I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal.

I attended the Dallas Mavericks championship parade yesterday and thought about what makes that team so beloved nationally. By way of contrast, I think it's related to another question: Why is Lebron James so hated in the world of basketball?

What would motivate the people of Cleveland to root for anyone playing the Heat, even creating "Cavs for Mavs" fan wear? Why would the governor praise the Mavericks for beating James' Heat to the extent of making them honorary Ohioians?

I think there are two issues here, one betrayal and the other arrogance.

Cleveland feels betrayed, but is that valid? People leave teams all the time, right? If they just do it for money, they catch a certain amount of wrath. But, what about if a player does it in order to win championships?

Shouldn't we praise a guy who cares more about winning than about the money?

Well, you have to understand the context. Lebron is from Ohio. He was gifted to Cleveland, a city that hadn't won a championship in anything since ... well, since before I was born. He was their best chance.

But, that might legitimately only explain the disappointment of getting so close (including the NBA Finals), yet not betrayal.

Well, the problem is that he'd given many indications that he was committed to Cleveland and winning there ... not just winning. In fact, as recently as the end of March 2010 in an interview on NBA TV he stated, "I have a goal and its a huge goal and that's to bring an NBA championship to Cleveland and I won't stop until I get it."

But he did stop. He stopped only a few months later.

But, it's not just that he stopped. They broke up. Break ups are rarely easy. But this wasn't just that they broke up, but how they broke up.

Playing coy with a team that fired the head coach in what could be deemed an appeasement to Lebron James, he jilted his former lover by announcing in a media circus of a one-hour "decision" special. He was taking his talents and his affections to South Beach.

Was it, "I don't love you anymore"? Or was it, "I never really loved you anyway"?

Either way, feelings of rage which sparked jersey burnings are understandable.

For those outside of Cleveland, that's all perceived as pretty crummy. Yet, beyond that is a guy who some want to regard as potentially the best of all time, but yet seems to have taken the easy way out.

Instead of sticking with a team and doing whatever it took to get that team a championship, he left for easier waters.

Contrast Lebron with Dirk Nowitski, who had also made a finals appearance and was a free agent. He stuck with his team of alleged spares and won. That story inspires people. Lebron's does not.

I think that contributed to people rooting for Dirk's Mavericks and against Lebron's Heat.

Couple that with James' boasting about winning multiple championships (at least 8) at the Heat's over-the-top pep rally and you can see how folks might like to see the proud humbled. You can see how some might take pleasure in Lebron being the 3rd best scorer on his team in the NBA Finals ... in a losing effort.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure just about everyone would want him on their team. But, whatever transpires from here on out, I don't think you'll ever have any serious arguments in favor of Lebron being among the NBA's best of the best of all time.

He's no Michael Jordan. He's no Magic Johnson. As well, he's no Dirk Nowitski.

That was so fetch!

Whoop! A hearty congratulations to Sydney Colson & her fellow Aggies winning the NCAA Women's Championship!

It was an amazing and impressive drive, beating a 1-seeded Baylor team that had handed them 3 of their 5 losses on the season. Then they another 1-seed, Stanford, the only team that had given 2 time defending champs UConn a loss this season. Then they sent the Fightin' Irish home sad.

It's a good day to be an Aggie. Thanks, gals!

(Here's another great Aggie video, though the man wouldn't let me embed.)

You're overcooking my grits, coach.

Although a Lakers fan, I've long thought Pat Riley a better coach than Phil Jackson. While I still like Riley better, Jackson has impressed me the past few years and now I'm not so entrenched. Though he's had some premier players, Phil's been very successful, which may be quite the understatement, even though he's only been NBA's Coach of the Year once measly time (94-95).

Get this ...
Phil Jackson has coach his teams to the NBA Finals 13 of the past 20 years. 13/20?! Regardless of what happens tonight in Game 7 against the hated Celtics, that's VERY impressive. He's 10-2 in the finals, winning more than any NBA coach. In fact, after Tuesday night's win, Phil Jackson has more playoff victories than any other coach in any other sport, eclipsing Scottie Bowman.

Tonight is Phil's first finals Game 7 ever, and as the title hangs in the balance, a 16th for the Lakers or 18th for the Celtics, something gotta give. Phil Jackson is 47-0 in playoff series when his team wins Game 1, which the Lakers did. Kobe & Derek Fisher are 26-0 in a playoff series when they win Game 1. When teams are tied 1-1 in the finals, the winner of Game 3 is 10-0. The Lakers won Game 3.

But, the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics in a Game 7, going 0-4. And the Celtics have never blown 3-2 lead in the finals, going 11- in those series. Something's gotta give.

Despite his resume, Phil has never coached in a Game 7, so he's making history. Whether or not Phil wins a ring for his toe tonight, he's won this fan over. That Phil Jackson's a pretty good coach.

Cf. 50 Greatest Coaches of All Time by Sporting News, with Phil at #4.

Now Milton, don't be greedy. Let's pass it along and make sure everyone gets a piece.

I've already made an impenetrable case as to why he's the best NBA player of all time, so I'll just stop down here to wish Lansing's favorite son a happy 50th birthday.

3 cheers and a big slice of cake for Earvin "Magic" Johnson, born on August 14, 1959. With 9 brothers and sisters, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some birthdays where he never got a piece of cake.

"Few athletes are truly unique, changing the way their sport is played with their singular skills. Earvin "Magic" Johnson was one of them."
(Read more of his NBA.com biography)

Some interesting trivia about Magic:

• Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, thought his nickname was blasphemous.
• Magic was the first overall draft pick in 1979.
• Magic is the youngest player to ever be named the NBA Finals MVP and was the first rookie to win the award.
• Magic was the head coach of the Mighty Lakers for the final 16 games of the 93-94 season.
• Magic holds the NBA record for blocked shots by a point guard (374).

Magic Johnson Quotes:

• "Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates." (now you know where Kennedy got that line)
• "When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are."
• "Standing on that platform, I said a silent prayer. I thanked God for giving me the strength and the opportunity to come back, to play basketball again, and to be part of that whole magnificent Olympic experience. It's a memory I will always cherish."
• "My father is my idol, so I always did everything like him. He used to work two jobs and still come home happy every night. He didn't do drugs or drink, and he wouldn't let anyone smoke in his house. Those are rules I adopted, too."
• "I want to be here for a long time, so I am going to do everything I have to do to be here. And I want to walk my daughter down the aisle and give her away to somebody some day. I want to make sure I am still here to make sure my two young sons become men."
• "My diet is mostly chicken and fish. I make sure I get a lot of vegetables, a lot of fruit. I am a big fruit man, I am a vegetable man anyway. And I also get a lot of rest. That's the key I may be up early, but I'm in bed early too."

There's no 'I' in TEAM ... but there is a 'Me' in MEDIOCRE.

A quote to inspire the Mighty Lakers for tonight's game:

"There's no 'I' in 'TEAM' ... but there is a 'Me' in 'MEDIOCRE.'"
-Kronk, Kronk's New Groove

Kobe, if you have to, get 50 tonight and win Game One against Orlando. If you have to get 20 points and 20 assists, you know what to do: Win Game One.

• In the NBA, roughly 80% of the teams who win Game One with the series.
• The Mighty Lakers have won the past 16 playoff series when winning Game One.
• Phil Jackson's teams have never lost a playoff series when they've won Game One, going 46-0 in such circumstances.

Don't listen to the MJ & LJ comparisons. Don't worry about the box score. Worry only about the "W" column tonight.

Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.

Let us Lakers fans rejoice!

Last night Kobe Bryant recorded the second-highest single-game scoring mark in NBA history in a 122-104 win over Toronto at LA's Staples Center. Bryant made 28 of his 46 field goal attempts, including 7-of-13 from downtown and hit 18-of-20 from the line. He scored 55 points in the second half, just four points shy of Wilt Chamberlain's record for points in a half.

I was impressed when he hung 62 on the Little Mavericks a few weeks back in just three periods, but 81 is quite historic. To put it into perspective, Michael Jordan never got 70 in a single game.

Kobe is one of only 5 players to score 70 or more points in one game.
Wilt Chamberlain (100, 73, 73, 72, 70)
Kobe Bryant (81)
David Thompson (73)
Elgin Baylor (71)
David Robinson (71)

Who knows ... Kobe may have some of his best basketball still ahead of him at age 27. Comparatively, Jordan had yet to win a single title at age 27, while Kobe already has three championships. If his team gets on track, he just might go down in history as one of the truly greats.