BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
Did you see it?
Anybody besides me see the 2001 NBA Championship game between the Lakers and 76ers? Without looking it up I don’t remember which game the incident occurred. Laker reserve Tyronn Lue had come into the game to guard the speedy Allen Iverson. With several moves Lue slipped to the floor attempting to guard Iverson.
With Lue’s butt planted firmly on the floor Iverson took the shot made it and gently stepped over Lue looking down at him. We couldn’t read Iverson’s mind but the look on his face said; “You can’t guard me.” Their paths crossed on the court and this time it might cross off the court. It’s been reported Lue has offered Iverson a coaching job if he’s willing to accept the job.
He’s ready
It appears Joel Embiid is ready to play, you remember him don’t you? He’s the 7 foot big man who became the third pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 76ers held high expectations for Embiid, he will now step onto a basketball court competitively for the first time since 2014. ESPN.com claims he’s likely to be brought along slowly and will play limited minutes. They indicate he will probably not appear in the second game of a back to back.
They will locate you
From time to time we’ve discussed NBA players from smaller schools. If you have talent NBA scouts will beat a path to your door. Below are just a few examples of players from smaller schools having NBA careers:
Norris Cole - Cleveland State
Robert Covington - Tennessee State
C.J. McCollum - Lehigh
Matthew Dellavedova - St. Mary’s
Tony Snell - New Mexico
Patty Mills - St. Mary’s
Jeremy Lin - Harvard
Kelly Olynyk - Gonzaga
Rodney Stuckey - Eastern Washington
George Hill - IUPUI
Hassan Whiteside - Marshall
Courtney Lee - Western Kentucky
Kenneth Faried - Morehead State
Kevin Martin - Western Carolina
Paul Millsap - Louisiana Tech
This list is not complete these are but a few of a large number. When I use the term “smaller school” this is no reference to the size of the student body. This is a reflection of the teams competing in smaller conferences across the
nation.
Who???
Shaquille O’Neal thanked a number of teammates in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. One of the names Shaq mentioned was Stanley Roberts which might have caused a number of people to say WHO? Roberts arrived on the LSU campus a year ahead of Shaq; many believed the 7 foot 285 pound center might be the better athlete. Roberts would average nearly 15 points and almost 10 rebounds a game in the only year playing along side Shaq.
Roberts left LSU early for the NBA and would become the 23rd pick in the first round of the 1991 draft. Injuries and weight played a key role in curtailing what appeared to be a promising NBA career. Roberts would play for several NBA teams some in Europe and one ABA team. He would retire in 2004 after playing for a team in Puerto Rico. We know the balance of the story Shaquille O’ Neal Hall of Fame career Stanley Roberts what might have been.
