The things you see and hear, Vol. 3

Not sure what they can to jazz up Friday night at this weekend but having the Rookie-Soph game isn’t enough. No one bounced ball off another guy’s head, ala Jason Richardson on Carlos Boozer back in ’02 but about 8,000 shrieking adolescents in the crowd hardly got a full night of cool entertainment.

That said, there were some, um, moments.

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While the game’s going on, a gaggle of Real Stars was sitting courtside. There was Kevin Garnett, LeBron James (who got and dogged everyone every time Daniel Gibson hit a shot), Chris Bosh, Chris Paul Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer and Doc Rivers.

Bosh’s girlfriend was there and, as far as we could see, she didn’t trash talk LeBron once.

Ugliest get up: Carmelo with a red jacket, red hat, pants jeans with red pockets.

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Late in the game, we look over at the Sophomore bench and there’s Brandon Roy talking to Andrea Bargnani.

Not sure if the lip-reading skills are up to snuff but we believe Roy said:

"Who’s this Swirsky guy who voted for you.”

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Not sure the guy in the media seats should have been applauding along with that ridiculous “everybody clap your hands” thing in the JayVee game. But you do get all sorts of, um, media at these things.

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Biggest screams of the night? Had to be when Ne-Yo was introduced to the crowd. Yes, it was that kind of young audience.

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Meanwhile, down the road at the convention centre, they had something purporting to be a “celebrity game.”

We didn’t see it, thankfully, but caught a bit on TV after and any “celebrity” game that includes Master P can hardly be a “celebrity” game. Of course, P was the only dude in the game who’d been in an NBA training camp.

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Among the judges of the D League’s dunk contest: Jerome Williams and Tracy Murray! A truly all-star cast

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There doesn’t seem to be as much buzz, or chaos, around this all-star game as there has been in the past. There are crowds, but not huge crowds; the streets are busy, but not gridlock busy. Maybe it changes tonight but the feeling is there are fewer people here than there have been at all-star games in the past.

Maybe it’s got something to do with the city – there aren’t many locals around as there have been in places like Houston, Denver, LA, Atlanta or Philly (the last four I was at) – but it has made a tad easier for some of us to get around.

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Not much basketball news going on. The Kidd trade’s still a hot topic (can’t see how it goes through with Dallas now that Stackhouse probably can’t be in it and George still won’t be in it) but other than that, it’s quiet.

The league’s competition committee met Friday afternoon and I’m told it was routine. Some chitchat among GMs heading up to Thursday’s trade deadline but nothing hugely significant.

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All right, gotta get out into this sunny day (hahaha, NO SNOW!) and over to practices to stand around. After that, it’s the D League all-star game, which is probably not on the agenda pour moi because I’ve already seen Jelani McCoy and Andre Barrett play.

Tonight, David Stern tells us about his European plans and then it’s time to sit back and see if JK can shoot and Jamario can dunk well enough to win.

Comments

[Zack]

They have a D-League Dunk Contest? Is this televised?

Blogger's note: Not sure if was on ESPN14 or something but it's over and done with now.

[Where is Bison Dele?]

Hey Doug -- you notice that Bargs was the only one on either team to not grab a rebound last night?

[jw]

Why can't Mark Cuban sign me for whatever vets minimum or whatever contract he needs to balance this trade?

I sure could use the money (school tuition is hefty).

[MW]

Barg is getting trashed talk everywhere? By Roy too HAHA. Sure, he isn't playing as well as Roy but he's been a lot better. Swirsky's homerism made him public enemy #1 in Portland.

Blogger's note: That was a bit of a joke, I really couldn't read Roy's lips the other night.