New Jersey Nets Fans Boo LeBron James
Forever Linked To This Image
New Jersey Nets fan last night showed LeBron James that they aren’t to keen on him becoming a Nets. At least 17,502 fans let it be known pretty much every time James touched the ball they showered him with boos.
Nets fans once had high hopes that Jay-Z’s 1.47% ownership in the team would pursue him to make the move with them to Brooklyn however now they boo him like any other NBA superstar wearing another teams uniform.
Two fans sitting courtside who could be seen verbally trashing James even let their choice of attire taunt him. Each of them was wearing a Braylon Edwards jersey, one in Cleveland Browns and the other New York Jets, making light of his feud with the receiver.
That kind of treatment is quite different across the river with New York Knicks fans that still have hope he will call Madison Square Garden home. Just the other night half of the Knicks crowd displayed everything from tee shirts to signs begging James to sign with the Knickerbockers. The people of New York even pleaded with him to become a Knick after he was seen leaving a Jay-Z concert on Tuesday night.
LeBron James Files Paperwork For Number Change
Where's Bill Russell's Respect?
Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is good to his word on changing his number out of respect for Michael Jordan. James has filed the paperwork on the same day the Cavaliers played the New York Knicks and ahead of Wednesday’s league deadline to switch numbers for next season to the No. 6. The number he sported as a member of the U.S. basketball team at the 2008 China and the day his first son was born.
Player do not directly benefit from merchandise sales, however. It goes into a league-wide pool that is distributed to teams and then players based on seniority.
Last fall, James said he wanted to surrender No. 23 out of respect to his hero, the number Jordan wore for nearly his entire Chicago Bulls career excluding the brief period he donned the No. 45.
But as James is changing his name out of respect for Jordan believing the number should be retired across the league I ask what about showing respect to the NBA’s greatest champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell. This is the touchy subject you get into when you start to proclaim one athlete better than another from different eras and stating Jordan’s number should be league wide retired.
Russell donned the No. 6 through 11 championships in 13 years with the Celtics and on his way to lead him right to the Basketball Hall of Fame after being a 12 time All-Star and a 5 time NBA MVP. Let’s not forget our history.
The number change won’t make much a difference if James lands in a new city this off season.
Kevin Love Stuffs NBA Jam Ballot Box For Kevin Love
Excited?
NBA Jam officials are excited on their decision to return franchise later this year to the Nintendo Wii and NBA players are no different in this regard. Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love expressed his love for the game so much that he went online to stuff the ballots for his inclusion,
“I went online and kept refreshing my computer and voting myself into ‘Jam,’ I’m not going to lie,” said Love. “‘NBA Jam’ was my favorite game growing up, so I was on there all day voting for myself. I used to play as Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton or Karl Malone and John Stockton. I never even imagined that I could be in ‘Jam.’ I just want to get that team fire, get that blue ball … it’s going to be cool.”
Other players like Carmelo Anthony said he used to always use the New York Knicks with John Starks and Patrick Ewing. Anthony also can’t wait to see himself in the game saying that he’s not a high flyer, but they’ll have to have the ball on fire when he shoots.
To Golden State Warriors rookie Stephen Curry, just the mention of “NBA Jam” brings back special memories of playing as his sharpshooting dad, Dell, in the game. “I remember in ‘NBA Jam’ and ‘NBA Live 95,’ those were the two games where my dad just couldn’t miss.”
Nate Robinson Traded For Eddie House
Moving Day
The Boston Celtics have officially landed Nate Robinson from the New York Knicks after days of trade foreplay.
A long two days finally came to a conclusion this afternoon, when the Celtics and Knicks agreed to a five-player deal that will send Eddie House, J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker to New York in exchange for Nate Robinson and reserve forward Marcus Landry.
We know this move for the Knicks is all about trying to clear as much cap space to land LeBron James but for the Celtics this allows them to upgrade the depth behind guard Rajon Rando.
Knicks: Winners/Celtics: Winners
Darko Milicic Traded For Brian Cardinal
Moving Day
The New York Knicks have traded Darko Milicic, who has said he will go back overseas after this NBA season, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal who is expected to be waived.
Milicic, the former number two overall pick (ahead of Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) has not been able to get off the end of Mike D’Antoni’s bench in New York and has appeared in just eight games. Milicic is to earn $7.5 million.
Cardinal has only appeared in just 27 games for the Timberwolves is earning $6.75 million. The Knicks are expected to waive Cardinal and that will save them $1.8 million.
Knicks: Winners/ Timberwolves: Losers
NBA Announces Three Point Contestants
Most Important Shot Is The Money Ball
Everyone talks about the Slam Dunk contest when the NBA All-Star game approaches and I understand but I haven’t seen a new dunk since Kenny “Sky” Walker lifted off in Houston.
The NBA appeased my All-Star weekend appetite by announcing it’s contestants for it’s three-point contest today:
Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
Daequan Cook, Miami Heat (my pick to win)
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Channing Frye, New York Knicks
Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks
NBA Announces All-Star Reserves
February 14, 2010
The NBA is set to announce the All-Star reserves during tonight’s TNT games but Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski got a hold of a leaked list of the 2010 NBA All-Star reserves
Eastern Conference Reserves:
Rajon Rondo – Boston Celtics
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
Chris Bosh – Toronto Raptors
Gerald Wallace – Charlotte Bobcats
Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks
Western Conference Reserves:
Deron Williams – Utah Jazz
Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder
Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks
Zach Randolph – Memphis Grizzlies
Brandon Roy – Portland Blazers
It will be the All-Star debuts for seven players: Williams of Utah, Chicago’s Rose, Boston’s Rondo, Charlotte’s Wallace, Memphis Randolph, Atlanta’s Horford and Oklahoma City’s Durant.
Among the notable candidates left off the team are the Los Angeles Clippers Chris Kaman, New York Knicks David Lee and Denver Nuggets Chauncey Billups.
WTF: New York Knicks
Look Away
50! I’m not the NBA guru of Sports Grind Entertainment (that’s Rudy J department) but what the hell is up with the New York Knicks and this once proud organization. Losing by 50 is unacceptable in the professional ranks but at home is throwing up in mouth gross.
Where the Knicks eager to retreat back to their cribs to watch the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game? Maybe, however the story with the Knicks is nothing new in the last 9 or 10 years. The Knicks have changed players out like colostomy bags as well as going through coaches like Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas who was also forced out of the general manager spot. But with Donnie Walsh now in charge of that spot and Mike D’Antoni roaming the sidelines the Knicks still only stand at 17-23 in a very much manageable Eastern Conference.
Then you put the cherry on top come Sunday when allowing the Dallas Mavericks to drop 50 on you in front your own fans, which by the way keep the franchise third in NBA attendance.
So WTF!
NBA’s Best-Selling Jerseys
#1
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant is once again the top selling jersey in the NBA like he did in 2008-09 season. Here is the complete list of top sellers compiled from the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com,
Top 15 NBA Jerseys
1. Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Dwight Howard- Orlando Magic
4. Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
5. Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
6. Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics
7. Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
8. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
9. Shaquille O’Neal – Cleveland Cavaliers
10. Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
11. Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets
12. Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns
13. David Lee – New York Knicks
14. Allen Iverson – Philadelphia 76ers
15. Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder
I understand the New York fan needing a jersey to represent their team but isn’t it shocking to see David Lee in the top 15 but not a single San Antonio Spur. I guess Tim Duncans time has passed but your telling me Tony Parker cant crack the United States 15?
NBA Announces Slam Dunk Partipants
Will It Be The Year Of The Little Man Again?
The NBA has announced it’s participants for its Slam Dunk contest on February 13, held during All-Star weekend this year at Jerry World’s. One notable absence is that of Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James.
Those who will participate are Los Angeles Lakers guard Shannon Brown, New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson and Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace. A fourth player will be determined through a “dunk-off” between Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon and Toronto Raptors forward DeMar DeRozan.
Robinson won the event last season and in 2006.
I care to see “TNT Legs” Brown win it but I’m going to put my money down on Wallace of Charlotte.
Stephon Marbury To Play Basketball In China
Coming To China
Stephon Marbury has decided that his training of climbing mountains in Coney Island shouldn’t go to waste and is taking his game to the people of China.
Marbury will play for the Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association just a year after making $21 million in the NBA and splitting time with the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
Shanxi Zhongyu is currently 15th in the 17-team CBA league with a 3-9 record. China Basketball Association rules state that a team can carry only two foreign born players on it’s roster at once. Shanxi roster already has former Houston Rockets Maurice Taylor and former college player Lee Benson and one will be cut when Marbury’s is signed according to Shanxi Zhongyu general manager Zhang Beihai.
New York Knicks Deny Magic Johnson Tickets Due To His Criticism Of Isiah Thomas
"you can be my Bonnie, I can be your Clyde"
The next time Magic Johnson asks the Knicks for a seat along celebrity row, he first may want to ask Isiah Thomas for his forgiveness.
The New York Daily News has learned that Johnson’s request for comp tickets to a Knicks game last month was rejected due in part to his criticism of Thomas, the team’s former president and head coach, who remains close to Garden chairman James Dolan.
In the recently released book about Johnson and Larry Bird entitled “When the Game Was Ours,” Magic reveals that he was partly responsible for keeping Thomas off the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. Johnson adds that he believes Thomas was responsible for spreading rumors about his sexuality when the Los Angeles great tested positive for HIV in 1991.
Johnson also claims that after he declined the chance to run the Knicks it was he who suggested that former Garden president Steve Mills hire Thomas. Recently, Johnson has said that he would never again recommend Thomas for an NBA coaching or front-office job.
Two months ago, Thomas was quoted by SI.com, saying that he was “really hurt” by Johnson’s comments. He also told the Web site: “I really feel taken advantage of for all these years. I’m totally blind-sided by this. Every time that I’ve seen Magic, he has been friendly with me….I didn’t know he felt this way.”
BLOCK CITY: Your Victim-Acie Law IV
Danilo Gallinari, you have been charged with the crime of Representin.
And the verdict is Guilty.
Darko Milicic NBA Days Are Over
BYE
One of the top five all time NBA worst draft picks Darko Milicic is hanging up his NBA game at the end of 2009-10 season.
If you recall back in the summer of 2003 Joe Dumars choose to pass up NCAA champion Carmelo Anthony because their roster already included Tayshaun Prince for overseas superstar Darko Milicic with the number two overall pick.
Milicic began his career buried on the Detroit Pistons bench, then buried on the bench in Orlando, Memphis, and now New York. The latest has finally run its course on Darko as he has decided to take his game back overseas no matter the outcome of this season.
“Whatever happens, I’m going back next year,” the 7-foot-1 Milicic said to the New York Post. “It’s 100-percent certain. I have to be real and not lie. I’m not going to get it done in the NBA. I’m not going to get another opportunity and there’s nothing wrong with going back to Europe. I don’t want to create a bad atmosphere here, but it’s not working in the NBA. I don’t give a bleep about the money,” Milicic said. “I just want to enjoy the basketball. I’d like to have the ball in my hands and have an offense run through me. I’m not just a defensive player.”
I remember that summer asking that there was no way Dumars had watched any of the NCAA tournament in March, because if he had he would have for sure would have given former coach Larry Brown an opportunity to tinkle with Prince and Anthony in the lineup.
Other possible Pistons: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kirk Hinrich, David West, hell Dumars could have taken the Red Rocket Matt Bonner and things might have worked out better than Darko.
Jonathan Bender Signs With New York Knicks
Welcome Back
The New York Knicks have signed free agent Jonathan Bender, marking the oft-injured forward’s return to the NBA after a three-year absence.
The 7-foot Bender enjoyed his best season in 2001-02, when he averaged career highs of 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 78 games. But injuries forced Bender to miss 172 games over the next three seasons before chronic knee pain sidelined him indefinitely in February 2006.
Bender was selected out of high school by Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick in the 1999 draft and was acquired by Indiana in a trade on Aug. 1, 1999. He formed a relationship with former Pacers president and current Knicks president Donnie Walsh during their time together in Indiana.
Final Answer?
Please Don't Go
After walking away from the Memphis Grizzlies and being rejected by the New York Knicks, Allen Iverson had nowhere to turn so, for the time being, he’s decided to walk away from the game, announcing his plans to retire in a statement made to Stephen A. Smith’s.
The statement expressed gratitude to his sponsors, fans and family for their support and inspiration as well as resentment for the lack of interest NBA teams have shown toward signing him as a starter.
“I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association. I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case. I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.”
It’s worth pointing out that he hasn’t actually “retired” as Comcast SportsNet confirms, Iverson has not filed formal retirement papers with the league, meaning he’s free to change his mind at any point. If he does file papers, he’ll be ineligible to sign another contract for an entire calendar year.
One of the NBA’s great scorers, Iverson entered this season with a career average of 27.1 points that ranked fifth all time. Yet there was almost no interest in him this summer before he went to the Grizzlies on a one-year deal.
I don’t believe Iverson will be filing any paper work this year or he would have done so instead of trying to create buzz through the media of his intentions. I’m 100 there is a job for him in the NBA and he doesn’t need to have a meeting with his former coach John Thompson to figure that out , he just has to accept the role of sixth man.
Monta Ellis To Be The Next Golden State Warrior To Go?
Stay or Go?
Is Monta Ellis the next Golden State Warrior to go? This franchise might have easily moved aheaad of other laughing stocks in the league like the Los Angeles Clippers or the New York Knicks in their dysfunction.
The Warriors have gone through numerous coaches since Don Nelson last stint with the team that lasted from 1988-95 , no on has matched any length in tenure expect for Nelsons second go around which is now entering it’s fourth year. List goes from Bob Lanier, Rick Adelman, P.J. Carlesimo, Garry St. Jean, Dave Cowens, Brian Winters, Eric Musselman, Mike Montgomery in between that time.
The players also seem be in a revolving door situation as well now that Stephen Jackson is the latest marquee franchcise player to leave. Prior to Jackson’s demands to leave the Bay it was Al Harrington and now Raja Bell must think its so bad that is electing to have season ending surgery on his wrist, surgery he had put off in Charlotte, rather than play with the Warriors. Then there is the whole Baron Davis contract fiasco that lead him eventually to the Clippers.
Ellis could be the latest to leave as multiple NBA sources have confirmed that his agent is scheduled to meet with team management Thursday to decide his future. Several sources indicate they are seeking the approval of the possibility of the Warrriors giving Ellis and his agent permission to talk to other teams to quicken the pace of trade talks.
Two sources say that Nelson embarrassed Ellis when Ellis tried to step into a leadership role in the aftermath of the 28-point home loss to the Clippers on Nov. 6. The scene was in post-game locker room and Ellis, as a co-captain, began loudly addressing to his teammates, telling them that this performance could not be tolerated. But then Nelson told Ellis to be quiet. Then came a public verbal altercation between the two after a practice in New York last week.
In front of reporters, Ellis accused Nelson of blaming him for everything. When Nelson denied it and then walked away, waving his hands, Ellis said:
“See, that’s why I won’t do it. I just won’t do it.”
Ellis has not been perfect to say the least as when he lied to his employers about an injury in a low-speed moped accident that limited him only to 25 games and then vocalizing he couldn’t play with Stephen Curry. Ellis has four years and $44M owed to him after this season, but should be less difficult to trade than either Jackson or Harrington was.
If Ellis leaves who’s next Anthony Randolph, Andris Biedrins?
NBA Attendance Only Down 2% Despite Economy
Est. 1946
It’s fairly earlier so don’t shoot the messenger but the numbers are out for early attendance in the NBA and despite the economy and the earliness of the season they are only down 2% from this point last year. Also the statistic is skewed by two teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies, who are drawing less than 70 percent.
The 76ers averaged 15,802 in 2008-’09, in five home games this season they’ve averaged 11,377, and are down more than 20 percent of capacity from last year. The Memphis Grizzlies ranked 29th in attendance last year only filling 70 percent of their arena are now only filling 66 percent, only outdrawing the 76ers. The Detroit Pistons have cause for concern, dropping from first in average attendance to 16th, falling 19.6 percent. The Spurs, a team retooled and trying to avenge their first round playoff exit rank 12th but are down 8%
Not all is doom and gloom as the Chicago Bulls are up over 100 percent of capacity after filling 97.7 percent of the United Center last season. The Cleveland Cavilers are in a similar boat, selling out each home game so far after drawing 97.3 percent last season. The Atlanta Hawks have seen significant gains, rising from 89.4 to 95.4 percent. Even the Minnesota Timberwolves fans are showing support no that Kevin McHale is ruining their team by filling their stadium by 8% more than last season.
Source: SportsBusiness Journal
Average attendances and percentage for each team:
| Rank | Team | Average Attendance | % (+/-) from year prior |
| 1 | Chicago | 21,111 | +3.3% |
| 2 | Cleveland | 20,562 | +2.7% |
| 3 | Portland | 20,350 | -.8% |
| 4 | Dallas | 19,823 | -1.4% |
| 5 | New York | 19,625 | +1.7% |
| 6 | Utah | 19,611 | -1.5% |
| 7 | LA Lakers | 18,997 | (no chg) |
| 8 | Boston | 18,624 | (no chg) |
| 9 | Toronto | 18,131 | -3.2% |
| 10 | Denver | 18,039 | +4.3% |
| 11 | Washington | 17,975 | +6.7% |
| 12 | San Antonio | 17,957 | -.8% |
| 13 | Oklahoma City | 17,882 | +.5% |
| 14 | Atlanta | 17,862 | +6% |
| 15 | Golden State | 17,827 | -5.7% |
| 16 | Detroit | 17,541 | -19.6% |
| 17 | Orlando | 17,541 | +2.4% |
| 18 | Miami | 17,421 | -4.1% |
| 19 | Houston | 17,130 | -2% |
| 20 | Phoenix | 16,771 | -9% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 16,088 | +8.2% |
| 22 | New Orleans | 15,156 | -10.5% |
| 23 | New Jersey | 14,919 | -1.4% |
| 24 | LA Clippers | 14,748 | -7.4% |
| 25 | Milwaukee | 14,636 | -4% |
| 26 | Charlotte | 14,633 | +.4% |
| 27 | Indiana | 14,439 | +1.4% |
| 28 | Sacramento | 12,422 | -.9% |
| 29 | Memphis | 12,095 | -3.5% |
| 30 | Philadelphia | 11,377 | -23.7% |
Stephon Marbury Party Crashes Knicks Home Opener
What Do You Want?
At the New York Knicks home opener on Saturday, Stephon Marbury showed up at Madison Square Garden and took his seat in the front row. However the seats where not his and not even the row, in addition to pissing the people off he was sitting in front of by standing up and pulling out a video camera to tape the live action and his experience.
A Madison Square Garden security official spoke to Marbury during a timeout, and it was then discovered that Marbury was holding a ticket for Row A instead of Row AA. When Marbury was asked to move he just left the arena altogether.
What is wrong with you Starbury? Don’t you have a shoe line you can focus in on?
The Book The NBA Doesn’t Want You To Read
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy’s tell-all book “Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA” has been canceled by Triumph Books and parent company Random House out of concerns over potential liability, the book was to have covered Donaghy’s experience as an NBA referee and the events leading up to his conviction on federal wire fraud charges.
“Somehow, the NBA got wind of the project and let Random House know in a threatening-type correspondence that they would object to the publication of such a book and they threatened that they would sue if they did go ahead and do that,” said the publisher. “Random House considered that and … just pulled the plug on it.”
Donaghy, 42, remains behind bars for a probation violation following his 15-month prison sentence. He was scheduled for release on Oct. 24.
However, Deadspin received a copy of the book and released excerpts from the now canceled book (so jealous they have a copy) [Via Deadspin]
On Gambling Refs:
To have a little fun at the expense of the worst troublemakers, the referees working the game would sometimes make a modest friendly wager amongst themselves: first ref to give one of the bad boys a technical foul wouldn’t have to tip the ball boy that night. In the NBA, ball boys set up the referees’ locker room and keep it stocked with food and beer for the postgame meal. We usually ran the kid ragged with a variety of personal requests and then slipped him a $20 bill. Technically, the winner of the bet won twice-he didn’t have to pay the kid and he got to call a T on Mr. Foul-Mouthed Big-Shot Du Jour.
After the opening tip, it was hilarious as the three of us immediately focused our full attention on the intended victim, waiting for something, anything, to justify a technical foul. If the guy so much as looked at one of us and mumbled, we rang him up. Later in the referees’ locker room, we would down a couple of brews, eat some chicken wings, and laugh like hell.
We had another variation of this gag simply referred to as the “first foul of the game” bet. While still in the locker room before tip-off, we would make a wager on which of us would call the game’s first foul. That referee would either have to pay the ball boy or pick up the dinner tab for the other two referees. Sometimes, the ante would be $50 a guy. Like the technical foul bet, it was hilarious-only this time we were testing each other’s nerves to see who had the guts to hold out the longest before calling a personal foul. There were occasions when we would hold back for two or three minutes-an eternity in an NBA game-before blowing the whistle. It didn’t matter if bodies were flying all over the place; no fouls were called because no one wanted to lose the bet.
We played this little game during the regular season and summer league. After a game, all three refs would gather around the VCR and watch a replay of the game. Early in the contest, the announcers would say, “Holy cow! They’re really letting them play tonight!” If they only knew…
During one particular summer game, Duke Callahan, Mark Wunderlich, and I made it to the three-minute mark in the first quarter without calling a foul. We were running up and down the court, laughing our asses off as the players got hammered with no whistles. The players were exhausted from the nonstop running when Callahan finally called the first foul because Mikki Moore of the New Jersey Nets literally tackled an opposing player right in front of him. Too bad for Callahan-he lost the bet.
I became so good at this game that if an obvious foul was committed right in front of me, I would call a travel or a three-second violation instead. Those violations are not personal fouls, so I was still in the running to win the bet. The players would look at me with disbelief on their faces as if to say, “What the hell was that?”
On Star Treatment:
Relationships between NBA players and referees were generally all over the board-love, hate, and everything in-between. Some players, even very good ones, were targeted by referees and the league because they were too talented for their own good. Raja Bell, formerly of the Phoenix Suns and now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats, was one of those players. A defensive specialist throughout his career, Bell had a reputation for being a “star stopper.” His defensive skills were so razor sharp that he could shut down a superstar, or at least make him work for his points. Kobe Bryant was often frustrated by Bell’s tenacity on defense. Let’s face it, no one completely shuts down a player of Kobe’s caliber, but Bell could frustrate Kobe, take him out of his game, and interrupt his rhythm.
You would think that the NBA would love a guy who plays such great defense. Think again! Star stoppers hurt the promotion of marquee players. Fans don’t pay high prices to see players like Raja Bell-they pay to see superstars like Kobe Bryant score 40 points. Basketball purists like to see good defense, but the NBA wants the big names to score big points.
If a player of Kobe’s stature collides with the likes of Raja Bell, the call will almost always go for Kobe and against Bell. As part of our ongoing training and game preparation, NBA referees regularly receive game-action video tape from the league office. Over the years, I have reviewed many recorded hours of video involving Raja Bell. The footage I analyzed usually illustrated fouls being called against Bell, rarely for him. The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he’s hurting the game.
Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line. By contrast, referee Joe Crawford had a grandson who idolized Iverson. I once saw Crawford bring the boy out of the stands and onto the floor during warm-ups to meet the superstar. Iverson and Crawford’s grandson were standing there, shaking hands, smiling, talking about all kinds of things. If Joe Crawford was on the court, I was pretty sure Iverson’s team would win or at least cover the spread.
If Kobe Bryant had two fouls in the first or second quarter and went to the bench, one referee would tell the other two, “Kobe’s got two fouls. Let’s make sure that if we call a foul on him, it’s an obvious foul, because otherwise he’s gonna go back to the bench. If he is involved in a play where a foul is called, give the foul to another player.”
Similarly, when games got physically rough, we would huddle up and agree to tighten the game up. So we started calling fouls on guys who didn’t really matter-”ticky-tack” or “touch” fouls where one player just touched another but didn’t really impede his progress. Under regular circumstances these wouldn’t be fouls, but after a skirmish we wanted to regain control. We would never call these types of fouls on superstars, just on the average players who didn’t have star status. It was important to keep the stars on the floor.
Madison Square Garden was the place to be for a marquee matchup between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks. I worked the game with Derrick Stafford and Gary Zielinski, knowing that the Knicks were a sure bet to get favorable treatment that night. Derrick Stafford had a close relationship with Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, and he despised Heat coach Pat Riley. I picked the Knicks without batting an eye and settled in for a roller-coaster ride on the court.
During pregame warm-ups, Shaquille O’Neal approached Stafford and asked him to let some air out of the ball.
“Is this the game ball?” O’Neal asked. “It’s too hard. C’mon, D, let a little air out of it.”
Stafford then summoned one of the ball boys, asked for an air needle, and let some air out of the ball, getting a big wink and a smile from O’Neal.
On His Fellow Referees: Dick Bavetta:
Crawford wanted the game over quickly so he could kick back, relax, and have a beer; [Dick Bavetta] wanted it to keep going so he could hear his name on TV. He actually paid an American Airlines employee to watch all the games he worked and write down everything the TV commentators said about him. No matter how late the game was over, he’d wake her up for a full report. He loved the attention.
“Look on the bright side everybody, MORE playoff games for you guys and Dick, maybe you will get to be crew chief in the 7th game of the Finals, which is a travesty in itself you even being in the Finals.”
On His Fellow Referees: Tommy Nunez:
My favorite Tommy Nunez story is from the 2007 playoffs when the San Antonio Spurs were able to get past the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Of course, what many fans didn’t know was that Phoenix had someone working against them behind the scenes. Nunez was the group supervisor for that playoff series, and he definitely had a rooting interest.
Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved being on the road; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a group supervisor was to keep getting out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things came into play when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, “You would love to keep coming back here.” He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to get away with and never once told us to look for anything in regard to San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger.
I remember one nightmarish game I worked with Joe Crawford and Phil Robinson. Minnesota and New Orleans were in a tight game going into the last minute, and Crawford told us to make sure that we were 100 percent sure of the call every time we blew the whistle. When play resumed, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders started yelling at us to make a call. Robinson got intimidated and blew the whistle on New Orleans. The only problem was it wasn’t the right call. Tim Floyd, the Hornets’ coach, went nuts. He stormed the court and kicked the ball into the top row of the stadium. Robinson had to throw him out, and Minnesota won the game.
[...]
Later that week, Ronnie Nunn told me that we could have made something up at the other end against Minnesota to even things out. He even got specific-maybe we should have considered calling a traveling violation on Kevin Garnett. Talk about the politics of the game! Of course the official statement from the league office will always read, “There is no such thing as a makeup call.”
That very first time Jack and I bet on an NBA game, Dick was on the court. The team we picked lost the game, but it covered the large point spread and that’s how we won the money. Because of the matchup that night, I had some notion of who might win the game, but that’s not why I was confident enough to pull the trigger and pick the other team. The real reason I picked the losing team was that I was just about certain they would cover the spread, no matter how badly they played. That is where Dick Bavetta comes into the picture.
From my earliest involvement with Bavetta, I learned that he likes to keep games close, and that when a team gets down by double-digit points, he helps the players save face. He accomplishes this act of mercy by quietly, and frequently, blowing the whistle on the team that’s having the better night. Team fouls suddenly become one-sided between the contestants, and the score begins to tighten up. That’s the way Dick Bavetta referees a game-and everyone in the league knew it.
Fellow referee Danny Crawford attended Michael Jordan’s Flight School Camp years ago and later told me that he had long conversations with other referees and NBA players about how Bavetta propped up weak teams. Danny told me that Jordan himself said that everyone in the league knew that Bavetta cheated in games and that the players and coaches just hoped he would be cheating for them on game night. Cheating? That’s a very strong word to use in any sentence that includes the name Dick Bavetta. Is the conscious act of helping a team crawl back into a contest “cheating”? The credo of referees from high school to the NBA is “call them like you see them.” Of course, that’s a lot different than purposely calling more fouls against one team as opposed to another. Did Bavetta have a hidden agenda? Or was he the ultimate company man, making sure the NBA and its fans got a competitive game most times he was on
the court?
Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation. He knew how to marshal the tempo and tone of a game better than any referee in the league, by far. He also knew how to take subtle-and not so subtle-cues from the NBA front office and extend a playoff series or, worse yet, change the complexion of that series.
The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.
In the pregame meeting prior to Game 6, the league office sent down word that certain calls-calls that would have benefitted the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees were left to interpret. After receiving the dispatch, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7.
“If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that’s down in the series, nobody’s going to complain. The series will be even at three apiece, and then the better team can win Game 7,” Bavetta stated.
As history shows, Sacramento lost Game 6 in a wild come-from-behind thriller that saw the Lakers repeatedly sent to the foul line by the referees. For other NBA referees watching the game on television, it was a shameful performance by Bavetta’s crew, one of the most poorly officiated games of all time.
The 2002 series certainly wasn’t the first or last time Bavetta weighed in on an important game. He also worked Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers. The Lakers were down by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter when Bavetta went to work. The Lakers outscored Portland 31–13 in the fourth quarter and went on to win the game and the series. It certainly didn’t hurt the Lakers that they got to shoot 37 free throws compared to a paltry 16 for the Trail Blazers.
Two weeks before the 2003–04 season ended, Bavetta and I were assigned to officiate a game in Oakland. That afternoon before the tip-off, we were discussing an upcoming game on our schedule. It was the last regular-season game we were scheduled to work, pitting Denver against San Antonio. Denver had lost a game a few weeks prior because of a mistake made by the referees, a loss that could be the difference between them making or missing the playoffs. Bavetta told me Denver needed the win and that it would look bad for the staff and the league if the Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game. There were still a few games left on the schedule before the end of the season, and the standings could potentially change. But on that day in Oakland, Bavetta looked at me and casually stated, “Denver will win if they need the game. That’s why I’m on it.”
I was thinking, How is Denver going to win on the road in San Antonio? At the time, the Spurs were arguably the best team in the league. Bavetta answered my question before it was asked.
“Duncan will be on the bench with three fouls within the first five minutes of the game,” he calmly stated.
Bavetta went on to inform me that it wasn’t the first time the NBA assigned him to a game for a specific purpose. He cited examples, including the 1993 playoff series when he put New Jersey guard Drazen Petrovic on the bench with quick fouls to help Cleveland beat the Nets. He also spoke openly about the 2002 Los Angeles–Sacramento series and called himself the NBA’s “go-to guy.”
As it turned out, Denver didn’t need the win after all; they locked up a spot in the playoffs before they got to San Antonio. In a twist of fate, it was the Spurs that ended up needing the win to have a shot at the division title, and Bavetta generously accommodated. In our pregame meeting, he talked about how important the game was to San Antonio and how meaningless it was to Denver, and that San Antonio was going to get the benefit of the calls that night. Armed with this inside information, I called Jack Concannon before the game and told him to bet the Spurs.
To no surprise, we won big. San Antonio blew Denver out of the building that evening, winning by 26 points. When Jack called me the following morning, he expressed amazement at the way an NBA game could be manipulated. Sobering, yes; amazing, no. That’s how the game is played in the National Basketball Association.
In a follow-up email to the referee staff and the league office, Crawford railed about the lack of respect players had for referees and the NBA’s failure to back him up. Then, in a direct shot at the league’s embracing of referees like Dick Bavetta, he fired a sharp rebuke:
“I also told [Stu Jackson] that the staff is an officiating staff of Dick Bavetta’s-schmoozing and sucking people’s asses to get ahead. Awful, but it is reality.”
Crawford also touched on the fact that he was being excluded from working the playoffs that year:
On His Fellow Referees: Derrick Stafford and Jess Kersey:
Of course, Stafford had some friends in the league, too. I worked a Knicks game in Madison Square Garden with him on February 26, 2007. New York shot an astounding 39 free throws that night to Miami’s paltry eight. It seemed like Stafford was working for the Knicks, calling fouls on Miami like crazy. Isiah Thomas was coaching the Knicks, and after New York’s four-point victory, a guy from the Knicks came to our locker room looking for Stafford, who was in the shower. He told us that Thomas sent him to retrieve Stafford’s home address; apparently, Stafford had asked the coach before the game for some autographed sneakers and jerseys for his kids. Suddenly, it all made sense.
Referee Jess Kersey was another one of Isiah Thomas’ guys. They’d talk openly on the phone as if they had known each other since childhood. Thomas even told Kersey that he was pushing to get Ronnie Nunn removed from the supervisor’s job so that Kersey and Dick Bavetta could take over. This sort of thing happened all the time, and I kept waiting for a Knicks game when Stafford, Bavetta, and Kersey were working together. It was like knowing the winning lottery numbers before the drawing!
On His Fellow Referees: Steve Javie:
And then there was the ongoing feud between Javie and 76ers superstar Allen Iverson. The rift was so bad that Philadelphia general manager Billy King often called the league office to complain about Javie’s treatment of Iverson during a game.
Iverson was eventually traded to Denver, and in his first game against his former team, he was tossed after two technicals. Afterward, Iverson implied Javie had a grudge against him, saying, “I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal, and he threw me out. His fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn’t say anything anyway. It’s been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad.” The league fined Iverson $25,000 for his comments, but most of the league referees thought the punishment was too lenient and were upset he wasn’t suspended. As a result, we collectively decided to dispense a little justice of our own, sticking it to Iverson whenever we could.
Shortly after the Javie-Iverson incident, I worked a Jazz-Nuggets contest in Denver on January 6, 2007. During the pregame meeting, my fellow referees Bernie Fryer and Gary Zielinski agreed that we were going to strictly enforce the palming rule against Iverson. Palming the ball was something Iverson loved to do, but if he so much as came close to a palm, we were going to blow the whistle. Obviously, our actions were in direct retaliation for Iverson’s rant against Javie. True to form, I immediately excused myself and made an important phone call.
Sticking to our pregame pledge, each of us whistled Iverson for palming in the first quarter-we all wanted in on the fun. The violations seemed to affect Iverson’s rhythm and he played terribly that night, shooting 5-for-19 with five turnovers. After getting repeatedly whistled all night long, Iverson approached me in an act of submission.
“How long am I going to be punished for Javie?” he quietly inquired.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Allen,” I responded.
So Jealous Deadspin Has A Copy
I wanna read.
Maccabi Tel Aviv Apologizes For Coach’s Behavior
Oh Rabbi
The president of Maccabi Tel Aviv has apologized in letters that were sent to league commissioner David “The Goon” Stern and Knicks president Donnie Walsh, for the behavior of its coach’s Pini Gershon during an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden.
Gershon received two technical fouls and was ejected from an Oct. 18 loss to the Knicks, but refused to leave the court, as rules specify. The game was delayed about eight minutes, with a rabbi coming on the floor to ask referees to let the coach stay, before Gershon finally agreed to leave.
“Our trip to the U.S. was for a wonderful cause — the children of Migdal Ohr — and hopefully a few minutes of bad behavior on my behalf won’t detract from all the good that was accomplished by our spirited competition with the Knicks and the Clippers,” Gershon wrote.
The games in New York and Los Angeles benefited Migdal Ohr, the world’s largest orphanage.
“The Goon” said the apology was unnecessary and accepted.
A Coach, A Scab Ref & Rabbi Walk Into An NBA Arena
Not So Fast Rabbi
The preseason game between the New York Knicks and Maccabi Tel Aviv was delayed for close to ten minutes when Pini Gershon the Tel Aviv coach didn’t quite understand that getting T’ed up gets you bounced from the arena immediately. Coming from a land where it’s OK for fans to throw batteries at opposing players, the concept of leaving in a timely fashion would seem foreign. So can you blame the guy.
The delay even included a rabbi trying to play peace maker in the delay. The rabbi went as far as asking the NBA’s scab refs to allow Gershon to stay. Good try rabbi, but even the scabs had to drawa line in the sand and say no thank you and continued to have pudgy escorted off the American soil.
The Knicks won 106-91 victory over the Euroleague team as Nate Robinson scored 19 points, and David Lee added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Maccabi visits the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Rabbi’s do it all. They perform Bar Mitzvah, preside over a marriage, and try to get a coach a out-of-jail. Ever consider roaming an NBA sideline and delivering wins?
Knicks Re-Sign David Lee, Nate Robinson Close
Salt N Pepa Stay With Knicks
The New York Knicks have re-signed David Lee. Nate Robinson is close to a deal as well. The contract is worth $7 million for the 2009-10 season with incentives that could take it to $8 million if the Knicks reach the playoffs.
Fellow restricted free agent Nate Robinson has also reached terms with the Knicks on a one-year deal, according to a source with knowledge of the talks, that will pay him a higher salary than Robinson’s $2.9 million qualifying offer.
The Knicks have been reluctant to sign players to contracts that run longer than one year because they want to have as much cap flexibility as possible next season when they hope to woo a big-name free agent to New York.
Lee could have signed a multi-year deal with another team a long time ago but his camp has demanded $8-$10 million per season this entire time, and the market just won’t bear it.By signing a one-year deal, he is risking the financial security of a mid-level deal that he no doubt could have signed had he been willing to reduce his asking price.
Lee’s a great rebounder, but he’s just an average defender and his numbers are a bit inflated because the Knicks play at a frenetic pace.
***UPDATE***
Nate Robinson did sign the Knicks qualifying offer.
LeBron James To Get His Own TV Channel?
Chosen One
The NBA season is just about a month away from opening training camp and the biggest story that will hang over the NBA season will be the upcoming free agent status of Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James. The on going rumor for the last two years has James ending up with the New York Knicks. Sports Grind Entertainment has uncovered the latest rumor involving the Knicks and James.
Cablevision, the Knicks parent company is ready to give James his own channel as part of a free-agent package to lure him to the Knicks in 2010. Such a plan would present an interesting twist in terms of how the value of such a channel would circumvent NBA salary cap rules. On one level, it would be no different than marketing income that teams in large cities can use to lure free agents. On the other hand, it’s not fair that a team that also happens to own an entire cable system serving nearly 3 million residents in one of the largest suburban areas in the nation would be able to dangle that asset as extra compensation not governed by the cap.
Channel 23 right?
