Los Angeles Lakers’ guard, Kobe Bryant, is playing in his 20th and final NBA season. Announcing his retirement early has allowed him to embrace the entire farewell tour experience. Honored and recognized by almost everyone along the way – from teammates to players and fans from other teams – he has received standing ovations, hugs, and video montages. Kobe has been shown respect and appreciation by everyone who has witnessed his career success and contributions to the game. What I find interesting is how willing sports fans are to show…
Monthly Archives: February, 2016
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Honoring Kobe Bryant
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Powerful Dunks
Continue ReadingRussell Westbrook is one of the best players in the NBA right now. He is one of those guys who has the ability to make his presence known all over the floor by shooting, passing, and yes…dunking! Every game he plays is filled with incredible dunks. Westbrook is only 6’ 3” and plays the point guard position for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his ability to get to the rim and slam it with such great power is impressive. He plays fearlessly and is willing to attack the basket,…
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Getting Over Yourself
Continue ReadingWith Greg Popovich as their head coach, the San Antonio Spurs have made the playoffs every year since the 1997-1998 season and won the NBA Championship five times. They are the standard for success in the NBA. In a recent interview with ESPN, Popovich was asked, “When you bring someone into the Spurs organization, what do you look for?” He gave a longer response, but this was the part that stuck out to me: “…We’re looking for people – and I’ve said it many times – that have gotten over themselves. And…
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The Biggest Trade in History
Continue ReadingThe NBA trade deadline passed yesterday, and although it wasn’t as eventful as some had hoped or even speculated, plenty of players will be shipped from one franchise to another. In an instant, these players will be forced to move across the country, have different teammates, and learn a new team philosophy. In the spirit of all the trading that took place this week, I’m reminded of how you and I have been offered the biggest trade in history! When Jesus went to the cross to die for you and me, the punishment…
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Transparency or Pretending
Continue ReadingLast night was another instant classic in the historic Duke-UNC rivalry. Every time these two teams play, it ignites a passion from both fan bases. Yesterday I watched a very clever and hilarious video (you can watch HERE) that was produced by Duke Student Broadcasting. In the video, a Duke student heads to UNC dressed up as a “Tarheel fan”. While walking around campus, he asks students their thoughts on the big game. As he pretends to be a fellow fan, they answer his questions claiming they know what they’re…
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Moving On From Missed Kicks
Continue ReadingOne of the best kickers in the NFL is the Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski. However, in the playoffs against the Broncos, he missed his first extra point since his rookie season in 2006. The Patriots lost 20-18 and his miss definitely played a role in the loss. Gostkowski recently shared his thoughts with ESPN Boston: “I’ve always been hard on myself whenever I have a bad game, especially when we lose. But I’ve never once hung my head down. You have to have a short memory in this game, but…
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The Importance of Fellowship
Continue ReadingThis year’s NBA All-Star Weekend was really fun to watch with the dunk contest showcasing incredible athleticism…the 3-point shootout highlighting the best shooters in the league…and the actual All-Star Game paying tribute to Kobe Bryant. However, above all the entertainment and memorable moments, the close-knit atmosphere of the NBA family is what stood out most to me. It was cool to see the love expressed between players, including legends like Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson sitting front row cheering on the young guys, and TV personalities Shaq and Barkley…
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Perspective
Continue ReadingThe Duke and Virginia game Saturday night came down to a very exciting finish when Grayson Allen drove to the basket and hit a difficult one-handed game-winning bank shot. Duke’s home crowd went nuts as they watched their team upset 7th ranked Virginia. Depending on your perspective, Grayson Allen got fouled and/or traveled on his way to the hoop during that final play. After the game, Virginia’s head coach Tony Bennett shared this with the media: “I was joking with Coach K after, I said, ‘I think he traveled’ and he…
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Nobody Likes to Lose
Continue ReadingI’m an extremely competitive person. I don’t like to lose and I can relate when athletes reveal their emotions of disappointment and frustration after a tough loss. It’s not fun to lose and the feeling of failure is hard to deal with. The Carolina Panthers are dealing with this right now. The reality is, nobody likes to lose – I don’t, Cam Newton doesn’t, and I’m sure you don’t either…but we all deal with a loss at some point. Sports are a great equalizer because even the best athletes or teams…
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Defense Wins Championships
Continue ReadingThe Denver Broncos are the Super Bowl champs, and the main reason they were so successful this year was because of their dominant defense. They limited some of the best quarterbacks in the league because they had such a great strategy and ability to defend. The Broncos were in a position to win each week because they put a strong emphasis on defense. When it comes to living a life of faith in Jesus, a strong defense should be included in how we approach our walk with the Lord. On…
