The Sports Archives

Part of the fun of following pro sports is rooting against opposing players and teams. Any true fan will make an extra effort to target particular players. In our office alone we have die hard Lakers, Jazz, Spurs and Suns fans – all Western Conference rivals. One employees favorite player is another employee’s #1 public enemy.

Here are our top pests of the NBA.

Luis Scola

Scola is the rodent of the athlete-pest kingdom, and he has the hair to go with it. Have you seen his mop? It’s so shiny black you could literally see it from the top row. For a guy that players forward, there are few that flop around the floor like Scola, a native of Argentina. He plays the kind of defense with slappy hands coming in from all angles.

Nate Robinson

We’ll classify Bulls point guard Nate Robinson in the “mite” category. He is currently the shortest player in the NBA, so it’s only fitting. Robinson also annoys fans for his never-ending celebrations of his 3-pointers. A mainstay sharp-shooter off the bench, Robinson is known for over-celebrating and stoking the crowd after his buckets, at the start of the second quarter when his team is still losing by 4.

Dan Gilbert

The contributors to this list unanimously voted Mark Cuban as the lone-team owner to be on this list, but as author, I vetoed their power and dictate that Dan Gilbert take the owner’s suite in this party. His verbal abuse of Lebron James, warranted or unwarranted, after James decided to leave Cleveland was a public display of pettiness. He sounded like the rich, spoiled kid who didn’t get his way. Gilbert’s whiny ways resurfaced when the Lakers and Hornets came to terms to send Chris Paul to LA. Gilbert was a lead name on an email to Commissioner Stern, crying about unfairness of the trade. If he couldn’t keep his superstar and form a superteam, then no one else could either. Gilbert resembles the crickets of the pest farm. They are completely harmless, but are the loudest of the bunch.

Manu Ginobili

While the team preferences of our office differ, everyone agrees that the #1 pest spot in the NBA belongs to Manu Ginobili, and even our Spurs fan doesn’t argue it. Manu practically rewrote the book on flopping in the lane. As soon as his opponent makes contact, he usually flys backwards like he’s just been hit with a semi-truck. And if he doesn’t get the call to go his way, his Argentine-Italian roots colors shine through when he uses his arms and hands to plead his case to the nearest official. A look of complete and utter bewilderment always accompanies his talking hands. As a fan, its hard to believe that he actually believes he has a case. Manu is the praying mantis of the kingdom. You know you’re looking at a Mantis when you see it’s hands stretched out in prayer. Well, Manu isn’t Manu without his hands complaining to the refs.

Steve Bitter is a Marketing Manager with Bulwark Exterminating, based in Mesa, AZ. Bulwark Exterminating is an industry leader in providing high quality pest control service. Bulwark is fully operational in seven states, including eleven major cities. While Bulwark provides pest extermination for common insects such as ants, roaches, crickets and spiders, the company’s differentiating specialty is scorpion control. Bulwark uses the finest and most effective products in the world to solve common pest problems.

Photo Credits: Wikipedia