Last Sunday flew by like other Sundays for Nick Anderson.
He washed his car, hung out at the house and later watched Golden State and Cleveland play in the NBA Finals.
The day passed without Nick ever realizing that June 7, 1995, was the 20th anniversary of the worst day of his basketball life.
And, of course, it’s great for his mental well-being that he doesn’t dwell on the date, fear its arrival and mourn its meaning.
It took Anderson years to put those four missed free throws behind him and come out on the other side whole.
“I made it,” he said. “I’m not afraid. I’m not ashamed. I used to be — I admit to that. I fought with it for a long time. I struggled with it.”
June 7, 1995 is still a day that lives in infamy for longtime Magic fans.
Twenty-years ago this week, the upstart Magic — in just their sixth season — were playing in The Finals against the Houston Rockets.
Orlando led 110-107 with 10.5 seconds left in Game 1. All Anderson had to do to secure it at Orlando Arena was make one of two free throws.
He missed the first and then the second, but got a reprieve as he was fouled after snaring the rebound.
Incredibly, two more Anderson misses followed. And with 1.6 seconds remaining, Kenny Smith hit a 3-pointer to quiet a festive crowd and send the game into overtime.
The Magic lost 120-118, and would get swept. And to hear some fans and critics tell it, the Magic also lost the series, Shaq the following summer and a budding dynasty all because of Nick’s bricks.
No person of sound mind and body would make that leap. Closer to reality is that the Magic were too young and immature to deal with the stunning defeat against Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Robert Horry, stable veterans all.
“We made young mistakes,” Anderson said. “They made veteran moves.”
It was convenient to blame Anderson after the Magic blew a 20-point lead in the opener.
“I always gave 110 percent and after that, people made a mockery of it. I felt like I was the scapegoat.” he said.
It’s rare to hear a hint of anger in Anderson’s voice today. You don’t see failure on his face.
He has learned to live with The Free-Throw Demon by looking at the big picture.
After all, he got a chance to play in the Finals — for better or worse — and with the Magic for 10 of his 13 years in the NBA.
“I just learned to stay strong because there are a lot of people who don’t even know my story,” he said.
Anderson knew what he had overcome, surviving a drug and gang war growing up in Chicago. A twist of fate kept him out of the path of a bullet that killed his best friend, Ben Wilson.
Missing four free throws is hardly a tragedy.
Anderson, 47, is in his eighth season as a community ambassador with the Magic. That means the player who some fans view as a goat is regularly — and willingly — mingling with them.
At times, Nick can sense uneasiness attached to their handshakes. Other times, he says, “People will just say, ‘I’m still mad at you for missing those free throws.'”
As tired as he is of hearing it, Anderson will remain gracious and tell them he understands.
He has managed to even joke about it. Like the time Nick was a guest speaker at a local youth camp.
“I’d say, ‘You have 10 seconds left and you need to make four free throws. I can’t shoot it for you because I already missed four.’ The kids have no clue what I’m talking about, but the parents, the older people, they know about it. I’ve heard the chuckles,” Anderson said.
Beating Houston to win the title might have prevented Shaq from straying for a while, changing everything. But one player doesn’t deserve to carry that burden.
Nick Anderson has come too far to keep wondering why the free throws didn’t fall.
“I don’t think I can ever get over it. But you learn. I’ve had to learn to handle it,” he said. “It’s like that Magic Johnson Dove commercial where he says he’s comfortable in his own skin. I’m comfortable in mine now.”
