Cigar Smoke and the Harlem Renaissance
Posted by Flea on February 2, 2007, 12:27 p.m. ET

the lakers lose to the knicks
though kobe is wrongfully suspended, the lakers still needed to win
that game
i expect them to beat the likes of the new york knicks
certainly luke walton is missed more than is being reported in the media
he is a key component in the facilitation of the lakers team play
and needed by them
one can only hope that all the injuries the lakers have suffered this
year will only make them stronger
and they will build on the promise that they have showed
come on guys
your city loves you
at least kobe returned and they beat the hapless celtics after that....

in a bizarre, i would say surreal event, that never would have
happened when red auerbach was alive
celtic fans cheered kobe and chanted mvp while he had a great game,
beating the celtics handily
if i were one of those fans i would fear the smell of cigar smoke for
the rest of my life

andrew bynum has been selected to the all sophomore team
a modest honor to be sure
but an honor none the less and possibly the tip of the iceberg of
honors to come for that young man if he is willing to maintain a
rigorous and disciplined effort over the coming years
if he wants, if he chooses, he could be one of the greatest centers ever
but he has got to make that choice
to work when he would rather not
to place the importance of his basketball ability over many other
things that might seem more fun at the time
including money
though of course that will be plentiful if he gives his all on the
hardwood
the only thing that could derail him from greatness
will be the choices he makes in terms of his work ethic and desire to
give with his heart
to the game of basketball

i am excited to read kareem's new book
what an exciting time it was in harlem in the 1920's 30's 40's.....!!!!
be bebop!
one of the most sophisticated, thrilling and wildly fun musical
languages to ever grace humanity!
the duke!.................genius!!!............fats
waller!........one of the greatest songwriters that ever lived not to
mention a brain bogglingly exciting pianist!
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah
langston hughes!
for me personally, the music and literature of that time has had a
profound effect on my life
and it is exciting when two things i love so much, basketball, and
great art ,come together with the one-ness that they are
go kareem
it is a trip that there was such a cultural zeitgeist of greatness
happening at that time
the exciting art happening in mexico city then, it was a mecca for
great art
and the surrealists and dadaists in paris ..........
they all coincided around that time
trip out