James Learning Hebrew; Celtics Quiet Locker-room; Springer Looks Like She's 16

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Elie Seckbach Exclusive Interviews


The Boston Celtics - 
Ricky "The Posterizer" Davis: "Cleveland is a joke and will always stay a joke!"
Also Vin Baker on loosing weight and Mike James is learning Hebrew. Exclusive. 

Boston's Celtics guard Ricky Davis is one of the most exciting players to watch. 
At only 6-foot-4 he is a high-flying act that has the ability to dunk the ball in anyone's face. When he steps on the court it's like watching the Harlem Globetrotters. 
"I like to have fun. I fly. I've seen it so much, it is not like I go home and watch myself. That's just me." He told me during a recent interview. 
Nicknamed by his fans "The Posterizer", just ask Dallas Mavericks Stave Nash who last season was victimized by Davis in one of the most talked about ducks of all times.
Davis was running down the open court when Nash stood in the key to take a charge. Davis, lifted off from the corner of the free-throw line soaring way above Nash, slammed that baby home in a monster jam. Leaving Nash dumbfounded. 
The dunk impressed Kings Center Brad Miller so much, that he considers it the best move of last season: "He never ean touched Nash, that was the best." 
Clipper's center Melvin Ely considers Davis on of the leagues' best leapers.
"Ricky Davis is up there, he can just take off any place and time, when he's on the court you got to keep an eye on him." 

Davis a six-year veteran started the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers but found himself a Celtic a month in half into the season. 
He was not surprised about the trade, 
"For over a year I was expecting it, I knew it was coming. This is a good move for me, a good experience, you know the Celtics are a great team."

As the Celtics visited Los Angeles to play the Lakers I stopped in their locker room. The atmosphere in there was so tense, you could cut it with a knife. 
Each player was sitting by his locker not saying a word. It was one of the quietest locker rooms in the league second only to the San Antonio Spurs, which make a library seem like Martigra.
Ricky, just a few weeks ago you were here with Cleveland and the traveling Lebron Circus, now you're with Boston, difference of day and night...
"Here it is very business like, guys are serious, they are down to business. We know what we need to do and how to do it... Cleveland was a joke, and will always be a joke. I like it here a lot. " 
Before Davis could say another word, his teammate, Marcus Banks, cut in the interview. 
Turning to Davis: 
Do you like me Ricky?
Davis looked at Banks, smiled and replied: 
"I don't like him - I like JJ (Jermain Jones)."
I went on asking: Today you are going up against Kobe Bryant how tough is it to play him? 
"Tough? It's not tough, it's a walk in the park, that's just what I do." 
What would you say to your fans?
"Just keep toning in and I'll give ya high lights baby." 

Vin Baker - 
Another Celtic who has been playing great as of late is Center Vin Backer, who is raising lots of eyebrows. Baker has lost weight and practicvally, looks like a new person. 
Vin, you've lost a lot of weight, seems like you can easily star in you own Subway commercial... What's the secret? "No secret here. Just working out all summer, taking care of myself, that's basically it ... Just working out." 
But people don't even recognize you... 
"Well, I did get my quickness back, so that helps. I've just been working hard, trying to get better." Off the court Backer is known for being an avid singer, his dad was a preacher ran the church choir and Vin sang for him. Do you still sing? "Right now I'm subject to shower singing..."
Have you had a chance to watch American Idol?
"I've watched it a few times, it's a good show, but some of the people on there are nasty though... can't sing at all."
If you tried out, what do you think Simon Cowell would tell you? "He'd get me off the stage in a heart beat. Ha ha ha."

Mike James - 
Boston Globe's beat writer who covers the Celtics is Shira Springer. Though she's been doing her job for six years she looks, at the most, 16-years-old. While in the locker room Springer told me that starting point guard Mike James is learning Hebrew! With no hesitation I turned to James and asked:
Why Hebrew of all languages, it's only used in Israel? "Well", replied James, "It is the original language of the bible - before you can understand the work of god you have to understand the original text." 
James is part of a growing trend in the NBA, other players who are into learning Hebrew are Knicks Allen Houston and Charlie Ward, as well as Sac Kings Lawrence Funderburke.
"Yea we have the same spiritual following - I know where they're coming from, our beliefs are similar we are pretty religious guys who want to study the bible in the way it was written."
What have ya learned so far? "Shalom, ma Nishama (Hello, how are you). Actually my wife, she's very good with the alphabet, me, myself, I'm just starting to get into it." 
Is it a tough language? 
"Oh man. Extremity tough - I would say it's a very tough language, the words have meanings and also tell a picture. Also it is hard to just read it... in English we real left to right, while Hebrew you read right to left, so you have train yourself ."
So Mike, soon you'll be able to talk smake on the court and get a way with it... "Not really, as you know Elie, the bible has no bad words in it, so I could be praying or blessing someone and still get a tech." 

Elie Seckbach Embedded NBA Correspondent