20 Second Timeout

Look for Lindy's Pro Basketball 2019-20 in Stores Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2018-19 Is Available Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2016-17 is Available Now!

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Lindy's Pro Basketball, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Roland Lazenby, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz

posted by David Friedman @ 11:37 PM

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2023-24 is on Sale Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2024-25 is on Sale Now

The annual publication of Lindy's Pro Basketball is a happy milestone for basketball fans because that means the NBA season is just around the corner. The 2024-25 edition of Lindy's Pro Basketball has 30 team previews, plus nine feature stories: "Scopin' the NBA" (Mike Ashley recaps the major off-season stories), "The Brunson Burner" (Mark Medina profiles Jalen Brunson), "Here Comes the Cash" (Michael Bradley details the implications of the NBA's big new broadcasting deals), "Edwards Learns His Own Hard Lessons" (Mark Medina discusses Anthony Edwards' emergence as a star), "Keeping the Faith" (Lyn Scarborough demonstrates how Jonathan Isaac is making a difference), "NBA Report Card" (Roland Lazenby grades each team's off-season moves), "A Look Ahead" (Carl Berman scouts the 2025 NBA Draft), "NBA Fantasy Guide" (Mike Ashley provides advice for fantasy basketball enthusiasts), and "A Look Back" (Lazenby looks back at how NBA arenas have evolved).

I wrote six team previews and sidebar articles this year: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs. My sidebar articles discuss, respectively, Daniel Gafford/Dereck Lively II, the end of the "Splash Brothers" era, Dejounte Murray, Chet Holmgren, why "Tanking to the Top" is a myth, and the Spurs' playoff prospects after tanking to obtain Victor Wembanyama.

This is the 16th year that I have contributed to Lindy's Pro Basketball dating back to 2005 (with interruptions for the 2011 lockout, my law school attendance in 2014-15, and 2020 because Lindy's Pro Basketball was not published in the wake of COVID-19). As always, I am grateful to Roland Lazenby for providing the opportunity to contribute to Lindy's Pro Basketball, and I am proud to be associated with the finished product.

If you do not see the magazine in any stores in your area, you can order a copy online.

Selected Previous Articles About Lindy's Pro Basketball:

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2022-23 is on Sale Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2021-2022 is in Stores Now

Look for Lindy's Pro Basketball 2019-20 in Stores Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2018-19 Is Available Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2016-17 is Available Now!

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Lindy's Pro Basketball, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Roland Lazenby, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 5:33 PM

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2022-23 is on Sale Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2023-24 is on Sale Now

The annual publication of Lindy's Pro Basketball is a happy event for basketball fans because that means the NBA season will begin soon. The 2023-24 edition of Lindy's Pro Basketball has 30 team previews, plus nine feature stories: "Scopin' the NBA" (Mike Ashley recaps the major off-season stories), "Wemby is Next" (Michael Bradley profiles 2023 number one overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama), "The Joker Abides" (Mark Medina examines if Nikola Jokic could become the next Tim Duncan), "The Real 'Winning Time'" (an excerpt from Roland Lazenby's forthcoming Magic Johnson biography), "Keeping the Faith" (Medina discusses Stephen Curry's faith), "NBA Report Card" (Lazenby grades each team's off-season moves), "A Look Ahead" (Jeremy Treatman scouts the 2024 NBA Draft), "NBA Fantasy Guide" (Ashley provides advice for fantasy basketball enthusiasts), and "A Look Back" (Lazenby recalls how George Mikan led the Lakers to one NBL title and five NBA titles).

I wrote six team previews and sidebar articles this year: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs. My sidebar articles discuss, respectively, the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving duo, Chris Paul, Zion Williamson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Damian Lillard, and Gregg Popovich.

This is the 15th year that I have contributed to Lindy's Pro Basketball dating back to 2005 (with interruptions for the 2011 lockout, my attendance at law school in 2014-15, and 2020 because Lindy's Pro Basketball was not published in the wake of COVID-19). As always, I am grateful to Roland Lazenby for providing the opportunity to contribute to Lindy's Pro Basketball, and I am proud to be associated with the finished product.

If you do not see the magazine in any stores in your area, you can order a copy online.

Selected Previous Articles About Lindy's Pro Basketball:

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2021-2022 is in Stores Now

Look for Lindy's Pro Basketball 2019-20 in Stores Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2018-19 Is Available Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2016-17 is Available Now!

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Lindy's Pro Basketball, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Roland Lazenby, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 11:15 PM

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2021-2022 is in Stores Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2022-23 is on Sale Now

The arrival of the new Lindy's Pro Basketball is a happy and welcome sight because that means the NBA season is going to start soon. The 2022-23 edition of Lindy's Pro Basketball has 30 team previews, plus eight feature stories: "Scopin' the NBA" by Mike Ashley (recapping the major off-season stories), "The Pick-and-Roll, A Love Story" (Michael Bradley discusses how modern defenses adjust to basketball's oldest play), "Tatum and Brown" (Mark Murphy profiles Boston's dynamic duo), "Keeping the Faith" (Bill Sorrell writes about how Jonathan Isaac is strengthened by his religious beliefs), "NBA Report Card" (editor Roland Lazenby grades each team's off-season moves), "A Look Ahead" (Jeremy Treatman scouts the 2023 NBA Draft), "NBA Fantasy Guide" (Ashley provides advice for fantasy basketball enthusiasts) and "A Look Back" (Lazenby reflects on the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Bulls' fabled "Last Dance").

I wrote six team previews and sidebar articles this year: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs. My sidebar articles discuss, respectively, Luka Doncic, the "GOAT" conversation surrounding Stephen Curry, CJ McCollum, the tanking Thunder, Damian Lillard, and the tanking Spurs (parenthetical note: it is sad that two of the six teams that I analyzed are openly tanking). It is worth noting that the magazine went to press before the Thunder's Chet Holmgren suffered a season-ending foot injury, so my Thunder preview does not indicate that he will not play in 2022-23. Also, my "3 Things to Look For" regarding the Warriors were reprinted from last year's issue due to a technical error; my "3 Things to Look For" regarding the Warriors should read as follows:

1) One For the Thumb? The Warriors are seeking their fifth title in nine seasons, a feat matched only by Mikan's Lakers, Russell's Celtics, the Magic/Kareem Lakers, and the Jordan/Pippen Bulls.

2) Revolving Door: The defending champions will have at least five new players on their roster, and will need to replace rotation players Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II.

3) Wiseman’s Impact: If James Wiseman can stay healthy and continue to develop, he could be an important member of the Warriors’ rotation.

This is the 14th year that I have contributed to Lindy's, dating back to 2005 (with interruptions for the 2011 lockout, my attendance at law school in 2014-15, and then in 2020 because Lindy's Pro Basketball was not published in the wake of COVID-19). As always, I am grateful to Roland Lazenby for providing the opportunity to contribute to Lindy's Pro Basketball, and I am proud to be associated with the finished product.

If you do not see the magazine in any stores in your area, you can order a copy online.

Selected Previous Articles About Lindy's Pro Basketball:

Look for Lindy's Pro Basketball 2019-20 in Stores Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2018-19 Is Available Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2016-17 is Available Now!

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Lindy's Pro Basketball, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Roland Lazenby, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 5:59 PM

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2021-2022 is in Stores Now

The arrival of the new Lindy's Pro Basketball is a happy and welcome sight because that means the NBA season is about to start. The 2021-22 edition of Lindy's Pro Basketball has 30 team previews, plus nine feature stories: "Scopin' the NBA" by Mike Ashley (recapping the major off-season stories), "Where is the NBA Headed?" (Pete Croatto predicts how the league will change by 2046), "The Young and the Restless Luka" (Michael Bradley discusses Dallas' young superstar), "Welcome to the Arms Race" (DJ Siddiqi analyzes the Lakers' acquisition of Russell Westbrook), "Keeping the Faith" (Bill Sorrell provides his take on Kevin Durant's career ), "NBA Report Card" (editor Roland Lazenby grades each team's off-season moves), "A Look Ahead" (Jeremy Treatman scouts the 2022 NBA Draft), "NBA Fantasy 2021-22" (Ashley provides advice for fantasy basketball enthusiasts) and "A Look Back" (Lazenby describes "The Agony of Jerry West").

I wrote six team previews and sidebar articles this year: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs. My sidebar articles discuss, respectively, Jason Kidd, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, the Thunder's rebuilding process, C.J. McCollum, and the Spurs' search for a new identity in the post-Duncan era. Due to a production error, the Pelicans preview indicates that the franchise was founded in 1988 as the Charlotte Hornets, but of course the franchise was founded in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets, as correctly noted in the previous edition of Lindy's Pro Basketball.

This is the 13th year that I have contributed to Lindy's, dating back to 2005 (with interruptions for the 2011 lockout, my attendance at law school in 2014-15, and then in 2020 because Lindy's Pro Basketball was not published in the wake of COVID-19). I am grateful to Roland Lazenby for providing the opportunity, and I am proud to be associated with the finished product.

If you do not see the magazine in any stores in your area, you can order a copy online.

Selected Previous Articles About Lindy's Pro Basketball:

Look for Lindy's Pro Basketball 2019-20 in Stores Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2018-19 Is Available Now

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2016-17 is Available Now!

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Lindy's Pro Basketball, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Roland Lazenby, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 11:33 PM

Kobe Bryant's Journey

In March 2020, I received an email from Japanese journalist/editor Takeshi Shibata asking me to contribute an article for a Kobe Bryant Tribute magazine that he would be publishing. I submitted the article in English, he translated it into Japanese, and the magazine was published in April 2020. Due to COVID-19, the delivery of my copy of the magazine was delayed for well over a year, and I just received it yesterday. The magazine is beautiful, as you can see by looking at the front and back cover photos:

I would like to publicly thank Roland Lazenby for recommending me to Takeshi Shibata. I hope that my contribution is worthy of that recommendation, and that it will help people to remember and appreciate what made Kobe Bryant so great and so beloved. I am not fluent in Japanese, and I assume that most of my readers are not, either, but here is the English text of my contribution, entitled "Kobe Bryant's Journey":

Kobe Bryant followed an improbable and unusual path to becoming an all-time NBA great. Kobe's father Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played eight seasons in the NBA before finishing his professional basketball career in Italy. Therefore, Kobe learned the game in a different environment than most American players; he played for a youth team in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and he felt a lifelong bond with that city. In a 2016 interview, Bryant said—in Italian—"My story began here," referring to Reggio Emilia.

After Joe Bryant's playing career ended, he and his family moved back to the United States. Kobe attended Lower Merion High School in suburban Philadelphia. "Lower Merion and everything associated with it made me who I am," Kobe declared during his final NBA season.

As a senior, Bryant led Lower Merion to 30 straight wins, a 31-3 overall record, and the school's first state championship since 1943. Bryant scored 2823 points during his high school career, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's Southeast Pennsylvania state record that had stood since the 1950s.

Bryant jumped straight from high school to the NBA. The Lakers' Jerry West moved up in the draft to take Bryant after he saw Bryant destroy former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Michael Cooper in a workout. West also traded for Shaquille O'Neal, thus acquiring the two superstars who would soon lead the Lakers to three straight championships.

However, the road to glory was not smooth. The Lakers lost 4-1 to the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 1997 playoffs, and they were swept 4-0 in 1998 and 1999.

Bryant won the Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie in 1997, and he became the youngest NBA All-Star starter ever in 1998. Bryant's scoring average climbed from 7.6 ppg to 15.4 ppg to 19.9 ppg during his first three seasons, but the hiring of Phil Jackson as head coach in 1999 signified the beginning of a new era. In Jackson's first year with the Lakers, Bryant averaged 22.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 4.9 apg while earning his first selections to the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Defensive First Team.

Bryant played a major role in the 2000 playoffs as the Lakers captured their first championship since 1988; he had 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and four blocked shots—leading the Lakers in all four categories--in an 89-84 game seven win over Portland in the Western Conference Finals.

O'Neal and Bryant led the Lakers to the next two titles, joining George Mikan's Lakers (1952-54), Bill Russell's Boston Celtics (1959-66) and the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen Bulls (1991-93; 1996-98) as the only NBA teams to win at least three championships in a row.

The Lakers fell short of the NBA Finals in 2003. The 2004 season was challenging for Bryant and the Lakers in many ways, and the final chapter of the O'Neal-Bryant partnership ended with a loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Prior to the next season, the Lakers traded O'Neal to the Miami Heat.

The Lakers did not make the playoffs in 2005, but Bryant led the team to the playoffs each of the next two seasons despite playing alongside a very weak supporting cast.

Those seasons were very frustrating for Bryant, but from an individual, statistical standpoint he reached a level that few other players in pro basketball history ever approached.

The words "not since Wilt Chamberlain" or "not since Michael Jordan" appeared regularly in game recaps describing Bryant's incredible scoring feats. Phil Jackson summarized one of those games by writing "Kobe 62, Dallas 61" on his clipboard: in just three quarters of a December 20, 2005 game, Bryant singlehandedly outscored the eventual Western Conference champions!

On January 22, 2006, Bryant torched the Toronto Raptors for 81 points, the NBA single-game scoring record for everyone not named Wilt Chamberlain. Bryant's January 2006 production earned a place in the record books as he averaged 43.4 ppg. That was the highest scoring calendar month by an NBA player since Chamberlain averaged 45.8 ppg in March 1963.

On November 30, 2006, Bryant scored 52 points in a 132-102 win against the Utah Jazz, and he had a perfect third quarter; he tied his team record by scoring 30 points, and he did not miss a shot: 9-9 from the field, 10-10 from the free throw line.

In the wake of this astounding performance, ESPN's Ric Bucher wrote: "How many times must Kobe demonstrate that no one in the league--and I mean no one--has his combination of skill, tenacity, understanding of time and score, killer instinct and ability to control the game at both ends? And how many times must I be the one taking the flag and waving it? Trust me, if you're sick of me sticking up for Kobe, I'm equally sick of having to do it. It shouldn't be this difficult to have the man recognized as the league's all-around best player. OK, so you don't like him. I'm good with that. But not respect him? Not give him his due? Anoint anyone who hasn't accomplished half of what he has as The King or The One or The Whatever?"

After first round playoff losses in 2006 and 2007, the Lakers started the 2008 season 30-16 before acquiring Pau Gasol. The Lakers finished with the best record in the Western Conference, 57-25. Bryant won his first and only regular season MVP before leading the Lakers to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics.

That summer, Bryant led Team USA—the "Redeem Team"—to an Olympic gold medal, a tremendous turnaround from the squad's disappointing performances in recent FIBA events. Bryant scored 13 points and dished for two assists in the fourth quarter of the gold medal game as Team USA defeated Spain, 118-107.

Bryant led the Lakers to back to back titles in 2009-10, earning two Finals MVPs. The game seven victory against the Boston Celtics in the 2010 Finals probably meant more to Bryant than any other game.

The Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, Bryant ruptured his Achilles late in the season as he tried to singlehandedly push, pull, and drag the Lakers into the playoffs—the Lakers made it, but Bryant missed the postseason due to the injury. He was never completely healthy during the final three seasons of his career, playing in just 107 of 242 possible games.

Bryant’s 60 point outburst versus Utah in the final game of his career would have been a remarkable accomplishment under any circumstances, but his age (37), his physical struggles, and his limitations at that stage of his career further elevate that performance.

Many athletes struggle mentally, emotionally, and even financially after they stop playing sports, but Bryant thrived in what turned out to be a short but very meaningful post-NBA life: he won an Academy Award in 2018 for producing the autobiographical animated short film "Dear Basketball," he served as a mentor to many young NBA players, he became an outspoken advocate for women’s sports, and—most significantly—he fully embraced his role as a father to his four daughters.

Labels: Kobe Bryant, Roland Lazenby, Takeshi Shibata

posted by David Friedman @ 3:19 AM

"Forever Mamba" Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant

"Forever Mamba," a special tribute magazine for Kobe Bryant published by Lindy's, is available in stores now, and can also be ordered online from the Lindy's website: Lindy's Special Editions

Roland Lazenby, editor of Lindy's annual pro basketball preview magazine and author of numerous books--including Michael Jordan: The Life, Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon, and Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant--edited "Forever Mamba." Lazenby also contributed three feature stories: "Kobe Bryant: Forever Mamba," "Fathers & Daughters," and "Heartbreak."

I wrote a feature titled "Kobe's Amazing Streaks and Big Games: 24 Indelible Memories From 20 Incomparable Years," and--though not mentioned in the masthead--I also selected the quotations for the "Outpouring of Grief for Kobe" feature (except for the quote from Kobe's widow Vanessa, which Vanessa released as a public statement after I had made my selections).

Michael Bradley wrote "Aces to Lakers."

Mike McGraw wrote "Air Balls and the Rise of No. 8," "The Three-Peat," "Most Valuable," and "Return to Glory."

Eric Pincus wrote "The Battle," and "The Moment."

Here is a picture of the cover:

Labels: Kobe Bryant, Lindy's Pro Basketball, Roland Lazenby

posted by David Friedman @ 10:24 PM

6 comments

Look for Lindy's Pro Basketball 2019-20 in Stores Now

I am always happy and excited when I see the new Lindy's Pro Basketball in stores, because that means the NBA season is just around the corner. The 2019-20 edition has 30 team previews, plus nine feature stories: "Scopin' the NBA" by Mike Ashley (recapping the major off-season stories), "Giannis the Splendid" (Gery J. Woelfel profiles the 2019 NBA MVP), "Whither the Big Man" (Michael Bradley analyzes the sport's evolution to small ball), "Mighty Zion" (editor Roland Lazenby looks ahead to Zion Williamson's much-anticipated rookie season), "Keeping the Faith" (Gery J. Woelfel explains why the Pacers are so happy to acquire Malcolm Brogdon), "NBA Report Card" (Lazenby grades each team's off-season moves), "A Look Ahead" (Jeremy Treatman scouts the 2020 NBA Draft), "NBA Fantasy Guide" (Ashley provides advice for fantasy basketball enthusiasts) and "A Look Back" (Lazenby recalls Michael Jordan's rookie season).

I wrote six team previews and sidebar articles this year: Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings. My sidebar articles discuss, respectively, Kevin Love, Luka Doncic, Steve Kerr, the Thunder's former "Big Three," Damian Lillard and Vlade Divac/Vivek Ranadive.

This is the 12th year that I have contributed to Lindy's. I am grateful to Roland Lazenby for providing the opportunity and I am proud to be associated with the finished product.

If you cannot find a copy of the magazine in a store, you can order a copy online.

Labels: Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Lindy's Pro Basketball, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Roland Lazenby, Sacramento Kings

posted by David Friedman @ 2:07 AM

Reflections on the Passing of Tex Winter

Legendary basketball coach Tex Winter passed away yesterday at the age of 96. Winter played basketball at USC, where his Coach Sam Barry first developed what is now known as the Triangle Offense--but Winter refined and expanded that concept when he became a coach. Winter enjoyed an outstanding career as a collegiate head coach--most notably at Kansas State, a program that he twice led to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament--and he was inducted in the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Winter's NBA coaching career began with a brief stint as Houston's head coach in the early 1970s but Elvin Hayes and company did not respond well to the Triangle. However, earlier in his career Winter had caught the eye of Jerry Krause, who vowed to hire Winter if he ever got the chance to do so.

That chance happened after Krause became the General Manager of the Chicago Bulls. Krause hired Winter to be an assistant coach under Doug Collins and the rest is history: Phil Jackson ascended to the head coaching position in 1989 and he promptly implemented the Triangle Offense under Winter's watchful eye. The Triangle Offense played a major role in Chicago's subsequent run of six championships during an eight year span in the 1990s and all of the key figures--including Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen--have said that they would not have won without Winter. Jackson brought Winter back to the bench when Jackson joined the L.A. Lakers and Winter was an assistant coach for four of the Lakers' next five championship teams (poor health forced Winter to retire prior to the Lakers winning the 2010 title).

Here is part of what I wrote about Winter after he was finally selected for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :

"Every star that I've ever had on a team--except Scottie Pippen, basically--he had trouble with parts of their game," (Phil) Jackson said. Pippen embraced Winter's intricate Triangle and mastered all of its subtleties; when Michael Jordan took a hiatus from the NBA to play minor league baseball, many people wrongly assumed that Pippen would try to average 30 ppg and that the Bulls would be a mediocre team sans Jordan--but Pippen knew his strengths and limitations, so instead of trying to become a scoring champion he used his playmaking skills to enhance his teammates' performances, helping B.J. Armstrong and Horace Grant to each earn their first (and only) All-Star appearances as the Bulls surprised observers by going 55-27 and pushing the New York Knicks to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Winter's Triangle provided a structure and framework not so much for Jordan, Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant but rather for their less talented teammates...

Roland Lazenby was the Boswell to Winter's Johnson and Lazenby provided much insight for the general public regarding Winter's thought process. In 2007, Lazenby wrote an article that contained Winter's comparison of Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan and I quoted from that article in a 20 Second Timeout article:

Roland Lazenby, the fine editor of Lindy's Pro Basketball--for which I have written several articles during the past two years--recently posted an interview with Triangle Offense guru Tex Winter on the subject of the similarities between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. You can read the complete interview here. Winter concludes, "I tend to think how very much they're alike. They both display tremendous reaction, quickness and jumping ability. Both have a good shooting touch. Some people say Kobe is a better shooter, but Michael really developed as a shooter as he went along. I don't know if Kobe is a better shooter than Michael was at his best." He also dismisses the idea that Bryant took bad shots during his recent scoring binge: "We study the tapes. Actually, for the most part, he's not forcing up a lot of bad shots. When he gets hot, he does take shots that would be questionable for other players. But a lot of the shots he’s taken go in. He'll take shots that not many other players are going to be able to hit, and he hits them." These statements come from the person who invented the Triangle Offense and helped Phil Jackson implement it as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the Chicago Bulls to six titles; then, Jackson utilized the same Triangle Offense to win three more titles in L.A. with Shaq and Kobe--and Winter says that Jordan and Bryant are "very much alike." The one caveat that Winter offers is that Jordan held his ground on the post better, while Bryant sometimes allows himself to get pushed off of the block and toward the three point line on offense.

Winter later told Lazenby that he doubted that Jordan would have fit in well with Shaquille O'Neal, who of course won three championships with the Lakers while playing alongside Bryant. As noted above, Winter's analysis of Bryant's shot selection differed from the superficial and biased mainstream media portrayals of Bryant.

O'Neal often clashed with Winter--though O'Neal was among the many who praised Winter in the wake of the news of Winter's passing--but Bryant and Winter bonded from the start. During the 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend, Bryant told me, "I love Tex. If it weren't for Tex, I wouldn't look at the game or interpret the game the way that I do. The way that he teaches the game is different than any other coach that I've ever been around. He looks at the game in a different way. He actually teaches momentums--how to build momentums and how to break momentums. He looks at the total concept of the game and then plays it like chess. It's amazing to sit there and learn. When he teaches you something, you go out on the court and you apply that knowledge and it actually works. You start looking at him like he's Yoda. I'm telling you, it's just incredible."

After word of Winter's death was announced, Scottie Pippen tweeted, "Tex Winter was my biggest critic. He was also my biggest fan. A few words about the legendary coach who lived his 96 years as well as anyone could have..." Pippen later added, "Tex was tough on me early in my career. But he believed in me and gave me the confidence I needed to make the triangle work. He'd say, 'I'm not criticizing, I'm coaching'" and Pippen concluded, "Student of the game. Hall of Famer. 9 NBA championships as a coach. He taught me how to become a better offensive player. How to be patient on the floor. How to take criticism. How to win. Thank you, Tex. Rest In Peace."

Labels: Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Roland Lazenby, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, Tex Winter

posted by David Friedman @ 10:38 PM

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2018-19 Is Available Now

One of the first welcome signs that the NBA season will begin soon is the appearance of Lindy's Pro Basketball at your favorite bookstore or newsstand. The 2018-19 edition includes eight feature stories and 30 team previews. The feature stories are "Scopin' the NBA" (Mike Ashley looks at some of the major off-season stories, not surprisingly headlined by LeBron James' move from the Cavaliers to the Lakers), "Generation Next" (Lindy's editor Roland Lazenby shares insights gathered from top talent evaluators regarding young stars Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid), "Durant and the Drama Factory" (Michael Bradley examines how the NBA has become like AAU basketball with players "jumping ship and changing teams, almost on a whim"), "The Hoosier " (Mark Murphy profiles Brad Stevens and his Indiana roots), "NBA Report Card" (Lazenby rates each team's off-season moves), "A Look Ahead" (Jeremy Treatman scouts the 2019 NBA Draft), "NBA Fantasy Guide" (Ashley provides advice for fantasy basketball enthusiasts) and "A Look Back" (Lazenby describes the final championship of the Bill Russell's magnificent Boston Celtics career).

I wrote the team previews and sidebars for the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder. My sidebars discuss Mark Cuban and Russell Westbrook respectively.

It is always a source of pride to write for Lindy's and then to see the finished product just a couple months later. The death of print media has been proclaimed for quite some time but Lindy's is alive and well. This is the 11th edition for which I contributed at least one article or team preview and I hope to be on the roster next year as well.

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Lindy's Pro Basketball, Mark Cuban, Oklahoma City Thunder, Roland Lazenby, Russell Westbrook

posted by David Friedman @ 10:15 PM