The Links: Iverson returns to Denver, Bynum disses Quizno’s, San Antonio Outbreak!
Today’s news and notes from around the NBA…
First of all, Happy New Years everyone. Nice long weekend, and I got to watch a lot of soccer and college football. Would have watched some NFL action, except that the Falcons suck.
Anyway…let’s just get right to it…
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“Steve Nash is the system. I don’t mean to shortchange anybody else or anything. But he’s the best basketball player on the face of the Earth. I don’t think it’s even close.” — Scott Skiles.
Mully called me on New Year’s Eve and asked me if I liked sambuca, and I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he went out there and signed this guy, Azubuike. I thought it was a drink, and he was talking about a player.” — Don Nelson, on the Warriors signing Kelenna Azubuike.
“Us changing would have been like somebody saying to all the businessmen, ‘OK, when you have a business meeting, we don’t want you to wear suits anymore. We want you to wear children’s pajamas.’ So imagine Donald Trump, Larry Ellison and Bill Gates wearing pajamas.” — Shaq, on the old new ball.
“I have dreams of that. I’m going to say for me, to make me sleep better, it’s a 50-50 chance with him and T.J. I’m just hoping and praying they’re quick healers. I should have brought some of that Georgia red clay back with me to rub (on their injuries).” — Sam Mitchell, on the Raptors getting healthy.
“The little dummy. Dorell’s a great kid. I had to do something to discipline him, so I didn’t start him.” — Pat Riley, on Dorrell Wright missing a team flight to Orlando.
THE LINKS…
• Terrible news about Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, who was killed in a drive-by shooting over the weekend. Oddly, the incident occured in the same neighborhood where Julius Hodge lives. (Hodge, you’ll recall, was shot in a drive-by shooting a year ago.) Hodge reflects on the fragility of life here.
• You may have seen my post from last week about my trip to Quizno’s with Lakers center Andrew Bynum. Well, in a neat bit of timing, guess who hired a nutritionist? And I didn’t even mention how I found a receipt from McDonald’s on the floor in the front seat.
• Now that Allen Iverson is a fixture in Denver, people in Philly are starting to look back at the Iverson era fondly. Phil Jasner writes a first-person piece here about his experiences covering Iverson over the last decade.
• Hey Miami! Sounds like your man The Diesel is coming back in two weeks. Now if Dorrell Wright could just make a plane on time.
• Bulls big man Martynas Andriuskevicius, who got jacked up during an NBDL practice, says he won’t sue Awvee Storey because God is going to care of it for him. Well, that and he doesn’t want to get jacked up again. Seriously, Andriuskevicius is still having trouble talking and hearing, so basketball seems like it’s pretty far off for him right now.
• The leather balls are back, which is a nice way to ring in the new year. Reaction seems mostly positive, although a few guys are grumpy about having to switch. There’s an interesting note here about how from now on, referees are going to measure the inflation of the game balls before the games, which seems completely useless. And leave it to Grant Hill to bring us a parable on Coca-Cola in relation to the NBA basketballs…
“My Dad bought a bunch of new Coke and said it was going to be worth something some day. He also kept cases of the old Coke — the original Coke — before it came back to the original. He thinks the old Coke is different than the original Classic. So at my parent’s house, we have the old Coke, the new Coke and the original Classic, which is out now. So maybe the NBA will take a page out of the Calvin Hill theory that the old [leather] ball, which is the new ball, actually is a different ball. How ’bout that?”
• Scott Skiles loves Steve Nash, and he accidentally gives him a nickname that should stick: The System.
• If the Spurs win the title this season, their team video should be called Outbreak. Although now it sounds like everyone’s finally getting healthy again. Crazy how sick everyone got.
• And Matt Harpring could star in their video, after spending the holidays puking and visiting the hospital.
• The Cavs are struggling.
• Read the quotes here from Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers on Gerald Green. Same page, fellas?
• Chauncey is still ailing.
• Mike Woodson is blaming injuries again…sounds like Jim Mora.
37 Responses to “The Links: Iverson returns to Denver, Bynum disses Quizno’s, San Antonio Outbreak!”
Jan.2 at 3:02 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Iverson should write a first-person piece about his 10 years being covered by Phil Jasner. Also, Don Nelson is the best.
Jan.2 at 3:09 pm
Max Airington says:
Trade “the system” to the Hawks and watch what happens…
Jan.2 at 3:44 pm
TheHype says:
Makes sense.. The System, the Matrix, who’s the Oracle? D’Antoni? Or Liz Hurley?
Jan.2 at 3:58 pm
Darksaber says:
Aah, Scotty Skiles. First he wants to fight Shaq, then now he states Nash to be the best baller, bar none, on the face of the planet. Hmm, how does one spell hyperbole, i forgot?
Jan.2 at 4:00 pm
Darksaber says:
And calling Nashty “the system” is fantastic. Make it so.
Jan.2 at 4:45 pm
tsmith7791 says:
RIP Darrent Williams.I had forgotten about Julius Hodge for a minute.
Jan.2 at 4:52 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
The System it is, then.
Jan.2 at 4:58 pm
Marcel Mutoni says:
i heard the lig is asking all teams to keep the synthetic balls just in case they make a return in the future…hmm
Jan.2 at 4:59 pm
ajpenny says:
What da’hell did Doc River’s say!?!?!
Those were some of the most confusing statements I’ve ever read quoted by an NBA Coach.
Jan.2 at 5:02 pm
SK says:
Doc recently said “We ain’t gonna beat ‘em with our brains,” and continues to bear that out with his coaching.
Jan.2 at 5:03 pm
abed says:
The Hawks have had Joe johnson, MArvin Williams, T lue, Speedy claxton, Josh Childress and Josh Smith all out with injuries at one time or another…The hawks arent that talented to begin with so with injuries like that what else should Woodson blame the record on? What do u want him to do? Rely on Matt Freije and Royale Ivey to carry the team? I dont think so..
Jan.2 at 5:53 pm
nic says:
don nelson = my hero
Jan.2 at 6:22 pm
Shiz says:
Ummm…yeah it sounds cool in a semi-ominous, quasi-mysterious manner, but using The System in the same context as those other Matrix analogies just doesnt work, cuz well the whole point was in bucking the system, not adhering to it… Maybe Im just biased against anything Scott Skiles has to offer, but nah, that shit is kinda corny… It just seems too ambiguious. What system are we talking about? OS? Welfare System? The NBA system of petty rule modification without a hint of Employee/Employer interaction? The Fast Break/Soccer/Driveway System of Basketball? Its the concept, that I don’t understand! Ahh forget it…From now on, Im calling Kobe “The Paradigm”…for no other reason than because I feel like it…and cuz it sounds cool…
Jan.2 at 6:26 pm
Shiz says:
And is it just me or does the recently Alcohol laden comments being issued by Don Nelson worry anybody else? I mean Mully is a recovering Alky, right? (every day is another day in recovery) So whats up with all the alcohol promotion? It just seems a bit outta sorts when you’re boss is on the wagon and you celebrate being Dudley Moore in a coaches chair…
Jan.2 at 6:29 pm
Shiz says:
Maybe Im just still really bitter about the Falcons… Its like they’re the T’Wolves of the NFL…One franchise guy, a couple decent fits and some other guys just modeling uni’s…
Jan.2 at 7:25 pm
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
I, for one, am all for calling Nashy “The System”. In fact, I think it flat out beats almost all the other players’ nicknames. Fantastic. (I also pretty much agree with Skiles’ assessment.) Moreover, if Shaq can be “The Big Aristotle”, Kobe can certainly be called “The Paradigm”. Either that, or “The Beef”. “Mamba” is simply preposterous.
Jan.2 at 8:07 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Abed, one thing I’d love to see Mike Woodson have the Hawks do is run Joe Johnson off a screen away from the ball for a catch-and-shoot. Simple. Can’t remember seeing it, though.
Jan.2 at 8:14 pm
scott says:
Shiz: Vince Young just like Michael Vick only better. Don’t think Vick is ever going to be as good as the hype. Young is just learning his way and by the way as Al Davis would say Young just wins baby!
Jan.2 at 8:16 pm
NIKE says:
Nash is The System ? Therefore , he is the total thing ! That means Isiah just needs to ask his boy , Collins , to break Stevie’s legs and the whole Suns’ system will breakdown . Hmm.
Jan.2 at 8:41 pm
abed says:
yea thats true…I live in ATL..so i see all their games…They keep isolating Joe at the top of the 3 point line and just let him exert all his energy going one-on-one all the time…Poor Joe..It looks like hes already wearing down..
Jan.2 at 8:59 pm
coach says:
If Steve Nash is The System , then his back up , Barboza , is The Back Up System and their sub , Marcus Banks , is a Subsystem !
Jan.2 at 9:39 pm
matt the jazz fan says:
hey lang (or anyone) on a completely unrelated note, you think there’s any chance of mo pete coming to utah? we need a starting two guard bad and for some inexplicable reason toronto’s steady-handed wing (i ever read he was an ecceptable defender, though haven’t seen him enough to judge) appears on the block, as per the web at least. any thoughts - or scoops/rumour updates from linkstigators - are welcome thanks for the links, as ever… and happy new year to all of you at slamdome matt
Jan.2 at 10:29 pm
Drolfe says:
There’s something strange going on here. Last year Nash didnt deserve the MVP because all his success was due to D’Antoni’s system. This year he’s the best player on the planet and we’re calling him the system. Weird.
Jan.2 at 11:38 pm
Maha10k says:
Nash is a great player period. A system doesn’t make a player an MVP if he doesn’t have skills and the team doesn’t win. Did the Triangle make Jordan the MVP? Skiles probably said all that to fire up his guards to play hard against Nash.
Jan.2 at 11:57 pm
Ekam says:
kkobes betetr
Jan.2 at 11:59 pm
Ekam says:
KOBES BETTER*
Jan.3 at 1:34 am
Drolfe says:
Yeah I agree Maha, I was just pointing out how the word ’system’ features on both sides now.
Jan.3 at 2:03 am
See Bee Fore says:
Foreshadowing Mike Woodson getting Mora’d? And Don Nelson should be a role model to all coaches in the L. Just imagine.
Jan.3 at 2:59 am
Maha10k says:
Indeed on the second read. Just putting my stamp out there. Psst, Atlanta, bring back Fratello. PHX needs you to be better but still bad this year Kobe wasn’t better in Game 7 last year no matter how you spell it.
Jan.3 at 3:59 am
Drolfe says:
I’m of the opinion that even if Nash continues these numbers all year he wont win the MVP. If he keeps it up this would be the first year he deserves it IMO, and it’ll be end up being year someone like Kobe wins it. Always seems to happen with these MVP votes. The average fan’s opinion is way off.
For the record, I believe the average fan is right and the MVP voters are wrong.
Jan.3 at 6:36 pm
David says:
Back when Nash was with Dallas I thought he was good but didn’t really like his game that much. Did ANYONE really see his game being hall of fame worthy until now? Am i the only one that is amazed at how much the guy seems to have flourished to the point that he can be mentioned in the same sentence as other 3 time MVP winners? How old was he when he got a starting role?
Jan.4 at 2:59 am
MiKeN says:
Personally, I have always thought that “the average fan is right and the MVP voters are wrong”. In all sports. I mean, look at Derek Jeter this past year. He just got hosed.
Jan.4 at 3:04 am
MiKeN says:
The System… I like it… simple, easy to remember. No other nickname out there like it.
Jan.4 at 10:26 am
kdubb says:
I like how you pointed out that Skiles created the nickname accidentally. But isn’t that how all nicknames SHOULD be created? I hate names that are forced and have no meaning. (See: Mamba, Bryant, K. and half of the And1 Tour).
They’re just ridiculous. “The System” is perfect and came up organically, if you will. But the real question is should it be Steve “The System” Nash or Steve “Nash the System”? I think the second one sounds better.
Jan.5 at 4:54 pm
freeheadband says:
“And is it just me or does the recently Alcohol laden comments being issued by Don Nelson worry anybody else?”-Shiz
If you’re worried about coaches being drunk, just search for ‘Michel Daerden’ on YouTube and have a taste of Belgian politics.
The System? Very nice.
Jan.6 at 3:58 pm
OLLIEWOOD says:
If Nash on the Hawlks they would be a contenderfor the east championship
Jan.6 at 4:00 pm
OLLIEWOOD says:
where is this Vince Carter dunk tape?