EmKingsFan4
Starter
Okay well of course I don't agree with the whole Maloof thing but everyone is entitled to their own opinion I suppose. 
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Top 10 Things Worth Hissing for in NBA
By STEVE ASCHBURNER, AOL
1. Kobe Bryant
America hates phonies and this guy is a living, breathing lie, given the image he portrayed and the backroom shenanigans (or worse) he pursued. Then he used his free agency to nudge the Lakers' hand regarding Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson. The $4 million peace offering to the missus, his share-the-muck accusations about Shaq to authorities, his grab at street cred as soon as he got into trouble and, c'mon, just the way he plays all are good reasons to root against Bryant.
2. Isiah Thomas
Something about that disingenuous smile rubs folks the wrong way. Then there is his ability, like Billy Zane's character in 'Titanic,' to end up in the lifeboat after sinking yet another operation. And his unsportsmanlike reputation as a player -- refusing to shake the Bulls' hands, the comments against Larry Bird, the alleged freeze-out of Michael Jordan in the 1985 All-Star Game -- serves as another reminder that it's all about Zeke.
3. Steve Francis
Always an excuse, always some reason to need one with this guy. You'd think he and Cuttino Mobley had set up housekeeping with a picket fence and rose garden the way Francis pouted after Mobley's trade. How 'bout taking on the burden of leading the Magic where they need to go?
4. Shawn Bradley
Puh-leeze, enough is enough. Most draft busts go away a lot sooner than the elbow-flaying thin man.
5. Vince Carter
Sure, he played great for a while after joining the Nets. But that exposed how lackluster he performed for the Toronto Raptors, who made him filthy rich and needed him to sell the sport in Canada. Somewhere there has to be a lawyer willing to take on a case against Carter for withholding services.
6. Darius Miles
Time to grow up or move on, young fella. Getting traded twice should have delivered enough of a message, but no, Miles -- after Portland handed him a $48 million contract -- had to brazenly challenge Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks this season. After an eight-point, five-turnover performance Sunday, Miles went hardwood Barry Bonds, saying: "The way I look at it is it's a job right now. It's not really fun anymore. It's a job.''
7. Donald Sterling
The Clippers' owner stubbornly has refused to cultivate Orange County as a natural home for his club. He only recently began paying market-value contracts, after an exodus of highly drafted players. He plops at midcourt and seems truly content with his Double-A operation.
8. The Maloof Brothers
Yeah, we know, they're wild and crazy guys. They run a casino, they have cushy chairs at midcourt with a family crest emblazoned on the seat backs, they out-Cuban Mark Cuban when it comes to fan-slash-owner notoriety. But the act is wearing thin and so, apparently, is their team's status as a contender. Bad arena news and the Chris Webber trade seemed well-deserved.
9. Alonzo Mourning
It's all about 'Zo, all the time. What sort of buyout can he get? What can an owner do to demonstrate his commitment to Mourning? Whose shirttails can he glom onto for a ring that will mean something to... well, to him. At least now, for his refusal to play for Toronto, has an entire nation rooting against him.
10. Golden State Warriors
If there's any justice, Baron Davis will continue to spend as much time in sick bay and traction as in the Warriors' starting lineup. Bad management has kept this team among the bottom feeders for, what, decades now. You could stock an NBA champion with all the players these guys have given up on.
Steve Aschburner covers the NBA and the Timberwolves for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/sports/article.adp?id=20050302215009990001
03/02/05 20:46 EST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Top 10 Things Worth Hissing for in NBA
By STEVE ASCHBURNER, AOL
1. Kobe Bryant
America hates phonies and this guy is a living, breathing lie, given the image he portrayed and the backroom shenanigans (or worse) he pursued. Then he used his free agency to nudge the Lakers' hand regarding Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson. The $4 million peace offering to the missus, his share-the-muck accusations about Shaq to authorities, his grab at street cred as soon as he got into trouble and, c'mon, just the way he plays all are good reasons to root against Bryant.
2. Isiah Thomas
Something about that disingenuous smile rubs folks the wrong way. Then there is his ability, like Billy Zane's character in 'Titanic,' to end up in the lifeboat after sinking yet another operation. And his unsportsmanlike reputation as a player -- refusing to shake the Bulls' hands, the comments against Larry Bird, the alleged freeze-out of Michael Jordan in the 1985 All-Star Game -- serves as another reminder that it's all about Zeke.
3. Steve Francis
Always an excuse, always some reason to need one with this guy. You'd think he and Cuttino Mobley had set up housekeeping with a picket fence and rose garden the way Francis pouted after Mobley's trade. How 'bout taking on the burden of leading the Magic where they need to go?
4. Shawn Bradley
Puh-leeze, enough is enough. Most draft busts go away a lot sooner than the elbow-flaying thin man.
5. Vince Carter
Sure, he played great for a while after joining the Nets. But that exposed how lackluster he performed for the Toronto Raptors, who made him filthy rich and needed him to sell the sport in Canada. Somewhere there has to be a lawyer willing to take on a case against Carter for withholding services.
6. Darius Miles
Time to grow up or move on, young fella. Getting traded twice should have delivered enough of a message, but no, Miles -- after Portland handed him a $48 million contract -- had to brazenly challenge Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks this season. After an eight-point, five-turnover performance Sunday, Miles went hardwood Barry Bonds, saying: "The way I look at it is it's a job right now. It's not really fun anymore. It's a job.''
7. Donald Sterling
The Clippers' owner stubbornly has refused to cultivate Orange County as a natural home for his club. He only recently began paying market-value contracts, after an exodus of highly drafted players. He plops at midcourt and seems truly content with his Double-A operation.
8. The Maloof Brothers
Yeah, we know, they're wild and crazy guys. They run a casino, they have cushy chairs at midcourt with a family crest emblazoned on the seat backs, they out-Cuban Mark Cuban when it comes to fan-slash-owner notoriety. But the act is wearing thin and so, apparently, is their team's status as a contender. Bad arena news and the Chris Webber trade seemed well-deserved.
9. Alonzo Mourning
It's all about 'Zo, all the time. What sort of buyout can he get? What can an owner do to demonstrate his commitment to Mourning? Whose shirttails can he glom onto for a ring that will mean something to... well, to him. At least now, for his refusal to play for Toronto, has an entire nation rooting against him.
10. Golden State Warriors
If there's any justice, Baron Davis will continue to spend as much time in sick bay and traction as in the Warriors' starting lineup. Bad management has kept this team among the bottom feeders for, what, decades now. You could stock an NBA champion with all the players these guys have given up on.
Steve Aschburner covers the NBA and the Timberwolves for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/sports/article.adp?id=20050302215009990001
03/02/05 20:46 EST
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