![\"The](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/inside.jpg\")
<\/a>The Inside The NBA guys: Shaq, Ernie, Kenny, and Chuck.<\/p><\/div>\n
But, as a major basketball fan, I was really curious who would win each award, even though the guys on Inside The NBA<\/em> sort-of let us know the answers as the play-offs went on. They had no official<\/em> idea, but I assume the voters (the sportswriters and the public) either already felt the same way as those guys, or got influenced by their<\/em> choices. So, just as by the time we get around to the Oscars each year, there are no mysteries left, that\u2019s sort-of how it is with the NBA Awards, as well.<\/p>\n But I always like to see how sportsmen speak. Some are shocks, both ways. For example, I\u2019ve been watching, and admiring, Yankee catcher Gary Sanchez wow us with his altheltic prowess for a couple of years now, but only recently found-out that…he doesn\u2019t speak English!!! I had assumed that he\u2019d sound like he\u2019s from the Bronx! And occasionally, I\u2019m pleasantly surprised that a player speaks really well, such as Jamal Crawford. (You\u2019ll read more about him in a minute.)<\/p>\n So, I embarked on watching the second annual NBA Awards expecting not too much. But, after the dreadful opening monologue from very uncomfortable, unfunny host Anthony Anderson, the whole thing warmed up.\u00a0 No one was especially amusing, and the chatter from the mainly celebrity presenters was pat and inane, (as usual for awards shows, no matter what<\/em> the topic,) but the speeches were genuine and heartfelt.\u00a0 And I began to enjoy the show.\u00a0 It put me in such a good mood that I felt I could finally comment on this entire\u00a0<\/em>past NBA season, and then put it all to bed.<\/p>\n So, here are just a few thoughts on all these NBA events, in backwards<\/em> chronological order:<\/p>\n Victor Oladipo–grateful, talented, but not a dresser. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n It was good to see that the majority of guests, men and<\/em> women, all dressed appropriately.<\/p>\n Victor Oladipo\u2019s speech (for winning Most Improved Player) was good.<\/p>\n Rudy Gobert appeared to be the most grateful winner (for Best Defensive Player.)<\/p>\n I love that Best Sixth Man, Lou Williams, ended his speech with, \u201c \u2019Preciate ya all.\u201d And I believe him!<\/p>\n I could not wait to hear Coach of The Year Dwane Casey\u2019s speech. Right after his team was ousted in the second round of the play-offs, the Toronto Raptors fired him! And now he won the award for coaching them to the top seed in the East for the first time ever. But his speech was perfect. Grateful and pointed at the same time. Good for him!<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Actor Jesse Williams, who presented an award here, looked like a serial killer.<\/p>\n Jamal Crawford spoke the best, and gave a lovely acceptance speech for his repeat win as what I consider to be the most important award, Teammate of the Year.\u00a0 I wish that someone there had explained the meaning of it being the \u201cTwyman Stokes Award,\u201d though.\u00a0 (Look it up\u2014but have tissues handy. I just teared-up just thinking about it!)<\/p>\n Poor Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can barely walk! That happens to a lot of former NBA players. (But it beats what the NFL<\/em> guys go through, with all the brain<\/em> injuries!)<\/p>\n Bill Russell. Charming, eh? Just look at the face of the young guy behind him. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s a few days later, and I\u2019m still in shock that, when Charles Barkley was lovingly lauding him, Bill Russell gave him the finger! On-camera! How absolutely classless! But I applaud Charles for ignoring him, and proceeding with his presentation to the incredible Oscar Robertson for his Lifetime Achievement Award.<\/p>\n Because he played before I started paying attention, I never knew how much Oscar did for the game! What a great story he has.<\/p>\n Dikembe Mutombo\u2019s speech (and supreme goodness in life) made me cry.\u00a0 He shows it\u2019s not all thugs in the NBA.<\/p>\n I\u2019m so glad the MVP James Harden loves his mother so much!\u00a0 Now if only she could make him shave that nauseating beard!!!<\/p>\n First of all, I love that the Draft show once again came from my beloved Brooklyn!!! I watched the Barclays Center being built!<\/p>\n And I was so pleased that everybody involved looked pretty good.<\/p>\n Luka Doncic. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n I was thrilled that every single one of the draftees seemed nice, and grateful for this incredible opportunity. That\u2019s not always the case with these young men. I just really hope that they all stay that way!<\/p>\n My two faves this time are very surprising, even to me<\/em>, because\u2026they\u2019re white boys!!! For some reason, the young white guys usually don\u2019t do much for me.<\/p>\n But #3 pick, Luka Doncic, is not only an adorable and grateful and talented young man, but he\u2019s gorgeous!!! (I just hope that he gets his teeth fixed really soon. And then he\u2019ll be as good-looking as his beautiful mother, who I thought was his girlfriend!!! But he\u2019s only nineteen, so that makes sense.)<\/p>\n Donte DiVencenzo… (Photo by Karen Salkin.)<\/p><\/div>\n …and Poindexter.<\/p><\/div>\n And new Milwaukee Buck, Donte DiVencenzo, always makes me smile. He looks just like Poindexter in the old Barbie board game. And when asked what food he should tell his new Greek Freak teammate, Giannis Antetokounmpo, about, without blinking an eye, he answered, \u201cMy mother\u2019s pasta.\u201d OMG\u2014I love that guy. And he\u2019s a ginger, too, so my little mother would have adored him, as well.<\/p>\n Aside from all the guys giving good interviews, I must also laud Maria Taylor, the female who interviewed them. She did really well.\u00a0 I usually think these sports girls are awful, but she did not make it about her, at all.<\/p>\n [Note: I wrote all these notes as the play-offs progressed, rather than at the end of it all.]<\/p>\n Brent Barry was the best commentator.\u00a0 With him, there\u2019s no nonsense, he has a soothing voice, (as opposed to many of the grating ones on the other men,) and he offers lots of good sense info.<\/p>\n Jazz teammates Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell.<\/p><\/div>\n I\u2019m in love with the Jazz duo of Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell!!!<\/p>\n The Jazz became my fave team, followed by the Sixers.\u00a0 [Note: We\u2019ll see what happens next year. I may just go with the Bucks!]<\/p>\n I wept thinking that I might have just witnessed the last games of Dwayne Wade, Tony Parker, and mostly, Manu Ginobili.\u00a0 But it is<\/em> sort-of nice to witness exciting new blood, such as rookies Donovan Mitchell and Ben Simmons.<\/p>\n Chris Weber always tells us what the players are \u201csaying.\u201d That cracks me up.<\/p>\n How sweet of Terry Rozier to think to tell sideline reporter Roz Gold-Onwude \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d at the end of their interview, right after his major win!!!<\/p>\n Jrue Holiday has the best voice!\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait for him to be a broadcaster someday!<\/p>\n I love Jazz legend John Stockton\u2019s assessment of rookie Donovan Mitchell: \u201cA guy who seems impervious to youth.\u201d Beautiful.<\/p>\n Brett Brown.<\/p><\/div>\n Sixers coach Brett Brown is an attractive man.\u00a0 He\u2019s not my type at all, (as are only Hugh Jackman, James Bey, and, of course, Mr. X,) but I recognize his attractiveness.<\/p>\n I have the utmost respect for Steve Kerr, on every level of life, yet he doesn\u2019t seem to mind working with a bunch of lowlife classless thugs and punks! (Read: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Nick Young, Zaza Pachulia. Even Steph Curry misbehaved a bit during these play-offs!) I don\u2019t get that.\u00a0 At all.<\/p>\n Victor Oladipo was excellent as a guest analyst on Inside The NBA<\/em>!!!\u00a0 He was adorbs. (But perhaps he\u2019s a bit too full of himself on his singing abilities, which are great for a ball player, but not so much for an actual singer.)<\/p>\n In Game 7 of the Conference Finals against LeBron and the Cavs, the Boston Celtics just got blown away mentally.<\/p>\n LeBron James, realizing that he cannot win with this current Cavs team.<\/p><\/div>\n The Cavs are absolutely nothing without LeBron James!\u00a0 In that Game 7, he played all forty-eight minutes!!!\u00a0 (This was so cute\u2014after the previous game, his young son asked him,\u00a0\u201cHow do u make all those crazy shots?\u201d) [Note: And from the looks of it, they may be even less next season; LeBron is most likely opting to go elsewhere. More on that topic at the end of this column.]<\/p>\n I was very impressed with how all the Celtics handled that post-devastating-loss press conference!<\/p>\n It\u2019s amazing that LeBron made it this far without a team! (And we found-out later that he played the last three games of the Finals with a broken hand!!! Wow. What a man!)<\/p>\nTHE NBA AWARDS<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>THE NBA DRAFT<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>THE 2018 NBA PLAY-OFFS<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>ONE LAST THOUGHT ON LEBRON’S FUTURE<\/h1>\n