Over the years, the game of basketball has greatly changed. Whether it is an evolution or not has yet to be determined. Although it contains plenty of anecdotes about its two co-authors, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the most interesting aspect of When the Game Was Ours is the contrast between basketball in the 1980s relative to the game today. In addition to new Association rules, players have different attitudes today. Less emphasis is placed on winning. Firstly, it’s unlikely that we will ever see teams with multiple hall of famers like the mid-1980s Los Angeles Lakers (four) and Boston …
Los Angeles 109, Toronto 107
Coming down the stretch of the Lakers’ 109-107 victory over the Raptors Tuesday night, it was easily apparent which team was more accustomed to the pressure of a close game. Los Angeles was able to take high percentage shots more consistently and get to the line more frequently than their opponent. Toronto was unable to take advantage of the bonus free throws to which they were entitled and made several questionable turnovers. Furthermore, when Lakers defenders squeezed Raptors guards, teammates seemed frozen on the spot and timeouts were required to save the possession. Jarrett Jack had to bail himself out …
Dynasty’s End
Celtic Pride – the character, concentration, and commitment – which defined the Boston’s teams when Red Auerbach proved to be integral to the two championships under Player-Coach Bill Russell. Dynasty’s End chronicles the final title in 1968-69 before the team ceded the spotlight to the squads of the 1970s. When Auerbach was the coach from 1950 to 1966, the Celtics were the most talented team in the Association. Under Russell, the team often finished second or third in its own conference and needed to win multiple tough playoff series. Wilt Chamberlain led his teams (Philadephia and Los Angeles) to better …
16? Not Like That
In 2008-09, both the Toronto Raptors and the Montreal Canadiens experienced disappointment. Both teams began their seasons with high hopes, both fired head coaches during the campaign, and neither achieved playoff success. In addition to those superficial parallels, there are several significant similarities between the two. Each organization believed that they were a step away from championship contention when they actually had a much longer path to travel. General Managers Bob Gainey and Bryan Colangelo both traded key players (goalie and point guard respectively) for younger and cheaper replacements. The new starters were not able to perform at the same …
Ifs and Buts
If he were alive, Red would be proud: a Boston Celtics squad that sacrificed individual glory for team success and when faced with adversity knew no other recourse that to turn up the defensive intensity won the Association title. And they smoked the Los Angeles Lakers to do so. Certainly the team had talent – a modern triad to match Russell, Cousy, and Havlicek – but they came closer to the Auerbach intangibles than any other recent champion. These Celtics didn’t necessarily run the court but Pierce and Garnett dominated the screen and roll at both ends of the court. …
The Right…What’s that Stuff?
Kobe Bryant said that if he’d been told in training camp that Los Angeles would have to win three straight games to claim the Association title, he’d take it for sure. On the other hand, Phil Jackson felt that the Lakers hadn’t grasped the significance of their situation between Thursday and Sunday. In a sense, both were right. Boston was laying their bodies on the line, playing through pain. Doc Rivers told them to play every minute of Game 5 like it was their last. The Celtics had bought into a season-long philosophy of team play and personal sacrifice for …
Experience Matters?
Like the 1983 Edmonton Oilers lost the Stanley Cup to the New York Islanders and the 1998 Brazil team lost the World Cup to France, it appears that the 2008 Los Angeles Lakes will lose the Association title to the more experienced Boston Celtics. The gifted Oilers and Brazilians won the subsequent championships in fairly dominating fashion; it remains to be seen whether the 2009 Lakers will do likewise. Thursday’s Game 4 was disastrous for L.A.: the first half the manifestation of every possible lucky bounce followed by the second half which showcased Boston’s outstanding focus. Often, older teams rely …
Individual and Team Honours
“I think back to the people who would drop by my office and say, ‘keep your head up’ when you’re feeling down. Publicly, when I was out and about, I kept my head up, you’re never going to show people that you’re struggling with things on the inside, but when you’re sitting in your office by yourself and you’ve lost three or four in a row and people come by and say kind words, you remember those times.”– Sam Mitchell The Toronto Raptors bested the New Jersey Nets 89-83 in Game 2 of a first-round series and Sam Mitchell claimed …
Basketball Is My Life
Reading books by Red Holzman or Bob Cousy describe playground basketball before World War II and the early days of the Association with enough detail to provide one with an excellent appreciation of the game’s history. Basketball Is My Life: Quaintly narrated in a conversational tone, Bob Cousy’s first literary effort was written after the Boston Celtics’ first Association title in 1957. The book lacks meaningful insight into basketball but the key theme is work ethic: in basketball, business, or life. Obviously, Cousy devoted significant time to the sport but basketball is not his life. Nevertheless, given the obstacles that …
A Note for Lakers’ Fans
Irrespective of Kobe Bryant’s scoring average, the Los Angeles Lakers are in deep trouble because the team offence is completely gridlocked. The Triangle will not work without post entries and dribble penetration, which are two techniques that the Lakers are not currently practicing. The Lakers must establish themselves in those areas for the following reasons: It will create opportunities for Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum, Brian Cook, and the rest of the bench to contribute that are not available in the current man-to-man offence. If the entire team is a threat to score, opponents cannot collapse on Kobe and Lamar Odom. …
Touch of Evil
Apparently, Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil is an unappreciated masterpiece. I am not that sure. There are some masterful shots and excellent performances, but I found the plot to be a bit of a train wreck. It’s like watching the Los Angeles Lakers attempt to execute the Triangle these days, extremely skilled at times yet missing some basic fundamentals. As usual, there was a dispute between Welles and the studio which led to the mangling of the original print. A DVD was released containing some of Welles’ requested changes, but it doesn’t surpass above average. Perhaps the film is an …
The Rivalry
Can determination trump talent? Apparently so, according to The Rivalry by John Taylor. The battles between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain and their respective teams are detailed within the context of the growth of the game throughout the 1960s. Chamberlain was one of the most prolific post scorers in the history of basketball yet during the ten seasons that their careers overlapped, Russell and the Celtics claimed the Association title nine times. The book delves into the psychological warfare waged between the two. For example, once Russell blocked Chamberlain twice on the same possession. When Chamberlain recovered the loose ball, …
The Last Season
I am sorely disappointed with Phil Jackson. Irrespective of the tremendous work he has performed during the current season, he took an enormous step back in the coaching profession due to the publication of his fifth novel: The Last Season. Jackson’s chronicle of the 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers season seems to break several confidences. What happens in the huddle, the locker room, the team bus, the plan, training camp, the video room, or an office should stay within the team, despite the dollars a publisher may promise. Apparently, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson have a very tenuous relationship; how will …
Willy Wonka and the Association
The Suns took the Lakers apart in Game 7 of the first round series. PHX is a shallow team but make us of about seven contributors. Los Angeles is a one player team. Bill Simmons wrote that all Kobe-Jordan comparisons should cease if Kobe didn’t destroy Raja Bell in the deciding game. Simmons is right: MJ would have dropped forty-eight points after the game 5 clothesline and post game comments. Michael Jordan always came through when the season was on the line As for the rest of the Lakers, some played as if they were not aware of 2002-03’s rule …
Is Mike Brown a better coach than Phil Jackson?
According to Mark Stein, Phil Jackson chose to downplay Kobe’s offensive role in Game 1 of the Phoenix-Los Angeles series in order to allow other Lakers to score more – at the risk of losing the game – therefore increasing individuals’ feelings of self-actualisation and the team’s chance to win the series. Interesting idea. Kwame Brown, Lamar Odom, and Luke Walton went off and the Lakers lost the game. Since the supporting cast played well, does that mean that L.A. is now more likely to win four out of the next six games? Perhaps, but I think it was an …
Bad Trades
The Raptors lost 105-104 to the New Jersey Nets today. Vince Carter made a three point shot with 0.1 seconds left, highlighting three points: The Raptors were generally hosed in last year’s Vince Carter trade. Stats by Vince Carter today: forty five minutes and forty two points — stats by players traded for Vince Carter: DNP-CDs and fifteen minutes, seven points by Alonzo Mourning in the Heat-Blazers game. Key Lesson: Trade quality for quality. The Lakers also made this mistake last year by trading one of the top twenty players in the game (Shaquille O’Neal) and neglecting to get one …