The Best Charlotte NBA Player of All-Time

[fatlever]

back in 2005, the bobcats 1st year, i wrote a series of articles featuring a fake NCAA style tournament of the best 64 players in charlotte NBA history (up to 2005). it was completely tongue and cheek. i probably had more fun creating and writing the article than anyone did reading it. with the hornets coming back, i thought it would be run to re-post the piece here for anyone who wasnt around back in 2005. afterwards we can debate new seedings that take into account the bobcats from 2006-2013.

here is part 1

The Best Charlotte NBA of All-Time - Part 1: The Huntersville Bracket

The Charlotte Coliseum played host to the first round of the NCAA tournament again this year. Soon, the new uptown arena will be complete, and the Charlotte Coliseum will be destroyed probably in favor of a new Sprawl Mart. Watching the tournament games, I couldn’t help but think back to all the great performances in that building, both NCAA and NBA. I thought to myself…”Self, wouldn’t it be cool if I could hold an NCAA style tournament with everyone who ever played for the Hornets or Bobcats in the Charlotte Coliseum. I wanted to find out who was the greatest Charlotte NBA player of all time?” Due to the marvels of modern science I have successfully put together a field of 64 players consisting of former Hornets and current Bobcats.

The field has been divided into 4 brackets: Fort Mill, Gastonia, Huntersville and Kannapolis. Players were seeded by taking into account their best single season in Charlotte as well as the longevity of their stay in Charlotte. Also, players were ranked according to what they did while they played in Charlotte, not what they did before or after they left. Games go to 11 by ones, three pointers count as two points. I will post the updates one bracket at a time and then post the results of the final four. This one’s for all the old-time Hornets fans out there. Get your bets ready.


The Huntersville Bracket

First Round Highlights:

(1)Alonzo Mourning vs. (16)Tim Kempton
(2)Anthony Mason vs. (15)Eric Leckner
(3)Dell Curry vs. (14)Malik Rose
(4)Bobby Phills vs. (13)Kareem Rush
(5)Johnny Newman vs. (12)Steve Smith
(6)Kenny Gattison vs. (11)Eddie Robinson
(7)Robert Reid vs. (10)Jason Hart
(8)Scott Burrell vs. (9)Eddie Johnson

Alonzo Mourning scored an easy 11-3 victory over the big red-head. Tim Kempton repeatedly stopped the game to tell reporters about how he could eat an entire Whopper in one bite. Mourning seemed uninterested until Kempton spilled mustard on Mourning’s jersey. Not a good move Timmy.

Anthony Mason torched Eric Leckner 11-5 in another laugher. Mason could be heard yelling to Leckner “Only two things come from Wyoming, steers and Theo Ratliff and you ain’t no Theo”.

Dell Curry vowed before the tournament started that he would only shoot two pointers. He made good on his promise in his first game and squeaked out a 12-9 victory against Rose on 6 two point shots.

The most interesting game of the day was between Kenny “the Gat-Man” Gattison and Eddie Robinson aka E-Rob. E-Rob started off the game with a nasty reverse dunk, followed by a thunderous two-hand jam. Gattison’s feet seemed to be stuck in concrete. On E-Rob’s next possession he again shook Gattison and threw down another monster dunk to go up 3-0. E-Rob was pointing at his posse in the stands and laughing. In a moment as surreal as this article the game changed. As E-Rob went up for his 4th dunk in a row, Gattison , in a move that would make Temple fans proud, sent E-rob crashing to the floor breaking his E-Rob’s wrist in the process. “Nobody punks the Gat-Man!” Gattison shouted. Just like that the game was over. E-Rob, as usual, was unable to play due to injury and had to forfeit.

Other first round winners included Bobby Phills, Johnny Newman, Robert Reid and Eddie Johnson.


Second Round Highlights:

(1)Alonzo Mourning vs. (9)Eddie Johnson
(2)Anthony Mason vs. (7)Robert Reid
(3)Dell Curry vs. (6)Kenny Gattison
(4)Bobby Phills vs. (5)Johnny Newman

Mourning displayed once again that he has the heart of a champion as he battled back from an 8-2 deficit to tie up the game at 10-10. Johnson who started out the game on fire by hitting 4 straight jumpers from all over the floor seemed to run out of gas at the end. Mourning went on to win the game 13-11 on a two point shot reminiscent of the shot he hit the beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs in 1993, except this time there was nobody to jump top of him.

Mason vs. Reid could be summed up as the battle of ridiculous haircuts. Mason, sporting a fresh new cut with the words “down with Shinn” got off to a slow start. Meanwhile, Reid, who was sporting a Geri curl that only Reggie Theus could love, started the game by hitting 3 straight 2 pointers. He even stopped twice to juice his curls with a fresh can of activator. Not to be out done Mason shaved “comeback kid” into the other side of his head which spurred him on an 11-0 run to finish the game.

Curry stuck to his promise of only shooting 2 pointers. Gattison even dared Curry to take the ball to the basket but after seeing what happened to E-Rob Curry just backed up and started shooting from 30 feet out. Curry won the game easily 12-5. That man has crazy range.

Despite chants of BOBBY from the crowd, Newman ousted Phills 11-9 in a battle of two of the best small forwards in Hornets history. However, Newman had too much offense for the great defender to handle. In a sign of great respect from the fans, Phills left to a standing ovation.

Regional Semifinal Highlights:

(1)Alonzo Mourning vs. (5)Johnny Newman
(2)Anthony Mason vs. (3)Dell Curry

Mourning made easy work of Newman who seemed spent after his emotional battle with Phills. The game ended quickly 11-4.

Mason vs. Curry was a contrast in styles. On one side you had the silky shooting of Curry, on the other you had the rugged Mason. Mason started the game by guarding Curry all the way out the half court. Mason had the size and speed to keep Curry from getting good looks at the basket; however Curry could do nothing with Mason on the defensive end. Mason won the game 11-8.

Regional Final Highlights:

(1)Alonzo Mourning vs. (2)Anthony Mason

Wouldn’t Pat Riley be proud? This game featured two of the most intense competitors going head to head for the first spot in the final four. As you could expect the game was ugly, marred by fouls, scowls and a monster brawl that spilled into the stands and lasted for 18 minutes. At one point, Hornets owner George Shinn jumped into the action and grabbed Mourning by the ankles trying to restrain him. Unfortunately, Shinn suffered a serious concussion and was airlifted to the hospital. In the end, Mason’s versatility proved too much for a drained Mourning as Mason held on to win 11-9.

Winner: Anthony Mason

[fatlever]

The Best Charlotte Player of All-Time – Part 2: The Kannapolis Bracket


First Round Highlights:

(1)Glen Rice vs. (16)Greg Sutton
(2)Eddie Jones vs. (15)Stacey Augmon
(3)Kelly Tripucka vs. (14)Robert Parish
(4)Emeka Okafor vs. (13)Randolph Keys
(5)Kurt Rambis vs. (12)Frank Brickowski
(6)PJ Brown vs. (11)Chucky Brown
(7)Gerald Wallace vs. (10)David Wingate
(8)Mike Gminksi vs. (9)Lee Nailon

Glen Rice’s fluid offense vs. Greg Sutton’s tough defense seemed to personify the Kannapolis Bracket, which featured numerous players known for either great defense or great offense but not much in between. In this battle, Rice’s offense was overwhelming leading him to an 11-3 victory. Sorry Sutton. No Cinderella story for you.

A glassy eyed Robert Parish, a.k.a. the Chief, looked disinterested from the beginning against another former All-Star and the hero from the Hornets inaugural season, Kelly Tripucka. Chief kept mumbling something about wanting Cheetos and Ding Dongs. What’s that all about? This game was over in 3 minutes as Tripucka burned past Parish 11-1.

We couldn’t have a tournament without a 5-12 upset and Frank Brickowski had all the tools to send Kurt Rambis home early. Brickowski quickly got out to an early lead and the upset was in the air. Then, Rambis, who was sporting new contacts, called a timeout and pulled out the old school glasses that made him famous. It’s gotta be the glasses. Rambis came back to win the game 11-8.

In the battle of who could score less, the game between Gerald Wallace and David Wingate had to be shortened to 5 instead of 11. After playing for 35 minutes the two players had only managed to score 6 points combined. Every time Wallace would drive to the basket Wingate would steal the ball and every time Wingate would drive to the basket Wallace would send the shot into the stands. In the end, Wallace’s was able to knock down enough jumpers to win the game 5-3. Wallace finished the game shooting 5-41 from the field with 17 blocks and 15 turnovers. Now that’s ugly.

In the most bizarre game of the day Lee Nailon defeated Mike Gminski 11-5. Gminski showed up to the game with a microphone clipped to his jersey. He seemed to be broadcasting play-by-play of his own game, even referring to himself in third person. “G-Man needs to rebound the ball.” “G-Man needs to play better defense” “G-Man’s getting angry.” (Pan camera to unplugged cord sticking out from underneath Gminski’s jersey.)

Other first round winners included Eddie Jones, Emeka Okafor and PJ Brown.


Second Round Highlights:

(1)Glen Rice vs. (9)Lee Nailon
(2)Eddie Jones vs. (7)Gerald Wallace
(3)Kelly Tripucka vs. (6)PJ Brown
(4)Emeka Okafor vs. (5)Kurt Rambis

Glen Rice remained on fire and torched Lee Nailon 12-6. Rice, trying to be like Dell Curry, won the game by shooting nothing by 2 pointers.

Eddie Jones can’t seem to catch a break. First he had to play Stacey Augmon, and then Gerald Wallace, two superb defenders, only Wallace is much quicker and more athletic than the aging Augmon. Eddie struggled early with his jumper and every time he came near the rim Wallace was there to send the shot back in his face. Wallace on the other hand found his jumper at the end of his game with David Wingate and he carried it over to his matchup with Jones. In a surprising upset Wallace hung on to knock off Jones 11-9…Poor Eddie.

It looks like Kelly Tripucka has attracted a legion of old Hornets fans wearing teal #7 jerseys and they are getting louder with each shot. Kelly has also attracted a legion of haters who are desperate to see him fail, booing his every move. This is the life of Kelly Tripucka and his love/hate relationship with the fans of Charlotte. For now, the haters will have to wait as Tripucka disposed of PJ Brown 11-5. Hate, hate, hate, hate!

That Superman routine isn’t going to help Kurt Rambis against Emeka Okafor. Glasses or no glasses, if Rambis wants to beat Okafor it’s going to be with sheer determination. The only problem for Rambis is Okafor is just as determined and has twice the talent. Today the talent prevailed and Okafor was able to topple Clark Kent 11-8.


Regional Semifinal Highlights:

(1)Glen Rice vs. (4)Emeka Okafor
(3)Kelly Tripucka vs. (7)Gerald Wallace

This is what we expected from this bracket, two matchups featuring offense vs. defense. Apparently, today was all about the offense. In the first game Glen Rice continued his torrid shooting hitting 2’s from all over the court. Rice proved too much for Emeka Okafor and won the game 12-7.

The underdog run for Gerald Wallace came to an end when he ran into a buzz saw named Kelly Tripucka. Tripucka, like Rice, remained hot and his experience was just too much for Wallace. Tripucka won the game 11-6.


Regional Final Highlights:

(1)Glen Rice vs. (3)Kelly Tripucka

This game featured two of the most prolific scorers in Charlotte’s history. Both players live and die with a variety of jump shots. The once loud contingent of Tripucka fans has dwindled in number and the Tripucka haters have gained force. Its clear Tripucka is taking on the villain role in this tournament; a role he reluctantly accepts. The anti-Tripucka chants grew with every basket he made but so did the massive ego hidden beneath that ridiculous perm of his. Glen Rice could only watch in amazement because Tripucka was in a zone. Inside, outside, it didn’t matter. He could not be stopped. Tripucka was on a mission to silence the haters winning 11-7. It was the greatest performance by a guy named Kelly since the Bad News Bears went to the Astrodome. After the game, Tripucka, who could no longer hold his tears back, grabbed a microphone and addressed the crowd asking “What have I done to deserve this? All I ever wanted was to be the first white guy to play basketball with a giant afro and a 70’s alternative lifestyle cowboy moustache. Is that too much to ask?”

Winner: Kelly Tripucka

[fatlever]

The Best Charlotte Player of All-Time – Part 3: The Fort Mill Bracket

First Round Highlights:

(1)Larry Johnson vs. (16)Marty Conlon
(2)Muggsy Bogues vs. (15)LeRon Ellis
(3)David Wesley vs. (14)Tony Delk
(4)Derrick Colemen vs. (13)Melvin Ely
(5)Elden Campbell vs. (12)Marty Conlon
(6)Brevin Knight vs. (11)Michael Holton
(7)Armen Gilliam vs. (10)Ricky Pierce
(8)Primoz Brezec vs. (9)Matt Geiger

First off, let me address some rumors that are flying around. A few of you have the audacity to suggest that I am making this stuff up and that I am biased. The second part is true, I am biased, but I assure you I am merely reporting the facts here. I’m sorry you don’t believe in the miracles of modern science. Maybe you should move to Alabama. I hear science is illegal there.

The early morning games went as scheduled. It wasn’t until Derrick Coleman took the court that things got interesting. Derrick entered the arena followed by a crowd of reporters and an angry soccer mom yelling “He’s drunk! He’s drunk! Give him a breathalyzer. He kicked a homeless man in the parking lot.” (See, you can’t make that kind of thing up.) Unfortunately for Melvin Ely, a hammered Derrick Coleman is still too much to handle. In fact, considering the way Ely played, maybe he’s the one that needed the breathalyzer. Somebody call Ely a taxi. Coleman won the game 11-4.

Everyone has been waiting patiently for the 5-12 upset and Marty Conlon did not disappoint in his game with Elden Campbell, who showed up wearing an “I’d rather be fishing” hat. Conlon, showing that insane looking jumper with his elbow flying out, hit from the left side, the right side and the top of the key. There’s no stopping Conlon, at least not by Campbell who kept asking, “Is it over yet?” During a timeout Campbell even took a nap on the scorers table. That’s one sleepy dude. He makes Sam Perkins look like Bam Margera at a Mini Thin convention. Conlon continued after naptime and finished Campbell off 11-5.

Brevin Knight, a.k.a “Little Nickels”, because he’s too short for a dime, was up to the task against another expansion point guard, Michael Holten. Poor Holten, he’s one letter away from being the Devil. As expected, Knight was too quick for Holten and routinely beat him to the rim. Knight, who’s like the anti-Curry, didn’t shoot outside of 3 feet and still managed to win 11-8.

Primoz Brezec won by default when Matt Geiger decided to meet fellow boozer Derrick Coleman at the Crown Club for drinks halfway through the game. “Primoz shoot ball...Primoz win game…Primoz good.”

Other first round winners included Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, David Wesley and Armen Gilliam.


Second Round Highlights:

(1)Larry Johnson vs. (8)Primoz Brezec
(2)Muggsy Bogues vs. (7)Armen Gilliam
(3)David Wesley vs. (6)Brevin Knight
(4)Derrick Colemen vs. (12)Marty Conlon

Larry Johnson was a running late after shooting a shoe commercial before the game. He showed up to the arena in his Grandmama outfit and didn’t have time to change. It didn’t matter. Johnson, wearing a dress, punked Primoz Brezec in a blowout, 11-2. After the game, a distraught Brezec refused to come out of the locker-room for an hour. “Primoz lose to woman…Primoz disgrace family” Man that’s tough to swallow.

Armen Gilliam could barely get the ball past the 3 point line without getting it stolen by Muggsy Bogues. What Muggsy lacks in height he makes up for with quickness and strength. In this game Muggsy’s quickness was the deciding factor. The only thing Gilliam had going for him was Muggsy stopped playing on five occasions just to point and laugh and Gilliam’s haircut. You know… that ridiculous high sloped fade with the stripes in the side. You’ve gotta love the 80’s. Muggsy won the game 11-4.

Watch out! Here comes the battle of the nice guys. Brevin Knight was able to win his first game based purely on his speed, but he won’t be able to get away with that against David Wesley or so I thought. Knight, displayed his relentless attitude and took the ball right at Wesley every chance he had. Wesley spent so much energy trying to keep up with the quicker Knight the he didn’t have his legs or his jumper. Chalk one up for Little Nickels. He’s moving on with a win over Wesley 11-7.

Derrick Coleman showed up to his game with Marty Conlon wearing sunglasses and the same clothes he wore the previous day. Not a good sign for Coleman. We know that a drunken Coleman can play but how does a hung-over Coleman play? Apparently the drunken Coleman is better. Today his first 3 shots were air balls. However, Coleman played just good enough to nudge past Conlon 12-10, setting up a match with Larry Johnson.


Regional Semifinal Highlights:

(1)Larry Johnson vs. (4)Derrick Coleman
(2)Muggsy Bogues vs. (6)Brevin Knight

You must be kidding me, right? Where’s Spud Webb when you need him? Brevin Knight must feel like a real NBA player for once going against Muggsy Bogues. Since neither player could rely on their quickness nor could either player shoot outside of 10 feet, this game turned into match of post moves. You would think Knight would have the advantage in the paint since he stands a full 7 inches taller than Bogues. Not so fast. Bogues was an All-State wrestling champ in high school. He isn’t going to be backed down by measly Brevin Knight. Then, in a shock to the entire arena, Bogues displayed his arsenal of post moves that he must have been saving since 5th grade. Who knew Bogues was a Kevin McHale fan? First, the baseline fadeway, then the jump hook and finally the game winning up and under move. NO HE DIDN’T! Yes he did. Bogues won the clash of the Lilliputians 11-9.

I’ve been waiting 14 years to see Larry Johnson and Derrick Coleman in a game of one on one. We get to find out once and for all who was the better former number one pick. In another marvel of modern science, the creator if this tournament is going to allow the Derrick Coleman from 1992 (not the fat, lazy Coleman Hornets fans grew to hate) to go against the Larry Johnson from 1992. Now we are talking. Johnson, sans the Grandmama outfit, looked like he was on a mission from God. Johnson displayed skills as flashy as his sparkling trademark gold tooth, but Coleman, not to be outdone, matched Johnson basket for basket. Both players were hitting 2’s, driving for dunks, and handling the ball like Magic Johnson on steroids. The game was tied 10-10 when Johnson called the infamous Dallas play. He spun left, spun right and then pulled up and drained a 25 foot bomb to win the game 12-10. The crowd erupted as they were obviously rooting for the loveable Johnson to win the game, except that one guy with the bright orange Rony Seikaly Syracuse jersey sitting in the nosebleeds…tough luck Rony.


Regional Final Highlights:

(1)Larry Johnson vs. (2)Muggsy Bogues

Do we really have to play this one out? Just to make things interesting, Larry Johnson spotted Muggsy Bogues 7 points to start the game. He could have spotted him more. Johnson won the game easily 11-8.


Winner: Larry Johnson

[fatlever]

The Best Charlotte Players of All-Time – Part 4: The Gastonia Bracket

First Round Highlights:
(1)Baron Davis vs. (16)Tony Bennett
(2)Jamal Mashburn vs. (15)Khalid Reeves
(3)Kendall Gill vs. (14)Ricky Davis
(4)Vlade Divac vs. (13)Chuck Person
(5)Rex Chapman vs. (12)Keith Bogans
(6)Hersey Hawkins vs. (11)Earl Cureton
(7)Jamal Magloire vs. (10)Brad Miller
(8)JR Reid vs. (9)Kenny Anderson


In the history of the NCAA Tournament no 16 seed has ever won a game. Granted this tournament isn’t quite the same thing but it sure is close. Tony Bennett was on a mission to shock the world. Yeah! Whatever. This game was a joke. Baron Davis skunked Bennett 11-0. That’s just nasty.

It seems like each bracket has that truly bizarre game that can hardly be put into words; Kendall Gill against Ricky Davis was the Gastonia Bracket’s foray into the Twilight Zone. Not since the melee in Detroit has there been a game so affected by hecklers. The game was knotted up at 9 a piece when some dude in a Cavs jersey screamed at Davis, “Hey Ricky, you only need 3 more rebounds for a triple-double”. The crowd erupted in laugher. Apparently, Davis didn’t get the joke because he grabbed a ball from a kid on the sidelines and sprinted to the other end of the court and started throwing the ball off the backboard shouting “That’s 8 rebounds… that’s 9 rebounds… that’s 10 rebounds.” Meanwhile, a stunned Gill realized nobody was guarding him as he stood 25 feet from the basket. Sound familiar? Then another heckler yelled, “Hey Kendall, I bet you can’t make a 2 pointer to win the game” and like a stubborn mule Gill decided to take the man up on his bet. Now we have an idiot race on our hands. Can Kendall Gill make an uncontested 2 pointer before Ricky Davis realizes there’s no such thing as a triple-double in a game of one on one? A sequence that should have lasted a mere 3 seconds dragged on for 8 minutes…”That’s 32 rebounds…that’s 33 rebounds…” Finally, after 51 consecutive misses, Gill hit a 2 pointer ending the most preposterous game in the history of sports. Touché hecklers, touché.

Never has there been a game that featured two stellar athletes like Vlade Divac and Chuck Person. Ok, you got me. That was sarcasm. Vlade Divac couldn’t outrun a cement block and Chuck Person is older than Jesus. Sarcasm again…sorry. You get the picture. Person got off to a hot start with the long range shooting that made him famous but Vlade was able to match him early with an assortment of post moves, which included the one-handed, up and under, spinning, hook, fadeaway, complete with cigarette to boot. Late in the game, Person had the ball with the game tied at 10. He started to drive towards the basket when an untouched Divac jumped backwards 8 feet landing flat on his back. Divac started screaming, “That’s a charge!” A baffled Person stepped back and calmly hit a 2 pointer to win the game 12-10. Divac was livid and ran around the court for 10 minutes complaining to anyone who would listen, including the poor guy selling boiled peanuts. (Does anyone actually eat boiled peanuts?)

We should just re-name this bracket the Wildcat Bracket. They say the selection committee doesn’t look at matchups. Come on! How can you explain five former Wildcats (four from Kentucky and one from Arizona) in the same regional? That’s just crazy. Rex Chapman versus Keith Bogans pitted two of Kentucky’s best shooting guards against each other. This game had nothing to do with Bogans and everything to do with Chapman. Let’s face it. There are two distinct Chapman’s. There’s the Chapman who can go an entire quarter without missing a shot despite ever squaring up to the basket and there’s the Chapman who can go an entire week without making a shot, like say…Kendall Gill. Chapman is the definition of streaky and when he is on a guy like Bogans doesn’t have a chance. Today Bogans was just watching because King Rex was on fire. Chapman won easily 11-4.

Other first round winners included Jamal Mashburn, Hersey Hawkins, Kenny Anderson and Brad Miller.


Second Round Highlights:
(1)Baron Davis vs. (9)Kenny Anderson
(2)Jamal Mashburn vs. (10)Brad Miller
(3)Kendall Gill vs. (6)Hersey Hawkins
(5)Rex Chapman vs. (13)Chuck Person

Baron Davis vs. Kenny Anderson was a classic matchup of West Coast vs. East Coast. Davis grew up in Los Angeles and Anderson grew up in New York City and both players brought their respective styles to the court. Davis tried to overpower Kenny with his strength and superior athleticism and Kenny tried to beat Davis with his amazing ball-handling skills that made him a legend on the playgrounds of New York. The two players battled back and forth with each spin move more impressive than the last. In the end, Davis was too much for Anderson winning 11-9. West side!

Watch out folks. Jamal Mashburn is back from the dead….again. Every time someone writes him off as a lazy, injury prone, uninspired, heartless quitter he rises from the ashes like a bad horror movie and plays like a superstar. Monster Mash is taking no prisoners. He killed Brad Miller 11-3 on his way to the semi-finals.

In the first round Kendall Gill set out to prove his critics wrong and he failed, despite barely winning the game. The knock against Gill has always been his awful jumpshot. True to form, Gill laid enough bricks in round one to build the first level of the new coliseum. Hersey Hawkins, on the other hand, can shoot with the best of them. In round two it appeared Gill finally got the message and took the ball straight to rim all game long and won the game 11-8. What took you so long Gill?

Rex Chapman vs. Chuck Person, are you kidding me? Can we put in a 4 point line for these guys? How about the 25 point spot on the floor like they used in the MTV Rock and Jock games? Timeout! I say these two play a game of HORSE instead. Presto! Chapman started off with a shot he used in the dunk contest. He flipped the ball behind his back, over his shoulder and caught it for a reverse dunk. That’s an H for Person. Then Person drained one from half court. That’s an H for Chapman. Chapman climbed up the 15th row and called glass…money. That’s an O for Person. Person then moved back to the other 3 point line and drained one. That’s an O for Chapman. These two went at for at least half an hour and wowed the crowed with such gems as Chapman’s game winning one-handed, hook from the tunnel wearing Super Hugo’s costume while whistling the theme to Silver Spoons (Here we are, face to face, a couple silver….sorry, just having an Erin Gray moment). Chapman defeated Person S to E. (When is David Stern going to add HORSE to All-Star Saturday?)


Regional Semifinal Highlights:

(1)Baron Davis vs. (5)Rex Chapman
(2)Jamal Mashburn vs. (3)Kendall Gill

Remember when I said there’s a Rex Chapman that can go a week without hitting a shot. I think we’ve found him. Chapman must have used up all his shots in the game of HORSE. He could barely hit the backboard in his game against Baron Davis. That’s good new for Davis who seemed to be hobbling a bit (we better keep and eye on that). It didn’t matter. Davis could have chopped off one of his arms, dipped it in 24 karat gold and sold it to Larry Johnson and still won this game. The glorious ride for Chapman came to an end as he lost 11-5.

This is getting long. Jamal Mashburn beat Kendall Gill….um…let’s say… 11-7. Sounds good! Now let’s get on to the finals.


Regional Final Highlights:

(1)Baron Davis vs. (2)Jamal Mashburn

I think these two guys have wanted a piece off each other for a while. “I’m the star.” “No, I’m the star.” This game had all the makings of an instant classic. Both players had that look in their eyes (no not that look, the other one). Baron Davis started off with a tomahawk jam followed by a 2 pointer. Mashburn followed with several baseline fadeaways. It was punch, counter-punch. Then, in a career defining moment, with the game tied up at 7-7, Mashburn walked off the court and into the locker-room. Everyone was running around trying to figure out what happened. “Where’s Mashburn? Is he injured?” “He quit.” “He what?” “He quit. He said he didn’t feel like playing anymore” “He can’t quit” “Well he just did” Dirty quitter. And just like the game was over. Davis won by forfeit.

Winner: Baron Davis

[fatlever]

The Best Charlotte Player of All-time: Part Five – The Final Four


Before we get started, I would like to address the reason for the lengthy delay between the elite eight games and the final four. Unfortunately, the four remaining players decided to go on strike until I agreed to share some the profits from this tournament with them. After a month of intense negotiations I was able to convince them that nobody was getting paid for this tournament, but because I’m a nice guy I decided to offer the winner a date with Mandy the Honeybee (I haven’t told her yet).

After 60 grueling games and a month of gut-wrenching basketball, we have finally narrowed the field of the best Charlotte NBA players of all-time down to four players: Kelly Tripucka, Larry Johnson, Anthony Mason and Baron Davis. These four players represent of the best ballers in the 17 years of Charlotte’s checkered NBA past. So before the city’s franchise moves again, let’s get this tournament over with.

The Final Four

Baron Davis…….(2001-02) 18.1ppg 4.3rpg 8.5apg
Larry Johnson ….(1992-93) 22.1ppg 10.5rpg 4.3apg
Anthony Mason ..(1996-97) 16.2rpg 11.4rpg 5.7apg
Kelly Tripucka …(1988-89) 22.6ppg 3.8rpg 3.2apg


Game 1 – Anthony Mason vs. Kelly Tripucka

Anthony Mason had to be the favorite in this game after defeating Alonzo Mouring, but Kelly Tripucka was riding a wave of confidence after knocking off one of the pre-tournament favorites, Glen Rice. Does Tripucka have any magic left in those sweat-soaked Lycra undershorts? Will Mason be able to out-muscle another opponent to get to the finals?

Tripucka started the game on fire, carrying over the momentum he gained in his regional victories. He hit his first 4 shots from the field. Tripucka seems to have embraced the jeers and boos from the fans and even showed up to the game in a Rod Smart “He Hate Me” jersey. This has all the makings of another upset. All Mason could do was watch as Tripucka raced out to an early 8-4 lead.

But you should know by now that nothing in this tournament makes sense. What happened next can only be described as an act of God. As Tripucka was standing at the top of the key performing one of his seemingly endless ball fakes, the enormous scoreboard that hangs over the court fell from the sky, crashed into a million pieces and burst into a huge ball of fire. Amazingly, nobody was seriously injured. Tripucka received the worst of it when one of the flames fried his precious afro. After a lengthy delay the game resumed except Tripucka was sporting a bandana covering his now bald head. The flames had destroyed his trademark perm.

The crash must have sparked Mason because it was all him after the break. Tripucka was a shell of his former self and failed to score another basket. Tripucka yelled towards the sky, “perms of power, perms of power, why have you failed me?” Could it be? Did Tripucka really get all his power from his hair? It appeared that way. Mason went on to win 11-8.

Game 2 – Larry Johnson vs. Baron Davis

The fans in Charlotte were giddy with anticipation over this duel. This game featured the two most explosive players in Charlotte history, two guys that love to play above the rim. I smell a couple of shattered backboards.

On the first play of the game, Davis crossed Johnson over and threw down a monster jam. Before the rim was done shaking Johnson stole the ball and threw down a monster jam of his own. I’m not sure these guys should even try to shoot a jump shot. Back-and-forth they dunked on each other like a high school all-star game until Johnson went up for a dunk and came down grabbing his back. That’s not good. Not the back again. On the next play Davis drove past an aching Johnson and went up for a dunk only to come down grabbing at his back. Not you too. This changes everything.

Both players, despite being basically crippled, refused quit. The display of incredible athleticism was replaced by a couple of hobbling gimps jacking up 2 point bombs. Now both players were going back and forth hitting jumpers. The game was tied at 10 and Davis had the ball. He shot a 2 pointer to win the game but it rattled in and out. Johnson grabbed the rebound, ran out to the 2 point line and pumped, drawing Davis into the air. Johnson then leaned in, absorbed the contact and buried the shot from 25 feet to win the game 12-10. Johnson put his left fist against his right elbow and ran off the court.


The Final – Larry Johnson vs. Anthony Mason

The game pitting Larry Johnson against Anthony Mason featured a battle of epic proportions. Not since Godzilla vs. King Kong… no, wait… not since Alien vs. Predator… no...not since Manute Bol vs. William “the Refrigerator” Perry have we seen anything like this.

From the opening bell this game was vicious. On his first drive to the basket, Johnson was clobbered across the back of the head by Mason. On the next play, Johnson again beat Mason off the dribble and again Mason clobbered Johnson, this time slamming him to the floor. Johnson returned the favor the first chance he got. It was now clear that neither player was going to allow the other to get a clean shot off. This was getting real ugly and fast. Johnson, who was irate, screamed at Mason, “If you don’t want to play basketball then I guess we have to settle this like men.” The die was cast. There was no other way to settle this. This would be the first championship game decided by a boxing match.

The event organizers quickly scrambled to make a boxing ring out of parking cones and duct tape. It wasn’t pretty but who cares…we got a fight. “Fight, Fight, Fight!” In the teal corner we have the strongest player to ever sport a Charlotte uniform… Anthony Mason! Mason came out of the tunnel, led by a giraffe and a pack of strippers. He had shaved “I’ll eat your children” in the side of his head. In the purple corner we have former Dallas Golden Gloves boxer…Larry Johnson! The crowd erupted. Johnson came out of the tunnel riding on the back of Muggsy Bogues, who was crawling on his knees like a miniature pony. You’ve got to hand it to these guys. They know how to make an entrance. LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE (I’m going to get sued for that.) Ding, Ding!

Mason was the aggressor from the start. He came at Johnson hard, swinging wildly, like Tonya Harding in a truck stop bathroom. Johnson, with his boxing training, just floated around the ring bobbing and weaving, like a seasoned veteran. Johnson was basically daring Mason to land a punch…and then Mason connected with a right hook to the jaw. Johnson fell to his knees in a daze. He stayed down for a couple of seconds making sure his head was still attached, but something wasn’t right. As Johnson slowly started to get up, a sparkle in the corner of the ring caught his eye. It was his infamous gold tooth, which lay motionless on the floor. A tear started to swell in Johnson’s eye. His beloved gold tooth was gone. The referee counted on….5…6…7. Johnson stood up and turned toward Mason, who at this point was laughing and had no idea the tooth had been lost. Johnson smirked, exposing the newly formed gap in his teeth. Mason’s laughter quickly turned to fear, an emotion he was not familiar with. Gulp! In what seemed like slow motion, Johnson charged toward Mason, wielding 250 pounds of toothless rage and anger. In one mighty blow to the face Mason was knocked out cold and fell to the floor. Out of nowhere, Chris Tucked repelled from the rafters, jumped into the ring and while standing over Mason, shrieked “YOU GOT KNOCKED THE… (Well, you know how it goes.) It was finally over. Larry Johnson is the best Charlotte player of all-time. Where’s Mandy the Honeybee?

Winner: Larry Johnson

[JT2006]

This is all facts. I was a stowaway in the bathroom and heard the whole thing.

[vorbis]

when that artist finally prints out the entire internet i'm going to make sure this thread is one of the first things he gets to. and then i'm going to make 10,000 copies of it, fold into pamphlets, and drop from a helicopter afghanistan-style over the charlotte area. let's shape some history, oo-rah

[SpearNMgicHelmt]

I haven't thought about some of these guys in a long while. Armen Gilliam, Hersey Hawkins, Earl the Twirl!

[penquin11]

I would love to see a "Best Bobcats" player version of this. It would be hilarious to have the likes of G.Wallace, Felton, May, Augustin, Kemba, Hendo, Richardson, S.Jax, Diaw, and Knight all make appearances. I think that the talent we had as the Hornets is just too overpowering- I mean, I would take Mourning and LJ over anyone we have had- or any team we have had- for the last decade....


ALSO- This thread needs to go in the HOF!!!

[fatlever]

i plan to re-seed the tournament today adding bobcat players thru 2013.

[BobsBuddy]

Fats No need to start another thread. The greatest Bobcats player of all time is GW, G-Force!!
I hope someday he comes back and finish's his career here as a Hornet and they retire his "Bobcats" jersey to the rafters of TWC. MJ...He deserves at least that Thank You.

[fatlever]

The Best Charlotte NBA Player of All-Time, 2013 Version

Vote for your sweet 16, final four and winners. Feel free to elaborate on some of your matchups.

Dilworth Bracket
1. Larry Johnson vs 16. Earl Cureton
2. Eddie Jones vs 15. Ricky Pierce
3. Dell Curry vs 14. Bismack Biyombo
4. Kemba Walker vs 15. Jamaal Magloire
5. Bobby Phills vs 12. Nazr Mohammed
6. Elden Campbell vs 11. Ramon Sessions
7. Johnny Newman vs 10. JR Reid
8. Boris Diaw vs 9. DJ Augustin

Ballentyne Bracket
1. Alonzo Mourning vs 16. Sean May
2. Muggsy Bogues vs 15. Jared Dudley
3. Steven Jackson vs 14. Tyrus Thomas
4. Kendall Gill vs 13. Melvin Ely
5. Jason Richardson vs 12. Eddie Robinson
6. Derrick Coleman vs 11. David Wingate
7. Gerald Henderson vs 10. Brevin Knight
8. Armen Gilliam vs 9. Raja Bell

Southpark Bracket
1. Glen Rice vs 16. Adam Morrison
2. Gerald Wallace vs 15. Chucky Brown
3. Kelly Tripucka vs 14. Lee Nailon
4. Vlade Divac vs 5. Brad Miller
5. Emeka Okafor vs 12. Primoz Brezec
6. Rex Chapman vs 11. Matt Carroll
7. Kurt Rambis vs 10. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
8. Robert Reid vs 9. Scott Burrell

Myers Park Bracket
1. Baron Davis vs 16. Michael Holton
2. Jamal Mashburn vs 15. Kareem Rush
3. Anthony Mason vs 14. Byron Mullens
4. David Wesley vs 13. Eddie Johnson
5. Raymond Felton vs 12. Walter Herrmann
6. PJ Brown vs 11. Matt Geiger
7. Hersey Hawkins vs 10. Kenny Anderson
8. Kenny Gattison vs 9. Mike Gminski

Some of my favorite 1st round matchups:
Boris Diaw vs DJ Augustin
Alonzo Mourning vs Sean May
Steven Jackson vs Tyrus Thomas
Glen Rice vs Adam Morrison
Vlade Divac vs Brad Miller
Emeka Okafor vs Primoz Brezec
Rex Chapman vs Matt Carroll
Anthony Mason vs Byron Mullens
Raymond Felton vs Walter Herrmann

[hornets686]

Jamal Mashburn vs Larry Johnson vs Glen Rice... now that'd be a real match up!

[Nanogeek]

Anthony Mason? wow this thread got trolled hard.

[freakon0mics]

Dilworth? Ballantyne? Myers Park? South Park? Come on, Fat. What about the University area, NoDa, Mallard Creek/Highland Creek, Northlake, Midwood? lol

[fatlever]

Dilworth? Ballantyne? Myers Park? South Park? Come on, Fat. What about the University area, NoDa, Mallard Creek/Highland Creek, Northlake, Midwood? lol

i was debating on whether to used 4 historic charlotte neighborhoods or 4 super rich charlotte neighborhoods. my dislike of noda was the deciding factor.

for the historic neighborhoods i guess i could have used any combination of: plaza/midwood, dilworth/south end, elizabeth, myers park, derita, 2nd ward, 4th ward, noda, biddleville, oakhurst, eastover, washington heights

or more suburbs: steele creek, belmont, pineville, concord, locust, mint hill, matthews, rock hill, stallings, indian trail, cornelius

hmmm... what about historic sites? kings mountain, reed gold mine, hezekiah alexander house, latta plantation

or nothing but gold mines: reed, st catherine, rudesill, haile (in upstate sc)

ok i will shut up now....

[Eoghan]

Anthony Mason? wow this thread got trolled hard.

No way, Anthony Mason is easily the 2nd best PF in Charlotte history behind LJ. Mase > Bad back LJ hands down.

Vlade Divac is seeded too low. He'd pwn some dudes with his endless array of old man at the YMCA post moves. If he's allowed to smoke while playing, he'd be a darkhorse to win the whole thing IMO.

[fatlever]

keep in mind its a fictitious one on one tournament and there had to be some upsets. i always figured mason would be a beast in a game of one on one. defensively he was quick enough to guard most perimeter guys and strong enough to guard most bigs. his handles combined with size and strength would overpower just about anyone. he would simply overpower most of his opponents.

that being said, a zo vs lj final would have also been epic. i could have kept the same ending, with zo and lj finally getting the chance to fight to the end.

[Eoghan]

keep in mind its a fictitious one on one tournament and there had to be some upsets.

Too late. I've already taken this personal and forwarded your name to this guy's list:

[LamarMatic7]

Finally had the time to read it all during an inactive day at the hospital

(Get to know your fellow Charlotte fans - Part II
Lamar's working at a hospital reception this summer and can't figure out where to study or what to study next fall)

First of all, damn, fats, you sure have a knack for creative writing. I loved how you weren't shy to use your imagination. The references were funny and I also was baffled by some of the obscure dudes that made the bracket. I'm not sure whether there are many as hardcore Charlotte basketball fans as you who remember Greg Sutton and Michael Holton.

I wouldn't have got the Kelly Tripucka references to him being disliked by the fans, if you hadn't told the story a few months ago. And I loved that Marty Conlon made it past the first round as I have seen him in action. He would start for my "how the **** is that awkward white scrub in the league... oooh, I see.. he has that mid-range touch" all-stars. I have seen Marty go for 20 or something this one time. (I also noticed that you accidentally had two Conlon's in the tournament.)

I found it interesting that you hinted at Geiger having drinking problems and enjoyed bashing Mashburn for being a quitter. Care to comment?

overall, it was a fun read. thoroughly enjoyed it.

(Voting for the new Bobcats/Hornets bracket in a minute)