(Fake) NBA Player "Walk-Up" Songs

I was watching the L.A. Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets playoff game last night. At the end of the game, just like any other basketball game, there were a lot of free throws. After a player is fouled, there is a minute lull in-between the foul and the free throw attempt. What if each individual NBA player had their own personal "walk-up song," like in baseball? I tweeted this out and many agreed that this needs to happen. I instantly started to think of either humorous or fitting walk-up songs for random NBA players. You have to follow basketball pretty close to get all of the references. Most of the walk-up song references are very easy to get, but a few of them are a bit obscure.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me. Enjoy!

*I included a YouTube link that will open in a new window*

Kris Humphries - Ben Folds Five - "Song For The Dumped"
Serge Ibaka - Matt & Kim - "Block After Block"
Kevin Love - Bon Iver - "Skinny Love"
Lebron James - Motion City Soundtrack - "Can't Finish What You Started"
Delonte West - Cypress Hill - "Insane In The Membrane"
Gordon Hayward - "Olive Garden Jingle"
Kevin Durant - Childish Gambino - "Backpackers"
Chris Bosh - Mandy Moore - "Cry"
Lamar Odom - Sam Cooke - "That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On"
Josh McRoberts - Haystak - "Whiteboy"
Blake Griffin - Van Halen - "Jump"
Steve Nash - Tenacious D - "Rize of the Fenix"
Michael Beasley - Kid Cudi - "Marijuana"
Drew Gooden - "Ducktales Theme Song"
J.J. Redick - Collective Soul - "Gel"
Metta World Peace - Pretty Boy - "Throw Bows"
Glen Davis - Justin Bieber - "Baby"
Amare Stoudemire - Orgy - "Stitches"
Gilbert Arenas - M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
Brian Scalabrine - Average White Band - "Pick Up The Pieces"
DeMarus Cousins - Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
Dwight Howard - Say Anything - "I Want To Know Your Plans"
John Wall - Troop 41 - "Do The John Wall"
Ricky Rubio - El Chombo - "Chacarron Mocaron"
Patty Mills - Men at Work - "Land Down Under"
Anthony Davis - Rise Against - "Savior"
Kyrie Irving - Nelly - "Number One"
Joe Johnson - Fitz & The Tantrums - "Moneygrabber"
Derrick Rose - Blink-182 - "Miss You"
Greg Oden - Social Distortion - "Bad Luck"
Tyson Chandler - Silverstein - "Defend You"
Tony Parker - Joey + Rory - "Cheater, Cheater"
Tyler Hansbrough - Snoop Dogg - "Tha Shiznit"
Dirk Nowitzki - Rammstein - "Der Meister"
Matt Bonner - Perv One - "Counting Money"
Josh Howard - "Star Spangled Banner"
Boris Diaw - Kanye West - "New Workout Plan"
Shaun Livingston - Sleigh Bells - "Comeback Kid"
Kenyon Martin - Trina - "Single Again"
Chris Anderson - Nelly Furtado "I'm Like A Bird"
Earl Boykins - Skee-Lo - "I Wish"
Brad Miller - Nsync - "Bye Bye Bye"
Eddy Curry - Weird Al Yankovic - "Fat"
Jeremy Lin - No Use For A Name - "Fairytale of New York"



Also, check out Projectshanks.com for some of my other work.

Jared Sullinger Dominates IUPUI

My friend Matthew was kind enough to give me and three of my friends tickets to the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. IUPUI Jaguars men's basketball game. I was excited to see Jared Sullinger play in person. He came into the season was one of the top two freshman in the nation. The way Harrison Barnes has been playing for North Carolina, many now think that Sullinger is the best in the nation. How did he handle an under-sized IUPUI team with nine days rest? Just look at the boxscore...

First, I want to explain that I hate IUPUI. I went to IPFW and they are our rivals. It isn't exactly Duke/UNC, but I was hoping for a slaughtering. The game wasn't supposed to be close, the Buckeyes came into the game #2 in the nation and IUPUI was 4-5 on the season. The Jaguars perimeter shooting kept them in the game in the first half, they shot 50% from behind the arc. Ohio State looked rusty as a team and the game was tied 35-35 at the half. The Jaguars looked very hesitant about trying anything near the paint, since Sullinger was waiting there.
Ohio State started the 2nd half very poor and IUPUI kept shooting well from the perimeter. With ten minutes left in the game, the Jaguars had a nine point lead on the #2 team in the country. Thad Matta kept his starting five in the game and decided to run the offense through Sullinger. They kept pounding the ball inside and Sullinger would either score or get fouled. Sullinger made 16 of 23 free throw attempts on the night, struggled from the line early, but found his stride towards the end of the game. The Jaguars started to double-team him inside and to fight that off, he would kick the ball out to Jon Diebler and he made them pay. He was hitting every open shot in the 2nd-half. Ohio State dominated the last ten minutes and won the game 75-64. Sullinger finished the game with 40 points and 13 rebounds. His 40 points set a freshman scoring record at Ohio State and was only the 4th time since the 1940s that a Buckeye scored 40 points in a game.

What should you take from Sullinger's 40-point outing? IUPUI's tallest player on the court was 6'8 Anthony Williams, and he isn't a Wooden Award nominee, to say the least. You should take from this game that Ohio State will always have Sullinger inside to go to if David Lighty, William Buford, or Diebler is off from the perimeter. Ohio State is a very deep team this year, something they couldn't say last year. Aaron Craft looks solid at the point and if players get in foul trouble, you have freshman DeShaun Thomas for offense and Dallas Lauderdale as a big man defensively. Ohio State is one of the best teams in the nation and they are built for a run in the tournament. It know it is early, but this team could be better than the team lead by Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. in 2006-07.

Re-Do - 2007 NBA Draft

You can't really judge any professional sports draft until after three years. I have done "NBA Draft Re-Do" posts since the 2005 Draft and they are always eye-opening. When you start to weed out the busts and players that never achieve their potential due to injury, sometimes you're left with mixed bag. This year was not different, luckily I didn't have to add Josh McRoberts as a potential NBA Lottery pick, that would have been ugly. Does Greg Oden even make the cut? Here is my 2007 NBA Draft Lottery, if the draft were held today.

After taking out guys like Brendan Wright, Acie Law, Spencer Hawes, and Yi Jianlian from the draft, after pick #6, it starts to get ugly, you have been warned.

1. Kevin Durant – Portland Trail Blazers - Portland would be a legit contender in the Western Conference with Durant as the leader of the team. They thought they had a sure thing by picking Greg Oden #1 in 2007, but he has been made of glass. Durant is an MVP candidate and will be for many years to come. (Durant went #2 to Seattle)

2. Al Horford – Seattle Supersonics – Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly Seattle) would have a true inside force with Horford in the paint. He has been improving every year since he's been in the league and who knows what kind of player he'll be in five years. (Horford went #3 to Atlanta)

3. Joakim Noah – Atlanta Hawks - Would Atlanta be a better team with Noah instead of Horford? That's a tough question because Horford is a much better offensive player, but Noah's defensive skills are more advanced. The Hawks would matchup better against Orlando if Noah went to the Hawks with this pick. (Noah went #9 to Chicago)

4. Marc Gasol – Memphis Grizzlies – Well, I guess if Gasol was drafted here, Memphis would still have Pau Gasol and he never got a ring. Marc Gasol is still improving and has helped Memphis become a playoff team in the West. (Gasol went #48 to L.A. Lakers)

5. Carl Landry – Boston Celtics (traded to Seattle) - If this draft re-do happened, the Thunder would have Horford and Landry being one of the best rebounding tandems in the league. The team would be cleaning the glass and would be a tough team to beat in when it comes to rebounds. (Landry went #31 to Seattle - traded to Houston)

6. Jeff Green – Milwaukee Bucks - A scorer that can make his own shot? It sounds exactly what Milwaukee has been missing since Rashard Lewis took the money and got out of town. (Green was picked #5 by Boston)

7. Thaddeus Young – Minnesota Timberwolves - This is the part of the draft where this re-do starts to go downhill. Young, due to injuries and busts in this draft lands at this pick. He would be serviceable in Minnesota, but not a big piece of the puzzle in the big picture. (Young went #12 to Philadelphia)

8. Rodney Stuckey – Charlotte Bobcats (traded to Golden State) - Stuckey would have been a godsend in a Don Nelson offense. He can score in bunches, but he has the tendency to disappear every few games. He would have been a nice compliment to Monta Ellis. A backcourt of Stuckey and Ellis would fill up the boxscore. (Stuckey was chosen #15 by Detroit)

9. Mike Conley Jr. - Chicago Bulls - Conley Jr. isn't the ninth best player in this draft, but the Bulls needed a point-guard (this was pre-Derrick Rose) and they would have picked him. He would have filled the need and they could have moved Kirk Hinrich to shooting guard. Conley would have probably been a bust here, they are lucky to have picked Joakim Noah here instead. (Conley was picked #4 by Memphis)

10. Wilson Chandler – Sacramento Kings - Chandler is a proven scorer in the NBA and the Kings needed a perimeter scorer in 2007. Chandler has been a solid player in the up-tempo offense for the Knicks and would have been a better choice for them than Spencer Hawes was. They wish this re-do was real life. (Chandler was picked #23 by New York)

11. Glen Davis – Atlanta Hawks - A frontcourt of Noah & Davis seems a bit outlandish, but it would work. Josh Smith could handle the offensive duties and help defensively by blocking shots. The paint would have a lot of bodies in it and they would forget that they actually picked Acie Law with this pick. I think all Atlanta fans would wish to forget Law and you would have funny YouTube videos to watch from Davis. (Davis was picked #35 by Seattle - traded to Boston)

12. Jared Dudley – Philadelphia 76ers - It took Dudley a few seasons to find his role in the NBA and he has been a solid player for the Phoenix Suns. Would the Sixers welcome a dead-eye 3-point shooter right now? Of course they would. (Dudley was picked #22 by Charlotte)

13. Aaron Brooks – New Orleans Hornets - I doubt having Brooks and Chris Paul on the same team would work in real-life, but it would be a lot of fun to watch. I would make sure that I would watch every game on League Pass. Their backcourt would be over-matched by bigger guards, but they could find a way to make it work. Hey, Brooks would be a better pick than Julian Wright. (Brooks was picked #22 by Houston)

14. Corey Brewer – Los Angeles Clippers - Brewer is a streaky player that some would say is a headcase, he would have been perfect for the Clippers! Brewer has been bouncing in and out of the rotation on Minnesota and he could have been a starter on the 2007 Clippers. Al Thornton, their actual pick, didn't stick with the team, but I have a feeling that Brewer would still be on the team today. (Brewer was picked #7 by Minnesota)

Next Three Picks - Marco Belinelli, Al Thornton, Ramon Sessions


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Greg Oden Out For Season

Greg Oden, the former #1 overall pick, will miss another season to injury. He collided knees with Aaron Brooks while driving to the basket. He suffered a broken kneecap on his left knee, which will end his season. Is Oden injury-prone or was this a freak injury? It's hard to say, but I try to explain in the following article.

The world was Greg Oden's just two seasons ago when he was the #1 overall pick of the Trailblazers and he was coming off a season where he lead Ohio State to the NCAA Championship game. A lot was going for him, but then he had to miss his first season in the league due to micro-fracture surgery on his right knee. If you add his wrist injury that plagued him during his only season in college, people think Oden might be fragile like Samuel L. Jackson in "Unbreakable."

I agree with the consensus for the most part, the list is very long of guys who are near 7 feet tall that play basketball. These kinds of injuries are a work-related hazard for anyone playing in the NBA, no matter the size. If a guy as speedy as Aaron Brooks slashes towards you and your kneecap is in the way, I would say that it's a 99% chance that your kneecap is going to break. Even if he didn't have the previous injuries, this was a freak accident.

The long-term prognosis for players coming back from this injury should be good. As long as the kneecap didn't shatter and do any damage to the ligaments and tendons in the knee. Oden should be back next season, but how much longer can Portland wait for all of their weapons to be on the court at the same time? Travis Outlaw is due to be out awhile with a foot injury and even their coach, Nate McMillan ruptured his Achilles tendon in practice. Portland is getting hit with freak injuries, if I am a player on the Trailblazers, I would watch my step.

It's Been Awhile Pt. 3

I've been on and off of here for the last two months and I am going to be more active since college basketball will be in full force very soon. A lot more stuff to annoy and praise with the upcoming NBA, College Football BCS debacle, NFL season wind-down, and NHL. I can't wait until Mel Kiper and Todd McShay invade ESPN every five minutes, they need their own show.

I know what you're thinking, the last two times that I had a post called "It's Been Awhile" you used it as an excuse to post a picture of a girl that you have a celebri-crush on...I will explain.

- "Tim Lincecum shirtless" google term has been directing tons of traffic to my blog, so I figured that I needed to actually have a picture of Tim Lincecum, well, shirtless. People must have a need for shirtless photos of Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton, Brady Quinn, Grady Sizemore, Gabe Kapler, and even C.C. Sabathia to get directed to my blog with the term "shirtless" after their name. I need to boost traffic and with football and basketball season going, here are players that I'm sure will make my blog better. Reggie Bush, Allen Iverson, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Chris Paul, Lebron James, Jay Cutler (really?), Tom Brady, Terrell Owens, Tony Romo, Matt Leinart, Vince Young, Brett Favre, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Ladianian Tomlinson, Michael Beasley, Matt Ryan, and for good measure, Grady Jackson.

- My fantasy football teams are all over .500 and I am leading 2 of the 4 leagues I am in.

- Spicy Chicken Nuggets at Wendy's are not as good as the regular chicken nuggets.

- Sonic Drive-Thru is my new vice. I love that I can get jalapenos on basically anything I want.

- The Mobsters game on Myspace is very addictive.

- Sam Bradford will be a better NFL quarterback than Colt McCoy and Graham Harrell.

- Logan's Roadhouse is currently paying my bills.

- Greg Oden plays like Dikembe Mutombo without the finger wave.

- The Indiana Pacers might actually be a .500 team. Danny Granger looks like the real deal.

- Brett Favre has probably cost the Jets at least two wins, they would be 9-1 if Chad Pennington was the QB.

- Girls are getting very risky with their facebook photos.

- I think 90% of my friends dressed up as sluts at Halloween and brag about it.

- Texas Tech's offense looks like every other Texas Tech offense the past ten years. I'm sure Kliff Klingsbury is pissed that the Red Raiders never had a defense when he played.

- Accountemps piss me off.

- The new Emery EP is very good.

- Showtime have two great series on their channel. "Dexter" and "Californication" are must-see television shows.

- Real Chance At Love is better than Rock of Love Charm School, but that is just one man's opinion.

- Fantasy Focus Football podcast isn't as good as the baseball podcast, but still amazing.

- Oklahoma Sooners basketball team will be very, very good this season.

- You will see a lot of Stephen Curry this season, I'm pretty sure every non-conference game of Davidson is televised nationally.

- Andre Dawson deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

- Chauncey Billups will flourish on the Denver Nuggets and Allen Iverson will have trouble in Detroit.

- Fantasy Hockey is very hard to play, especially when you barely watch the sport.

- On the other hand, Fantasy Basketball is extremely easy when you have Chris Paul and Danny Granger on your team.

- I still like to stare at Katy Perry.

- I don't understand the buzz about "Twilight," I think "Role Models" would be a better movie to watch.


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