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| Thursday, March 15 Hoping, wishing, guessing: Enough already By David Aldridge Special to ESPN.com |
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It was six years ago this week.
I got on a plane on a Sunday morning. Early Sunday morning. Along with a dozen or so other bleary-eyed sorts rolling to Indianapolis in the dawn hours. He was returning. And the world was round again, to hear some people tell it. Fast forward six years, and people want it to be true again so bad they can taste it. Or make stuff up. They want it to be true so bad, because he means so much to them, that they fulminate at the mouth and talk about it for hours on end, trying to convince themselves that it can happen. It's not going to. He isn't coming back, people. I don't care who writes what. They don't know. They're hoping. They're wishing. They're guessing. Or the people they're talking to are wishing and hoping and guessing.
Let me be clear. I don't know, either. Because, unlike others, I don't front like he's my best friend, and we hang out together, and I have his home number. I don't. The other night, like everybody else, I was trying to get in touch with him, because I wanted to be able to go on television and tell you from his mouth that it wasn't going to happen. But I talked to enough people who would know, and they said it, in unison. He's not coming back. He's not coming back because there's only one person who could tarnish his legacy, who could destroy the perfection with which he ended his career, who could sully his athletic name, and that's him. I say this with all respect: he has a Cosellian Ego, a Warholian Ego. He is too proud. Too proud to play for the Wizards, I can tell you. He's not coming back because he likes money as much as he likes anything else, and he'd have to put an equity stake of around $50 million to the side if he wanted to play again, and he hasn't told any of his business partners that he has the slightest inclination to play again. Yeah, I know people say he could just sell his interests to someone, who could sell them back to him when he was done playing. His interests are printing money for him now, today. He's not giving up two or three years' worth of cash cowing to win 30 games in Washington. He's not coming back because he's not doing anything to get ready to come back. All he's doing is playing pickup ball in Chicago, a few times a week, and lifting weights. That's it. No cardiovascular work; no basketball drills. Hoopin' and bangin'. That's all. And he's not playing with old teammates or NBA wannabees; these are literally guys off the street. Look, I'm not saying this to be a killjoy. But I really believe it's time for all of us to get on with our lives. Every time the guy burps, we stick a camera in his face and call it news. Every time the guy stands up in a room, all eyez are on him. Every day, there's a temperature reading, like he's the Dalai Lama or the Queen Mum. Is he here? Is he happy? Is he mad? Does he care? Is he smart enough? Is he over his head? We really should stop worshiping this guy. We really should get over it. He was the best basketball player I've ever seen. But that's over. Move on.
Where Will the Grizz Go?
That being said, television is an issue. Even though Orange County is vastly different from L.A. County in population terms, it shares LA's television market. And the Lakers and Clippers are already on Fox Sports. Getting a third NBA team on the tube would be problematic. There are other issues. The Mouse has dibs on the lease at the Pond of Anaheim, and can be a bear on sharing its financial porridge -- although I'm told there's been some movement there. The city of Anaheim owns the building, and Ogden Corporation manages it. Three different entities, each with its own turf to defend. Big problem: being the second tenant.
And there are still concerns about how deep the pockets really are in Nawlins. The city's only Fortune 500 company is moving its headquarters to Florida. And while local interests can buy the club seats and suites and advertising in the short term, will they be there five years from now, if the Grizz are still losing?
Remember the New Orleans Bucs? Larry Brown does. You youngins probably don't believe it, but the Sixers' coach did hoop in a previous life, and doggone well. All-America at North Carolina. U.S. Olympian in 1964. Three-time ABA All-Star and 1968 ABA All-Star game MVP. He still holds that league's record for assists in a game, 23, and led the league in assists three times. Brown was just getting started on the bench in 1967, as an assistant at North Carolina, thinking his playing days were behind him.
"I got a call from Marty Blake," Brown said. "I had heard from the ABA, and they wanted Doug (Moe), and Doug said he'd only sign if I played. And Marty Blake offers me a job, saying that league will never go. I'm coaching at Carolina. Coach (Dean) Smith makes me go down to New Orleans. We go to the Barone Building. We look up New Orleans Buccaneers, and there's nothing. (Downey) is the head of the American Can Company, or something like that. "So we go up there and he has vice president of something on his desk. And when he sees us, he flips (the nameplate) and it says 'President, New Orleans Buccaneers.' And he gives Doug a contract. I'm making $6,000 at Carolina and $1,000 for camp, and Coach says he overpays me. And Doug says 'I'll sign if Larry signs. What'll you give Larry?' Doug signs for $20,000 and $22,000. Downey says 'I'll give Larry twelve-five.' Doug says 'well, what if he starts?' And he says 'all right, I'll give him a $2,500 bonus.' Now I'm sitting there and (Moe) is negotiating for me. I'm up to $15,000 if I start. "And then Downey looks at me and he says, 'hey Larry, you must be good with kids if you're a college coach. Why don't you come early and give clinics, 'cause the Saints are coming at the same time.' Doug says 'how much are you gonna give him?' He says 'I'll give him $8,000.' All of a sudden, I'm making more than Doug. Then Doug says 'I gotta have my money up front, 'cause we heard this league ain't going.' He shows us these gold passes that he gave to the governor and the mayor. He says 'it's going.' Doug says 'we gotta have it.' So we got these two checks. He got, I think, five, and I got $2,500. I said 'Doug, as soon as this check hits the air, it's gonna be like indelible ink.' So we sent the checks in, and we got paid every day. This guy was so nice to us."
Around The League
The only issue the NBA may have is the USOC's insistence on testing members of the various teams a year before any Games. The U.S. basketball team isn't usually finalized until eight or nine months before the Olympics. |
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