Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
It's a damn shame to hear about Chandler Parsons. Hope he gets better but it's not looking good for him.
**** drunk drivers.
**** drunk drivers.
All time wasted NBA talents ?
- Thread starter FalseFlagg K
- Start date
It sounded like lawyer speak. Apparently this happened a few days ago and he’s not in the hospital. I’m saying that with absolutely no knowledge of the accident but relying entirely on what his law firm said. I’m not trying to discount it, just stating that it’s not entirely consistent with what one’s first impression may be when they hear “career ending car accident.”
Getting Traded
Banned
Thriller, I watched every game during that era. AK was far quicker than Rudy on D and an amazing shot blocker. I remember in his early days Paul Pierce remarking that he couldn't believe how fast AK was. And he was not a selfish player but a great passer, just not a good shooter. If you had seen him play for the Russian where he was used properly, you would've seen a different player. He was making back cuts and they were constantly ooping him. But you know Sloan didn't like the oop. Sloan in my opinion had a big influence in how AK turned out.
When people say he was selfish, they aren’t talking about his willingness to pass. But I think that misunderstanding encapsulates the problem: people are viewing this concretely, in the same way people are saying Whiteside is as good, if not better, than Rudy because of his numbers.
Getting Traded
Banned
I understand your point in the way he was selfish, but his style of play on the court was just the opposite of selfish. He was always ready to make the extra pass and play for best interests of the team. His selfishness could've been related to his treatment by Sloan and how he prioritized the interests of Deron over AK and how Deron started to freeze out AK and be "the man." It was originally because I took this position here on JF that people started attacking me, so I remember this very well. I think this affected AK's attitude and we all the know the rest of the story. I really believe that it was Deron who caused AK to start leaving practice early and put his energy into video games. And as we later learned, after Deron left, he pissed off a lot of people with the Jazz. Gary Briggs, who I spoke with at a party this summer, said Deron was difficult to deal with though he also said AK was a complainer and soft.
Lakers_Slapper
Well-Known Member
He also recently became an NBA player.
Lakers_Slapper
Well-Known Member
Bobby Hurley almost died in a car accident that curbed his NBA career. I remember when it happened, they thought he was dead.
Lakers_Slapper
Well-Known Member
Not sure if this was posted already, but Gilbert Arenas should be up there. This guy was unreal and dominant for years and then bottomed out. He went from Hero to Zero real quick.
Archie Moses
Well-Known Member
Due to injuries.
Red
Well-Known Member
I'd go with Marvin Barnes. But, it's only a 6 year sample, and not the at least 7-8 years suggested as a sample size. But he belongs on the list of tremendous squandered talent, IMO. Drafted 2nd, behind Bill Walton, by the 76's in 1974. Instead he signed with St. Louis of the ABA, played 2 years, and then just 4 more in the NBA. A young announcer named Bob Costas was the announcer for St. Louis. I can only agree with Costas' opinion. I do believe he could have gone as far as a player as he wanted to go. But, he didn't, and toward the end of his life, he returned to the drugs that had derailed him originally. Marvin "Bad News" Barnes.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/...-what-waste/cSySkkPcHZaswmWuEZSIPL/story.html
"Marvin averaged 24 points and 15 rebounds a game as a rookie, the Spirits games being broadcast by a 22-year-old announcer out of Syracuse named Bob Costas.
“The epitaph on Marvin?” inquires Costas. “Squandered talent. Extraordinary talent. Hall of Fame talent. Maybe — maybe — all-time great talent. I saw him go for 35 and 25 in games against Dr. J and be the best player on the floor.”
He was even more memorable off the court.
“He had a Rolls-Royce,” says Costas. “He would drive around and pick up kids. He would pull up to the arena, maybe having swung by McDonald’s and picked up a quarter-pounder and some fries, swagger into the area 15 minutes before game time with the kids behind him, have the coach look at him ruefully, and get 40.”
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/...-what-waste/cSySkkPcHZaswmWuEZSIPL/story.html
"Marvin averaged 24 points and 15 rebounds a game as a rookie, the Spirits games being broadcast by a 22-year-old announcer out of Syracuse named Bob Costas.
“The epitaph on Marvin?” inquires Costas. “Squandered talent. Extraordinary talent. Hall of Fame talent. Maybe — maybe — all-time great talent. I saw him go for 35 and 25 in games against Dr. J and be the best player on the floor.”
He was even more memorable off the court.
“He had a Rolls-Royce,” says Costas. “He would drive around and pick up kids. He would pull up to the arena, maybe having swung by McDonald’s and picked up a quarter-pounder and some fries, swagger into the area 15 minutes before game time with the kids behind him, have the coach look at him ruefully, and get 40.”
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Kyoto
Well-Known Member
It doesn't help that he was caught bringing a gun in the locker room. The guy was an idiot
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candrew
Well-Known Member
While he was still playing Barnes also moonlighted as a drug mule for local dealers that he owed money.
Back in the 70's and 80's ABA/NBA players flew commercial but would typically skip security - Barnes usually stuffed his luggage with drugs which he would deliver on to contacts in the city he was playing in.