WILL TONI KUKOC FINISH THE LAST 1.8 SECONDS OF HIS INDUCTION SPEECH? I know it's a low blow in what should be an otherwise glorious day for Scottie Pippen, as the NBA's greatest player from Central Arkansas was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year eligible. Joining Pippen in this year's class
among others are Karl Malone, Lakers owner Jerry Buss, the late Dennis Johnson, and the 1992 Dream Team (meaning Pippen and Malone get to save themselves a return trip to Springfield, Mass.).
Thing I learned today: Jerry Buss' doctorate is in physical chemistry.
ReplyDeleteThis year's inductees are unimpeachable. That said, it's an intriguing list of nominees who didn't get in, including Dennis Rodman, Don Nelson, Chris Mullin (esp. since college counts),Tex Winter and Oscar Schmidt, whose 1987 breakout games I believe we all remember.
Man, Springfield is such a hole. I got stuck at the bus station there one time going from school in Albany to Worcester. I had a huge duffel bag, my school bag, my skis and my boots, which some homeless guy asked me for. I was there for 2 miserable hours, alone (aside from the boot-seeking homeless guy), in the middle of the night. *shudder*
ReplyDeleteI can see why they'd want to limit the number of times they had to go. Why can't the BHoF be in a nice place in western Mass? Lots of picturesque towns in that neck of the woods...
Springfield's continued lack of anything has amazed me for twenty years. It has potential- it's near things- it has transportation - but it still remains a complete and total dump.
ReplyDeleteWhen my grandmother died in Brooklyn at the age of 99, my then-new girlfriend accompanied me for the funeral and subsequent burial out on Long Island. And as the trip extended 20, 30, 40, 50 minutes, she kept asking me, "what's wrong with *this* cemetery? This one's so much closer!" until I explained to her that none of those cemeteries we were passing was the one at which my grandfather was buried.
ReplyDeleteSuch is the thing with Springfield. It's where basketball was invented. Where else would the Hall be?
I was at the Game 4 immediately following the Pippen tantrum, and, say what you will, the fans gave Pippen a dramatic standing ovation when he was introduced: they knew he had single-handedly carried the team to the playoffs that year.
ReplyDelete$10 says No-Tipping Pippen will stiff the valet at the induction ceremony.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Pippen story was when he was caught with an illegal firearm in his car and he claimed he was being targeted by the police and he just wanted some privacy. The gun was found when Pippen car was double-parked illegally on a busy Chicago street with the license plates reading something to the effect of "Pip 33"...actually it's even better than I recall .
ReplyDeleteBaseball wasn't invented in Cooperstown either, but that didn't stop anyone from putting it there. And it's a nice, picturesque, not-scary place.
ReplyDelete