The year 2000 came and everything worked, especially for the Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal was leading the NBA in scoring at this time a year ago and was on his way to his first Most Valuable Player award, and his championship-bound Lakers were in the midst of a 16-game winning streak.
A year later the Lakers are still in first place, though tied in the Western Conference with the Sacramento Kings. And O’Neal’s teammate, Kobe Bryant, is the league’s leading scorer and looking like he’ll be the league’s MVP.
So 2000 in the NBA was the Year of the Lakers, and in between a year not always to be remembered.
Worst day: Jan. 12. Charlotte’s Bobby Phills was killed in an auto crash while racing teammate David Wesley. A tie with May 20, when Minnesota’s Malik Sealy was killed driving home from a birthday party at Kevin Garnett’s house. Garnett idolized Sealy when Sealy was in college and had since worn Sealy’s number.
Worst signing: New Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s experiment with Dennis Rodman, who lived on Cuban’s estate, Kato Kaelin-like, and cost the developing Mavericks a chance to reach the playoffs when they lost 11 of 13 after Rodman arrived. Rodman continues to call Isiah Thomas and other NBA friends looking for a way back into the league, and Cuban continues to honor Rodman by behaving as Rodman might.
Worst mediator: Horace Grant, whose shoulder was injured when he was hit with a barbell while trying to break up a locker-room fight between Gary Payton and Vernon Maxwell, who were throwing items of furniture at one another. Payton gave coach Paul Westphal all kinds of trouble this season when he went berserk on the bench, and Westphal subsequently was fired.
Worst discipline: Shawn Kemp, who after being traded to Portland came to camp again weighing more than 300 pounds. Although Vince McMahon was said to be considering a sumo-wrestling bout between Kemp and Derrick Coleman, whom Charlotte deactivated for being overweight, nothing came of it. Kemp’s excuse for missing a recent practice was that he fell asleep at his table. No doubt in a bucket of wings.
Worst coming out: Vince Carter at the Olympics. After thrilling the NBA with his All-Star dunk performance, Carter stood over fallen 5-foot-4-inch international players and taunted them, arrogantly declaring America’s dominance after narrow victories.
Worst prediction: That San Antonio’s Sean Elliott wouldn’t play again because he needed a kidney transplant. Elliott came back to the Spurs and has been an inspiration for ailing people.
Second-worst prediction: That Rod Strickland, Mitch Richmond and Juwan Howard could do nothing but improve with Michael Jordan looking over their shoulders. After delighting the NBA and Washington by agreeing to become a part-owner and the Wizards’ basketball director, Jordan continued to live in Chicago. The Wizards have been worse this season as Jordan continues to prove organizations don’t win championships.
Worst diagnosis: Orlando’s assurance that Grant Hill would be fine soon. Hill, last summer’s premier free agent, will miss the season because of ankle problems. Injuries and illness have cut a swath through the NBA: Miami’s Alonzo Mourning will miss the season because of kidney disease; the Nets’ Jayson Williams was forced to retire because of leg problems; Cleveland’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas broke his foot for the fourth time; Indiana’s Rik Smits retired because of chronic foot problems; and respiratory problems have reduced Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon to a part-time player.
Worst defense: The Spurs of their 1999 title. Tim Duncan was injured as they lost in the first round to the Suns, who were without Jason Kidd, though Kevin Johnson made a comeback to prepare for NBC studio work.
Worst gamble: Atlanta’s hope that Isaiah Rider would conform. After missing team functions–one because his car’s side-view mirror was broken–Rider was released before the end of the season. Moving to the Lakers, he takes the place of Glen Rice, who was allowed to leave after his wife blamed coach Phil Jackson for her husband’s poor play during the NBA Finals. Rice was said to be distracted by Jackson’s choice of haikus during the series.
Worst seer: Patrick Ewing, traded to Seattle, still predicting the Knicks would have gone to the Finals if they had kept him. My prediction: Free-agent Ewing may get back to the Finals with Pat Riley in Miami next season.
Worst threat: Rick Pitino telling the Celtics he’d quit if they didn’t play harder. Within days players reportedly asked for recliners to replace the bench chairs.
Worst legal advice: To then-Toronto coach Butch Carter that he sue the Knicks’ Marcus Camby for slander during the playoffs. Carter relented and wasn’t fired until he tried to get General Manager Glen Grunwald’s job. The chaos helped push future star Tracy McGrady to Orlando as a free agent.
Worst thing to happen to the media: The retirement of Charles Barkley, on his sixth try. It also hasn’t helped that Larry Bird went back to playing golf, Magic Johnson is opening movie theaters and Jordan is issuing statements. Sorry, Shaq and Kobe aren’t enough to make up for all that, though the NBA is hoping they will be, or there will be worse times ahead.
