So the guys are a little late to the party, but Walker and Doug discuss where LaMelo Ball ranks within the NBA after Matt Moore’s article placed him 84th. Are you surprised with the placement? LOH discussed PJ Washington contract details until finally, Walker revealed his one player category on the Top 35 Hornets list.
Read Matt Moore’s explanation here:
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#Hornets #LaMelo #LaMeloBall
A little late to the party but we Finally show up to the where does lamelo Rank in the NBA discussion we also have Some PJ Washington contract details then We get to the list all today on locked On Hornets are locked on hornets part of The locked on podcast Network your team Every day in a minute cuz we [Music] Live it's lock on H it's part of the Lock podcast Network it's your team Every day thanks for making us your First listen we're free and available Anywhere you get your podcast and that Does include YouTube hopefully you were Able to check out the last episode we Did on YouTube please subscribe anywhere You get your podcast as well download The audio versions it helps us out plus It helps you out if you're on the go Don't be like one viewer who watched YouTube wanting to see Doug in the Grandama costume and almost Veer off the Road just listen to the Pod and then View YouTube when you're in a safe space Don't don't do the Road Runner thing but That's Doug not in the grandma costume And you can check out his work on his Substack every Hornets boox score.com do You miss the dress and do you miss the Pillbox hat I miss the pillbox hat which Is actually a hung it up behind me you Can see it if you're on YouTube I do There it is so it becomes uh it becomes
Just another collector's item on the Wall of locked on Hornets uh so yeah I Missed the pill box hat that's a it's a Fun hat to wear all right I'm Walker Mail you can listen to me on WFNZ every Weekday from 12: to 300 p.m. all right We're like I said we're late to the Party here Doug but PJ Washington Contract got in the way then you're you Have a baby you've told us a couple of Times the baby got in the way yesterday So now here you are I don't like showing Up late by the way I don't like you know Was it fashionably late I don't like Showing up late to parties I like Showing up super early to parties like Un comfortably early yeah like you Shouldn't be here right now we're still Setting up like that's the sweet spot For me because then I get alone time With whoever is you know hosting the Party I get one-on-one time that's when I shine I don't shine in large crowds Airports I show up super early to Airports don't like showing up late There either I am the old person I am The commercial where they're trying to Get people to stop being like old dads Like that's me already I love showing up To an airport early all right so if you Can't tell Doug is jacked for today's Show he's got a lot of content that he Wants to get to and I'm not kidding I Mean it was it was quite the pre-show
Meeting where Doug was takes at me and Not in like vague takes he wouldn't give Me details because he wanted to save Them for the show tease and uh and he's Got a lot written down what he wants to Get to but we have to get to this list Right Matt Moore of the athletic Hardwood Paroxismo on he's a locked on nuggets Co-host yeah locked on nuggets co-host Matt Moore yes I'm sorry I kicked him Out of the group already because a lot Of hornets fans are mad at him uh they Were mad at him this weekend Doug I know You can explain why I know you were Paying attention to the list I was the Mountains I was just looking at Twitter And doing the SpongeBob like there's a Storm surrounding me type thing what's Going on but I know there were a lot a Lot of angry Hornets fans James plow Right our boy he threw out an article Against Matt Moore's ranking so to speak And then you know talked about how it's Just people are disrespecting lamelo a Little too much uh he had lamelo ranked 84th the 84th best player in the NBA if You want to share more details and give Him some thoughts on it so this is what Matt Moore wrote about the 84th ranking For lamelo ball it's safe to say I'm Lower on ball than the consensus I don't See last year as a product of his Injuries though he did deal with a lot
Of injuries but I'm not sure ball plays In a way that helps a team win unquote And I think that last part really Informs a lot of this conversation helps A team win because I think if the Hornets had won more over the past Couple of years had won even one of Those playin games that Matt Moore and Others because Matt Moore is not alone In this opinion there are a lot of People in the NBA punditry sphere that Think this about lamelo ball that he's a Player that flashy stats Fun passes Great Creator But ultimately does not Help a team win he has a little bit of That reputation hanging on him fairly or Unfairly and if you look at his if you Look at Matt Moore's ranking if you look At like why he ranks players the way he Ranks in this particular ranking he's Factoring in regular season performance But he's also factoring in playoff Impact on winning availability due to Health expectation of decline due to age Expectation of improvement due to Younger age and liabilities due to Offensive or defensive weaknesses there Are a couple of categories in there Where you can see that Matt Moore would Have dinged lamelo ball defensive Weakness availability due to health and Playoff impact on winning I think that In this particular ranking Matt Moore Really heavily looked at
You know playoff impact winning although People I think fairly pointed out that Ty Tyrese halberton was rated well above Lelo ball and hasn't shown that same Kind of playoff success either uh so That yeah look I mean I think fans were Fair to be upset maybe not mean to Matt Moore I don't I don't Advocate being Mean to anyone about a ranking just make Your own ranking put put your own Ranking online if you don't like it um But Matt Moore is not alone in this Opinion oh not my opinion way I don't Agree with it I think I think like if You're going to make a I I think to me This ranking should have been called The 100 best players in terms of their Impact on winning playoff games in the NBA maybe then people wouldn't have been So mad but he named this the 100 most Valuable players in the NBA and and I Think lamelo is definitely higher than 84 um yeah by the way I'm sorry to Matt Again that's twice it's the Action Network I see the a at the beginning and Then just immediately went athletic but That's not true Action Network and Locked on so there you go people are Going to be looking at the athletic Looking for this list so they can yell At Mt Moore and he dodged it for a Second but now you know more people are Going to be mad at him um yeah 84 I Think it's just a jarring number right
Like it's it's a pretty jarring number So so you see you click on the list and Then you start scrolling down from a 100 Right like it actually when I click on It it starts at one but if you were to Start from 100 and work your way down And then you're just looking for some of The more prominent names out there and Then lamelo jumps out pretty quickly and Then you see 84 attached to his name Despite being Rookie of the Year and it Not being really close despite people Trying to make it at the end of the Season because Anthony Edwards finally Had a last good couple of months Tyrese Halberton was on the west coast but Lamelo was doing better things his Rookie year on higher volume than what Tyrese was his rookie year so you have a Rookie of the Year trying to say that it was pretty Dominant and then you look at the All-Star appearance his second season The guy turned 22 years old eight days Ago so he's only despite you not getting To the postseason not getting to a top Six spot it's a problem for the team It's a problem for lamelo not staying Healthy we've talked about some of his Issues defensively they're there and I Think you even go to the National idea I Know Zack low talked about how this was The year he felt lamelo was a little Ball hogy and that's words little ball
Hockey in the sense that he just kept Jacking up a lot of shots now when you Have so many injuries and is your Offense okay just let it fly hopefully That doesn't happen with Miles Bridges Back on the squad Brandon Miller being a Part of the offense in some way Gordon Hayward maybe being healthy you get the Idea context the injuries were bad not Only even just the injuries that lamelo Himself suffered but the rest of the Team the rest of the team the injur Inuries that the Hornets suffered that Isn't going to help lamelo either and so When you see the Accomplishments right Allstar appearance Rookie of the year and then gets to his Third season plays 36 games it goes to Show you I I think that really did a Number the lack of winning for the Hornets and the injuries to the team and To him all of that I think has been a Perfect storm for the national opinion To come way down on lamelo compared to What it was even just a year ago this Time calling lamelo ball hogy is like Calling LeBron James on that first Cleveland Cavaliers team that he was on Ball hogy it's like pass to booby LeBron Booby Gibson give it to him give it to The booby yeah I mean that's yeah that's It's it's insane okay um I I think There's a fundamental misunderstanding In the National media of who lamelo is
From from both I think pundit and and Fans and from the pundit perspective and Maybe not enough of this has really been Shared because the Hornets haven't won And so you haven't gotten a lot of these National profiles on lamelo but like his Come and you look at like the reality Shows and you look at the ball family And I think you you maybe it's easy to Develop this sort of bias against lamelo To say well you know he's just here Because of who his family is yeah he's a Great basketball player but would he Would he be you know at this level if Not for his family but you look he like Played in Lithuania like he he took a Very difficult road to the NBA and was Drafted third over all and and then Rookie of the Year Allstar in his second Year is one of is one of the best Creators in the NBA right now like the One of the best you look at the Statistics on his ability to create for Others and he's top five top 10 in in Nearly every category and so that's why The 84 numbers stay how you how how can You rate someone 84 when they are near The top of a very important category in The NBA and had it not been for injuries If you just look at his stats last year Had it not been for the injuries if he Had just kept that play that he had After the All-Star break if you spread That out over a year he's a two-time
Allstar you can't rate somebody 84 who Was potentially a two-time Allstar had It not been for injuries I think that's Where people get upset but I think fans Should not be as upset with Matt Moore As they should be with Charlotte Hornet's management because I think that They should take more of the blame for Why this Hornets team hasn't won more Than lamelo ball uh they you know They're they're in action to provide a Team around lamelo ball to provide Veteran leadership around lamelo ball Instead of waiting until they paid him This big contract to say okay now you're The leader you know they waste I think They wasted too much time and and they Could have given lamelo ball valuable Playoff experience that he could have Used in this launch period and now he's Got to do it all on his own and that's That's on Mitch cup Che that's not on Lamelo Ball yeah the Hornets have to win and That's the only way that you're going to Get respect because now it's not the fun Team anymore it it this this is what Happens right you have the NBA league Pass title and then you expect once you Have that title now you expect the wins To come at least within the first two Years after you get that title because Lamelo is rookie season the Hornets were There then you're ready for the breakout
Season lamelo gets the All-Star Appearance and here they are even more So as the NBA league pass team where Yeah they have a representative at the Allstar festivities and now you're Waiting for them to actually not get Destroyed by 30 points in a playin game Get to a playoff game and then they Don't even make it right they don't even Make the play in the next year again Injuries context all that but the matter Of fact matter of fact is that they Didn't get to a top six spot so it has To happen people wanted the winning to Come sooner than what it did because It's not even here what it did what it Needs to do it hasn't even happened yet And as soon as that happens it's going To take care of a lot of stuff I think Lamelo is going to be a big part of that And then we're going to get to see Lamelo get in the top what 30 like Actually be you know you go top 30 as an All-Star right 15 in the west 15 in the East it's not perfect you get the idea And then you probably get a consensus Top 30 ranking on him if he's a big part Of a playoff Squad yeah I guess we'll See we'll see how it goes um all right Maybe this can leak into the second Conversation but Doug has a lot to get To and trust me he's got a lot coming up Next on the lockdown Hornets podcast Don't go to sleep on the Hornets just
Yet We also have PJ Washington details the Incentives some of the weird things that Were in there and Doug says he's more Upset with something right now Pertaining to PJ than NBA League Pass He's more upset with a PJ Washington Thing more upset with that than he gets With NBA League Pass that's coming up so You're not going to want to miss it this Episode is brought to you by FanDuel get Ready for the NFL season with Incredible Offers from FanDuel America's number one Sports book right now new customers can Bet $5 and get 200 in bonus bets Guaranteed plus all customers who bet $5 Will get $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV now is the best Time to join FanDuel the app is easy to Use and you can be on everything from Spreads to player props and even more Than that so visit fanduel.com lockon And kick off the NFL season with an Offer you won't want to miss FanDuel the Official partner of the NFL plenty more To come lockdown Horns this this is locked on Hornets You're asking me did they make the right Pick to find a rookie of the year Probably not but did they make the right Pick long term I think I think they Might have all right no no no no no no That is that is weak that Dismount you Buckled you look like Rick Ross jumping
Off a diving board that was I think they Might have after being I got to give my You know you look I got to give myself Room to Wiggle Baby Wiggle you got to get the wiggle it's Time for more of the locked on Hornets [Music] Podcast I think that's foreshadowing I Think know what you're talking about I Have no idea what you're talking about If I know you well enough understanding That we're going to talk about the PJ Washington cont And Bobby Mark's tweet about the PJ Washington the opinions about the PJ Washington contract that would follow The information I have a feeling that You were foreshadowing with that bump Here are the details people so we know That PJ signed an incentive Laden Three-year $48 million contract $15.5 Million and there would be $500,000 Bonuses in there so here's the structure For PJ $500,000 per season if he appears In 74 or more games and plays at least 2400 minutes the bonuses are considered Unlikely for cap purposes because Washington played 73 games last year and 2,380 minutes in 2022 and 2023 first Year salary it's actually a descending Contract first year salary starts at 16.8 million then it declines each Season 15 a half million the second year 14.2 all guaranteed but $4.2 million it
Goes down in value as the year goes on Instead instead of these ascending Contracts that you see Terry roier has An ascending contract I believe Gordon Hayward certainly did I can look at the Payroll bottom line is we argued about What is more valuable is it more Valuable to the team or is it more Valuable to PJ Washington does Bobby Mark's information change your opinion At all Doug well no it doesn't no it Doesn't it doesn't change my opinion Because we weren't arguing Team friendly Or player friendly contract cuz I knew I Mean we knew some of the details we Didn't know these exact details but That's not what we were arguing what we Were what we were arguing is who is the Contract more valuable to is it more Valuable to the Charlotte Hornets or is It more valuable to PJ Washington and I Still believe because there was Zero Market for PJ Washington that getting 3 years of Guaranteed money even if it declines Well heck you get you get more money Right up front that's that's that's nice You get more money immediately um and And and there is the possibility for a Bonus maybe it is unlikely because it's I think you look at this and go well It's just one more game in 20 minutes But contextually like last season he Played those minutes because he was
Starting a lot and he was playing a lot Of minutes because a lot of people were Injured and he wasn't and so it's you're One injury away or even if you stay Healthy All Season you might not even hit those Numbers because you might not be Starting they have a glut with Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward they have a They have a glut at that particular how They're going to structure this roster And how they're going to structure the Minutes will be very interesting PJ Could could get significant minutes but We just don't know and so you know yes All of that it's a team-friendly Contract I'm not debating that I wasn't Arguing that yesterday what I was Arguing is it's more valuable to PJ Washington because it's long-term money When he had zero Market wiggle room baby Oh yeah Mr wiggle room Branson look at You look at you dancing listen listen I Argue what I argue you can Walker you Can argue what you argue and fans can Argue what they argue I argue what I Argue and when I argue what I argue I'm Always right it's it's a beautiful Relationship we have and every you know I only cry every two weeks doing this Podcast it's only every two weeks that's It so when we go to PJ was Washington The contract look no but it is Team Friendly like it really is and I I know
Actually as we joke about it there there Is an angle it's not the hardest of Wiggle room answers you've ever given You are right about that you do have the Guaranteed money there wasn't another Team that was going to give that much at Least that we know of and so the Hornets Didn't have to go up even close to the $20 million High asking point that PJ Was going for but it also is even better Than we thought because this thing goes Down why is that important tell tell me Why that's important because I think Fans hear that they go okay it goes down What is that what's the big deal with That why is that important well I mean One it just frees up cap space as you go That's pretty clear but also the lamelo Ball contract kicks in and so when You're talking about every dollar every Penny saved then you're discussing some Of that because lamelo is gonna have a Huge hit you're also talking about a Little bit more cap space because miles Bridgeson are going to be on the books Then when you know it's I don't think It's gonna it's not going to matter for Mark Williams contract as much because Three-year deal PJ's going to come off The books anyway I guess the length Matters for Mark Williams more than the Actual figure matters for Mark Williams So those are a couple of ways that it Helps the team last thing I'll say
Unlikely incentives I think that it's Often times maybe it's because players Don't like the incentives you know it it You don't see these negotiated into a Ton of NBA contracts but it's a really Nice tool for teams to be able to use un Ly incentives because they don't count Towards the cap right so when you're Talking about the $500,000 that could be Going to PJ every year that will be just A little more wiggle room that the Charlotte Hornets have and that's Something that they can exploit so this Rashan Holmes I think agreed to this Type of contract when he agreed to an Unlikely incentive deal with the Sacramento Kings during his free agency Period a couple of years ago those are Some of the reasons that it helps and um It only Pro I I think it to me yeah I I Think I think it's great right PJ gets Paid it it's not like such a decrease Either it gets you to 16 it gets you I I Think there probably was a desire to get If you're weren't going to get to 20 There probably was talk and talk and Talk and talk and then there was this Magic number of 16 and so you get them To 16 but you don't quite get him to 16 Right and I also think it makes it more Tradable right the the descending Contract as it goes down is just going To make it when you factor in also that There aren't any player or team options
In this deal it just to me makes this Significantly more tradable as the years Go down here's something else Interesting about this whole oh go ahead Walker go you got well I I know what Coming right I just wanted to get one Last point in before the frustration on Something to do with PJ gets in there What I wanted to say was th this does There is a little bit of this that sucks For PJ right because yeah he didn't get What he asked for sure I'm not even Looking at at that surface level but you Are talking about a guy that played a Lot of games last year and could have Even played more but they just were out Of it so they're not play they're not Rushing to put PJ out there at the end Of the season so maybe that actually Helps him basically this is a PJ if you Get hurt for any significant length of Time $500,000 is stand with the team Because the Dude played 73 games and 2400 minutes and you're right Doug this Is a team that is getting miles Bridges Back you hope that they don't have as Many injuries this upcoming season I Still think PJ's going to play a big Role I still think he's going to be an Important player I think Steve Clifford Loves PJ Washington he's still the coach So that's going to help him this season But also if he misses any games then You're talking about what him averaging
33 minutes per contest last year it's Going to go down and even with teams Using unlikely incentives that are Technically true that aren't that aren't Crazy to feel like PJ can get there it's Not crazy if PJ plays 80 games next year Just doesn't get hurt then great he Probably reaches it but it it's pretty Unlikely like it is to the definition True and true it's it's a pretty Unlikely incentive for PJ so Mitch cup Che's role in all of this I find Extremely interesting uh but Walker just Bogarted all my time and so I'm going to Save there are two other thoughts I have On Mitch cup and PJ Washington and this Whole deal that I find extremely Interesting but you're going to have to Wait until tomorrow's show to hear what I have to say on that because I have to Get to this other thing that I'm super Upset about because the press release Comes out on this the official press Release from the Charlotte Hornets comes Out on this deal and I look at it and I Look at the first couple of words on the Press release and it already makes me Angry and it's PJ with dot dot we have To decide is it P.J dot or is it P no doj no dot because Everybody keeps flipping this on me if You look at different sources basketball Reference Nba.com PJ's own Twitter account it's
Just like we cannot decide whether it's P.J dot or is it just PJ with no dots we Have to figure this out yeah I'm a big Fan of no dots at all because it looks Weird with that last period in there it Just does and you can't go one if you go One you have to go two but I don't like The way that the second dot looks and so Just go PJ without any dots in there Maybe on a contract but everybody else No you don't have to use the dots I Don't care whether it's dots or no dots We just need to make a decision we have Flip-flopped at the Hornets organization Is flip-flopped on this I I feel like There have been a lot of flip-flops on This and I need a decision to be made Walker I'm going to leave it up to you Because I'm not in Charlotte I won't be There on most likely I will not be there On media day I'm too dangerous for media Day they won't let me in uh even if they Credential me they wouldn't even let me In they're like I don't care we can't Let you in you're too dangerous we we Saw you in the grandma my dress you're Too dangerous for this for this media Day you will be there most likely I need You to ask PJ Washington dots or no dots What are we doing here because look I Write for every Hornets spox score.com And I'm writing his name all the time And I want to get it right and I want to Be consistent you know consistency big
Issue for PJ Washington we need to Figure this out okay um I'm glad we're Asking the important questions as we Always do so let's continue that and be Consistent ourselves coming up next on The lockdown Hornets podcast don't go to Sleep on the Hornets just yet time to Get to the top 35 list I apologize to Doug for not letting him go even a Little more dangerous and and still now Instead of just not being allowed at Media day actually having the Hornets File a restraining order against Doug But we'll have to wait for that day to Come that'll be tomorrow we'll get to Hear some of those takes top 35 list Nicknames best players of all time Coming up next lockdown Hornets all right Doug I stole your time Last time so why don't you go ahead and Lead us off with the nickname list well I want to actually I I know you have a Very important name but you're only Revealing one name and it matters to This whole show so I would actually like To throw the ball back to you and say I Want to hear your what is it number 11 We're right outside the top 10 is a very Important this is always the most I feel Like this is the most controversial it's Not even two it's not six right outside Top five top 10 people ascribe a lot of Meaning to being a top 10 of anything But top 10 in franchise history player
So this person is knocking on the door Right outside the door who is it going To be people want to know all right so If you look at the last category I've Been doing this in categories the last Category was Doug gets mad at me okay And we let off it was 15 to 12 is what That list included and we started off With Jamal Mashburn coming in at number 15 that's what got Doug mad at me you Can see a jersey of Jamal Mashburn in The background of this pod I hate doing It to him but every time I I've done This twice now thought about it Seriously and had to put him there same Thing happened here last category was Doug gets mad at me this category Everybody else gets mad at Me somebody's mad okay Matt Moore I Share your pain I share it in fact oh no No in fact I share it a little too Similarly No number 11 on the top 35 Hornets of All time list is the one and only lamelo Ball oh oh my God oh my God oh my God People are going to be so mad that's how It is oh my God on the outside of the Top 10 explain yourself all right so Without revealing everybody we already Gave you the tease that Larry Johnson is Second on the alltime Hornets list I Don't look nobody that cares about the Team at all is going to care that LJ is Number two he deserves to be number two
Right we get that every other name on This list has either recorded an All-Star appearance for this team has Recorded an all NBA appearance for this Team or appeared in 600 games with the Franchise okay so you've you've Accomplished one or more of those Feats If you are ahead of lamelo ball lamelo Ball to be exact has not appeared in 600 Games in fact he's appeared in 162 a Little less than you might think given That he's been three years in the league Now but he's been hurt he only played 60 Games or 51 games I should say in his Rookie season started 75 his second year So he got over that injury in the rookie Season that was great then this last Season man I mean every every two weeks It was lamelo having some kind of ankle Injury something was happening to his Lower body it was frustrating so flash Into pan wise and look lamelo is going To move up in this list right Flash in a Pan meaning these three years lamelo is Going to go Yeah's gonna lamelo's gonna go top 10 Like he's lamelo might be the best Hornets player of all time if he stays All he's got to do is stay Doug he's got To rack up some All-Star appearances for Sure but mostly all he has to do is stay To be the best just wait five just wait Five years right because the Hornets Will be celebrating their 40th
Anniversary and we'll be doing this all Again that's right so by by the 40th Anniversary that will be eight years for Lamelo that will be what I I don't want To do the but you're talking about 500 Games there hopefully he stays healthy So you get the idea but lamelo's only Played in 162 you're talking about a Dude that's really popular this is what This is what I struggled with right do I Put him in the top 10 over someone that Does have an all-nba appearance that was Among the best free agent signings of All time I'm giving you a little bit of A hint there so do I have him crack the Top 10 with some of those guys or do I Have them right outside Because there is so much more to come Even if he is as popular as a lot of Players that have ever come through the City of Charlotte this one's tough but I Decided to go with 11 because he is only 22 years old and by the time the second Time we've said that today just the Second time on the show he' said that He's only 22 years old well it's crazy It's crazy so this is this is why I have Him at 11 uh without revealing some of The other people that are ahead of him I Have them there because only 3 years 160 Games everybody else is accompl Something extremely meaningful with this Squad and that just hasn't happened with Lamelo be it team fault be it lamelo
Fault I would go more towards it being The team fault right now except for the Injuries which is no one's fault that's Why I have him at number 11 so well Listen well thought out argument you Make a lot of great points all I have to Say is Boo Boo this man Boo this man you Know here's the problem everyone's going To get on this chat and go they you know They're going to use pronouns like they And and refer to us I've experienced it In reverse quite a few times yeah we Made this list they don't know what They're talking about I just want Everyone in the chat to understand this Is Walker's list I do not I do post it But I do not condone it um I I will say In defense of lamelo being in the top 10 He has made this particular era of Hornets basketball which has featured a Lot of disappointment It's featured a Lot of pain It's featured a lot of Inaction from the organization he has Made this era of Hornets basketball Worthy of watching he is the he is the Singular reason why you would turn your Television on to watch the Charlotte Hornets and that I think um deserves a Lot of credit that's all I'll say on That it does no and look he's AE of Other Allstars by the way right like We're talking about other Allstars that He's passed on this list that were also Real
Popular where does lamelo rank on the Popularity list though Doug I mean if we Did just popularity we're probably go in Top five right cuz I mean probably right Before Byron Mullins for sure yeah I Mean Byron is maybe he's doing the six Thing but if you so if you go if you go Like LJ Mugsy Kima Kimo became more popular but He wasn't immediately like lamelo Anyways yeah number 11 on the list he'll Be higher if we do the 36th anniversary Next year okay I've got to catch up on My nickname my top 35 nicknames in Franchise history lightning round Version of my list here we go picking up At number 17 it is stepen Jackson he's Got a couple of nicknames here's the First that shows up on this list Captain Jack he was the vocal captain of a Playoff team and and a vocal captain That the Hornets organization really Hasn't had since like I think he's the Vocal captain that the Hornets could use On on a squad at some point perfectly Matched with Gerald Wallace who was a Leader by example it was like a dual Leadership role between those two uh but Captain Jack love that nickname number 16 God of Thunder JT Thor wow I did not expect Thor to be up Here this High okay so yeah I mean the Player hasn't hasn't totally matched you Know the nickname yet but I am president
Of the more Thor movement okay okay it's Not my Liston well okay I'm just saying God of Thunder great nickname if JT Thor Lives up to it this thing goes top 10 It's a natural nickname Thor he already Has a great last name you add into it God of Thunder you don't play with JT at All I love that just avoid that Al Together and say God of Thunder this is A nickname there are a couple nicknames On my list that Eric Collins his call Raises the nickname to another level This might not be 16 if Eric Collins Didn't exist as part of the broadcast But when he yells out God of Thunder um It's it's excellent he's elevated a Couple this nickname to me is belal Kabali and Eric Collins is Victor Wanyama this nickname is writing the Coat Tales of Eric Collins and his call So I grant you that but I still think It's a great nickname okay fair enough I I didn't me I didn't know we're were Going to get Kola Bali in there as well But all right sounds good what's the Next one on the list dog number 15 it's 15th but it might be personally One of my favorite nicknames a player That did not play very long for the Bobcats organization it's Jamario Moon And it's Apollo 33 okay why is it one of your favorites Well because I'm a space nerd I love Anything involving going to space going
To the Moon Apollo 33 for a guy named Moon is just an excellent nickname and I Really wish Jamario who was a more of a A D-League g-league fixture than an NBA Fixture uh would have lived up to it I Do have this um note from a 2012 Bleacher Report article by Joey puit at The time quote moon will not make much Of a difference for Charlotte no man Will stop right there it's such a great Line it is such it's beautiful when you Think about 20112 Bobcats team worst Team in NBA history some say and that's Great moon will not make much of a Difference for Charlotte no man will Still he may be a decent start to Putting some role players on the bench The Bobcats don't need any role players However they need starting talents um What about like you know it would be a One giant leap for Moon and one giant Leap for mankind to help that Bobcat's Roster that could have been in there so Many missed opportunities because Moon Didn't he was picked up in the middle of That season and then let go in the off Season like it just was a very short Stop his final stop in the NBA go ahead Oh no no I was going to no I was going To say I had another Moon fact for you I Think he's a Harlem Globe Trotter as Well and we mentioned boy Gibson Y and Mention boy Gibson I think he was on
That team maybe he was after maybe Jamario was on the Cleveland roster After the final Squad but yeah Jamario Moon fun player well I have another fun Fact about Jamario before he landed with The Bobcats uh he was on February 24th Of 2011 moon was traded from the Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Clippers Along with Mo Williams in exchange for Former Hornet who we've just seen Recently Baron Davis and an unprotected First round pick that unprotected first Round pick that went to Cleveland ended Up being number one overall and it ended Up being Kyrie Irving so Jamari Moon Involved in a trade that really uh Shifted the balance of power in the NBA So there you go really was Jamario man What a blast from the past type of name That's a great one all right do you have Any more that you're going oh I got two More I got a I got a two Packer here two More and you're going to love these Number 14 uh the old heads are going to Know this little fun fact the Hornets For two seasons Alonzo Morning was Backed up by Robert Parish whose Nickname was the chief yeah Chief it's a Great one my dad also played against him In college and it went about as well as You could have uh you might think yeah And and my dad was taller like look You're talking about all players back Then so here's Robert Parish being seven
Feet tall and the center for w bash okay In Indiana that's where my dad played W Bash and Robert Parish played at Centinary and my dad at 67 was the Starting center on the squad and uh it Didn't go well you know he he says he Put up a good fight but yeah Robert Parish uh Robert Parish certainly got The better of them uh nicknamed after The very silent and very large Native American character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest that is the origins of the Nickname he spent two seasons as I said Backing up zo oh the days when the Hornets had a leg legitimate Center Rotation they're getting there no no Sight to Mark Williams he's getting There Nick Richards big Nick energy got To got to get more of it this season but They had legitimate Center power once Upon a time a lot of people that do know That Parish play for the Hornets like me I think mistakenly thought that he ended His career with the Charlotte Hornets But he actually didn't he would move on From the Hornets uh to end his career in Chicago and he got another ring with the 96 97 Bulls as a third string Center so There's your fun fact about Robert Paris People learning a lot through these Lists you know people learning a lot Yeah it's it's uh it's fantastic Doug Branson's nickname list all right what's The next one on this is a special treat
This is a special treat for PE for the Hardcore of the hardcore listeners Watchers of this show that have stuck Around for minute 38 of this show number 13 it's the last one I'm doing it's Robert trailer it's tractor trailer it's So good I I'm glad that this one's high On the list yes RIP Mr tractor trailer It's a great nickname do you have any Other nuggets on that oh he was thick Like a tractor trailer that's going to Be the origins of the nickname he was um He was unfortunately caught up in the Chris Weber Michigan pay forplay Scandal That wiped away literally his entire I Think he got an niit Most Valuable Player award all of that got wiped Away By that um incident just you know a lot Of these players ahead of their time you Know if they had just played in this new Era of of college basketball where you Could get paid um you know none of pain Would have had to happen um so Unfortunate he was a top 10 pick in the NBA draft did you know that tractor Trailer I did I actually did yeah he was He was nice and I know that everybody Wanted the big guy for sure you talk About plus the nickname that probably Boosted his draft stock just a little Bit to get up into the top 10 and so Tractor trailer is a great mention here He was sixth overall in 1998 do you know Who the Hornets took in that draft 1998
Draft they were uh towards the bottom of That draft in 98 do you remember who They took H no it would take too long it going Into a minute 40 now it would take too Long for me to try to find that in my Brain I'll tell you it was Ricky Davis Okay okay and this is important for this List in particular he doesn't show up on This list but he probably had I had to Eliminate a few that were tough he was Probably he had a couple that were on The mo honorable mches he probably has The most nicknames of anyone I found Ricky Davis I'm just going to run down The list of nicknames that I found for This man Ricky Buckets grits and Gravy so good little Wy I don't know get Buckets I'm at four I'm not done Slick Rick yeah that's a good one I mean That's you got to go with Slick Rick and The last one probably the most Unfortunate one is wrong Rim Ricky yeah Do you remember do you remember the Orin Of wrong Rim Ricky not with the Hornets Didn't do it with the Hornets that's Right it's the whole I'm going to miss a Shot on the other team's goal so I can Grab rebound and record that arbitrary Triple double because it matters and we Got double digits and everything all Right that'll do it ending on a Ricky
Davis nickname quest with one Doug Branson he has plenty more on Ricky Davis on his substack just go check him Out every Hornet spox score.com and you Can listen to me on WFNZ every weekday From 12: to 300 p.m. have a great rest Of your day thanks for making this your First listen make your second listen Game to game NBA especially when the Season starts every moment every top Performance every result locked on game To game covers every single game from Across the league with local analysis That only locked on can deliver follow Game to game unlock on NBA available on YouTube and wherever you get your Podcast we'll be back with you tomorrow Have a great rest of your day wickle [Music] Room [Music] No