DID MY lying eyes deceive me with 15 seconds left in OT of Game 6, or did LeBron James really sashay over to Gilbert Arenas on the foul line in between two series-ending (as it turned out) dry heaves, whisper in his ear (“You miss both of ’em, you’re goin’ home”), and put a hand on his chest?
Aren’t there laws in three of four jurisdictions against precisely such acts of harassment?
Unless they’re an item (and we’ve all blown a salacious story), shouldn’t the referees, at the very least, have warned James against intruding into Arenas’ occupied area and disrupting his sphere of consciousness?
Would it have been disproportionate punishment for the custodians of conduct to award him a do-over following the second miss or assess a technical?
Two violations make it all-right, I guess, since neither the Wizards nor ESPN’s Hubie Brown pitched a bitch, or expressed faint care when it happened or afterward – at the podium, anyway.
“LeBron makes us all look like we know what we’re doing,” a mesmerized Mike Brown gushed at the victory press conference. How could we fail to comprehend where the Cavaliers’ rookie coach is coming from?
James averaged Wilt Chamberlainlike numbers in his playoff competition baptism.
He recorded a triple-double in the opener and secured games 3 & 5 with last-second slashes. Lastly, his psychological warfare (oh, yeah, plus 32 points, including five in OT, seven rebounds and seven assists) set up Damon Jones to exterminate the Wizards, 114113, with a mellifluous springer from the left corner.
“It took me two years to get here,” James said, evidently disappointed with himself he was unable to accelerate his playoff journey a season. “It’s great finally to be a part of it.” Finally? Other than Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade, how many other compulsive competitors are there active today? How many genuinely possess a comparable towering inferno of expectations, no tilts tolerated?
No wonder Brown is mesmerized by the unreasonably mature performing and sounding 21-year-old who looks to be older than his mother. Fact is, we’re all spellbound, including the refs, who more and more are becoming spectators standing around and gawking at his improvisational, Slinky acrobatics.
Consequently, they miss or overlook transgressions committed by James.
Like his walk and up-anddown (a la Michael Jordan) at the tail end of Game 3.
Like his left-handed carry while tippy-toeing the baseline, a move that froze the Wizards’ defenders in Game 5 and allowed him to slither in for an uncontested game-winner.
Like his wrap-around grab of a ball owned by Arenas in the first half of Game 6 that was called a jump ball.
Like him approaching Arenas while he was on the line, a strict taboo, and messing with his concentration.
James may not have attained the playoff plateau until his second season, but his supernatural talent already has earned him the refs’ perpetual respect. Meaning, he’s permitted to bend and break any and all the rules. It’s only fair. I can’t wait to see what he gets away with once he wins a title.
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While on the subject of Cleveland-Washington, as mentioned, Brown said nothing when James made contact with Arenas on the line. I was again amazed when he applauded Damon Jones, inserted into the proceedings for the first time with 14 ticks left in OT, for showing “courage” taking the gamewinner.
Let’s see, the Cavs were down by one with 4.8 seconds to go, and Jones – a longdistance specialist, his only specialty, actually, the reason the Cavs are paying him $12M for four years – found himself wide open in the corner.
What, exactly, was his other option? Dribble out the clock?
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A case of “now thinking” by the NBA and ABC. Yesterday was the perfect opportunity for the league to unite Kobe and Kiddies by televising Lakers/ Suns Game 7 as a network afternoon affair.
Apparently, that was too logical, so the decider wound up as a cable night light.
Not to worry. I’m sure WABC-TV enjoyed a ratings bonanza with the 37th Annual Dove Awards (I knew they honored soap operas, but soap?) and a movie starring that box-office biggie, Stephen Baldwin.
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The long arm of the law has once again has found the long arms of Ralph Sampson.
Seems Sampson, already in trouble over child-support issues, has been indicted for mail fraud and making a false statement about his financial status.
Finally, a good explanation as to why Sampson didn’t make the Enron jury.
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CIA Director Porter Goss, resigned Friday, with rumors swirling that he and an aide were regulars at D.C.-area poker games – featuring hookers and bribes (hey, you have to do something between hands) – tied to jailed former California congressman Randy (Duke) Cunningham.
Upon learning of these allegations, Goss received an offer to run the Players’ Association.
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New York City officials have said they are not going to pursue the 2016 Olympics, though they insist plans are in place for alternate distribution of bribery, kickbacks and corruption. . . . Hold on a second, there’s commotion outside my office. OK, I’m back.
Oh, it was really nothing. Just Gary Payton arguing with column castigator Frank Drucker. The good news is, Payton has reaffirmed his rank as the league’s only player with an IQ of a flotation devise, and who’s dumb enough to pick a fight with one -Dwyane Wade.
