This week, we honor the legendary Dean Smith, shake our collective heads at Knicks Owner James Dolan, and question whether there is anything there there in the Chris Paul-Lauren Holtkamp controversy.
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1. RIP, Dean Smith
Legendary former University of North Carolina men’s basketball coach, Dean Smith, passed away last night at the age of 83. He died peacefully in his home, with his wife and five children.
As we wrote in our tribute to Coach Smith, “Smith’s legacy also transcended basketball.” As Duke Coach, Mike said:
“[H]is greatest gift was his unique ability to teach what it takes to become a good man. That was easy for him to do because he was a great man himself. All of his players benefited greatly from his basketball teachings, but even more from his ability to help mold men of integrity, honor and purpose. Those teachings, specifically, will live forever in those he touched.”
President Obama agreed:
“Coach Smith showed us something that I’ve seen again and again on the court — that basketball can tell us a lot more about who you are than a jump shot alone ever could.”
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2. NY Knicks Owner Jim Dolan Continues His Rule of Idiocy
With football season over, we turn our eyes to the NBA. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, and really for us all, James Dolan is still there, being obnoxious, crass, and mind-glowingly incompetent.
The latest disaster (putting aside this Knicks season) was Dolan’s response to a fan letter that was critical of the Knicks, in which he suggested that the elderly fan was an alcoholic who should start rooting for the Nets “because the Knicks don’t want you.”
Here is the full exchange via Deadspin:
The fan’s letter:
“Subject: I have been a knicks fan since 1952
At one stage I thought that you did a wonderful thing when you acquired EVERYTHING from your dad. However, since then it has been ALL DOWN HILL. Your working with Isaiah Thomas & everything else regarding the Knicks. Bringing on Phil Jackson was a positive beginning, but lowballing Steve Kerr was a DISGRACE to the knicks. The bottom line is that you merely continued to interfere with the franchise.
As a Knicks fan for in excess of 60 years, I am utterly embarrassed by your dealings with the Knicks. Sell them so their fans can at least look forward to growing them in a positive direction Obviously, money IS NOT THE ONLY THING. You have done a lot of utterly STUPID business things with the franchise. Please NO MORE.
Respectfully,
[Aaron Bierman’s dad]
Dolan’s response:
Mr Bierman
You are a sad person. Why would anybody write such a hateful letter. I am.just guessing but ill bet your life is a mess and you are a hateful mess. What have you done that anyone would consider positive or nice. I am betting nothing. In fact ill bet you are negative force in everyone who comes in contact with you. You most likely have made your family miserable. Alcoholic maybe. I just celebrated my 21 year anniversary of sobriety. You should try it. Maybe it will help you become a person that folks would like to have around. In the mean while start rooting for the Nets because the Knicks don’t want you.
Respectfully
James Dolan
Wow. Stay classy, Jim Dolan: The Dolans: Running the Knicks Into The Ground, Since 2000.
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3. Clippers’ All-Star PG, Chris Paul, Criticizes Female Referee Lauren Holtkamp. Media firestorm ensues.
After their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, a game in which the Clippers were issued a large number of technical fouls, Chris Paul had some choice words for rookie (female) referee, Lauren Holtkamp:
“I think we’ve got to show better composure, but at the same time some of ‘em was ridiculous. Like the tech I got right there was ridiculous. I don’t care what nobody say, I don’t care what she say, that’s terrible. There’s no way that can be a technical. We try to get the ball out quick every time down the court and when we did that she said ‘Uh-uh (no)’ and I said ‘Why uh-uh?’ and she gave me a tech. That’s ridiculous. If that’s the case then this might not be for her.”
The “this might not be for her” line (emphasis added) has led to a media explosion, with questions as to whether Paul was criticizing her ability to referee based on her gender.
According to Paul: “Last night was about a bad call. That’s all.” The National Basketball Players Association (unsurprisingly), agrees. NNPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, any suggestion that Paul would be disrespectful toward women is “utterly ridiculous, outrageous and patently false.”
On the other side, the National Basketball Referees Association spokesperson issued the following statement, calling Paul’s statements personal and deplorable: “The NBRA has carefully reviewed the calls made by Lauren Holtkamp and deems them fully justified,” NBRA general counsel Lee Seham said in a statement. “Furthermore, the NBRA deplores the personal and unprofessional comments made by Chris Paul. She belongs.”
Was this Paul being sexist or are people drawing false conclusions from his words?
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Photo Credit: AP Photo/Pete Leabo (cover); AP/File (Dolan)