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Upper Deck Releases 2011 Goodwin Champions Set
Posted by: | CommentsJust as the 2011 professional baseball season readies itself for its annual Mid-Summer Classic later this month, the Upper Deck Company is excited to release its second baseball-themed trading card set of the year: 2011 Goodwin Champions! The 231-card regular set features an impressive array of baseball legends and prospects plus memorable champions and standouts from many other sports as well!
The box break summary is enticing to say the least, with three of the following four categories guaranteed (on average): hard-signed autograph cards; single- or dual-swatch memorabilia cards; embroidered animal patch cards; and 1-of-1 printing plates! In addition, on average, collectors can expect to yield 10 Goodwin Champions Minis per box; one “Figures of Sport” die-cut insert; one “World Traveler (5” x 7”) box topper; and one “Goodwin Citizen” insert card consisting of notable historical figures including Louie Pasteur, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Jules Vern, Louis Vuitton and Vincent Van Gogh.

LBJ: Each of the Commanders-in-Chief have a total of 10 hand-painted "Presidential Masterpieces" cards in the set.
Outstanding best describes the phenomenal lineup of hard-signed autograph cards found inside 2011 Goodwin Champions. A total of 84 sports stars have signature cards including Alex Ovechkin, Annika Sorenstam, Bode Miller, Chris Paul, Nolan Ryan, Bill Walton, Steve Carlton, Carlton Fisk, Candace Parker, David Robinson, Walt Frazier, Greg Louganis, Mia Hamm, Bo Jackson, Johnny Bench, Janet Evans, Jim Rice, Larry Bird, Bubba Watson, Landon Donovan, LeBron James, Johnny Miller, Michael Jordan, Michelle Wie, Mark Spitz, Wayne Gretzky, Ryne Sandberg, Bobby Orr and Tiger Woods. This release marks the first time that both Watson and Wie will have autograph cards appearing in a trading card set.
The base set alone features 150 regular cards, 40 short prints, 20 super short prints, and 21 high series minis short prints. A brand new element to this year’s release is an impressive array of hand-painted “Goodwin Masterpieces Presidential Series” cards showcasing all 43 U.S. Presidents. Each President has a total of 10 hand-painted cards which allows collectors the opportunity to build a full set. Another new addition to the 2011 version is an insert collection entitled “Museum Collections Relics” which includes extraordinary rarities from historical icons like Abraham Lincoln, Annie Oakley, Napoleon, The White House and even the Spirit of St. Louis!
But wait, there’s more; “Animal Kingdom” patch cards make their Goodwin Champions debut as well. Seek out cool patch cards spotlighting the likes of such incredible animals and mammals like the salt water crocodile, the red-eyed tree frog, the North American Moose, the King Cobra, the humpback whale, the great white shark and the African elephant. The Animal Kingdom cards are all seeded at different rations based upon the featured animal’s actual endangered species status. Finally, rare Thoroughbred Hair Cuts cards return to the mix featuring Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and 2007 Preakness winner Curlin.
Upper Deck’s 2011 Goodwin Champions Baseball set boasts five cards per pack, 20 packs per box, and is available on store shelves now.
The key elements (and seeding ratios) within 2011 Goodwin Champions are as follows:
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AUTOGRAPHS (overall odds 1:20 hobby)
This 84-card set is broken into six distinct tiers of scarcity as follows:
GROUP A (1:1,577 hobby)
| A-AO | Alexander Ovechkin |
| A-DR | David Robinson |
| A-FR | Walt Frazier |
| A-GH | Grant Hill |
| A-JB | Johnny Bench |
| A-LB | Larry Bird |
| A-MA | Magic Johnson |
| A-NR | Nolan Ryan |
| A-OL | Hakeem Olajuwon |
| A-RC | Randy Couture |
| A-RD | Derrick Rose |
| A-TW | Tiger Woods |
GROUP B (1:729 hobby)
| A-CF | Carlton Fisk |
| A-HA | Mia Hamm |
| A-IL | Igor Larionov |
| A-JA | Bo Jackson |
| A-JT | John Tavares |
| A-LO | Lou Brock |
| A-MU | Stan Musial |
| A-PA | Chris Paul |
| A-RO | Dennis Rodman |
| A-RS | Ryne Sandberg |
| A-WF | Whitey Ford |
| A-WG | Wayne Gretzky |
GROUP C (1:339 hobby)
| A-AB | Amanda Beard |
| A-BM | Bode Miller |
| A-BO | Jon “Bones” Jones |
| A-BW | Bill Walton |
| A-CA | Steve Carlton |
| A-CN | Cam Neely |
| A-HO | Gordie Howe |
| A-LD | Landon Donovan |
| A-LJ | LeBron James |
| A-MJ | Michael Jordan |
| A-MM | Manny Machado |
| A-MW | Michelle Wie |
| A-SC | Sidney Crosby |
GROUP D (1:246 hobby)
| A-AS | Annika Sorenstam |
| A-GL | Greg Louganis |
| A-JM | Julia Mancuso |
| A-JR | Jim Rice |
| A-NL | Nastia Liukin |
| A-OR | Bobby Orr |
| A-RL | Ryan Lavarnway |
| A-TP | Tony Perez |
| A-WA | Bubba Watson |
GROUP E (1:72 hobby)
| A-AW | Abby Wambach |
| A-BE | Layne Beachley |
| A-BL | Bill Laimbeer |
| A-CP | Candace Parker |
| A-DH | Damien Hobgood |
| A-HS | Hope Solo |
| A-HW | Hayley Wickenheiser |
| A-LP | Laffit Pincay Jr. |
| A-LW | LeVon Washington |
| A-MD | Matt Danowski |
| A-ML | Johnny Miller |
| A-OC | Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd |
| A-PR | Paul Rabil |
| A-SM | Mike Smith |
| A-SP | Mark Spitz |
| A-TG | Tyson Gay |
| A-TH | Tim Hardaway |
GROUP F (1:35 hobby)
| A-AA | Amber & Angela Cope |
| A-BS | Billy Sims |
| A-CG | Cammi Granato |
| A-CH | Cody Hawn |
| A-CJ | C.J. Hobgood |
| A-GB | Gretchen Bleiler |
| A-HM | Hunter Mahan |
| A-JE | Janet Evans |
| A-JG | Jonathan Garcia |
| A-JL | John Lamb |
| A-JO | Marion Jones |
| A-KK | Kasey Keller |
| A-KV | Kolbrin Vitek |
| A-LI | Brittany Lincicome |
| A-MO | Mike Olt |
| A-PE | Carlos Perez |
| A-PL | Pierre Lueders |
| A-PT | Peter Tago |
| A-RM | Ramon Morla |
| A-RY | Robinson Yambati |
| A-YV | Yordano Ventura |
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MEMORABILIA (overall 1:13 hobby)
This 51-card set is broken into four distinct groups of scarcity as follows:
GROUP A (1:14,613 hobby)
| M-FDR | Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| M-HT | Harry Truman |
| M-TR | Theodore Roosevelt |
GROUP B (1:179 hobby)
| M-CD | Clyde Drexler |
| M-DR | David Robinson |
| M-JL | Julius Erving |
| M-RD | Dennis Rodman |
| M-RO | Derrick Rose |
| M-SC | Sidney Crosby |
| M-SY | Steve Yzerman |
| M-TW | Tiger Woods |
| M-WG | Wayne Gretzky |
GROUP C (1:31 hobby)
| M-AI | Troy Aikman |
| M-AM | Alonzo Mourning |
| M-AO | Alexander Ovechkin |
| M-AW | Abby Wambach |
| M-BS | Barry Sanders |
| M-EH | Earl Campbell |
| M-GH | Grant Hill |
| M-OL | Hakeem Olajuwon |
| M-HO | Hope Solo |
| M-JE | John Elway |
| M-JM | Johnny Miller |
| M-JO | Magic Johnson |
| M-JR | Jerry Rice |
| M-LB | Larry Bird |
| M-LJ | LeBron James |
| M-MD | Matt Danowski |
| M-ME | Mark Messier |
| M-MJ | Michael Jordan |
| M-ML | Mario Lemieux |
| M-PR | Paul Rabil |
| M-RY | Patrick Roy |
| M-YO | Steve Young |
GROUP D (1:22 hobby)
| M-BJ | Bo Jackson |
| M-CN | Cam Neely |
| M-CP | Chris Paul |
| M-DD | DeWayne DeRosario |
| M-EL | Eric Lindros |
| M-IL | Igor Larionov |
| M-KK | Kasey Keller |
| M-KS | Kyle Skipworth |
| M-LD | Landon Donovan |
| M-MC | Michael Choice |
| M-MH | Hunter Mahan |
| M-MM | Manny Machado |
| M-NG | Natalie Gulbis |
| M-PT | Peter Tago |
| M-RB | Ray Bourque |
| M-RW | Russell Westbrook |
| M-TA | John Tavares |
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MEMORABILIA DUAL-SWATCH VARIATIONS (overall 1:320 hobby)
This 11-card is broken into five distinct groups of scarcity as follows:
GROUP A (1:87,680 hobby)
| M2-TR | Theodore Roosevelt |
GROUP B (1:8,768 hobby)
| M2-TW | Tiger Woods |
GROUP C (1:2,923 hobby)
| M2-AO | Alexander Ovechkin |
| M2-SY | Steve Yzerman |
GROUP D (1:877 hobby)
| M2-JE | John Elway |
| M2-LD | Landon Donovan |
| M2-MJ | Michael Jordan |
| M2-SC | Sidney Crosby |
GROUP E (1:585 hobby)
| M2-JM | Johnny Miller |
| M2-LJ | LeBron James |
| M2-MM | Manny Machado |
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ANIMAL KINGDOM PATCHES (overall 1:62 hobby)
The checklist for this ground-breaking 100-card set is structured upon the actual endangered species status of each animal provided on the back of the card (ranging from Least Concern to Extinct).
LEAST CONCERN (1:78 hobby)
| AK-1 | Bald Eagle |
| AK-2 | Emperor Penguin |
| AK-3 | Koala Bear |
| AK-4 | Platypus |
| AK-5 | Robin |
| AK-6 | Cougar |
| AK-7 | Nine-Banded Armadillo |
| AK-8 | Caribbean Flamingo |
| AK-9 | Grizzly Bear |
| AK-10 | Fennec Fox |
| AK-11 | Ocelot |
| AK-12 | Red-eyed Tree Frog |
| AK-13 | Western Diamondback |
| AK-14 | Swamp Wallaby |
| AK-15 | Black-Tailed Prairie Dog |
| AK-16 | Blue Footed Booby |
| AK-17 | Texas Longhorn |
| AK-18 | Mustang |
| AK-19 | Zebra |
| AK-20 | Canada Goose |
| AK-21 | Orca |
| AK-22 | Pacific Walrus |
| AK-23 | Yellow-Banded Poison Dart Frog |
| AK-24 | Jaguarundi |
| AK-25 | Humpback Whale |
| AK-26 | Flying Fox |
| AK-27 | Baltimore Oriole |
| AK-28 | Ruby Throated Hummingbird |
| AK-29 | Blue Jay |
| AK-30 | Monarch Butterfly |
| AK-31 | Black Mamba |
| AK-32 | Moray Eel |
| AK-33 | Fire Salamander |
| AK-34 | Greenbottle Blue Tarantula |
| AK-35 | Bighorn Sheep |
| AK-36 | Salt Water Crocodile |
| AK-37 | Howler Monkey |
| AK-38 | Warthog |
| AK-39 | Wildebeest |
| AK-40 | American Badger |
| AK-41 | North American Porcupine |
| AK-42 | Three-Toed Sloth |
| AK-43 | Atlantic Puffin |
| AK-44 | Wolverine |
| AK-45 | Peacock |
| AK-46 | Mandarin Duck |
| AK-47 | Ostrich |
| AK-48 | King Cobra |
| AK-49 | Stoat |
| AK-50 | Meerkat |
| AK-51 | North American Moose |
| AK-52 | Springbok |
| AK-53 | Peregrine Falcon |
| AK-54 | Eurasian Lynx |
| AK-55 | Praying Mantis |
| AK-56 | Raccoon |
| AK-57 | Toco Tucan |
| AK-58 | Chameleon |
| AK-59 | Timber Wolf |
NOT THREATENED (1:974 hobby)
| AK-60 | American Bison |
| AK-61 | Beluga Whale |
| AK-62 | Sand Cat |
| AK-63 | Margay |
| AK-64 | Giant Anteater |
| AK-65 | Okapi |
VULNERABLE (1:923 hobby)
| AK-66 | Galapagos Tortoise |
| AK-67 | Great White Shark |
| AK-68 | Cheetah |
| AK-69 | Slow Loris |
| AK-70 | Komodo Dragon |
| AK-71 | African Elephant |
| AK-72 | Mandrill |
| AK-73 | Amazonian Manatee |
| AK-74 | I’iwi Bird |
| AK-75 | African Lion |
ENDANGERED (1:1,096 hobby)
| AK-76 | North Island Brown Kiwi |
| AK-77 | Northern Spotted Owl |
| AK-78 | Giant Panda |
| AK-79 | Sea Otter |
| AK-80 | Lar Gibbon |
| AK-81 | Snow Leopard |
| AK-82 | Bengal Tiger |
| AK-83 | Pygmy Hippopotamus |
| AK-84 | Bornean Orangutan |
| AK-85 | Whooping Crane |
| AK-86 | Great Hammerhead Shark |
| AK-87 | Tasmanian Devil |
| AK-88 | African Wild Dog |
| AK-89 | Egyptian Vulture |
| AK-90 | Red Ruffed Lemur |
| AK-91 | Takahe |
CRITICAL (1:4,871 hobby)
| AK-92 | Black Rhino |
| AK-93 | California Condor |
| AK-94 | Hawaiian Monk Seal |
| AK-95 | Western Gorilla |
| AK-96 | Spix’s Macaw |
| AK-97 | Mountain Pygmy Possum |
EXTINCT/MYTHICAL (1:14,613 hobby)
| AK-98 | Saber-Toothed Cat |
| AK-99 | Do-Do Bird |
| AK-100 | Chupacabra |
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MUSEUM COLLECTION RELICS (overall 1:2,237 hobby)
All nine cards from this compelling set are a challenge to track down, but there are four distinct groups of scarcity to note as follows:
GROUP A (1:54,800 hobby)
| MR-AL | Abraham Lincoln (Desk) |
| MR-AO | Annie Oakley (Gun Handle) |
| MR-WHP | The White House (Plaque) |
GROUP B (1:16,237 hobby)
| MR-NB | Napoleon Bonaparte (Chair) |
| MR-WHB | The White House (Wood) |
GROUP C (1:6,959 hobby)
| MR-LBJ | Lyndon B. Johnson (Jacket) |
| MR-LN | Lord Horatio Nelson (Battle Flag) |
| MR-SS | Spirit of St. Louis (Medical Gauze) |
GROUP D (1:4,473 hobby)
| MR-EV | Edward VIII (Handkerchief) |
Popularity: 4% [?]
LeBron Remains the Difference Maker
Posted by: | CommentsMiami’s Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are terrific basketball players, but it’s LeBron James who will be the deciding factor on whether or not the HEAT advance to the NBA Finals. Bosh had his best game (34 points, five boards and two steals) of the season last night in a convincing 96-85 win over the Chicago Bulls. It was Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals and now the HEAT own a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. But don’t be fooled by Bosh’s outrageous performance; Miami’s destiny rests in the hands of James and nobody else.
When “The Decision” was announced last July – when LeBron went on ESPN for 60 minutes to televise the fact he was taking his talents to South Beach – the hopes of the HEAT faithful rested solely in his hands. D-Wade is great. He was the MVP of the 2006 NBA Finals and led the franchise to its only world championship with a four-games-to-two win over the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki. But since that season, the HEAT have been far from competitive based on the fact that he’s always had a questionable supporting cast. And Bosh’s signing with Miami prior to James was beneficial to landing LeBron in South Beach. But by no means is Bosh the go-to guy. It all boils down to LeBron’s impact and he knows it.
In January, when I interviewed him just prior to another UDA autograph-signing session, he told me: “Coming into this season, we knew it was gonna be a challenge. A lot of sacrifices were made, both on the court and off the court. And we knew it was gonna take some time for us to get to know each other, on the court, and once we figured that out, we knew we could play with the best of the teams and play at a high level.”
The HEAT finished the regular season with a 58-24 record, good for the Southeast Division title and second best in the Eastern Conference, four wins behind the Bulls. LeBron led the team in scoring average (26.7 per game), as well as assists (7.0) and steals (1.6). His role was whatever the HEAT needed him to do. “I just wanted to be the best player I could be, on and off the court. I wanted to be as dominant as I was in Cleveland and play at an MVP level every night. No matter if it meant taking less shots or playing less minutes, whatever my role was going to be, I was going to be that same dominant player every night and not take a game off.”
When asked whether or not it’s difficult sharing the limelight and the responsibilities with Wade and Bosh, he answered: “It’s not hard at all. I’m a very humble kid who comes from a humble background. The fact that we sacrifice for the better of the team, I’ve never had a problem with that from the jump. And that’s why I decided to go to South Beach and team up with those two guys.”
The HEAT now find themselves two wins away from the franchise’s second trip to the NBA Finals and six wins away from winning it all. So far in the playoffs, LeBron leads Miami’s offensive charge by averaging a team-high 25.2 points per game to go along with five assists. And their opponent at the big dance next month could very well be the Mavericks once again. Can history repeat itself?
“That’s our goal,” said LeBron. “If we stay healthy, then we feel like we have a great chance of winning a championship.”
Even as a dyed-in-the-wool Celtics fan, I concur. The HEAT have what it takes to win it all this season. Now time will tell. Game 4 starts tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. (EST). Don’t miss it.
Popularity: 1% [?]
LeBron’s Game-Used Shoes: Win a Pair!
Posted by: | CommentsStarting today through Tuesday, May 31, the folks at Upper Deck Authenticated are running a special “Caption Contest” promotion where one extremely lucky basketball fan will walk away with a pair of autographed and game-used Nike shoes from Miami HEAT superstar LeBron James. That’s right, an actual pair of LeBron’s game-used shoes from this season – his first in Miami – are up for grabs! And it’s unbelievably easy to get in the running for these super-cool kicks. To enter the contest, click here. The winner will be randomly selected shortly thereafter from all the submissions received. Good luck.
Since LeBron is one of UDA’s exclusive autograph signers, the company has just released a special video that unveils a new program where UDA is selling choice, game-used memorabilia from “King James,” commemorating his march to this year’s NBA playoffs. Check out UDA’s patented five-step process that’s utilized to make sure fans are getting the genuine article from King James himself.
Popularity: 1% [?]
LeBron Game-Used Uniform Now Up at Auction!
Posted by: | CommentsUpper Deck Authenticated, in conjunction with Memory Lane, Inc., is now offering game-used equipment from many of its exclusive athletes via online auctions. To get the proverbial ball rolling, UDA has supplied an item that will surely garner its share of eyes, bidders and excitement: LeBron James’ complete game-used uniform (jersey and shorts) from an official NBA game earlier this season against the rival Boston Celtics! That’s right, through its exclusive autograph agreement with LeBron, UDA has secured several game-used items of King James. This particular auction marks the first time that a complete set of LeBron James game-used equipment has been made available to the public. As with all UDA game-used offerings, these pieces were secured directly from the athlete and authenticated through UDA’s patented five-step authentication process.

Here's your chance to get as close to LeBron James as you can by bidding on this game-used Heat uniform that LeBron wore against the juggernaut Boston Celtics back on Nov. 11, 2010. He scored a game-high 35 points!
The first item up for bid is LeBron’s home Heat white uniform from the Nov. 11, 2010, clash against the Celtics in which LeBron scored a game-high 35 points, along with 10 rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Also included with this unique offering is the pair of Nike white-red-and-blue shoes (size 16) LeBron wore that evening. Despite his outstanding individual effort, however, the Heat found themselves on the short end of a 112-107 decision. Despite losing the war, LeBron won the inside battle and showed once again why he’s a constant force to be reckoned with. He has autographed each piece with his signature, and has also inscribed the date of the game (11-11-10) and the number of points he scored (35).
With the Celtics just sweeping the New York Knicks in four straight in their opening round playoff battle, and the Heat on the verge of closing out the Sixers in their Eastern Conference series, the stage is set for these two powerhouses to once again engage in another memorable showdown. Get as close to the action as you can by bidding on (and winning) this sought-after assortment of game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat memorabilia, only available from Upper Deck Authenticated! The online action started on April 8 with an opening bid of $2,500. Bidding on the complete uniform is currently up to $7,848 with the bidding scheduled to close at 10 p.m. (EST) on May 5, 2011. Jump in and place a bid while you still can!
Popularity: 1% [?]
What’s Wrong with the Heat?
Posted by: | CommentsDon’t look now, but the “South Beach Trio” is starting to swoon. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – the three basketball musketeers who turned the NBA upside down last July with their joint announcement that they were taking their collective talents to South Beach – can’t buy a win these days. They’ve lost five straight games, including four at home, and folks are starting to wonder why. But let’s face it; the Heat aren’t exactly in dire straits just yet. They’re currently sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, 22 games above .500. But what about the last week? Well, let’s break it down and see what’s up with the Miami Heat.
Here you have the two-time defending league MVP in LeBron James joining forces with 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwyane “Flash” Wade and Chris “I’m Finally Out of Toronto” Bosh, a five-time NBA All-Star who’s averaged 20.2 points per game since entering the league seven years ago. Three bona fide superstars with plenty of talent who seem to have suddenly hit a rough patch five months into their inaugural season together. Do they just need more time to develop team chemistry? Do they need a stronger bench to provide productive breathers for the Big Three? Who knows? Evidently not head coach Erik Spoelstra.
“Hopefully guys can be aggressive and contribute more,” said Wade following last night’s 107-95 loss to Portland. “There are guys on the bench that can help us, no question about it. That is all on coach. We’ve had guys like Eddie [House] help us win games and James Jones, etc. He’s going to have to decide whether or not people are on the floor.”

Dwyane Wade has been hitting on all cylinders, just like his sweet signature on this over-sized print from Upper Deck Authenticated.
Wade has been on fire the past five games. He’s averaged 23.4 points per game including a game-high 38 against Portland. LeBron hasn’t been too shabby either during the losing streak; he’s averaged 27.8 points. What about Bosh? Well, besides contributing just seven points last night, he averaged 18.3 points per outing the previous four games. They’re getting looks, shots and points. So what’s the problem? Their bench, or perhaps lack thereof.
In last night’s loss to the Trail Blazers, the Heat bench was outscored by Portland’s, 41-8. The game before that (an 87-86 loss to Chicago) the Heat bench chipped in just six points. LeBron hasn’t sat down once in the second half during any of the team’s recent losses. Mike Bibby, a good outside shooter who just joined the team a week ago, has only seen sporadic action since arriving. So maybe it’s all about getting the other 12 guys on the team involved in some way. Or maybe it’s just playing better defense and committing less turnovers. After all, the slide started on Feb. 27 against the Knicks when the Heat watched a 15-point lead in the second quarter disappear. Two games later, they blew a 24-point advantage against the Magic.

Few competitors get in LeBron's way when he's making his move to the basket. His tomahawk jam is captured beautifully by UDA in this 16" x 20" signed print.
Their first month playing together was nothing to write home about as the revamped Heat started out just 9-8. But then they managed to win 22 of 23 games from Nov. 29 through Jan. 9, which included a run of 12 straight victories and 13 consecutive W’s on the road, they found themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference. In fact, their record at that time (30-9) represented the best start to a season from any Heat team in history. But now they’re starting to wither, so people are getting nervous. Some folks are smiling at the Heat’s recent misfortune, while others are simply saying “I told you so.” Whichever the case, the Heat will be in the hunt when the playoffs roll around. Now all they have to do is figure out why they can’t close out close games.
I think Spoelstra just needs to make some strategic substitutions at the right times and stop leaning so heavily on LBJ and D-Wade to do everything. Even superstars get tired sometimes, you know. Let’s see what happens against the Lakers on Thursday night. If anybody’s due for a loss, it’s Kobe and company.
Popularity: 1% [?]




