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Will corporate names on stadiums and arenas change due to the outcome of this suit? After Enron went bankrupt in 2001 the ballpark in Houston was forced to under go a name change. Google college basketball and stadiums a number contain non-corporate names. Elsewhere in Houston Hofheinz Pavilion home of the Houston Cougars basketball is trending currently. The school is attempting to re-name the building and the Hofheinz family has filed a lawsuit.
In case you had a further question this was no courtesy move the Hofheinz family contributed $1.8 million dollars in 1969 estimated to be $8 million in today’s dollar. According to news reports an unidentified party is reported to be willing to pay $20 million dollars for the naming rights. There are other “family” names attached to arenas and stadiums across the nation--might they also someday face the same problem?
Scouting reports
I’ve read a number of scouting reports over the years; “Not a very good athlete etc. etc.” I always understood the report but wondered how critical it was for the athlete in question. Magic Johnson is in the Naismith Hall of Fame and the College Hall of Fame, he was “not a very good athlete.” I make that statement based on Magic’s first few years in the NBA; he had a mediocre jump shot. His three point shot would come later in his Laker career. Magic was not a great defender speedy small point guards gave the 6-9 Magic problems.
Finally Magic was not the speediest guy on the court but was a little above average. Now that I’ve “torn apart” the young Magic Johnson’s game we all know what he would become. At the time the NBA announced its 50th Anniversary All-Time team Magic was one honored with a selection. Magic would be 5X NBA Champion, 3X NBA Finals MVP and 3X NBA MVP just a few of the honors bestowed on Magic. Because he was “not a very good athlete” perhaps it caused him to access his game and decide those areas requiring improvement.
Father and son
The name Charles O’ Bannon sounded familiar only this O’ Bannon had Junior behind his name. I wonder if he could be----yes jr. is the son of the O’ Bannon who played at UCLA from 1993-1997. Junior is 6-5 shooting guard and rated number 26 in the Class of 2017 by 247 Sports. Shaka Smart’s Texas Longhorn’s appear to be in the lead to sign Junior. As for dad he had a brief career in the NBA, he’s been a world traveler playing for a number of teams around the world. He continues to play at age 41; Panasonic Trians (Japan) is his current team.
Rookie of the Year
The award given to the outstanding rookie reads like a who’s who list. Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) Oscar Robertson are just a few names of the past. In more recent years Allen Iverson, Shaq and LeBron James have won the award. Winning Rookie of the Year is not a pronouncement of greatness; it provides proof of one’s talent.
Injuries rather than talent impacted the career of Brandon Roy and Grant Hill.
Several fell short of their rookie year and never reached the level many expected. We might count Steve Francis, Mike Miller and Ralph Sampson in that number, decent NBA careers but nothing spectacular. Who wins this year is a good question and one I’m not prepared to answer.
Wrong choice---maybe
April 30 I wrote of Semi Olejeye and his problem with playing time at Duke. I cannot state he’s talented enough for major college but I believe we’ll discover this upcoming season if he can play at the D-1 level. The 6-8 Olejeye found himself stuck fast to the bench at Duke he’s since transferred to SMU where he will get a chance to play. By the way Olejeye set a State of Kansas scoring record for boys’ high school basketball. Conner Frankamp is another example to take into account. Standout All-State player from Wichita he headed to Lawrence and Kansas University to play for Bill Self.
Frankamp also played limited minutes at Kansas due to its deep roster. He headed for home and is now enrolled at hometown Wichita State. Olejeye and Frankamp represent two examples of choosing the wrong schools to exhibit your talents. This is no criticism of Duke or Kansas it’s just reflects deep rosters and the fact you often have a numbers problem attempting to earn a starting spot. There are other athletes who face a numbers issue this is an example of two.
Rocket Man
James Harden is one of the most talented players in the NBA. He’s also a player who will never ever win an NBA Championship. That’s a strong statement on my part but one I believe, Harden appears to be unwilling to do those little things that will raise the Rockets to the next level. Harden was drafted by the Thunder in 2009 the 3rd pick in the first round. A 9.9 ppg average in his rookie year would be followed by 12.2 and 16.8 in his third year.
Harden was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2011-12 the youngest player to ever win the award. The Thunder wanted to resign free-agent Harden however he took the offer from the Rockets. Other than his prolific shooting he’s become know for his full-length beard, “fear the beard.” Nobody including me doubts his talent or work ethic it’s his leadership ability that is called into question.
