MVP
To the surprise of no one Steph Curry was named 2014-15 NBA MVP. No time in recent memory have there been so many names tossed about for the honor. I have no argument against Curry but it seemed across the board there was a difference of opinion. Many in the media believed LeBron James deserved his 5th MVP award as he returned and led the Cavs into the playoffs. A number of others were saying no it belongs to last year’s winner Kevin Durant. Of course that talk changed when Durant succumbed to a season ending injury.
Who would step up for the Thunder in the absence of Durant? How bout Russell Westbrook. He recorded an unbelievable 23 triple-doubles during the season. We could add the name of James “The Beard” Harden. Harden who finished second in the voting became the go to guy for the Rockets. We may have believed in the past this was Howard’s team but not now. Harden has clearly come to the front of the class for the Rockets. We arrive at Anthony Davis the 6-10 Pelican power forward. Davis also had a breakout year; he extended his shooting rage out to the 3-point line. So there just one man’s view of the 2014-15 MVP race.
Zeke
Everyone deserves a second opportunity even Isiah “Zeke” Thomas but is this latest hire the best move? I was curious to hear from him rather than depend on news sources. By now you are familiar James Dolan Knicks owner reached out and hired him to run the WNBA Liberty. The difficulty has always been separating the athlete Thomas from his front-office role. Thomas was a call-in guest on the Dan Patrick Show. After a brief few questions Patrick asked the question on most minds----the sexual harassment law suit. Thomas maintains he was innocent despite the court decision. He said; “I wished MSG had fought rather than settle the suit.” The judgment was rendered in 2007 so I researched the case to become acquainted with the facts again. The following is portions of the New York Times October 2, 2007 edition.
“A jury ruled today that Isiah Thomas the coach of the New York Knicks, sexually harassed a former team executive and that Madison Square Garden, the owner of the team, improperly fired her for complaining about the unwanted advances. The jurors were not able to decide whether Ms. Browne Sanders should be paid damages by Mr. Thomas, so on that matter, the judge ruled a mistrial, a partial victory for the coach. Of that figure, ($11.6 million) $6 million was awarded because of the hostile work environment Mr. Thomas was found to have created, and $5.6 million because Ms. Browne Sanders was fired for complaining about it. Mr. Dolan’s share is $3 million; the Garden is liable for the rest.” Thomas is correct in a sense however I would hardly call him “innocent” the courts charged him with “creating a hostile work environment.”
NFL Draft
A local radio host was discussing the recent NFL draft, he was very critical indicating it was boring stretching it out over three nights. I haven’t read anything but he claimed viewer numbers were down as well. I wondered if anyone called in to compare the NBA draft to the NFL. On the surface it’s not a fair comparison, NFL teams must draft more players than an NBA team. In addition with only two rounds the NBA draft concludes before the 10:00 p.m. news. I was unable to locate any history of the draft however it appears the NBA has conducted its draft on television far longer than the NFL. Imagine an NBA draft and the number one and two prospects sitting at home. This particular scene played out in the recent NFL draft. The NFL has a larger fan base following and continues to be more popular than the NBA. My intent was to point out the NFL falls short in some areas.
Permission to laugh at me
Steve Nash and Dwight Howard arrived in Lakerland at nearly the same time. Naturally as a fan I was excited about the prospects of both playing alongside Kobe and Gasol. I debated; “whose jersey should hang on my wall Howard’s number 12 or Nash‘s number 10?” I believed at the time and still do an older Nash would still bring more to the table than Howard. The decision was finalized I purchased jersey 10 which still hangs on my wall. It‘s a reminder to me what might have been with a healthy Nash playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
We know why
I’ve discussed previously the number of NAIA, Division II and III athletes in the NBA have dwindled down to nothing. I read an article by Evin Demiral in Sheridan Hoops which shed light on the subject matter. “An influx of foreign players in the last 30 years is a big reason, says John McCarthy, director of the NAIA’s Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship.” That one factor alone is small by comparison to the lure of financial reward. During this same time-period a significant number of historically black colleges seeing the economic reward have decided in favor of competing at the Division I level. I hope this isn’t taken as a negative toward the addition of Euro players financial reward has been a key factor in many of the former historically black colleges moving to Division I.
