Time‘s up
I admit upfront I stole this from one of the Laker fan websites. “Three games left in the season and three games left for D’Antoni.” I admit this is rare for me, in all my years following all sorts of sports I can only remember four other occasions when I badly wanted a coach replaced. .

“Sweet Lou”
Friday afternoon came word former Hawk and Laker Lou Hudson had died. The vast majority of readers probably are unsure of his name; I’d like to state he played in the NBA during its “Dark Age” period. The Hawks were on local television and occasionally on the Sunday Game of the Week. The Hawks had assembled a good team later adding Pete Maravich but were never good enough to play for an NBA Championship. As mentioned previously no ESPN, no TNT, no NBA TV during this period limited broadcast television only.

The 1980 NBA Championship was tape-delayed to a great deal of the nation. That‘s a partial explanation why Hudson’s name might not be well known. This shooting guard was nicknamed “Sweet Lou” due to his smooth shooting; he finished his 13-year career in 1979 scoring 17,940 points (20.2 ppg). Why this 6 time All-Star is not in the Basketball Hall of Fame is a mystery to those who witnessed him in action. Hudson died after suffering a second stroke in Atlanta, he was 69 years old.

“You’re fired”
The term is not imaginative or original; it’s been used since the first employee was informed they no longer had a job. Donald Trump has become well known for using the term on his television program. We could say Mizzou Coach Frank Haith has used the term too as it relates to Zac Price. Price found himself on the opposite side of the law, arrested twice in the same day. Haith first suspended the player when the news first broke, later he was dismissed from the team. Louisville transfer Price at 6-10 was expected to add depth to Mizzou’s frontcourt; he never played having sat out the 2013-14 season. The basketball career of Price at Mizzou was over before it ever began.

You think he’s stayin’?
Do we know where LeBron James is headed after the 2014-15 season is complete? Nobody really knows LeBron doesn’t know himself. We must wait until July 2015 for action on his part, we do understand the Heat have grown older and at the end of next season will be even older. Chris Bosh will be 31 at the end of next season, Dwayne Wade who’s suffered a variety of injury issues this season will be 33, as for LeBron he will be 30. Certainly none of the three is ready to sign up for AARP but you see the direction we are headed. As for other key members Ray Allen will be 39, Shane Battier 36 and Udonis Haslem 34.

Chris Anderson and Rashard Lewis both will have turned 35; the only youthful presence is Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole. Remember the bravado expressed when LeBron and Bosh joined Wade in South Beach. Based on the team struggles this season and an ageing team I believe the “not 2 not 3, not 4 not 5, not 6 championships” talk was just that------talk. The wear and tear on playing deep into June eventually takes its toil on all. For those who think I’m hatin’ on the Heat that’s not the case, they are two-time NBA Champs it’s yet to be determined if there is a third championship this year. Close only counts in horseshoes, Heat fans forget how Coach Pop’s player moves cost his team a championship last season. .