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NBA Jammed: Your weekly fix of all the best NBA highlights, news, videos and Australian action

BOGUT mocked in dunk video, Angry Kobe, Sarcastic Kobe, Mavericks make rap video and Aussies start with a bang. Here’s your weekly NBA fix.

Adrian Ballantyne
4 min read
November 4, 2014 - 9:23AM
News Corp Australia
Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors

BOGUT mocked in dunk video, Angry Kobe, Sarcastic Kobe, Mavericks make rap video and Aussies start with a bang.

Here’s your weekly NBA fix!

A GREAT WEEK TO BE AN AUSSIE

Andrew Bogut and the Golden State Warriors storm to the top of the Western Conference with a 3-0 record, No. 5 draft pick Dante Exum makes his NBA debut and Joe Ingles is snapped up by Exum’s team after being dropped by the LA Clippers.

Week 1 of the NBA season was an outstanding week to be an Australian in the world’s best basketball league.

Exum began his NBA career slowly with hauls of five points and two points in Utah’s opening two games against Houston and Dallas (though he did produce one memorable highlight) but then gave everyone a taste of what they can expect from the highly-touted teen in his third game against Phoenix.

Against the Suns he had 10 points, shot at 75 per cent, nailed three three-pointers, had two rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block as the Jazz won by 27 points at home.

Exum also has a new accessory: A pink “Frozen” backpack, bestowed on him by teammate Gordon Hayward as part of a rookie initiation.

Arguably the best Aussie news out of Utah was Ingles, who was a Clipper last week before being cut and then given a second chance by the Jazz. While he might have expected to wait his turn while getting to know the Jazz system, Utah coach Quin Snyder threw him straight into the deep end with significant minutes in both his second and third games.

Bogut and the Warriors are already showing signs they could be the NBA title smoky that some have predicted, with three consecutive wins (including two away from home) to start their season.

And Bogut has been front and centre, with 11 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in Monday’s win against Portland — his best outing to date.

Things haven’t quite gone to plan for Matt Dellavedova and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost their opening game at home but bounced back with a win at Chicago.

Delly saw huge court time in the Bulls game, playing 30 minutes and shelling out four assists as the Cavs got the job done 114-108.

This, by the way, is the view from Delly’s locker when the media swarm on LeBron James.

Aron Baynes has had a solid start and looks like he’ll be a much bigger part of the Spurs’ plans this season. The big man scored four and six points in the Spurs’ opening two games.

Cameron Bairstow will have to bide his time and hope for opportunities with the Bulls. He saw four minutes of court time in their season-opening win against New York but didn’t leave the bench in their next two games.

DUNK OF THE WEEK

Australia was busy getting excited about Melbourne United import Jordan McRae’s 360 dunk over the weekend.

But welcome to the NBA, where things like that tend to happen most days.

Former Perth Wildcat James Ennis has taken his talents to Miami this year, and wasted no time in announcing himself with this nasty, nasty dunk against Washington.

For Wizards second-stringer Rasual Butler — the bloke Ennis ‘posterised’ — this may be the closest he comes to a highlight reel all season.

MAVERICKS ARE BRILLIANT/TERRIBLE IN RAP VIDEO

The often pondered question of how well Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki raps and dances has finally been answered.

Turns out Nowitzki raps and dances about as well as you’d expect a seven-foot German to rap and dance.

The giant superstar and his teammates Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons teamed up to channel hip hop royalty Run DMC, complete with bucket hats and all the requisite bling.

All things considered, they’re not half bad.

ANGRY KOBE WITH A SIDE SERVING OF SARCASM

Kobe Bryant is about as stoked as you could imagine with his team’s 0-4 start to the season.

The Lakers sit at the bottom of the Western Conference and are the only team in the West without a victory, having endured a shocking opening week that saw them drop games to Golden State, the Clippers, Phoenix and Houston, with all bar one of those results double-digit blowouts.

It’s the first time in Kobe’s career that he’s been 0-4, so it’s probably best not to ask him how he feels about being 0-4.

One journalist learnt that the hard way. Kobe’s record with journalists this season now stands at 1-0.

LOPEZ MOCKS BOGUT IN DUNK VIDEO

Portland’s Robin Lopez didn’t take too kindly to a US sports website tweeting a video of Golden State star Klay Thompson stuffing a huge dunk in his face.

So he used quickly hauled out the game footage and found an example of him doing the same.

Unfortunately for Andrew Bogut, he had to bare the brunt of the Trail Blazer’s retaliation.

HALLOWEEN IS THE TIME FOR PRANKIN’

Mornings suck when there’s a dinosaur in your training facility.

In case you missed it, Phoenix Suns players Goran Dragic had a bit of fun at his teammates’ expense this Halloween, with the help of a dinosaur from the Walking With Dinosaurs stage show.

Check out some of those reactions, including twins Markief and Marcus Morris, who promptly turn and sprint in the other direction when confronted by the plastic beast, and Archie Goodwin, who throws his water bottle and shapes up to fight.

CROTCH OUT OF BOUNDS

It’ll be the most expensive three-pointer Minnesota Timberwolves player Kevin Martin ever sinks.

Martin was slapped with a $15,000 fine for “making an obscene gesture” while playing against Chicago, after he nailed a three and celebrated by emulating former NBA player Sam Cassell’s now famous “big balls dance”, in which Cassell cupped his nether regions with both his hands.

The NBA has spoken. Leave your groin alone.

Originally published as NBA Jammed: Your weekly fix of all the best NBA highlights, news, videos and Australian action

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nba-jammed-your-weekly-fix-of-all-the-best-nba-highlights-news-videos-and-australian-action/news-story/46ac2d340b5fb15759429a3f10d2a413