BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
Sir Charles speaks
I once stated I pay attention to every other comment by Charles Barkley. He made a statement on Friday evening after the Duke-North Dakota State game I thought worthy to be discussed. Sir Charles said (and I paraphrase); “There has been only one player who came into the NBA a grown man, that was LeBron James. Zion Williamson at 6 foot 7 and 280 pounds could be another. Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant came into the NBA from high school both struggled before they became dominant players.” I agree with Barkley however I would add the name of Wilt Chamberlain who played in an earlier time-period, Chamberlain could have played in the NBA without college and dominate immediately. I had to reach back to the 1960’s, I’m sure there might be others however Chamberlain’s name was the first one I thought of after hearing the Barkley comment.
I once stated I pay attention to every other comment by Charles Barkley. He made a statement on Friday evening after the Duke-North Dakota State game I thought worthy to be discussed. Sir Charles said (and I paraphrase); “There has been only one player who came into the NBA a grown man, that was LeBron James. Zion Williamson at 6 foot 7 and 280 pounds could be another. Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant came into the NBA from high school both struggled before they became dominant players.” I agree with Barkley however I would add the name of Wilt Chamberlain who played in an earlier time-period, Chamberlain could have played in the NBA without college and dominate immediately. I had to reach back to the 1960’s, I’m sure there might be others however Chamberlain’s name was the first one I thought of after hearing the Barkley comment.
A walking billboard
You say the name Magic Johnson and it conjures success with a capital S. Black kid who grew up in East Lansing Michigan, he parlayed his basketball talent to Michigan State and the Lakers. Multiple NBA championships, Olympic Gold Medal, Most Valuable Player Awards, in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. You name it Magic’s done it, once he retired from the Lakers he moved into the realm of private industry. His businesses and shrewd ventures have made this former Laker point guard a millionaire. The profile is to cover just a portion of success occurring in his life, for space purposes even some of those positives have been omitted.
You say the name Magic Johnson and it conjures success with a capital S. Black kid who grew up in East Lansing Michigan, he parlayed his basketball talent to Michigan State and the Lakers. Multiple NBA championships, Olympic Gold Medal, Most Valuable Player Awards, in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. You name it Magic’s done it, once he retired from the Lakers he moved into the realm of private industry. His businesses and shrewd ventures have made this former Laker point guard a millionaire. The profile is to cover just a portion of success occurring in his life, for space purposes even some of those positives have been omitted.
Now for the Magic
that concerns me, the Lakers were going through a down period the head coach
was fired, and Magic took over the coaching reins in 1994. We discovered quickly there is a difference
in one’s ability to toss a 30-foot bounce pass and them trying to coach someone
to execute it. Magic was not a very good
coach and gave up the job after less than ½ season. In 2017 owner Jeanie Buss hired Magic as
President of Basketball Operations for the Lakers. We’ve witnessed mistake after mistake by this
front-office led by Magic. I believe
most Laker fans expected better than what we’ve witness to date.
The door is open
Bryce Drew was fired but for Avery Johnson it was a different matter. One coach is history the other is practically out the door. Vanderbilt suffered the worst season in its basketball history, it is clear the athletic department believed change was required. Drew will get another job somewhere, he’s a young head coach.
As for Johnson that’s a different story, the former Spurs point guard and NBA coach assumed the reins at Alabama in 2015. It was an unusual move, we’ve witnessed several college coaches move into the NBA Johnson is one of the few NBA coaches who moved into the collegiate ranks. On Wednesday I wrote of a few head coaches fired since the end of the season. This is not the end I suspect Drew and Johnson will latch on somewhere.
Bryce Drew was fired but for Avery Johnson it was a different matter. One coach is history the other is practically out the door. Vanderbilt suffered the worst season in its basketball history, it is clear the athletic department believed change was required. Drew will get another job somewhere, he’s a young head coach.
As for Johnson that’s a different story, the former Spurs point guard and NBA coach assumed the reins at Alabama in 2015. It was an unusual move, we’ve witnessed several college coaches move into the NBA Johnson is one of the few NBA coaches who moved into the collegiate ranks. On Wednesday I wrote of a few head coaches fired since the end of the season. This is not the end I suspect Drew and Johnson will latch on somewhere.
I wasn’t guilty, Embiid was
In high school our teacher left the class room, my fellow students went wild. Throwing wads of paper at one another, talking loudly rather than reading the assignment quietly. I was sitting quietly writing, I rolled a piece of paper into a ball and shot it toward the trash can. My shot missed and I got up to place the wad in the waste basket. I was standing next to the waste basket as the English teacher in the class room next to ours came in hearing all the commotion in our history class.
In high school our teacher left the class room, my fellow students went wild. Throwing wads of paper at one another, talking loudly rather than reading the assignment quietly. I was sitting quietly writing, I rolled a piece of paper into a ball and shot it toward the trash can. My shot missed and I got up to place the wad in the waste basket. I was standing next to the waste basket as the English teacher in the class room next to ours came in hearing all the commotion in our history class.
This teacher yelled at our class for
being so noisy and wanted the names of the students not seated at their desk
(including me). My history teacher was
shocked to see my name on the list I wasn’t guilty, Embiid was. In Wednesday’s game between the Sixers and
Celtics guard Marcus Smart shoved Joel Embiid in the back violently. Smart
claimed it was retaliation for an elbow Embiid had thrown when Smart came
through the lane. The NBA fined Smart
$50,000 for this incident and two past instances, a replay clearly indicates
Embiid did throw an elbow.
