NBA

“Walking on the sidewalk, roundball under my arm

Everybody knows how you play is who you are,

Walking down the road, looking for a game or two

The real moves come through, no matter what they’re gonna do

It’s down to you.”

“Take me to the old playground

Where the old ones rule, and the young ones do their time

Take me to the old playground

Where the talk is cheap

And the restless stalk the baseline.”

“The old sage frowns, he says just pass it on around

But all-world junior’s pulling up from downtown

For some it’s a way out, for some it’s a way in

Most of us don’t even care

We’re just looking for another gym to get in.”

“Take me to the old playground

Where the old ones rule, and the young ones do their time

Take me to the old playground

Where some play from dreams

And the rest just play for pride …

The old man said stop running with those boys

But they know what to do and their folks don’t mind the noise

Say hey now, everybody’s gonna get along

Just call your own foul when you break the rules

If you make it, take it, so make your move.”

– Music and lyrics by Bruce Hornsby, John Hornsby

By TERRY LYONS, Editor in Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The great Bruce Hornsby burst on to the rock scene in 1986 with his hit song, “Just the Way It Is,“ which paved his way to a GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist of ‘86 and a solid new “Virginia Sound,” combining rock, jazz and bluegrass all into one. Hornsby wrote a few other incredible songs, including Mandolin Rain in 1986, Jacob’s Ladder (for Huey Lewis and the News) in 1987, End of the Innocence (for Don Henley) in 1989 and one of my all-time favorites – The Old Playground – in 1990.

Around or about 1989 or 1990, I had the great fortune to meet Hornsby and his band and witness a dozen shows from his concert right at St. John’s University to shows at the Westbury Music Fair to summer tours at Jones Beach and one memorable concert in Philadelphia with Don Stirling, he of “The School of Rock,” and outposts such as the Golden State Warriors, NBA Properties, Mitt Romney’s Governor of Massachusetts’ office for sports, and later the Utah Jazz senior staff. We reminisced and recalled every detail of that Philly show just two or three weeks ago when a number of former NBAers met in Chicago.

While running my first NBA All-Star event for our Communications department, I had little time to chit-chat as the specific events unfolded, but the foundation of the Lyons-Hornsby relationship was solidified at the 1991 All-Star Weekend in Charlotte when Hornsby and Branford Marsalis combined for one of the most beautiful and meaningful National Anthem performances of our time. At that event (just a week or two after the Gulf War broke out), the challenge was getting Bruce’s BALDWIN grand piano onto the basketball court without putting a divot into the hardwood. And, as I recall, the bigger challenge was removing the piano in the two minutes we had after the anthem was completed. (I still thank many of the still photographers who went out of their way to help us get that done right in the middle of their own courtside set-ups.

Fast forward a number of years to the 2000 NBA Finals, and we snuck a small tip cup/glass onto Bruce’s piano just before he did his sound check at the Pacers’ Field House in Indianapolis. Hornsby was invited to perform by his fellow pianist and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. After Bruce played an impeccable “practice” National anthem a couple hours before tip-off, we tucked a couple $1 bills into the cup and made a request which – of course – he played just a few bars of as we all laughed.

One other day, years later, when UNC-Asheville played at Northeastern, Bruce’s son, Keith, was lighting up the Huskies at Matthews Arena in Boston and I was able to snap a halfway decent still photo and I e-mailed it to Keith’s Dad in real time. Bruce was astonished and ever appreciative that I thought of him.

Over the years, there were many a meet-up, including backstage at Madison Square Garden for a Grateful Dead show, a few solo shows in New York City and Boston, and one night, in particular, when I left him a simple email at about 6:00pm for an 8:00pm show, simply to say I had purchased great seats and would be in the audience, figuring he’d read my message a day or two later.

Of course, Bruce replied to the email in 10 minutes and said there’d be backstage passes awaiting. He had a number of meet-and-greet obligations after the show and I stood aside, figuring I’d just say thanks, congratulate him on an amazing show and be on my way.

Nope!

Bruce wanted to review some basketball highlight tapes of Keith and we went into a back dressing room where he brought out his laptop. Keith had transferred from UNC-Asheville to LSU where he slid over to the “2” guard spot to accomodate Ben Simmons playing the point. Keith improved his three-point field goal shooting and avaeraged about 13 points a game, good enough to get looks at Portland and Dallas, where he later signed on to play for the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G-League squad.

Keith played in Poland, Germany and then moved up the European ladder to play in France and Lithuania before settling in with Bilbao Basket (Spain) in the highly competitive ACB.

Rightfully so, Bruce was quite proud of his son, Keith, but was always hoping for that NBA break.

It never came and Bruce and Keith played on.

PLAYING DEAD: There’s a pretty good Grateful Dead cover band that tours around, and they’re called “Playing Dead.” I’ve heard they’re pretty good but haven’t had the chance to see them perform. … The problem and reality we’re all facing is the fact that two of the original members of the real Dead are now playing dead. Yes, another member of the original band, Phil Lesh, passed away this week. In a prominent obituary, The New York Times wrote, “Key to the dynamic of the Grateful Dead was the way Mr. Lesh used the bass to provide ever-shifting counterpoints to the dancing lines of the lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, the curt riffs of the rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, the bold rhythms of the drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, and, in the band’s first eight years, the warm organ work of Ron McKernan, known as Pigpen. … Lesh joins Garcia in the afterlife, and you can only pray, they’re writing new music for a legion of fans, including our bud, Ramrod (Larry Shurtliff), the president of the incorporated band, and his wife, Francis, both frequent guests at the NBA All-Star Game and an occasional Finals. Ramrod passed away in 2006 at the young age of 61. Everyone who ever met him misses him (and Francis) greatly.

Now, we return to 99.9% sports notes.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The 2024 World Series began with an “Instant Classic” on Friday night when Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman hit a game-winning, extra innings grand slam home run. Trailing the NY Yankees 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, a hobbled Freeman came to bat, reminding many of the 1988 feat by Kirk Gibson against the Oakland A’s. There were even side-by-side comparisons posted to social media outlets.

Game 2 is underway as WWYI is being posted and then, the Series will continue with Games 3, 4, and (if necessary) 5 in the Bronx. … As in the past, our friends at Strat-O-Matic have crunched the numbers and run the computer simulations for the Series.

The result?

The LA Dodgers bested the NY Yankees in a seven-game series (the same number of games this and many other pundits are predicting this year).

In the StratO-Matic simulation of the decisive Game 7, Teoscar Hernandez’s single plated Series MVP Mookie Betts with the go-ahead run that gave L.A. a 2-1 edge. The hosts would add another in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Dodgers catcher Will Smith, and on a bullpen day, pitcher Blake Treinen tossed two perfect innings, fanning four, as the last of eight Los Angeles pitchers in the game. Treinen registered his third save of the series.

Los Angeles rallied from a 3-1 series deficit, getting five-inning starts from SPs Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Games Five and Six to send it to the winner-take-all contest in L.A.

Betts hit .370 in the seven games with a home run and seven RBI. In the battle between probable league MVPs, New York’s Aaron Judge (.346, two home runs, three RBI) and Shohei Ohtani (.231, two HR, six RBI) were fairly even, while Giancarlo Stanton had three home runs and drove in six in the series.

TIDBITS: The Westchester Knicks selected Matt Ryan (6-6, 215, Tennessee-Chattanooga) with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA G League Draft, which was held Saturday, Oct. 26. The Knicks also selected six-year NBA veteran Landry Shamet (6-4, 190, Wichita State) with the second overall pick, while the Cleveland Charge took Sean East II (6-3, 180, Missouri) with the third pick. … Boston’s affiliate, the Maine Celtics, (once known as the Red Claws) selected Eric Gaines, a 6-2, 23-year old rookie guard. Gaines, a former LSU (Louisiana State) and UAB (Alabama-Birmingham) collegiate player, was the ninth overall selection in the G League Draft.

In pro golf circles, there are significant rumors and multiple reports that legend Greg Norman is set to be replaced as LIV Golf’s CEO, with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund actively looking for a replacement for the Australian tour star.

The two-time major championship winner, age 69, has been the most vocal figure and ambassador for the controversial breakaway LIV Golf since its formation in 2022. Reports note Norman will stay within LIV even after his replacement is hired. According to Sports Business Journal, Norman will simply be moved into another role as his replacement is sought. … Norman was named CEO of LIV Investments in October of 2021 in a 10-year deal that reportedly pays him $50m a year.

SPORTS BIZ: In the “can’t make it up category” also known as “Sign of the Apocalypse,” as once penned by Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum, this came across the sports wire on Thursday: The National Basketball Association and Wingstop announced a multiyear partnership making Wingstop the Official Chicken Partner of the NBA and NBA G League. The agreement marks Wingstop’s first official partnership with a major U.S. professional sports league. … The “chicken partner” is traded on NASDAQ. No word on a pork partner.

NBA PREDICTIONS: I usually await the 10-game mark before making any predictions, looking for some early season trends and observing the various new combos (Klay Thompson at Dallas should work) or injuries/return from injuries (Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis won’t be back until Decemberish). This year? What the heck, not all that much is going to change between two games and 10 games.

Here’s the scoop, and it’s nothing you haven’t seen elsewhere:

Eastern Conference:

1. Boston Celtics
2. Milwaukee Bucks
3. New York Knicks
4. Philadelphia 76ers
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Orlando Magic
8. Atlanta Hawks

Boston over Milwaukee in the ECF.

Western Conference:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. New Orleans Pelicans
5. Phoenix Suns
6. LA Clippers
7. Memphis Grizzlies

Denver over OKC in the WCF.

Boston over Denver in the 2025 NBA Finals (unless Porzingis is OUT).