Rodney Hood refuses to re-enter game

[CoolBreeze2222]

To be fair most homes/apartments were just getting internet access around 94-96.

[HurricaneKid]

Pippen back in the '94 playoffs when Phil Jackson drew a play up for Kukoc to take the last shot to win the game. Pippen refused to enter the game and Kukoc still hit the game winner.

Wow. That's not just being a bad teammate, that's being childish. Wth

I was furious at the time but in retrospect I get it. The league is completely different today than it was back then. The rules were set up to bolster stars. ISO basketball was THE way to play because the rules made it impossible to defend the best players. Most of all, there was a significant hierarchy. It was more prestigious to be "The Man" for a terrible team than it was to be one of the guys that played off "the man". Pippen was a GREAT player who was never given CLOSE to the due he deserved because he played in the shadow of MJ. So when he got the chance to lead his team and the coach STILL refused to let him be "The Man" in a defining moment he lost it.

LeBron famously told Blatt to scratch his play so he could get the ball. Blatt was right, LeBron isn't the shooter that others are and had missed a ton of game winning Js. But while we have made a ton of progress on playing team ball, the last shot still goes to the alpha on the team.

I actually think the rule to advance the ball on a TO is a big reason why. Rather than run good offense and taking a good shot the offense earns, the last shot really needs to come at the VERY end of the clock. Otherwise you are giving the opposition a chance to call TO and get a good shot themselves. And the only way to really do that is to give the ball to a guy and make him go to work.

[bisme37]

I don't have anything to say about this particular story but his nickname needs to be Little Red Rodney Hood and I figured this was a good opportunity to get that going.

I repeat: Little Red Rodney Hood.

[SwatLakeCity527]

Sad to see. I watched the high's and lows of his career. When it comes down to it, he is just mentally weak. He lets his mental blocks affect his game and his life. I hope he is able to deal with that as he grows up a bit more... but man am I happy that he doesn't play in Utah any more...

Thats u huh

I mean... that is an away game.. so I mean... no that's not me.. but good wan

[JazzUte88]

I was hoping he'd provide a scoring lift in Cleveland or fill the JR Smith role since JR isn't even JR half the time anymore.

[Ambrose]

Who will want to the pay the guy who doesn't feel like checking in for a playoff game this offseason? I imagine his list of suitors has dwindled.

[PapaBear53]

I don't have anything to say about this particular story but his nickname needs to be Little Red Rodney Hood and I figured this was a good opportunity to get that going.

I repeat: Little Red Rodney Hood.

Umm, no. Just no.

[LightTheBeam]

To think I actually thought he would make a big difference for this team. What a bum. Crowder wasn't very good for the Cavs but I think he would have reverted back to decent basketball.

Eating crow on this. Was a bad trade for the Cavs and Crowder could have definitely helped against GS

[NBAFan93]

Did Hood not go back in because he was annoyed it was garbage time, or cause he was afraid/nervous cause he’s been playing bad? There’s a big difference.

[Dan Z]

I'm curious to hear why he refused to enter the game. I've got to think that he had a reason.

[NBAFan93]

I don't blame him. Playing for this Cavs team is probably painful.

Yeah - it must be so painful to be on a team that is heading to the conference finals after sweeping the #1 seed...

[magicman1978]

Pippen back in the '94 playoffs when Phil Jackson drew a play up for Kukoc to take the last shot to win the game. Pippen refused to enter the game and Kukoc still hit the game winner.

Wow. That's not just being a bad teammate, that's being childish. Wth

I was furious at the time but in retrospect I get it. The league is completely different today than it was back then. The rules were set up to bolster stars. ISO basketball was THE way to play because the rules made it impossible to defend the best players. Most of all, there was a significant hierarchy. It was more prestigious to be "The Man" for a terrible team than it was to be one of the guys that played off "the man". Pippen was a GREAT player who was never given CLOSE to the due he deserved because he played in the shadow of MJ. So when he got the chance to lead his team and the coach STILL refused to let him be "The Man" in a defining moment he lost it.

"The league is completely different today than it was back then. The rules were set up to bolster stars. ISO basketball was THE way to play because the rules made it impossible to defend the best players. "

The in 94 best iso type perimeter player was probably Richmond who scored 31pts/poss on 55% TS. The best scorers were mainly post players. This year you have iso type perimeter players like Harden, Kyrie, Durant, Lillard, James, Oladipo, Derozan, Lou Williams, Kemba, Beal, and Butler all score more or significantly more and much higher TS that Richmond. If the rules were setup to bolster stars (especially ISO type players like you infer) in 94, they didn't do a very good job.

"Most of all, there was a significant hierarchy. It was more prestigious to be "The Man" for a terrible team than it was to be one of the guys that played off "the man". Pippen was a GREAT player who was never given CLOSE to the due he deserved because he played in the shadow of MJ."

Pippen was widely considered to be the second best perimeter player in the 90s and considered a top 5 player. Not sure how much more due he deserved to get.

"So when he got the chance to lead his team and the coach STILL refused to let him be "The Man" in a defining moment he lost it."

That was absolutely immature and selfish on Pippen's part. He put his own personal ego above the team. This isn't about Phil refusing to let Pippen be the man, which is a ridiculous notion. This was about drawing up the best play to win the game. There's no justifying what Pippen did.

[bisme37]

I don't have anything to say about this particular story but his nickname needs to be Little Red Rodney Hood and I figured this was a good opportunity to get that going.

I repeat: Little Red Rodney Hood.

Umm, no. Just no.

Would have expected a guy named PapaBear to like nursery rhyme puns.

[Birth of the Cool]

Over-inflated ego. Thinks he's the ___ when he's still a young guy that needs to establish himself in this league. Right now he's just a glorified 3pt shooter that doesn't play smart or impact the game in other ways (bad D, bad passer and now also bad teammate).

LeBron gave him the death stare because of this and that means this dude is gone in the off-season. They need to get rid of Clarkson too - that guy is a blackhole and one of the dumbest players in the league. Even in trash time yesterday Clarkson was hogging the ball, not managing the clock - meaning dude was rushing shots early in the shot clock while the Cavs really needed just to kill the clock each possession.

Those two play bball the absolutely wrong way and are bad news for any team that thinks these two clowns offense will benefit the team in any ways. Really selfish dudes.

[dakomish23]

They will clear the air, Hood might have a breakout game and all will be forgotten

[bigpimpatl]

Did Hood not go back in because he was annoyed it was garbage time, or cause he was afraid/nervous cause he’s been playing bad? There’s a big difference.

Probably because of garbage time. If I had to guess he thought he was too good to play when the game was already decided.

[Pelon chingon]

Distinct lack of internet is why. Stories like that only gain significant heat in the moment

I vaguely remember it but if I wasn’t prompted, I’d never remember the specifics

Yup, for those of us who are old enough to remember what the world was like before the Internet know that news could easily be covered up by the local reporters. About hood though that's an idiotic move and any potential employers just lowered their bids or shut the door on him completely.

This wasn't covered up, and Pippen definitely took flak for it:

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/14/sports/pro-basketball-disgusted-pippen-sits-down-for-game-winning-play.html

Also the internet and other online services have been around a lot longer than you're thinking:

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.sport.basketball.pro/u6Om-yZU9UI/yeQR3rzarZoJ

Get your reading comprehension game up. I didn't say or imply that Pippen's story was covered up I was replying to the post I quoted "Stories like that". What makes you think that I didn't know about the Internet in 94? That's pretty much the time period where the public started to use AOL's dial up service. Just a strange post in general, are you just trying to be a contrarian?

[pelifan]

there are still teams out there that need wing players. The Pelicans and Wolves could use his shooting. He is definitely getting a contract. I can understand his frustration, but he has been really bad and doesn't have enough confidence to shoot the 3ball plus his court vision is terrible. He's willing to pass the ball, but just very inept at it.

But I mean yea, the team barely survived the 1st round and then swept the 1st seed in 2 blowouts and rodney is still focusing on himself. That's a really bad look.

On the one hand Pelicans could make life easy for him with lots of open shots.

On the other hand Rondo will kill him.

[Dominator83]

Hes making himself a vet min guy. I mean who's going to pay him? One hes not that good. And now two he's a malcontent on an ECF team who isn't that good.

Good luck this summer Rodney

[SixStringAxis]

Pippen back in the '94 playoffs when Phil Jackson drew a play up for Kukoc to take the last shot to win the game. Pippen refused to enter the game and Kukoc still hit the game winner.

Wow. That's not just being a bad teammate, that's being childish. Wth

I was furious at the time but in retrospect I get it. The league is completely different today than it was back then. The rules were set up to bolster stars. ISO basketball was THE way to play because the rules made it impossible to defend the best players. Most of all, there was a significant hierarchy. It was more prestigious to be "The Man" for a terrible team than it was to be one of the guys that played off "the man". Pippen was a GREAT player who was never given CLOSE to the due he deserved because he played in the shadow of MJ. So when he got the chance to lead his team and the coach STILL refused to let him be "The Man" in a defining moment he lost it.

LeBron famously told Blatt to scratch his play so he could get the ball. Blatt was right, LeBron isn't the shooter that others are and had missed a ton of game winning Js. But while we have made a ton of progress on playing team ball, the last shot still goes to the alpha on the team.

I actually think the rule to advance the ball on a TO is a big reason why. Rather than run good offense and taking a good shot the offense earns, the last shot really needs to come at the VERY end of the clock. Otherwise you are giving the opposition a chance to call TO and get a good shot themselves. And the only way to really do that is to give the ball to a guy and make him go to work.

Exactly what rules made it impossible to defend stars back then? With hand checking and more all around physical play in the 90's, I think its the exact opposite.