Man Crush: Denver Nuggets Edition

I have always loved Allen Iverson as a player. OK, not always. When he was with Georgetown, I hated him, but people who love Syracuse basketball have to hate people at Georgetown. Allen stayed at Georgetown only one year though, so he gets extra points for minimizing the pain he caused me. Allen went to Philadelphia and immediately started to tear up the league. People will talk about the tattoos, how he hates to practice, and everything else, but when you put them on the court, he will expend every bit of energy he has to win the game. He's barely 6ft tall and weighs 165 pounds after a big meal, but he doesn't let that stop him from being successful. He is deadly quick, has an amazing handle, and plays without fear. I could go on forever, but just check out this highlight reel instead:

I would provide more detailed commentary on the above, but watching that video gets me excited, and I can't work all day with a tent in my pants.

That brings us to Carmelo Anthony. Growing up in upstate NY, I loved Syracuse basketball. Unfortunately, I went my entire life without SU winning a basketball championship, and this play still haunts my dreams even though I was only 8 at the time it happened. Yes, there were better times, like getting to see Al McGuire dance when Syracuse beat Kansas (bonus question: who is that guy in the braids behind John Wallace? I'll give you a hint), but Syracuse never had a championship. Until Carmelo came to town. Here are some highlights:

I grew up a Celtics fan, but since the Celtics had sucked for so long, I had to pick another team to root for in the playoffs. I was in LA, but my dad likes the Lakers, so that wasn't going to work. If I became a Laker fan, he would make fun of me for taking so long to get it right. The Clippers are usually fun to watch, but I will always know them as the Paper Clips because of their futility. I am from NY, but the Knicks never really peaked my interest.

I kicked back and forth between a few teams, mainly based on who was the most fun to watch. When Carmelo came into the league, I knew the Nuggets would be my team. When AI came to the Nuggets, it was a man crush miracle!

On the court, these two are fun to watch. I don't know if they'll ever get a championship, but I could watch these two throw alley-oops all day. Meanwhile, the Celtics are now a team again, featuring Tier II man crush Ray Allen, and my dad's most hated player as GM, so it is time to get back on the bandwagon and act like I never left.