BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
This is not a slam at Tom
Brady
The sports media pointed out Tom Brady of the Pats won his 6th NFL championship ring on Sunday. He’s got company, Kareem Abdul Jabbar won 6 NBA championships, 6 MVP’s and 3 NCAA championships. The opposition had only one hope when he shot his patented sky hook, he missed, nobody ever blocked it. Back then the NBA was much more physical than today, failing to block the shot they pushed and pushed to move him away from the basket. Someone pointed out Magic Johnson never won another championship after Kareem retired.
The sports media pointed out Tom Brady of the Pats won his 6th NFL championship ring on Sunday. He’s got company, Kareem Abdul Jabbar won 6 NBA championships, 6 MVP’s and 3 NCAA championships. The opposition had only one hope when he shot his patented sky hook, he missed, nobody ever blocked it. Back then the NBA was much more physical than today, failing to block the shot they pushed and pushed to move him away from the basket. Someone pointed out Magic Johnson never won another championship after Kareem retired.
Best of the best
Joel Embiid is the best center in the NBA, there should be no argument among any parties. This native of Cameroon by way of the University of Kansas has continued to grow his game. So far this season he’s 27 points and 13 rebounds a game, in addition he’s shooting 31% from the 3-point line. Is there nothing Embiid can’t do, we must state there probably is however it’s difficult to discern. Remember this is the guy who couldn’t overcome the injury bug and remain healthy enough to stay on the court.
Joel Embiid is the best center in the NBA, there should be no argument among any parties. This native of Cameroon by way of the University of Kansas has continued to grow his game. So far this season he’s 27 points and 13 rebounds a game, in addition he’s shooting 31% from the 3-point line. Is there nothing Embiid can’t do, we must state there probably is however it’s difficult to discern. Remember this is the guy who couldn’t overcome the injury bug and remain healthy enough to stay on the court.
Drafted in 2014 as the 3rd pick
in the first round it would be 2016-17 season before Embiid was able to see
substantial time on the court. In Kansas
City we had/have opportunities to see Kansas basketball and Embiid's play during
his days there. Embiid’s freshman year
at Kansas witnessed him began play as back-up to Tarik Black. Black was the more experienced athlete having
grown up playing basketball, for Embiid it was far different. Embiid had only began playing the game a few
years prior to his arrival in Lawrence Kansas.
Somewhere near the mid-point of his freshman season Embiid supplanted
Black as the starter.
Shortly before the end of his freshman
year he suffered the first of a series of injuries which impacted his early
basketball career. Embiid would declare
for the NBA draft although this writer believed he wasn’t ready. His numbers have risen steadily since the
2016-17 season, Joel Embiid, the best center in the NBA, I didn’t hesitate to
state that. This writer has long
maintained basketball no longer contains characters, that is not the case for
Embiid. He’s active in social media
circles, several might remember his flirtation with entertainer Rihanna.
Is this the year?
At the beginning of the collegiate season I wrote a piece about the Big 12. I believe it was titled “Pretenders or Contenders.” I said Kansas had tied or won the conference crown for 13 or 14 years. One of the pretenders mentioned was the Baylor Bears. On February 5 Baylor is 15-6 and 6-2 in the conference, Kansas is 17-5 and 6-3 in the conference. There are 10 conference games remaining before the post-season tournament begins. It’s not only Baylor, Kansas State plays Kansas tonight for the hearts and minds of all Kansas residents. K-State is 16-5 and has a 6-2 conference record, at this point I certainly have no clue who wins this thing. This I know, just as Jason Voorhees returns in every Friday the 13th movie so do the Jayhawks.
At the beginning of the collegiate season I wrote a piece about the Big 12. I believe it was titled “Pretenders or Contenders.” I said Kansas had tied or won the conference crown for 13 or 14 years. One of the pretenders mentioned was the Baylor Bears. On February 5 Baylor is 15-6 and 6-2 in the conference, Kansas is 17-5 and 6-3 in the conference. There are 10 conference games remaining before the post-season tournament begins. It’s not only Baylor, Kansas State plays Kansas tonight for the hearts and minds of all Kansas residents. K-State is 16-5 and has a 6-2 conference record, at this point I certainly have no clue who wins this thing. This I know, just as Jason Voorhees returns in every Friday the 13th movie so do the Jayhawks.
Small school, next stop Naismith
Hall of Fame
This is no factual number however we might guess 90% of today’s NBA players arrive from Power 5 universities. It’s not always been the case, no longer is the playing field level as it once was. Back in the day a large percentage of NBA players landed in the NBA from all schools. That’s not the case today, the influx of Euro players plus many of today’s youngsters are lured to the more “visible” universities. On occasion a Robert Covington or C. J. McCollum comes into the NBA, but the number is shrinking annually. Interesting in that several Hall of Fame athletes came into the NBA from non-Power 5 schools. The first stop for Knick great Willis Reed was Grambling University in Louisiana, the next stop for Reed was the Naismith Hall of Fame.
This is no factual number however we might guess 90% of today’s NBA players arrive from Power 5 universities. It’s not always been the case, no longer is the playing field level as it once was. Back in the day a large percentage of NBA players landed in the NBA from all schools. That’s not the case today, the influx of Euro players plus many of today’s youngsters are lured to the more “visible” universities. On occasion a Robert Covington or C. J. McCollum comes into the NBA, but the number is shrinking annually. Interesting in that several Hall of Fame athletes came into the NBA from non-Power 5 schools. The first stop for Knick great Willis Reed was Grambling University in Louisiana, the next stop for Reed was the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Earl “The
Pearl” Monroe played at Winston-Salem University then a Division II school
he too is enshrined. High school
teammates Gus Johnson and Nate Thurmond played at the University of Idaho and Bowling
Green University respectively prior to the NBA and eventually the Hall of Fame. Former Knick great Walt “Clyde” Frazier play his college ball at Southern Illinois
University, Elgin Baylor first came to prominence at the University of Seattle
and later became a Laker stalwart.
Sharpshooting guard Sam Jones from North Carolina Central University. We include Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Texas-El Paseo and Bob Lanier, St.
Bonaventure. There are more, this
provides you a glimpse into where these talented individuals first played basketball
beyond high school.
