Cojones*

Slam has a fantastic article by John Krolik on the rightful heir to Sam Cassell's testicle dance. (The only adjective I can think of to properly describe the dance is 'singular,' but somehow 'singular testicle dance' just sounds wrong...and misleading.) Thus far, only Kobe and Andre Iguodala have been brazen enough to show off their cojones (Andre in front of the one and only Sam I Am). Kobe broke out the dance again tonight after a late basket against the Jazz, but like the last time against the Spurs, Lakers lost. Last time, Roger Mason, Jr. answered back with a testicle dance of his own. This time, Mehmet Okur answered back with what can only be characterized as the Jonas version of Sam's dance. I'm trying to find a clip of it, but the only video of the game on YouTube cuts off before the end.

My vote is for Roger Mason, Jr. Sam had a swagger disproportionate to his position on the NBA totem pole. Roger Mason - 2nd rounder, journeyman - has the same outsized bravado.

Krolik dismisses Manu as a possible heir, saying:

I’m pretty sure Manu thinks the dance means “I have accumulated a lot of change and am unsure what to do with it, so for the moment there is much change in my pockets, which I find unwieldy.”

This can also describe Mehmet's dance. Check out the other potential heirs apparent here.

*Quick note to my very white friend, Jay. Cojones is not pronounced 'co-jones,' which is what I know you were saying in your head. It's Spanish and therefore pronounced 'co-ho-nez.'

What to Watch

Finally, a reason to watch Rome, or rather Guest Host. I actually watched it the other day when Jim Gray was the guest host and Amare Stoudemire came on with this massive band aid on his ear. I don't know whether Team USA trainers are just as bandage-inept as Suns trainers or Amare has the worst ear infection known to man, but that thing is huge! It almost distracted me from Jim Gray's obvious baiting of Amare, trying to get a good quote about the whole Donaghy affair. Impressively, Amare refused to bite. And Jim Gray tried everything, stopping just short of accusing Donaghy of insulting Amare's mama. Haha.

Score: Shaq and Amare 2, Jim Gray 0.

Sibling Revelry

I was thinking about doing an NBA Sibling rank, similar to the NBA Parent rank, but have you ever Googled "NBA player" and "brother"? Not quite the results I was looking for. Instead, I thought I'd do a post on Frank and Andre Iguodala, the preeminent brothers of the League (in my humble opinion) as it's constituted now. They just also happen to be gorgeous.

Quick aside: I think the ultimate example of the bond between brothers is Larry and the late Justin Hughes. However, I couldn't even begin to do justice to that story, but there's a good example here.

Also, I know some people consider the Waltons to be the Mannings of the NBA, but when I look at Luke Walton, I'm sometimes struck by the thought, "So that's what Satan's spawn looks like." It sounds harsh, but think of what we're taught about the Devil: white, red-haired, insufferable. Now think of Bill Walton: check, check, check. Anyway, back to Luke's more pleasing ex-teammate.

I sort of fell for the whole Iguodala family while watching NBA Rookies. His mother, Linda, was just so no-nonsense yet supportive - showing up to Andre's game against the Bulls in a Sixers jersey and responding to questions about possible heckling with "We're tough, too!" What really won me over about Andre was his genuine goodness. New Year's Eve in LA his rookie year, Andre still chose to come back to his hotel room early (11pm!) because it was the night before a game. Philly fans should be proud. Frank, aka FBI, participated in City Slam '06 where he apparently dunked over 3 girls. Cool family.

Honorable mention (including sisters): Dwyane and Tragil Wade, Joakim and Yelena Noah, Anthony and Candace Parker, Tony and Pierre Parker, Greg and Anthony Oden

Photo Source: Andre's official website

NBA Parent Rank

While I look for my NBA Rookies tape, I thought I'd make a fun little NBA Parent ranking. These are just some people who've impressed, amused, or inspired me. I think they serve as a good counter-model to Hollywood/sports parents who, because of their child's earning potential, forget the role they're supposed to play. The parents listed here are also probably the closest to my Mom, who wasn't afraid to kick a little ass (both literally and figuratively) when need be.

I may revisit this list for future posts before the season starts. 84 days and counting...

Previous posts: Shirley Garnett, John Nash

Big Earl Smith and Linda Shanklin: The New Sheriffs in Town

Recovered post from July 13, 2005.

Iggy and Mom

I don't care if you're Andre Iguodala or Horace Jenkins. Your parents need to come with your ass to whatever city you end up.

End of original post.

So I thought I'd finish this post, but I have no idea what I was going to say. I vaguely recall that I started writing this after watching an episode of NBA Rookies and thinking that Andre's mom and JR's dad were two of the coolest, most level-headed parents around. I remember taping the show - this is before I went DVR - but I have like 30 tapes from the past 2 years that I'd have to go through in order to find that episode. Hopefully, a few of them are labeled. If I ever manage to find the tape and recover my train of thought, I'll finish this post.