Smack / Jul 27, 2011 / 12:34 am

Amar’e Stoudemire Is Halfway Gone; Kevin Love Set To Play Beach Volleyball

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Amar'e Stoudemire

Amar'e Stoudemire, Dime #14

The league starts and finishes another day of the dreaded lockout today, which saw a glimmer of hope as the NFL rebooted up to normal. However, just like last week, our foreign friends are continuing to try to lure superstars onto courts far away from home. Amar’e Stoudemire is the newest big-time attraction on the overseas market. The Knickerbocker big man’s phone is attracting calls from all sorts of places, including Israel, Turkey, China and Spain. As y’all probably remember, Amar’e stated he was sticking in his New York state of mind as little as two weeks ago then abruptly switched ideas then took it to the fans to let them decide than brought it back and now he’s kinda interested. Make up your mind fam. STAT is acting more bipolar with this issue than Gilbert Arenas does on Twitter, who by the way had made one of the most insanely stupid, yet hilarious, tweets yesterday. Just go check out his Twitter avi. You will be amused one way or the other. It’s Chamberlain-esque. Anyways, back to Stoudemire, who said, “The chances would be high” of playing elsewhere in a lockout. “They’d definitely be high. I just want to make sure I’m healthy and totally 100 percent before I make that type of commitment. As of right now, we’re not entertaining offers.” Can you imagine Besiktas, the Turkish power, rolling out Deron Williams, The Black Mamba and Amar’e onto the court for their season opener? Don’t worry NYC. We think Amar’e’s number one concentration is still bringing a title to the city … Do you know the real reason why teams win NBA championships? We do, and it’s not what you think … While many big-name ballers are looking to cross the Atlantic in the near future, Minnesota’s star forward Kevin Love has different plans for the approaching future. The Oregon native says he plans to participate in the $200,000 Manhattan Beach Open on the pro volleyball tour which is set to take place Aug. 26-28. We don’t think this is quite the Ochocinco media splash, but actually a competitive venture – and a chance at a paycheck for the first time All-Star. He practiced yesterday for the first time with the pros, in the middle of Times Square. “I thought it was a great idea, a way for me to be out in the sun, be active and have fun during the lockout,” Love told ESPN. “It’s a sport, it’s active, it’s a way to stay in shape, so I just thought it was a home run.” Hopefully the NBA won’t experience beach sport letdowns like some other professional athletes have (see NFL, Steve Smith) … If you’re in the Seattle area on Friday night, the Mariners are holding a Sonics celebration night where a bunch of legendary Emerald City ballplayers will be there, including Shawn Kemp, Hersey Hawkins, Spencer Haywood, Freddie Brown, Jack Sikma and Gary Payton (among others) for the largest gathering of Sonics stars ever. With Kevin Calabro announcing, they might as well suit up. Throw Payton in the dugout to argue calls, Downtown Freddie Brown somewhere in the outfield and then put Kemp in center field to make it interesting … The city of Memphis will hold a vigil for late ex-forward Lorenzen Wright, who was found dead exactly one year ago Thursday … What do Karl Malone and Brian Grant do during the summer? They catch massive fish in the ultimate “gone fishing” picture … And did you know during the pre-draft process, the Lakers asked Ater Majok who would be the one person in the world he would want to ask a question to? No wonder so many of these teams whiff on draft day … We’re out like Carson Palmer.

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  • http://twitter.com/#!/Quiznakes K Dizzle

    Went to Youtube n found full clips of the NBA studs vs the Phillipino squad. Got a little relief with that.

    I hope player reps n owners are actually talkin right now or that arrogance gonna bite em in the ass in due time

  • http://getfreecomputers.info Hayden Banos

    I had such high hopes for Carson Palmer coming out of college. I really thought he was gonna go places. What a disappointment he was.

  • BRUCE

    David Stern always wanted for the NBA to go global. Dude sure got it.

  • Big Island

    I’d like to keep the faith that this will end, but I don’t think it will for awhile. Which sucks bad. Real bad. Like I’m gonna have to watch Grey’s Anatomy and The Bachelor with my girl bad.

    I would hang out with Brian Grant. He seems like a legit dude. Kevin Love too. Every interview I have ever heard with him is cool and beach volleyball has chicks, so yeah. Volleyball. Go to Turkey and do, well, um, whatever the fuck it is they do in Turkey, or go play volleyball at the beach and pull Clooney amounts of ass. My girlfriend has been out of town for a week and I have bad callouses on my hands, so I’m going Clooney.

    Lastly, if I could ask anyone a question, I would ask Sporty-J of he’s ok. I have known people who actually died and didn’t vanish as fast as that guy. I just want him to know that we’re thinking of him. Right guys? Guys? Helloooo….is this thing on?

  • alf (from melmak)

    Amar’e Stoudemire bringing a championship to New York? I would have a better chance of dating Rosie Huntington-Whiteley than that ever happening.

    Let me see. Kevin Love doing volleyball, check. Paul Pierce playing poker, check. Any NBA player willing to play competitive billiards? How about darts? The WWE? Or Dancing With The Stars? I think there are good paychecks there too.

  • Me

    @Hayden:

    Carson was well on his way to being an elite QB until the steelers fucked up his knee. Matter fact, that was the middle of his coming out party. The Steelers lose that playoff game (and Big Ben has doesn’t get his first ring) if Kitna doesn’t have to come in. he was never the same after that.

  • iCARNACKi

    For a player like Amare who has had such trouble with his knees, I think the smart thing is to stay home… same as I think for any NBA star… they’re already making big bucks they don’t need the money… why risk it.

    Just do something like Kevin Love is; its is extremely unlikely that he injures himself playing beach volleyball. He still gets to compete, stay in shape and have a bit of spotlight… thats smart.

    Shawn Kemp could only DH right now, although that gives him ample time to go out and get someone pregnant in between innings while the rest of the team is playing defense.

    GP was probably the best trash talker ever, it used to be hilarious to see him in games, his jaw constantly moving… I bet he was unbelievably annoying to play against. I’d love to see him arguing calls in the dugout.

    Malone & Grant go fishing together? That is all kinds of awesome, who is the other guy in the picture? Stockton’s older brother?

    Carson Palmer played/plays for one of the most dysfunctional teams in the league, until he had injury problems he was legit. Its just the Bengals, they keep pursuing these ‘me, me’ types and wonder why they never go all the way. No team will ever win a SB with Cedric Benson as their RB… I don’t care how good his YPC is… its a hollow statistic because he’s a douche bag.

    Dallas proved it this season; teams who are down to ride for each other and actually get along always trump superior selfish talent.

  • doc

    all the players should go overseas and make Stern play with the D league players for a year and see how much money he make.

  • doc

    And Carson Palmer is trash.Him and Ocho had them good 1 or 2 years and thought they was the shit.

  • Ryan I.

    I’m so scared if Amar’e goes overseas. I can see it being Antonio McDyess 2.0

  • JBaller

    Amare would be a fool to play overseas. He’s just frontin, he would’t risk his the remainder of his fat max contract for chicken change. Whether or not the season starts on time or at all next year, the NBA will be back and he’ll be in NY cashing his paycheck. His back, knees, eyes, etc. make it too risky to go bangin with underpaid Europeans.

    Reminds me of Howard Stern’s game show –

    Who wants to be a Turkish millionaire!

  • LakeShow84

    I hope they all cut out and teach the NBA a valuable fucking lesson..

    The way this shit is going its like the association is just going to let time pass so the bottom tier players start making a ruckus because they cant maintain a whole season without a paycheck with will put pressure on the player union to eat anything thrown at them..

    The world will be a better place when people (and there are ALOT) like David Stern die..

    Just saying

  • LakeShow84

    And Carson Palmer just hasnt been the same since his knee got taken out against the Steelers..

    That was his turning point.. when QB’s lose that pocket fearlessness they are DONE..

  • Skeeter McGee

    I think it’s great that players can go play elsewhere if there is a lockout, just goes to show the owners that they don’t really wield all the power. Recently, we’ve seen the players with ridiculous amount of influence, with LeBron and Bosh creating the SuperFriends Team in S. Beach with Wade, to players now being like “screw the league, I’m gettin buckets somewhere…ANYWHERE!”

    In the back of his mind, Stern is probably actually thrilled that players are going overseas. Honestly, it will probably lead to a faster agreement on a new CBA and it also spreads the league, even though no official NBA logos are being flashed when these players go overseas. Overall, the sport will grow outside the borders and once the lockout is lifted, the NBA will probably be more coveted worldwide than ever before…

  • http://www.DarkWingPro.com DarkWing Productions

    Relax fellow Knick fans, Amare ain’t going nowhere, he just knows how to keep his name buzzing in the sports media.

    All sports should make retirement more permanent and binding, so that players don’t toss it around all willy-nilly.

    I’ve had a chance to shoot interviews with Kevin Love twice, and I can confirm, he’s real down to earth. He’s also not as bulky as I imagined him to be, but obviously, he goes hard in the muthaf***** paint.

  • First & Foremost

    The owners aren’t worried about a mass exodus across the ponds. The entire NBA can’t fit and be paid well by the other leagues. For the ownership groups that own their facilities they can always host other events: MMA, Boxing, Disney, Concerts, Car Shows, NCAA, NRA, Conferences, etc. The owners won’t have to pay salaries and no need for marketing right now. The players have more to lose both in the public and financially. Regular folk like you and me easily lump them into the uber rich because the league minimum is is like 20x what we make. “Players need to stop being babies and take a pay cut.” They are already seen as divas complaining about making more money when the US is near 10% unemployment. Since most aren’t even Jim Jones ballin’ the players will come back just like the NFL, just in time to swallow a lopsided deal.

    ***Dime Article***
    Whose Right: Players vs. Owners

  • JAY

    @ F&F
    Straight up, I’m with the owners. I sympathize with the minimum wage guys but there are WAY more overpaid guys in the NBA than underpaid players. I don’t feel bad for any of them.

  • LakeShow84

    @ F&F

    I know but its wishful thinking they get butthurt lol

  • LakeShow84

    I think the main problem, which is something BOTH NFL and NBA player unions need to address, is that the bottom tier players arent good with their money.. u make 136K a year u should be able to have a decent fucking savings account..

    Especially considering u spend most of ur time traveling, training and playing ur given sport..

    If the players could actually AFFORD to lose a year the owners would be more inclined to come out of their caves with the money..

    Now???? they just get to play the waiting game because the players poker face got sweat all over it..

  • pipdaddyy

    Love should take Budinger with him, he was supposed to be nicer in volleyball than in bball … then maybe Courtney Lee can get some courttime again :)

  • First & Foremost

    The players literally have no leverage. Period. Aging stars have legends to chase. Middle-aged stars can’t risk that last big contract yet have nowhere to go to stay sharp. Summer leagues are nice and all but an NBA season is 10 months long, if you’re lucky. Rookies have the same problems with less money to live off of. Guys who take up roster spots 8 thru 14 aren’t pulling big money overseas. They still have opulent mortgages and family members lined around the block and over the moat with their hands out.

    All of the owners got rich 1 way or another. They have personal savings they can tap into if necessary. Would they like to? no.

    The team that went to the phillipines was all of 10 guys deep. During the last lockout basketball was at its peak. Now, Football is king, and it’s back. Not just any king… Pharoah/Emperor/Supreme Overlord. If this is an extended lockout, BRI will shrink because whatever market share the NBA did have, football will glady take that too. Are kids going to go out and buy NBA jerseys for Christmas if they haven’t seen those players play in 6 months?

    Players can’t even put out shoes if no one sees them outside of a video game. Derek Fisher and co better think long and hard about how stubborn they want to be. I sure do see Lebron holding a press conference that will divide the players so they eventually cave. He makes $3M off the event and resumes marketing himself.

  • Big Island

    Everyone says it’s the players getting paid too much, which they are, but what the fuck? Nobody forced those contracts on the owners. They lock in the deals with guys like Arenas and get screwed. Or Joe Johnson, but at least he plays. Just change the contracts around a little bit where teams can opt out after 2 years in the contract after the rookie deal. If the team could opt out of the contract 2 years into a 5 year deal, almost all of the “bad” contracts would be gone. Sorry BDiddy, pay cut. Rashard Lewis? Elton Brand? Arenas? A47? Pay cuts. I might be done with the NBA now. Play your way to the big contract, but then remain good for the remainder of it. If the team doesn’t opt out, they have to keep you 4 years. I don’t know, I can’t add. Just do something assholes.

    I think Simmons did an article about his solution.

  • LakeShow84

    What these players need to do is take all they money and start they own league..

    Imagine the fallout lol

    But i imagine David Stern would not only kill the idea but the person who thought of it..

  • Big Island

    pipdaddy – I forgot to say that you re correct. Buddinger was a MONSTER in volleyball. Those bastards have serious ups.

  • First & Foremost

    The first time I watched a Men’s volleyball game, Olympics while in college, they had to show some sport, those mofo’s are athletic. They may not all have the coordination to play basketball but the skills are there. Like mom’s who push their kids to play soccer instead of football. Volleyball players are would be basketball players had they ever learned how to shoot or dribble. They get my respect.

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