National Michael Jordan Day
...from NORTH CAROLINA!
If media overhype isn’t your thing, or if you’re one of those people who was never a big Michael Jordan fan, you may want to stay in bed and keep away from the TV and Internet today. As you may have heard, MJ (and David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer) will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame today, so it’s gonna be all-Jordan/all-day on pretty much every sports outlet. Some of the Dime crew will be in Springfield, Mass., for the HOF festivities, where we’ll be providing live updates on Dime’s Twitter page. You should also check out @mitchell_ness on Twitter for updates from the VIP point of view, plus the latest on the hottest Jordan product ever released. They may be sold out already at the NBA Store, but we’ll let you know where you can get yours … Now about those “other” H.O.F. inductees: Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about them. Starting yesterday, we handed over column space to some of the more diehard fans in the Dime community and let them talk about their guys: Spurs fan Ian Queliz reminisced on David Robinson, and Jazz fan/blogger Amar shared his thoughts on Jerry Sloan. Check back later today for more unique takes on Stockton and Jordan … If Allen Iverson is at all concerned with his legacy and his future, he knows this is maybe the biggest season of his career. In his first press conference with the Grizzlies, A.I. said, “This year for me is so personal. It’s basically going to be my rookie season again. It hurts, but I turn the TV on, I read the paper, I listen to some of the things people say about me having the season that I had last year and me losing a step, things like that. They’re trying to put me in a rocking chair already.” Maybe we’re just biased A.I. fans over here, but we’re giddy for a monster season from Iverson. And not necessarily “monster” in terms of dropping 29-30 points a game, but more playing with that fire he didn’t have last season and proving his critics wrong … And then there’s that issue with being a starter or coming off the bench. At least A.I. was honest. “Yes it does matter,” Iverson said. “I care about going to training camp and fighting for a job. If I get beat out then start that guy who plays the best. And if it helps the team win for me to come off the bench, then so be it. It’s not something that I want to do but if that’s going to help us win basketball games then that’s the right thing to do.” … Speaking of rocking chairs, Isaiah Rider is done with his. A couple weeks after his name surfaced in connection to an ABA squad, the 38-year-old Rider is talking about an NBA comeback, and he reported has some interest from the Nets. (And somewhere out there, DaJuan Wager is wondering what the hell he has to do to get another shot.) We’re not looking forward to that moment when Rider gets out on a breakaway during a preseason game, and whereas 10 years ago he would’ve thrown down a vicious tomahawk or maybe gone between-the-legs in an exhibition, he’ll probably just take a simple layup … Nobody’s talking about it yet, but the NBA’s referees are in danger of being under a lockout by the time the season starts. The refs have been in negotiations with the League that aren’t going well — to the point where their representative called David Stern “childish” and accused Stern of not negotiating in good faith. We can’t remember dude’s name, but it might as well be “Jimmy Hoffa” after what he said … Dime’s Austin Burton sent us this from last night’s Storm/Mercury WNBA game. “I never noticed before how similar Diana Taurasi is to Kobe. Her game, the way she carries herself, the way she talks to teammates and coaches and refs, the way the crowd just naturally hates her for no good reason, and the way she seems to thrive on that hate — she’s the female Kobe almost to the letter.” … Remember the story we relayed a couple weeks ago about South African track star Caster Semenya? After bursting onto the international track scene as an 18-year-old and destroying the field in the women’s 800-meters at the World Championships, Semenya was subject to a series of gender tests after speculation arose that she might be a man. Well, the results are in, and Semenya has been labeled a hermaphrodite. As reported in an Australian newspaper, “Medical reports indicate she has no ovaries, but rather has internal male testes, which are producing large amounts of testosterone.” The international track governing body has insisted throughout that they’re not accusing Semenya of cheating, so now the question is whether they’ll strip her (him?) of the WC gold medal. But then what? Semenya is essentially in this spot where she’s too manly for the women’s circuit, but too feminine to seriously compete with the men. So is her track career just over now? This whole thing is just crazy … We’re out like East Bay Funk …
-->
September 11th, 2009 at 4:11 am
sans says:
add me to the list of biased Answer fans that can’t wait to play as the Grizz in 2k10! AI, OJ, Rudy, and Z-Bo (and whoever starting at the five) is gonna make for intense matchups.
I’m out like Jordan ever making an All Time team though. How do the rights on him from “Jordan versus Bird” still carry over but anyone can play with Legend in their game…it’s like Chewbaka loving it on Endor–ish don’t make sense.
September 11th, 2009 at 4:12 am
sans says:
*I meant an All time team on 2k or Live…
September 11th, 2009 at 4:19 am
BRUCE says:
Thank You MJ in more ways than one. Simply The Greatest!
September 11th, 2009 at 4:29 am
BRUCE says:
Isaiah Rider, Shawn Kemp, The Glove, Tim Hardaway, Latrell Sprewell,,,,,,,who else?
September 11th, 2009 at 4:33 am
the R says:
preffering to end your carrer with the Grizz so u can shoot 20 a game instead of being a great scoring help off a contenders bench is sad….
Imagine what he could to the Spurs, Celts bench !!!
September 11th, 2009 at 4:49 am
Austin Burton says:
Iverson isn’t ending his career with Memphis. He’ll sign with either the Sixers or a contender next summer.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:08 am
Phileus says:
I feel bad for Semenya. She’s trained her whole life to be the best, and when she finally got there, is going to have it all taken away.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:27 am
That's whats up says:
female Kobe?? Austin, this is what happens when your team is ripped out from under you and stolen from you city.
Please Austin, come back from the dark side
September 11th, 2009 at 7:31 am
G says:
Hate to be that dude but really, “National Michael Jordan Day”? On Spet 11? Prob not the best way to phrase that…
September 11th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Kermit the Washington says:
I got a ticket to the induction ceremony tonight…selling for $1500 if any of yall want in
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/tix/1368844719.html
September 11th, 2009 at 8:17 am
No Deal says:
An anagram of Caster Semenya is “yes a secret man.” Boom
September 11th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Kermit the Washington says:
Wow….when I heard about that track runner chick’s gender test, I never thought she’d turn out to be BOTH GENDERS…maybe she can now hook up with Lady GaGa
September 11th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Kermit the Washington says:
@ No Deal:
OHSNAP
September 11th, 2009 at 8:24 am
jzsmoove says:
I’ll be watching Jordan dvd compilations today to reminisce. everytime i watch em i still feel like a kid in a burlesque house. i also got NBA Action videos to capture Stock’s and Robinson’s moments.
Semenya is not gonna be stripped of the medal. She(he) has not cheated. Only her future in the sport is in doubt. In other related news, Vujacic was reported that he doesnt have male genitalia, wasnt producing enough testosterone and may have one female ovary in him. Hence the nickname, “the machine”, to disguise his lack of manhood.
September 11th, 2009 at 8:59 am
TheGreatGatsby says:
Dime,
With respect to the HOF induction, how is it that active coaches are afforded the honor while retired players must wait?
September 11th, 2009 at 9:06 am
jryu says:
“yes a secret man”
HAHAHA wow…
September 11th, 2009 at 10:35 am
sh!tfaced says:
Hah! MJ’s so big that even 9-11 takes a backseat? Wow.
AI is just using Memphis as venue for a year-long back-to-elite status auditions… Isaiah Rider making an attempt to comeback… Barkley must be rolling in his grave…
Damn. “yes a secret man”. If I didn’t know any better, that sounds like the work of Dr. Evil. LOL.
Caster real name, Mokgadi Semenya is an anagram for “Mismanaged Yoke”.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:55 am
LakeShow84 says:
Fuck Michael Jordan and the horse he rode in on lol..
And that Semenya shit is sad.. They shouldnt have said shit.. If she aint cheating then whats the problem?? She just been exposed to the world as a he/she.. Im sure a couple of those other broads out there might have the same thing going on they just aint AS good..
September 11th, 2009 at 10:59 am
knock knock says:
A.i. sure loves to show his lack of an education. I personally don’t think Iverson has lost a step, he just never wins any games because he never can shoot efficiently. Shoots always something around 9/20 10/25 and never even 50%. That’s how horrible of a shooter this guy is. He might take it personal, but they’re the bottom of the league. Loser.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:02 am
control says:
That Caster Semenya bitch has a life as a fetish escort now…you’d be surprised at how many doods want to get their dick wet in a hermy.
It’s really a no win situation for anyone. If she competes with females, she’s going to have a HUGE advantage because she has the same hormone levels as a woman taking massive amounts of steroids. I guess she can compete with the guys…but then she’s at a disadvantage because she ain’t a guy (though you can’t tell by looking). She’s pretty much fucked.
If they let her compete as a female, I can see China scouring the countryside looking for hermies to fill up all their woman’s teams…
At least in the future, it’s going to be easy to remember the day MJ was inducted into the HoF.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Bobby Money says:
They need to run the same test on Janel Mccarville
September 11th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
That's whats Up says:
…and Eddy Curry
September 11th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
control says:
If there is anyone in any basketball league who is of dubious gender and needs a test to confirm…it’s Anderson Valgina. That guy is such a pussy, has such a feminine build and has nothing even vaguely close to resembling male gentiles (from what Ray Allen said). Fag should be playing in the WNBA, and flopping around like a bitch there.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
That's whats up says:
Varegina…. good call control (def not cuntrol – lol)
September 11th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Mack Brownee says:
east bay funk – i-ride’s signature b/t the legs dunk – those were the good times. I wonder what the Answer will be this year?
September 11th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
William says:
I clicked on the link and its error 404 the i went to nbastore annd its like they removed it.
September 11th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Austin Burton says:
@That’s what’s up — I’m serious about Taurasi/Kobe. If you ever get the chance, watch her play in person. The swagger and mannerisms and everything are creepily similar. Have you ever seen a little kid play a sport, obviously at a lower level of skill, but you can still see traces of someone older in them? It’s like that.