Unlikely Words » basketball

What did Big Baby Davis do during the lockout?

aaron cohen — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:07:19 +0000

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Coaching a Surgeon

aaron cohen — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:59:21 +0000

This article, by Atul Gawande, looks at why certain professions have coaches, and more importantly, why some don't. I liked this bit:

Good coaches know how to break down performance into its critical individual components. In sports, coaches focus on mechanics, conditioning, and strategy, and have ways to break each of those down, in turn. The U.C.L.A. basketball coach John Wooden, at the first squad meeting each season, even had his players practice putting their socks on. He demonstrated just how to do it: he carefully rolled each sock over his toes, up his foot, around the heel, and pulled it up snug, then went back to his toes and smoothed out the material along the sock’s length, making sure there were no wrinkles or creases. He had two purposes in doing this. First, wrinkles cause blisters. Blisters cost games. Second, he wanted his players to learn how crucial seemingly trivial details could be. “Details create success” was the creed of a coach who won ten N.C.A.A. men’s basketball championships.

The other interesting part was Gawande talking about being coached as a surgeon. He asked a former mentor to observe his surgeries and take notes. Almost immediately, Gawande discovers things he could do to make his surgeries more successful. The way Gawande talks about being coached makes clear doctor coaching is something that should be explored further.

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Today’s Big Baby Davis Quotation

aaron cohen — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:35:50 +0000

I just want to make sure I’m Glen Davis wherever I’m at. I think I can be Glen Davis wherever. It just depends on the system, the people around the system, who’s going to let Glen Davis be Glen Davis, not make Glen Davis something they think he should be.

From a column by the terrible Dan Shaughnessy.

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Perk is a Beast

aaron cohen — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:25:25 +0000

I'd never heard this story, but it just adds to the reason Kendrick Perkins was my second favorite Celtic. Big Baby Davis, is of course, first.

Via Long Reads

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Tracy Morgan on Tina Fey or Sarah Palin

aaron cohen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:01:13 +0000

My favorite part about this video is that before Tracy said Sarah Palin was good masturbation material, he was very clearly going to say, "Both of them at the same time." Everything Tracy Jordan Said indeed.

In TNT's apology, they interestingly criticized Tracy, but not the hosts who set him up.

Via The Daily What

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Big Baby Davis reacting to “Dunks of the Week”

aaron cohen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 23:39:45 +0000

Here's a video of Big Baby Davis watching "Dunks of the Week". Click the Big Baby Davis tag below to see some more BBD awesomeness. I love this guy.

Via Simmons

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Big Baby Davis Rap Video

aaron cohen — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:12:00 +0000

If you thought I wouldn't post a video Big Baby Davis made of himself dancing to a rap song, you don't know me at all. AT ALL.

Thanks, Jake!

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Manute Bol Popularized the Phrase ‘My Bad’

aaron cohen — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:24:18 +0000

Last week, it was reported that 7'7" Sudanese basketball player Manute Bol passed away at the age of 47. Among several interesting tidbits about his life, Bol is also credited with popularizing the phrase 'my bad'.

-St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan. 10, 1989: When he [Manute Bol] throws a bad pass, he'll say, "My bad" instead of "My fault," and now all the other players say the same thing.
-USA Today, Jan. 27, 1989: After making a bad pass, instead of saying "my fault," Manute Bol says, "my bad." Now all the other Warriors say it too.

Here's a feature about Manute from the SI Vault, which I continue to suggest is one of the better resources on the web.

Thanks Andy and Jonah.

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Sheed Just Wants to Talk

aaron cohen — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:54:55 +0000

Didn't see a whole lot of crazy from Rasheed Wallace this year. He actually didn't do much of anything until the playoffs. After they were over, he wanted to talk to referee Joey Crawford. Anyone know more?

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The Marvin Barnes Time Machine

aaron cohen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:20:14 +0000

Interesting look at Marvin 'Bad News' Barnes who had immense talent, but flamed out because of drugs and other trouble. At one point, it was hard to focus on basketball because he was making so much selling pot. Also this:

There is the legendary story about the Spirits getting ready to depart on a flight that left Louisville, Ky., at 8 p.m. and would get into St. Louis at 7:56 p.m. due to a time-zone change. Upon looking at the schedule, Barnes said, "I ain't getting on no time machine,'' and rented a car for the trip.

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Yao Ming’s Bike

aaron cohen — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:04:03 +0000

There are 3 different things in this picture of Yao Ming's Bike that make me giggle.

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Kevin Garnett’s Half-Court Shot

aaron cohen — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:46:17 +0000

More than half-court, actually. Too bad iit didn't count.

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Excerpts from Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball

aaron cohen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:48:14 +0000

Bill Simmons' new book, The Book of Basketball, came out this week. ESPN celebrated by posting 5 excerpts from the book. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

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I Don’t Think This is Funny

aaron cohen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:12:26 +0000

In case you didn't know, Unlikely Words hates sharks.

Via

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Ron Artest and Michael Jackson

aaron cohen — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:00:26 +0000

I wasn't going to post the Ron Artest Michael Jackson Tribute video below, even though it's pretty awesome. But then I found out, from Dave, that Ron Artest chose his new number with the Lakers, 37, because that's how many weeks Thriller was #1. And then I had to share it.

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Succes is a Choice

aaron cohen — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:00:23 +0000

Why choose failure? Last week's mention of Rick Pitino made me giggle about this quotation and then I couldn't help but post it:

Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they're going to be gray and old. What we are is young, exciting, hard-working, and we're going to improve. People don't realize that, and as soon as they realize those three guys are not coming through that door, the better this town will be for all of us because there are young guys in that (locker) room playing their asses off. I wish we had $90 million under the salary cap. I wish we could buy the world. We can't; the only thing we can do is work hard, and all the negativity that's in this town sucks. I've been around when Jim Rice was booed. I've been around when Yastrzemski was booed. And it stinks. It makes the greatest town, greatest city in the world, lousy. The only thing that will turn this around is being upbeat and positive like we are in that locker room... and if you think I'm going to succumb to negativity, you're wrong. You've got the wrong guy leading this team.

--Rick Pitino

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Funny Pictures of Big Baby Davis

aaron cohen — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:32:35 +0000

Hoping it helps the Celtics win tonight, here are the four pictures tied for second place in the, "Funniest Big Baby Davis Picture" contest. (The winner is obviousy this hilarious picture.)

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Three Point Shooting Percentages

aaron cohen — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:59:01 +0000

Some basketball fans will argue that shooting 33% from behind the 3-point line is the equivalent to shooting 50% in front of it. Bill Simmons gets this question in his latest mailbag and chides the questioner for being stupid.

Q: Why won't you understand shooting percentages? 33 percent from beyond the arc is the equivalent of 50 percent from within. If a guy shot 50 percent from the field, would you be killing him for shooting? Of course not. You obviously realize how stupid that would be. Yet that's what you've been doing -- FOR YEARS -- with your mind-boggling argument against 3-point shooting unless the guy can hit 75 percent of his 3s. Just think about it for a couple of seconds. Please ... we are begging you.
-- Nick, New York

SG: Dozens of readers e-mailed me Nick's same stupid argument in a similarly condescending way, which is what makes the following so much fun: I'm not stupid, YOU'RE STUPID. That 33/50 logic only makes sense in a professional basketball league in which they aren't calling fouls and you aren't allowed to pass to a teammate ... which, as far as I can tell, doesn't currently exist.

Let's say that one player attempts 12 3-pointers and makes four (for 12 points). His teammate attempts 12 2-pointers and makes six, but during that time -- because he's not standing 25 feet away jacking up 3s like an idiot -- he also draws three fouls on his defender, creates two assists for teammates, makes three of four free throws, turns the ball over once, and misses one layup that gets tapped in by a teammate (we'll call it 19 points). You're telling me those two scenarios are equal? If I'm playing LeBron (a 31 percent 3-point shooter), ideally, I want him jacking up contested 3s because that means (A) he's not getting to the line, (B) he's not getting my guys in foul trouble, and (C) he's not potentially creating shots for someone else. I can't defend LeBron when he's going to the basket, especially if he's getting calls. But you know what? If he's happy shooting 3s from 25 feet with a hand in his face, then I'm delighted. This is great. I want him to do that. And if he's doing something that the other team WANTS him to do, then he's doing the wrong thing. I'm fine with shooting 24-footers over 20-footers, but getting into the paint will always be more valuable than jacking up 3s. It's just a fact.

(Note to Nick and everyone else who mailed me the 33/50 argument: I'm doing the Dikembe finger wave at you. Don't come into my house.)

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Candace Parker has Boobs?

aaron cohen — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:19:52 +0000

I don't know why I can't stop writing about Candace Parker, but every time I see an article about her, I feel compelled. So here's ESPN The Magazine's cover treatment about Parker musing on whether she's the female Jordan. The title of this post stems from the fact that the article mentions Parker's C Cups in the first sentence and twice in the first paragraph. Thanks for straightening that out for us, ESPN The Magazine.

The question of the female Jordan reminded me of a post I saw linking to a list of players who have been called "The Next Jordan". That list was published in 2008, but I also found a list published in
2007 and one published in 2005. As far as I'm concerned, when Lebron wins 6 titles, we can start discussing him as the next Jordan, for now, it's a little premature.

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We’re Number 1! (And Number 5, too)

aaron cohen — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:47:28 +0000

Ranking Pro Sports Franchises.

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