malik rose and more

welcome in 2007, basketball!

+ who's the 5th most favorite spur in the nba now?

let's go counting: timmy, manu, tony, bruce... MALIK ROSE.
this is my tribute to malik, well, by malik's story "i remember san antonio...", posted on thursday,
march 10, 2005.
malik:
*i remember my rookie year when i played for the charlotte hornets and we played the san antonio
spurs.
during the day of the game, i took a walk to see the alamo.
when i got there, it was a lot smaller than i thought.
you hear all of these stories about it, and you think it's huge, but if you're not paying attention, you
could walk right by it.
that's the one thing that worried me about coming to san antonio back in 1997.
san antonio was so much smaller and not to mention slower than philadelphia.
at the time, philly had about five million people and i think san antonio had a little less than one
million.
i didn't know much else about the city, either.
not much more than what they teach you in school about texas.
however, i soon found out that the people of san antonio are some of the nicest and most caring
people on the face of the earth.
and that is why i want to thank all of you.
during my eight years there, you guys always treated me very well.
even when my family goes to different places, people treat them kindly and welcome them with
open arms.
my family and friends told me about the overwhelming amount of support you guys showed for me
when i was traded and i thank you for all of the posters, cards, letters and e-mails that have
flooded my restaurant.
that support really helped me get through that tough time.
it also made me feel like i had made a difference in san antonio.
like i was living right.
i'm sure you guys know i never wanted to leave, but rest assured, i'll be back after the season.
san antonio will still be my home.
my new restaurant will still open later this month and i'll continue to run the business, just from
farther away.
and to show my thanks for all of your support, if you bring this story into either restaurant, i'll buy
you an italian ice.
things are going pretty well for me up here in the big apple, and my new teammates, as well as
the fans, have been great to me.
it's exciting to feel wanted and involved in things.
not to say i didn't feel those things with the spurs, but everybody here is coming up to me asking
questions, asking for advice.
it's like they depend on me.
that feels great!
i know (spurs coach gregg popovich) has been catching some heat for the trade, but please
believe it wasn't personal.
he just made a business decision, and i don't have any animosity toward him or the spurs'
organization.
if i saw pop on the street, i'd be the first to shake his hand.
i really did enjoy being around him.
he is a great person.
true, we had our differences, but in the working world, who doesn't have problems with their boss.
i will always have a special place for pop in my heart, because he gave me a chance when no one
else would.
i still remember back in september 1997 when he invited me to training camp.
i was brought in to be a practice player, but over time things changed.
the next thing i know, fans are cheering for me, my parents are honorary baseline bums and we
have two championship rings!
i'll still root for the spurs.
i've got too many friends over there to not support them.
however, for two games out of the year, they will be considered the spawn of satan that must be
summarily put to death!
it's funny, when i first moved to san antonio, i never thought i would own a flat-bed pick-up truck, a
pair of cowboy boots or call san antonio home.
well, i now drive a chevy avalanche to my home in san antonio.
but i doubt if you'll ever get me in a pair of cowboy boots!
thanks again, and i'll see you all soon!*
malik had been a splendid true-spurs-heart player.
thank you again, malik jabari rose.

+ here are my predictions on las vegas' all*star game:

east
G dwyane wade G gilbert arenas G chauncey billups
G vince carter G michael redd G ben gordon
C shaquille o'neal C dwight howard
F lebron james F paul pierce
F chris bosh F jermaine o'neal

13th man: jason kidd
(if shaq is injured, add eddy curry.)
coach: mike brown

west
G kobe bryant G steve nash F carlos boozer
G allen iverson G tracy mcgrady F josh howard
C yao ming C amare stoudemire
F kevin garnett F dirk nowitzki
F tim duncan F carmelo anthony

13th man: tony parker
(i'm sad but sorry, shawn marion.)
coach: mike d'antoni

+ here is my list of "i-luv-watchin'-'em 12 guys":

ron artest
kobe bryant
kevin garnett
gerald green
kirk hinrich
dwight howard
andre iguodala
allen iverson
jason kidd
steve nash
dwyane wade
rasheed wallace

+ 17 years ago:

mike d'antoni
mike dunleavy
maurice cheeks
mike woodson
isiah thomas
byron scott
doc rivers
rick carlisle
mike brown
scott skiles
avery johnson
sam mitchell

what these guys did in 1989-90?
they played in nba!
(well, except mike d'antoni, who played in europe.)
i wonder how this team would play... a basement?... .500?... playoffs?... contenders?...
champions?...

p.s.: what jannero pargo should be is the 5th guard in a 4-guard rotation. (-charley rosen)
p.s.2: here's the topper: during the trading frenzy surrounding iverson, chris webber missed a flight
and a shootaround, then demanded that the sixers NOT trade him. (-charley rosen)
p.s.3: remember that feeling you had watching the young david robinson and the young hakeem
olajuwon - that lithe sense that they were capable of anything?
that's how watching dwight howard feels. (-eric neel)
p.s.4: chris kaman did a "charles smith" - getting three attempted layups blocked on one play.
(-charley rosen)
p.s.5: if utah lights up the spurs thursday [sa-utah 106:83], i predict pop will officially anoint them
as "worst defensive team since time began". (-johnny ludden)
p.s.6: *if anyone feels they need to lose a little weight after the holidays,* brent barry said, *i
strongly recommend getting the stomach flu.
i lost seven pounds in 12 hours.*
p.s.7: one fan held up this sign: "matt bonner stole my girlfriend and i'm totally cool with it".
p.s.8: the spurs are in drastic need of another wing who can create his own scoring opportunities
the way finley once did. (-charley rosen)

Posted by Foreigner in CS - Jan 11 2007 5:11PM