Tag: yao ming

Categories
NBA General

Odds and Ends: Kevin Durant gets Gilbertized

Gilbert Arenas is a great talent on the court, but it’s pretty well known that he’s a bit cuckoo in the head. And Kevin Durant is a superstar in the waiting who is a human sponge waiting for the proper teacher. Basically what we are saying is that if we were the GM at Portland or Seattle, we would get our cornerstone of the future the hell away from Agent 0.

In other news…

[USA Today]: Jockey gets a slap on the wrist for kicking a horse.

[SI.com]: It’s up and down for Chicago Bears fans.

[ESPN]: Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son; the ugly truth unfolds.

[ABC13.com]: Yao Ming is getting married!

[AZCentral.com]: Stephen Jackson is gone but the Pacers are still going to court.

And finally, Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, Michael Vick and a slew of other might be on the outside looking in at the moment, but we think that we might have found a kid who is working on filling those empty NFL holes one day. He definitely has the off-field behavior down.

Categories
College Football

Odds and Ends: Florida Gators boosters are doing a poor job


You’d think that a national football and college basketball championship would have the Florida boosters in fine form. But this story about a robbery is an excellent example of how they are just dropping the ball:


On Saturday, a UF student was taking kegs out of his truck when [five] men approached him. One 6-foot-4, 280-pound man attempted to steal his keg, cutting his neck in the process, according to the report. The cut was 5 to 6 inches long, the report states, and it appeared to be the result of a fingernail or ring.

The suspect was a Gator football player who had to be restrained from attacking the victim a few times by four of his teammates. Look at the travesty here. Why does a Florida Gator football player feel the need to rob a man of his keg? Shouldn’t the football players have unlimited access to the local beer distributor? After all, they are champions! For shame, Gator boosters, for shame. (Hat tip: Loserwith socks)

In other news…

[Fish stripes]: Dontrelle Willis pitches as his wife prepares to give birth

[Deseret News]: Andrei Kirilenko and Jerry Sloan just lost in translation

[Ben Maller]: Tigers Sean Casey comes home from a road trip to find his car on cinder blocks at the airport

[The Offside]: A book sheds more light (eccchhhh) on Wayne Rooney nailing a 48 year old grandmother/prostitute

[Can’t Stop the Bleeding]: Toriiiiii Hunter almost suspended three years for giving champagne

[Lopez@Large]: Yao Ming needs a strong postseason to define his legacy

[WBRS Sports]: The Orioles to offer groupies free mustache ride

And finally, if the Kansas City Royals adopted the My Name is Earl scratch and sniff episode promotion, would it just smell like garbage?

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Houston, we have lift off

1. Rockets booster
There were lots of questions about Tracy McGrady’s health during the season and there were even more questions about Yao Ming’s health after he broke his leg, but now all the questions have been answered and the results are not good for the rest of the West. The Suns certainly took notice after Houston pulled out an impressive 120-117 victory behind 39 points from McGrady and 34 from Yao. As if 39 points isn’t enough, McGrady chipped in 11 rebounds and nine assists as well. With the win, Houston gained home-court advantage in their first round series against Utah despite being the fifth seed in the playoffs, and considering that Houston is currently the hottest team in the West, the slumping Jazz are suddenly looking like the underdogs in this much anticipated series.

2. Reappearing act

When Caron Butler first got diagnosed with a broken hand two weeks ago, the outlook was bleak. But now things are starting to look a little more promising for the All-Star forward who says that he is still hopeful he will make a full recovery before the playoffs are over. The only question that remains is if the Wizards will still be playing when he does. Butler was originally supposed to be out of action for six weeks but on Monday he took part in practice with the team. This is great news for the Wizards as they need all the help they can get since Gilbert Arenas had to cut his season short with an injury. Butler’s return probably won’t be enough to get Washington past Toronto or Chicago but it definitely gives them a better chance than having Jarvis Hayes in the starting five.

3. One spot left; who wants it?
With only one day left in the regular season, oddly enough there is still one playoff spot up for grabs and it is for the very undesirable final seed in the West which yields a first round match-up against the Mavericks. The only teams that are in left in contention for the post season are the Warriors and the Clippers. Neither team has an easy opponent but luckily for them their games involve teams that have nothing to play for. The Clips are in the worst position possible as they need to not only defeat the Suns, but they also need the Warriors to lose to Dallas. On the other hand, Golden State has their destiny in their own hands as they simply need to win and they’re in.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Tracy McGrady vs. Phoenix 41 min, 39 pts (FG: 14-31, 3FG: 3-7, FT: 8-11), 11 reb, 9 ast, 2 stl

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Toronto (47-33) @ Detroit (51-29) The Raptors will get an excellent opportunity to get a feel for the post season waters as they travel to Detroit for an early battle against the Eastern Conference’s best team. Both teams will probably take it kind of easy during the game in order to avoid any unnecessary injuries before the playoffs but it could still prove to be a great game of chess between the two coaches. This could be a preview of a second round series between these two in a couple of weeks but Chris Bosh and TJ Ford will have to survive a series in the unfamiliar post season before they can start hoping of knocking off the former champs.

Buzzer Beater: One day after the Spurs’ Tim Duncan got teched up, thrown out and supposedly called out, Gregg Popovich decided that he wasn’t going to take any chances with his stars’ futures before the post season. So, last night as the Spurs took on the Grizzlies, Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all enjoyed the entire game from the comfort of the bench. Well, enjoyed might not be the most accurate term considering that Memphis grabbed a 10 point victory, 101-91. But what can realistically be expected when 55 points per game plus a bunch of rebounds, assists, steals and blocks are riding the pine? Hopefully James “Flight” White enjoyed what will most likely be his only chance to ever lead the Spurs in scoring after he tied Michael Finley with 17 points on Monday.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Third time’s a charm


1. Two down, 14 to go
With a 108-90 victory over the Timberwolves last night, Phoenix won the Pacific Division and has now joined Dallas as the only other team to have secured a playoff spot. Kevin Garnett put up another monster effort for Minnesota but, as usual, he couldn’t get it done by himself and the Suns rolled despite getting only four points and two rebounds out of Amare Stoudemire as he sat on the bench for most of the game with foul trouble. This is the third consecutive division crown for Phoenix but despite their success they can’t seem to get past the Western Conference finals. But perhaps this is the year; the Suns are deeper than they have ever been and unlike last year they should have a healthy Stoudemire to provide the team with an inside presence when it comes time to slow the game down. Unfortunately, the West is as strong as it has ever been with Utah, San Antonio and Dallas all in contention for a Finals appearance.

2. Rocky Mountain roll

It might have taken a while for the dynamic scoring duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony but the Nuggets are now the hottest team in the league after ripping off five wins in a row. Melo put up 30 in Denver’s first win in New Jersey since 2000 and the Nuggets got another 20 from the Answer as the team has finally established some breathing room between themselves and the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference. A lot will be determined about this team in the upcoming couple of weeks because the Nuggets have four games left on their current road trip against Chicago, Toronto, Detroit and Cleveland before they return home against a struggling Seattle club. Then they have to end the season with difficult games against Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Utah and the Lakers.

3. Big Baby wants to play with the big boys
One year after former teammate Tyrus Thomas made the jump to the NBA, LSU big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis has made his decision to finally make the leap. The 6-9, 290 pounder will forgo his senior year after averaging 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds and becoming the only player not named Shaq to amass 1,500 points, 900 rebounds and 100 blocks for the Tigers. Currently there’s no guarantee that Davis will be selected in the first round of the draft but if he wants to get paid some legitimate NBA money then he needs to solidify his first round position by performing well at the league’s predraft camp which is held in Orlando at the end of May. Any player selected in the first-round pick will receive a guaranteed three-year contract while second-round players are not so fortunate. Well, we know at least two players he won’t be picked ahead of.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Carlos Boozer vs. Golden State 38 min, 25 pts (FG: 11-18, FT: 3-4), 21 reb, 5 ast

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Dallas (55-11) @ Cleveland (41-26) Both teams have the disadvantage of playing in games last night, however the Cavs will have the benefit of their home crowd cheering them on as opposed to Dallas who will be coming off short night’s rest at the local Radisson. LeBron James has his boys surging in the East and the Cavaliers now sit just 2 ½ games behind Detroit for the best record in the conference after winning nine of their last 11 games. Dallas is beginning to recover from a two game skid that was capped off with a heart breaker to the Suns in double OT last Wednesday. But the Mavs have bounced back and now have a three game win streak.

Buzzer Beater: How is that every single year Yao Ming is by far the most voted on player when the All-Star game rolls around but he can’t even top the jersey selling charts in his own country? In fact, Yao ranks sixth in jersey sells in China. Even his teammate Tracy McGrady is getting more love than Yao from the Chinese as his jersey was the third most purchased for the 2006-07 season but it is a drop from being the most popular jersey in China last year. So, who is the most popular NBA baller in China right now? Why Kobe Bryant of course, the Chinese just love his in-game Bruce Lee impersonations.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Ron Arrest


1. The NBA’s Equivalent of Iron Mike
Apparently it’s thug life or no life for Ron Artest. No matter how many chances this guy gets, he will always blow it. Artest’s latest episode got him thrown in the slammer for suspicion of domestic violence and suspicion of using force or violence to prevent the incident from being reported after he allegedly shoved a woman to the floor of his suburban Sacramento home. The Kings president of basketball operations, Geoff Petrie, also said that Artest has been excused from the team indefinitely. If it’s not animal abuse, it’s spousal abuse and if it’s not spousal abuse it’s auditory abuse. The question is what’s worse? Ron-Ron throwing his old lady to the floor, leaving his dog’s in the city pound for 77 days or subjecting an audience to a live performance of “Workin the Pole.” They’re all despicable offenses worthy of imprisonment in my book.

2. Hey, Yao, Break a… Nevermind
After missing 32 games, Yao Ming made his much anticipated return to the Rockets lineup last night but by the end of the game it was LeBron James who was basking in the spotlight. Yao was struggling to find his timing from the very beginning of the game and ended with just 16 points on five of 15 shooting, but he did manage to grab 11 rebounds. But there’s no reason to rush Yao back for his defensive effort when the 40-something year old Dikembe Mutombo is gobbling up rebounds like his vocal clone Cookie Monster devours a pack of Double Stuf Oreos. Nevertheless, no player, man or Muppet, was going to stop LBJ last night as he put together a near triple-double effort in the Cavs 91-85 victory. Cleveland is now only three games behind Detroit for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

3. Oh No-ah!
Boy, one year and one boneheaded Dick Vitale conversation sure can make a big difference in a kid’s life. Just ask Joakim Noah. After leading Florida to the national championship last year, Noah could have decided to go pro and possibly be selected first in the draft. Chicago has admitted to being enamored with the 6-11 forward/center before last years draft and would have selected him with the second pick, should he have fallen to them. But that was when Noah was hot, now he’s not. In fact, some scouts are saying that he isn’t even worth being picked in the top ten. Even Noah has admitted that he hasn’t been fully contributing to his team of late. Throw in the fact that two of the biggest prospects in recent history are probably coming out this year and Noah’s decision that school is cool will probably end up costing him some serious cash.

Monday’s Player of the Day: LeBron James vs. Houston 42 min, 32 pts (FG: 12-24, 3FG: 3-6, FT: 5-9), 12 reb, 8 ast

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: New Jersey (28-32) @ Dallas (50-9) If the Mavericks aren’t must watch basketball then what is? Every single night it seems that Cuban’s kids are breaking records and extending streaks. At this point, every victory is setting a new franchise-high for consecutive wins, currently at 15, as they are now the sixth fastest team in NBA history to reach 50 wins. New Jersey is beginning the dreaded Texas road trip that includes stops at all three of the gyms in just five days. While the task is daunting, the duo of Vince Carter and Jason Kidd have been combining for some serious efforts of late. Jersey is fighting for their playoff lives as they are currently sitting just outside of the top eight in the conference. Presently, the last spot is up for grabs between Orlando, New York and New Jersey so every game is critical for the Nets.

Buzzer Beater: As if there aren’t enough reality shows on the tube already, now Shaquille O’Neal is getting into the act after agreeing to a six-episode series which has yet to be titled or scheduled for release. However, unlike reality gurus such as Flavor Flav, Johnny Knoxville and Dog the Bounty Hunter, Shaq’s show will be beneficial to society. That’s because the Diesel is going to be tackling a topic that he is quite familiar with, childhood obesity. Listed at 325 pounds (uh-huh, right), O’Neal will follow the lives of select kids as they participate in the ABC program and also lobby politicians on health related causes including school nutrition. You have to appreciate Shaq for using his fame to promote a worthy cause, but is the Big (fill in the blank) the right guy to show our nation’s future how to properly eat? Were Charles Barkley, Oliver Miller and Shawn Kemp busy or something?

Categories
Houston Rockets

Yao Ming does not have jungle fever


(Does anyone still use the term jungle fever anymore? That movie was like what… 1992?)

There’s a rule about lying. If you’re gonna make something up, make it so preposterous that it’s believable. MediaTakeOut.com is rumor-mongering (thank you Al Davis) that Yao Ming is dating 5’2″ Nia Long because he became a huge fan of hers while watching The Fresh Price of Bel Aire in China. First of all, did Fresh Prince of Bel Aire even air in China? Second, wasn’t this the plot of the Borat movie?

Reuters (slightly more credible than MediaTakeOut) has Yao denying the story:


Isn’t it too ridiculous? I saw the news on Internet. The writer is so good at hoaxes. What’s that? She’s only 1.57m. I’m 2.26m. Does it sound reasonable?

Reuters also reports that his long term girlfriend Ye Li is living with him. So if Yao is really dating Nia Long… then kudos to you Yao. Just don’t get caught in Colorado on a rape charge. You’ll never be able to score 81 points.

Links:
[Reuters ]: Basketball star dismisses love interest as tall story
[Media TakeOut.com]: THE WEIRDEST COUPLE EVER!
YAO MING DATING NIA LONG

Categories
Houston Rockets

Yao Ming Wildlife PSA commercial

Yesterday, we told you about Yao Ming’s campaign to protect wildlife and him swearing off shark fin soup. Well, here’s the video where jumps onto a basketball court to block a bullet fired at an elephant.

Categories
Houston Rockets

No shark fin soup for you!


It’s been a while since Yao Ming has been in the news. But he’s back to tell you to lay off the shark fin soup and save other wildlife.


As the human population increases, many wildlife species are decreasing, and the primary reason is that humans fail to treat animals as friends.

He also taped a television commercial where he jumps onto a basketball court to block a bullet fired at an elephant. Think about this for a second folks. This is like a David Lynch movie. A 7-foot-5 Chinese guy jumps onto a basketball court to block a bullet fired at an elephant. And in the background, a monkey wearing lipstick masturbates and falls off the rim.

In actual basketball news, Yao Ming says he is at 80% and looking forward to praticing with the Chinese National Team in advance of the world championships in Japan. Meanwhile, the Chinese team just lost six of seven games in a mini-tourney in Europe so perhaps Yao should be worried more about human rights violations to his teammates and coaches than protecting sharks.

[USA Today]: Yao Ming swears off shark’s fin soup
[Reuters]: Yao putting best foot forward for world champs