THE "GENIUS" OF CLIPPERS OWNER DONALD STERLING

LOS ANGELES- Clippers owner and real estate tycoon Donald T. Sterling has been amidst controversy since he bought the Clippers back in 1982. Sterling has had a reputation of always being cheap with his players, coaching staffs and employees within the organization.

With all the talented #1 draft picks the Clippers have consumed over the years, there is no way they should've only made the playoffs twice since being in Los Angeles. Clipper fans and the NBA can thank one Donald T. Sterling for that. From the reports he used the players air miles when they would fly to various cities and cash them in for himself, to him making the team take a bus to some destinations, to his latest antics of his organization celebrating Black History month in March. According to a newspaper ad in the Los Angeles Times, Sterling gave away to a thousand underprivileged kids Clippers tickets, which can imply that your linking poverty to black & brown kids, because how are you going to determine who is in need or not? Whether that's what Sterling is implying, that's the message being handed down. Which is absolutely insensitive, pimping a month of heritage to try to gain some publicity and keep the heat off who you really are, many people haven’t forgotten Sterling.

Lets me remind you, Sterling had to pay off in a settlement for housing discrimination suits in the amount of $2.73 million dollars. Also former Clippers GM Elgin Baylor who had been employed by Sterling for approximately 22 years is suing him for age & racial discrimination. I also remind you former coach & GM Mike Dunleavy is suing Sterling for not paying him the money owed.

Donald Sterling between the housing discrimination suits, berating one of his former players in Baron Davis in front of Sterling's friends & fans, why is this owner not serving some type of suspension by the league? Its a double standard because when athletes get caught in scandals (i.e. DUI’s, Domestic abuse, accidents) its blown all over the media, and I fail to see how owners don’t get the same treatment.

This so-called Black History gesture is appalling, insensitive and dare I say has many racial undertones in it. Are we really surprised? I’m not, this has been the history of one cheap, racially discriminating individual. This behavior should not be tolerated in society let alone in the NBA amongst its owners. I wouldn’t mind as basketball fan & follower of the sport if the NBA bought the Clippers just as they did with the New Orleans Hornets. Atleast it would have a fighting chance of improving as an organization, and team.

And with the possible relocation of the Sacramento Kings moving to Anaheim, do you think that will put a fire in the pockets of Donald Sterling to step it up as an owner......sadly I think not.

I am thoroughly convinced this man does not care about his reputation as owner & most importantly as a human being, and if this Black History ad isn’t the biggest slap in the face, I don't know what is.

Day Two: PAC 10 Women's Tournament Wrap up from the Galen Center :: SportsPageMagazine.com

Day Two: PAC 10 Women's Tournament Wrap up from the Galen Center :: SportsPageMagazine.com

THE LOGO UNVEILED

On a very crisp, Thursday night before All-Star Weekend, the NBA Logo Jerry West was to be honored in the form of statue at Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles before mass media, several current & former players, fans, and NBA Commissioner David Stern. Many legends were in attendance for this ceremony that included, former Celtic Bill Russell, Wayne Gretzky, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pat Riley, Jeanie Buss, Elgin Baylor, and Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss were all greeted with a warm welcome by the fans.

KCBS Sports Director & anchor Jim Hill was the master of ceremony, hearing kind words being said by Magic Johnson "Please enjoy this moment, because you deserve it". An somewhat emotional West looked on as a video message was shown from Kobe Bryant "nobody deserves it more than you. Thanks alot, and we'll see you soon", along with a video of West's son Jonnie who couldn't attend due to him playing basketball at West Virginia.

Commissioner Stern said a few words, calling West by his famous nick name "Mr. Clutch", sharing the sentiment of the Lakers organization, friends, and fans, by saying " Jerry we love you".

It was finally time for the man of the hour Jerry West took the stage, with a feeling he called "awkward". West said " When I look around, some of the I've been around as athletes, even some I've competed against, I really thank you". "When I played, I played for my teammates, and the fans of Los Angeles". To which the fans erupted in a loud roar of claps & cheers. West who is the face of the league, a 14 time All-Star and responsible for bringing the Los Angeles Lakers its first title.

It was now time for the unveiling, as West's family, friends, former players gathered around him, "Mr. Clutch" pulled the gold rope which removed the black tarp covering the statue. West looked very touched and amazed by the statue of his likeness.

It was a great night for Lakers fans, basketball fans, the NBA, and the city of Los Angeles, for honoring a great iconic figure in Jerry West. He will never be forgotten, but forever immortalized outside one the greatest arenas in sports, along side Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, Oscar De La Hoya and the great Chick Hearn.

Day Thress: PAC 10 Women's Tournament Semifinals Recap :: SportsPageMagazine.com

Day Thress: PAC 10 Women's Tournament Semifinals Recap :: SportsPageMagazine.com

Day 1: PAC-10 Women's Tournament from the Galen Center :: SportsPageMagazine.com

Day 1: PAC-10 Women's Tournament from the Galen Center :: SportsPageMagazine.com

PAC 10 Women's Finals - A Champion Is Crowned :: SportsPageMagazine.com

PAC 10 Women's Finals - A Champion Is Crowned :: SportsPageMagazine.com

MY INTERVIEW W/ ARTIST NOAH JONES - Part 1

On a crisp Southern California morning, I had the opportunity to sit down & discuss with one of the hardest working artist in Southern California by the name of Noah Jones. Very sharp, yet charismatic person, and focused on his journey which is being the best artist in his class. I spoke with about his music career, how he dropped 5 albums in one year's time, women fans, sports, etc.

Nick: THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME MAN, WHATS GOING ON?

Noah: I'm great, thank you.

WHO IS NOAH JONES?

He is definitely not NORAH JONES {R&B/Pop Singer} lol. Nah all jokes aside I'm a very complicated and driven individual on so many levels.There's no real short answer for such an in-depth question. So for now lets just say I'm an artist.

OK GREAT, WHAT GOT YOU INTO RAP & BEING AN ARTIST?

I admired the way people put artists on a pedestal and I group up as the youngest of 3 children so I chose something that set me apart. I watched Big Daddy Kane in 1988 and he inspired me.

NOW I HEARD YOU WERE BORN IN NEW YORK, WHAT MADE YOU MOVED TO ST. LOUIS THEN MIGRATE WEST TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?

Yea, I moved to St. Louis because I got into allot of illegal activity and my mother suggested I get a fresh start on life. I loved St. Louis, but I felt like a fish out of water musically so eventually I moved to [Southern] California .

WOW, YOU'VE MADE QUITE A JOURNEY, YOU'VE DROPPED 5 ALBUMS IN ONE YEAR, WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION & HOW DID YOU MAKE EACH OF THESE ALBUMS HAVE THEIR OWN IDENTITY?

My motivation was to outwork all the popular artists who were getting more attention then I was. In my local region most artists put out an album or maybe to if their really grinding. I wanted to surpass that by so many albums so people couldn't deny my work ethic. There have been so many features I recorded for other up and coming artists during that time-frame as well so I recorded a lot of music. I tried different things musically on each project to make each one stand out. One was a group album with no guest appearances, one was a solo album with all original beats and a huge amount of popular features. Another one was more R&B based, the next one was a mixtape with industry beats, original beats and guest appearances, and the final project was a combination of them all with radio singles, music videos, and features on original beats lol.

YOU'VE WORKED WITH MANY ARTIST FROM CROOKED I, JAY ROCK, G, MALONE, YB THE ROCKSTAR, & KNOC'TUNAL TO NAME A FEW, WHAT MADE WANT TO WORK WITH THESE ARTIST & WHY?

Multiple reasons, I admired what they had established for themselves in the music industry and their current or past fan bases. Also I was tired of people not believing that i could take my career to the next level. So while the local acts dreamed of working with Nipsey Hussle and the others, I went out and worked with them to get that co-sign and to show them that lyrically I could hold my own against [some of] the west coasts best.

WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THE CURRENT STATE OF HIP-HOP & MUSIC IN GENERAL?

I think the biggest challenge is people don't want to spend money on the music they like. It doesn't effect the artists that have sold millions of copies because their name will bring them access to money. But for the up and comers like myself, we need that money so we can make ourselves more popular. If the consumers won't spend, then we're forced to keep giving our music away for free which won't get us anywhere. The smallest contribution to a smart artist can have a huge impact. I say smart artist which refers to someone like me that would use the money to become more popular and not on buying cars and jewelry.

VERY WISE WORDS. I SEE YOU PROMOTING YOUR PRODUCT ON VARIOUS SOCIAL WEBSITES LIKE TWITTER & FACEBOOK, HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT IN THE SUCCESS OF AN INDIE ARTIST?

I actually think its important for all artists not just indie. Its there for artists to interact with their fans but allot of artists don't utilize it to its full potential. I have found new ways to rapidly increase my fan base and song plays using them. I can't go into detail about it because I don't want my competitors to duplicate my strategy!

I UNDERSTAND THAT, I SEE THAT GOOD MARKETING IS KEY. WHEN PROMOTING, DO YOU FIND IT EASIER TO PROMOTE TO WOMEN OR IS EQUAL TO PROMOTE TO HIP-HOP FANS ACROSS THE BOARD?

I think you have to first look at what your promoting. Certain songs or certain styles of music work better for a specific gender demo-graph. I can't delve too deep though because the competition but I will say this. Everything I do is calculated and precise. I plan every move so I dont waste time, energy, or manpower.

WHAT MESSAGE OR FEELING DO YOU WANT FANS TO RECEIVE FROM A NOAH JONES RECORD?

Each record has its own meaning and feeling. So find which records I do that inspire you and hold on to them. I make a wide variety to satisfy every mood a person could possibly have from experience.

WHO WERE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES GROWING UP?

Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Kwame, Nice N Smooth, Special Ed, Slick Rick, Rakim, and a few others.

WHATS THE CRAZIEST MESSAGE OR TEXT YOU RECEIVE FROM A FEMALE FAN?

I wouldn't wanna put her out there like that because chances are she's reading this interview! There have been a few crazy ones though lol. Being popular can lead to some very distracting situations when it comes to the fans.

DO YOU THINK THE WEST COAST WILL BE UNIFIED AND MAKE BACK ATOP OF THE MUSIC SCENE AGAIN?

No! I can hope for it but I don't think it will happen. The new cats think they are better then the old, the old cats wanna hold on to their legacy and don't think they can co-exist. Everyone is so selfish. When was the last time a huge DJ picked an artist based of talent and turned him into a star? When was the last time a huge rapper picked up a local act and turned him into a star of the same caliber? Now you see my point, its like its every man for themselves out here on the west coast.

DEFINITELY, I AGREE. WHAT OTHER ARTIST & PRODUCERS WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH?

Drake, 50 Cent, but if I wanna blow up i need to work with artists like Kerry Hilson, Ne-Yo, and the popular R&B artists.

WHAT DOES 2011 MEAN FOR YOU MUSICALLY & IN LIFE?

I'm gonna take some time off from recording and do more promoting of the music of mine thats actually out. I have albums of great music that has yet to be heard so I'm going old school with it and promoting it like crazy! When it comes to life, I wanna take a really nice vacation with my kids somewhere they have never been. They are old enough to appreciate that now.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO YOU IS......?

Being heard!

WHATS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR LIFE?

Spending 8 and a half years with a woman who took my talent,drive,ambition and financial support for granted. It cost me valuable years and money that i could have dedicated to my career

DO YOU FOLLOW ANY SPORTS TEAMS? IF SO WHO?

I'll always be a Indiana Pacers fan and a Buffalo Bills fan. Shouts to the Lakers though. I like to go against the grain.

KOBE OR LEBRON?

Kobe

I KNOW YOU'RE A NEW YORKER, ARE YOU PLEASED WITH THE SUCCESS OF A'MARE & THE KNICKS THIS SEASON?

I'm glad they are finally starting to pull it together! New York is a great place to play ball. Its almost spiritual at times. The energy is unreal.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF & YOUR BRAND IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS?

I'm aiming to become a household name. I wanna be on Drake and Lil Wayne's success level with pockets as deep a Jay-Z and 50 Cent.

I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK WITH THAT & WHATEVER ELSE YOU VENTURE INTO.

IF PEOPLE WANT TO GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU, HOW CAN THEY HIT YOU UP?

Twitter.com/NoahJones714

youtube.com/NoahJones714

714-553-3112 cell

NoahJOnes714@gmail.com email address

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME, EVERYONE CHECK OUT NOAH JONES ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, YOUTUBE & VARIOUS MUSIC OUTLETS, CONTINUED SUCCESS.

CAL'S GOLDEN BEAR CLIMBING TO THE TOP

After the Cal Golden Bears very impressive win over rival Stanford, freshman phenom Allen Crabbe who put up 24 points, 9 rebounds on 10-13 shooting in the victory. I had an opportunity to sit down with the dynamic now PAC-10 Freshman Of The Year. Since I spoke to him last on January 20th, CAL kicked it in to high gear, finishing 8-4 on their schedule to have the 5th seed heading into the PAC-10 Tournament.

NickHamilton (NH): Let me start off by asking you, who is Allen Crabbe?
AllenCrabbe (AC): I'm a laid back guy, Price High graduate, raised in a Christian family, loves God, blessed with opportunities, and a hard worker. Just trusting in God, anything is possible. I love to play basketball, love my family and family is very supportive, without them I don't know where I'd be.

NH: I understand that, how is everything else?
AC: I'm doing good, on this California trip, trying to put this tough loss behind us from UCLA last night. We're looking forward to this USC game.

NH: Yeah that was a tough loss. In the last 3:30 of the game verses the Bruins, what was the mindset coming out of the time out, that caused you to take over?
AC: We had a lot of time left, and I felt we could still win. We gave it that last push, but the Bruins pushed harder and were more aggressive, and just ended up with the victory that night.

NH: Allow me to go back for a moment, you were one of the highly recruited freshmen, what made you choose CAL?
AC: I felt like CAL was a place that wanted me, the coaches came out to every single game, my junior year [Price High] CAL's style of play was perfect for me. Coach [Mike] Montgomery has had experience at the NBA level and he knows what it takes to get there, so that why I'm here at CAL.

NH: How was the first meeting with Coach Montgomery?
AC: It was really good, at the time it was fun to have coaches interested and talking to you, a great experience.

NH: Ok, with your game style, how well do you feel you fit in Coach Montgomery's system?
AC: Good, I definitely feel his system his system fits my style of play. He [Coach Montgomery] runs alot of plays for guards to get open shots, that's what drew me, and I couldn't pass up that opportunity to be here at Cal.

NH: Understandable, what was the biggest transition for you, going from high school to college, academically and athletically?
AC: Academically, you're on your own in college, having to be more responsible, more accountability. Getting to ALL my classes, papers are huge in college, writing papers every other day, its alot.
Athletically, much more intense on the court, more physical play. In college you can't take any plays off, verses high school where they're times where you can take a play off. Much more focus in the college game.

NH: Great. I watched the Arizona State game and Cal was up by three points, the last few seconds of the game you get fouled. You miss the first free throw, what was going through your mind?
AC: Basically I thought about the Arizona game previously, we were down three, and I thought I just have to make one more and we get the win & go home. I saw myself making it, I released it and it went in.

NH: That's great focus. Now when Cal played Washington State and Klay Thompson, that night Thompson scored 36 points. Were you intimated at all in that game?
AC: No, not intimated at all, I’m confident in my game and have been during the season. Having an opportunity to start, definitely built my confidence even more. That night my teammates did a real good job finding me, I was hot knocking down 3’s, and hitting open shots. Some plays I was more aggressive going to the basket and just playing one dimensional type of ball.

NH: I remember, also remember you dropped 30 points that night in the win.
AC: (smiles) Yeah that helps too.

NH: Indeed. I notice alot of your games you start off slow in the first half, then you pick it up in the second half, is that because you are still learning the offense, or are you reserving yourself for the end of games?
AC: Honestly I feel sometimes I'm not locked in at first. Usually I go with the flow of the game and allow that to dictates my play, which is not always a good thing but I'm working on it. Its a problem I had even in high school, I know I have to start well and play 40 minutes. I know I have to do a little extra to help my team and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help my team. The mindset I have is be aggressive for 40 minutes.

NH: What's your view on the NBA’s one and done rule?
AC: I don’t think its a problem. If a player is talented enough to go pro, why not? School is going to be there forever, but the opportunity to play in the NBA is once in a lifetime, you have to take advantage.

NH: I agree. Its amazing how many people don’t have the same criticism when it comes to players who play baseball or even hockey coming out of high school. Very well said Allen.
Out of all the Pac-10 players you’ve played against who was the most challenging to defend against?
AC: They’re alot, but I have to say between Isiah Thomas at Washington and Klay Thompson. Isiah did an outstanding job breaking down our defense. It was one of those nights where we we’re clicking on defense, so Isiah did want he wanted to do that night (Crabbe shaking his head). Klay [Thompson] is a shooter and a scorer, so he comes off picks, can spot up and shoot from anywhere. Its difficult to guard a guy like that.

NH: Coming up you have USC with Fontainne and the big man Alex Stevenson. How do you defend a team like the Trojans?
AC: We’re going to have to play good team defense, especially stopping Stevenson from getting the ball down low.

NH: USC likes to run, I noticed Coach Montgomery plays some zone, how do you control the tempo to get the victory?
AC: Our zone really works, when everyone is focused on their assignments and communicating, we can take teams out of their rhythm. We are a force to be reckoned with on the floor.

NH: What was your goal at the beginning of the season?
AC: Our goal is to win the Pac-10, even despite our current record (which at the time of this interview was conference 2-4). We have alot of games left, alot can turn around for us. We can get the road wins, which is a huge boost for us, especially in conference play. We stay focus & positive, we can make a top seed and surprise people in the Pac-10 Tournament and hopefully make it into the NCAA Tournament.


NH: Ok sounds good. Being a native of Los Angeles, who do you mold your game after & why?
AC: I would say I mold my game after Kobe Bryant. Not just because he’s my favorite player, but how he’s a leader and his work ethic. His work ethic shows on the floor, I mean he goes hard every night no matter what. He doesn’t take anyone lightly, and he’s focused. He’s that clutch type of player, that's the type of player I want to develop into.

NH: Hard work does pay off. How has your work ethic enhanced since arriving at Cal?
AC: A little more, but just because the schedule of college, up early with classes and the team schedule. Trust me I'm in the gym every day, bettering my game.

NH: Well good luck with the rest of the season, thanks for the time.
AC: Thank you, you got it.

THUNDER PREPARE OF FUTURE NOW & LAKERS LOOK AHEAD FOR FUTURE

Interesting how Oklahoma City Thunder just signed Kendrick Perkins to a multi-year deal estimated at over $30 million. Which tells me that the Thunder are definitely serious about the future and winning, especially being able to compete with the Lakers.

Now the Lakers in order to stay competitive in the Western Conference or even in the NBA for that matter, its imperative that they sign Dwight Howard and another top notch player as Kobe makes his departure. It is indeed possible, especially with the new Time Warner Sports deal that the Lakers signed for the next 20 years starting next season. It will definitely make the Lakers the Yankees of the NBA.

Time will definitely reveal especially after the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) gets resolved and ironed out.