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New Jersey Nets

Jay-Z hopes to be the Nets lucky charm at the Draft Lottery


The NBA Draft Lottery is tonight which means some pathetic franchise could change its fortune for years to come. As things stand, Miami (.250 chance) has best shot at grabbing the top overall pick in the upcoming draft which holds collegiate gems such as Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo. Statistically speaking, Seattle (.199) is a close second with Minnesota (.138) and Memphis (.137) running just behind. Of course, no odds or percentages are going to keep the New Jersey Nets (.011) from busting out their big guns tonight.

Jay-Z needs to win the Lottery, but not for the same reasons most people do.

The self-proclaimed Michael Jordan of rap is set to represent the New Jersey Nets, the basketball team he partially owns, at the National Basketball Association Draft Lottery tomorrow at the NBA Entertainment studios in Secaucus, NJ. Jay will be one of fourteen team reps to sit on stage while NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, announces the winning order of teams participating in the draft lottery.

This year, the Nets have a 1.1 percent chance of gaining the first pick of the draft and less than a four percent chance of choosing one of the top three selections. Calculations based on their 2007-2008 season record predict that the Nets will most likely have the 10th pick in the draft (if they don’t get a top three spot).

Jay said in a statement that his participation in the draft lottery is “very exciting” and that he hopes his nickname `Lucky Lefty’ “holds up.”

Luck is good to have, but sometimes it is completely unnecessary in the NBA’s Draft Lottery. Isn’t that right, David DeBusschere?

Links:

[Sportaphile.com]: The NBA Draft Lottery Just Got 83% More Gangsta. Hovi’s Home!
[Vibe.com]: Representing for the New Jersey Nets: Jay-Z

Categories
New Jersey Nets

Around the Rim: Jason’s still a Net, no Kidding!


1. Devean George is not a Jersey kinda guy
The Dallas Mavericks were just about to give away half their roster for Jason Kidd, but then Devean George decided to go `Kobe’ on the league and nix the trade. As it turns out, George has a loop hole in his contract giving him ultimate approval of any trade. This doesn’t mean the deal that would send Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager and George (plus $3 million and two future first-round picks) going to New Jersey for Kidd and Malik Allen is completely done, but it will need to be tweaked. According to reports, the Mavs might replace George with Eddie Jones and Nick Fazekas or Jones and Juwan Howard. The Nets were so sure this deal was done they sat Kidd against Toronto on Wednesday. And as fate would have, they lost big.

2. Never doubt Dwight Howard

Stan Van Gundy called out his star player for wanting to score more than play defense. Against the Nuggets, Dwight Howard proved he can do both. Howard exploded for 23 points, 24 rebounds and a pair of blocks in a 109-98 Magic victory in the Magic Kingdom. Rashard Lewis threw in 25 for Orlando while Hedo Turkoglu and Brian Cook added 18 points apiece. The Nuggets were in the game for about a half; unfortunately, it was the first half. Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points before fouling out in the fourth and Allen Iverson put in 21 points on a horrible 5-of-16 shooting performance.

3. GINOBILI!!!!
About a month ago the Cavaliers got a measure of revenge against the Spurs, winning a close one in San Antonio after being swept out of last year’s Finals. On Wednesday, the Spurs returned the favor, beating Cleveland 112-105 on their home floor. And they didn’t even miss Tony Parker thanks to an outta-his-mind performance by Manu Ginobili. The Argentinean drilled a career-high eight 3-pointers en route to a season-high 46 points with eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. Ginobili was money in the final period, connecting on all four 3-point attempts for 18 points in the period. For the game, San Antonio shot 12-for-20 from behind the arc. Oh, and according to the box score, there were a couple of All-Stars on the court as well. Tim Duncan did his usual double-double thing, scoring 23 and grabbing 13 while LeBron James had himself a humdinger of a contest with 39 points, six rebounds and nine assists.

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: Manu Ginobili @ Cleveland 40 min, 46 pts (FG: 15-20, 3FG: 8-11, FT: 8-9), 5 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Thursday’s Game to Watch: Dallas (35-17) @ Phoenix (36-16)
We know Jason Kidd won’t be in the lineup for the Mavericks and it’s doubtful that Shaquille O’Neal makes his Suns debut against Dallas, but there are still plenty of reasons to watch. It’s always a track meet when these two hook up and it usually goes down to the wire. Dirk Nowitzki should love not having to deal with the pesky Shawn Marion in this rivalry anymore, but Steve Nash is still around and so is some young stud named Amare Stoudemire. It should be interesting to see how the Mavs react with a roster full of players they tried to cut ties with less than a day before.

Buzzer Beater: Gilbert Arenas is thinking about changing his last name to East after realizing the fashionable perks it would bring.

That’s going to be the coolest jersey ever though … that David West jersey for being a Western Conference All-Star … West on the front, West on the back. That’s going to be the bomb jersey.

Categories
New Jersey Nets

Apparently, Jason Kidd is a chubby chaser and not a very nice one


If the accusations are true then Jason Kidd might be enjoying the bachelor lifestyle just a bit too much. Reports surfaced that Kidd groped a model a while back and now it’s starting to sound like he wanted to throw down with the chick after she rejected his `advances.’

If we got into a fight, who do you think would win?” the 6-foot, 4-inch superstar allegedly said to the plus-sized brunette, the sources claimed.

As The Post reported exclusively, the alleged groping occurred early Oct. 10 at Tenjune in the West Village. Bouncers saw the towering Net and 23-year-old model exchanging words, and intervened to make sure they were seated at separate tables, sources said.

Yesterday, spokesmen for Kidd and the nightclub denied any impropriety on his part. The Nets and NBA declined to comment.

According to sources, Kidd’s hands allegedly wandered over the model’s buttocks and crotch twice, despite her protests.

Detectives are investigating possible charges of forcible touching or sex abuse in the third degree – both misdemeanors that would be written up as a desk-appearance ticket, the sources said.

“This accusation is a complete fabrication and it is sad that someone would make something like this up,” a spokesman for Kidd said.

Now, we’re not completely convinced that J-Kidd would do such a thing, but we’re not letting him off from the accusations either. After all, the guy is single, rich, in a bar, and in reach of a 23-year-old plus-size model, then, to top things off, she has the gall to blow off the All Star. If that’s not the perfect storm of groping/beating up girls then we don’t know what is.

Links:

[NYPost.com]: Kidd now accused of fight threat

Categories
New Jersey Nets

Kidd Abuse

(Come on… someone had to use that headline.)



There’ll be no more of this

While it might seem great to be the son of an NBA superstar, sometimes it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. First, you have tons of people making fun of your huge head cause your mom brings you to Nets games. Then you become a part of NY Post tabloid fodder when your dad files a complaint against you mom for “domestic violence” which everyone is whispering is about child abuse. (Oh and your dad once punched your mom in the mouth over a french fry — but she totally was flirting with the Hamburgler so you know…)

This little tidbit from the Post article left us wondering why Jason Kidd is still even talking to his wife:


One of the final straws for Jason Kidd likely came after his wife showed up at a Net game at the Meadowlands taunting him from the sidelines while flailing about with a cellphone in her hands, several sources said.

Come on, your wife heckles you from the stands? That’s something not even T.O. deserves.

By the way, we don’t mean to make fun of child abuse (or punching people in the mouth over a french fry… actually re the french fry — yes we do) but we seriously doubt the kids are all messed up or anything. When we were young, dad used to make us cut down the switch he’d hit us with. And we’re just fine thank you. We’ve got an unhealthy fear of trees… but whatever.

Links:
[NJ.com]:
J-Kidd soap opera takes odd turn

Categories
New Jersey Nets

The Nets like old people



Old people are funny

The Nets released the names of the 15 members to make up the team’s new dance squad, and then the Nets male fan base rushed off to Google pictures of the new grey haired bombshells. That’s right, grey haired! The Nets new dance team is made up of senior citizens ranging in ages from 59 to 82.


[The Senior Dance Team] will likely be performing to hip-hop once they take the court. That’s because Petra Pope, the Nets’ senior director of entertainment and event marketing who supervises in-game entertainment for the team, has seen how a swinging senior always draws the biggest applause during halfcourt dance contests. “We turn on hip-hop for the senior, to mix it up,” Pope said. “When they start dancing, the crowd goes crazy.

Come on Jay-Z, Jigga, Jay-Hova, Joe Camel, whatever your name is. How did Mr. Roc-A-Fella approve the formation of a group of geriatric gyrators instead of one made up from the normal groupies that can be found “shakin’ like a salt shaker” in all of his videos? Well, management had better make sure the batteries are charged in their medical alert bracelets before they hit the court.

Links:
[NJ.com]: Seniors show they haven’t lost a step

Categories
New Jersey Nets

Vince Carter cares about the kids

Remember in Reality Bites when the newspaper editor asks Winona Ryder to define irony and she has no idea how to define it? Well, she might have just gone with this quote from Vince Carter (on Kobe scoring 81):

The only bad thing about it is that younger kids, whose minds are easily warped, are going to think, ‘Ohhh! I am going to go out there and do it instead of (honoring) the team concept first,'” Carter said yesterday. “That is what is missing in the game, guys understanding how to play as a team.

Are you kidding me? Vince Carter is talking about “team”? This is the same guy who admitted he stopped trying toward the end of his tenure with the Raptors. A guy who has been called whiny, selfish, and a baby. Vince Carter’s entire career is based on getting on Sportscenter and now he’s mad because someone else is dominating his airtime. Ask any Toronto fan if Vince Carter cares about anyone but himself.

[NJ.com]: Nets notes: Carter — scoring 81 not all good
[Sportsrant.com]: I Hate Mondays: Vince-I-Am