Sports Fan Steps Up
John Schoneboom, avid fan of the Los Angeles Lakers since the Jerry West-Wilt Chamberlain glory years of the late 1960s and early 1970s, came up big in the dramatic seventh game of the 2000 Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trailblazers. NBC's Bob Costas talks to John about his role in the game and what it means to the team.
Bob: John, it looked pretty bleak there at the beginning of the fourth quarter with your guys down 15 to a Trailblazers team that seemed to have the Lakers' number.
JS: Well, it did. Their defense was doing a good job of keeping Shaq out of the paint, and the Lakers were just struggling to find any offensive rhythm.
BC: What were you thinking when you were 15 down and just over ten minutes to go?
JS: Well, we've been in this kind of situation before, and people have been saying all year that the team has no heart, and no killer instinct, so we felt like we had something to prove. With Shaq and Kobe struggling, it was time for somebody else to step up, so that's what I tried to do for the team.
BC: John, you really came up big in the fourth quarter. How were you able to step up and fill the gap for the team?
JS: I just told the guys not to try to get it back all at once, just take it one possession at a time, and let it start on the defensive end of the court. Step up the defensive intensity, and let the offense flow naturally from that.
BC: Yeah but, as a fan, how are you able to influence the outcome of the game?
JS: Through the set.
BC: The television set?
JS: That's right, through the TV. I was right there on every play, just trying to encourage the guys to stay under control, get it into Shaq and let him kick it out on the double teams.
BC: So you're essentially just yelling at the television?
JS: Exactly. Kobe's a great player, but he's very young still, people forget that he's only 21, and he has a tendency to get a little out of control at times. I feel like if I can step up and yell at him to take care of the ball, not to try to do too much off the dribble--if that's what it takes for me to help this team, then I'm willing to do that.
BC: Do you feel that the team can hear you somehow, through the television?
JS: Oh, no question. I think the results speak for themselves, Bob. Maybe feel me is a better word. Basketball is a game of energy, and whoever comes more ready to play, brings more energy to the game, is going to have the edge. I frankly don't have the NBA skills of some of the other role players like Harp or John Salley off the bench, but what I can do is come to the game with a lot of energy off the couch. I'm just trying to bring that kind of effort each and every time we suit up for a game.
BC: What do you feel is your place on this Lakers team, and is it difficult to find your role on a team with two huge superstars in Shaq and Kobe?
JS: Well, I realized coming to the Lakers that I was not going to be the focal point of the team. And it's not just this year, I've been a member of every Laker team since 1969, with Wilt [Chamberlain] and Jerry [West], with Magic [Johnson] and Kareem [Abdul Jabbar], so I knew I wasn't going to be able to dominate the game. Was it hard for me? Yeah, at first. In my own circle, with my friends, my family, a lot of the time things will kind of revolve around me, and that's what I've been used to. When I came to the Lakers, suddenly I was no longer the first option or the center of attention, and I've had to become more of a role player. I've tried to adapt, to fit in, and I think I've had some success. This year we won 67 games, which is right up there with the best records of all time, and we're going to the Finals, so I think you can kind of point to that and say that, whatever chemistry we've got going right now, it's working pretty well. I just defer to Coach Jackson and try to amplify what he's saying to the guys. If that means occasionally criticizing a guy and telling him he needs to step up, then that's what I'll try to do. If it means being the cheerleader, I can do that as well.
BC: What special talents do you think you bring to the ballclub?
JS: I think probably, if I had to name something, it would be my overall court vision. From where I'm positioned, I can see the whole court probably better than some of the guys who are right in the thick of it. So if Robert Horry or Rick Fox gets loose underneath the basket, I'll spot it sometimes before Kobe or Shaw can pick up on it, and I'll start yelling right away. Sometimes they'll lose the game plan in the excitement in the middle of a very competitive game, and I think I bring a cool head to the situation, maybe because I'm able to get to the refrigerator and come back with a fresh perspective. That's another thing: I can drink during the games, and the rest of the team really can't. I think that loosens me up and helps me get into the game. That's why, if guys start playing one-on-one too much, I'll see it and I'll start yelling at them to keep the offense in motion, keep setting screens, and get it into Shaq down low. We have to stay focused and keep within our game plan. If we can do that, we're a very tough team to beat. And I think I've been able to remind the guys of that very reliably so far this year.
BC: Were you nervous in the fourth quarter of Game 7?
JS: Well, I think you're concerned, definitely, down double digits to a tough Trailblazer team, but you just have to keep a cool head and start making some plays, don't force the issue, let the game come to you. Like I say, some of our usual first options weren't working for us the last couple of games, and when that happens, it's time for some of the other guys to step up, so that's what I tried to do. I think I had one of my better games, and it's fortunate for us that it came at the right time when we needed it. In the fourth quarter of Game 7, I was encouraging the guys on defense every time down the floor; I was trying to direct traffic on offense, trying to distribute the ball to the hot shooters. When Shaw started hitting threes, it was me that said "Keep feeding him! Keep feeding him!" I was just trying to do some of the little things, what I like to think of as the dirty work, the effort plays that can inspire the ballclub. I was pumping my fist, jumping up, pounding the floor, screaming my lungs out, and sure enough, things started to turn around. I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates, and I'm just glad when crunch time came I was able to step up and contribute.
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