get, no way in heck does the league agree to the financial teams given to the ABA’s two remaining teams. The Kentucky Colonels’ owners were given $3 million to fold, while the St. Louis Spirits’ owners got $2.2 million in addition to a 1/7 share of the four remaining team’s television revenues in perpetuity. From the standpoint on the NBA, it was the worst financial deal in sports history, as the NBA’s popularity, and broadcast rights fees, exploded in the mid 1980s because of Johnson and Bird.

It’s hard to separate the two and their contrasts and comparisons. Both are 6-foot-9 and unselfish players who made teammates better. Both had a thirst for winning and played for the two most iconic franchises. Both won at each other's expense on the biggest stages. One happened to be African-American and outgoing and the other Caucasian and a bit more reserved in style. Together they are the two most important players in history in terms of changing the economic landscape that Robertson set in motion 15 years earlier. We also considered the Rocket’s Yao Ming and his impact in China (where there are over 1 billion people) and the rest of Asia, but that impact was already set in motion by Johnson, Bird and Michael Jordan (easily the most important figure in terms of marketing and cultural impact) as part of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, which helped spread the popularity of the game worldwide.

4. Julius "Dr. J” Erving (Squires, Nets, 76ers) 1972-1987
The Good Doctor wasn’t a high school All-American at Roosevelt (N.Y.), but he was a good prospect who became a force to be reckoned with at UMass. Because of the availability of the hardship rule, Dr. J left UMass after two varsity seasons and joined the ABA’s Virginia Squires. The Squires were on shaky financial ground and had to sell him to the New Jersey Nets in a move that kept him in the ABA. The Doctor flourished, as he was the league’s marquee player and gave it credibility until it merged with the NBA after the 1975-76 season. The Nets accepted the offer of the 76ers to buy Erving’s contract for $3 million and to pay the Nets’ expansion fee into the NBA (another $3 million). The NBA needed Dr. J because of what transpired during the ABA-NBA negotiating wars prior to the merger.

Fans thought the players had a money-first mentality and it resonated in the media and in public discourse. The league also suffered from poor marketing and poor visibility. Its games were not broadcast live or during prime viewing hours. The NBA also had a drug problem among its players in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but it had the Good Doctor. And he was the player that bridged that gap between the merger and the league’s boom in the mid 1980s. Many people followed the NBA because of Dr. J. He also rates right there with Allen Iverson in terms of his popularity among young fans. Dr. J was idolized, resonated with inner city youth because of his love for blacktop competition, and adults respected him unlike some of the other NBA standouts of the 1970s. Iverson has similar cultural impact, but didn’t impact the NBA’s finances or opportunities as Erving did. Unlike Iverson, Erving's image was also protected by the media because of his importance. Dr. J’s style of play also made it acceptable to attempt high-flying moves and dunks that was more a staple of the ABA. He brought excitement and flair matched only by a few who ever played and his influence is still seen in today’s players both on and off the court.

5. Kevin Garnett (Timberwolves, Celtics, Nets) 1996-2015
The fifth and final spot was up for grabs between players such as Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Ming, and Iverson. Again, those players entered a healthy league and when all retire, will see the league in a healthy spot, which is not the case for the four players ranked above. Garnett, like Robertson and Haywood, was a generational high school talent out of Farragut (Chicago, Ill.) via Mauldin, S.C. He was the Mr. Basketball USA choice and national player of the year by USA Today in 1994-95. He was having trouble with a qualifying SAT score for college and the idea of him going pro was thrown around as early as the 1994 Nike Camp, the second consecutive year in which he dominated the prestigious grassroots summer camp. Hours before the 1995 NBA Draft, Garnett found out he got a qualifying score, but the wheels were already in motion for him be the first prep-to-pro player in 20 years.

Garnett was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 5, but his talent dictated he probably should have been drafted higher. And that’s where his impact is so great: Garnett changed the thinking of how NBA personnel and fans viewed young players. Many of the NBA’s old guard resisted scouting and drafting high school players, until these players started becoming widely successful. There were a handful of prospects talked about in terms of going straight from high school to the pros after 1975, particularly Albert King (1977), Ralph Sampson (1979), John Williams (1984) and Jason Kidd (1992), but nobody really thought they were going to do it. Garnett wasn’t an instant star, but by the middle of his rookie season it was apparent he would last and become one of the league’s better players in the coming years. If he fails, where does that leave the future high school standouts that wanted to make the leap? Do the Lakers eye Bryant that following year if Garnett wasn’t viewed in a positive light? Eventually all NBA teams took drafting young players seriously and took on a baseball model of looking at teenagers rather than waiting on an established college player.

The one-and-done rule was instituted after the 2005 season, but the game has gone younger since Garnett. There were a host of stars who made the successful prep-to-pro transition, including Bryant, Tracy McGrady and later LeBron James. Looking at the landscape now, NBA personnel are staples at big grassroots and high school events such as the Nike EYBL, NBPA Top 100 Camp, Pangos All-American Camp, Tarkanian Classic and GEICO Nationals. Garnett played a big role in that on his way to becoming NBA MVP in 2004 and eventually landing in the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Ronnie Flores is the National Grassroots Editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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The NBA trade deadline is the second big topic of this week's special podcast and the crew go over the best long-term and short-term trades that went down. Besides the Suns acquiring Kevin Durant, which team was the big winner? Did the Lakers upgrade their roster enough to make a big playoff push? Who in the East got better? What is Portland and Chicago doing by not pulling the trigger on anything of significance?

Chelsea and Ani also talk about the Super Bowl and Rihanna's halftime performance and the greatness of two-time Super Bowl winning QB Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. How high can he climb on the GOAT list?

Ronnie and Ani also give their take on the unfortunate circumstances of New Mexico St. shutting down their basketball program? What's next for the program and are some college teams on the verge of losing control of their roster or is this just a completely isolated circumstance?

Chelsea also talks South Carolina-LSU and the Gamecocks' current WNCAA dominance!

The ITP crew and its special guest offers some terrific insight on the GOATs on the NBA and there are a couple of surprises, so make sure to tune in to Episode 154 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro

(2:09) - Quick Thoughts on Lakers-OKC Historic Game

(5:53) - Quick Thoughts on New Mexico St. Program Shutdown

(13:28) - Super Bowl: Rihanna, Mahomes’ GOAT Trajectory

(20:18) - Chelsea’s NCAAW Update: South Carolina Dominant!

(25:59) - ITP Podcast Info & Shout-Outs

(26:57) - Ani’s Quick NCAA Updates: Tobacco Road Blues

(32:42) - NBA Trade Deadline: Reaction To Best Transactions

(39:05) - Ani’s & Chelsea’s Best Short Term Move

(46:03) - What Are The Bulls, Blazers & Heat Doing?!

(53:35) - Chelsea & Ani’s Rihanna’s Super Bowl Grade!

(56:04) - Bron Celebration: Missing Boat on KAJ’s Legacy

(1:02:23) - Ceremony's Most Memorable Moment

(1:05:51) - ITP Crew No. 5 All-Time Player!

(1:12:08) - ITP Crew No. 4 All-Time Player!

(1:18:28) - ITP Crew No. 3 All-Time Player!

(1:26:47) - ITP Crew No. 2 All-Time Player!

(1:28:23) - ITP Crew No. 1 All-Time Player!

(1:34:47) - Reaction To Top 5s!

(1:40:06) - Bron-MJ Debate!

(1:53:20) - Bron-MJ Accolades Difference

(2:01:31) - What Young Player Can Crack Top 10?

(2:04:03) - Just Missed & Overlooked Players

The post In The Paint: NBA GOAT Debate: Bron, MJ, Kareem, Kobe? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 68 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland take a closer look at the when, where and how of the return of grassroots and high school basketball. Some states are moving more quickly than others in reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so what will the prep sports landscape look like come fall and winter?

The guys then segue to the NBA continuing to take steps toward restarting its season with potential ideas floating around on social media. What's feasible and what's unrealistic? Should the NBA go straight to the postseason with the 16 qualifying teams? Or should the league attempt to play out its remaining schedule? Will the 2020 champion have an asterisk next to its name?

Lastly, Ron and Dev discuss episodes nine and ten of The Last Dance and give the six things they learned from the docuseries, which you can also read about here.

The post In The Paint Show: Updated State of HS, Grassroots & NBA Hoops, Plus Final Thoughts on The Last Dance! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

There's no questioning Jordan at the top, but is LeBron too high at No. 2? Bill Russell too high at four? Should Kareem, Magic and Shaq move up? Is Kobe too low?

In the next segment, Ron and Dev break down episodes 7 & 8 of 'The Last Dance' and answer questions about if Michael Jordan could have legitimately cracked a Major League roster and did Scottie Pippen's decision to sit out the final seconds of the 1994 playoff game against the Knicks tarnish his legacy forever?

In the final segment, the guys discuss the NBA's tentative plan to restart the season in either Las Vegas or Orlando and how that could trickle down to college and high school hoops. Will the NBA be able to finish the 2019-2020 season? What steps will they take to ensure player, coach and official's safety?

The NCAA canceled its College Basketball Academies and extended the recruiting dead period for grassroots hoops until the end of June and will revisit its vote on whether to extend through July in the near future. If the summer basketball circuits, camps and leagues are a wash, what does that mean for prospects in the 2021 and 2022 classes who are most affected by the loss of valuable exposure?

Click the link above to tune in to the latest In The Paint Show with Ron and Dev!

In The Paint Show Episode 67 Rundown
:55: Discussing ESPN's recent list of the Top 10 NBA players of all time
2:15: Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone the biggest omissions?
5:20: Ron and Dev revise the Top 10 with their picks
12:16: Are Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal ranked too low at No. 9 and No. 10?
27:40: Discussing episodes 7 & 8 of The Last Dance
28:25: Impressed with Jordan's brief baseball career? If he stuck with it longer, could he have made the show?
34:18: On Jordan's treatment of his teammates
38:22: Scottie Pippen's legacy marred by decision to sit out the final seconds of that 1994 playoff game?
45:25: Did Gary Payton actually make MJ's life difficult in games 4 and 5 in the 1996 NBA Finals?
1:05:50: NBA easing into restarting its season. What protocols will be in place? How can they be executed safely?
1:13:06: The outlook for grassroots and high school sports for the summer, fall and winter

The post In The Paint Show: Debating ESPN's Top 10 NBA Players, thoughts on the latest 'Last Dance' Episodes, and latest blow to Grassroots Hoops appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

In episode No. 23 of our  In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland cover a bunch of hot topics, including more Los Angeles Lakers drama that in many ways is overshadowing the Golden State Warriors' historic run to five consecutive NBA Finals. In Episode No. 10 we thought the Lakers' drama had reached it apex surrounding the Anthony Davis botched trade, but what's transpired over the last 48 hours is just insane! We break down Magic Johnson's comments on ESPN's "First Take", his fractured relationship with the Lakers' General Manager Rob Pelinka and what Magic's former employer now has to do to turn around a franchise that has become more known for its off-court drama that its wins on the court.

Was Johnson in the wrong for speaking about the Lakers on the day it had a presser to announce Frank Vogel as head coach? Was Magic in the right for trying to clear the air publicly about what he perceived was backstabbing by Pelinka? Is Jeannie Buss in over her head as the predecessor to her father and Magic's close friend, the late Dr. Jerry Buss? What should the Lakers do with the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft? Will the Lakers be a playoff team in 2019-20?

We go Hard in the Paint about the whole saga!

It's ironic we are on Episode No. 23 because this is our best pod yet! We bring in three special guests to break down all the latest topics in hoops. First, we bring on former Lakers' second round draft pick Duane Cooper to talk about Magic Johnson and his relationship with the franchise, the Buss family and his experience in briefly playing with the Magic Man as he attempted to comeback to the NBA the year Cooper was drafted in 1992.

Our second guest is Kyle Goon, the Lakers' beat reporter for the Southern California News Group. Goon gives us his insights on the Lakers' current situation and offers his prospectus on Vogel and and the 2019-20 Lakers.

Some say the 2019 NBA Draft is a three-man deal with Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett, so the Lakers have a big decision with the No. 4 pick. We bring in our third guest, NBA Draft analyst Rashad Phillips of Sports Talk 2319 to break down the upcoming draft. Phillips gives his insight on what the Lakers should do with the fourth pick, his biggest sleepers after the top three and and his late round gem that other experts are sleeping on.

This is our deepest and best episode yet, so make sure to give our Pod a listen and share it with friends!

To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!

Subscribe to our new Podcast on iTunes here

The post WTF Are The Lakers DOING (Part 2)?! "In The Paint" Podcast GOES IN! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

For any inquiries regarding guest appearances or show topic ideas, please email Devin Ugland at [email protected].

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On Episode 20 of our "In The Paint" Podcast, hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss the latest in the Lakers' drama. The guys dive in to the reason why Magic Johnson stepped down, why he did it the way he did and if Luke Walton deserved to be fired. Ron and Dev also give their thoughts on what's the next move should be for the Purple and Gold.

The duo touches on Tiger Woods impressive win at the Masters and if it is the greatest comeback in sports history. Ron and Dev welcome on Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) high school head coach Derrick Taylor who describes what it's like to coach multiple NBA and high-level college guards, including Jordan Farmar, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tyler Dorsey, Daniel Hamilton and Kihei Clark. He also reveals what big-time West Coast school was on Clark more than people think and who his favorite player was to coach.

For some background on Ron and Dev and to get a feel for what the podcast is all about, have a listen to the "In The Paint" intro below.

The post Magic, Luke Out in LA. What's Next for the Lakers? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

In the tenth episode of our all-new In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland break down the Super Bowl and the Brady vs. Jordan 6-ring debate, give an update on the wild Pelicans-Lakers trade talks and go hard on the latest FAB 50 National Rankings and the upcoming CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs.

The Super Bowl had a huge NorCal flavor and the fellas talk about what NBA great Tom Brady reminds them most of.

The Lakers and Pelicans trade talks seem to hit a stalemate right before the NBA trade deadline. Did Rich Paul make the right move with Anthony Davis' request? Did the Lakers, particularly Magic Johnson and the rest of the front office, handle the trade talks correctly by making so much of it public? What will happen to the Lakers' young core if there is no trade before the deadline?

We go Hard in the Paint about the whole saga!

Ron breaks down La Lumiere's close win over the weekend to remain No. 1 in the FAB 50 and recaps the California No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in California between current FAB 50 No. 8 Rancho Christian of Temecula and No. 11 Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth.

Dev closes things out by breaking down the loaded CIFSS Open Division playoffs, where Rancho Christian and Sierra Canyon are the top two seeds in the section's new pool play format.

The fellas hit on plenty this week, so make sure to give our Pod a listen below and share it with friends!

To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!

Subscribe to our new Podcast on iTunes here

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To celebrate National Best Friends Day, I thought about doing a post on the Banana boat gang (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony) but thought it would be more fun to look back at former teammates who wouldn't be caught dead riding a big banana together.

This list and video was put together by YouTuber Nolavp and obviously put together based off perceptions. We do not know for a fact any of these guys actually "hate" each other but the accepted assumption is they weren't exchanging Christmas gifts.

• Ray Allen & Rajon Rondo
  As evident by the recent Celtics reunion on KGArea21 and Ray Allen's biography, Rondo and most of the members of the 2008 Celtics championship team have no interest in having Jesus around and Jesus has no intentions of saving any of them.
• Dwight Howard and Steve Nash
  Sports Illustrated actually put them on a cover with the headline "Now this is going to be fun." Watching the "Big 3" of Kobe, Nash and Howard was anything but. The former MVP questioned the work ethic of the always-joking Dwight and after just one season in La La land, Howard left for Houston, where he is also hated.
• Michael Jordan and Kwame Brown
  I would actually have a lot of other players on this list before Brown, especially Reggie Theus but I'll tell that story another day. As for Brown, rumor is Jordan used to bully him in practice, destroyed his confidence and even made the former #1 pick (by Jordan) cry in practice.
• Jason Kidd and Jimmy Jackson
  Two of the three J's reportedly had issues with each other after the two started fighting over singer Toni Braxton. They have both denied the story but Jackson was wearing a Nets uni less than a year later.
• Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen
  Everyone but some delusional Houston fans knew pairing the past-their-prime greats with past-his-prime Hakeem in the hopes of a bucket list championship was going to be a bust. Barkley was mad from the start because he had to give up money for the team to sign the guy who won a ring against Barkley years earlier. After one season, Pippen was trying to force a trade to the Lakers and Barkley was willing to pack his bags and buy him a first class ticket to LA. After his departure, Pippen was very vocal about how lazy he thought "Chuck's fat butt" was.
• Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters
  Waiters is known for having a lot of confidence and always feeling like he's the best player on a team. Kevin Durant has even backed up this statement. He reportedly felt under utilized in Cleveland and had issues with members of the organization because they favored #1 pick Kyrie Irving, who Waiters thought wasn't as good as him.
• Magic Johnson and Maurice Lucas
  Jerry West has an almost flawless record when it comes to trades but bringing "The Enforcer" to the Showtime Lakers was one of his rare mistakes. According to The Sportster, Magic Johnson once walked off a court, went to coach Pat Riley and said, "Get him out of the game, I can't play with this motherfucker anymore." He was traded a few months later.
• Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton
  They almost had a real shoot-out in the locker room over a gambling debt Arenas didn't feel like paying. I don't think we need to say much more but I will say Crittention is a real loser everyone should hate. In 2015, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison for killing a mother of four children. He was also accused of slapping the mother of his child while she was breastfeeding their 1-day old child.
• Tony Parker and Brent Barry
  Parker supposedly was cheating on his wife, actress Eva Longoria, with Brent Barry's wife. That will do it.
• Shaq and Kobe Bryant
  Shaq is cool with Kobe now and will tell you his beef with him was just great marketing and they never had issues. That's BS! I can't share these stories but I've heard numerous (hilarious and shocking) ones about the two from a couple former teammates that makes me feel very comfortable saying these two hated each other's guts during much of their three-peat. What I can share is a link to a Wikipedia page dedicated just to their feud and this video of Kobe apologizing to Shaq for telling detectives during his rape investigation that Shaq spent over a million dollars on women hush money.

Honorable mention goes to these guys...

• Carmelo Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr
• Kevin Garnett and Wally Szczerbiak
• Kobe Bryant and Smush Parker
• LeBron James and Delonte West

BONUS VIDEOS

The post 10 NBA Teammates Who Hated Each Other appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

I'm warning you now, this video will probably bring you to tears. I don't care if you grew up loving the Showtime Lakers and hating the Bad Boy Pistons, watching Magic Johnson apologize to Isiah Thomas during Tuesday's NBATV special will have your eyes sweating.

“You are my brother. Let me apologize if I hurt you, that we haven’t been together and God is good to bring us back together.”

If you aren't aware of their 20-year feud, besides splitting a pair of very heated and memorable NBA Finals in 1988 and 1989, Magic Johnson was one of the players that kept Thomas off the 1992 Dream Team because he believed Thomas helped spread a rumor that Johnson was gay.

In 2009, Thomas had this to say to Sports Illustrated about the rumors: "Let me put it to you this way. If he and I were such close friends, if I was questioning his sexuality, then I was questioning mine, too. That's how idiotic it is.''

It was idiotic and so are most "beefs" a person has with a former friend or a family member. Hopefully watching these two legends reconcile will motivate you do to the same with some one you know.

Here's the full 37-minute "Players Only Monthly" special followed by some of those memorable moments between them.

THOMAS VS THE LAKERS

1992 NBA ALL-STAR GAME

2009 ISIAH THOMAS INTERVIEW

The post Full Interview: Magic Johnson & Isiah Thomas End Their 20-Year Feud appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

I love behind the scenes videos like this. This one is extra cool because it's Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and Luke Walton giving a very cool and calm Lonzo Ball a welcome to the Lakers phone call right before the Lakers announce Ball will be the second pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

There's a couple awesome things about this video that you might not have noticed on an initial viewing.

• Lonzo Ball casually saying, "what's up" and "my man" to Magic Johnson.
• At the 38 second mark, Rob puts his hand up to ask for the phone and Magic Johnson shakes his hand. Rob goes with it, puts his down, then puts it up back up.
• Luke Walton was the only guy who got the white-guy handshake, which was followed up by a "you da man" point.
• After Magic tells the league the Lakers are selecting Ball, Walton puts his hands together and starts praying (insert your LaVar joke here).

Here's how the conversation looked from the Ball family table.

And here's some bonus footage of the very talkative Ball speaking with Magic and Walton after the selection.

The post Watch Magic Johnson & Lonzo Ball's Amusing Call Before The Lakers Draft Selection appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The Lakers didn't have to wait very long for the selection to pay off: Magic was an All-Star starter and averaged an impressive 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists during his rookie campaign that ended with a championship and Johnson becoming the only rookie in NBA history to ever win the NBA Finals MVP award. If all that wasn't great enough, the Lakers ended up with Magic because of one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history.

August 5, 1976: Traded by the New Orleans Jazz (as a future 1979 1st round draft pick) with a 1977 1st round draft pick (Kenny Carr was later selected), a 1978 1st round draft pick (Freeman Williams was later selected) and a 1980 2nd round draft pick (Sam Worthen was later selected) to the Los Angeles Lakers for a 1977 2nd round draft pick (Essie Hollis was later selected) and a 1978 1st round draft pick (Jack Givens was later selected). This exchange was arranged as compensation for Utah signing veteran free agent Gail Goodrich on July 19, 1976.

Johnson would also bring LA?four more NBA championships during his journey on becoming the most liked and successful Laker of all-time.

You can learn more about the lopsided traded in the following video by BBallBreakdown.

MAGIC JOHNSON'S 1ST NBA GAME

1980 NBA FINALS GM6

TOP 32 ASSISTS OF HIS CAREER

The post Remembering When The Lakers selected Magic Johnson with the 1st pick of the 79 draft & how they ended up with the 1st pick appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Comedy Central Kroll Show had a funny take on Larry Bird upbringing in Indiana. Family needs money so Larry signs up for a 2-Pt Shooting Contest, & meets his rival Magic Johnson for the first time.

The post Comedy Skit: Young Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson In a 2-PT Shooting Contest appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

“I grew up poor but I didn’t have poor dreams” – Magic Johnson

Every year we hear about another group of athletes filing for bankruptcy or announcing that they are “broke” after making tens of millions during their playing days.  Magic Johnson on the other hand, made less than $20 million (before taxes) playing pro basketball but now has net worth of over half a billion and his Magic Johnson Enterprises is worth over a billion. The Entrepreneur and current co-owner of the Dodgers has been able to flip some great investments including selling his $10 million investment of the Lakers for $60 million and his Starbucks chains for $75 million.

With a business portfolio almost impressive as  his on-the-court accomplishments, you would think Magic would own a home that would make MTV reboot MTV Cribz just to show it.  Well, that's not happening but Oprah and her underrated and no longer bleeding money network, OWN, did stop by Magic's crib for a great personal interview with him and his wife Cookie after she visited his ridiculously awesome "man cave."

The highlight of most NBA player's man caves and/or cribs is their sneaker collection but honestly most of those shoes are given to them for free and the rest could be bought with the salary of 1-3 games. For others, it's the cars in their garage that make a trip to their homes so special but again those are materialistic items that can be bought.  What makes Magic's man cave so special is all of the bling and items on display represent accomplishments in the NBA.  He has a ball for every NBA and Laker record and he had Tiffany recreate the 5 NBA championships to be displayed near his 5 rings.

As for the interview, I highly recommend you watch the full special if you have the OWN network.  It was interesting to hear him speak so candidly about his wife, his gay son, his lifestyle in the 80's and cheating on Cookie. They also talked a lot about Magic the entrepreneur and didn't waste much time on his relationship with Larry Bird.

Wouldn't you like to have a ball representing each of these?

• Won a state title with Everett High School.
• Led Michigan State to a National title in 1979.
• Named to NBA All-Rookie Team in 1979-80.
• Twelve-time NBA All-Star: 1979-80 and 1981-92.
• Two-time All-Star Game MVP: 1989-90 and 1991-92.
• Five-time NBA champion: 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
• Three-time Finals MVP: 1980, 1982, and 1987.
• Three-time NBA MVP: 1986-87, 1988-89, and 1989-90.
• Nine-time All-NBA First Team: 1983-91.
• Led NBA in assists per game four times: 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86, and 1986-1987.
• Led NBA in steals per game two times: 1980-81 and 1981-82.
• Ranks third all-time in NBA history with 10,141 career assists.
• Ranks first all-time in NBA history with a career 11.2 assists per game average.
• Ranks first all-time in NBA playoff history with 2,346 career assists.
• Ranks second all-time in NBA history with 138 career triple-doubles.
• Won a gold medal with the U.S. Men's basketball team, the "Dream Team," at the 1992 Olympic Games.
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.
• Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

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Stuff like this is what makes me realize how much I love this game and the culture around it.

And It's only right to attach this song to end this post:

The post RARE: NBA Inside Stuff From '90's; Michael Jordan, Bird, Barkley, Malone & MORE! [VIDEO] appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

"Magic, Larry, and Mike. These three names will forever be intertwined in the storied history of the game of basketball, synonymous with terms like "Greatness" "Passion for the Game" "Hustle" "Heart" "Grit" but most of all, they will be remembered as the men who saved basketball and became three of the biggest Legends to ever step out on the court." Props to Meir21 for his great work.

The post SICK Mixtape: "The Legends - Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson" appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

There's a reason why you don't see much passing in Ballislife mixtapes, they just aren't exciting or highlight worthy plays. However there have always been select few players who can make passes seem as exciting as any other play in basketball and the man who was the best at it is non other than the Magic man, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson himself.

The post Magic Johnson's 'Magical' Passing Skills - Video appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.