Defiance: The Odyssey of Ronald Bazemore

[trekfan]

ABDUR-RAHIM RETURNS IN BIG WIN

[studbucket]

Coach Bazemore can't stay away from drama. When's the last time that a team's coach was in the news more than the team on a regular basis? Lane Kiffin?

Anyway, I am finding the story very interesting. You had me scoffing and smirking a few times.

[trekfan]

Ch. 32

March 13th, 1998

The clock in the living room ticked and ticked and ticked. Ron couldn’t help but notice it — a grandfather clock that was almost as tall as he was and definitely looked older. Despite how good it looked, he really wished he could just stop it from ticking. It was getting beyond annoying … and he was always stressed out enough as it was.

The Heat were fighting off the Bulls and Knicks for the top seed, both teams less than two games behind them. The return of Shareef had boosted the morale of the team — along with the contract extensions of Dominique, Malik, and Terrence. All three had signed on for at least two more years, and had signed on for manageable prices. The team’s core was going to remain in place going forward, which was perfect — a team that stayed together usually won together.

But all the basketball thoughts in the world couldn’t silence the other things going on in his head. Thoughts about that night in 1996. Thoughts about his parents. Thoughts about how much he missed them.

Thoughts about what his options were.

“Here he is,” Cynthia said, a smile on her face as she carried the baby into the room. Cynthia looked just as good as when Ron last saw her — motherhood agreed with her, it seemed — but Ron’s thoughts about her came to a screeching halt when he saw the baby.

Little baby Leo’s face was like a knife … it just cut through Ron.

Cynthia flashed him a concerned look. “What’s wrong?”

He tried to collect himself. “He um … he looks a lot like my parents.” His mother’s eyes. His father’s chin. He saw them in him. It was at once eerie and exciting.

Leo looked at him for a long moment and then flashed a smile, laughing.

Cynthia sat down on the couch next to Ron and balanced the baby on her knee. “He likes you. He’s a good judge of character.”

Her words registered, but didn’t exactly leave a mark: Ron was too lost in the baby’s face. “Hey, you,” he said as he held a finger out.

The baby’s hand reached around it and grasped it, eliciting more laughter from the child.

Cynthia smiled at them both. “He does seem to really like you.”

Ron smiled at her, then at Leo, and finally shook his head. “I’m not sure why. Not like I kept up with you.”

She gave a nod. “Well, you definitely could have called. Or wrote. Or sent a carrier pigeon.”

“Smoke signals?”

“I probably would have mistaken it for a neighbor lighting up,” she joked.

Ron let out a chuckle. They sat there in silence for a long moment before he cleared his throat. “I understand why you didn’t want to see me.”

Her smile fell away and was replaced with a concerned frown. “I hope so. It wasn’t out of spite or anything, Ron, I just wanted the father of my child to be there or not. No in-between.”

“And if I had a regular 9-5 job?”

“Then that’s one thing; but being a coach, in the NBA? That’s not a 9-5. That’s 24 hours … and if they could find a way to extend the day, it’d be longer than that. If that morning after taught me anything, it was how much you loved basketball. You just talked and talked and talked about it … you were passionate about it, to the point even I couldn’t help but listen and enjoy it.” She started bouncing Leo on her knee, the baby’s face lighting up. “I had a hard time believing you could be that passionate about a baby.”

“You think I’d place basketball above a child?”

“I do,” she answered without a moment of hesitation. “Not on purpose … I think you’d try, and try hard, but I don’t know if you’d ever fully buy-in. I don’t know if you’d be able to do it without regrets, without thinking about all the things you’re missing … without trying to win more of those,” she said as she nodded at his championship ring.

Suddenly, the weight of his ring felt like an anvil on his finger. Part of him knew she was right, that he would miss basketball, that it would make him look longingly at the game. Would he be able to get past that? Could he?

“I get where you’re coming from,” he eventually said. “And I understand your concerns.” Little Leo reached out and grabbed his finger again, laughing as he did it. Ron just smiled at him. “But if you’re telling me it’s basketball or him, than that’s not a hard choice.” He locked eyes with her. “Go ahead, ask me.”

She stared at him. “You can’t be serious.”

“Ask me, Cynthia. Ask me.”

“Ron —”

He leaned in close, a smile on his face. “I promise you, the answer isn’t basketball.”

She looked caught between two emotions: utter confusion and relief. “I … you want to quit? Leave?”

Ron looked at her, then at the baby, then back at her. “I want to be a part of his life … a big part, not just a name or a face or a guy who pays for *hit. You’re right, he deserves a hundred percent of my effort … the maximum I can offer. I can’t do that while I’m in the NBA … but the season is near an end. I’ll resign after it’s over, win or lose, and then he’ll have me.” Ron flashed a smile. “And so will you, if you want.”

She bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes. “You’ll give up the NBA? All of that? Just for … you can’t do that.”

“I can and I will,” he promised. “I can’t willingly choose to be an absentee father, Cynthia. I couldn’t live with myself … and I know, for a fact, that my parents — if they were still around — would want me to be there for the two of you.” Ron reached out and grabbed her hand. “I can do this.”

She squeezed his hand. “Somehow, I believe you can.”

[trekfan]

1997-98 Awards







Coach of the Year: Ronald Bazemore, Miami Heat

[trekfan]

1997-98 Finals Standings + Playoff Preview







Injury Report





Playoff Matchups



Things to watch

1. The Miami Heat finished the season on a tear, going 15-5 in the final 20 games, all starting on March 13th: that was the day that Heat head coach Ronald Bazemore announced to his team that he would retire at season's end to help raise his son.

News of Bazemore's announcement broke a few days later, but the Heat played their hearts out for their soon-to-be retired coach, destroying all comers. Miami goes in as the heavy favorites against the division rival Hornets, whom they beat in five games last year.

2. The Boston Celtics fell from the fourth seed to the seventh seed in the conference thanks to a late injury to Shawn Kemp. Kemp is expected to play in the postseason, but the Celtics don't have an easy matchup with Pippen and the Bulls.

3. The bracket out East looks familiar with powerhouses such as Miami, Chicago, Orlando, and New York holding down the best spots, but after that things get interesting. The Cavs have made the playoffs for the first time in years, but will be without Terrell Brandon, as he suffered a shoulder injury. Bradon is expected to at least miss the first game of their series against the Magic.

The Wizards are relatively healthy, but have the unenviable task of trying to beat Jordan and the Knicks. Experts around the league expect the Bulls and Knicks to meet in the second round for the second straight year, and another bloodbath of a series to commence.

4. Out West, the Rockets stole the top seed from the T'Wolves with a late run -- Houston's veteran team, as it seems to be case the last few years, found their mojo after the new year and have been a tough squad to beat. The Rockets have the easiest draw in the entire playoffs, the beaten and well-under .500 Nuggets, who are injured and expected to be a quick out.

5. Charles Barkely and the Suns, once more, have an old foe to face in the first round: the Jazz. Utah's season wasn't quite as good as last year, but they're still in position to make a return to the Finals. This is likely Barkley's last chance at glory in Phoenix, as the Suns ownership is considering a tear-down effort -- with the contracts of AC Green, Kevin Johnson, and Otis Thorpe coming to an end in the summer, Phoenix is gearing up for one last run.

6. The race for the worst record in the league was neck and neck for weeks before the Nets and Grizzlies finally ended up tied for it. After March Madness, the clear top-pick of the draft is Vince Carter, but who will have the right to draft him? The NBA's lottery drawing will be fascinating to watch this season.

(The random number generator has assigned me Game 2 and Game 4 of my series against the Hornets. Let's see if the Heat can repeat!)

[trekfan]

HEAT STAVE OFF HORNETS, LEAD 2-0 IN SERIES

[trekfan]

HEAT SWEEP HORNETS

[trekfan]

Round 2 Preview



Things to watch

1. The Miami Heat continue to look nigh unstoppable as they become the only team to sweep their opponents in the first round. Their reward? A rematch with the Magic. Orlando and Miami split the season series, 2-2. Which one of these teams will make it to the ECF? Vegas has the Heat advancing in six.

2. Both the Knicks and Bulls got more than they bargained for, staving off good challenges from their opponents and advancing in six. But it's another grudge match from last year. Chicago will be without Luc Longley for the entirety of the playoffs and the Knicks. Will the lack of Longley, no Toni Kukoc, and a Aaron McKie guarding Jordan be enough to let Chicago advance? Look for another seven game slug fest, with the Knicks narrowly edging the Bulls.

3. Out West, the Rockets got more of a challenge than expected by a spunky Nuggets team, but advanced with ease in six. The Jazz got all they could handle from the Suns -- whom, once more, lose in the first round to an old foe. Barkley was lauded in the local press for his Game 7 performance, with 31 points on 12-19 shooting, but the Suns got no help from Kevin Johnson or Wesley Person -- both scored only four points.

4. The Sonics advanced past the Mavericks, who nearly stole the series after going up 2-1 -- but Seattle's veteran savvy was enough to right the ship and now they face a very hungry T'Wolves team, after they ate the Lakers. Once Magic Johnson went out with a strained groin, LA's bench collapsed and the Wolves -- led by MVP and DPOY Kevin Garnett -- cut through them like a buzzsaw.

(I was assigned Game 3 and 7 by the number generator ... let's hope the team can hold off the Magic for that long. Shaq is hungry this year.)