Doing the Dirk

Imitation is the finest form of flattery.
Vino did it.
KD did it.

I guess it's only right that LeBron has now done it.
Peep the technique displayed in Miami's win over Dallas the other day:




Yep. That's LeBron pulling the Nowitzki one-legged fadeaway - during crunch time in the the 4th quarter no less.

Oh, you wanted a break down of the mechanics? Why didn't you just say so?!?

1) Take your defender to the block and set up as such: defender - your body - ball.
This way, the ball is protected with your body. Notice how LeBron's right shoulder and hand (his shooting side) is closest to the basket. Interestingly, look at how LeBron's feet are off the ground, indicative of him using a little bounce after his dribble to set up his next move.....

2) Get a wider base base and start to step into your defender with your right foot.

3) Now, lean into your defender with your shoulder (I'm sure Monta Ellis' chest appreciates it) and firmly plant your right foot to push off and go in the opposite direction. And look how low LeBron is,  that's a 6'8" dude getting lower than a 6'3" guard.

4) As LeBron pushes off, he starts to create space between him and the defender. And his weight is shifted to his left foot.

5) In one move, LeBron starts to turn his body towards the basket (after he creates enough space to prevent the defender from swiping the ball away) while lifting his right foot off the ground, placing all his weight on his left foot. Starting to get into fadeaway.

6) With his body square to the basket, LeBron elevates off one foot (his left) while lifting his right knee into the air  - which keeps the space between him and the defender.

7) Fully elevated into his shot. This move started as a sort of step-back fadeaway, but look how straight LeBron's body is in the air.

One last thing,......this move takes a lot of strength.

Looks familiar, though, doesn't it?

Nasty

I've said it before.
Kevin Durant is 6'9"with a wingspan of 7'5".
He dunks on centers.
He can post up for one-legged fade-aways.
He can come off screens to catch and shoot.
Last year, he joined the elusive 90-50-40 club (% for free throws, field goals, & threes, respectively).
No wonder he's won three of the last four NBA scoring titles.

But did you know he can do this:

Yes, that's a 6'9" dude pulling an Allen Iverson crossover to shift the defender completely out of the way.

In case it was too fast for you to appreciate:

My, what separation. My, what help defense?

I know. You might say Vince Carter was never really known for his defense.

All I would say is,

Nasty kid.......

Nasty.

Peace in New York

This is the realest thing I have seen in a long time:

There are times when I know basketball is more than just a game - that it can be revolutionary. Something about this video makes me feel that way.

First off, this is every NY kid that had hoop dreams......dream. We all ride the train to games while in high school. Imagine doing that as a pro.

Second off, I can't do anything thing but feel great for World Peace. A long journey home (14 years to be exact). To come back and be able to take the train to the Garden, it has to be an amazing feeling. It's evident by the combined look of reserved jubilation, reflection, and contentment of Metta's face while he is talking.

And I absolutely love the fact that he brings his crew with him and shares the whole experience with  them - while acknowledging them. The shot of World Peace sitting/waiting for the train with another guy's arm wrapped around him is priceless.

For all the talk about how great the latest LeBron commercial is (yes, there are a lot - but this one), the video above is kind of like the real thing.

Welcome home Metta.
You represent New York well.