SI.com Article - Phil's Last Game

[RGM81]

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/05/0...nnbin&hpt=Sbin

It is true, of course, that one disgusting game should not diminish the long and legendary career of Phil Jackson. It is true, of course, that one meltdown — no matter how complete and degrading — should not make anyone forget how great the Los Angeles Lakers have been the last three years, and really throughout the career of Kobe Bryant. It is true, of course, that random acts of frustrated violence perpetrated by Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum should not take anything away from the brilliance of Bryant or the urbane nature of Pau Gasol or the wonderful class of Derek Fisher.
That said: Is anyone else wondering why the heck the sports world isn’t a bit more outraged by the freak show that happened in Dallas on Sunday? The Lakers — the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers — lost by 36 to get swept by Dallas. They exhibited no pride whatsoever. They quit.
There is nothing whatsoever to admire about quitters, but it is also not especially interesting. Quitting is a pretty common thing in sports. The Lakers probably understood pretty early in this series that they were outmanned by the Mavericks, that Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd — two of the best players in NBA history to never win a championship — were intensely focused and driven, that the Mavs were deeper and more athletic and, frankly, more determined to win. It takes a deep commitment to give anything close to the max in a doomed effort, and the Lakers as a team saw their doom and were unwilling to fight to the end. Hey, they’ve won their championships. Quit happens.
But what doesn’t often happen, at least not so openly, is for a quitting team to go rogue before our very eyes. Usually, quitting is by its nature a passive act.

More at the link above.

[adadas101]

good read, and I completely agree that something needs to be done about Bynum, and his poor sportsmanship, that was utterly ridiculous.

[angel0430]

He is going to get suspended for a couple of games and fined, then he is going to get traded

[shaqattak]

I predict he'll get traded to the Magic along w/someone else, maybe Pau or Odom, for Dwight. I was shocked to see such an idiotic end to that game by those two! One one hand though Phil put on a very good press conference ("First of all, you don't somke Peyote") LOL

[adadas101]

lol yeah that cracked me up, Phil's an awesome guy, one of the few celebrities Id really like to meet.

[Simi Card]

It's particularly sad when you are such a big Lakers fan like I am. And what's worse I have to actually AGREE with what all the Laker haters are saying out there. Never thought that would happen.

[RenegadeLonghorn]

I think Phil may take a year off and then coach the Knicks or Heat starting 12/13 season. He's definitely done as a Laker.