The 2026 Legends Brunch Honors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Candace Parker, Baron Davis, and Jamal Crawford While Featuring a Panel Discussion With Olympians Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Pau Gasol
The Legends Brunch is the highlight of NBA All-Star Weekend, a celebration of the great players who built the NBA from a fledgling league into a global enterprise. I cherished covering the Legends Brunch in person from
2005-2010, and every year that was my favorite All-Star Weekend event, along with attending the ABA Reunions in 2005 and 2006.
NBC is covering the NBA this season for the first time since 2002, so for the first time in more than two decades TNT's Ernie Johnson was not the host for the Legends Brunch telecast. Bob Costas, who served as NBC's main NBA host the last time that the network had an NBA contract, hosted the 2026 Legends Brunch. His communication style is different than Johnson's--Costas did not lead things off with a poem he wrote--but Costas is every bit as informed and talented as Johnson is.
Costas began the telecast by providing a brief recap of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, and then he introduced NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Silver acknowledged the presence of the family members of Chuck Cooper (the first Black player drafted by an NBA team), Earl Lloyd (the first Black player to play in an NBA game), and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (the first Black player to sign an NBA contract). Then, he presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar said that he is "deeply humbled, filled with gratitude for a league that gave me far more than a career. It gave me a home, a purpose, and a family." Abdul-Jabbar thanked all of his coaches and teammates collectively, but he singled out one coach by name: Farrell Hopkins, who he credited with impressing upon him the importance of being able to score effectively. Abdul-Jabbar took that advice to heart, eventually breaking Wilt Chamberlain's NBA career scoring record in 1984 and then holding the mark until LeBron James surpassed him in 2023. Abdul-Jabbar expressed gratitude that the NBA provided "a platform to stand for something larger than myself," namely social justice and community service. He emphasized the importance of what an athlete does beyond the basketball court: "Greatness is not measured in points only or in wins, but in the impact we leave behind."
Magic Johnson presented the Pioneer Award to Candace Parker, the only WNBA player to win championships with three different teams and the only WNBA player to win the Rookie of the Year award and the regular season MVP in the same season. Parker stated that she has been inspired by NBA legends, singling out Magic Johnson and Julius Erving in particular. She also noted the strong influence that her college coach, Pat Summit, had on her.
The Legends Brunch included a special tribute to the three pioneers mentioned above: Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton. This is part of the NBA's season-long recognition of how Cooper, Lloyd, and Clifton played key roles in integrating the league.
Andre Iguodala, the President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), spoke on a host of topics. He mentioned Chris Paul--who recently retired after being released by the L.A. Clippers--and said that Paul has a special ability to "lock in" to competition while also being able to "lock through" as a connector bringing people together. Iguodala recalled that when Paul was a rival player he did not like him very much, but that after serving as an NBPA Vice President while Paul was the NBPA President he saw firsthand how much Paul did on behalf of NBA players. Iguodala praised Abdul-Jabbar for speaking to him 15 years ago about the value of keeping up with the times to learn to speak the language of young people. Abdul-Jabbar advised Iguodala to do things like watching reality TV shows to better understand how young people think and how they communicate.
Antonio Davis, the President of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA or Legends of Basketball), spoke about the NBRPA's mandate to help Legends live with dignity and wellness so that they can prosper and can continue to make positive contributions to their communities.
The Bob Lanier Community Impact Award was first presented to Pau Gasol in 2023, and then Jalen Rose earned the honor in 2024. The award was not presented at the 2025 Legends Brunch, but it is important to keep Lanier's name alive, and to recognize players who have a positive community impact. Gasol presented this award to Baron Davis and Jamal Crawford. Davis spoke about his efforts to bridge the gap between the "privileged" and the "underprivileged." He said that he learned the importance of community while he grew up in the L.A. area. Crawford declared, "This honor truly means a lot to me. I feel so blessed because this isn't something you seek recognition for. You do what feels right to uplift as many people as possible, especially those who need it most." He thanked his grandparents, parents, sisters, and community members who inspired him. He lives by the motto, "If you can help someone, do it." Crawford added, "Giving back is not about recognition. It's about responsibility." He thanked Abdul-Jabbar and Erving for providing inspiration to him when he was a child--and even today. Crawford said that the sport's legends are the most important part of the game.
After Crawford finished speaking, Costas mentioned the new documentary "Soul Power," produced by Julius Erving, George Karl, and Common. The four part series on Amazon Prime tells the story of the ABA. Costas noted the tremendous impact that the ABA had on basketball history--and on the way basketball is played today--with innovations such as the three point shot (which was not invented by the ABA but was popularized by the league), the Slam Dunk Contest, and a wide open style of play. Many Hall of Famers started their careers in the ABA, including four-time MVP/three-time champion Julius Erving, three-time MVP/one-time champion Moses Malone, two-time MVP/three-time champion Mel Daniels, one-time MVP/one-time champion Artis Gilmore, one-time MVP/two-time champion George McGinnis, three-time champion Roger Brown, four-time scoring champion George Gervin, David Thompson, Bobby Jones, and Louie Dampier. Costas declared, "No one personified the league more than Dr. J, one of the greatest players in the history of basketball and the greatest player in the history of the ABA."
The Legends Brunch concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Costas featuring Olympians Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Pau Gasol.
Robertson recalled Team USA's tryout process for the 1960 Olympics, which involved eight teams competing in Denver. The AAU was very powerful at that time, and tried to get as many of their players as possible on the Olympic team. Costas asked Robertson if the 1960 squad was the greatest U.S. team ever other than the fabled 1992 Dream Team. Robertson acknowledged his team's greatness but also felt that the 1956 squad led by Bill Russell should be considered.
Robertson wore a knee brace, but Costas pointed out that Robertson looks much younger than 87. Robertson explained that he is wearing the brace because old men sometimes do "foolish" things; he strained his leg trying to see how much weight he could lift over his head.
Magic Johnson said that a key moment for the 1992 Dream Team happened when Michael Jordan rejected the honor of being the only captain and insisted that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson should be co-captains with him. Johnson said that this forged team unity. He remembered that the Dream Team's scrimmages were often Eastern Conference players competing against Western Conference players, and he said that those now-legendary battles were very intense.
Johnson praised Robertson not only as a great player but also as the first player who became a "businessman outside of basketball," along with Dave Bing.
The always gracious Gasol praised Robertson, Johnson, and the other legends who came before him for paving the way for him to become an NBA player. He was 12 years old when the Dream Team won Olympic gold in his hometown Barcelona. Gasol talked about how his L.A. Laker teammate Kobe Bryant ran right through him on a screen when Team USA faced Spain in the 2008 Olympics. Gasol said that play set the tone for Team USA to do whatever it takes to win the gold medal after falling short several times in previous FIBA events when Bryant was not on the roster. Gasol recalled that Bryant later put his Olympic gold medal in Gasol's L.A. locker to send a message, noting that Bryant was very "intentional" about making sure that they were on the same page about winning an NBA championship. Gasol had an 0-3 career playoff series record before teaming up with Bryant, who led the Lakers to NBA championships in 2009 and 2010 with Gasol as the second option. If Gasol had continued to be aggressive and not been satisfied with winning two NBA championships, perhaps the Lakers would have won at least one more title.
One of Johnson's most vivid Olympic memories is how Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen made a point of taking turns guarding Toni Kukoc--their future Chicago Bulls teammate--full court when Team USA faced Croatia in the 1992 Olympics.
Johnson singled out Erving for helping him when he was weighing the pros and cons of leaving Michigan State as an underclassman. After Johnson sought Erving's advice, Erving not only counseled him but he flew Johnson to Philadelphia to stay with him for a few days to discuss matters in detail. Johnson said that this was an important time not just in his career but in his life, and he praised Erving for being such a great mentor. That story epitomizes not only how special Erving is, but also the impact that basketball's legends can have (1) when their counsel is sought and (2) when young players have the humility to realize that they don't know everything and that they can benefit from the experiences of the great players who came before them.
Selected Previous NBA Legends Recaps:
The 2025 NBA Legends Brunch Honors Oscar Robertson, Gary Payton, and Rick Barry, and Features a Panel Discussion With Run TMC (2025)
The
2024 NBA Legends Brunch Honors Tamika Catchings, Jalen Rose, Reggie
Miller, and Larry Bird While Also Featuring ABA Panel Discussion (2024)
NBA Legends Brunch Honors Bill Russell, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Pau Gasol (2023)
Jerry West Gives Powerful Speech After Being Honored as NBA Legend of the Year (2022)
Legends Brunch Honors Alonzo Mourning, Five Great Mavs (2010)
NBA Legends Brunch Honors Phoenix' Rich Basketball History (2009)
King James Reigns in Houston (2006 NBA All-Star Weekend) Labels: Baron Davis, Candace Parker, Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, Jamal Crawford, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Nat Clifton, NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Legends Brunch, Oscar Robertson, Pau Gasol
posted by David Friedman @ 10:30 AM
Changing of the Guard--or Diminishing of the Guards?
Subjectively, it seems like there is a changing of the guard--literally and figuratively--in the NBA. Young players like Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis are moving to the forefront, while older players who have dominated the NBA for the past several years are declining and/or hampered by injuries. The shooting guard position is taking on a new look. Kobe Bryant, the best shooting guard--and often the best player overall--in the NBA for the better part of the past decade and a half, has just suffered another season-ending injury; surgery on his right rotator cuff is expected to keep him out of action for nine months. Dwayne Wade, probably the second best shooting guard in the NBA for most of the time frame that Bryant dominated, has been battling injuries and declining athleticism for several years.
In FanDuel leagues the best fantasy basketball player options at shooting guard are guys like James Harden and Klay Thompson. Harden and Thompson--who set the all-time NBA record by pouring in 37 points in a quarter en route to scoring 52 points during Golden State's 126-101 rout of Sacramento last Friday--are also the scoring leaders among shooting guards so far this season, at 27.6 ppg and 23.0 ppg respectively (Harden is the NBA's overall scoring leader as well). Surprisingly, Bryant (22.3 ppg) and Wade (21.4 ppg) are next in line, though of course Bryant will not play enough games this season to be a qualifier. Monta Ellis is fifth (20.3 ppg) and Jimmy Butler is the only other shooting guard averaging at least 20 ppg (20.1 ppg).
My initial assumption was that if I looked back five years the list would be much different but in 2009-10 the scoring leaders among shooting guards were Kobe Bryant (27.0 ppg), Dwyane Wade (26.6 ppg), Monta Ellis (25.5 ppg), Tyreke Evans (20.1 ppg) and Jamal Crawford (18.1 ppg). Evans is seventh this season (17.0 ppg) and Crawford is 11th (15.7 ppg).
However, 10 year ago the shooting guard landscape included greater quality and quantity. Allen Iverson led the scoring parade (30.7 ppg, capturing the last of his four scoring titles) but seven other shooting guards also averaged at least 20 ppg: Kobe Bryant (27.6 ppg), Tracy McGrady (25.7 ppg), Vince Carter (24.5 ppg), Dwyane Wade (24.1 ppg), Ray Allen (23.9 ppg), Michael Redd (23.0 ppg) and Jason Richardson (21.7 ppg). The first six players on that list are future Hall of Famers in their primes, while the 2005 versions of Redd and Richardson would almost certainly be All-Stars in 2015 (Redd made the All-Star team once in an injury-riddled career and Richardson never made the All-Star team).
Obviously, even though the position is called "shooting guard" a lot more goes into being a great shooting guard than just shooting/scoring. However, I doubt that many objective talent evaluators would take the top shooting guards of 2015--using any relevant statistic or standard--as a group over the top shooting guards of 2005. Maybe we are not seeing a changing of the guard as much as we are seeing some talent depletion at the shooting guard position. Such things are cyclical and it could be argued that the point guard position is now enjoying a renaissance but thinking about this does put All-NBA selections and All-Star selections in perspective; when considering such honors from a historical standpoint, it is important not to just look at how many times a player was tapped but also what kind of depth existed at his position during his prime.
Labels: Dwyane Wade, Jamal Crawford, James Harden, Klay Thompson, Kobe Bryant, Monta Ellis, Tyreke Evans
posted by David Friedman @ 10:51 PM
Chicago Versus Atlanta Preview
Eastern Conference Second Round
#1 Chicago (62-20) vs. #5 Atlanta (44-38)
Season series: Chicago, 2-1
Atlanta can win if…the Hawks utilize their athleticism to play aggressive defense, force turnovers and score a lot of points in transition. The Bulls play great half court defense, so the Hawks must speed up the game if they plan on scoring more than 85-90 ppg.
Chicago will win because…the Bulls consistently play much harder and much smarter than the Hawks do. The Bulls' active big men will control the paint at both ends of the court, while Derrick Rose will pick apart Atlanta's defense to create shots for himself and for his teammates.
Other things to consider: I should have had the courage of my convictions
regarding the Orlando Magic's prospects after their two big midseason trades but I somehow convinced myself to pick Orlando to beat Atlanta in the first round. Frankly, neither team particularly impresses me: the Hawks have essentially the same roster as last year (Kirk Hinrich was a nice midseason addition but in terms of total regular season minutes played, the only change this season is swapping Jeff Teague for Maurice Evans), and they ended up with nine fewer wins than they had in 2009-10 despite firing Coach Mike Woodson, who became a scapegoat for the team's failure to advance past the second round; the Magic went from being a legit championship contender the past two seasons to a team that I knew would struggle just to win a single playoff series. Ultimately, I thought that having the best player, homecourt advantage and the edge in coaching would enable the Magic to get by the Hawks but the fact that even those trumps could not save Orlando shows just how far that franchise has fallen in a short time--and that stark realization will become even more clear if the Bulls dismantle the Hawks as thoroughly as I expect that they will.
The Hawks are a talented team but they are frustrating to watch because they so often play without focus or direction; on paper, the Bulls may be considered less talented than the Hawks overall (even though Derrick Rose is clearly the best player on either roster) but the Bulls are much more focused than the Hawks; TNT's Kenny Smith made a great point about this series: the Bulls will dominate in a lot of areas that do not show up in the boxscore, such as deflections, corralling loose balls and hustle plays. The Bulls' tenacity will disrupt the Hawks at both ends of the court and after the Bulls convincingly thrash a team that beat Orlando 4-2 it will be apparent just how much work the Magic have to do to once again become a contending team.
Labels: Atlanta Hawks, Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Jamal Crawford, Joakim Noah, Joe Johnson
posted by David Friedman @ 3:03 PM
Knicks Buy Ticket for "LeBron Lottery"
By making a pair of deals that shipped out leading scorer/rebounder Zach Randolph and second leading scorer Jamal Crawford while bringing in the expiring contracts of Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, the New York Knicks officially bought their ticket for the 2010 "LeBron Lottery." In fact, the Knicks could be so far under the salary cap in two years that they could theoretically offer maximum contract deals to two players.
Although there has been some talk that these trades signify that the Knicks are essentially writing off this season, the three new players are well suited to the uptempo style that Coach Mike D'Antoni favors. It is easy to picture Harrington averaging 20 ppg if he gets enough minutes, Mobley could score in the mid-teens and Thomas--who played for D'Antoni in Phoenix--could be a solid contributor off of the bench. The Knicks are currently tied for the sixth-eighth spots in the East with a 7-6 record and it is certainly possible that they could continue to hover around .500 with their current roster. A major factor in New York's improvement is that D'Antoni banished Stephon Marbury, a move that I've advocated for years.
However, while I disagree with the idea that the Knicks have abandoned all hope until 2010, I think that a few cautionary notes should be considered about what may happen when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and several other top players become free agents.
1) Whenever a max contract player's deal nears completion there is often feverish talk about him leaving his old team for greener pastures but in most cases these players end up re-signing with their original teams.
2) Now that the Knicks will theoretically be able to sign two max contract players in 2010 there is speculation that they will try to pair LeBron James with Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. Either of those combos certainly looks like a great dynamic duo--but history shows that NBA championships are not won merely by putting together two great players. In fact, sometimes even having three great players is not enough: Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor never won a championship together, though Chamberlain and West teamed up with Gail Goodrich to capture the 1972 crown right after Baylor retired. Oscar Robertson/Jerry Lucas, Wes Unseld/Earl Monroe and Karl Malone/John Stockton are three examples of pairings of members of the
NBA's 50 Greatest Players List who played together in their primes and did not win titles together. You have to have all of the pieces in place to win a championship, not just a couple great players; Robertson later won a championship with Top 50 player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks, Lucas and Monroe won a ring with the 1973 New York Knicks (who also had Top 50 players Walt Frazier and Willis Reed) and Unseld teamed up with Top 50 player Elvin Hayes to lead the Bullets to the 1978 championship.
It is true that having one or two star players who can take over a game is usually part of the recipe of building a championship team but a championship team also must have a well rounded roster of lesser players who make important contributions. More importantly, a championship team also must have the mentality--and ability--to play consistently good defense. Just look at the teams that have won championships in recent years: the Celtics, Spurs and Pistons were great defensive teams, the Heat was a very good defensive team and the Lakers were a very good defensive team that could be great when it counted, though Shaquille O'Neal's lack of conditioning/effort resulted in inconsistent performances at times. Since 1990,
every championship team except the 1991 and 1993 Bulls and the 2001 Lakers ranked in the top ten in defensive field goal percentage--and the relatively low regular season rankings for the Bulls and Lakers are deceptive because those teams proved to be excellent defensive squads during the playoffs.
3) Turning to more recent history, the combination of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming has yet to lead to a single playoff series win, much less a championship. This year the Rockets added Ron Artest to the mix but so far the most notable thing that they have accomplished--if that is the right word--is the remarkable feat of all three of those players getting injured in the same game. Yes, it's way too soon to write off the Rockets but is also way too soon to assume that they will even make it out of the first round, much less win a championship. Another cautionary tale is the pairing of McGrady and Grant Hill in Orlando. Hill was coming off of the best season of his career and McGrady was a rising young talent when the Magic acquired them in separate deals prior to the 2001 season. McGrady won the Most Improved Player Award for Orlando that year and emerged as a superstar but Hill was hobbled by an ankle injury that he suffered in the previous year's playoffs and never again played at his previous level. Meanwhile, Detroit obtained undrafted free agent Ben Wallace in the Hill deal and Wallace became the rebounding and defensive cornerstone for the Pistons as they made it to the NBA Finals twice, winning the 2004 title by defeating the star laden L.A. Lakers, who had four future Hall of Famers on the roster (Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, an ailing Karl Malone and the shadow of the Glove--call him the Mitten--Gary Payton).
Literally half of the league's teams have cleared salary cap space in the hope of landing James, Wade, Bosh or another star in 2010. Obviously, most if not all of these teams will fail in these efforts--and history suggests that even if a team manages to wrestle a star player away from his old team this does not guarantee winning a championship.
Am I suggesting that teams should not try to sign James, Wade and/or some of the other big name players who will be on the market in 2010? Of course not. What I am saying is that fans--and front office executives--should understand that without the right infrastructure in place a team cannot win a championship. Remember that in 2007, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen each watched the playoffs at home--and their 2008 title run with the Celtics was fueled not only by putting them together on the same team but also by surrounding them with good role players who all understood the critical importance of playing tough, physical, relentless defense.
This means that the Knicks--and anyone else who has bought or will buy a ticket for the "LeBron Lottery--should spend the next two years putting together the foundation for a winning a championship by hiring a defensive minded coach and signing tough minded, unselfish role players. Mike D'Antoni has a great basketball mind and he has been a successful NBA coach but I wonder if his approach can lead a team to an NBA title. LeBron James has already been a part of one defensive minded championship team--the 2008 U.S. Olympic team--and he has seen how a defensive minded approach has helped the Cavaliers become an elite team even without a second star player. I would not be so quick to assume that James is going to leave Cleveland unless the team that is wooing him has a better infrastructure in place to win a championship than the Cavs do; James is going to make tons of endorsement money no matter where he lives and he is smart enough to understand that his ultimate basketball legacy will be based in large part on how many titles he wins.
So much can happen between now and 2010 that it is impossible to say what these players and teams will decide to do when the moment of truth arrives. Injuries and the emergence of new stars and/or new contending teams are just some of the factors that could influence the decision making processes of both the free agent players and their suitors.
Labels: Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, Jamal Crawford, LeBron James, New York Knicks, Tim Thomas, Zach Randolph
posted by David Friedman @ 4:43 PM
Lakers Improve to 3-1 on Road Trip, Kobe Bryant Scores 20,000th Point
Kobe Bryant had 39 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and two steals as the L.A. Lakers built a 25 point lead and held on to post a 95-90 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Early in the third quarter, Bryant scored the 20,000th point of his career, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach that milestone, beating Wilt Chamberlain by 12 days. Of course, Bryant got a head start by jumping straight from high school to the NBA, so Chamberlain still easily holds the record for reaching 20,000 points in the fewest number of games (499; it took Bryant 811 games). The Lakers finished their road trip with a 3-1 record,
with the only loss coming Thursday night in Cleveland. After that game, Bryant vowed to go back to the gym and work on his jumper in order to compensate for the restricted mobility that he currently has because of his left groin pull. Sure enough, Bryant's jumper was in full effect against the Knicks, not only from three point range (5-12) but also his mid-range shot as well. Bryant led both teams in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals (Derek Fisher also had two steals) in his finest all-around game of the season. Jamal Crawford had just one point on 0-7 field goal shooting in the first half but he finished with 31 points on 11-25 shooting. He and Bryant each played a little more than 41 minutes; Bryant had a +19 plus/minus score, while Crawford's plus/minus score was -6. The only other Laker to reach double figures in scoring was Andrew Bynum (13 points, eight rebounds) and Bryant's teammates combined to shoot just .404 from the field (Bryant shot 14-28). The Lakers also got outrebounded 52-38 and gave up 17 offensive rebounds. Those kind of numbers usually lead to a loss--particularly on the road--but Bryant's brilliance saved the day in a fashion very reminiscent of how the Lakers played in the second half of last season; that is definitely not a formula that Coach Phil Jackson wants to rely upon very often and he surely hopes that the other starters and the bench players will resume playing the way that they did at the beginning of the season.
The Lakers took leads of 11-4 and 22-10 in the first quarter and were ahead 31-21 by the end of the period. Bryant had 12 points in the opening stanza, while Lamar Odom scored all nine of his points before disappearing for most of the remainder of the game (not unlike how he played versus Cleveland). The game was telecast on NBA TV using the feed from the MSG Network and commentator Walt Frazier offered this explanation for the Knicks' sluggish start in a game that tipped off just past noon Eastern time: "These guys are nocturnal creatures, folks. In these matinees, we always see dreadful play in the first half before we see some real NBA action." Frazier may have a point but, as play by play man Mike Breen observed, the adjustment should be even more difficult for a West Coast based team for whom noon Eastern time is equivalent to nine in the morning.
The Lakers pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring the Knicks 24-16, as Bryant had five points and five assists. Frazier noted that a big reason that the Lakers are doing better this year is their improved defense and he contrasted that with the poor defense that the Knicks play: "This is how the Knicks get behind by double digits. They have offensive futility and then their defense can't contain the other club." The Knicks also had serious ballhandling problems in the first half, committing 13 turnovers. A big reason for the team's woes in all of these areas--"offensive futility," turnovers and poor defense--is that the Knicks do not have any reliable, legitimate point guards on the roster. Their most talented guards are not true point guards, forcing Coach Isiah Thomas to constantly shuffle his lineup in the vain hope of getting adequate production from that position. Look at the NBA standings and you will notice that virtually every playoff caliber team has a good--or great--point guard. One of the unsung keys to the Lakers' improvement this season is the subtraction of Smush Parker and the addition of Derek Fisher at that position. The point guard orchestrates the offense for most teams (LeBron James' Cavaliers and Bryant's Lakers being two exceptions to this rule) and is the first line of defense, so poor point guard play leads to breakdowns all over the court, which could be the official motto of the Knicks ("Here are your New York Knicks, who bring you breakdowns all over the court on a nightly basis"). Stephon Marbury did not play versus the Lakers while he grieves for the passing of his father; I certainly don't want to kick a man while he's down but I have said for quite some time that the Knicks need to cut Marbury loose or buy out his contract and just start over at point guard: he simply has not gotten the job done when he plays and he is not a good leader.
At halftime, MSG's Al Trautwig interviewed Knicks assistant coach
Mark Aguirre, who told him that Bryant is the league's best player but that it was unacceptable for Bryant to beat the Knicks with both his scoring and his passing; the goal in the second half would be to make Bryant more one dimensional. Frazier agreed with Aguirre that Bryant is the best player in the NBA, adding in his inimitable style, "When I talk to players, Kobe is the most feared and revered player in the league. When teams talk about him, when players talk about him, they know his ability to put up prodigious numbers and he is well respected because of that."
Bryant reached the 20,000 point mark by draining a pullup three pointer early in the third quarter. Not long after that, Frazier added, "One thing I noticed about Kobe when he came into the league is that he had so much confidence that he could be great--and he has achieved that." By the 6:28 mark of the third quarter, the Lakers led 70-45 and the New York fans were raining down boos on their hapless Knicks. Teams usually make runs, as Frazier predicted, but when Bryant sat down for his normal rest with 2:36 remaining in the quarter the Lakers still enjoyed a comfortable 73-55 advantage. The Knicks trimmed four points off of that margin to trail 75-61 by the end of the quarter.
By the 10:36 mark of the fourth quarter, the lead was down to 75-68 and Jackson was forced to put Bryant back in the game because the Lakers had been outscored by 11 points in the four minutes that Bryant was on the bench. Frazier commented on a couple occasions that he thought that Jackson made a mistake by keeping Bryant out for too long, noting that during his playing days he (Frazier) hated when his Coach Red Holzman kept the starters out for too long and then had to put them back in to essentially win the game again. Of course, Jackson is a Holzman disciple and Bryant's minutes have to be monitored somewhat not only because of his injury but also to keep something left in the tank for a long season; if the bench cannot maintain a lead for even four minutes then the team will not go far no matter how brilliantly Bryant plays.
What specifically went wrong when Bryant was not in the game? On offense, the execution of the Triangle Offense was very poor, most notably because of bad spacing; a key feature of the Triangle is that players are supposed to be 15-20 feet apart to prevent one defender from guarding two offensive players at any time. One of the players on the court during this time was Trevor Ariza, who the Lakers just acquired via trade and who is obviously still learning the offense (a process that can take more than a year). The Lakers compounded their offensive problems by playing poor defense that repeatedly led either to open shots or to fouls being committed by players who were out of position; Crawford scored six points during this stretch and Robinson shot 4-4 from the free throw line. Thomas had benched defensively challenged big men Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph in favor of using a small lineup consisting of a mixture of starters and bench players who hustle and play with energy (Crawford, Robinson, Malik Rose, Jared Jeffries and Quentin Richardson). Frazier observed, "The irony about the Knicks is that when you have a team like this, a mixture of players in the game like this, they seem to perform better than the starters, whether they are ahead or trying to catch up like they are now. They have good cohesion, the defense is good."
Right after Bryant came back in the game, the Lakers went on a quick 5-0 run and Frazier said, "What I think happened is just the presence of Kobe on the court inspired these guys. You saw how futile they were in scoring until Kobe came back on the court." For the next several minutes, the Lakers maintained a double digit lead. A Crawford jumper briefly cut the margin to eight but Bryant made two free throws to give the Lakers an 89-79 advantage with just 3:52 left. Then, Odom committed a flagrant foul on Crawford, who made both free throws and then hit a floater in the lane on the ensuing extra New York possession. Just like that, the lead was down to 89-83. Lakers rookie guard Javaris Crittenton missed a jumper and then Bryant fouled Crawford on a three point attempt. Crawford made all three free throws but Bryant countered with a jumper that made the score 91-86. Throughout the fourth quarter, the Knicks repeatedly exploited bad pick and roll defense by Lakers' big men Bynum and Chris Mihm; every time David Lee set a screen and rolled to the hoop, Crawford either got a wide open shot or passed the ball to Lee, who had eight of his 12 points in the final 6:49--and all of them either came on passes from Crawford or opportunities created as a result of the initial screen and roll. Crawford scored his 14th (and final) point of the quarter by making a running bank shot after Bynum took a horrible angle to defend a screen and roll play, allowing Crawford to split the trap and drive unencumbered to the hoop.
With the Lakers leading 91-88, Odom fouled out after barreling into the lane and committing an offensive foul. As I've noted in a few recent posts, including
a recap of a Lakers' win versus the Nuggets, Odom has a perplexing tendency to dribble into traffic and commit offensive fouls; a player with his talent and experience should have better court awareness than he displays in those situations. Lee made two free throws to cut the lead to 91-90 but Bryant answered with a jumper with 57.6 seconds remaining to make the score 93-90; Bryant scored 13 straight points for the Lakers from the 8:37 mark of the fourth quarter until he hit that shot. The teams traded missed shots and turnovers in the next few possessions until the Knicks got a rebound and called timeout with four seconds remaining to set up a final play. Lee handled the inbounding duties. Bryant denied one option, a pass to Crawford in the corner, so with the five second count looming Lee tried to pass to Robinson above the top of the key. Farmar read Lee's eyes, stole the ball and raced downcourt for the dunk. Frazier concluded, "The moral of the story is why do the Knicks have to come out so lethargic and get down by 25 before going on a rampage?"
After the game, Trautwig asked Bynum what it says about the Lakers that they were able to hold on and win. Bynum offered a very wise reply: "Actually, it says something bad about our team because we don't have the ability to keep our foot on somebody's throat. So we are going to have to develop that characteristic if we want to be a great team."
Labels: Derek Fisher, Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Lamar Odom, New York Knicks
posted by David Friedman @ 7:27 AM
