Utah vs. Chicago '98

Last night NBATV, perhaps trying to counter the lure of live March Madness (although NBATV is run by Turner, which is broadcasting NCAA tournament games, so perhaps my conjecture is wrong), showed the original "Jordan Pushed Off" game, Chicago vs. Utah in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals.

I noticed a few things in this game that had slipped from my memory:

Dennis Rodman was an unbelievable rebounder, bounding multiple body lengths to grab caroms.

Scottie Pippen could barely walk in this game, yet delivered a number of clutch shots.

Michael Jordan started the fourth quarter shooting 2 for 8. He kept shooting, though, and hit two mid-range buckets in the final minute of the game to hand his team the win.

Utah won 62 games and made the Finals with a motley collection of role players including Antoine Carr, Howard Eisley, and Shandon Anderson, all of whom played crunch-time minutes. That is all from coaching.

Isiah Thomas was a credible TV commentator. Bob Costas, though, should stick to hosting the Olympics.

The City Game

I'm planning to get some r&r on Thanksgiving break and wanted to catch up on some b-ball. One thing I am excited about is the 8PM Magic vs. Hawks game on TNT scheduled for Thanksgiving day. Finally a chance to see whether these Hawks are for real. I'll make sure to be take my post Thanksgiving meal nap early so I'm up in time for the game.

Unfortunately, there will be a fair bit of airport time for this year (which usually means stuck in some delays), so I intend to use the time to catch up on some b-ball history. Sometimes younger fans don't fully appreciate the history of the game and those of us who came of age just as Kareem was fading may miss some important context for the game and its evolution. Much is to be learned from the old legends and their stories. (I continue to be amused that there is a separate Wikipedia entry on Wilt Chamberlain's personal life, on top of the main Wilt entry.)

To deepen my historical perspective, I just purchased Pete Axthelm's acclaimed The City Game: Basketball from the Garden to the Playgrounds, and two DVDs: The Real: Rucker Park Legends, as well as a copy of Rebound: The Legend of Earl the Goat Manigault.

After Thanksgiving break I will report to the blog my evaluation of the first two items (it is obvious to the blog what I think about Rebound). And hopefully the new BS book comes before I take off next Wednesday.

In Memory Of Earl Manigault

Exactly 11.5 years ago to this day, society lost one of the great ballers to ever grace the Earth.

I realize that many of my fellow bloggers and readers may not know who Earl "Da Goat" Manigault is. He is my namesake.

He was arguably the best baller that ever lived with an unmatched quickness and a 52" vertical jump. He was better than Kareem, then Lew Alcindor, back in the day. One of the main reasons people remember Da Goat was the movie Rebound. This is when I first came across his story.

Here is an obit from the New York Times.