Besides those two quotes, a new one is that an anonymous assistant coach called him the laziest player in the NBA. Maybe Przybilla's fierceness will influence him. (I doubt it. Nothing else has.)
Most everyone expected him to become a bust ... I'd say the chances of him living up to that billing are quite good
I was planning on going to a Stampede game on Friday to see The Antoine Walker Show. (Check out this article on Walker. Shit is ridiculous and sad. One day you're a high roller gambling next to Michael Jordan, and the next you have no car and you're sharing a $900 apartment with a fellow D-League scrub.) Anyway, seeing Thabeet will add a little interest to the evening. Maybe Thabeet can learn a little from the life example of Walker.
I remembered reading some article regarding professional Football and Basketball players. Something like 70% of the players are bankrupt by the time they stop playing. Hoops family in full effect? Maybe you can take the thug out of the ghetto, but can't take the ghetto out of the thug? I don't know... But I do remember one article regarding some high prospect football player. It was years ago, so I don't know the entire story. He wanted to leave college early to go into the pros. His mom made him sign some contract that gives her 1/2 the money to use to invest. Well he got hurt in like 3 or 4 years and couldn't play again and blew all his money. Low and behold momma had earned 20 mil extra from the investments. Gotta love momma!
Some quotes from the article: "There is a large box of Cheez-Its on the floor and bagged-up cartons of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the corner. Boxes of Corn Pops and Cap'n Crunch line the top of the refrigerator." Cause. "This year, he is a good 40 pounds above his playing weight. He is impossible to miss on the court, with his wide hips, ample rear end and sloped stomach. Within 60 seconds Walker began grabbing his shorts, forcing his breath out in great gusts. By the middle of the second quarter he looked as if he'd run a marathon." Effect. Seriously, I've seen Walker play on TV a couple times in the past year, and I'd say he's more like a good 60 pounds over his playing weight (probably over 300 lb.). If he's serious about making a comeback, he really should lay off the Cheez-Its, fast food and sugary cereals. "TRIVIA QUESTION: Entering this season, how many players in NBA history had won an NCAA title, an NBA title and earned more than $90 million as a pro? Answer: Two. One is Michael Jordan. The other is Antoine Walker." "At 34, Walker should have been in the final years of his NBA prime. Sure, he'd fallen on hard times, declaring personal bankruptcy in May 2010 after blowing the $110 million he made as a player (as well as the unspecified millions he landed in endorsements) due to a lavish lifestyle, a series of disastrous real estate deals, sizeable gambling losses and well-intentioned largesse—at one point he reportedly had between 30 and 70 friends and family members on his payroll." Antoine Walker is one of my all time least favorite NBA players, but it's still hard not to find a little sympathy for his current situation. To have earned and pissed away over $110 million is just mind boggling. He has no one to blame but himself, of course, but at 34 and $770,000 in debt, earning $25,000 a year, how is he going to support himself for the rest of his life? He'll probably end up on welfare. Oh well, at least he paid a buttload of taxes on his previous earnings to offset the welfare and social security checks he'll eventually be getting. BNM
When the D-League (officially NBDL where the D stands for "development") was originally formed, there were very tight restrictions on eligibility. There was a 25-year age limit and players could only be sent down during the first two years of their rookie contracts. That's obviously changed. It's now a league that showcases 34-year old, 300 lb., bankrupt, has-beens. I think that has corrupted it's intended purpose of developing young players who have been drafted, or used up their college eligibility. If the purpose is no longer for developing young talent, they should change the name of the league. BNM
It can still serve that developmental purpose while allowing older players to participate. What better way for a youngster to learn the tricks of the trade (of the level they want to get to) than to go up against savvy old vets?
My complaint is that the so-called savvy old vets are eating up PT that these younger guys need. That's the reason they get sent down to the D-League in the first place - to get some significant playing time. If they are just going to sit on the bench behind a 300 lb. Antoine Walker, I'd rather they just stay in the NBA and sit on the bench behind guys who are actually good. According to the article, the Idaho Stampede feature Walker on their promotional materials. People come to their games expecting to see the former NBA all-star. So, he gets more PT than his play warrants; PT that could be better spent on developing a younger player. BNM
I imagine having a few washed up stars in the D-League helps its financial viability a ton, so it ain't all bad having them hog minutes.
I would think that making younger players witness how low someone like Antoine walker had gotten would benefit them greatly.
The article, and some posters here, naively assume that 1) Walker is totally out of money, and that 2) he really believes that he might make a comeback. 1) He has some shielded assets. Duh. 2) The judge threatened to jail him for not being able to repay Vegas the million, but judges usually refrain if you make an effort to earn money in your usual field of work. So until either the legal case dies, or basketball won't employ him because he gets too old, he's playing minor league ball. It's not because he really expects to make an NBA comeback, you silly little twerps. Bumping a 2-year-old thread was a joke. But there's a good chance that Thabeet, the laziest player in the NBA, will be sent down by Friday...
