The NBA in 2009 was all about the league's young superstars coming into their own and finally asserting their dominance over the league, pushing the old-timers aside and moving into the beginning of their primes. Never was that more evident than in the season that Lebron James had in Denver. After being upset by the Sacramento Kings in the 2008 Western Conference Finals, Lebron went on the warpath, having his best season ever and leading the Nuggets to an NBA-best 63-19 record and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Though his supporting cast wasn't exactly great, they were good enough to give Lebron the help he needed when he needed it. Veteran point guard Baron Davis formed a potent pick and roll combo with Lebron, and David Lee supported Lebron as the #2 scoring option and top rebounder for the team. Meanwhile, the Lakers went even further into decline. Shaq was injured for most of the season, and Allen Iverson requested and received a trade at midseason, going to the Charlotte Hornets for two first round picks and a couple journeyman players. Tim Duncan was able to carry the load most of the way, but the Lakers still ended up in fifth in the West, behind the Clippers who were finally pulling it together thanks to the excellent play of MVP contender Deron Williams and the outstanding coaching of Gregg Popovich. The Warriors, with Kobe at the helm, claimed the #2 spot, while the Kings kept their momentum going and landed in third.
In the East, it was all about Carmelo on the Pistons, Wade on the Cavs, and Durant on the Heat. The three superstars carried their teams to the top of the conference, relegating everyone else to also-ran status. The Pacers fell all the way to 6th place, thanks to injuries to Steve Nash and being forced to let a couple of key players go in free agency following their championship win. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets found themselves in surprisingly good position with their rookie point guard Russell Westbrook playing well and a couple free agency pickups also contributing. They went from being one of the league's worst teams to one of its most intriguing bounce back stories, especially after acquiring Allen Iverson. They would play an intriguing double point-guard combo with Westbrook and Iverson that would stymie a lot of teams defensively and allow them to be one of the best teams after the All-Star Break. The Boston Celtics, in what would be Grant Hill's last season, had some bad luck: O.J. Mayo got into some legal trouble midway through the season, ultimately garnering a ten game suspension, and Kenyon Martin struggled through injuries. Despite all of this, the Celtics would still get into the playoffs, but they'd have a tough road ahead of them.
Playoffs:
First Round:
Eastern Conference:
(1) Detroit Pistons over (8) Atlanta Hawks, 4 to 1
No surprises here, as the Pistons, led by Carmelo Anthony, gave the Hawks a beating in the first round. Ron Artest was potent, and managed to guard Carmelo fairly well, but the Pistons' roleplayers were free to score when Carmelo was locked down, and Carmelo himself still averaged 28 points a game over the short five game series. The Hawks did win Game 3 in overtime and gave the Pistons a bit of a scare in Game 4, but that was the only drama that this series provided.
(4) Charlotte Hornets over (5) Philadelphia 76ers, 4 to 3
Allen Iverson shined in this series, but it was a close one. By now, Dwight Howard had established himself as "the man" in Philly and one of the best centers in the entire league, if not the best. He bullied the Hornets in Game 1, with the Sixers winning by 21 on the road. Then, the Sixers nearly won Game 2 before Westbrook's heroics led the Hornets back from being down eight with three minutes to go. After averting a disaster of potentially going down 0-2 at home, the Hornets came out strong in Game 3 behind a 38 point effort from Iverson, but stumbled in Game 4 to lose by four. In game 5, Iverson and Westbrook both got a chance to play well, with Iverson scoring 27 and Westbrook scoring 18. Game 6 went to the Sixers, and Game 7 nearly did too: the Hornets pulled it out 100 to 96, and would advance to face the Pistons. Despite the loss, it was clear that the 76ers had a bright future.
(3) Miami Heat over (6) Indiana Pacers, 4 to 2
The defending champs were simply overwhelmed by the Heat. Despite Steve Nash being back and playing mostly like his old self, the Pacers were a step too slow and couldn't handle Kevin Durant, who was the best player in the series by far. The Pacers' Carlos Boozer found himself totally unable to deal with Durant on either end of the floor, and though the Pacers put up a valiant effort, they would lose game six at home.
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers over (7) Boston Celtics, 4 to 3
Grant Hill had one last miracle in him, turning back the clock and playing like he did in the 90s to take this series all the way to Game 7. The home team won every game in this series, with several of the games coming down to the last few minutes. The Cavs' Dwyane Wade played somewhat off in the series, averaging only about 20 points a game, which was less than Grant Hill averaged over the seven games. O.J. Mayo behaved himself and played extremely well, and though the Celtics were lacking Martin, his backup Chris Kaman played well enough to handle most of Martin's duties. The Cavs routed the Celts in the deciding game, 113 to 81, but Hill still went out on his sword, with the Cavs fans giving him a standing ovation.
Western Conference:
(1) Denver Nuggets over (8) Seattle Supersonics, 4 to 0
Not too much to say about this series. Lebron and the Nuggets were just too good for the Sonics. Chris Paul had been traded away to the Spurs, who traded away rookie star Brandon Jennings and a bunch of other assets, and though Jennings and the other players acquired in the trade were good enough to get Seattle into the playoffs, they weren't good enough to hang with Lebron. Only one game, Game 4, was close, and the rumors that the Sonics would move only intensified through the offseason, with Las Vegas listed as a possible destination.
(5) Los Angeles Lakers over (4) Los Angeles Clippers, 4 to 3
In this cross-town battle between Hollywood teams, differing styles clashed, along with old (Lakers) vs. young (Clippers). The Clippers had a great team, with Danilo Gallinari playing great as a rookie, and other great players like Deron Williams all pulling it together under Gregg Popovich's system. However, Shaq had one last great series in him, and played quite well with Duncan flanking him. The Lakers got just enough out of their supporting cast to prevail in a close Game 7, and would advance to face Lebron and the Nuggets, who no longer feared what had once been a formidable dynasty.
(3) Sacramento Kings over (6) Dallas Mavericks, 4 to 3
Mark Cuban had his Mavericks fired up, and the team was playing well thanks to a bunch of young stars and skilled veterans, most of whom were acquired in free agency over the last couple years. Cuban had built a contender, and the Mavericks pushed the defending conference champs to the brink. However, the 1-2 punch of Josh Howard and Yi Jianlian were too good for the Mavs to handle, and the Kings would avoid the first round upset.
(2) Golden State Warriors over (7) Utah Jazz, 4 to 0
Kobe Bryant was on fire in this series, including a 59 point Game 1 performance that left the Jazz shell-shocked the rest of the way. The Warriors were good, and they were hungry, and weren't about to take another early upset loss. The Jazz were completely lost in this series, and though they'd started the playoffs on a somewhat promising note, they had no chance here.
Second Round:
Eastern Conference:
(1) Detroit Pistons over (4) Charlotte Hornets, 4 to 3
This was a very close series that saw Iverson and Carmelo dueling it out, while Eric Gordon also emerged as a strong presence for Charlotte. The Pistons and Hornets traded wins back and forth during the first four games, and then the Hornets upset the Pistons on a buzzer beater by Westbrook in Game 5. That's when Carmelo took over: the Pistons dominated Game 6 in Charlotte, sending the series back to Detroit for Game 7. In the end, the Pistons won a close one, 94 to 89, and advanced to the conference finals thanks to their youth and talent. Still, the Hornets clearly had a strong team, and though they'd mortgaged their future somewhat to get Iverson (trading away two picks that hopefully wouldn't come back to bite them), they still had a nice nucleus and a shot at pushing even farther next time.
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers over (3) Miami Heat, 4 to 1
The Cavs pressed their homecourt advantage to the fullest, winning Games 1, 2, and 5 in fairly close fashion. While Durant played quite well for the Heat, he didn't have quite as strong a supporting cast as Wade did, and Wade and his teammates had developed incredible chemistry. Cleveland was a city that had been through a significant scandal due to the Michael Vick dogfighting conviction, and the Cavs rallied their city and their fans to tremendous effect. The Cavs and Heat split Games 3 and 4 in Miami, and then Cleveland won Game 5 101-100 to advance to the conference finals.
Western Conference:
(1) Denver Nuggets over (5) Los Angeles Lakers, 4 to 0
The Lakers' age finally caught up to them after that grueling Clippers series, while Lebron put on a clinic. In Game 1, he dunked on both Shaq and Duncan, demoralizing both big men and setting the tone for the series. The rest of the way, he was simply dominant: triple doubles in Games 2, 3, and 4, while Shaq found himself being outplayed by David Lee at the rim. The Nuggets arguably dominated the series even more than they had the Sonics series, and while the Lakers' run at the top of the league looked to be officially done, the Nuggets' reign looked to be just beginning.
(2) Golden State Warriors over (3) Sacramento Kings, 4 to 2
The Kings competed fiercely, but Kobe would not be denied: he had his revenge, knocking out Sacramento at home to advance to another conference finals showdown with Lebron. Kobe scored more than 36 points a game, and while the Kings had more stars, and younger stars, they lacked the experience and the star power of Kobe. Josh Howard was no match for Bryant on offense or defense, and while the Kings managed to take Games 3 and 4 at home, that was all they would win in this series that wasn't as close as the six games it went to would have you believe.
Conference Finals
(1) Detroit Pistons over (2) Cleveland Cavaliers, 4 to 3
The 2009 Eastern Conference Finals was a battle for the ages between two transcendent stars in their primes. Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade played incredibly well in this series that saw five of its seven games decided by four points or less, and three games that went down to the final possession, including Game 7. The Pistons took Game 1 in a 106-90 win, the biggest rout of the series, but Game 2 was a back and forth duel between the two stars that would go to triple overtime and would end with a controversial foul and two Cavs free throws to clinch a 114-112 win. Game 3 saw the Cavs win a hard fought, physically grinding 99 to 95 slugfest, and the Pistons would respond, winning 110 to 106 in Game 4 to tie it up heading back into Detroit. In Detroit, Carmelo would once again have a strong game, and the Pistons won 106 to 97 in a game that, while Detroit was able to pull away in the final quarter, was close most of the way. Game 6 would arguably be the best game of the series: it would go to overtime, and Detroit was up by one, 100 to 99, with just seconds to go. Wade pulled up from 18 feet with Carmelo right in his face, and sunk the game winning shot to the jubilation of Cavs fans. Then it went to Game 7, which was a back and forth affair that would also see both teams come back from double-digit deficits: Detroit took an early 34-23 lead that the Cavs closed to a 58-58 tie at halftime, and then Cleveland surged to a 90-80 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Detroit fought back to tie it at 104 with less than two minutes remaining. Detroit would hold a 110-108 lead with 13 seconds to go, and Cleveland had the last shot. Wade once again had the chance to hit a game winner when he got a chance at a 3 from the corner at the buzzer, but this time it would clank just off the rim, and the Pistons were in the Finals for the first time since the Bad Boys era.
(1) Denver Nuggets over (2) Golden State Warriors, 4 to 1
Unlike the epic Eastern Conference Finals, this series wasn't close. Fans were looking forward to another showdown between Kobe and Lebron, as epic as their 2007 clash, but the Nuggets and Lebron were just too good, and Kobe had an off series at the worst possible time. Denver dominated Games 1 and 2, and won fairly handily in Game 3. The Warriors woke up and won Game 4 to prevent a sweep, but they couldn't prevent Denver from winning Game 5 by a 14 point margin. Lebron was back in the Finals, and would have several days to await the winner of the Pistons/Cavaliers clash.
2009 NBA Finals
Denver Nuggets over Detroit Pistons, 4 to 1
Lebron and Carmelo were finally facing off in an NBA Finals, and fans, like they'd been for the Lebron/Kobe matchup, were hyped. Two of the league's brightest young stars doing battle in an epic Finals clash for the ages? But, like the Western Conference Finals, this series was anticlimactic. The Pistons had laid it all out on the court to beat the Cavs, leaving not a whole lot in the tank for their showdown with Lebron and the Nuggets, who had played only 13 games thus far in the playoffs and had yet to face a serious challenge. The result was an overwhelming Nuggets team bullying a tired Pistons team, winning Games 1 and 2 in only slightly less dominant fashion than they'd beaten the Warriors in. The Pistons showed promise after winning Game 3 92 to 84, and then starting Game 4 well, going into halftime with a slight lead... but after the Nuggets retook the lead midway through the third quarter of Game 4, they wouldn't trail for the entire rest of the series. The Nuggets won Game 4 and then Game 5 in a rout, and Lebron won Finals MVP to go with his league MVP trophy. The Nuggets were now the team to beat in the NBA, and Lebron James was the undisputed king.
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The 2009 NBA Draft was the most stacked draft class perhaps of all time. High school phenoms like John Wall, Derrick Favors, and DeMarcus Cousins joined outstanding college stars like Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry, and Hasheem Thabeet. Add foreign stars like Ricky Rubio to the mix, and teams were tanking left and right to get a seat at the table. The Phoenix Suns, who still had Yao Ming, were accused of sitting him far longer than necessary for him to recover in order to tank their way to a high pick, and teams like the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks also stunk it up, angering their fanbases. However, the team that ultimately suffered the most in the draft was the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs had been bad since kicking Gregg Popovich to the curb, but they refused to tank, and their pick looked like it might be in the 9-12 range when they traded it to the Seattle Supersonics as part of a package to bring in Chris Paul. Thanks to Paul, the Spurs ended up being in line for the 13th pick due to their record... but the ping pong balls fell their way and put them in first... and they hadn't protected their pick. The Sonics, despite having very little negotiation power, got the Spurs to agree not to protect the 2009 first rounder they sent, using the leverage that other teams were making better offers. The Sonics, despite making the playoffs, got the first pick in the draft, and since they already had their point guard (Chris Paul), passed up on the phenom John Wall to take the much more experienced Blake Griffin. Sonics ticket sales surged after the pick, just enough that a seemingly imminent move to Vegas was put on the backburner. Seattle would have one last chance to keep its NBA team if fans showed up to support the Paul-Griffin combo. John Wall would go second, to the Phoenix Suns, and would be paired up with a Yao Ming who had been given plenty of rest time and was ready to give it one more go. The Chicago Bulls, just as in 1984, were sitting with the third pick in a loaded draft. They were debating between Hasheem Thabeet, a potential franchise center, and Stephen Curry, who had led his Davidson team to a miraculous national championship run in 2009, knocking off the Duke Blue Devils after Curry hit a 60 foot buzzer beater in what was called by one commentator as the "greatest moment in the history of sports". While most analysts believed that Curry's value going into the draft was highly overstated and that he was a stat stuffer on a small college team, the Bulls ultimately saw something special in him and took him with the third pick in the draft. Thabeet would go fourth, to the Houston Rockets, hoping that he would be the next Olajuwon. New York Knicks fans were furious, as they had wanted Thabeet, and instead had to "settle" for DeMarcus Cousins.
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"Ken Griffey Jr.'s farewell tour has driven major ticket sales for Mariners road opponents, as baseball fans celebrate Griffey's final year in the league. Griffey, who has spent his entire 21-year career playing for the Seattle Mariners, has taken the team to three World Series titles, all while achieving numerous records, most notably the league's all time home run mark, which currently sits at 801. Griffey hit his 800th home run right here in Seattle, during a game against the Houston Astros, and the fan who caught the ball made headlines after tearfully presenting it to Griffey following the game, despite reports that the ball might fetch as much as a million dollars at auction. The fan, overcome with emotion, told Griffey that while he knew the money from selling the ball would have changed his life, Griffey has changed his life even more, and that he wanted Griffey to have the ball as a way of saying thanks for all the joy the superstar has brought him during his time as a Mariner. The lovefest for Griffey has been seen at stadiums across the league, with some opposing teams even choosing to honor Griffey in brief pre-game ceremonies or announcements. Despite having played 21 years in the league, Griffey still intimidates some pitchers: he's currently second on the team in number of total walks, and has 13 home runs so far this season, putting him perhaps on pace to notch 30 or more in his final year in the league. Griffey has remained remarkably injury-free throughout his career, missing more than a week at a time only four times in a 21-year span. He briefly contemplated going to the Cincinnati Reds in free agency, the same team that his father won a World Series with, but decided to stay with the Mariners, citing the loyalty of the fans and the owners' commitment to winning as key in his decision. And speaking of winning, the Mariners are once again on track to win their division. They're hoping to avoid early playoff losses like they've had in the last couple of years in the wild card round, including last year to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees in a 3 to 0 sweep. The Yankees once again are the top team in the American League, but the Mariners are nipping at their heels this year, just 2 1/2 games behind going into a crucial three game series in New York next week."
-from the June 16, 2009 KOMO morning news broadcast
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2009 might just be the biggest year of Avril Lavigne's career. Though her skating career has slowed down somewhat, she has a number of projects being released this year, including the highly anticipated sequel to her hit 2004 video game Thrillseekers and an upcoming LP of songs she's recorded. She's also making appearances in several films and TV shows, but despite all the fame and the detours, Lavigne says she remains a skater at heart, even if her tournament schedule is a bit lighter than it's been in recent years.
We met up with Lavigne as she finished up a short practice, and she was happy to give us some of her time, speaking with us even as she toweled off and drank from a large bottle of water.
"The level of competition, it's increased so much in the last five years," said Lavigne, as she recalled her heartbreaking losses in the last three X-Games, including in 2008 when she failed to finish in the top 3. "I'm glad to see all these girls getting into the sport, it's humbling I've inspired so many of them, but it's definitely gotten tougher to win."
Despite only being 24 years old, Lavigne talks and carries herself like a seasoned veteran, which she is. Her first victory in the X-Games came in 2000 when she was just 15, performing a spectacular routine in the women's skateboarding freestyle competition that some say has yet to be matched. It was an iconic moment in the sport, an iconic moment for women in sports in general, and it opened up a world of opportunities for Lavigne to not only become the undisputed queen of her sport, but a bonafide crossover superstar. In addition to her hit video game series, she's sold billions of dollars worth of sports equipment, makes tens of millions a year from sponsorships, and has released numerous singles, both as tie-ins with her video game and as stand alone songs accompanying DVDs or documentaries.
"You guys know my original dream was to be a singer, right?" said Lavigne with a laugh. "And I still sing all the time, I still love singing, so any chance I get to do that is awesome."
Lavigne seemed destined to be a superstar singer, but a bout with laryngitis in 1995 robbed her of her voice for several months. While her first dream was on the backburner, she picked up skateboarding to pass the time, and the rest was history.
Some skateboarding purists believe that Lavigne's "extracurricular" activities have negatively affected her skateboarding, but when we talk about that topic with Lavigne, she almost gets defensive.
"Those people who say I've been too distracted to skateboard, that's a bunch of bullshit," Lavigne told us, her voice rising with anger. "I've skated more tournaments in the last three years than I have in all the years before put together. I gave up a chance to voice my own character on the Thrillseekers cartoon so I could focus 100 percent on my skateboarding. I've turned down big movie roles so I could keep skating. I have never been more devoted to skateboarding than I am right now."
Fortunately for us, Lavigne's anger was directed at her detractors, and not at our interviewer, and she laughed apologetically soon after her reply.
"Sorry about all that, but when I hear people talking shit at me like that, it just pisses me off, you know? Like, if you're gonna talk shit about me, fine, but don't accuse me of things that aren't true."
Lavigne does admit that she's going to focus on other projects for the time being, but only for a brief while, and that skating remains her #1 love.
"It's tough, because I want to skateboard, but I want to give myself time to take advantage of some of these other opportunities too. It's not that I'm burned out or anything like that, but I wanna broaden my horizons, and I think maybe I've earned it? I won't be 24 forever."
Lavigne told us that she's going to spend some time promoting her new game, and then she plans to work on her album. She has several collaborators in mind, including Thrillseekers co-star and film actress Lacey Chabert and 90s rock icon Kathleen Hanna, along with newer pop stars such as Hikaru Utada.
"Apparently I'm pretty popular in Japan, and I've been getting offers left and right to do stuff over there, so I'd really love to record some songs with Hikaru, who's amazing. She loves doing collabs with people, and I think if I could maybe just do some singing with her, maybe even write something for her, that'd be pretty rad."
Lavigne also has a guest star appearance on the upcoming eighth season of the hit ABC drama Lane, in which she'll play a college senior who becomes a major part of the title character's life.
"I can't say too much about any of that, but I'll be in at least three episodes," said Lavigne, "and it's a huge honor to be on that show and work with all the talented people on there, especially Kristen Stewart. Now if I could get her to do a voice on Thrillseekers or something, that would be pretty sweet."
Even with all the new opportunities being afforded to her, Lavigne is still focused on skateboarding, and she has a big motivation for making sure she keeps her eyes on that prize: the opportunity to compete for her native Canada in the 2012 Olympics in Toronto, which will feature men's and women's skateboarding events for the first time.
"Obviously training for the Olympics is going to be a huge priority going forward," said Lavigne, who hopes to begin training as early as 2010 as she gets ready for qualifying. Despite her recent tournament stumbles, she's still the #1 ranked female skater in Canada and #4 in the world, and would be a top contender in the Olympics if she qualified. "To say I'm stoked to compete for Canada in Canada would be like, the biggest understatement ever."
X-Games legend, multimedia star, head of a billion dollar empire, and maybe Olympic gold medalist. Avril Lavigne has it all, but she still wants more, and despite all she's accomplished, she's got a long way to go.
"Would I give everything up for an Olympic gold medal?" said Lavigne, perhaps anticipating one of our questions. "To be honest, probably not, but it'd be pretty sweet to have one, wouldn't it?"
-from an article in the June 29, 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated