The Association

Photos: The REAL Reason Portland Lost Game One

By Craig Kwasniewski  

Crash goes the Blazers bandwagon!  Debris is all over the place and the few survivors are left to ponder... what went wrong?  Are the Rockets just a bad match-up?  Maybe.  Could a lack of playoff experience be their downfall?  Possibly.  Do the Blazers have that fifth gear necessary for the post season?  Not sure.

But the real reason Portland lost to Houston on Saturday...

The Portland Trailblazers held a championship parade-like "rally" BEFORE the start of the playoffs! As I wrote on Friday, "Nothing says "we're just happy to be here" more than a championship parade BEFORE the playoffs." 

Correct me if I'm wrong but did Shaq belt out a Can You Dig It? BEFORE the playoffs?  Did Tony Parker float down the open sewer Riverwalk BEFORE the playoffs? Did Kevin Garnett drop a few MF bombs in Copley Square in a April?  I totally understand the passion and support Portland has for this team after what seems to be decades of the Jailblazers era, but celebrating a playoff appearance in a league where more than half teams make the post season is very soccer mom-ish.  Check out the non-title celebration: 

Photos: Reaching for the Gold?

by Craig Kwasniewski

Chris Bosh gives his own impression of "going for the gold" while boxing out Spain's Rudy Fernandez during USA's very impressive 119-82 win over Spain. A rumor going around the Olympic Village is that Fernandez was caught wearing a "I went to the 2008 Olympics and all I got was this lousy tee shirt and a prostate exam" shirt.

Photos: Did Kobe Just Flip Off Jazz Fans?

By Craig Kwasniewski

While the Lakers were symbolically giving the Utah Jazz the middle finger with a 19-point lead at the half, it looks like Kobe was literally flipping the bird at the Jazz faithful (though I doubt it was intentional unless it was directed at that guy doing the eye thing at Fisher). Check it out:

Photos: When Duncan Speaks Spurs Listen

By Craig Kwasniewski

With Game 2 just a few hours away (hopefully it's not a letdown like the Cavs-Wiz series), I thought I'd post one of my favorite images from the memorable Game 1. During a timeout late in the 2nd OT, there was shot of the Spurs waiting to hear instructions from Popovich. Duncan's just sitting there thinking... waiting... and then suddenly he looks up at the scoreboard and calls the team over to say something. The *ENITRE* Spurs roster (including inactive players) rush over and lean in to listen. Clearly, he's the leader of the team and clearly the entire roster respects what he has to say. Some of the superstars in the NBA tend to over-inflate their leadership value just to save face (Kobe). Well with a playoff game on the line... check that... with one of the greatest Game 1's in the history of the first round on the line, when Tim Duncan speaks, the Spurs listen.

Check it out...

Photos: The Return of Hibachi!

By Craig Kwasniewski

Gilbert Arenas is back!

And just in time to save the Eastern Conference from a stale ending to the regular season. This automatically makes the Wizards the wild card team in the first round. Will there be enough time for Agent Zero to regain the form of last season? Will he fit in with the new defensive-oriented Wizards? Will he be "the man" during crunch time or will he defer to Tough Juice? There are too many questions and not enough time, but the Wiz will be very scary in the first round.

So *OBVIOUSLY* Agent Zero returns against the Bucks sporting a pair of Benihana x Adidas Hibachi TS Lightswtich GIL II ZERO's (the shoes have "Hibachi" on the front of them for crissake!). The kicks are one of 20 versions of Adidas's brilliant and ill-timed signature shoes for Gilbert Arenas in 2008. I'll definitely buy these when they hit the outlets in a few months (it's hard to promote them when you're injured so obvously sales are a little slow).

Anyway, here are a few photos of his return to action against Milwaukee along with the kicks... the blogosphere just got a lot more interesting:

Photos: Big Ticket Turns Into Big A-Hole After W

By Craig Kwasniewski

So last night Boston eeked out an 87-86 win over Minnesota the worst team in the NBA not coached by Pat Riley. Obviously emotions were running high as it was the first time both teams faced each other since the Ainge-McHale collusion. But that still doesn't excuse Garnett going Latrell Spreewell (remember his first trip to MSG after being traded?) on the Wolves right after the final buzzer and celebrating like he won a title.

The Big Ticket turned into the Big A-hole by whooping it up against the team that made him a ton of money, put up with his repeated playoff chokes (the Wolves never advanced until they acquired clutch players like Cassell and Spree) and eventually bailed him out by shipping him to the Celtics. So why all the pent up anger? You BARELY beat one of the worst teams in the NBA... at home... so act like you've been there before! Show a little class to the team that gave you so much! Normally I'd pull a Drop a Banner post here, but the C's have sixteen of them (but zero for KG!).

Anyway, here's some photos of the celebration:

Photographic Evidence That The Utah Jazz Like To Party

by Brett Edwards

Plenty more where this came from, over at FreeDarko.

Photos: Grant Hill... Posterized!

By Craig Kwasniewski

The highlight of the Lakers 122-115 win over over Phoenix on Christmas Day was Trevor Ariza's posterization of Grant Hill in the first half. Not even a week ago Hill was throwing down on DeSagana Diop (the modern day Shawn Bradly)... somewhere at a Dallas strip club Diop is smiling.

Now Suns fans/Lakers haters don't fret, here's where you can sound off about the dunk being a charge and that the NBA is fixed for the Lakers... again.

And while they're firing off 10,000 word comments on the play, the rest of us can enjoy these photos of the play (I know Kobe did):

Photos: Game Over!

By Craig Kwasniewski

After blowing a 23-point lead over the Spurs, Rudy Gay saves the Grizz with a game winning three over Tim Duncan, giving Memphis a 88-85 win over San Antonio.

Nothing brings in The Association's new look better than a Spurs last-second loss.

BTW - Here's the difference between a good night's sleep and a restless night: the original headline was going to be Gayme Over until I realized it spelled Gay Me Over... Thanks Holiday Inn Express!

Anyway, here's some photos from the game winner:

2007-08 Sonics Gameplan: Ugly it Up!

By Craig Kwasniewski

Even go to a bar and see some smoking hot blonde and her ugly ass friend? I always loved this, it's not enough that the blonde's turning heads, but she has to roll out with her bitter troll-like friend to eliminate all competition.

Well, the 2007-08 Oklahoma City Sonics are going with that theory. Not only did the Sonics ship away all their talent in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, guaranteeing that this truly is Kevin Durant's team on the floor. But, they also signed the ugliest teammates and coaches in the league, guaranteeing that Durant will secure every single endorsement deal out there. So on and off the floor you have no choice but to focus in on Kevin Durant. Brilliant!

Back to the hot blonde and her friend... This situation puts a lot of pressure on the wingman. His job is to occupy the ugly chick until the hot blonde is "secured." One misstep and the troll-ish one is grabbing her blonde friend and taking off too soon... hence the phrase Troll Killer. It's the true test of the wingman's ability and dedication to play that roll... and believe us, Brett and I have done our share of troll killing.

Anyway, take a look at Durant's troll-like team, even down to the mascot, Squatch (but thankfully not their dancers... wow! They're definitely worthy of a post of their own).: