Graduation Jumpshot

Graduation is a monumental moment for any kid who has the chance to walk the stage but how many have the confidence to make their own signature entrance in front of a crowd of 1,000+ people staring at you? Well I'll tell you who that’s me. When the announcer said my name I looked and prompted them

to get loud and then proceeded to take a jump-shot on stage.Not a real jump shot but just the motion as pictured above. I then proceeded to pick up the thing I worked 4 years to attain and that’s my High School diploma. I walked across the stage and shook the hands of the principle and other important people from our school board. So if you read, Follow or ever viewed this blog let me just say thank you, yall motivated me whether you know it or not. This is just the beginning of greatness.

Graduation Cards

As I am sitting here typing this it is 1:05 PM and I am less then 5 hours from graduating South Broward High School. Usually with graduation comes gifts, money and a bunch of hoopla from the family. My Mom chose to gave me money and being the avid Sports collector I am decided to take my behind to Hollywood Collectibles and spent part of my new found riches on some cardboard heroes of basketball, so lets begin!

Card #1 Sky Box 1990 Magic Johnson

People talk about how versatile Lebron James is and sometimes my man Magic gets lost in the shuffle. This man was also 6'9 played multiple positions and changed basketball with the offense he ran as point guard of the “ShowTime” Lakers. I found this card Digging through a dime box of assorted cards.

Price: 2$

Card #2: 1997 Topps Tim Duncan (Rookie)

The San Antonio Spurs are in the finals again and if Tim Duncan is to capture another ring it will make 5 and further cement him as one of the greatest the NBA has ever seen. Some people don't really appreciate his greatness the way I do so when finding this card I flipped. The Cards I gt is a rookie card and probably one of the best cards in my miniscule yet evolving basketball collection.

Price: 4$

Card #3: Sky Box 1991 Michael Jordan

Of all the cards I purchased yesterday none are as visually cultivating as this cardboard treasure which features MJ basking in the glory of what was his 1^st of 6 championship rings with the Chicago Bulls. The card speaks for itself.

Price: 2$

Card #4: 2007 Upperdeck Artifacts Jason Kidd Jersey Card

Of all the cards this one is definitely my favorite for many reasons. Its the only card I purchased not in a dime box. It was actually inside one of those shelfs with other nice expensive cards I can't afford. This was a steal though, I had a little more money then usual so I decided to splurge a bit. This card is rare numbered 12/100 so the feeling I have of purchasing something rare is comforting. Also Watching Kidd with the Nets growing up along with guys like Vince Carter,Keyon Martin and Richard Jefferson was some of the most fun I ever had watching basketball.

Price: 10$

So all in a another great day of purchases at Hollywood Collectibles. Now it's time to start practicing throwing my cap up in the air at the conclusion of graduation.

Lebron James Top 6 Sneakers Of 2013

In the NBA, players train to be the best and are world class athletes. With that being said, world class players get exclusive colorways on sneakers that make them the envy of sneakerheads nationwide (Unless you are D.Wade). This applies to Lebron James more so then anybody who has been making history in 2013. He became the youngest player in league history to score 20,000 points, joined the likes of MJ and Bill Russell to win 4 NBA MVP awards but besides his statistical accomplishments, he also sported 30 plus different colorway variations and still counting of his own shoe-the Nike Lebron 10's. There was the good,the bad and the “What The MVP's” (Google it). I like to focus on the positives though so here are the top 6 Lebron James shoes of 2013.

#6 Miami Heat Home PE's

In Game 1 of the Heat's playoff series vs the Milwaukee Bucks LBJ rocked these bad boys. The sneaker features a Miami Heat colorway with the red making up the better part of the base, the white making up the front of the shoe and the black which outlines the silver Nike swoosh.It had solid colorways and was one of the better Lebron player exclusives this season. He dropped 27 points on 9-11 shooting en route to a game 1 Heat blow out of the Bucks (110-87).

#5 Carmex PE's

Earlier in the year I chronicled the Carmex Player exclusive Lebron in my “Tru School Kicks” series of posts that he wore for the 1^st half of a game at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks in February. Lebron has an endorsement deal with Carmex Lip Balm so this is an ode to them but the colorway on these shoes remind me of a place I love dearly and thats my alma mater of South Broward High School........PS Congrats Class of 2013 We Did It!!!!!!!!

#4 Olympics

When I look at the Lebron 10 Olympic Sneaker, the colorway looks awfully similar to the Jordan 7 Olympic sneaker. The base is white, blue towards the bottom of the shoe and the logo for Lebron is gold. The only difference is that on the Jordan Olympic sneakers there are gold accents along with blue on the bottom. Anytime you get your sneaker compared to Jordan Olympic 7's then you did something right with the shoe.

#3 Veterans Day

This sneaker is in the upper echelon of Lebron Player exclusives in 2013. In an early season matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, in honor of veterans day, he broke these out. The colorway is exactly what you would expect from a shoe in honor of veterans day, red, white and blue. The Base is a solid Navy, the bottom is red and the Nike swoosh is white. It's a cool way of Lebron paying respect to our nations veterans.

#2 Floridians

In 2013, one of the more popular variations of the Lebron 10's were the Floridians. The colorway was inspired by the Miami Floridian colors which is what the Heat wear for Hardwood Classic night in tribute to the Magic city's old ABA team. These sneakers have a real Miami Feel to them with art deco colors and a white base. If I was going to Deco drive I would rock these Joints.

#1 PS Elite Black/White/Gold

Over the years King James has had many shoes I loved but none have really captivated me like me these (Beside The Hornet Lebrons). The color way is simplistic sophistication and who ever is responsible for the color way deserves a raise. The base being white gives the shoe a really soft look but then when you add in the Black outlines it evens out the shoe. What really sets it off is the Gold swoosh, in my mind it serves as an exclamation point. These aren't to gaudy but aren't to boring, they serve as a happy medium for Lebron sneakers in 2013 which is why I am crowning it the #1 Lebron James Sneaker of 2013.

Red and Gold Swagger: The Top 5 South Broward Bulldog athletes of All-Time

It is the 100^th  year anniversary at my alma mater South Broward High School and as I sit less than one week away from ending my high school Career there are many people that I will see this week that I may never see again. In other words they will be history and speaking of History many people including myself may not know that South Broward has had people who wore that Red & Gold proudly just like us play in the NFL,MLB and WNBA.  We aren’t ST.Thomas Aquinas level or anything like that but each school has its own unique history it can be proud of. I am a sports blogger this is what I do so let me give you a list of the top 5 Best athletes in my school’s illustrious 100 year history.

#5 Chris Bushing (Major League Pitcher-Cincinnati Reds)

After Graduating High School from South Broward Chris Bushing signed as an amateur Free Agent with the Baltimore Orioles in 1986. Although very talented Chris struggled with the control of his fastball which kept him in the Minor Leagues for five seasons. Baseball Legend Felipe Alou said the following about Chris “with that kind of Fastball he has to make a hitter cry”. Pretty great stuff to hear from a guy who has seen a lot of great talent in his day. Chris’s Career was very short he appeared in only 6 games for the reds in the 1993 season where he earned a 12.46 ERA and 4 strikeouts on 4 innings pitched.

#4 Broderick Nelson (Corner Back-Michigan State Spartans)

Broderick Nelson played 4 years at MSU and 2 as a starter. He earned All-Big ten Honorable mention recognition in 2001. He was an NFL Draft prospect until injuries derailed that. He did a lot of Damage in Red and Gold though. He was named twice to the Class 5A All-State team. Nelson also won MVP in the annual Dade vs Broward High School All-star game as well as Broward County Offensive Player of the year. Nelson is certainly one decorated individual I’m happy to call a South Broward Bulldog.

 #3 Travis Daniels (Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs-Corner back)

Travis Daniels put up Big time numbers while attending South Broward. During his Senior Season at SBHS he recorded 60 tackles along with interceptions as a cornerback. Daniels also played wide receiver and hauled in 34 receptions 500 yards and 4 touchdowns. These dual threat numbers helped Daniels earn 1^st team All- State, All-County and All-District Honors. This helped him earn his way to into the College Football rankings where he would go on to play for Nick Saban and the LSU Tigers. Daniels was a key contributor for 4 seasons at LSU and helped the Tigers Capture a National Championship in 2003 with a win over the Oklahoma Sooners. Daniels after 4 seasons at LSU declared for the NFL draft in 2005 and was selected in the 4^th round 104^th overall by his hometown Miami Dolphins. Daniels has played 8 seasons in the league and is now currently playing on the Kansas City Chiefs.

#2  Bill Hawkins (LA Rams-Defensive End)

Bill Hawkins accomplished a lot in his football life. At South Broward while on the Football team he had the Highest GPA on the team at 3.8 along with being an All-State Selection/High School All-American 2^nd team. This led him to the University of Miami football program where he was a 3 year starter at the University of Miami. While at Miami he helped the Hurricanes Capture a National Championship in 1987. Jimmy Johnson called Hawkins “The most consistent Linemen I ever coached”. Pretty impressive coming from a guy who has coached some the greatest teams in football history. Hawkins was picked in the 1^st round 21^st overall by the LA Rams where he played three seasons in the NFL.

  

#1 Tamara James (South Broward/University Of Miami/Washington Mystics- Greatest Of All-Time)

If you have friends on the South Broward basketball team or just spend a lot of time in the gym If you look around Tamara James has left her mark everywhere around it. Look toward the far end of the gym and you will see that her #24 is retired, Look on the walls and you will see pictures of the Dynasty she helped build from 2000-2002 when the Lady Bulldogs captured 3 consecutive State Championships. James is a Bulldog for life. Tamara James didn’t stop her domination there though She went on to play basketball for the University of Miami where she became the Schools All-Time leading scorer with 2,406 Points. She was named to the All-ACC 1^st team in 2005 and 2006 and would later go on to have her #2 retired by The University Of Miami. After all of her dominance in High School and College ranks it was time for Tamara to go pro and declare for the WNBA Draft. She was selected in the 1^st round 8^th overall by the Washington Mystics. She spent 1 season in the WNBA then went on to play pro basketball overseas. These days when she’s not playing basketball she is running her Foundation along with being an ambassador to the Girls Basketball team at SBHS. Tamara James you are the Greatest Bulldog Athlete of All-Time.

So as you can see the place we come from has a nice history of sports that to be quite honest I wasn’t aware of for many years even attending South Broward. It’s a history I and my fellow Seniors should be proud and take pride. It should also Inspire us to make our own history. 

Tru School of Kicks: Nike Lebron 10 Carmex

Last Month I started the “Tru School of Kicks” where I bring what I think are hot shoes to your attention. Last article I told you about the A.I Georgetown Reebok Questions which are due to release on March 8^th, so stay tuned for those. This month I have 2 segments of Tru School of kicks, the 1^st of which features so shoes that Caught my attention when watching the Heat game Sunday afternoon against the Knicks.

Sunday afternoon I was sitting cozy in my seat at a local sports bar with my dad and best friend Isaiah when my dad mentioned that Lebron James was rocking some great looking shoes. After about a 5 second observation I quickly agreed and fell in Love with what are known as the “Nike Lebron 10 Carmex”. My Friend Isaiah who plays basketball for my high school was already conjuring up ideas to get the coach to make those the teams official sneaker for next season. They feature a color way that is the exact same as the High school I attend (South Broward High School) and after seeing them on TV I Quickly began thinking ahead to my graduation day with those on my feet to match my Red and Gold cap and gown. The only problem is that those bad boys don't have an official release date and that is a problem for sneakerheads like me who are anxious to purchase And proudly sport those on our feet. So who ever makes the decisions in the LBJ Nike marketing camp needs to announce a release date hope fully that’s before my May 31^st graduation date.

By the way HUGE Shoutout to the South Broward High School Class of 2013!!!