NBA fan Goldstein
now familiar face
By
Staff Writer Nick C. Sortal
More proof
that Miami Heat basketball has made the big time: Superfan Jim
Goldstein is a regular.
Goldstein, profiled
by ESPN's Sidelines last year as the NBA's most-ardent fan, attended
his 29th playoff game of the year Thursday. A wealthy fashion
designer and architect based in Los Angeles, Goldstein was in
Phoenix on Wednesday night for Game 5 of the Suns-Spurs series.
He was accompanied Thursday by fashion model Jessica Carrigan
of Miami.
The Heat is among the playoff surprises, said Goldstein, who also
made Games 1 and 2 in Miami. For the season, he has attended 120
games in NBA arenas.
"I thought Detroit
would handle Miami more easily, but they've hung tough,"
he said.
Haslem adjustment
Michael Levy of ML
Apparel, which is marketing Udonis Haslem's Miami High jersey
as a "throwback," said he would ask his public relations
agency to stop promoting Haslem as a two-time state champion.
Miami High won the
Class 6A championship in 1997 but was forced to return its 1998
trophy to the Florida High School Athletic Association for illegally
recruiting players. The Miami High program committed "one
of the most, if not the most, blatant violations of FHSAA rules
against recruiting that I have seen," said then-Commissioner
Ron Davis.
Haslem, who played
his first two years of high school in Jacksonville, returned to
Miami High for his junior and senior year. Although his career
was over after the title game, the FHSAA banned him for life.
Panthers make a pitch
During his postgame
news conference after Game 4, Pistons coach Larry Brown sported
a Detroit Red Wings jersey. Brown made a habit of wearing jerseys
from other Detroit teams during last year's championship run.
Not to be outdone,
the Panthers sent Heat coach Stan Van Gundy a white Panthers jersey
for him.
"We wanted to
let him know he has our support," said Panthers VP Randy
Sieminski. ...
Pistons fans Mark Patek
and Greg Hummer, both of Rochester, Mich., were not impressed
by Heat supporters' pre-game attendance. "No offense,"
said Patek, "but everyone comes here late. Detroit is die-hard
in comparison." The two bought their tickets on Ticketmaster
for face value after Game 3. ...
P.J. George and Will
Hoelle, both 17 and of Coral Gables, wore red pompon wigs and
painted their faces and bare chests red and cheered "Game
5, gotta win this!" When they appeared on the in-arena TV,
they continued to jump up and down and grind their noisemakers.
Local entertainers
Ten members of the
Southwest Focal Point Senior Center danced after the first quarter.
The group, called the Golden Oldies, danced to Boogie Nights and
Peanut Butter and Jelly. They wore their ages on their Heat jersies
-- ranging from 62 to 79. ...
Lateefah Dooling, 13
of Lauderdale Lakes, sang the national anthem and was cheered
even during the middle of her singing. Dooling is a seventh-grader
at Nova Middle School in Davie. Even though she is the cousin
of Heat guard Keyon Dooling, Lateefah wore a Shaquille O'Neal
No. 32.
Fans gets help with
noise
Entering fans received
noise-making clackers and used them liberally throughout the game.
... Many were soaked from a downpour that hit at about 7:30 p.m.
... The ESPN reporter covering the Heat, Rachel Nichols, has a
South Florida tie: She was a Sun-Sentinel reporter from 1994-96,
writing under her maiden name of Rachel Alexander. ... AmericanAirlines
Arena officials asked for a moment of silence before tip-off in
honor of George Mikan.
jim@jamesfgoldstein.com