A legend remembered: Bill Sharman, the man who began the Lakers championship tradition [VIDEO]
“Battling Bill” Sharman won a record 17 NBA championship rings, four as a player with the Celtics and the rest as a Laker coach and executive. Photo courtesy the Sharman family It was a day of effusive affection, bittersweet reflections and surprising confessions. Kobe Bryant admitted he can be temperamental, stand-offish and impatient with his teammates. Pat Riley admitted that early in his NBA career he worried he wasn’t going to have an NBA career much longer. And Jerry West admitted he can be really weird – as in wanting to score fewer points, not more, unlike virtually every other player in NBA history. The common denominator: all three Laker icons took their troubles to Bill Sharman. “Bill told me to try and get to know my teammates better. That’s how you lead individuals,” Bryant recalled. “Bill said if I got in the best condition of my life, defended with aggression and always do what I tell you, you’ve got a good shot at making the team,” Riley recalled. “Bill told me he wanted me to lead the league in assists and help Wilt Chamberlain score more,” West recalled. “And he said we’ll make Wilt captain. That will make him feel special.” Those anecdotes helped provide some…
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