Here are a bunch of truths that you just don’t hear about The League:

Most players try harder when matched up against a white dude. And if it’s a Caucasian American? They are going all-the-way out…

Kobe Bryant’s Colorado “incident”
is just about to be finally deep-sixed in the catacombs. Still in his
prime and noe surrounded by an amazingly marketable and competent
supporting cast, Bryant is on the precipice of being re-anointed a
cross-platform mega-star. And good for him. He’s a big boy now…

Announcers on a national broadcast of a blowout game won’t say it’s one
until about eight points past one’s occurrence. Local announcers will blow
the whistle about four points earlier, but only if it’s the home team in front. Otherwise, the point of call doubles…

The
only reason any NBA franchise specializes in playing defense is because
it’s the quickest path to moderate victory. With a solid draft or two
and just one big free agent score, a freshly-hired coach can turn a bad
team around within three years — which happens to be the average length
of a coach’s contract…

It can be wholly disturbing to flip between The Departed
and a Lakers game, as I learned going between the L.A.-Utah game and
that classic Scorsese film on Sunday. I half expected Jack to hand one
zebra a drawing of dude boffing Tim Donaghy in protest of a bad call…

We can’t identify most general managers. For real, could you pick the Hornets’ Jeff Bower or the Magic’s Otis Smith
from  a police line-up? Yet they are way more important than head
coaches, who actually do less coaching than their baseball or football
counterparts. They matter more than 70 percent of players….

The way Ronny Turiaf dances is something you won’t ever see an American player engage. It’s a cultural thing, as he’s a hot-blooded survivor
from Martinique, and the unself-conscious aspect of the poward
forward’s spontaneous jigs is a completely joyous anomaly. Honestly? On
a team that’s less culturally diverse than the Lakers? Turiaff would
make most of his teammates uncomfortable…

In a star-driven
league, the simple fact is that a strong second-unit negates the effect
of a single superstar player. Ask Tracy McGrady about that shit…

One more on the Kobester, based on new information: His 81-point game was an outburst born of frustration, as much an illustration of Bryant’s immaturity as it is an achievement to be celebrated…

All the best nicknames remain under wraps. Like: Fluke Walton. In L.A.,
that one had a good four year run…

And, lastly, no one is happier that Boston pulled out that series with
Atlanta than Gatorade. No advertisers want another Dwayne Wade on their hands.