Walt Fraziers's comments on Game Within A Game, Jan 2, 2007 with Spurs inclusion
Orange -Walt's explanation of game with a game
Blue - Impact foreign players have had on US pro basketball and Olympic teams
Black - Teams that play Game Within A Game (Spurs, Pistons)
NEW YORK, January 2, 2007 -- Walt Frazier is without a doubt the greatest Knicks guard, and more than likely the greatest Knicks player, of all time. The charismatic Clyde was never the fastest or the quickest, or the highest leaper -- just the greatest. So when this master of intangibles writes a book called “The Game Within the Game”, you pay attention. You read. You listen. And you discuss.
TOM KERTES: What does your le, “The Game Within the Game”, refer to?
WALT FRAZIER: We’re talking about mental strategies, especially psyching out the opponent, exploiting mismatches, just trying to stay one step ahead of the opposition. “The Game Within the Game” is also embellishing the old-school virtues such as substance over style, communicaton, a lot of respect yourself and for others. It’s about a tenacious work ethic. Today you see a lot of young players, whatever their weakness is, they never improve throughout their entire careers.
TK: And that’s kind of astonishing.
WF: Well, style over substance. That’s what the game has become, entertainment. Players shoot better from 25 feet away than from 10 feet away. And guys can’t make a free throw from 15 feet away. It’s all about the work ethic. Team work. Discipline. And coaching – coaching is a very big aspect of intangibles.
TK: Would you say that “The Game Within the Game” was much stronger when you were playing 25-30 years ago?
WF: Very much so -- that was the WHOLE game, in fact. It was all about savvy. If you couldn’t defend, right away they were going to clear the side – until you defend it. That’s why Bill Bradley had a tremendous time, Cazzie Russell…Teams were aware of your weaknesses. When they came into the game, they cleared out the side. Make these guys play defense, which they knew they were weak at. Today teams don’t really look to exploit those mismatches, often not until the playoffs.
TK: So are you saying that those teams, 25-30 years ago, were better than today’s teams?
WF: In that respect. Today the guys’ size is just so overwhelming. They’d have plenty of mismatches against us – but would they look to exploit them? That’s the thing. Another thing is shooting, the lack of the mid-range jumper today. It’s become a lost art, like the hook shot. And that’s because there’s no glamour in it. You can’t make ESPN shooting a hook.
TK: The fact that the rest the world has kind of caught up to the U.S. in basketball…
WF: …is because of all the things we’ve been talking about. The European and South American teams have gone back to the ‘60-s and the 70-s, where we used to be. They can all shoot the mid-range jumper, they’re team players, they make their free throws, not so much style over substance.
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TK: Who are some of the foreign players you admire?
WF: Dirk Nowitzki is real tough now, then Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker
TK: The fact that the rest the world has kind of caught up to the U.S. in basketball…
WF: …is because of all the things we’ve been talking about. The European and South American teams have gone back to the ‘60-s and the 70-s, where we used to be. They can all shoot the mid-range jumper, they’re team players, they make their free throws, not so much style over substance.
TK: Do you ever get frustrated watching today’s game, seeing all that physical talent and knowing that players don’t get most out of that physical talent?
WF: Early on I was, but now I know that’s the way the game is. So I just learned to accept it, as most fans have. Today’s fans only like the “three-s” and the dunks because that’s what they are accustomed to. They don’t know the past so they are dealing with what it is now. That’s pretty much where I am.
TK: Now that we’ve defined the problem, what could the NBA, and U. S. basketball as a whole, do to look backwards, learn from the past, and make things better for the future?
WF: There is no solution -- because they don’t see it as a problem.
TK: They don’t see a problem when they finish sixth in the World Championships and third in the Olympics?
WF: No, they’re just thinking that they didn’t have the right players.
TK: But that’s not it?
WF: That was PART of it. They didn’t have defensive specialists, or three point shooters. I’m sure that was the best thing that could have happened to us, that we were embarrassed like that. So now they’re going to have those things we’ve alluded to.
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TK: But you don’t see a return to the game within the game?
WF: No, because if you see the championship, nobody is emulating the Spurs. They are emulating Phoenix, run and gun. But then Phoenix is trying to be like the Spurs, because they are getting better defensively. So why don’t other teams do that?
TK: So would you say the Spurs come closest right now to playing “The Game Within the Game”?
WF: Yeah, the Spurs, the Pistons when they had Ben Wallace, those are the teams. They are team-oriented, they play “D”, no one cares who scores, they move the ball around.
TK: But you don’t see an overall movement toward a return to playing the right way?
WF: No, because it lacks glamour. It’s not going to happen, not as long as you have ESPN and video games.
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Things to think about:
Are we still playing this way?
Anyone else see things differently about the teams he mentions?
That statement about correcting current Team USA Basketball problems not a big concern, in agreement?
BB under Doug Moe was fun--simply outscore the other team. We used to get free hamburgers or something when the team scored over 120 points. It wasn't a rarity. But we couldn't get over the hump. The closest we came was with Washington, but in the final analysis they made the stops at the end and we couldn't stop them.
But the new regime has proved you can win championships with team defense and a solid boring offense.
Good read Clyde
His style of play was realy cool
Blah blah blah, when I played basketball was Basketball, darn these kids and their rap music and their street game, blah blah blah
In my library I have game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals on DVD. It's part of the "NBA's Top 10 Greatest" and to watch it, you'd be stunned at the primitive defense being played. Guys made more 10 footers back then because more were available.
Why does this happen in every sport? Old-timers thinking their era was the best? It's so freaking insecure.
10 footers are available now. You just have to be able to shoot them on the move after you beat your perimeter defender. If they were more available back then, it was probably because teams played like SA does now: lots of screens and back cuts and picks, not so much one on one. Some teams like Detroit and SA and the Lakers have figured out (or never forgot) that the ball moves MUCH faster when it's being passed then when it's being dribbled by one player.
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