WWLBD? WWLW?

WWLBD? What will LeBron Do? This is the question on the mind of all basketball fans these days. As of July 1, Free Agent season begins and never has there been a bigger deal than this. I've heard some say it's the biggest thing to happen in all of basketball history. The biggest event ever in basketball history? I think not...I recall a certain Chicago Bull player retiring at the peak of his game taking over conversations around the dinner table across America, and possibly even the rest of the world. But, this is an impressive class of men taking up free agency on Thursday. And their leader? Naturally, King James. Where will he go? What will he do? Every team in the league is waiting for his decision so that they can build a team to defend him and whatever superpowers he joins forces with.

There's lots of talk about teams he 'might' be considering, Chicago, New Jersey, Dallas, Clippers, Miami, etc. And not to mention staying at his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. As the billboards read: Born Here, Lives Here, Plays Here, Stays Here. Personally, I'd take a nice long look at Miami, the weather is so lovely and the scene is just so hot. If not Miami, I think the next best place for royalty is the Big Apple. What better place for a King to reside, the worlds center for fashion, finance, entertainment, etc. Or maybe Chicago, where he could play on the hallowed court that was once home to the greatest ever, Michael Jordan. Everybody wants this guy. I've even read a suggestion that we should change the name of July to LeBron, just for this year as it seems he's the favorite topic du jour.

Among the other superstar players about to shake up the NBA through their free agency are Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh (and his newly cut hair), Amar'e Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Tracy McGrady, just to name a few. That line-up sounds like an all-star game. So get on your dancing shoes boys, this highly anticipated basketball shuffle begins on Thursday, July 1.

Another hot topic on my mind...WWLW? What will Lacy wear? I am heading to California in a few weeks for an important and very fun function with some of my most favorite friends. We will be the first guests to be entertained at the new Williams Selyem Winery and will be sipping their delicious wine as a certain friend and famous chef or two (in case you're reading this Chris) will be preparing us dinner. So back to my original question, what does one wear while barrel tasting in the winery (read: a little chilly), dining alfresco (read: warm then cooling off after sunset), and possibly taking a stroll through the vineyard (read: comfy shoes)? And all of this while trying to pull off a "Sonoma County Casual" look. Hmmmm???? What about my wine angel and Valerie's wine devil tee shirt look? Cute, but maybe not for this function. Beyond the ever present false eyelashes for such events and the fact that 10 years of wobbling around on 3 inch Manolos has forced me into a lifetime of flats perfect for exploring the land of grapes, I'm at a loss. I welcome any thoughts on this topic.

Lots of big decisions to be made in the next few days and weeks. If I don't make a new post before the weekend, I hope you all have a safe and happy fourth of LeBron, oops, I mean Happy Fourth of July!!!

Thoughts on Game 7: Thumb Ring

So its officially over. Basketball season has come to an end and Kobe now has a championship ring for each finger, including his thumb. Andy and I took in the basketball action from a motel room somewhere between Seagrove Beach and Hazard, Kentucky, where we are headed to spend the weekend with dear friends.


It was a thrilling Game 7, as suspected. For the first 3 quarters it looked like the Celtics would take the trophy back to Boston, but no such luck. In the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant turned up his skills to help the Lakers take the lead and win the game in the last seconds.


The Celtics didn't give up--they played their hearts out right to the last minute, but sadly for the guys in green, it wasn't enough. This is a team that plays like beautiful poetry, and Rondo in particular showed his skills during this playoff season, so much so that my best sportsfan girlfriend, Brenda Nunnery, reports that she is planning to name her next dog "Rondo" due to his "such ballet like moves." This will be one cute dog as their family usually goes for miniature dachshunds, very much the ballerinas, right? And I know she's not joking because she named her last dog after another friend and amazing lady, Julianna Martinelli. The funny thing is the human Julianna has the longest legs known to man, at least a half mile long, and her namesake, the canine (mini dachshund) Julianna Martinelli has legs barely long enough to keep her belly from dragging on the ground as she walks, but she's still a real looker.


It was heartbreaking to see the sadness on the face of the Celtics after the game. But, wow, seeing the immediate reaction of Ron Artest quickly negated any sad feelings. Watching a grown man so ridiculously emotional was very amusing. I didn't realize it was proper protocol to thank your phsycotherapist on national television after winning a grueling match up for the NBA world championship. I'll have to remember that in case I am ever in a similar situation. I couldn't help but laugh at his joyful expressions. I also confess to having a slightly evil streak that makes me get a good belly laugh from seeing people cry over sports wins & losses. (Melanie, you know the Ohio State kid I refer to from the UF championship game--and I speak of the football championship win over Ohio State, not the basketball championship win over Ohio State that same year). Having admitted to this evil spirited giggling, I had a nice chuckle seeing the chest heaving sobs of Pau Gasol.

I think it was that lovely songbird, Christina Aguillera that was the good luck charm for the Lakers. She gave another stunning performance of the national anthem. I couldn't get over her amazing false lashes. I'll have to find out what brand she uses.


In other sports news, my niece, Mason's volleyball team, the Vero Beach Rivers are battling it out at Disney's Wide World of Sports this week. A serious team from Mandeville, LA took a few games from them in the beginning, but they rallied and won a few against a team from Puerto Rico. Last report had them playing a team from Indiana, up one set.


It has also been reported that Mason's brother, Phillip and his baseball team, the Vero Beach Nationals All Star's will head to Williamsport for the Little League World Series, so I'll keep you updated on that too. What an athletically gifted bunch of kids in the family!


So no more basketball games in the near future, but fear not, there's plenty to talk about...especially with the LeBron Le-Free Agency topic and all of the other talented players on the move this summer. And I've always got a few mindless thoughts on the sport to share with my followers. Don't be sad...the season may be over, but I'll still be here.


xoxo

Thoughts on Game 6: California Dreamin

Ok friends, huge and I mean HUGE game tonight. It's what all basketball fans live for, a heated Game 7 where it's all on the line. I suppose Kobe's teammates recovered from his stinging criticism because they really turned it around in Game 6. The Celtics were finished by halftime and their case wasn't helped much with the early withdrawal of center Kendrick Perkins. He suffered a severe knee injury and won't be returning for Game 7, and from the sounds of it he sadly won't be active next season.



Andy and I veiwed the game together at home with a gulf coast seafood extravaganza as it might be the last of our local seafood for quite a while due to the big mess of oil. Our favorite seafood shop, Shrimpers, is possibly closing down as early as Monday. This haven of seafood is owned and operated by a family that has lived in Destin forever (I went to high school with the son and daughter, and that was a loooong time ago) and this family has always been working in the fishing business so I know they have the best of the local catch. It's a very sad time.



To lift our spirits we opened a bottle of Williams Selyem Pinot Noir from California's Russian River Valley which is always good for a little cheer. Our very dear friend Bob, aka the Big Willi, makes this delicious wine so you have to feel good when sipping his juice, also known affectionately as the Big Willi.



It'll be tough to top that line up for Game 7 tonight, but I'll try.



My sister Mathilda is vacationing in San Diego right now, wait...is it considered vacation when visiting in-laws? Anyway, I told her she should try to go to the game, surely LA isn't that far away from San Diego. Just for a little fun, she did some research and reports "I can get two COURTSIDE tickets for only 30,000 and change (each). And parking is included! But alas, I have nothing to wear. And who would I root for?" Parking included? What a bargain! Maybe I should hop on a plane and accompany my sister to the event after we make a quick shopping spree/makeover in Beverly Hills. But oh rats, our very strict and considerate financial advisor says its not a good idea. But we can dream...



For all of you friends that still don't really get the basketball thing, I beg you to watch the national anthem and introduction of the teams just before the game. Los Angeles naturally puts on a dramatic performance (that little song bird Christina Aguillera sang on Thursday night) and you can get a compilation of the most exciting moments of playoff history too. It's very entertaining, even for those that don't yet embrace this face-paced sport.



And as for history, this is the 12th meeting of these two teams in the finals. The Celtics have won 9 of 11 of those meetings. It's going to be tense out there tonight, but Kobe Bryant says he's "not trippin."



Celtics Coach Doc Rivers says "It should be a lot of fun." I agree with Doc, yet it will be a little bittersweet as the close of this game brings on a long, hot summer void of basketball, with football still far out on the horizon. I suppose I'll have to cheer on baseball and soccer.



Tip off tonight at 8:00.



xoxo

Thoughts on Game 5: The Milkmen

What an exciting series this has been with the Lakers and Celtics. The series leaves Beantown and heads to Tinseltown tonight for Game 6, a win or go home game for Los Angeles. It occurred to me while watching the game on Sunday night that we are watching one man (Kobe Bryant) play a team (Boston Celtics). Finally, the Three-party showed up with all members scoring double digits, and of course Rondo continuing his post season success. The Celtics showed nice teamwork, sweet ball movement, great defense and powerful scoring.

Kobe Bryant also showed all of the above while scoring a whopping 38 points from unthinkable positions, but unfortunately he didn't have a team to help him out, which he was very vocal about on his way to the locker room after the game, lots of bleep bleep bleeping going on. He even stated that their defense was on the side of a milk carton for the last two games (i.e. MISSING). Yikes! Such strong words from their leader, will they put their injured feelings aside and "man up" tonight?




I've received many requests for a photo of the previously described green suit from kindergarten, but I am sad to report that there are only 3 photographs in existence from my early childhood as I am the youngest of 3 girls. And I am only captured in the background of those photos as my two adorable older sisters were the typically the main subject. But fear not, I've spent a lifetime making up for the early neglect, as anyone who knows my family knows that I quickly rose to royalty status and continue to reign from my position as family princess.

I also thought of another green piece of my childhood history, my dad used to drive me to school in his International Harvester Scout, the original SUV, purchased on a family vacation in California, sans moi (another sad story of neglect), and driven across the country to its new home in Florida. It was actually the first of two Scouts we would drive and this one was lovingly called "the Green Machine". Too bad I don't have a photo of my dad and me heading off to start our day in the Green Machine with me sporting my green suit. I'm sure it would be a real cutie.

Back to the Celtics sense of fashion, it is now clear to me that the only fabric they care about seeing is that of the championship banners hanging from the rafters. Oh my, how they long to add banner number 18 to their collection.

And oh my, how Kobe longs to add championship ring number 5 to his talented hand.

Who will it be, tune in tonight to find out . I'll be watching...

xoxo

Thoughts on Game 4: Bench Press

The Lakers and Celtics are truly living up to the legend of their fiercely competitive rivalry. History repeats itself as these two teams go back and forth with wins, struggling for the championship. The Lakers played hard, Kobe showed up with 33 points, but with big man Andrew Bynum ailing from a knee injury, they couldn't pull off a win. After an ugly loss on Tuesday, the Celtics, or should I say the Celtics Bench, came back last night with a vengeance to tie the series.

Celtics back up point guard Nate Robinson came off the bench to make big plays and keep the speed of the game at a very fast pace. He also ignited the team and the fans with his wild enthusiasm, but that was nothing compared to the moves displayed by Big Baby (Glen Davis, Celtics back up forward). Who would ever guess that a fellow of his size could move with such agility? And I don't just mean the incredible plays he was making on the court while powering through the Lakers to score 18 points, 11 of them in the second half. This man can do a little dance, shake his tail feathers and get down tonight. His celebratory jigs were quite entertaining, as was his description of himself as "a beast" in his postgame interview. During this interview, Nate Robinson referred to the duo as Shrek and Donkey, very fitting comparison.

Again I find myself contemplating what I would wear if I was a die hard Boston fan. This could prove to be even more challenging than donning the dreaded purple/gold combo because I simply do not do green. Green as in caring for the environment, of course, you will always see me gathering my collection of reusable cloth bags from my extremely fuel efficient Prius as I enter the grocery store, but wearing the color is an entirely different topic.

I trace my fear of green back to an outfit my very sweet and otherwise extremely tasteful mother made for me and forced me to wear while attending kindergarten. In summary, this was a very thick, forest green polyester suit with bell bottoms and an overly wide collar. The buttons were the oh so fashionable brown plastic logs and the ensemble was finished off with a mint green shirt under the jacket. I will not further expand on the 'get-up' as I don't want to upset my mom (she's sure to read this and has been the key contributor to my love of shopping ever since the dreaded suit situation. In fact I cannot count the days she took me out of school to head over to the big city of Pensacola for a day of shopping. Truly an amazing mother). Needless to say the suit was not a pretty sight, but it was this very outfit that has scarred me for life, forcing me to steer clear of the spectrum of green colors.

My personal boycott of green would prove problematic if I was a Beantown gal, so I did a little research and found a dress that even I could contemplate wearing to support the Celtics. Click on this link for a peek at the dress:

Diane von Furstenberg dress from Saks

And especially for my NFL/Tom Brady crazed friend Terri, something else quite pretty to ponder...a spectator at Game 3 in Boston, hopefully cheering on his fellow Boston sports team.

More after Game 5...

xoxo

Thoughts on Game 3: School of Fish(er)

Rise and Shine Sports Fans,

The much anticipated return to Boston proved to be sweet revenge for the Lakers. It was once again a very exciting game. Thankfully Kevin Garnett woke up and started to show us a little of his insane skills (you might recall he was the first player ever to be drafted right out of high school to the NBA). But even KG's reappearance wasn't enough for the Celtics last night.

It looked promising for the Celtics in the first few minutes, so much so that my fellow spectator and delightful husband, Andy, took back his "Lakers in 5" statement and revised it to "if they keep this up, Celtics in 5". But not so fast says the Coach Phil Jackson of the Lakers as he calls a time out and gets his team re-focused. The Lakers went on to block all of Ray Allen's previously unstoppable 3 pointers and took the lead for most of the second and third quarters. With Kevin Garnett scoring 25 points during the game, the Celtics were able to close the gap in the fourth, but then...

Derek Fisher stole the show. He scored 11 of his 16 points in the last quarter, played great defense and made amazing plays happen, ending the Celtics hopes for a win with his final coast to coast play of remarkable beauty. Definitely worth checking out the highlights on SportsCenter.




As for the fashion scene in Boston, I don't really have a lot to report on that front right now. I need to collect my thoughts after being temporarily stunned by this hot fellow. He's no (Marky) Mark Wahlberg, but I've got to applaud his team spirit.

The next game is Thursday night. Will LA take the win and the chance to close out the series in Boston a la Andy's prediction, Lakers in 5? Can the Boston Three-Party coordinate their skills and all give a peak performance on the same night? Will Marky Mark grace grace us with his presence courtside? A lot of questions to be answered on Thursday night. I'll be watching...

xoxo

Thoughts on Game 2: Foul Play

Good Morning Sports Fans,

I viewed Game 2 with my charming husband as I have returned home just in time to witness the arrival of oil on our pristine, sugar-white beaches. We have long since boycotted news coverage of this terrible disaster in our household because it is too sad. I've found that during such tough times, we can easily be distracted by the wide world of sports where people fill stadiums and bars to wildly cheer for their team and enthusiastically celebrate their teams win. Generally in sports happiness and excitement abound, with the exception of the Lakers fans last night...

We saw a very different Celtics team take to the courts in LA last night. It was a fast-paced game, thanks to the quick moves of the Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo's speedy deliveries combined with Ray Allen's amazing 3 pointers all night long gave the Celtics a win in this exciting Game 2 against the Lakers. It was a close game for the most part with the lead shifting back and forth as both teams put on a nice performance. The game was captivating for the entire 48 minutes, however, those minutes were stretched by the crazy amount of fouls, many of which were not valid. By the end of the game nearly everyone had at least 5 fouls. Yes, it was physical out there, but really, no need to stop the action every 6 seconds to call a foul. I beg of the refs, please let them play basketball without all of the unnecessary interruptions otherwise they should consider changing the NBA tag line to NBA: Where Fouls Happen.

The Celtics tied the series, but do not be mistaken, the Lakers were still playing like the championship team they are, and I for one, fear the crazed look of determination, hunger and revenge in the eyes of Kobe Bryant. He is clearly a man consumed with winning. The guy already has a handful of championship rings, but there must be something about the nasty rivalry that exists between these teams and a primal need to beat the Celtics in the Finals that is driving him.

On the fashion side, I've been thinking about what I would wear if I were a Lakers fan and it's not a pretty thought. I doubt there are many folks out there that say, "oh yes, I look best in bright yellow and Barney purple" (and I speak of Barney the dinosaur, not Barney's the super-chic NYC department store). It's a tough fashion statement, unless of course you were raised in an LSU-loving environment where this color combo seemed quite normal, and possibly even tasteful.

I don't see a sea of gold and purple in the crowds at their games. Even though the colors are awkward, I would expect the die-hard fans to be sporting them, but then again this is LA, the vainest of all cities. And this is a statement of a product of the reportedly most obnoxious of all college fans, yes I am a Florida Gator. And trust me when I say orange and blue are not my best colors...nonetheless, I wear them proudly on game day.

I was happy to see a few ladies and gentlemen sporting their colors well last night(or team hat a la Justin Timberlake) and their team spirit made me proud. There was one exception and I'd like to give him a little fashion warning: If you are not a tall man and weigh in over 250, it is not advisable to wear bright yellow trousers with a bright purple top. Actually, the top is not the issue so much as the pants, highlighter shade of yellow is not appropriate below the waist unless you play on the team. I like your display of love for your team, but next time consider wearing denim with the purple top and maybe some yellow shoes.

And I thought all it took was false lashes and long hair to get a floor seat, perhaps I need to rethink that.

The next 3 games will be played in Boston. Game 3 is Tuesday night and I'll be watching...

xoxo

Thoughts on Game 1

I'm reporting live from Vero Beach, Florida. As promised, I watched an exciting Game 1 with my trusted young sports-loving niece and nephew, Mason and Phillip. I should've known the Lakers would win since those two picked them to win the championship--this household really knows their sports. The Lakers were clearly the more driven team last night and found a way to get past the Celtics usually strong defense. Kobe and Gasol had an especially nice thing going on last night as they scored a combined 44 points for the Lakers. But fear not Celtics fans, I'm sure Doc Rivers will make some adjustments and we'll see the Celtics return to Staples Center Sunday night with a new attitude. One thing we can definitely count on is extremely physical play, they couldn't even make it 27 seconds into the game before Ron Artest and Paul Pierce got tangled up. It's a very heated rivalry.

And speaking of hot, I scoured the fans and noticed a few stand-out ladies in attendance. Hilary Swank is quite the Lakers fan and sported a nice casual look finished off with a serious game face last night. Kourtney Kardashian showed up looking somewhat understated (based on those sisters usual attire) to cheer on her hubby, Lakers forward Lamar Odom. And lastly, take a peek at the always beautiful Charlize Theron. If only we could all channel her style while taking in the hoops action.

Game 2 on Sunday night, I'll be watching...

xoxo

p.s. For those of you wanting an update on Mason's Vero Beach Rivers AAU Volleyball Team, I was lucky enough to view a scrimmage of her team last night and trust me when I say the girl has mad skills. I'm expecting big things out of this team when they play for the National Championship at Disney's Wide World of Sports later this month. Don't worry, I'll be keeping you posted on those developments.

How the West Was Won

How was the west won? It was won by a lone ranger and his name is Kobe Bryant. The Suns put up a nice battle, but Kobe and team showed up with guns slinging. The Lakers win certainly makes for an exciting Champoinship series.

It's down to a repeat of the 2008 Finals with the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. It seems that these two teams really can't stand each other and their fans are rabid about (a.)their love for their own team and (b.)their hatred for the other team. In 2008, the Celtics won this series. I'm wondering if they can do it again. It's tough to say with Kobe and crew being en fuego, but on the Celtics side, lets not forget that Rondo has been the darling of the playoffs.

The first game is in LA this Thursday, and I'll be watching from Vero Beach with two of my favorite sports fans, my neice Mason (10) and my nephew Phillip (12). They don't really like either of the teams, but both think the Lakers will win, Phillip in game 6, Mason in game 7. Their mother, my sister Melanie, thinks the Celtics will win in 7 games. But right now the family is a little more focused on Mason's volleyball team (the Vero Beach Rivers) playing for the national championship. Go Rivers! Of course we'll have great celeb sightings at the games in LA, but don't forget that super hottie(Marky) Mark Wahlberg sometimes attends in Boston, so either way the crowd viewing will be nice. Who will win? I can't answer that but I agree with Kobe Bryant's post game statement on Saturday..."it's a sexy matchup."

xoxo