Tuesday, July 03, 2007 Sayson: The Big Ticket turns into the Big Tease By Homer Sayson Second Overtime
CHICAGO – He was rumored to have migrated to Los Angeles, where the shine of his All-Star would share the limelight with Kobe Bryant, the alpha Laker of this decade.
Deprived of playoffs action this summer, the Lakers’ fans were giddy with anticipation. After two summers of searching, they hoped Kobe had found the 2 to his sensational 1-man act.
He ain’t a Shaq, that’s for sure. But 6-foot-11 Kevin Garnett is among the best of the very few remaining big men in today’s fastbreak-oriented, perimeter-happy NBA. With him and Kobe, the West will get tougher. And wilder.
Unfortunately, the Lakers didn’t have enough valuable trading pieces to supplant KG from Minnesota. And just like the white rabbit in that oft-woven magic act, the KG to LA deal went puff and vanished in a blink of an eye.
Phoenix was the other one of KG’s widely-speculated destinations last week. KG becoming a Sun can only be summed up with one word — wow.
Imagine the Suns with KG at power forward, Amare Stoudemire at center, and Shawn Marion at small forward. Add to the potent mix a facilitator such as Steve Nash, the wickedly good ex-MVP, who makes assists even in his sleep.
Amazing, isn’t it? You can now wipe that drool in your mouth.
Unfortunately, this four-team deal was too complicated. Indiana didn’t get too thrilled, so was Boston, while Atlanta simply hesitated. In the end, the Garnett to Phoenix plan got killed like the proposed Charter Change.
After having dispatched the high-flying and high-scoring Jason Richardson to Charlotte last Thursday night, the Warriors are now actively pursuing Garnett. Talks between the two teams are incredibly serious, said Mark Heisler of the LA Times.
This deal is likely to fall through, too. Minnesota is asking for Andris Biedrins, but Golden State won’t part with their energizer bunny of a center and is offering Al Harrington instead.
The Warriors might also ask KG to waive his $6.5 million trade kicker. Ain’t gonna happen. After agreeing to a pay cut a few seasons ago, when the Wolves signed Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, I don’t think KG will surrender that much cash.
Even after all those failed plots, Garnett is still a trade waiting to happen. Right now, though, KG, the superstar known as The Big Ticket, is all but a Big Tease.
GETTING OLD. I don’t know if the place still exists, but when I was younger, I used to go there almost every day to exercise and lift small weights.
The place was called the Sto Niño gym, a fitness center, which stood near the heart of Colon Street. It was few doors away from Snow Sheen Restaurant, and a few steps from the lovable but now dismantled Regent Theater.
It felt wonderful to work-out. Drenched in a river of my own sweat, I could feel those endorphins flowing freely in my day, gently washing away the stress.
Back then, my tummy was as flat as an iron board, while my muscles were as stiff as a traffic fine.
But those years have long since left me. These days, I only sweat when I open the credit card bills, or when I go to a Shell station and pump gasoline worth $3.79 a gallon.
In my youth’s prime, I weighed only 126 pounds, a small bite over super featherweight. One bad marriage and three kids later, I’m a stout 154 pounds, which means I’ve ballooned into a junior middleweight.
I now labor tying my shoelaces. I get winded navigating even a modest flight of stairs. And oh, my stomach looks like it’s carrying a full-blown fetus.
Enough already. I turned 39 yesterday, July 2. And as a birthday wish, I resolve to lose weight. I’ll still eat, but not like King Farouk. I’ll still drink Rum, but not like a sailor.
Not anymore. Hopefully.
Life begins at 40. And I intend to be ready by then.
