They are as bad as the mob

The mob that's convicted Missouri's Frank Haith have come from all corners, it even includes sports writers. Luke Winn a columnist for for SI.com titled his column "Once an asset at Missouri, Haith's character now called into question." It's okay for him to weigh in on the controversy surrounding the University of Miami and to provide his impression. Here's the issue for me there is no foundation for his column with the exception of what Yahoo has reported. It's possible everything Yahoo is reporting is correct on the other hand it might not be! Hopefully it doesn't appear I'm picking on Winn, I've read several similar columns to his it just so happens his was the last one I read. I half joked earlier with my statement the NCAA should hire Yahoo to conduct it's background checks. I seriously question how the word of a convicted Ponzi scheme felon has become validated by a news gathering organization such as Yahoo. I thought a key element of a "successful" Ponzi scheme was for the host to be a good liar! Jason Whitlock Fox Sports wrote a very interesting column on the entire Miami mess, read it if you have an opportunity. In closing should there be a shred of evidence detailing Haith's involvement or knowledge I will retract everything I've stated. I find it extremely difficult for anyone to be charged and found guilty in the court of public opinion without an opportunity to defend themselves.

 

He belongs in the hall

Next year Reggie Miller will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame or at least he should be. This is an interesting twist for me, during his playing days Miller was never one of my favorites. The story once circulated he wasn't even the best Miller in the household, his sister Cheryl was reputed to be the superior basketball player. After Miller retired he began working as a television analysis and I was witness to a personality different than my earlier perception. I guess back in the day I thought of him as a hot dog especially his duals against number one Knick fan Spike Lee. It seem at times he enjoyed taunting Spike Lee more than beating the Knicks. It's noteworthy to point out Miller is one of those rare players to have played for one franchise (Indiana Pacers) his entire career. During his 18-year career he scored 25,279 points and like Rick Barry was Mr. Automatic at the free throw line with a career average of .888. Reggie Miller belongs in the Hall of Fame if I had a vote. (player statistics, Basketball-reference.com)

Don't allow their size to fool you
I wrote last week as the game has evolved it's become the game of the skilled big man. True statement however let me not lead you to the belief smaller men have nothing to contribute to the evolution of the game. I thought in addition to their height it's important to list their weight as well. The first player we'll mention although not currently in the NBA he's not officially retired. He's 6-0 165 pound Allen Iverson who's spent most of his career with the 76ers. Iverson's numbers 24,368 points and a career 26.7 points a game average, and absolutely fearless driving down the lane. The Thunder's have a 5-9 180 pound guard who has enough hops he can dunk the ball. Nate Robinson was Slam Dunk Champ at the All-Star break in 2006, 2009 and 2010. To detail his toughness Nate Robinson played defensive back in high school and college. 5-5 135 pound Earl Boykins has managed a 12 year NBA career as a reserve guard for a number of teams. 6-0 175 pound reserve guard Jose Barea caused havoc for several Mavs opponents in their run to an NBA Championship. Dirk Nowitzi and Jason Terry were keys to the NBA Championship but don't discount Barea's contribution. In game five Barea as a reserve guard matched starter LeBron James point for point with a game total of 17 points. Nate "Tiny" Archibald had a 14-year career in the NBA and won an NBA Championship with the Celtics, in addition he was selected to the Hall of Fame. Archibald's stats indicate he's 6-1 and 150 pounds, I once stood next to this speedy point guard and he's no taller than 5-11. Archibald is the only player in NBA history to led the league in scoring and assists in the same season, 34.0 and 11.4 while playing for the Kansas City Kings. We cannot forget 5-3 136 pound Muggsy Bogues or 5-6 133 pound Spud Webb, Webb was the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Champ. The number of players 6-0 and under is limited by comparison to those 6-9 and over however many of the players mentioned have found success in the NBA. It was once said: "a big man must prove he can't play while a little man must prove he can play," they proved they can play (player statistics Basketball reference.com)

Your first thought

Don't know if you ever thought about this, I saw a headline recently on ESPN Duke versus ______. Although we are a week or so away from college football and even further from the start of the collegiate basketball season I knew the story must be basketball related. Here's my reasoning there are certain schools you read a headline or crawl on your television and depending on the season your mind always says basketball. I said that's got to be a story on Duke basketball, the same would exist with North Carolina, both programs play football but basketball is king on each campus. Any mention of Kentucky other than the Derby your thoughts would be it's basketball program, the same situation if you mention Memphis University. Kansas University is another one of those schools that fit the mold, the success on the court has continued under Coaches Roy Williams and Bill Self. The basketball success at UConn men's and women's you would assume automatically a headline is basketball. No doubt football is the dominant sport for universities across the nation, in the institutions above and several others the basketball program is top dog. A significant note, most of the programs the head coach has served in that role for a number of years.

 

"We're shooting 100 percent - 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from the free-throw line." ~Norm Stewart former Missouri coach

Bulletin

The NCAA investigation involving Frank Haith and Miami University is yet to be completed but it caused no hesitation for Shawn Smith.  He is a 6-4 180 pound shooting guard, Smith committed verbally over the weekend his intention to sign with Missouri. This Jacksonville Florida prospect is rated 3-star by Rivals.com and is a commitment for 2012. Last week we discussed Andre Drummond and his NBA/college decision. Well it appears he's made up his mind, he announced he's headed for UConn this year rather than the NBA in 2012. Stay tuned for further details on this story because UConn has no scholarships available. You suppose they might locate one for a 6-11 275 pound 5-star athlete?

It's the direction of the game

Most of the stories whether high school, college or NBA revolve around tall players, the aircraft carriers as Dick Vitale often states. The game has progressed to become a tall man's game. It seems if a player is not 6-6 they must prove they can play the game. That's not true in all cases but it certainly exists for a number of coaches, scouts and front office personal. How did we arrive here is interesting in itself, if you check the history of the game especially the 30's and '40's there were few "big men." The game was played below the basket with skillful passing, dribbling, play making and shooting. Tall didn't begin with George Mikan however he probably was one of the first successful big men to play the game. Mikan was a 6-10 245 pound center who played at DePaul University from 1941-1945. Coach Ray Meyer devised exercises to improve his coordination and stamina, these fundamentals helped him to become a dominate player during a time few could match him in height and skill. The bulk of Mikan's career was spent playing for the Minneapolis Lakers, overall he played from 1946 through 1956. Although he never played pro ball Bob Kurland of Oklahoma A&M (State) played during Mikan's period. Kurland was probably the first legitimate 7-footer to impact the game at least on the collegiate level. Back then these taller players were strictly post players which in today's game no longer exists, you need to look no further than Dirk Nowitzki or Pau Gasol to see evidence of the change. Both are 7-footers who play the power forward position and in the case of Dirk their range extends beyond the 3-point line. Over the years the average height of guards and small forwards have increase as well. For example if Hall of Fame player Jerry West played in today's NBA he would be a point guard, at 6-2 and 175 pounds he wouldn't be considered tall enough for a shooting guard.

The bloom is off the Rose

League MVP Derrick Rose mentioned this past summer he'd "run out of gas during the playoffs." He went on to state he believed he was the reason the Bulls ultimately lost. If you look strictly at the numbers you could say clearly there was a drop off in his production once the playoffs began.  It was more than that, after sparkling play especially the last portion of the season I had picked the Bulls over the Heat. I thought the starting five was stronger and I felt their bench was far superior to that of the Heat. Of course playoff basketball doesn't always turn out as you forecast it, this series certainly didn't. The Bulls losing to the Heat was more than Rose, the entire team disappeared. Boozer, Deng, Noah and others did not play the inspired basketball we all witnessed during the regular season. Rose is taking too much responsibility we can point fingers at the entire team including the coaching staff.

It ain't gonna happen!

Reports out of New York continue to hint Phil Jackson will soon be coaching the Knicks. I don't believe he wants the job for several reasons, all of us realize he once played for the franchise. After a year of rest Jackson might be interested in coaching again, I would bet money (if I were a betting person) it will not be coach of the Knicks. One reason and it's a big one---Jackson is not a teacher, he's not cut out of the same mold as a Larry Brown or Hubie Brown. Brown and Brown relish the challenge of turning bad teams into good one's. Jackson will take a good team with great players (MJ, Scottie, Shaq & Kobe) and mold it into a championship caliber team. The Knicks have Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony however to date neither exhibit the will to win at all cost mentality of a champion. Neither player seems to be willing to do the dirty work required to win a championship. I'm a Phil Jackson disciple so this is not intended to be critical of him just stating facts. The Knicks are far too bad at this stage for him to have anything to do with them.

"Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball."
Phil Jackson Basketball Quote

The Business Journal just stuck a pin in my balloon

Expansion is certainly not in the picture for the NBA, if anything the possibility of contraction exist. In any event the Business Journal utilized "fuzzy" math to determine if a metro could support an NBA team. The Journal concluded Kansas City could not successfully support an NBA expansion franchise. The baseball Royals, Chiefs football plus the metro's economic picture was the basis for their conclusion. This study analyzed 57 cities in the U.S. and Canada, of the 22 cities the Journal said could support a team was Omaha (NE). St. Louis missed the cut as well so neither of the two largest cities in the State of Missouri would qualify. The winners, Riverside-San Bernardino finished first (as if California needs another NBA team) and Montreal Canada finished second. My purpose for using the term fuzzy math Riverside is but 60 miles from Los Angeles, it's quite easy to see how income and population would fit. Montreal is a totally different story, the city has a population of 1.6 million and metro of 3.6 million. I'm unsure if it's a hotbed for basketball however Wikipedia does indicate the city has history with minor league basketball. Seattle lost it's NBA team to Oklahoma City but came in at number 16. Vancouver once served as home for the Grizz was deemed borderline for a franchise.

Basketball in the great north

If we think of Canadian sports hockey always come to mind first, the nation is producing an increasing number of basketball players. In fact the best high school player in the Class of 2014 is Canadian, north of the border players dot the rosters of several universities across the nation. Texas has sophomore guard Cory Joseph (Toronto) and sophomore forward Tristan Thompson (Brampton Ontario). Both players were contributors as freshman to the Longhorns 28 wins last season. Coach Rick Barnes went back to Canada and recruited 5-star point guard Myck Kabongo (Toronto). In addition the Bulldogs of Gonzaga have improving 7-footer Robert Sacre from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Keep an eye on Kris Joseph a 6-7 forward (Montreal) who is now entering his senior year at Syracuse. His numbers have gone up every year since his arrival, will his final year lead to the NBA? Perhaps the next great player to cross the border will be Andrew Wiggins a 6-7 200 pound forward from Toronto. "Maxpreps gives Wiggins 5-stars and rates him the number one player in the class of 2014." Wiggins is transferring to Huntington Prep (West Virginia) for his sophomore year the same high school that produced current NBA player O.J. Mayo. This list contains a selected number of talented Canadian players and certainly is not intended to be complete. (MaxPreps.com)

Will the name remain the same?
This is a report from two sources, Jared Mintz of "I am a GM.com" and David Aldridge NBA.com. I am going to paraphrase the piece because it's pretty extensive, "I can't help but think West's primary role will be to work San Francisco executives and/or money people into clearing the decks for the Warriors' eventual move back into the city, after playing the last four decades in Oakland at what is now Oracle. Among the worst-kept secrets in the league is that there is significant interest in building a basketball arena in downtown San Francisco, near the Giants' fabulous PacBell Stadium. The team's current lease at Oracle Arena runs through 2017.)" This article written in May certainly shouldn't be considered to forecast the future of this franchise however other articles I've read indicate there is a disconnect between Oakland and San Francisco. There are probably a generation of Bay Area adults who only remember the Warriors playing in Oakland. Unless they delve into the team's history they might not realize the Warriors moved west from Philadelphia in 1962 to become the San Francisco Warriors. They played under that name until 1971 when they located to Oakland and became the Golden State Warriors.

I'm not surprised are you?

Recently Fox Sports compiled it's list of the top 10 worst sports franchises, I checked the list beginning with number 10. I certainly wasn't surprised to discover the Los Angeles Clippers were voted number one. The franchise I was surprised didn't make the list my home town Kansas City Royals. Why have the Clips been so bad so long you ask? Well most of the blame can be laid at the feet of owner Donald Sterling. Harry Truman once said "the buck stops here" indicated Truman was taking responsibility. If that is the case then we cab sat Sterling, Sterling, Sterling. His team is in the lottery practically every year so you'd think they would be in a position to draft good players. There have been several players they missed because the player just wasn't good enough or talented enough for the NBA. The bulk of criticism is the talented players they have traded and fail to receive equal value or the number they have allowed to leave strictly because they didn't want to pay them. Losing players to free agency and other teams is common place in Clipper land. Over the years there have been players who passed the Clippers way I had forgotten many were drafted by the team. Elton Brand, Lamar Odom and Tyson Chandler are just three present day players, back in the day they drafted Magic Johnson's running mate guard Byron Scott. This franchise will continue to play second banana to the Lakers or perhaps Royals (Kings) should the franchise move to Anaheim. The only possible change for this franchise would be a new owner to replace the tight-fisted Sterling.

"The more your players have to think on the basketball court, the slower their feet get." Jerry Tarkanian, former UNLV coach

Did you see or know this?

Video tape of Michael Jordan dunking the ball at age 48, it was nothing like the Air Jordan days but he can still get up there.  The Milwaukee Bucks hired Sidney Moncrief as an assistant coach, a writer stated "too bad the Bucks can't allow him to suit up." Super smooth shooter and a defender too, his career was cut short due to injuries but he managed a lifetime .502 field goal and 18.6 points per game in 10 years. The "real" Dennis Rodman as he choked back tears during his acceptance speech to the Hall of Fame gathering. Although he lacks public speaking skills the emotion was sincere and genuine. In his Hall of Fame acceptance speech Chris Mullin revealed he had keys to the gym while in high school. If you looked up gym rat in the dictionary it would describe Mullin. Having the keys allowed him the opportunity to work on his game whenever he wanted. I wonder if you could do that with any of today's players? I know we Americans like to lay claim to the invention of basketball, it it true the game was invented in the U.S. The inventor of the game was not American he was Canadian Dr. James A. Naismith. He was working at the Springfield (MA) YMCA in 1891 at the time he formulated the game. He might have invented the game but he wasn't a very good coach, Kansas fans tend to forget this part of the story---his lifetime coaching record 55-60.

I said I wasn't going to do this

At times I'm forced to retreat from something I said I wouldn't do, I once said we should resist "shouda, wouda" scenarios. In any event here goes, the basketball landscape of Kansas City and maybe the Kings might have changed if their front office had been a little smarter and not so stingy. In 1976 the war between the ABA and NBA came to an end, owners agreed to a merger adding the more successful ABA franchises into the NBA. The New York Nets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets became NBA franchises, the remaining three ABA teams were dissolved and a draft was held of each teams players. The draft was held similar to today in order of a teams finish, the last place NBA team would chose 1st. The Kansas City Kings had the number 3 pick, the Kings chose Ron Boone a 6-2 shooting guard. They paid $250,000 for his contract, I continue to believe to this day the choice was based on money and not talent. 19-year old Moses Malone was available but would have cost the Kings an extra $100,000, Malone eventually became the 5th pick. The Kings scouting staff failed big time, in his rookie ABA season Malone was at 18.8 points and 14.6 rebounds a game. Those are good numbers for a high school player who never set foot inside a college. The balance of the story is a stellar career playing for the Houston Rockets and the Philadelphia 76'ers. Malone won an NBA Championship with the 76er's and was eventually enshrined in the Hall of Fame. What if----Malone playing for the Kings alone with later draft choices (Otis Birdsong, Phil Ford) raised the level of play of the Kings. They would have been a continuing playoff team maybe even winning an NBA Championship, oh well.

Guilty?

Mizzou Coach Frank Haith has been tried and found guilty in the court of public opinion. At this point we are only awaiting his sentence, am I exaggerating this or does it sound too far fetched? I don't think so, all that's required is to check the various websites, ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com and others. They are full of Frank Haith stories, the damage has been done we don't know if he's guilty or not but his credibility is damaged beyond repair. The question might be what does the university do next? I don't have the answer however whatever transpires will create turmoil for all associated with the program fans included.

Please clue me in
Please help me understand, long ago I concluded there are a great number people who don't like basketball particularly the NBA variety. These folks have provided numerous reasons why they don't like the game. To some extent a number of their complaints are valid while others are just plain stupid. You don't like the NBA, I get it but why must you chose to visit NBA websites to voice this opinion? I'm no fan of hockey but I don't visit NHL websites to voice my opinions about the game. After reading a story on ESPN.com on the NBA page a writer expressed his view, he wrote in all caps "No body cares about the NBA." How about this, he doesn't care about the NBA and I don't care about his opinion I guess we are even now.

When you’re through improving, you’re through.Author Unknown

Is this really fair

How can Mizzou's Frank Haith be convicted without a trial? The Kansas City Star conducted a poll in which 78% of the respondents thought he should be fired. An email response from a writer pointed out "the majority of the newspaper readers are probably KU fans anyhow." For those readers unfamiliar with the landscape Kansas City (MO) is less than 50 miles from Lawrence (KS) home of the University of Kansas. Haith cannot defend himself from the accusations due to an NCAA gag order in effect. I don't hold out hope for this investigation to be completed to the satisfaction of everyone.  Keep in mind this is the same group of folks who conducted the original investigation. Maybe the NCAA should consider hiring the Yahoo staff to conduct background checks, they appear to be more thorough in completing the task placed in front of them.   

What is he going to do
The number two high school player in the Class of 2012 has a decision in front of him. The 6-11 275 pound center from Connecticut could become eligible to enter the 2012 NBA draft. The current collective bargaining might remain in place and Andre Drummond would still be eligible, you ask how is this possible? He is eligible to attend college next month but instead will spend a year in prep school. As a 5th-year high school player by the time June rolls around he will be age 19 and his class would have graduated in the prior year. These series of events will allow him to chose an NBA career.  My thought, he's going to submit his name for the NBA draft, why would he attend school for a 5th-year if he intended to enroll in college.

He did what?

Anyone who chooses to serve as president must realize criticism for almost everything is a by-product of the job. This would include an NBA players poor jump shot, so it is for President Obama and the Celtics Rajon Rondo. According to a book ghost written by Shaquille O'Neal the president is "responsible" for Rondo's poor jump shot. Last spring the Celtic's made a stop at the White House and met with the president. President Obama was supposed to have told Ray Allen in a joking manner "you need to take him (Rondo) aside and teach him your shot." Rondo was embarrassed being called out and shot poorly the balance of the season. The economy, jobs and now Rondo's poor jumper is added to the mix. (Tom Weir, USA Today, Aug 17, 2011)

My man-cave

The other day my wife invited her cousin and his wife to dinner, when I greeted them at the door his wife said to me, "you do come out of your man-cave!" I laughed at her statement but admitted to myself she was partially correct. I spend a great deal of time in the the man-cave but I do venture out when necessary. There is no refrigerator or food in the man-cave so a kitchen run is often required.  The man-cave has a couch but no bed so I continue to sleep in the bedroom. The only exceptions are the afternoons when somebody "slips" in and knocks me unconscious, I always awake refreshed. I have no bathroom facilities in the cave so I must leave for the call of nature. What's in your man-cave, mine contains all my Laker apparel, my computer and HD television. As you can see there are few reasons for me to leave the cave.

Kansas City's rich basketball history

In this age of NCAA championship games played in dome football stadiums this next story might surprise you. In 1910 several educational institutions came together to form the NCAA, it was 1939 before a decision was made to host a championship basketball tournament for the best team. Kansas City has served as host for 10 NCAA Championship games more than any other city in the country, The Big Apple, New York City finished a close second with 7 championship games. The central location of the city was probably key to Kansas City serving as host for the many championship games, in addition the offices of the NCAA were in Kansas City for years before moving to Indianapolis (IN) in 1997. This story would be incomplete without reflecting on a portion of last Friday's column, the NAIA or small college championship tournament. The NAIA tournament is actually older than the NCAA tournament. The first NAIA championship game was held in 1937, every year from 1937 through 1994 the champion team was crowned in Kansas City. The exception was 1944 during World War II when no game was held. The NAIA moved to Tulsa (OK) and played there from 1995 through 2001. In 2001 the series returned to Kansas City and has been held here every year since. Of course Municipal Auditorium, Kemper Arena and now Sprint Center have held numerous NCAA regional games throughout the years.  (dates, Wikipedia)

“I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.”   Michael Jordan

Why is he not allowed to defend himself?
You might not be aware of the sharks circling around Missouri Coach Haith's boat. Yahoo Sports is reporting a convicted former booster for the University of Miami is singing in all ranges, tenor and baritone about payments and gifts awarded to Miami athletes. The vast majority of these gifts and payments were made to football players however one basketball players name was mentioned. At this point Haith becomes part of the story, he is supposed to known a $10,000 payment was made to a player. The money was supposed to have been funneled through an assistant coach. The NCAA has forbidden Haith to discuss the matter until they complete their investigation. Although the stories are dissimilar because it's basketball related it reminds me of Tim Donagy. Donagy was a former NBA ref who admitted betting on games and other improprieties, he was eventually convicted and served prison time. Naturally he found time to write a book detailing his bad behavior, conspiracy theorists continue to believe many of the claims he presented. Every time a questionable ruling by the NBA front office or a referee's decision, out come the Donagy stories. As this is written we have no idea if Haith is guilty but let's not rush to judgment before all the facts are presented. I've read several emails from fans calling for Haith to be fired, it's a shame the word of a crook becomes valid without any proof. If the charges somehow prove true Haith should be punished. At this stage I await the decision by the NCAA or Missouri should punishment occur.

I wish I could tell you more

Last Friday former Blazer Arvydas Sabonis was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. It's unfortunate a major portion of his early career was spent playing for the Soviet Union which limited his play. His artistic play was exhibited every four years during the Olympics and later when he was allowed to play in Spain. My memory of an athletic Sabonis has faded, I can only remember the NBA version who appeared to lumber up and down the court at times. The Communist government forbid Sabonis to play in the NBA, he arrived in the NBA as a 31-year old rookie in 1995. A series of injuries including Achilles plus a heavy playing schedule had robbed this 7-3 290 pound giant of many skills he exhibited as a younger player. One portion of his game he never lost was his artistry as a passing center, a writer referred to him as a "7-3 Magic Johnson" quite a compliment. J.A. Adande of ESPN.com wrote "between YouTube, NBATV and ESPN3.com there is no way someone as good as Sabonis would be a secret today." Youngsters of today will have a hard time understanding why Sabonis came into the NBA so late, we can just state the politics of the time simply didn't permit. We can only guess the career numbers a young Sabonis might have accumulated if allowed to play in the NBA, we'll never know.

Please step forward

It would be great if Kansas City had an Alex Meruelo show up. Meruelo is the new owner of the Atlanta Hawks and guess what---he doesn't even live in Atlanta. Meruelo lives in California but indicates he is going to purchase a home in Atlanta. But think about it a minute are community ties really necessary? We could look no further than the Chiefs, the Hunt family has never lived in Kansas City in the nearly 50 years of Chiefs football. Community ties are important but unnecessary if that owner(s) is committed to the area. A further problem expansion in today's NBA is out of the question so a Kansas City team would be one located from another city, in addition I don't think an expansion team would work here. The only choice is an existing franchise moving here, but which one?

NAIA basketball

Once upon a time NAIA schools supplied a steady stream of talented players to the NBA, those days are long gone. A considerable number of these players became all-stars several reaching the top rung in basketball, enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. The stream of NAIA players first began arriving in the NBA in the '50's lasting through the late '70's. Hall of Famers Earl Monroe, Willis Reed and Scottie Pippen began their journey to the NBA at NAIA institutions. These players never made the HOF but greatness was their middle name, the Celtic's Sam Jones, Luke Jackson 76'ers and Bob Love of the Bulls just to name a few. During the 50's and 60's schools in the deep south and southwest would not recruit or sometimes even schedule games if a team had black players. It was even against unwritten Jim Crow laws, example in 1963 an all-white Mississippi State team wanted to play in the NCAA tournament. They would be playing Chicago Loyola which had black players on the team. The team knowing the climate of the times had to sneak out of town to play the game. Black players especially in the deep south honed their game at the historically black institutions. Naturally the NBA learning of this talent pool began to scout the schools extensively. Year after year scouts in droves would journey to Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium for the annual NAIA Tournament.  Pippen ('87-'08) and Terry Porter ('85-'02) might be considered the last outstanding NAIA athletes to play in the NBA.

"The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life."

Muhammad Ali

He doesn't understand but I do

Allow me the privilege to first state my position, I've been a fan of Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) since his days at Power Memorial High School in NYC. I wanted to offer my explanation why the tone has changed between this Hall of Fame player and the Lakers in recent years. Over the summer Kareem voiced his displeasure with Laker management, he felt they had done little honoring his Laker years. The all-time NBA points leader's jersey number 33 is retired, it hangs along side those of other Laker greats at Staples Center. Kareem's personality as a young man has contributed to some of the problems he now faces as a 64-year old. Kareem was/is a very cerebral person, he's demonstrated this in writing or co-writing four books only one of which was basketball related. His on the court skill never transferred off the court, the younger Kareem was aloof and curt with members of the media. As for fans the best description I can provide he was cordial but never overly friendly. In the last few years Laker management began to honor significant Lakers of the past. One of the streets surrounding Staples was renamed Chick Hearn Way. This was in tribute to the legendary Laker broadcaster who was the voice for more than 3,000 Laker games, later a Chick Hearn statue was added outside. In 2010 a statue of Laker legend Magic Johnson was added too, earlier this year a statue honoring former player, coach and general manager Jerry West was erected. Kareem the player was a vital cog in several NBA championships, the Lakers should honor him in some manner. The problem with beginning the task now it will appear they acted in response to his criticism.

I don't know about this

I first said I wasn't sure Yao Ming should be in the Hall of Fame, of course you remember I changed my mind. I explained my change of heart however a recent update to his story concerns me. I wonder what Chinese officials are attempting to accomplish with this latest move. As you are aware a player must be retired 5 years before they become eligible. Chinese officials have nominated Yao as a contributor to the game therefore no time-limit exists. Retiring in 2011 and elected in 2012 could occur. I have no problem with Yao's possible selection but I question this rush to elect him.

Which nation has next?

A Yao connected story, his retirement caused a writer to speculate "who would be the next great player from Asia?" Naturally my first thought was China but the author was headed in another direction on the map. He was focusing on India it's vast population and then mentioned the Bhullar brothers. Sim is a high school senior and brother Tanveer a sophomore. Both brothers already possess NBA bodies, Sim is 7-4 and 330 pounds while "little" brother Tanveer is 7-3 and 260 pounds. Sim has signed a letter of intent and is headed to Xavier University while his younger brother is undeclared at this time. Their parents are originally from India but emigrated to Canada 20 years ago. To give you a little hint of basketball growth according to a New York Times article "The Basketball Federation of India estimates that 4.5 million Indians play the game." The NBA is attempting to market the game through it's Basketball without Borders program, and a number of NBA games are now available on television. At some future date a player will likely arrive from India to begin play in the NBA, it might be one of the Bhullar's are perhaps someone else.

You might have missed this

Ishmail Wainwright at Raytown South is no more. This talented 6-5 200 pound forward has decided to "take his talents" to Montrose Christian. Wainwright didn't announce his intention in that manner I did, sorry LeBron. He is headed to a Maryland prep school for his junior year, the same school that produced the Thunder's Kevin Durant. His outstanding AAU summer and the school probably contributed to his decision. The school won the "2011 ESPN Rise National High School Tournament Championship." (Montrosebasketball.com)

"My Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.'"

Forrest Gump 1994

Bulletin

The NCAA has ruled (and in this instance I agree). Last Thursday the NCAA ruled no high school games on networks affiliated with schools. This was aimed at the University of Texas and it's Longhorn network. In a developing story I can cease complaining about the Big 12, it appears the conference will soon be non-existent. The Southeastern Conference said thanks but no thanks to Texas A&M for 2012. I doubt if this is the last we hear of this or similar stories. I could be wrong but I think the Big 12 will fold at some point in the future.

Figure this one out
Last spring ESPN, Fox Sports and the Sacramento Bee wrote of the Kings impending move to Anaheim. City officials in Anaheim were diligent in their efforts to land this franchise, the last hurdle in this move was the NBA to approve the move to Southern California. I questioned the prospect of three NBA teams (Lakers, Clips and Kings) in Greater Los Angeles but who knows, it might have worked. A funny thing happened while the Kings were preparing to pack for the journey south. Sacramento officials met with the NBA Board of Governors, they persuaded the governors to grant the city a reprieve. As the Kings won-lost record has suffered in recent years so too has the attendance but that's secondary to the main issue. For the last several years the Maloof brothers owner of the team have complained both publically and privately about Arco Arena and it's lack of suites and other amenities. After last springs effort the arena continues to be a hot button issue with the citizens of Sacramento, many seem to want the team but have no desire to pay for it. Numerous proposals have been turned down over the years and even now there appears no ground swell of approval to float any type of tax or bond issue. The clock is running, the Kings have a March 1st deadline to provide a financial plan or risk losing the franchise. Their former home Kansas City has a 4-year old arena built to NBA specs, who says you can never go home?

I plead guilty
I read a column by Gregg Doyle of CBS Sports.com, the shortened version of Doyle's column, "wake me when the lockout is over." Doyle pointed out some of the rhetoric he heard about both the NFL and NBA lockout. Bottom line I agree with him these doom and gloom stories can only go so far. NBA owner, "I'm prepared to close down for the season." Player, "I going to (insert country) to play basketball." I plead guilty, I began buying into some of the posturing flowing from both sides on the lockout, no more! I will continue to report what I believe are insightful stories on the NBA and basketball minus any stories involving the lockout. If there is positive news naturally that will be reported otherwise............

Consider this

If you read or hear Hall of Fame basketball the first thought is Springfield Mass. Yes, Springfield is the home of the Naismith Hall of Fame and it's inductees come from all all aspects of basketball. Most are probably unfamiliar with the relatively new College Basketball Hall of Fame located in Kansas City MO. The hall was created by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to honor the college game, it is not intended to compete with Springfield. The HOF and museum in Kansas City is located next door to Sprint Center, it opened it's doors in 2006. It operates in a similar manner to Springfield, each fall players, coaches or contributors to the game are honored with an induction ceremony. The CBE Basketball Classic is held every November at the Sprint Center, a portion of the gate receipts are utilized for maintenance and upkeep of the HOF. 12 teams are in this years talented field among them are Notre Dame, Cal, Georgia and Missouri. The semi-finals and championship games are scheduled for November 21-22. Take time if you are ever in Kansas City and visit the College Hall of Fame. Below is the link, check it out.

http://www.collegebasketballexperience.com/sponsoropps/display.aspx

Curiosity on my part
The fall of 2012 the Nets will be play basketball permanently in Brooklyn, no more stops here and there. Spike Lee born and bred Brooklynite was asked if he would now consider switching his allegiance to the Nets. Lee echoed the same statement as my friend Gary, "the Knicks are New York's basketball team." The Nets themselves might have been a contributor to the identification problem dating back to their ABA days. Long Island, the Meadowlands and finally Newark, there were probably other stops but those are the locations that first come to mind. Actually the Knicks are partially to blame too, the Nets were originally scheduled to play at the 69th Street Armory in Manhattan, the Knicks filed a lawsuit claiming "territorial rights" and forced the team to look for another location. The team has been on the move since, the stops in New Jersey are a story in itself. I have no way to document this story however a member of the media claimed "he was unable to locate any Nets gear at two sports stores in Manhattan." If true that might provide a clue why the Nets are considered the step child of New York. The Meadowlands and Prudential in Newark are but 20 miles from the city but again I've been told New Yorkers will not travel to New Jersey. You think a new arena might make for a change, maybe. The key to growing the fan base is the product and results on the court, what do you think?

«My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt.»
- Chuck Nevitt, North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to Coach Jim Valvano why he appeared nervous at practice.

Keys to success

Winning collegiate programs contain at least three ingredients, a pipeline of good recruits, a quality coach and an arena. Not any arena, one full of screaming cheering fans to intimidate the opposition.  There is not one NBA arena in the country that can make that claim.  Examples would be Cameron Indoor at Duke University, the Kentucky Wildcats probably feel invincible in Rupp Arena and finally Allen Fieldhouse home of the Kansas Jayhawks. The Dean Dome of the North Carolina Tar Heels also fits the description. Overlooked sometimes is the Carrier Dome on the Syracuse University campus and it's 22,000 fans screaming support for their Orangemen. Coaching changes and other factors caused several teams to lose their mojo in recent years. The Thomas & Mack arena on the campus of UNLV comes to mind especially in the Jerry Tarkanian days. Famed Pauley Pavilion contributed to the success of UCLA basketball for coach John Wooden and those who succeeded him. I'm sure I overlooked several but these are a few buildings that come to mind. Better yet, see if you can come up with your own additions to the list.

What happened

Lawrence Frank was recently introduced as the new head coach of the Pistons. I'm unsure of the following who has the toughest job ahead, Frank, the T-Wolves coach (whoever that might be) or President Obama. This franchise has a rich basketball history beginning play in 1941 in the National Basketball League, in 1948 they entered the newly formed National Basketball Association. Another note Detroit was not always home to the Pistons, in those early years they played out of Fort Wayne Indiana. As the NBA began to grow several franchises moved from smaller cities such as Rochester (N.Y.) and Syracuse (N.Y.) to those with larger populations. The Pistons moved from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957 with it's regional population of 4.5 million. The Pistons were NBA Champs as recently as 2004, they triumphed over the more highly touted Lakers of Shaq, Kobe, Malone and Payton. Three years ago the Pistons finished the regular season at 59-23, since then it's been pretty much down hill, 39-43, 27-55 and 30-52. Time will only tell if Frank is the right man for the job but he's certainly a beginning, this franchise is in desperate need of a makeover.

He's not in the Hall aready?
Artis Gilmore will be enshrined tonight in the Naismith Hall of Fame, for some reason I thought he was already there.  For those of us old enough to remember his career might ask the question, why it was necessary for the ABA committee to elect him?  It would appear this 7-2 240 pound center's career bio should have been enough? Maybe one of the reasons he was overlooked was the result of his demeanor, this lefty was never vocal or very demonstrative. In addition when you think of centers in that time-period you might think of the silky smooth moves of Kareem Abdul Jabbar or the dream shake of Hakeem Olajuwon. That was part of the problem, Gilmore was neither nor did he have any special moves around the basket he just got the job done! Numbers never provide a true picture but for younger readers I'll provide them. Gilmore scored over 24,000 points in his combined ABA and NBA career. His lifetime field goal percentage was .582, 18.8 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game. (Gilmore career numbers, Basketball reference.com)

Hockey, thanks but no thanks

This is for the NHL21 group in Kansas City, this is an organization of local hockey fans.  They continue to point out the NHL is a better fit over the NBA in Kansas City.  This is far from the truth in my view.  I don't think hockey was ever a good fit in the deep south and southwest portions of the country.  Check the list Dallas, Tampa Bay and Phoenix all cities either losing franchises are about too.  We can now add Atlanta to the list, the recent sale of the Thrashers drives the point home, they are now headed to Winnipeg. Alex Meruelo new owner of the Hawks says "he was never interested in buying the Thrashers." In addition Meruelo further states he has no desire to move the Hawks yet could have purchased the lesser priced hockey team.  Before hockey fans begin booing and hissing there is absolutely nothing wrong with your sport. In Canada and the eastern corridor (Rangers, Bruins etc.) the NHL remains a highly visible and viable sport. Hey NHL21 how about attendance, I'm excluding last years Miami Heat game for obvious reasons.  Do you realize NBA pre-season games have outdrawn NHL pre-season games every year since Sprint Center was opened?  That fact alone would certainly cause me to think twice about Kansas City if I were a prospective NHL owner.

We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors.-- Weldon Drew

Bulletin!!!!!!!!!!!

The Big 12 Conference has ruled the Longhorn Television Network cannot telecast high school football games at least for 1-year period. Hopefully the conference will continue to play hard ball with the University of Texas and this edict will remain permanently in place.

They run few plays
A recent article in the Kansas City Star pointed out the shortcomings of AAU basketball. The writer pointed out little if any offensive schemes are utilized by most AAU teams. He attributed this to the limited amount of time players had to become acclimated to one another. I could agree with a portion of his statement however I think even casual fans prefer a more up tempo game. I can't think of very many (except Carolina fans) who enjoyed Dean Smith's four-corner offense. Younger readers are probably familiar with the term spreading the floor, in this instance it meant just that! Each Carolina player would be in a designated area in four corners at the time they were the offensive team. The ball would be passed back and forth till an opening presented itself and the Carolina player would drive to the basket for a layup. Naturally this was before the days of the 30-second clock, I can remember a similar type of game as if it were played yesterday. Back in the day my alma mater Central High School had a high powered run and gun offense predicated on man to man pressure defense. The opponent they were to play that evening, East High School was a .500 team and they probably knew going into the game they couldn't play at Central's level. I will give the East coach credit, he did what was necessary to win, he had his team hold the basketball for 3/4 of the game. The East guards would inbound the ball dribble down court and just hold the ball, when a Central player would attempt to defend the guard would pass to an open teammate. This slow down game went on all evening, the only time it speeded up was on Central's offensive end. The game ended 19-16 in favor of East something along those lines, this was a period Central was scoring 60-70 points a game. Of course there was no clock nor was there a requirement to move the ball other than to advance it across half court. An opposing player could stand there and hold the ball till the cows came home if they wanted. Thanks but no thanks---I've seen enough of slow paced basketball.

Double Duty
The basketball Hall of Fame ceremony will require Phil Jackson to introduce Dennis Rodman and Tex Winter to the gathering. This is interesting how both chose the Zen Master to introduce them. I believe Rodman has a genuine affection for Jackson and respects him as a coach and man. Thinking back over his NBA career there were two coaches he respected greatly, the late Chuck Daley and Jackson. The mercurial Rodman could be a head case off the court but only one incident comes to mind while he played for Jackson. Playing for the Bulls Rodman fell out of bounds and for reasons still unknown chose to kick a photographer seated nearby, the incident resulted in a fine and suspension for Rodman.  

89 year old Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is almost the opposite of Rodman. This Texas native has been around the game so long I had to research portions of his resume. He played at USC then began his long basketball career first serving as head at Marquette from 1951-1953. From there he coached at Kansas State ('53-'68), Washington ('68-'71) and then the NBA Houston Rockets ('71-'73). He went back to the college game first at Northwestern ('73-'78) and later Long Beach State ('78-'83). In 1985 Winter was to began his long association with Phil Jackson while serving as an assistant coach of the Bulls. Winter brought the triangle offense to the team and it's head coach. Health issues eventually forced him to the sidelines, he had served as a consultant their 2008-09 season with the Lakers. Although Winter didn't invent the triangle or triple-post offense other than Phil Jackson he is the one individual most closely associated with it. (A portion of the Tex Winter bio from Wikipedia.org)

Is it really that bad

As this is written the lockout is now in it's 41st day. I wanted to present what I thought was a  view not covered by anyone I've read.  Is it important to the current state of affairs of the NBA, I think so see what you think. The issue before us is new ownership in the NBA, you might not realize this but even in a down economy at least five franchises have changed hands since 2009. The Nets were first up, they were purchased by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. The Nets deal was followed in succession by the Warriors, Wizards, Pistons, 76ers and Hawks. I don't wish to paint an inaccurate picture these deals were completed over an extended period of time however all were begun after the recession of 2008. Of all the franchises the Pistons probably were on the market for the greatest period of time. The Pistons were not lacking bids in fact two owners were vying for the team at one point. The Pistons were eventually sold to billionaire private-equity magnate Tom Gores. The Hawks deal was recently announced and has yet to be formerly approved by the NBA, on the surface it appears the sale will be approved. You think billionaires are willing to throw away money on failing franchises? 

He's a real deal too

Shabazz Muhammad's name has been mentioned on more than one occasion in this blog. Muhammad a senior has been mentioned in several publication as the the number one high school player. Another player of note is junior guard Ishmael Wainwright, Raytown South High School. Wainwright earlier this year verbally committed to Mizzou and then de-committed. "Ishmail Wainwright, 6'6" 215, Raytown, MO, Raytown South, 2013 - Wainwright is a hard nosed, big bodied athlete who does all of the little things to help a team win. He will most likely never be a big scorer, but he has enough ball skills and shooting ability to earn your respect. Where he excels is on the defensive end of the floor. He uses his strength, length, and athletic ability to lock down his man and accepts the challenge of guarding your best player. He is the type of guy that won't wow you with stats but help a team win." (ipowers, nbadraft.net, 7/26/2011) After accessing his strengths and weaknesses ESPN.com said, "Wainright has a college ready body, long arms and soft hands. His physical qualities alone make him an elite level prospect, but his feel for the game on both ends of the floor and fundamentals will allow him to be one of the better players in 2013 class." (ESPNU Super 60 2013)

The Malone/Barkley clone
I've have stated on more than one occasion why must we gauge an unknown player by comparing him to a well know player? Sports is the only area we use this criteria, we don't say "Larry repairs PC's in the same manner as John." Why can't we just say _______ is a good player and leave it alone. Example St. Johns has a top-50 class of '12 incoming recruit named Ricardo Gathers. The AAU coach of this young man provided the following quote. "Louisiana Elite AAU coach Scooter Owen says Gathers (6-6, 235) is a cross between Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. "That's huge," Gathers told The New York Post. "Those are a couple of NBA Hall of Famers. I understand what he's saying. Those guys knew rebounding wins games just like defense. I go into every games trying to get at least 10 rebounds." (Staff report, Sporting News, Aug 2, 2011) I will be following the progress of Gathers to see if this praise is justified.

This is easy

Who is the best player in the NBA? We could argue this point till the cows come home, doesn't matter if it's football, baseball or table tennis. We have no method of qualification especially athletes of differing eras. Example, was Wilt Chamberlain better than Moses Malone or Shaquille O'Neal? Three centers in three different time periods in an ever-changing (defenses, number of teams etc.) NBA. The more time elapses the more we "forget." This holds true especially at times when all we have to judge are black and white film and record books. Don't get trapped in this argument it will never be concluded so that all parties agree.

Will any team ever come close?

The '71-'72 Lakers won 33 games in a row an amazing feat by any set of standards. There were 16 other teams in the NBA at the time of the win streak, a smaller number than the 30 teams of today. I think it was better basketball, a smaller number of teams meant very few bad teams. Back then the regular season was still 82 games as today and this Laker team won 69, 33 of them in a row. They lost to the Golden State Warriors on October 31, 1971 their next lost occurred January 9, 1972. They were 14-0 in November, 16-0 in December and 3-0 in January before losing to the Kareem Abdul Jabbar/Oscar Robertson Bucks in early January. They culminated the season by winning the NBA Championship over Walt Frazier and the Knicks. How this all came together is interesting, injuries forced Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor out of the lineup. Baylor would retire shortly thereafter and the team took off like a rocket from that point on. This Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Gail Goodrich led team set a regular season win record that stood for many years until it was eclipsed by the Jordan Bulls. Just for grins the MLB record is 26 games in a row by the 1916 New York Giants. Due to the limited number of games played versus the major sports the streak is much shorter in the NFL and accomplished over two seasons. It's 25 by the Indianapolis Colts '08-'09. (date events, Basketball reference.com) (date events, baseball & football, Wikipedia.org)

What you see depends on what you're looking for. Source Unknown

MSG

The initials are all that's required to identify "the world's most famous arena" Madison Square Garden. NYC will have two "new" arenas in the very near future, Barclays Center home of the Nets and MSG. The Garden will not exactly be brand new but an $850 million dollar makeover will make it appear new. This place is so very busy the work must be accomplished over the summer. St. Johns basketball, pre and post season NIT basketball, Rangers hockey plus the WNBA's Liberty and Knicks. In addition there are concerts, Ringling Brothers Circus and WWE added to the mix of dates.  As you see there are few dates when the arena is not hosting an event of some type. A busy arena plus a limited timeframe forced the Liberty to play their games in Newark this summer. This 2011 portion of construction will be completed in time for the Knicks to play in the fall.(if there is a season) Remodeling the second oldest arena in the NBA (1968) will be completed over the next three summers. It might be noted the present arena is actually the fourth different building in the cities history named Madison Square Garden.

Perception correction
It was not my intention but I might have created a misunderstanding. I mentioned the smaller population base in Kansas and the fact KU recruits extensively outside it's borders. The statement is fact, I didn't intend to give anyone the impression there was little basketball talent in the state. The metro areas of Kansas City, Wichita and Johnson County have long produced a significant number of players throughout the years. I wrote of the talents of Willie Cauley Olathe Northwest Center however he's not the number one player in the state, that honor belongs to Perry Ellis 6-8 220 pound forward. Ellis averaged 22.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 1.8 apg as a junior and was the 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas. The schools seeking his services are Kentucky, Duke, Memphis, Kansas State and KU.

Anderson & Haith
Anderson and Haith might sound like a law firm or maybe accountants.  It's actually Mike Anderson current Arkansas coach and Frank Haith Mizzou coach, both coaches are beginning their first season as head coach. I surveyed both teams their rosters and last seasons records to project the upcoming season. Arkansas was 18-13 (7-9) in the SEC, Mizzou 23-11 (8-8) in the Big 12, on the surface Mizzou would appear in better shape but there still might be questions. Anderson left Mizzou for one reason in my view, the opportunity to replace the Nolan Richardson legacy. I know Richardson is long gone but Arkansas won an NCAA Championship and Anderson was an assistant coach on that very successful team. I am going to venture on the edge of the cliff and peer over, I think Mizzou will be more successful this upcoming season. A Frank Haith offense will be much easier to teach than a Mike Anderson offense, Mizzou "veterans" will play superior ball to the Arkansas frosh. Both conferences will be strong but I give the edge to the downsized Big 12 over the SEC (excepting Kentucky). Let's enjoy the upcoming season and be prepared to laugh at me should this assessment be incorrect in March.

You say what?
The players and owners met Tuesday for the first time since the lockout. No progress was reported on the labor issues although the NBA chose to release a statement. The league announced Commissioner David Stern will receive no pay during the labor impasse. We are unsure if he's paid weekly, monthly, semi-annually or what but his $10 million salary will remain in the bank. Do you feel better knowing Stern will receive no pay during this time period? I know I feel better knowing he's not being paid. This reminds me of the statement Patrick Ewing made during the strike shortened season of '98-'99. Ewing said, "we might make a lot of money but we also spend a lot of money." Should we suppose this might fit the commissioner too, maybe Stern might be forced to apply for food stamps.

"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it."Hall of Fame baseball player Rogers Hornsby

Talking about being fearful

One of my sons suggested I discuss "play for pay'' in a future column. Payment of athletes while attending school has been a continuing topic of debate for years.  Discussing this matter ventures into areas I'm unsure I am unable to provide enough and adequate points. The small amount of research I completed provided me with far more questions than answers. Here are my questions, I'm sure you can provide an additional number.

*If football and basketball players are paid would the same stipend impact tennis players or members of the swim team?  Tennis, swimming and other sports don't generate the amount of revenue football and basketball provide.

*Should a Jimmer Fredette receive a larger payday than a Carmelo Anthony? The difference based on one athlete playing four years versus the other only one year of play. 

*On occasion athletes have been declared ineligible due to grades and other issues, would payments continue as long as the athlete remains in school?

*Finally what role will a schools athletic department bear in a play for pay system?

What will we do?

Do you share my concern regarding the month old NBA lockout? The key to this lockout and the recently concluded NFL one is financial it's the same here, the owners want more the players are unwilling to give back. A couple of points, over the last two years at least three NBA franchises have changed hands, i.e. new ownership. Did these new owners purchase their respective team with dollar signs in their eyes? I have no problem with ownership profiting but to what extent? How can you give (huge player contracts) and then take-away (player revenue share) which is one of the sticking points to a new collective bargaining agreement. Second point I know owners especially the new group realize this is not the NFL or even major league baseball.

How can an owner state "I'm losing money" and not allow the financial picture to be examined by a neutral or third party? The New York Times disputes the figures ownership made public. The revenue stream is totally different and they should realize that, as for a side I choose neither. I'm not siding with the players nor owners, both have become far too greedy in these stressful economic times. A recent headline read "Billy Hunter, NBA on track for a lost season, " if the season is lost as the union president hints they might as well close shop. This is not the NFL, the fan base is much smaller and fans will not come flocking back after a year of no basketball. Will I return to NBA basketball once the impasse is resolved, of course I will and so will you provided we are not talking next year. The residual effects on the fans of this lockout can be temporary or permanent based on the length of time to hammer out a new agreement. An NBA owner needs to do what Patriots owner Robert Kraft did, get fully involved in these process. On the other hand Commissioner David Stern needs to solve this, isn't that why he is paid a reported $10 million dollars a year? (Sam Namiri, SportsBiz.biz, Sept 13, 2010)

I've grown to appreciate what he did

Former Spurs player Bruce Bowen was never one of my favorites. It all stemmed from the fact I thought he was a "dirty player", several of his NBA contemporaries shared the same view. An ESPN.com panel questioned if the window had closed on the Spurs run as a championship contending team. The answer to that question is a discussion for another time, back to Bowen. A fan pointed out the Spurs have not been the same since Bowen was traded, San Antonio had become his last NBA stop. He retired prior to the 2010 season before ever donning a Bucks uniform. For an undrafted player from Cal-State Fullerton he had a pretty good career. He played for four NBA teams before he eventually found a home in San Antonio. The old saying, "location, location, location" certainly applied with the Spurs, he arrived at a time his principle duty was to play tough hard-nosed defense. No scoring responsibilities other than to shoot a corner three now and then. Bowen contributed to three NBA championships and was 5X NBA All-Defensive First Team (2004-2008) and 3X NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001-2003). Was he a dirty player, you draw your on conclusions. I do think he might have modeled portions of his game after Dennis Rodman.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."

- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

U.S.S. Carl Vinson
History was made in 1968 when the UCLA Bruins played the Houston Cougars in the Astrodome. Both teams were undefeated going into the game which was dubbed "The Game of the Century." This was the first ever college basketball game held in a domed stadium, many claim the game laid the groundwork for the game of today. Prior to this history making telecast college basketball was only broadcast on a regional basis, this historic game became the first nationwide. I know that sounds surprising in this age but the first national telecast of an NCAA Championship did not occur until the next year 1969. History will be made again this fall although certainly not quite so significant, a basketball game will be played on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson. The North Carolina Tar Heels and Michigan State Spartans will play Veterans Day, November 11, 2011 while the ship is docked in San Diego. In the event of rain the game will be moved to an interior portion of the carrier.

How bout a lengthy NBA agreement
I have no details on the NFL agreement with the exception of the time period. NFL owners and players will sign a 10-year agreement which sounds about right to me. Players Union President Derek Fisher states NBA labor issues are far different from the NFL. I don't doubt his statement however one issue both parties should consider is a similar long term agreement. I have no idea the length of the recently expired agreement however I'm thinking it was either five or six years. Somebody that knows please correct this statement if necessary. In addition both sides should begin serious negotiations a full year prior to the expiration of the agreement.

Where are they?
While writing about the double barrel retirements of Shaq and Yao I thought, where are the NBA's 7-footers? They are still visible, the problem is several play a perimeter game with no back to the basket game. This change in the NBA game can be laid at the feet of three players, Jack Sikma, Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan. Sikma played from 1977 through 1991 and spent most of his career with the Sonics, Ewing from 1985-2002 principally for the Knicks. See if you can locate game highlights on both and you will see they were jump shooters, few typical post type shots. Guess what, smack dab in the middle Michael Jordan came on the scene, the Bulls Jordan played for from 1984-1998.  Those Jordan led Bulls won six NBA Championships and changed the game. NBA thinking began to change, teams no longer thought they needed a 7-footer to compete. The 7-footers who would later come into the game structured their game in the same manner of Sikma and Ewing. Check out series MVP Dirk Nowitzki and the Lakers Pau Gasol, Dirk's game even extends out to the 3-point line. Next time someone mentions the fact there are no dominant centers explain to them it's all the fault of Sikma, Ewing and Jordan.

“Well, isn't that SPE-CIAL?”
We can share the above with Dana Carvey's "church lady." What's special, the Longhorn Network the Big 12 and NCAA said was okay. Let me see if I understand this the Big 12 has a television contract with Fox Sports but it's okay for Texas to have it's own network. The school will only be broadcasting programming associated with the university correct? Wrong, Texas has gone on record stating they intend to telecast selected high school football games as well. Texas A&M was the first school to yell foul followed by several others including Mizzou. Now the NCAA is to take a "second look" at the Longhorn Network because of the complaints. It's a little late to close the barn door after the cow has already escaped. With a note to my son I'm borrowing the Slim Perkins line in Blazing Saddles "What in the Wide World of Sports is a-going on here?"

"Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time."