One more obstacle still needs to be overcome
By Joe K
With the NBA Finals scheduled to start tomorrow night, many Laker fans are wondering how Andrew Bynum will stop Dwight Howard and whether Lamar Odom will even show up for Game 1. But there are still several concerns facing this team outside of simple basketball x’s and o’s. One little thing called the Curse of Chick Hearn.
While not as famous as the Curse of the Billy Goat or the Madden Cover Jinx, the Curse of Chick Hearn has been inflicted upon the Laker franchise for the past seven years, and during the span, LA has failed to win one NBA championship.
For all of those unaware, up until 2002, Chick Hearn was the only play-by play announcer in Laker history and kept radio listeners and television viewers entertained for over 42 years. During that span, he witnessed all 9 Los Angeles Laker championships and called well over 3,500 consecutive games. The man, who coined the terms air-ball, dribble-drive, and slam dunk, became a celebrated figure in Southern California for the many years he was behind the mic.
But his tragic death in 2002, brought unintended consequences to the Laker franchise. It cursed them. Don’t ask me why or how, but something hasn’t been right in the Paul Sunderland/Joel Myers era. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at history:
May 15, 2003: In their quest for a 4th consecutive NBA title, the Lakers lose in six games to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs.
Summer 2003: The Lakers sign Karl Malone and Gary Payton and appear to be a lock for the NBA title. However, it takes a backseat to the fact that Kobe is arrested on sexual assault charges…
Robert Horry leaves the Lakers and signs with the Spurs.
2003-2004: Karl Malone misses 39 regular season games after suffering a devastating knee injury, which later haunts him in the playoffs
June 15, 2004: Despite being heavily favored, the Lakers fall to the Detroit Pistons in 5 games and the franchise begins to take a nose dive.
Summer 2004: Phil writes his tell-all book The Last Season, chronicling the frustrations of coaching a start-studded but egotistical team. The book just happens to coincide with his retirement from coaching and departure from the Laker franchise…
Shaquille O’Neal is traded but not for a known All-Star such as Dirk Nowitzki or Richard Jefferson, but for three average players Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant…
Kobe signs a max deal to stay in LA, but the contract takes up so much salary cap space that it’s nearly impossible to sign another free agent.
2004-2005: Rudy T resigns as the team’s head coach after just 41 games due to health concerns. The fact that the team was out of the playoff hunt might have been another reason as well. In his absence, assistant Frank Hamblin takes over the reigns and the team winds up finishing with a 34-48 record. The Lakers end up missing the playoffs for the first time in over 10 years.
June 15, 2005: Phil Jackson returns to the team.
Summer 2005: Mitch Kupchak trades Caron Butler, arguably the most valuable player in the Shaquille O’Neal deal, to the Wizards for the biggest draft bust in NBA history, Kwame Brown. In the years since, Caron Butler has become an All-Star in Washington and Kwame is still incapable of catching a simply pass.
May 2006: With the 7th seeded Lakers taking a 3-1 lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs, they lose three consecutive times to the Phoenix Suns. Instead, they watch the Clippers advance to the second round, as they head out on multiple deep sea fishing trips.
May 2007: Instead of building upon a near first-round victory a year earlier, the Lakers once again lose to the Phoenix Suns in the first-round of the playoffs.
Summer 2007: On Steve A. Smith’s radio show, Kobe Bryant demands a trade and states that he would rather play on Pluto, in its post-planet era…
A videotape is released on the internet in which Kobe Bryant criticizes teammate Andrew Bynum and general manager Mitch Kupchak. So much for bonding over the summer months…
Owner Jerry Buss is arrested for a DUI. My guess is that he was probably just leaving the Playboy mansion
June 17, 2008: Despite acquiring all-star center Pau Gasol from Memphis and being hailed as the future champions by most ESPN personalities and sports writers, the Lakers fall to the Boston Celtics in six games. The 39-point margin of victory in Game 6 is the largest ever in an NBA championship-clinching game
Something doesn’t seem quite right here. I’ve never been a major believer in curses, but it does seem as if the Lakers have had a major case of bad luck.