THANKS to NBA schedule maker Matt Winick, whom I’ve always suspected of being an ardent aficionado of gallows humor, an opening season, doubledose, “quirk of fate” took place Wednesday evening in Memphis, and went wordlessly unrecognized before, during and after the Knicks and Grizzlies spasmodically square-danced for 63 minutes.
Think the head-on coaching mind-game between Mike Fratello and Isiah Thomas might’ve been a speck personal?
Think Fratello might’ve lost a little bit more sleep than usual following the tripleovertime loss?
Think for a day or two, Jamal Crawford’s shoplifting of Chuckie Atkins crossover that led to Quentin Richardson’s decisive foul shots, might fry Fratello’s brain?
You can’t convince me this setback was any easier to stomach for Fratello than his Hawks’ 1988 playoff loss in seven games (after taking control, 3-1) to the Celtics!
OK, OK, maybe that’s a stretch.
What’s incontrovertible is the first meeting between Fratello and Thomas was an unspoken grudge match. Well, at least from the Grizzlie coach’s perspective; as his team’s poverty at the welfare line dragged on aimlessly (18 misses, 27 makes), Fratello, who began the night looking mighty distraught, became increasingly disheveled and disheartened.
Maestro, some background music, please.
Forty games into the Knicks’ 2003-04 season, the dark before the day Thomas – freshly recruited, himself, having replaced VP Scott Layden – made Don Chaney’s understood departure public, he verbally committed to Fratello.
Most people believe – none more than Daily News reporters Frank Isola and Mitch Lawrence, whose premature story splat – Fratello talked himself out of the job by making one too many demands.
Truth is, an unpaid consigliore talked Thomas out of his choice. The guy warned him Fratello couldn’t be trusted and reminded him how he’d allegedly backstabbed his immediate Cavaliers’ superior, Wayne Embry.
Thomas was further advised not to commit to anyone long term. The idea was to turn the position over to Knicks executive Willis Reed for the remainder of an already lost season. That would’ve given Thomas plenty of time and access to a full stack of free agent candidates as opposed to being confined to the unwanted, laid-off, non-assortment.
That’s what went down midnight at the oasis. But no sooner had Thomas lay that camel to bed, he went on his own and headed straight to the elephant’s graveyard where Lenny Wilkens was exhumed for $5 million per for three years.
Thirty-nine games (17-22; 40-41 overall) into the ’04-05 season, Wilkens was whacked. His successor managed to win a little more than half that much (23) in his only allotted one full season.
That brings us complete cycle to Memphis.
You know what I always say, one good irony deserves another.
Seven games shallow into the ’02-’03 season, Grizzlie team president Jerry West reached out to Hubie Brown us to replace Sidney Lowe. I was dispatched to Memphis to cover his first game managing a sideline since ’87 when he’d been fired by the Knicks (them again) following a 4-12 start.
As providence would have it, the 76ers were the Grizzlies’ first opponent. Prior to the game I had the opportunity to be chewed out by Allen Iverson (“You think one cheap shot in your column is worth the price of our respectful relationship?!” he wisely wondered) and the occasion to meet privately with Larry Brown (him again).
On my own volition, I asked Brown if he’d consider Isiah Thomas (I know, I know) to be one of his Olympic assistants. I pointed out, for whatever reason or who was forcefully behind it, the then Pacers’ head coach had been shafted in ’92 when the first Dream Team was assembled, and also in ’80 when President Carter banned the USA from competing in the Moscow Olympics.
Without hesitation, Brown agreed. He said he’d try to arrange it despite already having a full complement of assistants, including Gregg Popovich. And he did.
Shortly thereafter, Brown contacted Thomas or maybe it was the other around.
Whatever, Thomas was appointed special assistant. For the most part, the Olympic Committee resisted but didn’t dispute it. Instead, barriers were constantly erected to keep Thomas from getting too close to the games and practices and skull sessions.
Nonetheless, Brown insisted Thomas play a role, only he had to pay his own expenses. No problem. He’d attend workouts, write up observations, and give them to Brown at dinner, or stick them under his hotel room door if the Olympic Team was on the road, which it was, in Puerto Rico, when the Pacers recalled Thomas to be fired face-to-face by Larry Bird.
Contrary to what Brown and Thomas had you believe when Larry was hired by the Knicks regarding their supposedly longterm relationship, it didn’t really get off the ground for real until that night in Memphis.
Brown supported Thomas. Thomas supported Brown.
And then, in a flash, they betrayed each other’s trust, and the bonding was irrevocably busted. When in doubt, blame Mike Fratello.
