By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the videos. In this era of technology, Twitter and 24/7 highlights, you probably heard about it not long after Pau Gasol felt it. It gives you an idea of how we value excitement in sports. The Clippers lost last night, Kobe Bryant hit a game-clinching shot and Andrew Bynum was going to work, and yet this morning it’s been all about Blake Griffin un-manning Gasol twice. As we wrote in Smack, he murdered him early, resuscitated him and then killed him again. Twice in one game he smashed all over the Spaniard. Kendrick Perkins and Timofey Mozgov breathed a sigh of relief somewhere. Read More »
When you’re considered a “former NBA player” in the D-League, this is often one of two things: 1) You’re on the 30-something-I-still-want-to-play comeback trail, or 2) You made it for a minute but never really got your shot. Either way, the following 10 players received paychecks with David Stern‘s signature and at least one complimentary pair of NBA socks. Now, they’re doing everything they can to try and persuade NBA GMs that they’re worth a second look. Read More »
Ricky Davis is back. Yes, he of great beards, lots and lots of shots, and cheating-to-get-himself-a-triple-double fame (watch after the jump) has returned. Sort of.
Ridiculous Upside is reporting that Ricky (as well as Greg Ostertag!) has signed a contract with the NBDL and will find out what team he is on once he clears waiver Tuesday afternoon. Read More »
There are a couple of guys in this list you might know pretty well, but are nonetheless surprising to see here. We kick off the weekend with the top 10 plays from the lockout-shortened season in 1998-99.
For his first and only Dime cover story in Dime #38 (December 2007/January 2008), we wanted to get Shaquille O’Neal‘s take on his legacy, the new crop of NBA big men waiting in the wings and some of the most pressing issues facing the League, and basketball in general, at the time. I spoke to Shaq towards the end of the exhibition season one day after practice. His Heat squad was facing an uncertain future, knowing that Dwyane Wade would be out until at least mid-November, and the interview took place shortly before the team jettisoned Antoine Walker to Minnesota for Ricky Davis in an effort to keep afloat until Wade came back… Read More »
“You gonna be ‘Bitches’ … I mean, like you have so many bitches, that’s what n****s is gonna call you. No disrespect.”
- Riley Freeman
Welcome to Bitches, Ohio.
You know the town. Home to the Browns and the Dawg Pound, the Rock ‘N Roll Hall and Halle Berry. You call it Cleveland. But in the five months since the local basketball team lost its sunshine when LeBron James decided to write the next chapter of his career with the Miami Heat, the blue-collar Midwestern city that was supposed to be tough enough to handle sports heartbreak has been — at least on TV — playing the role of a pathetic lovesick puppy. Read More »
Inspired by Andre Iguodala‘s performance with Team USA this summer, Smack reader Poolpal44 (pause?) put A.I.2 on his list of the angriest dunkers of all-time. Making my own list, Ricky Davis crossed my mind, but ultimately missed the cut. Although I’ll never forget this dunk:
As the Nets’ wayward ship careens toward the iceberg that is the worst record in NBA history (they’re still in the running with just 7 wins this season), you figured incidents like this would have happened more often. This is from New Jersey writer Al Iannazzone on the Bergen Record blog:
Lopez’s frustration has been obvious in games and in the locker room lately and it was apparent at practice today.
Lopez stormed off the court and was followed by assistant coach Roy Rogers, several players and a Nets’ security person. Lopez never returned. Read More »
Last week, in the wake of the NBA Trade deadline, I put together a list of five free agents who can help your team right now. But let’s be honest: The pickings were slim. And as I said, any player who has spent time on an NBA roster this season had to be waived by March 1 in order to be eligible for the playoffs with another team. So in light of a bunch of need commodities that surfaced on the market, here’s an updated and expanded list of free agents available to the highest bidder. Read More »
Lance Stephenson Goes Coast-to-Coast on the Knicks, Goes Right Through Raymond Felton 
;
Watch Klay Thompson Get Buckets in High School 
-->