Even though there was no NBA game action last night, there was tons of activity in the League. As we mentioned yesterday in Smack, while there were certainly some memorable plays in the tune-up games, this preseason will be known for two things: a lack of “real” NBA refs and injuries. Thankfully the former has been cleared up after the NBA reached an agreement with the referees, but unfortunately the latter seems to be an overwhelming reality for many of the League’s standout players … On the eve of the season opener, which includes a matchup between the Lakers and Clippers in a battle for Los Angeles (well, not really), it appears the Clippers will be without their superstar. Announced late last night, Blake Griffin may miss up to six weeks with a stress fracture of his left patella. Suffered during the Clippers’ last preseason game against the Hornets on Friday, this is horrible news for the No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year favorite … Read More »
Last time I checked, the only “stars” on the Grizzlies were O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. But apparently after he did a little work two weeks ago helping Iran win the FIBA Asia Championship, Hamed Haddadi thinks he deserves to be on that level. Read More »
Seeing as LeBron has given 15,000 “I’m cool where I’m at/I love Cleveland” interviews and yet you’ve still got dudes in New York City hawking homemade LBJ #23 Knicks jerseys on the street, there’s really no point in superstar free-agents-to-be saying anything about their situation in the months before they hit the market. Especially when they have a chance to sign a contract extension and don’t do it. Dwyane Wade probably gave Miami fans a lift with some recent quotes in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “Next year will be a big year for myself and for the team, but the plan has always been to stay with the Heat, and that’s still the plan,” Wade said. Read More »
Lately we’ve been calling for NBA TV to do us starving hoop fans a favor and put next month’s FIBA European Championships on the air, all while forgetting the FIBA Asia Cup is actually going on right now. Not as much star power, not as high quality ball, but we still wouldn’t mind seeing some of those games on the schedule to replace the endless ’80s re-run games … From the games yesterday — or next Tuesday or whatever it would be with the U.S./China time difference — Yi Jianlian was the star, putting up 29 points and 18 boards in China’s win over Jordan. Read More »
You may have already seen this floating around today on the web, but these videos of a scuffle between Iran and Jordan in the 2009 Jones Cup are worth watching just to hear the announcer describing what Grizzlies’ center Hamed Haddadi does to a dude on the Jordanian squad - apparently Haddadi grabs the guy “by the head like a piece of coconut.”
Seriously, how many guys in the League can do what Blake Griffin did on that lefty put-back? Hamed Haddadi nearly pooped his pants when he saw BG soaring over the top and banging that back with his off hand. I’m not sure that anyone outside of Dwight, Josh Smith and LeBron could do that.
