JaVale McGee threw away his game ball (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie) ...more ?
Once a laughingstock, Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee is turning into a capable NBA player right before our eyes. On Tuesday night, he was one of the best players on the floor for the second time in the series in Denver's 102-99 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles . McGee, for his part, had 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. The Nuggets, who once seemed at danger of getting swept, now have the chance to even up the series at home in Thursday's Game 6.
[ Marc J. Spears: Andrew Bynum's 'arrogant statement' costs Lakers against Nuggets ]
While teammate Andre Miller arguably had a bigger effect on the outcome, McGee was awarded the game ball and earned a postgame interview with TNT's Craig Sager. At the end, as a means of congratulating JaVale, Sager told him to "hold on to that game ball" for a long time. So, naturally, McGee launched it into the crowd right before walking through the tunnel and to the locker room. It's unclear if anyone caught the ball, or if McGee just threw it into an open space. Whatever the case, it was weird.
Somehow, though, I think the reaction might have been very different if McGee had done this after a random game during his time with the Washington Wizards. When a player helps win a really important road playoff game, actions like this one showcase his confidence. When that same player does it in a meaningless January contest, it's a sign that he'll never grow up. It's amazing what a little success can do for a guy's reputation.
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The 10-man rotation, starring Larry Coon?s collective bargaining agreement FAQ (Ball Don't Lie) ...more ?
A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.
C : Larry Coon's CBA FAQ . Larry Coon is an Internet legend. When his first collective bargaining agreement FAQ came out following the last lockout season, it helped a whole generation of us burgeoning NBA scribes figure out the following offseason, and the would-be boffo free-agent class of 2000 that followed a whole heap of teams using questioned-about cap machinations to clear space. This is required reading, re-skimming, bookmarking, what have you. You are not allowed to comment on a website, a message board, a blog, or on talk radio until you've gone over it. And this goes for you, professional scribes and TV talking heads. You don't get to just offer the "I don't know if that's cap-legal" caveat, after discussing a hypothetical deal. Now you know. Thank you, once again, Larry.
PF : Hardwood Paroxysm . Curtis Harris on the late Knicks coach Andrew "Fuzzy" Levane.
SF : Meloship of the Ring . Amar'e Stoudemire's late-game defense was pretty happenin' on Sunday.
SG : Washington Post . John Wall is touring the playoffs with Sam Cassell, learning from the top PGs.
PG : Grantland . Jonathan Abrams on the divergent careers of Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, 11 years on.
JaVale McGee?s mom is an intense woman (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie) ...more ?
Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee has been the subject of jokes and goofs throughout this season. You've probably seen the "highlight" where he ran the wrong way after a missed shot back when he was on the Washington Wizards, and there have been many more similar "highlights" throughout the year. However, as our Kelly Dwyer noted , McGee was pretty great in the Nuggets' Game 3 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, entertaining viewers with active, athletic play and putting in 16 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks in 28 minutes.
Yet McGee was often overshadowed during the ESPN broadcast by his mother Pam, one of the greatest players in the history of women's basketball and still an ultra-intense woman. In the video above, you can watch her react to one of her son's best baskets with an epic staredown. But she did a lot more than that, and you can join us after the jump for more.