Celebrity-Athlete of the Day: Shannon Brown

I got away from my Celebrity Look-alike series for a few days, but I’m back this week with some really good ones.

Today’s Athlete: Shannon Brown, reserve guard for the LA Lakers.

• I just had to get this one off my chest; it’s been bothering me since the 2010 NBA Finals. I’m just gonna put it out there: dude looks like Chris Brown. There, I said it; you’d have to be blind not to agree with me.
  
  Every aspect of his person just screams Chris Brown. They’re both freakish athletes, have no problem getting the girl and made a serious comeback in 2010. (Did I mention that they share the same last name?)
  
  Everybody knows the story with Breezy; he got a little too animated with his girlfriend and things got ugly. Shannon Brown was a competitor in the 2003 McDonald’s High School Dunk Competition – won by LeBron James (maybe you’ve heard of him) – but tanked in this year’s NBA Dunk Competition. After that abysmal display of wackness, he faded of the NBA radar for a while.
  
  This year, both of them re-emerged in their respective genres as stars. Chris Brown cleaned up his act, grew a goatee and danced his way back into young women’s hearts. Shannon Brown dunked on Mikki Moore so hard that he might have even received an all-star vote - even though it was during the '09 Preseason - and his performance in the finals was impressive as well. The high-flyer also made an appearance as the love interest in Monica’s new music video “Love All Over Me”.
  
  
  
  Breezy is a huge basketball fan and has participated in numerous charity basketball events in the past. Shannon Brown, likely, has no singing talents – although he might be a pretty good dancer, I’m not sure. What Shannon does have is his connection to R&B Diva, Monica; his alleged girlfriend (so back-to-back NBA Championships weren’t enough? You had to go and take Monica from us too? The nerve of athletes these days.)
  
  I’ve done ten of these celebrity-athlete pieces now, and this one is, by far, the closest. THEY HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME DAMMIT! I’m just going to start the rumor myself – in case it hasn’t been started already – they’re second cousins. HA! Now just try and prove me wrong (just so you know, even if you could prove me wrong – which you can’t – I wouldn’t believe you).

By Aaron Hilton
Follow me on twitter @Way_2_Tall401

He-Artest and Soul

When I was about 10-years-old, my dream was to play professional basketball. At 13, that dream changed to playing for Duke University; and, at 16, I finally knew what I wanted to do: become the sports journalist.

That last line (become the sports journalist) – wasn’t a typo; there’s a difference between ‘the journalist’ and ‘a journalist’. I wanted to be the best; to transcend the genre and make it better. I was willing to sacrifice a bigger paycheck outside of college, if it meant I could wake up everyday and do what I loved: watching, writing and talking about sports for a living.

I’m still embarking on that journey, and I’ve hit a few bumps along the road. My time in St. Petersburg, with my fellow Sports Journalism Institute (SJI) classmates and world-class editors, showed me what it meant to be a journalist. They helped me to understand what it meant to pay my dues, as well as to "be heard by listening," (I promise that’s my only Confucius-style line).

My experience at the SJI was humbling, but necessary; and, in the long run, it will make me a much better journalist than I would have ever been had I not had the opportunity to attend. Sitting at my desk this afternoon, reflecting on having had such a rewarding summer, I felt on top of the world! As a student, internships don't get much better than this: I love where I am and I love what I'm doing. Totally inspired to start writing my next piece, I began to think about my favorite subject, basketball, and who really transcends the game.

Ron Artest, small forward for the LA Lakers, has been labeled as a ‘bad guy’ in the league ever since the brawl at The Palace in Detroit. I see him differently. The Artest I see loves the game with a fervor and passion that is unparalleled by any other player. He’s not as athletic as LeBron, nor as skilled/cerebral as Kobe, but he loves his craft just as much - if not more.








Just check out the Q & A he did for ESPN the Magazine (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5417748). I assure anyone who reads it, this article will teach a person more about Ron Artest than the fight in Detroit would.

After that incident, people often asked, “What would Ron Artest do without basketball?” I’d like to ask them, “What would basketball be without Artest?”

He exemplifies the game in its purest form: fun. Sure, this is his job and he has made business decisions in the past to prove that; but, who has more fun playing than Ron-Ron? Did you see his post-game conference after Game 7 of the NBA Finals? He looked like he had just lost his virginity or something. He was exhausted, excited, speechless, and couldn’t stop smiling - all at the same time.



When he’s on the court, he has fun. He’s not the angry, tortured athlete that he once was for Indiana. Sure, his bleached hair during the NBA Finals reminded you of Samuel L. Jackson’s ghastly hairstyle in the movie “Jumper”; but, you couldn’t turn away from watching him play.

Just yesterday, I spent half my life reading a Bill Simmons blog/dissertation on the boredom MLB fans have to endure, especially in Boston. Guys like Ron Artest prevent that from happening in the NBA. Not all the attention he gets is good attention, but he almost always means well.

At the Sacramento Bee’s weekly intern lunch today, we got to speak with columnist, Ailene Voisin. She said, “Ron Artest is one of the most genuine, all-around, good guys you’ll ever meet.”

I couldn’t agree with her more (although, I never met him).

How can you not absolutely love this guy? He’s not shy towards the media nor his teammates, and he has provided some of my favorite quotes of all-time.

Would you have guessed, in a million years, that his favorite movie would be “Titanic”? How about the fact that his dream collaboration for his next song is Celine Dion? I dare you to drive to Queensbridge, NY with a copy of Titanic and a lifetime collection of Celine Dion CDs and just see if you make it out alive.

The individualism that he brings to basketball, without losing the teamwork aspect of his game, is what makes him different. The haircuts, tattoos, pre- and post-game press conferences, all contribute to what makes him one-of-a-kind.










He’s one of the few players with his own personality. The only person who Artest changes for is himself – oh, and also his family (but that’s like, a group). He is who he is and I love him for it. He paid his dues in having played for bad teams, and has made some bad decisions; but he has been rewarded later in life.

In a day where most athletes say one thing and do another, my favorite quality about Artest is his honesty. I’m a ‘keep-it-real’ kind of guy. Ron Artest keeps it realer than anyone else in the NBA today.

“When you need a stop, who you going to call?” Artest said in the ESPN the Magazine Q&A. “Not the goddamn Ghostbusters, I'll tell you that. You call me.”

Ron Artest might not be the face of the NBA, and he’s definitely not its best player; but he is, by all means, its heart and soul.

No doubt, he is one of the many athletes that inspire me to become the sports journalist.

By Aaron Hilton
Follow me on twitter @Way_2_Tall401

Celebrity-Athlete of the Day: Rajon Rondo

All this week, I will be using the input from some of my close friends and followers of the blog for the Celebrity-Athlete series. Some might be better than others; however, I have made sure that all the ones used will at least be, somewhat, believable.

This one comes courtesy of my older cousin Tim, Jr. (I call him Tilly). I would like to take this time to say that these are jokes and I don’t mean any offense by them (for the most part); however, all jokes contain the slightest ounce of the truth.

Today’s Athlete: Rajon Rondo, point guard for the Boston Celtics.

• Ok, so Tilly and I were watching Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Hello Good Morning” music video a few weeks ago. Towards the end, Tilly pointed out that one of the members of Dirty Money – Dawn – looked just like NBA All-Star, Rajon Rondo. It was almost like the Dish Network gods heard him say it, because, right at that moment, her image flashed on screen. Cue the unadulterated, hysterical laughter followed by about 100 rewinds.
  
  What really amazed me about his discovery was how quickly he came up with it. It was like turning a double play, bang-bang. The worst part about it is that Rondo doesn’t help himself by being very dainty in demeanor.
  
  If he was scary, like KG, or fat, like Paul Pierce, I wouldn’t be able to make such a comparison; but he’s not. Rondo is skinny and funny looking, just like Dawn. The real question is, ‘who are the other two-thirds of dirty money in this equation?’ I’m still not sure, but I’m almost positive that it would take a combination of Pierce and KG to make a comparable Diddy.
  
  After my 10-minutes of non-stop laughter, I realized something: I used to think Dawn looked kind of good (c’mon, before I posted this, don’t act like you didn’t). Tilly had just ruined that for me and now the only thing I can enjoy about Diddy-Dirty Money is Diddy’s dance moves. I’m not going to lie to you, I was pissed for a while; then I realized that a lot of brothers and sisters look alike. Some of them might even be twins.
  
  Just imagine Dawn performing with Dirty Money while wearing a headband and dribbling a basketball; or, Rondo with eye shadow and leather tights, throwing a game-winning alley-oop to Nate Robinson (and then KG and Pierce dancing in the foreground, taking all the credit for the win).
  
  Needless to say, Dirty Money’s performances will never be the same for me from now on. Shit, basketball won’t be the same either; I’m just glad I’m not a Celtics fan.

By Aaron Hilton
Follow me on twitter @Way_2_Tall401

Yea, I Said It...

Now, those who know me best know that I am a huge J.J. Redick fan; he’s pretty much the most talented player not named Dwight Howard on the Magic. Here are just a few reasons why I think J.J. should be starting over VC:

1. He’s a better shooter – I believe the position is called shooting guard, not slashing guard or underachieving guard. It only makes sense that one of your best shooters play shooting guard.

2. He has 2 good knees – VC has fallen victim to jumper’s knee and a whole array of other injury problems that have hindered his freakish athletic ability. J.J. has not; I’ve never known Redick to be injury prone, even dating back to his years at Duke.

3. He can dunk too – yep, I said it…don’t believe me, I’ll just let the clip below do the talking.



4. Hair – uhhh, all those who think J.J. Redick has the coolest hair on the Magic say ‘I’…”III”. Vin-senior citizen is bald, and with all due respect MJ, someone in that lineup has to have cool hair. Think about it: Ron Artest did it this year, Rodman did it in the past, Pat Riley did it before him – as a coach too, I might add – and J.J. has been rockin’ the jet-black spikes since I started watching him in 2003.

5. Swag on level 10 – for a guy who averages 17+ minutes a game, J.J. hasn’t lost any of the swag that made him one of the greatest Duke guards in history (the best would have to be Andre Dawkins in my eyes). Aaaaaannnddd dude was on the COVER of College Hoops 2K7, pow.

Now before you go attacking me and saying that I’m a ____ rider just think about who got more of the crunch time minutes down the stretch for the Magic when Vince was flaking in the playoffs…again. I’m not saying this is a Duke-UNC thing, but it kinda is; however, I doubt any of this will happen. I don’t think it really should happen, to be honest, but J.J. is one of my favorite players so I have to show some love. Besides, what else would you expect from a die hard Duke fan?

Let It Go

Ok Coco, take some Alieve, a glass of water and a down-pillow and go lay on the couch; it’s going to be OK. Truth is, I’m tired of hearing about these guys too; however, I won’t get my wish and neither will you if you don’t stop hating on them.
Think about it, if everyone loves you, you probably won’t make headlines, let alone the cover of SI (i.e. Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols, Tim Duncan, and Chase Utley). Now most of these guys have been on the cover of SI, but they like to stay out of the media’s watchful eye for the most part.

Now let’s examine why people hate the threesome in the first place: they held a summit in the off-season, and eventually all signed together in one of the biggest stories in sports history, they’ve made the 2010 Heat look like Steinbrenner’s Yankees (R.I.P.), and two of the three – Bosh and James – seemingly alienated their old teams as well as fans to go down to South Beach.

Can you really blame them though? Miami is a beautiful city with even more beautiful women and Pat Riley has got to be about the most swagged out President of any NBA franchise in history. Everyone is jumping down LeBron’s throat for going to Miami; but, if you take out his pompous, 1-hour primetime TV special, you can see that he made the best move for himself. When a team releases a player or gets rid of a beloved player like the Lakers dumped Shaq in ’04 – you don’t see nearly as much fallout or hatred for an owner. Where were the fans burning season tickets or pictures of Jerry Buss? Why didn’t Shaq release a spiteful, barbed letter in crayon like Dan Gilbert? Because the NBA is a business, and that business is all about winning.

LeBron’s best option to win immediately was to join Bosh and Wade on the Heat and hope that ‘A Pimp Named Slick-Pat’ (Boondocks reference) could put together the right pieces to make the team a champion. I mean if the Fonz walked up to you in an Armani suit, puffing a Cuban cigar, leaning back in a chair made from imported Italian leather proposed that you join the top two free agents in one of the most perfect cities for a 25-year-old celebrity, would be able to say no? Me neither, and that’s what Bron-Bron and Bosh did. Now, I’m not saying that what he did to Cleveland or what Bosh did to Toronto is right – it was a low move on each of their parts – but I cannot say that I blame them for wanting to win an NBA ring.

So, I implore everyone who hates on Miami, LeBron, Pat Riley or anyone else involved to just stop talking about it like they wouldn’t have done the same thing in any of their shoes. When it comes down to it, they really had no choice anyways.

What was the last team to take the top-3 free agents during the offseason? The New York Yankees, right before the '09 season; nobody liked them either. Their results: the best record in baseball (103 - 59) and a World Series Ring. The ace of that team, not so ironically, was C.C. Sabathia - formerly of the Cleveland Indians and Milwalkee Brewers. That is to say, LeBron isn't the first player to leave Cleveland for greener pastures and he likely won't be the last.


If he wins a championship this year, it justifies him leaving and makes his "decision" much more understandable; however, we'll have to reserve all judgment until next April. For now, everyone should give it a rest and go back to talking about Brett Favre's 'annual' un-retirement.

By Aaron Hilton
Follow me on twitter @Way_2_Tall401

I Hate These Guys

So here they are on the cover of the newest edition of Sports Illustrated, my favorite sports magazine.

I don't know about you all... But I really can't stand these guys. Not because theres a possiblity that they can be the new best team in the NBA, not because Chris Bosh is funny looking and Dwayne Wade smiles like a female... but simply because of the huge media frenzy they are creating, with Lebron James leading the way.

What I'm looking forward to? Someone, anyone, whooping their but. If I was a part of the Italian Mob, I'd have a hit list out and at the top of this list would be this Cleveland raised son of a gun. He went from being a beloved NBA star to one of the most hated NBA players in one night.

If he went to Chicago would I have been upset? No, but theres no way he could live up to Michael Jordan. That would've been a smart choice, but of course he chose Miami, James wants an easy win.

Would I have been upset if he went to New York? Nope, I promised the world that I'd fall on the floor and cry, happy that for once I'd be able to watch my team win more than 40 games in a season (I wasn't even asking for a championship, I just want a winning team). Would I have been upset if he stayed in Cleveland? No... who would be? It's his home town. But Miami? He's a punk, and thats all I have to say.

If there's anything new going on about this our boy Aaron Hilton will be blogging on it, I'm done with Lebron and the Heat.

Coco Elle

What A Lovely Draft

In case you missed the NBA Draft that took place on June 24th, let me fill you in. There is a new class of NBA Players, the rookie class of 2010-2011… and they are looking mighty fine. Below is my list of five up and coming NBA rookies who could be delightful to watch.



5. Xavier Henry

Born in Belgium, where his father played professional basketball, Xavier Henry is a sight for sore eyes. The caramel pretty boy out Kansas may be young, but the Memphis Grizzlies believe that he has what it takes to play against the big boys. The 12th pick in the 2010 draft, Henry averaged 13.4 points per game last season for the Jayhawks, and had a total of 157 rebounds, 53 assists, and 54 steals. He’s an all around good player and great looking man.


4. Evan Turner




Evan Turner is my definition of pretty boy. Out of Ohio State, he looks like he should’ve pledged Kappa Alpha Psi during his three years at Ohio, but of course he didn’t have the time… he was too busy playing basketball. The 21 year old guard was the second overall pick this year, and was drafted to the Philadelphia 76ers. What am I looking forward to? Allen Iverson (my childhood crush) and Turner on the court together. The rude boy and the pretty boy… I like the sound of that.




3. Paul George


This 20 year old guard out of Fresno State is milk chocolate at its finest. His most notable feature other than his height is his lips. LL Cool J better watch out, George will give him a run for his money. His only notable flaws are his weight (he’s a little on the linguine side) and unfortunately he has to play for the Indiana Pacers (I hate the Pacers… even without Reggie Miller). But with all that said he seems like a pretty good catch. Last season he averaged 16.8 points per game, 2.21 steals per game, and in his freshman season at Fresno State he was named to the All-WAC second team.


2. Damion James


Standing at six feet seven inches, this dark chocolate wonder was the 24th overall pick and was in a three team trade where he ended up with the horrific New Jersey Nets. Let’s hope his average of 18 points last season will lift the Nets to win at least 15 games. Not only does the state of New Jersey have a foul odor, but their team stinks. After winning 12 games last season, they should no longer look to move to New York, save your money and build a team. James is a good pick for them, but unfortunately he’s not Lebron. If they can get Lebron… maybe they can win 30 games. As for Damion, regardless of if they win or lose, he’s a nice treat… even if he does sit on the bench for his first year. But the way the Nets are looking… he has a good chance of getting in the game.

1. John Wall

The number one overall pick is also my number one overall pick for the finest in the 2010 draft.

He hails from the great state of North Carolina, and was drafted out of the University of Kentucky to the Washington Wizards. Wall averaged 16.6 points per game, has an amazing smile and a keen sense of style. He looks like your average guy playing basketball at your nearest neighborhood court, but it’s that real aspect about him that ensured him a spot on my list. His family looked so proud as his name was called, yet Wall seemed pretty calm and collected.Hint: He already knew he was at the top of his class. The Wizards will be looking much better this year, and hopefully Wall will help them win at least more than 30 games.




By Coco Elle

Top 5 Things That SHOULD Be On LeBron’s Mind

As the free agency period begins in the NBA, there are a few things that should be on LeBron James' mind as the crown jewel of this year's class:

1. Haircut – this dude has gone long enough with this illuminati/buckwheat phase he’s been in. Honestly speaking, he looks like a bum, and when you make millions of dollars in free agency, you don’t want the talk of the town being the birds nest on top of your head.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Delonte West – I’m not going to go into the: did he/didn’t he thing with you. All I can say is that this is the same guy who went all Antonio Banderas on everybody’s ass earlier this year and strapped a guitar case with gun s to the back of his motorcycle. I guess I’m saying he’s capable of anything…anything!
   
   
3. Winning vs. Lifestyle – the one positive thing that has come out of free agency so far is the fact that we, as fans, get to see what type of man Bron-Bron really is. We know he’ll make a lot of money, but if he chooses the Nets over the Bulls, Heat or Cavs—yes people he can actually still go back to Cleveland—then we will know one thing: That LeBron values money and Jay-Z over winning titles. And if tha t’s the case, I feel sorry for Jersey fans; you won’t be getting a winner, just another Vince Carter.
   
   
4. Michael Jordan – no, this isn’t another token MJ comparison; but, if the King wants to step out of Jordan’s shadow he cannot expect to do so in his city. He said that, for this up-coming season, he is going to change his number from 23 to 6. It’s cool if you want to change your number dude, just don’t feed us this BS about paying homage to MJ only to turn around a few months later and play at his old stomping grounds.
   
   
5. Football – every good businessman always h as a backup plan. LeBron is only 25-years-old and could very easily make the Browns roster. Could you imagine the look on NBA Commissioner David Stern’s face? I would imagine it’d be something like this:
   
   

   

   
   Forget Mayweather vs. Paquiao, I’m trying to see Stern vs. (NFL Commissioner) Goddell.
   
   By Aaron Hilton