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Chris Palmer covers The NBA Life for ESPN The Magazine. Email him at christopher.palmer@espnmag.com.
MJ, the greatest ever....
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Problem with the article?
Take it to the author of the article.....
Chris Palmer covers The NBA Life for ESPN The Magazine. Email him at christopher.palmer@espnmag.com.
MJ is the best player on the planet. But in person, I understand he's an arrogant a**hole.
Case in point:
A friend of mine in Phoenix several years back worked as a doorman at a hotel there when MJ was in town. When the limo pulled up my friend did his job, opened the door for MJ to get in, wished MJ a good day, and MJ said to him, "Hey man. When are you going to get a REAL job" before stepping into the limo.
No class.
Another thing - I knew Steve Kerr in high school, played playground hoops with him on many an occasion. Steve was not only the best player on the court but also the nicest guy. Steve had no chip on his shoulder and NEVER thought he was the coolest thing since sliced bread just because he was a basketball god. So when the news broke about MJ punching Steve during a practice, I knew for a fact Steve didn't start it. What probably happened was Steve shot the lights out and made MJ look human, which MJ didn't like.
So as much as I respect MJ for being the best hoops player EVER, I wish I could say he's as great a human being.
Case in point:
A friend of mine in Phoenix several years back worked as a doorman at a hotel there when MJ was in town. When the limo pulled up my friend did his job, opened the door for MJ to get in, wished MJ a good day, and MJ said to him, "Hey man. When are you going to get a REAL job" before stepping into the limo.
No class.
Another thing - I knew Steve Kerr in high school, played playground hoops with him on many an occasion. Steve was not only the best player on the court but also the nicest guy. Steve had no chip on his shoulder and NEVER thought he was the coolest thing since sliced bread just because he was a basketball god. So when the news broke about MJ punching Steve during a practice, I knew for a fact Steve didn't start it. What probably happened was Steve shot the lights out and made MJ look human, which MJ didn't like.
So as much as I respect MJ for being the best hoops player EVER, I wish I could say he's as great a human being.
I post a lot of things, some fit my view, some don't, some are just interesting articles.
I find the article interesting, as I find the culture and sub-culture of the NBA interesting.
The number one selling NBA jersey is not MJ's, not Magic's, not KG, or TMac, not Kobe, not Shaq etc.
The number one selling NBA jersey is Wes Unseld, because Wes played for the Baltimore "Bullets" and in the gangster mentality of our young society, wearing a "Bullets" jersey is cool.
Early in this thread, KymarFye was discussing his taste for Kobe's flash and highlights in scoring as preferable to the boring fundamental play of a Tim Duncan.
The NBA is about entertainment, it's "FAN"tastic, and gangster mentality is pervasive in our culture and the NBA markets to it in a subtle manner. Listen to the amount of rap played in pieces covering the NBA compared to pieces on football, baseball, etc.
That ESPN pays a journalist to cover the NBA lifestyle, speaks to audience and the demographics of basketball, compared to say major league baseball, hockey, golf, tennis, etc.
How many "rappers" do we have in Hockey, golf, and baseball? Are golfers "hip" in their fashion sense? Seems like we have a ton of rappers and rapper mentality in the NBA.
The NBA, going back to the days of the NY Knicks with Walt "Clyde" Frazier was the focus of fashion among the players to a greater extent than most other major league sports. Look at the way the NBA players dress compared to the way golfers dress. The NBA is the gangster sport, and markets this in a very subtle way playing sports in the "hood." Look at the commercials that are about the NBA or have NBA players. Look at the tennis shoe commercials, etc.
I find the "show" of the NBA "showtime" an interesting aspect of the sport, and while Kobe is able to demonstrate physical prowess on the court, while he may drive the same sports cars as the other players, he is missing that "street" element that attracts so many of today's young fans.
The NBA is a sport of style and artistry, not found in the same way as other sports. The pure physical gifts of these great athletes make their "show" on their stage often more compelling putting a ball in a hoop than putting a ball in a hole or over a fence.
The New York Yankees have had a policy of no facial hair. Can you imagine an NBA franchise that tried to restrict their superstars from facial hair or rules on how to dress off the court when they travel together?
MJ was unique in that he was able to capture the imagination of so many different fans, from many different cultures and sub-cultures. MJ has the ability to travel in many different circles, where Kobe seems isolated in his own world, and not one of the "fellas."
Time will tell if Kobe is able to break from the mold he is stuck in.
Sports hero's are an interesting bunch of people. Public opinion about them is fickle, and at the same time enduring. Arnold Palmer, was no where near the golfer Jack Nicklaus was, yet he captured the imagination of fans in a way Jack never did. He was one of the top endorsement for decades beyond his sports greatness, all on the basis of his ability to connect with the audience.
Jordan is the same, has a similar charisma. Kobe doesn't have it, and I doubt he ever will.
It doesn't make Kobe less of a player, but it does make him less of an idol, role model, and fan favorite.
Not saying it is fair, or right. Just interesting.
Like Kobe, if I could be like Kobe????
Personally, and I know people will think it is an anti Laker or anti Kobe thing, but I don't dig Kobe's act on the court. I would much rather watch TMac or A.I. do their "magic" than others.
I was searching some NBA related websites last night and stumbled onto a couple of sites about the Boston Celtics. Man, they were like shrines to the Celtics. A kind of fanaticism from their fan base unlike most other sports teams, and Larry "Legend" was at the heart of the shrine.
During the Larry versus Magic wars of the 80's, we had two very different styles, yet both captured the imagination of the public in their own way. People would argue passionately about who was better, Magic or Larry. Both were great players, both had style in their own way, both were original.
Perhaps Kobe has a style all his own, but I have yet to see it. I just see someone who spent their life dreaming of being the next Michael Jordan, and tries to replicate that on the court. I see very little originality, creativity, personality, or meaning behind Kobe...but that's just my perspective. He may be a great family man and a solid citizen, but he is boring. I don't find him fundamentally solid either given his amount of turnovers on the court.
He may be a superior athlete, but there is little excitement beyond Laker fans when he gets the ball, and the Q ratings reflect that he is not the "man."
Vince Carter won the all star voting this year, and Carter really isn't that great a player right now, and I question his longevity and heart. However, popularity is not based on these in the minds of the fans, as looks better in clothes, is more charismatic, and more entertaining to watch than Kobe for the majority of fans.
Are sports heroes made via a popularity contest? No, but they are remembered and celebrated beyond what happens on the court.
I believe the author of the article understands this reality in his coverage of the NBA lifestyle.
I find the article interesting, and I think if people look beyond the surface of it, they might gain perspective into our culture "outside" the lines of the game.
Jordan not only plays, but makes Rockets pay
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michael Jordan's right knee was so swollen, the trainer didn't think there was any way he could play.
Of course, Jordan played.
Not only that, he put the Washington Wizards on his back and carried them again, making five straight shots in overtime for 10 of his 35 points in Thursday night's 100-98 victory over the Houston Rockets.
"I don't know how many guys would have played with what Michael had tonight,'' coach Doug Collins said. "If you could have seen his leg yesterday and this morning. It was totally puffed up. (Trainer) Steve Stricker said he didn't think there was any way he could play, and he played 50 minutes.''
The victory came with a price. Guard Tyronn Lue separated his shoulder in a collision with Joaquin Hawkins in the fourth quarter and will miss up to six games. With Larry Hughes already out with a sprained ankle, the Wizards are down to Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse and Juan Dixon on the perimeter and will look to sign a player to a 10-day contract.
Jordan, who also grabbed 11 rebounds, missed practice Wednesday with fluid buildup on his surgically repaired knee after a collision with Reggie Miller in Tuesday's victory over Indiana. He wasn't a sure bet to play until he got through warmups without a problem, but his shooting touch was as true as ever as he started 7-for-9 from the field.
Wearing a full-length compression black stocking to control the swelling, Jordan said he felt "about 85 percent.'' He was 5-for-6 in overtime, his only miss coming in the final 10 seconds.
"In the fourth quarter, because of the way the game was going, I kind of overdid it because my leg got a little exhausted,'' said Jordan, who is averaging 30.6 points in four games since turning 40 years old. "Steve told me that when the swelling gets into that thigh area, the muscles stop firing, so I got a little tired.
"Somehow I just played it through and in the fourth quarter it was more or less just gut. And in the overtime, just gut it out. I made some big shots. If we had to go through another overtime, it would've been tough.''
Yao Ming got the rebound on Jordan's last shot, giving the Rockets a chance to tie or win. But rather than calling timeout, Houston hurried downcourt. Steve Francis left his feet behind the 3-point line but then decided not to shoot, and teammate Cuttino Mobley missed a desperation 3-point shot at the buzzer.
"Every game, there's a mental mistake,'' Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "We've got to get a timeout on the last play. Just got to give yourself a chance. ... Those aren't little things; those are big things. We've got to stop making those kind of mistakes and think on our feet in the game.''
Jerry Stackhouse, who missed the morning shootaround with tendinitis in his knee, added 28 points for the Wizards, who shot 59 percent and have overcome a string of injuries to play their best basketball of the season. They have won three of four, with the only loss coming in overtime to Dallas.
Mobley scored 24 points to lead the Rockets, who finished 1-2 on their East Coast road trip. Maurice Taylor scored 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Rockets overcame a 24-point second-half deficit.
Yao, who was feted at the Chinese embassy the day before in Houston's only trip to Washington this season, had 16 points and 11 rebounds. But he had three shots blocked by Brendan Haywood in the second half.
"Shaquille O'Neal is much stronger than me -- and Brendan Haywood is definitely stronger than me,'' Yao said.
In addition to his lapse on the final play, Francis shot just 1-for-13 and finished with eight points.
The Wizards controlled the game until late in the third quarter. Mobley tied the score with a long 3-pointer with 13.1 seconds left in the fourth. Jordan, well-guarded by Taylor, missed a 20-footer from the top of key at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Jordan's 10 overtime points included a one-handed dunk after blowing past Hawkins. The only other basket for Washington in the extra period was Stackhouse's desperation jumper at the shot clock buzzer with 34 seconds to go.
The game pitted the NBA's two ninth-place teams, both trying to work into playoff position in their respective conferences. The Wizards moved into a tie for eighth with Milwaukee.
Washington shot a season-best 78 percent in the first quarter to take a 29-20 lead and held Houston without a point over the final 4:25 of the first half to lead 55-35 at halftime.
Game notes
Yao on Jordan: "Right now I hope that he hurries up and retires --we would then be able to play more relaxed.'' ... Yao on his first visit to Washington, which is having one of its snowiest winters in decades: "There was definitely more snow than people.'' ... Haywood had a career-high five blocks before fouling out in overtime. ... The Wizards used only seven players. "It's the seven guys I trusted,'' said Collins, not-so-subtle jab at Kwame Brown and Bryon Russell. ... Lue scored 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting before he got hurt.
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michael Jordan's right knee was so swollen, the trainer didn't think there was any way he could play.
Of course, Jordan played.
Not only that, he put the Washington Wizards on his back and carried them again, making five straight shots in overtime for 10 of his 35 points in Thursday night's 100-98 victory over the Houston Rockets.
"I don't know how many guys would have played with what Michael had tonight,'' coach Doug Collins said. "If you could have seen his leg yesterday and this morning. It was totally puffed up. (Trainer) Steve Stricker said he didn't think there was any way he could play, and he played 50 minutes.''
The victory came with a price. Guard Tyronn Lue separated his shoulder in a collision with Joaquin Hawkins in the fourth quarter and will miss up to six games. With Larry Hughes already out with a sprained ankle, the Wizards are down to Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse and Juan Dixon on the perimeter and will look to sign a player to a 10-day contract.
Jordan, who also grabbed 11 rebounds, missed practice Wednesday with fluid buildup on his surgically repaired knee after a collision with Reggie Miller in Tuesday's victory over Indiana. He wasn't a sure bet to play until he got through warmups without a problem, but his shooting touch was as true as ever as he started 7-for-9 from the field.
Wearing a full-length compression black stocking to control the swelling, Jordan said he felt "about 85 percent.'' He was 5-for-6 in overtime, his only miss coming in the final 10 seconds.
"In the fourth quarter, because of the way the game was going, I kind of overdid it because my leg got a little exhausted,'' said Jordan, who is averaging 30.6 points in four games since turning 40 years old. "Steve told me that when the swelling gets into that thigh area, the muscles stop firing, so I got a little tired.
"Somehow I just played it through and in the fourth quarter it was more or less just gut. And in the overtime, just gut it out. I made some big shots. If we had to go through another overtime, it would've been tough.''
Yao Ming got the rebound on Jordan's last shot, giving the Rockets a chance to tie or win. But rather than calling timeout, Houston hurried downcourt. Steve Francis left his feet behind the 3-point line but then decided not to shoot, and teammate Cuttino Mobley missed a desperation 3-point shot at the buzzer.
"Every game, there's a mental mistake,'' Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "We've got to get a timeout on the last play. Just got to give yourself a chance. ... Those aren't little things; those are big things. We've got to stop making those kind of mistakes and think on our feet in the game.''
Jerry Stackhouse, who missed the morning shootaround with tendinitis in his knee, added 28 points for the Wizards, who shot 59 percent and have overcome a string of injuries to play their best basketball of the season. They have won three of four, with the only loss coming in overtime to Dallas.
Mobley scored 24 points to lead the Rockets, who finished 1-2 on their East Coast road trip. Maurice Taylor scored 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Rockets overcame a 24-point second-half deficit.
Yao, who was feted at the Chinese embassy the day before in Houston's only trip to Washington this season, had 16 points and 11 rebounds. But he had three shots blocked by Brendan Haywood in the second half.
"Shaquille O'Neal is much stronger than me -- and Brendan Haywood is definitely stronger than me,'' Yao said.
In addition to his lapse on the final play, Francis shot just 1-for-13 and finished with eight points.
The Wizards controlled the game until late in the third quarter. Mobley tied the score with a long 3-pointer with 13.1 seconds left in the fourth. Jordan, well-guarded by Taylor, missed a 20-footer from the top of key at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Jordan's 10 overtime points included a one-handed dunk after blowing past Hawkins. The only other basket for Washington in the extra period was Stackhouse's desperation jumper at the shot clock buzzer with 34 seconds to go.
The game pitted the NBA's two ninth-place teams, both trying to work into playoff position in their respective conferences. The Wizards moved into a tie for eighth with Milwaukee.
Washington shot a season-best 78 percent in the first quarter to take a 29-20 lead and held Houston without a point over the final 4:25 of the first half to lead 55-35 at halftime.
Game notes
Yao on Jordan: "Right now I hope that he hurries up and retires --we would then be able to play more relaxed.'' ... Yao on his first visit to Washington, which is having one of its snowiest winters in decades: "There was definitely more snow than people.'' ... Haywood had a career-high five blocks before fouling out in overtime. ... The Wizards used only seven players. "It's the seven guys I trusted,'' said Collins, not-so-subtle jab at Kwame Brown and Bryon Russell. ... Lue scored 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting before he got hurt.
They retire Patrick Ewing's jersey, who would likely have NBA championship rings but for his good buddy MJ, seen in the picture below, who helped celebrate the event.
Patrick was a warrior, one of the 50 greatest players to date, and a champion in every senes of the word even if he doesn't have a ring.
Patrick was a warrior, one of the 50 greatest players to date, and a champion in every senes of the word even if he doesn't have a ring.
Quote from OPTIONAL777:
Patrick was a warrior, one of the 50 greatest players to date, and a champion in every senes of the word even if he doesn't have a ring.
That's just what that loudmouth MJ said, to remind all that he won so much and Patrick never got his ring. On Patrick's night.
Those at the pinnacle are the most fearful of not continuing to get recognition. MJ is a supreme example.
Centers:
1. Wilt (Greatest Scorer Ever)
2. Kareem (No question)
3. Shaq (Most dominant in his era)
4. Russell (Heart and soul of the Celtics)
5. Hakeem (Would have no ring if MJ hadn't played Baseball for a couple of years)
6. Robinson (The "Little Mermaid" would have no ring without Duncan)
7. Mikan (Most Dominant in his era)
8. Malone (Moses, not Karl---dominant in his era)
If we have 10 centers among the 50 greatest, if not Partick who am I missing?
Willis Reed? Walton? (Great in a limited Career--but longevity matters) Nate Thurmond? Parish? Elvin Hayes? (Maybe--he was outstanding) Unseld? Dave Cowens? Artis Gilmore? Who do you see on the horizon as a potential great center to kick him off the list? Yao? Who else?
As more and more players come and go into the league, shouldn't we expand the list to more than 50 anyway? Do we kick out old Hall of Famers when new Hall of Famers come in with better stats?
From Marty Burns, Sports Illustrated
"Question From David: What makes Patrick Ewing one of the greatest centers? He doesn't have a ring, an MVP title, a scoring title, a rebound title, other than playing in New York what has Patrick done to be considered one of the great ones?"
Answer: Marty Burns: Ewing is an 11-time all-star, a former rookie-of-the-year, and one of the greatest jump-shooting centers of all-time. He probably would have won an NBA championship had he not suffered the misfortune of playing during the Jordan Era. Ewing also averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds in a season nine times in his career. You can say what you want about his game today at age 38, but you've got to admit Ewing has been a great player for a long time."
Patrick's numbers:
EWING'S ALL-TIME RANKINGS STAT TOTAL NBA RANK
Minutes 40,594 13th
Points 24,815 13th
Field Goals Made 9,702 10th
Free Throws Made 5,392 18th
Blocks 2,894 4th
Total Rebounds 11,607 20th
Field Goals Made 9,702 10th
You obviously have issues with MJ.
What, did he forget to tip you one time when you were a waiter or something like that?
Patrick sits on the bench as an assistant coach for the Wizards, you are wrong about his relationship with Patrick.