Basketball from a fans perspective

Wow  
We cannot venture too far from the television, IPhone or the net.  While out just a brief period word came the Lakers signed Rajon Rondo to a 1-year deal.  How this will impact Lonzo Ball is yet to be determined.  In other Laker news the team renounced the rights to Julius Randle allowing him to become an unrestricted free-agent.  He did not remain on the market long the Pelicans signed Randle to a two-year contract.  Expect more moves by Magic and the front office before this free agent frenzy is over.     

It’s okay to admit
Kevin Harlan TNT broadcaster lives in the metro Kansas City area.  We have a local radio host who routinely calls him once a week from roughly October through March or April.  Harlan does NFL games on CBS and he might be the primary announcer for other sports.  The point, this local guy never, ever discusses the NBA with Harlan.  Even more amazing he never hardly ever discusses the NBA except when a ‘LeBron Story’ is the news. 

Suddenly and magically he becomes an NBA expert providing the listener with all types of NBA and basketball knowledge.  It’s okay to admit you don’t know the NBA, I’d have a great deal more respect if he admitted this.  Nobody can be an authority on every aspect of a sport.  I believe I have working knowledge of the NFL and college football, as for NHL hockey and soccer my knowledge meter registers between 2 and 5.  I refrain from discussing the sports because I believe I know so little regarding them.  Too bad radio guy believes he’s the voice of authority. 

There’s history between them
What if it becomes Kyrie Irving versus LeBron James?  Irving and LeBron don't play the same position however it becomes Celtics-Lakers a rivalry that dates to the ‘60’s.  A new Celtic-Lakers rivalry might begin next season but remember there is history beyond Irving-LeBron.  In the ’60’s the Bill Russell led Celtics faced the Elgin Baylor/Jerry West on numerous playoff series. 

In the 1980’s with Magic Johnson on one side it became the Showtime Lakers versus the Bird led Celtics.  Years later a renewed series proved much shorter however the Kobe led Lakers would face off twice against Garnett/Pierce/Allen with the teams exchanging wins.  In 2008 the Celtics won the NBA championship 4 games to 2, in 2009 saw the reverse occurred with the Lakers winning 4 games to 1.  The Celtics are more likely to play for a championship in 2019 however what if it’s Celtics-Lakers?

Bevo was omitted
On Sunday I wrote of scoring machines in the NBA, college and high school.  I omitted the late Bevo Francis because I’d covered his scoring exploits in a prior account.  Francis was a scoring sensation back in the 1950’s playing for Rio Grand College now the University of Rio Grand in Rio Grand (OH).  The correct pronunciation is not the same as the river that borders Mexico and the U.S. the school is ‘Ryo-Grand’.  In 1953 he averaged 50.1 points per game that season, but the NCAA refused to recognize several games because they were registered against junior college competition, they settled on 48.3 points per game. 

One of those games was a 116-point total versus Ashland Junior College (Ashland Community and Technical College).  The following season Francis scored 113 points against Hillsdale College.  Francis was eventually expelled from school for missing too many classes.  The NBA at that time was far more rigid than today, they didn’t want this 6-foot 9-inch scoring machine, so he signed with the Boston Whirlwinds (Washington Generals of the day) playing against the Harlem Globetrotters.  Later he was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors but chose to return home being homesick.  It’s reported he never looked back as a missed opportunity he didn’t make it to the NBA.  In June 2015 Bevo Francis died of cancer.