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How many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?
What synergy this weekend! The Academy Awards are in L.A. Then in San Antonio, the best, brightest and perkiest assemble in the River City. First, the Lakers play the Spurs followed immediately by the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. Oh, the talent on display: Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, the 50 contestants. What I like most about championship performers is the way they fill us with pride and drench us with emotional satisfaction.
|  | | Kobe Bryant is finally getting recognition for his work in a lead role. |
The Oscar-nominated films that inspire us to even higher levels of personal achievement will bring us all a lot closer as a people this Sunday. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is the story of two separate pillars coming together as one, like Shaq and Kobe. The heartwarming musical "Chicago" with the enchanting Catherine Zeta-Jones lifted us from the ruins of the dysfunctional Bulls. "The Gangs of New York" propelled dreams of the late-season playoff surge of the Knicks' Allan Houston but posed the question, "WHAT were you WAITING for?" "The Hours" challenged us all to wonder why we "spend all that time inside the coliseum watching lions and wasting time" -- how sad that the Cavaliers' 12-win season is ending? And then the two best of the year: "The Pianist" and "Bowling for Columbine" providing the chilling reminders that good can STILL conquer evil, but only when real people stand up for what's right.
How many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man?
Shaq is rolling powerfully to his sixth consecutive field-goal percentage title this season, an enormous accomplishment. I wonder how the statisticians factored in the egregious misses on his shots taken at Mike Bibby on the little guy's selection to the national team.
Having to chose between the likes of Selma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Diane Lane, Julianne Moore and Renee Zellwegger for "Best Actress" is like asking Bill Russell which of his 11 championships was the best. Or even harder, querying a parent as to which of his children he most prefers. We probably don't want to ask Jim Harrick that last question.
Now that the Basketball Hall of Fame has requested LeBron James' high school jersey for display in Springfield, Mass., it won't be long now that the Automotive Hall of Fame will be clamoring for LeBron's Hummer. HOW many TVs were in that ride? EVERY high school senior simply must have one of these.
The fiasco that was Ricky Davis' failed shot attempt at the wrong basket -- an ill-conceived attempt at self-promotion and statistical excess -- has not turned out ALL bad for Ricky. Word is that he's now being considered for the lead role in the sequel to the movie, "Jackass." If that doesn't pan out for Ricky, I'm sure that with the filming due up soon for the next "Spider-Man" movie and Tobey Maguire's back problems, there simply has to be an opportunity here for a guy who seems to be developing the requisite skills of "bouncing off walls." And then with Linkin Park's new CD, "Meteora," due out next week, I'm AMAZED that not a single song has been leaked. What security! Ricky Davis might want to look into hiring that tight-knit model of efficiency and safety when he next visits Utah.
Marketing merchandise is one of the most difficult tasks facing any business. But after seeing what Avril Lavigne did for the sales of the "Wilkesboro Elementary School" T-Shirt that she wore in her latest music video, I can see it all so clearly now. Put her in a Clippers shirt, splash some water on her and she'll shatter the merchandising records set by Clippers legend Keith Closs, who had Clippers paraphernalia literally flying off the shelves. This is really not that tough. But these promotional dreams can also put folks into a real quandary. The Miami Heat are considering a giveaway of Eminem's "8 Mile" DVD. There is serious concern, though, that this might remind the Heat loyalists of just how long the road back to respectability really is.
What went by the wayside quicker this year: international diplomacy, the NBA trading deadline or the new game show "Let's Make a Deal?" Fortunately, all participants are now readily available to be the host of the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery, where all sins of the past can be instantly washed away. Or at least as fast as you can say LeBron James.
With the season that Kevin Garnett is having, it's unfathomable that some people are still questioning his MVP qualifications. Look no further than the FACT that KG, while being asked to carry the entire scoring load for Minnesota, still ranks ahead of 13 starting point guards in ASSISTS per game.
Missy Elliott, Jay-Z and P. Diddy are all scheduled to appear on Beyonce Knowles' upcoming debut solo album named "Dangerously in Love." Patent infringement lawyers are quietly researching any conflicts with the Clippers' postseason release of "Dangerously Out of Touch."
Wasn't Gary Payton supposed to HELP shore up Milwaukee's defense? Losers of five out of their last six games and only 6-9 since The Glove was discovered NOT to fit in Seattle, Milwaukee has been giving up well over 100 points per game in the offensively challenged East. They'll be fine, though, if they just keep playing the Nets.
With the latest government statistics revealing that U.S. life expectancy has now reached an all-time high of more than 77 years, fans of the Clippers and Cavaliers are wondering if that is a GOOD thing.
How many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?
I spent some time in glorious Boston this week but are the Celtics ever struggling. They just can't score. Not to say that the FANS aren't trying too, particularly with the street vendors plying "Vin Baker Sucks" T-shirts outside the arena. Maybe more troubling was the news that Vin FIRED his agent, the same guy who negotiated his unbelievable contract. You would THINK Vin would give the guy a RAISE?
How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?
I was inspired by the settling of differences between Charles Barkley and Jerry Colangelo, to say nothing of the reunification of Tony Soprano and HBO for simply a matter of money. I was wondering if people everywhere now are willing to finally give peace a chance. We can only hope.
Bill Walton, who is a regular contributor to ESPN.com, is an NBA analyst and shares his thoughts on "NBA Shootaround" at 7:30 p.m. every Friday for ESPN.
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