On a night when Chris Mullin's former-Golden State Warriors #17 jersey was to be lifted to the rafters of Oracle Arena, the real story ended up being the boos that rained down on the team's owner Joe Lacob during the ceremony.
In an unbelievable five minutes during the ceremony, fans at arena drowned out Lacob's introduction of the ex-Warriors great during "Chris Mullin Night."
Lacob looked visibly shaken before he was rescued by Mullin and another former Warriors great, Rick Barry.
Things had already seemed tense way before the owner had a chance to proceed with the unveiling of Mullin's jersey for retirement.
Fans were probably venting their frustration at the team's recent trade of fan favorite Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks and the probability at looking at another lottery pick instead of the playoffs.
While the booing quieted after Lacob's introduction, the owner said, "Now that we got that out of the way..."
Little did he know what was yet to come.
Lacob was only able to nervously add, "Tonight is about two things, embracing history and respect," before the hostile crowd turned on him full blast.
Mullin walked over and hugged the visibly shaken Lacob before imploring the crowd to calm down.
"As the greatest fans in the NBA," he reasoned, "Change in inevitable."
After the boos and catcalls kept interrupting Lacob's speech, Warriors Hall of Famer Rick Barry stepped up and scolded the fans.
"Show a little bit of class," an angry Barry barked into the microphone. "This is crazy... seriously."
"He's going to change this franchise," he continued.
Lacob was finally able to continue his speech and told Mullin, "Chris, this night is about you."
Mullin and his family were given an Hawaiian vacation by the team, but the guest of honor seemed more concerned about Lacob's humiliation.
It was too bad the fans had to ruin a special night for the Hall of Famer Mullin who gave the Bay area so many good memories.
Thankfully, at the end, things subsided and the ceremony ended in cheers.
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Selasa, 20 Maret 2012
Minggu, 14 Agustus 2011
Two Former-St. John's Athletes Shine This Weekend; While Another Sees The Light
St. John's University had three former sports stars in the news this weekend-- all with different and compelling stories. Same school, same weekend and three different paths.
Keegan Bradley capped off the weekend by coming back from a three-stroke deficit to tie the leader, with three regulation holes to play, to win the PGA Championship in grand fashion after a three-hole playoff. The rookie made a remarkable recovery, after triple-bogeying the 15th hole, to defeat Jason Dufner. The St. John's grad ('08) was the first golfer to win a major in his first appearance in one since 1913.
The weekend kicked off with the induction of St. John's basketball legend, Chris Mullin, into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night. The left-handed Brooklyn gym rat was rewarded for an outstanding college, professional and Olympic basketball career.
In between, there was another sad chapter added to the life of former Red Storm basketball star Jayson Williams. The 43 year-old Williams is preparing to move from a prison in New Jersey to Rikers Island some time next week. The former New Jersey Net is expecting to be transferred next Friday after doing 18 months for aggravated assault, then he's to start serving a one-year sentence for a DWI in New York.
One St. John's star begins what looks like a promising career while another achieves the ultimate recognition for a career well spent. The third can only look back and wonder "what if?"
There is Bradley's bright future, Mullin's exclamation point on his brilliant career and Williams dimmed hopes and broken dreams.
The lanky and enthusiastic Bradley (nephew of LPGA Hall of Famer, Pat Bradley) provided one of the most exciting finishes in a golf tournament in recent years by not wilting under pressure. His clutch 35-foot putt to birdie on the the par-three 17 was a shot for the ages. The 25 year-old charged back with birdies on 16 and 17 and tied the fading Dufner, who bogeyed those same holes, on 18 before winning the playoff by one stroke to take home the Wanamaker Trophy.
The two golfers had to play the 16, 17 and 18th holes again in the playoff-- the same holes Bradley just conquered and Dufner flopped.
Mullin, the left-handed gym rat from Brooklyn got a standing ovation as he took the stage and stood next to his mentor and former-St. John's coach Louie Carnesecca. The two old friends will always have the Final Four run in 1985 to keep them connected.
Mullin's career spanned four seasons at St. John's and he is still the school's career scoring leader. He was the Big East Player of the Year three times and won the Naismith Award in 1985 for being the best college player in the nation.
After being the number seven draft choice of the Golden State Warriors and, after overcoming his own demons with alcohol and home-sickness, Mullin went on to star with the Warriors and Indiana Pacers.
Mullin was a medalist on two Olympic teams and was part of the original "Dream Team' in the 1992 games.
Mullin took his knowledge and brush-cut from the court to the studio and is now an analyst for ESPN after working in various front-office positions with the Warriors from 2002-09.
The New York native would probably say, other than not winning a championship, never suiting up for the hometown Knicks was his only regret.
While Bradley's and Mullin's fortunes are looking, and have been shining, bright; it now seems Williams is finally seeing the light.
The former Red Storm center's life has been riddled with legal and personal issues. It began in 1988, at a St. John's game against Providence, when the hot-headed Williams got into a tussle with an opposing player and then grabbed a fan in the stands. He was suspended for leaving the bench.
For three years the brutish Williams led St. John's to the NCAA tournament and was selected as the 21st pick in the 1990 draft. After spending most of his time on a bench with the Philadelphia 76ers, Williams was sent to the Nets, where he languished until a breakout All-Pro season in 1997-98.
An serious leg injury essentially put an end to the forward's blossoming career after the first year of a six-year, $90 million deal.
Arrests for fights and reports of violence culminated with the shooting death of his limo driver inside his New Jersey mansion in 2002. After years of legal haggling, Williams was sentenced to 5 years for aggravated assault (18 months with good behavior). He will now start serving out the drunk driving charge after hitting a tree in Manhattan's lower-east-side last year not long after a suicide attempt where he was tasered by cops in a hotel room.
The jailed Williams, 43, is reportedly attending AA meeting six days a week and teaches bible study while serving his time.
Williams life after college is a sordid collection of foolish behavior compared with the achievements of the other alums tied in with this weekend's St. John's trinity.
Life is a rugged path to walk. For Bradley, Mullin and Williams, it looks like there is now a promising future, a storied past and, hopefully, true redemption.
Keegan Bradley capped off the weekend by coming back from a three-stroke deficit to tie the leader, with three regulation holes to play, to win the PGA Championship in grand fashion after a three-hole playoff. The rookie made a remarkable recovery, after triple-bogeying the 15th hole, to defeat Jason Dufner. The St. John's grad ('08) was the first golfer to win a major in his first appearance in one since 1913.
The weekend kicked off with the induction of St. John's basketball legend, Chris Mullin, into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night. The left-handed Brooklyn gym rat was rewarded for an outstanding college, professional and Olympic basketball career.
In between, there was another sad chapter added to the life of former Red Storm basketball star Jayson Williams. The 43 year-old Williams is preparing to move from a prison in New Jersey to Rikers Island some time next week. The former New Jersey Net is expecting to be transferred next Friday after doing 18 months for aggravated assault, then he's to start serving a one-year sentence for a DWI in New York.
One St. John's star begins what looks like a promising career while another achieves the ultimate recognition for a career well spent. The third can only look back and wonder "what if?"
The lanky and enthusiastic Bradley (nephew of LPGA Hall of Famer, Pat Bradley) provided one of the most exciting finishes in a golf tournament in recent years by not wilting under pressure. His clutch 35-foot putt to birdie on the the par-three 17 was a shot for the ages. The 25 year-old charged back with birdies on 16 and 17 and tied the fading Dufner, who bogeyed those same holes, on 18 before winning the playoff by one stroke to take home the Wanamaker Trophy.
The two golfers had to play the 16, 17 and 18th holes again in the playoff-- the same holes Bradley just conquered and Dufner flopped.
Mullin, the left-handed gym rat from Brooklyn got a standing ovation as he took the stage and stood next to his mentor and former-St. John's coach Louie Carnesecca. The two old friends will always have the Final Four run in 1985 to keep them connected.
Mullin's career spanned four seasons at St. John's and he is still the school's career scoring leader. He was the Big East Player of the Year three times and won the Naismith Award in 1985 for being the best college player in the nation.
After being the number seven draft choice of the Golden State Warriors and, after overcoming his own demons with alcohol and home-sickness, Mullin went on to star with the Warriors and Indiana Pacers.
Mullin was a medalist on two Olympic teams and was part of the original "Dream Team' in the 1992 games.
Mullin took his knowledge and brush-cut from the court to the studio and is now an analyst for ESPN after working in various front-office positions with the Warriors from 2002-09.
The New York native would probably say, other than not winning a championship, never suiting up for the hometown Knicks was his only regret.
While Bradley's and Mullin's fortunes are looking, and have been shining, bright; it now seems Williams is finally seeing the light.
The former Red Storm center's life has been riddled with legal and personal issues. It began in 1988, at a St. John's game against Providence, when the hot-headed Williams got into a tussle with an opposing player and then grabbed a fan in the stands. He was suspended for leaving the bench.
For three years the brutish Williams led St. John's to the NCAA tournament and was selected as the 21st pick in the 1990 draft. After spending most of his time on a bench with the Philadelphia 76ers, Williams was sent to the Nets, where he languished until a breakout All-Pro season in 1997-98.
An serious leg injury essentially put an end to the forward's blossoming career after the first year of a six-year, $90 million deal.
Arrests for fights and reports of violence culminated with the shooting death of his limo driver inside his New Jersey mansion in 2002. After years of legal haggling, Williams was sentenced to 5 years for aggravated assault (18 months with good behavior). He will now start serving out the drunk driving charge after hitting a tree in Manhattan's lower-east-side last year not long after a suicide attempt where he was tasered by cops in a hotel room.
The jailed Williams, 43, is reportedly attending AA meeting six days a week and teaches bible study while serving his time.
Williams life after college is a sordid collection of foolish behavior compared with the achievements of the other alums tied in with this weekend's St. John's trinity.
Life is a rugged path to walk. For Bradley, Mullin and Williams, it looks like there is now a promising future, a storied past and, hopefully, true redemption.
Sabtu, 04 Juni 2011
Mark Jackson On Long List To Replace Walsh As Knicks GM
Mark Jackson, the former NBA point guard and current analyst for ESPN and ABC, is having his name bandied about once again for the position of general manager of an NBA franchise. This time, New York's favorite son, Jackson was on the list of GM candidates to assume control of the New York Knicks for departing team President and GM Donnie Walsh. According to reports, Walsh submitted Jackson's name to owner James Dolan a month and a half ago.
Since 2007, Jackson's name pops up every time there is an opening in an NBA front office or head coaching position and he has still yet to take one of the jobs. The New York-bred Jackson would be a lot more welcome at Madison Square Garden than Knicks boomerang Isiah Thomas. Thomas' shadow is always lurking behind Dolan.
Jackson's name has already been tossed around this year for GM positions with the Minnesota Timberwolves and he is considered a finalist for the Golden State Warriors head-coaching job.
The former Knicks guard had been mentioned as a candidate for the Memphis Grizzlies GM post in 2007 and the Atlanta Hawks last season and has yet to leave the broadcast booth.
The question that is louder than an NCAA women's softball game is why is Jackson in such high demand?
There is no question about Jackson's NBA pedigree. He was the 18th pick coming out of St. John's and was Rookie-of-the-Year with the Knicks in 1987. In his 17-year career, Jackson acquired the third highest career assists total and was known as a tremendous leader on the floor. He even led the sickly Los Angeles Clippers to the playoffs...twice!
The 46 year-old Jackson has the court savvy and intellect only an all-time NBA player could gather and has become one of the finest analysts on television--in any sport. The problem, naysayers always bring up, is Jackson's lack any front office or coaching experience whatsoever.
There must be something behind Jackson's curt assessment of what he sees on the court which gets NBA teams' hearts aflutter whenever an opening arises.
Nobody knows the NBA as well as Jackson. After all, Jackson's calls a game like he played it--back to the basket, dribbling, slowly pushing his way to the hoop, then finishing with a flair. They instituted "the five-second rule" because of his get-off-my-back style and it still goes by the "Mark Jackson Rule."
Maybe teams believe Jackson's playing traits and smarts, which made Jackson's transition into a formidable analyst look easy, are the same intangibles which bring success to a GM or coach--even without management experience.
Could Jackson help the Knicks? It could be a rough ride for the Knicks and their fans. Walsh's sudden, but not totally unexpected, departure has left a big void. The team sold playoff tickets for the first time in seven years and, although the Boston Celtics brought broomsticks, there was an exciting buzz around the Garden once again.
Stability and a young guard could take the team to the next level in 2012 said the believers. The Knicks then suckered wishful fans into paying more money for their seats next year. But even more frightening to the fans than that 49% rise in ticket prices is the possible resurrection of Dolan's lap-dog Thomas.
Yesterday, Thomas said words that sent chills all throughout the Knicks nation. When asked if he would return, Thomas grinned and said, "Never say never about anything. All my doors are open."
That sound you just heard was 19,000 fans--including Spike Lee--nailing the Garden's entrances shut.
Jackson may not be a front-runner for any GM position and rolling the dice on a front office newbie is a risky venture especially for the Knicks right now. But it's about time he took one of the offers and put to rest any questions of whether or not he is capable of running the show.
The only qualms holding him back in New York might be personal grudges he has against the Knicks organization.
In 1992, New York traded the popular Knick to, what was then, an eternity in hell--or more commonly known as the Los Angeles Memorial Sport Arena--home of the Clippers. Fast forward seventeen years, when the Knicks needed a head coach, and opted for Mike D'Antoni. Jackson was a little peeved after he found out his name was listed as number three on the Knicks coaching wish list.
When Walsh wanted to hire another St. John's star Chris Mullin as his GM last year, the idea was shot down by Dolan because it was rumored that the owner still had the hots for Thomas. Chances are, he still does.
Funny, that prophet who miscalculated the day of reckoning changed the new day of Rapture to October 21. Isn't that the first day of the Knicks season?
Since 2007, Jackson's name pops up every time there is an opening in an NBA front office or head coaching position and he has still yet to take one of the jobs. The New York-bred Jackson would be a lot more welcome at Madison Square Garden than Knicks boomerang Isiah Thomas. Thomas' shadow is always lurking behind Dolan.
The former Knicks guard had been mentioned as a candidate for the Memphis Grizzlies GM post in 2007 and the Atlanta Hawks last season and has yet to leave the broadcast booth.
The question that is louder than an NCAA women's softball game is why is Jackson in such high demand?
There is no question about Jackson's NBA pedigree. He was the 18th pick coming out of St. John's and was Rookie-of-the-Year with the Knicks in 1987. In his 17-year career, Jackson acquired the third highest career assists total and was known as a tremendous leader on the floor. He even led the sickly Los Angeles Clippers to the playoffs...twice!
The 46 year-old Jackson has the court savvy and intellect only an all-time NBA player could gather and has become one of the finest analysts on television--in any sport. The problem, naysayers always bring up, is Jackson's lack any front office or coaching experience whatsoever.
There must be something behind Jackson's curt assessment of what he sees on the court which gets NBA teams' hearts aflutter whenever an opening arises.
Nobody knows the NBA as well as Jackson. After all, Jackson's calls a game like he played it--back to the basket, dribbling, slowly pushing his way to the hoop, then finishing with a flair. They instituted "the five-second rule" because of his get-off-my-back style and it still goes by the "Mark Jackson Rule."
Maybe teams believe Jackson's playing traits and smarts, which made Jackson's transition into a formidable analyst look easy, are the same intangibles which bring success to a GM or coach--even without management experience.
Stability and a young guard could take the team to the next level in 2012 said the believers. The Knicks then suckered wishful fans into paying more money for their seats next year. But even more frightening to the fans than that 49% rise in ticket prices is the possible resurrection of Dolan's lap-dog Thomas.
Yesterday, Thomas said words that sent chills all throughout the Knicks nation. When asked if he would return, Thomas grinned and said, "Never say never about anything. All my doors are open."
That sound you just heard was 19,000 fans--including Spike Lee--nailing the Garden's entrances shut.
Jackson may not be a front-runner for any GM position and rolling the dice on a front office newbie is a risky venture especially for the Knicks right now. But it's about time he took one of the offers and put to rest any questions of whether or not he is capable of running the show.
The only qualms holding him back in New York might be personal grudges he has against the Knicks organization.
In 1992, New York traded the popular Knick to, what was then, an eternity in hell--or more commonly known as the Los Angeles Memorial Sport Arena--home of the Clippers. Fast forward seventeen years, when the Knicks needed a head coach, and opted for Mike D'Antoni. Jackson was a little peeved after he found out his name was listed as number three on the Knicks coaching wish list.
When Walsh wanted to hire another St. John's star Chris Mullin as his GM last year, the idea was shot down by Dolan because it was rumored that the owner still had the hots for Thomas. Chances are, he still does.
Funny, that prophet who miscalculated the day of reckoning changed the new day of Rapture to October 21. Isn't that the first day of the Knicks season?
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