Dear NBA Summer
Old guys and their comebacks
After giving the latest NBA newsfeeds a quick once over, it seems that every ex-player you thought you no longer needed to care about is changing his mind, and now might return to a different team. Reggie Miller might end up in Dallas, not Boston. Allan Houston might go to Cleveland, not wherever he was talking about going before. Penny is back. Oakley is thinking about it (Please Isiah make it happen. Don’t get weak stomached now!). The news about what is not happening has become more of a story than what is. Myles is working on part II of his Reasonable Doubt column, which has been a re-writing of some Jay-Z lyrics among other things. If I may sample from that idea for a quick second for my own song:
“Dear Summer, you’re slow.”
Now that’s a hit record. And I feel that “Dear Summer” the song has a lot to say about… this summer. When the song came out, Jay was “retired” much like Reggie Miller and Allan Houston. The rap music being played on the radio was so generic, that the one song put out by a “retired” artist was the anthem of the summer. (P.S. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE RADIO IN NYC. IT IS VERY BAD FOR YOUR BRAINZ.) I’m not comparing those old, one-dimensional, retired jumpshooters to Jay-Z. I’m just saying that we have reached a point where it’s easier to see a big name like theirs and fall back into the comfort of familiarity than it is to embrace the unknown. If they were baseball players, they would all be designated hitters that are a shell of their former selves who need to be pinch-run for by the 6th inning. Move on, old men. You’ve had your seasons in the sun, we’ve seen what you can do. Let the kids play.
Even though it is the dead zone for NBA talk right now, we have plenty of basketball content coming this week. This right here is called teasing. I shall say no more.
As for the world of SLAM, this past weekend there was a wedding. You know how the saying goes, what happens on Mt. Pocono stays on Mt. Pocono. Congrats again Steve-o. I can’t say anymore because of a previous incident where I leaked too much information and the bride-to-be was upset with me. It was a beautiful, enchanted evening. I spent the previous Sunday at a SLAYER concert, and the dance floor at the wedding was almost as rowdy.
I have bruises.
24 Responses to “Dear NBA Summer”
Aug.13 at 8:14 am
Ryan Jones says:
GOGGI! Congratultions on the prettiest groom in town.
Aug.13 at 8:15 am
Ryan Jones says:
or, “congratulations,” if you prefer.
Aug.13 at 8:30 am
BETCATS says:
^^^^^^spelling correctly is overrated.
Aug.13 at 8:36 am
white hot eboy says:
Sam, gun to your head, which one of the “comebacks” do you think will a) provide the most entertainment and b) actually make an impact (no matter how small) for the betterment of his chosen team. And it’s funny how that article started off on the “let the new kids play” tip and then you throw out a Slayer concert appearance to us. How old is Kerry King now, 42-43? Not that they don’t still kick the sh*t out of you, but just saying.
Aug.13 at 8:45 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
We saw the SLAYER show on the same night TOm Glavine won his 300th game. I was more impressed by how men in their 40s can play that style of music on extended year-long tours than I am by anything an old athlete can do.
I see each one of those comebacks as Mitch Richmond with the Lakers at the very best - even if he wasn’t retired at the time.
Aug.13 at 8:59 am
Gumdrop says:
But Oakley’s comeback would bring the all ready incredible Knicks into a 5th dimension of hilarity. Man, if that team doesn’t self destruct by Christmas, I will be very, very suprised.
Aug.13 at 9:14 am
white hot eboy says:
Sam, using your Mitch Rich example we can assume if Reggie goes to Dallas he might be the one to mimic that move by riding a really good teams chances to a title.
Aug.13 at 9:14 am
Joel O's says:
O Powers That Be, I know my life will be more complete if I can see Reggie twirling around like a girl again.
Aug.13 at 9:21 am
Boing Dynasty says:
Oak has been trying to come back for 3 years, but he wants 5 mil a season.
Aug.13 at 9:25 am
Boing Dynasty says:
Sam, you missed an opertuity to “make Reggie the butt of your jokes”.
Aug.13 at 9:41 am
Gerard Himself says:
Whoever plays Oak 5 million should be banned for life out of the NBA.
Aug.13 at 9:49 am
white hot eboy says:
I think Oakley finds his way to the Cavs. Backing up the Gooden and given them 12-15 minutes a game. He ain’t getting 5 mil either. He better open a few more car washes if he wants that number.
Aug.13 at 10:55 am
BETCATS says:
Cavs need a Pg not a crazy person (oakley) or a old a$$ shooter (Houston). And if they really need either or of those sign Latrell!!!
Aug.13 at 11:20 am
Richie says:
It looks like its time for the ultimate summer/ off season filler, a SLAM TOP 100 LIST(!) of players who are most now, will have the biggest impact to their team, and all those other categories that inevitably lead to debate, argument and confusion. Most importantly, we’ll get some interesting writing and commentary from the SLAM staff.
Aug.13 at 11:36 am
Boing Dynasty says:
Your right Eboy, he wont get 5 mil, but wont accept less either, so he wont be going to Cleveland.
Aug.13 at 11:42 am
white hot eboy says:
Boing, if Oak gets 5 mil from a basketball team this year, it will be somewhere overseas, because I’m pretty sure there is NO team in the league putting out that much money for him. He’s pulling the old lawsuit trick of asking for 5 mil knowing that he will get probably a 1/4 of that. If he said he’d play for a million he’d probably be offered that with quicknees from someone desperate for front-court depth.
Aug.13 at 11:49 am
Boing Dynasty says:
Oak wont play in the NBA again, ever.
Aug.13 at 2:44 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I hope Penny Hardaway’s is a rogue, isolated comeback.
Aug.13 at 3:14 pm
d.Y. says:
i’d like to see lionel “l train” simmons make a comeback… mark macon too… and yeah, never listen to nyc radio. jack fm is gone, and k-rock is back, but it don’t help none…
Aug.13 at 5:18 pm
Jesus Shuttlesworth says:
i think penny is very capable of breaking a few ankles this season ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… im talking about crossovers …………………..-==-==chocolate rain
Aug.13 at 5:27 pm
Tariq says:
Is “Chocolate Rain” the new “ASPOV”? Play wit it.
Aug.13 at 5:54 pm
white hot eboy says:
Jesus, I know you’re not using that gay ass song as your closing from now on. I saw that sh*t on CNN this weekend and besides the fact that the cat who wrote and sang it looks the 21st century Erkel, SLAMonline shouldn’t be polluted with that unless you can actually make it rain chocolate. And since you are named after the son of God, can you make mine milk chocolate.
Aug.13 at 6:51 pm
jay n says:
Slayer Slayer Slayer Slayer Slayer Slayer!!!!!! Tom Araya shall forever be my hero.
Aug.13 at 8:51 pm
gelly says:
“DO NOT LISTEN TO THE RADIO IN NYC. IT IS VERY BAD FOR YOUR BRAINZ” Truer words have never been spoken.