Well, Kobe was then forced to don a face mask in the subsequent games. He played in 11 games and scored his 29,000th career point behind the mask. Now, Bryant is auctioning off the mask to benefit the “Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Fund” on eBay. As of this writing, the mask is sitting at $2,550 with six days remaining.

Buy the Mask

I have a question. Has the mask been scrubbed clean, or might there be some DNA where you could go “Jurassic Park” and try to create a new Kobe?

Following Sunday’s win, Cuban made the biggest statement of all. He partied on South Beach with the Golden Ball. Look at the way the light reflects off of the glorious orb.

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What’s on the menu?

– LeBron and the Disappearing Act
– How about a new nickname, since “King” doesn’t seem to fit? That “Chosen One” thing doesn’t work out, either.
– The Rashard Lewis rumor

– Dirk’s place …

– Kardashian – Lockett

– Luongo and the NHL Final

– Baseball realignment (15-team leagues w/ Houston possible shift to AL)

Fantasy

— Baseball call-ups

— Plaxico Burress and the veteran receivers

Sure, James posted a triple-double on Thursday night. He came out strong and facilitated things well with Wade sidelined because of a hip injury. However, James’ run of difficult fourth quarters was extended (he’s scored 11 points in the fourth quarters of this series). He missed several open looks late and watched as Jason Terry went nuts offensively. There’s no claiming a brilliant defensive effort following this game.

James Tweeted that “(Game 5) was now or never.” Checking out, vanishing, whatever you want to call it, his aggressiveness waned once again as the game wore on. The fact that the Heat had him on the court for 46 minutes certainly played a part. He’s logging some ridiculous minutes in this series. Still, fans and pundits want to see more of the attacking James, the dominant James. Wade’s return to the court put James back into a secondary role on the offensive end.

Again, there’s an interesting separation occurring. The traits and abilities that make James one of the most interesting and special athletes of this era are the traits that have fans and media up in arms. And that split, of course, is like giving gasoline to LeBron detractors. He’s been unselfish, trying to pick his spots, make plays for others and take advantage of mismatches on the court (like that which Wade has had for much of the action).

Unfortunately, this isn’t about absorbing a loss or two in an 82-game regular season. This is for the first of the “not five, not six, not seven …” Well, you remember the speech.

Does it mean that you force up 35 shots and try to single-handedly? No. But I would have banked on him seeing at the free throw line more than twice given that he spent such a large span handling the ball.

And remember this … you’re still looking at hotly-contested, last-minute games despite his lack of production in the fourth quarter. Some things can’t be measured in the box score, as we know well.

– You may want to see him lose because of “the decision” or you’re from Cleveland.

– Perhaps you admire his move to Miami and recognize that you’d have bailed to South Beach to go work with your friends as well. You just didn’t want to see him win immediately.

In the end, you just want to see the superstar go down gunning if he’s going to lose. You want LeBron to have the ball in his hands.

But just remember that some of the most memorable and significant moments of Michael Jordan’s career came when he embraced the role of facilitator. Other players need to hit shots, too.

If you blinked, you missed LeBron James in Game 4. Sure, he continued his work on the defensive end and contributed rebounds and assists. But, James failed to assert himself offensively and watched as Game 4 slipped away. James was held to a playoff-low eight points in this, his 91st career playoff game.

He converted 3-of-11 shots and showed zero aggressiveness on the offensive end of the court. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined for 56 points. Wade actually shot brilliantly from the field once again, posting a fantastic 13-for-20 night. Yet, despite his heroics, everyone’s going to be talking about the free throw that he missed. As he said, “The basketball gods didn’t want that to go down (I’m paraphrasing).”

Dirk Nowitzki played through a reported 102-degree fever to give the Mavericks 21 points and 11 rebounds. He made only 6-of-19 field goal attempts, but hit nine free throws. You can totally tell that he was ill — Dirk actually missed a free throw!

Jason Terry was challenged following Game 3 and responded well here. He scored 17 points, including clutch free throws and a layup in the final minutes. While Terry rose up offensively, it took Tyson Chandler’s emergence on the boards to break through. Miami dominated the early-going with offensive rebounds. Chandler eventually amassed 16 rebounds, including nine offensive boards of his own.

Add 16 points from Marion and 11 from DeShawn Stevenson off of the bench (he played 25 minutes) and the Mavericks doubled up the Heat’s bench (28 to 14).

The improved bench play and rebounding charge in the second half (the Mavs were out-rebounded by three overall) helped Dallas overcome the sizable fourth quarter deficit and 4-for-19 shooting from three-point range.

There are a ton of story angles working in this series, now tied at two.

Dirk will get past his sinus infection and fever to get ready for Game 5. Wade has played large all series.

The only story that matters is how LeBron James responds following his recent run of sub-par offensive efforts. This was supposed to be a King-making series, and the Heat’s Game 1 win appeared to put James on the path. Instead, he’s subjugated himself to be a facilitator and not an attacker.

It’s a tricky business, this being the all-around superhero.

– When you win, people praise your play-making, unselfishness and “feel” for the game.
– When you lose, you didn’t act as a leader and your “heart” and “fire” are questioned.

Where’s that balance?

Right now, the detractors are lining up to take their shots. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is likely penning another missive directed at Scottie Pippen or anyone else who elevated James to legend status before he was fitted for his first ring.

There are innumerable books about this post-”Decision” Heat squad waiting to be published. The final chapter will be penned in the next three games.

You can spew hate against “The Decision.” You may deride LeBron James for his exit from Cleveland or mock Chris Bosh.

I won’t begrudge you that. You’re entitled to your opinions.

But, I will ask a simple question. Wouldn’t you move from Cleveland to Miami, pocket a pile of cash and work with your buddies if you could? Whatever your line of work, that level of freedom, or some semblance thereof, is what most aspire to.

On Thursday night, the Heat took advantage of Chicago’s lack of consistency behind Derrick Rose and powered their way to a fourth straight win and a date with the Mavericks in the NBA Finals. James didn’t see the free throw line until the third quarter. He hit nine-of-11 overall and nailed two huge three-pointers as part of that 18-3 run to close out the series.

Dwyane Wade was downright pathetic for the first third quarters before the switch flipped. He dominated down the stretch, including a four-point play to cut the Chicago lead to three points. Wade finished with 21 points. Wade overcame an absurd turnover count of nine to finish it out.

Chris Bosh scored 20 points and 10 rebounds. He came into the series as the distant third on everyone’s radar, but demonstrated a strong inside-outside presence.

I opened this thing by saying that “The Big Three got it done.”

Look at the box score. There was no Mike Miller or Udonis Haslem stepping up to provide big minutes here. The trio of James, Wade and Bosh scored 69 of the team’s 83 points.

————–

The Bulls fade into the off-season, and you can already hear the chatter about prospective shooting guard additions and changes in the interior. Derrick Rose, the MVP, made only nine-of-29 shots and made a number of questionable decisions down the stretch. Steve Kerr banged the drum on the broadcast for Thibodeau to get him on the bench for a few minutes at the end of the third quarter to keep him fresh for the stretch run.

In the end, Rose had to try to carry the squad again. Luol Deng gave him 18 points of support, but the rest of the Bulls were virtual bystanders offensively.

The Bulls got solid minutes off of the bench Kurt Thomas. I championed his use earlier in the series for the pick-and-pop potential and willingness to bang down low. Thomas hit a pair of shots and logged eight rebounds.

Ronnie Brewer added 10 points and hit an unlikely three-pointer.

But, let’s call it what it is. Kyle Korver can’t D and can’t create his own shot. Keith Bogans is an infrequent contributor to the scoring log. Boozer occasionally pops off for a big offensive effort, but there’s no consistency whatsoever. Noah is a high-energy player who can D up and rebound, but he has little offensive game.

Just one hour following the end of the series, the comparison to the end of the Bears’ run to the NFC Championship Game is eerily similar. Both teams made fantastic charges deep into the playoffs, but both also had glaring flaws. Once we get out of the lockouts, it will be interesting to see how those issues are amended.

For now, we’ll sit back and watch “the man who would be king” take on Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. Are you cheering for the villain yet?

Be it a television show, off-Broadway play or film, you could just envision the poster.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose received all of the hype and press. The Heat were set up as the villain in this battle against the league’s MVP. In fact, I lost count of the number of times that I heard the words “everyone who doesn’t live in Miami is cheering for the Bulls” uttered this week.

I don’t quite understand it. The same public that cheers for the bad guy at the movies, the “heel” in professional wrestling and the shirtless dude on “Cops” is actively rooting against the Heat.

And sure, James took center stage in Game 2, but the leader of the Heat’s high-profile trio has been the oft-dismissed Chris Bosh. Bosh was quiet at times during the regular season and his abilities, even his very manhood, have been questioned in the press.

Right now, Bosh is standing tall in the Eastern Conference Finals. He scored 34 points in Game 1 on 13-of-18 shooting (8-for-10 free throws) in the Heat’s crushing loss. Bosh scored 10 points with eight rebounds in the team’s Game 2 win in Chicago, and then rolled up a huge effort in the Game 3 win at home. He scored 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting with nine rebounds to give the Heat a 2-1 series lead.

At times, Game 3 evolved into a game of 1-on-1 between Bosh and Carlos Boozer. Remember, both were high-priced additions this off-season, and they’ll be inextricably linked forever. And, though Boozer posted a tremendous Game 3 stat line, Bosh was the more consistent and all-around better player in that contest.

James and Wade will continue to get their headlines. Others will focus on the lack of defensive cohesion and rotations by the Bulls and the lack of help for Derrick Rose. There’s enough ink to go around.

Just don’t forget to shoot some praise for Bosh’s play in this series … even if you limit it to 140 characters.

The Heat took down the 76ers in the first game of the night to set up a highly-anticipated series with the Celtics.

The Spurs then needed a miracle shot from Gary Neal to force overtime. Tony Parker, who struggled early in the game, found his stroke in the fourth quarter to help the effort.

And then, there was the nightcap. The Oklahoma City Thunder sought to close out their series against the Denver Nuggets in front of the home crowd. It was a rough, physical game that included a number of heroic efforts. Most will turn to the huge offensive production put forth by Kevin Durant and heap praises upon him. I certainly don’t blame them, as Durant was his normally dominant self.

However, for this week’s FMC award, I’m offering a one-man clap for his teammate, Serge Ibaka. Ibaka scored a single point in Wednesday’s series-clincher (Durant had 41), but dominated the glass with eight rebounds while rejecting nine shots. That’s right. He swatted away nine shots and redirected countless others to aid the cause. Today, we salute the defense.

Forget about it. The Heat went into San Antonio and got blown out of the gym. The Spurs welcomed Tony Parker back to the lineup much faster than the original diagnosis of his calf injury. After one quarter of play, San Antonio had already built a 24-point advantage. Miami cut the advantage to 12 at halftime, but it was more of the same out of the break.

The Spurs hit 17-of-28 three-point attempts, including six from 6-foot-10 forward/center Matt Bonner. By game’s end, eight Spurs were in double figures, led by 20 from Manu Ginobili. Parker added 15 points and eight assists in his return to the court (+31).

As for the Heat, LeBron James posted a fantastic fantasy night (26 points on 11-of-19 shooting, 8 rebounds and 7 assists), as did Chris Bosh, who nabbed 14 rebounds to go along with 17 points. When things got tight(er), the Spurs found an answer and immediately stretched the lead. The Heat were unable to respond.

I wrote about the Heat’s loss on Thursday as a potential problem psychologically with a long, difficult streak of games against playoff-ready opponents ahead. Forget about the fact that they took another “L” against San Antonio. That was expected on the road. They got housed.

Meanwhile, the Bulls came into Orlando and pulled off a road win to take the second spot in the East.

LeBron might be spending a lot of time with the Knicks after all … as the Heat would take on New York in the first round if the playoffs started today. David Stern just struck his Montgomery Burns “Excellent” pose.

The Heat built a seemingly insurmountable lead in Miami on Thursday night. The only question as the third quarter began was the margin of victory. Miami led by 24 points following a James dunk when things turned around. Jason Richardson and Ryan Anderson paced the comeback, and Dwight Howard dominated the glass.

James and Chris Bosh missed last-second three-point attempts after J.J. Redick drained two free throws to give the Magic a three-point lead with just under 10 second remaining.

Some would believe this to be just another bump in the road to James’ coronation following a win in the NBA Finals, but there’s a larger issue at play. Remember, the Heat failed to sustain a huge lead in their last home game against the Knicks. They built a 15-point lead, but collapsed late. In fact, Miami has dropped three of their last four games (including a road game in Chicago) and four of their past seven.

The next two weeks present a number of challenges. This was the first game of a back-to-back with a roadie in San Antonio on tap for Friday night. Then, the Heat opens a six-game homestand.

Look at the opponents: Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles (Lakers), Memphis, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

For those keeping score at home —- that’s seven straight playoff opponents. Oh, wait. Add a road date in Atlanta and a home tilt against the Nuggets and you’re looking at nine straight would-be playoff opponents, including five upper-seed foes (top 4 in each conference).

Chicago has a more advantageous schedule down the stretch and sits just 1.5 games behind the Heat for second in the East.

Will James reign?

I understand that people are going to keep asking the questions. I recognize their need to get a soundbyte out there and lay the verbal smackdown on “the decision.”

In the past week, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and countless other NBA legends have lined up to make their sentiments known about the gathering in Miami.

It was a different era, where the players hardly dealt with one another, Magic & Isaiah’s embraces aside, and fought to beat one another senseless. It was also a different era, where the salary cap didn’t exist, free agency was reserved for secondary and tertiary players and where the money didn’t weight you down with an extra zero.

They’re the legends of the game, and while we certainly appreciate their thoughts on the matter, and I don’t know that we’ve been surprised by anything said. The video game titles of the era said it all — “Bird VS. Magic” — “Jordan VS. Bird.”

If anything, maybe it serves as a nice marketing piece to get the names back in the discussion (not that we don’t talk about Michael, Larry & Magic). Maybe it forces new NBA fans that wish to deify a LeBron James to do their homework and go back and watch the DVDs and classic games of the 80s and 90s teams. Maybe it forces them to take off the rose-colored glasses and recognize the history.

You have to give James and company this – we’re 10 days from training camps beginning in earnest, the trade deadline is approaching in MLB and orders for face paint have spiked on college campuses — and we’re talking about the NBA! David Stern can talk about how much he hates the way this was handled and so on, but every day that the NBA takes centerstage is a good day.

In “Highlander,” the mantra was that “there can be only one.”

Well, I guess that that “one” resides in Los Angeles and wears No. 24.

I have a new theory about what caused the powers to converge in Miami. I blame the “participation trophy” mentality.

I do have to ask the base question. I posted it on Facebook and Twitter, and I reiterate it here ….

Is there a better or more complete switch from “face” to “heel” than LeBron’s departure for Miami? This trumps Rocky Maivia becoming “The Rock” or Hulk Hogan’s rise in the black and white colors of the nWo.

On Thursday, the grandiose spectacle that was the “decision” (I refuse to capitalize it) was unleashed after the countdown clocks wound to triple zero.

The Cavaliers are incensed, believing that they did everything possible to keep him there. In his letter to fans, did Dan Gilbert intentionally leave out the Ferry and Smith firings, essentially telling fans and LeBron (and his team) that he was loyal to LeBron in those dismissals?

LeBron made the best decision for winning and for business. I had thought he’d stay home in Cleveland, but the idea of a Miami “Legion of Doom” or Chicago run wouldn’t have surprised me. In the end, he’ll play with his friends and try to bring another title, or series of them, to Miami. How can you blame him from a straight business move? It was a brave, bold choice.

Although, forget about the money side of things for a minute. He’ll make up a lot of the salary differential in state taxes he won’t pay for taking up residence in Florida.

———————————-

I don’t know. I wished there had been some cheerleaders, a marching band or that Will Smith had popped out from behind a curtain to start singing. Wouldn’t that have been something?

Instead, there was silence and a whole lot of nothing.

The open letter helps to build some drama, and many have likened LeBron to Art Modell (including Larry Fitzgerald on his Twitter feed). He’ll be the villain in Cleveland forever, but most of the bile nationwide is reserved for his marketing people and the network that broadcast his announcement.

I made the wrestling references before to remind folks of the fact that while you may have had that initial – “why???” and anger moment (remember the shots of grown men crying when Hogan revealed the nWo?), those guys eventually became crowd favorites.

Winning gets people on your side. Winning brings, well, HEAT.

Cue the “Miami Vice” theme and let’s talk some football.

Can we add a couple musical acts for this hour-long special? Maybe find someone that Elton John hasn’t played with yet, or let Ron Artest sing his “Champion” song?

Seriously, it’s great PR and a spectacle to end the weeks, nay, months of rumor, conjecture or speculation. And, we’ll be the better for it. The NBA has been in the news for an extra month beyond the end of the Finals – and I can just see David Stern sitting at his desk, fingers extended in a Montgomery Burnsian-like fashion with an “Excellent” muttered under his breath for good measure.

Roger Goodell has to have mixed feelings. He doesn’t have the full media scrutiny of the media during the recent rage of arrests. Unfortunately, he also doesn’t have the media frenzy that normally surrounds the final weeks heading into training camp.

Major League Baseball has Strasburg and the wonderful world of trading card sales ($20K, anyone?). The All-Star Game is in the news only because of the usual litany of omissions and the talking heads getting incensed over perceived snubs.

I get that you want to stand up for the local pitcher or hitter that was omitted, but let’s at least make some cohesive, intelligent arguments to support your candidate. Remember, the rosters are put together with several factors in mind. You have the NATIONWIDE TV audience, the people in the park, the players, executives, commissioner and coaches/manager to consider. Pure stat guys (I like my numbers, but let’s not kid ourselves) are going nuts about strikeout totals and such, but take the full picture into account.

But, I digress.

I won’t be watching Thursday’s special. I figure I’ll be more entertained by the collection of comedians (real and self-appointed), scribes, pundits and friends that make up my Twitter list (I’m @swollendome, for those interested) than with the elimination chamber or whatever the hell is going on during that hour.

I would be intrigued to see the GMs or owners or some team representative in some sort of competition, with the last man standing declared the victor of James’ services … as he sat on a throne with assorted capes, sceptres and crowns in the various team colors decorating the walls.

I joked on the daily podcast that I do with John Halpin that James and his team should have worked with Dana White to present a solid UFC undercard.

Or, let’s take fighting to another level. Resurrect the “Living In America”-type entrance for James and his posse like that used by Carl Weathers before he was bludgeoned by Drago in Rocky IV. I know that James Brown isn’t availab, RIP, but we can probably work up a re-mixed version of the song and add a Lil’ Jon “Yeahh!” or something.

Man, to be a producer for a day …

Instead, I’ll be watching “Bad Lieutenant” (the Harvey Keitel version) and watching the Ubaldo-Carpenter battle on the DVR. I’ll let @sportsguy33, @darrenrovell1, @adamcarolla or @PetrosandMoney fill in the team abbreviation.

I’ll have plenty of time to break down the teams as they get assembled before tip-off of the new season.

I’m not spreading my bets around like most. Despite the late money moving toward NY (literally, per the movement of stock prices on Wednesday), I still believe that James stays in Cleveland.

Still, nothing would surprise me at this point.

Wake me when it’s over.