Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of basketball. But this is just absurd. The NBA goes, because it’s simply the top athletes performing at the highest level of play. But doesn’t it sometimes feel like all the players are in on something the rest of us aren’t a part of? I always wonder what opposing players are talking about during free throws. But I guess we’ll never know. This flop is ridiculous, and gets the bowties love for being the most absurd of its kind.

To tie this in to the larger scheme of things, let us take a moment to acknowledge that everyone flops. Not necessarily in the same way as discussed above, but more specifically within our daily lives. Every once in a while we throw up an airball in the game of life, and have to move on from there. What I’m realizing now more than ever though, is that it’s not so much about what happens to us, as much as it’s about how we respond to the situation. We are always in control.

Success is pretty dope. It’s like you work and work and work and work, for what? For goals, I suppose. But more so it’s about the journey. I think our personal pursuits are in a lot of ways like climbing a mountain. Moments like Reggie’s here, are like the times when you’re climbing a mountain and stumble upon a clearing and happen upon a view. You get a chance to take a deep breath, and see how far you’ve come. They’ll be special moments along the way that’ll make it all worth it. But you’ve gotta climb the mountain to see the pretty views.

Growing up I always loved the flashy players. The ones that would make you stand up out of your seat and say, “Whoa” I always loved the players that did something so amazing on the court that you had to go outside and try the same shit yourself. When I didn’t know any better, it was Hotsauce. But in the same vein, it was J. Will, Franchise and Kobe to name a few. As my appreciation for hoop developed, so did my research. Which led me to the Pistol. Perhaps he was the inspiration for White Chocolate to do his thing. Because from ’99 to ’01 he was the king, in my eyes. Nonetheless, I wanted to reach back and share this interview with Pistol Pete today. For those with a little time on their hands, we’ve thrown part 2 and 3 in there after the more. SettledSaturday.com. I see you Lan.

Thank Sam for this one. Maseo is 8 years old, and he’s a camper at Kobe’s camp in Santa Barbara. He’s also all of about three feet tall, and has a knack for making other little kids look stupid (1:13). He breaks ankles, throws dimes and hits game winners. Kobe dubbed him Lil’ Mamba. And now he’s on Wine & Bowties. If I can get Gladwellian on you for a minute, let me just say this. Find something you’re passionate about, and cultivate your craft, because it takes time. Looks like this young bruh got a headstart though. Happy Saturday.

All we want to do is throw assists. Sometimes we’ll hit you with a nice little bounce pass, other times we might link up for the alley oop. Regardless we want to help you score. But if we throw it up, you’ve gotta finish. Kinda like our pal DeRozan here today. Shout out to Pals & Case, I see you and miss you fools. Young Mario & Hyphen, I see you too. We’re really fuckin doing this. Wine & Bowties, throwing assists on the daily.

The more I watch Larry Bird, the more I appreciate his game. Light years away from the most agile or athletic player in the league, Bird managed to dominate the 80′s through sheer will power, basketball smarts, and dummy stroke. I also admire Bird’s confidence. He believed in himself, and you knew it. I think this is one of the many marks of success, and Bird definitely had it. Be sure to peep the Hawks bench at the :42 second mark. Even they couldn’t deny Bird’s greatness. Hoop seasons over, but we’re just getting started. Wine & Bowties, saving you from the 9-5.

John Wooden once said that the journey was the most beautiful part of victory. As we continue on our paths we’ve gotta savor every moment, every small success as we go, because in hindsight those moments become classic. I wonder if Kobe knew back then how things would turn out.

There’s new shit to blog about every single day. And some things are just cooler than others. In the process of browsing the daily selection, sometimes you get some pretty pictures. Other times you get a quality slap, or a funny video. And then some days, you get a new Nike commercial full of Kobe’s career highlights and classic hoops moments, all set to a Beatles song, covered by none other than 3 Stacks. I guess today’s just one of those days.

The Finals begin on Thursday, so I thought it only appropriate to add a little fuel to the fire. For our parents, they’ve been watching the rivalry build since they were young. For us, the rivalry has taken on a new identity, with new story lines and different characters although the teams remain the same. Today we’re taking it back to ’87 to gear up for the 2010. The Lakers and the Celtics resume their rivalry in four days. Who’s gonna win?

Although the playoff season has just begun, 2 games in, the Cavs/Bulls series has got to be the most exciting thus far. Actually, to keep it real, there’s no validity to that statement except for the fact that D. Rose is a superstar in the making, and Lebron did this last night. It’s rare that something on television actually gets me to jump out of my seat, but this actually did. It literally came out of nowhere. Be sure to hit the MORE too, we got a few more goodies that got by us in the moment.