Monday, August 21, 2006
Starbury
Give credit where credit is due. I applaud Stephon for his new Starbury line of sneakers that will sell for about $15. To put his money where his mouth is, he will be wearing the shoes next season.
He was quoted as saying the $180 that Nike charges for some sneakers ought to be a week of groceries for a family, not a pair of sneakers for a child hoping to fit in and be like his peers.
Credit Marbury for telling the truth and making a statement that has a real financial impact on his own life. I am sure he had a deal with someone that paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars to wear a shoe that the shoe company hoped to sell to hundreds of thousands of kids whose families could not afford him.
Good for him.
While talking of those in the NBA doing good (not just well), Deke Mutumbo (a Hoya) is opening a hospital in Zaire built with $15 million of his own money and countless hours of fundraising. He is honoring his mother who died from a lack of adequate care during war-torn strife.
These two acts represent the very best of the NBA and its players. When have you seen someone from the NFL or MLB take a stand like this?
He was quoted as saying the $180 that Nike charges for some sneakers ought to be a week of groceries for a family, not a pair of sneakers for a child hoping to fit in and be like his peers.
Credit Marbury for telling the truth and making a statement that has a real financial impact on his own life. I am sure he had a deal with someone that paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars to wear a shoe that the shoe company hoped to sell to hundreds of thousands of kids whose families could not afford him.
Good for him.
While talking of those in the NBA doing good (not just well), Deke Mutumbo (a Hoya) is opening a hospital in Zaire built with $15 million of his own money and countless hours of fundraising. He is honoring his mother who died from a lack of adequate care during war-torn strife.
These two acts represent the very best of the NBA and its players. When have you seen someone from the NFL or MLB take a stand like this?
Monday, August 07, 2006
A Decent Addition
Jeffries is not a bad addition.
For the Knicks, he appears cheap, but his contract is rich for what he offers. Most importantly, he was a realistic building block. As the papers have noted, he simply does not score. That's OK, we have enough scorers. What he does is defend well at 3 positions and rebound the ball. Each of those are sorely needed. Also, he is 6'11"/ mobile/ young. Each of those are needed.
No one move is going to be the silver bullet, especially when the we only have the Bulls' slot in the next draft. Jeffries is a positive step and a decent use of the mid-level exception.
Don't expect much more before the season, but that's OK.
For the Knicks, he appears cheap, but his contract is rich for what he offers. Most importantly, he was a realistic building block. As the papers have noted, he simply does not score. That's OK, we have enough scorers. What he does is defend well at 3 positions and rebound the ball. Each of those are sorely needed. Also, he is 6'11"/ mobile/ young. Each of those are needed.
No one move is going to be the silver bullet, especially when the we only have the Bulls' slot in the next draft. Jeffries is a positive step and a decent use of the mid-level exception.
Don't expect much more before the season, but that's OK.
