Ballin’: Oh to Dunk Like Rudy Gay
NBA March 5th. 2008, 9:31am
Chicago 112, Memphis 97: Rudy Gay’s dunk on a terrified Joakim Noah should have been a post all by itself. Spectacular.
Los Angeles Lakers 117, Sacramento Kings 105: Nice in-the-stands recap from Sactown Royalty. He went for 17 in the final 5:56 as the Lakers outscored the Kings 36-18 in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory. Can someone please check Chris Wallace’s lifestyle? Yup, we’re headed there; it’s only logical. The guy he sent to LA had 31-10.
Golden State 135, Atlanta 118: Six words: Warriors, please make the playoffs. Please.
Phoenix 97, Portland 92: The Blazers dug themselves a 23-point hole, climbed back within two in the fourth quarter, but ran out of gas and wound up losing their fifth in seven games. For all the panic that existed in the last 48 hours about the Suns’ struggles with Shaq (after six games!), we won’t pass judgment until the 15-game mark. Amare got filthy on that tall kid from Minnesota.
Orlando 102, Toronto 87: Six words: Without Chris Bosh, Toronto’s a joke.
119 Responses to “Ballin’: Oh to Dunk Like Rudy Gay”
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March 5th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Is someone asking Stephen Jackson if that gun behind the bench belongs to him?
March 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Six words: Orlando will crush Washington tonight TBL
March 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I’ve now watched the Rudy Gay dunk 11 times. There will be at least five more viewings prior to my noon yack
March 5th, 2008 at 9:39 am
In the 6 games playing with Shaq, Amare has shot less than 50% three times and less than his season average (58%) five times.
I’m not sure what this means (for sure a small sample size), but I don’t like it.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:41 am
so is rudy gay a better dunker than Superman TBL? i think not
March 5th, 2008 at 9:42 am
in-game dunker? I’d say yes
March 5th, 2008 at 9:43 am
That Rudy Gay dunk was sweet but the Amare dunk was classic big white guy posterization
March 5th, 2008 at 9:43 am
are you kidding me? two people slam it down in this league and i hate to say the second: Dwight Howard and Lebron James. there is no better dunkers out there than those two. sorry kobe but not this one
March 5th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Best in-game dunker is by far Lebron; this is not a debate.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I’m biased. I liked the Amare dunk better. Suns looked downright good in the first half last night. Slowed down a bit in the 2nd half. They put up a good game against a good young team. They’re playing Denver tonight and George Karl is still pissed about the 20 point beating they received last time.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:45 am
God, Irish, even when no one is talking about Dwight you bring him up. Can he fix our economy too?
March 5th, 2008 at 9:46 am
@hef - Yea tonight will be a real challenge. Catching Denver on a back to back and getting a win would be huge. Especially since the Suns have struggled defending the wing and playing Melo and AI
March 5th, 2008 at 9:47 am
LeBron James will fix the economy in a second. This is not a debate!!!
March 5th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I swear IrishMafia is a skoal vendor. Or so I have heard.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am
from who
March 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Kobe>Lebron at fixing the economy.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I’m sorry, but the next time I’m impressed by a human dunking a basketball will the first time I’m impressed by such a feat. Of course, this is the sort of thing that makes “Sportscenter”, as opposed to mastery of the fundamentals.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:50 am
sorry hef, i think TBL misremembered who won the dunk contest.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Lebron has more important things to worry about than the economy, like trying to decide when he will reveal himself as the true son of God. Jesus? Fuck outta here…
March 5th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Get off your high horse 412. We’re talking about people, jumping high, and putting a ball into a metal ring. This is exciting stuff here.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:52 am
It’s on like donkey kong tonight Irish, go Wiz!
March 5th, 2008 at 9:52 am
@Nick, he’s only 23, right. He’s got another 10 years before he has to die or anything. At that point, he probably won’t be in Cleveland anymore.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Fundamentals are irrelevant if you have supreme athleticism and size. Shaq could barely dribble and couldn’t shoot outside of five feet. However, that didn’t stop Shaq from being the most productive player of the last 15 years.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Yea I agree with 412 throwing a ball at the perfect angle to hit the square they put up as a target for players so the ball bounces off the glass and directly into the cylinder is way better. TBL can we get a few more bankshot videos?
March 5th, 2008 at 9:54 am
+1 YYSA
March 5th, 2008 at 9:54 am
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UlNaAx8v5bQ
Ask and you shall receive YYSA.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Actually this one is better.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hPKeSor09Xs
Scintillating!
March 5th, 2008 at 9:56 am
JJ Redick > MJ
March 5th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Yi > LeBron + Kobe + Rick Brunson at posting up a chair.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I like how the guy teaching bank shots in that video is wearing a MJ jersey. Because if there is one thing that is for sure MJ was master of the bank shot………..in McDonalds commercials
March 5th, 2008 at 9:58 am
YYSA - I stand corrected. 6′8″ guys slamming a ball into a metal rim is riveting.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:58 am
where the hell is spencer096? he hasnt been here all week. i hope he didnt get fired for looking at porn at work
March 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am
The Hawks made ballin’! Woo hoo!
March 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am
@irish: He got arrested. He forced Danny Ferry at gunpoint to trade Larry, and the fuzz finally caught up with him.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am
If I were 6′8″ I’d also be able to dunk. Yay. What a phenomenal athletic achievement.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:00 am
True Story:
When I was 17, our coach left practice early. There was about 6 of us, so we decided to have some fun. We set up a table in the lane and took turns jumping off of it and dunking. My first try, I jumped and dunked. I had never been that high off the ground before and was scared of letting go. So, I did a pull up, raised my chin above the rim. That’s when I decided to let go. Since I am not a cat, I landed arms first. Broke both of my wrists. My first dunk ever and I landed in the hospital.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Yes but would you be able to do it over a 7 foot white guy?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Is it good when you make Ballin in a losing effort. Doesn’t that mean you lost spectacularly?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:01 am
412 does have a point. I have always considered Shaq to be overrated because based on his size he should have been dominant. He didn’t posess that many skills outside of his size, he was a good passer.
I say all of that in the past tense because he sucks now.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:01 am
412 why are you talking bad about someone being able to dunk?
are you still mad because you got cut from the JV squad
March 5th, 2008 at 10:03 am
@cbh: If the NBA were a game of H.O.R.S.E, you might have a point. It’s not, though.
Should Babe Ruth be held in less regard because he was bigger than everyone else…or Tiger because he’s bigger and stronger than everyone else and can generate higher clubhead speed?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Give me a cake donut and a fresh pot of coffee and I’ll show you some spectacular dunking
March 5th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Dwight > LeBron in trying to front as a Christian and knocking up dancers
March 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Apparently that is the only way the Hawks can make ballin’, so I guess I will take it and yes, we lost spectacularly.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I know you’re probably right Nick but I have hated Shaq from the beginning of his career so I may see things with Shaq hating glasses.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am
@cbh: Fair enough.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:08 am
@Beard–did you watch that Hawks/Warriors game last night? Amazing game. I couldn’t believe how fast both teams were running. So that’s what the NBA is supposed to look like–I had forgotten after years of defense-dominated 70-66 games.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Shaq hating glasses are all the rage in PHX right now. They come with a box of resentment and longing for the good old days of Shawn Marion.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Enough of all this…
Rockets go for the Sweet 16th win tonight. They’ll get it.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Gilbert>Yao at making his team better without him.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:11 am
can shaq fix the economy hef, god when no one is talking about him you brought him up. enough already
March 5th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Why exactly is scoring up so much from the 90’s?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:12 am
3 posts earlier dude. 3 posts earlier.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:13 am
@CBH–I was wondering the same thing after last night. Maybe it’s all the rule changes they’ve made over the last few years that were intended to increase offense? Or maybe more teams have adopted the running style after Phoenix’s success with it? I don’t know…maybe just more athletic players, but I doubt that has anything to do with it.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Shaq is doing his best to fix the economy. One Double Double Animal Style at a time
March 5th, 2008 at 10:14 am
For the Futurama fans on the 412 dunking debate:
Leela: Femputer, be reasonable. Sure men are annoying and they wreck up whatever planet they’re in charge of, but most of these men are sorta my friends. They don’t deserve to die.
Femputer: Hmm. Perhaps men are not as evil as Femputer thinks.
Thog: But they make fun women’s basketball.
Femputer: What? Did you explain how the women’s good fundamentals make up for their inability to dunk?
Ornik: Yes. They still laugh.
Femputer: The men must die.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:14 am
@chb: Elimination of hand-checking + influx of foreigners.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Nick P
Tim Duncan would like to disagree with that.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Phoenix Suns sucess running? How many championships? Did they leave that style of play with the Shaq trade basically admiting that run-and-gun wins games not championships?
That trend is dying…
March 5th, 2008 at 10:19 am
@Roman: Regardless of how well he can hit the bank shot, if he were 6′4 and 190 pounds, we wouldn’t even know Tim Duncan’s name.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Best in game dunker
LeBron
Dwight
Amare
Rudy
Kobe
D-Wade
March 5th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Maybe not but if it were all superior size and athleticism, Tim Thomas would be a God…its the fact that LeBron has good fundamental skills that makes him what he is, same with Kobe, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or any other great player…all the guys in the NBA have superior size and athletic ability to other ball players they played coming up…it is the grasp of fundamentals that make the great Player.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Tim Duncan has got to be the most ironic name in basketball
March 5th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I hope Grant Napear has a vote for nba defensive player of the year (he’s the awful play by play guy for Sacramento). Kobe switched to K-Martin last night in the 4th, and poor Kevin couldn’t get a shot off, prompting the awful Grant Napear to say: He’s got my vote for MVP and for defensive player of the year.
By the way, I heard the loudest MVP chant of the year in Sacramento last night…for Kobe.
Also, can we get a moratorium on “MVP” chants? We get it. Most home teams think their best player if the MVP…we get it.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:26 am
@jayjay: Jason Richardson is a much better dunker than Wade and Kobe, as is Josh Smith.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:27 am
and Vince (when he’s awake)
March 5th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Tim Thomas is a god on the basketball court. Every contract year
March 5th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Agreed Josh Smith and J Rich are nice.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Game 6 Lakers/Suns first round playoff series two years ago prevents me from ever saying anything bad about Tim Thomas. God knows I’ve tried though. God knows I’ve tried.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Why isn’t anybody bashing the Bibby trade yet?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:32 am
For which side, Jayaib?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:33 am
i like bibby, i would of loved for him to go to Orlando. i think the Hawks will be a good team next year, just my opinion. they are loaded with talent and i think they need some time to get used to bibby. there is only 20 games left this year in the season. who knows
March 5th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Atlanta doesn’t seem like they got any better at all.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Roeth: +!
Dew the Slurm.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I agree with JayJay. Bibby is done.
However, they didn’t really give up a lot to get him.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Kobe’s in-game dunking is impressing me now more than ever. He’s not anywhere near the leaper that LeBron, Josh Smith, JR Smith, Gay…etc - yet still has some of the best in-game dunks of the year. He also is the “King” at baseline dunk…
March 5th, 2008 at 10:38 am
C’mon cursed, if there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that Kobe is nowhere near the top 12-15 of best in-game dunkers.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:39 am
I agree with JayJay that atlanta needs more of an assist guy than a scoring guy, but with what the hawks gave up I don’t think atlanta has been hurt by getting bibby.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:41 am
fixed
March 5th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Nick, I agree with you in general - but this season, there’s only about 5 guys who have better highlight reels.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:43 am
@Beard- “And with the second pick in the 2005 draft the Atlanta Hawks pass on Deron Williams and Chris Paul for MARVIN WILLIAMS”
March 5th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I think Andre Miller would have been a better fit for the Hawks. Miller would be nice in Orlando.Great set up man and a dood defender.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:43 am
YYSA - Dwight Howard was playing 8 years ago? Did Kobe use Farraday’s time travel tool from Lost to go back and Dunk On Howard in a middle school game? I’m confused.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Kobe is in the top 10 dunkers list
March 5th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Where was howards name in there?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:45 am
There’s nothing wrong grammatically or time continuum-ly with what YYSA wrote.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:48 am
I was referring to Kobe’s dunk on Howard in this current basketball season.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Can’t wait for lost
March 5th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Oh well we are not mind readers here
March 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Kobe fadeaway > Kobe dunk
March 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Yeah, LOST is going to be great again this week.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:53 am
What are you talking about Hef? Who are you and where am I? I just passed out and just woke up posting on a Cleveland high school basketball forum from 1998.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:53 am
cursed that dunk was when Kobe was wearing number 8 so thats a little old of a dunk
March 5th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Musings -
* too early to bash the Bibby deal
* Wade a great in-game dunker? Maybe in 06
* everyone has caught a touchdown pass in their life; everyone has hit a homerun in a baseball game (rec, street, high school, whatever) .. how many of us can dunk? How many of us can come down on a fast break and hammer down a nasty tomahawk in the mug of another human being?
March 5th, 2008 at 10:54 am
didnt happen thsi year cursed, maybe two years ago.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:56 am
@TBL - As I said earlier all my dunks take place in a mug of coffee
March 5th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Yeah I’m stupid.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Gasol > Kobe (as Lakers)
March 5th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Lebron, J-Rich, Josh Smith, Dwight, Amare, Rudy, Iggy, Vince, Gerald Green, JR Smith, Desmond Mason, Shawn Marion…
Kobe needs to be better than 3 of those guys to get in the top 10. I’m not seeing it.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:04 am
@JayJay: I would settle for Jose Calderon
March 5th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Nick way to recognize the Matrix. His dunking ability is vastly underrated
March 5th, 2008 at 11:06 am
@CH4OS (from about 40 posts ago), thanks for jumping on my ass, but I didn’t say anywhere that the Suns won any championships, or anything about the Shaq trade. Geez, man. Just throwing some theories out there. You have to say the Suns have been successful to some degree, right? I mean, they’re in the playoffs every year, and in the mix every year. Many say they would’ve won last year if not for the suspensions in the playoffs. Sure, that’s not a championship, and they haven’t won one as currently constructed, but it’s success. That’s all I was saying.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Oh, and to those bashing the Bibby trade, the Hawks gave up Dawn Staley/Tyronn Lue and a bunch of worthless shit for him. Even if Bibby was deplorable (he’s not) it’s still a good trade for the Hawks. And I echo what TBL said–WAYYYY too early to judge it. Especially considering the position he plays, and the chemistry required to develop. That takes time.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Add Ty Thomas to that too.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Ok Nick Kobe can come out of the top ten.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:35 am
but re: Bibby - even if they miss the playoffs, i dont see how it’s bad. with their record, they weren’t going to get a better PG in the draft … what FA PGs have in the recent past even considered ATL? Claxton doesn’t count.
I would say they’re a playoff team next year, probably anywhere from 4-8
March 5th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I don’t get why people bash the Bibby trade when the biggest asset the Kings receive was Shelden Williams.
It was a great trade for the Hawks no matter if they reach the playoffs or not, and please don’t say Mike Bibby is done and then consider Sam Cassell is going to have a huge impact. That simply doesn’t make sense…
March 5th, 2008 at 11:46 am
everyone has caught a touchdown pass in their life; everyone has hit a homerun in a baseball game (rec, street, high school, whatever) .. how many of us can dunk?
TD - check, Homerun - check, dunk - check (being 6′3″ helps). Never dunked during a regulation game though (if I missed I’d have a quick trip to the bench). But we did use to have a playground with 9-foot rims, that was fun times.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I caught the last out of the championship back in little league. that was delightful.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I am 6′2 and I come nowhere near close to dunking, I now feel pathetic.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
CBH–I’m 6-4 and have the vertical leap of an 80 year old paraplegic. It’s okay.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
6′1″ and I can touch the bottom of the net when I jump real hard. I feel like a man.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
6′2” just dunked on a 9ft rim this past weekend. Amazing feeling. As for that extra 12ins. no chance.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
6′2 as well and i dunk on nurf hoops.
boston vs detroit should be a good game to watch tonight
March 5th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIDnK95Fgiw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI46ijefTq4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv0VQAnYK90&feature=related
Come on now, let’s not be quick to forget. And if Lebron wasn’t a bitch his ass would be in the Slam Dunk competition like every other great dunker before him.
March 5th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
6′1″ - I can only dunk on Dwight Howard
March 5th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Atlantasportsfan…you could have just said “I’m 6-4 and have the vertical leap of Zydrunas Ilgauskas”..we would have understood
March 5th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Or Sam Perkins in his prime
March 5th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
6′2″ and could two hand dunk back in high school and early college years, but not even close now. I might be able to one hand it if I could palm the ball. Damn tiny hands!!!