04/26/24
November 21, 2003
Mourning, Martin almost come to blows: "You're talking about two children warriors" said Nets coach Byron Scott. "When it's all said and done, they both understand they have to go to play war together."
posted by dusted to basketball at 10:31 AM - 8 comments
Three memes: He's got Bonzi's. Dirty Kidney Pool? It's Mourning in New Jersey again.
posted by forksclovetofu at 11:04 AM on November 21, 2003
Iwas at a game once where my buddy kept getting on Mourning asking him "Where's your ring 'Zo? Where's your ring?" And 'Zo turns to him and says; "Your Momma got my ring." He seems like a great guy - Martin seems like a talented asshole. Nets seem in trouble, just cannot shoot the friggin' ball - everything is at the basket. Indiana, New Orleans and Detroit have left them behind right now. Nets were 33-8 last year at their empty arena. Already only 2-4.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:15 AM on November 21, 2003
Mourning didn't immediately react, but when players separated into groups for the next part of practice, he suddenly charged toward Martin before being restrained by teammates. Love this part. It isn't easy to wait to start a fight until you know there are enough people nearby to restrain you and prevent a punch from being thrown.
posted by rcade at 11:21 AM on November 21, 2003
I've seen a couple of interviews with Martin, and he has a massive facial tic that makes him tense, close his eyes, clamp his mouth shut, and make a noise that sounds something like "gomp!" The sideline reporter always ignores it, acting like everything is normal. I'm not a doctor, but that fits the symptoms of Tourette's Syndrome perfectly. Ralph Wiley (one of my least favorite writers) wrote this about it: There is that slight tic he has, which, to his credit, he's unashamed of. It may be a victory, that tic. It may control a stutter. It may be a nervous tic. It may be Tourette's. I don't know. I'm not going to pretend like it's not there.
posted by dusted at 11:21 AM on November 21, 2003
Martin seems like a talented asshole. As a Celtics fan, I can confirm you're at least half right. until you know there are enough people nearby to restrain you That's certainly one way to look at it. Another would be that he tried to calm down and let it pass because he knew the kid's got a self-control issue. Glass half-full/ half-empty I know, but why always assume the worst?
posted by yerfatma at 12:00 PM on November 21, 2003
Wiley is a talentless hack. He acts as if it's somehow admirable to write about Kenyon Martin's facial tic in ESPN.Com, but what the hell does it have to do with anything?
posted by rcade at 01:41 PM on November 21, 2003
SpoFi: It sounds something like "gomp!"
posted by wfrazerjr at 02:29 PM on November 21, 2003
I almost posted this but didn't for some reason. But I think it's a pretty interesting story. Mourning thinks the Nets are soft (at least compared to what he used to go through with Riley). But for Martin to dis on Mourning's kidney is dirty pool. Does anybody know if Kenyon Martin has Tourette's?