Heat vs. Thunder: Miami Staying in Allegedly Haunted Oklahoma City Hotel

 Rumors  No Responses »
Jun 132012
 

Here is a tale from the NBA Finals that will make your skin crawl. And for once, it has nothing to do with what Russel Westbrook is wearing at a press conference. 

Mark down The Skirvin Hotel as a place I don’t need to visit any time soon. NBC Sports ran a report Wednesday morning that reminded us all how haunted the hotel the Miami Heat are staying in might be. 

That would explain how spooky their efforts were late in Game 1 against the Thunder. 

Rick Chandler cited an anecdote written by ESPN’s Bill Simmons back in 2010 that recounted his stay at the famed Skirvin Hotel. 

I was staying at the Skirvin, a local hotel that’s supposedly inhabited by a ghost named Effie…

When we were checking in, I jokingly asked the clerk to put me on one of the haunted floors. She claimed that she did. We laughed and that was the end of it…

I woke up at 4:30 with my heart pounding. I swear on Tom Brady’s ACLs that the following happened: At first, I heard a baby crying and realized that was why I woke up. I thought it was one of my own kids before remembering that my kids weren’t babies anymore, then remembering that I was in Oklahoma City and not Los Angeles. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I wasn’t alone…

The rest of the story is classic Simmons, and well worth the read. You can follow along here. 

As for other stories of haunt, you can simply Google “skirvin crying baby,” something Simmons did after his ghost-filled night. 

The NBC Sports report also mentions the New York Knicks as a team experiencing the same haunting feeling. 

They point to a January, 2010 report at The New York Daily News that solidifies the hotel as creepy beyond belief. 

Eddy Curry was so spooked he wasn’t about to hang around and find out if things were true or not. 

They said it happened on the 10th floor and I’m the only one staying on the 10th floor. That’s why I spent most of my time in (Nate Robinson’s) room. I definitely believe there are ghosts in that hotel.

Stories differ on what exactly went down to cause such a ghastly recurrence of hauntings. Some say it was a mistress of W.B. Skirvin or merely a depressed worker who happened to also have a baby. 

You can catch up on your urban legend here. 

As for the Miami Heat, they are perfectly fine being skeptical. Although cautiously so. The Sun Sentinel reports Shane Battier is a heavy sleeper and not the least bit scared of being jarred awake. 

And Udonis Haslem is willing to give just about anyone their space, even ghosts. 

I am not one to check under the bed or lose sleep after a scary movie, but I will go ahead and say the rumors are true and stay at a Holiday Inn if ever in Oklahoma City. 

Ghost hunters, you now have a destination vacation though. 

Follow me on Twitter for a spooky good time. 

Follow @gabezal

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source

5 Categories of Importance in Heat vs. Thunder NBA Finals: Oscars Edition

 Rumors  No Responses »
Jun 122012
 

It’s Oscar night in Oklahoma City, and the buzz of anticipation surrounding this evening’s festivities and the pending arrival of LeBrevin Durames has momentarily been overtaken by a frenzied panic to find Ricky Gervais.

According to early reports, Joan Rivers is said to be on standby as a last minute replacement for Gervais, although sources within the bullpen have let it be known her last collagen shot was clocked in at an underwhelming 45 MPH.

In other news, due to budget cuts and the financial backlash resulting from the NBA‘s abbreviated lockout, tonight’s red carpet will be replaced with a sea of pants and shirts sewn together from the wardrobes of Russel Westbrook and Dwyane Wade.

Last but not least, the awards committee announced late last night that the statues being handed out were shaped in the likeness of ESPN analyst Jon Barry, as its handle protrudes from the backside of the lower torso, similar to the appearance of a tripod.

Having said that, with so many titles at stake in these NBA Finals, here is the list of categories (and accompanying nominees) ascending from least to greatest importance.

Begin Slideshow

Go to Source

Former D-League Star Sessions Is Key For Lakers

 NBA D-League  No Responses »
May 162012
 

The former Tulsa 66er Ramon Sessions is going to be an influential piece to the Lakers postseason puzzle if they plan on moving past Oklahoma City in the second round of these NBA playoffs. Session was shutdown to put it lightly in game 1, shooting just 1-7 from the field, notching 2 points and dishing out only 3 assists in the Lakers’ embarrassing loss. When you are assigned to Russel Westbrook it is understandable that you might struggle defensively, but that shouldn’t disturb your play as a facilitator and third or fourth option in the Lakers offense to point where you are a complete non factor.

Perhaps Sessions can draw from his D-League days where he dominated fools. Sessions was the first player assigned to the NBA Development League in the 2007-2008 season and averaged 30.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Sessions won Performer of the Week honors twice in that season, and would ultimately be called up by the Milwaukee Bucks and prove himself. Sessions doesn’t have to put up 30 points against the Thunder, but his play needs to be elevated for the Lakers to have any shot in this series.

On the season thus far, Sessions is averaging 11.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per contest. Those are numbers that we all know Sessions is capable of posting. After Steve Blake’s clutch shooting performance in the Lakers game 7 with Denver, a little more pressure has been put on Sessions to make his minutes count. It was clear that L.A. cannot hang with Oklahoma’s speedsters, so they will need to slow the game down and make the Thunder beat them in the half court. Naturally this does not fit Sessions’ strength which is his transition game, but the time is now for Sessions to grow his game and impact this series in a positive manner.

Kobe, Pau, and Bynum will need Sessions to provide that spark along with the smarts that he displayed earlier in the season when it seemed he had finally gelled with the Lakers big three. If Session cannot find that game that certainly lies within him, then the Lakers maybe be seeing brooms in the stands very soon.

Go to Source

NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Love’s Extension Probable, Nothing Official Till Jan. 25

 Rumors  No Responses »
Jan 252012
 

“If you read it on the Internet it must be true, right? #sarcasm”

Minnesota forward Kevin Love tweeted this Tuesday afternoon, shortly following various sports sites reporting the All-Star had agreed to a deal.

According to sources, Love agreed to a four-year, $62-million extension with the Timberwolves.

At this point, these are just rumors.

HoopsWorld writer Stephen Litel tweeted Tuesday evening:

“Hold on a second, #Twolves fans. @jerryzgoda has no confirmation yet and I have no official announcement form the team either.”

And shortly later, he added, “I will let you know if/when I hear anything, #Twolves fans…but there is no official word from the team yet and Love’s tweet says a lot.”

I’m hoping as much as any Minnesota fan that the news is true, but I’ll wait until tomorrow for the official word. ESPN.com said that no deal has been reached and that conversations between Love and the organization are “ongoing.”

Love has two options: (1) to sign an extension with the Wolves, or (2) to ride out the season, after which he would become a restricted free agent in July.

 

According to the NBA‘s new collective bargaining agreement, Love is eligible for the five-year, $80-million maximum deal. This is the same deal that Russel Westbrook recently signed with Oklahoma City. Teams can only choose one player to use this “tag” on, however, and at this point it appears that Minnesota is striving to keep its future options open.

The deadline for a contract extension is midnight on Wednesday, and premature sources stated that Love would sign while in Dallas Wednesday afternoon.

Only time will tell.

When questioned about the potential deal last week, Love said, “[...] it would be nice to work something out. I enjoy it here, I enjoy my teammates, I enjoy the coaching staff, I enjoy the Twin Cities, even when it’s cold.”

 

(photo credit: ESPN.com)

 

You can follow me on Twitter @lilshortie2712

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source