My Mount Rushmore

The talks of who belongs on the NBA's "Mount Rushmore" have escalated recently with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James choosing to voice their opinions on who they believe belongs in the top four players to ever grace the hardwood. Bryant's Rushmore consisted of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Bill Russell. LeBron on the other hand chose to place Oscar Robertson on his list instead of Bill Russell. With these stories littering the headlines lately it got me thinking of who I would put on my Mount Rushmore.

MJ's career was one big highlight reel

Michael Jordan: Isn't it obvious? The greatest to ever do it should be on everyone's Mount Rushmore without doubt or question. Six rings, ten scoring titles, five MVP awards, and was a first team All-Defensive member nine times. But awards aside, the performances and plays that Jordan had or made are those that will never be beat nor will they ever go away. The shot over Craig Ehlo, his final shot in a Bulls uniform, and the switch-hands layup against the Lakers are all images that are etched into NBA history. Not to mention His Airness averaged 30.1 points per game in the regular season while averaging 33.4 points per game in the playoffs. His ability to be the most clutch player to play the game and his willingness to step up in big situations solidify him as the best ever. And while LeBron believes that he's going to knock someone off of the NBA's Mount Rushmore, there will never be a worry that MJ will be the one to lose his spot. He's the greatest of all time, and always will be.

At 6'10 Magic was as dynamic as anyone

Magic Johnson: It's hard to argue against Magic Johnson when it comes to the three empty spots on the Mount. Magic was a larger-than-life figure both on and off the court and to this day is still positively affecting the sports world. Throughout his career with the Los Angeles Lakers he averaged 19.5 points per game to coincide with 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds. Not bad for a guy who was listed as a point guard. However, even though he was listed as a point guard, the special thing about Magic Johnson is that at 6'10 he played all five positions and played them unbelievably well. Behind Magic's dynamic playing style the Los Angeles Lakers captured five NBA titles during his career, three of which Magic was named Finals MVP. He was also named to the first team All-NBA nine times and shot over 50% for his career. And while Magic has continually said that Kobe Bryant is now the greatest Laker of all time, the stats prove that Magic still reigns supreme when it comes to discussing who is the best to ever don the purple and gold despite missing four complete seasons due to his battle with the HIV virus.

The Big O's ability to rebound set him apart from other guards

Oscar Robertson: The Big O is arguably the best point guard ever with Magic Johnson being his closest competition. At 6'5 Oscar Robertson was over-sized for his position which, at the time he played, was a greater advantage than you will ever see in today's game. And while The Big O was a player unlike any other, his stats in a few of his seasons will most likely never be matched. In the 1961-1962 season Robertson averaged a triple double. Let me say that again: he AVERAGED a triple double. Nowadays ESPN blows up whenever a guy does it in one game while Oscar Robertson did it on a nightly basis for a whole season. Averaging 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game in, Robertson played arguably the best season of any player ever. Though he only won one NBA title (Milwaukee 1971) he was a member of the first team All-NBA nine times in his 13 year career. While it may surprise people to see three guards on my Mount Rushmore, the stats and accolades cannot be disputed.

11 rings later, Russell remains the best center

Bill Russell: Not quite sure how Russell get left off of LeBron's top four. Russell will go down as the winningest athlete of all time, winning 15 championships between high school, college, and the NBA. He won 11 NBA titles throughout his 13 year career. That in itself is as impressive as anything you'll ever hear when it comes to sports. On top of that the Celtics center averaged 22.5 rebounds for his career as well as racking up 15.1 points per game. Russell's numbers also increased when it came to the playoffs as he averaged 24.9 rebounds per game and 16.2 points per game. Bill Russell earned himself MVP honors five times while appearing in the All-Star game twelve times. Though other centers may have better statistics, the individual awards that Bill Russell earned prove that he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of the NBA.

These four players are on my Mount Rushmore because of the way they helped reshape and revolutionize the game of basketball. Obviously players like Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are deserving as well and I'm in no way saying that those I left out are not good enough. I just believe that what these four did for the game while putting up unbelievable numbers and enjoying individual success as well as team success along the way is what earns them the top four spots. With this in mind, Zach and I would like to hear your Mount Rushmore! Comment your top four players below!

Criticism of Smart Unwarranted and Ignorant

I had actually typed out about half a blog on Marcus Smart's actions last night only to delete it, thinking that I was being a bit too emotional. But now that the press conference is over and the headlines continue to blame Marcus Smart for the tough stretch Oklahoma State University is about to endure it's occurred to me that the criticism he is now facing is absolutely ridiculous.

Smart's shove occurred with less than 10 seconds left in the game

Let me start by saying this, I don't think Smart should have shoved Jeff Orr, the Texas Tech "super fan". I don't think that's right nor do I think a player should ever resort to that. However, Smart did not make up his mind to confront Orr just out of pure want. Now that we have more of the story of what truly went down between the middle-aged season ticket holder and future Lottery pick, it has been said that Orr referred to Smart as a "thug n****r".

Excuse me? We're letting clowns like Jeff Orr enter college basketball games as a grown man and speak this way to 19 year old kids, and yet all we can type stories about is how Smart's responsible for what will surely be the downfall of Oklahoma State's season? There was a racial slur used toward a defenseless African-American athlete and we care more about the Cowboys' chances of making the NCAA tournament? That's sad, America. That's really, really sad.

Again, Smart should not have reacted. But Orr has a history of bad-mouthing opposing players which I understand is part of the game and by playing athletics you, in a way, sign up to deal with that kind of trash talk and banter. Yet there is NEVER a place in sports to use a slur at a player regardless of what color, race, or ethnicity they are. I don't care how much you dislike a player or if you just think you're being funny, we have come too far as a nation and have seen countless leaders of multiple races take a stand against crap like this to see it all go to waste when some 50+ year old moron decides to mouth off to a 19 year old basketball player. That's a disgrace not only to fans of the game but to all the trials our world has gone through when it comes to dealing with racism.

Fans have freedom to say and do anything

And while Smart's situation is different than the one I'm about to mention, my feelings towards fans and what they are allowed to say and do without consequence remains the same. Remember in the NBA playoffs when Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls was ejected in a game against the Miami Heat? While exiting the floor, Noah was greeted by the middle finger of a female Heat fan. Noah didn't react and kept his head down, but was anything said to the lady who made the obscene gesture? No. I'm not saying this as a Bulls fan, I'm saying this as a human being: you don't treat somebody like that. I get Joakim Noah isn't exactly a popular guy in the NBA, but to show him up like that on national television? Give me a break. Just sit there and watch the game. That's what you paid money to do. It boggles my mind that fans think it's okay to act like that.

I understand that trash talk is part of the game and part of the athletic environment, but where's the punishment for stuff like this? Going back to the Marcus Smart shove, what's going to happen to Jeff Orr? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was quoted by the media, obviously denying ever using the slur, and will surely be present at the next Texas Tech basketball game surely viewed as something of a hero because he got under Smart's skin. That's what disgusts me. Marcus Smart gets a three-game suspension, gets called immature and anything else you can think of by the media, is subject to the blame of what will now most likely be a negative outcome to OSU's season, and all the while Jeff Orr will have a smile on his face because he got away with giving the first blow in a fight that Smart was ultimately the victim in.

That doesn't sit well with me. I cannot believe that nothing's going to be done about Jeff Orr's comments and even more so that the media seems to care more about what Smart's suspension means to the team rather than what Orr's slur means to the racial barriers that are obviously still present. We celebrate Black History Month and recognize influential African-Americans like Martin Luther King, Jr., but can we really call ourselves authentic in our support of all those who have taken a stand against racism if we continue to let guys like Jeff Orr speak like that and not reprimand him? It's a crying shame that Marcus Smart, a 19 year old kid who reacted to a racial slur, is the one receiving the brunt of the punishment when nothing will be done about the man who made the comment. This is bigger than Oklahoma State's season and it's certainly bigger than basketball. No athletes should have to go through something like that and it's time to figure out a way to at least monitor such situations a bit more closely. Because if the media really cared about Marcus Smart other than for the entertainment he gives us on the basketball court, Jeff Orr would be receiving a punishment of his own.

Melo in Chicago? Thanks But No Thanks

The summer of 2014 is going to be one of the best summers maybe in NBA history. Arguably the best draft class (assuming the star-studded freshman class goes "one and done") since 2003 will join the NBA in late June and the free agency market is as star-studded as anyone can remember. Hall of Famers highlight the free agency such as Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade. Yet the one free agent who has drawn just as much intrigue as anyone is current New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony. In the midst of an absolutely awful season, Anthony has been given advice by players who have known what testing the free agency waters is all about. Both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have offered Melo advice on how to handle the pressure yet neither has made any attempt to recruit the Knicks forward, nor will they.


However, Melo is at the point where he can pick where he wants to go and just about anyone would take him. Yet as the season reaches the midway point and rumors begin to leak more and more, the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls have emerged as the top options for Carmelo with the Bulls seemingly having the edge. When you first hear "Carmelo Anthony" and "Chicago Bulls", the majority of Bulls fans would get excited and hope, wish, and pray that Melo would don the red, white, and black next year. My question to those people would be, quite simply, why?

Melo's need to have the ball in his hands could hurt Chicago

Why would you want Carmelo Anthony in Chicago? Can he score? Absolutely. Can he score efficiently? More often than not he can't. Melo is as one-dimensional as they come and a player like him would never last under Tom Thibodeau. Thibs' expectations and culture are virtually impossible for a lazy and selfish player like Carmelo Anthony to accept and play under. The Bulls play a team game on both sides of the ball and the offensive scheme requires plenty of ball movement with a high-low post game and ball screens. Melo is not a good or willing passer (averaging a mere 3.1 assists per game for his career) and continually slows down the offense in order to play one on one. Again, is he good at it? Yes, arguably the best half-court offensive player in the league. But does that fit the Bulls' game plan? No, and it never will.

Why would you want a guy that's going to take away from a high-powered attack with numerous weapons? Assuming Derrick Rose comes back at full strength and with the incredible development of Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah, the Bulls have plenty of guys that can be built around and offer great upside on both sides of the ball. What good is all of Jimmy Butler's improvement if he's forced to stand and spectate while Melo does eight jab steps towards his defender only to pull up from 25 feet out? What good is Joakim Noah's ability to get to the hoop from the elbow and finish with both hands if he's stuck watching Carmelo dribble out 16 seconds of the shot clock so he can shoot a contested step-back? Carmelo Anthony would give the offense no sense of flow whatsoever because he has to have the ball in his hands and he fails to make other players around him better.

Thibs' intensity may not sit well with Melo

With Melo's game now being set aside, why would you want a guy with the attitude he has ruining the great chemistry the Bulls have? He didn't have a great relationship with George Karl in Denver, he ran Mike D'Antoni out of New York, and told the Knicks front office not to re-sign Jeremy Lin. The bottom line is, Carmelo Anthony is the epitome of a spoiled and selfish player. He's under the assumption that the front office should cater to him which, to a degree, is not totally wrong because he's the guy that's selling the tickets. But other than that, his relationship with his past coaching staffs and teammates has not been good and if you think he could handle Tom Thibodeau you're out of your mind. Tom Thibodeau is flat out tough. He expects the best every single second of every single practice or game and presents an intensity that few coaches in the NBA can match. You have to be tough to play in Chicago, mentally and physically. Carmelo Anthony has enjoyed playing in New York where it's clear that he is "the guy" and the fans are just happy to have him there because he's entertaining to watch. But if Melo were to come to Chicago could he handle being in the shadows of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah when it comes to leadership? Denver and New York were Melo's teams and it was obvious. Chicago would never be his team to lead and that's not something I imagine Anthony would like to be a part of.

Am I saying Carmelo Anthony is a bad player? No. Am I saying Carmelo Anthony is a bad player for the Bulls to pick up? Yes. The Bulls need to focus their efforts on bringing Nikola Mirotic over from Spain and focusing on the payroll as a whole. They don't have the money for a superstar like Melo nor would he fit with the system. Maybe I could be wrong. Maybe Carmelo Anthony has only been selfish all his career because he's had to be in order for his team to succeed. Maybe he's capable of playing with the concept of a team offense. The only way to tell would be to give him a number seven jersey with "Bulls" across the chest. But as for now, the Bulls have other options they need to explore, options that would better their chances to improve as a team.