Pat Riley Thinks Antoine Walker Is Too Chubby

Remember how Antoine Walker was deactivated by Pat Riley four games for ~~being fat~~ failing to meet the team's conditioning standards last year? Well, I'm guessing he didn't spend his summer at the gym, because he was one of three Miami Heat players (along with Earl Barron and Smush Parker) who failed to meet the team's standards on the first day of training camp. From the Sun-Sentinel:

Walker was not available for comment Tuesday, limited to time alongside Parker and Barron on the stationary bikes and treadmills one level below the practice court at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Riley acknowledged there were mitigating factors. Walker has been bothered recently by tendinitis in his right Achilles. Parker reported to camp with a sore ankle. And Barron only came to terms last week, after spending the offseason as a restricted free agent.

But after allowing such issues to fester until midseason last season, Riley invoked a zero-tolerance approach the first day of camp.

That's a bold move, and the symbolism of those three guys not even being in the same room as their teammates is strong. Riley seems intent on turning things around this year, evident by his decision to open training camp at precisely 12 midnight Tuesday morning, the earliest time allowed by the NBA, and working until 2:30 in the morning. What's really funny is that the players weren't even aware about the late-night session until several hours before. Hey, knowing that, maybe we should cut Walker some slack -- for all we know, he was planning a marathon jump-rope session in a sauna the night before camp opened.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-04-2007 @ 12:35AM

wrong said...

Look up the facts first before you write this crap.
Also tell me how you could get your head back in the game after someone put a gun to your head.?

10-04-2007 @ 1:38AM

jflo said...

To comment # 1 ...It's not about getting his head back in the game, it's about getting his hand out of the bag of Doritos and his ass into a gym,,, Way to make excuses for a guy with a track record of being lazy and out of shape.

10-04-2007 @ 11:17AM

Antoine is not built to be Riley skinny and you know nothing about body fat.
At least he plays all the time while others fake injuries because they don't want to be blamed for Shaq being hurt again and them being the MVP and not being able to get it done.

I can't wait for Shaq to retire because Wade will have a one hit wonder label attached to him like he should already have. Without Shaq on the floor Wade will be exposed as the ball hog he is. Unless he plans on living off Lebron James's talent and jumping on the Cleveland bandwagon in 3 years.

Lazy people do not play in 95% of the games. You are just the typical bitter Celtic fan that couldn't support the team until KG shows up or the bandwagon Miami fan that never knew who was on the team until Shaq showed up to town. Oh wait that would be every fan in Miami.

10-04-2007 @ 11:18AM

Also I hope someone puts a gun to your head and we will see how well you work out 6 months after it happens.

10-04-2007 @ 11:23AM

Shaq said...

Hey wrong are you Antoine Walker? If so you are an idiot and a fat has been. Quit taking 25 footers with 12 seconds left on the shot clock and start playing some defense. I hope those guys that put a gun to your head did the shimmy on the way out of there and next time finish the job for heat fans.

10-04-2007 @ 11:54AM

Why don't you and Antoine get a room ???

10-04-2007 @ 12:03PM

Then you want to villify DWade as a one hit wonder??? He only averaged 27.4 points,7.5 assists,4.7 rebounds and 2 steals last season WITH a bad shoulder and knee....

10-09-2007 @ 6:02PM

your an idiot! said...

Wrong, you got some serious problems! Your either mentally unstable or just hate being alive. Either all the hate your lettin out wont erase the fact you weren't hugged as a kid. You chump! How you gonna wish to pull a trigger on someones head over a comment. You done lost your mind!