Rookie hazing tales often border on the absurd, and Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells shared their own memorable experiences on the ‘Sheed & Tyler’ podcast. These anecdotes provide a glimpse into the unconventional rites of passage endured by NBA newcomers, highlighting the camaraderie and occasional mischief that characterize locker room dynamics.
“I got just traded to Memphis, so my rookie was Dante Jones… So Dante, so we tell him, Rook, like, listen, Rook, every morning, Rook, make sure you bring them Krispy Cream donuts. You’ll get three dozen… And then on the plane, make sure you go get a 50-piece of wings from Popeye’s. Every road game, you better have them.”
“We’re about 10 games into the season, start playing a little bit, start feeling himself a little bit. That three dozen went down to about a dozen. Then next thing you know, he wasn’t bringing them, and then he wasn’t really bringing no wings, and we kind of side-eyed him.”
“So, he just, he went, got a brand new BMW. I’m talking about we still pulling stickers off the car… Equipment manager… I’m gonna give you $100. Go get his keys this what I’m talking about a brand-new Beamer. Go turn on his car open his sunroof and pour every flipping bag, every popcorn, every kernel in his car.”
“Yeah, walk out to the parking lot with him, man. He opened his car, man. Oh my goodness. This is a brand, this is his first brand new car ever in league bruh this man wanted to kill me, oh I’m laughing so hard.”
“I felt good about doing it because I’m his vet and I was supposed to do it because he wasn’t doing his rookie stuff. But man, every time he sees me, we talk about the popcorn. He’s like, man, I just got rid of that car, man, a few years ago, man. It still smelled like popcorn for years.” (0:24)
Bonzi Wells recounted a classic rookie prank involving Dante Jones during his time with the Memphis Grizzlies. Tasked with fetching donuts and wings for his veteran teammates, Jones’s failure to comply led to a lighthearted yet memorable retaliation.
Wells orchestrated a playful yet elaborate prank, filling Jones’s brand-new BMW with popcorn as a humorous form of retribution. The incident left Jones both exasperated and amused, highlighting the camaraderie and playful spirit within the team.
Similarly, Rasheed Wallace shared a tale of rookie hazing during his tenure with the Detroit Pistons.
“We tied this one rookie when I was in Detroit… alright ‘Rook you know I’m saying you got to collect the laundry bags and you know take them to the laundry room so the equipment manager wash them or all that s**t.'”
“So he’s feeling himself, no I ain’t doing this I ain’t doing that. Three of us grab him, two people holding him down. And I got the, you know, the same tape that we tape our ankles with, that white tape.”
“So he’s in a chair like this, right? His arms on the joint, tape all across here, tape over here. So then, uh, like, all right, well, you’re gonna learn your lesson. So I roll him in the shower. Roll him in the shower, turn the cold water on, throw ice in his lap, right?”
“The media is still out there on the court, you know talking to guys and I just roll his ass all the way onto the floor.” (3:12)
When a promising rookie displayed defiance, Wallace and his teammates resorted to a creative yet harmless form of discipline.
The rookie found himself immobilized with tape and subjected to an impromptu ice shower, serving as a humorous yet effective lesson in humility. While the rookie endured a momentary discomfort, the incident fostered team bonding and camaraderie, illustrating the unconventional methods employed by veterans to initiate newcomers into the fold.
Additionally, Bonzi Wells recounted a nerve-wracking experience involving Travis Outlaw, a rookie teammate with the Portland Trail Blazers.
“We got this young rookie named Travis Outlaw, and listen, this was the scariest day of our life… So me, Sheed, Dale Davis, we grab him.”
“We get the tape out. We take his legs his arms here everything and man, we so we in our locker room, in our bathroom, we had a hot pool and a cold pool and then we have one of them infinity pool, that you can swim into in the current.”
“Man, we throw him in there. Tied up. Man, we got to looking at each other, not knowing this fool, don’t even know how to swim. Don’t even know how to hold his breath. Oh man, we go in there and get him… Man I almost died, man I can’t even breathe, I thought we killed this man.” (4:50)
In a misguided attempt at humor, Wells and his cohorts subjected Outlaw to an unexpected dip in the team’s pool, unaware of his discomfort in the water. The incident, while initially comical, underscored the potential hazards of rookie hazing and the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of teammates.
These anecdotes offer a glimpse into the unique rituals and traditions that characterize NBA locker rooms, highlighting the camaraderie, mischief, and occasional mishaps that accompany the journey from rookie to seasoned veteran. While rookie hazing may seem unconventional to outsiders, it serves as a time-honored tradition that fosters team unity and camaraderie among players.
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