One week ago, yesterday, the sports world
mulled the idea of teams, specifically the NCAA and National Basketball
Association (NBA) playing without audiences in the wake of COVID-19, a strain
of the coronavirus that was spreading across the globe in recent months. One
moment on an NBA court in Oklahoma City, OK on Mar. 11 changed that idea
completely and the unthinkable took place as a result.
Before the Utah Jazz took on the Oklahoma
City Thunder back on Mar. 11, news came out that All-Star center Rudy Gobert
became the first athlete to test positive for coronavirus.
The positive test comes just 48 hours
after Gobert mocked the virus by touching all the microphones and recording
devices in front of him during his presser.
“I wish I would’ve taken this thing more
seriously. And I hope everyone else will do so because we can do it together,”
Gobert said in his apology over Twitter @rudygobert27.
He added after being tested positive for
COVID-19, “I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of concern and support
over the last 24 hours. I have gone through so many emotions since learning of
my diagnosis…mostly fear, anxiety, and embarrassment.”
“The first and most important thing is I
would like to apologize to the people that I may have endangered. At the time,
I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse. I hope my
story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously. I will do
whatever I can to support using my experience as a way to educate others and
prevent the spread of this virus. I am under great care and will fully
recover.”
The next day after the team was
quarantined until about 1:15 in the morning at Chesapeake Energy Arena after
their contest at the Thunder was canceled and the team was tested for COVID-19,
Gobert’s teammate in All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell tested positive for
COVID-19.
“Thanks to everyone who has been reaching
out since hearing the news about my positive test. We are all learning more
about the seriousness of this situation and hopefully people can continue to
educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly both for
their own health and for the well-being of those around them,” Mitchell said in
an Instagram post @spidamitchell. “I appreciate the authorities in Oklahoma who
were helpful with the testing process and everyone from the @utahjazz who have
been so supportive. I am going to keep following the advice of our medical
staff and hope that we can all come together and be there for each other and
our neighbors who need our help.”
He added on Monday saying to ABC News’
Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America” via facetime he is doing “fine.”
“Things are going well. Just in isolation.
Got a unique setup, but no fever; no symptoms as of right now, and I’m just
blessed to be able to be okay.”
Mitchell said that the doctors told him
the biggest thing for his recovery is to stay in isolation and just to keep to himself.
He also addressed Gobert’s cavalier
attitude towards COVID-19 saying it took him a while to “cool off,” but said to
Roberts that he is glad that both of them are doing okay.
Mitchell is especially happy that it was
just he and Gobert who contracted the coronavirus and not anyone else on the
Jazz.
“At the end of the day, neither him nor I
have children at home, you know? I know some teammates that have children. I
have some staff that have children at home. So, I’m just glad we were able to
kind of contain it as much as possible.”
Over the weekend, Detroit Pistons big man
Christian Wood, whose team had played against the Jazz on Mar. 7 tested
positive for coronavirus.
On Tuesday, four Brooklyn Nets players
have tested positive for coronavirus. ESPN has reported that one of the four
Nets testing positive for COVID-19 was perennial All-Star and two-time Finals
MVP Kevin Durant. There of the four Nets according to the organization have
shown no signs of symptoms. All four of the players are currently in isolation
and undergoing medical care from team doctors.
“The organization is currently notifying
anyone who has had known contact with the players, including recent opponents,
and is working closely with state and local health authorities on reporting.
All players and members of the Nets travel party are being asked to remain
isolated, closely monitor their health and maintain constant communication with
team medical staff.”
While other NBA games that night between
the New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, won by the Knicks 136-131; Charlotte
Hornets at Miami Heat, won by the Hornets 109-98; the Philadelphia 76ers won
versus the Pistons 124-106; and the Dallas Mavericks won versus Denver Nuggets
133-97 were able to conclude, the last contest with the New Orleans Pelicans at
the Sacramento Kings was canceled as the NBA season was suspended by NBA
Commissioner Adam Silver.
That was followed by the NCAA cancelling
the remainder of spring and winter championships, including the men’s and
women’s basketball tournaments.
Major League Baseball canceled the
remainder of spring training and moved back Opening Day at least two weeks, for
now.
The National Hockey League also suspended
their season and pro golf’s first major tournament of the year, The Masters,
which was scheduled for Apr. 9-12 has been postponed, with the remainder of the
Players Championship, Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, FL, WGC-Dell Match
Play Championship in Austin, TX, and Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, TX have
all been canceled.
Now, the NBA has sent a memo on Thursday
afternoon that starting this Friday all 30 NBA teams must close their practice
and training facilities to players and staff until further notice, a source
told ESPN.
Gobert, who was not in the arena was
reportedly out for the game because of illness, according to a report had said
in a statement a player—not identifying Gobert at that time—testing negative
for the flu, strep throat, and an upper respiratory infection.
The identified player’s symptoms, which
later was reported to be Gobert’s did diminish as the day went on, Oklahoma
Health Officials in getting this news decided to test him for COVID-19, which
came back positive, according to Oklahoma City KOCO-TV 5 news anchor Abigail
Ogle.
While Gobert was in Oklahoma City, he was
not in the arena and just before the game was about to tip-off, word came out
that Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, which led Donnie Strack, Director of
Medical Services for the Thunder rushed onto the court, grab the three
referee’s, the respective head coaches in Quin Snyder for the Jazz and Billy
Donovan of the Thunder, and Thunder assistant general manager Rob Hennigan, who
arrived to that huddle.
That led to a state of shock and confusion
inside Chesapeake Energy Arena as the players from both teams huddled by their benches
and the fans in the arena were simply shocked and confused as to why the game
had yet to tip off.
Moments later, the fans were told by the
public address announcer that the game was postponed and to leave the arena as
the game was canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
The fans that came to the game were not at
risk for the virus because it is spread only through respiratory droplets and
only those in close contact would be at risk, according to a tweet that was
sent from the Oklahoma City Department of Health.
The players were then escorted to their
respective locker room, where the Jazz team from the players, coaches to the
members of their entire travel party—as well as three local media members were
tested that night in their locker room.
While Thunder players and their staff were
able to depart the arena without having to go through coronavirus testing, the
Jazz were at the arena affectionately called “The Peak” remained there well
into the night and early morning.
Ogle said to Tamron Hall on “The Tamron
Hall Show” the last week that there was a chance that the Jazz could have been
quarantined for the night in the arena. It was not until little after 1:15 a.m.
they were allowed to board the team buses and traveled to one of the Oklahoma
City’s major hotels, which had to be completely shut down and cleaned and
disinfected.
This pandemic has not just had an affect
on the leagues, teams and players, it has also put a strain on the vendors, the
people who handle tickets, the support staff of the arenas who count on these
events to get paid to take care of themselves as well as provide for their
families.
With that gone for who knows how long, the
question for them is how will the be able to get paid to progress in life.
One person stepping to the plate is
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love who said last Friday that he
will be donating $100,000 of his own salary to the staff of Rocket Mortgage
Fieldhouse. The Cavaliers organization also said they will compensate those
employees for every event is still taking place.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ABC
News’ Linsey Davis on the Mar. 13 edition of “Nightline” that all employees
that work for the Dallas Mavericks, especially for the staff that works on gameday
at American Airlines Center will be compensated even if their season does
continue at some point.
“We’ll compensate them in advanced, even
if the games might be played in the future, we’ll still compensate them now so
they can pay their bills. And we’ll do that for arena employees for the Mavs
games and for hourly employees that work for the Mavericks that might not get
those hours,” Cuban said.
Mitchell told Roberts that he is working
on a partnership with the Salt Lake City Granite School District to provide
meals to the 66,000 kids of those 88 to 90 schools within that district of
Utah.
“That particular school district in Salt
Lake City is home to some of the most vulnerable children in Salt Lake,”
Mitchell said. “So, I just want to be able to just give back because like I
said, time will tell. You really don’t know. You can’t say. Doctors can’t
pinpoint a day. And so, for parents who might not have the money, you know? Not
being able to send their kids off to school to get food I think is a scary
feeling for them, and I want to be able to make sure that their set and they
understand that guys like myself and whoever may have their back.”
It was around this time a week ago the
idea was floating out there that we can still have the escape of sports to take
our minds away for at least a couple of hours in the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic. That all changed on Wednesday night, Mar. 11 when Utah Jazz center
Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus with his teammate Donovan Mitchell,
the Pistons Christian Wood, the Nets Kevin Durant and three other unnamed NBA
players that followed, along with two New York Yankee minor leaguers as well.
By the sports world being either suspended
or canceled has prevented more people from getting sick and has shown that the
sports world can keep perspective that our health and well-being is more
important than money.
Sports will be back in our lives
eventually. When that is, we have no idea. For now, we need to find ways to
keep busy and entertain ourselves as we battle this pandemic of COVID-19 that
simply put has brought a lot of perspective to what is important in our lives.
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 3/11/2020 www.espn.com story,
“Sources: Jazz Center Rudy Gobert Tests Positive For Coronavirus,” by Royce
Young; 3/12/2020 www.news9.com story, “Utah
Jazz Leave ‘The Peake’ After Coronavirus Testing,” by Caleb Califano; 3/12/2020
10 a.m. edition of “Tamron Hall Show,” with Tamron Hall; 3/13/2020 12:37 a.m.
edition of ABC News’ “Nightline,” with Byron Pitts, with report from Linsey
Davis; 3/13/2020 7 a.m. edition of ABC News “Good Morning America” with Cecilia
Vega, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, and Ginger Zee, with report from
T.J. Holmes; 3/16/2020 7 a.m. edition of ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” with
Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, and Ginger Zee, with
report from Paula Faris; 3/17/2020 5 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter” with
Kevin Negandhi and Nicole Briscoe, with report from ESPN NBA Senior Insider
Adrian Wojnarowski; 3/17/2020 5 p.m. edition of “WCBS 2 News at 5 p.m. with
Kristine Johnson;” 3/19/2020 www.espn.com
story, “Coronavirus Cancellations And Reactions In Sports;” and 3/19/2020 www.espn.com story, “Sources: NBA Directs Teams
To Close Practice Facilities,” by Tim Bontemps.
In the 2000 NFL Draft, the New England
Patriots selected a little-known quarterback at the time in the Sixth Round
(No. 199 overall) out of the University of Michigan. That quarterback would be
at the epicenter of what would become one of the greatest dynasties in not just
the history of the National Football League (NFL), but in the history of the
four major North American Sports. On Tuesday right before the start of NFL free
agency, that said quarterback said goodbye to the one and only franchise he played
two decades for.
After 20 seasons in Foxborough, MA future
Hall of Famer Tom Brady announced early Tuesday morning on his Twitter page
@TomBrady that he will not be returning to Patriots, making him an unrestricted
free agent.
“I wanted to say thank you to all of the
incredible fans and Patriots supporters. MA has been my home for twenty years.
It has truly been the happiest two decades I could have envisioned in my life
and I have nothing but love and gratitude for my time in New England,” Brady
said. “The support has been overwhelming-I wish every player could experience
it. My children were born and raised here and you always embraced this
California kid as your o0wn. I love your commitment and loyalty to your teams
and winning for our city means more than you will ever know. I can’t thank you
enough for the support of our team. The packed training camps and sold out
stadiums and mostly the victory parades. I have been so blessed to share them
with you all. I tried to represent us always in the best and most honorable
way, and I fought hard with my teammates to help bring victory and triumph even
in the most dire situations. You opened your heart to me, and I opened my heart
to you. And Pats Nation will always be a part of me. I don’t know what my football
future holds but it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and career.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I will always love you and what we
have shared-a lifetime full of fun memories.”
This is not the first time though that a
big-name signal caller has changed teams.
After playing 17 seasons for the then
Baltimore Colts (1956-72), the late Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas moved on to the
then San Diego, now Los Angeles Chargers, starting four games in 1973 before
retiring.
“Broadway” Joe Namath played his first 12
seasons with the New York Jets (1965-76), highlighted by a win in Super Bowl
III over the Unitas and the Colts, but was waived and joined the Los Angeles
Rams, where he started four games before retiring.
After 14 years with the San Francisco
49ers (1979-92), leading them to four Super Bowl wins, Hall of Famer Joe
Montana was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs, playing his final two seasons
(1993-94). Montana led the Chiefs to the AFC title game 1993.
The most recent famed signal caller to
change teams late in his career was Brett Favre who played 16 seasons with the
Green Bay Packers (1992-07), then played his final three seasons first with the
Jets and then the final two with NFC North Division rival Minnesota Vikings.
That was followed by future Hall of Famer
Peyton Manning, who after playing his first 13 seasons with the now
Indianapolis Colts (1998-2010), played four years with the Denver Broncos
(2012-15) after sitting out 2011 with a neck injury. Peyton helped to lead the Broncos
to victory in Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers, the franchises third
Vince Lombardi trophy and his second overall.
The conclusion to one of the most
successful runs of success an NFL franchise has by the Patriots led by Brady
and Coach Belichick had raises a lot of questions.
Why is the 42-year-old, six-time Super
Bowl champion and four-time Super Bowl MVP, and 14-time Pro Bowl selection leaving
the Patriots?
Maybe its because what was considered a
solid working partnership with the only head coach that he has ever had in his
20-year career with the Patriots Bill Belichick.
The last two years, Brady has his contract
adjusted with no years added on, which made the unthinkable of him not
concluding his career in the place that it began more possible and became a
reality, something that ESPN’s Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter brought up
during “NFL Monday Night Countdown” back in October.
Together, Brady and Belichick in 20
seasons together, the longest run in the history of the NFL, National
Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Hockey
League (NHL) history according to the Elias Sports Bureau, won six Super Bowl
titles in nine appearances on Super Sunday. They helped the Patriots win 17 AFC
East Division titles since Brady became the full-time starter in 2001, which
includes winning the last 11 in a row and never finishing worse than second in
the AFC East. To put that into context, the rest of the AFC East in the New
York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills have combined for just two AFC East
division crowns (Jets 2002: 9-7 record and Dolphins 2008: 11-5 record).
“Tom and I will always have a great
relationship built on love admiration, respect and appreciation,” Coach
Belichick said in a statement about Brady. “Tom’s success as a player and his
character as a person are exceptional. Nothing about the end of Tom’s Patriot
career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was. With his relentless
competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyone’s adoration and will be
celebrated forever. It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years.”
Belichick added, “Tom lived and
perpetuated our culture…he was a tone setter. He didn’t just win. He won
championships over and over again. He earned everyone’s adoration and will be
celebrated forever. He’s a special person and the greatest quarterback of
all-time. I’m extremely grateful for what he did for our team and me personally.”
That run of greatness in the regular season
consisted of a 219-64 mark, winning at least 10 games in 18 of those 20
seasons, including 17 straight seasons of winning at least 10 games, winning at
least 12 games in 12 of those seasons, which included their perfect 16-0 season
in 2007, where they lost 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants on
Feb. 3, 2008.
The postseason record was just as glistening
as the Patriots with Brady under center went 30-11, which included going 6-3 on
Super Bowl Sunday.
It is that kind of sterling run of success
is how longtime Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Kraft summed up the
emotions of Brady’s departure around the greater Boston area by saying in a
statement on Tuesday he was “very, very sad.”
Mr. Kraft also said when Brady visited him
at his home to break the news of his departure from the Patriots, “very
emotional. Sadness, but also great appreciation and love.”
Mr. Kraft added that his meeting with
Brady was a reflection of their relationship over two decades, relaying that
Brady told him that moving on was the best for him to do at this stage of his
career.
“I love him like a son,” Mr. Kraft told
ESPN’s Patriots reporter Mike Reiss following Brady’s announcement on Tuesday
morning. “Tommy initiated contact last night and come over. We had a positive,
respectful discussion. It’s not the way I want it to end, but I wanted him to
do what is in his best personal interest. After 20 years with us, he has earned
that right. I want him to do what is in his best personal interest.”
It is also fair to wonder that like Brady
said he just wanted a fresh start and a different lifestyle somewhere else as
he is on the back nine of his first ballot Hall of Fame career. On top of that,
perhaps he did not feel that the Patriots were no longer a legit championship
contender in his eyes after their loss in the American Football Conference
(AFC) Wild Card Game versus the eventual AFC runner-up in the Tennessee Titans
in January.
That now brings the question who will
Brady sign with as free agency is set to begin today at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time?
It has been reported that the L.A.
Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football Conference (NFC)
are front runners to land the three-time league MVP.
If Brady decides to sign with the
Chargers, he would be competing in the same division-AFC West with the reigning
league MVP Patrick Mahomes of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City
Chiefs.
Brady decides to sign with Buccaneers, he
would be competing in the same division-NFC South as former Super Bowl champion
and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees of the reigning division champion New Orleans
Saints, who they just agreed to a two-year, $50 million deal, according to
ESPN’s Diana Russini.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht
told Schefter that the organizations and Brady’s team have talked about a deal
as recently as Monday.
“We’re waiting to see what Tom decides
just like everybody else,” Licht said.
If the Bucs were to land Brady, they will
be a quarterback that will value each offensive possession unlike what Jameis
Winston did a season ago where he threw 30 touchdown passes, but also 30
interceptions, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to do so.
Since coming into the league, Winston has
turned the football over 23 more times than anyone else in the NFL. Brady on
the other hand threw an interception on just one percent of his passes last
season.
When Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was
asked if the Buccaneers could win with another quarterback he said, “We can win
with this one, we can definitely win with another one too.”
Over the course of his career, Coach
Arians has worked with some of the best at the quarterback position in future
Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger
of the Steelers and Carson Palmer.
You add to that wideouts in Mike Evans and
Chris Goodwin, both of whom had over 1,000 yards receiving a season ago, the
possibilities of what the Bucs offensive attack could look like are endless.
The other part that is makes this possible
partnership a great possibility, when Brady was drafted No. 199 overall in
2000, Licht was a member of the Patriots scouting department when that
occurred.
“I think naturally, I have a fragile confidence,”
Brady said to Chris Berman back in 2009 about feeling he always has something
to prove when he takes the field. “Not that I can play. Not that I can lead. I
want to go out there and prove it every day.”
According to Schefter as of Tuesday
morning Brady has not made a decision. There was no deal with a new team in
place. Brady was being open minded about the process of being a free agent.
“But I think when he comes out and makes a
statement the way he did on social media, it catches the attention of the
football world. And it opens up the eyes of everybody,” Schefter said on the
Tuesday evening edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter.”
“People in Tampa get nervous. People in
Los Angeles (CA) get nervous. People want answers and think he’s got something
in place but he doesn’t.”
“I think he recognized that he was going
to be moving on from New England. And rather than sign with a team within the
next 24, 48, 72 hours, whenever it is at some point this week, why not come
out, have a say and farewell to the team that he spent 20 years with and then
go ahead and begin his new journey, and his new adventure with a new
franchise.”
For the Patriots with Brady gone, the
question for them is who do they now go with at quarterback?
They have under contract now Jarrett
Stidham, who they drafted in Round 4 of the 2019 NFL Draft and journeyman Cody
Kessler. They might explore free agency to see what veteran quarterback they
can bring in to compete for the starting job via trade like possibly Winston;
Jacoby Brissett (Indianapolis Colts); Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals); and Cam
Newton (Carolina Panthers) or they may use one of their four picks in the first
100 of the upcoming draft at No. 23, 87, 98 or 100 to find their offensive
signal caller moving forward.
What we have to remember about the
Patriots is they are a team under the leadership of Coach Belichick and Mr.
Kraft that makes moves either in free agency or trades out of panic.
In moments like this, they have shown they
can play chess while the other 29 teams play checkers in a case like this.
The Patriots for sure have a plan in place
and they will follow that plan from start to finish, beginning with Stidham
getting his chance to earn the starting job and will find a veteran quarterback
they are comfortable with to add to the mix as well as draft a quarterback to
groom.
On Tuesday one of the greatest era’s in
NFL history concluded with Tom Brady announcing via Twitter that he was moving
on from the New England Patriots after being their quarterback for 20 seasons.
In those 20 seasons, he led them to as
mentioned six Vince Lombardi trophies, the most by a player in NFL history.
Those six Super Bowl titles are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most
in NFL history. Brady’s 30 total postseason wins are more than 27 other NFL
franchises won in their individual histories. Only the Steelers, Dallas
Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers have more playoff wins than
Brady has by himself.
Brady also in those 20 seasons with the
Patriots earned as mentioned 219 wins, the most in NFL history. Is second
all-time in passing yards and touchdown passes with 541 and 74,571, which are
also the most by a player with one team in NFL history.
For two decades the Patriots, led by Tom
Brady and Bill Belichick made magic together. Now that Brady and the Patriots
have ended their partnership, we will see how they progress moving forward with
Brady soon to sign with another team and the Patriots trying to find their
offensive signal caller for hopefully the next decade at least.
“Well, there’s nothing like it. And
there’s no way you can substitute what we do here in any other aspect to your
life,” Brady said to Berman in 2013. “I just feel that what’s important to me…I
have my family that is the most important, and football is the most important,
and depending on the time of day, you know, those go back and forth.”
He added about life after football, “What
do you mean after football? There’s nothing after football. This is what I was
born to do and this is what I enjoy doing more than anything else.”
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 3/17/2020 5 p.m. edition ESPN’s “Sportscenter” with Kevin
Neghandi and Nicole Briscoe, with reports from Adam Schefter, Mike Reiss, and
Chris Berman; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_NFL_season;
and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_NFL_season.
In their first meeting back on Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day on Jan. 20, the Boston Celtics dominated their archrivals from
Hollywood in the Los Angeles Lakers. In their second tilt in the “City of
Angels” the Lakers came with a much better effort and thanks to a last second
fadeaway in the closing seconds got the better in another classic between these
two championship organizations where a lot was learned about the two squads.
Thanks to a fadeaway jumper over the Celtics
Jaylen Brown with 30 seconds left, four-time Kia MVP and three-time Finals MVP
LeBron James put the Lakers (43-12) ahead 111-110 and would prevail over the
Celtics (39-17) 114-112 on Sunday afternoon.
For James it was his first go-ahead field
goal in the fourth quarter/overtime this season to help the Lakers earn their
fifth straight win overall and their third consecutive home win.
“Coach (Frank Vogel) drew up a play to try
to get me in that spot and I was able to get a catch,” James, who had 29 points,
eight rebounds, and nine assists versus the Celtics said of that eventual game-winning
to ESPN/ABC’s Lisa Salters after the win. “You know Jaylen Brown had been
playing me towards the baseline because I’ve been drop stepping all game. So, I
knew if I just gave him a little shimmy shake to the baseline, I can come back
middle and get my shot off and through the grace of God and a lot of hard work
I was able to knock it down.”
In their first meeting, where the Celtics
blew out the Lakers 139-107 on Jan. 20, James and six-time All-Star Anthony
Davis combined for 24 points, 11 rebounds on 8 for 19 from the field, with
James having 13 assists.
In the win on Sunday, James and Davis
brought their A+ games with what James putting up the aforementioned numbers he
did and Davis leading the way with 32 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks on 10
for 25 shooting, including 3 for 5 from three-point range and 9 for 12 from the
charity stripe.
“Every game is its own challenge, and we
knew it was going to be a playoff type of atmosphere today,” James, who went 9
for 19 from the field, including 4 for 10 from three-point range said postgame
at his locker to reporters. “One because of the rivalry. Two because of how
well they played against us in Boston. They beat the hell out of us there. And then
three just on the simple fact just two teams that have aspirations of holding
that trophy at the end of the season.”
For the Lakers to be that team holding
that trophy at the conclusion of this season, they will need Davis to perform
at the level he did today as the seven-time All-Star registered his 10th
game with at least 30 points on this season, which is the most since the late
Kobe Bryant did that for the Lakers in the 2007-08 season, where they made it
to The Finals and lost to the Celtics and Kevin Garnett, who was on hand to
watch the game, Pierce, Ray Allen and former Celtic, now Laker guard Rajon
Rondo in six games. Davis also had his sixth consecutive game of at least
25-plus points and 10-plus rebounds.
Davis really came throw down the stretch as
his third three-point make of the game put the Lakers ahead 108-105 with 2:10
left to play making two free throws with 12.3 seconds left in the regulation
and adding another with 6.7 seconds left that put the Lakers up 114-112.
“We know how big this rivalry is,” Davis
said to reporters at his locker postgame. “It goes way back, way before some of
us was even born. So, we wanted to make sure that we came in here and get the
win, especially after the way they beat us in Boston.”
The Celtics had two chances in the closing
seconds, but down by one (111-110), Brown pass to Jayson Tatum, who felt he was
fouled on a push by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went out of bounds, counting as a
turnover. Head Coach Brad Stevens contesting the called was issued a technical
foul.
After a missed free throw by Davis, the
Celtics final possession to try to tie the score with 06.7 seconds left ended
in a turnover on an offensive foul when Tatum was called for a push-off
attempting to create space for a last second shot against Caldwell-Pope.
It was a rough finish for Tatum, who had a
brilliant game with a career-high tying 41 points on 12 for 20 shooting,
including 4 for 7 from three-point range and 13 for 15 from the free throw
line.
The third-year pro out of Duke University
had 18 points in the second quarter and 18 points in the third quarter, but
just four points in the fourth period, and just six points over the final 18
minutes as he was guarded for much of that time by Caldwell-Pope.
“We tried to send another body at him,”
James said to Salters about the game plan to slow down Tatum. “He was killing
it in the iso-game tonight, getting to his step back threes, getting into the
lane. Making all his free throws. So just trying to change up a little,
different coverages and allowed us to get back into the game in the fourth.”
“You know, I know what I’m capable of, and
you know, my teammates know that,” Tatum said post game. “We know what each and
every guy can do in here but we just want to win at the end of the day.”
To put into perspective what Tatum did on
Sunday afternoon at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, the now 21-year-old,
who will turn 22 in March became the youngest player in the storied
Celtics/Lakers rivalry to score at least 40 points, surpassing former Celtic,
now ESPN/ABC studio analyst Paul Pierce, who scored 40 in a game against the
Lakers at age 23. Two Laker greats in “The Logo” in Hall of Famer Jerry West
and Hall of Famer to be in the late Kobe Bryant each scored 40 points against the
C’s at ages 23 and 24 respectably.
“It was a step in the right direction,” the
first-time All-Star said of his stellar performance against James and Davis. “I
definitely looked up to those guys and know how great they are individually, so
just trying to earn the respect of the guys I look up to.”
It was not enough against the dynamic duo
of James and Davis, who had their 15th game of each scoring at least
25 points each, which is the most by a Lakers duo since Bryant and Hall of
Famer and current NBATV/NBA on TNT studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal did it 29 times
in 2002-03. The Lakers are 13-2 so far this season when that occurs.
What this game also showed up close is the
value of having a supporting cast around your star players.
The Lakers in the victory over the Celtics
got 43 points from their bench, with Kyle Kuzma scoring 16 of those points,
while reserve center in eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard had 10 points and
seven rebounds.
That said, the Lakers did add more depth
to their reserves with the announcement about 90 minutes after the game that
they signed forward Markieff Morris, after he was bought out of his contract by
the Detroit Pistons on Friday after they waived injured four-time All-Star DeMarcus
Cousins.
While the Celtics got from the rest of the
starting five alongside Tatum in 20 points, six rebounds and three steals from
Brown; 16 points and nine boards from Daniel Theis; 14 points, seven rebounds
and two steals from Marcus Smart and 10 points and nine rebounds from Gordon Hayward,
they only got 11 points from their reserves of Grant Williams, Brad Wanamaker
and Romeo Langford.
That in full effect symbolizes the absence
of All-Star guard Kemba Walker, who missed his second straight game with left
knee soreness. The Celtics are now 7-3 without Walker in the lineup so far this
season.
“It was about who wanted it more,” Davis
said. “With or without Kemba, they’re a tough team. They’ve proven they can win
without him. To play a team like that in a playoff atmosphere is something you
want. We just stayed with it. We know how big this rivalry is.”
Also, the Celtics were outrebounded by the
Lakers 59-52, including 11-8 on the offensive glass, with the Lakers winning
the battle in second chance points 18-8.
The Lakers also dominated the Celtics in the
paint outscoring them 54-44 and scored 20 points off 17 turnovers by the
visitors from “Beantown.”
The Celtics and Lakers has been not just
one of the best rivalries in the National Basketball Association but one of the
best and timeless in professional sports. That is especially the case when both
teams are playing at a high level and have a legitimate chance to compete for
the championship, which is the case this season.
James told Salters during his postgame
interview how six-time Kia MVP and six-time NBA champion with the Lakers and
Milwaukee Bucks came to the Lakers practice facility on Saturday where he talked
about the rivalry itself between the Lakers and Celtics, and how important it
is for the current Lakers led by James and Davis to appreciate being a part of
it and establishing their own legacy in it.
“Being a Laker, playing against the
Celtics. Seeing all the battles they had all the way since the (19)50s to now,
it’s just an honor for me personally to be in a Laker uniform playing against a
historical franchise like the Celtics and being with a historical franchise
like the Lakers.”
The rivalry took on a very special meeting
on Sunday because the second meeting of this season between the Celtics and
Lakers occurred just 24 hours before the public funeral service for the late
Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away along with his 13-year-old daughter
Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles early
Sunday morning Jan. 26 West Coast time.
At the game on Sunday, the legendary
11-time champion with the Celtics Bill Russell was in attendance at Staples
Center wearing a Bryant No. 24 jersey.
“I mean, that’s the respect,” James said
to Salters about that great gesture done by Mr. Russell. “At the end of the day,
we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna battle. We’re gonna test each other. We’re gonna
cuss each other out, while we in battle. But at the end of the day, when you
respect your opponent, and you give your all that you can, the respect is
mutual.”
“And to see Bill Russell giving respect to
Kobe, we would do exactly the same on this side. So, it’s a beautiful afternoon.
A beautiful Sunday afternoon.”
Last month, the Boston Celtics blew the
Los Angeles Lakers out in the first tilt between the two franchises that have
won 17 and 16 Larry O’Brien trophies respectively. In the second tilt, the
Lakers led by Anthony Davis and LeBron James outlasted the gritty C’s, who got
a stellar carrier-high tying performance from previously mentioned first-time
All-Star Jayson Tatum.
They finished their two-game season-series
at 1-1 and the only hope is that they meet again in the NBA Finals for the 14th
time this June.
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 2/23/2020 3:30 p.m. “Boston Celtics versus Los Angeles Lakers”
on NBA on ABC Sunday Showcase, presented by Mtn. Dew with Mike Breen, Jeff Van
Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Lisa Salters; https://www/nba.com/games/20200223/BOSLAL/#/matchup/boxscore/recap;
https://www.espn.com/nba/teamstats/boxscore/recap?gameid=401161484;
2/24/2020 12:30 a.m. ESPN news crawl and “Sportscenter” with Michael Eaves and
John Anderson; and 2/24/2020 1 a.m. edition NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by
Kia with Chris Miles, Rex Chapman, and Stan Van Gundy.
The Brooklyn Nets made a major splash the
summer of 2019 when they netted two perennial NBA All-Stars in free agency.
Coming into this season, the Nets new they would be without one of them as he
recovers from injury. Now they will be without both their big catches in free
agency over the summer.
After visiting a shoulder specialist the
past few days, Brooklyn Nets (25-28) six-time All-Star lead guard Kyrie Irving
will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder that will put him on the
shelf the rest of this season, General Manager Sean Marks announced on Thursday
night before their national televised contest at the Philadelphia 76ers (34-21)
on TNT.
“Last few days visiting with a specialist
and it’s been determined that he will have arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder
and be out for the remainder of the season,” Marks said. “So, he’s obviously
upset about this, and we are here to support him, support the process moving
forward with him and the rehabilitation. He saw specialist including our own
people at HSS, and it’s been a group consensus at this point in time in this
juncture is the best course of action.”
Irving, who joined the Nets in free agency
this past summer on a four-year, $141 million deal had played in just 20 games
this season.
The West Orange, NJ native missed 26 games
from Nov. 16, 2019-Jan. 12 because of an impingement in that right shoulder.
When Irving has been in the lineup this
season, he has played at an All-Star level individually averaging a career-high
27.4 points, 6.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds on 47.8 percent from the field and
39.4 percent from three-point range.
“I’ve said this before: He was better than
I ever thought, a better player than I thought, and I had tremendous respect
for him in Cleveland and Boston,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said about his
impression of Irving this season. “Faster than I thought, more skilled than I
thought, a higher-level competitor than I thought, much more physical than I
thought. I don’t think people give him enough credit for how physical he is on
both ends; how active he is defensively and what an attacker he is. That bodes
really well for the future.”
Coach Atkinson added about Irving, “I
really love the player, and I feel like we have a really good relationship. So,
we’re in a good place there. Obviously, you want more reps, more time with him,
but we’ll have time with him in the offseason, too, to connect and, when he
gets healthy, to work with him a little bit.”
Those great numbers by Irving when he has
played have only equated to an 8-12 mark for the Nets when he has been in the
lineup in those said 20 games. With out him overall, the Nets are 17-16, but
they began 9-5 early on without Irving, but have gone 8-12 since.
This also makes now five straight seasons
Irving has missed a bunch of games because of injury. He missed 29 games in
total in his next to last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016-17. Irving
missed 10 games in 2016-17 season with the Cavaliers as well as 10 games in the
2017-18 season in his first year with the Boston Celtics, which includes their
19 postseason games where they fell one game short of reaching the NBA Finals.
In his last season with the C’s in 2018-19, Irving missed 15 games due to
injury.
Irving did return from that right shoulder
impingement in mid-January following a cortisone shot.
Irving had been on the shelf the last five
games before the All-Star with a sprained right knee sustained late in the
fourth quarter of the Nets 113-107 loss at the Washington Wizards on Feb. 1.
It was determined at that time with the
other prized free agent signing of two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant still out
recovering from a ruptured right Achilles sustained Game 5 in the 2019 Finals
in June 2019 that having Irving play through the pain in his shoulder was not
worth risking his left long term and that having surgery now was the best
course of action. Taking another cortisone shot was one option that was not on
the table, according to Marks.
“I think we look at our players’ long-term
health as the No. 1 priority,” Mark also said to reporters on Thursday. “Kyrie
has been adamant like the rest of us that he would take one cortisone shot and
see how it goes.”
“We are looking at the big picture here.
We are not looking at the next 2-3 months. We are looking at the next 2-3
years.”
There was a possibility for Irving to have
surgery on that right shoulder during his initial absence. The organization and
Irving came to the conclusion that getting a cortisone shot and see how his
shoulder responded was the best path in hopes of Irving avoiding having to go
under the knife altogether.
“A cortisone shot lasts as long as it
can,” Irving said to reporters on Jan. 4. “You either continue to get cortisone
shots, which is obviously detrimental to your health and your muscles, or you
go get arthroscopic surgery. For me, it’s just about being able to go back out
there after the right amount rehab, the right amount of rest and recovery and
see what we can do for the rest of the season and then reevaluate after a few
months.”
Thursday’s announcement closes the door on
a disappointing first season for Irving with the Nets, where he played well at
times, which included scoring 55 points in his new team debut in the
season-opening 127-126 overtime loss versus the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-37),
but has seen him also spend a one-third of this season watching games in street
clothes alongside Durant, who in an interview earlier in the week with
“Bleacher Report,” ruled out returning to the game action this season, even
with video surfacing of him working out on the court shooting and looking
great, and healthy.
The Nets had hoped to figure out how to
fit Irving alongside Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert and Joe Harris ahead of
Durant’s return for the 2020-21 season will have to reach the playoffs for the
second consecutive season.
Right now, the Nets occupy the No. 7 spot
in the Eastern Conference, leading the No. 8 Seeded Orlando Magic (24-31) by two
games, three games on the loss side; lead the No. 9 Seeded Washington Wizards
(20-33) and the No. 10 Seeded Chicago Bulls (19-36) five and seven games
respectably.
Dinwiddie has played exceptionally well as
a starter in place of Irving, averaging 22.1 points and 7.2 assists in 38
starts this season.
“That’s part of what makes it tough with
the injuries, right? They lead very well by example in terms of their work with
their rehab. Their championship acumen. All their previous experiences. It just
would obviously be nice if they were playing,” Dinwiddie said during All-Star weekend
to “NBA: The Jump’s” Rachel Nichols, Scottie Pippen, and Tracy McGrady on Feb.
14.
LeVert who missed 24 games from Nov.
14,2019-Jan. 4 with a injured right thumb that required surgery has scored
20-plus in four of his last five games, including a career-high of 37 points on
12 for 18 from the field, including a career-best six made threes in seven
tries.
Along with the Nets needing consistent
play from Dinwiddie, LeVert, and Harris, they will also need for the likes of
Taurean Prince, who the Nets signed to a contract extension before the start of
this season, Jarrett Allen, Garrett Temple, and DeAndre Jordan to raise their
level of play as well.
If there is one thing that has been made
very clear is from the perspective of the players is, they have complete trust
and respect for the leadership that Durant and Irving have shown as they have
rehabbed their injuries to get back on the court.
“Well obviously he’s won a championship.
So, he knows what it’s like to play at that very highest level and he instills
that type of work ethic in the groups and that type of long-term focus which is
big time,” Dinwiddie said. “And obviously one of the most dynamic scorers in
the league. So, he just raises our talent level from where we previously were
as a group, as a whole, right? Him and K.D., they’re two elite level talents.”
Coach Atkinson did admit that Irving being
ruled out for the rest of this season will force the Nets to start from square
one in building their roster once Irving and Durant return next season.
“I think that’s the big thing,” he said.
“You wanted some time to work things out, work on our continuity and obviously
work on the chemistry of the team and how we’re going to use him (Irving).
That’s the disappointing part. We’re not going to have that opportunity. We’ll
have to start fresh next season and figure it out quickly. But that is the
disappointing part.”
Hearing that and what Coach Atkinson said
earlier about Irving is a surprising consider the fact that after a 117-106
loss versus the 76ers on Jan. 15 on ESPN said that the Nets were lacking in the
necessary pieces on their roster to be a championship caliber team.
“We have complimentary young guys as well
who’ve done a great job for the last three years,” Irving said. “So,
collectively I feel like we have great pieces, but obviously—it’s pretty
glaring that we need one more piece or two pieces to compliment myself, K.D.,
D.J., G.T., Spence, Caris and, you know, we’ll see how it evolves.”
It is those kinds of statements, fair or
unfair that really made his former teammates with the Boston Celtics turn their
noses up at him a season ago. That said Coach Atkinson has confidence that this
team is better with him and Durant on the court and that is something they hope
can manifest itself next season, even though they will have to start that
process from square one.
“I don’t know if there’s enough,
especially when you throw Kevin into the mix,” he said. “I think it’s going to
be a different structure, a different chemistry, different rotations.”
This season began for the Brooklyn Nets
with major optimism with the additions of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Perennial All-Stars and NBA champions. The thoughts of having them and them
bringing a title to New York were put on serious hold with Durant being
declared out for the season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles.
With the lead the Nets have over the
aforementioned Magic and the Wizards, and Bulls for the No. 7 spot in the East,
the Nets will make the playoffs, but it looks like they will have an early exit
against either the current No. 2 Seeded Toronto Raptors (40-15) or the East
leading Milwaukee Bucks (46-8).
The hope now is that Durant and Irving can
come back for the 2020-21 season healthy and clear headed on helping turn the
Nets into a serious title contender.
“Ky is one of the most positive people I’ve
ever been around this whole process of me knowing him, meeting him since he signed.
I’m sure it’s just another testament to his look” Price said about Irving to
the New York Post earlier this week. “It’s time for other guys to step
up and be the players that they feel they want to be along with trying to help
us win as many games as possible down the stretch.”
They also have to decide if they want to
re-sign Harris, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and if they
want to give a contract extension to Allen.
GM Marks will have to make these decisions
over this summer without having seen the full roster perform on the court for a
full season.
“I’d be lying if I said I wish all our
guys weren’t healthy for the whole time. It’s been kid of a roller-coaster
year,” Marks said about this season for the Nets. “We’ve had Caris out as well.
So, we’ve had multiple guys who’ve had these strange, unforeseen injuries.”
“But I have the utmost confidence in our
performance staff, our doctors, all these specialists we’ve used as well. And
also, the guys. The guys have fought hard with their rehab and obviously that’s
led by Kevin over the course of the last four or five months while he’s been a Net.”
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 2/3/2020 3 p.m. edition “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel
Nichols, Jackie MacMullan, and Scottie Pippen; 2/14/2020 3 p.m. edition “NBA:
The Jump,” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Michael Wilbon, Scottie Pippen, and
Tracy McGrady; 2/20/2020 6 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “The Warmup,” presented by
Ford with Stephanie Ready, Quentin Richardson, and Channing Frye; 2/20/2020 www.espn.com story, “Kyrie Irving To Have
Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery; Nets ‘Looking at Big Picture,’” by Tim
Bontemps; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/bkn;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/gamelog/_/id/6442/kyrie-irving;
and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrie_Irving.
The Atlanta Hawks entered this season with
hopes of competing to make the playoffs this spring. Those hopes were dashed
with the suspension of their starting power forward, early season injury to
their starting shooting guard and their inability to consistently defend. Those
unfortunate happenings have put a damper on a stellar sophomore season by the
Hawks starting lead guard With a trade to add depth to their backcourt and then
to their front court at the trade deadline, and a solid stretch of home games
to finish out this season, there is some optimism in the ATL for better days
ahead.
The Hawks (15-41), who the second half of
the season on Thursday night versus the Southeast Division rival the Miami Heat
(39-15) have not had a lot to cheer about this season. But the one bright spot
has been the play of second-year floor general Trae Young.
Last season, the No. 5 overall pick out of
the University of Oklahoma, whose draft rights were acquired on the night in the June 2018
draft by the Hawks from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for No. 3 overall pick
Luka Doncic has increased his numbers going from averages of 19.1 points, and 8.1 assists making 1.9 three-pointers per
game on an average of 32.4 percent as a rookie last season to 29.7 points (No.
3 in NBA) and 9.2 assists (No. 2 in NBA), making 3.5 three-pointers per game on
an average of 36.9 percent. Young is also No. 2 in free throws made per game at
7.8 and in fourth quarter points at 8.7 per game.
The first time All-Star selection, who had
10 points and 10 rebounds for Team Giannis in the 69th annual NBA
All-Star Game on Sunday has had 27 games scoring 30 points or more, including
an Eastern Conference leading nine games scoring 40-plus. He has registered 21
double-doubles so far this season, including two triple-doubles.
“I just think the game has slowed down a
lot for me,” Young said on Feb. 13 to the “NBA: The Jump” crew of Rachel
Nichols, Scottie Pippen, and Tracy McGrady. “Things that I was able to see in
my first year. Just able to really reflect on myself this offseason. I knew
going into my second year what to work on.”
“Coming in as a rookie, you don’t necessarily
know what to work on going into your first year. But the game has slowed down
for me and it’s definitely elevated my game.”
One of the big reasons early on is the
fact that they did not have the other half of their one-two punch in John
Collins for a 25-game suspension by the league for violating the anti-drug
policy. The Hawks, who were 2-3 at the time of Collins suspension went 4-21
without him and basically saw their playoff dreams go up in smoke.
He has since his return from the suspension
been terrific averaging 27.6 points and 12.2 rebounds on 64.9 percent from the
field the last 11 games.
The team also lost sharp shooting
second-year guard Kevin Huerter for 11 straight games from the middle of
November to early December 2019 due to a left rotator cuff strain. Reserve guard
DeAndre Bembry has been on the shelf in recent games because of right hand neuritis.
On Jan. 16 Hawks GM Travis Schlenk added
some necessary depth and veteran presence in the Hawks locker room in
unrestricted free agent to be in guard Jeff Teague, who played for the Hawks
from 2009-16 and is No. 5 on their all-time list in assists.
Teague’s addition will the Hawks to get
better guard play when Young is taken a breather on the bench.
At the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Hawks
added another young guard to groom in Derrick Walton, Jr.
The Hawks also added at the trade deadline
depth to their front court first with the acquisition of first Skal Labissiere
from the Portland Trail Blazers along with cash considerations. Then acquired
center Clint Capela from the Rockets and center Dewayne Dedmon, his second
stint with the Hawks, along a couple of Second-Round pick for Jabari Parker and
Alex Len.
In Capela, the Hawks get a young big man
who has averaged a double-double the last three seasons while shooting over 60
percent from the field four consecutive seasons. He is averaging 13.9 points,
13.8 rebounds (No. 4 in NBA) and a career-high 1.8 blocks in 39 games with the
Rockets on 62.9 percent shooting.
“(Young) puts a lot of rhythm on the
offense,” Capela said about playing with Young last week upon his arrival to
the Hawks. “It’s definitely the way I like to play. We definitely should be
able to make some magic together.
Both Labissiere and Capela are out now
with plantar fasciitis in his heel and a left knee injury respectably, and Capela
will miss two more weeks with that aforementioned injury.
The Hawks say that Capela, who has not
played in a game since Jan. 29 while with the Rockets because of the injury
began “participating in modified shooting while continuing non-impact
conditioning and strength work as part of his rehabilitation.”
Hawks also said that Labissiere, who has
been on the shelf since Dec. 28, 2019 while with the Trail Blazers will be
re-evaluated in two weeks.
“It’s going to be big for us,” Young said
to the NBA on TNT crew before the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago Sunday
night about the acquisitions at the trade deadline, especially of Capela. “Two
things we’ve struggled at this year is on the defensive end and rebounding. So,
that’s two of the main things Clin can really add for us. He’s gonna be a
really good piece for us.”
Dedmon began his second stint with the
Hawks producing 10 points, eight boards and five block shots off the bench in
the 140-135 win versus the New York Knicks (17-38) on Feb. 9. He followed that
up with 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in the 135-126 loss at the Orlando
Magic (24-31) the next night. He had seven points, four rebounds, three blocks,
three steals in the 127-105 loss at the Cleveland Cavaliers (14-40) on Wednesday
right before the All-Star break.
“It’s a good feeling coming back to somewhere
I’m familiar with the coaching staff,” Dedmon told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution
last week. “I’m excited.”
What these moves have shown is that the
Hawks’ front office is that they want to put themselves in a much better
position to get back to the playoffs and hopefully a championship in the future
led by Young, Collins, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, and DeAndre Hunter.
They will a great opportunity to build
momentum for next season with 15 of their final 26 games of the 2019-20 season
at State Farm Arena, including six of their final seven games where a number of
Draft Lottery combinations could be up for grabs as in those final six games
will have the Hawks going up against the Hornets twice, the Detroit Pistons and
Cleveland Cavaliers.
“We’re all trying to figure out a way to
help this team, this organization get better,” Young said to the “NBA: The
Jump” crew of Rachel Nichols, Scottie Pippen, and Tracy McGrady on Feb. 13 at
NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, IL. “So, I trust our front office in making
the moves and they made some moves already.”
“Obviously it’s been a tough season, I
mean, last year and this year so far-we’ve haven’t been able to really find
that edge to help us win and a lot of people are going to look at the fact that,
I mean, we’re super young,” Young said to Nichols, Pippen, and McGrady. “But I
mean, I’m just trying to help our team win. Trying to figure out a way and it
will come.”
Information,
statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 1/16/2020 www.nba.com story “2019-20 Midseason Report
Cards: Eastern Conference,” by Sekou Smith; https://www.nba.com/games/20190209/NYKATL#/preview/recap;
2/13/2020 3 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Michael
Wilbon, Scottie Pippen, Paul Pierce, and Tracy McGrady; 2/16/2020 6 p.m. NBA on
TNT “NBA: Tip-Off,” presented by Autotrader with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith,
Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; https://www.espn.com/nba/standings;
https://www.nba.com/2019-20-trade-tracker;
2/19/2020 www.nba.com
story, “Schedule Analysis: Breaking Down The Final 2 Months for Every Team,” by
John Schuhmann; 2/20/2020 7:30 p.m. “Miami Heat versus Atlanta Hawks,” on FOX
Sports Southeast with Bob Rathbun, Dominique Wilkins, and Andre Aldridge; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/2580913/dewayne-dedmon;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4066372/kevin-huerter;
https://www.espn.com/nba/players/gamelog/_/id/3908845/john-collins;
and https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4277905/trae-young.
At the start of this calendar year, the
National Basketball Association (NBA) lost too soon two of the most important
men in the sport. We said goodbye to who many consider the greatest
commissioner in professional sports history and then even more tragically to
one of the greatest to ever grace the NBA hardwood, who had a major impact on
today generation of not just players but coaches, fans and even members of the
media. Those two men were celebrated an honored at the 2020 All-Star Weekend in
Chicago, IL.
The celebrations of the life of NBA
Commissioner Emeritus David Stern, who headed the league from 1984-2014 and
passed away on Jan. 1 from a brain hemorrhage suffered on Dec. 12, 2019 and
18-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, who along with his
13-year-old daughter Gianna, pilot Ara Zobayan, Sarah Chester and her daughter
Payton; John Altobelli and his wife Keri, and daughter Alyssa, and Christina
Mauser, who all tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA
on Jan. 26 began on Friday at the 2020 All-Star Celebrity Game on ESPN at the
Wintrust Arena, home of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky with a 24.2 second countdown, as
the 24 represented the number Bryant wore in the last 10 seasons of his NBA
career and the 2 represented his second daughter’s jersey number.
Before that began, ESPN television
personalities and head coaches for the celebrity game in Stephen A. Smith, host
of ESPN’s weekday morning show “First Take” and Chicago native, and
Northwestern University graduate Michael Wilbon each gave their thoughts on the
losses of Commissioner Stern and Bryant before tip-off.
“The NBA lost two legends recently. One
who made his mark on the league and the world off the court. The other whose
name synonymous with basketball greatness,” Mr. Smith said about Commissioner
Stern and Bryant.
Mr. Wilbon then followed by saying that
Bryant and Commissioner Stern were “two men who changed the NBA and the great
game of basketball globally in ways only legends could. They will forever be
missed, but certainly never forgotten. Thank you, David, [Stern], and Kobe
[Bryant].”
The speeches by Mr. Wilbon and Mr. Smith
were followed by the crowd inside the arena and the participants in the
celebrity game on the court chanting, “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!”
That is the kind of respect deserving for
a great player who earned 18 consecutive All-Star selections (most all-time) in
his 20-year career all with the Lakers, second only to the 19 another Lakers
great in Hall of Famer and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer at 38,387 points
in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant was tied with four-time Kia MVP and now 16-time
All-Star LeBron James for most All-Star games started with 15 until James
passed him when the All-Star starters were announced on Jan. 23 on TNT. Bryant
is tied with Hall of Famer Bob Pettit for most All-Star Game MVPs with four
(2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011). His 292 points in the unofficial mid-season
classic with 292 points scored. His 38 total steals in the All-Star Game and 10
offensive rebounds in a game are the most all-time.
That appreciation and respect was also
shown about two hours later before the NBA Rising Stars Challenge at the United
Center when Bryant’s former teammate that he won back-to-back titles with and
former Chicago Bull Pau Gasol and perennial WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA
champion of the Seattle Storm Sue Bird shared their feelings about Bryant and
Mr. Stern.
“David and Kobe’s contributions to the
NBA, the WNBA, to the game of basketball-it’s impossible to measure,” Bird said
to the audience. “We literally would not be standing here right now without
David whose brainchild was the NBA All-Star Game. And Kobe, 18 All-Star
appearances, four MVPs and an epic Dunk Contest win. Like their impact on the
court and on the game, they’ll never be forgotten.”
Gasol added that the game of basketball is
a global game and that is mainly thanks to Mr. Stern and Bryant saying that he
was “proud” to have worked alongside of both them, and even more proud to call
them friends.
Before both Team USA and Team World took
the court for the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, the head coach of the team in
Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy wrote “Mamba Mentality” on the whiteboard on
the locker room.
“You know were going to have some fun with
it. But I really want everybody to just carry this tonight man,” Handy said
when he wrote “Mamba Mentality” on the board in reference to Bryant.
“Everybody. Whether you had a chance to know that man or not, spend some time
with him, anytime he stepped on the floor he played.”
To put into context those 18 appearance in
the All-Star Game by Bryant, the first one was on Feb. 8, 1998 at Madison
Square Garden in New York City at age 19, the youngest to ever do it. The year
before that, he won the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which was on the heels of
scoring 31 points with eight rebounds in what was called then the Rookies
versus Sophomores Game in Cleveland, OH.
“It means the world to me. This is my
first All-Star Game. Playing here in New York City with all these great
basketball players. It’s an incredible feeling,” Bryant said then to NBC’s Jim
Gray.
He shared the floor on that night with the
great Michael Jordan, the man he is most compared to. His teammate for eight
years that he won three straight titles with (2000-02) in Hall of Famer and
current NBA on TNT studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal and former Lakers Nick Van
Exel, and Eddie Jones. Fellow Hall of Famer of the Indiana Pacers and current
NBA on TNT color analyst Reggie Miller. Former San Antonio Spur Tim Duncan and
former Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin
Garnett, and NBATV studio analyst and Hall of Famer as well Grant Hill.
“When I was a kid watching the All-Star
Games I always wondered, what went on behind the scenes,” Bryant said. “What
did the players do? How its like back in the locker room.”
“And to now be a part of it, I know the
ins and outs and, you know how things, you know, what goes on and man, it’s
fun. I’m still like a kid in a candy store when I sit back and watch so many
great players.”
As great as the moments were seeing Bryant
shine on the with his play at the All-Star Game, it was those small moments
interacting with the likes lacing up his sneakers getting ready for the game.
Sharing the team photo with his All-Star teammates or interacting with them on
the bench, whether that is laughing and smiling with them, to his interactions
with the legends of the game in Jordan and fellow Hall of Famers Dominque
Wilkins and Bill Russell.
One time at an All-Star Game, the 11-time
NBA champion with the Boston Celtics told Bryant one amazing compliment about
his play on the hardwood saying, “Couldn’t be more prouder of you if you were
my own son.”
Perhaps the proudest memory of Bryant
during his All-Star career was his final one in 2016 in Toronto, Ontario where
we saw him right before the introduction of the teams and he was with his late
daughter Gianna, who was age 6 at the time giving her a hug and kiss.
What also took place at that All-Star Game
in 2016 about Bryant, which Mark Jones said during intermission of the All-Star
celebrity game is that watched Bryant very “eloquently and fluently” talk
answer questions from the press first in Italian for 15 minutes, then in
Spanish for 20 minutes, and then in English for half an hour.
That moment Jones said brought into clear
focus that Bryant’s influence and impact was not just here in the United States
but the whole world.
“I just want to thank you guys for all of
your support for all these years. I’ve just been extremely fortunate to be able
to play the game that I love. And be in the NBA for over half my life,” Bryant
said to the then Air Canada Centre, now Scotiabank Arena audience that night of
Feb. 14, 2016. “It’s a thrill for me to be here in this All-Star Game. To get a
chance to be around these young players here. Be able to speak to them about
the game. Share some of that knowledge that I’ve learned throughout my career.
And so, they can carry on the tradition of the NBA. Want to thank you guys.”
TNT studio host for “Inside the NBA”
mentioned something pretty remarkable on Thursday night during the pregame show
that all four three players to ever win All-Star Game MVP are no longer with
us. Hall of Famers, George Mikan, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlin and now Kobe
Bryant.
Ed Macauley, Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy,
aforementioned Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry
Lucas, Adrian Smith, Rick Barry, Hal Greer, Willis Reed, Jerry West, Dave
Cowens, Bob Lanier, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Dave Bing, Julius “Dr. J.” Erving,
Randy Smith, David Thompson, George Gervin, Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Larry Bird,
Isiah Thomas, Ralph Sampson, Tom Chambers, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Charles
Barkley, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen,
Mitch Richmond, Glen Rice, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson,
Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Oklahoma City
Thunder’s Chris Paul, Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving, Houston Rockets’ Russell
Westbrook, and Lakers’ Anthony Davis have all won All-Star Game MVP.
“That’s what All-Star Weekend is like for
me. It’s watching your favorite trading cards just walk around right next to
each other,” Smith said on Thursday night. “It realizes how early he was
taken.”
In the lead up to the 69th
Annual NBA All-Star Game, the NBA announced that the All-Star trophy would be
named in Kobe Bryant’s honor.
Before tip-off of the 69 unofficial
mid-season classic, five-time NBA champion with the Lakers and perennial
All-Star Earvin “Magic” Johnson alongside the 2020 All-Star Game participants
addressed the audience about the passing of Mr. Stern and Bryant, who had a
major impact on the league, the fanbase and to all communities across the US.
Mr. Johnson called David Stern one of the
“greatest commissioners” that any league has ever seen.
He talked about how when Mr. Stern allowed
him to play in the 1992 All-Star Game in Orlando, FL after Johnson announced he
had announced he was HIV positive. Not only did that moment Johnson said
“saved” his life but saved the lives of millions of others that were living
with HIV across the globe.
“He allowed players like myself and all
these players to be households all over the world,” Johnson said to the United
Center audience. “Thank God we have his vision was to have the NBA be a global
game, and now look how many international players we have playing in the NBA
today. It’s made the game better because of that.”
In his reflections on Bryant, who has both
his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys hanging in the rafters of the Lakers home arena in
Los Angeles, CA the Staples Center, Johnson said that we will never see another
basketball player quite like him who scored 81 points in a game back in 2006,
the 2nd most ever in an NBA game. Scoring 60 points in the last game
of his NBA career in 2016 and led the Lakers to five NBA titles.
As great as Bryant was on the hardwood,
Johnson said what he was most proud of Bryant was his dedication he had off the
court in how fought every day to get millions of homeless people in L.A. a
place to live, which he did with a passion.
“He was also passionate about being a
great father, husband, filmmaker. The young man won an Oscar,” Johnson said.
Johnson then asked the audience and the
players that were behind him to hold hands and be silent for eight seconds, in
remembrance for the first jersey Bryant wore.
That was followed by a moving video
tribute and musical performance by Academy Award-winning, Grammy Award-winning,
and Golden Globe Award-winning artist and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson that
brought the crowd to tears.
The 24 participants in Sunday’s All-Star
Game all wore jerseys that dawned on the upper left corner a patch with nine
stars that represented each victim of that helicopter crash that took the life
of Bryant and his daughter and the aforementioned seven others. The team led
captained by 16-time All-Star LeBron James had the players wore jerseys with
the No. 2 in honor of Gianna, and the squad captained by four-time All-Star of
the Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo wore jerseys with the No. 24 in honor
of Bryant.
At the game’s conclusion, the newly named
Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP, which was announced earlier in the week went to
four-time All-Star of the Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard, who had 30 points
and seven rebounds, going 11/18 from field, including 8 for1 4 from three-point range in helping Team LeBron
reach the target score first of 157 points beating Team Giannis by that total
of 157-155.
“It means a lot to me. You know, words can’t
even explain just making this the first Kobe Bryant MVP trophy” Leonard said to
NBA on TNT’s Ernie Johnson during the trophy ceremony. “You know, I want to
thank Kobe for everything he’s done for me. All the long talks and workouts,
you know? Thank you. This one’s for him.”
There were a fan in the audience that NBA
on TNT showed at the conclusion of the game that had jacket in tribute to
Bryant with the numbers No. 8 and 24 on the left sleeve, and the back that said,
“Legends Never Die.”
The anchors and television personalities for NBATV and the NBA on TNT the microphones they used during All-Star weekend, had the numbers No. 8 or No. 24 in honor of Bryant or the No. 24 and No. 2 in honor of Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
Sideline reporter for the TNT during the All-Star Game Allie LaForce sleeves on her suit had the nine stars to pay tribute to the nine people that passed away tragically, including Bryant and his second oldest daughter in the aforementioned helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles three weeks ago Sunday.
"9 stars for #kobe4ever, Gigi, and the 7 over beautiful humans we tragically lost," LaForce said on her Twitter page @ALaForce. "That, and a game featuring hundreds of thousands of dollars going to worthy Chicago charities. Plus, REALLY good basketball players [crying and OK emoji]. Here we go CHICAGO!"
At the start of this calendar year, the
NBA family lost longtime Commissioner David Stern and then 25 days later
tragically lost Kobe Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los
Angeles Lakers and his second oldest daughter Gianna along with seven others as
mentioned earlier in a tragic helicopter crash.
These two proud pillars of the National
Basketball Association got well deserved honors and appreciations throughout
the 2020 All-Star Weekend from start to finish and while it is sad that their
lives ended far too soon, their memory and the work they did in the case of
David Stern off the floor and in the case of Kobe Bryant on the NBA hardwood
that made the league, and the players better across the board, and given fans memories
that will last forever.
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 2/13/2020 7 p.m. TNT “NBA Tip-Off,” presented by Autotrader
from the House of Blues in Chicago, IL with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles
Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal; 2/14/2020 9 p.m. “NBA Rising Stars Challenge,” on
TNT, presented by State Farm with Brian Anderson, Utah Jazz first-time All-Star
guard Donovan Mitchell, Indiana Pacers’ starting center Myles Turner and Jared
Greenberg; 2/16/2020 8 p.m. “69th Annual NBA All-Star Game,” on TNT,
presented by State Farm with Marv Albert, Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, and Allie
LaForce; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_NBA_All_Star_Game;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_NBA_All-Star_Game;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_All-Star_Game_Most_Valuable_Player_Award;
and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Jennifer-Hudson.
