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Touche.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...s.3c8c0eb.html
Buck Harvey: An Icon takes a hit — reason to be worried
Web Posted: 06/08/2007 12:48 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Nike execs will gather today, and David Stern might sit in. They will open with a question.
Is this the best way to promote a Global Icon?
They will come to a couple of quick business conclusions. This will be the first: Forget trying to produce a poster from Game 1.
The Global Icon didn't dunk. Not even once.
Oh, there's a moment worth a large, glossy photo. It even involves the Global Icon. Then, halfway through the opening quarter, he drove, and Tim Duncan stretched out for the kind of block he's made once or twice in his postseason career.
The Global Icon retreated backward for the basketball, and Duncan followed him as if he had his scent. Duncan flexed his legs, pulling up the shorts at the knees for a looser feel. He then challenged the Global Icon into a 3-point miss.
At that point, with eyes intent under his freshly shaved scalp, Duncan looked as if he remembered talk of another poster that came out of a November game.
The execs will move on. No need to dwell on the negative.
Someone in the meeting will then emphasize the positive. Didn't the Global Icon start this series the same way he started against Detroit? He did, with only 10 points against the Pistons. He also took severe criticism for passing up a final shot. And that worked out, didn't it?
The Global Icon sure wasn't concerned Thursday night, just as Duncan wouldn't have been had he struggled. "I feel good," he said. "A lot of the shots I took are shots that I make. They felt pretty good. Things like that happen."
But most in the meeting will understand there are several differences between Detroit and San Antonio. For one, the Spurs sent two and three defenders at the Global Icon, and one of them was Bruce Bowen.
For another, the Spurs still managed to run out on the Cleveland shooters. As Denver, Phoenix and Utah know, things like that happen.
Worse, though, is what else the Global Icon did. Whereas he went for nine assists in the opening game against Detroit, Thursday he had more turnovers than assists.
He also didn't do much with Tony Parker when he defended him. Midway through the fourth quarter, with the Global Icon on him, Parker reared back and threw in a 20-footer over him.
That gave the Spurs an 18-point lead, meaning the rest of the game was mostly insignificant. At that point, before the padding of stats would commence, the Global Icon was 2 of 14 with two assists and five turnovers.
The execs will come to another depressing conclusion. Days after the American media tried to figure out if the Global Icon had played the best game in playoff history, now they will try to figure out if this was the worst by a great player since Dirk Nowitzki was last seen in public.
Or, as Bowen understated: "He didn't have a 48-point game, and I'm happy with that."
The execs will groan. The Spurs don't know how to help the marketing by rubbing it in properly. Duncan, summing up what the Spurs did to the Global Icon, termed it a "pretty good job."
They can't get a sound bite out of this, much less a commercial.
The Spurs aren't even dirty anymore. They simply bumped the Global Icon, and doubled him, and stayed in front of him, and blocked his shot, and generally treated him the way they treat the Memphis Grizzlies.
The execs might look to Stern for some help. Couldn't the Spurs win without snuffing all excitement out of a Finals everyone wanted to see?
Their hope is that the Global Icon will come up with a few answers. "I'm a quick learner," he was saying the other day. And now he will have to be. The Spurs got past their one-week layoff, and now they have the ideal time of two days to get ready for Game 2.
If the Spurs win that one, then they head to Cleveland for three games. Considering the Spurs are 5-2 on the road this postseason, what's the chance the Finals come back to San Antonio?
The execs already know the answer to their first question. This is not the best way to promote a Global Icon.
Touche.
Damn. Harsh.
He will have a much better game 2, I just hope we dont change what we did in Game 1.
I don't think Lebronze will showoff his dunks during warmup of game 2. he might actually warm up his jumpshot for a change
Agreed....People can't count on LeBron being that bad every game.He will have a much better game 2, I just hope we dont change what we did in Game 1.
As long As Lebron stays away from the 40´s range of Pts.we´ll be just fine.If course He´ll play better tham game 1 any day,but let him get his 25 and 8.Who cares? as long as we win.
Here's a view of the Global Icon looking for his game on the floor of the AT&T Center.
He'll do better, but so will the Spurs. The Spurs have just worked off.
the spurs just cruised in the 3rd and 4rd quarter,when the lead of 18 pts.So even If Lebron gets his 25s,30s the spurs will be just fine.
Tim Duncan on the Cavs futile comeback attempt in the closing minutes: "we'll have to clean that up."
Seriously.....Nike can kiss my ass. Is it our fault your poster boy is Bron Bron......Doesnt Parker have a shoe deal with them? What about Manu......what about Duncan?
They will have a sitdown will Salvitore.
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