Carmelo stops the world and Pop does it again

Told you I’d get this time zone thing worked out.

Sorry I’m late.

Well, not really but you get my drift.

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I’m sitting on a bench outside the room where the mass interviews with the all-stars were being conducted Friday afternoon, chatting with an old friend and minding my own business when Carmelo Anthony walks out of the room.

He’s headed over to the escalator that’s about a step away from where I’m sitting and the guy I’m talking to goes over to say hello to Carmelo because he’s known him forever.

Anthony stops and all of a sudden the escalator does, too, causing a bit of a stir to the people both on it and waiting to go up.

Someone says:

“Hey, ‘Melo, did you do that?”

And Anthony replies:

“Nah, I can’t stop everything.”

And it makes a guy think, well, having read about a kabllion trade stories – some of which might even have a kernel of truth – Anthony might want to re-think that statement.

He didn’t get traded overnight, did he?

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Reasons why I love Pop, Vol. 2.

You remember the transcript of the pre-game session with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and how it was, um, entertaining.

Well, he’s here, of course, as coach of the West, and had to sit through 45 minutes of media Friday. You can imagine how much he loved that.

The questions are far ranging and everyone’s waiting for the one that gets Pop going and it comes when someone asks if he’s anxious to see that Bieber fellow play in the celebrity game.

Pop bites:

“It would be disingenuous of me if I told you how excited I was to see Justin.”

How can you not like the guy.

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I’ve long held that the actual game on all-star weekend is not bad; it’s the Saturday and Friday night stuff that needs jazzing up so suggestions they do something to change the format have generally been met with disapproval here.

Seems that’s how LeBron James feels, too. Or at least that’s what he said during his session with the media when someone suggested they change to the pucks format where two captains choose up sides.

“No, because Eastern Conference, Western Conference, we don't like each other. We would not pick somebody from the Western Conference to be over here to be with us and I don't think they would, either. I don't think it would work.”

The game will, undoubtedly follow the same script it has for about as long as I’ve been coming and probably longer. The first three quarters will be a show and the last quarter might be a game and as long as you go into the night knowing that, it’s all good.

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Now, the same can’t be said for the Rookie-Sophomore thing, won 148-140 in a rather, um, free-flowing game.

There was no stupid “Gilbert Arenas bounces the ball off Carlos Boozer’s head” moment like there once was, and the crowd of mainly young teens apparently loved it.

Me? I think they need to be a bit more serious, at least for a couple of minutes, and should probably take a cue from the oldsters who’ll be out there on Monday.

Oh, I did have an MVP vote and voted for John Wall, who won. And my rational? On a night when we could have given to a couple of guys, Wall got my vote because he did that dance named after me following a particularly nice assist.

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Not one person connected with all-star weekend asked me what I thought of the Kaberle trade.

I appreciated it.

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Let’s get this one out of the mail.

Q: Two All-star questions. I know I am patriotic, but is it not a slap in the face that Steve Nash has been snubbed. Yes it is a guard deep division, but he is a 2X MVP, popular and putting up #'s at or above his other all-star seasons.

Would another 2-time MVP be equally snubbed? In any case the All-Star game is not the spotlight he craves, nor the type of game he tries to take over (i.e. Kobe vs. Lebron).

Add to that really is there any interest in watching the Miami/Boston Eastern conference team tomorrow? Seems to be a further indictment how the league is going where there are only 5-6 teams with a chance in the league, and players trying to choose their team.

 

Anthony F, Toronto

A: I don’t think “snub” is the right word for the Nash situation; if I’m a Western Conference coach, I’m not sure who I’d leave off to put him on the team. And if you factor team success into it, if I was going to make a change, I’d probably find a way to get Tony Parker here since he’s on the best team in the league.

And of course there’s interest in the East team. Not only to see them play but to see how they interact with each other and to see if Doc Rivers plays James, Wade and Bosh 40 minutes each.

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Speaking of mail …

Click. Write. Send.

Haven’t heard from enough of you.

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Best moment of a three-hour stretch in the hospitality suite late last night? When they stop the proceedings to posthumously award Matt Dobek, the late PR guru of the Detroit Pistons, with the Splaver/McHugh "Tribute to Excellence" Award that’s given by the NBA Public Relations Directors’ Association to a current or former member of who has demonstrated an outstanding level of performance and service during his or her NBA career.

Matt died this summer after more than 30 years with Pistons and as the tributes were being made by league officials, a couple of guys who work for individual teams and a guy in charge of the writers association, it was nice to know that in a business that can be cutthroat and confrontational at times, there is a common bond – friendships, fellowship and a feeling that we’re all really in this together and need the support of each other in difficult times.

It was a sad moment but when a quartet of us were sitting on stools a minute earlier for a private tribute, it was nice to remember absent friends.

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Comments

[doug]

you know i have nothing against him...but I was saying to a friend yesterday the one person I don't get being on the all-star team is Bosh...it's the doings on the NBA media department as he never deserved it on merit...then today I was perusing the sports sites and here was a mock style NHL draft for this NBA all-star team...last player chosen Bosh, Mr. Irrelevant...that he deserves on merit..

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/02/18/carmelo.all.star/index.html?eref=sihp

one thing that has disturbed me is how Stern and the NBA moreorless get a free pass from the local and national media in how they run their business...their are so many double standards it's comical..from the officiating, to calling T's for the integrity of the game, to players being allowed to talk with other teams players, before their contracts expire..if that's not destroying the "integrity " of the game I don't know what is....but as you even said on Connected the other day, "you use one syllable words so as not to confuse the people"...said tongue in cheek but really I believe that is what the league and media really feel...but finally a reporter has some cajones' to do his job and tell it like it is....not done near often enough but at least it has been done once...and he has seen through this whole all-star love-in, and called it for what it is a "farce"..

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/02/18/carmelo.all.star/index.html?eref=sihp

[Lorie]

Hi Doug!
So, Wall got your MVP vote because of a dance he does that's (apparently!) named after you??? Well if that's the sort of rationale that goes into MVP voting might be best to keep the mechanics and identities of those involved in this process a very tightly held secret! :) And, if I may be allowed to digress (yet again!) here, the commenter @doug might be interested to know that the old London music venue "The Firehall" is hosting a reunion concert at The Music Hall here in town tonight. Lots of good names in the lineup tonight including Rick Taylor, Paul Langille, Paul James. But if that's kind of short notice, The Smales' Pace is having its own reunion on March 11th at the Aeolian Hall and Rick Taylor will be at that gig also. Cheers!

[Matt M]

Looking at the trade rumors for 'melo the return Denver might get from either the Knicks or the Nets might serve to cripple either eastern conference team for the foreseeable future. After all 'melo by himself won't turn either franchise around and trading every spare part on your team ensures that, well, 'melo will largely be by himself. Even Boston was smart enough to get Garnett and Allen without giving up everything that was nailed down (noteably keeping Pierce, Rondo and Perkins).
So please, almighty basketball gods, let the Nets make the reported trade. Or even let the Knicks gut their team to get him. So that whoever gets him can suck forever and bring this mess to a pleasant conclusion. Especially for a Raptors fan.

[Anthony]

Thanks for printing and answering my letter. You're right, snub may have been the wrong word, but I seem to remember for years players being on the team solely based on reputation and career #'s (i.e. Stockton, Erving, Ewing and now KG and Allen....). I think Nash has earned a "career free pass" and seeing his #'s he is still putting up all-star #'s.

As for the Boston/Miami vs. the West game, I just have lost interest as said in what I worry is a league problem of the haves/have nots. Bosh/Allen/Garnett all could have been easily replaced and it be a more inclusive All-Star team, Heck will Josh Smith ever make it???

[Andrew]

Don't mean to point out your mistake Doug but it was Jason Richardson who bounced the ball off Carlos Boozer's head during the Rookie Sophomore game

[doug]

@Lori thanks for that info, when i was going to the "Firehall" I was young and just took it for granted, it was the place my buddies (both male and female) frequented on a regular basis as we came from "old south" London, so we never ventured to the City Hall bar, (the old Ronnie Hawkins place) or the Well we just went to the Firehall...i now not only miss that bar as it was just a special place..but also am surprised at the people i meet from all over, that not only remember that bar but cherish it as much as I do, I always saw Cheryl Liscombe, and David Wilcox, and all the rest, can't make it tonight but Aeolian Hall def on my sched...so thanks....and yes to the poster that mentioned Josh Smith, in my eyes he deserves being at the all-star game much more then Bosh, even Boozer...

[Joe]

Hi Doug,

Hope you're enjoying the all-star festivities. Have you heard anything regarding union/league relationships and whether there's any progress toward a new collective agreement? Thanks.

Blogger's note: They met, no real news

[ditch]

You mean there is a dance called the Doug? The Smith? The Smitty? The Grunt? I missed the reference, Mr. Dunahee. What is it, please.

Blogger's note: Google John Wall and dancing on opening night

[jhp]

So did you and the chicken go golfing?

Blogger's note: To get to the other side?

[GM]

* I've Googled John Wall and dancing on opening night and still can't find a reference to what the thing is called and how it relates to you. Can someone help out a fellow Irregular?
* I didn't watch the Rookie-Sophomore game precisely for the reason you cite. They don't quite get it. They're told it's just a fun game so they don't even pretend to play even token defense. The more seasoned vets in the real all-star game at least get in front of guys and try for steals and blocks. Instead, I took my son to the Harlem Globetrotters and saw just about the same commitment to defense. (In case you didn't hear, the Globies beat the hapless Generals. The Generals had the lead in the 3rd quarter and I thought they might pull it out, but just couldn't get put it away.)
* That was a good quote from Pop, but the transcript you gave us the other day was a reason to hate him. Why he feels he can be rude and disrespectful to you just because he's an NBA coach, I don't know. I'd love it for a reporter to give it back to him. His intimidation shouldn't be tolerated. He's a professional; he should act like it.
* Thanks for the link to that SI column, @doug. If only more media would call the NBA on their crap. I hope that writer is at the David Stern press conference. (I also agreed with your post on the hockey media talking about basketball, and particularly the Vancouver Grizzlies, from yesterday.)

Blogger's note: It's a dance, apparently, called The Dougy and Wall did it opening night and was criticized in some corners, I believe. Not at all a big deal