I was thinking if........
You follow sports as I do
you might not share my belief and that's okay. NFL
owners have conspired to keep Colin Kaepernick on the sidelines rather
than allow him to play. Kaepernick
participated in no violence he simply knelt during the playing of the National Anthem and continued this policy and gained allies mostly other NFL brethren. His view was based
on the belief police departments were guilty of brutalizing many in the minority
community. I cannot think of any point
even in its worst times a healthy player was ever refrained from play in the NBA. This research should not be considered complete, the players profiled were suspended more than 60 games which became
the entire season in a few cases. The nearest to
a conspiracy to exclude a player similar to Kaepernick might be the case of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
Kermit Washington-Lakers suspended for 60 games in 1977 after he
slugged an opposing player he returned the following season. He would play for several NBA teams prior to
his retirement from the game.
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf-Nuggets similar to Kaepernick refused to
stand for the national anthem in 1996.
Suspended by the NBA I can uncover few games he missed, through
negotiations he reached a compromise with the NBA. It’s possible Abdul-Rauf might have come
closer to being “black-balled” from the NBA than any other player I uncovered in my research. He would move to the Kings and
later the Grizzlies. The later portion
of his basketball career was spent playing for several Euro teams.
Latrell Sprewell-Warriors missed 68 games after being suspended in 1997 for physically attacking his coach. After he returned from the Warriors traded Sprewell yet he continued his career up to the point he retired from the NBA.
Ron Artest-Pacers while a member of the Pacers he
and several players were involved in the “Malice in the Palace.” The fight between the Pacers and Pistons resulted in Artest and several players being suspended and fined. Artest received the most severe punishment missing the balance of the season (86 games), in 2004 he returned to the NBA the following
season.
Over the years several NBA
players were suspended for drug or alcohol abuse however that must be explored
on a case by case basis. As an example,
Michael Ray Richardson was “banned for life in 1986” but could have returned to
the NBA in 1988, he preferred to remain in Europe. The late Roy Tarpley was banned as well for drug
and alcohol abuse in 1990 but never returned to the NBA. Tarpley would later sue the Mavs and a non-disclosed
settlement was reached in March of 2009. Tarpley died in 2015 at the age of 50 from liver failure.
I’m concerned and so should you
Anthony Davis left Friday’s game
with concussion symptoms. This is not
unusual he’s not the first basketball player to experience this affect. The concern it was reported this might be his
third concussion an injury usually associated with football players. My worry is how many how many is too
many? Late Sunday afternoon a check indicated Davis had suffered a bruise above the orbital bone and had suffered no concussion. The issue of concussion continues to hang over the head of Davis. As you are aware I have no medical
background or training however this continuing issue with Davis is a
concern.
He may be NBA bound
Problems at Louisville triggered
Rivals 5-star prospect Anfernee Simons to change his mind about attending the school. The 6-3 guard decided instead to search for
another school however the latest news indicates the NBA rather than college might
be ahead for Simons. In a case like the
Bucks Thon Maker whose class had graduated earlier Simon’s graduated in June
2017. The young man turns 19-years of
age in June 2018 just in time for the NBA Draft.
This is a developing story and
could be changed at a future date.
Simons parents must have been fans of former Magic guard Penny Hardaway
who played in the NBA from 1993 to 2007 and now coaches high school basketball.
Hardaway’s birth name is Anfernee while Penny is the nickname familiar to most
fans of the game. The story his
grandmother with a southern drawl referred to him as pretty sounded like
“penny.” So, there you have it two
stories for the price of one.
It’s early
Quentin Grimes 5-star 2018
Scout prospect made his commitment known.
He’s a future Kansas Jayhawk, his promise moved Kansas into first place
in Class of 2018 recruiting. As for my
Mizzou Tigers they are listed as an unimpressive 95th place. As this is written there is no “Michael
Porter Jr. or Jeremiah Tilmon” on the horizon for Mizzou however there are
factors restricting the ability to recruit.
Seniors and the NBA is a factor
however the Tigers are not losing a sizable portion of their roster. With the incoming freshmen class plus two
red-shirt players the ability to recruit is reduced. The other factor to consider we don’t know
whether Mizzou loses any player(s) due to lack of opportunity for playing
time. In addition, one more factor to
consider is the spring signing period, one or two additional prospects might commit.
