NBA Jammed: Walmart makes a mess of Carmelo Anthony doll, while Corey Brewer takes “travelling” to new lengths

WALMART sells Carmelo Anthony doll that looks a lot like Jeremy Lin and Santa Claus makes LeBron-like “decision”. All in your weekly column.

NBA Jammed: Walmart screws up Carmelo doll

WALMART sells Carmelo Anthony doll that looks a lot like Jeremy Lin and Santa Claus makes LeBron-like “decision”.

All in your weekly NBA Jammed column.

WILL THE REAL CARMELO PLEASE STAND UP?

Given Carmelo Anthony is forever crapping on about his legacy (despite his inability to get even remotely close to an NBA title), he probably won’t like US retail giant Walmart’s doll that was created in his image as a stocking-stuffer this Christmas.

Not only is the doll named “Anthony Carmelo” on Walmart’s website, it looks considerably less like the African American Anthony and far more like Asian LA Lakers star Jeremy Lin.

It even has Lin’s number 17, which Lin wore during his time at New York.

Walmart is selling a Knicks Carmelo Anthony doll, except it's Jeremy Lin.... pic.twitter.com/tFSw2ccWYW

— NBA Legion (@MySportsLegion) December 15, 2014

WHEN WILL THE WARRIORS FINALLY LOSE?

Even the most ardent Golden State Warriors fans wouldn’t have dreamt of a 21-2 start to the season that’s seen the team announce itself as far and away the best in the NBA so far this year.

The Warriors have won their last 16 straight, and even the absence of injured Australian centre Andrew Bogut for the past three games hasn’t been enough to stop them.

But all good things must come to an end eventually, and plenty of people are wondering who’ll be the team to crack the code.

We might have that answer sooner than you think, with the Warriors to take on the team sitting just under them in the stacked Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies, in Memphis on Thursday.

The Grizzlies (17-4) have lost just once in 12 games at home this season, and they’ll face a Golden State outfit that will again be without Bogut, who’s still suffering the effects of that knee injury.

If the Warriors can somehow squeeze a win out of that one, who knows? They’ll only need three more wins to extend their streak to 20 and rank among the top five NBA winning runs of all time.

SANTA CLAUS MAKES “DECISION” ON NEW HOME

Clever stuff from ESPN, who’ve grabbed a certain North Pole resident and used him in an ad that takes a shot at LeBron James’ infamous “decision” press conference when he joined Miami.

Let’s hope his success at finding our chimneys is as solid as LeBron’s on-court achievements during his stint at the Heat.

COREY BREWER ALLOWED TO TAKE SIX STEPS

When you learnt how to play basketball in primary school, everyone was no doubt drilled at length about “travelling”, and how taking more than two steps was one of the game’s most basic no-nos.

The NBA muddies those waters with its rules that effectively allow a third step, as players are allowed to take two steps after completing a dribble, meaning if you dribble while pushing off on one foot, it won’t be counted towards your two steps.

Confusing? Absolutely.

But that goes nowhere explaining how Minnesota Timberwolves player Corey Brewer was allowed to run a marathon while completing a fast-break dunk against Oklahoma City.

Count those steps. Six.

MASON PLUMLEE FLATTENS KID

It never ceases to amaze just how close the fans are to the action on an NBA court.

While Australia’s football fields and cricket pitches feature fences and burly security guards, ready to mow you down if you so much as wonder what it would be like to walk on the grass, in the NBA, you’re near enough to get sprayed by the players’ sweat.

A little girl and her parents might be considering slightly cheaper seats after 208cm Brooklyn Nets player Mason Plumlee ran to retrieve a ball and was forced to leap into the crowd.

He ploughed into the kid, who took evasive action but still copped a decent whack from Plumlee’s leg.

Plumlee quickly apologised and checked on the girl, who was OK, by all reports.

KINGS SHOCK NBA WITH COACH SACKING

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Mike Malone.

The Sacramento coach got the flick earlier this week after the Kings limped to an 11-13 record, but he didn’t exactly have luck on his side so far this season.

The team’s last nine games - seven of them losses - were player without star centre DeMarcus Cousins, who has been battling viral meningitis after averaging 23.5 points per game in the early part of the season.

Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Malone has been given the flick early in the season.

And Malone’s replacement? Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin, who was previously the head coach at Utah, where his 258 games in charge yielded just 112 wins, including 25 wins from 82 games in his final year.

Malone’s pretty stiff.

CHANDLER SWATS AWAY WARRIORS’ SHOE

Do not attempt to retrieve a lost shoe and throw it to a teammate. Not in Tyson Chandler’s house.

Chandler wasn’t having a bar of the Golden State Warriors’ efforts to give Marreese Speights his shoe back after the shoe slipped off his foot during a Warriors’ possession.

As the teams headed back down the court on the following player, Chandler swatted the shoe back into the crowd as someone threw it in Speights’ direction.

Impressive pest work.

Originally published as NBA Jammed: Walmart makes a mess of Carmelo Anthony doll, while Corey Brewer takes “travelling” to new lengths