View From The Bridge

Picture this. You're an NBA rookie in 1989. You've excelled at every level and have continued to perform amongst the best in the world. Hell, you might even be a shout for the Rookie of the Year! However, one quick trip to Detroit and you come away with a couple of bruised ribs, a bloody nose and a twisted ankle - and that's if you're lucky. This is the home of the Bad Boy Piston's, a team born into hate that houses some of the NBA's greatest ever basketball hitmen and at their very centre (quite literally) is Bill Laimbeer - a man that would rather put you on a stretcher than allow a basket.   At 6'11" and 245lbs, Laimbeer didn't fuss around with providing big-time buckets or dishing out flashy assists - he left that to his All-Star teammates Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman. Instead, he was tasked with one simple goal, to stop opposing players by any means necessary. To you and I, that might mean a hard foul here and there and maybe the odd bit of t...

The Triangle Offence. Made famous by the 90's Bulls and Kobe's Lakers, few single offences have created so much strategical success over nearly 60 years. On the surface the basis is simple, to create as many scoring opportunities for every player on the floor - every pass and every cut with has an intent purpose. In a time of post-game and mid-range masters, the triangle offence created order out of chaos and was the driving force behind many championship successes. However, as time has passed and the game of basketball has changed, a once-dominant offence has turned obsolete and died right in front of our very eyes.  Now I don't mean dead as in it passed away peacefully in its sleep and had a nice funeral service. I mean dead as in it was thrown in the back of a car and pushed off a bridge - a complete cold-case. One minute it was winning titles, the next is was in every coaches waste paper basket. So what happened?  It all started at the University of South California wit...

Welcome to Saturday's Sporting Icon!  Every Saturday, this page will showcase some of history's most unappreciated sports superstars. From the winding streets of Monaco to the NBA hardcourt, I think it's time to shed some light on the greatness of some of the world's least treasured icons. Saturday 27th February - Len Bias  Since 1984, the world has searched for the next Michael Jordan. Some thought it was Kobe. Others think it's LeBron James. However, those who were around in 1984, only had to wait a mere 2 years to see the next best thing. Len Bias was a bigger and arguably more skilled version of Michael Jordan, with incredible athleticism at 6'8" and a shooters touch from inside 13 feet. Throughout his 4 years at Maryland University, he dominated college basketball and quickly became one of the most exciting prospects for the 1986 NBA Draft. However, in a tragic switch of fate, Len Bias soon became one of the biggest "what-if's" in basketb...

What makes a player great? Is it the MVP trophies? Is it the scoring titles? Is it the championships?  These are questions that are thrown around in every GOAT debate and like it or not, winning titles has a major contributing factor in this decision. Winning is the sole purpose of every NBA player and is a defining element when determining career success. However, where is the line drawn? It's no secret that some players just happen to find themself always on the winning team, and are therefore gifted ring after ring (Jim Loscutoff *cough). In contrast, some of the NBA's greatest ever players left their teams without a single ring on their finger or banner in the sky. So how big a role should Championships play in determining the greatness of NBA players?  In my mind the answer is simple. Context. The story behind a players NBA ring is what define's their greatness and is exactly why players such as Bill Russell are ever found during legitimate GOAT conversations. With 11 ...

  Welcome to Greatest Rivals! Each Wednesday, this page will pitch two great rivals against each other to finally find out who the real winner is! Over the coming weeks, this page will cover many great rivalries, from the glory of el Clasico to the back and forth action of some of Wimbledon's finest performers.  In order to determine a winner, each rivalry will be split into 2 categories: Statistical dominance and individual or team success. In case of a draw, the winner will then be elected from personal opinion.  Wednesday 17th February - LeBron James vs Michael Jordan  Okay, let's do this. The LeBron vs Jordan debate is one of the most polarizing sports debates in recent history and the answer is generally decided by what era you were brought up in. Old-timers who grew up watching Jordan destroy the likes of Magic Johnson and Karl Malone will undoubtedly place him higher than LeBron, just because they were their childhood hero. Thankfully, the script has flipped f...

Alongside many others, I grew up with the undivided belief that Michael Jordan is the greatest player to ever grace an NBA basketball court. His combination of speed, power, magical touch, and winning ability has put him firmly at the top of the NBA’s all-time list for the last 30 years. This longevity has enabled him to be one of the most successful and celebrated athletes of all time; even after his numerous retirements. Throughout his career, Michael Jordan set the bar so astronomically high, that many believed there would never be another as good as him and it was inconceivable that there would be anyone better. However, as of recently, only one name is starting to overtake that of the great Michael Jordan, and that is LeBron James.   Modern statistics have made it very easy for the regular sports consumer to separate one player from another and therefore then feel obligated to say which one is better than the other. Through this method, it is very hard to disagree with the fac...