2010-11 Wizards Season-Ending Awards: Quote of the Year

by Mike Prada on Apr 25, 2011 3:09 PM EDT in Polls

In our previous edition, Nick Young's 360 layup won out as the Wizards' 2010-11 Play of the Year. Now, we'll focus on a more irreverent category: the "Quote of the Year."

Here, I'll leave the criteria intentionally vague. It could be the funniest quote. It could be the most meaningful. It could be the most ironic. It could be the most fitting. Either way, the choice is up to you. Here are the nominees.

1. The ballad of Gilbert Arenas

"Right now I'm out there to hit open shots, teach John the ins and the outs of the game, and then eventually go on and move on. I'm on my way. This is the NBA. There's few players that stay in the same city, so right now the city is John's. I'm not here to fight anybody. I'm here to play alongside of him. He's Batman, I'm Robin. When I came in, Larry [Hughes] moved aside for me to become a star and I'm moving aside for him to become a star.

2. Gilbert Arenas fakes an injury

"I told him I'd go ahead and fake an injury or say something is wrong with me so you can start"

3. Ted Leonsis on the initial Arenas to Orlando rumors, December 1:

"It isn't true. I wouldn't tell you if it was true but I am telling you that it is not true."

4. Ron Artest on JaVale McGee

"I think he got to go to school a little bit more. He's got to work on that IQ a little bit. He got to watch more tape. I don't think he watches tape. I think he plays video games. I do. I don't think he watches tape. I think he plays video games and I think he could possibly have an Atari. He should upgrade to a Play Station."

5. John Wall after a loss in Philadelphia

"It's just so frustrating to see that certain guys seem like they don't have the effort to be out there, you know like they don't care."

6. Ted Leonsis, going a little too crazy

A new big three has announced its arrival - Wall, Crawford and Blatche. Big minutes - big productivity - big results. And wins, too.

7. Andray Blatche, explaining his game

"If anybody watched me grow into this team and into this league, they'd know that I've never been a back-to-the-basket, bang-bang down player. I'm more of a face-up and a finesse player. That's who I am. I can't force myself to be a different player that I'm not."

8. Flip Saunders, saying his team isn't very good

"That can be frustrating. But that's like if I run you in a race I'm going to probably beat you all 10 times because you're not as fast as me," Saunders joked. "Same thing right now. We're just young and not as talented as the teams we're playing."

9. Andray Blatche on his workout routine

"When I do lift, I'm the type of person, I don't see results at all. I mean, I tried everything, man. I got a chef so I could start getting as healthy as I could eat. I don't know what it is, man. I'm trying."

10. JaVale McGee on his dribbling

"I wasn't always 7 foot, and I always had ball handling. But everybody makes mistakes in their life, right?"

11. Gilbert Arenas explains pooping in Andray Blatche's shoe

"I understand what people think because of the perception of me. They read the funny stuff, like me taking a crap in [teammate] Andray Blatche's shoes. But nobody is going to ask what Andray did to deserve it.

Poll

What was the best quote of the Wizards' season?

Gilbert Arenas' melancholy John Wall quote

22 votes

Arenas fakes his injury

25 votes

Ted Leonsis shooting down the Arenas rumors

12 votes

Ron Artest on JaVale McGee

126 votes

John Wall vents in Philadelphia

28 votes

Ted Leonsis' "New Big Three"

13 votes

Andray Blatche is a "finesse" player

10 votes

Flip Saunders' running joke

6 votes

Andray Blatche on his workout routine

13 votes

JaVale McGee on his dribbling

14 votes

Gilbert Arenas explains his shoe-pooping

134 votes

Other (please specify and link)

4 votes

407 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 25 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

The Gilbert dump line is classic

“Nobody is going to ask what Andray did to deserve it”. Haha, after that quote came out I laughed for a solid week. Damn, Dray, what the hell did you do?!

by jeffco01 on Apr 25, 2011 3:40 PM EDT reply actions

Right!

I still wanna know…

by jones-y on Apr 25, 2011 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

All your answers can be found

Right here.

Bullets Forever: Waiting for the Fat Lady to sing since 2006. | @jakewhitacre

by Jake Whitacre on Apr 25, 2011 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh that was weak...

I was thinking Dray must have done something inventive or notable. Because poop in the shoe is both of those haha!

by jones-y on Apr 26, 2011 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I picked #1

Because it seemed to sum up the season….

This was a season for transitioning from the old to the new. From a veteran laden squad, led by an electric, flamboyant, comic workaholic – to a MUCH younger, much less talented squad led by an electric, quiet, serious workaholic.

Also because the quote seemed so unusual at the time…. With Ted saying they wanted to keep Gilbert… and Flip giving him big minutes… But it’s almost like Gil was prophetic when he made that statement… Because he DID move aside… he DID play second fiddle… and eventually, he DID move on.

He's "delightfully cranky"

I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.

by Rook6980 on Apr 25, 2011 3:47 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Everytime I read a Flip quote to the press

I imagine him pulling out a flask and taking a swig between questions. Poor guy.

by Pryme on Apr 25, 2011 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

Was gonna pick Artest

All I could do was nod when I heard that. But then the Dray poop quote showed up here and naturally that had to take the cake

"If you want money, go to the bank. If you want bread, go to the bakery. If you want goals, go to the net" -Brooks Laich

by sami426 on Apr 25, 2011 3:57 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

i wanted to vote for a positive quote…so two thirds of them became ineligible. for a while, gilberts ballad seem to win by default…..until he said, no one ever asks what andray did to deserve it.

i still cry every time i hear it…and have always wondered

by les boulez bomber on Apr 25, 2011 4:10 PM EDT reply actions

I had to go with Gil shoe dump quotable

i’m still laughing off that one

Gilbert being serious about it only makes it more hilarious

by StillUnknown on Apr 25, 2011 4:24 PM EDT reply actions

Another quote

Flip Saunders: "the patience of coaching a young team is something you just keep working and working on, and eventually you’ll see progress. It’s like the story about the rock… where you keep pounding and pounding and pounding that rock. After 200 times nothing happens. And you think that’s it. And then you hit it the 201st time and you start to see a crack. Hopefully the older they get, the stinker games become less and less."

by Johnnie Futbol on Apr 25, 2011 7:07 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 2 recs

rec'd

by CantWait90 on Apr 25, 2011 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I cut that one out at the last minute, but it was good

SB Nation DC | Bullets Forever | SBNation.com | Twitter.

by Mike Prada on Apr 25, 2011 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I think its a double headed sword

between Leonsis claiming that Arenas is in the future of the teams plans right before Arenas is traded and his big 3 who are not the big 3. I wonder if he prepares his retraction that is not a retraction before or after he posts?

by hambonejackson on Apr 25, 2011 7:48 PM EDT reply actions

Other, specify...

"He’s 7-1, got like a David Robinson build, springs off the floor real quick, goes over the rim. If he can just get his feel for the game together, he can have an impact on a team. Because the game is called basketball, not run and jump."

- Lamar Odom on Javale McGee
I don’t know if this counts as part of the season, but this is the one I see people on BF quote the most from the last year.

"Be patient or be a Heat fan" - MR

by steadyhand on Apr 25, 2011 8:23 PM EDT reply actions

it's.....interesting that a negative quote from an opposing player about one

of our most promising players gets 30% of the vote for “quote of the year.” And folks wonder why Mcgee would say “how you like that?” about the behind-the-back highlight!

by DCrez on Apr 25, 2011 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions

it is sad and i wasnt going to vote for any negative quote. but i do find it funny you pointed out that particular play because the behind the back pass in traffic is something you see in video games…which is exactly what the quote referenced lol

by les boulez bomber on Apr 25, 2011 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions

i pointed out that play because the same folks (i would guess) who voted for

Artest’s line also flipped out over Javale’s exit interview comments re: that play.

at any rate, Gil’s line about crapping in Dray’s shoe is one of the funniest quotes in ANY sport at ANY time… that’s my vote!

by DCrez on Apr 25, 2011 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah- that was my vote too.

there is no doubt that negativity creeps its way on to bulletin boards. if we were all at a party together, i dont think it would be as bad. i try to be balanced because sometimes the optimistic views are a little out there too. hopefully, we keep pushing in the right direction and play good fundamental basketball. regardless of one’s views on any particular player, i think the franchise will be in decent hands with ted…if not great hands. we have bottomed as a franchise! and there is a new crop of young teams making statements in the playoffs- memphis and indiana stand out as positive surprises. both teams are doing it with solid front court play, which is something i hope EG notices. this league will be fun to watch over the next few years.

by les boulez bomber on Apr 25, 2011 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions

both teams are doing it with solid front court play, which is something i hope EG notices.

Yeah, I mean it seems so obvious, why hasn’t EG noticed that before??? I mean you’d think he’d have spent six of his first seven draft picks as Wiz GM on front court players being that they’re so fundamental to success… What is his problem?

Dear Ernie Claus, All we want for christmas is a solid front court… It can’t be that hard if almost half the teams in the league have one.

by jones-y on Apr 26, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I didn't count it since it was the summer

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by Mike Prada on Apr 25, 2011 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm going with Wall exhaling......

We as fans don’t need to know abotu every interaction btwn teammates, but it was refreshing to know that personal accountability WAS a problem & someone on the team was stepping up to call ‘em out…. Josh Howard did it…. so why shouldn’t the capt?

*we are building for the FUTURE*
Leave me alone. The game is on...

by 2StepsAway on Apr 25, 2011 10:13 PM EDT reply actions

The Artest Atari comment

It was so right. JaVale could possibly have an Atari, and he does have an Atari game right now. I’m hoping he’ll have a Nintendo game by the end of next year, and eventually, an all around basketball game. (And I’m not talking about Jordan-vs.-Bird)

by satchmore on Apr 25, 2011 11:04 PM EDT reply actions