Mike D'Antoni, I've come to praise you - before the Mavericks bury you.

Although I'm sure that if that does happen it will not come without one hell of a fight.

You sir, are the best coach in the NBA this year.

I know, Mike D. won it last year after improving his team from 29 wins to 62, and this year he has "only" 54 wins. Yes, Avery Johnson has done a fantastic job demanding - and getting - an enhanced defensive commitment from his team. Johnson has pushed Dirk Nowitzki to become a more complete player. These changes have the Mavs on the brink of their first trip to the NBA Finals. That and his rather colorful-sounding interviews could have made Avery the subject of this column.

But for me, Avery is The Man Sitting Next To The Man.

This season, Mike D'Antoni is The Man, no matter what happens to the Suns from this point on. You won't read much here about the amazing Steve Nash, because first, much has already been written about him, and two, this is a true team led by an amazing coach. Read on, and understand why.

The Revolutionary and The Purists

It can't be easy to stick to your guns in a league that has demanded conformity:

"Only physical teams win in the playoffs."

"You can't win running..."

(I guess those people missed the Showtime Lakers)

"Steve Nash makes this team"

(Those same people often say in the next breath, "Nash is a product of the system." And last year, Nash was only MVP because of Amare Stoudemire. Would someone make up their minds?)

Yet, every night, the Suns come out and run. They run off of made shots. They run off of misses. They run whenever they damn well please. And if the primary fast break isn't there, no problem. Their secondary break (with the power forward and/or center flying down court after the initial break is stopped, generating a quick shot before the defense can fully get set) is by far the most lethal in basketball. If that thrust is blunted, then their half court sets begin, with a relentless stream of screen and rolls initiated by back-to-back MVP Steve Nash.

In 2004-05, this strategy was derided as a gimmick, at least until Nash and All-NBA forward Amare Stoudemire led the team to the Western Conference Finals before falling to eventual champion San Antonio. Amare averaged 37 points a game in the series, with a 45 point, 12 rebound exclamation point on Tim Duncan in Game 5.

This season, pundits and so-called purists assured us that the league would catch up to the Suns. Mix in the loss of Stoudemire to microfracture surgery and disaster loomed. Surely the Suns, Nash, and that harebrained "system" of theirs would be exposed.

The results? The Suns win 54 games, the Pacific Division title, and were first in the league in scoring at 108.36, field goal percentage (.479), 3-point percentage (.399), and assists.

Transition and Adjustment

All of this with eight new players. Three new starters. Quinton Richardson (traded for Kurt Thomas) gone. Joe Johnson? Gone. Amare gone for all but three games. Thomas, their best post defender, missing 28 games (and most of the playoffs) due to a broken foot. Tough sixth man Jim Jackson let go. And the Suns rolled on.

Give a huge assist to departed GM Brian Colangelo, who in a sign and trade for Johnson, snagged draft picks and a seldom used "bust" named Boris Diaw, a 20 year old native of France who got the dreaded "soft" label. (Hmm, wouldn't being described as French AND soft be just a tad bit of overkill?)

Imagine Dallas without Dirk AND Stackhouse or Josh Howard all season. (I know what you're thinking; going without Eric Dampier may be an improvement. Avery Johnson agrees with you at times.) Try Miami without Shaq or Wade. We're talking a FEMA-style disaster. The Suns lost their best player and their fourth best player, work in three new starters, and are still part of the NBA Final Four. That's good talent and great coaching.

Play Your Best Five

Besides the revolutionary style, the D'Antoni showed a striking trait that really stands out amongst his coaching brethren: He plays his best five players.

Let me say that again, with a bit of elaboration: He plays his best five players without regard to height and convention.

Common wisdom says "You can't teach height." D'Antoni believes, "A great small(er) man will beat an average or mediocre bigger man." In 2005, the 6-9 Stoudemire spent most of the year at center against his wishes with 6-8 small forward Shawn Marion at power forward. After losing Thomas to a stress fracture, the D'Antoni started the 6-8 220 pound Diaw as a point center next to Marion. And it has worked.

  

To be sure, every Suns opponent has tried to exploit this so-called weakness. Problem is, in a league where the NBA is forced to put power forwards at center for All-Star games anyway, the Suns simply decided to ignore the temptation of acquiring and playing a large stiff at center.

Instead of going big for its own sake, as many of his colleagues have, D'Antoni decided he rather have some talent out on the court, regardless of size. What a novel concept.

Something about The System

As was mentioned earlier, Boris Diaw couldn't get run on a 16-win team last year. Recently acquired Tim Thomas has spent a good part of his career on the NBA All-Living Heart Donor team. Third year guard Leandro Barbosa was erratic.

So 3D goes out and wins Most Improved Player. Playing point-center unseen since Magic Johnson; he often initiates the half-court offense when Nash can't. In the playoffs, Diaw has shown an inside game that features moves that so-called 'legitimate' big men do not possess, Exhibit A being his game-winning basket in Game 1 of the conference finals. D'Antoni has coaxed Barbosa to elevating his game, becoming more confident with his drives to the hoop and dishes to the open man. While standing just 6-3, his amazing 7-0 wingspan allows him to finish over taller players with regularity. Tim Thomas, signed late in the season after Chicago inexplicably found him useless, uses his 6-10 frame inside to provide some low post defense and scoring, while also stepping outside to nail clutch jumpers, as the Lakers can attest to in Game Six of their series.

And Raja Bell, the Suns big free agent signing? Bell was typecast as a solid perimeter defender with inconsistent offense. Phoenix signed him to a 25 million dollar free agent contract, and it proved to be a bargain. Besides his defense and toughness, Bell had a career season on offense, ranking third in the NBA in 3-pointers made (197), and fourth in 3-point percentage (.442). He came back from his Kobe takedown to average 19 points and shot 51% against the Clippers in the conference semi-finals.

A Throwback Team/Hip Hop Game

Despite appearances, true Old School fans should love the Suns. The same fans and experts who pine for the NBA Golden Age of the 80's forget that teams routinely averaged 100 points per game, just like Phoenix. The Suns always make the extra pass just the way purists want it. Watch a Suns game and note how many times Nash will drive and kick to an open man for a three, with that player making yet another pass to an even more open teammate for the three?

Or try this scenario: Nash or Diaw pass to a three point shooter. Defender closes on the shooter, who calmly fakes the defender, steps inside the close-out to nail the midrange jumper. How many times have we heard that the midrange game was dead?

Diaw and Marion showing crazy textbook low post skills against bigger players. I think the word is called fundamentals. And the Suns led the NBA in free throw percentage at .806

In other words, they don't miss open opportunities.

Finally, even the loudest detractor must acknowledge the grit of this team. This isn't a team of pretty boys who fold under pressure. To get this far with the injuries they have endured. Run 48 minutes a night, every night, deep into the playoffs with a  seven man rotation, speaks to the immense heart of this team. To make adjustments and win two seven game series and fight Dallas every night while being at a distinct size disadvantage? Sheer grit. It starts at the top.

If this was Cleveland, San Antonio, or Miami doing this, the so-called experts would point to their blue-collar approach to the game. Phoenix is just as worthy.

It's past time this TEAM gets the credit due them, and it starts with the man on the bench.

Here's to the best coach in the NBA.

Mike D'Antoni you are The Man.

-   

(Note: My first NGS assignment is the post previous to this one)

For the last three years I have prayed for some combination of Dallas, Phoenix, and Sacramento to be in the Western Conference Finals. In my perfect world, they would be playing in The Finals for all the marbles. The reason is simple - they're fun to watch, and the NBA desperately needs teams like them.

Finally, I've gotten my wish, and I'm allowing everyone on the bandwagon.

Game 1 was an exciting 121-118 thriller won by the amazing Suns. The unreported story in this series, if not the entire postseason has to be the incredible job done by coach Mike D'Antoni. He's starting a so-called "3" in Shawn Marion at power forward, and 6-8 Boris Diaw, listed very generously at 220 pounds, as basically a point center. The Lakers tried to take advantage inside with 7-footer Kwame Brown and 6-10 Lamar Odom, with some success. The Clippers tried to work them over in the same manner with Chris Kaman (7') and Elton Brand (6-11), yet the Suns are still standing.

   

 

Every series you, Joe/Jane Fan are told, "You can't win with a fast break team!", "The Suns are too small!", "Steve Nash can't play defense!", "The playoffs are different - the Suns are too soft!" - in short, every week we're told by the so-called purists and pundits that the Suns are a gimmick that will fail.

58 wins should have told us otherwise. Coming back from 3-1 on the Lakers, and winning two Game Sevens should tell the world that win or lose, this team is special.

And while all of those same purists (Poor Charlie Rosen of Foxsports.com is probably guzzling Pepto-Bismo by the quart) are scrambling to hail the Dallas defense as their new key to victory (with some justification), it's worth noting that the Spurs were lit up for 100+ points in every Dallas win.

These two teams play up-tempo basketball. As former NBA star and current analyst Eddie Johnson said about the Suns, "Some teams run part-time, some teams run a lot of time - the Suns run ALL the time... They are committed to running. I love how people talk about how you can slow down a running team. A running team can't be stopped from running, if you want to push the tempo, you can if you want to..." Keep that in mind.

These two teams are special because they have two things in common:

1. They can put four to five players on the floor that can score at all times: Dallas is starting four players who can score and they bring Jerry Stackhouse and Keith Van Horn off the bench. The Suns have five starters who can score (and that's with Amare and Kurt Thomas hurt!), plus James Jones and Eddie House can light it up on a given night.

By contrast, most NBA teams have two or three players who can create a shot for themselves. At most. The other players would be lucky to break double figures in an empty gym. No wonder defense rules.

Or perhaps it isn't the D after all. Boris "3D" Diaw couldn't get any burn on a horrible Atlanta team, but he comes to Phoenix and wins Sixth Man of the Year. Don't give all the credit to Nash. The Phoenix system highlights what he does well, and D'Antoni allows Diaw to operate inside as well. Check that game-winner in Game 1. Textbook upfake, drop step turnaround jumper. I've seen Diaw channel Kevin McHale and Hakeem Olajuwon all year.

Raja Bell set a career high in scoring and led the NBA in 3 pointers. Are you telling me that the desert air helped his shooting eye? Tim Thomas spent the first eight seasons of his career as a human heart donor. Is it a salary drive that has turned him into a valuable asset? Or maybe someone has found out what he does well?

2. Dallas and Phoenix have coaches that trust players on the offensive end: I forget the number of times that I've seen Dirk, Jason Terry, Nash or Raja Bell pull up and nail a transition three, sometimes with no one under the basket. But what is really telling is the number of times I've seen them MISS a three and D'Antoni simply nods. Dallas coach Avery Johnson preaches defense, but allows offensive freedom. It's hard to picture a Mike Fratello not blowing a blood vessel in the same situation.

And maybe that's why he's home while the Suns and Mavs are playing.

    

Watching these teams (and Sacramento a couple of years ago) makes me wonder, why can't more teams emulate them? I love Steve Nash and his game, but I really doubt that he's the only point guard who can play this style. Off the top of my head, Chris Paul, J-Kidd, and Sam Cassell could probably pull it off (although Kidd's horrific excuse for a jumper would require some adjustments). And we are always told what great athletes the NBA possesses right?

Consider that the average team in the 1960s thru the mid 1970s hoisted over 100 shots a game. Today's teams put up about 85 per game - and that is an increase over the last few years. Hence, we are either to believe that the slower, less athletic players of the 1960s are better players than today, more reckless than today's players, or we need to look for different causes. Maybe it's the shorts?

My gut feeling is that today's micro-managing coaches are the problem. Ego and a overriding desire to keep games close in the fourth period cause coaches to dictate every possession. Think about that. How many times do you see a team that doesn't have the coach calling 80% of the plays? Running requires a different mindset. And just like a passing coach in football has to accept that some series will be a three and out, a NBA coach that runs all the time must accept that will be some wasted possessions. Based on what I've seen, that's asking a bit much of a Jeff Van Gundy or Larry Brown.

Finally, peer pressure is real. The so-called purists will have you believe that if you aren't playing physical defense, you aren't seeing and playing real basketball. Last I checked, all of those 'real' basketball teams San Antonio, Houston, Memphis, New Jersey - all of them are home watching Dallas and Phoenix.

Common sense seems to dictate that teams will get better shots if they attack quickly before the defense sets up. (Think of a football team running a no-huddle in the middle of the game.) The Suns and the Mavs believe in that. The Mavs feature a more diverse offense, which makes sense since Avery Johnson has Stackhouse's post-up game, and Dirk's improved inside game to lean on when running ops aren't there.

Prepare yourself for the contrast between the Heat and Pistons, and Suns and Mavs. No matter who wins the West, fans will be entertained by the matchup. If we get the Suns and Heat, I'm banking on Shaq needing an oxygen tank by halftime of Game 1. The Mavs run only slightly less, and one can only dream of the sight of Ben Wallace having to chase Boris Diaw or Dirk 30 feet from the basket. If Detroit comes out of the East, imagine their 7-man rotation running a track meet for 48 minutes.

The NBA is back. Hop on the bandwagon before you get left.

 

Thumbs Down to ABC

 

David Stern and ABC did fans and the league a disservice by putting so many great games on cable - not a single Suns-Clippers game was on free TV. Even in LA, Game Seven was the only game that was on free TV. Cleveland and Washington couldn't be found on ABC at all. We all know that Game 7 of the Mavs and Spurs should have been viewed by a nationwide audience.  

The NBA wants to regrow an auidence that has been lost in the post-Jordan era. When are they going to understand that the game had gotten so boring that people went elsewhere? And that the teams that they have featured are part of the problem?

No sane person expects a blackout of San Antonio - not while Eva Longoria is kicking it with Tony Parker. But to absolutely NOT show the Clippers and Wizards on free TV was a horrible business decision.

"From this day on, I would like to be known as the Big Aristotle. Because it was Aristotle who said, `Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do."

--Shaquille O'Neal, 2000

He's been dubbed The Big Aristotle, The Diesel, MDE (Most Dominant Ever), and Superman - often by himself. Whatever the moniker, Shaquille O'Neal has always been larger than life, with matching expectations. The 2006 season features high expectations in Miami where The Big Aristotle has set up shop. Anything less than a NBA Finals appearance would be viewed as a major disappointment. The acquisition of former All-Stars Antoine Walker and Gary Payton, the trade for Jason Williams, and of course, the return of Pat Riley to the sidelines as a coach was in the pursuit of a championship this season.

If Miami manages to survive Detroit and the Western Conference winner to hoist the O'Brien trophy, it an early validation for Dwayne Wade at the top of the NBA's vanguard. It would be sweet vindication for veterans such as Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. Over a decade, they have paid their dues, but could not get past the Jordan Bulls, Duncan Spurs, or O'Neal-led Laker squads. For Antoine Walker and Jason Williams, they can point to the ring as proof that they could indeed successfully modulate their allegedly ego-driven games to the team concept. Pat Riley can point to the 05-06 Heat as his championship won without Magic, Kareem, and Showtime.

But for Shaq, it's a bit simpler. Whether he knows it or will even admit it, it is about his legacy.

Shaq is still the most compelling single person in the playoffs. Steve Nash has back to back MVPs, and the Suns may yet rewrite how to win a championship, but they have time on their side and it's doubtful that they can pull it off without Amare Stoudmire.

Dirk Nowitzki is an MVP-in-waiting, but again, his team's future is bright, and coach Avery Johnson is at least as compelling. No, Shaq is the reason why Pat Riley was willing to risk his reputation and conduct such as risky experiment. Shaq continues to be the one player in the league that conventional rules and measures may not apply to - not just for referees, but players as well. Yet even Shaq is subject to Higher Powers as well. Father Time; a.k.a. The Big Equalizer.

The MDE has a wonderful gift in his arsenal unseen since Muhammad Ali was in his prime: He can get away with the most arrogant of pronouncements; really, can anyone see (by way of example) Kobe Bryant getting away with calling himself Most Dominant Ever? I don't care if he dropped his 81 on the Jordan and the '96 Bulls, Kobe would get hammered. Either because he is such a genuinely likeable guy - or maybe because the media is physically afraid of him - after getting his first title in 2000, Shaq has always had a layer of protection that makes Teflon look like Velcro. I'm old enough to remember Wilt Chamberlain, and suffice to say that if The Big Dipper (yes, the whole "The Big [insert nickname]" handle business predates Shaq) had gone out in five to the '04 Pistons, Wilt would have to had left the country for a while.

Which is a shame, since Shaq truly stopped being The Big Aristotle about four years ago, when he became The Big Coney Island Roller Coaster. His weight went from 325 to well...Shaq admitted to 360 in his last season with Los Angeles, rumors had it going as high as 380. In any case, it was obvious to even the occasional fan that O'Neal had lost a discernable level of his quickness and agility that marked his game from Day One.

What would Aristotle have said?

The year 2000 was not only the best season of Shaquille O'Neal's career; it was one of the great individual seasons in NBA history; [insert stats]. The Lakers won their first title since 1988, and Shaq and Kobe Bryant were the toasts of the town. Championships followed the next two seasons, and the word dynasty was starting to be used. Except cracks were developing on and off the court starting in the 2002 playoffs.

The 2002 postseason featured Tony Parker and Mike Bibby undressing the Lakers with the pick and roll. Parker was a rookie with a shaky jumper and no cred with the refs. Bibby and Chris Webber nearly screen-rolled the Lakers out of the postseason as The Big Way Too Big unwillingness to consistently extend himself on defense became apparent. NBA coaches couldn't ignore the obvious evidence, and pretty soon, making Shaq work on defense - not by trying to score on him, but by forcing him to switch and extend his defense beyond the post - became an NBA staple. 

In 2003, Shaq declined to get off-season toe surgery, saying "I got hurt on company time; I'll get it fixed on company time." What would have Aristotle have said? He wound up missing the first 14 games of the season. Worse, the relationship between he and Kobe Bryant, which was shaky on their best days, was irreparably damaged.  2004 feature Shaq's public demands for money with the infamous "Pay me my [bleeping] money." At Laker owner Jerry Buss during a preseason game. The Lakers looked ragged during the regular season, as did Shaq as he missed 15 games due to injuries and had a career low scoring average. In retrospect, are we surprised? You are what you consistently do.

In the aftermath of the disastrous 2004 Finals, where a heavily favored Laker team was soundly beaten by the Pistons and which featured a total meltdown between Shaq and Kobe Bryant, Shaq essentially orchestrated his exit from La-La land. It was obvious to Shaq that Jerry Buss wasn't going to pay him 30 million a year in an extension. It was obvious to Jerry Buss that Shaq, who had missed an average of 15 games a year for the previous three seasons, wasn't going to be worth 30 million at the age of 35 or 36. Laker fans should have had no problem with the idea of a trade, but rather the shoddy execution. GM Mitch Kupchak, who basically panicked and traded Shaq with two years left on his contract, and got the cap-killing contracts of Lamar Odom and Brian Grant.

A New Beginning - Same Shaq?

Last season, O'Neal returning to Florida seemed to have the same impact on him that getting kicked out of Boston had for Roger Clemens. Shaq showed up Miami as a hero, his Shaq-flon intact, helped in no small part by Kobe Bryant's incredible penchant for self-inflicted PR wounds, turning himself into The Most Hated Man in Basketball.

The Big SlimFast showed up for training camp weighing 325 - at least 35 pounds lighter the season before (his explanation was classic Shaq-speak: "Phil (Jackson) always wanted me strong, so I lifted and came in big." Of course, no one seriously challenged his statement.). The result was predictable - Shaq finished runner up to Steve Nash as MVP, and played in 73 games, his highest total in four years. The Heat made the conference finals, and came within a D-Wade injury of making the Finals and getting the last word on Jerry Buss and Kobe Bryant.

This season, Shaq got the coach he wanted in Pat Riley, and the supporting cast he wanted. In return, he played in just 59 games, and set career lows in points and rebounds, while setting a career high in fouls per minute. While a career-low 30 minutes a game, he committed an Eric Dampier-like 3.9 fouls per game (highest total since his rookie year). The Heat beat the Bulls in their first round match-up, but was exposed as a team a step slow in the backcourt against the mercurial guards of the Bulls, who seemingly penetrated at will and attacked Shaq with impunity. The second round featured a surprisingly easy win over the Nets, which brings us to the present. Can Shaq did deep and provide a sustained level of brilliance at the age of 34 that will bring home his fourth ring? Does he have the hunger?

You're Shaquille O'Neal, 34. You are certainly the best center of your era. Alas, in 2006, that's a bit like having the most fuel-efficient Hummer; it's not saying a heck of a lot. Greatness can only be measured against greatness. Wilt and Russell had each other, and on nights when they were bored with each other, there was Nate Thurmond (who was probably the third best defensive center ever), Wayne The Wall Embry, Willis Reed and Walt Bellamy. Kareem had to contend Wilt, Walton, Lanier, Unseld, Artis Gilmore, and Moses Malone, to name a few.

By contrast a young Shaq faced off with David Robinson, and an old Patrick Ewing, and Hakeem (who schooled him regularly). A prime Shaq had Tim Duncan, who prefers to masquerade as a power forward, and who else? Rik Smits? Vlade Divac? Dale Davis? How ironic that the older Shaq now gets challenged by Yao and Ben Wallace. Perhaps he'll finally get the foil we fans have been waiting for. I don't blame Shaq for having the misfortune of playing in the Dark Ages of  the Low Post, but he can be held to account for not taking full advantage of his dominance. But will Shaq first post up Father Time? How can and how will he stave off time?

The year is 1993: Reebok features a commercial. Shaq knocks on an extra-dimensional door. Bill Russell sternly peers through the peephole:

Russell: "You're late

Shaq: "But I'm ready."

(Shaq steps through, awaiting him are Wilt, Kareem, Russell and Walton. The implication is clear...)

  

Echoes of Wilt

Shaq is frequently and understandably compared to Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt is the only center who could physically match up with Shaq in terms of strength and agility. And at 34, Wilt returned from a major knee injury to help get the Lakers into the 1970 Finals. He then played another three years, leading the league in rebounding every year. The 1972 Lakers won 33 in a row and the title. He plated 43 minutes a game his final season.

Bill Russell: His final season came at age 34.He averaged 19 rebounds, 5 assists, made All-Defensive First Team and won a title.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: In 1982 he was only 34 and averaged 23.8ppg, 8.7 rebounds, 3 assists and nearly 3 blocks in 35 minutes a game. And he played another 7 seasons and won three titles after that.

The 34 year old Shaq played under 31 minutes, whined about the officiating this season, and in what should worry Miami fans, his backup center Alonzo Mourning has been the more consistent defender and a far better shot-blocker. 

By contrast, Shaq's persistent complaints about the officiating, while sometimes justifiable, also remind me of a man who has not accepted that The Big Hourglass stops for no one. When quickness goes, brute force can not be your alternative, as the referees have made painfully clear. Much like many a great pitcher, Shaq will have to add more guile to compensate for diminished skills. Of course, it would help if Shaq starts conceding that the skills have diminished - if only to himself.

There is no doubting that Shaq is one of the five or six best centers ever. The question is does Shaq simply want to proclaim himself an MDE, or does he want to finish stating his case? Overall, the evidence is shaky. His conditioning over the years doesn't indicate that he takes the regular season very seriously, and as most people of 30 will tell you, if you want to play, you have to pay.  Kareem, Wilt, Michael Jordan - the men at the pantheon Shaq envisions himself all paid that price.

Moreover, the window of opportunity is closing and O'Neal and the Heat. Besides Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, and New Jersey will all post stiff challenges to Miami in the near future. The recent rule changes and the success of the Mavericks and Suns over the last two years will inspire other teams to change to up-tempo offenses that will either require big men to run the court or seek the bench. Can and will Shaq adapt to the inevitable? That he is still respected, but no longer feared?

Besides a renewed off-season commitment, can Shaq adjust his game in the present?

Shaq, if legacies are not built after 30, they certainly acquire their substance. Consider the case of Kareem. Kareem's career, featured six MVPs won before he was 31, yet how defined was he by the 1985 Finals? The Celtics won Game One in the infamous Memorial Day Massacre 148-115. Kareem was ripped by many as "old", "uninspired", and worse. The next day, he apologized to his teammates for his performance.

Ten days later, the 37-year old Abdul-Jabbar capped the historic six game vanquishing of the Celtics, with 29 points in the clincher at The Boston Garden and the Finals MVP. A 35 year old Wilt led the Lakers to the 69-13 mark in 1972 and the Lakers first NBA title in Los Angeles.

Shaq is clearly in decline, but history can be on his side. The Most Dominant Ever will have to morph into "The Big Transformation".

For Miami's sake, he has to. At this point, it's all about his legacy.

Walt Frazier once said you make your name in the regular season; you make your fame in the playoffs. Greatness sustained in the regular season will make a player money and fame. Don't confuse that fame with "Fame" with the capital 'F'. That only comes from playoff brilliance and championships. And nowhere can you do more than in a Game Seven. You ball in a Game Seven, and one day, they'll read your name in reverent tones from a scroll on a mountain.

If Willis Reed hobbles back on to the floor for a February 1970 game against Seattle, it's appreciated by his teammates only.

But when Willis Reed limps onto center court at Madison Square Garden in Game 7, and the name Willis Reed is synonymous with courage. Two hours and an epic victory later, and few remember that he scored a mere four points (the first two baskets of the game), and was barely able to play the first half. The legend was made for a lifetime.

Game Seven pressure isn't for everyone. Doug Christie admitted being overwhelmed by the moment. He went 2 for 13. The Kings lose. (Chris Webber took all the heat for some reason, but I digress.) Dennis Johnson once went oh-for-14 in a Game 7. He came back the next year to be Finals MVP, proving that redemption is possible, but never assured.

Game Seven just has that attraction. The finality of the game. The ultimate "must win" for both teams. None of this "it's a must win" crap when a team is down 2-1 in the series. You win and move on - or capture the prize, or you lose and go home. The setup and build up is important. The eyes of the world focused on this stage, and that desire we have for heroes to rise up, and frankly we also live to see who will sink under the pressure. One game. For survival.

In what has already been an incredible playoff season, in less than four hours we'll start not one, but two Game Sevens. Steve Nash, Sam Cassell, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker... who will enhance their cred, who will create a legend tonight?

In that vein, let's look at the great moments of Game Sevens Past. The surprise may be in the names you will NOT see here. Magic's 42 point, 15 rebound, 7 assist gem in 1980 vs. Philly? Sorry, it was a Game 6. Kareem's 29 points in Boston Garden that finally ended the Celtic mojo on the Lakers? Ditto. Don't look for Michael Jordan either. The Bulls never went to a Game 7 in the Finals, and his other Game Sevens, while nice, they don't make the cut here. Sam Jones and Oscar Robinson had some games that came close in the 1960s, but they were in decisive best-of-five series. My personal tough omission was Bernard King's one-man demolition of the Pistons in 1984, but again, it was in a 5-game series.

Tim Duncan last year? He made a nice run in the third period of Game 7 last year, but once you get past the spin control of the announcers, you realize that he was 10-27. Sorry, but Magnificent Seven ballers need no validation from the media. Their performance is gives them their cred and we, the fan, acknowledge and recognize.

One day, if they ever come up with a Game Seven Most Valuable Baller award, name it after Bill Russell. Why? Let me preface my remarks thusly: I love Wilt. I think he was the greatest center ever, and possibly the greatest player to ever lace up Chuck Taylors, Nikes, or whatever anti-gravity boots ballers will wear in 2106.

But Bill was 10-0 in Game 7. Read that again. Ten Game Sevens, the man never lost. Four times against Wilt's teams, he won by a combined total of nine points. Some of those involved luck (especially 1965 and 69), but 10-0 is hard to beat - or impeach.

Read on:

1970 Clyde and Willis - Even fans who weren't born in 1970 know about the 1970 Knicks.  The Setup: Willis Reed went down with a thigh injury in Game 5, and the Knicks rallied for a miracle win. Game 6 featured Wilt Chamberlain (himself recently back from a major knee injury) putting up 45 and 27 ballboards in a blowout win.

The Inspiration: Just before game time, Willis got two injections that allowed him to walk on to the floor (wait a minute, isn't that a performance enhancing drug?). Nothing written can do the ovation he received justice. Just watch the replay. And everyone was caught up in the moment, Knicks, their fans, and alas, the Lakers as well. Reed hits the first two shots of the game, and the rout was on. 63-39 Knicks at the half, they cruise to their first title 113-99. The Devastation: Many tend to forget those first two baskets were Reed's only points of the game. As Walt Frazier put it, "Willis provided the inspiration, I provided the devastation." 36 points and 19 assists. Think about that, 19 dimes in a game where you score 36. And at least four steals of his rival Jerry West. Willis got the MVP, but a second should have been made for Clyde.

1969 Finals: The Logo Falls Just Short - Six times, the Lakers played the Celtics in the 1960s for the title. Three times, it came to a Game Seven.

The Setup: The previous five times, Boston came out ahead. In every series, Boston had home court. But this time, the Lakers at 55-27 had home court over the 48-34 Celtics. Moreover, after having no real threat to Bill Russell in the middle, the Lakers had picked up Wilt Chamberlain from the Sixers. The Lakers were favored, and went up 2-0 in the series. Only a Sam Jones miracle basket at the buzzer to save the series for Boston. Meanwhile, Jerry West was a beast. The Logo goes off for 53 points and 10 assists in a Game 1 win, and had cracked 30 points in four of the first six games. For the first time in this rivalry, the Lakers would host Game Seven. Laker owner Jack Kent Cooke was so sure of victory, he ordered 10,000 balloons to be put into the rafters at the Forum, to be released when the Lakers finally won.

The Game:  West did his part, playing 46 minutes with a badly damaged hamstring and jammed finger. Mr. Clutch dropped 42, with 13 boards and 12 assists, his fourth game of at least 39 points in the series. However, this game is better remembered for: