3 pts shots : a crash course with Craig Hodges !

Hi all! It’s been a long time, huh?! I’m far from being a youtube addict, but while I was surfing aimlessly on this site yesterday I found one of the most amazing video I’ve ever seen!

Youngsters have probably never heard of Craig Hodges, a former player who made a name for himself in the early 90’s with his outstanding knack to hit 3 pts shots. And boy, saying that is what you might call an understatement!

Actually he was a run-of-the-mill kind of player but his amazing skill helped him getting a gig for 10 years in the league. He built up his whole career with this skill, which was definitely his trademark.

So far, I never had a chance to see this shooting machine but thanks to youtube the catching up is done. And I’m totally flabbergasted by what I’ve seen.

Here is the bloody amazing video of the 3 pts shootout contest of the ’91 NBA All-Star game, held in Charlotte. That day Hodges just delivered. Think about it : the guy hit 19 shots in a row, breaking the previous record, which was held by Larry Bird!

He ended up the contest with 24 pts, one point shy of the ultimate record : 25 pts established by… Hodges himself several years ago.

A little bird tells me this record ain’t ready to be broken! Current NBA players are not enough eager to work their shooting skills : they just want to work their physical condition, beef up their body and tirelessly drive to the basket. Getting more tatoos is also a very sought-after activity…

I don’t wanna sound like a geezer or something like that, but in the 80’s and 90’s hitting shots was the heart and sould of Basketball! And once and for all, that’s the way basketball must be played!

Watch D-League games for free

Don’t know if you guys have ever noticed that before, but the fact is you can can watch all D-League games for free, including live and past games. Ain’t that great?

If anything, it’s kind of similar to the famous and upscale “NBA League Pass”, except that D-league games are utterly free of charge. It’s a great way to promote this league which is by and large belittled by a lot of people. Of course, the games level is far from being amazing, still I’m convinced a great deal of players are worth seeing and some of ’em will eventually make it in NBA.

Like I said before, the upside of this offer is you can watch it at anytime at no cost. The choice of games is quite huge. Last but not least, the quality of image and sound is very satisfying.

The negative side would be the lack of commentators, which added to the usual reduced attendance in the arena, gives a drab aspect to the whole thing. Still, it’s great to know I can watch ball games whenever I feel like it, so do like me and enjoy the show!

Kemp confirms comeback rumors

Like I said in a previous post 2 weeks ago, Shawn Kemp is seriously contemplating a return on the court in Italy. It was all but a joke, besides Kemp himself confirmed it to Slam.

Here’s a video of “The Reignman” talkin’ about all those rumors surrounding his future, but also about all the other issues that have been disturbing his life so far.

Kemp, whose head is now totally shaved, looks reliable, and well… not stoned for once! (Just kiddin’ Shawn!)

Lakers sign Sun Yue

The Los Angeles Lakers (my favorite team!) have reached an agreement with Chinese Point Guard Sun Yue (6’9, 205 lb), who’s currently attending the Beijing Olympics Games with his national team, playing USA this sunday. The left handed point guard is expected to sign his first NBA contract in the upcoming days.

Sun, 22, got drafted last year by L.A. in the second round (40th pick), but didn’t join the Lakers on the spot. He remained in China last season, playing ball with his team Beijing Aoshen.

Over there, he’s portrayed like a shoot-first, pass-second type of point guard, with a great ability to find his open teammates, though. He’s a dead-eye 3 point shooter, and from what I’ve seen on this video he can easily dunk.

His skinny frame could be an issue in the tough NBA, but I think his quickness and his great court vision should help him to make it in the L.

To my knowledge, Sun Yue is the very first Chinese player to wear the gold and purple jersey!

WNBA brawl video

The game between the L.A. Sparks and Detroit Shock was almost over last night when things just took a turn for the worse. Candace Parker and Cheryl Ford got into a brawl. 

That’s the kind of thing I don’t like to see on a sports ground, but… when a game gets tough physically, well that’s the way the cookie crumbles!

Here’s the video, but be aware it ain’t for the faint-hearted!

Vince Carter’s awesome dunk in Sydney!

With the Olympics Games about to begin in Beijing, I found it relevant to show you the greatest dunk I’ve ever seen! It was in Sydney in 2000, during a game pitting the Team USA and the French National Team. Maybe you’ve already seen this, but you never get tired of it, huh?

At the time, I watched it live! I remember it vividly, I started to yell and leaped out of my chair! Even if I was naturally rooting for my country, I was amazed by this dunk.

Vince Carter just humiliated the French Center. His name is Fred Weis, and the guy is a seven footer! His exact size is 7″2. How in the world did Carter manage to jump above Weis?! His jumping skills are just mind-blowing.

As for the French center, rumor has it that after this humiliation he never really get over it. He became mentally weak, and lost confidence in his game. He was drafted by the NY Knicks a year before, but never made it to the NBA. Was he afraid to run into Vince Carter one more time?