Is he serious?
Steve Ballmer is a very rich guy; he once served as chief executive officer of Microsoft. He owns the Clippers purchased them for $2 billion (with a b) dollars so that gives you some idea of his net worth. Ballmer is tired of Staples Center and wants to build his own arena, his Clippers share space with the Lakers, NHL Kings and every other entertainment event in the building. You can change the seating and reconfigure the floor to reflect the Clippers but it remains the fact its remains the Lakers building. Consider this tidbit there are 16 championship banners and retired Laker jerseys hanging in the rafters.
It bothered Doc Rivers so much when he became coach he had them covered, he could cover them but cannot take them down. Everyone in the building realizes there are banners behind the covering. Reports indicate Ballmer is in discussions with Rams owner Stan Kroenke regarding the stadium development in Inglewood. The lease at Staples ties the Clippers down until 2024 but Ballmer could afford to break the lease if he desired. The Clippers will continue to be the ’other’ team in Los Angeles until they win a championship. Earning a playoff spot every year is certainly noteworthy but so do 7 other Western Conference teams. Winning in Staples would be great however winning in your own building is even greater, it would set them apart from the Lakers.
Early entry list
I did a quick count and the early entry list for the NBA Draft as this is written contains 15 names. The numbers change almost on a daily basis therefore I won’t attempt to list player by player. I will just repeat what I’ve read and you’ve already heard the 2017 draft on the surface appears to be much better than 2016.
Negative people
Unlike many of you I don’t have the ability to peer into the future. I must have been absent the day the professor dealt with Psychic Ability 101. See I am unable to determine Cuonzo Martin’s impact on the Mizzou basketball program. I believe it will be positive but I have no method to determine that until next fall. This exercise in silliness is based on many of the letters I’ve read not from the media but ordinary folks.
His first year at Missouri State his team finished 11-20 the next season 24-12 Martin departed for Tennessee after his third year leaving with a 26-9 record and a second round NIT appearance. His Vol team finished slightly above .500 his first year and won 20 and 24 games before he took the Cal job. It’s no secret the Tennessee faithful loved Bruce Pearl although his tenure saw the school placed on probation for NCAA infractions. Martin’s teams at Cal earned post-season play two out of the three years he was at the helm. We know Martin can recruit and will be quite valuable on the St. Louis side but that’s only a portion of this account.
As for several of the negative letters I’ve read I believe they dealt with his move from Tennessee to Cal and the fact his teams have not advanced very far in the post-season. As for me it’s been so long since Mizzou has played into March I’m easy, just get the team into the NCAA Tournament. Folks, don’t be so negative give Martin an opportunity before you determine there is a requirement to replace Welcome aboard coach this Mizzou fan is excited.
I omitted him
Several weeks ago I wrote of athletes who became actors or entertainers. I may have overlooked probably the most skilled of that era. He played in the fledgling NBA with the Boston Celtics. Connors appeared in a single baseball game for the Dodgers but would play in 66 games for the Cubs. Sometime later he was drafted by the NFL Chicago Bears but never suited up. There you have it he played in the early NBA, for two major league baseball teams and an opportunity to play in the NFL. He left the sports world for Hollywood and an acting career. .
One more event, it was this athlete turned actor and not the Sixers Darryl Dawkins to first break a basketball backboard. Connors accomplished this feat during warm-ups for a 1946 game. After the 6-6 Chuck Connors left for Hollywood he would become a supporting actor in a number of television and movie roles. Connor’s only starring role was the lead in a television series familiar to generations “The Rifleman.” This late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s series Connors was cast in the role of Lucas McCain a widower in the old west. The television series is still in re-runs as this is being written in markets across the nation. Connors died in 1971 of lung cancer and pneumonia.
