If I were the GM of one of the surprise teams in the NBA, and it was getting near the playoffs, I think I wouldn't want to do much to disrupt team chemistry. Like, say, bringing back a player who had been kicked out of the league for two years for drug abuse and dropping him straight into the pressure cooker of a playoff drive.
But, that's just what the New Orleans Hornets are doing, as they have announced plans to sign Chris "Birdman" Andersen after he was reinstated by the NBA on Tuesday. If you aren't familiar, Andersen was a back-up center, who was kicked out of the league back in 2006 for testing positive for the class of drug that includes: meth, cocaine and heroin. Obviously, once he was reinstated, it was clear that New Orleans would welcome him back with open arms: how could you turn away a guy that averaged five points per game his last season, especially in the middle of a playoff chase?
Along with his drug habit, Andersen was known for two things: his "arms flapping" celebration that earned him the nickname "Birdman"; and for completely fucking things up in the 1996 NBA Slam Dunk contest, including needing eight attempts to make his first dunk and five to make his second.
Witness the carnage unfold, helpfully set to "Yakkity Sax":
There was a press conference today to announce Andersen's return. I am not going to comment on his current condition, or if he is actually has his life straightened out (I hope he does). But still...this photo from today doesn't exactly say "clean and sober":
(Photo: Rusty Costanza, The Times-Picayune)
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Note: it finally dawned on me who The Birdman looks like in that picture: noted actor/auteur/scumbag Vincent Gallo. Since I can't see him from the waist down, I can't confirm that it's him, since I can't tell if Chloe Sevigny has her lips attached to his junk.
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