THERE was a celebration of basketball all over the place yesterday. Colleges were crowning their conference champions and accepting bids to the NCAA Tournament. Black Magic, a splendid documentary profiling former stars at historically black colleges and universities, aired the first of a two-part series on ESPN, and the Rockets extended their winning streak to 22 games with their victory over the Lakers in Houston.
Yes, it was hoops heaven everywhere except at the Garden, where the Knicks returned to remind us how excruciatingly painful a season can be. Any lingering excitement from the Big East Tournament quickly exited the building as the Knicks authored yet another lackluster performance in losing 109-98 to the Hawks. Atlanta (28-38) isn’t exactly a title contender, but clearly has a future with Joe Johnson (28 points), Josh Smith (15 points) and Marvin Williams (25 points). Meanwhile, the Knicks (19-47) are clearly playing out the string, looking more CBA than NBA these days.
If misery loves company, the Knicks will find it today when they travel to Indianapolis to play the Pacers. Like the Knicks, the Pacers are suffering through their own frustrating season under the leadership of a former NBA superstar, who doesn’t seem to have a clue. Sound familiar?
With Larry Bird as president of basketball operations, the Pacers, who won 61 games and were the top seed in the Eastern Conference four years ago, have seen their win total slide from 44 to 41 to 35 to their current total of 25 heading into today’s game at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The maladies in Indianapolis have been numerous, from the brawl in Detroit to enough off-the-court incidents to make Pacman Jones envious. Trading Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson created voids that haven’t been replaced, while injuries, unproductive trades and the retirement of Reggie Miller have helped turn one of the best home-court crowds into the lowest attendance in the league.
Don’t miss the irony in all this. It was Bird who in his first move as the Pacers new boss fired Thomas as the Pacers head coach in August 2003 and replaced him with Rick Carlisle. Thomas had one year left on his contract and had made the playoffs in all three seasons as the Pacers coach, though they never advanced beyond the first round.
It’s no secret Bird and Thomas had never gotten along; not during their playing days when the Celtics and Pistons were bitter rivals, and not after they retired and became league executives.
The current state of their respective franchises offers proof that great players don’t always make great general managers. It’s easier to have an impact on the game when you’re handling the basketball rather than wearing a suit.
But losing can make strange bedfellows, and maybe the basketball legends turned front office losers can offer each other sympathy today over how pitifully their seasons have gone. It could be the only sympathetic ear either Hall of Famer will be able to find.