[EntropyParticipant]

http://youtu.be/_RuZv7snezw

[aamir543Participant]

Wow, I know the guy’s a competitor and wants the ball but that’s classless, completely unacceptable. It’s good to see that a young player wants the ball, but you can’t put up a stink like that.

He’s still going to turn into a great player but he’s going to need to calm down a bit, you can’t have that big of an ego to not even be happy for your own teammate. It’s not a huge deal, but I know that regardless of the situation you have to at least pretend to care, I don’t have a problem with him being pissed at not getting the shot but I have a HUGE problem with how he responded.

[Kyrie Irving]

I thought I was the only that noticed this.
He screamed hard as f. and clapping his hands like a maniac calling for the pass.
I agree sometimes they ignore him, even if he’s somewhat open, but it has to do with the fact that he’s not a team player himself.

[aamir543Participant]

I can tolerate him jumping up and down like a maniac to an extent, but I can’t tolerate his reaction after the game.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

Selfish.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

Undeserving diva

[HaleParticipant]

Just to play devils advocate, would anyone be saying this had Drew missed? Because Larry Drew is a bad shooter and didn’t have a good look. Muhammad showed a pretty big lack in maturity here, but he really should have gotten gotten the ball.

[SiggyParticipant]

Only a bad teammate would react that way to a game winner.
Man this draft sucks up top. When was the last time there was no deserving #1 pick? At least the depth looks better than expected.

[JoeJoParticipant]

I know, I can’t believe he actually sulked after a game winner. Who does that? Well, maybe Scottie Pippen did once but damn, this is embarrassing.

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

What’s crazy is he did the same thing when Powell hit a three right before the first half ended. He was even more distraught and even through his hands down is disgust after the shot went in.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

Wow… I remember this used to be a team sport.

[JoeJoParticipant]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone that demonstrative about wanting the ball. I mean, LOUDLY clapping, jumping up and down and screaming loudly enough to come through the TV (although the sparse crowd maybe had something to do with his screaming carrying). It’s not going to be a comfortable moment for him in the film review.

[omphalosParticipant]

To be fair, I watched the whole game and he was getting passed up for good looks a bunch of times over the course of the night, half the time he only got possession when he got an offensive rebound because the Wear brothers kept taking (and missing) jumpers early in the clock down the stretch which would have been bugging him. Drew was having an awful game, doing very little to get his team-mates involved or get them open looks or share the ball around, and Bazz was literally the only one keeping UCLA within striking distance for the majority of the game.

Yes, I’m disappointed with how he reacted, but that was his shot, he earned it, and Drew has a history of not giving Bazz the ball in do-or-die moments and going for glory himself, even when he’s doubled. His inability to be a leader and get his team-mates involved was also why he left North Carolina; Drew is having a good year, but he thinks he’s a lot better than he is and seems unable or unwilling to defer to the more talented players around him, especially when they are freshmen (see Barnes at UNC and now Bazz). Drew is still trying to play his way into the pros by doing everything himself, not a damn thing has changed since his days in North Carolina.

The problem is that Drew’s selfishness is contagious; Bazz and the others aren’t confident in getting their touches, so they are more likely to just jack it up whenever they get a shot. There are lots of isolation plays going on from pretty much every player on the team, and Bazz is clearly frustrated when he moves off the ball to free himself up for an open look and they ignore him, or when he establishes post position on a smaller player on his preferred side and they ignore him.

Bill Walton was clearly frustrated during the game, and he was making comments about how Shabazz should be getting the ball every time because he was the only one attacking, and he wasn’t far wrong, even if he was exaggerating a little for effect. At the end of the day, Bazz is the one who gets the most scrutiny after every lost game, he is dealing with a lot of pressure and hype, and to some degree the amount of pressure and expectation he’s under entitles him to the last shot in a close game.

So before you judge Bazz too harshly on this, try to understand the context of the game and the fact that they were coming off two straight losses to boot.

[thparadoxParticipant]

Thanks, this is the exact information I was hoping to see, regarding the previous 99% of the game. Assuming that this is true:

It is extremely frustrating when someone is ball hogging and killing the team that way.

Funny how we are so quick to criticize players who have no “drive” or “motor”, but when they show us they really care we criticize them for being selfish and unsportsmanlike.

If Shabazz getting the ball was, by far, the better basketball play, then he SHOULD be pissed off that his teammate chucked a shot! Who cares if it goes in THIS TIME? It sets a terrible precedent. A good coach / teammate may celebrate in the moment, but later would make it known that they don’t support the play.

[SiggyParticipant]

Sounds a whole bunch of excuses.
Drew didn’t leave UNC because of his selfish play. He left because he was not a good decision maker and got supplanted by a freshman. He has always been a reluctant shooter in college because he cannot shoot.
He’s still not much of an NBA prospect at all, but he has improved his decision making to the tune of the best A/T ratio in the country. He is still a reluctant shooter though so I don’t know what you’re talking about with Drew’s “selfishness”.

Here are some facts for you. Drew leads the nation in A/T ratio and Pure Point Rating. He averages 8 assists a game. He gets more assists than he attempts FGs a game. Yet he’s the selfish one?
Muhammad took 23 shots to get his 22 points. He took more than 3 times as many shots as Drew did…and no, they didn’t all come off of offensive rebounds. Muhammad made 35% of those 23 shots. Drew made 4 of his 7 shots. Not only did Muhammad shoot 23 times, but he had no assists again and he averages less than 1 assist a game. He has had 0 assists in 40% of the games so far this yr. Yet Drew is the selfish one?

I’m not buying what you’re selling at all.

[theballerwayParticipant]

Surely we all know that. Plus it looked like it was set up for the ball to come to him on the curl to the top. Drew misses that and they go to OT. prob lose. He has alot more riding on the games than Drew. This is really like his job application for the league. Also i sure he was talking to a coach. Drew is a cancer.

omphalos – couldnt agree more with your post.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

https://twitter.com/phenom15balla/status/299736262884081664

shabazz muhammad ‏@phenom15balla Great win my boy Larry is clutch big time !!! Everybody follow him @YouSeeLA10 #SCTop10

From the video, it does appear that Shabazz maybe is not as happy as the rest of his teammates, could even be read as selfish. However, maybe he was relieved? Stressed? Dealing with it in a different way? People deal with things in different ways. He did not do what people expected him to do, which was join the pile up and celebrate with everyone else. Does that mean he was not happy that they won?

Did he not go over and shake everyones hand, than maybe celebrate and congratulate Larry in the locker room? Jordan Adams goes over, than walks away as well. He looks more hyped than Shabazz, but I think Muhammad gets a bad rap on this one. To me, this is trying to make a story out of nothing. They have been doing that a lot about Shabazz. The guy is intense, yet reserved. Just who he is. Most people would figure you go over and celebrate, that not doing so is selfish. What I will say is, people react differently and I think that was the case here.

[Terpsbball10Participant]

Of course he is going to put that on twitter after he probably got hundreds of texts from people saying they saw him on ESPN acting like a baby. His reaction says everything we need to know about him…..selfish, selfish, selfish. He seems like the kind of guy that just wants to get his and really doesn’t care about winning. I really hope my wiz don’t draft him. I’d take Otto Porter over Shabazz 10 times out of 10. Did you guys ever hear last year after game 1 of the finals I believe, where Harden was in the locker room complaining about a lack of shots……AFTER THEY WON GAME 1 OF THE FINALS!!!??? Seems exactly like something Shabazz would do. NO THANKS.

[TyroberParticipant]

The one moment might have a couple of teams pass on him. I can understand him wanting the ball… That is perfectly fine for him to want to take the last shot, but not celebrating when your teammate just won the game for you? That is absolutely ridiculous to not put the team first.

[A Lil EnglishParticipant]

I agree with omphalos & MikeyV.

Personally, I love the desire to have the ball in his hands at the end of the game especially if you’re the leading scorer throughout the game..,

It seems as though top players can’t win sometimes – if you don’t demand the ball at the end you’re “passive”, if you demand the ball too much you’re selfish… damn.

The way ESPN wants to brainwash people in thinking a certain way is so obvious sometimes. And people lap it up

[PrometheusParticipant]

Shabazz was the only person in this game who could get anything going offensively for UCLA, he was clearly the best player on the court, maybe he overreacted a little bit, but he still slashed to the basket for a potential rebound. its not like he just sulked beyond the arc. Either way, he deserved the last shot…

Then the shot went in and a stadium packed with empty seats erupted into a dull roar. The jubilant UCLA players all piled on Drew (6.4 ppg) after winning an extremely sloppy, unexceptional, and unexciting (until the last couple minutes) game against the (13-10) #73 RPI Washington Huskies.

Im sure Shabazz had this in mind when he picked UCLA. No, I don’t mind at all that he didn’t jump for joy.

[juice304Participant]

I don’t have the exact stats right now, but it took him about 24 shots to get 23 points or soemthing close to that. I understand him wanting the ball, but i think he needs to take a reality check on himself. He wasn’t exactly going to get the ball in a good area to get a good shot up in the time they had. He needs to work on being more efficient, a better teamate, and creating for others. He was gonna have to take a really tough shot. Drew got to a good spot on the floor and had a decent look. And too not even look happy on a game winner thats not good at all. I could see Shabazz becoming a 20-24 ppg guy in the league, but by doing it very inefficiently and probably getting less than 2 assists per game. Thats not exactly a recipe to become a winner. He’s not even close to James Harden as some compare him too, but i think he needs to explore altering his game to play more like Harden. Get to the free throw line, create for himself as well as others.

[sportspolymathParticipant]

I want my scorers to be selfish. I want them to want the ball so they can win the game. As a UCLA fan and a former coach, I do not want Larry Drew taking the last shot if it can be avoided. Also, maybe the play was designed for Shabazz to get the ball.

Anyway, the two guys are obviously not best friends, and If I were Shabazz I want the ball in that situation. If I’m the coach, I want Shabazz to have the ball too.

Drew hitting the shot just reinforces negative behavior.

Not a Drew fan, but a big Shabazz fan.

He has also been sick all week and lost like 10 pounds, perhaps that can be used as an excuse as well.

[thatdude44Participant]

The hype in which Shabazz has received has been simply rediculous. I like his potential but from what he shows right now, he has D-League written all over him. The fact that people are watching his every move and he time after time displays bad body language in both a win and in a lost. To be honest I think he should return for another year, show up to show to campus in great shape, with a better attitude and become a better team player. From a marketing stand point that alone would thrust him (Shabazz) into top 5 decision plus making the 2014 draft class even more sick. Yes, he a has a motor but at this point he’s simply playing with no real purpose…

[llperez]

just got done watching the game right now. Shabazz did not play that well. He has tons of talent and they dont win this game without him, but he was a black hole on offense took a lot of bad shots and missed a bunch. I actually want the team to look for him every tiem becasue he is so much better then anyone else on the court, but that doesnt mean he played well tonight.

Glad the bruins won but tonights game was UGLY and they wont go far if they contiue this recent level of play.

[halfdecayedParticipant]

All im seeing is that bazz doesnt really care about his college career, he’s obviously a 1 and done, and this video and his low assist per game clearly show that he’s there to showcase his skills to NBA scouts, he’s really not a team player, but if you need a scorer in your team, I would pick him in a heart beat.

[3 No Biases 3Participant]

Wow…I can’t believe a couple of you guys actually took up for him…wtf?

[Bmore_DCParticipant]

He shouldve never went to UCLA…i thought that was a bad fit from the beginning…That was a bad shot that luckily went in by Drew…Baz shouldve celebrated but it seems like he doesnt like his situation there…Hes not a bad kid, just a little immature like we all were at that age. He will be a good NBA player and make millions if he stays humble…Hes no Demarcus Cousins, but hes also no Shane Battier we all know that.

[jwostrumParticipant]

give the guy a break!!!! he gets falsely accused by the ncaa first and has to sit 3 games. when he comes back everyone is trying to nit pick at every aspect of his game. then he gets harrassed again by the ncaa about a fancy backpack his mother and sister actually bought him. and he played the last two games with the flu. there have been articles saying his teammates have asked him to step up and be the closer. he rarely gets more than 20 shots a game and he is easily the best scorer and player on the team. i can see why he was mad, i do think he should have went over and given drew his props for the shot, but im not gonna trash the guy for it either. nobody seemed to complain when lebron quit on cleveland in the playoffs his last year there. why does everybody hate shabazz. let him have fun in college.

[BigChamp12Participant]

First Shabazz was getting looked off all game. It happens to him a lot. No one else was scoring so he was right to want the ball.
But secondly, I dont think he was pouting. Im sure he was happy about the win. He carries himself a little different than the average player. Just because he didnt go dive into the pile with SOME of his teammates doesnt mean he’s upset. He was headed to go shake hands. Im pretty sure he wasnt the only UCLA player that didnt jump into the pile. Feel free to disagree, but I didnt find anything wrong here.

[MUbballfanParticipant]

I might’ve been screaming for the ball too, with Larry Drew trying to take the shot.

[Sewok15Participant]

This clearly shows he has a me first attitude. If you couldn’t already tell by his .9 assists per game. I noticed early on he wasn’t getting the ball when he was clearly open sometimes and wondered what the deal was. I am thinking his teammates just might not like him…but they also might have good reason to. Drew should have stuck with the play and got him the ball however when your team hits a buzzer beating shot you should show some excite and congratulate your teammates.

His selfish attitude will fit right into the NBA and he will score 20 a game for a crappy team for years to come and be happy with his millions of dollars. Maybe later in his career he will understand the team aspect of basketball and do some sacrificing for the team and eventually be the 3rd best player on a title contender.

[apb540Participant]

Stuff like this is why I hate the internet/TV/media/social media/etc. age we live in….

[Sewok15Participant]

Says this guy on the internet…

[apb540Participant]

I use the internet to learn. People post great stuff on here all the time. That’s the part of it I love. Criticizing young men for really small mistakes during a competitive time in a game? That’s the stuff I hate.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

I’m going to give you a really different take off this. But don’t read it as saying that I approve of this attitude.

How much money did Austin Rivers make off his game winning jumper against UNC? I’d guess it moved his draft pick up five spots, because you know it showed he was assassin with the clutch gene. Those spots are a $1.5 million difference over his three year rookie contract. Let’s say a shot like this gets a lot play and Shabazz has 50/50 chance of making it. It gets forgotten if he misses, or it goes on his scouting tape and ESPN if he makes it. Shabazz knows he just lost at least a hundred grand on that play, compared to if the ball had been in his hands and he had hit the game winner. I’m not saying he should be thinking about these things in a game, but these guys are pros balling for dollars. And shots are dollars. Shots at end of games are mega dollars. Also he is a perfectly fine option for end of game shots because he has those kind of shot creation skills. And he was having a good game.

I’m just throwing out another take on this. Shabazz ain’t doing much this season and he is not going to get drafted high. But he has exactly the kind of buzz that Rivers had and exactly the kind of meh college stats means he won’t go too early. He is right where just a few breaks could make him millions. And game winning shots are part of those breaks. You don’t get that option all that often.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

This is hilarious lol.

Regardless of the reasoning, he looks like a selfish/me first idiot.

[Ghost01Participant]

This really changes the way I look at this guy. Forget the fact he’s struggling to average 1 assist per game, but this is just classless and childish. Players who are that obsessed with getting the ball in big spots and aren’t even happy when their teammates come through are just silly. EVEN KOBE would never do anything like this even in his younger days. This guy is totally one dimensional. He’s a wing who can score. I want to pick someone a little more complete than that with my number 1 overall pick, but that’s just me. I want winners, not me first ball hogs.

[Toronto16Participant]

Over rated diva.

[raybeasParticipant]

averages 1.7 assists per game. Cody Zeller 1.3. Just sayin.

[Dale WorthingtonParticipant]

Classless punk who doesn’t care about the team, isn’t happy for others’ success, and showed up at the beginning of the season fat.

[RafterParticipant]

I’m more upset with his reaction after the shot, it’s almost like he was hoping that Drew would miss the shot. The team won, every competitor knows winning the game eclipses any individual performance but Muhammad wanted the glory, he’s not the total player that I thought he was. The NBA isn’t going put up with that kind of mentality, he could be a black hole which would lead to him slipping in the draft, which in the summer I would’ve never believed.

I don’t follow UCLA a great deal so it’d be great to get an insight about Muhammad’s demeanour, was this just a blip or is this the kind of reaction a constant theme with Shabazz?

[llperez]

this is the first time he has acted like this

[ThepessimestParticipant]

I’m confused at some of the justification of Shabazz’s response. I am late to this thread but told my wife right after it happened that this was extremely selfish. EXTREMELY! I’ve read a response where some have said Bazz was looked off on a few shots. First of all he took 23 FGA’s making only 8. And live some of the shots he took leaves a lot to question. Jump hooks from 15 feet out being a prime example. Lastly, Larry Drew III is I believe like 4 in the NCAA in assists. Was he really intentionally looking him off or did he just make the best play for the team?

Lastly, there are concerns about his game as a whole. Someone else correctly pointed out that besides shoot he does nothing else to help the team win. NBADraft.net compares him to MKG but I have to respectfully disagree with this comparison. MKG played hard but didn’t care if he took 3 shots if the team won the game. He was not a “shot chaser”.

Shabazz does one thing that as a coach drives me crazy! He follows the ball everywhere it goes. In some cases Bazz will go post in an area where a teammate already is stationed taking away driving lanes and creating bad spacing.

I am not inside his brain but it appears to be that Shabazz’s only concern is himself. It’s no wonder Ben Howland has had recent struggles. This guy hasn’t forgotten how to coach but when you recruit me guys who are only there with an agenda that is greater than winning you will struggle.

[Ghost01Participant]

I’m glad it’s the first time he’s done this. Its okay to not be happy when your team hits a buzzer beater to win a game because you didn’t get a shot, as long as it only happens one time. SARCASM. SELFISH

[Scott42444Participant]

…the fact of the matter is the shot DID go in and they won a game with a buzzer beater. How can somebody who has ANY investment in a team not have a positive reaction to winning on a buzzer beating shot like that? If he would have taken a moment and shown frustration (which is fine for an alpha scorer like Shabazz is SUPPOSED to be) but THEN celebrated with his team I would have ZERO problem with it. But, when he is pissed like that after his team got a nice win that could have helped them turn their season around a bit it shows me he could care less about anything or anyone else but him. I am a Bulls fan and I will tell you right now, John Paxon, Gar Forman, and Thibs WILL NOT take a kid like this. Even if he drops to the 20th pick they would take someone else. They just won’t put up with guys who aren’t team players.

[Author]

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