Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:35 am EDT

Usain Bolt is an Olympic God.
As you no doubt know, the Jamaican breezed to an astounding world-record time of 9.69 seconds in winning 100-metre gold on Saturday, and on Wednesday he followed it up by winning the 200-metre race in a world-record time of 19.30.
Dude is so fast you don't even know what he looks like.
Well, except for Brown Recluse, Esq. of Free Darko — he sees a lot 'Black Jesus' in young Bolt.
Recluse explains:
"... I can't help but think of Amare Stoudemire when I watch Usain Bolt. It's the irrepressible swagger in the starting blocks, the preternatural cool under pressure, and more than anything, the sheer physical dominance over his opponents. Like Amare, Bolt manages to look like a man among boys, while at the same time seeming himself to still be a child.
[...]
For anyone who thinks I'm insulting Bolt — already one of the greatest sprinters of all time — by comparing him to a mere three-time All-Star who's never advanced past the Western Conference Finals, remember back to the 2005 playoffs. At the age of 22 (the age Bolt turns [today]), Amare was clearly the best player in a Suns-Spurs series that featured two former MVPs still in their prime. Bolt is that Amare Stoudemire, the pre-injury Amare for whom the sky was literally the limit. He put together STAT lines like 42 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks, and seemed like he was only scratching the surface of what he could be. Even LeBron has failed to exhibit that kind of almost casual supremacy, and despite his youth, King James has always seemed much older and wiser than his years."
What do you think — good call or bad call? Who do you see in Bolt? And better yet, which current or former NBA star does that make Phelps? So many questions, so many "right" answers. Have some fun in the comments.
Ball Don't Lie is an NBA blog edited by J.E. Skeets. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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10 Comments
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Anyway, back to the topic:
I don't think Phelps can be compared to anyone bar his Airness, MJ; based on his amazing track record and dominance of course. Or perhaps Mr Russell...
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So, for funsies: If Bolt is Amare, Phelps is Jerry West.
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1) Fawn over a young black athletes who have "raw" natural ability and carry themselves with an air of conceit.
2) Pepper the article with phrases like "preternatural cool" and "irrepressible swagger"
3) Throw in a half-baked analogy about Zoroaster and an NBA basketball player
4) Add photo of a headless doll
There you have it. Ready for consumption.
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If you're going to compare Bolt to an NBA player, compare him to Hakeem Olajuwon...he was talented but hadn't yet turned the corner, everyone in the sport respected him but doubted he'd win a title. And then he put together two back to back performances that shot him into legendary status.
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2) I like "pepper" better than those other two phrases.
3) Wait, how did you get an advance copy of the book?
4) Dolls are gay, headless dolls are scary.
Long live Hecuba!
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Bolt comes from a country that doesn't have the kind of money the U.S. does. He has the work ethic that Amare doesn't. Amare's D is very suspect. And I agree, dominating the 100 & 200 would be like dominating both ends of the court... which Amare can't do.
Plus Bolt has every reason to have that swagger... Amare doesn't. Stats don't mean much if you can't win. I love the Suns, but Amare's starting to bother me with his attitude.
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the Greatest Sprinter of All-Time ... who has just set WORLD RECORDS in the 100 m & the 200 m events at the Olympic Games and who just happens to be 22 years of age.
Anyone who knows how the NBA works and how International Track & Field works, as well, knows the difference without having to think twice.
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