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Wednesday, June 16, 2004
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 Wednesday, June 16, 2004
started 6/16/2004; 11:20:45 AM - last post 6/16/2004; 9:17:46 PM
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Doc Searls - Wednesday, June 16, 2004 
6/16/2004; 3:20:45 PM (reads: 5233, responses: 4)
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Turning corners 
Pistons 4, Cylinders 1
| | My kid is a huge Lakers fan. I've became a Golden State Warriors fan when I moved to the Bay Area in 1985. But since moving to Santa Barbara in 2001, I've done my best to care about the Lakers, and even the Clippers, which was born as a team I liked: the Buffalo Braves. Who can forget Elmore Smith, Bob Kauffman, Ernie DiGregorio, Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith? I mean, besides everybody? I went to college with Kauffman, who looked like Rony Seikaly and rebounded like Ben Wallace. And I loved the play-by-play of Van Miller on WBEN, which I could pick up at night at the bungalo where I lived on the shores of Greenwood Lake, New Jersey. Keeping my home fire burning (okay, simmering) for the Clips are Elton Brand and Corey Magette, who both played for Duke, my fave college team. (Here's some great trivia: Bob Kauffman coached the '78 Pistons, then moved to the front office and hired Dick Vitale as his replacement.) |
| | Anyway the Lakers have always been a strong team, and everybody I know here is into them, so I tried my best to emulate membership among the faithful. In my case, faith consisted of a firm belief that this team full of former champions, which had already beaten two teams — San Antonio and Minnesota — that were perhaps more deserving of a shot at the championship, would prevail. Especially against a team of castoffs from the Eastern conference, which nearly everybody who knows anything about NBA basketball agrees is the weaker conference. After beating the Rockets, the Spurs and the Timberwolves, playing the Pistons seemed mostly a formality for the Lakers. |
| | The only people who believed in Detroit were in Detroit. |
| | By Game 3, I was a believer, too. Larry Brown is clearly a great coach. It gave me the fuzzies to hear him talk about "my coach," meaning the great Dean Smith, who coached so many great North Carolina teams (which he did for the entire 20 years I lived in the state). I recently heard Coach Smith talk about what an underrated player Rasheed Wallace was, and how much he was always loved by his teammates for his fun personality and unselfish play. Wallace turned out to be the Perfect Piston, for exactly those reasons. |
| | Basketball is a team sport. With players as talented and often dominant as Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, it's easy to forget that. Last night we saw a great team beat a great bunch of players. By the end, the dominant team was the former underdog. The Pistons looked, and were, unbeatable. |
| | It's happened before, of course. My favorite example was the '73 New York Knicks, which beat the Lakers in five games. The Lakers had two dominant stars in Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. But the Knicks had the better team. Willis Reed and Jerry Lucas took turns playing center. Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley were the forwards. Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier were the guards. Phil Jackson and Dean Memminger came off the bench. |
| | The Lakers won Game 1, and everybody expected them to win most of the rest. But the Knicks swept the next four. They did it with defense and balanced scoring. There were no heroes or stars. Willis Reed got the MVP, but it meant about as much as Chauncey Billups' did yesterday. Somebody had to get the trophy. Why not the most inspiring player? |
| | It looks like the Lakers will break up over the summer. Phil Jackson says chances he'll be back are "slim." Most of the players are in a position to opt out or retire. I'm betting that next year the Clippers will be the better team. |
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Joel Reeves - Re: Tuesday, June 15, 2004
6/16/2004; 5:57:44 PM (reads: 552, responses: 0)
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Jerry West a Knick? No Way. Of course you meant Jerry Lucas
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Nick Johantgen - Re: Wednesday, June 16, 2004
6/17/2004; 12:52:18 AM (reads: 560, responses: 2)
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Jerry Lucas was the other center on the 73 Knicks not West.
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Nick Johantgen - Re: Wednesday, June 16, 2004
6/17/2004; 12:55:18 AM (reads: 618, responses: 0)
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Oops, sorry that I didn't see the earlier comment on Lucas. I'm just a big Buckeye (Lucas was part of the fabulous Ohio State teams of the early 60's) fan from those days. Look before you leap.
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Doc Searls - Re: Wednesday, June 16, 2004
6/17/2004; 1:17:46 AM (reads: 672, responses: 0)
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> Jerry Lucas was the other center on the 73 Knicks not West.
Duh. Fixed. Thanks!
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