1.  Kobe Bryant said that he's relieved that the "criticism" of the win one without Shaq discussion can now end.   I think "criticism" is the wrong way to describe it.  Nobody ever said Kobe stinks because he hasn't won a ring without Shaq....the conversation was about his legacy and whether or not he would end up in the discussion with the likes of Jordan and Magic as the best player ever.

2.  Phil Jackson has won 10 championships in the last 17 seasons he's coached.  Let that sink in for a moment and then realize that yes, he's had great players and yes, he's a great coach.

3.  Even though Orlando lost this series 4-1....they were inches away from a lengthy series they could have won.  Courtney Lee's Game 2 miss at the end of regulation...all the missed free throws and the poor decision not to foul Dereck Fisher in Game 4 cost the Magic two games in this series.  With that said, the Lakers were the better team with the best player by miles.

4.  The Lakers better re-sign both Ariza and Odom....both were critical to the Lakers' title.

5.  With the recent rumors of Shaq to the Cavs I started thinking about whether or not that would help or hurt.  LeBron doesn't need a big that can't score....he needs a bigger guy who can score.  One more scorer at preferably the 3 or 4 spot would make the difference for the Cavs.  In fact, as bad as his defense is, Antawn Jamison would've made the difference for the Cavs in their series with Orlando.  How 'bout shipping 'Twan and his big contract to Cleveland.

6.  With the draft nine days away and several draft boards now projecting the Wizards taking Arizona State's James Harden I want to go on record by saying I think that would be a huge mistake.  He was ineffective in the NCAA Tournament and looked average against Syracuse in their second round loss.  I watched him at least 10 times this year and was never overly impressed with his NBA potential.  He's slow and will really struggle on the defensive end.  I like three guys at #5 even though it may be too early for two of them.  I love Wake's James Johnson, Duke's Gerald Henderson, and Davidson's Steph Curry.  Curry may be a few years away from being strong enough to defend at the NBA level but his quick release on his jumper will make him a scorer immediately if the team he goes to needs it.

If you missed the Locker Room today, a link to the show follows this blog entry. We did a “Lunch with Legend” show honoring Coach John Thompson.   Listening to Coach Thompson tell stories today was a pleasure.  I think it's worth a listen if you missed it.  

For starters, listening to him talk about the experiences he encountered as a young person was emotional even for the hardest of hearts.  He talked about his parents giving him the most important gift any parent can give--love and lots of it.  It's clear that the love and encouragement he got as a child built an abundance of self-esteem and confidence.  Certainly there is an innate competitive spirit that can’t be taught necessarily by parents, but he was conditioned to believe in himself. That confidence along with high intellect and his competitive will was the foundation of a winner.  It didn’t have to be basketball; it could’ve been anything else he chose. 

Secondly, he talked about being stung by racism on so many occasions. The stories he told were so vivid in his memory.  If you didn’t have a lump in your throat as he told them then your human empathy tank is empty.  He only told a few. I’m sure there were many more he didn’t share.  He told a story about being denied access to a playground because he was black. Chevy Chase Playground on Western Avenue in Upper Northwest was a block from the house my father lived in.  As a kid, I heard stories of the great basketball games and the great players that played at Chevy Chase Playground.  I didn’t hear much about those that weren’t allowed to play. If I were to ask now, the answer would likely be---“Well, it was just a different time.”  For people like Coach Thompson who felt the sting of racism, the scars run deep. For those who were white and knew right from wrong and didn’t stand up and say it, the guilt may not run as deep as the scars, but it’s there and it’ll never go away.  

Orlando has made two trips to the NBA Finals.  The first came in 1995 with a young Shaquille O'Neil...the Magic were swept by Houston.  This year's team is in the finals as well, they are already down 1-zip to the Lakers.  Which Orlando team would you rate as better?  In my opinion, the '95 team with Shaq was better.  For starters, young Shaq was better than young Dwight Howard.  No slight to Howard, Shaq was much more developed as an offensive player.  He led the league in scoring that year.  The '95 team had an all-star point guard in Penny Hardaway...an athletic small forward in Nick Anderson who if you remember, choked away game one with 4 missed free throws down the stretch...and they had one of the best defenders in the league in Horace Grant.  The '09 team has more scoring options than the '95 team, it may have better depth, but the combo of Shaq and Penny is the difference.