ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Just a few days ago I wrote about how Kobe Bryant was so deftly using Instagram to document his Achilles surgery and recovery. And then yesterday Kobe posted a photo that might be classified as going too far.
So here’s a warning: Do not click on the “CONTINUE READING” button if you get squeamish. Seriously, don’t do it. And if you do, don’t come complaining to me. (more…)
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Phil Jackson joined Twitter a few months ago as a means of promoting his forthcoming book, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success. He’s mostly used Twitter to speak out about big-picture NBA stuff, as well as live-tweeting the NCAA Championship game and interacting with Kobe Bryant.
And then yesterday, Phil casually dropped a reminder that he owns more titles as a player and coach than anyone, ever — 11 as a coach, 2 as a player for the Knicks — after a Twitter follower asked a simple question…
@sthomas141 here’s the best I can do…the 2 Knick rings are in the front of the picture. http://t.co/JP1c2gH45C—
Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) May 14, 2013
That’s a lot of bingo. Blowing that photo up just a bit…
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER – If there’s anything we’ve learned about Kobe Bryant over the past 17 seasons, it’s that nobody will outwork him and nobody will out-prepare him. So just because Kobe is now on the chilling list for the foreseeable future with a ruptured Achilles tendon, that doesn’t mean the Mamba will be sold short. It just means that instead of dominating on the court, the venue has changed: Instead of the Staples Center, these days Kobe is doin’ work on social media, specifically via his Instagram account.
Before Kobe’s injury, his main social media outlets had been Facebook, and then, this season, Twitter. Even though he was a late adopter to these platforms, he showed a real knack for using each, utilizing Twitter for quick thoughts and to interact with Lakers fans, and then using Facebook to post one of the most memorable statements of his career just hours after he tore his Achilles. Kobe is an athlete who has long protected his privacy, and as such, it has been fascinating for Kobe to suddenly be accessible, and even, occasionally, interactive with his fans…
@migueldz10 yup. First game she ever saw me play. Just so happen to b jan22 my late grandpa bday. #81 #poetic—
Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 08, 2013
Kobe started populating his Instagram account on April 13, exactly one day after tearing his Achilles, and since then he’s allowed us to follow him through the entire process of surgery and recovery. It is an almost completely antithetical approach to the traditional way teams and athletes have addressed injuries, which is to say radio silence. The reason we normally are not granted access is because teams and athletes want some regulatory role over any news. Yet by Instagramming his recovery, Kobe is simultaneously controlling the narrative while delivering access and news.
From the initial MRI…
To prepping for the surgery…
To expressing the frustration of recovery…
To getting visits from teammates…
to providing updates…
to getting his stitches out…
to taking his first post-injury steps…
Kobe is taking all of us with him on this journey, with an ending that is yet to be written. Will he come back stronger than ever? Or will this mark the beginning of the end of his career?
No matter which way it turns out, it’s been a virtuouso performance. But then, from Kobe, we’ve come to expect nothing less.
In the words of Mars Blackmon circa 1990, “It’s gotta be the shoes!”
That must be the reason Michael Jordan was able to torment defenders, right? During the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Dee Brown stopped and took the time to pump up his Reebok Pumps before successfully reversing a pass to himself. Moments like these were monumental for sneaker culture. Sports fans — both athletes and non-athletes — wanted to be like NBA superstars. Buying jerseys wasn’t enough. People wanted the shoe that Jordan was wearing when he knocked down the game-winner over Craig Ehlo.
Here’s a look at some current NBA superstars’ “career kicks” — shoes these players wore during signature moments of their careers. Don’t forget to let us know your favorite kicks in the comments below or on Twitter using the hashtag #NBAStyle…
• LeBron James — Career high 56 points vs. TOR on 3/20/2005: Nike Zoom LeBron II, released November 2004, a fan favorite!
By the NBA.com Style Crew
During the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Dwyane Wade wore a few looks that were mostly forgettable — if anything, we exited Round One talking about Russell Westbrook‘s sleeveless shirts and Kobe and LeBron‘s synchronized looks.
But since the Eastern Conference semifinals have started, Wade has stepped things up. Following Game 1, he wore a scoop-neck shirt paired with a fitted blazer and heavy-rimmed glasses. Following Miami’s Game 2 win, Wade went with a colorful flower-print jacket.
What did you think of these looks? Did Wade wear them well? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to continue the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #NBAStyle…
GAME ONE
GAME TWO
By the NBA.com Style Crew
The Los Angeles Lakers have always embodied Hollywood. They are glitz and glamour, celebrities and championships, swimming pools and movie stars. And part of the gig of being Hollywood’s best, from Magic to Wilt To Shaq to Kobe, has been being on fashion’s cutting edge, all the time. From classic suits to workout gear to casual wear (including, yep, suspenders!), part of being among the Lakers’ starring cast has always meant embracing the styles on the cutting edge. No matter how they look in retrospect.
What’s your favorite look of all-time? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to continue the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #NBAStyle…
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By the NBA.com Style Crew
For all the arguments about who the best player in the NBA is, we can surely all agree that when healthy, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are two of the best. And they’re also two of the League’s best dressed players, consistently showing up for games, press conferences, whatever the occasion, looking so fresh and so clean.
So perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised when Kobe and LeBron, both bearers of great style, both turned up wearing the same shirt. The shirt we speak of is a Givenchy print t-shirt, in green. LeBron wore the shirt under a green shawl collar blazer to a press conference after Miami’s Game 2 win over Milwaukee. Kobe wore it under a traditional blazer on Sunday when he sat behind the bench as the Lakers were eliminated by the Spurs.
One shirt, worn two ways. We ask you, Who wore it better? And don’t forget to use the hashtag #NBAStyle to continue the conversation on Twitter…
KOBE BRYANT
LEBRON JAMES
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ALL BALL NERVE CENTER – With the Playoffs upon us, Nike has is dropping new versions of their signature kicks for some of the NBA’s biggest stars: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. And if these guys weren’t already larger than life, Nike wants to make sure you notice that they sure play like it (even if KB24′s on the chilling list, for now). These newly remixed shoes utilize ingredients like Kevlar® aramid, carbon fiber and articulated foam.
As for the respective shoes, The LeBron X PS Elite references the Carbonado diamond, “a virtually indestructible stone said to derive from an ancient supernova, the most explosive force in the universe.” The Kobe 8 System Elite is “inspired by the lethal green pit viper snake and the x-ray vision emitted by its heat-sensing eyes.” And the lowtop KD V ELITE is “illuminated by the sharp glow of lightning bolts. The design speaks to Durant’s versatility, shooting accuracy and finely-tuned court vision.”
All three are available at select retail locations and at Nike.com beginning April 27. Peep the gallery below to check ‘em out…
by Zettler Clay IV
Earlier, Kobe’s season came to a halt on a typical Kobe spin-toward-basket-before-rising-to-launch-patented-16-foot-shot. He wasn’t going to rest under his own volition, so his body finally gave way. Is this our last time seeing Kobe make a move toward the basket in an NBA game? If only pictures could scream:
By Jeff Case
Back in 1996, the Boston Celtics had the No. 6 overall pick in the Draft and would eventually end up picking a promising forward out of Kentucky, Antonie Walker. But long before Walker’s name was called at the podium by Commissioner David Stern, the Celtics did their due diligence and worked out an 18-year-old phenom from Philadelphia’s Lower Merion High School named Kobe Bryant.
In a photo that might sicken and/or sadden devoted Boston fans, Kobe Bryant tweeted out a photo of himself going through a pre-Draft workout with Celtics legend Dennis Johnson. Take a look for yourself:
Imagine that! My pre draft workout with the C's 1996 with the late Dennis Johnson #countonhistory http://t.co/v4CSF2cJ—
Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) February 06, 2013
So, yes, Boston fans, the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history who is also a 15-time All-Star (and four-time All-Star Game MVP), the 2007-08 MVP and a regular All-NBA First Teamer and All-NBA Defensive First Teamer (and, oh yeah, is a five-time champion) might have worn Celtic green instead of the Forum blue and gold of the Lakers.
As if this season hasn’t been hard enough on Celtics fans already …
Catch up on every single game-winning buzzer beater during the season and see how it rates on the Horry Scale.
