Here’s New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert wearing a clock on his hat (Photo)
After a 120-107 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday that saw them allow a Bucks club expected to rank among the NBA’s very worst teams this season to shoot 60 percent from the floor, the New York Knicks knew it was time to face the music when they spoke with reporters. Knicks guard Iman Shumpert seemed to take the “time” and “face” parts pretty seriously:
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Yep, that’s a clock on the front of Shump’s chapeau. It appeared to be fully functioning and operational, although it didn’t show the correct post-game time in New York City. Shump really ought to remember to wind his hat before meeting the press.
As you might expect, the guard’s startling “Alice in Wonderland” mash–up led to some questions. The intrepid lot at Knicks blog Posting and Toasting report that the clock hats are a Chicago thing — Shump grew up in Oak Park — and that they’re referred to as “buck 50 hats” because you needed $150 to afford one. (A little bit of Internet searching supports this.) These days, Shump can certainly afford to rock a status-symbol timepiece on his noggin; one can only imagine what kind of grandfather-clock-type steez he’ll bring out if he gets an extension of his 2011 rookie contract before the Oct. 31 deadline (although it doesn’t seem likely that he will).
The cap offered something of a welcome distraction and laugh after a rough showing against Milwaukee, in which seven Bucks scored in double-figures, led by O.J. Mayo’s 24 points (6-for-10 shooting from 3-point land) off the bench. Shumpert, expected to be one of the most significant bellwethers for a Knicks team looking to return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2013-14 season, missed eight of his 10 field-goal attempts, finishing with six points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 1/2 minutes in the loss.
“We let them dictate the pace of the game,” Shumpert said, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Knicks fans everywhere had better hope Derek Fisher’s crew can find a more metronome-steady rhythm and Swiss-watch synchronicity by the time the regular season starts next week. May Shumpert’s hat inspire them all.
The most crucial post-script to the story comes from Scott Cacciola of the New York Times:
That’s probably for the best. Y’know, “without sin,” “first stone” and all.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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