The news is just too sad to even think about. How can Chuck Daly be gone? It seems like just yesterday when Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas were wearing those ever so short shorts and winning back to back titles with Chuck Daly keeping everyone happy as the coach.

This story hits home for me after just recovering from cancer myself.

Coach of the Bad Boys and yet a good guy all the time

And his hair was perfect…

And his hair was perfect. Every time I think about Chuck Daly, I think about that old song lyric. Chuck coming down the tunnel, nodding just before going out, and his hair was perfect. Chuck charging down the sidelines, screaming “GIMME A BREAK!” and his hair was perfect. Chuck speeding through a shopping mall, fingering the suits, Chuck grinning through a TV interview, Chuck wearing Armani or Hugo Boss, and his hair — wavy, thick, blown back like a Roman statesman’s — was perfect. It gave him the image of a man in control, always coiffed, always ready.

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Chuck was the perfect coach for all of the strong ego’s on the Detroit Pistons, be it Bill Laimbeer, Mark Aguirre, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie Johnson, or William Bedford, it did not matter, because Chuck knew how to handle them all.

He used that hunger as a motivator. When the Pistons’ effort weakened, he reminded them endorsement deals weren’t offered to losers. He once famously grabbed a phone from the press table and waved it at a lagging Mark Aguirre, yelling, “Mark! It’s the CBA!” He skipped the bromides about teamwork and spirit. He knew success was the reward, and the reward required work.

Chuck worked. He worried. He could worry the smile off a clown. But he worried funny, if you can do that. He was also as good a manager as you’ll ever meet. He could listen to one player moan, another complain, another whine, and ignore all of them equally. He had one weapon: minutes. He used it artfully, and got five disparate personalities to band together to win a championship in 1989, then came back with an altered cast and did it again in 1990.

Maybe it can be summed up by Isiah Thomas and Charles Barkley.

“He was a mentor, a father figure, someone we all looked up to in everything he did. I can’t explain in words how much he gave me as a player and a man. This is an immeasurable loss for the NBA and the entire basketball world.” — Isiah Thomas, Pistons legend who now coaches at Florida International.

“I never understood how a great man, a nice guy coached the Bad Boys.” — Charles Barkley, who played on the Dream Team under Daly.
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Photo source Newscom

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First off, Merry Christmas to everyone. If you don’t celebrate Christmas then just know that some good cheer is coming your way from me. Can you feel it?

Sometimes it is so much fun writing this stuff and other times life is really busy and it becomes hard. It is you readers that make it fun.

This past year, your intrepid author fought off cancer and survived. The cancer was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the cure involved chemo and radiation therapy. Missed a whole year of my day job and yet kept on blogging with a lot of help from a lot of people including B5media. Special mention to Kori Ellis, my blogging boss and Dave Kindervater the other football blogger at EMQB.

Kori writes a cool Fantasy Football blog called Fantasy Kickoff.

They are just two of the many B5 media bloggers and employees that helped out this past year.

Can’t let this blog end without mentioning my two sport talk friends Art and RonB. They are constantly bringing stories to my attention that just have to come out. Thanks Art and RonB.

The year is ending with my broken ring finger on the mend. Oh, yes, fell off a ladder at 3 feet in the air and somehow managed to break my finger. Do you know how hard it is to type with a broken finger? It takes twice as long.

There is a lot to be thankful for in my life and wanted everyone to know it.

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Wayman Tisdale was the second pick of the draft by the Indiana Pacers and the big lefty had a great career.

Tisdale averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds for his NBA career. The 6′ 9″ forward averaged over 25 points per game in college.

He also played for the Kings and the Suns. With the Kings, Wayman had a 3 year stint where he averaged over 19 points per game.

first learned he had cancerous cyst below his right knee after he broke his leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2007.

Tisdale, now an award-winning jazz musician, underwent treatment and later had knee replacement surgery and resumed touring. Tisdale was still undergoing chemotherapy when he told the AP in June that “I feel better than ever. I’m excited. I’ve got a whole new look on life. I look at life on a whole ‘nother radar.”

…On his Web site, Tisdale said removing a portion of the leg would be the best way to ensure that the cancer would not return.

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Wayman retired to become a professional jazz musician.

Check out this YouTube of Wayman Tisdale playing and discussing his jazz album Way Up.

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Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan take turns rubbing Tony Parkers head. It is said to contain large quantities of good luck!

Image details: Phoenix Suns v San Antonio Spurs, Game 5 served by picapp.com

Hey, Chris Paul was amazing with 35 points and 9 assists, but it was not enough as San Antonio managed to win game 3 of the Western Conference second round series.

San Antonio Spurs 110, New Orleans Hornets 99

For San Antonio it involved getting a little more physical and hitting some big shots in the fourth quarter, especially by Manu Ginobili.

Ginobili, the league’s top sixth man, started for the first time this postseason and led a Spurs charge early in the final quarter. Left alone, he hit a wide-open 3 and was fouled by Bonzi Wells, who scrambled at him to guard the shot. Ginobili’s free throw put San Antonio up 87-82, and another 3 by Ginobili 38 seconds later made it 90-84. source

Home teams are 10 – 0 in the second round of the playoffs. Hey, why doesn’t this seem boring?

Admit it, you thought the New Orleans Hornets were a lot of fun with Chris Paul and David West, but when they faced San Antonio they would be goners. Tim Duncan would show them how real playoff basketball was played. It has not turned out that way. (Squibster note: count me just as guilty.)

Now we have a series and game 4 may decide everything. If the Spurs win, their confidence will be back in full swing and you never want to do that to a traditional powerhouse like San Antonio. If the Spurs lose, the Hornets have 2 out of the next 3 games at home. Ouch!

Chris Paul for President! Wait a minute; he did not even win the MVP award. How is that possible? Oh, there was that Kobe Bryant guy. He is pretty good too. But Chris is playing better than Barack Obama and we do want change, don’t we? Forget MVP, Chris Paul for President! He is a better choice than Ron Paul. Chris Paul has a way better crossover move than Ron Paul.

No troubles in San Antonio

It was a strange sight to see.

The San Antonio Spurs’ Big Three congregated around the scorer’s table during a timeout in the fourth quarter, not long before they put the game away for good. Tim Duncan patted Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. They all laughed. The NBA’s defending champions were not going into an 0-3 hole against the New Orleans Hornets. source

Going down 3 games to nothing would have pretty much finished the Spurs. They may have won a game for respect, but that would be it. Mentally, being down 3 – 0 is just too much.

Parker and Ginobili both had 31 and Duncan had a monster game of 16 points and 13 assists.

David West came back for the Hornets with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

So all the stars did well!

Cancer side note

Your intrepid author is fighting cancer, so this story really hit home.

Paul’s shoes read “Brian!” in white lettering in honor of an 8-year-old fan with cancer who was set to attend Monday’s Game 2 but missed it with a fever and died hours later. “To the family, I’m terribly sorry,” Paul said after the game. “I’m just happy I could honor Brian tonight by putting his name on my shoes. It has to be the most touching story I’ve had as a professional athlete.” source

Knowing the slew of emotions my own family has gone through; my heart really goes out to Brian’s family. 8 is much too young to pass on.

Game 4 in San Antonio

The Spurs have to figure out a way to slow down Paul or stop David West if they plan on winning this series.

Meanwhile, the Hornets cannot allow Parker and Ginobili to both get off for 31. That is a sure recipe for disaster.

Game 4 should be a good one!

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Post from: NBA Obsessed

Dallas is hanging by a thread.

19 games after trading twice for Jason Kidd, the Mavericks are 10 – 9 in those games, but have zero victories against winning teams. Zero.

Now they are missing Dirk Nowitzki with leg and ankle injuries.

How ironic they had to face the Nuggets, the very team that may put them out of the playoffs. The Nuggets are the 9th team in an 8 team playoff bracket. They want in, bad!

Allen Iverson can feel it.

Allen Iverson added 31 points for the Nuggets, who are a half-game behind Golden State for the eighth and final playoff spot, and one game behind the Mavericks. The Warriors visit the Pepsi Center on Saturday night for another big matchup.

“That game’s bigger than this game,” suggested Anthony. source

Nene returns

In a rather important side note, Nene returned from his bout with cancer and played.

Your intrepid author is currently fighting cancer and it is an ordeal, believe me. For Nene to step back out on the floor is an inspiration for everyone. You cannot believe how much cancer saps your strength. Not just your physical strength, but your emotional and mental strength as well.

“Everybody was excited to see Nene back out there, just to see him back in his uniform, seeing him smile again after the stuff he’s been through,” said Carmelo Anthony, who scored 32 points and keyed the decisive run in the Nuggets’ fourth straight win.

Nene had been out since Jan. 11, and it’s been just over a month since he underwent chemotherapy.

Chemo wipes you out. Congratulations to Nene. He played for 77 seconds. It could be a long time before he is at full strength.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Is Dallas out of the playoffs without Dirk?

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Post from: NBA Obsessed