Vancouver Metro Basketball League

By Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden

BC calls out CB

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo hinted last Monday on Toronto sports radio The Fan 590, that his former all-star Chris Bosh may have checked out for Toronto a lot longer than before he signed in Miami as a free-agent this summer. Colangelo suggested that Bosh came back from last year’s NBA all-star weekend a changed man, and that Bosh may have been listening to the many voices that surrounded the soon to be free-agent in Dallas that weekend. Colangelo went on to say this.

“I’ve talked so much about those voices that could have been speaking to him at all-star (weekend). I think it’s pretty obvious now what some of those voices were.

“Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy and I think everyone saw that. It’s just no one wanted to acknowledge it.”

Colangelo is pulling no punches with the Bosh situation, and he shouldn’t. After achieving a franchise record 29 wins entering the all-star break, Toronto only managed a mere 11 wins in the second half of the year. Colangelo points out that much of the second half collapse had to do with an ankle injury Bosh sustained on February 17^th which Bosh missed six games. However, the Raps number one player was cleared by the Raptors medical staff, but Bosh insisted that he miss the full six games. Makes one wonder how long this Miami Thrice idea has been in fruition? Or at least how long Bosh had been dreaming of leaving Toronto. Colangelo is straight shooter and the signs were there from Bosh throughout the season. Bosh was on way out from the day he arrived back from the all-star game and it was just a matter of playing out the season before he jumped ship.

If you think about it Bosh has just kept the long-standing Toronto Raptors all-star tradition alive by checking out in your free-agent year in search of greener pastures. Didn’t work for Vince Carter (came close once) or Tracey McGrady, however, either of them joined a juggernaut of a team like the one being assembled in South Beach. Bosh will get his ring and will be a major contributor, but don’t expect a congratulatory phone call from Bryan Colangelo when he eventually does.

The key to CP3

New Orleans Hornets all-star point guard and one of the most beloved persons in the city of New Orleans, Chris Paul, wants out of the city that has embraced him so firmly. Don’t believe Hornets GM Dell Demps, who claims that he’s confident that Paul wants to remain with the Hornets. The truth is this. Demps, the Hornets new GM, now has to fan down a potential fire with his franchise player. Paul wants to win and the Hornets aren’t a winning team. The new ownership and GM did very little to re-tool their line up this off-season and have shown Paul that they aren’t committed to winning, something Paul wants more than anything else. Well, maybe winning and the potential to play in the world’s greatest city while forming a gruesome three-some of their own. Paul wants to hit the bright lights of New York City to join forces with Amar’e Staudemire and current Denver Nugget and good friend, Carmelo Anthony. The first piece is in place with the off-season signing of Amar’e, and now the courtship of Paul begins for the Knicks. The Hornets sent out a memo league wide this week warning teams of tampering with Paul, which only proves that their biggest chip may or may not be available, but if he is (hint hint) that they’ll be the ones who’ll be doing the contacting. Holding their cards close to their chest? You could say that. Personally, I think it just shows who’s actually going to run this thing, and that’s Paul. However, the Hornets don’t want this to turn into a LeBron type of situation. The Hornets need Paul and Paul needs the Hornets if they want to get this done to accommodate both sides. The wheels you can bet are now in motion between New Orleans and New York. The Knicks have Amar’e locked in, next it’s Paul, and then next summer, it’s Anthony. Miami Thrice beware.

Shoot Around (raining buckets!)

- The Raptors off-season acquisitions of Linas Kleiza, Leandro Barbosa and David Andersen are proving one thing. That this team is bound for another lottery pick and that they’ll be lucky to win 35 games this season.

- A fan at a Cleveland Indians game last night got booed out of Progressive Field for wearing a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey. The fan had to be escorted out of the stadium by security, though, It didn’t help that said fan was taunting and whooping on the crowd. It makes me wonder what’s going to happen when LeBron’s Heat make their first appearance in Ohio this year. Could there be a riot? Makes me cringe to think about, but man do I ever want to be in attendance that night.

- For a guy that eats Vaseline on a you tube video, Stephon Marbury isn’t as dumb as you’d think. Marbury has resigned for two more years to play with Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association. Marbury played 15 games last season for Shanxi, earning an apparent $100, 000 for half a season’s work. Pretty far off what he made in his NBA days, but here’s where Marbury is set to earn some real money. As part of the current deal, the ownership of Shanxi Zhongyu will create a company to produce and sell apparel and shoes from the point guard’s “Starbury” brand. The company will also open three Starbury shops. China is quite the market to tap into for the 33 year-old former all-star and his brand.  Steph may have made some mistakes in his life, but this can’t miss. Just tell the Shanxi ownership group to keep him away from the web cams.