The Best Mitchell & Ness NBA Caricature Shirts

Since 1904 Philadelphia based company Mitchell&Ness has been committed to making top of the line vintage sports clothing. The apparel variety ranges from Jerseys to Hats to even scarf's of your favorite teams. Some people like myself can't afford a 300$ vintage jersey of our favorite players so we look for a different alternative that satisfies our hunger to properly represent our favorite teams. I'm obviously a huge NBA fan so a throwback Larry Johnson Jersey is out of the question due to my current economic status but that's where the ever popular caricature t-shirts come in. At only 30$ plus tax caricature shirts pay tribute to some of the NBA's greatest players of yesteryear by cartoonizing every part of them along with your favorite teams logo. So if your NBA fan consider this countdown of caricature shirts your guide for smart purchases of fan apparel...lets get started.

  Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)

Larry Bird won 3 championships in his time with the Boston Celtics and is one of the best players the game has ever seen. If you're a Celtics fan who was a Bird fan and don't have the most money in the world then this shirt is perfect for you.  Mitchell & Ness shirts are comfortable and crafted at a high level. This shirt like many does a great job of painting the picture of what "Larry Legend" looked like when he had more hair and his mustache was thicker.

Patrick Ewing (New York Knicks)

Patrick Ewing never won any championships but was still a great player for the Knicks in his tenure. The Knicks in the 90's boasted one of the most physical front lines ever with guys like Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley and Ewing himself.  This is a great shirt surely you will see a few around Madison Square Garden among Knicks diehards.

Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers)

In the 80's the "Showtime" Lakers ran by Magic Johnson changed basketball. Magic was a great passer it almost seemed like he tried to out do his previous years highlight tape every time he stepped onto the floor in the Forum. Great shirt and the fact that this one has no sleeves makes it very suitable for people who live in LA.

Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)

Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is hands down the greatest player in Houston Rockets franchise history. Hakeem on the shirt looks just like him these days. I feel like for any Rockets fan that lived that era of basketball that this is a must have shirt. Hakeem is Houston Houston and just the image of this shirt should conjure visuals of his patented "Dream Shake" move or the back to back championships Houston Captured in the 90's

Shawn Kemp (Seattle Supersonics)

Although Seattle no longer has an NBA team one glimpse  at this shirt of Shawn Kemp should bring smiles and marries of all of the rim rocking dunks he threw down in the green and yellow .This shirt does a great job with details capturing Kemp in his essence all the way down to his Reebok Kamikazes. Kemp along with Gary Payton certainly represented a great time for the city of Seattle in its basketball history. Hopefully they bring back a team.

Dennis Rodman (Chicago Bulls)

In the 90's the Bulls were one of the most iconic teams and Dennis Rodman was one of basketballs most iconic personalities. Many people love the Bulls worldwide so this shirt should appeal to most people who followed the Bulls in the great era of winning. Dennis Rodman was an exceptional re bounder.

Shaquille O'Neal (Orlando Magic)

The Magic in the 90's were one of the most exciting teams with combination of Penny Hardaway and Shaq. In the time he spent in a Magic Jersey Shaq literally brought down the rim and practically broke it in half. Very few things were more entertaining to watch in the NBA than Shaq in the 90's.   

Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers)

What makes a great caricature shirt in my opinion is when the person or in this case NBA player's personality or signature style can be depicted through a visual. This shirt does that perfectly Allen Iverson has the headband on, you see the corn rose rolled tight around his head and obviously his signature "let me hear you" hand above the ear move that got the fans in Philly going on many occasions is being displayed on this shirt. Iverson was excited and he did a lot for the Sixers, just wish he would have brought home a championship.

Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)

Dr.J-Julius Erving what more can you say this guy did so much for basketball and is such a big part of the Sixers history and tradition. The afro, the hang time, the dunks he was so ahead of his time. My dad tells me stories about watching the Erving on television as he was growing up so through the years I have grown to respect Julius. I actually own this shirt and its one of my favorite basketball shirts.

Larry Johnson (Charlotte Hornets)

"Grandmama" was a tremendous basketball player, he along with Alonzo Mourning and Muggsy Bouges represents a golden era in Charlotte basketball. The coolest thing outside of the Hornets teal on this shirt is the always recognizable gold tooth LJ had, its featured on the shirt. People loved those Hornets teams and Mitchell and Ness does a great job of making great nostalgic clothing of the Charlotte Hornets. Speaking as a Hornets fan I have this shirt and it is a must have. Looking forward to the Hornets return next year in Charlotte.

All in all these are all great shirts for NBA fans and if you are into sneakers they go really well with many different  Nikes, Reeboks, Jordans and Adidas in terms of matching. So hope you enjoyed the post and use it as a reference if your shopping for quality fan apparel.

Throwback Thursday: NBA Rappers

Today July 4^th happens to be the release date for the much anticipated “Magna Carta holy grail” album from rapper/mogul Jay-Z. He has 13 career#1 albums and love him or hate him he is a legend in the world of hip-hop. They say all rappers want to be basketball players and all basketball players want to be rappers well thats actually happened with guys like Ron Artest, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Chris Webber all trying their hand at rapping. NBA players who rap will be the subject of today’s Throwback Thursday.

Some NBA players have a skill for rhyming and others should be grateful they can play ball at a high level. The most notable NBA MC is former Lakers big man Shaquille O'neal who has one platinum and one gold album. He has done songs with hip hop legends Ice Cube, Wu-Tang Clan and also Kobe Bryant. He is no legend but Shaq certainly has had his moments like in the song off his platinum album “Shaq Diesel” in a song titled “I'm Outstanding”. O'neal has done literally everything you could do for a basketball player business wise but this seemed like he genuinely loved rapping. Check the video below to see young Shaq doing his thing.

Ron Artest Like Shaq represents some of the good for NBA Rappers but to a lesser extent. He never had any platinum albums or gold albums or any critically acclaimed albums but he did have some success with his song “Champion” that he released after the Lakers captured the title in 2010. The song made its way on to NBA 2K11 and became the most popular song in the game instantly earning millions of views on Youtube.

Guys like Kevin Durant just do it for fun. He doesn’t have any albums but you can tell that his flow mirrors his playing style on the court which is silky smooth. Although he won't impress you lyrically he isn't as bad as say Kobe Bryant in his song with Tyra Banks. In his song “Worried about Tomorrow” he shows you that he is a legit rapper, Ive even heard people say “KD has bars”.

One guy who I personally liked out of the NBA Rappers was Sacramento Kings great Chris Webber who was featured on west coach legend Kurupt's song “Gangsta Gangsta” its not that bad and he looks and sounds like he knows what he is doing. Had Webber put his time into rhyming like he did as a baller who know he would have turned out.

Allen Iverson might be the only guy on this list who looks like both a rapper and a basketball player at the same time but he had his moments on tracks like “40 bars”. Iverson's music can pretty much be summed on how he did things on and off the court which was his way.

Kobe Braynt has a pretty funny rap career he is most famous for his self titled song “K.O.B.E” featuring Tyra Banks which pretty much is the biggest joke when it comes to NBA rappers. What most people don't realize though is that he is actually a dope rapper on skill alone he might be the best rapper on the list. He a did song with Shaq titled “3x dope” he goes raps under the moniker “K-raw”. In the song he had the 1^st verse and to be quite honest it didn't even sound like Kobe Bryant he sounded like an underground rapper that knew what he was doing. So in terms of Kobe Bryant's rap career, he is trolling all of you fools. Check the videos below to see what I’m speaking about.

The Bad

The Good

So NBA players are rappers too but some of them need to stick to their day job because they aren't going to touch Jay-Z.......Unless Kobe comes out of retirement.

Video Blog: Shaq Soda Review

Basketball legend Shaquille O'neal and the Arizona company teamed up to make "Soda Shaq" And on a recent run to my local 7-11 I purchased two for myself and friend Paul as we took the time to review the Vanilla cream soda flavor from the basketball legend. It was our very 1st time trying it so all the reactions we give you are authentic. Enjoy the video and don't forget to leave your comments down below along with subscribing.

Game 7

In sports nothing is more scintillating than a game 7 regardless of the sport and that’s exactly what we will have tomorrow in the NBA between the defending champion Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers. For both teams tomorrow night will represent 2 completely different things.

For the Miami Heat Tomorrow represents them getting back where they want to be for the 3^rd straight year and that’s the NBA Finals. When Lebron James made “The Decision” to come to Miami 2 seasons ago he didn't hesitate to make guarantee’s saying they would win “Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7 championships” and etc. This put the basketball world in a frezny causing people in media and blogs to scrutinize every little move they made. We have seen the perception of Lebron change in 2 seasons from “He's a choke artist” to “He is the best player on the planet and he is now a clutch player". The Heat are 1 for 2 in the NBA Finals during the big 3 era. So tomorrow represents either a step closer to success or the perception of Lebron possibly reverting back to what it used to be. So all the pressure is on Miami to win tomorrow.

For the Indiana Pacers this series has been about team leaders Paul George and Roy Hibbert rising to the occasion and elevating their games to new heights to match the level of the Miami Heat. Whether threw facial dunks or tenacious offensive rebounds Hibbert and George have

done a great job of bouncing back after tough losses and making this thing go 7 games. Should the Pacers take game 7 they will be on their way to the franchises 1^st NBA finals appearance since 2000 where they were swept by a Laker team in the process of starting a dynasty. It would be a huge deal because nobody picked the Pacers to even be here and they continue to prove people wrong. For a franchise that has a history of being stopped by greats like Jordan and Shaq if they can knock off Lebron tomorrow it will be one off the biggest accomplishments in franchise history. Tomorrows game means a lot for the Indiana Pacer franchise but all the pressure is on the Heat.

So Game 7 tomorrow, legacy's will be written and history will take the place. Will Lebron and the Heat remind the world of why they are the best team in basketball? or will Paul George and Roy Hibbert make you regret not paying attention to them in the first place?

Throwback Thursday: 2002 Sacramento Kings

As I am Typing this the Western Conference Finals is over and the San Antonio Spurs have swept the Memphis Grizzlies. As I was watching this series unfold my mind like it usually does began to to wander off into thinking about one of the most memorable Western conference finals of all-time. I'm speaking about the 2002 edition of the WCF that series featured Chris Webber and the Sacramento Kings who squared of with Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers who were in the midst of starting a dynasty. This is known by many as the most controversial series in NBA history and is the subject of today’s edition of throwback Thursday.

The Back story

Before the series between the Kings and Lakers even got started the records between the two teams read like this. For the Sacramento Kings they were 61-21 with the best record in the west. The Lakers were not to far behind the Kings with a record of 58-24. Although the Kings had the best record in the conference they had a record of 1-3 vs the Lakers in the regular season, so they were still the new kids on the block.

The Stats

Put the two teams players stats side by side and the Top 2 for the Lakers were just a bit better then the top 2 for the Kings.

(Per game stats)

Shaq: 27 Points 10 Rebounds 2 Blocks

Kobe: 25 Points 5 Rebounds 5 Assists 2 steals

Webber: 25 Points 10 Rebounds 5Assists 2 Steals 1 Block

Peja:21 Points 5 Rebounds 1 Steal 41%3-point shooter

Very Evenly matched as far as the top goes with the edge going to the Lakers but where things look very lopsided statistically is within the role players of both these teams. Outside of Kobe and Shaq the Lakers only had 1 play averaging 10 points per game and that was Derek Fisher at 11.2 points per game who back then had enough hair to get a 15$ haircut at the local barbershop.

The Kings on the Other hand had 5 guys beside Chris Webber and Peja who averaged 10 points per game or more (Mike Bibby,Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson,Vlade Divac and Hedo Turkoglu). The highest was Bibby at 14 points per game. My main man Gerald Wallace even averaged 3.8 points per game for that Kings team.The Sacramento Kings certainly had depth on their side.

The Series through 5 games

Through 5 games Sacramento had a 3-2 lead but two things kept this thing from being a short series for the Lakers.

#1 Stealing home-court in game 1

When you bust your tail all season to earn home-court advantage you must never allow the road team to steal that from you and that’s exactly what the Lakers did in game 1 with a 106-99 victory in Sacramento.

#2 Robert Horry Shot In Game 4

“Can't forget about Jordan's retirement/Can't forget about Robert Horry's shot to win the game in the finals kid”. Nas stated that very eloquently in his song “Can't forget about you” and Robert Horry Kings fans will never forget about you. Had that shot not went in the Kings could have won this thing in 5 and advanced to the NBA Finals but this shot kept the Lakers alive.

With both of those negatives though the reality was that the Kings still had a 3-2 lead on the defending champs and were just 1 win away from taking the city and the franchise to the finals for the first time ever.........then there was game 6.

Tim Donaghy

Ever heard of referee Tim Donaghy? He was the guy who made bets on games he officiated and would make calls depending on the point spread so he could make money. The former NBA ref even admits that the NBA would effect the outcome of the games using referees. He also admits that he as well as his colleagues were not allowed to call technical fouls or throw out certain star players. Why is this relevant? Because this is the guy who in a report back in 2008 stated that Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals was fixed.

Game 6

So it was a beautiful for basketball in LA as the Staples Center crowd was sold out yet again for game 6. At the end of three quarters is was all tied up 75-75 the scoreboard read. The Kings had to win one more quarter to defeat the defending champion Lakers but then controversy struck. The 4^th Quarter saw LA take 18 free throws and it was the most lopsided horrible officiating in the history of the league. There is certainly a reason Kings fans and NBA fans both call this a fixed series. In the 4^th quarter of a series like this in game 6 you got to swallow the damn whistle so fans can watch the players play, they don't pay to watch free throws but keep this in mind. Shaquille O'neal has always been made fun of for his free throw shooting and in that game 6 he shot 13-17 from the line which is pretty good for him. Kobe went perfect at 11-11, even though the officiating was lopsided they hit most of they're free throws. The Kings missed 7 free throws and lost by 4 points so some of this is on them but the Refs certainly didn't help giving the Lakers all those chances. The Lakers won game 6 by a score of 106-102 and would go onto win the series in 7 games and would go on to capture their 3^rd straight NBA title completing the “3 Peat”.

The Legacy

All though that Kings team remains a what if tale they are certainly not forgotten. Many long time NBA fans call them “the real NBA Finals Champions of 2002” and it is a valid argument and an understandable way to feel. We can argue as fans that it was fixed but we will never truly know but I will say this the 2002 Sacramento Kings are the greatest team to never win the NBA Finals so much depth and top level skill they certainly deserved one. So many players like Chris Webber, Mike Bibby,Peja Stoakavic,Doug Christie and Vlade Divac a pretty complete team that played hard night In and night out that wanted to punch you in the mouth and let you know what Sacramento Basketball was all about. I remember when I used to play NBA Live 2005 they were the highest rated team in the game and surely the hardest to beat. Look around Kings games even to this day and in the stands people still sport #4, #16 and #10 jerseys the memory of that Kings team is still fresh in the minds of those loyal fans and for a team that almost relocated this off-season they represent a golden era. Sacramento fans can only hope that they talk about Demarcus Cousins they way they talk about Chris Webber.

Were the Kings victimized of a fixed series? Are they the greatest team to never win the NBA Finals?

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5 can't miss Christmas Gifts for Sports fans in your life

With Christmas in a few days many people around the nation are shopping frantically for the sports fans in they're lives. If you are one of those people that are having problems figuring out what to get your son or daughter or mom or dad then don't you worry help is on the way. Today I bring you Tru School Sports top 5 can't miss gifts for the sports fans in your life.

#5 Brian Scalabrine “White Mamba” t-shirt

Although he is retired and the NBA Meme white mamba hype has died down a lot this shirt is a can't miss item for the Scalabrine fan in your life. If you have relatives who are basketball fans in the New Jersey/Boston/Chicago area then this a gift is great to show love to one of the NBA's most lovable personalities and well known bench warmers of all-time.

#4 Oakland Raiders “black hole” merchandise

It has been another long season in the bay area for the Raiders but that has done little to nothing to stop the passion and hostility that is the section of fans known as the “Black Hole”. For the Raider fan in your life Silver and black face painting make great stocking stuffers. If you want to go all out make sure to get them a skeleton or gorilla mask to make sunday's continue to look like Halloween in the Bay area.

#3 Charlotte Hornets fan gear

In all my 17 years and some change on this earth I have never heard anybody say “That Charlotte Hornets hat looks ugly” or “Those Hornet shoes look ugly”. With that said Teal and purple are unique colors and i'm sure if you surprise the Basketball enthusiast in your life with this they will forever be grateful and feel the nostalgia running through their veins.

#2 tissue boxes

For many fans across the world (including myself) 2012 has been a depressing year for them. So if you want to be resourceful and save that one family member or friend who looks like he will cry from the crappy level of play his team shows on a regular bases feel free to go out and purchase the biggest box of kleenex you can find.

#1 Kazam

Few things in the world epitomize

  the term “God awful” more then this feature length film Shaq starred in way back when. I'm sure if you give this to someone the reaction they have when opening the gift will be unforgettable.

So there you have it your Tru School Sports top 5 cant miss gifts for the sports fans in your life. So if you are out and about doing some last minute shopping use this list as your guide to making your loved ones happy. Have a safe and very Merry Christmas....God Bless!!

Throwback Thursday: 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons

The National Basketball association is a star driven league which at times is a good thing or not so good thing depending on what perspective you look at it from. The other day I was looking through teams that have won an NBA Championship in last decade or so and I noticed that all but 1 team won a championship team won with 1 or 2 superstars on they’re team. The only team that won a ring with out a superstar was the 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons who defeated Kobe, Shaq and the star studded Lakers in 5 games.  That is today’s Throwback Thursday subject.

The Detroit Pistons had No Lebron’s, Jordan’s or Larry Bird’s on they’re Championship basketball team but what they did have was a starting five capable of competeting with any team in the league. In the back court you had “Mr. Big shot” Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton. The Small forward was Tayshaun Prince a guy who was responsible for guarding Kobe Bryant in the Finals and did a good hob on him. Then in the Frontcourt you had 2 guys who represented perfectly what “Detroit Basketball” is Rasheed and Ben Wallace were 2 fearless junkyard dogs and would never back down to anybody. Couple that starting 5 with Coach Larry Brown’s attention to detail on defense and you have yourself a championship team.

If you look at the stats Rip Hamilton was the teams leading scorer at 17.6 points. What made them so good was the balance in scoring through out the lineup 4 of the 5 starters were averaging double figure scoring except Ben Wallace who averaged 9.5 points a game but averaged 12 rebounds and 3 Blocks and was one of the NBA’s elite defenders. They were balanced, well coached and defensively efficient ranking 2nd in the league but if I told you they would beat the most dominant team in basketball that has won 3 championships in the last 4 years in five games? Would you have believed me? Odds are you would have probably said no Shaq was the most dominant player of his era and Kobe was for lack of a better word “Da Truth”.

The Pistons were underdogs against the powerhouse Lakers. Very few people outside of Detroit had given them any chance of beating LA but what people failed to realize was the Balance of the Pistons was going to be the Lakers Achilles heal. With Shaq and Kobe having to do all the heavy lifting scoring and an ineffective bench the Lakers had to play damn near perfect if they wanted to beat Detroit. That didn’t happen Kobe shot below 40% in 4 of the 5 games and the Lakers didn’t get one player beside Kobe or Shaq in double figures until game 5. This meant that the Detroit Pistons for the 3rd time in franchise history the Detroit Pistons were Champions of the Basketball world!!!

They had proven one of basketball’s theory’s wrong. “you need a superstar to win a championship” They proved that all you need is 5 guys who are willing to compete for 48 minutes night in and night out who back down to anyone and will play some of the best defense in the league. If you are a GM in a small market that can’t attract stars such as a Charlotte, Milwaukee or Minnesota then modeling your team after the 03-04 pistons is not a bad idea. That team was the last team to win a ring with no superstars and honestly in today’s NBA and all these super teams forming I don’t know when or if it will ever happen again. So SALUTE to the 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons!!

#Underdogs