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We’ve gone through several games of basketball and I’d like to take a look at some of the predictions people made about NBA teams. I happen to disagree with some of the proclamations that were made, and I’d like to explain why. Let’s determine the best NBA team.

While it’s true that nothing right now is set in stone, I do believe that the early season results have happened for a reason and I think it all comes down to the presence of certain players on these teams.

As much as I believe that Shaquille O’Neal, Vince Carter, and Ron Artest are some incredibly talented players, I simply don’t think they’re the right fits for their teams. I think that each team is struggling to find its way with their new player, and hopefully they can adapt as the season progresses.

Ron Artest has gone to the Lakers. Sure, he’s a great defensive player and he’s incredibly talented, but I just don’t think he’s a team player.

He’s gone from team to team in the NBA and never seems to find a home where he’s loved. LA took a chance with him and I’m not sure that I agree with the move.

Then there are the Cavs. Shaq is a different story than Artest, as he has a great attitude and wants to win. Unfortunately, I think he just throws off the team’s rhythm and his presence in the middle might not be so good for the team. Their record so far would indicate this too.

With the Magic, I’m just not a fan of Vince Carter. I loved him during the earlier part of the decade, but I think that his best days were behind him and I do think that Hedo Turkoglu was a better fit for the team.

The only team that I think got it right with its major acquisition was Boston. Rasheed Wallace plays his heart out, and was a huge contributor to the Pistons. It’s no wonder the Celtics are still undefeated.

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Even if you aren’t a basketball fan, you must have heard of LeBron James. He is one of the best players that has ever played for the NBA, but is he the best of all time?

It’s obvious that the younger basketball fans idolize James, and consider him the best that there has ever been. A few good seasons do not a fabulous career make, so it’s far too early to say that he’s the best ever.

Okay, we all know that in the time he has played in the NBA he has been brilliant, but he still had a long way to go. For one thing, he still doesn’t have a championship ring. That is something that every past master of the NBA possesses, so not having one is a blot against LeBron.

So what does a potential superstar do when he needs help to reach the ultimate prize? Play with Shaq, that’s what! If anyone can help LeBron get that ring, he can.

Teaming these two together has to be looked at as a stroke of genius. The Dominant force of Shaq will complement the skills of LeBron, and vice versa.

We may be getting carried away a bit here in the excitement of seeing them playing together. You can put your money on reaching the play offs without too much trouble, but the Cavs got there last season and got their asses kicked by the Orlando Magic. They must be praying that having Shaq onside will stop any such embarrassment occurring a second time.

LeBron James still has a lot of years ahead of him in the game, so even if he wins the championship this year, it is still too soon to pronounce him the best ever.

The thing LeBron lacks is a maturity in his game due to his age, watching this develop over the next few seasons is going to be fun to watch.

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It has been more than two months since the World Series finished up and, of course, that means there is nothing going on with that sport right now since the next season will not start for a couple of months.

Having said that, I really do enjoy giving my personal opinions on different aspects of this great game as I have written several articles thus far. Here I will be discussing five pitchers who are currently playing baseball and whom I believe are among the best ones in the sport right now.

Here are my top five as I see them. Feel free to agree or disagree, and I’d love to see you share your thoughts if you have a different opinion.

Coming in at #5 on my list is Zack Greinke, who definitely came away with the greatest season last year as a pitcher. If he can do that again during the next season and the season after that, then he is going to move up on my list for sure. When all is said and done, Greinke is going to go far in this sport, especially seeing what a dangerous pitcher he continues to be.

In the #4 spot is Roy Halladay, known for always being a very reliable pitcher. In the future, Halladay will no doubt be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Christ Carpenter holds the #3 place on this list as he always manages to be extraordinary. When he returned from almost two seasons of being away from baseball, it was like he had never been gone. I do believe that Carpenter just might be better than he has ever been previously.

Holding the #2 position on my list is John Santana. It’s true, after he joined the Mets, no Cy Young award has been won by him; but, each and every season Santana can be counted on to make it an awesome one, which is why he comes in at the #2 position.

And in the #1 spot is Tim Lincecum, who has literally dominated the sport of baseball for two years now. Having an ERA in the twos is outstanding and Lincecum is indeed the top pitcher at getting strikeouts.

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A long standing controversy in major league baseball has been that surrounding Shoeless Joe Jackson and his alleged throwing of the World Series for the Chicago White Sox of’19. Jackson has long been gone from baseball and long deceased, but many have still pushed to carve out his place in Cooperstown. Does he belong?

Jackson had a career that spanned thirteen years, and played with four teams in all. Most notable was his tenure in Chicago, but he also played for the Indians, Athletics, and Naps. His numbers as a professional ballplayer were very impressive.

Some of these numbers include a .356 career batting average, 785 RBIs, and 168 career triples. The power was low, but this came in an era where lower home run totals were more commonplace.

The power is low, but this came in an era with much deeper home run fences, and just before Babe Ruth made his impact as the first major power hitter in baseball, revolutionizing the game. Players hit for average, with an emphasis on extra base hits (Jackson averaged- triples per season). A closer look at Jackson’s stats show some very impressive attributes.

9.4 walks percentage, 4.2 strikeout percentage, .423 on base percentage. 517 slugging percentage, and a .940 OPS. These are great numbers and H.O.F. numbers in fact.

Now let’s get into the Black Sox scandal of’19. The White Sox faced the Reds in the World Series. The White Sox lost the series and Joe Jackson, and eight other players were accused of throwing the series. But Shoeless Joe stats show he did not play poorly. Do you think a .375 average and 12 hits (a world series record) is throwing the series? His fielding percentage in the series was 1.000, having made no errors.

Many have accused Jackson of allowing multiple Reds triples in left field, where he played for the White Sox. However, further research of mine has shown that no triples were hit to Jackson’s part of the field in the’19 series. Jackson, however, did receive a $5,000 payment according to records.

This begs the question: does Shoeless Joe belong in the hall?

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One of the cruel ironies of human existence is that bountiful gifts are often given to those who cannot handle them. Beauty and money come immediately to mind, but talent in a particular discipline is often bestowed upon those who cannot maximize it to its greatest potential. Still others are unwittingly destroyed by some trait or characteristic that makes them exceptional. That’s what makes an athlete like Michael Jordan so exceptional-seldom are awesome talent, desire, discipline and dedication found in the same package in such prodigious abundance. The mass of humanity often reaps the benefits of their talents despite their external flaws. Such was the case with poker great Stu Ungar, who was found dead in his room at the Oasis Motel in Las Vegas on November 22,’98.

The only way to accurately describe Ungar’s poker skills is to evoke a sports metaphor–Ungar’s skills at the card table were like those of Michael Jordan or LeBron James on the basketball court. Ungar’s greatest accomplishment was his three World Series of Poker victories, an accomplishment not far removed from Michael Jordan’s six NBA titles. While countless volumes have been written on poker strategy, Ungar’s understanding of the game was almost instinctive. Although he won millions playing poker, the amazing reality was that it was essentially a ‘plan C’ for him as a professional card player. He started as a Gin Rummy prodigy, but quickly ran out of willing opponents in his native New York. He then moved to Nevada, and cleaned out the gin players in the Silver State. He turned to blackjack out of necessity and was almost instantly successful, only to be barred as a card counter at a number of Las Vegas casinos. Needing a new way to earn money as a card player, he took up poker.

The cruel irony of Ungar’s life, however, was that masterful as he was at the poker table he was equally as inept at life beyond the casino walls. He was addicted to drugs for most of his life, and gambled away millions betting on sports and golf (a game he played despite being horrible at it). After his WSOP win in’97, he was nearly broke and wasted away from drug use by the time the’98 tournament rolled around. Vegas casino owner Bob Stupak bankrolled him, but as the games began Ungar cowered in his darkened hotel suite at Binion’s unable to pull himself together enough to play.

Other stories of Ungar’s troubled life away from the poker tables evoke the same theme: buying a new Mercedes with cash after a WSOP victory and driving it until it fell apart from lack of maintenance; signing mortgage papers as he played in the Dunes poker room; losing 1.5 million dollars betting on sports in the course of a weekend.

Ungar’s death came as something of a shock as he’d shown signs of cleaning up his act. Longtime friend Bob Stupak and helped pay off his debts and staked him in the major poker tournaments. Ungar was found dead two days after the two had drawn up a formal contract. Ungar also left behind an ex-wife and a teenage daughter, who still live in Las Vegas. Though the official cause of death was listed as a ‘heart attack’, there were a mixture of drugs found in his system including cocaine and methadone.

Most of the famous gamblers of Las Vegas legend-guys like Puggy Person and Doyle Brunson– have been tough, larger than life individuals with a healthier than normal dose of self-preservation skills. In this respect, Ungar was an anomaly among gambling greats-he was physically frail and almost completely helpless away from the poker table. With a handful of cards and a pile of chips, however, he became a ruthless and indomitable warrior. His story is certainly not one that the modern day, publicity conscious Las Vegas will celebrate. He will be remembered, however, as part of the tradition that gives the city its unique character. From the mobsters that pioneered the city, to the Rat Pack that civilized it, to the corporations that cleaned it up, characters like Stu Ungar have provided the spice that makes Las Vegas America’s ‘Paris in the desert’. Ungar may never have a statue on Fremont Street, but his spirit will live on.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.