Jason Birring (H.H.S.) – 33
Lonzell Webster (Sonic Boom) – 28
Jean-Marc Saldini (Remix) – 28
Mark Tasic (H.H.S.) – 25
Clint Lomax (SWAT) – 23
Anthony Lao (Nike) – 23
Hardeep Bassram (Van United) – 23
Hunter Jordan (Velvet Hoop) – 23
Yapo Alle-Ando (Sonic Boom) – 21
Igor Dutina (Team Serbia) – 20
Jamie Robinson (Bullets) – 20
Kerry Westmore (Van United) – 20
The fourth season of the Vancouver Metro League got underway this past Thursday with just ten teams in the league, down from 12 last season. One of the teams missing from this year is three-time reigning Metro League champions, Canada One. C1 have run the table in the Metro League during it’s conception, but with them not in the league for this year- one thing is for certain. There will be a new champion this season.
Feature Game -
Heart, Hustle and Soul (1-0) 88 vs Team Serbia (0-1) 83
Week One’s feature game featured Heart, Hustle and Soul vs a new-comers Team Serbia, in what could be a preview of this seasons final.
H.H.S. won the regular season race in the Fall, going an impressive 11-0 before getting upset in the first round of the playoffs. Serbia, a team that is new to the league, but just by title. The Serbs feature many familiar faces including Igor Dutina -formerly with Sonic Boom, Mio Kovacevic & Srdjan Vujovic-formerly with Vancouver United and Neb Aleksic-formerly with SWAT. Dutina & Aleksic were both First-Team Metro League All-Stars in the Fall while Kovacevic made the Second-Team, proving that this team is stacked and this game would be tight. And it was.
Led by Jason Birring’s 33 points and Mark Tasic’s 25 points, H.H.S. pulled off an impressive 88-83 victory over a very talented Serbian squad. After flip-flopping the lead seven times in the first half, the half ended with H.H.S. up 40-39. The second half, however, proved to be a much different story. Tasic and Birring kept up their torrid scoring pace helping H.H.S. hold the lead from the start of the second half right to the buzzer. Birring was especially dynamic, driving to the hole, hitting threes and knocking down his trips to the charity stripe. Dutina lead Serbia in scoring with 20 points but it was a balanced attack from Serbia that kept them in the game, with five Serbs scoring in double-figures. H.H.S. are now 12-0 since last season in regular season play. Serbia drops their debut in the Metro League, though don’t be surprised if this is their only loss of the year
Vancouver United (1-0) 76 vs Bullets (0-1) 73
Van United secured their first win of the year barely getting by the always tough Bullets, 76-73. Led by Hardeep Bassram’s 23 points, United staved off a feisty Bullets team that got 20 points from star Jamie Robinson and 16 from the always consistent Ben Lee. The Bullets held the lead at times through the first half but couldn’t contain Bassram in the second half, who scored 17 of his 23 in the final 25 minutes. Kerry Westmore dropped 20 for United as Ben Dove added 15 for the Bullets.
Sonic Boom (1-0) 81 – Nike (0-1) 71
Lonzell Webster was the difference as Sonic Boom’s dynamic point guard went off for 28 points backed by five three-pointers in Sonic Boom’s 81-71 win over the new and improved Nike team. Former Canada One stand-out Anthony Lao, whose now on Nike, did his best to keep his new squad in, putting down a team high 23 points including a couple of huge baseline dunks. Webster, however, was too hot to handle. Of Lonzell’s 14 points in the first half, 12 came from the land beyond. Yapo Alle-Ando added 21 for Sonic Boom as Noah Levy contributed 15 for Nike in the loss.
SWAT (1-0) 86 – Remix (0-1) 68
A new-look SWAT squad cruised to their first win of the year 86-68 over new-comers, Remix. SWAT, who’s line-up has changed many times through the seasons, were led by a strong 23 points from Clint Lomax. Lomax was owning the lanes getting to the hoop with relative ease throughout the game. League president Mark Starkey also supplied 17 for the winners. For Remix, former Canada One member Jean-Marc Saldini had a great game leading all scorers with 28.
Velvet Hoop (1-0) 80 – EA (0-1) 53
Hunter Jordan put in a game high 23 while teammate Chris Horwood dropped 18 as Velvet Hoop picked up their first win of the season with a 80-53 win over EA. EA was led by Matt NG’s 13 points.
By Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden
The Vancouver Metro League consists of many players with many different stories and backgrounds. Some have tales of playing basketball professionally. Some were legends in college hoops, and some ruled the courts while in High School. Most however, can’t claim to have Michael Jordan on their resume. For the Metro League’s Michael Smit, working alongside the MJ legacy is just another day at the office.
Smit and his team at Academy, including fresh-to-the-Metro-League Greg Washington, have been working closely with Jordan Brand for several years now, creating the digital media for Jordan Brand shoes and clothing. Academy, alongside Nike’s long time advertising partner Wieden + Kennedy and Vancouver-based marketing company Blast Radius, has come up with several different campaigns that are both product driven, but also consumer driven, with a keen sense of what matters to the consumer. Nike and Jordan Brand have always been one of the world’s top companies in understanding street culture and creating pop-culture icons out of their keen advertisements. Remember the “Bo Knows” commercials back in the early nineties with Bo Diddley and Bo Jackson? What about Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon? “Is it the shoes?” Nike and Jordan Brand are consistently keeping the consumer wanting more, thanks in part to the efforts of Smit’s Academy team and their partners.
One of Smit’s and his team’s latest campaigns for Jordan Brand featured Mars once again, but this time as you! Hard to explain so let me show you.
Jordan Brand needed an ad campaign for the release of the new colorways from their Jordan Spizike shoe series. Academy, alongside Wieden + Kennedy and Blast Radius came up with the “Become Mars” campaign that has been massively successful on both the “Become Mars” microsite and through their IPhone App .
Working this closely with the Jordan Brand has seemed at times all too surreal for Smit, but he knows that at the end of the day, Jordan is a client, and “you can’t get caught up being a fan at work”. A client who just happens to be a global icon.
Just last week Jordan Brand launched a national campaign featuring Dwyane Wade called \”Nightmares Never Sleep\”. This campaign is for the release of the Jordan 2010 shoe. The commercial was written and produced by Wieden + Kennedy and showcases Wade (Jordan Brand’s newest addition), in a horror flick style setting, where Wade becomes possessed and terrorizes his opponents as only D-Wade can. It’s a slick campaign that features one of the nicest new shoes to come out in the Jordan Brand line. It’s a great product with great advertising. On the digital side of things, Academy’s team produced several mini-games, interspersed with original video content, to put the viewer in the mind of the terrorized opponent. As the site says, the Nightmare wants your Facebook, your webcam, and your Twitter. Be careful!
Smit plays for EA Sports and is a veteran of the Vancouver Metro League. Mike believes that Vancouver direly needed a league like the VML as the outlets for quality basketball are few and far between once someone’s High School or College careers are finished. Smit’s a baller since a young kid, is now living the dream, literally. He works professionally with the Jordan Brand, Nike, and a number of other exciting clients, which in his own words is “amazing”, and recreationally getting to ball in one of Vancouver’s top basketball leagues, in his words is “pretty awesome too.” Yes it is!
For the record, the Become Mars microsite is really, really cool. Peep it out and Become Mars! I did.
Check it…
The NBA All-Star game is two weeks away with the rosters set and the ready to go. As you probably already know the fans vote for the starters, a right the NBA has given their fans, so I won’t even mention the obvious flaw in that system *cough Iverson cough*. Nevermind, I said it. Despite AI getting the start in the East’s backcourt, it’s hard to argue the rest of starters the fans voted in. However, I have my list of starters I feel deserved to be starting in at the ginormous Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Valentines Day. These are the guys who’re leading the charge with their teams and their individual stats. Throw out the positions in terms of Western forwards. If your 7′0″, you can play the five. 6′10″, you can play the four. It’s an All-Star game, not a coaches match-up nightmare. Here’s your strategy. Put your five best players on the floor. Run and shoot, A LOT. Not rocket science.
Ok, here’s my starting line-ups for the East & West All-Stars from this season.
East
PG -Rajon Rondo (Celtics)
Rondo is the Steve Nash of the Eastern Conference. Plays the pick and roll with perfection, can create his own shot with ease, keeps his dribble alive, drops dimes, gets to the line, plays defense, ok he’s got Nash there. Rondo does it all and is having a break-out season that has everyone recognizing. First time selection for a future perennial All-Star.
SG – Dwyane Wade (Heat)
No brainer here. Amongst the tops in the league in scoring, and basically the guy keeping Miami in the thick of the playoff hunt in the East. An obvious fan choice.
SF – LeBron James (Cavaliers)
Well duh!
PF – Chris Bosh (Raptors)
Toronto’s big-man clearly deserved the starting role this year. CB4 has the Raptors playing some good ball and is among the leagues top scorers and rebounders. In 48 games played this season, Bosh has 35 double-doubles, leaving him in second to Dwight Howard’s 36. A career year for the Raptor’s leader, one of All-Star starting caliber.
C – Dwight Howard (Magic)
The most menacing force in the paint in the entire NBA, Howard will be a lock as an East All-Star starter for many years now.
West
PG – Steve Nash (Suns)
At 35, well 36 by the time the All-Star game rolls around, Nash is having what is arguably another MVP season. Arguably. If not for a guy named James, Nash would get serious consideration. Whatever the case may be, Nash seems to have more left in the tank and will be interesting to see how many years he’ll have left after his two-year contract he signed last summer expires.
SG – Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
Like I said with James, duh!
Ok, here’s where my starters get interesting. I took in consideration for position, but let’s face it, it’s an All-Star game.
SF – Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)
The fans and my obvious choice here. Melo is leading the league in scoring and has been playing some of the best ball of his career. Perennial All-Star.
PF – Kevin Durant (Thunder)
Snubbed by the fans for playing in Oklahoma. The only reason for Durant not getting starting votes. KD is one of the NBA’s most lethal scorers, who has his young Thunder squad on the fringe of the Western playoffs. Like Rondo, a future perennial All-Star.
C- Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)
Disco gets snubbed as a starter, despite having another lights out year. Dallas is in the hunt in the West, with Dirk leading the charge. An obvious mistake by the fans.
Posted by Matt Halfhill (www.nicekicks.com) | Jan 9, 2010
Plain and simple, the series of Mars Blackmon and Michael Jordan ads forever changed the business of marketing in sneakers. Now, more than 22 years since Nike, Wieden + Kennedy, MJ, and Spike Lee teamed up, the legendary impact of Mars continues.
Starting in 2006, Jordan Brand began a campaign paying tribute and thanks to Spike Lee and Mars Blackmon. What first started with the “Mars” Air Jordan 4’s were soon followed by a future staple to the Jordan Brand catalogs – the Jordan Spiz’ike. This shoe was a mashup of all the models that Spike Lee worked alongside Michael Jordan
to promote including the Air Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6, and 20. (There is still some dispute whether the Jordan 9s are represented with the heel loop, but JB officially leaves this model off the list).
Now, you yourself can get Marsified with the new “Become Mars” microsite and iPhone app. You can get started making yourself look like Mars Blackmon now at Jumpman23 or head to the App Store and cop it by clicking here. While you’re there grab the Nice Kicks app if you haven’t already.
By Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden
Been a minute since I last wrote an NBA blog. Life has been running a 100 miles an hour over the last month, as it does for many of us over the holiday season. Now that the holidays are over I have a second to write something new. I thought it would be fun to give my opinion on whom should be on the NBA All-Decade team. Lots of talent came into the NBA over the last 10 years, making for some tough decisions. The starters were the easiest (outside of point guard), the bench however is where things got tough. Instead of picking a first, second and third team, I decided to fill out one proper roster for my team. Lots of names could have made this team but at the end of the day only 13 names could make my list. So without further ado ladies and gentlemen I give you my All-Decade team.
Starters
Center – Shaquille O’Neal
Tough to argue with what the Diesel did over the last decade. Four titles (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006), three finals MVP’s (2000-2002), one NBA MVP (2000), six consecutive First Team All-NBA (2000-2006), the list goes on. One of the most dominant players in NBA history, Shaq dominated the post for most of his career and at 37 he’s still relevant in today’s fast paced game.
Power Forward – Tim Duncan
Like Shaq, Duncan’s resume speaks for itself. In the decade alone Duncan won three titles (2003, 2005, 2007), won the finals MVP twice (2003, 2005), two NBA MVP’s (2002, 2003)-do I need to go on? When Duncan finally hangs them up he’ll go down as the best Power Forward in NBA history. Debatable but true.
Small Forward – LeBron James
Yes, King James has yet to win a ring, but has there ever been a player come into the league and dominate like LeBron has? Jordan changed the game, but James came to redraw the blueprint. 6′8, 260 pounds with moves as quick as a point guard, LeBron is unstoppable. Ask anyone who tries to guard him.
Shooting Guard – Kobe Bryant
Speaking of unstoppable take a look at this resume. Four titles (2000,2001,2002,2009), Finals MVP (2009), NBA MVP (2008). two-scoring titles (2006,2007), All-NBA First team…. your getting the point. The best part of Kobe’s game over the decade though has nothing to do with numbers and achievements. No, it’s how much Kobe has matured as a player. Bryant has always modeled his game after Michael Jordan, but there was always something missing in Kobe’s early years and that was his maturity level as a teammate and as his team’s leader. Jordan was as deadly as a knife in his days but so was his determination to be a leader and a winner. This is not even a question anymore with Bryant. Kobe is as clutch as anyone in the league and a true warrior in the playoffs. A no-brainer when it comes to making this team.
Point Guard – Steve Nash
Probably the most debatable position to fill on this team. Many great names could have been considered, however out of all the great point guards in the past ten years only two won an NBA MVP, Allen Iverson (2001) and Nash, who won it twice (2005,2006). Nash also was named to the All-NBA First Team three times (2005,2006,2007) and was a six time All-Star (2002,2003,2005,2006,2007,2008). Yes, Nash has never won a title or even made it to the a finals, but his game speaks for itself. Nash is the best point guard in the NBA over the past decade and at 35 -will be 36 in February- he just may still be the best heading into the new decade.
Bench (Second Unit)
Sixth man (Forward) – Dirk Nowitzki
First European to ever win an NBA MVP (2007), Disco Dirk is one of the most dynamic big-men to play the game. Dirk led his Mavericks squad to an NBA finals in 2006 and has helped Dallas reach the playoffs for 10 straight years.
Point Guard – Tony Parker
Three NBA titles (2003,2005,2007) and a Finals MVP in 2007. Nuff said.
Forward – Paul Pierce
After years of scrapping the barrel on a dismal Celtics squad, Pierce got his due when the Celts added All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to the team. However, as much as KG and Ray-Ray helped the Celtics earn their 17th title, it was Pierce who got his number called when it came down to crunch time. Only Kobe Bryant has been as clutch as Pierce in the dieing minutes of a ball game over the last ten years.
Guard – Dwyane Wade
Scoring title (2009), check. NBA Championship (2006), check. Finals MVP (2006), check. Arguably the best player in the league, check. Wade is that good, and if not for a guy named Bryant, Wade would be starting on this team.
Center – Dwight Howard
Howard has the physique of an action figure. A physical specimen that punishes the post. At only 24, Dwight has a long career still ahead of him and making the finals last year will only fuel the fire in one of the NBA’s top young stars.
Bench (Reserves)
Kevin Garnett (Forward), Allen Iverson (Guard), Carmelo Anthony (Forward)
In what will go down as one of the best Metro League Finals of all-time, Canada One defend their title for a third consecutive season squeaking out a win in a nail-biter of a game against the new kids of the Metro League, Vancouver United.
All-star Navi Sekhon was the star of the show scoring 38 points including a stunning and one game winner with just seconds left on the clock helping Canada One hold off a second half charge by a very scrappy United squad to remain champs.
United started the game behind the eight ball getting into foul trouble just seven minutes in. C1 took advantage of the free foul shots which caused frustration amongst the United team and it showed. C1 go on a 9-0 run at the 11 minute mark with United’s sharp-shooter Hardeep Bassram finally erasing the run by draining a three but seeing his team down 12, 32-20 just ten minutes into the game. C1 keep the pressure on through the first half with Anthony Lao controlling the offensive glass and scoring at ease while Navi Sekhon nailed threes and drove to the hole earning C1 a comfortable 61-54 lead going into the break.
Taking a page out of C1’s book, United came out in the second half attacking the hoop and earning trips to the stripe with C1 getting themselves in foul trouble just six minutes in. The pace begins to pick up with both teams scoring in bunches. United score on 12 straight possessions at one point with Mio Kovacevic heating up and Bassram going off, dropping threes from all over. With the game knotted at 81, Kovacevic scores on a tough drive to give United their first lead since early in the first half, but C1 battle back with all-star Clayton Crellin who got into foul trouble in the first half, starting to take over. C1 retake the lead scoring in transition as they love to do. With just over three minutes to go Howard Kelsey hits a huge three to give C1 the 112-106 lead, but Bassram and Kovacevic just keep scoring for United.
Down three with just over 30 seconds to go in the game, Bassram hits an off-balance three to tie the game at 120. C1 get the ball to Sekhon who takes the lane dropping a circus shot getting fouled to go to the stripe with just 10 seconds to go on the clock. Sekhon nails the free throw as United take the ball down court trying to get it Bassram. With Bassram locked up by the C1 defenders point-guard Greg Jackson finds himself forced to jack up a prayer three-pointer from the corner that hits the inside of the rim and bounces out. Canada One earn the 123-120 victory in what was the best game of the entire season.
United get a massive game from Mio Kovacevic who scored 26 points, 19 coming in the second half. Hardeep Bassram led all scorers with 44 points including eight three-pointers.
On the winning side, Navi Sekhon edged out teammate Anthony Lao scoring 38 points while Lao put in an impressive 35 points while hauling in nine rebounds, five on the offensive glass.
1st Team
Navi Sekhon – Canada One
Mark Tasic – Heart, Hustle and Soul
Taylor Cherris-Wilding-3D
Clayton Crellin – Canada One
Jason Dmyterko – Ballhawgs
Hardeep Bassram – Vancouver United
Brent Charleton – Heart, Hustle and Soul
Mike Baxter – EA Sports
Ben Lee – Bullets
Chris Horwood – Velvet Hoop
Igor Dutina – Sonic Boom
Neb Aleksic – SWAT
James Hudson – EA
Sherlan John – SWAT
2nd Team All-Metro League
Paul Rother – Sonic Boom
Jason Boering – Heart, Hustle and Soul
Nic Paret – SWAT
Nate Ashmead – 3D
Mio Kovacevic – Van United
Anthony Lao – Canada One
Matt Maher – EA
Frank Liu – Ice
Jeremiah Al – Nike
Darren Spithoff – SWAT
Lonzell Webster – Sonic Boom
Karlo Villanueva – Heart, Hustle and Soul
Ben Dove- Bullets
Ben Peco – Velvet Hoop
Vancouver Metro Basketball League showcases it’s 2 top teams at the Season 3 Championship Game in Vancouver, BC.
Monday December 21st @ 9pm
(2) Canada One vs (4) Vancouver United