"LeBron
James: The Making of an MVP" starts out at something of a seriousness
deficit. It’s difficult to believe that a glossy, magazine-style 156-page softcover
with 90 photographs eating up a hefty chunk of real estate will provide what
advance materials claim is the "definitive biography" of basketball’s
most transcendent star. To their credit, co-authors Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst
of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (who also collaborated on 2007’s "The
Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers") do their level best to
bridge the gap.

Pluto
(writer of the ABA bible "Loose
Balls"
and a columnist twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize) and Windhorst (the
P-D’s Cavs beat writer and one of the league’s most respected reporters) draw
off interviews with James’ high school friends, teachers, coaches, and NBA and
USA Basketball front-office personnel — as well as more than a decade of
reporting on James stretching back to his freshman year at Akron’s St.
Vincent-St. Mary High School — to make sure that a sharply drawn portrait of
LeBron-as-person underpins the chronology of his ascent. (Feel free to judge
for yourself how successful they are; seven
of
the
22
chapters
are
available
online.)

Each
chapter explores what the authors believe to be a key piece of James’ athletic
and personal evolution into the kind of ubiquitous entity that can become the
NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Some, like the sections on James’ three-year
high-school football career and his efforts to improve his free-throw shooting,
are relatively mundane. Others provide big-picture insight into James’
carefully constructed public image; multiple chapters are devoted to the growth
of James’ media savvy, his lucrative side gig as a sought-after pitchman and
how influenced he was by Michael Jordan’s smooth, smiling omnipresence.

More personally
illuminating are the book’s early chapters, which chart James’ turbulent early
life as the son of a struggling, teenaged single mother. Chapter 2, titled
"Fitting In," details LeBron’s youthful search for order amid chaos
and the time he spent living with the Walkers, a loving and respected family
that provided a stabilizing influence and made him feel accepted, which Pluto
and Windhorst say still pays dividends, on the court as well as off.

"It’s
not uncommon for children from single-parent homes to gravitate to larger
families, especially if they are made to feel accepted. LeBron did; it was
natural for him to blend in," they write. "You can see it in his
professional life as he works to make new Cleveland Cavaliers teammates feel
comfortable — and enjoys mentoring rookies. He seems to remember what it was
like to feel like an outsider and to need support from others."

Throughout
the tale of James’ growth from grade schooler to global icon, Pluto and
Windhorst accentuate the King’s positives. They cite the "part of LeBron
James’s(notes) personality that makes him want to please, to be a good person, to make
his family, friends and hometown proud." They relate the "story
seldom told" of his classroom success (he made the honor roll at St. V as
a senior, graduating with a B average) and his solid scholastic citizenship
("… he was only in trouble a few times for ‘yelling in the hallway,’
according to Headmaster David Rathz").

At times,
the praise borders on overprotective. In the "Media Savvy" chapter,
Pluto and Windhorst deflect the well-publicized criticism of James following
his deafening silence after the Cavs’ 2009 Eastern Conference Finals loss to
the Orlando Magic, calling the behavior "unusual for LeBron" and
claiming that the "real story is how few times he has made major media
mistakes, which is remarkable when you consider that he has been in the public
eye since the age of 15."

Later in
the chapter, they take ESPN the Magazine Senior Writer Tom Friend to task for
writing what they call "the first negative story on LeBron," a Mag
piece published during James’ senior year of high school that shed light on
some of his mother Gloria’s personal problems. (Which story they’re referencing
remains unclear; Friend wrote three stories about
LeBron in late 2002, none particularly flattering to Gloria James.)

"People
in the local media knew that Gloria James had had a lot of struggles in her
life, but saw no reason to write about it," Pluto and Windhorst write.
"Why embarrass LeBron because of some poor decisions made by his
mother?"

On one
hand, that’s a fair point. On the other, calling out Friend nearly eight years
after the fact and making sure to note that "the local media" —
read: hometown journalists like Pluto and Windhorst — stayed above the fray comes
off as holier-than-thou. It smacks of petty score-settling, and it adds little
to the book.

While the
numerous interviews, detailed statistics and in-depth breakdowns of James’ on-
and off-court life speak to the quality of the authors’ reporting, some elements
of the book definitely feel rushed or unnecessary. Some of the "LeBron
File" info-boxes included throughout the book provide cool tidbits (like
the fact that only James, Dave Cowens, Scottie Pippen and Kevin Garnett(notes) have
led their teams in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in a
season), others read like filler designed solely to break up text-heavy pages.
How exactly does knowing that "Before games, LeBron often eats fruit in
the locker room, but sometimes he likes to eat chicken fingers" contribute
to our understanding of what made him an MVP?

Several
literary devices, turns of phrase and stories appear more than once (most
notably, former Cavs coach Paul Silas chasing journeyman forward Ira Newble(notes) around the
locker room following a loss to the Atlanta Hawks). There are at least a
half-dozen copy-editing mistakes in the later chapters, including a photo
credit simply labeled "Name Goes Here" that you just know has someone
at the publisher’s office bashing his or her head against a desk. Likewise
egregious: The first name of DeSagana Diop(notes) and last name of J.R. Bremer, James’
former Cavs teammates, are misspelled in Ch. 9.

Individually,
these are minor points, but if you put enough of them together, a book starts
to feel sloppy, and poor presentation unfortunately starts to draw attention
away from quality reporting. All told, "LeBron James: The Making of an MVP" definitely serves a
purpose as a quick and visually appealing summation of James’ career to date.
But if in 10 or 15 years, we look back on it as the definitive James biography,
the basketball-covering community will have a hell of a lot of explaining to
do.

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Monday to Friday, The Basketball Jones look at the big games and storylines from the night before with a mix of in-depth analysis and irreverent humor. As always, questions and comments are appreciated.

On today’s show, Skeets and Tas round up your weekend winners and losers. What was the most amazing part of Andre Miller’s(notes) 52-point night? Could Chris Paul’s(notes) injury have been prevented by moving the cameras off the court? Are the Magic peaking? All that, plus the lunacy of distraught Celtics fans, announcer humor and Durantula for MVP?

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Los Angeles Lakers
90, Boston 89

Fine me, if you think I’m pointing out irregular brush
patterns on the Mona Lisa, but it bugs the hell out of me that Derek Fisher(notes) and
Kobe Bryant(notes) are continually lauded for their basketball savvy whilst launching some terrible, terrible shots. Or, at least, being in the presence of some terrible, terrible shots. The Lakers are
ninth in offensive efficiency this year, and it seems due to this
perimeter-heavy attack that usually leaves Pau Gasol(notes) and Andrew Bynum(notes) as
bystanders. There’s no reason a team this brilliant should be ninth.

Ron Artest(notes) is a part of that problem, I submit, but he’s a
nutter. Kobe and Fisher? They know better. Not only that, they know the
offense. And you know that I know that you know that they know that Gasol and
Bynum are fantastic. Really, the Lakers should have won this game by 15 points.
The C’s are reeling, the Lakers are rolling, despite the crazy schedule.
Despite being away from the Staples Center. Despite Lady Hammer to Fall, or whatever her name is.

Kobe nailed another game-winner down the stretch, Doc Rivers
deserves huge heaps of blame for not covering Dr. Bryant with Tony Allen(notes), and
the C’s are really going to have to circle the wagons just to make it to May.

***

Denver
103, San Antonio 89

It wasn’t really the absence of Tony Parker(notes). George Hill(notes)
continues to be overrated, but he played … like George Hill. 17 points on 16
shots, four assists. It was Roger Mason(notes) Jr. and Manu Ginobili(notes), combining for
4-17 shooting, that allowed the Spurs to only manage 89 points in an afternoon
that saw the Nuggies turn it over on a fifth of their possessions.

***

Orlando 91, Detroit
86

Perhaps my least-favorite game of the year. The refs didn’t
call a thing, as cutters were bumped and post-up moves were denied due to more
and more bumping, and the pace was ultra-slow. The game competitive, after the
first quarter, but made terrible by the snail’s pace and the 1999-level style
of refereeing.

Ben Gordon(notes) had a missed shot (wide open, but didn’t set his
feet) and a turnover in the final minute, and Detroit lost. This was BG’s MO in
Chicago, despite the hype about him being some clutch standout, so beware,
Pistons fans.

***

Toronto 117, Indiana
102

To watch the game and then to look at the stats, you’d think that
the Raptors won by 25. Really, 15 points doesn’t do this difference justice.

The Pacers can’t stop anybody, and they often struggle to
put consecutive hoops together. The Raps were without Hedo Turkoglu(notes), but Jose
Calderon(notes) was pushing the ball incessantly, and Chris Bosh(notes) (26, 15 points, seven
assists, two blocks) should be starting the All-Star game.

***

Philadelphia 83, New
Jersey 79

The Nets shot 10 free throws, all game. 10. They got to the
rim only when the Sixers essentially cleared the lane, and Rod Thorn’s band of
inefficient scorers acted as such.

Philly shot 36.5 percent and still managed to win. Andre
Iguodala(notes) "led" things with 14 points.

***

Cleveland 114, Los
Angeles Clippers 89

I might be pulling the same nonsense I tried with the
Lakers, but I worry about the Cavs. I worry about them while watching Cleveland
drop 46 points in 12 minutes of action, even.

It’s mostly with three-pointers, and while Cleveland shoots
a high percentage this year, I think you’ll be with me when I point out that
the long bomb, perhaps, isn’t LeBron James’(notes) best option at times. He’s not a
good shooter, but he shoots a lot, and this is not a habit worth embracing.
Especially at his age. Good god, I sound like a guidance counselor.

The Cavs walked all over the Clippers, Los Angeles made a
good show and actually made this an 11-point game in the fourth quarter, but
the hole was too deep.

***

Phoenix 115, Houston
111

Maybe it’s expectations gone wild — when you think of a team
full of overachieving scrappers, you tend to think they’re pulling it off in a
defensive-heavy style — but these Rockets just seem to continually disappoint
defensively.

They held the Suns, who are first in the NBA in offensive
efficiency at 114 points per 100 possessions, to about 110 per 100, but the Rox
still seemed to be lacking. Houston is 15th in the NBA defensively, and perhaps
it’s time I grow up and start to except this batch of 6-7 types for what it is.

Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) had 36 points and 11 rebounds, five
turnovers and six fouls, but it didn’t feel as if Phoenix was making an effort
to assuage his fears and feed him the ball. He just sort of worked his way to
36. Steve Nash(notes) had 16 assists to zero turnovers, and there’s a reason your
girlfriend and her friend call him "hot." Maybe that’s just my girlfriend. Am I
supposed to be upset at that? It’s kind of hard to be, considering the 16
assists and zero turnovers.

Props to the Suns for actually fouling while up three, and
in the final seconds. They decided not to do it in regulation, which led to
Houston forcing overtime, but Phoenix learned its lesson by the extra frame.

***

Oklahoma City 112,
Golden State 104

There was a point in this game, after Corey Maggette(notes)
declined to make an entry pass, that I was sure Ronny Turiaf(notes) was going to
strangle CM with a Warriors warm-up. This team is so, so dysfunctional, and not
in an endearing way. I won’t be chuckling when I spin tales about the Golden
State Warriors years from now. They’re just a heap of wasted talent, plus Coby
Karl(notes).

That was a lame joke, Karl can play, and while he seemed a
little hesitant at times in this game (make that extra pass, young man), he
should be a sound addition to this team.

The Thunder? They did what they were supposed to do. Kevin
Durant(notes) managed 45 points on 21 shots, which has to be some sort of record, but
it didn’t seem out of place. He just filled it up. Russell Westbrook(notes) (28
points) was continually afforded looks in the paint, and even Thabo Sefolosha(notes) had
his way at times.

Golden State made a game of this after OKC broke it open
late in the third, but the Warriors couldn’t get enough stops to tie things or
take the lead.

Stephen Curry(notes) looks like he’s eight years old, and James
Harden(notes) (1-7) needs to work on his shot selection. That is all.

***

Minnesota 112, New
York 91

The Knicks love to run, but they’re a terrible offensive
team. 95 points per 100 possessions, mainly because New York missed 19 of 28
three-pointers.  They got out to the
requisite hot start against Minnesota, the Timberwolves are cool like that, but
couldn’t hold onto it because Mike D’Antoni’s team cannot shot to save it’s
life.

Kevin Love(notes) (25 and 11) will be underrated for his entire
career, and this saddens me.

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Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Cuban sandwich.

Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer: "If the league really wants to get high ratings over All-Star Weekend, it should scrap the Slam Dunk Contest and just have LeBron James(notes) and Dwyane Wade(notes) play 1-on-1. If not, they could just show a replay of Monday night when James and Wade added another chapter to their already strong rivalry. In the first half they started a ‘anything you can do, I can do better’ campaign at the offensive end, a few precious minutes that are sure to be some of the most memorable played in the NBA this season. Then, as a contrast, they flipped it over to the defensive end in the second half, each attempting to one-up the other until the very end. Finally, it took a collision and a last-second shot to settle it. James came out on the winning end of both."

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: "After five consecutive lopsided Heat games lacking even the slightest bit of drama or suspense, Miami and Cleveland treated AmericanAirlines fans to a thriller Monday — a game featuring a jaw-dropping second-quarter shootout between Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in which the two stars played ‘Can you top this?’ But ultimately, James had the last word, stealing Wade’s pass in the waning seconds and then stealing the game for the Cavaliers. James’ two free throws with 4.1 seconds left provided the winning margin in a 92-91 win at AmericanAirlines Arena. ‘Heck of a game, heck of an effort,’ coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘We’re moving in the right direction.’ Wade scored 30 points in a remarkable first-half performance, converting on 9 of 13 shots, but he had just two points in the second half on 1-of-8 shooting. ‘They trapped, they took the ball out of his hands,’ Spoelstra said of Cleveland’s defense on Wade in the second half."

Joel Brigham, HOOPSWORLD: "The trade Monday that sent starting New Orleans Hornets guard Devin Brown(notes) to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for seldom-used center Aaron Gray(notes) doesn’t seem like much on the surface because neither guy is somebody most smart NBA fans would call a ‘game-changer.’ While it’s obvious that the Hornets made this move to shed salary, Chicago’s motivations require a little more digging and imagination. It’s possible that this trade could be an attempt to shore up the Bulls’ backcourt should they be able to find a taker for either Kirk Hinrich(notes) or John Salmons(notes) before the trade deadline. Chicago would like to head into this offseason with enough money to pursue a big name free agent and possibly have the option of extending Tyrus Thomas(notes). As it stands, they’ll have to choose one of those options or the other. Hinrich is scheduled to make $17 million for the next two full seasons, and Salmons is on the books for just under $6 million next year should he exercise his player option this offseason. Brown, on the other hand, can play out the rest of this season for right around $500,000 …"

A. Sherrod Blakeley, CSNNE.com: "The trading deadline is less than a month away, and rumors seem to grow like algae. This is especially true when it comes to players with expiring contracts such as Boston’s Ray Allen(notes). While the Celtics have maintained repeatedly that they have no intentions of moving any of their core guys between now and the Feb. 18 trading deadline — and I believe ‘em on this one — multiple league sources confirmed today that the Golden State Warriors are giving some thought to putting together a trade package that would involve Monta Ellis(notes) going to Boston in exchange for Allen. The Warriors see rookie Stephen Curry(notes) as the face of the franchise moving forward. One league source said the Warriors believe that Curry won’t develop at the rate they would like as long as Ellis is around. Golden State saw flashes of just how talented Curry can be against New Jersey earlier this week when playing without Ellis. With Ellis out with a sprained right ankle, Curry went off for a career-high 32 points. For such a deal to work, the Warriors would have to include at least one additional salary. The most likely player to be included would be Vladamir Radmonovic, who has a player option after this season but isn’t expected to exercise it."

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe: "For the second time in five years, Ray Allen is pondering his NBA future. He is a free agent at season’s end and the first of the Big Three whose future will come up for review by the Celtics organization. Allen is in the final year of a five-year, $85 million deal he signed with Seattle, a career-defining contract consummated during his prime. Allen, 34, is past his prime but remains a productive player who takes immaculate care of his body and could play into his late 30s. The Celtics will have to determine whether Allen should return and because they would own his Larry Bird rights — if he is not dealt by the Feb. 18 trade deadline — are not financially restricted by the salary cap. It’s highly unlikely Allen would earn the $19 million he’s making in the final year of his current deal, but he does have market value. He would enter this summer’s free agent bonanza as a second-tier choice behind LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh(notes). He could be pursued by teams seeking a shooter and a durable player. The Celtics are Allen’s first choice but he realizes the feeling may not be mutual, especially since he will turn 35 during the free agency period in July. ‘I would love to be here,’ Allen said Saturday. ‘In my mind right now, for me there’s no other place to be.’"

Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune: "Chris Paul was in a jovial mood considering Monday night’s opponent. The Blazers haven’t exactly been kind when it comes to Paul’s overall health since Paul came into the NBA in 2005. First off when Paul was a rookie, he tore a ligament in his right thumb when his hand became tangled in the jersey of Trail Blazers’ guard Steve Blake(notes). Last season, Paul strained his groin in January, also against the Blazers. On Nov. 13, in Jeff Bower’s first game as head coach, Paul sprained his left ankle. Against, you guessed, Portland. ‘I’m saying my prayers,’ Paul said, half-joking, half-seriously. Monday night Paul remained upright and healthy throughout flirting with a triple-double, scoring 24 points to go along with 12 assists and seven rebounds, and hitting the game-winning jumper with 3.8 seconds to go as the Hornets edged the Trail Blazers 98-97 Monday night here in The Rose Garden."

RealGM/Oregonian: "Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard insists that the team isn’t going to trade point guard Andre Miller(notes). Following a 30-minute confrontation with coach Nate McMillan on Jan. 7, Miller has done an about-face in Portland. Miller is averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and is shooting 51.3 percent in January. ‘We have no interest in trading Andre Miller. Zero. None. Write it,’ Pritchard told the Oregonian. Agent Andy Miller confirmed that everything is finally coming together for his client and the Trail Blazers. ‘Maybe it’s later than everyone would have hoped, but clearly everything has come together,’ the agent said. ‘This is where we should have been in October — it wouldn’t have been as interesting writing for you — but all the pent-up frustrations, all the misinterpretations and misjudgments, it’s righted itself.’"

Chris Tomasson, NBA FanHouse: "Stephen Jackson believes Don Nelson will retire after this season. Nelson disagrees, saying he will retire after next season when his contract runs out. ‘After Coach Nelson gets his record, he’s going to hang it up,’ Jackson, a Charlotte guard, said in an interview Monday with FanHouse about his former coach at Golden State who is soon to break the NBA record for career coaching wins. ‘I just know that he’s going to the (Warriors) office and pass the reins to (assistant coach) Keith Smart.’ Jackson, speaking before facing Denver at the Pepsi Center, claims to know this because ‘they were talking about that when I was there’ regarding Nelson retiring after this season. Jackson, who was dealt last November from the Warriors to the Bobcats after playing under Nelson since January 2007, wouldn’t specify individuals who said that. Nelson begged to differ. ‘I’m going to coach until my contract is up next year,’ Nelson said in a phone interview. ‘Ask Jack if he’s going to leave with one year left on his contract. … I’m going to honor my contract next year and then that will be it.’"

Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post: "Forget scares of a suspension, extra shooting practice and media training. The whole J.R. Smith(notes) mess comes down to this: The Nuggets’ singular goal is to win an NBA championship, and if Smith doesn’t change his antics, it could affect the team’s chances. ‘He’s one of our best players, and if you have one of your best players not either playing at his best or acting as best he can, it’s going to affect the team,’ said Nuggets captain Chauncey Billups(notes), who has played in two NBA Finals, winning one. ‘And his role has been increased this year. The last couple years, he maybe wasn’t a player we had to lean on every night. We need J.R. (this year). He knows that. We need him to be right — at all times.’ [...] ‘I don’t care who — if the janitor or security guard can help J.R., that’s fine by me,’ [George] Karl said. ‘Do I wish J.R. would be more in tune to our coaching — and not just my coaching, but our coaching? Yeah. … But it’s a process of getting him to where you want him to get.’"

Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle: "Rick Adelman knew, but most could have guessed. The Rockets had been regularly falling into double-digit deficits, making their way back as often as not. He knew they could get away with that no longer. ‘You can’t get down to those teams,’ he said barely an hour before the Rockets did, ‘because they’re used to putting you away.’ The Hawks did not immediately put the Rockets away, but once they built their 11-point first-half lead, there never seemed much doubt they would. [...] The loss dropped the Rockets to 4-7 this month and out of the top eight of the Western Conference. And for perhaps the first time this season, the struggles seemed to be taking a toll, with forward Carl Landry(notes) calling this ‘pretty much the lowest point yet for us this season.’ [...] The Rockets, however, have been forced to fight from behind every night lately. When the Hawks ended the first half on a 21-3 run, the Rockets trailed 55-44 at halftime, the fifth-consecutive game they faced a double-digit deficit in the first half."

Dave Feschuk, Toronto Star: "Reggie Evans, the long-injured Raptors defensive specialist, returned to full-contact practice on Monday, banging with his teammates for the first time in more than three months. ‘Today was a fun day for me,’ he said. ‘I finally got to a good stepping stone. … I’ve got some work to do.’ Evans’s presence on the floor — and the attention he drew from a gaggle of reporters in the workout’s aftermath - earned favourable reviews from teammates. His scrum with the media was interrupted by hooting and hollering from numerous Raptors, among them Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack(notes), the latter of whom repeatedly shouted, ‘The king is back!’ How did Evans play? He was slow to the ball, his jump shot looked wonky and he appeared out of shape, according to various accounts. And, for a guy who hasn’t played since damaging ligaments in his left foot in an Oct. 14 pre-season game, none of that was unexpected. But he managed to grab a steal, according to the post-scrimmage boxscore Evans kept in his head, and he played hard, which is his calling card."

Marc Berman, New York Post: "Knicks starting point guard Chris Duhon(notes) is in the midst of one of his horrific stretches, which means coach Mike D’Antoni is in the midst of trying to spin it, touting his intangibles. As he has been since arriving on Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s recommendation, Duhon is the teacher’s pet and hell will freeze over before D’Antoni yanks him from the starting lineup. But it appears time for D’Antoni to reduce Duhon’s minutes and try to cultivate a new ballhandler in Larry Hughes(notes), despite their feud. Hughes was the lone Knick not to play in Sunday’s historic 50-point defeat to Dallas at the Garden. With Nate Robinson(notes) likely to miss tonight’s Minnesota game with his strained hamstring and rookie Toney Douglas(notes) looking lost Sunday, Hughes may be D’Antoni’s best option — even if the veteran recently called D’Antoni’s methods ‘a joke.’ D’Antoni wouldn’t commit yesterday to rolling with Hughes again, but it seems likely. ‘I’m prepared to go out and help the team,’ Hughes said. ‘I don’t have any answers. It’s his team. He does what he sees fit to get a win. I’m trying to do all I can do to be ready for the games.’"

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A look around the league and the web that covers it. It’s also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren’t always listed in order of importance. That’s for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: L.A. Times. "When the Lakers left New York on Saturday morning to travel to Toronto, Andrew Bynum(notes) missed the team flight and was forced to pay for his own travel to Canada." Coach.
PF: RealGM. Daniel Leroux is right; sports statistics is a fascinating business.
SF: The Big Lead. Greg Oden(notes) has great taste in t-shirts.
SG: SRI. Stephon Marbury(notes) talks about how he came to his decision to play in China.
PG: KnickerBlogger.Net. It’s an understatement to say that Chris Duhon(notes) is just struggling with his shot.
6th: RedsArmy. A call for change now that John Wall’s joking about being a one-and-done college kid.
7th: Caldeford. The Raps own Sunday home dates against Western Conference opponents. (Bonus link.)
8th: Peachtree Hoops. The Hawks are the small market success story of this season.
9th: CelticsHub.com. A video look at the C’s problems on the defensive glass.
10th: NBA FanHouse. "The Denver Nuggets discussed it. In the end, though, they decided not to suspend guard J.R. Smith(notes) for his bench antics Saturday." Was it the right decision?

Got a link or tip for Ball Don’t Lie? Hit me up at jeskeets (at) yahoo.ca, or follow me on Twitter.

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