Sports Columns

Kings no stranger to losing ways

By Josh Griffin

Sports Editor

The year 1985 brought its share of contributions to the world - Gorbachev took over the USSR, "Doc" Brown introduced the time machine in Back to the Future, Reagan began his second term (see Iran-Contra) and Tears for Fears released "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." However, the official move of the Kansas City Kings to Sacramento outweighed the significance of these events in the heart of this young sports fan.

History recalls, of course, that the move to Sacramento was met by an unprecedented bout with futility. Ex-Celtic great Bill Russell, the greatest winner in the history of the NBA, managed to win 17 of 58 games as head coach of Sacramento. The Kings strung together a record 43 game losing streak on the road and rattled off eight consecutive seasons winning fewer than 30 games.

In 1989, the franchise drafted center Pervis Ellison with the first overall pick. Ellison's best appearance in Kings' apparel came on draft day when he was presented a hat bearing the baby blue and red. Nervous Pervis is only one of many subpar players to star for the Kings. Wayman Tisdale was more Kenny G. than he was Charles Barkley, and Walt "The Wizard" Williams mustered only a disappearing act after a successful rookie campaign.

At the moment, the Kings are enjoying the only successful stretch of their Sacramento lives as they look to take on the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Just as winning consecutive games in the late-80s was impressive, so is the team's triumph in its first two series with Utah and Dallas.

Nonetheless, have no fear Sacramento fans, because when the Lakers disparage everything we have built in the run to the conference finals, it will bring back fond memories of yesteryear and the days when we were just happy to field a team.

Nash has reached his limit

By Bruce Martinez

TSC Writer

Steve Nash is a hero to almost everybody around the Mission Campus. His floppy looks, Billy Idol sneer and cavortations with luxurious women endear him to both men and women. To top it all off he is one the best up and coming point guards in the NBA.

Our adulation for the man is limited, however, by his potential future in the NBA. It seems very likely that Nash will have a career very similar to John Stockton's. He will score a few more points and have fewer assists, but he will ultimately be a very successful point guard.

The capricious Canadian is a deadlock with the Stormin' Mormon in one regard and, I'll go out on a limb to claim this, neither one will ever win an NBA championship. Stockton came up just short to the heroic megalomaniac Michael Jordan and his army of Nike goons in his two chances at the title. As long as Nash sits in the Western Conference he is bound to be overshadowed by the big men who dominate. This will doom him to a career as a second banana.

Although Mark Cuban has the resources to go after a title, doing that would affect the balance of his young team and render the squad in the same place it is now, the third or fourth best team in a very deep conference. Nash just does not seem to have the moxie to carry the team past the largess. This does not take away from his talent as a player, but it will eventually place him in the same category as players like Charles Barkley, Tim Hardaway and potentially Gary Payton.

Gary Payton would be a great player for the Mavericks to add if they ever could which would happen if Cuban offered both Raef LaFrentz and Nash. Payton has the moxie to take a team to the title, and he also was once doomed by Jordan. If Payton was on the Mavericks who knows what could happen? Maybe a title for the team from Dallas and maybe Nash could finish his career close to his home in British Columbia.