As a Pacers fan, I really hate to say anything even remotely complimentary about the New York Knicks. (Side note: John Starks sucks.)
Still, it’s impossible to not recognize how good the MSG Network is. It shows a lot of classic Knicks stuff, which is great because Clyde Frazier is the flyest known human and each time they talk about Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, it draws us one step closer to the day we all collectively stop erroneously referring to it as “The Willis Reed Game” and start rightfully calling it “The Clyde Frazier Game.” (Walt dropped 36 points, 19 assists and 5 steals on 12-17 shooting from the field and 12-12 from the line.)
Additionally, the network often shows great non-Knicks performances very often as well. Currently, for instance, the channel is showing a program called “Returns to MSG,” which is featuring things like MJ’s “Double Nickel” game where he dropped 55 on the Knicks in his first trip to the Garden after failing to succeed in minor league baseball and Bernard King’s first game playing in New York after signing the Washington Bullets. It also includes MSG returns of guys like Clyde (who was dealt to the Cavs), Patrick Ewing (who played pretty well for Seattle), Mark Jackson (who dropped 18 and 8 and did some shimmying with the Clips), Pat Riley (who was nearly lynched for bolting to Miami), Charles Oakley (who is a guy so dope even a Pacers fan has to love) and Jeff Van Gundy (who was so gutter ghetto girls fell in love with him). Epic stuff. (0n a related-but-not-related note, this morning someone shared this YouTube link with me from when AI returns to Philly.)
In other news, the MSG Network often airs some good street ball stuff from Rucker Park, which is rare to see on television ever since ESPN’s “Streetball” show overexposed and trivialized the And 1 Mixtape phenomenon even quicker than it ruined Texas Hold ‘Em. And it just so happens that right before the “Returns to MSG” show, they were showing the “EBC at Rucker” show. Basically, it is what it says it is: a show of highlights from current and past Entertainer’s Basketball Classic tournament action from Harlem’s legendary Rucker Park.
This episode concluded with one of the greatest moments in Rucker History. It was 2003 and David Stern showed up — and brought his friend President Bill Clinton with him. The two luminaries sat there in attendance watching the action and seemed at home even though they both stood out for their overwhelming whiteness and all-eyez-on-me fame. In an interview conducted some time later, EBC announcer Al Cash aptly reflected upon what having these two men in the stands meant for NYC basketball: “It was a good look for Harlem.”
Better still was the fact that rapper Fat Joe’s “Terror Squad” team was playing that day and one of the other announcers had the foresight to borrow Joey Crack’s gaudy “TS” chain and put it around Stern’s neck.
And even better than that is the fact that there’s a photo of said incident.
I hear this guy has what the playground kids call game and hops. Maybe even skillz and/or steez. I dunno. I don’t really get these yutes today with all their saggy pants and roller skates. (Video via Slam)
“I was texting Spike as the game was going on, saying how disappointed I was in the fans chanting ‘MVP’ for Kobe,” Miller said Tuesday, speaking on a TNT pre-All-Star conference call. “I was like, ‘How the mighty have fallen.’ Because I remember in times past, I never got cheered. I’m sure Jordan never got cheered. And now they are chanting ‘MVP!’ for Kobe? And all [Lee] kept doing was texting back and going, ‘Look, times have changed. The climate has changed.’
“I wish I would’ve gotten the red carpet treatment when I went to the Garden,” Miller said. “That would’ve been nice.”
Hate to break it to you, Reg, but regardless of climate, you’re just never gonna get the “red carpet treatment” from someone you rape repeatedly during the NBA Playoffs. That’s what Dad always said about why Mom left anyway. What? Some guys just get more excited about “40 Games in 40 Nights” than others.
By now, you’ve no doubt already seen numerous recaps of Mamba’s historic night of striking with 99% accuracy in rapid succession at the Garden. All told, he finished with 61 points on 19-31 from the field and 20-20 from the line, eclipsing both Bernard King’s Christmas Day 60-point game in 1984 and MJ’s infamous “Double Nickel” in his #45-wearing comeback year to become to the highest single game scorer in Madison Square Garden history.
Since the 7 o’clock start time Magic/Mavs game was boring me out of my skull, I was actually fortunate enough to flip over to Knicks/Lakers at 7:30 for the tip and catch the game in its entirety. And from the outset, Kobe was, in a word, sublime. Given my League Pass-induced ADD, I honestly can’t remember the last time I stayed on one game through every commercial until the end. But last night, I never even considered flipping around — even after I saw online that CP3 had 12 dimes in the first half against Portland.
Between the absurd pivot/shot fake/jab step jumpshots Kobe was wetting all game, the effortless drives to the hoop and the relentless focus on his face for the whole 48 minutes, the only conclusion I can reach is that Mamba is clearly a Both Teamster and this was a vengeance game. (Sorry, dude. Start leaving some comments next time and maybe we’ll issue a retraction.)
All that combined with the immaculate outfit being worn by Clyde Frazier just made for a great night for the NBA. (Sidenote: I really hope you League Pass folks had the Knick feed. I am privileged enough to have the Knicks MSG network and Clyde was sensational and vocational all game long.)
So with nothing left to add aside from the video of every point Kobe scored last night (via Dime), I leave you with a rerun of my unabridged, in-game Twitter updates.
(For the uninitiated, Twitter is the new NBA live blog).
BothTeamsPlayed Wilson Chandler just pinned the shit out of Kobe’s weaksauce.
BothTeamsPlayed Thanks for the post-game interview with Lamar Odom, Tina Cervasio. Meanwhile, your mouth is cavernous.
BothTeamsPlayed Twas all WIlson Chandler’s fault for that vicious block he had on Kobe’s weak layup in the 1st. Done pissed off Mamba something serious.
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