Basketbawful reader Simas sent in the following e-mail: "I live in Lithuania and last season two players from the USA played for my team -- Zalgiris Kaunas. The two guys were great friends: DeJuan Collins and Marcus Brown. The one was spectacular playmaker, the other a fabulous shooter. Since there is no David Stern, they could speak to the media however they wanted to. As a result, the interviews were HILARIOUS and the fans loved them. You wil never see this in the NBA. Check them out." Simas then provided a list of some really funny videos. Here they are...very much worth a watch.
There are some other gems on YouTube, like this video in which Collins explains that "If they're not ready, we're gonna bust their ass." Honestly, these interviews remind me of the late-80s and early-90s when guys like Mychal Thompson, Kevin McHale and Charles Barkley were allowed to speak their minds a little more freely than are today's players. Although, to be honest, we still get this kind of material from Shaq. You know, when he's not demanding more shots and questioning why his team's offense isn't run primarily (read that: only) through him.
This sort of goes along with Tuesday's post about Johnny Most. Passion and humor are largely spontaneous things. And I tend to think the NBA would be a much more interesting league to follow if Stern let his players off the leash a little.