What's Up, Big Pimpin'

Damn Im Cold - Bun B feat Lil Wayne

Okay. So. Couple years back I scored a media pass to a Blazer game. Supposed to interview Sebastian Telfair. Our conversation runs about eight minutes. Lot of dumb questions, short replies. Typical perfunctory player interview. As much a drill as 3 on 2/ 2 on 1. But... afterwards I tried to pass myself off a "real" sports reporter. Hung out in the press room before the game gorging myself on the free buffet. Lot of grilled meat on sticks. Fried chicken. Free soda for diabetic AP stringers.

Towering ball players come and go. One of Dallas's bench players (can't recall a name) hollers at Dwight Jaynes across the room "What's up, Big Pimpin'!" Dwight beams. Comes across the room and awkwardly exchanges elaborate hand shakes and fist bumps.

The scene haunts me. Why "Big Pimpin'?" Why?

Possibility: 1977. A sweatlodge outside of Astoria. Bill Walton, Jerry Garcia, and Dwight Jaynes emerge naked from the steam. Sweat glistens from their furry man chests like dew on a rainbow. Miss Oregon, a teenage Courtney Love and Margie Goldschmidt dry themselves around the fire.

Maurice Lucas pulls out his Kodachrome. "Smile, fellas."

Transition:

Bun B featuring Lil Wayne -- "Damn I'm Cold."

According to Blazer's Edge, this song was chosen by by Jerryd Bayless as the warm-up music for a recent home game against the Nets. I've been listening to it on repeat--often while reading Dwight Jaynes's blog.