I really got to thank the Hornets for giving me so much to blog about while the Saints travel to Cincinnati. Can’t wait for the NBA season to start.

Anyways, after unveiling their brand-new court, the Hornets unveiled their brand-new player: Devin Brown. Brown was with the team previously when they were known as the “NOOCH” and continues the Hornets trend of saying that they’re moving to the future, while clinging onto symbols of the past. Or something. Read the rest of this entry »

You thought the uniform change was it, huh? Nope, the “Hornets Rebirth” is more than just selling jerseys, it’s also about selling seats (and re-branding the franchise and looking to the future and blah blah blah). That’s why the Hornets unveiled their new basketball court today. Personally, I might even like this better than the new unis. No Hugo to be found on the court, just the Fleur de Bee and the NOLA logos, along with “New Orleans Hornets” in the new font along both baselines.

Chad Shinn also talked briefly with reporters and I got him to clarify the team’s statement that they are cutting ties with the past and if they really mean they’re cutting ties with Oklahoma City.

 ”You could definitely say that [the Hornets are cutting ties with Oklahoma City], that’s a good way to put it” he said.”But I just think pinstripes in general are very classy, it’s a very good look. New Orleans is very unique town and we were the first team to ever have stripes.”

More quotes about jerseys and pics of the new court after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »

This week I was joined by WWL Radio’s Gus Kattengell and WWL TV’s Bradley Handwerger. We talked the Hornets new unis, the return of Mike McKenzie and Jeremy Shockey and how the Saints may fare against the Cincinnati Bengals.

 

 Sports Scuttlecast 8.22.08: Play Now | Play in Popup

As promised, here’s the video from yesterday’s “Hornets Rebirth” featuring interviews with Mo Pete, Julian Wright, Gil McGregor. Be sure to check out the poll on the Gambit Weekly site. Also, now that I’ve been able to digest yesterday’s events, the comments to yesterday’s post and the new unis, I do have a couple of things say: Read the rest of this entry »

All photos by Eilan Levkowitz

The Hornets held a nice early-afternoon get together to unveil their updated logos and uniforms. There were free food and drinks, live music, and Julian Wright and Morris Peterson decked out in the new unis, and brushing each other off on stage. Needless to say, it was a good time all around. Follow me after the jump for extensive pictures a full report: Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that you’re a top-tier NCAA men’s basketball player who’s being looked at by pro scouts — oh hell, let’s go with Stephen Curry — and you spend your summers going to camps with some other top-tier players at, say, Lebron James’ Nike Skills Academy.

Now lets say that, one day, you walk into the Academy’s gym and there to greet you is an NBA player and his NBA-player friend (hint: Lebron James and Chris Paul). Y’all play a couple of pick up games, James lays down some friendly advice, a video crew captures the moment and you’re featured on SLAM Online.

Would you look back on that experience and say you got picked on?

Yea. Me neither.

So why is that the headline to SLAM Online’s article featuring the must-see video of CP3, Lebron and Curry in action? Maybe author Matt Caputo thought it was a good way to get the article and the video some attention. Nevermind that the video and multiple first-hand reports from the pick-up game —including one made by an writer from the same magazine no less — actually contradict the headline.

And even if it was a video Paul and Lebron strolling into a random college arena and showing those players the difference between being good enough for a sholarship and being good enough to be an NBA All-Star, I’d still hesistate to call CP3 a bully. After all, if you look at the video, it’s Lebron that does all the talking.

Photo by Jonathan Bachman

At one point during the Hornets season, right around the time the team traded for Bonzi Wells, I grew slightly interested in how players wore their headbands. Julian Wright, for one, said that he’d always worn a headband dating back to college and he does it out of necessity. Now comes this revelation that Julian’s style is one of a kind and has it’s own name — the Genie — and I’m wishing I had talked to him more about it.

/Sigh. I guess we’ll have to wait until the NBA season starts. I’ll keep a note and try to remember to ask about his high socks, too.

The New Orleans Hornets will open the 2008-09 regular season on the road on Wednesday, Oct. 29, when they take on the Golden State Warriors. The Hornets will battle Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns on the road the following night on Thursday, Oct. 30 in a nationally televised game on TNT. The Hornets first home game comes on Saturday, Nov. 1 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers….

Get all the dates and the deets here.

So NBA.com asked a bunch of Chinese NBA fans to give their favorite players some nicknames. Some funny ones include “German Racecar” (Dirk Nowitzki) and “Africa’s Big Mountain” (Dikiembe Mutombo). Well, not funny as much as they are direct.

Notably absent though is Hornets point guard Chris Paul. Either the Chinese think he was undeserving (which is confusing considering fringe players Cuttino Mobley, Damon Stoudomire and Zydrunus Ilgauskus go on the list) or they haven’t heard of him (which could explain it, since it was done before the 2007 season).

Thanks to the good folks at Deadspin for finding a Chinese name translator. Chris Paul, here’s your Chinese name: Bai Shi hao. Kind of catchy, actually.

by Alejandro de los Rios

(UPDATED: Went through the transcript of this interview and found some more nuggets, added at the bottom)

Got a chance to talk to Chris Paul and Washington Wizards’ All-Star forward Caron Butler last night on the set of “Hurricane Season.” The two were on set shooting a cameo shot for the film and I may or may not be in the scene’s background, but we’ll only find out when the movie hits theaters.

You can read all about it here, but the time I was given with the two NBA players yielded lots of content that didn’t make the ESPN piece. Most notably: Chris Paul thought he would be treated like Jesus Shuttlesworth when getting recruited. Read the rest of this entry »