Basketball from a fans perspective
“I am your father”
Luke Murray is in his second year as an assistant coach at Xavier has a famous father? He previously served in a similar capacity at Rhode Island and earlier at Towson. This Murray is better known for basketball his father‘s life pursuit has been in another field. Luke’s father is comedian, writer Golden Globe, Academy Award and Emmy winner Bill Murray. My apologies I couldn’t help but use the Star Wars line for my headline based on the younger Murray’s name being Luke.
Bits n Pieces
I had to smile after reading the Popovich message. The coach wants to convey the impression he’s this “hard-nose” military type individual. Far from it he’s a softy and sentimental. He said he missed having Tim Duncan around at the start of pre-season. First time in 20 years the “Big Fundamental” has not been in Spurs training camp.
Next up is Doc Rivers, okay he won an NBA Championship (Celtics) however check his overall record. In his 17-year coaching career with three teams (Magic, Celtics & Clippers) he’s managed just that one championship. This saddens me to include a former Laker great Byron Scott in the mix. In 18-years of coaching and four teams as the head man he’s only experienced 4 winning seasons.
Prove you can win which is yet to occur but the road looks good. CBSSports.com has its pre-season Top 25 teams and sitting at number 17 are the Texas Longhorns. I have no idea how Rick Barnes left the program however under Smart they won 20 games in his first year. Can you say the sky is the limit?
Oregon has a change of basketball jerseys for almost everyday of the week however there is a basis for this. Nike co-founder and former CEO Phil Knight is a graduate of the University of Oregon. I’m unsure how this arrangement works out financially for the school.
The Missouri/Kansas City connection
Missouri and Kansas City lie in the middle of the country 1,619 road miles from Kansas City to Los Angeles. Despite the distance there is a connection to the Laker basketball. On the Laker roster at present is Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson didn’t attend high school in the metro however he played ball at Mizzou. He was a second round pick in 2014 and traded draft night to the Lakers; Clarkson has been a starter at the two guard for the Lakers. Clarkson is just the latest Laker with Missouri/Kansas City connections, it’s unusual the link goes all the way back to the mid-’70’s.
The Lakers didn’t draft point guard Lucius Allen although he played for them from 1974 through 1977. Allen played his high school ball at Wyandotte in Kansas City (KS). Clay Johnson’s high school ball was at Manual High School, Penn Valley CC and finally Mizzou. Shooting guard Johnson was on the Laker roster from 1982-1983. Point guard Larry Drew left Wyandotte High School in Kansas City Kansas for Mizzou. He was not drafted by the Lakers although he played for the team from 1989-1991.
Shooting guard Anthony Peeler played at Paseo High in the city and Mizzou. In 1992 Peeler became the 15th pick in the 1st round by the Lakers. He played for the Lakers the next four seasons. Tyronn Lue Cavs coach was drafted by the Nuggets and traded to the Lakers on draft night. Lue’s high school ball was played at Raytown (MO) a KC suburb. From 1998 through 2001 Lue was a back-up point guard for the team.
In 2002 the Raptors selected Kareem Rush who was subsequently traded to the Lakers. Rush a 6-5 guard played at Pembroke in the city and later at Mizzou. Rush would remain with the Lakers through the 2004 season. As you can see beginning in 1974 up to the present there have been few years there was no Kansas City area or Mizzou player on the Lakers roster. Have these players distinguished themselves in the NBA only you can make judgment on that subject. Maybe you don’t find this nearly as interesting as I do this
Laker-Kansas City/Mizzou connection.
