HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Minnesota rookie Ricky Rubio has a little Steve Nash and 'Pistol' Pete Maravich in his game.
But his behind the back dime is reminiscent of Jason Williams when he was with Sacramento in the late nineties. Check out the video and get at HoopsVibe News with thoughts.
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The Quick Hit: For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic, it’s all or nothing.
The all is having Commissioner David Stern hand over the Larry O’Brien trophy in two months and pronounce them world champions in a champagne soaked ceremony.
Only the all will do. Only the all will satisfy their demanding fan base. Only the all will satisfy their demanding owners, who have taken on multi-million dollar luxury tax payments for this precise moment.
While nothing, or falling short of an NBA Title, will force Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Orlando to make wholesale changes this off-season. Right or wrong, fair or not, these are the stakes when playing for a contender.
You wouldn't believe the number of inky abominations etched into the pelts of pro ballers. I'd originally planned a simple list of the league's ten worst tats, but when my dishonourable mention section hit double digits I realised I'd need to expand the scope of the project a little. Even when I elongated the list to twenty-five terrible tattoos, I still found that I had to exclude some real atrocities. In the end it took a full fifty spots to showcase the shittiest skin art in the L.
I start taking a couple of steps towards Pat. Udonis Haslem steps in and I shove him out of the way. Then Zo tries to grab me. I threw him aside like he was a rag doll.Now it's me and Riley face-to-face, jaw to jaw. I'm poking him in the chest and he keeps slapping my finger away and it's getting nasty. Noisy, too. He's yelling "F--- you!" and I'm yelling back, "No, f--- you!" Zo is trying to calm us both down and he has this kind of singsong panic in his voice. He keeps saying, "Big fella, no big fella, big fella!" I finally turn around and tell him, "Don't worry. I'm not going to hit the man. Do you think I'm crazy?"
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Shaquille O’Neal’s tell-all tour continues. No player, coach, man, or woman will be spared.
The future Hall of Fame center has a spill-the-beans book coming out, so he and his people have leaked excerpts to create a buzz.
Like O’Neal’s World Wars with Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. Like O`Neal`s take on LeBron James ignoring Coach Mike Brown in Cleveland. Like O`Neal`s lack of a relationship with iconic center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The latest: O’Neal nearly fought Pat Riley, also known as the oil slick, during practice with Miami. Of course, O’Neal says he was heroically sticking up for teammate Jason Williams.
This may or may not be true. There’s no disputing O’Neal has had problems with coaches.
There was the fallout with Riley. There were problems with Phil Jackson, another all-time great on the sideline. And he undermined Terry Porter in Phoenix.
So before blaming others, O’Neal should perhaps look inward first. This, however, is unlikely.
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According to Impact owner and renowned trainer Joe Abunassar, the Clippers' Blake Griffin, Mo Williams and Randy Foye came by last week and expressed a desire to enter the league with a team made up solely of their teammates.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The Los Angeles Clippers are on the verge of a breakthrough.
Yes, I’m talking about those Clippers. Yes, I know their history. And yes, I know they are owned by Donald Sterling, also known as The Don or The Worst Owner in Pro Sports.
None of that matters, though.
The Clippers resemble the Sacramento Kings of yesteryear, specifically the 1998-99 lockout shortened season when a squad led by Chris Webber, Jason ‘White Chocolate’ Williams, and Vlade Divac went 27-23.
Those Kings not only entertained but possessed a togetherness that made them a force in the Western Conference for the next five years.
Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and the Clippers were a League Pass must-see last year, however, they also turned the corner and played some solid basketball.
Now reports indicate that the Clippers, as a team, want to join the new league that Impact Basketball is organizing for mid-September in Las Vegas.
So the Clippers are united; Griffin, their superstar, is leading. And L.A.’s other squad seems poised to take another step in 2012 -if there’s a season.
--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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Jason Williams and the Magic have agreed on a deal for the 10-11 season, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. Williams spent last season with the Magic after taking a year off for personal reasons.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: This is a pleasant surprise.
The Orlando Magic recently signed Chris Duhon to a multi-year deal to serve as Jameer Nelson's back-up. The thinking was Williams - who came out of retirement in 2009 to join the Magic - would call it a career or sign elsewhere.
However, Orlando wisely inked him to another cheap, one-year deal. And why not?
Williams is an excellent back-up, exciting teammates and fans with his razzle-dazzle 'White Chocolate' game, while still posting excellent assist-to-turnover numbers.
He's also expereienced. Williams, after all, was the starting table-setter for the 2006 World Champion Miami Heat.
Bottom line: the Magic want to win it all in 2011, so signing Williams was a necessity.
--Oly Sandor.
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