“Chemistry is a class you take in high school or college, where you figure out two + two is ten or something.”
-Dennis Rodman
This quote is from the great philosopher Dennis Rodman. If you know who that man is you know that he is no Socrates; however he is one of the greatest, if not the greatest rebounder of all-time. Eccentric, if not crazy is a way to describe Rodman, but he’s got the hardware to back up whatever he was saying that day in 1996. I would love to delve deeper into this story and many others like it, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing. I love the NBA and everything about it. The on the court entertainment is just as exciting as the stories you hear off the court. I’m definitely no basketball player myself, but I enjoy submersing myself into the culture just as much as the next guy. In this blog and subsequent others I hope to entertain… maybe even shock some of you with some of the NBA’s greatest legends and their stories. So buckle up this might get weird, maybe even as weird at Dr. Rodman’s Chemistry 131 class.
I’m sad to announce that this will be my last post for a while. No, I’m not going into mid-career retirement like Michael Jordan did… twice. No this is just my last post for my Creativity and Innovation class. This post will be more about what I learned from this particular assignment and more about what I learned about myself. Blogging this past semester has brought more joy to me than I originally thought was possible. I love the NBA; it is one of my favorite things to discuss, argue, watch, and research. From this assignment, I have learned more about the NBA and its players than I once knew. I hope that you have all learned something as well.
So, at the beginning of the year, I was a tad bit reluctant about this assignment. How was writing a blog going to help me become more creative, more innovative than I already was. Boy was I wrong. My initial intentions for this blog was to do reviews on terrible movies. The movies that I started watching were laughable and with just a little added satire from me I thought that would be enough, but once I started, I was not enjoying myself. The task felt like a burden so, I changed my mind. I’m a person who usually sticks to my guns and sees projects through to the fulfillment. However, I learned that I’m not much of a movie guy at all. That’s when I made the switch to something that I prefer more, like the NBA.
NBA basketball just comes naturally to me. I love quizzing myself on the stats, records, teams, players you name it. So, when I decided to take up the mantle of the project I did so with the intent not to bore my readers but to amaze them. That is why I chose stories some myth, some legend, some true to excited, and wow you all. Hopefully, I accomplished this task and to all, I hope you enjoyed. First off, I would like to talk about how this assignment honed my skills in research and communication. Researching about something that you find fascinating is one of the main steps into making a well-rounded blog, but this can go for anything you put your mind to. Talking about the NBA is something I enjoy a lot, and that’s why I think it helped me write on the subject. The research was fun because some of the stories I only knew parts. So, broadening my knowledge on the subject that I know so much about makes my skill set of research more well-rounded. Taking the hours that I had to put in to hopefully give an accurate depiction of the events that once unfolded.
So next things next to the communication. I have always believed that I am skilled at writing, but I got stuck more often than I am proud to admit. The one thing about writing is that the author never thinks that the piece they are writing on is the best they can do. They are always looking for ways to improve. I think that with the writing of this blog that I have continued to revamp my writing skills to give the best form of information I could. That’s the wonderful thing about being given the reign to do some free thinking and be more creative on the subject. Getting stuck happens to everyone who tries to write or create something from nothing. The best thing for this is to keep pushing and always keep creating. I think that this assignment has given me an inner look at how my skills can be used to create something wonderful and something that I am proud to call my own.
Lastly, if I could share something from this blog series is that once you find something you are good at, run with it. Find that creative spark in yourself and test your abilities. May that be writing or welding or running a business do it with a passion and don’t let the bad times outweigh the good. Once you have completed your task trust me it will feel as though you have accomplished something great. This is me signing off for the last time for a while. Call it retirement call it a hiatus, but whatever you call it I do hope you enjoyed it. One last thing gives yourself a round of applause for making it this far. See y’all next time, James.
Today is May 4th, and as some of you know May 4th is celebrated as Star Wars day. In all honesty, right now I am watching the sequel trilogy in preparation for “The Rise of Skywalker” which just came out on Disney+ today. So this really got me to think about players who were not believed to be all human. Like for instance people once believed Jordan was a superhuman or some sort of alien because of his leaping ability. I want to talk about a player that has been around the league for some time, but his burst onto the scene was close to an alien UFO landing on the White House lawn. This is the story of “Linsanity” and his amazing resurgence of a dying franchise and the subsequent and sort of quiet disappearance in the NBA.
Linsanity with the Knicks
Jeremy Lin is an Asian American basketball player who just happened to become a sensation for the 2011-2012 New York Knicks. Coming out of high school Lin was not heavily sought out as a basketball player and received no athletic scholarship offer. Instead, he went to Harvard, yeah Harvard where he became a three-time all-conference player for the Ivy League. Even though Lin was a good player he still wasn’t looked like the next superstar for the NBA. Instead of being drafted Lin was signed by the Golden State Warriors back in his hometown of San Francisco. Even though Lin found himself finally on an NBA team he was playing in the D-League (the NBA’s G-League now). Eventually, he was waved by the Warriors and the picked up by the Rockets and then waived again. For Lin the rode to the NBA and especially to a decent role on a team was a rough and almost unforeseeable one. Luckily for him, the Knicks were about to come calling and Linsanity was about to answer the call.
Early in the 2011-2012 season, Jeremy Lin signed with the New York Knicks. Although Lin played sparingly he put in tremendous work every day, showing up early and leaving after everyone else had already gone home. Whether it was putting in extra work with his coaches or putting more time into studying game films Lin was constantly working on his craft. So after a little time in the D-League and some choice injuries to some of the Knicks guards, Lin was now able to showcase some of his skills. Early in the 2012 year, February 3rd to be exact, the New York Knicks squandered a fourth-quarter lead in a Boston Celtics win. Apparently, in desperation, the coach Mike D’Antoni put Lin in the rotation for the Knicks against the Brooklyn Nets and All-Star point guard Deron Williams. Lin finished that game with 25 points five rebounds, and seven assists—all career highs—in a 99–92 Knicks victory, and thus Linsanity was born. Let me just start by saying this man was about to take the league by storm. Lin led the Knicks to a seven-game winning streak in his first seven starts. Probably his most famous game is when he faced Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Lin went off in this game scoring a new career-high 38 points and had seven assists, leading the Knicks in their 92–85 victory over the Lakes. He outscored the Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant who had 34 points. After the game, the New York Times were starting to become fans of Lin even stating that he was “the Knicks’ grandest stroke of fortune” since drafting Patrick Ewing in the 1985 NBA Draft. Linsanity had become a worldwide sensation especially in China where this was the first Asian or Asian American basketball superstar since the Chinese monster Yao Ming. The culmination of his efforts was rewarded however with Lin being named Eastern Conference Player of the Week averaging a stellar 27.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 2.0 steals in four starts. Lin came from nowhere and was suddenly the face of one of the biggest franchises in the NBA. At the end of this year, Lin had brought the Knicks back into the playoffs, but he suffered from a small meniscus tear and opted for surgery that ended his season. At the end of the 2012 season, Lin became a restricted free agent and eventually signed with the Houston Rockets. This did not prove to be as fruitful as his great 26 game start in New York.
Lin started at Houston and the team had high hopes for their new point guard next to Superstar James Harden. He struggled to play alongside Harden but finished third in All-Star voting but did not play in the All-Star Game. After this, he began losing playing time to other players and eventually fell into a good role player coming off the bench. After Houston Lin bounced around from team to team ultimately playing for the Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks, and Raptors. Some good games are scattered around in his career, but nothing compared to his 2-3 months of stardom for the Knicks. Linsanity had the world by storm for a while, and it was a fun time to be a basketball fan during that time. Lin did a lot for Chinese American players who might not have gotten the recognition the so rightfully deserved. Now Lin plays for the Bejing Ducks in China where he is beginning to advocate for basketball programs for kids in China. Even though Lin was in terms of just a good player, not a star, not terrible most people remember him with his time with the Knicks. I think he is okay with that. It is better to be loved and lose it, than to never be loved at all, and trust me Linsanity was beloved at one time.
Hey, guys, I hope you enjoyed this story, and thanks so much for listening to me praise another player. If you have a player that just burst onto the scene please leave a comment. As for me, I guess I’ll see y’all next time, James.
NBA free agency is always a stressful time for fans, players, and NBA execs. There is the promise of new talent joining your favorite team or the opposite with a well-loved player leaving a city that does not offer him what wants anymore. This story has twists and turns throughout and leaves not just fans scratching their heads but players as well. As for me, I love free agency because it is fueled with drama and elbow-rubbing from player to player. For those of you who don’t know what free agency is let me explain. Free agency is a time where NBA teams shop for the best available player and hopefully attract him to a new home. Subsequently, this is a time where NBA players have the opportunity to test their market value and team up with other superstars for the chance at glory in the form of an NBA title. The story I’m about to tell you involves many players, a back-out, a kidnapping (sort of), and one pissed off Mark Cuban. SO please sit back put your feet up and enjoy.
DeAndre Jordan the Man, Myth, Meme?
This story has a lot of moving parts so let’s start with some of the most mentionable names. First, we have Clippers star up-and-coming Center DeAndre Jordan who this whole fiasco surrounds. Next, we have the other two of the Clippers Big 3 in Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. These two are certainly way more well-known, but some tumultuous years riddled with injuries put a strain on all three’s relationship. Next is the Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. So most of the cast is set (we will get a few cameos from other players as well) all we need is the stage for this soap opera of a free agency. Well here’s the stage. In the 2014-2015 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers posted one of the best records in the NBA with a 56-26 record which put them 3rd in the playoff race. In the first round, the Clippers bested the defending NBA Champion Spurs in 7 games with Chris Paul’s game-winning layup with 1 second left on the clock. Next came the Houston Rockets and the formidable James Harden. The Clippers jumped out to a 3-1 lead over the Rockets but eventually, The Beard took over and they ended up losing in 7 and missing out on what would have been the franchise’s first Western Conference Finals appearance. As the season ends so does DeAndre Jordan’s contract. Rumors of discontent with fellow teammate Chris Paul left many to wonder if he would come back. Well, Dallas and owner Mark Cuban wanted a piece of Jordan and was intent on offering him a contract. That is exactly what the Mavericks did. They offer Jordan a new contract to come to play for the team along-side an aging Dirk Nowitzki. Jordan initially agreed with Dallas and verbally agreed to sign the contract. The thing is Jordan verbally agreed on July 3rd and the contract could not be signed until July 9th. Yah know those crazy NBA rules were back at it again.
This is where the story becomes really interesting. It’s ladled with controversial emojis and an even more controversial meeting at Jordan’s house. Apparently, players sub-tweeting in the NBA was all the rage in 2015, and trust me there was plenty of that going on. Just a bunch of weird plane emojis and out of context tweets had the sports media rolling in gold over this free agency signing. Mavericks star Chandler Parsons fueled to this with his own emojis hoping that this would finally get Jordan away from the sunny skies of LA. So to make sure that Jordan did not leave, no so Jordan did not get an audience with anyone from the Mavericks some Clippers players just showed up to his house and weren’t about to let their star center just waltz out of there. Blake Griffin along with other players from the Clippers organization met with Jordan and eventually got him to back out of the deal. Apparently, when they arrived Jordan was already feeling the pressure of not resigning with the team that drafted him and they all just eventually started playing cards per some rumors. The team stayed there until midnight so the contract with the Mavs could not be signed. The Clippers had their defensive star back and Dallas was at a loss of words.
The funny part of this story comes from DeAndre Jordan’s apparent inability to pick up the phone and answer Mark Cuban’s calls. Yes, that’s right Cuban spent that night ringing Jordan trying to get a conversation with him and Jordan simply did not pick up. Imagining billionaire Cuban driving around furious as to his voice not being heard is almost priceless imagery. Alas, all was said and done and Jordan remained a Clipper. The crazy thing is that Jordan eventually signed a one-year deal with the Mavs in 2018 (smell some guilt?), but his career has sort of flounder as a defensive guy coming off the bench. The Clippers never reached the top of the NBA mountain and free agency will never be the same.
This story was wild and I hope you all enjoyed the wild ride. If you have heard of some weird free agency dealings leave a comment, and always see y’all next time, James.
I am so sorry that I have now shown you the infamous Indiana Pacers Boy Band cover shoot. No this is not a 90s R&B group this is the 2013-2014 Indiana Pacers. From left to right we have slightly aging rejuvenated David West, a crafty point guard with a sweet stroke from three George Hill, an up and coming 2-Way Wing player Paul George, tenacious rebounder and defensive player Roy Hibbert, and finally the pesky tad bit annoying Lance Stephenson. They don’t look like much, but this team took the league by storm in 2012 and almost but a stop to the Big 3 in Miami. Yeah, the team with LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Today I just want to talk about this Pacers team 1) because this is roughly the time where I started watching basketball religiously, and 2) I love a good defensive underdog. This team had strikingly similar features to the grit-and-grind Memphis Grizzles and the 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons. Like eerily similar to that Pistons team. However, I want to talk about where it all went wrong for this team as well. This picture is a curse. I’m not superstitious maybe just a little stitious, but this picture was the start of the unraveling of this once great team. So, during the 2012-2013 season, the Indiana Pacers looked to be an up and coming team especially behind first-year All-Stars Paul George and Rot Hibbert. George had come into his own at this point in the absence of star forward Danny Granger due to injury. Hibbert was also becoming known as the best rim protector in the Eastern Conference. With a decent supporting cast and some veteran leadership from David West, the team looked as good as ever. Posting a 49-32 record that season earned them the 3 seed in the playoffs. Finally, in the playoffs, the Indiana Pacers bested the Atlanta Hawks and a surprisingly good New York Knicks team led by Carmelo Anthony in six games each. Finally came the gauntlet, the Miami Heat, and especially LeBron James. The Pacers played their hearts out in this series taking the soon to be champs to seven games. Even though they lost that series, everyone had their eyes on this team.
So as the next year rolls by the Pacers have posted a 33-7 record in the league while averaging a 93.9 defensive efficiency which was the best in the league by a wide margin. By the time the infamous photoshoot for GQ happened the Pacers boasted a record of 42-13, tops in the league. Unfortunately, that was one of the last times the Pacers touched success. In the last 27 games of the NBA season, the Pacers kept a record of 14-13, and then the team chemistry began to unravel. This is why I believe the photo was a curse, not just to my eyes but to the franchise as well. The team kept their top seed in the playoffs, but the 8th seed Atlanta Hawks took them to seven games. The next test was the up and coming Washington Wizards who had the team on the ropes until Game 5. Guess which team was waiting for the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was the two-time defending NBA Champions Miami Heat, led by you know who. I will say however that even though the Pacers were defeated in six games by the giant Heat, they went out valiantly, fighting the whole way down. I’m just sad to say that they were the team that was supposed to take down the Big 3 and become the Chosen Ones of the East. I blame the photo, I only blame the photo because what else is there to blame. A rough stretch at the end of the season had the team beaten and battered in the playoffs and the mountain just became too tall to climb. I enjoyed watching this team in my younger years just coming into the NBA. They were the hard-nosed, blue-collar type of NBA team that surrounded opponents with their stifling defense.
In the 2014-2015 season, the Pacers had lost Paul George to an injury during the US Olympic team practices that left him out all season. They missed the playoffs that year and undoubtedly missed their window into the NBA Finals. No one person from that infamous photo still plays for the Pacers. Rightfully so I believe the photo should be erased from history and maybe just maybe this will help the Pacers franchise come back to some early 2010s glory.
I hope you really enjoyed this story because I had a fun time writing it. Thank you once again for making it to the end of my blog, and please leave a comment on your favorite team that never became a champion. As always see y’all next time, James.
As I said it before I’ll say it again, Dennis Rodman is weird like really weird. I’ve never understood why someone would want to marry themselves, but hey that’s Rodman. I have been watching the new documentary on the 90s Bulls titled “The Last Dance”. Having known that Dennis was a character I did not expect much to surprise me in this documentary, I was wrong. This man asked for a 48-hour vacation to Las Vegas in the middle of the 1996 regular season. How is that even possible? The cruel thing about it is he stayed way longer than he was supposed to. Almost 72 hours longer. Guess who showed up to pick the talented rebounder and defensive player up and bring him back to Chicago. If you guess the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, then you were very correct. Apparently, MJ and Scottie Pippen went to the hotel where Rodman was staying with then-girlfriend Carmen Electra, woke him up and put him on the next flight back to Chi-Town. The funniest part of that little story, in my opinion, is that Carmen Electra hid from Jordan because she did not want him mad at her for keeping Dennis away for so long. In hindsight, I believe Dennis’s little vacation worked for them because they capped that season off with the Bulls’ 6th title and 2nd 3-peat. Now for the story, I really want to tell. This story is about Dennis Rodman of course, but it is also about his unlikely friendship with the supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un.
Rodman and Kim Jong-un sharing some lunch and talking about world domination
As crazy as this may sound… this is pretty insane if you ask me. Here is one of the best basketball players all-time and he is sitting with arguably one of the most dangerous men, against the United States, in the world. Turns out Kim is a huge basketball fan and grew up watching the 1990s Bulls teams. In 2011 Kim took over after his father’s death, and then in 2013, Rodman was invited to North Korea. As it turns out, when Rodman went to North Korea he traveled with three other basketball players from the Harlem Globetrotters and also a group of journalists from VICE. This trip had many human rights activists criticizing Rodman for apparently hugging the supreme leader and quote him saying to Kim “You have a friend for life.” After this initial trip, the two’s friendship continued to blossom culminating in Rodman sing “Happy Birthday” to Kim on the basketball court in 2014. Many trips between 2013 and 2016 saw their friendship grow, and even at one point, Rodman became a sort of activist to get the U.S. and North Korea seeing eye-to-eye.
As crazy as this may sound and this sounds pretty insane if you ask me Rodman was, in the midst of all this, creating a relationship between both countries. Here is one of the best basketball players all-time and he is sitting with arguably one of the most dangerous men, against the United States, in the world. Turns out Kim is a huge basketball fan and grew up watching the 1990s Bulls teams. In 2011 Kim took over after his father’s death, and then in 2013, Rodman was invited to North Korea. As it turns out, when Rodman went to North Korea he traveled with three other basketball players from the Harlem Globetrotters and also a group of journalists from VICE. This trip had many human rights activists criticizing Rodman for apparently hugging the supreme leader and quote him saying to Kim “You have a friend for life.” After this initial trip, the two’s friendship continued to blossom culminating in Rodman sing “Happy Birthday” to Kim on the basketball court in 2014. Many trips between 2013 and 2016 saw their friendship grow, and even at one point, Rodman became a sort of activist to get the U.S. and North Korea seeing eye-to-eye.
The last little story from these twos’ weird and almost surreal relationship that I want to share comes from 2017, a year before the presidential summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un. Rodman gifted Donald Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal” to Kim. I had not known this but Rodman even endorsed Trump saying in a tweet, “We’ve got the greatest negotiator of all time @realDonaldTrump to show the world how it’s done”. This came as a surprise to me because I always believed that the U.S. and North Korea hated each other. Could it have been that avocation coming from one of the NBA’s most controversial players that finally brought these two countries together after so many years? I believe Rodman thinks so, however, this relationship that he with a very powerful person is not even scratching the surface of the mind of Dennis Rodman.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and thank you for reading towards the end. Please leave a comment on an unlikely pair that you have heard of. See y’all next time, James.
I know that I have already spent some time talking about the NBA and some of its players and their love of other activities beyond basketball. This story, however, turns into a movie. Yes I know very unusual and trust me I had no idea that this was a real thing until a few days ago. This story starts with Stephon Marbury and his intense rise to stardom in the NBA. Unfortunately for Marbury, his eventual fall from grace was one that even I deem hard to watch. However, Stephon became well-loved in another nation, one halfway across the world.
Marbury a part of the 2004 Summer Olympics Men’s Basketball Team
Stephon Marbury was a highly talented prospect coming out of Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York. He was so special during his senior year that he was named New York State Mr. Basketball. Touted as New York City’s next great point guard Marbury was heavily recruited and decided to spend his college career at the University of Georgia Tech. In the highly renowned 1996, NBA draft the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Marbury with the 4th pick but soon traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves. While in Minnesota Stephon Marbury put up good numbers for a rising star, but in the shortened 1999 lockout season Marbury demanded a trade. The controversy surrounding his trade request circled many different theories. He was jealous of Kevin Garnett and his new contract, he wanted out of Minnesota’s smaller market, and he said he just wanted to be closer to family and friends. Anyhow the playoff run that the Minnesota Timberwolves had enjoyed came to a halt and Marbury was traded to the New Jersey Nets where he flourished into his own player and eventually became an All-Star. After a few good years with the Nets and the Suns Marbury was once again traded to the Knicks where it became apparent very early on that this was going to be a mistake. Feuds with coaches, rumors of trades, sexual assault allegations all piled on Marbury until he was traded to the Celtics in 2009 and out of the league that same year. I had to talk about the fall from All-Star appearances and playoff runs because the next chapter in Marbury’s life is a happier one.
So after his disappearance from the NBA in 2009, Stephon Marbury finds himself playing for the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He starts improving showing flashes of his early NBA career again, and all of a sudden in 2012 Marbury and his new team, the Beijing Ducks find themselves winning the CBA championship. Marbury is now a basketball legend in China winning 3 CBA championships and 1 finals MVP. Marbury had somewhat erased his controversial past and began to look towards a promising future. In 2017 he retired from playing but soon started to coach where he remains a coach and an advocate for the Chinese Basketball Association and its players.
If this story is not strange, to say the least, it is about to get a little weirder. This is where the movie comes in. So in 2017, Stephon Marbury stars himself in a Chinese Biopic. There are even a few cameos by Allen Iverson and Baron Davis. Apparently, Marbury thinks highly of his acting skills giving him a solid four out of five. The biopic follows the journey of Stephon Marbury and just how he became China’s new favorite star. The movie is titled “My Other Home”, and I will definitely be trying to watch it. I love basketball and this story might have not been as crazy as the ones you have sat through and listened to me, but there is something about this story that just makes me feel good. On a side note, Marbury did star in a musical “I Am Stephon Marbury,” that played in Beijing for 13 performances in front of 1,500 theatergoers a night. So maybe if this whole coaching gig does not work out, he might have a place on Broadway.
A big thanks to you for listening to my go on about a wild story again. Leave a comment on the best or worst sports movie you’ve ever seen and always see y’all next time, James.
I love Charles Barkley. Being a shorter and stockier guy I always modeled my basketball skills after Sir Charles. As a Power Forward Barkley was listed at 6’6″ 250 lbs. This is heavily undersized for that position but Charles is one of only six people to finish his career averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds. Those other six players are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Bob Petit, and George Mikan. Just let that sink in… Barkley was doing what all these guys were doing in the 50s and 60s in the 90s where the NBA was at its arguably toughest. The way you could gobble up boards and get some easy put-back dunks made him one of my favorite players of all time, even if he is an Auburn Alumni. However, Chuck’s legacy and professional career was plagued with controversy over his attitude. He believed that he had to be tougher than everyone else in order to be great. One faithful night however he let that toughness brand get himself in trouble.
Charles won the NBA MVP trophy as a Phoenix Sun in 1993
The Round Mound of Rebound made his living being one of the NBA’s toughest and most dominant big men in the era where the big guys were beginning to fade. During the 90s we all know who would steal the show: “His Airness” Michael Jordan. It comes to no surprise that many people believe that Charles Barkley is one of the greatest players to never win an NBA championship, and its because of the man I just mentioned. Barkley and the Suns did, however, face Jordan’s Bulls in the 1993 Finals in arguably Barkley’s best year of competition. As we all know, those Bulls were too much for any team back then and Charles never had the chance to return to the mountain top again. However, this did not stop him from being an absolute beast on the backboards. Barkley is listed in the top-20 in all-time rebounds, and this is no small feat for a man of his size. 6’6″ is the size of some Point Guards in today’s NBA. There would be no competition if they battled in the paint. Barkley’s energy, attitude, and purpose of trying to prove the haters wrong made him great, but later on in his career when he was suited up with the Houston Rockets he let that anger get a hold of him. For the record, this was not during a game or even in the stadium. This incident happened at a bar where a drunk man met Charles Barkley, and trust me he would not soon forget that name.
As the story goes Barkley along with Rockets teammate Clyde Drexler went to a bar in downtown Orlando. They arrived at 11 p.m. and Barkley was signing autographs and having a good time. A man by the name of Jorge Lugo was seen to be cussing at Charles Barkley and allegedly even throwing a cup of ice on the NBA star. However, Barkley I assume was angry and frustrated, but he kept his cool and just told the guy to leave him and his friends alone. Well… this guy didn’t listen to the 6’6″ NBA legend and proceeded to throw a glass at Barkley and his group, hitting one of the women that were hanging around the table in the jaw. Now The Round Mound of Rebound was furious. After a quick scuffle Barkley wrestled the man away from an officer trying to restrain him and threw him through the glass of the bar. Lugo suffered a couple of minor cuts to his arm from the incident and probably a hit to his ego as well. Before Barkley was detained and taken to the Orange County Jail he said a few words to Lugo. “For all I care, you can lay there and die.” Pretty immense words form someone to say, but Barkley always dealt with bigger guys picking on him and telling him he couldn’t play basketball. He knew his value and he was used to standing up for himself. Barkley said. “What he did was inappropriate. I’m going to defend myself. Let there be no debate. If you bother me, I’m going to whip your ass. The guy threw ice in my face, and I slammed his ass into the window. I’m not denying that. I defended myself. He got what he deserved.” In hindsight of everything, I should not applaud Barkley for his actions, but I do respect a man who does not back down from bullies. Years later Barkley would come to say that he wishes we would have acted more rationally to the situation, but being tough has its consequences. Controversy surrounded this altercation. I implore you, yes you to take a look at the story as well. See what you think. Was it self-defense or was it malicious and with intent?
Anyhow thank you for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment on some other stories about NBA players getting their hands full outside of the gym. As always see y’all next time, James.
The Big Diesel, Shaqtus, The Big Aristotle… seriously?? Whatever you call him everyone who has ever heard of basketball knows of the man formally known as Shaquille O’Neal. In the late-90s and throughout the 2000s Shaq was a force to be reckoned with and everyone knew that. There was no one stopping this man and that’s what he believed. A dominant force and hall-of-fame center Shaq was no stranger to eccentricity. Have you ever heard of Shaq Fu? Trust me this dude is a man of his own, and I absolutely love him. Today though we are not talking about his dance moves or his horrible rap songs. We are talking about his stats. I know, I know nothing like some good ol’ numbers to make everyone fall asleep to, but I think you’ll like this one.
Shaq on the show ‘Hot Ones’
Four-time NBA champion, 15-time NBA All-Star, 2000 League MVP, 3-time Finals MVP, 8th all-time in points scored, should I continue? To say that Shaq dominated everything in his path during his career is an understatement… well maybe not everything. It comes as no surprise to anyone that Shaq was not a shooter. Definitely not fit for today’s age of 7-foot guys heaving 40-foot bombs from half-court. Nah… Shaq’s intense presence was made on the low block as a 30 and 15 kind of guy every single night. His size and footwork made home the perfect center in the post-up era, and that’s why he has become so synonymous with glass shattering dunks. All in all over the big man’s illustrious career he attempted 22 threes. However, there was one faithful night where The Big Diesel actually made a 3-point shot. In fact, his only 3-point shot that he ever made. Yes! A man with over 28,500 points scored only ever made one of those. Not for lack of trying though.
Well if you think I was going to get all this way without telling you all about the actual shot you’re all crazy. This is exactly what I live for. Now to think this three-pointer came in the beginning stages of Shaq’s career. He was still with the Orlando Magic, but he was still as ungodly on the court than any other center. Everyone who watched him play knew that he was going to be around for a very long time. Being such a dominant big man it never really dawned on me that Shaq ever had to shoot the ball. Like why bother? He could post up anyone and dunk on their head, who cared if he could shoot? He made his career living this way and I think it turned out pretty well for him. So anyhow, it was a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 16th, 1996 when the Orlando Magic inbounded the ball and with two seconds left on the clock, one of the ugliest bank shots ever in the history of NBA was made by Shaq. To call it ugly is an understatement, and there is absolutely no way that this man should have ever made a three-point attempt in his long NBA career. I’m sure Shaq got the message because he did not attempt too many after that night. I know that I have ragged on his ability to shoot, but I want to make it clear to everyone that I am a huge Lakers fan and especially a Shaq fan. Shaq is great and will always be one of my favorite players on and off the court. I guess sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Good thing for Shaq that night he was both. Here is the link to this infamous shot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nomeaS6ypAc enjoy!
As always thank you for reading along to me babbling about some ridiculous NBA story. I hope you enjoyed and if so leave a comment on the worst shot you’ve ever seen someone take. See y’all next time, James.
Manute Bol stands at an ungodly 7’7″ and weighs 200 lbs. Wait that does not quite add up. Bol was a long skinny athlete who made his way to the NBA by the way of fishy passports and the help of some coaches he could barely talk to. So yes, there were some language barriers when Bol traveled from Sudan to Cleveland, where he played for Cleveland State University. Bol was sort of a legend back then. Almost like an exhibit to the fans, “How is this man so tall?” they would ask. Well, his height did precede him and even though that is a weird enough fact, it’s not why we are here today, for today I will be talking about Manute Bol, “The Lion Slayer”.
Manute Bol (7’7″) and Muggsy Bogues (5’3″)
As you can see from the image above Manute Bol towered over other players and not just the 5’3″ Muggsy Bogues we see him pictured with above. Bol was drafted in the second round by the Washington Bullets. Playing as a rookie he set the rookie record of most blocks in a season with 397 blocks which is just shy of five blocks per game. He was a long lanky center who could get his hands all over the ball defensively, and this proved to be his greatest asset. At the end of Bol’s ten-year career, he averaged more blocks than he did points, and the weird thing about all of it is that the man was known as a pretty decent shooter from the three-point line. I remember this one story of the oddest stat line from the 7’7″ center. On March 3, 1993, Manute Bol and the 76ers traveled to play MVP winner Charles Barkley in Phoenix. At this point, the 76ers were trash like dumpster fire, sell the team bad. Anyhow no matter how bad the team was every team still wants to grab a win on the road. Manute is still defensive-minded and hasn’t found his touch from outside, but this game it was though he had the long-range touch of the basketball gods. Bol ends up hitting six 3-pointers in the second half. To watch this flagpole of a man who was more notable for his blocking game hit six shots from past the arch in one half will always be amazing. All in all his career was decent but the fact that he came from Sudan in Africa paved the way for more African players to take shape in the NBA.
Sorry for making you all wait for the weird part of the story, but Manute Bol was a bit of an oddity himself. I wanted to share a little bit more history and backstory about him because I love his play style of defensive mindedness. However, I am much more ready to dive into this tale of a man killing a lion and all while at the age of 15. I’m going to start this by saying that this story is plagued by controversy, but I want to allow you to decide for yourself. So the legend is told one day while Bol was hunting as a young herdsman of his Sudanese tribe he came across a lion. This ferocious beast stares down a Bol like he is deciding if he should eat him now or to save him for later. No sooner than the lion decides Manute chunks his spear at the lion hitting him in the side. Down goes the lion and up comes the legend. I really can’t make heads or tails of this story, but I have also never been in Africa during the 70s as well so I could never be the one to tell you. Unfortunately, Bol passed away in 2010 so we might never get the truth. however, in his memory, I will always think of Manute Bol “Lion Slayer” whenever someone asks me. For now, it’s up for you to decide what to believe, but go into that journey with an open mind.
Once again thanks for making it to the end of this crazy story. Leave a comment on a wild hunting story that you have heard. Well anyhow, see y’all next time, James.
Let me tell you about a man and his love of music. I know this is a blog about NBA players and the fella I am about to talk about was one of those, but he was also a musician. Tony Lavelli, don’t worry if you’ve never heard the name because neither had I until I started this blog, and ended up scouring the internet for completely and utterly wacky stories, instead I found him.
Tony Lavelli
As the 1950s were shaping and the early years of the NBA were beginning to form, there were odd characters, to say the least. I’m not going to say that there were people on the level of Dennis Rodman or Darryl Dawkins but strange nevertheless. At this time the NBA was not the elite money- making organization that we see today. The league was just starting its roots and many players were not as worried about basketball as they were other things. Step in Tony Lavelli. Mr. Lavelli was a tremendous athlete when he was enrolled at Yale University. He was named to the All-American team three times with his final year being on the First Team. That same year he led the NCAA in scoring. His skill on the court gained him the honor of graduating Yale with the fourth-highest points scored in college (at that time). Even with his natural-born ability basketball was not his first love… that was music. Music was the reason he was at Yale, and basketball was a way to impress his friends. True story, during his teenage years Tony Lavelli often times found himself ridiculed by his peers. To impress them he took up basketball and boy he was impressive on the court. He developed an accurate hook shot that left defenses powerless to stop him. His love for music was still there and would not just disappear. Music became so important to him that he was not going to let basketball come between them. Lavelli almost forewent his opportunity to play in the NBA so he could continue a career in music. This guy is an idiot, right? Wrong. He was so clever that he worked out a contract with the Celtics. If he was to play for them he had to get a little something extra in return. Lavelli—with a little help from sports executive Leo Farris —proposed to join the team on the condition that they would pay him an extra $125 per game to play his accordion during half-time breaks at Boston’s home, Boston Garden, and certain visitors’ arenas. What a man is all I can add to that. During the early years of the NBA, the halftime shows that Lavelli played helped the Celtics and the league gain some prominence. Even some basketball historians credit these halftime shows as the key to holding the early age Celtics together. Fans absolutely loved and adored Lavelli’s halftime shows like they were the Superbowl performances of today. Wherever he went his accordion followed. Before games he would sit a play for fans that would greet him in front of the stadium or he would play in the locker room while everyone was getting dressed for the game ahead. It did not matter where this man would play. I credit that to the passion that music can bring all of us.
Lavelli only played two NBA seasons before embarking on a journey that followed his passion for music. The calling must have been too strong, but I can’t blame a guy for following his passion. He spent most of his life as a songwriter and he also performed at nightclubs in his spare time. Basketball did not just end there. During the 1950s Lavelli played for the College All-Stars. This team served as the opponents for the Harlem Globetrotters. And guess what? He still got to play his accordion at those halftime shows as well. So Mr. Lavelli you just gained a fan…me. I think it’s time to find some accordion music to listen to. Polka perhaps?
As always thank you for listening to me talk about a musician who just happened to be good enough to play professional basketball. Leave a comment of who your favorite musician is and maybe a playlist or two. See y’all next time, James
The Weird, Wacky, and Sometimes Wonderful NBA 