The Chat House With Michael Wilbon

Welcome to The Chat House, where Post columnist Michael Wilbon was online Monday, June 15 at 1:15 p.m. ET to take your questions about the NBA playoffs and NBA Draft, the Stanley Cup Finals, the struggling Nationals, baseball, and all the other big news in sports.

A transcript follows

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Minneapolis, Minn.: In your mind what was the most entertaining finals, the NBA or the NHL ... can't argue with a Game 7, can you?

Michael Wilbon: Hi everybody ... sitting in Orlando still, just finishing the p.s. on the 2009 NBA Finals' Game 5 last night with the Lakers beating the Magic. The Stanley Cup Finals were fabulous...Game 7, with the road team winning is historic ... first time that's happened in the NHL since 1971 when I was a kid in despair over the Blackhawks losing to Montreal. Pittsburgh did an incredible job to beat Detroit. And the last few minutes of that game, specifically the last few seconds, were just a whirlwind. I don't know how Marc-Andre Fleury even saw the rebound bounce right, but it's a good thing he did or Detroit's going to second that game into OT. As is, just a wonderful series. Both playoffs, Stanley Cup and NBA, I thought were close to a 10 this post-season. Lakers-Orlando was derailed by Orlando missing those foul shots in Game 4 or we'd be going back to Los Angeles tonight. And the NBA Finals were certainly historic because of what Phil Jackson was able to accomplish, winning his 10th NBA championship as a coach, which breaks a tie with Red Auerbach, and for that matter the NHL's Scotty Bowman, both of whom have nine titles as coach. ...

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St. Louis, Mo.: Do you forsee a Laker repeat next season? How about a three-peat?

Michael Wilbon: No. This isn't a great Lakers team. It isn't as good as the Kobe-Shaq teams. Not close. It's not as good as the Magic-Kareem-Worthy-Cooper-Scott Showtime teams. Not close to close. It's a championship team and they'll be right in there. But LeBron, no matter who is around him, will be a threat. So will others who'll make deals this summer. I think this will be a big deal-making summer. Let's see where people, like Amare Stoudemire and Shaq, settle before we pick a favorite.

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Washington, D.C.: Why is Phil Jackson often singled out for criticism for "only winning with the best players." I'm having a very hard time trying to recall the coaches who won championships with the worst players. Or mediocre players. Or heck, even with just very good players.

Can you name a coach who has won multiple NBA titles without an all star or two or three on the team?

Only a genius could win with the likes of Russell, Cousy and Havlicek, or Magic, Kareem and Worthy, huh? Makes no sense. So what do people have against the guy?

Michael Wilbon: This is the exact subject of my column in tomorrow's Post, which should actually be posted in the next hour or so ... maybe before we finish today's Chat. I couldn't agree with you more. Phil Jackson stands with Red Auerbach and John Wooden in my mind as the guys on the Mount Rushmore of basketball coaches ... I guess Pat Riley is the 4th face. If he's won with the Knicks instead of just getting them there, that would be winning championships with three franchises, which is amazing. ... As is, he took three franchises to the Finals.

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Alexandria, Va.: Mike,

Thanks again for all of your coverage throughout the NBA finals. I wish it'd gone to a game 6 or 7.

Although I'm a Wizards fan, I couldn't help but root for Orlando.

What do the Magic need to do during the offseason, besides learn how to make free throws?

Michael Wilbon: Dwight Howard needs to listen to his tutor, Patrick Ewing, and get comfortable enough with low-post moves to actually have some next season. Well, he has some. He practices them every day, but doesn't seem comfortable enough to do them in games. He's got to get better in that regard. Look at Tim Duncan and all the moves he developed in the low-post. Hell, look at Kobe's moves in the low-post. Dwight's improvement is critical. If he can't dominate the game offensively, or even make himself enough of a threat that the Magic can get some easy baskets, then the Magic will have a tough time getting back this far...Also, the team must re-sign Hedo Turkoglu who opted out of his existing contract this morning and is now a free agent. He's the best player on the Magic now, and retaining him is a must.

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Olney, Md. (Formerly of Pittsburgh, PA): Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup this year. What other cities have won two championships in the same year? Are there any that have won three in the same year? I doubt anyone has won four, but I could be wrong ...

Michael Wilbon: Pittsburgh's done it before ... the "We Are Family" Pirates and the Steelers back in 1979. Boston just did it in 2004 with the Patriots and Red Sox. Philly came close in '83 when the Sixers won and the Phillies lost to the Orioles. And L.A. came close but never actually pulled it off. New York has never done this? I guess not. Nobody else won when the Yankees did ... I know for sure Chicago never has, though it was close when the Blackhawks lost to the Penguins while the Bulls were winning a second title, over Portland. It's hard. Congrats to Pittsburgh. Wow. For the second time, too.

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New England: Hi Mike,

I thought Kobe played well through out this year's play-offs. He was clearly the best player on the court during the Finals.

That said, Michael Jordan, in his prime, was clearly a superior player.

And that leads to my two questions,

1. Is it fair to compare every great basketball player against MJ?

2. My generation (I am 42 year old) has witnessed the following dominating careers.

Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Peyton Manning, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez

Which of these superstars is the most likely to be remembered as the greatest in their sport 50 or 100 years from now (similar to Jesse Owens, Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Jim Brown)

Thanks.

PS: It was difficult for this Red Sox/Patriot fan to have to list two present-day Yankees and a Colt ...

Michael Wilbon: Dude, it you're 42 years old you ought to be able to go back further than just those guys ... I'm 50 and can go back to the time I was five, six years old. What's happened to YOUR generation and younger folks? Do they not follow sports until they're old enough to drink beer or something? You can't go back to when you were 8 or 9? That would be 33, 34 years and give you some people like Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan and the Big Red Machine. It would give you Reggie Jackson and Bobby Orr and Kareem. ... God, I'm glad I grew up in a time when kids followed sports in the newspaper and on TV and knew every sport. Gretzky -- sorry Orr fans -- holds up because he's the greatest ever. And so does Jordan and so will Tiger. But I remember Ali, and none of them generated his global excitement, not even Michael and Tiger. Ali divided the world; he was that controversial, that compelling a figure. Nobody else will ever be Ali. I can go back to Mantle. The first home run I remember seeing as a kid was at old Comisky Park in Chicago. Mantle hit one off the facade in right field. I remember my dad lifting me up so I could see over all the people standing up. A-Rod's steroid stuff now taints his legacy. It just does. You don't remember Pete Rose toward the end and how great he was? I don't put Bonds with Willie Mays. I don't. And history won't either, again because of steroids. There's no pitcher today as good as Bob Gibson, or even Ferguson Jenkins. Look them up in the Baseball Encyclopedia. No Koufax, no Lefty Carlton. Nope. But some of the best ever are of the here and now. Though nobody like Wilt among big men. Nobody within a million miles.

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Herndon, Va.: Oddsmakers. Percent chance Tiger wins again at Bethpage Black? Odds of Wilbon watching Sunday? I go 100%.

Michael Wilbon: I'll go with about 30 percent chance ... The field is difficult. I don't know how difficult the course is playing right now. I'm surprised to hear that Ben Roethlisberger shot 81 at Bethpage Black and that Michael Jordan shot 86. Justin Timberlake, I hear, shot 88. Those are remakable scores ... Jon Barry and I have some crow to eat. We told MJ recently that we thought he wouldn't break 90, and he didn't put up all that much of an arguement. Wow ... what a great score. You think I wouldn't give about anything to shoot 86 at Bethpage Black? Big ups to those guys. That's playing some golf....

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washingtonpost.com: Michael's brand-spanking new column: Michael Wilbon: Jackson Is Undoubtedly the Greatest (Washington Post, June 15)

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Indianapolis, Ind.: Following on last week's question about short sleeves and ties, are you saying all short sleeve shirts with buttons are bad? Or just short sleeve dress shirts? What's wrong with short sleeve sport shirts (outside of the office, of course)?

Michael Wilbon: Short sleeve dress shirts ought to be banned. Really, there's no such thing. If it ain't got sleeves it ain't a dress shirt. And button downs, as a general rule, are just sort of blaaaaaah. You can do better, as a dress shirt. They're fine with sweaters or sweater vests, or jackets and jeans ... but with a necktie? Nope, sorry. Fashion no-no.

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New Yotk, N.Y.: 1969 saw the champion Mets, Jets, and Knicks. Top that Pittsburgh!

Michael Wilbon: I'll give you Mets and Jets, even though the Jets won in the 1968 season the Super Bowl was played in January of 1969...But the Knicks won in 1970 and again in 1973, NOT 1969. The Celtics came back from a 2-0 deficit to the Wilt/West Lakers to win that series in Game 7 in The Forum back when Jack Kent Cooke owned the Lakers. He'd stocked the ceiling with baloons to celebrate, which ticked off one William Russell, who noted before the game the Lakers were preparing to celebrate. Not so fast!

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Washington, D.C.: OK Wilbon, throw us hometown fans a bone - what have you been hearing about the Wizards' plans for the offseason? We've heard names like Ginobili thrown around ... what have your sources been telling you?

Michael Wilbon: Ginobili can't help the Wizards much. He's more valuable to San Antonio than anybody. His health is uncertain, which the Wizards already have enough of ... I do know there have been some discussions -- I don't know who initiated the conversations or how serious they are or are not -- about Amare Stoudemire. I think Amare will be moved...or should I say "could" be moved...I'd give up any two players on the Wizards roster to get Amare right now. Pick the two, and that includes Gilbert, though the Suns would have zero interest in his contract ... But I'd try and get Amare, that's for sure.

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Washington, D.C.: I asked this question after last year's ALCS and the St. Pete Times' headline was "WE DID IT!" and you railed against it. Now look at the Orlando Sentinel's headline on A1 today: "WE'LL BE BACK".

Really? What position did the headline writer player? Was it a reference to Tribune being broke?

Steinberg brought up the "we" issue in regards to Rob Dibble using it on the Nationals broadcast, but at least he's paid by the team.

Why do people not affiliated with the team continue to think that using "we" is acceptable? You're not shy about being a Bulls, Bears, etc. fan but I don't recall you ever using "we" in regards to them.

Michael Wilbon: I don't. Well, at home in my family room watching the game I might. But I just don't. And neither should any media outlet. Never. Ever. No excuses. It's cheap and lazy and gratuitous and pandering. It's dumb.

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Washington, D.C.: 1955 - Brooklyn Dodgers and Syracuse Nationals. 1956 - NY Yankees and NY Giants.

Michael Wilbon: I'm sorry, Syracuse is as close to New York City as Chicago is to Detroit. So, do I get to claim the Bulls and Red Wings? What? Just because you rooted for both doesn't put them in the same place.

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Baltimore: Given how dreadful the Nationals are, should Acta be gone soon? And will the overpaid veterans on the team be traded soon after?

Michael Wilbon: You can fire Manny any time now ... any time. Is that going to change the Nationals' fortunes? No.

Okay, we have another entry. 1988 Lakers and Dodgers ... Kareem's last title and Kirk Gibson's "I can't believe what I just saw" home run to beat, I think, the Canseco-McGwire As in a huge upset.

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Washington, D.C.: 2010 - Redskins, Capitals, Wizards and Nationals

Michael Wilbon: Drug Testers coming to your house.

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Why is Phil Jackson often singled out for criticism for "only winning with the best players.": Let's see, before this year he won 6 with the greatest player ever. Then he won 3 with 2 of the all-time greats playing on the same team. That's why he gets "criticized." You can put him and Joe Torre in the same book.

Michael Wilbon: And Red Auerbach had Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. What's your point? Pat Riley won with Magic and Kareem. What, again, is your point? Please go away.

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Dallas: Rumor has it that Chris Bosh in back in Dallas visiting family and friends. Any chances the Mavs make a play for him?

Michael Wilbon: Yes ... I'm not saying the percentages are great. But a chance? Yes ... and maybe a healthy one.

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Boston: Hey Mike

I love your work, and since you're a fashion bug, i wanted to ask if you have ever bought a shirt from Thomas Pink. Seriously, they make some fantastic stuff!

Do you think Kobe is a bad teammate? Last year, Garnett/Rivers instilled a sense of team pride and selflessness that permeated to the entire Celtics team. Kobe decided to not help Gasol off the floor. It just seems like he is aloof when it comes to being a normal teammate, even a superstar one. MJ was a fierce competitor, but even his teammates liked him as a person, no?

Michael Wilbon: I have, oh, 10 shirts, maybe a dozen from Thomas Pink. Love Pink products. Kobe has become a better teammate. This transfomation kicked in last year when he reduced his shooting by, oh, 20 percent at least and began to trust Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and others. We saw him refine it further this season. But Kobe's personality is just different from MJs or from Magic's. I won't say aloof. He's a different cat. Quieter, more introspective ... Can be unbelievably charming and charismatic. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes and Kobe has indeed involved into one.

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Washington, D.C.: What does it say about the sorry state of D.C. sports that Bruce Boudreau is now the longest tenured coach of any of the four major teams?

Michael Wilbon: We could go through a lot of cities and find that scenario ...

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Mike, I am a fair-weather NBA fan who really enjoyed the playoffs this year. They were entertaining from beginning to end. That said, at least to me, I thought alot more coaches 'lost' games than 'won' them? I am in no way a pro, but I just saw a lot of questionable player rotations and sometimes a fatal lack of quality inbound plays. Am I off base?

Michael Wilbon: Yeah. Denver ran two in-bounds plays which were fatal. But I don't recall any others really. The Cleveland coach, Mike Brown, got my vote for regular season coach-of-the-year in the NBA but he didn't do a great job in the conference finals against Orlando. No arguement there. But overall, I thought people played to their level ... or close to it. Too bad Kevin Garnett was injured because I think the Celtics would have repeated this year. Leon Powe, Kendrick Perkins and Big Baby were so improved over last year ...

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Laurens, S.C.: Why do L.A. fans not know how to react appropriately to any sporting championship that their city wins?

washingtonpost.com: At least 25 arrested amid unrest after Lakers victory (Los Angeles Times, June 14)

Michael Wilbon: That did disappoint me, the behavior in Los Angeles last night. It's not like they've never seen the Lakers win before. But L.A. isn't the only place, either, where we see bad behavior ...

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Chaska, Minn.: Stan Van Gundy: hero for getting the Magic to the Finals or goat for questionable decisions in the Finals? Or all of the above? Where does SVG rank among NBA coaches today in your book?

Michael Wilbon: I think Stan Van probably maxed out with this team. Orlando could easily have been out in the first round. I'm biased, but I believe the Bulls would have beaten Orlando in the first round of the playoffs. It's matchups and styles. The Bulls have defenders who are athletic as hell who can close out on shooters. That's just me. Orlando struggled coming into the playoffs, could have easily lost to Boston ... I think Stan Van is pretty damned good as a coach. Orlando got lucky when Billy Donovan, who I respect tremendously, turned them down. Stan Van is a damn good professional coach and Billy D is a great college coach. But I'd hire Stan Van to coach my team in a minute ...

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Sarasota, Fla.: Mike...

Shaq to Cleveland ...why do people think this is a good idea? Am I the only one who thinks that his presence on that team would be a bad thing for Cleveland and LBJ? I think Bosh, Boozer, or Amare would be a much better fit, no?

Michael Wilbon: Well, Shaq did not miss a game this season because of injury. So he's got a lot in the tank. But as even he says, he needs the Phoenix medical and training staff to keep him functioning smootly ... to keep him healthy. So, Shaq could have had this deal before the All-Star break and turned it down. Cleveland could have had him this season but Shaq declined. I don't know how this would work but it's intriguing, isn't it? Seriously, Cleveland has to get a couple of players of impact now in order to make this work with LeBron ... The pressure is on Danny Ferry a bit this off season, it seems to me.

Okay, I gotta run to do PTI and to be ready to catch a flight home to D.C. tonight. The season is over for me, boys and girls. It's been 26 or so wonderful weeks of being on the NBA road. I love every second of it. But, it's a long, long season and I'm happy to be coming home for awhile. We'll Chat a couple of more weeks, until after the NBA Draft a week from Thursday ... then we'll take a hiatus for awhile since I plan to do next-to-nothing in July. So, next Monday the 22nd and then one Chat after the NBA Draft and we'll all disappear for the summer. Thanks everybody for making this so much fun for me. Check out my Phil Jackson column if you get the chance, and we'll chat next week. Have a great week. MW

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Arlington, Va.: Michael,

Who, in your opinion, is the best professional athlete that golfs as a hobby. In other words, a pro athlete that golfs whose profession is not golf.

Michael Wilbon: All pitchers, QBs and guards, like my man Jon Barry who is probably a scratch player. I asked Joe T once why this is and he gave me the best, smartest answer I ever heard on the subject: "Because we spend our lives, from 10 years old forward, knowing where the ball should go." That's it, that's the answer, and Joe had it ... brilliant. Has nothing to do with individual swings or any mechanics. "We know where the ball should go." Boom. That's it. They are almost all good. Even guys who never swing a club until they retire from their primary sport become scratch or close to it. NBA point guards are amazing. Guys have never seen a club, pick up the game late (around 30) and become 1s and 2s. It's sick. Pitcher are sick. Hockey players, too. See ya' ... MW

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