Kobe vs. LeBron

Author's Note: This is an essay I wrote about LeBron James and Kobe Bryant who is the better player. I was inspired by another piece feeling I needed to contradict his thoughts and retell who is the better player.

Who is the better NBA player? LeBron James or Kobe Bryant? According to many news writers, friends, and even family people believe Kobe Bryant is the better player. In my opinion and based off of facts, I believe LeBron James is the better basketball player. When people think of Michael Jordan they think of the greatest basketball player to play the game, if people like News Reporters, can compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan, there must be some sort of answer or reasoning behind this.

One of the reasons behind the LeBron "haters" is they believe that he hasn't won any championships and Kobe has. Now if they were to think logically here they would know that to play the game of basketball you must have at least 5 players on the court at once. You cannot play without 5 players, if you look at some of their statistics; LeBron and Kobe are both averaging about 30 points per game. Most of the NBA basketball games are played from 90 points or above. If you did the math they are both averaging less than half of their teams points, so Kobe has had more people to work with to get to the finals. Also they forget that LeBron had brought his team the Cleveland Cavaliers to the semi-finals 3 times and loss. After LeBron made his move to Miami, Cleveland became the worst team in the National  Basketball Association. While LeBron went to the NBA Finals.

Many people also like to think in the present, when we need to think in the future as well as for a basketball team. Kobe is a couple years away from retiring while LeBron is just entering his prime. Anybody would sign LeBron to a multi-contract deal, while Kobe is lucky to get 3 years. And even though Kobe has had more Career points, and Game Winning shots LeBron's have meant more. LeBron has made his during the play-offs to advance his team. Kobe has made all of his because he is a fossil. Kobe has been in the league longer than nearly everybody in the league, so there is more likely of a chance that he has the most. 

Even though Kobe and LeBron are both considered the best players in the NBA, and both of them will go to the hall of fame one of them is just better. I still believe LeBron is a better basketball player otherwise they wouldn't compare him to Michael Jordan. Kobe is still a very good basketball player, both of them will be taking the final second shot for their team, but LeBron's will go in. 

The Giver

Author's note: This is a piece I wrote about major conflicts in The Giver. All my information was gathered throughout the book and on our (Google Docs). 

The book The Giver is a story told from one confused person's point of view. In the book The Giver, it is a "Perfect World." You come home from school or from your friend's house every night, and before dinner you and your family members will discuss the "Evening of Rituals." Now this might seem like crazy and weird thing, but it is not a real ritual. Basically what it means is before dinner you and your family members discuss some sort of emotional or physical event that happened in your day. This seems like a perfect world now, but there are many major conflicts, and one of them is Jonas the main character being selected to be the next receiver. Being the receiver means a couple things, you will not be able to live or stay in a relationship with anyone, which will probably cause psychotic reactions making him lonely and also having a severe pain within himself; this severe pain could cause suicidal action, or even the losing of the will to live.

Phillip Meets Allen

       Back in the day, Phillip was just an old school guy. He liked to lay low and not worry about all the communists, Phillip would just sit around and watch the next showing of 60 minutes. Then one unusual day Allen Iverson; a member of the Philadelphia 76ers arrived at Phillip's house. He cut right to the chase and said, "Hey this might now be the right timing, but you think you could teach me the crossover move before the game tonight." Phillip then responded, "I guess I can, but I got cut from my high school team. Allen replied, "Its okay I just need a moment of your time."

       Phillip then brought Allen down to the community gym, but when they walked in Phillip froze, checking his pockets. Where was the money he thought to himself? Allen quickly dashed to the car door, and looped through the kid’s playground to find his wallet; and just as he slowed down he saw a silver dollar poking out of the bushes. Allen knew that silver dollars are worth way more than any amount of money in his wallet so he darted towards the bush, snatched the dollar and then left towards the gym. Phillip had been waiting for about 5 minutes when Allen had arrived. Allen then said, "Are you ready to do this?" Phillip said, "I was born ready, but what is a crossover?" Allen shrugged with a tremendous passion and said, "I am just screwed." Phillip answered his remark saying, "Well why don't you just use more wrist?"Allen said, "No, wait a minute that's it thanks man."

       Later that day Phillip got a knock on his door; he answered the door and he wondered what the cops were doing there. The cops talked to Phillip and came out clean saying, "Sir you’re under arrest." Phillip then said, "But why, what did I do." The cops said, "You were at the YMCA around 4pm today, well you paid with a leaf painted silver." Phillip knew right then that Allen had stiffed him with the money, and the cops had said that he will be jailed for 4 years.

Rodney's Back

 Authors Note: This is a continued piece I wrote about Rodney from the piece On a Usual Saturday.

Rodney from his previous actions of jumping the pool filled of sharks, realized from all of his days of  watching T.V. that there was a scientific project going on to heal the handicapped. Rodney still had the Marquette tickets from when he won the contest of jumping the sharks at 5 in the morning. When Rodney remembered the tickets, he wheeled himself around the house with excellent precision of the strokes he put into his wheels. His heart was pounding from the enthusiasm and the rush going through his mind to get the tickets.

About 45 minutes later he made it upstairs to his safe where he keeps all of his valuable things, and there it was the season print out of Marquette Golden Eagles tickets for the whole year. He immediately called Johnny Tupkins and asked if he could take him to this science lab. Johnny said, "No way, the last time I brought you to these crazy stunts you ended up paralyzed." Rodney replied, "This isn't a crazy stunt, this can cure me and I will not be handicapped anymore." Johnny thought and then said, "Okay I'll do it, but where is it?"Just outside of Detroit Rodney replied." What! You got to be kidding me that is nearly 2 hours away and we are only going to be there for 5 minutes." Rodney said, "C'mon man let's go I really need this." 

About an hour later Johnny took off with Rodney to the Science Lab. Johnny said, remember when you jumped those sharks and I drove you there, you said I would be able to go to every single Marquette game with you. Rodney said then, yes I know you still can once this whole thing is over.

Once they arrived at the scene, Johnny pushed Rodney so hard that his wheelchair launched Rodney right onto the experiment table; where the doctors injected him with a fluid to knock him out for 5 minutes. Johnny went to his knees and prayed when he heard the doctor scream, "No!" Johnny said, "What, What happened" the doctors said, "I killed him, the fluid was to strong your friend he is dead."

Johnny immediately burst into tears when he thought for a second, "I could still go to the market games by myself." So Johnny darted to the tickets and stiffed his friend Rodney as he took off with the tickets and his money, Johnny felt bad, but luckily karma was on Rodney's side, and Johnny got hit by a bus as he was walking to his car. After all nobody got the Marquette tickets.   

Dead Men's Path

Authors Note: This is a predicting piece I wrote about the short story Dead Men's Path. Please give me feedback on my piece. 

          Is Michael Obi going to keep his job? Is the Government Education Officer going to let him stay? Michael Obi a headmaster at a school right now is about to be fired for not letting people perform a ritual. A ritual is performed to protect "superstition" even though Michael does not believe they exist. Michael not believing that they exist hurts him in this cause because of the ritual. He is covering up a path behind the school that people go through and to for the ritual that now might not happen.

         With the Education Officer coming to visit him at the school, Michael will most likely be fired and have to find a new job in a new city because all he knows how to do is teach. Michael might also lose his family in this bad sort of events with his wife going to file a divorce. So not only will Michael have to find a new job he will also have to find a new family.  

Comparative Essay

 Authors note: This is a comparative piece between The Jordan Rules, and SPY! For a Comparative essay.

Is it love, pride, or even greed? In the two books The Jordan Rules, and Spy! By Sam Smith, and Anna Myers; the two subjects might be completely off from each other one talking about basketball and the other talking about war, but somehow they both talk about the same concepts. That leaves one question, what are and how are the concepts alike?

The first concept of both books is love? Spy! Talks about how a teacher, but now a captain of the army Nathan Hale was looked at and believed for teaching a community and building great bonds and relationships with his students and their parents. The war started by the British had moved along and carved its own path to the town where the teacher Nathan Hale was hanged. Nathan Hale wasn't hanged for teaching students, the British would have no right; he was hanged because he was also a spy for America, he died with his final words remembered, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Nathan knew he was going to die, but to die for his country meant more than hiding and having the town destroyed and the town people killed with him getting away clean. In The Jordan Rules, Michael Jordan the team leader and heart for the organization is put on the line for basketball. Love for him means his teammates and determination for the game. It is more than just a game to some; it is a lifestyle not a choice. The closing seconds of that game was life or death whether many see it as a game or as a lifestyle.

Another concept used in both books was greed. As many see it in SPY! The man was not greedy, he was a heartwarming kind fellow to die for his country, but as others see it he was a jerk to even thinking about running away and not taking one for the team as they say. His duties were to educate the children and die for his country whether it was by choice or by force. Greed carried over to The Jordan Rules because of one name Michael Jordan; Michael Jordan was known as the greatest player in history to some, but to others he was a greedy snotty player not passing the ball to go for the fame. Michael Jordan took the game winning shot to win the semi-finals game for the Chicago Bulls, he made it with a smile on his face just as much as the person next to him, but if he were to miss the fans wouldn't of thought so high of him anymore; Michael Jordan going from once a beloved player, to a snotty greedy player out for the stats.

Was it a pride issue? Michael Jordan also couldn't stand to lose. He didn’t talk bad about what his team did, but he wouldn't let the ball be in their hands in the closing seconds of the game. In the closing seconds of the game he tried to be the most elusive player possible which could have made him look snotty again. His passion for the game, and determination to win was to overpowering in his mind; he forgets sometimes which is right or wrong. Compared to SPY! Nathan Hale's pride was his greatest strength. Him taking the hit and suffering his life for his country was for his father. He would have lived with shame and could have destroyed the country if he hadn't had the will to die for his country. Pride had been a key factor in each serious of events.

Even though one is just a game to some that might end with a smiley on everybody's face and the other might be violence and war with many deaths and tragic events for a country. Each of the subjects has their similarities; dealing with pride, love, greed, and pure instinct.

Text Structure for SPY!

         In the book Spy! A local teacher Jonah is being hanged by the English. Little did the English know by hanging this teacher it helped them out in many more ways then they thought. They thought by hanging this teacher  that it should scare the children enough that the schools would have to close down, but the effect was greater than what they thought. By hanging the teacher it was a neighborhood scare, the schools would have to close and the community would be threatened. The community would also be threatened because they were sending a message. Any person to not follow there orders would be killed.

         The term sending the message doesn’t mean electronically texting now a days. It was a term used to scare people, and tell them we mean business or this shall happen. The English weren't trying to punish the town people, they were only scaring them enough to leave their mark, also mark their territory.

       They marked their territory because it was almost like hide and seek. They weren't trying to live in the presence, but only the past. They were telling them we have struck this town who's next without getting caught. The scare was enough to try to take over the town.