What’s an NBA blogger to do on the 112th day of the lockout? Rank the league’s top 10 tattoos, of course! People who are aware of my website–mostly the ones who choose not to read it very often–sometimes ask me things like “what in the world are you possibly writing about these days?” Well, folks, here is yet another answer to your question… not that you’ll be here to read it.
Note: I tried to be objective here and consider various aspects of what makes a tattoo good: artwork, placement, originality, etc. I also considered what kind of impact, if any, the tattoo had on the NBA. What I did not do is simply jot down my favorite pieces in the league and put them in order. If that was the case, DeShawn Stevenson’s neck tribute to Abe Lincoln would be near the top of the list. Yes, a lot of these tattoos are favorites of mine, but that’s not why they’re on the list or ranked where they’re ranked.
Moving right along…
#10. Tyrus Thomas’s “Born Soldier”
Tyrus has a lot of nice pieces, my personal favorite being the “born soldier” joint on his left arm. I’ve never been able to find a great picture of it, but you can see it at the bottom right in the picture above as well as in the following video…
I’m a big fan of the filigree on T-Time’s arms. I think it looks a lot nicer than your typical flames and clouds. Overall, his tattoos come together very well. As you’ve probably noticed, a lot of guys that get inked piece by piece come out looking like a piece of scratch paper covered in unrelated doodles.
#9. Matt Barnes “Believe”
This piece was the inspiration behind the “We Believe” campaign of the ’07 Warriors. ‘Nuff said.
#8. Ben Wallace’s “Big Ben”
This tattoo is so cool it makes me wish I was a scary black man with arms the size of barrels and an awesome nickname that translates so perfectly into an image of the world’s most famous clock. Despite my wishing, I remain a scrawny white man with arms like pipe cleaners and no nicknames to speak of.
#7. Chris Andersen’s bird-themed pieces
Minus the “Free Bird” sh!t on his throat. That one looks terrible. I’m referring to the wings on his inner arms and that mean lookin’ blue bird with the crown that you can see peaking out of the collar of his jersey. Ever since he got it a few years ago I’ve thought that the crowned bird is one of the most well-executed pieces in the league. The work is excellent, the placement is perfect, and it obviously fits in perfectly with his persona. It looked even better before he added all the colorful nonsense above it. Even when you look like Chris Andersen, there is such a thing as over-doing it.
^^This is the point when he should’ve thrown the needle into a haystack. The bird looked perfect on it’s own.
#6. Allen Iverson’s “Only the Strong Survive”
A common phrase paired with a common cross image; nothing too special. So why is this on the list? Well, I assume you’ve probably noticed that a variety of other NBA players were sporting this exact combo a few years after Iverson debuted it. This is probably his most well-known tattoo, and the fact that it inspired so many copycats shows you how big his impact on the culture of basketball was. The NBA is covered with tattoos now, but when I think “NBA tattoo,” the first name that will come to mind will always be Allen Iverson. I imagine that’s how it is for many basketball fans.
#5. Kenyon Martin’s back piece
Many like to argue that God is not a man. That may be so, but not even Kenyon’s biggest detractor’s can say that this isn’t some of the finest work the league has to offer. Even if it’s not worded exactly right, what he’s getting at is obvious: he’s fearless. Based on the way he plays the game… I’m not going to argue with that.
#4. Drew Gooden’s melting clock
I’ve read that this is Dali-inspired, but that’s about all I know about it. The time on the melting clock is set to 11:11, apparently for good luck. Whatever it’s meaning, it looks pretty damn cool. Normally I don’t like tattoos with so much color, but I’ve got to admit, this one came out great.
#3. Rasheed Wallace’s Egyptian art
Over the years, both Rasheed and the artwork on his right shoulder became fan favorites. The tattoo was so popular that Nike actually decided to feature it in a commercial (the tattoo artist then sued Nike). Rasheed explains the meaning of the ink in the advertisement…
It’s certainly one of the most interesting pieces the league has to offer, and it’s clearly very meaningful to Rasheed. It’s got a creative aspect as well. Most guys who want to honor their family in a tattoo get some script of their names, a family tree of some sort, or pictures of their faces. The Egyptian theme is different; I’ve never seen another tattoo like it.
#2. Carlos Boozer’s self portrait
Carlos Boozer has a lot of tattoos that look positively excellent. He has a chest piece by Mr. Cartoon, a scary looking polar bear on his left arm, and my favorite, a shadowy image of himself standing beneath the Alaskan skyline. Overall, Boozer may have the finest tattoos in the NBA. Most of his pieces are very unique and extremely detailed.
#1. Wilson Chandler’s Juggernaut back piece
This is f@cking ill, plain and simple. My favorite tattoo in the NBA. It’s the type of tattoo that one should have to earn, yet most don’t. I mean, a chubby, 5’8, 27-year-old cashier at McDonald’s should not be allowed to sport something like this. If I was in charge there would be a law forbidding such a thing. To sport this, one should have to prove that they are truly unstoppable by accomplishing something special, such as making it to the NBA. Unfortunately, losers are inked with triumphant tattoos every single day.
During the decade that was 2000-2010, the appearance of your average NBA player evolved quite a bit. Heavy tattoo coverage, cornrows (replaced more recently by dreads), accessories (such as headbands and arm sleeves), and increasingly baggy uniforms skyrocketed in popularity with the new generation of players. All of a sudden everyone looked like Allen Iverson, both on and of the court. The suits began to feel that the NBA was amidst an image crisis. They shook their collective fist at the youngins and instituted a dress code to keep ‘em from lookin’ too hood in the public eye. They also banned certain on-court fashion statements (upside down headbands, super-long shorts, etc). Fortunately for David Stern and company, Kanye West came along and unintentionally became the league’s top soldier in the image battle. The hipster era is upon us; so much so that it’s actually considered cool to look like Steve Urkel. Just what the NBA wanted!
Despite the fact that lookin’ like a thug was the in thing during the better part of the past decade, most players weren’t really ’bout that life–thankfully. If the reality of the NBA was how it appeared in the eyes of a 57-year-old businessman of the time… there would have to have been about six felons on every team but Utah. It seems that generations have always clashed and will continue to clash, but between 2000 and 2010, man, they clashed bad… at least that’s how I see it. Maybe that’s because those are the years during which I grew up; the years during which I was busy trying to construct my own unbuildable bridge over the gaping canyon of misunderstanding that separated my elders and I. Or maybe it’s because those 57-year-old businessmen thought every young dude that wore baggy pants carried himself as if he was a member of one of the following teams.
The four most legitimately thugged-out squads of a “thugged-out” era, in order…
Denver Nuggets (c. 2004-2011)
The group better known as the “Thuggets” has got to be the most heavily-tattooed team of all-time. Despite the fact that ink has no absolute correlation to criminals, these guys obviously pushed a certain image. Certified on-court goon Kenyon Martin, hip-hop era icon Allen Iverson, and young knucklehead JR Smith play the game like Gs, and although Carmelo Anthony is a known wankster to knowledgeable fans of the game, I think the team’s leader had plenty of onlookers fooled. So, while the Thuggets may have the least legitimate street cred of any of the four teams I’m listing, they may have been the most thugged-out group of all between the baselines. As far as your mother was concerned, this was not the team to support.
Certified Goons and/or players with criminal records/street cred:
Kenyon Martin (’04-’11)
Despite the fact that he’s got a clean record, K-mart is a certified goon. He’s fugazi, Tim Thomas? I don’t think so. The dude once threw the meanest in-game punch since Kermit Washington and directed various slurs the way of Mark Cuban. You don’t f@ck with K-Mart; everyone knows that.
JR Smith (’06-’11)
June 7th, 2007: Smith runs a stop sign resulting in a car accident that killed the passenger in his vehicle. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and served 30 days in jail. JR has had about a half a million speeding tickets and committed a variety of offenses that involve motor vehicles, including operating a scooter without a license. The only place he should ever be allowed to drive is on an NBA basketball court.
October, 2007: JR is suspended three games for conduct detrimental to the team. He was charged with assault after an incident at a nightclub where he supposedly shoved a woman, spat on her, and ripped her dress. According to the police report, Smith was “very drunk” and didn’t remember anything about the incident. According to Smith, the woman made it up. According to me? JR spat and connected… from halfway across the club… on his 17th attempt.
Allen Iverson (’06-’08)
February 14th, 1993: Iverson is involved in an altercation with some other teenagers at a bowling alley. He was accused of hitting a girl in the head with a chair and ended up serving a few months in prison before his conviction was overturned. This incident was very controversial because there was a racial aspect to it. AI and his group of friends were fighting with a group of white teenagers, and the black kid ends up in prison. I wasn’t there, so I can’t say that he didn’t do it, but as far as I know no one could prove that he did, either.
August, 1997: Iverson pleads no contest to a gun charge in order to get a drug possession charge dropped. He was put on probation for three years and dealt a few hours of community service.
July, 2002: Iverson is charged with various felonies and misdemeanors after he allegedly threw his wife out of their home, then forced his way into his cousins apartment to try and find her. He was also caught carrying a handgun that he wasn’t licensed to have. Some of the charges he faced included aggravated assault, conspiracy, and criminal trespassing. Lucky for him, all charges were eventually dropped. He was facing 50 years in prison if he was convicted of all of them.
March 30th, 2011: Iverson is given a ticket after he’s pulled over in his ’09 Lamborghini. He supposedly directed a variety of four-letter words at the police officer who stopped him, although his friend, who was driving, claimed that it was all fabricated. Based on my personal experience with traffic stops… who the hell knows what really happened here.
Carmelo Anthony (’03-’11)
October, 2004: Inspectors at the Denver International Airport find some marijuana in Melo’s backpack. He got off after a friend claimed he left the weed in the backpack after borrowing it a week earlier. Lolz.
December 16th, 2006: Carmelo picks up a 15-game suspension for throwing one of the weakest punches in the history of the NBA at a defenseless Mardy Collins. After the punch he proceeded to set a new land speed record while backpedaling from the 5’7 Nate Robinson.
April, 2008: Anthony is arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. The league suspended him for two games. I’m going to give him a pass here; the guy had just gone 3-14 for 11 points. He was clearly feeling depressed.
DerMarr Johnson (’04-’07)
June 10th, 2007: DerMarr gets tased after allegedly failing to cooperate with police officers. Johnson was arrested due to his involvement in a disturbance outside of–take a wild guess–a nightclub! He claims that he was trying to break up a fight between a couple of women. The cops obviously didn’t see it that way.
June, 2008: Johnson is arrested for DUI after being pulled over for speeding and an inability to stay in his lane. He posted $1,000 bail and claimed he only had “a few cups of wine.” Seeing as he failed the breathalizer, I’d say his tolerance must’ve been slackin’.
Wilson Chandler (’11)*
May 19th, 2010: Wilson gets pulled over in his S550 and the cops find a joint under the driver’s seat… along with with other small bags of weed. Will The Thrill admitted that he was getting high before being stopped for driving with his lights off at 11:30 PM. He was arrested on misdemeanor marijuana charges.
Marcus Camby (’02-’08)
June 14th, 1997: The Camby Man is busted with a little bit of marijuana. The charges were dropped after he did some community service.
September 19th, 2011: Once again, Marcus is caught with a little weed (less than two ounces). He was pulled over while driving his Porsche through Pearland, TX. Unfortunately for him, he happened to be in a “drug-free zone” at the time of the traffic stop. I’m going to go ahead and assume that he whipped the $2,000 dollars for bail directly out of his pocket.
Chris Andersen (’01-’04, ’08-’11)
January 25th, 2006: The Birdman is banished from the NBA after failing a drug test. He was found to be using a “drug of abuse.” We’ve never been informed as to what the drug was, but “drugs of abuse” include cocaine, LSD, heroine, LSD, and methamphetamines. He filed for reinstatement two years later, and obviously succeeded.
Ruben Patterson (’06)*
Scroll down. His long list of offenses is included with his primary team.
Washington Wizards Bullets (c. 2003-2010)
The name change seemed really silly back in ’97. However, no one would’ve questioned the overly-PC decision had they known that Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were coming along just a few years down the line. Can you imagine the feeding frenzy the media would’ve had if Washington’s NBA team was still called the Bullets when Gil and J-Critt had a locker-room standoff? A gun-related moniker is about the only thing that could’ve made that situation any worse for the franchise.
Speaking of the Arenas/Crittenton scenario, this is what always comes to my mind…
“U..S..S..R……oh shhh……”
That’s J-Critt talking as he watched Arenas remove his arsenal from his locker. You know Gilbert had the money for some heavy artillery on that massive salary of his.
Certified Goons and/or players with criminal records/street cred:
Gilbert Arenas (’03-’11)
June 2003: Gilbert is arrested for driving without a license and carrying a concealed weapon. A police officer saw the clip of a gun when Arenas opened his glove compartment to retrieve his paperwork. Don’t keep your pistol where you keep your paperwork.
December, 2009: Arenas admits to storing firearms in his locker at the Verizon Center. In January of 2010, he pleaded guilty to the felony charge of carrying an unlicensed firearm.
Javaris Crittenton (08/09)
December, ’09: Like Gilbert Arenas, Crittenton was also busted with firearms in the Verizon Center locker room. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor gun charges in January of 2010.
August 26th, 2011: Crittenton is charged with the murder of a 22-year-old Atlanta woman. He claims to have had no involvement in the incident and is currently out on bail.
Caron Butler (’05-’10)
Butler dealt drugs as a youth in Racine, Wisconsin, and had already been arrested on multiple occasions by his 15th birthday. He served nine months in prison for possession of cocaine and firearms before the age of 18.**
Andray Blatche (’05-present)
September 25th, 2005: Blatche is shot in a carjacking near his home in Alexandria, VA. If 50 Cent taught us anything, it’s that getting shot makes you a certified G.
June 4th, 2008: Blatche is charged with sexual solicitation after he allegedly solicited sex from an undercover police officer. The charges were dropped.
June 4th, 2008: Blatche is arrested for reckless driving while on a suspended license. He was supposedly doing 86 in a 70 MPH zone.
DeShawn Stevenson (’06-’10)
1999: Stevenson is charged with misdemeanor assault for taking part in a high school fight. Stevenson claims to have been jumped by five men and pleaded innocent to fighting in a public place.
June, 2001: Stevenson is charged with statutory rape after admitting to having sex with a 14-year-old girl. He was 20 at the time. Stevenson was accused of getting the girl drunk off of alcohol that he provided before having sex with her.
August 20th, 2007: A mysterious shooting takes place outside of Stevenson’s home in Orlando. The story is unclear due to the fact that no one present really cooperated with authorities.
June 14th, 2011: Just days after becoming an NBA champion, Stevenson is arrested for disorderly conduct. He claims that he wasn’t drunk, as the police say he was, and that he was doing nothing wrong. He blames racial profiling. I blame furious anger.
Randy Foye (09/10)
February, 2007: Foye is cited for disorderly conduct for his role in a fight with three other men. The scuffle took place outside of a gas station.
Anthony Peeler (04/05)*
May 1992: Peeler is arrested in Columbia, MO on suspicion of weapons and kidnapping charges after he threatened a woman using a handgun. He allegedly bit her multiple times and put a .45 caliber revolver to her head.
June ’92: Peeler is arrested for assaulting a “female companion.” He was charged with misdemeanor after he punched a 19-year-old girl in the face and threw her on the ground.
Lonny Baxter (’04)*
August 16th, 2006: Baxter is arrested near the White House after firing a handgun into the air. On August 23rd he was sentenced to 60 days in prison.
August 31, 2007: Baxter is sentenced to another 60 days in prison for attempting to ship two guns in the mail without telling the FedEx guys that his package contained firearms. Baxter’s excellent decision making always has been cited as one of the primary reasons he was such a success in the NBA.
Indiana Pacers (c. 2002-2007)
The pinstriped half of “Malace at the Palace” featured not only the NBA’s craziest player since Dennis Rodman, but also a gang of goons headlined by Stephen Jackson. As if they needed anything more than the brawl in Detroit to achieve a thugged-out image, Marquis Daniels became known for sporting a tattoo which depicted a guy blowing his own head off, along with another one that reads “look through the eyes of a killer.” Young knuckleheads like Shawne Williams and David Harrison were in trouble almost immediately after being drafted, and Jamaal Tinsley’s game brought the streets to the NBA floor from time to time. To put it all in a nutshell: on the court they were gritty, and off the court they were always in trouble.
Certified Goons and/or players with criminal records/street cred:
Stephen Jackson (’04-’07)
November, 2004: Captain Jack is suspended by the NBA for 30 games for fighting with fans in Detroit. Plenty of players I’ve listed in this article have rather extensive criminal records, but only Jackson and a few of his teammates actually committed one of their criminal offenses on an NBA floor while on live television. Stack was put on probation and forced to do a ton of community service.
October, 2006: Following an argument at a nightclub, Jackson is hit by a car. He then fired his gun into the air five times. Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels were also present and armed. All three players were permitted to be carrying weapons, which leads me to the following question: who the hell gave Stephen Jackson and Marquis Daniels permission to carry a f@cking gun? Oh yeah, the cops also found a little weed in Jamaal Tinsley’s vehicle. All of this resulted in Jackson being charged with criminal recklessness, battery, and disorderly conduct. His biggest mistake? Going out to a nightclub while already on probation.
During his time with the Warriors (he played in Golden State directly after leaving Indiana), Jackson was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, fined $25,000 for publicly requesting a trade, and was ejected from a whole bunch of games. He also got himself a tattoo of two praying hands holding a gun. Despite his explanation (praying that he’d never have to use a gun again), it was another minor blow to his image.
Jermaine O’Neal (’00-’08)
June, 1997: JO is sent to jail for a night after supposedly mouthing off to a police officer at a mall in South Carolina. O’Neal claims that he never said anything to the police officer.
November, 2004: Jermaine throws a sliding punch to the face of a fat Pistons fan at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The NBA suspended him for 25 games (reduced to 15). He was put on probation and dealt a few community service hours.
October 13th, 2006: A man driving an SUV that belonged to O’Neal is arrested for possession of marijuana. JO claimed to have no involvement, saying that he gave the vehicle to a friend and simply continued to pay for it.
Ron Artest (’02-’06)
January, 2003: Artest is fined and suspended for destroying a television camera in the tunnel of Madison Square Garden.
May, 2002: Ron Ron is charged with harassment after allegedly grabbing his girlfriend by the arm and around the neck. An order of protection was filed, but charges were later dropped. I imagine that any woman who would date Ron Artest has to be at least as crazy as he is.
November, 2004: Artest is benched for two games by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after asking for a month off due to fatigue… from promoting a rap album.
November, 2004: Artest is suspended for the remainder of the regular season as well as the playoffs for his involvement in the brawl in Detroit. Like Jackson and O’Neal, Artest was put on probation and forced to do a bunch of community service. As I’m sure you already know, it was Artest’s hard foul on Ben Wallace that started everything.
March 5th, 2007: Artest is arrested on domestic violence charges after a dispute with his wife. Supposedly, he shoved her, tried to leave the scene, and then she threw a pot at his Hummer. The Kings (his team at the time) sent him home for a few days and he was sentenced to 20 days in jail. The Hummer suffered a shattered windshield.
December, 2009: Artest publicly admits to drinking Hennessy at halftime when he played for the Chicago Bulls. No one was surprised.
Jamaal Tinsley (’01-’08)
October, 2006: Tinsley is charged with battery and disorderly conduct after the same bar fight during which teammate Stephen Jackson was hit by a car. He did a little community service and that was that.
October, 2007: Tinsley is shot at in a drive-by shooting after leaving an Indianapolis nightclub in his Rolls Royce. Being shot at in a drive-by isn’t a crime, obviously, but you’ve got to wonder why exactly he was being targeted. A definite boost for his street cred.
Marquis Daniels (’06-’09)
October, 2006: That bar fight again. The one that involved Tinsley and Stack Jack. Like Tinsley, Daniels was charged with a couple of misdemeanors. Also like his teammates, he brought a gun to a nightclub. If I’ve learned anything from the creation of this post it’s that situations involving a gun, an NBA player, and a nightclub will not end well.
February, 2008: A 22-year-old woman claims to have been raped during a party at the home of Marquis Daniels. Marquis was never a suspect in the case, but this indicates to me that he may have surrounded himself with some rather sketchy individuals.
Shawne Williams (’06-’08)
September, 2007: Williams is pulled over and some weed is found in his car. Turns out he didn’t even had a drivers license. He pleaded guilty to driving license-less and was suspended for three games.
February, 2008: A murder suspect is arrested just after he left the home of none other than Shawne Williams. Williams wasn’t charged with a crime, but you have to wonder if he knew the dude he was housing may have killed someone.
January 15th, 2010: Williams is charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and four counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance. The substance turned out to be codeine. All of those charges are felonies.
July 25th, 2010: Williams and a college teammate are arrested after being pulled over in a routine traffic stop. The cops found a loaded gun and over 17 grams of weed in the vehicle. Why was Williams pulled over? He forgot to fasten his seat belt.
David Harrison (’04-’08)
November, 2004: Harrison is charged with assault and battery for his role in Malice at the Palace. He was not suspended by the NBA because “the incident occurred as the players were attempting to leave the floor.” He was put on probation for a year.
January 11, 2008: The NBA suspends Harrison for five games after he violates the anti-drug policy. Like a few of his teammates, he apparently enjoyed smoking reefer.
March, 2008: Harrison is suspended for one game by the Pacers after failing to leave the court in a… not-swearing manner. He was sent to the locker room by a Pacers coach after receiving a technical foul, but apparently he continued to scream obscenities at an official and Spurs player Matt Bonner on his way.
Orien Greene (06/07)
March, 2006: Greene is arrested after leading police on a chase through suburban Waltham, MA at speeds of 90 miles per hour. He was charged with various violations and paid a small fine. The Celtics, his team at the time, suspended him for a game.
June, 2010: Greene is suspended for two years from some Euro league for trying to pass a drug test by providing someone else’s urine. He was playing for a team in Amsterdam, so I’m not sure why he was worried about being caught smoking weed. Don’t they allow it over there?
Portland Trail Jail Blazers (c. 2001-2007)
Ah, yes… the Portland Jail Blazers. They were a rather unsuspecting bunch… I mean, sh!t, they repped Oregon on the front of their jerseys. Zach Randolph doesn’t have the appearance of a thug. The team was only moderately inked. For the better part of the decade, though, this northwestern squad featured players who were into an extremely vast array of criminal activities ranging from street racing to dog fighting. These dudes–well, not all of them, but a few of them–weren’t just getting busted for blunt cruisin’; these dudes were into some pretty serious sh!t. They were called the Jail Blazers for a reason. The fact that none of them did any extensive time is actually rather remarkable.
Certified Goons and/or players with criminal records/street cred:
Zach Randolph (’01-’07)
Young Z-Bo served 30 days in a juvenile detention center for stealing a pair of pants at age 14. By 15, he was on house arrest for whipping someone’s ass. By 17, he was doing another 30 days for selling a stolen firearm.
December 2nd, 2003: Randolph is arrested for DUI. To his credit, he was supposedly very polite to the arresting officers.
April, 2003: Randolph is suspended for two games and fined $100,000 for punching teammate Ruben Patterson in the face during a Blazers practice.
August, 2004: Randolph is accused of lying to investigators after his brother shot three men outside of…take a wild guess…a nightclub in Indiana. All charges were dropped after witnesses told police that Randolph attempted to restrain his brother.
June, 2006: Randolph is cited for drag racing at 3:15 AM by Portland police. Two loaded guns were found in the vehicle, but Randolph didn’t get in any trouble for that because he was permitted to carry them.
April, 2009: Randolph is arrested for DUI… again. Yawn.
2010: Indianapolis police accuse Randolph of “financing known drug dealers” in the city. A car registered in his name was found containing marijuana and gun ammunition. Controlled substances and vehicles with secret compartments were discovered in a storage space rented by Randolph. Around the same time, a member of his entourage was accused of beating a man at a strip club.
August, 2011: Randolph allegedly invites a drug dealer to sell marijuana at a party in his home. The drug dealer was then beaten up in a dispute over the price of the weed. According to the dealer, Randolph was not one of the four men who hit him with pool cues.
Qyntel Woods (’02-’05)
January, 2005: Woods pleads guilty to misdemeanor animal abuse. He was hosting dogfights at his home, and multiple pitbulls were confiscated by the police. The Blazers waived him after this incident (because he sucked at basketball, not because he was a thug).
2006: Woods is accused of assault and harassment by a man who implicated him in the dog fighting crimes. Zach Randolph was also accused of assault and harassment.
Ruben Patterson (’01-’06)
December, 1996: Patterson is charged with aggravated burglary after he broke through the door at an ex-girlfriends apartment and stole her purse.
December, 1997: Patterson is suspended for 14 games by the NCAA for receiving extra benefits in violation of NCAA rules. Patterson was using a condo owned by his summertime employer, who also co-signed a car loan for him.
September, 2000: Patterson is accused of attempting to rape his family’s nanny. He was sentenced to 15 days in prison, ordered to pay the nanny $500, and forced to pay a $5,000 fine. Patterson argued that the sex was consensual, but admitted to cheating on his wife.
February, 2001: Patterson is suspended three games due to his conviction on an assault charge which he caught by breaking a man’s jaw. Patterson thought the man had scratched his vehicle–a perfectly valid reason to break a man’s jaw.
November, 2002: Patterson is arrested on felony domestic assault charges pressed by his now ex-wife. She dropped the charges, but they got divorced.
November 21st, 2005: Patterson is placed on the inactive list after cursing at coach Nate McMillan during a loss to the Knicks. He was angry because he played just 12 minutes in the game. Gee, Ruben, maybe that’s because you went 0-4 from the field while collecting three fouls and a pair of turnovers.
May 15th, 2007: Patterson is accused of failing to register as a sex offender after moving into a new house in Cincinnati. He was fined $1,000.
November, 2009: Patterson is charged with with tampering with evidence and resisting arrest after being present at a shooting which took place at the Buckeye Hall Of Fame Cafe.
March 27th, 2010: Patterson is arrested and charged with DUI. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Darius Miles (’04-’06)
January, 2005: D-Miles is suspended for two games after verbally exploding on coach Mo Cheeks. According to various reports, Miles used a racial slur to describe his coach. Gee, I wonder what he said?
July, 2008: At some point around this time it was revealed that Miles had failed a drug test. He was attempting to make a comeback to the NBA after the Blazers had been given permission to waive him (a doctor deemed the major knee injury he suffered during the ’05/06 season to be career-ending). He was signed by the Grizzlies later in 2008 and served a 10-game suspension.
May 15th, 2009: Darius is stopped for a traffic violation. The officer finds weed and Miles is charged with possession. According to reports, he was driving a ’90-something Chevy Impala, not this contraption.
August 4th, 2011: Darius is arrested after an X-Ray machine reveals a gun that was either packed inside of his luggage or actually on him (I can’t figure out exactly how it went down). I can tell you that the weapon was reportedly loaded, and that he was trying to sneak it onto a freaking airplane. C’mon son.
Rasheed Wallace (’96-’04)
April, 1996: ‘Sheed is arrested and charged with assault after getting a little too rough with his baby mama. The dispute reportedly took place after Rasheed tried to take their young son to Washington with him.
November, 2002: ‘Sheed and Damon get pulled over for speeding, get busted for pot possession. You’ve all heard this story.
September, 2003: Rasheed is caught driving without insurance after being pulled over for driving erratically. He got a ticket and his car was towed away.
2001: Rasheed sets an NBA record by racking up 41 technical fouls in a single season. I’m not even going to begin to get into his on-court drama… I’d never finish researching.
Damon Stoudemire (’98-’05)
February 23, 2002: The burglar alarm at Mighty Mouse’s house goes off and police respond. They find the door open and call for backup. A couple of policemen went inside and found no sign of a break in. However, they did find a pound of weed. Damon was charged with felony possession, but nothing came of it due to the fact that the cops discovered the drugs without a search warrant. Interesting note I found in an article about this ordeal: “The marijuana found at Stoudamire’s home was confiscated but police did not tell Stoudamire about the incident until about two weeks later.” So… for two weeks, the police left Damon under the impression that someone robbed his stash? How is that legal?
November, 2002: Damon is busted for possession of marijuana in the same traffic stop I mentioned before (the one with Rasheed Wallace).
July, 2003: Damon attempts to pass through an airport metal detector with 1.5 ounces of weed… which he had wrapped in aluminum foil. Via SI.com: “After Stoudamire set off the metal detector, he placed the drug and rolling papers into a plastic security bin.” I’ve come to the conclusion that he was already baked when this incident took place. It ended up costing him $250,000.
Sebastian Telfair (’04-’06)
February 15th, 2006: A gun is found on the Blazers team plane at Boston’s Logan Airport. It was packed in Sebastian Telfair’s bag. He claimed that it belonged to his girlfriend and that he took the wrong bag before heading off to the airport. That story seemed a little less lame after it was revealed that the gun was in fact registered to his girlfriend. He was fined by the Blazers.
April 20th, 2007: Sebastian is pulled over for driving his Range Rover about 22 MPH faster than he should’ve been. Telfair gave the police officer a suspended driver’s license, and then a loaded gun was found under the passenger seat. He was hit with a felony weapons charge and given tickets for speeding and driving without a valid license.
Bonzi Wells (’98-’03)
September, 2001: Bonzi and teammate Eric Barkley are charged with criminal trespassing after refusing to leave the scene of an altercation. Guess where the fight took place… you got it, a nightclub! Both Bonzi and Eric reportedly screamed obscenities at police officers. You’ll soon learn that Bonzi apparently has an affinity for screaming swear words.
March, 2003: Bonzi is suspended for a game after cussing out coach Mo Cheeks during practice.
November, 2003: Once again, Bonzi is suspended for a profanity-laced explosion directed at Mo Cheeks. This time he was mad ’cause coach yanked him from a game.
Derek Anderson (’01-’05)
August, 2011: Anderson is accused of financing a cocaine ring by a man charged with murder. The accuser was attempting to get a reduced sentence by coughing up info to police, so he did have a reason to lie, but I thought I’d mention this anyway. The murder suspect claims that Anderson was never present at any of the drug deals (which he says were for 2 to 3 kilos at a time, $20,000 per kilo), but he claims, quote, “[Derek]‘s who funnels the money.” DA was never charged with any crime because the police had no further evidence to prove his involvement.
*denotes a player who was with the team for less than one full season.
**big ups to Caron Butler for turning his life around. There’s not a speck of dirt on his record from about 17 years of age on up. He found basketball while in a detention center and used it as a vehicle to a better life. Good for him.
After watching what he did to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat in the 2011 Playoffs, it’s kind of hard to believe that Dirk Nowitzki ever went 2-13 from the floor for a measly 8 points in a first-round elimination game. But he did! It was Stephen Jackson who put on a Nowitzki-like shooting display with 33 points on 10-19, including 7 three-pointers.
Despite the fact that they held a two-point lead at the half, things weren’t exactly looking promising for the Warriors entering the third quarter. Baron Davis and Matt Barnes were both playing with pulled hamstrings, and GSW had just lost a very winnable game five. Davis had played like an MVP candidate throughout this series, and Barnes was a key role player without whom Golden State would not have won. To make matters worse, Baron actually re-aggravated his injury in the middle of the first quarter. He had to leave the game for a while, and even though he returned, I recall doubting what he’d be capable of with one bad wheel (he was visibly hobbled). The Warriors relied on Davis to close out tight games, and I had no reason to believe that this one would end with a 25-point differential. All hail Stack! Stack Jack, that is. Stackhouse gets no love in this post; his 20 points led the way for the bad guys.
Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little. But seriously, just try and tell me that this early ’80s Cleveland Cavs inspired logo isn’t awesome… because, clearly, it is. Notice that the button on the guy’s sleeve is actually a basketball. Observe the swag that the feather, and it’s placement, add. That’s the type of attention to detail that is put into the making of a great logo! I’m impressed. I mean, this wouldn’t be too out of place if thrown into the mix with the old ABA logos (although it doesn’t have sh!t on the San Diego Conquistadors).
So, who are the Canton Charge? Why they’re the Cleveland Cavs’ new D-League affiliate, of course! Observe their court…
Nice! Powered by the Cleveland Cavaliers, though? That’s gonna be a pretty weak charge.
From the South Florida All-Star Classic (Team LeBron vs Team Wade game which took place a few days ago): Amare collects a dish from Chris Paul and makes a deposit on top of KD’s head…
I’ve found it awfully difficult to get really hyped up about all of these I’m-too-cool-to-play-defense-style scrimmages. Despite all of the NBA talent that’s been present this summer, I just can’t seem to get into it. That being said, I’ve enjoyed watching the highlight clips that these games provide for us. We haven’t seen a whole lot of posterizations in these exhibitions because, well, like I said… everyone’s too cool to contest the dunk. Windmills and alleys are cool, but a contested slam is certainly a welcomed change of pace. It reminds me of the real thing.
Dunk rating on the Starbury Nastiness Scale:
8/10 Starbury Nasty Faces.
Throwback Poster of the Day: Whoever first suggested that it would be a good idea to switch to the baseline camera every time a dude is about to finish a coast-to-coast drive needs to be slapped.
NBA Champ and ’07 Warrior Stephen Jackson has been proving his worth on the hardwood for the past 11 years. Now he’s ready to show you that he’s no chump on the mic, either. That’s correct, folks; this song, performed by an NBA basketball player, is actually good. I’m serious. Not joking.
Now that I think about it, the fact that Jackson made a perfectly listenable track shouldn’t even come as a surprise to anyone who knows a damn thing about rap. Stack Jack is a native of Port Arthur, TX; of course the motherf@cker can rap! See for yourself…
“My pockets keep Bucks, like the same team I’m playin’ fo’”
Yup, completely forgot about that trade. Stephen Jackson in Wisconsin? Well, I guess he’s already experienced Indiana, so he’ll be alright.
“Too much time on my hands, whatchu think about this Muller?”
Creative punchline! Damn nice watch, too.
“So while you broke I’m soo-woopin’ new coupin’, retarded red drophead lookin’ too stupid”
The hook is excellent–I love how he incorporated various clippings of news broadcasts about the lockout. It gave the song a more intense, serious tone.
I like the first verse better than the second, but he started off strong…
“I go hard as a crowbar to your glass jaw”
…and he was sure to keep it trill with the “Texas made, Texas raised” blurb. For a second it was almost as if I was in the car bumping Slim Thug. This sh!t is authentic Texas hip hop!
As for the video… it was your typical rap video–money, cars, and clothes. The Marquis Daniels sighting at 2:24 adds a little intrigue to the visual. Are he and Stack planning a collaboration? ‘Quis raps too, but I don’t think he’s as nice as Jackson.
I’m going to go ahead and dub this the greatest rap song ever recorded by an NBA player. Show me a better one… and just dare to tell Stephen Jackson otherwise.
Over the years, I’ve gathered up more than a few NBA-related items. By more than a few… I mean more than a few. I suppose you can consider me a collector of all things NBA. I don’t really care what it is; if it’s got something to do with a favorite player of mine, I’ll buy it. I’ve got tons of your typical items; a jersey collection, boxes of cards, bobbleheads, all of that. I’ve also got some more unique stuff, such as a snow globe, an autographed napkin, and game worn sneakers.
This afternoon, I decided to go on an archeological dig of sorts. You see, most of my NBA artifacts have been stored in big, plastic tubs. Over time, some of these tubs have moved to the bottom of the stack. Things that I need to access more often migrate to the top of the piles. So, I don’t see my NBA stuff all that often because, unfortunately, I don’t really have a place, or the means, to properly display it yet. Some day I hope to have a room in my home that serves as an NBA time capsule. I’ve got the contents… I just need a suitable capsule. Until I can afford a house the collection will remain buried in the Rubbermaid tubs.
Every once in a while–maybe once a year or so–I like to sift through some of my stuff. I pull out a tub, take out some stuff, and take a trip down memory lane. Earlier today, the mood struck me. I opened up the closet doors and did a little digging. Here are a few of the things that I uncovered. Click the photos to make them bigger.
Assorted NBA tokens
What: Remember Pogs? These are kind of like those… except they’ve got NBA players–such as Jason Richardson, Monta Ellis, Jermaine O’Neal, Charlie Villanueva, and Morris Peterson on ‘em. The J-Rich one is some sort of limited edition… it’s numbered out of 399 on the back.
Where: For a pretty short period of time they sold these at all the same places you could get NBA cards.
Why: I already had lots of cards… so I went for a few packages of these little thingies.
Matt Barnes, Stromile Swift, and Keon Clark bobbleheads
What: Bobbleheads. Dur.
Where: Ebay.
Why: Keon Clark? Because he was the sh!t. Matt Barnes? Because he personified the grit of my favorite NBA team of all-time, the ’06/07 Golden State Warriors. I wish he was wearing a Warriors jersey, but I had to take what I could get… I think this was the only Matt Barnes collectible ever manufactured. Stromile Swift? Because he’s my favorite player ever! This was my first bobblehead, and the reason I set up an Ebay account. I think I got it when I was 16. I remember it went something like this: I couldn’t be home when the auction ended, so my mom was supposed to bid on it. She forgot, and someone else got it. I was devastated. Fortunately, another one popped up shortly, and I made damn sure I won it. The Stromile Swift bobblehead was associated with all kinds of superstitions. I selected a special spot on my desk where it had to stay on game days, and during games I would bobble its head when Stro made a basket. I could not watch a Stromile Swift game without my Stromile Swift bobblehead. I actually brought it with me to the arena on multiple occasions when I was watching him play live. I never said I’m not crazy.
Why: Tyrus, Shaq, and Stro–the NBA’s LSU representatives, minus that dipsh!t Big Baby. The card comes complete with three smidgens of game-worn material. I’ve got a whole bunch of basketball cards, but this one is a personal favorite. I included another favorite in the photo… it’s nothin’ special, just a basic card… but I like how Stro was rocking his jersey backwards.
Carmelo Anthony snow globe
What: The coolest goddamn snow globe I’ve ever seen.
Where: Ebay.
Why: The more unusual the item, the more I like it. I had to have this. Carmelo was one of my favorite players when he was a Denver Nugget, too.
Quentin Richardson’s Air Jordans
What: A pair of player exclusives made for Q-Rich when he was a member of the Knicks.
Where: Ebay.
Why: I admired Q-Rich because he was a hip-hop era icon. He was Darius Miles’ counterpart on the legendary Clippers teams of the the early 2000s, and there was once a time where he dunked as often as he launched a three-pointer. I was also a fan of Isiah Thomas’s Knicks (yeah, you heard me), so of course I had to have the man’s sneakers. Size 15 in case you were wondering.
Stadium giveaway “We Believe” shirt
What: One of the t-shirts given out to Warrior fans at Oracle Arena during the first round of the ’07 playoffs.
Where: Ebay.
Why: As I’ve told you 563 times, the ’06/07 Warriors were my favorite basketball team ever assembled. This may as well have been their jersey, and it’s easily the greatest item ever to be handed out at an NBA game. I think I spent like 40 or 50 bucks on this… it was worth every penny.
Tim Thomas’s left shoe
What: One half of a pair of TT’s player exclusives from his time with the Knicks.
Where: Ebay.
Why: Tim Thomas underachieved, wore two headbands at the same time, and arrogantly dominated during an exciting ’06 postseason run with the Phoenix Suns. All of that sh!t is right up my alley.
Assorted Stromile Swift jerseys
What: Five sevenths of my Stromile Swift jersey collection.
Where: Various sources. NBA auctions, game-worn memorabilia sites, etc.
Why: It says “Swift” on it? I’ve gotta have it. The Suns, blue Grizzlies, and Nets versions are all game-worn. The Grizzlies one has different colors on the sides because it was used in one of those Europe Live preseason games. The Nets one can be seen in this video…
The white Grizzlies one was autographed in person the first time I met the Stro Show. He was walking off the court halfway across the arena when he stopped to sign a few autographs. I exploded up off my seat, ran right by four or five security guards, and pushed through a crowd of Celtic fans in order to get close enough to hand him a marker. I wouldn’t sell that jersey for a million dollars… not that it’ll ever come to that. I doubt that it could fetch 15 bucks.
Why: It was either the first or second NBA game I ever attended… I was probably about 13 years old. My dad and I were walking back to the parking garage when we noticed a gathering of people. They were all crowded around a break in the fence that surrounded what is now the TD Banknorth Garden. I realized that it was where the Celtic players were leaving the building, and due to my fascination with fancy cars and big rims, I obviously wanted to stay and watch… despite the fact that it was late at night in the middle of the winter. All the players left without stopping, but I was pretty thrilled anyway. It was cool to see professional athletes up close and off duty. My dad and I were about to leave when a V12 Mercedes pulled up. The window rolled down, and Walter McCarty was inside. He signed a notepad for the only other kid that was still around, and then I handed him a napkin. It was the only thing I had on me. The fact that the autograph was on a napkin didn’t matter to the 13-year old me. I was thrilled. Thank you, Walter.
My NBA collection is probably worth a fraction of what I paid for it, and that’s what I love about it. I’d get more props if I had one Kobe jersey instead of seven Stromile Swift jerseys, and I might even be able to consider such an item an investment… but I don’t like Kobe, and I don’t want his jersey. My collection is personalized. I’ve seen bigger, better, more expensive sports collections, but I think mine is one of the most unique.
If you want to see more of my NBA stuff, leave a comment. I’ve got plenty of other things that I could photograph. I’ve got the stories that go along with everything, too. Do you have interesting NBA stuff of your own? E-mail me a photo at admin@nba247365.com.
But it wasn’t. You remember the 2009 dunk contest, don’t you? It’s that one you didn’t like for a variety of reasons: JR Smith dunked like exactly what he was… an injury replacement. Rudy Fernandez elected to have a center throw his off-the-back-of-the-glass lob. Nate Robinson did that thing that you and your buddy do at the YMCA… and the judges bought it. Dwight Howard smiled too much, and his shirt was too tight.
Oh yeah, that dunk contest! Yeah dude, that one kinda sucked!
Why yes, yes it did (just like the music in that video. Leave the screwing and chopping to Michael Watts, please)… and this is coming from a guy who tends to enjoy the dunk contest for what it is: an overly-flamboyant, somewhat-forced display of creativity and athleticism (at the end of which the most deserving contestant often takes an L).
Anyway, as you saw either when it happened or in the video above, Nate Robinson was crowned the champion (by the fans, 52%-48% over Dwight) for clearing none other than Howard himself. He utilized a VC-on-Weiss-esque boost with the off arm, but it was a pretty nice dunk. I don’t really care how you do it… to clear a man over a foot taller than you… that’s an impressive feat. Still, we all know why Nate won: he’s 5′whatever. He’s probably about the same height as the average fan voter. Once the judges put him in the finals, despite some whack first-round slamming, it was a wrap. Sucky contest overall, for sure.
This dunk contest didn’t have to suck, though, and I’m gonna tell you why: Mike Taylor. And James White, and Gerald Green.
Mike Taylor, you say? Yeah, Mike Taylor. A 6’2 rookie PG for the Clipps (at the time) with spring-loaded action going on in his legs. You may recall that he threw down one of the most impressive dunks of the ’08/09 season during a match up with Memphis that me and five or six other people tuned in for…
One helluva dunk, right? Yeah… and he executed that with two defenders present. Observe what the young man was capable of with a free path to the iron…
So, let’s throw Mike Taylor into Rudy Fernandez’s spot seeing as Rudy never should’ve been there in the first place (dumbass fans voted him in on account of his whiteness). Taylor’s got about five inches on Nate Rob, but 6’2 is plenty short enough to garner the “little guy advantage” in a dunk contest. Taylor pulls out something decent, followed by that off the floor between the legs? I’m thinkin’ Nate gets sent packing with his jump-off-the-defender’s-back-like-a-scraggly-haired-white-kid tomfoolery.
As for JR Smith… well, he simply seemed disinterested. Maybe he figured he’d already shown us his best…
…and even that wasn’t enough. Who the hell knows with JR Smith… dude could’ve eaten too many gummy bears in practice and suffered a tummy ache or some sh!t. Anyway, he didn’t need to be involved. Neither did Rudy Gay, the guy JR was replacing. Don’t get me wrong here; Rudy is sick, but he’s no Gerald Green or James White when it comes to contest dunking. Gerald was on a roster–Houston’s, I think–at the time, so he was eligible. He was coming off two excellent performances in a row, too. I don’t love gimmicks, but I f@ck with the cupcake dunk… that was ill because he clearly blew it out.
So, now we’ve got Gerald Green doing his thing in the place of the disinterested Smith, and little dude Mike Taylor showing up Nate Rob in place of Rudy Fernandez, who’s far too European for this sh!t. The only Euro I ever want to see in the NBA dunk contest is Walter Herrmann (yes, I’m aware that Argentina is nowhere near Europe. No, I will not stop calling white non-American NBA players who aren’t from Europe “Euros”). Why?
That’s why. Anywho, Nate Rob vs Mike Taylor for the little-guy crown and Dwight vs Gerald with the creativity and freakish ups… that could’ve been an incredible contest, right? Damn straight. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that James White was almost eligible to compete. He was dominating the D-League at the time, and got called up by the Rockets less than a month too late. Had James White been in it… damn, it could’ve been the best contest ever. Due to the fact that his tool box contains little more than a jet pack, White was forced to show his stuff in the ’09 D-League dunk contest.
It doesn’t even look real, does it? Unbelievable.
So, there you have it… the 2009 NBA Dunk Contest; it sucked, but it didn’t have to suck. What the NBA could learn from my assessment: don’t let fans vote on anything, ever. They won’t f@cking get it right. Don’t put white guys in dunk contests unless their last name is Barry, and for God’s sake, if James White is ever anywhere near the NBA ever again, get him involved in this sh!t. PLEASE!
Final thought: was there a reason that Fernandez wore red shorts and a black jersey?
Final final thought: you’re probably wondering what the heck inspired me to write a post about the 2009 NBA dunk contest at 3 o’clock in the morning. Well, funny story… I reached into my t-shirt pile and grabbed the one that said “Clippers.” I thought it was Eric Gordon, but then I realized it had the number 4 on it. I completely forgot that I have this awesome Mike Taylor t-shirt! What a find!
Yesterday evening, Chris Paul hosted a charity game in Winston-Salem, NC which featured big-time NBA talent such as Paul himself, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, John Wall… all the usual suspects from this summer’s pickup scene. Yes, that does mean LeBron James was there. His team lost, and he only scored 30 points (the final score was 175-146), but 2 of those 30 came on a must-see lob that is sure to blow your mind and drop your jaw. Behold:
It’s the second oop that I’m referring to, obviously–the second view of the second oop in particular. The perfect angle from which the video was shot probably has something to do with the utterly unbelievable appearance of the dunk, but sh!t, camera trickery or not, that’s one hell of a slam. Had he thrown that down in an NBA game, I think we might be talking about where this ranks amongst the all-time greatest alley-oop dunks. I’d still take Carter’s vs the Clipps, but this is nearly as ridiculous. Speaking of Carter, that screenshot of LB kind of reminds me of another VC moment…
That photo is the first thing that entered my mind when I paused the video of LeBron’s dunk. The extension and leg action are there… LeBron just isn’t so close to being parallel to the hardwood. Anyway, my point here is that LeBron made a dunk where, at one point, he was frozen in mid air lookin’ like a VC action figure derived from a play where not even Half Man Half Amazing could draw iron. Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admit… incredibly spectacular play by James!
Thirst for highlights no longer, because I’m back with five more of the illest plays you don’t see every day! In this edition of The Best Plays You’ve Never Seen Before, a young Jerry Stackhouse will get the ball rolling. Check out this driving one-hander that put two Miami defenders on the seats of their shorts…
I’ve seen a guy get dunked to the floor plenty of times; we all have. Two guys dunked to the floor, though? Off the top of my head… I can’t come up with any other examples.
Laker fans are probably gonna love this next highlight. At first, you’re gonna think that doesn’t make much sense…
…but think about it for just a moment. Remember the self-hate issues this Laker squad had with it’s own supporters? I’ve never seen anything like it. I guess that’s what happens when a spoiled fan base is subjected to too much Luke Walton, Brian Cook, and KWAMAY BROWN (I refuse to diss my main man Smush Parker).
Remember when Ben Wallace was an elite defensive presence; one of the most intimidating shot blockers in the game? How about when Tracy McGrady was one of the best scorers in the league? If you watched NBA basketball in the early part of the past decade then I imagine I’ve rung a few bells for you. Unfortunately, these two had pretty short primes, but they just so happened to coincide. T-Mac scored a career-high 32.1 PPG in ’02/03… the same season in which Big Ben collected his career high of 15.4 boards a night. During this play from right around that time period, T-Mac’s offense was confronted by Big Ben’s defense…
They say great offense beats great defense… but, uh… not on this play, that’s for damn sure. Wallace pulverized that shot.
Larry Hughes shot just 40.7 percent in 718 career games, and a lowly 32.7 percent in 14 games with his final NBA team, the Charlotte Bobcats. Here’s why:
Just kidding… nice shot Larry! But seriously, LH has to be the only player in NBA history who ever inspired a website like this one. Later on in his career I kind of felt bad for him. It didn’t even seem like the shots were that bad. He simply could not get the ball to fall through the rim.
Last, but certainly not least, here’s young Shaq destroying Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson with a powerful putback dunk…
He came down on the iron with so much force that it nearly popped the ball out. He also treated two extremely powerful men and a regulation hoop as if they were small children and a nerf basket. If I could be any basketball player for a game… it would be hard not to choose young Shaq. The way he treated helpless defenders looks like it must have been a lot of fun.
