From the Sidelines

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 12, 1999

MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 12, 1999

Man, how time flies when you are being ignored.

It seems just like yesterday that the NBA was settling its lockout, a work stoppage that cut the season to 50 games. Maybe that’s because the leaguehas had to take a backseat to the rest of the sports world in the four months since the league resumed play.

The start of the season was overshadowed by the retirement of the sport’s biggest star, Michael Jordan. Just when the NBA was coming out of itsdarkest hour, it had suddenly lost its brightest star.

Then came March Madness. Basketball was indeed on the minds of many asports fan, but it was the college game that had everybody’s attention. Athrill a minute NCAA tournament kept that attention high, culminating in one of the best championship games in recent years.

A week after the Final Four ended, the baseball season began. Baseball,which itself had a work stoppage five short years ago, was coming off a dream season that had brought fans back to the game. Attention was nowon whether the sport could have another such season.

As the basketball season went on, there would be other events to capture the attention of the sports world. The death of Joe DiMaggio. The WorldMatch Play Championships and the Masters in golf. David Duval’sdominance of the PGA Tour and Jeff Gordon’s phenomenal success in auto racing.

As the NBA season came to a close, the time when interest in the league begins to grow, there was Wayne Gretzky announcing his retirement from the NHL. And then in the final week of the season, when the final playoffspots are on the line, it was John Elway’s turn to call it a career. Then therun for horse racing’s Triple Crown got underway with the running of the Kentucky Derby, “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”Now as the playoffs begin, the NBA is looking for a little time for itself.

After all, the regular season is usually just the undercard for the main event anyway, with 16 of the 29 teams making the playoffs.

One of the 13 teams not making the playoffs this year is as big a story as any of the 16 teams that did not. The Jordan-less Chicago Bulls, fresh offthree straight World Championships, have bottomed out, finishing with the worst winning percentage in their history. Instead of gettingmeasurements for another championship ring, the Bulls will spend June deciding whom to select with their lottery pick in the draft.

This was a team that soon after the final confetti had fallen on its championship parade last year had lost coach Phil Jackson, a coach who had only led the team to six world titles.

Not long after Jordan decided to take his game to the golf course, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley and Steve Kerr were shown the door.

When training camps finally opened after the lockout, the new coach Tim Floyd had to cancel his first practice because of a lack of players.

Now that the Chicago dynasty has gone the way of the Ming and the Hapsburg, which team will take over the NBA kingdom? No one team staked a claim in the regular season. Indiana will bedangerous in the playoffs led by coach Larry Bird and the aging Reggie Miller. Miami will also be a factor as long as Pat Riley is at the helm.Detroit has been inconsistent but could make some noise in the second season.

Out West, the situation has not been much different. The best team may beone of the most surprising ones, the Portland Trailblazers.

Utah will be looking for a return trip to the NBA Finals, led by their ageless duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton.

San Antonio is always a threat with Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Andprobably no team has more talent and postseason experience than Houston.

So for the first time since the last time Jordan announced his retirement, there will be a free-for-all for the title. The first games of the playoffsover the weekend have already demonstrated that with Philadelphia knocking off Orlando by 14 and New York shocking the Heat by 20 points.

A battle royale for the NBA title may be a situation NBA fans will have to get used to. But at least there will be interest in the league.

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