Monday 28 April 2014

#MJMondays: Testarossa Tuesdays


Jersey of the Week: Scottie Pippen Stefanel (1991)

The Stefanel Trieste jersey attained cult status after footage emerged of Michael Jordan sporting one while shattering a backboard in Italy during a tour in 1985.
His future Dream Team teammates, Pippen, Barkley and Robinson would show up in Ital' sei anni dopo for an exhibition game between Trieste and Verona.
The Trieste jersey worn by Pippen during that game is bland in comparison to the one Mike wore, and quite frankly, we prefer Barkley's canary yellow ensemble.
However, it is it's likeness to the shirt Gerald wore every single day on Hey Arnold that has rightfully earned it jersey of the week honors. 

It is on sale now here.

Friday 25 April 2014

Who Shot It Better? Sam Cassell vs Troy Daniels

Game 3. Rookie guard. Clutch three.


Rookie Troy Daniels aka The Rio Grande Gunner came up big for the Rockets in Game 3 vs Portland, nearly twenty years to the day since a young Sam Cassell buried the Knicks in Game 3 of the '94 Finals.

Donald Whiteside Gallery



Baseline Leaner's incredible Twitter makeover

Featuring more of your favorites and least favorites.

Happy Birthday Mark Bryant



Happy Birthday Ultimo-Flattop aka Mark Bryant. A long time Blazer who was part of that very talented front court rotation through the early '90s.



While you probably know Bryant as the guy standing on John Stockton's face, here he is clowning Larry Smith deep in the post:
 Mark Bryant clowns Larry Smith
(1990)

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Card of the Week: Nick Anderson 50 Point Club

On April 23, 1993, Nick Anderson dropped a career-high 50 on the Nets. While we are quick to talk down career efforts late in the regular season, Anderson scored his 50 in 33 minutes, off the bench.
Furthermore, apparently he was questionable to even play due to a strained hamstring.

In the same game, Rumeal Robinson had his second triple double of the season (both in April).

Also in that game, our man Jeff Turner had 9 and 5 off the pine, no turnovers as expected.

Sunday 20 April 2014

The Allan Houston Game Winner

Game 5 in '99 against the Heat?

Nope. With Hamish and Andy at The Cage in 2011.

Allan Houston at West 4th Street
(with Hamish and Andy aka The Opals)

Still the greatest thing to ever happen.

Complex - Best Dunks in NBA Playoff History

The good folk at Complex put together a nice list of the Best Dunks in NBA Playoff History.

Here's a few that could've been considered for the back end of that list:

1. Robert Pack going coast to coast and dunking on Kemp in '94.

2. Desmond Mason's late game 360 vs the Spurs in '02 (has there been another 360 in a Playoff game?)

 

3. Pippen on Ewing in 1991. A glimpse of what would come three years later.


If you have others, feel free to share.

Who Dunked It Better? Butler vs Horry

Things that we like: Old dudes in the Playoffs, dunking.

At age 34, Caron Butler had an impressive throw down last night against the Griz.

Caron Butler vs Memphis Grizzlies
(April 19, 2014)

Though no where near as critical, it did remind us a little of Robert Horry's lefty dunk in the final minutes of  Game 5 of the 2005 Finals. For completeness, Horry was also 34 at the time. 

Robert Horry vs Detroit Pistons
(June 19, 2005)

Saturday 19 April 2014

Happy Birthday Eddie Robinson

It is fitting that Day 1 of the Playoffs coincides with E-Rob's birthday in that it was essentially a handful of performances in the '01 Playoffs that would convince the Bulls to pay him handsomely the next season.

Eddie Robinson around Jeff Hornacek
(March 3, 2000)

Most importantly however (and as far as we can tell), it was E-Rob, in his rookie year, who brought the headband to Charlotte. We're talking even before Baron made it his favorite item of apparel to remove in celebration.

Baron Davis sans-headband dunk
(March 3, 2000)

This is probably a stretch, but so influential was E-Rob's accessories wardrobe, that the entire Hornets team would go on to wear headbands, and look ridiculous, through the 2001 Playoffs. P.J. BROWN AND ELDEN CAMPBELL!

Want more? E-ROB WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ANNOUNCERS WEARING HEADBANDS!
On the subject of the Hornets, the caliber of dunkers on that '99-00 squad was probably second only to the Raptors. With Eddie Jones as the Elder Statesman of Dunk, the young legs of Baron Davis, Ricky Davis and E-Rob provided a number of highlights throughout that season.

After the '01 Playoffs, the Bulls (Krause) paid E-Rob top dollar to sign as a free agent.  He didn't pan out (aside from some entertaining self-oops) and after a couple of seasons the Bulls opted to buy out the remainder of his contract.
This brought to a close Robinson's NBA career, but he did make a brief appearance in the D-League, eventually taking his talents to Canada.


This post goes out to The Grand Archives.

BONUS: P.J. Brown and guy.