Former NBA champ Steve Smith to launch NBA Jam in India

Steve Smith, the former NBA champ will be visiting India to launch the 3rd 'NBA Jam'. Smith, who had a fairly productive career in the 1990s, which included an All Star appearance in 1998 and winning a championship in his ageing years with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.



His years with the Miami Heat (1991-1995) and the Hawks (1994-99) were probably the most productive individually of his career (he averaged above 20 ppg three times in this stretch), and the stint with the Spurs was his high-point for team success, but I remember Smith mostly for his contribution to the Portland Traiblazers, for whom he played just 2 seasons from 1999-2001, but left some indelible memories.



That Blazers team will go down in history as one of the greatest to NOT win an NBA championship. In 2000, Portland boasted a team with Damon Stoudamire, Steve Smith, Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, and Arvydas Sabonis in the starting lineup, and Bonzi Wells, Detlef Schrempf, Brian Grant, Jermaine O'Neal, and Greg Anthony off the bench. Averaging 14.9 ppg, Smith was the 2nd leading scorer in this balanced squad. This team banded together to give the LA Lakers one of the most classic Conference Finals of all time, and on of the best NBA games ever. With the series tied 3-3, the Blazers blew a 15 point lead in the fourth quarter and watched the Lakers reach the NBA finals, and eventually become champions for the first time in the Shaq-Kobe era.



Smith did get his ring though, with the Tim Duncan-led Spurs three years later. A specialised shooter, he played his role of the bench to help the team succeed.



Since retirement, Smith has worked in broadcasting, both for the Atlanta Hawks and for NBA TV.



Smith will be launching the NBA Jam on September 10-11 at the Ambiance Mall in Gurgaon. From NBA.com/India

NBA JAM India is a four-city, five-week free interactive basketball experience, which captures the excitement of the NBA through basketball activities, entertainment acts, and off-court events. The opening event will take place on September 10 & 11 and then travel to five malls across Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore.



NBA Legend Steve Smith will launch the event in Delhi, interacting with the fans and spectators at the event and making various marketing appearances during his time in India.



At NBA Jam, fans are transported to the floor of an NBA arena on Center Court, which hosts exciting skill competitions and shooting contests. The highlight activity of NBA Jam will be the Sprite 3x3 tournament which will run daily at each NBA Jam stop.

Locked Out

A year ago today was one of my most optimistic days as an NBA fan. July 1, 2010, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, and a whole host of others became free agents. My favourite team, the New York Knicks, had the money to afford two of these guys, and although we were able to snag 'only' Amar'e to New York in the end, there was that exciting potential of this many talented guys shuffling things around a little.

That summer, which I previewed in my article on July 1, 2010: the 'Summer of 2010', turned out to be more explosive than expected, and taking the cue from July, every month of the NBA Calender there onwards, July 2010 - June 2011, became more and more exciting. LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade teamed up to make the most hyped/hated/talked-about 'SuperTeam' in Miami. The Knicks got Amar'e, and in a mid-season trade, got Carmelo Anthony, instantly bringing back excitement to New York. Boozer joined the Bulls, and became an important piece in their significant improvement last season to end up with the best regular season record in the NBA.

From then onwards, it was as if the NBA's wildest marketing fantasies came true, one after the other. All of the league's biggest markets - Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, and Boston became relevant. The NBA featured the perfect mix of old school stars (Garnett, Ray Allen, Kobe, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash), in-their-prime stars carrying the hype of the league (LeBron, Wade, Nowitzki, Kobe, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard), and great young stars looking primed to make sure that the NBA remains in good hands in the future (Durant, Rose, Griffin). Yes, I know I put Kobe in two lists up there, simply because he's old school and still a marquee name.

You know what else went right? Pretty much everything short of a dream Lakers-Heat Final. The All Star Game got great ratings, a home-team superstar performance by Kobe Bryant, and a grand show by Blake Griffin which included an over-the-car dunk. The playoffs were one of the most exciting ever, getting the fans to believe that the NBA is not as predictable as cynics say it is. And the Mavs winning out in the end was a karmic finish (for those who like things coming full circle and all that) for Nowitzki, a feel good win for team-oriented, "nice guy" play against the three-headed Rakshas over at Miami. Teamplay beat individual brilliance, and it seemed nearly the entire world (except for Heat fans) were happy about this.

Oh, and did I mention that the Finals ratings were amongst the highest in the decade? Did I mention that, despite a poor draft class, this year's draft got the highest TV rating ever? Despite a bad economy in the US, crowds still rushed to watch the NBA games.

I can keep going on: internationally, the league kept the fans on its toes and connected better than ever before. The NBA became the biggest sports league since the English Premier League. The NBA marketed itself brilliantly worldwide, and got all the positive responses.

Simply put: until yesterday, the league was officially in one of the best positions it has ever been, primed to have another legendary, hugely anticipated season.

That is just one way to look at it.

Because the undercurrents to this all was a serious, rising threat of an NBA lockout. No matter how much hype you saw around you, there was always a sobering article somewhere, reminding us that the CBA negotiations were not going well, that the two sides were far apart, that a lockout was near inevitable. I didn't believe it of course - I'm a damned optimist, and when I read anything that depresses me even a little bit, I can't pay attention to it. The words skim over my head and I quickly distract myself with something else.

Unfortunately, I can't distract myself any longer, nor can I ignore this reality. July 1, 2011, exactly a year after that summer of optimism, begins the summer of depression. The NBA announced that it will commence a lockout of its players, effective at 12:01 AM ET on July 1, 2011 until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

What does this mean for us?

It means, possibly, maybe, no Summer League in July. Possibly No Pre-Season in October. Possibly no NBA Regular Season in November. And if things look really bad (they do), then say goodbye to any basketball until later next year.

HOLYZARKCHOOCOSUCRSLARTIBARTFASTMOHTHEFACKHIT!@!$#@#($#(Q$*Q#(

The word 'Lockout' brings out 2 memories to my mind. The first is from my favourite basketball related movie of all time, Space Jam, where the NBA had to lock-out the 1995 season because the aliens from Moron Mountain stole the talents of Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues and Shawn Bradley to beat Michael Jordan and the Loony Toons, aka the 'Toon Squad'.

The second memory is slightly more real, when the NBA locked-out FOR REAL after Michael Jordan retired (if you didn't know, MJ runs everything basketball. Now you know) in 1998. The 1998-99 season started a little late, and only two-thirds of the regular season was played. The playoffs included a dream run by the Knicks to become the first eighth-seeded team to make the Finals, which were eventually won by the Duncan/Robinson Spurs, and sparked the beginning of one of the most consistent teams in NBA basketball.

That 1998-99 season was the first real season that I closely followed NBA basketball. That was the season where I could call myself a real fan, not just a casual over-hearer of news. And of course, because of the Knicks' amazing run that year, that the the season that made me a fan of NYK.

For Knicks fans like me, it's been downhill ever since, all until, ironically, today, when the Knicks are relevant again, and we face yet another lockout. CRAP.

So as a fan, NBA basketball has come full circle, starting with the last lockout and peaking with this one, before it all comes crumbling down again. I blame everyone involved. I blame David Stern (NBA Commissioner) for not softening his approach to the players. I blame Billy Hunter (NBPA Executive Director) for not softening his approach to the owners. I blame the players for not accepting lesser money. I blame the owners (who say that 22 out of 30 NBA teams are losing money) for being greedy.

The reality is of course several times more complicated than my super-simplified version in the paragraph above. I actually feel that I'm disrespecting the complexity of the negotiations by that simplified above paragraph. But no matter how deep you go into the issues, it all comes back to the basic, painful truth: there might not be any NBA games in the recent future. Not David Stern, or Billy Hunter, or the Lakers' Derek Fisher (President, NBPA), or the owners, all the other millionaire men in shiny black suits, or and millionaire athletes in fresh NBA jerseys... The lockout will hurt someone else much, much more.

The fans.

For the fans, the formula is simple. You can't see your favourite teams and your favourite players perform at the highest level. Until things get figured out, there will be no more excitement of trades this offseason, no one checking to see if rookies are developing, no teams getting upgraded, no faces of NBA players on any NBA websites (this one hit me HARD - check out NBA.com).

And worst of all, there will be no NBA basketball.

Sniff.

International Iceman: George Gervin assists with the NBA Cares program in India

I wrote this article for SLAMOnline.com, where it was first published on March 7, 2011. Read it on SLAM.

Surrounded by a group of Indian schoolkids in New Delhi, India, 58-year-old NBA Hall of Famer George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin took a little break from the shooting drills. Beside him was Marty Conlon, former NBA journeyman who had also been involved with NBA programs in India for the last year.

Conlon grabs a microphone and points at Gervin. “His right-hand is a little tired now – it’s scored over 26,000 points.”

The audience, understandably, wasn’t exactly well-versed on Ice. Most of the 15-year-olds are Kobe fans who haven’t been fans long enough to remember that Kobe used to wear #8. And The Iceman, the man who pretty much patented the finger roll, is way old school, emerging as one of the bridges of the era between the ABA and the new NBA. I’m not even close to old enough to having been able watch Gervin or even the legacy that he left behind, but I do have a different type of connection. The Iceman is my favorite player’s favorite player. I grew up idolizing Gary Payton, who himself once said that George Gervin was his favorite player to watch as a kid.

So when the NBA joined hands with the US Department of State to plan a “Sports Diplomacy” trip, The Iceman and two-time WNBA Champion Katie Smith of the Minnesota Lynx were brought to India at the end of February, and it was an opportunity for me to meet a legend.

He has achieved several highlights over his career, including several ABA and NBA All Star appearances, being nominated into NBA’s Top 50 as well as the Basketball Hall of Fame, and most importantly, scoring, scoring, and scoring! He scored 26,595 points in his NBA/ABA career, and averaged 26.2 ppg in the NBA, good for eighth highest of all time. Most impressive, though, might’ve been his field goal average, as The Iceman shot 51.1 percent from the field over the course of his NBA career.

And yet, when I hear ‘George Gervin’, I think of one (and only one) story before I think of any of his other achievements. On April 9, 1978, the last day of the 1977-78 season, Gervin, while with the Spurs, edged David ‘Skywalker’ Thomson, who was playing for the Nuggets, by 0.07 points per game to win the NBA’s scoring title in its tightest race ever.

You have to love an era when the game’s best players are nicknamed ‘Iceman’ and ‘Skywalker’. Most true red-blooded NBA fans know the story from that day: Gervin started the day leading Thompson’s average by 0.2, but Thompson went on to score a spectacular 73 points (the second highest individual score at that point to Wilt’s 100) to take the lead and finish with a season average of 27.15.

Gervin needed 58 to win the crown. He went out and scored 63, pushing up his average to 27.22. And oh yes, he did it in 33 minutes.

So of course, when I got a moment to interview The Iceman himself, the conversation inevitably came back to April 9, 1978. “Take me through that day,” I requested, “Your first scoring title. You know what I’m talking about.”

Luckily for me, The Iceman was as cool off-court as he had once been on it. He had been showing incredibly energy and positivity when interacting with and training the kids, and he showed the same enthusiasm at my question.

So, over to the Iceman:

You see, I had been the leading scorer all season. He [David Thompson] was right behind me, but I was leading.

That day, Thompson had an early afternoon game (against the Pistons). And he went out and scored 73 points on them. I was playing in New Orleans later that night. I knew I needed 59 to win the title. Oh well… The coach came to me and said ‘Ice, we’re here to help you get that title back’.

I told the coach ‘It ain’t a big deal’… But it was!

The game started – I went out there and I missed my first six shots. I had to call a timeout because I was really feeling the pressure. I thought to myself, ‘Forget it, I can’t get it’. But my coach and my teammates had my back.

So I went back in and I started heating up. By the end of the first quarter I had 20 points. In the second quarter I scored 33. That is an NBA record by the way – that is a record that still stands today.

I had 53 points already, before the half, and I only needed six more. Once I got to 59, the coach said ‘Well you’ve got it now, we’re gonna take you out’. But I asked him to keep me in the game. ‘Coach, let me get a couple more just to be sure,’ I asked, ‘What if they didn’t get the calculations right?’

So I played a few more minutes and finished with 63 points. In 33 minutes. See, people talk about the points, but it is the efficiency that you must look at. It is the efficiency – 33 minutes to get 63 points – that is important.

That was The Iceman’s first scoring title: he won two more over the next two years and finished with four in five years between 1979-1982. But what he insisted during our interview was that the number of points weren’t as important as the high-percentage (51.1 percent) with which he scored them.

After his NBA career ended, Gervin played a few years in Europe, featuring in stints with Banco Roma (Rome) and TDK Manresa (Spain). Over 20 years later, the list of NBA players who have started their pro careers overseas (Brandon Jennings), taken a mid-career stint overseas (Josh Childress), or are finishing their careers overseas (Allen Iverson) continues to grow.

“Bob McAdoo and I were probably the first big name players to go overseas and play,” he said, “It was just the beginning then. Now, you see how much things have changed and how amazingly global the NBA has become.”

And the global influence of the game has effected every aspect of it: from foreigners playing in the NBA, to NBA players going to foreign countries to play, to NBA games being held in other countries like the Raptors/Nets games in London last week. More than ever now, NBA-affiliated programs and leagues are spreading over the globe, from Europe, South America, Africa, South-East Asia, and of course, China and India.

“With the NBA Cares program, you now have NBA-related events all over the world to involve kids in basketball,” Gervin added, “We want to use basketball as a tool to make sure that the kids get a good education. I enjoy working with kids a lot and have been doing it at my academy back in San Antonio, but this is the first time I’m doing something like this overseas – hopefully I can come back to India in the future.”

While in India, Gervin and Katie conducted basketball clinics with the Indian youth, met with university students, and participated in local community events in underserved areas. In Delhi and Mumbai, the two attended the finals of the Mahindra NBA Challenge, a recreational, inner-city league organized in several Indian cities in the past two years. Additionally, In Mumbai, they participated in a clinic at the YMCA International Court and held a special Women’s Empowerment Clinic at Sophia College for students from Sophia College and SNDT Women’s University. They also held a basketball clinic with students of Magic Bus, a non-profit organization working with children from marginalized backgrounds.

In Delhi, Gervin and Smith held more clinics at universities, school, and even a special basketball beginner’s clinic for underprivileged children in the outskirts of the city.

It was a great gesture by the two, particularly Gervin, an older legend of the game, to come halfway across the world to share his hoops enthusiasm, even though it was to an audience that were too far-removed from his achievements and his highlight reels. Last year, current All-Stars Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol were in India, and they were obviously treated with louder fanfare. But it would be reckless to forget about legends like Gervin: I found an interview with Austin Kent of ‘The Good Point’ a few years ago, where The Iceman had said “When I played, the media wasn’t as involved, the technology wasn’t there. If the world had a chance to see a lot of the guys – like myself – in this era, we would probably be looked at differently.”

Well, in India, we got to see a very different Iceman; we got to see someone who has a new legend off the court that matches the Hall-of-Fame career he had on it.

George Gervin and Katie Smith complete successful ‘Sports Diplomacy’ trip in India

The US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the National Basketball Association (NBA) saw the completion of first ever 9-day sports envoy trip, bringing NBA Hall of Famer George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin and two-time WNBA Champion Katie Smith to Mumbai and New Delhi from February 22nd – March 2nd. As part of this trip, they conducted basketball clinics with the Indian youth, met with university students, and participated in local community events in underserved areas.

“We want to use basketball as a tool to make sure that children get a good education,” said Gervin, who runs the George Gervin Youth Center in San Antonio, a programme to help benefit youth development.

Gervin said that although he has been working with children in the past, this was his first time making this type of international trip. “I love working with young kids, and I have enjoyed myself in India. What better market is there for basketball than India? The game here is not as popular, but it has a good foundation to grow. There are a lot of players now from Europe in the NBA, and I don’t see why India can’t be next!”

In addition to participating in events with the US Department of State, Gervin and Smith attended the finals of the Mahindra NBA Challenge, the largest, multi-city basketball league in the country, which the NBA conducts with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The Finals were conducted in Mumbai on Saturday, February 26th at the Don Bosco High School and in Delhi on Sunday, February 27th at the Oxford Senior Secondary School.

Katie Smith encouraged the young basketball players to focus on their practice to improve. “In basketball just like anything you want to be good at– homework, music, sports – you have to keep practicing. It might seem hard right now, but the more you practice the easier it becomes.”

Smith also spoke about the influence of international players to basketball in the US. “The foreign players are very versatile, and we learn from them, just like they learn from us.”

For aspiring basketball players in India, Smith said: “You have to keep playing, keep enjoying, and get involved from a young age. Basketball is a fun game and can take you a long way – just like it has helped me travel the world!"

Apart from the Mahindra Finals, Gervin and Smith held basketball clinics at several other locations in Mumbai and New Delhi. In Mumbai, they participated in a clinic at the YMCA International Court, visited a special programmea the Phoenix Mills Compound in Lower Parel, and held a special Women's Empowerment Clinic at Sophia College for students from Sophia College and SNDT Women's University. They also held a basketball clinic with students of Magic Bus, a non-profit organisation working with children from marginalised backgrounds.

In Delhi, Gervin and Smith held clinics at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, Oxford Secondary School, Ahlcon International School, and a special basketball beginner’s mixed clinic for underprivileged children at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jaffarpur Kalan.

George Gervin was a major star in the ABA and the NBA in the 70s and 80s. He played for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls in the ABA/NBA, becoming a three-time ABA all star, nine-time NBA all star, and named seven times to the All NBA team. He was also the MVP of the 1980 NBA All Star Game. He finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game and ended his basketball playing career with a succesful stint in Europe, playing in Banco Roma (Italy) and TDK Manresa (Spain).

Katie Smith played college basketball at the Ohio State University and currently plays for WNBA team Washington Mystics. She is a two time WNBA champion (2006 and 2008) with the Detroit Shock and was also named the 2008 Finals MVP. Smith is a 6 time WNBA all star and has won the Olympic Gold Medal there times (2000, 2004, 2008) with the USA basketball team.

George Gervin and Katie Smith to hold clinics in Mumbai and Delhi

NBA Legend George Gervin and WNBA player Katie Smith are set to hold youth clinics in Mumbai and New Delhi during the finals of the Mahindra NBA Challenge recreational leagues in both of the cities on Saturday, February 26th and Sunday, February 27th, respectively. The event is being organised by The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the National Basketball Association (NBA), who announced that they will tip off their 2011 sports envoy program with their first-ever joint trip to India.

Gervin and Smith will be in India for a total of 10 days, from February 22nd to March 2nd. The Mumbai clinic will be held on February 26th from 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM at the Don Bosco High School in Matunga East. The Delhi clinic will be held on February 27th from 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM at the Oxford Senior Secondary School in E-Block, Vikas Puri.

George Gervin was a major star in the ABA and the NBA in the 70s and 80s. He played for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls in the ABA/NBA, becoming a three-time ABA all star, nine-time NBA all star, and named seven times to the All NBA team. He was also the MVP of the 1980 NBA All Star Game. He finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game and ended his basketball playing career with a succesful stint in Europe, playing in Banco Roma (Italy) and TDK Manresa (Spain).

Katie Smith played college basketball at the Ohio State University and currently plays for WNBA team Washington Mystics. She is a two time WNBA champion (2006 and 2008) with the Detroit Shock and was also named the 2008 Finals MVP. Smith is a 6 time WNBA all star and has won the Olympic Gold Medal there times (2000, 2004, 2008) with the USA basketball team.

"The Iceman" George Gervin to come to India!

Three things come to my mind when I think George Gervin.


1) The Finger Roll: one of the prettiest moves in basketball, patented and perfected by Gervin.,
2) The Nickname: The Iceman - George Gervin named so for his cool demeanour and cooler game.
3) The Snoop Dogg song 'Hoop Dreams', where the rapper drops the line: "Double G, like George Gervin, cuz I'm so Ice BALLIN!'

Named one of the 50 best player in the NBA in 1997, one of the league's best ever scorers, George Gervin a 6 foot 7 inch shooting guard, who played in the ABA and the NBA from 1973-1986, is set to come to India from February 22 to March 2.


The event is being organised by The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the National Basketball Association (NBA), who announced that they will tip off their 2011 sports envoy program with their first-ever joint trip to India. NBA Hall of Famer George “The Iceman” Gervin and two-time WNBA Champion Katie Smith will visit Mumbai and New Delhi from February 22 to March 2, where they will conduct basketball clinics with Indian youth, meet with university students, and participate in local community events in underserved areas.

Sports diplomacy envoys build on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power diplomacy,” which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools – in this case the game of basketball – to bring people together and foster greater understanding among people and cultures.


Gervin, a former San Antonio Spur, is a three-time NBA champion and was voted to the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list in 1996. Smith is a six-time WNBA All-Star for the Washington Mystics.

Gervin's career is highlighted by a legendary battle for the NBA's scoring crown that he had with fellow volume scorer David Thompson in 1978. On the last day of the season, Thompson scored 73 points, Gervin had 63 (including 33 points in the second quarter) and he was able to maintain his higher scoring average.

And if you need a reminder of how good this guy was, YouTube is always here to help...



More info to follow soon...

The Spurs are still here

There are a surprisingly low amount of San Antonio Spurs related posts, not only on this blog, but across on most blogs and websites around the global INTERNAATS (outside of San Antonio, of course). Somehow, the last decade's most successful basketball team (along with the Lakers) went by either hated, or at worst, unnoticed by most in the basketball world.

But the San Antonio Spurs, NBA Champions in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007, and contenders for damn near every other year, have once again sprung up from under the radar and are currently owners of the NBA's best 13-1 record, including owners of an incredible 12 game winning streak. Ask the casual NBA fan of the intriguing storylines of this NBA season, and he/she will mention the failing Big 3 at Miami, the chase for a sixth championship for Kobe in LA, the Celtics and their acquisition of Shaq, or Kevin Durant and the exciting young Thunder squad. And still, none of these teams have had a better start than the Spurs have.

Maybe it's because of their leader Tim Duncan, who has once again been the model of a quiet professional, getting it done year after year (after year, after year) without fanfare, hype, big shoe deals, and relatively lower global attention. Maybe its because of their coach Gregg Popovich, who has stuck with the same winning system, rated boring by half the world (and cheaters by the other half). Even the antics of Tony Parker and his Desperate Housewife or Manu Ginobili's incredible clutch talent/ incredible flopping talent have brought this team into mainstream attention.

Duncan recently became the Spurs' all time leading scorer, overtaking their other legend and twin tower, David Robinson. Duncan, known as T-Robot for his efficiency and lack of emotion (expect that he is programmed to frown at questionable referee calls), continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest power forwards of all time. And yet, year after year, he continues to be overlooked.

But the Spurs are still here, and still winning. After getting swept by the Suns in last year's Conference Semi-Finals, Spurs have responded well with more of the same formula that has made them so successful over the past 12 years. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili are once again getting it done, and are being supported ably by younger talent such as Richard Jefferson, George Hill, DeJuan Blair, Tiago Splitter, and the rest.

When the season began, I had predicted that there will be few teams who could really challenge the Lakers for the Western Conference Championship. The Spurs' fast start has made me doubt that prediction: I still feel that no one is stopping Kobe and LA from reaching the Finals again, but I don't think that the ride through the Western conference will be as smooth as I had earlier expected.

I spent much of the last decade cursing and fearing the Spurs - no matter what the scene around the league, you could bet that they would always be a threat to your favourite team. And here they go again. The best managed franchise in the league just won't go away...

Let's talk Playoffs!

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It's that time of the year again - all 30 NBA teams have played their 82 games, and the best 16 (top 8 from each conference) move on to the second season, aka, the most exciting time of the year - the NBA playoffs.

The postseason tips off on April 17th - playoffs will be held in knockout fashion with the teams fighting in best of 7 series in each round. The actual postseason lineups are slightly different from what I had predicted a few months ago following the trade deadline.

Here are the playoff matchups for 2010:

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Chicago Bulls (8)
Orlando Magic (2) vs. Charlotte Bobcats (7)
Atlanta Hawks (3) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
Boston Celtics (4) vs. Miami Heat (5)

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Oklahama City Thunder (8)
Dallas Mavericks (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7)
Phoenix Suns (3) vs. Portland Trailblazers (6)
Denver Nuggets (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5)

There are a lot of young teams in this year adding excitement to the playoff picture. The Bobcats and the Bucks have been playing out of their minds in the east and fully deserve to be in the postseason. In the West, a nod obviously goes to Kevin Durant and the young Thunder as well as the injury-plagued yet surviving Trailblazers.

Here are my first round predictions:


Cavs vs. Bulls: Cavs in 4 - The Cleveland LeBrons have finished the season as the best team in the league (61-21) for the second straight year and will have home-court advantage right through the playoffs. Reigning (and soon to be named future) MVP LeBron James will be back after being given a week's rest, and Shaq will be back since his injury at the end of Feb. The Cavs are looking great, with Antawn Jamison, Big Z, Mo Williams, Varejao, Boobie Gibson, JJ Hickson all ready to fire.
The Bulls did beat the Cavs twice this season, but a healthy, motivated Cleveland team is too good. Despite Derrick Rose's brilliance, and the Bulls' late season form to sneak into the playoffs, I call a clean sweep here as Cavs will win all four games with relative ease.

Magic vs. Bobcats: Magic in 6 - I don't see this series being too easy for the favoured Magic, led by Dwight Howard and Vince Carter. The Bobcats are a tricky opponent: Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, and the tutelage of Larry Brown will make things scrappy and difficult for the Magic. Still, the Magic, who were last year's finalists, have too much experience of the playoffs and should be able to win the series in six games.

Hawks vs. Bucks: Hawks in 6 - The Hawks are number three not because they deserve to be number three (yes, I'm a hater) but because the Celtics kept on shooting themselves in the foot towards the end of the season. Now, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and my main man Al Horford will step up against a defensively great Milwaukee team, who will now be lead by rookie Brandon Jennings. Unfortunately, their best player Bogut got injured at an inoppurtune time, and the Hawks should be able to take advantage of that and get through to the second round.

Celtics vs. Heat: Heat in 7 - Here I go, predicting my first upset of the playoffs. Teams 4 and 5 are always the closest matched, and to be honest, I wouldn't have given the Heat a sniff of a chance against the Celtics in a playoff series at the beginning of the season. Things have since changed: the Celtics are struggling big time, the Big three are looking really old, and unless KG can wake up and take charge, this team will not replicate their famous 'ubunto' identity again. The Heat on the under hand have been on fire to end the season. The incredible Wade has led the team to win 12 of their last 13 games, and there is nothing better than momentum entering the playoffs.
Still, the talent on the Celtics can't be denied. This will be a tough, exciting series, and will go all the way to seven. But D-Wade will eclipse the Big 3 (and 4 now, counting Rajon Rondo) and win an exciting game seven.

Lakers vs. Thunder: Lakers in 5 - Good job at making it this far, Oklahama City. Kevin Durant will be a second-favourite on MVP vote, after already becoming the youngest player ever to win the scoring title. Speaking of scorers, Mr. 81 aka Kobe will be back, and so will the Lakers. Too much experience in Phil Jackson, Kobe, Gasol, etc here - the champs will win again.

I'm excited to see Kobe and Durant go off against each other, too. And to see Ron Ron deal with Durant defensively. Gasol (and the probably returning Andrew Bynum) will eat the Thunder post players alive.

Mavericks vs. Spurs: Mavericks in 7 - The Spurs are hitting form again, led by the return of Manu Ginobili's manhood. Tim Duncan can never be counted off, and that is why I believe they will take a supremely deep and talented Dallas team all the way to seven games. Still, Dirk, Kidd, Marion, Butler, Terry, Haywood... Oh the Mavericks are deep! They'll survive this one!
Here's an amazing Spur stat for you: The Spurs are starting the playoffs without home-court advantage for the first time since Tim Duncan's rookie year. That, my friends, was 12 years ago. Amazing.

Suns vs. Blazers: Suns in 4 - This series could've been so much more - but an unfortunate injury to Blazers guard and superstar Brandon Roy has meant that the Suns, who have finished the season in amazing form, will continue dominating opponents. Amar''e is on fire and Steve Nash is playing like its 2003. Add a rejuvenated Grant Hill and the serviceable Jason Richardson, and the Suns are looking great to sweep this series.

Nuggets vs. Jazz: Jazz in 7 - You smell that? I smell an upset. A Jazzy, Jerry Sloan led, Deron Williams dominated, Chauncey overshadowed, Boozer post destructing, Melo buzzer-beating missing upset. These two teams are too close to call, but the Nuggets seem to have lost their footing a little bit, and the class of Deron and the Jazz will see them through this very, very close series. I'm very excited to see the Chauncey-Deron matchup: two PGs of different generations who play very similar games.

April 17 is the date. Bring on the postseason - only the 16 now matter. Who will be the last team standing? I can hardly wait.

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Mega Sports Summit in Mumbai next week

Aiming to create "a sports revolution in the country", sports and entertainment company SE TransStadia will be organizing a massive sports summit, the biggest of its kind in India, in Mumbai, from March 24-25. Amongst the several political and sport-related attendees from around the world will include members of the management board of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

Hey, I always knew the Spurs have an eye for great foreign players - Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan isn't exactly American, either (Virgin Islands, actually). Looking for the next big thing by making contacts in India already?

From The Hindu:

Talking about the initiative, Udit Sheth, MD and CEO of TransStadia says “Sport has ceased to be a vocational activity and has emerged as a billion dollar industry. We aim at bringing together a potpourri of global and Indian sports celebrities and administrators, under one roof to come up with ideas to transform Indian sports.”
He adds, "There is tremendous change in the way we look at sports in India. It is on par with any other industry. Innovative sports development events such as the IPL have clearly put sports in a pole position. Unfortunately, Indian sports is divided and fragmented and lacks collective thinking. We need to chart a new path and aim to do that by bringing in the best of talent in sports administration, government, people connected to sports infrastructure and the media on a single platform," says Sheth.

Aside from the Spurs management, other attendees will include Gujrat Chief Minister and World Class Choot Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Suresh Kalmadi, Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden, and representatives from the English Premier League.