Jack’s Blog

Since Michael Jordan turned 50 this past Sunday, talk show hosts (and several other media members) felt it was necessary to raise the unanswerable question of “Who’s the best player of all-time?”  Naturally, because they are the two best current players (with Kevin Durant nipping at their heels), the argument shifted to who’s better between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

All the comments were made - Kobe has five rings, LeBron is at his prime with many years left to play dominate.  The debate is a necessary one - if you’re ten years old.  Maybe fifteen.  Anytime past that age, if you continue to play the “who’s better/who’s the best game,” you need to at least realize that there are no winners (and plenty of losers.

Kobe is sensational - skill set, mind set, defensive ability, personal drive and (which can be a negative, depending on how strong or fragile your teammates are) ability to demand/produce the best in your teammates.  MJ shared the exact same qualities.  Which is why Kobe has them - because, from the day he entered the league, he has modeled everything he does like Jordan.  Not just his play, which is sensational, but his mannerisms, his dealing with the media, his gait … his being.

LeBron can’t match those two because his skills, body, mental aspect - nothing - is like those two.  He’s 6′8″ and willing to admit to 250, with rumors as high as 280, and negligible body fat.  For that reason, people have tried to compare him to Magic.  LeBron is no Magic either, if for no other reason than Magic was a point guard and LeBron is not.  LeBron is the epitome of what Don Nelson used to call a point guard.  Magic ran the show and, when he shot, it was a set shot.  He could drive, but it usually ended with a pass or a layup, seldom a dunk.  LeBron is the show, shoots (real) jumpers, and when he drives, the result is … louder.  It still obtains the same desired results as Magic - Ws.

Sure, you can get into “rings,” what we used to call championships but what now needs to be defined as something you can wear and show off, as opposed to a something you were part of, that only a selected few can actually claim they “be” (as opposed to “have”).  So when the trump card in the Kobe vs. LeBron debate is five rings to one, the line LeBron used (oh so obviously created by one of his publicists), that if rings are the determining factor, then Bill Russell must be the best because he has 11 and Michael has six.”  Then, others had to be brought in besides Russell, e.g. Wilt Chamberlain, Jud Bueschler, Charles Barkley, Robert Horry, Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing and a cast of characters from NBA past and present.

I’m on record as saying MJ is the G.O.A.T. but as far as Kobe versus LeBron, it’s too tough a call.  They’re waaaaaay different, each with their own strengths.  Kobe couldn’t have won as many without Shaq but Shaq couldn’t win as many without Kobe (even though they each did without each other).  LeBron couldn’t win without selecting his current teammates but, c’mon, he got to the Finals with the Cavs.  Have you ever checked that roster?  Closely checked it?  Had he won the whole thing with that group, the comparisons would be with Bill Walton and the Trailblazers.  Take LeBron off the Cavs and Walton off the Blazers and pit the remaining players against each other.  That finals would probably be the least watched in television history.  Definitely the most boring, lackluster series ever.

It’s been used before but John Harbaugh’s rule should be considered prior to anyone opening their mouth in the Kobe-LBJ discussion:

“I’ve got this rule.  We make no comparisons.  Somebody is going to be devalued.”

LeBron James finally (after all, he’s already 27) put to rest that, although he was a great player, he couldn’t win a championship.  Soon, we’ll be discussing who now is the best baller without a ring.  Actually, we already are but read on.

For some reason we feel this moniker needs to be if not presented formally, at least discussed - in every sport.  From national tv to local watering holes.  I coached in the college basketball world for 30 years and when I started in 1970 a similar label was thrown around in our business.  As a young guy in the field one of the veteran coaches I was in awe of was Dean Smith.  It shocked me when I would hear the “Greatest Coach Who Has Never Won a Title” attributed to him.  Freshman Michael Jordan’s jumper took care of that nonsense but shortly thereafter the crown was passed to Mike Krzyzewski.

It was almost a badge of honor for coaches.  In order to qualify for the unenviable title, a coach needed to take a team to the Final Four on more than one occasion and come up short.  For most coaches reaching the Final Four is conquering the Holy Grail.  After Mike won in 1991, thus bequeathing the “honor,” the latest line was, “Sure, Rick (Pitino) can take a team the the mountaintop but he can’t them to the Promised Land.”  In 1996 his Kentucky Wildcats won it all but the debate raged on.

By now it was mandatory for fans and media to have a coach whose feet they could hold to the fire.  It must have made them feel good at that time because there were two contestants.  And as fate would have it, their teams squared off in the 2003 championship game.  Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Roy Williams of UNC.  In a show of empathy, while shaking hands after the game, Boeheim said to Williams, “Don’t worry;  you’ll get one” after the Orange beat the ‘Heels.  It was similar to the exchange Bob Knight had with Boeheim after his Hoosiers beat the ‘Cuse in ‘87.  And, of course, ‘ol Roy did just that.  Twice.

I won’t tell you who had the wrath of the nation up until last year.  You probably can figure it out.  The hint is: he no longer has to deal with the problem.

Sports is definitely the most highly scrutinized business - possibly because there are fans and we love to argue.  Now that cyberstat guys have entered the world, it doesn’t seem like there will be any stone unturned.  If only Wall Street could have such a fan base - although it might be a little too late for that.

Now NBA followers are placing the “good stats/great player but can’t win a championship” mantle on Kevin Durant (a little too early, don’t ya think?), Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard just like they did to Charles Barkley, Pete Maravich,  John Stockton & Karl Malone.

Some of those guys got close but it wasn’t to be.  Maybe they played in the wrong era; maybe they didn’t quite have the right mix of teammates, i.e. not enough talent.  I’m showing my age when I say I remember a couple National League MVP awards going to Ernie Banks - even though his Chicago Cubs finished last!

Still, people revel in the misery of others even though it doesn’t make the critical person’s life any better.  Or put another way:

“Although someone may come up short in their endeavors, it doesn’t make you better at any of yours.”

During every NBA finals there are usually a couple camps interested in the outcome: one pulling for the Eastern Conference champion; the other rooting for the winners from the West.  This year produced another group: those who watched the Miami Heat, hoping they lost.  The reasons are numerous.

First and foremost, was The Decision.  LeBron James is simply a product of this generation.  A huge ego, an overblown self-importance, a necessary feeling to publicize and promote himself.  Of course it was a long time ago but I don’t recall anything other than press release when Wilt Chamberlain joined Jerry West and Elgin Baylor with the Lakers.  Maybe it’s because of when I was born but in a 3-on-3 game, my money would be on the Lakers, each team being in their prime.  More recently, Karl Malone and Gary Payton took their respective talents to Hollywood to combine forces with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. No pyrotechnic celebration.  And when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen chose the Celtics as their next home, there were no guarantees of championships by those three guys - just an intense work ethic - which got them a championship (and nearly another).

Another reason stoking the fires of, in today’s vernacular, the “haters,” was the constant “everybody is against” sentiment repeated by the Heat throughout the year.  Unless my memory is even worse than I think, I don’t recall any other of the power groups above constantly feeling so unloved.  Giving them the benefit of the doubt, the information superhighway has magnified any statement anybody ever utters.  Then again, the Internet isn’t something Miami’s Big Three isn’t aware of.

The Heat’s super three did themselves no favors with some of their actions, the latest one being Wade and James joking about Dirk Nowitzki’s illness in Game 4.  Nowitzki called it “childish” and “ignorant,” showing Dirk not only has talent but can evaluate tomfoolery too.

In addition to childish, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon labeled the Heat as frontrunners.  After watching them in the playoffs, he certainly has a point.  The three guys from Miami would be better served living by the code:

“Don’t tell me how good you are, let me find out.”

Heading to SoCal for an AAU tourney sandwiched between a couple campus visits.  The blog will return Tuesday.

Kobe Bryant is deified by many and vilified by others.  Much of both he brings on himself.  His past transgressions, some quite hideous, have added fuel to the fire set by his detractors.  Although it’s difficult to set aside his misdeeds, when he’s to be evaluated as a basketball player, it’s difficult to find much fault in his game.

True, as a youngster in a man’s league, he waved off the greatest human screener, Karl Malone, in the All-Star game.  His play reeked of immaturity during his early seasons. Taking into account his age, it’s understandable.

The fact that his game has become such that he can lay claim to the title of the greatest active winner is a testimony to how serious he takes his profession.  His workouts (he refers to them as “blackouts”) have improved his enormous skill set beyond that of most, if not all, of his competitors.  Watching the “how-did-he-do-that” off-balance shots he makes - and realizing that he’s practiced every one of them innumerable times - is inspiring to wannabe superstars.

However, it was what he displayed in Game 2 of the current Lakers-Hornets series that showed the real player Kobe Bryant has always professed he wanted to be.  Chris Paul had torched LA in Game 1 for 33 points and 14 assists in the most talked about upset of the opening set of games.  While Kobe didn’t guard Paul the entire contest, there were occasions he took him on.

Kobe Bryant has an assortment of skills unlike any other, yet it was the defensive effort he displayed during the possessions he guarded CP3 that were astonishing.  He is blessed with long arms and extraordinary quickness for a guy his size.  But it was his unbelievable hustle, his “I-don’t-care-how-this-looks” performance that was so beautiful to watch.  At least for a former coach.

What made it all the more incredible was that there were times Paul beat him, yet he wouldn’t show any discouragement.  He only came back even more relentlessly the next time.  It was clear that the only thought in Bryant’s head was to do whatever was needed to win.  If he accomplishes his goal this time around, it will mean a sixth title for him and his teammates.

As Denis Waitley said:

“Winners are people with definite purpose in life.”

When an NBA lifer calls it quits - in the middle of the season - red flags start flying.  Especially after the guy in question is Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and his abrupt resignation takes place suspiciously close to an altercation he had with talented point guard Deron Williams.

Something sinister - with a villain?  Apparently, the answer to that depends on . . . your date of birth.  Old timers yearn for the days when the coach called the shots - even if Red Auerbach had to privately meet with Bill Russell and ask him to play along when Red yelled at Russ at practice because if he did, the rest of the guys would see Red was the boss.  This was in the day when winning took precedence over everything - including contracts, no-trade clauses, endorsement deals, personal stats.  Of course, Auerbach’s and Russell’s Celtic teams won every year so that strategy paid off handsomely - for one team in the league anyway.

Back then, there were no halftime extravaganzas, Kiss cams, tattooed players or agents.  Of course, there also weren’t chartered flights, three-point shots, NBA television network and smoking was allowed in the arenas.  In short, they weren’t the good old days as much as, merely, the “old days.”  It’s up to the individual to decide which days are good.  Or better.

What’s most disappointing about the Sloan situation is the post-announcement posturing, led by the coach himself who took the high road, a stance somewhat inconsistent with the way he normally confronted issues.  Definitely different from the way he played.  Jerry Sloan never backed down from a good battle.  Then again, maybe he was being completely honest, that it was “his time.”  Maybe the new breed of superstar (or even average player for that matter) had simply worn him down to where he realized these confrontations were no-win options.

That’s the indication the fan on the street gets when former players like John Stockton and Karl Malone make public statements regarding how highly they think of their old coach.  Each said they were surprised by his move and felt the word “quit” was something they’d never associate with their old boss.  Certainly not in the middle of the season.  Malone, when questioned about verbal player-coach battles when he was playing, openly admitted there were many, but maintained every player on the team knew who was in control and that person was the coach.

Woodard and Bernstein coined the phrase “non-denial, denial” when they reported on Watergate.  After hearing Williams’ response to Sloan’s retirement, that was the exact phrase that came to mind.  He didn’t deny the verbal disagreement he had with Sloan but claimed that, in no way was he attempting to give management an ultimatum.  Most damaging to Williams’ non-denial, denial was ESPN’s Chris Broussard, who has made his bones as the NBA’s leader in spreading gossip - and the nastier, the better.  Broussard, doing his best Stephen A. Smith impersonation, said that the removal of Sloan from the Jazz bench would be welcome to Williams, as would the promotion of assistant Tyrone Corbin who, as Broussard said, recommended different plays during games than those that Sloan did, but which Williams thought were better.  If ever something defined the difference between the old NBA and the new, that statement was it in a nutshell.

Fans of today’s NBA are witnessing superior athletes than those of yesteryear, yet a game that’s less team oriented than it was decades ago.  Some of this is due to rules changes and some of it is due to a change in culture.  Which is the better product is left to the viewer.  In the case of young fans, they don’t know any other style and seem to enjoy the game as much as their parents and grandparents did at their age.

When Pat Riley coached, he used to forbid his players from even talking to opponents before a game and actually fined them if they helped up an opposing player up after knocking them down.  Chatting it up when the teams take the court prior to formal warm ups is common place today.

Which side is right in the Jerry-Sloan-stepping-down argument?  As well respected as Jerry Sloan is, there certainly are many who will say that today’s players just don’t respect authority.  The flip side are those who state, as Thomas Jefferson (definitely classified as an old-timer) did:

“If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.”

Seems funny to regard Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone and the Dream Team as “old school,” but compared to the players of today, it’s a fitting term.  Hearing the newest inductees sound off about LeBron’s decision to “take his talents to South Beach” separates the generations even further.  While most of the players don’t begrudge his choice of moving to the Heat, each feels that the manner in which he decided to deliver the news (the ESPN show, The Decision) was in poor taste.

Also factored into the mix is that the “old-timers” claim they would have never made the choice to join forces to create a super power.  The one time the greats did get together, it was called “The Dream Team” and they crushed everyone in their path on the way to Olympic gold.  LeBron and his best friends will find trying to accomplish something similar to be a far greater challenge.  Naturally, one reason will be the level of competition.

Another, however, will be whether the Big Three will play the type of team basketball that the Dream Teamers did.  Included in that mission will be to get their teammates to follow that lead.  Believe me, I fully realize that any comparison between next year’s version of the Miami Heat and the Dream Team is totally unfair - yet, when they decided to join forces, wasn’t that the purpose?  Didn’t LeBron’s predictions of multiple championships (I think he was up to around seven when he finally stopped) claim those three (and their running mates) would dominate their opposition in the NBA?

To listen to the induction speeches of Pippen and Malone was refreshing.  Each was humble (I know I’ll be hearing from readers about MJ’s speech, which was far from humble, but I’ve been told there were extenuating circumstances prior to his taking the podium, and I’ll leave it at that), thanking “those who made it possible.”  When you have impressionable sons who’ve been told how great these guys were, it’s always nice to have that message reinforced.

Andrew J. Holmes made a very pertinent statement regarding humility:

“It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others.”

As the world knows by now, this is the “Year of the Free Agent.”  Never before has there been so much proven talent available to NBA teams.  Although LeBron James is the pearl of this free agent class, followed by Dwayne Wade and then Chris Bosh, there are several other players who have put up BIG numbers.  And those stats weren’t accumulated during high school, college or even in an overseas professional league.  These figures come out of the NBA office.

Some of the gaudiest totals belong to Amare (excuse me for excluding the accent, but I’m not nearly familiar enough with the fonts, etc. to figure out how to include it) Stoudamire.  Basketball people, media members and fans have often compared Steve Nash and Stoudamire to John Stockton and Karl Malone.  Each duo is composed of a crafty (relatively) little white guard and a physically imposing, skilled black forward - with both of the pairs executing pick & roll basketball to perfection, winning way more games than they lost, yet unable to win a championship.  The comparison is an understandable one.

To briefly make my point (and for those who know me, being brief will be more shocking than had I put the accent in his first name), a major difference I’ve observed between the Stockton-Malone combo and the Nash-Stoudamire pair is that Karl seemed to appreciate John a whole heckuva lot more than Amare does Steve.  “Why?” you might ask.  Since I spent 30 years in the world of college basketball, I tend to overemphasize the importance of “the college experience.”

For quite some time I’ve felt that guys who made the jump directly from high school to the NBA (excluding Kobe Bryant whose “out-of-high-school” education came from growing up in a foreign country) haven’t been exposed to enough of a variety of people, be they of similar age (fellow students) or older (coaches, professors, secretaries, staff, etc.)  While it may not necessarily be the determining factor to greater maturity, in my experiences, those youngsters (for the scope of this blog, from the U.S.) don’t seem as socially ready for NBA life.  This is not to infer that attending a university will mean a college player who enters the NBA will be fully (or, in some cases, even partially) mature, nor will the year(s) spent on a college campus eliminate selfishness from a player.  The counterexamples to that statement would be a figure that could be expressed in scientific notation (with 10’s exponent being a positive number for those technical critics).  It’s just that the social experience, if nothing else, adds a little something extra to a person’s life.

I’m not saying that they learned it at Gonzaga and Louisiana Tech, respectively, but Stockton and Malone seemed to have a unique mutual respect for each other, kind of like, “Sure, I could go it alone and be successful, but I’d never reach the level of proficiency I have without you.”  Maybe it’s my personal prejudice against guys who made the leap directly into the league that’s obscured my hearing but I don’t recall Stoudamire being anywhere near that appreciative of Nash.  While I’m not saying Nash claims he can’t survive without Stoudamire, keep in mind that Amare isn’t the first player for whom Steve has gotten easy looks, i.e. while they’re dynamite together, I believe the big guy needs his current partner more than vice versa.

Stoudamire is reportedly miffed that no one (to date) has offered him a max contract.  Whether my theory is the reason he isn’t receiving the love (and money) he feels he has “earned,” it would still be wise for him to follow the advice of Dr. Christine Northrup:

“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.”�

I’m just not sure what. 

To have a countdown is good theatre but is it that important?  Unquestionably, LeBron James is the most high profile athlete to be on the open market, so to speak, yet where he winds up is limited to a handful of teams, each of which has its reasons why LBJ should establish residence there but anointing this newly formed squad as the latest dynasty might be a little (lot) premature.

Keep in mind that in 2003-04, the Lakers signed Gary Payton and Karl Malone to go along with Kobe and Shaq.  At the press conference, Payton made the classic comment, “You can’t double team all of us.”  On the flipside, I remember wondering how anyone was going to score on them.  In Payton, they had “The Glove.”  Kobe was a lockdown defender even that far back, meaning those two could match up with the best two perimeter players the opponent had, leaving the weakest of the three for whoever would be the fifth starter.  Karl Malone could defend any power forward in the league and just Shaq’s physical presence was enough to enable him to guard a center.  

Yet, not only did they not win it all, they only managed to win one game in the finals, losing 4-1 to Detroit.  Sure, there were injuries - but who’s to say this new superteam that LeBron and whatever other free agent(s) decide to join him, combining with that team’s nucleus, e.g. DWade, or Rose and Noah, or whoever’s left with the Cavs, Knicks, Clippers or even some mystery team - doesn’t encounter the same fate? 

Plus, even with all that megatalent, they won’t exactly have a corner on the superstar market.  I don’t see Kobe joining that bunch and rumor has it that he’s a rather competitive sort, someone who might cotton to the challenge of taking on all comers - especially a “stacked” team.  And, in the process, win his third straight title.  Lest we forget, wherever LeBron takes his talent (unless he fulfills Tiger’s wish), his new (or old) club will be attempting to dethrone the two-time champs.

Then there are other factors that play just as big a role as where the King and his new court, eventually settle.  With the remainder of the talented free agents, how the draft picks perform, sign and trades, and other wheeling and dealing that inevitably will ensue, there are so many other combinations that could arise that one of them, possibly, on paper, could look just as formidable, if not a tad better, than the much awaited consortium, in the process making the new “Unbeatables” the underdog.

Next, throw in the coaching changes that currently exist.  It looks like a few of the soon-to-be co-favorites (Bulls, Cavs and Clippers) will be coached by assistants who have yet to call a time out or by a coach with minimal head coaching experience.  Include the possible (probable?) coaching changes to each of last year’s finalists and it makes for interesting barroom chatter. 

This blog has done nothing but muddle the picture, so the quote that will further confuse the reader.  It’s by that well-known basketball aficionado, William Butler Yeats, and has to do with those fans who dream of multiple championships when the smoke clears:

“But I being poor have only my dreams.  I have laid my dreams beneath your feet.  Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”

Returned from SoCal after making sure older son, Andy, was well on the road to recovery after an emergency appendectomy.  Our friends, the Dolinoys (Paul & Betty) proved to be the most gracious hosts - in a time of great need).  Paul was with Andy through his ordeal in the hospital, made sure he had thorough instructions for him to follow post-op and even picked up his medications (without which, Andy wouldn’t have had nearly as easy a recovery).

All Betty did was make all his meals and, in an effort way above and beyond the call of duty, washed his dirty clothes, then dried and folded them.  To understand how major a task this was, let’s just say if a person could have gotten ill from the amount of dirty clothes he had, Andy Boy would have been in critical condition.  While she was at it, she cooked for his dad as well.  I didn’t have the nerve to ask her to wash, dry and fold any of my clothes.

A successful trip, ending at 4:30 am, the time I got back (and the reason for no blogs).

In case you’ve been at an intervention meeting or just returned from the mountains, where there was no TV reception or don’t care one iota about NBA basketball (in which case, I doubt you’d be spending time on this website), the Phoenix Suns traded Shaquille O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Since none of the Cavs going to Phoenix was named LeBron, the Cavs have now become the overwhelming favorites to win next year’s NBA championship.

No, I haven’t forgotten about the Boston Celtics (in the East) now that KG is back, healthy and (a little more than) anxious to reclaim what he went to Boston for - and got - only to watch while his team couldn’t do what, deep down, everyone, including and especially, Garnett knew they couldn’t do - win it all without him.  Nor have I forgotten about the current champs (from the West), the Los Angeles Lakers, who will be returning the core (Kobe) of the team that breezed to the crown this past season.

Isn’t adding Shaq (even though he’s older and less mobile than he was last year) to a team with LeBron like adding a younger, but still not particularly mobile Shaq, to a Miami Heat team with Dwayne Wade (who, while a superstar, wasn’t/isn’t quite in LBJ’s class)?  Or is it like adding older vets like Karl Malone and Gary Payton to a Lakers team with Shaq and Kobe?

I have to admit that when I first heard that Malone and Payton went to LA, my first thought was, “Isn’t it going to be awfully difficult for opponents to score?  Kobe, even back then, was a lockdown defender, Payton was known as ‘The Glove’ for his defense ability to cover people (like a …), Malone was a defensive force at power forward and Shaq was back there in case, what, the fifth starter got beat?”  Yet, it didn’t play out that way at all.  Although it wasn’t as bad as when the New York Metropolitans where introduced as the newest National League franchise and immediately signed Casey Stengel to manage a bevy of future Hall-of-Famers (but guys who made it to the Hall because of everything they did prior to joining the Mets), it didn’t work out (even) close to what everyone in Tinseltown (especially Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss) had thought.

So, does that mean to put the champagne on ice but don’t yet pop the corks?  For lack of a better word - yup.  The Cavs (who, allegedly aren’t done dealing) are trying to accomplish the dual tasks of winning a title for Clevelanders AND persuading LeBron to remain close to his hometown (maybe not forever, but at least for the remainder of his NBA career).  On first blush, it looks as though the Cavs will be difficult to guard (duh, they were that last year as long as James was in the game and had the ball).  With Bron-Bron improving his outside jump shot and his remarkable passing ability also getting better as each season goes by, they now have in Shaq (albeit on a limited basis - meaning 60-70% of the games and a number of practices - that number approaching zero as his career winds down) a guy with great hands and someone who can clean up misses (and knows what to do with them once he gets those mitts on the ball) and whose presence will be hard to leave in order to help on penetration.  Throw Shaq the ball and he still commands a double-team and the Big Whatever-He-Decides-To-Be is a very adept passer.

So what’s not to like?  First, the percentage of NBA teams running pick & roll as their main offense has come down - from 110% (if a player can give it, why can’t that same percentage of teams run it?) to 90% (as the penetrate & pitch game has become popular - mainly for teams who don’t have the personnel to run pick & roll).  If the Cavs thought Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a tough time covering pick & roll, wait until Mike Brown tells Shaq how he’d like for him to move away from the basket and get closer to the man setting the screen.  Wonder who will win that discussion?

Also, how will the move affect the intangibles?  Mike Brown has a record most people would covet.  Why, then, are so many coaches (and television commentators) polishing up their resumes, assuming the rumors of a coaching change have any substance?  When Charles Barkley says (in the tactless way only Charles can), “I hate Cleveland’s offense!  They don’t run, then they do nothing in the half court until the shot clock’s down, then they give the ball to LeBron and say, ‘Go ‘head LeBron, win it for us, big fella.’ “  That might not have been verbatim, but it was something to that effect.  And then, after he scored, what was it, 32 straight point to end the game - or was it score or assist on every one of the last 32 points, and Charles’ partner, Kenny Smith says, “Yeah, he did it, but no NBA player can do that for three straight games (the performance LeBron would have had to repeat in order to win the series).  The body won’t hold up.”

The Round Mound and The Jet weren’t doing Mike Brown any favors by stripping him naked in front of many a million people, they were simply doing their jobs.  And, what’s worse for Coach Brown is that they turned out to be right!  When owners hear that - and there are so few who really understand what it means to play in a high pressure event, like an NBA Playoff game (and, please, don’t tell me about the pressure of signing a multi-million, billion, gazillion dollar deal), playing five-man hoops in front of 20,000 people - who didn’t pay that much for tickets, parking, concessions and souvenirs, to see their team lose or anyone on their team play poorly - and millions more watching, including their family, close friends, their kids’ close friends and nearly every person they’ll see anytime they’re out in public - plus having their salaries published so that anybody can, say, figure how much a player made per/point, minute, rebound, foul, whatever (including those who do it for a living, e.g. media), they think the best way to appease fans is to fire the guy at the top (not exactly at the real top - although, often, that’s where the blame lies).  So, the Cavs will open their season full of hope - and a death watch for their coach.

So, in answer to the question posed at the top of the blog, we’ll all have to stay tuned.  As for Mike Brown, he would be wise to heed the words of legendary football football coach, Bear Bryant:

“In a crisis, don’t hide behind anything or anybody.  They’re going to find you anyway.”           �

Pressure has different effects on different people.  Some thrive on it, while others shrink from it.  Sometimes, it unfairly makes or breaks guys’ legacies.  You’d swear the results were much more due to timing and (good or bad) luck than any other factor.  I mean, if you were picking a clutch performer you’d stake your job on, would you pick Bucky Dent over Ted Williams, who, while he only played in one World Series, managed to hit .200 (his career average was .344)?  Would you rather have Robert Horry and PJ Brown over Karl Malone and Charles Barkley?  How about it - Trent Dilfer (as gracious and classy an individual as the NFL has ever seen) or Dan Marino with his Hall-of-Fame career, missing that one important piece? 

Sure, there are “one hit wonders” who made significant contributions to championship teams - although it would be difficult to call Big Shot Bob (Horry) a one hit wonder - while major superstars like Teddy Ballgame (the greatest hitter of all-time) and Malone and Barkley (voted as two of the Top 50 players in NBA history), were never able to lead their teams to world championship status.

In the situations where a role player with average stats happened to shine in a game or even, an entire series, did they do it consistently over the length of their career (which is why Horry might just be in a category all his own)?  On the flip side, there might have been a reason the big-time player never accomplished his goal.  In the case of many players from the same NBA time frame, the two words that denied these mega-stars were identical: Michael Jordan.

Today, there are two Game 7’s - defending champion Boston (without Kevin Garnett, the main reason they are defending champions) vs. Orlando (a team with an all-star of their own, who could do a great deal to shake that “he has too good a time when he’s playing - and that’s why he’ll never win a championship”) on one side of the country and Houston (the pick of no one because they all said the Rockets had no chance after Yao went down) vs. Los Angeles (do I really have to distinguish which LA team is involved?) on the opposite coast.  They have a team member who has three championships but most feel he needs to win another because there was a bigger reason his team won those three.

The pressure will be knife-cutting intense and there will be someone who will come out on top due to the feeling Ray Lewis, arguably the NFL’s best linebacker, had when watching Michael Phelps during the Olympics.  As Lewis was quoted in the 12/8/08 Sports Illustrated:

“It was amazing to watch someone who has made their mind up to be that great.  It was an electric moment.” �