Russell Westbrook Signs New 5-Year Extension with Oklahoma City Thunder

If I were getting nearly $80 Million, I'd look like this guy too. According to Andrew Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Russell Westbrook recently signed a $78 Million maximum contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, in light of pending free agency restrictions that will follow the season. The deal also ensures Westbrook will be with OKC through the 2016-2017 NBA Season.

Westbrook has been the subject of some controversy with regards to his relationships with teammates, including OKC's superstar Kevin Durant. Durant had also signed a 5 year deal in 2010, which would see them together for the next few season. There were even rumors surfacing of a possible trade in light of a recent argument the two teammates had on the sideline during their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Surely this recent deal will quell such rumors, as it remains evident the Thunder recognize Westbrook as a pivotal cog in the gears of the team.

In addition to Westbrook and Durant, all of the Oklahoma City Thunder's are secure for the next couple seasons, including forward Serge Ibaka, center Kendrick Perkins, and guard James Hardem. Considering all of this, OKC's roster can be considered locked up for some time, with the exception of draft picks and mid to low level exception free agent signings. It would also be wise to recognize that this current Thunder core went as far as the Western Conference Finals in the last NBA Season, where they fell victim to the eventual NBA Champions, Dallas Mavericks.

If we were to judge the Thunder based on their youth and skill level, it would be safe to say that the team's combination is unmatched in the league. After offering and embracing such a huge commitment (monetarily and otherwise), the Thunder can now only hope that he will continue to mature, and look past the recent disagreement with Durant earlier in the season, especially considering the two athletes are recognized as the chieftains of the team.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1031008-russell-westbrook-signs-max-contract-extension-with-oklahoma-city-thunder

Cole World: The Sideline Story Album Review

J. Cole, Jay-Z’s artist signed to Roc Nation, recently dropped his debut album “Cole World: The Sideline Story”, on September 27, 2011. This album is his first official studio release, following three successful mixtapes. The album debut at #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart during the first week of release, with over 200,000 units sold. With that said, I am personal a J. Cole fan, and this is my review of my favorite tracks on the album.

“Cant Get Enough”, featuring Trey Songz, is extremely clean and ear pleasing. A track dedicated to females, with a beat that would get a crowd moving easily. This is usually the first track I play before I go out. “Lights Please” is another track dedicated to the ease a woman can bring to the stress we as males face in life. It’s considerably slower than the previous track. I first heard a verse from “Cole World” on a different beat, from an interview Cole did for a radio station. In my opinion, the verse was better than that of the original song (which will remain unnamed). The beat is catchy, and so are the lyrics. “Nobody’s Perfect”, a track featuring Missy Elliot, was produced by J. Cole himself, and is possibly my favorite track on the entire album. The two artists compliment each other completely, and it was good to hear some quality music from Missy; it’s been a minute.

"Rise and Shine", another epic track (also produced by Cole), is my final track to be reviewed. It begins with Jay-Z speaking backstage on tour about someone somewhere eating a bowl of applejacks while writing lyrics, wanting Jay-Z’s spot as the top rapper. He then goes on to say, “I’ma find him though, and I’ma sign him…and I don’t want no problems”, which then continues into the beat. This song is primarily about J. Cole’s admiration of himself (in a sense) and aspirations in the industry, both monetary and personal. A great album overall, especially considering the majority is self produced, it’s his debut studio album release, and it hit number one in the first week of release. Exceptional.