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Issue #55 March 2010
Contents 46
AGENT ORANGE From Pearl Washington to Gerry McNamara, Syracuse University has a rich tradition of point guards. After the latest great one, Jonny Flynn, moved on to the NBA in 2009, Brandon Triche was handed the keys to the palace. What he does with them could find the Orange celebrating their second national championship in 2010.
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HEAT CHECK As if living in South Beach wasn’t stylish enough, the Miami Heat enlisted the help of Dwyane Wade’s personal stylist for this issue’s edition of Dime Fashion.
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RENAISSANCE MAN This season has been somewhat of a rebirth for Josh Smith. Once known as the black sheep of the Atlanta Hawks, the multifaceted forward is now energizing the team to the top of the standings. And the scary part about it is, he’s just getting started.
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SNAKE EYES Kobe Bryant ruled the basketball kingdom in 2009: NBA championship, Finals MVP, official status as one of the greatest players of all-time. With his game and his fame having never been at a higher level, what else does he have to prove? The Black Mamba tells us in an exclusive Dime interview. WE REMINISCE – MARCUS HATTEN Between the Knicks being a chronic train wreck and the hometown college teams stuck in transition the past half-decade, Marcus Hatten might be the last local basketball product that New York City really embraced.
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Kobe Bryant 6
Photo. David Sims · Karl Templer
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Issue #55 March 2010
Contents 15 16 17 20
HOOPLA
21
THE PITCH
22
BALLER’S BLUEPRINT
24
STREET SEEN – Format
26
WHAT’S MY NAME?
32
GAMES – NCAA Basketball 10
33
TOURNAMENT
34
CITY GUIDE
35
SNEAKER SPOT – Adikt, Centre & House of Hoops
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BUSINESS
38
THE DAILY SHOW
39
GEAR – Nike Zoom Kobe V
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HIGH SCHOOL HOOP
42
TRAINING
74
STYLES UPON STYLES
YouTube REVIEWS TANGLED WEB PEOPLE’S COURT
– The White House – Sean Miller 22 – Shannon Brown 23 – Channing Frye
26 – Carlon Brown 27 – Klay Thompson 28 – Mike Harris 29 – John Bryant 30 – Allison Gee 31 – Matt Bouldin
– Red Bull 2on2 Revolution – The Mavericks’ Guide To Dallas
– C2 Customs – Grant Hill
– The Flawless Type – DeMatha Catholic High School
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Dime Training at DeMatha Catholic High School 8
Photo. Douglas Sonders
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Photo. Blake Peterson
Issue #55 March 2010
www.dimemag.com
Editor & Publisher
Josh Gotthelf – joshg@dimemag.com Director of Content
Patrick Cassidy – pat@dimemag.com Associate Publisher
Justin Leonard – justin@dimemag.com Associate Editors
Austin Burton – austin@dimemag.com Aron Phillips – aron@dimemag.com Editorial Assistant
Gerald Narciso – gerald@dimemag.com Operations Manager
Holly Smith – holly@dimemag.com Art Direction
thundercut – www.thundercut.com Designers
Andy Scheiderich, Daniel Weise Contributing Photographers
Keith Allison Eddie Compo Nick Ferrari Aurélien Meunier Layne Murdoch Blake Peterson Jennifer Pottheiser (Cover Photo) Douglas Sonders Ryan Christopher VanWilliams David Sims Pete Souza Karl Templer Omar Vega Contributing Writers
Alejandro Danois Jack Jensen Jason Jordan Solomon Lieberman Sean Sweeney Dime NY Office
212-629-5066 Worldwide Newsstand Distributor
Curtis Circulation Company, LLC. Newsstand Consultant
Howard White & Associates
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DIME®, THE GAME. THE PLAYER. THE LIFE.® and THE BASKETBALL LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE® are registered trademarks of Dime Magazine Publishing Company, Inc. For new subscriptions, subscription problems and/or address changes please go to www.dimemag.com, call (877) 805-8651 or email dimcs@magserv.com
Josh Smith
PRINTED IN THE USA 12
Editor’s Letter Rather than use this space for a traditional Editor’s Letter, we decided to focus on an issue that rocked the basketball world just days before this issue went to press: The story surrounding Gilbert Arenas and a gun-related incident in the Washington Wizards locker room that led to Arenas' indefinite suspension by the NBA and a felony weapons charge. Dime associate editor Austin Burton addresses the situation: Tempting as it may be to explore racial undertones in the Gilbert Arenas case, there is a bigger-picture issue on the table that’s not (exclusively) about race. It’s about another high-profile athlete blowing another chance to use his influence to make a positive difference. We know why big-time athletes don’t take political or social stances anymore, despite the urgings of predecessors like Jim Brown. The full version was written in the book Forty Million Dollar Slaves by William C. Rhoden, but for now the short version will suffice: There’s too much money on the line. No superstar wants to risk endorsement dollars by alienating a fan base (as Michael Jordan famously said, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”), and no role player wants to risk getting blackballed like Craig Hodges.
In a city with a history of violence like D.C., Gilbert Arenas could have done something substantial here. Instead, he constantly downplayed the situation, then sealed his fate by making fingergun gestures and laughing with his teammates before a Jan. 5 game in Philly; another NBA city that has a gun/violence problem. “If I really did something wrong, it would bother me,” Arenas was quoted. “I would feel remorse for what I did. But I didn’t do anything.”
Kids are getting killed in Chicago, D.C., New Orleans, Detroit, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Oakland, Houston, Indianapolis, L.A., New York, Miami, Philly, Memphis … everywhere. Kids who love basketball. Kids who are shaped by the same elements that shaped their heroes. Kids who will listen if only our high-profile influencers decided to talk loudly enough.
It’s disappointing because (1) I like Gilbert, and (2) I know he’s smarter than that. In working with Gilbert at Dime, I’ve found him to be honest, perceptive, and for the most part, somebody who gets it. He can recognize his level of influence and identify his privilege as one of the fortunate ones who made it out of the storm. He’s not afraid to take a stance on something or to challenge the status quo. Moreover, he is an active philanthropist with a good heart.
It’s not all on Gilbert Arenas’ shoulders. Nor is it all on Kobe, Shaq, LeBron, Derrick Rose or any single athlete. Somebody will have to stand up alone and take the lead. Arenas had his chance, and he didn’t take advantage. And while it’s not too late, the next time he opens his mouth to speak on real issues, he’ll have to overcome the perception that he’s doing it as part of some PR act or community service penance.
But he could have done so much more with this. Arenas could have been a voice the community would listen to, somebody to step up and call out gun-toting young men in D.C. and around the country for what they really are: Self-proclaimed survivalists masking that they’re simply scared.
Otherwise, the podium is open, waiting for a speaker. Waiting for a leader. Who’s up?
“You kids today are punks. Sissified. So quick to pick up a gun; you’re afraid to take an ass-whuppin’.”
–Dime
Who would’ve believed the most profound statement regarding gun violence in America would be asked by John Witherspoon in Friday?
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Photo. Keith Allison
LETTERS Who was the best? In the decade covering 2000 to 2009, some would give the crown to Tim Duncan, others to Shaq, others to Kobe. In an era of the game where we didn’t have a Kareem or a (prime) Jordan to keep the debate short, answers would always vary. Now heading into the 2010-2019 stretch – during which Kobe, Shaq and Duncan will each hit their 40s – the race is just beginning for determining who will own the top spot as the best player of this decade. Dwyane Wade will certainly be in the discussion. Just 27 years old with a championship and a scoring title already under his belt, D-Wade is still younger than MJ was when he first won a title, putting Flash among the superstars we could see dominating the next 10 years. As Dime #54 hit newsstands in early-2010 with Wade on the cover, we asked our DimeMag.com readers:
WHO WILL BE THE BEST PLAYER OF THE NEXT DECADE?
To be the best player of the next decade, we have to look at the past couple of decades where MJ/Kobe, Shaq/Duncan, Bird/Magic and Russell/Wilt/Kareem ruled. The question is: Who can be named in the same breed as those guys? The answer is: LeBron James.
–Paul E. Gonzalez Depends on championships. If LeBron can deliver a couple of titles (wherever they may be) then he’ll take the crown. Otherwise, Kobe might just take it based on the first five years if he can keep picking up rings. I don’t see Howard being considered among the elite until he can learn to shoot free throws, thus making him dependable in the clutch. Brandon Jennings looks like he could be an Arenastype jacker, but could become Top-10 if he improves his decision-making. Chris Paul and ’Melo will be Top-10 players for the next 10 years. D-Rose, Durant and Brandon Roy get some love, too.
–Keith
and will most likely be the premier players for the next generation. With that being said, there will be a void to fill with regards to PF/C, so a guy like Blake Griffin, Jason Thompson, Bargnani, Jonas Jerebko, Anthony Randolph, Brook Lopez, Paul Millsap, Ersan Ilyasova, Michael Beasley or Brandon Bass might get more hype than they deserve because they’ll be one of the few 20-10-2 caliber big men. However, they are all more likely to be in the mold of Antawn Jamsion/Chris Bosh. (Lopez could be a slower Alonzo; Bargnani = Okur 2.0.) So it’s hard to say.
–BNZA
–Nautic Its gonna be some guy that you guys will hype up in like 2012 or somewhere around that time that’s gonna take the League by storm.
–Luigi
Unless someone else emerges from nowhere, using the players we know now, I can’t see any other logical answer than LeBron. Watch out for Kevin Durant, though.
–Dragonyeuw
Chris Paul. You see dudes like Nash and Kidd balling like hell right now. Just imagine CP3 in 10 years.
–L LeBron, Carmelo and Dwight will have the most visible impact, as they are the players most close to reaching their peak 2-3 years from now and sustaining it. However, Jennings, Evans, Bargnani and Durant are all 4-5 years from reaching their peaks and sustaining it, so they will leave a more lasting impact. I think Carmelo, Dwight, Durant, Evans and LeBron have the most well-rounded games
his teammates are turned into some finishers and shooters, he will be the best PG the NBA game has ever seen. And he still is overlooked and underrated. Paul will be HAKEEM AT THE POINT. Of course, at 6-1 CP won’t do The Dream’s post moves. But imagine Chris Paul’s scoring combined with Kidd’s sense for rebounds. When the scoring is taken off his shoulders and he has a defensive anchor behind him, his steals will be as good as ever, and he has time to learn how to grab boards. He is small, but a true leader.
Durant obviously! Come on fellas, he’s clutch with crazy athleticism, all he needs is to sharpen up his D and gain about 20 pounds of muscle.
–ProphetGK LBJ is the most likely, but Kevin Durant is in the best situation. With the guys around him being talented and near his age, they can run the L in a few years. Brandon Roy will be there, too.
–Chicagorilla CP3 is in the worst situation a player with his old-school style of play can be. Once
14
Kobe could get like another three championships with the team he has now as long as they stay healthy. Mitch Kupchak will make some trades to keep them going for a long time. And remember, only Fisher and KB24 are over 31 years old. Everyone else including Pau is under 30.
–Drink the Haterade
Xx
INSIDE EXCLUSIVE CUSTOM KICKS
THE MAVERICKS' GUIDE TO DALLAS
BALLIN’ AT THE WHITE HOUSE
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Photo. Nike
YouTube REVIEWS
With All-Star Weekend 2010 in Dallas right around the corner as we sent this issue to print, we take a look at some of our all-time favorite Mavericks… DIRK NOWITZKI MVP TRIBUTE
From: nowitzki41mavs Given his infamous affinity for David Hasselhoff tracks, Dirk won’t mind that his MVP highlight reel is set to Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” a cheesy ‘80s anthem if there ever was one. If you’re looking for dunks and broken ankles, keep it moving (although Andrea Bargnani does get banged on at 2:50). If you want to see how to shoot a fadeaway and learn what the term “parking-lot range” means, this is your clip. It’s not all offense, though. At 2:25 Dirk chases down Bobby Jackson and spikes his layup off the glass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuYtPi5JWz4 Time: 5:46 MICHAEL FINLEY – THE FIN STORY
From: DZ94 Did you know that, going into this season, Fin Dog cracked the NBA’s top 75 in career scoring? Did you know he’s gotten more buckets than Joe Dumars, Tiny Archibald, James Worthy, Pistol Pete, Walt Frazier, Tim Hardaway and Bill Russell? Did you know he ranks 11th all-time in threes made, and was still unleashing dunks on shot-blockers as recently as 2008? One of the more underrated players of the last decade or so, Finley gets his just due here, at least for about five minutes. Most of this clip pays homage to his heyday with the Mavs, but there are some goodies from the Spurs and Suns thrown in. 2Pac’s “Starin' Through My Rear View” is the backing track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mCjPstnJpc Time: 4:45 JASON KIDD – COURT VISION
From: VeoShock We begin with the American Express ad where J-Kidd proves he literally has eyes in the back of his head: reading the vision test at the doctor’s office with his back turned, etc. Admittedly, a lot of this mix is of J-Kidd’s run with the Nets, but that’s understandable considering all the alley-oops he threw to Vince and K-Mart. There is some stuff here from Kidd’s early days with Dallas, though. You’ve seen 100 guys fake a behind-the-back pass and lay it up, right? At 2:35, Kidd (as a Maverick) drives right, fakes the pass with his right hand, then drops in the finger roll with his left. You don’t see that too often.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3_w0taTPYg Time: 4:42 JAMAL MASHBURN – MONSTER MASH
From: VeoShock As Dickie V would say, Jamal Mashburn was on his way to being a flat-out superstar before injuries got in the way. For his first three and a half years with the Mavs, Mash dropped about 20 points a night as one of the smoothest forwards in the League, including a 50-point game against the Baseball-Jordan Bulls in which he was the fourthyoungest (21 years old) to drop 50 in one night. This clip begins with Mashburn’s work in Dallas, but is mostly highlights from the Hornets and Heat. Take notes on the spin move and turnaround – and don’t miss at 1:45 when Mash creates a good five feet of separation from his unidentified Laker defender with one ball fake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0tbrOJlDyc Time: 2:56 GERALD GREEN BOSTON/DALLAS MIX
From: tanttulas True, G-Money only played for the Mavs for a hot minute and didn’t get enough court time to create too many highlights, but do you really need a good reason to watch a Gerald Green mix? You know what he did with the Celtics and in the dunk contests, but there are some noteworthy plays here from his Dallas career, like a sky-high follow dunk on the Thunder at 2:55 and a facial on Spencer Hawes a few seconds earlier. Tolerable mix of hip-hop and screaming teen angst music for the soundtrack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO9256DNyHc Time: 5:27
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TANGLED WEB
If your 2010 resolution was to be more productive at work, turn the page now…
Basketball
Drinking
Dancing
www.letshannondunk.com
www.bumwine.com
www.bboy.org
Back in 2003, a cornrowed babyface named Shannon Brown went up against LeBron James in the McDonald’s All-American high school dunk contest. But with the festivities being held in Cleveland that year, Shannon might as well have not shown up, because there was no way LeBron wasn’t taking that crown. Seven years later, Shannon is putting himself in position to take another crack at The King. LetShannonDunk is devoted to hyping up the Lakers’ reserve guard and his above-the-rim resume. Check here for testimonials, wallpapers, news, a bio, and of course videos of Shannon’s most recent facials and posterizations.
Most of them taste awful. All of them will get your guts jacked-up beyond belief. But all of them are also cheap, which is why they’re the drink of choice with the brownpaper-bag crowd. They are “bum wines,” and this is their hilarious and informative user’s guide. Wild Irish Rose, Thunderbird, Mad Dog 20/20, Cisco and Night Train – the starting five of the bum wines lineup – get the most run here, but the site also clears up some common misconceptions about what exactly constitutes a bum wine and what drinks don’t quite meet the standards (e.g. Boone’s Farm).
Any clown can pretend to be a rapper, some people can go through the motions of DJ’ing and get away with it, and all it takes is a paint can and some imagination to look like you kind of know what you’re doing with graffiti. But breaking, that takes actual talent. From novice dancers looking to improve their craft, to experienced b-boys and b-girls looking for the next battle, the loads of videos and discussion forums provide a little something for everybody.
Lifestyle
Fashion
Basketball
www.peopleofwalmart.com
www.80stees.com
www.ihatelebronjames.com
If somebody were new to this country and asked you to give them a tour guide of America, where would you take them? We’d go with Wal-Mart. Perfect for snuffing out any delusions of grandeur, “Wally World” is the definition of the melting pot that is average America. Even if you do catch a glamorous-type or a celebrity in Wal-Mart, they’re probably wearing sweatpants, flipflops and a head rag. This site is done in the tradition of Straight Cash Homey, where users submit photos they’ve snapped of people in Wal-Marts all over the country looking straight crazy. You just have to see this stuff for yourself.
If you remember G.I. Joe as an awesome Saturday morning cartoon and not a somewhat-crappy movie, or Beetlejuice as a weird-looking White dude with frizzy hair and not a weird-looking Black dude who can fit in Shaq’s pocket, this is your site. In addition to an amazing array of t-shirts in its online store, 80sTees also has hoodies, Halloween costumes, belt buckles, hats, toys and other assorted good stuff.
Like you’re surprised to see this. LeBron learned years ago that with great talent comes great hater-ism, as this site proves. We’ve often been accused of jumping on the LBJ hype train – which, if that means we recognize and respect the guy’s game and have had good experiences working with him, we’re guilty – but even LeBron himself could find the humor in a site like this. From the angry manifesto in the “Why Hate LeBron James?” section to some of the comments in the “LeQuotes” section, it’s nothing if not entertaining.
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THE FUTURE OF THE NBA TODAY TUNE INTO VERSUS TO WATCH
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www.nba.com/dleague
FEBRUARY 6
RENO BIGHORNS AT RIO GRANDE VALLEY VIPERS
11 P.M. ET
FEBRUARY 20
DAKOTA WIZARDS AT SIOUX FALLS SKYFORCE
11:30 P.M. ET FEBRUARY 27
BAKERSFIELD JAM AT AUSTIN TOROS
11 P.M. ET
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PEOPLE’S COURT WORDS. Gerald Narciso PHOTOS. Pete Souza
The White House We’ve heard of some pretty exclusive runs before, but getting to play pickup on the White House court takes exclusivity to another level. In order to score an invite to hoop at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, you basically have to be one degree of separation from the President of the United States. Ever since Barack Obama took office, there have been frequent and competitive 5-on-5 games there. Century-old elm trees enclose the full-court, which is located on the South Lawn area of the 18-acre property. Prior to the Obama administration, there was simply a small, driveway-like, halfcourt, and the current basketball court was actually used for tennis. By the beginning of 2009, though, Barack had spent $5,000 transforming the court – not including the cost of the NBA-caliber removable baskets with glass backboards, breakaway rims and a padded backstop with the White House logo painted on it from Spalding. Along with Obama, several of the White House staff, members of Congress, and other Capitol Hill bigwigs are among the regulars who play. Probably the best and most recognizable participant in the pickup run is Barack’s right-hand man and usual teammate Reggie Love, the 6-4 former Duke player who now serves as the President’s personal aide.
in building it. Stern told the Wall Street Journal last year, “If there is an upgrading of the basketball facilities at the White House, you can be assured that the NBA and the players will be there.” We just hope they broadcast it on NBA TV.
Though the NBA’s elite such as Kobe, LeBron and D-Wade haven’t made their way on the court yet – despite reportedly getting invitations – don’t be surprised if they come through for some games over the summer. There have been rumors that the President is interested in turning the indoor bowling alley into a regulation basketball court, and David Stern has already offered to assist
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THE PITCH Jack Jensen University of Arizona
INTERVIEW. PHOTO.
Sean Miller After finding themselves caught in the middle of a coaching limbo the past two seasons, the Arizona Wildcats are nothing short of ecstatic to claim first-year head coach Sean Miller as one of their own. After five years as the signal caller at Xavier University – a stay that included a trip to the Elite Eight and four overall NCAA tourney appearances – Miller was introduced to UA in early April of 2009 and is finally bringing back some stability to Tucson. The University of Arizona, first and foremost, is an amazing place to go to college. Tucson is the epitome of a college town. It’s a place of a million people, but it certainly doesn’t feel that big. Everything in Tucson revolves around the University of Arizona and it’s one of the great state universities in our country. You can major in virtually any field of study and that degree, when you receive it one day, will be one that will be respected all around the world. As far as Tucson being a livable place – you know, the setting where you go to school – the average temperature in the winter is in the 60s and 70s. Many times here you go from class to practice, practice to wherever you head, and you wear shorts and a t-shirt year-round.
Luke Walton, Jason Terry and Jerryd Bayless. You’re watching former Wildcats that have left here and gone on to do what you want to do.
In terms of the now, my job and the reason that I left Xavier to come to Arizona was to compete to win a National Championship again. We’re in the building stages of restoring our program, but I need people to believe in what we do and who we are to make this happen. We have an exciting style of play. When you play at the McKale Center, you play in front of 14,500 people every single night and the atmosphere here on game night is electric. And when you combine all of those elements, what you have here at the University of Arizona is the complete and total package.
In terms of our basketball program, we’ve been in the NCAA tournament 25 years in a row. We’ve challenged over those years to win the National Championship about ten times – we won the National Championship in 1997 – and during that span, we’ve gone to the Final Four twice and won eleven Pac-10 championships. When you talk about a history of winning, we take a back seat to no one.
In terms of young people developing – since the NBA Draft went to two rounds in 1989, there’s been no single program in college basketball that has had more first and second round picks than the University of Arizona. When you watch the NBA playoffs, you see Richard Jefferson, Andre Iguodala, Mike Bibby, Gilbert Arenas,
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BALLER’S BLUEPRINT WORDS.
Jack Jensen
How To Dunk On A 7-Footer Being tagged as a “throw-in” player in a trade that featured Adam Morrison is probably not the most constructive way to start your career anew. For Lakers guard Shannon Brown, Los Angeles is his fourth stop in as many years as he’s played in the League. The former Michigan State Spartan, a first-round pick of the Cavaliers in 2006, had become accustomed to moving around before finding a home in L.A. last season. Since then, Brown has surfaced from his hole at the end of the bench to become one of the NBA’s most formidable highlight reel machines. Possessing a plus-44 inch vertical and a robust dunk repertoire, it’s no wonder that talk of a possible dunk contest berth at February’s All-Star Weekend is engulfing the 6-4 Brown. The water cooler talk surrounding Brown has grown so large that the Lakers even launched a website devoted to promoting their rising stud, aptly named LetShannonDunk. com. The kid’s resume is stacked; including a preseason slam over 7-footer Mikki Moore that has since become the work of YouTube lore.
SHANNON BROWN When I asked Kobe Bryant why he thought the League should enter Shannon into the dunk contest, he simply replied, “If you have to ask, then you don’t have a clue.” With Brown becoming the viral favorite to don 2010 All-Star Saturday Night with his leaping grace, the League has since clued in. So how does “Mr. Fantastic” coast through the hype – and air – so effortlessly? Shannon tells us here:
6-4, 210 lbs., Guard, Los Angeles Lakers
Dime: In college, I shattered my wrist trying to jump over somebody. With the risk of injury, or just pure size, is there anyone in the NBA that you wouldn’t attempt to jump over? SB: I’m not worried about that at all, man. If it happens, it happens, but there’s not anybody I would be worried to jump at.
Dime:Say Dime:What
is your mindset when approaching a dunk over a taller defender – what’s going through your head when you jump toward a guy who may be three, four or even eight inches taller than you? Shannon Brown: I’m just really trying to know what kind of jumper he is. Whether he’s a two-footed jumper or does he jump off of one foot. [Whether] he’s a guy that takes charges or not. You’ve got to know your opponent. After that, I try to get off the floor before they do, keep my eyes open and keep my focus on the rim.
the NBA does the smart thing and puts you in the contest. Who would you see as your toughest competitors? SB: Oh man, there are so many great dunkers. That’s a tough question, but a good question. I would be willing to face anyone. There are a lot of guys with some tricks up their sleeves and I have a few tricks in my bag, too. Yes, I’d want to do [the contest], but it’s not what I’m focused on. Winning games, that’s my main focus. The dunk contest is more individual. I will be ready to do it, though.
22
Dime: Who
are some of your favorite dunkers – maybe that you’ve modeled parts of your game after? SB: Well, Michael Jordan, obviously. Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins and Skywalker (David Thompson), guys like that. I grew up in Chicago, so I grew up watching Michael Jordan’s high-flying dunks. I like Isaiah Rider and Kobe, too; guys that are showing their athleticism and creativity.
Your plays can invoke some creative commentary; I’ve always liked the “Throw it down, Shannon Brown!” line from when you were at Michigan State. What’s the funniest comment you’ve ever heard from a player or announcer about one of your dunks? Dime:
SB: The nicknames that they give me and all the little things are funny. D-Fish sometimes acts like he’s pumping up my calf muscle and Kobe says I have Go-Go-Gadget calf muscles. The behind-the-scenes that no one really gets to hear are the best.
WORDS.
Aron Phillips
PHOTO.
Keith Allison
How To Become The NBA’s Best Three-Point Shooter When Channing Frye entered the League this season, he was about as much a three-point threat as Tim Duncan. Sure, TD knocked down a big three with just ticks left to send his team into doubleovertime in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series with the Suns back in 2008, but keep in mind that was his first three of the season.
CHANNING FRYE Before last year in Portland – where he went 11-for-33 beyond the arc – Channing had not connected on more than three trifectas in a season, dating back to his freshman year at the University of Arizona. To put it in perspective, Frye’s NBA career total of 20 three-pointers was matched after seven games this year on November 8th.
Through 37 contests, Frye is second in the NBA in makes (95), third in attempts (215) and eighth in percentage (44.2). Averaging 2.6 threes made per game, Channing has also registered six treys in five separate games, and only failed to connect from deep three times. With that in mind, we caught up with the Channing to find out just how to become the NBA’s best threepoint shooter.
Dime: How did you become one of the NBA’s
best three-point shooters this season? Channing Frye: This summer, I worked on shooting from everywhere on the floor as I didn’t know what kind of situation I was going to be put in. I wanted to be prepared for anything. The three-point shot was not something that I focused on; it was something that was just there.
Dime: What
– Robin [Lopez] and Louis [Amundson] – it was uncomfortable for them to guard me out there. This gave the guards way more space and I started shooting threes and they were going in. I’m not the fastest guy, but I see the floor well and can drive to the basketball to make moves. That was how I started doing it, and before you know it, you are the best shooter on the court every night.
6-11, 245 lbs., Forward, Phoenix Suns Dime: How much do your owe your newfound three-point game to playing for the Suns?
CF: In the system that I’m in in Phoenix, when you have Amar’e Stoudemire and Steve Nash playing a two-man game, you wanna give them as much space as possible. If you look at our roster on paper, who are you gonna let shoot? Everyone is gonna say, “Well shit, we’re not gonna let Grant [Hill] or Nash shoot.” In that case, you have to be overly aggressive. The game plan where we’ve been successful is where they have to leave me open. My job as a shooter is for them to play 4-on-4 and for my guy to never leave me. If he does, I make them pay.
So far this season, you’ve made more threes than everyone in the League but Danilo Gallinari. Does that phase you at all? Dime:
CF: Sort of. I’m very humble about my situation. We’ve only played 37 games, so you never know what can happen. I just come out and play every game like it’s my last. After last year, I truly appreciate the game and my time on the court. Every night, I’m trying to do the best I can to help my team win. At the end of the day, I love shooting the ball. I know my son or daughter will be able to shoot the skin off that rock when I’m done.
did your training regimen look
like? CF: This summer I shot on a lot of college courts – mainly at Portland State and the University of Portland – so I shot so far back that the three-point line ended up looking closer. In camp, we were playing 3-on-3 and 4-on-4, so I just started to back up for spacing. For the bigger guys
Dime: Are you going to be in the three-point competition during All-Star Weekend?
CF: I wouldn’t mind. Somebody asked me that the other day. I would have to practice. Q-Rich said it’s way different shooting from racks than having someone throwing you the ball. I definitely would not mind shooting against the best.
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Dime: Do you think you would win? CF: Yes, of course. Just to be in there would be more of a compliment, but I want to win everything. I race my wife through the door. It’s bad. I’m very competitive about everything. I definitely think I could win it. It’s all about who’s shooting best that night and most focused. Dime: Growing up as a kid, did you always have that range?
CF: Everything I have I’ve had to bleed and die on the court for. The way I run, jump, shoot, rebound – nothing’s easy. I have a lot of God-given talent, but I’ve always tried to take things from everybody. Growing up watching the Suns players, it guys like Thunder Dan [Majerle] and Charles Barkley, but also Hakeem [Olajuwon], Steve Kerr and Sean Elliot.
Dime: What tips would you give someone wanting to become a prolific three-point shooter? CF: My tips are to stay in the gym and shoot the same way every single time. It’s all about repetition. It’s gonna take some time, so be patient with yourself and believe in yourself. If you miss four, don’t change your form, just adjust. Always use your legs, follow through and know you’re the best shooter on the floor. Say to yourself, “Missing is a fluke. I’m too good of a shooter for that.” Then shoot the same way every single time.
STREET SEEN
PHOTOS.
Format Could you imagine Brandon Jennings not only torching defenses every night, but spending his days running a sneaker boutique for hoop heads? Well, that’s the daily grind of pro BMX rider Nigel Sylvester. After growing up in Queens his whole life, in April 2008, the 22-year-old star – along with his partners Nigel A. Sparkes and Jason Cheech Hall – opened Format, their very own BMX lifestyle boutique. Carrying BMX bikes, parts and accessories, along with gear from Acapulco Gold, Akomplice and Amongst Friends and kicks from Nike, Nike 6.0 and Vans, Format is the spot for those in search of gear in QB.
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WORDS. Aron Phillips Ryan Christopher VanWilliams
NIGEL SPARKES
CHEECH
NIGEL SYLVESTER
AGE: 26
AGE: 29
AGE: 22
FROM: Queens, NY
FROM: Queens, NY
FROM: Queens, NY
JOB: Co-Owner, Format
JOB: Co-Owner/Buyer, Format / Ralph
JOB: Co-Owner, Format / Pro BMX Rider
Lauren Sales Professional
WEARING: shirt by Nike 6.0, jeans by WeSC, cap by Animal Bikes, shoes Nike 6.0 Mavrk
WEARING: crewneck by Acapulco Gold, jeans by RRL, belt by Amongst Friends, vintage cap, watch by Burberry, shoes Nike Air Zoom Spiridon
WEARING: shirt by Acapulco Gold, jeans by
RRL, belt by Ralph Lauren, watch by Renato, glasses by Cartier, sneakers Air Jordan 1
Format – 92-29 Queens Blvd, CU-4 – Rego Park, NY 11374 – 718.887.2918
www.formatny.com
MIGUEL ORTIZ AGE: 25 FROM: Queens, NY JOB: Marketing Manager, Argyleculture /
Chief Marketing Officer, Format WEARING: shirt by Diamond Supply Co.,
jeans by Gap, belt by Gucci, watch by Officina del Tempo, bracelet by Diamond Empowerment Fund, shoes Nike Air Force 1 x DJ Clark Kent “East vs. West Rivalry”
ALEX VILLAMAR AGE: 24 FROM: Jamaica, Queens, NY JOB: Security / Marketing Assistant, Format WEARING: shirt and cap by Acapulco Gold, jeans by Ralph Lauren, phone BlackBerry Bold, shoes DVS x Diamond Supply Co.
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JEFFREY WALTENBERGER AGE: 19 FROM: Queens, NY JOB: Intern, Format / Part-Time Lifeguard WEARING: shirt by MHI, jeans by UNIQLO, vintage sneeze belt, watch by Bulova, glasses by Cartier, shoes Nike Air Yeezy
WHAT’S MY NAME? Alejandro Danois University of Utah
WORDS. PHOTO.
Carlon Brown They call him “The Bionic Man.” The nickname seems fitting, considering the collection of monstrous dunks that have made Carlon Brown – the 6 -5 junior swingman from the University of Utah – a fixture on SportsCenter’s Top 10 countdown. Last year, the Utes won the Mountain West Conference title before losing to Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. With MWC Player of the Year Luke Nevill among those gone from that team, Brown has been called upon to fill the void. As this issue went to press, he was averaging 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
blood filling his mouth, he figured a tooth was knocked out.
“But then my nose started bleeding, and when I got up my shirt was covered in blood,” says Brown. “I walked to the locker room, and after a few minutes my head started pounding and my face started to swell.”
CAT scan results showed three broken bones in his eye socket, three in his cheek, and three in his nose. During a three-hour reconstructive surgery, two titanium steel plates were inserted into Brown’s face.
“Carlon has to be the catalyst for us,” says Utah coach Jim Boylen. “He’ll be creating, getting into the lane and then making decisions whether to go hard, pass or pull-up. His shooting has improved so people are going to have to guard him on the perimeter, which makes everybody better.”
“That’s when they started calling me the Bionic Man,” Brown says. He was limited to watching film for much of the offseason, looking for areas to improve his game. Two weeks before school started, Brown was back on the court and got poked in the eye. He suffered a scratched cornea and developed Iritis, requiring him to wear an eye patch.
Fans can be forgiven for viewing Brown as solely a dunker. His memorable posterizations, including a facial given to NBA No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin, are a result of an insane mixture of quickness, hops and strength.
“He doesn’t have any fear of attacking the rim,” says Boylen. “He’s a big, strong, ball-handling wing that leaves the floor with force.”
“I was thinking, ‘Man, what else can go wrong?’ I went from looking like Kanye West in the ‘Through the Wire’ video to looking like a pirate,” Brown says. “Finally, I said, ‘Man, I can’t deal with this pickup stuff.’”
Last season on Dec. 13, at Oklahoma, those elements were on display in a three-second burst of spontaneous combustion. Midway through the second half, Brown snagged a pass at half-court, motored down the right wing, elevated outside the paint and continued to gain altitude as he soared toward the rim. With the ball cocked back behind his head in his right hand, he unleashed a typhoon of a slam that was singular in its stealth and audacity. In the aftermath, Griffin wore a quizzical look of daze and confusion.
He concentrated on running stairs, sprints, sliding drills, working out in the pool to maintain his legs, and solitary shooting sessions. “The adversity gave him a newfound respect for the game and he bounced back,” said Boylen. “He realized that he can’t miss a day of trying to reach his potential.”
In Utah’s second game, Brown scored 22 against Utah State. He had another 22 against Seattle, put up 12 points, eight boards and five assists in a win over Michigan, and posted 16, eight and five in a loss to Oklahoma.
“He looked like he was trying to time me and probably didn’t think I could jump that high,” says Brown, a native of Riverside, Calif. “But by the time he took off, it was too late.”
“I’ve had inquiries about him from a lot of NBA teams,” said Boylen, who was an NBA assistant for 13 years. “With his combination of ball-handling and size, he’s on everybody’s radar. He’s a thick, strong kid that does things associated with the long, lean guys. But the difference is, he does them in a linebacker’s body.”
Brown’s nickname, however, does not have its genesis in his aerial game.
During a pickup run over the summer, he took an inadvertent elbow to the face and crumpled to the floor. Feeling numbness and
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WHAT’S MY NAME? WORDS. PHOTO.
Austin Burton WSU Athletics
Klay Thompson In the case of Klay Thompson, somehow the apple fell miles away from the tree. Coach Bone, his style has helped me open up my game and forced me to do things to improve my game.
Klay, a 6-4 sophomore shooting guard at Washington State University, is the middle son of former NBA center Mychal Thompson, who stands 6-10. The differences between father and son go beyond size, however. While Mychal was a bruising 20-and-10 type with the Blazers early in his career and a defense-first role player later on with the “Showtime” Lakers, Klay is a smooth perimeter scorer and deadly three-point shooter.
“We’re a much faster-paced team,” Klay says. “Every possession we look to push the ball before the defense is set, and if there’s a quick open look, we’ll take it. There’s a lot more use of dribble penetration, which really opens up looks from the outside.”
“Shooting and moving without the ball, being able to score on the wing, I think those are my biggest strengths,” says Klay, who at press time was averaging over 25 points per game for WSU. And while some kids who grew up with an NBA player or coach in the family develop intangibles like off-ball movement almost naturally, for Thompson it was different.
Oregon State star senior swingman Seth Tarver called Thompson the toughest player to guard in the Pac-10. “He can do everything,” Tarver says. “He can shoot, pass, get to the basket … pretty much everything.” Thompson was nearly unstoppable in WSU’s nonconference schedule until a Dec. 2 loss to Gonzaga, where he shot 6-for-21 and finished with 15 points. For a Cougars squad that went 8-10 in the Pac-10 last season (17-16 overall), getting wins against quality teams is the next step moving forward. Losing last year’s leading scorers Taylor Rochestie and Aron Baynes to graduation means a larger load for Thompson and sophomore forward DeAngelo Casto (who also played on the USA under-19 team) to carry.
“I think I picked it up late kind of late, around my junior year of high school,” Klay says. “I realized it was easier for me to make it hard for the defender to run around screens all the time. And the more you work at getting open, the more shots you get. You can’t always go one-on-one. I think the main guy I watched was Reggie Miller. He’s one of the best ever at it and one of the best shooters ever. He had such a good basketball IQ; I’d watch him play and learn from him.”
“I’m one of the most experienced guys on the team coming back. I need to lead by example if I’m going to be the go-to scorer,” Klay says. “Last year we had Aron and Taylor as the main scoring threats. I have to move into their roles now. I’ll accept the challenge and just try to find different ways to score.”
Not that Klay didn’t learn anything from Pops.
“My Dad really taught me how to be versatile,” Klay says. “As a kid he wanted me to work on all facets of the game: handling the ball, posting up, taking it to the hoop, working on my outside stroke…” He also incorporated lessons from his older brother Mychel, a 6-7 junior forward at Pepperdine. (Younger brother Trayce, a second-round pick in the ’09 Major League Baseball draft, is in the Chicago White Sox minor league system as a centerfielder.)
At Santa Margarita H.S. in California, Klay was recruited by the likes of Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Michigan and Pepperdine. He chose WSU and its rural campus partially because of coach Tony Bennett’s offensive system, which calls for shooters to run off a lot of screens. Klay averaged 12.5 points and hit 41 percent of his threes as a freshman, and last summer was named to the USA Basketball Under-19 squad that won a gold medal at the world championships in New Zealand. But then Bennett left WSU for a job at Virginia, and Portland State’s Ken Bone took over for the Cougars. Some thought Klay might transfer, but he stuck around and has flourished in his second season. Thompson dropped 37 points against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 19, then put up 43 points with eight threes against San Diego nine days later. Through early-December he was hitting 49 percent from the field and 48 percent beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
“Coach Bennett’s style was a good style for me with all the screens, even though it was a little methodical,” Thompson says. “With
27
WHAT’S MY NAME?
PHOTO.
WORDS. Austin Burton NBA Development League
Mike Harris Unlike a lot of players who find their expressway to NBA dreams loaded with road blocks, Mike Harris doesn’t point fingers or give excuses. For every instance where he’s been overlooked or snubbed by the spotlight, he can identify his own role in the process and puts most of the blame on himself. knocking down 45 percent of his threes for the Vipers at the time he was called up to Houston.
Coming out of Hillsboro (Texas) High School, Harris was only offered some partial scholarships to major-conference schools in the Big XII area, and a couple of full rides to mid-majors. “But, I only took one college visit,” Harris acknowledges. “I was kind of a nerd in that I didn’t want to miss school to take any visits.”
As a combo forward, Harris brings an ability to score with his strength inside and his touch outside. He hit five threes on his way to 27 points against the Austin Toros on Dec. 8, a few games after he put up 28 and 10 boards on the Toros while only taking one trey. But he won’t necessarily label himself a scorer.
Harris landed at Rice, and four years later, the 6-6, 235-pounder owned the Owls’ all-time records in points and rebounds, averaging 20.6 points and 11.7 boards as a senior. Despite the numbers, however, he wasn’t selected in the 2005 NBA Draft. Rather than blame politics or the scouts, Harris again looks inward. “I was undersized at my position. I should have been working on smallforward and power-forward skills; instead, I looked at it like I was a five. I should have worked on showing more versatility. All I did was power-up and dunk.”
“I would describe myself as a basketball player, not any specific thing like I’m a rebounder or I’m a scorer,” Harris says. “I think I can bring whatever a team needs. Every team has a particular reason for calling you up. I don’t think most teams need a scorer. Most of the times they need a positive guy that they can put in and can bring energy, keep the turnovers down, and don’t make mental mistakes. If it’s guarding multiple positions, rebounding, running the floor … whatever they need I’m capable of doing.”
Between pro stints in the Ukraine, China and Kuwait, plus one season (’06-07) in the D-League with Colorado, Harris has been a training-camp invitee of the Bucks, Rockets and Thunder. He saw 17 games of regular-season burn with the Rockets as a midseason pickup in ’08, but had mostly made his living overseas. Ripping up the D-League in his second go-round, however, it didn’t take long for Harris to make it back to the big leagues. After averaging 25.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in his first 10 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Harris was called up to the Rockets in late-December, shortly before this issue went to print.
“I contemplated going overseas this year, but this is a better opportunity. It’s a better look for me,” Harris says. “I was in a similar situation before. It’s out-of-sight, out-of-mind when you’re overseas. If an NBA team wants to get somebody immediately in the middle of the season, there’s a lot of paperwork, flights, a whole bunch of other things. Overseas you get paid pretty well, but my ultimate goal is to play in the NBA.” This past summer, Harris split his time working out at the ATTACK Athletics complex in Chicago with Gilbert Arenas, Devin Harris, Tracy McGrady, Jonny Flynn and O.J. Mayo, among others, and in Cleveland, where he worked with LeBron James and some of the Cavs. Intent on improving his ball-handling and shooting, Harris’ work has been reflected in his numbers: he was
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WHAT’S MY NAME? WORDS. PHOTO.
Austin Burton NBA Development League
John Bryant As far back as he can remember, John Bryant has always been looking down at his peers. But when the 6-11, 300-pound Santa Clara product reported to the D-League’s Erie Bayhawks for his rookie season, he found himself eye-level with more people than he’s used to. Bryant is one of four players on the Bayhawks standing 6-10 or taller. “I’ve always been way bigger than everybody in my class. In college, the knock was that I didn’t play against any big guys in the West Coast Conference,” says Bryant, the WCC Player of the Year as a senior. “Being able to go against 6-10, 6-11 dudes that are athletic and can jump at this level, that’s definitely been good for me. Having other big bodies to bang around with in practice helps me in the games.” As this issue went to print in December, Bryant was one of the early-season surprises of the D-League, averaging 17.8 points and 14.5 rebounds, hitting over 60 percent from the field and leading the league in boards by almost two whole rebounds per game over his closest competitor. Through Erie’s first handful of games, Bryant had yet to not get a double-double, highlighted by a 29-point, 16-board effort against the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Bryant grew up in the Bay Area, and at Pinole Valley High School was a three-sport athlete in basketball, football and track. A late bloomer who wasn’t heavily recruited, he didn’t start full-time until his sophomore year at Santa Clara, but by his senior year Bryant was dominant: averaging 18.1 points, 14.2 boards and 2.5 blocks; leading the nation in rebounding; posting stat lines of at least 20 points and 20 boards against Stanford, Portland, San Diego (twice), San Jose State and Houston Baptist; and scoring a career-high 33 points against UTEP.
Graduating early, Bryant spent the ’09 spring quarter in Los Angeles working out with noted trainer Joe Abunassar, whose clientele at Impact Basketball includes Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett, Corey Maggette and Rudy Gay, among others. “People had told me how the D-League was a guard’s game, running up and down. Nobody would focus on a rookie big man,” Bryant says. “So at first, I didn’t really want to go. But it’s been a blessing. Coach Tree (head coach John Treloar) and Coach Mac (assistant Benjamin McDonald) are all about getting the ball into the post. Their system is really going to let me shine.”
“My number one thing was to work on my conditioning,” Bryant says. “I could do a lot of things when I was fresh and ready to go, but when I got tired, my game would really decline. That was something I definitely had to improve.” Bryant also discovered during those workouts that he has a solid outside jumper.
But even when he isn’t getting his touches by design, Bryant still has ways to get the ball in his hands. Rebounding is the foundation of his game.
“In college I didn’t get a chance to shoot the ball like that. Coach (Kerry Keating) was all about getting high-percentage shots down low, so if they weren’t denying me in the post, I’d get the ball in the post. When I got here (Erie), the coaches were like, ‘Man, you can really shoot.’”
“Being the size that I am, I’ve always taken pride in getting out there and getting the most rebounds,” Bryant says. “It’s not glorified as much as scoring, but I like that underdog role – doing all the dirty work, doing what other players won’t do.
Bryant worked out for a handful of NBA teams last summer, but went undrafted. He had a tryout with a team in the Ukraine, but when that didn’t work out, he went to Erie, Pa., where the Bayhawks had chosen him in the second round of the D-League draft.
“Rebounding is all effort: You’re not gonna push me around, I’m gonna push you around. I like being that physical force. That was one of my biggest things coming into this, was to be the best rebounder on the team, and the best in the league.”
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WHAT’S MY NAME?
Allison Gee Meet Allison Gee, a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing a double major in Business Administration and Exercise & Sport Science. As one of our Ballers Network Brand Ambassadors, Allison has signed up countless hoopers that play at UNC’s Rams Head Recreation Center, Woollen Gymnasium and Cobb Courts. Rather than having us tell you what’s good, we decided to let Allison share her story with you in a Ballers Network exclusive first-person account. I can’t tell you the exact moment that I fell in love with the game of basketball, but it’s been a long love affair that has had a unique influence on my life. In elementary school in Potomac, Md., I was one of those kids whose parents signed them up for every little league/ recreational county sport. I consider myself very blessed to have parents and family who have supported my goals and dreams since the beginning, and their belief in me has helped shape me into the basketball player and person I am today. Before I was old enough to play organized basketball, I played with my older brothers and other boys on the playground. As the only girl on the court, I learned the importance of working hard to be successful and the unfair reality of having to prove myself as a minority – lessons that I took to heart and which influence me today.
basketball team, which has allowed me to continue playing ball while gaining a well-rounded college experience.
I made the junior varsity team my freshman year of high school, and was even asked to move up to varsity early in the season. Like most people, I was thrilled to be on varsity as a freshman. However, shortly after spending a few games on the bench, I asked to move back down to JV. I knew I would have three more years on varsity to be an active contributor, but as a ballplayer who loves the game, I just wanted to play.
To say I’ve loved every minute of my basketball career would be a stretch – as with all relationships, there are good times and bad times; positives and negatives. I’ll never forget the road trips to tournaments, the experiences gained by playing at the elite level against the best players in the nation and the great friends I’ve made through the years. At the same time, I’ll never forget the 7:00 a.m. conditioning practices in a freezing high school gym, and the frustrations from disagreeing with coaching decisions.
During high school, I decided that I didn’t want to play basketball in college, trading in the opportunity to play at a small school for the experience of attending a large Division I school. I loved the game, but knew that I’d only be able to play for so long. For the first time, it seemed that basketball took a backseat to other influencing factors.
But as my competitive basketball career comes to an end with college graduation on the horizon, I’ll always look back on my playing days with appreciation for where basketball has led me. Even more, I’ll be looking forward to see where my passion for the game leads me next.
When people ask me how I chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, my response always throws them off. UNC has been my dream school since the fifth grade, ever since I started seriously following college basketball. It just so happened that when I was looking at colleges, UNC turned out to have great academics too. Fortunately for me, UNC also has a competitive women’s club
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WHAT’S MY NAME? WORDS. PHOTO.
Jack Jensen Gonzaga University
Matt Bouldin It’s late-November and you’re in the championship game at the famed Maui Invitational tournament in Lahaina, Hawaii. Forget that you’re Gonzaga’s best hope at bringing home the trophy over Cincinnati, and try to recollect yourself after getting bodied for 15 points by opposing superfrosh Lance Stephenson. After lighting up both Colorado and the same Wisconsin team that would dethrone Duke a week later, it’s time to step up. But although you’re averaging 18.2 points going into this game, you’re shooting 0-for-6 from the field well into the second half against the Bearcats. If you’re Gonzaga senior Matt Bouldin, it means you have to find a different way to help your team. After grabbing a team high 11 rebounds, Bouldin, a 6-5 guard, sunk a critical three in crunch time en route to leading the ’Zags to a 61-59 overtime win and a share of the tourney MVP. Playing with basketball intelligence well beyond his 21 years, Bouldin has become the next model in a famed lineage of Gonzaga guards.
Bouldin is the lone starter left from a GU team that went to the Sweet 16 last year before falling to the eventual champion North Carolina. On a team that featured Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt and current Pistons rookie Austin Daye, Bouldin was arguably Gonzaga’s best player throughout the season. Now that those players are gone, Bouldin headlines the West Coast Conference’s finest.
As a high schooler in Littleton, Colo., Matt waded through the fray of older players receiving attention until his senior year, when he rose to become one of the top guards in the West. His situation at Gonzaga is eerily similar, having waited patiently in the wings for his chance to shine.
his game to that of Deron Williams, who moved to the point late in college and has transformed himself into one of the NBA’s elite point guards.
“Matt has a high intelligence and he’s a lot of fun to be around,” says Oregon associate head coach Mike Dunlap. “He’s got a skill set that one-percent of the population has.”
It’s easy to have overlooked just how good Bouldin has been over the past four years. After leading the Bulldogs in scoring his sophomore year – along with averaging 13.6 points as a junior – he continued to be the fourth or fifth ’Zag mentioned on the national scene. Having been constantly surrounded by All-American candidates, credit to Bouldin’s play often got lost in translation.
This year, Bouldin was a preseason candidate for the Wooden Award and national Player of the Year trophy. The recent national attention may be new to Bouldin, but he is no stranger to media exposure in the Pacific Northwest. Around Spokane, Wash., Bouldin is a bona fide rock star. He, along with the rest of the ’Zags, don’t have to venture too far from campus before they are hounded by local fans. In a city that “breathes basketball,” as Matt describes, the team’s future this season depends in large part to his potential breakout year. As of press time, Bouldin was averaging 16.8 points per game, while also leading the nationallyranked ’Zags in assists, steals and minutes.
“You obviously want as much (exposure) as you can get, but it’s not my main focus,” says a mellow Bouldin. “Ever since I’ve been in college, I’ve always kind of gone under the radar. It’s understandable.”
Mellow is a good descriptor of how Bouldin reacts to the game. He plays with a certain smoothness that allows him to slow down and process everything happening on the court. Whether he’s starting the offense on the wing or working through his natural position as floor general, Bouldin is most effective as a playmaker. “I’m more of a 1-2 this year,” says Bouldin. “If I’m not playing the point, I’m getting the ball in situations where I can do something.”
While a pro paycheck likely awaits Bouldin after he graduates, if not for having to share a backcourt with the likes of Pargo and Derek Raivio during his career, he might already be collecting some green from the League. Nonetheless, whether his future takes him to the NBA or overseas, Bouldin remains unfazed and is not taking anything for granted.
His greatest assets are his vision, awareness and intelligence – all traits that are highly valued at the next level. Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun once compared Bouldin to Pete Maravich when Matt was in high school; although Bouldin often compares
“Obviously everything comes from winning, so the more we win, the better chance I get at achieving goals and preparing myself for the next level,” says Bouldin. “I have a lot to work on, but I know [the NBA is] in my realm.”
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GAMES WORDS.
Gerald Narciso
NCAA Basketball 10 If March is your favorite month and you’re a fan of NBA Live 10, then we can guarantee you will dig NCAA Basketball 10. Just like they did with Live 10, the brains at EA Sports really upped their game from last semester. Everything from the gameplay to the player models have all been completely revamped. While the core graphics and controls are basically the same as Live 10, the vibe is completely different. The producers of NCAA Basketball 10 made sure their product looked and felt like a genuine college basketball game. Everything from the arena and venue designs to the authenticity of the crowd and their antics. But most importantly, the producers made sure that the actual gameplay and rhythm of the college game were right on the money. The gameplay centers around the motion offense and post up moves. There’s a lot of ball movement and a huge focus on team play. Factors like home court advantage and late-game situations have an effect on a player’s poise and production. The schedule is also authentic, as you can play in all of the preseason tournaments like the Maui Invitational and the Preseason NIT. You also get the full college basketball vibe with the game’s presentation. NCAA Basketball 10 plays like a live CBS or ESPN broadcast. In fact, it uses voiceovers by the real announcers like CBS’s Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery, as well as ESPN’s Dick Vitale, Brad Nessler and everyone’s favorite sideline reporter, Erin Andrews.
The coolest feature of NCAA Basketball 10 is the dynasty mode, which allows you to take over as a program’s head coach and go through the recruiting process. It allows you to test the long arm of the NCAA by bending rules to get your recruits. The game gives you options to entice kids to go to your program – particularly giving players, their families and AAU coaches swag. There are penalties of course, but unlike real life, the consequences of cheating don’t go past your game console.
DESIGN IN PROGRESS
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TOURNAMENT WORDS. PHOTOS.
Aron Phillips Eddie Compo
Red Bull 2on2 Revolution Other than writing about basketball, the next best thing is actually playing it. And in late November I was able to do both. Traveling the country always looking for a game, I found myself in Hampton, Va., for the first annual Red Bull 2on2 Revolution. Held at the legendary Boo Williams Sportsplex off of Armistead Pointe Parkway, our first obstacle was getting in (thanks to a large parade blocking the route). But once we were inside, it was some of the best amateur basketball I’d seen in years. With 16 teams in attendance, the format was simple: a doubleelimination tournament with the championship game being a one game do-or-die match. And with the talent level on hand, and $2000 cash on the line, things got interesting. But other than your average basketball tournament, the Red Bull 2on2 Revolution had some pretty innovative rules. For example, if you dunk on somebody, it counts for 3 points. The same can be said for pinning someone’s shot against the backboard or crossing someone over so bad they fall. These made for the opportunity to have five-point plays that could swing the balance of power in a matter of seconds. And playing to 31 points, the highlights were nonstop.
Let me breakdown some of the teams, starting with Fair Game. While most 2on2 tournaments have talent from players that never played college ball or have had NBA aspirations, I was excited to see NYC’s own Lenny Cooke suiting up with teammate Dwayne Doyle. Known primarily for being an early entry candidate in the 2002 NBA Draft, Cooke was arguably the No. 1 prep prospect in the country. Although he went undrafted, he went on to play professionally for years. The other two top teams were Backyard (made up of brothers Marcus & Darnell Fisher) and Ballers (featuring Marlon McNight & Durant). These two teams linked up in the game before entering the finals, both undefeated, and it was amazing. From deep threepointer after deep three-pointer, these two teams were fierce. Tied 26-26, Marcus Fisher put the ball on the floor and rose up – dunking ON his defender to end the game with a five-pointer.
After being astonished from that, Ballers had to win their next game against the winner of the loser’s bracket to make it to the championship game. Although they were tired, they persevered to get another shot at the champs. But in the end, the high-flying brothers from VA were too much.
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´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR W
´´´´ DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL ´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´´
CITY GUIDE
WORDS.
Aron Phillips
The Mavericks’ Guide To Dallas One of the best parts about All-Star Weekend is hitting up all the local spots, because you know the old adage, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” With that in mind, we got up with the stars of the Mavericks – both young and old – to chat with them about all their favorite spots in D-Town. FAVORITE RESTAURANT
FAVORITE HOTEL
Dirk Nowitzki: Nick & Sam’s (3008 Maple Avenue, 214.871.7444) and Bob’s Steak & Chop House (4300 Lemmon Avenue, 214.528.9446)
214.922.0200) or Hotel ZaZa (2332 Leonard Street, 214.468.8399)
Dirk Nowitzki: The Ritz-Carlton (2121 McKinney Avenue,
– “I don’t eat a lot of steak, but when I do go out, I go to these two places.” – “It’s the best.”
Jason Terry: Hotel ZaZa – “Tat’s my spot!” Jose Juan Barea: The Ritz-Carlton Rodrigue Beaubois: W Hotel (2440 Victory Park Lane, 214.397.4100)
Jose Juan Barea: Oishii (2525 Wycliff Avenue, 214.599.9448)
– “I like the W because it is across the street from the arena.”
Jason Terry: Al Biernat’s (4217 Oak Lawn Avenue, 214.219.2201)
– “Tom (the owner) is my guy. I sit at the bar and watch games with him and they will keep bringing me food out. I call him after games and he will prepare me something after they’re closed and I will pick it up.” Rodrigue Beaubois: Texas de Brazil (2727 Cedar Springs Road, 214.720.1414) and Cheesecake Factory (7700 West Northwest High-
way, 214.373.4844)
FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP Dirk Nowitzki: The Galleria (13350 Dallas Parkway, 972.702.7100)
– “Rent some ice skates and have some fun.” Jason Terry: NorthPark Center (8687 N. Central Expressway, 214.361.6345)
The Ritz-Carlton
Jose Juan Barea: NorthPark Center Rodrigue Beaubois: NorthPark Center
FAVORITE CLUB Dirk Nowitzki: Candleroom (5039 Willis Avenue, 214.370.4155)
– “Not a big club guy, but I’ve had a good time when I have gone to Candleroom.” Jason Terry: Wish (3001 Knox Street, 214.389.5723) Jose Juan Barea: The Bank (1313 Main Street, 214.810.1228)
– “It’s ’Sagana’s [DeSagana Diop] spot.”
The Galleria FAVORITE LATE NIGHT FOOD SPOT Candleroom Dirk Nowitzki: Cuba Libre Café (2822 N. Henderson Avenue, 214.827.2820)
– “It is a great Cuban food spot!”
Jason Terry: Off The Bone Barbeque (1734 South Lamar Street,
FAVORITE TAILOR
214.565.9551)
Jose Juan Barea: Rocco’s Pizza (2916 McKinney Avenue,
Dirk Nowitzki: Lombardo’s (17604 Dallas Parkway, 214.265.8488)
214.871.9207)
– “It’s amazing!”
Rodrigue Beaubois: Village Burger (3699 McKinney Avenue,
Jason Terry: Stanley Korshak (500 Crescent Court, 214.871.3611)
214.443.9998)
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´´´ DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR
WORDS.
SNEAKER SPOT
Aron Phillips
Adikt, Centre & House of Hoops If you plan on making the trip down to Dallas for All-Star Weekend, then we already know that you’re going to be looking for some places to cop some fresh kicks and gear. The following three shops will get you right. ADIKT When Darren Young moved from Los Angeles to Dallas, he had a hard time finding sneakers and clothing that he was in to. But rather than drive to neighboring cities or shop online, he decided to fill the void. After opening doors in July of 2006, Adikt has become a go-to spot in Dallas to satisfy all your gear needs – stocking items that can’t be found in malls or other “cookie cutter” franchise shops out there. Specializing in limited edition retro sneakers (Nike, New Balance, PRO-Keds), street/ sportswear clothing (HUF, Play Cloths, Benny Gold) and accessories ranging from fitted caps to sunglasses to watches and wallets, you can understand why everyone from Jason Kidd and Jose Juan Barea to Bun B and Erykah Badu come through. And with the American Airlines Center right around the corner, they come often.
3839 McKinney Avenue, Suite 140 · Dallas, TX 75204 214.559.6154 · www.adiktfootwear.com
CENTRE After Philip Sterling graduated from Southern Methodist University, he – like many recent college graduates – needed to figure out what to do with his life. It was then that he initially contemplated the idea of opening a shop, and after about 18 months (April of 2007), the culmination of all his hard work was born in Mockingbird Station. For Sterling, Centre was more about building a brand from scratch and being able to curate all the aspects that make a business what it is, than simply riding some fad. They truly try to do their own thing. While their selection has shifted over time and varies from season to season, footwear is Centre’s strongest category with selections from brands like Nike, Clae and Vans. Beyond that, their apparel mixes some of the more established brands like 10.Deep, Stussy and UNDFTD with up-and-comers like Huffer, Joyrich and Centre’s own house brand. And for accessories, you can find everything from vintage snapback hats to watches from Nooka, Casio G-Shock and Meister. That’s why it’s no surprise that The Clipse broke some necks when they stopped through during their last store BBQ.
5331 East Mockingbird Lane, Suite 105 · Dallas, TX 75206 877.799.0844 · www.gotocentre.com
HOUSE OF HOOPS While Adikt and Centre have been holding down the Big D for the past couple years, there’s a new purveyor of exclusive kicks in town. Opening this past November in Mesquite’s Town East Mall, and this February in Dallas’ NorthPark Center, House of Hoops is dedicated to everything basketball and does justice for the eighth largest city in the country. Featuring Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse products all under one roof, ballers can find limited edition PEs, city exclusives (such as the Nike Hyperize “Dallas 972”) and general releases in Dallas’ new temple of hoops. Word on the street is that there will be some special events going on during the week of All-Star, so make sure you stop through.
1012 Town East Mall · Mesquite, TX 75150 · 972.279.5614 727 NorthPark Center · Dallas, TX 75225 · 214.373.0064
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´´´´ DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL ´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´´
WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´
WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´DALLAS ALL-STAR WEEKEND SPECIAL´´´
BUSINESS WORDS.
Solomon Lieberman
C2 Customs For most mortals, the pull of a conventional life permanently cramps our potential. We play games. We stress over girls. We get older and reminisce about the choices we made. Then there are anomalies like sneaker artist Chris Hui (pronounced hugh-ee) whose brilliance aligned perfectly with his passion at a sickeningly young age. Here’s how it all started: 2001, AGE 11 Chris tries to buy a pair of sneakers off a kid in gym class. The kicks in question are worn-out, white-on-white Reebok Answer IVs (the run with the zip-up shroud over the laces). Chris doesn’t just want these shoes, he needs them, and although the busted condition does little to dissuade Chris from doing business, the steep asking price of $60 forces him to walk away.
2003, AGE 13 Chris stumbles upon an online forum dedicated to custompainted sneakers. The visit sparks something – he realizes that shoes ain’t just for hooping; and all of a sudden he has a canvas. Adrenalized, he grabs a pair of old sneaks and a few cans of house paint, and gives it a run. The result? A thick mess of black and yellow paint that flakes off and makes a crunching sound when he wears them. But unlike most dabbling adolescents, Chris isn’t fazed by the first-shot brick. He connects with the guys on the shoe forum, asks questions, practices and gets better – much, much better. It’s a good thing, too, because in just two years, after a successful appearance at a show in NYC, he will get an e-mail from Nike asking him, for the first time, to create a pair of customs for a professional athlete.
found on his website, for around $200. Depending on his exposure, he can get anywhere from just a handful of orders per month, to upwards of 200 orders, a recent boom after an appearance on “Last Call with Carson Daily.” An extraordinary kid is always a good story – and Chris has had some solid coverage – but he also understands that the novelty of youth will soon be replaced by the harsh, competitive realities of “adult” business. As per usual, Chris is ahead of the game.
2005, AGE 15 After graduating from high school in 2008, Chris geared up to attend The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where he is pursuing a major in business, and a minor in design. Once again, he’s learning. Asking questions. Getting better. If he has his way, which seems to be the trend, he’ll graduate from college into a position with a top-tier manufacturer, like Nike or adidas. Or maybe he’ll just go it on his own, again. “The degree isn’t going to ultimately determine what I’ll do,” says Chris. “I’m open to pretty much anything.”
Chris reads the e-mail over and over again. His mom thinks it’s a scam, but Chris has a good feeling. Centering himself, he writes back, trying hard not to come off like a giddy kid. Chris receives the exclusive pair of Nike Basketball shoes in the mail, and has two weeks to conceptualize and paint the kicks. It’s a tight timeline, but he trusts his process: First, research the client, because a custom shoe must connect with its wearer; second, bring the idea to life, but keep the design cohesive and the kick wearable. After drawing inspiration from a tattoo on the baller’s back, as well the player’s high-school colors, Chris spends almost 25 hours detailing and painting – more than twice the time he usually spends. He’s proud of the final product. He takes pictures. And then he sends the pair out the door. He hears through the vine that LeBron loves ’em.
Whichever moves he makes, he says he’ll always be a sneakerhead. Like other members of this community, Chris is obsessed. “I buy a pair of shoes, and I sit down and just stare at them,” admits Chris. “I’ve camped out for shoes during Chicago blizzards. It’s just the way we [sneakerheads] are.” Thanks to his artistic endeavors and preternatural business savvy, he’s been able to conquer and collect at will, claiming all the styles he pined for back in the day. And while he studies for winter finals in Timberwolves country, his favorites are kept “on ice” back home in Milwaukee. He’s got the McGrady 1s. He’s got the Kobe 1s and 2s. And of course, he’s got the Answers.
Today, Chris Hui is known to most sneakerheads as C2, the prodigy that spent his teenage years turning out custom-painted shoes with such panache and attention to detail that most civilians would confuse his work for factory-made. Before he could buy a drink, he’d already made custom shoes for King James, Lupe Fiasco and Prince Fielder; and was “making stupid money for a kid” selling his stuff through his company, C2 Customs. It’s all in the process.
But as he’s gotten older, his favorite shoes are more often those with history in the soles, like his first Nikes, a pair of white, navy blue and yellow Air Max 120s. He wore those on his first day of school in fifth grade, and then years later, tracked down a fresh pair online. “Nothing special, just special to me.”
It takes Chris 10 to 12 hours to plan, prep and paint a custom shoe, and the clamoring clients happily pony up about $300 for his efforts. Replicated designs that aren’t as exclusive can be
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Need some cleaner footwork? Check www.c2customs.com
ASSIGNMENT: BRANDON JENNINGS When you think about thrilling basketball, you don’t, as a rule, think about Milwaukee. Even if you are from Milwaukee. This made Chris Hui’s decision to matriculate to Minneapolis for college in 2008 much easier, because the proximity of the Bucks was barely a factor. Then Brandon Jennings hit the frozentundra running, and Chris was forced to appreciate the slick rookie from a distance. But appreciating is what Chris does best, and since Chris is a hometown boy, we here at Dime thought a little match-making was in order, so we put the hypothetical assignment to C2.
“This is a guy who likes to be flamboyant,” begins Chris. “Say I’m designing a shoe for Ray Allen – the quintessential professional – then it would be more subtle, whereas something for a kid like Brandon, it’d be about bringing attention to him.” The rookie’s eclectic hair styles could inspire the design, too, but what Chris is most interested in is telling Jennings’s story by weaving the player’s travels – from Compton, Calif., to Europe, to the League – into the sneaker, from the inside of the shoe and wrapping out. Are you listening, Doobie Doo?
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THE DAILY SHOW INTERVIEW. PHOTO.
Austin Burton Keith Allison
Grant Hill NBA players are mostly creatures of habit. Whether you’re spending time with the superstars or talking to the guys still fighting for roster spots, you’re likely to uncover a similar pattern of routines: from workouts to eating and sleeping rituals to post-game relaxation tactics employed on a daily basis. The most important thing is to get my body up and running. The corrective exercises, that’s a program I set up with the team’s strength and conditioning coaches: abdominal work, strengthening my glutes, basically stuff that works on your core. I get those in before every practice and before every game.
At 37 years old, Grant Hill has endured injuries that would have ended other men’s careers, and yet he still excels today thanks to discipline with old habits and learning to adapt to new ones as his health becomes increasingly crucial. The 15-year vet, who at press time was averaging just over 12 points and six rebounds per game as the Phoenix Suns’ starting small forward, takes us through his typical routine on a home game day:
NOON I sleep from 1 p.m. to three. I’ll get up and eat again at 3:45, leave the house and get to the arena at 4:30. Then for the next hour and a half or two hours, it’s just getting myself ready for the game. That’s my routine – I don’t like to deviate from that.
MORNING I get up at 6:45, eat breakfast at home, take my daughter to school at 7:30, then get to the (Suns) facility early. When I get there I’ll do some corrective exercises, go to the weight room, and get some shots up. Then I head to shootaround, which lasts from 9:45 to 10:45. Then it’s 10 minutes in the cold tub, shower up, go home and eat a light lunch.
Like you said, athletes are creatures of habit. We like routine. Whether it’s what time you eat or what time you go to sleep, we’ve got to do the same thing. From the time I wake up until the game starts, I do the same thing every day.
I wouldn’t say I always eat the same thing, but it’s pretty consistent. For breakfast I usually eat oatmeal pancakes or oatmeal waffles. The lunch I eat at 12:30, that could be anything. The lunch when I get up from my nap, I’ll usually have fish and sweet potatoes. So two of the three meals, I mostly eat the same thing.
It differs a little bit when you’re on the road. If we’re on a backto-back, we might get up at 11 a.m. and have a breakfast meeting because we normally get in pretty late from the last game. We might watch film during breakfast and have a walk-through. After that most guys go back to their room, lay down and take a nap, then grab something else to eat and check out of the hotel. Sometimes I like to put on my headphones and go for a walk to get my body moving. I listen to all kinds of music – whoever, whenever. On my iPhone I’ve got ’80s pop, I’ve got Motown music, I’ve got hip-hop and R&B. It just depends on what mood I’m in.
NIGHT When the game is over, the routine is off. Sometimes I’ll go straight home and go to sleep. Sometimes we’ll go out to eat if my wife goes to the game, sometimes I’ll go out to eat with the guys. There’s no rhyme or reason. Me and my wife will be like, “Do we have any food at home?” Then go from there.
The one consistent thing is to eat right. I’ve always been pretty healthy, except for maybe my first couple of years in the League – but the older you get, you pay more attention to what kind of food you put into your body. It’s not really dieting, it’s just how I live. It’s a lifestyle. As an older player I’m very cognizant and very aware of what I put in my body. I know I’m more sensitive to certain things. When I was 21, I could eat fast food and it wouldn’t affect me. Now, I’m pretty sure it would. It’s not that tough to maintain when you’re on the road. We stay in nice hotels, so they always have healthy options on the room service menu, at least something like salmon with vegetables. If I go out to eat with the guys, we might go to, like, the Hard Rock Cafe, and you can find something healthy on their menu.
I just try to be smart about it, because it’s crucial to your performance and still being able to go at a high level.
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GEAR WORDS. PHOTOS.
Aron Phillips Nike
Nike Zoom Kobe V As you’ve seen before, when one of Nike’s premier athletes/signature guys has a new shoe dropping, they do it right. Among a hand-selected group of journalists from the finest outlets around, the low generation was introduced. Enter the Nike Zoom Kobe V. I know what you’re thinking: I already copped the Zoom Kobe IV, how low/light can the shoe get? Try 10.6 ounces. From MVP in 2008 to NBA Championship in 2009, it appears Kobe is gunnin’ for both in 2010.
With Kevin Frazier as the emcee, Kobe proceeded to walk us through his newest creation along with the architects – both physical and metaphysical – Eric Avar (Nike Performance Footwear Creative Director) and Matt Nurse (Senior Researcher with the Nike Sports Research Lab).
We started off one brisk December morning at the legendary courts of Venice Beach for an exhibition game. From there, we hopped on the bus and headed to the Forum for the worldwide premiere of the Zoom Kobe V.
“I wanted to push the envelope with a shoe that meets the demands of my style of play,” said Bryant. “The Kobe V is lighter, lower and more stable. It was unheard of to do a shoe that was that light and gave you that much protection. It was on them to figure out how we were gonna do this.”
Before the festivities kicked off, we were jettisoned back to the mid-80s as we sat in the Forum Club where Magic Johnson and Jack Nicholson used to put in time. (And I don’t mean behind the bar.) With enough snacks and candy to even put Lamar Odom in anaphylactic shock, and Kobe Doin’ Work on a box television, life was good.
The next day, the hits didn’t stop. We got on the bus and headed to the Montalbán Theatre, a unique Nike Sportswear venue in Hollywood. After a presentation about NIKEiD’s past, present and future, we delved into the Zoom Kobe V and it’s life online (and eventually in your closet).
When it was time to enter the actual arena, making our way towards the floor, we were ready to go – but had no clue what we were in for.
One of the cool aspects of the Zoom Kobe V is the “Kobe code” that is on the side of the shoe. This code is a secret language that Kobe and the designers developed that fans will have the chance to decipher all season long, with different clues dropping along the way.
The floor of the same arena that Kobe called home during his rookie year had been transformed into a hybrid: half basketball hardwood, half soccer pitch. The visual was overpowering and really set the tone for the unveiling of Kobe’s new kicks.
“Da Vinci ain’t got nothing on that,” said Bryant. “It came from another dimension – the Nike dimension. I can’t wait to see if someone can crack the code.”
The Nike Zoom Kobe V is now available worldwide for a suggested retail price of $130. Retailer information can be found at www.NikeBasketball.com.
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THE FLAWLESS TYPE Words. Jason Jordan / Photo. Aurélien Meunier
They say nobody is perfect. But if you tell that to Georgia high schooler Jordan McRae, he’ll hit you with another old adage: There’s a first time for everything. use that approach in everything.”
Jordan McRae knows that he’s in the minority here, but really, he can’t understand why. He figures that if the true goal of anybody with a dream is constant progression, then his is the only mindset that can attain it.
Even academically, where McRae holds down a 3.2 GPA.
“I stress education right now,” says Cornelius, “and he responds. He only had to take the ACT once to qualify. So in basketball, if he wants to excel to the level of getting paid for it then he’s got some work to do. That’s the message.”
“How can you get better if no one tells you what you need to do better?” asks McRae, a 6-6 senior shooting guard at Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Ga.
McRae only started playing organized basketball when he was a freshman. His progression in that time has been remarkable, going from a guy who was self-checked shooting from the perimeter to someone you can’t leave open. At press time, he was averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Panthers.
McRae is not the guy who watches old game film to count up all of the ankles he broke and buckets he dropped. Instead, he’ll chart his misses and then shoot 200 jump shots from each spot where he missed. He doesn’t care that he was eye-level with the rim on a breakaway dunk; he’d much rather you give him pointers on how to stroke his deep ball more efficiently than stroke his ego.
“I always want to be one of, if not the best player on the floor,” says McRae. “No matter who I’m on the court with. I love playing with great players.”
“Doesn’t help me get better,” McRae says. “I don’t need to hear how good I am. Some people need that, but not me. I want to know what I didn’t do so well because I can do something productive with that information.”
This summer, McRae was one of 11 players who traveled with the 2K Sports All-American Team to France to compete in the World Basketball Tournament. On a team full of stars, he managed to shine bright enough to be named to the all-tournament first team.
That’s why his father, Cornelius McRae, is the first person Jordan seeks out after games.
“It just showed me that my hard work was paying off,” says McRae. “It gave me even more passion for the game.”
“He always tells me what I could’ve done better,” Jordan says. “My mom (Paulette McRae) is great, but whether I scored two or 52, she’s gonna tell me that I was great. My dad always tells me I haven’t done anything yet because I’m not collecting a check and I’m not playing on TV. I actually like that because it keeps me grounded and hungry. It’s productive.”
Still, sometimes that passion can be consuming when it’s not as infectious as McRae would like for it to be.
“He expects everyone to strive for perfection like he does,” says Liberty County coach Willie Graham. “So he gets a little upset when people don’t have the same perception of things on the court as he does. But that comes from a good place because he’s just trying to raise everyone’s level. Still, I constantly tell him that this isn’t a perfect world and things aren’t always gonna go perfect.”
The recruitment process, on the other hand, tends to have the adverse affect.
“All those coaches tell you basically the same thing,” says McRae. “How great you are!”
That’s why he didn’t prolong making a decision. McRae understands that concept, but can’t fight the feeling that it also means he’s settling.
In September 2008, before his junior season began, Jordan chose Tennessee over Xavier, Cincinnati, Miami, South Carolina and Georgia for one reason: “They kept it real with me,” McRae says. “I told Coach (Bruce Pearl) not to tell me how good I am. I mean, really, I haven’t accomplished anything, but I want to. The best way to help me do that is to teach me how to get better. I try and
“Coach Graham tells me all the time that I’m not gonna do everything perfect,” says McRae. “And, don’t get me wrong, I understand what he’s saying and he’s right. … But, still, when people tell me that I can’t be perfect, a part of me always asks, ‘Why not?’”
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Aron Phillips Douglas Sonders
WORDS. PHOTOS.
DEMATHA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Right when you arrive at DeMatha Catholic High School, you can tell the place is steeped in tradition. The walls are lined with trophy cases featuring photos of DeMatha legends like Danny Ferry, Adrian Dantley and high school basketball’s greatest coach of all-time, Morgan Wootten. With a record of 1,274-192 from 1956 until 2002 – a stint which featured 33 conference titles, 16 Washington D.C. titles and five national titles – there were so many trophies at DeMatha, that they had to resort to plaques to save space. amassed a 7-0 record (currently sitting at 13-0 and counting as we go to print), we drove down I-95 to Hyattsville, Md. to see the type of work the Stags put in to be the champs.
Since Coach Mike Jones took the reins in 2003 after Wootten retired, DeMatha hasn’t stopped winning. This season, four starters are back for the Stags as they look for another conference and city championship. Leading the way are seniors Jerian Grant (6-5 forward headed to Notre Dame) and Victor Oladipo (6-4 guard bound for Indiana), along with blue chip juniors Quinn Cook (6-0 guard) and Mikael Hopkins (6-8 forward).
“This might be our most explosive team in years,” says Elijah Brooks, DeMatha’s Strength and Conditioning Coach, “and I think a lot of that has to do with the strength and conditioning that they’ve done in the offseason. In-season is more maintenance, working on flexibility and maintaining all of the strength that we gained in the offseason. I’ve been working with the basketball team for about a year and a half now, and I’ve definitely seen a change.”
But sustaining a national perennial powerhouse doesn’t just happen by itself. It’s the year-round training that puts whatever 17 players make the roster each Fall in the position to succeed at the highest level. Right before midterms, as they had already
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DYNAMIC WARM-UP The Dynamic Warm-Up is designed to prevent injury by performing a gradual series of basketball-specific dynamic movements. Monitoring quality of stretch and tempo of exercises is key to proper warm-up. While there are staples to any warm-up (jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks), here are three drills that set DeMatha apart from the rest. Inchworms & Monster Kicks | Start in push-up position, keeping your legs straight the entire time. Take small steps walking feet between your hands, walk your hands out and do the same thing until you reach half court. Then switch to monster kicks, which are straight-legged kicks under control until you reach the baseline.
Lunge & Twist | Take a big lunge step, keep your back straight and make sure your back knee is close to ground but not touching. Make sure the heel of your front leg is not off the ground, and your front knee is not extended over toe. If it is, your front leg needs to step out further, with arms bent chest level (like you are hugging someone). Twist torso to the side which the knee is up, right knee up, twist right and take stretch to half court.
Russian Twists | Have a seat on the baseline, hands clasped together, knees bent and feet crossed. Try with your feet in the air, but some may have to keep heels on the ground. Twist so that your clasped fist touches the ground on both sides continuously, and make sure you turn your shoulders. Exercise should last roughly 20 seconds. Do 3 sets to activate core. â&#x2C6;&#x2018;
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IN-SEASON TRAINING SESSION In-season is all about maintenance. With this in mind, the amount of reps and intensity lowers during in-season training, but the workouts are catered to some of the weaknesses that arise on the court in games. The following warm-up begins at low intensity, with a gradual increase in physical activity to get your muscles loose and prepared for the training session. This is a vital component of training to prevent injury.
Octagon Hops | Variations of low intensity double and
Medicine Ball Dunks |
Hold ball chest level, explosive vertical jump straight into the air as if you are going up for a two-handed dunk. At the top of your jump throw the ball down to the ground with force, activating your core. Perform 10 reps.
single leg plyometrics using SPARQ rings. Side-to-side, front-toback, etc. Each drill should be performed between 15-20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest time. Start in athletic position (knees bent ready for movement). Perform drill as quickly as you can staying on the balls of your feet, limiting the time your feet are on the ground. Stay off of the ring. –
Loose Ball Medicine Ball Jumps |
Start in crouched position, with feet staggered as if you were about to perform a one-step vertical jump. Attack the ball with both eyes and hands focused on possession of the loose ball, grab the ball and explode straight up with the ball overhead as if the basket was above you. Perform 10 reps. –
Octagon Hands |
Variations of low intensity upper body plyometrics using SPARQ rings. In-and-out, around the world, diamond push-ups. Each drill should be performed between 15-20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest time. Starting position should always be correct push-up position, entire body flat, activating your core (abdominals and back), with your hands underneath your shoulders. Do not let your hips rise or sink during exercises. –
Woody Bag & Medicine Ball Push-Ups | With the Woody Bag, do bicep curls 2 times with 10 reps and then shoulder press two times with 10 reps. With the medicine ball, do push-ups alternating between the right hand, left hand and both hands on the ball. 2 times through with 5 reps each.
Back Squats To Lunges |
Performed with Woody Bag. Performing 1 squat and a lunge on each leg completes a repetition. With bag on upper back, complete full squat, chest up, feet shoulder-width apart and flat on the ground, pushing through you heels. Immediately lunge forward with right leg, keep chest up and front foot flat on ground. If front knee is extended past front toe and heel is off the ground, must take bigger step. Repeat with left leg until complete 1 rep. Perform 10 reps with 2 sets.
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NUTRITION TIPS
Nutrition is something very important that DeMatha stresses during the offseason and in-season.
Squat Jumps |
Starting position, body squat (like sitting in a chair), knees bent, heels on the ground, hands clasped behind head. 10 consecutive jumps. With each land return back to starting position. Focus on form rather than speed.
Partner Medicine Ball Torso Tosses |
œ Drink Water
Performed using stationary lunge stance facing partner. Start in stationary lunge position. If you start with right foot forward, so should your partner. Facing each other, with medicine ball extended, full twist to the right and throw it to your partner’s right side. Once caught, mirror what your partner did. Continue until you have completed 20 throws. Switch legs and repeat. 10 catches on each leg equals 1 set. Complete 2 sets. –
The more water you consume, the faster you will be eliminating fat from your body. Carry a water bottle around and aim to drink at least 10 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
œ Balanced Diet Your body is like a car and the food you eat is your fuel. You should fill your tank 5 times a day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner) with a good balance of carbohydrates (key energy source), proteins (replenishes and rebuilds muscles) and fat (fuel source).
Core Stability Bridges |
Start from the baseline with walking bridges to half court. Transition into bridges for shoulder stability. Extend arms to push-up position. Complete 2 sets of 10. Transition into side bridges to hands underneath. On one forearm, keep hips high and body straight. Raise opposite arm straight in the air. Hold for 10 seconds, then bring raised arm under stomach and back up. Complete 10 reps and switch arms. –
œ Pre/Post Exercise Meals
You can’t compete on an empty tank. Several hours before training, eat easily digestible complex carbohydrates like pasta, breads, fruits and vegetables. If you are competing in the morning, try toast, fruit or an egg. After training, it is important to replenish your body with carbohydrates and protein which can be fluid or food sources within 30 minutes of completing a game or practice. If you miss the recovery window, you may likely experience fatigue the following day and/or have “heavy legs” in the subsequent game, coupled with an overall decrease in performance.
While this issue focused on DeMatha’s in-season training, come back next issue to learn their in-season drills. 45
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Words. Sean Sweeney Photos. Syracuse University
From Pearl Washington to Gerry McNamara, Syracuse University has a rich tradition of point guards. After the latest great one, Jonny Flynn, moved on to the NBA in 2009, Brandon Triche was handed the keys to the palace. What he does with them could find the Orange celebrating their second national championship in 2010.
his ability to get to the basket and finish, he’s able to come off screens and shoot the three-pointer with consistency.
BRANDON TRICHE is not Jonny Flynn. Get it straight. He better not be, at least for the sake of the rest of the Big East Conference. Triche hasn’t averaged 17.4 points per game in the deepest conference in the country. He isn’t running point at Minnesota’s Target Center any time soon. And he probably won’t ever be on the floor in one game for 67 minutes. In the heads of Syracuse basketball fans, Jonny Flynn might as well be dead.
“He’s an all-around player, and he’s definitely going to be a player to watch in the next couple years. He sets high goals for himself and he works extremely hard, so we expect big things out of him.”
With Triche starting every game, the Orange were off to a surprising unblemished record and a spot in the Top 5 in both national polls at press time. While most of the credit has gone to the transformation of swingman Wes Johnson from an unknown transfer to a potential Lottery pick, Triche has the Syracuse offense steamrolling teams as talented as North Carolina and Florida. As of mid-December, they were leading the nation in field-goal percentage at a ridiculous 55 percent.
Why start with what Triche isn’t? So we can get to what he is. “I’ve always been a winner,” says Triche, the 6-3 freshman. “I want to help the team win games. I think that’s what [Coach Jim] Boeheim brought me in for.”
The Orange won 28 games last year and advanced to the Sweet 16, so that’s not to say Syracuse couldn’t win before. But that’s just what Triche does. He wins. In high school at nearby JamesvilleDeWitt (Jamesville, N.Y.), he led the Red Rams to two straight state championships. And at a solid 200 pounds, even his teammates have admitted they expected Triche to be on the court from the start.
Triche figured he might step on some toes this year, like those belonging to sophomore point guard Scoop Jardine, but that’s to be expected in any position battle.
“Him and I are going at it every day to see who is going to win the spot,” Triche says humbly. “Each one of us made each other better. That’s the main part. Only one of us can start, but if we join together, then we can be one of the best backcourts in the country. Any way I can help the team, I am willing to do.”
“We played one year together in high school,” says ’Cuse senior Andy Rautins. “You look at the kid now, and you look at the body he has right now, and he’s definitely college-ready. His handles,
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WHILE TRICHE is the team’s third-leading scorer at just over 10 points a night, Jardine has found his niche as the freshman’s backup. In fact, Jardine leads Syracuse at 6.2 assists (Triche is averaging 3.0 apg) and has helped ease the load thrust onto his younger teammate.
Early in the season, Triche’s best scoring nights came against the likes of Maine and Cornell while he has been inconsistent at times against the top teams on the Orange’s schedule. Boeheim has limited his minutes, bringing the 18-year-old along carefully. The Big East schedule will have begun by the time this issue is released, and from then on, Triche will be expected to withstand a hailstorm of pressure. This summer, Triche attacked each day knowing the line was drawn. That meant running five miles a day and daily weight workouts. Triche was always a physical player, but now he’s one of the strongest guys on the team. Once on campus, that dedication only grew. With a facility like the newly constructed Melo Center, a dreamland of slick courts and underwater treadmills, there was no way he was coming to ’Cuse to chill.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” says Triche. “Every one of the guys wants to work out and every one of the guys wants to get better. That’s what I wanted to do coming into this year.” Despite the confidence Boeheim and the rest of central New York has in him, Triche was not one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school. He wasn’t even in the national Top 100. In fact, he was relegated to the regional Jordan Brand Classic game instead of the All-American one held at Madison Square Garden last April.
“I’m strictly a point guard. I’m more effective as a point guard, playing that game and getting my teammates involved.” 48
Then there’s that whole “combo guard” thing. Look at some of the high school scouting reports on Triche, and a lot of analysts gave him the dreaded “undersized two-guard” title. Asked about this, Triche didn’t hesitate: “I’m strictly a point guard. I’m more effective as a point guard, playing that game and getting my teammates involved.” Boeheim even told us that Triche is already better at setting up his teammates than Flynn was.
“You know Jonny’s irreplaceable and he’s not going to be able to replace what he did, but Brandon is a setup point guard,” says Boeheim. “He gets the ball to people and that’s what he does. He can also score a little if he has to.”
He’s playing the point. But this is nothing new, as Triche has been dealing with labels for a while now. He’s not an overwhelming athlete and doesn’t possess the same lateral quickness and first step of someone like Flynn. Then again, how many people do? He’s more apt to Mayo-you than Rose-you with smooth pull-back J’s and powerful drives into the lane.
A major ACL tear as a high school sophomore caused a lot of scouts to forget about Triche. He went from being a hyped, transcendent talent to watching his name dip behind shadows. Yet, he still found a route to one of the best basketball powerhouses in the country. And that Jordan All-Star game that didn’t want him? He carried his snub off to the lower-class regional game, and dropped a cool 33, winning MVP honors.
“It’s easy to lose confidence if stuff doesn’t go your way,” says Triche. “Coaches will get on you. I know my abilities and so does Coach, so it’s going to be a rocky road. I just have to stay consistent.” This college basketball season, there are the returning title contenders loaded with upperclassmen (Kansas and Michigan State), the freshmen phenoms (John Wall and Derrick Favors), and dozens of potential one-and-dones already mapping out the skipped spring classes. Believe it or not, Triche has as much pressure on him as any of them.
“It’s a great atmosphere, every one of the guys wants to work out and every one of the guys wants to get better.” His uncle, Howard, played at Syracuse and was a part of the 1987 team that went to the NCAA championship. His cousin is Jason Hart, only one of the best lead guards the Orange have ever had. And Brandon went to high school only 10 or so minutes away. And of course, he is inheriting a position held down just a few months ago by a kid who is now hitting game-winners over Deron Williams.
He can see the expectations, but he also envisions a First Team All-Freshman season and a top-3 conference finish for the Orange. At least, that’s his hope. But, he’s been preparing for this his whole life.
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Getting bullied in all of those backyard games with his older brothers. A relentless comeback from the devastating high school knee injury. A legacy at one of the country’s most storied programs. That’s why he admittedly reads all the blogs, rankings and everything that’s written about him. Motivation is easy.
“I just want to see my family smile,” says Triche. “I know when I do good things, they are always happy. I put more pressure on myself than anybody ever will. I’m very humble. I know what things I need to work on and I am not scared to work on those things.”
HEAT CHECK WORDS. ARON PHI PHILLIPS VEGA PHOTOS. OMAR VE STYLING. CALYANN BARNETT
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This page: Dwyane Wade ade wears shirt by Beckenstein, tie by Charvet, suspenders by Paul Stuart, pants by Ralph Lauren Right: Udonis Haslem wears shirt by Beckenstein, pants by Unraveled Bottom tom Right: James Jones wears shirt by Calvin Klein, jacket ket and jeans by Rocawear, glasses by Oliver Peoples
IF
you haven’t had a chance to make it to a game
in Miami this year, you’re missing out on one of the best player introduction videos ever produced. Every year, the Heat marketing department brainstorms new ideas for that
sequence, with the inspiration for this year’s video stemming from the legendary album cover artwork of Blue Note Records in the 1950s. Building off of Blue Note’s use of stunning photography, bold typography and the most cutting-edge fashions, the Heat
enlisted the help of Dwyane Wade’s personal stylist, Calyann Barnett, to help with the styling. Meeting with each of the
players prior to the shoot, Barnett developed a unique look for each individual, leaving you with the photos you see over the
next few pages.
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This page: Carlos Arroyo wears shirt and sweater by Jared M., jeans by Akademiks Opposite page: Michael Beasley wears shirt by Beckenstein, tie and vest by Unraveled, jeans by Jean Shop
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This page: Quentin Richardson wears shirt and suit by Michelle Manuel, sweater by Ralph Lauren, pocket square by Armani Opposite page top left: Dorell Wright wears shirt by Calvin Klein, jacket by Unraveled, scarf by Paul Smith, glasses by Oliver Peoples, jeans by Jean Shop Top right: Daequan Cook wears shirt, vest and pants by Astor & Black, stylist’s own tie Bottom right: Jermaine O’Neal wears shirt by élevée, jacket and jeans by Jared M. Bottom left: Mario Chalmers wears player’s own shirt, tie and vest, jeans by True Religion
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THIS SEASON has been somewhat of a rebirth for Josh Smith. Once known as the black sheep of the Atlanta Hawks, the multi-faceted forward is now energizing the team to the top of the standings. And the scary part about it is, he’s just getting started.
Renaissance Man ^
words GERALD NARCISO · photos BLAKE PETERSON
THE VOICE on the other side of the line has a light Southern accent with a barely audible, gentle tone to it. Immediately following
a recent Atlanta Hawks road practice in Minneapolis, Josh Smith called in to the Dime office to do an interview for this feature. Not
even a minute into the interview, one thing became crystal clear: It was going to take a miracle for Atlanta’s breakout star to open up to me. His answers are short and to the point. He’s doing more mumbling than he is talking. Although he is polite, he’s not exactly engaging at
first. But then again, first impressions aren’t one of Josh’s strong points.
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“WHEN YOU FIRST MEET HIM, he’s kind of quiet,” says Steve Smith, Josh’s high school coach at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. “Once you get to know him, he’s a fun-loving guy.”
Atlanta to me is a team that’s stepped forward as much as any team I’ve seen so far this year.” Doesn’t Karl know it. Back in early-November, J-Smoove gave Karl and the Nuggets the full buffet: 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists and six blocks en route to a 125-100 Hawks win. The Nuggets coach told Dime that he’s also noticed an improvement in Smith’s shot selection and D – particularly his team defense. By Smith becoming a better overall defender instead of just somebody who makes the highlight reel with his blocks, Karl believes it’s creating matchup nightmares for opposing teams.
The longer our conversation went, the more he began to open up. Next thing you know, he’s starting to tell me stories about his three-year-old daughter. He’s no longer mumbling and the pitch and tone of his voice jumps up a few notches. “Right now she’s in a ballerina class and has a recital coming up,” Smith says proudly as he prepares for his Dime photo shoot at the Minneapolis LifeTime Athletic Club inside the posh Grand Hotel. “Because everyone in her class are all so young, I’m sure it’s going to be kind of funny. She’ll come in the house with her little tutu on and I’ll ask her what she learned and she’ll get on her tippy toes and twirl around a little bit. It’s funny.”
“When we played them, we had a situation where I didn’t think I had control of those matchups, says Karl. “And there are not a lot games I feel like I don’t have control of the matchups.”
Earning this kind of respect has not come easy for Smith. Both on and off the court, J-Smoove has been slow to charm his way into the general public’s hearts. When he was selected 17th overall by the Hawks in ’04, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas was quick to throw Smith under the bus during the live broadcast of the Draft. Bilas said out of all the high schoolers in that Draft (Dwight Howard, J.R. Smith, Al Jefferson, Shaun Livingston, Sebastian Telfair, Robert Swift), Smith was “most likely to be a bust.”
Maybe five minutes later, the 24-year-old shows more of his playful side when he puts teammate and friend Al Horford on the phone. Before handing Al the cell, Josh tries to whisper, “It’s a reporter from Dime, just speak Spanish to him.” Sure enough, Horford greets me with a “Cómo estás?” while Smith and a couple other teammates are cracking up in the background.
“He’s a little bit more outgoing than you think,” says Coach Smith. “He was a jokester and prankster when he was at Oak Hill. Him and Rajon [Rondo], we used to call them Tom and Jerry because they were always pulling pranks and having a good time in a good way.”
Because Smith won the All-Star Weekend dunk contest his rookie year and is on “SportsCenter” nightly, they say he’s just a dunker. Because he has such a calm demeanor when he plays, they say he doesn’t care. Because he makes plays look so effortless and
“I MEAN, WHATEVER COMES WILL COME. I’M REALLY CONCERNED
ABOUT MY TEAM FIRST INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES. IF YOU DO WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SUCCESSFUL TEAM, THEN I GUESS IT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY THAT I COULD MAKE [THE ALL-STAR GAME].”– JOSH SMITH
^ doesn’t boast to the media about his offseason workouts, they say he doesn’t work hard.
“Josh is really loose in the locker room, and helps keep things light,” says Horford. “One thing people may not know about Josh is that he has a really good singing voice. He can really hold his own.”
“I’ve worked as hard as anybody on my game,” says Smith, a native of College Park, Ga. “I thought it was kind of funny, because you don’t get followed in the offseason. You don’t get followed everywhere you go, so how can somebody say your work ethic is sub-par when they don’t witness you?”
Like his personality, J-Smoove’s game grows on you in time. This season, Smith is starting to shed the “dunker” label and the “bad attitude” stereotype bestowed upon him ever since he entered the League out of high school in 2004. He has put together his most productive season as a pro, and at press time was averaging 15.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.64 steals per game – the X-factor for a Hawks squad that was fourth in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, people are starting to notice.
The perception only worsened when reports of friction between him and Hawks coach Mike Woodson made headlines on and off for the past four seasons. In recent years, Woodson has chastised Smith for taking too many threes and even went so far to calling his shot selection “selfish.” In 2007, the Hawks suspended Smith two games after a verbal confrontation with his coach following a loss to the Sixers.
“It seems like every year he’s getting better and better,” says Magic forward Rashard Lewis. “He’s by far one of the most athletic guys in the NBA right now.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution once said this to sum up Smith and Woodson’s relationship: “They both arrived here in 2004. It hasn’t been a marriage. It’s been a pie fight.”
“I said to someone the other day, ‘I think he’s playing like an AllStar,’” adds Nuggets coach George Karl. “He’s going to get All-Star votes this year, from what I’ve seen. It seems like he’s gotten in control of his mistakes and is playing more winning basketball.
When pressed to elaborate about his relationship with his first and only NBA coach, Josh is obviously annoyed. “It wasn’t even
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“HE’S BY FAR ONE OF THE MOST ATHLETIC GUYS IN THE NBA RIGHT NOW.” – RASHARD LEWIS
^
a problem,” says Smith. “I’m really getting tired of talking about our relationship because nothing’s wrong with it. We have one of the best coach-player relationships and we really understand each other and we’ve really grown as individuals.”
Smith got a taste of playing on the big stage and wanted to do everything possible to get back there and do even better.
“Just the atmosphere in itself is something you can’t explain,” says Smith. “Especially last year by passing the first round. Some people don’t do that in 10, 11 years of playing in the League and I was able to do it in my fifth year in the League. It was a really good experience, but it was also tough because we could have competed a little better with Cleveland last year.”
Smith has grown so much from those early Atlanta years when the Hawks were in the basement of the League and playing in front of half-empty crowds at Philips Arena. It was a long way from the days J-Smoove was a teenager dominating the AAU circuit as a member of the Atlanta Celtics. “It had to be one of the best AAU squads in history,” remembers Josh. “Especially when we reached our potential during our senior summer. We knew we had something special together. Me at the three, Randolph [Morris] at the four and Dwight [Howard] at the five.”
He spent his offseason at his home in Atlanta, training night and day to improve and fix his faults like his ball-handling, post moves and mid-range game. “I usually go to Houston in the offseason,” says Smith, who stayed put because his son was born right before the playoffs. “I was able to link with (former Hawks All-Star) Steve Smith and he helped me improve on different things I needed to work on by tweaking my game and doing what I needed to do to be more efficient on the court.”
Right before his senior year of high school, Smith transferred from John McEachern High School in Atlanta to national powerhouse Oak Hill. “He was a freak athletically,” recalls Coach Smith. “He was a little raw, his skills were still coming up. Most 6-8, 6-9 guys are plodders. He was 6-8, but ran like a 5-10 guard and jumped like a 6-foot athlete, so he did things I’ve never seen a high school guy do before.”
Smith’s refined game is one of the main reasons behind Atlanta’s resurgence. The Hawks have already had seven-game and sixgame winning streaks. They have beaten Boston and Dallas on the road.
Coach Smith recalls a story when elite college coaches at the time like Rick Pitino, Mike Davis and Bob Huggins attended Josh’s first practice at Oak Hill. (Josh had actually committed to Davis at Indiana before going pro.) “We were just playing pickup and Josh took off from the elbow with two feet and dunked the ball with two hands,” says Coach Smith. “I’d never seen anyone do that. I remembered all the other coaches looked down at Mike and said, ‘You’re in the wrong gym, because he’ll never be in Indiana. Go recruit someone else because he’s going to the NBA.’”
“He’s a huge part of our success so far this season,” says Atlanta backup center Zaza Pachulia. “We’ve been together for five years, and he’s gotten better every year. He’s playing at an All-Star level right now, and he’s so effective when he’s hanging around the bucket impacting the game on both sides of the court. His dunks and blocked shots give our team a lot of energy, and it gets our fans fired up.” With the NBA’s big weekend in Dallas just around the corner as this issue went to print, the All-Star whispers surrounding Josh are getting louder and louder. But one person who is neither listening nor buying into the hype is the man who is at the center of all the All-Star discussions.
Oak Hill went 38-0 that year and finished as the No. 1 high school team in the country. With Rondo running the point, Smith had 199 dunks (more than the rest of the team combined) and 264 blocks. Rondo and Smith were named McDonald’s All-Americans. Now, some six years later, Smith is still dunking and beating up shots at a frantic rate.
“I mean, whatever comes will come,” says Smith. “I’m really concerned about my team first instead of individual accolades. If you do what it takes to be a successful team, then I guess it could be a possibility that I could make it.”
“I get caught watching him sometimes on a blocked shot or a dunk, just like a fan would,” says Horford. “Sometimes when you can sense a play is about to happen, you just watch him do his thing.”
Fans around the Atlanta region are assured to be seeing lots of J-Smoove over the next several years. In the summer of 2008, the Hawks matched the Memphis Grizzlies’ five-year, $58 million offer sheet. In an offseason where several players like Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Emeka Okafor, Elton Brand and Luol Deng all scored big deals – Smith’s signing is proving to be the steal out of the group. Looking back in hindsight, a lot of teams are probably second guessing their decision not to ink up Smith.
“He reminds me a lot of Larry Nance,” says Karl. “Larry Nance was a very good disrupting forward who blocked a lot of shots.” The difference between Smith now and Smith two years ago has been the efficiency. He’s second in the NBA in blocked shots and ranks first among power forwards in steals. Averaging his fewest minutes (31.1 mpg) since he was a rookie, Smith’s turnovers are down from last year and his 51.2 percent field-goal shooting is a career-high, thanks in part to Smith limiting his range. In the past, Smith was criticized for shooting too many ill-advised long jumpers. He has cut that out of his game this season – through 27 contests at press time, Smith had only taken three shots beyond the arc.
Josh Smith’s career is starting to come full circle. He wants to win. Not another Slam Dunk title, but a real title. He wants the Hawks to challenge the Celtics, Cavs and Magic for the Eastern Conference title this year. With five seasons as a pro under his belt and at just 24, Smith is just starting to figure out this game and realize how good he can be. The league, media and fans are also starting to come around as well. This is just the start of something big. He’s still warming up. ^
After Atlanta’s impressive performance in the ’09 playoffs (where they defeated Dwyane Wade and the Heat in the first round before being swept by the Cavs in the conference semifinals),
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Snake words. Austin Burton photos. David Sims & Karl Templer
Kobe Bryant ruled the basketball kingdom in 2009: NBA championship, Finals MVP, official status as one of the greatest players of all-time. With his game and his fame having never been at a higher level, what else does he have to prove? The Black Mamba tells us in an exclusive Dime interview.
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Colorless, faceless, odorless … the dark, ugly stench that is the blunt end of fame unexpectedly came knocking on Kobe Bryant’s door one day in December.
championships (’00, ’01, ’02) held less weight because he had Shaquille O’Neal on his team. All due respect to L.A.’s current All-Star big man, Pau Gasol, but ’09 was Kobe’s first title “on his own.”
Upscale doesn’t do justice to the neighborhood that houses the most popular basketball player in the world. Tucked away in the lush hills of Newport Beach, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles where rich people work for wealthy people, Kobe’s block was on lockdown the night of Dec. 8, after a home invasion robbery had taken place at another residence. Five men with guns stormed into the house and attacked those inside, putting two people in the hospital.
The spoils that came to the victor were fitting. The late-night talk show circuit and the Disneyland trip are standard; but what other ballplayer led a $2 million championship parade that shut down half of the most glamorous city in America? Who else was named one of NBC’s “People of the Year”? Who else was asked to speak at Michael Jackson’s memorial service? This was bigger than just being the best guy on the best team; this was Kobe’s time to be knighted. In a column on DimeMag. com the day after L.A. beat the Orlando Magic in Game Five to win the title, I wrote:
On paper, it only affected Kobe in that he had to miss the next morning’s L.A. Lakers shootaround. On every other level, the impact goes deeper. Whether taken as a simple reminder for the 31-year-old multimillionaire that Pelican Ridge is never too far away from the Philly courts where he cut his competitive teeth, or viewed as a very realistic threat to his own wife and children at home, it was a slice of real life interrupting gated-community paradise. And all this amidst the backdrop of another kind of invasion: Some 3,000 miles away in another wealthy neighborhood in Orlando, Fla., where Kobe’s friend and business colleague Tiger Woods’ personal life was being laid open by the tabloid media’s reckless filet knife. If there was ever a time for one of America’s modernday superheroes to feel vulnerable, this was it.
“Never mind the ring count: this is how Kobe has truly set himself apart from Shaq. For any athlete, once they stop talking about your actual talent and statistics and instead fawn over your ‘desire’ and ‘clutch’ and ‘mental toughness,’ you’ve made it to a different level of legend status. Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Lance Armstrong, Brett Favre … this is the class Kobe has been on the doorstep of entering for years, the class everybody wanted to put him in, the class he finally joined last night with his first postShaq championship and Finals MVP.”
And yet, as has been his theme this season, Kobe responded to each bit of adversity as if nothing had happened. In his 14th pro season, the NBA’s Bruce Lee – a study of focus, precision, efficiency, attention to detail, killer instinct, raw talent, charisma and sheer love of the fight – seems on a mission to prove no injury, illness, danger or distraction will stop him from dominating this sport. As the Tiger story began to run out of control, Kobe outgunned Dwyane Wade in a national TV contest, scoring 33 points and beating the Miami Heat on a bank-shot three at the buzzer. The night after the Newport Beach robbery, Kobe put up 27 points and eight assists in a win over the Utah Jazz. The next week, playing with a fractured index finger on his right (shooting) hand, he dropped 42 points at Chicago and hit Milwaukee for 39 and another buzzer-beating dagger. Later in December, Kobe rose from a scary-looking hyperextension of his left knee to close out the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 40-point performance, and the day after Christmas, shook off a numb right arm (the result of a shot to the funny bone) to knock down a pair of clutch threes in double-overtime to beat Sacramento. Kobe then closed out the ’09 calendar year by scoring a season-high 44 points on Golden State, at which point he had led the Lakers to the NBA’s best record (25-6) while averaging 30.4 points per game (leading the League), 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals.
And now, the rest of the man’s legacy is on the line. Is Kobe a Top-10 player of all-time? Top five? We’ve created a glass ceiling wherein nobody can touch Jordan, Russell, Wilt, Magic and Bird – and often but not always, Oscar, Jerry West, Kareem and Doctor J – that Kobe is threatening to shatter. Why not? Kobe has more rings than Bird and more buckets than Magic; he’s better defensively than West, better offensively than Russell, more clutch than Wilt. His flair for the dramatic is exceeded only by Jordan. Still in his prime at 31, Kobe is moving into a transitional period. The mountains left to climb have only older legends at the top, while at his heels are the younger stars gunning for his spot: LeBron, D-Wade, Dwight, B-Roy, Carmelo, Chris Paul. To that extent, he is constantly extended – both stiff-arming the challengers below while reaching for the crown held by his idols above.
“He’s a great player, probably the best player in the game today,” says Portland All-Star guard Brandon Roy. “His ability to come back and improve every year is mostly the reason why he’s the best player. But he does everything: Shoot the three, get to the basket, and he plays with attitude.”
“Kobe has gotten more efficient as he gets older,” says Phoenix forward Grant Hill, who has been in the League since Kobe was drafted as an 18-year-old. “He’s learned that it’s about being more skilled than just talented. That the game is easier if you take what the defense gives you; that it’s not about degree of difficulty. He’s more mature in that regard.”
Unlikely as it seems, Kobe’s game and his fame reached new, higher levels in ’09. In June he led the Lakers to another NBA championship, the fourth of his career but the first that truly certified him as a stand-alone icon in the game. As silly as mainstream perception can be, it still counts towards a lot – and mainstream perception was that Kobe’s first three
No player has more negative words used to describe how good he is. We call Kobe an assassin to say he’s clutch; a robot to say he’s tough; a cold motherfucker to say he’s competitive; and a poisonous snake just to announce he’s in the room.
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“His ability y to com come back and improve every year is mostly the reason why the best player. hy he’s th He does everything.” verything erythin – Brandon Roy
On this day, the Black Mamba is in nice-guy mode. The basketball and sneaker industry has descended upon L.A. in early-December for the launch of the Nike Zoom Kobe V. At the old Great Western Forum (where Kobe played his rookie year as the Staples Center was being built), Kobe holds court in a modest black warm-up jacket and shorts – with black/ gold/purple Zoom Kobe V’s on his feet, of course – breaking down the complex technical aspects of his signature shoe as in-depth as any of the company’s nuts-and-bolts types would, completely comfortable in an arena that was literally designed just for him today. Luxury like this has become his norm.
Kirilenko, whose team was eliminated from the last two postseasons by the Lakers. “In this league it’s very hard to guard guys who can shoot the ball, drive the ball and create fouls, because you can’t really find the right distance. If you’re too close, he’s gonna go right by you. If you take a step back, it’s a shot. You can’t really push him very much, because first of all, the referee is looking for that. He’s a very aggressive, motivated scorer. The last of it, he can pass the ball. He’s a complete player, offense and defense.” Roy, who would be considered the best two-guard in the Western Conference were it not for Kobe, adds, “The toughest thing about guarding Kobe is the fact that he can get any shot he wants on the floor. Even if you play great D, he has the ability to knock down very tough shots. He can go anywhere on the court and make a tough shot.”
Hill, himself one of the game’s marquee salesmen years ago, has witnessed Kobe grow up as a player and celebrity. “He’s been in that position for a long time, since he and Shaquille started winning championships,” says Hill. “I think he’s more comfortable with being deemed a top guy. And he’s on a top team that’s winning now. He’s become a better teammate, and guys enjoy playing with him.”
Over the summer Kobe spent time working with Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon to improve his low-post game, and early in the season while Gasol was recovering from a hamstring injury, Kobe showed off what he’d learned as L.A.’s best interior scorer. It was just another page added to the NBA’s most complex playbook, another blade added to the proverbial Swiss Army knife.
And even when it hurts, most enjoy playing against him. While Kobe manages to inspire a healthy grown-man fear in some opponents, his toughest foes relish the challenge of going 48-plus minutes with – nothing against LeBron and Wade – the League’s pound-for-pound champ.
Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant adds another chapter to the most complex book written on any American athlete in the last quarter-century.
“First of all, he’s very skillful,” says Utah forward Andrei
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Dime: When everyone has been saying for years that you’re the best player in the world, what makes you want to keep getting better?
So I can’t really speak to what everybody else does. My high school coach always told me it’s not necessarily how hard you work, but how smart you work. So I’ve put a lot of thought into what I’m doing. Dime: Your work ethic is famous, but is there anybody’s work ethic that you look up to? KB: Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints quarterback). The season that he’s having now, coming off of that shoulder injury that
Kobe Bryant: ‘Cause I love what I do. I absolutely love it. It’s
he had, that was a career-ender. And I know people that have
fun to me. There’s an infinite amount of curiosity about the
trained him – mutual trainers and things like that – and I
game and about how to win championships – how to get
know he works his tail off. So you gotta respect a guy like
everybody on the same page. I’m just very curious about it
that.
because I love doing it so much. Dime: Does the competiveness that you have on the court Dime: What is left for you to do, though? You’ve got four rings,
extend beyond basketball?
an MVP, mentioned in the same sentence as the greatest players of all-time … What do you think you have left
KB: (Slyly) No, why would it do that? Not at all (laughing).
to prove? Dime: Looking back, is there anything you wish someone had KB: I want one more. Another championship. I want another
told you before you got famous?
championship. That’s what’s really sweet about it. KB: No, not really. The best advice I received was from my Dime: Only one?
father (ex-NBA player Joe Bryant), who told me about the game of basketball. He said, “Play the game, don’t let the
KB: I’m content getting one more.
game play you.” That was the most important piece of advice that I received.
Dime: Last year I asked Kevin Garnett about the postchampionship “hangover,” when some guys get content. He
Dime: You were the only athlete named one of the NBC’s
said that wouldn’t be a problem because now it was like
“People of the Year,” but you weren’t the only athlete to win
somebody was trying to take his property – the trophy – from
a championship in 2009. Why do you think people are so
him. Does winning a title impact you in that same way?
intrigued by you?
KB: It made me hungrier, if that makes any sense. It’s like,
KB: Man, you’re on some Barbara Walters shit (laughs). Um …
“OK, you got it. I’m in the party now.” Before I was outside in
I don’t know. I don’t know.
the street, begging Phoenix and them to let me in. Now we got in and kicked them out; now you can’t come in. We’re going to
Dime: Some athletes and entertainers say they ignore criticism,
hold our house down.
others thrive on it. How do you take criticism?
Dime: How different is it this season compared to the last time
KB: I never understood why people ignore criticism. I mean,
you were coming off a championship, in 2002?
I hear it. It doesn’t do one thing to me one way or another. In terms of my game itself, it has no bearing on me and what
KB: Honestly, it’s no different. … Well, it’s different in the
I do. I’m going to do what I need to do to help my team be
sense that we’re even hungrier now. Adding Ron [Artest] was
successful. You’re criticized when you fail, you’re applauded
a big addition for us, ’cause he’s very intense and loves to
when you win. You just gotta kind of roll with it.
practice like I do. And I think it takes practice to another level. Dime: Could you walk away right now and be satisfied with Dime: Do you think that you work harder than everyone else?
what you’ve done? If not, what else do you want to do?
Is that your goal? KB: No. More championships. I’m not worried about (personal KB: I don’t know if I work harder than anybody else. I think I
accolades). I wanna win a championship this year. That’s on
know exactly what I need to do to make myself a better player.
the agenda. That’s a must-do. § 68
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WE REMINISCE
Marcus Hatten
words. GERALD NARCISO
Between the Knicks being a chronic train wreck and the hometown college teams stuck in transition the past half-decade, Marcus Hatten might be the last local basketball product that New York City really embraced. A wiry 6-1 guard, the former St. John’s standout dazzled Madison Square Garden crowds for two seasons (2001-03) with his flair for the dramatic and crafty scoring ability. Not since Allen Iverson was at Georgetown had the Big East seen a diminutive guard who could rack up points like frequent flier miles.
“He’s silky smooth, man. I think everybody in Baltimore wanted to play like him, looked up to him – even guys who were the same age as him.”
“I just remember that he could really score the ball,” says Magic guard and former Duke All-American J.J. Redick, who faced Hatten in college. “He was a great offensive threat.”
“Marcus Hatten has got game,” says Mike Jarvis, his coach at St. John’s. “He is a basket waiting to happen. The bigger the game, the bigger he was. The bigger the stage, the better the performance. A lot of times, he was a one-man offensive show and had to do it against double-teams and triple-teams, but he did it.” Playing in the world’s most famous arena, the Baltimore native never disappointed. Whether it was the 22 points he hung on Georgetown to give the Red Storm their sixth NIT title, or the 44-point effort against Rutgers as a senior, Hatten always got up for the big games. His most memorable performance came against Duke, who was ranked fifth in the country at the time. Hatten got fouled on a layup attempt at the buzzer after stealing the ball from Daniel Ewing at midcourt with four seconds to go. Tied up with zeroes on the clock and the court vacated except for him, Hatten stepped up to the free throw line in front of a packed MSG and a national TV audience.
– Carmelo Anthony
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“I’m a gambler – I can move my feet and my hands are kind of quick, so I take a lot of chances,” says Hatten, 29. “It so happens I got put on the lucky side and got the ball. The free throws were even better because nobody was out there and you got 20,000 people in the stands. Two things can happen: You can be the hero or you could be the zero, and I chose to be the hero on that night.”
But in the end, Marcus chose basketball because that’s what his hero played. His father, Robert “Mojo” Hatten, was known as a playground legend around B-More during the ’60s and even had a tryout with the Baltimore Bullets. It wasn’t long until Marcus started making a name for himself on courts around town. While he was always small and skinny, he could hold his own against some of the city’s best: Sam Cassell, Shawnta Rogers, Mark Karcher, Johnny Hemsley, Kevin Braswell and superstar-in-themaking Carmelo Anthony.
“I’ll never forget going down to the end of the bench, kneeling down and not looking – basically waiting to hear the reaction from the crowd,” adds Jarvis, now the coach at Florida Atlantic University. “And when he made his first free throw for us to win the game, it was incredible. I’ll never, ever forget that.”
“We call him Mo,” says Anthony, the West Baltimore product. “He’s silky smooth, man. I think everybody in Baltimore wanted to play like him, looked up to him – even guys who were the same age as him.
More than six years since those Red Storm fans stormed the court after that Duke game, Marcus Hatten sits in his spacious studio halfway across the world in Casalpusterlengo, Italy. Prior to his latest stint with UCC Casalpusterlengo of the Italian Lega 2 League, Hatten played all over Europe, earning six-figure salaries. As much as he loves European life, Marcus wants another crack at the NBA. He wants to follow in Will Bynum and Anthony Parker’s footsteps and go from overseas star to a spot in the League. But most of all, he wants that spotlight back.
“Even now when you go back home, his name still rings bells.” After starring at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical Senior High School (commonly referred to as “Mervo”) in Baltimore, Hatten played two seasons at Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, where he was a JC All-American before signing with St. John’s. If opposing teams and coaches learned one thing when facing Hatten, it was this: you can’t stick him. With his deceptive quickness and handle, you could count with one hand how many guards across the country that could stay in front of him.
“All my people, all my fans, don’t give up on Marcus Hatten, because I’m coming back,” says Hatten. “Hopefully this year, if the luck is good on my side, the NBA will give me a fair chance. Once I get in there, this star’s going to shine. They can’t hold me back for long.”
Marcus had every offensive move in the book: spin moves, twodribble pull-ups, teardrops in the lane, and could even hit the three from the big-boy line. He possessed prolific court vision, and if you caught him in the open court, it wasn’t out of the question for him to show off his 40-inch vertical and flush it down. Twice Hatten was an All-Big East First Team selection, and as a senior averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game (best in the conference).
Marcus Hatten’s game, swagger and toughness originated in the Chapel Hill projects in East Baltimore. He was a natural athlete coming up, playing every sport from football to baseball to soccer.
“We didn’t have a great team when he played for me at St. John’s, but he made us good and we went to a couple of tournaments with him,” says Jarvis. “I really thought he was talented enough to play in the NBA.” But that’s exactly what didn’t happen on the night of June 26, 2003. Marcus can still recall sitting with 20 members of his family and friends at the swanky Affinia Dumont Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Draft Night. A projected late-first rounder, Hatten watched as 29 teams passed on drafting him.
“I really thought I was going to go in the middle-to-late first round or the beginning of the second round,” says Hatten. “I heard them chanting my name when the Knicks were up [New York had the 9th, 30th and 39th selections] and I started to get goose bumps again. I was waiting to be picked and it just didn’t happen. It was a dream that got flushed down the toilet.”
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been a stone’s throw away from the NBA if he opted to play in the D-League instead of going overseas, but Hatten couldn’t afford to make the financial sacrifice.
NBA GMs stamped Hatten with the “tweener” label. His game fit the mold of a shooting guard, but at 6-1 and 160 pounds, Marcus was small by even point guard standards. Jarvis also thinks Hatten’s nonchalant attitude might have played a part in the snub.
“At the time, my son was being born,” says Hatten. “After the draft, I had an opportunity to go to the D-League and probably get called up, but I chose not to do it. No disrespect to the D-League, but I had a son to feed and other things I had to take care of.”
“I was surprised when he didn’t get picked, but at the same time, I don’t think Marcus was as mature at the time as he needed to be,” says Jarvis. “If you watched Marcus play, he did things so effortlessly. He played basketball very similar to the way Hank Aaron played baseball. I think at times people misinterpreted that – especially with Marcus – as him not working as hard as he could.
Since leaving St. John’s more than half a decade ago, Hatten looks noticeably different. The cornrows are gone and he’s put on over 25 pounds of muscle. He cherishes his time overseas and looks forward to going back every year. Marcus embraces the different cultures he’s experienced – from Spain to Poland to Venezuela – so much that his boys back in Baltimore nicknamed him “Santiago.”
“He probably would have been better in the old days when they didn’t have ones or twos, they just had guards.”
Hatten says that he performed well in the workouts. In fact, his domination over Reece Gaines and Troy Bell (both first round picks) in a Pistons pre-Draft workout was the subject of a May 2003 feature in ESPN the Magazine.
“I think he can still get in the NBA. I know he’s good enough,” says Anthony. “But it depends if he wants to. I think he’s enjoying life over there in Italy.”
“Actually it’s funny, because if the scouts don’t really like you and think you’re not good enough, they’ll tell you what you need to work on,” says Hatten. “What was happening was people were saying all good things about me. They weren’t saying, ‘We feel you need to get stronger, you need to be more of a point guard.’ So it kind of confused me. But as I got older, I realized that’s when the politics come in.”
Hatten’s best year overseas was in Israel during the 2005-06 season when he played for Hapoel Tel Aviv. There, he was the 2006 FIBA EuroCup’s top scorer with his 23 ppg average. Last year he was with Enel Brindisi in Italy, where he put up 20.6 points, 5.2 boards, 2.1 assists and 3.3 steals per contest. He figures he has no less than seven more years of pro ball left in him, but knows the window of opportunity to play in the NBA closes every year.
Although he has never played in a NBA regular season game, Hatten was on the cusp of earning a jersey a couple of times. When he was in the Clippers’ training camp in 2003, it came down to him and Eddie House for the final roster spot, but L.A. opted to go with the sharp-shooting House instead. Marcus was also the last cut in Denver’s camp in 2004. He could have
“I think he should play where he’s happy,” says Jarvis. “If Marcus is happy, and I’m sure he’s making good money, then he should stay…unless he feels he has unfinished business in the NBA.”
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Photos. Nick Ferrari
STILL LIFE
S E L N S Y S PO LE U TY S
Zoom Kobe V by Nike
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Superstar 2, Top Ten Hi & Classic Vulc II Mid by adidas
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Xx ME8 (Monta Ellis SMU) & Tai Chi Mid by AND 1
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Jordan Classic â&#x20AC;&#x2122;91, Jordan CP3.III & Air Jordan Fusion 8 by Jordan Brand
Air Jordan 2010 by Jordan Brand
Weapon EVO, Drop Step & Weapon EVO by Converse
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Moda Hi x Crooks & Castles & Moda Hi x Acapulco Gold by Vans
Xx
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KD2 by Nike
MY-1 Reborn & First Round MAXX by PUMA
Admiral Sport & LX Base by DC Shoes
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KD2 by Nike
TS Supernatural Creator (2010 All-Star SMU; Tracy McGrady SMU) & TS Supernatural Commander (2010 All-Star SMU; Dwight Howard SMU) by adidas
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Xx
STILL LIFE
Dallas All-Star Collection by Mitchell & Ness
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Michael Jordan 1985 NBA All-Star Game Jersey by Mitchell & Ness
2010 All-Star Shooting Shirt (East & West) by adidas
Michael Jordan 1985 NBA All-Star Game Jersey by Mitchell & Ness
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WE REMINISCE
“The Three J’s”
Photo. Layne Murdoch Dime Magazine (ISSN: 1554-7159) is published monthly in February, March, May, June, August, September, October, and November for a total of 8 issues per year by Dime Magazine Publishing Company Inc., 291 Broadway, Suite 1204, NY, NY 10007. Volume 9, Issue 1, March 2010 copyright 2009 held by Dime Magazine Publishing Company Inc. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY with additional offices. 82 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dime Magazine, P.O. BOX 16266, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6266. Annual Subscription price is $12.00 for 8 issues. Single copy price is $4.99. For new subscriptions go to www.dimemag.com or call (877) 805-8651. Publications Agreement #40838524. Return Undelivered Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. Email - dimcs@magserv.com
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