http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/96167.html
Kings seek spirit lifter
The best cure, a victory, has been difficult to find over the last 10 games.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, December 21, 2006
Mike Bibby was reminiscing, discussing the good old days of his basketball career when fun was an everyday affair.
"The best time I've had in basketball was when I had fun, just out there smiling, sharing the ball, not caring who shoots the ball, just trying to win instead of trying to see ... "
He was interrupted from some 30 feet away, where a booming big-screen television and the voice of ESPN's Jim Rome said loudly enough for Bibby to hear, "There have been reports that (Ron) Artest and Bibby are not on the same page, that they're knocking heads, that they're not getting along."
On his afternoon show, Rome was talking to Kings coach Eric Musselman. And Bibby, who walked away from a group of reporters before the show was quickly turned off, abruptly ended his own interview.
The current climate hasn't made the fun factor a relevant one, as the Kings have lost eight of 10 games with no shortage of real and perceived frustration and drama. But even the players admit a good starting point to recovery might be more simple than fixing that ailing shooting percentage: Lean on each other as a means to enjoying the game again.
Their game-time body language and demeanor have been bad enough that even the most casual observers want to know what's wrong, why the glum level has gone so low. Players substituting for each other only sometimes slap hands, and rare is the time when reserves are screaming words of encouragement from the end of the bench or missed free throws coming with a pat on the backside from a teammate.
The last two games, coincidentally, only proved the point more. Dallas and Phoenix had virtual lovefests on the Arco Arena floor, with players covering long distances to whisper an atta-boy or pick up a teammate for a missed assignment or an errant shot.
Winning, of course, helps the spirits, as does the length of time a team has spent together, creating a classic chicken-or-the-egg scenario as to which came first.
Francisco García said Bibby is at his best when he's directing, leading, talking on the floor -- all sights that have been rare lately. Shareef Abdur-Rahim admitted he might not always send his substitute into action with the warmest of vibes, but coming out when the team is down doesn't exactly fill the mind with endorphins.
"I think we want each other to do well," Abdur-Rahim said. "But sometimes when things aren't going good, and things start going bad within that, you might get that woe-is-me look and that woe-is-me attitude. You have to fight through that, too ... You get kind of down, but I think that's probably when you've got to pick each other up and keep each other going."
But Artest has no nostalgic connection to the Kings days of old, and he said matter-of-factly that the love matters far less than the losses.
"If it is (a problem), I probably wouldn't say anything," he said. "I'm not sure what it is. I guess it's the era of the (post-)Vlade Divac and Chris Webber or whatever. It's a new Kings team, and we're just searching and searching ... It doesn't matter if you come together if you're losing games."
Artest, however, has changed his on-court method lately. He's no longer the last one shooting after every practice or the first one before every game, even beyond the time when his back problems required a limited routine. He has changed his off-court style, too, vacillating between the player who can't help but speak his mind to the man who might have to focus on himself so as not to start waves with his words and tip over the boat.
"I just pretty much have to worry about myself," he said. "That was one of my problems a long time ago, just worrying about what everybody else was doing and not worrying about yourself. And that can mess up your game."
Or a team.
"I think that's what happens when frustration sets in," Kings swingman John Salmons said. "I've been around some teams with a lot of issues, and I think the teams that rise above that are the teams that do stay together and believe that they're going to turn everything around."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings seek spirit lifter
The best cure, a victory, has been difficult to find over the last 10 games.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, December 21, 2006
Mike Bibby was reminiscing, discussing the good old days of his basketball career when fun was an everyday affair.
"The best time I've had in basketball was when I had fun, just out there smiling, sharing the ball, not caring who shoots the ball, just trying to win instead of trying to see ... "
He was interrupted from some 30 feet away, where a booming big-screen television and the voice of ESPN's Jim Rome said loudly enough for Bibby to hear, "There have been reports that (Ron) Artest and Bibby are not on the same page, that they're knocking heads, that they're not getting along."
On his afternoon show, Rome was talking to Kings coach Eric Musselman. And Bibby, who walked away from a group of reporters before the show was quickly turned off, abruptly ended his own interview.
The current climate hasn't made the fun factor a relevant one, as the Kings have lost eight of 10 games with no shortage of real and perceived frustration and drama. But even the players admit a good starting point to recovery might be more simple than fixing that ailing shooting percentage: Lean on each other as a means to enjoying the game again.
Their game-time body language and demeanor have been bad enough that even the most casual observers want to know what's wrong, why the glum level has gone so low. Players substituting for each other only sometimes slap hands, and rare is the time when reserves are screaming words of encouragement from the end of the bench or missed free throws coming with a pat on the backside from a teammate.
The last two games, coincidentally, only proved the point more. Dallas and Phoenix had virtual lovefests on the Arco Arena floor, with players covering long distances to whisper an atta-boy or pick up a teammate for a missed assignment or an errant shot.
Winning, of course, helps the spirits, as does the length of time a team has spent together, creating a classic chicken-or-the-egg scenario as to which came first.
Francisco García said Bibby is at his best when he's directing, leading, talking on the floor -- all sights that have been rare lately. Shareef Abdur-Rahim admitted he might not always send his substitute into action with the warmest of vibes, but coming out when the team is down doesn't exactly fill the mind with endorphins.
"I think we want each other to do well," Abdur-Rahim said. "But sometimes when things aren't going good, and things start going bad within that, you might get that woe-is-me look and that woe-is-me attitude. You have to fight through that, too ... You get kind of down, but I think that's probably when you've got to pick each other up and keep each other going."
But Artest has no nostalgic connection to the Kings days of old, and he said matter-of-factly that the love matters far less than the losses.
"If it is (a problem), I probably wouldn't say anything," he said. "I'm not sure what it is. I guess it's the era of the (post-)Vlade Divac and Chris Webber or whatever. It's a new Kings team, and we're just searching and searching ... It doesn't matter if you come together if you're losing games."
Artest, however, has changed his on-court method lately. He's no longer the last one shooting after every practice or the first one before every game, even beyond the time when his back problems required a limited routine. He has changed his off-court style, too, vacillating between the player who can't help but speak his mind to the man who might have to focus on himself so as not to start waves with his words and tip over the boat.
"I just pretty much have to worry about myself," he said. "That was one of my problems a long time ago, just worrying about what everybody else was doing and not worrying about yourself. And that can mess up your game."
Or a team.
"I think that's what happens when frustration sets in," Kings swingman John Salmons said. "I've been around some teams with a lot of issues, and I think the teams that rise above that are the teams that do stay together and believe that they're going to turn everything around."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
