My latest reports on the world of sports. Welcome to Vaughn's World Sports Network. Here, you will receive nothing but pure, absolute, unbiased facts and opinions on the world of sports. I was inspired to create this, because of my undying passion for sports, and love of history. For those who desire a healthy combination of history with modern facts, this is the place for you. Follow me on Twitter: @301kingvaughnjr
Today, I would like to personally take the time out and present a Birthday Tribute with a Special Article Dedicated to a Living Legend in Sports & Entertainment: "The Rock". Born Dwayne Johnson on May 2, 1972 in Miami, FL wrestling was in Rocky's DNA from day one. As the Grandson of High Chief Peter Maivia, and Son of Rocky Johnson (Both Hall of Famers), The Rock was destined to be great in the ring. After excelling as a star Defensive Lineman for the Miami Hurricanes, The Rock soon took his talents to his stomping grounds, the squared circle. After being cut by the CFL, Dwayne Johnson goes on to sign with the WWF in 1996 under the name Rocky Maivia, making his debut at Survivor Series '96. The following year, he goes on to win the 1st of 2 Intercontinental Titles, which included the start of his feud with longtime archrival, Stone Cold Steve Austin. During this time, The Rock was the rising star as the co-leader of the Nation of Domination with Faarooq (Ron Simmons). From there, The Rock's meteoric rise begins, and by the end of '98, he becomes the youngest champion in WWF/E history at the time at age 26 with the win over Mick Foley (Mankind) at Survivor Series '98. From there, he and Foley would have a feud that would last through Royal Rumble '99 with a Legendary "I Quit" Match. Rocky would move on to continue his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, but this time to another level for the WWF Championship. The Rock would be the perfect villain to the hero of Stone Cold, as he was Vince's Greatest Weapon for the Corporation. Austin defeated The Great One at WrestleMania XV, which was the first of their Legendary & Iconic WrestleMania Trilogy matches (XV, XVII, XIX). The Rock vs. Stone Cold feud was a MAJOR piece of The Rock's legacy, as well as the greatest reason that WWE won the Monday Night War vs. WCW. Austin/Rock were like Magic/Bird, Chamberlain/Russell, Ali/Frazier, Batman/Joker, Spiderman/Goblin, etc. The Texas Rattlesnake and The Brahma Bull had terrific chemistry together. There was no backstage BS between them, but rather a very strong bond, and their matches were perfect examples of that. Throughout 1999, The Stone Cold/Rock feud shot TV Ratings & PPV Buyrates to Infinity and Beyond! (Buzz Lightyear voice). These two Warriors were the Kings of the Attitude Era, as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the Kings of the NBA in the 1980s. Simultaneously, Austin and Rock were the headliners. Arenas were packed, other talent was pushed, merchandise sold left and right off the shelves and the business became a tremendous mainstream phenomenon again, like the Rock 'N Wrestling Era of the '80s. This was the closest that I had been to witnessing the Golden Era of Hogan, Savage, Flair, Piper, etc. Wrestling was a force to be recognized through the mainstream media and all over the world, because of the groundwork that these men laid and the foundation that they set for the generation today. Today's stars are performing in the arenas and the rings that The Rock BUILT for them. The People's Champ shed his blood, sweat and tears through 7 long years in the business. The Rock was a REAL Total Package Star (not Lex Luger) that could not only entertain, do a GREAT Promo, but he could actually WRESTLE and put on great matches, night in and night out. The Rock was a multi-dimensional superstar, and he is STILL a multi-dimensional entertainer. What Hulk Hogan started in the '80s with movies, TV, etc., The Rock capitalized on that and took acting to another level that Hogan could only dream of. Rocky is a ratings & PPV machine, because he is his own brand! He would go on to feud with fellow Attitude Era stars Triple H & The Undertaker over the title later that year as well. By 2000, The Rock's star value escalated to another level, as he won the Royal Rumble, headlined his second-straight WrestleMania, hosted Saturday Night Live, won another World Title and continued his feud with The Game. 1997-2002, the Alpha Dogs of the Attitude Era were Stone Cold/The Rock. '97-'99 Stone Cold was the Top Alpha Dog. '00-'02 The Rock took over as more of the Alpha Dog of the company, both from a performance standpoint, and career standpoint. 2001 saw the best match of the Austin/Rock WM Rivalry with the Classic WM 17 Match in Houston, with Stone Cold turning heel. The match itself was a masterpiece. It was filled with one great spot after another, as both men pulled out all of the weapons from their arsenal. Rock hit the Stunner, Austin hit Rock Bottom. Both did the Sharpshooter, with Stone Cold even pulling out an old trick with the classic Million Dollar Dream. This was truly a 5 star match, and possibly the best of Rock's career. At that same time, The Rock would go on to carry team WWF to victory over the WCW/ECW Alliance with an Epic victory at Survivor Series. In 2002, The Rock went on to headline WM X8 in a Fantasy Icon vs. Icon Match with Hulk Hogan. This was the Attitude Era vs. The Golden Era and the passing of the torch. The Rock would go on to win in another Match of the Year classic, like the previous ones he had with Austin. Rocky would go on to surpass Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin for most WWF/E titles (6), with his 7th at Vengeance. Outside the ring, The Rock was a Box Office Headliner as well, starring in the Scorpion King, along with Walking Tall, Rundown, etc. later on. He has also starred in the smash hit Fast Five, and will be in the upcoming G.I. Joe 2.
The Rock's pop culture influence in & out of the squared circle has been unparalleled. Now, he has become a 7 time WWE Champion, 2 time WCW Champion, 2 time IC Champion, multi time tag champion, 2000 Royal Rumble Winner, headliner of 5 straight WMs, and many other PPVs in his era, and a cornerstone for the Attitude Era. The Rock has done more in 7 years than many others have done in 20-25 years in the business. His impact is phenomenal, drawing power amazing, and is a Walking, Talking, Legend and Icon. If it were not for The Rock, WWE would not be here today! John Cena, Randy Orton, and CM Punk would not have the platform that they have now, if The People's Champion had not laid the building blocks for them to do what they do. This is my personal tribute to the Jabroni' beating, Pie eating, Trail Blazing, Eyebrow raising, Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment! There will never be another like him, if you SMELL, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA, what The Rock is COOKIN'!
Last Tuesday, Skip Bayless once again opened up a HUGE can of worms as always!! He proved once again that he cannot take heat after he dishes it. After the OKC Thunder (his #2 team behind the Spurs), beat the Milwaukee Bucks with Westbrook scoring a team high 24 to Kevin Durant's 19, here is where things turned for the worst in my view. First, Skip praises Oklahoma City for playing like a REAL team (haven't they done that all year dude?), then he does a bizarro world turn by taking Russell Westbrook as his MVP!! Westbrook?!! I feel like I am in the twilight zone!! Isn't this your one of your worst enemies Skip, right next to Derrick Rose and LeBron?!! Isn't this the same guy that you burn on your show over and over for shooting too much? Now, you want to kiss his behind after he scored the most points in a win?!! I realize what this was really about. It was a complete mind game!! Yes, Westbrook has had stretches in which he has outscored KD, but don't get it twisted! Kevin Durant is still the leader of the Thunder! Durant is the Alpha Dog of the team, ever since he was drafted in '07! As I have said before and will always say, you must build the team around KD in order to move higher and to the ultimate goal: a title!! The team starts and ends around the Durantula. The team has come this far with Durant as the focal point, while giving the last 2 champs (Lakers, Mavs) a run for their money and they have only gotten better during that time! Last year, they took Dallas to the full 7 games. As I have aluded to before, Westbrook shot them out of the series. Therefore, Durant has got to stay as the focal point, while getting other weapons like James Harden, Sefalosha, Ibaka, co. involved. I brought this up in my last article about this issue, when I had to shoot my Ether at Ric Bucher for this same hot garbage! Now, I have to use it on Skip! As you will see, Durant has been consistently better than his awesome sidekick point guard, when you look at their averages:
The numbers that you see in front of you tell the entire story. Yes, there have been games where they have traded their fair share of rolls with Russ taking over, but Kevin has been the more consistent, efficient and productive player of the duo, as you can see. In the Thunder's last two wins since that game, Durant has had 29 pts vs The Kings, and 43 pts vs. The T-Wolves. I have nothing against Russell, but it would be very odd for the Thunder to switch the entire gameplan like this. Westbrook is to Durant, what Scottie Pippen was to Michael Jordan, what Kobe Bryant was to Shaquille O'Neal, what Tony Parker has been to Tim Duncan, etc. It would be just like giving Scottie more MVP votes than Michael, or giving Kobe more MVP votes than Shaq during their glory days. Pippen, Kobe, and Parker may have had breakout games here and there during the season, but the X Factor for their teams were always, MJ, Shaq and Duncan. Their is nothing wrong with that at all. It is not a knock on guys like Scottie, Tony, etc. because they fit their roles perfectly. However, without their X Factor leaders, these guys would not have gone as far as they did. We could say the same for the star players who need a sidekick, but not at this time. Kevin Durant has got to remain the catalyst to carry the Thunder to the mountaintop, just like the men that I have just mentioned. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If the shoe fits, wear it.
Later in the show, Jalen Rose brings up Skip's "resume" of being a star on his High School Basketball Team. Jalen gave Skip a nice hot can of Ether, when he brought up the fact that Skip only averaged 1.4 ppg in 20+ games for his team. Ironically, Skip said that he was criticized for being a guy who shot too much, but yet he criticizes guys like Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, etc. for taking TOO MANY SHOTS!! I know you're still eating crow right now. Jalen shut Skip up! For a moment, Bayless was actually QUIET!! Silence is golden!
April 1 2012, Miami, FL- The night that will forever go down in Sports Entertainment History. This was the night that The Great One conquered in the very house that he built at Miami Stadium and layed the smacketh down on that fruity pebble eating cream puff John Cena. The Rock electrified throughout the night, with crisp moves, one after the other in the start of the match, as well as carrying Cena and his 5 moves of doom all throughout. The Rock came in intensified, with dead aimed focus like a sniper as he made his entrance with his mind locked on destroying Cena that night. John Cena stepped right into the Monster's lair in Miami, with his foolish green shirt looking like a Leprechaun, with a furious Rottweiler standing across from him. Rocky played the role of Judge, Jury and Executioner in his hometown for the millions and millions of Members of Team Bring It. I believe that this was certainly the stamp that the Attitude Era reigns Supreme over all, and that the company is moving forward in a greater direction.
Now, The Great One has his sights set on an even greater prize, the WWE Championship. I am looking forward to seeing the Brahma Bull bring back the value and the prestige that this title has been desperately missing ever since the 'roided up Vanilla Ice took it and bastardized it with that awful Spinner Design. As Wrestlemania has always been the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, this has been the end of the Rock/Cena chapter and a new exciting one for all of us fans, because this one will be written without John Cena. The Rock has proven how versatile he can be as a performer, from playing in a kids movie like the Tooth Fairy, to going back to action movies such as Fast Five and the upcoming G.I. Joe movie this summer and still being entertaining and effective. There is nothing that John Cena, Vince McMahon, Triple H, etc. can say about that otherwise. A Legend & Icon like The Rock definitely deserves much more respect than what he has been given by today's stars, because if it were not for what guys like he and Stone Cold did during the Attitude Era to beat WCW, none of these guys would even have a career. That includes Cena, Randy Orton and CM Punk. The perfect man to end Cenation was none other than The Rock, and to add the exclamation point, Brock Lesnar returned Monday Night and drilled the so-called "Marine" with a Thunderous F-5. Finally, the Pain has come back to the WWE!! If you smeeelll-la-la-la what The Rock is cookin'!!
Last Friday marked exactly 50 Years since Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game, as a member of what was then the (Philadelphia) Warriors. Wilt achieved this milestone against the Knicks in a 169-147 Warriors win. I just wanted to clarify that, because I have heard so many foolish stories about his team losing that night, which was never the case. That night, the Big Dipper went 36-63 from the field, and a career best 28-32 from the free throw line. That is not a typo! Chamberlain was like Larry Bird that night from the line. Normally, Wilt was awful when shooting foul shots! He was not only the Shaquille O'Neal of his time because of his size and dominance, but also because of his foul shooting! That night was not the case. Big Wilt ate the Knicks for dinner that night, setting the bar for single game points so high, that no one can ever reach it, no matter how watered down today's rules are. (unless your Michael Jordan! lol.) Even though there have been others who have tried to challenge that record (Kobe) who have fallen short. Kobe still says that the record could be broken, even after he scored 81 points on a bottom feeder Raptors squad in '06. Kobe, if you could break it, you could have done it that night! Too late, old man. Unfortunately, this mythical and iconic game, both in sports and pop culture, was never televised! A fan had taken photos of the game and they were published by both the team as well as the NBA. The game was broadcasted by way of the radio. This was also the only game that never finished, because of this monstrous milestone. However, there is also the case against Wilt, because even though that was very impressive stat wise, he was an enormous ballhog that killed his team. The Warriors finished the season 49-31 and eventually fell to the Celtics in 7 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Anyway, Chamberlain was on a complete rampage that season, averaging 50.4 points per game, with 25.7 rebounds per game and 4,029 total points, becoming the only player in history to accomplish these feats. The MVP race that season was insane, with Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson as the top 5 candidates. Each man had a very strong case that year along with Wilt. (Russell's superhuman 19 ppg, 24 rpg, 5 apg on a 60 win team, Oscar's triple double, Elgin's 38 ppg, 19 rpg, 5 apg) This race would go down as one of the top 10 MVP races of all-time, along with '63, '64, the Magic, Bird & MJ battles in '87 & '88 and the '93 race with MJ, Barkley and Hakeem. Personally, I think that it is a joke when people say that Wilt would not dominate in today's era. Wilt could dominate like never before, because the Center position today is horrible! Chamberlain was BEFORE his time in the '60s, at 7'1 1/6", rougly 260 lbs. at his peak, and in excellent condition. Wilt did all of this WITHOUT the training, weights, and medical advantages that today's athletes have. These players at his position have all of this going for them, and they are STILL out of shape and sloppy. Dwight Howard is a man among boy's and Chamberlain would eat him for dinner, Tyson Chandler for lunch and Andrew Bynum for breakfast. Wilt would throw these guys around like rag dolls. If Tyson Chandler is a defensive enforcer while averaging 1.1 bpg, you have seriously got to be kidding me! That is horrible! Olajuwon averaged 4.6 bpg in his prime! (More on this later). The centers of today could barely average 10 ppg, and as Wilt said, couldn't even make Overbrook high school. In my terms, these guys couldn't even make Eleanor Roosevelt or Charles Flowers High School with the way they play. The average big man today is at least 6'10". Wilt played against Hall of Fame players in that range, whether above or an inch below. (Bill Russell- 6'10", Kareem- 7'2", Walt Bellamy- 6'11", Nate Thurmond- 6'11", Willis Reed- 6'9", Bob Lanier-6'11") As I just mentioned, ALL are in the Hall of Fame! The game is not as physical as before, because the rules have reduced everything to the perimeter, which gives Wilt even greater room to go beyond what he did in his time. Imagine how Shaq dominated. Wilt would do that to an even greater level, because he was stronger, faster, quicker and more versatile than Shaq ever was. I find that disrespectful when people admire Shaq's recent dominance and dismiss Wilt's when talking about today's game. Vlade Divac, Shawn Bradley, and Rik Smits were never exactly HOF worthy themselves. So before you say that Wilt would be stopped in today's era, in the words of The Rock, you better know your role and shut your mouth!
As we are in the middle of All-Star Weekend in Orlando, I would like to reflect on a very special moment in NBA All-Star Game History 20 years ago in this same city. In 1992, the basketball world was still devastated from the bombshell that NBA Icon Earvin "Magic" Johnson dropped when he announced before the world that he was HIV-Positive. There was an unbelievable level of uncertainty at the time, because they were not sure if the beloved NBA legend was going to live longer. HIV was considered a death sentence for Magic. However, the NBA and its fans decided to pay tribute to its greatest ambassador at the time, by giving him the most votes among all players, making him the starter for the West in the ASG over Warriors star point guard Tim Hardaway. Hardaway willingly showed his true class and respect by letting Magic start over him without complaints. Initially, many of the players were unsure of how to handle the situation. As Magic recalls in his book w/Larry Bird "When the Game Was Ours" his teammates in the locker room were initially silent towards him. That all changed once David Robinson approached him with a handshake to welcome him back. Fellow teammates such as Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Chris Mullin, etc. followed suit. As the teams were introduced, East All-Stars Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman came to embrace Magic as well. The game was a Who's Who of the NBA's best and brightest of their time. Charles Barkley even wore Magic's #32, for both the game and the entire season to pay tribute to him. The game itself was terrific, in spite of the 40 point blowout by the West. At the end of the day, it was pure fun and celebration for Magic. Magic won the game's MVP Award with the best ASG performance of his career (25 points, 9 assists). As I go back to Youtube and watch that year's game, I had to immediately rank this game among my Top 5, if not #1 All-Star Game of all-time. Drexler put up an MVP-level performance of his own, with 22 points, and 9 rebounds, followed by Spurs All-Star David Robinson with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Magic went on to win Olympic Gold as a member of the 1992 USA Dream Team in Barcelona that year, with '80s archrival Larry Bird and the King of the '90s, Michael Jordan. The man that many people at the time thought was a walking death sentence would turn out to be a walking miracle as well as an inspiration to many around the world. Magic continues to live strong, 20 years later.
Last night, Kevin Durant & The Oklahoma City Thunder put the NBA on further notice with the biggest statement game of KD's career! This was Durant's first 50 point game of his career, as he dropped a 51 point bomb on the Denver Nuggets in last night's 124-118 overtime win at home! This game had many twists and turns. Facing a halftime deficit, the Thunder roared loud and strong with a 20-0 run at the end of the second half cutting the lead down to 58-53 at the half. With KD's 20 points heading into the second half, and the way that he scored, I knew that he was going to have a stellar game. Westbrook started the third by making three straight field goals giving The Thunder a 59-58 lead. Westbrook & Durant connect for a great alley-oop giving KD 22. Durant goes on to score 30 by the end of the quarter along with Russell's 27. OKC outscored Denver 30-25 in the third quarter, which tied the game 83-83. There was a stretch in the game where the Nuggets looked like they hit a wall. Neither team went down without a fight, as the Nuggets mounted a comeback of their own to begin the 4th. The quarter starts with James Harden going 1-of-2 from the free throw line, which slightly slowed down the Thunder's momentum. Denver goes on a 10-0 run which included an Andre Miller layup, an alley-oop to Chris Andersen, and two 3-pointers from Al Harrington to give them a 93-84 lead. The fourth quarter was not only a back and forth battle, but it is also where Durant went on a rampage and ripped the Nuggets to pieces like a lion with 45 points to end the quarter. Durant also made smart shot selections, which also included making all of his 3-point shots in the 4th. KD also commanded his teammates to take on bigger roles. Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka followed the lead with 40 points, 9 assists for Westbrook and a Triple Double from Ibaka (14 pts, 15 rebounds, 11 blocks)!! Fans had signs saying "Welcome to the BLOKC Party!" Ibaka has been a blocking machine, and Westbrook put up another crazy performance, but developed better team chemistry with his All-Star teammate as well as James Harden, by creating better shots for them. The rush of momentum that Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka gave the Thunder at the end of the 4th quarter was spectacular. OKC ran the court like gang-busters, with Kevin Durant not running out of breath at all! Each key moment this quarter, from Westbrook's jump shots, Ibaka's clutch defense and KD's drives to the basket tied the game 118-118 to go into overtime, and gave the fans an extra surge of confidence! Oklahoma City fired on all cylinders, because of the brilliant play of their tag-team of KD & Westbrook. Kevin Durant delivered a Pantheon-level performance, and gave himself a stronger case for MVP. Oklahoma City outscored Denver 13-7 to win the game 124-118, which included Durant going 6-8 from the line and Westbrook's clutch 3 pointers and jumpers to put the final nail in the coffin! I have made it my choice to follow Kevin Durant even closer this season by highlighting him even more. During this time, I have been waiting for Durant to finally explode with a statement game, and I finally got it. Iceman 2.0 did not disappoint, and the way that he is developing as a player, he could surpass Gervin quickly. Oklahoma City are the hands down, "Kings of the West" at this point, but they have the fire and energy of an underdog! They have shown great leaps of progress during the pass two seasons, by taking the last two champs to the limit. In 2010, they were the Lakers' biggest threat and left me on the edge of my seat. Last season, they were the strongest opponent for the Mavericks, by taking them to 7 games. Now, there sights are set even higher: an NBA Crown. With Kevin Durant leading the way, the sky is the limit!!
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Derrick Rose
4. LaMarcus Aldridge
5. Dwight Howard
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Chris Paul
There has been a slight shift in this year's NBA Top 7 Power Ranking for MVP. KD, LeBron, and D-Rose are still among the top half of the list, while Howard, and Kobe round out the second half of the list. However, there has been a dark horse that has crept into the race and he is none other than newly acquired Clippers Point Guard Chris Paul. CP3 has been a great addition to the team with his excellent playmaking and passing skills, which help improve the play of fellow All-Star Blake Griffin and others around him. Paul is averaging 18.5 ppg while shooting a career high field goal pct. (.505), 3rd in apg (9.0), 8th in total assists (190), 7th in steals (49), with an Efficiency Rating of +24.14. CP3 has a higher Efficiency Rating than both Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose. Chris Paul's added value has helped the Clippers reach 3rd place in the Western Conference with a 17-9 record. Blazers Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been another dark horse in this race as well.
As far as the top 2 Players on my list are concerned, there is no question that both Kevin Durant and LeBron James are by far playing at the highest level while helping their teams be the best in the league. LeBron is up to his usual stellar performance, ranking 2nd in ppg (28.0), with 8.2 rpg, 2nd in apg (7.0) 2nd in total points (754), 2nd in field goals made (269) 5th attempted (500), and 5th with a career high pct. of .538. James is also 2nd in free throws made/attempted (198/262) along with an Efficiency Rating of +30.56 (1st). LeBron has also been the largest reason why Miami is 2nd in the East at 21-7, as he ranks 1st in Win Shares (6.18), Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.304), and Offensive Win Shares (4.53). LeBron is on a mission to reclaim the MVP and with his 23 points, 13 boards, and 6 assists in Sunday night's 107-87 thrashing of the Hawks, he continues to make his case stronger.
On the other side, Oklahoma City All-Star Kevin Durant has continued to raise both his level of play as well as his teams while ranking 3rd in ppg (27.0), 3rd in total points (728), with 8.2 rpg, 4th in field goals made, 2nd in field goals attempted (264/523), with a .505 fg %, 4th in free throws made, fifth in attempts (159/195) with a .815 ft %, and 4th in Efficiency Rating (+26.48). Durant's production for his team has also placed him 5th in Win Shares (4.60), 9th in Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.215), and 8th in Offensive Win Shares (3.22) while leading the Thunder to a record of 21-6, placing them 1st in the Western Conference and 2nd in the league behind the Chicago Bulls. KD's increase in field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, and blocks per game are a very good indicator of his boost in playmaking ability as an all-around player. These are only signs of great things to come from the Durantula. As we approach the All-Star break, the race will become only stronger.
