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Your thoughts on the semi-new pregame "photo op"

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I wish damon jones was here for these. Imagine what he would do. He would probably do something like wear vacation clothes to the game seems he would be in streets anyway and have a bucket and spade or something
 
The Plain Dealer just posted a long story about this whole thing.


large_Cavs-Intro.jpg

​

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers make a production out of their NBA pregame rituals
by Jodie Valade/Plain Dealer Reporter
Tuesday March 24, 2009, 11:30 PM

When he was announced at a game sometime in the middle of the season, LeBron James rose from his seat on the Cavaliers bench, fixed his face in stony determination, and acknowledged his teammates with a stiff-backed, straight-hand military salute.

Immediately, each one of his teammates issued a salute back.

"No one talked about it beforehand," guard Delonte West said. "We just all did it, perfectly in synch."

Sometimes, that's how a new gesture becomes part of the ritual -- a spontaneous idea is executed, and a new tradition is born.

"It's just getting ready for battle, getting my soldiers ready," James said of the salute.

Other times, it's a choreographed routine practiced in detail before its unveiling -- like the shadow boxing Daniel Gibson and Mo Williams engage in before they take the court.

"We had to practice that one because we don't want nobody to get hurt," Gibson said.

The intricate gestures, the synchronized dancing, the perfectly timed salutes are all part of the Cavaliers' pregame routine, and an entertaining part of the team identity that has come to signify not only the Cavs' fun-loving and creative side, but also just how well the team has meshed this season.

Recently, James has upped the ante and added a "family portrait" to the act, telling all his teammates to gather close while he mimics taking a photo and gives his approval. There's a self-timer version where he places the pretend camera on a pretend stand and joins the crew, too.

According to legend, it all began -- as many of the team's old, crazy ideas have -- with former Cavaliers guard Damon Jones. A couple years ago, the loquacious guard developed special handshakes with each of his teammates. He'd go through each of them during player announcements, spending the most time on a special, ever-morphing handshake with James just before he went to the scorer's table to toss up talc.

They would pantomime a boxing match, pretend to take pictures of each other, jiggle and dance.

"We didn't think everyone could see it -- it's in the dark," James said. "Certain things just happen throughout the course of the season, we just continue to get good handshakes, just want to keep it fresh. People seem to notice it, so it is working."

Said Jones: "It's nothing superstitious. It was just something to do to show we're on the same page. It was something for the fans to look forward to."

Jones went to Milwaukee in a trade over the summer, but the handshakes stayed. And evolved. And improved. And now, each Cavaliers player has his own, distinct gesture.

Mo Williams executes two forward hand slaps and then one backhand.

West brushes his cheek with his fingertips a la a contemplative Godfather.

"It's kind of a thing a lot of my family members do, and I've kind of adopted it," West said. "To me it means I'm getting ready to handle my business."

Said Gibson, chuckling: "We don't know where that came from. It's his thing."

Anderson Varejao issues two hand slaps to each teammate. The mellow Zydrunas Ilgauskas sticks with the classic high-five. Ben Wallace, before he broke his right leg, would crash into each teammate with a leaping shoulder check. James stands and salutes the Cavaliers, and they salute back.

That's the routine for now. As different things happen throughout the season -- funny conversations, silly moves on or off the court, or simply the team hanging out in hotel lobbies or the locker room -- new stories are woven into the tale of this season and become part of the pregame routine.

"It's not often you find teams in this league where guys can just sit around, talk amongst each other and be in on the same joke without really saying, 'Hey, look at this,' " Wallace said. "A guy can just start laughing, and everybody can know what you're laughing at. That's the makings of a great team. We can read each other on and off the court."

As the lights dimmed before a game last month, James pulled Gibson close. They hunched together in deep conversation by the bench, passionately pantomiming and gesturing. Gibson then hurried over to J.J. Hickson and repeated the same gestures.

This time, when James was announced, he saluted the entire team, slapped Gibson's hand twice, slid to the left -- as Gibson slid to the right -- both crossed their arms, and then saluted again.

And just like that, a new handshake was born.
Click to expand...


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SOURCE
 
I hope they add some sort of 'fake nacho eating' into it so Maximus can finally enjoy it...
 
What song is that?

Disregard. Found it.
 
I'm indifferent
-It defenitely has lost its luster as they do it so often.
-It doesn't bother me at all.
-Hopefully once it gets boring to them, they will stop.
 
All I see is a bunch of guys having fun doing what they love to do. I have absolutely no problems with this. This just shows how connected all of these guys become.

But I'm sure as soon as this routine wears out another will be right around the corner.



But ya, what the hell was Wally doing? He is so awkward, but I still love him nonetheless.
 
ChicagoCavFan said:
If Shaq ends up in Cleveland next season, there might be a full blown circus during intro's, complete with elephants and juggling monkeys riding unicycles.
Click to expand...

Next there will be exploding balls. Fake hoops that fall down.
 
Anyone got the one from tonight. It was the cheesy grade school championship picture according to Boobie.
 
Assuming this ends in June like we all hope it will, I can only imagine what "photos" LeBron will have cooked up for a post-game celebration.
 
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