Phil Jackson - WTF?

I went with my family to the Warriors game at the Oakland Coliseum where they had a run in with the Los Angeles Lakers. I chose this game to take the family to because I've been a Lakers fan since the early 70's (that's my brother's fault - thanks Jorge! ;).

During basketball season, I'll have the game on at home and don't usually miss too much of the NBA playoffs each year. This has had the net effect of my kids being basketball fans. My son plays ball as one of his favorite sports and my daughter likes to watch some ball on TV with me.

It has been fun over the years to watch the Lakers make it to the playoffs. However, my son being a big Warriors fan, I have to admit, I enjoyed their run last year.

All in all, it made for a great setup to the game last night. And what a game it was! Daughter said it was a great game and the sort of game that made her feel like watching basketball might be okay... Wow, strong praise indeed.

Once the game started, as this is the first time I have ever seen the Lakers play, I had to get a look at Phil Jackson. Here he is on the floor with Brian Shaw:
Now, the take away there is that he is about the same height as Brian. Phil having been a player himself, he of course has to have some height...

For all the coverage I have seen of the Lakers over the years, and Phil Jackson's teams in particular, including the Bulls, perhaps I never appreciated how tall he is. If the Wikipedia entry for him is to be believed, he checks in at 6' 8" tall. He's no Shaq, but hey, he's about a foot plus taller than me...

Now with that said, dude looks like some kind of humongo-giant here:
I can't say I've ever seen the Main-Stream Sports Media (MSSM) cover this aspect of the Lakers. He's a whole head taller than Kurt Ramis on his left shoulder there. Kurt's Wikipedia entry clocks him in at the exact same height as Phil!

Well, there was a game:
Awesome action... Okay, not my best sports photograph ever. Hey, I'm in the cheap seats - cut me some slack - I only have 3x optical w/12x digital zoom here people...

Anyway, I'm perseverating on the bloody Phil Jackson throne. Look at this sucker folks, it's not just me:
Yes! I checked, Don Nelson didn't have one of these (did you know Nellie's Jersey, #19 from the Celtics, is retired in the Boston Garden rafters?). Phil must truly be an NBA God. I knew he was a Zen Master... but a throne?

Ya, Kobe played, directed, blah blah blah...

And, I did get a good art shot here:
It's a good art shot because there is clearly motion, and it is in focus. Click for a larger image. I'm pretty sure that's Ronny Turiaf just under and to the left of the net.

I had fun at the game, but it left me with all sorts of questions. Like, this guy:
Out of context, it's not big deal right? Of course. Here's the context:
The dod hangs from the ceiling. I wonder what that job pays? He gets into that crows nest from a ladder that comes out out of the ceiling or somewhere.

I'm mesmerized by this Phil thing. Here is is next to Kurt - THEY'RE BOTH 6' 8"! Look behind them though, Vladimir Radmanovic looks huge too. It's the Jackson throne.
Okay, I can let it go. (Go with the force)Luke Walton spent a bit of down time sitting in it at time-outs, so I decided the guys needing a little help tried to get some of Phil-o-wan Kenobi's mojo from a little throne time. Gotta be a good thing, right?

Tied at the end of regulation:

Time ran out for the Warriors. Though, the Merc article seemed to indicate the team felt they were on the loosing end of a ref-probe... Whattaygonnado?

There was one play in OT where Baron Davis tossed up a hail Mary alley-opp attempt that if it had completed, would have brought down the house. We were on our feet. It was an *awesome* game. Worth getting home at midnight and only getting 5.5 hours of sleep for. And I still gotta wonder about who else in the league they set a special seat for? I'm thinking, not too many others. I'll bet that irks some coaches. Well, not Isaiah Thomas I'm sure...