The strange aftermath of the Delonte West-Von Wafer skirmish
Taken by itself, yesterday’s confrontation between Von Wafer and Delonte West would mean very little. Just two guys battling with each other, competing hard, talking a little junk. West scored a couple times, posted up with fury, told Wafer, “Do something about it,” and that was that. Jermaine O’Neal and Doogie Howser — umm, I mean Lawrence Frank — stepped in to keep the peace. The crisis was averted with no problems whatsoever. And by crisis, I mean “routine incident that happens in every single pickup game ever played.”
But it was what happened afterward that was odd. First Von Wafer called out ESPN’s Chris Forsberg for making it sound like West had been killing him in the two-on-two game. Umm, okay? Wafer had been scored on twice in a row (there’s video to prove it), and that’s all Forsberg reported. Being concerned with what a reporter writes probably isn’t new — I’m sure a lot of guys read every single headline they get. But an NBA player tweeting about the supposed invalidity of someone’s valid reporting struck me as odd. It was almost as if Wafer felt that his manhood had been threatened because people knew West had scored two points on him in a row.
Newsflash, Von: Nobody cares! What we cared about was the scuffle, which Wafer refused to let die because he wanted to let it be known that yes, he scored on West too. Wafer’s response was almost as if his feud with West was still going on, and he couldn’t let West win on ESPN.com just like he didn’t want to let him win on the court.
Later on, things got even weirder. HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy tweeted that West has been in multiple skirmishes with teammates already this season. He also tweeted, “One player said that ‘it’s obvious when [West] hasn’t taken his medicine.’”
Damn. Well that meaningless scuffle suddenly escalated into rumors of a more serious problem, huh? Looking even further into things (and I hate to speculate about who Kennedy’s unnamed sourced might be, but I’m going to anyway), Kennedy has a working relationship with Wafer or someone in Wafer’s close circle. If I’m not mistaken, Kennedy was the first to report the Celtics’ interest in Wafer and also the first to report his signing. Maybe I’m reaching, but wouldn’t it make sense that Wafer is the source, that he’s the one who said, “It’s obvious when [West hasn't taken his medicine"? Wafer has some type of relationship with Kennedy, and he was the one who had feuded with West earlier in the day and then continued the feud with Chris Forsberg.
I hate to speculate, but something smells fishy here. There's no need for any Celtic to tell a reporter that West needs to take his medicine. If Wafer leaked that quote, or if someone else did, he betrayed his teammate to the press. If you ask me, that's a far greater crime than lowering your shoulder or talking junk during a pickup game.
Related posts:
Celtics Blog, Celtics Columns | Jay King | October 25, 2010
Can we please stop with all this speculating. Media are creating problems where problems don’t exist. I watched that clip earlier, just two guys going at each other.
And I refuse to create problems due to reports of “unnamed sources” if you can’t name a source, don’t report a story, hearsay is just needless speculation.
That’s the problem with today’s media, too many “reporters” tweeting idle meanderings of their mind and it being interpreted as legitimate news.
I love the competition from West, I love the killer instinct, I love him calling Wafer out in practice and saying “do something about it.” That’s the way it should be, don’t like it, beat me. Can’t? Then shut the hell up. This is the way Celtics basketball should be.
In the end, I trust Doc and the vets on this team to keep things in order, and I don’t care to speculate on stupid rumors from “unnamed sources” that concern the 15th player on the roster who probably won’t see significant minutes for most of the reason. This is stupid.
Ugh… ok I’m done ranting.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I agree, even though I guess I’m part of the problem by speculating about unnamed sources. The incident itself was minor, at best. But the aftermath was odd, and that quote about West was severe.
If you are questioning the validity of Kennedy’s source and thinking he made it up, I doubt it. He’s actually a pretty reliable and trustworthy reporter. I doubt he’d put his name on the line to make up a quote like that.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Maybe, maybe not. Then drop a name. I’m not questioning the validity, or whether or not Kennedy and a generally reliable source. No, I don’t think he’s just “making up quotes.”
But if someone doesn’t feel strongly enough about something to put their name behind it, then their a coward for saying anything at all.
So it’s either a quote taken out of context, said in passing, or misunderstood. Or, this “source” is a coward for refusing to be named. If you can’t back up what you say, keep your mouth shut. So in either case, I don’t give a damn. Mis-interpreted, or the words of a coward, both end up in one conclusion: I don’t give a shit.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
But you aren’t interested about which Celtic is a coward? Or whether Delonte West actually snaps when he doesn’t take his medicine?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Nope. I’m interested in what happens on the court.
Anything off the court, unless the player openly makes a statement and sticks his name behind the words, I could care less about.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Fair enough. But that’s stuff that could easily manifest itself on the court.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
While I agree somewhat with Jay P and the ‘speculation’ being lame I have also lived with a friend who was bi-polar and taking meds everyday is absolutely necessary or their mood swings start acting up. The meds keep an even balance and taking them each and every day is required or there will be problems. My friend would skip, miss, or forget to take his meds and the mood swings become so irrational that you would not believe the person was the same person (while on their meds). This is a major issue for the Celtics and why I was pretty much against signing West. While I have great empathy for him and his health issue the fact remains that with even just one day without meds the repercussions can and will start to affect the Celtics and therefore that then becomes a serious dent in the fabric of this team. Lastly, I have no problem with Wafer and West going at it as that is what they are supposed to do – fight for playing time. But all the Tweeting and b.s. afterwards needs to stop and that’s Doc’s responsibility to end all Tweeting about team dynamics. Go Cs…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
West is a risk. There’s no denying that. And while it will help that he’s surrounded by people he respects and are willing to support him, his mental health issues are concerning.
But especially with such a touchy issue like that, things need to stay in-house. Players can’t go on record telling reporters that West is a different person when he’s off his medicine. They need to support him and keep any troubles away from the limelight. I imagine that keeping West’s personal issues private will help him more than publicizing every time he gets angry.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
You’re right. Unfortunately, he’s a timebomb that can go off at any moment and his illness is not cureable, only manageable, and keeping that teeter-totter plane level is going to be a huge challenge for him. Think how many bad days you or we all have and then exacerbate that by knowing you can’t mentally/emotionally control how you react to such a day without major medication. That’s what West faces. Let’s hope he takes his meds as required. Go Cs…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Let’s face it, this problem aside, the media are always desperate for a story and if there isn’t a real one they are quite willing to make one up at anyone’s expense. This is a classic example of someone’s perverse need to write a story and play around in someone’s else’s dirty laundry. These players are not politicians or public servants, paid with public money, they are private employees and no one really has a “right” to know anything except for their employer. Buying a ticket or watching a game on TV does not make you the player’s employer and you have no right to be delving into personnel matters. Any company will tell you personnel matters are private.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The media might be desperate for a story. But if a teammate says he can tell when West hasn’t taken his medicine, that IS a story. The teammate shouldn’t have brought West’s issues to public light, but once that teammate does, it’s a story. West’s mental health, or potential lack thereof, will go a long way to determining how the Celtics’ bench succeeds.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
It is true that a teammate may have mentioned it but often things are said as result of excessive prodding by a reporter–and just because it is said doesn’t mean the media has to make it into a bigger issue than it really is–that is inaccurate reporting reflecting only the reporter’s ambitions and not the truth. It actually makes me quite angry that reporters are willing to whore the truth at a player’s expense for their own benefit.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I couldn’t agree with you more Len. Reporters are willing to whore the truth at a player’s expense for their own benefit. The mere mention by a teammate that Delonte may not have taken his meds is a cheap shot and even cheaper when picked up and overblown by the media. Desperate isn’t pretty and this is a desperate attempt to develop it into a story. Shameful at best!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
von wafer is going to be more of a problem then a help to this team… he wont be on the team come playoff time, if he is he will not be playing any valuable minutes…. i already said he is going to be a problem child…. west on meds or not is far better player
i bet 15-20 games in wafer starts bitching about lack of minutes
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@ bigmo
That’s the problem with Wafer. He’s a talent, yeah, but he’s also a Migraine Man. By that, I mean he gives his coaches headaches. In two successive years, he was kicked out of a playoff game in Houston and then kicked off his team in Greece. Can he handle playing limited (or zero) minutes? I doubt it.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Who is Von Wafer going to complain to? KG, Pierce, Ray Allen, Perkins or Shag–ha ha get a clue “bigmo”
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
von wafer better be careful…get west mad and next thing you know he’ll be “dating” his moms………they should call west the “milf-man”………..
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Well Shaq backed up the story, and diffused the situation in a way probably only Shaq can.
Non-story, everyone go home.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0