Latest news with #CuttinoMobley
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen feud recalled by former Rockets teammate
The post Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen feud recalled by former Rockets teammate appeared first on ClutchPoints. For years, NBA legends Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley were not on the best of terms. That was even the case when they were teammates on the Houston Rockets. Advertisement During the strike-shortened 1999 season, Pippen and Barkley were on the same team. Clyde Drexler had retired, and Pippen was brought in to fill that void. Meanwhile, Hakeem Olajuwon was still the focal point of the franchise. The hope was for Pippen and Barkley to help the Rockets regain their prominence. However, neither of them gelled, and it only lasted for one year. Now, a former teammate, Cuttino Mobley, is providing insight on the nature of their relationship, per All The Smoke Podcast. On the latest episode, Mobley recalls receiving mentorship from Pippen on how to be a pro, whereas Barkley was sometimes absent from practice. Advertisement 'Scottie was at practice at 10, Scottie was there like seven lifting. I'm in there with him just learning how to be a pro,' he said. 'What I should eat before, what I should eat afterwards. Getting shots up after practice. He taught me how to do those things. Because sometimes Dream (Olajuwon) was like on a fast, Charles may not even come to practice, and it bumped heads with Scottie because he didn't come from that. He was looking at Charles like, dog what are you doing? Like we're total opposites. Kind of like Kobe and Shaq at the time.' When host Matt Barnes asked, 'Could you feel the beef between them two?' Mobley responded: 'Yeah especially when it came to games we could win with just them. Forget all us young guys. All the young guys, just be out there. We'll win the game, but I need you and your energy to help me do this.' The tempestuous time between Pippen and Barkley on the Rockets The Rockets finished 1999 31-19 and were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Advertisement Eventually, the beef found its way into the media with Pippen and Barkley taking jabs at one another. Pippen expressed frustration about how the offense was designed for Barkley and Olajuwon. Ultimately, Pippen left Houston for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2000. In a 1999 ESPN article, Pippen did say some nice things about Barkley. 'I feel bad for him,' Pippen said before his Portland Trail Blazers played Minnesota. 'I didn't want to see him end his career like that. I wanted him to go out fighting.' However, Pippen doesn't regret calling Barkley 'fat' at the height of their feud. Related: Rockets waive 6-foot-11 forward Related: Former Rockets teammate says Yao Ming had Nikola Jokic type skills but was held back
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Rockets teammate says Yao Ming had Nikola Jokic type skills but was held back
The post Former Rockets teammate says Yao Ming had Nikola Jokic type skills but was held back appeared first on ClutchPoints. Former NBA guard Cuttino Mobley recently shared that Hall of Famer Yao Ming possessed playmaking abilities similar to Nikola Jokic, but was limited by the offensive system employed during his time with the Houston Rockets. Advertisement Speaking on the latest episode of the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Mobley reflected on his time with Yao in Houston and expressed that the 7-foot-6 center was more than just a dominant post scorer. 'What people don't understand about Yao. He could pass the ball, like Joker, he could've done that,' Mobley said. 'It's just the offense didn't. Say we would've had Rick Adelman, for a fact, you would've seen more of Yao Ming. Like that Chris Webber, that Vlade Divac, Brad Miller type of passing. He had all of it.' Mobley, who played alongside Ming from 2002 to 2004, pointed to coaching philosophies at the time as a major reason why Ming's full skill set was not on display. 'The only thing is, is that coach would stop us on the offense,' Mobley continued. 'Instead of letting us play on the offense, he played kind of that Pat Riley back in the day possession ball. So with 70 something possessions that's it. We're going to make this ugly. Where if you have talented individuals on the other side, now you're making us think. Offense isn't about thinking, it has to be more fluid.' Advertisement Cuttino Mobley says Yao Ming had Nikola Jokic-like skills but was held back by Rockets' system © Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports Yao played eight seasons with the Rockets after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2002 NBA Draft. During his career, he averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field across 486 appearances. He logged 32.5 minutes per game and was known for his soft shooting touch, size, and court awareness. Although foot and ankle injuries ultimately shortened his NBA tenure, Ming earned eight All-Star selections, was named to five All-NBA teams (including two Second Team honors), and made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2003. His impact extended beyond the stat sheet, helping globalize the NBA, particularly in China. Advertisement Yao's No. 11 jersey was retired by the Rockets in 2017, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. Jokic, the current face of the Denver Nuggets and a three-time MVP, has become known for his elite passing, vision, and ability to run the offense from the center position. He was named Finals MVP in 2023 and has averaged 7.2 assists per game throughout his career. Jokic finished the 2024–25 season averaging a triple-double with 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 57.6% from the field and 41.7% from three across 70 games. Mobley's comments suggest that Yao may have had a similar skill profile, but played in an era and system that did not fully unlock those talents. Yao remains a central figure in Rockets history and continues to influence the game internationally as the president of the Chinese Basketball Association. Related: Rockets waive 6-foot-11 forward Related: Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen feud recalled by former Rockets teammate
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cuttino Mobley on how surreal it was learning from three Hall of Famers as a rookie: "I literally slept in my jersey for three or four days"
Cuttino Mobley on how surreal it was learning from three Hall of Famers as a rookie: "I literally slept in my jersey for three or four days" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Cuttino Mobley's story is one of perseverance and manifestation. Even though he had a solid four-year career at Rhode Island, not many were high on the left-handed guard from the "City of Brotherly Love." Despite that, he continued to work. Most importantly, he refused to let go of his dream of playing in the NBA and one day join the ranks of two players he looked up to the most: Eddie Jones and Scottie Pippen. Little did he know that during the 1998 NBA Draft, Pip himself would break the news to him that the Houston Rockets were selecting him in the second round. Before Cat became a professional basketball player, he was a hoops fan just like any other kid growing up in Philadelphia. He collected trading cards of his favorite players, including Eddie Jones and Scottie Pippen. He would carry these cards with him everywhere he went, tucked away in his wallet. "I always kept them because they were my favorites. They did so much. Eddie was a close friend of mine because he went to Temple, but I loved the way he played; he was a three-level scorer," Mobley explained on "All The Smoke. "And then there was Scottie. I didn't even know Scottie at the time — just watched how he played the game. He did everything, and I loved that." As the draft commenced at the General Motors Place in Vancouver, pick after pick went by without Mobley's name being called. Finally, with the 41st pick, the Houston Rockets selected him in the second round. "I get a phone call, and it's Rudy and Scottie. I'm thinking, 'This is unbelievable,'" he shared. "When Scottie called, he asked, 'You ready?' I said, 'Yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready.' He said, 'All right, I'll see you in a minute.' I was thinking, 'Oh my God, this is crazy.' I couldn't believe it. I kept my jersey on — I literally slept in my jersey for three or four days. I swear, dog." Pip played an influential role in Cat's career. He went to bat for the young guard, telling head coach Rudy Tomjanovich that he was well suited for a starting role. He eventually started in 37 of the 49 games he played during the lockout-shortened joined a Rockets team that was on its last legs of contention. Hakeem Olajuwon was 36, Charles Barkley 35, while Pip was already 33. Despite the obvious star power on the marquee, Cat admitted the veterans no longer had the same pop they had during their younger days. But while the Rockets "Big 3" was no longer as imposing on a physical level, their experience and knowledge of the game was something that Cat appreciated and took advantage of. "Think about it: you come in as a rookie, and you have arguably the best three-man at the time next to Larry Bird in Scottie Pippen, arguably the best four ever next to Karl Malone in Charles Barkley, and one of the top three best centers ever in Hakeem Olajuwon on your team," he relayed. "Then, in your very first game, you hit a game-winner — top of the key three-pointer," Cat narrated. "Like, come on, dog." It was definitely a season to remember for Cat, and it began with a bang, as he canned a go-ahead triple with 19 seconds left that eventually gave the Rockets an 86-84 win over the Golden State Warriors. He would later be named to the All-Rookie Team, the only individual award he received in his 11-year NBA story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tracy McGrady names the most underrated players he ever faced: "Oh, man, he was unbelievable. Un, freaking, believable"
Tracy McGrady names the most underrated players he ever faced: "Oh, man, he was unbelievable. Un, freaking, believable" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Every era of basketball has its icon, the guy who seems to carry the whole generation on his back. The '70s had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The '80s were all about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, two legends who saved the league and set the standard for greatness. Then came the '90s, and you already know the name — Michael Jordan. The player who became the measuring stick for everyone who came after. But for every household name who gets the headlines, there are a handful of guys who always flew under the radar. Players who might not have had the shoe deals, the constant highlight packages on SportsCenter, or the championship rings. But those who had to match up against them knew just how deadly these hoopers were when the ball was in their hands. And Tracy McGrady, a certified bucket himself, recently took a moment to show love to some of those guys who don't get talked about enough. "Man, I got a couple," Tracy said when asked about the most underrated players he ever played against, before quickly continuing his list. "That was Jamal Mashburn, Cuttino Mobley, Ricky Davis was pretty good. I got like the highlight guys that nobody talks about. Like, these guys were good players. But, Jamal Mashburn and Cuttino Mobley are underrated hoopers for me. And another one — Peja Stojakovic! I hated guarding him. Hated guarding Peja. Oh, man, he was unbelievable. Un, freaking, believable," the retired bucket-getter added. If anyone can speak on underrated hoopers, it's T-Mac. A guy who saw it all during his time in the league, from locking horns with Kobe Bryant to trying to be a veteran presence on title-hunting teams. And you can tell, just from how McGrady said it, that these weren't empty compliments. Mashburn, Mobley, Ricky and Peja. These were guys who made his nights longer, who forced him to bring just a little bit extra. Because if you didn't, they'd light you up in a matter of seconds. The fact that so few fans today mention their names made T-Mac want to shine a light on was one of the most polished scorers of his generation. He had the size to bully smaller defenders and the finesse and quickness to embarrass big men who tried to stop him. Mash could get you 20 on any night without breaking a sweat. Injuries might've robbed him of a longer peak, but when he was at his best, good luck trying to put him off his game. Mobley was the lefty who could cook you in isolation, knock down the open three, and never seemed rushed. Mobley had that old-man-at-the-park vibe in the way he controlled the tempo. And T-Mac knows it all too well. McGrady didn't even try to hide how much respect he had for Peja's game. A Serbian sharpshooter before the three-point boom took over the league. Stojakovic had it all in his arsenal, from coming off screens to creating his own shot and setting up teammates. These were the guys who didn't always get the front-page treatment, but ask anyone who had to face them — they'll tell you the same thing T-Mac did. And while they might not be on every fan's all-time list, the players who went toe-to-toe with them never forgot what they brought to the story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
