But this was too good not to link to. Obviously the the Sports Guy is usually terrific, but the number of terrific things said here was too terrific. That's right. Too terrific. Let me indugle myself and quote my favorite part, if only because i noticed this look last night and I cracked up even then.
"0:01: Fascinating last play -- Orlando defends Kobe with its slowest defender (Turkoglu), gambling that his length will bother Kobe's jumpshot, and if Kobe drives, Hedo's teammates will jump in to help and Kobe will shoot, anyway. So what happens? Kobe beats Hedo off the dribble, Redick, Lewis and Howard all collapse on Kobe, Kobe ignores Odom (wide-open, left corner), Ariza (wide-open, top of key) and Fisher (wide-open, right corner) and shoots with two seconds left, anyway ... and Hedo blocks him from behind. Sorry, that's just a terrible offensive play. I would hope even the Lakers fans would admit this...
0:00.6: Funniest moment of the game: Kobe storms back to the bench, whacks the chair in disgust and sits down as Phil Jackson (already sitting) looks at him with a bemused, "Should I point out to him that MJ absolutely would have passed there?" smile on his face. Classic."
The Sports Maunderer has a relative who will go nameless (her name rhymes with smatherine) who repeatedly beats him over the head for not appreciating Kobe enough. This, in a nutshell, is why. My favorite part of basketball--by far--is passing. It isn't always the smart play. Sometimes, for instance, Lebron passes too often. MJ always passed pretty much the correct amount (when you are as good of a scorer as he was, passing is rarely the best play, but he still got plenty of awesome assists because when it was the correct play, he made it). Magic Johnson... well he was Magic Johnson. Before my time but I'm told he didn't suck. Even dominant big men like Tim Duncan (who I can't stand) and Shaq would pass out of double teams. not necessaril pretty, but effective. Pau Gasol, for that matter, a Kobe-teammate and 7-footer, is a really good passer who has beautiful assists from time to time.
When I play or watch basketball, I look for awesome passes. Like this. Or any of Lebron's other 10,000,000,000 amazing passes. Lebron plays with the worst team in basketball and yet he manages to make several amazing assists per game, and would average a triple double if his team knocked down shots. Kobe has a veritable all-star team and they play like an all-star team. they win in spite of themselves. They just have too much talent to lose.
The Lakers should crush people. They should destroy them. They certainly shouldn't be getting blocked from behind on the last play of regulation with a chance to win. This, right here, is why I don't root for Kobe (besides, you know, that business in Colorado). He is either too arrogant or too stupid or not good enough to know when to give the ball up. I don't think he isn't good enough, and I don't think he's too stupid.
Maybe it isn't arrogance though. Maybe it is insecurity. Maybe he feels like if he doesn't get every game winning shot, he isn't good enough. Either way, it is a crime against a beautiful sport. I would think that smatherine would understand that.
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Smatherine is willing to further discuss this after she has finished studying. You shall not uncover the nakedness of just about anybody...or anything. It seems.
Just to begin, however, the quote of a certain Pulitzer-prize winning president comes to mind:
"He was right. Winners want the ball."
-Cat
I actually think the president was wrong there. I think some of his wit would have served him well. "Winners *win*" would suffice.
If winning means taking the ball, so be it. Goodness knows Jordan did most of the time. But if winning meant passing, he would.
To save Bartlet's infallibility, though, I agree. Winner's want the ball so they can decide whether to pass or shoot. Not just to shoot.
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