Eddy Curry is the new Shaq, Kobe jerseys going for $1,000 a pop, and Thunder games just got worse
Kobe Bryant (photo. Chris Sembrot)Contrary to popular belief, Eddy Curry has (allegedly) been spending a lot of time in the gym this offseason. E-City recently did an interview from inside the ATTACK Athletics center in Chicago, the same mega-gym that’s run by famed basketball trainer Tim Grover, whose client list has included MJ, D-Wade, Pippen and Shawn Marion. Curry has apparently been a regular at ATTACK. We’re not gonna speculate on how much of his time there is spent on the court and the weight room and how much is spent in front of the ridiculously luxurious TV set-ups or in the designated “sleeping rooms,” but maybe Eddy is ready to contribute more than everyone thinks in Mike D’Antoni’s system … Best-case scenario, Curry plays a role with the Knicks similar to the one Shaq played for D’Antoni in the second half of last season; but then again, Shaq averaged 10 boards during his stint with the Suns, and most of Curry’s double-digit rebound nights involve a video game. Anyway, continuing with our team-by-team NBA previews leading up to training camp, yesterday we previewed the ‘08-09 Phoenix Suns. Do you think the championship window is closed for them in the Steve Nash era? With three All-NBA caliber players (Amare, Nash, Shaq), one of the best sixth men in the game (Barbosa), some quality defenders, a little depth and the X-factor of Grant Hill, Phoenix should be right there in the mix if their vets stay healthy … With Dime #44 on its way to newsstands later this month, we’re already deep into putting together #45. For that we went down to Baltimore to shoot Rudy Gay, and in between donning his custom suits for our fashion section, Rudy sat down for a Q&A about the past, present and future of the Grizzlies and what he’s been working on with his game this summer … Kenny George, the 7-foot-7, 360-pound UNC-Asheville senior who might have all the basketball IQ of Stromile Swift, the speed of motivated three-toed sloth and the instincts of Kwame Brown — but will 100 percent still get drafted when the time comes — might not play this season due to a foot injury. George has had two surgeries performed on the foot this summer for an infection and will at minimum be out until December. He put up 12.4 points, seven boards and 3.3 blocks last year, and helped put a punctuation mark on Tyler Hansbrough’s national Player of the Year resume. If your team was looking for a shot-blocker in the second round, would you gamble on somebody like George, one of those behemoths whose primary asset is his height? We’ve seen it happen lately with the Pavel Podkolzines of the world … Between now and the end of the month, USA Basketball is auctioning off game-worn Olympic jerseys from each player on the U.S. men’s and women’s teams. Check out the online auction site HERE. Currently up for bid is a white Kobe Bryant jersey, and last time we checked the price tag was up to $1,040 while a blue Chris Paul jersey was up to $520. Cool idea, but then how many creepy guys are gonna line up for the chance to cop an aroma-tinted Candace Parker or Sue Bird jersey? … Dwight Howard will throw out the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays game against the Red Sox tomorrow. Hopefully he does better than this guy … Over the weekend we heard Kevin Calabro — one of the two or three best play-by-play announcers in the NBA — calling the Oregon State/Hawaii football game. That got us wondering if Calabro is going to follow the ex-Sonics to Oklahoma City, but from everything we’ve read it’s not gonna happen, and the Thunder is currently auditioning announcers. That’s great; one more thing that sucks about this whole Sonics/Thunder business. If they’re smart, TNT will snap up Calabro for its national broadcasts ASAP … Crazy Monday Night Football game last night, with the Cowboys outlasting the Eagles in a 41-37 shootout. Did you see the play where Philly rookie DeSean Jackson was coasting in for a TD but flipped the ball behind him about a yard short of the end zone? If Brian Westbrook (or “Michael Westbrook” if you’re Stu Scott and you’re too busy trying to invent slang to pay attention) hadn’t scored on the next play and saved Jackson’s butt, the rookie might have been summoned to a dark room by Brian Dawkins and never heard from again … We’re out like Kenny George …
September 16th, 2008 at 1:31 am
str8ganksta says:
first!
September 16th, 2008 at 1:31 am
C4 says:
I have seen Eddy Curry in person and he is huge, in a good way. Looks to be in shape and I’m expecting a huge season from him and let’s not forget, Tim Grover can work magic i,e Dwyane Wade and now Darius Miles. Who knows, maybe Curry will finally realize his All-Star potential but first he needs to receive the ball with all the guards on that team.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:37 am
C4 says:
By seeing him in person, I mean just saw him last week.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:50 am
solomon says:
well, curry doesn’t need magic… he needs hydroxycut and a seminar w/ coach hova…
anyway, seeing that d’antoni can do wonders to a defensively relaxed big man (amare, anyone?), curry’s bound to breakout…
and think about this… say, 4 hours with grover… then 10 hours sleeping and 10 hours eating… will that equate to a “beach body” eddy curry?
i’ll believe in eddy curry when i see it… hoping, but as skeptical as hell…
we’re out like gheorge muresan clones…
September 16th, 2008 at 1:59 am
Camp Lo says:
@ solomon
“i’ll believe in eddy curry when i see it… hoping, but as skeptical as hell…”
couldn’t have said it any better myself
September 16th, 2008 at 2:03 am
JT$ says:
The Suns window is shut. They didnt really get any other in the offseason, and probably aren’t going to perform better than the Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Jazz, or maybe even the Blazers. You can count on Nash, Barbosa and Amare, assuming they all stay healthy, to have outstanding seasons, but no one knows how fit Shaq and Diaw will be or what level they will play at.
And DeSean Jackson’s play was the most ignorant, awful play I’ve ever seen in pro sports. I was watching live and knew in live time he threw it back before crossing the pane of the endzone. Somehow, in his infinite retardation, he managed to only do the second dumbest thing he could have done, since throwing it into the back of the endzone premature would have meant touchback DALLAS ball on the <20. Nice job, idiot.
September 16th, 2008 at 2:18 am
QuEsT???? says:
fucck the cowboyssssssssssss, and that was an amazing game, the eagles should have won that game if it wasnt for that mcnabb fumble in the fourth quarter…… n e wayz i thought kenny george was taller
September 16th, 2008 at 2:23 am
QuEsT???? says:
btw the eagles are my favorite team and they should win the superbowl… um u guys forgot to mention that the eagles were playing without their top 2 receivers which are kevin curtis and reggie brown. but deshawn jackson looks like the real deal, man i hate terrell owens so much, why cant he keep his mouth shut…………fuck jameer nelson, fuck the cowboys, and fuck T.O.
September 16th, 2008 at 2:27 am
bill says:
Kevin Calabro next to jeff van gundy
September 16th, 2008 at 2:28 am
bill says:
Kevin Calabro is amazing next to van gundy
September 16th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Coop says:
“most of Curry’s double-digit rebounding nights have been on a video game” hahahahaha
and ’str8ganksta’, judging by that spelling and your input, i highly doubt you’re a gangster and i doubt even more that you’re straight.
September 16th, 2008 at 4:57 am
josh tha roc says:
Something a little different….i caught the Team USA vs Canada wheelchair semi final last night (admittedly my first wheel chair game i ever viewed) but it was sick. Double over time thriller. Dudes hitting massive clutch threes. I was real impressed.
September 16th, 2008 at 6:01 am
M says:
You guys worry about creepy guys bidding for the women ballers, but how about creepy guys bidding for the cris paul jersey…
September 16th, 2008 at 6:08 am
YOUNGFED says:
“Blue state, red state, dear mr. head of state.
I’m lookin’ for a leader that won’t hesitate ta legislate.
Gas Prices escalate, forclosers check the rate
New techniques is what we need to set the record straight
51 arms gone leave my people in harm.
My country at war and they ain’t even dropped a Boommbb.”
Poetry, check the message.
Curry is a bum and always will be.
Coop Says:
“and ’str8ganksta’, judging by that spelling and your input, i highly doubt you’re a gangster and i doubt even more that you’re straight.” LMAO
str8ganksta use to be known as the lame str8baller and he’s also the copycat fag of the room. BUM
September 16th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Coop says:
Fed,
You think petrol prices are high over your way, it’s roughly $2.40/litre over here! Your banks have a lot to answer for!
September 16th, 2008 at 6:58 am
YOUNGFED says:
your dollar is worth more guys so really we’re paying about the same.
September 16th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Coop says:
You mean our Pounds? The ones we converted into Dollars for your pleasure a few posts back? Those ones? lol
English, where do you live dude? I’m close to London; I pay £1.14 per litre.
The Americans started it off and we’re getting the backlash! Count yourself lucky, Fed!
September 16th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Coop says:
Oh right, nice. Never seen an unmanned station around here, which is a shame right now. I remmeber the good old days of < 1£/litre haha. Nightmare.
How’s about this for a thought- the Suns should trade Nash at the end of this season. Just a thought
September 16th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Kobeef says:
Not a classy look for Dime with your bashing Kenny George. The guy has had nothing his whole life. If he gets a break and gets drafted it will probably be the only way he can earn a living. He can’t fit in public transit or even a car, can’t buy shoes, clothes…the guy practically needs NBA just to dress himself.
Hansbourgh is garbage. The second coming of Shavlik Randolph and we know how that story turned out.
Oh yeah – for a final time – Suns are done and should have traded Nash to Dallas for Devin Harris and Josh Howard last year. Now both teams are going to be just good enough to make the playoffs and waste a lot of money in the meantime.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:31 am
rangerjohn (IKE IS MY BITCH) says:
yep the rest of the world is paying more, but dont blame the usa, blame china! china has been buying up more natural resources and building rediculous infrastructure.
i own a concrete company and concrete prices have gone up about 60%, and are expected to be double what they where 5 yrs ago because china has been buying up 65% of the cement in the world. in compairison the usa is the second largest cement consumer and we get about 20-25% of the worlds cement.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:32 am
C4 says:
Kobeef, George has alot going for him besides ball, he also writes screenplays.
Comparing Hanbourgh to Randolph doesn’t make sense at all. First of all comparing any Duke player to one from UNC is enough to get hot coffee thrown in your lap (yeah it’s that serious) and their games are nothing alike.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Coop says:
Ranger,
Point taken. I was moaning about prices generally more than fuel specifically. The credit crisis in the USA (and consequently, here) would be a point of reference.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:55 am
nerditry says:
@kobeefcurtains : Shav Randolph is the same as Hansbrough? Shav never saw a rebound he liked or a dunk that got more than an inch above the rim and is a complete bum in Philly like he was at Duke. Hansbrough is much more like David Lee in attacking the basket as opposed to a 6′10″ stiff that wants to pop jumpers.
@Dime : Why is Grant Hill an X-Factor? Because you can’t count on him from a game to game basis? Because he’ll go 0-7 from the arc one game and 3-5 the next? Get off his jock. The rest of us left him back in the 90s for a reason.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:13 am
loganlight says:
“If Brian Westbrook (or “Michael Westbrook” if you’re Stu Scott and you’re too busy trying to invent slang to pay attention)…”
HAHA! Cold, but oh so true!!
… and YoungFed continues to impress me …
LL
September 16th, 2008 at 10:15 am
that's whats up says:
normally I would take a chance on a 7′7″ guy, but he looks like Andre the Giant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7co6Q71bOdE
September 16th, 2008 at 10:20 am
that's whats up says:
DIME’s question: “Cool idea, but then how many creepy guys are gonna line up for the chance to cop an aroma-tinted Candace Parker or Sue Bird jersey?”
The Answer: At least one creepy who guy who thought of that for the article
September 16th, 2008 at 10:38 am
rangerjohn (IKE IS MY BITCH) says:
coop
the world economy has a huge base on what happens here in the usa, but people give to much “credit” to the usa for its problems. if countries like china, venezuela, russia and iran would be a bit more “world friendly” the world economy would not be in such bad shape.
you know they pay something to the tune of $.15 per gallon in venezuela, yet the president is CRAAAZZZZYYYYYYY and the people of that country cant find milk. he refuses to work with the usa (even before bush) and so we refuse to help his people.
it is the worlds problem, and it doesnt all stem from the usa, we are just the most promanent country out there so we get a bad wrap. we get no thanks for the good things we do and we get bagged on for the questionable/bad things we do. ask france how many times we bailed their ass out and how many times they have “helped” us.
the usa would put the world on its ear if we were to just pull all of our interests home and let the rest of the world handle their own problems. (this by the way is hwat lead us to the great depression)
September 16th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Michorizo says:
Hey Dime
How about a Charles Barkley Jersey? How much are those going for?
September 16th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Coop says:
Ranger, my points weren’t anti-American. In fact, im one of the more pro-American English people you’re likely to meet.
My point was that England, more than most, is directly effected by American wheelings and dealings. We have less international dealings with, lets say, Brazil and thus if Brazil’s banks start lending money to poor people then we don’t care as much.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:52 am
rangerjohn (IKE IS MY BITCH) says:
coop
i completely understand and know what your talking about.
i was more venting, we have been stuck in the house since last thursday night due to hurricane ike. i get so tired of all the anti american bull so i let a little lose you know how it is.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
parinaz suns says:
i dont think the suns will be in the top 4 of the conference but thye still have a chance. they still have nash who seems to only get better every year. they hae amare who is going to be a beast next year and a very possible mvp candidate. raja bell is a great defensive player and when his offense is clicking you cant ask more from him. hopefully grant hills minutes get limited and he can actually contribute in the playoffs this time. hopefully diaw has a season like he did when amare was out. andbarbosa should play better knowing he is considered tradeable for the suns. and shaq,matt barnes, etch well ehhh. itll be interesting maybe theyll play better knowing their isnt a target on their back, and it could be kind of liek their 05-06 season and they surprise the league. at least suns fans are hoping
September 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
mavsgirl75 says:
EAGLES SUCK
September 16th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
sans says:
I like Fed’s rime too, but the same one in successive days?…
@rangerjohn…we wouldn’t have a country without France. Read a history book. I know we got them back twice, but we also hung them out to dry when they fought for Independence. China will be more prominent within the next 10 years, we will continue to fall into mediocrity past our materialist phase, and $.15 a gallon could get anyone reelected.
“Significance goes beyond the omnipotence
of the obvious and contrived.
Strive for the betterments that taste like bittermints
until you have survived…
then is the when that you can spin lies
with true eyes hiding your disguise.
Only honesty can honestly save you from surprise,
But compromise easily conquers fears realized,
Making eyes miss each other when sight crosses paths…
Who set you up? C’mon, just do the math.
Don’t let “Friendships never last” be your epitaph.
What is significance?–something that lasts.”
September 16th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
YOUNGFED says:
I’ll drop a new one for yall 2morrow. I just reposted it cause it was classic. Good try Ian my rhyme was hotter.
September 16th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Bruce says:
I got 4,000 for a candace parker jersey…. who cares if eddy curry in shape and the unc asheville dude is a bum and shouldn’t get a look unless its summer league rec in his hometown
September 17th, 2008 at 4:46 am
LSM says:
someone needs to organize a 1 on 1 with sun ming ming and kenny george. from what ive seen if put my money on sun lol
September 17th, 2008 at 5:35 am
nicky says:
whats with all this hatin’ on Tyler, man? i smell Dookie in the air. maybe when he gets to the league he wont be about shit, but at least hes definitely not some pussy soft chump like your boy Shav. that dunk on Andre the Giant was pretty nasty.