More Gatorade

While we're on the subject of Joakim Noah, I thought I'd finally do a profile on him. However, it's not often that an NBA parent outshines his son in fame or female fans. So rather, this is a post on NBA's Finest father-son tandem: Yannick and Joakim Noah.

Yannick Noah - the man pictured here in his underwear, as he is throughout billboards in France - is a living legend. After winning the French Open in front of a title-starved home crowd, he married (and divorced) Miss Sweden, and remade himself into a pop idol and cultural icon. At 47, he's filling up concert venues throughout Europe and campaigning with presidential hopefuls during his spare time.

Son, those are some mighty big shoes to fill. But Joakim's not doing too badly himself.

2006 Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four
2006 Most Outstanding Dancer of the Final Four*
2007 9th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls
2007 Most Distinguished Dancer of the Rookie Photo Shoot**

*By outstanding, I mean enthusiastic.
**By distinguished, I mean interesting.

Personally, much like Corey Brewer, I think Joakim's pretty fantastic with a capital F. He's just cool. So cool, that he could wear a bow tied seersucker suit and still look good. He reminds me of Terrence Howard (before he lost his mind) as Spaceman in Sunset Park. He also has that "man in a park without a care or worry" Andy Dufresne stroll - you know, before he was raped by the Sisters. Luckily, I don't think that's something Joakim has to worry about in Chicago, no matter how pretty he is. I find him to be immensely watchable and, after Kevin Durant, the rookie I'm most excited to see. Until then, this will have to tide me over:

Photo Source: Sloggi, NBAE/Getty Images

Mom to Watch: Ann Iverson

An oldie, but a goodie. The clip, not his mom!! I love you, Mrs. Iverson!

NBA Parent Rank

While I look for my NBA Rookies tape, I thought I'd make a fun little NBA Parent ranking. These are just some people who've impressed, amused, or inspired me. I think they serve as a good counter-model to Hollywood/sports parents who, because of their child's earning potential, forget the role they're supposed to play. The parents listed here are also probably the closest to my Mom, who wasn't afraid to kick a little ass (both literally and figuratively) when need be.

I may revisit this list for future posts before the season starts. 84 days and counting...

Previous posts: Shirley Garnett, John Nash

Big Earl Smith and Linda Shanklin: The New Sheriffs in Town

Recovered post from July 13, 2005.

Iggy and Mom

I don't care if you're Andre Iguodala or Horace Jenkins. Your parents need to come with your ass to whatever city you end up.

End of original post.

So I thought I'd finish this post, but I have no idea what I was going to say. I vaguely recall that I started writing this after watching an episode of NBA Rookies and thinking that Andre's mom and JR's dad were two of the coolest, most level-headed parents around. I remember taping the show - this is before I went DVR - but I have like 30 tapes from the past 2 years that I'd have to go through in order to find that episode. Hopefully, a few of them are labeled. If I ever manage to find the tape and recover my train of thought, I'll finish this post.

Cool Dad #3: Pimp Daddy Nash

When Steve Nash was named MVP around Mother's Day, Cheryl Miller interviewed his parents and asked his dad what he could possibly get for Father's Day that would top the MVP award. John Nash replied, "I'll take the Rolex and the Lamborghini." What a pimp! Wanna know how Steve won the MVP? He watched his dad and learned how to charm the hell out of everyone.

Mama (Sheed) Wallace

The first time I saw Ann Iverson, I thought "Yeah, okay, I see where he gets it from." (He = AI = Allen Iverson, dumbass) (Dumbass = You who could not connect the dots from Ann Iverson to Allen Iverson, and you who thought dumbass could possibly be referring to anyone other than yourself) She was tough, scrappy, and had enough bling around her neck to rival the GDP of a small island nation (like Montserrat - $29mil), but you could tell how much she cared about her son...and if you not, you obviously didn't read the sign.


Likewise, when I saw Steve Nash's ma and pa, I thought, "Yeah, okay, I see where he gets it from."

So what must the woman who begat the 3-time league leader in technical fouls be like?

Answer: A force to be reckoned with.


The first time I saw Jackie Wallace was during playoffs last year. She was standing outside the Palace doing a little song and dance taunting the Lakers. Ever since, I've been hoping for some more Jackie Wallace sightings this year. Answer: pistons.com. Mama Wallace makes her picks, daring to pick Seattle over San Antonio and Dallas over Phoenix. Reasons? "Allen has an all-around game" and "Not a fan of Phoenix."

Brash, bold, and opinionated, keep an eye out for Mama Wallace. She's great. Let's hope Sheed gave her a championship belt too.

The 3rd Wallace.

NBA Mom I Love: Shirley Garnett

I love Kevin Garnett's mom! When KG got his MVP trophy during the playoffs last year, she was standing there clapping and wiping away tears. Even without a huge "I'M KG'S MOM!" sign, anyone watching could easily have picked her out of the crowd of 20,000. She was the proudest woman in the room that night and it was really really sweet. And then there was the classic Beyond the Glory episode. When she found out KG was playing ball behind her back instead of studying, she marched down to the gym and mouthed "I'm gonna kick yo' ass." Awesome.