Along with the rest of the team, LeBron James has taken his play up a few notches during the past few weeks. Today, he dueled with Kobe Bryant and held his own. James finished with 41 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Meanwhile, Bryant finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block. LeBron's solid performance, marked by his defense down the stretch, his two clutch free throws, and his one-on-one clutch basket over Kobe reflected the strongest case that LeBron has made this season in the quest for league Most Valuable Player honors.
In accordance with the release of the new NBA 2K11 basketball video game, legendary Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan has returned to the media's spotlight. That is, Michael Jordan has caught the sports world's attention by saying that today's NBA rules would have allowed him to score 100 points in a game. No one is questioning Michael Jordan's uncanny ability to make plays, create shots, and score points. Michael Jordan is right in saying that, overall, today's rules favor offensive players, particularly guards. Much less contact is allowed in defensive play; some of what was legal when Jordan played (such as forearms and handchecking) is now deemed personal foul-worthy. Furthermore, with a 30-team league, talent is spread out more than it used to be, and players--while on average are more athletic today--come into the league much less fundamentally sound. However, Michael Jordan has forgotten about the re-emergence of zone defense in the NBA. True, ...