The next time someone refers to Gregg Popovich as a “genius” they should include the qualifier “part-time.” The haters can feel free to use the word “idiot” — although in my opinion that’s taking it a little too far. [Read more…]
MIAMI — It was the Game 7 play that will haunt the Spurs throughout the summer, as much as their Game 6 collapse. And nobody will be more haunted than Tim Duncan. [Read more…]
Recent history has shown that when you have the chance to acquire proven winners at the highest level, you don’t hesitate over minor details. The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Pau Gasol for pocket change, a few picks and the draft rights to Marc Gasol. They may prefer to have the younger brother if you ask now, but netting Gasol won them two championships. The Boston Celtics gave up just about all the moving parts they could muster to acquire Kevin Garnett. The
MIAMI — For basketball fans, Tuesday night’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals was nothing short of breathtaking. It was everything one could possibly want in a game: A championship and legacies on the line, elite performances by two living legends, a seesaw battle, an epic shot by the best shooter in history to tie the game with 5.2 seconds left, and an overtime session to sort it all out. For the Miami Heat, the performance thoroughly reinforced to everyone their will
Gregg Popovich MIAMI — As chants of “Let’s Go Heat!” rained throughout the corridors of AmericanAirlines Arena, Armando, holding the hand of his female companion, led her through a sea of fellow Miami Heat fans. Euphoric. Shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers united by a white hot love for their Heat, they were packed as tightly into the arena’s Northwest stairwell as a bag of cotton balls. “Wow. Wow. Wow,” he said. “I can’t believe what I just saw.” What he saw was
SAN ANTONIO — Whatever was said to Manu Ginobili by Gregg Popovich must have been one hell of an inspirational speech. It was a Lazarus speech, because it brought Manu Ginobili back from the dead. So what exactly was said in between Games 4 and 5 — a time when Ginobili was openly pondering retirement despite secretly knowing that he would be making his first start of the season. What stuck in his head? What inspired him the most? “That’s just family stuff,”
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio’s super sixth-man, started his first game of the season Sunday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Ginobili’s designated role off the bench for all these years has always been a mystery. He’s a three-time NBA champion, has averaged 15 points, five assist and three rebounds in limited minutes over the course of his career, and will one day be inducted into the Hall of Fame. [Read more…]
SAN ANTONIO — Manu Ginobili is so down on himself, he is actually considering retirement. Not that he is leaning toward retirement, but on Saturday at practice, the day before the Finals against the Miami Heat resume with the series tied 2-2, Ginobili sounded like a player who is ready to move on to the next stage of his life — maybe after one more year in the NBA, maybe sooner. [Read more…]