Re: questions about the lakers game

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 09:36 AM 3/11/2004, Berry, Mark  S wrote:
> Kim wrote:
>
> It's a GAME. It's supposed to be ENTERTAINMENT. You know - as in fun?
>
> --- --- ---
>
> I don't agree with the "it sapped the spirit and cost the team the game"
> comments, but I thought Ricky's actions were awful. You know I've been a
> huge Ricky fan since he came here. Last night, though, was inexcusable.
> I expect the 360s and windmills and stuff from him - those are part of
> who he is, and you'll never change that. But between the legs is taking
> it too far.

I'm somewhere in between. Look, the primary point I was making was that the 
criticism I responded to was way overdone -with which you agreed (I'm 
snipping for length). And that it was ONE PLAY, not in the critical end of 
the game, intended to be entertaining in the middle of what was quite an 
entertaining game, despite the loss. Some showboating is clearly part of 
the package with Ricky. It's his way of interpreting basketball the game 
and being competative. And I'm sorry, but it's also been part of the 
package with a lot of very good and great players even if they don't all 
showboat with between the legs dunks. They still do it in other ways. While 
I figure we've got to allow Ricky a small amount of it as a pressure 
release, because so long as basketball is fun he'll stay under control and 
continue the growing up process that we have seen. That was another big 
point I was making - on the whole he's been hard working and trying to do 
the right thing. This isn't the all Ricky showboating all the time show, 
despite his reputation, so he should get more slack than was being given. 
With luck he'll grow out of the need for it, although I honestly hope he 
doesn't entirely grow out of doing it, because sometimes it's fun. If we 
were a better team rather than busy looking for excuses for losing it 
wouldn't be such an issue. And even now, he makes the dunk, thereby getting 
the emotional Cs fired up with the crowd behind them (as it was, the crowd 
was amused rather than otherwise) leading to a win then the response is a 
bit different IMO. In the meantime, yeah, he could have just laid it in and 
should as a rule go for the sure and less showy shot. It was dumb (although 
again I think perception of that changes if he makes it) but not much 
worse. Not even IMO your awful.

best
Kim