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Monday, September 05, 2005
Sayson: The long way back home to LA for Lew
By Homer Sayson
Second Overtime
CHICAGO – By signing an undisclosed contract last Saturday, Michael Finley is now officially a Spur. That sliver of NBA news spurred a lot of my readers to immediately e-mail their thoughts, some of which will see the light of ink in today’s Q and A session.
Joseph Solis (josephs_degreat@yahoo.com) asked: “What’s your reaction with Finley’s signing with the Spurs and what’s your say of the Lakers hiring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as special assistant coach?”
I have to words on Finley’s migration: Pure joy.
As another reader, ex-Don Bosco Greywolf Hendrell Saliz (hendrellsaliz@yahoo. com), eloquently put it, “the Spurs can really run and gun and shoot lights out from the trifecta zone. It’s also good news to Tiny Tim since the defense extends, leaving him ample room down low.”
While I’m amazed that his employment with the Lakers hadn’t come sooner, I am elated that he has finally come home to L.A.
The 58-year-old Hall-of-Famer played 20 seasons in the NBA, leading the Lakers to five championships in the ’80s, before retiring in 1989 at age 42. A six-time MVP, Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career, breaking a many Celtics heart with every unstoppable sky hook.
A slender 267 pounds in his prime, the 7-foot-2 Jabbar played in 1,560 NBA games, averaging 24.6 points per on 55.9 percent shooting from the field. He also plucked 17,440 rebounds, dished 5,660 assists and swatted 3,189 enemy shots.
The wonder formerly known as Lew Alcindor, Jabbar is a big reason purple-and-gold runs in my blood. He was grace under fire, inarguably one of the best pivots to ever play the game.
Back on Finley, Rex Roland Rallos (rrallos@ yahoo.com) inquired: “What’s your take on this and how will it affect the rotation?”
Depending on the match-ups, Finley’s arrival will eat up some of the playing minutes from Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen and the sometimes up-and-down Manu Ginobili. But if you are Spurs coach Gregg Poppovich, distributing minutes to a bench full of talent is a nice dilemma to have.
Another Finley inquiry comes from Milo S. Arenas (maxpain@yahoo.com): “What lured Finley to the Spurs?”
The chance to win a championship in San Antonio did the trick for Finley. Miami is up there in title contention too, but Finley was enamored with the Spurs, excited at the chance to “help them in areas they need to improve.”
BOHOL WONDER. I’ve received a lot of e-mails asking about Ray “Boob-Boom” Bautista lately. But I can only entertain one today, with a promise that more, if not all, of those other letters will be answered before this week ends.
“If you can’t drop by for a visit at Wild Card gym these days, watch Ray Bautista in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Velasquez fight and judge for yourself how far this guy will go under the guidance of Freddie Roach,” so wrote Paulo Olaer (ppo_2003@yahoo.com), a field supervisor for New Zealand milk.
While covering the Pacquiao-Morales fight last March 19, SGS stable owner and big-time promoter Sammy Gello-ani introduced me to Bautista at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. At that time, Ray was fresh from a sensational knockout win in Hawaii, some feat which he quickly downplayed as baby steps toward a long journey to an aspired greatness.
Ray has nuclear power in both hands, Sammy told me. I believe him, of course, and that’s why I look forward to this Sunday, when “Boom-Boom” makes noise at the Staples Center. After that, I’ll assess the Boholano’s baptism of fire here in the US mainland.
LAST WORDS. After hearing my NBA segment at Y101 via the internet in New Zealand, my pal Raoul Alo wrote: “I’m so happy that I can now listen to your analysis again when you dissect the NBA. It may not seem like much, but just like what Frudo Baggins told Samwise Gamgee in the Two Towers (Lord of the Rings Part 2) when he gave a jar of salt from the shire: ‘it’s special, it’s a piece of home.’”
HAPPY B-DAY MANANG LORY. One of the things that my family is forever thankful for is the fact that we have been blessed with good neighbors through the years. The Becoys, who live directly across the street from our modest abode in Forest Hills, Banawa, are one of those wonderful people.
I mention the Becoys because the matriarch of that closely-knit family, Lorenza, turns a year older today. Manang Lory is 79, but with her kindness, generosity and timeless beauty, she simply refuses to age.
Married to Leopoldo Sr., a CPA, Nang Lory is blessed with six children and many grandchildren, all of whom she cherishes. Happy birthday Manang Lory and may the Lord continue to shower you with the all the graces you deserve.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
(September 5, 2005 issue)
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