Finger Food

Game 20

Saturday, January 28, 2012
Game 20: Wells Fargo Center
Sixers 95, Pistons 74

PHILADELPHIA — When I was in the eighth grade, the only thing I wanted to do was play basketball. Sometimes I would leave for school early so I could spend time on the school yard shooting before we had to go to class.

At recess and gym I played ball as much as possible and when the school day ended, I was on the way home to play some more. It didn’t matter what the weather was like outside, I was firing up shot after shot for as long as possible.

Once I went to the gym to wait for practice for our CYO team only to find out it had been canceled without warning. Something had come up with the coach and he couldn’t make it, but for whatever reason I didn’t get the notice until I was getting dressed on the sidelines and getting fired up to go. I remember it felt like a tease—here I was in the gym and I couldn’t play.

Game 19

 

Friday, January 27, 2012
Game 19: Wells Fargo Center
Sixers 89, Bobcats 72

PHILADELPHIA — Recently, there was a small controversy in Los Angeles because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the only NBA player to win the MVP Award six times, did not have a statue of his likeness outside of the Lakers' arena, the Staples Center. As far as controversies go, it was pretty tame, but there was a point...

If Kareem can't get a statue, who can?

One of the problems in the whole thing that it was Kareem doing the complaining. Even if the guy deserves a statue, a bobblehead doll or fat head poster, you don't go around complaining when one isn't there. That's just gauche.

Game 18

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Game 18: Wells Fargo Center
Nets 97, Sixers 90 OT

PHILADELPHIA — For one reason or another, people like to invite Ian MacKaye to sporting events. The so-called iconoclast/punk hero must give off the vibe that he would not like checking out a ballgame or something, as if so-called iconoclasts/punk heroes don't have time to kick back and relax.

So it comes as a surprise to some folks when MacKaye reveals that he often takes up offers to go to games. For instance, back in 2000 when the Lakers faced the Pacers in the NBA Finals, a friend flew MacKaye to Indianapolis where he sat near Larry Bird, Phil Jackson and Jack Nicholson.

There's more, of course, like the standing offer from his uncle-in-law to see the Phillies the next time they make it to the World Series. Or the fascination with former Red Sox and Expos lefty pitcher Bill Lee, who attended a premier of a documentary a friend made about The Space Man in San Francisco and put on a show of sorts sitting in the audience as well as on the screen.

Game 17

Monday, January 23, 2012
Game 17: Wells Fargo Center
Sixers 103, Wizards 83

PHILADELPHIA — A few years back before the Phillies had won a championship and became the darlings of the city, I was chatting with a player when suddenly realized it was time to go.

“You guys have a ceremony to get ready for,” I told the player.

“Really? What’s this one for… the 10th anniversary of the 12th anniversary?”

Travel/off day

Two hours prior, it was 80 degrees and sunny.

 

Game 16

Saturday, January 21, 2012
Game 16: American Airlines Arena
Heat 113, Sixers 92

MIAMI — Every once in a while it’s the little things that amaze me. For instance, a few years ago I was covering the 2009 NLDS in Denver where snow and sub-freezing temperatures made for delays and bad baseball. It was so miserable and cold that on the day Game 3 was snowed out, I spent the afternoon shopping for winter gear.

But when the series ended, we climbed into a flying tube and were transported to Los Angeles where it was nearly unbearably hot.

I spent the off day shopping for summer clothes.

Game 15

Friday, January 20, 2012
Game 15: Wells Fargo Center
Sixers 90, Hawks 76

PHILADELPHIA — Let’s say, for instance, you are a really good painter. In fact, you’re such a great painter that galleries fight to hang your work and critics can’t get enough of it.

And yet even though you are a terrific painter, people still get on you because you are a lousy sculptor. You’re going to say that doesn’t make sense, right?

Yeah, well, welcome to Andre Iguodala’s world.

Game 14

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Game 14: Wells Fargo Center
Nuggets 108, Sixers 104 OT

PHILADELPHIA — It’s not unreasonable to believe that David Stern is the greatest commissioner in the history of American major league sports. A lawyer by trade with a background in marketing, Stern took over the NBA from Larry O’Brien—the James Buchanan of commissioners—and ushered the game into a new era.

Actually, Stern had plenty of help. It just so happened that Stern became the commissioner just when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were coming into their primes, plus, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton entered the NBA during Stern’s first year as commissioner.

But give the guy credit for not sitting idly by. Under Stern’s watch, the NBA went from being a league that only serious basketball fans followed to an American-based Premier league of sorts. Internationally, the two most popular team sports are soccer and basketball and that comes in no small part from Stern’s ability to market his league.

Game 13

Monday, January 16, 2012
Game 13: Wells Fargo Center
Sixers 94, Bucks 82

PHILADELPHIA — Everyone knows by now that the NBA schedule is a little different this season. Because of the lockout, the season did not begin until Christmas day and rather than just pick up the schedule where it would have been, the league and the NBPA agreed to a 66-game season squeezed into four months.

It also means that instead of 15 or 16 games a month, there will be 18 games a month complete with piles of back-to-backs as well as two back-back-to-backs per team.

In other words, the season went from being a grind to a goddamn war.

Game 12

Saturday, January 14, 2012
Game 12: Verizon Center
Sixers 103, Wizards 90

WASHINGTON — The first time I went to an NBA game was in March of 1980 in a late-season game between the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets and the lowly Detroit Pistons. The game was played at the Bullets’ arena in Landover, Md., called the Capitol Centre.

As far as suburban arenas go, there was nothing too unique about the Cap Centre aside from the fact that there were no levels in the seating area. It was like a high-school gym with bleachers ringing the playing surface.

Granted, it would have been a pretty big high-school gym since the Cap Centre had a capacity for more than 18,000 people, but a high-school gym nonetheless.