Who wins tomorrow night?
I have no idea who wins---do you? This NBA Championship has been most unusual in several aspects, 114-104 was the final score in game 5 Spurs win. This game had Danny Green versus Jesus Shuttlesworth. Green was 6-10 from the three-point line scoring 24 points and breaking the 3-point record established by Jesus Shuttlesworth. Remember hearing what I heard? Many in the media (and a few former players) claimed this Heat team might go down in history as one of the all-time great NBA teams. The Heat are a good team, a third consecutive trip to the NBA Championship provides proof. I doubt the comparisons to the MJ Bulls, Bird led Celtics, Showtime Lakers or Bad Boy Pistons. What do you think?
The Doctor
Did you realize at age 63 Dr. J. can still dunk a basketball? I didn’t realize it until last week, I hope you had an opportunity to view “The Doctor. “ The documentary focused on the career of Julius “Doctor J. “ Erving. The program was only available on NBA TV; maybe it will eventually make its way to ESPN with its much larger audience. The story unfolds skillfully and well worth the hour and a half time frame.
Mr. Irrelevant
My reference is meant to detail the history of an outstanding NBA player most fans have either overlooked or just ignored. He scored over 20,000 points pulled down 14,000 plus rebounds and was a 4-time NBA All Star. This 6-11 center was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2006 he was elected to the first class of the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He played for a number of NBA teams the first being the Chicago Packers who were re-named the Zephyrs in their second year. In any event I figured the Packers (or Zephyrs) would confuse, the NBA added an expansion team in 1962 the Packers.
For once a name change might have been seriously required. According to reports the name Packers was associated with cattle packing houses. Cattle were slaughtered in these packing houses thus odors emanating from them were certainly not very pleasant. In any event the team only lasted 3 years in Chicago, they moved to Baltimore where they were re-named the Bullets. A much later move to Washington D.C. and they would eventually become the Wizards. Have you guessed the name of our mystery Hall of Fame athlete? One more hint, he played at Indiana University and was a second team All American in 1961. Quit racking your brain, the player was Walt Bellamy who managed a successful career at a time the NBA had several prominent centers. Bellamy experienced nightly battles under the boards with the likes of Chamberlain, Russell and Nate Thurmond. (dates & history, Wikipedia)
It serves no purpose
Those of us viewing Thursday nights Game 4 witnessed the flop of Chris Bosh. Bosh sold the flop to an official who promptly whistled an offensive foul on Tim Duncan. The following day after reviewing tape of the game the league office fined Bosh $5,000. I have no solution for flopping, a next day fine resolves nothing except increase the coffers of the NBA offices.
