Street Clothes

"Not today playboy!"

Malcolm X once said, “There is nothing better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.” Ernest Hemingway just kept it real by saying, “Man is not made for defeat.”

However, in 2013 the Los Angels Lakers are! After literally playing with these boyz for 3 quarters the Miami Heat showed the crowd in LA why they were the defending NBA champions and put the Lakers to bed 99-90. LeBron put up what seems to be his usual production, 39-8-7 and ole slam ball playing Dwayne Wade took very few smoke breaks and threw in 27 points on his 31st birthday. He was probably using that smokeless cigarette on the bench so he wouldn’t have to run to parking lot as much last night.

On some real talk, the Lakers looked good until LeBron took off his house shoes and do rag and laced them up in the 4th quarter and let Kobe know that he was definitely the best player on the planet and more specifically in the Staples Center on Thursday night. James connected on a flurry of clutch shots and simply locked down on the Black Mamba to close out the joint.

Let it be known to all playas and playettes that King James is the best mo-joker on the planet. I read an article the other day where Kobe said that he’s never lost a game of one on one in his life! In my Ochocinco voice, “CHILD PLEASE!” Stop with that foolishness bruh! Everybody has played with studs that were older than they were growing up and even the best of the best get their butts handed to them from time to time. So if he’s claiming NEVER getting beat one on one well put Thursday night down playa and have LeBron sign his shoes and date them joints the "4th quarter on everything."

What’s up with Ray Allen bruh?  I mean he scored 7 of his 9 points in the final 5 minutes but for the most part he’s been dull!  He hasn’t been able to hit an elephant in the butt with a base fiddle lately. In Indiana last week he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn as he went scoreless against the Pacers. The Heat only shot 15% from downtown last night in LA. That has to change between now and April to make a run in June. I’m just sayin’!

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! The Heat are still the team to beat but they’ve got to play with major intensity when it counts. Now obviously these boyz aren’t going to go all out every night because quite honestly there is no need to do that because the season is so long. But duns like D. Wade and the supporting cast better get their heads together in the process.

LeBron can’t afford to go into the playoffs having to put all these cats squarely on his back because boyz are coming in the East. New York isn’t playing and quietly the Pacers may put up a better fight than they did last year when they got pushed around and punk’d by ole street clothes wearing under the jogging suit Juwan Howard.

Remember when Juwan punk’d Lance Stevenson before a game in the playoffs for giving the choke signal from the bench. Now when a cat can change the momentum of a series from the bench eating popcorn with street shoes on with his uniform you know you’re ready to win a title. The question is, who’s gonna step up this year? We haven't even mentioned all of the talent coming out of the West! That's why the Heat is bumpin' that Biggie One More Chance on every flight, "First things first, I Poppa...."

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport