Basketball from a
fan’s perspective
Who says you can’t go home?
UConn one of the founding Big East members is returning to its roots. After some years in the American Athletic Conference reports are the school will return to the Big East in basketball for the 2020 season. As this is written the status for football is yet to be determined. Several factors worked against the UConn men’s team after Jim Calhoun retired. The school hired former UConn player Kevin Ollie and he won an NCAA championship in 2013, from that point on a series of events occurred giving the program a black eye. The move didn’t impact the women's team, they marched on to success on the basketball court never missing a beat.
Who says you
can’t go home; UConn is going to do it? The
University of Missouri-Kansas City announced the school is leaving the WAC, so
UMKC is returning home too. UMKC’s been
a member of the WAC Conference since 2013, for a variety of reasons little
progress has been made on the basketball court during their time in the
conference. The school has continued to
change coaches without a great deal of success on the court. Beginning in the 2020-21 season UMKC will
return to its roots, they will return to the Summit League. This should prove more beneficial provided
the school is serious about competing at the D-I level.
The last item on the
agenda
Last on the NBA’s agenda for 2018-19 is NBA Summer League play. Once again Las Vegas is the destination for 32 teams including China and Croatia. The schedule begins July 5 and ends July 15, several 2019 draft picks along with free agents will be in action during this period. NBA fans near Las Vegas can expect to see competitive basketball as many free agents are vying for roster positions with the big club. If you are like me not close by or with plans to visit there will be coverage by the league’s television partners, NBA TV and ESPN.
Last on the NBA’s agenda for 2018-19 is NBA Summer League play. Once again Las Vegas is the destination for 32 teams including China and Croatia. The schedule begins July 5 and ends July 15, several 2019 draft picks along with free agents will be in action during this period. NBA fans near Las Vegas can expect to see competitive basketball as many free agents are vying for roster positions with the big club. If you are like me not close by or with plans to visit there will be coverage by the league’s television partners, NBA TV and ESPN.
It’s all dependent
on him
Several NBA teams including my Lakers are under intense pressure to perform better next season. We could also include the Rockets, Thunder and Blazers and several others unnamed. Which team faces the most, it’s got to be the Raptors under the most pressure to succeed. It’s my belief with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson M.I.A. for next season the Warriors are likely facing less pressure than a few teams named earlier. Question, have you read or heard anyone predict the Raptors repeat as NBA champions? The reality, the Raptors success is “tied at the hip to Kawhi Leonard and his decision.” His lone resolution might impact one team more than any other. 🤔
Several NBA teams including my Lakers are under intense pressure to perform better next season. We could also include the Rockets, Thunder and Blazers and several others unnamed. Which team faces the most, it’s got to be the Raptors under the most pressure to succeed. It’s my belief with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson M.I.A. for next season the Warriors are likely facing less pressure than a few teams named earlier. Question, have you read or heard anyone predict the Raptors repeat as NBA champions? The reality, the Raptors success is “tied at the hip to Kawhi Leonard and his decision.” His lone resolution might impact one team more than any other. 🤔
The big man didn’t
get drafted
Tacko Fall didn’t get drafted as both mock sites suggested, a day later it was reported the 7-foot 7-inch Fall would sign a two-way contract with the Celtics. It’s likely we’ll see him in action in the NBA Summer League. It’s going to be a struggle in more ways than one as Fall attempts to adapt to a speedier game than he experienced at the University of Central Florida.
Tacko Fall didn’t get drafted as both mock sites suggested, a day later it was reported the 7-foot 7-inch Fall would sign a two-way contract with the Celtics. It’s likely we’ll see him in action in the NBA Summer League. It’s going to be a struggle in more ways than one as Fall attempts to adapt to a speedier game than he experienced at the University of Central Florida.
Maurice King
Few know his name even in his hometown of Kansas City Missouri. He first came to prominence playing basketball for R.T. Coles High School long since closed and the building no longer exist having been demolished in 1965. I could locate no information however King was not the first black player for Kansas, he was the first starter in 1954. In 1956 Wilt Chamberlain would join King as a starter. The NCAA didn’t tabulate assists in those days, so we have no idea of his total, King scored nearly 10 points a game with a high of 14.3 ppg during the 1955-56 season.
Few know his name even in his hometown of Kansas City Missouri. He first came to prominence playing basketball for R.T. Coles High School long since closed and the building no longer exist having been demolished in 1965. I could locate no information however King was not the first black player for Kansas, he was the first starter in 1954. In 1956 Wilt Chamberlain would join King as a starter. The NCAA didn’t tabulate assists in those days, so we have no idea of his total, King scored nearly 10 points a game with a high of 14.3 ppg during the 1955-56 season.
The Celtics would
draft him in 1959, later he played for the Baltimore Bullets (Eastern
Professional Basketball League). King
would return home in 1961 and join the Kansas City Steers of the American
Basketball League. The ABL folded after
a year and a half and King closed his pro career as a member of the NBA Chicago
Zephyrs. His numbers might indicate an
average pro career and that indeed might be the case but consider this
tidbit. The metro area has produced
several professional basketball players over the years however Maurice King was
the first.
Trivia
I located video on the Rockets new jerseys for next season, seeing the video caused my mind to wonder about the team’s history. This might not be news to some, the expansion team came into existence in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets. Most of us were aware the franchise moved to Houston in 1971 but didn’t realize the team nickname was coined day one, a contest was held to name the new team.
I located video on the Rockets new jerseys for next season, seeing the video caused my mind to wonder about the team’s history. This might not be news to some, the expansion team came into existence in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets. Most of us were aware the franchise moved to Houston in 1971 but didn’t realize the team nickname was coined day one, a contest was held to name the new team.
“The resulting
contest to name the franchise chose the name “Rocket”, which paid homage to San
Diego’s theme of “a city in motion” and the local arm of General Dynamics
developing the Atlas missile and booster rocket program.” Like me you probably believed with NASA and
the space program located in the city that was the connection with the team
nickname, you connected Rockets with NASA.
Interesting bit of trivia I would think.
*sportsteamshistory.com
