Basketball from a fans perspective
M.I.A.
We are accustom to players missing due to injury. Blake Griffin was missing for the Clippers, now the Spurs Tony Parker. There might be others I overlooked but I wanted to point out this peculiarity. Warriors Coach Steve Kerr with back issues related to surgery will miss the Jazz series. The team appears to be playing capably under Mike Brown; he’s served as head coach for the Cavs and Lakers so he’s not exactly a novice sitting in the first chair.
Spoiled rotten
Admit it you spoil or spoiled your kids, maybe you do it with your grandchildren. We want the best for them, material things we desired as children or youth and couldn’t afford. I don’t mind admitting for me it was a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor’s. The Converse shoe was the only one back in the day Dr. J. wore them, Wilt Chamberlain also sported a pair. I’m restating an earlier take; I have no issue with LaVar Ball’s attempt to become an industrialist. I have difficulty with the manner he’s attempting to accomplish this feat.
Secondly the Lonzo Ball shoe is no Chuck Taylor, its going to retail for $495. The slides which have become popular with youngsters are available with the BBB brand for $220. This is totally crazy how you sell gym shoes at that price; there is nothing behind the shoe or the clothing except the mouth of LaVar Ball. These are not LeBron’s, Curry or Kobe shoes someone might ask “who is Lonzo Ball? “ Maybe this is like the television series Punk’d, Ball has managed to attract our attention will later claim I was just trying to gain a foothold.
Growth
Mizzou fans remember Quin Snyder; he was not the coach now he was then. Snyder was a 30 something at the time he was hired him to replace the legendary Norm Stewart. A brief pause here; Snyder and Bill Self were both being interviewed to coach Mizzou. Snyder an assistant at Duke at the time versus Self head coach at Tulsa, after losing the job to Snyder Self would leave Tulsa for Illinois and later Kansas where he remains to this day. Snyder tasted a degree of success at Mizzou but NCAA infractions and a downturn in the program left him on a ledge.
Snyder resigned in February of 2006 in lieu of termination at the end of the season. Post Mizzou was head coach with a D-League team and several stops as an assistant coach (my Lakers included). In 2014 the Jazz hired him as head coach and the team has improved under his leadership from a below .500 record to the 51-31 this season and a playoff victory over the Clippers. Yes Mizzou fans I was mad at Snyder fro a number of years but have mellowed over time. He’s proven one thing for sure no matter how low you sink there is always the possibility of a return.
Participation
I made several comments regarding our 2nd grade co-ed basketball team. We had a “winning” record although we didn’t maintain scoring. I managed to track the score in my head until I discovered one of the parents was doing the same on the sidelines. We either tied or won the league outright although we received no trophies. We managed to teach the girls and boys how to play the game although they must adjust parts of their game if they continue to play. Officials called no double-dribbles, no traveling and other player errors. I was excited with the season end and certainly look forward to next season.
