Penny Hardaway getting comeback chance with Heat
MIAMI (AP) -- Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal are together again.
The 36-year-old Hardaway, who last played an NBA game in November 2005, signed with the Miami Heat on Thursday and is reuniting with O'Neal -- his former Orlando Magic teammate back in the mid-1990s.
Hardaway, a four-time All-Star game starter, has averaged 15.4 points in his career, but hasn't finished a season averaging double digits in scoring since the 2002-03 season with Phoenix. He played in four games with the New York Knicks early in the 2005-06 campaign before succumbing to knee injuries.
He's the second notable acquisition Miami has made during the free agent period; the team signed former Los Angeles Lakers starting point guard Smush Parker last month.
另外,已經退休兩年的Reggie Miller,據說也正遭到波士頓的瘋狂勸說,希望他能加入Kevin Garnett、Paul Pierce、Ray Allen三人組,成為塞爾提克第17座冠軍的最後一塊拼圖。大嘴本人應該是蠻心動的。
Celtics trying to lure retired star Reggie Miller out of retirement
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Celtics have spoken with future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller about coming out of retirement to help the once-proud franchise in its push for an unprecedented 17th NBA title.
Miller, who has been retired for two seasons, is 13th on the league's career scoring list with 25,279 points and the leader in 3-pointers made and attempted. His uniform No. 31 was retired by the Pacers last year.
ESPN作家Marc Stein,則早在七月底就列出一狗票有可能搞復出的球員(Miller, Houston, Oakley ... who else is planning a comeback?),其中最有可能的是同樣退休兩年的前尼克大將Allan Houston,甚至還包括已經44歲的Charles Oakley。至於其他人如Shawn Kemp、Scottie Pippen、Toni Kukoc、Keith Van Horn、Nick Van Exel、Antonio Davis、Latrell Sprewell,可能性就比較低了
比較有趣的是40歲的Tony Massenburg,由於他和Chucky Brown、Jim Jackson共同保有生涯效力12支NBA球隊的紀錄,說不定會為了破紀錄放手一搏。
其實我一向不喜歡見到退休球員復出,這包括我的前偶像魔術強森,以及喬丹在內。魔術強森的復出,多半只是為了證明他在感染HIV病毒之後還能打球,並不算太成功,而且搞到最後又當了教練,耍寶收場。
至於喬丹,他的三進三出自然是轟動萬教,而且表現不差。問題是巫師還是打不進季後賽,而他到最後也和巫師老闆Abe Pollin鬧得很僵,簡直可以用被掃地出門來形容,極為難堪。
再看NBA歷史,復出球員成功的案例幾稀,即使像Bob Cousy這麼偉大的球員,退休6年之後於1969-70球季在辛辛那提皇家隊復出,打了7場一無是處,平均僅0.7分、1.4助攻,那又何必走這麼一遭?
可是我對Penny Hardaway、Allan Houston確實有著不一樣的感覺,或許因為都是36歲的關係吧;另一方面,我也覺得他們應該都還能打。大嘴米勒...如果他體能還可以,我想他到50歲都還能射爆一般的NBA球隊。
在這些球員之中,Hardaway自然是最令人惋惜的球員,畢竟他曾經是那麼光芒萬丈的球星,是被喻為帶領NBA走向新世代的指標人物。他有球技、有身高、有迷人的charisma、有綽號,在魔術時也掌握很好的局勢。可以說,他的生涯是被膝傷毀掉大半,另一部份則來自他搞鬥爭鬥掉前魔術教練Brian Hill的事件。
我曾經很直覺的認為,Hardaway就是The Next Magic Johnson,因為,也沒有任何跡象顯現他不會是下一個強森。然而事實並非如此。
至今也一直認為,Allan Houston的出手投籃姿勢,是我所見過最標準、最優美的一個,足以成為每一個籃球員的教科書。可惜,自從離開活塞之後,他的命運也和尼克的悲情bundle在一起,直到兩年前悄然退休。
再看看Grant Hill吧,他不也是另一個「曾經」?再更早之前,What about Ralph Sampson? Roy Tarpley?
回顧眾球星生涯,一切彷彿在冥冥中有著命定。或許你不想承認,但想成為長期走紅的球星,運氣和時勢說不定反而是最重要的因素。
(photo source: Yahoo Sports)