How many shots will LeBron take in Game 2?

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James shot the ball 38 times.  To put that in perspective, over the past 30 seasons (as far back as Basketball-Reference goes), no Celtics player has ever taken 38 shots in a game.  Since 1985, it's happened a total of just 54 times--and 33 of those belong to Michael Jordan (17) and Kobe Bryant (16).  Only 15 guys in the last three decades have attempted 38 or more field goals in a single game.

It was the first such occasion for LeBron, who set a new career high for field goal attempts.  And now his All-Star teammate Kyrie Irving, who took 22 shots of his own in Game 1, is out for the year (luckily Kelly Olynyk is not responsible).

How many times will LeBron shoot in Game 2?  Fifty?  Jordan's record is 49...

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Would you ever hire somebody to do a scenic photo shoot of just yourself?

The other day I was jogging around Castle Island in South Boston.  I saw a guy standing down on the rocks by the water, along with a woman holding a large professional camera complete with a giant zoom lens and an elaborate flash system.  The guy was of a very similar appearance to (and dressed like) the one pictured---except there wasn't a pregnant lady with him.

It was just him, by himself, having a series of scenic photographs taken with the sunset in the background (by the way, I apologize to the guy in this random image I found on google, he's just an innocent bystander).  My best guess is that he wanted some nice profile pictures for his Tinder or Match.com account.  I debated stopping to take a picture of him having his picture taken, but he looked like the kind of guy who probably wouldn't have taken too kindly to such a thing.

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Did I hear a rumor that the NBA will actually play a game today?

The NBA Finals begins tonight, eight days after both Conference Finals series concluded.  To the best of my knowledge, no members of either the Cavs or Warriors have retired since they last played a game.  However, I did see a report that Riley Curry is graduating from high school on Saturday.

Also, Kyrie Irving has now actually become Uncle Drew.



In all honesty, when Game 1 tips off this evening it will have been roughly 189 hours since we last witnessed NBA action.


RELATED: The NBA's playoff scheduling is not fantastic

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Clay Buchholz deserves to sit on the Iron Throne at the moment

Clay Buchholz is 3-6, but that's only because the Red Sox don't score when he pitches.  Boston has plated exactly one run in five of his last six starts, and seven of 11 overall.  Because of this, it's easy to miss how good Buchholz has been lately.  Despite a 1-2 record, over his past four outings Buchholz has lasted an average of 7.2 innings per game with an ERA of 1.47 and a WHIP of 0.75.  He's also held opposing hitters to a .171 batting average and a .216 on-base percentage during that stretch.

On another note, there's something else I've been meaning to mention ever since I saw the very first episode of Game of Thrones four years ago: Theon Greyjoy is Buchholz's identical twin.

RELATED:

Game of Thrones' best scene yet (although I'm guessing you'll think LESS of it than I do)

Another athlete/actor doppleganger scenario.

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Am I going to become Mathew McConaughey in "Two For the Money"?

I'm no longer covering the Red Sox with a weekly column for Bleacher Report.  Instead, I'm writing fantasy baseball articles for B/R that are sponsored by DraftKings.

The good news is that for the first time, I don't have to beg people to read something so I can make 1/10 of a penny per click, because they're actually paying me a flat rate.  The reason being that daily fantasy sports betting is becoming huge business and DraftKings is blowing up right now.

The question is, does it mean this is where my life is headed?



Here's my first venture:

Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best DraftKings MLB Pitcher Picks for June 2


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This rainout is exactly what the Red Sox need...

The Red Sox are pretty much garbage right now.  They finished 10-19 in a horrific month of May, while batting .237 as a team and failing to score more than two runs in 16 of 29 games.

Yet somehow, despite a 22-29 record, Boston is miraculously only four games out of first place.  The Sox just went 3-7 in their last 10, but only lost half a game in the standings.

Yankees/Rays lead AL East at 26-25 (.510 win pct). That is worst record by AL East leader(s) entering June in divisional era (via #ELIAS)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 1, 2015

#RedSox research from @HRube5297 & @Mike_Dyer13 - lowest runs per game in a single month since August, 1913 pic.twitter.com/xE0LueSliK

— Tom Leyden (@TomLeyden) June 2, 2015

June is a new month, however.  Tonight, Boston was rained out vs. Minnesota--in Bull Durham, it was a "rainout" (sorry there's not a better clip available) that turned their season around...

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Awesome Old Song of the Week: "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind

Third Eye Blind's self-titled debut album was released in June of 1997, with Semi-Charmed Life becoming their first big hit.  Unlike some of my other "Awesome Old Song of the Week" selections, with this one I actually have irrefutable evidence that it is, in fact, an awesome old song.

Eight years after the track's release, in the summer of 2005 I was setting up the bar one morning at the Seafood Shanty in Edgartown, Massachusetts.  I had just purchased my first ipod and hooked it up to the restaurant's stereo system.  When Semi-Charmed Life turned up on my playlist, I noticed something I'd never seen before: As the servers were going about their morning duties (rolling silverware, opening umbrellas, wiping down trays, etc.) each and every one of them independently began singing along to themselves.

I don't think anyone else noticed, and it's a phenomenon I've yet to ever again witness.



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