See, this is why average dudes shouldn’t play pickup games with NBA players. You lose concentration for a second, next thing you know Brandon Jennings is treating your forehead like Abby Wambach. Except there’s no glory on the other end of this header. Just embarrassment. Lots and lots of it. Check it out.
Assist, Deadspin.
In a weekend filled with basketball highlights, this was the centerpiece: Kevin Durant’s out of left field, off-the-backboard alley-oop for James Harden in the SMART All-Star vs. PBA All-Star exhibition, which took place in the Philippines on Saturday.
To steal a line from GZA, this dunk was the thriller in the Ali-Frazier Manila. See below.
Assist, Hardwood Paroxysm.
Quotes from athletes are typically pretty boring, so when I saw this one from Austin Rivers on Sunday it made quite an impression on me.
Rivers recently had his first practice with Duke in preparation for the Blue Devils’ exhibition tour to China and Dubai in August. Here’s what he had to say about Coach K and his experience with the team so far, courtesy of The Herald-Sun‘s Steve Wiseman:
“The first two practices were real rough. They were yelling at me, getting on me, telling me things I never knew before. But that’s why I chose Duke. I felt like they wouldn’t cheat me of that. A lot of colleges I could have gone to maybe would have said nothing or let me get away with it because of who I was. Coach K knows what the hell he’s talking about.”
I realize quotes are just quotes and athletes are coached regularly on what to say to the press so that they’ll be portrayed in a positive light, even so this is quite an impressive statement from Rivers.
If he’s serious — if there’s no B.S. there — I think he’s going to turn out to be a helluva good player. There’s respect behind those words. Respect and a healthy dose of self-awareness, something players Rivers’ age rarely have.
As a two-time state champion and the consensus high school player of year, he certainly has star potential. Having Doc Rivers’ genes doesn’t hurt either. I like to think of Austin as the college basketball version of Diggy Simmons: a hard worker from a great pedigree (Diggy’s the son of Run DMC legend Rev Run) with enough spark and charisma to step out of his dad’s shadow and be a bona fide star.
If Austin keeps his head right, and it seems like he’s going to, I can see him turning out to be the biggest star Duke’s ever produced. Sorry, Trajan Langdon.
Either way, this is a kid to keep an eye on. You’ll be hearing a lot about him here at Basketball Fiend in the months to come.
Austin Rivers is a polarizing guy. First of all, he’s the son of Doc. So you know there’s a East Coast-West Coast bias involved (Celtics fans love him, Lakers fans probably not so much). Then he chose to go to Duke, which of course carries all kinds of stigma as well.
There’s no questioning Rivers’ skills though. He proved that once again Wednesday with a killer crossover on NC State guard Lorenzo Brown during the NC Pro-Am. Made the jumper too. Check it out.
That’s a grown man move right there. Especially considering Brown is no slouch. Draft Express rated him the 27th best freshman in the country last year. He played in 31 games for the Wolf Pack, averaging 9.3 points and 3.7 assists per game. And Rivers made him look like a 12-year old ice skating for the first time.
Impressive stuff.
If you like monochromatic shirts and the old man who flashed his (very saggy) ass in The Hangover, you’re going to love this “Lockout Professionals” sketch co-starring Blake Griffin and Kevin Love. And Tyson Chandler. And Adrian Peterson. And Ron ArMetta World Peace. It debuted Wednesday night at the ESPYs. Take a look.
Personally, I wish Blake and Kevin had just done another Jenga sketch. The first one was funny as hell. This sketch wasn’t bad though. A little too Tim Duncan-Grant Hillish for my taste but enjoyable nonetheless.
What did you think?
Assist, SLAM.
So apparently Blake Griffin and Kevin Love are best buds. They wear matching Hanes t-shirts and have fun with reporters and engage in epic Jenga battles in backstage ESPYs rooms in scenes reminiscent of a cooler version of Entourage. Only the outtakes. At least that’s what this video reminds me of. Watch below.
Before watching this clip I would have bet anything that Blake Griffin would win this Jenga matchup. I mean, he’s Blake Griffin. He never loses, right? You have to hand it to Love, though. He played a flawless game. His best performance since the 30-30 game if you ask me.
Assist, CBS’ Eye on Basketball.
Most NBA prospects get to enjoy a congratulations from friends and a hug with mom after hearing their name called by David Stern. Not Jan Vesely. He got half a makeout session with girlfriend Eva Viteckova, who plays on the Czech women’s national team, when the Wizards called his name sixth overall.
Taking his game to even greater heights, Vesely then made his way over and proposed to ESPN’s Heather Cox while the PA system blasted “Down on Bended Knee.” Okay, you’re right. That didn’t happen. Stern would have had him killed for that. But you can imagine it from a guy like Vesely, right?
The European Blake Griffin? More like the Czechoslovakian Shawn Kemp.
Assist, Black Sports Online.
Most people are content to talk about world peace as an abstract concept, something to aim for without really trying. Not Ron Artest. That guy’s putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to peace on Earth. Or maybe it’s his credit card info. What’s the preferred method of payment for a name change these days?
Yes, that’s right. In a short while, Ron Artest will no longer be known as “Ron Artest.” Or even “The Artest Formerly Known as Ron Artest.” The Lakers forward has filed official paperwork to change his name to “Metta World Peace.”
From TMZ:
Yes, Ron is going the way of Cassius Clay, Lew Alcindor and Chad Johnson. Ron’s filed a petition in L.A. County Superior Court to change his name to — World Peace.
FYI, metta means loving, kindness, happiness and all that jazz.
We’re told Ron wants to put the new last name — Peace — on the back of his L.A. Lakers’ jersey.
Peace on the back of a Lakers jersey is a longtime dream of Phil Jackson’s — he’s been hoping for that since the days of Shaq & Kobe — but Artest is more likely to see himself in a “Traded Away From the Lakers” jersey these days than a “Metta World Peace” joint. His contract ($20 million over the next three years) and production (8.5 pts, 3.3 reb per game) make him a prime candidate to get shipped out of town.
Sorry, Ron-Ron fans. That’s just the reality. Look on the bright side, though. At least he’ll get free admission to Grateful Dead shows from here on out.
Bill Walton, I think you’ve just found a new road trip partner.
Assist, Larry Brown Sports.
I’m not sure what Dwight Howard was trying to accomplish with this appearance on El Hormiguero, but the fans seemed to like it. Howard came onto the set of the Spanish talk show wearing a flamboyant red wig, a la Rihanna.
The fun starts at the 2:30 mark, when Dwight comes out to loud applause and gets his salsa on. The show gets progressively stranger from there. See below.
Before we know it, Dwight will be wearing wedding dresses like Dennis Rodman and showing up naked on the cover of magazines. Oh wait, he already did that…
Assist, Cosby Sweaters.
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