Matt Bonner Mailbox

Matt Bonner recently took time out to answer questions submitted by Spurs E-News subscribers about what life is like on and off the court for a redheaded NBAer from New Hampshire.... just some of the questions here...

Name: Billy Franklin
Location: El Paso, Texas
Question:: Are you still driving that Pontiac?

Matt Bonner: Yes, and specifically it’s a Grand Prix. It’s still kicking butt out there on the streets of San Antonio. I went with it for the decent gas mileage, affordability and excellent leg room in the driver’s seat. It hasn’t let me down.

Name: Vicky
Location: Fresno, CA
Question:: How's that championship ring feel? Do you really wear it?

Matt Bonner: It feels good to win the championship. As a role player in the NBA my personal success is mainly based on the team’s success, so the best achievement for me is the team winning a championship. I do not wear it. I’m too afraid I’ll drop it. Maybe when I’m done playing and go to banquets or formal occasions I’ll wear it.

Name: Dallas Dryden
Location: San Antonio
Question:: First, I appreciate you stepping in and carrying the torch while Tim and Tony were out. Here's my question: Who is the biggest prankster on the team?

Matt Bonner: Manu Ginobili and Brent Barry. Manu is more of the physical funny man and Brent’s more with his tongue, but both of them love the practical jokes. Brent has done the annoying beeping machine. I don’t know what you call it. It’s a little thing you stick somewhere and every few minutes it emits a high frequency beep. Because of the high frequency you can’t tell where in the room it is and you can never find it, so it slowly drives you crazy. Manu’s the king of throwing ice bags at you in the shower and that type of thing.

Name: Mary
Location: Laredo, Texas
Question: Did you get any hassle about your red hair when you were younger? I dated a boy with red hair in high school (many moons ago) and we were always teased.

Matt Bonner: First off, good for you for dating a boy with red hair! I don’t know what it is, but we definitely tend to be ahead of the pack in most areas. The good thing with me when I was growing up was that I was always bigger than everyone else, so most people weren’t trying to anger me in that regard. There was definitely a little bit of teasing, but us redheads can take it…we’re fiery!

This is how stupid ESPN is and how much they love Boston Sports...

Quote from Sportscenter tonight regarding the Portland Trailblazers game against the Boston Celtics...

"This could be a potential NBA Finals preview"

All I can say is WOW

Spurs sign 2005 pick Ian Mahinmi from France and release Spanoulis

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs signed French power forward Ian Mahinmi, who they drafted in 2005, on Thursday.

The defending NBA champion Spurs picked Mahinmi, a 6-foot-11 power forward, with the 28th selection in the first round of the NBA draft in 2005. Mahinmi, 20, has been kept by the Spurs in France, where he played in the 2006 French League All-Star game. During the 200-07 season, he averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes in 33 French League games. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.7 minutes in 18 Euroleague games.

Also Thursday, the Spurs announced they released guard Vassilis Spanoulis from his contract. The Spurs got Spanoulis and a 2009 second-round pick in July from the Houston Rockets in exchange for center Jackie Butler and the rights to Luis Scola. Spanoulis, 25, said in July that he wanted to play next season in his native Greece. Spanoulis averaged 2.7 points and 0.9 assists in 31 games last season as a rookie.

I'm glad we released Spanoulis, which we were obviously going to do after he came out and said he wanted to go home and not cry himself to sleep every night. Cool, the Spurs get another Frenchman. Also, with that Spanoulis trade, it sucks that we lost Jackie Butler and especially the giant prospect Luis Scola. I think Scola will do great in the NBA and for the Houston Rockets.

Starbury thinks dog fighting is a sport

The NBA's Stephon Marbury supports Michael Vick and dog fighting because ya know "all 'roun' tha world peapa stil' support Mike Vick," ya know what I'm saying?

(Fox Sports) - Embattled Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick has a friend — and fellow doggie dis-respecter — in Stephon Marbury.

"I think we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals," the Knick point guard told Capital News 9, an Albany TV station. "You know, from what I understand, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors."

Hahahahhahahha..... Starbury... WTF? This is coming from a dude who also thinks that he is the best and most talented point guard in the NBA. This is just too funny and ironic. Starbury could possibly be the most ignorant, arrogant, non-talented jew-tool in history. Dog fighting is a sport... WHAT?!?!?!?!... JUST SHUT UP!

San Antonio Spurs interested in Grant Hill

Spurs fans it is time to be excited again. According to the San Antonio Express News...

The San Antonio Spurs are planning to speak with veteran free-agent forward Grant Hill of the Orlando Magic. Hill, who will turn 35 near the start of training camp, hasn't ruled out returning to Orlando, but also has made it clear he would like to play for a championship contender. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 30.9 minutes while shooting 51.8 percent in 65 games last season.

That's right... that is right... as a Spurs fan I sincerely hope we pick up Grant Hill... he would be perfect. The Spurs need that small forward to come off the bench and back up the Bruce Bowens of the world and actually make a substantial difference on both sides of the ball. I know that it might not happen, but I would love to see Hill come to San Antonio get a championship and I don't think anyone would disagree with me on that one. He is one of the estimable class-acts in the NBA.

Anyone else want a championship.... that's right... come to the Spurs baby!!!

SPURS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!

Billy Donovan is a Punk!

Well we now have a new member of the "flip-flop club." This, of course, is the one and only two-time NCAA basketball champion coach of the Florida Gators (maybe) Billy Donovan. Three days ago Donovan signed a five-year $27.5 million contract with the NBA's Orlando Magic and now says he wants to get out of that contract to go back to coach the Gators. The Magic can either let him do this or not and make him pay a substantial fine.

So, who can trust Donovan at this point? The Orlando Magic? No. The Florida Gators? No. The NBA, NCAA, or the recruits coming to Florida University? No, no, and no. So why are we letting Donovan get away with this?

Earlier this year and the second half of last year we scrutinized several coaches throughout collegiate and professional sports for backing out of contracts and making controversial moves to different teams. For example, when Nick Saban went to Alabama football from the Miami Dolphins (after he said he wouldn't of course) there were many people ready to call him "Nick Satan." Other notables include Billy Gillispie going from Texas A&M to Kentucky basketball.

We can't let Donovan off the hook here. Today, on the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN, Dan talked about this and wasn't nearly as heated up as he was on the other coaches. Why does Donovan get a pass? I don't care if he is having second thoughts and a change of heart about his decision. If you have these second thoughts don't sign a contract with a different team a screw two organizations and a lot of young basketball players.

This move by Donovan shows that he has no class and that he doesn't even know what he really wants. I am also extremely disappointed in the sports media coverage on this topic because they are letting Donovan get away with this without the scrutinization they have given to other coaches that have done the exact same thing. WELCOME TO THE FLIP-FLOP CLUB BILLY YOU PUNK!!!

Ugly scene in Utah due to classless fans

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Utah Jazz on Memorial Day evening (not quite the "Memorial Day Miracle" by Sean Elliot). This pushes the series back to San Antonio with the Spurs a chance to close out the series with their 3-1 lead.

Towards the end of the game, when the Spurs had put the game out of reach for the Jazz, within a one minute span both Derek Fisher and coach Jerry Sloan were ejected for excessive technical fouls. Obviously everyone for the Jazz was frustrated, but in particular were the Utah Jazz fans. Throughout the entire game the Jazz's fans were anything but classy.

Early in the first half, you could hear (on the ESPN broadcast) a fan was yelling offensive obscenities through a microphone at Spurs' players who were shooting free throws. The fans were also on the officials the entire game, yelling "refs, you suck!" at every chance they got. However, nothing compared to how livid they were at the end of the game. As the Spurs were walking off the court, the Utah fans started throwing debris onto the court that was directed at them and the refs. You could see debris being thrown at the Spurs as they were walking through the tunnels and off the court. Greg Popovich actually had to run back onto the court to grab Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili off the court as they were set to do post-game interviews with ESPN and San Antonio radio stations, according to ESPN's Michelle Tafoya.

Way to go Utah. I know that the Jazz are all you have up there, so I understand what die hard fans you guys are because I am from San Antonio and the Spurs are all we have, but you don't need to be classless. Show support for your team by appaulding them for their effort (which I believe was great) and don't "booo" the game and act like maniacs by throwing objects at players and refs.... that is ridiculous. By the way, the Jazz fans sure do have a lot of diversity amound themselves, as you can see by some of these pictures.

Images courtesy: Getty Images

Kevin Durant and Greg Oden to be on USA Basketball squad

This is a story which I feel has been overlooked this past week, but is quite significant. On Wednesday, the NBA announced that eight more players be added to the USA Basketball team, which include Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. These two collegiate superstars will most likely go number one and two in the 2007 NBA draft and should add a significant boost to a USA team that has not performed up to par (winning every tournament they enter) the last several years. In addition, Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz); Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets); Kevin Durant (University of Texas); Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets); Mike Miller (Memphis Grizzlies); Greg Oden (Ohio State University); Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons); and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) will all have a spot to the Senior National Team roster.

Players that will not be able to be on the team this summer because of injury (a reason for all of the additions) include: Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).

Mike Krzyzewski (of Duke Univ.) is leading the USA Senior Team for 2006-2008, while Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D’Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan will serve as assistant coaches.

Krzyzewski Said,

"As I said when we announced the first group of players for the Senior National Team, we’re not trying to put a collection of all-stars together but our goal is to put together as good of a basketball team as we possibly can. With the addition of these nine players, I believe we’ve strengthen our program in several areas, especially rebounding, defense and shooting."

According to USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo,

"One of the reasons for forming and selecting a national team is so you have flexibility. It takes into account the fact that you may have injuries, there may be special circumstances where a player can’t perform, but yet you have other players to pull from. After the recent meeting our coaches had in Phoenix, we decided to add a couple of bigs, in particular for their rebounding and shot blocking abilities. We also decided to add some leadership in the back court and some shooters. We also recognized several players who had outstanding seasons and who we felt were deserving of this opportunity. "Greg Oden and Kevin Durant represent the class of this season’s college ranks and are certainly players we have great interest in, both for the present and for future USA Basketball teams."

Source: Team USA Adds Eight Players to the Roster & Oden, Durant added to U.S. team; LeBron's status not set