If you're finding this feature for the first time, you might want to check out the previous parts to warm up. We don't want you straining an eyeball.
The NBA's Worst Tattoos: 10-1
10. Kobe Bryant's "Vanessa" Tattoo
So, to recap, Kobe's biceps is adorned with a crown, butterflies, angel wings, Vanessa's hair and Vanessa's name. I can't help but feel he could have saved some space by simply stamping the word "Sorry!" on his arm and calling it quits.
The top 5 players are notorious for flaking out in fantasy basketball land. These guys are major risks. Take at your own caution. They can make or break you.
The regular has ended some time ago and it’s time to touch on the players and moments that made this season memorable. The playoffs just started and it is going to take awhile to determine the champion, but I’d like take this time to look back at stuff that impacted the season and future to come. Hold up. There will be some moments that did not impact the season. It was just funny to point out. Dwight Howard wins another Defensive Player of the Year, Scott Brooks wins Coach of the Year, and Aaron Brooks won Most Improved Player. We can safely assume that LeBron James won Most Valuable Player.
“It’s very sad, but everybody knows it’s not our fault,” the Chicago Bulls point guard and reigning NBA most valuable player said Saturday. “If it was up to us we’d be out there playing. I think that is wrong and I know they could easily take care of it.”
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: I don’t think the players or their union get it. Fault doesn’t matter. Leverage does.
Currently, the owners have leverage in negotiations and intend on using it to right and correct the league’s habit of overpaying their middle class.
The list of mistakes is long and dubious. However, three stand out:
1) Eddy Curry. The puffy post received $33 million from the New York Knicks to play in just 33 games over the last three seasons.
2) Gilbert Arenas. Despite having few suitors, an eccentric personality, and creaky knees, The Hibachi was give a six-year, $111 million contract courtesy of the Washington Wizards.
It’s worth noting this was at least $20 million more than any other team was willing to pay and Arenas claims he left money on the table with the Wizards.
3) Rashard Lewis. Most teams would like a stretch four who can produce 12-15 points per game, however, they wouldn’t want to pay him over $20 million per season.
The Orlando Magic and they got one good season for Lewis before trading him to Washington for, wait for it, Arenas.
There are dozens of other mistakes. Of course, this, like Rose says, is on the owners for misjudging talent and empowering their executives to pay players like the money was endless.
It isn’t.
The economy has changed. Many - especially in smaller, have-not markets - feel the NBA isn’t worth their disposable income, so owners must have a full scale correction.
This means a 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income. This means a re-do of system issues. And this means the pendulum swings back in favour of the owners.
Fault doesn’t matter in such a charged climate. Only leverage does. And the players, who have none, are learning this the hard way.
--O. Sandor.
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Javaris Crittenton has been charged with murder after a woman was shot on an Atlanta street. Jullian Jones was shot and killed on August 19th. Police spokesman Carlos Campos said a murder warrant for the arrest of Crittenton had been issued and that he was not in custody.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Many felt Javaris Crittenton’s incident with Gilbert Arenas twenty months ago was unfortunate.
But nobody was hurt when Crittenton and Arenas brought guns into the Washington Wizards’ locker room and put them on a table when a dispute unfolded between the two guards.
How would the same people feel about reports Crittenton is wanted in the murder of an Atlanta mother of four?
One word: tragic.
A life is lost. And Crittenton, who claimed to have learned from the incident with Arenas, has made an awful mistake.
--Oly Sandor.
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Finally, NBA Commissioner David Stern could not take it anymore. “All right, you want to go tit for tat, I’ll go tit for tat,” Stern said, according to the participants. “I’ll see you J.J. Barea and raise you Eddy Curry.” A shot to the gut, just like that.
HoopsVibe`s Very Quick Call: Touché David Stern.
Players and owners met last June during the Finals to discuss the state of the NBA’s finances, and the two sides, as expected, argued over the amount owners were paying players.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban complained that a former player, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, didn’t do much of anything after signing a multi-year deal for $40 million.
The players countered by saying Cuban was getting a deal by paying combo guard J.J. Barea a relatively low annual salary of $1 million.
Then Commissioner Stern ended the conversation by mentioning Eddy Curry, who earned an appalling $33 million for playing in 31 games over the last three years.
He's right. NBA players are overpaid, specifically the very well-to-do middle class. And the list of players stealing money is in the dozens.
Here’s the question: is this the players fault?
Last I checked the owners signed the checks. Last I checked the owners hired general managers, who were supposed to have the ability to pass on bad contracts.
For instance, nobody forced Abe Pollin and the Washington Wizards to bid against themselves and sign Gilbert Arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract.
Arenas was coming off several knee surgeries. No team was willing to give the combo guard anything close to $111 million. Except, of course, Pollin.
Since signing his mega-deal, Arenas has been suspended for bringing guns into the team’s locker room and was shipped to Orlando, where he rarely played. And the Wizards haven’t been the same since.
So Stern is right. Players earn too much. He should look, in part, to the owners he represents, and not just the players.
However, we doubt Stern will will raise this point when owners and players finally meet next week to start negotiating the new collective bargaining agreement.
--Oly Sandor.
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Seems that a guy like Dwight Howard, nearly 7-feet tall and answering to "Superman," would be a perfect fit at Comic-Con, where he talked about both his budding career as a voice over actor and his basketball future. What about the Lakers? "That's everybody's question," he told the "Kick" audience. "I am wearing purple ... but that's Rock's outfit." The Heat? "Never."
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It would be like the Greasers combining forces with the Socs', or the Capulets breaking bread with the Montagues, or Paris Hilton ‘re-friending’ Kim Kardashian.
Or, like a want-to-be-superhero telling the Comic-Con masses he’d never join the villains, the bad guys, the capped-out Miami Heat.
Give Howard credit. He can charm a crowd -even if that crowd spends weekends playing D&D, Call of Duty, and comparing the old Star Wars trilogy to the new Star Wars trilogy.
However, this is bigger than Comic-Con. Howard’s current team, the Orlando Magic, hate the cross-state Heat. They hate Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade, known as the 'Three Kings'. And they hate arrogant Heat exec' Pat Riley.
There's little Howard can do. The NBA is locked-out. His Magic will lack the pieces, unless Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu rediscover their past form, to topple the Eastern Conference champion Heat.
Howard will opt-out of his contract next July and likely join another superstar. Perhaps something happens with the Lakers -if Jerry Buss falls out of love with Andrew Bynum. Perhaps he links up with Deron Williams and the Nets.
One thing is certain: Howard would 'never' join Miami.
--Oly Sandor.
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I have seen this process firsthand. When I coached for the Clippers, I had to deal with Michael Olowokandi, a player who perfectly fit the description "talented but uncoachable." At practice, I would attempt to point out Mr. Olowokandi's faults to him, ones he constantly repeated and resulted in lost possessions for the team or personal fouls that sent him to the bench. His reaction to my attempts to correct his bad habits was to take my input as a personal insult and embarrassment. He told me point-blank that he would not be criticized in front of the team. He stuck to his word and, as a result, had very few successful moments on the court playing the way he wanted to play. He took his place on the list of athletically gifted washouts who have been in and out of the league in the past 10 years.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is right. Michael Olowokandi is one of many ‘athletically, gifted washouts’.
The problems start with the team. Not the players. Too many owners, executives, and coaches pay based on potential.
For instance, how many bigs, like Olowokandi, get $8-10 million per season because they’re big? That’s it. They’ve done nothing. They’ve achieved nothing. But they’re seven-feet, which makes them worthy of a contract that should offend.
Except it doesn’t offend. It’s the norm. Nobody blinks when Andrea Bargnani, Calvin Booth, Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Brendan Haywood, Kenyon Martin, Bryant Reeves, Tyrus Thomas, and dozens of other stiffs get theirs.
Or, how about the Washington Wizards bidding against themselves and doling out $111 million over six-years to combo guard Gilbert Arenas, despite The Hibachi having undergone three surgeries on his brittle knees?
There are other absurd contracts. The money, of course, creates entitlement. It’s why Olowokandi believes he's above being coached, even when that coach is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a former master in the paint, a world champion, and league MVP.
The ‘Skyhook’ is right. The ‘washout’ era needs to end. Hopefully, the new financial system changes the money and power teams give unproven and undeserving players.
--Oly Sandor.
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Howard found out when the rest of us did: once the trades were completed. Turns out, Howard had a problem with that.
“I wanted to be more part of the process a little more,” Howard said in a radio interview with 790 The Zone in Atlanta. “I had to step out on the court and I wanted to make sure that the people I played with wanted to go out and play hard every night. My only issue was the fact that I didn’t really have a chance to be involved, but I think with the guys that we brought in we still have an excellent chance of winning, but we all have to be on the same page.”
I've talked to people who believe that Chicago will shop Boozer, but you have to keep in mind that his stock is at an all-time low right now. He disappeared in the playoffs and there's a reason Chicago is talking about moving less than a year after signing him. It'll be tough to move him for anything of substance, especially considering how much he's owed over the next four years. With that said, if he does become available, the Orlando Magic will certainly express some level of interest.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Carlos Boozer wouldn’t convince Dwight Howard to forgo free agency and sign a long-term extension with the Orlando Magic.
So the Magic should think carefully about trading for Boozer, and assuming the remaining 4-years and $65 million on his big-ticket contract.
Boozer would be the latest in expensive, overpaid players who couldn’t help superstar Dwight Howard achieve his goal of an NBA championship.
There was Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter. This duo were then swapped mid-season for Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu in separate trades. All four failed miserably.
A frustrated Howard is now angling for a trade. If he doesn’t get it, the five-man will likely leave Orlando as a free agent in two seasons.
Howard would see Boozer for what he is -a talented but injury-prone player, who the Chicago Bulls dumped one season after signing him as a free agent.
It doesn't matter that Howard and Boozer are close, often hanging out together in the summer. Basketball is business. Friendship is personal.
Magic Executive Otis Smith should instead focus on Chris Paul. The New Orleans point guard, who can also become a free agent in July of 2012, is the type of talent that could convince Howard to stay.
Paul and Howard would form a terrific inside-outside duo. They’d attract other free agents, co-stars, and role players. They’d compete for years to come.
Almost every other player, including Boozer, won’t be enough for Howard to recommit to Orlando.
--Oly Sandor.
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"I would expect a Dwight trade this summer or before the next season starts, from what I'm hearing. Rose likes his core because it's the core he has. He's not opposed to the Bulls improving it." (Ric Bucher, ESPN)
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Teams who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
So the Orlando Magic must give serious consideration to trading Dwight Howard or they risk losing another once-in-a-generation-center via free agency.
In the late nineties, Shaquille O’Neal, the Magic’s franchise face and the game’s most dominating player, left Orlando to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
As a Laker, he won three straight championships. The Magic were forced to start over.
Howard, a free agent next summer, is rumored to be looking at bigger markets. He’s been linked to those same Lakers. He’s also been linked to the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets.
The Magic were in the mix to keep their smiling superstar until they blinked this year and changed their roster mid-season with a pair of questionable trades.
Hedo Turkoglu has been decent; however, GM Otis Smith’s gamble on Gilbert Arenas has failed. The Hibachi is out of propane, struggling with shot knees, high expectations that come with a big-ticket contract, and low confidence.
Smith has failed to find Howard a co-star. So Howard, if he wants a championship, will likely find his own co-stars elsewhere.
Smith, despite his denials, will have to be open to a trade. Unless he wants to repeat the past and lose Howard for nothing as a free agent.
--Oly Sandor.
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With Dwight Howard in the final year of his contract next season, Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith is fully prepared to receive a host of offers for the All Star center.
"To say it hasn't happened before is crazy, so, yes, I expect it to happen," Smith said Friday. "And the answer will be the same as it always is: No."
During media availability on Friday of All-Star Weekend, Dwight Howard was asked about the possibility of becoming a member of the Lakers when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2012. "As of right now, I’m in Orlando and that’s the only thing on my mind, is getting our team back to the Finals,” responded Howard.
All of Orlando has seen this haunting movie before. The Magic know what's out there, too. They're aware of the rumbles in circulation that Howard secretly longs to make the same cross-country trek to Los Angeles that Shaquille O`Neal mapped out in 1996, with one source close to the situation insisting that Howard and Lakers star Kobe Bryant are far closer pals than people realize.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: We’ve seen this before. Franchise post leaves the Orlando Magic, signs with the Los Angeles Lakers, and wins multiple championships next to Kobe Bryant.
Technically, Dwight Howard is a ways away from pulling a Shaq-Fu and leaving the Magic as a free agent –the big man can exercise an option on his contract in July of 2012.
However, the rumors and rumblings were loud enough for the Magic to initiate two blockbuster trades last month, acquiring Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, and Hedo Turkoglu.
Will the combo guard formerly known as The Hibachi, J-Rich, and Turkoglu appease Howard?
After all, Howard loves the spotlight. He loves flashing his pearly white teeth for the cameras and busting jokes for reporters. Unfortunately, Orlando is small; so small he can’t maximize endorsements and get another legit superstar to join him.
Without a premier wing-man, Howard has little shot at a championship in Orlando. He needs help; really good help to beat the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat in a seven-game, do-or-die series.
Howard knows this, so leaving Orlando for a major market like New York or Los Angeles remains a possibility. Of course, the Knicks have Amar`e Stoudemire, while the Lakers have Kobe Bryant.
For personal and professional reasons, Howard would prefer Los Angeles. He and Bryant are friends, and would form a deadly inside-outside combination. A Howard-Stoudemire pairing sounds enticing, but could be awkward.
In the coming months, there will be more talk of Howard joining Bryant in Los Angeles. Orlando can quiet the talk and re-sign their superstar by winning a championship.
--Oly Sandor.
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Sources near Magic say guard Jason Williams unhappy with situation, trying to be patient with Otis Smith, wants a trade or his release.
Reserve PG Jason Williams was on the Magic's active roster Saturday, but he didn't dress because he continues to be bothered by problems with his left foot. Williams, 35, said doctors have told him that he suffers from arthritis in the foot, and Williams is concerned because the discomfort hasn't subsided over the last month and a half.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Is it the end for White Chocolate? Or is it a new beginning?
There are differing reports on the future of Orlando Magic point guard Jason Williams. One report has him asking for his release because he’s behind Jameer Nelson, Gilbert Arenas, and Chris Duhon. The other has him retiring due to arthitis in his foot.
Either way, his time with the Magic is likely ending. If healthy and available, a contender will show interest.
Williams is more than behind the back dimes and circus moves. He once had the league’s top assist-to-turnover ratio, started for the 2006 world champion Miami Heat, and had veteran sideline boss Hubie Brown dub him the smartest player he ever coached.
Hopefully, he gets meaningful minutes somewhere. Williams, a fan favourite, deserves nothing less.
--Oly Sandor.
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"We'll still find ways to get better in some spots," Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith said. "Losing the backup center is big. So, you need a little size for about probably five teams. That's really what it comes down to, so we'll probably address that over the next month or so."
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The wheeling-and-dealing will continue.
On Saturday, the Orlando Magic overhauled their roster in separate trades with the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards.
The Magic dealt Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, and Mickael Pietrus to the Suns for Earl Clark, Jason Richardson, and Hedo Turkoglu. Then they sent Rashard Lewis to the Wizards for Gilbert Arenas.
The Magic improved on the wing, but – after dealing Gortat – need a five-man to relieve superstar Dwight Howard.
Howard, despite winning The Defensive Player of the Year award, is prone to foul trouble. Things were so bad last year teammates nicknamed him ‘Foul On You’.
The Magic need a reserve center to bail Howard out when he's overzealous in the paint. A back-up for Howard will also help them compete with bigger contenders like the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Fortunately, the Magic have spare assets. Acquiring Arenas, Richardson, and Turkoglu has made wings J.J. Redick and ‘Q’ Richardson expendable.
A market exists for Redick, even though he’s having an off year and is on the books for an additional two seasons at a combined $12 million.
Richardson can defend and hit the three. Best of all, the veteran is signed through 2014 at a reasonable $2.5 million per annum.
Last weekend was just the beginning for the Magic. More moves are coming. If they’re serious about a championship, they’ll trade a wing for a post.
--Oly Sandor.
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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: He smiled. He laughed. He provided incite. Best of all, he looked and sounded like the old Gilbert Arenas.
The combo guard formerly known as Agent Zero seemed happy to have a ‘new beginning’ with the Orlando Magic. Click the video clip and get at us with thoughts on Arenas’ first comments as member of the Magic.
--Oly Sandor.
The Orlando Magic, already in serious trade talks with the Washington Wizards about acquiring Gilbert Arenas, have agreed to a deal in principle with the Phoenix Suns, according to league sources.
After the Wizards lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Arenas privately told people that a deal could possibly be in the works with either Orlando or Charlotte. Word started to spread throughout Verizon Center that evening, but the talk initially was shut down by multiple league sources. The Magic realizes they have to make a move. They have to do something,`` said the source.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The NBA is a superstar’s league and the rest of us are living in it.
For instance, Dwight Howard, the Orlando Magic’s MVP candidate, wants changes to the roster. The big post knows his team isn’t in the same class as the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat, so he’s pressing executive Otis Smith to make a trade.
Being a superstar’s league, Smith must appease. Currently, he’s scouring the trade market for something, anything to keep Howard happy.
And Gilbert Arenas’ name keeps popping up.
Yes, the guy with a rep’ for being more high maintenance than one of those housewives of Orange County. Yes, the brittle combo guard with one of the worst contracts in pro sports. Yes, the Washington Wizards want to part with their former superstar who has a history of injuries, hooliganism, and shenanigans.
Sure, Arenas can score. And sure, he has a relationship with Smith. But The Superstar Formerly Known As The Hibachi has never toned down his shot-first mentality for others.
In fact, Arenas has to be The Guy. He knows nothing else. It’s option one status or broke. Such a mentality and approach isn’t what Howard and the Magic need.
Smith needs to look for the best deal possible. With Arenas, he’d be making a deal for the sake of making a deal.
--Oly Sandor.
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According to sources, talks have resurfaced between the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards regarding a potential trade for guard Gilbert Arenas.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Like Anthony Robbins, the NBA is all about personal power -or the power of personal relationships.
The Orlando Magic is the only team interested in controversial Washington Wizards’ guard Gilbert Arenas. The reason: Magic GM Otis Smith is a friend, mentor, and confidante to Arenas.
In short, he still believes. Smith thinks Arenas, in the right circumstance, can recapture his past form and excel as a co-star next to super-post Dwight Howard.
Perhaps he’s right. New scenery can do wonders.
However, Arenas has taken a great physical and emotional pounding. The knee surgeries have changed him. So has the fallout and suspension from bringing guns into the Wizards locker room.
A new team, even one with a chance at a championship, may not be enough.
But the Magic may have no other choice. Howard needs help if they are to compete with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs for a championship.
Friendship may result in Smith gambling on Arenas.
--Oly Sandor.
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The Washington Wizards spoke with the Orlando Magic recently about a potential swap of Gilbert Arenas for Vince Carter, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: It's not happening.
Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith is close friends with Gilbert Arenas, and he advised the 'sharpshooter' during his recent issues stemming from bringing guns into the Washington Wizards' locker room.
However, Smith doesn't want to mix their personal and professional relationship. This is wise. After all, Carter's contract is only guaranteed for one season. Then his $17 million salary comes off the books, while Arenas is still owed over $80 million.
Reports have Smith dangling Carter's expiring contract in front of the cash-strapped New Orleans Hornets. And he wants to get back superstar point guard Chris Paul.
Also, new Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is pushing the organization and fans to re-embrace Arenas. The businessman who brought much life to a morbid Capitals franchise is excited about pairing Arenas with first overall pick John Wall.
An interesting idea, however, The Hibachi and VC aren't trading places.
Got thoughts on Arenas for Carter?
Today, the NBA held their annual draft lottery in New Jersey. Below is the order those little white ping pong balls were pulled by some suit from league head office who wasn’t Commissioner/Corporal Stern.
14: Houston Rockets.
13: Toronto Raptors.
12: Memphis Grizzlies.
11: New Orleans Hornets.
10: Indiana Pacers.
9: Utah Jazz.
8: Los Angeles Clippers.
7: Detroit Pistons.
6: Golden State Warriors.
5: Sacramento Kings.
4: Minnesota Timberwolves.
3: New Jersey Nets.
2: Philadelphia 76ers.
1: Washington Wizards.
HoopsVibe’s Quick Call: The Washington Wizards wanted a chance to rebuild and they’ll get it, courtesy of the NBA draft lottery.
The Wizards won the first overall pick and the right to select Kentucky point guard John Wall. Wall seems to have it all: athleticism, skill, and size.
Best of all, with Wall in the fold, the club now has the option to slide Gilbert Arenas to the two-spot when the controversial guard returns from suspension for turning the locker room into a good old fashion stand off.
After all, there will be no trade market for Arenas. And buying him out would be an expensive proposition in this troubled economy.
So look for an Arenas-Wall backcourt in the nation’s capital next season, which should certainly be both interesting and entertaining.
Got thoughts on the Wizards winning the draft lottery and the right to draft John Wall? Let us know in the comment box below.
A few minutes later, he re-emerged in a long-sleeve black T-shirt with a hood pulled low over his forehead. He hopped into a white Range Rover and drove off.
Federal officials chose a Montgomery halfway house near the White Flint Mall because of its reputation as a halfway house that is run with the discipline of a prison. The facility screens visitors and can keep Arenas safe from celebrity seekers and other convicts. "It's to protect Gilbert. It's a command and control operation where nonsense will not be permitted," said a federal source with knowledge of the decision, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak about the case.