ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — There are several NBA players who have been vocal about their love of fishing. But I’m not sure we’ve ever seen anyone haul in as big a catch as the Denver Nuggets’ Wilson Chandler recently hauled in. Check out this huge grouper Chandler landed…
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Ever wondered what it’s like to be an NBA mascot? There are some parts that probably aren’t so great — being inside that hot costume and running around for three hours at a time. But you also get to do cool stuff, like rappeling down from the arena ceiling, climbing impossibly tall ladders, and of course interacting with fans. In order to let us know what it’s like inside the fur, Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky got his paws on a GoPro camera for a night and came away with this video.
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Ever wonder what happens down on the end of the bench, where the players are basically sit close enough to talk to the fans? Apparently, sometimes they actually talk to the fans, or at least Kobe Bryant did last night in Denver. During the fourth quarter of last night’s Lakers/Nuggets game, Kobe apparently got into a conversation with a couple of nearby fans. And then, as the Denver Post reports, something of a contest broke out. The prize? The shoes off of Kobe’s feet…
Bryant’s fun didn’t end when he exited the game. He had his own contest with four fans sitting behind the Lakers’ bench, a pair of boys and a pair of young ladies. It ended with the two boys receiving his autographed sneakers once the game ended. It wasn’t just a gift, either.
“No, they earned them,” Bryant said. “They wanted to know what the name of my pet dog was so I gave them a clue. I said ‘it’s in a (Harry) Potter film.’ So every time, they threw out like 15 names. The deal was if they got it, I’d give them my shoes. And they got it.”
Bryant revealed the name of his dog is Crucio, the name of one of three unforgivable curses that inflicts excruciating pain upon the receiver.
(via CBS)
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Steve Novak is a 6-10 stretch four in his tenth NBA season. He had the size to make it to the NBA, but his three-point shooting ability has earned him a long career. Unfortunately for Novak, that same ability to shoot also means teams around the NBA want Novak on their team. So in that decade in the NBA, Novak has played for eight different teams, most recently the Oklahoma City Thunder. I say most recently the Thunder, because yesterday at the trade deadline, Novak was traded again, this time to the Denver Nuggets. Novak took to Twitter to post a picture of his son balling in the backyard, where he showed off one result of getting traded so much — lots of gear…
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Hang around the NBA long enough and you’ll hear the phrase: “You reach, I teach.” And on this play in last night’s Brooklyn/Denver game, we basically saw it come to life. Denver big man Jusuf Nurkic got switched onto Brooklyn forward Joe Johnson on this possession, and just when Nurkic reaches in and tries for the steal, Johnson crosses him over and sends him to the floor. And check the second angle on the video, where you see the Nets bench go crazy…
And for his part, after the game Nurkic responded in good humor…
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — It’s been a big week for Rocky, the Denver Nuggets mascot. Earlier this week he reignited a long-running feud with Russell Westbrook, and then last night, with the Nuggets hosting the Grizzlies, Rocky made sure one Grizzlies fan had a memorable evening.
Now, to be fair, the Grizzlies fan in the video below may or may not have been a plant. But one thing is certain: I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much silly string in one place in my life…
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ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Some of the NBA’s greatest rivalries have endured for years, and this feud between Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky and Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is no different. Two years ago during a game in Denver, seemingly randomly, Westbrook decided he didn’t want Rocky to make any of his halfcourt shot attempts.
Well, last night in Denver, after two years of detente, their differences flared again. Watch Westbrook here, as he says something to Rocky, who threatens to go all Daniel LaRusso on Westbrook…
Considering the result, Rocky might want to figure out a way to end this feud. Because just moments later, Westbrook did this…
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ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Like we always do at this time, let’s take a look at the best instances of people getting #POSTERIZED over the last week and, at the bottom of the post, you can place your vote for a winner. And don’t forget, if you see someone get posterized, tweet it with the hashtag #POSTERIZED so we don’t miss it!
Quick second to send a shoutout to LeBron James. Not only did LeBron make a strong POSTERIZED appearance this week (see the poll below), but he also paid something of a POSTERIZED tribute to legendary power forward Karl “The Mailman” Malone. Check out this breakaway dunk against the Dallas Mavericks…
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LeBron didn’t exactly dunk on anyone, so for our purposes it doesn’t qualify for the poll. But LeBron did do a dunk that Karl Malone put on numerous posters throughout his career…
Anyway, there were a bunch of terrific POSTERIZING dunks this week. Special shoutout to last week’s winner, New York’s Kristaps Porzingis!
OK, let’s get to the POSTERS…where one of Porzingis’ fellow rookies, Jahlil Okafor, didn’t have the best of weeks… (more…)
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Like we always do at this time, let’s take a look at the best instances of people getting #POSTERIZED over the last week and, at the bottom of the post, you can place your vote for a winner. And don’t forget, if you see someone get posterized, tweet it with the hashtag #POSTERIZED so we don’t miss it!
By the way, welcome to 2016! I’m thinking we’ll continue with weekly #POSTERIZED polls until we get a little closer to the All-Star break, and then we’ll round up all the previous winners and crown a first half champ. We can do the same with the second half of the season, and then have a poll to select an overall winner as well.
Special shoutout to last week’s winner, Utah’s Alec Burks, as he goes for back-to-back wins this week. And let me say right here, I understand that Burks’ dunk this week generated some controversy — was it technically a dunk? Did he just throw the ball through the basket?
The beauty of the #POSTERIZED Poll is that it doesn’t even really matter. Did a player put someone else on a poster? Then that’s good enough for us!
OK, let’s get to the POSTERS…
(more…)
ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Like we always do at this time, let’s take a look at the best instances of people getting #POSTERIZED over the last week and, at the bottom of the post, you can place your vote for a winner. And don’t forget, if you see someone get posterized, tweet it with the hashtag #POSTERIZED so we don’t miss it!
A quick honorable mention this week to Rajon Rondo, who has a terrific dunk last week against the Knicks, his first dunk in years. But try as I might, I don’t believe we can count this as a #POSTERIZED dunk, as you can clearly see Carmelo Anthony wisely get out of the way as he realizes Rondo is trying to put him on a poster.
Either way, nice dunk. Besides, there are some great entries this week with people getting directly dunked on.
Oh, and before we get to all the latest dunks, congratulations to last week’s winner, Kevin Garnett!
Now, let’s go to the posters, and don’t forget to vote for the winner…
WILL BARTON ON DONATAS MOTIEJUNAS
RUDY GAY ON PATRICK BEVERLEY
JORDAN HILL ON ERSAN ILYASOVA
RICHUAN HOLMES ON AL HORFORD
DEANDRE JORDAN ON GREG MONROE
PAUL MILLSAP ON HASSAN WHITESIDE
THOMAS ROBINSON ON CLINT CAPELA
