Janky (Why Derrick Rose has become a disappointment & the Bulls are nowshot)

"What you say bruh?"

Robert Kiyosaki, the self-help guru and author, once said, “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” Henry David Thoreau, the well-known author and poet, broke it down like this, “If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.” Then Ryan Reynolds, the Canadian actor, put a twist on it for a boy when he spit, “When you have expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.”

Well playas…Chicago Bulls fans had great expectations for the hometown hero Derrick Rose. The dun that represents everything that is street and hood about the Chi! Inglewood playboy, home of the hustlas and real playas! Chi-town is what they call it! I’m from the G (Gary,In.), which is only a 10 minute drive from the south side. So I’ve got tall respect for cats out that way because it’s essentially the same place that I grew up. Same duns with the same philosophy on makin’ it happen and gettin’ up out of the ghetto. #Respect
 

Now let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! Here’s the problem pimpin’, boyz in the Chi that are at ground zero of the situation can’t see it for what it is or simply refuse to see it for what it is playa. D. Rose has become a disappointment! Not because the dun has been essentially hurt  on and off for the past 3 years. But because the expectation for him was so high after winnin’ the MVP and then durin’ the time off of the floor because of the recent injuries, he hasn’t developed a solid jumper and improved his all-around game.

When he came into the league in ’08 his game was predicated on his first step and the joint was lethal too! For all of you simple minded individuals predicated is what a boy’z game is dependent upon bruh. Keep up with me playa. C’mon! He’d take a boy to the rack in a heartbeat and pull up that janky floater and it dropped. Fast forward to these recent playoffs and his game is still first step and the janky floater. Here’s the problem, the first step ain’t what it used to be and the floater is worse than it used to be. Yeah, he had a couple of outstandin’ games in the playoffs but when he’s not "on" he doesn’t make others around him better. And he is the point guard right?

All the time that ole boy spent rehabbin’ over the years and he never improved the jump shot? His shootin’ percentage gets worse every year and it doesn’t matter how many games he plays bruh. The percentage isn’t contingent upon the number of games; it’s about how many of those joints go in when he shoots them.

From the year he was drafted to now it’s crazy. He’s gone from 47% in ’08-‘09 to 48% in ’09-’10 to 45% in ’10-’11 (MVP year) to 43% in ’11-’12 to didn’t play in ’12-’13 to 35% in ’13-’14 to 40% this year bruh! Now all of you Bulls fans are fired up at me for tellin’ a boy the truth. I’m just the messenger playa. The numbers don’t lie. 

In my Colonel Jessup voice, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!!!" Ole boy has been in the league too long to have the same game he had when he showed up. Unacceptable with or without the injuries bruh. 

Let me put it where the goats can get it for you. In order to become great you’ve got to improve the deficiencies of your game and I don’t care what your game is. It could be hoop, football, baseball, readin’, multi-taskin’ etc. But if you’re goin’ to be great you’ve got to improve on the things that you aren’t as good at doin’! 

Michael Jeffery Jordan, the dun that is revered out here in these streets couldn’t shoot or go to his left when he came into the league. All of you young boyz don’t know that because either you were too young to know in 1984 or you weren’t alive yet. Either way you need to listen to this O.G. break it down for you.

The Detroit Pistons used to put that thang on him because he couldn’t shoot (wasn't a solid shooter) or go to his left and they used to bang him around because he was too weak. Thus, “The Jordan Rules!” Well playa, Jordan got tired of gettin’ mistreated and forced to his left so he put in the work and spent the necessary time in the weight room and workin’ on that fire jumper he had by the time you young boyz woke up or were born.

If Derrick Rose is gonna make $18.86 million per year pimpin’ then he’s gotta be able to have more than a janky floater and a not so quick first step in his repertoire. Again, you simple minded folks, repertoire means the whole body of items regularly performed or in hood terms, the joints that he does all the time. In other words, "What you know a boy is gonna do every time you see him" and a janky floater ain’t worth darn near $19 million! I’m just sayin’!

Jimmy Butler’s game is worth more than Derrick Rose’s right now bruh. He’s not even a Top 8 point guard at this moment and he’s makin’ $19 million!!!! Oh I’m talkin’ crazy? Here you go, 1) Steph Curry, 2) Young Russ, 3) Kyle Lowry, 4) Damian Lillard, 5) John Wall, 6) Mike Conley, 7) Kyrie and 8) Jeff Teague. Now you can move them joints around in whatever order you want to playa but Derrick ain’t gettin’ in the car at this point. He isn’t better than any one of them at the point guard position. Not now! Not today! Real talk, who do you want runnin’ your offense? And I hate Young Russ’s game but I’ll take him over D. Rose all day!

Here’s an additional problem for the Bulls, you can’t do anything with him because he makes too much bread and he’s got a history of bein’ hurt all of the time. Nobody with the brain of a Scarecrow would trade for him and Jimmy Butler is about to get max money from boyz out here. The Bulls are shot and they’ve got to live with a dun with a janky floater in the meantime. Stop me when I start lyin’!

Playas Thesaurus:
1) Spit: verb – to say
2) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, girl, etc.
3) Let me put it where the goats can get it: To break it all the way down for you. Goats eat off of the ground so I can’t make this any easier than I’m makin’ it right now playa.
4) O.G.: noun – initially it was short for Original Gangsta, but now it’s taken on a broader meanin’. It’s normally the reference to the older cat in the barber shop or the joint boyz hang out that can spit some knowledge to these young boyz tryin’ to make it out of the hood.
5) The Jordan Rules: noun – the defensive strategy that the Pistons used to limit Jordan’s effectiveness on the floor.
6) Pimpin’: noun – the person that I’m passionately tryin’ to get my point across to.
7) Janky: adjective – just made up, ghetto rigged, to just put something together and it’ll work for so long but it’s not a permanent solution. 8) Fire: adjective - good, excellent

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGravesReport
#thebestdressedmaninmedia
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport

Instagram: JayGravesReport
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk!

Street Cred (Why boyz need to start payin' close attention to DerrickRose now)

"Aight dawg, you got my attention!
What do yo want me to do?"

L. Lionel Kendrick, the famous preacher, once said, “We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond. Many struggles come as problems and pressures that sometimes cause pain. Others come as temptations, trials, and tribulations.” Joyce Meyer, author and speaker, gave it to us like this, “We all face storms in life. Some are more difficult than others, but we all go through trials and tribulation. That’s why we have the gift of faith.” Then the big homie Charles Spurgeon, the 19^th century British preacher, shut the buildin’ down with, “Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.”

Well playas…the trials have been diggin’ up the soil for the past two and a half years on ole Derrick Rose and now it’s at it again. On Tuesday ole boy showed up at the facility with right knee pain. An exam and subsequent MRI confirmed that he’d suffered a torn meniscus and he’ll have surgery to repair it. They could just cut the damaged part out but the Bulls made the decision to repair it completely to elongate his career.

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! In this thing that we call life things are goin’ to happen that we have no control over playboy. D. Rose is no different than you or I. He’s an unbelievable basketball player that is merely a human being. We all go through trials and tribulations that make us stronger people. These knee injuries are just his lot playa.

Sometimes God allows us to be examples for other people. Everyone knows D. Rose’s name and many people look up to him. Therefore, when they see him struggle through these injuries and not give up, it builds the faith of those watchin’.

Derrick Rose can have a powerful effect on young people that are strugglin’ to survive out here in these streets or adults that just wanna give up because it’s just one thing after another. The fact that he’s a superstar sheds light on not just the knee but on what he does in this moment.

My wife always says, “You don’t get everything in life. You’ve got to take the good with the bad.” Sure, D. Rose wants to have a productive and long career like everyone else in the league. He wants to have more MVP seasons and win NBA championships like Kobe and LeBron. Who doesn’t? And maybe he will someday or maybe he won’t. The only thing he can control is what he does in this moment.

Sometimes God wants you to be an inspiration for other people and he wants the glory when you overcome whatever you’re goin’ through. Now I know a lot of people don’t want to hear that in a sports related joint but God is God even in sports playboy. Why? Because this thing is bigger than basketball and it’s bigger than Derrick Rose. What he’s showin’ us in this moment is the lesson of perseverance. Romans 5: 3-4 says, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character and proven character, hope.”

Now why does he touch a basketball player? Because most of you duns won’t go to church or read his word. He’s goin’ to get his point across one way or another because he’s in charge whether you like it or not pimpin’! So as you pay attention to Derrick Rose go through this. Pay close attention to what comes out of his mouth durin’ this period of tribulation in his career. Boyz weren’t open to hearin’ from Tim Tebow because he couldn’t get on the field. Now maybe boyz will listen to Derrick Rose because not only is he a superstar but he’s got street credibility. I’m not tellin’ you what I heard playboy, I’m tellin’ you what I know. Stop me when I start lyin’!

Playas Thesaurus:
1) Ole Boy: noun – the person in question. In this joint it’s Derrick Rose but it’s whoever I’m talkin’ about.
2) Pimpin’: noun – the person that I’m tryin’ to passionately get my point across to.
Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGravesReport
#thebestdressedmaninmedia
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreportFacebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport
Instagram: JayGravesReport
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk!

Ballin' (How Derrick Rose pulled a Jim Jones on a boy & may OFFICALLY be back)

"I'm back up in this piece playa!"

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, the 19th century author and poet, once said, “There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul. Denis Waitley, the motivational speaker and writer, gave it to us like this, “Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that are set before you.” Then the homie Ralph Bunche, the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize winner, shut the joint down when he said, “To make our way, we must have firm resolve, persistence, tenacity. We must gear ourselves to work hard all the way. We can never let up.”

Well playas…it looks like ole Derrick Rose has found the necessary resolve he needed to get back to ballin’ these boyz. On Thursday night they had the red hot Cavaliers pull up in the Chi refusin’ to listen to house music, eat Harold’s Chicken or Garrett’s Popcorn and didn’t want to go to the steppers set. So D. Rose and Co. went to work on them and sent them on their way 113-98.

The Cavs came in winners of 14 or their last 15 bumpin’ that DJ Khaled, “All I Do Is Win” joint. I guess they were thinkin’ that the boyz from the Chi was supposed to just start pullin’ off jewelry and sneakers on GP. Naw Playa, this is the home of gangsta and playas and boyz will fight for everything around this piece.

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! I owe that dun D. Rose an apology for sayin’ and thinkin’ that he was shot and would never be the same. Ole boy is back to his old self bruh! He put up 30 points and threw 7 dimes against the Cavs and did it without sweatin’! It wasn’t just about gettin’ into these boyz for 30 it was the way he was attackin’ the rim to get some of that 30 pimpin’!

If he keeps playin’ like this boyz will soon forget just how dull he was when he was refusin’ to play last year bruh. I won’t but the diehard Bulls fans will and on some real talk, that’s all that counts. Big props to ole boy for fightin’ back not only physically but mentally. It shows a lot of resolve to get back to bein’ the player that he was. Now he’s gotta continue to play at such a high level. I’m givin’ him his props because he deserves it. He’s on some Jim Jones right now playboy. “We fly high, no lie, you know this, Ballin’! Remember that this thing is fluid so if he starts trippin’ again I reserve the right to blast him for not holdin’ up is end of that $95 million contract.

If boyz are payin’ you, you’ve got to show up and earn your bread! It really is just that simple! Stop me when I start lyin’!

Playas Thesaurus:
1) GP: General Purposes – just because
2) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc.
3) Shot: adjective – career was over, didn’t have the fight to overcome adversity like ole dull Tiger Woods.
4) Dull: adjective – shameful, disgraceful, dishonorable. The cat you have to shake your head for when you say his name. He let boyz down.
5) Pimpin’: noun – the person that I’m passionately tryin’ to get my point across to.
6) Jim Jones: verb – Ballin’, Jim Jones wrote the hot hip hop joint entitled ‘We Fly High’ and the hook was Ballin’! So anytime a boy is gettin’ it in he’s Jim Jones. Stay with me playboy but this Lingo 101!
7) Bread: noun – money, currency, skrilla, scratch
Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGravesReport
#thebestdressedmaninmedia
Get @ me on Teitter: @jaygravesreport
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport

Instagram: JayGravesReport
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk!   

Trippin' (How D. Rose looks crazy tryin' to call boyz out for lack of effort! )

"I should have just kept my mouth shut bruh!"

William Hazlitt, the 18^th century English writer, once said, “A hypocrite despises those whom he deceives, but has no respect for himself. He would make a dupe of himself too, if he could.” Tennessee Williams, the famous playwright, gave it to us like this, “The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that’s also a hypocrite!” Then Charles Spurgeon, the 19^th century British Baptist preacher, broke it down so that it would forever be broken when he said, “Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.”

Well playboys…the most talented hypocrite in Chicago has spoken! Derrick Rose just dove out of the birthday cake with a black and red thong on talkin’ crazy. After gettin’ the breaks beat off of them on Monday night by LeBron and Co. this dun had in my Grinch That Stole Christmas voice, “the unmitigated gall” to try to call his teammates out for a lack of effort! Are you kiddin’ me?

This dun had the nerve let this come out of his mouth bruh: “Everybody has to be on the same page. Until then, we’re going to continue to get our ass kicked.” He goes on to say, “I think communication is huge. We’re quiet when we’re out there, and it’s leading to them getting easy baskets. We got to give a better effort. It seems like we’re not even competing, and it’s f---ing irritating.” Whattttt?!!!

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! This is the same cat that have lunched on these boyz for almost two years collectin’ a paycheck after he’d been cleared by the medical staff to play! Oh I’m talkin’ crazy bruh?

In December of 2011 he signed a monster 5 year extension worth $94.8 million. Then in February of 2012 Adidas backed the truck up and just poured bread out on his front porch when they signed him to a $200 million joint. I bring up the bread because ole boy got way too comfortable after he saw darn near $300 million comin' his way.  

Just two months after that he tore the ACL on his left knee in Game 1 of the playoffs against Philly.
He returned to full contact practice in January of 2013 and was cleared to play by the medical staff in March but this dun sat on the sideline for the rest of the year while his boyz hustled their butts off to make the playoffs. Cleared means that he was available to play homeboy and he chose not to! He didn’t even attempt to playa! How much of an effort does that equate to? But he’s got the nerve to call boyz out for playin’ with no effort? The key word here is playin’!

After his return from that joint in October of 2013 he tore the meniscus on his right knee in November that required surgery. But he took the ENTIRE season off for an injury that boyz normally come back from in a matter of a couple months. Again playboy, how much effort was he givin’ the Bulls then?

Here’s my diehard Bulls fan tryin’ to defend his boy. “Jay you trippin’ dawg! D. Rose is the man and the leader of that team. You can’t talk about him like that!”

Oh I’m still trippin’ bruh? Well let me put it where the goats can get it. Isn’t this the same cat that said back in November just two months ago regardin’ boyz gettin’ on him about sittin’ out that he’s thinkin’ about his long term future? Here’s what he said so that you don’t get it twisted playa, “I’m thinking about my long term. I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don’t want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son’s graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past.” What…like go to work and play the game that you’re bein’ paid to play? Really bruh?

Can you believe this cat? First of all pimpin’, Joakim Noah is the real leader on that team bruh! He’s out with an ankle/knee injury and all of the freakin’ emotion is gone that’s why they’re gettin’ it handed to them. He’s the real leader not D. Rose! You can’t lead when you’ve been as soft as drugstore cotton candy for two and a half years.

C’mon bruh! Don’t think for one minute that boyz aren’t lookin’ at that dun sideways for those comments. These cats in NBA locker rooms are no different than the studs in the streets. You can’t run from the fight today and then try to call a boy out next week because all of a sudden now you wanna fight. It doesn’t work like that playa. Either you’re in the ride or not! You can’t jump in when you feel like it and expect boyz to respect you.

Jimmy Butler and Joakim have been playin’ hurt for two years. Either you’re hurt or injured. You can play hurt and you darn sure can play after a boy clears you to play. I’m just sayin’! After the stunts D. Rose has pulled he needs to just collect his check and keep his mouth closed. Stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus:

1) Dun: the person in question, dude, guy etc.
2) Let me put it where the goats can get it.: Let me lay it on the ground for you bruh. I’ll give it to you straight with no chaser. Let me simplify it to the lowest common denominator for you.
3) Pimpin’: My man, my dude, my friend etc.

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGravesReport
#thebestdressedmaninmedia
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport
Instagram: JayGravesReport
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk!

Grand Theft (Why Bulls fans should be charged with accessory for defendin' D. Rose)

"Hey dawg...you better get yo stuff together!
And that's the edited version!"

Doris Lessing, the 20^th century British playwright and poet, once said, “Borrowing is not much better than begging; just as lending with interest is not much better than stealing.” Douglas Horton, the famous Protestant clergyman, gave it to us like this, “Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.” Then Patrick Leahy, the United States senator from Vermont, took all of the skin off of the potato with, “Stealing is stealing. I don’t care if it’s on the internet or you’re breaking into a warehouse somewhere – its theft.”

That’s right playboy...stealin’ is stealin’. I don’t care if it’s a boy robbin’ the ice cream man at gun point for all of his Bomb Pops or just sittin’ on the bench and collectin’ a check! Stealin’ is stealin’! On Thursday night Derrick Rose injures his hamstring in a win over the Toronto Raptors 100-93 and didn’t return. So in my Big Momma voice when her panty hose get twisted, "You hurt again boy?"

Bruh, let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! Derrick Rose may as well put a ski mask on when he goes to work pimpin’. That dun ain’t doin’ nothin’ but straight up stealin’! Since the 2011-2012 season this cat has made $41,504,551 and he’s only played in 55 games! Now granted, durin' most of that time he was legitimately hurt and rehabbin’ etc. However, when the dun was cleared last February and refused to play boyz in the Chi defended him.

I told all of you hard headed Chicago boyz that he was stealin’ last year but you were drinkin’ the freakin’ Kool-Aid on that “He’s thinkin’ about winnin’ championships dawg! Let him sit out until next year! Then he’ll be ready!” You boyz fell for that foolishness hook, line and sinker! I was the only cat out here screamin’ from the roof tops that he was playin’ everybody because that dun wasn’t a competitor.

Competitors compete and boyz that are bein’ paid to work, go to work! Now everybody at the Friday night steppers set is upset with him. Now everybody eatin’ Garrett’s Popcorn has a freakin’ attitude. Now everybody standin’ in line at Harold’s Chicken got beef with a boy and everybody percolatin’ and jackin’ their body has a problem with him! Why? Because y’all wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to tell you.

The Bulls fans are like the dun that refuses to listen to his boy'z try to tell him that his girl is dirty. They even follow the broad around like Oran “Juice” Jones to get proof that she’s foul but still won’t listen. Then he gets into a fight with all of them because he thinks that they are tryin’ to holler at his girl and are just lyin’ on her because he’s finally happy. So now he has no friends and walks in only to catch her in bed with the plumber but he has nobody to vent to. That’s the freakin’ Bulls fans today!

Don’t call me complainin’ that your season just went up in flames because your best player is as soft as drugstore cotton candy and should be charged with grand theft for pullin’ off the biggest heist in NBA history. As a matter of fact, all Bulls fans that were defendin' this cat should be hauled into court as an accessory. Naw playa, I don’t wanna hear nothin' because I tried to tell you. I hope he breaks into your house next because you shouldn’t be so darn hard headed! And that’s the edited version! Stop me when I start lyin’!

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGravesReport
#thebestdressedmaninmedia
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport
Instagram: JayGravesReport
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk!    

Sworn Duty (Why fear & guaranteed money makes it easy for D. Rose to sit out)

"I got what I came for bruh! Now what?"

Plato once said, ‘We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Nelson Mandela stood up and shouted, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Then George S. Patton shut the buildin’ down with, “Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.”

Well playa… Derrick Rose is once again allowin’ his fear to overcome his duty to play the game of basketball! Yes my brother, his duty is to play because he’s collectin’ a check. Ole boy said after Tuesday’s practice regardin’ boyz trippin’ about him sittin’ out that he’s thinkin’ about his long term future more than ever.

This cat said, “I’m thinking about long term. I’m thinking about after I’m done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don’t want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son’s graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past.” Whatttt?

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! This dun just essentially told the world that he’s got his bread and he’s straight! Keep in mind that the Bulls signed him to a $95 million guaranteed extension just before he got injured the first time. Then Adidas signed him to a 10 year $200 million boy that guaranteed $185 million of it. So for all of you simple minded individuals that’s pretty much $300 million guaranteed.

An old NBA executive once told me that there are two kinds of people in the NBA. Those that love the game of basketball and those that love what the game of basketball can do for them. Derrick Rose is in that second group playboy! Don’t get it twisted.

I told you last season when he was cleared by the medical staff in freakin’ February and he refused to play, that he was as soft as drugstore cotton candy. Boyz went nuts and called me a hater. Look here pimpin’, competitors compete! They don’t sit and watch their teammates fight to make the playoffs. They get out there and work themselves back into game shape and get it in. Do you think Mike would be cleared to play and not attempt to? Do you think Kobe would ever tell a boy that he’s thinkin’ about 20 years from now? If LeBron would have said that he would have been crucified at the crack of dawn. C’mon bruh!

Think about the duns on that Bulls roster right now! They’ve got warriors on that team and they’re best player is scared of the light. For all of you cats that had them contendin’ for a title you better find somebody else to bet on playa because this ain't that.

Naw bruh, forget about the duns on that roster think about the all of the regular cats in the world that HAVE to get up and go to work EVERYday just to eat! The boy that goes to the steel mill or factory, the mechanic, the construction worker etc. that can’t afford to think about what he's gonna feel like in 20 years. On some real talk, it doesn’t matter what he’s gonna feel like in 20 years bruh. He’s gotta feed his family today. Real cats don’t get guaranteed bread. Derrick Rose has been blessed to play a game for a livin’ and he’s bein’ obtuse. For all of my hood dwellers out there that means that he’s bein’ a butt wipe! And that's the edited version. For all of my suburban cats he's bein' annoyingly insensitive. For my rural homeboys and girls he’s bein’ a jerk. Stay with me dawg.

Let me put it where the goats can get it. The same cat that’s grindin’ out here, regardless of how he feels, just worked two weeks straight rockin’ 12 hour days just to be able to take his family to see the Bulls to not have to sit in the nose bleeds. Then he shows up to the United Center and boyz tell him that Derrick Rose isn’t playin’ tonight because he’s worryin’ about what he’s gonna be doin’ in 20 years.

This dun said that he doesn’t wanna be sittin’ in meetings all sore. What meetings is he gonna be in when he doesn’t even talk? If this cat is worried about goin’ to a graduation in 16 or 17 years then he’s got waaaay too much time on his hands playa.

I spent my hard earned money to come see you and you ain’t playin’? Those are fightin’ words where I come from pimpin’! You owe that man and every other fan in the buildin’ some bread. There’s a difference between bein’ hurt and injured. If you’re hurt you’re playin’ because boyz are payin’ you to play and fans are buyin’ tickets. Real talk!! I don’t care how you feel. Nobody cares how the dun feels on fries at McDonald’s but he better have them joints hot when boyz show up I know that.

When this cat says that he’s not playin’ and he’s not hurt he’s tellin’ the fans, the Bulls and Adidas that I’m straight and I really don’t care how you feel about it. He’s got what he came for. Stick a fork in him bruh! He’s done! Stop me when I start lyin’!

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGravesReport
#thebestdressedmaninmedia
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreportFacebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport
Instagram: JayGravesReport
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk! 

USA Hustle (Why D. Rose is out here playin' in traffic for absolutely no reason)

"Yeah bruh Ima run!"

I stopped by the barber shop to get my weekly debate in and boyz started arguin’ about cats havin’ to think. C.S. Lewis, the famous novelist, said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Albert Einstein stood up and shouted, “We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.” Then Martin Luther King Jr. shut the spot down with, “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

Well it must be killin’ Derrick Rose to think because that dun is goin’ to USA Basketball trainin’ camp with 18 others in Vegas on July 28. He will join only four hold overs from the London squad; KD, Kevin Love, James Harden and Anthony Davis. The rest of the roster includes Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kyrie, Blake Griffin, Paul George, Damien Lillard, Gordon Haywood, DeMarcus Cousins, Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond, Kenneth Faried and Kyle Korver. They’ll cut down to 12 cats in August before boyz head out to Spain for the World Cup of Basketball. The World Cup of Basketball? Really?

Duns like LeBron, Melo and Chris Paul aren’t messin’ with these cats this summer although they may get at them in 2016 for the Olympics. Even ole dusty braids Kawhi Leonard was smart enough to tell these boyz to go head on because he’s gotta rest from playin’ an extended season because, oh yeah, the Finals. Now that dun ain’t smart enough to realize that he needs a haircut but he’s smart enough to know that USA Basketball ain’t payin’ his bills. Yeah I said "Ain't" because isn't just didn't sound strong enough Mr. "He's not usin' proper English!" If you're so smart Mr. "Genius" then why haven't you noticed that there ain't a "G" at the end of any word in this piece? That's done on purpose you idiot!

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! USA Basketball is the side hustle that doesn’t mean jack squat playboy! They need to call it USA Hustle because the fans try to pimp a boy into believin' that if you don't participate you aren't bein' patriotic. That's the biggest line of scrap I've ever heard of bruh. They're pullin' a "Goldie" on boyz out here.

Why in the world would a dun that hasn’t played in essentially two and a half years risk playin’ for free for somethin’ that means absolutely nothin’ in the grand scheme of things? Derrick Rose is comin’ off of two knee injuries and I don’t care how great a shape they say he’s in. USA Basketball isn’t worth the risk pimpin’! Why? Because that ain’t his job.

Chicago is payin’ him $95 million to put on a Bulls uniform not a USA Basketball uniform playa. He’s already milked them for crazy bread comin’ off of the first knee injury. I know y’all remember when the freakin’ doctors cleared him in the winter of 2013 and he refused to play. Ole boy was "Chillaxin'" in the luxury suites with his family and homeboys while Nate Robinson and company were battlin’ just to make the playoffs.

Let's not even mention the $200 million that Adidas threw at him to sell sneakers! If he ain't playin' they ain't sellin' shoes playa. Well, at least not as many as they would be sellin' if he were runnin' up and down the court. Outta sight outta mind. I'm just sayin'.

Then he came back last season only to be hampered by another knee injury. So who is the genius in his camp that thinks that it makes sense now to go play pick-up games in the World Cup in August? I mean the rest of the world might think that it’s a big deal playboy but nobody on this side of the street cares two dead flies about the World Cup of Basketball. We wanna see a boy suit up in October when it really counts.

Speakin’ of World Cup, I’m so glad that that kick ball tournament, like my boy Steve Harper said, is over I don’t know what to do. What was killin’ me was cats were runnin’ around actin’ like they were really into that garbage. These duns haven’t watched a soccer game in their freakin’ lives and the few that have, haven’t seen one in four years. Stop with this foolishness. It was like watchin’ paint dry and you know it. So let’s move on to some real football while you playin’!

Back to D. Rose playa…the Bulls roster is legit at this point. Pau just got in the ride too? So if this dun goes out and blows a tire playin’ at essentially the YMCA boyz are gonna be hot. I know the Bulls aren’t happy about it and I know fa sho the fans are pissed that he would even try to fool with Mike Krzyzewski right now.

The real G’s don’t wanna see him until October and if he runs out into oncomin’ traffic in the middle of the night for no reason and gets hit this summer. He’s a bigger sucka than I thought he was when he refused to comeback in 2013. Stop me when I start lyin’!

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGravesReport
#thebestdressedmaninmedia
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreportFacebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport
Instagram: JayGravesReport
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk!   

The Vacant Lot (Why only the REAL G's are ridin' with Derrick Rose)

"C'mon bruh! Not again?"

Some old duns were hangin’ out in the vacant lot next to the liquor store talking about adversity. I heard the great author,Napoleon Hill say, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on equal or greater benefit.” Malcolm X hit boyz off with, “There is no 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.” Then Zig Ziglar shut the lot down when he said, “Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.”

On Friday night Chicago Bulls stud Derrick Rose injured his right knee during the third quarter of the 98-95 loss to the dull Portland Trailblazers and didn’t return. Now keep in mind that this isn’t the same knee that he tore the ACL on two years ago bruh.

He’ll have an MRI performed on Saturday in LA to really find out the extent of the injury. So boyz will have to wait until then to see what's happening with the “Franchise.”

As much as I rode ole boy about not playing last year even after he had been cleared to play, I’ve always wanted to see him be successful. Why? Because he’s from the Chi and I’m from G.I.! That’s like being cousins living next door playboy. Everything that happens in the Chi happens in the G. The culture is the same, the people are the same, the music is the same! What do you know about that REAL house music bruh? "You Ain't Really Down!" because we had the same Big Momma. The G got Chicago radio and TV that means that we got Chicago sports all day every day.

I can remember when the Bulls were dull and couldn't win a raffle with one person in it! I remember when they had duns like Artis Gilmore and gunnin' Reggie Theus! I remember watchin' WGN Channel 9 and those clowns were gettin' ran out of the gym every night with cats like Mickey Johnson, Wilbur Holland and ole dull Mark Landsberger playboy! So we suffered through the pre-Jordan years together. So when I start ridin' boyz I've got the tenure to do so. Most of these cats out here screamin' Chicago Bulls jumped on the band wagon once 23 took them to the promise land!

So even though I live in Indy now and cover the Pacers, I still got love for the crib, the Bulls and Derrick Rose! I just call it like I see it pimpin'.

So let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! I hate that ole boy has to go through this foolishness again but at least he got his bread before the knees started trippin’!

He's made more than $300 million dollars in his short career. Remember, he signed a $95 deal with the Bulls in December of 2011. Then just two months later in February of 2012 he signed a $200 million dollar joint with Adidas. Keep in mind that both of those joints were GUARANTEED!

Now I know that ole boy wants to play ball but at least his financial future is straight. So now all he’s got to worry about is getting healthy. Not how he’s gonna pay his bills if this foolishness continues.

Like Zig Ziglar said, “Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful!” Every person with a story of success has a story of adversity. Maybe the good Lord has bigger things for D. Rose to learn from all of this and it may not have anything to do with basketball playboy.

Sometimes he gives you a platform to make a difference in other folk’s lives and basketball just may be Rose’s platform to do that bruh! There are a lot of kids from the Chi, the G and every hood in the country that are watching this dun right now.

How he handles the adversity will help or hurt some kid that’s going through some adversity of their own. Whether D. Rose knows it or not that knee has nothing to do with basketball this morning bruh. It has everything to do with “how are you going handle this situation?” because the young shorty’s are watchin’!

In the famous words of the Big O.G. William Shakespeare, “Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.” Keep ya head up big playa!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreportFacebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport
Instagram: JayGravesReport
The quote under the caption isn’t real but its REAL talk!

Chompin' (RGIII's desire gets TALL Respect)

"I can't wait to play bruh but I'm still not cutting it Jay!"

Confucius says, “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Napoleon Hill, one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success, stood up and said, “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” Then my man Bill Cosby shut the building down with, “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”

I hope all of you Chicago Bulls fans have been paying attention to boyz like Adrian Peterson, Darrelle Revis and RGIII when you start making excuses for ya boy Derrick Rose. The difference between all of those cats and Rose is desire. RGIII especially, has been in a battle with Mike Shanahan just to play preseason games bruh.

Not regular season games! Not games that count! We talkin’ bout… preseason games! Not the games, not the games that I love. But preseason games! Excuse me bruh, I had an Allen Iverson flashback there for a minute. Now on some real talk, no way should Shanahan have McDodo Braids on the field during the preseason. It makes no sense at all to take a chance on injury in games that don’t count. However, if by week 1 this dun is still chompin’ at the bit and the doctors say that he’s good then let him loose.

It was shameful to see Derrick Rose just sit and watch his team battle from February, when he was cleared, until their gallant playoff exit against the Heat and that dun seemed not to care. He should have at least had the desire to play 5 to 10 minutes a night to get back into the groove and then by playoff time he would have been in shape and ready to go or not. At least his desire would have shown up and told the world that he was a competitor. 

I think that if "DoDo" is going to play week 1 against Philly that he shouldn’t take unnecessary chances on the field. The direction should be to throw that joint away if nothing is open. Don’t try to make something happen with your feet. Don’t get into traffic if you can help it and run out of bounce whenever possible at least until you're comfortable.

Ima keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! I’ve got no respect for a cat that says, “I’m not mentally ready to play yet.” That is the weakest line EVER spoken in the world of sports at any level playa. I don’t care if a guy is ready or not but he should always have the desire to play and Derrick Rose proved to the world that he didn’t. I would even give RGIII, A.D. and Revis a pass for not wanting to jump the gun because not only do they play an extremely dangerous contact sport but the bread isn’t guaranteed at all. So if they come back, get hurt and end their careers they’re Prince purple pants butt out.

D. Rose’s money is guaranteed and he just signed a $95 million joint with the Bulls in November of 2011 and a $200 million joint with Adidas in February of 2012. Did you hear me say that all of it was guaranteed? Well, let me say it again, "it’s all guaranteed playboy!" That means for all you slow thinkin’ individuals out there, he’s got nothing to lose by playing. So his ends are meetin’ like the Browns and those dull patent leather shoes. The only reason boyz don’t take chances in professional sports is because of their fear of getting hurt before that major contract is signed. Once they get the bread it’s time to ball out and ole boy never even tried. Either he has no heart or he has no heart because he can't stand up to his brother that's really calling the shots.

Understand this playa, DNA has allowed Derrick Rose to become D. Rose up to this point. He got out of the bed better than 99% of cats breathing. Now desire will have to take him from this point forward. If you don't possess it, you don't possess it. They don't sell it at Wal-Mart or  at the vitamin store bruh, either it's locked into your DNA or it's not. Some cats get the combo meal that includes talent, desire and a drink and some get either/or without the drink.

So I’m giving the man with the terrible hair cut major props for even wanting to play in the preseason because he showed the world that he at least has the desire to play. I’m still looking at hittin’ is crib like the Fed’s at about 4AM to tie him up and cut his hair though. Big Momma has been cursing about it since he immortalized his Heisman Trophy photo with those joints. I’m tired of listening to her hollering every time he’s on TV.

Y’all know I’m tellin’ the truth because your Big Momma, Nana, Grammy, Mamo, Mema or whatever you call her is cursing too. “I don’t know why that boy won’t do something with his hair? He got too much money to be walking around lookin' like that!” She would be cool if they were corn rows or dreads but this dun is rockin’ plats! Plats bruh! They stopped wearing plats in '74 even in the country pimpin'! All jokes aside, I still have tall respect for him because of his extreme desire to get back on the field and lead his team.  I'm preachin but y'all sleepin' in the pews and Big Momma is gonna pinch that thigh in a minute!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreportFacebook: www.facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport
Instagram: JayGravesReport
The quote under the caption isn’t real but its REAL talk.

Passionate Greed (Nets 106 Bulls 89)

"I would play but I got way too much bread in my pockets bruh!"

Pope Paul VI gave it to boyz like this, “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.” The famous psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, spit that fire when he said, “It is easier to do one’s duty to others than to one’s self. If you do your duty to others, you are considered reliable. If you do your duty to yourself, you are considered selfish.” The Cuban poet, Jose Marti, shut the building down with this joint, “A selfish man is a thief.”

I’ve been saying for the past month that Derrick Rose was selfish and is stealing money but boyz in Chi-town have continuously been defending this dun! The Bulls medical staff cleared him to play more than a month ago and he’s yet to TRY to put on a uniform! On Saturday the Brooklyn Nets blew the doors off of the Bulls 106-89 and the score was in no way indicative of the beat down that they actually took.

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1^st! Joakim Noah was out there with a split in his foot and tried to go but was eventually sidelined after a quick 14 minutes. Now I hear some clown in a Derrick Rose jersey, sneakers and underwear screaming from the roof tops, “There’s a difference between a torn ACL and a split foot!” There sure is playboy and when you show me the dun with the torn ACL I’ll agree with you because Derrick Rose ain’t him.

He’s completely healthy according to not only the medical staff but by his own admission. He’s telling boyz that he’s just not mentally ready to play. You can’t even tell that to cats playing in the park without getting beat up bruh! Where you from and wheredeydodatat? Not to mention being a professional athlete that has already signed a $95 million contract with the Bulls for GUARANTEED MONEY! Don’t let me forget the $200 million joint that was signed last year with Adidas.

He was sitting on the bench last night looking stupid as his boyz were getting the brakes tore off of them. Why? Because he really wants to play but his brother is calling the shots! If we gone talk playboy then let’s talk. When your brother is your manager with no experience of managing anything prior to you becoming a professional athlete it only makes sense that you’ll get bad advice pimpin’! It's like when Master P tried to be a sports agent and got Ricky Williams to the worse contract known to man. Stay in your lane homie!

The problem is, his brother isn’t the superstar getting blasted because Derrick's name is the one on the marquee. See his brother is looking out for HIS income and not Derrick's career as a player and his reputation. Because on some real talk, Jordan would be playing! Kobe would be playing! LeBron would have no other choice but to be playing. King James would be getting crucified right now for pulling that foolishness.

How in the world do you think that it’s OK to get PAID to do a job and not do it ON ANY LEVEL? That’s like a cat telling his boss down at the car wash that he’s healthy enough to come back to work but he’s just not mentally prepared to work yet. Now who do you know that is mentally prepared to go to work bruh? Nobody wants to freaking go to work but we all have to. Not everybody has a $300 million option to sit on playa.

Didn't both Shaun Elliot and Alonzo Mourning have organ transplants and came back to play? Ole boy Jeff Green from the Boston Celtics had open heart surgery and came back faster than this dun! Now wouldn't organ transplants and open heart surgery be worse than an ACL? If we gone talk ACL Adrian Peterson came back to play FOOTBALL where boyz are TRYING to hit you and pealed off 2,000 yards in less than a year! So stop the madness playboy!

 Boyz would respect Derrick in the morning if he would have at least TRIED to come back and had a setback. Great players compete playboy, not make excuses. Great players lead bruh, not sit in the cut and let duns make decisions for them. Do you think that some cat would have been able to keep Jordan from playing? Do you think for one minute Bill Russell would have let his brother tell him that he needs to wait ‘til next year when his team was still playing in the PLAYOFFS and he’s healthy? Are you kidding me?

If he’s got $300 million in the bank the future is secure. He’s a basketball player and playing is what basketball players do. Don’t tell me that he’s worried about his future because his future is on lock. The only reason duns go the league early is to secure their future's. The only reason players don’t take chances is because they’re waiting for the huge payday. Once it comes in boyz are free to get it in. If it were a contract year he'd be out there diving for loose balls and dunking on everything moving. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin' bruh!

What’s happening with this cat is that the passionate greed of his brother has taken over and he’ll suffer as a result of it! Isn't his brother the same dun that was screaming about the Bulls not making moves at the trade deadline this past All-Star break? So if he’s so worried about the team winning why does he have his boy chillin’ when he could have been playing a month ago and he'd be ready to help them make a playoff run by now? It’s called selfishness. I’m preaching but y’all ain’t listening!

Don’t think for one minute that Joakim isn’t gonna blast this cat as soon as Kenny and Charles gives them the fishing pole. He went out there and gave everything he had on a bum foot and ole boy has been healthy for more than a month and he’s not fired up? Think again! Don’t forget last week he was "Chillaxin" in the luxury suite at the United Center while his team was playing. Stop me when I start lyin’!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
The quote under the caption isn't real.

Chillaxin'

This all looks great on a poster playboy but the great ones actually come back and play! 

The English playwright, Noel Coward, once said, “It’s discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” His homeboy and novelist, George Orwell, broke us off with this, “In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Big Momma shut the building down with, “At some point you gone stop lyin’ to folks and do what you supposed to do.”

The Chicago Bulls are sitting in the 5th spot in the East with a very dangerous squad when they’re motivated to play. Two weeks ago they ended the Miami Heat’s 27 game winning streak and on Thursday night they carjacked Melo and Company’s 13 game winning streak 118-111 in overtime. The caveat here is that they are doing it without their best players, Derrick Rose (head case) and Joakim Noah (foot).

Cats like Jimmy Butler brought 22 points to the party, Nate the Great added 35 from the car seat and Luol Deng chipped in 16 and a bottle. While these cats have been puttin’ in work this year ole dull D. Rose has been Chillaxin’ for the past month or so! That’s old school hood for chillin’ and relaxin’ at the same time bruh! I know I wasn’t the only person to see ole boy up in a luxury box kickin’ it with the family last night while his teammates were puttin’ in work. So Bulls fan don’t even act like you didn’t see that dun loungin'!

He looked like he was at a family reunion or running for mayor! Dude was posted up, kissing babies, taking pictures and telling lies. Y’all know when boyz get together they start lyin’. So you already know. All that was missing was a game of spades or boyz throwin' bones.

Again, if the medical staff has cleared you to play, then you gotta play pimpin’! Why? BECAUSE IT'S YOUR FREAKING JOB!!! Delusional Bulls fan don’t try to justify this cats behavior. In my Uncle Willie's voice, "He wrong!" If HE’s already been cleared and HE’s admitted that HE’s 100% physically capable of playing, HE’s going 100% at practice in scrimmages and HE’s already admitted that it’s all mental. The HE needs to be playing!

If that were LeBron chillaxin’ in a suite during his own team’s game and not on the bench in full gear at least TRYING to play they would be burning him at the stake this morning like he was a witch doctor doing voodoo without a chicken foot. Stop me when I start lyin’ playboy! Not only does this cat have the audacity to run game he’s comfortable with it because nobody is questioning his behavior.

It’s like a cat that gets so comfortable stealing that he’ll come to your crib, drink up all of your liquor, eat your food and steal everything that isn’t nailed down on GP. Why? Because you never questioned him.

 Most people watching sports know absolutely nothing about sports. So it’s easy to tell a cat that I’m just not ready mentally and they’ll accept that all day long but you can’t run that game on former athletes. See I know that there are boyz in that locker room that are pissed at Rose for not even trying to come back.

They aren’t talking now but wait until they get eliminated in the playoffs. The first cat's contract that isn't renewed or that is traded is gonna start singin’ like Prince in some hot pink pants with the butt out! In my Huggy Lowdown voice, "Waaait for it! Derrick Rose YOU ARE the bama of the week, week, week!!"

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! If ole boy had started playing when he was cleared he would be back in game shape by now. Practicing isn’t the same as playing against real competition. See those boyz at practice aren’t beating him up like cats that don’t care about him would. He should have already been working up from 12-15 minutes to 20-25 minutes and so on and so forth.

You’re a complete fool if you think this dun is gonna just be able to show up on April 20th, day one of the Playoffs and pick up where he left off. It doesn’t work like that playa! His lungs are gonna explode trying to keep up with that pace if it tries to comeback then. It’s the playoffs for crying out loud.That's an entirely different animal.  

Y’all can act like you don’t see the 800 pound elephant sitting on the coffee table sippin’ on syrup in Big Momma’s living room if you want too. Derrick isn’t playing because there is no motivation for him to play. He’s already got the guaranteed bread at $95 million with the Bulls and $200 million with Adidas. Like I said last week in the Hot Joint entitled, "Drugstore Cotton Candy", if it were a contract year that dun would be playing and giving the Bulls a better shot in the playoffs.

I'll leave you with this, Michael Jordan would be playing! Kobe would be playing! LeBron would have no other choice but to be playing and this dun is sitting over here Chillaxin'!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
The quote under the caption is my opinion.

Great Expectations

Melo unloads for 50 on South Beach!

Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Mahatma Gandhi gave it to us like this, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.” The 15th century physicist, Blaise Pascal, kept it simple but on point with, “Man’s greatness lies in his power of thought.”

When I looked around the NBA on Tuesday night I saw examples of greatness that can only be defined by boyz willing to give their teams everything they had and allowing the outcomes to be what they would be. As much as I dislike the person of Kobe Bryant I’ve got to respect his game 100%. He plays the game with passion and a desire that we haven’t seen since Jordan laced them up.

With boyz still trying to make the playoffs and tied for the 8th spot in the West this dun put up a triple double 23-11-11 to lead the Lakers past the Mavs 101-81. Melo came to work last night on a mission on South Beach and put up 50 on the Heat. Yeah, I know LeBron, D. Wade and Super Mario were out but for a boy to put up 50 was still impressive. On some real talk, he could have pocketed 60 but he didn’t bring a big enough bag. We’ve seen what LeBron has done this year to the point of remarkable love him or hate him. We even saw the greatness of Shaq getting his jersey retired last night too.

My whole point here is to say that competitive people compete by nature. Duns didn’t even like to play Jordan in a card game much less play him on the court because of his competitiveness. This cat got so caught up in competing that he allowed the Bulls to screw him out of millions of dollars during his career. Like I've said before, he’s ranked 87th out of the top 100 NBA salaries of all-time at $90 million with nearly $60 million of that coming in his final two contracts with the Bulls.

Kobe puts up a triple double!

So if boyz will compete at that level just to play the game that they love, again I ask you why is Derrick Rose still sitting on his butt talking about his mind ain’t right when he's been cleared to play? Competitive people can’t see other people compete and not compete bruh!  Dogs can’t see other dogs running and not run. Birds can’t see other birds fly and not fly. Thieves can’t watch other thieves steal and not steal. I know you’re sayin’, “What?” Hey, I grew up in the G around a bunch of criminals so every now and then I see a boy climbing through a window but you get my point.

My older brother Jimmy once told me, “In order to be GREAT you’ve got to be EXTREMELY good at doing the things that require ABSOLUTELY no talent.” It requires no talent to be on time! It requires no talent to be disciplined! It requires no talent give your very best all of the time! It’s the little things all stacked on top of each other that makes you great. Not just the natural ability that one is blessed with.

See at a certain level everybody has talent playboy! The difference comes in what you’re going to do with it. The one common denominator in all great people is that they all are to some degree delusional. They always think that they’re better than they actually are. However, in thinking that way long enough they become better than they should have been because of the power of thought. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinks so is he." So Derrick Rose isn't the man his mouth thinks or declares him to be but what his heart thinks. I'm talkin' but y'all ain't listenin'!.

The fact that Rose is afraid to play tells me that he doesn’t have the DNA to become great. Either you have it or you don’t pimpin’!  He has great talent but talent doesn’t make a boy great. I can show you plenty of talented people that have underachieved because they couldn’t get past the power of thought. Like my man Bliase said earlier, "Man's greatness lies in his power of thought!"

So for all of you Bulls fans waiting on Derrick Rose to take you to the Ship. It’ll be the Titanic playa and you may as well get in the bed like those old timers did and go down with that joint. This cat isn’t anywhere near the realm of greatness that you need be to win at this level because he lacks the mental fortitude to overcome adversity. Churchill already told you that the price of greatness is responsibility and when you take boyz money you should be responsible enough to play! Y'all can stop me when I start lyin’ playboy!

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

Drugstore Cotton Candy

"I'm just gonna take my time and sit on this money playa!"

Konrad Adenauer, the first post-war Chancellor of Germany,  once said, “In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, it seems unfair that He did not also limit his stupidity.” Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet, gave it to us like this, “I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect.” Albert Ellis, the famous psychologist, shut the building down when he said, “I think it’s unfair, but they have the right as fallible, screwed up humans to be unfair; that’s the human condition.”

Nobody has the guts to say it so I will! Why is everybody giving Derrick Rose a pass for being soft? The medical staff cleared this dun to play more than a month ago. He’s got no pain and by his own admission he’s 100% physically ready to play but he says that it’s all mental at this point. Now if that were Lebron, boyz would be crucifying him at this point.

So again, why is this cat getting a pass? Michael Jordan would be playing! Kobe Bryant would be playing! LeBron James would have no other choice but to play and this dun can take his sweet time and even admit to you that he’s physically ready to play but mentally he's not and you’re cool with that answer? Unbelievable!!!

All of my Chicago fans out there are saying the same thing, “We can’t win a championship now anyway so he should just wait until next year.” Well you can say that about 27 of the 30 teams in the league every year playboy. There is always only 2 to 3 legit teams that can make a championship run at any time. So with that logic everybody else should just stop playing then right? Kobe should just go on vacation now and stop trying to make the playoffs since he can’t win a championship this year. Right?

Melo and LaLa should just pack up the RV and go on a family road trip now because they ain’t winning a championship in New York ever! They haven’t won one in 40 years so why even suit up? Right?  Paul Pierce should just stop going to work every day since he can’t win a title this year with Rondo and KG out! Right? Having the ability to win a title isn't the reason boyz go to work everyday bruh! They go to work because it's their freaking jobs!

 I'm in sales, so if I'm not having a very productive year I should just quit and start over next year? I can't tell my boss that I'm mentally not feelin' this but pay me anyway! Wheredeydodatat? Apparently in Chicago pimpin'!

Don't give me that ignorant line that he could get hurt again. That's the risk you take in being a professional athlete son but when they're paying you darn near $100 million to play then you NEED to be TRYING to play!

That's like a dun having a car accident on the way to work one day and then when he's healthy enough to return to work he keeps telling his boss that it's all mental and he's not ready. What are they gonna do with him? Fire his soft butt, right?

 This dun is playing every fan in the league right now and boyz can’t see it. If he’s 100% physically ready to play then he should playing. He’s not playing because he’s already got the bread. He signed a guaranteed deal for more than $95 million with the Bulls in December of 2011 and then in February of 2012 he signed a $200 million deal with Adidas.

So there is no reason to come back because he’s sitting on darn near $300 million guaranteed! If he were in a contract year he’d be out there ballin' pimpin’! He'd be sprinting up and down the floor like he was Usain Bolt and jumping like he was Carl Lewis or somebody. Stop me when I start lyin’ bruh!

I’ve never seen anything like it in all of my days in the sports world. Do you think that Kobe or Mike would tolerate a boy being on their teams that was medically cleared to play that refused to even suit up?  C’mon bruh!

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! If that were LeBron he’d get run out of the league for that foolishness. If we’re paying you to play then you gotta play. Don’t give me that “I’m just gonna take my time coming back” foolishness. Taking your time coming back means playing 10 to 12 minutes a night at first and then going up to 20 minutes to see how the joint feels etc. Not traveling with the team and going to shoot around.

 Nobody's got the kahunas to say it so I will, “Ole boy is as soft as drugstore cotton candy at this point.” IF YOU’RE 100% THEN YOU GOTTA PLAY! Being in the hunt for a title is irrelevant as to why a boy should be playing. For that reason alone he'll NEVER become one of the greats because he doesn't have the mental fortitude that it takes to become one. He's healthy and scared to play! Great players don't think like that.

Adrian Peterson tore his joint up and came back in less time to play a physical game and put up 2G's worth of yards on boyz without hesitation. That's what great players do homeboy! This dun is Derrick Colman all over again cuz he's only in it for the bread. If he wasn't, he'd be playin' by now.

On some real talk, they won’t win a title as long as LeBron keeps sharing the freaking ball down on South Beach. Every off season they’ll pick up another shooter or two because shooters want to play with unselfish players. That’s why Ray Ray is playing with him now for less bread.  So using that logic Rose may as well retire now because as long as the Heat keep winning he won't.

Why? Because the hot free agents won’t go to the Chi, they'll go to Miami to get shots. In my G.I. get out of my face with that foolishness voice, “Tell that to somebody who you know, don’t know, cuz I know, PLAYBOY!”

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Quote under caption isn't real.

Spittin' Knowledge

"I'll be back, when I get back playa!"

Firearms expert Jeff Cooper once said, “A smart man only believes half of what he hears, a wise man knows which half.” The famous actor, Alan Alda, gave it to us like this, “Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart.” Albert Einstein shut the barber shop down with this, “It’s not that I’m smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

Derrick Rose is proving to be one of the smartest yet wisest pro athletes I’ve seen in a while bruh! He’s doing everything possible to get back on the floor after tearing his ACL last year during the first game of the playoffs against the 76er’s.  However, this dun isn’t crazy and isn’t going to let boyz rush him back. On Wednesday night he let cats know again that there is a chance that he could sit out the entire season.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “I’m feeling good, but like I said, if it’s where it’s taking me a long time and I’m still feeling right, I don’t mind missing this year.” That’s called wisdom beyond his years.

He’s been working his butt off to get back but he’s being smart about it. I saw him last week when the Bulls came in to play the Pacers during shoot around and he looked good but only D. Rose knows how D. Rose is supposed to look and feel playboy!

Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! If he rushes back because the fans, Adidas or even the Bulls want to see him on the floor and re-injures that knee, he ultimately loses. Sure he’s got $300 million in guaranteed contracts in the bank but he’s a basketball player and that’s what’s important here.

The bread’s already accounted for. He signed a 5 year extension worth $95 million guaranteed with the Bulls in December of 2011 and then in February of 2012 he signed a $200 million joint with Adidas. So he’s not looking for money he’s looking to become an even greater basketball player and he can’t get there rushing back because duns want to see him play today.

I keep hearing boyz using Adrian Peterson (A.D which stands for “All Day”) as the litmus test for torn ACL recovery and I laugh because he’s a freak of nature bruh. What he was able to do very few human beings are capable of doing. I’ve followed his career since high school and didn’t miss an Oklahoma home game while he was in college! When I say freak bruh, I mean Whodini, “Freaks Come Out At Night” freak!  Unbelievable specimen that’s in a category all by himself!

So take your time young brother and continue to be wise about your career and health! These dull fans, Adidas and the Bulls will be just fine without you until next year. On some real talk, Adidas was pure genius on “The Return” campaign this year! It kept boyz on the edge of their seats in anticipation of his return and the Adidas brand right in their faces! As long as they’re selling shoes and recouping that $200 million their cool!

Now the Bulls on the other hand probably want him to take his time too because they're on the hook for $95 million. So that’s why Paxson and his boyz in the front office are hoping that he really takes his time getting back.

D. Rose must have been sitting in the barber shop when ole Albert Einstein was spittin’ that knowledge to boyz on that faithful morning because I swear I've heard him say, “It’s not that I’m smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

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

"The Trick Bag"

"You can't blame anyone if you reach in and pull out a rotten apple!"

The first weekend of the NBA Playoffs ended tragically with two players tearing ACL's most notably Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose! Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks went down as well. Now everybody and "they momma" is trying to point the finger at somebody or something for the blame. Some suggest that it's Bulls head coach Tom Thibadeau's fault that Rose is hurt because he shouldn't have been in the game so late. Some are trying to blame it on the NBA's shortened but very busy season after the lockout. 


When asked over the weekend if he thought that he kept Rose in too long coach Thibadeau responded by simply saying, "I don't work backwards like you guys do, the score was going the other way." Like I always say, hindsight is 20/20 bruh! Everybody is pointing fingers at everybody but the guy sitting in the corner holding the trick bag! The players union! 


That's right, all of the players in the NBA are to blame for the injuries if in fact there is found to be some truth to the condensed schedule being the culprit for the cause of so many injuries down the stretch this season. In speaking to Commissioner David Stern at halftime of the Pacers/Magic game last night he said that the league was going to do it's research to find out if there was any truth to the suggestion that the shorten season had a direct impact on the injuries. On the surface it doesn't appear to be a correlation between the two according to Stern.  


If it turns out that it did, the players are the cats holding the stolen merchandise bruh! They were the ones that held out only to sign pretty much the same deal that was presented in the first place. They negotiated the shortened season with 66 games crammed in and agreed upon the terms of the deal. So now you can't go back and be upset that it didn't workout. The fans were super cool with it too now you're looking for somebody to blame? C'mon bruh!


I've been covering NBA games this year and it's been crazy seeing the schedule that these guys were on. They were either playing games or traveling to play games. Some nights back to back to back with no time off. It would only make since that down the stretch bodies would start to break down. Now let's keep it real or all the way 100 which ever comes first on Derrick Rose bruh! This just wasn't his season. He had a bad back, hamstring, toe, foot and now torn ACL. Some of that is just time and chance if you've been around sports long enough or it could be a result of lack of conditioning especially at the beginning of the season. After all, there was a lockout and we don't know if he was in great shape when the season started. It's highly possible that he wasn't but we'll never know unless he admits that he wasn't. Take your heart out of it fans. It is what it is because you can't always put the blame on someone else because you (the fans) wanted to see it at all costs. 


You can't hype a boy up to get into a fight on the playground and then when he gets beat down tell his mom that he shouldn't have been fighting in the first place! You can't be a Bulls fan that wanted to see the blow out and then when Rose goes down you're blaming the coach for the injury. You can't hype a boy up to drive through rival gang territory and throw up signs one minute then when they start shooting you're upset that he put your life in danger. Which one is it bruh? 


You can't have your cake and eat it too. You were all with the lockout last summer and even into the fall which in my opinion was stupid because they weren't accomplishing anything. They signed the same deal that was presented in the first place bruh! Sure, there were a few minor adjustments but the benefits didn't outweigh the risks. Most importantly, they had Derrick Fisher negotiating on their behalf. What sense does it make to have a cat negotiate a contract for you that doesn't negotiate his own contract? I'm just sayin' bruh but if you want to blame somebody blame the players union!


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