Phil Jackson may break bread with Kobe Bryant this week, and here’s what that means to you, dear Warriors fan:
1. A round for the house.
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2. A viable alternative to Comedy Central.
3. Another round for the house.
4. A grin straight from the Smug Brothers catalog.
In the 43 NBA seasons that their respective teams have both been tax-paying residents of the Golden State, there have been precious few opportunities for the average Warriors fan to feel superior to the average Lakers fan. This would be one of them.
Neither team reached the postseason. In the case of the Warriors, it marks the 11th consecutive postseason they have spent hunting, fishing and commissioning their agents to seek a trade.
But the Warriors finished with a flourish and are anxious to begin construction on the 2005-06 season. They are convinced they have everything they need to make significant noise come November–a superstar point guard in Baron Davis, a proven and electric scorer in Jason Richardson, a developing power forward in Troy Murphy, a gaggle of intriguing young Euros and a coach suddenly cast in genteel hues.
We’re not saying the above-mentioned is guaranteed to inspire a return to glory for the Warriors. We’re just saying one can make that argument at this point without risking ridicule or whiplash.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are sifting through the embers of a five-alarm house fire of a season. It began even before it began, with Bryant, the team’s neutron bomb of a superstar in residence, authorizing the trade of Shaquille O’Neal and the departure of Jackson.
It played out in all its ghoulish glory, with a 2-19 hop, skip and trip to the finish line. By virtue of their late-season collapse, the Lakers finished tied for last place in the Pacific Division.
With the Warriors.
Now comes news of a Jackson-Bryant summit.Yeah, that’ll bear fruit.