Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 31
  1. #1
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691
    Jan. 19, 2005, 11:18PM

    Francis slow to accept change, still bitter about leaving Rockets
    By FRAN BLINEBURY
    Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle


    ORLANDO, FLA. - "I didn't go to that damn Super Bowl."

    So much for Steve Francis putting the past behind him.

    Within the first five minutes of his saying he wasn't hurt by the Rockets' decision to trade him for Tracy McGrady, you get the feeling Francis is really trying to convince himself.

    "The NBA is a business, and I understand that."

    The expression on his face is blank.

    "I thought it was going to be special to play there my whole career."

    He wears a scowl.

    "I've never been in a better basketball position or team situation."

    He's smiling.

    "I loved playing for Rudy Tomjanovich."

    He's frowning.

    It is a quite typical encounter with the artist formerly known as Stevie Franchise, the one who arrived in Houston as the next superstar who would take the torch from Hakeem Olajuwon but left five years later having never quite been able to rekindle the flame.

    Here is Francis jawing at referee Olandis Poole after an obvious and unnecessary carry on a crossover dribble move results in a first-half turnover on Tuesday night. And there is Francis taking the ball straight to the basket against Ben Wallace and Antonio McDyess of the defending champion Detroit Pistons for a critical fourth-quarter basket in a comeback win.

    There is Francis causing a stir last year on Super Bowl Sunday by not travelling with his teammates to a game in Phoenix, and here is Francis in the role of leader of the new-look Magic's bid to become championship contenders.

    The only thing that has changed is the uniform, which now says "Magic" across the front, as Francis has reached another crossroad in a career as frustrating as it is fabulous.

    "I'm young and strong, and I can do the things this team needs me to do for a lot of years," Francis said one afternoon.

    "Look at me, I'm old and getting beat up," he said the very next night.

    He is 27 going on ... what exactly? Part point guard, part shooting guard, part Peter Pan, he can fly like something right out of a children's fantasy and, just the same, never grow up.

    Here is Francis saying he is his own man in the dog-eat-dog world of professional sports, and there is Francis saying he'll no longer have a reason to get out of bed each day after the Magic traded his buddy Cuttino Mobley to the Kings on Jan. 10.

    Magic general manager John Weisbrod said one of the reasons he broke up the Steve & Cuttino Show was to make Francis a better player by making him stand on his own.

    Francis sniffs.

    "My feelings haven't changed," he said. "I'm still wondering why Cuttino was traded. That's how I feel.

    "Most people want to be comfortable where they work, right? So staying in a comfort zone is ideal for anybody, whatever you do for a living."


    On Van Gundy
    In one breath, Francis says he had no trouble trying to fit into coach Jeff Van Gundy's offense last season with the Rockets. Then in the next, he'll say how he feels so much better in Orlando because he doesn't have to play "robotic."

    "Do you watch us play this season?" Francis asked. "Do you see how we get up and down the court, always running and pushing the ball?

    "I can play my game here. I'm not constricted. I always said it's nothing against Jeff. That's just the way that his offense is. In practice, we barely scrimmaged up and down. We never ran."

    Francis was a three-time All-Star with the Rockets but carried the image of potential unfulfilled. He often found the burden of expectations in Houston grating yet reacted angrily at news of the trade and had to be talked into reporting to Orlando by the Magic and his agent.

    "It wasn't about being traded," Francis said. "I had just bought a $4 million house in Houston. I just loved that city so much.

    "And ever since Hakeem left, I sold tickets to make the Toyota Center. Not trying to be conceited, but I sold the tickets that helped build that arena. Now I'm gone."

    "Actually, the first time the trade really hit me was when I turned on the TV in the exhibition season and saw the Rockets and Sacramento in China," Francis said. "I said, 'Damn, you're supposed to be there.' I wanted to be there with Yao (Ming) in his country.

    "I wouldn't say I feel betrayed. Just a casualty of the business decision by the owner of the Rockets and the coach and the organization. They traded the only guy to bring them championships for a couple of million dollars. Well, I didn't win bring any championships like Hakeem, didn't win a playoff series."

    Which, of course, was part of the rub. The Rockets reached the playoffs only one time — last season — with Francis.

    "One missed rebound by Yao at the end of Game 1, and I kicked the ball out of bounds at the end of Game 4," he said. "Those two plays, those two games. If they're different, we beat the Lakers, hands down."


    Last week at Detroit, the ball came to him in a breakaway situation. Rather than go straight to the open basket, Francis tossed the ball ahead of him, caught it on a bounce and rammed it home as if part of a slam-dunk contest. Pistons coach Larry Brown was apoplectic. Few had ever seen such a maneuver in a game situation.

    "Not many people in this league could even process it, let alone do it," said Magic coach Johnny Davis. "That's not to say I like it in that situation. It will come with time to Steve, when he learns that the easy way to do it is usually the best way to do it."


    Among an elite group
    He is currently one of only four players in the league — along with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James — to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. They love Francis' flamboyance on the Magic. That is, when they aren't covering their eyes and cringing at his flamboyance.

    "And I'm going to that Super Bowl this year, baby," Francis said. "Ain't nobody can stop me."

    Some things change. Some get traded to Orlando.

  2. #2
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691
    That article sums up Steve Francis....dude is flakey, but he is a Terp, so I overlook all his excentricities, and just marvel at his bball skills.

    BTW, tune in tonight at 7 pm on TNT.

    It should be fun watching TMac try to quiet the Orlando crowd as these two superstars meet for the first time head to head since the trade....should be great fun to watch.

  3. #3
    Three Rings CHAMPS AGAIN's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Post Count
    608
    Nba Forum Lock It

  4. #4
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691
    Thankyou Sequ.

  5. #5
    Name you'd love to touch maxpower's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Post Count
    1,454
    The sad thing is I heard some talking head last week still state that fransis is growing up. This should be his motto or on his family crest "Wait till he grows up." Five years in the league and he doesn't have a clue.



    p.s. do you guys who constantly post nba news in the spurs forum think yourselves and your posts so special you can skirt the rules? All you do is call to your posts useless replies and more importantly cause more work for Kori and Timvp that should not be necessary. They do enough for us, why add infant care to their workload?
    Last edited by maxpower; 01-20-2005 at 11:02 AM.

  6. #6
    Seek True Love, within. bigzak25's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Post Count
    11,293
    should be a cool game Jim. will TMac and Francis try to outscore each other or play team ball to get the win?

  7. #7
    Damn You Commies T Park's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    55,054
    TMac and Francis try to outscore each other or play team ball

    lol, what do you think Zak.

    Francis wont know the meaning of pass tonight.

  8. #8
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    45,483
    Turdpin forum.

  9. #9
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691

    Where is that?

  10. #10
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    45,483
    Lift the lid.

  11. #11
    Hedo Layup Drill ShoogarBear's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Post Count
    39,519
    Ouch.


  12. #12
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691


    Scoreboard!

    2002 National champs.

    What is your school, ex?

  13. #13
    Damn You Commies T Park's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    55,054
    2002 National champs.
    03 NBA champs, where is Francis's ring?

  14. #14
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    45,483
    What is your school, ex?
    Hard knocks, and a Division III school. They did win TWO national championships in football in the 70s, though. Scoreboard!

  15. #15
    Mahinmi in ? picnroll's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    11,245
    The headline could have stopped at Francis slow.

  16. #16
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691
    03 NBA champs, where is Francis's ring?

    Probably on Mobley's finger.

  17. #17
    Damn You Commies T Park's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    55,054
    Probably on Mobley's finger.

    LMAO

    I didnt think you had it in your jimmie.

  18. #18
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691
    Hard knocks, and a Division III school. They did win TWO national championships in football in the 70s, though. Scoreboard!
    Maryland won the national le in football too. Division I, they only one that counts.

  19. #19
    Hedo Layup Drill ShoogarBear's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Post Count
    39,519
    Maryland won the national le in football too. Division I, they only one that counts.
    Whyn't we limit the history to the post-leather helmet era?

  20. #20
    Hedo Layup Drill ShoogarBear's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Post Count
    39,519
    LMAO

    I didnt think you had it in your jimmie.
    So what did you think he had in his jimmie?

  21. #21
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691
    Whyn't we limit the history to the post-leather helmet era?
    They had regular helmets in 53!!!

  22. #22
    Hedo Layup Drill ShoogarBear's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Post Count
    39,519
    They had regular helmets in 53!!!
    Have to take your word for it.


  23. #23
    Nostradamas Jr.
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Post Count
    33,691
    Have to take your word for it.


    I actually do not know.

    maybe they did...ask Hookdem, he is old.


  24. #24
    Hedo Layup Drill ShoogarBear's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Post Count
    39,519
    Actually, come to think of it, my dad played college ball, and graduated in '52 or '53.

    I don't know if they had leather helmets, but they certainly didn't have faceguards.

  25. #25
    The Last Good Sport samikeyp's Avatar
    My Team
    San Antonio Spurs
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Post Count
    28,298
    but he is a Terp,
    the Turtle. Go Heels.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •