GOOD BYE 2012, WELCOME 2013

New coach
I gave notice on Monday who the Nets shouldn’t hire, how about a coach they should hire. Nets GM Billy King nor owner Mikhail Prokhorov need ask my view but I will provide it anyway. They should give consideration to hiring Brian Shaw. Shaw is a long-time assistant coach who certainly has toiled long enough. We thought he would become Phil Jackson’s successor but it didn’t occur. We know why Shaw wasn’t hired by the Lakers, Shaw represented an extension of Phil Jackson; Jimmy Buss certainly didn’t want a PJ clone in place. Hindsight is better than foresight however based on the Mike Brown hire Shaw might have been a better-quality hire. Perhaps Shaw doesn’t interview well I’m not sure however I think he deserves a chance. The Warriors hired Mark Jackson with NO head coaching experience and look what he’s done with the Warriors.

Best ever?
New readers might not be aware I have an aversion to paying for something which will be become public in some form. In this instance I’m referring to an ESPN Insider story, “is 1996 the best draft ever?” I was curious and because I couldn’t remember a number of the players I consulted NBA Draft.net for help. Out of the ‘96 draft and still playing number 2 pick Marcus Camby, number 5 Ray Allen, number 13 Kobe Bryant, number 15 Steve Nash and number 17 Jermaine O’Neal. Still playing the game but no longer in the NBA, number 1 pick Allen Iverson and number 4 pick Stephon Marbury. In addition the number 24 pick Derek Fisher just retired this month. There are several members with significant careers and now retired. You know several of the names, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Antoine Walker, Predrag Stojakovic and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.  The 1996 draft might be the all-time best in NBA history, if not it's mighty darn close.  Check if your research can uncover one more successful.   

Few probably are aware
The Murray State Racers have perhaps the best overall win streak in the nation. I bet you didn’t realize the last time the team had a losing record. They finished the 1986-1987 season at 13-15 record. That’s the last time the Racers completed the season with a losing record, over the next 25 years the team was to never finish below .500. Even more remarkable the Racers win streak has occurred with 7 coaches during that period. Murray State plays in the Ohio Valley Conference and the school is located in Murray Kentucky. Murray is located approximately 150 miles from Nashville Tennessee. 
(sports-reference.com/cbb)

You should have seen him play
The Nets have six retired jerseys; one of those retired is Dr. J and his 32. Unfamiliar to several of you is retired jersey number 3 worn by the late Drazen Petrovic. Today the count of international athletes in the NBA totals nearly 70, Petrovic was not the first international player but he certainly was the first to taste success in the NBA. This Croatian native began his basketball career in Yugoslavia (now Croatia) he later played in Spain for Real Madrid.  In 1986 Petrovic became the 60th pick in the 3rd round of the NBA draft.  After languishing in Portland for two years he was traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1991.  The trade would provide him the ability to display his tremendous basketball talent.  His career was cut short by a tragic accident at age 28 in Germany.  Petrovic was later honored with several awards, he was enshrined in FIBA Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

20 foot lay-up
There’s no such thing as a 20 foot lay-up; the term came into usage when describing Jamal Wilkes his unorthodox but consistent shot. This UCLA athlete was originally drafted by the Warriors however spent the bulk of his 12-year career as a member of the Lakers. In August of 2012 Wilkes was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield (MA).  December 21st jersey number 52 was hoisted to the ceiling at Staples Center; Wilkes has joined an exclusive club Lakers with retired jerseys.   

Wilt Chamberlain 13
Jerry West 44
Elgin Baylor 22
Gail Goodrich 25
Magic Johnson 32
Kareem Abdul Jabbar 33
James Worthy 42

NOTE:  The Lakers also have a jersey in the rafters honoring the late broadcaster Chick Hearn. Hearn broadcast games for 41 years, a feat which will probably never be repeated anywhere in sport.  A single banner honoring outstanding Lakers who played in Minneapolis are also hung in Staples.   (wikipedia.com)