Ch…ch…changes
Joe Johnson’s an All-Star and other assorted notes.
There’s not much happening in the NBA today, aside from my man Joe Johnson being named to the All-Star team. So I thought it would be a good day to catch up on a few things…
• Been meaning to mention this for a while but there really hasn’t been an appropriate time:
We just sold SLAMonline.com to ESPN.com. That’s right, from now on Sam and I will be posting regularly at ESPN.com.
Oh wait, that’s True Hoop.
My bad.
Actually, what I’ve been meaning to mention is that we’ve made some changes around these parts. When Ben Osborne took over as editor in chief, we also reconfigured some other stuff. I was hired by SLAM in the summer of 2000, and for the last seven years I’ve been the online editor. We’ve gone from having zero content on the site to a few articles from the mag each month to what you see before you today, with about ten original stories posted every day.
But the grind has been getting to me for a while now. For the last seven years, I’ve written about the NBA right here almost every day. And it got old, to be honest.
So when Ben came in and asked me to shift what I was doing and help him out, I was ready for a new challenge.
So, I’m now the executive editor of SLAM magazine. Your man Sam Rubenstein? He’s the new online editor.
Wait, what does this mean? Well, as executive editor, I read everything that runs in the mag before it goes to our art department to be laid out. I edit the stories, try to come up with funny headlines, select pullquotes, make the stories tighter, help come up with coverlines, come up with story ideas, help set up interviews and photo shoots, etcetera, etcetera. Basically, I’m trying to help make the magazine fun.
But I’m still writing here. I’m still Linkstigating. The Links aren’t going nowhere. And I’m still consulting on SLAMonline. It’s just that now when someone wants to run an ad campaign or write something for SLAMonline or whatever, Sam’s in charge.
Just so ya know.
• I watched the entire second half of that Knicks/Lakers game last night. Kobe wasn’t a force in the fourth and the Knicks managed to hang on to win it, following a Jamal Crawford/Eddy Curry alley-oop that was reminiscent of Kobe-to-Shaq vs. Portland. Not really a surprise, really, considering how up-and-down the Lakers have been all season.
Best part of the night was the MSG broadcast, which went buckwild down the stretch in the fourth. The feed cut out a few times as the teams went back and forth, and there was one portion of the telecast where only one camera was working — from the corner of the arena.
Highlight of the game for me was when they were panning through the stands looking for celebrities, and the camera focused in on Hawks guard Joe Johnson, sitting up in the stands. The Hawks were in L.A. with a night off. Some teams and players would probably hit the clubs. Joe Johnson went to watch a basketball game. That’s why he’s an All-Star.
• Meanwhile, in Portland, the Blazers are furious that Zach Randolph didn’t make the Western Conference team. Sure, his numbers are great. But look at this quote from Jarrett Jack…
“See. That’s ridiculous. Come on. This guy is a 25-and-10 guy, or whatever Zach is. Okay, I can see you take the record in consideration, but then you can’t put Ray Allen on there. And Ray has been hurt. He missed some games. I just feel bad for Zach. He has played hard all season, played against double and triple teams - Okur doesn’t face that, but Zach does night in and night out, and he’s still producing. He’s scoring, he’s rebounding, and he hasn’t been a distraction to this team this year.”
Thing is, Okur does face double teams, he just doesn’t shoot over them.
Also, I bolded that last part for a reason. You know, a reason.
• ESPN has an excerpt from John Amaechi’s book posted here. To summarize:
It begins with Amaechi talking about how the Jazz system didn’t work for him but the Jazz wouldn’t change it because they had Karl Malone. (Duh.)
Amaechi talks about Jerry Sloan getting mad at him because he got called for a three-second violation. Amaechi took this personally.
He describes NBA locker rooms as “flamboyant.”
He hung out at a place called “Cahoots” in Utah. (Sidebar: If you’re hanging out at Cahoots and someone calls your cell phone, do you say, “I can’t talk right now, I’m in Cahoots”?)
Amaechi sat around his apartment and listened to The Carpenters.
There’s a lot of talk of someone named “Ryan.” Hmm.
Amaechi cried when Andrei Kirilenko invited him and “a partner” to his Christmas party. He couldn’t attend, but he sent over a bottle of “Jean Paul Gaultier-dressed” champagne. Whatever that is.
• The NBA trade deadline is sneaking up on us. It goes down a week from tomorrow, and I really haven’t heard that much chatter this year. There’s a great piece today about Corey Maggette. The coaches supposedly want him gone, the players supposedly want him gone, he supposedly wants to leave…but they won’t trade him, because he’s Clips owner Don Sterling’s favorite player.
How great is that? There’s a reason the Clippers are the Clippers, after all. They had a great season last year, then everyone got paid this summer and decided to coast this year, and now the coaches are starting Maggette just so the owner will see how he’s supposedly not playing hard.
Some things never change, I guess.
64 Responses to “Ch…ch…changes”
Feb.14 at 5:12 pm
white hot eboy says:
Congrats, Lang. Well deserved move for you! Keep the mag tight and all will be good! (Now we can tell why the Links were lacking for a hot minute)And big ups to your boy, Joe J!
Feb.14 at 5:15 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Thanks, Jason Williams. Yeah, “The Links” will probably come and go, but I’ll be writing stuff here every day.
Feb.14 at 5:20 pm
Dizzle says:
Congrats Lang. I’ve been following the Links for years now and basically, my day doesn’t start until I read them. I still do that now, and yes, that means I don’t officially start work until the afternoon. But it’s well worth the wait. It’s even tougher for me when there is a holiday in the States, and we don’t have it in Canada (yes, i’m Canadian, eh?) Again, congrats. Is there a place or person I can talk to check for jobs at SLAM. Don’t worry, I have credentials.
Feb.14 at 5:27 pm
Alex Y. says:
Hey Lang, Haven’t heard your thoughts on new Winning Eleven and MVP 07… Did you get a chance to play either game? PS. Congrats on the promotion. I’ve been reading links from day 1… Keep up a great work!
Feb.14 at 5:27 pm
Joel O's says:
Congrats Lang! And congrats to Sam too! Keep up what you guys’re doing; I’ve been reading the Links forever and when I was in the military and stuck in camp 5 days a week, I couldn’t wait to get outta camp and read a whole weeeek’s worth of it haha.
Feb.14 at 5:33 pm
white hot eboy says:
Dizzle, Boy, does your post sound familiar to me! I usually start getting heated around 3:45p if the Links haven’t been posted yet and by around 4:15p I start silently cursing Lang! But since today is goint to be a Lang Lovefest, I’ll give the executive editor a pass. P.S. Lang if you are reviewing the mag fully now, can you see what can be done to get D-Wade a Slam of the Month. He’s got dozens to choose from (including a rough flush on Martell Webster last night)
Feb.14 at 5:33 pm
Andrew says:
Next time, do some campaigning for Ben Gordon or Luol Deng. Holla.
Feb.14 at 5:33 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
You can holler at me if you want to write for us…I’ll put you in touch with whoever you need to get in touch with.
And Alex, I reviewed both those games for SI.com. The Winning 11 review is linked to on their front page.
Feb.14 at 5:46 pm
Max Airington says:
You’ve certainly earned a break homie, good luck with your new ’sponsibilities.
Feb.14 at 6:00 pm
SteveSmith8fan says:
Congrats Lang on the new job I know Sam will hold down the Links!!!
Feb.14 at 6:16 pm
ryan dillon says:
Congrats Lang - you’re the best
Feb.14 at 6:17 pm
Tommy Patron says:
WORD! Pretty soon the early-thirties club will be in charge of everything. Congratulations.
Feb.14 at 6:23 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I didn’t think ANYBODY listened to The Carpenters.
Feb.14 at 6:24 pm
albie1kenobi says:
big ups! lovefest for Lang indeed. i mean your boy JJ made the ASG team right? it’s definitely your day (or you purposely delay the announcing, waiting for “the right moment”, right?). haha. congrats to you and Sam.
Feb.14 at 6:51 pm
Andres David says:
Lang man, thats some beautiful timing how Joe gets his nod and we get news of you moving on up. This is kinda like when Pat Riley went on hiatus the same week Nick Saban left. You’re trying to be sneaky. I see you trying to be sneaky Mr. Executive Director. You should count how many times the word mustache was used in last issue’s Morrison feature, someone needs to make sure whack stuff like that doesn’t happen again. But you definitely deserve this, the Slam crew is almost always on point with good stuff.
Feb.14 at 6:55 pm
SwingMan says:
My congrats as well, Lang - on your promotion as well as JJ making the All-Star roster. One can’t hope for a better week
Feb.14 at 6:55 pm
Jj says:
Lang, first of all congratulations on your new assignment! Sounds like fun! I’ve been a loyal reader since the preseason when you named the Jazz the official team of the links… you know the one when they went 42-40 and endeded up one game out of the playoffs with a bunch of unkowns… Anyway, what I wanted to say is that I’m just fucking TIRED of this whole Amaechi thing. I’m really really pissed off at ESPN right now, because the only thing they’re trying to do is sell their book. You know, two days after Kobe scored 81 points there was barely a mention about it, but this Amaechi thing has been out for almost a week, and it’s still making the FRONT PAGE!!!!!! I read Marc Stein’s chat the other day, and in the middle of it he made some sort of interruption to answer the dor bell (whatever!) and he came back and said something like “Sorry for the interruption, my new Amaechi book has just arrived”. It’s really impressive how they’re trying to spread this story!!! I mean, at this point WHO FUCKING CARES about him? It’s John Amaechi we’re talking about. A retired player giving the impression that he cared little or nothing about basketball, and still trying to make us believe that Sloan hated him because he’s gay. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!! Sloan probably goes down as hard, or harder, on players like Jarron Collins, AK, Giricek, Cj Miles… and what? does that mean they’re gay!?!?!?! NOOOOOOO It’s just that Jerry doesn’t like lazy people, and judging grom the comments of Amaechi himself, he was never a Sloan type player… As far as I’m concerned he might not even be gay. But even if he is… why should I fucking care? There are probably more than 10 gay players in the league right now, and noones making a big fuss about it. I have the impression that he wants to make Jerry Sloan, Malone, etc etc look like homophobes, when in reality Amaechi was the one running with the tail in his ass, always looking over his shoulder to see if someone caught him, and he probably took all the criticism more personally than he should have. I’m even tired of thinking about Amaechi right now. flamboyant looker rooms…. ay diosssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lang, I’m sorry but I needed to vent this out. Congrats again Jj (Buenos Aires, ARgentina)
Feb.14 at 7:06 pm
jmart says:
Sup Lang? mmm mmm mmmmm Movin’ on up… .to the top…. Finally got a piece of the pie…. “…And that’s when the big bucks come in….” Congrats… Out.
Feb.14 at 7:09 pm
mavs-cavs fan says:
good job Joe johnson i always knew he should make it but y couldnt vince carter get injured instead of kidd?
Feb.14 at 7:20 pm
illydiva says:
I’m happy for Joe Johnson, but can you please post a scorecard (if you haven’t already) of all these alternate All-Stars, because truthfully I can’t keep up. Is anyone that was actually voted in playing? I’m happy for Memo too, and somebody else I heard but can’t remember. Congrats to you both Lang & Sam. Didn’t Sam start as an intern? (I’m an oldtimer, yes.) BTW, when will Omar get put on? We need more Omar on the Links.
Feb.14 at 7:36 pm
Simon says:
All Star Game definitely wont be the same without A.I or Kidd.
Congrats Lang!! Been a Loyal Linkstigator since the days of the Slam logo tiled diagonally on the background (how time flies!), and my day always starts off with the Links (im on Australia so when i get out of bed i, usually, get the entire days content first thing). Anyway keep up the great work homie. Peace
Feb.14 at 7:39 pm
Simon says:
hmm. While technically true that i’m ON Australia i guess i really shud’ve said IN Australia. but hey, whatever! oh yeh Drizzle, i know what u mean about the holidays in US an not gettin any Links. Just doesn’t feel right all day
Feb.14 at 7:50 pm
coach says:
joe johnson ? another player who can’t even lift his team to a decent position .
Feb.14 at 8:06 pm
Dylan Rice-Leary says:
Congrats Lang, this sounds like a new challenge and you definately deserve the nifty tag. Scoop and the Links were what really sucked me into SLAM about seven years ago (wait, have you ben doing the Links that long?), and though I have really missed yr constant input/output, it is great that you are going to be doing ever more for this magazine. thanks
Feb.14 at 8:29 pm
FLUXLAND says:
Good stuff, Lang! Allow me to appoligize for putting you on blast last week when I was posting how the Links are not what they used to be (still the case sometimes:P), but I guess now we all know why.I hope you keep them alive even with the busy agenda. Cuz like it or not they are the backbone of this whole SLAM operation, IMO.
Anywho, best of luck with the new postion and hey can you bring back the game of the day every once in a while?? C’mon!!!
Feb.14 at 9:39 pm
Mr. Dang-Dang says:
“Dressing” a bottle of champagne is presenting it in an expensive decoritive bag. A lot of times the bottle ‘dress’ costs more than the bottle - for serious ballers only. Don’t ask the Dangster how he knows this.
Feb.14 at 9:39 pm
Mr. Dang-Dang says:
(sp)^decorative
Feb.14 at 9:52 pm
Drolfe says:
Comment threads where everybody is being so nice to everybody make me nervous.
Feb.14 at 10:40 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Re: Meech’s book, I made that joke about myself last week, Lang, but I appreciate the piling on… er, wrong choice of words, perhaps.
Anyway, I’m just glad Ben’s making you work. If the linkstigators knew how many actual work hours (hundreds? thousands?) you’d spent playing video games the past few years, they probably wouldn’t be happy.
Oh, and f*ck you, Drolfe.
Feb.14 at 10:50 pm
Ty says:
I’m glad that Joe Johnson made the All Star team as a replacement as he should have; Ben Gordon should be on the squad as well since the Bulls have a good record but hey there’s always next year. Just when I my faith in to the League and David Stern they never cease to amaze me. Mehmet Okur is ballin’ out of control this year and to his credit he has turned into one of the better shooters in the NBA period, I’ll give him that considering Utah’s record. But Jarret Jack was right I mean how does Zach Randolph average 25 and 10 and not make the All Star team. I know its not all about stats but Portland is better than they were last year around this time and Zach Randolph is a focal point which means he face double and triple teams on a nightly basis and is still nice enough to put up good numbers in the WEST! I would hate to think his “off the court issues” had anything to do with him not being an All Star but it probably did and that sucks.
Feb.14 at 11:23 pm
Kyle says:
Congrats Lang. Mailman was late this month so I just got the new ish. NOYZ sucked sweaty donkey balls! Wasn’t impressed. I’ll write someone with my real concerns soon, just wanted to get it off my chest.
Feb.15 at 1:03 am
The Real Mongoose says:
I almost had a heart attack when I saw that slamonline was writing for espn.com, but then I saw Sam was the new online editor and I really had one.
Feb.15 at 1:05 am
The Real Mongoose says:
I like how Jj says “Sloan probably goes down as hard, or harder, on players like Jarron Collins, AK, Giricek, Cj Miles.” That is an ugly image
Feb.15 at 2:08 am
Alex chuc says:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9qQPBt7QW5Q&mode=related&search= thats for you mr.lang
Feb.15 at 2:09 am
Alex chuc says:
oh and for mr.ryan too
Feb.15 at 5:43 am
Boing Dynasty says:
“Joe Johnson went to watch a basketball game. That’s why he’s an All-Star”
- Defenitly ONE way of looking at it. Then theres also the right way of looking at it, like ‘Jason Kidd is an old man who didnt want to go, that’s why Joe Johnson is an All-Star.’
1
Feb.15 at 6:05 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
If I didn’t know better, it’d sure sound to me that you were carefully selecting snippets from Amaechi’s book that make him sound like a paranoid sissy diva. Well, I guess that’s your right, and maybe he even is - I obviously don’t know him personally. I just think you’re playing into the hands of the very real, unimagined homophobes associated with the L by belittling his comments about homophobia he experienced in the league, trying to make it appear he’s blowing s**t out of proportion and that people actually don’t give a bleep whether he’s gay or not. In related news, Tim Hardaway “hates gay people” and thinks “it shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States”.
Feb.15 at 6:16 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
But not wishing to end on a sour note here: I’ve also followed The Links more or less daily since its inception, and had been quietly thinking you must be moving into another position what with the recent irregularity of The Links and all. I wish you the best of luck, but do hope you guys will be able to somehow maintain and/or revive The Links, since that’s what originally drew most people to the site, and it’s probably the best and/or funniest NBA links package around.
Feb.15 at 6:30 am
pito says:
First love 2 joe johnson 4 the all star game, he was killin on the suns so it goes 2 show that it wasn’t the system that can get yinka dare 20 a night he’s actually got skills just look at last years stats.
Would’ve love 2 c z-bo an the show but okur is mo deservin…… and if corey goes anywhere it would b crazy in orlando wit dwight
Feb.15 at 6:30 am
pito says:
First love 2 joe johnson 4 the all star game, he was killin on the suns so it goes 2 show that it wasn’t the system that can get yinka dare 20 a night he’s actually got skills just look at last years stats.
Would’ve love 2 c z-bo in the show but okur is mo deservin…… and if corey goes anywhere it would b crazy in orlando wit dwight
Feb.15 at 6:31 am
pito says:
First love 2 joe johnson 4 the all star game, he was killin on the suns so it goes 2 show that it wasn’t the system that can get yinka dare 20 a night he’s actually got skills just look at last years stats.
Would’ve love 2 c z-bo in the show but okur is mo deservin…… and if corey goes anywhere it would b crazy in orlando wit dwight……. o an sloan screams at his moms so tell dude its not that serious
Feb.15 at 7:08 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
Then again…: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/john_amaechi_comes_out_as_former
Feb.15 at 9:03 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
Thanks to everyone that included me in their congrats to Lang. You should have seen the mood he was in last week when we were wrapping up the latest issue. Stressed. With great power comes great responsibility.
I also want to add that Khalid Salaam was promoted to Senior Editor. I know him!
Feb.15 at 9:36 am
Cheryl says:
The mag is definitely “movin’ on up”. And I agree with illydiva, we NEED more Omar!!
Congrats to Lang and Sam and Khalid and Ben and Ryan, wherever he is!
Feb.15 at 10:33 am
Ryan Jones says:
Worth noting: SLAM den mother Susan Price is now the only staffer whose title HASN’T changed in the past 7 years. Slacker.
Feb.15 at 10:34 am
Ryan Jones says:
Oh, and Cheryl, I’m right here, under the huge snow drift… cold… so cold….
Feb.15 at 10:41 am
Matthew says:
Sounds like the ladies really dig Omar. Do ya thing O!! Anyway, Lang, be it mag or online, I really appreciate the work you and everybody else at SLAM puts in. And it seems to me that John Ameachi is trying to make up that $$ he lost while he was collecting ass splinters in Utah. Seems to me like all the people he hung out with already knew he was guy so I don’t know why ppl like him or anyone in the public eye has to “come out” be it in a press conference or a book. Any other person just tells their friends and family and that’s that. The only thing I can think of is $ and attention. I read that exerpt from the world wide leader and had similar thoughts to Lang. Dude’s gay, he was a scrub in the League, who cares, let’s move on.
Feb.15 at 11:15 am
Franchise says:
Congrats on the promotions and finally JJ gets the love he deserves
Feb.15 at 11:57 am
Max says:
It’s definitely true what Jarrett Jack says about Zach Randoplh “producing” when he’s facing “double teams”, if there hasn’t been enough rape innuendo strewn about concerning Z-Bozack around here..
Feb.15 at 1:03 pm
Dizzle says:
You know what funniest thing is (well to me anyways) for the longest time, I thought Lang was black. I don’t know why, but I just thought he was. When I saw the pic on SI (when he started writing for them), it totally blew me away. I forgot to send some love to Sam. Sam, you’re doing a great job and keep it up. I wish I had your job instead of mine.
Feb.15 at 1:32 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Dizzle, Lang hates white people more than Farrakhan, so you probably just made his day.
Feb.15 at 1:48 pm
Julian says:
i thought the amaechi snippet was interesting…i wouldnt mind reading the whole book. i do think people are overreacting, but its a kind of ethnography in the sense that the NBA culture is seen from a different perspective. o and anyone catch tim hardaway on espn saying “i hate gay people!” lmao…that was crazy. and how come josh howard makes it over zach randolph but then joe johnson makes it over ben gordon? again, no consistency. i agree with the JJ selection though.
Feb.15 at 1:50 pm
Ryu says:
Yeah, JJ deserved it. You too Lang. Congrats. But Memo? I don’t think so… The Zach-attack gets my vote.
Feb.15 at 2:13 pm
Myung says:
Congrats, Lang. Big move up since the days you were in Athens, man. Didn’t you write for the Red and Black? I was a freshman in 1996 and could’ve sworn I recognized your name from back then. Anyway, I’m glad you got the new title, and I know you’ll be the next Editor In Chief soon. Go Hawks…
Feb.15 at 7:26 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
I never wrote for the Red and Black. Although I did know some guys on my hall who stole every copy of the Red and Black from every newstand on campus one morning. Impressive.
Feb.16 at 8:23 am
bja says:
I’m going to ‘pile on’ with this lovefest too. Lang, I’ve literally been reading since day one of the Links. The 1000s of hours you’ve stolen from your employer playing video games, I’ve probably stolen more reading your work. I get super depressed when I roll into work and realise yesterday was public holiday in the US. I can’t believe it’s been the better part of decade! I feel old. Sam, you’ve been an awesome addition and I’m happy you’re in charge now but today it’s about respect for the Godfather of basketball ‘blogging’. Thanks Lang. Enjoy your new role.
Feb.16 at 6:00 pm
Tim Ervin says:
Just a point to put out there. Your highlighted article about Zach Randolph was published in September, after the incidents in question. And I believe the season begins in October, correct? Besides, if you want to drag out a player’s off-court transgressions, you then must follow by dragging out everyone else’s. And the simple fact is–Randolph is a better player than Okur. Period. He deserved that spot.
Feb.17 at 4:07 am
David says:
So let’s see - in ten years Slam has had how many editors? Tony, Russ, Ryan, Ben?… did Scoop get a turn? I’m sure I’ve missed some. I can’t wait for Omar’s Administration…
Feb.18 at 3:00 am
Danny says:
Congrats, Lang. I’ve been reading your stuff from the first days, back when you answered each email personally… Been wondering when you would move on up as the other guys moved out. From your articles, it was definitely coming.
Oh and please let Sam know: it’s a n NBA website, not football and not video games. Can’t tell you how many articles I skip out. You got big shoes to fill, Sam. Go at it.
Peace,
Danny
Feb.19 at 2:34 pm
Adam says:
WHY HAVE YOU CENSORED ME?!!!! LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THIS BOARD CONDEMNS FREE SPEECH!!!! ALL I WANTED TO SAY WAS THAT SAM IS NOT THAT TALENTED AND THAT WE’LL MISS LANG’S SOLID IF UNSPECTACULAR WORK!!!! SORRY, BIG BROTHER!
Feb.20 at 1:33 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
sorry about the censorship. It was getting frustating weeding through hundreds of increasingly sophisticated spam comments and I might have made mistakes. Hopefully not too many.
Feb.20 at 2:38 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Adam, we love free speech, just not from you.
Feb.20 at 4:41 pm
Mark says:
Who cares who runs the Links - they have been in rapid deterioration over the pat two years anyway — just like the magazine has. There is nothing but garbage in Slam these days.
Feb.27 at 5:59 pm
i dont says:
:)