SB Nation DC: All Posts by Danny Fersh

Goodman League Vs. Drew League Game Was Showcase In D.C. Pride

2011-08-23T13:34:05Z

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the third quarter of Saturday's Capital Punishment game came to a close, the LA-based Drew League all-stars ran to their bench with a seven-point lead after outscoring their opponents 45-27 in the quarter, sending their small pack of fans into a frenzy.

At that point, the DC home crowd came to a collective realization: This game matters.

Sure, the game's outcome would have no impact on NBA standings, nor would it eliminate anyone from the playoffs, but something much different was at stake: Pride.

For some, the event's mere existence already represented a win for the D.C. area. Here, at a local college, local players from the local league were hosting an event that created national buzz. That was until the small minority of Drew League supporters made it clear that D.C. couldn't earn bragging rights just from hosting the event. They needed to win it, too.

With that pressure-filled atmosphere as their backdrop, D.C.'s Goodman League all-stars responded with a strong fourth quarter that ended in a 135-134 victory and cemented the event's status as a true source of local pride.

On a day that featured NBA talent playing with pro-level intensity on a hardwood floor meant for Division III female athletes, everything about the event's quirky atmosphere just seemed to work:

The crowd that packed Trinity's tiny gym was both animated and passionate, but never crossed the line into belligerence or violence that Cleveland or Detroit fans know all too well.
The players they came to see put on the highlight-reel fast breaks and alley-oops normally saved for an NBA all-star game, but without the pathetic defense that kills a game's intensity.
The game's announcer, Goodman League commissioner Miles Rawls, was just funny enough to send fans (and players) into fits of laughter without taking away from the game's serious feel and intense flow.

All of these factors combined to showcase the talent and relevance that D.C.'s basketball scene has on a national level while staying true to the city's roots and paying homage to its history.

Perhaps no player personified this mix more than Hugh "Baby Shaq" Jones, the local streetball legend whose importance in D.C. far outweighs his national significance.

Jones has played in D.C.'s Goodman League for over a decade now, and throughout his basketball career (which includes stints with the AND1 Mixtape Tour and a season at the College of Southern Maryland) he has toiled in somewhat of a a professional athlete's no-man's land. On the one hand, his tremendous skill and showmanship has earned him a living playing the sport he loves, but on the other hand, his abilities have never afforded him the opportunity to compete against the game's best players for its ultimate prize. He has street credibility, but little fame; too much ability to be an amateur, but not enough for the NBA.

So, after getting a chance to play in Saturday's unique event that brought national significance to his local town, putting some of the world's best onto his hardwood territory, Jones was elated.

"It's like watching my daughter grow up," he said. "At first people were scared to come down, now it's in the newspapers, cameras You see how big it's gotten. ... It's a court full of NBA players."

Still, mere participation was not enough for the 6'3'' Jones. After all, what good is a strong local reputation if your city itself loses its pride at the hands of another town?

As it is, Jones can brag alongside all of his more-famous Goodman teammates, and he's not shy about doing it:

"We're number one. Now everybody's gonna be gunning for us," he said.

Goodman League Vs. Drew League Exhibition Final Score: Goodman Wins, 135-134

2011-08-21T01:41:51Z

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A last-second heave from James Harden fell short, giving D.C.'s Goodman League all-stars a thrilling 135-134 victory over Los Angeles' Drew League all-stars in front a sell-out crowd (and then some) at Trinity University in Washington.

Fans crawled into every seat, aisle and any other available space to see the game that featured top-notch NBA talent and an intensity that belied its exhibition status. In fact, many fans who bought tickets to the game were denied entry to the building after it reached its capacity; the number is rumored to be about 500 people.

Their misfortune was compounded by the thrilling hardwood spectacle that at times dazzled a capacity crowd, as Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant willed the Goodman team to victory with 44 points, including the game-winning free throws. He was named the game's MVP.

Durant consistently went head-to-head with Oklahoma City Thunder teammate James Harden, who often grabbed and shoved the prolific scorer while guarding him on the perimeter. Harden, along with Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, led a second-half run that gave the Drew League all-stars a six-point lead after trailing by 11 at the half.

However, in the end, LA's all-stars lacked the fire power to keep up with Durant, Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, and Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins. All three had several highlight-reel sequences, including Cousins, who appeared to dominate Wizards center JaVale McGee for much of the second quarter.

Goodman League Vs. Drew League Exhibition: D.C. All-Stars Lead 76-65

2011-08-21T00:13:20Z

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yes, you read that correctly. The halftime score is 76-65. That's not the final. We've got 24 more minutes of basketball left.

In front of a packed-to-the-brim Trinity University gymnasium, Washington, D.C.'s Goodman League all-stars have an eleven-point lead over LA's Drew League all-stars. With the game's fast pace and lackluster d - er, I mean, fantastic offensive fire power, what might seem like a decent-sized halftime lead for D.C. could be erased in the blink of an eye.

So far, Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Kevin Durant (Goodman) and James Harden (Drew) have each been the focal points of their respective teams, and it appears the game is shaping up to become a shoot-out between the two.

Harden will have a hard time matching DC's offensive onslaught, as the three-headed monster of John Wall, Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins has produced a number of alley-oops from Wall, rainbow threes from Durant and thunderous low-post slams by Cousins.

The Sacramento Kings' big man, nicknamed "Bad Attitude" by the game announcer, dominated Wizards center JaVale McGee (Drew) during a stretch in the second quarter in which the two went head-to-head, over-powering the lengthy "Pierre" with his strength and showing much better footwork in the low post.

Goodman League Vs. Drew League Preview, Live From Trinity College

2011-08-20T22:01:42Z

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the line outside of Trinity University's high school sized gymnasium builds to epic proportions, the crowd inside is getting louder, more animated and more buzzed with each minute as the Goodman vs. Drew League Capital Punishment game inches closer to tip-off.

Right now, the D.C. Takeover AAU club is nursing a late lead in their pre-main event matchup with a Baltimore club team that features class of 2013 five-star recruit Aquille Carr. Takeover's sponsor, local product and Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson, is looking on from the team's bench.

The various NBA ballers and streetball veterans slated to play in Saturday's main event have just filed into the locker room to dress for the game, which has taken on a life of its own as an odd mix of national media, NBA celebrity and local D.C. flavor.

The crowd here is far more similar to that of a typical game in Barry Farms than an NBA arena, which makes the large media presence seem all the more peculiar. Everybody's excited to see how this plays out.

Despite Threat Of Lost Season, Washington Wizards Release 2011 Preseason Schedule

2011-08-18T20:07:05Z

The Washington Wizards released their 2011 preseason schedule today, announcing eight scheduled games that, barring a miracle, will never happen.

With no end in sight to the current NBA lockout, most experts predict the league will open its doors sometime in early 2012, at the earliest. The more pessimistic predictions say that the entire 2011-2012 season will be lost.

Regardless, the Association decided to humor its season-ticket holders and release the schedule that, even if it were to be played in full, nobody would likely care about.

In these hypothetical exhibition games, the Wizards would host the New York Knicks in their first game on October 13, and then travel to Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Cleveland before returning home to host the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks on October 21.

The next day they play Memphis at a site to be determined, then finish the preseason with road dates against the Knicks and the Miami Heat.

I recommend making backup plans if you intend to spend those nights watching NBA basketball.

Georgetown Basketball Brawl: A Fan's Account Of What Caused The Melee

2011-08-18T15:36:01Z

All of the details are still coming in from China after the Georgetown University Men’s Basketball team’s alleged melee with the Bayi Rockets. One of the most detailed accounts available right now comes from a Hoya fan’s posting on the Hoya Talk message board.

The fan, while admittedly biased toward the Hoyas’ perspective, said that the brawl was largely a result of “comically” uneven officiating that whistled Georgetown for fouls on nearly every Bayi possession while calling nearly nothing on the host club.

After a couple of small shoving matches early in the game, things apparently got out of control in the final period:

“Two minutes into the fourth, [the Rockets] were pressing full court, trapped one of our guards (I forget who it was), and then must have pushed or punched him on the ground after he made the outlet pass, because then there was a shoving match and then a bit of a fight, and then the whole thing set off. He tried to get away as quickly as possible as the Chinese players sort of converged on him, and then benches cleared, and then people on the Chinese bench started picking up chairs. Everyone on the other side of the court started fighting as well. Brawl spread all over the court, and then off the court. After it kicked off it immediately became possible for the crowd to get involved, and then they did. As we tried to get the team off the court, bottles (plastic ones, thankfully) came out of the crowd at the team and everyone left.”

The fan also had this to say in Georgetown’s defense:

“This was really not our fault. The refs completely failed to control the game, and these things happen when they can continue to maul us underneath with no consequences. The coaching staff called the whole team over at several times during the game and calmed everyone down. We didn’t throw any punches and players and coaches were generally just laughing at the absurdity of the officiating at times.”

A very diplomatic Georgetown head coach John Thompson III had this to say after the brawl:

“Tonight, two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams. We sincerely regret that this situation occurred. We remain grateful for the opportunity our student-athletes are having to engage in a sport they love here in China, while strengthening their understanding of a nation we respect and admire at G’town University.”

If all that’s too much information, this picture pretty much sums it up.

Stephen Strasburg To Make Third Rehab Start For Hagerstown Wednesday Night

2011-08-17T19:47:06Z

Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg is set to make his third rehab start Wednesday night after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow last September. He will throw for low-Single A Hagerstown in a game against Lexington at 7:05 p.m.

Strasburg has pitched two rehab starts in the Washington Nationals' minor league system, one for the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns, and one for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals. In the first start for the Suns, Strasburg went one and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out four. In the next start for Potomac, Strasburg went three innings, allowing two hits and striking out five.

Strasburg will be back with Hagerstown on Wednesday because the Suns are playing a home game. He will stay in the game until he either throws 60 pitches or completes four innings, whichever comes first.

The first overall pick in Major League Baseball's amateur draft in 2009, Strasburg, 23, went 5-3 last season with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched over 12 starts. His season was cut short by the elbow injury.

Kobe Bryant Unlikely To Play In Goodman League Vs. Drew League Game

2011-08-17T19:05:46Z

Although he has not ruled out the possibility altogether, Los Angeles Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant is unlikely to participate in Saturday's Goodman League vs. Drew League all-star game, according to Dino Smiley, the commissioner of LA's Drew League. He said the following to Michael Lee of the Washington Post about the possibility of the five-time NBA champion coming to DC:

"Tell the people in D.C. Kobe ain't going to come with us - he's saying that right now. But we're bringing the No. 2 pick with us, too," Smiley said. "He's locked in."

Smiley is referring to Minnesota Timberwolves draft pick Derrick Williams, a forward out of the University of Arizona, who has taken Washington Wizards guard Nick Young's spot on the roster.

Speculation of the 2008 NBA MVP's possible participation in the exhibition game came after Bryant scored 43 points, including the game-winning 17-foot jump shot at the buzzer, in a Drew League exhibition. The prolific scorer then put his hands in the air in triumph as the crowd chanted his name.