Story Line to NBA Finals Can Be Tough to Follow

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —  Commissioner David Stern closed his state of the NBA address Tuesday with the worst possible news for Laker fans: “Thanks for coming, and enjoy the games.”

The gameS?

The Lakers were planning on one more game and going home for the parade Friday, but when the commissioner mentioned gameS, I immediately went to the front of the room to see if he was reading from a prepared script. I thought it might include the final score of tonight’s game, and I think it would be kind of fun to get it in the paper for a change before the game starts.

“Excuse me, Commissioner,” I said, “but you said ‘gameS.’ Do you already have it arranged so the series will go beyond Wednesday?”

Stern shook his head as if he had just met the biggest dope in the world. I hope one day he gets the chance to meet San Diego Charger owner Alex Spanos.

“If we arranged things,” Stern said, “we wouldn’t be sitting here 3-0.”

I said, “Excuse me, Commissioner, but unlike the sixth game against Sacramento, maybe the officials didn’t read the script,” and Stern repeated what I said: “Maybe the officials didn’t read the script!”

I took that as a confirmation.

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I ASKED Stern if he was concerned some fans think the NBA is willing to arrange things for TV’s benefit, and in return, I got blah-blah-blah. He must hang around a lot with NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

The double talk was an improvement, however, from the two NBA executives who took off sprinting after Game 6 in Staples Center when I broached the same subject. They must hang around a lot with USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett.

“We try to encourage openness in discussing these things,” Stern said, and I said I had Stu Jackson, his vice president of operations, beating War Emblem by a neck when it looked as if I might try to talk with him.

Stern peered more closely at my nametag, and I think at that moment he had a lot more empathy for some of the athletic officials and athletes in Los Angeles.

“Welcome to the NBA Finals,” he said to me. “It’s good to have you.”

Now if the guy can’t even tell the truth when he says hello to you, how can you believe anything he has to say?

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STERN SAID things could not be better in the NBA at the current time, and if anyone thinks poorly about the way the games are officiated, it’s because they’ve been reading newspaper stories written by uninformed writers.

Since Diane Pucin wasn’t here to defend herself, I argued that most people watch the games on TV and see the shenanigans for themselves. All of a sudden I had the commissioner of the NBA trying to make his case by downplaying the number of people who are watching NBA playoff games. “Let’s see we only had 10 million people watching

One of the NBA’s PR guys interrupted to try to save the commissioner: “David has another commitment and he’s got to run.”

I said, “That’s a poor choice of words,” given my previous experience with fleeing NBA executives, and Stern picked up on it. “I’ve got more time, and I’ll stay and discuss whatever you like.” I’ll say this: He’s got more PR savvy than Tagliabue.

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SO WHAT about the sixth game of the Sacramento series when the officials went out of their way to keep the Lakers on TV? The Nets eliminated the Celtics earlier in the day, and NBC needed a Laker win, or it wasn’t going to have an NBA playoff game Sunday--diminishing the buildup for the Finals. A Laker win gave NBC not only a seventh game, but a sure-fire ratings winner.

“If you watch the videotape of Game 6, there were only two or three bad calls in the whole game,” Stern said, and now I was repeating him in astonishment: “Two or three bad calls in the whole game!” And Stern said, “Three in the fourth quarter ... “

I think if I could have put him under a spotlight and sweated him a little, he’d have given up the officials completely.

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STERN SAID he’s more concerned with coaches criticizing the referees and the influence that has on fans than any concern he has for the way the officials work. “That’s clear from the ruminations I hear from our friends in the media,” he said, and he was looking right at me, and I just wonder if he really considers me a friend.

“Since we know it’s not [a conspiracy], and we know what’s true, it’s a disservice to let some of this go on,” he said.

“Excuse me,” I said, “then why not stop your NBA executives running from the media when they’re asked questions about officiating?”

Stern said he would look into it, and knowing his marketing bent, I could see him promoting a shoe deal appealing to people interested in running from the media. Imagine the business he could do at USC alone.

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AS GOOD as the Lakers are and as bad as the Nets are, this series should end tonight, unless it has to go five or six games.

NBC reportedly needs to reach a fifth game to hit the break-even mark on what they paid for rights fees, and with ratings already down, advertising rebates may be in order if a fifth or sixth game doesn’t save the day.

All I know is the commissioner said: “Enjoy the gameS.”

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from Henry Rosebud:

“There’s no question if Kobe Bryant is going to show up in the jersey of the ‘greatest,’ it will be in Gordie Howe’s jersey. What do you think?”

I was thinking my daughter’s high school jersey. That’s the only way he’s ever going to look like a great three-point shooter.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at [email protected].