I know hate mail will be swift and flammable after this article, but someone's got to say it. Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson are the best NBA broadcast team in years.
Not only is the play-by-play stellar with these two guys and Mike Breen, but the history lessons are amazing. Mark Jackson's wonderful technical breakdowns of offensive and defensive sets is refreshing and educational. Throw in Van Gundy's emotionally charged banter about poor officiating, the lack of Laker defense, KG not showing up at the end of games, Phil Jackson's weird substitution patterns and you have probably the most entertaining and informative broadcasts since Marv Albert and Doug Collins during the Jordan years.
If there was a defining moment in the past week's Finals, for me, it would be during Game 2 when Kobe was being exposed on defense by Paul Pierce (Yes, I realize there's a joke in there somewhere, like when wasn't he being exposed, but bear with me). When Pierce would back Bryant down to the paint, there would be help coming to double team. When Pierce gave up the ball, Mark Jackson made a comment on how stellar Kobe's defense was and how Bryant was 1st Team All Defense this year. A statement that sent Van Gundy into a rant on how if Kobe was 1st Team All Defense, why does he need help? And those words were followed by careful examination of Kobe's "defense" and how Kobe's being assigned to the 1st Team All Defense was nothing more than a glamour pick and more hype than substance. You can't buy this folks! You can't!
You're not going to get banter like that from your usual fly-by-night network broadcasters! Not one of them is going to step outside of their preprogrammed radio talk show host voice overs to call out the NBA's darling!
But these guys did, regularly and without affection for the Lakers or Celtics, Bryant or Kevin Garnett, or Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers. These guys did their jobs! No sugar coating, no ego stroking, just calling the game the way they saw it. And I couldn't be happier as a basketball fan to hear announcers say what every real basketball fan is thinking while they watch the action themselves.
When Kobe scores 5 points in the third quarter of Game 5, when KG misses 3 of 4 at the free throw line, when Paul Pierce makes the Laker defense look like a high school team, when Rondo commits turnover after turnover and Doc doesn't pull him, when Vajucic steps out of the way for a Ray Allen layup instead of being a man and taking the charge, you can count on these two guys to call them out on it.
And though the games were stinkers in big stretches this past week, I can tell ya, Van Gundy and Jackson make them bearable for me.
You must be a Laker fan. The reason I say this because Mark and Van seem more than just a tad bit biased towards the LakeShow, and only a Laker fan would enjoy that kind of commentary. Take for instance in game 5,when the Lakers were up by 24,they called the game w/ an excitement matched by few, hurling superlatives at Kobe and the Lakeshow but when Boston came back, I found them to be dry and boring and basically blamed the comeback on what the Lakers didnt do as opposed to what Boston was doing . I made mention elsewhere that I turn the volume down on the tv and turn my radio up and watch the game because the broadcast crew is unable to call the game down the middle. Another thing I'm tired of is Mark Jackson trying to make everyone be"LIE"ve(including himself) that Kobe is better than Mike. I mean if you watched Jordan then watched Kobe you can make your own judgement, but the way this guy rambles on about it is tiresome. But hey thats what makes america great, everyone has a opinion and is free to express it. So you can listen to those two bitter victims(Mike took their Rings), I for one will enjoy the game w/ the volume turned down on the tube, while I bump that new Young Jeezy Mixtape, Biggie, Pac, and of course the greatest tape evar(thats right "TAPE").......Paid in Full.
I actually thought they were more bias to the Celtics actually
I hate everyone
J2djTn
Great site. Good info.
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Perfect site, i like it!
Perfect site, i like it!
Great site. Good info.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Ozd4SD Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
LtVOKd Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Perfect site, i like it!
Great site. Keep doing.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great site. Keep doing.
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Perfect site, i like it!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great site. Good info.
It is the coolest site, keep so!
I want to say - thank you for this!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great work, webmaster, nice design!
Great work, webmaster, nice design!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Great work, webmaster, nice design!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
Perfect site, i like it!
Perfect work!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Beautiful site!
I want to say - thank you for this!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
I want to say - thank you for this!
Perfect work!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Perfect site, i like it!
Perfect site, i like it!
Great work, webmaster, nice design!
Great site. Keep doing.
I want to say - thank you for this!
Perfect site, i like it!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
Beautiful site!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great site. Good info.
Great site. Good info.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
I want to say - thank you for this!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great site. Good info.
Great site. Keep doing.
Perfect site, i like it!
I want to say - thank you for this!
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Great site. Keep doing.
Great site. Keep doing.
Great site. Keep doing.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Perfect site, i like it!
Great site. Good info.
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Beautiful site!
Incredible site!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Great work, webmaster, nice design!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Perfect work!
Incredible site!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great site. Keep doing.
Great site. Good info.
Perfect work!
Incredible site!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Perfect work!
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Perfect site, i like it!
I want to say - thank you for this!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
I want to say - thank you for this!
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Great site. Good info.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Incredible site!
Beautiful site!
It is the coolest site, keep so!