Re: One Last Shot: Jordan's Final Chapter.
looks like Pierce is going to be hard to stop going need to pull something big off
looks like Pierce is going to be hard to stop going need to pull something big off
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Re: One Last Shot: Jordan's Final Chapter.
Man, the Celtics are running roughshod over the Wizards -- Pierce is lighting it up. Jordan needs someone else to step up to really give the team a chance, but I think this is where his magical run comes to an end; unless the Celtics suffer an ill-timed injury, this series looks to be a wrap.Comment
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Re: One Last Shot: Jordan's Final Chapter.
Yea haven't found a way all season. Very very good. Cou doesnt want to play me more than 30 mins which is a major problem. Pierce kills Mullin or Alexander when Jordan is out. Laettner can't defend Walker it seems.
Fingers crossed Game 5 to be played tonight. 🤞Comment
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Celtics win Eastern Conference Title
Jordan threw the kitchen sink at Celtics, but comes up short as Boston advance.
May 17th, 2002 | by NBA.COM
Box Score
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Re: Conference Finals Schedule
Well, it was a good effort -- now the question is how do the Wizards improve for next year?
As for the Finals, Boston vs. LA, the beginning of a new clash between the age old rivals. Going to be tough for Boston to upset the Lakers, but Pierce is having a postseason for the ages.Comment
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Around the NBA - Round 3
Around the NBA - Round 3.
May 20th, 2002 | by NBA.COM
Western Conference.
Lakers v Kings.
The Lakers have been involved in another elimination game thriller. They have gone the distance in all of their series so far just like the Kings. The smart money was always on this one going the distance too. It was hard fought and testy all the way through as illustrated in our opening picture.
Rick Fox and Doug Christie came to blows several times as both players tried to stop the super wings in Bryant and Stojakovic. But Kobe and Shaq almost had a battle of their own in the final game, as Kobe shot 27 times, and left Shaq on an island in the post. O'Neal took issue to it on the next timeout and had a staredown with Bryant. Phil Jackson intervened and settled it down. Bryant got the last word with 36 points and leading the Lakers back to the finals to keep the 3 peat alive.
The Lakers have struggled to consistently produce points from anyone not named Kobe and Shaq. They will need to much better against the Celtics. Peja torched the Lakers from the outside, and Paul Pierce could do the same. Shaq will need to get back to his dominant self in this series, as he failed to impose his will, only hitting 25 points once in the series. The good news is the Celtics only have Charles Oakley who likes to mix things up in the post.
Eastern Conference
Wizards v Celtics
The Wizards magical run ended abruptly against the Celtics in the Eastern finals. Paul 'The Truth' Pierce was unstoppable hitting 44 points twice. Antoine Walker averaged 21.2ppg over the series, and even though the Wizards slowed him in the final game it wasn't enough. Erick Strickland and Kenny Anderson stepped up instead. The Wizards had nothing left to give after a tough series against the Nets in which they came back from 3-1 down.
The Celtics have a perfect blend of youth and experience throughout their roster. The addition of Rookie Joe Johnson has been important, and he continues to grow. Johnson was almost traded to the Suns at the deadline, but they wisely rejected the Suns offer.
Jordan fought hard for the Wizards but Pierce was too strong, too fast and too good. Coach Collins could have played Jordan more than his 31 minute per game average, but the problem was it would have burned Jordan out after a long season. Jordan averaged 24.8 ppg in the playoffs, 3rd overall to Tracy McGrady 36.0ppg and Kevin Garnett 29.8 ppg. Not bad for the 39 year old. Rip Hamilton showed he can live in the spotlight with his continued strong performances, all that is missing now is the consistency of doing it every night.
The Wizards have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, but they are starting from a strong position. The Celtics have the tools to push the Lakers, especially their 3 point shooting, but down low containing Shaq will be an issue.Comment
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Lakers 3 Peat as they clinch 2001-02 NBA Title.
Lakers sweep Celtics 4-0 to clinch 3 peat..
May 31st, 2002 | by NBA.COM
When Pat Riley trademarked the phrase "Three-Peat" in 1988, he anticipated it would be for his two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Riley-coached Lakers were swept by the Detroit Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals, however, and L.A. would have to wait 14 years for Riley's vision to be realized.
Starting with the George Mikan-led Minneapolis Lakers (1952-54) to Bill Russell's legendary Boston Celtics that won eight consecutive titles (1959-1966), through the Jordan era Chicago Bulls (1991-93, 1996-98) only four times had an NBA team won three or more consecutive championships before the Lakers in 2000-02.
Since Riley coined the phrase "Three-Peat," only four major professional sports teams have won three consecutive championships. The "Three-Peat" has become the pinnacle of accomplishment in American team sports. Of the Big Four — NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL — the Lakers remain the last team to have completed the feat.
However, when future Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal joined the Lakers in 1996, it would take the duo several years, and the end of the Michael Jordan era, to fully realize their potential. But at the turn of the century, the pair would dominate the basketball world in a way few ever have.
Of course, without general manager Jerry West at the helm none of this would have happened. West acquired Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets for center Vlade Divac during the 1996 draft and convinced O'Neal to leave the Orlando Magic and become the new centerpiece of the Lakers franchise during that same offseason.
Also during the 1996 draft, West would use the Lakers 24th overall pick to select guard Derek Fisher. In the ensuring seasons, West would add forwards Robert Horry and Glen Rice. But perhaps the biggest piece to the puzzle West put together wasn't on the court, but off it.
Prior to the 1999-00 season, amid pressure from a fanbase longing for postseason success, West hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson to take over on the sidelines. Jackson, who'd won six championships with the Bulls, immediately added to his growing legacy.
In the first season of the O'Neal-Bryant-Jackson era, the Lakers finished the regular season with a record of 67-15 — second-best in franchise history behind the 1971-72 Lakers who went 69-13.
O'Neal was named the league MVP and the Lakers would go on to win their first championship since 1988. The road didn't come without it's bumps though. After beating Sacramento and Phoenix in the first two rounds of the playoffs it would all come down to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Down 15 points with just over 10 minutes to play, L.A. would mount the greatest Game 7 comeback in NBA history to defeat Portland 89-84. The Lakers went on to win the NBA Finals in six games over the Indiana Pacers.
After the season, West would retire after one of the most prolific careers as a player, coach and manager in professional sports. In 2000-01, the Lakers wouldn't dominate the regular season quite like they had the previous year — posting a record of 56-26 — but when the postseason rolled around L.A. bulldozed the competition in historic fashion.
The Lakers swept the first three rounds of the playoffs, lost in overtime in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, and then went on to win the next four games to claim their second straight championship. Their 15-1 postseason record is the greatest in NBA history.
The 2001-02 season will forever be remembered for Jordans run in the playoffs. Jordan led his Wizards to a #1 seed in the East and all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals where they eventually fell to the Boston Celtics. There were a record number of series that went the distance and gave the fans their moneys worth.
In the 2002 NBA Finals, the Lakers easily dismantled their storied rivals the Boston Celtics 4-0 en route to their third consecutive championship. The "Three-Peat" Pat Riley had sought to bring L.A. all those years before finally arrived.
O'Neal was named Finals MVP following all three of the Lakers championships, becoming the only player besides Michael Jordan to win the award three consecutive times.
During the Lakers championship runs, O'Neal was named All-NBA First Team each year, with Bryant being named to the All-NBA Second Team twice and the All-NBA First Team once.
But despite the simmering feud between the two, they have still beaten all comers on the court. Nothing will ever take away from the brilliance O'Neal and Bryant have displayed together on the court. Today the pair stand as the on-court leaders of the latest "Three-Peat" in major American professional sports.
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2002-03 Offseason - Draft Lottery
2002 NBA Draft Lottery Odds.
1.25%
2.New York Knicks - 19.9%
3.Memphis Grizzlies - 12.1%
4.Golden State Warriors - 12.1%
5.Denver Nuggets - 12.1%
6.Cleveland Cavaliers - 5.3%
7.Chicago Bulls - 5.3%
8.Seattle Supersonics - 2.5%
9.Phoenix Suns - 2.2%
10.Miami Heat - 1.1%
11.LA Clippers via Atlanta Hawks - 0.8%
12.LA Clippers - 0.7%
13.Houston Rockets - 0.6%
Last edited by RMJH4; 09-24-2024, 04:43 PM.Comment
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2002-03 Offseason - Mock Draft
Replace this with new mock draft
Last edited by RMJH4; 09-24-2024, 04:41 PM.Comment
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Re: 2002-03 Offseason - Mock Draft
Prime Shaq is nigh-unstoppable, so no surprise that the Celtics got bullied by him.
That 2002 draft! Some names I forgot about there, I vote the Wizards take Kristic or trade that pick for one in the stacked 2003 draft (perhaps a certain #23 can study under the master?) and focus on free agency for Washington; clearly Jordan still has it and got the Wizards pretty far on his own, but he needs some young blood to take over when he can't.Comment
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Wizards owner Abe Pollin Dies.
Wizards owner Abe Pollin dies, aged 78.
June 1st, 2002 | by NBA.COM
WASHINGTON -- Abe Pollin, the Washington Wizards owner who brought an NBA championship to the nation's capital and later had the savy to bring Michael Jordan out of retirement, died Tuesday. He was 78.
His death was announced by his company, Washington Sports & Entertainment. No details were disclosed but Pollin suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance.
"The NBA family has lost its most revered member, whose stewardship of the Wizards franchise, together with his wife Irene, has been a study in unparalleled dedication to the city of Washington," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "During his illness he fought with a determination and valor that will remain an inspiration to all."
Pollin was the NBA's longest-tenured owner. With his death, a group led by longtime AOL executive Ted Leonsis is poised to take ownership of a Washington-area sports empire that began when Pollin purchased the Baltimore Bullets in 1964.
"I just lost a real, real good friend," said Wes Unseld, star of the 1978 championship team and now the team's general manager. "And I think it's more than any of you will understand or I could even explain. It's just going to be a big void in sports in this community."
A moment of silence will be observed in Pollin's memory before the NBA Draft Lottery on Friday night.
"He would want us to celebrate his life and not mourn his death," coach Doug Collins said. "That's just the individual he was. But when you're here going through it, it's not that easy."
Leonsis previously bought two of Pollin's teams -- the NHL's Capitals in 1999 and the WNBA's Mystics in 2005 -- and secured the right of first refusal to buy the rest of Pollin's Washington Sports & Entertainment holdings -- including the Wizards, Verizon Center and Washington-Baltimore TicketMaster -- when Pollin retired or died.
"We are committed to continuing his tradition of building exciting, championship-caliber teams," Leonsis said in a statement. "One of Abe's dying wishes was that I would continue to run the franchise and lead it towards a championship." "I endeavor to do just that, it was a common goal in which we first became good friends."
In the changing world of professional sports, Pollin stood out for decades as an owner who tried to run his teams like a family business. He bemoaned the runaway salaries of free agency and said it would have been difficult for him to keep the Wizards if it weren't for the NBA's salary cap.
Pollin considered his greatest accomplishment the Verizon Center. He risked much of his fortune to build the arena in a neglected D.C. neighborhood, and it has spearheaded a revitalization of downtown Washington since its opening in 1997.
"There's no important initiative or any end to difficult situations or any settlement or any legislation that Abe was not leading the way on across all these years," Stern said in March. "He's been an extraordinary league person, always voting the league way, similar to what he did in building Verizon Center. He was going the D.C. way, not necessarily what was in his best economic interest but what was in the best economic interests of Washington, D.C."
A builder by trade, Pollin also constructed the Verizon Center's predecessor, originally known as the Capital Centre, in the Washington suburbs in 1973. He renamed his NBA team in 1997 because of the violent connotation of the word "Bullets," particularly in a city associated with crime.
Pollin was critical of modern-day player misbehavior and wouldn't hesitate to trade a star who got in trouble off the court. At his insistence, the final labor agreement after the 1998-99 lockout included stricter rules concerning player conduct.
"You may or may not want to be role models, but you are role models," Pollin told his players after the labor talks ended. "If you don't want to be role models, you should get out of this business and go do something else."
Pollin's ultimate coup -- getting Jordan back into the NBA -- was a plan that has so far looked like a master stroke. Jordan bought a minority stake in the Wizards in 2000 and was given the title of president of basketball operations.
The sport's biggest name has so far spent 2½ seasons in Washington. The last season made Pollin's decision look like an ingenious move as the Wizards grabbed the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Pollin was proud to see Jordan don the Wizards blue uniform and bring winning days back to DC.
Pollin later explained his decision in an interview with The Associated Press.
"It was a horrible atmosphere losing night in and night out," Pollin said. "Michael and I knew we had to think outside the box in a bid to build a winning team again. ... I knew that there would be some negative stuff thrown at him by the basketball royalty, telling him it was a mistake, but when he made his decision, I was so proud. The greatest player in the history of basketball, wearing my team's uniform."
The drama of Jordan's return brought much needed income and sales to one of the leagues worst teams. Jordan's uniform became a top 5 seller. Washington sold out all of their 41 home game and all of their playoff games.
"He had opportunities to go to other places, but this is where he wanted to be," Pollin said. "He wanted to do this for my team, my city. I'll never forget it, it gave me peace to see the Wizards as a top team one more time."
"He loved Washington," Unseld said, "when some of us at the time really didn't care a lot about it."Last edited by RMJH4; 08-12-2018, 02:13 PM.Comment
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Sonics win #1 Pick
Sonics defy the odds to grab #1 pick.
June 6th, 2002 | by NBA.COM
The Seattle Supersonics today won the 2002 NBA Draft Lottery, which was conducted at NBA Entertainment in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Sonics, who held an 2.3 percent probability of obtaining the first selection, will have the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, which will be held in New York City on Wednesday, June 26.
"The great thing is that this pick will get a lot of interest back in the Sonics again after another disappointing year," Head Coach Nate McMillan said. "In the back of my mind, I kept hoping all of the agony we were going through during the season would pay off somewhere. Right now, we have the opportunity to get that payoff."
The Sonics possessed the eight-best chance of receiving one of the top three selections, as Detroit, Miami, Memphis, the Clippers, New York, Cleveland and Chicago all held lower winning percentages than Seattle's 35-47 record. New York also trumped the odds and won the second overall pick. Detroit who had the best odds only received the third pick in the lottery.
This marks the first time in franchise history that the Sonics have possessed the first pick in the NBA Draft. The closest was back in 1996 when they drafted Gary Payton with the second pick. Payton was traded to the Portland Trailblazers in February of this year to begin the much needed rebuilding process for new owner Howard Schultz. They have certainly been rewarded for their gamble now, even though it meant losing a franchise icon like Payton.
Final Draft Order:
1. Seattle Sonics
2. New York Knicks
3. Golden State Warriors
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Denver Nuggets
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
7. Chicago Bulls
8. L.A. Clippers from Atlanta Hawks
9. Phoenix Suns
10. Miami Heat
11. Phoenix Suns
12. LA Clippers
13. Houston Rockets
Last edited by RMJH4; 09-24-2024, 04:42 PM.Comment
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Re: 2002-03 Offseason - Mock Draft
Absolutely Shaq was the main man in those days... He ran riot on the Celtics, just like he did with the Nets in real life that year. Fairly happy with my roster that it turned out pretty close to real life. From this season on it will start to branch out a little more off the beaten track.
You have a very good idea, one of the the few story paths I considered, stay tuned and see which one I have chosen, it's a pretty dramatic one, I don't think many people will even remember reading about this, I was always fascinated to see how it would have played out. Here is my slant to suit this story. Albeit a few seasons later.
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