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Jerry Stackhouse
The NBA introduced the Twyman-Stokes "Teammate of the Year" Award today, an annual award recognizing the league’s “ideal teammate," and Brooklyn Nets guard Jerry Stackhouse is a finalist for the first-ever winner.
Stackhouse joins finalists Luke Walton (Cleveland Cavaliers), Andre Iguodala (Denver Nuggets), Jarrett Jack (Golden State Warriors), Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers), Chauncey Billups (Los Angeles Clippers), Shane Battier (Miami Heat), Roger Mason, Jr. (New Orleans Hornets), Jason Kidd (New York Knicks), Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City Thunder), Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), and Emeka Okafor (Washington Wizards).
The award is voted on by NBA players and nominees were chosen for their "selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players and his commitment and dedication to his team."
Players were not allowed to vote for their own teammates, which is a weird way to decide what player is the best teammate.
The award is named after Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes:
the Royals were wrapping up a 33-39 season when Stokes fell during a game in Minneapolis. His head injury (post-traumatic encephalopathy) caused him to lapse into a coma days later and left him permanently paralyzed.
Stokes’ family couldn’t provide the care or money he needed, so Twyman took over as his legal guardian. It was Twyman who argued successfully for work-injury compensation to cover some of Stokes’ initial medical bills.
It was Twyman, too, with the assistance of a Kutsher’s hotel and resort in the Catskills (N.Y.), who organized a charity basketball event in his friend’s name, raising $10,000 for more of Stokes’ expenses. He lobbied the league’s biggest stars — Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor — to play in the annual exhibitions. Funds raised after Stokes’ death in 1970 at age 36 were used to help other players in need.
Twyman, while attending to his own family, spent hundreds of hours with Stokes, helping him regain small bits of his speech and limited mobility. Later, he took Stokes, in a wheelchair, to some of the benefit games. In 2004, after years of lobbying by Twyman, Stokes gained his enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Twyman, who was enshrined in 1983, died in 2012 at age 78.
The trophy, which depicts Twyman helping up Stokes, was sculpted by Marc Mellon, who also crafted the NBA’s Maurice Podoloff Trophy award to the league’s Most Valuable Player.
NBA Hangtime Blog -- NBA To Unveil Twyman-Stokes Teammate Of Year Award, Announce Winner Sunday
As a rule in the past decade, the NBA has generally done everything possible to shift away from its reputation as a fighter's league, cleaning up its image with a barrage of stricter rules and harsher punishments. It's done wonders for the league's image and style of play.
Yet Jerry Stackhouse, former Brooklyn Nets guard and favorite superhuman here at The Brooklyn Game, lives in a world outside of this new reality. He's a relic from the NBA's past, a player we can celebrate with equal parts universal fear and respect.
On "Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable" with Dan Le Batard and Bomani Jones, Stackhouse cheerfully reminisces about these important times in his personal and professional life, when he beat the living snot out of a teammate or opponent. With a giant smile on his (and everyone else's) face, Stackhouse laughs about his infamous run-in with Kirk Snyder (and Snyder's odd reaction a year later thanking him), giving Christian Laettner a black eye and frying shrimp with him the next day, and more.
I can't tell the stories any better than Stackhouse. Watch above.
As Fox Sports Florida's Chris Thomasson reports, Brooklyn Nets veteran forward Jerry Stackhouse says it is "highly unlikely" he will play next season. Instead, the newly elected first vice president of the NBA players union says that he will focus on his role with the union and making sure that the right union executive director is chosen.
"It’s not completely sold that I don’t get the bug (to play) again," Stackhouse told FOX Sports Florida before Friday's game at Denver. "But, really, I think this is an opportune time to kind of step to the forefront to do something with the union and try to make sure we select the right executive director."
Fox Sports Florida notes that all elected officials are to serve four-year terms and even though Stackhouse will likely be retired when he enters the second year of his first term, the 18-year veteran says that they are "thinking of adopting" the rule that even though a player may be retired, they are still able to serve their entire term.
Stackhouse notes that he wants to be able to communicate with the players on the doings of a union that is in somewhat disarray after seeing former executive director Billy Hunter be let go for allowing family members to take certain jobs within the union:
“I want to be a guy that will be able to deliver the information that we deal with on a day-to-day basis with our union and get the message back out to the players and get their feedback," said Stackhouse, the highest ranking member of the union executive committee behind only president Derek Fisher, an Oklahoma City guard. “I’ve played in all these eras, been through all these lockouts (1998-99 and last season). I’ve seen them all.
“The search is on (for an executive director). We’re going to find that right person to help build a union that our body can really be proud of."
FOX Sports Florida mentions as well that last year, Stackhouse had told the news source about his intentions to follow a similar path to that of Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson; become involved with television and broadcasting and later become a head coach without having to be an assistant.
The 38-year old told of his desire to be involved with the game of basketball for the rest of his life:
“I’m always going to be part of the game in some capacity,’’ he said. “I’m a basketball lifer. I got a Ph.D in it.’’
Jerry Stackhouse hasn't played in a game since January 26th. He's been hibernating for the playoffs. But before the playoffs start, Stackhouse has to play just a little bit to get himself back into mauling opponents shape.
Here's 38-year-old Jerry Freaking Stackhouse hitting a left-handed, no-look circus shot on a professional basketball team's defense. Jerry Stackhouse is the best. Watch:
Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse has worked with a host of different charities, including the American Diabetes Association, JRDF, and Partner Up For Diabetes Awareness, and is the founder of the Triple Threat Foundation. Stackhouse has also addressed Congress twice about funding diabetes research.
Stackhouse hopes to reach as many people as possible about the warning signs of diabetes:
“I want to make people aware of signs that they should take to heart. For instance, if you’re in the grocery store and have trouble reading signs, frequently have to use the bathroom or have a family history of diabetes like I do, you should get tested,” he said. “I know that I am not completely out of the woods because I have family members who live with diabetes, so I try to eat right, exercise and do all the things that I preach to other people about staying healthy.”
Stackhouse, who reiterates that he'd like to coach after his playing career, notes a shocking statistic from the American Diabetes Association: an estimated seven million people currently live with the disease and are unaware. "I want to help them get the information they need to get tested and help manage it."
Read More: Grassroots Diabetes Advocacy with All-Star NBA Player Jerry Stackhouse
Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson (sore heel) will try to be play tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, but is ultimately a game-time decision. The six time All-Star hasn't played in the last three games since experiencing discomfort in his heel on the second night of back-to-back games with the Milwaukee Bucks on February 20th. He was inactive at home against Houston and Memphis last week, and did not play a minute of action despite dressing against New Orleans on Tuesday.
Johnson told beat writers that he was willing to give it a shot.
Marshon Brooks (sore wrist) is also a game=time decision. The second year guard sat out of practice yesterday due to the injury.
Nets guard and elder statesman Jerry Stackhouse will be inactive for the second straight game tonight against Dallas.
The Brooklyn Nets announced today that guard MarShon Brooks did not practice today because of a sprained right wrist. It's unknown at this point how the injury occurred but one can speculate that Brooks's hard drive and eventual crash landing in the first half of Tuesday's 101-97 win vs. the Hornets may have been the cause. No announcement has been made on Brooks' status for Friday nights tilt against the Mavericks.
Also not at practice: Nets veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhouse has yet to play since Brooklyn's 106-119 loss in Houston on January 26th, but Friday's loss to New Orleans was the first time that Stackhouse was listed as "NWT" ("not with team") for personal reasons. There has been speculation that Nets GM Billy King has suggested that Stackhouse remain inactive for the time being in order to allow MarShon Brooks to get more playing time and be further evaluated. Though inactive, Nets head coach P.J. Carlesimo is hoping for a Stackhouse return in the playoffs as Stefan Bondy of the NY Daily News reported Tuesday.
Also coming out of Nets practice; Joe Johnson feels "optimistic" that he will play tomorrow night:
Joe seems optimistic about playing but wouldn't say definitely #Nets
— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzESPN) February 28, 2013
Here is the official tweet from Nets PR about Marshon Brooks and Jerry Stackhouse:
MarShon Brooks did not practice today (sprained right wrist).Stackhouse NWT (personal).
— Nets PR Dept. (@Nets_PR) February 28, 2013
According to Detroit Pistons beat writer for the Detroit News Vincent Goodwill, Brooklyn Nets guard Jerry Stackhouse thinks the NBPA needs top-to-bottom change, meaning the removal of not only executive director Billy Hunter (who has been placed on indefinite leave by the NBPA following an investigation into nepotism and questionable business practices) but also former NBA guard and current NBPA union president Derek Fisher.
Stackhouse, who does not have a role in All-Star Weekend, will travel to Houston during the weekend to "make his voice heard" to the players.
You can read Goodwill's full story here. Below are some select tweets from Goodwill on Stackhouse:
NBA vet @jerrystackhouse calls for Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter& the executive committee to go. "we need wholesale changes all the way around"
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 7, 2013
Stack: "everybody’s pointing the finger at Billy and rightfully so. at the same time we’ve sat and allowed those moves to be made."
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 7, 2013
More Stack: "Derek has stepped up and has really tried to grab the reins but I think he has to go too. The whole system is flawed.”
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 7, 2013
Stackhouse said he's making a trip to All-Star Weekend in Houston to speak to the players, to make his voice heard
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 7, 2013
Stack: "Billy's talked so much about what he’s done. We have shorter salaries, a hard cap. Make sure you take credit for that, too."
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 7, 2013
Stackhouse said the players should have a new committee/president/exec director in place when new commish Adam Silver takes office Feb 2014
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 7, 2013
Stackhouse: "It’s too much happening behind closed doors. Start fresh, take a vote on everything."
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 7, 2013
In a preview for the next episode of NBA's "The Association," covering the Brooklyn Nets this year, the Nets are at a Minnesota restaurant sharing a team dinner and some jokes: Kris Humphries (who organized the dinner) starts off by cracking on Jerry Stackhouse's age, and the 38-year-old Stackhouse hits back by reminding everyone that he's got one more dunk this year than at least two Nets players. Watch the video after the jump... MORE →
Joe Johnson
Johnson and Andray Blatche are the only two Nets to have played in every game this season.
The Nets added that backup shooting guard and inventor of palindromes Jerry Stackhouse will sit tonight with a sore hamstring.
If Stackhouse and Johnson are both out, the Nets are limited to Keith Bogans and MarShon Brooks at the shooting guard spot, plus potential spot minutes from Deron Williams playing off the ball.
Brooklyn Nets power forward Kris Humphries is listed as questionable for tonight after spraining his right ankle near the end of Wednesday night's Oklahoma City Thunder game, the team announced today. Daily News beat writer Stefan Bondy reported yesterday that Humphries suffered a Grade 1 sprain, and is day to day.
Humphries played against San Antonio Monday and Oklahoma City Wednesday after sitting out five games, one a coach's decision and four with a mild abdominal strain.
C.J. Watson and Jerry Stackhouse are also both on the injury report; Watson with a bruised right knee and Stackhouse with a sore right hamstring. Both are listed as probable.
