Combining Eras In G.3: “NBA Forever”

This amazing commercial tells more than I could in words about how lucky we would be if, one day, G.3 could transcend time and eras and bring together all who have taken part or could have taken part in G.3 for one big GAME.
It’s a dream that currently resides in the worlds of video editing, video game design, cinema or online sports simulations, but here’s to one day being able to live inside such an extraordinary dream.

G.3 Scenarios: Kobe Bryant, Basketball, Football and Nodes in Between

When Kobe Bryant was six years old, his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, moved the family to Italy to begin playing professional basketball. It was during these formative years in Italy that Kobe Bryant played football and basketball. When his father retired in 1991, Bryant’s family moved back to the United States, but his passion for football remained.

As a young fan of AC Milan, Bryant had aspirations of being a professional football player; even claiming that if his family had stayed in Italy, he would have chosen professional football over professional basketball. He remarked to the Milan sports daily, La Gazzetta dello Sport, during this summer’s World Cup in South Africa:

“I love soccer since the time I was a boy. From when I lived in Italy and supported AC Milan. Dreaming one day to be Marco Van Basten, one day Diego Maradona and one day Roberto Baggio.”

Byrant has more than just a passing appreciation of football and after these many years, he still feels at home on the pitch and with the football at his feet:

The 2010 NBA season begins tonight and there have been lingering concerns about Bryant’s surgically repaired left knee throughout this offseason. If Bryant could remain relatively healthy through the upcoming season and if he could endure a rigorous football training regimen, his size and athleticism would be an ideal template for a football goalie, backline defender or a forward on set pieces.

If Bryant was in his prime, it is likely that he could have played a center forward position given his athletic and attacking style of play; a style of play that has been very successful for him on a much smaller playing field—the basketball court.

Assuming that we have a Kobe Bryant in his prime, the thought of his potential role as a defenseman (D) or forward (F) in a blended football-basketball G node or a as transitional wing playmaker (W) between football and basketball nodes is tantalizing.

As a defenseman, Bryant, who is already an elite defender in the NBA, could fit in well is as a backline defender who can quickly counter and lead an offensive attack in a defense-offense transition formation (the middle of the three different formation modules bracketed in the diagram below). Given that Bryant’s main sport requires quick bursts of offense to defense and vice versa, his transition as a defender into an offensive catalyst in the defense-offense transition formations would be a relatively easy adjustment to make.

As a forward in the defense-offense transition formation in a blended G node, Bryant could slot into the left or right wings since he possesses the requisite skill set: very good speed, length, strength, long shooting range, passing and decision-making ability, and a strong defensive presence.

As a transitional wing player linking two or more nodes (football and basketball in this example) that are not completely blended but exist in two separate forms simultaneously, Bryant could transition into and out of football and basketball in some of the following ways:

1. Shots made from specific spots on the basketball court could activate football set pieces for Bryant or another player to take during the next pause in football and basketball action.
2. Long distance shots made from specific spots on the basketball court could award the football team on the same GAME team a man advantage on the pitch for a short finite period of time; much like man advantages in ice hockey.
3. A G.3-designed field with a basketball court side by side with a football pitch would allow Bryant to concentrate on his basketball assignments while providing additional zonal marking on the pitch when he is in the corresponding basketball court-football pitch areas (by crossing over the sidelines and freely traversing into and out of the two fields of play as needed).

Elite G.3 performers must excel in multiple individual nodes while at the same time have the flexibility to excel in G nodes that link or blend two or more nodes together. Kobe Bryant may not be the young man he was half a decade ago, but his versatility, athleticism, intelligent play and competitive makeup continues to secure his status as one of the NBA’s and G.3’s elite.

THE GAME In Pictures: A Basic GAME Formation Action Shot

Using GIMP 2.6.6 and referencing this post, I remixed photographs of Tim Tebow and Deron Williams running the basic GAME formation: (module #1) power-speed formation. The image captures the moment after Deron Williams has passed the football to Tim Tebow; allowing Tebow to cross in front of Williams and look for a playmaker on the left wing. After the exchange, Williams begins to angle hard to his right, eluding his defender and creating space to either continue the play by himself, pass to another playmaker on the wing or handoff to a ThB charging from the rear.

Pro Wrestling…The NBA…Same Difference

For decades, NBA fans have speculated (particularly during the playoffs) that the NBA gives “star” players preferential treatment and/or manipulates the outcomes of games through the actions (or inactions) of their officials. The league has vigorously denied these accusations in the past, but now disgraced former NBA referee, Tim Donaghy is claiming in his new book, Blowing the Whistle, that there is a “rampant culture of fraud” in the league.

Interestingly the book’s pubisher, Triumph Books was ready to begin printing the book until the NBA came calling (excerpt courtesy of Deadspin):

“About 10 months ago, (Donaghy) shopped the book to Triumph Books, an imprint of Random House, according to a source close to Donaghy. Triumph, the source says, "put forth a huge effort to verify every statement in that book." (Triumph's editorial director, Tom Bast, declined to comment.) Two weeks ago,Blowing the Whistle was ready for printing; 60 Minutes had plans to interview Donaghy in conjunction with the book's publication. Then the NBA came calling. "They came after Random House and threatened a lawsuit," the source says, "and Random House just rolled and decided to not go with it. It's really that simple." To his knowledge, no one at the NBA had actually read the book.

There are many reasons to simply dismiss Donaghy’s claims based on his character, current financial status, relationship (or lack thereof) with his former employer and colleagues, etc.. But, I can’t help but think of how quickly I dismissed Jose Canseco’s claims of rampant steroid use in Major League Baseball when he came out with his book, Juiced. Sadly, as we all know now, the majority of what he claimed was truthful. Certainly, most of what Donaghy claims in his book could be lies, but NBA conspiracy theorist now have someone who worked on “the inside” finally corroborating what they have suspected all along.

"Welcome to Monday Night Raw Nuggets"

Well...the scheduling conflict between Kroenke Sports Enterprises (owner of the Pepsi Center and the Denver Nuggets) and the WWE has finally reached a resolution and the WWE will move their May 25 Monday Night Raw show to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for back-to-back events.

I wish they would have run the two events at the same time. The evolution of the NBA towards more physical play could have served as a conduit in which the WWE or professional wrestling, for that matter, could have transitioned/blended into each other or could have formed a distinct hybrid GAME node altogether. It appears that WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon may have been thinking the same thing ...somewhat:

"McMahon revealed that in addition to WWE’s version of the Lakers’ bout with the Nuggets (a 10-Man Tag Match featuring Raw’s top Superstars), the Chairman will personally collide with E. Stanley Kroenke, live on an unforgettable Raw."

The NBA's Undercover Secret

A conduit in which American football (or any other code of football, for that matter) and basketball, specifically the NBA, can flow into each other--the physical play.

LeBron James Brings His Game to the Cleveland Browns

On January 18, 2009, LeBron James announced to the world that he would pursue "his first love" by signing a contract with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. 

A source close to the negotiations revealed that James fought hard to maintain dual status in the NFL and NBA as a condition for his signing with the Browns. After difficult and protracted negotiations between James' NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and Browns, a settlement was reached between the two teams in the hopes that James' participation could foster further future interleague cooperation as well as accelerate the evolution and development of transitional GAME nodes between the sports of American football and basketball. 

In an unprecedented move for a currently active NBA player, James cited his desire to bring the NBA style of play to the NFL as his primary reason for signing with the Browns. Next season, it is expected that the Browns will utilize James' basketball skillset in American football at tight end and wide receiver as well as when the Browns are transitioning into their basketball package for THE GAME. While holding up his new Browns #23 jersey, a giddy James admitted to the gathered media that, "this all feels like a dream."

Showdown In Chinatown

Courtesy of Wikipedia


Showdown in Chinatown was a charity soccer match played on June 25, 2008, organized by Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash and New York Red Bulls footballer Claudio Reyna to benefit their respective charity foundations. The nine-a-side match was played at Nike Field in Sara D. Roosevelt Park on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, and the two teams included many National Basketball Association and international soccer players.

The Showdown in Chinatown is worth noting from the perspective of the G.3 since it displayed the football talents of NBA stars Steve Nash, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa, as well as the talents of Marc Stein, senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. Their participation illustrated the promise and potential for specific sports and endeavors, however disparate, to be blended/transitioned into other sports and endeavors in the G.3.

Video update: 2009 Showdown in Chinatown (part 1 of 9)