Magic Johnson

Revisiting Magic’s Comeback

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I’ve been reading Jeff Pearlman’s great new book “Three Ring Circus,” which examines the Kobe-Shaq Era in Los Angeles from 1996-2004.  The book is fascinating in its subject but also touches on the pre-Kobe-Shaq times.  There is a short prologue on the 1995-96 Lakers, who were a decent team that happened to feature the return of a 36-year old Magic Johnson.  Magic’s comeback is a fascinating blip in NBA history.  The return is viewed as mostly forgettable because Magic did not get along with … [Read more...] about Revisiting Magic’s Comeback

Steve Nash and Newbie Coaches

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How do we assess the Steve Nash hire in Brooklyn?  Nash was a great and smart player but he has no direct coaching experience.  By Nash’s own admission, he jumped the line due to his great playing career.  Is that fair?  There are a couple issues to unwrap here.  Let’s delve into a few of them: Does Nash’s getting a coaching gig under these circumstances constitute white privilege? Before getting into a long conversation as to the term white privilege and when it’s … [Read more...] about Steve Nash and Newbie Coaches

Magic’s First Game: A Snap Shot of the NBA Circa 1979

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In order to make the best of life without NBA games, NBA TV and other networks have been showing a ton of older games.  Most of them are well-remembered (i.e., Isiah Thomas’ scoring rampage on a sprained ankle in 1988, a bunch of Laker-Celtics Finals games from the 1980s, or Michael Jordan games).  Those games are great and significant but I actually saw most of those games live and find them less interesting than stuff I’ve never really seen.  One game that caught my eye in the reruns was Magic … [Read more...] about Magic’s First Game: A Snap Shot of the NBA Circa 1979

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