Lindell's Gospel

Kobe Bryant Born Again

Down on South Figeuora street in South Central L.A. there used be the Mark Twain branch of the L.A. County Public Library system. As a seventh grader, I stopped there each day on my way home from school. One Indian Summer September afternoon, I found a book entitled, " They call me, Mr. Clutch." It was the story of Jerry West. I must've read the book fifty times. I listened to every Laker game on the radio and watched Chick Hearn and Lynn Shackelford broadcast the games on Channel 9. That was a long time ago.  Conservatively, I would estimate that I've watched Jerry West play 300 times. Although I admired Big O's game, I didn't see him as often because he was off in Cincinnati (and later, Milwaukee). No NBA TV or Sports Center in those days, my friends.

Jerry West , in my eyes, was the finest guard to every step on a court-- I would have argued this with any fan, coach or broadcaster. There were many great ones, but Jerry West soared above all others. Until now. Jerry West has been replaced by Kobe Bryant.

What Leonardo did for Christian iconography, Kobe has done for basketball. He is, at once, the finest player alive today.

This recent scoring surge (65, 50, 62 and 50) has brought the "Kobe haters' out in full effect. "Yeah, he is selfish and he just shoots all the time," is some of oddball commentary I've heard.

Isn't scoring the highest level skill in basketball? Isn't that the nature of the game...to 'score' the basketball? I have said in my essays on basketball that 'passing' is an overrated skill. The salient, most valuable skill in passing is learning when not to. Passes very easily become turnovers--and turnovers are substantively de-moralizing.  My study of the game has led to this conclusion: "Knowing when to pass--and when not to-- is a high level cognitive skill that few players possess. Passing, for the sake of passing-- that is with no purposefulness-- creates more problems than it solves." Knowing 'how' to pass is a skill that can be taught-- knowing "when," and 'to whom' are, to quote Mark Twain, 'the difference between being struck by lightning or a lightning bug." What Kobe is doing epitomizes the quiescent elegance of the game-- he is scoring with the jump shot and from the foul line. Against the New Orleans people (coached by former Laker great Byron Scott), Kobe went 18-for-18 from the line. He was, from the field, 16-for-29. And that's on jump shots. Who, in the history of the game, has done this? No disrespect meant to Wilt-- what he did for the game cannot be quantified. But remember, Wilt averaged 50.1 PPG on shots taken from five feet away from the basket. Kobe is averaging over fifty on jump shots under duress. How can this be? Because the guy is fundamentally sound--obsessively so!  Consider this as you're studying him:

• 1. Pristine footwork
• 2. Use of the 'shot fake'
• 3. Pull-up jump shots
• 4. Use of the spin dribble to create space, avoid contact and negate the 'help'
• 5. The two-foot jump stop.

Bryant's commitment to fundamentals and the sanctity of his execution sets him apart. Every aspect of his offensive game is enriched through fundamentals and sound basketball principles. His approach to offensive basketball is practical, realistic and effective. What, then, defines, offensive basketball execution in one-on-one situations-- what commonalities exist amongst great offensive players? Here are three common aspects: -

They unbalance the defender (with a job, shot fake or ball fake) to create an advantage - Once the advantage is created, they exploit it cleverly and concisely - They initiate the contact with defenders-- think: first strike capability.

Bryant's dribble attack sequences emanate from a precise ability to move defenders-- to bring them either upright in their stance-- or, encourage them to shift their body weight. The moves may be 'flashy' at times,. but they are founded on solid basketball pedagogy. Which brings me to Jerry West (career scoring average: 27.1 PPG.) The Lakers, during the West/Baylor years had two primary scorers: West and Baylor. And, when Baylor retired, that responsibility fell to the underrated Gail Goodrich. (I've always been a Goodrich fan; aside from the fact we have the UCLA connection, he was one of the best high school players to ever come out of Los Angeles.) Stopping West/Baylor was always the key to beating the Lakers-- this was no secret. But, who ever stopped them? And West, who had but one move, only went to his left with the same frequency that Limbaugh is actually right. Laker broadcaster Chick Hearn: "...ball in to Wilt, he swings it left side to West...two bounce dribble, jumper...GOOD..Mister Clutch." Hearn coined the metaphor, "frozen rope' to immortalize West's 'lack of arc' jump shot. Baylor and West are the spiritual antecedents of Bryant-- and he has tapped into "Zoë' of their basketball energy. They are his basketball fathers. His game combines the fine-tuned elements of both. Bryant's mid-range and pull-up jump shot is pure Jerry West. His shot fake, spin and 'step-through' is pure Elgin Baylor.

He isn't part of some new generation of basketball player that's turning the game into a 'hip-hop' club; but instead, his game is a sacred homage to men who bask on the pantheon of basketball greatness. West, nor Baylor were ever called selfish--and, they shot the ball all the time. Scoring, in basketball, is not democratic-- it is meritocratic.

NBA on Life Support; "Code Blue, ICU..."

Did you hear...it happened last weekend-- it was at an event called, from what I hear, "All Star Weekend."
Damn, I love the NBA. I used to catch the #49 bus to watch the Lakers play at a venue on Figueora Street known eponymously as the Sports Arena. (Not sure what that means except the fact that I am, what advertisers called, mature.) I used to get up early every Saturday to watch the ABA game of the week (which usually featured the Virginia Squires against somebody. Chick Hearn, the most famous voice in L.A. sports, sat high above the Western sideline at the 'Fabulous Forum," He was my beacon...for my life, at least when I wasn't playing, revolved around the Lakers and the NBA. Long before Sportscenter and the Internet, my crew dialogue about the comparison goal percentage of Jerry West versus "Big-O,' and Dave Bing-- or, whether Bernard King was a better shooter than Cazzie Russell.

And now, in 2007, the NBA is dying and I lament that black people are going to be charged with a homicide.

According to the best intelligence available, NBA All-Star weekend has become (according to Kansas CIty Star columnist, Mr. Jason Whitlock, 'the rebirth of Freak-nick.)

For the non-historical, that is code for saying, 'this sh-t is too Black.'

David Stern can only keep the flame burning for so long-- if the NBA becomes 'too-Black' and NBA All Star Weekend becomes another excuse for the Hip-Hop generation to party, the league isn't going to make it.

Black people worship the NBA-- the NFL is like a cousin who comes around for dinner a few times a year--they're cool and everything..but, if you see them, you see them and if you don't...you don't. MLB is akin to an Aunt who lives is a Retirement home-- you see her on her birthday and that's about it... the NBA, however, is like your lover...he energy of James Brown, the crackling earthiness of Billie Holiday and sweet smoothness of Ella.

We long for the the NBA the way one longs for their lover.

So, why are we black people going to be charged with its death? Easy, because revenues will escape through a gaping hole if the league is branded as 'too black.' Really, 'too urban and too hip-hop.' The league will be forced to change its business model for two reasons:

1.) Advertisers and marketers dismiss the economic significance of African-Americans (unless the products and Lincoln Navigators, Sneakers, logo apparel, or Chicken)
2.) The NBA marketing 'working group' will tell the Commissioner this: " If we want a 'Hip-Hop' league we'll rent the And-One Mix tape and DVD combo from Blockbuster.

Admittedly, marketing the NBA is a prickly conundrum, frustratingly paradoxical.

Who represents the leagues' core audience? TV revenue, worth $3B, is the most secure stream with the ABC, ESPN and TNT contracts locked up. I mean, given a choice between the NBA on TNT and "The White Rapper Show," what are you going to watch? (Well, I guess it depends on who's playing...after all, there is a ghetto revival!) Males in the 17-to-34 demographic watch the NBA relentlessly and who in the analysis-obsessed world of Madison Ave. isn't lusting after this group.

Revenue loss will be present itself in the reduced yield from luxury box sales and game attendance. Many whites-- even in the multic-cultural world of 2007-- are gravely uncomfortable around blacks in a social setting--and the hip-hop generation makes white folks even more uncomfortable that a poster of Kunta Kinte. Instead of going to the arena, they're going to stay home, have the Higginbothams over for Crab Cakes, Bay Scallops and Pinot Grigio while watching the game on NBA league pass.

Hardcore fans and purists like me are incapable of leaving--but, the fickle, cost/benefi analysis Corporate types -- an essential piece of the revenue stream- with luxury boxes and high-dollars lower level seats will abandon the league for the lighter hues and easier-to-market orbs of baseball and hockey.

Basketball is the city game and the rural game--it is the game for the disaffected and the disenfranchised. It is not the game of the elite--it never was and never will be. If Jesus were on Earth today, he'd be at 'Rec' saying, "I got next." He damn sure wouldn't be at Yankee Stadium or, God forbid, Augusta.

Small wonder that on outdoor courts from Quezon City to Vilnius to the villages of Croatia, basketball is the game of the people.

But a lot of the people are broke, aren't they?

NBA teams must meet payroll every two weeks--therefore, incremental revenue streams and yield are topics that must be brought to the the table. The business of basketball is as real as a triple-double. NBA owners did not become owners by ignoring this business paradigm: Everyone in the company is in sales--from the CEO to the janitor, it is about the sales.

And what smart business person doesn't listen when a top customer says, "Your product is flawed. Either fix it, or I'm going elsewhere."

I am a basketball purist. The game is my first love. I'd watch the NBA no matter what --but, those like me are in the minority. There are tactical moves the Competition Committee could make (shortening the season by at least 12 games) and going to a more Euroleague style format for the championship) that would enhance the NBA game.

The game, though, must not be hijacked by the Luxury Box Cartel nor the Hip-Hop posse. The inherent beauty of the game is reflected by its inclusive nature--there is room for the needs of both constituencies.

All Star Weekend has morphed into something more complex than the designers had in mind. New Orleans (the site of '08 game) will represent the climactic moment detailing the future of All-Star weekend...what happens there will determine the fate of the weekend and perhaps, even how the league is marketed.

Quincy Carter and the Flickering Flame of Fame

"I never want to get comfortable. I never want to even think if I've proved myself to people. I'm not playing this game for that. I'm playing it to have success; I'm playing it to win Super Bowls; I'm playing it because I love it; I'm playing it because God has given me all this ability and 1 want to use it to the best of my ability. As bad as I want for people to really respond to me in a positive way, that's really not the reason I'm playing this game. When you win, that's when you win over people."       -Quincy Carter

I wrote Randy Galloway the year we won the State Championship and asked him for a ‘shout-out” on his popular “Sports @ Six” radio show. After all, our school was in Grand Prairie, Texas and Randy hails from that peculiarly-named suburb just west of Dallas. Galloway never responded so I stopped listening to him. After all, how many teams from Grand Prairie have won a championship in any sport? I felt slighted. Maybe I should’ve bought him a miniature of Jose Cuervo Gold—but, who was really into bribing journalists back in 1998.

Randy returns to my good graces-- from now through eternity-- because he bailed Quincy Carter out of an Irving jail (yes, former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Quincy Carter.) “Q-Car" got arrested on marijuana related charges—but, my inquiring mind wants to know this: Where where were his ‘road dogs?’ (In Georgia, or St. Louis perhaps?) Is it possible that the former starting quarterback of America’s team had no one to call to get him out of jail? I can understand not having money…he’s a black man in the United States. Every brother I know has been broke at various points in life. But…I can’t get my arms around not having anyone to call. (Why didn’t the girl who called the Cops post bail?) This is a guy who was a second round draft pick, led the Cowboys to a 10-6 record (including the playoffs), started sixteen games, and was the erstwhile successor to Troy Aikman. I’d be willing to bet that “Q” is the only person who has ever started at quarterback in Texas Stadium who could find themselves in jail (less than nine minutes from the Stadium) with nary a soul to call. There is at least one person who Gary Hogeboom or even Steve Pelleur could call to get out of an Irving jail. But no, not our Quincy. This is tragic.

The question, dear readers, is ‘why?’ Maybe “Q” is addicted to marijuana. Hell, everyone who played in the NFL is addicted to something—from painkillers to fame to the hardbody groupies, every former NFL guy is carrying a mutant monkey on his back. While you’re a pro athlete, there is someone to satiate every possible need and want. When it’s over, I guess you’ve got to get help for the addiction by yourself. Even Secretariat got better treatment than Quincy (OK, Secretariat did win the Derby!)

How pervasive and temporal is the cult of celebrity in our world –and, how tragic the breackneck  slide into oblivion and rejection!

But let’s be straight, black Quarterbacks have a long history of mistreatment and abandonment from front offices and fans alike. I am old enough to remember when Joe “Jefferson Street” Gilliam took over the Steelers from Terry Bradshaw and led them to a 4-1-1 record. And, what could NAIA All-American Marlin Briscoe have done as a NFL quarterback had he received the same opportunities as Bob Griese. Doug Williams almost single-handedly led a Tampa Bay Bucs team to two NFC championship game—he was rewarded with death threats when he held out because he was the 43rd highest paid quarterback in the league. He should have ‘held-out’ for the entire season. That would’ve been my advice. (Do you think Babe Ruth would have stood for being the 43rd highest paid right fielder? The Yankee fans would have marched in streets for George Herman "Babe" Ruth)

Many black quarterbacks suffered shattered, ignoble endings—and others were systematically denied opportunity for significant chunks of their careers. I know that Vick, Leftwich, Culpepper and McNabb have made a true impact on the league— I just hope they understand and embrace history by studying what James “Shack” Harris, Gilliam, Williams and even Warren Moon endured. Black quarterbacks were assaulted with labels like, “He can’t grasp our complicated system,” or “…they just can’t lead.” What vicious irony that many of these distinguished black quarterbacks demonstrated excellence leadership skills in college while throwing for thousands of yards and winning game after game. (“Oh, but that was at those historically black colleges…there football is different there!)

Have any sports psychologists studied the aggregate impact of these oft-repeated put-downs to the psyche of black quarterbacs? And what is truly remarkable is that such recriminations belch forth from an entity where the percentage of black players is tagged at 65% of the total population.  It is no wonder black quarterbacks face such crushing pressure. (No one expects you to succeed—if you do, it’s a fluke, if you don’t…well, “…you should have converted to ‘Cornerback’ when we gave you the chance…we’re placing you on waivers anyway.”)

I wish Quincy a lot of luck and a ticket to a rehab center (in fact, I think Terrell Owens should offer to pay.) I don’t know if Quincy has had time to read my post, but he is one reason that I actually watched the Cowboys (I am straight ‘Silver and Black’)  I thought it cool (maybe even progressive) that a black Quarterback with a suspect arm was given an opportunity in Dallas, Texas. The DFW area never accepted him— and, Parcells (who did give him a second chance) ultimately cast him aside amidst the ‘NFL substance abuse policy’ rules. Though he was picked up by the Jets, he never made it in New York. So, he falters and ends back up in Irving—in jail—with no one to call.

I was at an Italian restaurant in Long Beach (South Shore, Long Island, not California) when I was shocked by an article in Newsday about Nate Archibald working as a janitor at a YMCA. I hurled the paper to the floor; Nate Archibald…that wasn’t possible…the guy averaged 34 points and 11 assists a game one year and was a five-time all NBA selection. He was the spiritual descendant of Bob Cousy and the precursor of Magic Johnson. How could this be the only job he could find once out of the league?

His story—and Quincy’s-- is like the Sci-Fi channel version of “Beyond the Glory.”

To all black professional athletes (and, especially, the Quarterbacks), here is my five-point plan:

1.Spend frugally ($1.2 M doesn’t go as far as it used to)

2.Buy real estate for which you (and you alone) hold the title in a safe deposit box.

3.Find a “Dad” or “Dad-surrogate” that will be in your corner and speak truth to you. (Dads will tell you that the fans don't owe you respect, nor must you seek validation from them.  Fan is not synonymous with friend.)

4.Remember that the same people who were saying “Hosanna” to Jesus on Saturday were screaming ‘Crucify Him” the following Wednesday.

5.Never get high (especially after you’ve gotten cut, waived or traded…or, in the company of any female not eligible for Medicare Part D.)

Not only is earthly fame fleeting, it is fundamentally irrelevant. If you can name five people-- with whom you aren’t related to by blood or bloodshed-- who genuinely care whether you live or die, count yourself exceedingly blessed. Memorize their names and mobile telephone numbers. And, concurrently, stay out of Irving, Texas unless one of these numbers belongs to a wealthy journalist. Quincy’s fate could be your own.

Leaves From My Basketball Notebook--Team USA, Blitzkrieg Basketball and More

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
- Sun Tzu
  
Admittedly, I have strong feelings about basketball. My love for the game surpasses all reason. What, in the world, is more beautiful than basketball?
 
I know this may sounds sacrilegious, but I have fallen hopelessly in love with the way basketball is played in Europe. My first taste of the international game arrived via NBA TV (teams with names like Zalgris Lithuania, CSKA Moscow, Benneton Treviso and Maccabi Tel Aviv became part of my basketball universe.) I've been hooked ever since. So, that's my disclaimer, stated up front.
 
Now, on to the business at hand.  I was hopeful that Team USA would win the Gold medal, but never felt comfortable that could beat Spain or Argentina. Naively, I thought they could take Greece out. I spend a lot time teaching and coaching basketball— and, like most of us who teach the game, we have many aphorisms. Here is one that every kid who has ever been around me for a single teaching session has heard: “Basketball is a simple game when you make shots!”
 
Basketball is a game that is so elegantly simple, one needs help to misunderstand it--- but, and this is a point made by the Godfather himself, Dr. Naismith—“Basketball is easy to learn, but difficult to master.”
 
Here is what you need to win basketball games—and, this is true from 3rd grade hoops to the NBA: SSA (Superior Shot-Making Ability)
 
This crosses every gender, ethnic, racial and national boundary—it is the zeitgeist of the game—SSA (Superior Shot-Making Ability.) There are those who believe that 'defensive wins championship' and other oft-stated fallacies surrounding the game. Defensive is important, but does not a champion make. Score the basketball, friends--early and often...especially, from the mid-range to the the arc. Team USA, stocked with two more shooters, wins the Gold. International basketball favors the perimeter players-- superior shot making from the mid-range to the arc opens up the 'slash' opportunities that occur from dribble penetration. Team USA--making shots from the perimeter-- forces teams out their compacted zone defense into 'ball deny' strategies.This translated into: No double teams--all one-on-one defense without 'help.' No other country can put enough people on the floor to play 'man-to-man' against Team USA--without the possibility of 'help." But the only way to get a team to forego the zone and play 'man' is to prove that you've got consistent 'shot-makers.' Team USA strikes fear in their opponents when they're in the open court--but, in the half-court, the world believe they can be 'had.'

Sidebar

(As a parenthetical point, keep a watchful eye on African basketball. Once the level of coaching and teaching at the junior national level takes root-- and more African players migrate to the European and American professional levels--FIBA will see an African nation playing for a medal. I predict that this will happen by the 2012 Olympics or possibly the next FIBA world championship. Basketball in Africa-- with an European style infrastructure and instructional model-- can become a force that must be reckoned with. Nigeria and Angola are no longer 'roadkill' for the Euros. )
 
(Back to Team USA) A Flawed Strategy, Perhaps
 
I give it up to the brilliant basketball coaching minds that lead Team USA: Krzyzewski, Boeheim, D’Antoni, and McMillan. These are excellent coaches,,, really smart basketball people. (And, they did win eight games and a bronze medal!)
 
My basketball studies have taught me this about pressure—or, to use the great Dick Devenzio’s phrase about pressure:  “Blitzkrieg Basketball”
 
1. It is a flawed strategy that works best against weaker opponents
2. It is only sustainable if you clearly have the better athletes
3. Smart, tough teams obliterate zone presses with the accuracy of a GPS tracking device
4. Ball pressure—man-to-man—is a serpents tooth…use it gently, or you’re the one who gets cut
5. SSA always trumps pressure (a really exceptional defensive team is like a lynch mod, feeding ravenously on the weak, relishing each turnover, re-igniting after each ten second call and roaring with delight as the offensive players turn on each other—but, when the offensive turns the pressure into a lay-up drill, the defensive intensity evaporates because the mob mentality has been thwarted.
 
Lindell's Strategy
 
A simpler strategy, I think, is a heightened focus on transition defense and less on the heavy ball pressure.  Transition defense involves three main tactical actions as the ball moves from offense to defense:
 
Action 1: Protect the basket—no lay-ups, dunks or and-1s.
Action 2: Locate, and then impede the advancement of the ball
Action 3: Then, locate a carbon-based life form—preferably the ones who stand the best chance at making shots.
 
 
This isn’t a glamorous way to play, but it will work against teams that seek to score in transition on 45% or more of their offensive possessions.
 
This works because basketball teams are comprised of Carbon-based life forms and all Carbon-based life forms revert to their dominant habits when faced with pressure—and, moreover, it is uncomfortable to perform task for which you aren’t already habits…especially, under pressure. Create an environment where teams are forced to play at an uncomfortable pace or do things of which they are unaccustomed—then, watch them crumble and fall.

National Pride
 
Another one of my sayings: “In basketball, Will overcome Skill.”
 
I don't know who wins the Gold tomorrow, but it was reported there was near celebratory rioting in the streets of Athens when the score (Greece-101, USA-95) was announced…imagine the motivation that level of interest and passion --from fellow countrymen-- creates within the soul of an athlete.

Had Team USA defeated Argentina for the Gold--instead of the Bronze-- would we have taken to the streets?
 

A Big, Fat Lie

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
-Joseph Goebbels, Former Chancellor of Nazi Germany

Growing up in Argentina, Ginobili wasn't conditioned as a kid to believe he couldn't compete with black players. That, basically, is what has happened to so many American white kids. They give up basketball by high school, because, as the movie title said, "White Men Can't Jump." Too many American white kids have been intimidated by the prospect of having to compete against black players.
- Skip Bayless, ESPN Columnist

Skip Bayless used to write for a defunct newspaper called the Dallas Times Herald. Back in the day, you see, Dallas was a two-paper town. I thought-- and still believe-- that Bayless was nothing more than a bad writer, with bad ideas, flipping the ‘race’ card to get people to read his worthless opinions.

Aside from ghostly appearances on ESPNs Sports Reporters, I assumed the guy had done American sports journalism a favor and relocated to Mumbai to write about Cricket.

Boy, was I wrong.

To say that American white kids are giving up basketball because they are afraid to compete with black kids is dishonest to both races, and disrespectful to the game.

Where are these American white kids who are giving up the game? Last year, when I was with Dena Evans at Point Guard College, there were thousands of white kids (and black kids, Asian kids, American Indians from the Chickasaw Nation) there to learn about the game and become highly skilled players.

I’m a high school basketball coach and I can say this with certainty: Basketball, among white kids is alive and well. It is writers like Bayless, with their unscrupulous hidden agendas, and wafer-thin world views that say otherwise.

My oldest son Jon, a former collegiate all-American, is coaching for Team Ichiban this summer (an Arlington-based club team.) I’ve assisting him with teaching these kids-- 5th and 6th graders...mostly white kids. And, each is passionately in love with the game. What infidel is telling white kids they can’t compete with black kids? Show them to me and I will personally put a stop to it.

Becoming a quality high school basketball player, and getting an opportunity to play in college (not just D-1, but DII, DIII, and NAIA) is about three things:
1. Time
2. Stamina
3. Discipline to be taught

Basketball ain’t rocket science. The game is so simple, one needs help to misunderstand it. Dr, Naismith said, "basketball is easy to learn, but difficult to master.” Therein lies the real problem. And, it sure as hell has nothing to do with race. It’s about whether one is willing to put in the time, stick to it with an unfailing committment, and find a teacher.

Being athletic or being tall-- regardless of your color-- is certainly beneficial in basketball. Much, in the same way, that having good eyesight helps you be a better marksman if you’re in Iraq. It’s not a prerequisite, but a grouping of behavioral and psychological factors that can, when aligned, be beneficial.

Before coaching at the high school level, I spent six seasons coaching AAU and club basketball. I won’t boreyou by re-telling the wild experiences I had in those six years, but I offer this singular lesson, garnered, as my great Aunt used to say, the hard way: Fundamental soundness, precise execution, and lay-ups off decisive backdoor cuts trumps athleticism 99 times out of 100 (and the hundreth time, you lose on a shot at the buzzer.) Being athletic, and not being able to shoot, dribble, or pass just means you’ll get back on defense quicker as you commit your eighth, ninth, and tenth turnovers of the game. Athleticism is a tool-- not some overarching mandate.

What often happen at the AAU/BCI level is that many 14/under and 15/under teams become stacked with athletic kids who are that and, sadly, nothing more.

The coaches of these teams press the skabala (2-2-1, 1-2-1-1, man-to-man) out of other teams and win. This creates a thin, artificial veneer of superiority. Here is a coaching truth: if they have more athletes, then you’d better have more smarts. Truth #2: Being smart in basketball is both gender and color neutral...being smart is a function of being taught.

Being in the grassroots of basketball, I have a different perspective. Black kids-- as teens-- are often exposed to less teaching about the game. Some, sadly, never get an opportunity to combine their athletic gifts with a true understanding of ‘how to play the game.’ Have you tried to get a kid on a high-profile AAU/BCI team recently? Or, have you checked into the cost of personal skill development? Getting good teaching for young players can be expensive-- a lot of kids, black and white, are in situations where their families simply can’t afford it. A black kid may get picked up because he’s ‘long’ and athletic, or a white kid may get picked up because he’s a ‘big,’ but an average kid of average height or ability, whose parents can’t afford off-season development, gets shunted to the rear. The real issues are the availability and exposure to high-quality instruction. That, I must say, costs money.

What it the NBA’s role in this?

Does the NBA perpetuate myths about basketball? Hell, yes. I can think of twenty things than happen in the NBA, that don’t transfer to high school or college.

Commissioner Stern’s NBA is an entertainment and marketing dynamo. It’s less about the game, than it is ‘selling the game.” If you’re young, and don’t understand basketball, emulating NBA players does more harm than good-- primarily because you don’t know what to emulate, nor understand the fundamentals or philosophy or the ‘why’ you’re emulating this... or, you just emulate the wrong thing.

The NBA, as a television spectacle, is ubiquitous--forty games in forty nights and so forth. But, the NBA on TNT is not the place you go if you’re interested in learning how to play the game, teach the game to others, or understand it for yourself. To understand the game, you’ve got to find the college and high school men and women who aren’t in for the money, but for the love, and embrace what they’re saying. The magnificent and brilliant Hubie Brown used to invite college coaches to his preseason NBA camps every year. Why? Because Hubie believed that the guys on the ‘cutting edge’ of understanding and being able to teach basketball were in college.

The NBA is not the holy grail of hoops. Marketing, yes. Basketball, uh, no.

Bayless, however, disses American-born kids of all races by his statement. He reinforces a stereotype about black kids that far too many blacks embrace are far too few adults challenge: “Hey, I’ve got a forty-four inch vertical...I don’t need to know how to set a flawless screen.” And, a maddening stereotype about white kids that far too many white kids embrace and too few adults challenge: “Look at that guy, I’m never going to be able to dunk like him.”

Learning how to play the game-- if it’s truly what one desires-- can happen with athleticism being but a stingy afterthought.

Skip doesn’t cover any of that. Instead, he sets up Ginobli as an example to what white kids should aspire to...

Bayless writes this:
“This is a man who embodies the guts and spirit and fundamentals and basketball IQ that have distinguished the invasion of internationally-bred players.”

Whoa!

I wonder if Skip knows who trained these ‘so-called’ invaders. It was us...U.S. coaches trudging around the world sharing their consummate knowledge of the game.

And, moreover, what’s up with cryptic dis’ on American-players? Are U.S. trained players ‘gutless,’ ‘dispassionate,’ ‘bereft of fundamentals’ and lacking in “hoops IQ?” If you listen to Skip, the answer is yes. Reading between the lines, what Skip is really saying to you and me is that ‘black’ players, born in the United States, are that way.

An objective look shows that Skip is just plain wrong.

When I think of American Players who are near perfect in their execution of fundamentals, here are the first names that come to mind

Kobe Bryant (born overseas, so maybe he doesn’t count...)
Tracy McGrady
Rip Hamiliton
Rasheed Wallace
Dwayne Wade
Wally Sczerbiak (U.S born white player...extraordinarily talented)
Gibert Arenas
Derek Fisher
Paul Pierce

I would argue that each person I’ve named above is--at the very least-- as fundamentally sound as Ginobli. Now is Ginobli an excellent player? Absolutley. Does he have more guts, spirit, and Hoops IQ than any person above? No way.

If you’re a student of the game, I’d encourage you to watch Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace. Both of these guys are a moving basketball clinic-- at a significanly higher skill level than Ginobli. If Rip and Rasheed had been born in Kiev, Belgrade, or Buenos Aires, they’d be hailed as smart, clever, fundamentally sound guys who ‘went out there every night’ and ‘played the game as it was meant to be played.’

Bayless lists Ginobli as a “non-US” white all-star. As an Argentinean, isn’t Manu of Latin descent? How does Bayless get ‘white’ from any of this.

Realistically, though, who cares about Manu’s ethnicity. The game transcends race, ethnicity, and gender. The game is bigger than Bayless’ petty views of race-relatons in the U.S.

I think that Bayless should be forbidden from ever writing about basketball again. His work disgraces the game, and those of us who love the game from down deep in our souls. I doubt if Skip knows the joy of playing 3-on-3 in the backyard, struggling to finish the game before the sun goes down. Or, the beauty of shooting 500 free throws and working just as hard on your release on shot #456 as you did on shot #9.

Bayless is a basketball dilettante with a cyberspace bullhorn. Let’s us pray that no one listens to him. Why? Because he malevolently advances a ‘big lie’ that hurts American-born kids-- kids who love to play the game--of every race.

Panem et Circenses...Detroit Style

The NBA has become hip-hop culture on parade, It is gang culture minus the guns. What happened here [in Detroit] is part and parcel of the gang culture, this hip-hop culture which is: “I’m not going to tolerate being dissed.”
-Rush Limbaugh

Detroit is the New Fallujah.
-Rush Limbaugh

Your position depends on how we keep the mob amused-- The people who have conquered the world now only have two interests-- bread and circus games.
-Pylades (to Augustus Caesar)

I apologize to the Roman thespian Pylades for putting his quote on the same page with a true bigot; but, I do think that Limbaugh’s comments on basketball deserve a response.

First, let do a bit of time traveling:

The Roman Coliseum seated 385,000 people. Here is what happened in a series of games that went on for two weeks: Three hundred pairs of gladiators would battle to the death, twelve hundred condemned prisoners would be eaten by lions and let’s not forget the animals-- lions against rhinos, buffaloes against tigers, and leopards against wild boars would be part of the show. The emperor Trajan once commissioned a series of games that lasted 122 days. 11,000 people and 10,000 animals of varying species were killed.

The games were national events and a lot of people had interest in making sure the games kept going. Think about this: How do you obtain 10,000 animals?  How do you capture them and keep them until showtime? Who feeds these animals and cleans up after them? How many people are employed as attendants at a stadium that seats 385,000 people?  Who cleans the place? Who removes the dead animal carcasses and burns them?  Who buries the bodies? Who is running the betting operation and setting odds? Who is responsible for chariot maintenance? Who oversees security at the stadium?  Who manages concessions? Who is responsible for the steady, uninterrupted flow of people to be eaten? Who makes swords and armor for the gladiators? Who provides personal one-on-one training for the gladiators? Who recurits guys to become gladiators?

Historians postulate that so many people were employed by the games and in peripheral industries surrounding the games that their elimination would have thrown the Roman economy into collapse.

Rome needed the games to keep the citizens distracted from the reality that the country was descending into chaos. The citizens needed the games as a diversion from their monotonous, insignificant lives. And, of course, the wealthy Patricians and Noblemen needed the games to keep the minds of the working class people far away from any notion of revolt. Status quo, at all costs, please.

The NBA, like each of the major professional sports in America, is first, and foremost, a business; a mammoth moneymaking operation that exists, above all else, to continue making money.

I empathize with baseball purists who say that the game began to denigrate with the onset of nighttime baseball. Baseball has already mortgaged its soul and on final approach to Hades.  Basketball, though, can still be saved if we act now.

I am a basketball purist. The game must matter; its integrity, its beauty and its self-sustaining nature must be what’s held in highest regard. The first principles, regarding any decision about the game, must be: What is best for the game?

At the NBA level, the beauty of the game takes a back seat to commerce, expansion, and revenue. I think that’s wrong.

When my oldest son was in college, he worked as cashier at the Dallas Maverick fan shop-- the one at the American Airlines Center. He would often tell me they’d receive thousands of jerseys and other logo apparel each week. (The Nowitzky jersey was the most popular purchase with the Shawn Bradley jersey spending more time on the shelf.) Tens of thousands of jerseys. And that’s just one NBA team. If you multiply what happens in Dallas times thirty other franchises, the logo apparel industry has to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

And then there is the NBA on TNT/ESPN. It seems that every other commercial is about beer or cars.

Who are we kidding? This thing...this golden goose called the NBA is lining the pockets of many people.

Some of these business people may love the game, most I would guess, do not. They see it as a business opportunity. The same people would put logos on caskets and burkas if there was a market for it.

We must find a balance between the integrity of the game, and the need for commercial exploitation. Business people and corporate types don’t give a damn about Dr. Naismith’s most precious creation; they neither understand or appreciate its simple beauty and its unspeakable elegance--therefore, it is the direct and full responsibility of the basketball people to protect the game...and, if this means seizing it back from those who view it as a marketing free-for-all, then I say, ‘we need a coup de-etat.’

But let’s move on to what happened in Detroit.

There was a guy at my high school named Billy LeGrass. We’d just finished a heated pick-up game and were still arguing as we left the court. The thing continued into the locker room. I said, “You are such an asshole, all you do is whine when you get beat. I hate playing with you.” LeGrass, who now had a cup of ice water, threw it in my face. I, then, hit Billy in the jaw.

I remember it because I’m right-handed and I hurt my shooting hand. I regretting hitting him because I couldn’t play for a week. But, the reaction was instinctual.

Having beer or some liquid thrown in your face is disrespect. It’s humiliating and it deserves a response. My grandmother, one generation removed from slavery, recounted stories to me of how her mistress, with reckless impunity, would become angry because the sheets weren’t starched enough and respond by flinging the contents of the chamber pot into her face. My grandmother, forever gracious, never hit her mistress; but I’m sure that if lynchings and beatings were not a common practice, she would have considered such a response, well, appropriate.

For Blacks, the notion of getting liquids thrown in your face or poured on your person just doesn’t sit well. You’re going to get a response. Yes, Rush, Blacks don’t like getting dissed. And, it’s got nothing to do with hip-hop culture.  It has more to do with chattel slavery. We were always getting our body parts chopped off, our backs flagellated, and our bodies humiliated. After all, how does one expect to be treated when your government considers you only partially a person (three-fifths, to be exact.)

Would the guy who poured the beer on Artest, or the person who threw the chair have done so have they met at a Bennigans or were chillin’ at some trendy coffee bar.  Clearly, not.

Under the cover of the game, the fan somehow believed it was OK. After all, Artest was just a big, black guy in a Pacer jersey-- a nameless, faceless gladiator, if you will, who wasn’t a person but was there to provide entertainment. Throwing liquids and tossing chairs is what you do to those for whom you have no respect. “You’re not human, you’re a big, dumb beast and I’ll throw the acrid contents of my chamber pot at you and dare you to do something about it.”

Personally, the guy who threw the chair and the guy who poured beer on Artest deserved to get hit.

None of this mitigates the fact that Artest needs professional help. The way that he plays the game-- his history of flagrant fouls and questionable actions against other players and coaches are indicative of a guy living in some surreal basketball universe. I don’t think Ron Artest is all there. I hope that his time away from basketball will be a time of learning.

Suspending him for the rest of the season...well, I think it’s the right call for the wrong reason. Commissioner David Stern has one mission: to protect the goose laying golden eggs;  and, therfore, the NBA can’t be labeled  a ‘non fan-friendly, non-marketing friendly-envirornment.’  That is hardly consistent with the NBAs plans for global expansion.

Black players cold-cocking white fans does not, as they say in Hollywood, ‘play well in Peoria...nor Paris.’

The Pacers should have suspended him for the rest of the season when he asked for time off to promote and produce his record. That, to me, is a travesty. What real basketball player wants to do anything else during basketball season but play? If you want to produce albums , do it in the off-season.

Pundits and commentators talk about what a powerful message the fighting sent. What message -- we live in a violent world. As of today, 1,132 members of the Armed Forces have lost their lives in in Iraq-- according to the most recent DoD numbers, there have been more than 8,458 soldiers wounded in combat.  Kids see more violence on Sony Play Station games than they saw at the Palace at Auburn Hill that night.

The most tragic message that Ron Artest delivered is when he asked for time away from the game to pursue other business interests. That message-- ‘the game is not important to me, but making money in the record business is ’-- will resonate with young people a lot longer.

The game ultimately purifies itself. That’s why basketball is so beautiful. The style that Artest brought isn’t new-- for years, every team had a ‘thug’ whose only purpose was to beat-up the opposing teams star.

Maybe the game has decided there is no longer a place for that style--and, what happened to Artest is just the game’s way of cleansing itself.

There is, however, a  broader, and I think, more foreboding message for the NBA. The game, ultimately, will purify itself--and, as those in leadership positions within the game worship profits above all else, the more that events like this will occur. Am I suggesting more fights will happen? Most likely, it won’t be fights, but other kinds of peculiar events that will push average fans farther away and make the NBA less profitable.

We must find a balance between the integrity of the game and commercial exploitation. If we don’t, then the game, itself, will.

A Bronze Hoops Memory

We have a short memory in this country which sometimes translates into a disrespect for history. It's hard to learn from history if you forget it three months after it happens. Before we get too deeply into the NBA and college basketball seasons, I want to take a trip way back down memory lane-- most notably, to the summer of '04 and Team USA.

I was, admittedly, distressed by all the rock-throwing against Team USA? What was being written about those young men and their performance was just unthinkable. They were being described as selfish, churlish, 'no-defense' playing millionairies...this one guy writes a letter to the editor today that impugns their patriotism. Their patriotism? Am I missing something here: Their patriotism. Aside from the fact there is no guaranteed gold medal just because we've been at this longer that other countries, we should celebrate the Bronze Medal and be happy because we were fortunate to even get that one.

I must, therefore, begin exploding a few myths about the game and how it's changing. We must learn from Team USA, not impugn them. We must embrace this recent history and obtain enlightment from Athens. Parenthetically, if I have to hear one more time about how great the the Women played, and how they embodied the true spirit of the game, I'm just going to scream. Don't fall for it my friends, you're smarter than that. I applaud the women's team. I love women's basketball and work every day with high school and college players, many of them are girls. But, the gold for the women had nothing to do with their 'unselfishness,' nor their 'non-millionaire' status, or, by contrast, their "wonderful patriotism." (Here is an illuminating tidbit: Team USA Men shot the ball better from behind the arc than the the Women did!)

Let's take a look a few basketball paradigms:

Rule #1: In Basketball, talent prevails. Period.

One reason we love the NCAA tournament is because an underdog can pull a remarkable upset on 'any given day.' As a UCLA guy, I painfully hearken back to Princeton defeating the Bruins in 1996. In a best-of-three series, would Princeton beat UCLA: Never! But, in one-and-done, winner-take-all setting, it is possible. And, in a seven game series, Princeton goes down 4-1. Why? Because basketball is an inordinately simple game: Talent always prevails.

Had Kobe Bryant appeared in Athens wearing a Team USA jersey, I would be writing about politics today instead of basketball. Team USA wins easily with Kobe. Why? Because Kobe becomes the tipping point. His energy, competitiveness, and (here is that word again) talent pushes the scales in our favor. Not one writer pens a word about this unknowable, unprovable hypothesis known as 'selfishness' if Bryant shows up. Why? Because Team USA brings home the gold.

When I was in seventh grade, I used to hate choosing up sides for 'pick-up' games. That is one of the reasons I worked to become a better player-- I hated not getting picked, or worst, (Do I have to take Lindell? Damn, Awiight. But you gotta take him next time.)
Think about this: When 'we' (and, I'm not sure who the 'we' is that chose Team USA) chose these young men, 'we' weren't thinking about the environment they were to be placed in. One "choses-up side' based on who you're playing against as well as who you want playing for you.

If we want to EVER win the gold medal again, we must send different players.

Rule #2: The International Game is Not the NBA-- In other words, don't bring a knife to a gunfight.

I love the 'And One" moves and all that jazz. It has about as much to do with playing competitive basketball as "Slamball" does, but hey, it sure is entertaining. Has anyone watched the games from Rucker Park? I think it's called the Entertainers Basketball Classic or something. It's different. It isn't bad or good, it is just different. Think about the nuanced differences between the college game and the NBA-- neither is better or worse, they are just different games. But, if you were assembling a team to play in a Rucker invitational, or an "And One" basketball tour, you might chose different players than if you were going to play, oh let's say, Serbia- Montenegro. (Which, I might add, was a bigger disappointment than any other country in the Olympics.)

We assembled a great group to play an NBA style of basketball. And, that's what they did: exactly what they knew. They played the only basketball they understood. Unfortunately, it wasn't the style that that was being called by the officials, or embraced by the governing rules of the Olympics.

Olympic basketball, by design, takes nuances from the International game. It's more about shooting, and less about the dominance of athleticism over basketball savvy. It is better or worse? No, it is just different.

Does that mean we should have sent collegiate players? Only if we wanted to finish in eleventh place, beating only Angola (on a last second shot at the buzzer.) A group of the best college players, coached by Tubby Smith, Don Chaney, and Jim Calhoun would have not advanced to the medal round. Would a college team have defeated Spain and Lithuania? Would a group of collegians defeated Russia or Italy? I think we may safely agree that a team of the best college players in the country goes 1-4 in pool play, 0-5 in the preliminary games. Plus, college players are playing an NCAA college style, which is neither the NBA, nor the international game. It is not better, nor worse, it is just different.

If we want to compete in the international game, we should have a National Team. International basketballl becomes their raison-d-etre. This is all they do. It's a paid job. (I know I will get people writing to make an argument that uses the women's team-- go back and read Rule #1. Once the level of talent in the international women's game reaches the same quality level of the mens, our women's team will be in trouble....and, they will get beat in international competition. The current gap, however is too wide for any country to seriously challenge Team USA-Women. )

Why blame players for playing the style of basketball they've been taught, conditioned, and recruited to play? Argentina, Italy, Spain, Lithuania all played the style of basketball they're accustomed to playing...it just happens that their style tracks closer to International game than ours does. And, the Olympics is fruit off the International basketbal tree.

A writer on ESPN's "Sports Reporter' ripped into the Team USA for not being able to defend the high screen roll. Here is a newsflash-- No one in basketball-- at any level and in any country-- can defend a perfectly executed high screen/roll. In basketball good offense ALWAYS trumps good defense. My friend Brian McCormick- another UCLA guy and a college basketball coach-- is doing an excellent series about the over-emphasis of defense at the expense of offense.

Remember our thesis: The international game isn't better or worse, it is just different. Well, in the International game, offensive is given an a priori position in the rules, and by definition, the way the game is called by the officials. If wasn't possible for us to win the gold medal because we didn't understand what we were up against. And that, my friends, is not the fault of the players.

Defending a high pick and roll at any level of basketball is difficult. Defending it when there are shooters 'spotted up' deep on the wing or in the corner, (to negate the help defender); and, when the officials are trained to give the offensive guy 'benefit of the doubt' as it relates to contact, is a well-nigh impossible task.

Here is a note to all the sportswriters who've 'hated on' Team USA men: Their bronze medal has nothing to do with selfishness, being rich, or not wanting to defend. Only dilettantes of the game believe that players can, in six weeks, be taught to defend the high screen-and-roll against smart players who've been diligently practicing them for years...or, become great shooters.

In moments of anxiety, we all revert to our comfort zones. It is the same with basketball players. The more stressful the situation, the more a player reverts to what they know most deeply. What did our players do when things went awry? They reverted to slashing one-on-one, let-me-just-get-it-done-by-myself play... Why? Because that is what they're accustomed to. They are stars...go-to-guys if you will. It is what they do. Do we expect them to become different just because the jersey reads Team USA?)

And, to describe their play as selfish is irresponsible coverage to tout another agenda. Basketball is a game where one player can single-handedly influence the outcome. Was Sarunas Jasukevich selfish when he hit three consecutive three-pointer to propel Lithuania over Team USA. Was that selfish play? I didn't see him looking to pass in the last few possessions of their victory. No, he presented a 'shot fake" combined with a 'step-back' move and hit the three-pointer while drawing a foul on Lamar Odom. Basketball may be played five-on-five, but from an offensive perspective, it all breaks down to three-on-three, two-on-two, or one-on-one. And, beating your guy one-on-one (this includes making open shots) is directly interwoven with Rule #1. Talent prevails.

Basketball is a game of 'runs.' The NBA quarters are 12 minutes in length and the game, roughly is is played in 'runs' of four or so minutes. How do you win games? By winning more of these 'runs' than your opponent. Quarters in the international game are ten minutes; a full eight minutes shorter than what Team USA was accustomed. This means fewer 'runs.' In the fourth quarter of NBA games, the intensity normally heightens on the first possession after the six-minute mark (midway through the quarter.) Players know there is a 'run' (or two) left, and psychologically 'uptight' and 'downshift' accordingly. ' In the international game, the midway point of the fourth quarter means there is less than five minutes remaining. Maybe there is a run left, maybe not. In the NBA, you know there'll be one, maybe two 'runs' in the last half of the fourth quarter. In the Olympics, you're waiting for something to happen that might not happen. Why is this important? Because the natural psychological 'downshift' in intensity that occurs early in the fourth quarter of NBA games will get you beat in the international competition.

Rule #3: Shooting and the Center for Disease Control

Cholera, Dysentery, and Hepatitis are communicable diseases. Great Shooting, though not debilitating, is also highly contagious. The European League championship game featured Maccabi Tel Aviv against Skipper Bologna. Two great teams-- the problem for Skipper 'B' was that Maccabi starting making shots: Jasikevicius, Parker, Bluthenthal, Sharp. Skipper "B" was in stunned. The more Maccabi made shots and the lead expanded, the more that Skipper "B" became shell-shocked. This was one of the greatest perimeter jump shooting performances the world has ever seen. Maccabi won the game something like 118-74.

The players from Skipper Bologna, at once, were both actors in the play and members of the audience. They watched as Maccabi made threes; their hearts sinking with each made shot. And, when their shots did not fall, they looked first at the officials, and then at themselves. Their hopes, vanishing with each possession.

That is what happens when a team is making shots. You can sustain one person making shots-- sometimes-- but when a second guy starts hitting, before you know it, three or four guys start making shots. Then, you reach a tipping point where victory isn't possible, you're simply staving off humiliation. Think about Team USA versus Italy. The more shots Italy made, the more our shoulders slumped and our hearts collapsed.

Therein lies a nuanced difference of the International game. The teams are stacked with shooters-- not guys who shoot some and miss some, but shooters who are technically and fundamentally precise. (Dena Evans of Point Guard College always says that if you're not taking at least 500 shots and recording your makes and misses, don't bother calling it a shooting workout....you're just kinda out there.) I would love to see more young players adopt Dena's philosophical approach.

Many of the International players have mastered the process of shooting, then practiced it to near flawless execution. And, as every thinking basketball person will tell you, there are never enough shooters. Who are the greatest shooters from last year's collegiate season: JJ Reddick, Terrance Woods., Ben Gordon, Luke Ridnour, Devin Harris. Who were the shooters on Team USA? (Marbury and Iverson.)

I'm pretty good friends with Ed Palubinskas. He played twice in the Olympics and for the Tigers of LSU. Ed is the best shooter I've ever seen. He and I were at the Baden Elite Basketball Clinic last fall. I watched him make 128 free throws in a row (149 of 150) and 46 out of 50 three point shots from all around the arc. And you know what: The guy is 53 years old. I believe that he still holds the record for the most points scored in an Olympic basketball contest. I wish that Team USA would have hired Eddie as their shooting consultant. He's got me up to 82.8% on my free throws (Ed thinks that any number less than 90% is just pitiful, so when he calls, his first question is, "Lindell, what's your number?" I always feel bad when I have to tell him that I haven't got to 90%. I'm going to try out for a team in the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) next season so I'm working to get ready....I want to be the second oldest guy playing over there--Robert Jaworski, at 53, was a player/coach for Ginebra and remains my inspiration!) Ed worked with Shaquille O'Neal the year the Lakers defeated the Pacers. I was watching Shaq's delivery during that series (during his mentorship with Ed) and this past season (during his mentorship with the spirit of Wilt) The subtle differences in delivery and ball position are shocking...and, the percentages tell the tale.

We need the proverbial paradigm shift if we're going to continue to be successful in the International game. It is neither a better, nor worse game than the the NBA; it's just different. But failing to acknowledge, embrace, and construct a team that embraces the differences means that our days of winning the Olympic Gold in basketball are rapidly becoming history. And, if no one cares about that, it's cool. If we wanted to win the gold ever four years, we should've kept our basketball wisdom on 'lockdown,' not sharing it with the world. That, though, would've been wrong...basketball knowledge should be shared. Regaining our position of supremacy demands we understand why it was lost.

My mom referred to Europe and Asia as 'across the water.' I hope that the leadership at Team USA uses this "Bronze Medal' as a learning opportunity. We're so quick to look for blame (and, often, blame the wrong people) -- instead, we should be treating this as 'lessons learned.' And, preparing to not repeat it. If we're going 'across the water' to play basketball and win medals, we need a different plan. Note to Team USA leadership: Once a team is chosen for the 2006 World Games, here is Action Item #1: Call Ed. Tell him Lindell sent you. If they embrace what Ed says, they'll bring home the gold.

Basketball is such a simple game, one needs helps to MISUNDERSTAND it.

Mitch Kupchak and the Battle of Jericho--An Open Letter

Dear Mitch,
Do you ever attend Sunday School? Do you know any bible stories? I've been thinking about you a lot because you're running an organization that has been a part of my life for 37 years, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mitch, do you know the Lakers used to play at the Sports Arena? Well, I saw them play there when I was a kid. I've spent more hours listening to Chick's 'words-eye' view than anyone you personally know. Given that, I sense you need help in this rough time-- the Lakers are in turmoil and you're at the helm. I want to help you.

Don't know if you're Christian or Jewish...but, I'm sure you've heard of a guy named Moses. (Talked to God face-to-face, split the Red Sea, kicked Ramses' ass, , turned the Nile River into blood, got water from a rock in the middle of the Sinai desert to keep 6M people from dying of thirst...yes, that Moses)

Jerry West was Moses in your life. He was a great basketball player, an insightful, prescient General Manager, and one of the most respected basketball minds on planet Earth. And you, sadly, are none of those things (and, that's OK). You career was unremarkable, your work as a GM is uneven, and the players don't have great respect for you. And, in addition to all of this, you're following in the footsteps of Mr. Clutch. (Why do so few people remember Gail Goodrich? Because he was overshadowed by Jerry West-- and, Goodrich is a native L.A. kid...Poly High, UCLA...he should own the city.) Which Sunday School story should you read? The story of Joshua. (He's got his own book in the bible, it is the sixth one from the front). Joshua was chosen to follow in the footsteps of the most famous guy on the planet. Can you hear the people saying, "Uh, let's see, Moses split the waters of the Red Sea, turned back Pharoah's armies, was raised to be a King in Egypt and your Daddy is named, None. Well Josh, I don't I feel inspired by your leadership potential."

Josh had every reason to embrace his failure potential. The cards, the deck, and the people were stacked against him. But do you know what Josh did: He didn't try and be Moses, he decided that he would be Joshua. And, he would hold true to his faith, his vision, and the simple things he knew to do. Then, he just did them.

Mitch, you've a great basketball pedigree. You were mentored by "Moses." You played for Mr. Dean Smith. You know the game. You love the game. Don't get rattled by all the "haters" that are predicting doom and failure for you and the organization.

Now, let's move on the Shaquille matter. I've been around the game a long time. I agree with you, let him go. The beauty of the game is that the more it changes, the more it remains the same. Here is a foundational basketball truth: Dominant, scoring centers do not win championships alone. They win a lot of games in the regular season, but not championships. It doesn't matter if its your son's 4th grade team, a high school varsity team, or a NBA franchise, you don't win a championship without great perimeter play. It's the guard play that gets you the ring.

Shaquille, God Bless him, is unwilling to take on a new role that is more comparable to Bill Russell (or Wilt during the Laker's run to glory in '72, or Unseld with the Bullets) If Shaq would commit to being the best defensive center in the league, and stop trying to lead the league in scoring, you could make this work. But that's not his m.o., at least as far as I can tell. It seems he's more interesting in competing with Kobe, than coexisting with Kobe. I find the irony is all this captivating. Shaquille could do it, if he chose to. He's a great passer and rebounds when he wants to. He's just in love with the thirty point game...and, that is not what the Lakers need going forward. Given the choice between building around Shaquille, or building around Kobe, one must select Kobe.

Bryant, though, is a misunderstood soul, drunk with power, yet propelled toward greatness like few who've ever played the game. He is the most remarkable player in the game today-- if the game had a Mount Olympus, Kobe would be ascending toward that pantheon. But, he ain't quite there yet.

What Kobe needs is a father-figure to take him behind the woodshed (not for a whippin', but for a good talking to.) Kobe must be influenced to become a better teammate, a better encourager, and a better stabilizing force. He has basketball greatness, but not greatness of character...but, he's a young man, and if he is wiling to listen, can grown into this over a period of time. He understands the basketball part-- now he must understand and embrace the leadership aspect of greatness. Encourage Kobe to find a father figure. It will make his life (and, by proxy, yours) much more pleasant. He really needs it.

The last thing I want to say, Mitch, is this: Look at Chicago...or, for that matter, the Dodgers. The time to begin re-inventing oneself is when things are good. You waited one season beyond the optimal point to begin reinventing the Lakers. The Payton/Malone gamble was a 'win-now' play. It was a risk-- but, the injuries caused you to come up short. Had this Laker crew remained healthy, it might have worked. But it didn't and here we are-- this is a chance to re-make the Lakers according to your vision. And, I encourage you to do it. It is no secret that the Lakers need to be long and athletic to compete. Rudy T. is a masterful choice. His energy, enthusiasm, and belief in the players will bring a different spirit to practices and games. It will be a rebuilding year that'll start slow, but by the '05 playoffs, the Lakers will be back in the drivers seat (as long as Kobe is neither in Anaheim nor some isolated Colorado work camp.)

Go and get your bible, Mitch. Read about Joshua and embrace how he followed a man for the ages, yet left his own indelible mark. Then, give that bible to Kobe and have him call me. I've got a story for him.

Stay Faithful, My Friend.

Lindell.

P.S. Sign Derek Fisher, tell Luke Walton that your vision for him is to be the "6th" man of the year, hire Ed Palubinskas to work with Devean George, give Brian Grant a tape of the late Happy Hairston, and inquire about the availability of Ed Cota (he's playing for Skipper Bologna in the European league.)

P.S.S. You are, at your press conferences, way too defensive. Chill out bro, get into a little banter with those media guys...be a little more self-depracating...show your fun side...remember, it's basketball and, therefore, should be invested with an element of fun...the media needs you more than you need them.

Oh, Wheel of Fortune

Oh, wheel of fortune
I'm hoping somehow
If you ever smile on me
Please let it be now

-Kay Starr

I watched Game 5 at CJ's Deli on Kalia Road in Honolulu. The bartender was a Laker fan. The rest of the patrons were self-described "Laker-haters in the house." The pain of watching the game slip away, and my team unravel, gave way to thinking about the "Laker haters." "Anybody, but the Lakers," one guy said. "I just can't stand them and what they're about."

There ain't much love for the Lakers in Texas. I know that because I live near Dallas. But here I was-- in Honolulu-- with people from all over the country spewing disdain for the Lakers.

Why do people people hate this team? Why is there so much rejoicing that the Lakers fell to the Pistons?

I reflected on the beginning of my love affair with the Lakers. Like most people, it began with Chick Hearn (and, I contend, that if you spent a year listening to Chick, it isn't possible to hate the Lakers because that would mean hating Chick...that, my friends, isn't possible.)

Back in the day (as my players describe my era), about 25 Laker road games were broadcast on television. There was no ESPN or TNT. NBA TV: Didn't Exist. NBA.com: Please. And, if you couldn't afford to attend games, it was Chick Hearn and his 'words-eye' view. That view-- probingly insightful-- imbued one with a fateful, haunting, unending love for this team called the Lakers.

There isn't much middle ground when it come to the Lakers. They are loved. They are despised. No middle earth is possible.

Being a Laker fan is tormenting. I remember every loss to Boston in the 1960's edition of the NBA Finals. More than anything else, I remember 1969 and Don Nelson's brick that hit the heel of the rim, bounced straight up toward the rafters in the Fabulous Forum, and fell into the basket. Every time I see Nelson, I think of that shot and how it plunged like a knife into my ten year old heart.

I won't even talk about the Willis Reed/New York Knick heartbreaker. (He and Nelson both wore #19)

So, as I watched this iteration of the Lakers reduced to a wandering caravan of humanity, I could only reflect. The Lakers, I think, have lost more times in the finals than any other franchise. Are you telling me that doesn't hurt?

Those who hate the Lakers don't fully appreciate how much they've lost-- how much futility they've had, and how much Laker fans have been on the receiving end of pain.

This loss against Detroit-- yeah, it stings, but when you've been a Laker fan for years, you recognize that pain is never far away. It hangs, like a shadowy cloud. just above your head. Three straight NBA championships made a lot of people forget how tough it is being a Laker fan. I celebrated the wins over Indiana, Philly, and New Jersey-- but, I knew that it couldn't continue.

Sooner or later, the Karmic Wheel of Basketball catches up with you. And, you've gotta pay up. The Lakers started paying last year when Robert Horry's three-pointer rimmed out against the Spurs. If that shot goes in, the Lakers most probably win the series and another championship. It didn't, however, and the Karmic Wheel began spinning the demise of this edition of the Lakers.

It was was the beginning of the end. To wit, soon thereafter: Kobe goes to Colorado. Karl and Gary arrive in town and the pundits hail this as potentially the greatest team ever. Those of us who know Laker history dating back the Sports Arena days were always uneasy with this 'greatest team ever' line. It conjured up memories of Elgin, Wilt and Jerry being hailed as the 'greatest team ever.' We were driven slightly mad by all the talk about Laker superiority. Even during the winning streak, the gnawing pain remained unrelenting.

Then, Karl tore his MCL. Kobe injured and re-injured his shoulder. Kobe sliced open his finger. Nagging injuries plagued Shaq. Rick Fox wasn't 100%. Payton was angry. Devean George injured his ankle. Medvedenko injured his achilles. A fourth place finish in the Western Conference seemed not just likely, but inevitable.

The wheel began to spin faster. The Lakers struggled against Houston, barely surviving 72-71 in their first game in the playoffs. Jeff Van Gundy exposed the Lakers two most glaring weaknesses for everyone on the planet to see: 1.) No consistent perimeter scoring threat, 2.) The world's worst transition defense.

Do you think Larry Brown wasn't watching the Houston series? Everyone in the basketball cognoscenti knew the Lakers were teetering on the edge. Houston had the game plan, but not the personnel. San Antonio had the players and the game plan, but their jump shooting took an early vacation. Minnesota had the toughness, but didn't have Sam Cassell.

The wheel is now spinning at full tilt-- except the Lakers don't feel it. When Derek Fisher's shot with 0.04 seconds went I felt the Lakers had used their very last chip....that this particular dispensation was over. In basketball, the scales always balance. Let me reiterate: Things always balance. The game doesn't allow for perpetual imbalance. The Celtics will never win another championship. (Note to Paul Pierce: Get out while you're young...see the careers of Karl Malone and Elgin Baylor for a look into your future). Auerbach, Russell, Bird, et al, used all the Celtic chips and there are none left to be purchased. You didn't see Larry Bird hanging around to labor at rebuilding the Celtics, did you? He escaped as quickly as he could, never looking back. Indiana will win before the Celtics...the Clippers will get to the Finals before the Celtics win again.

The Lakers were dead men in purple and gold when the the NBA Finals started.

I don't want to take anything away from the Pistons (in a later post, I will explain what happened tactically in this series), because history records them as 2004 NBA Champions. (It is funny, though, how both NBA championships that the Pistons won over the Lakers came against an injury-riddled Laker team....injuries are a part of the game...one can't complain about them, but they must be acknowledged.)

This loss was more about the dark destiny of the Lakers than the strength of the Pistons. Los Angeles had no more chips to play. The next time that Game 5 of last year's Laker-Spurs airs on NBA TV, look at how close Horry's shot was-- it was long by not even an inch. But that is how change begins...subtly, almost imperceptibly...like curtains blowing in a late summer breeze. The beginning of the end occurs when you least expect it.

The Lakers used all their chips and the wheel spun. That is the beauty of basketball. A spiritual sense of harmony dominates this great game, ensuring, from time to time, that each of us is humbled. What we do, and how we rise, determines our new destination. It determines whether we get more chips.

Number 2 Preserves Hope for Number 11

It has taken me a while to digest game 5.

Had Tim Duncan's shot been the game winner, I would have been sad. This season, with all it's drama and complexity and moments of brilliance, would have been over. The dismantling ot this Laker team would have began. I don't think it would have been a pretty sight.

I never had much use for Karl Malone, not after he dissed Magic after the whole HIV announcement. And then there was Karl complaing about Kareem being selected to play in that all-star game...even though Kareem wasn't the fans choice. I remember thinking that Karl had no respect for the history of the game.

I thought that Karl could take his 18-wheeler driving, gun-toting, Salt Lake City-loving behind into basketball obscurity with no NBA title. That would have been fine for me.

Then, he became a Laker and I was torn. He showed respect to Laker history by not demanding #32. Even though Magic would have consented.

Nope, Karl took Bob McAdoo's old number.

Now, I find myself rooting for Karl Malone to have this chance at winning an NBA championship. I cannot believe how I've changed. I think I began to soften when I watched him at his daughter's college games. The Dad part of me connected with how he felt-- there isn't a feeling much better than being a player with a kid who is playing at the top of their game. I lived that, and I knew that look of pride on Karl's face.

When he got hurt, and tried to ''tough it out" for the team, I was blown away by how much this guy loved the game. When the people at Utah-- and even the owner-- made him look like a buffoon, my heart went out for him, being touched by an obvious betrayal.

And, finally, Karl loves this game. People who love the game are alright with me.

So, I can't hold a grudge against Karl for all the stuff I used to be angry with him for...not any more.

Age has softened him-- he seems more circumspect now. His jump shot is off and his explosiveness seems more like a musket ball, than a 1.762 NATO round. But he plays hard-- every possession. His craftiness as a defender is exactly what old guys do to the young guns at the rec. It's just beautiful.

Derek's shot brought Karl's championship dream a little closer to reality. Thank you, Derek.

Kobe's basket off the previous pick and roll made it all possible. Great shot, Kobe....way to save us again.

Here is a question: Why did the Spurs file a protest with the NBA? Was it just a formality, or did they really expect anyone to listen? The basketball gods are not smiling on the Spurs. Their protest, if it was made in good faith, is a mockery. The officials-- on the floor-- made the call, 'basket good.' That should've been the end. Don't disrespect the game with unfounded protests.

Duncan makes two really tough shots...a bank from straight on-- which, to anyone who has ever played basketball, recognizes is the toughest area on the floor to execute a bank shot from (normally, it is just a long miss that banks in -- and, he follows this by hitting an incredible off-balance shot on Shaquille.

Timmie, the basketball gods were shining on you for both of those attempts.

And then, the same gods showed their largesse shining on Derek Fisher's 19-footer. It was a desperation shot, because of the circumstances, but the shot was an excellent attempt. Fisher caught the ball on balance-- from a great pass by Payton-- turned and delivered a shot with perfect form...elbow underneath the ball, perfect release, rotation, arc, and follow through.

It wasn't really luck, was it. No, it was basketball destiny.

Whoever wins the series wins the NBA championship. San Antonio and the Lakers are just better-- far better than anyone else still playing. And, in a best-of-seven series, talent always prevails. What this series has shown is that the best basketball on the planet is being played between these two giants. It's a shame that one team has to spend the off-season suffering...but, that's the decree that that basketball gods have uttered. Only one team can win. I hope to see Karl and Kobe holding that trophy.