It wasn't a New Year's Resolution, but it sure seems like one. Just about a month ago Charles Barkley was forced to pay $400,000 in gambling debt  to the Wynn Las Vegas, prompting Barkley to publicly apologize on his television show, Inside the NBA, and state, "‘'I am not going to gamble anymore. For right now, the next year or two, I'm not going to gamble.''...there's some conviction....

All was going well, the calendar had turned from May to June, gas prices remained well above $4 dollars a gallon and Charles, as far as we know, hadn't been gambling.

Many of Barkley's detractors felt that it would be impossible for him to avoid casinos and gambling for a year...you know because a man can only eat so much before he must find something else to do. Those detractors may have been right, because today comes news that the, "Round Mound of Rebound", is on the roster of celebrities set to participate  in a tournament called, "Ante Up for Africa" on July 2, the day before the World Series of Poker Main Event starts in Las Vegas at the Rio casino.  The organizers are actor Don Cheadle and poker professional Annie Duke and last year, the event raised more than $700,000 for relief efforts in Darfur, a part of Sudan where overwhelming human misery is the result of conflict and famine.

That's great, but couldn't Chuck just donate a couple pairs of those socks Dwyane got him, or write a check or something.

I know Charles is participating because it's for charity, but that's like asking Kirstie Alley to face Kobayashi in an eating contest to raise money for earthquake victims.....there has to be somebody else out there that wouldn't mind filling in...

Hopefully Charles can avoid the temptation, otherwise we'll be seeing him in a lot more commercials....you know since he's so good at betting who will win or lose ("Lakers are the best team in the league....")

As the confetti rained down on the Banknorth Garden hardwood on Tuesday night in celebration of the Celtics first NBA title in over two decades, one question still remained unanswered, "What happened to Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol?

 The Lakers trio of Kobe Bryant, Odom and Gasol, which had been christened by some NBA experts (Charles Barkley) as the "real Big three" instead of Boston's Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Maybe it's not what happened to Odom and Gasol, maybe they just weren't physical enough. You know they couldn't out muscle the wheel chair bandit. The Lakers tried everything, Odom even poked Allen in the eye in Game 6, which only seemed to make him better. Maybe if the Celtics would have poked Odom in the eye his jumper would have fallen with a little more frequency, A good enough poke and who knows .....his jumper might have been falling as often as Pau Gasol playing defense...



Fans in Los Angeles can say what they want about Gasol's play but who would they rather have, Kwame Br... no I'm not even going to go there. It boils down to one thing desire, how much do you want it? For the Three Amigos, Three Basketeers, Boston Three Party, or whatever alias they prefer, the NBA title was the only thing missing in from their star studded resumes. Bryant has three rings ( With the Big Cactus) , and continues to chase number 23 (Not Lebron James)...yet...........Gasol just realized that the NBA season doesn't end in April and Odom, well he's just happy not to be a Clipper anymore........

The Lakers really stepped it up in game 3 and did whatever it took to be more aggressive and to give themselves more opportunities to score and to take over the physical play of the Celtics. Kobe definitely stepped up to the occasion by taking more foul shots in game 3 than he did the other two game combined. Lamar started to show more signs of aggression but couldn't seem to finish. Expect Lamar to come out into game 4 with a new outlook and passion for some points. Gasol needs to more than an assist guy. Turn around sometime big man and take a shot. The Lakers needs to keep pushing the tempo and raising the intensity for the rest of this series so they can sweep here at home and take game 6 in Boston to be the World Champions.

Where in the world was Gasol last night? And was there a sign in the post that said Lakers not welcome? The Lakers did not play smart basketball last night. The key to their game in this series will be their confidence in the post and whether Odom and Gasol will bully their defenders and make plays on the offensive glass. Even if they can't make their shots, they will get to the foul line and do their damage there. If Gasol gets more physical with Garnett and Perkins in the post, there WILL be fouls called, and that will put Perkins and Garnett on the bench, thus beginning to open up the lane for Kobe and Lamar to drive to the basket. Also, the Laker bench needs to come out and hit some shots. They were non-existent in game 1. Once they get their shots back, that will open up the lane and that will send more shots to the foul line, more Celtics in foul trouble, and more opportunities to attack and score some points for the Lakers.

Both of these teams are rich in history as far as winning, championships, all-stars, and rivalry. This championship series will be a clash of the titans and will bring the NBA and the nation in amazement of all the talent and show that will be displayed on the court. We haven't seen a series this good since I was playing for the Lakers, and I am excited about the opportunity to see this series displayed once again. Do I think history and the past play any part in how the players will handle themselves before the tip-off? Absolutely. The legacy and the honor they must upkeep from the greats that did it before them gives them a lot to own up to. I also think that this will be a great stage to start new stories and legends as well. Watch out world, the Lakers and the Celtics will make a giant step for mankind.