Thursday A.M. Hot Clicks
An NBA Christmas
LeBron James :: Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA held its annual slate of Christmas games and the biggest story were the sleeved uniforms worn by all the teams. Both Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki and Knicks guard Beno Udrih went public with their dislike of the sleeves, though in Udrih's case he was just looking for an excuse to justify this ugly three-point attempt. As for the games, the Knicks and Nets both got crushed, which is not good since they have the league's two highest payrolls and are both 9-19 on the season. Tempers flared in the Warriors-Clippers game with a frustrated Blake Griffin accusing Golden State of playing "cowardly basketball" after luring him into two cheap technical fouls. Russell Westbrook was the star of the day for not only recording a triple-double but rocking these leather overalls and "killin it" beanie to the game while LeBron James and Dwyane Wade added to their highlight reel in a victory over the Lakers.
Getting in the Christmas Spirit
I'm sure more of these stories will come out in the next few days but Dwight Howard and Robert Griffin III made some friends in their locker rooms on Christmas. The Redskins quarterback hooked his offensive linemen up with XBox Ones while the Rockets center purchased high-end watches for his teammates.
Move Over, Miley
Stephen Curry showed off his twerking skills on this Instagram video.
Lovely Lady Of The Day
Thursday A.M. Hot Clicks
Miranda from Jersey City dropped me a line requesting Amber Lancaster be today's LLOD. As a fellow Jersey City resident, it's my neighborly duty to grant her wishes and show off these photos of the lovely Ms. Lancaster.
You Will Definitely Regret This
A Knicks fan got the same "NY" neck ink as J.R. Smith, then added a "Swish" (Smith's nickname) tattoo above it.
SI Vault Photo of the Day
Carlton Fisk and Lou Piniella :: Neil Leifer/SI
Carlton Fisk turns 66 today. In this photo, Fisk tags Lou Piniella during a 1976 Red Sox-Yankees game. The collision started one of the most famous bench-clearing brawls in baseball history, as described in this Aug. 1978 profile of Red Sox pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee, who was famously injured in the fight (see video section below for footage of brawl).
"On the night of May 20, 1976, while backing up home plate in Yankee Stadium, Lee unwisely took part in a full-scale rumble, the results of which nearly cost him his left arm, not to mention his career. While trying to prevent the Yankees' Otto Velez from joining the fray, Lee was punched by Mickey Rivers, and then grabbed from behind by Graig Nettles and heaved to the ground on his shoulder. At that point, films show, Rivers pounded away at Lee under a mountain of bodies. When Lee finally was able to get up and throw a punch, his arm was shot. Nonetheless, he went after Nettles, who opened up with both fists, and Lee was hammered into a bloody pulp. Because of his assault on Lee, Rivers has been pelted with racial epithets, bottles, bolts and firecrackers in Fenway, and Lee still wonders if his shoulder is all there. "I don't think the Yankees started the fight to get me," Lee says, "but once it started, I know there were a few Yankees looking for me. My opinions may have caught up with themselves." A long time before the fight, Lee had described the Yankees' gladiatorial prowess as the equal of "a bunch of hookers swinging their purses."
Odds and Ends
Gilbert Arenas is training for a NBA return ... The Cowboys signed 41-year-old Jon Kitna to be their third string QB. Kitna will donate the $53,000 he'll make on Sunday to Lincoln High School in his native Tacoma, Wash., where he's been teaching math for the past couple years ... Randy Moss thinks he could still put up 15 or 16 touchdowns if he were playing in the NFL ... The biggest box office bombs of 2013.
Revisiting the 1976 Red Sox-Yankees Brawl
As mentioned earlier, here's the famous 1976 brawl between the longtime rivals.
Earmuff Time
A fan covers the ears of his younger brother just before a Kevin Garnett tirade.
Ozzie Smith Video of the Day
Ozzie Smith celebrates his 59th birthday today. Here's a look back at one of his best plays.
