Ball Don't Lie - NBA

If you were on Twitter last night and happen to follow me, you know I was tweetin' up a 140 storm trying to convince people to turn off that hideous crap the Black Eyed Peas call music and instead watch the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Awards Dinner online at NBA.com.

I hope some of you followed my lead, because longtime New York Post basketball columnist Peter Vecsey gave one of the worst (cough, best) Hall of Fame speeches in history.

Author Jeff Pearlman, who was in attendance, breaks it down:

"... the night was going very well. Speeches were moderately short, the MC — an excellent Ernie Johnson — kept things rolling, Jordan and his gang made their waves. At approximately 8:20 pm, Doug Collins, also inducted as a media member, offered up an absolutely wonderful speech, crying as he asked his wife and children to stand.

And then, Vecsey took the stage.

He seemed to have no notes. No thoughts. No ... nothing. He began not by expressing his appreciation, but by rattling off all the shunned players he believed belonged in the Hall. From there, he just ... babbled. About this. About that. He seemed to be drunk, but I don't think he was. The man just, well, sucked. He used language one doesn't use in a Hall speech. He called out people's names ('Calvin Murphy! Tiny Archibald!'), and you could literally see the man squirming in their seats. I was sitting about 10 feet from David Stern, who — throughout the ceaseless banter — dismissively shook his head while checking his Blackberry. Jordan, the star of the weekend, walked out. Just left, and never returned.

The best part came, oh, 30 minutes in, when Vecsey took a breather between points. As if on cue, the entire room started to applaud — a very clear, very audible get-the-f^%$-off-the-stage command. Suddenly, music piped in from above — yet another get-the-f^%$-off-the-stage command. Oddly, Vecsey really paid it no mind. He kept talking until, I believe, his mic was turned off (either that, or he got the clue)."

Honestly, words don't come close to describing this speech. It was bad. And awkward. And sort of funny. But mostly bad. Vecsey had a weird crack about John Stockton and Madonna, said "punk ass" a few times, and even got in some old-timer baseball talk. It was wild. Again, Michael Jordan walked out!

I've been searching YouTube and NBA.com all morning for some video of it, but, well ... yeah, I'm not holding my breath. You thought LeBron or Nike knew how to confiscate a tape? Please. Stern's got this.

digg delicious
more

70 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. curtis
    1. Posted by curtis Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:48 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    If we can keep finding more lost 2Pac songs, I'm sure this Vecsey speech will one day see the light so all of us can laugh at him. I eagerly await.
  2. Scott
    2. Posted by Scott Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:10 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Where is the nearest Psychiatric ward in Massachussets? They have any openings? Vecsey could use the rest...
  3. Greg W
    3. Posted by Greg W Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:13 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Talking about Grizzley Bear, insulting the Black Eyed Peas.
    Man, Skeets, you are on point with your music. I thought I was the only scrawny pale indie-rocker who loved basketball.
  4. meruhl
    4. Posted by meruhl Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:35 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Fat Lever!!!
  5. swth
    5. Posted by swth Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:37 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Grizzly Bear's really popular. When your parents ask about them cause they got a nice writeup in Time magazine, there's nothing indie about them anymore.
    Also, this Vecsey speech sounds incredible. I'll be looking for the Youtube tonight too.
  6. Sinsemilla
    6. Posted by Sinsemilla Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:17 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I just cannot comprehend how you would come unprepared to something as important to your career as a Hall of Fame induction ceremony. You HAVE to be a dumbass in order to do something like that...and apparently, Peter Vecsey proved that.
    Like Lincoln once said, "Better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt."
  7. Josh M
    7. Posted by Josh M Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:19 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    no mention of ernie's botched intro for jerry sloan? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WscgiCB7r3U
  8. Sinsemilla
    8. Posted by Sinsemilla Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:20 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I just cannot comprehend how you would come unprepared to something as important to your career as a Hall of Fame induction ceremony. You HAVE to be a dumbass in order to do something like that...and apparently, Peter Vecsey proved that.
    Like Lincoln once said, "Better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt."
  9. webb
    9. Posted by webb Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:44 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Bloomberg?
  10. CoolBabeWoman
    10. Posted by CoolBabeWoman Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    heard Mj walked out before he was introduced not during sppech.I'm sure the players he mentioned liked the speech . And Maybe he should have been like Bill Russell when he made HAll and didn't show up . Maybe Mr Skeets and Mr Pearlman , when you get inducted you can do better .
    Kevin H
  11. REAIV
    11. Posted by REAIV Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:35 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    When I was a child, and NBA players were heroes to me, no one could ruin the mystique and grandeur of the NBA like Peter Vescey. I have, and always will think this man is a complete jerk.
  12. smakledorf
    12. Posted by smakledorf Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    lol lol lol, great article, skeets.
  13. Jeffrey
    13. Posted by Jeffrey Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:14 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    $10,000 reward to anyone who posts the video online at youtube.com
  14. planeman
    14. Posted by planeman Fri Sep 11, 2009 5:19 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I didn't see the intro for Sloan...how did Ernie botch it
  15. Daniel P
    15. Posted by Daniel P Fri Sep 11, 2009 5:47 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I agree with post number 8. This guy is an idiot.
  16. tiny956sanbenelp
    16. Posted by tiny956sanbenelp Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:16 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    i was thinking the same thing about the black eye peas
  17. MAX_IN_MISSOURI
    17. Posted by MAX_IN_MISSOURI Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:18 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Stay on it, skeets! We know you can come through for us, you always do!
  18. Warren
    18. Posted by Warren Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:47 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    His brother the very capable and classy George Vecsey of the NY Times should be the only one in that family making speeches.
  19. Zorgon
    19. Posted by Zorgon Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:15 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    What a joke this guy is. I hate his NBATV analysis.
  20. sshbu1992
    20. Posted by sshbu1992 Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:06 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Vescey is a great basketball writer. I read him all winter in the Post. His old time knowledge of the game is really enjoyable I don't know why he screwed up his speech, but it does not change what a great writer he is.
  21. ColinH
    21. Posted by ColinH Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:17 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I am not surprised at Pete. I grew up playing basketball with him in Manhattan in the 1970s. He was a total jerk on the court. He yelled at everyone, complained and would come down court and shoot a 25-foot brick and still complain. I got the sense that he is frustrated that he was not a Pro. He sure used to act like he was a pro in the park...but we all knew he was just a sportswriter.
    He regrets this and perhaps that frustration was exhibited in his performance on his induction...still had to complain.
    C
  22. nathan f
    22. Posted by nathan f Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:46 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Why don't you all just admit it?? The nba is about as realistic as
    the wwe. Only difference is that the lakers can win it every other
    year on the avg. and nobody seems to notice. There's no mystique in the nba. The team that sells more jerseys
    gets the w.
  23. matrickz
    23. Posted by matrickz Fri Sep 11, 2009 9:04 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    you have the snapshot - how come there isn't a video? This is amazing.
  24. sk1zm52
    24. Posted by sk1zm52 Fri Sep 11, 2009 9:24 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    #6, I don't think that was Lincoln but rather Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens).
  25. JOE
    25. Posted by JOE Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:52 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    i never liked him at all.what a azzhole.i hope they get him good for this one,if someone else did it ,he would never let up

Ball Don't Lie

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

J.E. Skeets

Ball Don't Lie is an NBA blog edited by J.E. Skeets. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Teams

Customize to follow news and rumors on your favorite teams. [ Sign in ]

Related Photo Gallery

Y! Sports Blogs

Ball Don't Lie Recent Readers