Golden State Warriors: NWO of Basketball

Kevin Durant made this Fourth of July one to remember for quite some time. He sparked fireworks all across the Sports world and news in general when he made his decision to join the Golden State Warriors. Kevin's move caused a widespread mix of emotions and reviews. On one end, you had fans that were irate and furious about his decision to join the Warriors. So much so to the point that they started to burn his jerseys and shoot them. On the other hand, there were fans that were fine with his decision to leave, even if it was to join the team that just beat his team in the Western Conference Finals. It is the "If you can't beat them, join them" approach and mindset. Then, you had those fans that were just glad that he left Oklahoma City, but did not like the team that he joined. It was reminiscent of LeBron James and "The Decision" when he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. I am glad that KD left OKC, but I am in the middle of "why did he join the Warriors?" and "I understand because it is all about business".

I have seen this before with LBJ and I have come to realize that this is the climate that we live in with the NBA. Whether you like it or not, that is the way things roll. The circumstances seem very similar. Both players left teams that they help to build from the ground up. The only differences are:

• LeBron TELEVISED his "Decision" while Kevin did not. 
• The Warriors came off of back to back Finals Appearances and an historic 73 win Season.

Other than that, the concept is still the same. Although Miami was not in the same position that Golden State is in now, they still had the championship resume from Wade's Finals win in 2006. They were in more of a building process than the Warriors are today. Still, LeBron opened the floodgates for the Super teams where star players flock together for the sake of winning rings. 

I say all of that to say that these Super team situations with LeBron James in 2010 and Kevin Durant this year remind me of when wrestling icon Hulk Hogan joined Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the "New World Order" better known as the "NWO" in 1996. For years, Hogan was the beloved hero that inspired fans to "Train, Eat their Vitamins, and Say their Prayers". Soon, times changed and he was forced to change his scenery. On July 7, 1996, Hogan shocked the world by becoming a villain and turning on fans all over the world by forming the NWO with two men that were stars in their own right. Hogan was the face of the group and added greater value to the formation of the group. He repackaged his image and became "Hollywood" Hogan. This is what I call the "NWO Factor". Soon after, Hogan was villified, but he still had success. 

In 2010, LeBron James was the first player to use the "NWO Factor" when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers in a way that made him the ultimate villain of Basketball. For 7 years, LeBron James was the "Babyface" to use wrestling terms. He was the Hero of the the NBA. When he announced his "Decision" on live TV and joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, he turned "Heel" or became the Bad Guy or Villain. Wade was Scott Hall and Bosh was Kevin Nash. When that happened, I immediately thought about Hogan joining the NWO. From that point, the Miami Heat became the "NWO of Basketball". Fans burned LeBron's jersey in Cleveland, just like they have done with Kevin Durant today. 

History has repeat itself. On July 4th, Kevin Durant became the Hollywood Hogan of Basketball and joined Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to form the NWO in Golden State. KD is another victim of the "NWO Factor". When Durant left Oklahoma City and longtime teammate Russell Westbrook, it reminded me of when Hogan gave "Macho Man" Randy Savage the Leg Drop to signify his change of allegiance. LeBron leg dropped Cleveland six years ago. 

Plain and simple, the Golden State Warriors have become the "NWO of Basketball". 

Social Media has made the same comparison. In the words of my friend Mike Pearman aka "Mike Knoxxx" "Wrestling Is Storyline". I would also like to say that "Basketball Is Storyline" because the NBA is also Storyline driven. Much like Hogan and LeBron, Kevin Durant has become Public Enemy number 1. 

Macho Man Hall of Fame Tribute

OOOOOHHH YEEAAAHHH!!!! Freak out, freak out, freak out! After years upon years of bad blood, speculation, rumors and being passed over, we can FINALLY say that the King of Macho Madness will take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame. Earlier this week, it was announced (through spoilers by the way) that "Macho Man" Randy Savage will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  A Hall of Fame without the Macho Man is like the Basketball Hall of Fame without Hakeem Olajuwon. Imagine the Football Hall of Fame without Emmitt Smith. For years, the WWE Hall of Fame has been a laughingstock, because of undeserving names like Drew Carey, Pete Rose and William "Refridgerator" Perry being inducted instead of an Icon like Savage. Now, that void has officially been fulfilled with Savage's upcoming induction. After being practically nailed to the wall by his archrival and confidant Stone Cold Steve Austin on Austin's Podcast, Vince McMahon had no other choice but to be a man of his word and give the people what they so rightfully deserved. Randy Savage was announced as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2015 for WrestleMania 31 Weekend at Levi Stadium in San Francisco. Macho Man is a transcendent figure in the history of wrestling and sports entertainment, with his charisma, his recognizable voice, and tremendous generalship inside of the squared circle. Besides Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, Macho Man was one of the first guys that put great detail in his ring attire. They made sure that their threads stood out as much as their performances. Before Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage was the Showstopper. When it comes to being "Mr. WrestleMania", Macho Man was the Dr. J, to HBK's Michael Jordan. During his time, WWF/E was more about the giants (Hulk Hogan, Andre, Warrior). Macho Man broke the ice with his incredible matches, and style. He had the best quality matches at that time. You would never expect Hogan to wrestle for 20-30 minutes. Other than Steamboat, Macho Man could go the distance. Savage carried the Hulkster himself to 20+ minutes at WrestleMania V.

Macho Man's dedication and respect for the business and the fans was evident in his work. His intensity can never be duplicated. Who can forget his storyline with Ricky Steamboat where he crushed his larynx? Or his feud with Jake "The Snake" where he let the snake bite him? Everyone will remember his passion during his match with Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 7, when he hammered Warrior with 5 Elbow Drops. Even his feud with Ric Flair for WrestleMania 8 was legendary over Miss Elizabeth. Savage was a marvel in the ring and unparalleled. Macho Man's reign as the IC Champion gave Hogan's World Title reign a run for its money. After generating great success as the Intercontinental Champion, Vince McMahon and the fans recognized how valuable he could be at the next level. When Hulk Hogan stepped down after a phenomenal run as Champion, Macho Man stepped up to the plate and did not disappoint at all. Everything he did was unique.


Savage's body of work speaks for itself. A former WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE Champion, 4-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, 1987 King of the Ring, 1995 WCW World War 3 Battle Royal Winner. If the WWE had the same Hall of Fame induction process as the NBA and NFL (6 years for 1st year eligibility), Macho Man would have been a first ballot induction a long time ago. Sadly, they don't, but instead they run their voting process on petty favoritism, and politics instead of quality and substance.

However, in the midst of the celebration there is also plenty of criticism against WWE for who they have chosen to be Macho Man's presenter for the Hall of Fame. Hulk Hogan has also been announced as Savage's presenter. The reason why this is odd, is because Macho has been on record to say that he disliked Hogan. Savage even made a rap song dissing Hogan called "Be A Man". Others look at it as a way of Hogan being the typical politician and spotlight Hog that he is. From a personal standpoint, it is strange. However, from a career standpoint it is understanable, because of the connection that they have. In the mid to late 80's, Savage and Hogan were the two biggest mainstream stars in wrestling. Their personas were very similar, as both men did great business together. They were inseparable, with their incredible storyline as the MegaPowers. Their explosion at WM V was a great way to end with a bang. With that said, many people like to point at how much Hogan wanted his spotlight. Hogan in many ways, was Macho Man's greatest dance partner, and vice versa. The Hulkster was even the biggest reason why Savage went to WCW. Their relationship was very complicated to say the least.

On the other hand, Ricky Steamboat would have been a great presenter, because of the respect he and Macho Man had for one another. Next to Hogan, Steamboat was Savage's best rival. Next to Flair, Savage was Steamboat's best rival. Their rivalry overall was amazing. The chemistry and timing they had together in the ring was brilliant. They brought the best out of each other. The matches that they had leading up to their epic WM III showdown were great as well. The battle at Pontiac is a match that every wrestling fan must learn about and watch. If not, shame on you. What else needs to be said about this match? This match is among the top of many favorite lists (Including mine). I say Steamboat would have been a safer choice, just because of the mutual respect and without the drama from a guy like Hogan.

This induction will also be very bittersweet, because Macho Man is not alive to accept the honor. In fact, I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news about his passing. I had just gotten off from work, and I was driving to Bowie Town Center here in MD. While I was driving, I was listening to SportsTalk 980 when they broke the news. I was stunned in sadness when I heard about it. When I stopped, I called my Dad and told others around me about what happened.

Overall, I believe that this induction raises the value of the Hall of Fame going forward. I give much credit to Triple H for the way he is making the deals happen for these inductions to take place, from Bruno, Backlund, Warrior, and now the Poffo Family. Moving forward, I think that WWE will have no other choice but to become more serious about who they induct, and this is a great step in that direction. Now, Randy Savage will finally be immortalized on the biggest stage of them all during WrestleMania Weekend. It has been a very long time coming, and it is time to enjoy every last second of it. Savage was the Cream of the Crop. One last time: OOOOOHHHH YEEAAAHHH!!!!

Throwback Thursday: WCW/NWO Revenge

Last week, I paid tribute to the Legendary "WWF WrestleMania 2000" for Nintendo 64. Now, I will highlight the very game that pushed WWF to that next level in my view. Today, I will talk about "WCW/NWO Revenge". At the time, WCW was already miles ahead of WWF in terms of video games. While WWF was stuck in the dark ages with In Your House Shows and Arcade Games (WrestleMania: Arcade), WCW was breaking ground with wrestling games, while using 3-D graphics on N64.  (WCW/NWO World Tour) Even though WWF was winning the Monday Night Wars during the release, WCW/NWO Revenge was the wrestling game of the year in 1998. IGN gave Revenge an 8 out of 10, Gamespot gave it a 7.2 out of 10, while GamePro gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Revenge was a tremendous success, as it was the best-selling wrestling video game for the N64, according to IGN in 1999. I was a kid growing up in the Attitude Era at the time, but enjoyed what WCW brought to the table. I remember times after school or on the weekends I would go to my friends house to play Revenge. It amazed me every time I played it. The grappling system was among the best, which was simple for me to grasp. The finishing moves were very on point as well, such as Kevin Nash's Jacknife Powerbomb, Goldberg's Jackhammer, Sting's Scorpion Deathlock, and Chris Jericho's Liontamer to name a few. The game was downright addictive, as we would play match after match after match without ever getting bored. The game also included arenas such as Nitro, Starrcade, Bash at the Beach, Fall Brawl, Souled Out and Halloween Havoc. Revenge also included Championship mode, where you would go through a journey to win whatever title you choose. You would also unlock the wrestler who previously held the title. For example, in order to unlock Rowdy Roddy Piper, you had to defeat him for the WCW World Heavyweight Title. (This was the closest that Piper would ever come to being a World Champion, sadly)

Titles in Championship Mode:

• WCW World Heavyweight Championship- Roddy Piper
• U.S. Heavyweight Championship- Curt Hennig
• World Television Championship- Kanyon/Mortis
• Cruiserweight Championship- Kidman
• Tag Team Championship- Meng & Barbarian

*-Champions to unlock

Even among that, the Roster itself really caught my attention. The roster was so large (63 Wrestlers), that they had to be placed in different divisions. The NWO and Raven's Flock were divided into their own roster sections. The Cruiserweights had their own roster section.

NWO White:
Hollywood Hogan
The Giant
Brian Adams
Scott Hall
Scott Norton
Buff Bagwell
Scott Steiner
Curt Hennig*

NWO Red (Wolfpac):
Kevin Nash
Sting
Konnan
Lex Luger
Randy Savage

Raven's Flock:
Raven
Sick Boy
Kidman*
Reese
Riggs
Lodi

WCW 1:
Roddy Piper*
Goldberg
Diamond Dallas Page
Bret Hart
Booker T.
Chris Benoit
Rick Steiner
Fit Finley

WCW 2:
Saturn
Disco Inferno
Jim Neidhart
British Bulldog
Glacier
Kanyon/Mortis*
Meng*
Van Hammer

WCW 3:
Yugi Nagata
Larry Zbysko
Barbarian*
La Parka
Stevie Ray

WCW 4 (Cruiserweight Division):
Chris Jericho
Eddie Guerrero
Rey Mysterio Jr.
Juventud Guerrera
Dean Malenko
Psychosis
Ultimo Dragon
Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Alex Wright

EWF:
AKI/THQ Man
Shogun
Executioner
Dr. Frank
Jekel
Maya Inca Boy

DAW:
Hawk Hana
Kim Chee
Dake Ken
Brickowski
Ming Chee
Han Zo Mon

WCW-1 was for the Top Main Event Wrestlers in the company who were not with either NWO factions or with Raven's Flock. WCW-2 was for the Midcarders. WCW-3 was for those who were not quite Jobbers, but at least third tier. Obviously, the fourth division was for the Cruiserweights (My personal favorite outside of the NWO and Main Event) This was also the first game where you could use weapons, and make your opponent bleed. I could not believe what I saw. It was incredible. Overall, WCW/NWO Revenge raised the bar for wrestling games even higher, as it was ahead of it's time in many different ways. This game is a Legend among wrestling/fighting video games.