Huge Rising Star

Marvadene Anderson, the world's tallest teenage girl, has become a basketball star at Rutgers; not Rutgers University, Rutgers Prep. This up-and-coming New Jersey high school basketball player is only 16 and stands 6-foot-11, and is still growing.

The Jamaican-born hoopster is taller than legendary ballplayers like Michael Jordan (6-6) and LeBron James (6-8). She was the highest-scoring "netball" player (a sport similar to basketball) in her native Jamaica.

That on-court basketball prowess earned her a scholarship to Rutgers Prep and for the last two months she's been hitting the hardwood to learn the rules of basketball.
"Everyone has come up to me and asked if I play college basketball. I tell them I'm only a sophomore in high school."

Marvadene Anderson, whose family remained in Jamaica, got her nickname "Bubbles" because of her good humor. The biggest problem "Bubbles" seems to have is adjusting to the cold weather and finding clothes and shoes to fit her 210-pound frame and size-12 feet.

Back home in Jamaica she was teased a lot. They called her "baby giant because her older sister, Kimberly is 6-foot-4. They also called them "the twin towers". But she said the rudest thing anybody ever said about her height was that she would not be able to find a husband.

Rutgers Prep coach Mary Coyle-Klinger and her sister, former WNBA coach Pat Coyle, have been working with their new star. Anderson picked up six points in her first game on December 10. She is going to be a star. She's only been playing two months and it's amazing how well she has adapted.

On the Eve of Greatness? Sports Prodigies

Confidence is one of the "big three" characteristics, along with composure and concentration, that young athletes need when competing at sports' highest levels. But there are "no perfect predictors" for what makes a phenom. Dakota Simms seems on track for greatness and is hoping the NBA changes its age requirement so he can go directly to the NBA from high school. His jump shot is masterful; a basketball fan might consider it art. He elevates through his legs, toes pointed downward and back straight, and strokes the ball toward the hoop, following through as if he were painting a wall with his fingertips.

Dakota practices the jumper and other elements of his game every day, staying at the gym until he makes at least 200 three-point shots with an NBA regulation ball. And Dakota is only 9. Some guys in the NBA who don't have form like that, "If he stays focused like he is right now, he'll write his own ticket," said ex-Atlanta Hawk and NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins after he and the youngster met at Philips Arena's practice court for a friendly three-point shooting contest from the NBA arc.

Darryl Dawkins, like many teen sports prodigies, wasn't afraid to join the professional ranks as a youngster. He was emboldened by his size and imagination. A big man -- 6-10 in 1975 when the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him out of high school -- Dawkins wasn't in awe of the stars of the era. Dawkins, by all accounts, was expected to write his own ticket as well, but he was sidetracked by the temptations that often accompany fame and fortune. After the 18-year-old signed a seven-year contract for about $1 million -- a sum for which most of today's NBA players wouldn't sweep the gym floor -- he quickly immersed himself in "soft drugs" and women. His backboard-shattering dunks would earn him the moniker "Chocolate Thunder," but he also garnered a reputation for his playful demeanor and trash talking. He spun tales of his fictional "Planet Lovetron" and anointed his dunks with colorful names like "Turbo Sexophonic Delight" and "Spine Chiller Supreme."

Darryl Dawkins was a hit with fans, but dogged by injuries, he never statistically lived up to their towering expectations during his 14 seasons. He has no regrets, he said, because he entered the NBA to lift his family out of poverty. Now as head basketball coach at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he tells his hoopsters to do as he says, not as he did. "You can be whatever you want to be. Nurse, doctor, lawyer, teacher -- we need all those, and those are going pro, too. You can be a doctor a lot longer than you can play ball," he tells his charges today.

The fate of a teen pro athlete hinges on a host of variables, and only one is sheer skill. Also important are breathing, coordination, communication, openness to feedback, built-in motivation, an understanding of hydration and nutrition, musculoskeletal development and the ability to recover from the rigors of exercise. Work ethic is important, too. While there are hundreds of examples of teens having average or workmanlike careers, there are also monumental busts and booms. At one end of the gamut, you have football's Todd Marinovich and tennis' Anna Kournikova, young athletes whose hype overshadowed their actual accomplishments. On the other end, you have Sydney Crosby and Lebron James, guys whose ages were never evident when they took the ice and court as teens.

Hoping to follow the leads of ballers like Leron James, Dakota Simms practices up to 14 hours a week, but outside his Herculean work ethic, Dakota is a typical kid. Terence Simms, his coach/father, and Kobe Bryant are his favorite basketball players. Cheeseburgers and hamburgers are his two favorite foods, in that order, and he enjoys writing stories and playing video games when he's not on the court. But talk to him about basketball and you'll hear some things atypical of 9-year-olds. "If you miss some shots, you've got to get your head right," said Dakota. "You've got to fix it. Nobody else is going to do it for you."

It's imperative that young athletes have focus, drive and the ability to reset their minds when they're off the playing field, but often overlooked is something that should be at the root of all sports. If fun isn't the key element at this point, that's what typically leads to burnout or change of sport. Having fun certainly helped Jonathan Spector. A member of the U.S. national soccer team who plays for England's Premiership squad West Ham United, Spector said it was hard to be homesick when he was doing something he loved. He moved to England in 2003 after Manchester United offered him a contract at age 17. "It's one of the best clubs in the world, and I was pursuing things I wanted to do so it was kind of hard to feel sorry for yourself," he said.

Spector had to acclimate quickly. Without his friends and family nearby, he faced new competition, different styles of play, constant travel and, of course, the pressure of 40,000 spectators watching. He said he thrives on pressure. Rachele Fico is not easily rattled, either. A softball pitcher with a rise ball her father described as "murder," Fico began receiving letters of interest as soon as she took the mound in high school. Pitches clocked at 64 mph catch recruiters' attention, and Fico was throwing curveballs at 68 her junior year. Louisiana State University signed Fico last year, before she even tossed a pitch her senior season (she later shattered the national high school record for career perfect games).
Ralph Fico said his daughter owes her success to her unflappable bearing and to her diligence -- she has thrown about 30,000 pitches a year since she was 9.

Athletes who hone these coping attributes at an early age are better able to deal with fear and pressure at higher levels as adults. Making great athletes is good, but making great people is much better. A pro sports career is only going to be so long. You are going to be around for a much longer time as people. Ultimately, teams want the best person out of the deal.

NBA Tattoos

I'm not into tattoos but I found this on the net and thought it was interesting. The tattoo that I find the most interesting is K-Mart's with the lips behind his right ear.

NBA Tattoos, from A to Z
By Reed Tucker

A is for America: Wizards Gilbert Arenas promised that if Barack Obama won the presidential election, he'd get a tribute -- and he did. "Change we believe in" now marks the fingers on his left hand.

B is for bear: Jazz star Carlos Boozer has a menacing bear on his arm "because even in high school, I felt like I turned into some kind of animal on the court."

C is for consent: Before getting his first tat at 17, the Warriors' Corey Maggette asked his mom's permission: "I'm not sure she believed me because she said, 'Yeah, go ahead.'"

D is for demon bird mothballs: Heat forward Shawn Marion thought he was getting his nickname, "The Matrix," tattooed in Chinese symbols. What he got instead roughly translates to "demon bird mothballs."

E is for esteem: Those numbers on the right arm of Hornets guard Antonio Daniels are a tribute to his brother. "It has his birthday [7-20-73], the day he passed away [2-8-96], as well as his number [33]," Daniels says.

F is for Florida: If you ever get lost driving in the Sunshine State, just ask to see Udonis Haslem's back. The Heat forward has a large map of Florida, his home, tattooed there.

G is for Grateful Dead: The Lakers' Luke Walton shows his appreciation for the rock group with a design of four dancing skeletons, each holding a basketball, on his right arm.

H is for humility: Of which Shaquille O'Neal has none. The Suns' big man has "Against the Law" inked on his shoulder because, as Shaq explains, "My game's so good, there has to be a law to stop it."

I is for initials: The Cavaliers' LeBron James, who already had multiple tattoos, including "Chosen 1" across his entire back, last year had an "L" and "J" inked on the underside of each arm.

J is for Jay-Z: The Timberwolves' Sebastian Telfair has a huge "Lucky Me" inked on his upper back. It's a reference to a Jay-Z song, which Telfair says has particular meaning to him.

K is for king of the hill: Nuggets floor leader Chauncey Billups reps where he's from (Denver's Park Hill) with a "king of the hill" tat on his left arm: "I'm the first person to make it out of there and be doing what I'm doing."

L is for lawsuit: In 2005, Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace got sued by Portland, Oregon, tattoo artist Matthew Reed after Wallace's Egyptian sun tattoo (designed by Reed) was featured in a Nike ad.

M is for mizspelt: The Pistons' Allen Iverson gets an A for loyalty, but an F for spelling. He has the words "Cru Thik" tattooed on his body in three places, in honor of his tight-knit group of friends.

N is for nerdy pastimes: The Spurs' Tim Duncan likes playing Dungeons & Dragons so much, he got a tattoo of the wizard Merlin on his chest.

O is for ouch: The Pacers' Marquis Daniels has a tattoo on his arm of a man committing suicide with a shotgun. Cheery.

P is for Psalms 46: When the father of Spurs' Roger Mason Jr. was dying in the hospital, his family took comfort in the biblical verse. After his father's death, Mason inked his arm with an angel flying atop mountains and the words "Psalms 46."

Q is for quite a makeover: MVP Kobe Bryant of the Lakers revamped his flagging image in 2004 following a sexual assault trial. The makeover included a tattoo dedicated to his wife and daughter.

R is for regret: When he was 15, Hawks guard Mike Bibby tattooed his name on his arm. Later, he had it covered with a cross made of chains.

S is for shameless self-promotion: Stephon Marbury's pro career may be waning, but there's hope for him in marketing. Marbury recently tattooed the logo of his Starbury shoe line on the left side of his skull.

T is for testimony: That's what the Suns' Amare Stoudemire says his tattoos are: "If I died right now, my kids could get to know me by my tats -- what I stand for and what I believe in, and how I made it out of poverty."

U is for "unicep": Tattoos are so popular in the league that even coaches have them. The Bulls' Del Harris has a b-ball going through a hoop inked onto his arm. "It's on my 'unicep,' " Harris cracks. "I don't have biceps anymore."

V is for very, very stupid: In 2001, a die-hard fan had the phrase "I Slept With Shaq" tattooed on his forehead to win Lakers playoff tickets from a radio station.

W is for wasted endorsement: The Suns' former slam-dunk champ Jason Richardson isn't exactly a slam-dunk when it comes to marketing. He had the logo for shoe company And 1 tattooed on his arm and then went on to sign a contract with Reebok.

X is for Xavier: A contribution to the school library would have been enough, but the Hornets' David West got "X" on his arm "to show some loyalty" to his alma mater, Xavier.

Y is for younker: The Cavaliers' Ben Wallace hit on his nickname while just a younker, or a young man. In 10th grade, his teacher assigned a report on London's famous clock tower. "Big Ben" sketched the picture himself that he later had tattooed on his arm.

Z is for "Zoinks!": Kings fans will probably want to shout Shaggy's catchphrase when they get a load of Brad Miller's tattoo of Scooby's pint-sized nephew, Scrappy-Doo.

Trash Talking with the President

Last Friday, President Barack Obama attended a Washington Wizards/Chicago Bulls basketball game at the Verizon Center in D.C. The president had a beer, signed a few autographs and read the program. But night out didn't stop there. He also exchanged a few playful words with a diehard Wizards fan sitting a few rows back. Yes, that's right, the 44th President of the United States joined in a little trash talk. Awesome

The vocal instigator: Miles Rawls, commissioner of the Barry Farms' Goodman League — a big-time summer circuit in Southeast D.C., which has starred Gilbert Arenas and Kevin Durant, among others NBA stars. It was a blow out Wizards win and not too many people can claim to have taunted a sitting President with the old "Warm up the limo" chant.

Miles Rawls, who has season tickets, like everyone else had heard rumors about the president attending the game. So in anticipation, he went to a local shop to pick up a $15 Obama t-shirt. He showed up at the Verizon Center around 6:25, and was greeted by his usual usher who told him to be on his best behavior because the president would be sitting right in front of you. Rawls has gone after all the stars playing against the Wizards, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James -- "exchanging pleasantries".

President Obama got a somewhat warmer greeting. Rawls shook his hand. He asked "How do you like my shirt, Mr. President?" President Obama said it was beautiful. Rawls told the president he would treasure this moment, and that he was proud of him. President Obama said he appreciated it.

That was before it got heated.

"Once I knew he was a big trash talker, too, about them Bulls, that means the gloves came off", said Rawls. "Heckling and having a good time are two different animals," he explained. "I wasn't heckling the President and I don't heckle the players. I talk about their weaknesses. We were having a good time. He was talking trash and I was talking trash. I couldn't believe he was that laidback and real. I loved it. I wasn't disrespectful," he said. "I know my limits."

For example, he told the President that if he was rooting for the visitors, he was "gonna have to keep it to a low roar, because we're cheering for the Wizards over here." The president repeatedly needled Rawls about the Wizards' habit of letting leads evaporate, especially when the Bulls made a run. “He gave me the high five. We were just supporting each others' team, having a good time."

Rawls said he made at least one member of the President's Secret Service detail laugh. He will, of course, keep the t-shirt, and wants to get the photo autographed; he also hopes to invite Obama to Barry Farms. He said he had an adrenaline rush throughout the entire game, and that it was a "once in a lifetime experience" he won't ever forget.

"Where can you do that, sit there and talk smack with the President of the United States face to face? But he enjoyed it," Rawls added. "Trust me."

Actually, I think what's going on in the pictures; dude is talking smack to the Pres....next the Pres is pointing out and saying "you see that guy up there pointing the high-power rifle at you? That's my Sec Service detail...; then dude says just joking Mr. Pres. and gives him high five (smile).

Nate Robinson Pulls Superman’s Cape

Nate Robinson tugged on Superman’s cape—and won. Robinson of the New York Knicks captured the NBA’s All-Star Saturday Night's Slam Dunk Competition. Listed at 5-9, Robinson sprung over the top of 6 foot 11 defending champion Dwight Howard, who stood in front of the basket as his counterpart leaped over his head electrifying the crowd.

Dwight Howard, who donned a Superman cape en route to last year's title, kept that theme this year. This time, Howard rolled out a 12-foot basket then disappeared into a phone booth just off the court, emerging with a Superman cape. He then took a bounce pass from Orlando Magic teammate Jameer Nelson and tomahawked a dunk as U.S. Airways Center exploded.

Nate Robinson then entered the finals wearing all-green including a lime green ball. The green jersey represented Robinson as kryptonite - or KryptoNate - to Howard's Superman.

Earlier, Miami Heat’s Daequan Cook connected over and over again when the 3-Point Shootout went to an extra session cruising past Orlando’s Rashard Lewis to win the title.

Chicago Bull’s Derrick Rose capped his Skills Challenge victory with a double-pump reverse dunk defeating New Jersey Net’s Devin Harris in the final round, navigating the obstacle course consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations in 35.3 seconds, 4.4 seconds faster than Harris.

In the H-O-R-S-E competition, Kevin Durant capped his All-Star weekend with an amazing comeback to beat O.J. Mayo and Joe Johnson. Durant started slow then began to hit from long range, just as he did Friday when he won Most Valuable Player after he scored a Rookie Challenge-record 46 points to lead the NBA’s sophomores to a 122-116 victory over the rookies.

Team Detroit—former Piston Bill Laimbeer, present Pistons guard Arron Afflalo and Detroit Shock star Katie Smith—won the Shooting Stars competition, in which players shoot from six locations of increasing difficulty.

Nate Robinson could face an even tougher field if he decides to defend his title in Dallas. LeBron James tentatively placed himself into next year’s contest during the television broadcast.

U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Team Announced

The U.S.A Basketball will be represented by an enormously talented Olympic team this August. NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant will be heading to his first Olympics, and he’ll have superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with him. They will lead a U.S. Olympic basketball team that was announced Monday and hopes to capture the gold medal in Beijing, China after a third-place showing in Athens, Greece four years ago.

They’ll have plenty of help. They were joined by Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams. The team was selected without a tryout. It will have a minicamp this week in Las Vegas and meet there July 20-25 to train and play an exhibition against Canada before heading overseas. The Americans open Olympic play against China on Aug. 10.

Although the Americans captured the gold at the Sydney Games in 2000, they no longer dominate international play as they once did. The talent gap has narrowed and many top NBA players have chosen to not play for the national team in recent years. Now, the U.S. team appears loaded. Then again, the U.S. went 5-3 in Athens and lost for the first time since NBA players started competing in 1992 even though they had James, Anthony, Wade and Tim Duncan. That group got routed by Puerto Rico before losing to Lithuania and Argentina, but this one is confident it will take the gold. It is a deep team that includes one of the best shooters (Redd) and defensive players (Prince). There are role players and scorers, including the two biggest (Bryant and James). Kobi Bryant just won his first MVP and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the finals. LeBron James averaged 30.0 points, just enough to beat Bryant for the scoring title. Those two along with Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard started for a team that went unbeaten in the Olympic qualifying tournament last year. Eight of the 12 players headed to Beijing played on that team and six played in the 2006 world championships.

The team is lead by Mike Krzyzewski, who warns that “unless we show the respect to the rest of the world that it is the world’s game” there will be no gold medal. “We’re a team already,” Krzyzewski said. “The thing that this program has done is … provide continuity and relationships. … We’ll hit the ground running. Selecting a group of 12 out of the many stars in the NBA is obviously going to leave out a number of outstanding people.”

Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire withdrew from Olympic consideration, apparently concerned about pushing his body too hard after knee surgery in 2005 and 2006. So did Detroit’s Chauncey Billups, who would have had a tough time making the team given the depth in the backcourt. I personally would have loved to see three point specialist Ray Allen and versatile forward Kevin Garnett on the team.

Dwyane Wade’s season ended in March because of a sore left knee that had been bothering him since surgery in 2007. He started working out in his hometown Chicago in May, and James and Chris Paul joined him to help sharpen his game. Team officials visited recently to see how far along he had come in his rehab and left convinced the 6-foot-4 guard was healthy. They saw him do a few things in terms of explosiveness that showed that he was pretty much back. Trainer Tim Grover assured officials that the Miami Heat star will be completely ready when the team gathers in Las Vegas next month.

“I feel great,” Wade said. And he will feel even better with a gold medal dangling from his neck.