Four years ago the Golden State Warriors, the No. 8-seeded team in the 2007 NBA playoffs, shocked the basketball world when it upset heavily favored and No. 1-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
Led offensively by the explosive trio of Baron Davis, Jason Richardson and Stephen Jackson, the 2007 Warriors embraced the “We Believe” mantra and treated the fanatic Bay Area faithful with a playoff performance for the ages. Davis, Richardson and Jackson never saw a 3-point shot they didn’t like, and that fearless attitude spread like wildfire on the entire roster. Also on that underdog team were the well-traveled Al Harrington and Matt Barnes, and two young players in second-year guard Monta Ellis and third-year center Andris Biedrins.
The architect of the “We Believe” Warriors was Don Nelson, the “Mad Scientist” who was known for his free-wheeling offense and wacky game plans. Nelson had a leg up on the Mavericks because he knows their personnel very well, having drafted the core of the ’07 Dallas team.
Forward Matt Barnes, who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, enjoyed his finest hour when he was with the Golden State Warriors in 2007. (GETTY IMAGES)
Golden State won the season series against Dallas during 2006-07, and that template fueled the Warriors to the biggest playoff upset since the 1994 Denver Nuggets shocked the Seattle SuperSonics.
Bay Area sports fans have not been excited about its Warriors since ’07, a magical moment frozen in time it seems in the minds of Warriors fans. There is real optimism this upcoming season – once the lockout ends – because the new-school Warriors have the pieces to push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
On Saturday, Nov. 5, at the San Jose Event Center the “We Believe” 2007 Warriors will play in an exhibition game against the current crop of Warriors, featuring young “Dubs” Stephen Curry, David Lee and Dorell Wright and one holdover from the 2007 squad – Ellis. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m. PST.
Scheduled to participate in the exhibition game and play for the “We Believe” Warriors are Richardson, Harrington and Bay Area native Barnes, the game’s host. A few former Warriors who weren’t on the 2007 team (Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Morrow and C.J. Watson) are also tentatively on the program.
Jackson and Davis, the two leaders of the ’07 squad, are not scheduled to appear, although there is still a chance that Davis could make a surprise appearance.
“With the lockout, we’re all thirsty to do something,” Barnes told the San Francisco Examiner. “I got the idea from a friend of mine who’s a promoter in the Bay Area. He approached me about doing an old vs. new Warriors game, and then I thought how it’d be cool to do it with 2007 team. That team is pretty legendary.”
A portion of the proceeds will go to Matt Barnes’ Athletes vs. Cancer Foundation.
Celtics forward Glen Davis (left) and Heat forward LeBron James (GETTY IMAGES)
Basketball players have been referred to as the greatest athletes in the world. In the NBA, you see superbly conditioned athletes soar to the basket and throw down rim-rattling dunks or muscle past two or three defenders. Sometimes we marvel so much at these super beings that we, as fans, wonder how pro basketball players would do in another realm, such as pro football.
Because of the ongoing NBA lockout – and it seems like there won’t be any NBA games in the fall – I thought it would interesting to put together a football team comprised of current NBA players. Who knows? If the lockout persists, some of these guys may consider this crazy idea and apply for a job in the NFL. This concept has been written in the past, but not in the context where each NBA player is assigned a football position. So, without further ado, here is my 25-man, NBA-inspired gridiron gang:
QUARTERBACK
Rajon Rondo (6-1, 171)
– If Allen Iverson was still in the Association this would be an easy choice. Iverson was an all-state quarterback in high school and was considered a Michael Vick-type talent in the state of Virginia. But since A.I. is currently out of the NBA the next best option is Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. Here’s a little fact about Rondo: he was interested in football first before his mother steered him towards basketball because she felt the sport would be less punishing on her son’s skinny frame. When mom says “no” you have to comply. To play quarterback you must be a fearless leader and a high pain threshold. Rondo showed his fortitude when he dislocated his elbow during a playoff game against the Miami Heat last season and came back to finish the game, basically playing with one arm. Here’s another fact about Rondo: he can throw the football. We have visual evidence.
RUNNING BACKS
Derrick Rose (6-1, 190)
– Legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said he knew Curt Warner could play running back for him after watching him in a pickup basketball game. Paterno says if you can run, plant, cut, and change direction quickly on the basketball court then you can play running back on the football field. In terms of changing gears without skipping a beat, very few players in the world can match the Chicago Bulls’ superstar guard.
Deron Williams (6-2, 209)
– Williams attended The Colony High School in Texas, and we all know football is king in the state of Texas. D-Will was also a highly touted wrestler as a youngster, so he is no stranger to using leverage and doesn’t shy away from contact. At 209 pounds, Williams could be a very capable tailback in the NFL.
TIGHT END
LeBron James (6-8, 255)
– The tight end position is where basketball players seem to have the most success on the football field. Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez were power forwards in college before they were drafted as tight ends in the NFL. LeBron was an all-state wide receiver at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, but he would be better served as a tight end because he would be an absolute nightmare to cover for any linebacker or safety. On running plays, LeBron can use his 255-pound frame to block on the edges. As long as the games are not close in the fourth quarter, LeBron make an excellent every-down tight end. Look away Cavaliers fans. This next video is going to be tough to stomach.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Matt Barnes (6-7, 226)
– The Los Angeles Lakers forward was a former all-state wide receiver at Del Campo High School (Calif.) so he can definitely play the position. Barnes is a tough player who doesn’t mind getting dirty. He should be a perfect candidate to go over the middle and catch passes in tight zones. Barnes may not be Hines Ward in terms of blocking, but he’ll irritate the heck out of the opposing defensive backs.
Gerald Wallace (6-7, 220)
–Anyone with a nickname like “Crash” could definitely play football. Wallace is known for his high energy and reckless style, which are two football attributes. He has the speed to catch the deep ball – and we know he can jump – and he’s tough enough to make plays over the middle. Wallace, who spent just one year at the University of Alabama, could have been a Julio Jones-type player for Nick Saban.
KICK RETURNER
Darren Collison (6-0, 160)
– The Indiana Pacers’ guard is an absolute blur on the court, able to change gears without losing any speed. Collison can thank his parents for his sprinter’s speed as both were former elite track runners from Guyana. If it were not for his undying devotion to the game of basketball, Collison easily could have been running track instead of running point.
KICKER
Kobe Bryant (6-6, 205)
– We all know Kobe played soccer when he was in Italy. He follows the sport religiously and has, on more than one occasion, displayed his soccer skills on the pitch. NFL kickers are all soccer-style kickers. Given enough practice and proper technique, Kobe should be able to pick up the nuances of kicking field goals. Kobe is a perfectionist, so if this challenge was presented in front of him he will attack it like a Black Mamba. Because so many football games are won or lost with last-second field goals, who better to put in clutch situations than Kobe Bryant.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Kevin Love (6-10, 260)
Al Horford (6-10, 245)
DeJuan Blair (6-7, 270)
Luis Scola (6-9, 245)
Kris Humphries (6-9, 240)
– Blocking in football is similar to setting screens in basketball, except when you use both hands on a screen you’ll get called for a foul. All five of the players mentioned above can all set good picks. But more importantly, each player plays with a bit of a nasty streak, which comes in handy when you need to get a first down on fourth-and-1. San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair played for Jamie Dixon at Pitt. Blair earned a reputation of having a football player’s mentality while competing in the rugged Big East Conference. Blair runs very well despite his big frame and you don’t have to worry about him tearing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament because he doesn’t have one. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, who led the NBA in rebounding in 2010-11, has good size and extremely good hands, which will help him grab an oncoming speed rusher. Kris Humphries’ father, William, played football at the University of Minnesota so you know Kris has been exposed to his share of football games as a youngster. As an added bonus, Kris is married to Kim Kardashian so he certainly knows how to protect a backside. Atlanta Hawks center/forward Al Horford and Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola have little football background but both are bulldogs and won’t back down from anyone.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Glen Davis (6-8, 295)
– Can’t think of a better anchor on defensive line than Celtics power forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who has always bragged that he could play in the NFL. Who’s gonna argue with a 295-pound man? Not me. But Davis’ claim is not a stretch. He was a terrific two-way football player at University Laboratory High School in Baton Rouge, starring at defensive end, defensive tackle and tailback. Yes, tailback! He scored 15 touchdowns his junior year in high school so he could be a tremendous goal-line back. But Big Baby hung up his cleats for good when he received a basketball scholarship from LSU. Watch Davis’ football highlight tape (he’s No. 66).
Kendrick Perkins (6-10, 275)
– Perkins is Davis’ former Celtics teammate and currently wears the Oklahoma City Thunder colors. Big Perk has a scowl only a mother could love, and that’s probably why he is among the league leaders in technical fouls. Any NFL coach would love to have almost 600 pounds of mass in Big Baby and Perk in the middle of a defensive line. It would be like moving two giant boulders.
Dwight Howard (6-11, 265)
– The Orlando Magic all-star center has the size, strength and agility that would make any defensive line coach drool. Howard’s freakish athleticism is suited at defensive end. He can rush the passer and, using his 40-inch vertical leap, bat down any ball that comes his way. He would be absolutely intimidating if he could only wipe that big smile off his face.
Zach Randolph (6-9, 260)
– Zach Randolph played for Michigan State taskmaster Tom Izzo. If you know Coach Izzo, he runs basketball practice like football practice. Z-Bo is a double-double machine for the Memphis Grizzlies. On the football field, he could command double teams.
LINEBACKERS
Ron Artest (6-7, 250)
– In building a defense, you start with a nasty, punch-you-in-the-mouth middle linebacker. With that in mind, can you name anyone crazier in the NBA than Ron Artest? I think not. He may have recently changed his name to Metta World Peace, but there is absolutely nothing peaceful about the man who calls his record label TruWarier.
Chuck Hayes (6-6, 238)
– Chuck Hayes may no longer fit the profile of a great athlete because he has become such a brute force inside for the Rockets, but when he was at Modesto Christian High School (Calif.) Hayes was recruited by UCLA, Oregon State, Notre Dame and Michigan to play college football. “I was LeBron before LeBron,” boasted Hayes, who played quarterback, wide receiver and safety in high school. However, college recruiters wanted the Rockets forward/center to play tight end, and Hayes said he didn’t like to get hit or never had the desire to block so he chose to play basketball for the University of Kentucky instead.
Tyler Hansbrough (6-9, 250)
– Nobody questions Tyler Hansbrough’s grit. During a heated game against rival Duke, the former North Carolina All-American busted his nose and had blood dripping down his face. But that wasn’t enough to knock him out of the game as the man known as Psycho T kept on playing and didn’t miss a beat. Dick Butkus would have been proud.
CORNERBACKS
Nate Robinson (5-8, 200)
– Nate the Great is the only player on this entire list who actually play college football. Robinson played point guard in basketball and cornerback in football for the University of Washington. Robinson is a physically gifted athlete who can run all day and is built like granite. He is such a well-conditioned athlete that he could probably be a good two-way player.
Robinson’s reputation as a football stud didn’t get lost with Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who invited him to Seahawks camp this year. Robinson didn’t show up, but he may have to revisit that offer if the 2011-12 NBA season is wiped out.
Tony Allen (6-4, 213)
– Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the NBA and could transition into a solid man-to-man cover corner. In 2005, Allen was charged with aggravated battery stemming from an altercation outside a restaurant in Chicago. Police charges? Battery? Altercation? Sounds like Allen has a little bit of Pacman Jones in him.
SAFETIES
Russell Westbrook (6-3, 190)
– Westbrook is considered one of the fastest players in basketball, and he could certainly give Philadelphia Eagles speedster DeSean Jackson a run for his money in the 40-yard dash. The ultra-quick Oklahoma City guard can cover a lot of ground, making him an ideal candidate to play free safety.
Dwyane Wade (6-4, 220)
– Before he became a full-time hoopster, Wade played wide receiver and defensive back for high school football powerhouse Richards High in Oak Lawn, Ill. Wade has the size to make plays at the line of scrimmage, and he can certainly outjump and outrun a lot of NFL receivers and tight ends. Wade grew up watching the Chicago Bears as a youth so you know he’s familiar with the Monsters of the Midway.
PUNTER
Steve Nash (6-3, 178)
– When Nash attended St. Michaels University School near Victoria, British Columbia, he starred in soccer and didn’t gravitate to basketball until he was 13. He showcased his soccer skills during the 2007 NBA All-Star game in Las Vegas when he aided then Phoenix Suns teammate Amar’e Stoudemire in the dunk contest. Nash can be a field-goal kicker or punter, but since we already have Kobe at kicker, Nash will have to channel his inner Ray Guy.
There you have it. A 25-man football team comprised of current NBA players. Since Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen owns the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks, he is the right man to sign the checks for this fantasy football team. We should also ask Mr. Allen to end the lockout so we don’t have to write about silly topics such as “NBA players who could play in the NFL.”
Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.
Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star forward and Washington, D.C. product Kevin Durant has been on a tear this summer, but his OKC teammate Los Angeles native James Harden has been straight up ballin too.
Harden, who attended Artesia High School (Calif.), went head-to-head with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and held his own. But Kobe got the last shot over Harden, hitting the game-winner at the buzzer during a Drew League game in L.A.
On Sunday night at the Long Beach Pyramid, the 6-foot-5 Harden, wearing the colors of the L.A.-based Drew League, was matched up with his good friend Durant. Others who participated in the Drew-Goodman exhibition game were Washington Wizards standouts John Wall, JaVale McGee and Nick Young, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, Golden State Warriors forward Dorell Wright, Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley and Lakers forward Matt Barnes.
For those who were keeping score at home, Team Drew featured all the L.A. boys (minus Baron Davis and Paul Pierce): Harden, Ariza, McGee, Barnes, Jennings, DeRozan, Wright and Young. Representing the Washington, D.C.-based Goodman team were Durant, Wall, Beasley, Gay. Wall dropped a game-high 55 points and Durant had 50. However, it was the L.A. boys – led by Harden’s 48 points – who prevailed in the end. For one night, L.A. hoops hold center court. Final score: Drew 151, Goodman 144.
Kobe Bryant antagonist Matt Barnes (right) recently signed with the L.A. Lakers. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Kobe Bryant says anyone who is crazy enough to mess with him on the court is crazy enough to play with him.
Two seasons ago, Bryant got into an altercation with Ron Artest – who was with the Houston Rockets at the time – during a playoff game. A year later, Artest signed with the Lakers and became an integral part of the Lakers’ championship run in 2010. Last week, the Lakers signed another Kobe antagonist – Matt Barnes.
Barnes, who played with the Orlando Magic last season, got into a heated battle with Bryant during a regular-season game in Orlando. There were back-and-forth intimidating glares, some words were exchanged and Bryant even shot an elbow at Barnes’ chest as he finished off a dunk. Barnes retaliated by showing the ball right in Bryant’s face on an out-of-bounds play. The two went face-to-face on more than one occasion, and the officials and teammates had to separate them.
Barnes downplayed the whole incident and claimed the encounter was a bit overblown.
“What we went through during the regular season was [something] the media built up,” the seven-year pro said on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday. “That was just two competitors trying their best not to let their team lose.
“When you’re in the heat of battle sometimes it gets tough down there,” Barnes added. “Either of us wasn’t going to back down, and that’s really what all that was. There was a lot of talking back and forth, there were a few cuss words said.”
It was Barnes who reached out to Bryant this offseason when the opportunity to join the Lakers presented itself. Barnes was close to signing with the Toronto Raptors, but when the deal fell through the Lakers became a viable option for the former UCLA standout and Santa Clara native.
“Once I started thinking about the Lakers that’s where my heart kind of went. It was between them and Miami as my two main choices,” said Barnes, who signed a two-year deal worth about $4 million. “Being from California and going to UCLA, I just thought it would be a great opportunity and a dream come true to play for the Lakers.”
Barnes added: “The Lakers have always been on my radar. Talking to [Lakers GM] Mitch Kupchak, he said he felt the same way.”
Barnes said he grew up idolizing the Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Showtime Lakers during the 1980s. He joins a Lakers squad that has won the last two NBA titles. He’ll play backup shooting guard or small forward. The feisty defender and a decent outside shooter should be a welcomed addition to an already talented Lakers roster. The Lakers are Barnes’ eighth NBA team.
