Ever Been Struck By A Thunderbolt?
Multi-titled NBA coach Pat Riley, in his book, The Winner Within shared a story of how the Los Angeles Lakers ended their 1983 supposed dream season into a nightmarish ending.
The Lakers were slapping high-fives and were expected to bowl over their opponents every game until rookie forward James Worthy suffered a leg injury during the last day of regular season that kept him out of the post-season games.
After Worthy, the Lakers’ two other notable offensive weapons—Bob McAdoo and guard Norm Nixon suffered injuries of their own during the playoffs, leaving the Lakers without three of their best support cast going into the NBA Finals opposite the Philadelphia 76ers.
But here’s the thing—Riley recalled how strong the team was even without the three injured players considering that they still had three of their best players in the league—center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, forward Jamal Wilkes and point guard Magic Johnson.
Yet, the injuries, which Riley calls the “Thunderbolt” experience of the Lakers, struck them thrice. And he admitted that instead of responding to the challenges, they were resigned to the fact that their chase for back-to-back NBA titles may not happen anymore.
That defeated mindset allowed the 76ers to sweep them in the NBA Finals via a 4-0 series score.
Like what happened to the Lakers, we all have our own “thunderbolt” experiences in life as well.
Academic woes like a failing mark in a subject you dread, you got retrenched from your job, your dad’s business went bankrupt, perhaps, you grandma, who was closest to you, suddenly fell ill.
These are “thunderbolts” that may strike anytime.
But how we respond to these situations is what truly matter.
The Apostle Paul had numerous “thunderbolt” experiences during his numerous missionary trips as well.
Consider these “thunderbolt” experiences Paul had as a missionary—(1 Corinthians 11:23-27) I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
But in all these, Paul never recanted his faith, never blamed God for all the trials that went with his trips. Instead, towards the latter part of his life, this was his testimony to Timothy, whom he mentored in the faith: 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)
Thunderbolts are part of life, but hopefully, when they come, like Paul, we’ll fight the good fight of faith, we will finish the race, we will keep the faith.
Photo Sources: http://a.abcnews.com/images/Sports/nm_87lakers_080603_ssh.jpg
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Will Carmelo Anthony Join Lakers in 2010 Season?
I was recently talking with Far Eastern University’s rookie forward Pipo Noundou.
Bitter Western Conference rivals to teammates?
Pipo, an avid NBA follower, who hails from Cameroon, was telling me an interesting NBA off-season rumor that Denver swingman Carmelo Anthony might just join the newly-minted Los Angeles Lakers come the 2010 season.
I couldn’t remember where Pipo got that story but as I scanned through the internet for possible trade talks or trade possibilities, I found none, except some remarks from NBA followers at a popular search engine site.
Several NBA aficionados said Anthony’s entry to the Lakers’ triangle offense system may only backfire because the 2003 NBA third overall draft choice of the Nuggets would clash head on with Lakers leader Kobe Bryant for leadership.
At the same time, Anthony’s defense remains suspect though there’s no doubt he’s going to be a major contributor on offense should LA really try to lure him.
Well, that’s going to be an interesting off-season NBA trade plot, considering that the Lakers have yet re-sign forward Lamar Odom.
The 6’10” Odom was an integral part of the Lakers’ championship run this past season, averaging slightly above 12 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs.
I don’t know what’s going through the mind of Anthony at this time, though the memory of the Nuggets’ Game 6 Western Conference Finals showdown against the Lakers remain fresh.
Well, Kobe and the Lakers were simply too much after blowing them off the Pepsi Center by more than 20 points that enabled Los Angeles to barge into the NBA Finals.
Wish I was there when Kobe spoke to the media last July 21 during his 1-day visit here in Manila. Maybe I could have asked him if the rumor (if it really was a rumor) was really true…his response would surely be explosive.
What do you think? If Anthony indeed, joins LA, would it be good for the Lakers’ aim for back-to-back titles?
Photo Source: http://www.sitv.com/files/premium-uploads/sitv_latino%20sports_kobe%20bryant_carmelo%20anthony.jpg
Adversity Brought The Best Out Of The Lakers This Year
The Los Angeles Lakers finally nailed their 15th NBA championship following their masterful 99-86 victory against the Orlando Magic to clinch the Finals series, 4-1 before a silent Amway Arena crowd just today.
For Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, there is definitely no "I" in the team.
And there are so many lessons we can derive from the Lakers chase for the championship.
Beaten up badly by Boston (39 points in Game 6) last season in the Finals, Los Angeles, led by this year’s Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, believed that had to be the turning point of their 2009 campaign as they vowed to win it all this year.
And the Lakers didn’t disappoint.
Several players were criticized for their performance in last year’s Finals.
Pau Gasol was labeled as “too soft” for a frontline man of LA. Lamar Odom, the subject of numerous trade talks in the past, has had his own struggles offensively and defensively, while Derek Fisher was said to be “aging fast that his three-point shooting wouldn’t drop anymore”.
But the seven-foot Gasol worked hard after that Finals debacle in 2008, upping his inside game, rebounding and defense several notches, more. Odom, meantime, learned to come out strong off the bench throughout this season to provide the energy LA needed.
Fisher, on the other hand, reserved his best game of the season with his heroic effort in Game 4, nailing a game-tying triple to send the game into overtime. Before hitting the go-ahead three-point shot in the extra five-minute session to cement his place among the NBA clutch shooters, while pushing LA to a 3-1 series lead.
And of course, Kobe Bryant has the biggest smile among these Laker players.
Long dismissed to be just a good player following the disintegration of his partnership with All-Star center Shaquille O’Neal at the end of the 2004 Finals defeat against Detroit, Bryant worked his way back to the top.
He sure, had his down moments during the post-O’Neal era of the Lakers.
But LA coach Phil Jackson gave a “capsulized” description of the Lakers 2009 edition.
“This (Laker) team is a learned team. They have learned from last year’s Finals (against the Celtics),” said Jackson, who is now the winningest coach with 10 NBA titles, surpassing Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach’s achievement.
And here’s O’Neal’s twitter message to Kobe.
“When you’re together, you can withstand adversity. Congratualtions Kobe, u deserve it. You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.
The Laker land ain’t a Kobe show anymore because Bryant spells Los Angeles as TEAM.
History "Today": Chicago Bulls Snare Fifth NBA Crown
June 13, 1997. Exactly 12 years ago, Michael Jordan and his favored Chicago Bulls continued its history-altering run, winning its fifth NBA championship in the last seven years following its pulsating 90-86 victory over the Utah Jazz at the jam packed United Center.
Michael Jordan's partnership with Chicago coach Phil Jackson assured NBA dominance during the 1990s.
Jordan averaged 31.1 points in 19 playoff games during the 1997 season as he led the Bulls to a 4-2 series conquest of the Utah Jazz en route to bagging his fifth NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy.
Chicago added Utah to its swelling list of Finals victims, which already included the Los Angeles Lakers (1991), then led by Magic Johnson; the Portland Trail Blazers (1992) behind Clyde Drexler and Phoenix Suns (1993) led by Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson.
Chicago coach Phil Jackson was the man behind the Bulls’ dominant run during the 1990s, where he used the triangle offense invented by Tex Winter.
