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Beat the Bobcats!
Beat the Bobcats!
Written by IndyHoya
Link
AREA 55 NEW YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK!!!!
Salutations Area 55er!
Wow!* What a game that was last night!* Yeah, we lost, but who could not be proud of the way we played.* Only a super game from a super play caused the outcome.* Without 41 points from LeBron, our boys would have won handily.* And that’s saying something.* Pushing the Heat to the limit in their own house, as we did, with a new system only 4 games old says something about our team’s character, its coach, and its prospects for the* future.* No one who saw that game last night could come away from it pessimistic about the Indiana Pacers.* But we have to move on.
Tonight, the Charlotte Bobcats pounce into Conseco. The Pacers have a chance beat the snot out of a potential rival for the 8-spot in the playoffs. Charlotte, right now, is 1 game ahead of us and in 8th Place in the Eastern Division.* Accordingly, tonight represents a key game for us.* If we win it, and wind up tied with Charlotte for 8th at the end of the season, we would get the final playoff nod due to our having beaten them 2 times.
The Pacers dispatched the Bobcats fairly handily in the first meeting at Conseco back in January.* However, like us, the Bobbers recently made a coaching change and are playing a lot better basketball as a result.
Yup, since our last meeting, Charlotte’s owner, Michael Jordan, decided to give Larry Brown the heave ho.* His Airness then installed veteran NBA player and coach, Paul Silas, as the Bobcat’s interim guru. The Bobcats have been turning their former losing act around ever since.
In their last home game Monday night, they knocked off the mighty Boston Celtics 94-89.* What’s scarier about that win is how Charlotte did it.* Their leading scorer, notorious former Pacer bad boy, Stephen Jackson*(in Charlotte he’s known as “Captain Jack”, in Indy he was known as “Strip Joint Jack”), was ejected when he picked up his 2nd technical in the 2nd quarter. However, Bobcat starter Gerald Wallace*and four lightly regarded reserves were able to pick up the slack.
Wallace led the way with 18 points and 16 rebounds.* But just as big a story was the production of the Charlotte bench, which outscored Boston’s, 44-25.*Shaun Livingston*tied Wallace with 18 points; Gerald Henderson*chipped in 15 and provided some strong defense on Boston star,*Ray Allen. Also, perennial NBA underachiever Kwame Brown (see below) managed 12 rebounds.
Indeed, rebounding was the real key in the win, as Charlotte decisively controlled the boards, posting a 50-37 rebounding edge, including 11-5 on the offensive glass. That led to a 21-6 Bobcat advantage in second-chance points.
Our Pacers have to rebound tonight too.* Not just from the lingering Miami disappointment and emotion but also on the glass.* It’s a big game.* The Pacers have to come back to reality fast and put the Bobcats away.
We have to help them, 55ers.* Our lungs, enthusiasm, and irreverence have to be there tonight for our guys.
A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT CHARLOTTE!
Should Charlotte Change Its Name? When George Shinn (arguably the NBA’s worst former owner) picked up stakes and moved the old Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans in 2002, Charlotte was left without an NBA team.* Shinn’s buddy, NBA Commish, David Stern, however, promised the town a replacement just as soon as he could manage it.* True to his word, a new franchise was awarded to Charlotte in 2004 under the control of Robert L. “Bob” Johnson – the first black team-owner in the NBA and a man who previously had earned his wealth and success as the proprietor of the Black Entertainment Television (better known as the “BET” Network).
When Johnson took over, there was the standard contest to name the team.* The name Johnson selected was “the Charlotte Bobcats”.* This selection prevailed over other popular entries – the “Flight” and the “Dragons” being the other biggies.* However, its selection by Johnson was never really explained.* Consequently, a lot of the locals suspected Johnson chose the name “Bobcats” because “Bob” was Johnson’s name and he was a “Cat” too.* A lot of Charlotte fans have always hated the name – conjuring up, as it does, images of Cub Scouting and an obscure animal most people have never seen..
Johnson flopped in Charlotte and did not endear himself to fans.* He only occasionally visited the arena and he made several missteps as an owner.* These included a failed venture to start a regional sports network and inciting a lot of fan anger due to high ticket prices. Johnson also clashed with local Charlotte business leaders about future plans for the team and did not get along well with the local press.
His team did not do too well during his ownership tenure either. The Bobcats struggled on the court and had a hard time winning over the same Carolina fans who had been upset at the departure of the Hornets. While the Bobcats lost on the floor, Johnson also lost money — tens of millions of dollars.
Looking to get out of the del, Johnson was able to first lure Michael Jordan into becoming a minority owner and then, in 2009, selling Jordan his majority interest in the team.
When His Airness took over, there was a lot of local clamor for a new team name.* MJ has an ego himself and the initial reports were that he was reportedly not exactly enamored of a team that still bore the name of *a departed owner.* Jordan also fueled rumors of a name change himself by indicating he was open to the idea.
Doing a name change isn’t a cheap thing.* It is estimated that it would cost a franchise anywhere from $3 million to $10 million to rebrand its team. Signs and logos have to be replaced, and any pre-existing merchandise still in the gift shops winds up getting deeply discounted or thrown away. Just the same, that isn’t to say assuming the cost would be a bad move either.
At any rate, Jordan’s statement that he was receptive to a change prompted a flurry of excited newspaper polls and lots of popular suggestions in Charlotte.* In the polling, only 25% of those responding wanted to keep the name “Bobcats.”* Change was in the wind!* Some top choices thrown out there by some readers for the new team name were again “the*Flight,”*“the Airmen” and my personal favorite, “the*Jordan-aires.”
There were some facetious entries that I liked too.* These included, among others, “the Charlotte Nelson Reilly’s”; “the Charlotte Catfish”; “the Charlotte Webs”; “the Charlotte Brontes”; “the Charlotte Barbecues”; “the Charlotte Ramplings”; “the Charlotte Showboats”; “the Charlotte Space Jam” and “the Charlotte O’Hara”.
Despite all the hubbub, rumor has it now that MJ finally decided that changing the team’s name was a priority that could be shelved.* Maybe, someday, we’ll see the Charlotte Jordan-aires coming to Conseco.* God, I hope not.
See Rufus Make an Amazing Basket and Bango Suffer! The Bobcat’s cute Mascot is “Rufus Lynx” a fuzzy cat-critter that originated in 2004 when Johnson named the team after himself.* Rufus is famous for making an amazing H-O-R-S-E shot at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.* On the same play, Milwaukee Bucks mascot, “Bango the Deer” was seriously injured when he fell through a hoop and tore an ACL in his knee.
Here ya go!*** http://tinyurl.com/6cuuz26
From half court, back to the basket, over the head, off the Bucks’ mascot’s groin, nothin’ but net! Now, normally, this is where the story would end. Applause, children’s laughter, maybe a little worm dance at center court. But not so fast!. Bango suffered a torn ACL in his right knee*and underwent surgery as a result. The Bucks post-accident press release on Bango’s status stated:
“While gazelle-like dunks and agile maneuvers around the court will be impossible for a time, the heart of Bucks game-night entertainment and the emotional leader of Bucks fans of all ages will continue to lead fan enthusiasm at home games,”
The Kwame Brown Story! Since his league debut in 2001, Kwame Brown has been the butt of a lot of “inside-basketball” jokes.
For example, there’s this:* http://tinyurl.com/6cuuz26
Why does Kwame Brown get no respect?
Well, he really owes his infamy to being the first overall pick in the*2001 NBA draft by the*Washington Wizards.* He was selected when he was just 18 and coming out of high school.* Michael Jordan, the Wizards owner, was the person most responsible for drafting Brown, and it proved to be one of the biggest gaffes in NBA history.
Want to see what the Wizards passed up?* Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/cxdmpv
Due to inexperience and injuries Brown went on to play 4 lackluster and controversial seasons in Washington. In 2005 he began feuding with Wizards star, Gilbert Arenas, and other teammates.* He also had a rocky relationship with his coach, Eddie Jordan.* He wasn’t exactly a fan favorite either. During the first round of the 2005 playoffs, the Wizards actually played a video before the first game with the Bulls in which Arenas politely asked fans not to boo Brown when he entered the game. After the game (in which the crowed complied, although Brown only played 4 minutes), Brown skipped a practice and a pre-game shoot around.* He was a no-show for the second playoff game as well, claiming that he thought he would punch Arenas if he entered the game.* He then skipped yet another practice claiming he had a stomach ailment, only to be seen later the same night in a Chinese restaurant.
The Wizards responded by suspending him for the rest of the playoffs.
On August 2, 2005, Brown and*Laron Profit were traded by the Wizards to the Lakers in exchange for*Caron Butler and*Chucky Atkins. This move was met with consternation from Lakers fans, who disliked Brown’s reputation and his well-earned label as an “underachiever.” The fans were right. In the beginning of the Lakers 2005-2006 season, Brown averaged just above 6 points and 6 rebounds.
On December 26, 2005, Brown played his first game as a Laker at the Washington Wizards’ MCI Center (now known as*Verizon Center). The sold-out crowd of 20,173 fans loudly booed him upon his entering the game and continued to boo him every time he touched the ball thereafter.* It was a humiliating appearance for Brown. In the second quarter, he was caught looking the other way when teammate*Sasha Vujacic threw a pass his way. The ball bounced off his head and landed out of bounds.* The crowd cheered.
Brown called the reception “weak” and stated afterwards that “they should be cheering that I’m gone.”*The Wizards won the game 94–91.
His tenure in L.A. was not without its off-court antics.
According to a police report,*on the night of Saturday, January 13, 2007, Brown was accused by a man of throwing a cake at him. The man said that as he was carrying the 2 x 2 foot chocolate cake down the street in*Hermosa Beach, California, when he spotted Brown’s Lakers teammate*Ronny Turiaf,*whom he asked to pose for a photograph with him. The Lakers had been out celebrating Turiaf’s birthday earlier, and when Brown arrived on the scene,*he grabbed away the cake and, for some reason, threw it back at the man. No reason for the cake throw was given in a subsequent police report.*It was said later that Brown was actually attempting to throw the cake at Turiaf as a joke, believing the cake actually belonged to him, but missed. At any rate, after the man was hit, Brown and Turiaf both dispersed, with Brown departing in a limousine. The man was not amused and filed a police report. A “Grand Theft of a Person” case was then presented by police detectives to the city attorney’s office,*but Brown was never prosecuted. He later compensated the man by buying him dinner at the Arena Club at the*Staples Center.
As a Lakers starter during the 2007-2008 season, Brown disappointed many fans*with his lackluster on court performances and an apparent lack of focus during games.* This was highlighted by one game in which he missed an open dunk and registered more turnovers (7) than rebounds (6), en route to a Lakers loss.*Though Kobe Bryant stuck by Brown and rebuked Lakers fans who booed him, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the chances that Brown would recognize his potential as a Laker were diminishing and, with them, the Lakers’ chances of making the playoffs that year.
On February 1, 2008, Brown was traded by the Lakers to Memphis along with*Javaris Crittenton,*Aaron McKie, the draft rights to*Marc Gasol, and the Lakers’*2008 and 2010 first-round draft picks.* In exchange, they received*Pau Gasol and a second-round pick in 2010.*The trade was widely seen around the league as a major steal for the Lakers, as they were able to obtain Memphis’star, Gasol, for the greatly maligned Brown. In fact, the trade did help vault the Lakers to first seed in the Western Conference by the end of the season.* Unfortunately, the acquisition of Brown did little to help the already struggling Grizzlies. At the end of the 2007- 2008 season, the Grizzlies chose not to sign Brown to a new contract, and he became an unrestricted free agent.* He ultimately wound up signing a 2-year deal, worth $8 million, with the Pistons. There, during 2009-2010, he averaged a career-low 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 48 games and was released thereafter.
As the 2010 summer dragged on, there were few options left for Brown until the Bobcats called with a one-year offer for the league minimum. Brown insists he did not hesitate because it was Jordan’s team.
“I just looked at it as an opportunity to play, no matter Michael or whomever,” Brown said.
Brown wound up missing the entire 2010-2011 preseason and the first 10 games after severely spraining his left ankle in a September pickup game. His ankle still is not completely right and Brown is still carrying about 20 extra pounds on his 280-pound frame that he acquired through not being able to practice.
His acquisition was initially treated with skepticism both by NBA pundits and fans.* Despite this, Brown has had something of a rebirth as a Bobcat and the former laughs are no longer so loud. While no star, an older and wiser Brown (he’s 28 now) has become a starter and key Bobcat contributor. Playing for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million, he is also one of the most cost-effective players in the*NBA. Presently, he averages 5.9 points and 6.6 rebounds game. *Paul Silas, his coach, likes him
“He’s getting better, I tell you. He’s shooting that little jump shot. He can make layups now. Free-throw shooting, he’s getting a lot better. His defense and his rebounding are always going to be there, but those other parts of the game that weren’t, he’s really producing now.”
Brown will probably always be known as “Jordan’s Folly” But he has managed to stick around in the NBA for 10 seasons by refusing to dwell on his troubles after becoming the first player to skip college and be the first pick in the NBA draft.
“You can’t see what’s in front of you by looking back. If you walk through that door turned around, you’re going to bust your head. I don’t do that. You let others look back. You let others talk about what you accomplished and what you didn’t accomplish. You just keep moving forward.”
Silas claims Brown didn’t get the guidance that he needed when he first entered the league as a teenager.
“At that particular time, people did not give him the confidence that he needed to perform well. To me, that’s the whole key, especially for a young kid. At 18 years old coming into the league you’ve got to tell him he can. That gives him a chance. I think that was part of the problem.”
Silas admits that he didn’t know what to make of Brown when he first took over the reins at Charlotte in late 2010.* He only began using him as a starter when the regular starter, Nazir Muhammed, became injured.* Now Muhammed is fit, but Brown is still in the starting role.
“His confidence level is so much better: he’s freer, he’s talking, he’s laughing, he’s joking. With guys like him that don’t say very much, I look at, do they start talking more and laughing and having a good time? That’s what he’s doing right now and I think it’s helping him.”
Brown is still very limited offensively, but the Bobcats will be leaning on him tonight when they play the Pacers.
“Not too many people wanted to give him the confidence that he could perform and perform well,” Silas said. “I think now he’s coming to the fact that, ‘I’m out there. I can do what I have to do to be successful and people want me to be successful. I think that’s the whole key to his mental attitude.”
Well, that’s enough on Rufus, Kwame, and the Charlotte Bobcats.* The important thing is to beat them tonight.* Bring your enthusiasm, 55ers.* Let’s start another winning streak and get our guys moving to the Playoffs!
Go Pacers!* Go Area 55!
Joe Murphy (Indy Hoya)
Written by IndyHoya
Link
AREA 55 NEW YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK!!!!
Salutations Area 55er!
Wow!* What a game that was last night!* Yeah, we lost, but who could not be proud of the way we played.* Only a super game from a super play caused the outcome.* Without 41 points from LeBron, our boys would have won handily.* And that’s saying something.* Pushing the Heat to the limit in their own house, as we did, with a new system only 4 games old says something about our team’s character, its coach, and its prospects for the* future.* No one who saw that game last night could come away from it pessimistic about the Indiana Pacers.* But we have to move on.
Tonight, the Charlotte Bobcats pounce into Conseco. The Pacers have a chance beat the snot out of a potential rival for the 8-spot in the playoffs. Charlotte, right now, is 1 game ahead of us and in 8th Place in the Eastern Division.* Accordingly, tonight represents a key game for us.* If we win it, and wind up tied with Charlotte for 8th at the end of the season, we would get the final playoff nod due to our having beaten them 2 times.
The Pacers dispatched the Bobcats fairly handily in the first meeting at Conseco back in January.* However, like us, the Bobbers recently made a coaching change and are playing a lot better basketball as a result.
Yup, since our last meeting, Charlotte’s owner, Michael Jordan, decided to give Larry Brown the heave ho.* His Airness then installed veteran NBA player and coach, Paul Silas, as the Bobcat’s interim guru. The Bobcats have been turning their former losing act around ever since.
In their last home game Monday night, they knocked off the mighty Boston Celtics 94-89.* What’s scarier about that win is how Charlotte did it.* Their leading scorer, notorious former Pacer bad boy, Stephen Jackson*(in Charlotte he’s known as “Captain Jack”, in Indy he was known as “Strip Joint Jack”), was ejected when he picked up his 2nd technical in the 2nd quarter. However, Bobcat starter Gerald Wallace*and four lightly regarded reserves were able to pick up the slack.
Wallace led the way with 18 points and 16 rebounds.* But just as big a story was the production of the Charlotte bench, which outscored Boston’s, 44-25.*Shaun Livingston*tied Wallace with 18 points; Gerald Henderson*chipped in 15 and provided some strong defense on Boston star,*Ray Allen. Also, perennial NBA underachiever Kwame Brown (see below) managed 12 rebounds.
Indeed, rebounding was the real key in the win, as Charlotte decisively controlled the boards, posting a 50-37 rebounding edge, including 11-5 on the offensive glass. That led to a 21-6 Bobcat advantage in second-chance points.
Our Pacers have to rebound tonight too.* Not just from the lingering Miami disappointment and emotion but also on the glass.* It’s a big game.* The Pacers have to come back to reality fast and put the Bobcats away.
We have to help them, 55ers.* Our lungs, enthusiasm, and irreverence have to be there tonight for our guys.
A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT CHARLOTTE!
Should Charlotte Change Its Name? When George Shinn (arguably the NBA’s worst former owner) picked up stakes and moved the old Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans in 2002, Charlotte was left without an NBA team.* Shinn’s buddy, NBA Commish, David Stern, however, promised the town a replacement just as soon as he could manage it.* True to his word, a new franchise was awarded to Charlotte in 2004 under the control of Robert L. “Bob” Johnson – the first black team-owner in the NBA and a man who previously had earned his wealth and success as the proprietor of the Black Entertainment Television (better known as the “BET” Network).
When Johnson took over, there was the standard contest to name the team.* The name Johnson selected was “the Charlotte Bobcats”.* This selection prevailed over other popular entries – the “Flight” and the “Dragons” being the other biggies.* However, its selection by Johnson was never really explained.* Consequently, a lot of the locals suspected Johnson chose the name “Bobcats” because “Bob” was Johnson’s name and he was a “Cat” too.* A lot of Charlotte fans have always hated the name – conjuring up, as it does, images of Cub Scouting and an obscure animal most people have never seen..
Johnson flopped in Charlotte and did not endear himself to fans.* He only occasionally visited the arena and he made several missteps as an owner.* These included a failed venture to start a regional sports network and inciting a lot of fan anger due to high ticket prices. Johnson also clashed with local Charlotte business leaders about future plans for the team and did not get along well with the local press.
His team did not do too well during his ownership tenure either. The Bobcats struggled on the court and had a hard time winning over the same Carolina fans who had been upset at the departure of the Hornets. While the Bobcats lost on the floor, Johnson also lost money — tens of millions of dollars.
Looking to get out of the del, Johnson was able to first lure Michael Jordan into becoming a minority owner and then, in 2009, selling Jordan his majority interest in the team.
When His Airness took over, there was a lot of local clamor for a new team name.* MJ has an ego himself and the initial reports were that he was reportedly not exactly enamored of a team that still bore the name of *a departed owner.* Jordan also fueled rumors of a name change himself by indicating he was open to the idea.
Doing a name change isn’t a cheap thing.* It is estimated that it would cost a franchise anywhere from $3 million to $10 million to rebrand its team. Signs and logos have to be replaced, and any pre-existing merchandise still in the gift shops winds up getting deeply discounted or thrown away. Just the same, that isn’t to say assuming the cost would be a bad move either.
At any rate, Jordan’s statement that he was receptive to a change prompted a flurry of excited newspaper polls and lots of popular suggestions in Charlotte.* In the polling, only 25% of those responding wanted to keep the name “Bobcats.”* Change was in the wind!* Some top choices thrown out there by some readers for the new team name were again “the*Flight,”*“the Airmen” and my personal favorite, “the*Jordan-aires.”
There were some facetious entries that I liked too.* These included, among others, “the Charlotte Nelson Reilly’s”; “the Charlotte Catfish”; “the Charlotte Webs”; “the Charlotte Brontes”; “the Charlotte Barbecues”; “the Charlotte Ramplings”; “the Charlotte Showboats”; “the Charlotte Space Jam” and “the Charlotte O’Hara”.
Despite all the hubbub, rumor has it now that MJ finally decided that changing the team’s name was a priority that could be shelved.* Maybe, someday, we’ll see the Charlotte Jordan-aires coming to Conseco.* God, I hope not.
See Rufus Make an Amazing Basket and Bango Suffer! The Bobcat’s cute Mascot is “Rufus Lynx” a fuzzy cat-critter that originated in 2004 when Johnson named the team after himself.* Rufus is famous for making an amazing H-O-R-S-E shot at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.* On the same play, Milwaukee Bucks mascot, “Bango the Deer” was seriously injured when he fell through a hoop and tore an ACL in his knee.
Here ya go!*** http://tinyurl.com/6cuuz26
From half court, back to the basket, over the head, off the Bucks’ mascot’s groin, nothin’ but net! Now, normally, this is where the story would end. Applause, children’s laughter, maybe a little worm dance at center court. But not so fast!. Bango suffered a torn ACL in his right knee*and underwent surgery as a result. The Bucks post-accident press release on Bango’s status stated:
“While gazelle-like dunks and agile maneuvers around the court will be impossible for a time, the heart of Bucks game-night entertainment and the emotional leader of Bucks fans of all ages will continue to lead fan enthusiasm at home games,”
The Kwame Brown Story! Since his league debut in 2001, Kwame Brown has been the butt of a lot of “inside-basketball” jokes.
For example, there’s this:* http://tinyurl.com/6cuuz26
Why does Kwame Brown get no respect?
Well, he really owes his infamy to being the first overall pick in the*2001 NBA draft by the*Washington Wizards.* He was selected when he was just 18 and coming out of high school.* Michael Jordan, the Wizards owner, was the person most responsible for drafting Brown, and it proved to be one of the biggest gaffes in NBA history.
Want to see what the Wizards passed up?* Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/cxdmpv
Due to inexperience and injuries Brown went on to play 4 lackluster and controversial seasons in Washington. In 2005 he began feuding with Wizards star, Gilbert Arenas, and other teammates.* He also had a rocky relationship with his coach, Eddie Jordan.* He wasn’t exactly a fan favorite either. During the first round of the 2005 playoffs, the Wizards actually played a video before the first game with the Bulls in which Arenas politely asked fans not to boo Brown when he entered the game. After the game (in which the crowed complied, although Brown only played 4 minutes), Brown skipped a practice and a pre-game shoot around.* He was a no-show for the second playoff game as well, claiming that he thought he would punch Arenas if he entered the game.* He then skipped yet another practice claiming he had a stomach ailment, only to be seen later the same night in a Chinese restaurant.
The Wizards responded by suspending him for the rest of the playoffs.
On August 2, 2005, Brown and*Laron Profit were traded by the Wizards to the Lakers in exchange for*Caron Butler and*Chucky Atkins. This move was met with consternation from Lakers fans, who disliked Brown’s reputation and his well-earned label as an “underachiever.” The fans were right. In the beginning of the Lakers 2005-2006 season, Brown averaged just above 6 points and 6 rebounds.
On December 26, 2005, Brown played his first game as a Laker at the Washington Wizards’ MCI Center (now known as*Verizon Center). The sold-out crowd of 20,173 fans loudly booed him upon his entering the game and continued to boo him every time he touched the ball thereafter.* It was a humiliating appearance for Brown. In the second quarter, he was caught looking the other way when teammate*Sasha Vujacic threw a pass his way. The ball bounced off his head and landed out of bounds.* The crowd cheered.
Brown called the reception “weak” and stated afterwards that “they should be cheering that I’m gone.”*The Wizards won the game 94–91.
His tenure in L.A. was not without its off-court antics.
According to a police report,*on the night of Saturday, January 13, 2007, Brown was accused by a man of throwing a cake at him. The man said that as he was carrying the 2 x 2 foot chocolate cake down the street in*Hermosa Beach, California, when he spotted Brown’s Lakers teammate*Ronny Turiaf,*whom he asked to pose for a photograph with him. The Lakers had been out celebrating Turiaf’s birthday earlier, and when Brown arrived on the scene,*he grabbed away the cake and, for some reason, threw it back at the man. No reason for the cake throw was given in a subsequent police report.*It was said later that Brown was actually attempting to throw the cake at Turiaf as a joke, believing the cake actually belonged to him, but missed. At any rate, after the man was hit, Brown and Turiaf both dispersed, with Brown departing in a limousine. The man was not amused and filed a police report. A “Grand Theft of a Person” case was then presented by police detectives to the city attorney’s office,*but Brown was never prosecuted. He later compensated the man by buying him dinner at the Arena Club at the*Staples Center.
As a Lakers starter during the 2007-2008 season, Brown disappointed many fans*with his lackluster on court performances and an apparent lack of focus during games.* This was highlighted by one game in which he missed an open dunk and registered more turnovers (7) than rebounds (6), en route to a Lakers loss.*Though Kobe Bryant stuck by Brown and rebuked Lakers fans who booed him, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the chances that Brown would recognize his potential as a Laker were diminishing and, with them, the Lakers’ chances of making the playoffs that year.
On February 1, 2008, Brown was traded by the Lakers to Memphis along with*Javaris Crittenton,*Aaron McKie, the draft rights to*Marc Gasol, and the Lakers’*2008 and 2010 first-round draft picks.* In exchange, they received*Pau Gasol and a second-round pick in 2010.*The trade was widely seen around the league as a major steal for the Lakers, as they were able to obtain Memphis’star, Gasol, for the greatly maligned Brown. In fact, the trade did help vault the Lakers to first seed in the Western Conference by the end of the season.* Unfortunately, the acquisition of Brown did little to help the already struggling Grizzlies. At the end of the 2007- 2008 season, the Grizzlies chose not to sign Brown to a new contract, and he became an unrestricted free agent.* He ultimately wound up signing a 2-year deal, worth $8 million, with the Pistons. There, during 2009-2010, he averaged a career-low 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 48 games and was released thereafter.
As the 2010 summer dragged on, there were few options left for Brown until the Bobcats called with a one-year offer for the league minimum. Brown insists he did not hesitate because it was Jordan’s team.
“I just looked at it as an opportunity to play, no matter Michael or whomever,” Brown said.
Brown wound up missing the entire 2010-2011 preseason and the first 10 games after severely spraining his left ankle in a September pickup game. His ankle still is not completely right and Brown is still carrying about 20 extra pounds on his 280-pound frame that he acquired through not being able to practice.
His acquisition was initially treated with skepticism both by NBA pundits and fans.* Despite this, Brown has had something of a rebirth as a Bobcat and the former laughs are no longer so loud. While no star, an older and wiser Brown (he’s 28 now) has become a starter and key Bobcat contributor. Playing for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million, he is also one of the most cost-effective players in the*NBA. Presently, he averages 5.9 points and 6.6 rebounds game. *Paul Silas, his coach, likes him
“He’s getting better, I tell you. He’s shooting that little jump shot. He can make layups now. Free-throw shooting, he’s getting a lot better. His defense and his rebounding are always going to be there, but those other parts of the game that weren’t, he’s really producing now.”
Brown will probably always be known as “Jordan’s Folly” But he has managed to stick around in the NBA for 10 seasons by refusing to dwell on his troubles after becoming the first player to skip college and be the first pick in the NBA draft.
“You can’t see what’s in front of you by looking back. If you walk through that door turned around, you’re going to bust your head. I don’t do that. You let others look back. You let others talk about what you accomplished and what you didn’t accomplish. You just keep moving forward.”
Silas claims Brown didn’t get the guidance that he needed when he first entered the league as a teenager.
“At that particular time, people did not give him the confidence that he needed to perform well. To me, that’s the whole key, especially for a young kid. At 18 years old coming into the league you’ve got to tell him he can. That gives him a chance. I think that was part of the problem.”
Silas admits that he didn’t know what to make of Brown when he first took over the reins at Charlotte in late 2010.* He only began using him as a starter when the regular starter, Nazir Muhammed, became injured.* Now Muhammed is fit, but Brown is still in the starting role.
“His confidence level is so much better: he’s freer, he’s talking, he’s laughing, he’s joking. With guys like him that don’t say very much, I look at, do they start talking more and laughing and having a good time? That’s what he’s doing right now and I think it’s helping him.”
Brown is still very limited offensively, but the Bobcats will be leaning on him tonight when they play the Pacers.
“Not too many people wanted to give him the confidence that he could perform and perform well,” Silas said. “I think now he’s coming to the fact that, ‘I’m out there. I can do what I have to do to be successful and people want me to be successful. I think that’s the whole key to his mental attitude.”
Well, that’s enough on Rufus, Kwame, and the Charlotte Bobcats.* The important thing is to beat them tonight.* Bring your enthusiasm, 55ers.* Let’s start another winning streak and get our guys moving to the Playoffs!
Go Pacers!* Go Area 55!
Joe Murphy (Indy Hoya)
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