November 3, 2011 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Shaq once went off on teammate Glen Davis

From Shaquille O’Neal’s upcoming autobiography:

“Big Baby” Davis kept looking me off and taking it himself. Doc is shouting at him to go inside, but he won’t. So Doc calls timeout and draws up a play for me. I go out there, and I back Andrew Bynum way under the rim. I’m loose, I’m ready. I’ve got Bynum under the basket and again, Baby won’t give me the ball. So I go up to him and say, “If you ever miss me again I’m going to punch you in the face.” I was hot.

Two nights later we’re playing in Sacramento and here we go again. I take three shots the entire game and again I’ve got my man isolated underneath the basket, and Baby ignores me and takes a jump shot. So the next time we’re in the huddle I let Baby have it.

I tell him, “Pass the [expletive] ball inside.” He comes back at me a little bit and now I’m really heated. All hell is breaking loose. We’re going back and forth. Doc is standing there and he’s not saying a word. The message is pretty clear: Work this out yourselves. I tell Baby, “You’re a selfish player. Everyone on this team knows it.” Hey, all the fans knew it. He takes shots when he shouldn’t.

— Reported by Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe

Career of OJ Mayo at a crossroads

Mayo’s career is at a crossroads. And the Grizzlies — facing high expectations after a playoff run to Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last season — are right there in terms of evaluating Mayo’s future with the organization. The 6-3 shooting guard brought a household name and bucket loads of points in 2008, going on to average 18 points his first two seasons as a starter.

But those Griz teams weren’t playoff qualifiers.

Mayo, as a reserve, turned in career-low numbers when Memphis broke through with a historic postseason run. Veteran Tony Allen and second-year guard Sam Young emerged while Mayo endured a role reduction.

There are people close to Mayo who believe that a new destination would restore his starter status and change his career outlook.

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Knicks guard Andy Rautins moves home to save money during lockout

Like the rest of his NBA brethren, Andy Rautins is going to miss a few paychecks during the lockout.

To offset that, he’s found a way to save some money.

The Knicks guard has stayed in his parents’ home outside of Syracuse during the lockout, sleeping in his childhood bedroom.

“It’s nice to get some home cooked meals up here,” Rautins, a former Syracuse star, said in a phone interview. “It’s nice because it’s a rare opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Normally, you’d been in a busy season by this time. But I’ve been trying to see the positives in [staying home] and there’s a bunch so far. It’s saving me a lot of money right now and I think that’s a big concern for a lot of players.”

If the lockout extends, Rautins will consider pursuing an internship at his financial adviser’s Manhattan firm to learn about investment advice and financial planning.

— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

InsideHoops.com editor says: I hope he gets allowance money, and some extra cookies if he mows the lawn and cleans his room.

Derek Fisher threatens legal action due to column

After a column by Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock suggested that NBA Players Union President Derek Fisher was working with commissioner David Stern during labor negotiations, behind the back of his NBPA colleagues, Fisher has threatened legal action against Fox Sports if he does not receive a retraction.

Whitlock, who cited sources in this report, said that Fisher hopes to work with an NBA team or with the league after his retirement and was looking to work out a deal with Stern that would force the players to settle for a 50-50 split of basketball-related income. The players’ association is seeking a 52-48 split and those two percentage points are the main point of contention between the sides. The NBA lockout has lasted more than four months.

— Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Stephen Curry uninjured in car crash

Former Davidson basketball star Stephen Curry had a car accident in the Charlotte area last week, but he walked away from the crash uninjured, according to his father.

“He’s fine,” Dell Curry told the Observer in a brief phone interview Tuesday night. “He ran into the back of someone who stopped short.”

— Reported by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer

DaJuan Summers ends time playing basketball in Italy early

Detroit Pistons forward DaJuan Summers is the latest NBA player coming home early from an overseas job. He left his Italian team after only four games.

Any other American NBA player considering making a similar job to Europe or Asia during the ongoing lockout might want to talk to Summers first.

“I would tell them to be prepared for any and everything because it’s a different world than what you are used to,” Summers told Yahoo! Sports in a phone interview from Italy.

Summers, 23, played for the Pistons the past two seasons, averaging 3.2 points as a reserve, but struggled to crack the team’s regular rotation given the number of forwards on the roster. Shortly after the lockout began, Summers signed a two-year contract with European powerhouse Montepaschi Siena. Siena finished third in the 2011 Euroleague Final Four and has won four straight Italian League championships.

“They were telling me how much they wanted me to be a part of the team,” Summers said. “With those things considered, I thought it was a good move to get that exposure with the top Italian League, as well as a top Euroleague team.” …

The team gave Summers and his girlfriend and son a nice three-bedroom house in Siena’s countryside. But though Siena is a popular Italian tourist destination, Summers had trouble adapting to living in a small town – and he thinks team officials picked up on it.

— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports