Basketball from a fans perspective
On second thought
“I’m not leaving after all I wasn’t really serious about my send-off. “ That might have been the comment from DeAndre Jordan, after first committing to the Mavs during free agency he changed his mind deciding to remain with the Clippers. One of the more humorous lines I heard; “Its okay Jordan had flip-plops on when he shook hands on the deal.” I checked out ESPN’s “Around the Horn” on Wednesday as word circulated on this change of heart. Three of the four reporters questioned had no difficulty with Jordan reneging on his agreement.
“He (Jordan) signed nothing binding him to the Mavs“ was the stated view of panel members. I can agree with their view to a point but what about a promise, is a person’s word or handshake no longer binding? I hope this report is untrue; word is Jordan at 6-11 and 200+ pounds refused to answer phone calls or text messages from Mavs owner Mark Cuban. That type of behavior we might expect from a child not a grown man. What was wrong with calling Cuban or sending a text stating he'd changed his mind? As for the actions of the Clippers I have no complaint they accomplished the mission they intended.
Stop please
I heard this the other day; “If we cannot get an arena done the Bucks will move to Las Vegas or Seattle.” I cannot speak to the Vegas portion of the story though I’m comfortable discussing Seattle. Owners of the Milwaukee Bucks are having problems getting an arena deal completed. Once again Seattle’s name is attached to the possible move of an NBA franchise to that city. This is just a short and brief statement; quit punking Seattle, we’ve been hearing this type of talk since 2008 when the Sonics headed for Oklahoma City.
Just wondering
I’m posing a question which I have no answer. The world is aware NBA free agency began on July 1, teams cannot complete trades or sign free agents until yesterday (July 9) wonder why? It’s an item for discussion since the players/teams often announce ahead of the signing date they have concluded an agreement with player ______.
Why I am not surprised
The headline read; “Syracuse leads nation in men's basketball attendance again.” Not exactly surprising the Orangemen led the nation in attendance during the 2014-15 basketball season. After all the Carrier Dome technically is a football/basketball stadium, it seats 35,446 for basketball. Rupp Arena home of the Kentucky Wildcats seats 23,500 for basketball almost 12,000 less than the Carrier Dome. The Louisville Cardinals finished in third place playing in the KFC Yum Center seating 22,090 for basketball. I’m not sure where Duke finished however Cameron Indoor Stadium opened in 1940 and expanded in 1988 seats 9,314.
Allen Fieldhouse home of the Kansas Jayhawks opened in 1955, renovations over the years has increased capacity to 16,300. The Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill opened in 1986 and holds 21,750 for Tarheel basketball. The Butler Bulldogs home Hinkle Fieldhouse opened in 1928 and has taken the opposite approach. Renovations over the years have eliminated seating and it now seats 9,100 for games. Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City home of the University Missouri Kansas City has a rich history. Opened in 1935 this arena has served as host for more NCAA Championships than any other building in the nation. Downsize over the years it now has 7,300 permanent seats and an additional 2,600 temporary.
Loser
The Mavs became losers twice allow this brief explanation. Free agent Robin Lopez was leaving the Blazers but wanted the Mavs. Lopez wouldn’t commit because DeAndre Jordan beat him to the front of the line, he decided to sign with the Knicks. The Mavs have lost two centers DeAndre Jordan and Robin Lopez and have no center. I’ve been critical of Mavs owner Mark Cuban but I’m on his side this time.
