Throwback Thursday

#ThrowbackThursday: The eight NBA teams who rallied from 3-1 to win series

May 16, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

photo via New York Knicks Memes

The New York Knicks face elimination tonight. And although they need to take one game at a time, Knicks fans remain hopeful that Melo and crew will defend their homecourt to force a Game 6 on Saturday. But let’s be honest, hard to please Knicks fans won’t be satisfied unless the team goes on a three-game winning streak to eliminate the Indiana Pacers in seven games.

Last night, the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder fell short of pushing their series to six games, but will the Knicks be more prosperous tonight? Well, according to history, it’s not an impossibility. In the league’s history, eight teams have successfully bounced back from being down 3-1 to ultimately win the series, 4-3. Also, six out of the eight teams benefited from homecourt advantage, something the Knicks secured after beating the Indiana Pacers during the last week of the regular season.

In the spirit of #ThrowbackThursday and encouraging Knicks fans to keep hope alive, here’s a summary of the elite club that the Knicks aim to join, courtesy of Cleveland.com:

• 2006: The Phoenix Suns started the 2006 playoffs by falling behind, 3-1, to the Los Angeles Lakers before winning the series. They won the next round against the Los Angeles Clippers before losing in the conference finals to the Dallas Mavericks. Phoenix (54-28 during the regular season) had the homecourt advantage over the Lakers (45-37). Phoenix star: league MVP Steve Nash.

• 2003: The Detroit Pistons trailed the Orlando Magic, 3-1, but came back to win the Eastern Conference first-round matchup. The Pistons also won in the next round before losing in the conference finals. The Pistons (50-32) enjoyed the homecourt advantage over Orlando (42-40). Detroit defender: NBA defensive player of the year Ben Wallace.

• 1997: The Miami Heat came back to defeat the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but lost in the next round despite a 61-win regular season. Miami (61-21) had the homecourt advantage over New York (57-25). Miami scoring leader: Tim Hardaway.

• 1995: The underdog Houston Rockets rallied to defeat the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals, and then went on the win the NBA championship. During the regular season, Phoenix (59-23) was 12 games better than Houston (47-35). Houston starting lineup included current TNT analyst Kenny Smith.

• 1981: The Boston Celtics stormed back to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals en route to the NBA title. Boston and Philadelphia had tied for the best record in the East that year at 62-20, but Boston had the homecourt for Game 7. Boston star: Larry Bird.

• 1979: The Washington Bullets rallied to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the Eastern Conference finals, before losing to the Seattle Supersonics in the NBA finals. Washington (54-28) had the homecourt advantage over San Antonio (48-34). Washington star: Elvin Hayes.

• 1970: The Los Angeles Lakers came back to defeat the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals and then advanced to the NBA finals before losing to the New York Knicks. During the regular season, the Lakers (46-36) had a better record than Phoenix (39-43). Laker stars: Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.

• 1968: The Boston Celtics rallied to defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers to win the Eastern Conference finals and then went on to win the NBA championship. The Celtics did this despite having to win Game 7 in Philadelphia. The 76ers (62-20) had a better record than Boston (54-28) during the regular season. Boston stars: Bill Russell and John Havlicek.

As you see, homecourt advantage wasn’t the only benefit. A few of the teams that made history also had bonafide superstars: Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Steve Nash, to name a few. Message being, if the Knicks plan to get it done, Carmelo must dial into Melo Mode and play like his life depends on it. That Syracuse dominance from ’03 and unstoppable flow that helped him seal the scoring champ title toward the end of the season. Yep, we need that Melo. It’ll also help if Coach Woodson stops sleepwalking during the playoffs and wakes the hell up!

-@sdotrenee

Props: Cleveland.com

Filed Under: Featured, NBA, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday Tagged With: #ThrowbackThursday, Carmelo Anthony, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Playoffs, New York Knicks

#ThrowbackThursday: Larry Johnson’s Four Point Play!

May 9, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Larry Johnson’s four point play is one of my fondest Knicks memories of all time. It’s also an extremely fitting #ThrowbackThursday moment given the current Knicks-Pacers series, so here we go.

My brother and I attended Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals between the Knicks and Pacers. We were, without exaggeration, seated at the very highest level of the Garden. Talk about nosebleeds. If we jumped too high, it was quite possible we’d suffer a concussion from hitting our heads on the roof. But none of that mattered to me because I was one of 18,000 fans who could actually say I witnessed one of the greatest Knicks plays of all time in person.

Because I was seated so high, I stood for most of the game, especially the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Regardless of how great your vision is or an arena’s sight lines are, when you’re that high up, the angles are unfavorable. Every player looks unrecognizable…like an ant.

As the final minutes of the game turned to seconds, and it became a one to two possession game, I was shook. I could not stomach the moment. It wasn’t Game 7, but the rivalry between the Knicks and Pacers was so intense that every game mattered. They were all must wins. And at this point, the series was tied 1-1. Prior to Game 3, both games had been won by the slimmest of margins, three points or less. Game 3 was proving to be no different. With 11.9 seconds remaining, the Pacers led the Knicks by 3 points. I took a deep breath, shot up a prayer and thought to myself, here we go again.

Charlie Ward inbounded the ball to Larry Johnson and the Pacers almost came up with the steal. I began to implode emotionally. My nerves kicked into overdrive and everything around me slowed down. LJ, however, maintained possession and his cool. Antonio Davis was playing LJ real tight. As the seconds ticked away, I thought is LJ going to be able to even get off a shot? If he did, would it be a good shot? I never even fathomed the idea of a four point play being an option. In my mind, he’d either tie the game and send it to overtime, or miss the shot and ruin the night of every Knicks fan everywhere.

We all know what happened next.

LJ launched the three and it seemed like an eternity between the release of the ball and the made shot. As you’ll see in the video, when 18K fans realized LJ knocked down the shot to tie the game, it was if someone pressed an eject button. All at once, we jumped to our feet, exploding with excitement and disbelief. The high fives and hugs among strangers were never-ending. I yelled so loudly that I became dizzy and had visions of stars. Eventually, we all managed to settle down so LJ could concentrate on his free throw. But when it was clear that LJ nailed the game winning foul shot, every inch of MSG began to rock again with fans super charged from the greatest adrenaline rush one could ever experience. Whatever feeling you’re imagining right now, it was that times a million.

Here’s footage from one of the most dramatic moments in Knicks playoffs history.

Whenever I visit the Garden or see Larry Johnson, I think about this play. For me, it’s definitely a top five sports moment. Without a doubt.

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NBA, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday Tagged With: #ThrowbackThursday, Indiana Pacers, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Playoffs, New York Knicks

You got the juice now, Melo.

April 25, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

melo_ewing_knicks

Tonight I stumbled upon this photo on pinterest and instantly became obsessed with it. So obsessed that I’m seriously considering blowing it up, making it poster size, printing it out, and taping it to my bedroom wall. No joke.

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NBA, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday Tagged With: #ThrowbackThursday, Carmelo Anthony, knickstape, Melo, NY Knicks, Patrick Ewing

#ThrowbackThursday: Lisa Leslie Dunks in WNBA Game

April 4, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

photo via http://luzelliscruz.wordpress.com/

Yesterday, Mark Cuban’s attention-grabbing comment about his willingness to consider drafting Baylor’s Brittney Griner in the second round of the NBA Draft caused a stir. While most people debated whether Griner’s skill and athleticism were enough to compete with the best male basketball players in the world, I instead reflected upon the first time Lisa Leslie, also considered a player special enough to redefine the women’s game, became the first WNBA player to dunk in the history of the league, back in 2002.

Like most people, I missed Leslie dunking live. Yet, I do vividly recall the hype surrounding this moment after it occurred. Overnight, the WNBA went from being insignificant to being covered by every major media outlet. The buzz was so loud, people debated if Leslie’s singular achievement could finally propel the WNBA into mainstream popularity. But, we all know the rest. Over 10 years later, the WNBA and its players are still fighting for respect, despite all of the talent in the league.

This summer, Brittney Griner will go on to play in her first WNBA game. Since 2002, Candace Parker, who’s dunked twice, is the only other WNBA player to join Leslie in the record books. Which, when you think about it, makes Leslie’s accomplishment that more incredible. But something tells me that Griner, who’s dunked 18 times in her collegiate career, will not only have her name added next to Leslie and Parker’s, but she’ll have many record-setting entries unto herself.

However, before Griner enters the league and shatters all of the records, let’s take a look back at the pioneering Leslie, who retired a two-time WNBA champion, three-time WNBA MVP, and four-time Olympic gold medalist, coming off the fast break and taking off above the rim. Warning, the footage is extremely low res.

Told you…lol.

-@sdotrenee

video via betaschmidt

Filed Under: Basketball, Featured, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday, WNBA, Women's Sports Tagged With: #ThrowbackThursday, Brittney Griner, Candace Parker, LA Sparks, Lisa Leslie, Mark Cuban, WNBA, women dunking

#ThrowbackThursday: 1999 Women’s World Cup Final

March 14, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

photo via soccernation.com

The 1999 Women’s World Cup is one of the greatest sports moments in American history. Until that summer, I don’t recall having an interest in or awareness of the World Cup. Although my family was heavily into sports, somehow the World Cup never rated in our home, at my school, church, or any other social settings. But with the USA serving as the host country of the event, suddenly the Women’s World Cup was on everyone’s radar. And rightfully so! These ladies were fresh off a 1996 Gold Medal performance at the Atlanta Games. Right before our eyes, they were building a dynasty and legitimizing a sport Americans couldn’t care less about.

As the tournament progressed, I became more and more attached to the team, specifically Mia Hamm and Briana Scurry. Hamm because she was getting it done. Although I didn’t understand much of what was happening on the field, Hamm’s dominance and leadership spoke for itself. It was obvious she was the best player on the field at all times. As for Scurry, I identified with her as the lone black girl…obvi. The only thing to top girl power is black girl power, so I was Team Scurry based on GP. However, once the scoreless game had to be determined by penalty kicks, I thought, awww damn, we’re going to lose and it’s going to be the black girls fault. With the entire world watching, I prayed Scurry wouldn’t become the scapegoat. Thankfully, she made one save which was just enough to keep our hopes alive. Suddenly the pressure shifted from Scurry to Brandi Chastain, and the rest is history!

They celebrated. And, united as a country, we celebrated along with them. But in an instant, everything came to a screeching halt. The media overshadowed a historic accomplishment by reacting to the iconic moment of Chastain tearing her jersey off and exposing her athletic body, but more specifically, her sports bra. Instead of enjoying what was arguably the greatest moment of her life, or certainly her career, Chastain was forced to participate in a media circus defending her decision to display emotion after victory. I recall thinking the unfair criticism was sexist and ridiculous. First of all, I was unclear when women in bras became an offensive symbol. The popularity of SI’s Swimsuit Edition or Victoria’s Secret catalogs said otherwise. And second of all, male athletes tear their shirts off all the time. Oh, for the love of a double standard! That quickly, everything these women worked so hard to accomplish was tainted by something so insignificant.

But as we saw this past year with the Summer Olympics and Gabby Douglas’s hair controversy, female athletes will always be held to different standards than their male counterparts. Possessing talent, heart, determination, and elite athleticism aren’t enough. When you’re a woman performing on the biggest stage, or any stage for that matter, you must remain composed and picture perfect at all time. Displaying raw emotion and aggression, or having a hair out of place is forbidden in our society. Unlike men, female athletes risk tarnishing their legacies with a pesky asterisk signifying their ‘imperfections’ if they dare defy the extreme expectations society has applied to them.

But, I digress.

Let me get back to recognizing the awesomeness that is the US Women’s National Soccer Team. I didn’t mean to get all emo on y’all, lol. Here’s footage from one of the most intense and memorable moments in American sports history.

Enjoy!

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, Pro Sports, Soccer, Soccer, Throwback Thursday, Women's Sports Tagged With: 1999 Women's World Cup, Brandi Chastain, Briana Scurry, Mia Hamm, Soccer, Throwback Thursday, US Women's National Team

#ThrowbackThursday: Flo Jo aka the Fastest Woman on Earth!

March 7, 2013 by Shana Renee 2 Comments

Photo via stevelandis.com

In honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve decided to dedicate this month’s #ThrowbackThursday posts to female athletes who have inspired me over the years or have had an immense impact on the sports world. Today’s post is about a woman who’s done both, Florence Griffith-Joyner aka Flo Jo aka the fastest woman on earth.

While the world marveled at Flo Jo’s unbelievable speed, as a young girl, I was captivated by her beautiful smile, wild mane, sculpted body, signature nails that were at least 4″ in length and stylish one-legged leotard, of course. During the late 1980s, it was rare to see beautiful black women take center stage as the whole world watched along in anticipation of witnessing history. However, before Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps were must see TV at the Olympics, Flo Jo owned that title and those moments. Throughout her short professional career, Flo Jo won 3 Olympic Gold and 2 Olympic Silver medals. Twenty five years later, Flo Jo’s world records set at the 1987 Olympic trials for the 100-metre (10.49) and the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the 200-metre (21.34) are still standing and will likely remain untouched.

Although she died from a seizure at the young age of 38, there’s no doubt in my mind that many female athletes today pay homage to her trendsetting ways. When Venus and Serena Williams take center court in their head-turning tennis outfits, all praise should go to Flo Jo for not being afraid to take that risk first. Or when many female athletes arrived at the 2012 Olympic Games with decorative nails and beat faces, I couldn’t help but think they were all channeling their inner Flo Jo. She wasn’t only a pioneer in sport for her competitive nature, but her beauty, elegance, and refusal to compromise her femininity, too.

Click images below to check out some of her most memorable outfits.

: Photo via Forbes.com

: Photo via FakePretty.com

: Photo via Forbes.com

: Photo via DisMagazine.com

: Photo via AnotherMag.com

: Photo via thegrumpysociologist.blogspot.com -

And here’s footage from the 1988 Seoul 100-metre Gold medal race (10.54)…

And the 1988 Seoul WR 200-metre Gold medal race (21.34)…

Although her accomplishments were scrutinized, I can’t imagine how much more she would have suffered if social media was around back then. Before, it was a lot easier to conceal ugly truths from the youth. With my childhood innocence still intact, I was unaware of the controversy swirling around her at the time. And I remain happy about that. Even while preparing this post and researching her life, I dismissed the hearsay about her alleged doping. I don’t want my fond memories of how she inspired me as a young black girl to be tainted. Instead, I’m proud that all of these years later, the adult me is still able to connect with Griffith-Joyner’s radiant beauty, grace, and trailblazing style. To some, her legacy may be marred by steroid suspicions, but to me she will forever reign as the fastest, dopest, baddest chick the track and field world will ever know.

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Fashion, Featured, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday, Track & Field, Track & Field, Women's Sports Tagged With: #ThrowbackThursday, 1988 Seoul Olympics, Fashion, Flo Jo, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Track and field, Women's Sports

#ThrowbackThursday: Kobe Bryant Two Pieced by Chris Childs

February 28, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Kobe Bryant Gets Two Pieced

I’m not one to condone violence, but what the hell, we’re all adults here!

Roy Hibbert’s little scuffle with David Lee, earlier this week, sent me on a hour-long YouTube bender pulling up some of the greatest NBA fights of all time. When brainstorming #ThrowbackThursday ideas, I immediately thought Malice in the Palace. That fight was so major, folks thought it would be the demise of The Association. But then I stumbled upon the always satisfying classic low res footage of Chris Childs serving Kobe Bryant the ultimate two piece and a biscuit, and knew this was it.

This video reminds me of Jay’s line in Ignorant Sh*t, “…the tough guy disappears, then the bitch come out.” Because regardless of whether you believe Childs truly caught Bryant, we can ALL agree that elbow Kobe threw was weak sauce. As far as reps go, Kobe will live on as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. And Childs will live on as the dude who two pieced one of the greatest NBA players of all time. You do the math.

-@sdotrenee

Video via TheAkronHammer23

Filed Under: Featured, NBA, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday Tagged With: Chris Childs, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant Two Pieced by Chris Childs, LA Lakers, Malice in the Palace, NBA, NBA FIghts, NY Knicks

#ThrowbackThursday: Bo Knows Speed

February 21, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Before I jump into #ThrowbackThursday, I have to let you know I’ve been having MAJOR site issues all week. I’m not a techy person, but I do know the issues originate with my server. And whatever’s happening has caused my site to run a lot slower than usual. It’s been so slow that posting to the blog has been super laborious and frustrating. Instead of saving and publishing posts, I’m being routed to pages with error messages, only to return to blank drafts. Yesterday, I wasted an entire day talking to incompetent people who were unable to resolve my issues. But I’m back at it today and hope I’ll have a better outcome. Having said that, I apologize for the site’s slow performance. It sucks. I know. #bloggerproblems

photo via NFL

Since I’m shook about losing anything I write, today’s #ThrowbackThursday post is a quickie. The NFL Combine kicks off in two days. Hundreds of NFL hopefuls will compete to impress NFL scouts. We’ll hear about players recording both impressive and dismal times. But Bo Jackson, one of my all-time favorites, had one of the most impressive Combine performances ever. In 1986, he recorded the fastest time for the 40-yard dash, clocking in with a 4.12. Can anybody catch him? #BoKnowsSpeed

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday Tagged With: #ThrowbackThursday, 40-yard dash, Bo Jackson, Error message, National Football League, NFL Scouting Combine, Raiders, Sports

#ThrowbackThursday: Jordan vs Wilkins ’88 Dunk Contest

February 14, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Image via NBA.com

MJ’s 50th birthday is Sunday. It’s NBA All-Star Weekend. So naturally, reminiscing over the good ol’ days of the Slam Dunk contest was an obvious choice for today’s #ThrowbackThursday post.

I miss when a dunk contest was a true and raw display of originality.

I miss when players didn’t have to use props to sell a dunk. Their talent was enough.

I miss when the competitors were All-Stars in every sense of the word, and brought out the best in each other for fear of being outdone.

I miss when those same All-Stars competed year after year in an attempt to defend their title or redeem themselves.

I miss when you didn’t have to be educated on who was participating in the contest because it was understood.

I miss when you didn’t have to beg the best dunkers in the league to accept an invitation, only to have them decline.

I miss when the judges didn’t grade on a curve and dish out 50s like Thanksgiving Day turkeys.

Yeah, I miss all of that.

Watch MJ and Dominique go at it and tell me you don’t feel me.

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NBA, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday Tagged With: 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, MJ, NBA All Star Game

#ThrowbackThursday: Muhammad Ali x Stevie Wonder

February 7, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Photo via SIVault

What we have here are two legends, two national treasures who are bigger than words…bigger than life itself. Muhammad Ali and Stevie Wonder. The year is 1963. The place is backstage at The Apollo Theater in Harlem, USA. Ali is a young 21 year old and the child prodigy, Stevie Wonder, is the tender age of 13. Both are in the early stages of their careers. Their contributions to our culture, society, and world were not yet realized. However, based on this picture, it seems both knew they were on the brink of achieving remarkable things, especially Ali.

And the groupie scene? Heavy. *Insert ‘I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one!’ reference here.* Hit me!

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Boxing, Featured, Pro Sports, Throwback Thursday Tagged With: #ThrowbackThursday, Muhammad Ali, Stevie Wonder, United States