[sun-sentinel]Michael Beasley: I'm not a Tito Jackson

Well Barkley owns everybody here on clutchfans and it seems NBA players easily get sucked in by his comments too.

I know the fake Knicks fans have no idea who Tito Jackson is!

-Aheee heeee woooo! wooo!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-michael-beasley-s022110,0,4340397.story

Michael Beasley: I'm not a Tito Jackson


MIAMI - Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley has a message for TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley: My name is not Tito Jackson.

On a few occasions, beginning with the start of last season's playoffs, Barkley, the outspoken NBA analyst and Hall of Fame player, has referred to the Miami Heat as Michael Jackson (that would be Dwyane Wade) and a bunch of Titos, Michael's brother and a background member of the famed Jackson 5 singing group. What Barkley really means is the rest of the Heat is comprised of relative unknowns.

"It's just disrespectful," Beasley said. "Not disrespectful to Tito Jackson. The way Charles worded it, it makes us feel a little disrespected."

Beasley continues his quest to make Barkley eat those words Tuesday when the Heat, which again will playing without injured Wade and Rafer Alston, hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Barkley's reference, even though it was originally spoken about nine months ago, truly bothers Beasley. He mentioned it after Friday's 100-87 double-overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, a game the Heat won without Wade, who remains sidelined by a strained left calf. It was the second time Beasley mentioned the comment in the last month.

"You don't say things like that about people's craft, especially when you're a playoff team," Beasley said after Monday's practice.

Wade, who has partnered with Barkley for years in T-Mobile commercials, dismisses Barkley's jab as folly.

"I don't really worry about what Charles says," Wade said with a smile. "To me it's a bunch of gibberish. Use that word. It's a bunch of gibberish."

But Barkley's words apparently got into veteran forward Udonis Haslem's head, too.

After that Memphis victory he leaned over to Beasley and said, "Ask Charles Barkley if he knows our names now."

Overall, however, reaction among players is mixed. A couple of other veterans, such as 10th-year center Jamaal Magloire and Alston, an 11th-year player, laughed off Barkley's words.

"To me it was a good thing." said Alston, who was with Orlando when Barkley made the original comment and is now sidelined by a bruised right hand. "I tried to tell those guys I would love to be Tito and Jermaine and Marlon and those guys. . . . Think about it, those guys were a great supporting cast to Michael."

Beasley gets to play the role of Michael Jackson again on Tuesday because Wade will miss his third consecutive game due to the calf injury he sustained early in last week's New Jersey game. Wade, who didn't practice Monday, said he's not yet jogging, only doing calf raises and things to strengthen the muscle. His return is unknown (he's officially listed as day-to-day), which means he could also miss Saturday's game against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks and Sunday's game at the Orlando Magic.

"You have reality checks real fast when you do something with one leg and you do something with the other and it isn't the same," Wade said.

As for his teammates, Wade said they shouldn't be consumed by Barkley's antics.

"If I'm them, I have fun with it," Wade said. "You know who you are. You don't want a comment like that to make everyone try to be Michael Jackson. You can't have a team full of Michael Jacksons. Everyone needs sidekicks and everyone needs role players. And that doesn't take away from you as a man."

Chris Perkins is a special correspondent.

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