Jack Ramsay has seen it all in six decades around pro basketball. He ranks seventh among coaching wins. He won rings as a coach and general manager. He just called four playoff games in five nights for ESPN radio รข€" his Heat-originated line still "The Slam-mer!"
As he stands in the Indianapolis airport, Ramsay tries to sum up, really sum up, what he thought watching LeBron James and Dwyane Wade play together these last three games in one simple, declarative sentence:
"I've never seen two players like them together,'' says Ramsay, 86.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen?
"No, no,'' he says. "Michael, of course, is the best. But Pippen didn't attack offensively like these two do. He couldn't do what they do."
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
"Great individual players, but nothing like these two in the manner they work the court at both ends,'' Ramsay says.
This is how quickly conversations change under the weight of consequence in NBA springs. A year ago, the hot topic was whether Wade and James could even play together. A week ago, the question was why Wade wasn't Wade anymore.
Now it's as if the curtain is rising on a historical spring for Wade and LeBron as basketball brains riff through historically tested partnerships.
Jerry West and Elgin Baylor?
"Maybe that's the closest,'' Ramsay says. "They had a season [1960-61] where they both averaged in the 30s. And West had some unique qualities as a defender. He's the first guy I ever saw who would lure his matchup, funnel him ahead and when he shot the jumper would take it off his hand from slightly behind."
He smiles. "LeBron did that to Indiana players a few times, only he gave them layups and blocked them."
Three playoff games is a mere sampling, of course. A teaspoon-size tease. The question without help like Chris Bosh in the middle is whether this is the start of something or the climax of it.
Individually, LeBron averaged 32.8 points and 11.7 rebounds and Wade 32.7 points the last three games against Indiana. Oh, and they shot a combined 58.2 percent.
They disoriented the Pacers to the point where center Roy Hibbert sat at his locker, staring at a Game 6 stat sheet, running his finger under the lines of Wade and James just to be sure.
"It's not one,'' he said. "It's both. When they're playing like that, I'm not sure anyone can stop them."
No one in the Eastern Conference Finals will come close. Not if Wade and James maintain this level. Five games. Tops. No matter the opponent.
"Sounds about right,'' Ramsay says. "These guys defend well individually and are great team defenders. They're not great perimeter shooters. But running the floor, slashing to the basket, and they shoot it well enough so you have to honor that on the perimeter."
Ultimately, basketball partnerships aren't judged by second-round wins, big stats or grand theater. They're judged by titles. Everyone knows that. Jordan and Pippen won six. Magic and Kareem won five. (Each had a third Hall of Famer in the cast, too: Dennis Rodman in Chicago, James Worthy in Los Angeles.)
West and Baylor never won a championship together. (West won one separate of Baylor.)
Can Wade and LeBron keep this up?
"I don't see why they can't,'' Ramsay says. "They're young enough. LeBron gives punishment, he doesn't receive it. Wade's not 100 percent. That's the only question."
Can they do it without Bosh?
"They're going to run into a great team out of the West, no matter who it is,'' Ramsay says. "[Oklahoma City's] Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are similar players, too. Great scorers. Great attackers."
His flight is being called for boarding. He's off to Boston for Saturday night's Celtics-Sixers Game 7. Everything changes overnight in an NBA spring. Wade isn't a bum anymore. He and LeBron may be the greatest ever.
Follow at Twitter/davehydesports
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