Considerable linear extent in space #5: Watch all 61

I realize I'm late on this. It's so worth it to watch. What's funny to me is how far the pendulum continues to swing in favor of Kobe. As if everybody and their mom decided, "Aw, shucks, he's no rapist." Can't really blame them, though, when you're one of them. Especially watching a performance like this one. A couple of those step-through drives made me think just how much he would fuck you up in a game of 21, and then how much I just want to watch Bron and Kobe and D-Wade play 21, and then how much money Stern would make if he got them to do that. I guess that's why there's an All-Star Game or whatever but there's still 7 other dudes on the court. I'm talking real 21, with the you-miss-you-guard and only-3-FT's and behind-the-arc-is-2 rules. Who do you think would win? Wouldn't that be great TV? They would have to mic them, too, so we could hear them gab at each other and talk mess. Pay-per-view? How much would you pay? Or would you just hit justin.tv? --RWK

Considerable linear extent in space #4: Look at that pass.

Skeets says "LeBron James wins '09 Slam Dunk contest." I say, Jesus, look at that pass. The play after the amazing left-side drive. --RWK

Genius Marketing #38: Chalk it out. Considerable linear extent in space #3

Those W+K folks do know what's up. This thing points to so many (ephemeral) cultural signposts that it's hard not to just vibe and digg it when all that white stuff starts flying. It's also a joke, right? Brush the dirt off yo shoulder Nikes? Weezy in Portland cheering Bron against the Blazers? Blazers? Wayne? The ad copy on the youtube page is pretty hilarious, too: "The pre-game ritual of LeBron has become a symbol of the ultimate Just Do It moment." Right, cuz throwing garbage into the air is, like, such a bigger thing than a free-throw line dunk with a tongue wagging in the wind. The best thing about the ad, though, is something Jordan never quite pulled off: I believe Bron's smile. Anybody who watched that Road to Redemption crap (hell, I got sucked in about a minute into it) knows that The King is always joking, always talking, always acting a fool, like always; he just won't quit. Except when he thinks shit gets real. The great thing about that Nov 5th clip is that he's still kinda joking around while being kinda serious and kinda smart; I mean, dude is tired post game and he's trying to act cool about the whole exciting times, but you can see the giddy. I digg how much he actually lets the public see. He keeps enough privacy that his on-display antics are enough to build a picture around. That, and, well, he's god-ish on the court. Did you see this shit?

He's got CLEIS, too, but his is--his is just, or it's more, fuck, well--LBJ is kind of gross he's so good. We talkin title year?

Genius Animated Marketing #28 LeBron : Yao :: Cowboys : Dragons

The odd Olympic marketing campaigns begin with this animated ditty from Coke pitting LeBron, American King, against Yao, Chinese Giant, in a fantastical cage match that makes little sense. And then they turn into the real dudes and speak each other's language. All because they both love Coke; and money. --RWK [via BDL]

Encounter #88: They'll connect this time over in China.

I defer to Shoals:

If you didn't see or don't remember Kidd's FIBA performance, it was absolutely flawless, and something I can't wait to see recreated on an even bigger stage. The statline he ended up with doesn't appear striking (1.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and 4.6 apg in 15.9 mpg), but his two most important numbers were the just 10 shot attempts and 5 turnovers over the course of the 10 games. That second stat is especially staggering when one thinks back to the ridiculous array of passes he attempted. In particular, two of his botched passes stick out to me more than all of his successes: at one point he attempted a full-court bounce pass that weaved between three defenders, barely beating his streaking target to the spot. Even more impressive was the highlight of the entire tournament: the failed off-balance, off-the-backboard alley oop to LeBron from the 3-point line. Had LeBron connected (and he arguably should have), it would have gone down as the greatest pass I've ever seen.

--RWK

Encounter #83: Wave yo face all you want.

I know this is old hat but this video is pretty well edited. Also, I didn't catch that thing right at the beginning: "Hey, nigga I was in Oakland; Oakland like Brooklyn." Skippy. Also, tomorrow's game is big. I'm torn. I really dig Caron Butler, and I'm happy for Antawn Jaminson in a way, but I do loathe the tactless, classless DeShawn Stevenson... and as Team America said, the longer I get to watch LeBron play (ahem, slash and explode and rise higher than the rim) the better. Or, you know, force a Game 7; prove you don't need Gil. That way Agent Zero can opt out and go to Toronto with D'antoni and Calderon and Bosh for the next high flying Seven Seconds or Less team. --RWK [via Fear The Beard]

Encounter #74: Wally gets a handful

LeBron's new teammate, Wally Szczerbiak, gets quite a handful of the big fella's butt with this standard move made awkward. Watch that follow through! --RWK [via]