RE: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V5 #193

["Sampath, Venkatesh" <Venkatesh.Sampath@microcell.ca>]

I'm sorry, but I can't buy the argument that Larry Bird is afraid of
Jordan. The Bulls didn't win simply because MJ elevated his game, but on
account of the fact that MJ, Scottie, Kukoc *and* Harper elevated their
respective games. Don't forget that Indiana were without Jalen Rose and,
for all practical purposes, Miller as well. 

As I said in one of my earlier letters, if the Bulls win against the
Pacers, so be it. But I sure as hell don't expect them to steamroll the
Jazz. In fact, I expect to see the opposite happening and I will be
rooting for the Jazz all the way. I don't buy this "MJ is God concept,"
any more than I buy the fact that he is the "greatest basketball player
of all time." Bullshit. He's one of the all-time greats, right up there
with Chamberlain, Russell, etc. and that's it. 

Seems like Bob Costas' fawning attitude is getting contagious.  

venkat
>----------
>From: 	Tom Bisson[SMTP:tbisson@doe.state.vt.us]
>Sent: 	29 May 1998 10:08
>To: 	Celtics@igtc.COM
>Subject: 	Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V5 #193
>
>First let me say that I'm a big fan of Bob Ryan. I think he's one of the
>best columinist going. I also think he's a huge fan of Larry Bird and
>thus of the Pacers, so he's been even more fun to read lately.
>
>I'm a Celtic fan, but I love wathcing the Bulls. The Bulls are a TEAM
>And, by the way, so are the Jazz, even though I don't like them. So
>let's quit with the whining about the NBA being a league of selfish
>one-on-one players who don't understand the fundamentals. The Jazz use
>the oldest strategy in basketball (pick and roll) and the triangle
>offense of the Bulls is straight out of the 1950s Chip Hilton basketball
>series.
>
>Jordan is a wonder. Larry didn't blink after the Pacers thrilling win on
>Monday because he knew that he shouldn't make Jordan angry. Of course,
>the team couldn't control themselves and displayed too much glee for Mr.
>Jordan who promptly elevated his game - and his teammates' games - to
>thoroughly embarrass the Pacers.
>
>Doesn't this scenario happen every year? Last year didn't the Heat anger
>Jordan and didn't he discipline them in a very strict fashion? In the
>finals, didn't somebody suggest that maybe Karl Malone was really the
>better player and then didn't Jordan submit a truly heroic effort to
>thoroughly dispel that notion?
>
>Remember that old TV commercial for magarine that ended with the line,
>"It's not nice to fool Mother nature" followed by severe thunder claps?
>It's not nice to think for a moment that you can beat Jordan and the
>Bulls. It's disrupting the chain of being. I'm surprised that Mr. Ryan
>hasn't come to this conclusion.
>
>- tom
>