Archive for the ‘Charlotte Bobcats’ Category

Corey Maggette has a family to feed, résumés to send

Posted by Trey Kerby under Charlotte Bobcats, Lockout Watch on Sep 14, 2011

Once upon a time, Latrell Sprewell gave us the finest joke in professional athletics labor history when he told reporters that he needed a bigger contract from the Minnesota Timberwolves because “[He's] got a family to feed.” Since then, it’s been the go-to zing when talking about anything related to contracts, lockouts and labor agreements. It has become such a common refrain that the players’ union has even advised players “not to make blatant appeals for sympathy.”

Corey Maggette wasn’t listening. From Sports Illustrated:

“Now guys have to make a decision about playing elsewhere, maintaining a living and all that,” said Maggette, who was among the many who had been encouraged by the tenor of last week’s talks. “As of right now, everyone is unemployed. You have to re-evaluate [your situation]. At the end of the day, you’re unemployed right now and you have to do a job in order to feed your families or whatever.

Ha. “Or whatever.” Corey Maggette needs to put food on his family or some other thing like that. Maybe he needs to give them some drinks or buy them some new bookbags or rent “Thor” from Redbox, but who can really know? He’s unemployed right now, so he needs a new job so he can do family stuff. You understand, I’m sure. The man’s only made about $68 million in his career.

Speaking of new jobs, Corey’s updating his résumé, which I am guessing is a re-editing of his favorite YouTube sizzle reel.

“I’m not saying guys don’t have money or that they’re not saving their money the right way, but ultimately — if you get fired or you have to find yourself another job — you’ve got to put out another résumé and pull another gig.”

Yep. Sure. Gotta get those résumés out there, make some connections. Maybe Corey Maggette should join LinkedIn and add all the basketball executives he knows. Reach out to people he knows to see if they have any job leads or know anyone who’s hiring. Until he finds a job, trying to find a job should be his job. In today’s job market, anything that can differentiate him from the hundreds of out of work NBA players is going to be a plus. So maybe he should wear sleeveless shirts to his interviews so that the people in charge of personnel know that he is serious about taking care of his body. That’s just a suggestion, but he should definitely send a thank you card the next day, to prove that he really wants that job.

These are just some common job-hunting tips that should give Corey Maggette a leg up while he goes through these tough times. It should also help that he is in the top less than half of half of one percent on people on Earth in his particular field. That should definitely help.

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Questions, details and regret

Posted by Holly MacKenzie under Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic on Aug 30, 2011

On Tuesday morning, Mike Wise did what he does best: He wrote an article about a situation that the NBA is dealing with, one that a lot of us — myself included — are reeling from. He wrote with facts, he wrote with honesty, he wrote with the same feeling of dread and confusion that I have as I struggle to understand unnecessary strife and tragedy as I tap on the keys of my computer to type this.

While he eloquently explained exactly why this situation involving Javaris Crittenton is so tough to wrap our heads around, he spelled out the truth: this is a tragedy. A tragedy that police think the former Wizard has caused, enough to release an arrest warrant and a wanted poster and to take him into custody in Los Angeles last night as he was boarding a plane to return to Atlanta where his lawyer said he would surrender to police and try to clear his name. As Wise was explaining this, he also revealed something else.

A tiny detail from nearly two years ago serving as another reminder that people are not always who we think they are nor who they sometimes seem to be. While Javaris Crittenton is either behind bars or being transported to Atlanta to speak to police about a 22-year-old mother who is no longer with us, leaving behind four children who have suddenly been orphaned, Gilbert Arenas has been tweeting and deleting, jawing with a comedian, giving away free shoes and still managing to make people cringe because they’re wondering where that lovable joker with the sweet heart has gone.

Stop for a second. Look beyond the tweets and avatars. Look within Wise’s article. Here’s your detail:

Little-known fact uncovered in court documents in the spring of 2010: Crittenton, via text message, asked to borrow thousands from Arenas to help pay his ill mother’s escalating medical bills. Just two months after their confrontation, Arenas obliged.

While Arenas has been labeled as many things over the past few years, this fact unearthed by Wise shows once again that he still has that heart we’ve been wondering about, even if he doesn’t show it. Even if his actions would sometimes make you think otherwise.

Read the rest of this entry »

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You can take pictures of the Bobcats dance team

Posted by Trey Kerby under Charlotte Bobcats on Aug 26, 2011

Hey all you amateur Ansel Adamses and Annie Leibovitzes out there, are you bored this summer and hoping to make some in-roads with an NBA team? Probably not, but this is still a great opportunity for you. This is a great opportunity for all of us, but you’re the ones with the DSLRs, so go for it.

From the Bobcats website:

We’re looking for three lucky social media fans to be a part of the 2011-12 Lady Cats calendar shoot, and it could be you! Sign up now for your chance to become a behind-the-scenes photographer for us at one of these selected shoots and we’ll post your photo gallery on bobcats.com.

That’s right, you have a chance to photograph the two-time defending NBA dance champions in a totally non-creepy way. Well, not totally non-creepy, but at least officially sanctioned levels of creepy. That is better than straight up creepy, I’d say. Kind of weird that you don’t have to submit any photos to be considered, meaning all kinds of weirdos can sign up for this to just check out pretty ladies, but this is significantly less creepy than surreptitiously snapping pics of these dancers.

And since we’re in a lockout, and teams can’t display any images of players and are forced to run cheerleader gallery after cheerleader gallery, this could be huge for your burgeoning photography career. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s how Ryan McGinley got his start. His online gallery of Milwaukee Bucks dancers is legendary in art circles.

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Everybody's getting lockout layoff fever

Posted by Trey Kerby under Charlotte Bobcats, Lockout Watch on Jul 13, 2011


If you can ignore the fact that there is a huge labor dispute lingering over everything happening in the NBA, this offseason has been pretty much business as usual. There haven’t been free agent signings or trades, but we’re not missing out on anything, because there’s nothing to miss out on. It’s just various reports that no progress has been made, guys are playing in other leagues or guys want to play in other leagues. Pretty boring, really.

But that looks like it’s the calm before the storm, because the first wave of lockout layoffs has already started. (Doubling up on weather metaphors. No bigs.) From the Associated Press:

The Charlotte Bobcats’ radio announcer is one of several people to lose their jobs in cost cuts for owner Michael Jordan’s team amid the NBA lockout.

Play-by-play man Scott Lauer was let go this week. The team’s director of corporate communications, the manager of community relations and at least four others have been laid off in the past week.

The worst thing is, this is definitely just the first in a bunch of layoffs that are sure to happen. For instance, the Pistons also laid off 15 employees, all while trying to complete the sale of their team. The owners are surely happy that their most famous constituent is the first guy to lay people off because no one knows how to solve the lockout. Michael Jordan’s always been an innovator.

Even though it sucks for the employees, it’s understandable from the owners’ standpoint. There’s no reason to pay people who can’t work, unless you want your radio announcers announcing games at the local rec leagues. (You don’t want that, unless you’re the one playing in the rec leagues.) There are going to be a lot of job losses in the coming months, so get used to this kind of stupid news.

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Scottie Pippen finally gets Michael Jordan right

Posted by Trey Kerby under Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan on Jun 27, 2011

Remember when Scottie Pippen said LeBron James may be the greatest player to have ever played the game and that Michael Jordan was just a great scorer and we all laughed? It was a month ago, so I hope you remember. Anyways, long story short, Scottie Pippen was wrong about Michael Jordan that time.

This time, not so much. From the New York Daily News:

Michael Jordan wound up with Congo forward Bismack Biyombo, a potential Ben Wallace clone, and UConn’s undersized point guard Kemba Walker in the first round, giving Scottie Pippen more ammo to unload on his old teammate. Pippen doesn’t think much of Jordan’s ability to evaluate talent and makes no secret about it. After this latest draft, Pippen told pals, “He doesn’t have a clue.”

I am not exactly sure why Scottie Pippen is on the Michael Jordan hunt, but at least he got the thrust of his argument right this time. Michael Jordan, the bro who drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison, is not the best talent evaluator in the world. To be fair, when you are looking down at players from atop the mountain, they all look the same size.

Also to be fair, it’s pretty early to declare Jordan’s 2011 draft picks busts, considering they have played a combined zero NBA games. And, to be even more fair, the Bobcats did get two guys who were highly rated before the draft, so at least Jordan didn’t pick anyone who everybody thought was going to flop. In Michael Jordan’s world, drafting guys that no one knows how they will perform in the NBA is considered progress.

That’s Scottie Pippen’s point. Jordan has a history of bizarre personnel moves, so it’s only natural to assume that picking a tiny guard when you already have D.J. Augustin and an athletic center with no offensive skills when you already have Tyrus Thomas and Desagana Diop is going to be a bad idea. He’s the anti-Sam Presti, where you give him the exact opposite of the benefit of the doubt.

So congratulations to Scottie Pippen for finally getting something right, even though I worry that it’ll cost him his friendship with Michael Jordan. The guy doesn’t take too kindly to insults.

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Stephen Jackson is slimming down

Posted by Trey Kerby under Charlotte Bobcats on Jun 07, 2011

When we think about about a basketball player’s offseason workouts, we think about long hours in the gym shooting jumpers, endless repetitions in the weight room and countless time that these guys spend trying to add new facets to their games. We do not think about a suburban housewife’s “Summer Beach Bod” diet and exercise plan.

But Stephen Jackson does. From the Bobcats’ website:

(On how he lost 20 pounds, including exercise and diet)
I did hot yoga for fourteen days straight, changed my diet and just did a lot of cardio. I’m eating a lot of seafood, I’m not eating red meat, and like I said, no fried foods. So, a lot of fish, a lot of grilled chicken and stuff like that.

Good for Stephen Jackson. My wife did the same thing last summer and she loved the way her body felt. Had to buy her some new jeans, but that’s OK. I hope he had a Groupon for the hot yoga though. That can get expensive.

Joking aside, this is great news for Bobcats fans. After the Gerald Wallace trade, if Charlotte is going to make the playoffs next season, they’re going to need to get a lot from Captain Jack. He’s the best and most experienced player on the roster, so him being in tip-top shape is of the utmost importance.

And hey, if hot yoga and fish is the way it happens, that’s cool. After all, Walter Payton did ballet and he was super awesome. Downward dog it up, my good man.

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D.J. Augustin hits first game-winner in forever

Posted by Trey Kerby under Charlotte Bobcats, Score Video on Apr 12, 2011

When we talk about non-superstar players, there’s always that caveat that once upon a time these guys were their teams’ superstars, whether it be in high school, college or on the playground. There’s always that assumption that no matter how terrible they may seem in the NBA, these guys were dominant basketball players at some point in their careers. I mean, Mark Madsen was an All-American in college. Twice.

But that’s not always true. Even though these non-elite players are still way better than you or me or that 6-foot-7 ginger who you play against every morning, they weren’t always necessarily the best player on their team. Take for instance, D.J. Augustin, who made a game-winner against the Pistons. He says he hasn’t made a shot like that since he was even smaller than he is now, which isn’t something you’d expect from who is a go-to guy. From the AP:

D.J. Augustin said it had been a while since he hit a game-winning shot like he did on Monday night.[...]

“I guess when I was younger, playing Biddy basketball, about 10 years old,” Augustin said about his previous similar game-winner. “I was playing for the New Orleans All-Stars and I hit a shot that put us in the national championship game. That was it.”

Now, I’m not able to check out D.J. Augustin’s teammates dating back to when he was 10 years old to see whether or not he’s a filthy liar, so let’s just remember that he went to college with Kevin Durant for a year, followed that with another season at Texas and then joined the Bobcats where he’s never been the guy to take the last shot in a game. There is a very good chance it’s been 13ish years since D.J. Augustin hit a game-winner, and that’s kind of amazing.

So amazing that I don’t even care that it was in a meaningless game between two teams who aren’t going to make the playoffs. Live it up, D.J. At this pace you won’t hit another one until 2024, which will never come because of the Mayans. Enjoy it while you still can.

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