SPORTCENTER‘s MICHAEL KIM writes a North American Sports blog for The Independent newspaper in the UK.

Click on the links to go to The Independent website to read Michael’s blog.

15th Dec: Predictions for Week Fifteen of the NFL

9th Dec: Predictions for Week Fourteen of the NFL

1st Dec: Predictions for Week Thirteen of the NFL

25th Nov: Predictions for Week Twelve of the NFL

10th Nov: Predictions for Week Ten of the NFL

3rd Nov: Predictions for Week Nine of the NFL

Michael had a bye week in Week Eight as he was in London at the NFL game.

21st Oct: Predictions for Week Seven of the NFL

14th Oct: Predictions for Week Six of the NFL

7th Oct: Predictions for Week Five of the NFL

30th Sep: Predictions for Week Four of the NFL

9th Sep: Predictions for the opening weekend of the NFL

26th Aug: Fantasy sports are no dream for The Talented Mr Roto

1st Aug: It’s not just cricket - the MLB video replay debate crosses the pond

1st Jul: MLB assessment at the mid-season stage

17th Jun: How the Dallas Mavericks conquered the NBA

6th Jun: The impact of the NFL lockout on agents

Click here for earlier blogs from Michael.

Michael Kim is the host of SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship US sports news show, now airing in the UK on ESPN America every weekday morning live from 6:00am UK with an updated show at 10:30pm UK.

As well as watching Michael every weekday on SportsCenter, you can follow him on Twitter.

A Melrose by any other name would look just as dapper.

ESPN’s In The Know  caught up with ESPN NHL analyst Barry Melrose, who served as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings from 1992 to April 1995. In his debut season, his team, led by Wayne Gretzky, advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Kings and Montreal Canadiens played a cross-country series won by the Habs. He can relate to this season’s duel between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, which he is covering.   Barry is on site for every game of the Stanley Cup Finals between Vancouver and Boston. He and Steve Levy, who have worked the Finals together since 1994, will provide insight and analysis across ESPN platforms.   

ITK: What’s it like to participate in the Finals?   

BM: Competing for the Stanley Cup is what you dream about since you were a little kid. Everybody’s goal is to carry the Cup around. To finally get there is fantastic. It’s something you will remember for the rest of your life. I certainly do. It’s really dreamlike since very few people get to do something they’ve dreamed of their entire life.   

Barry Melrose of the LA Kings argues with an official

ITK: What’s the best part?

BM: I didn’t get the best part because we didn’t win. Winning is the best part, touching the Cup, carrying the Cup and getting your name on the Cup. That’s the best part. Even just playing for it is unbelievable, knowing you’ve reached the pinnacle of your sport.   

ITK: What is the worst part?   

BM: The worst part is losing. There is a saying that I use all the time – losing hurts more than winning feels good. I don’t think there is a truer statement in sports. I really think the feeling of losing the Cup is a much stronger and deeper feeling than the feeling of winning. I remember the last second of the game, Montreal cheering, them raising the Cup, shaking hands. I’ll remember that until the day I die.   

ITK: You picked Vancouver to win the Stanley Cup before the season started. What did you see in the Canucks?   

BM: I loved the way they played last year. They had a great playoff. I watched what they did in the summer, signing defensemen (Dan) Hamhuis and [Keith] Ballard. I saw the emergence of (Ryan) Kesler last season and some of their other young players. I thought they got better in the right spots. I’ve always been a [Roberto] Luongo fan. I projected where I thought they would be and it turned out I was right.   

Bruins and Canucks battle in the Stanley Cup Final

ITK: What do you think of Vancouver’s Green Men?   

BM: I like them. They did it first and are very creative, imaginative and daring. They’ve been copied many times, which is the sincerest form of flattery. You have to tip your hat to those guys. Of course, they are at the Finals and keep it fresh by doing different things. They created it and they haven’t let it get dull. I think the Green Men are great.   

ITK : When LA played Montreal you and your team travelled cross country as the Bruins and Canucks have. How does that travel impact the players?   

BM: Now the series has gone to six or seven games, it becomes a factor. It will favor Vancouver because the western teams travel so much more than the eastern teams that they are used to it. They know how to sleep, what to eat and how to stay hydrated.   

ITK: Should the NHL adopt a 2-3-2 series format?   

BM: I’m not sure it would be fair since home ice means so little in the playoffs. It would be easy for a team to go in and steal the first two games on the road and then have three straight at home. Travel-wise, though, I would be in favor of a 2-3-2.   

ITK: How many suits did you pack? How do you keep them wrinkle free?   

BM: I packed seven; Steve Levy only packed six. I keep them hanging up to keep the wrinkles out. I also send my suits to the cleaners on the road when they need a little spruce up. I take care of my stuff, unlike Levy!   

ITK: Finally, I have to ask … is the mullet ever coming back?   

BM: Of course it will. Long hair is a great form of expression. Everybody looks better with long hair and people will realize that soon.   

Barry Melrose was interviewed for In The Know by Diane Lamb.

SportCenter‘s very own NHL analyst Barry Melrose is a firm favorite of ESPN America viewers, click here for an interview with the former LA Kings head coach during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

Barry will also be writing a regular NHL Playoff blog for the Mirror.co.uk in the UK.

To read Barry’s undoubted wisdom and thoughts about everything and anything that concerns the NHL postseason, click on the links below to go to the Mirror site …

25th May: Barry Melrose: Praise for two of the slickest passers in the NHL.

19th May: Barry Melrose: Predictions for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals

16th May: Barry Melrose: Kesler, Datsyuk and St. Louis are Best of the NHL’s Best

5th May: Barry Melrose on why this year’s NHL Playoffs are so fiercely contested

27th Apr: Barry Melrose: NHL Playoff Conference Quarter Final match-ups

20th Apr: Barry Melrose looks at why NHL teams can’t count on home advantage

14th Apr: Barry Melrose: Let The Fun Begin - Slapshots on the NHL Playoffs

11th Apr: NHL Playoff contenders: Washington Capitals

31st Mar: Barry Melrose backs Anaheim Ducks in the upcoming NHL Playoffs

More blogs will be added to this list as the NHL playoffs progress, so check back to read Barry’s latest offering.

You can follow the NHL Playoffs LIVE on ESPN America 

or

for Full On-Demand Coverage check out the NHL Playoff Pass on the ESPN Player.

For further ESPN America NHL blogs visit Murph on Ice for another view of the hockey world.

SportCenter’s Michael Kim sits down with Barry Melrose to discuss the ever-changing NHL playoff picture.

You think you know someone after working with them for 15 years and then you find out something about them that completely surprises you. During a meal at the NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina, I learned of a bizarre eating habit of my friend and colleague, Barry Melrose. He eats his French toast with ketchup. I’m not sure why I was surprised to discover this odd culinary combination since this is a man who is known as the “Elvis of America Hockey” and is a member of the Mullet Hall of Fame, but I was.

Barry Melrose - ESPN NHL analyst

Nevertheless, there is no finer hockey analyst covering the National Hockey League. That’s why I turned to him for this latest edition of “Kimmer & Answers” to get his thoughts on the exciting, final weeks of the NHL regular season.

MK: What the main storyline you’re following during these final days and weeks of the season?
BM: The playoff races have been unbelievable. Every night, we’re going from one team in the playoffs to the next night when that team is out in the West. Also, I’m really watching to see which teams can hang on between the New York Rangers, Buffalo and Carolina in the East. My attention is really on how great these playoff races are. The last three weeks should be fantastic.

MK: As we speak, the 5th through 10th place teams in the Western Conference are separated by just three points with about ten games to play. What’s your explanation for this race being so close?
BM: Ever since they brought in the shootout, we’ve seen the races tightened up like this. The three-point game [2 points awarded to the winning team in overtime or a shootout and one point awarded to the losing team] has led to this. I’m not in favor of this.

MK: Which teams will be left out?
BM: I think Calgary, Dallas and Minnesota will be left out. I see Dallas playing great. Chicago won’t drop. Phoenix is for real and LA is for real, too.

MK: Which team as we head into the playoffs is the team you think may surprise everyone with their play?
BM: Anaheim. I really like them and the way they’re playing. They’re the hottest team right now. They have a lot of weapons. Corey Perry, he’s scoring. Ryan Getzlaf is scoring. They even have Teemu Selanne scoring. Plus, they have good goaltending and now they have Jonas Hiller coming off the injured list. If they finish in the top eight, no one will want to play them in the playoffs.

The Sedins & the Canucks

MK: Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin is leading the league in scoring. Is he your Most Valuable Player?
BM: I think he’s great. He’s having an unbelievable year. Maybe the only guy who can beat him is his twin brother, Henrik. But there are other guys having MVP seasons. Guys like Martin St. Louis down in Tampa Bay. Tim Thomas has been great in goal for Boston. Don’t forget Corey Perry for the Ducks. He could catch Steven Stamkos for the goal scoring lead. It’ll be tough to beat Sedin, especially since he’s on a great team.

MK: We’ve seen brothers play well in the NHL in years past, but rarely at this elite level. Which brother tandem do you believe is the best of all-time?
BM: The Sedins aren’t there yet, but they could end up winning the Hart (MVP) and Art Ross (scoring title) Trophies in consecutive years. t would be the perfect scenario if they shared the MVP this year – and they’d probably like it that way. That would put them up there. You have the Richard brothers with all their Stanley Cups [Maurice with 8, Henri with 11]. Maybe the best set of brothers was the Espositos. Phil was one of the best forwards of all-time (717 career goals) and Tony was one of the best goalies of all-time (388 career wins, 2.92 career GAA). I would probably go with them.

Michael Kim

Keep it locked here with us for the rest of the 2011 campaign as ESPN America brings you all of the NHL action through to the Stanley Cup Finals. Also follow ESPN America on Twitter and Facebook for all your NHL news and updates from other North American sports.

Michael’s blog previously appeared in The Independent.

Ohio State is one of the top teams in this year's tournament.

Several months ago, I was asked by a group of Europeans touring ESPN why Americans have such a fascination with college sports. I struggled with my response. I didn’t have a good response because I hadn’t really thought about the reasons why.

Months later, I have come to a conclusion to explain why I feel the way I do about intercollegiate athletics.

I was born at a university hospital located across the street from where my parents were living as college graduate students. My father was a professor. I spent many hours and days playing in his office, doodling on chalkboards in adjacent classrooms or flipping through books and magazines at the library. A college campus represents home to me. This is why the athletic teams that represent the schools where my father taught – and where I grew up – are my teams.

Another question posed to me: What makes the NCAA basketball tournament so popular here? My analogy, while slightly imperfect, drew nods of approval. I had the group imagine the drama and intensity of UEFA Champions League games being played in a one-game elimination format within three weekends. That’s one reason the NCAA Tournament appeals to so many to make March Madness what it is.

Then there’s something officials at the NCAA don’t like to talk about it but it’s as important as any other reason behind the coast-to-coast success of March Madness: Gambling. It’s the time of year everyone in the United States is a college basketball expert/junkie. Filling out the brackets for the office pool is a requirement much like filing annual tax forms.

So,with hope that you may find riches and bragging rights among your co-workers, here are a few facts and stats from the ESPN research department for you to consider:

• More is less? In the first year of the 68-team field, 13 teams with at least 11 losses make the field for the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Seven teams in the field have at least 13 losses.

• Ohio State Buckeyes, beware! The NCAA Selection Committee began ranking the #1 seeds in 2004. Only once (Florida, 2007) has the top overall seed won the championship.

• 2nd seed North Carolina opens against 15-seed Long Island University in Charlotte. The Tar Heels are 27-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament games played in North Carolina.

• Ex-Cuse to pick Syracuse: Jim Boeheim’s team is a 3-seed for the first time since 2003 – the year the Orange won the championship.

• Tigerblood? Princeton is a 13-seed in the East Region and will open against Kentucky. The last time the Ivy League champs were a 13-seed, they upset defending NCAA champ UCLA in 1996.

• Villanova is the first team since the expansion of the field to 64 teams in 1985 to make the NCAA Tournament after losing its last five games of the season.

• Will Vandy suffer from arachnophobia? Vanderbilt has lost to a double-digit seed in each of its last two NCAA appearances. The Commodores open against the 12-seed Richmond Spiders.

• Careful about riding Pitt to the Final Four. The Panthers are the top seed in the Southeast. However, no team has won a national title after losing its first game in its conference tournament.

• The last time Florida was a 2-seed was in 2003. The Gators opened in Tampa that year, like this year. They lost in the second round by 22 points to Michigan State – a team they could play in the second round if the Spartans beat UCLA.

• Watch out, UConn. The only time Bucknell was a 14-seed, the Bison defeated 3-seed Kansas in 2005.

• Can longshot Belmont beat the Badgers down the homestretch? Wisconsin’s shaky performance at the Big Ten Tournament has many eyeing Belmont as an upset special in the Southeast. The Bruins enter the tournament on a 12-game winning streak.

• If the altitude in Denver doesn’t get to St. John’s, the Gonzaga frontline probably will. D.J. Kennedy’s season-ending ACL injury means the interior advantage tilts in Gonzaga’s favor for their second-round matchup.

• Give a good look at Richmond, Temple and Xavier. The Atlantic-10 Conference has had its teams win at least one game in five straight years, 19 of 20 years and 31 of the past 33 tournaments.

These are just a few points to consider as you fill out your brackets. Don’t forget, every game of the NCAA Tournament can be seen on ESPN America. Also, you can join the fun and test your knowledge against your fellow viewers and me. Log on at www.espnamerica.com/brackets.

Let the Madness begin!

I am frequently asked what I most enjoy about working at ESPN. Besides getting to watch sports on television as “work”, I enjoy the privilege of rubbing shoulders with some of the finest journalists in the world – including one who generously granted me a few minutes of his time on one of the busiest days of the NBA calendar.

Marc Stein is an ESPN.com senior writer covering the NBA and is one of the truly “good guys” in the sports media industry.  Despite sleep deprivation at the trade deadline, he graciously participated in the premiere edition of “Kimmer & Answers”.  As you are about to read, Marc not only provides in-depth information and analysis on the deadline deals that had everyone in basketball buzzing, you will also learn how the unlikely marriage of Wayne Rooney’s bicycle kick and destiny led to his recent anguish.

MK: Why were there so many trades involving so many big names near or at the deadline this year?

MS: What happened to Cleveland and Toronto last summer – losing LeBron James and Chris Bosh with very little compensation in return – made a huge impression on small-market teams. None of them wants to be caught in the same position. So Denver spent pretty much its entire season making sure that it found a favorable trade for Carmelo Anthony. Then Utah shocked the entire league with a pre-emptive strike by trading away Deron Williams more than a year away from his Bosman summer. Can’t blame the Jazz after seeing what’s happened to the Cavs since they lost LeBron.

MK: Two of the biggest deals involved the two New York-area teams.  Knicks fans are ecstatic over Carmelo Anthony’s arrival, while Nets fans are thrilled over the acquisition of Deron Williams. Which team ends up with the better deal?

MS: New Jersey’s Deron Williams is the more complete player, as Londoners are about to find out when he shows up at the O2 next weekend. But New York’s Carmelo Anthony is under contract for four more years after this season. If Williams’ name was already on a contract extension, New Jersey would win this argument, since Williams’ position (point guard) is much harder to fill than Anthony’s (small forward). But New York shades it because the Knicks, as we speak, have the better long-term outlook.

MK: Why did the defending Eastern Conference champion and first-place Boston Celtics shakeup their roster with their trade of Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic?

MS: Finances. The Celtics were convinced that they could not afford to re-sign Perkins this summer, so they decided to trade him now to guard against losing him later for nothing. The problem is that the Celtics were widely regarded as the consensus favorites in the East and might have sacrificed their chance for a championship by suddenly changing their identity mid-stream because of long-term financial concerns. Toughness, size, interior defense … Perkins was a big part of all that in Boston. Now Shaquille O’Neal, at nearly 39, HAS to start being a productive player if the Celtics want to stay in the championship mix.

MK: How impressed are you with the moves made by the Oklahoma City Thunder and how do you like their chances to legitimately challenge the powers in the West?

MS: The Thunder always make smart moves. But this wasn’t just smart. This was bold, too. They broke up their treasured Jeff Green/Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook trio, but the trade makes far more basketball sense for the Thunder than it does for the Celtics. Oklahoma City needed size and came away with a playoff-tested and defensive-minded young center in Kendrick Perkins to supply some much-needed muscle. I can assure you that the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks all just got a bit more nervous about their chances of winning the West.

MK: How concerned is the NBA about top players (and their agents) brokering deals to form superpower teams?

MS: League officials would tell you that there’s nothing new about star players wanting to play in bigger markets. And let’s face it: It happens in the Premier League all the time when the big clubs raid the “selling clubs.” But rest assured small-market teams in the NBA are very concerned. What you hear, more and more, is growing support from those “unglamorous” teams for an NFL-style franchise tag that will help them hang onto their star players. It will be a huge talking point in coming months.

MK: Basketball isn’t your only passion. You are a longtime – some would say, fanatical – supporter of Manchester City. How did this develop?

MS: I spent many summers of my youth in Israel, long before satellite TV and the internet, where I had no access to anything sport-related in English apart from the weekly arrival of SHOOT! magazine at the local newsagents. Knowing nothing about UK geography or the history of English clubs, I did what most 11-year-olds would do – I picked my favorite team based on the kit. On the back cover of my first issue of SHOOT! was the late, great City defender Tommy Caton. I was instantly drawn to City’s famous sky blue shirt because it looked like the kit my youth side back in California wore. And so a City fan was born. In time I learned that my actual birth came exactly one day before City won its last FA Cup: April 26, 1969 v Leicester City. So I like to think it was destiny.

Michael Kim is the host of SportsCenter, ESPN America’s flagship US sports news programme, now airing in the UK on ESPN America every weekday morning live from 6:00am with an updated show at 10:30pm. Watch the NBA live and exclusive on ESPN this season, including City Thunder at Orlando Magic at 1am tonight and Miami Heat at NY Knicks at 1am on Sunday night. For the details visit: www.espn.co.uk/tv

Michael Kim, host of ESPN America’s SportsCenter, looks at some of the surprising player inclusions for the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star game

Arthur Rhodes. Really? Omar Infante. Are you serious? What in the world is Charlie Manuel doing by selecting them for the All-Star Game?

Every year, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game rosters are revealed on the penultimate Sunday before the Midsummer Classic.

Every year, questions are raised over which players are selected and snubbed. Many years, the fans are to blame for voting someone undeserving of the honor.

This year, the questions are squarely focused on the intent and motives of the National League manager for his unusual selections, heading into the festivities next Tuesday in Anaheim, California.

By all accounts, Rhodes and Infante are well-respected members in their clubhouses and around baseball.  Until this week, neither has been called an All-Star during their careers.

The first-time honour is particularly special to the 40-year-old Rhodes, who has recovered splendidly from Tommy John surgery to help the Reds emerge as the surprising leader of the National League Central Division.

Critics of his inclusion may argue that no representatives of the outstanding San Diego pitching staff were tabbed for the All-Star Game. The first-place Padres own a sparkling team ERA of 3.06 but can do no better than have their closer take part in the final roster spot vote on the internet.

Rhodes has impressive statistics of his own.  His ERA stands at 1.09 over 37 appearances.  No team scored a run against the Reds reliever between April 10 and June 29 – a stretch of 33 consecutive scoreless.

‘His numbers speak for themselves,’ said Manuel, explaining to reporters his decision to take a middle reliever. ‘He’s got tremendous stuff and being left-handed definitely helped him.’

No one was more surprised of Omar Infante’s selection than the Braves utility infielder.

When the caller ID on his phone showed that Braves general manager Frank Wren was on the line early Sunday morning to inform him of the good news, Infante thought he was getting traded.  Instead, he will spend his All-Star break in Anaheim.

Why did Manuel pick a player who isn’t good enough to start for his own team, but good enough to help determine home-field advantage in the World Series?

Here’s the statistical support:  Infante has hit only one home run with a less-than-eye-popping 22 RBI.  Yet, the 28-year-old jack-of-trades Venezuelan is superb when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position. His batting average in those situations is .367 and his average rises to .421 with two outs.

Chipper Jones said of his team-mate:  ‘He can play the infield, the outfield, hits righties, lefties, doesn’t matter. Just a nice versatile guy to have. Shows that Charlie’s doing his homework.’

After 13 years of losing by the National League, Charlie Manuel is shaking off his critics who want to see a fastball. Instead, Manuel is going with a changeup to break the American League’s stranglehold on this game.

Sure, he could have added the likes of power-hitting Joey Votto or power-pitching Heath Bell on his own, but the Philadelphia skipper is taking a not-so-radical step in hopes of gaining a new result and ending the losing streak.

His strategy appears clear. Build a team to win a game on 13th July as he would to win a game on any other day with a versatile bench player and a situational southpaw ready in the bullpen.

If that’s what it takes to win a World Series game, then why not take that same approach to win a game that gets you home-field advantage during the World Series?

And that’s what Charlie Manuel is doing.

Thank you, Koman Coulibaly!

Crazy as it sounds, soccer fans in the United States should send thank you cards to the referee from Mali at the centre of an international controversy.

That’s correct, thank him!

Here’s why:  Although unintentional, he is a major reason soccer is afforded a rare opportunity to escape the backseat of the sports vehicle driven domestically by America’s version of football.

His horrendous decision may have prevented the USA from completing a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over Slovenia last Friday, but the attention surrounding the disputed goal has allowed the sport and its biggest event to move to the front seat.

Forget that the boys in red, white and blue came out on their heels and quickly trailed by two goals.  Instead, this game will be remembered for a rousing second half rally led by Landon Donovan that fell short of victory only because Coulibaly’s eyes betrayed him.

Maurice Edu (No 19) scores for the US against Slovenia

Maurice Edu appeared to cap the United States comeback with a goal in the 86^th minute, converting a Donovan free kick.

That’s when Couilibaly, already looking shaky with his game management in his World Cup debut, gave the foul no one else saw.  Yet, his lone whistle would be heard around the world.  Louder than the sound of the vuvuzelas in South Africa, the buzz here in the States is how the American players were robbed of a victory that may prevent them from advancing out of the group stages.

Whether it’s the picture of the controversial moment above the fold in the New York Times, non-stop highlights on ESPN’s SportsCenter, fueling debates on sports talk radio or blogged to death on the worldwide web, that moment, that game and Koman Coulibaly are everywhere.

While some Americans may fail to fully understand and appreciate the nuances of “the beautiful game”, there’s nothing lost in translation when you’ve taken a hard kick to the heart.

However, like the Slovenia game, not all is lost.

Despite the controversial call, the United States earned a 2-2 draw and a valuable point in the Group C standings.  The outcome sets up a huge challenge against Algeria.

If the US wins its final group match, the Americans assure themselves of another match in the knockout phase of the tournament.

But play to another draw or lose to the Algerians, then the picture turns extremely murky and the potential exists that everyone associated with US Soccer deals with a repeat of the past four years of anguish.

For now, soccer fans, rejoice!  The controversy and the importance of the Algeria game for the USA’s hopes, has led to rare anticipation and attention focused on this game on Wednesday.

And for this, we have Koman Coulibaly to thank.

With the passing of John Wooden, we are forced to answer a question that required little debate for nearly two generations of American sports fans:  Who is the greatest living coach in America?

For the better part of the past half-century, few coaches in any sport had the accomplishments worthy of challenging the architect of the UCLA basketball dynasty.

All this, even though the ‘Wizard of Westwood’ had not coached a game in 35 years.  That’s what winning an unprecedented ten NCAA championships will do for you.

Add his reputation as a nurturing mentor who never lost his small-town decency and sensibilities, it’s a challenge that no coach wants to face.
Wooden’s accomplishments were already legendary while he was alive.

They appear even larger after his death. Yet, one coach must assume the position as his replacement as the greatest living coach in America.

Which living coach has achieved greatness and excellence during the course of a Hall of Fame career while making a difference or significant impact on the particular sport of choice?

There’s really only one choice who can dare to put a coaching resume’ next to Wooden’s without shame or embarrassment and stand up to the critics who will attempt to poke holes in that resume’.

That choice is another basketball coach who is synonymous with winning and serves as a leader and pioneer of the game.

That choice is not Lakers head coach Phil Jackson.  The Zen Master is clearly among the top candidates who immediately come to mind in this debate. But the Zen Master falls short in the final evaluation.

Although he has a chance to win his 11th NBA title this season, Jackson has never won a championship without Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant on his roster.  Is there any doubt that another candidate from the NBA — Pat Riley — would have won a similar number of championships with Michael or Kobe, as Riley did with Magic, Kareem and the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s?

Even if you believe the championships are worthy of comparison, what legacy has Jackson left in the NBA?   Understand that the “triangle offense” is not his creation, but rather that of his longtime assistant Tex Winter.

That choice is not Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.  Coach K took over the Blue Devils in the early 1980s while under the shadows cast by arch-rival North Carolina and nearby North Carolina State — two programs that won national championships while he was quietly building a powerhouse.  Much like UCLA in the ’60s, the Duke of today is the gold standard to which all other college basketball programs are compared.

This has been the case since the early 1990s when Krzyzewski won the first of his four national championships to go with 11 Final Four appearances.  His leadership of Team USA to the Olympic gold medal in 2008 serves as evidence of his excellence, but what unique signature has Coach K truly left on the game of basketball?
This question is not designed as a criticism directed at Krzyzewski, merely a setup for the answer to the original question.

The answer is a coach who has won more than 1,000 games at the same school during a career that began in the same year that John Wooden announced his retirement.  A coach who has won eight national championships — second only to Wooden’s total — in three different decades.  And, like Wooden, this coach has spent a career serving as an unofficial ambassador for the sport and elevate its popularity beyond expectations.

No living Division I coach has won more games, more championships or has done more to market and sell the sport and create attention to her sport the way Pat Summitt has during her 36-year tenure at the University of Tennessee, where the Lady Vols play on a floor that bears her name , “The Summitt”.

No other current coach can approach her standing when it comes to leadership and pioneering efforts done to put her program, her conference and the world of women’s college basketball on the map.

Maybe someday, if they continue to collect championships, the answer to the question
will be Phil Jackson or Mike Krzyzewski or maybe Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.  But not today.  Today, the title of greatest living coach in America belongs to Pat Summitt.

The NBA’s much-anticipated free agent signing period, which tips-off 1st July, has several teams and their fans anxious with excitement over the possibilities that they may see one or more members of the greatest free agent class in league history wearing their colours.

In an unprecedented move, the top free agents will gather in the coming weeks to discuss their plans. The Chicago Tribune reported last week that Dwayne Wade is organising a superstar summit of power not seen since the Potsdam Conference.  Wade has reached out to LeBron James, Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh.

Perhaps others will join the meetings in what one prominent NBA player agent compared to Batman trying to find Robin.

As we await the opening ceremonies of the Superheroes Convention, the best player on the planet continues playing and leading his team to another NBA Finals appearance.

Is it possible that the other superstars in the NBA believe they must join forces to give themselves any chance of beating the top player in the league over a best-of-seven series?

That player is Kobe Bryant, a.k.a., The Black Mamba, who isn’t having to wait for next year, who isn’t looking to recruit a sidekick and who continues to play for the now.

While the aforementioned free agents-to-be are plotting their moves for next year, Kobe stands four victories shy of his fifth career NBA championship.

This would place him one title behind Michael Jordan – and remember that Kobe is only 31 without any plans of walking away from basketball to pursue a professional baseball career.

All it took was for them to see what Kobe has done this post-season.  He has scored 30 or more points in ten of the Lakers last 11 games.  He was simply sensational in the Western Conference Finals, leading his Lakers over the Phoenix Suns in six games.

In that series against Phoenix , Bryant averaged 33 points, while hitting better than 52 percent of his shots.  Add his eight assists and seven rebounds per game and it’s a series that anyone paying attention might argue that it was the finest playoff series of his career.

As a result of his efforts, the Lakers earn their third consecutive NBA Finals appearance and face the Boston Celtics in a classic rematch.   This year’s class of free agents may believe it needs to tag-team in order to defeat The Black Mamba, but the Celtics have a Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen that already claims a championship over Kobe and company in 2008.

That was then.  This is now.  The Big Three is playing as if they’re getting older.  Kobe’s playing as if he’s getting better.

Just ask Alvin Gentry.  ‘He’s the best player in basketball,’ said the Suns head coach.  ‘And I don’t think it’s even close.’

No, it’s not.