Remembering a New Orleans Legend; There's Nothing Royal About the Kings

It was a match made in heaven. Bobby Brown and the New Orleans Hornets. The New Orleans Hornets and Bobby Brown. Brown may never have said the following words but the long phone conversations with Chris Paul and his adoration for Hilton Armstrong made his feelings abundantly clear: "I want to remain a New Orleans Hornet for the rest of my career."

It doesn't take a professional psychologist to tell you that gaze has "Hornet 4 Life" written all over it.

15.2 points per game. 6.3 assists per game. 3.2 rebounds per game. BB had everything you look for in an NBA superstar, let alone a third string point guard. I know I speak for Hornet fans worldwide in saying that we expected the second coming of Pete Maravich. The great Pistol Pete, making a re-appearance in the very city where he made his name- New Orleans. We anticipated cheering him heartily for making that behind the back assist with 13 seconds left, and his team up by 29. In short, we were looking greatness square in the face.

No, I'm not having problems finding pictures of Bobby Brown. Why do you ask?

But alas. Such was not meant to be. As the great Chinese philosopher Tzung-Su once remarked, "A flute without holes, is not a flute. A donut without a hole, is a danish. And an NBA player not trying to make money, is not an NBA player." Truer words have never been spoken. And yet, our ire should not be focused upon Brown himself. One must heed the slightly more modern philosopher Ice T's corollary to Tzung-Su's ancient message: "Don't hate the player, hate the game."

"Wait till I get my hands on the scumbag who's behind all this!" and "Grrrrr!! Raaahhh!! Ooooaaarghhh!!!!" you say. Well then, I present to you the culprits, the slimy dirtbags, the vicious anarchists behind it all: The Sacramento Kings.

They lured him with promises of gold and riches. They took his mind off of backing up Chris Paul and allowed him to dream of usurping Beno Udrih's starting role. They stole him from us, plain and simple.

But in doing so, they also misunderestimated us. For we are not ones to be taken lightly. Their rampant instigation shall not go unanswered. This is but the first strike in a rivalry that shall extend far into the future, with untold casualties. Today they took Bobby Brown, but how are we to know that tomorrow they might not snatch up Rasual Butler (or, I shudder to think of it, ... Mike James?). No, we cannot stand for this.

We must act swiftly and without haste. We must put foolish and petty rivalries (CP vs. Deron Williams comes to mind) behind us. We must avenge the loss of one of our own.

Sacramento, this means War.