He ain’t going home
Paul George might be headed to Los Angeles next season; the same could be said for LeBron James. We cannot make that statement about Russell Westbrook unless it’s in the form of a trade. Westbrook from Long Beach and UCLA signed a 5-year $205 million dollar extension with the Thunder. There have been rumors circulating for quite awhile Westbrook would eventually be in a Laker uniform.
Thus far
Don’t read anything into this other than the words on the page, the list of schools touched by the Justice Department and FBI probe is:
- Auburn
- Miami (FL)
- Oklahoma State
- Alabama
- Louisville
- Southern Cal
Beyond the Paint
NBA TV and Matt Winer profiled one of the great mysteries of the NBA. “The Legend of John Brisker” was telecast recently on Beyond the Paint. I once attempted to cover the man and could only provide a portion of the story. Brisker playing for the ABA Pittsburgh Condors and the NBA Sonics was as ready to toss in a jump shot as a right hook. Brisker had a reputation as a brawler but could back up any fight he was in. He would fall into disfavor with Sonic Coach Bill Russell and would be released. Brisker would soon leave the country and settle in the African nation of Uganda.
He disappeared sometime before or shortly after the revolution which drove Idi Amin from power in 1979. Some reports claim he’d become a mercenary for dictator Amin. With no contact over the years his wife had him declared legally dead in 1985. This is where the legend begins, Brisker’s former college coach at Toledo claimed Brisker had changed his name and returned to the U.S. His former coach died in 2013 so the story ends there since the coach was never questioned intently. Brisker owed the Internal Revenue Service and perhaps others so this account might appear credible. John Brisker was a brawler in basketball shorts but was actually a better player than most generally believed.
Bits n Pieces
Jamal Wilkes and Kareem Abdul Jabbar are on the way to my house, well that’s not quite correct allow me to clarify my statement. Neither former Laker is planning on visiting me in Kansas City I’ve ordered jerseys of each player. In addition to the jerseys I’m attempting to re-design my Laker Man-Cave. A former bedroom which is not small however wall space is the issue. My Kobe Bryant and Jerry West jersey are in separate shadow boxes side by side. Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Steve Nash are hanging on walls minus shadow boxes. My desktop computer occupies a corner of the cave so there is very little remaining usable remaining space.
Thunder Coach Billy Donovan indicates Carmelo Anthony will play power forward this season for the Thunder. Not real surprising news if official figures are accurate; Paul George is taller by an inch (6-9) over Anthony but loses 20 pounds in the weight department. I have questions about the cohesiveness of this lineup however they will only be answered once play begins, exhibition games will not paint a true picture.
SI.com contained a story titled “What happened to Superman?” I didn’t read the piece however Dwight Howard was the focus and I have questions. I too wondered why the promise of greatness we witnessed early remained unfulfilled. Injuries certainly impacted his career however it’s likely more involved. Somewhere between Orlando and the Lakers he seemed to have “lost his way.” This pattern continued in Houston and then Atlanta. On the downhill side of his career Charlotte should be his last NBA stop. Howard is an above average player however not the one we witnessed in Orlando.
