Series complicates a few friendships for Nuggets, Spurs

Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 25, 2007 at midnight

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SAN ANTONIO — Four days before they would begin sparring in the playoffs, Nuggets coach George Karl and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sat side by side for a television interview, trading quips and offering insight into the pending first-round series.

After Game 1, Spurs guard Tony Parker did his best to put aside the disappointment of defeat and picked up longtime friend Yakhouba Diawara at the Nuggets team hotel — a routine that would be repeated in the days between games.

Trying to make the most of a four-night stay in San Antonio, Nuggets center Marcus Camby planned to have dinner with former teammate Francisco Elson, only to have his phone message go unreturned after the Nuggets' series-opening victory.

As is the case in everyday life, relationships can get complicated during the NBA playoffs.

"It's kind of a love-and-hate type of deal," said Nuggets forward Eduardo Najera, who became close friends with Spurs guard Michael Finley during their four seasons together with the Dallas Mavericks.

"Once you step on the court, it's all about business. It's all about beating your opponent. You can hang out with them, no big deal, but when you're playing against them, there's no friendship."

Because of free agency and the transient nature of coaching, friends and mentors often are pitted against one another in the postseason, and the Nuggets- Spurs series is no different.

Karl and Popovich are friends with longtime coach Larry Brown, and Popovich was an assistant under Karl for the U.S. team that flopped mightily at the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis.

Diawara and Parker were key members of the French under-18 team that won the European Junior Championships in 2000, while Elson spent three seasons as Camby's understudy in Denver.

Forget the six degrees of separation. The Spurs and Nuggets have more connections than a Priceline.com itinerary. The in-series interaction between friends, though, varies.

The coaches

Outside of a chance meeting in the hallway, Karl and Popovich generally steer clear of each other during the playoffs.

Both are focused on getting their teams ready for the emotional grind of the postseason, and no words were necessary for Karl to understand Popovich's pain after the Nuggets won Game 1 on Sunday night.

"What I have found is when you (defeat a friend), you feel more sympathetic for the person. You know he's feeling bad, so that's magnified," Karl said. "Everything is just magnified — the intensity, the friendship, the elation."

Popovich, who dispatched Karl and the Nuggets in the first round during San Antonio's championship run two years ago, agreed that bittersweet feelings are inevitable when competing against friends.

"It's actually in some ways easier to handle wins and losses because it's somebody that you know, and you feel for somebody else both in a win and loss," Popovich said. "You still want to kick their butt, but you feel for them both ways."

Adding to the intrigue, Popovich's coaching staff includes two assistants, Don Newman and Chip Engelland, who at one time worked under Karl.

"You've got Don Newman and Chip who have sat in playoff meetings with me and have heard how I think and where I'm going to go," Karl said. "If it becomes a long series, that might be an asset to them."

Dos amigos

When it comes to fraternizing with the enemy during the playoffs, Najera and Finley share a common philosophy.

"I don't go eat with the opponent," Najera said with a smile. "I eat the opponent."

That mentality worked for the Nuggets in Game 1 as the hungrier team prevailed, prompting Finley and the Spurs to criticize their own intensity and desire in the ensuing two days of practice.

Finley refers to Najera as "mi amigo" and their wives talk with each other throughout the season. Even so, the two men have no plans to eat, drink or hang out together during the playoffs.

"I think it's tough to buddy up with a friend during a series like this," Finley said. "It's nothing personal, and I know he's not taking it personal. It's just a business right now."

Deux amis

Maybe it's the age difference or the cultural difference, but Parker and Diawara, both 24 (Najera and Finley are in their 30s), have no problem mixing business with pleasure.

They are among seven French players in the NBA and figure they should make the most of every opportunity to spend time together.

"Any time when you've got your friend playing on the other team and you play them in the playoffs, of course it's competition, but when the game's over, we just go out to eat, relax," Diawara said. "Most of the time we enjoy it."

Though understandably dejected after Game 1, Parker did his best to have a good time with Diawara on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. He saw no need to shelve the friendship temporarily just because of the playoffs.

"I've known him since I was 17, so after the game is over, we can still go out and have dinner, no problem," Parker said.

Parker's celebrity fiancee, Eva Longoria, has been in Los Angeles the past few days, but Diawara said there was a chance he could meet her for the first time Tuesday night.

Call it a perk of the friendship.

Seeking Geico

Camby still was awaiting a return call from Elson on Tuesday.

Elson, nicknamed Geico because of his role as an insurance policy during his time in Denver, struggled in Game 1. He missed his only shot attempt and picked up three fouls in 13 minutes of playing time.

Camby figured the rough game had something to do with the social snub.

"If they would have won Game 1, I'm sure he'd have been calling me wanting to get something to eat," Camby said.

Elson, who signed a two-year, $6 million contract with San Antonio during the offseason, declined an interview request after Spurs practice.

Camby still welcomed a chance to catch up with Elson when the series shifts to Denver for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday.

"It's just dinner," Camby said. "It's not like we're exchanging game plans or anything like that. You can still have a friendship outside of the court. You never want to lose that respect for each other."

lopezaa@RockyMountainNews.com

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