The US government has been ratcheting up the trade war with China in recent weeks. It was announced that China’s $10,000 EV would have a 100% import tariff. There were similar tariffs on solar panels and other stuff. US politicians' visits to the disputed Taiwan island have raised Xi Jinping’s ire. Putin and Jinping have been trying to ally themselves when Putin has few. With no threat to ever get voted out of their job, they are having a bromance moment. Xi likes to poke the US. Putin likes to lambast. For China, Russia as a trading partner is a nonstarter. Russians have an average income of $15K USD. Besides second tier Russian oil, Putin does not have much to leverage. Benjamins are still the desired currency, not rubles. Russian rubles are worth .011 USD. What should XI Jinping do? Send in the Pandas. Americans always seem thrilled to get pandas. Happy 71st birthday Xi!
It seems like many of our Yard heroes have been dying lately. It is not an epidemic; they are just getting old. Roman Gabriel was 83. Jerry West was 86. Big Bill Walton was only 71 when cancer took its fee. The stark reality is that the heroes we grew up with are older than us and the body count is going to be rising in the coming years. If the Yard just focused on legendary rock stars and athletes passing, it would be more work than we can commit. Contrary to pop culture, Keith Richards is not going to outlive us all. But he may outlive Mick. Magic 8 Ball indicates doubtful.
The passing of Jerry West was more of a surprise than a shock. The Logo had finally retired and was out of the public eye of late. The only recent comments from the West family were regarding the portrayal of Jerry West in the MAX series Winning Time. Jason Clarke’s unsympathetic version of Zeke was pilloried by the family. In the series, West was butting heads constantly with owner Jerry Buss over the direction of the franchise. Jerry W. had been with the Lakers longer than the swashbuckling Jerry B. The former had the pedigree and the reputation. The latter had the Benjamins and the cajónes to make the Lakers champions. West would play a key role in that story, but he was dragged along by Buss’s vision. West’s family may have had issues with how petulant the series made West appear. It is true that he initially opposed the Lakers drafting Magic Johnson with the first overall pick. He wanted to pick Sidney Moncrief. Moncrief was a defensive stalwart with an HOF career with his number retired by the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Milwaukee Bucks’ He never won any titles. Magic won five plus an NCAA title at MSU. West and Johnson partnered to build the Showtime dynasty out of their rocky origin story. Adding Big Game James worthy and Byron Scott would cement West’s legacy for Laker Nation.
West was always a tortured soul during his tenure with the Laker franchise. He led the Lakers to the NBA finals nine times but only won one title as a player. In 1969 he became and still is the only Finals MVP from a losing team. His famous 60-footer against the Knicks in the 1970 NBA finals would only force OT. The Lakers would lose the game and the series. The Lakers won a still record 33 in a row in 1971 and finally an elusive NBA title. West would go on to be the Lakers head coach from 1976-79 and surprisingly resigned as head coach before Magic Johnson’s career began. He was so competitive, and he was dealing with cocaine in the cocaine 70’s and 80’s in the NBA. Spencer Haywood was not his favorite player. He became GM and built the purple and gold dynasty from Magic through Kobe that dominated LA sports for decades.
Zeke was always the kid from Cabin Creek. He and Jerry Buss were opposites in lifestyles. Buss’s string of young maidens on his arm, DUI’s and his daughter dating the head coach was not bringing them closer. The real disconnect was that for all the titles West engineered for Buss, he never paid him like the elite GM he was. Jerry B liked to hang out with the players and go to strip clubs and the like. West would never do that in this life or wherever he is now. West’s top salary with the Lakers was around $1 million a year. Buss gave Magic part of the team and West had to be outraged but seethed privately. He had to chafe watching Pat Riley, who he found in the broadcast booth, ended up being Head Coach and GM in Miami while getting 10% of the team in the deal. He was among the lowest paid NBA GMs for his Laker loyalty. Then after he built the second coming with Shaq, Kobe and later Pau, he still did not get the bump in pay he richly deserved. After the 2000 title, he quietly disappeared from the franchise without a press conference or a reason. The Lakers would win two more West inspired titles with Kobe and Pau. Jerry W would resurface as GM of the Memphis Grizzlies. He would famously trade Pau Gasol for his brother Marc among others to the Lakers. The Lakers would win two titles, but Marc Gasol would play much longer, and Memphis became relevant. West worked with Golden State and the Clippers over the balance of his career. He did get paid but never got another ring. The Yard will always remember him for the blockbuster free agent signing of Shaq and drafting a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant out of Merion HS. RIP Zeke, we loved you even if you never felt it.
Happy Father’s Day to all of you fathers. Father’s Day is always the US Open Men’s final. The US Open is one of the toughest tournaments of the season. USGA moves the location each year. The courses spend 2 years and lots of PGA money to enhance the degree of difficulty. This week Pinehurst Number 2 is all tricked up for these fescue warriors. Not Chambers Bay tricky from 2015 but it will be a grind. 23-year-old Swede Ludvig Aberg took a narrow one stroke lead to the first tee of the third round. He took a triple on 14 and fell off the television. Bryson DeChambeau was flexing his muscles, but he is not a great front runner. The winner will be revealed on Sunday afternoon. Cheers to all the dads!
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