...I miss the days of him making fun of everyone in the NBC studios and Bob Costas looking awkward.

This is another great article. A guy who is funny, but you also feel he actually has sources.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/45396.htm

MANU OF THE HOUR

June 14, 2005 -- DETROIT — Mike Tyson called "Next Town" Larry Brown yesterday; he advised him to quit during the fourth round while he's behind.

Poor, Larry; in the course of a couple weeks, he will have to endure both the Mayo Clinic and the Manu Clinic.

One can only hope his trip to Minnesota is less painful.

Manu Ginobili, the half-Finals MVP (yet anther barefaced example of outsourcing jobs and awards by this country), is merely averaging a series-leading 26.5 points, along with 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2 steals.

He's hitting two of every three shots — 2s and 3s — and has lived at the line (15-for-17) while getting his Argentinean armpits on seemingly every loose ball and horizontal Piston.

I must admit, though, I was a bit perplexed, or had too many margaritas in the press room, when Ginobili was asked by ABC how he felt about going up, 2-0, in the series. "It means we get a chance to win the series at home, and that's a big thing."

Evidently, NBA league exec Matt Winick failed to fax Manu the schedule memo of three straight at The Palace.



In short, the Pistons are in the same position for this year's Game 3 that they were coming into Auburn Hills last year tied 1-1 with the Lakers: They must give apathetic America a reason to watch.

Ratings for the first two games of this year's Finals are somewhere between "Good Day, Guantanamo Bay" and "English for Cabbies."

At the same time, it's not all Must Flee TV. Those responsible for ABC's engrossing halftime features on Ginobili and Bruce Bowen might want to think about enlightening and entertaining the audience on a regular basis.

Adeptly narrated by Jaime Foxx and vividly produced, they were a sight for sore eyes. In view of the deep, dark, delicate nature of the subject matter the network took the compelling content and handled it with professional care and compassion.

No perhaps or maybes, NBA storytelling has advanced to an unforeseen plateau.

When the Pistons have to rely on the cartilage-compromised Antonio McDyess (24 minutes, 15 points, 7-14 FG, 7 rebounds) to be their Game 2 leading scorer, there's trouble in them thar (Auburn) Hills. McDyess hasn't been given the floor that much since Game 2 of the Sixers series, 19 games ago. He's a pro's pro and can suit up for me anytime, but the Pistons had better find some rhythm among the regulars real fast.

I'm wondering how much the Spurs' defense had to do with Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince blanking out in first half (seven points) of Game 2. Or might Next Town Brown be equally or especially liable by structuring the early offense around Rasheed Wallace?

At any rate, even Darko Milicic saw the light of Sunday evening (three minutes, one missed FG), an eclipse-like event that only occurs when the Pistons are on one side or the other of crooked numbers. Depending on the situation, Darko's role is either Next Town Brown's White Owl or White Towel.

*

Agent Warren LeGarie, either representing or misrepresenting client/Celtics' GM Chris Wallace, is telling the Blazers (and ESPN.com's Chad Fraud, too, obviously) that Paul Pierce is available to them for the No. 3 pick in the draft and Nick Van Exel.

Boston's Futile Lord, Danny Ainge, violently denies there's anything to the leaked info, branding it "ridiculous." But, of course, this is the same person who denied my story for two months that the Celtics were negotiating with the Hawks to re-acquire Antoine Walker.

Bottom line: Nothing has materialized in the way of an offer, but the draft is still two weeks away.

*

Legendary publicist Joey Goldstein notifies me had George Mikan not broken his ankle late in 1951, the Rochester Royals never would have interrupted the Minneapolis Lakers' purple reign; instead of four titles in five seasons they would've won five straight.

Red Holzman was the Royals' third guard behind Bobby Wanzer and Bob Davies, who was dribbling behind his back ten years before Bob Cousy. For some reason, league historians never have given Davies his due for his originality and simonized skills.

Dan Peterson, who made a name for himself in Europe as a coach and TV analyst, saw Mikan play a ton in the '50s. "He dominated like Jordan dominated," the 69-year-old communicates by e-mail from Italy.

"He put the fear of God in opponents. I've seen some tough players in the NBA but no other instilled that fear of physical harm as he did. And he was not a dirty or vicious player. He was simply a hard player. . . . He may have been the most important player in the history of the game."