“It’s a common expression here” - Scot Pollard revealed the code the Sacramento Kings used for too much dribbling
Scot Pollard
© John Rieger - USA TODAY Sports
Dubbed “The Greatest Show on the Court,” the early 2000s Sacramento Kings left their mark on old-school NBA fans. Starring perennial All-Star power forward Chris Webber, seasoned big man Vlade Divac, sensational streak shooter Peja Stojakovic, and the two-way backcourt duo Mike Bibby and Doug Christie, the Kings undeniably housed a legendary team.
The greatest basketball team on earth
Indeed, the amount of talent in the 2000s Kings’ starting five was impeccable. But what most fans didn’t notice at the time was how united the entire team was as far as competing goes. Yes. C-Webb, Peja, and Bibby may have led the team in scoring, but according to Pollard, everybody on the squad knew their role, and they gave it all they got night after night.
Pollard also stressed that despite the massive success, ego and attitude never plagued the group. All they ever did was play team basketball. And if someone ever dribbled excessively, he would be tagged as a player who “was trying to figure out how much air pressure was in the ball,” a code they used to imply that he wasn’t being a team player. And as per Pollard, nobody even tried doing so.
Recommended Articles
“We played basketball the way it was meant to be played,” Pollard told KJ Hoops of the 2000s Kings in 2018. “A team game, people didn’t care about shots, people didn’t care about how many touches they got, because they knew they were going to get them. Because we moved the ball so much and the ball didn’t hit the ground a lot, because it was being passed to teammates and nobody was trying to figure out how much air pressure was in the ball. It’s a common expression here. You try to check the air pressure – just pass the ball, stop dribbling.”
Scot knew his role
Since entering the NBA in 1997, Pollard had always accepted his role as a backup big man. Knowing he was part of something extraordinary at the time, “Samurai Scot” never had an issue with it.
“I didn’t mind coming off the bench whether it was for Vlade or Chris, whoever, and I felt like that was a great role for me there, for that team,” he admitted. “Especially playing behind Vlade and Chris. I learned a lot from those guys.”
Looking back, had the Kings defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in that controversial 2002 Western Conference Finals series, there’s a great chance they would've won the title in the Finals.
