The real king is 30

LeBron James turns 30 years old today.  To anyone born prior to January 1st, 1995 the fact that LeBron is 30 is an eye opener.  Arguably the most intriguing player to enter the NBA to date is likely past his prime.  LeBron is a physical specimen not rivaled by many.  Despite his age LeBron could be the best player in the NBA for years to come.  LeBron has made four appearances in the NBA Finals, winning two championships in the process.  LeBron is already one of the greatest forwards in NBA history.

King James ??

Is James Harden the best shooting guard in the NBA today?

Thus far this season James has been a menace to opposing guards around the league.  His 27.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.9 assist per game are all career highs.  James has developed into the Houston Rockets main option.  Two years ago James was a reserve for the Oklahoma City Thunder.  He has gone from sixth man to MVP candidate seemingly overnight.

Team success is important in this league.  Houston lost a disappointing first - round series to the Portland Trailblazers one year ago.  If James wants to be mentioned with players such as LeBron James or Kevin Durant, the Rockets will need to come up with a better performance come postseason.  Houston is 21-9 through 30 games.  The Front office has added depth and much needed toughness with the addition of Corey Brewer.  Trevor Ariza brings championship experience to the Rockets lineup.  James and Dwight Howard could have the weapons around them to get the Rockets back to the NBA Finals.

James still must improve in certain areas.  His effort on defense has improved, however, he still has to prove he can contain the other teams best player.

At times shot selection is still an issue for the two-time NBA All-Star.  James can create his own shot at any given time.  The problem is James has never seen a shot he didn't like.  He must keep his teammates involved.  Winning an NBA Championship is a team effort.  All great guards must learn to put smaller guards in the post.  James is 6'5" tall.  Posting up could take his game to a new level.

James has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the Rockets.  In Oklahoma City Harden played in the shadows of Durant and Russell Westbrook.  Houston gives James the opportunity to be the star he was destined to become.

If James maintains this fast start he'ill certainly be apart of the MVP conversation at the conclusion of the season.  Houston's success going forward will also factor into his chances of becoming the first Rocket to win the award since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994. That year the Rockets won their first of back-to-back NBA Championships.

Josh Smith!

Josh Smith is one of the most talented forwards in the NBA.  He is also one of the most disappointing forwards in the league.  Smith has yet to truly fulfill the high expectations placed upon him as a first-round selection by his hometown Atlanta Hawks in 2004. Smith was a member of the 2004 NBA Draft class that featured the likes of Dwight Howard, Sebastian Telfair, Ben Gordon and J.R Smith.

One of Smith's issues is his shot selection.  He is one of the best leaping forwards the league has ever seen.  If Smith were to visit  Hakeem Olajuwon similar to numerous players around the league, he could finally begin to tap into the limitless Potential he possesses.

Smith recently signed with the Houston Rockets after being released by the Detroit Pistons. Smith never truly seemed comfortable in Detroit.  His relationship with Stan Van Gundy got off to a rocky star.  Van Gundy has a history of rubbing players the wrong way.  That Could be the reason he was fired from his two most recent coaching jobs.  Either way Smith definitely wanted out of the Motor City.

Smith seems to be the type of player that needs his buttons pushed by a respected head coach.  Kevin McHale doesn't have much of a track record coaching.  However, he was a member of the 1981, 1984 and 1986 NBA Champion Boston Celtics.  I'd say McHale knows a thing or two about winning in this league.  The atmosphere around the Rockets seems cool.  Watching this team gives you the feeling the players enjoy being amongst one another.  Relationships between teammates can translate on and off the court.

Josh Smith's career has been revived.  Hopefully Smith can take advantage of this opportunity.

Rondo to Dallas.

The Dallas Mavericks are officially back!

For two years the Boston Celtics have been secretly shopping All-Star guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo, a starter from the Celtics 2008 championship team has been the key component in trade discussions with multiple teams.  Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge wanted a deal that could help the Celtics improve without dealing Rondo to an Eastern Conference team.

The Dallas Mavericks played the role of sleeper team out West prior to acquiring Rondo. With the addition of Rondo, Dallas may have added enough juice to compete with the best teams out West.  The Mavericks took the San Antonio Spurs to a seventh game in last year's Western Conference First-Round Playoff Series.  Dallas was the only team to force the Spurs to a seventh game during their playoff run.  Dallas isn't as far away from being a championship team as some would think.

Dirk Nowitzki remains one of the elite big forwards in the NBA.  Dirk is averaging 18.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assist per night.  At 36 years of age Dirk is still shooting 47% from the field.  Another title run could be in the works for the greatest European player in NBA history.  Rondo could be the best passer Dirk's ever played with.   No disrespect to two-time MVP Steve Nash.

The NBA is stacked with elite players at the point guard position. Rondo sits atop that list. The veteran guard is one of the only pass first guards in the league today.  Rondo leads the NBA with 10.8 assist per game.  His 1.68 steals per game is good enough for 11th in the league.  Monte Ellis and Chandler Parsons will have run filling the lane on a team that's accustomed to scoring points.

Dallas has remained one of the most consistent teams in the league due to good personnel decisions.  Dirk is one of the best building blocks in the league.  The trade should assure the Mavericks another 50 win season.

EMMETT TILLTrayvon Martin

Mike BrownERIC GARNER

RODNEY KINGRamarley Graham

Columbia scares Kentucky!

The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team is one of the most storied division one programs in the nation.  Kentucky has been a national power for decades.  The school located in Lexington has been a fixture on the National Championship scene for years. A regular season contest with Columbia University should be a cake walk for Kentucky.  Last years national runner-up boasts one of the best recruiting classes in America.  Kentucky's roster has at least five future NBA players.  Columbia, on the other hand boasts a roster full of young men eager to head into the work field post graduation.

Columbia and Kentucky are the complete opposite of one another.  Kentucky prides itself in dominating it's opposition.  Excellence has long been the standard for Kentucky Athletics. Basketball happens to head that list in the Blue Grass State.  Since taking over the program in 2009, John Calipari has returned the program to prominence.  Kentucky won their first NCAA Championship sine 1998 in 2012.

Columbia shocked Kentucky by scoring the first 11 points of the game.  The Lions executed their game plan well early.  Kentucky had a hard time getting their transition game going in the first half.  The Wildcats are NCAA Basketball's version of "lob city".  However, Columbia's stingy defense and disciplined game plan caught Calipari off guard. Columbia took a surprising 25-23 advantage into intermission.

Kentucky eventually overwhelmed Columbia as expected.  The Wildcats took their first lead of the game at the 13 minute mark of the second half.  Considering the discrepancy in talent, the notion of Kentucky being tied or trailing an IVY League school for the first 27 minutes of a game is an amazing feat.  Kentucky held off Columbia in the waning moments of the match, preserving a 56-46 victory.

Despite falling short in the end, the Columbia Lions should be commended for an amazing effort.  Columbia is a program on the rise.  This effort could serve as a spring board moving forward for the program.  This could be the year Columbia makes their long awaited return to the NCAA Tournament.  The Lions have only qualified for the big dance on three occasions in school history.  Columbia is the fifth oldest institution in the country.

Phil ?

The New York Knicks are currently a team in a great deal of turmoil.  Phil Jackson was supposed to be the man to head the Knicks franchise back on the winning track.  Instead the changes Phil made last summer have resulted in the worst start in franchise history.

Phil inherited the remnants of a poorly run franchise.  The disdain of the Isaiah Thomas era continues to loom over the entire organization.  Not even a magician could turn the train wreck the knicks were in 2013-14 into a championship contender overnight.  However, Phil had a say in Chicago in terms of personnel decisions.  Despite this being Phil's first front office position, he's still been a respectable talent evaluator during his years in the NBA.

Phil has not lived up to expectations as President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks.

Steve Kerr

At the moment Steve Kerr appears to be the smartest man in the NBA.  This past Summer Kerr was set to accept the New York Knicks head coaching job.  Kerr eventually had a change of heart, opting to sign with the talent loaded Golden State Warriors instead.  By doing so Kerr turned down the opportunity to work alongside his former coach and mentor Phil Jackson.  Phil is the reason Kerr became a household name during the 90's.  He was one of the elite shooters in the NBA during Chicago's last three championships.  Kerr knows the triangle offense as well as anyone that's ever played in it.

The Golden State Warriors are off to a blistering 17-2 start.  The surprising start pits them atop and extremely difficult Western Conference.  During his short time in the Bay Area, Kerr ' s influence on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is apparent.  Curry is having an MVP type season.  Kerr's emphasis on making the extra pass is working.

Things haven't been going as swell in Gotham thus far this season.  The Knicks are off to an abysmal 4-18 start, good enough for second to last place in the Eastern Conference. Only the Philadelphia 76ers have played more atrocious basketball than New York.  Keep in mind Philadelphia doesn't seem to put forth a competitive effort on a nightly basis.  New York is the worst team in the NBA aside from teams that are looking forward to the draft lottery next spring.

Derek Fisher has decided to take the stoic approach towards his first season as an NBA coach.  The frustration of coaching a 4-18 team that was believed to be much better is all over his face.  Fisher is in no position to regret taking on this role.  Phil is probably the only front office representative in the NBA the would have hired Fisher following his retirement as a player.  Fisher just has to deal with the frustration and hope things change for the better soon.

The Warriors have a tough road ahead.  Holding off the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trailblazers for the top seed is the teams main goal. A few other teams could play their way into the picture before the playoffs approach.  I'm pretty sure Steve Kerr is happy about his last minute change of heart.  Great decision in a nick of time!