Bus strands Denver players

April 20th, 2008, 11:45 am · Post a Comment · posted by JANIS CARR, OCREGISTER.COM

The first of two Denver Nuggets’ buses was stranded on the Santa Monica Freeway 15 minutes after it left its Westside hotel because of popping noises and a lot of black smoke.
“There was a pop, black smoke, another pop and more black smoke,” said team publicist Eric Sebastian. “Then we pulled over.”

Imagine seven NBA players, Marcus Camby and Eduardo Najera among them, standing on the shoulder wishing for their private Bentleys, Rolls or Benzes. Or even a cab.

“I don’t think anyone recognized us,” Sebastian said. “We were just in their way.”

Help was on the way 30 minutes later as the second of the team buses arrived and picked up the stranded players, coaches and team personnel. The entire Nuggets team arrived at Staples Center more than an hour after the first bus left the hotel.

“It was a good bonding experience,” Sebastian said.

Reader comments: We want this to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We expect people to differ -- judgment and opinion are subjective -- and we encourage free speech and the exchange of ideas. But you are participating in a community that is intended for all of our users and we prohibit profanity, vulgarity, racial, sexual and homophobic remarks, threats, harassment and personal attacks. Here's the full User Agreement. Thank you for making this a safe place worth preserving and sharing. Share this: The icons below make it easy to share this post with others. First icon e-mails a link.