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A swirling week of good times, old friends and no sleep began in Los Angeles with the reunification of Jim Rome to the ESPN squad, back home, as I told him.
As I dashed to New Orleans for the Celtics-Hornets tilt, I couldn't help but drift to thoughts of my first pro game in the "Big Easy" all the way back in 1974, Blazers at the "old Jazz," the cage, and Pistol my rookie year. Pete Maravich's team had yet to win a game after 14 losses to open their franchise's history. We were determined to extend their misery. We couldn't hold a massive lead late and ultimately succumbed to Maravich's brilliant game-winner at the buzzer as he tumbled backward in the corner. Fortunately, last week provided significantly better memories.
|  | | A return to New Orleans for the Celtics-Hornets game brought back memories. |
New Orleans is abuzz over the return of the NBA. I saw people stopping strangers everywhere to share the good news. Of course, not all change is good. I stumbled across the new Gennifer Flowers Club in the French Quarter; it's amazing what passes for celebrity these days. Anyway, there was an electric crowd celebrating the 68th anniversary of Elvis' birth and a Celtics game to top it all off. If you ever wondered what Celtic pride is REALLY about, watch a tape of that game. It seemed as if it were the Hornets who were knocked down like bowling pins Wednesday night.
Then on to Florida to see Jack Ramsay and Larry Bird. Enjoyed the beautiful sunset at Jack's palatial beach house with the shimmering Gulf as life's teeming backdrop, then over to Larry's for dinner in the Birdcage and a night of NBA basketball in his "in-home" theatre.
And that does not even begin to cover the "goings on" that changed our world this week.
I wait with bated breath for Martha Stewart's new "Everyday Food" magazine. I'm hungry already for the Hawks' recipe for failure. I bet their crumb cake, noted for being the first to fall apart, will be a big winner as well.
Barely over the sting in my eyes from the champagne and all at New Year's, I was dismayed at the sad news that Shaq was not going to play in Athens in 2004 and that "Sex and the City" would soon be shutting down. On the positive front, it was announced that Michael Olowokandi is still alive.
What did you think would happen first (if at all): Barbra Streisand rightfully alerting us that, "The snows on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro are melting" or me admitting that Shawn Bradley is playing NBA basketball?
Who is rumored to be in line for more different jobs, Bill Clinton or Magic Johnson? Do you think Clinton will be able to stave off the last-minute competition for the post of chancellor of Oxford being waged by fellow Rhodes Scholar Tom Tolbert?
Will somebody please help me understand the dichotomy between "Joe Millionaire" and Gary Payton? One is worth $19,000 but is trying to convince everyone that it's really $50 million. The other ... oh never mind, it just came to me.
Imagine my frustration and disappointment as I reviewed the newly released list of Grammy nominees and didn't find one contribution from Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson or Chris Webber! How unfortunate that their basketball careers have gotten in the way of depriving us all of high-quality art.
For those frequent travelers who are bedeviled by the overcrowding at Chicago's O'Hare, the world's busiest airport, a good place to lodge complaints would be the desk of Jerry Krause. The revolving door policy on his new 5.0 Rebuilding Plan is just too much.
When New York Times columnist Paul Krugman takes the day off, does the day exist? Who takes his place as our country's conscience? Hurry back, Paul.
I can't wait for the new Clarence Thomas book.
If the NBA top trio list begins somewhere with Nowitzki/Nash/Finley and Bibby/Stojakovic/Webber, where does George Karl's center triumvirate of Ervin Johnson, Joel Przybilla and Dan Gadzuric fit in?
|  | | Mark Jackson should've gotten more pub for moving into third on the all-time assists list. |
Hearty congratulations to Mark Jackson on his 10,000th assist. How can it be that this incredible accomplishment gets less attention than Andrei Kirilenko's wife -- Masha Lopatova -- the No. 1 pop artist on Russian MTV?
If Mark Jackson accumulated 500 assists per year from now on and John Stockton stopped playing today it would take Mark more than 10 years to catch up to the all-time assist leader.
How good is Hubie Brown for revamping the Grizzlies' attitudes and aptitude to a plus-.500 record? I haven't seen an overhaul that good since Demi Moore.
Reggie Miller recently presented his teammates with monogrammed robes emblazoned with personal nicknames. With Ron Artest's current three-game suspension, how hard would it be to change his from "The Beast" to "The Least"?
Anyone who checks the number of free-throw attempts taken by the Heat since Pat Riley's $50,000 post-game tirade would understand why he belongs on the short list of Coach of the Year candidates.
The current tranquility and efficiency in Jason Williams' new game once again speaks to the genius of Jerry West and Hubie Brown.
I used to think that Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson personified the backdoor play until I saw George Bush's renomination of Charles Pickering to the Federal bench.
As people in Atlantic City decide the fate of a proposed Don King Boulevard, there is no question that the newly opened Lakers EZ-Pass lanes in Los Angeles are already a big hit.
Can't figure out who is blowing more kisses these days, NBA players or the home teams during MJ's (Lovefest) farewell tour. There will be plenty of time to be nice to MJ after he's gone. Let's not forget the true essence of NBA ball -- play to win instead of fawning in the autograph circle.
Do you think that George Karl's decision to pass on starring in the new Chuck Barris movie "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" so he could coach the U.S. men's team in the World Championships was the wrong career move?
With a push to secure season tickets and increase team awareness in Charlotte, new executive vice president Ed Tapscott is feverishly working on a plan to re-acquire Frederick Weis' rights from the Knicks.
Scott Layden understands the angst and pains of a Bush economy -- $92 million dollars and nothing to show for it.
|  | | Spurs point guard Tony Parker doesn't get the recognition he deserves. |
Legitimate players have complained for years about the stigma and anonymity of playing on the NBA frontier and the lack of recognition that comes with playing in outpost cities. Tony Parker is living proof of their claims.
I wonder if Ricky Davis is having second thoughts regarding his yapping about the Lakers after his Cavs trounced L.A. early? Do you think he has had any sleepless nights since watching Kobe Bryant's record-breaking 3-point performance? Kobe, like all great competitors, has a long and clear memory.
Jon Barry, who was instrumental in establishing the foundation in Sacramento and now in Detroit, compares himself to cartoon character and carpenter extraordinaire Bob the Builder. Does that make Tractor Traylor a Teletubby?
The tens of thousands of All-Star voters who stood tall for Marcus Camby at the center position -- putting him eighth overall in the West -- must really think a lot of Erick Dampier and Radoslav Nesterovic.
With Yao Ming's exhilarating ride to the top and soon to be trip to Atlanta for the All-Star Game, hopefully somebody will hand deliver Tom Wolfe's book "A Man in Full" so that he can fully understand life in America.
Has the arrival of Amare Stoudemire in Phoenix allowed the Colangelos to sleep any better since trading away Jason Kidd for Stephon Marbury?
Our world is a lesser place with the passing of Will McDonough. Thanks for your life, big guy.
Larry's gone fishing ... Jack's swimming in the Gulf ... and I'm going home.
Bill Walton, who is an NBA analyst for ESPN, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
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