GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI
02-17-2007, 04:33 PM
Even in a dunk contest??
Basketball: Duncan ready to aid Howard
Web Posted: 02/17/2007 03:20 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News
LAS VEGAS — Spurs forward Tim Duncan again proved he's a good sport.
Dwight Howard, Orlando's athletic 21-year-old All-Star center, asked the league to allow him to raise the rim to 12 feet for a dunk he wanted to attempt in Saturday's Slam Dunk competition at Thomas and Mack Center.
The league refused, leaving Howard disappointed and looking for another trick to pull in the competition.
That's when Duncan offered to help.
"Posterized" when Howard leapt high above him to catch Hedo Turkoglu's in-bounds pass and threw it down with two-tenths of a second left to give the Magic a one-point victory over the Spurs on Feb. 9, Duncan volunteered to play the stooge for Howard again tonight.
"I'll be the guinea pig and go for the fake and stand there and let him dunk it, if that's what it takes," Duncan said when asked if he was willing to help Howard replicate the season's most dramatic in-game dunk. "I need some TV time anyway."
On Ice: Former Spurs great George Gervin commanded a big crowd at Friday's interview session, which featured those participating in All-Star Saturday activities.
Gervin replaced another former Spur, Steve Kerr, on the reigning championship team in the Shooting Stars competition that features an active NBA player, a former player and a member of a WNBA team — all from the same city.
Spurs guard Tony Parker and Silver Stars forward Kendra Wecker, who teamed with Kerr to win last year's contest, are returning to defend the title. When Kerr could not participate because of a back injury, Gervin was asked to take his place.
"I get an opportunity to shoot with Tony and Kendra, and it's a fun event and I get a chance to participate in All-Star Weekend," Gervin said. "My shot is old, but sometimes old is effective, so I'm looking forward to it. I've still got a little jump in the legs, and shooting a basketball is something I have done all my life. I think I can get the attempts up. It's a good challenge for a 55-year-old man, and I'm going to have fun."
Gervin raised the frightening prospect of putting his 55-year-old legs on display in "old school" short shorts.
"I've got to break out the old shorts," he said, laughing. "I know they've got uniforms for us, and I know Tony is serious about regaining the crown, so I'm going to do the best I can. But I'm not going to put no pressure on myself. I can hang with (Bill) Laimbeer, (Michael) Cooper and Scottie Pippen."
Are you bluffing? A Las Vegas TV reporter asked each player, including Duncan, to compare his team with a deck of cards.
"If you are the king," the reporter asked, "then who is the smoking ace?"
Duncan deadpanned, "I didn't know there was a smoking ace. I don't know that we have an ace; just kings, queens and jacks. I don't think queens is a good word, though.
"We've got jacks, kings and aces. Manu and Tony and Bruce, we've got a good starting squad."
The same reporter asked Parker which Spur was "most in the clubs."
"I'm not trying to get anybody in trouble," Parker said, with a laugh.
I meant to lose: Parker was eliminated in the first round of a video basketball competition by Hornets point guard Chris Paul, but the Spurs point guard had an excuse — other plans.
"I had other places to go," he said. "I wanted to lose and get out of there."
Paul wasn't buying that excuse.
"It was all bad for Tony," he said. "I think we played two warm-up games that I won and then I ended up playing him in the first round and beat him then, too. He was no match for me. He knows it."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/mmonroe/stories/MYSA021707.6C.BKN.AllStarNotebook.15dca92.html
Basketball: Duncan ready to aid Howard
Web Posted: 02/17/2007 03:20 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News
LAS VEGAS — Spurs forward Tim Duncan again proved he's a good sport.
Dwight Howard, Orlando's athletic 21-year-old All-Star center, asked the league to allow him to raise the rim to 12 feet for a dunk he wanted to attempt in Saturday's Slam Dunk competition at Thomas and Mack Center.
The league refused, leaving Howard disappointed and looking for another trick to pull in the competition.
That's when Duncan offered to help.
"Posterized" when Howard leapt high above him to catch Hedo Turkoglu's in-bounds pass and threw it down with two-tenths of a second left to give the Magic a one-point victory over the Spurs on Feb. 9, Duncan volunteered to play the stooge for Howard again tonight.
"I'll be the guinea pig and go for the fake and stand there and let him dunk it, if that's what it takes," Duncan said when asked if he was willing to help Howard replicate the season's most dramatic in-game dunk. "I need some TV time anyway."
On Ice: Former Spurs great George Gervin commanded a big crowd at Friday's interview session, which featured those participating in All-Star Saturday activities.
Gervin replaced another former Spur, Steve Kerr, on the reigning championship team in the Shooting Stars competition that features an active NBA player, a former player and a member of a WNBA team — all from the same city.
Spurs guard Tony Parker and Silver Stars forward Kendra Wecker, who teamed with Kerr to win last year's contest, are returning to defend the title. When Kerr could not participate because of a back injury, Gervin was asked to take his place.
"I get an opportunity to shoot with Tony and Kendra, and it's a fun event and I get a chance to participate in All-Star Weekend," Gervin said. "My shot is old, but sometimes old is effective, so I'm looking forward to it. I've still got a little jump in the legs, and shooting a basketball is something I have done all my life. I think I can get the attempts up. It's a good challenge for a 55-year-old man, and I'm going to have fun."
Gervin raised the frightening prospect of putting his 55-year-old legs on display in "old school" short shorts.
"I've got to break out the old shorts," he said, laughing. "I know they've got uniforms for us, and I know Tony is serious about regaining the crown, so I'm going to do the best I can. But I'm not going to put no pressure on myself. I can hang with (Bill) Laimbeer, (Michael) Cooper and Scottie Pippen."
Are you bluffing? A Las Vegas TV reporter asked each player, including Duncan, to compare his team with a deck of cards.
"If you are the king," the reporter asked, "then who is the smoking ace?"
Duncan deadpanned, "I didn't know there was a smoking ace. I don't know that we have an ace; just kings, queens and jacks. I don't think queens is a good word, though.
"We've got jacks, kings and aces. Manu and Tony and Bruce, we've got a good starting squad."
The same reporter asked Parker which Spur was "most in the clubs."
"I'm not trying to get anybody in trouble," Parker said, with a laugh.
I meant to lose: Parker was eliminated in the first round of a video basketball competition by Hornets point guard Chris Paul, but the Spurs point guard had an excuse — other plans.
"I had other places to go," he said. "I wanted to lose and get out of there."
Paul wasn't buying that excuse.
"It was all bad for Tony," he said. "I think we played two warm-up games that I won and then I ended up playing him in the first round and beat him then, too. He was no match for me. He knows it."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/mmonroe/stories/MYSA021707.6C.BKN.AllStarNotebook.15dca92.html