Basketball Accessories

I don't want to sound too critical about basketball apparel and accessories, but this is an opinionated guy's blog so you'll just have to deal with my judgemental generalities. Let's get started.

Protective Face Gear- Richard Hamilton has been wearing the NBA's version of a welding mask for years. I can't fault anyone who has broken facial bones or a nose from not wanting that to happen again. What I'd really like to see would be Blake Griffin wearing a hockey mask like Jason. I think that's the only thing that could make his dunks any more intimidating.

Goggles-I think the only players who are tempted to wear goggles are those who have had prior eye injuries. I don't think anyone is going to be wearing protective eye wear as a fashion statement. However, I have to admit that Amare's specs are much more stylish than the old school goggles that Kareem wore. Now it's time to move onto the unnecessary stuff.

Wristbands-These have not been popular for a while. They are more of a fashion statement of the 70's and 80's. When I was a teenager, I bought an Air Jordan wrist band, but I always felt kind of silly when I wore it because I knew it was really just a decoration.

Sleeves- Shooting sleeves are the evolutionary products of wrist bands. Allen Iverson, Carmello Anthony, and Dwight Howard are big fans of them. I know some people claim they have a therapeutic affect by keeping the arm and elbow warm, but I can guarantee 99% of the people who use them do it for a fashion statement (or to hide inappropriate tattoos)

Headbands- Sorry, but I think headbands are just plain stupid. Cliff Robinson and Rasheed Wallace have been wearing them for a while and Wilt Chamberlain wore one that looked more like the blind folds you wear when you take naps. Even though many talented players like Lebron, Rondo, Vince Carter, and others wear them, I still can't go for it. You are putting a band around your head. Why? Do you really get blinded by sweat pouring into your eyes which keeps you from being able to play? I don't think so.

If you are a guy at the gym who is decked out in all kinds of unnecessary gear, then you probably have a case of what the Texans refer to as "big hat, no cattle." It means you are probably trying to over compensate for lack of talent or skill with fancy shoes or expensive gear. Take it easy on the accessories and leave the fashion statements to Craig Sager.

PS- If you are an active NBA player and you disagree with this post, I'd be glad to discuss the topic in person. When you are in town to play the Jazz, just drop off a couple comp tickets and I'd be glad to come back after the game and hang out with your team to discuss it.

Jerry Sloan Resigns

Today Jerry Sloan resigned as the head coach of the Utah Jazz. He took over that position back in 1988. His 23 year tenure was longer than any other coach with the same team in professional sports. He is the third most winning coach in the NBA. He's also the only coach to win 1,000 games with one team. His long time assistant coach Phil Johnson also resigned today with him, while assistant Ty Corbin has been named the new head coach of the team.

Many Jazz fans have been calling for a coaching change for years claiming Sloan was too set in his ways and was unable to adapt to the current game. I'm sure many people are celebrating this change. While I can see what they are talking about, I am going to miss Coach Sloan and his hard nosed style. I liked how he'd make rookies earn their playing time and didn't take crap from his players. In a league that is now run by superstar players instead of coaches, he will be missed.

Sloan has been a legendary coach and I'm going to miss seeing him yell at the refs. I'm sure other Jazz fans who have a love/hate relationship with him feel the same way. Hopefully the Jazz can adapt quickly to this change and get back on track again soon. Despite knowing this day would eventually come, I still feel a little shocked about it. Thanks for 23 great years!

Elderly Hoops

When I was a teenager I remember occasionally watching old guys playing basketball at the gym. I noticed how most of them were out of shape and spent a lot more time joking and socializing than they did playing. I swore that I would never get old and out of shape like they were. I was not going to let time pull that cruel trick on me.

Twenty five years later, I realize that I am slowly becoming that fat, slow guy that resorts to hook shots, walks up and down the court, and plays defense by sticking both arms out to his side like he's carrying a picket fence. Maybe it's not quite that bad, but I've sure lost some intensity.

This got me thinking of many of the players in the NBA who continued playing for a long time. Despite being past their prime when they retired. If you like them or not, you still have to admire players like Kareem, Bob Cousy, Moses Malone, Shaq, Dikembe, Stockton, Karl Malone, Robert Parrish, Rod Strickland and others who had NBA careers for over 20 years. The average N.B.A. player probably has a career closer to 5 years. As hard as it is to watch players age and slow down, you have to hand it to these guys for having the NBA longevity gene and competing at that level for such a long time.

The NBA's Biggest Whiners

I've experienced my fair share of bad calls over the years. The only thing more frustrating than being called for a foul when you block a clean shot it when you get hacked on a shot and the ref doesn't blow the whistle. The refs will always make bad calls and that's just part of the game.

As much as I hate poor officiating, it is not as bad as listening to or watching players whine and complain. Has you ever seen a ref reverse his call just because a player complained? All it will get you is a technical or ejection. Back in the 80's Bill Lambier was one of the biggest whiners. Here is a list of some of the most prolific whiners in the NBA today.

10. Chris Paul
  9. Carmello Anthony
  8. Stephen Jackson
  7. Dirk Nowitzki
  6. Lebron James
  5. Kendrick Perkins
  4. Kobe Bryant
  3. Rasheed Wallace
  2. Josh Smith
  1. Tim Duncan



As bad as these players can be, no one is an annoying whiner as Mark Cuban! Feel free to add any others you think deserve a place on the list.

Keep Your Mouth Guards In!

I'm sure you've noticed the recent trend in seeing 3-4 amazing highlights from Blake Griffin every night he plays. I appreciate the fact that despite such awesome plays, he seems so low key and doesn't have to scream or pound his chest like many other players when they celebrate.

Unfortunately, there is also a down side to his highlights. He has developed the habit of sticking his mouth guard out and chewing on it after a good play.

Gerald Wallace has the same habit and it drives me crazy watching him. I have yet to see a Gerald Wallace highlight that doesn't feature his mouth protection. It's also a common sight with Lebron, Derron Williams, James Posey, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaq, and others. It's not that I think it's gross, but it just bugs me. 

So my plea to the NBA players is this: Please keep your mouth guards in your mouth. Nobody wants to see you chewing on them or taking them out and tucking them in a headband, waist band, or sock. I'm worried that NBA stars are setting a new trend and young punks will think it's cool and start imitating them at the gym. I won't be able to handle that.

However, if I have to watch Blake Griffin stick his mouth guard out and chew on it after each amazing play, I am willing to do so, but he is the only player that I'll say that about.

Getting Undercut Sucks

Last week I was playing in a pickup game and the team I was on kept winning, so I kept playing longer than I new I should. As I went out onto the court for what I told myself would be my last game, I mentioned to a team mate that it's not smart to play too long because you always get injured when you are tired. During the game, the guy I was guarding broke away from me and was going for a baseline jump shot. I sprinted towards him and jumped as high as I could to try and block it. As soon as I left my feet, he decided to fake the shot instead and ended up ducking under me and taking my feet out.

My time in the air passed in slow motion and seemed like an eternity as I tried to figure out how to get my feet under me or land in the least vulnerable position. I ended up slamming hard onto my back on the floor. After rolling around in pain for a minute I was finally able to limp off the court in pain. I later tried to explain to my kids what happened but they didn't know what being undercut meant so I tried showing them with some examples on YouTube.



I was telling them that the first clip was not as bad as mine, then I came across this second clip which is by far the most dangerous basketball fall I have ever seen in my life. It's a miracle that he wasn't paralyzed after this. If you don't cringe or scream while watching this, then you have no soul. I was feeling bad for myself until I watched this clip and it put things in perspective.

Is Missing a Dunk Really That Embarrassing?

Yesterday while watching NBA highlights, I noticed the clip below of JaVale McGee missing a dunk. He had a break away and decided to try to dunk it from the free throw line. He lost control of the ball and ended up  missing the dunk. You can see it below.



Now it's time for my expert commentary. The announcer ripped on him for trying to show off, but I'm pretty sure he didn't decide to try a dunk he had never attempted before or that he was not capable of doing. He could have just as easily have made the dunk and been on highlight reels all month. If I'm reading the clock right, there were 16 seconds left in the game and there was a 25 point differential between the two teams. This wasn't the kind of scenario where the game is on the line.

Over the years I've heard many people comment on how embarrassing it would be to miss a dunk. I disagree. Is it embarrassing to miss a free throw or a jump shot? If it's a close game and someone tries to pull off some incredibly difficult shot and they blow it and their team loses as a result,  then they should be embarrassed, but for most of these guys, making a dunk is like making a layup.

So the next time you see someone miss a dunk, just chill out. You don't jump all over guys for missing three pointers because it's a long shot and hard to make, so why do it when someone takes a close up shot. By the way, one of my favorite pictures on this blog is the one of Shannon Brown jumping out of the gym. He missed the dunk, but I still put the picture up for such an impressive attempt. You can feel free to call me the dunker's advocate.