There have been stories today that Kobe Bryant has called Kevin Durant, perhaps to help lure him to Nike. Now there are stories that Kobe Bryant vehemently denies that. Who cares if they talked? I realize players have the potential to influence a kid to leave school, sign with this shoe company, sign with agent, etc. But this is not something more rules can fix. There has been an insane amount of contact between professional and amateur players since the beginning of time. (How many NBA players run their own youth camps? If the answer isn't "all of them," it's close.) Hope the new crackdown on tampering with Kevin Durant doesn't push that whole process underground. We need more transparency and daylight, not less.
David Thorpe -- friend, trainer, and ESPN analyst -- tells players that if they work hard, it's sometimes better to be drafted in the second round than the first (because second-rounders can get to the security of that lucrative second contract sooner). For all those players who are expecting to make it into the first round this June, but don't, here's further inspiration: a blogger's list of the best second-round picks of all time. They have Michael Redd starting over Manu Ginobili, which is a crime, but there are plenty of good players on this list.
There are plenty of people who will tell you that Steve Nash deserves all those MVP awards. But it's harder to find someone who will say he's flat out better than Kobe Bryant. Here's one.
A statistical look, from smartypants Kevin Pelton, at losing close games vs. losing in general: "Good teams win close games more frequently than bad teams, but the difference is not as dramatic as it is for games decided by at least six points. This makes sense conceptually. Think of the difference between the one-and-done NCAA Tournament and the best-of-seven NBA postseason in terms of upsets. The better team comes up empty far more frequently in the NCAA (occasionally, like Wisconsin or Texas, ruining your bracket in the process) because the series is shorter."
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treak for the Cash
