OAKLAND – During Golden State’s otherworldly 24-0 start, interim coach Luke Walton was asked how it felt to get no official credit for the victories. NBA policy is that only the permanent coach can accumulate wins and losses, so those victories went to Steve Kerr, who has yet to coach this season while recovering from back surgery. The winning streak, which set an all-time pro sports record for consecutive victories to open a season, ended Saturday with a 108-95 loss to
The Miami Heat’s pursuit of the Los Angeles Lakers’ record of 33 consecutive victories caused many of us to reflect on records that seem insurmountable. I saw lists that included Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak, Cal Ripken’s consecutive games streak, Oklahoma’s college football winning streak, the college basketball winning streaks by UCLA’s men and Connecticut’s women, and many more. All I could think about was Wilt Chamberlain, who made the phrase “record that will never be broken” a cliche. [Read more…]
I will be rooting for the Boston Celtics against the Miami Heat tonight. Having been a Philadelphia 76ers fan for nearly four decades, that’s a pretty big deal. Usually there are only three circumstances that can get me to throw my allegiance behind a team I have despised for as long as I’ve watched the NBA. 1. By winning, the Celtics would beat a team whose loss would help the 76ers. 2. By winning, the Celtics would get a tougher playoff opponent. 3. By winning, the