I know this issue does not involve the Philadelphia area, but I believe it is a topic that deserves recognition and discussion everywhere. Before this past Monday, nobody may have recognized the name Jason Collins. One day later and almost anybody could probably tell you who he is, sports fan or not. Collins made the decision to come out this week and state that he is openly gay. Jason Collins has played at Center for six NBA teams (Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics, and Wizards) since being drafted 18th overall in 2001.

Photo Credit Sports Illustrated

I, myself, do not know too much about Collins. I’ve heard of him vaguely, but I don’t remember him having significant impact on any teams. He must carry some value, being in the league for 12 years though. I am glad Jason Collins made this decision to be honest about his life. My dad always taught me that there are good and bad people of every race, religion, group, etc. and that I should take every person one at a time and do not judge them as a whole. Just because this man is gay, does not make him a bad person or anything of that kind. I am also glad that majority of the players in the NBA have accepted him as well. Most of the players have said that this league is a “brotherhood” and they support their peers with whatever decisions they make. Collins stated, ”I hope that every player makes a decision that leads to their own happiness, whatever happiness that is in life.” He went on to say, “I know that I, right now, am the happiest that I’ve ever been in my life.” While many people ranging from Michelle Obama, to Kobe Bryant, to Ellen DeGeneres, to myself have shown nothing but support for Jason Collins, unfortunately there are people that disagree with his chosen lifestyle.

Photo Credit NY Times

How do you feel about this decision? Do you think there are any risks with having an openly gay player in a professional sports league? Do you think this will create a movement for other players to come out in the future?

As a kid growing up in the 90′s and early 2000′s, my favorite sport was always basketball. But regardless of the sport, one of the most electrifying athletes in this time period was Sixers guard Allen Iverson. I was lucky enough to have the luxury of watching him right here in Philadelphia. There was something about A.I. that represented the city. He may not have been the perfect human specimen, or the strongest player, but he had heart. Something this city thrives on. Iverson played with a warrior mentality and a toughness that showed no fear against any player or team. I grew up idolizing his game and he was always one of my favorite players.

Unfortunately, his career did not end the way most superstar’s leave the game. There was no big announcement or press conference, or any ceremony celebrating his last game. He ended his career jumping around to different teams and even playing in China and Turkey. Eventually, he just faded out of the league. It saddens me to watch the trouble he has put himself through, because he was one of my idols growing up and he represented my childhood following of the sixers. This article talks about his problems he went through and where he is today, as well as a possible comeback to the NBA. I do not think he can dominate like he used to, but if he gets his body right, he can be a solid contributor. I would love to see him playing the game he loves once again.

This video highlights the beating he would take on the court. But, no matter what. He got back up.

This Summer, you can expect to see Temple Sr. Guard Khalif Wyatt picked up in one of the later rounds of the 2013 NBA Draft. He may not be at Madison Square Garden to claim his team hat when he is picked (a tradition for many draft picks in the early round), but I do see him making it to the NBA in this draft. In a draft class with no outstanding player, his “old man game” could be worthy to some teams in need of a savvy scorer. Being compared to Andre Miller and Paul Pierce, Wyatt does not strike with lightning quick moves or extraordinary athleticism, but he is more strategic and crafty with his basketball decisions. Sam Vecenie writes, “despite a relative lack of athleticism, Wyatt finds a way to get space on even the most athletic defenders. His ball-handling skill is a big part of this, but he also seems to have an innate understanding of angles and change of direction/speed.”

Photo Credit to BeaumontEnterprise

At the beginning of this season, I did not see Khalif Wyatt being of value in the NBA, but his performance towards the end of the season really made me a believer. Against any competition, no matter how big the Goliath, Wyatt comes to play. He is a born competitor and winner. There just seems to be ice in his veins when the game is on the line and that is when he wants the ball in his hands the most. I would love to see Wyatt be successful at the next level and look forward to following his career.

Read article here.

Although the Philadelphia 76ers will unfortunately miss this season’s playoffs, the first round will tip off this Saturday, April 20th. I had to share some of these videos that preview the postseason because they are wonderfully put together and they get me so pumped for the playoffs. I hope you enjoy them too! If you have speakers, turn it up! Basketball fan or not, I guarantee, these videos will get you inspired to do something. Make sure to tune into the first round this weekend, where 16 teams will go on the quest to become NBA Champions.


I love this game!

Tonight, the Sixers will be in Indiana to take on the Pacers at 8:00pm. This game will conclude the 2012-13 season for Philly, a disappointing one at that. An offseason that provided so much hope to be top contenders slowly spiraled out of control and eventually crashed to one of the less intimidating teams in the NBA. A win would give the sixers a final 34-48 record, something that could have been the other way around if Andrew Bynum was able to play for the team, as he was expected to early on. This team was built around his presence, and once the season carried on, the team was not able to weather the storm. This offseason holds a lot of questions in store. Who will coach Philly, now that Doug Collins is expected to quit? How will the front office handle free agency? What will happen with Evan Turner? Will the Sixers address the need for a big man once again? The only thing we can hope for is that next season presents itself with a lot more to cheer about. I believe they can get back on their feet and be competitive next year. The Philadelphia 76ers are my favorite team so no mater what, I will continue to stand by them. Don’t forget to tune into the 2013 NBA Playoffs this weekend! The Sixers will not be in it, but there are still some great match ups set to take place!

Below is a video highlighting what this season could have looked like if all our new acquisitions stayed healthy and were able to play. Could have been fun to watch!

Image credit to Klout

Image credit to PeerInde

After signing up for Klout and PeerIndex, I would say both have an equally simple registration system. However, I think Klout is easier to comprehend and is more accurate in addressing my influences. PeerIndex has a lot of items on the front page that do not appeal to me at all. My score on Klout is temporarily 46, but will change soon after it fully calculates my score. I am influential in Photography, Music, Food, Social Media, and Business. I was shocked not to see sports on there, because that is a majority of what I talk about, so Klout may be a bit inaccurate there. On PeerIndex, my score is a 55, but doesn’t say why. The site is definitely harder to navigate through as well. I would say Klout, overall, is a better site.

This infographic highlights the history and tradition of the Philadelphia 76ers. Memorable seasons, players, and moments are all captured. Enjoy!

This past Thursday, Philadelphia native, Rysheed Jordan committed to play college basketball for St. John’s University. Rysheed is a 6’4″ 185 pound Point Guard out of Roberts Vaux High School which is literally right around the corner from Temple University. The ESPN rated #22 player in the nation was deciding between Temple, St. Johns, and UCLA. This is a huge bummer for Temple basketball because he is someone who can be a great playmaker for any team as well as a leading scorer. he is a pass-first player, but can score at will. Jordan says he chose St. Johns because “If he were to choose Temple, it would be like he never got the chance to go away to school.” It is frustrating to see that location was the deciding factor in recruiting this outstanding talent, but I can understand his reasoning. He is a kid, like every other senior in high school, and is just looking for that away-from-home experience.

Here is a quick video that profiles who Rysheed Jordan is.

Image credit to LogoDesignLove

An article was released the other day, announcing that 3-on-3 Basketball (along with other sports) may be added to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. At first glance, I thought this could be an extremely entertaining contest, but then I got thinking whether or not it is an event that was actually Olympic-worthy. It just does not seem like a historic past-time that could be added to the competition of the majestic Olympic Games. After further pondering, I figured, 3-on-3 Basketball has been around for as long as the game existed and this may actually be something very fun to watch. With fewer players, you put more responsibility on each player offensively and defensively, so the strategy in choosing your players goes beyond fulfilling just one stat column. Every player needs to be a scorer, defender, and orchestrater.

I hope the Olympic Committee adds 3-on-3 Basketball to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, tell me what do you want to see?!

Photo Credit to NBACircle

Here is another article that projects who the players may be to represent their country in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

It has been a long and hard fought NBA season, and a stressful one for Sixers fans. But let’s all take a break to enjoy some of this 2012-13 season’s funniest moments! Keep an eye out for Javale McGee’s numerous appearances in this video. He is an athletic center for the Denver Nuggets, but has shown some glimpses of very low basketball IQ on many occasions. His highlight reel never seizes to make me crack up!

Image credit to Jonah Steinmeyer

In his third year with the Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner still hasn’t amounted to what he was expected to be as the Sixers’ second overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He has shown signs of being a force at the Forward/Guard position. He is a great rebounder, decent distributer, strong at getting to the basket, has a solid pull-up mid range jumper, and has worked on developing his three-point shooting. However, there have been many times where he has disappeared and barely showed up on the stat sheet. While Evan Turner seems to have some potential as a building block for this team along with his great friend and All Star, Jrue Holiday, he has just been too inconsistent and not reliable. I could see either trading for maybe a Josh Smith  or looking for a better draft pick to pick up Shabazz Muhammad out of UCLA, but you still don’t know what you are getting with those decisions either.

So the question is, what should the Sixers do with him this off-season? Trade him or keep him and continue to develop his skills? While Evan Turner has frustrated me many times, I stil lsee him with the potential to be an asset to this team. I think the main concern for the team is finding a big man, and if they have a dominatng center, Evan Turner will be more of a main contributor and will not have the pressure of taking over every game.

What do you guys think the Sixers should do with him?