Jack’s Blog

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.”

Loyal reader - and friend - Clarence Gaines posted a comment regarding my lesson #3 of what we can learn about LeBron’s decision.  I said, “He simply doesn’t realize that a true superstar has the courage to take whatever hand (or roster) is dealt him and make them into not only big winners, but champions, a la MJ and Larry Bird.”

My point was that, although MJ and Larry joined down franchises, they stayed with each until they won multiple championships.  Clarence’s research revealed that, while the Celtics won only 29 games the year before Bird got there, they won 61 games in his rookie season - and then acquired McHale & Parish which ignited their championship runs.  His comment was that Bird didn’t really suffer through several seasons with inferior talent.  Point made.

His comment jarred my memory of a quote I heard a couple days ago, but had forgotten until it was replayed last night on SportsCenter.  It was by Dwayne Wade regarding all the criticism directed toward the newest Big 3.  Before repeating his quote, let me bring up another statement made by D-Wade.

During the Rachel Nichols interview, Wade made the rather bold statement that he LeBron and Bosh are “arguably the best trio who ever played the game of basketball.”  Whoa!  A little too much Miami heat?  How about 1) Magic, Kareem & Worthy, 2) Bird, McHale & Parish, 3) Russell, Cousy & (pick one of the Hall-of-Famers: either of the Jones, Ramsey, Sharman, Havlicek, Heinsohn), 4) West, Baylor & Chamberlain?  Sure, the last trio never won a championship but that wasn’t the question.  Plus, Wade’s nominee hasn’t won a game yet.  Putting Rodman in with MJ and Pippen might be a stretch, just as including Duncan, Parker & Ginobli might be reaching, but to anoint the Heat threesome to number one all-time is quite premature.

Oh yeah, Wade’s quote regarding the “haters”?

“I just don’t like false reports . . . At least get it right.”    Â

After Kobe Bryant passed Jerry West as the Laker’s all-time scoring leader, there was an inordinate amount of conversation as to which Laker player was the greatest in the history of the franchise.  Answers ranged from West to Baylor to Kareem to Magic to Bryant.  George Mikan may even have been given the nod by some (very) old-timers.

Arguments came from all sides.  Elgin Baylor is regarded by many to be the best, certainly at his position, but had the misfortune of playing before there was video of every move - from six or seven different camera angles.  West garners strong support because, not only did he become the NBA’s logo, but he played prior to the three-point shot.  How many he nailed from beyond the line no one’s ever checked - which is rather remarkable with as many stat geeks as there are.  One shot that definitely would have been in that category was the 60-footer he hit at the buzzer to tie Game 3 of the 1970 NBA playoffs.

No, say the yuppie crowd (are they still referred to as “yuppies”?), the best had to be Magic.  He won championships, played every position and elevated the game of all of his teammates - especially Abdul-Jabbar, whose name enters the discussion due to the fact he perfected the “sky hook,” as unguardable a shot as any in the game.

Seemingly, everyone under the age of thirty casts their votes for Kobe.  He’s won four rings and isn’t close to finished.  His career has become one highlight after another and, despite nagging injuries that would shelve mortal players, he continues to wow even the casual fan.

The final word on this debate may just go to a superstar in another field.  In the 2/8/10 issue of Newsweek, there’s a Q&A article with several actors.  When discussing winning awards for their work, Morgan Freeman says the following, which probably sums up the “greatest Laker” discussion too:

“There is no best in this business.  We’re not better than each other.  We just got each other’s back.”    Â

Just got back in town from a day-and-a-half basketball camp on UCLA’s campus that Alex was invited to attend. 

The camp was advertised as a great learning experience for the participants: be taught by the entire Bruin coaching staff, see their returning players demonstrate and, for some, compete against their incoming freshmen.  Stay one night in a dormitory room, eat on campus and play in historic Pauley Pavillion.

The camp ran as promised - and then some.  On the second day, there was a slot for a guest speaker.  Many of the events had been shifted or, even cancelled (e.g. Sunday nights games - but there wasn’t a peep to be heard from anyone, as the kids were absolutely beat), and the wise move of not playing the evening games was made, improving the quality of play yesterday.

Back to the guest speaker.  It was downplayed - to the point of, not only no gigantic mystery as to the identity - but, not even mentioning it - leaving open, to those who looked at the schedule and saw a number of changes, the possibility of abandoning the “guest speaker” slot and substituting games.

No way - not in Westwood.  For those of you who might be guessing the Wizard as the speaker, it’s fairly common knowledge that health issues preclude Coach Wooden from doing something of this nature.  Maybe one of the many sensational former UCLA players (and there’s a plethora of candidates)?  The speaker was none of those.

Instead, an older, but incredibly distiguished looking man - in street clothes - came out to speak to the group of mainly 14-17 year olds, each of whom sat on the Pauley Pavillion floor in utter amazement, hanging on every word - but hearing very few.  None had ever seen him play, but each knew exactly who he was - maybe not by name, but by the nickname he’d been given some years back: The Logo.

Jerry West, in a crisp white shirt (obviously straight from the cleaners), dark slacks, dress shoes and sunglasses (which he had to give to someone to hold a few minutes into the talk because it was difficult to speak with a basketball in one hand and sunglasses in the other) was an imposing sight - even if his attire was rather incongruent to the occasion.

No matter.  I have to admit I moved down to the floor level to better hear what he was saying, in his soft-spoken tone, more of a nonchalant, “here’s what I know about the game and how I approached it” than a “you’d better pay attention, because if you don’t follow what I’m saying, you’ll never make it” message.  When he finished a couple of the younger guys at the camp simply stared at each other and simultaneously said, “Sweet!“  

The following quote about two types of men pretty much summed up what he had to say - and after hearing him, the listener wasn’t quite sure which category he belonged to - maybe both:

“Some men succeed because they are destined to, but most men because they are determined to.”