“You still here?”
I wrote of this a week or so but thought it worthy of a repeat. I read a letter regarding the Knicks and a fan wrote; “Carmelo Anthony is still here.” I’m not sure when the stories began however during the summer months we heard. Carmelo was headed to the Cavs, it was the Celtics, then it became the Rockets and I even heard the Clippers.
The media and the letter writer forgot a key issue…..no trade clause. Despite all the stories of possible destinations Carmelo must sign on any possible deal. To date it appears that is not the case; at the end of the month expect him in training camp wherever the Knicks hold it. This is not intended as a slam at Carmelo he remains one of the NBA’s best however it “appears he wants out of New York” perhaps feeling disrespected by the departed Phil Jackson.
City of
It’s often been stated Kansas City is The City of Fountains, without checking figures I have no idea the total number of fountains however it’s quite significant. Kansas City might also be considered the City of Basketball Champions having served as host for more NCAA and NAIA Championships than any city in the nation….surprised by that fact? The NCAA run began in 1940 with the last championship being played in 1988 between Kansas and Oklahoma. By this time the NCAA decided its Final Four and championship should be played in domed football stadiums. Although Kansas City continues to serve regional series an NCAA Championship will never occur in Kansas City because of the lack of a domed stadium. Below are dates the championship event was held in Kansas City.
1940, 1941, 1942, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1964 and 1988
As for the NAIA Tournament its championship series was first held in Kansas City in 1937 and it ran in the city through 1993. It was moved to Tulsa Oklahoma for several years but returned to the city in 2002. Municipal Auditorium was the venue from 1937 through 1975 after Kemper Arena was opened it became the site until 1993 when it was moved to Tulsa. Once the tournament returned to Kansas City it was held in a refurbished Municipal Auditorium where it’s remained since. There you have it, a quick glance provides you proof Kansas City just might be the College Basketball Champion City of the nation. This might be a clue why the College Basketball Experience and Hall of Fame was built in Kansas City.
Showtime too
If we begin discussing the Showtime Lakers a number of names come to mind. Naturally the architect Magic would be mentioned but how about “Big Game” James Worthy or Kareem. We cannot exclude shooter Byron Scott or Klay Thompson’s dad Mychal. Michael Cooper is often overlooked and it’s easy to see why. He was never the top scorer nor had the rebound totals of Kareem, Worthy or others. Cooper had only 170 pounds on his 6-5 frame but don’t allow the slim figure to fool you.
The great Larry Bird claimed “Cooper played the toughest defense of any player on him in the NBA.” That was Coops claim as a player tough-hard nose defense, his 8.9 ppg, 4.2 assist failed to paint a true picture for number 21. Even more interesting was his draft history, Cooper was the 60th pick in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft. He would play for the Lakers through the 1991 season at shooting guard and small forward before concluding his career in Italy. Cooper’s held a number of coaching jobs since his retirement and currently is head coach of the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA. Michael Cooper was Showtime too although few remember his name.
Big Men
This is an interesting observation from former Rocket center Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon said; “Small Ball won’t eliminate Big Men.” I’ve long held that belief however I’m a party of one you won‘t listen to me, Olajuwon‘s words carry far more mileage than my commentary. “In my mind the biggest thing (small ball) has done is to liberate big men from their traditional duties. They are no longer stuck in the paint” said Olajuwon.
You read earlier the Heat are pleased with the development of Hassan Whiteside and there are others. In Milwaukee It’s difficult to believe Giannis Antetokounmpo is 7 feet tall due to the manner he handles the ball and moves up and down the court like a gazelle. His teammate 7-1 Thon Maker has some of the same skill as Giannis. At the high school level we witness the development of 7-1 Bol Bol and often see him move out to the 3-point line to take shots.
