Posts Tagged ‘Clyde Drexler’

Ainge-Riley Feud Joins A Long NBA List

March 30, 2013  ·  5:23PM

a

a
HANG TIME, Texas -- The Hatfields and McCoys, Montagues and Capulets, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj have never had anything on the NBA. When it comes to feuds, there have been some dandies.

So when Pat Riley and Danny Ainge went lip-to-lip this week it was just the latest chapter. Here are just a few other memorable ones:

Danny Ainge vs. Tree Rollins

In a 1987 first round playoff game against Atlanta, the Celtics’ guard Ainge tried to tackle 7-footer Rollins of the Hawks. They wound up in a heap of bodies on the court and Ainge came out of the pile screaming with a gash that required two stitches from where Rollins had bit him.

The next day’s edition of the Boston Herald bore the headline: Tree Bites Man.

Joey Crawford vs. Tim Duncan

It was a 1997 playoff series when the bombastic veteran referee did not like that Duncan was laughing on the bench and challenged him to a fight. The league fined and suspended Crawford and banned him for working Spurs games for several years.

The pair has since patched things up. However Duncan and teammate Manu Ginobili were photographed in October at a Halloween Party where they aimed fake guns and guest dressed up as Crawford.

Clyde Drexler vs. Jake O’Donnell

The final game of the veteran referee’s career came on May 9, 1995 when he ejected the Rockets’ Drexler in the second quarter of a playoff game in Phoenix. The league suspended O’Donnell and he never worked another game. Drexler claimed that there was no previous history between the two.

But league sources confirmed that Drexler had been ordered to send a written apology to the ref following a 1989 incident when he played in Portland and had threatened O’Donnell prior to a game.

Red Auerbach vs. Phil Jackson

It practically became a running joke. Each spring when the Zen Master would close in on adding another championship ring to his collection, some mischievous reporter would dial up the former Celtics legend and let him vent.

“Three titles in a row don’t constitute a dynasty,” Auerbach would rant. “He had Michael Jordan and Shaq.”

Of course, Red had Bill Russell.

Jackson usually responded with a bemused smile and a zinger and ultimately that cap with the Roman number X for his 10 championships when he passed Auerbach’s total of nine.

LeBron James vs. Dan Gilbert

All it took was James announcing on national TV that he was taking his talents to South Beach for the Cleveland owner to vent all of his frustrations in a letter that accused LeBron of selfishness and “cowardly betrayal” and promised that his Cavs would win a championship before The King.

Well, so Gilbert is a better venter than prognosticator. He has since admitted that his childish actions were wrong and, besides, all we be forgiven if LeBron opts out of his Heat contract and returns to the Cavs in 2014.

Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kobe Bryant

So how many more championships could the Lakers have won in the early years of the 21st century if the two giants of the court had been able to make their huge egos squeeze comfortably into the same locker room?

Kobe thought Shaq was lazy. Shaq thought Kobe was a ballhog.
So they both were right. Then things got personal and nasty and out the window went any chance of a “four-peat.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in HT News / Comments (16) /

Air Check: Houston Edition

March 27, 2013  ·  11:19AM

HANG TIME NEW JERSEY – For NBA fans like us, there’s nothing better than League Pass. Having the ability to watch every game every night (and then again the next day) is heaven.

aircheck-250Of course, with local broadcasts, you get local broadcasters, which can be good and bad. It can be good, because these guys know their teams better than most national broadcasters. It can be bad, because these guys love their teams more than most national broadcasters. And they’re usually not afraid to show that love.

The national guys aren’t perfect either. And if they’re not careful, they may be featured here, where we highlight the best and worst of NBA broadcasts.

Here are a few more moments that made us laugh, made us smarter, or made us shake our heads.

The Spurs-Rockets contest on Sunday was a great game, especially if you had your TV on mute. The game went down to the wire, with James Harden hitting the off-balance game-winner with five seconds left.

Unfortunately, the Rockets’ crew of Bill Worrell, Matt Bullard and Clyde Drexler made the broadcast a difficult listen, with several shake-your-head comments over the course of the night. So, we’re dedicating an entire edition of Air Check to this one game.

1. Off to a great start


Drexler sets the tone for the broadcast by complaining about the jump ball. The jump ball! And if you watch the jump ball, the only issue with it is that both Omer Asik and Tim Duncan jump too early.

Not to be outdone, Worrell joins Drexler in the jump ball critique (so does Bullard), and then calls for a travel 12 seconds into the Spurs’ first possession. Yep, this is how this broadcast is going to go.

2. Isn’t this Daryl Morey’s team?


Just a few minutes later, we get the dreaded team points-per-game graphic. The Rockets, of course, lead the league in that mostly meaningless stat.

Team points per game lacks a lot of context, specifically how the Rockets play at the league’s fastest pace. They do rank fifth in offensive efficiency, but they also rank 19th in defensive efficiency. So Drexler’s statement that “If you can score, you can do well in this league, especially in the playoffs” is also lacking some context.

Over the next few possessions, Worrell goes on to say that the Spurs used to rely on defense, and that Gregg Popovich decided a few years ago to “rely more on offense.”

Now, I didn’t expect Worrell to have read what I wrote just two days earlier. But it would be nice if broadcasters were aware of where the teams that are playing rank offensively and defensively. At the time of this game, the Spurs ranked third in defensive efficiency.

Led by general manager Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets are the team most invested in analytics. And it would be great if that was apparent when you watched their games. But unfortunately, the broadcast is well behind the curve.

3. The push in the back that nobody saw


When you first see this play, it’s unclear where the foul is. But both replays clearly show Asik push Duncan in the back.

Worrell: “I didn’t think there was a Rocket near enough to him to foul him!”

Replay 1.

Worrell: “Who fouled him?”

Replay 2, where the push in the back is pretty obvious.

Bullard: “There was no contact AT ALL!”

Drexler: “Asik might have pushed him in the back a little bit.”

Worrell: “The baseline official made the call, so he couldn’t have seen anything.”

Drexler: “Exactly.”

Worrell: “He doesn’t have x-ray vision.”

It’s hard to fathom that you’d prefer listening to Sean Elliott call a game on any given night, but this became the case on Sunday.

4. It was clear to us … but we have a bad angle


In the final minute, a rebound goes off of either Asik or Duncan, and the referees initially call a jump ball, which is pretty rare.

Worrell: “They have to look at it, because that was tipped out by San Antonio. That’s all there was to it.”

Drexler: “Duncan knocked it right out.”

Worrell: “Duncan knocked that ball out of bounds, folks.”

Then we see the replay.

Bullard: “Ooh. I don’t know. Omer’s hand looked like it was on the inside.” And later, “Maybe that is a jump ball. Maybe both guys hit it at the same time.”

Worrell, of course, gets in one more shot at the referee’s ability to toss up a fair jump ball, but they all basically agree that it’s a tough call. And the refs confirm the original call and do continue play with a jump ball.

Bullard: “I think to call that a jump ball in real time is a pretty impressive call.”

Drexler: “They got it right.”

Well, that’s good. But hilariously, Drexler ends the discussion by saying, “Of course, we couldn’t see it, because it was away from us.”

OK… Then why, exactly, were you insisting that the ball was off of Duncan just a minute ago?

Good grief.

***

John Schuhmann is a staff writer for NBA.com. Send him an e-mail or follow him on twitter.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Air Check / Comments (89) /

Olajuwon Honored At Legends Brunch

February 17, 2013  ·  4:21PM

-
HOUSTON – It was Michael Jordan‘s birthday Sunday – in case you’re the one who hadn’t heard that by now – but it is Hakeem Olajuwon‘s “year.”

Olajuwon, the Hall of Fame center who spent nearly his entire career in the host city for the 2013 All-Star Weekend and led the Rockets to two NBA championships, was honored at the National Basketball Retired Players Association Legends Brunch as its “Legend of the Year.” He didn’t blow out any candles, but he did hear the applause and feel the appreciation of more than 1,000 attendees of the burgeoning event, sponsored by the retired players association now for 14 years.

Oh, and Olajuwon not only was selected No. 1, two spots ahead of Jordan, in the 1984 Draft. He beat him to 50 as well, hitting that milestone on Jan. 21.

The 6-foot-10 native of Lagos, Nigeria, who set standards for grace and footwork among the NBA’s great big men, Olajuwon famously transferred some soccer skills to hardwood when he picked up a basketball at age 15. In an acceptance speech that lasted more than 17 minutes – so much for “The Dream’s” image as a man of few words – he talked of his development under respected coaches such as Guy Lewis at the University of Houston and Bill Fitch and Rudy Tomjanovich with the Rockets.

But he also paid tribute to Ganiyu Otenigbagbe, who essentially discovered and molded his game in secondary skill. “I did not know the rules of basketball,” Olajuwon said Sunday, “but he gave me his job description: ‘Stay in the paint!’ “

The Legends Brunch traditionally honors former NBA players and coaches who worked in, hail from or shared some other connection with the All-Star city each year. The others honored for 2013:

Ambassador of the Year: Yao Ming. Yao’s foundation and his partnership with NBA China has enabled him to “build a bridge” between his homeland and the U.S. The 7-6 native of Shanghai, whose eight-season career was interrupted and cut short by foot and leg injuries, was introduced by current Rockets guard Jeremy Lin.

Humanitarian of the Year: Dikembe Mutombo. The shot intimidator and blocker who spent the last five of his 18 NBA seasons in Houston is renowned for his charitable works, particularly in his native Republic of the Congo. Mutombo credited Olajuwon, who preceded him to the NBA by eight years, with being the “key of our continent.” “You’ve become The Dream for winning championships,” Mutombo said, addressing his friend from the stage, “but you’re a dream for so many African players.”

Hometown Hero Award: Robert Horry. Horry, known as “Big Shot Bob,” was part of the Rockets’ title-winning teams in 1994 and 1995, then won five more rings with the Lakers and the Spurs. In an ironic twist, the former teammate who was supposed to introduce Horry – Sam Cassell, known for his motormouth tendencies on and off the court – needed an assist from TNT announcer and emcee Ernie Johnson because Cassell lost his voice somewhere during All-Star festivities.

Houston Rockets Lifetime Achievement Award: Tomjanovich. A five-time All-Star as a rockets player and coach of the two championship teams, Rudy T joked that when he was drafted in 1971, the NBA ranked fourth in popularity in Houston behind football, baseball and “bull-riding.” “Now the city is hosting its third All-Star Game,” he said.

Pioneer Award: Calvin Murphy. The flamboyant 5-foot-9 Hall of Famer took the stage after a video montage of career highlights was shown on screens in the ballroom, then said, “Boy, I was good.” The point guard from Niagara turned longtime Rockets broadcaster noted the difference in prestige that came with former NBA players no longer being referred to as “Old Timers” but rather “Legends.”

Lifetime Achievement Award: Clyde Drexler. Drexler, a 2004 Hall of Fame enshrinee and member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team,” grew up in Houston and gained initial fame teamed with Olajuwon in college on the “Phi Slamma Jamma” University of Houston team in the early 1980s. He returned to the city and to Olajuwon via trade in for the 1995 title run.

Drexler was the guy whose rookie season of 1983-84 in Portland was so promising – he had 10 All-Star appearances in his future – that the Trail Blazers opted to draft Kentucky center Sam Bowie at No. 2 behind Olajuwon, passing on you know who. That means Drexler, for the record, turned 50 last June 22.

A large number of familiar NBA names – from other Hall of Famers to role players – attended the brunch, including 2000 Sixth Man award winner Rodney Rogers. Rogers, 41, required the use of a wheelchair and ventilator after being paralyzed in an all-terrain vehicle accident in December 2012.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in 2013 All-Star, Uncategorized / Comments (22) /

Jordan At 50: Could He Just Do It?

February 9, 2013  ·  1:32PM

a

HANG TIME, Texas – It starts out like the beginning of an old joke.

You know, somebody says that as great as Bill Russell was in winning 11 championships with the Celtics, he’d have difficulty winning even one against today’s class of NBA athletes.

Of course, goes the punchline, Russell will turn 79 on Tuesday.

But Antawn Jamison wasn’t kidding when he told Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that Michael Jordan could still play effectively in the league right now.

Jordan turns 50 on Feb. 17, coincidentally the day of the NBA All-Star Game.

“I wouldn’t doubt that in the right situation with a LeBron (James) on his team or with a Kobe (Bryant) on this team, he could get you about 10 or 11 points, come in and play 15-20 minutes,” said Antawn Jamison before the Lakers played the Bobcats on Friday. “I wouldn’t doubt that at all, especially if he was in shape and injuries were prevented and things of that nature.”

That’s saying a lot, considering Jamison has Bryant on his team, and only averages 8.1 points per game in 20.5 minutes per game and he’s “only” 36 years old.

Jordan averaged 20 points in 37 minutes per game in his 15th and final season in the league before retiring for good at age 40.

Would it ever happen? Could it ever happen? Other than Larry Bird actually sprouting real wings, is there anything you might imagine that is more preposterous?

Remember, it was Jordan himself who raised the possibility near the end of his challenging, often vitriolic speech at the 2009 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50,” Jordan said. “Oh, don’t laugh. Never say never. Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.”

We know that on the court there were never any limits or fears to Jordan, only challenges — some real, some imagined — that he used to constantly lift himself to a higher plane.

That is precisely the reason I have a standing bet with my good friend Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that was made when Jordan hung up his Wizards jersey. I said then I didn’t believe His Airness was finished and one day we’d see him back on the court in an NBA game. At the start of each new season, Jonathan tries to get me to surrender. Then along comes word that the owner of the Bobcats showed up at practice one day in December to show them how it’s done. Or maybe just to feed his ego.

But after taking on some of his kids — Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bismack Biyombo — in a little one-on-one, it’s always clear that the competitive spark is just below the surface and the skills are still there.

“He’s still got it. He can still shoot,” Henderson said. “I don’t know about his defense, but he can still score.”

Biyombo: “He’s pretty good.”

So we mark down Biyombo for understatement of the year, consider the opinion of Jamison and ponder the possibilities.

I once asked Hakeem Olajuwon, who just turned 50, if he thought he could still play in the league.

“Not full-time. But for a few minutes, yes,” he insisted. “ I’m in shape.”

When a 50-year-old Clyde Drexler was asked the same question, he nodded his head. “Absolutely. I could go out there and run up and down the floor with those guys one night,” he said laughing. “Then the next day I’d be in traction.”

So what do we do with the Jordan question? Could he? Would he? Should he, as the old Nike slogan said, just do it?

I’ll tell you one thing I’m not doing: Paying off Jonathan. Yet.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in HT News / Comments (218) /

Harden’s Biggest Star Power? Attraction

October 29, 2012  ·  6:26PM

HOUSTON — It will most definitely help to have all of James Harden’s offensive talent and scoring potential in the lineup. It will also help to have a 23-year-old who already has 44 games of playoff experience anchoring a lineup that is greener than the supermarket produce aisle.

However, where the newest member of the Rockets could pay off the most down the road is by attracting more new Rockets. That’s likely the greatest hope of general manager Daryl Morey after pulling off the trade with Oklahoma City.

“People around the league say, ‘I want to play with that guy,’ ” said Morey as he introduced Harden before a throng of happy fans in the lobby of the Toyota Center. “The way Omer (Asik) is playing and passing the ball, people want to be with him. Jeremy (Lin). Really putting together a young core that will make others say ‘I want to play there.’ ”

For the Rockets to shake off the yoke of mediocrity and climb back to the level of perennial playoff contender, Harden’s jump into the Houston backcourt can only be the next step up the ladder. The Rockets need Lin to continue to grow and prove that he is more than a flash in the pan that took Manhattan last February. They need their center, Asik, to blossom into a full-time defensive stopper in the middle. They need Harden, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the year, to raise his game to the level of an All-Star.

All of which is possible. If it happens, it could open the door for the Rockets to attract more frontline talent from a high-profile free agent. And even after signing Harden to a max contract, they will still have the ability under the salary cap to add another max player.
(more…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in 2012, HT News / Comments (10) /

Jackson Ranks Shooting Guards … Reggie Miller Just After MJ and Kobe?

September 4, 2012  ·  8:54AM


HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – With all due respect to Warriors coach Mark Jackson and his view of basketball history, we have to pick a bit of a fight with him about the subjectivity of his ranking of the NBA’s greatest shooting guards.

Jackson, no doubt celebrating the Hall of Fame induction of his good friend and former Indiana Pacers teammate, Reggie Miller (TNT’s very own), went a bit overboard when he told the Indianapolis Star:

“When you take Michael Jordan and you take Kobe Bryant out of the discussion, he’s as good as any two-guard that has ever played the game.”

While I was lucky enough to witness some of Miller’s best years with the Pacers and have a deep appreciation for what it takes to play at the level he did for so long, I’m not sure I can abide by Jackson’s assessment when presented with the long list of distinguished shooting guards that have graced the game.

Let’s see … (and these names are no particular order) George Gervin, Jerry West, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Clyde Drexler, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe,  Ray Allen, Joe Dumars and “Pistol” Pete Maravich are names that certainly come to mind when the discussion turns to the top shooting guards of all time.

Miller is no doubt an all-time great and everything you’d ever want in a Hall of Famer.

But top 3 behind MJ and Kobe …

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in HT News / Comments (79) /

Draft Night Redux: No Blockbusters?

June 29, 2012  ·  1:35PM





HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – We waited all night on that blockbuster deal, only to walk away from another Draft night without any of the rumored mega deals taking place.

(Houston, we have a problem … and it includes that red and white No. 12 Dwight Howard jersey  that won’t get worn this season)

That’s fine, we’re just hours away from the start of free agency. And the Draft class of 2012 offered up plenty of mild surprises (Dion Waiters to Cleveland with the fourth overall pick, Jared Sullinger and Perry Jones III lasting until near the end of the first round, etc.), as always.

Ah, the joy of the Draft night drama that was …

BERNARD JAMES, AMERICAN HERO!

It’s not often the 33rd pick in any draft absolutely steals the show from the other 59 guys selected. But Florida State’s Bernard James got the loudest roar from the crowd in Newark last night.

(more…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in 2012 NBA Draft / Comments (30) /

Isiah Takes The High Road on Dream Team

June 14, 2012  ·  8:16AM





OKLAHOMA CITY – For all the criticism he’s taken over the years from all corners about all things, Isiah Thomas has a right to be upset about not being a part of the greatest collection of basketball stars ever assembled.

There’s a reason the splendid documentary, “The Dream Team”  presented by Right Guard, on NBA TV last night addressed Isiah’s snub as early in the program as it did.

And that’s also why his Isiah’s Twitter response, some 20 years later of course, resonates with me:

“Today, like all Americans, I congratulate the Dream Team on their anniversary. I am proud of my career in the NBA and have fond memories of going head to head with all the members of the Team. I can’t speak to the selection process as I wasn’t involved. But 20 years later, their gold medal is still a momentous achievement.”

Even if Thomas is as bitter as any one of us would be if we’d have been snubbed for what could have been the most magical moment of our career, the fact that he chose to take the higher road makes it much easier to digest.

(more…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in 2012 NBA Playoffs / Comments (86) /

Big Men Ready To Rock The Vote!

November 1, 2010  ·  10:55PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – If one pollster in Oregon has it right, the NBA could add another alum to its growing list of political heavyweights currently in office.

Republican Chris Dudley, the former Knicks, Nets and Trail Blazers big man, is in a fight to the finish in Oregon’s gubernatorial race. Dudley was three percentage points ahead (46 to 43) of Democratic candidate and former Gov.  John A. Kitzhaber, per a Fox 12/Portland Tribune/Portland Public Broadcasting poll conducted by local pollster Tom Hibbits.

With a margin of error in the poll of 4.4 percentage points, Dudley might want to hold off on any premature celebrating. But he won’t have to go far in search of advice if he does convince enough people to “Join Oregon’s Comeback.”

Former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson is the mayor of Sacramento and NBA Hall of Famer Dave Bing is the mayor of Detroit. Dudley isn’t the only 7-footer and retired NBA veteran seeking office. Shawn Bradley, the No. 2 pick in the 1993 NBA draft, is the Republican candidate for the 44th District seat in the Utah House of Representatives.

We usually try to steer clear of anything other than hideout politics around here, but we’re officially on the bandwagon with any former NBA players rocking the vote on Election Day across the country — that would be Tuesday folks, so get out and vote! Dudley is fighting long odds.

A win would be historic for a couple of reasons, as he’d also be the first former NBA player elected governor. No Republican has been elected Oregon’s governor since 1982. A Yale graduate, Dudley’s long been a champion for diabetes research and now he’d be a political pioneer, of sorts (the trail was first blazed by former Knicks great Bill Bradley, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, served three terms as a Democratic senator from New Jersey).

It always helps to have influential friends in all the right places. Dudley’s donor list (per the New York Times) is rather impressive for any candidate, let alone a political novice:

Among the contributors to Dudley’s campaign are N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern; the founder of Nike, Phil Knight; the coaches P. J. Carlesimo and Rick Carlisle; and his former Blazers teammates Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter.

“The voters of this state don’t get too excited about Republican governors, I can tell you that right now,” said Porter, who is a member of the campaign’s finance committee. “But he’s going to put in the tireless effort that he’s always been known for on the basketball court.”

We haven’t forgotten that TNT’s very own Charles Barkley has talked for years about running for governor of his home state of Alabama. Sounds good to us. Too bad he won’t be the first.

Whenever you are ready Chuck!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized / Comment (1) /