“The Big Ticket”
Kevin Garnett finally punched his last “ticket” the one stamped retirement, the 6-11 Garnett agreed to a buy-out with the Wolves. Garnett arrived in the NBA directly from high school in the 1995 draft and chosen by the Wolves. For a number of years Garnett was the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later he would be traded to the Celtics where he Paul Pierce and Ray Allen won an NBA Championship.
Garnett would later have a brief stop in Brooklyn playing for the Nets, he would return to the Wolves in 2015. What will Garnett do retired, eventually it might be as an NBA owner, and he’s spoke of that desire sometime ago. Did you realize Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett all will have retired in the same year? I claim no psychic ability but this I know all three will enter the Naismith Hall of Fame. Even more interesting since they all retired in the same year each will gain hall eligibility at the same time.
Unfulfilled promise
Khris Middleton Bucks reserve suffered a torn hamstring and will be out six months. The injury is devastating but this account is not about Middleton it about the guy who attempts to replace him. Almost immediately the Bucks made a trade for Michael Beasley, is this the same Beasley once projected to be an NBA All Star? It seems such a short time ago he was the 2nd pick in the 1st round of the 2008 NBA Draft. The 6-10 Beasley is 27 now certainly not old but he’s running out of opportunities. Since 2008 it’s been one team after another in what has become a journeyman career. The Bucks become Beasley’s 5th NBA team however his count is actually 4 if we consider he’s played twice with the Heat.
As recently as 2011 Beasley scored nearly 20 points per game for the Wolves. The guy could always score the ball but that not his problem it’s been other areas. I remember Kansas State managed a victory over arch rival Kansas as Beasley led the way in the victory. I don’t think K-State has topped the Jayhawks since then. In any event after one season Beasley would declare for the NBA Draft. All the accolades were there; All American First Team, Basketball Writers Freshman of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year. Those are just a few of the honors Beasley would receive.
Syracuse
We’ve discussed NBA team movement in the past I don’t believe Syracuse New York has been a topic. I remember specially writing about the Warriors moving from Philadelphia to San Francisco but who replaced them? It was the 76ers but how did they come into existence? The Syracuse Nationals or Nats were one of the original National Basketball League teams having been founded in 1946 they along with NBL teams would later merge with Basketball Association of America teams to form the NBA we know today. The NBA in the late ’50’s and early ’60’s was re-branding its image.
The league was attempting to move away from smaller markets into more urban areas. At the time the Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960 the Nats became the last NBL team located where they first began play. In 1963 as indicated above owners of the Warriors moved the franchise to San Francisco leaving Philadelphia a city of over 2 million at the time with no pro basketball team. The Warriors move provided owner Danny Biasone the opportunity to locate his franchise to a much larger market. The 1963 NBA was the first year of operation in the City of Brotherly Love for the team re-born as the 76ers.
Kansas basketball
We know the rich history of Kansas basketball Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Pierce, Coach Larry Brown the line keeps moving. In recent years Gregg Marshall’s Wichita State Shockers have made noise nationally. In fact debate raged as to which was the best Division I program in the state Kansas or Kansas State. As for Kansas State basketball has been down a bit but also has history. Players Bob Boozer, Mitch Richmond and Coach Jack Hartman led K-State to several successful seasons. Did you know the state has some of the best junior college basketball in the nation?
The Kansas Jayhawk Community College is comprised of 25 junior colleges spread throughout the State of Kansas. No argument there are likely a number of states with a larger number of junior colleges but I doubt they can match the success of the junior college conference. Understand this other than Johnson County and Kansas City Kansas most of the schools are located in rural and small towns throughout the state. Athletes from all over the nation have arrive on various colleges across the state. The question might be "It's just junior college basketball." Mitch Richmond first began play at a junior college and he's in the hall of fame.
