By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. Release your inner James Joyce and show us your stream of consciousness as you decipher the answer.
You could say I just wasn’t meant to win a championship. I had plenty of teammates who did, but I wasn’t there for one reason or another. Confused? Let me explain. I played on the final Monday of the season my senior year of college. We had the lead late in the game until that guy from Laney hit his first big game winner – at least in the national spotlight. Of course, many will remember that we had another possession, but we proved to be un “worthy.” My teammates went on to win the title a couple of years later. Me? I played for four teams in a 13-year N.B. A. career. One of those teams won the title the year after I was traded. Funny, it didn’t occur to me until now that that guy from Laney was sort of involved. He wasn’t around and allowed my former teammates a chance. You know, I did have one night to shine. It was earlier in my pro career. We were playing an interstate rival in the playoffs. They were heavily favored. Expected to sweep us. They almost did until I dropped 29 in a quarter. That was a record at the time. I don’t know if it still is. All this writing makes me kinda tired.
Who am I?
Gotta be a Georgetown alum, cuz they lost to North Carolina in the NCAA Finals when the “guy from Laney”, Michael Jordan, hit the game winner with about 10 seconds left. G-town then proceeded to turn the ball over to UNC’s James Worthy, mistaking him for one of their own teammates. I remember watching this game … felling quite pleased that John Thompson, G-Town’s coach, was denied a title.
I was starting to think the player was Patrick Ewing with all those NY Knicks references, but he didn’t play for 4 teams. However, the last sentence … “…makes me kinda tired” gives it away. It’s got to be Eric “Sleepy” Floyd, the former Georgetown shooting guard who had a decent NBA career.
Nice job, Wally. I had the Georgetown-North Carolina connection, but couldn’t remember the sames of any of the supporting players except…Freddie Brown? Is that the name of the guy who threw the pass to Worthy? See, I can’t even remember him. Oh yeah, David Wingate and Reggie Williams. OK, maybe my memory isn’t completely shot.
Chas —
I had to look this up … It was indeed Fred Brown who threw the ill-fated pass to Worthy in the final seconds. Nice call by you!
Also, I subsequently remembered that it couldn’t be Ewing for another reason … he did win the NCAA chan’ship with G-Town later when the Hoyas beat Houston’s Phi Jamma Slamma squad with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in ’84 or so.
Did you know that Houston made it to 5 Final Fours? Three of them were from the PSJ Era (’82-’84), but the Cougars lost both finals they reached … one to G-Town and the other was the very famous game when NC State upset ’em and Jimmy V went berserk running around the court looking to hug anything that moved. Ah … the good ol’ days 🙂
Sorry … that’s “Phi Slama Jama” … my bad.
Anyway, all this historical NCAA tourney stuff is getting a lot of play down here in Houston for reasons you might imagine. I will be attending all three Final Four games with three buddies and the anticipation/excitement is building. Christmas for Hoops Fans!
I am guessing “laney” is Jordan, and the WAI is from G’Town. Alonzo Mourning?
darn, totally ignored the clue about getting tired. Good call Wally/Molly!
Pete —
It’s been just Wally today. Molly (my better half) used my moniker to comment on Women’s hoops yesterday and forgot to change it back. I saw you two had a good dialogue going.
For a second there Wally, I was going to say that your wife seems to know more about sports than you…but, in fact, it was you…so, in hindsight, those were pretty unintelligent comments after all. 😉
I can’t win either way … story of my life 🙂 “Thanks”, Chas.
Indeed Molly and i were on the same page the other day. Please warn her of the inherent dangers in being on the same page as me.