NBA FanHouse

Ron Artest Shakes Things Up for Fans

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Videos, Interviews

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

When it come to high-profile professional athletes, Ron Artest is one of a kind. He's setting the bar in the way stars reach out to interact with their fans, and it's very refreshing.

In this FanHouse video, we were on hand as Ron-Ron was dishing out milkshakes to fans, who absolutely enjoyed every moment around the Lakers star.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Shakes Things Up for Fans originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Call for LeBron, No Win for Cavs

Brett Pollakoff — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, NBA Last Night, NBA Referees, NBA Videos

The Bulls went into Cleveland on Thursday and pulled out a hard-fought win over the Cavaliers. It was a low-scoring, defensive struggle, as neither team shot the ball very well, so it's not surprising that the game came down to the final play.

LeBron James drove to the basket with three seconds left and his team trailing by one, and was met by two defenders when he got there -- Luol Deng, who was guarding him from the play's outset, and Joakim Noah, who came over to help at the last second. James appeared to jump into Noah, and there was definitely contact. But somewhat incredibly, the refs swallowed their whistles, and the Bulls won the game.

Was it the right call? Read on and judge for yourself.

The action starts at the 2:25 mark:

It's not that I necessarily think that a foul should have been called there, and in fact, I'm of the opinion that the refs should let the players decide the game whenever possible, and only intervene in the closing seconds if the call is an obvious one.

But watching this as it happened, I think anyone who's seen LeBron drive like that and get contact on the final possession was stunned to see the officials not blow the whistle. LeBron, like most of the game's biggest stars, will historically get that call 98 times out of 100, even if it's a questionable one.

Mike Brown's discussion of the no-call seemed to back up the officials, although he believed that Noah might have been still on the move when the contact was made.

"I still don't understand that rule," Brown said. "I thought [LeBron] drove the ball, and Noah came across the paint, and as he came across the paint he jumped. I understand the rule of verticality as if you're in the spot, and you jump straight up and somebody runs into you, then it's a no-call.

"But I've got to find out if you're going across the lane and you meet somebody on the other side ... I don't know."

Fortunately in this case, the refs did know, and appeared to make the correct call. It will be interesting to see if the early-season trend of the officials favoring the rules over the game's stars will continue as the season goes on.

No Call for LeBron, No Win for Cavs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Miller Is Tougher Than He Looks

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, NBA Injuries, NBA Videos

Mike Miller may not look all that manly to most these days, given his unfortunate choice of hair styles. But after the way he competed in Wednesday night's close loss to the Miami Heat, there's certainly no questioning his toughness.

Miller came out of the game early in the third with an injured left shoulder, and headed to the locker room for some treatment. It was considered a mild sprain at the time, and since it was his non-shooting shoulder, he re-entered the game late in the period.

Miller played through until early in the fourth, when he hit the deck on a drive to the basket, and landed on the already injured shoulder. The man was in visible agony, but as you'll see in the following video, he managed to stay in the game long enough to make the highlights.

After picking himself up off the deck and hitting the free throw, Miller had to stay in the game, because it was Miami's possession. But even after the Heat's turn on offense, the Wizards didn't call a timeout to get Miller out of the game. So, with his one good arm, he catches a pass on the wing, dribbles to the top of the arc, and zips a one-handed pass into the hands of Andray Blatche for an easy two points.

The action begins at the 52-second mark:

That would have been a great play if Miller was a hundred percent; it's an amazing play given the circumstances. The Heat called a timeout immediately after the play, and Miller was done for the night.

In case you're wondering just how painful a shoulder injury like this might be, consider the tears and infamous wheelchair we saw when Dwyane Wade's popped out back in 2007. And after this one, Flip Saunders told the media that Miller would miss the next seven-to-ten days with the injury.

Mike Miller Is Tougher Than He Looks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

Rob Peterson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, NBA Videos

Looking back at the first week of the 2009-10 NBA season, someone missed a golden opportunity for a Halloween costume.

Wouldn't it have been great if two Lakers fans had gone as Shannon Brown and Josh Powell with the fan who was Brown holding onto a rim (a Nerf rim would have been fine) and sitting on Powell's shoulders?

"Whatever do you mean, Professor Stinkface?"

You know what I mean. Video after the jump.

Could you imagine the looks on people's faces if two guys walked into a party like that? Their faces would probably mirror the collective look on everyone's faces at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 when Brown yanked down a dunk so ferocious, so nasty we had wished Doug Collins had been announcing just so he could go all 2000 on us.

Just look at what Brown does in this video. He's at the top of the square when he lands on top of Powell's noggin. While Brown's ups are impressive, what's even more so is his timing. Remember, he's doing this off a long, missed 3-pointer. To measure the shot, the carom and then his steps? Incredible.

The four-letter network also was kind enough to do everything we would have done had we had the DVR running -- pause, slow mo, pause. The only thing they didn't do was rewind, and with the Mavericks up 12 at the time, they should have. No one would have complained. Except maybe Phil Mushnick.

Melo on Millsap

Poor Paul Millsap, he of the large contract and one more year of apprenticeship under Carlos Boozer. If riding the pine behind Boozer wasn't bad enough, Millsap suffered greviously when Carmelo Anthony unleashed all the fury of West Baltimore on his head.

Thanks to his own ill-advised and errant pass, Millsap was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Wednesday, Oct. 28 as Melo monster mashed in his mug.

'House's Brett Pollakoff covered this one quite well the night it happened and judging by the tweets, even Melo's peers couldn't help but ooh and ahh. I'll let it lay. You click the link and get your stink on.

Manu v. Bat

We've posted mulitple times on the Spurs' Manu Ginobili taking down the bat on Halloween night. And what the heck, we'll do it again because for the first time in NBA history we have "bat stinkface."

Don't believe me? As FanHouse NBA poobah Matt Watson pointed out, check out Kevin Martin's reaction at about 35 seconds. That's an epic flinch right there. It's tough to blame Martin, though. The bat was headed right for him and Manu saved him from multiple rabies shots. I think a thank you note or at least an iTunes gift card should be in the offing, don't you?

And finally...

A quick shout out to Alexe (or as he's known on YouTube as spankissimo) for not only responding to the first Stinkface post, but for being inspired enough by it to create this video, which went viral big time last week when multiple basketball blogs linked to it.

Congrats, Alexe. We look forward to more.

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blake Griffin Talks About His Injury

Elie Seckbach — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, NBA Videos

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

Blake Griffin, the first overall draft pick, is staying strong after suffering a knee injury during a preseason game. In this FanHouse exclusive, he gives he gives us an update on his injury.

We also talk boxing with Griffin's teammates, as Marcus Camby, Rasual Butler and DeAndre Jordan make their picks in the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.

Check out the video after the jump.

Blake Griffin Talks About His Injury originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PETA Likens Manu Ginobili Bat Incident to Michael Vick in Response

Will Brinson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Spurs, NBA Videos

Manu Ginobili had a recent encounter with a bat at a recent Spurs game, the video of which has since been broadcast on almost every blog you can find. And in commenting sections on these sites across the world, people joked about how PETA would respond.

And now they have -- and it is exactly what you would expect from them.

From PETA.org:

Here's our take on it: To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one-with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn.

Now, ordinarily, I wouldn't leave a hyperlink in a blockquote ... except PETA decided to link to their "Michael Vick" blog tag while describing one of the two things that Manu could be for "bludgeoning" the bat.

I normally have some ill-will-filled feelings towards PETA, because I tend to think they rely too much on publicity stunts and less on "actually helping animals."

But this time, they've really crossed the line; not only do they fail to realize that some fan (and not, you know, Manu) brought the bat in the arena, but they decided to compare what amounts to Ginobili's self-defense to Vick torturing dogs.

And that folks, is just a bunch of guano.

PETA Likens Manu Ginobili Bat Incident to Michael Vick in Response originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Paul, Rondo Exchange Words

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Hornets, NBA Last Night, NBA Videos

Chris Paul is the best point guard in the game today, and Rajon Rondo isn't too far behind at the position, probably in most people's top five. But besides being great at what they do, these guys have something else in common: they play the game with a noticeable chip on their shoulder.

So it shouldn't come as any surprise that when the two went head-to-head in Boston on Sunday, things got a little heated during the game, and words were exchanged on the court after the final buzzer had sounded.

As the Celtics' announcers said, it looked like in the aerial view that Rondo was the instigator there, but then again, Paul was in the Celtics' bench area, and it's not exactly customary after a road loss to head over there to shake hands after a game.

Afterwards, Paul got in a sarcastic shot at Rondo, before quickly throwing some praise his way to soften the blow of the wisecrack.

"Rondo is a lucky guy, to play with guys like Pierce, (Ray) Allen and (Kevin) Garnett," Paul, who scored 22 points with eight assists, said with a sly smile.

Asked if that was meant as a slight toward Rondo, the two-time All-Star said, "No, no. He is a great point guard and he's a champion. It's my hope to achieve that."

I can't ever remember instructions from a team's PR guy to the media making it into a game recap, but this quote from a member of the Celtics' media relations staff -- since it was hilarious -- did exactly that.

"Rajon has requested you not ask anything about Chris Paul now, tomorrow, or any other time,'' Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said.

Most people that aren't fans of either one of these teams are probably laughing at this mini-incident this morning, because Paul and Rondo are the same guy. They're both great players, but they play the game in a way that makes you hate them when your team is on the court playing against them.

On Sunday, each found out what it was like to play against themselves, and they weren't at all happy with what they saw.

Chris Paul, Rondo Exchange Words originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu

Tom Herrera — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Spurs, NBA Videos

Manu Ginobili is many things: versatile guard, lover of alfajores, and now you can add "bat swatter" to his growing list of roles. As the Spurs and Kings played on Halloween night, someone had the bright idea to release a live bat at the AT&T Center. The bat tried to dive into Kevin Martin on a breakaway layup, and later delayed the game by flying low around the court before fluttering by Ginobili.

Bad move, bat. (Update: PETA Responds, Comparing Manu to Michael Vick. Seriously.)

An alert Ginobili tracked it and smacked the bat out of mid-air, then handed it off to arena staff as the crowd roared in applause. After getting a spray of hand sanitizer, the game proceeded as normal. Earlier in the game, the Spurs Coyote tried to corral the bat with a net, but all they really needed was Manu.

After the Spurs' victory, Ginobili had this to say: "I didn't think it was a big deal. Then the whole arena started chanting my name."

Added Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich: "He's never ceased to amaze me the years he's been here. ... He just did it again."

As Ball Don't Lie noted, this isn't the first time a flying creature stopped an NBA game. "Spirit," the Atlanta Hawks' real-life mascot, delayed a Hawks-Heat playoff game when it swooped down and perched on top of the backboard. One can only assume a hawk-bat hybrid straight out of Star Wars lore will be next to interrupt.

Curiously enough, Brett Pollakoff tried to snag some video of the Manu vs. bat showdown from the League Pass broadband DVR feature only to be denied by censorship. Hopefully no fines will be levied in the aftermath.

Update: On his Twitter page, Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee provided this one-of-a-kind official Spurs injury report for the fallen bat.

Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Players in the Halloween Spirit

Elie Seckbach — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:53:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Lakers, Suns, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

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

Halloween is one of those holiday that everyone loves ... including NBA players.

In this FanHouse exclusive, we catch up with NBA stars Amar'e Stoudemire, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Ron Artest, Kyrylo Fesenko, Channing Frye, Craig Smith, Goran Dragic and Lou Amundson.

Find out who is most likely to be Hugh Hefner, Magic Don Juan, a lumberjack, Frankenstein and an Army vet.

Check out the video after the jump.

NBA Players in the Halloween Spirit originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ben Gordon Documentary: Coming Soon to a Theater Near You?

Matt Watson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Pistons, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

Even though Ben Gordon has played a handful of preseason games in front of lackluster crowds at the Palace and one regular season game on the road wearing Pistons red, white and blue, it wasn't until his name was announced to a sold-out crowd at Detroit's home opener Friday night that he was officially welcomed to the team by the fans.

And as fate would have it, Gordon's introduction came with all the fanfare and pyrotechnics befitting the arrival of a budding star, as he was introduced along with the rest of the starters, filling in for the injured Rip Hamilton. It's a nice start for his Pistons career -- and should provide a fitting conclusion for a documentary seven months in the making.

In the tradition of Kobe Bryant's Doin' Work and LeBron James' More Than a Game, Gordon is the subject of a forthcoming documentary, A Scorer's Aura, which will tell the story of his final months as a Chicago Bull up until his first home game as a Detroit Piston, offering fans an insider's view of what it's like to be a coveted NBA free agent signing with a new team for the first time in his career.

"I have my last bit of filming to do the first home game," said Daemian Brown, the filmmaker driving the project and one of Gordon's childhood friends. "I know it's going to be hectic, he already has like half of his family coming."

Although Brown doesn't expect to finish editing all of his footage for another six weeks, he created the trailer above using several months of footage already filmed. Brown recently spoke to FanHouse about how the project began -- and how things didn't exactly go as planned.

"March 1st was the first day that we started shooting, and that was when the Bulls didn't really know if they were going to end up in the playoffs," Brown said. "There was a bunch of teams last season that were real close, and they were all one game or a half-game apart. ... It just so happened, we got them going in this race to get into the playoffs, and we all know how that ended up with them playing the Celtics in a great matchup in the first round."

In addition to capturing Gordon's off-court preparation for that epic series, Brown's motivation for the film was Gordon's experience as a restricted free agent the previous two summers, which consisted of long, drawn-out negotiations with the Bulls that weren't completed until shortly before each season began. Brown hoped to make a summer full of negotiations the focal point of the film but needed to adjust on the fly when Gordon quickly signed with the Pistons.

"That drama was played out for the last two offseasons, so I'm expecting, 'OK, this is going to be great stuff for a documentary, this is going to be really good with him going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth,' " Brown said. "And it didn't happen like that, so I had to really change the scope of the doc. That really was going to be the selling point for the documentary -- 'OK, here's this athlete, the talking, the first day that you can talk to teams and he's going back and forth between Chicago and whoever else is interested' -- but that didn't happen. He genuinely, really loved the Pistons organization."

Even if the story arc changed, the most compelling aspect of the documentary should be Brown's access to Gordon, who usually maintains a polished front with the media but let his guard down in front of a long-time friend.

"That's the aspect I want people to realize -- it's really that candid. So candid that I can't use everything. It's really that good," he said. "No one is going to be feel comfortable talking to someone that they don't know. But when it's a friend asking you questions, it's like, 'OK, what do you want to know?'

"It turned out to be quite an experience for both of us. There would be times where he would be like, 'I don't really feel like being in front of a camera right now,' and I'd just have to respect that. But for the most part he is gung-ho about it.

"He's going to let people know how he feels about everything that has happened. He's a strong believer that you have to be able to separate the business from the sport aspect of it -- he lives by that. ... You'll see that this dude is like any other 25-year-old. He likes to party, he loves to have fun with his friends. That's another side of him that I'd want to show. On the court you might say he's real stoic, you hardly see BG get excited about a lot of things on the court, even when he scores. But he loves basketball.

"Especially now that the season has started, it's hard -- he's executive producing this project -- it's hard to even communicate with him about anything else except for basketball. ... I remember when he started training, that was it. All the partying basically stopped. He's like, 'You know what? It's time now for me to get serious about basketball.' He worked out three times a day, and you'll see the footage in the trailer from his workout, but that's nothing -- there was a point where I'm like, this is turning into a damn workout DVD, I don't want that. That's all he would do."

When will fans at home get to see A Scorer's Aura? That's yet to be determined. Filming has been a virtual one-man show -- with the help of some other friends as well as Gordon's personal assistant and manager -- and Brown is still editing the final product. Once completed, he hopes to find distribution on the film festival circuit, possibly landing a deal with ESPN or another outlet.

While the documentary didn't go in the direction that Brown expected, he still hopes viewers will appreciate an intimate look at what's it like for a player to have his life turned upside down over the course of several months, a glimpse at someone making decisions affecting not only the rest of his career but also his life.

"It's a story," Brown said. "Stories are usually interesting if told properly. It's not just him as a basketball player, it's him as a person, a person who's in the public eye."

The Ben Gordon Documentary: Coming Soon to a Theater Near You? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Visits Manny Pacquiao's Camp

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Fans, NBA Videos

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

NBA star Ron Artest is a huge boxing fan, and this week he was thrilled when he stopped by the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood to watch Manny Pacquiao train for his Nov. 14 fight against Miguel Cotto.

In this exclusive FanHouse video, we talk to Ron, his father Ron Sr., who used to be an amateur boxer, and other fans. We also hear from Manny's sparring partners Rashad Holloway and Shawn Porter, and find out what Artest is going to be for Halloween.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Visits Manny Pacquiao's Camp originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omri Casspi Enters the History Books

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Euroleague, NBA Videos

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

When the Sacramento Kings opened the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this week, rookie Omri Casspi officially entered the NBA history books as the first Israeli player to play in the NBA. In his first game, Casspi looked good, dropping 15 points (7-9 from the field) in just 19 minutes of action. In this FanHouse video we talk to Caspi and several of his former teammates from Israel's champion Maccabi Tel Aviv. We also hear from Tony Gaffney, who now plays in Israel and worked out with Casspi all summer, about Casspi's competitive nature.

Check out the video after the jump.

Omri Casspi Enters the History Books originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lamar Odom Learns the Secrets of the Championship Trophy

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Videos

Here we have yet another funny commercial for ESPN's NBA coverage, this time featuring Lamar Odom, James Worthy, and Magic Johnson riding in the RV. Odom is clutching the championship trophy and snacking on some tortilla chips, when Big Game James reveals to him the tasty secrets that lie inside.

Read on to see what Larry O'Brien has in store for those who have earned the right to carry his trophy, as well as the privilege to taste the spicy flavors of basketball immortality.

Lamar Odom Learns the Secrets of the Championship Trophy originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carmelo Puts Millsap on a Poster

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Nuggets, NBA Videos

The NBA season is a mere two days old, but the dunk I'm about to show you that Carmelo Anthony threw down over Paul Millsap on Wednesday is in fact, the dunk of the year.

'Melo said after the game, "Once I got the steal, I knew it was just me and him,'' Anthony said. "I wasn't going to lay the ball up. I was going to try to dunk it. If he'd have blocked it, he'd have blocked it. It went the opposite way."

But don't take my word for it: after watching the video, you can read what Dwight Howard and Quentin Richardson had to say about it, via updates they made to their respective Twitter pages after seeing the sensational highlight.

Carmelo Puts Millsap on a Poster originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Hero of 09-10 Is ... Damien Wilkins?

Matt Moore — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nets, Timberwolves, NBA Videos

The NBA isn't just made at Staples on Sunday afternoons under the lights, or in a Friday night showdown at the Garden. It's every night, players stepping up and making plays.

It's guys that will eventually be answers to trivia questions making huge shots that endear them and their teams to the hearts of young fans who first make a connection with this crazy, random, beautiful game.

The heroes aren't just the guys on posters and All-Star ballots, sometimes they are journeymen who show up every day, don't shoot a great percentage and get the job done.

Wednesday was Damien Wilkins' day.

The Wolves were out of their game against the Nets going into the fourth. Brook Lopez had dominated them, they couldn't get anything to fall, Kevin Love was out, and Ricky Rubio was somewhere across the sea, somewhere waiting for his fee. But somehow, someway the Wolves crawled back into it and had the final possession. And that's when Damien Wilkins showed up for the first buzzer beater of 2009-10.

First Hero of 09-10 Is ... Damien Wilkins? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kaman's Backyard Is Fun, Dangerous

Matt Watson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, NBA Videos

If you've seen one NBA mixtape on YouTube, you've seen them all, right? Most of them are just flashy dunk highlights put to a profanity-laced rap beat. But Chris Kaman is a different kind of cat, both on the court and off, and in hindsight, it shouldn't have been a surprise to see that his YouTube channel doesn't feature any basketball at all.

What does it feature? Try a .50 caliber rifle and municipal-grade fireworks -- all being used in his backyard. No, really -- video evidence is after the jump, as well as his interview with Elie Seckbach in which he discusses his explosion-filled and bullet-riddled summer vacation.

I'm sure he had a permit for that, right? Moving on -- to his insane fireworks show. From the YouTube description: "NBA Center Chris Kaman and his friends light municipal sized fireworks in his front lawn. Fortunately it only cost about $6,000."

A more accurate description would have read: "Watch Chris Kaman nearly kill himself! And stay for the massive explosion at the end when Chris and his friends tie a bunch of mortars together and light the fuses without putting them in a tube!" Seriously, if you watch anything, at least skip ahead to the 2:20 mark -- it's like an outtake from a Michael Bay movie.

I hate to pass judgment without knowing all of the details, but assuming this was filmed at his Michigan home, there's absolutely no way those fireworks are legal. (And that last explosion at the end? It's stunts like that which convince Michigan lawmakers to keep those kinds of fireworks illegal. Just saying.)

/ moralizing.

And now, here's FanHouse's Elie Seckbach, who recently caught up with Kaman and talked about his summer, as well as his predictions for the upcoming season.

Kaman's Backyard Is Fun, Dangerous originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Is Ready, Kobe Is Excited

Elie Seckbach — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Lakers, NBA Videos

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

The Lakers open their 2009-10 NBA season against the Clippers on Oct. 27. Prior to the game, the Lakers will receive their championship rings, and Kobe Bryant tells us he is too excited. In this video we also talk to Kobe's new teammate Ron Artest, who knows the formula for success. We also hear from Al Thornton of the Clippers.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Is Ready, Kobe Is Excited originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Stern Doesn't Want LeBron in NY

Matt Watson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Knicks, NBA Videos

Forgive me for the sensational headline -- I must admit to twisting the NBA commissioner's words just a tiny bit. But in an interview with reelsportsfan.com, David Stern revealed he's just like the millions of fans in Ohio who hope to see LeBron James re-sign with the Cavaliers.

"He hasn't won anything yet, but he may be the best player to descend to this planet," Stern said of James, later adding, "Michael [Jordan] might dispute that, but he's got a lot of canvas yet upon which to paint. And I have no doubt the picture is going to be beautiful."

When asked if Stern had any idea where James may finish his career, he replied, "None whatsoever -- although I hope it's in Cleveland." Keep reading for the video.

via New York Post

David Stern Doesn't Want LeBron in NY originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most Likely to Ignite a Bench Clearing Brawl: Kevin Garnett

Nate Jones — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Videos

With the start of the 2009-10 season looming, NBA FanHouse walks through the Valley of the Most Likely; we shall fear no topic.

Last year we handed out this prestigious award to the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic. He basically won the award for being a pest that other NBA players didn't respect. Plus he had girlie hair. With Sasha now sans girlie hair (per request of Phil Jackson), it's time to crown a new winner. The obvious choice: Kevin Garnett.

Garnett has been one of the league's best players this decade. Part of what makes him so great is his intensity. Early in his career, KG was capable of harnessing that intensity in a positive way. In his later years? Not so much.

KG has become completely obnoxious with his on the court antics over the last couple of seasons (read: since joining the Celtics). The sad thing is that he usually only does it to guys he think he can bully. He typically picks on guards, first- and second-year players and foreign players. That, my friends, is what my good buddy Tim Thomas would call being "Fugazi".

Take a look at this video to get a better idea of what I'm talking about:

With KG missing all of last year's playoffs due to a knee injury, he's probably going to be more intense than ever. But I think players are going to be less tolerant of his antics than before. From watching Celtics games last season, I got the feeling that players around the league have had it with KG's antics. If he tries to do what he did to Jose Calderon or Zaza Pachulia to players this season, he might ignite a brawl.

KG has slipped up and messed with the wrong guys a couple of times (see Peeler, Anthony and McDyess, Antonio). In his haste to show everyone that he's back, I have a feeling that KG might mess with the wrong player (or team) again. Hopefully his teammates and coaches have recognized this issue and talked to him about taking it down a few notches. Doubtful, I know.

Most Likely to Ignite a Bench Clearing Brawl: Kevin Garnett originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Ron Artest Used to Be 'Ronnie'

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

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

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

Long before Ron Artest was the NBA star he is today, he caught the attention of college scouts. In this FanHouse exclusive, we hear how he was described as a high school player.

Check out the video after the jump.

When Ron Artest Used to Be 'Ronnie' originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Ron Artest Used to Be 'Ronnie'