Sets up an interesting, but limited discussion. Mobley is not the average NBA player. He is professional, works extremely hard at his game, and gives his best effort at all times. He has flourished under Dunleavy, who brought him in, paid him, and treated him like the knowledgable, skilled, hard-working veteran that he is. There is nothing at all quirky about the way that Mobley has performed for the Clippers out on the court.

This is a testament to how successful Dunleavy has been at managing Mobley and some of the other veterans he has brought in. Mobley was not known to be such a tried-and-true savvy veteran when the Clips signed him. He was the surprising, deadly (a notable Clipper killer) 2nd half of the dynamic, young Rocket backcourt with Stevie Francis. Mobley was a bit of a surprise, and he wasn’t expected to be so effective, perhaps ever, but definitely not so quickly. But he was a bit of a gunner and a risk-taker, and there was a lot of bravado to the Francis-Mobley show. And then he was traded, and didn’t stick or make a great impression in Orlando or Sacramento. At this time in 05 a whole lot of pundits and preseason analysts focused their doubts on the possibility that Mobley and Cassell were poisonous players. There were a lot of doubts about Mobley, and questions about his team ethic, before he joined the Clips. Perhaps that’s “quirky.”

And then there’s Mobley’s private life. Whatever that is. We know he was the victim of major jewelry robbery, which would be a little quirky if he wasn’t a veteran of the age of bling. And there was some unimportant offseason incident with a very shady character. Mobley seems to enjoy the NBA lifestyle, perhaps more than the average player, but who knows or cares. But maybe his private life can be thought of as quirky.

You would think, however, that his obvious professionalism, constant effort, and apparent bond with Dunleavy would outweigh that.