NEW NIKE SOCCER COMMERCIAL - BARCELONA VS MAN U - GLORY IS OURS

thanks for the video Jay

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CHICAGO ROOTS: DWYANE WADE & DERRICK ROSE

Dope look at DROSE and DWADE growing up from their siblings POV:



Damn DWade, why couldn't you have just come to Chicago in the offseason...

thanks for the video Mayank

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DERRICK ROSE'S OMG DUNK ON JOEL ANTHONY / THREE MONSTER DUNKS VS MIAMI

Still depressed from last night's game, but these are too good not to post...

O M G:


Three dunks:

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NEW ADIDAS DERRICK ROSE COMMERCIAL - adiZero Crazy Light - What's In a Number?

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Kevin Durant and LeBron James: Career Parallels at Age 22 and Season Four -- By Amar Panchmatia

It was almost too easy to forget while watching him drop 39 points and lead his Oklahoma City Thunder to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the franchise moved from Seattle:

Kevin Durant is only 22-years old. And this is only his fourth season in the league.

Durant already has two scoring titles and All-NBA first team selections to his name just a year removed from being able to legally buy a beer for himself. But when thinking about who else made such a splash at the same age and same season in the league, one has to shift his eyes away from the Oklahoma City superstar to South Beach.

The comparisons are with one LeBron James, and the stage is in Cleveland back in 2007.

When James was 22 and in Year Four, he took the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first and only trip to the NBA Finals. That run included one of LeBron's signature moments in the Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit, where "The King" scored the Cavs' final 25 points, 29 of their last 30, all 18 in the two overtime sessions combined and 48 overall to help Cleveland break Detroit's back and take a 3-2 series lead.

Many NBA fans will stop the comparisons right there. To compare the two is asinine, they will say. Sure, Durant has had signature moments in these playoffs, such as scoring Oklahoma City's last nine points in the closeout game against Denver and 41 overall. Or his Game 7 performance against Memphis where he made superstar plays on both ends of the floor en route to 39 points and nine rebounds on 13-of-25 shooting.

But neither moment stacks up to that moment. The moment in Game 5 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit on that May evening in 2007. And Durant is still a ways away from taking his Thunder to the Finals like LeBron did, especially with a white-hot Dallas team serving as the barrier between Oklahoma City and the NBA's biggest stage.

However, comparing the climate of the league back then to the one it is in now is like comparing apples and oranges. The 2007 Cavs could arguably be the worst team in NBA history to make the Finals, as you would be hard-pressed to name a single Cavalier on that particular squad outside of LeBron. But those Cavs also had what has to be—by far—the easiest road to the NBA Finals.

Cleveland took out two .500 teams in Washington and New Jersey in the first two rounds, respectively. Neither the Wizards or Nets would have even come close to qualifying for the playoffs in the Western Conference, either this year or in several subsequent years. The 53-win Detroit team that LeBron helped take out in the Eastern Conference Finals had a worse record than Durant's 55-win Thunder this year and would have been a first round matchup for OKC had they been in the West.

That has to negate some of the argument that Durant has a better team around him right now. No Cavalier other than LeBron had a triple-double during his career in Cleveland, let alone in the playoffs like Russell Westbrook did in Game 7 against Memphis. But the Thunder are playing far superior competition, and Durant is still the headliner on one of the league's young and exciting team. Even the eighth-seeded Grizzlies were a better team than any team the Cavs beat in '07 because of the way they played in these playoffs.

And to say that LeBron received absolutely no help at all would be premature. Sure, the Game 5 in Detroit was all him, but in that particular series, little-known 3-point specialist Daniel "Boobie" Gibson first made a name for himself by scoring a then-career high 21 points in Game 4 before leading all scorers with 31 points in the clinching Game 6 in Cleveland.

Numbers-wise, both Durant and LeBron were unstoppable in the postseason in their fourth years. In 2007, James averaged 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 41.6 percent from the floor, 28 percent from 3-point range and 75.5 percent from the stripe in 20 playoff games. Through 12 playoff games this season, Durant has averaged 28.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 46 percent from the floor, 37 percent from downtown and 81 percent from the stripe.

Durant's superior supporting cast (especially Westbrook) is negated by the weak road those Cavs had to take in the playoffs. The '07 Cavaliers probably would have been beat in the first round in this year's Western Conference (provided they would have even been able to qualify), and they had to foray outside of the East to face their first real test, the San Antonio Spurs. The result? A four-game sweep that was not even that close.

Durant and the Thunder get to face that test in the next round against the Dallas Mavericks, a team that is playing as well as anyone right now and just got done dusting off the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in a second-round sweep. Regardless of who wins that series, suffice it to say that it will not be a sweep based on how well both Oklahoma City and Dallas are playing at the moment.

Durant's postseason run in this fourth season is still a work in progress. His signature moment could be awaiting in the Western Conference Finals against Dallas. Or perhaps a round beyond that, where James himself could be waiting armed with a new and improved supporting cast in his eighth year in the league.

And if it does get that far, forgive LeBron if he takes a minute to wonder if he is looking in the mirror when he checks his small forward counterpart on the other team. He may just be playing against himself from four years ago.

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DERRICK ROSE GETS ON STAGE AT WALE CONCERT

Check out DROSE getting on stage at the Wale concert that was at the University of Chicago...




thanks for the video Matt...

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TAJ POSTERIZES DWADE AND THE HEAT...TWICE!!!

TAJ MAHAL FOO! OMG! DUNK OF THE YEAR?!?!?



TAJ GOING 'NIQUE WINDMILL ON THE HEAT!



BOOM FOO! BULLS FOO! TAJ MAHAL FOO!


thanks for the videos Iverson...

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BULLS HEAT PREVIEW, PREDICTION by Docksquad

Sup playaz? I know it's been a while, but I had to make a comeback for this one. It's the Bulls vs the Heat for a trip to goto the NBA Finals. Let's just say, I wouldn't miss this one for the world. Before I get started on my preview/prediction, real quick, let's rewind back to the off season when Lebron, Wade, and Bosh joined forces. When that happened, the dominant thought around the League and with NBA fans was that the Heat would kill everyone and win the NBA Title pretty easily. Heck, JVG even predicted that they would break the Bulls 72-10 record too! There was only one little problem....I guess DROSE didn't get the memo. Rose went to work in the off season and instead of complaining, he just worked harder on his own game. Rose's hard work paid off, especially on his jumper, and in the end, it allowed him to really dominate the League.

Let's also rewind back to when I predicted that the Bulls would win their division, finish as a top four team in the NBA, and that DROSE would go supernova on the League and be a contender for the MVP. I remember every single person I told this to laughing at me at the time, and I just have thing to say to them now...Who is laughing now playaz????

Anyways, let's get back to the Bulls vs Heat for all the marbles. Even though I hate the Heat, you have to give credit where credit is due. They didn't shatter the Bulls 72-10 record, because obviously it was going to take them some time to jel. It's scary, but it's definitely now looking like they have jelled. Especially towards the end of the season, it really looked like they came together when they made that push for the 2 seed over Boston. They are playing some amazing basketball right now. In that regard, I'd say that the Heat and Mavs are probably playing the best basketball of anyone up to now. Wade's been DWADE, and Bosh has actually played a lot stronger as of late. Everyone also knows how much I do not like Lebron. That being said, he is playing some sick basketball right now. The way he closed out the Boston series was really scary to watch. Those step backs on Pierce were nasty. Their strength imo, lies in three things. Their defense, which has really been solid and under rated all year long, their ability to get out on the fast break, and DWADE and Lebron being able to attack the rim at anytime. This will definitely keep them in every game and allow them to test the Bulls more than anyone has tested them this whole year.

Now, let's talk about the Bulls. They had a terrific regular season, but have looked a bit inconsistent in the playoffs. They have looked dominant at times, like game 6 vs the Hawks, and terrible at times, vs both the Pacers and Hawks. Their strengths are obviously DROSE, and their defense. When both are clicking, the Bulls are waxing. DROSE and the Bulls defense is going to have to step it up even more in this series if the Bulls want to prevail, and I have a feeling they will. The Bulls went 3-0 vs the Heat in the regular season, but they honestly could have been 0-3 vs them as well, as all the games came down to the wire. It's a whole different ball game now, so now let's take a look at some of the key points to this series. Obviously I'm biased towards the Bulls, but I really do think that the Bulls have a legit shot at winning this series, especially if you remember these things...

DROSE...Who will guard him? Bibby and Chalmers don't have a chance, but they will probably start off guarding him, with the Heat bringing help from everywhere. Lebron? DRose showed us last year that Lebron can't stay with him, in the Bulls Cavs series. That brings us to Wade, who I think we will be seeing a lot of on Rose. But, if they put Wade on him, this will also drain Wade on the offensive end of the game. That's why I bring up this point of guarding DROSE, because it doesn't seem like the Heat have that many options here. They could try throwing some zone out vs the Bulls, or trapping Derrick really high and getting the ball out of his hands. Other teams have seem to have some success with this vs us, but Derrick has gotten a lot better now at keeping his dribble and hitting Noah around the free throw line to break the trap. This will be interesting to watch all series long, but they have no answer for him!

The Bulls defense...can it hold? The Bulls have the best defense in the League, and during the regular season, they did do a good job vs this Heat team. But this is a different Heat team right now for sure. The Bulls do a great job of playing help defense, talking, and as moving as one on the defensive end. Deng will guard Lebron and Bogans/Brewer will probably take turns on DWADE. Both are amazing, but I truly do think that the Bulls TEAM Defense can contain them to where it will keep us in every ball game that we play them in.

Rebounding...The Bulls have a huge edge here. We have five solid big guys we can throw at the Heat, and I just don't see the Heat having any answer for us on the boards. Especially on the offensive boards. That is huge because that will give us many more shot attempts than the Heat, which we obviously will need.  Also look for Joakim Noah to have a monster series. There is no one on this Heat squad that is going to be able to check him on the boards.  He is going to have a monster series, and watch his great passing to come through too!  Overall the Bulls will own the boards and this is another thing that will keep the Bulls in this series for sure.

Depth...The Bulls get the nod here too. Look for the Bench Mob to come up huge in this series, just because the Heat bench is truly that weak. This is a huge advantage for the Bulls, because the deeper the series goes, the more worn out the Heat starters will get. The Big guys we can throw at the Heat off the bench like Asik, Taj, and Kurt will definitely wear down the Heat towards the end of the series.

Coaching...Even though Coach Spo did a good job this season, you have to give the nod to the COY, Thibs. Thibs has been coaching for a very, very long time. His experience to me is huge. He has done a great job in the past with coming up with defenses that contain Lebron and Wade. Again, didn't say stop them, but contain them.

Chemistry...The Chemistry that this Bulls team has is something special to watch.  To me, it's like watching your college team play on TV.  They are always up cheering for each other, stepping up for each other on and off the court, and this to me is something special and something needed for a team that wants to win a Championship.  If you remember vs the Hawks, in the fourth quarter, Taj and Omer were playing great together and the Bulls were making a run.  At that time, your starting PF, and Center were on the bench.  Most guys guys would complain about this, or pout, but Noah and Boozer were the first two guys on the bench and you could see them having fun, going nuts, and cheering on their teammates who were playing great basketball.  This has been consistent all season long, but that example really stuck out to me because that truly showed just how much of a team the Bulls really are.

Home Court advantage...Bulls have it and remember that the Bulls play a lot better at home then on the road. Also, the Heat have no home court advantage, as fans show up at halftime and they have to put white tshirts on seats to make it look like people are there. I really do believe that home court will play a huge role in this series.

The X FACTOR - Who else will step up? We all know that DROSE, DWADE, and Lebron are going to put on a show, but who else is going to step up? Deng has played a great playoffs so far, but can he keep it up? Will Boozer and Bosh cross each other out? Or will one step up more than the other one in this series? Who will hit outside shots for both teams? Will Korver, Bogans, Deng be able to hit outside jumpers with consistency? Can players like Jones, Mike Miller, Bibby and other step up for the Heat when the Bulls team defense collapses on Lebron and Wade driving? This can push one team over the edge in this tight series. Remember that every classic series always has a hero that no one expected to step up. Kyle Korver is turning into that guy for the Bulls so far this playoffs, as he is hitting big shot after big shot. He is turning into the John Paxson/ Steve Kerr of our time.  Luol's been great all year long, so I think either him or KK are going to step up big in this one, or maybe even both!

Yes the Heat have two of the best players in this series and in the NBA, but I think the fact that we have DROSE, Coach Thibs, chemistry, Bench mob, Home Court Advantage, the best defense in the game, and the rebounding edge, is why I really do think the Bulls will beat the Heat and win this series in 7 games.  I know people are going to ride on me, or make fun of my prediction, but you'll see.  We are going to shock some people!

Look for most of the games to be defensive battles that come down to the end. In DROSE we trust, because you never want to underestimate this kid's will to win. It is truly amazing and has been terrific to watch him and this Bulls team play all season long. We also need to remember one thing though, we all hate the Heat and want the Bulls to win this series, but no matter what happens, we need to remember that this has been an amazing season. DROSE and the Bulls deserve this, and us fans deserve this. It's been a wonderful ride so far, please don't let it end just yet....

BULLS FOO! DROSE FOO! MVP FOO! LET'S DO THIS!

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DERRICK ROSE'S CROSS AND DUNK ON TEAGUE

Sorry, never posted this! DROSE FOO!

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LeBron James, Chicago Bull: Why the Rest of the NBA Should Be Thankful it Did Not Happen -- By Amar Panchmatia

Chicago Bulls fans, let me just start by saying that I am sorry. But I just cannot stop thinking about it every time I see your team and your wonderful MVP Derrick Rose play in these NBA playoffs:

What if LeBron James had signed with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent last summer?

You as well as I know that it is a valid question to ask. Chicago was the odds-on favorite for landing James in free agency last summer. The Bulls had spent a while clearing salary cap space to become one of the handful of teams able to make the maximum offer to James. Chicago's young and ready-made "supporting cast" offered LeBron a chance to be the centerpiece of a powerhouse team for years to come. Fans even caught the NBA Store briefly selling LeBron James No. 6 Bulls jerseys on the day free agency began in July.

Even without signing LeBron, the Bulls (62-20) had a better record than James' eventual new team, the Miami Heat (58-24). Chicago took three of four from Miami in the regular season. Things turned out just fine for the Bulls as 22-year old Derrick Rose entered the stratosphere of NBA superstardom by becoming the league's youngest MVP.

But we did not know that about Rose at the time. What NBA fans (including Bulls fans) and front office executives (including the Bulls' own front office) saw at the time was a young potential sidekick for James. Rose would have immediately been a better running mate than anyone James had had in his seven years in Cleveland. It was hard for anyone to think that Rose, entering his third season, was going to knock off the two-time defending MVP in the prime of his career and win the league's ultimate individual honor.

Hindsight is 20/20, so let's go back to July of 2010 and pretend that James had decided to take his talents to the Windy City instead of South Beach.

First of all, it would have immediately become LeBron's team. Rose would have been forced to take a backseat in light of the most coveted free agent in league history joining the Bulls. The situation in Miami is different since Dwyane Wade has played there for seven years and has led them to a championship. But no matter how great Rose has become, he had only been in the league for two years at the time and had not even gotten the Bulls out of the first round at that point.

Second, James and Rose have similar styles. They both have freakish athletic abilities, God-given physical attributes, and a good balance between being a scorer and a facilitator. You can run an offense through either player. And if you think that Rose would have been upset about having a superstar like LeBron step on (more like stomp on) his toes in Chicago, think again. Rose wanted LeBron to be a Bull and welcomed the opportunity.

"I'd like to play with you. I just want to win," read a text message from Rose to James a few days before James made his decision to go to Miami.

Third, James' signing could have set up the Bulls to be better than the Chicago teams of the 1990's. General Manager Gar Forman had enough salary cap space to sign both James and former Cavalier teammate Carlos Boozer, who the Bulls signed anyways, in free agency.

James, along with Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, turned 26 during this season. Rose and Boozer turned 22 and 29, respectively, at the beginning of the season. Remember that Michael Jordan did not win his first championship until age 28. And despite having Hall-of-Famers Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman on his supporting cast, a "Big Five" of James, Rose, Deng, Boozer, and Noah would have been simply too much for the rest of the NBA for years to come.

Add to that new head coach Tom Thibodeau, the NBA's freshly-minted Coach of the Year after turning the Bulls into a defensive juggernaut, and Chicago certainly had the pieces to give that 1990's dynasty a run for their money.

Do you see the trend here? We are more concerned about the LeBron James-led Chicago Bulls competing with teams from yesteryear. That is because the actual competition on the floor would have been like pavement under a runaway steamroller.

Miami with just Dwyane Wade and probably Chris Bosh would not be anywhere close to where they are right now. An aging Boston team would not have enough in the tank to compete with a Bulls team with James, Rose, and a Thibodeau-constructed defense that the Celtics themselves are very familiar with. Orlando took a steep decline this season. Out west, the Lakers, Mavericks, and Spurs may have been the best hope to challenge the Bulls, but the last thing those aging rosters would have wanted was to lock horns with a 26-year old James, a 22-year old Rose, Deng, Noah, Boozer, and the rest of a very deep Chicago team.

If you are an impartial NBA fan, you got cheated. James signing with the Bulls would have been the league's next great dynasty. Miami still has question marks surrounding their supporting cast around the "Big Three." At 28, Wade will be on his way out of the league by the time the 22-year old Rose even begins to hit his prime. As promising as Miami's core looks now, the window for them is still much smaller than what the window for the LeBron-led Bulls would have been.

Of course, we will never know. It will go down as one of the greatest "what-ifs" in league history. Bulls fans probably do not care anymore since their team looks promising anyways. Plus, in a city where Jordan will always be king, Bulls fans will probably tell you that they will get a kick out of beating James and his Heat in the playoffs anyways.

But find me a Bulls fan who, deep down inside, would not have liked to see James sign with their team, and I will find you a liar. Chicago fans enjoyed the Jordan era too much to not be able to enjoy having the NBA's best player again for another run of championships.

And if you are a fan or employee of one of the other 29 teams, thank your lucky stars it did not happen. If Miami's "Big Three" proposes a threat to the rest of the NBA, then they have no idea what they just ducked 10 short months ago.

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DERRICK ROSE CAREER HIGH 44 PTS HIGHLIGHTS VS ATLANTA IN GAME 3 ROUND 2

All 44 points...



thanks Iverson

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DERRICK ROSE POSTGAME PRESSER AFTER CAREER HIGH 44 PTS IN GAME 3

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NEW ADIDAS DERRICK ROSE COMMERCIAL - YOUNGEST MVP EVER

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DERRICK ROSE 2011 MVP PRESENTATION AT THE UNITED CENTER

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DERRICK ROSE NAMED MOST VALUABLE PLAYER!

In case you missed it, here is the video of Chicago's finest, DROSE being awarded the MVP trophy! Youngest ever!



Awesome speech, love that it came from the heart...I'm so happy for Derrick Rose today, and I'm really proud to be a Bulls fan as well. Boy did we luck out in the draft or what?!? It's awesome to have and cheer for a player like Derrick Rose on your team. DROSE is not only a terrific basketball player, but his work ethic and humility make him an even better person off the court. I think his speech just personifies who he is on and off the court. He really does make it easy for people to like him and cheer for him. The kid truly deserves everything he gets because of how hard he works, and I still can't get over the season he's had. In only his third year, to become the youngest MVP of the League is truly something special. Again, I'm really happy for him and his family today.

If you know me, you know I love DROSE! I still remember the following things like it was yesterday...watching his HS highlights, going crazy at XSport when the Bulls won the lottery, being at Cactus bar with some buddies when we drafted Derrick Rose, and ramming all my friends via email,twitter,text, and facebook everyday about DROSE before he got the national pub he deserved. I knew this kid was going to be something special from the first time I saw him play, and I'm glad he has lived up to his own, and all of our expectations. I think we honestly forget sometimes just how much he has accomplished in just his third year in the NBA! The kid is 22 years old and is already the youngest MVP ever! Add that to Rookie of the Year, All Star Starter, NBA All 1st Team, and a World Champion! All by the age of 22.  And what's crazy is how much DROSE loves the game and how hard he works at improving.  If he's done all this by 22, what's next???  And how scary is that for the rest of the League? And how amazing is that for us Bulls fans?!?! Here's to many more years of watching DROSE put on a show in a Bulls jersey!

And I've been saying it all year long, so why not once more! DROSE FOO! MVP FOO!

P.S. Don't fret Bulls fans, DROSE won't let us lose this ATL series! BULLS FOO! DROSE FOO!!!!

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Gasol for Gasol: Three Years Later, Can We Finally Forgive the Memphis Grizzlies?

Back in November of 2008--you know, back when it was very unpopular to do so--I applauded Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace for landing a young, 23-year old Marc Gasol at the expense of his older and more-decorated brother Pau.

Two and a half years later, it is about time Memphis fans (and NBA fans that are not fans of the Los Angeles Lakers) forgive Chris Wallace.

Wallace took incredible heat for shifting the entire balance of the NBA at the expense of the team that employed him. Wallace traded Pau Gasol--the franchise's cornerstone and one of the best offensive big men in the game--to the Los Angeles Lakers for what was simply reported at the time as "Kwame Brown's expiring contract, Javaris Crittenton, a few draft picks, and the rights to Marc Gasol."

That last part seemed cute at best. How sweet that Pau's little brother was being expedited to Memphis so that the more-decorated Gasol could play with the league's flagship franchise in the prime of his career? Cute. And an afterthought.

But Marc Gasol quietly began making his mark a season later in Memphis. At 7'1" and 265 pounds, he was a little bulkier than Pau. In his second full season with Memphis, 2009-10, Marc put up solid numbers of 14.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for a Grizzlies team that floundered around .500. Good numbers, but not the 18.3 and 11.3 put up by his brother Pau for the NBA champion Lakers.

Compound that with the fact that many believed that Pau Gasol, not Kobe Bryant, should have been the MVP of the 2010 NBA Finals, and the Gasol versus Gasol debate was not much of a debate at all.

Forget that Marc was only in his second year in the league. Forget that Pau was 29 and in his prime while Marc was 25 and only completing his second NBA season.

Except if you did, you were wrong.

Now in his third season, Marc Gasol still does not have the big double-double numbers or All-Star credentials that his brother does, but Gasol versus Gasol is a viable argument. Marc has anchored a Memphis defense that stiffled the four-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in six games in the first round and has the Grizzlies in good position to take down the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second.

When comparing the two, looking at strictly numbers would not do any justice. Marc has distinguished himself as a much better defender than Pau. Yes, numbers will say that he only averaged 0.1 more blocks per game than Pau, but the game is not played on an Excel spreadsheet. Gasol has more length to disrupt shots, has the necessary girth to body up bigger centers in the league, and already garnered a vote for the 2009-10 All-Defensive team in just his second season.

Pau, meanwhile, has spent most of his career trying to shed the "soft" label, a label that again came under scrutiny when New York's Amar'e Stoudemire offered his unsolicited take on Pau's playing style. No one would dare call Marc Gasol "soft" after watching him play. Or especially after playing against him.

Marc's defense is already ahead of where Pau's was at this stage of his career, but the younger brother can hold his own on offense. He can finish extremely well around the rim, as evidenced by his 54.5 percent shooting percentage throughout his first three years in Memphis. He has also developed a nice mid-range game that, although not nearly as efficient as Pau's yet, has helped Marc build a versatile offensive game to go with his tenacious defense on the other side.

After Memphis has brought in Zach Randolph, Marc's blue-collar style has complemented Randolph perfectly. Randolph, whose playing style is much more like Pau's with a finesse and extremely efficient offensive game and lackluster defense, has been a great frontcourt mate for Marc. Both players excelled feeding off of each other during the first round disposing of the Spurs, and when Randolph signed his extension with the Grizzlies last month, he made sure that the team planned on re-signing Marc before letting his own ink dry.

The Gasol versus Gasol argument can be debated for awhile. But the point is that it is now a debate. The Grizzlies were not going to win a championship with Pau anyways, as evidenced by them getting swept out of the first round three straight years with the elder Gasol as the face of the franchise. And that was the team's apex, as the Pau-led Grizzlies failed to even qualify for the playoffs in the next two seasons that they had him.

Marc is not the only reason the Grizzlies have made their surprising 2011 run, and he certainly is not the face of the franchise given the likes of Randolph, O.J. Mayo, and the injured Rudy Gay. But he is certainly one of the main factors that Memphis has in finding itself in the second round, and you can even say that they would not be this far without him.

So forgive Chris Wallace. Forgive any Memphis front office personnel who participated in that trade on that fateful winter day in 2008. Yes, it put the Lakers over the top, but it cost them.

Only time will tell if it cost them the better Gasol.

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