November 29, 2007 at 2:09 am · Filed under Uncategorized
So I was watching a Rockets game the other night when I saw Chuck Hayes go to the line. I turned away for a second to grab some jellybeans (athlete food) and I missed his first shot. The commentators started discussing how ugly his shot is and laughing at Chuck Hayes. So I watched his second foul shot.
That is what prompted this blog post.
I’m taking a look at both past and present and looking at good NBA Players with butt-ugly shots.
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Honorable Mentions:
No. 12 – Reggie Miller – His shot looks like it doesn’t have a chance to go in but he’s in the record books as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history with a 47% Field Goal, 39.5% 3 Point and 88% Free Throw percentage for his entire career! So he’s in here because his form is so unusual, not because he’s a bad shooter.
No. 11 - Michael Redd – It’s hard to put a guy in here who shoots such a high percentage (45% FG, 39.1% 3P for his career) despite his ugly form (which looks like a shot put chuck, BTW) but I’m placing him here based on shooting form as well. Reggie and Michael are proof that your shot doesn’t have to be pretty to be effective.
Top Ten:
No. 10 - Joakim Noah – This kid is a rookie so it’s kind of difficult to gauge exactly how well hi shot will develop or how ugly it’ll end up. But as of now, it’s an ugly two-handed flop towards the hoop. It’s a good thing he won chips with Florida and that the Chips weren’t handed out on the basis of a pretty looking jumper cuz this kid wouldn’t have won anything if they were. His career 36% field goal percentage is a testament that his shot needs lots of work before he can hang with the big dogs.
No. 9 – Tayshaun Prince – I think this guy fashioned his shot after Reggie Miller because their forms are similar, though Prince is a bit more gangly and awkward. He’s a career 46.9% shooter so he must be getting LOTS of reps to offset that form.
No. 8 – Marcus Camby – The Cambyman is in here because his shot looks like someone doing “the bump” at a 70′s throwback dance night. It’s a good thing he’s such a good defender. He’s a career 46.9% shooter – but since most of his points come off dunks I’d say this stats is kind of misleading.
No. 7 – Shawn Marion – His shot looks like a throwback to “Naismithball” – anyone who’s watched those Canadian Heritage clips knows what I’m talking about. But his shot goes in alright. Like Marcus Camby, Marion’s 47% Field Goal percentage is a bit misleading as he dunks a whole lot. Though his 34% 3 Point percentage is a testament that he too gets a lot of reps.
No. 6 – Anthony Mason – His freakishly large shoulders reminded me of some Jap Anime manga character. And his form looked robotic as well. His 50.9% Field Goal % should be take with a grain of salt as he shot most of his shots from inside of 5 feet. His 16% career 3 Point percentage is more a testament to his actual shooting touch. Still, don’t tell him I said that or he’ll crush me.
No. 5 - Bill Cartwright – That this guy has 3 championship rings is less a symbol of his shooting skill and more a symbol of Pip and Mike’s shooting skill. He did his job, though; defense and rebounding. He wasn’t there for much else.
No. 4 – Kevin Martin – This kid looks like he’s dislocating his hips when he shoots. It’s a two piece shot. His 46% field goal percentage shows his form works for him though. Kids at home, don’t try shooting like him.
No. 3 – Josh Childress – I can’t say anything other than this: He must have gone to the Shawn Marion school of shooting. He holds a 50.8% field goal percentage – mostly dunks, and 36% 3 Point percentage. I don’t know how this kid came straight out of high school with form as ugly as that.
No. 2 – Desmond Mason – This guy plays PF for a reason! His shot is so ugly, defenders often leave him enough room on the perimeter to shoot. He rarely does, though and opts to drive for dunks or for drawing fouls. 44% from the field (on dunks or easy layups) and 26% from Long Range are the true measure of how poor this guy’s shooting is. That he’s lasted this long in the NBA shows that with determination and hard work any tall individual can make it.
No. 1 – Chuck Hayes – Poor Chuck. When I saw him shoot that free throw he BLASTED his way to the top of my “Ugly Shooters” list. There’s only one way I can describe it ….. it’s like he’s having convulsions when he shoots.
I heard this cheerleader rhyme that I immediately thought of when writing this blog post ….
U-G-L-Y
you ain’t got no alibi,
You ugly. Uh-Uh, so ugly!
M-A-M-A
how you think you got that way?
yo mama! uh-uh, yo mama!
Whoooo!
My apologies to Mr. Hayes and all the other members of this post but I know some kids in JV with much better form. But you guys keep making that money. You’re all obviously doing something right.
Rico’s notes: Big ups to The Fun Police for helping me come up with a pretty comprehensive list of the ugliest shooters in the L.
November 26, 2007 at 12:46 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I came across this article on tampabay.com and thought it would be interesting to do a little research into the many reasons why we play basketball …
So I’m starting with this entry and I’m hoping to create a mini-series of sorts into the different ways folks were introduced to / fell in love with basketball.
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Basketball saved him from the Jonestown Massacre
By TOM JONES, Times Staff Writer Published October 6, 2007
Basketball saved his life. This isn’t a story about how basketball gave an 18-year-old something to do, something to get him off the streets or away from drugs. When he says basketball saved his life, he doesn’t mean it in a figurative way. He means it literally.
If it wasn’t for basketball, he would have been a part of one of the most horrific scenes of our time. If it wasn’t for basketball, he would’ve been in the middle of the jungle in Guyana, South America, drinking Flavor Aid laced with poison. If it wasn’t for basketball, he surely would have been found dead, along with 918 other men, women and children.
But basketball saved the life of Jim Jones Jr. It allowed him to live and to raise a son who is now 18 and a basketball star himself.
The two have risen from the ashes of one of the most shocking and chilling moments in history, known as the Jonestown Massacre.
“If it wasn’t for basketball, I wouldn’t be talking right now,” Jones said. “I would be dead. And I mean that literally.”
In 1977, a preacher-turned-paranoid dictator, Jim Jones, moved his flock, known as the Peoples Temple, from northern California to the jungles of Guyana. He created what he described as a self-sufficient paradise. Men, women and children of all races and backgrounds followed him.
In late November of 1978, Rep. Leo Ryan (D-Calif.) took a group to investigate reports that people were living in unsafe conditions and being held against their will.
Jones Jr., who had been adopted by the Rev. Jones and his wife, was there on Nov. 14 to meet the congressman and his party, but then he was off, along with a dozen others, including two brothers, to a basketball tournament in Georgetown, 250 miles away. He left behind his wife and unborn child. He would never again see them alive.
“Playing basketball was a big thing for us,” he said. “I had to convince my father to even let us build a basketball court at Jonestown. My father saw it as an act of rebellion. Basketball was an organized sport. It was part of the establishment. My father was against anything like that. But, finally, after many arguments, we convinced him.”
On Nov. 18, he received a call on CB radio in Georgetown from his father.
“He told us what had happened,” Jones said.
Ryan and his party, along with a dozen or so Peoples Temple members who accepted Ryan’s invitation to leave, were intercepted at their airplanes by gunmen. Ryan and four others were shot dead. Back in Jonestown, Jones was preparing for a mass suicide.
“He then told us what was going on, and he asked us (the basketball team) to kill ourselves,” Jones said. “I didn’t believe him. Then we argued. … That was the last I heard from him.”
The team tried to contact authorities, but the only way to get to Jonestown was by boat or airplane. They finally reached the American embassy. Later that day, authorities arrived in Jonestown to find the dead, including Jones Sr., who had shot himself. Audio tapes reveal the horror of children and women crying after being forced to drink the poison. Jones, over a megaphone, told his people that they weren’t committing suicide but “revolutionary suicide protesting.”
“I’m saddened daily by the events my father created,” Jones said. “But I’m very proud of the people willing to make a sacrifice with their lives to make a better world. At least they tried.”
He returned to the San Francisco area and gave up basketball.
“I was ashamed to play, I was guilty I was alive because of basketball and my wife and friends were dead,” Jones said. “Basketball saved my life, but so many others had died. I felt guilty for that.”
He eventually remarried and had a son, Rob. When Rob was in second grade, he asked his dad for a gift – a basketball.
By the time Rob was a senior in high school, he was 6 feet 6, 240 pounds and one of the top prep players in the country, averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds He is now a freshman attending San Diego University on a basketball scholarship.
Every now and again teammates or friends ask Rob about his grandfather.
“My whole life, sitting around the living room, my dad would tell me stories about his childhood and my grandfather,” Rob said.
Jones said, “My wife and I made a conscious decision to tell Rob about my family background. They were going to find out, so we wanted them to find out from us.”
Jim and Rob aren’t shy about the attention. On Sunday, ESPN’s Outside the Lines (9:30 a.m.) will air a 19-1/2-minute documentary on their story.
Once a week, Jones hears the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” from those who don’t know who he is. Rob said he fully expects to be taunted by fans. “Bring it on,” he said. “I’ll be ready for it.”
To the family, the tragedy is a part of who they are, but now in the past. Today, they have basketball.
“For such a long time I was ashamed of basketball,” Jones said. “But it did save my life. And it’s a pleasure watching Rob excel, using basketball as a vessel. The irony is it saved my life and (has become part of Rob’s life). Basketball has been a special gift to me and Rob. And, because of basketball, the Jones name can be used for something positive, something good instead of what it had been remembered for.”
I remember playing basketball back in the mid 90′s and this was one of the songs that I used to listen to before the games.
The entire CD is definitely worth listening to as it has some hilarious bits and some good tunes. It’s fallen into obscurity, though, and is only known to underground hip hop heads, methinks.
I think this song definitely deserves a spot in your regular rotation. And you can’t beat that with a bat!
Starring Michael J. Fox, this movie came out back in 1985. It has a hilarious bit about Fox’s character going through his werewolf “transformation” during a basketball game.
I don’t know about you guys, but if a guy on my team transformed into a werewolf and proceeded to do some Globetrotter type ish, that guy would be my #1 guy (ON THE SPOT!) and I’d go undefeated. The only thing is that I’d NEVER guard him during scrimmages. And I wouldn’t play against him.
I’ve played against some dudes with hairy backs and chests (Along Came Polly, anyone?) and it’s not pretty. So I sure in hell wouldn’t play against a guy completely covered in hair. Ick. Thinking about wet body hair …. ~urp~ …
Still, this is a funny bit. And Michael J Fox’s fur sure has some nice bounce to it. He must use Pantene or something.
November 23, 2007 at 12:56 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I’ve played NBA Live since 1995 and I’ve always enjoyed it – with the exception of 2001 and 2002 when the NBA 2K series proved to be much better.
Last year’s NBA Live 07 was great. It had those awesome freestyle superstar modifiers that basically determined whether your guy excelled at one particular thing (i.e.: Great Passer, High Flier, Power Player, 3 Point Specialist etc etc). It was great. It’s still no 2K simulation but it’s great arcadey fun.
So when I heard that Gilbert Arenas was going to be on the cover of 08, I was jazzed. He’s one of my fave players in the NBA. NACHOOOOOO!
But when I actually got to playing it, I found that it didn’t respond as well as 07 did! The players moved like they were on ice and the “Player Hot Spots” were so hard to deal with because shots that were normally made were now clanking off the rim.
Plus, the ability to choose whether your star is adept at passing or high flying was sorely missed. And speaking of passing … OH MAH GAWRSH! You’re facing a teammate who is about 3 feet away, you hit the pass button and …… your guy inexplicably passes it to the opposing team! The passing is definitely broken.
And playing defense …. forget about it. The slightest touch to the steal button resulted in a foul being called almost every time. And yes, we had the foul calls set to the lowest possible settings.
The graphics were gorgeous, sure. And hearing Steve Kerr call the game with his awesome comments is always a delight. But the gameplay simply didn’t match what the presentation & visuals were.
I was talking to a friend about it and I think I figured out what the issue is with Live 08 …. it’s like it has an identity crisis. The people at EA couldn’t decide if the game was a simulation or an arcade experience. And as such, they tried to make the game all things to everyone. And they came out of it with a game that did neither of those things well enough.
Maybe next year the game will regain its championship form. But this year, I think I’m just going to avoid NBA Live.
I feel kinda bad for Hibachi as this is the knee he’s been operated on before. But, having been through the procedure twice myself I can say with confidence that he’ll be okay.
says Gil on his blog: “I’m just going to sit in my sorrows again. I have three months to back positive again, but right now, it’s hard.”
My heartfelt condolences to NACHOOOOOOO! I hope he’ll be serving chips and dip before season’s end again.
BTW, this injury is bad for ChallisPalace, who is already 0-3 and now has to deal with his star player being injured for the better part of the season.
So Mr. Conley will join fellow OSU alum Greg Oden on the DL with a shoulder injury. Looks like there might be a curse on the Buckeye Rookies this season.
This after an MRI revealed something “odd” in his broken leg. He’s on his second year of the 3 year deal he signed. I sure hope this man can make a comeback. I love his game.
This is a much bigger trade then it first appears to be. For Orlando, Brian Cook adds another rebounding 4 who is a decent defender and will allow Howard to operate inside while being able to step out and hit the treys. And Mo Evans is a slashing guard who should add fierce defensive intensity and athletic ability. A GREAT trade for Orlando. Kudos to Jeff Van Gundy for orchestrating this.
As for the Lakers, they already have a player who plays Ariza’s position – Kobe Bryant.
So I reason it like this: The Lakers are starting a rebuilding process. They get rid of 2 veteran guys who are familiar with the triangle offense and bring in a guy who’s position is already taken. I’d fathom a guess that Ariza’s arrival signals the Lakers’ preparation for a Kobe Bryant departure. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kobe hopping on a plane out of Lakerland in the next few weeks.
So they get rid of 2 good ball players and keep the Bust? Kupchak is quickly turning into James Dolan.
Meanwhile, TrueHoop states that You Don’t Want To Be A Knick. It’ sad to see hwo this franchise has fallen since Dolan took over 10 years ago. From ousting Patrick Ewing to Larry Brown to Isiah and Anucha Browne Sanders, there’s been nothing but misery in MSG. And when everything is said and done, it looks like Isiah’s name will be mud in the Rotten Apple.
Is anyone surprised that this happened on a team with Jerome James, Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph? I feel bad for David Lee. He BADLY needs a change of scenery.
November 20, 2007 at 6:46 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Is it possible for a hip hop / basketball die hard to “Rock Out Loud”?
I first played Guitar Hero at one of my teammates houses during our team wind up earlier this year in June.
Since then I’ve been pretty well toying with the idea of owning it. I never SERIOUSLY considered it until earlier in September when I saw that the new Guitar Hero 3 was coming out around my birthday.
Let’s just say that I dropped a few “subtle” hints about the fact that I wanted it.
I’ve been playing it after everyone has gone to bed for about 3 weeks now, after receiving it for my burfday.
And in the last few days, I’ve begun to listen to our local “classic rock” station. Every now and then they’ll play one of the songs from the game, like “Slow Ride”, “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Barracuda” or some other song from the game. When I hear it, I smile and begin to “rock out” by playing my air guitar.
It’s quite funny. And bizarre at the same time because anyone who knows me knows that I’ve shunned Rock music like it’ll give me the plague since about 1990.
But I guess every night has its dawn, because this guy has acquired a new appreciation for rocking like a hurricane.
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My band name is “Killa Aces” by the way. And my Guitar alter ego is “The Shredder” hahahahahaha.
Find me online in a few weeks when my PS3 gets plugged into The Matrix.
November 20, 2007 at 12:28 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
There’s always quotes coming out of locker rooms during sports seasons, like the now infamous
“They ARE who we thought they were! You wanna crown them? Crown them!”
The NBA has been host to a BUNCH of good, bad, funny and ugly quotes this year ….
Phil Jackson’s “Brokeback Mountain Game” quote is definitely going down in the history books if only because of WHO said it as opposed to what was said.
This year marks the FIRST time I can ever remember where Shaq’s play has been criticized by a teammate and Shaq hasn’t responded with righteous indignation.
Since starting up his NBA.com blog, Gilbert Arenas has been the source of many great quotes. This week, Gilbert says ….
“I think I got a new name. It’s still Agent Zero, but instead of Agent Zero with the Hibachi as an arm, it’s Agent Zero having Nacho as an arm because I’m serving chips and dip.
I remember last year I didn’t have a rhythm until I came up with Hibachi in New York and just the other night, right before the game I came up with:
NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Serving chips and dip.
You know, like Nacho Libre? Yeah, so every time I’m shooting it, it’s just:
NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Serving chips and dip.”
Ben Wallace is once again asking “Why am I here?” as he’s benched in critical moments.
Stephon Marbury is getting crazier by the minute. I don’t understand this man. He’s got good intentions (and a really affordable clothing line) but when the NBA season hits he’s a Jekyll and Hyde kind of guy.
November 18, 2007 at 2:08 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I know I sent this out via e-mail earlier in the year, but I want to refresh everyone’s memories …
“As a team, you play the way you play. People like to point out all kinds of reasons for why teams lose. Some will say, well, they missed too many free throws. That is overblown. You play the way you play. If you’re a bad free throw shooting team and still win, then you can win with missed free throws. Nobody is going to play a perfect game. There are going to be things that you don’t do well, so you’ve got to win in spite of those. Like on the boards, you can get outrebounded and still win because it’s only one part of the game. I am interested to see how both teams make up for the things they don’t do well.”
Never mind the fact that it’s been adopted as a hip hop anthem for ghetto skaters. This song, as well as the remix, are great baller tunes as the chorus is easy to remember and is a catchy tune with a good beat.
Not necessarily my best song choice for SOTW this week, but it’s a serviceable tune and I enjoy it. haha.
Starring Dan Aykroyd and Damon Wayans, this movie came out in 1996.
Plot Outline: “Two overly-loyal Celtic fans kidnap their opponent’s star player in order to guarantee their team the championship.”
I felt like, since the Celtics this year are 8-0 and there are talks of NBA Finals and Championships, like this movie is fitting with all of the new band wagoner Celtic fans this year.
Enjoy.
BONUS CONTENT:
Here is a websitewith information on all 16 Boston Celtic Teams who won championships between 1956 and 1986.
November 13, 2007 at 11:07 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I’d like to send out a special greeting to two new members of our team: Matthew Lehotsky and Sam Van Berkel.
I had the privilege of coaching Sam while at Gordon Bell for his senior year. I always hoped that we’d get a chance to play together as I see unlimited potential in his game and I see him being able to unlock some of it with us.
Matt comes to us via Shaftesbury, but don’t hold that against him. He’s got the blood and heritage of New York City basketball flowing through him. His passion for the game and respectful demeanor will be a welcome addition to our basketball family.
November 13, 2007 at 10:59 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
As of right now, our team is 3-1 with our only loss coming in the opening game of the season against a championship favourite team (Liquid Swords).
I’d have to say that, given our major personnel changes this last year, and with all the health issues we’ve had that we’re doing fantastic.
Our latest game was a phenomenal game and really showed grit and determination on our behalf. It showed the confidence we have in each other as teammates and it showed our experience in crunch time situations.
The game ended up being called by the refs due to, basically, unsportsmanlike conduct on behalf of the other team after they started berating and verbally abusing both the game officials and the scorekeepers.
I’d be STUNNED if some of their players weren’t suspended for at least a couple of games. Chairs were kicked, slurs were thrown … it got ugly. And we would have won the game in the end as we were at the line with 8 seconds left and would have gone up by one anyway.
I’m proud of all my boys and want to send a special kudos out to all my dawgs out there for keeping strong and playing through all the adversity.
November 13, 2007 at 1:39 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Okay, so I neglected to blog last week (or was it more than 1 week?) … my bad.
Things around my neck of the woods have been pretty hairy of late. Between donning my “super handyman” clothing and fixing up my house to my “career transition” issues, life’s been pretty busy … and stressful.
It’s still no excuse. I’m jus’ sayin’.
I hope to keep abreast (~snkr~) of my blogging situation in the coming days / weeks.
But if I forget, know that it’s not cuz I’ve got nothing to talk about … I’m just busy.
Special Ed was a hip hop artist circa late 1980′s. He’ll forever be remembered as the guy who does “I got it made“. All well and good, but the guy also has some other ultra sweet tunes like “The Magnificent” and this week’s SOTW – The Mission.
It’s basically a story.
I won’t spoil it for you. Suffice it to say that today’s lyricists pale in comparison to this man and his lyrical kung fu.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed with a movie as I was with this one. The final minutes show a wide open ending fit for viewer interpretation. A lot of people don’t like this type of ending as it forces them to think about it. Personally, I loved the ending. I don’t like to be spoon fed the information. I like to fill in the blanks.
If you’ve never seen this movie then you better check it out lickety split. You’ll learn what heart, grit, determination and courage and perseverance are all about.
