The Zen Master’s metamorphosis of shedding skins, his double dribbling as the Kicks sixth man, coming off the bench (‘70,’73) reverberating as a 68 year old Zen Buddha, a president for the future, a pick and screen, his dribble, feint and“swsish “ (ball control), officiating his winning season.
The Albany Patrons in the Continental League, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA .
( Lakers owner, Jerry Buss, former Trojan Chemistry professor)
II
How did Phil Jackson aka the Zen master recognize the nuances: finding the open man, polishing and orchestrating USC’s (the Trojan Horse) Sam Barry’s Tex Winter’s Triangle offense, , Bill Sharman’s, Alex Hannum @ center; SC’s offensivepossibilities: calibrating options to the weak side…
Michael Jordan, Scotty Pip pen , John Paxton, Steve Ker (from downtown) incarnations. The Zen master giving Horace Grant“To kill the mocking bird”
Subsequently “Nietzsche”, to Shaq, in the Zen M aster’s tourwith the Lakers reality at Staples. His reinvention andrenaissance at Madison Square Garden. The Mecca of the Zenmaster’s double dribble . ..
Time out coach!
III
Mulling over the transition from picking the brains of coach RedHoltzman ‘s brains (’70,’73 NBA Champs) , programmingCoach Sam Barry, Tex Winter USC “triangle”. Its implementation as an algorithm, using the triangle ….the algorithm programming the 5 man offense to the weak side, the flowing deception order scoring out of “chaos”, the fans going nuts, witnesses to their own providence and fate, paying out on the court....
. IV
The Zen master’s long journey back to his Red Holtzman 6th mankibbitzing on the bench, is a maturation over 44 years, the 68 old Zzen mastermind ,burdened by a knee replacement, wouldperpetuate his consciousness: his choice of Steve Kerr, his sharpshooting guard from “downtown” and the Chicago Bulls legacy,knows the triangle like the back of his Arizona bred hands and eyes, maturing the system with the Zen master’s Tex winters triangle…Jordan and Pippen, Horace Grant, the holy unholy trio.
USC Trojan architect Sam Barry’s triangle (Wilbur Johns UCLAout of mind, pre John Wooden_) where Tex Winter and Bill Sharman were indoctrinated with the coach’s system ….. ”Come the Revolution”
The idea that the Zen Master would ride the triangle for his metamorphosis is mind boggling, when one thinks of the cradle of the double dribble in a umbilical chord like New York Alban y Patrons (CBL) Chicago Los Angeles was evolutionary like Darwin’s own search for the quest for growth and development I in the Galapagos Islands, Darwin out of Cambridge University, not North Dakota..
V
Two handed set shot was doomed as soon at Hank Luisetti of Stanford, pioneered his one handed laser, Hank synchronizing his brain waves with the “swish”, incubating rebirth, the Trojan coach fresh with the West Coast, Sam Barry inventing the triangle and the athletes who in their weave, could make itoperative. a double pick..a pass into the paint….a player cuts to the weak side…freeing up the open man….
How else could a John Wooden at competitive UCLA have hisBruins win 77 straight NCAAs games. You could argue hisadvent of 7 footers..Alcindor (“Jabbar”) Walden…and then Wilt Chamberlain went up against Bill Russell at 6’9.
The double dribble as they sing, had come a long way. From those schoolyard hoops, into gyms and bleachers, officials at scoring tables, strip shirted referees, screeching adolescents in the bleachers.
“Come the Revolution”. The triangle’s Cyber Space..
VI
The 17 and 18 year old shoot around, schoolyard “Spider man”give and go fast break..a screen for a two handed set, andselflessness team play, chemistry of those yesterdays Friday and Saturdays: what human could know what was playing out on the 93’ by 50’ boards eons later..
A Zen Master?
VII
On hearing the chatter that the Zen Master was thinking ofchoosing Steve Kerr as his coach . The ultimate connective tissue: Kerr’s father in his role as President of the Lebanese American University in Beirut, was assassinated, his sonswishing from “downtown” at the University of Arizona ( aPacific Palisades High graduate ,near the UCL’s Bruins... (Regent “Ed”) Pauley Pavilion.
March 12, 2013.The City that never sleeps
