We look back at Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson going head-to-head in the 1991 NBA Finals, how LeBron James was the NBA’s most underpaid player in 09-10 according to Forbes, whether Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal garners All-Star consideration this year, examining possible elimination of the NBA age limit, and how Ron Artest is considering donating nearly all his salary from next season to charity.

Seriously, Artest said that.

We also examine how the Knicks are surging, courtesy of the New York Times.

Welcome to “Daily Buckets” where I peruse the NBA universe each day and deliver a few worthy pro basketball news items from around the league via different sources that I found interesting. To view the entire article just click the link I have included with each header.

Enjoy!

(NOTE: To view previous editions of “Daily Buckets” scroll to the bottom of the page where I will list the archived editions)

**The 1991 NBA Finals featured two of the game’s all-time greats in MJ and Magic. * ***Via Jack McCallum of SI on June 10, 1991:

The NBA has never seen anything like this. Sure, for two years running, in 1988 and ‘89, the Finals brought together Magic and his close buddy, the Detroit Pistons’ Isiah Thomas, to exchange pregame smooches at center court. Compared with Jordan, however, Thomas is hardly a blip on the personality radar screen. Before that, in ‘84, ‘85 and ‘87, Magic had the Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird as a foil, but that was less a one-on-one personality battle than a confrontation between two storied teams.

What can you say about a matchup that offers a one-man conglomerate (Jordan) and the ultimate sunshine warrior (Johnson)? “You can’t overhype Magic Johnson versus Michael Jordan,” said Laker reserve Mychal Thompson last Saturday afternoon. He looked around at a huge throng of reporters. “Well, you’ll try. But, nope, it can’t be done. Talent, leadership, winning—Magic and Michael are the ultimate in all of those things. They’re it.” Because they’re it, Sunday’s game attained a hefty overnight rating of 16.4 for NBC, which has already moved Game 4 (in L.A.) and, should it be played, Game 7 (in Chicago) to prime time from their traditional Sunday afternoon slots.

The irony is that this season, for the first time since Jordan came into the league, in 1984, the Bulls had gotten away from the “one-man team” label. Similarly, Johnson is no longer the fast-breaking, Showtime quarterback, because the Lakers, under rookie coach Mike Dunleavy, are now playing a down-tempo power game. Note that they took only 66 shots in Sunday’s game, which tied a championship-series record—the Lakers set it against the New York Knicks in 1970—for fewest field goal attempts. Nonetheless, as soon as Los Angeles turned back the Portland Trail Blazers 91-90 in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals to earn the right to meet the Bulls, who had swept Detroit in the Eastern finals, it was Michael versus Magic, the Prince of Midair vs. the King of the Hill, Nike vs. Converse, Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi, McDonald’s vs. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Though the principals tried mightily to deflect attention from themselves, even they couldn’t pretend otherwise.

Said Jordan, “It’s great for the league, having the two best players going against each other.” Any arguments there?

Said Johnson, “Sure, it’s a little personal. I mean, me going against Michael Jordan in the Finals. It’s what you live for, right?” Would Magic be getting this worked up to play, say, Charles Barkley?

Check out a clip of Jordan’s legendary performance from Game 2 of the 91 NBA Finals HERE.

***Check out a clip of Magic and Jordan guarding each other in the 91 NBA Finals HERE.

**According to Forbes Magazine LeBron James was the NBA’s most underpaid player in 09-10. * ***Via Fanhouse:* *

*Forbes released figures this week showing James was the most underpaid player in the NBA last year, making $15.8 million a year. In the report, Forbes used players’ salaries from 2009-10 and juxtaposed individual statistics alongside how many wins the team produced in the season. Specifically factoring into the report was sports economist David Berri’s statistical formula that uses the following for each player: points, rebounds, turnovers, steals, assists and shooting percentages per team possessions in a game *

  • The report determined NBA teams spend an average of $1.7 million per victory on a player; after all the number crunching was over, Forbes reported that James brought 27.2 wins to the Cavaliers, worth a total of $46.5 million — giving Gilbert and the Cavaliers a net gain of $30.7 million on King James, above any other player in the NBA.*

  • Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics were next in line as the most underpaid players.*

**Is Boston Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal deserving of an All-Star berth this year? * ***Via Zach Lowe of The Point Foward:* *

All of that said, O’Neal, who is averaging 11.2 points (on 68.7 percent shooting) and 6.4 rebounds, has been so much better than expected. All you heard before last season was how Shaq was going to clog the lane and interfere with LeBron James’ drives to the basket in Cleveland. Has the lane in Boston seemed clogged to you this season? It hasn’t, and it’s because the Celtics have a more dynamic roster than those Cavaliers had, and because Doc Rivers has been smart enough not to utilize Shaq as a back-down post-up threat as if it were still 2002. Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com detailed this beautifully Wednesday, so I won’t belabor it here. Suffice it to say that the Celtics rarely feed Shaq in the post at the beginning of the shot clock; instead, they run their offense as usual, asking him to set some screens along the baseline and be ready at the edge of the paint if and when his man moves to help on Rajon Rondo or jump out on a Ray Allen curl.

This not to say that O’Neal is just standing around, letting others do all the work for him. It’s not an easy thing to slide to the right spot, jump and finish a lob from Rondo — especially when you’re 38 and you can’t jump much anymore. Shaq has also rebounded about 12 percent of Boston’s misses, an elite offensive rebounding rate. That’s a valuable thing for a team that has only one good offensive rebounder (Glen Davis, not doing much offensive rebounding this year, actually) and is uniquely dependent on making the first shot it takes. Boston is never going to be a good offensive rebounding team — it ranks last this season — but an extra possession here or there means a ton to a team that shoots as well as the Celtics.

Will the players union fight the age-limit requirement in the next CBA? Via ESPN:* *

“We want to go back to the way it was,” a source from the National Basketball Players Association said. “The players have always been philosophically opposed to it. The vast majority of players feel a player should have the right to make a living. If he has the talent and wants to make money to help his family, he should have that right. It’s just a matter of principle.”

NBPA executive director Billy Hunter sent an audio podcast detailing the union’s proposal to every player last week. The proposal, which includes the end of the age restriction, has been obtained by ESPN.com and confirmed by a union source.

In its proposal, the union, while rejecting the owners’ call for a hard salary cap and salary reductions, is also willing to negotiate a reduction in league revenue guarantees for players. The union also proposes rule changes that would provide more flexibility for sign-and-trade deals.

  • The age restriction, which requires a player to be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft as well as at least one year removed from his high school graduation class, has been in place since the 2005-2006 season. A league spokesman refused to comment when asked Wednesday about the union’s proposed change to the age restriction.*

Want some insight into how the Knicks are winning these days? Via The New York Times:* *

For most franchises, a 14-9 start would not be cause for celebration, but the Knicks are not most franchises. The Knicks have not made the N.B.A. playoffs since 2004, and they have not finished a season with a winning record since 2000-1. In fact, that 2000-1 season was the last time the Knicks were five games over .500 after their first 23 games. What has made the difference for New York this season?

Because the Knicks play at such a fast pace, judging their offense or defense by points scored or points allowed per game can be misleading. A better way to evaluate a team’s offense or defense is to look at points scored or points allowed per possession.

For example, this season the Knicks are allowing 106.3 points per game, a figure that puts them 26th in the N.B.A. When their pace is accounted for, the Knicks rank 20th on defense, allowing 1.091 points per possession. While this may not be something to brag about, it does suggest that the Knicks are closer to an average defense than their points allowed per game would suggest.

Finally, Ron Artest has been telling folks he plans to donate most, if not all, of his 10-11 salary. Via NBA.com:* *

He told NBA.com he is seriously thinking about handing over at least half, and maybe all, of next season’s $6.79 million salary.

“I’m definitely considering the whole thing,” Artest said. “Or maybe 60 percent.”

Although he may not finalize details until the summer, he called the plan “very serious. I’ve talked to my wife about it already. It’s a powerful message. The message is about the inspiration. That’s what I want, to inspire people. People will be like, ‘Wow. Why is he doing this? Oh, that’s why. Wow. We need to help educate.’ I didn’t come [to the Lakers] for the money. Obviously I could have gone somewhere else, even a lesser market. Pay less taxes. The taxes here are freaking killing me, you know what I’m saying?”

Artest said he thought about doing the same thing in 2006-07, his first full season with the Kings, but his manager talked him out of it. Artest said he was prepared at the time to move into an apartment with his family if money became a problem. He did not have a charity in mind then, saying the salary would have gone to college and high school scholarships.

Until next time…* *

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