Thursday, October 25, 2012

"Crazy is exactly..."


I just got my copy of ESPN The Magazine's 2012 NBA preview issue and read Eddie Matz's feature on former Nevada basketball star and current Denver Nuggets center, JaVale McGee.

Matz focuses on the oft asked question, is McGee "the NBA's most bizarre player finally ready to grow up?"

"Every decade it seems, an oddball baller emerges from the NBA ranks to colorize and polarize an otherwise homogenized league. In the 1990s, it was Dennis Rodman. In the 2000s, it was the Artest Formerly Known as Ron. In the 2010s, it's JaVale McGee."

"Surely, you've heard of McGee. Perhaps you know him as the freakishly athletic seven-footer who took second place in the 2011 slam dunk contest when he flushed two balls through two hoops on one jump. Or as the MC Escher of Twitter, a social media surrealist who uses an alter ego to retweet himself. Most likely, though, if you're familiar with McGee, it's because of his blooper reel: a YouTube rubbernecker aptly titled 'JaVale McGee Top 8 Dumb Plays'"

He goes on to talk about McGee's mom Pam, his $44 million contract with Nuggets, and his work ethic—past and present. Apparently McGee worked out with The Dream in the offseason.

It's a nice piece—a little fluffy—but a fun read for anyone that rooted for him in Reno. 

McGee is a freak and fun to watch. I photographed him with the Wolf Pack and felt the article was a nice excuse to share some photos from the archive. Enjoy.










-30-