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

More Gatorade

While we're on the subject of Joakim Noah, I thought I'd finally do a profile on him. However, it's not often that an NBA parent outshines his son in fame or female fans. So rather, this is a post on NBA's Finest father-son tandem: Yannick and Joakim Noah.

Yannick Noah - the man pictured here in his underwear, as he is throughout billboards in France - is a living legend. After winning the French Open in front of a title-starved home crowd, he married (and divorced) Miss Sweden, and remade himself into a pop idol and cultural icon. At 47, he's filling up concert venues throughout Europe and campaigning with presidential hopefuls during his spare time.

Son, those are some mighty big shoes to fill. But Joakim's not doing too badly himself.

2006 Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four
2006 Most Outstanding Dancer of the Final Four*
2007 9th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls
2007 Most Distinguished Dancer of the Rookie Photo Shoot**

*By outstanding, I mean enthusiastic.
**By distinguished, I mean interesting.

Personally, much like Corey Brewer, I think Joakim's pretty fantastic with a capital F. He's just cool. So cool, that he could wear a bow tied seersucker suit and still look good. He reminds me of Terrence Howard (before he lost his mind) as Spaceman in Sunset Park. He also has that "man in a park without a care or worry" Andy Dufresne stroll - you know, before he was raped by the Sisters. Luckily, I don't think that's something Joakim has to worry about in Chicago, no matter how pretty he is. I find him to be immensely watchable and, after Kevin Durant, the rookie I'm most excited to see. Until then, this will have to tide me over:

Photo Source: Sloggi, NBAE/Getty Images

Mom to Watch: Ann Iverson

An oldie, but a goodie. The clip, not his mom!! I love you, Mrs. Iverson!

NBA's Finest Parent/Coach: Del Harris

I did a NBA Parent ranking of current players a few days ago, and a couple people mentioned that I omitted Mary Thomas, the gold standard of NBA parents and parents in general. I left her off the list because 1) I only included current players, and 2) I'm desperately trying to track down a copy of A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story before I write about her. I like visual aids.

Anyway, I recorded NBA First Person on NBA TV last week, and yesterday, I finally got around to watching it. (I'll pretty much watch/read anything NBA-related, although Paul Shirley's book is killing me. I'll explain more later.) The show, hosted by Ahmad Rashad (who else), featured Tim Duncan, Reggie Miller, and Del Harris. Judging by Ahmad's weight (about 20 pounds less) and the fact that it was Timmy's 1st year in the League, it was filmed 10 years ago.

Most of the stuff on Timmy and Reggie is pretty much already known to NBA fans. However, the pleasant surprise was Del Harris, coach of the Lakers during that time. He's crazy - not in a Ron Artest way, but more in a Gilbert Arenas way.

He reminds me of what George Bush would be like if he had a brain. Between him and Avery Johnson, the Mavericks now have my favorite coaching staff in the League. I think Jack McCallum should follow those two around next season.

By the way, I included Del as a NBA Parent because while not a player, his son is part of the League. This way, I can also include Don Nelson and Jerry Colangelo in my list of NBA Parent/Coach or Executive. That list is pretty short though. The only other people I can think of are George Karl and Bill Walton and who knows how long Coby will last and Bill isn't a coach or executive. So basically, I need to rethink this whole premise. Either way, Del Harris is pretty damn cool.

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.

NBA Mom I Love: Shirley Garnett

I love Kevin Garnett's mom! When KG got his MVP trophy during the playoffs last year, she was standing there clapping and wiping away tears. Even without a huge "I'M KG'S MOM!" sign, anyone watching could easily have picked her out of the crowd of 20,000. She was the proudest woman in the room that night and it was really really sweet. And then there was the classic Beyond the Glory episode. When she found out KG was playing ball behind her back instead of studying, she marched down to the gym and mouthed "I'm gonna kick yo' ass." Awesome.