Rookie’s night at Staples

STEVE VIRGEN

My first night covering an NBA game I entered the experience with

much skepticism.

Basketball is my favorite sport, but, truth be told, the NBA is

not what it was. Don’t get me wrong I was quite grateful and

fortunate to cover the Lakers and have an opportunity to interview

pro athletes, but for me the skepticism remained.

I have this view that NBA players are more individualistic than

ever. NCAA hoops is more about teamwork, in my opinion, while the NBA

is about showmanship and statistics. I’m not a total purist, because

I have been one to enjoy some good trash talking, but I have had that

view of the NBA.

My views were challenged Sunday night after watching the Lakers

defeat the Suns, 107-101. I saw a broken man in Karl Malone.

This was not the same Mailman, the one who has been seen with his

signature one-hand dunk, while the other hand touches the back of his

head. Not the same Mailman who was intimidating and imposing.

He had injured his knee early in the game and afterward he was

worried that he was done for a long period of time, even worse, the

entire season.

At first it appeared he held back tears. There was fear on his

face and he told reporters he had never felt this way in his whole

life.

I’ve never been one to say that I’m a Malone hater, but I took a

bit of pleasure in the fact that he never won a championship. That is

until Sunday night came along and I saw the pain in Malone’s eyes.

The hunger he had to win an NBA championship had come into question

and he was just not the same man.

It figures the Mailman would be the one to change my opinion of

the NBA. He is of the old school. He is a 40-year-old that respects

the game, so I learned. Hey, what can I say? I’m young. I’ve been in

the business for a little over three years.

But back to Malone. There he was with cameras and tape recorders

in his face. His knee was taped up and he looked like he just wanted

to scream in frustration. But he held back and answered every

question.

“I’m just not used to getting hurt,” he said. “But I guess

machines get hurt sometimes.

“Sometimes you can’t control certain things. This is a game where

you do get injured. You don’t like to see that happen. You’re not

used to getting hurt. But we’re all humans. Sometimes you just don’t

feel like you are. It kind of [stinks].”

Aside from shaking away my stereotype of the NBA, I gained a great

experience as a sports reporter at a pro basketball game. I was also

there to interview Kobe Bryant, who, like Malone, lives in Newport

Coast. His interview with reporters lasted only two minutes. I needed

more.

Fortunately, I caught Bryant before he left the locker room and

asked for a minute of his time.

“Can you describe the emotions you have been going through this

past week,” I asked.

“That’s not something you can describe in a minute,” Kobe said.

Another lesson for me. I probably should have asked for more time

with him or asked a different question, nevertheless it’s a question

that needed to be asked.

During the game, the Lakers found a way to lose their lead, but

the Suns could not complete the comeback. The Lakers lost to the

Warriors Tuesday. I guess those are deficiencies Phil Jackson, Bryant

and the Lakers needs to take care of. It seems we all need to

improve.