Tag: In the News

Takes from blog brothers: A bard and his thoughts on the lockout

The lockout stretches for another day, but my blog brothers aren’t letting that get them down.

As always, they have a fall cornucopia stuffed with Spurs-related and NBA stories.

Enjoy them.

  • Jeff Clark of Celticsblog.com has .
  • Old buddy Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Milwaukee No. 1 draft choice Tobias Harris is headed to San Antonio toduring the lockout.   
  • Marcus DiNitto of the Sporting News.com reports on the developed by first-time filmmaker Anne Buford, younger sister of Spurs general manager R.C. Buford.
  • Adam Fromal of the Bleacher Report.com calls Gervin one of the.
  • Manu Ginobili tells the Buenos Aires newspaper La Nacion (hat tip: Project Spurs.com) that the in next year’s Olympic basketball competition in London.
  • Austin Toros members Leo Lyons and Lance Thomas this week in Guadalajara, Mexico, as members of the United States team, NBA.com reports.
  • Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Breton opines why fans of small-market franchises like the Kings in the labor discord. 
  • Jason Cohen of the Texas Tribune : Why aren’t more Spurs fans supporters of the Houston Texans?  
  • Peter Holt told the Associated Press’ Brian Mahoney that the — something that hasn’t happened during his ownership.
  • William C. Rhoden of the New York Times wonders why he hasn’t seen locked-out NBA .
  • Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes that the labor negotiations broke down after of the basketball-related income produced by the league.  
  • Holt tells Mitch Lawrence of  the New York Daily News that the league’s labor negotiators to help settle the lockout.
  • Andrew McNeill of 48 Minutes of Hell.com checks in with a and also has a podcast (along with 48 Minutes of Hell developer  Graydon Gordian) with Zach Harper of ESPN Daily Dime Live about . 
  • The Los Angeles Times’ Mike Bresnahan writes of of more games likely to be canceled.
  • David Steele of the Sporting News.com notes some of the, the majority owner of one of the league’s model franchises. 
  • Tommy Dee of the Knicksblog.com , considering his team’s success over the years.
  • Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that small-market owners are for the NBA.
  • Tim C. of Pounding the Rock.com provides his roundup of some.

Spurs open archives for classic-games series

By Mike Monroe
mikemonroe@express-news.net

Spurs games are returning to local TV screens this week.

While there has been no breakthrough in attempts by the NBA’s owners and players to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, the Spurs are reaching into the video archives to fill the void left by games fallen victim to the lockout.

Thus far, the NBA has canceled games through Nov. 30.

The Spurs plan to produce a two-hour weekly telecast on Fox Sports Net Southwest that will feature some of the most memorable games in club history.

The first of nine telecasts, scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday, will feature the Spurs’ 106-102 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 31, 1991. David Robinson scored 31 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, offsetting the 36 points scored by Bulls great Michael Jordan.

Each game will be turned into a two-hour “Spurs Flashback” show, hosted by Sean Elliott and Andrew Monaco and taped in front of a live audience of invited Spurs season-ticket holders. Elliott and Monaco will interview special guests during the taping. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is to be the guest for Wednesday’s show.

Additionally, pre-taped interviews with various observers will be included, from Spurs staffers to game-night staff and local media. Among those interviewed will be Spurs Hall of Famer George Gervin, former owner B.J. “Red” McCombs and former general manager Bob Bass.

McCombs’ knowledge of the club’s colorful history will find its way into several episodes, according to Spurs director of broadcasting Mike Kickarillo, producer for the series

“Red was fantastic,” he said. “I could probably take his interview and turn it into a show by itself about the history of the team, stories that you’ve never heard.”

The production project included its share of frustrations.

“We wanted to show David’s (1994) 71-point game and Gervin’s (1978) 63-point game,” Kickarillo said. “Sadly, neither was televised.”

Because of the lockout, the club is prohibited from airing games in which active players participated, eliminating any of the team’s NBA Finals games with Tim Duncan.

In addition to one show about the ABA days, other games include: a 1979 Eastern semifinal win over Philadelphia; a 1983 Western semifinal win over Denver; a 1983 Western finals win over the Lakers; a 157-154 regular-season win over Denver in 1984 in which John Lucas had 24 assists; a 112-111 win over the Bulls in 1990; an OT win over the Knicks in 1991; and a 1993 OT playoff win over Portland.

Jordan Crawford says he can be better than Michael Jordan – seriously

Maybe it was his while in college school that emboldened Jordan Crawford in a special way.

But on the , the Washington Wizards guard has some pretty lofty career aims. Namely, to be the greatest to ever play the game.

Crawford continued that line of thinking in a recent interview with the Washington Post, where he flatly predicted he will be the greatest player that has ever played the game — including Michael Jordan.

“I don’t tell nobody, but I feel like I can be better than Michael Jordan,” Crawford told the Post, with a straight face. “When I’m done playing, I don’t want people to say, Michael Jordan is the best player. I want that to be me. That’s how I am. That’s how I was built.”

Crawford was the 27th pick in the first round of last year’s draft by Atlanta. He was traded late in the season to the Wizards, where he averaged 16.3 points in 26 games last season. 

His dunk over James created a firestorm when Nike tried to confiscate the tape. Thanks to You Tube and below, the tape has made itself into the public domain.

But pulling on Superman’s cape in the form of saying he will be better than Jordan is another thing.

I applaud him for dreaming big. But he better not hope that Jordan gets the comeback itch at the age of 48.

Because if he does, I bet I know the first place that “His Airness” will be looking to once he restarts his career.

Here’s the video of Crawford dunking over James way back when.