Jay Mariotti FanHouse

LeBron James Right About No. 23, Stan Van Gundy Wrong

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

It's another Nike scheme, I suspect, perpetrated to create a rush on LeBron James' new, customized No. 6 jersey. Seems even the swooshheads have to compete against the iPod Touch, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Guitar Hero, right? That said, if it truly was LeBron's idea to relinquish No. 23 out of deference to Michael Jeffrey Jordan, I congratulate him for his style.

While admonishing Stan Van Gundy for his ignorance.

James wants every NBA player wearing No. 23 to follow his lead and find another number. It's an idea akin to placing the image of longtime basketball great Jerry West on the league's logo, a silhouette that has survived to this day. If Jordan indeed is the greatest player ever -- and anyone who disagrees should have his sports fan credentials revoked -- it's appropriate to, in effect, retire his jersey without the actual ceremony. James is the one player worthy of the number, as a legitimate heir to Jordan, and he doesn't feel right wearing it. So why would the inferior likes of Devin Brown, Toney Douglas, Stephen Graham, Wesley Matthews, Jodie Meeks, Byron Mullens, C.J. Watson and Martell Webster not feel sheepish, much less embarrassed, in continuing to wear the sacred digits? Only Jason Richardson, Marcus Camby and Kevin Martin have displayed enough skill and accomplishment at the highest level to not draw sneers for wearing No. 23. Yet they, too, should pay tribute to Jordan and get with the LeBron plan.

"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way -- soon," James said Thursday night in Miami, where Jordan watched the LeBron-Dwyane Wade matchup at courtside with Heat boss Pat Riley. "There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade. You name all the best players in the league right now and the last 10 years, and none of us would be here if there wasn't a Michael Jordan first. He can't get the logo, and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. Nobody. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. If I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."

There will be backlash, certainly. Some will say a number shouldn't be sacred. Some will ask when James became the commissioner. Others will wonder about similar gestures for players almost as great as Jordan -- Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, for instance. James is fixed on one name, one legend. "It's time," he said. "He's the best basketball player we've ever seen. Mike does it on the court and off the court. If you see No. 23, you think about Michael Jordan. You see guys flying through the air, you think about Michael Jordan. You see game-winning shots, you think about Michael Jordan. You see fly kicks, you think about Michael Jordan. He did so much, it has to be recognized, and not just by putting him in the Hall of Fame."

Van Gundy begs to differ. The Orlando Magic coach, who always will have a talk-show career if this basketball thing doesn't work out, says James is speaking out of school. He thinks a universally retired number should be saved for historical impact beyond the game, such as what Major League Baseball did in retiring Jackie Robinson's No. 42. "It's a nice gesture, but (Jordan) is not Jackie Robinson. Baseball did it because it had historical significance,'' Van Gundy said. "There actually were guys before Michael who could play the game. Then you should retire numbers that Russell, Wilt and certainly Oscar (Robertson) wore. I understand LeBron didn't grow up watching those guys, but still.''

So why is West on the logo, Stan Van? The NBA separated one player from the pack -- a white player, by the way, in a predominantly black league -- and designated him as the embodiment of professional basketball. Decades later, why can't a modern superstar lobby to elevate another? The NBA could have replaced West with Jordan on the logo years ago and had few complaints. With such a change not forthcoming, James is right to campaign for a league-wide Jordan tribute in the player ranks. Yet Van Gundy doesn't even think the Heat should have retired Jordan's No. 23 in 2003, rolling his eyes when asked about it Friday.

"I wasn't in the banner department,'' said Van Gundy, a Heat assistant coach at the time under Riley. "I'm just not one of those guys who thinks unquestionably that he (Jordan) was the best player of all time. I don't buy that. We've had a lot of great players at a lot of positions, so what are you going to do? Retire all the numbers, and pretty soon our guys will be wearing No. 327 because all the two-digit numbers are gone. Michael was a great player, and if the NBA decides that every other team in the league has to worship him, then that's up to them. Would I be for that? No.''

To refresh Van Gundy's fuzzy memory, no player ever accomplished more with less around him than Jordan, a 6-6 shooting guard who won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. No player brought the league more attention among the masses. No player produced bigger television ratings. No player more immaculately glorified walking on air, slamming and jamming, oozing of power and grace. And no player was more competitive, no matter how wildly he succeeded. There is no greater representative of the game -- and American sports -- than Jordan. His memory should be everlasting, as James is saying. And, yes, if Jordan's jersey was retired and those of Johnson, Bird, Chamberlain, Russell and all the other greats were not, no one should balk.

Richardson, enjoying a career renaissance with the Phoenix Suns, said in a Twitter posting Friday that he supports James' idea. "Getting lots of tweets about changing my number 4 MJ. Im all 4 it he's the greatest player to ever play. NBA should of retired 23 yrs ago,'' he wrote.

The question is whether James will be wearing No. 6 in Cleveland or New York. It's his "lucky number,'' he says. "My second-favorite player was Julius Erving, and he wore No. 6. I wore 32 in high school because Dr. J wore it at first. My first child was born Oct. 6, it's my Olympic number, my second child was born in June (the sixth month),'' he said. The other night, aggravated by early speculation and quote-twisting on whether he'll stay with the Cavaliers or sign elsewhere next summer, James said he'll no longer discuss free agency. This, too, was the right call, because the constant talk -- which he was feeding, including last week in New York -- was becoming a distraction for the Cavs and the league.

"This free agent talk is getting old. It's getting old and I think I'm going to stop. (This) will be the last time I answer any more free agent questions until the offseason," James said. "I think I owe it to myself, and I owe it to my teammates. It's just getting old. I'm focusing on this season, and this is going to be a really good season for us. I don't want anymore distractions for my teammates, for my organization, for my family.''

Yet it was curious to hear Wade say that he and James have discussed becoming teammates in the future. Surely, Riley will try his damndest to make it happen, even if James wants his own identity and wouldn't want any future championships linked with another superstar. He shut down the talk before the Cavs arrived in Miami, saying, "It never became stressful to me. How many ways can I answer the free-agent question? It got to a point where I can't answer it any other way, so it didn't make any sense for me to keep talking about it."

But he did tantalize the media in mentioning a dream of his. "In a fantasy world, there are a lot of guys in the NBA you would love to see how could you be on the same team and see how you match up with the rest of the NBA," James said. "Not just myself, everybody in the league has visualized playing with somebody, even guys who are not in the league anymore. I visualized playing alongside Michael Jordan when I was a kid. Everyone has that vision."

Want to start a rumor? LeBron James is giving up No. 23 because Michael Jordan is unretiring, at 46, to play with him.

Relax, Stan Van. We're kidding.

LeBron James Right About No. 23, Stan Van Gundy Wrong originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

To Elevate His Legacy, LBJ Must Do NYC

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:01:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

NEW YORK -- It felt like a recruiting trip, the one he never had when he bypassed college for the NBA. Only this process involved the world's most glamorous arena, a 10-story Nike billboard out on Seventh Avenue and a hip-hop mogul like no other, ready to tell LeBron James that New York is a "concrete jungle where dreams are made of ... there's nothing you can't do.'' Every time James plays Madison Square Garden, with rapper homeboy Jay-Z sitting in the front row with other celebrities, the scene transcends sports and becomes an entertainment blowout.

Take Friday night in the big city. With the lingering euphoria of the Yankees' victory parade mixing sweetly with Jay-Z's parochial anthem, "Empire State of Mind,'' the Garden was a LeBron love-in. Over here, Chris Rock. Over there, Spike Lee and John Legend. All over the place, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, Joba Chamberlain and A-Rod in his black gangster hat. During introductions, the Knicks trotted out Grandmaster Flash to do a guest DJ gig, and James bobbed his head approvingly as Rihanna and the Jackson Five blasted off his scratchy turntable. Not to knock the good people of Cleveland, but when Drew Carey shows up at Quicken Loans Arena, he doesn't offer quite the same sizzle and vibe.

And the fans? They just stared at James, mesmerized, oohing when he dunked, ahhing when he hit jumpers, exploding when he drained a long three-pointer as the 24-second buzzer sounded, grumbling when he blocked a David Lee shot and was called for goaltending, turning it into a LeBron home game and Knicks away game. Why not try to woo LeBron when the Knicks were so dreadful, falling behind by 20-plus in the first half, losing 100-91 and dropping to 1-5? It was only fitting that James would do his pre-game resin act, firing the white powder into the air. This was his house, and if you didn't believe it, consider the gigantic mural outside of LBJ in a hoodie, not wearing Knicks gear but so close to the Garden that his Nike people obviously were sending a message during his only Garden appearance this season.

"I don't know who made the schedule for the Cleveland Cavaliers to only be here once. I'm kind of disappointed in that," said James, who never has disguised his love for all things New York and a building he describes as "the mecca'' of basketball. "It's our one and only time, so we've got to make it good."

He did, naturally, going for 33 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in a game that was over before it started.

"The atmosphere was great," James said. "Lot of stars in the building and like I said it's humbling to know that you have guys like the Yankees come out and Jay-Z. It's really, really humbling. You almost feel like you're a performer sitting on the stage and they're watching you perform."

So tell me: Why wouldn't LeBron want to do 41 such Gotham galas a season, rather than one? If they rose and politely gave him a respectful ovation when he hit another three at the first-quarter buzzer, giving him 19 points and five assists in the first 12 minutes, imagine the reverence if he actually played here. RIght, LeBron?

Publicly, anyway, he's not ready to go there.

Yet.

"For me, honerstly, I think this season is going to be really good, and I feel like our team is set to where we can play really deep into the playoffs and possibly contend for the NBA championship," James said diplomatically. "So that's the main thing that I'm focused on now. It's the first time I'll be in this position, being an unrestricted free agent. There's no timetable. I'm not going to rush it, I'm definitely going to stay in shape and stay in the gym next summer like I've always done and we'll see what happens."

This came a night after he expressed similar caution. "July 1 is right around the corner, so it will be exciting,'' he said. "I'm looking forward to winning an NBA championship (in Cleveland). It's going to be a long season, and I can't think about what's going to happen July 1 or after that or what I'm going to do. We'll see what happens. I've never given any indication I'll leave Cleveland or be somewhere else. It doesn't matter where I'll be, I'm good enough to help a team win basketball games."

Oh, location matters. The biggest stars want to thrive on the grandest stages, whether it's U2, Beyonce or LBJ. That is why in 236 days, James should abandon his home territory of northeast Ohio and head to New York for the prime of his epic basketball career. There's a reason why a seeker such as Alex Rodriguez maneuvered his way to Yankee Stadium. Or why David Beckham played for Manchester United and Real Madrid, the traditional megafranchises of soccer. One's grandeur is elevated when playing in the most prestigious venues, particularly if he can transform that team into a champion. He wouldn't make much more money in New York than he would in Cleveland, not when television, Internet and marketing technology allows megastars to achieve global wealth and fame regardless of where they play. As it is, James ranks sixth on Forbes magazine's list of the richest athletes at $40 million in salary and endorsements. As it is, he has hosted "Saturday Night Live'' and starred in too many TV commercials to count. How much bigger and richer can he get? That isn't the point.

At 24, having already achieved everything but an NBA championship, James will be judged with the elite players of all time. Where he plays the next decade will shape his legacy and define whether he'll be the greatest player of all time, surpassing Michael Jordan, or merely in the top eight or 10. Winning a title with the Cavaliers would be a rousing emotional triumph for James, who has suffered with the rest of the region through some of sport's worst futility periods. But it wouldn't bring the highest of highs, the massive historical imprint, the feeling that every home game is a masterpiece event. He must go to New York for that. He would go to resurrect the Knicks, who haven't won an NBA title in 36 years and are so wretched at the moment that they'd have trouble beating five players off a nearby playground. Though he has sent many signals that he's buying into the idea -- including his love of the Yankees, his friendships with Sabathia and Rodriguez and the "NY'' cap that irritated so many back home -- he continues to straddle the fence like the politician he has become. James denied he is playing head games with teams and cities, but what else would you call it?

"I don't tease,'' he said. "I've never teased the New York media by saying I was coming to New York or playing for the Knicks. I say the same thing every time. When July 1 gets here, I'm going to approach it like a businessman and approach it for the best fit for LeBron and his family. I've been a Cav for seven years now and I've never given any indication I was leaving. For me to say I'm not going to be a Knick, I'm going to be a Cav or I'm going to be a Knick, I'm not going to be a Cav, I'm not going to do that. I did the three-year contract for a reason, I'm going to leave my options open."

But when pressed, he clearly understands why the Garden would be a strong option. "You look at history. It is like the Yankees. The big time franchises that have a lot of history, it is hard for the fans to look at what they've been looking at the last few years because they know the history of what has gone into the Garden,'' he said of the Knicks. "So I can understand that as a fan, and I know because I know the history of the game. I think the league is doing just fine, but with the Knicks being good, the Celtics being good, the Lakers being good, it makes the league that much better. I'm talking as a fan now, please understand that."

Get used to the taffy pull. His every utterance the next eight months will be dissected and interpreted in one of four ways -- he's staying in Cleveland, determined to be the one who solves the city's curse of no major championships since 1964; he's going to the Knicks, desperately needing a change of scenery and breath of fresh air after seven years with the Cavs; he's going to New York but signing with the Nets, with whom Jay-Z is a minority partner under the prospective new owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov; he's signing in Miami, where Pat Riley dreams of pairing James with Dwyane Wade. To hear LeBron, he has pondered every NBA possibility, though I'm having trouble picturing him in Salt Lake City, Milwaukee and with the Clippers. "I've thought about playing everywhere,'' he said. "At one point in my life, I've thought about playing for every team in the NBA."

Seriously, his biggest goal is to become the wealthiest athlete in the world. That can be accomplished in Cleveland, numerically speaking, but any perception of James' pre-eminence -- whether he can enter Jordan and Tiger Woods territory -- would be fueled by playing in New York. In the end, he will decide where he has the best chance to win titles. The answer, if Cleveland and New York are in the equation, may be none of the above.

To panic about the Cavs' slow start would be silly. But against real competition -- not the Knicks -- it's not too early to ask if Shaquille O'Neal is slowing down LeBron's buzz and pace. Did general manager Danny Ferry consider chemistry when he added Shaq to the mix? And why does coach Mike Brown, whose employment depends on making this work, insist on playing the 7-1, 340-pound, 37-year-old O'Neal together with the 7-3, 270-pound, 34-year-old Zydrunas Ilgauskas? It doesn't help that Delonte West, so important as a scorer and tough-minded presence, is fighting mental demons and might not make it through the season. Suddenly, the Celtics, assuming their aging roster maintains good health, look like the class of the Eastern Conference with their shrewd acqusition of Rasheed Wallace. At least the Cavs have an owner, Dan Gilbert, who has demonstrated a willingness to spend and quench James' championship thirst. But this is his seventh season. Remember all the grief Jordan took over needing so long to win his first NBA title? He did so in his ... seventh season.

Yet signing with the horrendous Knicks may not guarantee him anything but a one-man rock show, at least for a few years. The dangling carrot: they haven't won an NBA title in 36 years, and if James managed to lead them to the promised land, it would be bigger than anything he could do in Cleveland or anywhere else. The league needs the Knicks to be a hot, vibrant franchise, not the controversy-stained corpse it has been for years under misfit owner James Dolan. Problem is, what would be his supporting cast? General manager Donnie Walsh has been slashing bad contracts to create cap room for James, but beyond Lee and Danilo Gallinari, what would he have to entice LeBron? And with the salary cap expected to drop $10 million to $50 million, forget about a double whammy of, say, LeBron and Chris Bosh.

As for the Mike D'Antoni experiment, the fun-and-gunner doesn't have the personnel to run. In a wicked loss to Indiana, the Knicks scored two fast-break points. Thursday, Al Harrington called a players-only meeting, which must be some sort of record after five games. There have been locker-room rumblings about management placing so much hope into the LeBron basket that it doesn't care about the season. So many contracts are expiring with James in mind, it's hard to imagine much effort this season, which rips off fans who pay some of the league's highest ticket prices. D'Antoni is sick of the James questions, maybe because he knows he might not get him and would be stuck with a hopeless mess.

"It doesn't interest me at all. We're fighting for our lives in 2009 and that's what our mission is,'' D'Antoni said. "What stands out is our lack of asserting our will onto the game. We don't have a mental will to win a basketball game right now."

Knicks guard Larry Hughes, James' friend, created a stir when he told the New York Daily News, "If we're on the plane and we have a bad meal someone will say, 'Just wait until LeBron gets here.' Just within the team, we have fun with it. We understand that he's well-deserving of the talk. But all the comments we hear from the media, we exaggerate and have fun with it."

Would LeBron want to be any part of such a farce? It makes much more basketball sense to hook on with the Nets, who have a workable nucleus of Devin Harris and big man Brook Lopez. The only hangup: joining the Nets doesn't have nearly the cachet, locally and nationally, of playing in the Garden. For now, the Nets will be moving to downtown Newark while awaiting a new arena in Brooklyn. Either way, Jay-Z or not, playing in another state and another borough isn't playing on Broadway.

In his dreams, James would embrace a system without a salary cap where he and other megastars -- Wade, Bosh, Amare Stoudemire -- could sign for one year with a team for unlimited bucks. "I can only imagine if you had a big-time owner with a bunch of money, you could get some players,'' he said. "If you had no salary cap, a guy could get a one-year, $75 million. Like what Jordan was doing before he retired."

Alas, the NBA doesn't work that way. Next summer, he will make one of the most awaited decisions in the history of sports. He is the King, and the Garden needs a savior. It's the move his legacy demands.

To Elevate His Legacy, LBJ Must Do NYC originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LeBron-Shaq Show a Work in Progress

Jay Mariotti — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

CLEVELAND -- He always has a rapper's catchphrase for everything and everyone, primarily himself. And while Shaquille O'Neal really should adopt The Big Hypothermia -- an ode to a bone-chilled, unemployment-scarred town that couldn't be farther from Hollywood if it were on Uranus -- it's typical that he would produce a more creative, applicable nickname.

"I'm the Big Witness Protection Program," he said, playing off the Nike ad extravaganza for LeBron James. "I've come here to protect the King."

Works for me. Given their collective magnitude in pop culture, it's hard to fathom that Shaq, maybe the greatest entertainer ever known to sports, has arrived in middle-market Ohio to join hands with James, who soon will push aside old man Tiger Woods as the most prominent athlete in the land, if not the world. But this is the unusual bond that happens when the Cavaliers feel extreme urgency to win an NBA championship for James, so he doesn't flee next summer for New York -- and the Phoenix Suns only feel urgency to watch their bottom line. Shaq is shipped to Cleveland for a few pierogies, and, suddenly, a beleaguered town that hasn't won a major sports title since 1964 becomes pro basketball's epicenter.

LeBron, Shaq and the Cavs will make 29 national TV appearances this regular season. If the first game Tuesday night was a hint of what's ahead, well, put it this way: There's work to do before they become a piece of art, much less a champion. Not to overreact in late October, but it was a night when the Boston Celtics -- remember them? -- overcame an early 14-point hole with energy and defense, withstood Shaq's wicked blow to Kevin Garnett's upper body, took advantage of the Cavs' glaring defensive lapses and slashed right through the Witness Protection Program, winning 95-89 and quieting a crowd that waved "Win One For The King" signs.

"You can't win a championship in the first game," said O'Neal, who was impressive early before fading in the final three quarters, giving the fans a taste of his free-throw ineptitude with two late bricks. "We have 100 games left. We'll be fine."

Maybe. But losing at home so soon is a shock to the Cavs, who won their first 23 last season at Quicken Loans Arena en route to a 39-2 record. And already, James looked and sounded like someone who knows the bright lights are shining on this team like never before. Forced back into his one-man-gang domination with 38 points, eight assists and four blocks, including two all-ball slap-aways off layup tries that boggled the mind, he showed frustration by constantly yapping at the officials and slamming the ball when he was whistled for carrying it late in the fourth quarter. Afterward, he said his teammates are too tentative offensively and aren't in sync with the plays. Um, didn't Shaq say the other day that he was still learning the plays?

"Offensively, if we're not on the same page, we're back to one-on-one basketball. And we don't want to do that," said James, who took only 22 shots on a night when no other Cav scored more than 12 points. "If we're not on the same page on offense, it's gonna be difficult to score. We were pretty passive -- trying to make the right play, too unselfish."

As for O'Neal, he had 10 points and 10 rebounds, but more than half of that statistical effort came in the first 7:20 of the first quarter. When he was pulled by coach Mike Brown, whose performance will be scrutinized like no other coach in the league, the Cavs led 21-12 and appeared ready to blow out the Celtics. He also sat the first five minutes of the second quarter, and by the time he returned, the Celtics had tied the game at 34-34. So here we go already, a Shaq minutes controversy.

"Yeah, I'd rather stay in and tell [Brown] when I need a rest," said O'Neal, mumbling in a low tone by his locker. "But he's the coach."

He made his comments respectfully, though he wasn't hesitant to make his feelings known. And to Brown's credit, he said he's still trying to figure out O'Neal's proper workload as a 37-year-old big man who likely will have a long postseason ahead of him. "I didn't do a good job with substitutions. We didn't always have a flow, and we were disjointed," Brown said. "I've got to get a feel for his minutes. Big Fella's gonna help us, help us a lot. At the beginning of the game, he was going good."

Then why not leave him in? "I can go more than six, seven minutes," O'Neal said.

All it means it that this is a work in progress, that no magic carpet will sweep the Cavs into June and a much-desired Finals matchup with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The Celtics didn't look like a team whose Big Three is a combined 100 years old. Rather, they were energized again by the dynamic point guard, Rajon Rondo, and bolstered by the offense and outside shooting of a widely despised newcomer, Rasheed Wallace. The Cavs couldn't match up at times with Wallace, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, and with Garnett looking sturdy and effective in his first game in seven months, the Celtics made a statement that they aren't dead yet as a contender. "I felt like it was my first AAU game. I was excited," said Garnett, who had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in 33 minutes while still moving somewhat gingerly. "I'm still getting the cobwebs and dust off my game, but we got a win out of this, and that's good. We saw this as a way to measure ourselves early. Good win."

Veterans that they are, the Celtics weren't bothered in the least by the shenanigans of Glen (Big Baby) Davis, who foolishly engaged a childhood friend in a fight inside an SUV, broke his thumb and will be out six to eight weeks. The Celtics suspended him for violating a clause in a two-year, $6-million contract extension he signed over the summer. Team owner Wyc Grousbeck, rarely heard from in his tenure, ripped Davis Tuesday, telling a Boston TV station, "I'm not going to call him 'Big Baby' anymore. He's Glen. He needs to act like Glen."

Said coach Doc Rivers: "When we got the results back, we were hoping that it was going to be a bad lesson, but not a lesson that was going to hurt our team as well. It turned out to be both. The one thing we didn't want to do early in the year is to extend minutes to Kevin or Rasheed. And that's where, if this injury did anything, it may throw some of those plans out a little bit. We may have to lean on some other guys to just burn some minutes for us."

It seemed the sort of distraction that would bog down the Celtics in their opener, especially the way the Cavaliers exploded out of their locker room. How fitting that LeBron says he's dressing up like Batman on Halloween -- "I'm in a position now to call people and get the authentic stuff -- armored gear, head, shoes and boots," he said -- while Shaq continues to believe he's Superman. They busted onto the scene like two superheroes, and a crowd that has to deal with the annual bumbling of the Browns and Indians went predictably berserk.

Quickly, though, the glee settled into a reality that the Eastern Conference is even better this season. Whether the Cavs go to the Finals depends on developing the new chemistry. "We'll figure it out. It's a long, long season," James said. But it also depends on O'Neal's ability to stay healthy and be a force.

"I thought he did OK," James said blandly of Shaq's opening night. "I don't want to make too much of the first game. There's still a transition period for all of us. He was short on some shots I know he wishes he made. But he's a winner. If you're a winner and you play hard, you'll fit in here."

"Need to make those shots," agreed O'Neal, who missed six of 11 from the field and, of course, missed two fourth-quarter free throws that had the crowd murmuring. There also are the mental-health issues of the troubled Delonte West, who walked into the locker room before the game, said nothing to anyone and was inactive after his wife filed a domestic-violence report, this after a preseason of loaded guns and unexcused absences.

For now, the result isn't as important as how LeBron meshes with Shaq. The early answer: They get along very well, on and off the court, a vibe that reflects their desire to win a title together without any concern about clashing egos. "People look too far into individuals than the team aspect of things," James said. "They think two stars can't co-exist. But it's not just about me and Shaq. It's about the whole team. Me and Shaq can't do it by ourselves. We need everybody on the floor to work hard every day to make this thing happen."

Brown said afterward that everyone wasn't working hard. "On the defensive end, there were a lot of uncontested shots by Boston," he said. "One of our staples is to contest the shot. Defensively, we have to make sure everyone is going all the way." Is Shaq part of the problem? Hasn't he has defensive lapses? He certainly sent a message with a borderline dirty slam job on Garnett, who hit the floor but smiled. They talked later.

"I just went up for the ball. He knows I'm a clean player," O'Neal said.

This is very much LeBron's team and operation, if there was any doubt. The concession stands are still dominated by No. 23 gear, "Witness" shirts, all things King James. You can find Shaq's No. 33 jersey but it's alongside Mo Williams' No. 2, Daniel Gibson's No. 1 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas' No. 11. A big-screen video, played during team introductions, begins with Shaq bigfooting through the downtown streets, but it soon becomes a LeBron production. Shaq was introduced third-to-last, in a crouch with his clenched fist extended, but LeBron was introduced last and jacked up the crowd with a walking crab crawl, accentuated by a scowl.

Never mind that LeBron has hosted Saturday Night Live, does memorable commercials, had his own museum in China and did a just-released book about growing up with his buddies. Never mind that O'Neal starred in a very bad full-length movie, does memorable commercials, has 2.5 million Twitter followers, has been a featured rapper and just hosted Shaq Vs. on ABC, in which he competed against other athletes in their respective sports. In the Q, as the downtown arena is called, they couldn't care less about their Q ratings or one-upping the other.

"My motto is simple: Win a ring for the king," O'Neal said. "Being the father of six children, I know LeBron is like one of those kids who gets good grades and does everything right. He's a team player and a great guy in the locker room. So I don't have to come in and say do this and do that, my job is to just fit in. He has what it takes."

"Everybody in this league has always looked at Shaq like the Godfather of the league,'' James said. "When you come into this league, you need to get to know him, like the guy needs to sign some papers before you play a game. I have always been comfortable with being around him. It's not hard to get along with Shaq."

Especially when O'Neal goes out of his way, seemingly each day, to puff up The King. One day, he says, "I had no idea anyone was funnier than me, but LeBron is." Another day, he sees LeBron's two young sons, who run to him like an uncle, and teaches them handshakes. Shaq's motivation isn't hard to figure out; nearing the end of his career, with his fifth NBA team, he wants a fifth championship ring so he can have one more than Bryant, his one-time nemesis, and Tim Duncan, his contemporary as an elite big man. Ideally, the Cavs would play the Lakers in June.

But that is a very long time from now.

"I'll be seeing you guys all season," James told reporters as lukewarm, uneaten pizza sat nearby.

And we'll be monitoring their progress all season. So far, they need a lot of practice time together. We'll leave it at that.

LeBron-Shaq Show a Work in Progress originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Why the Grudges? MJ Being Himself

Jay Mariotti — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:11:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

What, you expected him to suddenly morph into Meryl Streep or Beyonce or Barack Obama, gracious and classy in victory? Michael Jordan was a basketball killer. He thrived on humiliating those who even remotely doubted him, be it a player or coach or someone such as me. I won't forget standing in a parking lot by a gym on Chicago's west side, watching his neck veins bulge as he screamed at me for slamming his impending NBA comeback.

"I hang those [bleeping] articles on my refrigerator so I can read them every morning,'' he said, climbing into his Ferrari Testarossa.

Terrence Moore: Jordan Goes From Classy to Clown

So why would Jordan be anybody but himself on the night of his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor that is almost comical in its obviousness? We want honesty in these speeches, not disingenuous b.s. And while there's plenty to consider when weighing his place in time -- he DID have gambling issues, and he WAS a world-class womanizer -- I take no issue with his decision to call out anyone and everyone who dissed him in the game. If an appetite for vengeance is what drove him to become the greatest basketball player ever and, arguably, the athlete who made the most transcendent impact in the history of Planet Earth, then why shouldn't Jordan reflect that chip in describing his career in his words during his moment?

It's his speech, his life. Not ours.

"You guys, I must say thank you very much for giving me that motivation that I definitely needed," he told the audience in Springfield, Mass, in a 2,500-seat symphony hall filled with hoops royalty. "I just so happen to be a friendly guy. I get along with everybody, but at the same time, when the light comes on, I'm as competitive as anybody you know."Like an attack dog, he searched for enemies every day, sometimes more perceived than real, and proceeded to make each one of them hurt.

Having covered him throughout his mind-numbing era, which was the closest thing to a rock show that sports has seen, I know what inspired Jordan to unprecedented heights as a champion, showman and pitchman. Like an attack dog, he searched for enemies every day, sometimes more perceived than real, and proceeded to make each one of them hurt. Not until he grew old and carried out an unnecessary, well-beneath-him comeback with the Washington Wizards did anyone get the best of him as a player. And not until he became an executive with the Wizards, then an owner with the Charlotte Bobcats, did he show enough vulnerability in failure to become a deserving target.

If I'm surprised by anything, it's that Jordan still carries a grudge against so many people more than 11 years since leaving the Chicago Bulls and six years after he retired for keeps. After all, he won the war.

Every ... single ... battle.

He overcame the coach who cut him from the Laney High School varsity team as a North Carolina schoolboy. But Mike still remembers. "I wanted to make sure he knew, 'You made a mistake, dude,'" he said of Leroy Smith, the player who earned the last roster spot, whom Jordan invited to the ceremony.

He overcame Dean Smith, the legendary coach at the University of North Carolina, often cited as the only man who could hold Jordan to under 20 points a game. But Mike still remembers. "He wouldn't let me be on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the other guys because I was a freshman," he said.

He overcame Isiah Thomas for freezing out Jordan in his first All-Star Game. But Mike still remembers. "I wanted to prove to you, Magic [Johnson], Larry [Bird], George [Gervin], everybody that I deserved to be there just as much as anybody else, and I hope over the period of my career, I've done that without a doubt."

He overcame Jerry Krause, the general manager in Chicago who feuded with Jordan and became the target of his fat-man barbs, such as the nickname "Crumbs" for the food particles on his clothes. It was Krause who made the comment, though he debates the intent to this day, that "organizations win championships," which Jordan took as a direct insult as the Bulls were facing a premature breakup before their sixth NBA title. Mike still remembers. "Jerry's not here. I don't know who'd invite him. I didn't," he said. "I hope he understands it goes a long way. He was a very competitive person. I was a very competitive person. He said organizations win championships. I said, 'I didn't see organizations playing with the flu in Utah. I didn't see it playing with a bad ankle.' Granted, I think organizations put together teams, but at the end of the day, the team's got to go out and play. I think the players win the championship, and the organization has something to do with it, don't get me wrong. But don't try to put the organization above the players."

He overcame the media, most of whom were warm and fuzzy to the point of worship. Sometimes, we had to question why he was exposing himself to possible extortion by hanging out with sleazy golf/gambling partners. In the early years, the question was why he took so long to win a championship, unlike Johnson and Bird. Mike still remembers. "I had to listen to all that, and that put so much wood on that fire that it kept me each and every day trying to get better," he said.

Finally, in his ultimate snapshot, he overcame Bryon Russell. Who knew that Russell, when Jordan was playing minor-league baseball during his NBA hiatus, met him one day and said he'd have no problem covering him? Fast forward to 1998, when Jordan shoved off of Russell -- fess up, old man -- and hit The Shot while keeping his wrist flexed for posterity. Mike still remembers. "I was in Chicago in 1994 ... and at this time I had no thoughts of coming back and playing the game of basketball," he said. "Bryon Russell came over to me and said, 'Why'd you quit? You know I would guard you. If I ever see you in a pair of shorts ...' When I did come back in 1995 and we played Utah in '96, I'm at the center circle and Bryon Russell is standing next to me. I said, 'You remember the [comments- you made in 1994 about, 'I think I can guard you, I can shut you down, I would love to play against you?' Well, you're about to get your chance.' "

He also overcame Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who restricted his minutes during his injury-riddled second season and suggested he might regret paying Jordan more than $30 million a season when he returned from baseball. And Pat Riley, who tried to have his players maul Jordan as coach of the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. And even the Hall of Fame, which he ripped for raising ticket prices for his induction year. Somehow, Mike had something to say to all of them.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=537846&pid=537845&uts=1253150816

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan arrives with Yvette Prieto for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Symphony Hall in Springfield Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, Friday, September 11, 2009. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

MCT

Chicago Tribune

Michael Jordan Snapshots

UNCASVILLE, CT - SEPTEMBER 12: Inductees C. Vivian Stringer, Michael Jordan, John Stockton, David Robinson and Jerry Sloan are honored during the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Ring Ceremony at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino on September 12, 2009 in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jerry Sloan;Michael Jordan;C. Vivian Stringer;John Stockton;David Robinson

NBAE/Getty Images

UNCASVILLE, CT - SEPTEMBER 12: Inductee Michael Jordan receives a ring commemorating his entrance to the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009 from Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Mannie Jackson and President John Doleva at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino on September 12, 2009 in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Jordan;Mannie Jackson;John Doleva

NBAE/Getty Images

Former Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards guard Michael Jordan delivers his address during his enshrinement ceremony into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., Friday, Sept. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Michael Jordan, alongside David Thompson, is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, Friday, September 11, 2009. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

MCT

SPRINGFIELD, MA - SEPTEMBER 11: David Thompson leads to his seat after Michael Jordan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony on September 11, 2009 in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Thompson;Michael Jordan

Getty Images

SPRINGFIELD, MA - SEPTEMBER 11: Michael Jordan stands with other members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2009 in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Jordan

Getty Images

SPRINGFIELD, MA - SEPTEMBER 11: Michael Jordan is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony on September 11, 2009 in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Jordan

Getty Images

MCT

What you have to understand -- especially the writers who have castigated him for being selfish, egomaniacal and bitter -- is that the man isn't the most outgoing out there. I won't call him shy, but Jordan never has been a charmer as much as the largest presence in any building. I recall Charles Barkley and Oprah Winfrey dominating a three-way discussion on her TV program, leaving Jordan as a third conversational wheel. When it came time to thank people, he certainly did -- his former Bulls teammates, coach Phil Jackson for "challenging me when I needed to be challenged" and mother Deloris for being "a rock" and "an unbelievable woman." Some of Jordan's grudge talk was shtick, and obviously, some folks didn't get it. If you think he's a jerk, examine his answer when he was asked if he's the best player ever.

"When people say that, I cringe a little bit," Jordan said. "I never played against Jerry West. I never played against Elgin Baylor. I never played against Wilt Chamberlain. I would've loved to, though."

In any final analysis, of course, he'll be remembered as the most competitive S.O.B. in the history of athletic competition, a crunch-time maniac who never failed when it mattered most. He isn't steely cold, proving it by crying before the ceremony, just as he cried on the locker room floor at the United Center when he won the NBA title after his father was murdered. But like no one else, Michael Jeffrey Jordan oozes of self-pride, unapologetic if he sounds arrogant. He recalled a moment when Tex Winter, a longtime assistant with the Bulls, scolded him for scoring 20 points in the final minutes of a victory.

"Tex reminded me that there's no 'I' in team," Jordan said. "And I looked back at Tex, I said, 'There's 'I' in win.'"

Touche.

Where does he go from here? With weight in his midsection and circles under his eyes, it's time to tackle new challenges, such as becoming a better decision-maker in the basketball operations department. He has a young girlfriend, Yvette Prieto, as the Internet voyeurs know. Now, he needs to get serious in Charlotte, save a wobbling franchise and reach the playoffs. Or does he have something else in mind, pray tell?

"This isn't something I'm looking at as a defining moment. It is simply a continuation of something I started a long time ago. One day you might look up and see me playing a game at 50," he said, as the crowd chuckled.

"Don't laugh,'' Jordan fired, flashing a very real scowl. "Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."

At that point, I wanted to shake him by the ears, hand him a cigar and tell him to enjoy his legacy. Really, how many other people can say they've conquered the world?

I'd just like him to realize that he has.

Why the Grudges? MJ Being Himself originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Problem Kids Like Michael Beasley Need More College

Jay Mariotti — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA, NCAA Basketball

And to think we debated, with considerable vigor, whether Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose had better character traits before last year's NBA Draft. Turns out the answer was "none of the above," which shouldn't shock anybody who knows how teenaged basketball phenoms are pampered, enabled and, in the end, used up like chew toys. Rose is the new poster child for academic fraud, having scandalized an SAT test and reduced Memphis' runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament to a vacated, forgotten rat hole.

As for Beasley, he is a troubled soul who needed help and was fortunate to find it this week. He has checked into a Houston rehabilitation facility and is receiving treatment for stress-related problems that apparently include drug and alcohol issues. This came after a photo on Beasley's Twitter account showed a small plastic bag that appeared to contain -- well, you know -- and included recent postings that didn't suggest a well-adjusted mind:

More: Beasley's Father Goes on Radio | Rehab Planned in Advance?

"Feelin like it's not worth livin!!!!!!! I'm done."

"I feel like the whole world is against me I can't win for losin.' "

Just as disturbing is the fact Beasley's manager and longtime confidante was clueless about the developing situation. Earlier this week, Beasley told Bruce Shingler that he was headed to Houston for a "change of scenery" from Miami, where he is entering his second year with the Heat, and Washington, where he grew up in the nearby Maryland suburbs. Shingler had no idea that the new "scenery" involved rehab, a jolt that throws doubt into Beasley's career and whether he'll mature enough to maximize his enormous potential.

"Based on what I'm getting right now, there's a bit of concern. I don't really know what's going on," Shingler told the Associated Press as the story broke. "I just know his mom is on her way to go see him in Houston. That's it. I'm still collecting a lot of information. From what I know, he was just getting ready for the upcoming season. The last time I talked to him, everything was going well. All this rehab and all that, I was totally unaware. It all started as he wanted to go work out in a different place because he wanted to get away. Now this, I don't know what's going on."

At present, the league's 19-year age limit allows a player to show up in college for eight months, if that, and major in Coed Chasing with a minor in the Art of the Crossover Dribble. What's going on, of course, is the ugly sound of two famous young athletes crashing and burning. And I can't help but urge the NBA to keep pursuing a 20-year-old age limit that might allow Rose and Beasley a chance to mature more in college -- instead of making a mockery of academia during a brief hoops joyride that reeks of rent-a-player exploitation. At present, the league's 19-year age limit allows a player to show up in college for eight months, if that, and major in Coed Chasing with a minor in the Art of the Crossover Dribble. Meanwhile, their heads are filled with grandiose, TV-hyped thoughts that turn their priorities strictly to NBA Draft status. The entire experience is an insult to true college students, but the harshest reality is what it does to young men such as Beasley and Rose. They aren't allowed to use college as a bridge to adulthood, like the rest of us, because the league lures them with millions after their freshmen seasons. My point is, why not wait until after their sophomore seasons? Or their junior seasons, the way the NFL does it?

We'll find out soon enough whether the league is sincere. As part of the ongoing labor talks with the NBA Players Association, commissioner David Stern cannot budge on the 20-year limit, even as the union mentions LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard as examples of players who didn't need college to become shining lights on and off the court. If the one-year rule remains intact -- or if the union succeeds in having the rule repealed -- my guess is we'll have as many bouts with immaturity and irresponsibility among highly drafted players as we have major success stories. By expanding the college experience, the idea is to let young men grow and, oh, maybe take a few classes while on campus.

"This is not about the NCAA. This is not an enforcement of some social program,'' Stern said. "This is a business decision by the NBA, which is: We like to see our players in competition after high school."

As usual, there has been opposition in Congress, with phrases dropped such as "slavery" and "restraint of freedom." Stern, sharper than the average cat, responds that Congress has a minimum age of 25. "I don't know why our founders decided that age 25 was good for Congress, but I guess they thought that was about maturity," he said. "For us, it's a kind of basketball maturity."

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=700537&pid=700536&uts=1251142862

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Michael Beasley Photos

FILE -- This is a Feb. 22, 2009, file photo showing Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley, with a mouthpiece that bears a Batman logo, during a foul shot in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

FR121174 AP

Michael Beasley Photos

FILE -- This is a March 20, 2009, file photo showing Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley, right, attempting to get to the basket as he is guarded by New Jersey Nets' Trenton Hassell during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in East Rutherford, N.J. A person briefed on the situation says Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is battling depression-related issues and is being treated at a Houston rehabilitation facility. Beasley checked into the facility last week, the person told The Associated Press on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)

ATLANTA - MAY 03: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks over Joel Anthony #50 and Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks defeated the Heat 91-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Joel Anthony;Michael Beasley

Getty Images

ATLANTA - MAY 03: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks scores over Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks defeated the Heat 91-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Michael Beasley

Getty Images

ATLANTA - MAY 3: Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks puts up a shot against Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Smith;Michael Beasley

NBAE/Getty Images

ATLANTA - MAY 3: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against Joe Johnson #2 of the Atlanta Hawks in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena on May 3, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Joe Johnson

NBAE/Getty Images

MIAMI - MAY 01: Jamaal Magloire #21 and Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat celebrate after Magloire was fouled grabbing an offensive rebound against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Hawks 98-72. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jamaal Magloire;Michael Beasley

Getty Images

MIAMI - MAY 01: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat backs down Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Hawks 98-72. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Josh Smith

Getty Images

Miami Heat's Michael Beasley squeezes between two Atlanta Hawks defenders including Josh Smith, right, in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs in Miami, Florida, Friday, May 1, 2009. (Robert Duyos/Sun-Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

MIAMI - MAY 1: Michael Beasley #30 of the Miami Heat shoots against Josh Smith #5 of the Atlanta Hawks in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena on May 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Beasley;Josh Smith

NBAE/Getty Images

For all his ability as a scorer and rebounder, Beasley always has lacked maturity and direction. He bounced to six schools in five states during his high-school career, always finding trouble and an administrator showing him the door. Yet there was someone else waiting every time, eager to take advantage of his basketball skills. Even when he seemed to find himself academically and socially at prestigious Oak Hill Academy, Beasley was booted after throwing sticks at the homes of teachers, sneaking out of his dormitory after curfew and wearing pajamas to school. Remember what he told the Washington Post as a senior at Notre Dame Prep, 50 miles west of Boston?

"Me and Tywon Lawson had a competition at the beginning of the school year about who could sign their autograph the most around the school," said Beasley, mentioning an Oak Hill teammate who went on to glory at North Carolina. "And I don't lose at anything, man, so I walked around with one of those Sharpies and signed graffiti everywhere. Every day, they were cleaning my name off water fountains, ceilings, desks, offices -- whatever. I just thought it was funny."

One day, he signed his name on the school principal's truck. Somehow, he didn't think it was funny.

So here is Beasley four years later, a drifter who played one season at Kansas State, became the No. 2 pick in the draft and immediately was swallowed up by Miami's infamous nightlife and aura. Tattoos became his trademark, which isn't unusual but did draw attention to his wayward moods. His Heat teammates, including Dwyane Wade, often expressed disapproval about his immaturity, with Wade issuing a warning of sorts when he told the AP last month, "The guy's got a lot of talent. I can't wait to see what he does with it. He's 20 years old. I'd love to see it all come together this year."

But Beasley never has embraced attempts to help him. "I'm 20 and you can't expect me to be 30," he said. "I'm going to make mistakes, do dumb stuff and learn. How mature you want me to be?" He complained during the season that "everyone is against me," haunted by a preseason episode at the NBA's rookie symposium in which the league fined him $50,000 after security guards smelled marijuana in a hotel room occupied by Beasley, Heat guard Mario Chalmers, Darrell Arthur and two women. He had a decent season, averaging 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds, but he wasn't the beastly presence many expected as he came off the bench and let Rose beat him out for Rookie of the Year. His underachievement led USA Basketball not to consider him with other young players for berths on the national team, which prompted an angry response on his Twitter account.

"KIll mode," wrote Beasley, describing his mood to seek revenge.

So he should consider himself lucky to be in a calmer, safer place today, mentored by former NBA coach John Lucas, who operates a clinic for athletes fighting substance abuse. Sometime soon, Beasley must shut down his Twitter accounts and flip on the light switch.

"What Michael Jr. is going [through] is just a bump on the road we call life," said a posting the Twitter page of his father, Michael Beasley Sr. "Please pray for him, he needs it."

Many will pray. But I'd feel better knowing he's entering his junior year at Kansas State, in a Manhattan that doesn't demand him to be an American sensation at 20.

Problem Kids Like Michael Beasley Need More College originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LeBron James Is Acting Like a Baby, Nike Like Goons

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:41:00 EST

Filed under: NBA, NCAA Basketball

If LeBron James dares to venture online and see himself scorched by the masses, he might as well do some instructive Web-surfing, too. I suggest he call up a dubious Michael Jordan clip on YouTube, where a certain John Rogers, CEO of Ariel Investments, beats him in a one-on-one game at his "Flight School" basketball camp. What's funny is how Jordan opens with trash-talk -- "Don't be mad at me. I'm just too good for you," -- only to be schooled on three driving, twisting layups.

And how did the Greatest Player Ever respond to this professional embarrassment, which he knew was being taped? Oh, by hugging and congratulating Rogers, then willingly absorbing verbal abuse from comedian Damon Wayans while the other campers howled.

Wayans: "How do you feel about being humiliated in the game?"

Jordan: "You get dunked on, you get crossed-over. It all happens."

Wayans: "But at your own camp?"

Jordan: "Sure."

Wayans, pointing to a portrait of Jordan hanging in the gym: "Take that picture down and put up Rogers right there!"

Consider it Exhibit A of how LeBron should have responded when he was dunked on in a pickup game at his own camp -- a two-handed hammer by Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford over a leaping, late-arriving James. It
was a perfect opportunity for LeBron to humanize himself and have fun with the "indignity,'' just as MJ had at his camp. He could have congratulated Crawford, taken him over to the two videographers who had captured the dunk and done, say, a makeshift interview that could have been part of a creative Nike promotional campaign. Think of the eventual possibilities: a Jordan Crawford shoe for the LeBron brand marketed and downpriced for Everyman, with James and Crawford starring in a clever Nike commercial.

Instead, James acted like a baby, much as he did when he sulked off the court and didn't shake hands with Orlando players after he and the Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted in the Eastern Conference finals. Just having seen several college and high-school players run around the court deliriously, stunned that LeBron had been posterized by a collegian, James summoned a Nike executive named Lynn Merritt. A short time later, Merritt approached the videographers and confiscated the tapes. This reminds me of what happened to American journalists at the Beijing Olympics last summer, when Chinese authorities threatened to shut down our Internet access -- and maybe banish us to a concentration camp? -- if we were overly critical of the government.

But that was a Communist country. This is America.

And in our land of the free and home of the brave, we can't stand cover-ups by Big Business, the only way to describe the corporate censorship tactics at work. Yes, there apparently is a rule forbidding videotaping of after-hours pickup games at James' camp. But funny how no one seemed to notice the cameras until after the dunk. One of the videographers, Ryan Miller, is a freelancer trying to make a few bucks fresh out of Syracuse University. He was specifically covering the camp for ESPNU, the network's college-sports channel, and for Syracuse.com. Here was a chance for a hustling young guy to make a name for himself. But that can't be done when Nike takes the tape and burns it, or whatever the Swooshheads have done with it. And want to know the craziest thing? Miller isn't even sure he caught the dunk footage on tape.

In the end, James and Nike look much worse than if they'd simply let the dunk run its course in cyberspace. They're trying way too hard to protect LeBron's global image, which sends a message that James is more a businessman than a basketball megastar. In a weak attempt to justify the tape grab, a company spokesman said, "Nike has been operating basketball camps for the benefit of young athletes for decades and has long-standing policies as to what events are open and closed to media coverage. Unfortunately, for the first time in four years, two journalists did not respect our no videotaping policy at an after-hours pickup game following the LeBron James Skills Academy.''

OK. So tell them to shut off their cameras, period. By taking the tapes, there is only one motive: Protect The King. Shame on James for letting his wounded ego initiate the process. And shame on Nike for playing the goon role. Blessed with some of the most creative minds in sports, Nike still can save face by using the confiscated tape in an ad. That way, LeBron can look human, Crawford's thundering moment can live forever, the company can sell some shoes and Miller can get a fat check for his work.

Just do it, Nike. Just release the tape. My guess is, we'll never see it, though we might get a second round of those creepy LeBron-Kobe puppet ads.

"That's Nike and LeBron,'' Crawford said. "That's kind of over my head.''

But doesn't Crawford deserve his place in YouTube history?

"I would love my family and teammates to see it,'' he said.

Wouldn't we all love to see it? Too bad we'll have to settle for a T-shirt selling on a Web site, which says: "I DUNKED ON LeBRON (but he stole the video).''

Let me make it clear, right here and now, that LeBron James has been a model citizen and NBA ambassador in his early 20s. In a sports culture dominated by bad news -- Steve McNair murdered by a 20-year-old girlfriend, Donte Stallworth killing a man while driving drunk, more steroids, more deceit -- he has behaved himself and stayed out of legal documents and courtrooms. If the worst thing he ever does is try to cover-up a dunk and walk off a court without shaking hands, he might win a Nobel Peace Prize.

He's also a cordial, well-grounded guy who does cool commercials. This could have been his best one yet. But if we are his "witnesses'' -- the ongoing LeBron marketing theme -- it seems he only wants us to watch him on his terms.

I think a call from Michael Jordan is in order.

LeBron James Is Acting Like a Baby, Nike Like Goons originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Artest Project Will Keep Lakers On Top

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

Years ago, this would have constituted franchise suicide. Years ago, when Ron Artest was attacking fans and and facing spousal-abuse charges and firing obscene gestures and qualifying as the NBA's scariest menace to society, you wouldn't wish him upon your most despised team. But even the unhinged grow up eventually, which is why I dare say the Los Angeles Lakers have made a monumental statement in signing the sort-of-reformed problem child.

That is, they remain favorites to repeat as league champions, meaning Kobe Bryant has a chance to one-up Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson can start winning rings for his toes. A blurry flurry of offseason activity has kept David Stern's domain in the American sports limelight, no easy feat with Andy Roddick and the Williams sisters widening our Wimbledon attention spans and Albert Pujols in the early flirting stages with a hard-to-get babe called the Triple Crown. For about a week, the Lakers were overtaken for perceived pre-eminence by the Cavaliers, who acquired O'Neal -- come on, Cleveland, you can do better than "The Big Freeze" for a nickname (try "The Quake by the Lake") -- and then made a beeline toward Artest.

But the Lakers have assets that a team in northeast Ohio simply cannot match. They have championships. They have Hollywood. They have 75-degree sunshine in January. They have Magic Johnson to initiate the recruiting process. And they have Bryant, who has a perversely positive relationship with Artest, though you wouldn't know it while observing their postseason tussles. If Ron-Ron had selected the James Gang, the Cavs would have been the team to beat. By choosing the Lakers, he tilts the power back to the Lakers, who followed the Artest deal by announcing Friday that Jackson will return as coach and try to win his 11th championship.

That's a vital development, too, because without the Zenmaster's mastery of the psyche, Artest still would be volatile enough to sabotage the greater cause. When I argue Jackson's case as the greatest coach in professional sports history, the rationale always embraces his unique ability to maximize monstrous egos and maniacal minds and expertly funnel them into his team-first mantra. It will be tricky managing Artest when he morphs into a ticking bomb and becomes a technical-foul machine. But if anyone can make it work, it's Jackson, who dealt with a certain Dennis Rodman in Chicago and still won three championships. The paradigm is similar, with Jackson joining a driven, demanding superstar to rein in any disruptive impulses. Artest is Rodman. Bryant is Michael Jordan.

The common denominator is Jackson, who still has a chance to go out on top. The only issue is his health and whether a history of medical issues -- two hip replacements, angioplasty surgery to open a clogged artery, swelling in his lower legs -- will sideline him for sizable stretches. Every so often, the Lakers can get away with keeping him at home while assistant Kurt Rambis coaches the team on the road on, say, the second night of back-to-back games. But as general manager Mitch Kupchak said, Jackson's absences must be mimimal. The Artest project makes his regular presence even more imperative.

"I had a great talk with Phil," Artest said. "I'm a huge fan of his and I can't wait to show him what I can do."

"I feel confident that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff postseason," Jackson said. "All things point to go."

Who knew that Artest, who never has played in an NBA Finals and has brought down more teams than he has helped, would alter the course of basketball history? Not only did he reject the Cavs and hurt James' quest to win in what could be his final season in Cleveland, his presence contributed heavily in Jackson's thought process about returning. The assumption in L.A. is that Lakers owner Jerry Buss, also the father of Jackson's significant other, realized the 64-year-old coach needed a professional challenge and a roster upgrade to coax his return. And without doubt, Artest improves the Lakers with his toughness and lockdown defensive dominance against the league's elite scorers, not to mention an offensive flair good for 14 performances of 20 points or more in the regular season's final eight weeks. Among those arguing against the signing is Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke, who contends the Lakers are threatening their championship chemistry by thrusting a lunatic into the mix while allowing the improving Trevor Ariza to sign with Houston and effectively take Artest's place there.

Sorry, this is a no-brainer. In one swoop, they launched a pre-emptive strike against Cleveland and made themselves tougher and better. Unless Artest completely wigs out and becomes the rare prominent player not to win a championship under Jackson, it has the look of a steal. And to think only two summers ago, Bryant was on his I-want-to-be-traded media tour, pushing management to wake up and make a series of sound deals that began with Pau Gasol and continues with Artest. They have been courting each other for a while, with Artest a regular Staples Center visitor when his schedule allows and the influential Bryant lobbying behind the scenes. Now, they are strange but ideal bedfellows.

"For years now, the Lakers have expressed interest in having me play for them, but we could never get the stars to align," Artest said. "I'm finally a Laker and I can't wait to get on the court with Kobe, Pau and the rest of the team -- and play for Phil. The Lakers really made me feel wanted. I look forward to helping (them) defend their championship, and it will be great to finally not get booed in the Staples Center."

Wanted? No one has been recruited this hard in L.A. since Demi Moore stalked Ashton Kutcher. Johnson called Artest. Jackson called Artest. Buss took Artest to lunch and sealed the deal Thursday, not long after O'Neal was meeting the media in Cleveland and announcing, with James squarely in mind, "My motto is very simple: 'Win a Ring for the King.' " Don't think for a nanosecond that O'Neal's move to a major rival didn't inspire the Artest movement. You could just hear Bryant on the phone with Buss, urging his boss to sign Artest before the Cavs swooped in. For once, Kobe is in a blissful state, having won a championship and committing to staying with the Lakers when he had a chance last week to opt out. If you're Buss and Kupchak, you need to keep him in a euphoric state.

Artest accomplishes that, even if memories are fresh of their recent playoff confrontations. Remember when Artest, called for a foul and angry that Bryant hadn't been whistled for an earlier elbow to his neck, rushed over to Bryant and confronted him face to face? "I told Kobe, 'You've got to relax. You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?' " said Artest, who was ejected from the game. Then there was the verbal warfare earlier in the season, when Artest yapped in Bryant's ear -- and was torched for 31 points in the second half.

"It wasn't much of a battle," Bryant said. "I kicked his (butt)."

"We are not friends out there at all," Artest said. "After the season, we might play pickup games or something like that. Not now."

Suddenly, mere months later, they are partners in crime, making the Lakers better than Cleveland with Shaq, Orlando with Vince Carter and Boston with Rasheed Wallace (if he signs there). As for Shaq, well, wouldn't it be incredible fun to see LeBron and O'Neal meet Kobe, Artest and Jackson in the Finals?

"They say things happen in three," Shaq said. "I won with the great Kobe, the great D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) and now it's my job to win one with the great LeBron James. We have everything in place. We just got to get it done. We all know it's LeBron's team."

But you're 37, right? "To me, there's two centers that have done something very special. I'm one and Tim Duncan's the other. I'm still the shogun in this league," he said. "Right now, we won't have any matchup issues and we won't be doubling anybody, and you can underline that 100 times."

And that nickname? "A friend tweeted me with 'The Big Freeze,' " he said. "I don't know about that one. I've got to go home, play around with the kids and figure something out. I'll have one."

And what do the kids think of your famous new teammate? "This sort of puts me in a funny situation, because my sons actually love LeBron more than they love me. I'm a little jealous about it," he said. "For me, at the end of my career, I'm honored to play with the great LeBron James. We all know it's LeBron's team. I'm now in the security business. My job is to protect the King, and that's what I'm here to do."

And what about playing in a frozen city for the first time after a career spent in the sun: Orlando, L.A., Miami and Phoenix? "I'm from north New Jersey, where we had harsh winters," said O'Neal, who was handed a snow shovel and winter boots by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. "So I'll be ready."

He was the NBA's biggest story for only a few hours longer. I have a feeling next June will have a similar ending. And don't be shocked if Artest pulls one of his old gags and yanks down Shaq's shorts, because even if he finally has grown up, the man-child is still rambunctious that way.

Artest Project Will Keep Lakers On Top originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Who Does Ricky Rubio Think He Is?

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

Not much in sports makes me cringe these days, but describing Ricky Rubio as the next Pistol Pete Maravich -- legend and cult hero forevermore -- certainly is hard on the frown lines. So the Mane from Spain has flowing locks and a flair for the flashy, sexy pass. Does that make him remotely equipped to wage battle in a league loaded with elite point guards, from Chris Paul to Deron Williams to Jason Kidd to Derrick Rose to Rajon Rondo?

Pistol Pete was a one-and-only, never to be replicated in any era, a prolific scorer and exquisite passer whose showmanship would have thrived in a time when entertainment and SportsCenter hits seem to trump winning championships. Rubio? He's 18. I have no idea how much he'll improve his shaky jumper and adapt to the raw physicality of NBA ball. He very easily could be a Eurobust who has brainwashed us with YouTube reels that conveniently ignore his turnovers and no-look flips with no-chance recipients.

More: Knicks to Inquire About Rubio | Draft Coverage

"I don't see Rubio being that dynamic player now," said Danny Ainge, general manager of the Boston Celtics. "I think he's got a lot of potential. He's a flashy player. I don't see him -- just physically, and because he doesn't shoot the ball very well -- I don't see him having an impact as a rookie."

Yet they insist he's Maravich. And he's jazzy. And he's major box-office. Oh, and did they mention that his skin is white? Shame on anyone who projects Rubio as a superstar based on wishful thinking, stereotyping and nostalgia.

And shame on Rubio for exploiting this premature, unjustified man-love by acting like a brat. Only minutes after he was selected by the Timberwolves with the No. 5 choice in the draft, there was Rubio, threatening not to play in Minnesota because most winter nights in Minneapolis are considerably colder than his dog's nose.

"It's too cold," he said, a day after announcing that his mother also thinks the city is too cold. "I have to think about that ... I'm going to talk with my agent about that and we are going to see."

Later, he told a Spanish newspaper, "I wouldn't rule out at all returning to Spain.''

With those words, any enthusiasm mustered by the team's new general manager, David Kahn, fizzled away. The public-relations mess worsened Thursday night, when Rubio's father, Esteve, was quoted on the Spanish sports site Marca.com as saying his son might play in Spain the next few years and blow off the Wolves. Word is, the Rubio camp wants Ricky to play in a larger market, regardless of climate. "Ahora mismo, es muy probable que Ricky se quede uno o dos años en Europa," the elder Rubio said. "Tenemos que hablar con la gente de Minnesota ... y ver lo que pasa, porque, a estas horas, podemos estar en Minnesota o en otra parte, declaraba."

Meaning, Ricky might play a season or two longer in Europe, with the Rubios intending to chat with the Minnesota front office about a tenuous future there. How fascinating that Europe has caught on to what I call John Elway/Eli Manning syndrome -- punky demands by athletes who want to circumvent the draft system and refuse to play for a certain team. The thing about Elway and Manning was, we had an idea of their track record and assumed they could play. Who in the hell is Ricky Rubio? At the Olympics in Beijing, I watched him first-hand and thought he handled himself well at times, while also wondering why he struggled to dribble past halfcourt under pressure from the U.S. Redeem Team of NBA superstars. There is more than a wee element of overhype here, as suggested strongly by Brandon Jennings, who went to the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 10 pick after jumping to Europe straight out of high school and facing Rubio, among others.

"The only thing I've seen him do sometimes is when he has a home run pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype," Jennings said recently before backtracking last week, maybe under mandate from the league. "I can't even front. I'm just going to be real with you guys."

I do like how Rubio responded when asked about the shots. "I don't think about what they say about me," he said. "I only think about my objective. I have my own dreams, and I don't listen to people who say you're going to be in the top or you're going to be all hype. I don't care. We're going to see what they can do on the court. I talk on the court."

Where will that be? As expected, the Knicks already have made inquiries, with New York seemingly a more desirable destination for Rubio and his big-city dreams. Kahn is a disciple of Knicks GM Donnie Walsh, who was as befuddled as anyone Thursday night when the Timberwolves took Rubio at No. 5 -- then followed at No. 6 by selecting another point guard, Jonny Flynn. Later, Kahn took two more point guards, trading Ty Lawson to Denver but keeping Nick Calathes. Suddenly, Minnesota was the land of 10,000 point guards.

"It's surprising that, aside from me, they chose another point guard at number six, but let's see what they want,'' Rubio said.

This is what happens when you let a former sportswriter and NBC executive run an NBA team. Chaos ensues. Kahn once wrote about the Trail Blazers and the league for a newspaper in Portland, which I suppose makes him as qualified as two other former sports scribes -- Ned Colletti of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Marty Hurney of the Carolina Panthers -- who have fared well as GMs. But Kahn has lost me. First he dumped franchise icon Kevin McHale as coach, even though the team's two young stars, Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, like playing for him. Then he traded the team's top scoring guard, Randy Foye, and veteran shooter Mike Miller to Washington for the No. 5 choice, which he used on Rubio when he had every intention of also taking Flynn. Huh?

There also is the tricky matter of Rubio's buyout with his Spanish team, DKV Joventut. An NBA team is allowed to pay only a small percentage of a player's buyout elsewhere, requiring Rubio to ante up most of the $6.6 million. So it's possible he'll stay in Spain just to let the buyout wind down or expire. "Yes, it's a big problem," he said. So why would Kahn, with empty seats and suites to fill in a market that lost interest after Kevin Garnett was traded, draft a player speculatively when he could have taken a deadeye shooter such as Stephen Curry or an active big man like Jordan Hill? Is this the way to start a job in the Twin Cities, by drafting a player who doesn't want to be in the Twin Cities and didn't show up at the team's introductory post-draft press conference Friday? Even Love was a critic, asking on his Twitter page during the draft, "What are we doing????? We better trade. I don't even know."

Kahn says he will wait up to two years for Rubio, if necessary.

Is he insane? He also said Rubio will be the starting point guard if and when he does arrive, which could upset team chemistry if Flynn is an instant hit. Would you like to explain yourself, old sportswriting friend?

"I told the agent we would be willing to wait if it made it easier for them," Kahn said at a post-draft news conference attended by Flynn and the team's other first-round pick, Wayne Ellington. "We want to be supportive and helpful on that front because I do believe the contractual issue is a little thorny. To the extent that if it means we have to wait a year, we wait a year. If it means two years, two years. He's 18. If we had to wait, God forbid, two years, he'd be 20 when he got here. That's pretty young."

But isn't it bad form for Rubio to blow off his first official team function? Again, Kahn coddles and gushes, letting an 18-year-old control his world. "We will put no pressure whatsoever on Ricky or his family or his agent during this process," Kahn said. "Again, it's something that starts with a threshold issue. It's a contractual issue that he will have to resolve. To the extent that we can be helpful, I said we will. We won't be banging our fists on the table or saying things intended to make things more difficult."

Chances are, Rubio eventually will be dealt because he'll force Kahn's hand. The Timberwolves, an aching franchise, aren't in position to wait two years for anyone, much less a raw project. "I haven't spoken to Minnesota. I will," Walsh said Friday. "I don't know what's going on there. (Kahn) took a lot of point guards, and I want to ask
him, 'Why did you do that?' '' For now, Kahn clings to the bizarre dream of playing Rubio and Flynn together at some point. Wouldn't Foye and Flynn make more sense as a tandem? Wouldn't anything not involving Rubio make more sense? "I'm neither confident nor nonconfident. I don't know enough at this point. It's too early to worry,'' Kahn said of Rubio staying in Spain. "I truly believe these kids can play together. Great players like playing with other great players."

The more he talks, the more he sounds like someone trying to convince himself that an incongruity makes sense. "With the sixth pick, we selected Jonny Flynn. I truly believe that Jonny is as much a scorer as a playmaker and will thrive playing off of Ricky," Kahn said in a letter to Timberwolves' season-ticket holders. "I also believe that, together, we will have one of the most dynamic defensive backcourts in the NBA over time. You will love Jonny Flynn. He, too, will be special.

"And I also believe that there is a tendency in the NBA for all of us (myself included) to become too formulaic in our thinking. If you think of the Detroit Pistons backcourt during their championship run, with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson, or the Celtics with their backcourt of Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson (and before Ainge there was Gerald Henderson), or the Lakers with Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, or the Knicks with Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe, there are many instances of championship success that is not so paint-by-the-numbers. It can and will work."

Said Flynn, a good soldier: "I think we can really do this. To be able to have two good decision-makers out there who can facilitate from anywhere on the court, that's just lethal. I'd love to get him here and really try to work this thing out."

As any good sportswriter realizes, Kahn should have done his homework before drafting Rubio. Did he know Minnesota doesn't fit Mrs. Rubio's weather standards? Did he know Ricky likes the big cities? If he's using Rubio as a drafting asset, OK, Kahn is savvier than we thought. Still, this isn't the next Magic Johnson or -- cringe! -- the next Pete Maravich. This is an adventure into the unknown. No one is giving David Kahn the house for a teenaged point guard who might be another Darko Milicic.

"It will be an interesting ride," Kahn said. "If any team can afford to be patient, it's us."

Yeah? I doubt he'll be so presumptuous when fans are avoiding the Target Center, having been dismissed as rubes by a hoops boob named Rubio.

Latest NBA Images

SACRAMENTO, CA - JUNE 26: Sacramento Kings rookies Tyreke Evans #13 and Jon Brockman #40 pose for the camera after meeting the local media on June 26, 2009 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jon Brockman;Tyreke Evans

NBAE/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO, CA - JUNE 26: Sacramento Kings rookie Tyreke Evans #13 poses for the camera after meeting the local media on June 26, 2009 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tyreke Evans

NBAE/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO, CA - JUNE 26: Sacramento Kings rookie Tyreke Evans #13 answers questions as President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie looks on during a press conference on June 26, 2009 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Geoff Petrie;Tyreke Evans

NBAE/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO, CA - JUNE 26: Sacramento Kings rookie Jon Brockman #40 listens as his new head coach Paul Westphal addresses the media during the press conference on June 26, 2009 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jon Brockman;Paul Westphal

NBAE/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO, CA - JUNE 26: Sacramento Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie introduces rookies Tyreke Evans #13 and Jon Brockman #40 to the local media during a press conference on June 26, 2009 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Geoff Petrie;Tyreke Evans;Jon Brockman

NBAE/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO, CA - JUNE 26: Sacramento Kings rookie Jon Brockman #40 smiles for the camera after meeting the local media on June 26, 2009 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jon Brockman

NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK - JUNE 26: New York Knicks 2009 first round draft pick Jordan Hill looks on as as the New York Mets take batting practice before playing the New York Yankees on June 26, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jordan Hill

Getty Images

NEW YORK - JUNE 26: New York Knicks 2009 first round draft pick Toney Douglas looks on as as the New York Mets take batting practice before playing the New York Yankees on June 26, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Toney Douglas

Getty Images

NEW YORK - JUNE 26: David Wright #5 of the New York Mets poses for a photograph with New York Knicks 2009 first round draft picks Toney Douglas #23 (29th overall) and Jordan Hill #43 (8th overall) during batting practice before the game against the New York Yankees on June 26, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Wright;Toney Douglas;Jordan Hill

Getty Images

Who Does Ricky Rubio Think He Is? originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Shaq, LBJ Transform Cleveland Into Hoops Hollywood

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:25:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

Editor's Note: This column has been updated from Thursday's original version.

He's accustomed to the NBA's sunniest and most extravagant addresses, from Disney World to Hollywood to South Beach to the Arizona desert. Ontario Street in downtown Cleveland? Put it this way: Shaquille O'Neal will have to buy a thick winter coat, assume a less gaudy nickname (The Big Smokestack?) and watch courtside celebrities such as Jack Nicholson and Ludacris suddenly morph into Drew Carey.

But there's nothing ludicrous about this new development in his fascinating journey through basketball and life. Shaq is intelligent enough to realize, at 37, that even one season with the Cavaliers could have a profound impact on his legacy -- and that of LeBron James. If Shaq wins his fifth NBA championship in a town that hasn't won a title in a major sport since 1964, and he succeeds in keeping an ambitious native son in his native northeast Ohio, his work will be done.

More Coverage: Did Shaq Learn of Trade on Twitter?

Understanding that the current roster surrounding James is too soft for glory, management struck quickly. Not a month after losing to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals, owner Dan Gilbert and the front office grasped the meaning of James' discontent after the Magic collapse -- uh, why do you think he was wearing his Yankees cap the day after he stalked off the court without shaking hands? -- and acquired the one-man entertainment extravaganza in a trade with the setting Phoenix Suns. If it doesn't assure the Cavs of a title, the deal certainly gives them a better chance of surviving Orlando and Boston in the East and possibly reaching what would be an all-time compelling NBA Finals: Shaq and LeBron vs. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, in what finally might award a winner in one of sport's most antagonistic feuds. Sure, Kobe demonstrated he could win a championship without Shaq two weeks ago.

But can he beat O'Neal ... and LeBron?

"Shaq is an incredible player and a four-time NBA champion," James said Thursday. "I have a lot of respect for him and his game. It will be a real honor to play with Shaq as my teammate, and I look forward to another great season with the Cavs."

As for Shaq, he didn't have an immediate comment on his Twitter page, but he did offer up an Akon song under the heading "this is how i really feel about the trade, enjoy.'' The tune is called Crossroads. Screamed Shaq, while driving down a tree-lined road in his SUV: "Don't let me down! I'm standing at the crossroads!"

That, he is.

Later, during the NBA Draft, he elaborated. "I'm elated because I get to play with one of the greatest players to ever play the game in LeBron James," O'Neal said. "They already had a damned good team without me. Hopefully, we can go there and get it done. I expect a lot of just having a good time and a lot of smiling, and a lot of winning."

The Magic countered with amazing urgency, acquiring a still-potent Vince Carter from New Jersey to give Orlando, on paper, the league's most imposing lineup. Are you kidding? Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson AND Carter? That would seem to rule out re-signing Hedo Turkoglu, but they're better off with a re-energized Vince. In the Finals, when Bryant was doing his thing, the Magic needed players to create their own shot and couldn't. Carter can.

"Vince gives us a veteran, go-to scoring presence, especially at the end of games," Magic general manager Otis Smith said. "Our goal remains the same -- to win a championship. Any time you can add an All-Star to help you reach your goals, you have to do it.''

Not long ago, the East was the least, weak and ridiculed. Now, the East is a beast, with Washington and Chicago also among clubs that can be considered dangerous. And how often has NBA trade news not only trumped the league draft -- boring, except for the fall of potential Eurobust Ricky Rubio to Minnesota, which probably will trade him -- but everything else happening in sports?

This isn't the monstrously dominant Shaq of a decade ago. But as he demonstrated in Phoenix, he's still an inside force who will give Cleveland the post presence it sorely lacked against Howard and other big men. He proved he can stay healthy and in optimum shape, playing 75 games for the Suns and producing 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. He'll continue to be motivated playing with James, whose leadership and desire to win a title is contagious and borderline psychotic. O'Neal has only one year left on his contract, meaning the Cavs still can participate in the 2010 talent free-for-all and aim for a long-term solution like Chris Bosh. And what did it cost them? Not much -- Sasha Pavlovic, an over-the-hill Ben Wallace, a second-round draft pick next year and $500,000. They also considered acquiring Tyson Chandler from New Orleans, but while he's an imposing defensive center, he doesn't have the offensive firepower of O'Neal.

And he isn't half as much fun. How does the JabbaWockeeZ Dance play in Cleveland, anyway?

"This move and our goals are aligned with what our players want, including LeBron, to win a championship and win it this year," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said. "We don't want to be patient; we want to be a team that has sustainable success. We want to be a team like we were this year when, if you don't win a championship, you lose some sleep. But at the same time, we want to be more than that. We want to be the team that wins it. This was a move made towards putting ourselves in better position next season."

"We will win a championship in Cleveland, Ohio. It will happen," Gilbert vowed after the playoff loss. "Financially, we will spend what we feel gives us the best risk/return opportunity to win a championship.''

The Shaq deal works financially, competitively and spiritually. And Cleveland's gain is Phoenix's colossal loss, not so much in losing O'Neal but how his short tenure and odd fit with the Suns symbolizes the demise of that team. When he was acquired by general manager Steve Kerr in February 2008, the Suns were the most exciting team in sports, a 34-14 sight to behold. Coached by the daredevilish Mike D'Antoni and operated by two-time MVP Steve Nash, they finally looked capable of winning a NBA title. So why did Kerr bust the formula by trading for O'Neal, whose halfcourt, post-up game didn't mesh with the run-and-gunners? Because Suns owner Robert Sarver, always with both eyes fixed on the bottom line, saw a chance to unload Shawn Marion's long-term contract and create salary flexibility.

In every way, the idea backfired. A disgusted D'Antoni fled for the Knicks. The Suns regressed into a non-contender who hired and fired Terry Porter as coach. Sarver would have saved $21 million and maybe won a championship if he'd let Marion's deal expire this summer, instead of the $5.5 million he saves in dumping Shaq's contract -- perhaps more if Wallace accepts a retirement buyout. Once so close to a championship, the Suns now are in a cheap and pathetic rebuilding mode, with Amar'e Stoudemire next to go, perhaps with Leandro Barbosa in a rumored trade to Houston for the expiring $22 million deal of the injured Tracy McGrady. Wow, to think Sarver actually would dump a scoring/rebounding machine like Stoudemire -- who is demanding an immediate extension, with an escape clause in his deal looming next year -- strictly because of money. Makes you wonder why anyone would remain a Suns fan. Makes you wonder why Sarver, a banker who has been hit hard by the economic crisis, doesn't just sell the team.

"Obviously the last few years, we've had a very high payroll," Kerr said. "We've had a very good team and we've made a big, strong push. Clearly, the last couple of years we've been on the decline, and things have not worked out as well as we had hoped, so now it's time to adjust."

Latest NBA Images

New York Knicks' forward David Lee plays with a ball during a basketball clinic for Indonesian schoolchildren in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Thursday, June 25, 2009. Lee is in Indonesia as part of an NBA tour, dubbed NBA Madness, to promote basketball in the country. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)

New York Knicks' David Lee works with Indonesian schoolchildren during his basketball clinic in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Thursday, June 25, 2009. Lee is in Indonesia as part of an NBA tour, dubbed NBA Madness, to promote basketball in the country. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)

In this April 3, 2009 photo, Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal runs up the court against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Phoenix. The Cleveland Cavaliers are close to acquiring O'Neal in a trade that would pair him with MVP LeBron James, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday, June 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Former Boston Celtics player Sam Jones, left, is presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by former Celtics player Bill Russell at The Sports Museum's annual The Tradition fundraiser and awards ceremony, in Boston, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Former Boston Celtics basketball star Bill Russell, left, shakes hands with Boston Red Sox's Johnny Pesky, right, as Anita Dias, of Boston, looks on at The Sports Museum's annual The Tradition fundraiser and awards ceremony, in Boston, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Former Boston Celtic Sam Jones speaks with reporters at The Sports Museum's annual The Tradition fundraiser and awards ceremony, in Boston on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Jones received a Lifetime Achievement Award. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

NEW YORK - JUNE 24: Jordan Hill, NBA Draft Prospect poses for a portrait during media availability for the 2009 NBA Draft at The Westin Hotel in Times Square on June 24, 2009 in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jordan Hill

NBAE/Getty Images

Richard Jefferson poses for a photo in his new jersey after he was introduced by the San Antonio Spurs during a news conference by the NBA basketball team in San Antonio, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Jefferson was traded to the Spurs from the Milwaukee Bucks. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Richard Jefferson poses for a photo in his new jersey after he was introduced by the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team during a news conference in San Antonio, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Jefferson was traded to the Spurs from the Milwaukee Bucks. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

There are no such downer issues in Cleveland ... yet. So give Gilbert credit for recognizing James' bitterness and the importance of improving the roster, though you wonder why he didn't make the Shaq deal when it was presented to him in February. If LeBron ends up leaving for New York, the Cavaliers may not shrivel up and die, but they won't be an elite franchise anymore in a city rocked by the economy. Think of the empty seats in Quicken Loans Arena. There still is no certainty, of course, that James will sign an extension next month, which will ratchet up the heat on LeBron and Shaq to save a franchise and a city next season. When asked to address local fans who are petrified that James is gone, knowing buddy Jay-Z is part-owner of a Nets franchise that is moving to Brooklyn, Gilbert chose gallows humor: "You think you're nervous ..."

But he hasn't lost hope. "We feel very confident that this franchise and the direction we're going, the things we're doing, will make it the best place to play basketball for our current players, LeBron James, future players or anybody else,'' Gilbert said. "That's all we can do -- try to create the best environment, the best culture, create a team that has the best chances of ultimately winning an NBA championship -- or more.''

They just helped themselves by acquiring The Big Smokestack. "He is a force -- always has been, still is,'' Ferry said. "He's a wall that's around the basket -- a tall, long wall. He's a guy that our guys will respect and I think it is going to work very well. On offense, he's going to get double-teamed, but he's a great passer and a great receiver. It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's caliber. We are excited to see how his presence, experience and play positively impacts our team. There's not many players in the world like him."

The winter nights will be cold, as usual. But Cleveland will be the hottest address in basketball. Forty years after the Cuyahoga River caught on fire, the arena might burn down next.

Shaq, LBJ Transform Cleveland Into Hoops Hollywood originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Vindicated: Kobe Wins Without Shaq

Jay Mariotti — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:20:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

ORLANDO -- There is much to dislike about Kobe Bean Bryant, from the bursts of conceit that verge on megalomania to the 57-page transcript detailing the sex, lies and disgrace of his one-night stand with a 19-year-old in Colorado. But never, ever deny him this: He is a basketball savant who, in one definitive swoop Sunday evening, quieted those who said: a) he'd never win an NBA title without Shaquille O'Neal, and b) he has been trumped by LeBron James as the sport's most dominant force.

L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando Magic
Lakers 99, Magic 86: Recap | Box Score
Povtak: Ariza Haunts | Nelson Backfires
Steinmetz: Howard Humbled in NBA Finals
Whitley: X Marks Jackson's Spot in History

If he isn't and never will be Michael Jordan, we can conclude that the Kobe brand is gleaming more radiantly today than ever thought possible. He needed time to grow up and was forced to do so in the scrutinous public eye, but we finally observed a human being's raw, heartfelt emotions in the final seconds of the NBA Finals. On the Lakers bench, he broke into a gigantic smile, something rarely seen on a face etched with a wild, angry snarl throughout the series. He wiped tears from his eyes, chewed on his fingernails, literally bit the top of his jersey and, when the buzzer sounded, leaped up and down uncontrollably in a hushed enemy arena, pumping his fist several times before joining his teammates in a moving, hopping scrum.

At last, he was a real leader of men, an earth-mover who could sacrifice his ego just enough to maximize the talent around him. At last, Kobe Bryant had willed a championship on his own, detached from the problematic, polarizing brat who once did more to enrage America than endear himself.

"I just couldn't wait for the clock to tick down," he said. "I was waiting and waiting and waiting so we could release the emotion and celebrate. It really feels like I'm dreaming. It doesn't even seem real."

This was the moment Bryant never was supposed to have as a selfish ogre, a child characterized by his coach in a tell-all book as "uncoachable" and "a callous gun for hire." But there they were after the Game 5 clincher, Kobe and Phil Jackson, embraced in a powerful, stare-into-each-other's-eyes hug that seemed like it wouldn't end. Their relationship once was so destructive that it led to Jackson's departure for a season, so he could flee to Australia and get away from the petulant superstar who drove O'Neal out of Los Angeles. But more than anyone else in Bryant's life, Jackson helped him mature into a better player, teammate, husband, father and man. Not a minute after his fourth ring -- and Jackson's record 10th -- were in the books via a 99-86 victory over the overmatched and outcoached Orlando Magic, Kobe was on the court with his wife, Vanessa, and his two daughters, giving them the biggest hugs of all. His life could have been ruined by the case in Colorado, where a rape charge was dismissed after a summer of hell. Instead, his life came together and got better, with this title and his first Finals MVP award symbolizing his redefinition.

"I think you just grow as a person, you just grow as a man," said Bryant, still grinning on the interview podium. "To win this title, it felt like a big, old monkey was off my back. I was trying not to envision it too much, not to get too excited and make sure we just play the game. But when that moment comes, man, it's at the top of the list."

Latest NBA Finals Photos

Police officers in riot gear stand guard outside Staples Center as supporters celebrate after the Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th NBA Championship, in Los Angeles June 14, 2009. The Los Angeles Lakers captured their 15th championship and first since 2002 with a 99-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the NBA Finals on Sunday. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Sasha Vujacic #18 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks at the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy as the Lakers celebrate in the locker room after their 99-86 win against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sasha Vujacic

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Pau Gasol (facing camera) #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with Shannon Brown #12 after the Lakers won 99-86 to win the NBA Championship against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Pau Gasol;Shannon Brown

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Rafer Alston #1 of the Orlando Magic hangs his head as he stands on court against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won 99-86 to win the NBA Championship. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rafer Alston

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates during the final minutes of the Lakers 99-86 win against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: (L-R) Kobe Bryant #24 (holding daughter Gianna), Pau Gasol #16 and Andrew Bynum #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate after the Lakers won 99-86 to win the NBA Championship against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Pau Gasol;Andrew Bynum;Gianna Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Finals MVP Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers kisses his wife Vanessa as he celebrates after the Lakers won 99-86 to win the NBA Championship against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vanessa Bryant;Kobe Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Finals MVP Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates daughter Gianna after the Lakers won 99-86 to win the NBA Championship against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gianna Bryant;Kobe Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Finals MVP Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with his daughter Gianna and wife Vanessa (R) after the Lakers won 99-86 to win the NBA Championship against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gianna Bryant;Kobe Bryant;Vanessa Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Finals MVP Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers holds up the Larry O'Brien trophy after the Lakers won 99-86 to win the NBA Championship against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Credit: 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

For the first time, he readily admitted that much of his satisfaction comes from burying, once and for all, the can't-win-without-Shaq rap. Their divorce was so contentious, it led to a national referendum on who was right and wrong. When O'Neal went to Miami and won his fourth title with Dwyane Wade in 2006, he rubbed it in Bryant's face, even asking Kobe in a rap lyric how Shaq's "a** tastes." It led Bryant to grow frustrated with mediocre teams and demand a trade two years ago, an act that was roundly ripped. But the rant worked. It prompted a sleepy general manager, Mitch Kupchak, to make the trade for Pau Gasol, reacquire Derek Fisher, nurture Andrew Bynum, build a solid bench and provide just enough of a supporting cast for Bryant to successfully carry. "Got a new point guard, a new wing, a Spaniard, and then it was all good," he said. "I had a bunch of Christmas presents that came early." Indeed, the reason Bryant was spilling tears and smiling, deep into the night, was because he'd shot his critics down.

"I don't have to hear that criticism, that idiotic criticism anymore," he said. "That's the biggest thing. It was annoying. It was like Chinese water torture, where they just keep dropping a drop of water on your temple. I would cringe every time I heard it. It was just a challenge I was going to have to accept because there's no way I'm going to argue it. You can say it until you're blue in the face and rationalize it until you're blue in the face, but it's not going to go anywhere until you do something about it. I think we as a team answered the call because they understood the challenge that I had, and we all embraced it.

"From the standpoint of responding to the challenge, from people saying I couldn't do it without him, that feels good because you prove people wrong. But I also think people can look at the special teams we had together. We're great as individuals, but it's probably the first dynamic duo that had two alpha males on one team. And we managed to make it work for three championships. [The criticism] was just silly. Every team has a dynamic duo. I think it's a shame."

That's why Bryant's fourth championship is the sweetest, because it is HIS. It accompanies a surge in acceptance that prompted Forbes to rank him as the world's 10th-biggest celebrity and second-biggest athlete, ranked behind only Tiger Woods (fifth) and ahead of Jordan (18th) and James (19th). The others in the top 10: Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Beyonce Knowles, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. He also made $45 million in salary and endorsements last year, not bad for a guy who five years ago was sobbing on his wife's arm after admitting adultery at a nationally televised news conference, then buying her a $4 million makeup-call ring.

"He's grown. He's grown up," said Fisher, his longtime teammate and friend. "He's doing everything that we ever could ask him to do in terms of leading the team and performance on the court during games and in practice. He's trying to be the type of guy that guys will follow as opposed to just dominating performances by himself and then expecting everyone to catch up to him. He's really done an unbelievable job of getting everybody to believe and buy into what we're trying to do."

Of course, so has Jackson, who passed Celtics legend Red Auerbach as the most decorated of NBA Finals coaches and promised to smoke a cigar in Red's memory. But much as Sunday night was about Jackson's place among the all-time great coaches in sports, he, too, realized the magnitude of Bryant's feat -- and how much he has matured in his 13 Lakers seasons.

"There was a point in Kobe's [early NBA years] when we sat together and watched tape," said Jackson, wearing a hat with the Roman numeral X made for him by his children. "I wanted him to understand his impact on the game and my feeling about his impact on the game. We had a game in Toronto, and he had gotten hooked up with Vince Carter in the middle of the fourth quarter and they kind of exchanged baskets. I thought it took our team out of their team play, and the game was much harder than it should have been. So I talked to him a little bit about leadership and the quality and his ability to be a leader, and he said, 'I'm ready to be a captain right now.' And I said, 'But no one is ready to follow you.' He was 22 at the time. He was a young guy. In those eight years that have ensued, he's learned how to become a leader in a way in which people want to follow him, and I think that's really important for him to have learned that, because he knew that he had to give to get back in return. And so he's become a giver rather than just a guy that's a demanding leader, and that's been great for him and great to watch."

Jackson also admitted that he never thought he'd win a championship in his second go-around with the Lakers. He originally was contacted during his Australian hiatus by his boss/significant other, Jeanie Buss, in the middle of the 2004-05 season, asking him to return just months after he essentially was run out of his job. "Jeanie Buss called me up and asked me to come back and take the team at that particular moment, and I said, 'No, I couldn't do that. That's just not fair to the team, and it's not fair to the players and myself.' I said I'd have to think about it a long time because this team is quite a ways from a championship even though Kobe always gives you a chance to win. So over the next 2 1/2 months, I spent some time thinking about it and rekindling my energy to come back and coach. But when I came back, I didn't anticipate we'd win. I thought maybe I'd build the steps to a winning team, but I didn't think I'd be part of it. This is much quicker than I thought it would happen."

For a man once blackballed in a league that viewed him as a counterculture freak, Jackson has done the unthinkable. He has coached 10 of the last 19 NBA champions. I'd go out on top if I were him, but Bryant dearly wants him back. And doesn't Kobe usually get what he wants? "You can see how excited he is about it," Bryant said. "You can see it in his eyes that he's ecstatic. It's been a long time since he had a champagne bath, and I knew that, so I made sure he became part of our circle and we got him pretty good. He took his glasses off, threw his head back and soaked it all in."

And, yes, Jackson understands the meaning of his stunning achievement. "Having won 10 championships is a remarkable accomplishment, there's no doubt about it," he said. "Watching those games click down, a championship of all different forms and fashions -- on the road, at home, players that vault themselves into team play -- is a remarkable thing to have watched. I've always said this before: The journey is what's really important, and it's important for the players and coaches to watch these kids come together and form a unit and be supportive of each other."

But when asked if the championship was about him, Jackson knew better. A year after being humiliated in the Finals by the Celtics, he wants the players to have the praise. "I could say that, but I'd like to say that it's really about the players. It's about Kobe Bryant, about Derek Fisher's leadership of the team," he said. "I tried to take them through some of the build-up things that we had to do after last year as a basketball club. They came together this year and were self-motivated, and for a coach, that's always a positive sign. When a team is ready, they're aggressive, their learning curve is high, and they wanted to win. I've always felt as a coach that you have to push your team, but I told them they had to push themselves. I wasn't at a stage of my life where I could get out and do the things I had done 10 years ago or 15 years ago to push a team. And they pushed themselves, and I really feel strongly that this is about them."

Specifically, it's about Kobe Bryant. On the day one of O'Neal's former teams beat another of O'Neal's former teams, word came from Cleveland that the Cavaliers are trying to acquire him to help James win a championship and keep him happy in northeast Ohio. If so, imagine Bryant against Shaq AND LeBron in next year's Finals.

But first, Shaq wants to congratulate Kobe for this season. He did so, naturally, on his Twitter page Sunday night. "Congratualtions kobe, u deserve it. You played great," O'Neal weighed in near midnight. "Enjoy it my man enjoy it. And I know what yur sayin rt now "Shaq how my a** taste?"

Poetic justice. Crude, but poetic.

Vindicated: Kobe Wins Without Shaq originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Phil Jackson Not Greatest of All? Just Compare to Stan Van Gundy

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

ORLANDO -- They're as different as Yoda and Danny DeVito, the Grateful Dead and Weird Al Yankovic, a complete mismatch in wisdom and savvy and diamonds on their fingers. Just because Phil Jackson evokes the appearance of a half-asleep grandfather waiting for his Metamucil doesn't mean he isn't in complete control of his scene. And just because Stan Van Gundy is running around and howling like a crazed banshee doesn't mean he has a clue.

If the Lakers win another championship Sunday night, Game 5 of the NBA Finals might signify the end of Jackson's spiritual, never-boring adventure through coaching. Yet even as he stares down his 10th crown -- which would push him past one of his biggest critics, the late Red Auerbach, as the most decorated of all pro basketball coaches -- he keeps absorbing potshots from snipers who think he's cruising through a career as an opportunistic fraud.
Remember when they said he won six titles in Chicago only because of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, three titles earlier this decade in Los Angeles only because of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant? Well, now the word is he's little more than the latest celebrity fan with courtside access to the Kobe Show. Go buy some popcorn while you're at it, "Coach."

"To tell you the truth, Phil doesn't have to do anything but call timeouts," said Alonzo Mourning, not exactly a basement blogger after starring in the league for 15 years and winning two Defensive Player of the Year awards. "Kobe is the facilitator. He is the one driving the mission of this particular team right now. The communication level he has with his teammates out there, you can just see it.

"I think Phil is just showing up, to tell you the truth, and Kobe is doing all the work to make this team successful."

What an ignorant thought from a fellow who seems to be pining for a TV analyst job. Even Charles Barkley will acknowledge that Jackson has been doing his finest work since returning to the Lakers four years ago, having molded the gifted but petulant Bryant into a dynamic, team-first leader who maximizes the talent of a good-but-not great cast around him. Beyond Pau Gasol, who has emerged as an elite inside player with reliably energized and productive performances this postseason, Bryant doesn't have much more to work with than LeBron James has in Cleveland. But the difference, as the growing legions of Mike Brown bashers in Ohio will agree, is that the Lakers also have an elite coach. "I've been spoiled my whole career playing for Phil," said Bryant, who used to resent Jackson but now adores him. "It's hard to imagine playing for anybody else. I grew up with him ... I'm honored to be coached by the best coach of all time. It would be a tremendous honor to be on the team that can get him that 10th championship.

That will happen, probably sooner than later. No way the Lakers become the first team in NBA Finals history to choke away a 3-1 and lose. No way Jackson blows a 43-0 record when his teams win Game 1 of a playoff series. And no way the Orlando Magic, deep and skilled but doomed by bouts with dysfunction that often lead right back to Van Gundy, overcome Jackson's 50-21 record in potential series-clinching games -- even though Dwight Howard declared Saturday that the Magic intend to "make history" and said the series will "be going back to L.A."

Jackson is satisfied enough in his own skin, at 63, to dismiss negative critiques by Mourning and others with a smile. He knows his body of work indeed has included the most dominant player ever (Jordan), one of the most dominant big men ever (O'Neal) and one of the best two-way players ever (Bryant). But he also knows -- as should Mourning -- that leading the greatest players to championships is a maddening process that involves coaxing the sacrifice of egos and melding them toward a team initiative. He has coached complex minds -- Jordan, Pippen, O'Neal, Bryant and Dennis Rodman among them -- and remarkably succeeded the first nine times he went to the Finals. He encountered rocky times at the end as Shaq and Kobe feuded, leading to O'Neal's departure to Miami and Jackson's firing -- yes, he was fired by owner Jerry Buss, father of his significant other, Jeanie -- five years ago. But after a one-year hiatus, during which he wrote a book destroying Bryant as a cancer and admitting he tried to have him traded, Jackson is one win from pulling off his most challenging of championships. Never mind if the dummies don't understand how far the Lakers have come from even a year ago, when they were blown out in the Finals by the Boston Celtics and dismissed as soft and wimpy.

"Yep, Kobe is doing a lot of the work," Jackson said with his trademark sarcasm and smirk. "I'm just here kind of sitting on my chair."

Nor will he fire back at those who accuse him of surrounding himself with stars. Sure, maybe he hand-picked the Lakers job in 1999. But in Chicago, he was an assistant with a Bulls team that couldn't get over the title hump when he was chosen to replace Doug Collins. "I'll accept the [criticism]. You have to have the special players to make the Finals," he said. "That's why they're special players, because they get to this position at the end of the season."

But passing Auerbach is a honor of considerable magnitude for Jackson, who realizes it officially places him in the pantheon of all-time coaches in sports. Before his death in 2006, Auerbach took frequent whacks at Jackson's legacy, including this doozy: "He's never tried building a team and teaching the fundamentals. When he's gone in there, they've been ready-made for him. It's just a matter of putting his system in there. [Jackson's teams] don't worry about developing players if they're not good enough. They just go get someone else." Of course, when Auerbach was coaching the Celtics to nine championships, he didn't have to deal with free agency, a salary cap and a 30-team league. What he did have were Bill Russell and numerous Hall of Famers, a team he could keep together for the long term. As Bryant said Saturday, before confirming that he doesn't intend to exercise contractual options allowing him to leave the Lakers the next two offseasons: "I can't name one coach that won a championship with a bunch of scrubs. So that argument makes no sense. Coach Auerbach also had a lot of lucky, very fortunate situations. You have to have that. They've got to go hand in hand. But in my opinion, [Jackson] is the best."

While careful not to disrespect the Magic -- and showing no bitterness toward Auerbach -- Jackson does grasp his place in history. "We try to work under the assumption that you're only successful the moment you perform a successful act, and in that regard, this has not been accomplished yet. So talking about futuristic things kind of throws me for a loop," he said. "Talking about Red Auerbach's record and what he accomplished, I can [remember] as a young player in the NBA looking at those records of the Celtics and thinking how unattainable they are, how remarkable 11 championships at that time were, and the fact that Red coached nine world championships. So I do know that it's a momentous thing."

He praises Auerbach while knowing the league's structure was completely different then. "Of course, free agency wasn't part of the game," he said. "It was eight and then expanded to ten teams at that time. So it was a different league entirely. Going to the playoffs was like meeting your family or your best rival, Celtics and the Lakers in the '60s."

Chatting comfortably, Jackson hinted only slightly that he is considering retirement if the Lakers win. I have urged him to do so and will continue here. Who wouldn't want to go out on top, with a nice round number that no one will forget? "It's certainly an event that would be a culmination of an effort," he said. "I guess I really haven't thought about it in that depth. I've kind of left that off to assessment at the end of the year." Maybe he'll think he can win an 11th championship with Bryant and Gasol playing at optimum levels. Or, maybe he'll remember the difficulty of surviving the Western Conference playoffs and not want to fail next year. He does know, whenever he retires, that he'll miss the game. Jackson has taken breaks twice, after leading the Bulls to their final title and when he was pushed out in L.A. in 2004, and couldn't wait to come back both times.

"It's really about the momentum of a season. You get caught up in this day-to-day life that we have where your schedule is pretty much determined from October until summer. I think it's going to be hard to get away from it, personally," he said. "I've done it twice -- the asterisk season [in 1999] when they didn't start playing until February, and the other year I went to the South Pacific and got away from the game simply by dissolving the presence of NBA ball. Yeah, it's something that's been in my life for 40 years."

When his playing career was over, he never dreamed he'd be coaching well into the 21st century. He was in private business when the opportunity arose to coach in the minor-league Continental Basketball Association with the Albany Patroons. "It wasn't something I had planned on doing when I was finished with basketball at age 34," he said. "I had a private business at the time -- I was a partner in a business -- and that was a very difficult time. Interest rates were anywhere from 18 to 15 percent to start a new business, and so after running the business for almost a year, the opportunity came for me to coach. It was a part-time, four-and-a-half-month operation, and it was something that could help with our business problems, and my partner was perfectly capable of running it by himself. This was an opportunity for me. I went there kind of on a gamut to see what it was like."

Naturally, he led the Patroons to a championship. But the NBA didn't come calling immediately, in part because they viewed him as a counterculture character who once admitted to drug use. "You know, I think it just went from one success to the next, and after being there for four years, I realized that I wasn't making a move and those salaries were at $25,000, and our kids were on the edge of high school, which meant college was soon, and I needed to get going in a career and I was turning 40," he said. "So I really literally quit the [CBA] job and moved out into another field and looked at graduate school and law school." That's when a sports announcer friend supplied advice, saying, "If you're having success and it's your bliss, make sure you do it, and successes will follow you." Said Jackson: "Certainly that's what's happened, and I've been fortunate to have the right opportunities follow behind it."

He was hired as an assistant by Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, who eventually became Jackson's nemesis. Krause liked telling people that he saved Jackson's career, which may be true to a degree but isn't something Jackson likes having thrown in his face, given his successes with the Bulls and since leaving Chicago. Krause didn't like how Jackson became aligned politically with Jordan and Pippen and how the power trio attacked the GM, forcing owner Jerry Reinsdorf to side with Krause as the dynasty crumbled before its time. Back then, I had small wagers with people on which of the Bulls would win the most titles in the end. I thought it would be Pippen, who still was young enough to win several more -- but won none in Houston and Portland. Turns out Jackson was the smarter bet.

"The key about coaching is that you watch these young men develop from individuals trying to make their own game happen to a team which is willing to sacrifice personal goals for the goals of the group," he said, in what sounded like a commentary on Bryant. "I think that's a valuable experience for them -- and a wonderful feeling for me. I think my experience as a player helped me in this regard, this profession. Not everybody has that chance [to win titles] and understand the drill, the grind, the sweat, the tears, the pain that goes into it and the number of surgeries that you have because of it. The aspect of taking over a team [the Bulls] that was on the verge of being a very good team was a real gift for me, enhanced by the fact that they'd been to the Eastern Conference finals a couple times, and they were really a young team ready to play and very readily coached. So I got off to a really good start. But that team changed hands in three years, and we came back with the Pippen-Jordan crew in the late '90s that was even probably better in regards to knowing their roles. Maybe not as talented, but a very good role team.

"And this venue has been kind of like a second career for me in L.A. Obviously, the Buss family is a very engaging family, very interesting family, and they've given me an opportunity to coach this team, which is one of the storied franchises in the NBA."

Is he a better coach now? "That's a hard thing to measure," he said. "A lot of things end up being that way because of the players you have and the talent you have, and obviously that team in Chicago was a very talented team. I think temperament-wise, yeah, I'm probably a better coach in that degree, not as excitable, not as intense, much more patient."

Latest NBA Images

As opposed to Van Gundy, the excitable, intense, impatient whirl who, like Jackson, started on the lower rungs of coaching and has worked hard to reach this level. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a Jordan to bail him out from his screwups in these Finals. It's hard to blame him entirely for a 3-1 deficit when his team missed 15 free throws in Game 4 and his superstar, Howard, missed two foul shots with 11.1 seconds left that probably would have sealed a win. But Van Gundy has committed tactical blunders throughout the postseason. To his credit, he admits when he's wrong, which has turned him into a blame-accepting soundtrack that no one in central Florida wants to hear anymore.

He should be skewered for yanking Rafer Alston in the fourth quarter, after the point guard had played so well in a Game 3 victory, and using Jameer Nelson throughout the entire fourth quarter and overtime period. While Nelson is an All-Star point guard, he's still getting back into basketball shape while recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him four months. He looked particularly bad when he gave Derek Fisher too much room to operate on his game-tying three-pointer with 4.6 seconds left. That's all Fisher has left at 34, a long-distance shot, and the fact Nelson wasn't up in his face is yet another indication that the Magic aren't coached nearly as well as the Lakers. When you watch Van Gundy and his players continually flub up, it makes you further appreciate Jackson's excellence.

Why play Nelson exclusively in crunch time and not use Alston, who said he was "shocked" not to be in the game? "I had no problem with Rafer," Van Gundy said. "The thing I decided is that we had a unit on the floor that was playing well together. The next time really that I really thought about it was the start of overtime, and by then, Rafer had sat for 13 minutes, and that would have been a very, very difficult time to inject somebody new into it."

If he'd used Alston earlier, of course, he wouldn't have had to worry about him getting cold. "I was ready. I was antsy," said Alston, who received calls from friends angry at Van Gundy, especially after similar playing-time issues involving Nelson and Alston in the Game 1 loss. "I was anticipating him yelling my name and that I was going to sprint to the scorer's table and give it a shot and help us pull that game out. [Friends] were ready to fly in and wring his neck, but that's the way the game goes. Friends don't understand that. They want their buddy in the game. It's tough. You think you're going to go back in there."

And yo, Stan. Why not foul Fisher instead of letting him shoot the three? With a three-point lead, any 7-year-old kid shooting in the driver can perform the math equation that two free throws still leaves the Lakers trailing by one point in the final seconds. "I've rethought it and rethought it and rethought it, and it's easy to say now, 'Do I wish we had fouled as opposed to giving that up?' Yeah. But I still don't think at 11 seconds to go in a game that we're going to foul in that situation," Van Gundy said. "I'll put it this way: You always have regrets. But faced with the same situation again at 11 seconds, we still wouldn't be telling them to foul."

Huh? On one hand, he suggests he regrets the decision and says it "will haunt me forever," which is true. On the other hand, he'd still do the same thing when "faced with the same situation." You lost me there, Stan. And was Nelson not told to be in Fisher's shorts on the game-tying three? "I do reflect back on whether there was something else we could have said in terms of instruction that would have gotten us to [defend] that play a little bit tougher, because [Fisher] really got a lot of air space on that to shoot the ball," Van Gundy said. "You know, basically, Jameer had one responsibility on the play, and that was to not give Derek Fisher a look at a three. It's one of those things I'm sure Jameer wishes he had back and had played differently. I question whether we made that clear enough or could have told him to play the play a different way. But I thought we were pretty clear on that."

Somehow, the Lakers always are clear on what they're doing and where they're supposed to be, in part because Bryant is an extension of Jackson on the floor. Phil's only issue, it seems, is with the officials. He was fined $25,000 for saying in an in-game TV interview Thursday that Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were hit with "bogus" first-quarter calls. This was the same Jackson who said recently of the officiating process, "We might need some candidates for Supreme Court justices to be sitting in the situation because there's so many judgments going on."

One victory from another parade, he didn't want to comment on the refs Saturday. This while Van Gundy was delivering a pep talk involving Greg LeMond's comeback win in the 1989 Tour de France. Yep, I'm sure Howard and Hedo Turkoglu relate to Greg LeMond and a 20-year-old story. "He had come from behind and then taken the lead and then lost it on one of the late stages, and people started to write him off," Van Gundy said. "At the end of the stage, he looked beaten, and he and his wife were talking when they left, and they asked his wife what he had said."

LeMond's words: "It'll just make the story all that much better when I come back and win it all."

Some coaches merely dream the dream. Others actually live it, 10 times. We are watching the greatest NBA coach ever, America.

Appreciate him. For tonight might be the last time you see Phil Jackson on a sideline, even if he doesn't have to do anything but call timeouts.

Phil Jackson Not Greatest of All? Just Compare to Stan Van Gundy originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Old Man Shows Superman How to Win

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

ORLANDO -- It was a night when a veteran dismissed as old and inept proudly turned back time, a night when a man-child with 21 rebounds and nine blocked shots was the goat, a night when the well-coached team won and the team that executed horribly in critical moments lost. Sometimes, the slim difference between a champion and a wannabe funnels down to savvy, character, IQ, experience, all the traits that never seem cliche when it's past midnight in overtime and the studs are separating from the frauds.

L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando Magic
Lakers 99, Magic 91: Recap | Box Score
Moore: Lakers Have Championship DNA
Povtak: Ariza's Revenge | Orlando's PG Mess
Lakers Lead 3-1 | Next: Sun. @ Orlando, 8 PM ET

The NBA Finals would be tied at 2-2 today if Dwight Howard, so-called Superman, knew how to make a free throw. It's not that he hasn't tried to improve, spending countless nights in the gym with friends who don't let him leave until he makes 300 and the final 20 -- requiring him to start over even if he misses after 19. He visualizes at the free-throw line. He hums hip-hop rhythms at the free-throw line. He breathes in, breathes out. But none of those tricks helped Howard with 10.4 seconds left in regulation, when the Magic had an 87-84 lead and needed him to make one foul shot so they could exhale and likely win Game 4.

He clanked both.

"I just missed them. I've been working on my free throws," Howard said after missing eight of his 14 attempts. "They just weren't falling tonight. I think I did a lot of good things. It's just that the free throws weren't there."

Oh, that's all. The free throws weren't there. I see.

Suddenly, all of his wondrous deeds on defense -- no one else in Finals history has had nine blocks -- were forgotten. The energy and noise in the arena was now an anxious hush, and all eyes turned to Kobe Bryant, who was born for these situations. Derek Fisher? Nah, he was old and slow and no longer able to make a big shot. A beloved guy? Sure, particularly when he asked the Utah Jazz to rescind a three-year, $22 million contract so he could return for a cheaper deal with the Lakers in Los Angeles, where top doctors were more capable of helping his young daughter, Tatum, deal with a left eye ravaged with cancer in her infancy. But did you want him taking the last shot? In 2004, you did, back when he hit the shot with 0.4 left that beat the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. In 2009? Not really. Not when he had missed his first five three-pointers Thursday night and not when he hasn't been hitting that many since, well, 2004.

But when the Lakers inbounded from their own end line with remarkable ease, Fisher found himself with the ball just behind the three-point line ... as Magic guard Jameer Nelson WAS BACKING OFF HIM. Huh? If nothing else, get in the old man's face and contest the shot. But with Nelson on the other side of the trey stripe, Fisher was left no tactical choice but to fire the shot designed for Bryant and try to act 29 again.

"I was just going to kind of survey the situation, but Nelson was giving me a lot of space and I like to step into those threes," Fisher said. "Even though I wasn't making them, I felt like I could do that."

When it went in with 4.6 seconds left, well, who in America didn't feel good for him? Even if you dislike Bryant, Phil Jackson and the Lakers, as many do, Fisher is the one everyone roots for. And the crazy thing is, he wasn't done yet. With the game tied at 91 in the extra period, the suddenly energized and productive Trevor Ariza rebounded his own miss and set up another game-winning scenario. Eventually, there was Fisher, open again beyond the stripe. Bryant had the ball and was trying to back down two defenders, but how could he ignore the wide-open warrior? He kicked out the ball to Fisher while landing a firm elbow to Nelson's chin, something the refs could have called but didn't. With everything Fisher has been through -- his daughter's illness, leaving the Lakers when he didn't want to, returning under difficult personal circumstances -- did anyone really think he'd miss with 31.3 seconds remaining?

The second dagger clinched a wild comeback victory for the Lakers, a 99-91 killer that gives them a 3-1 lead over the devastated Magic, sets up Bryant for his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal and lines up Jackson for his record-breaking 10th championship as a coach. And to think the Lakers let Fisher sign with the rival Jazz after his first heroic buzzer-beater. He could have held a grudge and taken his daughter to another city with elite medical care, but Fisher has too much class and perspective to be bitter. Jackson understood his leadership abilities and work ethic and gladly brought him back. Anyone who wondered why, even on his worst shooting nights, is quiet today.

"I've always heard things," Fisher said of the criticism. "Now it's age. Before, it was in terms of not being able to shoot or not tall enough or whatever the case. I've always used those things as motivation to work even harder and try to be better than I was before. The guys on this team are just unbelievable. They ride with me, good or bad, and I just want to continue to thank them for showing the confidence I need. And the belief that Phil has showed in me, I can't say enough about it.

"I have a responsibility to my team that if I'm going to be on the floor, then I have to make a difference. None of us can continue to just expect that Kobe is going to save us. We have to be willing to take blame, responsibility and accountability. I felt bad because Pau [Gasol] was kicking it out to me for some wide-open threes that I was missing. I promised him that I wasn't going to miss those shots anymore."

Latest NBA Finals Photos

ORLANDO,FL - JUNE 11: Head Coach Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic speaks to the media after Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals at Amway Arena on June 11, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stan Van Gundy

NBAE/Getty Images

Los Angeles Lakers Pau Gasol (C) grabs a rebound in front of Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard (R) and Jameer Nelson during Game 4 of their NBA Finals basketball game in Orlando, Florida, June 11, 2009. REUTERS/Larry W. Smith/Pool (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes after the ball in front of a diving (L) Jameer Nelson #14 of the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derek Fisher;Jameer Nelson

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Head coach Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic reacts on the side line in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stan Van Gundy

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Jameer Nelson #14 of the Orlando Magic dives for the ball underneath Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jameer Nelson;Derek Fisher

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers is guarded by Jameer Nelson #14 of the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derek Fisher;Jameer Nelson

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Jameer Nelson #14 of the Orlando Magic moves the ball out in front of Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jameer Nelson;Derek Fisher

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers discusses a call with referee Scott Foster in the second half against the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Phil Jackson;Scott Foster

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Hedo Turkoglu #15 of the Orlando Magic runs up court in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Hedo Turkoglu

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 11: Dwight Howard #12 listens to head coach Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 11, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dwight Howard;Stan Van Gundy

Getty Images

A better moment than even the 0.4, obviously? "This is at the top of the list," he said. "You know, personally, with my experiences the last couple of years and leaving this team and coming back and playing with this group of guys, this ranks right at the top. You know, even greater than the 0.4 because I feel we're as close as possible to what our end goal is."

No one was more pleased than Bryant, who has pleaded for help from teammates who come and go depending on the night. Fact is, the Lakers have played six postseason games following a loss and one off day -- and won all six times. Bryant again didn't shoot well, hitting only 11 of 31 after another fast start, and his fatigue could have been a long-term problem if the Magic had tied the series. Which makes Fisher's heroics even more vital. They will be remembered fondly in Lakers history, and don't be shocked if the cheers at the victory parade are as loud for him as Kobe.

Why pass the ball to the old man, superstar, when he was struggling?

"Because he's been there before,'' Bryant said. "He's been there and done that. In the locker room [afterward], I was kind of teasing him because he was 0-for-5 until he made those last two. But that's Derek. He just has supreme confidence, and I think those shots at the end of the game are actually easier for him than the other ones."

"Well, it's character," Jackson said of Fisher. "We've always said that character has got to be in the players if they're going to be great players. He's a person of high character, and he brings that to play, not only in his gamesmanship but his intestinal fortitude."

In Jackson's eyes, the game's turning point came late in the third quarter, when Bryant wrestled the ball from Howard after the Magic big man had corralled an offensive rebound. Frustrated, Superman grabbed Bryant around the chest and pulled his jersey, drawing a foul. Bryant trash-talked his U.S. Olympic teammate as they walked up the court. "That just showed the kind of grit this team has tried to develop over the last year, to come back from circumstances that are dire or being down," said Jackson, thrilled that his team overcame a 12-point deficit.

Howard and the Magic, on the other hand, are soft mentally and chokers in the clutch. How do you explain missing 15 of 37 free throws as a team? How do you explain 17 turnovers -- Howard had seven alone --while the Lakers committed only seven? Hedo Turkoglu, normally reliable, missed four free throws in the fourth quarter. "I wish I knew the answer. The ball just didn't feel right in my hands," he said. "I should have been more focused and made those.

"We had it, but it just kind of slipped away because of our stupidness."

That would be stupidity, Hedo. The Magic even botch the language.

Not that Stan Van Gundy wanted to hear about the lack of experience in the Finals. Once again, you could question the Magic coach for numerous strategic blunders, such as why Nelson was playing so far off Fisher in regulation. If Van Gundy had fouled the Lakers with, say, 11 seconds left while holding a three-point lead, might the outcome have been different?

"No, we thought 11 seconds was too early, especially with the way we were shooting free throws," he said. "But you know, in retrospect, we gave [Fisher] so much space to shoot the ball. We played like we were trying to prevent a layup. We denied Bryant the ball, but then we just didn't play Derek Fisher, just didn't guard him."

In the end, this was about experience over inexperience, about Jackson over Van Gundy, about Bryant over Howard, about Fisher over Nelson. "That has nothing to do with any of it," Van Gundy shot back disgustedly. "We've played enough basketball games. It's basketball. These guys have been in hundreds of games, thousands of them. Most of these guys have been in huge games. It's just too cliche to say it's all about Finals experience and that we're all of a sudden playing with 11-foot baskets and a smaller court. I just don't buy it."

Oh, yeah? Then why was Derek Fisher all alone? Why did Goofy, Pluto and Mickey Mouse have a better shot of guarding him than Jameer Nelson?

Because sometimes, the old man is disrespected before his time. He'll laugh all the way to his fourth ring ceremony while, hopefully, Howard is in the gym practicing more free throws.

Old Man Shows Superman How to Win originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Dent in Kobe's Armor as Lakers Stumble

Jay Mariotti — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:15:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

ORLANDO -- What happened to the killer fangs, the death staredown, the stalker profile? Kobe Bryant's raw facial expressions, so intimidating only a few nights ago, have vanished into a humble silhouette of self-flagellation and disgust. He was supposed to rule the NBA Finals like no singular force since the man he emulates, Michael Jordan, and he was positioned to close with a jackhammer Tuesday night if he simply was himself.

But he was someone else and somewhere else in the final minutes of Game 3, flashing the absolute wrong body language when he clanked a gigantic free throw with a minute left -- his fifth miss of the evening -- and sunk into the sort of exasperation that Jordan never would have let us see. Bryant stared at the floor during a timeout, cursed at himself and took his bitter mood back onto the court, where, in a defining moment, Dwight Howard and Mickael Pietrus trapped him, allowing Howard to tap the ball into a scrum that resulted in a critical turnover. This was followed by two Bryant misses on three-point tries, one with 28.7 seconds left and the other with 6.9 seconds left, and suddenly, the megastar who performed in Game 1 like the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) was the g-o-a-t of the evening in a 108-104 loss to the Magic.

L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando Magic
Lakers 101, Magic 96: Recap | Box Score
Blackistone: Superman Saves Series
Povtak: Rafer Alston Skips Back Into Favor
Lakers Lead 2-1 | Next: Thurs. @ Orlando, 9 PM ET

The frustrations led him to bark at some teammates, hardly what the Lakers need with a 2-1 lead in the series. At one point, Bryant was holding a clipboard on the sideline like a coach, instructing Pau Gasol what to do. Wisely, after calling out Bryant for uneven play after Game 2, Phil Jackson had his back this time. "If they can't stand up to that, they can't play on this team," the Lakers coach said. "You have to be able to stand up to that and play through it. That's part of the expectations that we have for players -- they have to fulfill their roles. Kobe is demanding that way. I think we are as a coaching staff, too."

Have no fear, the Lakers still are going to win this series. All you need to know is that the Magic shot 62.5 percent, highest ever in a Finals game, and still almost lost on a night when Bryant shot 11 of 25 and missed 15 of his final 19 shots. But when the Great Kobe has two straight sub-par shooting games, eyebrows arch and red flags wave -- and I'm not talking about the one held by a crazed fan who was jumping around and proving disruptive enough that Jackson even mentioned him.

Is Kobe tired? "Yeah," Jackson said. "He'll say no."

Are you tired, Kobe? "I felt OK," he said, smiling. "I was fine."

Is Kobe human, after all? "You know, we're all frail as humans," said Jackson, "sometimes not as much as others."

Are you human, Kobe? Can we do the math -- five missed free throws in a four-point loss -- and say you lost the game for your team at the foul line? "My rhythm was off. I just shot poorly from the charity stripe," he said. "It was a bad night."

And aren't you supposed to be the best closer in the sport? "Yeah, it was disappointing," Bryant said. "I'm used to coming through in those situations, and the team trusts me to come through in those situations, and it just didn't happen tonight."

What happened on the turnover? "Howard made a great play with his hands, and they came up with the ball," he said. "Simple as that."

Finally, did the guy with the red flag bother you? "What guy?" Bryant said. "Maybe if I saw him, I would have made some damn free throws. If I saw him, I would have made a shot. I didn't see him."

Latest NBA Images

Orlando Magic guard Courtney Lee (11) reacts after a dunk during the Magic's 104-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis (9) fouls Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16) late in the fourth quarter of the Magic's 104-108 victory over the Lakers in Game 3 of the NBA FInals at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Mickael Pietrus tries to score over Los Angeles Lakers Derek Fisher in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA FInals at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Mickael Pietrus gets a hug from a teammate in Game 3 of the NBA FInals against the Los Angles Lakers at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Los Angeles Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant reacts in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA FInals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic's Rafer Alston (1) drives past Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher in the second half of Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals Tuesday, June 9, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. Alston scored 20 points and the MAgic won 108-104. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis (2nd L) grabs a rebound ahead of Los Angeles Lakers Lamar Odom (L) as Orlando's Dwight Howard (2nd R) and the Lakers Trevor Ariza look on during Game 3 of their NBA Finals basketball game in Orlando, Florida, June 9, 2009. REUTERS/Ronald Martinez/Pool (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

Entertainers Chris Brown, left, and Ludicris watch Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic Tuesday, June 9, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. The Magic won their first NBA finals game beating the Lakers 108-104. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) shots against the Orlando Magic's Rafer Alston (1), Rashard Lewis (9) and Mickael Pietrus (20), from France, in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals Tuesday, June 9, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. The Lakers lost to the Magic 108-104 but lead the series 2-1. (AP Photo/Ronald Martinez, Pool)

Los Angeles Lakers Pau Gasol of Spain (C) runs into the defense of Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis (L) and Dwight Howard during Game 3 of their NBA Finals basketball game in Orlando, Florida, June 9, 2009. REUTERS/Pool/Ronald Martinez (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

While the Magic were attacking Bryant with particular zeal -- "It's called four more guys. They threw the whole kitchen sink, and they did a good job of staying on my body," he noted -- they also were making the shots they missed woefully in Los Angeles. We expect it from Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Pietrus. We sometimes expect big offense from Howard, who regained his aggressiveness after two sluggish games in L.A. and scored 21 points. We didn't from Rafer Alston, who lost his shooting confidence after Jameer Nelson prematurely was given too many minutes at point guard in Game 1. Alston benefited from coach Stan Van Gundy's pep talk and hit 8 of 12 shots on a 20-point night. Give the oft-criticized Stan Van this much: When he makes a mistake -- and the Nelson experiment was a doozy -- he isn't afraid to admit it and adjust. Alston played 37 minutes in Game 3 to Nelson's 11.

"I'm a motivational genius, that's what I am," Van Gundy said. "I thought for two days what to say to Rafer, and I said, 'Play your game.' Took me two days to come up with that."

"Stan and I have a great relationship," said Alston, who took a verbal swipe at his coach after Game 1 and wasn't in the game when the Lakers forced overtime in Game 2. "We understand that he's just trying to coach to win games, and I'm trying to help him win games."

The shooting blitz has re-injected confidence into a team that finally won its first Finals game after six previous losses. The Magic dared to bring in Nick Anderson, whose four missed free throws led to a quick sweep in the franchise's previous Finals appearance, to address the crowd before the game. Fortunately, the players didn't follow Anderson's lead, shooting a record 75 percent in the first half. "Ball was going in the basket, that simple," said Van Gundy, oozing sarcasm. "That always works. That is a tried and true formula. We shot 29 percent in Game 1, second-lowest in Finals history. Then we shoot 62 tonight, the highest. This is a crazy game, it really is."

Just crazy enough that Turkoglu, who eats pizza in the locker room before every game and lounges around afterward in a robe worthy of the Playboy Mansion, suggested strongly that the Magic can win the series. "Why not?" he said. "We believe in each other, and as long as we're playing our game in our system and fighting 48 minutes -- why not?"

Added Howard: "We lost two games, but there's no need to roll over. It's a seven-game series. A team has to beat you four times to end the series, and we felt good knowing that we had three games at home."

In his continuing quest to (a) let his free flag fly and (b) make the NBA and its erratic pack of officials look as awful as possible, Jackson did the unprecedented before the game. He ratted out his own team, saying Gasol committed a goaltending violation on Courtney Lee's layup attempt at the end of regulation time in Game 2, which means the Lakers should have lost at the buzzer instead of winning in overtime.

Um, Phil, exactly what are you trying to accomplish here? Not since the old flower child admitted to weed use in the '70s, forcing him to wait longer than necessary for an NBA coaching position, has he made such a tactical error in his craft. What he's submitting is that the Magic deserve to own a 2-1 lead in the Finals, leading to questions of whether the series always will be tainted to a degree if the Lakers go on to win their 15th league title. Such is the unnecessary can of worms that Jackson has opened, friends, bringing more emphasis to an errant call in a sequence that media and fans had blamed solely on Lee because of his missed layup. And to think a reporter simply had asked Jackson, as an aside, whether goaltending should have been called during a frantic sequence in which Gasol's right hand touched the net and fingers struck the rim.

"Basket interference according to the rules, yeah," Jackson said.

Just to make sure we have it right, he was asserting that Gasol was guilty of a goaltend.

"It's called basket interference," he repeated. "Even if you hit the net supposedly in the process, that's part of it. But that rule is kind of archaic. It isn't called in this day and age as much, but when we were in high school -- that was something a high school ref might call, basket interference."

So the correct call was made in ignoring the violation?

"According to the rules, it was not," he shot back. "It wasn't made."

If Jackson was playing his usual mind games, the strategy made no sense. All he's going to do is launch another national debate today about the dubious state of officiating and why the working refs didn't at least look at a replay. And he'll just further rile up a county fair-meets-Disney crowd that already has an inferiority complex about L.A. and waves signs that say: "KOBE CHEATS (JUST ASK HIS WIFE)." As it is, Jackson might not even be correct in his claim. Yes, goaltending partially involves touching the rim and net. But according to Section I-A of the NBA rulebook, a player cannot "vibrate the rim or backboard so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce." Lee's shot was unaffected by Gasol's hand and fingers, banging off the backboard and clanking off the front of the rim before bouncing harmlessly away.

To his credit, Van Gundy didn't want to bite the bait. "Look, I'm not going to get into a call," said the normally mouthy coach, for once rejecting a chance to opine. "Calls didn't decide that game. I don't think [Gasol's] hand being there or not being there had anything to do with the shot going in or not. You're just not going to get a complaint from me on that call."

No official who values his life, of course, would end an NBA Finals game with a goaltending call. But if the whistle had blown -- or Lee had made the shot -- the Magic would have a 2-1 lead with two home games left.

Is it a series? For now, I reluctantly say it is. So does Shaquille O'Neal, whose presence looms over the proceedings as a former Orlando superstar and Bryant's old antagonist in L.A. "By george I think we have a series," tweeted Shaq on his Twitter page, though unable to find the shift key for capital letters. Indeed, as long as Bryant is missing more shots than he makes, the Van Gundys are alive in the Magic Kingdom.

"They have a team that has been through adverse situations," Bryant said. "They went to Boston, won Game 7. They went to Cleveland, almost took the first two there. This is a tough team, not a cupcake team. They're extremely well-coached and they execute well. We've got our work cut out for us."

Kobe didn't look mean anymore.

He looked concerned.

Dent in Kobe's Armor as Lakers Stumble originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

When Lee Missed, Magic Lost Series

Jay Mariotti — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

LOS ANGELES -- It was an exquisite lob, I'll admit, the start of what could have been the most glorious moment in the long, quirky, one part Disney World/one part Mickey Mouse history of the Orlando Magic. The so-called "Turkish Michael Jordan," Hedo Turkoglu, briefly lived up to the nickname by hurling a fabulous inbound pass from the sideline to the basket, where Courtney Lee had beaten Kobe Bryant with a half-second left in regulation. All he had to do was catch the ball and make a tough layup for one of the most classic finishes ever in the NBA Finals.

Lee caught the ball by the basket. Asked what he thought to himself at the time, Bryant replied, "[Bleep]." But the rookie missed the layup, banging it off the rim as all of L.A. exhaled and Stan Van Gundy's entire body wiggled in agony.

"We warned Kobe," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, not pleased with how his superstar played in Game 2. "We suspected that [play] would be the case. They still found a way to get a shot off. There was a sense of relief, because they played it very well and no doubt had an opportunity to win that game."

"We missed it. I don't know what else to say," said Van Gundy, the Magic coach. "Hedo made a great pass, we were right there, and [Lee] missed it. I'm not trying to be a pain in the butt. I don't know what else to say. We executed it well. We missed it."

And there was your series, America. This was Orlando's best chance of stealing a game at the Staples Center, something that must happen if the Magic want to win a championship, on a night when Bryant hit only 10 of 22 from the field, had a shot blocked by Turkoglu at the very end of regulation and flashed facial expressions that oozed frustration, not intimidation and domination as in Game 1. But the Magic tossed a winnable game into the ocean, missing out on the classic ending and then blowing an overtime lead when J.J. Redick -- why is he in the NBA, anyway? -- missed a wide open 3-pointer that would have built the lead to four and then threw away a bounce pass when he suddenly grew shot-shy. That opened the door to a 7-0 Lakers run fueled not only by Bryant but the likes of Pau Gasol -- who scored seven in OT -- Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher. It was enough for a 101-96 victory, which devastated an Orlando team that played considerably better than in the opener, yet trails the Lakers 0-2 and now has lost all six games in two NBA Finals trips.

Latest NBA Finals Photos

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 7: Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan and father Danny Kwan attend Game Two of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michelle Kwan;Danny Kwan

Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 7: Producer Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs attends Game Two of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sean Combs

Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Jameer Nelson #14 of the Orlando Magic shoots against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jameer Nelson

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Luke Walton #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends against Rashard Lewis #9 of the Orlando Magic during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rashard Lewis;Luke Walton

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic #12 shoots against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dwight Howard

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Kobe Bryant #24 and Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers hug against the Orlando Magic during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lamar Odom;Kobe Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

Orlando guard Courtney Lee (11) shoots over Los Angeles center Pau Gasol (16) with .5 seconds left in regulation of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Lee missed the shot, and the Lakers went on to defeat the Magic in overtime, 101-96, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Sunday, June 7, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks during the post game press conference after Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jon Soohoo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lamar Odom

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: J.J. Redick #7 of the Orlando Magic shoots against Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** J.J. Redick;Pau Gasol

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Hedo Turkoglu #15 of the Orlando Magic shoots against Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Hedo Turkoglu;Lamar Odom

NBAE/Getty Images

Let's get something straight: The Magic didn't lose only because Lee missed the shot. They lost because they committed 20 turnovers, seven by Dwight Howard, who continues to bomb out offensively after scoring 40 points in the Eastern Conference finals clincher against Cleveland. And they lost because their guards shot 6-for-26, 1-for-12 from beyond the 3-point line. If not for Rashard Lewis, who hit six treys and scored 34 points, they would have been blown out.

"Yeah, I was frustrated tonight," said Howard, who at least made five shots this time, four more than in Game 1. "But being the leader, I can't let my teammates see me frustrated. We had our chances to win. We turned the ball over too much. That got them the win."

After his immaculate 40-point performance, Bryant settled for 29 and eight assists. But he also made seven turnovers, which drew criticism from Jackson. "I don't think Kobe had a good game at all as far as his standards go," he said. "They double-teamed him, they trapped him, they came at him on all of his drives, and we didn't immediately adjust to it. They forced the turnovers because we can't get that ball moved ahead quickly enough when they trapped him. We were able to find other guys that did things for us. Lamar had an outstanding game. Pau was there again, as he usually is."

At first, when told what Jackson had said, Bryant looked puzzled. Wisely, he didn't fire back. "No, absolutely not," he said when asked if he'd played up to his standards. "I didn't read the coverages as well as I should have. We blew a lot of assignments -- a lot of them -- and we still managed to win the game. It's on me to make those adjustments, make those reads, and I'll come back ready to go in Game 3. It's just like a quarterback throwing an interception every now and then. Same type of situation."

On a shaky night, the quarterback still made the big pass when it mattered. The defining play for the Lakers came when Bryant, looking to close out the game with a three-point lead in the final 90 seconds of OT, didn't force a shot in the lane. Instead, he dished to Gasol, who was fouled and completed a three-point play. He and the Spaniard have developed a terrific relationship forged in Bryant's knowledge of ... Spanish? We knew this bi-lingual fellow spoke English and Italian. Spanish? "You know what, it's just what language comes to me first, to be honest," Bryant said. "It's just whatever rolls off the tongue."

With Kobe's help, Gasol is starting to shed the tap of being "soft." He has been consistently efficient throughout the postseason and is backing the notion that he's one of the world's best players. "I never really got upset about it. I'm harder on myself more than anyone else is hard on me," said Gasol, who went for 24 points and 10 rebounds while his fellow big man, Andrew Bynum, again encountered foul trouble and played only 16 minutes. "Because a guy has a certain set of skills and is a finesse player, then he's labeled as soft. It is what it is. I know what I am: a competitor and a winner. Nobody has ever given me anything. I had to earn everything I've got, and I'm proud to be where I am today. Aside from that, I don't care about any comments about me."

Delivering a similar speech was Odom, who has been ridiculed lately for his candy fetish but never was sweeter in a big-game moment with 19 points on 8 of 9 shooting. He is battling back problems in the Finals, but hasn't complained. "Nothing in my life has been easy, like from Day One," said Odom, who had to deal with the sudden 2006 death of his 6 1/2-month-old son and overcame earlier drug issues. "I don't expect things to be easy. I've got a nice, big house, and I expect the door to break. I expect something to go wrong. That's life. I look down [at the stat sheet] and see I played 45 minutes and Kobe played 48. He's always hurt. Pau is hurt. That's the way it is. I'm an athlete. I have to take care of myself and get better physically. I'm tired as hell. My back is tight. But I'll go home, eat, massage, sleep and just get ready to go play in Orlando."

The mindset in Florida, where the Magic will play three straight home games in a 2-3-2 format that the NBA should reconsider, would have been much different had Lee made the shot. "It was a good pass. Coach did a good job of drawing up the right play," he said. "I caught it, got a good look at the backboard. I tried to get it up there as quickly as possible, but the ball rolled off the rim."

Turkoglu also had the option of passing to Lewis or Howard. He chose the rookie from Western Kentucky, who was shockingly open. "I saw an opening and threw it up. It was just luck," Turkoglu said. "It would have been great for us because we played really good tonight, but we didn't play good enough to win. We have a lot of turnovers."

"We had a chance to finish the game. It just wasn't meant to be," said Howard, who consoled Lee after the shot. "There's nothing we can do about it. We missed the shot."

Bryant, who rarely is caught so flat-flooted, applauded Van Gundy for the strategy. "It was a brilliant play, a very, very smart play they drew up," he said. "We could have put ourselves in jeopardy there and forced ourselves to win Game 3 on the road."

Someone asked him what happened to the killer instinct of Game 1. Bryant flashed that snarl of his. "We're about to kick it up," he warned, as if Jackson's tweaking suddenly had fueled him. "You'd better believe we [have more to give]. We're close. You see what I'm saying? This is the Finals. We're going to be ready to in Orlando."

The Lakers will win the series in five. Why? Well, did you see what I saw immediately after the game? Turkoglu, towel around neck, walked over to Jack Nicholson by his courtside seat and shook his hand. I don't care who it is -- Nicholson, Leo DiCaprio, Warren Beatty, the Red Hot Chili Peppers dudes, the "Entourage" guys or Denzel Washington, who uses the restroom in the media room, if you must know. If I'm Van Gundy, I don't want my players saying goodbye to anyone in L.A., figuring the Magic be back for Games 6 and 7 next week. Not only did the Turkish Michael Jordan seem like he was saying goodbye, he seemed overly impressed by Nicholson, who may as well be known as the Lakers' official mascot.

Maybe it's because this was goodbye. The series isn't returning to California. It ended when Courtney Lee couldn't make a layup.

Celebrity Fans at NBA Playoffs

Jack Nicholson is one of the most well-known Laker fans in history. But he's not the only star who's been spotted at the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Click through to see which other celebrities turned out to watch the big games.

NBAE via Getty Images (3)

The Celeb: David Arquette
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Garrett Ellwood, NBAE / Getty Images

The Celeb: Sophia Bush
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE / Getty Images

The Celebs: Kanye West and Lisa Leslie
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celebs: Lauren Conrad and Kyle Howard
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celeb: Lil Wayne
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celebs: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Connolly and Sophia Bush
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Mark J. Terrill, AP

The Celeb: Anthony Kiedis
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celeb: Soulja Boy
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celeb: Ellen Pompeo
The Series: Lakers vs. Nuggets

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

When Lee Missed, Magic Lost Series originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Phil Should Ride Into Sunset if He Wins Title No. 10

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

LOS ANGELES -- It's almost a cliche the way he has embraced his every locale, living not only the dream but the time and the place. The world's most interesting man? Rather than that phony-suave goofball in the Dos Equis ads, I'll nominate Phil Jackson, who morphed from a free-love, New York hippie in the '70s to a Midwestern family guy in the '90s before migrating to California and -- what else? -- shacking up with the boss' much-younger daughter in a house by the sea.

Amid his radical lifestyle shifting, he has found time to become the gold standard of modern coaches in pro sports, now approaching his 10th NBA title in a career that looked bleak when he was coaching the minor-league Albany Patroons and driving their van on road trips. You hate to tell a legend when it's time to retire, especially when he's at the top of his game. But the perfect ending for Jackson would be to let the purple-and-gold confetti fall on his silver mane, celebrate his fourth crown in 10 years with the Lakers, appreciate his psychological work in transforming Kobe Bryant from a superbrat to an all-time maestro and depart in style as the league's ultimate coaching champion.

'House Video: Mariotti and Blackistone Talk NBA Finals

A town that grasps the famous final scene is sensing that Jackson indeed will leave if the Lakers, as expected, purge the Orlando Magic in the Finals. Bryant, too, is anticipating high drama. "I try not to think too much about it and just try to focus on the task at hand, which is one of the things that he has taught us all," he says.

"I'm just honored to be coached by the best coach of all time. It would be a tremendous honor to be on the team that can get him that 10th championship."

The symbolism of going out on top would be particularly important in Jackson's case. Perhaps it will serve to jolt the national consciousness into finally giving him his just due. Imagine 10 titles in 18 seasons. Who else does that? His critics -- including the late Red Auerbach, currently tied with Jackson atop the coaching title list with nine -- have said he's little more than a lucky opportunist privileged to coach Michael Jordan for six rings in Chicago and Shaquille O'Neal and Bryant for three in L.A. "He picks his spots. He had Jordan and Shaq," snorted Auerbach. I've never understood the thought process, other than to assume Red's logic was clouded in cigar smoke. Back in Auerbach's day with the Celtics, the NBA wasn't complicated by free agency and a salary cap that broke up teams and required creative maneuvers by general managers. He could keep his dynasty together for a longer period -- a run that included Hall of Famers, by the way, including a certain Bill Russell.

Jackson's path has been trickier, filled with challenges that would have vexed most coaches. With the Bulls, it took considerable time to convince Jordan that he wouldn't win titles until he compromised his ego and melded with teammates. Later, Phil had to manage the wildest entertainment extravaganza in sports, the Jordan rock show that included a petulant Scottie Pippen and a half-insane Dennis Rodman, who was wearing feather boas and getting drunk every other night. And don't forget the non-stop infighting with upper management, leading Jackson and Jordan to join forces and depart together because the bane of their existence, general manager Jerry Krause, was kept in power by owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Jackson took time off, then inherited in-house marital problems with O'Neal and Bryant, two supreme alpha males who couldn't stand each other yet somehow won three titles.

Latest NBA Images

Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic of Slovenia, throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers' Major League Baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, June 5, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic of Slovenia, celebrates after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers' Major League Baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, June 5, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard breaks into laughter during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. The Magic play the L.A. Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

The Orlando Magic practice at the Staples Center in preparation for their Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the L.A. Lakers in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu talks about the changes they must make for Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the L.A. Lakers during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu relaxes before boarding the team bus following practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. The Magic play the L.A. Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard practices his free throws during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. The Magic play the L.A. Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis works on his three-point shot during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. The Magic play the L.A. Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

L.A. Lakers Pau Gasol talks about their 25 point victory over the Magic in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

L.A. Lakers Lamar Odom, left, and Andrew Bynum, practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Friday, June 5, 2009. The Lakers play the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

So why isn't Jackson lauded more for his handling of delicate, moody, superstar psyches? Isn't it the most vital function a coach can perform in this day and age? Yes, he has been blessed with megaplayers, but how many other coaches would have won 10 titles with all the chaos and headaches? How would Auerbach have handled Rodman, heaven help us?

Or the Shaq-Kobe warfare? Careful not to contradict what he tells his team -- live in the moment, don't get ahead of yourself -- Jackson deflects all talk of his place in history.

"It's just about this year," he says, "not about the 10th."

Doesn't he see the magnitude of such a feat, the cachet in owning 10 rings at a time when a coaching giant like Bill Belichick has only three and a managerial master like Joe Torre has four?

"One for each finger and two thumbs," he says, smiling.

He is determined not to let the Lakers fail in the Finals again, as they did last year in a humiliating loss to Boston and in 2004 against Detroit. I was among those who asked if Jackson contributed to his team's soft, passive play against the physical Celtics -- and whether his mastery of the modern player's mind had waned at 63 years of age. Turns out he was doubting himself, too. "As far as getting there and not winning, it was a very big disappointment. Huge. We feel like we failed our team," he said of his only two Finals flops after nine consecutive victories in the title round. "Maybe I forgot something, and that's the reason why we lost two."

But the state of the Lakers is healthy today after a thundering two-game rally to eliminate the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, followed by a 25-point stomping of the clueless, listless Magic Thursday night in Game 1. If Jackson freely admits the Lakers "weren't prepared" for the Celtics last June, he has them performing this time at their optimum level. That's what the greatest coaches do, pace their teams for the monstrous finish and endgame, and I can't help but think back to Jackson's reaction during the Houston series when L.A. was panicking about a Game 7. "I'm not concerned," he said. Since then, they've won six of eight games behind a smothering defense and the intensity of Bryant, whose fire was evident Thursday in his teeth-baring facial expressions. Some Kobe-haters think he was acting for the TV cameras. No one in the Hollywood crowd, from Denzel to Jack to Tobey Maguire to Leonardo DiCaprio, can act that well.

This was the consummate Bryant, which represents Jackson's best work of all in my opinion. In Jordan, he had a mature competitor who knew how to channel his cutthroat instincts and make everyone else better. In O'Neal, he had a dominant big man who couldn't be stopped.

Kobe was a different animal. He was sulky and aloof, jealous of O'Neal and just immature enough to let his behavior poison the team. Then came the Colorado rape case. And the departures of O'Neal and Jackson, who wrote a book and ripped Bryant as impossible to coach. People forget that Phil was more or less canned in 2004 by Lakers owner Jerry Buss, even though Buss' daughter, 47-year-old Jeanie, has been Jackson's significant other since he arrived in 2000. Must have been a hoot at Thanksgiving dinner that year.

"I came back, at the behest of the Buss family, to coach this team back into playoff contention," Jackson said. "Every night, we give ourselves a chance to win. So that's been really the blessing of coming back and having this opportunity again, to see this team come out from the ashes and become a dominant team in the league again."

He applied the Jordan lessons in helping Bryant maximize his greatness and grow up as a player and person. "What Phil did with Michael, I'm sure it helped in dealing with me. He already was around the block once," Bryant said. It's hard to believe, watching Kobe drop 40 on the Magic in a memorable Game 1 show, that Jackson was calling him "a callous gun for hire" only five years ago.

Celebrity Fans at NBA Playoffs

NBAE via Getty Images (3)

The Celeb: David Arquette
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Garrett Ellwood, NBAE / Getty Images

The Celeb: Sophia Bush
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE / Getty Images

The Celebs: Kanye West and Lisa Leslie
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celebs: Lauren Conrad and Kyle Howard
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celeb: Lil Wayne
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celebs: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Connolly and Sophia Bush
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Mark J. Terrill, AP

The Celeb: Anthony Kiedis
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celeb: Soulja Boy
The Series: Lakers vs. Magic

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

The Celeb: Ellen Pompeo
The Series: Lakers vs. Nuggets

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

If he once was overly demanding in practice and demonstrative on the sideline, Jackson clearly has calmed down later in life. Part of it is common sense based on health concerns, including two hip replacement operations. That doesn't mean he can't get fired up, proving it in the Denver series by ripping the officiating and demanding more "transparency" among the league's working refs.

He also has his fun. Before and after each game, it seems, Jackson is drawn into a battle of wits with Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers. Sometimes, Simers coaxes powerful answers out of him, such as a torching of the refs after Game 4 of the Denver series. Other times, Simers is just another wannabe standup comedian.

T.J.: "I was watching JeanieVision (on Lakers.com), and I noticed you were rather brief with her before Game 5. I was wondering if you were starting to think of her as a reporter ...?"

P.J.: "Ah, there was a mitigating circumstance."

T.J.: "Do you think it's fair she gets more access than we do?"

P.J.: "Yes, I do."

To be sure, Jackson is having more fun than Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who now is dealing with a controversy involving the force-fed return of injured All-Star Jameer Nelson in Game 1. Behind starting point guard Rafer Alston, the Magic had the lead after a quarter. Van Gundy replaced him with Nelson and, strangely, let Nelson play the entire second quarter while the Lakers took the lead. It had an obvious effect on team chemistry, and Friday, Alston was left scratching his head.

"It was odd. I mean, I think everyone can see that. That's unusual to start the game and then you don't even touch the court in the second quarter," Alston said. "But there's no pouting, there's no getting mad, there's going to be no coach and Alston meeting about it.

"I'm going to go out here and get ready for Game 2 and prepare myself like I have been all playoffs."

Van Gundy, in yet another acknowledgment of a coaching mistake, admitted he left Nelson in the game too long. But when told of Alston's comments, including one in which he blamed his 0-for-5 shooting in the second half on the second-quarter sitdown, the coach fired back.

"We've got to give Jameer shorter stints," Van Gundy said."I may have overplayed him and he got tired. As far as Rafer, having that affect his play in the second half, that's up to him. If I'm looking from the outside, that sounds like an excuse to me."

Rafer? "I'll give you a good excuse," Alston said. "I sat 12 minutes of real game time, I sat about 30 minutes of real life time. So there's an excuse. It's different. I don't care who it is, it's different. You sit for a long period of time and again, and the third quarter felt like jump tip again for me because now I've got to catch up to the rest of the guys because they already have a rhythm."

If it didn't have the resounding impact of Dwight Howard's rip job on Van Gundy in the Boston series, when he demanded more touches and suggested the coach was asleep, this was the latest in a long series of Van Gundy-aimed criticisms. Jackson has no such concerns. His players are at peace, knowing his teams are 43-for-43 in postseason series after winning Game 1. This is what you'd call a coaching mismatch.

"His bad hips might even it up a little, but probably not enough to make a difference," Van Gundy said. "The guy has won more playoff series than I have won playoff games. I'm here for the first time. He's obviously one of the greatest coaches, if not the greatest coach, in the history of the NBA."

The disclaimer isn't necessary. Phil Jackson, who started his journey in Montana as the son of Christian fundamentalists, is unequivocally the greatest coach in NBA history. If and when he wins his one for the other thumb, he can thumb his nose at Red and wave goodbye to the world.

There will be nothing more to accomplish.

Phil Should Ride Into Sunset if He Wins Title No. 10 originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Kobe's Fire Scorches Howard, Magic

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

LOS ANGELES -- He was growling, I swear. Mouth agape, eyes possessed, teeth poised like sharp fangs ready to devour your blood, Kobe Bryant stalked the court with such hostility that Jack Nicholson stood in awe and applauded as Kobe walked by. This is the same Nicholson who has scared the living hell out of us in horror flicks -- see Jack Torrance, The Shining -- yet in Game 1 of an NBA Finals that he threatens to dominate like no one since Michael Jordan, Bryant somehow was scarier.

Know what he was conveying with the growling, the snarling, the guttural animal behavior? Take that, world. This was for the people who've denigrated him, called him a punk and a womanizer and a bad guy, branded him a fraud and a politician and an egomaniac. This was for Shaquille O'Neal, who asked Kobe in a rap song last year how Shaq's "a** tastes." This was for people around the country who despise and boo him, who forget that the rape case in Colorado was dismissed five years ago. This might have been even for Jerry West, the man who drafted Bryant as a teen and said last month that LeBron James has passed him as basketball's premier player.
Did Phil Jackson, Bryant's coach, really say that he'd prefer to start a team with Dwight Howard over any other NBA player? Not exactly an old man at 30, Bryant proved again Thursday night that he remains the most explosive force in the sport, going off for 40 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in 38 minutes -- 18 points in an inspired third quarter -- while Superman Howard was meek, soft in the middle and foul-riddled in his so-called Hollywood coming-out party. I'm not saying you should turn off the Finals just yet, but if Magic coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't strategize a way to trim down Bryant the way he chopped his messy mop of hair, this best-of-seven series will be over in three games.

If you're like me, you're already longing for LeBron James every time a Kobe-LeBron commercial plays. Orlando would have been better off sending Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Pluto to the Staples Center, where Bryant and the Lakers scrimmaged their way to a 100-75 debacle.

Entering the series, the hot angle was whether the consummate Bryant finally would hush those who challenged him to win a championship without O'Neal, who dared him to elevate his legacy. It's possible, like Jordan in the '90s, that he will be the story every night.

"The exceptional part of tonight was Kobe's drive, his intensity," Jackson said. "His energy in the game carried us. I felt we went [to Bryant] a little too often, but he said, 'Keep coming back to me, I'm OK.' So we did."

"Offensively, he was amazing, and defensively as well," teammate Lamar Odom said. "When he gets it going, he's one of the best players of all time. There isn't anything he can't do. You have to understand how much he wants this, how bad he wants to win this championship. He's a focused person. He does have his game face on."

Game face? There are less intimidating faces in a maximum security prison. Like all the Lakers, Bryant carries the pain of last June's humiliation in Boston, when he was criticized for fading and his team was ridiculed as wimpy. But his burden is larger. He is playing for a place in history, and at the moment, history never has viewed him more fondly.

Why the growl, guy?

"I just want it so bad, that's all," Bryant said. "I really want it bad. You put everything you have into the game, and your emotions kind of flow out of it. It's a bit of everything feeding into it. There's a lot of motivation, and I'm using it all right now."

Does he have any sort of life beyond this series?

"My kids call me Grumpy of the Seven Dwarfs," he said, smiling. "That's how I've been at home, a grouch waiting for this series."

In L.A., media people aren't necessarily traditional in how they dress or act. There's T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times, who greets Jackson with a daily comedy routine that ticks off writers on deadline. And there's a radio guy, Vic (The Brick) Jacobs, who wears a poncho of sorts and spews philosophical in question-answer form. All you need to know about Kobe is how he responded to one of Vic The Brick's idiotic offerings about finding the spirits.

"We haven't found anything," shot back Bryant, stone-faced.

His raging inferno was in complete contrast to the Magic, who played dead. Howard vowed to bring his fluoride-overdose, 10,000-watt smile to Hollywood, where it was supposed to blend in with the sun, sand and stars. "Why wouldn't I? I bring it everywhere else I go," he said a few days ago. Too bad Superman didn't bring his game. After his 40-point outburst in the clincher against the Cavaliers, Howard went 1 of 6 from the field Thursday and scored 12 points. His team's enthusiasm waned when he picked up two personals in the first quarter, fouling an energized Andrew Bynum and charging into Pau Gasol. Afterward, Howard pointed out that the Magic has only 23 field goals on a night when Bryant when 16 of 34.

Latest NBA Finals Photos

Actors Tobey Maguire, left, Kevin Connolly and Sophia Bush watch the first half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

David Arquette, right, and a friend, joke around during the second half action between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orland Magic at Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire talk during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16) of Spain attempts to dunk as Orlando Magic guard Rafer Alston (1) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom (7) look on during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 100-75. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, pool)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals against the Orlando Magic Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 100-75. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) shoots over the defense of Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick (7) during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Orlando Magic guard Mickael Pietrus of France (20) shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16) of Spain looks on during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won, 100-75. (AP Photo/Larry W. Smith, pool)

Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu (15) of Turkey attempts to pass as Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) defends during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. Magic center Dwight Howard (12) and Lakers forward Lamar Odom (7) look on. The Lakers won 100-75. (AP Photo/Larry W. Smith)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) fights to keep possession against Orlando Magic's Rafer Alston (1) during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals Thursday, June 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 04: Head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles during the post-game news conference after the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 100-75 in Game One of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 4, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Phil Jackson

Getty Images

Where was the effort, mopes?

"We've never had a shooting night this bad. We need to come out and play a lot harder than we did tonight," Howard said. "Our effort wasn't there. It has to get a lot better. Nobody's effort was there. We didn't go for loose balls, and we weren't fighting. We didn't play with energy."

He should have stopped there. Unfortunately, Howard is 23 and is learning to be a leader. "It wasn't what they did tonight. Our effort wasn't there," he said. Oops, stick that one on the bulletin board, Phil. Or, rather, stick that one in the bubbling psyche, Kobe.

"They kept giving me a jumper. They kept backing up and giving it to me. So I took it," Bryant said.

Said Van Gundy, taking blame for defensive breakdowns the way he did in the Cleveland series: "I thought Kobe was tremendous, but the one thing that was bad for a coaching standpoint was our pick-and-roll defense on him. He really got going, getting a lot of pull-up [jumpers], and we weren't up enough on him. Our coaching decision on how to play the pick-and-rolls and our execution in playing it were poor. We were giving him too much space."

"We need to apply more pressure," Howard said, "and hope he misses."

Wow, sounds like a great plan.

As for Howard, the Lakers were left yawning, perhaps wondering what the fuss was about. "You try not to make it comfortable for him," said Gasol, who is about half the physical specimen that Howard is. "You make sure you mix it up, keep a body on him at all times, make him catch the ball further up the post. Move your feet, don't let him get a feel for me."

Gasol as Kryptonite. Who knew?

Bill Plaschke, the superb L.A. Times sports columnist, has an odd habit of declaring a series over after one game. Bryant doesn't want to hear it. "The best thing we can do is forget about this game," he said. "This is a resilient Orlando team that has been through adverse situations before. We need to forget about this, move on, keep working and keep our foot on the gas."

Nor was Jackson interested in sweep thoughts. "For whatever it's worth, I told our guys that it doesn't matter if we won by six or 60. It's just one win," he said. "We have to re-establish that on our home court Sunday. There's two days off between games, and it's a good opportunity for [the Magic] to reset themselves. As a coaching staff, we always think the team that has to make the adjustments has the advantage anyway. We have to match that."

But I'm with Plaschke today. Between their alarming lack of passion in Game 1 to the force-feeding of Jameer Nelson into the lineup -- did it not serve to screw up chemistry? -- the Magic aren't ready for the Kobe Offensive.

He is going to win his first championship ring without Shaq, America. He is going to be the Finals MVP, too, as O'Neal was in all three of their title runs together. And then, Stephen King can write a book about him.

Because Kobe is one frightening creature right now.

Kobe's Fire Scorches Howard, Magic originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Legacy, Shaq, MJ: All on Line for Kobe

Jay Mariotti — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

LOS ANGELES -- It's the most revealing facial expression in sports, the look Kobe Bryant flashes when he's peeved and his eyebrows explode and his smile submerges into a psycho smirk. This is what he does when the topic is Shaquille O'Neal. All week, Bryant has been asked if he's driven to win his first NBA title without O'Neal, the former teammate/antagonist who not long ago asked Kobe in a rap song how Shaq's "a** tastes."

Why would he say such an icky thing? Oh, because O'Neal won a title in Miami with Dwyane Wade since his ugly Hollywood divorce from Bryant and the Lakers, giving him four rings to Kobe's three. In pro hoops, multimillionaire division, it qualifies as a funky-cold professional rivalry. The disparity has been gnawing at Bryant for some time, with the world well aware that he ran O'Neal out of L.A. in a coup cutthroat even by Beverly Hills power-lunch standards. The pressure is on, then, for Kobe to finally conquer the stigma in these NBA Finals and WIN ONE WITHOUT SHAQ, especially after swinging and missing badly last June against Boston.

L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando Magic
Why L.A. Will Win | Why Orlando Will Win
What the Lakers Will Gain | What the Magic Will Gain
Lakers RoundCast | Magic RoundCast
NBA Finals Schedule | Predictions

The fact he doesn't want to hear it only confirms his self-urgency.

"The people who really know basketball know that that stuff means absolutely nothing," Bryant protested. "It's nonsensical, actually. You want to win just to win it."

Oh, yeah? Then why, when asked the same question by Lakers legend Magic Johnson in an interview, did his face do the same Kobe Scrunch? And why did Bryant fire a shot at O'Neal, who didn't make the playoffs in Phoenix and was last seen at Syracuse taking sportscasting classes? "A lot of people make a lot out of that, people who don't know what they're talking about," Bryant said. "Truth is, he never would have won without me, and we wouldn't have won without [Derek] Fisher and Robert Horry and Phil [Jackson] and everyone else. That's just the truth of the matter."

Sound like a guy who thinks it means absolutely nothing? Wasn't Shaq named Finals MVP in each of the three straight Finals won by the Lakers? Doesn't Kobe need this one to build his own niche in history? "Not at all," Bryant continued Wednesday at a press conference. "People think Shaq would have won a championship without me on that team. They're crazy." Wow, couldn't Kobe have just shrugged the talk away and realize he's the one in the Finals? All Kobe really did here was win O'Neal some pre-Finals exposure, via his Twitter page. But rather than shoot back, Shaq took the same conciliatory route he did at the All-Star Game, when he lowered his guard and at least gave the appearance of sending an olive branch. Tweeted Shaq around midnight Wednesday: "What kobe said to magic is true, I wouldn't of won it without him, fish and robert horry, and b shaw and fox and everybody dynasty baby."

Later, he added: "I am saying it today and today only, I want Kobe Bryant to get No. 4, spread da word."

If O'Neal's tweets don't need proper punctuation, the volatile chapters of Kobe's career certainly do. Thirteen seasons into an NBA journey that began when he was 18, as an immature pup from the rich part of suburban Philadelphia, the self-proclaimed Black Mamba has a chance to complete a long process of image recovery. It wasn't long ago when Bryant was a national pariah, accused of rape in Colorado and reduced to a tear-filled, public admission of infidelity with his young wife by his side. The rape charges were dropped, but every time he ventured beyond his home court for a game, he was booed as a villain. O'Neal's departure and success with the Heat only exacerbated Bryant's problems, and when Jackson excoriated him in a book after leaving the Lakers with Shaq in 2004 -- referring to Kobe as "uncoachable" -- he seemed more destined to be a historic brat than the next Michael Jordan.

But thanks largely to Jackson, who returned a year later after a soap-opera breather, the Lakers eventually climbed back into the league elite. And while Kobe continued to kick and scream when things didn't go his way -- I remember the night in Chicago when he told me how badly he'd wanted to join the Bulls, in a trade aborted days earlier -- he has reached the Finals two straight years now. Last year, the Lakers weren't ready, playing soft and meek ball against the physical Celtics. This time, they should beat the upstart Orlando Magic in six games for several reasons: experience, home-court advantage, Pau Gasol's efficiency inside, Jackson's shot to pass Red Auerbach as the all-time coaching title leader and, of course, because Barack (The Greek) Obama said so. But no reason is larger than Bryant's hunger to win the gold trophy for the first time in seven years with the Lakers as His Team, only nine months after leading the U.S. Redeem Team to its long-awaited Olympic gold medal with a fourth-quarter scoring flurry in Beijing.

"I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to be back," Bryant said. "It's about, 'Let's finish this thing off.' We could be playing aliens from space, I don't care. I can't stress to you how badly I want this thing right now."

America has forgiven him, making his jersey the NBA's highest seller. L.A, which never stopped loving him, treats him like a god. They adore him in China, where shrieks for Bryant at the Olympics were louder than those for Yao Ming. Now, Kobe is about to prove he can pull off a Jordan: Maximize the talent around him, compromise his ego at the right moments and will a championship with scoring and defensive dominance. He smells it, tastes it, craves it.

"It's been a hell of a year, winning a gold medal and making it to the Finals last year, where we didn't win but gained valuable experience," Bryant said Wednesday. "Then being on that Olympic team, building the friendships we built there, coming back to this season and having the season that we've had to this point -- it has been very rewarding."

So would everything shrivel up if the Lakers lost again, extending their futility streak in the Finals to three? "In my eyes, yes," he said. "This is what I play for. All summer, all I thought about was the Olympics and the gold medal. We were able to accomplish that. My next goal is winning the NBA championship, and we don't want to fall short of that."

It was fascinating to hear Bryant say he was "honored to be coached by the greatest coach of all time." That's some statement, considering his relationship with Jackson once was like that of Jon and Kate Gosselin. Many years before, Jackson was instrumental in convincing Jordan that he wouldn't win a championship until he melded his incredible talents with those of his inferior teammates. He had the same effect on Bryant two years ago, when both realized that 81-point explosions weren't conducive to championship rhythm and chemistry.

"He ended up just racing away with the scoring championship on an incredible run of about 15 games in a row. When we came back the next year, we just said we don't want that type of ball to happen again," Jackson said. "We wanted more inclusiveness. There was a whole issue about us getting better talent around him, and that's happened over the last two years. And here we are."

Latest NBA Playoff Photos

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard dunks during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson works out with the team during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum talks to the media following practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis shoots during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard warms up during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic guard Courtney Lee smiles while talking to the media before practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy smiles as his team warms up for practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu jokes around during practice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard laughs during a press conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy answers questions during a press conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. The Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Bryant doesn't get enough credit for waking up the Lakers front office. Maybe he didn't shower himself in dignity when he publicly demanded a trade, pointing out that the Lakers had roster issues. But it served to jolt owner Jerry Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak into an aggressive mode, leading to the trade for Gasol and the accelerated development of big man Andrew Bynum. It's a shame Bynum has been struggling with an injured knee that has rendered him almost useless at times. Otherwise, we might see a classic matchup between Bynum and Dwight Howard, whose recent performances have been more than worthy of his Superman tag. ABC will bill the series as Bryant vs. Howard, but, truth is, they play entirely different positions and won't have much impact on each other.

Make no mistake, this is about Kobe cleaning up the mess that he and the Lakers left last season. Howard, merely 23, will have championship shots in the future. Bryant is at the stage in his career where numbers start translating into legacy. He'll never reach the level of Jordan, who won six titles without benefit of a Shaq-like presence. But he won't be far behind MJ if he wins, say, five or six titles.

"I'm just thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as someone like Michael," Bryant said. "But it's hard to say who's the best. Different eras, different players, different roles. To be in the conversation is an honor."

And isn't it curious how Jackson, in the end, has become Kobe's mentor when he once was his enemy? Isn't it possible Jackson will ride into the sunset with his 10th championship, that this will be the end of their time together? "I try not to think about it too much. I focus on the task at hand, which is one of the things he always has taught us," Bryant said. "I think having coached Michael helped out our situation a lot -- Phil has been around the block before. It would be a tremendous honor to be on the team that wins his 10th NBA championship. I'm sure it's important to him, but Phil has never coached for accolades or anything materialistic. It's all about winning and making us better."

Jackson knows the Magic will have a defensive plan for Bryant. But I doubt it will be anywhere near as formidable as the one employed by the Celtics. "Last year, we spent a lot of time dealing with the defensive philosophy that the Celtics had," Jackson said. "We knew what they were going to do as far as taking us out of our primary thrust, which was Kobe -- the fact they were going to limit his ability to score, and therefore, our ability to play and to win. That's always a concern. This year, we're doing the other end of the court more. We're doing more of the defensive things, because there's such a myriad of things Orlando does. Forty-something sets that they can run, options that they run, so there are a lot of things to cover with that team."

Only as week and a half ago, there were concerns neither Bryant nor LeBron James would reach the Finals, a letdown to the countless hours of ad programming that has featured Kobe and LeBron puppets and debates about who's better. In the end, Kobe won that battle when James lost in the Eastern Conference finals, which means more to him than he lets on. "It's just more the hype of the two best players in the world or whatever it is they want to spin it as," he said. It would have been a joy to watch them go at it, but the Cavaliers didn't have nearly the cast around James than the Lakers have assembled around Bryant.

There is just one obstacle left for the man, then. After all the criticism, all the petulance, all the post-Colorado fallout, all the trade demands and politicking and consumer backlash, the American riddle that is Kobe Bean Bryant finally is approaching firm definition.

Not everyone is rooting for this story, but like Shaq, a lot of people are.

Legacy, Shaq, MJ: All on Line for Kobe originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Rose Scam Leaves Stench Everywhere

Jay Mariotti — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: NBA, NCAA Basketball

Editor's Note: The following is an updated version of Monday's original column.

CHICAGO -- Don't make the fatal mistake of giving up, of saying you're exhausted by the sleaze, of surrendering to the hopeless truth that college basketball is just a corrupt one-year pathway to the NBA. The Derrick Rose cheating case is maybe the most alarming, disgusting example yet of why we must continue to fight abuses within the educational system. Barack Obama is passionate enough about sports to battle Bowl Championship Series politics and invite teams to his backyard every day, it seems.

It's much more important that he address this: A gifted player from the president's home base of Chicago, just voted the NBA's Rookie of the Year, is accused by the NCAA of knowingly allowing an imposter to take his SAT test so he could gain admission to the University of Memphis, where he spent all of one season leading the Tigers to within a few seconds of a 2008 national championship. Rose also is dealing with published reports that a grade was changed from a 'D' to a 'C' for his collegiate transcript at his high school, Simeon Career (ahem) Academy, which means his two-year leap from a blighted inner-city neighborhood to big-time college hoops to instant stardom with the Chicago Bulls may have been enabled on two levels.

The fallout is wicked in multiple directions. It impacts our perception of Rose, whose potential Hall of Fame career now is marred by the indelible smudge of academic fraud. It casts aspersions on the already suspicious doings of former Memphis coach John Calipari, who may become known as the first coach ever to vacate two Final Four appearances and who knew of the in-house and NCAA investigations for 2 1/2 months when he bolted for Kentucky in April. It makes me wonder why Kentucky, a program scarred by scandal in the past, was so quick to hire Calipari while claiming to have known about the probe and apparently sneaking it past some of the school's trustees. And how many high schools are participating in altering the grades of athletes?

It's all so dirty, so wrong -- with ESPN reporting Monday that Memphis was first notified by the NCAA of the Rose situation way back in May 2008, meaning the university sat on this privately for a year. And to just dismiss it all as life in the 21st century, as a reason to separate college sports from college academia and allow utter chaos to reign in the spirit of March Madness enjoyment, is the easy way out. The Rose episode should lead to lessons in reform, not to an opening of more toxic floodgates because we're worn down and weary from rampant, relentless misconduct.

When commissioner David Stern imposed a rule forbidding players to enter the NBA before they are 19, it was supposed to help teenagers mature while giving the college game more star power, if only for one year in many situations. Turns out the attempt was a sham. From Kevin Durant to Greg Oden to Rose, staying in college for a matter of months only bastardized the academic experience and made us appreciate even more the four-year plans of Peyton Manning and Tim Duncan. Calipari recruited Rose knowing he'd stay one year. Rose chose Memphis knowing he'd stay one year. So when Rose didn't feel up to snuff about taking his SAT test, why not agree to have someone else take it? What the hell, it's only one year of his life, right?

Rose needs to come out of hiding and say something, anything. The longer he stays quiet -- the story broke four days ago -- the more guilty he is in the eyes of the public. If he was innocent, wouldn't he be voicing outrage about the allegations? The only comment so far has come from an attorney, Daniel E. Reidy, who said, "Mr. Rose is aware of the allegations recently reported in the press. Mr. Rose cooperated fully with the University of Memphis athletic and legal departments' investigation of this (SAT) issue when he was a student and that investigation uncovered no wrongdoing on his part. At this time, Mr. Rose sees no reason to engage in further discussion regarding this matter and will instead focus on his career as a professional basketball player."

That's not going to be enough. Look, Rose has been protected his entire basketball life. I've often praised his brother, Reggie, for guiding his precocious brother from the crime-and-drugs ravages of Chicago's blighted Englewood section and keeping him grounded. But the same Reggie Rose is accused of not paying for two flights and four hotel stays on Memphis road trips, a $2,260 no-no. Contrary to what the Rose camp seems to believe, this story is not going away like that speeding episode last year, when Derrick was ticketed for going 106 mph in a 65 zone on Interstate 88 and all of Chicago immediately forgave him.

There have been whispers about the Roses and their relationship with Calipari for years. That doesn't necessarily mean Calipari was aware of a muddy SAT test -- and it should be noted that he isn't named by the NCAA in the allegations, saving him from sanctions at Kentucky. But the stain he'll likely leave at Memphis is comparable to that at Massachusetts in 1996, when he fled for NBA millions after his star center, Marcus Camby, admitted he received money from an agent. That forced UMass to vacate its lone Final Four berth ever. Not only might Memphis lose its runner-up finish, it could face sanctions that reduces its new coach, Josh Pastner, to a newer and perhaps more hapless version of Tom Crean, the Indiana coach who is rebuilding a ravaged program after the scandals under predecessor Kelvin Sampson. What's pathetic in Pastner's case is that he wasn't made aware of the full depth of the probe until after he was hired. Shame on Memphis for also sneaking around, like Kentucky. Shame on Memphis for not completely disclosing the garbage out back to an in-house assistant, only 31, who is undertaking his first head-coaching position.

"May not have, may not have, because I'm not sure I do, at the time," Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said when asked if Pastner knew all. "Josh and I had talked about stuff; we had had some discussions. We didn't get into it in a whole lot of detail, but he was aware."

The fact Calipari and Johnson kept the probe quiet further entangles the mess and raises major questions about Calipari and his new employer. The top officials at Kentucky, including president Lee Todd and athletic director Mitch Barnhart, claim to have known all about the Memphis inquiry during Calipari's interviews with the university. If they knew all, they should have run away from Calipari as fast as possible. Instead, they embraced him? Why? "He was very forthright in the interview process," Todd said. "We're fine with him." Ah, but red flags fly here, too. Barnhart said in a statement that Kentucky covered all bases in scrutinizing Calipari's past, particularly the Rose case. Among those Barnhart said he spoke with were NCAA enforcement officials.

"We talked with several people and thoroughly exercised due diligence during the process of hiring coach Calipari," he said. "We asked the right questions. We support him fully as he participates in the NCAA hearing and we have encouraged him not to comment. We certainly asked him if there was anything the NCAA was looking into. He was open about what he was aware of at the time."

In a chillingly revealing response, the NCAA issued a statement all but accusing Kentucky of embellishing its dealings with the NCAA. "Contrary to what may be portrayed in statements in the media from others, NCAA vice president of enforcement David Price followed standard procedures when Kentucky officials requested information regarding any potential violations regarding John Calipari," a school spokesperson said in an e-mail to the Lexington Herald-Leader. "Price did not discuss any investigations, but instead urged the university to follow up with Coach Calipari directly." As for Johnson, he said he didn't recall a conversation with Barnhart about Calipari and the investigation.

So, who exactly did Barnhart interview about a coach to whom Kentucky is paying more than $31 million over eight years? The family gardener? And why did at least two members of the UK Board of Trustees not know about the investigation until the other day? Price is the one who sent the letter to Memphis in January, yet Kentucky never spoke with Price about the probe. Just what are they doing in Lexington, then?

Your answer can found in the deep fryer known as Rupp Arena, where pressure to land a hot, high-quality coach after the Billy Gillispie debacle forced Todd and Barnhart to move quickly and nab their man. They ignored the possible repercussions over the Memphis probe because they knew Calipari would bring instant excitement and major recruits, accomplishing that in the form of John Wall, the nation's top prep point guard; center DeMarcus Cousins, who was to have joined him at Memphis; 6-10 center Daniel Orton; small forward Jon Hood; junior-college transfer Daniel Dodson and a second star point guard, Eric Bledsoe. Patrick Patterson, the talented big man, decided to eschew the NBA Draft to return. If Jodie Meeks does the same -- he of the 54-point game at Tennessee -- Calipari has the makings of a Final Four team.

Really think they care in Bluegrass Country if their new coach is nailed in a Memphis scandal? They just want to win, period, at any cost, which is a troubling commentary about where college sports has been and continues to be headed. You'd think there would be some measure of outrcry in all of these infected places -- Kentucky, Memphis and Chicago, where Rose's two state high-school titles could be forfeited if he and some Simeon teammates are found by the Illinois High School Association to have had grades altered.

But we hear very little fuss anywhere. School is wrapping up, summer is ahead, and it's no news flash that the world is crooked. Why would anyone care, you ask, if Derrick Rose had an imposter take an SAT test?

I'll tell you why: Because it reeks of flagrant dishonesty, athletic privilege and academic fraud. And one of these days -- or years or decades -- it has to stop.

Rose Scam Leaves Stench Everywhere originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LeBron Should Shake Hands, Consider New Team

Jay Mariotti — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:24:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

Editor's Note: The following is an updated version of Saturday's Game 6 column.

Isiah Thomas was the original poor loser and superstar mope. His image never recovered after he and his Pistons teammates, unable to accept the collapse of their mini-dynasty, snubbed Michael Jordan and the Bulls by refusing to shake hands. It's one of the last practices of good sportsmanship we have left in the athletic arena, a ritual that should be preserved.

LeBron James, arguably the best team-sports athlete in the world these days, dumped all over that playoff tradition Saturday night. The least he can do, while thrusting his commercial ambitions in America's face every other TV timeout, is be a man and congratulate Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic instead of blowing out of Amway Arena without even a nod to the Eastern Conference champions. Yes, I understand James is 24, feeling the weight of his eventual place in history and surely wondering if Cleveland is feasible as his long-term base in a career that demands multiple titles.

But much as Jordan hated Detroit and the entire Bad Boys act, he always stuck around to shake hands with Isiah, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and the jerks who tried to break his limbs. LeBron's quick escape against the dignified Magic was inexcusable and shows he's still learning about life, competition and doing the right thing. I don't care that he sent an e-mail to Howard after the game. Show your respects in public, so the victors can look you in the eye and the masses can see you have class. I wanted to wait and hear his explanation before commenting. I don't like it. It's crybaby stuff.

LeBron James Photos

ORLANDO, FL - MAY 30: Delonte West #13, LeBron James #23 and Mo Williams #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers sit on the sidelines preparing to take the court against the Orlando Magic in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 30, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Delonte West;LeBron James;Mo Williams

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - MAY 30: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers sits on the court after being fouled by the Orlando Magic in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 30, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** LeBron James

Getty Images

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James is defended by Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard (12) and Mickael Pietrus (20), from France, in te third quarter of Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals Saturday, May 30, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) shoots between Orlando Magic's Hedo Turkoglu, from Turkey,left, and Rashard Lewis (9) in the first quarter of Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals Saturday, May 30, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis (L), reaches to block Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (C), as Magic's Anthony Johnson (background) and Michael Pietrus (R), look on in first half during Game 6 of their Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoff series in Orlando, Florida May 30, 2009. REUTERS/Scott Audette (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) walks off the court after a 103-90 loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals Saturday, May 30, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. The Magic won the conference championship 4-2 over Cleveland and will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James looks to the bench as Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis and Courtney Lee (R) walk past after the Magic defeated the Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference Finals during Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Finals NBA basketball playoff series in Orlando, Florida May 30, 2009. REUTERS/Kevin Kolczynski (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James leaves the floor after his team was defeated by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Finals NBA basketball playoff series in Orlando, Florida May 30, 2009. REUTERS/Kevin Kolczynski (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

ORLANDO, FL - MAY 30: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic drives to the hoop against Anderson Varejao #17 and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 30, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dwight Howard;Anderson Varejao;LeBron James

Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - MAY 30: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after a play against the Orlando Magic in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 30, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** LeBron James

Getty Images

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," James said Sunday, a day after the Cavaliers were flushed from a postseason they were supposed to rule. "I'm a winner. It's not about being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."

I'll tell you what doesn't make sense: the idea of James staying with the Cavs beyond next season. This probably was his best chance to win a title in a city of good, passionate fans who no doubt are cursed by sports, a city that hasn't won a championship in a major league -- even the Indians lost in the ALCS in Major League -- in 45 years. He has attempted everything in his power to break through the psychological barriers and turn northeast Ohio fatalism into a positive civic energy. Nothing works. Next season in the East, the Celtics will have Kevin Garnett back while the Magic will be considered a force.

It took Jordan years to finally win an NBA title -- and he had Scottie Pippen. Will James ever be blessed with a legitimate sidekick and enough supporting players to win in Cleveland? If he fails next year, does he really want to be known as the young, frustrated icon who can't produce a gold trophy? If he wanted, he could sign a long-term extension with the Cavs on July 18. It was telling Sunday that he refused to commit when asked if he'll sign.

"I don't know," James said. "I haven't thought about it just yet. I'm just going to take time off from basketball and not think about contracts or the game, period. I'll relax with my family, and we'll figure it out once it comes from them."

He did say he is happy about the direction of the Cavs, though I have trouble believing it after the demise of his supporting cast in the conference finals. "I'm great. I feel great about this situation that's going on," James said. "You want to continue to get better, that's all you can ask. We got better and I feel this team will be better next season. You don't want to take a step backward. I think we went forward from the Boston series (a Game 7 loss in the East semis) last year. Hopefully, we can go forward next year."

There was an early moment in Game 6 when James hit a jump shot, took a wide turn toward a business colleague in the front row and shot him a grin. Sure, in life's grandest scope, it's good to be young, wealthy, famous, mass-marketed, able to have some fun with Nike comrade Tiger Woods in a courtside meeting of sport's eventual first two billionaire athletes. But like all the greats, including Woods, James' legacy largely will be defined by how many championships he collects.

And once again, though by no fault of his own, he has come up painfully short because the cast around him is spotty. Much as America and the NBA ached to experience LeBron vs. Kobe Bryant in the Finals, it will have to accept the Howard puppet instead, with an exhausted James departing two weeks before he anticipated after fruitlessly carrying one of the biggest postseason workloads in sports history.

Sizzle and TV ratings, but the better basketball team won. The Magic, led by an inspired performance from the gifted and somehow underappreciated Howard, advanced to their first Finals since the Shaquille O'Neal years. It's a shame James has to leave a compelling playoff party, his epic performance sadly to be recalled as a waste of greatness instead of a pathway to his first championship. If he truly is the next Jordan, assuming there can be such a thing, he is imitating MJ's early years of playoff futility.

The King looked lethargic in the final game, unable to muster otherworldly dominance as he did late in Game 5, when he scored or assisted on 32 consecutive points. Can we rescind that Coach of the Year trophy given to Mike Brown? James never should be reduced to exhaustion -- 8 of 20 shooting and 25 points in 45 minutes -- because he carries too much of a burden. The burden must be lightened with an offseason makeover -- Shaquille, anyone? -- or else James will reach the summer of 2010 in an 0-for-7 titles rut and wonder if it's time to bolt. Consider it a warning to Cleveland, which must brace for its next possible sporting calamity.

Afterward, LeBron refused to attend the news conference. He put on his headphones, left the locker room and walked straight to the team bus. I will interpret that not as a slight at the media -- who cares about us? -- but as his way of conveying disgust about an inferior supporting cast. James never will say as much, but Orlando's Rashard Lewis spelled out the problem.

"LeBron's a great player, but at the same time, you need more than one or two guys,'' he said. "You need five guys, guys off the bench, a good coach. It's a combination. We have that in Orlando.''

A major disappointment was Mo Williams, who wasn't the potent sidekick to James as advertised. Not only did he shoot poorly in too many games, he made the mistake of guaranteeing a series victory when the Cavs were trailing 1-2. Oops, nothing like a prediction gone awry.

"I don't want to turn this into what I said. Giev them credit,'' Williams said. "What I said shouldn't rain on their parade. This is their day. It's a terrible day for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but at the same time, everyone with a laptop or tape recorder never thought we'd win 66 games and make it to the Eastern Conference finals. So give this team a lot of credit, because we had a hell of a year.''

Uh, I don't think James would agree. For him, every season without a title is a season lost. "Obviously, he's gonna hurt inside because we knew we had the team to get it done,'' Williams said. "I can understand his disappointment because I'm feeling the same thing. But at the same time, he'll get over it. He's going to use this as motivation. It's like Christmas time, and you want that remote control car. You open up present after present, and you don't get that remote control car, and you're disappointed. But you'll get over it.''

He then addressed Cleveland fans, the poor folks who haven't experienced a championship in a major sport in 45 years, and told them to keep the faith. Yeah, right. Mo Williams, the clank artist and errant prognosticator, soothing the wounds of a godforsaken sports town. "We'll come back and get this thing next year,'' he said.

They'd better. Or you may see LeBron attending a press conference with buddy Jay-Z in Brooklyn, home of his next team, the Nets.

It's time to salute the Magic, whose coach, Stan Van Gundy, has been ridiculed as a buffoon and whose superstar, Howard, has been ripped as one-dimensional and immature. A country's apologies are extended to both. Howard is only the best big man in the game, a defensive force and progressing offensive weapon who, remember, is only 23 himself. Yet he has had to endure taunts from O'Neal and shots from the national media as recently as two weeks ago, when he whined publicly about not getting enough shots and was aiming at Van Gundy when he said, "You've got a dominant player, let him be dominant." To Stan Van's credit, he didn't allow the uprising to be a distraction, and since the flareup, the Magic have won six of eight games against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics and Team LeBron, which had the league's best regular-season record.

The Magic won't be favored against the Lakers, who played in this Finals dance last year and have the experience and killer finisher, Bryant, to end the Finals in six games. But whatever happens, don't let it obscure the development of Howard, a physical specimen who eliminated the Cavs with a 40-point, 14-rebound masterpiece. In the final minutes, as every fan stood in the cozy old arena downtown, chants of "MVP! MVP! MVP!'' rang through the night. When Howard rammed home a dunk to push his team over the 100-point mark, he looked into the courtside seats at an observer, then pointed at him and screamed.

It was Woods, who usually has his Sunday golf face on at Magic games. This time, he applauded. For one night, and maybe more in the future, Dwight Howard was bigger than Tiger and LeBron. So much for the critics who wonder why he smiles on the court, as if it's a sign of nonchalance. Maybe he's just having a good time as he destroys the competition.

"I've always been called someone who isn't serious and is just playing around. I always take the game very seriously,'' Howard said. "I may have a smile on my face, but my main goal is to fight for my team. We understand that if we do what we do best, we can beat anybody. It's tough not to listen to the things people say about me and us, but it only fuels us and pushes us to be a better team. We became closer because of the things said about us.''

Said Van Gundy: "He was incredible. This was a huge game for him, man, to get us to the Finals. I don't know what else he could have done. Unbelievable. And he was smiling, by the way, yet was able to play well. Imagine that.''

Friday morning, after the Game 5 loss, Howard woke up and texted his teammates. He told them to think "domination.'' He led by example Saturday. "I've been dreaming of this day for a while,'' he said. "We've put some Magic back into Orlando. When I got here, I heard we were the laughingstocks of the league, that when everybody played us they think of Disney World. We wanted to earn the respect of the NBA and wanted our fans to believe in us.

"Our work isn't done. We think we can win a championship. I believe in my team.'' Said Lewis, referring to the difference in the trophies at stake: "We like the silver basketball. But I think we'd like the gold ball better.''

Howard has been outspoken about the national passion for a Kobe vs. LeBron series. As a child of the social-media generation, he has a Twitter account and personal Web site and used both to tell followers that he was motivated by all the talk. "I told y'all that we find it really disrespectful that everybody seems to be pulling for LeBron and Kobe to get to the Finals," Howard wrote. "Every time I look at TV, it seems like that's all anybody is talking about."

Not now. Get used to the dunk montages of Howard and the three-point barrages of Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Rafer Alston. Get used to a town where a guy in a goofy blue suit leads cheers. And get used to Van Gundy, the lifer who was run out of Miami three years ago when Pat Riley, realizing he had a championship team on his hands, pulled a front-office coup and took the head coaching reigns. It was O'Neal who shredded him recently, calling him a "master of panic'' and claiming the Magic players didn't like Van Gundy. Guess what, Shaq? While you take sportscasting courses at Syracuse, the master of panic is four victories from an NBA championship.

"Everybody thought we were dead in the Philadelphia series and the Boston series,'' Van Gundy said. "Then we went into the Cleveland series, and other than (TNT's) Charles Barkley, not a lot of people thought we could win. This team fights back. This team has fought very hard. And our reward after preparing for LeBron is to prepare for Kobe. I'm not going to do that tonight.''

A likeable guy, as America is about to discover, Van Gundy made sure to praise the general manager, Otis Smith, about a dozen times. "He wouldn't even come out there and participate in the (celebration),'' he said. "Otis put this team together.'' He then praised his relationship with Howard, and Howard returned the favor. Indeed, there was nothing but love in Orlando, where every mention of "God'' by Howard was cheered by fans during the post-game party. They love their religion. They love their Magic. They love their Dwight and Hedo and Stan Van and Otis.

As for Cleveland, they'd really like someone to put a team together around the greatest player since Jordan. The petty boycott by LeBron James, near midnight, was all anyone needs to know. New York is beckoning.

LeBron Should Shake Hands, Consider New Team originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Cavs Delay Inevitable Behind LeBron

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:15:00 EST

Filed under: NBA

CLEVELAND -- In any other city, any other country or planet or solar system, a 22-point lead would be enough to soothe any psychosis. Not here, though. The good people of Cleveland realize not to grow overly giddy about any perceived edge, having experienced every imaginable collapse, heartbreak, shot, fumble, drive, blown save and choke job in the most cursed ongoing existence of any American sports town.

And sure enough Thursday evening, that 22-point lead disappeared in a matter of 13 minutes in the second and third quarters, a stunning and confounding blackout even by northeast Ohio standards. Earlier, the fans had saved their loudest boos for Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Ben Roethlisberger and other local pariahs watching in Quicken Loans Arena. A minute into the second half, when Orlando party boy Hedo Turkoglu -- in the bar again on Game 5 eve -- hit a three-pointer from Lake Erie and gave the Magic the lead, those boos were turned toward an unthinkable target.

Their very own Cleveland Cavaliers, featuring the lifeblood of a city and its fleeing dreams, LeBron Raymone James.

More Coverage: LeBron Stands Alone | Box Score

"ALL YOU BELIEVERS, STAND ON YOUR FEET!!" the public-address implored, trying to keep life in the building. "YOU KNOW HOW WE DO IT IN THE `Q!!' BRING THE NOISE, BRING THE PASSION. SHOW THE WHOLE WORLD WE'VE GOT THE LOUDEST AND BEST FANS IN THE NBA!! BRING SOME NOISE FOR YOUR ... CLEVELAND CAVALIERS!!"

So they gathered up some faith one more time from a reservoir that should be dry. And finally, even if just for one night, they watched the Cavs avoid Cleveland's biggest sports flop of all, saving the city from having to witness the final defeat of a would-be title season at home. Even with James missing 10 of his first 15 shots, he was scorching in the fourth quarter, delivering a triple-double (37 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists) drawing Dwight Howard's sixth foul and getting enough help from the Cav Nots -- namely, the previously vanishing Mo Williams, Delonte West and forgotten Boobie Gibson -- to churn out a 112-102 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Before the game, James addressed his teammates and reminded them that only eight teams in NBA history have returned from a 1-3 deficit to win with a playoff series. "Let's be number nine," he told them. He also said they needed to avoid the mockery of TNT's Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, who send teams "fishing" when they are eliminated from the playoffs. His wishes were helped when Williams, shooting an abysmal 23 of 71 from the field coming in, nailed early three-pointers and staked the Cavs to a huge lead. Though they blew that lead, the contributions of others, including the often-useless Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak, renewed James' confidence in them. In the second half, he scored or assisted on 32 consecutive points, 29 in the fourth. Forget those who say Kobe Bryant is enjoying the superior postseason. With a far inferior cast around him, James is playing at a level right now matched by only Michael Jordan and a handful of others.

"Man, this was a big game for us. You never want to disappoint the home crowd," James said. "It was win or go home, and one things we don't want to see is Charles, Kenny and Ernie (Johnson) sending us fishing. It was huge to get it from our complimentary players. Mo was big. The bench was big. We need that."

They'll be needed optimally in Game 6. "We've got to play the same way we played tonight," James said. "Gritty. Get the ball up the court. Play fast. We've got to do everything in our will to steal that game."

Said coach Mike Brown, who is running out of words for LeBron: "We didn't do anything tricky. We said, `Here's the ball, big fella, and get us some baskets.' That's what the great ones do. They put a team on their shoulders. He's our leader and he has grown tremendously. He did the same thing with the Olympic team last summer. We all follow him. He's showing confidence in his teammates, encouraging them. His mental awareness is off the charts."

Still, this seemed more a tease than a statement. For the third time at home in this series, the Cavs blew a monster lead -- 18, 23 and 22 points, to be exact -- and it's obvious they aren't as good as the bigger, smarter, quicker, deeper and better Magic, who have created matchup problems. The question becomes whether LeBron can will this team to a Game 6 win Saturday night in the enemy O-rena. And even if he does -- and I wouldn't put anything past the man, including a 60-point masterpiece -- won't the Cavs just blow another huge lead at home in Game 7?

Latest NBA Playoff Photos

Orlando Magic's Hedo Turkoglu (15), from Turkey, looks up from the bench late in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, May 28, 2009, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 112-102 to force Game 6 Saturday in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Orlando Magic's Hedo Turkoglu (15), from Turkey, shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers' Zydrunas Ilgauskas (11), from Lithuania, in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals Thursday, May 28, 2009, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 112-102 to force Game 6 Saturday in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Wally Szczerbiak, right, hugs LeBron James after James scored and was fouled in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals against the Orlando Magic on Thursday, May 28, 2009, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 112-102 to force Game 6 Saturday in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) fouls Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the fourth quarter in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, May 28, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Cleveland Cavaliers' forward LeBron James celebrates after scoring and drawing a foul from Orlando Magic defender Rashard Lewis during first half action in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, May 28, 2009. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard goes up for a dunk in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, May 28, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

CLEVELAND - MAY 28: Head coach Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic reacts from the sidelines against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 28, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stan Van Gundy

Getty Images

CLEVELAND - MAY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks off the court after defeating the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 28, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** LeBron James

Getty Images

CLEVELAND - MAY 28: Anderson Varejao #17 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts with teammate Wally Szczerbiak #10 after defeating the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 28, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Anderson Varejao;Wally Szczerbiak

Getty Images

CLEVELAND - MAY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts with teammate Wally Szczerbiak #10 after defeating the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 28, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** LeBron James;Wally Szczerbiak

Getty Images

There is no overstating the importance of this team having to win this year. The presence of rap mogul Jay-Z beside the Cleveland bench reminds us of his friendship with James and his part-ownership of the Nets, the same franchise that is moving to Brooklyn. An ignominious crash by the Cavs only will lend credence to what was written here yesterday, that a continuing failure to win a title still could prompt James to sign elsewhere in 14 months. And make no mistake, this might be Cleveland's best shot yet. Boston will have a healthy Kevin Garnett next season. Orlando is a serious player. Chicago is on the rise, even if Derrick Rose doesn't do his own schoolwork. Do the Cavs trade for Shaquille O'Neal, which could have happened in February if owner Dan Gilbert and general manager Danny Ferry hadn't nixed a deal with Phoenix? Don't they regret not wanting to relinquish Szczerbiak in the deal? Or not wanting to have the huge contracts of Wallace and O'Neal on the payroll at once?

These are questions for after they are eliminated. For now, they embrace hope, even if the city is wobbly. Who knows, for instance, which Williams shows up Saturday? To his credit, he has accepted all blame, realizing there is no justification for taking 71 shots and making only 23. Also to his credit, he has been spending his mornings in the gym, sometimes as early as 8:30, shooting jumper after jumper. He doesn't want to be remembered as the fraud who leaped out of the passenger seat when LeBron was turbocharging down championship highway, playing the best ball of his life. In Game 5, he finally showed up with the best apology: A scoring flurry at the start. "That was huge for us, with the way they were going to pay attention to LeBron," Brown said. "Mo and Gib did a terrific job of stepping up and knocking down that three ball. We have confidence in these guys. LeBron has confidence in them. We need that from them."

The other pro-Cleveland factor is Howard and his foul issues. When the big man is in foul trouble, James can attack the basket instead of settling for jumpers. Can he possibly find his way into more foul trouble in Orlando? His temper also is getting him into unnecessary messes. If an early elbow had caught Szczerbiak flush on the chin, instead of connecting only with air, the officials probably would have called a technical foul on Howard. It would have been his sixth technical of the postseason, leaving him one errant forearm or referee-directed curse word from his seventh. When a player receives seven technicals during the playoffs, the NBA contacts him and issues a statement.

Go home, son. You're suspended for the next game. And if Howard was suspended for the next game, well, I'd like the Cavaliers' chances of coming back and winning the series. Later, he was seen jawing at officials after his sixth personal foul, and he was lucky they didn't tee him up there. But the scenario didn't go the Cavs' way, just as sports glory never goes Cleveland's way, which is why the win still felt like a delay-the-inevitable prelude to another heartbreak.

"My main job is to try to stay focused and not worry about some of the fouls that don't go my way," Howard said. "It is tough not being on the floor because I want to help my teammates. You have to roll with it and not react. I've got to stay aggressive without fouling."

Orlando remains confident. "We shouldn't lose any confidence because of the game tonight. They hit shots," Howard said. "We've got to do a better job of containing LeBron at the top of the key. He created too much tonight. But we'll come back ready in Game 6 from the start. We bounce back well. We know what it's going to take. We've got to come out strong and step up our intensity. We turned over the ball too much and gave them a chance to come back."

Is it time to start, oh, maybe doubling James in the fourth quarter? "Maybe," said Howard, who criticized coach Stan Van Gundy in the Magic's previous series. "He's getting what he wants out there."

Van Gundy wants more focus. "I think we've proved to the nation that we have mental toughness and will fight back on the road," he said. "But I don't think we need to keep proving that by digging ourselves big holes. It takes a lot of energy to keep doing that. To win this series, we're gonna have to play 48 minutes. They brought a heightened mentality tonight. We did not."

He paused to wish his wife a happy anniversary. "I love you very much,'' Van Gundy said, "and you've put up with me for 21 years. You deserve a huge reward."

I think he was referring to the NBA Finals. And my guess is, Mrs. Van Gundy will get her reward, at Cleveland's usual expense.

Cavs Delay Inevitable Behind LeBron originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 29 May 2009 01:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments