Kobe Bryant Shares Picture From Achilles Surgery
Cringes
Kobe Bryant decided to share a surgery picture of his right leg/heel on Instagram Tuesday. He had an operation last month to repair the Achilles tendon, which he tore against the Golden State Warriors on April 12.
Kawhi Leonard Posterizes Harrison Barnes
San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard got the better of Golden State Warriors rookie Harrison Barnes on this play Tuesday night.
San Francisco’s City Hall Pays Tribute To Golden State Warriors
Warriors Come Out To Play
The Golden State Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs on the road to tie up the NBA playoff series one game apiece. The city of San Francisco and the Bay Area are doing what they can to support their young team, and it starts at City Hall. Check out the overhaul in lights that San Francisco’s city hall has gotten for the Warriors’ playoff run.
Screaming Spurs Fan Ruins Game For TV Viewers
If you were watching the fourth quarter and overtimes of game one between the San Antonio Spurs-Golden State Warriors, you no doubt heard the screaming lady yelling every time the Spurs did something good on the court that she stole the focus of the game away from the players.
Stephen Curry confronts fan after game
Stephen Curry confronted a fan following the Golden State Warriors 107-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Curry had a poor shooting night going 7-for-19 and 1-of-7 on threes, giving him 15 points in the loss.
Mychal Thompson docking son Klay’s allowance for Pacers fight
Involved Parent
Mychal Thompson knows a thing or two about the trappings of being an NBA player, and the former No. 1 overall pick and two-time NBA champion is instilling those lessons on his son, Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson.
As it turns out, the elder Thompson (and his wife, Julie) control Klay’s finances, game checks are sent to them and Klay is given a weekly allowance.
Thus, after Klay found himself caught in the middle of the Warriors-Indiana Pacers skirmish, his parents docked his allowance. Mychal spoke with ESPN Radio Los Angeles about the fight:
“I saw Klay mixed up in the beginning, tied up with George Hill,” Mychal said. “I say to myself, don’t do nothing stupid now, don’t throw a punch, don’t throw the ball at anybody.”“Then Roy Hibbert turned his back & [Klay] was like ‘now’s my chance’!”“I was like ‘you idiot’!”
The NBA fined Klay $35,000 for his involvement and Mychal is ready to pile on.
“He will [find out he's been fined by us] when he sees that cash envelope show up a little short this week,” he said.
When asked how does this financial set-up work between a 23-year-old NBA players and his protective parents?
“Rent is $3K…Walking around money $300 a week…” Mychal explained. “That’s a lot of money to go to the movies & buy pizza…”
But what if Klay wanted to take a girl out on a nice date?
“Go to Langers in Oakland…Go to the grocery store & get a nice [bottle of wine] for $30…”
What about the corkage fee?
“Sit in the car & drink it.”
Stephen Curry breaks George Hill’s ankles
Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry had a season-high 38 points on 7-of-10 from deep last night but his best was saved for Indiana Pacers guard George Hill when he broke his ankles and made look absolutely silly.
Even the Pacers broadcasters couldn’t help themselves from making fun of Hill.
Warriors unveil sleeved jerseys
As Ridiculous As Chicago White Sox Shorts
The Golden State Warriors have unveiled plans to wear the NBA’s “first modern short-sleeve jersey” for three of their remaining home games this season.
The Warriors announced Monday that they will debut the alternate uniforms at home against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 22. The team will also wear the jerseys for home games against Houston on March 8 and Chicago on March 15.
Adidas, the uniform-provider of the NBA, says the jerseys feature “the first-ever super lightweight stretch woven short with maximum ventilation for player comfort. The jersey includes armhole insets with 360-degree stretch fabric that facilitates free range of motion for the arms and shoulders.”
Harrison Barnes dunk of the year candidate
Golden State Warriors rookie Harrison Barnes, the number 7 overall NBA draft pick, rose above Minnesota Timberwolves Nikola Pekovic and threw down this emphatic one-handed slam that is definitely a dunk of the year candidate.
David Lee To Blake Griffin: Stop Flopping!
Last season, commissioner David Stern was fairly vocal about his concerns regarding flopping in the NBA. Now, there are rules in place to try to solve the problem. Flops will be reviewed, and players can be retroactively fined at an increasing rate with each flop. Blake Griffin is one of the most notable ones, and is considered one of the worst floppers in the league amongst stars. A lot of people are frustrated with it, and you can now add David Lee to the list.
Mark Jackson Blackmailed By Ex-Stripper Mistress
Mama There Go That Man
The Smoking Gun has broken the news that Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who is also a minister, has been the victim of an extortion plot by his ex-stripper former mistress.
The FBI arrested 28-year-old Alexis Adams and co-conspirator Marcus Shaw in connection with a scheme to blackmail the former NBA star out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by threatening to go public with the affair and release graphic photographs of his genitalia to “the vultures in the media.”
According to a sworn affidavit by FBI agent Beth Alvarez, Jackson and Adams had an affair six years ago while she was working at a gentleman’s club in New York and he was an announcer for the New Jersey Nets. The affair lasted less than 12 months, ending when Jackson, a father of four, refused to leave his wife of 16 years.
In April, Jackson was approached by a man he did not know at a hotel in Memphis. The man showed Jackson a folder with the compromising photographs and a CD he said contained voice mail messages Jackson had left for Adams during their relationship. The man told Jackson he had discovered the items in a storage locker that he had recently purchased. Jackson paid $5,000 for materials, which he immediately destroyed.
Later that month, someone using the name “Mark Smith” (and the email account tencommandment7@gmail.com) sent a message to Jackson’s wife giving her the opportunity to buy the pictures or else they would be released to the media. Jackson responded himself and ultimately offered $200,000 to make the entire situation go away.
During this process, the extortion scheme was reported to the police, who traced the email account to Shaw through his IP address. Using a subpoena of Shaw’s phone and text message records, authorities were able to determine Adams was also personally involved in the extortion plot.
Both Adams and Shaw have since been arrested. Shaw was convicted of aggravated robbery in 1996 and then arrested in 2005 for murder, robbery, aggravated assault and kidnapping, although those charges were later dismissed.
“I recognize the extremely poor judgment that I used both in having an affair six years ago–including the embarrassing communication I exhibited during that time–and in attempting to deal with the extortion scheme at first by myself,” Jackson said in a statement.”I made some egregious errors. I apologize for any embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends and, of course, the Warriors.”
“Although not condoning his previous actions that led to the extortion attempt, the Warriors fully support Coach Jackson during this time and thank law enforcement authorities and the FBI for their prompt assistance in helping Coach Jackson and his family,” the Warriors said in their own statement.
Settlement Reached In Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Golden State Warriors
Cock Pics
Back in December 2011, we reported the story of a former Golden State Warriors employee alleging a sexual harassment against then Warriors guard Monta Ellis. Now that employee has reached a settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit against the team and Ellis that he sent her unwanted texts that included a photo of his genitals.
Erika Smith, a former community relations director for the Warriors, and the team settled out of court last month, her lawyer said.
Attorney Burt Boltuch said he is not allowed to discuss specifics of the settlement. Boltuch said discussions with the Warriors’ attorneys began shortly after Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in March.
Smith filed suit in December, alleging that Ellis sent her several dozen explicit messages from November 2010 through January 2011 while she worked in the team’s community relations department.
The messages included lines such as, “I want to be with you,” and “Hey Sexy,” and he periodically asked her what she was wearing or doing, according to the lawsuit.
Smith would often reply with “What do you want?” or “I am sleeping,” the lawsuit claimed. At the time the suit was announced, her lawyer also showed reporters a photo of what he said was Ellis’ genitalia that the guard allegedly sent to Smith’s work-issued cellphone on Dec. 17, 2010, a day after Ellis complained to the team about her job performance.
Smith also claimed that the team’s owners attempted to cover up Ellis’ actions.
Team officials denied Smith’s allegations and said when they were made aware of a consensual relationship between Ellis and Smith, they told them both to stop.
The lawsuit alleged retaliation, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress and sought unspecified damages.
Former NFL Player Wade Davis Admits He’s Gay
New Light
Wade Davis, a cornerback who spent four preseasons with three NFL teams and also played in NFL Europe, said he didn’t tell his teammates he was gay because he feared the impact it would have in the locker room. The former NFLer wasn’t ready to come out during his career that ended in 2003.
The former Tennessee Titan, Washington Redskin and Seattle Seahawk came out publicly to Outsports.com this week. While his friends and family have known for years, he said he chose to speak out about his experience because of his position at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which helps lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths.
“Having the opportunity to work at the Hetrick-Martin Institute gives me the opportunity to talk about lives that I’m able to effect in a real way,” he told Outsports.com
“You just want to be one of the guys, and you don’t want to lose that sense of family,” Davis said in an interview with Outsports.com. “Your biggest fear is that you’ll lose that camaraderie and family.”
Wade played in college at Weber State and spent the 2000 and 2002 preseasons with the Titans. Jevon Kearse and Samari Rolle were among his closest friends in Tennessee, and he would later be invited to Rolle’s wedding.
Throughout his career, he struggled with the fact that he was a gay man in a profession where homosexuality was almost never discussed openly. Wade said he would wear his clothes extra large, use patterns of speech that, to him, sounded like he spoke like many of his peers. He said that he became the best actor in the world.
Davis football career ended in 2003, after he got hurt in training camp. He said still struggles with identity, both as a black man and as a gay man but has taken to help campaign for President Obama, hoping to help the movement.
While there has yet to be an openly gay player in any of the four major American professional leagues, several players have come out after retiring, including former NBA forward John Amaechi, NFL lineman Esera Tuaolo and major leaguer Billy Bean. Rick Welts, president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors, is openly gay.
Davis’ football career ended in 2003, after he got hurt in training camp.
Golden State Warriors To Announce Move To San Francisco
Going Back Home
The Golden State Warriors have finalized plans to move from Oakland to San Francisco in 2017, the San Jose Mercury News reports. They’ll play in a privately financed new arena at Piers 30 and 32 on the San Francisco waterfront. An official announcement may come as early as Tuesday.
The state-of-art arena will be designed for multiple uses, including concerts. Any number of logistical issues could push back the timeline for the move though. Parking remains a primary concern as there are only 1,000 parking spaces in the plan.
Mark Jackson Doesn’t Regret Playoff Guarantee
Anyone Want Me To Do TV During Playoffs
The Golden State Warriors were mathematically eliminated from the playoff race on Wednesday night, which would make one assume first-year coach Mark Jackson might express some regret after guaranteeing the Warriors would make the postseason.
That wasn’t the direction he took in a interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, where he instead pointed out that his statement helped set expectations the Warriors didn’t have beforehand.
“If I had to do it all over again, I’d come in talking the same mess,” Jackson said. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t believe it, but it also raised the bar for our expectations across the board. It’d be easy to come in and talk about a long process and needing a long time to get it right, but that’s not what I signed up for.”
Jackson couldn’t have signed up for a 22-37 record, or the Warriors’ recent stretch of 16 losses in their last 20 games.
Larry Bird To Retire As Indiana Pacers President
Larry Legend
Larry Bird will not return as Indiana Pacers president after this season, according to a report in the New York Post. Columnist Peter Vecsey quotes a source as saying “he has definitely decided not to return.
Bird replaced Donnie Walsh as head of basketball operations six years ago and although it was thought he would return for one more season he has decided against it.
Vecsey speculates that the Pacers could go with former players Reggie Miller or Chris Mullin as Bird’s replacement. Mullin had experience running the Golden State Warriors franchise. Miller is a currently a TV analyst.
Golden State Warrior Fans Boo Owner During Chris Mullin Ceremony
A sold-out crowd came to honor former Golden state Warrior Chris Mullin as his No. 17 jersey was being hung in the rafters. They ended up booing Warriors owner Joe Lacob once again for trading Monta Ellis.
As Lacob took to the mic, the jeers were so loud that Hall of Famer Rick Barry asked to invoke the mercy-rule and “show a little bit of class.”
Blake Griffin Takes Elbow To Face
In a game that saw Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul don a protective facial wear, after suffering a nasal fracture against San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Also saw his teammate Blake Griffin looking to add a helmet to their roster after he took a shot from Golden State Warriors Dominic McGuire that left him dazed.
Andray Blatche Says He’s Letting Crowd Get Into His Head
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche is bothered by boos, and he’s not afraid to admit it. After the Wizards 120-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, when he was booed upon checking in by the home fans, Blatche said,
“It’s tough when you’re at home and people that are supposed to have your back don’t have your back. Instead of encouraging you to get better, they actually push you down and make you worse. In the long run, it’s not only hurting me, it’s hurting my teammates.”
Blatche added that the tough treatment he’s been receiving is actually affecting his performance.
“I can’t help out and perform for my teammates, because I’m letting the crowd get into my head and making me second-guess, not let me be the player that I am,” he said. “It’s very frustrating. Hopefully, I’m just trying to fight to overcome it.”
Blatche’s former teammate Dominic McGuire, who now plays for the Warriors, added, “To hear them boo Andray, that was crazy. You could tell it’s affecting his game. He wasn’t taking the shots he normally takes. He wasn’t himself. When I tried to talk to him it was just like, ‘Just keep playing. Keep your head up.’ That’s all you can do in that type of situation.”
In his seventh NBA season, Blatche is averaging 9.5 points per game, on a career-low field goal percentage of 37.3, and 7.0 rebounds for the 8-29 Wizards.
NBA To Consider Selling Ads On Uniforms
Est. 1947
According to the Sports Business Journal the NBA will address the prospect of selling advertising space on uniforms when the league’s board of governors meets in April.
Most WNBA teams already have gone down this path, and wore a Boost Mobile ad patch on uniforms last year.
The Sports Business Journal says a study last year calculated a brand logo on the middle of an NBA uniform could generate more than $30 million in exposure value on television alone.
“I am not suggesting this is an easy issue, but I feel like it is inevitable,” Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts told the SBJ. “We just have to agree on value and what it would look like.”
Jeremy Lin’s Rookie Card Sells For $21,580
This Is Insane Or Should I Say Linsane
It’s a done deal, New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin’s rookie card sold on eBay for $21,580. Lin has gone from unknown benchwarmer to global media sensation in a matter of weeks.
The autographed rookie card comes from his days as a player for the Golden State Warriors. The card contains a small strip of Lin’s gold-and-blue Warrior jersey and is one of just 25 that were made.
The seller, Yair Rozmaryn of New York, said he purchased the card for $1,000 from a seller in Toronto. He made the buy after Lin’s second start for the Knicks.
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to Charlotte Bobcats for losing 16 games in a row to make their record to 3-26 on the season. This is the worst losing streak in Charlotte’s franchise history. The Bobcats haven’t won since Jan. 14 against Golden State Warriors.
Jeremy Lin’s First Trading Card
Something Special
On February 29 Jeremy Lin will have his first NBA trading card dropped as a New York Knick. It won’t be his first card to hit the market, as that card can be found wearing a Golden State Warriors uniform but no was paying attention to him on the left coast.
The release that has memorabilia collectors drooling right now will happen on the 29th, this being the year of the Dragon and leap year, by the Panini America’s 2011-12 Hoops Basketball set.
An autographed Lin rookie card recently sold for $1,000.
Couch Jeremy Lin Has Been Sleeping On
Linsanity
The NBA and New York has been taking over by Linsanity in the last week and half thanks to New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin. The out of nowhere and over night success has had everyone from an NBA general manager apologizing his release to director Spike Lee calling and thanking Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson f0r release.
All that though hasn’t changed the spot where Lin hangs his head, as of yet. Lin is currently sleeping at his brothers pad and on his couch. Teammate Landry Fields, who shares a pre game handshake with Lin, tweeted out the picture of Lin’s now famous spot.
