Birdman Flies Again in NOLA

Birdman is back. Two years after being kicked out of the NBA for violating the league’s drug policy, Chris “Birdman” Andersen signed a free agent contract with the New Orleans Hornets. After being reinstated earlier this month, Birdman said that he was grateful for the second chance. Before his suspension,...

By Sean Cronin

March 11, 2008

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Birdman is back.

Two years after being kicked out of the NBA for violating the league’s drug policy, Chris “Birdman” Andersen signed a free agent contract with the New Orleans Hornets. After being reinstated earlier this month, Birdman said that he was grateful for the second chance.

Before his suspension, the 6’ 10” Birdman played three seasons in Denver, including one disastrous appearance at the NBA’s slam-dunk competition during the league’s All-Star weekend. When Westword caught up with Birdman for a feature about custom-car guru Vett Capone, he’d been working out during his suspension and said he was still focused on a comeback.

Andersen knows a little something about giving people chances; it was the Birdman who gave Vett Capone his big break. Capone paints and customizes cars in Denver. Before he got a deal to paint Birdman’s Hummer, Capone mostly worked for gangsters. But the blue paint with bowling ball swirls that he laid down for Birdman caught the eye of the rest of the Nuggets, and to this day Capone is still the go-to-guy for Nuggets in the market to pimp their rides. -- Luke Turf

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