During one of the Lakers’ three increasingly desperate timeouts in the fourth quarter, Karl simply told his players, “Get the ball to Sleepy.”
Tag Archives: Magic Johnson
James Worthy: Steady Star in a Glitzy Town, 1991
Over the past five seasons, Worthy has firmly—if unspectacularly—established himself as one of the NBA’s top forwards.
Ralph Sampson: Why He Can’t Be a Winner in Houston, 1986
The fact is that while Sampson may stand 7-4, his game has never been that of a traditional low-post center.
Jamaal Wilkes: The Silent Assassin, 1980
Wilkes is basketball’s version of Perry Como, the velvet singer whose trademark was the epitome of ultra-relaxed, super-casual, laidback stage presence. Wilkes comes across the same way, on and off the court.
NBA Rebels: Are They Worth the Trouble? 1995
On national television, Charles Barkley kicks in folding chairs, Scottie Pippen throws them. And these furniture guys are the Jordan Heirs?
Larry Bird: Bird is Still the Word, 1991
But whether the final curtain on Bird’s show comes down after one, two, or five more years, he’s certain to retire to Indiana duly cast as Larry the Legend.
Michael Cooper: Two for Coop, 1980
By the time Cooper was a senior, his game had done a 180. He couldn’t wait to get back on defense. Offense was like a coffee-shop meal; he couldn’t wait to get it over with.
Tim Hardaway: Crosses Over to the NBA Elite, 1991
lready, learned observers are starting to ease him into the NBA point guard pantheon with Magic, Isiah, Kevin Johnson, and John Stockton.
Earvin Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How the Magic Really Works, 1981
When the Lakers boarded the plane for the flight to Philadelphia, Magic sat in the front row, left aisle—the seat usually occupied by Abdul-Jabbar. Magic looked back at Westhead and said, “Guess you have a new Big Fella, Coach.”
Maurice Cheeks: Still Going Strong, 1988
Maurice Cheeks, at 30, is suddenly the oldest Sixer, even if he does not feel it. He is a leader, even if he does not want to be one. He is a spokesman, even though he usually prefers to say little.
From Way Downtown 