[bostonherald]Sam Cassell talks big game

Sam Cassell talks big game
Compares Finals to cheese, and much more
By Steve Buckley | Thursday, June 5, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Columnists


You’d have thought Sam Cassell would be holding some kind of fireside chat in front of his locker in the Celtics [team stats] dressing room yesterday, doing the “Listen my children and you shall hear” bit about what it’s like to be in the NBA Finals.

The man has been there, done that. In his first two seasons in the NBA, with the Houston Rockets in 1993-94 and ’94-95, he played on championship teams. True, that was a long time ago, but bright lights are bright lights. Cassell is stepping under those bright lights of the Finals for the third time in his career, and, well, you’d think he’d be sharing.

But no. Instead, he is sitting out on the front porch, whittlin’, watching his teammates - the young ones looking to make a name, the old ones whose names already are guaranteed places in Springfield - adjust their eyes as they step under those bright lights for the first time.

“I’m not the guy to be sitting here telling them how it’s going to be,” Cassell said. “They’re good ballplayers. They’ll figure it out.

“You’ve got Ray Allen, he’s got 18,000 points. Kevin (Garnett) has 20,000, Paul (Pierce) has (almost 17,000). They don’t need any help.”

OK. What about the kids? What about Big Baby Davis? Rajon Rondo [stats]? Kendrick Perkins [stats]?

“They’re gonna enjoy it,” he said. “They’re gonna kick back and enjoy the ride. I don’t have to tell them. They already knew it.

“It’s like the All-Star Game all over again, only it’s more than the All-Star Game. It’s about being a world champion. Nothing replaces that if you’re a basketball player and you’re on this level.”

Given that nobody cares who wins the All-Star Game, whereas everyone cares who wins the NBA Finals, there was a temptation to say to Cassell, “Um, hello?”

But like John Belushi in “Animal House,” Sam was on a roll.

“This is the stage of the game that you should welcome, that you should want, that you should want again and again,” he said. “Like that piece of cheese that you crave, you know what I’m saying? You get a piece of it, you want another piece, and another piece.

“It’s the Finals, you know? It’s my third time here. It’s been a while since I got here again, but I definitely appreciate it. Guys play hard. They don’t understand it until they get six, seven years into their careers and they say, ‘OK, this is what it’s all about.’ ”

Let’s pause for a minute here. Sam Cassell is comparing the NBA Finals to a piece of cheese. And this from a man who has twice been to the NBA Finals. But when you think about it, comparing the NBA’s ultimate pageant to a piece of cheese is better than comparing it to the All-Star Game.

Cassell won’t get the kind of playing time in this edition of the Finals that he logged back in the day with the Rockets, but we should be glad he’s here. This is that rare Celtics team whose players are short on anecdotes about what it’s like to be on this June ride, and that makes Cassell,- who has something to say about pretty much everything, an important presence.

Heck, did you hear Cassell talking about Larry Bird yesterday?

“My favorite players growing up were Larry Bird and Jeff Hornacek,” he said. “Why? Because they were slow. You know what I’m saying? But they got it done.

“I was a Lakers fan, but I was the only kid in East Baltimore who liked Larry Bird. You know what I’m saying? They’d say, ‘Why Bird?’ I’d say, ‘Why not Bird?’ You know what I’m saying?’

Cassell laughed. We all laughed.

“I took a lot of grief,” he said. “They’d say, ‘You’re not playing next.’ They’d say, ‘Go to French Lick and play with Larry Bird.’ ”

OK, so that doesn’t have much to do with the NBA Finals. But on a day when pretty much everyone was ladling out a lot of porridge about tonight’s Game 1 between the Celtics and Lakers - let’s play the games already - Cassell loosened up things in a manner few others are capable of doing.

Two weeks from now, maybe Sam gets that third ring. And then someone with some cash, some marketing savvy and a sense of humor should get Cassell and Bird together in French Lick for a game of one-on-one.

You know what I’m saying?
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1098777

 

Sam will defeat father time for a few games and let energy of the young warrior of the two time world champion Rockets will lead the way!

The same confidence that Dream had in him will flow again, he shall rise!

 

8 points

 

3 more games Sam. we'll bring another ring to the fraternity.
these other haters, they aren't rocket fans, they don't love that team, they don't appreciate you. let them traitors rot in utah

 

he had some bad moments, but tell me did he not do enough to win the game?

its hate dude. i sense it anakinmission1

 

Your heart is pure. you will make it to the Summit.

 

the dark side has you. the real tigermission loves sam cassell.