So most of these posts are going to be about advertising, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that I found poetry in, that I found to be a riveting story.
When the 1992 All-Star game came about....back in 1992, I was only 4 years old. Needless to say that I really don't remember it from then. But with this year's All-Star game approaching, NBA TV has been playing back old all-star games.
First, you have to understand that I love NBA basketball. Most people love the college game, but how can you not appreciate the NBA? This is some of the world's best athletes and basketball players executing passes, shots, overall gameplay at the fastest pace and the highest level. I love seeing the differences in teams when it comes to style and team philosophy. On one hand, you have the San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan (the Big Fundamental), who play a defensive-minded, inside-outside halfcourt game. Then you have teams that are led by great point guards such as New Orleans (Chris Paul), Phoneix (Steve Nash), and the Jazz (Deron Williams).
But in 2010, the NBA is dominated by hybrids now. You've got players like LeBron James who can play either guard position and can post up and play either forward position. It's these hybrids that are now dominating the NBA offenses and style of play (see Amare Stoudemire, Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, Antwawn Jamison, Kevin Durant)
So, needless to say, NBA TV is usually one of the first channels I turn to and is usually background noise when I'm doing other things. When I turned and saw the 1992 All-Star game I didn't really understand the context of the season, of culture, or could really guess who was on each team. I forgot that this was the beginning of the Dream Team years and the amazing talent that was playing at the time. This was, by far, the middle of the golden years of the NBA.
In the game, 13 out of the 50 greatest players of ALL TIME were on the floor. Here is the roster for each side to get an idea of the talent level at that game:
West:
Tim Hardaway
Clyde Drexler - Hall of Fame/Top 50
Hakeem Olajuwan - Hall of Fame/Top 50
David Robinson - Hall of Fame/Top 50
Magic Johnson - Hall of Fame/Top 50
Karl Malone - Hall of Fame/Top 50
John Stockton - Hall of Fame/Top 50
Chris Mullin
James Worthy - Hall of Fame/ Top 50
Dikembe Mutombo
Dan Majerle
Jeff Hornacek
Otis Thorpe
East
Isiah Thomas - Top 50/ Hall of Fame
Michael Jordan - Top 50/ Hall of Fame
Patrick Ewing - Top 50/Hall of Fame
Scottie Pippen - Top 50/ Hall of Fame
Dennis Rodman
Larry Bird - Top 50/ Hall of Fame
Charles Barkley - Top 50/Hall of Fame
Mark Price
Reggie Lewis
Brad Daugherty
Joe Dumars - Hall of Fame
Kevin Willis
Dominique Wilkins - Hall of Fame
So you get the idea. Some of the best players to ever play the game were all-stars that season. The story line was all about Magic Johnson, who had retired in November because of his contraction of HIV. The story shocked the world and brought people to tears. Magic was the most beloved player in the game. His personality, flair, style, and his ability to elevate his game made the Lakers the team that had the most fun and was the most fun to watch. You have to remember that this is the same guy who had done mythical things (won an NCAA title at Michigan State, won an NBA championship his rookie season by playing center-guard, winning NBA finals MVP, the only player to ever do that, and so on).
Magic could see passing lanes where others only saw bodies in the way. He started fast-breaks from a defensive rebound where the ball touched the ground maybe 3x. It's hard to describe the "magic" he had in words. To see him play was to make a sport into an art form. He was truly poetic with the basketball.
In steps David Stern, who creates a 13th All-Star position after the fans vote the now-retired Johnson into the game. Furthering the show of good faith, Tim Hardaway gives up his starting spot for Magic, adding to the allure that the game will bring.
Overall, watching the game was a lesson in the differences between today's NBA and the NBA of those years. These guys were all-stars and busting their ass on every play. Everyone was d-ing up and getting low in their stances. This was no game. This was competition and these guys took pride in going all-out against their best-in-class friends.
The game wasn't close. The West won 153-113. You see that score and think, "ya right, how were they playing defense?" The East was, but was no match up for the combination of Johnson and Company.
Often times, with the Western Conference team, Karl Malone or David Robinson would grab the rebound, pass to Magic, and haul ass down the floor. Magic meanwhile, always with his head looking for the right pass, was throwing passes overhand, underhand, lobs, behind-the-back, through-the-legs and all of the above at the same time. Everyone played their roles to perfection. Karl, David, Hakeem, and Dikembe played close to the basket, always ready to dunk away a finish. Havlicek, Mullin, Majerle, and Drexler took turns shooting threes, driving to the basket, and making split second decisions to touch pass the ball.
I counted over 20 times that the West scored without the ball touching the ground or anyone dribbling even once. The West worked as a team and the East was playing one-on-one basketball.
The game was so beautiful because you could see the pride in Magic's eyes. He knew that this would be his last time on that big of a stage and he wanted to seize the opportunity. The players around him were all his friends, guys like Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. They knew what this day meant to him. With the running game's coach as the West's coach, Don Nelson, Magic ran ran ran ran ran. The last two minutes was reserved for a few of the East's best to try and take on Magic. No one scored on him, not Jordan, not Isiah, no one. The highlight of his efforts was an inbounds pass that he took between the three-point line and half-court, with his back turned to his own basket, with a streaking Tim Hardaway running down the sideline. In less than a blink of an eye, he caught it and threw a perfect 25-foot behind the back laser pass (hitting Tim Hardaway in stride above the West's, or the opposite, three point line) that Tim Hardaway took the basket and finished. Oh, did I mention that he had to jump up to catch this pass, meaning he did all of this while he was still in the air.
Amazing.
In 29 minutes of play, he scored 25 points, threw 9 assists, and grabbed 7 rebounds, winning the All-Star MVP award. These are typical Magic numbers, if not less than what we expected of him. To see him play and lead these guys who were some of the best to ever play in his own style, one in which only James Worthy was used to, was amazing. You had guys like David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, and John Stockton running the floor full-speed when they played half-court ball with their respective teams. Showing the kind of respect to Magic that he deserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment