“I will promise you that I will work my fanny off.” That quote
from Jerry West was his way of introducing himself to the horde of media and
VIP types gathered at The Peabody to welcome him as president of basketball
operations for the Memphis Grizzlies. You have to like a guy who earns a
multimillion-dollar salary and can use the word “fanny” in a sentence.
West quickly proved true to his word when he hopped on a jet for
Chicago some 18 hours later to evaluate the talent at the NBA pre-draft workout.
When denied a private look-see at the highly touted 7’5″ Chinese center
Yao Ming, West appeared ready to tackle the Chinese officials by wondering aloud
if they were trying to steer their human currency to cities with large
Chinese populations. Of course, that would mean bigger endorsements and a bigger
payday for the Chinese, because they collect almost half of everything Ming
earns. West was clear that if he felt Ming could help the Grizzlies and if he is still
available at draft time, he would call his name, saying he didn’t think a team should be
blackmailed.
It’s no wonder NBA insiders are now looking at the Grizzlies as though they are
a real basketball team. West said he was not the messiah, and he isn’t. But he is
respected and feared by those who compete against him.
Fox Sports Net NBA analyst Jack Haley told SportsPlus 790 WMC, “No disrespect
to Memphis, but before Jerry West, the Grizzlies weren’t a factor.” He added, “Today, you
have to respect them and expect that they have now become a factor.”
It’s possible the Chinese government will learn just how big a factor and how
much respect West deserves next month when NBA commissioner David Stern says, “The
Memphis Grizzlies are on the clock.”
Flyers A source close to the bidding
process to bring the TSSAA Spring Fling to Memphis is telling the
Flyer the deal is done, despite the fact no one is confirming it.
Tiffany Brown of the Memphis Sports Authority would only say she felt confident
their proposal was more than adequate to beat Chattanooga, Jackson, and Nashville.
TSSAA director Ronnie Carter denied that any city had an advantage over the
other but did say Memphis’ offer was attractive. Carter said his staff has only reached
the venue-evaluation stage and nothing would be final until the bids were presented June
3rd through 5th. The Spring Fling features an estimated 5,000 high school athletes and as
many as 30,000 fans during the annual event.
Brown said the event “would surpass
the SEC and the C-USA tournaments as far as economic benefits are concerned.”
Memphis’ offer is worth $125,000. Chattanooga paid $50,000 last year.
Ramblings If the U of M’s Antonio
Burks and Chris Massie are guilty of violating the NCAA extra-benefits rule, who is to
blame? The media for bringing the matter up or the players for committing the violation?
U of M signee Rodney Carney was named
The Indianapolis Star‘s Player of
the Year as a 6’6″ small forward. He averaged 21.5 points per game and 13.5
rebounds. He was quite the track star as well, with
a high-jump record of 6’10”.
If Memphis fans think John Calipari has problems with the media, they
should see what his pal Rick Pitino is going through in Louisville.
Lexington Herald-Leader columnist Mark Story called
the University of Louisville the “U of P,”
or the “University of Pitino,” in a recent story.
Judy Stanley has been named president of the AXA Liberty Bowl for
2002/2003, which means, along with Tiffany Brown, Memphis now has two
women in prominent sports positions. We’ve come a long way.
Memphis can now also boast two of the finest minor-league facilities in
the nation, AutoZone Park and the stadium at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex,
home of the Memphis Mercury and Express. Jim Riggs, general manager of
the CHL champion Memphis RiverKings, is watching his contract expire.
“After winning the title, I would like to have
a chance to build on it,” Riggs said the morning after.
Question: Does the owner of the ‘Kings realize Riggs
is Memphis hockey? Sign him. n
Mull and Void
Should the Grizzlies build a Ming dynasty?
By Chris Przybyszewski
As the playoffs mature and things start getting serious for
NBA 2002, the Grizzlies’ front office is just getting warmed up. Actually,
“warmed up” is too early a phrase, since team
president Jerry West doesn’t know the team’s June 26th draft position.
Instead, the Grizzlies are going through mental preps, like Shaq
sitting in an easy chair and imagining himself shooting 1,000 free throws. (Of
course, he does.) The Grizzlies are officially
mulling. That’s right, mulling. Not to be confused with mullets, which are also
popular in these parts.
One of the Grizzlies’ biggest objects of mullification is Yao Ming, the 7’5″
center from China you might have heard about. By all accounts, Ming has the goods.
The big man can work with either hand, has excellent near-the-basket footwork,
can knock down shots from all over the floor, exhibits a Tim Duncanesque bank shot,
has some passing ability, and is very, very tall. West, in a widely noted quote, said, “For
a guy this size, he can shoot the ball. He has a wonderful feel for the game. This is not
a kid without talent.”
Fair enough. If you overlook Ming’s relative lack of weight, his abysmal
defensive skills, and his unknown durability and mental toughness, the 21-year-old looks
to have the abilities to justify going one or two in the upcoming draft. And the
Grizzlies — if they own that first or second pick — have every right to pick him.
But, at the risk of sounding like a contrarian, ignore for a moment that
Ming could perhaps be a future All-Star or MVP. The truth is that the Grizzlies don’t
need Ming to turn the franchise into a winner.
Ming is not his own player. The Chinese government has made clear that
whichever team takes him will have significant
obligations to the player and must allow near-unheard-of latitude.
The Chinese government — at any time — reserves the right to pull their kid from
the bench. China has already said that Ming must miss some preseason and rookie camps
because he will be training and playing for the
Chinese national team.
So let’s say the Grizzlies have 20 games left in the season and must win 12 or so
to make the playoffs. Ming, unfortunately, has to go and train with his brethren for the
upcoming world basketball trials. What happens if the Grizzlies are in the playoffs
during the 2008 Olympic Games (which are in Beijing)? Will he be in teal and black
during the Grizzlies’ best-of-five with Dallas? Of
course, no one talks of these
ridiculous-sounding scenarios, but the possibility is there.
These complications pale in comparison to Ming’s financial obligations. The Chinese
government gets half his salary. His Chinese team — the Shanghai Sharks — gets a piece of
the remaining 50 percent, and then Ming would have to pay U.S. taxes. Ming won’t have
enough money left for a decent haircut (and we all know where that leads: mullet city).
Money becomes important because Ming will have to play without being
compensated nearly as much as other players of his
stature. Can West inspire Ming to play for 80-plus games a year if he has to go home to an
apartment he shares with three Chinese government assistants?
And, really, the Grizzlies don’t need
Ming. His game resembles Pau Gasol’s in that both rely on a combination of inside and
outside scoring moves and both play matador
defense. Having both on the defensive end of the
floor would be a liability against the Western Conference and its cadre of excellent big men
like Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Shaquille O’Neal. The Grizzlies need a
legitimate center (no offense, Lorenzen Wright, but you need to add four inches and
60 pounds to keep the job).
But the Grizzlies have no salary-cap room and already have an abundance
of too-young talent and dead-weight players. West no doubt appreciates Ming’s
abilities, but he must consider his team’s immediate needs. Using the first or
second pick to get a maybe star and his governmental baggage is a risky move.
I say to Jerry West — like he needs
my advice — grab one of those primo guards like Duke’s Jason Williams or
Memphis transient Dajuan Wagner and then trade some of our own deadwood for
serviceable big men who can get the job done.