Why not
Bruce Levenson is selling his ownership share of the Atlanta Hawks. This move is prompted by the racially tinged email he wrote two years ago that recently surfaced. So far only one name has surfaced indicating a desire to purchase the team, Bruce Davis an attorney and son of music mogul Clive Davis. I’m going to toss out another name one whose said nothing to date and I’m spending someone else’s money. She’s made no statement but I believe Oprah Winfrey should consider purchasing the Levenson share.

We assume Winfrey was straightforward when her name surfaced regarding sale of the Clippers. Of course Winfrey backed out when the dollars reached what she considered “an astronomical amount. “ Two points, although no money amount has been established it’s got to be far less than the sale price of the Clippers. The NBA would no longer be a “boys club” adding a high profile female such a Winfrey to its ownership group. Despite recent events the NBA has led the way for professional sports teams in diversity.

Is it that big a deal?
A number of folks will likely be upset with this so you are warned in advance. I’m pleased the USA beat Serbia to capture the gold in the FIBA World Cup. The game wasn’t close as the USA won easily 129-92. I’m unsure who said it but indicated “it wouldn’t have been a big deal if the USA lost the championship.” A number in the media reported how well-constructed they believed the Spanish team was built. In addition to the Gasol brothers there was Ricky Rubio, Serge Ibaka and other NBA veterans. This led many to conclude this team and talented team could cause Team USA problems.  The US had no LeBron or Griffin, Durant tried out however he returned home early indicating he was exhausted.  

George was injured prior to the first cuts while Anthony decided to stay home. The ageing Kobe was injured and unable to compete. In fact Charles Barkley even predicted the “US would lose to Spain.” Of course the match up didn’t occur due to Spain being upset by France. Consider this point most of the teams finishing in the upper portion of the competition had numbers of NBA players on their roster. Basketball has truly become an international game and it‘s become more and more difficult to dominate the world. FIBA athletes are no longer in awe of NBA players as they may have been when the 1992 Dream Team took the court.

“Mr. Bigshot”
Chauncey Billups announced his retirement at age 37. I realize there are folks who believe he should have retired years ago however that’s another story. Its likely Billiups will miss selection to the Naismith Hall of Fame; he left Colorado after his sophomore year so the college HOF is out of the question as well. Billups played for 9 teams which may offer the impression he was a journeyman player. That is certainly far from the case, he scored over 15,000 points (15.2 ppg) and 5,000 assists (5.4 apg). Billups won two gold medals, the 2007 FIBA Americans Championship and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In addition Billups was a 5X NBA All Star and NBA World Champion with the Pistons. As for the nickname Mr. Bigshot came at an earlier stage of his career, Billups could always be called on to take the big shot at a crucial point of a game.

Bits n Pieces
I just read Knicks owner James Dolan claims “he’s going to leave Phil Jackson alone. “ I believe him for a couple of reasons, PJ doesn’t need the money and Dolan knows it. The first time he pulls a “Jerry Jones” move on PJ he’s likely headed out of NYC.   

Recently I wrote of Larry Brown and his coaching success at the NCAA and NBA level. For reasons we cannot fully elaborate Brown is the exception to most college coaches. The NBA rarely reaches into the collegiate ranks for head coaches. First-rate college coaches such as John Calipari and Rick Pitino returned to college after lukewarm NBA success.

My how the fortunes of the Cavs have changed. The team has established a monthly lottery for those desiring to purchase single-game tickets. We assume one could no longer walk up to the box office and purchase a ticket on the day of the game.  Change certainly exists in Cleveland and Northern Ohio with LeBron's return.   

The Wichita State Shockers finished last season 35-1, one of the keys to this highly successful season was Fred VanVfleet. The 5-11 VanVfleet is the outstanding point guard for that Shocker team. His numbers certainly would not be considered outstanding, 11.6 ppg and 5.4 assists per game. He committed 48 turnovers in 36 games which provides you an idea how skill he is with the ball. 55% field goal shooter and 83% from the free throw line.