Mr. Crackerz wrote:

bada wrote:also keep in mind it is not always the same person.

Wait, what... no I think it is the same person... if you look at the bottom of the columns, it says something like 'this is player x's second column".

I'm pretty sure its the same person bada. I think they would have said it was going to be different people... It's the same guy doing Nascar... same guy doin NFL.... same guy doin MLB.... so why wouldn't be the same guy doin NBA? (unless they said it, of course, than i must have missed it.)

WES WESLEY MAKES IT HAPPEN

Who is the most powerful person in the NBA? David Stern? No. LeBron James? No. Kobe Bryant? Nope. It's Wes Wesley. Most fans don't know who he is. Most players, agents and GMs can't figure out who he works for. (More on that in a minute.) But we all know this: Wes is the greatest connector of players, coaches, GMs, agents, celebrities and big-time sponsors in sports. Need tickets to a Jay-Z concert, a new sneaker deal or the phone number of a general manager, he's your man. There's a reason we call him Uncle Wes.

The first time I met him I was in college, and I was like, "Who is this guy?" He was advising a teammate, which made me skeptical. Then I noticed he had his name on his Jordans, which was pretty cool. I'd never seen that before on anyone who wasn't in the NBA, so I knew Wes was legit.

After I got into the league I ran into him again because he was friends with a guy on my team. He took me to dinner and told me if I ever needed anything to just call. Right away I knew he was different from the other sketchy dudes hanging around because he didn't ask me for anything. Years later, the man has hooked me up with everything from sports drink endorsements to grooming commercials. When I wanted a new sneaker deal, Wes was my first call. My agent may have negotiated the contract, but Wes made it happen. And he's never asked for a dime, ever. Nobody really knows who pays him. I'm good friends with him, and I still don't know.

Sticky situation? Uncle Wes is your man.

Another reason guys respect Wes is that the dude will give it to you straight up. Most guys who hang around young, rich athletes won't do that because they're afraid of getting fired. But you can't fire Wes. He doesn't work for you. He's like that dude from "Pulp Fiction" who gets called in to clean up sticky situations. Sometimes it's a young guy who is great on the court but sucks at life. Wes will straighten his ass out. He'll say, "You're coming with me, young fella." Then he'll lay it out on the table like, "Dude, you're screwin' up." He'll look at his entourage and say, "This person stays, but these clowns gotta go." Sometimes it's a coach who calls him for help, or a teammate or an agent. But he gets through to guys because he never asks for anything. And it doesn't hurt that he remembers the name of everyone he's ever met.

One of my favorite Wes stories is from a few years back, when he completely tore apart a well-known superstar's entourage for acting like idiots. Up to that point, no one had the balls to call out this guy's friends. The player's manager was professional and always wore a suit, but the other clowns around him were acting dumb and dressing like slobs. So one day Wes just loses it and curses out the manager. "These bums are dragging down the entire brand! You guys are repping your friend and walking around in these raggedy clothes acting like dumb-asses! Get outta here!" Sure enough, they were gone, like that. That player has been straight since.

Because he has the ear of every player, coach, GM and sneaker company, a lot of people around basketball like to hate on Wes. Agents worry that he's going to steal their clients and steer them to one of his favorite agents. They think he's a glorified runner, a dude who agents send around to befriend players, get them into clubs and eventually get them to sign a contract. It's a shady business. But Wes is not one of those guys. Wes isn't running for anyone. I'm sure he's got his ways to make money, but he's interested only in setting up deals and making sure the people around you are looking out for you. When I got to the NBA he asked me if my agent was taking care of me. I told him about my contract, and Wes said it was cool, that my agent did a good job. He just wanted to know that I was taken care of.

Agents aren't the only ones wary of Wes, though. He scares GMs because he has the power to convince players they need a change of scenery when their contracts are up. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in LeBron's ear about Cleveland. And the rumor now is that he recently signed on with CAA -- home to LeBron, Melo and D-Wade -- to be an agent for college and NBA coaches. I guess the thinking goes: He's already friends with Calipari, why not make it official? If this is true, we'll finally know where some of his money comes from. But it won't be all of it; Wes will still be setting up deals all over. I'm just glad he's my friend.

Mr. Crackerz wrote:LATEST ARTICLE FROM PLAYER X.... based on the clues on this article, i am even more certain it is Grant Hill.

New Clues:
* Player went to college
* player had endorsements with drinks and grooming products
*Players rookie contract was a negotiation process (so pre 1999 CBA)

WES WESLEY MAKES IT HAPPEN

Who is the most powerful person in the NBA? David Stern? No. LeBron James? No. Kobe Bryant? Nope. It's Wes Wesley. Most fans don't know who he is. Most players, agents and GMs can't figure out who he works for. (More on that in a minute.) But we all know this: Wes is the greatest connector of players, coaches, GMs, agents, celebrities and big-time sponsors in sports. Need tickets to a Jay-Z concert, a new sneaker deal or the phone number of a general manager, he's your man. There's a reason we call him Uncle Wes.

The first time I met him I was in college, and I was like, "Who is this guy?" He was advising a teammate, which made me skeptical. Then I noticed he had his name on his Jordans, which was pretty cool. I'd never seen that before on anyone who wasn't in the NBA, so I knew Wes was legit.

After I got into the league I ran into him again because he was friends with a guy on my team. He took me to dinner and told me if I ever needed anything to just call. Right away I knew he was different from the other sketchy dudes hanging around because he didn't ask me for anything. Years later, the man has hooked me up with everything from sports drink endorsements to grooming commercials. When I wanted a new sneaker deal, Wes was my first call. My agent may have negotiated the contract, but Wes made it happen. And he's never asked for a dime, ever. Nobody really knows who pays him. I'm good friends with him, and I still don't know.

Sticky situation? Uncle Wes is your man.

Another reason guys respect Wes is that the dude will give it to you straight up. Most guys who hang around young, rich athletes won't do that because they're afraid of getting fired. But you can't fire Wes. He doesn't work for you. He's like that dude from "Pulp Fiction" who gets called in to clean up sticky situations. Sometimes it's a young guy who is great on the court but sucks at life. Wes will straighten his ass out. He'll say, "You're coming with me, young fella." Then he'll lay it out on the table like, "Dude, you're screwin' up." He'll look at his entourage and say, "This person stays, but these clowns gotta go." Sometimes it's a coach who calls him for help, or a teammate or an agent. But he gets through to guys because he never asks for anything. And it doesn't hurt that he remembers the name of everyone he's ever met.

One of my favorite Wes stories is from a few years back, when he completely tore apart a well-known superstar's entourage for acting like idiots. Up to that point, no one had the balls to call out this guy's friends. The player's manager was professional and always wore a suit, but the other clowns around him were acting dumb and dressing like slobs. So one day Wes just loses it and curses out the manager. "These bums are dragging down the entire brand! You guys are repping your friend and walking around in these raggedy clothes acting like dumb-asses! Get outta here!" Sure enough, they were gone, like that. That player has been straight since.

Because he has the ear of every player, coach, GM and sneaker company, a lot of people around basketball like to hate on Wes. Agents worry that he's going to steal their clients and steer them to one of his favorite agents. They think he's a glorified runner, a dude who agents send around to befriend players, get them into clubs and eventually get them to sign a contract. It's a shady business. But Wes is not one of those guys. Wes isn't running for anyone. I'm sure he's got his ways to make money, but he's interested only in setting up deals and making sure the people around you are looking out for you. When I got to the NBA he asked me if my agent was taking care of me. I told him about my contract, and Wes said it was cool, that my agent did a good job. He just wanted to know that I was taken care of.

Agents aren't the only ones wary of Wes, though. He scares GMs because he has the power to convince players they need a change of scenery when their contracts are up. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in LeBron's ear about Cleveland. And the rumor now is that he recently signed on with CAA -- home to LeBron, Melo and D-Wade -- to be an agent for college and NBA coaches. I guess the thinking goes: He's already friends with Calipari, why not make it official? If this is true, we'll finally know where some of his money comes from. But it won't be all of it; Wes will still be setting up deals all over. I'm just glad he's my friend.

Mr. Crackerz wrote:

bada wrote:also keep in mind it is not always the same person.

Wait, what... no I think it is the same person... if you look at the bottom of the columns, it says something like 'this is player x's second column".

I'm pretty sure its the same person bada. I think they would have said it was going to be different people... It's the same guy doing Nascar... same guy doin NFL.... same guy doin MLB.... so why wouldn't be the same guy doin NBA? (unless they said it, of course, than i must have missed it.)

migya wrote:

Mr. Crackerz wrote:LATEST ARTICLE FROM PLAYER X.... based on the clues on this article, i am even more certain it is Grant Hill.

New Clues:
* Player went to college
* player had endorsements with drinks and grooming products
*Players rookie contract was a negotiation process (so pre 1999 CBA)

WES WESLEY MAKES IT HAPPEN

Who is the most powerful person in the NBA? David Stern? No. LeBron James? No. Kobe Bryant? Nope. It's Wes Wesley. Most fans don't know who he is. Most players, agents and GMs can't figure out who he works for. (More on that in a minute.) But we all know this: Wes is the greatest connector of players, coaches, GMs, agents, celebrities and big-time sponsors in sports. Need tickets to a Jay-Z concert, a new sneaker deal or the phone number of a general manager, he's your man. There's a reason we call him Uncle Wes.

The first time I met him I was in college, and I was like, "Who is this guy?" He was advising a teammate, which made me skeptical. Then I noticed he had his name on his Jordans, which was pretty cool. I'd never seen that before on anyone who wasn't in the NBA, so I knew Wes was legit.

After I got into the league I ran into him again because he was friends with a guy on my team. He took me to dinner and told me if I ever needed anything to just call. Right away I knew he was different from the other sketchy dudes hanging around because he didn't ask me for anything. Years later, the man has hooked me up with everything from sports drink endorsements to grooming commercials. When I wanted a new sneaker deal, Wes was my first call. My agent may have negotiated the contract, but Wes made it happen. And he's never asked for a dime, ever. Nobody really knows who pays him. I'm good friends with him, and I still don't know.

Sticky situation? Uncle Wes is your man.

Another reason guys respect Wes is that the dude will give it to you straight up. Most guys who hang around young, rich athletes won't do that because they're afraid of getting fired. But you can't fire Wes. He doesn't work for you. He's like that dude from "Pulp Fiction" who gets called in to clean up sticky situations. Sometimes it's a young guy who is great on the court but sucks at life. Wes will straighten his ass out. He'll say, "You're coming with me, young fella." Then he'll lay it out on the table like, "Dude, you're screwin' up." He'll look at his entourage and say, "This person stays, but these clowns gotta go." Sometimes it's a coach who calls him for help, or a teammate or an agent. But he gets through to guys because he never asks for anything. And it doesn't hurt that he remembers the name of everyone he's ever met.

One of my favorite Wes stories is from a few years back, when he completely tore apart a well-known superstar's entourage for acting like idiots. Up to that point, no one had the balls to call out this guy's friends. The player's manager was professional and always wore a suit, but the other clowns around him were acting dumb and dressing like slobs. So one day Wes just loses it and curses out the manager. "These bums are dragging down the entire brand! You guys are repping your friend and walking around in these raggedy clothes acting like dumb-asses! Get outta here!" Sure enough, they were gone, like that. That player has been straight since.

Because he has the ear of every player, coach, GM and sneaker company, a lot of people around basketball like to hate on Wes. Agents worry that he's going to steal their clients and steer them to one of his favorite agents. They think he's a glorified runner, a dude who agents send around to befriend players, get them into clubs and eventually get them to sign a contract. It's a shady business. But Wes is not one of those guys. Wes isn't running for anyone. I'm sure he's got his ways to make money, but he's interested only in setting up deals and making sure the people around you are looking out for you. When I got to the NBA he asked me if my agent was taking care of me. I told him about my contract, and Wes said it was cool, that my agent did a good job. He just wanted to know that I was taken care of.

Agents aren't the only ones wary of Wes, though. He scares GMs because he has the power to convince players they need a change of scenery when their contracts are up. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in LeBron's ear about Cleveland. And the rumor now is that he recently signed on with CAA -- home to LeBron, Melo and D-Wade -- to be an agent for college and NBA coaches. I guess the thinking goes: He's already friends with Calipari, why not make it official? If this is true, we'll finally know where some of his money comes from. But it won't be all of it; Wes will still be setting up deals all over. I'm just glad he's my friend.

Very interesting and wonder if it's true or just a fictional story. If it is true, then that Wes guy really is something and must be getting money from somewhere.

Real interesting read that one

Someone needs to say it, and it's going to be me: LeBron James is a genius.

I was shocked to hear he's now one of the most hated athletes in America. Shocked. You're all crazy. I watched "The Decision." We all did. The exposure was amazing.

Something like that had never happened before, but I bet it will again because you watched. And he even managed to get some publicity for the Boys & Girls Clubs. Don't hate him for the cameras, America.

I know the guy, and sure, he's arrogant -- especially about his status in the league. To be fair, though, he has basically carried the NBA by himself for seven years. Most of the time, he's polite and far more humble than people think. Humble enough to come back every season better than he was in the one before.

Arrogant players who steal money, then report to camp out of shape are a bigger problem. That happens way too often. But in the end, the fault for that belongs to the owners. After all, they're the ones shelling out the dough. They throw all that money away, and now they want to cut back salaries? That kind of thinking could cause a lockout. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Stay with me: I'm about to bring it back to LeBron. While the fans hate, the players applaud, because symbolically, the Summer of LeBron was a blow to the owners. And a blow to the owners is a win for us. We love that LeBron ran the show from start to finish, called every shot. That's a welcome change from the owner-player dynamic, which we all think should operate more like a partnership. It's about time the owners were forced to recognize that we are the ones bringing value to their investments.

Of course, as a wise person -- I think it was Spider-Man -- once said: With great power comes great responsibility. LeBron has the power. Sure, he didn't handle the details as well as he could have. His choice of words, for example, was brutal: "Take my talents ... " C'mon, man, you're from Ohio! Fans there supported you forever. Be a little more sympathetic. He was mad at management, but he took it out on the fans. I know he wishes he had a do-over on his delivery.

All the guys in the league I've talked with have been surprised about him joining the Heat. In terms of brand management, we all know New York would have been the better move. Think of Chicago and you think of Jordan; think of LA and you think of Kobe. LeBron could have been that guy in New York. Win a ring there and you write your own ticket. But at the same time, we recognize that Miami is the right basketball decision. More than anything, it shows how badly the guy wants to win a title.

Make no mistake: Miami gives him the best shot at that. You need two stars to win in this league. The Heat have three, plus a great supporting cast. Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller can play. We all respect Udonis Haslem; he's a warrior. And Z? What an underrated signing. He'll spread the floor and get bigs like Dwight Howard and the Lakers' twin towers out of the paint. It was a dumb move not to invite the rest of the team onto the stage at the first public introduction, though. The three of them dancing all by themselves -- talk about sending a bad message. I'll tell you another thing: I don't understand why people think free agents are going to flock there to play for less money. Not everyone is looking for a piggyback ride.

Yes, we're still trying to gauge the Heat's chemistry, but that doesn't mean we're not all scared of them. LeBron and Co. say they're keeping a checklist of haters. I know guys who refuse to say anything negative for that reason. If you talk trash, those guys will bust your ass with a vengeance. They'll be in the Finals this year, for sure.

One team that won't be? The Cavs. They are screwed. Dan Gilbert blasting LeBron in that letter definitely cost him free agents. Once we saw that, we knew LeBron had made the right call. Owners have to learn to sign players, chill in their box and let the team do its job. A guy like Gilbert, who gets too emotionally involved -- who wants to play for that guy? Blame ownership. Again.

GSW Hoops Fan wrote:Someone mentioned Nash before... and I totally believe them. Some of things said are corkey, he is intelligent and is not afraid to speak his mind. He is an entrepreneur and has interests outside the NBA. He played college ball, and is well respected and is a good locker room guy. He is a vet, and I could definitely see ESPN going to him shortly after his 2 MVP titles to get him to write these articles..... for me there is no more doubt in my mind it is our Santa Clara - Canadian point guard prodigy.

Knightofoceans wrote:I'm sure you guys have seen this - Garnett calling Villanueva a cancer patient. True or false?

GSW Hoops Fan wrote:I used to be a big fan of KG, even named my dog after him lol (True Story... my dog's name is kevin and we call him KG after Garnett). However, since he has moved to the celtics I have been turned off by his antics and his attitude... wonder if I can legally rename my dog??....

However I think trash talk is trash talk... and who cares if he called Charlie V. that during the game.... I mean come on now... grow a pair Charlie. I mean, I am sure players have said worse things to eachother to get under eachothers skin on the court. It is part of the mental games that are played. I personally like all the bickering and fighting that goes on between oposing teams... makes the game more exciting.

If he says that outside of the game... well that is a different story. I do believe KG said that though. He is still a douche. Renaming my dog.