September 24, 2020

 

I have to tell you.  Working both “Inside the NBA” and the game itself during the conference finals is actually pretty nice.  Sure, we are on camera a lot longer than normal but it is entertaining listening to what goes on before the show as well as the broadcast.  While we were preparing to go on the air for the pre-game show Ernie Johnson requested the audio technician to play the song Strawberry Letter 23 by the Brothers Johnson.  That song was super popular in the early eighties and I think it still sounds great today.  Anyway, while the music was playing Ernie was rocking in his seat waiting for the rest of the cast to get on set.  But then Ernie started singing the song.  That dude has a great voice.  He hit every note that he sang while moving to the rhythm in his chair.  I had no idea that he could sing that well as his speaking voice doesn’t imply that he would be able to carry a tune so nicely and easily.  That was entertainment folks.

Once the “Inside the NBA” show was on the air, the usual banter between the four first dealt with basketball but eventually veered to the recent decision in Louisville to not charge the officers with, at the least, manslaughter.  Shaq, Kenny, and Charles all spoke passionately about the situation each attempting to provide commentary from both sides of the story.  Yes, Breonna was shot dead in her apartment and it was a tragic death, yet Charles pointed out that her boyfriend had fired at the police resulting in retaliatory gunfire by the officers.  He stated clearly that this situation was dramatically different than the George Floyd incident, where an officer drove his knee into the neck of the victim for over eight continuous minutes resulting in the death of Mr. Floyd.  I found the conversation intriguing as of them presented a very balanced version of the two events.  Will we ever know the real truth about the circumstances surrounding the death of Miss Taylor?  Probably not but I give Shaq, Kenny, and Charles credit for providing a very balanced commentary. 

Game four of the Western Conference finals proved that the two best teams were playing for the title of the conference. If the Lakers pulled ahead to a comfortable lead the Nuggets would come right back and get back in it.  With each possession my heart sank when Denver scored yet pumped faster with every Lakers bucket.  I saw the finish line up ahead and wanted this series finished in five.

Los Angeles is a victory away from returning to the NBA Finals and only another comeback from three to one down by the Denver can stop them. What has me concerned is the Nuggets have come back from being down three to one the previous two series they won and they are very capable of doing that again. The Lakers have sixteen championships, one behind Boston for the most in NBA history, but they haven't played for one since winning their most recent title in 2010. It’s hard to believe it had been a decade since Los Angeles won an NBA title.

 

LeBron James had the words "We want justice" written next to Breonna Taylor's name on his sneaker. Our camera crew was quick to grab a shot of his shoe during warmups and the game.  Adorning one’s sneakers is a common tactic employed by the players during this restart to express personal feelings about various topics.  Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the news a day earlier that a Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for the Black woman's shooting death hit the players hard.

"It's heartbreaking, and you know, there's really no silver lining to it. It's a reminder of, it's not just, it's hard for Breonna Taylor, her family, and everybody that was invested in this," Vogel said. "But it's just a reminder of all the other acquittals when unarmed black men are being killed, and it's just something that's hit us hard. Just a reminder that, you know, how important it is for all of us to vote and to be educated on all the potential police reform bills that are out there, and just play our part and do everything we can to help affect change."

During our post-game interview with LeBron our reporter asked him about the decision from the grand jury in Louisville. His response was emotional as he has been one of the more vocal, and most attacked, spokesperson from the NBA regarding social injustice and the desire for change.  At the conclusion of the interview he turned away from the camera to walk off the court.  The angle that made air was him walking away, showing him from the rear.  My camera, located on the opposite side of the court, witnessed him wiping away sweat from his face and perhaps a tear or two from his eyes.  His interview was emotional and very well spoken.  No hate, no anger, just emotion and a desire for better days ahead.

We didn’t have a game again tomorrow so we gathered by the pool for a few cocktails and conversation.  The setting was strange as the only people by the pool were us.  The crowds had left the resort and the numbers that remained were minimal.  We started taking about our strong desire to go home, to see our families and to get back to a somewhat regular environment.  But then, almost at once, we expressed how much we are going to miss this bubble.  Regardless how much we may want to get out of here there was something we all felt that we were going to miss when it was all over for us.  I felt strange expressing my opinion, especially because I am probably the most vocal about getting finished here.  But it was an honest emotion.  Some part of me is going to miss this experience that had grown on me.  I will miss the lagoon, the fitness center, the food that I often complain about, the down time, the whiffle ball, the pickle ball, the closer friendships I had made with my co-workers and the newly acquired friendships I had discovered. I will look back at the games from the WWOS complex, the hot walks in the Orlando sun, the laundry being delivered each Tuesday, the daily testing rituals, the rocket launches, and realize that all of that wasn’t that bad at all.  It was a blessing. And all of it will be missed yet remembered fondly.