ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — It wouldn’t be an NBA off-season without a visit from JaVale McGee, the Nuggets center recovering from injury who is in many ways a master of social media, as he’s shown us previously. In this latest video, JaVale shows us exactly what his sweet dreams are made of…
(via TNLP)
The countdown is on! We’re offering 84 facts on the ’84 Draft – one every hour — in advance of the June 9 premiere of “The84Draft” on NBA TV.
Name: Willie White
Willie White of the Denver Nuggets
Position: Guard
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds
Birthday: Aug. 20, 1962
College: Tennessee-Chattanooga
Drafted in 1984: 42nd overall (No. 18 in second round) by Denver Nuggets
Draft fact: Willie White was selected by Denver with the 42nd pick in the 1984 Draft. In an odd case of synergy in his stats, he recorded 82 assists in his 82-game NBA career.
We’re just 82 hours away from “The84Draft” on NBA TV! Tune in for the captivating story on one of the NBA’s most talent-filled and unique classes ever.
By Lang Whitaker, NBA.com
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — We have a leader for the next Crossover Contest. Last night’s Warriors/Nuggets game turned out to be wildly entertaining, as a team well out of the playoff race put together an epic comeback from down 20 to beat the Warriors in Oakland. And while Denver’s Timofey Mozgov put together one of the best stat lines of his life, finishing with 23 points (not 93) and 29 rebounds, the play of the game, and maybe the season, belonged to Golden State’s Andre Iguodala.
It happened in the first quarter, with Denver’s Quincy Miller guarding Iguodala in transition. Andre had the ball in his left hand, and then crossed over to his right hand. At this point Miller seemed ready to make a play for the ball, and at that exact moment, Iguodala crossed it back to his left hand, leaving Miller in a pile on the court…
The only way that could have been better would have been if Iguodala just put the ball on the floor and walked away. The best part about all this? Quincy Miller seemed to take it all in stride after the game on Twitter…
Lmaoo nooooooooooooo😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😭😭—
Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) April 11, 2014
😂😂😂😂😂😂—
Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) April 11, 2014
😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭—
Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) April 11, 2014
I ain't never wearing them damn sneakers again 😂 #yeet—
Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) April 11, 2014
About to throw them in the Pacific Ocean 😂 RT @AlecFMichael: @qmillertime burn them joints bro—
Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) April 11, 2014
Well anyway good team win lol I'm off twitter for about two years lol—
Quincy Miller (@qmillertime) April 11, 2014
By Lang Whitaker, NBA.com
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Last summer, Jason Kidd made the rare move of going from being an active NBA player to an NBA coach. And while there were some bumps in the road, overall Kidd has done a nice job, being named Eastern Conference coach of the month for both January and March.
As it turns out, Kidd’s non-traditional route to becoming a coach had one mostly-forgotten detour through hip-hop music. Back in 1994, Kidd was part of a compilation album called B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret, which featured several NBA players — including Shaquille O’Neal, Cedric Ceballos, Dana Barros — showing their skills as rappers. (Funnily enough, Brian Shaw, who is also in his first season as a head coach this season, also had a track on the record.)
The New York Times caught up with Kidd this week to talk to him about his experience recording, “What the Kidd Didd.” As Kidd told the Times, “That’s something on my bucket list that I can say I’ve done, because I’d never do it again.” The whole story is a fun one, well worth a read.
And as for the song? Well, you be the judge…
VIDEO: What the Kidd Didd
By Lang Whitaker, NBA.com
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Here’s JaVale McGee in a grocery store, riding on a scooter, with Eazy-E’s “Boyz N The Hood” as background music. What more could you want? Oh, how about a caption? As JaVale wrote, “HOW TO GROCERY SHOP LIKE A BOSS!”
By Lang Whitaker, NBA.com
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Last week we noted the reported retirement of Bango the Buck as well as the return of The Raptor in Toronto. This week we check back in to find a mascot missing his eyes, as well as a mascot with a penchant for making amazing shots…
Let’s start in Denver, where Nuggets mascot Rocky shows off his ability to make all sorts of incredible trick shots…
VIDEO: Rocky scores
Meanwhile, down in San Antonio, Spurs mascot Coyote bounced off of Denver’s Aaron Brooks, and the collision caused his eyes to pop out. Which has to be a bummer.
VIDEO: Coyote loses eyes
By Lang Whitaker, NBA.com
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Last night’s Clippers/Nuggets game was notable in that not only did Denver snap L.A.’s 11-game win streak, but it was also a throwback night in Denver. Both teams played in cool retro uniforms, as the Nuggets recognized the 20th anniversary of their 1994 team that upset the Seattle SuperSonics.
With several former Nuggets on hand, including Reggie Williams and LaPhonso Ellis, it only made sense for Denver mascot Rocky the Mountain Lion to bring out Dikembe Mutombo to help with a dunk attempt. What happened next was pure Mutombo…
VIDEO: Mutombo/Rocky
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — It has been the season of their discontent in Denver. After finishing last season 57-25, but also making their fourth consecutive first round exit, the Nuggets parted ways with reigning coach of the year George Karl and embarked upon a new campaign. But after injuries sidelined JaVale McGee and Danilo Galinari for basically the entire season, and new coach Brian Shaw butted heads with Andre Miller, the Nuggets have basically stumbled into rebuilding mode.
They aren’t far from being back and contending — time and health and the Draft should make huge differences next season — but in the meantime, Denver poet Ken Arkind has written and narrated a tribute to the history of the Nuggets that is a lot of fun to watch. Well done, Denver…
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Denver’s Nate Robinson is out for the season while recovering from surgery on his ACL, but he has kept his social media game tight. Yesterday, Nate posted this video of his usual pregame dancing routine, set to Deion Sanders‘ classic hip-hop anthem “Must Be The Money.” (I’m not the only person who immediately recognized that as Prime Time’s song, am I?)
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Denver guard Nate Robinson may be short for an NBA player — or “pint-sized,” as he’s referred to in this new ad for Taco Bell — but being small doesn’t seem to have made his appetite any less potent. Anyway, in this new ad, Nate eats one of these big steak tacos in the locker room while wearing warmups, suggesting they might be in a pregame situation. I guess the Taco Bell people didn’t check with Nuggets coach Brian Shaw…
VIDEO: Nate Eats Tacos
