Iverson, Wedgie Evans and a shirtless coach…
The latest news and notes from around the NBA…
Monday, and there’s not a lot going on in the NBA today.
The big news around here is that the Mets swept the Braves this weekend, which has all the Mets fans around here walking around like they just won the World Series. It’s sort of cute, actually. Hey, if my team had been owned by the same franchise for 15 consecutive years, I’d probably take three consecutive wins as a sign from God, too.
Sam’s so excited he actually declared the NL East race over. I reminded him that there’s still two months and 60 games remaining, and that there are teams other than Atlanta they could keep an eye on, but he didn’t want to hear it. Another friend of mine emailed me to say Carlos Beltran is to the Braves as Chipper Jones used to be to the Mets, which is so short-sighted that it’s comical.
But whatever. Let’s talk again in October.
For now, let’s hit The Links…
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“As kids, we all watched the ‘92 Olympics with Michael Jordan and wanted to be a part of it. Now I’ve got my chance. One of my biggest dreams growing up was to be an Olympian. I had a poster with Michael Jordan, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Ewing…they’re leaning over the fence and you can just see their names on their uniforms. I had a Penny Hardaway no. 6 Olympic jersey, a Grant Hill jersey…now it’s my turn. Someone’s going to be wearing my jersey.” — Gilbert Arenas.
THE LINKS
• Right after the Sixers announced that Allen Iverson is off the trade block, word broke this weekend that the entire franchise might be for sale. The Sixers have denied the report, although if they team were for sale, it would make sense that they’d want to sell with Iverson attached to help inflate the price tag.
• After spreading cheer and goodwill last week, Canzano is back and suggesting the Blazers trade for Allen Iverson, which seems like just asking for trouble.
• If you don’t believe Gregg Popovich used to work in military intelligence, read this story about the Spurs assigning the code name “John Mason” to a foreign prospect, unaware they chose the name of the P-P-P-P-P-P-P-Pistons PA announcer. Great story.
• Jared Jeffries proves himself a masochist, saying he hopes the Wizards don’t bring him back next season so he can be a Knick. The Wizards may turn to DeShawn Stevenson.
• The Cavs are still at a stalemate with Drew Gooden, so they’re now looking at Wedgie Evans and Lorenzen Wright. Sounds like the Sonics will sign Chris Wilcox this week, and the Clippers are taking a ride on the A-Train.
• Any piece that begins with Eric Musselman shirtless by the pool in Vegas worries me. If you can make it past that lede, it’s a pretty interesting story with good Arenas stuff (is there any other kind?) in there.
• Interesting stuff about the lucrative deal a couple of former ABA owners made with the NBA, except I’m pretty sure I linked to the exact same story a year ago.
• Bad news in Charlotte: Bickerstaff was arrested and charged with a DUI. Only upside for BETcats fans is that it wasn’t Bernie that was popped but his son John-Blair, which still isn’t good news for anyone.
• Long Q&A with Mike Fratello in which he divulges nothing, not even letting us know if he’ll go back to the perm he had while coaching the Hawks.
16 Responses to “Iverson, Wedgie Evans and a shirtless coach…”
Jul.31 at 2:26 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
I declared the NL East race over like a month ago. You were the one that said on Friday that the Braves would sweep. This was just putting an end to the Braves season. I hear Andruw might be traded to the Red Sox.
Jul.31 at 2:56 pm
PIMPN says:
take all this baseball shit somewhere else. basketball magazine right???? gilbert is gonna have another great, and crazy, year
Jul.31 at 3:16 pm
Marvin says:
Starbury is the best. Finally an NBA star who remembers wher he came from. Check out his new sneaker SLAM #101 and www.starbury3.com Iverson is the man 10 years still strong.
Jul.31 at 3:34 pm
Alex says:
Hilarious.
A Braves fan says “talk to me in October”.
What a wonderful month that is for you guys. And Sam, buddy, watch out for the Marlins. If we make the playoffs have fun against our pitchers in the NLCS. If this team can figure out a way to win the Wild Card, they can beat anyone in the NL in a series.
Jul.31 at 3:35 pm
Myung says:
i figure people just sort of write whatever they want to in this “comment” space. like the marbury thing above is unrelated to anything written here…but it’s been posted anyway (which i have no problem with and actually agree with…i saw those prices and they’re ridiculously cheap). since we’re all just sort of “free style” writing, let me vent a little about the and1 tour. i got the first mix tape back in 1999 (with a pair of and1 shorts at footaction). skip was amazing, and though the video was of poor quality, for most people, it was the advent of “streetball” as we know it. that was 1999. now it’s 2006. i respect guys who want to play like that on the blacktops and in pick up games. pick up games have different rules than organized ball. i can deal with that. also, i’ll never compare the and1 tour to the nba or college hoops. it’s a different animal, i know. but my friend was able to get his hands on a few free tickets to the and1 game in atlanta last night so i reluctantly went. and that stuff was garbage. it really was. it was pretty much unwatchable. i think the and1 tour is more played out than baller bands and bobble heads. streetball itself may never die, but the and1 tour is seriously garbage. i know it’s just a bunch of cats just trying to make some money, playing the game they love… and i can’t hate on them for that. but what i saw last night wasn’t even close to the game of basketball that i fell in love with in the mid 80’s (thanks, mike). the event was held in the gwinnett arena. if you’re a big time basketball event in georgia, you get to use the georgia dome or philips arena. the gwinnett arena is place where the city’s minor league hockey team plays. to say the crowd was sparse is an understatement. trust me, folks, i’m a hawks fan. i KNOW small crowds. if they can’t even fill up half of the gwinnett arena, there’s a problem. i’m only 28 years old and don’t consider myself to be an old timer, but i definitely was turned off big time by what i saw last night. maybe i was expecting too much? hmm. maybe that’s it. but the and1 guys aren’t like the old harlem globetrotters. they actually TRY to win (last night, they beat the atlanta team by about 4 or 5 points). ok…i know this was mad long. but i just had to get that out of my system, and i can’t think of a better forum to post it up than at slamonline. and yes, i know there was a whole post on streetball last week. i just wanted to post this comment up on a current entry. i promise my next comment will be shorter. keep up the good work, lang.
Jul.31 at 3:39 pm
Dominique says:
Interesting Note: Hakeem The Dream’s daughter will be enrolled at Oaklahoma U to play ball this upcoming season. And she’s good too. Something to look out for. Yo Lang I’ve got some scoops for you too. I’ll E-Mail them later got to run to a Detroit Shock charity funcation.
Jul.31 at 4:05 pm
Jin says:
I don’t know if it’s related,(or obvious but just not written in the article) but John Mason is the name of the character Sean Connery played in The Rock, who was a pretty bad ass secret agent.
Jul.31 at 4:22 pm
rgeezy says:
anyone got the video for the wnba fite they were talkin about in the Aaron Williams signing with the Clippers story?
Jul.31 at 5:21 pm
Derms says:
The NL is AAAA in baseball today so it don’t matter. I am an Atlien and I will say the Gwinnett arena is too damn far to drive. The only time I go there is reluctantly to watch the HS bball championships. Since someone mentioned girls bball and I am talking about ATL Maya Moore is the truth. She won the Naismith as a junior and is the best girl I’ve ever seen.
Jul.31 at 8:59 pm
Waxtron says:
It’s cool Starbury is for the poor kids, but is Converse going to sue? That logo is too close to a 5 pointed star, which is a registered trademark or Converse. They’ve thrown down the Cease & Desist before. & They could argue that a discount shoe apporiating their logo cheapens their brand. There was a shoe by a company called Poot that had 5 pointed stars on the sole & they got the letter. Also, when DC shoes started their second logo had a 5 pointed star. They use the same logo but it’s now a 7 pointed star.
Jul.31 at 10:24 pm
Matt Wens says:
starbury with his swagger back… only way is up from last season lets go steph!
Aug.1 at 12:09 am
Vyse says:
Carlos Beltran is the best player for the best team in the National League. Chipper Jones was the … second best player for the best team in the National League. Sometimes the first. Usually the second. So yeah, there’s nothing wrong with saying that. lol @ Braves trading for two mediocre relievers, as if they’re not out of the playoffs lol @ Jeff Francoeur, who can’t even get 10 unintentional walks.
Aug.1 at 1:20 am
Lang Whitaker says:
I’m really not much of a Chipper fan, but how many MVPs has Beltran won? Oh.
Aug.1 at 4:30 am
Kyle says:
Let me first speak on the Braves/Mets arguement: I love the Mets because Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are two of the main reasons I’m killing everyone in fantasy baseball. That said, anyone saying that the Braves are “out of it” in a division no other team has won since the 80s, is idiotic. No matter how bad the Braves are, they’ll make it interesting in the final weeks of September. The Mets pitching staff needed one or two more peices at the deadline today and didn’t get them. I’m not sure trading Lastings Milledge would be the answer, but I’m not 100% sold he’s going to be a superstar. If you can get Barry Zito for him, I’d consider it. I don’t believe the Braves will beat overtake the Mets in the NL East, but by no means is it over. And yes, if the Marlins somehow figure out how to play together and make the playoffs, they’ll probably win the whole damn thing. I mean, they’ve never lost a series in the postseason, so I guess that’s gotta say somethin’. Plus Miguel Cabrera is a gangster. Ok, now that the baseball is outta the way, what the hell is up with my Sonics? Please sign Wilcox already, stop black balling him. And I love how everyone immidiately thought the Sonics are gone. Maybe I’m being naive, but I don’t see them leaving. If it happens, I’ll have to root for the freakin’ Blazers. Eh, I’d rather become a Hawks fan. P.S. Lang, Beltran is the best player in fantasy baseball, so he’s going to win MVP this year — eh, MVP of Fantasy Baseball. That counts, right?
Aug.1 at 12:56 pm
Dominique Wilford says:
Yeah Maya Moore is a very good player. She’s going to have a good college and pro career hopefully she works out the kinks on that crossover and she’s all good.
Aug.1 at 3:09 pm
Vyse says:
Yeah, except Beltran’s been so incredible this year he should get his MVP now. He’s by far the best defensive center fielder in the majors, and he’s hitting as well as almost anyone.