My love affair with the sport of basketball began twenty years ago. In the mid-80’s, it wasn’t Boston Celtics’ superstar Larry Bird or the Los Angeles Lakers’ one and only Magic Johnson who hooked me on the game. It wasn’t Chicago Bulls' sensation Michael Jordan either.
The player that turned me into the full-fledged basketball addict that I am today was a skinny kid who played shooting guard for the UCLA Bruins.
His name—Reggie Miller.
Growing up, I was also a ridiculously skinny kid. As a young hoopster, I wanted someone to look up to. When I saw Miller play, it was love at first sight. He immediately became my favorite basketball player.
Around that same time, Indiana Pacers GM Donnie Walsh also discovered Miller.
The Pacers selected Miller with the 11th pick in the 1987 NBA Draft.
At the time, neither decision was popular.
My elementary school basketball teammates didn’t understand my identification with Miller. They especially didn’t understand my identification with the Pacers. My teammates were all Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls fans. When they practiced in their backyards and driveways they always pretended to be Larry, Magic and Mike. I was always Reggie. I became an Indiana Pacers fan because I was a Reggie Miller fan.
Meanwhile, Pacers fans didn’t understand Walsh’s decision to draft Miller. They favored Indiana Hoosiers guard Steve Alford. Pacers fans made this blatantly clear when they booed the selection on draft day.
Still, both Walsh and I remained steadfastly confident in our selections. We both knew that Miller was special, both personally and professionally. We just didn’t know how special. The road that Reggie Miller took to becoming a great player, and even a greater person, is truly amazing.
As a young child growing up in Riverside, California, Miller was forced to wear Forrest Gump-like leg braces to correct a hip deformity that caused severely splayed feet. Due to Miller’s condition, doctors feared that he might never walk correctly, let alone run. After four years, he finally shed the leg braces. He was not only walking, he was running.
Like Forrest, Reggie grew into a man who inspired many.
Now that Miller could finally run, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older siblings and become a great athlete. Miller’s brother, Darryl, was a professional baseball player. His sister, Tammy, played volleyball at Cal-State Fullerton. Another sister, Cheryl, is a basketball Hall of Famer and possibly the greatest female player of all time. Emerging out from underneath of the shadows of such fine athletes was no easy task. Nonetheless, during Reggie’s days as a UCLA Bruin he accomplished just that.
At UCLA, Miller became a star. During his sophomore season he helped the Bruins win the 1985 NIT Championship. As a senior, he led them to the 1987 Pac-10 Conference Championship. Miller exited college with a history degree and as the Bruins second all-time scorer, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite a magnificent career as a collegian, the general consensus was that Miller wasn’t athletic or durable enough to excel in the NBA.
Walsh and the Pacers vehemently disagreed with this popular opinion. The franchise selected Miller and never looked back.
Miller started for the Pacers during his NBA rookie season. 1987-88, and averaged 10 points a game. By Miller’s third season, 1989-1990, he had increased his points-per-game average to 24.6 and was one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. He also made his first NBA All-Star Game appearance in 1990.
Even though Miller had enjoyed tremendous personal success during the early stages of his NBA career, he had yet to attract the national spotlight. That all changed in 1994. He put on a performance for the ages in the NBA Playoffs against the Knicks. It was the first of many clutch “Miller Moments”…
Miller Moments
1994 Eastern Conference Finals Game 5
Miller and the Pacers were on the road facing the heavily favored New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Miller—who seemed to be draining three-pointers all the way from New York City’s Times Square—scored an unfathomable 25 fourth-quarter points, leading the Pacers to a 93-86 comeback victory. He ended up scoring 39 points. The legend of this game has been magnified due to the legendary courtside war of words exchanged by Miller and die-hard Knicks fan and filmmaker Spike Lee.
Spike Lee on Miller, “When he’s old and in a wheelchair, they’re going to roll him out onto the (Madison Square) Garden court and he’s still going to hit threes."
1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game One
Miller and his Pacers were back at the Garden, facing the rival Knicks. Down 6 points with less than 17 seconds remaining, Miller scored an impossible 8 points, two threes and two free throws, in 8.9 seconds to give the Pacers a remarkable 107-105 victory. This outcome left the Knicks, Knicks fans, and courtside Lee speechless. When people recall Miller’s playing days, this is the game they most often talk about.
1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4
Miller’s Pacers were down 94-93 to the Chicago Bulls with less than three seconds remaining. Miller shook free of Michael Jordan’s defense, caught an inbounds pass, and nailed a dagger three to give the Pacers the 96-94 win. Afterwards, the home crowd inside the Pacers’ Market Square Arena exploded as Miller and his teammates celebrated.
"You might make your first 10 shots and everything is going great, but when the game is on the line, those other 10 don't mean anything." – Reggie Miller
2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 5
Miller almost single-handedly eliminated the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets in the final game of this best-of-5 series. First, Miller banked in a 40-foot buzzer-beating three to tie the game and send it into overtime. Next, the vertically-challenged Miller somehow dunked on three Nets late in the first overtime to extend the game again. Due to no fault of Miller’s, the Pacers eventually lost after a second overtime period.
The abovementioned are just a few of the seemingly countless moments that made Reggie Miller synonymous with the word “clutch.” However, he will not only be remembered for these moments, but also in the record books:
He made the NBA All-Star Game five times.
He won a gold medal playing for the USA’s Dream Team II in the 1996 Olympics.
He averaged 18.2 points per a game during his career.
His scoring average increased to 20.6 during the playoffs.
He is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made.
He is 12th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Another way to evaluate Miller’s career is by the success his Pacers enjoyed.
Until Miller’s arrival, the Pacers only made the NBA Playoffs twice—bounced quickly both times. During Miller’s career, the Pacers made the playoffs 15 of his 18 seasons, making the Eastern Conference Finals six times and the franchise’s only NBA Finals appearance.
The loyalty Miller showed the Indiana Pacers is absent in professional sports today. Only ex-Utah Jazz PG John Stockton played more games while playing for one team during the span of an entire NBA career. The Pacers rewarded Miller with a Bentley and the honor of being the only NBA player whose jersey number has ever been retired by the franchise.
Miller’s accomplishments on the basketball court only tell half of the story. He is just as “clutch” of a person.
People haven’t always been kind to Miller. In 1997, his $2.9 million dream house burned to the ground. The disaster is still suspected to be the result of a hate crime. He’s also received numerous death threats from deranged fans over the years. Nonetheless, Miller has responded with nothing but generosity.
Miller donated considerable time and hundreds of thousands of dollars to victims of the 9/11 tragedy in New York. He is one of the nation’s foremost philanthropists supporting burn and arson victims. These charitable efforts, along with charitable work in the Indianapolis area, won Miller the NBA’s 2003-04 J. Walter Kennedy Community Service Award.
Miller holding his NBA Community Service Award.
It turns out that Reggie Miller was the perfect choice for both Walsh and me. Walsh found a franchise cornerstone for nearly two decades. I found a hero who inspires me personally on a daily basis. Reggie touched Walsh. Reggie touched the skinny kid who was looking for a hero. And Reggie touched legions of fans worldwide. He is the reason many of us have such an allegiance to the Pacers.
None of us will ever forget the story of a skinny handicapped kid who couldn’t run as a child, but ultimately ran circles around the competition during a career that will surely end at the Basketball Hall of Fame. We will never forget how “clutch” Reggie was, both on and off the court. We will never forget the story of Reggie Miller, one of the greatest personal triumphs the sports world has ever known.
Before tonight’s Game 1 of the Miami Heat-Detroit Pistons Eastern Conference Finals series, the NBA held another playoff staple—the NBA Draft Lottery. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the lottery, it is an annual event that the NBA hosts to determine the top three picks of each draft. Any of the 14 non-playoff teams can slip into the top three, but the NBA uses a sliding-scale odds system that gives the league’s worst teams the highest probability of doing so. However, sometimes the odds are defied and a team that barely misses the playoffs ends up with the top pick. For example, the Orlando Magic were the lottery team with the best record during the 1992-1993 NBA season, yet somehow managed to luck out and win the number one pick.
Even though the NBA has taken drastic measures to prove the fairness of the lottery, many skeptics remain. At times, I almost agree with them. Doesn’t it seem a little fishy that the Cleveland Cavaliers landed the first pick the year that Ohio’s favorite son and future MVP candidate LeBron James became draft eligible? Or that the New York Knicks, the team with the NBA’s biggest market, managed to land the top pick in the first ever NBA Draft Lottery?
In my opinion, the controversy only adds to what usually already is must-see TV. That being said, here is the live journal that I jotted down during the lottery…
Pre-Lotto Hype
4:40 PM PT – Great. ESPN lead sportscaster Dan Patrick is hosting this shindig. He is interviewing NBA Commissioner David Stern right now. I’m not a big fan of either of these two, so the TV is on mute for now. Listening to the new Gnarls Barkley CD St. Elsewhere instead.
4:42 PM PT. – Here we go… Stern’s goofy bonds stooge is carrying out the envelopes that contain the secret order of the first 14 picks of the upcoming 2006 NBA Draft. Commercial break…
Steve Zissou isn’t the only one with a bonds stooge.
4:44 PM PT – A X-Men: The Last Stand commercial is on now. Yes, I am a X-Men fan. Does that mean that I am secretly 16? No, I’m 27, meaning that at least one of us in the Next Great Sportswriter II contest is actually of age.
4:45 PM PT – Back to the lottery… The Philadelphia 76ers are using team president Billy King as their good-luck representative. Is that a good idea? After all, this is the guy that turned the Sixers, a borderline title contender a few years back, into a lottery team in the first place. The spot is typically designated for someone with good karma. Take the Orlando Magic for example, they are using senior vice president Pat Williams. Williams has represented the Magic all three times that the team has landed the first pick.
4:47 PM PT – The Boston Celtics are using JoJo White, who was a great player for the Celts in the 1970’s as the team’s rep. Apparently not only did he bring one of Red Auerbach’s cigars, but he is also wearing underwear. He didn’t even say lucky underwear, he just said that he brought underwear. Weird. Patrick just made a completely unfunny wisecrack about White’s undys. He thinks he’s doing stand-up now or something.
4:49 PM PT – Patrick just asked Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson if he would trade back the lottery pick that the New York Knicks sent him for C Eddy Curry. Yeah, Paxson really wants an overweight malcontent with a history of heart problems back in exchange for what should be a top-five pick.
4:50 PM PT – Before I announce the top 14 picks, here are each team’s percentage-wise odds of winning the first pick:
2006 NBA Draft Lottery Odds
Portland Trail Blazers - .250
Chicago Bulls - .199
Charlotte Bobcats - .138
Atlanta Hawks - .137
Toronto Raptors - .088
Minnesota Timberwolves - .053
Boston Celtics - .053
Houston Rockets - .023
Golden State Warriors - .022
Seattle Sonics - .011
Orlando Magic - .008
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets - .007
Philadelphia 76ers - .006
Utah Jazz - .005
The 2006 NBA Draft Lottery Countdown
Here is the order, announced in reverse order for dramatic affect…
14. Utah Jazz… No surprise here…
13. Philadelphia 76ers… King wasn’t exactly a rabbit’s foot, was he…
12. New Orleans… Still in order…
11. Orlando Magic… Pat Williams couldn’t do it this time…
10. Seattle Sonics… Seattle has still never had the first pick…
9. Golden State… Still no surprises…
8. Houston Rockets… This could really help them next year…
7. Boston Celtics… Ditto here…
6. Minnesota Timberwolves… Still no surprises…
5. Atlanta Hawks… Toronto moves up…
Will the Hawks really pick yet another small forward?
4. Portland Trail Blazers… The worst pick the Blazers could possibly end up with…
Another commercial break…
4:52 PM PT – This commercial is referring to soccer as football on American TV. This is an outrage! I’m calling my Congressperson. Whoever is responsible for this blatant pushing of inaccurate propaganda needs to be punished!!
OK, I'm sorry for that. I turned into Michael Douglas from Falling Down for a moment there. What can I say? I’m just not a big soccer fan.
4:55 PM PT – And we’re back on again…Three teams remain—Toronto, Charlotte and Chicago…
3. Charlotte Bobcats… Adam Morrison could really help fill the seats…
2. Chicago Bulls… The Bulls should unload this pick. K.G. would look real good in red and black…
1. Toronto Raptors… Man, new Raptors President Bryan Colangelo has to love his new gig. More on this development, along with some of the others, here in a moment…
4:57 PM PT – Patrick just suggested to Bryan Colangelo that the Raptors take a PG with the first pick. Has he even glanced at this draft class? Picking UCONN PG Marcus Williams with the first overall pick would make the Raptors lottery pick of Rafael Araujo a few drafts back look brilliant. Patrick is really on a roll here.
4:59 PM PT – After cracking yet another underwear joke (his third of the night) Patrick approaches Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson and asks him if he is “disappointed” after his Blazers slipped all the way down to the fourth pick. Who is this guy? Of course he’s disappointed. Look at his face, Patterson looks like he has just lost his first-born child or something. Now the Blazers will be lucky if they can even draft local product and Gonzaga star Adam Morrison and boost ticket sales. Patrick has some nerve, doesn’t he? He constantly aims to bring out the worst in people. Then again, maybe that is what makes him so successful.
Looks of the Kingsford Charcoal guy, ego of King James.
5:00 PM PT – Patrick is interviewing Bobcats G/F Gerald Wallace now. Wallace looks so nervous that I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a pool of urine beneath him on the floor. Plus, he sounds like Barry White. His voice can’t be that deep naturally. He’s Snoop Doggin’ it for sure. ESPN is cutting away to...
5:02 PM PT – The Heat-Pistons game, which tips off in a few minutes. With the Spurs getting kicked to the curb last night, I hope the Pistons get bounced next. How bad would it be for the NBA after such an entertaining season to have either the Pistons or the Spurs in the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive season? That will be the case if the Pistons make the Finals. Personally, I’m pulling for a non-boring Heat-Dallas Mavericks Finals. Dirk Nowitzki and Dwayne Wade would give the Finals some much-needed star power. Plus, the Mavs are as fun to watch as any team in sports right now and I’d do almost anything to see Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban after his Mavs won it all. I’m not so sure that he wouldn’t go streaking through the arena Frank-from-Old School style.
Will Cuban go "Frank the Tank" on us if the Mavs win it all?
The Aftermath
Honestly, I’m just glad that I don’t have to listen to Dan Patrick any longer. The only things that bug me more than him right now in the world of sports are the Babe-Bonds saga, Rasheed Wallace bemoaning every foul called on him, and the Miller Lite “Man Law” commercials currently airing during the NBA games.
By the way, those commercials are horrid. There is no way that I’m going to let a bunch of has-beens (Burt Reynolds), B-listers (Eddie Griffin, Triple H), and no-names (a rodeo star and some guy who survived getting hit by a train) tell me what my laws of manhood should be. The “you poke it, you own it” rule is a pathetic attempt at a sexual innuendo, and the other commercials are even worse. Does Miller Lite actually think that I want to see Triple H rip his shirt off. The dude is straight flabby now, plus I already saw Gilbert Arenas do the same thing almost 90 times this season.
Anyway, back to the draft… The Raptors absolutely made out here, but who’s the pick? This draft is jam-packed with forwards and the Raptors already have emerging stars Charlie Villanueva and Chris Bosh. I think that the Raptors should take Italian 7-foot sensation Andrea Bargnani. CB4 can play center and CV3 is a natural small forward, adding Bargnani at the power forward spot would give them a fantastic nucleus to build around. Even if Bargnani is nothing more than a poor man’s Nowitzki, this frontcourt would still eventually be among the best, if not the best, in the NBA.
I think that the Bulls also lucked out. The Bulls were a playoff team (albeit not for very long) this season, and now they will add the second pick into the mix. Like I suggested earlier, the Bulls should dangle the pick out in front of the Timberwolves, along with Luol Deng and Tyson Chandler, and see if a Kevin Garnett trade can materialize. A core of Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, and K.G. would give the Bulls a team talented enough to potentially win the East. The Timberwolves would make out as well, getting back Deng, Gordon and a future-star big man like Tyrus Thomas or LaMarcus Aldridge to add to Ricky Davis and the sixth-overall pick.
2:11 AM PT - Well, I’d love to stay and ramble on and on all night long, but my girlfriend graduates from college tomorrow and is having a crisis picking her outfit. I fear that she might just fire the stiletto she’s holding at me if I neglect her any longer. If you made it this far, thanks for rolling with me 1,800-plus words deep and check back for more material later on in the week.
Yes, I bought into all of the hype and went to see The Da Vinci Code Saturday night. I mainly went so that I would be able to bring you this article.
Bad decision.
Around 4:00 p.m. or so, my girlfriend and I decided that we were going to go eat Mexican food and catch the 6:30 showing at a small theater here in Long Beach. I’ll just say that it took us awhile to get out of the apartment. By the time that we bought tickets, several shows were already sold out and the next available showing wasn’t until 8:15 p.m. The clerk told us to be back 30-45 minutes if we wanted to get a decent seat.
We ate and came back at 7:30, exactly 45 minutes early. Everyone had already been seated. There was absolutely no seats left and the next showing wasn’t until 10 p.m. We got a refund and decided to go to a bigger theater to avoid waiting so long.
Another bad decision.
When we arrived at the bigger theater, The Da Vinci Code was sold out until 10:15. We bought tickets and went over to a local arcade to kill some time. Afterwards, we got into line about an hour before the scheduled start time. There was already about 200 people in front of us. Once the usher allowed everyone into the theater the rush for seats turned into a Battle Royal. I swear I saw an eleven-year-old kid slap an old man with a bag of Twizzlers (OK, I’m embellishing a bit on this particular claim, but you get the point). Miraculously, we were still able to find decent seats.
At that point I was like “This $@#% better be good.”
It wasn’t. The movie sucks. Even Tom Hanks turned in an uninspired performance and the plot had more holes than the Dallas Cowboys offensive line used to make for Emmitt Smith. I suppose I should have expected this from Opie Taylor.
Anyway…
In the movie Harvard Professor Robert Langdon (Hanks) gets mixed up in a murder mystery while on business in Paris. While attempting to solve the mystery he discovers ancient codes. He believes these codes lead to the Holy Grail and begins a quest for the Grail that takes him all over Europe.
This isn’t unlike what has gone on in the NBA over the course of the past decade.
After a small influx of European players infiltrated the NBA (Vlade Divac, Detlef Schrempf, Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, Arvydas Sabonis, etc…), scouts found themselves searching all over Europe for undiscovered talent. During this search, the next NBA superstar, Dirk Nowitzki, was found. As a result of this amazing revelation, NBA executives became obsessed with the notion that European players were the key to discovering the NBA’s Holy Grail—The Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy.
Each NBA franchise’s hunt for the next European NBA superstar began. Starting with Nowitzki, here are some of the more significant discoveries NBA teams have made during their quests across the Atlantic.
PF Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, Germany – Dirk is widely considered to be both the player that started the NBA’s fascination with European talent and the best European NBA player ever. In 1998, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Nowitzki 9th overall and immediately traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for the draft rights to Robert “Tractor” Traylor. This trade would be similar to Brad Pitt trading in Angelina Jolie for Kathy Griffin. It wasn’t a very smooth move for the Bucks.
Dirk's lethal combo of length and moves make him one of a kind.
During his eight NBA seasons, Nowitzki has developed into one of the elite players in the league. He has also helped revolutionize the game. Before the German Wunderkind, the league had never known a seven-footer with the shooting range, athleticism, and offensive skills owned by Nowitzki. Just how unique is Dirk? He is the only player in NBA history to ever record 150 three-point field goals and 100 blocks in the same season. This season, Nowitzki made All NBA First-Team and was third in NBA MVP voting while leading the Mavs to 60 wins and the third-best record in the NBA. After witnessing Nowitzki turn the once lowly Mavs into a legitimate NBA Championship contender, NBA front offices are still looking for the “next Dirk Nowitzki.”
SF Predrag "Peja" Stojakovic, Indiana Pacers, Serbia-Monte#### – Stojakovic isn’t quite the player that Nowitzki is, but he is still recognized as an All-Star talent and one of the top international players in the NBA. Peja is a little shorter and less versatile than Dirk, but he still possesses a sweet shooting stroke. The Sacramento Kings drafted Stojakovic in 1996, but he didn’t actually join the Kings until 1998-99, which was also Nowitzki’s rookie year.
He Got Game: Peja’s wife, Greek supermodel Aleka Kamila.
Stojakovic started his career somewhat slowly, coming off the bench for the Kings during both of his first two seasons. During his third season, he took his game to new heights, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game during his first season as a starter. In the following seasons, Stojakovic maintained this high level of play while helping reinvent the previously abysmal Sacramento Kings franchise into a winner. Peja was traded to the Indiana Pacers last season in exchange for clinically insane superstar Ron Artest. Even though Stojakovic has been criticized for both his defensive ineptitude and his playoff disappearing acts, he is undoubtedly one of the best shooters and scorers playing in the league today.
PG Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs, France – Contrary to popular belief, there is more to Parker than just being Mr. Eva Longoria. He is also a top-notch NBA player. Drafted 28th overall in 2001 by the San Antonio Spurs, Parker immediately became the Spurs starting point guard. Two years later the lightening-quick Parker lead the Spurs to the 2003 NBA Championship. Since then he has helped the Spurs win another NBA Championship (2005), been selected to the NBA All-Star Game (2006), and recorded a French rap album. After starting the NBA’s French Revolution, Parker has shown no signs of slowing down.
NBA execs are “Desperate” for players like Parker.
PF Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies, Spain – Gasol is a fierce competitor that does most of his damage inside. He was selected 3rd by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2001 NBA Draft. Gasol was a standout from day one, winning the 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Even though the Grizzlies have still never won a NBA Playoff game, at least Gasol is leading them to the postseason. Before Pau’s arrival, the Grizz had never even been in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Bearded Spaniard was selected to the 2006 All-Star Game and has averaged 18.5 points and 1.9 blocks per game during his career. Gasol’s intensity and toughness are helping change the soft label frequently given to European players.
F Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz, Russia – Kirilenko not only is the most versatile European player in the NBA today, he also has the best nickname—AK-47, a moniker that is inspired both by his jersey number (47) and the infamous Russian rifle that shares the same name (AK-47). The Utah Jazz drafted him with the 24th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, but he didn’t play in the NBA until the 2001-02 NBA season. He was an NBA All-Star in 2004 and is one of only two players to record a “5X6” (6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 blocks, and 6 steals). The other player is former NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon. Kirilenko is so good that his wife (hottie and former Russian pop star Masha Lopatova) allows him to sleep with another woman once every year. Now that’s talent. His defensive abilities are proving that some Europeans can indeed “D” up.
(In Russian) Honey, are you sure it’s OK?
F-C Darko Milicic, Orlando Magic, Serbia-Monte#### – At the ripe age of 20, Milicic has already been prematurely labeled as a bust. I understand why; because Milicic was selected by the Detroit Pistons 2nd in the 2003 NBA draft, ahead of stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. Still, he hardly played at all during the first two-and-a-half years of his career with the Pistons, so it is a tad early to pass judgment on the young Serbian. Milicic finally started to get some burn when he was shipped to the Orlando Magic prior to the 2006 All-Star break. He finished the season playing fairly well for the Magic, especially defensively (he averaged over 2 blocks per game during his 30 games with the Magic). Will Darko end up a flat-out bust or bust out with potential? Only time will tell, but teams are starting to be more cautious about European players after witnessing the early stages of Milcic’s career.
There have been plenty of other success stories—such as Orlando Magic F Hedo Turkoglu of Turkey, Cleveland Cavaliers C Zydrunas Ilgauskas of Lithuania, and Phoenix Suns PG-C and 2006 Most Improved Player Boris Diaw of France—and a few busts—such as Nikoloz Tskitishvili of Georgia, who was selected 5th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2002 NBA Draft, and is barely clinging to his Phoenix Suns roster spot—as NBA teams continue to span Europe for a player that will deliver them an NBA Championship. This search is no longer limited to Europe either, as current NBA stars have been drafted from Argentina (San Antonio Spurs G Manu Ginobli), China (Houston Rockets C Yao Ming), Canada (Phoenix Suns PG and back-to-back NBA MVP Steve Nash) and Australia (Milwaukee Bucks C Andrew Bogut).
The bottom line here is that lots of foreigners can ball (Plus, they all somehow pull supermodel-hot chicks as effortlessly as they hit free throws, which is good for bonus points in my book).
Some basketball theorists associate the success of European and foreign players to the extra emphasis that foreign countries seem to place on basketball fundamentals. Another train of thought is that wherever basketball is frequently played, good players will develop. Both of these explanations seem to make sense.
The bigger question is this: In the future, will the World’s best basketball players hail from America or from European or other countries?
That question may never be answered, but NBA front offices will still continue to import oodles of European and foreign players in their quest to obtain basketball’s Holy Grail. Even The Da Vinci Code Director Ron Howard could get that story straight.
I don’t know you, but I’m a film buff and big fan of yours, so I feel that I know you reasonably well. That being said, I have to ask—what in the hell were you doing flying to Phoenix to watch L.A.’s other team, the Los Angeles Clippers? You are suppose to be the quintessential Los Angeles Lakers fan.
Are you mad at Kobe? This is you telling KB8/24 and his teammates “Wait'll they get a load of ME!,” isn’t it? Has Elgin Baylor finally turning things around inspired you to the point that you told him “you make me want to be a better man?” Or were you there to support your good friend and die-hard Clippers fan Billy Crystal, who always seems to crack on you at the Oscars? Here’s his next Jack Nicholson punchline—“never rub another man's rhubarb.”
You’ll probably wake up tomorrow and say that this experience was “The most terrible nightmare I ever had. It's the most horrible dream I ever had.” Jack, you need to take some accountability here. You were wearing Clipper blue. I know you were there to support your director from As Good As It Gets , Clippers fan James L. Brooks, but still—YOU WERE WEARING CLIPPER BLUE! OK, maybe it was light purple, but it looked like blue on TV. You and Penny Marshall are out! What, is three championships every decade not good enough for you?
What's wrong, Jack, "you can't handle the truth?" That's too bad. You are a Lakers fan. Go home! This is an outrage. Noah Cross told you this in Chinatown “most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of... anything! “ Well, buddy, you now have to face that fact. What's your next film going to be, a Benedict Arnold bio-pic?
You can only hope that Kobe doesn’t disown you during his guest appearance on TNT’s NBA Halftime Show tonight. You know that Chuck and Kenny are going to ask him about you. Well, hopefully the Ocho, I mean, Jack Bauer, will forgive you and it will be business as usual with you courtside next year. I have a feeling you’ll wake up tomorrow, read this, and write me back “What can I tell you, kid? You're right. When you're right, you're right, and you're right.”
I love ya, Jack, but you're pushing me. First, Wolf, then Mars Attacks, and now this? Are there any real fans still out there? What happened to loyalty? Jack, this is a wake up call. "Lord have mercy! Is that what that is?" Yes, now go back to your family—the purple and gold. That's where you belong.
I had planned on getting this out a little earlier today, but then these little things called life and work intervened. I hate when inconsequential stuff like that gets in the way of my blogging. Here are my post-Game 4 thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs second-round series...
San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks
Top Gun
Watching the game Monday night I thought of the movie Top Gun. Maybe it was the way Devin Harris was soaring down the court? Perhaps it was Michael Finley fearlessly flying in for a dunk? It possibly could've been that Tim Duncan’s cool, calm demeanor and three rings reminded me of Iceman. Or Avery Johnson’s Viper-like instruction? Or Greg Popovich ending up with egg on his face like Jester. Regardless, can’t you see Duncan as Iceman rolling up on Dirk Nowitzki (who, as the greatest Dallas Maverick ever, has to be Maverick) and Jason Terry (Goose) with Manu Ginobli by his side (he’s obviously Slider, he even has the nose)…
Kilmer and Cruise’s onscreen magic can’t touch the NBA Playoffs.
Iceman: You two really are cowboys.
Maverick: What's your problem, Kazanski?
Iceman: You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous.
Maverick: That's right! Ice... man. I am dangerous.
Everyone credits Phoenix for bringing back high-octane offense, but it was really the Dallas Mavericks. Where do you think Steve Nash developed his style of play? Nowitzki, Terry, and the rest of the Mavs are indeed dangerous now that they are have added solid team defense to their attack. The Mavericks’ speedy brand of small ball is giving the plodding, methodical Spurs fits. It almost seems like the Spurs didn’t take the Mavs seriously until now, which is too late. The Spurs messed around with the Sacramento Kings and let that first-round series go to six games. Meanwhile, the Mavs swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games. Dallas was well rested and ready to run San Antonio’s old and tired legs out of the playoffs. That is exactly what they are doing. Right now, the Mavs are playing the best basketball of any team in the playoffs.
Tell me Taylor Hicks doesn't look like Cuban.
You have to give credit to both Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban and Head Coach Avery Johnson. First off, Cuban and management made the unpopular decisions to let Nash and Finley walk. These moves paved the way for the success they are now enjoying against the defending NBA Champions. Nash and Finley leaving town alleviated a roster logjam and allowed younger and more athletic players like Jason Terry, Devin Harris, Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels to get plenty of burn. Also, the acquisition of DeSagana Diop has paid dividends. Duncan still put up big numbers, but Diop really did an excellent job against Big Fundamentals. Diop’s defense during the overtime period, where he blocked Duncan at least once, was especially impressive. This younger, more athletic version of the Mavs also possesses both grit and toughness, something that Finley and Nash seem to lack at times. Veterans Nowitzki and Jerry Stackhouse are partially responsible for this, but I look at this team’s toughness more as a reflection of its coach.
The Little General
At first I was unsure how Johnson would fare as a Head Coach in the NBA. He is relatively young, lacking in stature, and has a cartoonish voice that is hard to take serious. I wondered at first if his players would write him off. That hasn’t happened at all. Johnson has put his foot down and commanded that his players adopt the hard-nosed style that he was known for as a player. The Mavs have responded and are playing the smart, scrappy ball that Johnson used to while remaining potent offensively.
Johnson’s in-game coaching has also been rather impressive. His Game 2 decision to insert speed demon PG Devin Harris into the starting line-up—a move that forced the Spurs to also go small--was a masterstroke. San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Greg Popovich hasn’t yet found a way to counter Johnson’s bold move.
The Little General has been remarkable since replacing Don Nelson.
Pop has let Johnson dictate the style of play in this series, which has effectively eliminated the size advantage that the Spurs should have. In Game 4, Spurs big men Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, and Fabricio Oberto combined to play one measly second. Spurs F Robert Horry played less than 10 minutes in the contest. That means that for nearly 40 minutes Pop left Duncan on an island, forced to fend off the cutting and slashing Mavs’ offensive bombardment by his lonesome. Bad move, Slick. You can’t beat the Mavs by utilizing the Mavs’ own style of play. I’m shocked that Pop hasn’t used Mohammed more. Mohammed has the offensive repertoire to eat Mavs C Erick Dampier’s lunch offensively. For now, Johnson is eating Pop’s lunch.
For instance, what was Pop telling his guys when they were down 5 with 30 seconds left? The Spurs refused to foul. What were the Spurs thinking? That Dallas was going to simply give them the ball back? (By the way, I am shocked at how poorly teams have handled late-game situations during these playoffs. It's just embarrassing.) Mostly, veteran G/F and shutdown defender Bruce Bowen is to blame for this. He selfishly refused to foul because he didn’t want to pick up his sixth foul and foul out. Pop and his boys seem unstoppable when they are up and everything is clicking, but not when things get tough. Don’t believe me? Then why have Pop and Duncan together never recovered from a 2-1 series deficit? Obviously, after winning two of the last three NBA Championships the Spurs think that maintaining the status-quo will be good enough for another championship banner in the rafters. It isn’t.
While Pop is staying put and employing the same tired Spurs formula, Johnson has been aggressive. Johnson has allowed Terry to shoot at will, a decision that has given J.T. supreme confidence. Terry hit one big shot after another in Game 4, the sickest being that rainbow jumper he drilled over Duncan. Another bold move is Johnson having Harris push the ball at a frantic pace. Sure, this resulted in some bad turnovers, but this bit of strategy accomplished way more good than it did bad. Not only did the Mavs get a ton of transition buckets, but also the pace Harris set seemed to wear down the Spurs. I could go on and on about the genius of Johnson in this series, but I won’t. This is all you need to know—the guy is a lights-out coach. He’s one of the best in the business. Easy.
My Forecast
Mavericks in 6… Although the Spurs could be eliminated in Game 5 if Popovich doesn’t make the necessary adjustments. Honestly, I think the Mavs have a chance to win it all. It's a pity that the Mavs don’t have Keith Van Horn healthy right now. Maybe he will be healthy by the NBA Finals (That’s right, I’m already predicting a NBA Finals birth for the Dallas Mavericks… Taylor Hicks, whoops, Mark Cuban can finally rejoice!).
Two fantastic NBA Playoff games took place last night. Here are my post-game reflections...
Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Rasheed doesn’t just throw headbands, he throws fits.
Guaran-Sheed?
Being a die-hard Indiana Pacers fan, let’s just say that I’m not particularly fond of Detroit Pistons star forward Rasheed Wallace. I can't stand the way he runs his mouth. I can't stand his wannabe-Dirk Nowitzki game. I can't stand the way he whines and protests after every single foul that is called on him. I can't stand when he throws temper tantrums and flings off his headband. I can't stand that bird #### stain on the top of his dome. Most of all, I can't stand his “Guaran-Sheeds.” I hate "Guaran-Sheeds."
As you can imagine, last night I took great pleasure in watching a “Guaran-Sheed” victory prediction go up in smoke for the first time. He previously was 3-0 after making these pre-game predictions, with two of those “Guaran-Sheed” wins coming against my beloved Pacers. I was at the second of those two games--Game 4 of last year’s second-round Pacers-Pistons playoff series--where I witnessed Wallace and teammate Chauncey Billups tear my Pacers apart firsthand. That was the last time I saw my favorite player of all time--Reggie Miller--play in person. That was also the last time I went to the Pacers state-of-the-art venue Conseco Fieldhouse. I still have this nasty, bitter taste in my mouth. I-puked-and-didn’t-brush-my-teeth nasty.
Monday night’s Pistons-Cleveland Cavaliers game was also Game 4 of a second-round playoff series. I guess Wallace and the Pistons think that they can waltz to the Finals every year simply by guaranteeing victories every time any Eastern Conference team comes within striking distance in a series. LeBron and his Cavs disagreed. The Cavs won the game 74-72 and sent the series back to Detroit tied 2-2.
Another problem I have with Wallace’s promises is that he doesn’t always show up after making these predictions. Last night Wallace looked disinterested. He was so out of it that when the “Kiss Cam” made its way around the arena during a timeout, he playfully was trying to kiss Billups. He scored a pedestrian 7 points and ended up sitting out a large portion of the game with what seemed to be nothing more than a lightly sprained ankle. That also bugs me, because most so-called NBA gurus rave about the Pistons toughness. Nowitski has returned to play after losing teeth, spraining ankles, etc… Why has he been labeled “soft” while Wallace gets “tough?” It simply doesn’t make sense.
I think guarantees are becoming far too prevalent in sports today. Back in the day, these predictions were reserved for the likes of the NBA Finals and the Super Bowl. For example, flashy Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson could be a meteorologist for the local news with all the forecasting he does. Wallace is making his "Guaran-Sheeds" such an annual ritual that his latest assurance hardly even generated any news. In my opinion, if you make one of these guarantees you need to A.) Be the best player and a leader on your team; and B.) Follow it up with a monster stat line.
Wallace is not the best player on his team (he’s the fourth best, for the record), he’s’ not a leader, and he didn’t even come close to a monster stat line last night. He finally wrote a check that his butt couldn’t cash. I suppose that’s what Wallace meant when he made the post-game comment "The sun even shines on a dog's #### some days." This is suddenly a series as the Pistons biggest dog is now feeling some heat being applied to his rear end.
Anderson Varejao, er, I mean Sideshow Bob.
Sideshow Bob no longer
During the Pistons-Cavaliers game last night, I couldn't help but notice the inspired play of young Brazilian Cavs forward Anderson Varejao. The guy resembles the character Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons, but last night his game was no sideshow.
Varejao was all over the court, playing like the second coming of Dennis Rodman. Not only did he have 10 points and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes, he matched Ben Wallace’s intensity, and made countless hustle plays. His biggest play of the night was a charge he took from Chauncey Billups with 30 seconds left in the contest. Cavs Head Coach Mike Brown gave this beauty of a quote as a response “Andy’s charge was huge. He has about the quickest feet of any guy that I know that is seven feet, or six-ten and some hair. He’s great. His feet are extremely quick and he is a very smart basketball player.”
Varejao will definitely have to maintain this level of both play and energy for the Cavs to have a shot at stealing this series from the Pistons. However, he is playing the finest basketball of his relatively short career, so I think both he and the Cavs have an outside shot.
My Forecast (No, this is not a “Gauran-Sheed”)
I’m still thinking Pistons in 7… But, if I were Detroit I’d try to close this baby out in six games. They do not want to give LeBron James the opportunity to knock them out with clutch heroics late in Game 7. No matter how clutch Mr. Billups thinks he is.
So Carolina wide receivers/divas Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson are already fighting. Wow. Meshawn just got there and the season doesn't even start for another four months. Apparently, the two will be able to play together, but according to Smitty will remain on "agree to disagree" status. I'm going to have to take Smith's side on this one. After all, he basically willed the Panthers into the playoffs last year. He also had just about the finest season by a receiver that I have ever witnessed. His comeback from a shattered leg rivals John Travolta's Pulp Fiction resurgence. What caused this riff? Did Keyshawn actually expect to waltz into Charlotte and be "the man" after the Cowboys let him go for the biggest WR/diva of them all--Terrell Owens? Probably.
Speaking of diva receivers, it looks like Javon Walker is going to get a $40-million dollar deal from the Denver Broncos. As a Chiefs fan that just makes me wince. Can we please sign Ty Law already? Going back to the Broncos perspective, what I can't understand is that Jay Cutler pick. They could've taken former Memphis star running back Deangelo Williams with that pick. That would have made them the clear-cut favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl next season. Personally, I think Jay Cutler has bust written all over him.
Is there any doubt that aliens are living among us?
"Alien" invasion of MVP's layer
Steve Nash has officially repeated as MVP. That's just great. Now the most prestigious individual award from my favorite pro sport is forever tarnished. I read another blog today that really made me think. Steve Nash isn't even the best point guard that the Suns have ever had. That's no contest--it's Kevin Johnson. I guess that it's just hard for me to accept the fact that Nash will now be mentioned in the same breath as other back-to-back MVP winners like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
Anyway, I think Nash and his Suns are in serious, serious trouble in their second round series with the Clip Ship. Sam Cassell, aka "the Alien", will probe away and expose Nash's defensive flaws. Shaun Livingston will also prove to be too quick for the floppy-haired Canadian. If Nash's ankle is still ####ed up, the Clippers will dismantle their Pacific Division rivals with relative ease. If that isn't enough, the Suns have a huge problem down low. How do they think they are going to be able to stop Elton Brand and Chris Kaman? They can't. I'm taking the Clippers in six.
Krstic goes ballistic?
New Jersey Nets F/C Nenad Krstic will continue to come of age during the Nets second round playoff series against the Miami Heat. If J.O., Jeff Foster and co. had trouble with Krstic, 'Toine and Udonis Haslem are in for a rude awakening. This guy is starting to look like the second coming of Kevin McHale, and that is very bad news for the Heat. Did I mention that the Nets have Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter both playing the best basketball of their careers? Considering that Jason Kidd is delivering these guys the ball, and that the Nets have plenty of bigs to throw at Shaq, I like the Nets chances. Unless Commissioner Stern and his goon squad are hell-bent on Dwayne Wade and Shaq making the Finals, I don't see Miami winning this series. In the end, the fearsome foursome of Kidd, Vince, R.J. and Krstic will be too much. I'm going with the Nets in seven.
Ron-Ron and I have the same barber.
Artest's Vision
The one and only Ron Artest has claimed that he will play for the Sacramento Kings next season for FREE if the organization brings back Head Coach Rick Adelman and talented, but problematic G/F Bonzi Wells. I happen to agree with Ron-Ron on this one, but if I were the Maloofs I wouldn't get too use to Artest being the franchise's voice of reason.
Man of his word
Oscar De La Hoya took the verbal assault of a lifetime from then WBC 154-pound champ Ricardo Mayorga leading up to Saturday’s fight. Mayorga called him a "b****", insulted his family, and stated a comment insinuating that Oscar's own people didn't even respect him that he capped off with "Mexicans in East L.A. are telling me to kick your ####." Oscar kept it simple, responding in Spanish: "You have disrespected me, my wife and my people; believe me, I'm going to knock you out." Saturday, he beat Mayorga's face in, finishing him off in six rounds by TKO. I've been very critical of Oscar in the past, but I have to pay him his due. He pummeled his opponent during last weekend's fight and made good on his promise.
"How to dismantle a bomb"
As the NBA playoffs move on, I will be running an ongoing series under this name. Each blog will give my blueprint for rebuilding playoff teams that bombed in the 2006 NBA Playoffs. The first two teams will be my beloved Indiana Pacers and my hometown Los Angeles Lakers. Watch out for those...
What is going on in the NBA these days? Yes, the play indeed has been "Fantastic" during this first round series, but I'm not talking about the play. I'm talking about the fashion. In the past year or so we've seen both pig tails and Baryshnikov-esque tights become somewhat popular. My thoughts on the fads of the NBA...
Dancing with the Stars
King James, Half-Man/Half-Amazing, T-Mac, KB8 and Flash have all donned the tights this season. Players claim the increased circulation helps prevent injuries. The NBA doesn't agree. No matter how practical the tights are, Stern and his cronies do not want the league's stars dressing like ballerinas. I mean, what's next? A Serena Williams-inspired skirt replacing player's shorts? Pink uni's? Eyeliner?
Rockin’ the Socks
Frankly, Mr. Shankly, this fad has to go. Long socks may have been cool back when Magic sported ‘em with the stripes, daisy dukes and Converse Weapons, but now they are out. Just look how goofy T-Mac (pictured above) looks in both long socks and tights. He looks downright goofy. Drew Gooden and J-Will are among the worst culprits here. The knee-high black socks they rock are the worst.
Tatted-Up
Love tattoos, and hate them, too. A.I.’s are sick. Starbury’s look random. Love Kobe’s crown. Not a big fan of Brad Miller’s Scrappy-Doo and Greg Ostertag’s Fred Flintstone. The artwork on Doug Christie’s shoulder is sick. Tyson Chandler’s tats are weak. See what I mean. This fad can be good or bad.
Big Red occasionally played in between "Dead" shows.
Do the ‘Do’s
Hairstyles are a fashion staple in the NBA and have been since Dr. J had the ‘fro and Bill Walton was stylin’ as Big Red. Scot Pollard has probably the most versatile locks in the league. He has gone with everything from the Samurai to the short-long mini-mullet he wore in this year’s playoffs (mostly from the bench). Josh Childress has the Eraserhead mini-‘fro going. A.I., J.O. and Kwame Brown go with ultra-stylish cornrows. The worst hairstyle fad has to be the pig tails that Latrell Spreewell, Troy Hudson and Danny Fortson had last season. After that embarrassing debacle, I’m glad Spree is out of the league. This is another fad that can go either way.
Headband-ing Together
This is a fad that caught on about 4-5 years ago and has become common throughout the league. Slick Watts and Cliff Robinson (yes, he’s still playing… broken hip and all) were headband pioneers back in the day. Now, players on every team wear them. Rip Hamilton even uses one to pretty up his Jason mask. This fad, along with wristbands and armbands, can stay.
When NCAA Tournament Standout and George Mason star F Jai Lewis (6'7", 290 lbs.) agreed to a rookie free agent contract with the New York Giants earlier this week, it came to no surprise to me. When I watched Lewis during George Mason's miracle run to the Final Four I thought, "this dude would make a devastating NFL tight end or offensive tackle."
It’s not like this trail hasn’t been blazed before. The two best tight ends in football, the Chargers Antonio Gates and the Kansas City Chiefs Tony Gonzalez, are former college basketball players. Carolina Panthers defensive end Juluis Peppers and Philadelphia Eagles QB Donavon McNabb also played Division I college basketball.
The Giants say that Lewis might even play offensive tackle at the next level. Regardless, Lewis is big, athletic for his size, and has a mean streak. Collegiate basketball has also left him with the footwork and soft hands that few football players can match. Lewis was not the only ex-basketball player signed this week. The Rams signed seldom-used Connecticut F Ed Nelson (6’8”, 265 lbs.) to a rookie free agent contract as well.
These signings have got me thinking. Why doesn’t the NFL scout more basketball players? What current NBA players would make NFL studs? Here is my list of answers to that second question…
My All-NFL NBA Team:
Starters
• F Joey Graham, Toronto Raptors (6’7”, 230) – I don’t remember the exact statistics, but Graham was easily the most athletic rookie-to-be at last year’s NBA Draft workouts. He was lighting fast, super strong and had a pogo-stick vertical. To be honest, he’s not even that great of a basketball player at this point. This is the one current NBA player that I definitely think would be a better NFL player. He has the talent to be a Pro Bowl TE.
• F Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings (6’7”, 260 lbs) – He is definitely athletic and powerful enough. However, the main reason for Ron-Ron’s inclusion on this list is for kicks. Just imagine the carnage the “Tru Warier” could cause if he was unleashed on the football field. And you thought that Kellen Winslow was a neurotic TE.
• C Shaquille O’Neal, Miami Heat (7’1”, 320-360 lbs.) – The one guy that dwarfs Ravens T Jonathon Ogden. Would be a monster offensive tackle. How fun is it to think about Shaq lining up against Pro Bowl defensive ends like Peppers and Indianapolis Colts star Dwight Freeney?
• G Nate Robinson, New York Knicks (5’9”, 180 lbs.) Robinson played cornerback while at the University of Washington, so this is no shocker.
• G Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers (5’11”, 165 lbs.) - Now this might come as a shocker, but it shouldn’t. Iverson was an All-State football star in high school. He also has insane speed and quickness, excellent hands, and has a knack for getting open. Add the fact that he’s tougher than your old lunch lady’s chicken fried steak, and it’s obvious that A.I. would be a stud slot receiver. Think Az Hakim (they even look alike.)
Bench
* G Fred Jones, Indiana Pacers (6'2", 220 lbs.) - Jones, a former NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champ, could be a phenomenal reciever. There wouldn't be a CB in the NFL that could match his serious hops. Well, unless you count Nate-Rob.
* G Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets (6'4", 210 lbs.) - Kidd has all the itangibles o####reat scrambling quarterback--smarts, speed, passing accuracy, elusiveness and leadership ability. In my mind, he might just be the best QB in Jersey (and yes, that is a knock on the J-E-T-S for passing on Matt Leinart).
* G Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons (6'3", 210 lbs.) - LenDale White's cuz has safety written all over him. Football seems to be in his family, and as a member of the Pistons, he's definitely tough enough.
* G-F Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns (6'5", 210 lbs.) - Skinny, but as we all witnesssed last night, he can hit. The best clothesline since #### "Night Train" Lane.
* F James Posey, Miami Heat (6'8", 220 lbs.), Posey would make a great special teams player. I can tell you this: He wouldn't have gotten suspended for that downfield shoulder tackle he made on Kirk Hinrich. He would've been congratulated. Needs to work on wrapping up, though.
* F Danny Fortson, Seattle Sonics (6'7", 270 lbs.) Fortson might just have the horsepower, wheels and motor necessary to play DE in the NFL. However, he would have to shed those girly pigtails for sure.
* C Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons (6'9", 250 lbs.) Big Ben would have to beef up to play DE, but I can see him as a relentless pash rusher that rings QB's bells. Can't you?
This is more of a rant than a blog, but I think the majority of you will understand.
Idolizing Reggie Miller as a boy transformed me into the pro basketball fan that I am today—a die-hard, true-blue Indiana Pacers fan. Being a Pacers fan is difficult enough, because we consistently contend, but we rarely reach the NBA Finals (once during my tenure as a fan, in 2000). In fact, the Pacers have made the playoffs something like 17 of the last 18 seasons. That is more consistently than any other team in the NBA. That's part of what makes us so frustrating. We make the playoffs every single freakin' year but have so zero NBA Championship banners in the rafters.
The latest incarnation of the Pacers has been doubly as frustrating. Between the ongoing Artest saga (glad that's over) and an injury plague never before seen in professional sports, this team seriously underachieved. This following another injury-riddled season last year, one in which several lengthy suspensions also severely crippled the Pacers.
As a small-market team it also seems like calls from the officials never, ever, ever go our way.
Basically, what I am saying is that as a Pacers fan I need no help in the frustration department. Nonetheless, the NBA has so generously provided me with heapings of extra frustration.
How? This stupid, worthless television channel called NBA TV. You see, the NBA has so many playoff games on every night that on weekdays some games get stuck on the NBA's channel instead of more prominent channels such as ESPN, ABC or TNT. The problem is that NBA TV is not readily available in most TV markets. Don't believe me? I live in Long Beach, CA, subscribe to digital cable, and I still don't get this useless channel. What teams get stuck on this channel, you ask? Small-market teams and teams without megastars such as Lebron and Shaq. In other words, teams like the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings. In fact, it happened to my Pacers tonight.
Game Five of the Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat opening round playoff series got top billing on TNT, my Pacers got NBA TV. This has seemingly happened numerous times in every first round series that we have had over the last several years. Tonight I stayed at home and listened to the game on online radio (like I did last Thursday). I'm sorry, but last Tuesday I went to Hooters for Game Two of the Indiana Pacers-New Jersey Nets opening round playoff series and spent $50-plus bucks to see us get pounded. Not going to do that again tonight.
And yes, I understand about putting the games on the “real” channels that draw the most viewers. But c’mon, having three of our last four games on NBA TV is pretty excessive. Hopefully we can somehow find a way to win this series and earn top billing on TV.
This morning both Shaunie O'Neal, the wife of Miami Heat Superstar C Shaquille O'Neal, and Vanessa Bryant, the wife of Los Angeles Superstar G Kobe Bryant, gave birth to little girls. Is it just chance that the two players most often linked to each other (yes, even more than the struggling trinity of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade) both became fathers to new daughters on the same morning?
Making the situation even freakier, Mearah Sanaa O'Neal was born a mere six minutes before Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant. This can't be a coincidence, can it?
Is Kobe so caught up in this anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better rivalry that he is trying to out-populate his former teammate and current adversary? Did he have spies providing him information about the exact time of Shaunie's pregnancy? Or have the O'Neals just been popping out kids at such an incredible Mormon-like rate that something along these lines was bound to happen? Shawn Kemp may have had seventeen (last time I checked) kids, but to my knowledge he never had six with one woman. At this rate Shaq may be able to have his own starting five (both NBA and WNBA) when the impregnating is all said and done.
Shaq trying to remember how many kids he has.
I think he should give himself a new nickname--the Big Fertile.
The best thing about Shaq’s fatherhood is the creative names that he has been giving his children. The O’Neal children are named Amirah, Mearah, Myles, Shaqir, Shareef and Taahirah. When Myles (check the spelling) is your most traditionally named child, you are getting creative. He may not be getting Coco (the child of actors Courtney Cox-Arquette and David Arquette) or Apple (the child of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin) creative, but what he lacks in substance he makes up with in spelling.
Kobe may have him beat on the basketball court right now, but the babymaking (and naming) contest is currently being dominated by Shaq.
As easy as it would be for me to sit here and praise Kobe Bryant after his ridiculous Suns-slaying buzzer beater, I’m not going to. I’m going to rave about his teammate Lamar Odom. After all, I owe the guy.
A few days back, in my "Been Like Mike" blog, I lambasted Odom. I referred to him as a Scottie Pippen wannabee and said that scoring-wise he “defers more than a timid first date.” Today, during the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game Four victory over the Phoenix Suns, Odom did anything but defer. He scored 25 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Normally a poor free throw shooter, he even stepped his game up from the line and hit 11-of-14 free throws. It was Kobe who, as usual, delivered the clutch heroics, but make no mistake about it—The Lakers would have lost this game without the inspired play of Odom.
Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson playoff strategy has been for Kobe to distribute the ball more often and his teammates to be more aggressive. This strategy has paid dividends for Odom more than anyone, especially with Jackson entrusting Odom with a large share of the ball-handling duties. With the Lakers sticking to Jackson’s game plan, Odom also added 8 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and a block. He played tremendous defense while showing more versatility than James Bond’s Aston Martin. Odom even outplayed Mr. Versatility himself, Suns F Boris Diaw.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I saw something today. I saw more than just a bunch of stragglers being carried by the best coach and the best player in basketball. I saw Lamar Odom playing Scottie Pippen to Kobe Bryant’s Michael Jordan. They play of this dynamic duo gave its Laker teammates a huge lift. Luke Walton suddenly looked like Toni Kukoc. Kwame Brown showed shades of Horace Grant (well, at least shades of Harvey Grant). Smush Parker, Sasha Vujacic, Devean George and Brian Cook also contributed. If Odom continues this type of play the Lake Show can make some serious noise in these playoffs.
