You could see it on his face. Frustration, embarrassment, fatigue. Rudy Tomjanovich resigned yesterday afternoon as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. During the press conference it was apparent the decision to do so was difficult. It was obvious by looking at his eyes as he spoke, the tone of his voice. Coaches quit all the time, but this one is different because it's sad to see someone who considers the words "giving up" meaningless and who loves basketball so much, walking away from the game.
While Tomjanovich said the reasons are health-related, it is obvious he underestimated the challenges and expectations awaiting him in Tinseltown.
Among the whirlwind of drama that is the Lakers, it's obvious Shaquille O'Neal's departure was the catalyst to the franchise's fall from grace. An infamous criminal trial, a Zen master looking for the nearest sand garden, a missing Glove and a questionable comment about a hunting trip are but a few things that still lingered at the Staples Center around the time Tomjanovich started the job. Simply put, there is no coach that could have cleaned up after that mess. (Watch more hoops if you don't know who the heck I'm talking about.)
The Show Must Go On
Now the search is on to find a replacement. According to Marc Stein and Ric Bucher of ESPN, UConn coach Jim Calhoun is on the list of candidates to replace Tomjanovich. Stein notes, however, Calhoun recently signed a six-year contract extension (with a price tag that easily could be put toward a down payment on a Third World country) with UConn. In other words, Stein's breaking news is as worthless and insignificant as his weekly power ranking. Don't get me started on his choice for MVP.
After a mediocre season, look for the Lakers to make a serious move in the off-season for Larry Brown, Del Harris (no joke) and Phil Jackson, if he passes up on the Knicks. Even Pat Riley is in the mix. The list, sans Brown, sounds more like the Lakers are attempting to outdo the "Happy Days" reunion.
The Kin of the Ugly Cousin
If the Atlantic Division is the worst in the league, that would make the Southwest Division the prettiest-and the toughest. Look at the numbers and it makes perfect sense. The Southwest is the only division where all teams but one (the Hornets) are above .500. This time last year, it was the now-divided Midwest division who had every team with a winning record. Now with the merging of Memphis, the Texas trio and the Hornets, a trip through the Barbecue Belt can result with maybe two wins if a team is lucky. I'm not too worried about the Hornets though, the Louisiana Delta will eventually swallow the Big Easy and make them go away.
daniel.reyes@uconn.edu
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