Amuseddaysleeper
10-21-2004, 12:49 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=1906548
SAN ANTONIO -- It's a popular question this time of year: Who's the surprise of Fill In The Blank's training camp?
With the Spurs, it would have to be Tim Duncan.
Not because of anything on the court, mind you. Duncan looks fabulously efficient already, even after a rough summer with Team USA. But if that's a surprise, you must be new to NBA fandom.
The upset is that Duncan, in Year 8, is gradually getting saucier with his answers to questions from media pests. If it continues, the famously guarded two-time MVP will need to be considered for a spot on the All-Interview Team, which would be as surprising as anything that happens this season.
First, he went off on FIBA refs, announcing after the Yanks' bronze-medal finish in Athens that, in a word, the officiating overseas "sucks." Then he actually got quippy after playing in the Spurs' first exhibition game Saturday in New York, saying: "I love the NBA's refs. I will never talk bad about them ever again."
In between, I made the mistake of asking him about Shaquille O'Neal's departure for the Lakers and what impact that might have on San Antonio's chances of winning its third title in a span of seven seasons. This prompted the most animated response I've ever heard from No. 21.
"I don't really care," Duncan said, after a long pause and disdainful stare. "I'm so tired of that fricking question."
Honest, funny and candid. That's a Barkley-esque trifecta.
I'm hearing ...
That Mike Montgomery, conscious of the skepticism that greets any coach who comes from the collegiate ranks, is giving Warriors veterans plenty of input on the practice floor ... to the veterans' delight. "This is the way," said guard Speedy Claxton, "it should be done."
And that some of the Nuggets weren't terribly disappointed to see Kenyon Martin sock Nene in the eye during their first pre-camp pickup game, because Nene has been known to bully his teammates in practice. But I'm also told that K-Mart, on the day after, sought out Nene one-on-one to tell him he considered the incident "over" and to promise that he'll be the first Nugget ready to dismember someone if the Brazilian ever needs backup during a real scrap.
And that NBA referees agreed to the terms of their new five-year contract in part because they were convinced that commissioner David Stern was prepared to lock them out until the All-Star break if they let labor talks drag out any longer ... or even lock them out permanently to hire a completely new staff. Thank goodness it didn't come to that, because there aren't 60 NBA-quality refs out there just waiting to be found, no matter what you think of the current crop.
Here's how I know that the NBA won't get rid of the 3-pointer any time soon: Jerry West recently told me that the introduction of the three ball -- which happens to be commemorating its 25th anniversary this season -- is one of his favorite innovations in league history. While Jerry, like any basketball purist, is less than pleased that so many guys are launching so many (ill-advised) threes, it's hard to imagine the league's chieftains outlawing something Le Logo likes.
Here's how to know Denver won't be signing Dennis Rodman, no matter how many times Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe invites Rodman in for courtesy workouts: Kiki was in Dallas for Rodman's disastrous 12-game stint as a Mav in 2000. At nearly 39 back then, Rodman could still rebound like a demon, but he also refused to speak with anyone from the coaching staff but Vandeweghe. He also routinely ignored Don Nelson's defensive game plans and freelanced at the end of the court where he's supposed to be a stopper. I'm guessing Vandeweghe hasn't forgotten, much as he likes the idea of helping Rodman maintain his sobriety through basketball.
(As an aside, though, I have to admit I did like Rodman's recent cameo in "Listen Up." And, yes, I'm not ashamed to say that I do watch that show. If George Constanza is in it -- with a daughter who ironically strikes you as a young Marisa Tomei, George's favorite actress -- I'm watching it.)
Since you want to know, no team in NBA history has done what the Boston Red Sox just did. Only three NBA teams have forced a Game 7 in a best-of-seven series after falling behind 3-nil, and all three of those teams lost the Game 7: Portland to the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference finals; Denver to Utah in 1994; and the Knicks to Rochester in 1951.
Phil Jackson must really want to be done with coaching if he's willing to put all the secrets of his final Laker season into print. Can't imagine his new book makes prospective future employers eager to lure the Zenmeister out of retirement, since coaches are supposed to treat the locker room like a vault more than anyone.
But let's face it: Jackson's diary is great for all of us. It's going to provide unprecedented insider access to one of the league's longest-running dramas, and the best example is Phil's account of his final meeting with Kobe Bryant after the NBA Finals.
Jackson writes that he asked Kobe if Shaquille O'Neal's ongoing presence in LA would make him more likely to leave in free agency, and Phil quotes Kobe as saying: "There's no doubt about that. I'm tired of being a sidekick."
Besides using one of my favorite words -- since the Dallas Sidekicks will always be my favorite domestic football club -- Phil has presented us with a passage that we can't stop reading. Because it's the closest thing to a direct quote to support what so many have been saying for years about Kobe wanting his own team to carry. That has been a popular theory, but until now there had never been anything close to stated proof.
Huge, huge, HUGE news from the ESPN Classic folks:
"The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh," only the greatest basketball movie ever, is airing Nov. 14.
Start your TiVos now.
SAN ANTONIO -- It's a popular question this time of year: Who's the surprise of Fill In The Blank's training camp?
With the Spurs, it would have to be Tim Duncan.
Not because of anything on the court, mind you. Duncan looks fabulously efficient already, even after a rough summer with Team USA. But if that's a surprise, you must be new to NBA fandom.
The upset is that Duncan, in Year 8, is gradually getting saucier with his answers to questions from media pests. If it continues, the famously guarded two-time MVP will need to be considered for a spot on the All-Interview Team, which would be as surprising as anything that happens this season.
First, he went off on FIBA refs, announcing after the Yanks' bronze-medal finish in Athens that, in a word, the officiating overseas "sucks." Then he actually got quippy after playing in the Spurs' first exhibition game Saturday in New York, saying: "I love the NBA's refs. I will never talk bad about them ever again."
In between, I made the mistake of asking him about Shaquille O'Neal's departure for the Lakers and what impact that might have on San Antonio's chances of winning its third title in a span of seven seasons. This prompted the most animated response I've ever heard from No. 21.
"I don't really care," Duncan said, after a long pause and disdainful stare. "I'm so tired of that fricking question."
Honest, funny and candid. That's a Barkley-esque trifecta.
I'm hearing ...
That Mike Montgomery, conscious of the skepticism that greets any coach who comes from the collegiate ranks, is giving Warriors veterans plenty of input on the practice floor ... to the veterans' delight. "This is the way," said guard Speedy Claxton, "it should be done."
And that some of the Nuggets weren't terribly disappointed to see Kenyon Martin sock Nene in the eye during their first pre-camp pickup game, because Nene has been known to bully his teammates in practice. But I'm also told that K-Mart, on the day after, sought out Nene one-on-one to tell him he considered the incident "over" and to promise that he'll be the first Nugget ready to dismember someone if the Brazilian ever needs backup during a real scrap.
And that NBA referees agreed to the terms of their new five-year contract in part because they were convinced that commissioner David Stern was prepared to lock them out until the All-Star break if they let labor talks drag out any longer ... or even lock them out permanently to hire a completely new staff. Thank goodness it didn't come to that, because there aren't 60 NBA-quality refs out there just waiting to be found, no matter what you think of the current crop.
Here's how I know that the NBA won't get rid of the 3-pointer any time soon: Jerry West recently told me that the introduction of the three ball -- which happens to be commemorating its 25th anniversary this season -- is one of his favorite innovations in league history. While Jerry, like any basketball purist, is less than pleased that so many guys are launching so many (ill-advised) threes, it's hard to imagine the league's chieftains outlawing something Le Logo likes.
Here's how to know Denver won't be signing Dennis Rodman, no matter how many times Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe invites Rodman in for courtesy workouts: Kiki was in Dallas for Rodman's disastrous 12-game stint as a Mav in 2000. At nearly 39 back then, Rodman could still rebound like a demon, but he also refused to speak with anyone from the coaching staff but Vandeweghe. He also routinely ignored Don Nelson's defensive game plans and freelanced at the end of the court where he's supposed to be a stopper. I'm guessing Vandeweghe hasn't forgotten, much as he likes the idea of helping Rodman maintain his sobriety through basketball.
(As an aside, though, I have to admit I did like Rodman's recent cameo in "Listen Up." And, yes, I'm not ashamed to say that I do watch that show. If George Constanza is in it -- with a daughter who ironically strikes you as a young Marisa Tomei, George's favorite actress -- I'm watching it.)
Since you want to know, no team in NBA history has done what the Boston Red Sox just did. Only three NBA teams have forced a Game 7 in a best-of-seven series after falling behind 3-nil, and all three of those teams lost the Game 7: Portland to the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference finals; Denver to Utah in 1994; and the Knicks to Rochester in 1951.
Phil Jackson must really want to be done with coaching if he's willing to put all the secrets of his final Laker season into print. Can't imagine his new book makes prospective future employers eager to lure the Zenmeister out of retirement, since coaches are supposed to treat the locker room like a vault more than anyone.
But let's face it: Jackson's diary is great for all of us. It's going to provide unprecedented insider access to one of the league's longest-running dramas, and the best example is Phil's account of his final meeting with Kobe Bryant after the NBA Finals.
Jackson writes that he asked Kobe if Shaquille O'Neal's ongoing presence in LA would make him more likely to leave in free agency, and Phil quotes Kobe as saying: "There's no doubt about that. I'm tired of being a sidekick."
Besides using one of my favorite words -- since the Dallas Sidekicks will always be my favorite domestic football club -- Phil has presented us with a passage that we can't stop reading. Because it's the closest thing to a direct quote to support what so many have been saying for years about Kobe wanting his own team to carry. That has been a popular theory, but until now there had never been anything close to stated proof.
Huge, huge, HUGE news from the ESPN Classic folks:
"The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh," only the greatest basketball movie ever, is airing Nov. 14.
Start your TiVos now.