basketball
OUR LEGENDS AIN'T WORRIED
OUR LEGENDS AIN’T WORRIED
October 25, 2021
There is a saying that goes, “Youth is wasted on the young”. Luckily, for the legends that I’m discussing today, youth is a state of mind and nothing can shake a veteran that’s about putting in that work.
I. MELO SCORING OVER 20
This shouldn’t even be a big deal but here’s why it is. So many people counted out that boy Melo for no reason. Some tried to say it was his “attitude”, others said he was confused about his role, and others just flat out thought father time had finally caught up to the B-More legend. Well survey says that’s cap!
That boy Melo is proving his longevity just like his banana boat buddy King James. Even other stars across the league had to express their disbelief about the criticisms regarding Mr. Anthony. Melo has been proving himself to be a valuable asset to the Lakers franchise. Something he wasn’t able to fully show with Houston or OKC. He’s been on a steady trend upwards since his redemption via Portland and now even in Year 19 the sky’s the limit for the legend named Carmelo Anthony!
II. JADAKISS WINNING VERZUZ
Verzuz is a revolutionary platform started by legendary producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, that pits togethers the powerhouses of music in a battle of catalogs! This platform is important to the culture because it makes our legends relevant again by putting money in their pockets and exposing to new opportunities with the recent exposure provided by the battle. However, there is an undisputed Verzuz champion and it’s the guy from Yonkers that had a baldie at 19 for no reason and wears timbs w/ shorts. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, D-Block’s finest, Jadakiss!
Kiss proved that lyrical manslaughter is always respected no matter what. After besting Fab during his first Verzuz appearance, Kiss made another entrance into the Verzuz battlefield alongside his L-O-X brothers to battle the Culture Gods, the mighty Dipset, most known by its 3headed monster—Killa Cam, Capo, and the poster child for Bandanas, Juelz Santana!
People were instantly writing off Kiss and the LOX because the cultural dominance of Cam and the Diplomats resonated with the youth so hard, people didn’t see the LOX overcoming those anthems. But that night the Diplomats was looking like they lost all their immunity and was facing 25 to life. Kiss went so crazy he had the Dips in shambles off Clue tape freestyles! Jadakiss may not have had that youthful dominance that Dipset had but he learned kids across the world real good that night. Even kids was just dressing up as Jadakiss for hallowen this year! (probably at the direction of the parents but the point still stands). Jada stuck to his guns and when people tried to write him and them Yonkers boys off, he showed up like Melo breaking another scoring record! Truly remarkable!
MIGHTY MIGHTY D-BLOCK!
III. NASIR’S KINGLY RESURGENCE
Man out of the legends discussed during this article, I gotta be proud most of my guy Nasir! The Queensbridge hero truly showed up these couple years. After a critically slammed fully Kanye produced album, people once again questioned “Is it Over for Nas?” “Should I listen to Illmatic for the 9Billionth time?!”. I personally enjoyed the Kanye produced album NASIR, but whether I enjoyed that or not, Nas shut all critics mouths for good when he linked up with the underdog HIt-Boy. Hit-Boy and Nas seem like a random hookup but Hit-Boy been unconsciously prepped for this moment for a while.
Hit-Boy got to produce maybe the biggest stadium banger of all time, “N***** In Paris”. Besides all the Ye stuff he had the Drake banger “Trophies” under his belt. He maintained consistency blessing the streets with his collab Dom Kennedy tapes and scooped a grammy for producing the late great Nipsey Hussle’s “Racks in the Middle” single. Wait a minute and the boy got production credits on SICKO MODE!
All his previous successes showed that he was ready to give Nas the soundtrack to properly convey his thoughts without forcing him to stay in what Hit-Boy dropped. Those tracks I mentioned sound nothing like each other but they still banged in their own way. Which is what exactly what Nas needed. He’d never fail with lyrical content but Hit-Boy had the ability to keep Nas current.
With the first King’s Disease, Nas showed us he still had plenty to say and he could give us bangers while he said them too! Nas even got his first grammy off this album, he didn’t even get a grammy for what people considered the greatest hip hop album of all time, Illmatic. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Nas delivers a sequel that is undoubtedly better than the first! His lyrics on point, the beat banging, and his songs has a new breath of life that doesn’t get tiresome.
Nas showed that he doesn’t have to play to the tune of today’s sound but he also showed he doesn’t have to boom bap us to death to stay true to himself. Even with songs like YKTV or SPICY, Nas don’t start rapping like Quavo or NBA Youngboy he stays himself while trusting Hit-Boy’s. production. This idea is expressed with the lyric, “imagine lil uzi on a primo beat, imagine n-a-s on a migos beat.” Which shows Nas isn’t afraid to experiment and he doesn’t have to lose himself while doing so, peace god!
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IS PERFECTION WORTH IT?
IS PERFECTION WORTH IT?
April 6, 2021
Image via sportsnet.
Its that time again that basketball fans around the world love! March Madness baby! People filling out brackets, competing to make the most accurate predictions, all while knowing that accurate predictions will elude them quicker than a punch thrown at Mayweather.
March Madness, is also a time to make history. History was almost made once again by the Men’s Basketball team at Gonzaga. Gonzaga scorched through the season leaving behind a trail of losers, even making it to the big stage. However, the Basketball Gods said once again screw all data and probability, and Gonzaga took a L on the biggest stage. Gonzaga had a chance to have the perfect season but once again, historic moments eludes another team.
96’ bulls & 16’ warriors. image via sports illustrated,
After that loss it made me think…is perfection worth it? Its like we should’ve saw this coming. No one rarely meets this standard of perfection. I even thought back to the 2015-16 Warriors, they almost had the perfect season when they bested the Chicago Bulls’ regular season record, but in the end met their end as well. When you put in so much work, literal perfection, only to meet the bitter taste of defeat at the end, a sane person has to ask is it worth it?
You put this strain on your mental and physical. You play in top form day in day out. The expectations at this point is through the roof and maybe that is why perfection usually eludes these teams? You play at such a high level that physically just can’t be maintained. It’s almost as if you should do enough to qualify then exude all your energy when it’s time to go for the big kahuna. Personally, I feel striving for perfection is always worth it. The mere thought of completing a seemingly insurmountable challenge is exhilarating. Although, I often question perfection, it should be the standard the greats aspire to have, even if they fall from time to time.
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Scottie knew the vibes
That 73-9 didn’t mean a thing without the ring, s/o Bron baby lmao!
THE SYMPATHIZERS
THE SYMPATHIZERS
KD after a successful surgery, reassuring fans worldwide that he will be fine.
The 2019 NBA FINALS has been one emotional rollercoaster ride. This year Golden State went from the most hated team in the League… to people actually showing empathy and being sympathetic for the Warriors?!
photo via ESPN
photo via ESPN
How does hate turns to “love” so swiftly? It’s called having a human heart. After seeing what the Warriors went through it activates something in a person with a soul to see that type of anguish. People identify with losses and struggle, not perfection. When the Warriors dominance started to look shaky, that’s when the massive support started to come together.
First, the horrific injury that happened to Kevin Durant shook the Warriors organization. Speculation swarmed the league that KD wasn’t ready to play in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA FINALS. However, the bustle of maybe he could come back and play also entrenched the league. When he did return to play he came back w/ a vengeance. Most would agree this was looking like a 40 point game for KD.
cop the tee 👉🏾 gettothecorner.com/welcome/sidelinedrizzy
Then, KD went down (oh no) with what we all knew was a fatal injury. The league sent their undying love and support. Even The Boy, Drizzy Drake was distraught on the sidelines like he just seen his dog get hit by a F-150.
Funny, KD was just the biggest snake on Planet Earth. Some went as far to call him the scum of the Earth. Now he’s everyone hero because he showed heart from a place of vulnerability.
The tragedy for Golden State didn’t stop there. Klay was also bit by the injury bug after a dunk attempt that left him with a torn ACL. Fueled by a will to win, he makes it back to the court and hit two Kobe-esque free throws.
China Klay in action 🤦🏾♂️
Like KD, Klay was swarmed with love and support. Klay was just a budding joke, who even had the infamous nickname “China Klay” ( in reference to his Asia Tour for his signature sneakers in which he played like a person with zero basketball IQ).
Seeing the Warriors depleted and facing imminent defeat gave people a chance to actually feel remorse for them. They’re able to feel Remorse after witnessing five straight dominant years.
A dynasty everyone wanted to end but after these misfortunate onslaughts to the team’s morale maybe the cheering for Bay Area’s Guiding Light will start once again.
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THE FOOT LOCKER RE-BRAND THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE NOTICE TO
THE FOOT LOCKER RE-BRAND THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE NOTICE TO
Foot Locker has always been a staple in the community. Whether it was the quick pull up for the white forces in the summer or being the place you got your first pair of retros, Foot Locker always stood the test of time. With the sneaker culture getting deeply immersive and more prevalent, niche boutiques has been killing it lately because of its exclusivity of sneakers and connection to the sneaker culture on a ground level.
If your suburban sneaker culture is mixtape underground then Foot Locker is as mainstream as it gets. However, Foot Locker is making sure it isn’t overlooked in the sneaker world. The first step was House of Hoops but lately its been more extreme than a simple store expansion.
The “Because Sneakers” commercial, the new Detroit store, and it involvement in NBA2K establishes that Foot Locker plans to be the big behemoth as the face of Sneakers.
Just Don Portrait by Me | More Art On instagram.com/the__corne
The Because Sneakers commercials gather forces in the culture (i.e. Don C, owner of JUST DON & known affiliate of Kanye West) to display just why the sneaker craze is so deeply engrained and important.
8 Mile Road in Eastpointe. (Metro-Detroit Area)
Motor City colorway for Foot Locker
The new Detroit store took ample steps in honoring and propelling the image/heritage of Detroit. Using contemporary local heroes who have shown their dedication to the culture, connecting a giant brand to the gritty city that’s been overlooked far too long.
Jerry Lorenzo, round of FEAR OF GOD, in AIR FEAR OF GOD 1 in NBA2K
NBA2K, the crowned basketball simulation of this generation, is in the homes of many and with the ever so popular MYPLAYER mode, players are taking customization to the next level. And what’s a good player without a good sneakers these days? With exclusives like the Air Fear of God and the Yeezys digitized, Foot Locker wins by associating its brand with crowned jewels, allowing players to make subconscious connection between foot locker and sneaker heat.
The Foot Locker re-brand should never be overlooked and should be embraced because the battle for sneaker supremacy is still ongoing and Foot Locker is making sure they aren’t forgotten.
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THE NEW FLYEST GUY IN THE NBA?!
THE NEW FLYEST GUY IN THE NBA?!
When it comes to fashion of high profile basketball athletes a couple of names come to mind. Lebron, Russell, Harden, etc. but there been a new face when it comes to NBA fashion. That person is……PJ Tucker.
PJ Tucker effortlessly connects grail-level sneakers (that’s the word for exclusives for those who don’t know) with current trends that never feels like he’s over doing it.
PJ hoops in the Nike Air Yeezy 2
Even on the court, PJ Tucker has been consistent with the shoe game which makes him in the talks of the best on-the-court style in the league.
Off White c/o PJ Tucker? Ha! PJ styles in exclusive colorway of Virgil's take on the Hyperdunk.
If there is a NBA style award category for the 2018 and PJ Tucker isn’t involved then ask yourself: Is there really a NBA STYLE AWARD then?
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Happy 33rd Birthday to Kobe Bryant.
What would be the best caption for this picture?
“Which one of you is Gary? It’s that guy? Tell him I said he should guard me. He is? Well tell him I said he should guard me MORE.”
“Nigga What?!”-MJ
WATCH THE THRONE
Another Kevin Durant rec ball shining moment. If all we are left to survive on for the next 8 months are NBA TV Hardwood Classics and YouTube vids like these then… well it will still suck won’t it?
Watch Joe Johnson earn $5.23 of his $120,000,000 contract.
Keith Bogans forgot to buckle up as Joe hit the breaks and sent him flying. He’s going to need some ankle therapy after that crossover.
Also facepalm myself for messing up the series record, it’s actually tied 2-2. One good thing about that mistake was that I learned that this blog has a lot of angry Bulls fans.
Kobe 81 Point Game.
Slam Your Breds