So let's look at a quick breakdown of Boston vs Miami. Written as an unbiased Celtics fan Pick: Boston in 7 again, possibly 6 ECF rematch: Last year Boston was able to get by Miami in 7 games. They're aren't many differences between this year's matchup and last year's. Herro likely being out will be the key change, and for this series it will be a problem. His penetration off the dribble causes issues for Boston in the season matchups. With him out, Boston's biggest threats in this matchup are: 1. Tatum no-shows: this is mental. Tatum has the tools to perform well against any defender. Miami doesn't have a shut down guy that is gonna take him out the series, but teams haven't needed one. Tatum mysteriously no-shows often, but he's heading into the series coming off a hot 4th qrt in gm 6 and an even hotter game 7 performance. In Tatum ill trust. 2. Bam getting hot: Adebayo has always been a problem for Boston. Horford steps up to the challenge against guys like Giannis and Embiid (they still get they're pts but its helpful). Bam plays that short mid range space that bothers big Al. So a hot Bam could hurt Boston big time. 3. Coach matchup. Spo is one of the best in- game and in-series adjusters in the league. He will make guys like Vincent and Martin effective on both ends vs the Cs, coupled with Duncan Robinson being annoying on slow celtic runouts to the perimeter. Spo alone is good for 1 win. I didn't mention Butler going off for a few great games bc that should be expected. He's not on he tier of Tatum where an average game gets called out for negativity. When Butler scores 18 and plays solid defense, he gets credit. The expectations for him have always remained tapered. But he is a stud, especially this year in the playoffs, and will get at least 1 win on his own. So: Miami wins - butler (1), Spo (1), team effort (1) Boston wins will come off whats carried them year round: a blend of Brown early, Tatum late, and someone stepping up each game between that (brogdon, smart, white, horford)Overall Boston's depth will be too much for Miami. The Celtics are inconsistent in odd ways, hence the hesitation to say 6 games. ☘ in 7 @Charles Martinez CL KID

The 2023 NBA Playoffs are finally here...sort of. With the play-ins set to begin tomorrow (7:30 PM EST), we get our first glimpse of the post-season bracket. The play-ins get underway in Miami, where the winner of the Hawks vs Heat match-up will travel to Boston to face the Celtics (My Celtics) in the first round. Let's take a quick dive into each play-in game. -> Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat Jimmy Buckets and the Heat face-off against Ice Trae and the Hawks. On the surface the Heat look like the pick. While Miami has looked less than hot for most the season, they've shown a higher level of maturity than the ATL. Trae and company have yet to find that chemistry that took them on a deep playoff run in their recent history. Young and newcomer Dejounte Murray have started to find a decent groove as the season progressed, but this team still looks far from a contender. With that being said, I will take the Hawks in THIS game. Miami is the better team in a 7-gamer, but for one night I will take the potential that the Hawks present in the backcourt. Both teams will face a Game 6 elimination at home regardless to my C's in the first round. Pick: Atlanta Hawks -> Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers LeBron in the playoffs...shocker. While the Lake Show have been a roller coaster, to say the least, for the entirety of the season, they've made just enough moves to slide into the play-in. Some of the moves came directly at the hands of their opponent. The trade deadline swap of assets between these two franchises led to wins for both. The Wolves have closed the season on a solid stretch. However, in typical lower-tier franchise fashion, they were forced to suspend star big-man Rudy Gobert for throwing a punch at a teammate. Mr. Gobert will miss the play-in game vs LA and the T'Wolves will be taking the L. Lebron and AD (assuming good health...heavy on the assuming) should be more than enough to handle the Wolves in this home game. Minnesota still has plenty of talent to lean on and Anthony Edwards, who I love, has the potential to carry this team on any given night. Just not on this night in my opinion. Pick: Los Angeles Lakers, unfortunately -> Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors If you're looking for the match-up that can be a nail-bitter, this is it. If you're looking to watch two teams who have no chance in the first round of the playoffs, this is also your game. Both these teams have talent, that's not the issue here. DeRozan, Lavine, Vucevic, Siakam, VanVleet. All of these names brought up my spellcheck, but they also play at a high-level worthy of praise. Despite my previously displayed hate on this game, it should be a great one to watch down the stretch. This would likely be a 7-game series in a true playoff meeting. Unfortunately for both teams, neither found their stride throughout the season. This could honestly go either way, but I will lean with the better package of DeRozan and Lavine to deliver late in this battle. I believe Chicago presents the better opponent going forward than Toronto as well. Pick: Chicago Bulls -> Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans Where I was wrong: The OKC Thunder will finish as a bottom 5 team this season. I was way off on this preseason prediction, but so was everyone else. If you would've asked anyone if the Thunder would make the playoffs (play-in) after hearing their first round pick, Chet Holmgren, would miss the season, they would've given you a profound NO. I would've picked the Oklahoma Sooners to make the NBA Playoffs before the Thunder. However, here they are. SGA is a stud. We know this. And the Pels have some firepower as well in Ingram, CJ and the occasionally present Zion. So this game should be a solid one. With that being said, I will lean towards experience and take the Pelicans. I do believe SGA and crew will make this interesting, but I have to believe that even a beat-up Pels team can overcome this Thunder roster. I have consistently believed that acquiring McCollum was the best thing this team could have done years back. When healthy, I believe this Pels team can give ANY playoff team a run for their money. Unfortunately "when healthy" never seems to happen. Pick: New Orleans Pelicans Let me know who you got in the play-in games!

The Boston Celtics (MY Boston Celtics) are heavily in the race for Kevin Durant. KD has made it clear he wants out of Brooklyn. That much is clear. But where does he end up? Originally, it looked as though Miami and Phoenix were in the lead for KD. While Miami is still in the running, the C's seem to be the frontrunner. As it currently stands, Boston has unofficially offered: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and a 1st round pick Nets want in addition: Marcus Smart, another rotation player, and an additional pick Jaylen Brown has not been pleased with the rumors, nor have I. JB tweeted out "Smh" upon rumors of a KD for JB swap. With all this being said, the Celtics SHOULD NOT trade for KD. Boston's biggest weakness in 2022 was their lack of a legitimate backup point guard to run the offense. Marcus Smart did a great job this past year of leading the C's to the finals. However, he is not a natural point guard. He was the best playmaker on the team and deserves every bit of credit for his growth at the point. Boston has since added Malcolm Brogdon in a trade with Indiana while giving up seemingly nothing. On top of this, they added Gallinari from Atlanta for size and outside shooting. This team has made the moves necessary to put them in prime position to make and win the finals in 2023. Instead.... The Celtics have considered the KD gamble. And while, yes, Durant is a top talent, he was outplayed by Tatum and Brown in the first round sweep of the Nets. Celtics need to stand firm and keep the chemistry dynamic that has already been proven to work. There is no gaurentee that Tatum and KD will work well together. JB is young, talented and shows up in gritty situations. KD for JB wouldn't be a mistake due to the talent in return, but it is an unnecessary move for a team who has improved since making the finals just a few months ago. Loyalty > Royalty

The draft is finally here. Tonight is the night careers are born and foundations are built. And it all starts in Orlando. In case you haven't kept up, my hometown Orlando Magic will draft numero uno in tonight's draft. I'll be breaking down the top 5 expected picks and what to watch for, starting now. 1. The Orlando Magic select Jabari Smith I am a Celtics fan. However, I am a big supporter of anything Orlando. Having been to Amway Center over 100 times, I've seen this team first hand (and I will be in attendance at tonight's watch party at Amway as well). I believe the best fit for the current roster is Jaden Ivey, but he would seem to be a reach at #1. With a returning Isaac, the long sized Magic need someone who can create baskets individually. I can honestly say I prefer Banchero for this roster because of his plug and play readiness, but Smith is a proven shooter, strong to the basket, and a well rounded. Sometimes the safe pick is the right pick. 2. The Oklahoma City Thunder select Chet Holmgren Holmgren presents the highest range of potential in this draft. By this I mean, he can be a bust or an absolute talent. I think OKC is a perfect fit for Chet and will allow him the space to develop both on the court and at the proper rate. The Thunder have accumulated roughly 184 draft picks over the next few years and have time to grow. Let's see if they decide to keep SGA or start fresh. 3. The Houston Rockets select Paolo Banchero This is an easy one. Assuming the Magic and Thunder go as predicted, the Rockets have the perfect match in Banchero. Pairing him with rookie standout Green can provide hope for the future. Houston moved on from Christian Wood last week in a trade to Dallas, which all but seals this pick. Good things are yet to come in Texas. 4. The "Sacramento Kings" select Jaden Ivey Note the quotations around the selection team. The fourth pick presently is held by the Kings, but there is much noise around trade movement leading up to the draft. Will the Kings choose to draft Ivey, the clear pick at #4, and pair him beside Fox? Or will they choose to make a deal and move back in the draft? Rumblings of a deal have been heard from many teams and the Kings are known for poor draft work. Regardless of how this is handled, Ivey is the right choice. Often compared to D Wade (although I wouldn't go that far yet), the Purdue star is the most ready to create off the dribble in this draft. Let's see what unfolds. 5. The Detroit Pistons select....!? Here's where it gets interesting. I do believe Detroit will take Keegan Murray out of Iowa. I think he fits well with Cunningham and can play the paint on each end of the court. Detroit sending Jerami Grant to Portland officially says the Pistons are all-in on Cade. If they decide to go the dual guard route, they could roll with Shaedon Sharpe of Kentucky or Benedict Mathurin out of Zona. Both viable options at #5. It will all depend on how Detroit wishes to approach their offense, tradition size balance or high pace. Watch tonight's NBA Draft on ESPN at 8pm Eastern time live from the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, NY

How do you define clutch? Is it a game-winner shot at the buzzer? Or showing up late in the biggest moments? Regardless of your definition, we know it when we see it. Not every player gets their buckets in the same manner. Some are spot-up shooters, while others create in isolation. Either way, legacy's are created on rings and moments. We're going to focus on the latter. *Various elements will be used to determine this list. Some will be statistical. Others will lean on the eye test. For example: Clutch Shot Percentage, which includes field-goal attempts that tie the score or give a team the lead in the final 60 seconds of fourth quarters and/or overtime periods. A separate, but equal, approach will be how a player delivers in the biggest games. With that being said, here are the All-time TOP 10 Most Clutch Player's in NBA History: #11 LeBron James Clutch Shot Percentage: .390 (90 of 231) Buzzer Beaters: 5 I'm aware this is a Top Ten list. However, to not include LeBron in some capacity would be difficult. In the last seven seconds of games, James has made eight shots to tie or win. Statistically, LeBron has done his job to be labeled clutch. The problem here is that his failures to close games have been showcased just as heavily. For that reason, I have him listed behind the official Top Ten. #10 Jerry West Most modern-era stats were not tracked fifty years ago. West has totaled roughly two dozen game winners. He had two buzzer-beaters. The NBA in its first 24 years of existence had a combined ONE. #9 Robert Horry Clutch Shot Percentage: .400* (12 of 30) Big Shot Bob. The name says it all. Horry has won more titles than any non-Celtic in NBA history (7). While Rob couldn't create a shot on his own, he proved he could hit the biggest shots in the biggest moments. If I needed to create a lineup for a final play, it would be difficult to exclude him. #8 Joe Johnson ISO Joe is one of the best closers of the modern era. From 2008-2017, JJ recorded eight buzzer-beaters, which was the most among the NBA. He may not be considered a Hall of Fame talent or a mainstream icon, but Johnson was always a safe bet with the ball in his hands late. #7 Larry Bird Larry Legend is not typically remembered for game winning highlights, but he showed up in the biggest of games. Bird has four buzzer-beaters in his career, all of which came while the Celtics trailed. Also, no other player has multiple 45-plus-point games with a buzzer-beater. #6 Damian Lillard It's Dame Time. We've seen Dame hit nine game winning shots in the final five seconds of games, most of which were highly contested. Lillard's two post-season game winners against Houston and OKC have helped to solidify his legacy as a clutch shooter. Everyone remembers the wave goodbye. #5 Reggie Miller Clutch Shot Percentage: .378* (87 of 230) Before it was Dame Time, it was Miller Time. Cheryl Miller's little brother has came up clutch many times over his career. From 9 points in 8 seconds, to the elbow fall-away 3 over Jordan, Reggie Miller was the king of late games in the 90s, other than MJ of course. Fun Fact: One of my favorite lines in music history is in reference to Reggie: "It's Miller time and I'm pulling up for three, I'm a baller on the court, y'all just Spike Lee, y'all pulling up a seat. You ain't never been there, you will never be. Renamed a legend" - CL KID (me) #4 Dwayne Wade Wade owns five game-winning shots, which is the most in Heat history. His clutch performances in the NBA Finals cannot be ignored as well. This would include clutch free-throw shooting against the Dallas Mavericks in 2006. D Wade has a career littered with magical moments, such as the one pictured above after hitting a runner to defeat Golden State. #3 Paul Pierce My favorite player of all-time. If you include assists, Pierce he has been involved in the most buzzer-beaters ever. His 7 buzzer beaters is 2 shy of all-time leader MJ. Pierce was known for creating space and stepping back for the win. The Truth shall set you free. #2 Kobe Bryant Clutch Shot Percentage: .338* (97 of 287) Buzzer Beaters: 8 Coming in at number two, is Bean. Kobe's 8 buzzer beaters is second all-time. Few have showed up in the biggest moments more than Kobe. He had a closer's mentality since he was a rookie in the league. With 26 game winning shots, Bryant is someone opponents don't want to see across from them with the game on the line. RIP Kobe. #1 Michael Jordan Clutch Shot Percentage: .409* (9 of 22) Buzzer Beaters: 9 This seemed like a formality. Jordan has been the face of clutch. His nine buzzer-beaters are the most all time and we already know about his accomplishments. His case as the GOAT has been lifted by the clutch-gene and it's impossible to forget the winning moments we've experienced over his career. He's the clear number one. *There were a few players that missed the cut, many of which could arguable fall into the Top Ten. Just for fun, here is a short list of players that failed to make the Top Ten with the most game-winners in NBA history. Just food for thought: Vince Carter - 16 Ray Allen - 15 Carmelo Anthony - 13 Allen Iverson - 13 Ben Gordon - 12 Dirk Nowitzki - 12

With the NBA Finals in full effect (series tied at 1 game a piece), comes the Stanley Cup Finals. The Colorado Avalanche have clinched their place in the finals after a thrilling comeback north of the border in Edmonton, to sweep McDavid and the Oilers 4 games to nil. MY Rangers are up 2 games to 1 over the back to back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals. Tonight's game will play a heavy role in the series. Preplayoff Prediction: Avalanche vs Hurricanes No one likes being wrong, but I can certainly live with it on this occasion. I had my Rangers bowing out to Carolina in the second round of the playoffs. Fortunately, Kreider and Zbanajed stepped up and MVP candidate Igor Shesterkin came into form to help New York eliminate the Canes. The Rangers failed to put away the champs in game 3, after leading 2 0 midway through the game. Tampa Bay was able to get a go ahead goal with less than a minute remaining to steal the victory and change the outlook of the series. While the Lightning are more than capable of winning this series, the Rangers are no stranger to adversity. The Blue Men were able to comeback from a 3-1 series deficit against the Pens, including consecutive elimination games trailing 2-0 early in each game. The Rangers were able to comeback and beat the Canes in the next round with another series rally. Meanwhile, TB swept through the President's Cup winning Panthers, proving they are still the kings of Florida. This series vs NY will prove to be interesting. Onto the West These playoffs have been the year of the Avalanche. I've consistently called it the "who's going to lose to the Avs" playoffs. Colorado has looked every bit of the dominant team we expected them to be, with two sweeps in their run to the finals. Both NY and TB can provide a formidable challenge. I believe both could force 7 games and its anyone's Cup from there. We shall see. #gorangers

Let's get straight to the pick: I've got Boston in 7 games. Why? Many reasons. I originally had the C's taking this series in 6 games. This was during the 2nd round of the playoffs when Boston was going up against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. I thought the winner of that series would be the eventual champs in 6 games over the Warriors. We've learned alot about each Finals team since then, hence the 7 game adjustment to my pick. Tatum and head coach Ime Udoka. JT won the newly awarded Eastern Conference Finals MVP Larry Bird Award for his work vs the Heat. But in all honesty, it should have gone to Jimmy Butler, despite a losing result. Tatum was excellent in many ways, but also underwhelming in as many ways. That's more or less been the story on Tatum for years now. He can look amazing one moment, while the next he looks disengaged and out of the picture. Brown looked more eager to carry the team at most times during the series against Miami and should've received more attention. Now onto Udoka. Ime has done an excellent job selling this team on the idea of defense and ball movement. He helped turnaround a below .500 ball club to a Finals team. The one criticism I'll have going forward is his gameplan for Al Horford. Big Al will be making his first appearance in an NBA Finals of his career, ending the longest tenured drought by any active player. Congrats to him it's well deserved. Too often Udoka tried to create one on one space for Tatum at the top of the arch by sliding Horford to the corner. Miami's physical defense made it difficult for Smart to create passing lanes for any slashers. This left Boston scrambling to create late in the shot clock consistently. Horford needs to cement a presence at the top of the key for passing and screen and rolls against the Dubs in order to create simpler baskets for the Celtics. You cannot depend on outshooting the Warriors in a 7 game series. I'll wrap up quickly with the Dubs because everyone knows the narrative. Steph will be looking to cement his legacy with a hopeful Finals MVP award, which would be his first. Klay and Poole have had moments in these playoffs, but will need to show up throughout the Finals if Golden State is to win it all. A last note on these Conference Finals that I feel many has overlooked: The Warriors looked in prime title form BECAUSE of their opponent, and the Celtics looked sketchy at times for the very same reason. Dallas did a poor job defending the Dubs and made them look confident and every bit as scary as they could look. Meanwhile, the Heat made Boston work for every point they made. I think this has created the image that the Warriors are coming into the Finals more primed than Boston. But I dont believe that's necessarily the case. This series can definitely go either way, but im sticking with Boston in 7 to complete a historic run by defeating KD/Kyrie, Giannis, the #1 seed Heat, and lastly the Dynasty Dubs (my own nickname). Let me know what you think in the comments below 💯

*I wrote an entire breakdown of each game for each series, which somehow DID NOT SAVE. With that being said, I will keep this as short as possible due to annoyance. Eastern Conference - Celtics (2) x Heat (1). Series tied at a game a piece. Western Conference - Mavs (4) x Warriors (3). Warriors up 1-0, currently leading Game 2, 102-94 in the 4th quarter. The East: Game 1 - Jimmy Butler and perimeter defense. Heat takeover in the 2nd half and never look back. Game 2 - The Marcus Smart game. The return of the Defensive Player of the Year proves to be of high value. C's dominate from the three-point line and coast to an easy victory. Pre-series pick: Celtics in 6 I will be sticking with this pick. The West: Game 1 - Wiggins and the Warriors defense keep Luka to 20 points and dominate in clean fashion. Game 2 - Dallas starts hot, but Golden State responds late in the 3rd quarter. The Dubs continue to stay hot into the 4th quarter with three-pointers. As of this moment, GS leads 110-100 as Dallas looks overwhelmed with four minutes remaining. Luka with 37. Pre-series pick: GS in 6. I stand by this pick. Boston has struggled against Miami for years now, but the young C's have matured into a new team. Led by coach Udoka, the Celtics are committed to defense and moving the ball. I believed the winner of the Celtics/Bucks series would be the eventual champs, and I stand by that today. Golden State is just too much for the Mavs. Luka will be the best performer in this series, but he will come up short. Good work by Jason Kidd to take this smaller lineup to a new high. They should be happy with their progress. No shame in losing to a more accredited team.

As of this moment, we are roughly 30 games into 162. Here are a few comments prior to predicting the 2022 World Series match-up: -> The Yankees and Dodgers are a top the AL and NL standings. Not a huge surprise here as Los Angeles has had arguably the deepest lineup in baseball history over the past few seasons. The Yankees made less-than noteworthy moves in the off-season, yet have produced the best record in the AL with a more consistent lineup and balanced pitching from start to close. -> The off-season moves by the Mets have worked out as projected. The Metropolitans have produced within the starting rotation and throughout the lineup. Adding Scherzer has proven to be worth every bit of the $130 million Steven Cohen and company were willing to spend. -> The Angels sit in first place in the AL West. Can this finally be the year we see Mike Trout advance in a playoff series? Alongside superstar Shohei Ohtani, the Angels have been lifted by productivity from Jared Walsh, Anthony Rendon and Taylor Ward (batting .364) that has given this lineup diversity similar to the 2002 roster anchored by Salmon, Glaus, Anderson, and Eckstein. -> The Red Sox currently (May 8, 2022) sit in last place in the AL East behind 4th place Baltimore. I threw this one in as a Yankees fan capitalizing on the moment. The Sox have struggled immensely to close games and have not looked anything like the team that advanced past the Yanks in last year's postseason. The season is still early, but in a competitive division they need to get on a run as soon as possible. I prefer not. There's so much more we can dive into, but let's fast forward to the World Series: *Preseason Hope: Yankees vs Mets (Subway Series) *Preseason Pick: Dodgers vs Blue Jays Pick at this point in the season: Dodgers vs Yankees Yes, it's easy to pick the chalk. Dodgers and Yankees are the leaders in each league and therefore have the best odds to make the World Series. However, the decision to anoint these two clubs into The Series was difficult to come to. The Dodgers have pedigree and a proven lineup, but losing Mad Max to a key competitor within the league could end up being costly. World Series champions typically have at least two proven starters in the rotation and losing Max can only be seen as a step-back for any club. Kershaw is looking as great as ever so far through the season and the lineup continues to produce. The Braves (defending champs) have yet to hit their stride, but with Acuna returning they could be set for a run. For now, the Dodgers have my vote. In the AL, I hold no bias choosing my Yanks. Moving on from Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit has helped cut down on strikeouts and raise the team average. The starting rotation has found a nice surprise in Nestor Cortes and the bullpen has been nothing but amazing. The stars in the lineup are trending on their usual paths and Kiner-Falefa has fit well in the lineup. Boone has continued to use various lineups, but they have shown success thus far. At this point of the season, the Yankees have looked like the best team in baseball. We'll see if this continues. Who do you see making it into the World Series? Let me know in the comments!

This entire post is in response to having to hear the same comment throughout my life: "your teams are all over the place". This is always said AS IF I switch teams I support and ride the bandwagon of successful runs. Any real sports fan knows, you pick a team and you're stuck with them for life. Your reasons for picking that team (1 for each sport) is irrelevant. You can choose a team to follow based on a specific player, or because you're from that area, or because you like the logo and color scheme, etc. Don't care how you get there. Once you're there, you're there for good. There are rare exceptions and here they are: You're still a kid. I've stuck with the same teams my entire life. However, kids should have more freedom to feel around for different rosters and life experiences in order to make a decision. At some point, you will eventually settle on a team. Once you do, THAT'S IT. You or your family/friends plays for a team or school. This comes up from time to time. Clearly you're going to want to support your family or friends, so this offers wiggle room. Your original team wrongs you in some personal way. This is rare, but I've seen it happen. You move to a city with a team. This wont justify a complete team switch right out the gate, but over time (a lot of time) I could understand a switch being made through personal exposure to the new team. I fall under this category in a minor way. Living in Orlando for most of my life has made me support the Orlando Magic. Now, I am still a lifelong Celtics fan and will cheer for Boston when they play here in Orlando, but I do support the Magic in a "backup team" type of way. Note - People who are fans of specific players and do not have a team they actively support *This is fine, HOWEVER, you get no bragging rights when your player's current team does well. You have to have some skin in the game in order to celebrate or talk. With all this being said, here is the list of teams and individual sport athlete's which I align myself with. This list only changes when an individual talent retires and needs to be replaced. I follow a wide range of sports heavily and don't expect anyone else to have a list this long. Also, I have reasons for why I like each team. So there WILL BE conflict in the list, but I've stuck with the same teams for the entirety of my life. Here we go: MLB - New York Yankees NFL - Cincinnati Bengals NBA - Boston Celtics NHL - New York Rangers NCAAB - Syracuse Orange NCAAF - Miami Hurricanes College Baseball - Long Beach State Dirtbags NCAAH - UMASS Hockey Any other college sport - UCF Knights WNBA - Phoenix Mercury NCAAW - Stanford Cardinal NWSL - Orlando Pride MLS - Orlando City SC English Premier League [England] - Chelsea English Championship [English 2nd Tier] - Nottingham Forest La Liga [Spanish] - Barcelona Series A [Italy] - AC Milan Ligue 1 [France] - Marseille Bundesliga [Germany] - Schalke Liga MX [Mexico] - Cruz Azul Super Lig [Turkey] - Galatasary Scottish Premiership [Scotland] - Inverness Caledonian Thistle Individual Sports: PGA - Tiger Woods TENNIS (M) - Roger Federer TENNIS (W) - Amanda Anisimova NASCAR - Chase Elliot INDYCAR - Takuma Sato F1 - Fernando Alonso BOXING - GGG Long list, but it will be here for life in case anyone challenges my choices over time lol

As usual, I have been watching the NBA Playoffs closely. Whether you have been keeping up or not, here is a list of five things from across the bracket which have stood out: 1. Kevin Durant is an all-time scorer, not an all-time player This is one I have been saying for years, this year's playoffs has just helped to further confirm that. KD is an elite shot-maker. He can get to the right elbow and stop-and-pop over anyone. He can pull up into three-pointers with ease and is highly accurate from the free-throw line. But as I've said time and time again, he does not have the heart of a leader. Against Boston (my team) he has not shown up. At this point the series is 3-0 Celtics over Nets. Kyrie had an excellent game 1, but the Nets came up short. Nash is an unproven coach, but games are ultimately won on the court. Kevin Durant has only looked like "the guy" while on the Warriors (which anyone could've looked that way with that roster) and for brief stints in OKC and Brooklyn. I will continue to say that Tracy McGrady and KD are more comparable than KD and any all-time NBA great. This series shows why. Boston for the sweep. 2. Trae Young is a star, not a superstar Ice Trae has been ice cold for a large part of this series versus Miami. The Heat defense has been outstanding, mentally taking him out of the game. Trae Young, much like Damian Lillard, can pull up from anywhere and hit shots. He can score in transition and play the lob-game with Capela better than most pairings in the league. However, at the end of the day, Trae has looked lost throughout this series. He led the league in turnovers, just a touch ahead of Russ, and that trend has continued in the playoffs. He was able to hit the game-winning floater in game 3. That I will give credit for. Other than that, Young has no answers and has scored single-digits in two of these four games. This series is over, but Trae needs to show-up until it official is. 3. Ja Morant needs to develop his jumper We all know what Morant is capable of. He has the rising ability of Vince Carter, with the touch of Kyrie Irving. He can spin into the paint and finish around and over anyone. He is the most electrifying man in sports entertainment today (a la The Rock). But, until he can develop a consistent jumper from the mid-range and three-point line, he will always be limited to being a star, and NOT a superstar. Ja has not shown up so far versus Minnesota. Fortunately, the Grizz have showed more success in his absence than they have in his appearances. I still believe Memphis will need Ja in order to go all the way. I also believe he will be able to show high value in this playoffs. Time will tell. 4. Embiid is the MVP Jokic is amazing. He can pass better than almost anyone in the league, excluding perhaps Paul and LeBron. He has high basketball IQ and can put up points in various ways. His MVP competition, Joel Embiid, is more of a scoring machine than a passer. Both guys have huge impact on the game and their teams. With that being said, Joel Embiid has looked the part of MVP in this first round. Embiid hit the game winning shot in game 3 at Toronto, while Jokic and the Nuggets were down 3-0 to the surging Warriors. And yes, the Warriors are a much better team than the Raptors, AND, the Nuggets are without Murray and Porter Jr., Jokic has looked ordinary at times while Joel has looked elite. MVP voting is done prior to the playoffs, but this first round has shown why Embiid should be the league's MVP, even over Giannis. 5. The Bucks are still the team to beat As much as I love my Boston Celtics and their rise as true contenders for the title, Milwaukee still looks like the favorites. Boston has been the most impressive team, leading 3-0 on a Nets team that no one wanted to face in the first round. Tatum has taken the next step towards superstar. Miami's defense has locked-down Atlanta. The Warriors are firing on all cylinders with Lethal Weapon 3 (Steph, Klay, Poole). The Suns are tied with the Pelicans after losing Booker for the series, but overall they feel capable of surviving until his return. Even with all this, the Bucks are the most balanced squad. Giannis is playing at his peak, and even with the loss of Middleton for the series, the Bucks have looked like the champions they were last season. I believe in them more this year, than last year's team. Their depth is legit and they never stray away from the style of play which makes them successful. Assuming they finish off Chicago, the second round match-up versus Boston will be amazing. Go Celtics.

I've created TWO different lists for my Top 5 in the NBA. LeBron, while he is the goat of his era, did NOT make my cuts. I will say, however, that he was in deep consideration and i fully understand anyone having him in the top 2. There's plenty of ways you could've gone here, but I will preface my list by saying this about cross-era comparison: Players from today, play the way they play because of the evolution of the game. Someone like Stephen Curry would not dribble the way he does or shoot the style in which he does in 1965. Conversely, Bob Cousy wouldn't be as simple of a player in today's era. He would have a similar skill-set to those playing today. This criteria did not play much of a factor in my list, however, it should ALWAYS be considered in responses to my list or in any cross-era comparison in any sport. Let's dive into the lists: The two lists are: Top 5 All-Time Best Players EVER in NBA History Top 5 PERSONAL Favorite Players All-Time (not best, favorite) Top 5 All-Time: Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Shaquille O'Neal Tim Duncan I know the absence of LeBron James will automatically make people skeptical of this list. Note: I did not leave him out because of my bias towards Jordan. I truly feel that when Kobe and LeBron share a court, that Kobe is the guy I'd prefer on my team. LeBron is a Swiss-army knife and can do it all. I get that. When compared to Kareem and Timmy, I feel their ability to just plain win outdoes LeBron's ability to do the same. And yes, LeBron has stats that will back his ability to win just as much as those two players, but I prefer the 6 titles and dominance of Kareem, and the consistency Duncan provided while winning across decades on balanced teams. You cant talk dominance without mentioning Shaq, who I, and most, feel is the most dominant player of all-time. He was more than just a big body. He was skilled in the paint with both hands both offensively and defensively, and as a scorer and passer. Again, I can see the argument for LeBron anywhere on the top five outside of number one. I can't be convinced he's ahead of Jordan. My Personal Favorites: Paul Pierce Reggie Miller Michael Jordan Larry Bird Kobe Bryant *Sixth Man: Hakeem Olajuwon I believe I do a great job of remaining objective in life and sports. This was not the time for that. As a lifelong Celtics fan, I had to include both stars of my lifetime. Larry Bird got me into basketball. I grew up an hour away from The Garden and that's all anyone would talk about, Larry Legend. Paul Pierce makes my number one spot for obviously the same reasons. He carried me through a decade-plus of memories. I have Jordan at the 3 spot, but honestly I didn't even want to include him in this list because he transcends the game. But nevertheless, he's at my 3 spot because of Reggie. My family loves the Knicks. Although I love New York, I love being the enemy even more, especially in a house full of Celtics haters. This birthed my love for Jordan, Reggie, and Olajuwon. Kobe in the 5 spot, again for obvious reasons. If you love Jordan, you likely love Kobe. Their hand and hand and even as a Celtics fan I refuse to leave him off my list. Let me know your lists in the comments!

Year after year, the NBA lacks parody. In the past decade, separation between the haves and the have-nots has been a gap larger than ever before. The league has been top-heavy with stars aligning to play together and smaller markets being left in the dark. But there is hope! As I write this, the Cleveland Cavaliers are seconds away from elimination in the 2022 NBA Play-In at the hands of Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. While I picked the Hawks to win this game, Cleveland showed why their future is bright. Garland, Mobley, Allen, LeVert, Markkanen, and Sexton (alongside vets Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo) are a young core of talent that can build to greater heights. This rebuild should be applauded. Similarly, we've seen a young T'Wolves roster make a rare playoff appearance. Teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and have built a consistent roster that can threaten well into the futue. While there is still star-ladden teams like the Nets, Sixers, and "Lakers", it's the more balanced teams like Phoenix and Milwaukee who have seen recent success. Yes, the suns have Paul and Booker and the Bucks have Giannis and Middleton. But these two franchises built their rosters over time through the draft and committing to their home grown talent. Even teams like Miami, whose roster is a blend of the draft, trades and signings of great players, lacks that superteam feel. Superteams are cyclical. They existed in the past, faded away, and returned over time. It's always nice to have someone to hate. It creates storylines and breeds underdogs. Superteams will return. But for now, I am definitely enjoying the competitive balance in the meantime.

The 2022 NBA Playoffs begins tomorrow, April 12th, with the Play-In tournament. Many fans, including LeBron James, have voiced their displeasure with this recent addition to the overall playoff format. I, however, LOVE the change. In the past, 16 teams (8 East, 8 West) would make the playoffs. Now... The Play-In Tournament allows 10 teams from each conference to make the playoffs. Seeds 7 and 8 will play one another to finalize the 7th seed. The loser of that match-up, will play the winner of the 9 vs 10 match-up. The winner of this final game will claim the 8th seed and the playoffs will officially begin as it always has with 8 seeds in each conference from that point on. I love this format. It has brought energy into the regular season and giving meaning to seeding in the playoffs. Many naysayers will complain that it's still irrelevant and that the play-in teams have no real chance of winning it all anyway. The later i agree with. My counter argument would be: The NBA has the LEAST amount of parody in professional sports, and fans, for the most part, are capable of sorting out true contenders before the season even begins. With that being said, the play-in allows for some fun along the way. 2022 Play-In Match-ups: 8 Cavs vs 7 Nets 8 Clippers vs 7 Timberwolves (Yes, Timberwolves) 10 Hornets vs 9 Hawks 10 Spurs vs 9 Pelicans *I will run through a breakdown of the first round of the playoffs once the play-in is completed!

When you think of Kanye West nowadays, you usually think headache. From his ongoing problems with Kim Kardashian, to example after example of wild comments or moments, Kanye has become someone most people love to hate. BUT.... Let's not forget to acknowledge the musical talent that he is. Kanye has produced and rapped in a long list of hits. Diamonds From Sierra Leone is probably my favorite rap track of all-time. Kanye's sample work in music production is second to none in music history. The 808s and Heartbreak album was unique and different from anything being produced in the genre at that time. Now so many artists are creating a similar style of music. Ye's influence has even reached the shoe game. Yeezy's have been one of the highest selling sneaker products of the past decade. I fully get people's exhaustion with Kanye, but just wanted to quickly remind everyone of the upside. Let me know your Final Four from above in the comments! 😎

The 2022 MLB season is almost underway, and as a lifelong Yankees fan, it's one of my favorite times of the year. The Bronx Bombers have made a few moves of late to bolster the lineup. However, many feel they did not do enough to make the Series. Out in Queens, the Mets have made significant purchases that raises expectations for the upcoming year. Are we set for a Subway Series? And who is the King of New York in the MLB this year? We all know the Yankees have firepower in the lineup. Some changes have been made, with Sanchez and Urshela being shipped out. Retaining Rizzo, while adding Donaldson and Kiner-Falefa, were the staple moves of the offseason. Meanwhile, the Mets have made power moves. Adding Scherzer, Bassitt, Marte, Escobar, and a returning Cano, helps give this team some added legitimacy. There were other moves made as well, but here is a breakdown of the projected lineups and rotations for each team: Yankees Projected Lineup: 1. Josh Donaldson, 3B 2. Aaron Judge, RF 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH 5. Joey Gallo, LF 6. Gleyber Torres, 2B 7. Aaron Hicks, CF 8. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS 9. Kyle Higashioka, C *DJ LeMahieu will get a ton of starts in various lineup projections Yankees Projected Starting Rotation: 1. Gerrit Cole 2. Luis Severino 3. Jordan Montgomery 4. Jameson Taillon 5. Nestor Cortes Mets Projected Lineup: 1. Brandon Nimmo, CF 2. Starling Marte, RF 3. Francisco Lindor, SS 4. Pete Alonso, 1B 5. Eduardo Escobar, 3B 6. Robinson Cano, DH 7. Mark Canha, LF 8. Jeff McNeil, 2B 9. Tomas Nido, C Mets Projected Starting Rotation: 1. Jacob deGrom 2. Max Scherzer 3. Chris Bassitt 4. Carlos Carrasco 5. Taijuan Walker *Injuries will limit deGrom and Scherzer in the first few starts

Every era in sports has it's collection of stars. Individuals which lead their leagues year after year. Now, more than ever, we are at the end of an era across many sports. Tiger Woods has officially announced he will play in the 2022 Masters at Augusta after missing time due to a potentially career-ending injury. Tom Brady has come out of retirement for another year in Tampa Bay. LeBron James (MJ is the goat of basketball but this is clearly Lebron's era) is in danger of missing the NBA playoffs. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are struggling to find form on their new teams and are approaching a possible last run in World Cup this year. Roger Federer has missed roughly a year due to surgery and his window for dominance has closed as of late. Serena Williams has taken a step back in the past year on the women's side of tennis, as well. Now more than ever before, a wave of GOATS are near their exit. Appreciate them while you have them. Whether its to love or hate, their absence will be felt for years to come while we await the next line of industry leaders.

In the Jordan Era, the Eastern Conference was the dominant collection of teams. Michael's Bulls, Bird's Celtics, the rise of the Orlando Magic, the Knicks, Pacers, Heat, Sixers, Nets teams, and so on. But in the 21st century, the West has been best. From the Lakers and Spurs dynasties to the recent Splash Bros' Warriors, there is a long list of stats that'll prove the dominance the Western Conference has shown over the East for the past 20 years. So much so, that fans and analysts were demanding that the NBA eliminates conferences altogether. Fast forward to now... The East is now competitive and highly interesting. The Heat, Nets, Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, Bulls all have finals potential, with Giannis and Embiid leading the MVP race, alongside Jokic in the West. The West is now the top-heavy conference with Phoenix way out in front. Sure, the Grizzlies and Warriors are viable threats. But the East has more true contenders for the first time in a loooong time. With all this said, I have always liked the East vs West system and don't feel a change is needed. What say you?

If you're an independent artist and just getting started, this is more or less the creative process: Create an instrumental (either purchased or produce on your own) Write and record lyrics Create a visual (preferably a music video, but cover image is fine) Share and promote My first music video -> CL KID - Take Me On That is a simplified list of one project. As an artist, you are a business. If you are going to take your music seriously you need to make sure you do the following IN ADDITION to the above process: Copyright (copyright.gov/) Distribution (distrokid.com/) Artist/Songwriting Royalty claims (bmi.com/) Publishing and other Royalties, both in your country and international (songtrust.com/) & (soundexchange.com/) Create an LLC under your artist name Open a seperate bank account under that LLC *The above steps are companies which handle each of these processes. There are many other companies that can do so as well. These are ones which I use personally and recommend, however do your research and see which best fits YOU.

It's March Madness season and the round of 32 has once again offered its share of near and completed upsets. Heading into the 2022 college football season, the playoff format still remains at 4 teams. Expansion will be tabled for a few years. One reason against expansion has always been, "teams outside the top 4 don't warrant qualification due to a drop-off in legitimacy". Every major sport allows roughly HALF their teams entry in their respective playoffs. It adds excitement, revenue, and additional fan bases in on the fun. College football limiting their playoff to 4 teams prevents growth, opportunity, revenue, and parody.