As a singer, Spurs forward DeJuan Blair is a heck of a rebounder.
In a performance that makes Tony Parker’s short-lived career as a French rap artist seem worthy of a Grammy, Blair is spending his time away from basketball this summer working on his rapping/singing.
But after painfully listening to one of his first releases, the 22-year-old Blair might consider talking to Delonte West about working at the Home Depot instead of a follow-up to his latest musical effort.
Blair has released .” It’s a gloomy song riddled with profanity, binge drinking references, racist and sexist remarks (severe warning for extreme profanity) that no Spurs player has ever embraced. It’s a stark contrast from the professionalism we’ve seen from the franchise in the Tim Duncan/David Robinson era.
Maybe Blair is bored. Or maybe he does think he might have a career in music.
But after listening to Blair’s “singing,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s words about him after the season seem especially prescient now.
Blair started quickly last season in his second season with the team , but ballooned to more than 300 pounds midway through the season before he lost some of the weight late in the season by cutting fast food from his diet.
After the season, Popovich challenged Blair again in comments he made to Spurs beat writer Jeff McDonald after the Spurs’ first-round upset series loss to Memphis. Blair failed to play in either of the final two games of the series.
Popovich said that Blair’s career with the team doesn’t depend on “working on his jumper or developing a jump hook. It’s not defense.”
“It’s personal discipline, responsibility and maturity,” Popovich told McDonald. “That will get him to the next level. Short of that, he’ll have a hard time.”
His musical careeer assuredly isn’t a good way to get into Popovich’s good graces or to develop maturity during the lockout.
Trust me about Popovich’s “Trust Issues” on this one.
