MY MEMORIES OF the 1998 NBA Finals aren't necessarily the type that will be immortalized on film or in books, but they will stay with me into the years when I can't remember my name, let alone the scores. Come to think of it, I've already forgotten the scores.
Anyway, I'm almost certain you've heard too much about the NBA Finals. But like the Chicago Bulls, I just have to give it one last shot . . . .ALMOST PERFECT: Michael Jordan beat the Jazz with his shot at the end of Game 6, but the thing that often gets forgotten is that he actually occasionally fails, too.
It's true Jordan's steal and subsequent game-winning jumper were momentous plays. But he missed his game-winning attempt in Game 5. Even though it was an off-balance 26-footer, EVERYONE felt Jordan was going to make that shot. Forget the fact that there were only 1.1 seconds left when he got the ball. Forget that he was making an awkward, rushed attempt. Image, as they say in the commercials, is everything.
Afterward, Jordan was almost playful, referring to the ending scenario as "cute" several times.
He must have known something we didn't.
Still, it's interesting that Jordan's 17-footer at the end of Game 6 will be his legacy, while his failure in Game 5 will be forgotten completely.
Such is fame and legend.
NO STRESS ZONE: I was running a little late on Thursday, the day before Game 5 in the United Center. The media bus hadn't been running on time, the traffic was, as usual, heavy in Chicago.
As I climbed into the cab, I noticed a sign taped to the back of the front passenger seat. It read: "If traffic is heavy, please be patient. Please don't be angry, stressed, nervous, upset, exhausted or frustrated."
OK, I thought, so the guy likes adjectives.
The note continued, "Life is too short. Don't worry, be happy. Thanks for your patience and cooperation. God Bless America."
Another note read: "Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff."
And so in a cab creeping along Erie Street in Chicago, I found some advice most Jazz fans could use, especially now. In the big picture, losing to the Bulls was indeed part of the small stuff.
Of course, it's easy for him to say. His team won.
ONE OF A KIND: There were a number of celebrities at all the NBA Finals games, both in Salt Lake and Chicago. A few feet away from me on the front row for Game 5 in Chicago was talk show host Montel Williams.
Williams watched quietly throughout the first half. But before the start of the second half, he took his small boy out to the edge of the court, crouched over, and pointed to Michael Jordan, who was warming up.
Undoubtedly, Williams was explaining to his son that Jordan is a basketball immortal.
You have to give it to Williams. Even he seemed to be telling his kid one of life's great truths: There's always another talk-show host, but there's only one Michael.
NEXT! In a sports apparel store in Chicago, Deseret News NBA writer Dirk Facer was checking out the inventory. On the way out, he asked a clerk if they had any Jazz shirts for small children.
The response: "Hell no. We'd never be able to sell it."
But thanks for shopping.
CAST OF THOUSANDS: If you thought covering the NBA Finals is glamorous, consider this: As I waited outside the Bulls locker room following Game 4, I checked out the competition; the line of reporters began at the door and snaked down the hall for maybe 20 yards. I could see there were at least 100 people ahead of me, and that many lining up behind me - all waiting to get in the locker room. It was like waiting for tickets to a Garth Brooks concert.
Next time I'll leave the up-close-and-personal stuff for Ahmad Rashad.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If it seems there are crowds everywhere you go these days, I have the perfect solution: Shop during the playoffs.
During Game 5 last Friday, the Macey's grocery in Sandy was virtually deserted for the entire time the Jazz were playing the Bulls. There were no more than a half-dozen shoppers in the store during the fourth quarter.
However, that doesn't mean you could get away from the hysteria. In the final minutes of the game, checkers were giving a play-by-play over the loudspeaker system.
It seems during the playoffs you might be able to escape the crowds, but you can't ever escape the Jazz - even if you're hiding out with the canned vegetables.