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Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony may be a little pouty, but he is not a sore loser unlike his 2003 NBA draft classmate LeBron James.
Melo pouted on the sidelines while watching the clock tick down in the Nuggets’ Game 5 loss to L.A. in the Western Conference Finals, and he looked dazed on the sidelines Friday as Kobe Bryant and the Lakers dealt the Nuggets a 27-point Game 6 loss to advance to an NBA record 30th NBA Finals.
Nevertheless, Anthony hung around to shake hands with the Lakers, and he and Bryant shared a five-second embrace before he headed back to Denver’s locker room. And while Denver players sorely boasted that they are “the best in the West” and more talented than L.A., Anthony disagreed.
“We can always talk, we can say it all day every day,” Anthony said. “But until we go out there and beat the Lakers, they’re going to be the best team in the West.”
NBA MVP LeBron James, on the other hand, behaved liked a sore loser after the Magic knocked Cleveland out of NBA title contention Saturday with a 103-90 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to Orlando’s first NBA Finals since 1995.
As soon as the final buzzer sounded to signal the end to the Cavs’ record-breaking season, James pulled out his shirt, bowed his head and made a beeline to the Cavs’ lockers. No wave goodbye to Cleveland fans who endured the Magic’s home crowd full of hecklers. No congratulatory handshake to Orlando center Dwight Howard for putting up the 40 points usually customary for James, who finished with just 25 after being held scoreless in the second quarter and mustering only four points in the fourth. And no appearance at the postgame press conference.
Once in the locker room, James mumbled to his teammates that they’ve got to get better and he put on big headphones and sunglasses and walked past Nike execs, his mom and friends who were all waiting for him after the game, said Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Brian Windhorst on The Dan Patrick Show. Windhorst added that James also threw a tantrum when he was overlooked for the NBA All-Star Team as a rookie.
Windhorst also revealed that Cavs guard Mo Williams beat James off the court after the season-ending loss to Orlando.
Yeah, but at least Williams had the guts to attend the postgame conference in spite of his pre-Game 4 guarantee that Cleveland would win the series to advance to the franchise’s second NBA Finals in three seasons.
James provided a bad example of sportsmanship for all of the kids and budding high school and college hoop stars who admire James, who many experts including Lakers Hall-of-Famer Jerry West consider to be on pace to be the greatest NBA player ever.
You can stick up for the 24-year-old James and say he was disappointed because the NBA Finals were supposed to feature his No. 23 vs. Bryant’s No. 24 after the Cavs’ posted the league’s best regular season record and swept their first two playoffs opponents only to be outplayed and outcoached by the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.
James finally spoke up for himself, a day after the Game 6 loss, and he mentioned that he emailed Howard to congratulate his Olympic teammate.
“It’s hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them,” James said. “I’m a winner. It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a competitor. That’s what I do. It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand.”
Sounds like a poor sport.
Anthony could have used a similar excuse after losing to his Olympic teammate Bryant after the Nuggets avoided a sixth consecutive first-round exit to make the West Conference Finals for the first time since Anthony’s first birthday. Judging by his facial expressions and body language in the Nuggets’ final two playoff losses, Melo was obviously very disappointed. But at least he had the graciousness to suck it up, congratulate the winning team and slap hands with the fans before making his final walk to the lockers this season.
James could have done the same, but instead we are all witnesses to the Chosen One being a poor sport. But, he can redeem himself next year when he returns for the final year of his Cavs’ contract.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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Chris Brown is obviously not worried about his preliminary hearing Thursday for his two felony charges in the alleged assault of his former pop star girlfriend Rihanna.
In the last few days leading up to the hearing, he’s been caught singing, b-balling and youTubing.
Between breaks recording his new album Graffiti in Orlando with a single due out this summer, Brown has been spotted courtside during two of the Magic’s Eastern Conference Final games against Cleveland. He sat with Usher, Chris Tucker and Dwyane Wade to witness Orlando’s 99-89 victory on Sunday, and then Tuesday, he sat with his rapper best friend Bow Wow for the Magic’s 116-114 OT win to take a 3-1 series lead over LeBron James’ Cavs.
Brown also has been videotaped playing 2-on-2 pickup ball with Bow Wow, Tucker and Shaq on the indoor court at the former Magic, Lakers and Heat center’s Orlando home.
And Brown posted a YouTube video announcing his new album, his love for his real fans and he declared, “I’m not a monster.” Bow Wow chimed in “Believe that.”

A judge and jury will decide whether Brown is a “monster.” But Brown’s not worried about it. He will continue to hang loose in Orlando while his lawyer appears in court Thursday and tries to get the case thrown out.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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For the record, Orlando beat Cleveland 116-114 in overtime Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Magic need just one more win in the next three games for their first NBA Finals appearance in 14 years.
But replays of LeBron James’ second free throw to tie the game at 100 and force overtime make it appear that Anderson Varejao reached up and tipped the ball in, which would result in two points not the one point the Cavs were credited for James’ last free throw. If the officials would have credited the Cavs three points for James’ first free throw and a Varejao put back from James’ missed second free throw attempt, the game wouldn’t have gone to overtime. The Cavs would be 101-100 winners to even the East Finals at 2-2.
Instead James was credited with two free throws after his second attempt bounced off the backboard and looked like it was on the way out before somehow falling in with Varejao’s hands at the tip of the basket to tie the game with .05 remaining in regulation. But James, who finished with a game-high 44 points, couldn’t muster up a repeat of Friday’s game-winning trey for the best shot of his career. This time his 3-point attempt hit the lower left side of the backboard as overtime expired for the Cavs to fall to 0-4 in Orlando this season, including two in a row this series.
As the teams huddled for overtime, Cleveland coach Mike Brown credited Varejao for giving the team a chance to pull out the victory. Brown screamed, “You’re the reason we’re in overtime.”
But if that’s the case, game over. Cleveland 101, Orlando 100.
Yet Brown never questioned the score and now his team is on the brink of elimination. Only eight teams in the NBA’s 63-year history have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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Cleveland point guard Mo Williams guaranteed his team will win the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando because he said two of the next three games are in Cleveland and he can’t see his team losing two games at home.
Maybe Williams should have made his prognostication after Game 4 tonight in Orlando because last I checked, the Magic host two of the next three games in their Amway Arena, where the Cavs are 0-3 this season and haven’t won since February of last year. And with a 2-1 series lead, Orlando can use its actual home court advantage to grab the two victories needed to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995.
Cleveland, which posted the NBA’s best regular season record, had home court advantage at the beginning of this series, but the Cavs let the Magic come back from 16- and 23-point deficits during Games 1 and 2 in Quicken Arena to steal a win before heading back to Orlando for three of the next four games.
In the last matchup on Sunday, the Magic shook off Cavs star LeBron James’ history-making, buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer two days earlier to defeat Cleveland 99-89 in Amway. And if Orlando continues its home dominance of Cleveland on Tuesday, the Magic would only need one more victory to win the series.
So Williams’ third prediction may be correct. He said he doesn’t foresee his Cavs losing two home games. Cleveland is scheduled to host Games 5 and 7. But there may not even be a Game 7. Orlando just needs to take care of home court in Game 4 tonight and Game 6 on Saturday to advance to the NBA Championship series.
Even if the Magic loses tonight, they only need to steal one more victory in Cleveland, not the two Williams suggested, plus one more home win to close the series. The Cavs can force a Game 7, but that could require them to win two games in Orlando, where Cleveland has lost three in a row.
I’m going to give Williams the benefit of the doubt and assume that he still felt disoriented from an admittedly head-ringing fall in the Cavs’ Game 3 loss that left him with a bruised eye and four stitches. Before tonight’s game, one of Cleveland’s trainers should hold up one finger in front of Williams’ face. If the point guard keeps seeing two, his head needs to be checked.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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The Lakers aren’t the only NBA team that attracts celebrities.
Stars came out in droves Sunday for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals featuring the Magic and Cavaliers in Orlando’s Amway Arena.
Tiger Woods showed up on Amway’s Jumbotron early in the game. Then, right after halftime, Grammy Award winning R&B singer Usher walked to his courtside seat across from the Magic’s team bench. A minute and a half later, hip hop heartthrob-turned-bad boy Chris Brown was escorted to a spot two seats away from Usher followed closely behind by Rush Hour funnyman Chris Tucker and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and a couple friends to fill in the rest of the instant celebrity row. Utah forward Carlos Boozer was already seated earlier in the game and was a section over from the bunch under the basket near the Magic’s bench. Across the floor, Grammy Award winning rapper Lil’ Wayne sat with a female friend underneath the basket near Cleveland’s bench. The crowd gave loud ovations for Boozer, Lil’ Wayne, Woods and Usher when their faces appeared on Amway’s Jumbotron. Beyonce and Jay-Z, my favorite and my teen son’s favorite artists respectively, were rumored to be in the arena, but we didn’t spot them.
Usher, who also sat courtside two days earlier to witness LeBron James’ buzzer-beating game winner in Cleveland, switched seats with one of two guys in between him and Chris, and the throwback Michael Jackson singers chatted shoulder-to-shoulder through most of the third quarter and almost the entire fourth quarter. Since Usher is part owner of the Cavs, I wonder if he got the tickets for Brown, Tucker and Wade? And what were Usher and Chris talking about? Maybe Usher was apologizing for saying the younger singer needed to show more remorse instead of being photographed jet-skiing in Miami Beach in February shortly after being arrested for assaulting his pop star ex-girlfriend Rihanna and a photo leak of her battered face. And why was Usher wearing dark black sunglasses after 10 p.m. on a rainy night?
Usher left in the final 36 seconds with his Cavs down by eight and Cleveland starters Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas fouled out of the game. Then, Chris Tucker slid over to talk to Brown, and when the final buzzer sounded, they shook hands and walked across the court with Boozer and Wade to exit through the VIP Entrance.
The Magic-Cavs game was Brown’s first public appearance since the jet-skiing photos. He privately celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month and has been in seclusion for the last three months with the exception of courtroom appearances for the felony charges involving his then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown’s preliminary hearing is in three days, but he is not expected to appear in court, and his attorney is trying to get the case tossed because of the leaked LAPD photos of Rihanna. But of course, Brown managed to appear on the Magic’s court Sunday in a black hoodie and blue jeans to see Orlando take a 2-1 series lead over Cleveland in the Magic’s first East Finals in 13 years.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy blamed himself and center Dwight Howard laid his head in his hand as they fielded the press’ questions about a 1-point loss to Cleveland after LeBron James’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer to tie the Eastern Conference Finals series at 1-1.
Sure, Van Gundy could have had a defender contest the Mo Williams inbound pass that led to James’ last second shot and he could have put two men on LeBron.
But the Magic shouldn’t be second-guessing themselves. After all, the Cavs were the ones in need of a little magic after giving up double-digit leads at home in Games 1 and 2, and it took the “biggest shot” of James’ career to keep Orlando from returning home with a 2-0 series lead.
Charles Barkley was one of the few NBA analysts who picked Orlando to win the Eastern Conference, and now he looks like a genius.
And I must admit I was like everyone else, hoping for an NBA Finals featuring No. 23 (James) vs. No. 24 (Lakers guard Kobe Bryant).
The ball is now literally in the Magic’s court with Games 3, 4 and 6 in Orlando’s Amway Arena, where Orlando is 2-0 against Cleveland this season, including a 29-point regular season victory, the Cavs’ worst of the season, early last month. Plus, the Magic is battle-tested after outlasting Philadelphia and Boston in six- and seven-game series, respectively, unlike the Cavs who cruised to eight consecutive double-digit victories to sweep their first two playoff opponents.
If the Magic actually puts together a complete-game effort instead of these second half comebacks, we may see Howard’s No. 12 vs. No. 16 (Lakers center Pau Gasol) or No. 31 (Nuggets center Nene) competing for the NBA championship.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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Does it really matter which team is victorious in Game 7 of the Celtics/Magic series?
Unless you’re a fan of the teams, not really. Regardless of who wins tonight, the winner will eventually join the loser on the couch for the NBA Finals.
That’s because whether Boston or Orlando advances to the Eastern Conference Finals later this week, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to roll over them within five games.
I don’t mean to dis Boston or Orlando. I’m glad the Celtics are back in the playoff mix after nearly two decades of dormancy. I was rooting for them last year to win their first NBA Trophy since 1986 for a league-best 17 NBA championships, and this year Boston has defended its league crown well with two fiercely competitive and entertaining seven-game playoff series against Chicago and Orlando. And the Magic and NBA defensive player of the year Dwight Howard have made the franchise’s farthest playoff run since Shaq and Penny tried to spoil Michael Jordan’s comeback and quest for Chicago’s eventual second NBA championship triple-peat.
But tonight Orlando and Boston are just scrapping to determine the sacrificial lamb for the Cavs. With NBA MVP Lebron James leading the way, Cleveland is having its best season ever and the team is well-rested after sweeping their first two playoff opponents, Atlanta and Detroit. Plus, the week and a half off has enabled the Cavs to dissect the Celtics/Magic series. So Cleveland will be more than ready to open the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday against the Orlando/Boston series winner.
So personally, I’d rather watch the two-hour season finale of ABC drama Desperate Housewives because I can always catch the season finale for Boston or Orlando next week.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
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