If I were forced to select my favorite player between James Posey and Stephen Jackson, I suppose I would have to go with Posey. The guy clearly knows how to set a pick.

I suppose this means that Posey and Jackson aren’t buddies, because as the old saying goes, “You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose,” and Posey is almost knuckle-deep in Jackson’s nostril.

What do you mean booger jokes aren’t funny? These bits were (nose) gold, Jerry, (nose) gold!

[H/T Skeets]

Through some unholy coitus of corporate synergy, several Warriors players and coaches were forced to serve as baggage handlers and flight attendants and whatnot for a Southwest Airlines flight.  Stephen Jackson, can we get some witty repartee with a cheeky passenger?

“You don’t mind me moving your bag, do you, sir?” said Jackson, shutting the NBA logo-covered overhead compartments and preparing passengers for takeoff.

“No,” a passenger replied, “just as long as you don’t mind giving me your autograph.”

BAM!  That was AWESOME!  Now how about an unbearably cheesy and canned line provided by a PR flack?

When asked about what’s in store for fans in the coming months, Jackson replied, “We’re starting off on a runway, so you know we’re taking off this season.”

HOLY SHIT THAT IS GOLD.  That must have taken months to think of.  Literally months.  Whatever Southwest and Golden State are paying their PR team, it’s clearly not enough.

[SLAM Online] [p.s. Note how eerily similar 289's Photoshop is to the actual photo]

Fans of sexy awesomeness swallowed a bitter pill last night, as Golden State squandered a five-point lead with 50 seconds remaining to let Utah send Game 2 into overtime, where the White State ran away in the extra period to win 127-117.  The Jazz now lead the series 2-0, with both wins being thrilling, close games.

Really, there was so much to love about this game that it's hard to effectively recap. The Jazz got the most out of their starters — Boozer 30/13, Okur 23/18, Kirilenko 20/9/6 blocks, and Deron Williams with 17 and 14 assists.  Okur and Williams also hit clutch shots in the final minute of regulation, while the Warriors' Michael Pietrus missed two free throws and Baron Davis missed one of two, any of which would have practically sealed the game.  Disregarding the miss at the stripe, Davis was otherwise heroic, scoring 36 to go with 7 assists and 4 steals.

The Warriors, despite forcing 23 turnovers, were once again horrifically out-rebounded, and Stephen Jackson's ice-cold night did nothing to help their cause.  He scored 18 but shot just 4-of-18 from the field and made only two out his ten three-point attempts.  He could have contributed more by firing a gun into the air outside the stadium before the game.  Which I think is actually legal in Utah.  Unless you're black, which Jackson is, so I digress.

Oh yeah, and Derek Fisher flew back from New York in time to play the 4th quarter and OT.  Something about a daughter with eye cancer.  Boooo, cancer.  The important thing to know is that Game 3 drops Friday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern in Oakland.  Thanks, NBA.  Start the game earlier on a night where I actually want to stay up late.

The Warriors snapped the Mavericks' 17-game winning streak 117-100 last night, as likely MVP and unstoppable offensive force Dirk Nowitzki offered up an inspiring 13 points and 7 turnovers. The Warriors scored the game's first eight points and never really looked back, as the Mavs spent most of the second half down by at least 15. Jason Terry and Devin Harris led Dallas with 16 points apiece.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Stephen Jackson played a key role by being one of five Warriors in double digits, scoring sixteen. It's the first time he's played a key role in something not involving guns since he lost his mind at the Pacers-Pistons Palace Brawl. Frenchman Mickael Pietrus led all scorers with 20. The NBA, it's craaaaaaaptastic.

As for the Mavs, this was premeditated laziness. As a certified expert at mailing it in, I can promise you that the Mavs took the game off to rest their legs for Wednesday's huge showdown with Phoenix. Now they can battle the Suns without the weight of a big winning streak and be able to play loose and relaxed, with fresh legs from not doing anything more than light jogging up and down the court last night.

Because hey, sometimes you just need to phone it in. I understand. By the way, the next six posts on With Leather will all be YouTube videos.

I just got back from five days on the Georgia coast, and boy are my internal organs failing. Considering that there were no single women at the wedding, I laid the groundwork for both lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, and I got a vicious case of chiggers, this morning doesn't exactly rank as the best I've ever felt.

I missed a lot over the last five days, from the baseball playoffs to a great weekend of college football, plus a lovely Seahawks bye week in which Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers lost their third straight game. Apparently men on skates are playing hockey as well — I need to look into that.

The best story I missed, of course, was the Stephen Jackson & Co fracas outside an Indianapolis strip club. Punched in the face? Check. Hit by a car? Check. Fired a gun into the air? Check.

Dude. You're just going out to look at some titties. Ain't no reason for fisticuffs or gunfire. And here's a helpful hint: when you have millions of dollars, you can hire strippers to come to your house, where you can probably swing the cash to also have sex with them. Oh, and you can hire one of your buddies to carry a gun so you don't have to. It's hard to enjoy a lap dance with a Beretta in your waistband. Believe me, I know.