Kansas City and the NBA
The Kings left Kansas City after the 1985 season however Kansas City maintains a presence in the NBA of 2013. I’m watching the Bulls-Pacers game; long-time Bulls broadcaster Neil Funk is conducting the play by play. Kansas City was not his first professional employment however Funk once broadcast games for the Kings at a time the franchise was in Kansas City. TNT and ESPN’s Kevin Calabro name is closely associated with the Seattle Sonics. He too once broadcast games for the Kansas City Kings. Ron Boone former guard for the Kansas City Kings has been handling color commentary for the Utah Jazz for years. Sharpshooter Eddie Johnson handles the same chores for Phoenix Suns basketball telecasts. Veteran NBA on TNT broadcaster Kevin Harlan also has connections to the Kings, he then moved to the NFL Kansas City Chiefs and on to the NBA Wolves.
Matt Goukas handles color commentary for Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports; once upon a time he too played for the Kansas City Kings. The focus is not only broadcasters; there are others with Kansas City connections. I’m glad you asked, how about a few coaches? The Knicks Mike Woodson, Lakers Mike D’Antoni and the Bucks Larry Drew all spent time here playing for the Kings. The Wolves coach Rick Adelman played for a number of NBA teams among them the 1975 Kings. Former Kansas City King Reggie Theus is now coaching Cal State Northridge but was once head coach of the Sacramento Kings. I almost forgot the “colorful fashion” styling’s TNT’s Craig Sager. Sager was the periodic 10:00 p.m. sports anchor for a Kansas City television station.
It’s just one game
The game was only an exhibition; in addition Mizzou was playing Oklahoma City an NAIA school. Mizzou won easily 73-48 however my curiosity drew me to game for several reasons. There was no Phil Pressey, no Laurence Bowers so how would this new look Tiger team respond. One area that should aid them in SEC play they are a really tall team. The team Frank Haith inherited two years ago was height deficient; playing “small-ball” allowed Haith’s first team to compete effectively. Honoring the 1993-1994 undefeated Big 8 championship team the game was held in Hearnes Center. Hearnes was the site of play for the undefeated team. For nostalgia purposes the team even wore retro uniforms of the period.
His coaching reach
SMU’s 73-year old Larry Brown’s reach extends much further than I thought. I was familiar with the fact coaches Danny Manning (Tulsa) and Mark Turgeon (Maryland) played for Brown at Kansas. In addition I was aware current head coach Bill Self served on his staff at that same school. The names mentioned were familiar the “Brown Connection” was an unknown. New to me was former head coach Alvin Gentry once served as an assistant under Brown with the NBA Spurs. Did you realize Kentucky’s John Calipari was a Kansas assistant? We might conclude a degree of success of the NBA Spurs might be attributed to Larry Brown, how you might ask?
General Manager RC Buford was a graduate assistant under Brown at Kansas. *“(Greg) Popovich took off the 1985–1986 season at Pomona-Pitzer (Div III) to become a volunteer assistant at Kansas, where he could study directly under Brown.” At the time Brown was hired as head coach he took Buford and Popovich with him to San Antonio. Milt Newton played for Brown at Kansas; he’s served as vice-president of the NBA Wizards and is now the general manager of the Wolves. A number of former players, coaches and others have been omitted due to space considerations. The intent was to provide you (and me) the quantity of former players, assistant coaches who have gone on to bigger and better things influenced by Larry Brown.
*Wikipedia
You are acquainted with the player but maybe not the school
We know Michal Jordan was a Carolina Tarheel; we identify Kareem Abdul Jabbar with UCLA basketball. We remember Charles Barkley came into the NBA from Auburn or Blake Griffin was an Oklahoma Sooner. Others have distinguished themselves having emerged from smaller schools or those who rarely produce basketball talent. The list below was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. This listing is not intended to be complete it represent a number of the more familiar players:
Julius “Dr. J.” Erving - UMass
Sam Jones - North Carolina Central
Nate “Tiny” Archibald - UTEP
Bob Cousy - Holy Cross
Karl Malone - Louisiana Tech
Joe Dumars - McNeese State
Elgin Baylor - Seattle University
Artis Gilmore - Jacksonville
Dennis Rodman - Southeastern Oklahoma State
Robert Parrish - Centenary College of Louisiana
George “Iceman” Gervin - Eastern Michigan University
Wikipedia
Wait your turn
Dwight Howard aka Superman is really gonna be upset when he becomes aware. 2014 is the 25th Anniversary of the Magic franchise beginning play. The team announced they were going to honor both Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway at this season. Should we imagine the honor might include retirement of Shaq’s jersey number 32 and Penny’s number 1? Howard should just be patient and wait his turn for his jersey to be retired.
I found this a little surprising
Stumbled on to a Celtic fan website and discovered interesting news. This website claimed a number of fans wanted Rajon Rondo gone too. We know the animosity that existed between Rondo and Ray Allen but that’s history with Allen in Miami. Many Laker fans wanted Kwame Brown gone but that was a little different. Brown couldn’t play he was just tall, Rondo has talent even if he’s a knucklehead at times.
Monday, October 28, 2013
The Wild Wild West
The above was the title of 1960’s television series brought to the large screen in 1999. Will Smith only dealt with a single advisory, Dr. Loveless. The Western Conference champ has three serious contenders and four others in waiting. Our discussion of course is the Wild Wild West of the NBA, the Western Conference. These are the primary contenders who will emerge after the smoke clears, the Warriors, Spurs, Clippers, Thunder. The Mavs, Pelicans, Nuggets and Lakers will contend but fall short. Of all the teams the Thunder would appear best prepared however there is the Westbrook factor to consider.
Have the Spurs finally reached the end of the line? It’s always been difficult to count them out; they say a cat has nine lives so do the Spurs. Can Doc Rivers explain to his Clipper team Lob City will not grant them an NBA championship. Baring injuries (and youth) I believe the Warriors will emerge out of the West. They too have questions however last years playoff run was good for the team and coach. I like this team’s lights-out shooting, my chief concern can they manage to play enough defense?
A short note
The Lakers released Marcus Landry; the roster stands at 15. Injuries could make for a later change however this will be the opening game roster. Check the October 9 edition of Words eye view and see if I was correct with my prediction of the final roster moves. I connected with a Celtic acquaintance, I asked him about the changes with his favorite team. He informed me; “I’m still excited about the season (NBA) starting tomorrow” I share his excitement.
Going forward
None of us have any idea what the future holds for the NCAA. It’s my belief college football will be responsible for a change in administration of policy. I am not pleased with the NCAA suspension of Mizzou’s Frank Haith however my problem is much larger. This malfunctioning organization still has a number of issues to address. They must pay for the sins of the past; in this instance one of the sins is the failure to compensate collegiate athletes. Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to recoup compensation. He was the plaintiff but this essentially could become a class action suit, that’s the reason the NCAA has attempted several times to have this suit dismissed. Last week they tried again and the judge denied their request.
”Be like Mike”
Gatorade sports drink ran a television commercial which featured Michael Jordan; the theme was “I wanna be like Mike.” NBC correspondent Willie Geist had that opportunity last Friday. MJ’s estate is for sale in suburban Chicago and Geist went on a walking tour with the real estate agent for the Today Show. The estate sits on 7 acres of land about 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. This 56,000 square foot home contains nine bedrooms, 19 bathrooms and five fireplaces spread throughout. Naturally it contains an indoor basketball court; outside lays a tennis court and swimming pool. MJ paid a cool $29 million when he purchased the property. The next portion of the tour was even more interesting. Geist changed into basketball clothing along with a number 23 Bulls jersey.
In several shots he proceeded to dunk the basketball, the last was his entire body as he went up and dunked the ball one-handed. Later back in the studio he revealed all the dunks except the last one were on 8-foot baskets. He said the last one was the real deal at 10-feet. Geist stated; “I hadn’t dunk a ball in about four years.” The 6-4 Geist made no mention about his basketball background however based on what I saw I believe he’s picked up a basketball on more than one occasion in his life. It was also revealed the estate comes with the furniture and other amenities included in the cost. It has been reduced to $23 million just in case you might be interested.
They spent $1 billion too
It was reported the construction package for the Nets Barclays Center home was $1 billion dollars. Up to that time I‘m unsure any indoor arena (excluding football) may have approached the figure. Last week Madison Square Garden unveiled its brand new look. It should also be of note the same amount of money spent to build Barclays was spent renovating MSG. The renovation was done in three phases over the last three years. Fans of the Knicks and Rangers will be treated to a “brand-new” arena. MSG was recently given a 10-year lease on the property; will they be required to move after spending this large sum of money? You should be able to locate either video or photos of the facility.
The above was the title of 1960’s television series brought to the large screen in 1999. Will Smith only dealt with a single advisory, Dr. Loveless. The Western Conference champ has three serious contenders and four others in waiting. Our discussion of course is the Wild Wild West of the NBA, the Western Conference. These are the primary contenders who will emerge after the smoke clears, the Warriors, Spurs, Clippers, Thunder. The Mavs, Pelicans, Nuggets and Lakers will contend but fall short. Of all the teams the Thunder would appear best prepared however there is the Westbrook factor to consider.
Have the Spurs finally reached the end of the line? It’s always been difficult to count them out; they say a cat has nine lives so do the Spurs. Can Doc Rivers explain to his Clipper team Lob City will not grant them an NBA championship. Baring injuries (and youth) I believe the Warriors will emerge out of the West. They too have questions however last years playoff run was good for the team and coach. I like this team’s lights-out shooting, my chief concern can they manage to play enough defense?
A short note
The Lakers released Marcus Landry; the roster stands at 15. Injuries could make for a later change however this will be the opening game roster. Check the October 9 edition of Words eye view and see if I was correct with my prediction of the final roster moves. I connected with a Celtic acquaintance, I asked him about the changes with his favorite team. He informed me; “I’m still excited about the season (NBA) starting tomorrow” I share his excitement.
Going forward
None of us have any idea what the future holds for the NCAA. It’s my belief college football will be responsible for a change in administration of policy. I am not pleased with the NCAA suspension of Mizzou’s Frank Haith however my problem is much larger. This malfunctioning organization still has a number of issues to address. They must pay for the sins of the past; in this instance one of the sins is the failure to compensate collegiate athletes. Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to recoup compensation. He was the plaintiff but this essentially could become a class action suit, that’s the reason the NCAA has attempted several times to have this suit dismissed. Last week they tried again and the judge denied their request.
”Be like Mike”
Gatorade sports drink ran a television commercial which featured Michael Jordan; the theme was “I wanna be like Mike.” NBC correspondent Willie Geist had that opportunity last Friday. MJ’s estate is for sale in suburban Chicago and Geist went on a walking tour with the real estate agent for the Today Show. The estate sits on 7 acres of land about 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. This 56,000 square foot home contains nine bedrooms, 19 bathrooms and five fireplaces spread throughout. Naturally it contains an indoor basketball court; outside lays a tennis court and swimming pool. MJ paid a cool $29 million when he purchased the property. The next portion of the tour was even more interesting. Geist changed into basketball clothing along with a number 23 Bulls jersey.
In several shots he proceeded to dunk the basketball, the last was his entire body as he went up and dunked the ball one-handed. Later back in the studio he revealed all the dunks except the last one were on 8-foot baskets. He said the last one was the real deal at 10-feet. Geist stated; “I hadn’t dunk a ball in about four years.” The 6-4 Geist made no mention about his basketball background however based on what I saw I believe he’s picked up a basketball on more than one occasion in his life. It was also revealed the estate comes with the furniture and other amenities included in the cost. It has been reduced to $23 million just in case you might be interested.
They spent $1 billion too
It was reported the construction package for the Nets Barclays Center home was $1 billion dollars. Up to that time I‘m unsure any indoor arena (excluding football) may have approached the figure. Last week Madison Square Garden unveiled its brand new look. It should also be of note the same amount of money spent to build Barclays was spent renovating MSG. The renovation was done in three phases over the last three years. Fans of the Knicks and Rangers will be treated to a “brand-new” arena. MSG was recently given a 10-year lease on the property; will they be required to move after spending this large sum of money? You should be able to locate either video or photos of the facility.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Bits n Pieces
Mizzou is practically invincible at home, how unbeatable you might ask? The Tigers have won 85 of 89 games played at Mizzou Arena since the 2008-09 season. Most Mizzou fans are aware of the success at home; their hope is the road record improves significantly on away games this season.
Talk of the Lakers being worse on defense this season with no Dwight Howard might find this surprising. They really weren’t that good with Howard in the lineup. It was pointed out recently the Lakers finished 18th last season in team defense. Certainly noteworthy the team finished in the bottom half of the NBA.
The Clippers have one of the most exciting frontcourts in the NBA. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan dunks are nightly features on SportCenter, unfortunately neither can translate their high wire act to the free-throw line. Last season Griffin shot a feeble .660 from the line while Jordan was a infinitesimal .386.
Tampering rules don’t apply to me. The Pacers are playing a 3-guard lineup with Paul George at shooting guard. After an outstanding year he’s replaced the injured Danny Granger in the lineup. I could see Granger in a Laker uniform and the starting small forward.
One of those ESPN Insider stories, it reads; “Most overpaid/most underpaid players.” Dumb article it’s the teams’ decision to determine a players worth. Since the beginning of time there have been athletes in all sports over and under paid. I guess ESPN will be adjusting NBA salaries in the future.
Former player turned broadcaster Reggie Miller has ventured on to the limb. He’s picked his former team the Pacers to defeat the Heat in a 7-game playoff series. Interesting prediction on his part.
One more time\
Mizzou’s Frank Haith is not going to appeal his suspension, I’m posing what I believe are valid questions for the NCAA. They will never be answered to my satisfaction and there are probably others, I will now put this baby to bed. In conclusion I question myself; I hope my belief in the man is not misguided. When I first read his bio 3 years ago I became intrigue with his life story more than his basketball. Perhaps that’s the reason I continue to support the coach.
*Mizzou athletic director Mike Alden indicated a background check was made of Haith prior to his hire. Why didn’t the check uncover any of these improper actions?
*The NCAA was paying a portion of Sharpiro’s legal fees until it was revealed by the news media. Was this a deal in exchange for his testimony?
*Was the NCAA investigation based solely of the testimony of convicted felon Nevin Shapiro and Yahoo Sports?
*Constant news leaks occurred over the past 2 and ½ years prior to last Tuesday. Did the NCAA investigate who within their organization was responsible for the media leaks?
Managing personalities
Dan Patrick was discussing the baseball Dodgers, I’m paraphrasing his quotes. Patrick said; “a good manager must successfully manage personalities.” I thought about his statement and its relationship to basketball. I believe his view certainly relates to our sport as well. Patrick went on to state; “there is so much emphasis on in-game strategy, the key to a victorious team is the athletes.” Who are the successful coaches and have they managed success at other stops? Larry Brown currently at Southern Methodist University is 73 years old; he’s endured few losing seasons over the course of his 41 year career despite a significant number of collegiate and NBA teams. Brown has often been described as a teacher, I’m unsure if I’ve ever heard him described as a great game strategist. His success might be two-fold, teacher and he “manages personalities.”
Former Bulls and Laker Coach Phil Jackson is another, I doubt seriously if anyone would consider him a master strategist. Some might believe it was the triangle offense that led to all those NBA championships with the Bulls and Lakers. That wasn’t the key ingredient; PJ was a master at “managing personalities.” Notorious bad-boy Dennis Rodman, it was my belief he would be a negative influence on the Bulls, I’ve never read or heard any Bulls player claim Rodman was disruptive. I believe John Calipari at Kentucky is one of the “managing personalities” coaches too. There are many who fail to believe Calipari belongs here, anytime you take a freshman laden team to a NCAA championship. There are other coaches we fail to mention who could be included. They also have the attribute in “managing personalities. “
Mizzou is practically invincible at home, how unbeatable you might ask? The Tigers have won 85 of 89 games played at Mizzou Arena since the 2008-09 season. Most Mizzou fans are aware of the success at home; their hope is the road record improves significantly on away games this season.
Talk of the Lakers being worse on defense this season with no Dwight Howard might find this surprising. They really weren’t that good with Howard in the lineup. It was pointed out recently the Lakers finished 18th last season in team defense. Certainly noteworthy the team finished in the bottom half of the NBA.
The Clippers have one of the most exciting frontcourts in the NBA. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan dunks are nightly features on SportCenter, unfortunately neither can translate their high wire act to the free-throw line. Last season Griffin shot a feeble .660 from the line while Jordan was a infinitesimal .386.
Tampering rules don’t apply to me. The Pacers are playing a 3-guard lineup with Paul George at shooting guard. After an outstanding year he’s replaced the injured Danny Granger in the lineup. I could see Granger in a Laker uniform and the starting small forward.
One of those ESPN Insider stories, it reads; “Most overpaid/most underpaid players.” Dumb article it’s the teams’ decision to determine a players worth. Since the beginning of time there have been athletes in all sports over and under paid. I guess ESPN will be adjusting NBA salaries in the future.
Former player turned broadcaster Reggie Miller has ventured on to the limb. He’s picked his former team the Pacers to defeat the Heat in a 7-game playoff series. Interesting prediction on his part.
One more time\
Mizzou’s Frank Haith is not going to appeal his suspension, I’m posing what I believe are valid questions for the NCAA. They will never be answered to my satisfaction and there are probably others, I will now put this baby to bed. In conclusion I question myself; I hope my belief in the man is not misguided. When I first read his bio 3 years ago I became intrigue with his life story more than his basketball. Perhaps that’s the reason I continue to support the coach.
*Mizzou athletic director Mike Alden indicated a background check was made of Haith prior to his hire. Why didn’t the check uncover any of these improper actions?
*The NCAA was paying a portion of Sharpiro’s legal fees until it was revealed by the news media. Was this a deal in exchange for his testimony?
*Was the NCAA investigation based solely of the testimony of convicted felon Nevin Shapiro and Yahoo Sports?
*Constant news leaks occurred over the past 2 and ½ years prior to last Tuesday. Did the NCAA investigate who within their organization was responsible for the media leaks?
Managing personalities
Dan Patrick was discussing the baseball Dodgers, I’m paraphrasing his quotes. Patrick said; “a good manager must successfully manage personalities.” I thought about his statement and its relationship to basketball. I believe his view certainly relates to our sport as well. Patrick went on to state; “there is so much emphasis on in-game strategy, the key to a victorious team is the athletes.” Who are the successful coaches and have they managed success at other stops? Larry Brown currently at Southern Methodist University is 73 years old; he’s endured few losing seasons over the course of his 41 year career despite a significant number of collegiate and NBA teams. Brown has often been described as a teacher, I’m unsure if I’ve ever heard him described as a great game strategist. His success might be two-fold, teacher and he “manages personalities.”
Former Bulls and Laker Coach Phil Jackson is another, I doubt seriously if anyone would consider him a master strategist. Some might believe it was the triangle offense that led to all those NBA championships with the Bulls and Lakers. That wasn’t the key ingredient; PJ was a master at “managing personalities.” Notorious bad-boy Dennis Rodman, it was my belief he would be a negative influence on the Bulls, I’ve never read or heard any Bulls player claim Rodman was disruptive. I believe John Calipari at Kentucky is one of the “managing personalities” coaches too. There are many who fail to believe Calipari belongs here, anytime you take a freshman laden team to a NCAA championship. There are other coaches we fail to mention who could be included. They also have the attribute in “managing personalities. “
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Sticks and stones
Allow me to state upfront I am a fan of Frank Haith, that said you can understand this rant and either agree with it or not. Those of you old enough might remember the old rhyme; “sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.” The statement is only partially correct, after the NCAA dealt out it’s punishment against Frank Haith (5-game suspension) the letters came pouring in. Dishonest, fraud and other assorted derogatory terms. You’ve heard the phrase “win-win” situation; this was a lose-lose for Haith. The public I just mentioned Haith will forever remain a cheater in their eyes for the duration of this coaching career. This entire fiasco will eventually pass for many; public memory of controversy is sometimes short. The coach stated he is not pleased but will not appeal the suspension.
I don’t hear anyone refer to former UConn coach Jim Calhoun in the same manner. Calhoun a Hall of Fame coach received 5-game suspension shortly before his retirement. St. Mary’s Randy Bennett received a 5-game suspension this season too. Bennett cannot do any off-campus recruiting. As far as we can determine at this writing there are no recruiting stipulations against Mizzou. I thought all along my view of the NCAA would not change; sure enough that is the case. I continue to believe the organization conducts business in the same manner it did in its founding in 1906. Of course punishment should be dealt out to offending schools. The problem its not be equal across the board. It’s not just Mizzou, its UCLA, Ohio State, Southern Cal and other schools not mentioned.
My view
On Sunday I wrote of the Clippers covering Laker championship banners and jerseys in Staples Center, this would be accomplished for Clipper home games. My intent was to report the story and allow you to draw your own conclusions. That was my intent until I heard Stephen A. Smith’s commentary on ESPN Monday morning. Briefly Smith sees nothing wrong with the actions of the Clippers. I’m not going to detail the basis for Smith’s conclusion but I will provide you mine. I believe Doc Rivers is playing mind games with Clipper players who have difficulty facing the task in front of them.
Evidently Rivers believes the Laker championships and retired jerseys are a distraction to his team winning. Even more interesting Rivers claims he meant no disrespect to the Lakers organization, you don‘t say. That is pure baloney; covering up banners will not aid the Clippers one-bit in winning an NBA championship. Putting the ball in the basket and playing tough hard-nose defense is a winner, banners have little if any effect on a team winning. I’m not sure if the Clippers have a Western Conference Champion banner hanging but if they do maybe the Lakers should consider covering it. Bob Ryan (a Boston guy) said; “this building (Staples) was opened 14 years ago, this is something that should have been addressed back then.” Don’t worry this is the last time I will touch this, my Laker bias is showing through.
It’s okay to dream
LeBron James played high school football in addition to basketball. From all indications he was a decent football player. Of course we know basketball was his first love and the sport he eventually played professionally. Was he good enough to play in the NFL, that question will never be answered. All of us often have unfulfilled expectations, playing in the NFL is a dream of LeBron. The question of the NFL came up in a tweet to LeBron. He respond and stated; “I wanna play one NFL game before it’s over.” At 6-8 and 245 pounds he is certainly hefty enough to play football at that level however why? It’s my belief LeBron might not fully comprehend the punishment dealt out in an NFL game to running backs and receivers. He’s certainly been hit solidly in the NBA but that might be nothing compared to a hit by someone your size or slightly larger. Even with his stature I think he chose the safer sport for his body the NBA over the NFL, what do you think?
The second coming of Shaq, maybe
I found this recruited player interesting in more ways than usual. First of all he’s 7 feet tall, secondly he weighs 300 and finally he committed to LSU. This is a reference to Elbert Robinson a Rivals 4-start prospect and the number 51 prospect in the Class of 2014. Of course many of you realize Shaquille O‘Neal played his collegiate ball at LSU and only weighed slightly less as a freshman. YouTube video of Robinson is available for you to check out for yourself. He is a throw-back to an earlier era; this left-hander unlike many of this generation has a low post game. Low post play by centers today have practically disappeared. Robinson hails from Garland (TX) near Dallas another Texas produced athlete.
Allow me to state upfront I am a fan of Frank Haith, that said you can understand this rant and either agree with it or not. Those of you old enough might remember the old rhyme; “sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.” The statement is only partially correct, after the NCAA dealt out it’s punishment against Frank Haith (5-game suspension) the letters came pouring in. Dishonest, fraud and other assorted derogatory terms. You’ve heard the phrase “win-win” situation; this was a lose-lose for Haith. The public I just mentioned Haith will forever remain a cheater in their eyes for the duration of this coaching career. This entire fiasco will eventually pass for many; public memory of controversy is sometimes short. The coach stated he is not pleased but will not appeal the suspension.
I don’t hear anyone refer to former UConn coach Jim Calhoun in the same manner. Calhoun a Hall of Fame coach received 5-game suspension shortly before his retirement. St. Mary’s Randy Bennett received a 5-game suspension this season too. Bennett cannot do any off-campus recruiting. As far as we can determine at this writing there are no recruiting stipulations against Mizzou. I thought all along my view of the NCAA would not change; sure enough that is the case. I continue to believe the organization conducts business in the same manner it did in its founding in 1906. Of course punishment should be dealt out to offending schools. The problem its not be equal across the board. It’s not just Mizzou, its UCLA, Ohio State, Southern Cal and other schools not mentioned.
My view
On Sunday I wrote of the Clippers covering Laker championship banners and jerseys in Staples Center, this would be accomplished for Clipper home games. My intent was to report the story and allow you to draw your own conclusions. That was my intent until I heard Stephen A. Smith’s commentary on ESPN Monday morning. Briefly Smith sees nothing wrong with the actions of the Clippers. I’m not going to detail the basis for Smith’s conclusion but I will provide you mine. I believe Doc Rivers is playing mind games with Clipper players who have difficulty facing the task in front of them.
Evidently Rivers believes the Laker championships and retired jerseys are a distraction to his team winning. Even more interesting Rivers claims he meant no disrespect to the Lakers organization, you don‘t say. That is pure baloney; covering up banners will not aid the Clippers one-bit in winning an NBA championship. Putting the ball in the basket and playing tough hard-nose defense is a winner, banners have little if any effect on a team winning. I’m not sure if the Clippers have a Western Conference Champion banner hanging but if they do maybe the Lakers should consider covering it. Bob Ryan (a Boston guy) said; “this building (Staples) was opened 14 years ago, this is something that should have been addressed back then.” Don’t worry this is the last time I will touch this, my Laker bias is showing through.
It’s okay to dream
LeBron James played high school football in addition to basketball. From all indications he was a decent football player. Of course we know basketball was his first love and the sport he eventually played professionally. Was he good enough to play in the NFL, that question will never be answered. All of us often have unfulfilled expectations, playing in the NFL is a dream of LeBron. The question of the NFL came up in a tweet to LeBron. He respond and stated; “I wanna play one NFL game before it’s over.” At 6-8 and 245 pounds he is certainly hefty enough to play football at that level however why? It’s my belief LeBron might not fully comprehend the punishment dealt out in an NFL game to running backs and receivers. He’s certainly been hit solidly in the NBA but that might be nothing compared to a hit by someone your size or slightly larger. Even with his stature I think he chose the safer sport for his body the NBA over the NFL, what do you think?
The second coming of Shaq, maybe
I found this recruited player interesting in more ways than usual. First of all he’s 7 feet tall, secondly he weighs 300 and finally he committed to LSU. This is a reference to Elbert Robinson a Rivals 4-start prospect and the number 51 prospect in the Class of 2014. Of course many of you realize Shaquille O‘Neal played his collegiate ball at LSU and only weighed slightly less as a freshman. YouTube video of Robinson is available for you to check out for yourself. He is a throw-back to an earlier era; this left-hander unlike many of this generation has a low post game. Low post play by centers today have practically disappeared. Robinson hails from Garland (TX) near Dallas another Texas produced athlete.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Fans wait for basketball season
Kentucky and Kansas are synonymous with winning basketball; both have won a number of NCAA basketball championships. In addition the two schools hold the all-time won loss record. With such an emphasis on winning it would appear it should be prevalent throughout all their athletic programs. Winning football the sport that pays the bills has had little success at both schools. After this weekend the Wildcats of Kentucky are 0-3 in the SEC and 1-5 overall. As for the Kansas Jayhawks they stand 0-3 in the Big XII and 2-4.
The studio
Doug Collins signed a contract with ABC/ESPN lending his basketball expertise to their telecast. At the same time he announced he was through with coaching, he’d resigned last spring as coach of the 76ers but exactly how many teams has he coached? Collins has coached the Bulls, Pistons, Wizards and 76ers, at all the stops he was fired or voluntarily resigned. This broadcast thing is not the end of the world, he need look no further than Dick Vitale. Dickey V. has been identified as a broadcaster for such a long period of time many don’t realize he was a coach. His resume includes stops coaching the University of Detroit and the Detroit Pistons. Love him or hate him Vitale has earned large sums of money over the last 34 years broadcasting the game he loves. Collins could look to Vitale as an example, less stress and certainly less headaches than coaching.
Record keeping
Bleacherreport.com compiled a list of the Top 10 Collegiate Block Shot leaders. I had no disagreement with the list because it was compiled after the NCAA began tracking blocked shots. According to Wikipedia official tracking began in the middle of David Robinsons career at Annapolis. Only the numbers from his junior year and senior (1986-1987) seasons are compiled. In addition to no tracking there was another factor to consider; at one time major college programs had two teams’ freshman and varsity. Varsity teams in those days were comprised of sophomores, juniors and seniors. Below is a short list of qualifiers who might have been included if block shot tracking had been in place during their collegiate years.
Bill Russell-University of San Francisco
Lew Alcindor-UCLA
Wilt Chamberlain-Kansas
Bill Walton-UCLA
Nate Thurmond-Bowling Green State University
Walt Bellamy-Indiana
I take issue with this list
Anytime a top anything list is compiled by someone we tend to take issue with it. That’s the case here; Andy Glockner of SI.com listed his Top 20 basketball programs. He excluded the Mizzou Tigers; I understand why but I question a number of teams he included in his list. Texas was his number 16 team, his honorable mention list follows. He chose Arkansas which hasn’t won 20 games since 2008, Baylor under Scott Drew can certainly recruit, and winning games is a different story. Glockner also listed Oklahoma State which has one NCAA Tournament victory since 2005. As for the teams Glockner listed their win totals since 2005.
Texas-201
Arkansas-167
Baylor-173
Oklahoma State-186
Mizzou-192
Mizzou has stumbled in the NCAA tourney and fans would be the first to admit they must do a better job on the court. As for the regular season I’ve stated time and time again a won-loss record does not always paint a true picture. Unfortunately it’s the only method we have to determine a team or persons success. A few more winning seasons plus NCAA wins and Mizzou will be included in everyone’s Top 25 programs.
Wikipedia
A decision soon
Devin Booker was in Columbia (MO) over the weekend for his official visit. Booker is rated the number 30 prospect in the Class of 2014 and Rivals awards him 4-stars. This 6-6 180 pound shooting guard is the son of former Mizzou Tiger Melvin Booker. The Columbia Tribune indicates Booker will make his choice known at the end of the month. I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping he’s headed to Mizzou.
Kentucky and Kansas are synonymous with winning basketball; both have won a number of NCAA basketball championships. In addition the two schools hold the all-time won loss record. With such an emphasis on winning it would appear it should be prevalent throughout all their athletic programs. Winning football the sport that pays the bills has had little success at both schools. After this weekend the Wildcats of Kentucky are 0-3 in the SEC and 1-5 overall. As for the Kansas Jayhawks they stand 0-3 in the Big XII and 2-4.
The studio
Doug Collins signed a contract with ABC/ESPN lending his basketball expertise to their telecast. At the same time he announced he was through with coaching, he’d resigned last spring as coach of the 76ers but exactly how many teams has he coached? Collins has coached the Bulls, Pistons, Wizards and 76ers, at all the stops he was fired or voluntarily resigned. This broadcast thing is not the end of the world, he need look no further than Dick Vitale. Dickey V. has been identified as a broadcaster for such a long period of time many don’t realize he was a coach. His resume includes stops coaching the University of Detroit and the Detroit Pistons. Love him or hate him Vitale has earned large sums of money over the last 34 years broadcasting the game he loves. Collins could look to Vitale as an example, less stress and certainly less headaches than coaching.
Record keeping
Bleacherreport.com compiled a list of the Top 10 Collegiate Block Shot leaders. I had no disagreement with the list because it was compiled after the NCAA began tracking blocked shots. According to Wikipedia official tracking began in the middle of David Robinsons career at Annapolis. Only the numbers from his junior year and senior (1986-1987) seasons are compiled. In addition to no tracking there was another factor to consider; at one time major college programs had two teams’ freshman and varsity. Varsity teams in those days were comprised of sophomores, juniors and seniors. Below is a short list of qualifiers who might have been included if block shot tracking had been in place during their collegiate years.
Bill Russell-University of San Francisco
Lew Alcindor-UCLA
Wilt Chamberlain-Kansas
Bill Walton-UCLA
Nate Thurmond-Bowling Green State University
Walt Bellamy-Indiana
I take issue with this list
Anytime a top anything list is compiled by someone we tend to take issue with it. That’s the case here; Andy Glockner of SI.com listed his Top 20 basketball programs. He excluded the Mizzou Tigers; I understand why but I question a number of teams he included in his list. Texas was his number 16 team, his honorable mention list follows. He chose Arkansas which hasn’t won 20 games since 2008, Baylor under Scott Drew can certainly recruit, and winning games is a different story. Glockner also listed Oklahoma State which has one NCAA Tournament victory since 2005. As for the teams Glockner listed their win totals since 2005.
Texas-201
Arkansas-167
Baylor-173
Oklahoma State-186
Mizzou-192
Mizzou has stumbled in the NCAA tourney and fans would be the first to admit they must do a better job on the court. As for the regular season I’ve stated time and time again a won-loss record does not always paint a true picture. Unfortunately it’s the only method we have to determine a team or persons success. A few more winning seasons plus NCAA wins and Mizzou will be included in everyone’s Top 25 programs.
Wikipedia
A decision soon
Devin Booker was in Columbia (MO) over the weekend for his official visit. Booker is rated the number 30 prospect in the Class of 2014 and Rivals awards him 4-stars. This 6-6 180 pound shooting guard is the son of former Mizzou Tiger Melvin Booker. The Columbia Tribune indicates Booker will make his choice known at the end of the month. I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping he’s headed to Mizzou.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
I’m to blame
The headline read “Bill Russell caught at the airport with a loaded gun.” My timing couldn’t have been better, yesterday I wrote of his impact on the Boston sports scene and then bam. A loaded gun is found in his luggage. Well I believe he made a mistake, according to the story he had a permit for the weapon. The timing of the event was not good based on his pending honor in Boston.
Mizzzzzzzouuuu
Phil Pressey’s junior season at Mizzou was up and down. It seemed when he was good he was very good, when he bad he was very bad. He’s become the school’s all-time assist leader---that’s certainly noteworthy. At times he tended to make difficult passes which resulted in turnovers. It should also be noted his shot selection was questionable at times. One game in particular a dribbling, dribbling Pressey took a poor shot which he missed. Coach Haith immediately called a time-out, on television it was evident Haith was upset with Pressey.
Several scouts questioned why he was leaving school early; to no one’s surprise he was not drafted. He would earn a Celtic contract after playing well in the NBA Summer League. Later it was announced Rajon Rondo wouldn’t be available at the beginning of the season. His first exhibition game we witnessed him relieving starter Avery Bradley, Pressey finished with an outstanding game. Service with the Celtics will prove to be an advantage for him, no Rondo and Bradley a shooting guard forced to play the point. The diminutive Pressey should be able to gain additional minutes over the next several weeks and months.
13 points on 4 for 5 from the floor
5 for 6 from the free-throw line
7 assists 2 steals and 3 rebounds.
A shared apartment (arena)
You share an apartment with a roommate, your mate places decoration on the wall that reflects him rather than you. How do you fashion the apartment i.e. building to be more reflective of you, simple you cover it up. Apparently that’s the direction the Clippers have chosen because they share their apartment (arena) Staples Center with the Lakers. The 12 NBA Championship banners and the 4 from their Minnesota roots along with the retired jerseys will be covered this season. They will be covered with posters of current Clipper players. There are at least two different explanations for this subject. These are Clipper home games, how about a Wendy’s restaurant sign placed next to a McDonald’s restaurant? On the other hand are the Clippers demonstrating their resentment of the success of their co-tenant and wish to downplay it?
It was only an exhibition game
The game between the Nets and Heat didn’t have the feel of an exhibition game. First of all the Nets chose to retire Coach Jason Kidd’s jersey. It was later explained Kidd has been suspended and would not be available for the first game of the season. Barclays Center seemed alive with activity and mostly full considering this was an exhibition game
Perhaps a number of fans turned out due to the opposition the Nets faced. Final score of the game, Nets 86 Heat 62 let the snipping begin. Bad blood between KG and LeBron has already surfaced, is this holdover from KG’s Celtic past? The Eastern Conference race may well become a race this season. We could foresee the Pacers, Bulls and Nets all nipping at the heels of the Heat. I don’t know who will win the East; I know there will be no repeat 27 game winning streak. The conference is so much more improved over last season.
This should be expected
Commissioner Stern decided to weigh in on the pay discussion. You might have read the comments expressed by a number of college coaches regarding “play for pay.” Mr. Stern’s statement; “we now have a rule where the development league will accept players that are 18 and will do a better job of educating them than the college programs they are in.” We’d expect the commissioner to defend the D-League since its part of the NBA but is it true?
The education portion I’m unsure of his facts, I read nothing indicating that fact, the pay issue is up for debate. The latest D-League pay scale I could locate indicates there are three levels, $25,000, $19,000 and $13,000. In addition; *“the D-League teams do in fact pay for player housing, provide certain benefits, and grant each of their players a $40 per-diem for food, etc.” The entitlements are far more income than college player would receive but is there really an advantage over a free college education? What do you think? *ridiculousupside.com
The headline read “Bill Russell caught at the airport with a loaded gun.” My timing couldn’t have been better, yesterday I wrote of his impact on the Boston sports scene and then bam. A loaded gun is found in his luggage. Well I believe he made a mistake, according to the story he had a permit for the weapon. The timing of the event was not good based on his pending honor in Boston.
Mizzzzzzzouuuu
Phil Pressey’s junior season at Mizzou was up and down. It seemed when he was good he was very good, when he bad he was very bad. He’s become the school’s all-time assist leader---that’s certainly noteworthy. At times he tended to make difficult passes which resulted in turnovers. It should also be noted his shot selection was questionable at times. One game in particular a dribbling, dribbling Pressey took a poor shot which he missed. Coach Haith immediately called a time-out, on television it was evident Haith was upset with Pressey.
Several scouts questioned why he was leaving school early; to no one’s surprise he was not drafted. He would earn a Celtic contract after playing well in the NBA Summer League. Later it was announced Rajon Rondo wouldn’t be available at the beginning of the season. His first exhibition game we witnessed him relieving starter Avery Bradley, Pressey finished with an outstanding game. Service with the Celtics will prove to be an advantage for him, no Rondo and Bradley a shooting guard forced to play the point. The diminutive Pressey should be able to gain additional minutes over the next several weeks and months.
13 points on 4 for 5 from the floor
5 for 6 from the free-throw line
7 assists 2 steals and 3 rebounds.
A shared apartment (arena)
You share an apartment with a roommate, your mate places decoration on the wall that reflects him rather than you. How do you fashion the apartment i.e. building to be more reflective of you, simple you cover it up. Apparently that’s the direction the Clippers have chosen because they share their apartment (arena) Staples Center with the Lakers. The 12 NBA Championship banners and the 4 from their Minnesota roots along with the retired jerseys will be covered this season. They will be covered with posters of current Clipper players. There are at least two different explanations for this subject. These are Clipper home games, how about a Wendy’s restaurant sign placed next to a McDonald’s restaurant? On the other hand are the Clippers demonstrating their resentment of the success of their co-tenant and wish to downplay it?
It was only an exhibition game
The game between the Nets and Heat didn’t have the feel of an exhibition game. First of all the Nets chose to retire Coach Jason Kidd’s jersey. It was later explained Kidd has been suspended and would not be available for the first game of the season. Barclays Center seemed alive with activity and mostly full considering this was an exhibition game
Perhaps a number of fans turned out due to the opposition the Nets faced. Final score of the game, Nets 86 Heat 62 let the snipping begin. Bad blood between KG and LeBron has already surfaced, is this holdover from KG’s Celtic past? The Eastern Conference race may well become a race this season. We could foresee the Pacers, Bulls and Nets all nipping at the heels of the Heat. I don’t know who will win the East; I know there will be no repeat 27 game winning streak. The conference is so much more improved over last season.
This should be expected
Commissioner Stern decided to weigh in on the pay discussion. You might have read the comments expressed by a number of college coaches regarding “play for pay.” Mr. Stern’s statement; “we now have a rule where the development league will accept players that are 18 and will do a better job of educating them than the college programs they are in.” We’d expect the commissioner to defend the D-League since its part of the NBA but is it true?
The education portion I’m unsure of his facts, I read nothing indicating that fact, the pay issue is up for debate. The latest D-League pay scale I could locate indicates there are three levels, $25,000, $19,000 and $13,000. In addition; *“the D-League teams do in fact pay for player housing, provide certain benefits, and grant each of their players a $40 per-diem for food, etc.” The entitlements are far more income than college player would receive but is there really an advantage over a free college education? What do you think? *ridiculousupside.com
Saturday, October 19, 2013
I was only joking
The Wiggins-Adidas shoe deal reported Friday is a story, a story in the manner of a fairy tale it turns out its untrue. All I can say is I just report the news.
Okay let’s blame Calipari for _________
There is a blank at the end of the headline, the idea is for you to consider a number of issues to blame on Kentucky’s John Calipari; just fill in the blank. In any event allow an explanation; Kelly Oubre made his college choice known recently. He’s a Rivals 5-star prospect and number 12 in the Class of 2014 would choose either Kentucky or Kansas. He visited Kansas over a weekend and cancelled his Lexington visit, the 6-7 200 pound shooting guard decided in favor of Kansas.
As for the headline, Kelly Oubre Sr. is reported to have guided his son to Kansas due to Calipari. The elder Oubre is reported to have stated; “Calipari forces his players to leave for the NBA in order to recruit more.” Think about the fathers statement a moment does it really make sense to force a player to leave school? A fan responded, I copied as is; “if oubre leaves after one year, does that mean self kicked him out? or he played himself into a draft?” Despite the lack of punctuation the writers point is clear, will Self be guilty of forcing Andrew Wiggins into the NBA draft? Calipari might be guilty of untold number of sins the statement by Oubre’s dad holds no merit with me, what about you?
Shocking, no surprised
At City Hall Plaza in Boston a statue honoring Celtic legend Bill Russell will be unveiled in the next two weeks. The question might be why did it take so long? Team sports no single player wins alone however one player can be key to a team’s success, which was Russell. The Celtics were a dominate franchise in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. Years later Boston’s other sports teams are nowhere close to the Celtics in the number of championships.
The NFL Patriots have tasted success since 2002 winning several Super Bowls. The baseball Red Sox hadn’t won a World Series since 1918 when they finally broke through and won in 2004. As you can see the Celtics were winners before the Pats even existed; they were winners when the Red Sox were floundering around in the standings. Sports fans desiring to latch on to a winner could always turn to the Celtics and Bill Russell. Why did it take so long for Boston to fully appreciate Russell?
Allow me to reverse my position
A few weeks back I wrote the plight of Jason Collins, the fact that no NBA team appeared willing to extend a contract to him. Many including me believed his sexual orientation played a role. After further assessment I don’t believe the fact he is gay had anything to do with him sitting at home. The records paint a far different picture; Collins came into the NBA with limited skills. Although 7-feet tall and 255 pounds he’s been a reserve center throughout his 12-year NBA career. His scoring rebounding and defense have been average at best. At age 34 the limited skills he possesses have eroded over the course of time. You can argue I’m wrong however I believe Collins age and skill have been the key factors against him rather than his sexual orientation.
I checked the bio
The daughter of legendary Celtic coach and president Red Auerbach was questioned on the Celtics off-season moves. Randy Auerbach stated; “my father would not have traded Celtic Paul Pierce, and he probably wouldn’t have let Kevin Garnett go, either.” Our guess might be this was a slam at current Celtic president Danny Ainge. She is certainly entitled to voice her opinion but is her view anymore valid than yours? Her bio indicates employment in the private sector, there is no indication she worked in basketball in any capacity.
I hope this is not viewed as chauvinistic on my part; it’s a credibility issue for me. Was Randy asked for her thoughts because she is Auerbach’s daughter? That’s my belief but I could be in error. I would be more inclined to believe a statement by LaRita Barber vice-president of the Bobcats or Eve Wright vice-president of the Heat. How about Jeanie Buss vice-president of the Lakers? Jeanie serves as the teams Board of Governors representative. The three named and others have NBA careers and more creditability with me than Randy Auerbach.
The Wiggins-Adidas shoe deal reported Friday is a story, a story in the manner of a fairy tale it turns out its untrue. All I can say is I just report the news.
Okay let’s blame Calipari for _________
There is a blank at the end of the headline, the idea is for you to consider a number of issues to blame on Kentucky’s John Calipari; just fill in the blank. In any event allow an explanation; Kelly Oubre made his college choice known recently. He’s a Rivals 5-star prospect and number 12 in the Class of 2014 would choose either Kentucky or Kansas. He visited Kansas over a weekend and cancelled his Lexington visit, the 6-7 200 pound shooting guard decided in favor of Kansas.
As for the headline, Kelly Oubre Sr. is reported to have guided his son to Kansas due to Calipari. The elder Oubre is reported to have stated; “Calipari forces his players to leave for the NBA in order to recruit more.” Think about the fathers statement a moment does it really make sense to force a player to leave school? A fan responded, I copied as is; “if oubre leaves after one year, does that mean self kicked him out? or he played himself into a draft?” Despite the lack of punctuation the writers point is clear, will Self be guilty of forcing Andrew Wiggins into the NBA draft? Calipari might be guilty of untold number of sins the statement by Oubre’s dad holds no merit with me, what about you?
Shocking, no surprised
At City Hall Plaza in Boston a statue honoring Celtic legend Bill Russell will be unveiled in the next two weeks. The question might be why did it take so long? Team sports no single player wins alone however one player can be key to a team’s success, which was Russell. The Celtics were a dominate franchise in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. Years later Boston’s other sports teams are nowhere close to the Celtics in the number of championships.
The NFL Patriots have tasted success since 2002 winning several Super Bowls. The baseball Red Sox hadn’t won a World Series since 1918 when they finally broke through and won in 2004. As you can see the Celtics were winners before the Pats even existed; they were winners when the Red Sox were floundering around in the standings. Sports fans desiring to latch on to a winner could always turn to the Celtics and Bill Russell. Why did it take so long for Boston to fully appreciate Russell?
Allow me to reverse my position
A few weeks back I wrote the plight of Jason Collins, the fact that no NBA team appeared willing to extend a contract to him. Many including me believed his sexual orientation played a role. After further assessment I don’t believe the fact he is gay had anything to do with him sitting at home. The records paint a far different picture; Collins came into the NBA with limited skills. Although 7-feet tall and 255 pounds he’s been a reserve center throughout his 12-year NBA career. His scoring rebounding and defense have been average at best. At age 34 the limited skills he possesses have eroded over the course of time. You can argue I’m wrong however I believe Collins age and skill have been the key factors against him rather than his sexual orientation.
I checked the bio
The daughter of legendary Celtic coach and president Red Auerbach was questioned on the Celtics off-season moves. Randy Auerbach stated; “my father would not have traded Celtic Paul Pierce, and he probably wouldn’t have let Kevin Garnett go, either.” Our guess might be this was a slam at current Celtic president Danny Ainge. She is certainly entitled to voice her opinion but is her view anymore valid than yours? Her bio indicates employment in the private sector, there is no indication she worked in basketball in any capacity.
I hope this is not viewed as chauvinistic on my part; it’s a credibility issue for me. Was Randy asked for her thoughts because she is Auerbach’s daughter? That’s my belief but I could be in error. I would be more inclined to believe a statement by LaRita Barber vice-president of the Bobcats or Eve Wright vice-president of the Heat. How about Jeanie Buss vice-president of the Lakers? Jeanie serves as the teams Board of Governors representative. The three named and others have NBA careers and more creditability with me than Randy Auerbach.
Friday, October 18, 2013
CORRECTION
October 9th I gave you what I believed was the 15-man Laker roster. I failed to take into account Duke rookie Ryan Kelly, he was a 2nd round pick and those contracts are not guaranteed. He could possibly be cut too.
Interesting observation
Just a short note, it’s always difficult to compare players of different eras. We can only speculate how they could have match up against one another. That’s the case with the LeBron “is the best ever” discussion which has been a source of media talk for the last few years. Kareem Abdul Jabbar provided us his evaluation; he identified a player most of us overlook. He named Bucks teammate Oscar Robertson; a number of you might be unfamiliar with Robertson. He was a 6-5 220 pound point guard who played his way into the Naismith Hall of Fame. Robertson was bigger than a number of shooting guards of the era (1960-1974). We could use Laker great Jerry West; he stood 6-2 and weighed 185 pounds. Robertson was able to hold his own when guarding small forwards too. The only question that could be debated might be Robertson’s athleticism, he wasn‘t as athletic as many of today’s players.
Air Jordan
Last Monday I wrote a column on basketball shoes, the Air Jordan shoe was mentioned. I forgot to point out what I believe is an interesting note for the under 25 age. In 1985 the iconic red and white Air Jordan I with the black swoosh was banned by the NBA. I’m sure that certainly sounds bizarre to younger readers. In today’s NBA (and college) there are all varieties of colors available, often they match the uniforms sometimes not. Shoes prior to 1985 were generally either solid black or solid white with a splash of another color. Shoes had to match the team uniforms and the Air Jordan I’s didn’t complement. *“Commissioner David Stern began fining Michael Jordan $5,000 every time he wore the Air Jordan I's on the court. Nike paid the fine and continued to have Michael wear the shoes.”
*wiki.answers.com
Don’t know if this is really true
Did you happen to read the recent Kyrie Irving story circulating? I have no idea if the account is true however just in case you were unfamiliar it follows. A child was supposed to have asked the Cavs 21-year young point guard if he would be leaving. I don’t think even Irving knows what he intends to do at this point once he becomes a free agent. If the report is true we guess this was intended to point out a possible “LeBron part deux.” I’m not going to speculate on Irving this is a LeBron story.
I was one of the many who complained on the whole South Beach contrived television special, I since have tempered my view. Looking back there might have been frustration on LeBron’s part his main complaint little if any help in winning. I know Cavs fans are going to disagree with my statement however looking back I’m unsure that roster (and maybe the coaching staff) was prepared to win. I’m not excusing LeBron for leaving I believe time has allowed me to comprehend why.
You don’t say
Adidas is prepared to open it’s checkbook to Andrew Wiggins. Nothing can be consummated at this point Wiggins is still an “amateur” should he leave Kansas after his freshman year well. The report says $180 million over 10 years or $18 million a year. Wiggins would be paid prior to setting foot on an NBA court or even playing a game.
October 9th I gave you what I believed was the 15-man Laker roster. I failed to take into account Duke rookie Ryan Kelly, he was a 2nd round pick and those contracts are not guaranteed. He could possibly be cut too.
Interesting observation
Just a short note, it’s always difficult to compare players of different eras. We can only speculate how they could have match up against one another. That’s the case with the LeBron “is the best ever” discussion which has been a source of media talk for the last few years. Kareem Abdul Jabbar provided us his evaluation; he identified a player most of us overlook. He named Bucks teammate Oscar Robertson; a number of you might be unfamiliar with Robertson. He was a 6-5 220 pound point guard who played his way into the Naismith Hall of Fame. Robertson was bigger than a number of shooting guards of the era (1960-1974). We could use Laker great Jerry West; he stood 6-2 and weighed 185 pounds. Robertson was able to hold his own when guarding small forwards too. The only question that could be debated might be Robertson’s athleticism, he wasn‘t as athletic as many of today’s players.
Air Jordan
Last Monday I wrote a column on basketball shoes, the Air Jordan shoe was mentioned. I forgot to point out what I believe is an interesting note for the under 25 age. In 1985 the iconic red and white Air Jordan I with the black swoosh was banned by the NBA. I’m sure that certainly sounds bizarre to younger readers. In today’s NBA (and college) there are all varieties of colors available, often they match the uniforms sometimes not. Shoes prior to 1985 were generally either solid black or solid white with a splash of another color. Shoes had to match the team uniforms and the Air Jordan I’s didn’t complement. *“Commissioner David Stern began fining Michael Jordan $5,000 every time he wore the Air Jordan I's on the court. Nike paid the fine and continued to have Michael wear the shoes.”
*wiki.answers.com
Don’t know if this is really true
Did you happen to read the recent Kyrie Irving story circulating? I have no idea if the account is true however just in case you were unfamiliar it follows. A child was supposed to have asked the Cavs 21-year young point guard if he would be leaving. I don’t think even Irving knows what he intends to do at this point once he becomes a free agent. If the report is true we guess this was intended to point out a possible “LeBron part deux.” I’m not going to speculate on Irving this is a LeBron story.
I was one of the many who complained on the whole South Beach contrived television special, I since have tempered my view. Looking back there might have been frustration on LeBron’s part his main complaint little if any help in winning. I know Cavs fans are going to disagree with my statement however looking back I’m unsure that roster (and maybe the coaching staff) was prepared to win. I’m not excusing LeBron for leaving I believe time has allowed me to comprehend why.
You don’t say
Adidas is prepared to open it’s checkbook to Andrew Wiggins. Nothing can be consummated at this point Wiggins is still an “amateur” should he leave Kansas after his freshman year well. The report says $180 million over 10 years or $18 million a year. Wiggins would be paid prior to setting foot on an NBA court or even playing a game.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
I spoke way too soon
On Monday I wrote on the Bulls-Wizards game from Rio, I mentioned the broadcast team announced the game from Chicago. I also stated that was my first knowledge of such an occurance. Well it happened again, I’m viewing the Lakers-Warriors game from Beijing China on NBA TV. Laker broadcasters Bill McDonald, Stu Lantz and James Worthy were not in China they were in the Time Warner Cable SportsNet studio conducting play by play. I am going to go out on a limb and guess this may be the future anytime NBA televises a game outside the continental US.
New York City
"The City Game: Basketball from the Garden to the Playgrounds” was the title of a 1970 book written by Pete Axthelm. For those who might not have read the book it was intermixed with stories of street basketball in the City of New York City and follows the 1969-70 Knicks. Playground ball in the city produced many legendary names; among them were Earl “The Goat” Manigault and Peewee Kirkland. These legendary players and others honed their skills in games at the legendary Rucker Park in Harlem. It‘s the belief the cities emphasis on playground ball has been partially responsible for the amount of basketball talent produced.
The largest city in the nation continues to produce a vast amount of basketball talent although a number of them develop their talent outside of the five boroughs. Think Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Julius Erving, Metta World Peace and Elton Brand to name just a few. According to basketball-reference.com the Greater New York City area has produced a total of 304 players who played and or now playing in the NBA. One of the latest talents produced is Terry Larrier; he’s rated the number 39 by Rivals in its Class of 2014 prospects. This 6-8 205 pound small forward is from the Bronx. Shaka Smart at VCU recently received a verbal commitment from Larrier.
Bits n Pieces
The Heat roster contains two players who are possibly at a cross roads in their NBA careers. They are talented small forward Michael Beasley and of-injured center Greg Oden. Beasley has clearly demonstrated over his brief NBA career he lacks maturity. As for Oden he is a different story; he came into the NBA with such promise as a number one draft choice. Oden has never managed to remain healthy enough to play sustained minutes during his career.
I said I would leave Dwight Howard alone but I couldn’t resist this tidbit. Rapper Snoop Dog (or Lion if you prefer) discussing Howard. “He (Howard) would rather sit in the passenger seat than drive the car.” You draw your own conclusions what Snoop meant.
Former Kansas City King Center Joe C. Meriweather died on Monday. He spent 10 years in the NBA the last 5 as a member of the Kings. At the time he retired he remained in the area until a few years ago. Meriweather coached the Park University (Parkville MO) woman’s team. I had an opportunity to meet him once; he left us far too soon at 59 years of age.
New coach, new playbook and new conference all face Missouri-Kansas City this season. The team finished 5-11 in the Summit League and 8-24 overall. The off-season move to the WAC is an upgrade. Coach Kareem Richardson has managed to recruit a number of players to the school. A last place finish is projected by the media which certainly is not shocking considering the number of changes.
Look toward 2014
I’m checking out the 2014 NBADraft.net site and they forecast a continuation of freshman and sophomores drafted ahead of upperclassman. This is no guarantee of the actual draft order, many players remain in school while others draft stock slides downward. It should be pointed out the first 14 choices the site lists are all underclassmen or international players. Senior Doug McDermott of Creighton is accorded the honor of being the first upperclassman to possibly be drafted.
It’s been mentioned previously baseball and the NBA might be the only sport an athlete is drafted on potential. I’m unsure if I’ve heard the term utilized in describing the potential of NFL players, I don’t know enough about hockey to make that statement. The jury remains divided on early entry into the NBA, it’s my belief at least one year of collegiate basketball better prepares a player for the rigors of the NBA game. A player should not be required to attend college just to play in the NBA; a 3-year rule needs to be adopted by the NBA. Allow high school players in the draft once again, those choosing colleges would be required to remain 3-years
On Monday I wrote on the Bulls-Wizards game from Rio, I mentioned the broadcast team announced the game from Chicago. I also stated that was my first knowledge of such an occurance. Well it happened again, I’m viewing the Lakers-Warriors game from Beijing China on NBA TV. Laker broadcasters Bill McDonald, Stu Lantz and James Worthy were not in China they were in the Time Warner Cable SportsNet studio conducting play by play. I am going to go out on a limb and guess this may be the future anytime NBA televises a game outside the continental US.
New York City
"The City Game: Basketball from the Garden to the Playgrounds” was the title of a 1970 book written by Pete Axthelm. For those who might not have read the book it was intermixed with stories of street basketball in the City of New York City and follows the 1969-70 Knicks. Playground ball in the city produced many legendary names; among them were Earl “The Goat” Manigault and Peewee Kirkland. These legendary players and others honed their skills in games at the legendary Rucker Park in Harlem. It‘s the belief the cities emphasis on playground ball has been partially responsible for the amount of basketball talent produced.
The largest city in the nation continues to produce a vast amount of basketball talent although a number of them develop their talent outside of the five boroughs. Think Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Julius Erving, Metta World Peace and Elton Brand to name just a few. According to basketball-reference.com the Greater New York City area has produced a total of 304 players who played and or now playing in the NBA. One of the latest talents produced is Terry Larrier; he’s rated the number 39 by Rivals in its Class of 2014 prospects. This 6-8 205 pound small forward is from the Bronx. Shaka Smart at VCU recently received a verbal commitment from Larrier.
Bits n Pieces
The Heat roster contains two players who are possibly at a cross roads in their NBA careers. They are talented small forward Michael Beasley and of-injured center Greg Oden. Beasley has clearly demonstrated over his brief NBA career he lacks maturity. As for Oden he is a different story; he came into the NBA with such promise as a number one draft choice. Oden has never managed to remain healthy enough to play sustained minutes during his career.
I said I would leave Dwight Howard alone but I couldn’t resist this tidbit. Rapper Snoop Dog (or Lion if you prefer) discussing Howard. “He (Howard) would rather sit in the passenger seat than drive the car.” You draw your own conclusions what Snoop meant.
Former Kansas City King Center Joe C. Meriweather died on Monday. He spent 10 years in the NBA the last 5 as a member of the Kings. At the time he retired he remained in the area until a few years ago. Meriweather coached the Park University (Parkville MO) woman’s team. I had an opportunity to meet him once; he left us far too soon at 59 years of age.
New coach, new playbook and new conference all face Missouri-Kansas City this season. The team finished 5-11 in the Summit League and 8-24 overall. The off-season move to the WAC is an upgrade. Coach Kareem Richardson has managed to recruit a number of players to the school. A last place finish is projected by the media which certainly is not shocking considering the number of changes.
Look toward 2014
I’m checking out the 2014 NBADraft.net site and they forecast a continuation of freshman and sophomores drafted ahead of upperclassman. This is no guarantee of the actual draft order, many players remain in school while others draft stock slides downward. It should be pointed out the first 14 choices the site lists are all underclassmen or international players. Senior Doug McDermott of Creighton is accorded the honor of being the first upperclassman to possibly be drafted.
It’s been mentioned previously baseball and the NBA might be the only sport an athlete is drafted on potential. I’m unsure if I’ve heard the term utilized in describing the potential of NFL players, I don’t know enough about hockey to make that statement. The jury remains divided on early entry into the NBA, it’s my belief at least one year of collegiate basketball better prepares a player for the rigors of the NBA game. A player should not be required to attend college just to play in the NBA; a 3-year rule needs to be adopted by the NBA. Allow high school players in the draft once again, those choosing colleges would be required to remain 3-years
Monday, October 14, 2013
They were not there
The Bulls-Wizards game played in Rio de Janeiro had an unusual aspect. Bulls’ broadcasters Neil Funk and Stacey King did not accompany the team to Rio. The two conducted play by play from the Chicago studios of Comcast SportsNet. Funk stated on several occasions they were 5,293 air miles from Rio. A similar situation might have occurred at some point in sports history, I don’t remember hearing or reading about it.
He made the ”Wright” choice
A verbal commitment is just that, until you sign on the dotted line you are not obligated. 6-6 190 pound shooting guard Chris Sandifer committed to Mizzou last June. This Los Angeles native has now de-committed but no tears are in order. Sandifer has decided to look at other opportunities; he might yet head to Mizzou. In any event Mizzou received a commitment from Namon Wright a 6-4 175 pound shooting guard. Wright had a choice of six other schools besides Mizzou. Among the offers were USC, Oregon, Gonzaga, Florida State and Arizona State. Wright also from Los Angeles is a 4-Star Class of 2014 prospect; he’s rated the number 87 prospect in the nation on Rivals list.
Why is this news 32 years after the fact?
Various websites have reported the FBI conducted an investigation of the Knicks shaving points during the 1981 season. The point shaving was reported to be payback to gamblers associated with drug dealers. History is ripe with stories regarding widespread drug use in the NBA during the ’80’s so that‘s not really news. Why is this news some 30 years after an investigation that apparently proved nothing? If there were guilty parties they would have certainly been charged and if found guilty punished. An accusing finger has been pointed at Michael Ray Richardson due to his drug problems.
Richardson was one of two players given life-time bans by the NBA. The two players were given
life-time bans after failing multiple drug tests. Richardson now drug-free was contacted regarding this story and claims he never shaved points. Can we believe his denial with a degree of reliability? We cannot truly respond in the affirmative, only the player knows for sure what he did or didn’t do. A book is written 32 years after the reporting inquiry and no charges were ever filed we are to believe the story might be true? There is no cover up, the investigation was completed and no charges filed---end of story.
They should be included too
Hopefully you will view the headline as a prediction. It’s only intended to project the potential ability of two high profile Duke freshman and provide an early peek. The K’s have probably dominated the recruiting headlines; Kansas and Kentucky have an outstanding crew of freshman. Even North Carolina, Ohio State and Maryland might have garnered more headlines with their class; I believe next April Duke will be right there too. Duke should be given consideration too for its recruiting too.
Semi Ojeleye and Jabari Parker are probably both flying beneath the radar in most eyes. Freshman Oleleye is a 6-6 215 pound small forward from Ottawa (KS) 70 miles from downtown Kansas City (MO). Oleleye was rated the number one prospect in the State of Kansas in 2012-13. As for Parker he’s a 6-8 220 pound small forward from Chicago, he was rated the number one prospect in the nation until Andrew Wiggins re-classified. Did you note both play the same position, you might ask how that’s gonna work? Coach K. initially will play the bigger Parker as a stretch-4. Of course this line-up will allow Duke to take advantage of the talents of this duo.
“It’s gotta be the shoes”
The famous line above was uttered by Mars Blackmon a.k.a. Spike Lee in a number of Air Jordan commercials during the 1990’s. Michael Jordan’s play on the court aided Nike in becoming the number one retailer for basketball shoes in the world. Nike has continued to sign high profile basketball players in order to maintain the sales lead. LeBron James is in his prime as a player, Nike has continued release of new LBJ’s periodically. Kobe is on the downhill side of his career yet Nike continues his shoe line. As for Michael Jordan he’s not laced up his Air Jordan’s for an NBA game since 2003. Doesn’t matter the NBA Store (and other outlets) offer the AJ10 at $169.95.
The Bulls-Wizards game played in Rio de Janeiro had an unusual aspect. Bulls’ broadcasters Neil Funk and Stacey King did not accompany the team to Rio. The two conducted play by play from the Chicago studios of Comcast SportsNet. Funk stated on several occasions they were 5,293 air miles from Rio. A similar situation might have occurred at some point in sports history, I don’t remember hearing or reading about it.
He made the ”Wright” choice
A verbal commitment is just that, until you sign on the dotted line you are not obligated. 6-6 190 pound shooting guard Chris Sandifer committed to Mizzou last June. This Los Angeles native has now de-committed but no tears are in order. Sandifer has decided to look at other opportunities; he might yet head to Mizzou. In any event Mizzou received a commitment from Namon Wright a 6-4 175 pound shooting guard. Wright had a choice of six other schools besides Mizzou. Among the offers were USC, Oregon, Gonzaga, Florida State and Arizona State. Wright also from Los Angeles is a 4-Star Class of 2014 prospect; he’s rated the number 87 prospect in the nation on Rivals list.
Why is this news 32 years after the fact?
Various websites have reported the FBI conducted an investigation of the Knicks shaving points during the 1981 season. The point shaving was reported to be payback to gamblers associated with drug dealers. History is ripe with stories regarding widespread drug use in the NBA during the ’80’s so that‘s not really news. Why is this news some 30 years after an investigation that apparently proved nothing? If there were guilty parties they would have certainly been charged and if found guilty punished. An accusing finger has been pointed at Michael Ray Richardson due to his drug problems.
Richardson was one of two players given life-time bans by the NBA. The two players were given
life-time bans after failing multiple drug tests. Richardson now drug-free was contacted regarding this story and claims he never shaved points. Can we believe his denial with a degree of reliability? We cannot truly respond in the affirmative, only the player knows for sure what he did or didn’t do. A book is written 32 years after the reporting inquiry and no charges were ever filed we are to believe the story might be true? There is no cover up, the investigation was completed and no charges filed---end of story.
They should be included too
Hopefully you will view the headline as a prediction. It’s only intended to project the potential ability of two high profile Duke freshman and provide an early peek. The K’s have probably dominated the recruiting headlines; Kansas and Kentucky have an outstanding crew of freshman. Even North Carolina, Ohio State and Maryland might have garnered more headlines with their class; I believe next April Duke will be right there too. Duke should be given consideration too for its recruiting too.
Semi Ojeleye and Jabari Parker are probably both flying beneath the radar in most eyes. Freshman Oleleye is a 6-6 215 pound small forward from Ottawa (KS) 70 miles from downtown Kansas City (MO). Oleleye was rated the number one prospect in the State of Kansas in 2012-13. As for Parker he’s a 6-8 220 pound small forward from Chicago, he was rated the number one prospect in the nation until Andrew Wiggins re-classified. Did you note both play the same position, you might ask how that’s gonna work? Coach K. initially will play the bigger Parker as a stretch-4. Of course this line-up will allow Duke to take advantage of the talents of this duo.
“It’s gotta be the shoes”
The famous line above was uttered by Mars Blackmon a.k.a. Spike Lee in a number of Air Jordan commercials during the 1990’s. Michael Jordan’s play on the court aided Nike in becoming the number one retailer for basketball shoes in the world. Nike has continued to sign high profile basketball players in order to maintain the sales lead. LeBron James is in his prime as a player, Nike has continued release of new LBJ’s periodically. Kobe is on the downhill side of his career yet Nike continues his shoe line. As for Michael Jordan he’s not laced up his Air Jordan’s for an NBA game since 2003. Doesn’t matter the NBA Store (and other outlets) offer the AJ10 at $169.95.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Have you seen it
I’m referring to the Sports Illustrated cover of Andrew Wiggins. “The Freshman from Wilt to Manning to Wiggins” it reads. This is not written doubting the talent of Wiggins, it’s written as I wonder if. I wonder if he’d chosen Kentucky all this hype would have followed him to Lexington. What if he’d chosen North Carolina, Duke or Syracuse all schools on his list? I don’t think there is any comparison to LeBron James; we knew James was headed to the NBA out of high school.
The media worked overtime with Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse but certainly not to this degree. In a manner of speaking I am taking a sympathic tone toward Wiggins; he should be prepared. Prepared for the first time he shoots an air ball or tosses an errant pass the boo-birds (in Lawrence) will become vocal. This is my suggestion for the young man; he should avoid newspaper sports pages during basketball season. He should stay clear of any coaches programs on ESPN, Fox Sports and CBS SportsNet In addition he should also stay away from the numerous internet basketball websites.
Hall of Fame
Last months selection of Guy Lewis (Houston), Jerry Tarkanian (UNLV) and Rick Pitino (Louisville) add to the number of coaches in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The election of Pitino causes me to wonder, how many active coaches have been elected to the Hall? I decided to research the question and was surprised at the number. I thought this information might be of interest to many of you. NOTE: this list is not intended to be complete; women’s and international teams are not included, active coaches:
Herb Magee - Philadelphia University (Div II)
Bob Hurley - St Anthony High School
Roy Williams - North Carolina
Jim Boeheim - Syracuse
Larry Brown - SMU
Mike Krzyzewski - Duke
Wikipedia
This is not the NFL
The National Football League plays a limited number of games compared to MLB or the NBA. NFL Games are scheduled once a week, a team can fly to Europe play and return the next day if they chose. The issue is being raised again based on a discussion I heard last week. The NBA in Europe question was asked last week to incoming commissioner Adam Silver. We can only assume the media person wondered if he would receive a different response than expressed by David Stern. The discussion revolved around adequate arena facilities more than the issue of travel. I’m not opposed to an NBA team in Europe the issue was/is and continues to be travel. The 16 regular season games of the NFL are far easier travel than an 82-game NBA schedule flying back and forth to Europe. The supersonic Concorde was retired in 2003 however flying at a speed of 1,350 mph (2,172 km/h) wouldn’t resolve the issue. It would be huge if this issue was addressed with a serious tone rather than simply glossing over the primary issue-----air travel.
Win now or lose
The Nets made a major move in the off-season you remember they acquired veterans Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry from the Celtics. All three players are long in the tooth but may have at most two years. The Nets have “win now” policy in place; the trio acquired from the Celtics won’t be there in 4 or 5 years. The team should be stacked at all five positions, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson at the guard positions and center Brook Lopez.
Added to this lineup will be former Celtics Pierce and Garnett at the small forward and power forward. As for the bench it appears adequate but is yet to be tested. The gamble for Nets management, do Pierce, Garnett and Jason Terry have enough left in the gas tank? Injuries notwithstanding the Nets should be competitive enough during the regular season. Do they have enough to overtake the Heat or whoever might stand in their way?
Once upon a time
NBA players once flew commercial airlines, none of that charter stuff of today. Former Laker Michael Cooper was on Time Warner Cable Sportsnet and this was discussion topic. Cooper informed the hosts when he arrived in the NBA (1978) with the Lakers the team was flying commercial however switched to charter flights prior to his 1991 retirement. Can you imagine 7-1 Kareem Abdul Jabbar, 7-2 Artis Gilmore or 7-4 Ralph Sampson stretched out in coach or first class seating?
I’m referring to the Sports Illustrated cover of Andrew Wiggins. “The Freshman from Wilt to Manning to Wiggins” it reads. This is not written doubting the talent of Wiggins, it’s written as I wonder if. I wonder if he’d chosen Kentucky all this hype would have followed him to Lexington. What if he’d chosen North Carolina, Duke or Syracuse all schools on his list? I don’t think there is any comparison to LeBron James; we knew James was headed to the NBA out of high school.
The media worked overtime with Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse but certainly not to this degree. In a manner of speaking I am taking a sympathic tone toward Wiggins; he should be prepared. Prepared for the first time he shoots an air ball or tosses an errant pass the boo-birds (in Lawrence) will become vocal. This is my suggestion for the young man; he should avoid newspaper sports pages during basketball season. He should stay clear of any coaches programs on ESPN, Fox Sports and CBS SportsNet In addition he should also stay away from the numerous internet basketball websites.
Hall of Fame
Last months selection of Guy Lewis (Houston), Jerry Tarkanian (UNLV) and Rick Pitino (Louisville) add to the number of coaches in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The election of Pitino causes me to wonder, how many active coaches have been elected to the Hall? I decided to research the question and was surprised at the number. I thought this information might be of interest to many of you. NOTE: this list is not intended to be complete; women’s and international teams are not included, active coaches:
Herb Magee - Philadelphia University (Div II)
Bob Hurley - St Anthony High School
Roy Williams - North Carolina
Jim Boeheim - Syracuse
Larry Brown - SMU
Mike Krzyzewski - Duke
Wikipedia
This is not the NFL
The National Football League plays a limited number of games compared to MLB or the NBA. NFL Games are scheduled once a week, a team can fly to Europe play and return the next day if they chose. The issue is being raised again based on a discussion I heard last week. The NBA in Europe question was asked last week to incoming commissioner Adam Silver. We can only assume the media person wondered if he would receive a different response than expressed by David Stern. The discussion revolved around adequate arena facilities more than the issue of travel. I’m not opposed to an NBA team in Europe the issue was/is and continues to be travel. The 16 regular season games of the NFL are far easier travel than an 82-game NBA schedule flying back and forth to Europe. The supersonic Concorde was retired in 2003 however flying at a speed of 1,350 mph (2,172 km/h) wouldn’t resolve the issue. It would be huge if this issue was addressed with a serious tone rather than simply glossing over the primary issue-----air travel.
Win now or lose
The Nets made a major move in the off-season you remember they acquired veterans Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry from the Celtics. All three players are long in the tooth but may have at most two years. The Nets have “win now” policy in place; the trio acquired from the Celtics won’t be there in 4 or 5 years. The team should be stacked at all five positions, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson at the guard positions and center Brook Lopez.
Added to this lineup will be former Celtics Pierce and Garnett at the small forward and power forward. As for the bench it appears adequate but is yet to be tested. The gamble for Nets management, do Pierce, Garnett and Jason Terry have enough left in the gas tank? Injuries notwithstanding the Nets should be competitive enough during the regular season. Do they have enough to overtake the Heat or whoever might stand in their way?
Once upon a time
NBA players once flew commercial airlines, none of that charter stuff of today. Former Laker Michael Cooper was on Time Warner Cable Sportsnet and this was discussion topic. Cooper informed the hosts when he arrived in the NBA (1978) with the Lakers the team was flying commercial however switched to charter flights prior to his 1991 retirement. Can you imagine 7-1 Kareem Abdul Jabbar, 7-2 Artis Gilmore or 7-4 Ralph Sampson stretched out in coach or first class seating?
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
I ain’t no coach
The 15-man Laker roster is set, well not quite. I haven’t replaced Mike D’Antoni as coach however I have insight into what I believe will be the roster after viewing the first two exhibition games. Be aware Kobe Bryant and rookie draft pick Ryan Kelly are guaranteed spots. In addition Steve Nash and Pau Gasol are keepers; free-agent rookie Elias Harris will gain a spot, he’s signed a two-year contract. Veteran Jordan Farmar returning from Turkey also earns a position, the same for veteran big man Chris Kaman.
Hold-over’s Steve Blake, Jody Meeks, Robert Sacre and Jordan Hill will also be included. The remainder of the roster will be comprised of Nick Young, Xavier Henry, Shawne Williams, and Wesley Johnson. I’m going to check back at the end of training camp to determine the accuracy of my best guess. Reports indicate there is less tension at training camp this time versus last year. No one is saying out loud however part of it might be the drama that existed between Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant. This Laker team will not win a championship but it certainly will be more cohesive than last season that I guarantee.
He decided when he would return
I was in the chorus questioning why Derrick Rose didn’t play last season. He’d been medically cleared by the Bulls medical staff, coach Tom Thibodeau thought he was ready to play and said as much---with all said Rose didn’t play. I only saw highlights of his first game back, “Dr.” Rose might have been the best physician for athlete Rose. He played limited minutes in the Bulls first exhibition good but looked first-rate.
Parallel lives
"The Blindside” was a semi-biographical movie based on the life of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher. Sandra Bullock won the 2010 Oscar as Best Actress portraying Sue Anne Tuohey the adopted mother Ohers.’ No one has decided to write a screenplay however Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler and Ohers’ youth mirror one another. Butler’s father abandoned the family when he was an infant and his mother later kicked him out of the house at age 13.
Butler lived with a number of friends during his teen years moving frequently. He played a year at Tyler Junior College before landing at Marquette University for the next three years. In 2011 Butler became the 30th pick in the NBA draft during the 2013 NBA playoffs Butler came into his own assuming a leadership role with the absence of Derrick Rose. This season the 6-7 220 pound shooting guard just might become the starting guard.
Good-Luck
Might be the term applied for UNLV basketball, Goodluck Okonoboh 6-9 220 pound center and Class of 2014 prospect announced his college choice last week. ESPNU awards him 5-stars and rates him number 21 in the nation. He’s a Rivals 4-star and number 32 on their list. A few months back I held out hope he’d choose Mizzou over the others, Haith and Mizzou made an offer to him.
Moving day
Three significant moves for one of the colleges in Kansas City. In the off-season Missouri-Kansas City dropped the Mid-Continent League and moved to the Western Athletic Conference, number one move. The school hired a new coach Kareem Richardson, his hire was based on his past Kansas City connections. Richardson served under a previous head coach and is acquainted with a number of high school coaches. It also should be noteworthy he’d served as an assistant to Rick Pitino, this was move number two.
Missouri-Kansas City games are being moved from tiny Swinney Gymnasium on the campus to the downtown Municipal Auditorium, move number three. By today’s standards Municipal is a dinosaur having been built in 1935. The arena seating 10,721 patrons was renovated in 2007. The Auditorium had served as host for more NCAA Championship Games than any other in the nation until last season. Prior to the season the city and the college will split a $5 million dollar tab in additional enhancements which should be enough for the present. Once the Kangaroos begin winning and drawing larger crowds a move could be considered to Kemper Arena (19,500) or the Sprint Center (17,500).
The 15-man Laker roster is set, well not quite. I haven’t replaced Mike D’Antoni as coach however I have insight into what I believe will be the roster after viewing the first two exhibition games. Be aware Kobe Bryant and rookie draft pick Ryan Kelly are guaranteed spots. In addition Steve Nash and Pau Gasol are keepers; free-agent rookie Elias Harris will gain a spot, he’s signed a two-year contract. Veteran Jordan Farmar returning from Turkey also earns a position, the same for veteran big man Chris Kaman.
Hold-over’s Steve Blake, Jody Meeks, Robert Sacre and Jordan Hill will also be included. The remainder of the roster will be comprised of Nick Young, Xavier Henry, Shawne Williams, and Wesley Johnson. I’m going to check back at the end of training camp to determine the accuracy of my best guess. Reports indicate there is less tension at training camp this time versus last year. No one is saying out loud however part of it might be the drama that existed between Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant. This Laker team will not win a championship but it certainly will be more cohesive than last season that I guarantee.
He decided when he would return
I was in the chorus questioning why Derrick Rose didn’t play last season. He’d been medically cleared by the Bulls medical staff, coach Tom Thibodeau thought he was ready to play and said as much---with all said Rose didn’t play. I only saw highlights of his first game back, “Dr.” Rose might have been the best physician for athlete Rose. He played limited minutes in the Bulls first exhibition good but looked first-rate.
Parallel lives
"The Blindside” was a semi-biographical movie based on the life of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher. Sandra Bullock won the 2010 Oscar as Best Actress portraying Sue Anne Tuohey the adopted mother Ohers.’ No one has decided to write a screenplay however Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler and Ohers’ youth mirror one another. Butler’s father abandoned the family when he was an infant and his mother later kicked him out of the house at age 13.
Butler lived with a number of friends during his teen years moving frequently. He played a year at Tyler Junior College before landing at Marquette University for the next three years. In 2011 Butler became the 30th pick in the NBA draft during the 2013 NBA playoffs Butler came into his own assuming a leadership role with the absence of Derrick Rose. This season the 6-7 220 pound shooting guard just might become the starting guard.
Good-Luck
Might be the term applied for UNLV basketball, Goodluck Okonoboh 6-9 220 pound center and Class of 2014 prospect announced his college choice last week. ESPNU awards him 5-stars and rates him number 21 in the nation. He’s a Rivals 4-star and number 32 on their list. A few months back I held out hope he’d choose Mizzou over the others, Haith and Mizzou made an offer to him.
Moving day
Three significant moves for one of the colleges in Kansas City. In the off-season Missouri-Kansas City dropped the Mid-Continent League and moved to the Western Athletic Conference, number one move. The school hired a new coach Kareem Richardson, his hire was based on his past Kansas City connections. Richardson served under a previous head coach and is acquainted with a number of high school coaches. It also should be noteworthy he’d served as an assistant to Rick Pitino, this was move number two.
Missouri-Kansas City games are being moved from tiny Swinney Gymnasium on the campus to the downtown Municipal Auditorium, move number three. By today’s standards Municipal is a dinosaur having been built in 1935. The arena seating 10,721 patrons was renovated in 2007. The Auditorium had served as host for more NCAA Championship Games than any other in the nation until last season. Prior to the season the city and the college will split a $5 million dollar tab in additional enhancements which should be enough for the present. Once the Kangaroos begin winning and drawing larger crowds a move could be considered to Kemper Arena (19,500) or the Sprint Center (17,500).
Monday, October 7, 2013
The “new” Lakers
Kobe is in Germany undergoing medical treatment; Dwight Howards’ in Houston a member of the Rockets. Steve Nash and Pau Gasol remain however they were available but sat out the game. No matter, now worry the Lakers accomplished a feat Saturday night they failed all last exhibition season---- they won a game. Under Mike Brown and with the four players mentioned the 2012-2013 Lakers went 0-8. The final score of Saturday evenings game Lakers 104 Warriors 95. The game was sloppy with a high number of turnovers. Hustle and extra effort by this Laker version was evident throughout the game, this was the first game for a re-vamped Laker team.
Robert Sacre was the only player on the floor starter or reserve from last years team. Nick Young (17) and Xavier Henry (29) who emerged off the bench led the way. The downside both players were a “black hole. The two only totaled one (1) assist for the game. I don’t believe any Laker fan believes this team will contend for a championship, they do believe they will compete. NOTE: once upon a time NFL games were described as exhibition games, for reasons unknown the NFL began using the term “pre-season” to describe its games. Seems to me any game played before the regular season in any sport is an exhibition---right?
Bits n Pieces
I have no idea if this guy can play at the Division I level; the story is more of a coach connecting with a player. Cahokia Illinois is located across the Mississippi River some 10 or so miles from downtown St. Louis (MO). Cahokia high school prospect Darius Austin provided the University of Missouri-Kansas City a verbal commitment. This 6-6 205 pound forward was being recruited by DePaul, Indiana State, Drake and Murray State but chose Missouri-Kansas City. He claims his initial relationship with Missouri-Kansas City coach Kareem Richardson sealed the deal.
Labor Day weekend two of the top Class of 2014 prospects were at Baylor. There is nothing set in stone however Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones have indicated they may head to the same university. Scott Drew and staff appear to be great recruiters; for all the talent headed to Waco Texas the Bears have an okay record since under Drew. They compete but have never been considered in the Big XII elite.
Media reports have been circulating Texas football coach Mack Brown’s job is in jeopardy. A failure to win exists on the basketball side at Texas as well; long-time basketball coach Rick Barnes is facing the same type of pressure. We’ve discussed the amount of basketball talent produced by the State of Texas, the problem not enough of that talent has headed to Austin in recent years.
Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob wants the waterfront San Francisco arena open by 2017. The timeline is a desire on his part not an actuality, a number of obstacles might delay the project. The date is the owners wish, this NBA fans’ wish-----a return to the iconic jerseys worn from 1962-1971. Do you remember the jerseys that read: “The City.”
Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose are assigned a task by ESPN.com, they are to provide readers a team by team preview of the upcoming season. As for Rose I might not always agree with him but at least he played the game at the NBA level. Simmons is another story at least for Laker fans. We cannot take into consideration anything written or stated by this life-long Celtic fan and current Clipper season ticket holder? I’m not making this up his Celtic-Clipper connection is listed in his bio.
Are they contenders
Last week I wrote of Eastern Conference contenders Pacers, Nets and Knicks who believe they can supplant the Heat. I didn’t include LeBron’s former team----the Cavs, are they ready to contend? We talk of potential and that is certainly is the case with this young team. The youth could be a blessing and a curse, the Cavs roster contains only two players over the age of 30, Anderson Varejo and DeSagana Diop. The Cavs might now be the youngest team in the NBA.
As was stated previously there is no disputing the talent of 21-year old point guard Kyrie
Irving, the guy needs to uncover a method to avoid injuries. Andrew Bynum has behaved like a knucklehead on several occasions, if injury free and motivated he is talented. In addition Bynum although a veteran is still only age 25. His coach is the same one (Mike Brown) he clashed with on occasion with the Lakers. Number one pick in the 2013 draft rookie power forward Anthony Bennett is only 20, the question is he ready for the rigors of the NBA? The Cavs might be one of those teams that exceed expectations, we shall see if they are able to raise their level of play.
Kobe is in Germany undergoing medical treatment; Dwight Howards’ in Houston a member of the Rockets. Steve Nash and Pau Gasol remain however they were available but sat out the game. No matter, now worry the Lakers accomplished a feat Saturday night they failed all last exhibition season---- they won a game. Under Mike Brown and with the four players mentioned the 2012-2013 Lakers went 0-8. The final score of Saturday evenings game Lakers 104 Warriors 95. The game was sloppy with a high number of turnovers. Hustle and extra effort by this Laker version was evident throughout the game, this was the first game for a re-vamped Laker team.
Robert Sacre was the only player on the floor starter or reserve from last years team. Nick Young (17) and Xavier Henry (29) who emerged off the bench led the way. The downside both players were a “black hole. The two only totaled one (1) assist for the game. I don’t believe any Laker fan believes this team will contend for a championship, they do believe they will compete. NOTE: once upon a time NFL games were described as exhibition games, for reasons unknown the NFL began using the term “pre-season” to describe its games. Seems to me any game played before the regular season in any sport is an exhibition---right?
Bits n Pieces
I have no idea if this guy can play at the Division I level; the story is more of a coach connecting with a player. Cahokia Illinois is located across the Mississippi River some 10 or so miles from downtown St. Louis (MO). Cahokia high school prospect Darius Austin provided the University of Missouri-Kansas City a verbal commitment. This 6-6 205 pound forward was being recruited by DePaul, Indiana State, Drake and Murray State but chose Missouri-Kansas City. He claims his initial relationship with Missouri-Kansas City coach Kareem Richardson sealed the deal.
Labor Day weekend two of the top Class of 2014 prospects were at Baylor. There is nothing set in stone however Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones have indicated they may head to the same university. Scott Drew and staff appear to be great recruiters; for all the talent headed to Waco Texas the Bears have an okay record since under Drew. They compete but have never been considered in the Big XII elite.
Media reports have been circulating Texas football coach Mack Brown’s job is in jeopardy. A failure to win exists on the basketball side at Texas as well; long-time basketball coach Rick Barnes is facing the same type of pressure. We’ve discussed the amount of basketball talent produced by the State of Texas, the problem not enough of that talent has headed to Austin in recent years.
Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob wants the waterfront San Francisco arena open by 2017. The timeline is a desire on his part not an actuality, a number of obstacles might delay the project. The date is the owners wish, this NBA fans’ wish-----a return to the iconic jerseys worn from 1962-1971. Do you remember the jerseys that read: “The City.”
Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose are assigned a task by ESPN.com, they are to provide readers a team by team preview of the upcoming season. As for Rose I might not always agree with him but at least he played the game at the NBA level. Simmons is another story at least for Laker fans. We cannot take into consideration anything written or stated by this life-long Celtic fan and current Clipper season ticket holder? I’m not making this up his Celtic-Clipper connection is listed in his bio.
Are they contenders
Last week I wrote of Eastern Conference contenders Pacers, Nets and Knicks who believe they can supplant the Heat. I didn’t include LeBron’s former team----the Cavs, are they ready to contend? We talk of potential and that is certainly is the case with this young team. The youth could be a blessing and a curse, the Cavs roster contains only two players over the age of 30, Anderson Varejo and DeSagana Diop. The Cavs might now be the youngest team in the NBA.
As was stated previously there is no disputing the talent of 21-year old point guard Kyrie
Irving, the guy needs to uncover a method to avoid injuries. Andrew Bynum has behaved like a knucklehead on several occasions, if injury free and motivated he is talented. In addition Bynum although a veteran is still only age 25. His coach is the same one (Mike Brown) he clashed with on occasion with the Lakers. Number one pick in the 2013 draft rookie power forward Anthony Bennett is only 20, the question is he ready for the rigors of the NBA? The Cavs might be one of those teams that exceed expectations, we shall see if they are able to raise their level of play.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Just a thought
This is a football tale but it just as easily could be basketball. There was question if the game would be available locally. On Wednesday The Kansas City Star reported the Saturday game between Mizzou-Vanderbilt would be telecast on the CBS affiliate. I can hear a chorus of grumbling in advance, “why are you interrupting my programs for a football game?” Games telecast on ESPN/Fox Sports or other sports channels generally avoid this type of controversy.
The pending season
The dawn of an NBA season is always full of optimism by fans of a number of teams. Coast to Coast north to south excitement is brewing and building for the upcoming season. Fans of the Knicks, Nets and Pacers believe their teams will successfully challenge the Heat for dominance in the NBA East. In the West the Thunder believe the Westbrook injury derailed their road to a championship. Everyone (including me) thought the Spurs were too old and too slow, all of us were mistaken.
There were a few teams last season exceeding expectations of their fans; we could count the Warriors in that group. We could also include the Clippers who for the first time in their history finished above their city rivals the Lakers. Who did I forget you ask? I fail to mention the team nobody thought would be good, the team that will exceed expectations. Which team you ask, I have no idea? It’s my belief there is one or two NBA teams that will surprise---no shock us by exceeding expectations.
Disclaimer
Lately it seems I must always place a disclaimer on my thoughts, this time its Doc Rivers Clippers coach. My partiality for Rivers goes back to the days he played for the Hawks; I’ve always thought (and still do) he’s an excellent coach. With that said allow me to briefly discuss his new team the Clippers. I’m fond of the expression; “I’m from Missouri you’ve got to show me” which applies to Doc’s new team. No doubt in my mind he will point the way----will the Clippers be able to follow his lead to an NBA championship?
That question and many more remain unanswered at this point. Cynics claim a number of Laker fans are arrogant if this sounds arrogant so be it. Despite Matt Barnes view Los Angeles and Southern California will always be Laker country. The media is talking a great deal of smack on this Clipper team, a team that’s won exactly two (2) playoff series in its 30 year Los Angeles history. It would be foolish for me to state they are not a good team, this edition of the Clippers are very good. Are they a championship team remains unanswered at this point in time?
They know how to do it
I’m viewing the 2016 NBA All-Star game announcement on NBA TV. For those who might have missed the news the game will be held in Toronto, the first time the game has been held outside the US. Unlike the NCAA the NBA feels no need to host a premium game in a football stadium. Dome stadiums have long been a complaint of mine. To be fair the NBA did award the game to a dome stadium, in 2010 the game was played in Cowboys (now AT&T) Stadium. There are mixed feelings regarding domes, a number of athletes’ claim no shooting issues while others state the opposite. Everything is financially driven, if the NCAA is worried about revenue why not just raise the price of a ticket and forget the football aspect.
Gasol at center
If you read the headline you might assume the reference is Grizzly center Marc Gasol. It actually it’s meant to reflect older brother Laker power forward/center Pau. I’ve been a long-time fan of Pau so don’t expect this to be critical, I’ve always seen him as a finesse player not a center. He stated on Lakers media day he would be comfortable if Coach D'Antoni asked him to play center. With the retirement of Shaquille O’Neal is there really a dominant center in the NBA anymore? If we compiled list of top centers Dwight Howard must be at the top of the list, I question if he is considered a dominant center.
Pau Gasol is average rebounding the ball but so is fellow 7-footer Brook Lopez (6.9). 7-2 Pacer Roy Hibbert’s game has grown over time, outstanding defensively he’s only an average (11.9) on the offensive side. In an injury plagued year Gasol averaged 13.7 below his 18.4 career average and his career rebound average of 9.2. Gasol was the point of discussion recently on Time Warner Cable Sportsnet. ESPN LosAngeles columnist Beto Duran was a panel member and made this statement. Duran said; “he (Gasol) is the best big man in the NBA to run your offense through.” I certainly agree with that statement there is no 7-footer who passes the ball as good as Gasol. Can he play center in today’s NBA I think so; today’s centers play a great deal of their game on the perimeter.
This is a football tale but it just as easily could be basketball. There was question if the game would be available locally. On Wednesday The Kansas City Star reported the Saturday game between Mizzou-Vanderbilt would be telecast on the CBS affiliate. I can hear a chorus of grumbling in advance, “why are you interrupting my programs for a football game?” Games telecast on ESPN/Fox Sports or other sports channels generally avoid this type of controversy.
The pending season
The dawn of an NBA season is always full of optimism by fans of a number of teams. Coast to Coast north to south excitement is brewing and building for the upcoming season. Fans of the Knicks, Nets and Pacers believe their teams will successfully challenge the Heat for dominance in the NBA East. In the West the Thunder believe the Westbrook injury derailed their road to a championship. Everyone (including me) thought the Spurs were too old and too slow, all of us were mistaken.
There were a few teams last season exceeding expectations of their fans; we could count the Warriors in that group. We could also include the Clippers who for the first time in their history finished above their city rivals the Lakers. Who did I forget you ask? I fail to mention the team nobody thought would be good, the team that will exceed expectations. Which team you ask, I have no idea? It’s my belief there is one or two NBA teams that will surprise---no shock us by exceeding expectations.
Disclaimer
Lately it seems I must always place a disclaimer on my thoughts, this time its Doc Rivers Clippers coach. My partiality for Rivers goes back to the days he played for the Hawks; I’ve always thought (and still do) he’s an excellent coach. With that said allow me to briefly discuss his new team the Clippers. I’m fond of the expression; “I’m from Missouri you’ve got to show me” which applies to Doc’s new team. No doubt in my mind he will point the way----will the Clippers be able to follow his lead to an NBA championship?
That question and many more remain unanswered at this point. Cynics claim a number of Laker fans are arrogant if this sounds arrogant so be it. Despite Matt Barnes view Los Angeles and Southern California will always be Laker country. The media is talking a great deal of smack on this Clipper team, a team that’s won exactly two (2) playoff series in its 30 year Los Angeles history. It would be foolish for me to state they are not a good team, this edition of the Clippers are very good. Are they a championship team remains unanswered at this point in time?
They know how to do it
I’m viewing the 2016 NBA All-Star game announcement on NBA TV. For those who might have missed the news the game will be held in Toronto, the first time the game has been held outside the US. Unlike the NCAA the NBA feels no need to host a premium game in a football stadium. Dome stadiums have long been a complaint of mine. To be fair the NBA did award the game to a dome stadium, in 2010 the game was played in Cowboys (now AT&T) Stadium. There are mixed feelings regarding domes, a number of athletes’ claim no shooting issues while others state the opposite. Everything is financially driven, if the NCAA is worried about revenue why not just raise the price of a ticket and forget the football aspect.
Gasol at center
If you read the headline you might assume the reference is Grizzly center Marc Gasol. It actually it’s meant to reflect older brother Laker power forward/center Pau. I’ve been a long-time fan of Pau so don’t expect this to be critical, I’ve always seen him as a finesse player not a center. He stated on Lakers media day he would be comfortable if Coach D'Antoni asked him to play center. With the retirement of Shaquille O’Neal is there really a dominant center in the NBA anymore? If we compiled list of top centers Dwight Howard must be at the top of the list, I question if he is considered a dominant center.
Pau Gasol is average rebounding the ball but so is fellow 7-footer Brook Lopez (6.9). 7-2 Pacer Roy Hibbert’s game has grown over time, outstanding defensively he’s only an average (11.9) on the offensive side. In an injury plagued year Gasol averaged 13.7 below his 18.4 career average and his career rebound average of 9.2. Gasol was the point of discussion recently on Time Warner Cable Sportsnet. ESPN LosAngeles columnist Beto Duran was a panel member and made this statement. Duran said; “he (Gasol) is the best big man in the NBA to run your offense through.” I certainly agree with that statement there is no 7-footer who passes the ball as good as Gasol. Can he play center in today’s NBA I think so; today’s centers play a great deal of their game on the perimeter.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
He was the first
Bob Kurland who was 88-years old died this past Sunday; unless you are a student of the game you might not recognize his name. Kurland who played for Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) is given credit as the first player to dunk a basketball during a game. Players had dunked basketballs in warm-ups but never during a game; in addition no one included it as part of their offense game. Kurland’s dunk occurred in a 1944 game against Temple University and was actually an accident according to the 7-footer. Kurland aided Oklahoma A&M to win back to back NCAA championships in 1945 and 1946. This portion of his story might be shocking in 2013. The NBA had just been originated in 1946; it was nowhere close to the multi-billion dollar professional organization we witness today.
When he completed college Kurland was drafted by the St. Louis Bombers in 1947; he chose an established AAU team over the less well-known NBA. *“AAU basketball was attractive to many players for two important reasons, first, for those who wished to remain eligible for the Olympics, they were able to maintain their amateur status. Second, for players looking to earn a living, many teams were sponsored by corporations which provided jobs to the players on their teams.” Kurland chose AAU basketball over the NBA partially due to employment opportunities with an established organization. The NBA was only in its second year of operation. Kurland was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1961 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 the first year it opened. *APBR.org
Father and son
The Heat announced Juwan Howard will become a full-time coach this season; his days as a player even part-time are over. Howard might hold a distinction few might be familiar with; this could have occurred in another sport I don’t remember reading or hearing of its. The 40-year old Howard has played limited minutes over the past two seasons; he and son might be one of the few father-son combos playing a sport at this elevated level. Juwan Howard Jr. has entered his junior year at the University of Detroit.
Is his NBA career over?
Jason Collins was never close to being an All Pro player. The veteran 7-foot center weighing 255 pounds has enough bulk to clog the lane playing limited minutes. As a reminder you heard after the season concluded Collins admitted he was gay in a Sports Illustrated story. After Collins was applauded by many for his courage questions began to surface if any NBA team would sign free agent Collins?
First it was the Pistons who stated interest in Collins and then announced they would not sign him. Now the Nets have repeated the act of the Pistons. Even more interesting is the quote by Coach Jason Kidd. *“I think he can still play,” Kidd added. “His knowledge as a veteran. There's always a veteran that can help a young team. I think he'll find a job at some point here.” I might ask Kidd if he’s unwilling to hire Collins who will since he seems to be so sure? *cbssportsline.com
This is why, maybe
This story is just one more example why the Mizzou-Kansas basketball rivalry is so intense. Few present Mizzou or Kansas fans are probably aware of this narrative since it occurred prior to the birth of most of us. The University of Kansas has a championship which Mizzou believes is in dispute. Mizzou and Kansas were member of the Missouri Valley Conference prior to joining the then Big Six Conference. In 1922 the schools split the games against one another; they both finished the season 15-1. Discussions occurred at the time to resolve the conference tie, the schools could never agree to a deciding game or a series of three games. One game would be played in Lawrence and one in Columbia, the decider would be in Kansas City. For unknown reasons Kansas coach Phog Allen declined to play.
As for the record books the schools remained tied for the Missouri Valley Conference championship until 1936. The NCAA playoff format did not come into being until 1939 when a national champion was decided on the court. In any event 14 years after the event the Helms Foundation (having the authority at the time) decided to crown a “national” champion. The records don’t indicate why Kansas was chosen over Mizzou from KU Sports.com; “KU’s victory in the latter of the schools' two meetings gave them the edge.” The Helms Foundation who created the controversy no longer exists; several years ago it was merged into what has become the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Dates; Wikipedia
He’s not the only one
The media was full of stories over the summer regarding when and if Kobe Bryant would return. Well Kobe is not the only All-Star who will be missing in action at the start of the season. The Celtics Rajon Rondo is not ready at this point to start the season in the lineup. Thunder fans probably felt their playoff hopes were shortchanged with the injury to Russell Westbrook. Westbrook had to undergo another surgery this week and will not be ready for the start of the season.
Bob Kurland who was 88-years old died this past Sunday; unless you are a student of the game you might not recognize his name. Kurland who played for Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) is given credit as the first player to dunk a basketball during a game. Players had dunked basketballs in warm-ups but never during a game; in addition no one included it as part of their offense game. Kurland’s dunk occurred in a 1944 game against Temple University and was actually an accident according to the 7-footer. Kurland aided Oklahoma A&M to win back to back NCAA championships in 1945 and 1946. This portion of his story might be shocking in 2013. The NBA had just been originated in 1946; it was nowhere close to the multi-billion dollar professional organization we witness today.
When he completed college Kurland was drafted by the St. Louis Bombers in 1947; he chose an established AAU team over the less well-known NBA. *“AAU basketball was attractive to many players for two important reasons, first, for those who wished to remain eligible for the Olympics, they were able to maintain their amateur status. Second, for players looking to earn a living, many teams were sponsored by corporations which provided jobs to the players on their teams.” Kurland chose AAU basketball over the NBA partially due to employment opportunities with an established organization. The NBA was only in its second year of operation. Kurland was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1961 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 the first year it opened. *APBR.org
Father and son
The Heat announced Juwan Howard will become a full-time coach this season; his days as a player even part-time are over. Howard might hold a distinction few might be familiar with; this could have occurred in another sport I don’t remember reading or hearing of its. The 40-year old Howard has played limited minutes over the past two seasons; he and son might be one of the few father-son combos playing a sport at this elevated level. Juwan Howard Jr. has entered his junior year at the University of Detroit.
Is his NBA career over?
Jason Collins was never close to being an All Pro player. The veteran 7-foot center weighing 255 pounds has enough bulk to clog the lane playing limited minutes. As a reminder you heard after the season concluded Collins admitted he was gay in a Sports Illustrated story. After Collins was applauded by many for his courage questions began to surface if any NBA team would sign free agent Collins?
First it was the Pistons who stated interest in Collins and then announced they would not sign him. Now the Nets have repeated the act of the Pistons. Even more interesting is the quote by Coach Jason Kidd. *“I think he can still play,” Kidd added. “His knowledge as a veteran. There's always a veteran that can help a young team. I think he'll find a job at some point here.” I might ask Kidd if he’s unwilling to hire Collins who will since he seems to be so sure? *cbssportsline.com
This is why, maybe
This story is just one more example why the Mizzou-Kansas basketball rivalry is so intense. Few present Mizzou or Kansas fans are probably aware of this narrative since it occurred prior to the birth of most of us. The University of Kansas has a championship which Mizzou believes is in dispute. Mizzou and Kansas were member of the Missouri Valley Conference prior to joining the then Big Six Conference. In 1922 the schools split the games against one another; they both finished the season 15-1. Discussions occurred at the time to resolve the conference tie, the schools could never agree to a deciding game or a series of three games. One game would be played in Lawrence and one in Columbia, the decider would be in Kansas City. For unknown reasons Kansas coach Phog Allen declined to play.
As for the record books the schools remained tied for the Missouri Valley Conference championship until 1936. The NCAA playoff format did not come into being until 1939 when a national champion was decided on the court. In any event 14 years after the event the Helms Foundation (having the authority at the time) decided to crown a “national” champion. The records don’t indicate why Kansas was chosen over Mizzou from KU Sports.com; “KU’s victory in the latter of the schools' two meetings gave them the edge.” The Helms Foundation who created the controversy no longer exists; several years ago it was merged into what has become the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Dates; Wikipedia
He’s not the only one
The media was full of stories over the summer regarding when and if Kobe Bryant would return. Well Kobe is not the only All-Star who will be missing in action at the start of the season. The Celtics Rajon Rondo is not ready at this point to start the season in the lineup. Thunder fans probably felt their playoff hopes were shortchanged with the injury to Russell Westbrook. Westbrook had to undergo another surgery this week and will not be ready for the start of the season.
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