BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
This was funny
The NBA page on Monday’s March 25th edition of USA Today was so funny I almost fell out of my chair with laughter. The three headline stories below were run right behind the other.
The NBA page on Monday’s March 25th edition of USA Today was so funny I almost fell out of my chair with laughter. The three headline stories below were run right behind the other.
Why the Knicks need Zion more than any
other team
Why the Hawks need Zion more than any
other team
Why the Cavs need Zion more than any
other team
I’m not kidding check it out for
yourself, if you care you might chose to read the story.
The Swoosh
A mid-morning story on March 25th broke with news regarding the arrest of celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti. The FBI announced Avenatti was implicated in a plot to extort $20 million from Nike. The attorney was reported to have information on payments to company made to families of high school basketball players, this news would be released to the public if Nike refused to pay. This investigation is in its early stage, after Adidas went on trial last year who do we believe? Do we believe as Avenatti’s pointed out the company made payments in the past to steer an athlete to a particular school? This is far too early to draw any conclusions so we must wait and see how this plays out over the next several months.
A mid-morning story on March 25th broke with news regarding the arrest of celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti. The FBI announced Avenatti was implicated in a plot to extort $20 million from Nike. The attorney was reported to have information on payments to company made to families of high school basketball players, this news would be released to the public if Nike refused to pay. This investigation is in its early stage, after Adidas went on trial last year who do we believe? Do we believe as Avenatti’s pointed out the company made payments in the past to steer an athlete to a particular school? This is far too early to draw any conclusions so we must wait and see how this plays out over the next several months.
Downward move
Among the coaches fired recently was Kareem Richardson University of Missouri-Kansas City. The university in the middle of Kansas City has struggled mightily since the program moved from the NAIA to Division I level. We have witnessed a succession of head coaches none apparently capable of turning the program into a winner. In the 1991-92 season playing as an independent UMKC finished with 21 wins and 7 losses. 28 years later the school has registered only 7 winning seasons, most with the Kangaroos finishing one or two games above .500. After competing as an independent in 1994-95 the school moved into the Mid-Continent Conference which morphed into the Summit League in 2006-07.
Among the coaches fired recently was Kareem Richardson University of Missouri-Kansas City. The university in the middle of Kansas City has struggled mightily since the program moved from the NAIA to Division I level. We have witnessed a succession of head coaches none apparently capable of turning the program into a winner. In the 1991-92 season playing as an independent UMKC finished with 21 wins and 7 losses. 28 years later the school has registered only 7 winning seasons, most with the Kangaroos finishing one or two games above .500. After competing as an independent in 1994-95 the school moved into the Mid-Continent Conference which morphed into the Summit League in 2006-07.
In 2013 UMKC moved into the Western
Athletic Conference. Richardson was
coach number six, other than Lee Hunt the first Division I coach who retired
the others were all fired. At the time
UMKC began play at the D-I level we hoped for success like Louisville or
Memphis. Outstanding basketball would
occur at another urban university, unfortunately that’s not been the case. What occurs now is the next question, unlike
UCLA or Texas A&M the university will have a smaller number of prospects
aspiring to be hired. I’m unsure what it
might take to turn this program into a winner however a return to the NAIA or
Division II level might be best until the program is on solid ground. At this point we can state with certainty the
program is shaky.
Kareem speaks
“crazy game 77 - 76 and it was so great to see a big man dominate - a “good teacher” can help this kid to another level.” The comment made by Kareem Abdul Jabbar regarding 7-foot 6-inch Tacko Fall. KAJ says a good teacher can help the UCF center, the question is Kareem that teacher? An additional question we could mention, would an NBA team be willing to hire KAJ to work with Tacko?
“crazy game 77 - 76 and it was so great to see a big man dominate - a “good teacher” can help this kid to another level.” The comment made by Kareem Abdul Jabbar regarding 7-foot 6-inch Tacko Fall. KAJ says a good teacher can help the UCF center, the question is Kareem that teacher? An additional question we could mention, would an NBA team be willing to hire KAJ to work with Tacko?
He is the Big Apple
Walt “Clyde” Frazier is 74 years old now, he was born and grew up in Atlanta. After a brilliant playing career with the Knicks he retired and has been an analyst so long he’s become an institution. Clyde has been enshrined in both the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame and a member of the NBA’s Top 50 All-Time team. Clyde blossomed at Southern Illinois University but not without overcoming conflict. He was declared ineligible one year due to grades, the coach would not allow him to play offense he could only play defense. This occurred long before one and done yet Clyde remained in school.
Walt “Clyde” Frazier is 74 years old now, he was born and grew up in Atlanta. After a brilliant playing career with the Knicks he retired and has been an analyst so long he’s become an institution. Clyde has been enshrined in both the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame and a member of the NBA’s Top 50 All-Time team. Clyde blossomed at Southern Illinois University but not without overcoming conflict. He was declared ineligible one year due to grades, the coach would not allow him to play offense he could only play defense. This occurred long before one and done yet Clyde remained in school.
Clyde was named MVP as Southern Illinois
won the 1967 NIT championship. The season
he was forced to only play defense provided the basis for Clyde to become a
defensive stalwart in the NBA. The 6-foot
4-inch point guard was a critical key to the Knicks NBA championships of 1970
and 1973. He’s in the restaurant
business being a co-owner of Walt
Frazier’s Wine and Dine located at
485 10 Ave in Manhattan. As for the
nickname Clyde his teammates hung it on him, he’d purchased a wide brim hat and
weeks later the movie “Bonnie &
Clyde” was released. Warren Beatty
playing the infamous hoodlum Clyde Barrow wore wide brim hats in the movie.
