411 Sports Volume 18 Issue IX... The Tankless Mavericks are following their leader... or are they? by Cedric E Lyons

BASIC ATHLETIC MEASUREMENT (BAM) Comes to Dallas

Demarcus Lawrence

Volume XIV Issue IX • March. 8 - March 14, 2018

Nia Long

Demarcus Lawrence: I could ‘break the bank’ next year... pg 6

Nia Long and the movies that made her ... pg 15 The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time .. pg 10

March 8 - March 14, 2018 www.411sportsnews.com www.411sportsnews.com • www.411radionetwork.com • twitter: @411sportsdfw • facebook/411sportsLLc 1

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Volume XIV • Issue IX • March 08 - 14, 2018

Publisher /Founder Cedric E. Lyons

Executive Officer Robert L. Woodard

The tankless Maver-

Copy Editor/Social Media Manager Shellye L. Lyons

icks are following their

Contributing Writers

Leader... or

Eugene Lynch Star Davis Winter Harris Valder Beebe JaShea Jackson

are they

he Dallas Mavericks have had a rough go of things this season. At 18-40 they currently have the third-worst record in the entire league, and could very well finish last when the regular season comes to a close in April. Though no one wants to tank, it’s clearly in the Mavericks’ best interest at this point to lose as many games as possible the rest of the way in order to ensure they get the best possible draft pick. Fans and media will be sure to discuss the tanking that will go on the rest of the way from numerous teams, not just the Mavs. But, in a rare turn of events, even Dallas owner Mark Cuban has admitted it’s in the team’s best interest to start losing games. Via ESPN:

On-Air Talent Desiraye Hill Louis Medford The Benchwamer Brittney Iwegbu Andréa Jackson-Randle JaShae’ Jackson Valder Beebe Dante Wesley

Marketing/Sales Tyrone Davis Phyllis Vaughn Brittney Iwegbu Erika Anderson

Demarcus Lawrence: I could ‘break the bank’ next year

emarcus Lawrence wasted no time signing his franchise tag after being slapped with the $17.1 million tender on Monday. The Dallas Cowboys’ lethal pass-rusher isn’t disappointed in being tagged, telling NFL Network’s Jane Slater on Monday night he’s ready to prove his worth once more. “I feel like they have given me the opportunity to really break the bank next year,” Lawrence said. The Cowboys and Lawrence have until July 16 to work out a long-term extension or the pass rusher will play on the tag he signed hours after....

March 8 - March 14, 2018

Marketing/Public Relations

The Top 10 Centers in NBA History

I Love My Sabbath

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Phenixx Marketing - Telea Stafford

Design Layout The Lyons Group LLc

Advisory Board Kevin Lyons Chris Arnold Rolondo Blackman Roger B Brown Ken Carter Derek Harper Charlie Parker Preston Pearson Mel Renfro Rayfield Wright R. L. Woodard Subscription and advertising rates Inquiries call: 469-249-2411 • Issn 1933-2092 • 411 sports llc Is published by 411 sports, llc. all rights reserved. reproduction In whole and in part without written consent is prohibited. • Views of editorial content do not necessary reflect the views of 411 sports llc, • 3201 Maple ave • Dallas, TX 75202

Spittin’ at the water cooler From the Publisher This week’s blessing is “Receive What God Gives”. By Max Lucado:

They could not drive out the inhabitants... The Cannaanites were determined to dwell in that land. Joshua 17:12

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Do not be like the Hebrews. When God delivered the Promised Land into their hands and Joshua doled out the lots, they didn’t hold up their end of the deal. I wish I could report that each tribe moved quicklyinto it’s land, drove out the inhabitants, and put the acreage to good use. They didn’t. In some cases the tribes did not drive out the enemies (Joshua 13:13, 16:10, 17:12). Your enemy, the Devil, is determined to linger in your land as well. You must drive him out. He will lureyou with thoughts of greed, power, or jealousy. Be on your guard. Other tribes fell victim not to Canaanites but to their own laziness. Long after Joshua had distributed the land, seven of the tribes were still in the military camp. Joshua had to scold them. “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?” (Joshua 18:3)

That honor belongs to Le’Veon Bell, the best running back in the league and arguably the most versatile. He would’ve been at the top of many teams’ wish lists — alas, the Steelers are expected to give him the franchise tag for the second straight year. The Seahawks could look a lot different next year. Michael Bennett was traded to the Eagles and now rumors are swirling about Richard Sherman. The trade rumor mill is also heating up at this time of year. The Miami Dolphins waited less than a day to franchise tag receiver Jarvis Landry, but they could end up trading him instead. The legal tampering period starts on March 12 and wraps up on March 14 at 4 p.m. ET. That’s when the 2018 league year starts and teams can start officially inking new deals with players. 7 signs you picked too many NCAA tournament upsets We know how fun it is to pick that 15 over a 2. Hey, it’s March, so maybe it even makes sense to do it more than once. But that made us wonder: how do you know when you’ve overdone it and made too many upset picks? Here’s how, including a tip for those 15 vs 2 games:

Don’t make the same mistake. You are an heir with Christ of God’s estate. What God said to Joshua, he says to you: “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you” (Joshua 1:3).

1. You pick a No. 16 seed over a No. 1 seed

But you must possess it. You must deliberately receive what God so graciously gives.

3. You don’t have at least two Big Ten teams in the Sweet 16

All that you need to enter the Promised Land is to walk by faith. So walk! Move forward! Find your lot in life and live in it.

4. You don’t have at least one ACC team in the Elite Eight

Now time to spit at the water cooler!!!

5. The sum of the seeds of your Final Four teams is greater than 20

Free agency is almost upon us. That means it’s time to try to keep up with all of the rumors about where the best players are going to land this offseason.

6. You don’t have any teams in the Final Four whose primary color is blue or orange

Kirk Cousins is next in line to become the highest-paid player in NFL history. Teams will be lining up to outbid each other on the open market to land the hottest name in free agency this year. Cousins is the main free agent people want to talk about. But he isn’t our No. 1 ranked free agent.

2. You pick more than 10 double-digit seeds to win in the first round or more than five in the second round

7. You’ve picked a No. 15 seed over a No. 2 seed without considering free throws

Cedric E Lyons clyons@411sportsnews.com

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March 8- March 14, 2018

BASIC ATHLETIC MEASUREMENT (BAM) Comes to Dallas

t’s time for a new way to watch and analyze the game. Join us March 17, 2018 at Nation Drive in Dallas, Texas for energy packed sessions of learning and fun hosted by Radio Nation DJs. Enjoy appearances from top industry leaders and celebrity sports guests. See Coach Nick for a live taping of B-Ball Breakdown or check out The Drive Podcast from our Main stage. Plus, contests, prizes and exciting giveaways. Test Like A Pro

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THE ATHLETIC TESTING EXPERTS Basic Athletic Measurement (BAM) is the leader in standardized testing and data acquisition. BAM has been the official combine testing service for the NBA Draft for the last 10 years. BAM also provides athletic assessment to Division 1 universities, leagues, and youth sports organizations. BAMScore The BAMScore is Basic Athletic Measurement’s proprietary index for measuring athletic performance, objective benchmarking for physical development, and validating on-field performance parameters. It is the “”athletic SAT” score. Combining proprietary technology with 30 years of coaching and research, the BAMScore gives athletes coaches and trainers a truly objective, standardized method for assessing performance. The Founders

March 8 - March 14, 2018

Basic Athletic Measurement’s founders, Brett Brungardt and Martin Haase, have combined their skills and passion into a unique business opportunity for success. Brett and Martin’s backgrounds are complimentary. Brett is a strength and conditioning coach. He has over thirty years’ experience; he was the strength and conditioning coach for the Dallas Mavericks, men’s and women’s basketball teams at the University of Washington, and two professional teams in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Martin has a background in software and statistics. Martin’s experience includes over ten years of consulting in application development, data warehousing, and enterprise systems. Most recently, Martin has been working with Microsoft on their web properties and file delivery infrastructure.

Their Services Basic Athletic Measurement (BAM) addresses a fundamental issue impacting all sports – accurate athletic assessment. Athletic assessment relies on stop watches, manual data collection, and non-standardized testing protocols. Due to bias and inconsistency, comparing and benchmarking an athlete’s performance has been a subjective measure. BAM created a process and technology that addresses this. Success Stories Donnie Nelson - President of Basketball Operations, Dallas Mavericks “Assessment is an instrumental component for establishing benchmarks. Which in almost any situation are the standards that lead to improvement and success.” David Robinson – NBA MVP, voted top 50 player of all time “Testing, evaluation, and comparative analysis, should be viewed as motivational. These components are essential for improving any type of performance.” Pat Jenkins - Head Athletic Trainer, University of Washington “Reliable and valid performance tests help set standards that are very useful in rehabilitation protocols and recovery parameters.” For more information go to: https://www.sportsscienceexpo.com/

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Demarcus Lawrence: I could ‘break the bank’ next year

one player. This is shaking out to be an ideal situation that’s been handled perfectly by all parties involved. Tank is willing and able to prove it once again. He has a realistic grasp of his sitatuion and is responding the right way.

The Cowboys and Lawrence have until July 16 to work out a long-term extension or the pass rusher will play on the tag he signed hours after it was utilized by the team.

Another prospect that played his college football in the state of Texas is Marcus Davenport. The Cowboys also met with the defensive end.

The 25-year-old told NFL.com during the Pro Bowl: “Franchise not bad. Contract not bad.” His actions on Monday reiterate that confidence about his future.

Lawrence’s plan is to simply “work my butt off to make sure I’m the best football player possible,” he told Slater. If that happens, the Cowboys will gladly pay big money to keep him in Dallas down the road.

How does placing the franchise tag on DeMarcus Lawrence affect the Cowboys? Without question, the Cowboys’ defense is better with Lawrence. He had a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2017. The coaches credited him with 52 quarterback pressures, a staggering figure not seen by a Cowboys pass-rusher since Hall of Famer Charles Haley was credited with 52 in 1994. Lawrence’s effectiveness goes to the running game, too. He had six tackles for loss, which was the most among the team’s defensive linemen. The Cowboys allowed 3.88 yards per rush with Lawrence on the field in 2017 and 4.19 yards per rush without him. If Lawrence produces another double-digit-sack season without a long-term deal in place, then the price will go up. If the Cowboys wanted to tag him a second time in 2019, it could cost upwards of $20 million. That could affect the Cowboys’ future dealings with Dak Prescott or Ezekiel Elliott, who can receive new deals for the first time after 2018. If Martin does not get an extension this offseason, then the Cowboys will face the possibility of losing either Martin or Lawrence in 2019 because a team can use the franchise tag on only

Although Dallas already has a solid slot receiver in Cole Beasley and drafted his backup, Ryan Switzer, in the fourth round last year, they did strike up an informal conversation with Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk while the combine was in progress. According to John Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Kirk and the Cowboys went over Dallas’ offense and coverages. Report: Cowboys met with UTSA pass rusher Marcus Davenport - Patrik Walker, Cowboys247

Unlike some players, like Le’Veon Bell, who detest the short-term commitment of the tag and are willing to sit out of offseason workouts or even going so far as to threaten retirement, Lawrence has always been fine with the prospect of one year of big guaranteed money.

For a young player entering his prime, playing a premier position for one of the NFL’s most high-profile teams, it makes sense for Lawrence not to fret over a long-term deal just yet.

The Cowboys met with the former collegiate star.

Dallas isn’t eager to hand out $100 million to a player who’s technically a one-year wonder. They are choosing fiscal restraint and are willing to endure a little discomfort rather than gamble for the sake of comfort. Both sides know, if Tank repeats his 2017 performance he’ll be in line for the biggest defensive contract in the NFL. Now that we got all the math out of the way, where does all this leave the Cowboys in terms of free agency? Well, we’re smart enough around BTB to know that spending heavily in free agency is just not part of this organization’s philosophy. Besides, by the time the Cowboys work out deals for Martin and Lawrence, free agency could be a distant memory. Instead, expect it to be another quiet offseason this spring as the Cowboys go bottom-fishing again for a couple of veterans on the cheap. As much posturing that Stephen Jones has been doing regarding Dez Bryant, the two sides need to work that out because replacement options are not looking good. Jarvis Landry was tagged and other high profile guys will be expensive. The best the Cowboys could hope for is that new position coach Sanjay Lal can lure Donte Moncrief on a one-year prove-it deal. Other Cowboys news Cowboys meet with Kirk, other wideouts during NFL Combine - Jeff Tarpley, GigEm247 One of the most electrifying players in this class is Christian Kirk from the Texas A&M Aggies.

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Davenport towers about at an impressive 6-foot5, weighing in at 264 lb. and while he’s not quite the alien specimen Irving is, he’s taller and carries more mass than does Lawrence while also being a shade shorter and lighter than Charlton. In other words, he’s physically right up the Cowboys’ alley. What’s most impressive is how he can get his body in gear though, having the speed and quickness to match his aggression -which makes sense considering he played three sports in high school, which included being a sprinter. That would explain why his 40-yard dash was faster than some defensive backs. Report: Cowboys met with Wake Forest safety Jessie Bates - Patrik Walker, Cowboys247 A safety that the Cowboys are looking at is former Wake Forest Demon Deacons star Jessie Bates. Like Church, Bates is not afraid to lower his pads and deliver punishment to a ball-carrier. His aggressiveness and physical nature will serve him well but he’ll need to be careful with the former, as it can force him into taking the wrong angle for a tackle. Overpursuit is an issue the Cowboys fought through with the now-departed J.J. Wilcox, and they’d like to avoid swimming in that pool again. While Bates is not as challenged in that arena as Wilcox was, it’s still an opportunity for improvement in his otherwise impressive skill set -- one that also gives him the ability to play to top of slot routes. Miller has the Cowboys going offensive line in round one. Wynn, a left tackle at Georgia, has the perfect build for a left guard and brings excellent athleticism into a scheme that fits his movement skills and length. If fans want to see Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott at their best in 2018, giving them a top-tier left guard like Wynn and rounding out the offensive line is a way to get it.

March 8- March 14, 2018

The Sport Specific Approach to Strength Training Programs - By: Jillian Anderson

port-specific strength training programs are fundamental to an athlete’s development and success. Long gone are the days when coaches shunned weight lifting for fear that it might hinder the performance of fine skill and correct technique. It’s now accepted that high levels of strength are a prerequisite to superior speed, power, strength endurance and overall sporting performance.

Bodybuilding and Olympic weightlifting programs still dominate many athletes’ training regimes. While these types of training have their place, strength training for sport consists of a more refined approach than simply lifting heavy weights as many times as possible. This article outlines the concept and the benefits of a periodized strength training plan. This is the most effective approach to strength training for sport. Not only does it help in the prevention of over training, it gives the athlete the best chance of peaking physically at the right time. The principle of specificity states that training should mirror the demands of the sport as closely as possible (1). This applies not only to way the

body’s energy systems and neuromuscular system is taxed (through manipulation of intensity and rest intervals etc) but also to the movement patterns of each exercise.

Bodybuilders tend to isolate a muscle group and work it to exhaustion. Athletes on the other hand should train movements rather than muscles. A simple example is the vertical jump. The muscles involved in this action (calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals etc.) could be trained separately with exercise choices such as toe raises, leg extensions, leg curls, kickbacks and so on. A more appropriate exercise however is a barbell squat, which closely matches the movement pattern of the vertical jump. Taken a step further, jump squats are even more specific to jumping and it’s not surprising that they increase vertical jump performance to the greatest extent (4). Athletes must divide their time and energy amongst various types of training – endurance, strength and power, speed and agility, tactical etc., and find the time to recover! By choosing only the most appropriate resistance exercises volume can be kept to a minimum saving energy for other types of training.

Many of the sample strength training programs within this section of the website consist of relatively few exercises. This is deliberate and while it may seem unbalanced at first glance, it takes into account other training the athlete is expected to complete. Basic Strength Basic strength training programs adapt the body for more strenuous resistance training later on. It’s objective is to prepare the body by targeting all of the major muscle groups, tendons, ligaments and joints helping to prevent injury (2). The less experienced an athlete is, the more time they will need to spend developing foundational strength before progressing onto more advanced forms of resistance training. But even experienced athletes should set aside some time during the year to complete a phase of basic strength training. It can help to redress some of the muscle imbalances that inherently occur with competitive sport. For more on this article www.sport-fitness-advisor.com

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PFF Draft Board: Top 50 players for the 2018 NFL Draft

he PFF Draft Board is our ever-changing look at the top players available for the 2018 NFL Draft. While the PFF production grades are used to fuel the process, our analysts are hard at work deciphering each player’s strengths and weaknesses while looking for added context for their production through an extensive film study. Here’s a look at the newest iteration of the PFF Draft Board as we head towards the 2018 NFL Draft. The 2018 NFL Draft Guide is here! For PFF Edge & Elite subscribers, a comprehensive guide featuring player profiles of signature stats, grades and exclusive PFF content including position by position rankings. Find out more information here and join PFF now! 1. BAKER MAYFIELD, OKLAHOMA – QUARTERBACK From a pure production standpoint, Mayfield has been in another class, and he has the necessary NFL tools despite questions about his height. He owns the two top PFF grades since 2014 and possesses the arm, accuracy and playmaking ability to be the best quarterback in the class. Mayfield has posted the lowest percentage of negatively graded throws in the nation for two straight years, and he led the draft class in big-time throw percentage last season, showing he was what it takes to create big plays down the field.

2. SAM DARNOLD, USC – QUARTERBACK Darnold’s high-end play is as good as it gets in the class, as he has next-level feel in the middle of the field and he’s capable of making big plays outside of structure. Those skills showed through with the No. 2 percentage of big-time throws in the draft class last season, though he must improve his ball security after posting the fifth-highest percentage of turnover-worthy plays. Darnold has two years of excellent production at a young age and that should translate to the NFL. 3. MAURICE HURST, MICHIGAN – INTERIOR DEFENDER The prototypical 3-technique defensive tackle, Hurst offers a pass-rushing toolbox that no other interior player in this class can come close to matching. His four-year career of grades is unlike anything we’ve ever seen at the defensive tackle position, proving his durability and sustainability at the position. 4. DERWIN JAMES, FSU – SAFETY James has all of the tools to become a game-changing playmaker at the next level. His size and athleticism allow him to make plays in coverage against the run and as a pass-rusher. All of James’ skills led to him becoming the nation’s top-graded safety in both 2015 and 2017. He can be a coverage weapon in a two-high safety look or in man coverage against tight ends and slot

receivers, while his size allows him to be a force in the run game and to get after the quarterback. 5. QUENTON NELSON, NOTRE DAME – GUARD Nelson is the cleanest offensive line prospect in our four years of grading every snap of every game at the FBS level. His combination of flawless technique, athleticism and strength is beyond rare. You’ll hear me throw around the term ‘can’t miss’ almost never. Nelson is can’t miss. 6. JOSH ROSEN, UCLA – QUARTERBACK Last year’s top-graded quarterback on intermediate (10-19-yard) throws, Rosen has the zip and touch to make tight-window throws. His aggressiveness allows him to create big-play opportunities all over the field, but it also gets him into trouble with a high percentage of turnover-worthy plays. Rosen graded between 84.0 and 86.3 in all three years of his career at UCLA, all solid grades, though not the dominant performances you’d like to see for a quarterback in the mix to be the first overall pick. 7. SAQUON BARKLEY, PENN STATE – RUNNING BACK One of the most dynamic receivers at the running back position enters a league where passing has never been more important. Barkley is by far the best and most complete back in this class and a

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March 8- March 14, 2018

PFF Draft Board: Top 50 players for the 2018 NFL Draft threat to take it to the house on any given play. He ranked fifth in 2017 among all FBS backs with a breakaway percentage of 56.8. His only real negative is a tendency to pass up three yards in tight confines to try and break outside for a bigger gain, but that is more than offset by the good he can do. 8. HAROLD LANDRY, BOSTON COLLEGE – EDGE DEFENDER If Landry came out a season ago, he may very well have been a top-10 pick. His high end as a pass-rusher is as dominant as anyone we’ve graded at the college level not named Bosa or Garrett. We can forgive an injury-riddled 2017 when athleticism is such a big part of Landry’s game. 9. JOSH JACKSON, IOWA – CORNERBACK Iowa’s Jackson broke out with a huge season in 2017, not just leading all corners in overall PFF grade in 2017, but he had the highest grade we have seen from any of the corners in this class across their entire college careers. He allowed an NFL passer rating of just 36.5 when targeted on 91 passes, a lower mark than if the quarterback had just thrown the ball at the dirt every play instead. He is also extremely young at the position, having only moved to corner in 2015, so his potential is sky high. 10. ROQUAN SMITH, GEORGIA – LINEBACKER The class of this year’s linebacker crop, Georgia’s Roquan Smith is a talented and athletic linebacker

who perfectly fits the mold of the modern NFL. Like Atlanta’s Deion Jones, Smith has the talent to be a matchup weapon on defense when it comes to coverage and has the speed and athleticism to make plays sideline to sideline, neutralizing some of the game’s most effective offensive weapons. There will be people that nitpick his game, but his PFF grades have been excellent and he had 74 defensive stops in 2017, the second-most among all linebackers. His coverage skills can be something special at the next level, he is the best linebacker in this class and should be taken high in the first round. 11. MINKAH FITZPATRICK, ALABAMA – CORNERBACK 12. ARDEN KEY, LSU – EDGE DEFENDER 13. MIKE MCGLINCHEY, NOTRE DAME – TACKLE 14. CONNOR WILLIAMS, TEXAS – TACKLE 15. MASON RUDOLPH, OKLAHOMA STATE – QUARTERBACK 16. VITA VEA, WASHINGTON – INTERIOR DEFENDER 17. TREMAINE EDMUNDS, VIRGINIA TECH – LINEBACKER 18. FRANK RAGNOW, ARKANSAS – CENTER 19. ISAIAH WYNN, GEORGIA – GUARD 20. DENZEL WARD, OHIO STATE – CORNERBACK 21. BRADLEY CHUBB, NC STATE – EDGE DEFENDER 22. MICHAEL GALLUP, COLORADO STATE – WIDE RECEIVER 23. LAMAR JACKSON, LOUISVILLE – QUARTERBACK 24. CALVIN RIDLEY, ALABAMA – WIDE RECEIVER 25. RONALD JONES II, USC – RUNNING BACK 26. JAMES WASHINGTON, OKLAHOMA STATE – WIDE RECEIVER 27. DALLAS GOEDERT, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE – TIGHT END 28. LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH, BOISE STATE – LINEBACKER 29. MARK ANDREWS,

March 8 - March 14, 2018

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OKLAHOMA – TIGHT END 30. WILL HERNANDEZ, UTEP – GUARD 31. COURTLAND SUTTON, SMU – WIDE RECEIVER 32. ORLANDO BROWN, OKLAHOMA – TACKLE 33. DONTE JACKSON, LSU – CORNERBACK 34. JOSH ALLEN, WYOMING – QUARTERBACK 35. RASHAAD PENNY, SDSU – RUNNING BACK 36. JAMARCO JONES, OHIO STATE – TACKLE 37. MIKE HUGHES, UCF – CORNERBACK 38. NICK CHUBB, GEORGIA – RUNNING BACK 39. ISAIAH OLIVER, COLORADO – CORNERBACK 40. MARCUS DAVENPORT, UTSA – EDGE DEFENDER 41. CEDRICK WILSON, BOISE STATE – WIDE RECEIVER 42. OGBONNIA OKORONKWO, OKLAHOMA – EDGE DEFENDER 43. RASHAAN EVANS, ALABAMA – LINEBACKE 44. D.J. MOORE, MARYLAND – WIDE RECEIVER 45. JAIRE ALEXANDER, LOUISVILLE – CORNERBACK 46. RONNIE HARRISON, ALABAMA – SAFETY 47. SONY MICHEL, GEORGIA – RUNNING BACK 48. HERCULES MATA’AFA, WASHINGTON STATE – EDGE DEFENDER 49. DERRIUS GUICE, LSU – RUNNING BACK 50. DA’RON PAYNE, ALABAMA – INTERIOR DEFENDER

The Top 10 Centers in NBA History

hroughout basketball history, having a franchise center has been a crucial part of building a championship team. The best NBA centers have carried the success of many basketball teams. A lot of teams spend years looking for a dominant center, but not too many graduate from project to an iconic, Hall of Fame big man. Some teams have had better luck than others when landing a great NBA center. The Los Angeles Lakers has been the best NBA team at developing and trading for the best centers in the league. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan and Shaquille O’Neal are all center who have played for the Lakers. Another team that’s had a number great centers on its roster is the Houston Rockets. Counting Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Yao Ming as its alumni, the Rockets now have Dwight Howard on their roster, a player who is considered by many to be the best center in the NBA right now and rapidly climbing the list of the greatest centers of all time. While a great center may not guarantee a championship, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have any of the big men on this list on your team.

Originally by Ranker Community include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 8th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 14th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks. Largely due to his ability to dunk the basketball, O’Neal also ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%).

Many of these centers are the biggest names in basketball history. They have MVP awards, scoring titles and Defensive Player of the Year awards spread among them. Vote the center who you think deserves to be called the best center of all time.

William Felton Russell played center for the Boston Celtics of the from 1956 to 1969. A fivetime NBA Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty, winning eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career. Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league (tied with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League). Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. NBA coach Pat Riley and players Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving have called him the greatest basketball player of all time. Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal “Shaq” At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall and 325 pounds (147 kg), he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA, where he played for six teams throughout his 19-year career. O’Neal’s individual accolades

Wilton Norman Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the (NBA); he played for the University of Kansas and also for the Harlem Globetrotters before playing in the NBA. The 7 foot 1 inch Chamberlain is widely considered one of the greatest and most dominant players in NBA history. Chamberlain holds numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding, and durability categories. He is the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game or average more than 40 and 50 points in a season. He also won seven scoring, eleven rebounding, nine field goal percentage titles and led the league in assists once. Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season, a feat he accomplished seven times. He is also the only player to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game over the entire course of his NBA career. Although

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he suffered a long string of professional losses, Chamberlain had a successful career, winning two NBA championships, earning four regular-season Most Valuable Player awards, the Rookie of the Year award, one NBA Finals MVP award, and being selected to 13 All-Star Games and ten All-NBA First and Second teams.

Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon played from 1984 to 2002, he played for the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-toback NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. He was nicknamed “The Dream” during his basketball career after he dunked so effortlessly that his college coach said it “looked like a dream.” Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. He combined with the 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the “Twin Towers”. The two led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals, where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics. After Sampson was traded to the Warriors in 1988, Olajuwon became the Rockets’ undisputed leader. He led the league in rebounding twice (1989, 1990) and blocks three times (1990, 1991, 1993).

David Maurice Robinson played center for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for his entire career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname “The Admiral”. Robinson is a 10-time NBA All-Star, the 1995

see Players continued on page 18

March 8- March 14, 2018

There Are More of Us Than There Are of Them KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS CENTER / MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES If you’re a minority in America, just watching the news can be exhausting.

et’s start with the facts: Charlottesville was not only a sign that racism is still alive, but also a showing of the lack of love and respect humanity has for each other. Over the last week or two, I refreshed Twitter like crazy thinking if I just read enough I’d be able to make sense of it all, know what I mean? Maybe you’ve been doing the same thing. This week I’m back in Lexington to play in our annual alumni game and it’s still on my mind. I’ve even been talking about Charlottesville with strangers. Last Wednesday, in a car on the way to LAX, my driver and I got to talking. He was an older black man, maybe in his 60s or 70s, and I was pretty sure he had a Southern accent. My grandmother was born in Georgia, and his accent sounded the same. Anyway, the man told me that he had grown up in Louisiana in the 1960s, and I told him I was from New Jersey, with a Dominican mom and a dad who’s black. Next thing, we got into Charlottesville and what it meant. He talked about growing up in the South in the ’60s. He saw the bathroom signs that said “white” and “colored.” He remembers how he and his friends crossed the street because they knew that the wrong stare at someone could get them in trouble. Before he dropped me off, he said that even though Charlottesville enraged him, it bothered him way more that this is the norm that I know. When a man from Louisiana, which has one of the most racist histories in the country, says that he feels 2017 reminds him of the 1960s, that’s a problem and it’s disheartening. For a lot of Americans, Charlottesville wasn’t just a news event that we watched. It was an emotional event that was deeply felt by communities of all races. It was like seeing things we learned in fifth grade history class and realizing how important and relevant our history is.

March 8 - March 14, 2018

It’s crazy because one year ago, I felt some of these same feelings. It was after I saw the video of Philando Castile being killed. Right in broad daylight. For doing nothing wrong. Right on Facebook. Right in St. Paul … my city. Philando’s city. My Timberwolves teammates and I talked about Philando after that tragedy and his name came up now and then over the last season — because, with that incident, it felt personal. It was a Twin Cities thing. It hit close to home. I don’t remember exactly what we said, but it was kind of like this: We’re all sitting there, as minorities in a league that’s mostly minority, and we’re wondering, What if I didn’t play in the NBA … would that be me? There was one thing I didn’t feel about Charlottesville. I didn’t feel shocked by it. Yeah, I was disappointed but not shocked. It’s not a surprise to me that racism is alive and kicking in 2017. In Charlottesville, I think we saw a more visible form of racism. We don’t see it so public very often, but that kind of hate is sadly … kind of normal. Obviously I don’t mean normal as in acceptable. It’s not. It’s evil. I mean normal as in this is nothing new in our country. It’s something we experience or hear about growing up. America has been struggling with racism since Day One. Our country is built on this. It’s our history. Over time we have been trying to progress from those early days, but it doesn’t happen overnight. I’m 21 — even during my lifetime I’ve seen some major progress. It’s crazy to think about the man who drove me to the airport last week — the amount of change he’s experienced. But again, there’s been a lot of stagnation, too. Just turn on the news

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So that’s why I’m saying I wasn’t shocked. But I take back one part of that … I was shocked by one thing. I was shocked by how our President responded to Charlottesville. Our President was given a layup: Denounce white supremacists. And he couldn’t … and wouldn’t. He missed … he missed badly. I think about it like this: The President’s response, in basketball terms … ’cause you may know I know a little about the sport … was just like catching the ball on a fast break — no one else is even past half court — and then tripping on your own feet inside the paint as the ball flies out of bounds. Should’ve been pretty easy. It’s disheartening when our President doesn’t understand his words carry a tremendous amount of weight. It’s really hard to see our President refuse to stand up for what’s right — at a time when the country needs it. Especially for minorities. It’s not like we’re talking about taxes or something. We’re talking about the big issue that has divided the country since its birth. Like I said before, I’m a positive, optimistic person. I really, truly try to live my life with love. I try my hardest to treat everyone the same way, no matter what. I hope my friends would tell you that about me, too. And here’s how I try to look at what happened in Charlottesville: First, there are more of us than there are of them. There are more Americans who want to understand other people — people who look past pigmentation … people who talk with love that can shiver a person’s mind and soul … and people who live to improve not only their families’ lives, but the lives of every family in this beautiful country. There are more of those people than there are people who want to divide, degrade and corrupt us.

Player Profile

Personally, I’ve been disappointed. Not sad, but disappointed. I’ve even been kind of … defeated. Not hopeless — I’ve got hope. But just exhausted. If you’re a minority in America, just watching the news can be exhausting. Normally, I’m an optimistic guy. What you see is what you get. But I guess these emotions can creep up on you.

to see all the ways we’re going backward sometimes and forward other times.

I’m not so naive that I think it’s easy. It makes me think of this quote by Albert Einstein that I read: “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” I think he means that, yeah, there are more good people than bad people, but it only matters if the good people act on their values. See the rest of this story on 411sportsnews.com

Cover Story

The tankless Mavericks are following their Leader... or are they

he Dallas Mavericks have had a rough go of things this season. At 18-40 they currently have the thirdworst record in the entire league, and could very well finish last when the regular season comes to a close in April. Though no one wants to tank, it’s clearly in the Mavericks’ best interest at this point to lose as many games as possible the rest of the way in order to ensure they get the best possible draft pick. Fans and media will be sure to discuss the tanking that will go on the rest of the way from numerous teams, not just the Mavs. But, in a rare turn of events, even Dallas owner Mark Cuban has admitted it’s in the team’s best interest to start losing games. Via ESPN:

thrilled to hear an owner publicly acknowledging that his team should try to lose games. Even though it is in the Mavericks’ best interest longterm to start doing so, it’s just a bad look for the team and the league to have an owner admit to trying to lose. Plus, it’s pretty interesting that Cuban actually told the players as much. It would have been interesting to see how that conversation went. The current players probably weren’t thrilled to hear that they should start losing so the team could draft a player that would take one of their spots. But anyway. During the offseason, the league put changes to the NBA Draft Lottery in place to try and prevent teams from doing just what the Mavericks are planning to do. However, those changes will not go into effect until the 2018-19 season.

Is Mavs’ Benching of Dirk in Clutch Time a Tanking Move? Dirk Nowitzki is so far out of the play that he’s literally standing out of bounds.

That’s right: the Mavs have turned Dirk Nowitzki into Bismack Biyombo.

It’s late November, and this is the play that Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has

It’s hard not to see how this fits into the larger picture of losing games on purpose.

Cuban told Julius Irving on the House Call with Dr. J podcast that he shared that sentiment with the team recently.

As Cuban noted, the league will not be

On first inspection, this was just one of the many instances in which Dallas has blown a close game this season. But the sequence also tells a much greater and potentially damning story about the Mavericks in crunch time: When it comes to winning time, the Mavs have either ignored Nowitzki—the best and most clutch player in franchise history—or just sat him altogether. The details are puzzling, especially when you consider that the only reason he’s out on the court is to score. In 40 minutes of clutch situations—games that head into the final five minutes with a point margin of five or less—Nowitzki has taken just nine shots. His usage rate—the percentage of team plays used by a player— in clutch situations is a ghastly 12 percent, which ranks ninth on the team behind rookie Maxi Kleber and Yogi Ferrell. For some additional perspective, Dirk’s usage rate is the same as Bismack Biyombo, the least-used NBA player among all active veterans (minimum 300 games played).

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban calls tanking “brutal” but acknowledged that he told his team that it would be best to lose for the rest of the 2017-18 season.

“I’m probably not supposed to say this, but, like, I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night, and here we are, you know, we weren’t competing for the playoffs. I was like, ‘Look, losing is our best option,’” Cuban said on the podcast. “Adam [Silver] would hate hearing that, but I at least sat down and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans were going to be this summer, that we’re not going to tank again. This was, like, a year-and-a-half tanking, and that was too brutal for me. But being transparent, I think that’s the key to being kind of a players owner and having stability.”

drawn up with 23 seconds left in a tie game against the surging Boston Celtics. Harrison Barnes begins at the top of the key, and goes one-on-one against Boston’s top-ranked defense. As the isolation unfolds, Nowitzki barely moves. The 7-footer doesn’t trot up for his signature pick-and-pop. He doesn’t even ask for the ball. Instead, Nowitzki idly watches. Barnes dribbles to the left elbow and fires up a fadeaway 18-footer that clanks off the rim. Nowitzki hardly goes for the rebound, as the buzzer sounds. Overtime. The Mavericks would go on to lose the game 110-102, plunging their record to an NBA-worst 3-15.

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March 8- March 14, 2018

This is the final year under the current draft lottery system in which the worst team in the NBA receives a 25 percent chance at the No. 1 pick. (Next season, the worst three teams will each have an equal 14 percent chance at the pick.) The Mavs front office seems aware of this. In February, Dallas owner Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 after he admitted on the House Call with Dr. J podcast: “I said, ‘Look, losing is our best option’ … Adam [Silver] would hate hearing that ... This was, like, a year-and-a-half of tanking.”

Last week, USA Today obtained a memo in which Commissioner Adam Silver forcefully outlined his position on tanking: “If we ever received evidence that players or coaches were attempting to lose or otherwise taking steps to cause any game to result otherwise than on its competitive merits, that conduct would be met with the swiftest and harshest response possible from the league office.” The commissioner then turned his focus to the Mavs: “We have no basis at this time to conclude that the Mavericks team is giving anything less than its best effort on the court, and Mark has assured us that this is not the case.” Nowitzki is 39, and some have suggested that he is simply too old—that he just doesn’t have it down the stretch. After 20 years in the league, maybe one of

March 8 - March 14, 2018

Maybe the Mavs have found a better option than Nowitzki in the game’s closing moments. When he has been used during clutch time, the future Hall of Famer has only converted on three of his nine attempts, a less-than-stellar 33 percent fieldgoal percentage. Dennis Smith Jr., the Mavs’ Rookie of the Year candidate, has taken five times as many clutch shots as Nowitzki while shooting 32 percent. Maybe the team wants to give the youth the ball in the name of “player development” as Cuban now calls it? If that’s the case, then why has 31-year-old Wesley Matthews taken 34 more clutch shots than Nowitzki (while shooting an abysmal 25 percent)? The uncomfortable answer is likely this: Nowitzki is too good to get the ball if you’re trying to lose. He is one of the best tough-shot-makers in the game’s history, if not the best. Since 2000, Nowitzki has made 135 shots to go ahead or tie in the final minute of a game, which is more than the next three highest Mavs players combined. For a Mavs fan—many of whom show up to games clad in No. 41 jerseys—there may be nothing cooler than watching Nowitzki try to win it in the closing moments. And yet, he has taken just one of the team’s 25 field-goal attempts in those do-or-die scenarios this season. (Dennis Smith, Wesley Matthews, J.J. Barea and Ferrell have shot a combined 0-of-15 on such attempts.) This did not happen with Kobe Bryant,

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whose final act was somewhat of a dream come true for Lakers fans. Even as the team tanked, fans still got to see Kobe go out on fire. In his final season, Kobe’s usage rate in clutch situations was a blistering 47 percent, the highest in the NBA. By contrast, Nowitzki—a fellow 30,000-point-club member—ranks 255th in the same category this season, nipping at the heels of Andrew Harrison and Bojan Bogdanovic. And that’s if Nowitzki is playing at all. As outlined by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst , the Mavericks have curiously benched Nowitzki in critical moments; he has played just 40 of the team’s 138 minutes of clutch time this season. And most of those came early in the season. In the last two months, as the race to the bottom has intensified, fans in the audience have watched Nowitzki sit on the bench for 54 of the team’s 60 nail-biting minutes.

Cover Story

Tanking has always been framed as an upstairs issue. Front offices tank, but coaches and players do not. But it’s difficult not to interpret the marginalization of the greatest Mavs player as evidence of on-court tanking. The Mavs currently hold a 9-31 record in clutch situations, by far the worst in the NBA.

the most unblockable shooters ever has suddenly become easier to deny. But Nowitzki is still spry enough to start for the Mavs, and advanced metrics consistently rate him as an above-average player. His 25 minutes per game are just about the same as last season. He wasn’t frozen out then; in 46 minutes of clutch situations, Nowitzki took 22 shots. When compared to this season, the former Finals MVP has magically seen his role in winning moments sliced in half.

The Mavericks’ plan was going smoothly until Cuban hopped onto Dr. J’s podcast. The team lost close game after close game, and no one had put the national spotlight on Carlisle’s substitution patterns. But in the second game following Cuban’s fine, Carlisle played Nowitzki down the stretch for two critical offensive possessions in the final minute against Utah. After last Monday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, Nowitzki was asked about Cuban’s comment that the best option for the Mavs is to lose games. “You play your minutes hard and you play to win,” Nowitzki told reporters. But it’s tough to win if Nowitzki doesn’t get those minutes.

On Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nowitzki drained a deep three to put the Mavs up seven with 6:44 left in the fourth. Less than a minute later, Carlisle subbed out Nowitzki and never put him back in. The Mavericks were held scoreless for almost all of the game’s final four minutes, and went on to lose 111-110 in overtime. Nowitzki finished with a team-best plus-10 in the plus-minus category.

So why was he forced to watch from the bench? The loss put Nowitzki’s Mavs a half-game away from the worst record held by none other than Biyombo’s Orlando Magic. Unless otherwise noted, all stats from NBA.com and Basketball Reference, and are current heading into games on March 8

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March 8- March 14, 2018

TIDBITS By Shellye Lyons

ia Long whose given name is Nitara Carlynn “Nia” Long is an actress best known for her roles in The Fresh Prince and Third Watch TV series. She also starred in some of my favorite movies listed below: 1. In Too Deep - Drug lord Dwayne Gittens (LL Cool J) rules Cincinnati with an iron fist. No wonder he’s known as “God” on the streets. Determined to break Gittens’ stranglehold on the city is undercover cop Jeffrey Cole (Omar Epps). Supporting him in the difficult task ahead is his girlfriend (Nia Long) and his tough-as-nails commander (Stanley Tucci). But as Cole takes on an assumed identity to penetrate Gittens’ criminal empire, he makes a disturbing discovery -- he kind of likes being a gangster. 2. Boyz n the Hood - Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is sent to live with his father, Furious Styles (Larry Fishburne), in tough South Central Los Angeles. Although his hard-nosed father instills proper values and respect in him, and his devout girlfriend Brandi (Nia Long) teaches him about faith, Tre’s friends Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Ricky (Morris Chestnut) don’t have the same kind of support and are drawn into the neighborhood’s booming drug and gang culture, with

Nia Long and the movies that made her

increasingly tragic results. 3. Soul Food - When Ahmad Simmons’ (Brandon Hammond) diabetic grandmother, Josephine “Big Mama” Joseph (Irma P. Hall), falls into a coma during an operation to amputate her leg, it throws the Joseph family into chaos. Ahmad watches as his mother, Maxine (Vivica A. Fox), and aunts Teri (Vanessa L. Williams) and Tracy (Nia Long) struggle to adjust to the family matriarch’s sudden absence, fall into old rivalries, share memories, and work to maintain the long-standing tradition of Sunday family dinners.

9. Are We There Yet? Attempting to win the favor of the newly divorced Suzanne (Nia

4. Love Jones - Two urban African-Americans, Darius (Larenz Tate), an aspiring writer, and Nina (Nia Long), an aspiring photographer, share an instant connection after a chance meeting at a Chicago club. The two bond over music, photography and poetry, and eventually begin a torrid romance. However, when Nina decides to move to New York and mend her relationship with her ex-fiancé, Marvin (Khalil Kain), it leaves Darius heartbroken, and the couple’s future in jeopardy. 5. The Best Man - After writing a soon-to-be bestselling novel, writer and committed bachelor Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) attempts to hide the fact that his saucy new book is loosely based on the lives and loves of his tight-knit group of friends. Harper is set to be best man at his friend Lance’s (Morris Chestnut) wedding, and all his friends will be in attendance. When an advance copy of the book makes its way into the hands of his ex-flame, Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), Harper attempts to keep it under wraps. 6. Best Man Holiday - Nearly 15 years after they were last together as a group, college friends Lance (Morris Chestnut), Harper (Taye Diggs), Candace (Regina Hall), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Jordan (Nia Long), Murch (Harold Perrineau), and Mia (Monica Calhoun) finally reunite over the Christmas holidays. Though much has changed in their lives, the friends discover just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and passionate romances to be reignited.

March 8 - March 14, 2018

to homeland security and brings a fractured family closer together.

Long), Nick (Ice Cube) offers to accompany her children, Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Bolden), on a flight from Portland, Ore., to Canada to see their mother. A mishap with a corkscrew and a metal detector gets the troupe banned from the flight, however, so Nick is forced to drive the kids in his prized Lincoln Navigator. Tensions inevitably rise during the long road trip, but Nick is not to be deterred. 10. Are We Done Yet? - Nick (Ice Cube) and Suzanne (Nia Long) decide to move to the suburbs to create a better life for children Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Bolden). The contractor (John C. McGinley) they hire to renovate their home has a rather odd way of doing business, complicating the family’s move. Matters spiral further out of control when the contractor clashes with Nick but bonds with Suzanne and the children.

7. Big Momma’s House - FBI agent Malcolm Turner is tough, smart and a master of disguise. There’s nothing he can’t handle. So Malcolm, taking on his most challenging “role” ever, decides to impersonate the cantankerous Southern granny Big Momma. Using a few tricks of disguise, he completely transforms himself into Big Momma, even taking on the corpulent septuagenarian’s everyday routine - from cooking soul food to delivering babies to “testifying” at the local church.

11. Friday - It’s Friday and Craig Jones (Ice Cube) has just gotten fired for stealing cardboard boxes. To make matters worse, rent is due, he hates his overbearing girlfriend, Joi (Paula Jai Parker), and his best friend, Smokey (Chris Tucker), owes the local drug dealer money -- and that’s all before lunch. As the hours drag on, Jones and Smokey experience the gamut of urban life, complete with crackheads, shoot-outs and overly sexual pastors, concentrated into one single, unbelievable Friday.

8. Big Momma’s House 2 - After his mentor is killed, an FBI agent (Martin Lawrence) reprises his disguise as a fat old lady and takes a job as a nanny in a crime suspect’s house. While working on the case, the agent diffuses a threat

12. Single Mom’s Club - When their children face expulsion because of rule infractions,

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see Men continued on page 19 15

HE SAID; SHE SAID

Ladies, if you could provide an upper class lifestyle for yourself, would you marry a man who wanted you to stay home with the kids while he worked and his salary alone made you have to forego the upper class luxuries you were accustomed to?

Why or why not?

By: Winter Harris Victoria Rayelle Clark No. I spent all my life preparing for a career that will give me the lifestyle I want. I’m not passing on that for a man’s pride. I’d give up some of the luxuries to pay for a nanny though. Beverly Johnson I married a man that wanted me to stay home with the kids and we compromised on me working part-time.... it works for us perfect.... it’s been 16 years and I have no complaints The older I get the more I appreciate the option of staying home....I want for nothing Leah C. Young If we could still live comfortably I would. I don’t trust these schools to keep my kids safe and I wouldn’t mind home schooling. Children get into less trouble when a parent is home. I had a stay

Beth Harrow Phone: (817) 980-6260 Fax: (817) 796-2940 www.guidinghandsagency.com Guiding Hands Agency, LLC staff provides compassionate teaching and end of life care for patients as well as their loved ones.

at home parent. We couldn’t do ISH. Bernitha Anderson If money and a luxurious lifestyle makes you happy and it’s your motivation, then don’t do it. If staying home with your kids makes you happy, then stay home. For me, time with my child is priceless. Stephania R. Shine I’m pass that part of my life. Vanady Enjoli Honestly i never wanted to be a stay at home mom but i don’t trust the school systems so now I’m reconsidering Le Conte Stephan I would have to be doing something! But as I get older and have been working from home the last few years I do know the perks lol Candice McKinney Nah Jennifer J My thoughts exactly Xtina Penny Nall Erica Elaine Lee Staying home with my children is very important to me. People don’t realize how crappy preschools are, or how much of an impact the nanny they pick has on their kids for the rest of their lives. My husband and I will need to make an aggressive savings and investment plan so I can stay home and we could maintain our lifestyle. My parents spent 9 years wisely stacking up their money before they had me, and another 3 before they had my brother. We were both born into

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March 8- March 14, 2018

HE SAID; SHE SAID a very financially stable home and enjoyed a childhood and beyond filled with summer/weekend homes, boats, vacations, and no worries about money. I want the same or similar for my children, and I live somewhat below my means now so that I can save money for my future. Taurus King When you say upper class...that means you needs a Lexus instead of equally comparable Toyata. What good is the luxurious life if you keep having to work harder to live it? Latoya Sheppard You lost me at kids .... I’m done with that Ebony Johnson No. He can stay home. Just kidding kind of... Candice McKinney I mean...that kinda came to my mind lol Depending on why he feels so strongly about someone being at home. If it’s legitimate, he can stay LaTayna Greene I stay home now and my kids are 20, 17, and 16. I could have a “more luxurious” life if I worked outside the home (left

Janelle Gamache 1565 W. Main St., Ste 240 Lewisville, Tx 75067

janelle@jannicointl.com 214-542-8001 www.jannicointl.com

my 100K principal career) . However, my being home has proven to be good for my family. I’m less streesed out, I’m available to travel with my husband and to see my college son many miles away, our home runs more smoothly, and all that luxury amounts for nothing if your family is in shambles and falling apart. Temeka Ramsey This is good stuff....now where is that blog? LaTayna Greene It’s coming!!!! Felicia A. Gillison I don’t think I could be a SAHM without LOTS of wine!! Yoshi Heath Yes, I’m a SAHM with 4 children. It works. Sekou Murray As a man, I would be able to provide that lifestyle that she is accustomed to. It would make no sense to downgrade lifestyle for love for a woman. Please believe that the love will diminish after a few McDonald’s extra value meal dinners, less trips, and no financial freedom.

If you want to follow Winter Harris click on these links http://www.facebook.com/thewinterharris http://www.instagram.com/harriswinter http://www.twitter.com/harriswinter March 8 - March 14, 2018

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The Top 10 Centers in NBA History NBA MVP, a two-time NBA Champion (1999 and 2003), a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner (1992, 1996), a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2009 for his individual career, 2010 as a member of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team), and a two-time U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductee (2008 individually, 2009 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team).[1] He is widely considered one of the greatest centers in both college basketball and NBA history.[2] To date, Robinson is the only player from the Naval Academy to play in the NBA. Moses Eugene Malone began his pro career out of high school after he was selected in the third round of the 1974 ABA Draft by the Utah Stars. He was named an ABA All-Star as a rookie and played two seasons in the league until it merged with the NBA in 1976. He landed in the NBA with the Buffalo Braves, who traded him after two games to the Houston Rockets. Malone led the NBA in rebounding six times, including a then-record five straight seasons (1981–1985). He finished his career as the all-time leader in offensive rebounds after leading both the ABA and NBA in the category a combined nine times. Malone was nicknamed “Chairman of the Boards” for his rebounding prowess. Combining his ABA and NBA statistics, he ranks ninth all-time in career points (29,580) and third in total rebounds (17,834). He was named to both the ABA All-Time Team and

the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. played most of his career with the NBA’s New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. Ewing played center for Georgetown for four years—where he played in the NCAA Championship Game three times—and was named as the 16th greatest college player of all time by ESPN. He won Olympic gold medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball teams. In a 1996 poll celebrating the 50th anniversary of the NBA, Ewing was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He is a twotime inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts (in 2008 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team). In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as a member of the “Dream Team”. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on September 5, 2008, along with former NBA coach Pat Riley and former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon. His number 33 was retired by the Knicks in 2003. Dikembe Mutombo played 18 seasons in the (NBA). Outside basketball, he has become known for his humanitarian work. The 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), 260-pound (120 kg; 19 st) center, who began his career with the Georgetown Hoyas, is commonly

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regarded as one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players of all time, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times; he was also an eight-time All-Star. On January 10, 2007, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second most prolific shot blocker in NBA history, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon. He averaged a double-double for most of his career, and is 12th all-time in career double-doubles, and tied for second all-time in career triple doubles involving points, rebounds and blocks. At the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo announced his retirement. On September 11, 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Robert Parish was known for his strong defense, his high arcing jump shooting, and his clutch rebounding late in games. Robert Parish was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. His nickname was The Chief, after the fictitious Chief Bromden, a silent, giant Native American character in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave him this nickname because of his stoic nature. He played an NBA-record 1,611 regular season games in his career.

March 8- March 14, 2018

Nia Long and the movies that made her five single mothers must agree to organize the school’s upcoming dance and fundraiser. Although they range from alpha professional to fast-food worker, the women find they have one thing in common: a need for support and an understanding ear. They form the Single Moms Club to help ease one another’s burdens and reclaim their freedom. As their stress begins to lessen, the women find that finding love may be possible again. About Nia Long Born in Brooklyn, New York, Nia’s family is of Trinidadian, Grenadian, Vincentian, and Barbadian descent and her older half-sister is the actress and comedian known as Som’more. When she was a child, she studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. Her acting coach was Betty Bridges, the mother of Diff’rent Strokes star, Todd Bridges. Although her first role on TV was in the Disney movie, The B.R.A.T. Patrol, her first notable role on TV was her role as Kathryn “Kat” Speakes on the soap opera, Guiding Light. She did that for three years. Boyz n the Hood was her “first real movie role” and helped her build her confidence as an actress. She was quoted as saying, “It introduced me to the world in a way that it was okay for me to be who I am and still find success”. After

March 8 - March 14, 2018

that, she played Will Smith’s girlfriend on The Fresh Prince. Come to find out, Jada Pinkett Smith was originally supposed to play the role, but was too short (Will Smith was 6’2”), so Nia, who is 5’2”, got the part. She has also dabbled in directing. She directed Yolanda Adams’s music video for “This Too Shall Pass” and co-directed and appeared in Ashanti’s music video, “Baby”. She is also a motivational speaker, contributing her time to the Sterling Children’s Home in Barbados.

the mother of Roxanne Shante in Roxanne, Roxanne, a Netflix original movie, scheduled to release on March 23, 2018. (Movie Synopsis taken from IMDb – Internet Movie Database)

On a personal note, Nia is currently engaged (possibly married) to Ime Udoka, a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. She began dating him in 2010. Their son, Kez Sunday Udoka was born in 2011 and she has an older son, Massai Zhivago Dorsey II born in 2000, from a previous relationship. Her most recent project is her role as Peggy Gooden,

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Beebe’s Smart Living I Love My Sabbath By: Valder Beebe

s usual I am so impressed with life’s journey and the people that I meet. This week on the Valder Beebe Show I met Country singer Craig Moran and his daughter Aly. I conducted our interview about their upcoming UP Network TV show Morgan Family Strong. Craig Morgan is an Army veteran, family man, country music star and member of the Grand Ole Opry whose 25 Billboard hits include the radio chart-topper “That’s What I Love About Sunday.” The series will follow Craig and his close-knit family (wife Karen, daughter Aly, and sons Kyle and Wyatt) at home and on tour as they come together around the heartbreak of losing their son and brother, Jerry, in a tragic accident, by launching the family’s passion project – The Gallery at Morgan Farms. Craig’s newest studio album is A Whole Lot More To Me. He’s often on the road playing live shows, and has a host of engagements lined up this spring. Along with being an entertainer, Craig’s an adventure junkie and hosted the popular Outdoor Channel series Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors. Preparing for my interview with Craig Morgan I listened to his radio chart-topper That’s What I Love About Sunday, being a church girl I am also now a big fan of Craig Morgan. I too believe in Sunday’s which is what I call my Sabbath. In Craig’s song That’s What I love About Sunday the lyrics say; Not doing much of anything - That’s what I love about Sunday . Craig Morgan’s words taps into my life with these lyrics; Sing along as the choir sways, every verse of amazing grace, and then

we shake the preacher’s hand. These actions and words are synchronistic with my life’s journey. What do you love about your Sabbath? Yes the Sabbath is a holy day yet I believe holy is what our life journey is about to have reverence, to bow before, to come in humility. Craig Morgan during his interview, I asked what did he want people to see about his life on Morgan Family Strong? His response: I just want to do life well. A powerful statement for me and for you. Imagine if every word, every action we are accountable before God? How will we explain somethings in our life? I say let every word, every action be the beginning of a life well lived. It’s never too late to take life in the direction of our dreams. The Hard-Touring Singer and Army Veteran Craig Morgan is the focus of UP TV’s Docuseries Morgan Family Strong premieres this Thursday (March 1) on the UP Channel. View our satellite interview with Craig Morgan at ValderBeebeShow.com, audio Soundcloud. com/valderbeebeshow Craig Morgan – Family Strong interview and dialog is presented by UP TV Network Valder and James Beebe, Beebe’s Smart Living column, producers, The Valder Beebe Show broadcasts (FM radio & TV) broadcast on affiliate 411RadioNetwork.com, Gospel and Jazz stations. View more at ValderBeebeShow.com, 411RadioNetwork.com

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March 8- March 14, 2018

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Book early to secure your trip of a lifetime to the 130th Tournament of Roses Parade and the world famous Panama Canal. See the parade from reserved grandstand seats and attend a private float viewing with included dinner. Tour Los Angeles and the beautiful southern coastline through Santa Barbara. Then, embark on the Norwegian Star in LA and sail through five countries (Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Colombia) and enjoy a daylight transit of the Panama Canal. Return home from Miami.

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March 8- March 14, 2018

Create the World You Want to Live In!

By Laneen Haniah - Dr. Intimacy

esterday I got dressed to hang out with an old friend. Unfortunately they had to cancel, and then it began to storm furiously. All dressed with no place to go, I decided to go to the store. While on the way to the grocery store, I decided to call a new person I’ve met to say hello. I was really enjoying the conversation, so instead of rushing them off the phone to do my shopping, I parked and walked around outside, giving us time to continue to connect .

opportunity. You can create the opportunity you want. You can be an opportunity for somebody else. You can create the world you want to live in. It’s all about discovering the hidden beauty in your world, and nurturing the raw potential that is LIFE. About Me I am Laneen Anavah Haniah. I have a passion for LIFE (Loving Intentionally, Freely & Expectantly)!

As I was walking, I looked down and saw a heartshaped water stain on the ground, left over from the recent storm. I immediately turned on my camera and took a picture of it. There was something very beautiful about it to me — not only the heart, but also that moment in my life… When we finished talking, over an hour later, I shopped quickly and went home. When I got home, I took my phone out and began to stare into the picture. I could see so much in it, so much beauty, so much raw potential. It was like a story waiting to be written, so I took out my S-pen and began to create the picture I wanted to see — the one that probably made you smile. I think there is a lesson to learn in all of this. A happy life is about finding the hidden beauty in your world. I could’ve stayed home and sulked because I was disappointed. I could have hid inside because it was storming. I could have rushed my new friend off of the phone because I was busy. I could’ve overlooked the dirty, wet sidewalk because we take such things for granted. I

March 8 - March 14, 2018

could have ignored the heart-shaped water stain because it was insignificant. But I didn’t make any of those decisions. Life cancelled my plan, so I seized the moment and made it mine. An old friend wasn’t available, so I made myself available to make a new friend. The world gave me a storm, so I deicided that I would make something beautiful in the aftermath. Living the life you want is all about the choices you make. Happiness is all about perspective. A lot of people are “waiting for an opportunity” when the fact of the matter is, every breath you take is an

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I am a world-renowned author and speaker who is known as “Dr. Intimacy ~ The Surgeon for Your Soul”. I am an Intimatologist and Personal Insights Specialist whose mission is: Cutting through the issues, sculpting a BETTER YOU! I offer a service that I call “soul-sculpting”, which is a unique alternative to traditional counseling, therapy and life-coaching. These Personal Insights sessions provide both practical and applicable wisdom on spiritual, personal and inter-relational intimacy that is profound and transforming. Enjoy the content on this blog as I share my passion for LIFE, through Naked Discussions about Love, Life & Intimacy. If you’d like to make a deeper connection with me and benefit from what I have to offer, book a session with me today and see the difference that soul-sculpting can make in your life! Visit my website for more info.www.InspiredIntimacyTalkRadio.com

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