The Detroit coach says his team is the victim of a "double standard."
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Monday, September 4, 2006
The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/monarchs/story/14317351p-15234938c.html
Bill Laimbeer was known for several things during an otherwise decorated NBA career with the Detroit Pistons.
Being a deadly top-of-the-key shooter. Nasty train-wreck picks and screens. Scowls. A winner and a whiner.
Now coaching the Detroit Shock, Laimbeer still agonizes -- with that pained expression -- over every call that doesn't go his way, and he has let the referees have it regularly in every game of the WNBA Finals. After the Monarchs routed the Shock for the second time in three games, 89-69 Sunday afternoon, he vented some more.
"Our frustration is starting to build," Laimbeer said. "We're tired of being a double standard on the whistle. We're tired of it, and it's showing. We expect -- no, we demand -- that we get the same calls as the other team. Did the referees lose the game for us? Absolutely not. We lost ourselves, and we lost our brains at times."
One play that frosted Laimbeer was when the Monarchs' Erin Buescher flattened Kara Braxton with a high screen in the third quarter. Braxton didn't return as she had ice applied to her head.
Comic relief
Buescher is the WNBA's Most Improved Player this season -- and she very well might be the WNBA's funniest player, too.
In explaining her circus, one-handed heave of a three-pointer late in the third quarter -- a shot you wouldn't dare attempt even in a game of H-O-R-S-E -- Buescher said: "Yeah, I've been practicing that a lot. No, I just turned around and did some ice-skating moves. Throw them up, and they go in."
Buescher also fielded a question in the media room in Spanish -- and cleanly answered it in Spanish, much to the amusement of a language-challenged Yolanda Griffith.
"I know Greek, too," Buescher said. "Any Greek reporters here?"
And on her screen on Braxton: "People underestimate my strength. She didn't see me, and we clocked heads. I felt it a little bit, like I was on a boat for a little while."
Degrees of leadership
Monarchs/Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof has been around some athletes in his time, but Griffith stands alone in his book of leadership.
"She's the greatest leader I've ever seen, the best I've ever seen in any sport," he said.
Why is that, exactly?
"She's always right," Maloof said. "The way she handles the team, her on-court prodding of players. She plays hurt. I just love that woman."
Leslie's MVP trifect
Lisa Leslie normally doesn't smile this much at Arco Arena, but this was different.
One of the league's cornerstones and goodwill ambassadors, the Los Angeles Sparks' center was awarded her third WNBA MVP trophy before Sunday's tipoff. Leslie said it was her best season, and she showed some personality and candor, highlighted by a mini- complaint.
"I'm a little disappointed, though. We don't have any keys," she said, grinning despite lamenting the loss of General Motors as a league sponsor. "I worked hard for that car."
Leslie, 34, said she has no timetable on retirement, saying, "I enjoy playing basketball. I enjoy blocking people's shots."
Buster boy
Joe Maloof tried to smuggle his beloved dog Buster into Game 1 in Detroit -- when the little friend started to bark, security came for a visit -- and brother Gavin was wondering Sunday if Buster could be of some help now.
"We should have brought Buster with us today," Gavin said. "He's our good-luck charm. We could have had him bite Bill Laimbeer in the shins at the very least."
Et cetera
Kings coach Eric Musselman and players Kevin Martin and Shareef Abdur-Rahim attended the game.
• Laimbeer was wired for TV in Game 3 and offered enough opinions to the referees that a custodian in the back tunnel of Arco listening on the ESPN2 feed finally blurted, "Shuddap, already, Bill! My gawd!"
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Monday, September 4, 2006
The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/monarchs/story/14317351p-15234938c.html
Bill Laimbeer was known for several things during an otherwise decorated NBA career with the Detroit Pistons.
Being a deadly top-of-the-key shooter. Nasty train-wreck picks and screens. Scowls. A winner and a whiner.
Now coaching the Detroit Shock, Laimbeer still agonizes -- with that pained expression -- over every call that doesn't go his way, and he has let the referees have it regularly in every game of the WNBA Finals. After the Monarchs routed the Shock for the second time in three games, 89-69 Sunday afternoon, he vented some more.
"Our frustration is starting to build," Laimbeer said. "We're tired of being a double standard on the whistle. We're tired of it, and it's showing. We expect -- no, we demand -- that we get the same calls as the other team. Did the referees lose the game for us? Absolutely not. We lost ourselves, and we lost our brains at times."
One play that frosted Laimbeer was when the Monarchs' Erin Buescher flattened Kara Braxton with a high screen in the third quarter. Braxton didn't return as she had ice applied to her head.
Comic relief
Buescher is the WNBA's Most Improved Player this season -- and she very well might be the WNBA's funniest player, too.
In explaining her circus, one-handed heave of a three-pointer late in the third quarter -- a shot you wouldn't dare attempt even in a game of H-O-R-S-E -- Buescher said: "Yeah, I've been practicing that a lot. No, I just turned around and did some ice-skating moves. Throw them up, and they go in."
Buescher also fielded a question in the media room in Spanish -- and cleanly answered it in Spanish, much to the amusement of a language-challenged Yolanda Griffith.
"I know Greek, too," Buescher said. "Any Greek reporters here?"
And on her screen on Braxton: "People underestimate my strength. She didn't see me, and we clocked heads. I felt it a little bit, like I was on a boat for a little while."
Degrees of leadership
Monarchs/Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof has been around some athletes in his time, but Griffith stands alone in his book of leadership.
"She's the greatest leader I've ever seen, the best I've ever seen in any sport," he said.
Why is that, exactly?
"She's always right," Maloof said. "The way she handles the team, her on-court prodding of players. She plays hurt. I just love that woman."
Leslie's MVP trifect
Lisa Leslie normally doesn't smile this much at Arco Arena, but this was different.
One of the league's cornerstones and goodwill ambassadors, the Los Angeles Sparks' center was awarded her third WNBA MVP trophy before Sunday's tipoff. Leslie said it was her best season, and she showed some personality and candor, highlighted by a mini- complaint.
"I'm a little disappointed, though. We don't have any keys," she said, grinning despite lamenting the loss of General Motors as a league sponsor. "I worked hard for that car."
Leslie, 34, said she has no timetable on retirement, saying, "I enjoy playing basketball. I enjoy blocking people's shots."
Buster boy
Joe Maloof tried to smuggle his beloved dog Buster into Game 1 in Detroit -- when the little friend started to bark, security came for a visit -- and brother Gavin was wondering Sunday if Buster could be of some help now.
"We should have brought Buster with us today," Gavin said. "He's our good-luck charm. We could have had him bite Bill Laimbeer in the shins at the very least."
Et cetera
Kings coach Eric Musselman and players Kevin Martin and Shareef Abdur-Rahim attended the game.
• Laimbeer was wired for TV in Game 3 and offered enough opinions to the referees that a custodian in the back tunnel of Arco listening on the ESPN2 feed finally blurted, "Shuddap, already, Bill! My gawd!"
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