NBA FanHouse

This Twitter Fan Got Howard's Attention

Tim Povtak — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:45:00 EST

ORLANDO -- Stephanie Fisher thought it was just another internet scam when she signed up to follow Dwight Howard on Twitter (@DwightHoward) two months ago, and up popped a message saying she was a lucky prize winner.

Yeah, right, she thought.

The message said she was Howard's one millionth follower, which meant she had won a trip for two to Orlando to meet the Magic star and watch the opening game Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

"I didn't believe it at all,'' she said after the game. "So I just ignored it at first.''

Fisher, who is from Sacramento, kept getting personal messages from Howard's Twitter account until finally it sunk it. She had won the prize that included airfare, game tickets and hotel accommodations downtown. She and her son Lawrence flew to Orlando Wednesday and watched the game from the 10th row. They were scheduled to fly home Thursday.

They met Howard after the game and thanked him. Howard has embraced the social networking of Twitter, building an enormous following.

"This turned out to be unbelievable for me,'' Fisher said. "I'll remember it for a long time. This is not something you do every day. It made me a fan, that's for sure.''

This Twitter Fan Got Howard's Attention originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Will Respond to Your E-Mail, Which May or May Not Be a Good Thing

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:11:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Media Watch, NBA Twitter

Ron Artest has never been afraid to tell it like he sees it, especially while being one of the athletes who chooses to interact with his fans through the use of social media. He's taken it places it didn't even need to go, really: like giving out his cell phone number, or ripping his former team over a contract issue that didn't even make any sense.

For a lot of fans, the unfiltered access is awesome; a way to truly see into the lives of one of their favorite players. But the direct contact might not be all it's cracked up to be -- especially in the case of one blogger, who unintentionally found himself on the wrong side of Artest's outgoing personality.

TrueHoop has been on the case since last week: basically, The Second Coming blog posted an open letter to Artest, asking him to not screw things up for the Lakers this season. (It was far more intricate, of course, but that was the gist.)

The person who wrote it, Kyle Slavin, dropped a friendly line to Artest, letting him know about the piece. Artest's quick, direct, and not-so-friendly response?

No law when it comes to me.
I let you type critics write and I just keep it hood.
That will never change.
I am not kissing no ones ass because I'm in LA. Suck a c***.

I'm not here to debate whether the initial post might have come across as antagonistic, or even simply overly-critical of Artest's past, and how he may or may not fit into a team that's trying to defend a championship. It honestly doesn't matter. The fact is, a lot of things are written, both positive and negative, about anyone in the league who has even an ounce of All-Star talent.

Artest's response was unacceptable.

Look, I get that he didn't like what he read, so he told the person who wrote it to basically get bent. But it's bad for the league, the team, and Artest personally to cuss people out in an e-mail or via Twitter.

Can you imagine if every athlete chose to respond to fans like this?

The league is a business, and it doesn't make any sense to have a player on its most marketable franchise (or really anywhere, for that matter) spouting off to fans, and using profanities in written form to do so.

The NBA released its social media guidelines recently, and so far, they really aren't all that restrictive. Players are prohibited from posting things online, or using cell phones from 45 minutes before tip-off, until the team's responsibilities with the media are completed after the game.

If we continue to see more outbursts like this one, you can bet that the league won't stand for it, and will enact a whole bunch more policies and restrictions on players communicating like this. It could get to a point where, if the poor judgment continues, the players' use of social media could get shut down completely.

For guys like Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard, who have figured out how to use these technologies to connect with fans in a meaningful and positive way, that would be a real shame.

Ron Artest Will Respond to Your E-Mail, Which May or May Not Be a Good Thing originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Essentials: Fast Grizzlies, Slow Tweeting and Injury Updates

Matt Watson — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Media Watch, NBA Twitter

NBA Essentials provides the must-see links, quotes and videos of the day.

After adding notoriously shot-happy veterans like Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson to a young core that includes Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley, how will Lionel Hollins keep everybody happy at the same time? Apparently by telling them it's every man for himself.

"Every team I played on averaged more than 100 points," Hollins told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "I know the league was different then but it's more fun to play that way. Players love to get up and down the court. And when you move the ball, and not rely on one or two guys, everybody has to step up and play to their maximum ability every night."

Someone who won't be moving anytime soon is Courtney Lee, sidelined with soreness in his left foot, an ailment that could put him behind Chris Douglas-Roberts in the bid to join Devin Harris in the Nets' starting backcourt. Someone who never moved much in the first place is Eddy Curry, who may have lost 40 pounds this summer (he's all the way down to 317!) but is still sidelined with a strained calf. Shocking, right?

In Detroit, Charlie Villanueva is nursing a hamstring injury that will likely keep him in street clothes for the Pistons' preseason opener Monday night, where he'll have to avoid temptation to stand, let alone tweet from the bench, lest he be fined. No one disputes that the NBA's new social media policy is quite sensible (and far less draconian than the NFL's), but are we to believe that Charlie V.'s "groundbreaking tweet" last season truly sparked "numerous complaints" from grumpy, Web 2.0-hating fans last year? That's what the NBA claims, but Jon Bois of MOUTHPIECE Sports (and FanHouse!) is having trouble believing it.

Speaking of trust issues, Mike Jones of the Washington Times wonders if we should believe the Wizards when they say Gilbert Arenas' is missing time with a dislocated finger and not because of his gimpy knee. Even if Gil is taking his return to relevance slowly, at least he can rest assured he's still big in Europe: Agent Zero has one of the most popular jerseys in Europe despite appearing in all of 15 games the past two seasons combined.

But Zero will start the season with a clean slate -- much like the Celtics raised a clean banner -- as in, a completely blank banner -- before media day. What's the story? As Doc Rivers explained, it's an old idea of Red Aurebach's, apparently to remind the team everyday what's expected at the end of the season.

Both Darko Milicic and Allen Iverson have dumped on Detroit lately, but it could be worse ... much, much worse: Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated puts things in perspective with his epic tale of playing hoops with inmates in San Quentin State Prison, a tale that makes you remember how nice it is to have your freedom -- something a lot of people are taking advantage of right about ... now. The work week is over, folks; enjoy the weekend.

NBA Essentials: Fast Grizzlies, Slow Tweeting and Injury Updates originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Twitter Mailbag: Social Media, Stockton or Kidd and Replacement Refs

Matt Steinmetz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Mavericks, NBA Twitter

Let's get right to it. We asked for your Twitter questions and got some. Now for some answers:

jesiree: Since there are so many NBA players who tweet, how do they feel about new social media rules?
There have been virtually no complaints about the new policy regarding social media and Twitter. By and large, players don't have a problem with them and shouldn't. All the league is asking from the players at this point is to refrain from using Twitter and the like during games.

Players can't use cell phones or communication devices from 45 minutes before a game until their responsibilities with the team are completed afterward. Most seem to agree this is an even-handed and fair guideline.

What is likely to be more of an issue is what players actually end up tweeting. For example, Warriors guard C.J. Watson said on Twitter earlier this week that he had banged up his knee at practice and that he was hoping it wasn't anything serious.

It seemed like a relatively harmless communication at the time; however, that's the kind of tweet between a player and his followers that gets dicey. Turns out, Watson will miss one-to-three weeks with the injury.

That's the kind of information teams do not want players passing along to the media or their followers. That's the kind of thing that will fall into a gray area. But clearly NBA players have to be pleased, in general, with the league's forward thinking as it relates to social media.

pcon34: John Stockton or Jason Kidd in their primes? The Stock was the consummate pro and had no ego. Kidd deadly on the break and could board.
That's a great question. Initially, my first thought was Stockton. Then, after considering further I realized I needed to go to Basketball-Reference.com to get a better look at the numbers.

After taking in some stats it became official: still gotta go with Stockton. It's close, though. Keep in mind, my vote for Stockton is not a repudiation of Kidd.

Stockton's numbers are unbelievable. First and foremost, Stockton's durability is virtually unparalleled. He played 19 seasons, and in 17 of those seasons he played every single game. He played the full 82 games in 16 seasons, and the full 50 during the lockout-shortened season of 1988-99. That is remarkable.

Obviously, when it comes to passing both guys are among the all-time greatest. In fact, it's difficult to make a distinction between the two when it comes to ball-handling, playmaking, and decision-making. Stockton may have been a little more fundamentally sound, but that doesn't mean Kidd isn't right there with him when it comes to delivering the ball, finding the open man and getting teammates involved.

Then again, Stockton's career assist and steal numbers, at this point anyway, are better than Kidd's.

If there is one statistic that jumped out at me regarding these two point guards it would be shooting percentage. The bottom line is Stockton shot 51.5% from the field, and Kidd's field-goal percentage currently resides at 40.2%. That is what you call a major disparity.

On the other hand, Kidd is one of the greatest rebounding point guards in basketball history. Kidd has averaged 6.7 rebounds per game over the course of his career, including seven seasons averaging 7.3 rebounds per game or more. Quite frankly, those are forward rebounding numbers.

Neither player has won an NBA title, so there's no advantage there. Again, great question. But I'm taking Stockton.

DaveSilva58: How much of an impact will replacement refs have. When will this get resolved?
If you're looking for some kind of dramatic impact by replacement officials, that's not likely to happen. By all accounts, replacement officials were adequate in Thursday night's Jazz/Nuggets' game.

It's not like the game will completely deteriorate because of replacement officials. But the replacement officials won't be as good, and because of that, the quality of play will drop, too.

The bigger issue for the NBA is that, in essence, it is acknowledging that it isn't putting the best product out on the floor, and that's something it supposedly prides itself on.

On a practical level, I think what you'll see are far more whistles. It's only natural for an official -- or player, for that matter -- to try to do much when they're given their first opportunity. It won't be unlike Las Vegas Summer League games where you'll see too much scoring from the foul line.

NBA Twitter Mailbag: Social Media, Stockton or Kidd and Replacement Refs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Takes His Fans Bowling

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Fans, NBA Videos, Interviews, NBA Twitter, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

There are many basketball stars in the NBA, but few have a connection to fans like Lakers forward Ron Artest. He goes above and beyond to give back. In this FanHouse video, we catch up with Ron-Ron and 50 lucky fans who won a Twitter contest and got to bowl with Ron.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Takes His Fans Bowling originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight Night With Ron Artest

Elie Seckbach — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Videos, Interviews, NBA Twitter, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

NBA star Ron Artest was among the 16,000 fans who came out to the Staples Center to watch the Vitali Klitschko vs. Cris Arreola fight on Saturday night. In this video we talk to Ron before and after the fight to get his take; we also ask him about Lebron James, Lamar Odom's wedding and Kobe Bryant.

Check out the video after the jump.

Fight Night With Ron Artest originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA's Rumored Twitter Policy Is Minimal, Sensible

Tom Ziller — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:48:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Fans, NBA Twitter

ESPN's Marc Stein reports that the coming NBA Twitter policy will be less stringent than the guidelines NFL commissioner Roger Goodell enacted in his league. The main thrust of the NBA's policy will be extending the "criticism of officials" to social media, which means players and coaches can get fined for tweeting something like "these rplcment refs r tha suxxors, amirite????."

Teams will also reportedly be allowed to adjust their own social media guidelines, which of course means Bulls and Spurs will have to immediately delete all their social media accounts, while the Mavericks and Knicks will be allowed to update their Match.com profiles from the huddle. One assumes the league policy will go up in smoke during All-Star Weekend, and I'm really eager to see how someone incorporates a Facebook status update into their dunk contest attempt. (By "really eager" I mean "the complete opposite of eager.")

NBA's Rumored Twitter Policy Is Minimal, Sensible originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Twitter Mailbag: Rashad McCants, Clippers Rising and What Warriors Need

Matt Steinmetz — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Rockets, Warriors, NBA Twitter

Let's get right to it. We asked for your Twitter questions and we got them. Now for some answers:

albert_kim: Is Rashad McCants going to be a good fit in Houston?
I don't think Rashad McCants is necessarily a good fit for any team. We're talking about a colossal headcase here. However, if he's going to be effective for any team it would likely be a team with established veterans, an established style of play and a veteran head coach who is pretty good at dealing with players such as McCants.

To that extent, the Rockets might be less worse of a fit for McCants than many other teams. Coach Rick Adelman is one of the best when it comes to handling players who aren't easy to coach, whether it be Rod Strickland from back in the day or Ron Artest recently.

The problem with McCants in Houston right now, however, is that the Rockets will likely be without Yao Ming for the entire season and without Tracy McGrady for at least a little while. Keeping a player like McCants in check just got a lot more difficult.

maxflipper: Who is your surprise team to make the playoffs?
Until they start to prove me wrong, I'm going to continue to go with the Los Angeles Clippers as my surprise team for 2009-10. The more I think about it the more I think Blake Griffin is really going to help this team. Even if he's little more than a dirty-work-type player to start, I think that's the kind of player the Clippers need.

But the No. 1 reason I'm going with the Clippers to have a big year is point guard Baron Davis, who seems to have something to prove this year. At various times during his career, whether in Charlotte or New Orleans or in Golden State, Davis has shown when he's at his best he is among the elite point guards in the league.

If Davis can put 65 games under his belt this year, and Griffin can hold his own defensively against some of the better power forwards in the NBA, the Clippers are going to be in the mix for the eighth playoff spot.

_brandone_: Who do the Warriors need to acquire to become a .500 team or better?
There are two schools of thought on what the Warriors need to become a legitimate playoff team. Some think the team needs a big-time power forward and others believe the team still needs to go out and acquire a true point guard.

Obviously Warriors management thinks it needs to address its frontcourt and that's why we saw so much talk earlier this summer about the Warriors trying to acquire Amare Stoudemire. He would help, no doubt.

Some believe the Warriors won't be consistent with this team until you put a true point guard onto the roster. I'm one of those people. While Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and C.J. Watson all have strengths, none of them are adept at running a team.

In other words, what you're essentially asking them to do is something that's not their strength or what they're comfortable doing. The Warriors gave Stephen Jackson lots of ball-handling responsibility last season and, while he was able to make plays here and there, over the course of a game he turned the ball over too much.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

NBA Twitter Mailbag: Rashad McCants, Clippers Rising and What Warriors Need originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Twitter Mailbag: Sleepers, Replacement Refs and Comebacks

Matt Steinmetz — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Twitter

Let's get right to it. We asked for your Twitter questions and we got them. Now for some answers:

BHOGUE34: Who is the sleeper team this season?
I'll give you two, one in each conference: the L.A. Clippers in the West and the Toronto Raptors in the East.

The Clippers have had a nice offseason, drafting Blake Griffin and unloading Zach Randolph. Now, all they need is for Baron Davis to have the kind of season he had in Golden State two years ago or like he had a few years before that in New Orleans.

If Davis and coach Mike Dunleavy can come to some kind of understanding and find some kind of common ground in terms of style of play, the Clippers should battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

I like what the Raptors have done. They might have overpaid a little for both Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani (whom they re-signed), but that doesn't mean they weren't solid basketball decisions.

Chris Bosh, Bargnani and Turkoglu make up a versatile front line, and they have one of the best decision-making point guards in the league, Jose Calderon, to put it all together.

Philysstar: We really need some insight on the NBA refs issue. How far apart are they? Is Plan B (replacements) going to work?
These posts should catch you up:

Official: 'Ref Lockout Unavoidable.'
Shaq Backs NBA Refs in Contract Talks;
Fear the Replacement Refs

Now, my two cents ... You know that old saying "Be careful what you wish for?" Well, I'm thinking that's going to be the case with this officiating thing. It's simple and convenient to rip the NBA officials, particularly with the Tim Donaghy issue still on the periphery. But the fact is that NBA officials are among the best in all of professional sports, and if anything we need tinkering and not an overhaul.

You bring in replacement refs, guys who don't know the league, don't know the players, don't know the coaches, and you're asking for trouble. There is no doubt the league is using the economy and the threat of a player lockout in two years to bully NBA officials at this point.

As far as replacement refs go, it's pretty simple: Go ahead and use them; the product will suffer.

Leonard2o: Is Greg Ostertag seriously considering a comeback?
That's what he said three months ago after playing in a scrimmage at Kansas, his alma mater. Bottom line is Ostertag went 1-for-6 from the field in that game, so whether or not he wants to make a comeback isn't really relevant. What is relevant is that nobody's going to take a shot at a 36-year old center who hasn't played in a while and didn't exactly have a raging inner fire when he did play.

clifftx: Michael Jordan gave a great speech. I loved it from beginning to end.
I don't mind statements rather than questions, especially when I agree with them. This one gives me an opportunity to piggy back. I'm with you. I think some of the over-the-top criticism regarding Jordan's speech was just that ... over the top.

One of the things that has stuck out to me over the years of covering the NBA is just how ruthless players are to each other regarding trash-talking. In fact, trash talking doesn't wholly describe all the give-and-take between players, whether it's on the court, in the locker room or anywhere, quite frankly.

It can be relentless and vicious and it is a way NBA players can weed out the weaker players. And it's more than simple banter, too. It's guys who play the verbal game as competitively as they play the real game.

What Jordan did last Friday during his induction speech was no different than what he did -- and what plenty of players do -- during his playing career. The players, themselves, didn't expect anything different. And the media shouldn't have either.

NBA Twitter Mailbag: Sleepers, Replacement Refs and Comebacks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Is the New King of L.A.

Elie Seckbach — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:14:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Fans, NBA Videos, Interviews, NBA Twitter, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

This has been an amazing summer for NBA star Ron Artest, who in a relatively short time has taken over Los Angeles. Ron-Ron has caused many Lakers fans to fall in love with the defensive specialist by being himself -- chatting with fans, handing out his phone number and getting involved in the community. In this FanHouse exclusive, we catch up with Ron at a press conference for boxing stars Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, where we talk to him about basketball, boxing, charity work and even making a mean sandwich.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Is the New King of L.A. originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Jordan, Four Others Poised for Hall of Fame Induction

Matt Steinmetz — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:13:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Awards, NBA Twitter

The hardwood will be replaced by the red carpet when Michael Jordan and four others are inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight in Springfield, Mass.

Jordan, perhaps the greatest player to ever play the game, will be honored at the ceremony along with David Robinson, John Stockton and coaches Jerry Sloan and Vivian Springer.

Of course, Jordan's induction is a mere formality. But that doesn't mean it isn't creating more of a buzz than inductions past.

Tomasson: David Thompson on Presenting MJ

One indication of how big tonight's festivities are expected to be is the fact that the venue was changed to allow for a larger crowd. Enshrinements usually take place at the Hall of Fame, itself. Tonight, the event will take place at Springfield's Symphony Hall, which holds close to 3,000.

The evening begins with a Red Carpet show at 5:30 PM ET on NBA TV, followed by the induction ceremony on ESPN at 6:30 PM. Matt Steinmetz will be tweeting during the ceremony -- join the conversation by sending your thoughts to @matt_steinmetz.

Michael Jordan, Four Others Poised for Hall of Fame Induction originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allen Iverson Announces Memphis Signing on Twitter

Will Brinson — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, NBA Rumors, NBA Transactions, NBA Twitter

Allen Iverson has been back and forth on whether or not he would actually join the Memphis Grizzlies -- one of a handful of franchises that meets the exact opposite of his preferences (not competitive, full of young players, no chance at a championship, etc.) But with few options on the table, he's signing with them anyway.

So sayeth the breaking news machine that is Twitter.

God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career. I met with Mr. Heinsley, Chris Wallace and my next head coach Lionel Hollins

Of course, don't let my pessimism about Iverson's future with the Grizzlies deter you ... or him, for that matter.

Tomasson: Step Right Up, Iverson Circus Arrives in Memphis
More: Iverson Officially Introduced

I feel that they are committed to developing a winner and I know that I can help them to accomplish that. I feel that I can trust them.

Right. So, anyway (and more importantly) the details of the contract, from David Aldridge: one year, $3.5 million. Pretty simple and not that surprising, although with Iverson's "committed to building a winner" talk, I kind of expected Iverson to pull some three-year deal that would make everyone who's ever cared about Memphis b-ball to pull the traditional palm-to-face move.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how he fits -- if his tweets are any indication, he's actually ready to play "team-first" ball. But then again, Iverson announced the signing on Twitter, which is so bizarre in the first place that we shouldn't be all that surprised by anything he does from here on out.

Allen Iverson Announces Memphis Signing on Twitter originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Considering Twitter Policy

Tom Ziller — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Fans, NBA Twitter

Hot on the heels of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's rulemaking on gameday tweeting, Yahoo!'s Marc Spears reports that the NBA is considering a policy of its own. Commissioner David Stern was noncommittal on what an NBA Twitter policy would ban, though one would imagine the NFL's "no Tweet window" around games -- from 90 minutes before kick-off until after post-game media access -- would be a likely base.

I understand why the league wouldn't want players tweeting (or doing anything else on an electronic device) during a game, and unofficial injury updates or referee disclosures would be bad all around.

But beyond that, it's probably best left to each team's discretion. The NBA, after all, doesn't set rules for what activities can occur on the team bus before or after games, or whether headbands are allowed on the court. Teams do. Perhaps the league can set guidelines for the franchises, but Twitter is not a rogue NBA crisis ready to burst. If having an NBA policy prevents a suspended Dwight Howard from live-tweeting a Magic playoff game, I want no part of it.

NBA Considering Twitter Policy originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Michael Beasley Enters Rehab

Matt Watson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Heat, NBA Twitter

Michael Beasley has officially made the jump from "quirky" to "troubled."

According to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, Beasley checked himself into an unidentified Houston rehabilitation center over the weekend at the urging of the Miami Heat "to address possible substance and psychological issues."

On the surface, this news certainly appears to be connected to Beasley's curious actions from this past weekend, which included deleting his Twitter account after eyebrows were raised regarding a picture he posted that seemed to suggest the presence of drugs in the background.

(Update: Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel reports Beasley had checked himself in before the picture and the ensuing controversy. Also, Winderman confirms that Beasley was already in the league's substance-abuse program, although it's not yet known if he faces any punishment from the league as a result of entering rehab.)

In the sake of fairness, let's not be vague: there were plastic baggies in the background; no more, no less. We'll never know what the bags contained, but the fact that Beasley was linked to marijuana before he played in a single NBA game means he'll never again enjoy the benefit of the doubt.

Before deleting his account, Beasley posted a series of disturbing messages, as captured by Peninsula is Mightier, apparently in response to the questions posed about the picture:

Y do I feel like the whole world is against me!!!!!!! Back on my FTW!!!!! I can't win for losin!!!!!!!!!!

Feelin like it's not worth livin!!!!!!! I'm done

not feelin this at all!!!!!

Was Beasley simply frustrated with social media or his life in general? Hopefully it's merely the former, but spending some time working things out with a counselor is an important step if it's the latter.

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Michael Beasley Photos

FILE -- This is a Feb. 22, 2009, file photo showing Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley, with a mouthpiece that bears a Batman logo, during a foul shot in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

FR121174 AP

Michael Beasley Photos

FILE -- This is a March 20, 2009, file photo showing Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley, right, attempting to get to the basket as he is guarded by New Jersey Nets' Trenton Hassell during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in East Rutherford, N.J. A person briefed on the situation says Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is battling depression-related issues and is being treated at a Houston rehabilitation facility. Beasley checked into the facility last week, the person told The Associated Press on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)

ATLANTA - MAY 03: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks over Joel Anthony #50 and Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks defeated the Heat 91-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Joel Anthony;Michael Beasley

Getty Images

ATLANTA - MAY 03: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks scores over Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks defeated the Heat 91-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Michael Beasley

Getty Images

ATLANTA - MAY 3: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks puts up a shot against Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Michael Beasley

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ATLANTA - MAY 3: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against Joe Johnson #2 of the Atlanta Hawks in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Joe Johnson

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MIAMI - MAY 01: Jamaal Magloire #21 and Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat celebrate after Magloire was fouled grabbing an offensive rebound against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Hawks 98-72. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jamaal Magloire;Michael Beasley

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MIAMI - MAY 01: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat backs down Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Hawks 98-72. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Josh Smith

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Miami Heat's Michael Beasley squeezes between two Atlanta Hawks defenders including Josh Smith, right, in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs in Miami, Florida, Friday, May 1, 2009. (Robert Duyos/Sun-Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

MIAMI - MAY 1: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat shoots against Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Josh Smith

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Report: Michael Beasley Enters Rehab originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Love Talks Ricky Rubio, Mark Madsen's Love Life, Twitter and More

Elie Seckbach — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, NBA Videos, Interviews, NBA Twitter

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Kevin Love is a one-of-a-kind NBA star who has great basketball skills and a personality like no other.

In this video, he talks to us about being a Twitter sensation (@kevin_love), Ricky Rubio, his buddy Mark Madsen's love life and what we can find in Minnesota.

Check out the video after the jump.

Kevin Love Talks Ricky Rubio, Mark Madsen's Love Life, Twitter and More originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Is Angry at the Rockets

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:29:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Rockets, NBA Twitter

The NBA's offseason goes on far too long for the league's die-hard fans, but the latest craze of its athletes sharing their most intimate thoughts via Twitter is helping to keep us connected. And, in the case of Ron Artest, we're also getting a preview of what to expect once the season does finally begin at the end of October.

The latest from Ron-Ron -- who you may remember from such stunts as giving his cell phone number out to the general public -- is that he's not at all happy with the way things ended with the Rockets. Specifically, he claims that they "did him dirty" by "messing up" his Bird rights, and because of this, he plans on carrying out a vendetta against them as long as he's in the league.

Over two separate Twitter dispatches, Artest explains why he's upset.

"Houston did me dirty. I can't wait til next year when we go to Houston. I'm not shooting. All defense. Somebody getting locked da f**k up."

"I still feel blessed but they messed up my bird rights. So it's on as long as I'm in the league."

Now of course, we all love imaginary reasons for players to feud with other teams. Who can forget the entertainment value of Gilbert Arenas' revenge tour of the 2006-07 season? But the issue that Artest raises as the basis for his future actions on the court against the Rockets really doesn't seem to be one that's all that legitimate.

Without going into too much detail about the rules of the salary cap (because I don't want to give myself a headache), a player acquires "Bird rights" after playing for three seasons without being waived, or changing teams as a free agent. These rights are basically a salary cap exception, and allow for a 10.5 percent raise in the first season of a new deal. They also allow a team to exceed the salary cap to sign its own free agents.

Artest had these rights in Houston, and had the Rockets done a sign-and-trade with the Lakers (for Trevor Ariza, maybe?), he would continue to have them in Los Angeles. Since he left as a free agent, though, the "clock" resets, and he'll have to play three years on his current deal to earn them again.

But in Artest's current situation with the Lakers, it seems like a moot point.

Artest signed a five-year deal to play in Los Angeles, and actually did so for less than he made in his one season in Houston. Since he isn't going to be a free agent until he regains his Bird rights, those rights are somewhat useless to him right now. Especially considering that the team is well over the cap at the moment anyway -- so much so that team owner Jerry Buss was willing to let Lamar Odom walk if Odom didn't lower his asking price.

So is Artest justified in holding a grudge against his former team, and threatening some sort of revenge against them for all of this? Of course not. But anytime a player goes on the record as saying "it's on" against another team, you can guarantee we'll all be watching a little more closely.

Ron Artest Is Angry at the Rockets originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sports Greats Past and Present Get Together for a Great Cause

Elie Seckbach — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bucks, Celtics, Clippers, Hornets, Lakers, Suns, NBA Awards, NBA Draft, NBA Videos, Interviews, NBA Twitter, FanHouse Exclusive, NBA Coaches

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

For the past nine years the Harold Pump Foundation, created by David and Dana Pump (known as the gurus of high school and college basketball) has raised over $3.5 million dollars to fight cancer. The foundation's efforts have not gone unnoticed. Major stars such as Magic Johnson, Paul Pierce, Sugar Ray Leonard, Pete Sampras and Denzel Washington have all joined the Pump brothers. In this report we also hear from young NBA stars like Kevin Love, Brandon Jennings, and Blake Griffin.

Check out the video after the jump.

Sports Greats Past and Present Get Together for a Great Cause originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest, Taking Your Phone Calls

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:24:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Videos, NBA Twitter

This whole new media thing is pretty interesting, especially in terms of seeing how professional athletes keep finding creative ways to reach out to their fans. While some NBA stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard seem to have it figured out, others like Stephon Marbury are, well ... struggling to use the technology correctly.

Taking a page from Marbury's playbook, Ron Artest went ahead and gave his phone number out to his over 29,000 followers on Twitter. And just to make sure you knew he was really answering those calls himself, Artest made a little video clip of the stunt, which of course we have for you below. It's so serious.

It seemed that most people on the line were simply calling to see if it was truly Artest who would answer; they were either too nervous or too speechless to attempt to have any sort of meaningful conversation. And honestly, this is pretty much how you'd expect this kind of experiment to go down, isn't it?

Most fans don't have anything interesting to say to a favorite player, so while Ron-Ron is sure to get his share of calls, the dialogue is probably going to continue to be pretty one-sided -- which is probably just fine with him.

As long as Artest has enough time to drop the name of the artist he's been promoting on his recent trip to China, I'm sure he won't mind the astronomical bill that's on the way for the thousands of calls blowing up his cell phone while he's on one of those infamous international roaming plans.

Ron Artest, Taking Your Phone Calls originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Twitter Mailbag: Shaq, Kevin Durant, and the Celtics Roster

Brett Pollakoff — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:20:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Pistons, Rockets, Thunder, NBA Twitter

In our inaugural edition of the NBA Twitter mailbag, we've got some interesting topics to get us started. How will Shaq's ego fit in Cleveland? Is Kevin Durant getting the attention he deserves? And what's left on the Celtics' summer to-do list?

These questions and more, answered for you below.

Over / under on number of games it takes Shaq to start (complaining) about touches? I go under 25. -- @ZoDogg34

I'll go under 25 too. Remember, Shaq is willing to fit in on a championship contender at this stage of his career, as long as the team is winning. All it will take is a couple of losses where Mo Williams or Delonte West goes 7-for-24 from the field, and you'll start hearing what we heard in Phoenix: Shaq will recite his career field goal percentage statistics, look at the box score from the game where he only got something like nine shots, and then it'll be on.

Shaq won't criticize LeBron James for taking too many shots. But yes, as soon as he goes through some losses where other guys have some poor shooting nights, there's no doubt he'll start to lobby for more touches.

In fact, let's lower the over/under to 16.

is there any chance Allen Iverson can/will be signed to the rockets for their scoring needs? -- @Abel86

With Yao Ming out for the season and Tracy McGrady out until sometime around the All-Star break, there's no question the Rockets could use some scoring. But Allen Iverson doesn't fit in with the Daryl Morey (super-genius!) template of finding hard-working, team-oriented guys to work towards a common goal. Iverson is a volume shooter, and tends to dominate the ball while turning possessions into a one-man show. Add in the fact that he's personally offended if you should ask him to come off the bench, and Houston just doesn't seem like a place where Iverson could peacefully coexist.

What's Ainge doing with big baby? Marbury? How is he getting daniels? A back up pg? -- @CS_Clips_Falcns

There has apparently been a recent snag in the sign-and-trade negotiations to bring Marquis Daniels to Boston. That doesn't mean it isn't going to happen, but at this point a third team may need to get involved for the Pacers to get something they want in return.

This could also affect the Glen Davis situation, as the Celtics could include him in that three-team deal to get something back for him, instead of simply choosing not to match another team's offer in restricted free agency. The New Jersey Nets are rumored to have the most interest in Davis at the moment.

As for Stephon Marbury, don't expect him back. He rejected the Celtics' minimum offer at the beginning of the month, and at the time said he believed his days in Boston were done.

Durant or LeBron? I guess that's the question now according to Sam Smith. -- @dailythunder

Why are people sleepin' on KD? He's going to lead the L in scoring for the next decade. He's abstract art on hardwood. -- @JustinRWalsh

Kevin Durant personally wants no part of any comparisons to LeBron James; he said so himself via Twitter. But yes, Durant seems poised to be the guy that takes that leap into the LeBron/Kobe/Wade stratosphere.

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman relays this anecdote about Durant's work ethic and attitude, and this, to me, says a lot about what we can expect from Durant in the seasons to come.

As an aside, several times throughout the season I'd joke with Durant about how his shooting stroke is effortless. He never seemed to like my opinion, and each time I voiced it he agitatedly insisted that his shot isn't effortless. While I was referring to the sheer sight and mechanics of it, he made sure I knew that he's given a great deal of effort, through time and reps, to get his form and results to the point they are today. It's one small example of Durant's mentality.

Is Will Bynum a legit #2 point guard in the NBA? Maybe even a lower-end #1, given his playoff performance? -- @WestMIAllStar

Matt Watson: Legit number two? Absolutely. Starter on a bad team? I think so. The only reason people dismiss Bynum is his size -- he's officially listed at six-foot, but remember, NBA players are measured in their shoes, so he's closer to what you and I would call 5-10. That said, he's built like an NFL safety, so he's not going to get bullied by bigger players, and he's probably the most explosive leaper on the team, so he's not going to stopped from attacking the rim.

Bynum isn't much of an outside shooter (to say the least), but that's the only serious flaw in his game. He can penetrate, play above the rim, score in bunches and make plays for teammates (he averaged a team-high 7.0 assists per 36 minutes last year) and be a pesky defender -- just about everything you'd expect from a backup point, or, surrounded by the right players, from a starter.

He didn't come into regular playing time until late in the season (and even then was reduced to garbage minutes while Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton and Allen Iverson gobbled up most of the time) but by the time the dust settled he was the most efficient of all, leading the team with a 17.4 PER in the regular season and 19.9 PER in the playoffs. He'll be Rodney Stuckey's primary backup from Day 1 this season, and by the time he hits unrestricted free agency next summer, he just might get a chance to go somewhere as a starter.

Want to be part of our next NBA Twitter mailbag? Post a question or comment on Twitter.com, and be sure to start it with @NBAFanHouse.

NBA Twitter Mailbag: Shaq, Kevin Durant, and the Celtics Roster originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stephon Marbury Gets Into a Car Accident, Live on the Internet

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:21:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Media Watch, NBA Videos, NBA Twitter

As the seemingly endless hours of live video from Stephon Marbury continue to pile up, one thing has become clear: This is no longer must-see TV.

Between simply flooding the market with content and the fact that no one in the world can be entertaining for that many consecutive hours at a time, the Marbury experiment has devolved into a deranged, sad event that fewer and fewer people are finding compelling for any sort of positive reason.

But hey, that doesn't mean there won't be highlights! Take the following video clip, for example, where Marbury's car gets hit as he's coming to you live from the back seat.

Thankfully everyone was okay there, but what exactly went down is anybody's guess.

It sounded like the driver made a sudden u-turn, which caused another car to collide with the one Marbury was sitting in. But with no real discussion about who was at fault or an extended stop where the two involved parties exchanged information, might it have been one of Marbury's friends/employees who was following in another car and inflicted the damage?

As is often the case when seeing things involving Marbury lately, we're left with many more questions than we have answers.

Stephon Marbury Gets Into a Car Accident, Live on the Internet originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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