Tag: Heat

Phantom Injury Sparks Comeback

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

Let us rewind to Monday evening at around 8:00 P.M.  The Knicks were getting BLOWN OUT by the Cleveland Cavaliers.  We were witnessing one of the most embarrassing performances of the year in the NBA.  The expletives that were flying around my head are words I would never dare say out loud.  The Knicks looked like they were running in quick sand.  They looked sluggish, and lazy, and they were playing uninspired basketball.  During the 1st quarter, you saw the Knicks go from up 2 points to down 10.  However, the 2nd quarter is where the flood gates opened.  The Cavaliers led by Marreese Speights, simply couldn’t miss.  Speights went a perfect 10 for 10 in the 1st half.  This is a Cavaliers team who is ranked dead last in field goal percentage.  Was it the Knicks poor defense that contributed to the Cavaliers offensive explosion, or was it simply a hot streak that couldn’t be stopped?  I’d like to think it was a combination of both, but the Cavaliers were shooting 81% from the field and found themselves with a 22 point lead less than four and a half minutes into the 2nd quarter.  Yes you read that right, the Cavaliers were beating the Knicks by 22 in the 2nd quarter.  Then, in a blink of an eye, everything changed.  With 6:48 left in the 1st half, Carmelo Anthony caught an outlet pass near half court.  As he caught the pass he tripped over his own two feet and fell down.  It looked awkward, it looked like it could have been slightly painful, but all in all it didn’t look too serious.  Carmelo Anthony picked himself up and walked (not limped) his way to the locker room.  Minutes later, we found out that he would not return to the game.  Amar’e Stoudemire took Anthony’s place in the game, and sparked an immediate comeback.  In just over one minute, the Knicks cut the lead from 22 to 15.  The Cavaliers quickly took a timeout and tried to regroup.  That did not help, as the Knicks cut the lead back to single digits.  The Knicks accomplished this by attacking the basket and cutting down on their three point attempts (other than J.R. Smith).  J.R. Smith added a much needed 18 points but went 1-7 from three-point range.  Smith is very athletic and can pretty much get to the basket at will.  He needs to concentrate more on that and spend less time jacking up countless three pointers.  With a combination of Amar’e Stoudemire’s effective post game and efficient outside shooting by the rest of the team, the Knicks staged an epic comeback.  The Knicks scratched and clawed their way back into this game and with four minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the score was knotted at 64.  The Knicks turned up the heat on defense and held the Cavaliers to just 13 points in the 3rd quarter.  These teams battled back and forth throughout the rest of the game, but in the end the Knicks proved to be too much for the Cavaliers to handle.  They pulled out a tough (much needed) victory, 102-97.

When Carmelo Anthony went down for the count in the 1st half, the Knicks found a way to pull together and storm their way back into this game.  It was truly a team effort led by Amar’e Stoudemire.  Amar’e scored 22 points on 10 of 15 shooting from the field.  Running the offense through Amar’e allowed the Knicks to play a nice inside out game.  If Amar’e wasn’t able to take the ball to the hoop aggressively, he kicked the ball out to an open man.  The Knicks found effective outside shooting from Jason Kidd and Steve Novak.  Novak made four timely three pointers, while Kidd added three of his own.  It’s nice to see Jason Kidd find his stroke, as he added 12 points off the bench.  Mike Woodson still seems to have a problem with Iman Shumpert though because he seemed to find his stroke as well in the 1st quarter.  He hit three of his first four shots but only racked up six total shots for the entire game (in 19 minutes).  I really hope that Woodson is just being cautious with Shumpert’s knee because the Knicks are going to need his production on both ends of the floor if they have any plans of making a run in the playoffs.  I find myself using the same expression over and over again, but ‘a win is a win’ no matter how it looks.  For now that might work against the Cavaliers and the Wizards, but come playoff time that is not going to cut it against the Miami Heat (if they get that far).  The Knicks have a much needed day off today, but will continue their road trip against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday night at 7:30 P.M.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well.  Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports.  Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

So Close But Yet So far

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Lebron James is better than Carmelo Anthony.  It is as simple as that (it also doesn’t hurt to have Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on your team too).  Sunday afternoon, Lebron showcased his all around skills and proved why the Heat are the team to beat in the NBA.  This basketball game was a tale of two halves, and it took a turn when the best player in the world took the game over.  The Knicks opened the game with loads of energy, and Madison Square Garden seemed to be filled with that “playoff” electricity.  The Knicks played a nearly perfect first half and at one point had a 16 point lead over the Heat.  Carmelo Anthony came out on fire and hit 4 out of his first 5 shots.  He also got to the free throw line 4 times in the first quarter, hitting 8 out of 9 free throws.  Jason Kidd finally woke from his slumber and decided to hit 4 three-pointers in the first half.  As a Knicks fan I loved what I saw in the first half, but I had this sneaking suspicion that the Heat weren’t down for the count.  A 14 point halftime lead was cut to only 4 with 6:52 still left in the third quarter.  How did that happen you say?  Well, Chris Bosh came out of the locker room like a bat out of hell, scoring 7 points in the first 3 minutes of the third quarter.  Now, the Knicks showed great perseverance stretching the lead back out to 11 points with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.  And from there it was the Lebron James show.  Lebron took the responsibility of guarding Carmelo Anthony for the entire 2nd half.  Lebron shut him down, limiting Melo to only 8 2nd half points.  He also helped the Heat close the 3rd quarter on an 8-1 run, cutting the lead back down to 4.  Melo did start the 4th quarter with a quick basket, but Lebron came right back and hit the two biggest shots of the game.  He nailed back to back three-pointers tying the game at 79.  Both teams traded baskets over the next couple minutes, but when the Heat took the lead with 4:28 to go, they wouldn’t relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.  The Knicks still had a chance when they were down 4, with the ball, and 30 seconds to play, however what transpired next became the nail in the coffin for the Knicks.  J.R. Smith threw a lazy pass across the top of the key toward Carmelo Anthony.  Lebron jumped the passing lane, stole the ball, and threw down a ferocious dunk.  This put the game out of reach, and the Heat won 99-93.  This has also officially put the Eastern Conference out of reach.

The name of this game was defense.  The Knicks started the game with great intensity.  They were playing solid team defense.  They were doubling, and switching, and rotating perfectly in their defensive assignments.  This kept the Heat’s offense at bay and allowed them to sustain a lead throughout the entire 1st half.  Lebron though, headlined the defensive attack for the Heat in the 2nd half.  Like I mentioned earlier, he completely shut down a tired Carmelo Anthony and forced the rest of the Knicks to beat them (that obviously did not happen).  The Heat’s swarming defense forced 18 turnovers by the Knicks.  This is very uncharacteristic for the Knicks who only average just over 11 turnovers per game.  The turnovers were crucial in this game, and they all seemed to come at inopportune times for the Knicks.  On top of his stellar defense, Lebron also added 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists (just another day at the office).  This is clearly Lebron’s team, but everyone needs to realize just how fortunate he is to have such a talented player by his side.  Dwayne Wade had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.  Combined they shot over 50% from the field, and were just 2 rebounds and 5 assists away from having 2 TRIPLE DOUBLES.  It’s basically unfair, but I’ll save my excuses for a later date.  We all know how good the Heat are, the story here is the Knicks and their confused lineup.  I like Mike Woodson finally making a move in changing up the starting lineup, but JAMES WHITE?!?!  I know it’s not a real thing, that it’s just a move to bring Kidd off the bench, but JAMES WHITE?!?!  James White shouldn’t be on an NBA roster, and he is starting for the third best team in the Eastern Conference?  Are you serious Mr. Woodson?  You might as well call up the Oklahoma City Thunder and try to get Ronnie Brewer back.  At least when he started games for the Knicks, they were winning.  What the Knicks need to do is insert Amar’e Stoudemire into the starting lineup at the 4, and allow Shumpert and Melo to slide down into their natural positions to the 2 and 3 respectively.  This will allow Melo to roam free offensively and not take on the task of guarding power forwards on the other end of the floor.  Amar’e can still manage to stay under 30 minutes per game, and should keep the Knicks from getting down early in games.  This has been one of the biggest parts of the Knicks downfall over the last two months.  Coach Woodson should also go back to resting Carmelo Anthony at the start of the 4th quarter.  Melo is not a guy who can play 40-plus minutes every night and still remain effective.  No matter what the Knicks do with their lineup going forward, they need to play defense and scale back the amount of three-pointers they shoot.  It makes them too streaky, and streaky in the NBA doesn’t win Championships.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well.  Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports.  Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

It Wasn’t Pretty But It Got the Job Done

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

You know that saying a win is a win no matter how it looks? Well, that is certainly true in regards to Friday night’s Knicks game. Sure, Melo had 30 points but it took him 24 shots to do so (what else is new). Raymond Felton had a nice game, but the overall performance was mediocre. The final score was 96-88 in a much needed win for the Knicks. This was their first game in March, a March where the Knicks play 18 games and 10 of them are on the road. Not only are they going to play away from home a lot, but they are going to be playing high quality teams. The first obstacle in their gauntlet run is The Miami Heat. The Heat haven’t lost since 1971, and they’ll look to keep that winning streak going. The Knicks have a little 3-game winning streak going as well. The Knicks magically won the first two meetings of the year against the Heat, but the Heat are a different team than the one we saw last time these teams met. The Knicks do have Shumpert and Stoudemire in the lineup opposed to the first two meetings, but this certainly is the toughest game of the year for these Knicks (even if it is at home). What do the Knicks need to do to win this game? Besides pray, they need to play the way they played against Golden State. That might sound silly to some but hear me out. I doubt anyone from the Heat is going to hit 11 of 13 three pointers today, but assume that Lebron and Wade are going to get theirs. If the Knicks can make one stop when it matters most, they may have a chance to win this game. Offensively they’ll need to be firing on all cylinders, and that means leaving Jason Kidd on the bench and trusting Amar’e, Smith, and even Shumpert to provide quality minutes down the stretch. I’m hoping for a thriller today at the Garden. This game is going to carry playoff intensity, and you can expect the Garden to be rocking today. 101-99 Knicks. Book it.

Quiet night in the NBA speaks volumes

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

In a quiet night in the NBA, we saw the Miami heat and San Antonio Spurs send a message to the rest of the league.  That message was: Watch out because here we come!  Last night the Spurs handily beat the Los Angeles Clippers on the road by 26 points!  The Clippers, like the Knicks, might have physically been on the court last night but mentally they were still on vacation.  Both the Spurs and the Heat are hitting their stride at the right time.  There is just under two months left in the season, and it is the perfect time to gain some momentum and carry it into the playoffs.  The Spurs have the best record in the NBA (44-12) by four games, and they have won 16 of their last 17 games.  So much for getting old huh?  The Spurs always seem to quietly plug along and put up consistently good numbers.  At this point, I think we can all agree that Gregg Popovich is the best coach of this era.  Was this a statement game or did the Clippers just take a night off?  Will the Spurs hold up come playoff time (unlike last year)?  I believe the Spurs are great, but I think they will meet a different Clippers team come playoff time.  And let’s not forget how impressive of a season Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are having.  Durant’s season is spectacular and is being wildly overshadowed by Lebron James’ performances.  When you get a chance, take a look at Durant’s numbers so far this season, and then take a look at a guy’s statistics in his prime that you may have heard of (A Mr. Larry Bird).  Eerily similar aren’t they?  With that being said, the Miami Heat certainly look like a championship caliber team, again.  Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and the Heat made the Chicago Bulls look like a Junior Varsity squad last night.  The Bulls only scored 32 points in the 2nd half of a very sloppy performance.  The heat did what they had to do and cruised to an 86-67 victory.  The Heat are playing great basketball right now (winners of their last nine games).  I believe if Dwayne Wade can remain healthy that the Heat will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this season.  Will they win the championship again this year?  At this point, I think they will (even though I hope they don’t), however only time will tell.  We are heading towards the best time of the year in sports.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

It’s definitely better than the Pro Bowl, but the NBA’s All-Star Weekend is no slam dunk

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Come Thursday night, the NBA will wind down the first half of the season with two thrillers. First, you will have a rematch of the NBA Finals from last season as Miami travels to Oklahoma City(and this could very well be a preview of this year’s finals as well), and then you will have a showdown in the city of angels. The Clippers will try to continue their winning ways against their cross building rivals(get it, I said cross building instead of cross town because they play in the same arena, well at least I thought it was funny), the Lakers. Once the final buzzer sounds on that contest, it’s off to Houston for the 2013 All-Star Weekend festivities. Now I know that the All-Star Game’s TV ratings have been climbing the past couple of years, until last year(“hey, let’s put the All-Star Game on TV at the same time as the Oscars!!” “Good idea!!”, said the two employees who were surely fired as soon as the ratings came out). However, I believe the NBA is not maximizing it’s potential throughout the entire weekend.

The game itself is not what I have a problem with. You can’t make superstars try in a game that is solely meant to be an honor. The game gets good enough ratings as is, and I still tune in because basketball is fun to watch when the score is 184-179. You get to watch the NBA’s elite throw alley oops to each other, and in the off chance that the game is close down the stretch they do actually try. The one problem that I have with the game is actually the voting process. This game is meant to showcase the leagues best players. It is not meant to be a popularity contest. I understand why the NBA allows fans to vote but it ruins the integrity of All-Star appearances. Think about it. When the talking heads debate whether or not someone is a hall of famer don’t they always bring up how many All-Star teams they’ve been on? How are you going to tell me that Joe Schmo from his couch, who doesn’t even know the first thing about basketball(he has heard of Kevin Garnett though), should have any say in who gets in the hall of fame? Most people would probably say, “you’re overreacting, it’s just the All-Star game.” That’s my point. This weekend should matter. It should be an honor for the best players in the league to say, “I’m an All-Star.” I think the NBA should allow a combination of the coaches and hall of fame committees to vote on All-Star appearances. If the committees aren’t willing to get involved with active players then the NBA should decide on a collection of well respected basketball journalists to vote on the All-Star game.

The biggest problem I have with this weekend is what happens on Saturday. These days, the slam dunk contest is essentially a joke. Remember when the slam dunk contest used to mean something? And it was more exciting then the game itself? Yeah, me too. But those days are long gone. One of my most vivid memories of any All-Star game is Vince Carter’s spectacular dunk fest of 2000. Carter threw down one unbelievable dunk after another, putting together a highlight reel for the ages. If you ask me, that is still the single greatest slam dunk performance of all time. No offense Mr. Jordan, but I’m sure you were watching the beginning of Vinsanity too. Anyone remember who assisted Carter in that slam dunk contest?? No peaking at the video, that’s cheating. Yes, it was a young Tracy Mcgrady. The most memorable moments in slam dunk history are definitely Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in the 80’s battling it out for the title of slam dunk champion. That concept seems laughable now a days, and that’s what has me steaming mad. Michael Jordan was the best player in the NBA every time he competed in the slam dunk contest(hell, he was the best player whenever he did anything). Fans also got to see greats like Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen perform once upon a time. That is what the fans want to see today. They want the best players in the league to battle it out like the slam dunk contest still means something. You have to be an avid basketball fan to even know who the competitors are in this years contest.  No offense to the guys competing, but are you tuning in to watch Terrence Ross?  Nope, didn’t think so.  Lebron James and the rest of the superstars of the league are doing the NBA a disservice by not competing. They are only hurting themselves and their brand by not putting together the best show possible at a star studded weekend.  I mean, it’s not like any of the guys we want to see would be inconvenienced by competing.  They are already going to be in Houston.  Instead of tweeting little jokes to cause a stir about possibly maybe hopefully competing in the dunk contest(what a subtle way to get attention buddy), Lebron should come on TV and emphatically say, “I’m going to bring the dunk contest back to life by competing in it and winning it!” If he did that and implored other superstar dunkers like Russell Westbrook to compete, everyone else would follow suit. Listen I’ll still be watching all the events this weekend, including New York Knick James White in the dunk contest, but don’t tell me you wouldn’t rather see Lebron do a 720 dunk or watch him dunk from the 3-point line. Insert haha here…

Here’s the slam dunk roster I would like to see:

Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, J.R. Smith, Javele McGee, and Josh Smith

Now tell me you wouldn’t tune in to watch that!

If you want to see more of my work, please check me out at intheneutralzone.com.  I am now a contributing author on that site as well.

Let It Snow….As Long as My Cable Doesn’t Go Out I’m Good

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

Snowed in this weekend??  No problem.  Here’s what’s on TV to keep you company:

(MSG)Friday @ 8:00 P.M – Knicks @ Timberwolves

Being a big Knicks fan, I will definitely be watching this game.  As I highlighted in my previous post, I believe the Knicks are going to blow out the Timberwolves coming off a bad loss.  I’d look for something else to watch by 9:30.  This game should help the Knicks get back to their winning ways and carry some momentum into their tough match-up with the Clippers this Sunday.

(ESPN)Friday @ 8:00 P.M. – Clippers @ Heat

Here you have a battle of East vs. West.  Two of the premier teams in the NBA meet in a mid-season showdown.  Even though the Heat sit atop the East and the Clippers are currently in 3rd in the West, they actually have a better record than the Heat by 2.5 games.  This game should come down to the wire, so you might want to switch over from MSG once the Knicks game gets out of hand.  I like the Heat in a close game, but they don’t win because Lebron hits a last second shot(as usual).  They win because Lebron puts his team in front by about 5 early in the 4th, and they sustain the lead throughout the rest of the game.

(ESPN)Saturday @ 6:00 P.M. – Pittsburgh(23) @ Cincinnati(17)

This is the first of of 3 match-ups between college basketball’s top 25 teams this weekend.  A Big East match-up between two solid teams.  Pittsburgh is currently tied for 5th in the Big East with a 7-4 record in conference and 19-5 overall.  Cincinnati is currently tied for 6th in the Big East with a record of 6-4 in conference and 18-5 overall.  Cincinnati won their last meeting(70-61) in Pittsburgh on New Years Eve, so Pittsburgh will be looking for revenge tomorrow night.  Shovel Snow or watch college basketball??   Hmmmmmm.  Enjoy!

(ESPN)Saturday @ 9:00 P.M. – Louisville(11) @ Notre Dame(25)

Here you have your second of the 3 top 25 match-ups this weekend.  Louisville is currently in 2nd place in the Big East  with a record of 7-3 in conference and 19-4 overall.  Notre Dame is currently tied for 6th in the Big east with a record of 6-4 and 18-5 overall.  Big East battles are always tough to predict, but I like Louisville on the road in this one.

(CBS)Sunday @ 1:00 P.M. – Indiana(1) @ Ohio State(10)

Finally, you have the third of 3 top 25 match-ups this weekend.  Indiana is currently tied for 1st in the Big Ten with a record of 8-2 in conference and 20-3 overall.  Ohio State is currently tied for 2nd in the Big Ten and 17-5 overall.  This should be a tough conference battle.  You’ll have Indiana looking to bounce back from a buzzer beating loss to Illinois last night.  What a tough way to lose!  In case you didn’t watch it, Indiana had the ball tied at 72 looking to take the last shot.  If they make it they win if not no big deal, they’ll go to overtime.  What happens? They turn the ball over with about 4 seconds to go.  Illinois drives down for a last second shot that gets blocked out of bounds wit 0.9 seconds on the clock.  Then what happens??? Illinois makes a game winning buzzer beating layup to win 74-72.  Now that is a heartbreaking loss.  Ohio State is also coming off a tough overtime loss to Michigan this past Tuesday.  Look for a closely contested ballgame.  I do like Indiana in this one in a down to the wire 3 point victory.

Enjoy the snow!!  It’s the weekend, and if you have kids take them out in the snow once the storm passes and have fun with them.  If you don’t have kids go outside and act like one.  Most importantly, everyone stay safe out there!!  And for the love of god please stop lining up down the block for gas 2 days before a little snow is coming to town.  I get that it’s better to be safe than sorry, but if you happen to get 2 feet of snow this weekend you’re not going anywhere anyway!!  Just make sure you have a little bit of food and water in the house.  A flashlight or candle wouldn’t be a bad idea either just in case we lose power, since it should be pretty windy.  Have a nice weekend everyone!!

In a word ——> Pathetic

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 3 Comments

Well, the New York Knicks blew a very winnable game last night.  They lost to the Washington Wizards by a score of 106-96.  As you can see from the title, I thought their performance was pathetic!!  This is their worst loss of the season.  If you look at their schedule so far, this is only their 2nd BAD loss of the season though, the other being a loss in Sacramento against the horrid Kings.  That loss was a one point game on the road, but the way the Knicks pummeled them at the Garden last week, they made that loss look even worse.  To the Wizards credit, they are a much better team with a healthy John wall and Nene on the floor.  However, it is the way the Knicks played that really has me fired up today.  I will elaborate on why they played so poorly but to sum up their problems in one word: DEFENSE(or lack there of).  They looked lazy and uninspired on the defensive end.  Guys were getting beat off the first step, and there was no help defense occurring in the paint.  Side-note: I did like Amare’s block on John Wall in the 2nd half.  I need to see a lot more of that when they’re getting broken down by opposing teams point guards.  Let me see that or knock a little guy on his ass once and they’ll stop coming down by the trees real fast(trust me, I was that little guy in high school).  However, at one point in the game it looked like John Wall was out there by himself doing lay-up lines.  One of the Knicks biggest weaknesses is their inability to contain quick point guards.  We saw it last night with Wall, we definitely saw it with Jrue Holliday two weeks ago, and even Jameer Nelson picked apart the Knicks last week(even though we won that game).  The Knicks have a very good record this year, but it’s the games where they play solid team defense from the opening tip until the final buzzer that they look impressive.  It’s in those wins that they look like a team that should compete for a championship.  Last night was not one of those nights.  They allowed Washington(the worst scoring offense in the NBA) to pretty much score at will.  Their 3-point defense was atrocious as well.  Now, I know they can’t win every game and it was just one game, but if they’re going to lose close games I’d like it to be against a formidable opponent.  We might have lost to the Washington Wizards(just as the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder did), but do you know who I really feel bad for??  The Minnesota Timberwolves.  I foresee a massacre in Minnesota, while the Knicks take out their frustration from a terrible loss.  Only time will tell.  Tune in to New York Knicks basketball as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday night at 8:00 P.M.

Kobe and Lebron

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 4 Comments

Originally posted on : 1/18/13 @ 3:10 P.M.

So, I was listening to 98.7 FM this morning on my way to work, and they were talking about Kobe Bryant and Lebron James.  This inspired me to chime in on this debate.  Kobe Vs Lebron.  Who is better?   Now, they were asking two different questions.  Who is better now, and who was better at the time they reached the 20,000 point milestone.  Now the first question is a simple fact.  Lebron is clearly better now.  NO disrespect meant to Kobe, because he is a first ballot hall of famer and top 10 player of all time no questions asked.  However, Lebron James is clearly the best basketball player on the planet right now.  Kobe had his prime and his time, but Lebron is clearly #1.  This is coming from someone who personally doesn’t care all that much for Lebron by the way.  Now, on to question number 2.  Kobe in his prime was something special.  No matter what generation you are from, you can count on 1 hand how many guys could take over a game like Kobe while at the same time lock down the other teams best offensive player.  By now I would think that anyone who knows sports knows that Kobe’s heart, killer instinct, and closing abilities are unquestioned.  Especially in a conversation against Lebron James, a guy who runs away from the ball when the clock is running toward all 0’s.  Lebron, yes, as we all know is a “freak” of nature.  No one compares to him as a physical specimen because let’s face it you’re not supposed to be able to jump that high and run that fast at his size.  Most of us I would think would have a hard time walking and dribbling at the same time at 6’8″, 255 lbs.  But, I don’t live in the world of the knee-jerk reaction to everything.  Lebron’s greatness hasn’t been instantaneous.  Just because he hit 20,000 points it doesn’t mean he magically became better than Kobe overnight or should be put in the same sentence as MJ, yet.  He’s been a special talent since anyone who matters first heard his name, and he’ll be one of the best of all time when it’s all said and done.  But, let’s give Kobe credit where credit’s due.  Lebron can guard 4 positions at any time but isn’t the defender Kobe was, yet.  Lebron is a better passer and rebounder as well, but all of these things don’t change the most important part of the discussion.  WINS.  I’ll take Kobe’s heart and rings over Lebron’s five tools, for now.  Call me in 5 years and you want to compare them at the 30,000 points, and I’m sure my answer will be very different.