Basketball from a fans perspective
It’s just one game
Okay Dub fans you have my permission to laugh at me, I believed in my heart of hearts the Cavs would come prepared to play. I figured the Warriors would be ready to play but Steph Curry with 11 points and Klay Thompson with 9 and they blow out the Cavs. I wasn’t prepared for this believing the Warriors had to secure scoring from Curry and Thompson in order to win the game and the series. The Warriors bench outplayed the Cavs bench and win by 15, final score 104-89. Oh well it’s just the first game lets see what happens on Sunday.
They agree
I found it interesting NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com placed LSU’s Ben Simmons at the top of their 2016 mock draft sites. Then somewhere near the mid-point of the college basketball season they changed, one site dropped Simmons to second and elevated Duke’s Brandon Ingram to number one. At some point in the last two weeks both polls reflected the same player at the top of their poll. They project Simmons to be the number one pick to the 76ers and Ingram the second choice to the Lakers.
Memorial Day Massacre
It was a holiday weekend May 27 1985 to be precise Memorial Day. It was also the date the Boston Celtics faced the Lakers for the NBA Championship in the old Boston Garden. The “Massacre” part of the story the Celtics ran through, past and around the Lakers in the first game of the series later dubbed the Memorial Day Massacre.
The final score read Celtics 148 Lakers 114, Kareem scored a microscopic 12 points along with 3 rebounds. The 6-9 Magic Johnson wasn’t very “magic” pulling down a single rebound, James Worthy would lead the way for the Lakers scoring 20 points. The victorious Celtics were led by Kevin McHale and Scott Wedman both with 26 points, Wedman shot 11 for 11 from the floor. Despite the rough start of the series the Lakers would recover and go on to win the 1985 Championship 4 games to 2.
Take time
Monty Williams Thunder assistant announced he won’t return next season not shocking news for a number of reasons. In February his wife died tragically in an automobile accident when another vehicle struck hers. Its possible returning to his job aided the healing process to a point however the season is complete now. Basketball provided an opportunity to reflect on something other than the loss of his wife. Although his four children are older they still need time to bond with their father over the loss. Williams a former player and head coach (Pelicans) is basketball driven he will return to the NBA in some capacity when he‘s ready. If you've ever lost a close loved one you certainly can understand the pain Williams will continue to face.
Where is the basketball?
I was wrong; I believed the basketball from Wilt’s 100 point game must be displayed in the Naismith Hall of Fame. I’m viewing a program titled Sports Detectives on The Smithsonian Channel and the search is on for the basketball. Kerry Ryman interviewed claimed as a 14-year old he rushed onto the court at the conclusion of the March 2 1962 game and shook Wilt’s hand. The referee gave the ball to Chamberlain who tossed it toward the bench somehow Ryman intercepted it and raced out of the Hershey arena ball in his hands. In those days the NBA did not have the popularity of today; NBA teams would often schedule home games in other locations.
The Philadelphia Warriors scheduled the game for Hershey (PA) unaware history would be made. Ryman claims he later sold the basketball by auction to the tune of $500,000 however this portion of the story is in dispute as to the authenticity of the ball. It was later determined this was “one of the game balls” and not the ball Wilt scored the 100th point. The auction ball was later sold for $67,000 however the story doesn‘t end there. The “ball-boy” now an adult says “The Warriors took only 12 basketballs to the game and left with half that number.” The mystery remains just that, we have no idea where the 100 point basketball is to be found.
