Former Lakers great Byron Scott played for three NBA champions during the "Showtime" era with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, and James Worthy. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and the rest of the Celtics in the 1980s hated those Lakers then and still do, but they had to respect their heart, talent, and swagger. Scott sees those same rare ingredients in today's Celtics. "It's there," said Scott, now coach of the Hornets. "I can't remember when it was, but when we got off to a 24-3 start, we were pretty much plowing through everybody. And I'm looking at the way they're playing, they're doing well and basically doing the same thing."
Like Bird and McHale, I never really liked Byron Scott. In fact, I thoroughly disliked him. But he's right. I respected the 1980s Lakers. Their fast break was unmatched, and when they started a run that involved steals, blocked shots, and slam dunks, you knew it was going to be a long afternoon.
He's also right that I hated the swagger.
So his words represent praise from someone who knows the face of greatness.
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