Everything Not So Zen

Phil Jackson, coach of the NBA Los Angeles Lakers after losing Game 2 to the Boston Celtics in the Finals (click here):

"I'm more struck by the fact that Leon Powe gets more foul shots than our whole team does in (Powe's) 14 minutes of play," Jackson said, even mispronouncing the Celtic forward's name to add insult to his 13-10 free throw edge. "That's ridiculous."

As I see it, 2002 was not that long ago when the shoe was on the other foot, the Lakers going on to win the championship via the Sacramento Kings. The series included a controversial Game 6 where the Kings had a substantial lead that was sure to clinch the Western Conference title. Instead, the Lakers managed to step up to the free-throw line 27 times in the fourth quarter alone. Listen, Los Angeles is a big consumer market and this was a well-publicized rivalry that it would be a lucrative move to extend the playoff to a full seven games. Yeah, I'm still whining... just like the Zen Master is doing now.

What goes around comes around, so they say.