HoopsVibe`s Very Quick Call: He disappeared into thin air after signing a massive extension with Comedy Central. Or, did he?
Last night elusive comedian Dave Chappelle showed up in the Golden State Warriors’ locker room, prompting some shouting from reserve guard Nate Ronbinson. Check it out …
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5 shot at the Rucker Park Entertainment Basketball Classic last night.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: It's a rough game in NYC.
Drake out partying with the Chicago Bulls.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: It didn't take long for the Chicago Bulls to get over their loss to Miami and start partying away the summer did it?
It’s not a mass exodus although notable players are taking off to become international ballers. As this is happening, some fans were saying that the NBA is in better shape than the NFL. Uh how so? Are you oblivious? The NFL is about to reach an agreement to end the lockout. Where is the NBA? I’m not even sure if they are even negotiating right now. The players and owners are too far apart. There are some owners against owners. As a result, the players are leaving.
I’m sick of hearing about the damn strike, as if anything is going to be ironed out anytime soon. The season probably isn’t going to happen. So instead of focusing on an upcoming season that probably won’t happen, let’s look back at some historical NBA stuff that has happened. Call it reflecting, call it contemplating, call it chilling out- But let’s do it, baby. Specifically about the NBA Slam Dunk Contest; who is the greatest champion of all time? The contest started in 1984 and there have been 26 total contests and 20 men have walked away with the title.
While the list is pretty long of athletes who have played both baseball and football in college and at least one sport professionally after that (or both if you're Bo or Deion), finding a combination football/basketball player is very rare.
Oklahoma City is close to completing a buyout of guard Nate Robinson's contract and the seven-year veteran is likely to become a free agent as soon as Saturday morning, a source close to the situation told SI.com.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s all caught up with him. And now he’s without a team.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have decided Nate Robinson isn’t worth the hassle, buying-out the controversial but talented combo guard.
Robinson, who can score in bunches, may be hard pressed to find a team, and if he does get a contract he won’t have a major role.
After all, the Thunder, who are one of the best teams in the Western Conference, decided they’re better off without Robinson.
They don’t want the distraction. They don’t want his drama. And they don’t want his shot first approach.
--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
Come on Los Angeles. You’re better than this. Shout outs to Shrek and Donkey AKA Big Baby Glen Davis and Nate Robinson. They stepped up when it mattered. Davis added 18 points and Nasty Nate provided 12 points. Lamar Odom disappeared as usual with 10 points in nearly 40 minutes of game time. Andrew Bynum could not get his game going, which resulted in Phil Jackson yanking him out early. The nagging injury is really affecting him.
"I'm as clean as the Board of Health man."Iverson denied playing any role in a 2009 bar fight at the South Beach Pizza Bar nightclub inside the Fisher Building. He said he hired bodyguards, including a pre-Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee, to stay out of trouble."I get sued for stuff I don't got nothing to do with. I ain't involved with. Ain't nobody never said ... I touched them," Iverson, 36, said. "I don't do nothing to nobody, buddy."Lattimer had a quick reply."The head honcho ain't supposed to," he said. Iverson: "Yeah, I ain't no damn mob boss. I don't live my life like that. I got five kids. I don't put that on their head. That's a fairytale that y'all living in …"
What is the status of Nate Robinson, who wanted to resume his career as a football player? Aaron Goodwin: The NFL is an alternative but he did not say he wanted to play in the NFL. He just wants to play basketball for now. He is interested in coming to Europe during the lockout. Which teams are interested in getting him? Aaron Goodwin: We talked with many teams but we have never been close to a deal. I can't name the teams but we have been in contact with teams playing in Greece, Russia, Turkey and China. There will also be a clause in his NBA contract. I won't let any of my clients come abroad without a return clause in the NBA.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The NFL is out. Is Europe or China in?
Apparently Nate Robinson will not pursue an NFL career during the lockout, and is instead looking to sign with an overseas club in China or Europe.
China would be best as teams would see Robinson as a short-term marketing gimmick, and would be far more tolerant of his bravado both on and off court.
European coaches would struggle to integrate the flashy combo guard into their rigid sets, methodical schemes, and two-a-day practices.
After all, Europe is about the collective, and, fair or not, Robinson is often accused of being about one individual: himself.
--Oly Sandor.
--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
Three-time NBA slam-dunk champ Nate Robinson was busted early yesterday for relieving himself on a downtown White Plains street, police said. Cops caught the ex-Knick, whose 5-foot-9 height belies his 43½-inch vertical leap, in flagrante delicto at 1:53 a.m. across the street from City Hall.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The problem isn’t public urination. The problem is it happened at 1:53am.
If Nate Robinson was serious about his craft, if he was serious about being more than a marketing gimmick, he’d be living like a professional athlete.
The key word is professional. That means early to bed, early to rise, and dedicating himself to improving every summer.
Nothing good happens in the wee hours of the morning, especially if you’re an athlete. You’re either drunk, fighting, or wooing a member of the opposite sex, who isn’t you’re significant other.
In today’s interconnected world, Robinson can’t be out doing god knows what at 2am in the morning. It will be on twitter, facebook, the net, or all three in a matter of hours.
Of course, Robinson’s career is in a lull. He revived things with his play in the 2010 NBA Finals, only to end up injured and on the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This won't help. Not one bit.
Eventually, he’ll run out of chances. And nobody will care what time, when, or where Robinson urinates.
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The Boston Celtics are having fun.
Reserves Glen Davis and Nate Robinson are always up to something, while new addition Shaquille O’Neal loves the punchline.
Even Paul Pierce is getting in on the action. During Tuesday’s 93-85 win over the Boston Celtics, Pierce, after chasing a loose ball out of bounds, suddenly took a swig out of a fan’s water bottle.
The fan, even though she supported the Pacers, didn’t seem to mind. Anyway, watch the clip and get at us with thoughts on Pierce’s antics.
--Oly Sandor.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Think Nate Robinson was excited when Paul Pierce hit the game-winning shot against his former team, the New York Knicks?
First, the Boston combo guard tried recreating his days as a prep football star in Washington by tackling Pierce.
Then he tried recreating his ‘Shrek and Donkey’ moment from last year’s NBA Finals with Glen Davis by leaping onto Pierce.
Both attempts failed. Badly. The second ended with Robinson falling on his face and eating the floor at Madison Square Garden.
Click the video below and get at us with thoughts on Robinson’s antics.
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It took a few days, but Krypto-Nate has officially welcomed the original Superman to the Boston Celtics.
Nate Robinson – the joker, prankster, and entertainer – dunked on an unsuspecting Shaquille O’Neal during the opening moments of the green-and-white’s training camp.
O’Neal then chased Robinson for a few moments, which resembled something out of Lord of the Rings when the giant chases a tiny hobbit.
Anyway, check out the video and get at us with comments in the box below.
--Oly Sandor.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: At times, his swagger was too much.
Fair or not, the New York Knicks tired of Nate Robinson showboating like a WWE wrestler. And this led to Coach Mike D'Antoni and Executive Donnie Walsh moving the combo guard at the trade deadline.
To the dismay of his fans, the Sprite Slam Dunk champion toned down his act for the Boston Celtics, the defending Eastern Conference champions.
However, the old Nate recently appeared at the Steve Nash charity soccer event in downtown New York.
Robinson scored a beautiful goal and dropped a celebration that would make every player in the 2010 World Cup jealous. Click this link for the video and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below.
The Lakers have the best player, but Boston's depth of big-time playmakers will prevail in a game like this. I count eight Celtics -- the four current or former All-Stars in their starting lineup, plus Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, Nate Robinson’s and little-used Michael Finley, a three-point shooter with the potential to become this game's Steve Kerr -- who have it in them to make the big shot. The absence of Kendrick Perkins may create more offense for the Celtics, and they'll make up for his rebounding with a team effort led by Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Anticipate nothing less than a tightly wound classic played to a tempo that suits Boston.
Click here for Ian Thomsen's official game seven prediction and more analysis from the CNNSI crew.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: The Boston Celtics are deserving of respect.
Consider their road to the NBA Finals. First, they took out Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat -despite some questionable tactics from Kevin Garnett. They made the Cleveland Cavaliers – the NBA’s best team in the regular season – implode, which, unfortunately, gave us an extra month of The LeBron Watch. They then coolly took out the Orlando Magic, the reigning Eastern Conference champions, in six games.
This was a most improbable run for a club that was supposedly dead, gone, and over at mid-season. Clearly, they saved their best for last, though.
The green-and-white have now pushed the defending champion and heavily favoured Lakers to the limit. The secret to Boston’s success: inspired team play on the defensive end.
Look at the NBA Finals: they’ve mostly contained Ron Artest and Lamar Odom; they’ve battled superstar Pau Gasol; and they’ve made the immortal Kobe Bryant look surprisingly mortal.
Doc Rivers’ crew is an all-time great defensive team. They can hang with any of Phil Jackson’s Chicago teams that had notable defenders like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant/Dennis Rodman. And they hold their own against Detroit’s Bad Boys and any of Pat Riley’s squads in Los Angeles or New York.
Offensively, somebody different carries the load each night. For instance, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo have all had moments.
Of course, reserves Glen Davis and Nate Robinson – also known as Shrek and Donkey - won game four of the NBA Finals. And the defending Sprite Slam Dunk Champion went off in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals, too.
That said, the Lakers have the edge in the decisive game-seven. Here’s why:
1) Home-court matters: The purple-and-gold is a different team at home. They’re confident. They’re nasty. And they’re arrogant.
2) No Perk’: The Celtics will miss Kendrick Perkins. They lack the size to win the paint, and contain Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.
3) Kobe Bryant: He’s the best player on either team. He’s the best player in the NBA. And he understands tonight is a legacy game.
Bryant – if he wants to be considered an all-time great – can’t afford a loss. After all, five championships are far better than four. And two losses to the arch rival Celtics in the NBA Finals would be devastating.
Expect Bryant to drop a Jordan-like effort. And HoopsVibe News expects the Lakers to win.
Prediction for game-seven of the 2010 NBA Finals: Lakers 95, Boston 88.
Got thoughts? What is your prediction for game-seven of the NBA Finals?
It's looking a lot like 2008 again, with Paul Pierce carrying the Boston Celtics to victory in the NBA finals and leading them to the brink of yet another title.
Pierce scored 27 points -- his best performance of this year's finals -- and the Celtics withstood 38 points from Kobe Bryant to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 92-86 on Sunday night and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: On Friday, Kobe Bryant told reporters he was miserable because of his poor play. Tonight, he'll be miserable for a different reason.
The Los Angeles Lakers' superstar raised his play, even scoring an astounding 19 points in the third quarter; however, his co-stars all had poor nights, which was the reason for the game-five loss.
For instance, Ron Artest struggled on both ends of the floor; Pau Gasol's 12 points and 12 rebounds won't cut it in the NBA Finals; Andrew Bynum - wonky knee or not - should've been better than 6 points and 1 rebound; and Lamar Odom was a non-factor.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics won with balance. The Big Four delivered: Paul Pierce found his touch and had a team-high 27 points; Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo combined for 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists; and Ray Allen had an efficient 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
While the bench didn't repeat their game four heroics, they still contributed. Tony Allen, Nate Robinson, and Rasheed Wallace hit some shots, played tough defense, and, best of all, brought energy.
And this was the difference in game five. As a group, the Celtics seemed determined. Other than Bryant, the Lakers seemed flustered.
In the second half, Tony Allen gave the Celtics a surge with his tremendous weak side block on Pau Gasol. Then, in the closing moments, the 6-3 Rondo leaped the 6-10 Odom for an improbable tip-in basket to seal the win.
With the exception of Bryant, no Laker had a momentum changing moment or timely play. The purple-and-gold had too many passengers on this night.
Despite trailing in the series, the Lakers still have home-court advantage with game-six and seven at Staples Center.
The Lakers must improve, though. Or the Celtics will win the NBA championship and Bryant will be more than miserable.
Got thoughts on game five? Get at us in the comment box below.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: They're getting the last laugh.
Right or wrong, fair or not, Glen Davis and Nate Robinson have taken their lumps. Just this year, Davis got heat for breaking his hand in a training camp fight with a college friend, while Robinson's animated antics wore thin in New York.
There was good reason for the criticism: 'Big Baby' and 'Kryptonite' had talent and, at their core, seemed like good people. Both had the potential to be impact players -exactly like they did to seal the win in game four of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
And both, while immature, love basketball. After all, these two described their game four play as being 'like Shrek and Donkey.'
Now is their moment to shine. Davis and Robinson are taking full advantage and - as the clip below demonstrates - getting the last laugh.
Watch the youtube video and get us with thoughts on this dynamic duos' post-game stand-up act and play in game four.
Backup Glen "Big Baby" Davis scored half of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Celtics bench as it pulled away from the Los Angeles Lakers to win 96-89 on Thursday night and even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
Game 5 is Sunday night in Boston. The Celtics' win guaranteed them a trip back to Los Angeles and averted a 3-1 deficit that has never been overcome in NBA history.
Kobe Bryant scored 33 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Lakers.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Down the stretch, the Boston Celtics needed a spark. And their bench answered the call, winning game four for the green-and-white.
With starters Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo struggling, coach Doc Rivers went with four reserves and first-stringer Ray Allen for most of the fourth quarter.
And this makeshift unit responded in the final frame: Glen Davis tallied 9 of his 18 points; Nate Robinson scored and set up others; Tony Allen forced Kobe Bryant left and made the game's best player work for every point; and Rasheed Wallace's length and physicality eventually wore on Pau Gasol.
Best of all, Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Davis, Robinson, and Wallace brought an energy that Boston was missing for most of the game.
The news gets worse for the Los Angeles Lakers: Andrew Bynum sat out the entire second half and only played 12 minutes because of his injured knee.
Bynum's numbers have been mediocre due to his poor health; however, his height and length has given the Celtics problems. Also, with Bynum on-court, Gasol can shift to the four-spot, his natural position.
However, give the Celtics credit. They capitalized on Bynum's absence. And their bench came through in the clutch.
Got thoughts on game four?
Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his five-year career, said he definitely has interest in re-signing with the Celtics if they want him back.
"Of course,'' Robinson said in an interview Friday with FanHouse, a day after Boston fell 102-89 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers.
Even though the 5-foot-9 Robinson's playing time has been erratic, he said he likes the way the Celtics have treated him since he was acquired Feb. 19 from New York.
"I feel wanted here,'' said Robinson, who averaged 6.5 points in 14.7 minutes in 26 Boston regular-season games, but has seen his numbers drop in the postseason to 3.4 points in 6.4 minutes in the 11 games he has played.
"This group of guys, this team, this organization is good for me. They're high class, man. They keep it 100 percent (real) with you. Doc (Rivers, the coach) keeps it 100 percent. He tells you straight forward what he wants. I like that.''
HoopsVibe's Quick Call: Can you feel the love?
Nate Robinson is apparently cool with the Boston Celtics because they've 'kept it 100 percent' real with him.
Okay, HoopsVibe News has no idea what this means, except it's good. For several reasons, club and player are a fit and should continue their mutually beneficial partnership with an extension this summer. Here's why:
1) Boston's Hall of Fame veterans have the credibility to keep Robinson on track. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce can play bad cop and, if necessary, get in the tiny combo guard's face, allowing Coach Doc Rivers and GM Danny Ainge to play the good cop and encourage him.
2) Of course, Robinson, when focused, provides energy, life, and athleticism. This is always useful, especially when coming off the bench for a veteran laden club. For instance, the former Slam Dunk champion had an amazing game six performance, which helped Boston seal the Eastern Conference championship.
3) The Celtics are a defensive terror. That's their identity. Together, Robinson and Rajon Rondo would be the quickest starter-back-up point guard tandem in the NBA. And they'd harass opposing table-setters with their intense on-the-ball pressure.
4) How out of control can you look with Rasheed Wallace as a teammate?
Is Robinson and the Celtics and a match? Let us know in the comment box below.
The NBA's most-decorated team avoided the biggest playoff collapse in league history and earned a chance to hang an unprecedented 18th championship banner from the rafters.
Paul Pierce had 31 points and 13 rebounds, and little-used backup Nate Robinson gave the Celtics a boost with 13 second-quarter points as Boston beat the Orlando Magic 96-84 on Friday night, earning a chance to play for a second NBA title in three years.
HoopsVibe's Quick Call: Defense wins championships. Or in the case of the Boston Celtics, defense wins the Eastern Conference crown.
Flashback to mid season and the green-and-white were presumed dead. The Big Three was deemed too old and critics thought Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins weren't capable of filling the void.
Well, they proved us wrong. All of us.
The Celtics defied the odds because they get stops, even on the road, which gives them a chance in every game and series. Offensively, they spread the wealth with many different players capable of carrying the load or providing a spark.
For instance, in the second quarter of tonight's contest, tiny Nate Robinson chipped in with 13 points to give Boston a commanding lead, despite barely seeing the court in the playoffs.
And if the Celtics continue defending they could well win their eighteenth championship.
Has Boston surprised you? Why? Why not? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts.