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CNN Sunday Morning

Roundball Roundup

Aired November 03, 2002 - 07:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: As many of you may know, the new NBA season is getting cranked up. And veteran Michael Jordan is looking like his old self, despite nagging off court troubles in last year's chance didn't start off very well.
So joining us now with an NBA preview is CNN's sport anchor, Steve Overmeyer.

Hey, Steve.

STEVE OVERMEYER, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Heidi, good to see you again.

COLLINS: Hello to you. Looking at some great pictures here of Mr. Jordan. And I want to ask you though, a lot going on for him off court. We kind of mentioned it, but we know that there was a lawsuit that was file on Wednesday on the woman who he said is trying to extort five million dollars...

OVERMEYER: Right.

COLLINS: ...from him about a relationship they had 10 years ago. You think there's any effect on the court from him for this?

OVERMEYER: You know, Michael Jordan's a pro. I mean he's been through this a number of times. I mean, this guy has lived his life basically in the spotlight. This is certainly not going to affect his on court play.

I mean, here's a guy who basically has said in the past the only place he really feels safe, he really feels free, is on the basketball court, in front of 20,000 people. This is a guy again who's lived his life, entire career, in the fish bowl, in front of the -- in the media's eye. I don't think something like this is going to affect his play. He's certainly not let off court trouble in the past affect his play in the past.

So I don't think it's going to have any effect on him this year either.

COLLINS: All right, well we'll just have to wait and see. What am I hearing though about this possibly being his last year? He has brought that up?

OVERMEYER: Well, Jordan retire? We've not heard -- wait a minute. Wait, he's come back again. COLLINS: Just one more time.

OVERMEYER: Just one more time. Why not? You know, this guy's going to be 40 years old a little bit later on this year. Last year, he had basically said that he will fulfill a two year contract with the Washington Wizards. Whether it goes further than that, nobody really knows, but I would say pretty much this probably will be Michael Jordan's last year.

I mean, this is perhaps arguably the best player that's ever laced up his sneakers to play in the NBA. Now he's set basically as a reserve. He is now going to be this sixth man off the bench for the Washington Wizards. And what's amazing as many MVPs, as many championships as this guy had, he's always said that it's been the reserve guys that have basically won the game.

Well now he's going to be that guy. And the question I have, Heidi, I mean can you imagine Michael Jordan now with a sixth man award? After all the MVPs, now a sixth man award to go with that? Kind of weird, huh?

COLLINS: Yes, he's got to fight the space on his mantle, that's all we think. Hey, but you know who else is looking good is Carl Malone? He's chasing the all time scoring title. Kareem Abdul Jabar has that right now, but this guy is really making a run for it?

OVERMEYER: He is. He's 39-years old. And it's like this guy has no sign of slowing up. He and John Stockton have been together with the Jazz it seems like since they started -- since the Jazz have been around. Stockton already has the all-time assist record, but Malone has one to shoot for and obviously Kareem Abdul Jabar's.

The problem is, he's about 3700 points away from that record. That means if he averages about say 22 points a game for the next two years, he could attain it. The question is will he attain it?

This year's probably going to take a lot of a mailman. I mean, they lost Daniel Marshall this off season. This year the Jazz was certainly not going to be a contender in the west, which they have been. Since Stockton and Malone have always been there, you really have to wonder after this year whether he's going to re-think retirement. He's hinted towards it whether or not -- it's got to depend on whether or not he really wants that record set by Kareem Abdul Jabar.

COLLINS: All right, let's get down to it then. Can the Lakers four-pete? What do you think?

OVERMEYER: I don't know. What do you think? Do you think anybody has a chance to beat them? Come on, Shaq -- sure Shaq is injured right about now, but this guy is the most unguardable player in the entire NBA. If he's healthy for the playoffs, forget about the regular season. Colby can lead him to the playoffs in the regular season.

Get him to the playoffs. Dump the ball on Shaquille O'Neal. Nobody can battle these guys. I think the Kings have certainly made themselves some nice moves. King O'Clarke (ph) in the middle, but the question is, I'm telling you right now, if you get me to the playoffs with Shaquille O'Neal, I'm going to take the Lakers until somebody finds a way to beat them.

COLLINS: Well see, what about the rivalry between the Kings and the Lakers, though? We've already had one pre-season fight.

OVERMEYER: Yes.

COLLINS: Might be more to follow?

OVERMEYER: Well, this is one that's kind of starting to brew up a little bit. It's kind of fun. It's made the NBA more interesting lately. I think he's certainly been spurred on by Shaquille O'Neal in the off season, Colin (ph) of the Sacramento Queens. I don't think that helped relations between the two teams any, but in the case of real rivalries, this really is the true rivalry. And really, when you think about rivalries, you think about the two best teams in the NBA going to head to head.

This just happens to be the Kings and the Lakers just happen to be both in the Western conference. This isn't the Lakers versus the Celtics. The Kings and the Lakers both in the western conference are undeniably the two best teams of the NBA. And this is one of the rivalries that again makes it fun to watch the NBA this year.

COLLINS: Well does the East have anybody that can actually challenge the West for the championship?

OVERMEYER: I don't know. I mean, clearly, all of the talent, well most of the talent, the majority of the talent is in the West, but you got to send somebody from the East to the NBA finals. Why not the New Jersey Nets? I mean these guys were there last year. They have an MVP candidate in Jason Kidd back again. And now they have a dominating center at least defensively in Dekimbe Mutumbo. I think they have all of the attributes to definitely make it to the NBA finals once again.

I mean right now, they're undefeated. And with a guy like Kidd who can score at will and dishes the ball off, and as I said, an MVP candidate, you can't go wrong with him.

COLLINS: All right, Steve Overmeyer, our expert, the CNN Center down in Atlanta. We do appreciate it, all your predictions. We hope they come true.

OVERMEYER: Good to see you, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right thanks, Steve.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired November 3, 2002 - 07:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: As many of you may know, the new NBA season is getting cranked up. And veteran Michael Jordan is looking like his old self, despite nagging off court troubles in last year's chance didn't start off very well.
So joining us now with an NBA preview is CNN's sport anchor, Steve Overmeyer.

Hey, Steve.

STEVE OVERMEYER, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Heidi, good to see you again.

COLLINS: Hello to you. Looking at some great pictures here of Mr. Jordan. And I want to ask you though, a lot going on for him off court. We kind of mentioned it, but we know that there was a lawsuit that was file on Wednesday on the woman who he said is trying to extort five million dollars...

OVERMEYER: Right.

COLLINS: ...from him about a relationship they had 10 years ago. You think there's any effect on the court from him for this?

OVERMEYER: You know, Michael Jordan's a pro. I mean he's been through this a number of times. I mean, this guy has lived his life basically in the spotlight. This is certainly not going to affect his on court play.

I mean, here's a guy who basically has said in the past the only place he really feels safe, he really feels free, is on the basketball court, in front of 20,000 people. This is a guy again who's lived his life, entire career, in the fish bowl, in front of the -- in the media's eye. I don't think something like this is going to affect his play. He's certainly not let off court trouble in the past affect his play in the past.

So I don't think it's going to have any effect on him this year either.

COLLINS: All right, well we'll just have to wait and see. What am I hearing though about this possibly being his last year? He has brought that up?

OVERMEYER: Well, Jordan retire? We've not heard -- wait a minute. Wait, he's come back again. COLLINS: Just one more time.

OVERMEYER: Just one more time. Why not? You know, this guy's going to be 40 years old a little bit later on this year. Last year, he had basically said that he will fulfill a two year contract with the Washington Wizards. Whether it goes further than that, nobody really knows, but I would say pretty much this probably will be Michael Jordan's last year.

I mean, this is perhaps arguably the best player that's ever laced up his sneakers to play in the NBA. Now he's set basically as a reserve. He is now going to be this sixth man off the bench for the Washington Wizards. And what's amazing as many MVPs, as many championships as this guy had, he's always said that it's been the reserve guys that have basically won the game.

Well now he's going to be that guy. And the question I have, Heidi, I mean can you imagine Michael Jordan now with a sixth man award? After all the MVPs, now a sixth man award to go with that? Kind of weird, huh?

COLLINS: Yes, he's got to fight the space on his mantle, that's all we think. Hey, but you know who else is looking good is Carl Malone? He's chasing the all time scoring title. Kareem Abdul Jabar has that right now, but this guy is really making a run for it?

OVERMEYER: He is. He's 39-years old. And it's like this guy has no sign of slowing up. He and John Stockton have been together with the Jazz it seems like since they started -- since the Jazz have been around. Stockton already has the all-time assist record, but Malone has one to shoot for and obviously Kareem Abdul Jabar's.

The problem is, he's about 3700 points away from that record. That means if he averages about say 22 points a game for the next two years, he could attain it. The question is will he attain it?

This year's probably going to take a lot of a mailman. I mean, they lost Daniel Marshall this off season. This year the Jazz was certainly not going to be a contender in the west, which they have been. Since Stockton and Malone have always been there, you really have to wonder after this year whether he's going to re-think retirement. He's hinted towards it whether or not -- it's got to depend on whether or not he really wants that record set by Kareem Abdul Jabar.

COLLINS: All right, let's get down to it then. Can the Lakers four-pete? What do you think?

OVERMEYER: I don't know. What do you think? Do you think anybody has a chance to beat them? Come on, Shaq -- sure Shaq is injured right about now, but this guy is the most unguardable player in the entire NBA. If he's healthy for the playoffs, forget about the regular season. Colby can lead him to the playoffs in the regular season.

Get him to the playoffs. Dump the ball on Shaquille O'Neal. Nobody can battle these guys. I think the Kings have certainly made themselves some nice moves. King O'Clarke (ph) in the middle, but the question is, I'm telling you right now, if you get me to the playoffs with Shaquille O'Neal, I'm going to take the Lakers until somebody finds a way to beat them.

COLLINS: Well see, what about the rivalry between the Kings and the Lakers, though? We've already had one pre-season fight.

OVERMEYER: Yes.

COLLINS: Might be more to follow?

OVERMEYER: Well, this is one that's kind of starting to brew up a little bit. It's kind of fun. It's made the NBA more interesting lately. I think he's certainly been spurred on by Shaquille O'Neal in the off season, Colin (ph) of the Sacramento Queens. I don't think that helped relations between the two teams any, but in the case of real rivalries, this really is the true rivalry. And really, when you think about rivalries, you think about the two best teams in the NBA going to head to head.

This just happens to be the Kings and the Lakers just happen to be both in the Western conference. This isn't the Lakers versus the Celtics. The Kings and the Lakers both in the western conference are undeniably the two best teams of the NBA. And this is one of the rivalries that again makes it fun to watch the NBA this year.

COLLINS: Well does the East have anybody that can actually challenge the West for the championship?

OVERMEYER: I don't know. I mean, clearly, all of the talent, well most of the talent, the majority of the talent is in the West, but you got to send somebody from the East to the NBA finals. Why not the New Jersey Nets? I mean these guys were there last year. They have an MVP candidate in Jason Kidd back again. And now they have a dominating center at least defensively in Dekimbe Mutumbo. I think they have all of the attributes to definitely make it to the NBA finals once again.

I mean right now, they're undefeated. And with a guy like Kidd who can score at will and dishes the ball off, and as I said, an MVP candidate, you can't go wrong with him.

COLLINS: All right, Steve Overmeyer, our expert, the CNN Center down in Atlanta. We do appreciate it, all your predictions. We hope they come true.

OVERMEYER: Good to see you, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right thanks, Steve.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com