Butler was said to go through roughly 12 straws a game, chewing on them during play and on the bench until they got stringy. He cited an teenage start to the habit, explaining that chewing the straws calmed him down. The habit (or addiction?) stuck.The rules itself essentially bans Butler from chewing straws on the court mainly because what if there was NBA straw-related incident that injured him or another player.
But now, as first reported by Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com, the NBA has ordered Butler to stop chewing straws on the court.
Fisher presents the news with incredulity, but there's a fairly simple explanation: it's a safety issue. That's how NBA spokesman Tim Frank explained it to FanHouse Thursday morning. The ban covers game play; Butler is free to chew to his heart's content on the bench.
After the team’s noon practice, Nelson took rookie Stephen Curry, second-year shooting guard Anthony Morrow, D-League signee Anthony Tolliver and a couple coaches to Smitty’s -- a downtown Oakland bar -- for some quality time and shuffleboard.Oh that Don Nelson, what a hustler.
When Nelson was asked about his “bonding session” with the players the following day, he seemed a little taken aback.
“You’re not supposed to know about that,” Nelson said.
When Nelson was told that both Morrow and Curry posted about the day’s activities on Twitter, he was a little more forthcoming.
“Actually, I was out of money and I needed some cash so I took the young guys out and shot a little shuffleboard with them in the afternoon,” Nelson said. “And took their money.”
Thursday wasn’t the first time Nelson has taken players out to play some shuffleboard to Smitty’s … a couple of years ago he corralled Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson and ventured to the Grand Avenue gathering spot for an afternoon session.
Multiple team sources said Howard missed the Mavericks’ Jan. 20 win over the Washington Wizards because of a hangover after a night of partying.Howard has had a rather tumultuous time with the Mavericks which includes a rap sheet of marijuana possession, street racing, and a national anthem controversy.
Howard refused comment.
That reaffirmed the Mavericks’ intention to move forward without Howard, who did not start another game after sitting out against the Wizards, when he missed the morning shootaround and did not dress for that game. The Mavericks, who were already shopping Howard and wanted to protect his trade value, announced that he had a stomach illness.
There are a lot of weird Guinness world records out there, from the "World's Fastest Furniture" (a couch that can go 92 mph) to the "World's Longest Eyebrow" (3½ inches) to the "World's Tallest Snowman" (former Philadelphia 76ers center Shawn Bradley).
Well, here's another to add to the list: "Largest Gathering of People Wearing Fleece Blankets."
That's right, every fan at the Cleveland Cavaliers' March 5 game against the Detroit Pistons will wear a limited edition Snuggie before the game's tip-off. After five snuggly minutes, the Guinness World Record adjudicator will give the official word that the record for, um, "largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets" has been set.
Dennis Rodman guided the Elmira Bulldogs to their second straight win, but the persona of the former NBA star failed to attract many fans to First Arena again.
The Bulldogs won a close contest against the New York Wizards, 105-103, on Saturday night. The win avenged the Bulldogs' only loss of the season, which came against the Wizards last weekend.
The teams are tied for first place with 7-1 records in the Northern Division of the Eastern Basketball Alliance.
Rodman was paid $40,000 to coach Elmira on Friday and Saturday, filling in for regular Bulldogs coach James Schutz. The games drew only about 600 fans, said Charles Berch, the Bulldogs' director of operations. Estimated attendance Saturday was about 350.
"We got two wins, but at a huge price," Berch said. "We tried to do this because we were trying to get the team on better financial ground, but it backfired on us. The community and the city did not support this event. I'm beginning to think maybe they are not into basketball. Maybe it is just a hockey town.
San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill is apologizing for nude pictures of himself that were recently posted online.The pictures were allegedly posted on the website, "The Dirty" and have not been taken off yet despite the pleas of George Hill's lawyers.
In a statement issued by the team Tuesday, Hill said: "A year ago I made a mistake and take full responsibility for my actions. I have matured and learned from this episode."
Hill apologized to his girlfriend, family, the Spurs and fans.
Hill, the Spurs' first-round draft pick in June 2008, is the first player from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis to make it to the NBA.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have removed all water fountains from The Q.The explanation from the Cleveland Cavaliers does make some logical sense and now fans wanting to get a sip of water will get to enjoy Quicken Loans Arena long concession lines to wait for it.
To get a drink of water at the arena, you must stand in line at a concession stand, where you can get a small courtesy cup of water for free or pay $4 for bottled water.
Team spokesman Tad Carper said the Cavs took out the fountains in November to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses that cause H1N1 flu and other illnesses. He said Friday that with health-related decisions like this one, the team takes advice from the NBA and the International Association of Assembly Managers.
However, officials from those organizations said in interviews that they are not recommending that fountains be removed.
"We have not made any recommendations for teams to turn off water fountains. That is strictly for teams to decide in their own market," NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said.
McIntyre said he was not aware of any other team that has taken this step. He did not know that the Cavs had removed fountains until he was informed by The Plain Dealer.
While Winter is one of 52 players in NBA history to play in 1 career game, he has to have the coolest story.So essentially Winter's career was a "Hack-A-Shaq" moment in a regular season game.
A Minnesota native, he spent 4 years as a back-up center for the Golden Gophers, and was a senior on their 1997 Final Four team. Undrafted after college, Winter had been playing in the International Basketball Association for the Fargo-Moorhead Beez (yes, that was the team's real name) when he made the Timberwolves out of camp for the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.
The abbreviated 50-game regular season began in February 1999, but Winter spent the first month-and-a-half of the season on injured reserve with a lower back strain. On March 16, 1999, Winter got his big break: That afternoon, Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders informed him that he would be activated for that night's game against Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Winter, Saunders laid out the gameplan to him simply. "[He told me,] 'You have five fouls to give, and for every foul you don't use, we'll fine you $1,000,'" recalls Winter. He got the message loud and clear, proceeding to commit fouls against Shaq at a record-setting pace.
Guarding the most dominating player of an entire generation was a daunting task. "When I checked in," says Winter, "[Shaq] looked me up and down, knowing I was a rookie and that he was going to come right at me." On Winter's first defensive possession, the Lakers predictably went right to O'Neal, who spun baseline on Winter for a dunk and "tried to take the rim down on me," as Winter puts it.
Over the next five minutes of action, Winter compiled 3 rebounds and 5 fouls, as his career unwittingly turned into a monument of the Hack-a-Shaq tactic.
Larry Hughes' thick beard isn't so much a fashion statement as it is a sign of frustration.Yep, Mr. Hughes is a weird one to the say the least but I get his point, he wants be moved so he can play for a contender or at least play on a regular basis.
Apparently, the veteran guard has no plans of trimming his facial hair until he is traded, released or is playing regularly again for the Knicks, the latter of which Hughes is convinced will never happen.
"I'm not going to play," he said in a whisper. "I know that."
With the NBA’s All-Star Weekend headed to Dallas on Feb.12-14, let’s hope the Mavericks and the NBA have a better handle on security than they did Saturday when the Trail Blazers were in town.
During a timeout with 41 seconds left in regulation, two women walked onto the court and into the Trail Blazers huddle. One woman wrapped her arms around the waist of Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez from behind. Fernandez, who was not in the game but focused on the plays being diagrammed by coach Nate McMillan, was stunned.
“I was surprised,’’ Fernandez said. “I was listening to the coach on the bench and behind me, she touches me and says, ‘Rudy, I love you. Nice to meet you. Good game.’’ …
The women were ushered away from the huddle, and amazingly allowed to return to their courtside seats under the basket and watch the remainder of the game, which went to overtime.
