NBA Inside Stuff Review - Big Kid
Volume Three, Issue Two: Lots of Shaq ads, Rap Jam, and, yes, more NBA Jam
A quick programming note: This newsletter, along with most of these newsletters, is too long for email. Go ahead and click the link to get the full In-Your-Face Inside Stuff experience.
To end last week’s newsletter, I posted a video of Shaq’s best plays when he was on the Orlando Magic. Near the start of the video (around the 0:04 mark), there’s a brief clip of him diving towards the camera for a loose ball. This clip was immortalized in the opening montage of NBA Inside Stuff (which I haven’t been able to find, unfortunately). I can honestly say that said clip gives me more nostalgia for '90s hoops than almost anything. Anyhow, let’s move on to this week’s issue featuring the Diesel himself!
News & Notes
Get ready for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game! Two-time defending champion Mark Price looks to be the first player in NBA history to win three straight three-point contests.
Unfortunately, Price didn’t compete in the ‘95 contest due to a broken wrist, so he was unable to defend his title and go for the elusive three-peat. Glen Rice went on to win, besting Reggie Miller in the final round.
What is your favorite player's favorite food? Dale Ellis naming shishkabobs as his favorite food makes me want to make shishkabobs. I’d actually love some detail on what kind of shishkabobs he likes.
It’s Shaq’s world, we’re just living in it. One piece of Shaq trivia that I’ll never forget is when he was traded to Miami and was looking for a house, he ended up buying a mansion previously owned by Heat Legend Rony Seikaly.
Best card
We’re back again with the oversized NBA Jam Session cards. Not sure who gets the nod for best card this week. I guess Penny?
Best Ad
Jamal Mashburn signature shoe is confirmed.
NBA JAM Tournament Edition! It will be no surprise to regular readers of this newsletter that I love NBA Jam. I remember the tournament edition coming out, but I only recall playing it a handful of times. I don’t even think I knew anyone who owned NBA Jam T.E. It did have some cool features like a tournament (duh) mode that required you to beat all teams. The big difference was that each team now had three players from which to choose. STILL NO MJ. And no Shaq, either. WEAK. NBA JAM PURIST 4 LIFE.
Loving the Reebok warm-up gear.
Love the Flair ad. It makes card collecting seem almost sophisticated.
Tim Hardaway rocking the Air GO LWP
Another great Spalding ad for the Shaq signature basketball.
The Shaq Attaq IV! Shaq vs Shaq!
Shaq is all over the ads in this issue, here’s one where he’s hustling Gatorade alternative, All Sport.
Glow-in-the-dark shirts featuring my favorite NBA team? Yes, please!
Rap Jam Vol. 1: I have no memory of this game because I was probably playing too much NBA Jam. Per Wikipedia, this game was listed #9 of the 10 worst games of all time in 1997. When you list “hear real music” and “watch non-stop animation” as reasons your game is game-changing, I don’t think your game is game-changing.
The JAM
NBA Slam Dunk Contest Legends!
In the next newsletter
Shaq vs Ewing, more basketball video games not named NBA Jam, and a Fila signature show takeover.