By Jessica Camerato
CSNNE.comFollow @JCameratoNBA
Welcome back to Friday Free Throws, a weekly recap of the most interesting news, notes, and information that have not made the headlines. The NBA lockout may be one week underway, but there is still plenty of hoops to talk about.
Think itd be cool to play a game of H-O-R-S-E against Rajon Rondo? One fan will have the chance on July 15, thanks to Rondos fan contest. Last week Rondo announced on his Facebook page, I'm gonna fly a lucky fan to my camp in Louisville to play me in a game of HORSE. Fans then submitted photos to show why they are the ultimate fan. Of those, 20 fans were selected and now Rondo wants help in choosing the winner. Check out the entrants and cast your vote on Fantapper.
Rondo also promoted the contest on Twitter, where he has been giving shoutouts and retweets to his supporters all summer. From a photo of a young fan in a Rondo jersey to a woman who gave her son the middle name Rajon, to a fan who dedicated her 3,000th tweet to him, Rondo has been busy interacting via his account @RajonRondo.
The Truth is Tough
The Truth is, DIME Magazine thinks Paul Pierce is pretty tough. DIME recently ranked their list of the 10 toughest players in the NBA and Pierce came in at number five. Another player who deserves to be on this list for more reasons than one, wrote Sean Sweeney. Firstly, there might be 10 players in the league who have better minds than Pierce. Hes where he is todayas arguably one of the two or three best Celtics everbecause of his focus and mental fortitude. Thats a longer way of just saying hes really smart.
Other players rounding out the list include (in order from number one to ten) Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, Pierce, Wesley Matthews, Carl Landry, Grant Hill, Anthony Carter and Udonis Haslem.
Custom Kicks for Kemba
Earlier in the week Kemba Walker signed with Under Armour, becoming the first player from the 2011 draft class to ink a shoe deal. Darren Rovell of CNBC, who first reported the news, caught up with Walker and Under Armour's senior vice-president of sports marketing, Matt Mirchin, about the endorsement. They talked about Walkers decision to sign with Under Armour, the possibility of a signature shoe (Right now, we're going to build custom shoes for Kemba, said Mirchin), and more. Check out the entire interview here.
A Piece of Celtics History for a Good Cause
The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation is holding an auction to benefit the Mass Tornado Relief Fund through July 13. Fans can bid on a basketball autographed by 10 Celtics Hall of Famers, including Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson and Tommy Heinsohn. Fans can also donate five dollars to the relief fund by texting CELTICS to 20222.
Erden to Represent Turkey
Former Celtic Semih Erden was named to the Turkish Basketball Team, which will compete in the European Basketball Championship taking place in Lithuania later this summer. Erden, who was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February, will be joined by four other NBA playersOmer Asik, Ersan Ilyasova, Hedo Turkoglu and 2011 third overall draft pick Enes Kanter.
Boston Celtics
Celtics Tweet of the Week
@Kevin Eastman: Success favors people who show the resolve 2 keep coming back from setbacks. Setbacks remind us 2 get set n back at it!
This Week in NBA History
The Boston Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace as a free agent on July 8, 2009. Wallace played one season of his multiyear contract, averaging 9.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 79 games (13 starts), and was waived by the Celtics in August of 2010. Wallace has never officially announced his retirement, though, and fans buzzed with questions of his possible return during last season.
Birthdays of the Week
We have to go back in the day for this week's Celtics birthday -- Jim Barnett, who played 48 games during the 1966-67 season, turned 67 on July 7. He was the Celtics; first round draft pick (8th overall) in 1966.
Jessica Camerato is on Twitter at http:twitter.com!JCameratoNBA