Z and scoring 10,000th Point/Missing ball found

[Dr. Gymbo]

Re: Z and scoring 10,000th Point

Can you PLEASE tell me why any loyal Cavs fan would even consider for one MILLISECOND to trade this man away? He IS Cleveland, case closed.

It's alright Z, you don't need that ball, you'll get a ring this season instead.

~Jim

 

[The Oi]

Re: Z and scoring 10,000th Point

Z's effort tonight was his version of holding out for a better contract. Z says he's going to keep putting up 2-15 games until he gets that ball back...

 

[Cavatt]

Re: Z and scoring 10,000th Point

Z's effort tonight was his version of holding out for a better contract. Z says he's going to keep putting up 2-15 games until he gets that ball back...

Yeah he didnt play too well. Surprising because i think he has been money lately. I was saying how he must be finally over the ankle. Probably just an off night.

 

[Prime 1978]

For those who care...Z's missing ball has been found

If this has been posted already sorry.. I swear I looked first

Z shows just how much of a class act he is!!! Way to go!!

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2009/03/cavaliers_insider_case_of_the.html


Cavaliers Insider: Case of the missing historic basketball solved
by Jodie Valade/Plain Dealer Reporter
Tuesday March 31, 2009, 8:47 PM

Bill Kostroun/AP
A young excited fan, not a greedy one, possesed the game ball from the game in which Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored his 10,000th point. An understanding Ilgauskas told the fan to keep the ball.The Case of the Missing Ball has a feel-good ending, after all.
After The Plain Dealer reported Monday that the ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas used to score his 10,000th career point March 21 was MIA because of a greedy fan, media and Cavaliers supporters unleashed full-court pressure to force the culprit to cough up the ball.

A young boy's mother called the Cavaliers on Tuesday and explained that her son had taken the ball simply because he was excited when it somehow landed in his lap after the game.

Ilgauskas merely told the boy, whom he said was 7 or 8 years old, to keep the ball.

"Knowing all the circumstances, I felt bad for him," the 7-3 center said. "He took some uncalled beating for it in the last couple days. For me, it was always about the journey, not the ball. So now I want him to have a piece of it. I don't really need the ball anyway."

Ilgauskas, who also became the Cavaliers' all-time block leader March 22 when he passed John "Hot Rod" Williams' 1,200 blocks, said he didn't have a spot in his trophy case reserved for the ball, anyhow.

"It's not a record-breaking ball or anything like that," he said. "I did what I had to do, you can't take that way from me. I'll always have that. It'll make one person happy, so that's all that matters."

Told that Tuesday night's game against Detroit was his 700th career game as a Cavalier -- which ranks third behind Bingo Smith (720) and Danny Ferry (723) -- Ilgauskas offered a prediction.

"I'm going to get that game ball now, for sure," he said.

 

[SoundBreaker]

Re: For those who care...Z's missing ball has been found

My man Z...

EDIT:
OH MY GOD!!!! I GOT A GOLDEN PENIS!!!!



I'm so happy...

 

[SanduskyCav]

Re: For those who care...Z's missing ball has been found

The ball may have been found, now if he can only find his interior offense.

 

[3 Da Hard Way]

Re: For those who care...Z's missing ball has been found

Cool ending to the missing ball

I'm sure this makes Delonte happy

 

[Ninja108]

Re: For those who care...Z's missing ball has been found

All I can think of after reading this is how cool of a person Z really is. It would have been easy for him to demand the ball back or even be mildly perturbed that the ball was taken, but no, he handled the situation with style and aplomb. It's really nice to see a professional athlete with his priorities straight. Its articles like this that only further cement Z as my favorite Cavalier.

 

[Cratylus]

Re: Z and scoring 10,000th Point

Z is the man. That is cool. He should have signed the ball and had a beer with that kid.

Uh, according to the article the kid was 7 or 8 years old. Have a beer with him??? Maybe a Coca-Cola instead.

 

[ChicagoCavFan]

In related news, a quick scan of ebay had me finding a new seller with the username 7yroldballjockey auctioning off a basketball with a starting price of $500 and a reserve of $1000.

 

[wuck]

The end of the line - Z gets the ball, the kid gets a surprise visit and a trade.

End of story: Zydrunas Ilgauskas made a surprise visit to Parkside Intermediate School in Westlake on Wednesday, trading a youngster an autographed basketball for the ball he scored the 10,000th point of his career with last Saturday at The Q. After the victory over Atlanta, the ball was thrown into the stands, where it was caught by a boy who was just thrilled it landed in his lap -- and didn't realize its significance. A report in Mike McIntyre's Tipoff column in Monday's Plain Dealer indicated Ilgauskas was interested in finding the ball. The boy's mother contacted the Cavs and the exchange was arranged, although Ilgauskas said he also would have been fine with the youngster keeping the ball. The family, preferring to remain anonymous, declined an interview request.

SOURCE

 

[SoundBreaker]

The end of the line - Z gets the ball, the kid gets a surprise visit and a trade.



SOURCE

Greedy Z:chuckles:

 

[Maximus]

Z didnt want it that bad...the media blew it up into a bigger story that he wanted. The kid eventually got a bunch of grief over the incident and Z felt pretty bad. Also worth mentioning, the kid is blind and is having a real tough time. Z stepped up and wanted to make him feel special and take the pressure off of him.
Z has always been and continues to be a real pro. They don't make many like him. We should all be extremely proud to have him as a Cav. It will be an amazing night when his jersey is finally raised to the rafters where it belongs. God willing, when it happens, he'll be wearing a ring or two...or three. He isn't just one of the good guys....he's one of the best.

 

[Zog]

This kid was blind? This sounds cruel, I know, but what is he doing at a basketball game if he can't see anything? And how did he catch the ball?

 

[Maximus]

This kid was blind? This sounds cruel, I know, but what is he doing at a basketball game if he can't see anything? And how did he catch the ball?

Why was he there? Living his life. Gordon Gund, a blind man, enjoyed his tenure as the OWNER of the Cavs and he still enjoys going to games to this day. I'm sure the ball was given to to the boy by someone else making it even more incredible. I'm sure he never dreamed of getting a game balll, let alone one of so much importance. Who would? Blind or not? It was kicked way up into the stands by Delonte and they had no idea anyone was looking for it until long after he was home with it perched next to his bed as his greatest possession. Z wanted him to keep it....he wanted Z to have it. Two special people got together and it all worked out.