Checking out the Gators
Tracy McGrady said he was little surprised at what he saw in Gainesville when he went to watch the Florida/Kentucky basketball game Tuesday night. Amazingly, it was the first major college basketball game he had watched in person. McGrady, who is from Auburndale, went directly from high school into the NBA. He went to the game with teammate Mike Miller, who played at Florida. "It looked a little easy, but I guess I wouldn't really know," McGrady said. "It's just a different game, but basketball is basketball." McGrady admitted that he didn't spend all his time watching the game. "I was looking for [actress and Kentucky graduate] Ashley Judd," he joked.
Dissing Horace Grant
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers couldn't resist getting in a dig on Horace Grant, who missed the game with an intestinal flu that kept him in bed Wednesday night. Grant played last season for the Lakers, but he left as a free agent to sign with the Magic for his final NBA season. Grant would have been guarding Shaquille O'Neal if he had played. Someone in the Lakers' locker room wrote a note on the chalkboard that normally is used for diagramming plays: ?Where's Horace?'' was written in big letters. Then in small letters: ?Shaq-arreha.'' Shaq is 7 feet 1 and an estimated 360 pounds.
Magic Coach Doc Rivers, after watching O'Neal have his way against the Magic around the basket, said he wished that Grant would have at least tried to play. ?You're always disappointed [when someone can't play]. If you're sick, you are sick,'' Rivers said. ?But at least show up and give it a go. It hurt us without him out there.''
Dr. Phil gives diagnosis
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers couldn't resist getting in a dig on Horace Grant, who missed the game with an intestinal flu that kept him in bed Wednesday night. Grant played last season for the Lakers, but he left as a free agent to sign with the Magic for his final NBA season. Grant would have been guarding Shaquille O'Neal if he had played. Someone in the Lakers' locker room wrote a note on the chalkboard that normally is used for diagramming plays: "Where's Horace?" was written in big letters. Then in small letters: "Shaq-arreha."
Taking on Shaq
Even if Grant would have played, Magic Coach Doc Rivers knew he would have major problems trying to defend Shaq, the most dominating big man in basketball history. The 7-1 O'Neal weighs an estimated 360 pounds, and has led the Lakers to back-to-back titles. "I liken him to a giant," Rivers said. "And everyone else is an ant. You could put a bigger or smaller ant on him. And it won't really matter."
Bryant: We're not bored
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant didn't exactly agree with the assessment of Rivers, who said the Lakers looked "bored" at times during their recent slump, but he didn't dispute it either. The two-time defending champions started the season with a 16-1 record, but they came into Wednesday night's game playing just .500 basketball in the previous 10 games. "After winning a couple titles, maybe we've tried skip a step, overlook a step, along the way this time," Bryant said. "But we're not bored. I love the game too much for that."