Ok here it is: Take this with a grain of salt what I am about to tell you... Me and some friends were at club spy tonight hanging at the bar drinking and having a goodtime,when at the far end of the bar I see this really tall guy waving his hand to attract the bartender. After doing a double take I realize it is Kelvin Cato....There is more... Kelvin was standing by some other guy who I could not make out as a player but tall as Cato but not taller,both were with two nice looking women..anyhow to get on with this sighting I overheard what I could make out was Clutchcity.net and something about a Steve francis lynch mob. Cato laughed... Me and my friends started to inch closer to try to hear what they were saying more when this big guy in black got between Us and Cato, and this white guy and said "too close" so we said cool no problem. The two girls then left I suppose to go to the restroom when Griffin walks up giving Cato and this white guy what up's and the hug they give each other. All I heard was Nicks like big T, Little E Griffin said to Cato" So did you watch the tape" Cato said"No it is still in my car" Griffin then says" wink made sure Houston fans were clear you are the man" Cato then said" What about the f**cking media asking you about Ming was that not some bulls**t" Griffin then said "did coach tell you to watch your negative remarks addressed to the media about Ming" Cato said "they don't wanna ask me" All I could make out because the women returned and they went to some booth with that big guy who I guess was a bodyguard. It seems not all the players are not nsync with Ming coming. I hope everyone jells together so we can be winners again.
Griffin hangin' out under age in a club with Cato b****ing about Ming, hmmm. Geez, I hope he is not practicing Cato's offseason work-out program.
Spy club is the gayest club in downtown especially on a Friday night. I guess Cato has to go to a club that nobody goes to!!!!
I doubt the hot ass women in that club tonight was just a mirage.....Looked full to me. But you are right Griffin is 20 so I guess money talks..
Trade him before more problems come up. Kelvin Cato + Kenny Thomas = Jake Tsakalidis + Bo Outlaw Phoenix Suns SF: Marion/Jacobsen PF: Thomas/Gugliotta/Stoudemire C: Cato/Voskhul/Ford PG: Marbury/Palacio SG: Johnson/Hardaway Houston Rockets SF: Nachbar/Outlaw/Morris PF: Griffin/Taylor C: Ming/Tsakalidis/Collier PG: Francis/Norris/Maddox SG: Mobley/Rice/Torres
You have no credibility so why should anyone believe you. But I think you might just be telling the truth. For one everything you said the players said makes total sense. I would expect Cato to act the way he did. The Rockets just drafted his sucessor... and Griffins comments about Rudy and not bad mouthing Ming sounds perfectly legit. But the main thing that makes you believable is your first and last sentences. You came right out and said not to give your staement much credence and then in the end you, unlike Troybaros where not wishing the worst on the Rockets but rather hoped that they could resolve their differences. Which is exactly how would have responded if I heard that same news. So either you majored in psychology and now how pulll one over the best of minds are you are telling the truth. Doesn't mean you may have misinterpreted some of it a little... but it sounds like most of what you said is true... and really kind of expected... the team isn't going to accept Ming into their fold until he proves himself and it doesn't help that he is getting preferential treatment being able to miss camp... Plus the media is already praising his coming.... Still I think once ming gets here and the put a face and a real person to the man things will smoooth out... And another note... How did griffin compare to cato in height would you say he was a couple inches shorter, a few or more... Thanks for the scoop... if it's true...
The way I look at it: Somebody has to see the Rockets in everyday life. I think it's great that ya'll share what you hear. Of course I don't have to believe that you saw them, but why would you even waste your time typing. Anyway, thanks.
Sounds just like the Cato I've known over the last few years. Cato's job starting is secure until Ming wins it outright, That is Rudy's law, but if i were Cato I would be majored worried about ming coming to the club, because he can has all the same skills ++. No doubt Francis and Cato talked and Francis was lead to beef Cato up in the media. in Cato's defense he did improve his game last year. hopefully he can improve ome more this year and make the Rockets one of the best frontcourts this year. I was reading that article in Realgm about the rockets brass handing out all the tapes on Ming to the players. There were quotes from a lot of players, but none from Cato. I hope that he will take it as a challenge and an opportunity to get closer to a championship than as a slight against his play.
Not to be cynical, but you said Cato was at the other end of the bar. As loud as a nightclub is, how did you manage to hear him? Especially about the Steve Francis "lynch mob" squad? I think I'll still believe you and just want to say **** Kelvin Cato and his r****ded ass! Griffin should stop hanging out with that loser.
Let's be honest. I don;t care what anybody says publicly, do you think the Rockets players are embracing the idea that we drafted Yao Ming? If the half the media is comparing him to Shawn Bradley and calling him a bust, the majority of NBA players probably feel the same way. None of that matters anyways. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. What does matter is that no one blasts him publicly - professionalism in the work force is always a good thing. If this is true, Rudy has done a good job prepping his players. Now once he gets here and they give him the cold shoulder, that would be a problem. 21, going to a foreign land, foreign culture and having your teammates shun you could be very hard to overcome. Especially when you consider that everyone else is hoping you fail (including some Houston fans) just so they can say "I told you so". Given that this group is not the most mature group of players, with very little veteran presence, this could happen. Let's hope it doesn't.
Here's hoping that Cato improved so much last year that someone else wants him. This is not my stance after what NbaGuru just said. I will just stay neutral about whether or not what he said is true or not. Ever since that great preseason game where the Rockets thought he earned his contract, my love for him has dwindled. His career as a Rocket has been marred by injuries, inconsistency and laziness. I for one think that he may be a decent NBA center, but I think he will be vastly overpaid and does not fit what we would need as a backup center. He will also be part of the problem of trying to fit Ming into the team. If the team is divided among who is to start at center, the common goal of reaching the playoffs won't be reached. Some players that come to mind that would be much better backups for us at center: Magloire out of Charlotte, Foster from Indiana. Heck, even Foyle from G-State and Pryzbilla from Milwaukee have better stats per 48 mins than Cato; Cato never even broke the top 50 in blocks and boards. Using Kt who I hate to lose, but could be the only thing we could use to get rid of Cato.
You shoula yelled across the room, "Get away from him, Eddie. He's corrupt. He's heartless. Don't let him spoil your young mind." Cato may have come and squashed your head in, but at least you have that thought instilled in Griffin's mind. Oh, the price you pay for the Rockets.
Every time someone new comes on here and posts information, he or she gets body-slammed, guillotined and filleted. "You have only four posts, why should we pay any attention to what you say." Probably why people wait so long to go from lurker to poster. Of course I don't want to be gullible but I'd like to believe him because it nails my guess exactly: everyone looks to Steve on this team, and he knew how Cato would feel, before and after the draft; I'm sure Cato loved to see that he's not good enough. Steve has an unenviable job, but he's doing it: "Ming's just fine, but he's gotta work for the job." Then, later, to Cato: "Yeah, hell with all this, just go in there and do what you can do. It's all good." Although the writing is on the wall, Kelvin. If the damn guy would just work consistently, he'd be a good center. We need him now but since he must be aware that he's only the starting center until Ming can step in permanently (even if that's a year or two away), then it might be best to listen to offers from other teams about the guy. He's already a headcase, bound to become a cancer. Our problem? We do need a 24-28 mpg center.Scott Williams, anyone? Willis? Mo can take some minutes there.
No. Nothing against NBAGuru, but a lot of stuff gets posted on this BBS, and this just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
What is so unbelievable about this story? It makes sense to me. I may be a little skeptical about hearing about the clutchcity.net steve francis lynch mob, but it is possible. Players could try to find fan sites to stroke their ego, and if someone is looking for a Rockets page this site is likely to be among the first. I'm glad Cato feels intimidated. Maybe he'll be willing to work hard so his ego won't take a big hit when Yao starts taking his minutes. I really don't expect him to work any harder though. Cato just whines all the time like a little *fill in the blank*
It's the best bit of short fiction I've read in quite some time. I'm still laughing my ass off. I give him props for good effort though. os
