Rejoice baseball fans, for another Midsummer Classic is upon us.  Or don’t.  But considering that the NFL, NBA, and NHL are all dormant, Lebron has found his new home, and soccer is off the American public consciousness for another four years, what other choice do you really have?  Baseball, we’re officially all ears.

While the game doesn’t lend itself to individual stardom that say the NBA does, there are certain players from every generation that just exude all-star through and through.  The list of players who have been named to fifteen or more All-Star games is one of the most exclusive in all of sports, more so than the 3000 hit club, the 500 home run club, or the perfect game club.  While the election process is by no means an exact science, to be an All-Star year in and year out for that long takes more than just raw talent, more than just being the best player at your position in your league.  It’s a blend of consistency and durability combined with popularity and iconicism.  Playing in a big market like New York or Boston doesn’t hurt your chances either.  These players are institutions of the game.  The question is, is it getting harder to be that larger than life superstar in the currently constituted major leagues?  For one, the league has gotten progressively larger, making one’s ability to stick out and lock down all-star spots far more difficult.  It's been nine years since a player with fifteen or more all-star games to his credit played in the big leagues(Ripken and Gwynn).  Still, on the day of George Steinbrenner's passing, three of his beloved Yankees will inch closer to that illusive benchmark.  A look at the 15+ club, and at which current players have hopes of one day joining those ranks.

MLB Players with 15+ All-Star Games To Their Credit
Hank Aaron 1954-1976   (25)
Willie Mays 1951-1973   (24)
Stan Musial 1941-1963   (24)
Mickey Mantle 1951-1968   (20) 
Cal Ripken 1981-2001   (19)
Ted Williams 1939-1960   (19) 
Rod Carew 1967-1985   (18)
Carl Yastrzemski 1961-1983   (18)  
Yogi Berra 1946-1965   (18) 
Al Kaline 1953-1974   (18)
Brooks Robinson 1955-1977   (18)
Pete Rose 1963-1986   (17)
Warren Spahn 1942-1965  (17)
Tony Gwynn 1982-2001   (15)
Ozzie Smith 1978-1996   (15)
Roberto Clemente 1955-1972 (15)
Nellie Fox 1947-1965 (15)

Next in Line?:
Alex Rodriguez 1994-2010  (13)
Derek Jeter 1995-2010   (11)
Mariano Rivera  1995-2010 (11)
Ichiro Suzuki 2001-2010   (10)
Albert Pujols 2001-2010   (9)   

Notes: Vlad earned his ninth all-star bid this year but is not included on this list because another six bids at his age is almost unimaginable.  Manny Ramirez has twelve, but being rightly snubbed from this years squad in all likelihood spells the end of his reign. Also, for clarity's sake, the first all-star game was not played until 1933, so you won't see the likes of Babe Ruth or Cy Young in this club.

Whether you’re a soccer fan or not, it's been hard not to get swept up in the hoopla of World Cup fervour.  There’s just something undeniably profound about taking part in something that directly connects you with the vast majority of the rest of the world.  In this respect, watching a World Cup soccer match is an experience unparalleled in the sports world; it's almost like you’re watching not just a game but world history right before your eyes.  You can’t help but feel just a little bit more worldly upon hearing those vuvuzelas buzz.  With that in mind, and of course conceding that soccer inhabits a plane all to itself, I decided to take a look at the “worldliness” of our other big sports.

Some notes before we get started: For the record, we're not going to even go into Olympic-style sports.  These are only the big ones.  No one wants to read an article about biathlon.  There's something to be said for rugby and cricket, but because no one in America knows squat about these realms, I won't bother trying to teach myself about them in the next ten minutes. It's also not lost on me that for the Big Four, these are American-based leagues.  Inherent ethnocentricity aside, it shouldn't be lost on you that everyone knows that these are where the best of the world come to play, so save the comments.

Soccer: 208 nations boast a FIFA-recognized soccer team and 76 have participated in a World Cup. Still, this is not to say that all nations were created equal (at least on soccer terms). 11 countries have reached a World Cup finals, and seven have taken home the ultimate prize.  Going into South Africa, there were really about eight to ten teams that one could have reasonably predicted with any degree of sanity winning the cup. But because one only needs a ball and some flat earth to take part in "the beautiful game," soccer's reach is unlike anything else.

Baseball: Baseball, the so-called American Pastime, is of course filled with Central American superstars but the list really doesn't get much far beyond the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Panama and Cuba. Then you've got Japan, a handful of mediocre Chinese and Korean athletes, and of course, Canada.

Football: Football is even less worldly.  Outside of Somoa, which can barely be classified as "international,"  and Canada (dido), the only countries that can claim 4+ current NFL'ers are Germany, Nigeria, England and Jamaica.  And believe me when I say that the stars are few and far between here.  Of the 253 men in the Hall of Fame, only seven originated in a country not called the United States.  Still, Commish Goodell sees dollar signs abroad, and is intent on expanding the NFL's sphere of influence into as many new markets as possible.

Basketball: If there is one American export that is truly gaining traction in recent years, the NBA is it.  The '09-'10 season included 83 international players from 36 countries, up from 36 international players from 24 countries and territories in '99-'00.  However, there are maybe five certifiable stars at most if we're counting Nash from Canada and Duncan from the Virgin Islands.  Outside of the US, France can count the most NBA'ers among its ranks with ten, but can we really call this a legit basketball country when the closest thing to a star they can boast of is Tony Parker?  (And can we all just stop and marvel at what has happened to the American-born, white hoopster?  We went from Bird and McHale to ....Brad Miller?  Wow.)

Hockey: Hockey is Canada, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden, and the Yanks, with over half the league of Canadian decent.

Golf: Golf remains an American-dominated sport, though its share of the top 100 has nearly been cut in half from 56 in 1999 to 32 ten years later.  There are four Americans and four British currently sitting among the top 10.

Tennis: Gone are the days of Sampras and Connors, McEnroe, Agassi and his ponytail wig.  In men's tennis today, there are the Swiss and the Spaniard, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and then there is everybody else.  Since 2004, the two have combined to capture a dominating 23 out of a possible 27 majors.  Still, despite the dominance at the top by what amounts to 2 countries, there were a whopping 15 countries represented among the top 20 ranked tennis players entering this past Wimbledon.  (America can only boast #6, Andy Roddick, among those twenty.)  Nineteen countries in the Open era (1968-present) have revelled in a countryman winning a major.

It feels like I’ve barely recovered from the hangover of the game 7, and here comes the NBA draft, beckoning me for another round.  And as difficult as it is to get down, perhaps a bit of the hair of the dog that bit me is exactly when I need right now.  Because what is the NBA draft if not hope for a better tomorrow?  Washington knows it.  Philadelphia knows it.  New Jersey and their bazillion dollar owner know it. 

There are few sure things in the world of sports, even less so when those things are teenagers (see: Kwame Brown).  Call me crazy, but 2010 feels a little more assured.  Between John Wall, Evan Turner, and Derrick Favors, its seems as if the league will be gaining some truly special talent this time around. 

Final 2010 World Cup Results

1. Spain (H): Key Players: Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Iker Casillas, Gerard Pique, David Silva, Carles Puyol Final Result: World Cup Champions
2. Netherlands (E):  Key Players: Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben Final Result: Second Place
3. Germany (D):  Key Players: Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm Final Result: Third Place
4. Uruguay (A): Key Players: Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez. Final Result: Fourth Place
5. Brazil (G): Key Players: Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Dani Alves, Maicon, Julio Cesar, Lucio Final Result: Quarterfinals
6. Argentina (B): Key Players: Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano Final Result: Quarterfinals
7. Ghana (D): Key Players: Kevin Prince-Boateng  Final Result: Quarterfinals
8. Paraguay (F): Key Players: Nelson Haedo Valdez Final Result: Quarterfinals
9. Portugal (G): Key Players: Christiano Ronaldo Final Result: Round of 16
10. England (C):  Key Players: Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole  Final Result: Round of 16
11. USA (C): Key Players: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey Final Result: Round of 16
12. Mexico (A): Key Players: Giovani Dos Santos, Rafael Marquez  Final Result: Round of 16
13. South Korea (B): Key Players: Park Ji-Sung Final Result: Round of 16
14. Japan (E): Key Players: Yasuhito Endo Final Result: Round of 16
15. Chile (H): Key Players: Alexis Sanchez Final Result: Round of 16
16. Slovakia (F): Key Players: Marek Hamsik Final Result: Round of 16
17. Italy (F):  Key Players: Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele De Rossi Final Result: Group Stage
18. France (A):  Key Players: Franck Riberi, Thierry Henry, Patrice Evra, Karim Benzema, Yoann Gourcuff Final Result: Group Stage
19. Switzerland (H): Key Players: Alexander Frei Final Result: Group Stage
20. Australia (D): Key Players: Lucas Neill Final Result: Group Stage
21. Serbia (D): Key Players: Nemanja Vidic Final Result: Group Stage
22. Ivory Coast (G): Key Players: Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure Final Result: Group Stage
23. Denmark (E): Key Players: Nicklas Bendtner Final Result: Group Stage
24. Slovenia (C): Key Players: Milivoje Novakovic Final Result: Group Stage
25. Greece (B): Key Players: Vasilis Torosidis Final Result: Group Stage
26. Hondurus (H): Key Players: Wilson Palacios Final Result: Group Stage
27. Nigeria (B): Key Players: Nwankwo Kanu Final Result: Group Stage
28. Cameroon (E): Key Players: Samuel Eto'o Final Result: Group Stage
29. South Africa (A): Key Players: Siphiwe Tshabalala Final Result: Group Stage
30. Algeria (C): Key Players: Madjid Bougherra Final Result: Group Stage
31. New Zealand (F): Key Players: Ryan Nelsen Final Result: Group Stage
32. North Korea (G): Key Players: Hong Young-Jo Final Result: Group Stage

The past year might be called the return of the status-quo.  Think about it.  The Yankees finally captured their first title since the turn of the century, the Alabama Crimson Tide climbed back atop the college football universe to tie for the all-time leads for NCAA championships, Duke reassumed its perch atop college hoops, and now the Laker's have bested Boston to remain champs of the NBA.   There’s nothing more polarizing than a team that always seems to win.  So love em or hate em, here are the ten greatest team franchises in sports history. 

1. New York Yankees: In 1920, Babe Ruth joined the New York Yankees. In the 90 years that would follow, the pinstripes would appear in what would feel like almost every other World Series hence, en route to a mind-boggling 27 championships. The Bombers have sent enough brass to Cooperstown that they could open their own wing; 44 players enshrined to date with at least a handful more assuredly on their way. Key 5: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter.
2. Boston Celtics: The Celtics have been piling up hardware ever since Auerbach and Russell began their epic run of 11 championships in 13 years way back when.  Today, the Green Men's 17 championships is tops in the NBA. A ridiculous 33 men with Celtic ties are enshrined in Springfield. Key 5: Bill Russell, Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Paul Pierce.
3. Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers: The absuredly inapt name isn't the only thing the Purple and Gold carried over from the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Though they got whipped by #2 for much of the sixties, its hard to argue that since 1980, the Lakers have reigned supreme.  Their 31 finals appearances is just plain stupid nasty, and at 16 championships, it may not be long before their cross-country rivals get overtaken.  Key 5: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Kobe Bryant.
4. Montreal Canadiens: Though the Habs have been looking more like the Hab-nots as of late, history is clearly on their side.  Canada's finest have won an astounding 24 championships, essentially a quarter of all Stanley Cups won throughout history. They've also sent a stupifying 44 members to the Hall of Fame. Key 5: Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Maurice Richard, Patrick Roy.
5. UCLA Bruins Men's Basketball: Behind arguablely the greatest coach that ever lived, UCLA epitomized dominance in the sixties and seventies en route to an overall 11 national championships and 30 conference titles.  After falling out of favor for much of the eighting and nineties, the Bruins seized back their prominance under Ben Howland with 3 consecutive final four appearances from 2006-2008. Key 5: Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, Ed O'Bannon, Sidney Wicks.
6. Brazilian National Soccer Team: In the world of international soccer, Brazil is the gold standard-bar none. Of the 18 World Cups that have been held, Brazil has starred in seven finals, capuring a whopping five Cups. They've also raked in three Confederations Cups and eight Copa America Cups to boot. No surprise they will enter South Africa this year as the number #1 ranked team in the world. Key Five: Pele, Ronaldo, Garrincha, Zico, Rivaldo, Kaka.
7. Notre Dame Fightin Irish Football: Though the glory days of Notre Dame football are behind us (last championship was 1988), the Fightin' Irish will always hold a special place in college football lore. Notre Dame leads all schools with 48 alumni in the College Football Hall of Fame, and positively churns out NFL talent like no other, having produced nearly 500 NFL draft selections and ten pro football hall of famers (Did someone say Joe Montana?). Though national championships are always a bit murky to conclusively determine pre-BCS (and even post, sadly enough) many credit the school with 13 national championships, good for tying the Tide for tops all-time. Key 5: Joe Montana, Leon Hart, Paul Hornung, Joe Theisman, Alan Page.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide Football: UCLA had John Wooden, Notre Dame had Knute Rockne, and Alabama had one Paul "Bear" Bryant." From '58-'82, Bear took the Tide to six of their thirteen (again, this is up for debate) national championships. Over their 114-year history, Alabama Football has captured 26 conference titles and appeared in more bowl games than any other NCAA school with 57. Perhaps their greatest acheivement was managing to somehow take 113 years before finally producing a Heisman winner. Key 5: Harry Gilmer, Lee Roy Jordan, John Hannah, Ozzie Newsome, Mark Ingram.
9. Soviet National Hockey Team: When most of us think of the Soviet National Ice Hockey Team, one phrase comes to mind, “Do you believe in miracles?!!” Well believe me when I tell you that that win for the Americans was a miracle and then some. From the mid-fifties to the early-nineties (when the communist empire crumbled), Soviet hockey ruled with an iron fist, winning just about everything there was to win for an international hockey team including seven gold medals over nine Olympics and another 19 golds at the World Championships. Key 5: Vladislav Tretiak, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kharlamov, Sergei Makarov, Aleksandr Maltsev.
10. Tennessee Lady Vols: Though the UConn women are all the rage today, when it comes to women's college hoops, one school stands above all the rest, Pat Summit's Lady Vols. In the 28 march tournaments that have taken place, the white and orange have appeared in 27 sweet sixteens, an astounding 18 final fours, and have won eight championships. Key 5: Holly Warwick, Bridgette Gordon, Deadra Charles, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings.

                                                                                                          Honorable Mentions:
      USC Trojans Football, UNC Tarheels Women's Soccer, Iowa Hawkeyes Wrestling, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, UCLA Rugby, Duke Blue Devils Basketball, Chicago Bulls, St. Louis Cardinals, Real Madrid, San Francisco 49ers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, UConn Huskies Women's Basketball, USA National Men's Basketball, Juventus, AC Milan, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Kentucky Wildcats, Oklahoma St Cowboys Wrestling, Texas Longhorns Baseball, USC Trojans Baseball.

With roughly one third of the season down and 100 games to go, the 2010 New York Mets are, to quote Dennis Green, “who we thought they were”.  Currently, they are sitting in third place in what has quietly become the most competitive division in baseball.  I want to say I’m disappointed, I want to call them underachievers, but the bottom line is that most Mets fans had lower expectations than Ron Artest’s publicist; anything less than disaster would be acceptable. With that being said, let’s take a look at the ups and downs that have made this season somewhat watchable.

The Good
      The biggest surprise so far has been Mike Pelfrey’s stellar performance to start the year. He is 8-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his first 10 starts, not to mention a save to go along with that, and has been more lights out than Shawn Merriman when he was on PED’s. Throw in Johan’s usual brilliance (I know his strikeouts are down but can we get this guy some run support please!) and a great couple of starts by, none other than RA Dickey, and the Mets rotation has been quite the pleasant surprise.
      As far as position players go, I retract my sarcastic comment about buying a Rod Barajas jersey and instead legitimately want to buy one now. His 11 long balls account for nearly 25% of the team’s home runs and puts him at a tie for 7th in the NL. I wonder if he is on steroids? Did I just say that out loud? Uh-oh…moving on.
      Speaking of steroids, am I the only one who sees the parallel between Jose Reyes and Willy Mays-Hays in Major League II? Jose came back from, whatever it was he was out with, looking like he spent the summer at Globo-Gym. Then Jerry Manuel decided to move him to the 3-hole, where Jose, in turn, tried to hit for power, and naturally, struggled. It wasn’t until recently when he went back to his contact/speed game that he began to show signs of his old self. His 14 stolen bases are good for second in the NL and, hopefully, a sign of things to come. 

The Bad
      As much as it pains me to say anything negative about David Wright, he is striking out way too many times for a guy that isn’t hitting that many home runs. With that being said, for anyone else this would be a superb season, but for D-Wright? I set the bar a little bit higher. Along those same lines, Jason Bay is playing well but 3 home runs and 24 RBI is not the type of numbers you want from your cleanup hitter (Side note: RBI stands for runs batted in, there is no need to pluralize it. I hate when these so called ‘experts’ mess that up).
      Some other quick thoughts: I wish Jeff Francoeur could hit as well as he threw the ball. I get more excited than Rosie O’Donnell around a Big Mac when I see a runner try to challenge his arm. When he is at the plate? Not so much. K-Rod has been ok, but nothing compared to what he looked like with the Angels. I get nervous when he only has a one run lead to work with. 

The Ugly
      Oliver Perez, John Maine, Carlos Beltran…

Looking Forward
      Not much has changed since the start of the year. I still expect them to finish 3rd, I still expect them to miss the playoffs, and I hope, hope, hope that Omar Minaya gets fired. 

(Things purposely not mentioned in fear that I might jinx something: Ike Davis, Ruben Tejada, and the Mets ridiculous home record)

Not long ago here at the Dose, I wrote what most folks would call a “slam piece” on Kobe Bryant criticizing the superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers of Los Angeles. I was harsh on Mister Bryant, bumping his planet-sized ego down a few pegs. I attacked his attitude, his personality and that sour look that takes over his face once the going gets tough. Well, the buck stops here. During this installment of the NBA’s post-season, I have seen a different side of Kobe. I have finally learned that Kobe Bryant cares about one thing: bringing home the trophy. That’s it. In the midst of the biggest free-agency period in NBA history, full of speculation and free agent “summits”, Kobe has kept a quiet cool on his quest for another ring. While Lebron, Wade, Bosh and Joe Johnson gather in a private villa with bottle service and half-naked models to discuss where they would like to play next season, Kobe has kept his on eye the ultimate prize. Recently, when asked where he thought where Lebron would end up next season, Kobe replied, “I could give a [expletive].” 

Right on, Kobe. He has bigger fish to fry.  

What ever happened the idea of winning it all? This new generation of players seems lost. They seem more preoccupied with sneaker deals and fame instead of winning rings.  

Kobe is playing with 9 fingers, a bloated knee and god only knows what else. He doesn’t complain or whine about officiating (often), just sucks it up and takes his game to the next level when Lamar Kardashian and Andrew Bynum shrivel up like raisins on a July day. Kobe Bryant keeps his head up, tightens up his defense and plays with a fire that we have not seen since – are you ready? Michael Jordan. That’s right, I just compared Kobe to Michael. Kobe doesn’t seem to care about his public image either. He is hated by most who are not Laker fans, much like the way Jeter is hated by those who are not Yankee fans. That does not seem to matter a lick to Kobe. I am by no means a fan of Bryant, but my respect for the man has reached a new high. So while the free-agent summit gets a room at the Trump to discuss contracts and dream teams, Kobe will be smiling, knowing that he is light-years ahead of these other players, this in terms of maturity, pure talent and most importantly, championships.  

Kobe Bryant is the last of a dying breed. 

Baseball is a game that we all call on to be bigger than us.  We infuse it will myth and lore, propped up on the shoulders of giants from eras past.  We look to it as a living history, the records and stat lines left behind unassailable truths of past triumphs and heartbreak.  And yet when we get right down do it, baseball is merely a reflection of ourselves, capable of greatness and yet instilled with human frailty.   I’m brought to this line of thinking by two very distinct stories that hit the sports world yesterday, Jim Joyce’s squandering of Armando Galarraga’s shoulda-been perfect game, and the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr.   

Baseball, more than any other sport is a game in which its records are held in everlasting reverence.  We painstakingly monitor of every home run and strikeout, striving to break the game down into math or science, to solve the riddle all the while not realizing (or choosing to ignore) that baseball is played by humans who could never truly be reduced to a simple equation.  Part of us wants see the sport as neat and infallible, and what could be neater and more infallible than a bunch of numbers.  We invent grand occurrences and track them fervently, the unassisted triple play, hitting for the cycle, the perfect game.  Achievements to be remembered and treasured for a lifetime.  These occurrences go well beyond the specific player, or his specific city.  These are triumphs for baseball itself, and all who love it.  Maybe that’s why I still feel so upset about Galarraga-gate.  I feel personally slighted, like myself and the sport I love have been robbed of something dear.   Armando Galarraga did something that only 20 others in the history of the sport have done (well, since we starting writing stuff down), and because some fraud of an umpire called the 27th batter safe when he was clearly out by a step and a half, Armando and the baseball world at large went to sleep feeling wronged.  Jim Joyce’s miscall was nothing less than a complete and utter travesty, a blight on the game.  There’s no going back, no rewriting history.  It just wasn’t supposed to happen this way.  It shouldn’t have happened this way.  The sanctity of our record books, of our history, have been tarnished.  Armando Galarraga retired 27 batters in a row, and yet somehow was not perfect.  Baseball, despite our yearning for it to be so, is not perfect.  Last night, human error trumped greatness.  

Which brings me to the second headline of the night.  The Kid has retired.  A beacon of unassailable greatest amid an era of cheaters and frauds has taken his final swing.  Like Ruth and Dimaggio before him, Ken Griffey Jr embodied the magic and majesty of baseball.  Capable of the greatest greatness, and yet you never forgot that he was just a kid having a blast playing his favorite game.  Griffey transcended the sport, instilling in us the hope and wonder we all yearned for and sought after in watching baseball.  Though his colleagues committed unspeakable afronts against the game through the use of performance enhancers, Griffey always shone above them, ever reminding us what was truly possible in this sport.  While countless others of the era were far less than their numbers signified, Griffey was so much more.  Though baseball will always be fraught with the inevitable tinge of humanness, Griffey reminded us that that isn’t always such a bad thing after all. 

When the Celtics and Lakers meet for their 12th time in an NBA Finals this Thursday, they will each be renewing a rivalry unlike any other.  Celtics/Lakers is not the longest-standing rivalry in sports, nor is it the most hate-fueled.  But purely in terms of two teams coming together to fight for the top prize in their sport, nothing even comes close.  (To give some perspective, the Cardinals and Yankees have met an MLB-leading 5 World Series', while the Cowboys and Steelers have met in a league-high 3 Superbowls.)  Celtics-Lakers enter anther hemisphere with their now 12th encounter, all the more compelling because this rivalry has spanned three distinct eras.  Now with the Celtics out ahead 9-2 in the finals, 2010 probably won't be tipping the all time rivalry balance, that is, unless we break it down into eras.  Russell & co took era 1, Magic edged out Bird in era 2, and in the current era, Boston leads the rubber match (of sorts, just bear with me here) 1-0.  Let me elaborate.

Era 1: 1959-1969 
Boston wins 7-0

Boston’s Key 5:
Bill Russell
Bob Cousy
Tom Heinsohn
John Havlicek
KC Jones
Coach: Red Auerbach

LA’s Key 5:
Elgin Baylor
Jerry West
Gail Goodrich
Wilt Chamberlain (68-69)
Rudy Larusso
Coach: Fred Schaus

Era 2: 1984-1987
LA wins 2-1

Boston’s Key 5:
Larry Bird
Kevin McHale,
Robert Parish
Dennis Johnson
Danny Ainge
Coach: K.C. Jones

LA’s Key 5:
Magic Johnson
James Worthy
Kareem-Abdul Jabbar
Kurt Rambis
Byron Scott
Coach: Pat Riley

Era 3: 2007-Present
Boston leads 1-0

Boston’s Key 5:
Paul Pierce
Kevin Garnett
Ray Allen
Rajon Rondo
Kendrick Perkins
Coach: Doc Rivers

LA’s Key 5:
Kobe Bryant
Pau Gasol
Derek Fisher
Lamar Odom
Andrew Bynum
Coach: Phil Jackson

Overshadowing what has turned out to be a must watch NBA playoffs, the Lebron James shuffle is now in full swing. In anticipation of July 1st, we have heard countless claims of where Lebron might play next season. I still maintain that King James will be a Knick, but that is because I am contractually obligated to lobby for anything that will benefit New York. Speculating about where Lebron James will end up has become as trendy as hipsters drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. Everyone is doing it, with each claim getting more ridiculous as we inch closer to free agency. But forget conventional thought. Forget Chicago, Miami, the Knicks and Nets. Lets think outside the box here. Here are five scenarios of where Lebron will end up post-July 1st. 

Scenario 1: Lebron decides to stay in Ohio, forming his own expansion team in Cincinnati. James will team up with Chad Ochocinco and form a two-man squad that plays home games in the parking lot of Paul Brown Stadium. Ozzie Guillen will be the coach. A team name is still up for discussion.

Scenario 2: Lebron decides he’s had enough of the NBA and the fakeness involved, so he takes a year and plays in the NBA’s developmental league. I’m thinking he lands on either the Iowa Energy or the Erie Bayhawks. This way he can keep his mid-western roots while still enjoying the game of basketball. He averages a triple-double per game, but struggles adjusting to the pace of the games.

Scenario 3: Lebron quits basketball all together and becomes the leading advocate for stopping the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. With no diving equipment or proper training, he plunges down towards the spot of the leak and caps it off with his bear hands. Everyone will still criticize him though for not doing it quickly enough or incorporating his teammates. Skip Bayless will still call him selfish. 

Scenario 4: Sighting a 2014 Super Bowl in the New York/New Jersey area, Lebron decides to try out for the New York Football Giants (The Jets tried to sign him, but they ran out of pen ink). Lebron makes the team with ease and signs a 2-year-deal to play middle linebacker for the G-Men. After two solid seasons at the position, Lebron decides to opt out of his contract during Super Bowl week, just in time for more speculation on where he will end up. 

Scenario 5: Lebron decides he’s had enough of pro sports and runs for president of the United States in 2016. He refuses to join to the Democratic or Republican parties, running as an actual king. He wins in a landslide with a kingdom of celebrities including P Diddy, Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne. But by 2018, Lebron gets that itch again and inquires about coming back to the NBA – mid presidential term.