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Notebook Magic loves Lakers title, but feels for Bird
Posted: Tuesday June 20, 2000 02:10 AM LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Magic Johnson reveled in the Los Angeles Lakers' title. He also spared a sympathetic thought for Larry Bird, his longtime rival. Johnson, the former Lakers great who is now a team vice president and minority owner, was among the first to hit the floor in the moments after the Lakers' 116-111 victory on Monday night. He hugged Shaq, he hugged Kobe and he joined the Lakers on the victory podium, screaming his joy. As he pointed out to anyone who would listen, it was his sixth championship as a member of the Lakers organization, giving him the same number of titles as Michael Jordan. "If you're not a player, this is the ultimate," Johnson said. "I tied you, Michael!" But later, as Johnson stood in a corridor at Staples Center holding an unopened bottle of champagne and a championship T-shirt, he considered the disappointment felt by Bird, the coach of the Indiana Pacers. "That's my man. He means a lot to me," Johnson said. "It wasn't like I'm going crazy that I beat him. It's bittersweet." Johnson and Bird were interlocked in basketball lore when Magic's Michigan State team beat Bird's Indiana State squad for the 1979 NCAA title. Their friendly rivalry continued in the pros, where Magic's Lakers won five championships and Bird's Boston Celtics won three. They also shared a hug at midcourt after the Lakers' win. Johnson had a message for Bird, who is retiring from coaching: "Please, Larry. Stay in basketball. We need you. "He's going to be back in some kind of capacity. Now he won't have to agonize quite as much." But Johnson still agonizes every game, from his baseline seat near actress Dyan Cannon. He said the Lakers have all the makings of a dynasty similar to the "Showtime" teams he led with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. "We have owners who are going to make it happen," he said with his famous grin.
Lakers get back to defensive rootsAfter the Pacers handed them a 33-point thrashing in Game 5, the Lakers went back to basics. The Lakers held an instructive practice Sunday at their training gym in El Segundo. Instead of taking it easy with Game 6 the next day, Los Angeles tried to return to its defensive roots to stop the Pacers' offense, which averaged 119 points over the previous two games of the series. "We've had to go back over some defensive things," coach Phil Jackson said. "(We had to) talk about individual moves, talk about our philosophy and get it back again." Jackson didn't agree with the theory that the Lakers didn't put up much of a fight in Game 5 because they knew they could return home and finish off the series at Staples Center. The Lakers were 4-6 in potential series-clinching games this season, with all four victories coming at home. When told the Lakers had set an NBA record by losing six possible series-clinchers, Jackson grinned and sarcastically gave two thumbs up. "That's great," he said. "It says something about this team a little bit, but it's not the story." The Lakers' defensive cramming didn't seem to have much effect until the fourth quarter of Game 6, when Los Angeles made several big stops while going ahead to stay.
Et tu, BillJackson turned the tables on NBC commentator Bill Walton when he quizzed the coach over Kobe Bryant's decision on whether to play in the Olympics. In Jackson's pregame meeting with reporters, Walton asked Jackson what he thought Bryant should do. Bryant said Sunday he likely won't play for the U.S. team in Sydney if asked. "That's his choice. It's not my choice," Jackson said. "He's being cornered or pushed into a corner. You played, Bill. You know what it's like when you get approached. ... How did you feel when they asked you?" Walton said he also turned down a chance to play in the Olympics. "You felt cornered," Jackson said with a grin.
Loose ballsBryant shot just two free throws over the series' first five games. Both of them came in Game 1. He missed most of Game 2 and all of Game 3 with a sprained ankle, and he didn't shoot a free throw during his standout 28-point performance in Game 4. He was 8-for-9 from the line in Game 6. ... O'Neal averaged 16.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs. The Lakers' next three best rebounders didn't average 15 rebounds combined. ... This was the first time since the playoffs expanded in 1986 that the champion won the clinching game in all four series at home. Last year, San Antonio clinched all four of its series on the road. ... The Lakers' 33-point loss in Game 5 wasn't without precedent for Los Angeles' championship team. In the 1985 playoffs, the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics by 34 in Game 1 but came back to win the series in six games.
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