Image Source: (The New York Daily News)
BY TOM MARTIN
You're watching multisource sports video news analysis from Newsy.
The NBA lockout continues, but don’t tell the players -- they’re busy balling as usual -- not in formal practices -- instead, in New York City street ball tournaments. Sounds like a recipe for some NYC magic ... that is, until it turns ugly.
We start with the good, all-star forward Kevin Durant. Trading in his Oklahoma City Thunder jersey for a street ball penny, Durant dropped a whopping 66 points in a tournament game Monday at Rucker Park.
Three days later -- this time at Dyckman Park -- Durant was back at it again.
The poor defender on that play? Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley -- seen here fighting off insults from a pro-Durant crowd -- literally.
Did Beasley’s shove take it too far? Dyckman executive director Kenny Stevens thinks so. He said Dyckman’s hostile crowd is part of the -quote “intense atmosphere” -- and after the game, he questioned Beasley’s professionalism.
As CBS Sports blogger Ben Golliver writes, the jury has long been out on Beasley’s maturity--or lack thereof:
“Beasley is brash, talented and self-confident to a fault. If you had to list the NBA players in order of who was most likely to get into an altercation with a fan during an exhibition game, Beasley would certainly be in the top five...”
As it turns out, Thursday’s on-court turmoil spread beyond Dyckman. Lakers forward Matt Barnes reportedly punched an opposing player at a pro-am in San Francisco -- begging the question: should NBA players just stay out of these tournaments?
According to SB Nation’s Brian Floyd, it’s a situation unique to two of the league’s most volatile players:
“At some point, this will be blamed on the lockout. But let's remember this is Michael Beasley and Matt Barnes. This is not the NBA lockout's fault.”
Barnes and Beasley may be at fault, but blame for fan altercations can’t be limited to players -- so says basketball blog Crossover Chronicles:
“You've got to wonder if this is going to start preventing some of these bigger-name guys from showing up to some of these games. If there's not going to be adequate security, and if they're going to just let the crowd get out of control, then this won't be the last time something like this happens.”
Maybe it’s just a matter of individual character -- after all, it was Durant who was heckled the worst at a Nike Pro City tournament Tuesday. His response? He scored 41 points in a punch-free performance.
Transcript by Newsy.
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