Le Basketbawl

Your Old Pal New York Vinnie grew up in the “Great American Melting Pot” New York City; therefore I have had friends my entire life from every Frickin ethnicity you can think of. In New York Vinnie’s neighborhood a person is not judged by the color of their skin or what religion they practice; instead you are judged by what is in your heart and your mind. True Friends come in all colors and all religions and all sorts of different backgrounds; just like Frickin PUDS come in all colors, religions and backgrounds. 

That is why New York Vinnie is not only puzzled but deeply offended by people who display racist tendencies. New York Vinnie truly can not comprehend how some Frickin people could be so Small Frickin Minded that they judge someone by their Frickin point of origin. It’s not only Frickin stupid when it comes right down to it it is Frickin evil. Now it is bad enough when you say that kind of Crapolla in a private conversation; but when you are professional Frickin broadcaster and you say it over the airwaves it is Frickin inexcusable.

The “Associated Press” has reported that a pair of veteran announcers for the Los Angeles Clippers were suspended for one game for making racist remarks. This was not a couple of Frickin kids making a rookie mistake; instead it was Clippers play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler and color-analyst Michael Smith. Lawler is 71 years old and this is season number 31 for him announcing games for the team. Smith is in his twelfth season as analyst for the team. These are two guys who should have known better.

Lawler and Smith were broadcasting a game between the Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies when Grizzlies reserve center Hamed Haddadi entered the game. The following is the conversation that took place on the air once Haddadi came on the court.

Smith: “Look who’s in.”

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.”

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,”

Smith: “He’s the only one.”

Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”

Smith: “I guess so.”

Lawler: “That Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “The real Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “Wow. Haddadi that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.”

Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?”

Smith: “If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.”

Lawler: “Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.”

Smith: “Especially the post players.

Lawler: “I don’t know about their guards.”

Now New York Vinnie finds that totally Frickin offensive and uncalled for. There is no Frickin room in an NBA broadcast for that kind of Racist Crapolla. That is just as bad as when that Frickin Pud Imus was talking about the women basketball players; and Imus lost his gig over that.

According to the report the pair were suspended from the broadcast on Friday night by their employer Fox Sports Prime Ticket after a viewer complained via e-mail. The cable network released the following statement about two and a half hours before the Friday broadcast. The statement read “We regret the remarks made by Clippers announcers Michael Smith and Ralph Lawler during Wednesday’s telecast. While we believe that Michael and Ralph did not intend their exchange to be offensive, the comments were inappropriate. We extend our apologies to Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies and to anyone who was offended. We have addressed the situation with Michael and Ralph and have taken appropriate action.”

If they did not intend for their comments to be offensive then they are just plain Frickin Morons pure and simple. Are they going to make comments like that about any other race? Of course not! But because he is from Frickin Iran it makes it “not offensive” ?  Are You Frickin kidding New York Vinnie? This is an NBA player, he is not the Frickin Ayatollah or their Frickin President. This guy did not deserve this; nobody does!

If New York Vinnie was running Fox Sports Prime Ticket those two Frickin PUDS would be out of work right now. This is Frickin unacceptable especially from a pair of pros like these two. We have enough Frickin problems in this day and age to have two Frickin Puds cause a Global Crisis!

The good news for fans of the Boston Celtics is that Kevin Garnett is back playing and is no longer in pain. The bad news is except for the occasional moment here and there the “Big Ticket” has yet to start playing the way he has throughout his career. Garnett missed the last part of the season as well as the NBA Playoffs as he had injured his right knee. Garnett had off-season surgery that corrected the problem and took away the pain, however Garnett still has been a tad off all season long.

The Celtics are now 9-4 and could very well be 13-0 if they had KG playing in mid-season form. Two of their losses may have occurred anyway as they lost to an Atlanta team that is currently the hottest team in the NBA and lost Friday night to Orlando a team they have problems matching up with in the best of times. However they never should have lost to the Pacers and most likely would have beaten the Chicago Bulls if the Boston All-Star forward was in peak condition.

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers told the “Boston Herald” after the loss to Orlando that his veteran is playing pretty much how the Celtics bench boss expected him to be playing at this point of the season. Rivers told reporters “One day he’s explosive, one day he’s not, one day he’s healthy, one day he’s not, and that’s just gonna take time. Coming into the year, obviously you would want him to be explosive if you could pick tonight. Tomorrow we don’t need you. But you could see that today. It takes time. Some days you have legs, some days you don’t. It’s your back. It doesn’t matter what the injury is, almost. That’s just how it works.”

Rivers is basically saying that he realizes his veteran’s game is a work in progress. It is one thing to be in shape but a totally different thing to be in NBA shape.  However when you are dealing with a player that has the track record that the Boston star does as long as he is is healthy the timing will soon return. This man has been one of the top players in the NBA for more than a decade. If you watch him play every once in a while you are seeing what he is still capable of. It will not be too much longer before the “Big Ticket” is back full time for the Celtics.

Allen Iverson seems to be running out of options as the New York Knicks have now broken off talks with him according to “ESPN.com.”  New York Team President Donnie Walsh told reporters that the club reached the decision late Thursday night not to pursue the free agent guard. Iverson was waived earlier this week by the Memphis Grizzlies after the player and the team could not see eye to eye on whether the All-Star would be a starter or come off the bench. The veteran signed a one year deal with Memphis just before Training Camp for a reported $3.5 million.

Walsh did say that the team was intrigued with going after the Free Agent but decided he was not a good fit for the squad. The Team President said “It did get interesting for a while because Allen’s a great player and has always been a great player. You’re 1-9 and you’re thinking, ‘We’ve got to get some help in here.’ But when we rethought it and I talked to Mike and he talked to me, we feel that could hurt our development of the future, and so we want to go the way we’re going. There will be other things we can do during the year that will be more in line with what our philosophy has been entering into this. And I want to really make it clear that this has nothing to do with Iverson. He’s a great player, I’ve always admired him. I think he’d be a great addition for a team that is in a different position than we’re in, and I hope he gets picked up.”

 So is this the end for Allen Iverson in the NBA? Is this the way his career ends with a whimper not a bang? A former NBA MVP unwanted by any team? Or is there a solution a realtionship that could benefit both A.I. and the team? Your Old Pal New York Vinnie has been mulling this over since the news broke that the Knicks were not interested and if Iverson has truly learned a lesson and can be a team player I think I have the perfect solution.

One would hope that the last few months have humbled Iverson but it was apparent during his short stay in Memphis that was not the case. However now after being let go by a team as bad as Memphis and bypassed by “MY BOYS” the Knicks maybe just maybe the veteran has started to smell the coffee. If that is the case then he could be just the right man to take one team to their first NBA Championship; the Cleveland Cavaliers.

 Okay now that you have picked your Frickin jaw off the floor New York Vinnie will tell you why this makes sense. First and foremost there is a need; the two-guard position in the Cavaliers starting lineup right now is that team’s weak link. Last year’s starter Delonte West has been hard by his emotional disorder and one does not know how long it will take for him to recover from what he is going through. Plus West has legal problems due to his arrest this summer on weapons charges.

Anthony Parker is a great back-up for an Elite NBA team but he is not a starter. When Iverson is focused and happy he can still give you 20 points a game. Add that to a lineup of Mo Williams, a healthy Shaq, Varejao or Hickson at the power forward spot and the reigning NBA MVP LeBron James and New York Vinnie could see that team going very far in the Post Season.

Here is another reason why New York Vinnie thinks that this could work; Romeo Travis. Who is Romeo Travis you ask? If you read the book that LBJ put out this summer “Shooting Stars” you would be well aware that Travis was one of the Cavaliers star’s teammates in high school. LBJ had started high school with three childhood friends; Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III and Willie McGee and they called themselves the “Fab Four.” At the beginning of their sophomore year Rome Travis transferred to their school. Travis could play but he was an outsider he never got close to the group.

That is until their senior year when the four childhood friends knowing how badly they needed Travis to be on the same page as them invited hin into their group. They became the “Fab Five” and won the National Championship that year; a small school from Akron, Ohio with a huge desire to win.

If the teams leaders; LBJ, Mo Williams and O’Neal could convince Iverson that he is what they need to get that ring then LeBron could have another “Fab Five” on his hands. There is no doubt whether the talent is still there with Iverson; it is. However is the desire to do what ever it takes to get that ring there? If it is then Iverson would be a perfect fit for Cleveland.

Going to college is not meant for everybody. It was not meant for Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings as his grades in high school would have made it highly unlikely he could have gone to a top Division 1-A so he could showcase his talents for a year before being eligible for the NBA Draft. Instead he became a trend-setter spending last year in Europe and playing ball for Italian powerhouse Lottomatica Virtus Roma in the Euro-league.

Jennings did particularly like being in a foreign country thousands of miles away from family and friends and living in a much different culture than he was used to. However he stayed focused, stuck it out and so far it seems to be paying off for him in the NBA.

The Milwaukee Bucks rookie point guard was named NBA Player Of The Week for the week of November 9-15 after he would have a night that forced people to sit up and take notice. He became the youngest player in the history of the NBA to score 50 points in a game when he dropped 55 on the Golden State Warriors last Saturday night pushing the Bucks to a 129-125 victory.

The 20 year old native expected to go a lot higher in the NBA Draft than he did this past June sliding all the way to the number ten slot. Jennings has taken a liking to the city of Milwaukee as it reminds him of a European city. The rookie told the “Associated Press” that everything has worked out for the best playing for the Bucks. Jennings said “Everything that happened to the draft, not going to those teams that I thought were going to pick me up, I think I’m in a great situation right now.The city of Milwaukee is laid back, and that’s what I need right now.”

The relationship seems to be working out for both sides as the Bucks are off to their best start in quite a while currently in second place in the NBA Central Division with a record of 6-3. Jennings through nine games has averaged 24.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game and has become a name that is being bandied about in the early stages of the season as a possible NBA Rookie Of The Year candidate.

The young man seems to have his priorities in order and his head on straight despite all the hoopla that goes with his new life. The rookie was asked by reporters what he wanted to accomplish in his first year in the NBA? Jennings responded “My main goal is coming out here, making the playoffs, getting my teammates involved and trying to bring the winning back to Milwaukee. We have to win. I’m going to do my part and I’m going to try and make sure the team does their part.”

Brandon My Man; you keep playing the way you have been and keep that attitude then Your Old Pal New York Vinnie believes you will have a long and prosperous career in the NBA.

Try to imagine being born and raised in the lap of luxury; you live in a palatial mansion, you have maids and butlers and your life is sheer heaven on earth. But as we all do you reach a certain age and you want to go off and make it on your own. So you get a job and your first apartment; a tenement on Skid Row! All of a sudden all those luxuries you took for granted your entire life are no longer there. You now live in the real Frickin world and you have to deal with all the Crappola that the rest of us put up with.

New York Vinnie believes that those are the kind of thoughts that are running right now through Minnesota Timberwolves rookie head coach Kurt Rambis’s mind right about now a little less than a month into the  regular season. The only view Rambis has ever had of the NBA was from his perch with one of the elite teams in all of basketball the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rambis was a reserve player back in the eighties when the team was going through its “ShowTime” period. The last few years Rambis has been assistant coach on Phil Jackson’s staff going to the NBA Finals the last two years and winning the NBA Title last June. Now however Rambis has a totally different perspective on the NBA; instead of looking from the penthouse and looking down on the rest of the league Rambis is now in the basement.

Rambis for years has wanted to be the head coach of his own NBA team. Unfortunately he had to settle for something close being head coach of the T-Wolves. The Timberwolves are more like a pretty talented NBDL team rather than a true NBA squad. There is not an awful of of talent on the team to begin with and if you add in the injuries this team has had this year you end up with a blow mediocre team.

Right about now the rookie head coach is pretty ticked off at his team. Not because of the juries or the lack of talent; however he is upset about the lack of effort he is seeing from his squad.  The club lost its eleventh straight game Wednesday night to the Houston Rockets by a 97-84 margin.

After the game Rambis told the “St. Paul Pioneer Press” “We had chances to really jump on them in the first half, but we kept them in the game. There was no thrust to what we were doing offensively. A true professional brings it every night. It’s not my job to provide them with a Knute Rockne speech every game. It gets old. On a day like this, it was their job … their responsibility to be ready to play.”

Yo Kurt; New York Vinnie agrees with some of what you are saying but I also disagree with one thing you said. Yes by all means it is the players job and responsibility to be prepared and give everything they have while they they are out on the hardwood. But Kurt it is your job to give that motivating speech before every game. This is not a veteran team that knows what it is doing as the Lakers are. You My Man have a project on your hands.

New York Vinnie realizes there are two schools of thought on how to handle pro players. There is the camp that says that the pros are getting paid and that should be all the motivation they need. That once you reach the level of the NBA you should not need a head coach to get you pumped before a game. New York Vinnie is from  the other school of thought; in my mind that is the main job of a NBA head coach to get his team in the right frame of mind to give their utmost effort on the floor.

If all you are looking for is someone to diagram plays then there would not be a need for a head coach. You could have an offensive assistant and a defensive assistant do that. It is the job of the head coach to set the tone for the team, to motivate. The head coach is supposed to be the guy who knows who needs the kick in the behind and who needs the pat on the back. With a veteran team like the Lakers, the Celtics and the Spurs a head coach can let the team run itself. But not with a glorified expansion team like Minnesota.

So welcome to the real world Kurt and realize this is how it is for many teams in the NBA. But Kurt it is up to you this season to set the tone so next season they will not need a Knute Rockne  speech before every game

New York Vinnie has slowly come to the realization that “MY BOYS” are about to make another wonderful signing. This has not been confirmed anywhere but in New York Vinnie’s Frickin Gut; however you can take this to the bank sometime soon the New York Knicks will sign Allen Iverson for the rest of the season. Now a couple of seasons ago New York Vinnie would have gone Frickin Ballistic over the thought that one of the Frickin Charter Members of the “NBA Top Ten PUD List” would soon be wearing the uniform of the Knicks. The same uniform that Frazier, and Ewing wore; the thought of that would have made New York Vinnie Frickin ready to explode!

However as it looks closer and closer to it becoming a reality New York Vinnie has accepted it. No, New York Vinnie is not happy about it but it does make Frickin sense in my mind. Who better to lead a team of Frickin PUDS and losers but Allen Frickin Iverson. In this case he truly will be the “Frickin Answer.”  It will be just like having Frickin Starbury back only ten Frickin times bigger. The Frickin Circus will be at MSG for the rest of the regular season.

Think about it for a minute; Frickin Iverson will be the perfect Frickin poster boy for the New York Knicks! He represents every thing we should hate about pro sports in the USA in 2009. Iverson is a shadow of what he used to be; got one Frickin offer and then quit the team because he could not be a starter. He will fit in perfectly with the bunch of Frickin PUDS and losers we have on “MY BOYS” team.

Unfortunately that is the way that a lot of pro sports is conducted in the present day. That is the mentality to play for the name on the Frickin back of the jersey not the one on the front. The Knicks finally ended a six game losing streak Wednesday night as they beat Indiana 110-103; however the only reason they won the Frickin game was Indiana played stupid down the stretch. Those are not the kind of Frickin victories that fill you with hope and pride; instead its tainted.

So Come On Iverson and play on the Frickin Biggest Stage In the World New York City. One thing that New York Vinnie is sure “El Douche” Knicks Team Owner James Dolan is Iverson will sell tickets. Because people always love to go to the Frickin Freak Show.

Over the last few weeks we have been told by the Los Angeles Lakers that their All-Star big man Pau Gasol was on the verge of returning to playing in the NBA; only to be told days later that the veteran could be out until Christmas. The latest report from the “Orange County Register” is that Gasol most likely will be making his season debut Thursday night as his team hosts the Chicago Bulls.

Gasol missed the last six preseason games as well as the first 11 games of the regular season after suffering a strained right hamstring.  Lakers head coach Phil Jackson told reporters earlier this month “I find that hard to believe, that it’s gone backwards. … Right now, he’s capable of doing only so much and nothing else. We’re starting to look toward Christmas, though. Some time out there.”

Jackson said that the injury to his veteran big man was perplexing. The Lakers coach said “Yeah, because with most hamstrings you see bleeding or bruises or holes in the hamstring. His has been one of those things wasn’t a big concern to us, but has turned into a month-long injury. But it is mysterious, no doubt about it.”

Apparently those comments by Coach Zen were made sarcastically. It seems that Jackson thinks that Gasol is a “Frickin Sissy Boy” because it has taken him so long to return from the hamstring injury. According to the paper the coach asked his big man to play Tuesday night but said he was not ready yet.

New York Vinnie has written this before; there is no Frickin connection with your pain threshold and how much of a man you are. People have different limits; it has nothing at all about being tough. New York Vinnie had always thought Gasol was soft until this past NBA Finals when we watched him go up against the best center in the current age Dwight Howard. After seeing the way Gasol rose to that occasion it convinced New York Vinnie that Pau Gasol is certainly not soft.

When it comes to a hamstring injury better to wait a day too long than to start a day too early. You rush back and you only make things Frickin worse. We shall see if Gasol is on the floor or not Thursday; if he is New York Vinnie hopes that it was because he felt ready not because he was shamed into it.