A little kindness…TWO long careers

Posted on November 8, 2012 by jimberrysports

I was saddened to hear about the sudden passing of play-by-play man extraordinaire Jim Durham. As a kid growing up in Chicago, I used to listen to him do his play-by-play of Chicago Bulls basketball games. This was long before the Jordan years, but Jim still made Bulls basketball sound exciting.  It was partly because of him that I, too decided to become a sportscaster.

When I was in college, I would turn down the sound of games I watched on TV and do my own play-by-play. Sometimes I would even record it.  Once I got up the nerve to call him out of the blue at the radio station where he worked. I made up a story about doing an assignment about sportscasters. I just wanted to meet Jim Durham.  He graciously agreed to meet me, and even listened to my rather primitive play by play.  He asked, “Where did you do this ?”. I told him at home. He remarked, “If I could do the games this well from home, I’d never leave the couch. ” He couldn’t tell it, but I lit up inside with a huge glow. “If the great Jim Durham thought I could do this, then maybe I can.”, I thought.

Sure enough, I embarked on a broadcasting career that has now lasted 35 years.  I would run into Jim from time to time at NBA games, and a few years ago reminded him of our first meeting when I was still a student. Although he didn’t recall, he was still the same gracious man who encouraged me years ago. No doubt his kindness was the secret to his long and enduring career, and the catalyst for my own.

Thanks Jim. I’ll miss you and rest assured. I will pay it forward just like you did.

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Better than Mike ?

Posted on October 22, 2012 by jimberrysports

  A new poll of NBA general managers confirms what any NBA fan already knows. Two-thirds of them pick Heat star Lebron James to repeat as NBA MVP, and most of them say Lebron is the player they would want first if they had to start an NBA franchise from scratch.

  The question isn’t whether Lebron is the best NOW.  The question is…can he be the best EVER.  Some are suggesting that he’s already there..that James now is better than Michael Jordan.  Sorry. He’s gettin’ there, but he’s not there yet.

However, if I’m Lebron being put on that  ledge would motivate me enough to BECOME the best of all-time. He’s got a skill set that no player, not even Jordan, had.  Lebron finishes like Doctor J, is strong like the Mailman, strikes fear like Jordan, has three point range and defends like…nobody else.

Now that he has won an NBA title, fans automatically assume that Lebron will  leap over that mental wall that seemed to make him shrink in the big moments. I think they are right…but let’s see it.

 Jordan had an intimidating swagger that made him that much better. Only Kobe Bryant today has that same kind of confidence (although Kevin Durant might soon be there too. ) There is something to be said for KNOWING that you are man. If Lebron’s game goes up even half a notch more, he very well could end up being the best.

Of course, this debate assumes that everyone agrees Michael Jordan is the best ever.  Old schoolers say it was Wilt Chamberlain.  Isiah Thomas told me his pick for the best all-time is Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Jordan got six rings.  Lebron will need at least four to make his case. I’m not bettin’ against him, but the proof will be in the pudding.

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Standing tall

Posted on March 24, 2012 by jimberrysports

The most touching moment of the Heat game last night did not come while they were wailing on the Detroit Pistons. It happened when we saw the picture of 13 Heat players wearing hoodies in support of  Trayvon Martin, the 17-year old from Miami whose murder in Sanford, Florida has sparked national outrage.

During all of the outcry about his senseless shooting, I wondered if and when any athletes anywhere would weigh in. After all, pro athletes live in a world of privilege and fame that can make them forget where they came from. So many of them are reluctant to get involved in anything controversial, for fear of alienating anyone.  Others, quite frankly, may not be informed enough to take a stand on anything. It’s too easy for them to get self-absorbed in their unique world, focused on the “problems” many of us would love to have.

This case, however, touches a raw nerve. It takes us back to a time when civil rights was in the forefront, not on the back burner.  During the civil rights heyday, it was common for athletes to take stands and be out front on civil rights issues. Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and others would often lend their voices to the movement. They understood their voices carried extra weight.

It was gratifying to see Dwyane Wade, Lebron James and their teammates weigh in. The players last night wrote “R.I.P. Trayvon Martin” on their sneakers. Their head coach Erik Spolestra even weighed in, explaining how the case touched the heart of the Heat organization.

It was yet another example of why the Heat far and away is Miami’s best franchise. The confused Dolphins are still trying to figure out how to put together a team. The Marlins are focused on re-branding themselves. But the Heat really have a finger on the pulse of this town.

Last night was a night Heat fans could be proud, and make them want to root even more for the team to win a title.

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No big man..no chance

Posted on March 15, 2012 by jimberrysports

  I hate to sound like a pessimist, but my gut is telling me something I can no longer ignore. The Heat will NOT win an NBA title unless they find a big man.  No one in particular…just SOMEBODY who can give them SOMETHING.   A few rebounds and blocked shots. Somebody who can catch the ball and dunk it.

  Erik Spolestra chastized his team for not giving enough “effort” against Chicago. Effort wasn’t the problem. SIZE was the problem. The Bulls are too big for the Heat, just like the Lakers were a couple of Sundays ago, and just like Dwight Howard is every time they play Orlando.

 Joel Anthony is not a true center. Dexter Pittman isn’t the answer. Eddy Curry remains anchored to the bench, meaning the Heat are no better in the middle this year than they were last year with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Erick Dampier. 

The Heat passed off the offseason acquisition of Shane Battier as the move that would get them over the top. I wondered then and now why they didn’t get a big body.  Heat fans should stop complaining that Chris Bosh is too “soft”. He’s a finesse player, not a banger.

What to do ? Pat Riley better get on the job and find a big man. Erik Spolestra better play the big men he has and challenge them to produce.  While you’re at it Spo, tell your bench to wake up.

Udonis Haslem…make a shot.  Shane Battier..make a shot. Norris Cole…where have you gone ?

Mike Miller..can you PLEASE stay healthy ?  I’m not hatin’ on the Heat…I’m just sayin.’  My heart wants them to win it all, but my eyes haven’t failed me yet.

 

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Shoot the d— ball !!

Posted on March 3, 2012 by jimberrysports

Lebron James..you are the greatest basketball talent on Earth.  Bigger, stronger, and faster than most mere mortals. You are having an MVP season.  There is only one more thing you need to do. When it comes down to the last shot..SHOOT THE D— BALL !!

I’m sure I speak for all Heat fans in saying this. You were unconscious in leading the Heat back from a huge deficit in Utah. Nobody could stop you. So why in the final four seconds, when your team is down one did you pass it to Udonis Haslem. I love U-D, but I would rather you shoot the ball with two guys on you than him wide open.

Lebron, you did the same thing in the All-Star game..ruining an MVP-type performance by passing up the last shot, and throwing the ball away. I don’t care if you miss in those situations. SHOOT THE D— BALL !!

Erik Spolestra..I understand you going to Lebron in that situation, he had been your hot hand. However, until he proves he is willing to SHOOT THE D— BALL in that situation, give the ball to Dwyane Wade. He won’t hesitate to shoot.  If he doesn’t make it, odds are he will draw a foul. I guess we should point out that if Wade had made both free throws seconds before, Lebron would not have been put in that situation. Frankly, tho, that is besides the point.

A team’s best player MUST be willing to SHOOT THE D— BALL !! when the game is on the line. Can you imagine Kobe Bryant passing up a last second shot to pass to Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) ? How about Kevin Durant passing up the last shot for Serge Ibaka. No way. Both of those guys would SHOOT THE D— BALL !!

Lebron..please, follow Nike’s advice..and just do it. You gotta get over this mental hump of shying away from taking the last shot. No explanations, please.  If you miss…I can live with that. Just SHOOT THE D— BALL !!

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Whassup bruh

Posted on February 20, 2012 by jimberrysports

I’m beginning to understand the fascination with Jeremy Lin. It’s not just that he’s an Asian-American dude who’s ballin’ in a sport dominated by brothers. It’s that he actually PLAYS it like a brother.

We’ve seen plenty of white guys who could play some basketball. Larry Bird took no prisoners. Jerry West was lethal. Steve Nash and John Stockton…impeccable. In terms of Asian players, Yao Ming was an All-Star, but he was just a big tree. No flavor.

None of those guys really played with a “brothers’ kind of swag. Lin is hitting fadeaway jumpers, then trotting backwards with his tongue wagging..ala Michael Jordan. He’s taking it to the rim and dunking strong. He’s penetrating inside and hanging between defenders before dropping in teardrop layups….brother style.

In his post game interviews, he’s certainly gracious. But haven’t you noticed a little “brother swag” in the way he speaks. He’s got a rhythym in his game all the way around. The fact the he went to Harvard and went undrafted and played under the radar adds to the story. The fact that other teams passed on him and that he was sleeping on his brother’s sofa adds to the script.

But the fact that this dude of Asian heritage has some playground in his game…now THAT is what makes his game and story sexy.  He’s got a game the “brothers” respect. Even Lebron James told me yesterday that Lin is a good player.  Lin also has a story that makes everyone else stand up and take notice.

When you see a brother who can dance, you’re impressed. When you see someone of another heritage dance LIKE a brother, you take note even more.  No matter his background, Lin has earned his street cred the hard way.  When the Knicks come to town Thursday to play the Heat, I know what I’ll say to Jeremy Lin.

Whassup bruh.

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Don’t hate the player…

Posted on February 15, 2012 by jimberrysports

      So, it has started. Jeremy Lin has been a sensation all of two weeks, and already somebody is startin’ to hate. Boxer Floyd Mayweather says Lin wouldn’t be gettin’ this kind of hype if he was African-American.  Floyd says a lot of black ballplayers can do what he does, but they don’t stir the same frenzy.

     Yes, Floyd..there are some brothers who play some serious point guard. Derrick Rose. Rajon Rondo. Russell Westbrook. Deron Williams. There have been some white dudes who could handle it too…like Steve Nash.

   But none of them came from the END OF THE BENCH to start rippin’ it up…in NEW YORK CITY nonetheless.  Yes, Lin is a story because he’s an oddity. How many Asian-Americans have you seen shoot the rock like he does ? That doesn’t mean we should resent the pub he’s getting.

   Certainly, Lin’s African-American team mates don’t mind. They’re lovin’ it. They know that the Knicks looked dead in the water until Lin took the court. In his first six games, Lin has scored more points than any other NBA player in more than 30 years.

Lin would be a good story no matter what his background is. He’s an undrafted player who got cut by two other teams before getting his shot. The fact that he’s of Asian descent and went to Harvard makes the story all the more unlikely. Certainly, the NBA loves that Lin’s story has worldwide appeal. But its unfair to think that the league will give Lin undue hype simply because of his ethnicity. 

Floyd Mayweather should do what President Barack Obama is doing. Give Lin his props.  Based on what we’ve seen so far…he got game.

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Sports and music

Posted on February 13, 2012 by jimberrysports

    Whitney Houston’s tragic passing took me back to the Super Bowl at Tampa, Florida in 1991. I remember because I was there. It was the first Super Bowl where security was amped up to a high level because the US was in the Gulf war.

    Everyone was feeling patriotic when Whitney stepped up and sang her resounding Star Spangled Banner.  Actually, she didn’t just sing it. She BELTED it out. It stuck with you.  The dramatic game between the Bills and Giants was decided on a missed field goal by Buffalo’s Scott Norwood. Still, afterwards, players on both teams were talking about Whitney. Her version was SO good, it actually became a hit recording.

  It was one of those moments that reminds you of how sports and music always dance together. I tune out the endless hip hop at NBA games. But I remember real singers bringing their “A” game at major sporting events.

  Marvin Gaye at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles in 1983 was another such moment. Marvin sang the anthem as only he could, with unmistakeable soul.  Its the only time I ever recall an audience clapping in unision during the anthem. We were at a basketball game, but Marvin took us to church.

 Prince singing “Purple Rain” IN the rain at the 2007 Super Bowl. You couldn’t have scripted that any better.  Great theatre. It took our minds off of the fact that this was the soggiest Super Bowl in history.  

Whitney’s gone, but my memory of how she blended sports and music will stick with me. As athletes often say about each other…she had game.

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Blame Lebron

Posted on February 10, 2012 by jimberrysports

Somebody backed into the side of my car the other day. I’m blaming Lebron James. The other driver must have been listening to sports talk radio talking about Lebron.

James now says he gets blamed for everything. “If you go to the store and your brand of milk isn’t there, blame me. “, he says. “I’m an easy target.  The Heat forward was responding to Kendrick Perkins ripping him for tweeting, and Larry Bird for saying that he would choose Kobe over Lebron to “win.”

He’s right. Lebron is an easy guy to blame for just about everything. The Heat are not undefeated, and its his fault.  Couldn’t he have scored 50 points and blocked some of those Orlando three pointers the other night ?

James says it doesn’t bother him, but I wonder. Kendrick Perkins says Lebron tweets because he wants to be liked. Well, what’s wrong with that ?

Are you supposed to want people to DISLIKE you ? What Lebron has to realize is that he made this uncomfortable bed. When you proclaim yourself the King before you actually earn a crown, people WILL take shots at you.

Its why Lebron should tell Chris Bosh to stop talkin’ out loud about the Heat being the best team in the NBA. They have not proved that yet,so stop saying it.  You just set yourself up for the haters to hate.

Bosh is confident. For that..I blame Lebron. In fact, why not blame Lebron for all of the Heat’s ills. They need a center. Shane Battier can’t make a shot. Erik Spolestra doesn’t adjust too well as a coach when they’re getting blown out.

All of that is Lebron’s fault. Maybe in June, the Heat will break through and win it all, and Lebron will get a break, but I doubt it.

If  they win the NBA championship in five games, it will be Lebron’s fault they didn’t sweep. And if they fall short again,  don’t blame Pat Riley for suspect offseason moves, or give credit to the Bulls, Thunder, or whoever else might take them out. No..no..take the easy road. Blame Lebron.

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Attention K-Mart shoppers

Posted on February 3, 2012 by jimberrysports

Attention NBA K-Mart shoppers. K Mart is now available. Forward Kenyon Martin has been granted basketball freedom by FIBA…the governing body for international hoops.

K Mart ran off to China for a payday when the lockout hit, and thought he would be stranded over there for a while longer. But now, Martin is a free agent ready to latch on with an NBA team…and the Heat’s Pat Riley is dangling a contract offer.

Riley has also offered a deal to Joel Pryzbilla…a seven foot lug who last played in Portland.  I doubt Martin’s ego will allow him to settle for being fourth fiddle  on a Heat team with three big stars. My guess is he signs with the LA Clippers.

What I am more intrigued by is the Heat admitting what other teams around the league undoubtedly know…the Heat is still lean up front.

Chris Bosh has plenty of skill, but he’s not a banger. Udonis Haslem bangs, but is undersized. Eddie Curry is still a work in progress.  Did Dexter Pittman MAKE any progress ?

That leaves only Joel Anthony..a hard working guy other teams are not afraid to leave open to double team Heat stars.  To become truly unbeatable, the Heat need a big man who can catch it and dunk it. Period !

K Mart is not what he was from his alley oop days with Jason Kidd, but I would take the chance.  The Heat must pull out all the stops this season, because if they don’t win it all this year…..I don’t EVEN want to talk about it.

They SHOULD be K Mart shoppers..even if means overpaying a little bit for the merchandise.

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