SunsGossip

Brand New Blog: Alana G!

2008-09-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hello old RSS friends... come on over to my new spot: Alana G!

Also, update your doggone RSS feed! It's been over a year, SunsGossip is dead. Seriously, time to move on.

Miss Gossip Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

2007-09-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

At least that's what it feels like. Big up to Jason from Ballhype for showing just how much time has been wasted -- er, spent -- on blogging over the past year...

Guest Post #4

2007-06-07T01:25:00.000-07:00

Head on over to TheHypeGuy.com for the latest installment of Miss Gossip Storytime!

More Cameo Appearances

2007-05-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

We're standing by the R.I.P., it's straight up guest-blogging and image cameos from here on out.

First we hooked up with our number one jump-off Matt of WithLeather.com for a picture about everyone's favorite NBA off-season sport: high school pole-vaulting. (And look for the picture during this FOX NEWS interview of super-smooth Matt the web-logger).

Then this morning it was a Kobe Bryant portrait on mjd's daily column The Debriefing over at the FanHouse. (Ummm it looks better if you step a few feet away from your computer...)

Much love to Enrico's vacation away from The 700 Level for starting the whole guest-star trend. Who got next? Holler at us.

Chillin' Out, Maxin', Relaxin'

2007-05-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're still too depressed to blog about the Suns ... but as Philadelphia native Bill Cosby would say, there's always room for Jell-O! Whatever that means. Check out The 700 Level where we're guest blogging about all sorts of Philladel Illadel.

R.I.P. SunsGossip

2007-05-18T21:43:00.001-07:00

Thank you San Antonio Spurs, thank you Bruce Bowen, thank you Robert Horry, thank you Eva Longoria and ABC, thank you Stu Jackson and David Stern and stupid rules. We at SunsGossip have lost our will to blog.

Suns v. Fakers at Hype's House

2007-04-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

If you missed last night's Suns win over the soon-to-be-eliminated-from-the-playoffs Lakerbockers, then CLICK HERE.

Did you click? Oh yeah, sorry, very little related to the game there. Just a bunch of yimmer-yammering between your girl Miss Gossip and brother-from-another-mother Howie (aka TheHype).

The conversation is Phoenix-phriendly: we deleted all comments made by Lakers ball boy Nate Jones (aka... Nate Jones).

Say 'Hi' to Ball-Hi...ype

2007-04-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

Well, unless you're still getting over your Suns/Mavs hangover, you're probably already all up in the Ballhype house. But just in case you've been living in one of Phoenix's many caves, we've got the rundown of what you're missing.

Ballhype is the faster, stronger, younger cousin of lowpost.net (which we at SunsGossip were already obsessed with). Ballhype is for anyone interested in sports. If you're a sports reader you can use it to find the most hyped up content from over 1,600 sports blogs (not just bball!) plus news sites and YouTube and such. If you're a blogger you can use it to see who's linking to your stuff and who's voting it up (you can even put little badges at the bottom of your posts like this to encourage readers to hype them up). If you're a social butterfly, you can use it to make online friends and join groups.

But the best part, in our opinion, is the Picks section. Basically you can gamble on games without losing anything (well, without losing any money -- your pride is another matter). You can follow the scores of your picks on the scoreboard and compare your performance with other Ballhype members. As of this writing, your girl Miss Gossip is a Suns-hot #10 on the Picks Rankings. But that's not likely to last long. We were able to claw up the rankings during the closed beta testing phase, but ever since Ballhype's public launch earlier today the number of people competing seems to have skyrocketed. For real, everyone is doing it. It! Ballhyping. Forreally.

Hype it up, Shawty!

The Raja Bell Curve

2007-03-21T02:34:00.000-07:00

Stats from last night's win against the Wolves courtesy of NBA.com.

STAT!!!!!!!!!

2007-03-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

One for the ages.

UPDATE: watching the re-broadcast right now. Because it was that good. Nash has iced koolaid in his veins.

Missing: Miss SunsGossip

2007-02-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day.

Call for Shawn Marion Material

2007-01-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

We at SunsGossip are planning to put together a Shawn Marion mix. We've been wanting to do it for a long time anyway, but now that it looks like he might get robbed of his All-Star spot, we especially want to show love.

So please, send us your favorite Shawn-Shawn moments (or leave them in the comments). Videos, pictures, descriptions, articles, personal locker room stories, whatever. At the rate this blog is going, we should have something together by about 2009.

Meantime, make sure to keep up with your Suns analysis over at The Rising Suns. Lucas has fools working for him now, what! We finally caught up and are mad salty to have missed a Sean Marks dunk while on vacation. Also, don't sleep on your girl Miss Gossip, who has been posting some Suns stuff over there at the FanHouse (Pat Burke bloody face anyone?).

Out of Office Auto-Reply

2006-12-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

We at SunsGossip will be out of the office until the first week of January. Aww, stop crying! While we're gone, please amuse yourself with our associates at the NBA FanHouse (your girl Miss Gossip will be doing some light posting over there).

Also check out MINORITEAM!, our side-hustle blog. Warning: contains racial humor (of the funny variety). Below are a few archive highlights to get you started. Happy New Year!

From your girl Dominikimchee:
-Dateline-style supermarket exposé: Racial Stereotypes in the Cereal Aisle
-Hard-hitting historical reporting: How Dark Was "Separate but Equal" Plessy?
-Everyday eyerolls: Talking ATL with a White Lady

From Boris-stalking accomplice LaTowna:
-Oakland police department blotter: Getting Pulled Over
-Workplace woes: Trying Not to Go Ethnic
-Borderline cartoon copyright infringement: The Palo Alto Bubble

From Nuggets enthusiast Nigeri-Negro:
-Advice for young black men: Nigeri-Negro's Guide to Making a Dinner Reservation
-Learnings from late-night studying: Infomercial Reviews

Peace!

Interview with the Suns Mascot

2006-12-21T12:32:00.000-08:00

[WARNING: the following interview contains some adult language. That Gorilla sure is a potty-mouth. KIDDING! This entire conversation took place only in SunsGossip's imagination.]

Instead of working on number 16 of the winning streak tonight, the Suns were stuck in Denver making snow angels (the Nuggs game was postponed because of blizzard conditions). Well, this is just the kind of slow news day that begs for an interview with the affable Phoenix Suns mascot!

Suns fans know "Go" as the goofy gorilla that gets the home crowd going. But behind that plastic smile is a complex and sometimes troubled soul. SunsGossip sat down with the dark fellow a few months ago for a look into the personal side of being the Phoenix Suns Gorilla.

SunsGossip: You were rumored to have been involved with veteran Suns dancers and resident hottie Gina. Is she a possible Mrs. Go?

Go: No... sadly, she dumped me. Towards the end we were just fighting too much. She had a hard time handling my addiction.

SunsGossip: What was your problem? Alcohol? Drugs?

Go: No, I was a fiend for the yellow mouth-candy! Banana splits, banana yogurt, banana bread, you name it. I go "ape" for bananas!

SunsGossip: Go "ape"? Aren’t you a gorilla?

Go: Gorilla, ape... same difference. We’re all party primates.

SunsGossip: Moving on....What has been your most memorable moment as the Suns mascot?

Go: I would have to say it was a year ago when I met Magic Johnson. Not only is he a basketball legend, but he’s done so much in life. I got my picture taken with him that night after the game. This picture is my most prized possession – I carry it everywhere.

SunsGossip: This is a picture of you and Charles Barkley.

Go: I love you, Magic!

SunsGossip: Right...um, so, what has been one of the low points of your mascot career?

Go: Having to ride onto the Suns court on a motorcycle with Tara Reid. That bitch was a hot mess.

SunsGossip: That’s not very nice!

Go: But it’s true. Even Scorch the Phoenix Mercury mascot wouldn’t hit that. And that fool is always "in heat."

SunsGossip: You’re killing us with these puns.

Go: What can I say, I’m one "punny" son of a bitch!

SunsGossip: Yes you are.

Go: Make sure you spell that S-U-N... “Sun of a bitch.”

3D for 3D...Plus a Poem by HERD

2006-12-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

Shout out to Jason from lowpost.net and Atma Brother #1 from Golden State of Mind for being good sports about tonight's game. The Golden State Dubs gave Phoenix a little scare but ultimately added their names to the list of casualties in the Suns' 13-win streak. Ohhhh. Now we finally get why people in the stands were holding "Lucky 13" signs. It wasn't just for Nash. Good one.

Highlight stat of the game is the triple double for our boy 3D aka Boris Diaw (Diaw Diaw). That's his first one of the season, although he came very close in the last meeting with the Warriors.

In other news, loyal reader HERD has got it bad for the Suns and sends this:

I just love SUNS

Music- John Lennon

So this is Xmas,
And wadda you know
The Suns are the best ones
And the season just began

So this is Xmas,
Suns best in the West
"Whatever we'll do with
Steve Nash and the rest?"

The answer is nothing
The answer is nil
Don't even attempt it
Or you in for a kill.

You can be monstrous (Shaq)
And you can be tall (Yao)
But Stevie is the best one
And he's the best of them all
(and humble too)

Love , HERD (little drunk)

We're Nestle When It's Crunch Time

2006-12-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

It's exam crunch time and our old friend Howie is cracking the whip and trying to make us study. Please don't tell him, but we may have caught today's Suns-Bobcats game anyway. The commentators were talking again about Diaw being fat, but we don't really see it. Let us know what you think -- the full story with scandalous pictures is over at the FanHouse.

318 Points = 318 Free Tacos

2006-12-08T00:50:00.000-08:00

Suns fans in Phoenix were beside themselves after tonight’s 161-157 win over the Nets. No, not because it was a double-overtime thriller. They were juiced because the Suns scored above 150 – which, as always, means that you can get a FREE taco from the Pink Taco (Boris and Amare like to go down there sometimes, by the way). You must be wearing Suns gear to receive your taco. While supplies last. E. Coli not included.

Pretty Fly for a Pat Burke

2006-12-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

Big up to our boy Nate for sending us to his man on the street who set us up with some dude in a janky establishment fronting as a travel agency who hooked us up with a semi-bootleg League Pass subscription. For real, League Pass is the hotness. Although we promise to use its evils only to watch the Suns.

Following are our highlights from tonight’s 127-102 home win against the Kings. The Kings were playing without Ron-Ron Artest, who allegedly had an “ailing back” but clearly was just afraid of getting on the floor with Raja Bell (who had released that caustic diss track after their last encounter)...

1. Nash tries to sweet talk the lady ref and she promptly hands him a tech. D’Antoni comes to Stevie’s defense and gets a technical himself. Hot!

2. End of the first quarter, Shawn Marion hits an ill buzzer-beater -- then runs through the tunnel high-fiving fools. He thinks it’s halftime. Jalen Rose clowns him.

3. Raja Bell makes his third trey of the night. He’s trying to tie the record of seven straight games with four or more three’s. D’Antoni takes him out of the game. Hater!

4. Late in the fourth, the Suns are up by about a zillion points. D’Antoni clears the bench and throws all the “team” players on the floor. Plus Raja. Someone gave Coach the word. How embarrassing.

5. The Kings are wondering why every single play is setting Raja up for a three. Unfortunately Ra-Ra is not able to complete.

6. Ice-cold Pat Burke, who is seeing his first minutes since about the Clinton era, hits three three-pointers in the span of 1:20. The crowd goes nuts. Everyone loves the heartwarming story of a white boy off the bench!

Someone Impersonating SunsGossip on NBA FanHouse

2006-12-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Give a warm spanking to the newborn NBA FanHouse! It's pretty tight. Super-hottie Jamie Mottram pulled together nine heavy-hitters to cover the entire league, including our bestest homies Nate from Jones on the NBA and Mutoni from Bench Renaldo/Slamonline, plus blogger crush Skeets from The Basketball Jones, freak-a-lik Shoals from freedarko.com, dynamic duo Brett and Craig from The Association, one-name-wonder The Big Lead, ex-con Matt from Detroit Bad Boys, and the banana-fanna-fo-fighty mighty mjd.

All good times. But then the 10th NBA FanHouse member is this B who is totally biting on our SunsGossip style. She's even calling herself Miss Gossip. Wiggity wiggity wack! We'd say more, but folks are probably overloaded with intellectual property talk today. We'll see you in court, Miss Gossip!

Apology to Boris Diaw

2006-11-30T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry, Boris. From now on we will make an effort to be there for your games. We live in Cali, and we don't have League Pass, so that means following along on the NBA.com play-by-play. But we'll do it. Last night we weren't there for you and you spent 24 minutes wondering where your biggest fan was. Couple of boards, more turnovers than assists, one point. Honnnney. We'll be there for you from now on.

We were somewhat following along on the mobile ESPN tip, but our focus was in the Oracle Arena for the Warriors-Pacers game. It was a heart-breaking loss for the Dubs, but the highlight of the night was running into the good guys at Golden State of Mind (four of the five of them, anyway). They were gracious enough to stop to sign autographs for us. Loved them! They even posed and let us snap a portrait. Check out their full recap of the game to see the full picture.

Blazers knife found at Portland gun fight

2006-11-27T00:43:00.000-08:00

We at SunsGossip "watched" Sunday's Suns-Blazers match via the NBA.com play-by-play, so we don't have much insight into how the 119-101 game actually went down. But dammmnn the Suns came out SNIPING! Amare was 8 for 9 from the field and old boy Boris was 7 for 8. Plus Raja Bell made 7 of his 12 three-pointers, helping him to a game-high 30 points (that's surely a season-high for Ra-Ra too). What!

Something got lost in the translation of "sniper" for Diaw.

Hope everyone had a good holiday or regular weekend. We at SunsGossip spent the time eating cranberry sauce and collards, reading "Seven Seconds or Less," watching the Suns beat the Nets on mute at a sports bar, and scouting future (W)NBA stars at a high school tournament. (For real, this one shortie was a little female Iverson -- she even wore the number 3.)

Miss SunsGossip talks to Boris Diaw about "the quote"

2006-11-21T02:33:00.000-08:00

The SunsGossip crew was at the Warriors-Suns game last night for the Suns' first road win of the season. (And it was a 113-110 nail-biter!) After the game we noticed our boy Boris Diaw doing a TV interview on the court. The SunsGossip crew ran down towards the floor but three security guards swooped in to restrain us because we didn't have floor passes.

We retreated. We took a twenty-second timeout to reset. And then we ran a sick play on those fools. LaTowna darted to the right and drew Guard #1 deep into the fifth row. Oakland Gurl started kicking game to Guard #2 to divert his attention. And then Sir J.O. set a screen and Miss SunsGossip blew past Guard #3 and ran to the court. Guard #4 materialized out of nowhere and launched a surprise "LET'S GO" attack, but Miss SunsGossip was unstoppable.

The resulting conversation with Bobo was memorialized in audio form. Boris' end of the discussion is hard to hear because old girl Guard #4 started pulling us back and Boris' handlers were tugging him away towards the locker room. But Mr. Diaw was gracious enough to deliver a super-smooth answer to our somewhat out-of-pocket question. The topic was Jack McCallum's new book "Seven Seconds or Less" in which Boris is quoted as saying "I do not date American women. I have them." Jason at lowpost and Henry at TrueHoop first broke the story -- and our heart.

Boris' response? Well, you can take it with a grain of pastry salt, but the fact that he even responded to our maniacal screaming gets him clear out of the doghouse. We still got love for you, Boris! We'll see you March 29th when the Suns come back to Golden State, but we'll be sure to cop a scalped media pass so we can have a civilized conversation.

[We have a clearer copy of the audio, but Atma Brother #1 from Golden State of Mind hacked in and performed some sabotage on the upload. You might need to follow along with the transcript. ]

powered by ODEO

[Or click here if the player isn't working.]

Miss SunsGossip: Boris!

Guard #4: Keep it moving, let's go!

Miss SG: Boris! Boris! BORIS!!!

Guard #4: [physically restraining Miss SG] LET'S GO!

Miss SG: Boris -- let me holla at you! Ay, why did you say -- in the book -- why did you say you don't date American women, you only have them? What was that about?

Boris Diaw: I didn't say that!

Miss SG: That's what it said in that Jack McCallum book.

Boris: Ah no, he's lying.

Miss SG: He's lying? Ok, that's good to know.

Boris: No, no, no. I meant "date" like not "dating." Like friends who only date and not somebody else.

Miss SG: [unconvinced/confused] Okaaay... Thank you!

Boris: [smiling and waving] You're welcome.

Miss SG: [heart melting]

SunsGossip Exposed!

2006-11-20T00:19:00.000-08:00

We never thought that as part of our NBA Bloggers Exposed series (see Lucas, GSoM, Mutoni) we would have to expose SunsGossip! But resident blogger guru Jason Gurney over at lowpost.net insisted on putting Miss SunsGossip on Front Street with a scandalous exposé interview.

It wasn't really fair how Jason came at us with the hard-hitting questions after his lobs over home plate to TrueHoop's Henry Abbott last week, but we tried our best to answer coherently. (Just kidding, JG, thanks for the love!)

Read at your own risk -- not everyone likes to see how the sausages are made...

He's just Dunny from the block

2006-11-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

We at SunsGossip missed the Suns' overtime heartbreaker at Utah last night because we were busy watching the Warriors clean up the Sonics. The reason we went over to the Oracle/Arena was to scout out the locker rooms and press areas so we'd know where to bum-rush Raja Bell and the gang after tomorrow's Phoenix game at Golden State. But bonus points to the Warriors for dishing out a nice game for us to watch as well!

One of the highlights was in the first quarter: the Sonics' Nick Collison takes a jump shot and white boy Mike Dunleavy -- who the crowd lightweight booed all night for his awful shooting -- comes completely out of pocket for an ill block. This thumbtack picture only pinpricks the story. For the full recap (and full picture), thunder over to Golden State of Mind.

Saturday Sloppy-Seconds

2006-11-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

No meaning to the title, just clowning Howie's Thursday Thumbtacks.

Throw up a big "W"! (That's a "W" for the Suns' Nash-less win last night against the Sixers...keep your pants on GSoM.) Highlights included Amare's dance moves (Lucas is working on video), crazy Marcus Banks and-one layups, and Boris Diaw being crowned the greatest high post player in the league (yes, Bill Walton was calling the game). By the way, when googling for a cite to the Walton quote, we uncovered this old Jones on the NBA post featuring Boris praise by our favorite Diaw-hater. (And commentary by a pre-blog Lucas.) Fascinating. Final highlight came at the very end of the game when Boris threw up an unneeded three-point shot at the buzzer (he missed). We think he was just trying to help Lucas out with his fantasy stats.

In other news, loyal reader Wayne has been keeping us on top of the ongoing missing-persons search for Suns dancer Uyen (aka Winnie). After getting chosen to continue with the Suns dance team for her third season, she mysteriously disappeared from the Suns.com dancer page. SunsGossip has confirmed that Uyen has been absent from the line-up at games as well. Keep your head up Wayne, maybe she'll come back!

Suns better not make any roster changes

2006-11-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

Otherwise we'll have to get everyone posed for another picture. It was time to update the SunsGossip header. Amare changed his number and is no longer an invalid. Nash's hair has grown out a bit. And Boris has put on a few pounds....just kidding! Stop with the fat jokes, fools. Homeboy looks just fine to us. Nous t'aimons, Boris!

Old:

Nzew!

Clippers need to sign Darrell Bailey

2006-11-13T02:08:00.000-08:00

We at SunsGossip were again privileged to travel to see a game – this time Clippers-Hornets in Los Angeles. Well, the Clippers won (92-76) so we have to give them that. But what a sorry game entertainment-wise. For real, no spirit at all. Clippers fans wouldn’t put two hands together for a clap if they thought it would bring Mark Jackson back.

To be fair, the game was a matinee and was somewhat ugly. And the Clippers seem to stick to the fundamentals, not really running tons of crowd-pleasing plays. And the Hornets could have been better – Chris Paul was more like a “comma” than the “exclamation mark” some people led us to believe we could expect.

But the biggest problem is Clippers spirit. The dancers were pretty corny and the music was garbage. And the Clippers have no mascot! Someone in attendance informed us that the Lakers don’t have a mascot either. Say what? In fact, the L.A. fans seemed baffled when we at SunsGossip told them about the Phoenix Suns Gorilla, Thunder at Golden State, Philly’s Hip-Hop and others. Surely a giant furry version of a clipper ship would get fools amped. Somebody get on that.

Alternatively, the Clippers could just anoint Darrell Bailey as their official mascot. As usual, the loyal season-ticket holder was decked out in his trademark red-and-blue duds and was leading crazy high-pitched cheers from his seat. SunsGossip caught up with him outside the Staples Center for a quick photo-op before he headed back to church. Preach, Clipper Darrell! (That may or may not be Nate in the background.)

Lucas is a carnie

2006-11-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

Our esteemed colleague Mr. Lucas over at The Rising Suns is hosting the latest Carnival of the NBA. Thirty-seven points to whoever can identify the NBA player whose merry-go-round appears in this picture.

Suns send in a specialist

2006-11-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

The Suns have been struggling and we at SunsGossip wanted to help. So, through a combination of good fortune and mad connects, SunsGossip was able to get a flight to Phoenix to see the sold-out Suns-Mavs game tonight!

We're trying hard to contain our excitement, but frankly we'd have better luck training fleas not to jump. We haven't been this amped since the launch of RajaBell.com! Oh wait.

With SunsGossip in the house (and a hopefully healthy Nash) maybe our boys will be able to pull out the win. Although either way we are going to be heated if we don't get to see Raja on the floor. Someone lend him a rib!

The game will be broadcast on TNT, so make sure to look for us on the tellie.

LeBron on Duncan

2006-11-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

Stoudemire is starting in tonight's game against the Spurs. We at SunsGossip are hoping for some highlight-worthy dunks on Timmy, but according to Howie, the LeBron one from the other day will be the best one for months. Peep game:

Shout out to our boy Atma Brother #1!

Fans want more fines for Sarver

2006-11-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

No word yet if Robert Sarver has signed the Need4Sheed petition, but he was fined $25k for last week’s sideline meltdown (Lucas has video). He also announced today that as long as project Zero Tolerance is in effect, he will be matching all of his fine amounts with donations to a fund that will send several lucky Suns fans on safari with Boris Diaw during the offseason.

Boris has ventured on various safari adventures over the past few years, the most recent being last summer’s trip to South Africa. You can view more photos from Diaw’s trip on Suns.com, but you know SunsGossip has your exclusives! P.S. no cracks about our dear Diaw’s weight please, he has reportedly dropped six pounds in the last week.

Game time: Clippers-Suns

2006-11-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

Shout out to our boy Nate for alerting us to the fact that we actually do have the Clippers-Suns game on TV tonight. We're happy to see that Boris is starting again -- D'Antoni was probably just trying to get him a little fired up by not giving him the start last night against the Jazz. We'll also be looking to see if we can spot Jalen Rose in the house. The self-proclaimed "Rose that grew from concrete" promises to be a perfect fit for the Suns -- case in point, he has his own website which is "relaunching soon." Mmmmhmmmm.

Update: 5:22 to go in the third quarter and Diaw just got an offensive foul for "sticking out his hind quarters." Ooh boy.

Update2: Did we just see Sam Cassell put his mouthguard in his mouth after taking it out of his sock?

Update3: Great minds think alike!

Suns are "Lovin It"

2006-11-02T01:47:00.000-08:00

As coaches often do, Mike D’Antoni treated his winning team to McDonald’s after last night’s game. It was Happy Meals all around for the team that beat the Clippers 112-104 in their home opener. Pictured here are Marcus Banks, Amare Stoudemire, and Boris Diaw -- who logged 15 points and a handful of boards, a much better performance than his heavy effort against the Lakers Tuesday. Steve Nash, as always, had jokes.

Sorry, Kobe

2006-10-31T22:37:00.000-08:00

We at SunsGossip know the real reason Kobe didn’t play in tonight’s season opener against Phoenix. He could have played. But he wanted the Lakers to lose so that his team would appreciate how much they need him. Sorry.

Sadly, this Kobe Teaching Moment occurs at the expense of our dear Suns, who lost 114-106. Here at SunsGossip we are struggling to find meaning in it all. We’re comforted only by the fact that Raja Bell’s hair looked absolutely perfect.

Mutoni wishes you a Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T01:21:00.000-08:00

In this edition of NBA Bloggers Exposed, we take a look at the Halloween costume of Marcel Mutoni (of Bench Renaldo and Slamonline fame). Flava-Flav is a popular costume this year, but we at SunsGossip like our brother Mutoni's interpretation of the lovable Knicks fan, based on this outfit. The Renaldo jersey is a nice touch.

Marcel Mutoni: il sait quelle heure il est!

SUNS PREVIEW: Eyes on the Prize!

2006-10-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

Today is the day that SunsGossip was supposed to battle with Lucas of The Rising Suns for NBA Preview glory. Well, they say the pen is mightier than the sword, but they also told us that Lucas was packing heat -- and we weren’t trying to be a hero, ya feel? So SunsGossip joined forces with the great Mr. Lucas, knowing that he would provide some hard-hitting, quality basketball analysis. We at SunsGossip are here solely to provide your colored commentary...er, color commentary.

Team name: Phoenix Suns
Last year’s record: 54-28

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

Lucas: The Suns had quite an eventful summer in terms of upgrading the roster. First off, The Suns traded their draft picks to the Celtics in order to wash themselves of Brian Grant's large contract and to save money for free agent signings. At this point Mike D'Antoni doesn't want any project rookies on the roster and would rather get solid rotation role players with lig experience and loads of talent. They were saving money and cap space to re-sign Tim Thomas in the offseason but I don't think they were very content on having Thomas on the roster since they went through the motions, for the fans, and went at Tim with a low offer. The Clippers offered Tim a better deal and off he went. The Suns then courted John Salmons as a backup combo guard to be used as they did Joe Johnson, to handle the ball for short periods while Steve rested. Brian Colangelo soon moved on in, with more cap space, for the same reason, and eventually got burned by Salmons as well. I feel that they were really reaching at this point for such a unique role.

They eventually found Marcus Banks, who is a great talent and solid defender and signed him to be Steve Nash's backup. Banks really fits in for this team. We lacked a defensive threat at the point guard position and Banks is a major upgrade for this reason. He is also lightening quick for our break-game and, with his solid frame, he can drive the lane and put up shots, make contact, and draw fouls, something we needed sorely last season. We also grabbed Jumaine Jones as another swing who is an athletic shooter who plays defense and multiple positions. He can backup the four or three and will most likely have to fight for minutes with James Jones. We also have the Polish sniper, Eric Piatkowski, who will bring a good attitude and spot up shooting for maybe a few minutes per game.

SunsGossip: As Lucas described, the Suns had more moves than a bowl of jello this offseason. We at SunsGossip feel that LaMarcus (aka Marcus Banks) was the hottest addition – that brother is so fine we’d marry his sister just to get in his family! Of course we also have to give love to the two new white boys, Eric Piatkowski (who seems like a genuinely nice guy) and Sean Marks (who’s got that cute New Zealand accent). Jumaine Jones promises to add entertainment value – if for nothing else than our anticipation of Bill Walton sputtering over the fact there are two J. Jones’s on the team (see: James Jones)... It is also worth mentioning that both Raja Bell and Eric P. were busting their own moves this offseason – the wives of both are currently pregnant. Finally, shout out to Brittany and Whitney, two new additions to the Suns Dance Team who are holding it down for the brown girls in Phoenix. Heyyyy!

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

Lucas: The greatest strengths of this team are speed, shooting, and ball movement. Last season we had the top fg%, ft% and top three point shooting. We were also the top average assist team. In addition the Suns are a nightmare for opposing coaches due to all of the match up problems the unorthodox style creates. They are also the best conditioned team and can easily wear out opposing teams who are not used to such a high pace of play. The quick pace is very contagious and many teams can't help but get sucked into running and by the end of the game they are outmatched. Large dominating centers absolutely cannot play at this pace and are rendered obsolete against our intense attack. Quick ball movement and floor spacing from shooters continually break down defenses from the slash and kick or drive and pass game. If this isn't working we have the best point guard in the world who is a master at the pick and roll and many athletes who want to get rewarded for their movement.

SunsGossip: Brother Lucas... how can you talk about the Suns’ strengths without mentioning Boris Diaw’s upper body strength? Have you seen this fool lately? Homeboy was working it over the summer! He looks like he’s gained a cool 15 pounds, and that’s all muscle weight, not just the $45 million in his pockets.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

SunsGossip: What? The Suns have no weaknesses. This question is like a broken pencil – there ain’t no point. Lucas?

Lucas: The biggest weakness for this team has to do with their size, SG. They are generally smaller than their competition and this is due to Coach Mike's preference on having the best athlete on the floor at all times. He would rather have a smaller, more talented player on the floor than a lumbering oaf with height. This also means that we are outmatched in size and give up more rebounds. Yet, our forwards are quicker, faster on the break and pose matchup problems for opposing teams whose big forwards and centers cannot stay with their man in the open floor. For this the system gives up second chances on the defensive end for offensive superiority and the plan is just to get more points and wear out the opponents.

4. How will the young guys develop?

Lucas: This team has many young players but not so young that they are a liability. Amare Stoudemire, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa and Marcus Banks are all moderately young players who have played enough to have plenty of experience. Most of this Suns team is well post-seasoned, including the young coach (league-wise). They are all perfect fits in this uptempo unselfish system and they should thrive this upcoming season.

SunsGossip: We can only hope that they all age as gracefully as our 30-year-old Raja Bell. Or that once they reach age 32 they start Peter Panning back to adolescence like Steve Nash.

Lucas: That’s right SG, let’s hope he continues to sink his Hook (shot?).

5. What are the goals for this team?

Lucas: After two seasons making the Western Conference Finals the goals for this season include a trip to the Finals and hopefully a title. D'Antoni is adamant on improving on team defense enough to get us that extra edge to push our team over the top. We have all the talent and a deep bench to get us through the long marathon of a regular season and the playoffs. Depending on the condition of Amare Stoudemire and the health of the team we should have enough for a title.

SunsGossip: Eyes on the prize!

6. Predicted record?

SunsGossip: Good grief, Charlie Brown, we don’t know! How do people come up with these? We’ll put our money on something close to 82-0 and let you slice and dice it further, Lucas.

Lucas: Well SG, an 82-0 season has yet to be accomplished but I feel you. I mean we send rugged Pat Burke, the Kiwi Assassin (Sean Marks) and the Polish Sniper (Piatkowski) out there and they can give those hard fouls and take out kneecaps. This group alone can win you a good ten games but that sort of play is frowned upon by the lig. That takes us down ten games to 72 wins but with Amare working on getting back to optimal shape by the playoffs, he’ll have some struggles to work out. We will probably have some other minor injuries. Combined with Amare, these things will be another six games. I’d say we lose another six to brain lapses and complacency issues. The Suns should win 60 games this season.

Someone's been drinking the Kool-Aid

2006-10-29T02:37:00.000-08:00

Even with the extra hour of daylight savings, SunsGossip is still running on Minoritime. The Suns preview will be dropping at some point today... In the meantime, show some love to the other NBA Blog Previews:

1. Believing in Magic has an “intelligent-sounding” preview for Orlando. (Their words, not ours.)

2. The Pradamaster from Bullets Fever expects Caron Butler to have a “monster year,” but we at SunsGossip were too distracted by that old hot photo of LeBron and Damon Jones to evaluate anything else.

3. You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, but apparently you can squeeze very entertaining previews from the Warriors. Our brothers at Golden State of Mind and Lowpost.net schooled the Yay Area with the most creative previews to date.

4. After reading the bipolar preview at Clips Nation we realized that a Clippers fan is like that fat girl who’s lost the weight but still feels fat. It almost makes us feel sadly hopeful for Clippers fans, but not really.

5. Forum Blue & Gold, Showtime, and our brother over at Jones on the NBA all preview the Lakers. According to Mr. Jones, Kobe is the best player in the league and Phil Jackson the best coach...

Jones on the NBA, as pictured in his Halloween costume.

6. Might as well go over to Sactown Royalty now because their Kings preview for tomorrow will probably be up before our Sunday Suns...

The ESPN Tattoo Thing

2006-10-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Is it our imagination, or is the ESPN blogger question (example) just biting off of SunsGossip's I-Heart-D'Antoni boob-tatt that we blogged about a while back? Mmmmhmmmm, they ain't freshazimiz.

Raja Bell Releases Diss Track

2006-10-25T02:13:00.000-07:00

After Ron Artest announced his beef with Raja Bell and declared that he wanted to “meet him off the floor for a nice little fight," Lucas and others reported that Bell was declining to respond. Well, who thought our boy Raja would actually let that one slide? We at SunsGossip certainly don’t condone black on black violence, but Bell has unleashed some socially acceptable retaliation in the form of a diss track. The following transcribed lyrics really don’t do justice to Mr. Bell’s sick-wit-it freestyle flow, so be sure to also cop the audio version (available from LaFace Records).

Ron, you damn thug, call your mama for a hug. Why you tripping, cow tipping, straight flipping on a fool? Worse than trippin, you fallin and can’t get up. I wouldn’t toss my last cup. At you. If you were a Tru Warier I’d probly poo more on you -- square your pants like a Spongebob, fix your face for a nose job. Fight you off the floor, out the door, till October Thirty-Four. Yeah, that’s three extra days. Frankie Beverly and Maze. Put you in a daze. Straight watching ballets. With tights and a tu-tu, look at you! CHOO-CHOO! Six-seven, 260, big fat trixie. Why you beefin with a Slim Jim like me? You just a fat hunk of mystery meat. Beef jerky turkey with stuffing on the side. All fried. Damn I’m hungry now, for some Kings-sized chow. A Sactown wack-town Scooby Snack smackdown. With bon-bon’s for dessert. ’Cause Ron-Ron you’ll hurt!

Schooling fools in NBA Previews

2006-10-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

If we've learned anything in school, it's that people pay more attention to information in numbered lists and graphs.

1. The Blazers preview from TrueHoop was so poignant and well-written it almost made us cry as much as the essays by our brothers at Golden State of Mind did.

2. What we learned from the Seattle preview at SonicsCentral: Seattle has two new French guys, but neither has a profile picture up on nba.com (we checked).

3. Jason at lowpost.net asked his brother to write the Jazz preview. Well, that fool is just coconuts, you really need to see for yourself.

4. After we got done laughing over the name of the blog, we actually read the Hawks preview over at Impending Firestorm. Much love, but for real, call us when the firestorm is within 100 miles. (Just kidding, much love, much love.)

5. Though mentioning Adam Morrison's "emotion and fire," the Charlotte preview over at Bobcats Bonfire failed to mention the rookie's good looks.

6. Finally, Crazy from the Heat wonders if "Father Time" will swing by Miami to take a few folks out to greener pastures (i.e. the golf course). We took a quick look at the DOB's on the roster but couldn't get a good idea of the problem. So we contacted Jason at lowpost.net and got him to present the information to us in graph form. Thanks J!

Reading this graph:

The average age on the Heat roster is three years older than the league average; RajaBell.com is one day away from launching, for real this time; waiting for the release of "Who Shot Mamba?" has become old.

Diaw in Disneyland

2006-10-20T02:03:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Oops, j’ai oublié à traduire pour les fans français de Boris Diaw. Lisez ci-dessous...

Fresh off the Suns' win against the Kings, Boris Diaw hopped a plane to Disneyland to celebrate his five-year $45 million contract extension. The French hottie is pictured here flashing a rare toothy smile with close personal friend Mickey Mouse and romantic interest Ann Strother of the Phoenix Mercury. Sleep well, Lucas!

Après le match contre les Kings (les Suns ont gagné, 111-94), Boris a voyagé à Disneyland pour célébrer son contrat de 45 millions de dollars sur cinq ans avec les Suns. Dans cette image, le beau basketteur sourit avec son copain Mickey Mouse et sa petite amie Ann Strother de l’équipe Mercury de Phoenix.

Nash shows frustration in loss to Clippers

2006-10-18T00:53:00.000-07:00

In a rare moment of emotion, Canadian-mannered Steve Nash exchanged words and hand gestures with a sidelined Clipper during Tuesday's preseason game. SunsGossip is still looking into the subject matter of the fuss, but the aggravating player is confirmed to be Sam Cassell (who did not play because of a calf injury). Nash received a technical foul because of the incident, just 3:51 into the first quarter of the Suns’ eventual 107-96 loss.

We Heart Previews

2006-10-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

We've always been fascinated with Miss SG (aka Sonia aka Lil Dice) and not just because we have the same initials. SG is non-stop with her Wolves updates, and she has just added her NBA Preview over at I Heart KG. Rumor has it that Sonia's last name is Garnett, but we at SunsGossip are still trying to confirm.

Also make sure to get your dose of 'Melo medicine by way of The Nugg Doctor's Nuggets Preview.

Yay Previews!

2006-10-16T00:23:00.000-07:00

We've missed a bunch of Previews, from Blog-a-bull, Detroit Bad Boys, Need4Sheed, Donning Craig Sager's Suit (Pacers), 5-Point Bucks, and of course our brother The Cavalier over at YAYsports. The Cavalier remarks that LeBron James is "a year older and wiser," so we at SunsGossip thought it would be fun to dig through the file to find a picture of LeBron when he was actually young looking. Peep this adorable fifth grade class picture and see if you can spot the young phenom before he got all growed-up.

Disappointed with the Spurs Preview

2006-10-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Not really, the latest two NBA Previews have been quite entertaining. But the one by Hornets247.com got us thinking about a half-naked Peja Stojakovic, so we were a little disappointed when Pounding the Rock didn't give any play to Tony Parker's underwear ad for French clothier De Fursac.

Remembering T-Mac's Dunk on Shawn Bradley

2006-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Shout out to YaoButtaMing for reminding us about T-Mac's nasty, nasty dunk on Shawn Bradley from the 2005 playoffs. You can watch it on youtube, but the following screenshots capture the essence of the nastiness.

You can get current Houston info from Rockets Blast, part of that NBA Preview jaune. And check out The Beale Street Beat for the Grizzlies.

Mark Cuban is down with TheHype

2006-10-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

File under "Private Jokes with TheHype."

SunsGossip paparazzi caught Mark Cuban deplaning his Gulfstream V jet after a business trip. He and longtime friend Ross Perot appear to have been doing a little in-flight reading -- Cuban is holding a paper copy of TheHype's latest comic.

Jet on over to Mavs Moneyball to see what else that fool has been up to. And HoopsAddict has the NBA Preview for the ever-lovable Raptors.

Tribute to Larry Brown's Sixers

2006-10-04T01:20:00.000-07:00

We’ll always have a special place in our heart for the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s not just because Barkley used to play for the team. And it’s not just because Philadelphia is where we first started keeping tabs on Raja Bell’s haircuts. It’s because Philly fans are gangsta and will boo down anything and anyone, including hometown homeboy Kobe Bryant – and we’re talking back in the day in 2001, before everyone else started booing that fool. (Philadelphia even gave him the boo at the 2002 All-Star Game.)

So today we pay tribute to Philadelphia circa 2001, which is the last time we can remember the Sixers being hot. We dug up this file picture which features Larry Brown and Allen Iverson sharing a rare moment of "brotherly love." They're joined by a few of our other favorites from the team that went all the way to the Finals. For more up-to-date information on the Sixers, hip-hop over to their NBA Preview at Passion & Pride.

From left to right: Allen Iverson, Larry Brown, Raja Bell, Dikembe Mutombo.

Guaranteed K.O.: NBA Previews

2006-10-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars for October 29th. That’s when we at SunsGossip will be battling it out with Mr. Lucas for the prize of hypest NBA Preview post.* Until then, we are enjoying the preview-a-days that have been going on at Nets Daily, Celtics Blog, Celtics 17, and Loy's Place all thanks to the genius of Jeff at Celtics Blog.

Today is Knicks Day, so we’ll be camping out at our brother Mutoni’s. Oops! We meant to link here. Our bad, Mutoni!

SunsGossip is also starting an underground campaign to get TheHype and Give Me the Rock to join the Preview bandwagon.

*Just to be clear, Lucas is obviously going to deliver a much better post. We at SunsGossip are just playing the role of hype-man here.

Highlights from Suns Media Day

2006-10-02T00:29:00.000-07:00

There has been much "hoop"-la about the new NBA basketball, but Jumaine Jones pretty much summed it up on the Media Day webcast. "As long as it's round, it goes in the basket." Preach, brother!

Other highlights included Eric Piatkowski's comment about planning to teach his teammates a little ballet and Raja Bell's absolutely perfect haircut.

Golden State of Mind... Exposed!

2006-09-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

In every city there’s fools to pity...and in the Bay Area those fools are the Warriors. But we won’t hate on Golden State because this team gets more love than any other in the blogosphere. That’s right, it’s raining game in Northern California and in this second installment of NBA Bloggers Exposed!, SunsGossip gets hyphy with the folks at Golden State of Mind.

Our favorite boys from the Bay are pictured here outside the Oakland Arena in April (after the Warriors’ one win against the Suns last season). There’s so much going on in this picture that we can’t help but bite on The Cavalier’s numbering system to show what Hash, YaoButtaMing, Fantasy Junkie, DJ Fuzzy Logic, and Atma Brother ONE are really up to.

1. Hash has got his vans on but they look like sneakers.
2. A fan getting hyphy.
3. A fan going dumb.
4. A fan going 18 Dummy.
5. Fantasy Junkie sporting the stunna shades. It’s not clear what he’s doing, but we think he might be putting five on it.
6. YaoButtaMing riding the yellow bus.
7. A fan thizzing.
8. A fan blowing the whistle.
9. A fan shaking them dreads.
10. MC Hammer.
11. Danity Kane enthusiast DJ Fuzzy Logic Showstopping in his scraper.
12. In response to seeing DJ Fuzzy Logic rollin’ in his drop-top caddy, an onlooker throwing a peace sign and saying “hey pimp daddy!”
13. Self-proclaimed short, dark, and handsome blogger Atma Brother ONE demonstrating the sideshow favorite of driving one’s car while walking beside it. Ghost-ride the whip, our Indian brother from another mother!
14. Finally, look closely at the make of the car. That's right, this fool is ghost-riding a Honda. We're not mad at you, homie. South Asians can push the rice racers too. Yay Arrrrreeeaaaaa!

Leandro's Latest Sneaker Ad

2006-09-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

We at SunsGossip just got the latest ad for the Starbosa sneaker and honey bunches of oats is it hot! While we’re not sure if anyone can top Gina’s performance in the first ad, Suns dance team member Uyen is holding it down in a pose that only Barbosa's mom could disapprove of. Rumor has it she’s holding it down for more than sneakers too. We already know Leandro has a thing for Suns dancers, and the Brazilian Blur may have his eye on the squad’s most petite member. No word yet if the feelings are mutual, but according to Uyen’s profile, she “sometimes craves chocolate.”

NBA Bloggers Exposed!... Lucas of "The Rising Suns"

2006-09-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

In our first installment of NBA Bloggers Exposed!, SunsGossip blows up the spot on “Ra” aka “Lucas” aka the humble narrator of our favorite Phoenix blog, The Rising Suns.

Though claiming to be a professional graphic designer, Lucas is so prolific on his blog that we weren’t sure he even had a day job. But there is evidence that he’s tethered to the indoor cubicle: despite living in sunny Phoenix, this entertaining blogger is as white as the day is long.

Melanin-challenged Lucas was easy to spot when sifting through file pictures. In June he attended the Phoenix stop of the And-1 Mixtape Tour which brought out all 4% of Phoenix’s browner population. Ten points for the first reader who can spot our brother of the Caucasian persuasion in this picture.

Lucas did not immediately return phone calls, but in a prepared statement the self-proclaimed "sun god" did admit to being extra-pasty. “Seriously, I glow in the dark.”

Barkley bares it all

2006-09-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

There's a thin line between politicking and prostituting, and it turns out that line is a string... a g-string. Although critics accuse governor-hopeful Charles Barkley of "whoring" himself out to special interest groups, Sir Charles maintains that his appearance at Babes Cabaret in Scottsdale Tuesday night was just for a good time.

You see, Scottsdale's Prop 401 has been a hot topic in the Phoenix area lately. The proposition could have banned lapdancing and put strip clubs out of business. But residents went to the polls Tuesday (no, not those poles, the voting polls) and the results were decisively pro-titty. The lapdance ban will not be imposed.

Not only was Barkley on hand for the victory celebrations at Babes, he also recently made comments about strip clubs during his Hall of Fame inductee speech. As a result, some speculate that Sir Charles is accepting campaign money from strip joints. Well, there's no doubt that the strip club industry is a powerful lobby, but judging from these surveillance pictures from Babes Tuesday night, we'd say Barkley is just having some good old-fashioned non-partisan fun.

We're about to pee in our pants

2006-09-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

It may finally be here: RajaBell.com. The site has been displaying a "Time Remaining to Launch" clock for several months now. Never mind that they've set the clock back a few times, we think this time it's for real. The clock currently displays zero days, zero hours, 26 minutes. We are beside ourself with anticipation. Time is moving slower than molasses uphill. Notwithstanding the spinning "milisecond" portion of the clock.

Pictures of Stoudemire dunking on fools

2006-09-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Pictures from yesterday's pick-up action at the US Airways Center. Looks like Amaré's knee is doing well. The SunsGossip paparazzi caught him catching air -- or catching "hair" as Boris Diaw likes to say.

Barkley thanks strip clubs in speech

2006-09-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sir Charles spat a lot of thank-you's during Friday’s ceremony. As an inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame, he expressed gratitude towards former teammates, coaches, family, and....strip clubs. That’s right, Scottsdale’s Babes Cabaret and Philadelphia’s Delilah’s Den were among the establishments given nods by the Round Mound of Rebound. Now, we all know Charles is “no role model for children,” but... thanking strip clubs?

Analysts were quick to cry “politics.” Turns out that Babe’s (owned by area resident Jenna Jameson) is currently embroiled in a hot legal battle. This coming Tuesday, Scottsdale residents will vote on Proposition 401 -- if passed, it will introduce heavy regulations to local nightclubs. With bans on activities such as lapdances, dancers wouldn’t be able to make enough money to buy the clothes on their backs -- so to speak -- and so Babes and other strip joints would effectively be put out of business.

We at SunsGossip know that future gubernatorial candidate Sir Charles isn’t shy about politicking, so it’s possible he was trying to hint at his opposition to Proposition 401. But we also wondered if there was a simpler explanation -- maybe he really does just enjoy a romp at the strip club.

Phonecalls to Babes were not immediately returned. However, SunsGossip did hear back from Delilah’s, and apparently Sir Charles was indeed a regular patron during his years in Philly. Further investigation turned up the following picture, from 1990.

While talking to the friendly folks at Delilah’s, SunsGossip also learned another interesting tit-bit...er...tid-bit. Apparently Mr. Barkley was a tad picky about his dollar bills. Typical patrons stop by the cashier upon entering and exchange their Jacksons and Benjamins for more tip-friendly single dollar bills. Not Sir Charles. According to the Delilah's staff, the Sixers star always arrived with his own fresh stack of singles from the bank.

SunsGossip's friend Scorch does the same thing, so we had to ask why. Well, we never thought about it this way, but at the end of the night, each dancer pulls a wad of sweaty singles from her g-string – and she probably wants to exchange those dollars for more usable twenties and hundreds. That’s right, the cruddy singles go back into the cashier, only to be recycled into the hands of patrons the next day, and the day after, and the day after. Scorch says he won't touch the bills at Babes. "But everyone has their own preference. The Phoenix Suns Gorilla loves the smelly house bills."

We are Raja Bell!

2006-09-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

SunsGossip took the "Which NBA player are you" test and we were delighted with the result: the Suns' own Raja Bell! We've loved Raja ever since his days in Philly, back when the Sixers were hot (and we had girlish daydreams about an Eric Snow family-man with Bell’s good looks). We stuck with R when he moved to Dallas for a hot minute, and though we lost touch in Utah, we reunited last year in Phoenix. And we love Number 19 more than ever now that we know we are Raja Bell. It's not just because of the quiz – we’ve discovered we have a lot in common.

1. We both care about our hair. SunsGossip has always taken note of Raja's extra-clean line, but you might wonder how such a busy star could have time to visit the barbershop every other day. Well, he doesn't -- Bell actually has his own personal barber that he keeps on call, ready to buzz into action the moment he needs a shape-up. The barber splits his time between housecalls for Bell and office visits to P. Diddy (pictured here in September 2004). SunsGossip imagines a day when we too will add a hair person to our entourage.

2. We both have the same tattoo. No moth ball legs for Mr. Bell -- only elegant, barely-there tats up and down the arms. SunsGossip only has one tatoo, and it's across our bosoms, but it's the same design as the one on Raja's left shoulder.

3. We're both always on time. Colored People's Time, that is! We at SunsGossip will probably be late to our own funeral, and Bell similarly struggles with punctuality. The island boy’s chronic lateness is the real reason he didn't always start in Utah. (The Suns coaching staff regularly tells him game times that are an hour early, just to make sure he's in the building by tip-off.) Bell's much-anticipated website RajaBell.com is also running on Minoritime -- the clock counting down to the launch date has already been pushed back a few times. But we're not tripping, Raja -- as we always say, don't hate when it's worth the wait. We'll check back around the All Star break.

Sneaker Starbosa

2006-08-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hot on the “heels” of Shaq’s sneaker deal with Li-ning, Leandro Barbosa has announced that he is shopping for a shoe deal of his own. The Brazilian Blur has already assembled protptypes of the sneaker, which he has dubbed The Starbosa.

We must say, the Starbosa runs circles around Shaq's Li-ning Dunkman sneaker, which is to be sold exclusively in China. We at SunsGossip find the big man’s design to be a little heavy-handed.

Not so for the super-hottie Sun's kicks. Young Leandrinho has already developed a marketing campaign for the sleek Starbosa featuring the Suns dance team (we know Barbosa loves those Suns dancers!). Our favorite Gina holds it down in the first ad.

CRIBS: Eric Piatkowski

2006-08-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first edition of SunsGossip CRIBS!

Newly signed Suns player Eric Piatkowski (formerly of the Bulls and Clippers) just closed on new Phoenix digs to the tune of $2.15 million. With a somewhat modest pricetag (by NBA standards), we weren’t expecting much. So imagine our surprise when the SunsGossip CRIBS cameras showed up to find the most balling-est shit we’ve ever seen.

You see, the former owner of the palatial five-story Neverland-ish house was Tracy Penwell, owner of Rima Fine Art. The gallery and its notorious owner are best known for ripping off Renoir sculptures and passing them off as the real thing. Penwell racked up quite the hefty legal bill during the scandal and has been liquidating her assets in order to pay her debts. Real estate experts estimate the true value of the property to be north of $30 million.

Congratulations on your new house, Eric. We have a feeling you’ll be leading the Suns in “steals” this season.

Boris Diaw Signs Contract Extension

2006-08-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

There has been much talk about the If/When/HowMuch of Boris Diaw’s contract extension with the Suns. Although many speculate that the captain of the French national team is too busy with the world championships to be negotiating with the Suns, he apparently wasn’t too busy for a little shop talk with De Fursac.

For the past few months, the French clothing maker has been running a basketball-themed ad campaign featuring Diaw, fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, and some white dude Jerome Schmitt who we’ve never heard of. The effect of the campaign has been enormous and has permeated all corners of French society. French youths in the ’hood can now be spotted playing streetball decked out in three-piece white suits.

Well, De Fursac is taking the phenomenon to its logical conclusion and launching a line of men’s underwear. Both Diaw and Parker (still recovering from his broken finger) have signed multi-million dollar contract extensions that cover the new Calvin Klein-esque campaign.

We at SunsGossip are trying hard to keep our panties on about this one!

[en français: suivez le lien pour "comments."]

Nash's Response Rap to Shaq

2006-08-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

SunsGossip was the first to report about Shaquille O'Neal's diss track about Steve Nash a few weeks ago. Well, in an uncharacteristic move, the Canadian-mannered Suns star has decided to record a response rap. The track has not yet been released, but SunsGossip was in the studio with Nash and his daughters long enough to overhear a few bars.

Shaq, Shaq, I heard your wack track.
Tryin to spit rhymes but your rapping skills lack.
Well, Jimmy cracked corn and I don’t give jack
’Cause you’re more played-out than a Kobe throwback.
You crave attention more than coke-heads crave crack.
Always flossing your money – try flossing your dental plaque.
Walking through Miami like you’re some kind of “mac.”
Player please, “mac” and cheese, and I’ll eat you for a snack!

If you could look me straight in the eye, I’d tell you why...
’Cause Shaq, you’re wack! Shaq, you're wack!

We at SunsGossip can't wait to hear what the Chinese Nash fans have to say about this one.

Is Steve Nash fly (like a bird)?

2006-08-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Nelly Furtado rumors are old, but SunsGossip has gotten several inquiries lately, so we did some investigating.

It all started when the Canadian pop tart mentioned Nash in that horrible "Promiscuous" song ("Hey is that the truth or are you talking trash / Is your game MVP like Steve Nash?"). If dropping a weak lyric is what passes for an affair these days, then half the rappers on the radio must be on the down-low with various NBA players (which may actually be true, but that's a topic for another blog). After the song came out, a Canadian gossip columnist speculated that Nelly and Nashy were a romantic item. The trash got picked up by Page Six and by noon the rumor was spreading faster than the bird flu.

As it turns out, Canada is a big country and the fellow nationals had met only once, at a charity basketball game a year ago. Yes, SunsGossip has dug through the archives to find a picture of said event.

Well, Nelly does appear to be eyeing some home-baked Canadian buns...but Stevie is clearly devoted only to his family. Case closed: Nelly Furtado may be a promiscuous girl, but Steve Nash is still the most valuable husband.

Wallpaper!

2006-08-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Never be without SunsGossip again. Click below for a full-sized image you can download to your desktop.

Technical Difficulties

2006-08-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Laptop is in the shop...

Kobe v. Boris

2006-08-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

The Suns will open their upcoming season with a game against the Lakers. Now, there’s nothing gossipworthy about a Suns-Lakers rivalry -- or anti-Lakers sentiment in general -- but SunsGossip paparazzi captured evidence of a hot new personal feud between Kobe Bryant and Frenchman Boris Diaw.

Kobe, pictured here leaving post-knee-surgery physical therapy, goes for the nonsensical cryptic jab.

Boris, pictured here after today’s France-Greece game, sports one of his favorite 'hood-popular t-shirts, this one customized in a spoof of an R.I.P. style.

Shaq Releases Diss Track about Nash

2006-07-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

The hot Phoenix sun isn’t the only thing to make Steve Nash’s ears burn. The newly-bald MVP has been in the mouth of more than one music artist lately...er...

Well, first there was the whole Nelly Furtado debacle. But now SunsGossip is truly heated about the new Shaq track, “Can’t Stop the Reign” off of Papoose’s latest Kay Slay mixtape. Have you heard this garbage?

Now we’re not bugging about Papoose’s lyrics, he’s aight. But Shaq’s verse is attracting flies like Sugar Honey Iced Tea. If you know what we mean. Peep these lyrics:

How’d you get the MVP, Steve Nash?
Compared to my skills, yours is just trash.
Next to my salary yours is petty cash.
I got so much game I’ll give you a Heat flash!

I’ll choke your offense with a window sash,
Till your wounds be saltier than Mrs. Dash,
Then I’ll stomp in the paint like it’s the Monster Mash.
Damn, my shit is so ill I got diaper rash!

M...V...P... shoulda been ME.
M...V...P... shoulda been ME.

Shaq, we feel you on the hardwood. But please... stay off the wax, homie. Nashy we love you!

Sir Governor

2006-07-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

This just in: it's better to be the head of a donkey than the tail of an elephant. Or something like that. In an announcement littered with classic Barkley-isms, former Suns star Sir Charles revealed that he may be running for Alabama governor in 2010 -- as a Democrat. When asked why he's abandoning the Republians, Barkley replied, "Those fools have lost their damn minds." He may be wrong, but we at SunsGossip doubt it.

The Quest for the Best of the Breast

2006-07-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

At Saturday's auditions for the Suns dance team, over 200 hopefuls bared their souls to a panel of judges, vying for a spot on the celebrated dance squad. One dancer also bared something else. According to Dan Bickley, contestant #249 "pulled a Janet Jackson" during her audition. Well, apparently 249 didn't "stack" up against the competition because neither she nor her titties made the cut.

[Because of its graphic nature, the following picture has been pixilated.]

According to the judges, a WM (Wardrobe Malfunction) leads to an automatic DQ. But Miss 249 -- who spoke to SunsGossip on condition of anonymity -- is claiming boobotage. She told SunsGossip that someone untied her bikini string while she was dancing, causing her to be disqualified. Who would do such a thing?

SunsGossip talked to Phoenix Mercury mascot Scorch, who was all too eager to sit down for a little T&A...er...Q&A about Boobgate. Scorch was on the scene at the moment the tits hit the fan and claims to have seen veteran Suns dancer Gina pulling Miss 249's bikini string. But he also stated that he later saw Gina making out with Miss 249, and then quoted at length directly from the dialogue of "Showgirls."

Other dancers on the scene reported seeing 249 intentionally expose her bosoms. The Phoenix Suns Gorilla corroborated this story, claiming that Miss 249 was merely reacting to his primate mating call.

Miss 249 flatly denies accusations that her WM was intentional. "One of those dancers did this on purpose. She must have been salty because she wasn't as hot as me." Even if this was the work of a striptease saboteur, she wasn't the only one to end audition day a little salty. Saline teardrops indeed for Miss 249 and the end of her short but spectacular Flashdance career.

BalderNash!

2006-07-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

This just in: MVP Steve Nash showed up at a charity basketball game in Vancouver without his trademark tresses. Although he told reporters that he just "felt like" cutting his hair, SunsGossip has confirmed that the magical locks were in fact stolen. Vancouver police are currently searching for Nash's former teammate Tim Thomas who was last seen headed towards L.A.

Up Close and Personal with Go, the Suns Mascot

2006-07-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

[WARNING: the following interview contains some adult language. That Gorilla sure is a potty-mouth. KIDDING! This entire conversation took place only in SunsGossip's imagination.]

Suns fans know "Go" as the goofy gorilla that gets the home crowd going – or the lovable mascot who spreads cheer at local Phoenix events. But behind that plastic smile is a complex and sometimes troubled soul. SunsGossip sat down with the dark fellow for a look into the personal side of being the Phoenix Suns Gorilla.

SunsGossip: What’s your favorite part of the job?
Go: I love the kids – they’re the best fans in Phoenix. I’d like to have some mini-gorillas of my own some day, but I’m still looking for Mrs. Go.

SunsGossip: You were rumored to have been involved with resident hottie Gina (veteran Suns dancers and UPN spokesperson). Is she a possible Mrs. Go?
Go: No... sadly, she dumped me. Towards the end we were just fighting too much. She had a hard time handling my addiction.

SunsGossip: What was your problem? Alcohol? Drugs?
Go: No, I was a yellow mouth-candy fiend! Banana splits, banana yogurt, banana bread, you name it. I go "ape" for bananas!

SunsGossip: Go "ape"? Aren’t you a gorilla?
Go: Gorilla, ape... same difference. We’re all party primates.

SunsGossip: Moving on....What has been your most memorable moment as the Suns mascot?
Go: I would have to say it was a year ago when I met Magic Johnson. Not only is he a basketball legend, but he’s done so much in life, like single-handedly rejuvenating Harlem with his business enterprises and bringing energy to the NBA on TNT show...he’s such an incredible inspiration to all of us. I got my picture taken with him that night after the game. This picture is my most prized possession – I carry it everywhere.

SunsGossip: This is a picture of you and Charles Barkley.
Go: I love you, Magic!

SunsGossip: Right... um, so, what has been one of the low points of your mascot career?
Go: Having to ride onto the Suns court on a motorcycle with Tara Reid. What a hot mess that bitch was.

SunsGossip: That’s not very nice!
Go: But it’s true. Even Scorch wouldn’t hit that. And that fool is always "in heat."

SunsGossip: You’re killing me with these puns.
Go: What can I say, I’m one "punny" son of a bitch!

SunsGossip: Yes you are.
Go: Make sure you spell that S-U-N... “Sun of a bitch.”

[SunsGossip note: the Suns Dancers are holding auditions for the 2006-2007 season this coming Saturday. With a new crop of tail moving in, Go may procreate yet.]

Mercury's Rising in Boris Diaw's Eyes

2006-07-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

[en français]

It's old news that Boris Diaw took in several Phoenix Mercury games earlier in the season. At first blush this Suns-sighting doesn't seem gossipworthy...but when a basketball game makes a brotha blush, it makes SunsGossip take notice.

This picture from the June 7th Mercury game against the Monarchs captures the starry-eyed swingman staring at the object of his affection. Brother Martin Diaw seems to be watching the game-action on the court. But the Suns-hot burning question is, who or what is Boris looking at?

SunsGossip spent a month of Sundays researching this one and unfortunately was unable to come up with a conclusive answer.

Some speculate that he's gazing at Mercury hottie Ann Strother. Given their confirmed post-game rendez-vous at Majerle's, this is a plausible interpretation.

But SunsGossip also talked to several Mercury game-goers who all claimed to have seen Boris staring longingly at a spectator across the court who was eating a slice of pizza. Now, we all know how much Boris loves pizza! Could the amour in his eye be for a pizza pie?

Thanks to our friends at the US Airways Center, SunsGossip was able to obtain surveillance footage from the June 7th game. A close-up still picture of the spectators in Boris' direct line of vision reveals a Mercury fan who is indeed enjoying a slice of pizza. Case closed?

Not quite. SunsGossip also spent several long hours speaking with Scorch, the Mercury mascot. Amid Tourette's-like cheering outbursts and incessant heat-related double-entendres, Scorch slipped up and revealed a certain tidbit of information... SunsGossip is toiling away to corroborate this tidbit and will surely share it as soon as it is confirmed. This story is getting hotter than a tin roof in... uh... Phoenix.

Boris Diaw au Match du Mercury

2006-07-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

[CLICK HERE FOR ENGLISH]

On a déjà su que Boris Diaw était présent à quelques matchs du Phoenix Mercury. Cela n'est pas habituellement une nouvelle. Mais quand un match de basket fait rougir un homme noir... entre SunsGossip!

Cette image du match à 7 Juin contre les Monarchs laisse voir un Boris qui a beaucoup d'amour aux yeux. Le frère Martin Diaw semble regarder le match. Mais Boris regarde fixement d'autre chose . Qu'est-ce que c'est cette autre chose?

Pendant quelques semaines, SunsGossip a fait des recherches sur cette question. Malheureusement, nous n'avons pas pu arriver à une conclusion.

Il y a des gens qui croient qu'il regarde fixement la belle Ann Strother du Mercury. C'est une idée raisonnable, parce que nous avons corroboré le rumeur qu'ils étaient au restaurant Majerle's ensemble.

Mais SunsGossip a aussi parlé avec quelques spectateurs du match qui ont dit que Boris regardait fixement un autre spectateur qui était en train de manger du pizza. Nous savons que Boris aime beaucoup le pizza! L'amour à ses yeux, est-il à cause du pizza?

Grace à notre copains au US Airways Center, SunsGossip a obtenu une image de la surveillance de ce match à 7 Juin. On peut voir un spectateur qui est vraiment en train de manger du pizza. Fin?

Peut-être non. Pendant quelques heures longues SunsGossip a aussi parlé avec Scorch, la mascotte du Mercury. C'était une conversation difficile car Scorch parlait avec vigueur et il faisait toujours des jeux de mots (tout le monde est "hot"). Mais il a laissé échapper un petit morceau d'info qui peut être très intéressant. SunsGossip le publiera dès qu'on le confirmera...

[Je sais que mon français est terrible. N'hésitez pas à me corriger quand vous trouvez des erreurs graves.]

Boris Diaw and Ann Strother?

2006-07-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

[en francais]

Rumor has it that the much-loved Boris Diaw has about a quarter worth of dymes: a WNBA lady-friend, a long-time woman in France, and some kind of third half-girlfriend. SunsGossip hit the streets to uncover the truth about the most prominent of Boris’ alleged flames.

Ann Strother of the Phoenix Mercury was reportedly seen smooching with Boris at the sports bar Majerle's. Our friends at tp9.net were unable to verify the truth of this rumor, but SunsGossip has obtained an exclusive picture from the night in question.

This picture is pretty dark and grainy because it is not a professional paparazzi shot -- rather, it was taken by a casual restaurant-goer, quite by accident. Look closely:

In the far left-hand-side of the background, two tall figures are discernable. They are standing quite close in what could indeed be the reported open-mouthed kissing embrace. The female appears to be wearing Mercury colors and the male is sporting Boris' characteristic adorable ears.

Using patented CSI technology, SunsGossip was able to enhance and enlarge this area of the picture. The results are clear. The two tall figures lurking in the dark are indeed Ann Strother and Boris Diaw. However, they are not engaged in any kind of kissing! Boris is plainly yawning, while Ann's mouth is wide open for a Snickers bar.

Case not quite closed on this one though. SunsGossip is currently analyzing pictures from several Mercury games at which Boris was in attendance. Stay tuned...

Boris Diaw et Ann Strother... relation amoureuse?

2006-07-13T23:30:00.000-07:00

[click here for English]

Il y a une rumeur sur tp9.net que le très beau Boris Diaw est amoureuse de la belle blonde Ann Strother de l’équipe du Mercury. Censément, quelqu’un a vu les deux en train d’embrasser (bouches ouvertes) dans le restaurant Majerle’s à Phoenix. On prie que ce n’est pas vrai! Mais personne n’a pas pu vérifier ou réfuter cette rumeur… Entre SunsGossip.

SunsGossip a obtenu une image exclusive de cette nuit à Majerle’s. Ce n’est pas la meilleure image, mais regardez-la bien:

On peut voir deux personnes grandes qui semblent être intimes -- peut-être en train de s’embrasser. La femme porte des vêtements des couleurs de l’équipe Mercury, et l’homme a des oreilles adorables comme Boris.

SunsGossip a utilisé de la technologie brevetée pour agrandir et clarifier cette partie de l’image. Regardez la resultat. Les deux personnes grandes sont Ann Strother et Boris Diaw, sans doute. Mais ils ne s’embrassent pas! Boris est certainement en train de baîller. Et la bouche d’Ann est ouverte seulement parce qu’elle mange du chocolat.

Mais on ne peut pas conclure que ce n’est pas une amitié romantique. SunsGossip est en train d’analyser des images des matchs du Mercury à lesquels Boris était présent…

[Je sais que mon français est terrible. N'hésitez pas à me corriger quand vous trouvez des erreurs graves.]

.

2006-07-01T21:22:00.000-07:00