The Links: Gilbert’s Party, Riley’s Break, David Aldridge…Again?
Today’s news and notes from around the NBA…
• Right to it: Pat Riley is out. He’s apparently taking a leave of absence from the Heat, though no reasons are giving. Hey, the rest of the Heat players have been taking a break all season, why shouldn’t Riley? I’m sure more on this will be dropping soon.
• Looks like the Philly Inquirer has released David Aldridge, who broke the Allen Iverson trade story for them. Nice. How does the best NBA writer at ESPN and then a paper get let go.
• Not that any of us are invited, but here’s the website for Gilbert Arenas’ birthday party. It’s an incredibly slow-loading site, as if it’s being hosted on Gil’s home computer or something. It’s going down this weekend in D.C. and featuring Puffy, Busta, L’il Wayne, T.I. and The Game. And it’s being sponsored by Vitamin Water. There’s a lot about how this is a private event, but there’s also a lot about where, when and who will be there. Basically, this seems like a recipe for trouble. Hopefully SLAMonline.com columnist Etan Thomas can score an invite and report on it for us.
In related news, the Wiz play the Bucks tonight, and the Wiz aren’t happy with the way the Bucks acted after beating them last week. Maybe the Wiz shouldn’t have lost, then.
• Two weeks ago I was in the Cavs locker room in New Jersey when someone with an impossibly deep voice said from behind me, “Hey, do you work for the Nets?”
I turned and found myself facing Zydrunis Ilgauskas, a.k.a. Zzz. No, I said, I don’t work for the Nets. Why?
“I just had a question,” he said.
Well, maybe I can help you out.
“OK,” Zzz said, “what’s the deal with Jeff McInnis?”
I told Zzz that as far as I knew, the Nets weren’t happy with his attitude so they’d sent him home and told him not to come around, and they weren’t trying to trade him because they were trying to stick it to him.
That changed today, as the Nets traded Jeff McInnis to Charlotte. The BETcats needed help at the point (they’d been using Derek Anderson) and the Nets get under the salary cap and avoid paying luxury tax, but this does nothing to address the Nets getting another big to help with Nenad Krstic gone.
• They brought the leather balls to Orlando last night, but they had too much air in them and had to let out some pressure before the game. Kind of like Rasheed Wallace.
• Peter Vecsey empties out his rolodex for a column. Weird.
• LeBron acknowledges that Bruce Bowen plays a little dirty, but says he doesn’t mind.
• T-Mac’s back may be healed, but now Bonzi’s having back troubles.
• Jerry Sloan wants Andrei Kirilenko to stop flopping.
• Ben Wallace is barking about playing the Pistons this weekend.
• The Michael Redd All-Star campaign is picking up steam.
• Marvin Williams appears to have made a New Year’s resolution to take charge in Atlanta. Finally.
24 Responses to “The Links: Gilbert’s Party, Riley’s Break, David Aldridge…Again?”
Jan.3 at 3:25 pm
Connor says:
yay im 1st! Micheal Redd will NEVER be an allstar!
Jan.3 at 3:29 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
They’re saying Riley’s loeave of absence is health related. Bring back the Hedgehog.
Jan.3 at 3:33 pm
Steve says:
Will Riley be criticized for not having the surgeries in the offseason like players are criticized when a summer’s worth of rest and rehab don’t work and they have to get surgery? Aldridge’s problem is that he is too good. I hope The Washington Post picks him up, but newspapers are cutting staff, not adding. Maybe he should write a book about the NBA.
Jan.3 at 3:42 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
That Vecsey column confused the hell out of me. I think he could literally turn in his grocery list and the Post would run it.
Jan.3 at 3:53 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Aldridge should totally go work for SI.com or Yahoo.com or one of those…or maybe SLAMonline.com! If he’ll work for sneakers, we’ll take him!
Jan.3 at 4:25 pm
Gilbertology says:
I know someone that is going to Gilbert’s party. Hopefully she will be able to remember enough to let me know what went on.
Jan.3 at 5:09 pm
Kirsty says:
What…nothing on Pop’s fantastic quote? I thought you guys loved pure high-density sarcasm!
Jan.3 at 5:11 pm
Chris says:
Connor, are you forgeting the 03/04 season? Michael Redd is already an All-Star
Jan.3 at 5:41 pm
Max Airington says:
Chris Paul is on ESPN sitting in front of the Worlds Largest SLAM Magazine….
Jan.3 at 5:58 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Details, Max…
Jan.3 at 5:59 pm
Myung says:
I probably sound a little cynical…but it’s a little weird to me how Riley bailed on the Heat a few years ago after their poor start (maybe they were 0-7 or something?). Van Gundy came in and with Odom and Wade, turned the team around, and did well in the Playoffs. Then Miami trades for Shaq, SVG is gone, Riles comes in and wins the title. Now that Shaq is out, Wade is banged up, and the Heat are playing badly…he chooses to have the surgery NOW? Couldn’t he have done it in the summer? I don’t know. Just seems mad shady to me. But hey, that’s just me.
Jan.3 at 6:06 pm
Shiz says:
Trust me, Myung, its not just you…Riles is tryin to pull some tricky shit… Can we seriously find out what happened to SVG?
its like even the milk box is missing…
Jan.3 at 6:31 pm
Troy Dallas says:
Toronto Raptors: Champs by 2011? Count on it.
Jan.3 at 8:26 pm
Max Airington says:
CP3 was on Rome is Burning. Looks like it was his recent cover magnified like 20x, hanging over the fireplace….
Jan.3 at 11:26 pm
Noah Doucette says:
jesus the east is so wide open right now, its plausible to have the wiz, magic, cavs, pistons, heat and maybe but probably not nets in the finals. Raps in 11′
Jan.3 at 11:58 pm
ATrain says:
Connor: Redd already was an all-star. He should have been one last year, and this year there is no doubt. Go Bucks!
Jan.4 at 1:35 am
Poona says:
On a somewhat related Gilbert note, after hitting that crazy 32 foot 3 to win it against the Bucks: Arenas sometimes yells “Hibachi” or “Guaranteed — yeah” when he knows a shot is going in. This time, he let the moment speak for itself. “I didn’t say anything,” he said. “My swag was phenomenal.” Enough said…
Jan.4 at 7:42 am
Logan says:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2007/01/gilbert_thoughts_part_iii.html Gilbert is the man
Jan.4 at 7:57 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
And speaking of Mr Arenas, here’s some quotes from last night’s Wiz-Bucks recap, which game Agent Zero won with a last-second, 32-foot three: “”Once I let it go, I’m like, ‘That’s in,” Arenas said. “I don’t even need to look at this one.” He didn’t. He turned with a snarl and a strut, strolling away with his back to the basket as if it were another shot on the playground. The ball swished through the net, giving Arenas another signature moment.” “I don’t know why this is a surprise to you guys now,” he said. Arenas sometimes yells “Hibachi” or “Guaranteed — yeah” when he knows a shot is going in. This time, he let the moment speak for itself. “I didn’t say anything,” he said. “My swag was phenomenal.” The man is a f***ing genious.
Jan.4 at 10:34 am
Aaron says:
Sorry to say it Lang but DA is pretty mediocre. If you ever saw his very average coverage on ESPN, you should agree. I used to be a big fan but that faded over time.
Jan.4 at 2:01 pm
Noyd says:
Lang, you know what’s ironic. DA just wrote a piece the day before on the Sixers essentially “firing” Iverson and related his experience and emotions(possibly from his experience at ESPN) to the article. Pretty weird, but I always enjoyed DA’s articles for the paper. Him and Jasner, Juliano too, are very good beat writers. He’ll be ok though, can’t imagine someone with talent being out of a job for long…
Jan.4 at 3:24 pm
DBLIZZY! says:
I’m sure the DA will bounce back. I think that fact that he’s not “exciting” or a sideshow like say Stephen A. or Vescey, they hate on him. But I guess that’s the world we’re in, the facts are just not good enough. And Arenas is the man. I just moved to Bmore from New York so I get all the Wizards games. To see him take that shot, and not even watch it go in was one of the illest NBA moments I ever saw.
Jan.4 at 7:45 pm
Simmy Sosa says:
Wasn’t Michael Redd an all star last year? Anyway, Joe Johnson for ASG 2007!!!
Jan.5 at 9:16 pm
Harlem World says:
Troy, as long as there is a Western Conference, Toronto will NEVER win a title. Count on it.