NBA Inside Stuff Review - No Excuses for Shaq

Volume Seven, Issue Three - Scottie's nose, Hollywood hoopers, and a Pert Plus ad for the ages.

News & Notes 

• Joe Wolf vs Tony Massenburg. Take your pick!

• This issue’s poll asks fans for their refereeing preferences. I don’t know, but I think I lean more lenient, especially in the playoffs. Where do you stand?

• I love this breakdown of Hollywood hoopers. I haven’t seen The Air Up There in a long time and I completely forgot that Kevin Bacon’s character is named Jimmy Dolan. 

• As a kid, I remember Shaq being EVERYWHERE. I never really thought of him as being overexposed or not being the marketing machine that he appeared to be. But this article, along with

  Jeff Pearlman
  ’s book on the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, really shined a somewhat surprising light on Shaq’s endorsement troubles. Jeff’s book is incredible, by the way, and I highly recommend it.

• Really interesting article on the Knicks/Heat.

• Let’s get working on your blocks! Step one: Be as tall as Dikembe Mutombo.

• Test your knowledge!

• Cast your vote and get ready to see who won in the September issue!

Say whaaaaat? 

• Letters! Brian from Humble, TX telling MJ to watch out because Keith Van Horn is coming lololol.

  Melissa from Richwood OH, calling out the editors for identifying  Bone Thugs-n- Harmony’s Bizzy Bone as Lizzie Bone. I’m hoping she’s still as big a fan of Bone Thugs today.

• Some very 1998 takes on Dennis Rodman here. Love the X-Files, though.

Posterized!

Best Ads

• Scottie Pippen’s nose. January 11, 1998. 1:09 p.m.

• NBA ShootOut 98!

• I love love loved it when cereal came with trading cards, even if they weren’t officially licensed by the league.

• Jordan is probably number one here, but Ken Griffey Jr.’s dominance in the 90’s cannot be understated.

• Here it is! The Damon Stoudamire Pert Plus ad.

• These Twix ads are getting out of hand. No one will fight you for a Twix.

• I thought I was the coolest kid for having a Coca-Cola card. I think I maybe used it once at a movie theater.

• Kobe Bryant’s NBA Courtside for N64. Anyone play this?

• The milk ads have arrived!

• I remember when CNNSI was a thing trying to compete with ESPN, and it lasted a whole five and a half years.

• You do what for Keith Van Horn?

• This ad seems oddly placed in a basketball magazine. Maybe they were trying to capitalize on the Tiger Woods hype? You’d think they’d use a picture of him if that were the case.

• Bring on the playoffs!

The Feed

Really hoping this dish from Terry Porter led to a bucket.

The JAM

Great picture of Elden Campbell dunking. I know I’ve seen pictures of this angle plenty of times, but I don’t know how they’re taken. Is there a camera next to/behind the backboard?

In the next newsletter

I have something different planned for next week, featuring some of the best hoops writers on Substack. Stay tuned!