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Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:45 pm EST

Video: Coach Vinny Del Negro plays 'defense' on Q-Rich

By J.E. Skeets

With about four seconds left in Tuesday's New York/Chicago game, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro tried his best to distract Quentin Richardson's late three-point shot by screaming in his ear. It didn't work. Q nailed the shot. But at least someone got rid of their godforsaken hiccups.

BDL reader Sung wonders if Vinny's scream was a little bush league, and I'd have to say yes. It's one thing for opposing players to hoot and holler from the bench, but coaches too? That's weak-sauce, VDN.

But here's a better question: was it illegal?

It's tough to say, but again I go with yes. The NBA rule book — via Blog-a-Bull, who also have a great discussion going on about this — states that "a technical foul(s) may be assessed to any player on the court or anyone seated on the bench for conduct which, in the opinion of an official, is detrimental to the game."

Stepping out onto the court to scream in a opposing player's ear? That seems "detrimental" enough to me.

But hey, what do you think? Let's hear your thoughts. Scream if you have to.

Related: YouTube of the day

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277 Comments

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  1. Jose L
    1. Posted by Jose L Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:34 pm EDT

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    VDN yelled at me as a child in San Antonio when I beat his son to finding some prized easter eggs hidden by Santa at a Halloween party
  2. J.E. Skeets
    2. Posted by J.E. Skeets Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    Hahahahahahahahahahaha ...
  3. J.E. Skeets
    3. Posted by J.E. Skeets Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    Les — I've got to hand it to you, you're persistent.
  4. Morris Blue
    4. Posted by Morris Blue Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:24 pm EDT

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    VDN stepped on the court to yell at Q rich. not only bush league, he definitely should have been T'd up.
  5. fundamentallysound
    5. Posted by fundamentallysound Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:50 pm EDT

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    As a Bulls fan, I thought the move was extremely bush league and I thought it was hypocritical because VDN later criticized his young bigs (Noah and Thomas) for being "unprofessional." There's nothing more unprofessional than what he just did in that clip. It was a classless move and it brought great shame to me as a Bulls fan.
  6. William P
    6. Posted by William P Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:51 pm EDT

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    A great example of what the pressures of coaching an NBA team will make grown men do. I don't think VDL is on the hot seat or anything but it was a rough week for NBA coaches.
  7. tupark82
    7. Posted by tupark82 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:23 pm EDT

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    i think it's hilarious. if he gets t'd up and q ends up missing the shot, then hey, kudos to him for helping the team win a game lol. lets not forget the fact that this guy was once a player too. lighten up. it's good to see controversial things once in a while. if you're gonna let some yelling from the background disrupt your player, then you're the one with the issue and clearly, Q didn't let it bother him.
  8. Roger Mason Jr. = Hero
    8. Posted by Roger Mason Jr. = Hero Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:09 pm EDT

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    It's weak, but no weaker than Larry Hughes contest on that shot.
    I mean, you don't have to foul the guy or block his shot, but ya oughta jump. Really.
  9. nagaz14
    9. Posted by nagaz14 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:32 pm EDT

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    I definitely agree with tupark. It certainly look as if this silly act was intended the through Q off, but watching it I couldn't help but think maybe it was never his intention. Maybe he was so wrapped up in monitoring his own players' defensive positioning, he didn't realize an opposing player was right next to his scream. Maybe he was yelling at Hughes for not getting out on Q more.
  10. JK
    10. Posted by JK Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:36 pm EDT

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    Wow. Bush League.
  11. J.E. Skeets
    11. Posted by J.E. Skeets Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    "Maybe he was yelling at Hughes for not getting out on Q more."
    Definitely possible ...
  12. Zach L
    12. Posted by Zach L Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:56 pm EDT

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    at least someone on the bulls is playing D
  13. Just Accurate
    13. Posted by Just Accurate Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:29 pm EDT

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    sorry for sounding ignorant, but I am: what's bush league?
    The clip is so funny, especially the harmless commentary on the background - guess they didn't realize what the coach had done - but surely these things are not supposed to get by announcers, unless of course it's because it's a home game.
  14. Todd
    14. Posted by Todd Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:14 pm EDT

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    Do we really have to ask the question if it's bush-league? It's unbelievably bush-league. Just imagine if it had been Ben Gordon or Deng, or Tyrus Thomas shouting in Q's ear. ESPN would have been ALL over that. Vinny was an OK playa but he needs to get some more run in his rec-league or something and burn off that energy.
  15. U....
    15. Posted by U.... Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:35 pm EDT

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    illegal. Especially because his foot went over the line. 6 players on the court ... lol
  16. grimlockmtmte
    16. Posted by grimlockmtmte Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    Didn't the Celtics bench do this vs. the Lakers last year during the Finals all the time? No one got T'd up then, so I wouldn't expect it now, but yes, it's bush league.
  17. Just Accurate
    17. Posted by Just Accurate Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:29 pm EDT

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    got a response for my own question:
    bush-league
    ADJECTIVE: 1. Baseball Of or belonging to a minor league. 2. Slang Of inferior or unprofessional quality; second-rate: a bush-league advertising campaign.
  18. oLLie BoomBayay
    18. Posted by oLLie BoomBayay Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:44 pm EDT

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    Bush league for sure, but he's a rookie coach who still has a players passion. Illegal too since he stepped over the line. Should have been rund up for a tech, which would have put the game in doubt for the Bulls.
    Any info on what he said to Q? "brandy takes it in the kulo" migt be effective.
  19. Andoni E
    19. Posted by Andoni E Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:57 pm EDT

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    That's the funniest thing I've seen a coach do on the court... Hahahaha...
  20. Gils_Keloids
    20. Posted by Gils_Keloids Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:27 pm EDT

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    George Bush League.
  21. E.B. White
    21. Posted by E.B. White Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:46 pm EDT

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    The more I look at it, the more I tend to agree with Skeets' hypothesis in #12. I mean, it's Quentin Richardson, so of course he's going to stop and pop a low-percentage shot, the likelihood of which is compounded by the fact that it's Larry Hughes on D. I'm sure Del Negro saw this happening like it was in slow motion.
  22. I have to poop
    22. Posted by I have to poop Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:14 pm EDT

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    At least it wasn't Matt Bonner yelling at him. That would have killed everyone in the arena and within a 100 mile radius.
  23. Envigado
    23. Posted by Envigado Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:24 pm EDT

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    Wow... oops, I mean WOW!!!
    First of all, JVG diving into that scrum will forever be the funniest thing a coach has done on the court.
    And c'mon, he wasn't barking at Hughes. That was pretty blatant. The funniest thing to me is he did it way too soon. If you're gonna be bush league like that, at least do it right. Gotta give Q big props for not turning around and clowning Doogie Howser's sidekick there too.
  24. trollificus
    24. Posted by trollificus Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:21 pm EDT

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    Bush league? T-worthy?
    I dunno. Unless he gets out on the court (which the refs too often allow coaches to do at time, while giving them Ts for quizzical expressions and mild gestures at other. f'ing refs.), I don't see why he shouldn't be allowed to scream like the other 20 thousand...errr...12 thousand people in the building. I don't think he should be t'd up for it.
    But I can see if people thought it was bush I guess.we can disagree...unless you're one of those who think Garnett's a better player because he acts like a giant rabid chihuahua on crack. Then you're just a hypocrite.
  25. MaxHuang24
    25. Posted by MaxHuang24 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    hahahaha is that allowed?

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