AM I DREAMING? BTV IS BACK ON SKY CABLE

I still want to pinch myself. As I had mentioned earlier on this site, that ever since Basketball TV or BTV was scratched from Sky Cable last January 1, 2008, my basketball life would not be the same anymore. Even with weekly NBA games on ESPN, StarSports and CS9, it can not cover up for BTV's absence for a basketball junkie like me. But lo and behold, BTV made a dramatic comeback on Sky Cable last Tuesday, October 28, 2008 and everybody hooked on the Lopez-owned cable TV firm was kayoed by surprise.

I considered myself very lucky indeed as the return of BTV on Cavite Cable, which is a subsidiary of Sky Cable, did not require any additional charges at all unlike the Sky Cable subscribers in Metro Manila (except the those in the CAMANAVA area). Due to BTV's exclusive deal with Global Destiny in Metro Manila, a Sky Cable subscriber in the metropolis has to shell out additional P 100 per month to receive BTV, apart from purchasing a requisite "digital box" worth P 1,500.00. That is a lot of moolah if you consider the financial hardships nowadays. It is really great that Solar Sports, which is BTV's mother company has no exclusive deals in the provinces.

With daily live NBA games on BTV and regular dose of weekly coverages on CS9, ESPN and StarSports, I can now live my life in peace! Its GAMETIME!

KENO, MY NEW NBA BUDDY

As I was having my dose of three (3) 2008-09 NBA pre-season games on TV last Saturday, guess who gave me good company while enjoying the Cleveland-Washington, New York-New Jersey and Washington-San Antonio games on ESPN and CS9, no other than my new buddy, KENO, a Shih Tzu.

Keno is just 2-month old Shih Tzu puppy and you can’t help but love this very sweet tiny creature. He is fun to be with as every time I clapped my hands or applaud a nice play, he likewise gave it a thrilling bark of his! He knows his NBA brand of play. He is really worth all the expensive tag on his head as my wife Lorna got him at a princely price of 10k.

I made a research in the net and this is what I found out about the breed of my new comrade, Keno. Shih Tzu is a dog breed which originated in China. It is reported to be the oldest and smallest of the Tibetan holy dogs and is vaguely lion-like look being associated with the Tibetan snowlion. Therefore, it has a nickname, “Tibetan Temple Dog”. It is also often known as “Xi Shi Quan”, based on the name Xi Shi, regarded as the most beautiful woman of ancient China and, less often, the Chrysanthemum Dog, because of its face looks very much like the flower, and the Chinese, or Tibetan Lion Dog.

It is also characterized by its long, flowing double coat; sturdy build; intelligence; and a friendly, energetic, lively attitude. Its breed standard calls for the dog to have a short snout, large eyes, and a palm-like tail that waves above its torso. The ideal height is 9 to 10 ½ inches and should stand no less than 8 inches and not more than 11 inches tall.

So there goes a brief background check on my new bestfriend, Keno. For sure, there will be lots of fun to watch the coming NBA wars with him at my side as I know that he will always be there to give me the best company (of course, besides my ever-lovely wife) that I ever wanted.

And finally, here is the best part, with just one look at him, anybody’s stress will be gone! That is, I’m pretty sure of!

MY ALL-TIME BEST!

I had watched thousands and thousands of NBA games since 1974 and also had read volumes of books and magazines through 4 decades of following the world's greatest baketball league. Each decade saw the emergence of new superstars, which imprints lasting greatness on my basketball memory.

And now, I'm coming up with my own unique choices on who is the best ever on the different facets of the pro game. I would like to explain that my choices would only start from the 1970s to date as I had no definite idea on how the stars of the 1940s, 50s and 60s actually strutted their wares.

Best Dunker: Julius "Dr. J" Erving. He is the pioneer of the slam dunk. The man idolized by Michael Jordan for the original "hangtime". Who would ever forget the cradle slam that he imposed on Laker top-defender Michael Cooper. How about the death-defying leap from the free-throw line to slam his way to the 1984 NBA slam dunk title. In a capsule, he started it all.

Best Scorer: George "Iceman" Gervin. The master of the "finger-roll" can light up the scoreboard on any given night. His slender body deceives any defender that comes his way. He led the NBA in scoring for several years.

Best Passer: Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The leader of the 1980s LA Lakers "showtime" squad. As a teammate, all you had to do is roam around the court in offense, look for your favorite spot and he'll get you the ball. A unique pointguard at 6'9", he led the league in assist countless times.

Best Clutch Player: Larry Bird. The legend from Frenchlick, Indiana had bailed out the Boston Celtics many times, either by a buzzer-beater shot or an "eye-of-the-needle" pass. Who would ever forget his amazing steal and incredible assist to Dennis Johnson with 3 seconds left in the 1987 Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons. Truly a one of a kind player.

Best Rebounder: Wes Unseld. The only player in NBA history to win both the MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same year. A massively-built center, who led the NBA in rebounds despite his miniature size of 6'6". He is truly amazing.

Best Shot Blocker: George Johnson. The 6'11' center of the San Antonio Spurs in the 1980s led the league in rejections for several years. Equipped with an elongated "octopus-like" arms, GJ52 alter shots taken by almost all NBA players during his time. Defense is the name of his game.

Best Player: Michael Jordan. Do I need to elaborate? MJ23 won 6 titles with the Chicago Bulls. The man called by Larry Bird as "God disguise as a basketball player" had several MVP awards. A type of player that comes only "once in every century".

ITS GAMETIME! NBA 2008-09 SEASON

The 2008-09 season of the National Basketball Association is finally here! The training camps and pre-season games had already began as all 30 teams gear up for the new battle. I honestly believe that making predictions at this time on who will win it all is not a wise thing to do. There are lots of intangibles which may occur between October 2008 and June 2009. It is really a long grind as each club plays 82 games in the regular season alone. The trend for the season can only be determined by the all-star break wherein teams usually had already played more than half of their regular season games.

The opening tip-off of the regular season will be on October 29 (Manila time) and concludes on April 14 of next year. The city of Phoenix will host the 2009 annual All-Star weekend with the All-Star game to be played on February 15, 2009.

Herewith are my views in capsule on each team for the 2008-09 season:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION

Boston Celtics - The Big 3 is back and a back-to-back title is still a big possibility.

New Jersey Nets - Jkidd is gone as well as RJ24 and a new look Nets featuring Yi Jianlian and rookie Brook Lopez backstopped by Vince Carter and Devin Harris look promising on paper.

New York Knicks - a new frontoffice brings excitement to the Gotham City squad. Needs to unload at least one or both of their prima donnas in Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph.

Philadelphia 76ers - A nice duo in Andre Iguodala and newly-signed vet Elton Brand. If everything falls into right place, may spring a big surprise.

Toronto Raptors - Great move by management in bringing Jermaine O'Neal. Always a darkhorse.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Chicago Bulls - A 360-degree turn in team style as Vinny Del Negro takes helm in the windy city. The young turks are still there and boosted by the arrival of over-all top pick Derrick Rose. Offense is the name of their game.

Cleveland Cavaliers - As long as LeBron James is a Cavalier, they will always be a tough matchup for other teams. The reemergence of center Ben Wallace is the main key.

Detroit Pistons - May suffer from the Saunders karma. Remains a title contender as long as the four musketeers are still there (Chauncey Billups, Rich Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince).

Indiana Pacers - It is a rebuilding year for Larry Bird's boys. Vets Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy must step up or they may be shipped out. Head coach Jim O'Brien must be more assertive.

Milwaukee Bucks - Yi is gone and enter RJ24. Offense will never be a problem as long as Michael Redd is a Buck. New guru Scott Skiles brings discipline and defense to the brew city and possibly a post-season appearance.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Atlanta Hawks - The revelation of the 2008 play-offs are back! Will continue their development and may play deep into the 2009 play-offs.

Charlotte Bobcats - This will definitely be Larry Brown's last stop as head coach. Needs a healthy Adam Morrison and Gerald Wallace to qualify for the play-offs.

Miami Heat - The official start of the post-Riley/Shaq era. Badly needs a healthy Dwyane Wade to bring back the lost glory. Fil-am head coach Erik Spoelstra is in for a rough season debut.

Orlando Magic - Remains a dangerous team in the regular season and a faltering squad in the play-offs. Needs a good back-up center for Dwight Howard and more playing time for guard J.J. Redick. In urgent need of a locker room voice.

Washington Wizards - Obviously, where Gilbert Arena goes, so goes the team. Another major injury to Arenas will crash any hope for a bright season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
SOUTHWEST DIVISION

Dallas Mavericks - Finally free from Avery's dictatorship will bring new enthusiasm to the team. New head coach Rick Carlisle is a player's coach and this will only make Dirk Nowitzki more fired up and deadly as ever. Will definitely go deep into the post-season.

Houston Rockets - From a "2-headed monster" in T-Mac/Yao Ming to a "3-headed mean machine" with Ron Artest's arrival. An injury-free season to its main men is the key for T-Mac to finally win a play-off series.

Memphis Grizzlies - Still a middle of the pack team. The fans in Elvis town are excited with the arrival of top notch newbies in O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol. Main weakness is the coaching staff.

New Orleans Hornets - From an upcoming team to a title contender. Great off-season pickup in former Celtic sixth-man Jason Posey. An encore awaits them in the conference finals.

San Antonio Spurs - As good as ever. No need to elaborate, just watch them in May and June 2009.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Denver Nuggets - The duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will continue to pack-in the crowd but the absence of a legitimate center remains the biggest block to a succesful season for the mile-high city outfit.

Minnesota Timberwolves - This is the breakout year for Al Jefferson. But still a bleak season awaits the Wolves. Must make a major move to upgrade the team in the post-Garnett era. A longshot to make the play-offs.

Oklahoma City Thunder - A new city, a new team but still the same old faces. The former Sonics are in for a massive initiation. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green remains the anchor of this young squad.

Portland Trailblazers - The rain city diehards are praying to the basketball gods to spare Greg Oden from further harm. With a healthy Oden and a very promising young guns in Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Jerryd Bayless, the team looks like a legitimate play-off squad.

Utah Jazz - Defense alone can not win ballgames. The team looks forward to more firepower from AK47. Olympic gold medalists Carlos Boozer and Deron Willams represents the new version of the "Malone-Stockton" duo.

PACIFIC DIVISION

Golden State Warriors - Still reeling from the defection of Baron Davis. Ronny Turiaf and Cory Maggette are good additions but must hurdle obstacles without injured whiz guard Monta Ellis early in the season. A team that is still fun to watch.

Los Angeles Clippers - Great to analyze, the acqusition of Baron Davis and Marcus Camby vs. the departure of Elton Brand and Cory Maggette. Still lot of loopholes that need to be patched up on other spots. Will still fall short of making the play-offs.

Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe's patience is running out and Paul Gasol remains soft. Plus factor is the return of promising slotman Andrew Bynum. Looks like Phil Jackson will have more sleepless nights ahead.

Phoenix Suns - Start of a new era. 2-time MVP Steve Nash badly wants an NBA title. Still suffering from the Shaq-Marion trade. Hiring of Terry Porter as head coach is another drawback.

Sacramento Kings - Run, run and run. That's the only thing Reggie Theus knew. Pity the careers of young but promising Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin. It is clearly written in the wall, another cellar finish for the once-pround franchise.