Before we start, let me just say that this Top 5 is not based on who had the best year statistically or who is the best player in their sport. This is simply just what athletes best embody what this blog is about: hip hop & sports. In other words, you have to bring something extra to the table to entertain the masses or the way you represent on the field and not just a great athletic performance.
Hip 2 Da Game's Top 5 Athletes of 2008
Manny Ramirez:
Now you know there was no way Manny was going to be left off this list. Manny might have had the most entertaining season ever of any athlete. He started the season off by making a catch and then high-fiving a fan and blasting his 500th home run. Then he managed to get himself traded to the Dodgers after all his antics in Boston, which included fights with teammates and team employees, and in the process got a whole TV show dedicated to the situation. Once in LA, Manny arrived in style and with humor and went on to crush the ball for the Dodgers to a tune of .396 AVG/17 HR/53 RBI/.489 OBP/.743 SLG leading them to the playoffs. Now a free agent, Manny has yet to sign with a team, but I look forward to seeing him play next year wherever he ends up.
Truth is that as long as Shaq continues to be a productive player, he will make my top 5 athletes every year. As I wrote earlier this week, Shaq has been the 11th most efficient player in the NBA this season, averaging 17.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, & 59.8% FG. However, stats alone won't get you the honor of being in my top 5 athletes and as usual Shaq has done more than enough to be honored this year. Shaq started this year off by getting traded to the Suns in what so far has been an unsuccessful attempt to bring the Suns a title. By mid year, Shaq was dissing Kobe with a freestyle and asking him "how his ass tastes" all in good fun of course. Shaq finished last quarter of the year off by shoving around some Houston Rockets, knocking Rondey Stuckey on his ass, playing 20 questions with Mike Breen, and my personal favorite: telling the ESPN guys "don't worry about it" while playing scrabble with an insane amount of Q's. All I have left to say is Shaqtus.
Love him or hate him, KG had as big a year as any athlete in 2008. It's really a shame that KG was buried in small market Minnesota all these years because who knows what we missed while most of us were ignoring the T-Wolves and KG was acting like a nut. By the start of 2008, KG and the Celtics were clearly already on their way to making the playoffs thanks to the defensive intensity that KG and his teammates brought each and every night. That defensive intensity would eventually lead the Celtics to an NBA Championship, which led to KG letting us know that anything is possible, giving us what might be the best postgame interview ever. Along the way, KG talked with Bill Russell not once, but twice; dunked on Theo Ratliff and Pau Gasol, was featured in a popular Gatorade commercial, and head butted a countless number of basket supports. Now in his second season with the Celtics, KG has been catching a lot of heat for his trash talking and taunting antics, such as taunting Jose Calderon by clapping in his face and getting on all fours to play defense against Jerryd Bayless. I personally love it and hope KG continues to bring that intensity every night that make the Celtics just that much more entertaining to watch because you never know when KG might go ballistic.
This hard throwing and burly lefty could probably make this list just for the way he rocks his hat to the side when he's on the mound, but it certainly didn't hurt that he had such a dominant second half of the season with the Brewers. Let us not forget that Sabathia started the season off slow with the Indians and had us wondering if he was injured. C.C. was traded mid-year to Milwaukee and went on to dominant on the mound for the Brew Crew and lead them to their first playoff appearance since 1982. He finished the season with the Brewers with an 11-2 record and 1.65 ERA, while striking out 128 batters in 130 innings. Once in the playoff, Sabathia was gassed and the Brewers bowed out the eventual World Series champion Phillies. After the season, C.C. Sabathia signed a huge contract with the Yankees and managed to recieve the ultimate honor of being mentioned in a hip hop song.
The first four players on the list with no brainers, but I had trouble deciding who would be the 5th player to be honored for 2008. After looking through my blog posts for the year, I realized that I did a lot of posts on Paul Pierce and decided that he deserved the honor of being included in my top 5 for 2008. Pierce led the Celtics to a 1st round victory over the Hawks, battled Lebron in an epic Game 7 shootout, and led the Celtics to an Eastern Conference championship over the Pistons. However, the defining moment of the season for Pierce and maybe his career came in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers, where Pierce injured his knee and was carried off the court and placed in a wheelchair only to return later on and prove Shaq right by showing us that he is still the mothafuckin' truth. After leading the Celtics to an NBA Championship and dumping Gatorade on Doc Rivers, Pierce would go on to be named NBA Finals MVP. Pierce came out strong to defend his title, willing the Celtics in the 4th quarter to victories and hitting game winning shots, which helped the Celtics get off to an NBA record 27-2 start. Even though he may sleep under a championship banner with the NBA Finals trophy, there should not be any "sleeping" on Paul Pierce from now on.
Hip 2 Da Game's Top 5 Athletes of 2008
Manny Ramirez:
Now you know there was no way Manny was going to be left off this list. Manny might have had the most entertaining season ever of any athlete. He started the season off by making a catch and then high-fiving a fan and blasting his 500th home run. Then he managed to get himself traded to the Dodgers after all his antics in Boston, which included fights with teammates and team employees, and in the process got a whole TV show dedicated to the situation. Once in LA, Manny arrived in style and with humor and went on to crush the ball for the Dodgers to a tune of .396 AVG/17 HR/53 RBI/.489 OBP/.743 SLG leading them to the playoffs. Now a free agent, Manny has yet to sign with a team, but I look forward to seeing him play next year wherever he ends up.
Shaquille O'Neal:
Truth is that as long as Shaq continues to be a productive player, he will make my top 5 athletes every year. As I wrote earlier this week, Shaq has been the 11th most efficient player in the NBA this season, averaging 17.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, & 59.8% FG. However, stats alone won't get you the honor of being in my top 5 athletes and as usual Shaq has done more than enough to be honored this year. Shaq started this year off by getting traded to the Suns in what so far has been an unsuccessful attempt to bring the Suns a title. By mid year, Shaq was dissing Kobe with a freestyle and asking him "how his ass tastes" all in good fun of course. Shaq finished last quarter of the year off by shoving around some Houston Rockets, knocking Rondey Stuckey on his ass, playing 20 questions with Mike Breen, and my personal favorite: telling the ESPN guys "don't worry about it" while playing scrabble with an insane amount of Q's. All I have left to say is Shaqtus.Kevin Garnett:
Love him or hate him, KG had as big a year as any athlete in 2008. It's really a shame that KG was buried in small market Minnesota all these years because who knows what we missed while most of us were ignoring the T-Wolves and KG was acting like a nut. By the start of 2008, KG and the Celtics were clearly already on their way to making the playoffs thanks to the defensive intensity that KG and his teammates brought each and every night. That defensive intensity would eventually lead the Celtics to an NBA Championship, which led to KG letting us know that anything is possible, giving us what might be the best postgame interview ever. Along the way, KG talked with Bill Russell not once, but twice; dunked on Theo Ratliff and Pau Gasol, was featured in a popular Gatorade commercial, and head butted a countless number of basket supports. Now in his second season with the Celtics, KG has been catching a lot of heat for his trash talking and taunting antics, such as taunting Jose Calderon by clapping in his face and getting on all fours to play defense against Jerryd Bayless. I personally love it and hope KG continues to bring that intensity every night that make the Celtics just that much more entertaining to watch because you never know when KG might go ballistic.
C.C. Sabathia:
This hard throwing and burly lefty could probably make this list just for the way he rocks his hat to the side when he's on the mound, but it certainly didn't hurt that he had such a dominant second half of the season with the Brewers. Let us not forget that Sabathia started the season off slow with the Indians and had us wondering if he was injured. C.C. was traded mid-year to Milwaukee and went on to dominant on the mound for the Brew Crew and lead them to their first playoff appearance since 1982. He finished the season with the Brewers with an 11-2 record and 1.65 ERA, while striking out 128 batters in 130 innings. Once in the playoff, Sabathia was gassed and the Brewers bowed out the eventual World Series champion Phillies. After the season, C.C. Sabathia signed a huge contract with the Yankees and managed to recieve the ultimate honor of being mentioned in a hip hop song.
Paul Pierce:
The first four players on the list with no brainers, but I had trouble deciding who would be the 5th player to be honored for 2008. After looking through my blog posts for the year, I realized that I did a lot of posts on Paul Pierce and decided that he deserved the honor of being included in my top 5 for 2008. Pierce led the Celtics to a 1st round victory over the Hawks, battled Lebron in an epic Game 7 shootout, and led the Celtics to an Eastern Conference championship over the Pistons. However, the defining moment of the season for Pierce and maybe his career came in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers, where Pierce injured his knee and was carried off the court and placed in a wheelchair only to return later on and prove Shaq right by showing us that he is still the mothafuckin' truth. After leading the Celtics to an NBA Championship and dumping Gatorade on Doc Rivers, Pierce would go on to be named NBA Finals MVP. Pierce came out strong to defend his title, willing the Celtics in the 4th quarter to victories and hitting game winning shots, which helped the Celtics get off to an NBA record 27-2 start. Even though he may sleep under a championship banner with the NBA Finals trophy, there should not be any "sleeping" on Paul Pierce from now on.
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