S. Samuel
Hollywood movie director icon Spike Lee recently offered his take on the mega blockbuster trade which sent former Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers and said he is riding with Kobe Bryant over LeBron James next season.
Spike, known for being a longtime loyal Knicks fan, admitted Lakers get his support more than New York’s rival Miami Heat.
“That’s a blockbuster. It tilted the power again,” Spike told MTV News after hearing the news Friday morning. The way Lee figures it, if his beloved Knicks aren’t in contention for the NBA title next season, he wouldn’t mind seeing L.A. win their 12th championship since moving to Los Angeles more than 50 years ago. For Spike, anything would be better than seeing New York rivals LeBron James and his Miami Heat win another championship. “I rather the Lakers win it than the Heat,” he said. “I do not want the Heat to win back-to-back. Hell no, hell-to-the-nah.” (MTV)
Earlier in the week, Spike even admitted he had to remain true to the Knicks despite the Nets moving to Brooklyn.
Rosanna Scotto tried. She really tried. On Good Day New York interview with Spike Lee this morning, the Fox anchor – a Brooklyn native, not coincidentally – whipped out a goodie bag with Brooklyn Nets merchandise sent over by team CEO Brett Yormark (I don’t want to hear him say again that he doesn’t see the Knicks as a business rival). The cap was the only item that made it out of the bag, and it was adamantly rejected by Lee. “Just slip it on,” Scotto pleaded. “Just slip it on.” “Sorry, I can’t do it. I can’t do it,” Lee said. There it is. The Knicks’ most famous fan isn’t jumping on the Brooklyn bandwagon, even after 40-plus years without a championship at the Garden. (New York Daily News)
Last month, fellow New Yorker N.O.R.E. also revealed his issues with rooting for the Heat.
“Nah man, I’m such a hater,'” he said. “Once the Knicks got out, I was rooting for OKC [The Oklahoma City Thunder]. It was hard going to bars out here [in Miami]. Don’t get me wrong, congrats to LeBron James, congrats to Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, but the New York in me wouldn’t allow me to cheer for them.” (XXL Mag)
The Dwight Howad trade made global sports headlines late Thursday (August 9) night.
The N.B.A.’s premier center — a towering, talented mass of muscle, shot-blocking and bravado — was fitted for a Los Angeles Lakers jersey Friday, leaving fans of 29 other teams a small range of emotional options. Envy is a given. Anger and despair are understandable. Bewilderment, justifiable. The Orlando Magic seemingly had better options than the four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to Los Angeles for a package of good-but-not-great players and three first-round picks of limited potential. (New York Times)
