MVP reflections: My first ever, my first in L.A., and my last

Winning my first MVP in 1971, my second year with the Milwaukee Bucks, was a great honor. I liked the fact that it went along with us winning the world championship, and having done it while playing with Oscar Robertson made me feel great. During that season, I had to play a couple of games against Wilt Chamberlain, who was the standard prior to me for excellence in pivot play. I was able to outplay him -– 40.2 PPG in five games, including a 50-point game –- and that to me was an indication that I had possibly arrived.

Prior to the 1975-76 season I was traded to the Lakers. I was very fortunate to win my fourth MVP award that year, because the team didn't do well. We finished 40-42 and missed the playoffs. But I had such a great year statistically, that's why I won it. In 1980, when I won my last regular-season MVP, that was also the year that a rookie named Magic Johnson burst onto the scene. When we got Earvin, we had somebody that could run the team offense. Jack McKinney did a great job of understanding Earvin's unique ability to play the game and to devise an offense that worked for all of the people that we had on the team.  I've won six total regular-season MVPs, more than any other player, and people ask me all the time -- do I think that another player will achieve that number? It’s always possible, but it’s going to take a dominant player to do it. There have been a lot of great players to not win it.

My thoughts on Kobe’s first MVP: Kobe has had the ability to score so prolifically that people at times have knocked him. But winning that award helps put everything in perspective and shows that he's been a leader and team player in addition to being so brilliant at what he does. Derek Fisher’s return to Utah on Friday is the one-year anniversary to the day of what Derek went through during last year’s playoffs with his daughter’s medical troubles and his emotional return for Game 2 of the Jazz’s Western Conference semifinal series with the Warriors. I thought Derek made quite a statement both as a professional athlete and as a parent that day. He was able to do both with an outstanding degree of determination and focus. When he returned to Utah this season as a member of the Lakers, I was surprised by the reception he received from the crowd, and I didn't understand it. Maybe the people up there in Utah have some issues that I'm not aware of.

I think Derek Fisher brings a lot to the Lakers --  he has meant quality leadership for the team and he runs the offense with a steady hand. He keeps the younger players from just flying off the edge emotionally, keeps them steady and keeps them focused. His excellent play on the court aside, I think he is very valuable to the team just because of his leadership qualities. Derek has made everybody focus on how we need to win instead of getting into useless details. He's enabled the team to recognize the difference between those useless details and what is important to succeed.

My most memorable moment for our franchise, and for me personally, was beating the Celtics in 1985. That was a very special moment. I was fortunate enough to be the MVP in that series. That, to me, had a whole lot of emotional value to it, which some people might not understand. The Lakers were 0-8 against the Celtics in championship play up until that point, but we finally had the better team. And for me being a key reason for the Lakers to be able to finally break through was even more special.

P.S. Today is my last blog for the L.A. Times. Starting Monday, May 12,  I will be moving my blog to my own website. I hope you will join me at www.kareemabduljabbar.com so we can continue sharing.

Ace in the hole

The Lakers were able to overcome a week’s absence from playing and take Game 1  from the Jazz, but it was certainly not an easy win. Had the Lakers not benefited from the presence of Kobe Bryant, they might not have that victory put away.

Utah plays a every physical game, and the Jazz are very determined to win the “small areas” of the game to gain their victories. By “small areas” I mean to say that the Jazz see every possession as a plus for their way of winning. Loose balls, rebounds, steals, turnovers, jump balls and defensive pressure that results in a change of possession will all be utilized to beat you. Their style is very reminiscent of the style of play of their coach Jerry Sloan.

Jerry was emblematic of the term “hard nosed” when he was a player for the Chicago Bulls. I can remember several games he played against my former teammate Oscar Robertson that were serious physical battles with no prisoners taken. The Jazz will use any and every way to beat you, and they don’t tend to make the mental errors that take teams out of contention. On Sunday the Jazz did not shoot the ball very well but were able to overcome that deficit by pounding the offensive boards.  They were able to stay in the game by regaining the ball after missing shots and keeping possession.  The difference in offensive rebounding was Utah 25 and Lakers 8. The Lakers will have to do a much better job of rebounding on their defensive end if they want a happy ending to this series.  The second-chance points that the Lakers gave up (26) were way too much to tolerate for a team that wants to go to the next round. But the Lakers have a serious ace in the hole named Kobe Bryant.

Kobe led the Lakers in scoring with 38 points and also had a team high seven  assists. The series will be definitely be determined by the adjustments that will be made by either team. The Jazz will want to shoot the ball more effectively and the Lakers will want to do a better job on their defensive board and thus limit the Jazz to one shot every time down court. In the end, they will have an ace in the hole (Kobe) that should be a determining factor in this series. 

When I played the Jazz back in ’88, every game was a grind. The Jazz won the first game in L.A., which put a lot of pressure on the Lakers. We went on to win the second game in L.A., then  lost Game 3 in Utah. We overcame them in Utah in  Game 4,  but  the pivotal game for the Lakers was Game 5, because we went up 3-2. We won the game with Michael Cooper's game-winning shot with only three seconds left. Cooper made a lot of clutch shots for us throughout his career, but this was his only game-winning shot.

P.S. I will be moving my blog within the next two weeks to my website www.kareemabduljabbar.com. Please follow me over to my site so you can continue sharing. 

Boycott questions: 1968 vs. 2008

(Right: Spencer Haywood (8) leads way during U.S. gold-medal win at the 1968 Games, where there was a protest by black Americans but no boycott. Left: Smith, who won the 200-meter dash at the Olympic Games in Mexico City, along with bronze medalist and teammate John Carlos.)

Quick note: I will be replying to your comments shortly.

In 1968 I was a 20-year-old college junior whose basketball success had been made famous.  I’d been honored as Player of the Year, Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament, named the USBWA Player of the Year, and played the “game of the century” against the Houston Cougars at the Houston Astrodome.  So it wasn’t surprising that I was invited to try out for the Olympic basketball team to represent the U.S. in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.  Any other year I would have been proud and elated at the prospect of playing for my country against the world’s elite athletes. But 1968 wasn’t like any other year.

The Vietnam War had divided the country more violently than any time since the Civil War.  The nightly news clips of U.S. planes bombing the Vietnam jungle was paralleled by clips of angry, sometimes bloody, clashes between war protesters and war supporters.  The Tet Offensive, in which 80,000 Viet Cong troops attacked 100 towns and cities in an effort to end the war, proved that the enemy was resourceful, resilient and in no mood to surrender.  It also increased public opinion against the war.

But the war wasn’t the only cause for all the social unrest and upheaval.  It was more like a bright light that illuminated many other social ills that we’d all managed to ignore or, even worse, pretend didn’t exist. Black soldiers stationed in Vietnam complained of rampant racism.  When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated that same year, some white soldiers flew Confederate flags outside their barracks.  Some blacks tried to avoid the racism by requesting to serve in all-black units.  One Air Force report confirmed what black soldiers already knew: “Unequal treatment is manifested in unequal punishment, offensive and inflammatory language, prejudice in assignments of details, lack of products for blacks at the PX, harassment by security police under orders to break up five or more blacks in a group, and double standards in enforcement of regulation.” Military discrimination didn’t just result in hurt feelings, it could result in death: by 1966 over 20 percent of U.S. combat casualties in Vietnam were black, which was a much higher percentage than the total of blacks in the military.

As the racism became more evident, some black soldiers naturally questioned their loyalty.  After all, the Vietnamese were people of color, subject to the same racial discrimination that they themselves were experiencing at the hands of whites.  Muhammad Ali articulated this dilemma when he said, “No Viet Cong ever called me nigger.”  And for refusing to register for the draft, even though he was guaranteed he wouldn’t see combat, he was stripped of his title and sentenced to five years in prison (later the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction).  On the other hand, some blacks saw the war as an opportunity.  “I thought the only way I could make it out of the ghetto,” confessed one black paratrooper, “was to be the best soldier I possibly could.”

Although Vietnam veterans were often disappointed at the tepid reception they received upon their return home, black veterans were even more disillusioned because the injustices they had left to fight against were still alive and well.  One black vet remembers coming home in 1968 and entering a restaurant in Virginia with some army pals that included two whites and three Hispanics.  The waitress told them she would serve the whites, but not the others.  “I think that going in a lot of us felt like things were going to be different,” the vet recalls.  “And when we realized that things wouldn't be, a lot of us felt used.”

Violence was almost as rampant at home.  First Dr. King was shot, then Robert Kennedy.  The 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago featured thousands of antiwar protesters that were met with police violence.  In the midst of all this international and domestic turmoil, the Olympic Games represented, to some, an opportunity to bring people of all nationalities together, maybe heal some wounds.  To others it represented the usual hypocrisy of ignoring the political problems in the name of entertainment and profit, because billions of dollars were at stake.

And there I was in the middle.  Twenty years old.  The age of many of the soldiers who were fighting and dying in Vietnam.  Some of them were my childhood friends who I’d grown up with.  Because of my visibility as an athlete, whatever I chose to do would have international reverberations.

 

Lakers take Round One

The Lakers have taken a step forward in beating the Denver Nuggets in Round One of the Western Conference playoffs. The ability to eliminate the Nuggets -- 50-game winners this season -- was a major indication of their improvement this year. First-round exits in '07 and '06 were very disappointing for the Laker faithful. Expectations can only grow if the Lakers continue to win in this fashion.

The most obvious improvement for the Lakers has been their ability to share the ball. The high ratio of assists to baskets in always a sign that the team is in sync and the players are eager to help each other. Denver, for its part, has not done well in the team aspects of the game. The Nuggets didn't work the ball into positions for easy shots and they settled for the quick long-range jump shot. Those shots didn't  fall, and the Lakers advanced because of it.

Denver seemed to have resorted to one-on-one play as a response to the challenges it  faced, and things did not work out for the team. Carmelo Anthony was particularly unable to contribute for the Nuggets.  J.R. Smith and Allen Iverson gave it the college try but the Lakers had an answer to every effort the Nuggets made. Kobe Bryant was spectacular at crunch time; he singlehandedly held off the Nuggets in the final minutes of the game. His presence alone was the decisive factor in those moments.

For the first time in my memory, I saw Kobe struggle at the free throw line. But that was no consolation for the Nuggets. They were unable to take advantage of any openings. I'm sure the next round of the playoffs will be more competitive, but I think the Lakers are on a roll.

(photo credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Denver vs. Lakers playoffs -- then and now

Any seven-game series is a match-up of adjustments. Each team needs to find weak spots to use to attack their opponent. And each team needs to fix problems in its own offensive game plan and defensive schemes. In last night's game the Nuggets were more patient when they had the ball and didn’t go with the quick jump shot. The Lakers were more patient with their offense and got their shots from areas that were not available to them in Game 1.

Denver played a zone much of the time and that limited the effectiveness of Pau Gasol. But Pau got enough done to hold down his job. The effective shooting of Kobe Bryant was the key factor that was crucial to the Lakers success. I’ve heard Charles Barkley describe Kobe as a “fast car” when you need to get somewhere in a hurry. He was all of that in this game. He shot 18 for 27 from the field, including 5 of 9 three pointers. Pau and Luke Walton provided offensive support scoring 18 points apiece. Denver was successful for awhile by crashing the offensive boards for second shots, and the Nuggets out-rebounded the Lakers 45 to 41.

The Lakers passing is still a dominant factor in this matchup, and again they shared the ball for 33 assists (a great Lakers number!). The only disappointment for the Lakers was the ineffective play of Lamar Odom, who scored only four points with four rebounds and six assists. But Lamar won’t be down for long. You can expect him to come back strong in the following game. The Lakers will have their work cut out for them in Denver and this series could be a long one, but I think Kobe will be the decisive factor. Today’s Nuggets run and gun also, but they will need to slow the Lakers with effective defense. Marcus Camby is an effective shot blocker but hasn’t been a dominant force in the paint on a regular basis. Pau Gasol is a real problem for the Nuggets to contend with if they want to focus their defense on stopping Kobe. Needless to say, I think this will be an interesting series.

I remember back in ’79 when the Lakers beat the Nuggets 2 to 1 against the team led by David Thompson. Anytime a professional team must play in Denver there must be an allowance made for the altitude, which is over 5,000 feet. That has a major impact on the stamina of teams that train at sea level. It takes a week or so to acclimate to the additional altitude, which has a dramatic effect on an athlete’s heart and lungs. This is a serious home court advantage and it has led to some major misjudgments by anyone trying to assess the Nuggets' chances. But, Denver has had some great athletes compete for them. Thompson, Fat Lever, Alex English, Calvin Natt and Dan Issell come to mind. And of course three-point threat Michael Adams. In those days, Denver played an up-tempo game to take advantage of their quick, mobile shooters, who would score score score. I remember a scoring title race one year when David Thompson and George Gervin vied for the scoring title to the last game of the regular season. David scored 60-something, if I remember correctly, to take the lead. George Gervin then scored 75 or so to clinch the title later the same day. I am looking forward to see which players emerge as this generation's leaders.

(Photo credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

ESPN Radio interview

I would like to share with you this interview I did  with 710 ESPN Radio, from yesterday. We talked about the Lakers, this playoff season, Bill Walton and my skyhook throw at  Dodger Stadium, among other topics.  Your comments are very welcome, as usual.

Click here to listen.

My first Lakers playoff season

(Bill Walton trying to block me out, 1977)

My first season in the playoffs with the Lakers was 1977. That was an up-and-down year in all respects. Our regular season was very successful and we felt that we had a great chance to play in the Finals. All those hopes were lost when we had injuries to two key players: Lucius Allen and Kermit Washington. The Portland Trailblazers beat us in the conference finals and went on to win the world championship from the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

This season is starting to look the same way. Injuries have had a dramatic impact on the team's chances. Andrew Bynum's emergence as a dominant NBA center was something that had Lakers fans relishing the playoff season but a knee injury to Drew has made it impossible for anyone to know when he will be coming back. The acquisition of Pau Gasol has also buoyed the hopes of the Lakers faithful. An ankle injury almost took out that dream, but Pau has recovered nicely and should be in good shape for the playoff season. Trevor Ariza has also been a player who has come to the forefront as a Laker this year. He is our best defensive player at three positions. But a stress fracture has sidelined Trevor and we are waiting patiently for his return.

At full strength, the Lakers are a formidable crew, but who knows when they will reach that status? I think the playoffs will hold that answer.

The Lakers opened up their post season last night beating the Denver Nuggets 128-114 in LA. The game was rather uneven but it featured fine passing, flagrant fouls and flaring tempers. The Lakers led at halftime by only two points, 58-56. It seemed that the two teams were evenly matched, but in the second half the Lakers pulled away and maintained a lead that Denver could not overcome. The game was especially meaningful for Pau Gasol, who experienced his first playoff win in his seven years in the NBA. His statistics were quite impressive: 36 points on 14 of 20 from the field and 8 for 8 from the free throw line,  16 rebounds, eight assists and three blocked shots. That’s the type of game that people talk about when they try to figure out who the elite players are. Lamar Odom was very crucial in making the plays that create opportunities for his teammates for easy shots. He finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds while only giving up one turnover. Everyone on the Lakers got into creating assists for their teammates, including Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic and Pau.

Their total of 33 assists (a great Laker number!) was remarkable in this day of the quick jumper. The Nuggets had only 20. Things got ugly at times, especially when the Lakers had an easy shot attempt opportunity. J.R. Smith was called for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter and Anthony Carter (1), Kenyon Martin (1) and Allen Iverson (2) were slapped with technicals. Iverson was ejected as a result of his two techs in quick succession. The crowd was very much into getting under the skin of whoever presented an opportunity. Carmelo Anthony was heckled on every free throw he shot with reminders of his DUI arrest. The Laker faithful are not inclined to be kind at this time of year, and I wonder what else they’ll come up with when given the opportunity. After the game, Coach Phil Jackson chided the Lakers about a few improvements they need to make but said that the victory was quite satisfactory. If things stay this intense, expect a lot more fireworks.

My thoughts on UCLA

Video Credit: Courtesy of UCLA

My eyes were seeing it, but I couldn’t believe what I saw. I had stumbled across my grade school graduation – autograph book and saw in the “favorite college slot” UCLA. This choice was made by me at a time that I couldn’t recall. A time before I was an accomplished basketball player with scholarships being offered at every turn.

My current memories of how I became a UCLA fan were connected to a time some three years later June 1961 --  when I graduated from grade school. It really made me stop and think about how I was to become a Bruin.

One evening stood out in my memory. I am thinking of watching the "Ed Sullivan Show" and Rafer Johnson was introduced on Ed’s show. Rafer had been a world renowned athlete at this time, but he was introduced to the audience as the student body president of UCLA. I was impressed by the fact that his athletic achievements were not given any emphasis.

At a time when violent demonstrations by racist white mobs were common on college campuses that were being integrated, UCLA was showing the world that a black man could be more than a “jock” at UCLA. This was an impressive statement that spoke of commitment to equal opportunity. Rafer was definitely not being exploited for his athletic talent. He was given the opportunity to achieve on the most meaningful levels at UCLA. I, for one, was very pleased to see this attitude by the university being shown on national TV. I’m sure this show aired before I even thought about attending UCLA as a student-athlete.

The Lakers gotta have heart

After watching the Lakers I was reminded of the song from "Damn Yankees," "You Gotta Have Heart."

Last night the Lakers were enhanced by the return of center Pau Gasol. Gasol has been out with an injured ankle since March 14, and his absence created the worst of situations for the Lakers. When they acquired Gasol from Memphis, he was able to step in and solidify their front line and their confidence almost instantly. Without him, the Lakers have been very unstable and have tried to get by with people playing out of position to fill the void created by his absence. A center is the heart of the team. A player who can do well at that position is a foundation that other players use to fortify their own ability to contribute to the team’s success. Without Gasol, the Lakers seemed tentative and confused at times, and his return will make it possible for them to actually prepare to contend for success in the playoff season.

There is also the hope that Andrew Bynum will be ready to make his return soon. His injury in January started the unsteady tendencies of the Laker squad. All the fans that support the Lakers are waiting with much anticipation to get the opportunity to see Gasol and Bynum on the court together. I know I will be relieved to see Bynum return, because then I’ll be able to go to the market without having to answer the questions about when he’ll return. As it is, I have to shop at 1 a.m. to avoid the constant questions about when Bynum will return. He could make this playoff season one to remember.

(Photo credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)

Nostalgia and Dodger Blue

(Pamela Anderson, Jaime and Frank McCourt, Kareem and Billy Crystal)

The retro baseball at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday, March 29, was a blast, although I totally embarrassed myself. I thought, I was a fair to middling Little League pitcher. So, when I was suddenly called upon to throw out the first pitch before the second inning, I thought it would be okay. However, I was wrong and totally tanked it.  I threw an ugly grounder that would had gone into the dugout if there had been one. I had to call upon the "Skyhook" to retrieve some honor and was able to successfully hook one over home plate. Thank heaven for those classic games of Laker Showtime that are still running on the tube. The crowd remembered my signature shot and loved it!

The rest of my time was spent having a wonderful time talking to some of my heroes from  childhood. I got to chat with Duke Snider for a good half hour, and for a few minutes with Carl Erskine and Roger Craig. Billy Crystal, who has been my friend since high school, was my guest. He was still stoked over his recent major league at-bat for the New York Yankees. Billy went to college on a baseball scholarship, and as a former resident of the Bronx is a die-hard Yankees fan. None of us likes to strike out, but striking out in pinstripes was totally okay with Billy. Of course there were distractions, or I should say one major distraction -- Ms. Pamela Anderson. She really is an actual sweetheart. None of her fans get disappointed. The goodwill she exudes and her smile are as genuine as they come.

So, for this Dodger fan it was a great night. Dodging pedestrians on the way out the way the old-time Dodgers fan had to dodge trolleys was even worth it. Go Blue!

Click here for more photos from the event.

For more about this game click here.

(photo credit: Iconomy.com)