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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 19

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@WhileYoungIdeas @DigSportsDesk Look at NBA, LIV, PGA

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – This week, the 2022 NBA Finals ended here in Boston with a thud, the hometown Celtics drubbed and scrubbed by the team they call the Dubs, as in “W,” as in “Warriors,” as in “Ws,” as in “Winners.”

The Boston Celtics fell victim to:

  • Steph Curry and a better team
  • Golden State’s very good team defense, often overlooked when examining a high octane team
  • Fatigue brought on by a tough playoff road via:
    • Brooklyn
    • Milwaukee (also a better team, but were short Kris Middleton).
    • Miami (also a better team, record-wise, but no Lowry-Herro, as point guard Kyle Lowry was terribly out of NBA game shape and timing and Tyler Herro was injured).

We still wonder? Were the Celtics one last second, wonderful, sweeping turn-around, spin and game winning lay-up away from being in a real, long series instead of a surprising sweep of the Brooklyn Nets?

Would the Celtics have advanced past the Milwaukee Bucks if the Great Place on a Great Lake had their all-star forward and an extra offensive and defensive weapon?

And in the case of the seven-game, knock down, drag-out NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics skillfully, painfully and willfully outlasted the Heat to rightfully earn their place in The NBA Finals.

Many of the Celtics players stepped-up big time to advance the cause and the team. Specifically:

  • Robert Williams III – Played with soreness in his knees, but excelled.
  • Al Horford – He was just incredible the whole way.
  • Jaylen Brown – Provided consistent, big game scoring and rebounding throughout the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
  • Jayson Tatum – Led the Celtics throughout the postseason but came to a screeching halt in The NBA Finals, final Game 6.

Going forward, the Celtics will need – at least one or two more pieces to be strong and talented enough to win a championship. Next season, advancing to The NBA Finals will not be enough. It’s either the rings or failure.

To do that, the Celtics will need to decrease Horford’s minutes played. Daniel Theis is a big part of that remedy but the Celtics will need another rim protector and rebounder that can play meaningful minutes from November through June.

Robert Williams III is the other piece of that puzzle. Can he take it up a notch, stay healthy and be in the discussion of becoming an NBA All-Star? If he does, the Celtics will have their third “Big 3,” with Williams, Tatum and Brown.

The key issue might be the role of “true point guard.” While Marcus Smartwon NBA Defensive Player of the Year and brought the Celtics right to the brink, the team is best served when he plays the “2” (shooting guard). Reserve guard Derrick White might be able to rise to the starting point guard role. White is two years into his $73m rookie extension and 2022-23 will be crunch time for the 27-year old, 6-4 guard. His presence after a Feb 10, 2022 (trading deadline) deal with San Antonio coincided with the departure of Dennis Schroder (traded with Enes “Freedom” Kanter and BrunoFernando to Houston for Theis). The team cleansing moves set the current Celtics roster on a course for success. Yet, when the playoffs rolled around, Celtics first-year head coach Ime Udoka went with a seven or eight-man rotation with the starters aided by White, three-year veteran Grant Williamsand second-year man Payton Pritchard who played well.

Certainly the 40+ minutes per game drag, the physical nature of the Celtics’ road to The NBA Finals and the outstanding two-way efforts of the Golden State Warriors placed the Larry O’Brien Trophy on a shelf in San Francisco. At the end, the Warriors were beating the Celtics to every 50-50 ball, first tips on most rebounds and even smacking the previously tougher Celts around. Udoka had no answer.

Golden State was not the Vegas favorite in the West as the postseason rolled around. The Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies finished with better regular-season records and on April 1, a team that started the season 18-2 and enjoyed a nine-game winning streak lost 16 of 23 post trade deadline games and was 48-29.

The Dubs won their final five regular season games and hit full stride after that, defeating Denver in five games, the tough Grizz in six and Dallas in five before meeting the Celtics.

Team GM and former head coach Brad Stevens worked some serious magic at the trade deadline. This off-season, he needs to work two more acts before the curtain rises this Fall. The championship window is open but in the NBA, it shuts quickly and like a guillotine.

By the way, it’s important to note, the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets will be awaiting the Celtics next season, too.

2022 Father’s Day Special (Biggest Discount for Today Only with a One-Year Sub)

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As promised a week ago, let’s delve into golf’s new, rival, upstart LIV, the Car 54 of Golf (for you Roman numeral fans out there). At this point of the LIV season, with only one event in the books – the controversial and inaugural 54-hole London broil, there are more answers but still many questions for the Saudi-based and funded rival to the PGA TOUR.

Using the Car 54 analogy (youngsters better google it), Officers Gunther Toody and Francis Muldoon must be played by Phil Mickelson and LIV Commissioner Greg Norman, rather than original cast members Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynn.

The sitcom enjoyed two 30-episode seasons. From September 17, 1961 to April 22, 1962, season one aired 8:30pm (ET) to 9:00pm (ET), right smack in the middle of two all-time TV greats, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color and Bonanza. That would be a little like LIV Golf airing after the Super Bowl.

The second and final season aired from September 16, 1962 to its completion, totaling 60 episodes, on April 14, 1963. Two seasons? Prime-time between Disney and Bonanza? How could it be cancelled?

You get where we’re going, right?

The business model of LIV is not sustainable, no matter how many Saudi dollars pour into the endeavor. Reports call for some $2 to $4 billion to be invested before they check the balance sheets.

The LIV, previously and throughly reported, paid upfront acquisition costs to attract Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and first event winner Charl Schwartzel.

Schwartzel pocketed a cool $4,475,000 for his efforts, banking the $4m first prize and sharing in the $1,900,000 team prize for first. Relatively unknown (in the USA), Hennie Du Plessis had to settle for second place leftovers of $2,125,000 and his $475,000 for being No. 2 on Schwartzel’s “Stinger GC” team.

By comparison, Rory McIlroy, an outspoken critic of the LIV and staunch backer of the legacy of the PGA Tour, made a hefty $1,566,000 for winning the RBC Canadian Open, one of the lower purse outings on the Tour. This week’s winner of the USGA’s U.S. Open will pocket $3,150,000 an all-time high purse of $17,500,000. In other words, the Price of Purses “JUST WENT UP!”

But can the LIV make it?

Worldwide TV syndication can provide significant dollars, but the USA TV market might be slow to pony-up major dollars. The PGA TOUR has the Golf Channel and the interested networks (CBS, NBC and ESPN) locked with multi-year deals, especially the new ESPN+ streaming pact a much-improved version over previous offerings via NBC Gold via the defunct cable NBC Sports Network.

Streaming on YouTube might attract a few eyeballs, but the European start times of the London event hurt American interest and viewership. The LIV will next tee-it-up at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon on June 30th and then wait nearly a month before the July 29-31 third event at, get this, Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey.

The challenges are daunting and let’s count the ways:

  • The lack of week-to-week continuity will be troublesome.
  • Lack of a bigtime USA Network TV deal a drain on revenue and publicity
  • The strength of the PGA Tour is a hill too far to climb, especially come FedEx Cup playoff time which ends, appropriately, just before the NFL begins and college and pro football dominate the USA TV schedule, every day of the week.
  • The LIV will stage two events in September and three in October (Hello, Baseball?) One event, October 7-9, will be played in Bangkok, Thailand, while another, October 14-16, to be staged in … you guessed it … Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  • The LIV 2022 season concludes October 27-30 at yet another Trump facility, the Trump National in Doral (Miami).
  • 48 golfers will be playing in a no-cut format, the low man pocketing $120,000 per event, as Andy Ogletree did in London for shooting 82-77-75 (+24).

Like Car LIV, after some 60 episodes, it just won’t add up, and the decision to lose another $1 billion or two will be a difficult pill to swallow.

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: Going into Saturday night’s Game of the Week on FOX, the Boston Red Sox are 12-3 over 15 games in June, outscoring opponents 74-36 over that span. After a very rough start to the season, the Red Sox found themselves at 23-27 as May 31 passed with a loss to the Cincinnati Reds. After a win at Fenway Park Friday night, the Sox are 35-30 – five games over .500 – for the first time in 2022. Over the last 16 games, Red Sox starting pitchers posted a 1.87 ERA (19 ER/91.1 IP) with 81 strike-outs and only 17 Base-on-Balls. Starter Michael Wacha has allowed only two runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts, with the Red Sox going 7-2 in those nine starts. Sox SP Nick Pivetta has won six of his last seven starts to increase his ‘22 record to (6-5) after an (0-4) start. The Red Sox lost all six of Pivetta’s first six outings before the turn-around. … Reports have ace Chris Saleupping his efforts in the rehabilitation process. He threw his first simulated game on June 16. … The Milwaukee Brewers designated veteran offensive threat Lorenzo Cain for assignment.

A Happy Father’s Day to all the fatherly figures out there and a meaningful Juneteenth for our nation and the African-American community.

Steph Curry and His Coach

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In the 2007-08 college basketball season, I watched from afar and in amazement as Davidson College in North Carolina plowed through their Southern Conference schedule with a 20-0 record. Davidson coach Bob McKillop told me all about a sophomore guard and miracle worker, Stephen Curry, right from the first time he set eyes on him.

McKillop, born in Queens and a real Long Islander in the way rock and roll star Billy Joel loves his Downeaster’ Alexa, was once the head varsity coach at Holy Trinity High School on Long Island. He was also my history teacher and the instructor of the very first sports administration course I was fortunate to take, “Sports in Society.” From 1977 and onward ‘til this day, McKillop is a mentor for many of us and the common denominator as the great sport of basketball forged a lifelong friendship and deep bond. We speak often. We text less.

When a TV viewer watches Davidson play a game, one sees a coach, hair turned Irish white, calmly coaxing the very best from his team. He is known by anyone and everyone in college basketball as perhaps the best coach in the whole shooting match. Just this week, Jeff Goodman – the highly respected college basketball reporter from Stadium – ranked McKillop as the No. 2 most under-rated coach in the game. I shook my head in wonder why he listed Kelvin Sampson, coach of the University of Houston (via Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana (see five year show cause penalty), via Milwaukee Bucks assistant, via Houston Rockets assistant) as the No. 1 underrated.

All that time, as Sampson bounced around, McKillop was coaching and teaching his players at Davison College, first in obscurity down in the Southern Conference but then with brighter lights as his wildcats joined the Atlantic 10.

This Fall, McKillop (71), will coach his 34th season and he’ll begin the year with a prior Basketball Hall of Fame nomination in his portfolio. But, in all that time and all the success (he’s one of only nine coaches in history to coach 1,000 games at one school), McKillop is no longer referred to as “Coach McKillop.” He’s been upgraded to become “Steph Curry’s coach,” and it’s a tag he wears proudly. The two men remain incredibly close, but McKillop has a knack of keeping in touch, forging that bond that he built with all of his past players and students who – over the years – become friends rather than pupils. In that area, McKillop works more 1,000 more miracles than Curry.

McKillop will be at the pivotal Game 5 of The Finals in San Francisco Monday night, watching live what he sees often on TV or DVR – Steph Curry dominating a basketball game, as that’s what happened on Friday night when his student of the game dropped 43 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists on the Boston Celtics in a 107-97 Golden State Warriors win at the TD Garden. The game tied the NBA Finals at 2-all, setting up a best-of-three to decide the 2022 NBA champion.

Curry shot 14-of-26, with 14-of-26 field goal shooting including 7-of-14 from downtown and an easy 8-for-9 at the line. Curry was nursing a sore foot, a condition suffered in Golden State’s Game 3 loss to the Celtics. Yet, at this time of the season, anyone and everyone still standing in the NBA postseason in banged-up.

“The heart on that man is incredible,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said of Curry post Game 4. “The things he does, we kind of take for granted at times, to go out there and put us on his back.”

“He wasn’t letting us lose. That’s all it boils down to,” said Warriors veteran and mix-it-up man Draymond Green. “I could tell in his demeanor, last couple of days, even after Game 3 that he was going to come out with that kind of fire.”

That’s what McKillop saw when he first set eyes on Curry, in a game when Curry didn’t play well but kept his composure, looked his coach in the eyes and never complained or pointed a finger at another.

I was told in 2006 what McKillop told everyone. “Steph is something special.” That was out of ordinary for Coach McKillop as he rarely gushes over one single player and he never exaggerates.

When we sat in the Players’ Lounge area at the 2009 NBA Draft, McKillop wasn’t his coach anymore. Steph was joining the rest of us in having a trusted mentor in his corner, one that will tell you the truth, tell you how to be a better player, better person. Maybe, he’ll tell you something funny or a good story about something or someone he reconnected with on a recent scouting trip.

At the NBA Draft that year, and ever the worrier, I was concerned if Curry’s lack of size would catch-up with him in the big time NBA, where players are much bigger and stronger than at any college program. “Can he get his shot? Can he defend? Can he adjust? Can he handle the physical nature of the NBA?”

When the No. 5 and No. 6 pick came up that June 25, 2009 night at Madison Square Garden, and the Minnesota Timberwolves had not one but the next two selections in the NBA Draft, I was sure Curry would be packing his winter coat for Minneapolis.

Nope.

The Timberwolves selected Spain’s Ricky Rubio who came with legendary status and stories dating back to his teenage years, scoring and entertaining fans with a Pete Maravich-type flair. The Timberwolves’ need for a scoring guard was filled and Curry dropped from what many thought would be a Top 5 selection. But, then the shocker, with the No. 6 pick, Minnesota selected Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn. Incredible!

Stephen Curry fell right into the lap of the Golden State Warriors at No. 7. It was perfect for the Warriors, perfect for Curry and it became the cornerstone of a rare air dynasty in the NBA, anchored by Curry and built by GM Bob Myers, team president Rick Welts, all-star players Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and a host of others from the front office, to Ray Ridderand the PR department to the athletic training room. Add a strong collection of complimentary players and other stars like Kevin Durant and Andre Iguadola, and the wins began to flow, some 73 Dubs in the 2015-16 season when they fell short in the Finals (Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-games-to-3).

The architect who placed the cornerstone will remain his under-rated self when he sits in the stands for Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals at the brand new Chase Center in downtown San Francisco this Monday. It will mark the sixth time the Golden State Warriors will compete in the NBA Finals in an eight-year span. People will point in McKillop’s direction, and say, “That’s Steph Curry’s Coach.”

Celtics Dominate in Paint, Win 116-100

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While Tatum, Brown, Smart Score and Do Their Thing, Boston’s Robert Williams III Makes the Difference

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Teams that are talented enough to make it to The NBA Finals have their superstar players, maybe three of them. Those players perform at high levels all season long, as every single game might mean a playoff berth and an edge in the all-important race for home court advantage, especially when criss-crossing East to West for The Finals.

For the Boston Celtics, it’s been Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, carrying the team with Tatum looking more and more like Kobe Bryant’s student and protege each and every night.

For the Golden State Warriors, it’s been their Splash Brothers, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, although Thompson splished more than splashed when he tore his right Achilles and missed the entire 2020-21 NBA season, a good year to miss if there ever was one.

Quite a few NBA teams have their “regular season” stars. They register their share of points, rebounds and assists, maybe make The NBA All-Star Game at mid-year, but then crap-out at NBA Playoff time. We’ve seen it this spring, as good teams from Utah, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Memphis didn’t have what it takes to progress through the rough and tumble NBA postseason.

Here in Boston, the Celtics were dealt a rough hand back in April, as their playoff journey was scheduled through a formidable but inconsistent Brooklyn Nets team, then two heavyweight and former NBA champs, requiring a set of skills and size to play as physical as it gets with Boston series wins over 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee (sans Kris Middleton) and then the Eastern Conference top seed, the Miami Heat.

While Tatum and Brown carried the Celtics, key elements of the 2022 Celtics’ personnel emerged. Let us count the ways:

  1. Center Al Horford stepped up to play the best basketball of his career in the September of his career.
  2. Guard Marcus Smart, in many ways, the backbone and spark to the Boston team, as he scored, defended and scrapped.
  3. The difference-maker, center Robert Williams III, returned from a knee injury and nursed his sore knees from April to June to create the secret weapon, the rim protector, the clutch defender and capable finisher, especially when an alley-oop dunk is concerned.

Williams was a risky No. 1 draft pick by the Celtics (GM Danny Ainge) when he fell to the 27th overall slot after two years at Texas A&M. Williams had a bit of a “rep” from college and he even missed his inaugural “introduction” media conference when the lines of communication were somehow crossed on his first day in Boston that June.

But what did Williams turn into?

Despite the injuries, he’s classified by NBA Coaches as a second team NBA All-Defensive player. His presence this spring lifted the Celtics as Williams guarded every player under the rafters, including Milwaukee MVP level superstar, 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo and then Miami’s All-Star Bam Adebayo.

While Tatum and Brown earn and deserve their hefty paychecks, Tatum a supermax to be sure, the Celtics would not be in The 2022 NBA Finals if it weren’t for Robert Williams III. In fact, if it weren’t for Williams, the Celtics might be trailing by a game in these Finals instead of their current situation, leading 2-games-to-1 after a through and convincing 116-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Just how and when did Williams make such a difference tonight?

In the first half, he scored only four points with four rebounds and two blocks. He finished the game with eight points, 10 rebounds, three steals and four blocked shots. Down the stretch, when the Warriors were applying pressure after outscoring Boston 33-25 in the third quarter, Williams stepped-up.

When the Warriors were within six points of the Celtics with 11:16 remaining, Williams grabbed a key defensive rebound. From there, he made his mark.

  1. At 10:41, Williams made a steal off of Curry’s bad pass.
  2. At 9:29, he recorded another steal off another bad pass from Curry, the Warriors’ 12th turnover.
  3. At 9:19, yet another steal of yet another Curry bad pass, the Warriors’ 13th turnover.
  4. At 9:11, a rebound and put-back to make it 102-91 Boston.
  5. At 8:53, Williams came up with a key defensive block against Curry.
  6. At 7:10 and 6:45, he controlled two rebounds, one on each end of the floor.
  7. At 3:52 he scored on an alley-top pass from Horford to extend the Celtics lead to 112-98.
  8. He grabbed another rebound at 3:34 and the Celtics’ victory was sealed.
  9. At 2:19, Ume Udoka subbed-in for all his starters and Williams took a well-deserved seat and victory.

“Yeah, it was huge,” said Udoka postgame. “Not only the shots that he did block — I think he got four tonight — but the ones he altered and his presence down there of course deters guys from driving. He was a big part of what we did. Staying big tonight, getting those 15 offensive rebounds and 22 second-chance points.

“So those were much needed. We want to try to impose our will and size in this series. It’s going to be a back-and-forth battle as far as that, but when we get nights like this from him and Al, obviously it pays dividends for us,” said the Celtics coach.

Never a basketball stat to rival points, rebounds and assists, Williams led the Celtics team in +/- with his +21, as he finished the game shooting 4-for-5, with 10 rebounds and eight points.

Flashing back to that summer night in June 2018, there’s not a chance Ainge, then coach, now GM Brad Stevens or current Celtics Coach Udoka thought Robert Williams III, drafted at age 20 and now 24 years old, would be a difference-maker in an NBA Finals game just four years later, providing a little help to the stars.

Oh yeah, Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 27 points and nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum scored 26 points and added nine assists and six rebounds while Marcus Smart added a significant 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

For Golden State, guard Steph Curry led all scorers with 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting. Draymond Green, an older and more experienced version of Williams III, minus the attitude and technicals fouls that come along with it, had two points and four rebounds. Green fouled out with 4:07 remaining in the game.

Studying that inside game and comparing the difference, Boston scored 52 points in the paint while the Warriors had only 26. Boston had a 47-31 edge on the boards.

Game 4 of the series is Friday night at Boston’s TD Garden.

NBA Finals: Game 3 Notebook

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official Stat Release by The NBA postgame) – The Boston Celtics took a 2-games-to-one edge in the 2022 NBA Finals. Game 3, a 116-100 Boston victory, was the first NBA Finals game in Boston since Game 5 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers on June 13, 2010.

• Teams that win Game 3 in a 1-1 NBA Finals have gone on to win the series 82.1% of the time (32-7).

• Teams that lead the NBA Finals 2-1 have gone on to win the series 80.3% of the time (49-12).

• With their victory in Game 3, the Celtics improved to 7-0 after a loss in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The Warriors have not lost consecutive games in this postseason either; they are 5-0 after a loss, including a victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

• Boston’s Jaylen Brown (27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), Jayson Tatum (26 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists) and Marcus Smart (24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) are the first trio of teammates to each have at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in an NBA Finals game since the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper against the Celtics on June 10, 1984.

• Boston’s Al Horford (11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) joined Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart in having at least 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. This is the first time that four players on the same team have reached those totals in an NBA Finals game since the Celtics’ Bill Russell, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and John Havlicek against the Lakers on April 26, 1966.

• Golden State’s Stephen Curry made six three-pointers in Game 3. He has made at least five threes in three consecutive games, matching the longest streak in a single NBA Finals. Curry’s 18 threes in the series are tied for the most in any three-game span in a single NBA Finals.

• The Celtics’ Robert Williams III had eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and a career playoff-high three steals. The four blocks match his 2022 postseason high, set in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Boston’s Veteran Center Al Horford Gets Back to Where He Once Belonged

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In the spring of 2007, Al Horford capped two NCAA Final Four basketball championships by being the third overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, selected by the Atlanta Hawks. Together with Florida Gators frontcourt-mate and fellow rim protector, Joakim Noah, and impressive collegiate scorer, Corey Brewer, Horford thought a trip to the Final Four was his birthright. After all, his father, “Tito” Horford had made it to the NBA, playing four years with a combination of the Milwaukee and Washington. Surely. there’d be plenty of success in the future.

Life in the NBA can have a cruel side. The money’s great but the competition is pretty tough. You’ve got the pay your dues if you wanna play the Bulls, and playoff shares for NBA Finalists don’t come easy.

Horford toiled for nine years with the Hawks and his team made the playoffs every year sans one, 2013-14, when he was injured. He bounced right back and played in 76 of 82 regular season games and all 16 of Atlanta’s playoff games as the East’s No. 1 seed that won enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Not quite enough, as the Hawks were swept away, 4-0, by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

No NBA Finals for Big Al.

In the summer of 2016, Horford’s fortunes increased when he was signed to a multi-year contract by the Boston Celtics. In the spring of 2017, he played in 18 NBA Playoff games, again with the No. 1 seed in the East, but fell victim to James and the Cavaliers once again.

No NBA Finals for Big Al.

That cruel side of NBA life moved on and Horford signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 and later traded to Oklahoma City in 2020.

No Finals.

On June 18, 2021 Horford’s NBA destiny and legacy would change for the better once again. He was packaged by Oklahoma City in a deal for Kemba Walker and returned to Boston to anchor the front court.

On Friday night, June 3, Horford celebrated his 36th birthday a day after playing his 142nd playoff game and doing so in a “Star of the Game” role in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals, a 120-108 Celtics road win against the Golden state Warriors.

Big Al led the Celtics in scoring with (26), including a 6-for-8 performance from three-point FG range. No NBA player had ever gone 141 playoff games without reaching the Finals and those six ‘threes’ were the most for any NBA player making his Finals debut. Two of the “threes” put the Celtics up 106-103 and 109-103 with about five minutes remaining in the game, and his 17-foot jumper at 3:40 in the fourth quarter made it 111-103 Boston, bolstering a 40-16 Celtics run in the final 12 minutes of the game. That’s not bad for a team that trailed by 15 late in the third quarter.

Horford’s eight important points keyed the Game 1 victory, but his offense is not what makes him such a valuable player for his team. Ask any Celtics player, coach or front office worker what Al Horford provides for the club and you’re likely to get the same answer.

“Phenomenal,” said Jaylen Brown of the Celtics. “That’s what we need. That’s what we want. We want that veteran leadership to carry us over. He came out for his first Finals game and played amazing. He carried us and led to a victory.

“His energy, his demeanor, coming in every day, being a professional, taking care of his body, being a leader, I’m proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford, man,” added Brown after defeating Miami and earning g the Finals appearance for Horford. “He’s been great all season, really my whole career. I’m happy to be able to share this moment with somebody like him.”

What did Horford think?

It wasn’t about an offensive role, it was all about defense.

“Coach Udoka was very clear what he wanted us to be as a team, our identity, defensively, hang our hat on the defensive end,” said Big Al. “And on offense, play freely, use Jaylen and Jayson and just kind of just go. (Our team) understanding and buying into that – it took us a while – but I feel like once we started to understand how we needed to play, we became more consistent.

“This journey is not easy. We had a hard path. Brooklyn, Milwaukee, the defending champs, and Miami’s s a team that – look what they did – they took us to the brink.

“For our group it’s resiliency, it’s switching the page, moving on to the next thing, and we did that all season. I really noticed it, and I was telling this to JB (Brown), but it was like February, early February, that I just noticed how we started to click.

“People were like, ‘Well, you guys are beating teams that have guys out, guys are hurt and all these things,” and I was like, “It doesn’t matter, I’m seeing something different in how we’re playing. That’s how we’re just going to carry it on, and that’s what we’ve been doing.’”

Up 1-0 in The NBA Finals, the Celtics’ journey continues Sunday but there’s a long, long way to go. If you don’t believe that’s true, just ask Al Horford.
Al Horford (center) in his leadership role with Celtics (USA Today photo)

Fratello Wins NBA Chuck Daly Award

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SAN FRANCISCO – Mike Fratello, a basketball lifer who interspersed a successful coaching career with a successful broadcasting career, is the recipient of the 2022 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award presented each year by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

“Mike Fratello’s accomplishments are well documented, both as a coach and a broadcaster,” said Indiana Pacers head coach and National Basketball Coaches Association President Rick Carlisle. “Sixteen years as an NBA head coach, 647 regular season wins, NBA Coach of the Year honors, head coach of the Ukraine National Team and multiple Emmys all combine to represent a lifetime devoted to basketball. Congratulations to Mike on the 2022 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.”

“Chuck Daly was a special man and a special coach — and this is a special award,” said Fratello. “It means so much to me because Chuck was a mentor, a close friend, and a trusted confidant during my NBA coaching career and beyond. It is an honor to be recognized by my peers, whom I respect and admire. I am proud to join the ranks of the previous recipients — all exceptional coaches and extraordinary individuals.

‘I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the numerous people who have enabled me to receive this award, including the late NBCA Executive Director Michael Goldberg; current NBCA Executive Director David Fogel and NBCA President Coach Rick Carlisle for their vision and direction; the late NBA Commissioner David Stern and current Commissioner Adam Silver for their input and support; the NBA coaches I worked under, Hubie Brown and Kevin Loughery, who opened the door to my NBA career; the owners and general managers who gave me the opportunity; all my assistant coaches who helped me succeed and became dear friends; the many players who trusted me to coach them and who have always held a special place in my heart; and the fans who have supported the NBA teams throughout the years.

“Many thanks to the National Basketball Coaches Association and the selection committee for presenting me with the 2022 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. I am forever grateful.”

In 16 seasons as an NBA head coach with three different franchises, Fratello compiled a 667-548 (.549) record. His 667 wins and 1,215 games coached each ranked 17th all-time when he left the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006. His teams had records of .500 or better in 13 of his 16 seasons and made the playoffs 11 times.

Fratello’s coaching career began in 1970 as a graduate assistant at the University of Rhode Island under Coach Tom Carmody. A three-year stint as an assistant to Coach Lou Campanelli at James Madison University came next, followed by a three-year stop at Villanova University under Coach Rollie Massimino.

Fratello then began his NBA coaching career in 1978 as an assistant to his mentor, Coach Hubie Brown, with the Atlanta Hawks. He worked with Brown for four seasons in Atlanta and then another season with the New York Knicks (1982-83).

Silver Outlines Past, Present & Future

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SAN FRANCISCO – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped up to the podium at the 2022 NBA Finals in lower-level media interview room at the brand, new Chase Center with memories of doing the same in the Orlando-based “NBA Bubble” of 2020 and slightly better conditions for the 2021 NBA Finals in Phoenix a year ago.

Silver and The NBA have been through quite a lot of stress and financial setbacks since the coronavirus came about and the Commissioner was the very first to make the bold step to shut everything down, cancel all games and begin stringent protocols for players, coaches and all league and team employees. It took guts and it took the risk of losing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Like so many, Silver and the NBA forged ahead. This season, things settled down, as much as could be expected in the middle of a global pandemic, and they even celebrated the 75th anniversary of the league’s founding. On Thursday night, June 2, in San Francisco, Silver and the NBA had reason to celebrate.

“For us, it’s only fitting that on our 75th Anniversary, two of the original NBA franchises are represented here,” said Silver to open-up his twice annual State of the NBA address to media. “Of course the Warriors, who won the first-ever NBA championship in 1947, were then Philadelphia Warriors, and they’re up against the Boston Celtics, who will be competing for the highest number of championships in the league. They are tied with the (Los Angeles/Minneapolis) Lakers right now at 17 each and will be going for 18. So we’re thrilled about that.

“Also how fitting that some of the greatest players ever are associated with these franchises – Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy – obviously just goes to the age of this league that Bill Russell, as I’ve said before, is someone, along with Bob Cousy, who I can pick up the phone and talk to about the state of the league. While we are 75 years old, it’s not all that old.”

After addressing the past, Silver looked at the present.

“I think as I’m looking out on these fantastic Finals coming up, you have some extraordinary, legendary talent out there,” noted Silver.  “Steph (Curry), having achieved so much on the floor; up-and-coming superstar Jayson Tatum (of Boston) – you have players who have demonstrated all-time resilience. I just saw Klay Thompson’s dad out in the hall. We were talking about the fact here he is back in the Finals, having lost essentially two full seasons. Quite an incredible story.

“And the competition has been nothing short of spectacular through these playoffs.”

The league persevered through player injuries, team owner misgivings, front office investigations, player discipline, issues and financial losses in China, staff turnover (good bye to Kiki Van DeWeghe and hello to Joe Dumars), COVID+ tests and outbreaks all in the shadow of the January 1, 2020 death of former NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Thought it all, the game remained the center of focus and the competitive landscape of the league changed with the times.

“We’ve seen increased parity, increased competition around the league over the last several years. As you’ve said, six different teams in the Finals over the last three years.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing unto itself if you have repeat teams in the Finals or champions, frankly, like the Golden State Warriors, who are back here in the Finals for the sixth time in eight years, added Silver as he looked to the future and negotiating a new NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement – the backbone of the league – in advance of the deadlines for opting out never mind the end of the deal completely.

“We do, though, focus a lot on ensuring through a salary-cap system that teams, in essence, have the same fair opportunity to compete. And that is something we’re always looking at as part of our system, something we are constantly talking to the Players Association about. And to me, that should be not just a concern shared by fans of all 30 teams but for all players in the league, all 450 players, presumably want an equal chance to win championships and be part of championship teams.

I’m pleased where we are. I’m thrilled with the teams that are here in the Finals. But it’s something, at least in my time in the league, I think we have incrementally improved the system every time along the way so that we can have more and more top-tier teams and competition throughout the league.”

The relationship with the players has been solid, but there’s been turnover at The NBA Players Association, as well.

“We at the league are just getting to know my new counterpart, Tamika Tremaglio, who is the incoming executive director of the Players Association. She is someone we had known prior to her taking on that role. She had been an advisor to the Players Association. She had been a former colleague at Deloitte of Cathy Engelbert’s, the commissioner of the WNBA, Byron Spruell, president of Basketball Operations, some of you know, and I’m in the process of building a relationship with her.

“What was effective last time around was using that opt-out as a self-imposed deadline by both sides. I think we all know that for any negotiation, seemingly collective bargaining in particular, deadlines are really helpful to get people to push their best offers across the table. So I’m hoping, we’re always discussing things, the league and the Players Association.”

Not to be lost in the constant and evolving nature of The NBA and all professional sports is the fact Chris Paul, the former President of The NBA union has passed his job responsibilities to C. J. McCallum of the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s doubtful that McCallum, Tremaglio, the union or Silver will want to rock the boat and risk work stoppages. The league fought too hard and risked so much through the global pandemic and they might’ve even benefitted a slight bit from the experiences.

“And just lastly, I’ll say that this whole process of dealing with COVID protocols, shutting down, reopening the bubble, etc., has brought us all much closer,” said Silver just before Game 1 was ready to tip-off. “We never used to talk as much as we do now. I’m not always crazy about virtual calls and Zoom, but because of that technology, it’s allowed us to have at least daily calls for the last two and a half years. I think if you have strong relationships, it’s very conducive to getting a deal done. I am optimistic that we can move quickly.”

 

Payton II Wins NBA/Lanier Award

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SAN FRANCISCO – The NBA will rename its NBA Cares Community Assist Award in honor of late Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA Global Ambassador, Bob Lanier.  After his playing career concluded, Lanier made its his life’s work and dedication to teach sports and NBA values to make a positive impact on communities across the globe.

The first winner of the new Bob Lanier Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente for the 2022 season is Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II. Payton was selected by fans during a 12-day public voting period and by an NBA executive panel for his sustained community outreach in support of youth in the Bay Area over the course of the season.

Payton II has prioritized engaging with and giving back to his community, particularly through initiatives related to youth with learning disabilities and those dealing with hardship. This season, he founded the GPII Foundation, a nonprofit that acts as a conduit for Dyslexia-awareness, an educational disability he has dealt with throughout his life. The foundation provides funding for educators to become certified in early intervention services and support for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, including early screening, detection and certified assessment for youth and young adults.

Payton’s own personal struggle with dyslexia, and his passion and efforts to uplift young people impacted, led to the Warriors expanding their Read to Achieve program to specifically include students with learning disabilities. He also led attended a rally at San Francisco City Hall in support of universal screening for risk of dyslexia via Senate Bill 237 and hosted his first-ever Reading Rally with Decoding Dyslexia for students affected by learning disabilities. Additionally, Payton participated in the Warriors’ Black History Month celebrations and 75th Anniversary Live, Learn or Play Center dedication, among other events. He was awarded the January monthly NBA Cares Community Assist Award.

Lanier, an NBA league office executive and Global Ambassador for more than 30 years, had an enormous influence on the NBA family, his co-workers and young people globally, traveling the world to teach the values of the game and making a positive impact through his kindness and generosity. An author and humanitarian, Lanier was the recipient of many distinguished awards throughout his lifetime, including the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award for his significant contributions to civil and human rights and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award as a player. The legacy he built will continue to live on through the season long Community Assist Award recognition, which honors the next generation of players’ commitment to positively impacting their community throughout the NBA season.

The Warriors and the NBA will recognize Payton during the NBA Finals 2022 presented by YouTube TV. The GPII Foundation will receive a $75,000 contribution from the NBA and Kaiser Permanente in honor of the league’s 75th anniversary season.

Celtics’ Tatum Earns All-NBA

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been selected to the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA First Team.

Antetokounmpo was the only player to receive All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots (500 total points), earning his fourth consecutive selection to the First Team and sixth All-NBA Team honor overall (First Team, Second Team and Third Team).  This is the third All-NBA First Team selection each for Dončić (476 points) and Jokić (476 points), the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player.  Booker (460 points) is making his debut on the All-NBA Team.  Tatum (390 points) joins Booker as a first-time selection to the All-NBA First Team.

With the selection of Antetokounmpo (27 years old), Dončić (23), Jokić (27), Booker (25) and Tatum (24), the Kia All-NBA First Team is made up entirely of players age 27 or younger for the first time in 67 years (1954-55 season).  Dončić is the fourth player in NBA history to be named to the All-NBA First Team three or more times before turning 24, joining Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant and Max Zaslofsky.

The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Second Team consists of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (414 points), Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (301 points), Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (276 points), Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (274 points) and Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (184 points).

Embiid, the 2021-22 NBA scoring champion, has been named to the All-NBA Second Team for the fourth time in the last five seasons.  Morant, the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, is an All-NBA Team honoree for the first time.  This is the 10th All-NBA Team selection for Durant, the eighth for Curry and the third for DeRozan.

The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Third Team is composed of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (174 points), Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (169 points), Suns guard Chris Paul (114 points), Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (110 points) and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (63 points).

This is the second All-NBA Team honor for both Towns and Siakam and the first for Young.  James has extended his NBA record for most All-NBA Team selections to 18.  Paul has been voted to the All-NBA Team for the 11th time, the second-most selections among active players behind James.

The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.  Players were awarded five points for each vote to the All-NBA First Team, three points for each vote to the Second Team and one point for each vote to the Third Team.  Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly.  Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most voting points.

The voting results for the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Team are below.  The “Total Points” category represents voting points that players received at any position, not just the position at which they are listed.  The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

2021-22 KIA ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM
Position Player (Team) 1st Team Votes
(5 Points)		 2nd Team Votes (3 Points) 3rd Team Votes
(1 Point)		 Total
Points		 Career
All-NBA Selections
Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) 100 0 0 500 6 (four 1st, two 2nd)
Guard Luka Dončić (Dallas) 88 12 0 476 3 (three 1st)
Center Nikola Jokić (Denver) 88 12 0 476 4 (three 1st, one 2nd)
Guard Devin Booker (Phoenix) 82 16 2 460 1 (one 1st)
Forward Jayson Tatum (Boston) 49 47 4 390 2 (one 1st, one 3rd)
2021-22 KIA ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM
 
Position Player (Team) 1st Team Votes
(5 Points)		 2nd Team Votes (3 Points) 3rd Team Votes
(1 Point)		 Total
Points		 Career
All-NBA Selections
Center Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) 57 43 0 414 4 (four 2nd)
Guard Ja Morant (Memphis) 13 76 8 301 1 (one 2nd)
Forward Kevin Durant (Brooklyn) 10 68 22 276 10 (6 1st, four 2nd)
Guard Stephen Curry (Golden State) 9 69 22 274 8 (four 1st, three 2nd, one 3rd)
Forward DeMar DeRozan (Chicago) 2 39 57 184 3 (two 2nd, one 3rd)
2021-22 KIA ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM
Position Player (Team) 1st Team Votes
(5 Points)		 2nd Team Votes (3 Points) 3rd Team Votes
(1 Point)		 Total
Points		 Career
All-NBA Selections
Center Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) 0 38 60 174 2 (two 3rd)
Forward LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) 2 35 54 169 18 (13 1st, three 2nd, two 3rd)
Guard Chris Paul (Phoenix) 0 16 66 114 11 (four 1st, five 2nd, two 3rd)
Guard Trae Young (Atlanta) 0 11 77 110 1 (one 3rd)
Forward Pascal Siakam (Toronto) 0 7 42 63 2 (one 2nd, one 3rd)

 

Below are the other players who received votes for the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Team, listed at the position at which they received the most voting points.  The “Total Points” category represents voting points that players received at any position, not just the position at which they are listed.

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: CENTERS
 
Player (Team) 1st Team Votes
(5 Points)		 2nd Team Votes (3 Points) 3rd Team Votes
(1 Point)		 Total
Points
Rudy Gobert (Utah) 0 5 30 45
Bam Adebayo (Miami) 0 4 16 28

 

 

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: FORWARDS
 
Player (Team) 1st Team Votes
(5 Points)		 2nd Team Votes (3 Points) 3rd Team Votes
(1 Point)		 Total
Points
Jimmy Butler (Miami) 0 2 26 32
Jaylen Brown (Boston) 0 0 3 3
Desmond Bane (Memphis) 0 0 1 1
Khris Middleton (Milwaukee) 0 0 1 1

 

 

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: GUARDS
 
Player (Team) 1st Team Votes
(5 Points)		 2nd Team Votes (3 Points) 3rd Team Votes
(1 Point)		 Total
Points
Donovan Mitchell (Utah) 0 0 4 4
Mikal Bridges (Phoenix) 0 0 1 1
Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee) 0 0 1 1
Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn) 0 0 1 1
Dejounte Murray (San Antonio) 0 0 1 1
Fred VanVleet (Toronto) 0 0 1 1

NBA in Paris: C’est Bon!

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PARIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The National Basketball Association will stage “The NBA Paris Game 2023,” featuring the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls and the three-time NBA champion Detroit Pistons playing a regular-season game at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the Bulls’ third game in Paris, having played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997.  Chicago currently features five-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, two-time NBA All-Star and Slam Dunk champion Zach LaVine, and two-time NBA All-Star Nikola Vučević (Montenegro).  The Bulls won six NBA championships spanning eight years, becoming only the third franchise in league history to win three consecutive titles twice (1991-93 and 1996-98).

The Pistons will be playing their first game in France, having previously played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019).  Detroit currently features 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham, 2020 Olympic gold medalist Jerami Grant, 2020 No. 7 overall draft pick Killian Hayes (France), and 2021 NBA All-Rookie Team members Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart.  The Pistons won NBA titles in 1989, 1990 and 2004 and made six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances from 2003 to 2008.

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league’s 12th game in France since 1991.  The NBA Paris Game 2020 – the first regular-season NBA game in Paris – took place Jan. 24, 2020, and featured the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tickets for The NBA Paris Game 2023 will go on sale at a later date.  Fans can register their interest in tickets and gain access to presale information and more by visiting NBAEvents.com/ParisGame.