February 18, 2007 2:21 pm  |  25 Comments

Still Alive?

Vegas is Vegas

By Sam Rubenstein

It’s Sunday morning, nearly 10 A.M. in Vegas. Last night was, in a word, crazy. Russ gave you the blow by blow breakdown of the Saturday Night All-Star festivities. It was fun to be there, but the madness of this weekend didn’t really get going until after we headed back out to the parties later on. Everyone has their updates coming so I don’t want to ruin it for you. A quick re-telling of the things Russ couldn’t have known about from the Saturday Night All-Star showcase:

Ben was very upset with that one judge wearing the leather jacket and jeans. MJ, such a hater. Let the kids live. Ben also used profanity in public to express his disappointment with Vince Carter being on the panel.

I chose to wear a new hoodie I received with all-star logos inside card suits print all over it. I was given the nickname L’il Jeezy.

Lang took some of my money when I put it on Bavetta. That was a stupid move on my part.

The dunk contest just isn’t the dunk contest without Mutombo there. From our seats the two guys that were having the most fun reacting were Wade and Shaq, who just aren’t the same as Dikembe. They also wore nearly matching suits. I loved that Damon Jones was in the three point contest while Shaq was there in support of… the winner Jason Kapono.

I don’t know how it came across on T.V., but Cedric Ceballos was entertaining except for all of the times he was talking while a guy made his approach on a dunk or something.

A smely old man put his arm around my chair. I think he liked me. VEGAS!

It felt like there were so many media members and too cool for school celebs in the building that cheering was subdued.
Don’t say even the slightest negative thing about Mary J Blige around Khalid or Ben. Just don’t.

Outside in the parking lot, after the event on our way back to the hotel we saw Winky Wright try to get past a fence. The fence won.

So, that’s some of what happened from All-Star saturday. We took about an hour break and then went out to some parties and stuff. Lang should have that story for you later. All I can say is that Vegas is every bit of insanity that I thought it would be. The cab lines extended to over an hour… at 4:30 A.M.

One superstar/future hall of fame type was at a party we attened and he knew every word to some Hip Hop classics that even I don’t know every word to, and I pride myself in knowing every lyric to every song ever written. Ultimate respect.

The women here, groupies and otherwise… off the proverbial chain.

Did some of us find themselves on an outdoor terrace 45 stories (or whatever it was) up overlooking the whole city? Yes. Were we balling out of control? Absolutely. Did I feel like this minus certain words? Of course.

I managed to not fall asleep until our cab ride home. Maybe Lang will make a big deal out of that or something, but I was just getting my energy up for a possible 3rd wind to go back out there. The lobby was packed at 6 A.M. or so when we rolled in. I just went to bed for a few hours though.

We’ve got various power brunches to attend. Need solid foods in me. This place and trip is the greatest. Everyone I talk to keeps asking me about the dunk contest and stuff. I think like 3% of the people here watched it.

Again… the women. Wow.

More coming later today.

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This story is filed under: All-Star 2007, NBA

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  • Cheryl Posted: Feb.18 at 2:29 pm
    Howard was ROBBED!! Did you see that sick sticker sh*t??? I like Gerald Green and all, kid’s got mad hops, but damn Dwight took it to another level, no matter how much taller he is than Green. ROBBED, I tell you, ROBBED!!

  • Matthew Posted: Feb.18 at 2:45 pm
    How many times have you called your roommate? And the sticker dunk was the best of the night. Period. Thanks to all you guys on the updates and posts. It’s the next best thing to being there. I bet Charles woke up this morning regretting that race too. Besides seeing Dwight, that was the most entertaining thing all night!

  • Matthew Posted: Feb.18 at 2:47 pm
    Most entertaining for me since I was watching it on t.v. I’m guessing you saw things a little more exciting after you left the thomas and mack. How many times have you heard BAAAAALLLIIINNNGG

  • Ben Collins Posted: Feb.18 at 2:53 pm
    Does anybody even remember them saying that it was Cedric Ceballos? I just thought it was some guy.
    What is it, noon there? Nice recovery, Sam.

  • whooo! Posted: Feb.18 at 2:54 pm
    for everyone that tried to be lang’s intern when he offered, look at what you lost out on! sam’s baaaalllin

  • The Real Mongoose Posted: Feb.18 at 3:05 pm
    I wanted to see the kiss the rim dunk, I am bumming

  • namik Posted: Feb.18 at 3:14 pm
    Damn I thought that was Lang in the pic at first!

  • Jonathan Posted: Feb.18 at 3:14 pm
    you guys are crazy, the sticker dunk was stupid. for all the people out there pissed ’cause nate gets higher scores ’cause he can jump, same with the stick dunk, the dunk was lame, just because he can jump up and touch 12.6 feet he got a decent score. the best dunk by far was the eyes covered over nate robinson. period.

  • Mash Posted: Feb.18 at 3:15 pm
    You guys got girlfriends and/or wives, right? They must just love the hype on all those women…

  • AP Posted: Feb.18 at 3:22 pm
    i thought it was some guy too not cedric…he was lookin a little chubby

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Feb.18 at 4:35 pm
    Yeah, I remember seeing a big guy out on the court, but I don’t remember anyone saying it was Cedric. He must have been bummed no one tried the blindfold dunk.

  • Sam Rubenstein Posted: Feb.18 at 5:46 pm
    I have heard the song balling and seen the act of balling too many times to count. I have spoken to my “roommate” a few times, but we really haven’t had much free time to just chill in our rooms. We’ve got 2 hours until we’ve got to head out to the game. MIght nap

  • sefos Posted: Feb.18 at 5:54 pm
    12th, baby! I actually think nate was better than last year. he missed fewer dunk attempts. granted, he missed 80-something tries last time. but the ones he did make were pretty nice. and wouldn’t it be that much cooler if dwight put up a darko sticker?

  • sefos Posted: Feb.18 at 5:57 pm
    damn, sam! you couldn’t wait a minute?

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Feb.18 at 6:00 pm
    Henry Abbott posted what was on the sticker over on the Worldwide Follower. ‘Twas a Bible verse, of course.

  • Will Lee Posted: Feb.18 at 6:58 pm
    who’s that white dude from NBA TV interviewing Green? Mathafucka asked about the no.21 on his headband, and Green was like “WTF, 21″???? He didn’t even know its the Red tribute, goddamn. I am thinking he’ll be replaced after the All Star. That was FUCKING FUNNY!!!!! He was like nodding his head mad after he knew its Red Auerbach and agreeing and shit. Yo get ready for a new job!

  • The New Wilt Posted: Feb.18 at 7:25 pm
    I thought it was no. 2..

  • hollywud Posted: Feb.18 at 7:57 pm
    nate ruined the dunk contest. fuck him

  • truce Posted: Feb.18 at 9:57 pm
    damn sam a boosie video. new respect for you.

  • Patrick Posted: Feb.18 at 11:06 pm
    can someone please win the dunk contest without paying tribute an old player. from josh smith’s “Nique dunk, to Nasty Nate over spud, to Gerald Green wearing Brown’s jersey. this shit needs to stop. it’s unoriginal and cheap. if i go out there with a pistol pete jersey and do lay-up i could win.

  • The New Wilt Posted: Feb.19 at 12:04 am
    Will someone ever do the 720

  • b55 Posted: Feb.19 at 2:58 am
    a figure skater might…
    the air up there does a nice 540 though.

  • » 2007: A Vegas Odyssey - SLAM ONLINE Posted: Feb.20 at 5:01 pm
    [...] And let it be know, that Saturday night was bananananananas. I wrote a little bit about it when I woke up on Sunday to get the day going. [...]

  • Lang Whitaker Posted: Feb.20 at 6:32 pm
    I think it was Ben who said they should have made Ceballos wear his blindfold while he was reading off the cue cards.

  • Ben Posted: Feb.20 at 9:47 pm
    4 all ya!!! http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/bendreizehn/DwightSticker.png Greetz from Germany

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