I'm enough of a hoops junkie that I'll even watch the post-game and scheduled press conferences in their entireties. Mostly, the reporters are supposed to say their name and organization before speaking, and you can tell which quotes will make it into tomorrow's paper. I have a lot of respect for the coaches and players who have to listen to the same damn questions over and over, every time. Must be so grueling to every night answer deep thoughts, like for example from ESPN's (mumbled name) to Tim Duncan, “How would you describe your on-court personality?”
Duncan sort of raised his eyebrows, shrugged a couple of times, and said something like, “what exactly are you getting at?”, before hemming and hawing something about having an even keel.
Jesus, if I had to sit on a podium and be civil to the idiots in the press 82 times a year, plus however more times in the playoffs, I would be a lot like Rasheed Wallace I believe.
Wallace never actually talked to the media Saturday, preferring to use the allotted question-and-answer time on his portable video-game system. Several camera crews and a couple of dozen reporters were there to document his PlayStation exploits, but Wallace did not acknowledge their presence.After about 20 minutes, Wallace got up and walked back to the locker room. Not even a member of the league's media-relations staff could convince him to answer a few questions.
Larry Brown at least had some reminiscing to fill the time.
Coach Larry Brown had a good laugh remembering the time the [San Antonio Spurs] Baseline Bums dumped guacamole on his head during a visit to HemisFair Arena as coach of Denver Nuggets in the ABA. Brown said the Bums targeted him after he said the only thing he liked about San Antonio was the guacamole.“They played that sound bite for about eight days,” Brown said. “There was a lot more to it because their coach (Bob Bass) said something about me.”
The Bums, however, didn't cut Brown any slack.
“They had that 10-cent beer night and people were hitting me with avocados and throwing dip on me,” Brown said. “I remember walking through the crowd, people were punching me. In the ABA, that was typical.
Brown also frequently pretends not to hear the question, unless he really is deaf. Don't know, but it looks like he is just stalling, then rambles on about some related topic.
Coach Mike D'Antoni (aka Arsene Lupin aka Coach Porn-stache), of the Phoenix Suns, was the best I heard this season to avoid constantly speaking in platitudes.
