I accept my Brian Scalabrine role. I’m cool with it.
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| — | Rasheed Wallace, everyone! |
After I drafted Darko, from that point on, the amount of background we do on every single player that you see us draft is ridiculous. We do as much or more background than any other team in the NBA because of that. The background on (Milicic) was about 20 percent of what we do now. I look back on it now and realize you didn’t know half of the stuff you needed to know.
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Darko Milicic mistake changed the way Joe Dumars and Pistons prepare for draft day NBD, he was only the #2 pick in one of the most loaded drafts in NBA history. Why would you want to do a thorough background check on him, right? Too bad Joe D. didn’t figure this out before he wasted lottery picks on Mateen Cleaves and Rodney White. |
I rode from the airport in a limo with Larry Bird, and that was such an honor. We talked about playing against the Pistons, different moves, all this stuff. He was just a great dude. Then, as we got out of the car and I was getting my bags, he goes, “Make sure you get your sleep, because tomorrow I’m gonna bust your ass, and you’re going to remember it the rest of the week.
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Chris Webber From GQ’s oral history of the Dream Team |
20 years ago tonight I was watching Duke take their first steps in defending their NCAA title in Greensboro, NC. Tickets were $17 for lower level seats.
This list doesn’t even mention Steve Wojciechowski or Greg Newton’s haircut and is therefor INVALID. I expect better from you, Slate.
Two decades later, people still ask about his days as a walk-on. “Guys will say, ‘I hate Duke,’ ” Burt says, “but that must’ve been pretty cool, right?
