For a day, Nate Robinson wasn't the smallest player on the floor.
"I thought he was 6-5 when I watched him growing up," Nate said of Roy Jones, Jr., the light heavyweight championship boxer who visited practice today. "But he's more like my height, so that's kinda cool."
Jones, Jr. is listed at 5-11, which makes him two inches taller than Nate. But Jones, Jr. is much smaller than Nate; more like Allen Iverson's frame.
Roy's message to little man Nate? "Attack, attack, attack," he said.
Smart PR move by the Garden. Jones, Jr. is in town to work the ESPN broadcast of a fight this weekend in New York, so why not have him at practice to promote his Jan. 19 fight at the Garden with Felix Trinidad? And while we're at it, use it as a way to deflect the media's attention from the troubled Knicks?
So cynical I am. Agree with me, you should. Stop talking like Yoda, I must.
Jones, Jr. participated in some non-contact drills with the team. He wore a practice jersey with the No. 4 on the back, but he said it wasn't for Nate. Four is the number of rounds he plans to take to knock out Trinidad.
Smiles, everyone. Smiles!
"I'm like a little kid in a candy shop, you know it's like a dream come true to be able to work out with a professional team," Jones, Jr. said. "I can't go too hard because I don't want to risk no injury, but I almost wish I wasn't fighting because I couldn't put my all in. But since I got fight, I got to do what I do to."
Comments (18)
12/28/2007 – OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
FIRE ISIAH! DUMP DOLAN PROTEST & WALKOUT
CLOTHING DRIVE TO BENEFIT NYC’S HOMELESS SHELTERS
SUNDAY DECEMBER 30, 2007 AT 11:00 am
IN FRONT OF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
PROTEST = Stand with us outside the Garden, Be Heard.
WALKOUT = We are encouraging all fans that attend the
game against the Bulls to make a statement by leaving
the Garden at the end of the 3rd quarter and join us
in our protest.
BENEFIT = Donate a clothing item to NYC’s homeless
shelters for those less fortunate.
Die-hard fans have suffered tremendous anguish
watching this ownership and management dismantle
and ruin this proud franchise and everything
it stands for, our Knicks. The laughing stock of the
NBA.
In fact, we’ve been told by one of our die-hard, disgruntled
Knick Fans that they will be burning their Knicks tickets
for the media at the protest.
WE MUST BE HEARD!
Please show your support us a s well as admired and
highly influential Norman Siegel, New York City’s most
successful Civil Rights Attorney and a many other media
types Sunday, December 30, 2007 in front of MSG
“The Worlds Most Famous Arena” with the
“Most Pathetic Basketball Organization!”
I can be reached via email at joeyvworks@yahoo.com
I have no witty, sarcastic remark to add at this time.
given what i see in games, it is hard to believe that the knicks actually practice.
i am looking forward to meeting a fellow blogger or two at the sunday rally.
DFTT...it's just that simple.
JoeyV is Larry Brown's Cousin!
Why isn't anyone reporting this?
In theory, at least, I agree with everything Joe V is protesting. Dolan is a laughing stock and has been a disaster for this great franchise. And while I thought Isiah had bought himself some time last year . . . I’d rather see a savvy GM and new coach get to work now rather than have to wait for next summer to start turning this team around. Isiah is incapable of doing that. He’s proven it. It’s hard to imagine things getting any worse. A lot of us have been blinded by Isiah’s much vaunted “eye for talent.” What we’re only now learning, however, is that he’s incapable of nurturing that talent, and building a cohesive team. And frankly, after 4 years, while this team is more talented than the one he inherited . . . it ain’t THAT talented.
At the same time, I certainly understand – in the abstract - some of the criticism Joe met with on Defenders. I won’t be protesting Sunday, and not only because I’m on another continent. There already aren’t enough minutes in the day to do the work I have, which includes a heavy slate of pro bono jobs. Blogging is amusement. But a protest is too time-consuming for something as trivial as sports. But I’m glad Joe married his protest to a clothing drive (something the Defenders conveniently ignored).
Joe - you didn't deserve the attacks. But you must have known you would raise the ire of the righteous (who didn’t seem too concerned about a conflict with social issues when there was talk of a counter-protest - oops). I hope we’ll always welcome all opinions here. With civility, and respect. Joe certainly wasn’t shown a lot of either.
DFTT.
"It's funny how some think Thomas is this great talent evaluator and how he always drafts well.
BS!
Channing Frye over Andrew Bynum and Danny Granger
Nate Robinson over Monta Ellis and Louis Williams
Renaldo Balkman over Rajon Rondo and Marcus Williams
Mardy Collins over Dan Gibson and Paul Millsap
Thank you. Thomas is the worst GM in NBA history."
Posted by: Sergio on December 27, 2007 12:04 PM
SERGIO:
You are Da Man. That's a very clear and concise way to illustrate Isiah's overrated eye for talent. Thank you.
JOE V. = keep up the good work. The entire continent is with you. Make us proud.
Posted by: MAK
Mak,
This blog smells of your stench!
Joeyv,
How pathetic is an add on for your gallent call for aid to the Homeless while you promote people to burn Knicks tickets
instead of selling them and donate the money to the Homeless?
If there is a God, and I hope there is, then you have a special place waiting for you in hell! You just may be the lowest form of life on this planet!
MAK,
Let them think what they want. They have to live with themselves.
Mary, how many articles of clothing will you be donating tomorrow and just curious, how many have you donated in your life?
As a matter of fact... have you ever done anything for yourself besides wish smeone went to hell?
Joe V.
BTW, my morther was homeless until I found her after a long search!
Give yourself a break and kiss your kids tonight!
Joe V: It is ridiculous that people take criticism of the Knicks or the people involved with them so personally, but it happens all the time.
Someone posts their criticism of the team and some random sociopath replies with a bunch of personal garbage, as if it was them who got ripped. Early in the season, these clowns would usually attempt to offer some comment on the team as well (Isiah as a better team then Leyden, guys need time to gel, etc.) but now that things are such an obvious train wreck, they don't even do that. You mention that there is something wrong with a "brain" trust that brought NY an 8-20 mess after four losing seasons at the helm, so you get attacked personally. Its pathetic and weird at the same time.
Marbury back; New Year; Crawford injured; Isiah still employed; I see a winning streak in our future.
Joe V - don't even bother responding to the Trolls. Welcome an opposing opinion, communicated with civility and respect. Ignore the Trolls.
DFTT (Don't Feed the Trolls).
FIRE ISIAH!!!!!!!
Last year, when this team made a run, they left everything they had on the court. It was pure enthusiasm, pure adrenalin. The other teams weren’t out-coached. They were out-gutted. It wasn’t talent, either. It was guts. This team still is not very talented. Better than it was, certainly. But no matter how Isiah shuffles the deck, he still doesn’t have a winning hand. And now that the team seems to have given up on their coach, we don’t even have the hustle and enthusiasm from last year to win a few games. When Jamal would get hot . . . when Lee would dominate in the middle . . . when Steph was playing the best ball of his career . . . when Eddy seemed to be coming into his own . . . they were able to scratch out enough wins to inspire confidence.
The future is now. Play the kids – keep the youngest possible team on the floor until they drop. Are they our future or aren’t they? And if they are, isn’t this an ideal time to find out? What’s the worse that could happen? We’ll lose a coupl’a games? We’re already doing that splendidly. If Balkman is going to live up to expectations, he should have a chance to prove it this year. We gotta know if Collins can take over this team. Again, we can find out this year. Chandler? Let’s see him. Let David Lee be the grand old man of the unit. The future is now.
ISIAH THOMAS:
Be a man and quit already.
Admit failure, forfeit your $ 24.0 mil. contract balance, and be a man.
2 WEEKS ARE UP.
What are the excuses now?
Where's Karl Malone's 'bows when you need them the most?
With the type of illiterate writing and spelling/grammatical errors, MARY is either Peacewoman or lady African.
These guys are as inept and incoherent as Isiah Lord Thomas.
Sean Butcher is neither as I still have to see him butcher the English language.
PS:
In another country, Isiah would've been pelted with coins, paper cups (used to be bottles), candies, rings, bracelets (dollar store kind), unbrellas, and anything else that can be thrown his way.
I know 'coz I've been to and stayed at other countries. Lord Weasel is lucky that he is in America where he is given a license to destroy the Knicks, its history, and its tradition and get paid handsomely for it to boot.
There will always be one huge reason why Isiah can’t be held completely to blame for the mess this team is – namely, because there is always Dolan. Dolan’s failure is a farce. Isiah’s is a tragedy. Isiah at least is a serious basketball man who’s failed totally with the Knicks (like many before him, to be fair). Dolan is just a bad joke. He’s never had success.
Anybody notice that MSG settled their second sexual harassment suit in a coupl’a weeks the other day? For a Rangers’ dancer? (Was this the media's fault, too?) What a great group a’guys. They should be proud of the reputation they’re building in the world of professional sports.