Lebron James has been a great influence on and off the court for many years now. Lebron once touched the field of politics and was told by Fox News host Laura Ingram to “shut up and dribble.” Now it looks like Lebron James may have just taken that advice.

Lebron recently said he’ll go with his own name on his jersey instead of the NBA’s social justice slogans. I would say I'm shocked because Lebron James has done more than the average athlete in regards to social justice work but the more I think about it I'm not shocked. Lebron James went against Kyrie Irving’s revolt of sitting out the rest of the season due to the racial divide going on in the country. Yet we praise Lebron and blast Kyrie Irving for him speaking his truth.

Let us keep in mind the Lakers were the hottest team in the league before this NBA hiatus and they have a great shot to win the championship when the season resumes. Lebron’s main concern right now is winning another championship to narrow the goat comparisons with Micheal Jordan. Take a look at his instagram and you’ll see a picture of Lebron in a tank with the caption “I'm trying to destroy whoever in front of me.” That tells me all I need to know about where Lebron’s head is at in this very moment. Even Kyle Korver who’s Caucasian said he will wear black lives matter on his jersey and this is not even his battle to fight. It seems as if we are seeing “China Bron” again at this time. This is when Lebron James denied speaking on the social issues in China and threw Daryl Morey under the bus. It’s easy to do things when it's convenient to do so but when it comes to messing up the money it’s a negative.

Furthermore WNBA player Maya Moore took a year off in the prime of her career to help free a man convicted of a burglary he didn't commit. Colin Kaepernick risked his career to protest social injustice. Lebron we appreciate everything you do but this is a friendly reminder that in the social injustice world , there ain't no half steppin.

Ladies and Gentlemen on another episode of the Knickerbockers we have Spike Lee getting harassed by MSG security. Spike Lee went on First Take and said he was asked to get off the elevator leave and come back in at the vip entrance. Spike Lee is a dedicated Knicks fan who has spent $10 Million dollars on watching the Knicks. It seems like the Knicks love making headlines for the wrong reasons and it's just a reality show.

Fans were also escorted out after telling James Dolan to sell the team. Charles Oakley, former Knicks player, suffered a similar fate when he was escorted out of the arena on live television. Oakley responding to the Spike Lee incident said “It's got to be stopped in some kind of way," Oakley told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday night. "The NBA has got to take a look at this. You can't keep closing your eyes to this. This is like, turning your head if you see someone beating somebody up and you just keep walking." This incident occurred on new Knicks President Leon Rose's first day on the job and I'm starting to debate if Rose's job will be as hard as being president of the United States.

Last night the Knicks saw the lowest home crowd at MSG in over 13 years after this Spike Lee drama. According to Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press, the attendance was announced as 16,588, which is well below MSG's capacity of 19,812. It's crazy how the attendance is dropping and the Knicks security is escorting fans out for yelling for Dolan to sell the team. To disrespect A loyal fan in Spike who shells out his money to watch these bums loose is unbelievable to me because I can watch the Knicks on TV for free and I don't even bother to do so.

James Dolan continues to hold the Knicks hostage and continues to make this franchise a laughing stock. Oakley wants the NBA to investigate how James Dolan runs the Knicks. If Dolan ever sells the Knicks we as Knicks fans need to celebrate hold hands and do the electric slide. We are not gonna be able to attract free agents, there are reports the Knicks want to make a run at CP3 who has had a resurgent season in OKC. The Unicorn seems to be excelling in his role on the Mavericks while the Knicks are excelling in their role of being a laughing stock and dumpster fire. Will see what happens on Next week's episode of Meet the Knickerbockers”.

The movie “Uncut Gems” shows the cool but also dangerous side of gambling. Remember what I said in Part 1 “Sometimes it's good to gamble and go to Vegas just make sure you return home with all your clothes on “Watching the movie Uncut Gems open my eyes as a sports fan into the world of Sports betting. If you're a sports fan, I encourage you to go see this movie (Great Movie). We all know money is placed on Sports and some people may be ass out if things don't fall into place... Sports Gambling can seem fun at times but can get very intense. We all know about NBA Referee Tim Donaghy who betted on the same games he reffed. There's reason to believe that he made certain calls to ulter games in a direction that benefited him even tho he denied it. Tim served 15 months in federal prison after admitting to taking money from a professional gambler in exchange for inside NBA information into games he ref. We also seen a ref in the NFL AFC championship game celebrating with the patriots after a touchdown. This lead many people to wonder if these professional Sports is rigged. I'm not a big conspiracy guy but I wouldn't rule out Refs favoring certain teams and players. There are certain players in sports like Tom Brady , Aaron Rodgers, Lebron James that get certain calls that other players won't get. Now that betting continues to be a big part of the sports industry, here's some gems for yall so yall dont be hanging from a roof somewhere. Always keep up with the news so you can receive any updates that will be valuable for your bet. If a player is hurt it won't be a smart move to bet on that person.

Another big issue that could be posed as a huge problem for gamblers is load management. Superstar athletes in the NBA are now resting it seems like every other game to preserve their bodies for the long NBA season. I'll take my chances on betting on Kawhi as he is known to be the inventor of load management. You don't want to be in the back of somebody's truck naked only to have Kawhi Lenoard laughing on the bench in street clothes. Sports is changing and with new obstacles you have to be much wiser.

This past summer I released a blog called “ It's Good to Gamble “ when I referred to the Raptors GM Masai Ujiri trading for Kawhi Leonard a great gamble. Now this blog that your reading is to let you know why gambling does not work out for everyone. I'm referring to the Brooklyn Nets who seem to keep on gambling and getting pimped out of their talents and assets. Last season the Nets over exceeded expectations by making it to the Playoffs with their young core of Russell, Caris Lavert , Allen, Dinwiddie. D'Angelo Russell became an All- Star last year and the teams’ chemistry seemed to be on point. However, last summer was a big time for NBA free agency and the nets wanted to make a big splash at the party. When I went to Prom my senior year of high school, I used my little allowance money I had to rent me a Suit for $300. I felt good about the way I looked as I practically won that night. Now up till this day (Wilders Voice) I regret spending all that money on that suit and i'm pretty sure the Nets will regret spending all that money on two marque free agents Irving and Durant. I warned the Nets on my podcast “The Real Leel Show “ when I told them to continue to see the progression of Russell and that young core.

Kevin Durant suffered a torn Achilles and will not be playing until next season. Durant is on a 4 Year $164 Million contract with the Nets and probably won't be 80% of himself until year 3 if that. The Knicks learned from their gambling mistakes for once as they stride away from KD after his injury. Kyrie Irving just spoke to media a few days ago addressing his shoulder injury and has not ruled out the possibility of season ending surgery. Irving has been known to be injury prone and this is the same movie we’ve seen before. From the little appetizer we have with Kyrie in a Nets uniform we have seen a lot of points scored but a lot of guys standing around. We have seen box office plays from Kyrie and a Sellout Barclay Center but not a whole lot of winning. When both of these players come back the chemistry will have to be developed. The Nets should have learned from their past mistakes as they gave up their unprotected first rounders for 2014, 2016, and 2018 , and half of their team in return for an aging Kevin Garnett , Paul Pierce , Jason Terry. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce already had their retirement plans and vacation trips on their minds. This is regarded in many people's opinion as the worst trade in NBA history . The movie “Uncut Gems” shows the cool but also dangerous side of gambling. Remember what I said in Part 1 “Sometimes it's good to gamble and go to Vegas just make sure you return home with all your clothes on “. One bad gamble can cost you everything. Ladies and Gentlemen it's good to gamble (sometimes).

Sports is a big part of American society and has been for many decades now. Individual athletes are what makes each sports more intriguing to the average viewer. We have seen some great moments in the world of sports that captured the eyes of every viewer. We have also seen great comebacks and the will to win by great athletes. We have seen record-breaking contracts signed by these stars to compensate for their great work. As this decade comes to a close I will be ranking my top 10 athletes of this decade (2010-2019). The criteria to be on this list is dominance, Influence, and championships won.
Notable Nominees - Kevin Durant, Aaron Rodgers, Julio Jones and Roger Federer.
10) Floyd Mayweather - Mayweather has an impressive resume, especially in the early part of the decade with impressive wins over Shane Mosley , Miguel Cotto , and a young Canelo Alvarez. The super fight with Manny Pacquiao was nothing but a slow prom dance in which Mayweather won prom king. However, with wins over guys like Berto and MMA fighter McGregor leaves more to be desired for me as a boxing fan. Mayweather is Forbes highest paid Athlete of the decade so it’s only fair to have Money Mayweather making it reign in my top 10.
9) Novak Djokovic - After defeating the great Roger Federer in a classic Wimbledon final, it pretty much tips the balance for me. Since 2010, the Joker has won 15 majors the most by any Men’s tennis player. He also has a combined 42-25 record over Federer and Nadal. This is even more impressive because Federer and Nadal are two of the greatest tennis players who ever lived.
8) Steph Curry - Steph Curry has changed the game of Basketball as we know it. Curry’s range from the 3 point line has completely eliminated the traditional Center position out of the league. Curry was the NBA’s first ever unanimous MVP. Curry has won 3 rings with the Golden State Warriors. Also led the warriors to a 73 regular season win record. However, no finals MVP is why Chef Curry is stuck in the kitchen at this spot.
7) Manny Pacquiao - Although the early 2010s was on the way out of his prime , Manny has had impressive wins over Margarito, Mosley, etc. Pacquiao also became the first ever 8 division champion in 2010 which is quite the accomplishment. Manny did suffer some unexpected defeats to Marquez and Bradley (Robbery), Mayweather, and Jeff Horn. However, I'm hesitant to punish Manny because he chose to take more chances and wasn’t afraid to have an L on his record. Manny has resurrected his career since those defeats by defeating Lucas Matthysee via TKO in the 7th round. Also at the age of 40 still going strong with a recent defeat of then welterweight champion, Keith Thurman.
6) Mike Trout - “When in doubt call 1- 800 Mike Trout” is my motto for this man. Mike Trout may go down in history as the best baseball player ever. Trout has racked up 251 doubles, 46 triples, 285 homers, etc. In 2019 Mike Trout got paid a record setting 12 year $430 Million contract. Unfortunately Mike Trout plays for the Angles lackluster franchise and has no rings to show for his great stats.
5) Simone Biles - She captured her championship gold medals two years after entering the scene in 2011. She led the USA to team goal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She also won seven more individual goals at the 2018 & 2019 world championship. Simone’s dominance gets her this spot. Oh and she was just name the 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year.
4) Usain Bolt - Known as the fastest man on the planet. He became the only runner to win gold medals in both the 100 and 200 meters in three consecutive Olympics. Also add 11 gold medals at the world championships to that resume. It’s almost time to see bolt race cheetahs.
3)Serena Williams - I can argue that Serena Williams is the most dominant woman ever in sports. However this is a decade ranking so let's look at these accomplishments. Serena held 13 Grand Slam trophies at the start of 2010. Serena also won 10 Grand Slam Singles over the next eight years all over the age of thirty. Not to mention she won a grand slam while giving birth. Serena Williams is the only female in this decades 40 highest paid athletes.
2) Lebron James - Lebron took control of the eastern conference. The decision to go to Miami in 2010 in the decision of the decade earned him two titles. This forever changed the NBA as we know it as player movement became a huge part of the NBA . Lebron also had eight straight finals appearances, won three finals MVP’s and probably should have won four despite his cavs falling to the warriors in 2015. Lebron made history by delivering Cleveland a championship ending its 52 year playoff drought. The Block on Iguodala in a crunch time remains a signature highlight.
1) Tom Brady - I got to go with the goat as my player of the decade. Despite the loss to the giants in the Super Bowl in 2010 the patriots have not played on wildcard weekend since. Brady has won an NFL MVP in 2010 and 2017. Brady also led the Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl titles. Throwing for 300 + yards on the legion of booms defense in the Superbowl win. He also led the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history as the Patriots trailed 28-3 to beat the Falcons. Tom Brady also broke the passing record in the Super Bowl throwing for 505 yards in a loss to the Eagles. Tom Brady’s dominance spans two decades.

Black people aren’t smart enough to play the position of QB was the stereotype that plague the game of football for years. Doug Williams how ever, tried to put that narrative to bed by becoming the first ever Black QB to win a Superbowl defeating the broncos 42-10 in Superbowl 22. Yet a lot of Black Qbs even in recent draft gets a certain stigma that differentiates them from the rest of the pack. Lamar Jackson won a Heisman trophy his freshman year of college and i could argue had better stats his sophomore year, was asked to be worked out as a WR. Lamar jackson is now the NFL MVP frontrunner breaking records every week. Mitch Trubisky who only started 13 games in college was taken #2 in the draft over Deshaun Watson, who torched Alabama NFL defense twice in the national championship. Mitch Trubisky was also taken over Patt Mahomes who fell to the #10th pick. Fast forward till now and Mitch is complete garbage and people are calling for a change at QB. Watson is top 5 in most people's mvp list including mine. Most people today will start their franchise with QB Patt mahomes or Deshaun Watson. Now a record setting 9 black Qbs started the 2019 NFL season. Dak Prescott leads Americas team playoff team. Deshaun Watson leads the Texans playoff team and was 4-4 on Att 30 yds down the field in last nights game. Watson leads the NFL in 4th Quarter quarterback rating. Jacoby Brissett is a solid QB battling for a playoff spot. Jameis Winston leads the Buccaneers and even though his career has been a roller coaster, at times he looks like a great adventure. Russell Wilson is in the MVP discussion along with Lamar Jackson and Russel is the Seahawks offense. Kyler Murray has so much talent and you can already see the flashes in his rookie year. He has a perfect touch on the ball and is extremely accurate. Patt mahomes like i said has out of this world talent. Dwayne Haskins obscurely in a tough spot because of the lackluster franchise he plays for . I even got to show love to Teddy Bridgewater who only lost one game in Drew Brees absence. Despite what we see with the league and Colin Kaepernick we have made extreme progress. Hopefully Kaepernick will fine himself deservingly on an NFL roster. The stone the builder rejects becomes the headcorner stone. Ladies and gentlemen Black Quarterbacks are on the rise.

Ladies and gentlemen as you all know this week Jay-z announced his Roc Nation partnership with the NFL. In this deal Jay Z will help directly shape the NFL’s social-justice program and oversee much of the leagues entertainment. I’m completely on the fence with this move as I believe that this is a wait and see type of situation. However i’m going to display the facts on the table so you my friends can hopefully come up with your own assumptions. Last year Jay Z said no to the Superbowl halftime show saying “ You need me , I don’t need you” in his protest for Kaepernick. Maybe billionaires have a different language by squashing their beef with a simple business collaboration. Roger Goodell is the most hated man in sports and Jay Z is seen smiling and giggling with this guy like a hyena. I find it hard to believe that a league whose interest is in the capital dollar over minorities well-being, will suddenly become a social- justice reform league. Most of these owners are busy hosting fundraisers for Trump’s re-election (Stephen Ross) or busy telling their players if you kneel you will be bench (Jerry Jones). If there’s a deal that was made I would of expected Kaepernick to be at such meeting or maybe he just missed his flight. I do think we need better halftime shows for sure as last year I found myself typing a college paper during the show. Kaepernick definitely partnered with the NFL when he took that $10M check to stay in silence with his hopes of being back in uniform. Eric Reid made the ultimate partnership after he was Kap’s right hand man in protest and found himself back in an NFL uniform. We minority viewers are partnering with the NFL with ratings for our own entertainment, so can we really be mad at a businessman adding to his billionaire status? Jay Z however, has a proven track record of social-justice work. The Rapper was an executive producer on “The Kalief Browder Story “ which had to do with another black boy falsely accused and subjected to the messed up prison system here in America. Maybe this partnership can lead to an alternative route to have our first Black owner in the NFL. Kaepernick’s chances of reinstatement increases from where it was yesterday but then what was the point of kneeling in the first place. I personally feel us looking to Hov to be God and make massive changes to an already stubborn league is setting up lots of people for disappointment. So is this a sellout or another classic business move ? Guess we must be patient to give a legit answer.

Ladies and Gentlemen just like the new movie “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Once Upon a Time in the NBA was a superstar known as Carmelo Anthony. Caremlo Anthony this present day remains unsigned. Carmelo Anthony was no doubt once a great / elite player in the NBA. The Syracuse university sensation seemed to be one of the great iso players in his time playing in the NBA and averaging 20 ppg basically his entire career except for his last two years. Olympic Melo was a great Melo as he out shined most of his Team USA counterparts. However, there’s a saying “Nothing lasts forever”, and Melo’s game wasn’t translating into the NBA anymore. If Melo wanted to sustain longevity in the game he would have to alter his game but Melo refused. Shortly after being traded to the Thunder, he was asked to change his role and come off the bench. When this was brought up at a press conference Melo said “who me “ while laughing continuously then saying “ Aye P they say I gotta come off the bench “ in a joking matter. Well Melo was right he wasn’t coming off the bench because he’s now watching the league from home. Maybe Melo looked at players currently playing in the NBA like Lebron and thought he can still compete at a high level. Sometimes it’s just good to stay in your lane and focus on what you need to do to help your teammates win. Chauncey Billups (Melo’s former teammate) recently said that scoring 30 meant too much too Melo. Billups went on to say he’s hasn’t taken the approach to say maybe i’ll come in and play against the backups. Melo’s trainer Chris Brickley went on “The Breakfast Club” advocating for a farewell year for him. My question here is why should teams go out of their way to give Anthony a farewell tour when he didn’t want to go out his way to come off the bench. You know why D’Wade and Nowitzki were able to have a farewell tour? They came off the bench to help their respective teams win. Injury prone D – Rose is still in the league today because he came off the bench in which he dropped 50 points in a game giving him another opportunity on the Pistons. Vince Carter came off the bench to be the veteran leader to help his team win. If Melo did that when he had the chance he would be having a farewell tour. Reports are now saying Melo could wind up signing a 1-day contract to retire with the Knicks. Wow life really changes that quick huh. Lemme get this straight I am happy Melo played for the Knicks because he brought relevance back to the city while bringing the Knicks to the playoffs. I do believe Melo was scapegoated for the Rockets issues as one anonymous Rockets source stated today. Stephen A. Smith did an interview today on First Take with Melo , Melo said he never asked for a farewell tour but rather his skills is why he should be on at least one 15 man roster. Melo stated that he is willing to come off the bench if need be to help a team win but will it be too late for that? Having talent is great but being humble can get you a farewell tour.

Sad news in the boxing world this week as we lost the great pound for pound king Pernell Whitaker, who died Sunday night after being struck by a car in Virginia. This brother was an absolute defensive wizard and will go down as the best defensive fighter in the history of the sport. Sweet Pea’s defense was sweeter than ice tea. This brother was the matrix himself in the ring, dodging everything that came his way with no invite. Not only was Sweet Pea a great defensive fighter but he was a southpaw who had lots of offensive speed. As a boxing fan I understand the importance of defense but at the same time it’s boxing not dodgeball. Sweet Pea delivered a display of both showing he can win both ways. It was a few losses that sent Whitaker’s Career to the left and his life as well, with him battling alcohol addiction. Sadly, a few of his losses came against Julio Cesar Chavez and Jose Luis Ramirez which were straight up robberies with no gun. Even the Oscar De La Hoya fight ended in a controversial loss as Oscar De la Hoya had trouble coping with Sweet Peas defense. After Whitaker’s passing De La hoya tweeted “ Pernell Whitaker was the best fighter I ever fought”. This is extremely high praise from someone who has fought the likes of Pacquiao, Trinidad, Mosley, Mayweather, Hopkins, etc. When the talk about the great boxers of all time comes up you don’t hear anything about Whitaker. Hopefully now after his death and with the age of technology, people will re-evaluate their list. To one of the greatest boxers of all time may you Rest In Peace.