"BIG TEN" Apache Sports!!

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Comment by Tawnette Fulton- Gilbert on June 9, 2010 at 12:29pm

Ed,
Glad to see another Laker Fan!!! Go Ed Go!

Take Care,
Tawnette

Comment by Antwon Lee on June 9, 2010 at 3:01am

Boston Celtics you all are going down, believe that!

Comment by Phoebe Macon on June 9, 2010 at 2:53am

L.A. Lakers Regains Advantage In NBA Finals

BOSTON (AP)—Derek Fisher(notes) rallied his teammates with a motivational speech on the bench during the break before the fourth quarter.

Then he went out and showed them how it’s done.

“Derek, he’s our vocal leader. He’s the guy that pulls everybody together and is always giving positive reinforcement,” Lakers guard Kobe Bryant(notes) said after Fisher made five baskets in the final period to lead Los Angeles to a 91-84 victory Tuesday night over the Boston Celtics and a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals.

“That’s what he does. That’s what he’s been doing extremely well. He has a knack for saying the right thing at the right time.”

Bryant scored 29 points and Fisher had 16, including 11 in the fourth quarter after Boston cut a 17-point first-half lead to one point.

Game 4 is Thursday night in Boston, and a Lakers victory would put them within one win of avenging the loss to their longtime rivals in the 2008 finals — not to mention the eight other times the Celtics have won an NBA title at the Lakers’ expense.

“Our thoughts are really just still on how disappointed we are, or were, losing that second game on our home court. I think that had more of our attention and focus than what happened in ’08,” Fisher said. “We didn’t doubt our ability to win here. … We understand when you want to be the best, you have to win wherever, whenever.”

Bryant had 25 points after three quarters, but he did not score for the first 10 minutes of the fourth. That’s when Fisher took over, hitting four out of five Lakers baskets to help them reclaim the home-court advantage they lost when the Celtics won Game 2 in L.A.

“Derek Fisher was the difference in the game,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “He’s just a gutty, gritty player and he gutted the game out for them. I thought Kobe was struggling a little bit, and Fisher—he basically took the game over. … I don’t know what he had in the fourth quarter … but most of them were down the stretch.”

Pau Gasol(notes) and Andrew Bynum(notes) had 10 rebounds apiece for Los Angeles.

Kevin Garnett(notes), who had just six points in Boston’s victory Sunday, had 25 in Game 3. But Allen, who had 32 points in Game 2, missed all 13 field goal attempts—one shy of the NBA finals futility record—many of them while Fisher was guarding him.

“It’s a hell of a swing, I’ll tell you that,” Rivers said. “It’s basketball. That’s why you can’t worry about it. He’ll be back in the gym tomorrow and getting ready for the next game. … It happens to the best of us.”

The Celtics had high hopes after splitting the opening two games in Los Angeles, but the “Beat L.A.!” chants at the TD Garden couldn’t help them overcome poor shooting.

And it couldn’t stop Fisher.

Fisher, 34, came into the league with Bryant in 1996 and has a history of clutch shots, from the heave with 0.4 seconds left to beat San Antonio in the 2004 playoffs to the late jumpers in a series-swinging victory over Orlando in Game 4 of last year’s finals. The Lakers went on to beat the Magic in five games, earning their 15th NBA title—second only to Boston’s 17.

“I think as you grow in this game and you put in the work that’s required to still be around 14 years later, you start to recognize that being in this moment, on this stage, it’s not a given. It’s not something that happens every season,” Fisher said. “Five or 10 years from now, when I’m long gone, I would have hated to feel like I didn’t just do everything I could have to help my team. Things have worked out well, and we have two more wins to get to really put a nice cap on it.”

The Lakers opened a 37-20 first-half lead, but Boston cut the deficit to four late in the third quarter and then made it 68-67 early in the fourth on consecutive drives by Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Rajon Rondo(notes). With a chance to take the lead, Allen was called for an offensive foul away from the ball.

Fisher then scored four of the Lakers’ next five baskets to give them a five-point lead with about 4 1/2 minutes left. He scored another with 49 seconds left before being flattened by Davis, among others, and adding the free throw to make it a three-possession game.

“He saw the opening and went and made a very bold play. … It was imperative that it goes in for us to win,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “When he’s got an opportunity to hit a key shot, it seems like he’s always there and ready.”

Allen missed all eight 3-pointers, all five 2-pointers and got to the line just twice. He was spared of matching the worst shooting performance in NBA finals history when Garnett was called for an offensive foul away from the ball in the final minute while Allen clanged another shot off the rim.

“We obviously didn’t expect him to go 0 for 13, but it’s a tough gig for him to run around offensively the way he has to and then have to guard Kobe on the other end,” Fisher said. “I mean, that takes anybody’s legs out. It takes my legs out chasing him. So there are going to be nights maybe when his legs aren’t there because he’s having to work so hard on both ends, but we won’t see 0 for 13 on Thursday night, that’s for sure.”

NOTES: Boston missed half of its 12 free throws in the first half and was 2 for 12 from 3-point range at the break. … Baltimore’s Chick Reiser missed all 14 shots in a 1948 finals game against Philadelphia, and Dennis Johnson was 0 for 14 for Seattle against Washington in 1978. … Rondo, who had a triple-double in Game 3, finished with 11 points, eight assists and three rebounds.

Comment by Reginald "Reggie" Hall on June 8, 2010 at 11:51pm

Yeah Thanks L.A. Lakers for ending (My Birthday today on the best note). Like Tawnette, Phoebe & Ed already said Lakers keep up the good work and show them what you guys are made of.
Great Job!

-Reggie

Comment by Edmund Stevens on June 8, 2010 at 11:18pm

LAKERS YOU MADE US ALL PROUD TONIGHT!
LET"S GET THAT CHAMPIONSHIP RING AGAIN AND SHUT BOSTON UP!
Peace, Ed

Comment by Tawnette Fulton- Gilbert on June 5, 2010 at 11:45am

Phoebe,
Thank You for Posting The Article about The Legendary John Wooden May He Rest In Peace!!!!!

God Bless,
Tawnette (72)

Comment by Phoebe Macon on June 4, 2010 at 9:21pm

Legendary John Wooden Dead at 99

Swing open the door to John Wooden’s tiny two-bedroom condominium, and the first thing that stands out is that there’s hardly any room to walk amid the clutter.

Piles of items awaiting autographs occupy the living room table. Stacks of poetry anthologies, baseball books and Abraham Lincoln biographies litter the shelves. And enshrouding every inch of wall space are dozens of photos, some of Wooden’s late wife Nell and his extended family and others of the legendary basketball teams he coached.

As his colorful condo suggests, college basketball’s most iconic coach lived a remarkably full life, from his all-American playing days at Purdue, to his success on the bench at UCLA, to his 53-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. He died at UCLA Medical Center on Friday four months shy of his 100th birthday, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy highlighted by a record-setting 88-game win streak, four undefeated seasons and 10 national titles from 1964 to 1975.

Even after abruptly retiring following his last championship, Wooden remained relevant as an author and motivational speaker, mentor to younger coaches. Only after his failing health confined him to a wheelchair the past couple years did he finally stop attending games at Pauley Pavilion in his customary seat two rows behind the UCLA bench.

Wooden was hospitalized several times the past few years, suffering a broken left wrist and collarbone in a fall at his home in March 2008 and then overcoming a month-long bout of pneumonia nearly a year later. He remained as sharp and perceptive as ever during most of those medical woes, but former UCLA star Marques Johnson said Wooden’s condition deteriorated the past few weeks.

“From a selfish standpoint, you’d love to see him live as long as possible, hit 100 at least,” Johnson said. “But after spending a couple hours with him two weeks ago and seeing how he was struggling, reclined in his easy chair and nodding in and out, I felt it would be selfish on our part to want him to stay around just to hit that milestone. He was never about numbers, in life or in basketball. It was always about the quality of effort.”

That Wooden maintained those wholesome values throughout his life is a testament to his small-town upbringing.

Wooden was born Oct. 14, 1910, in Hall, Ind., the second-eldest son of a hard-working farming couple. Soft-spoken Joshua Wooden taught his four sons the value of hard work, having them assist tending crops and livestock and then reading them poetry and scriptures every night by coal lamp.

When John Wooden finished eighth grade, his father gave him a card with a seven-point creed on it that included such tenets as “Be True to yourself” and “Make each day your masterpiece.” Wooden later used those philosophies in coaching and kept a copy of the card in his pocket the rest of his life.

It’s ironic that Wooden forged a career for himself in basketball because baseball was actually always his favorite sport. The Indiana native split much of his free time between a baseball diamond amid the cornfields and a hoop nailed to the hayloft, wisely choosing to pursue basketball when he blossomed into a three-time all-state selection at Martinsville High School.

After leading Purdue to a national title and becoming the first college player ever to be named a three-time all-American in 1932, Wooden married longtime girlfriend Nell and began his professional life as a high school coach and English teacher. He amassed a 218-42 record at Central High in South Bend before breaking into the college ranks as coach at Indiana State in 1946.

Two successful seasons at Indiana State caught the eye of more prominent programs, but Wooden and his wife desired to stay in the Midwest. His intention was to accept the coaching job at the University of Minnesota in 1948, but when a snowstorm prevented Minnesota’s athletic director from getting to the phone to offer him the position by a stipulated deadline, Wooden snapped up UCLA’s offer instead.

“If fate had not intervened, I would never have gone to UCLA,” Wooden once said.

Despite a handful of league championships during Wooden’s first 13 years in Westwood, his UCLA teams received more publicity for their unusual up-tempo style of play than for their modest success. Bill Russell’s San Francisco teams and Pete Newell’s Cal teams dominated 1950s basketball on the West Coast, relegating the Bruins to second-tier status in the region.

The pendulum swung in UCLA’s favor in the early 1960s when Wooden landed talented recruits Walt Hazzard, Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson and introduced the full-court zone press that later became one of his trademarks. The Bruins didn’t start a single player taller than 6-foot-5 in 1963-64, but they outran all their opponents, rolling to a 30-0 season and Wooden’s first national title.

The next 11 years brought more championships, more elite recruits and more attention for Wooden, but former players insist his meticulous approach and homespun charm never wavered. He still taught his players how to wear their socks and tie their shoelaces to avoid blisters. He still kept notes detailing every minute of practice. He still forbade players from dunking or showing off on the court. And he still ran workouts that were more physically demanding for his team than most games.

“That was one of the secrets to our success,” said Greg Lee, a three-year starter during the Bruins’ 88-game win streak. “For a little more than a decade, we had the best basketball players, the hardest practices and a phenomenal coach, and we were tough to beat.”

The abrupt end of Wooden’s coaching career came as a surprise to all but his closest confidants. As exuberant UCLA players piled into the locker room at San Diego Sports Arena after a thrilling overtime victory over Louisville at the 1975 Final Four, Wooden gathered the team together and informed them the national title game would be his finale. It was initially silent in the locker room after Wooden’s announcement, but starting point guard Andre McCarter challenged his teammates to make certain their coach went out on top two nights later against Kentucky. Heavy underdogs against a formidable Wildcats team that featured significantly more size and depth than UCLA, the inspired Bruins took McCarter’s words to heart, eking out a 92-85 victory despite only playing six players.

“It was almost beyond a Hollywood moment,” said McCarter, who had 14 assists in the national title game. “To win the game and send coach out a winner, it felt like Muhammad Ali after he won the championship. We just shut people up.”

Wooden’s devout faith, attention to detail and aversion to drinking or swearing are well-chronicled, but one reason for his success that often gets overshadowed by his clean-cut image was his ability to relate to players of all backgrounds. Johnson said he viewed Wooden as an “otherworldly, godlike figure” when he signed with UCLA in 1973, but the Los Angeles native’s perception changed when he realized he could relate to his coach’s sense of humor.

Johnson was at the pool hall one day during his sophomore year when Wooden spotted him, walked through the door in his usual blue sweater and gray slacks and proceeded to take the pool cue from his star player’s hands. Wooden then proceeded to run off eight balls in a row before exiting the room without a word, leaving Johnson in slack-jawed disbelief.

Years later, Johnson got another taste of his former coach’s wry sense of humor while reliving the 1975 title game while on a flight home from an award show in New York. Johnson told Wooden he didn’t believe he played 28 minutes in that game, so Wooden responded, “Well, the way you were playing, you weren’t the only one who didn’t realize you were on the court for 28 minutes.”

“He was just real good with those quips,” Johnson chuckled. “It made him human. It put him down on our level as players. To me that was a big thing. It felt like almost a badge of honor when he would cut on you like that.”

None of the eight UCLA coaches who have followed in Wooden’s footsteps have approached his level of sustained success, but shades of his influence and philosophies are nonetheless visible in many of them.

Ben Howland grew up in Santa Barbara watching UCLA basketball in the 1960s, refers to himself as the caretaker of Wooden’s program and shares the former coach’s religious conviction and relentless minute-to-minute preparation. Steve Lavin still calls Wooden a mentor and often jokes that he consumed the ex-coach’s favorite breakfast more often after coming to UCLA in hopes that it would make him more Wooden-like in all facets of life.

Brad Holland shares Lavin’s and Howland’s reverence for Wooden, but the former University of San Diego coach got to know him earlier in life.

The last player Wooden ever recruited to Westwood, Holland recalls feeling “awed and intimidated” when the legendary UCLA coach showed up at his home to offer him a scholarship during his senior year. Holland never played for Wooden because of his sudden retirement that year, but the two stayed in touch, often sharing breakfast at one of Wooden’s favorite spots near his Encino home.

“Every time I ever had the opportunity to talk to coach or hear him speak, I always felt like I went away a better person,” Holland said. “I always felt inspired. You felt good about yourself and about the world. You felt like you could sort of do anything after you spent time with him. He was that inspirational.”

Wooden is survived by his son James Hugh Wooden, daughter Nancy Anne Muehlhausen, seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Also in mourning today are numerous former UCLA players who considered him family.

From Bill Walton, to Swen Nater, to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, many ex-Bruins regularly kept in touch with Wooden throughout the final years of his life, reliving old memories over the phone or over a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon and eggs. They’re saddened at the thought of losing him yet uplifted by the notion that he didn’t fear death and often expressed hope it would reunite him with his late wife Nell, who died of cancer on March 21, 1985.

Health permitting, Wooden has paid homage to Nell on the 21st of every month, visiting her grave and then writing a love letter to her, placing it in an envelope and adding it to a stack of similar letters on the pillow where she once slept. Everything in Wooden’s condo – the photos on the wall, the pillows on the bed and even some of the clutter in the living room – is exactly how Nell left it a quarter-century ago.

“This is a tough time for everybody who loves Coach Wooden, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that for him, in his spiritual belief, death means he’s reunited with his beloved Nell,” Johnson said. “I’m sure he’d take a considerable amount of solace in that.”

Comment by Tawnette Fulton- Gilbert on April 14, 2010 at 2:08pm

Honor,
Glad to know you are a Laker and Dodger FAN!
Tawnette (72)

Comment by Phoebe Macon on April 13, 2010 at 4:47am

(From the 1975 Yearbook)

(From the 1973 Yearbook)

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