Basketball
from a fan’s perspective
Who should we
believe?
After the Laker win
on Thursday LeBron James was asked his thoughts on the roster. He indicated he believed this the Laker
roster could compete for an NBA championship. Guess who doesn't agree with LeBron’s
assessment, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith? We cannot assess LeBron’s observation
until June which is quite a way away. The
bigger question becomes who you are going to believe, the guy who laces up his
sneakers every night or the other guy? The
other guy is the one sitting behind a desk with a laptop and a cell phone close
by. Who should we believe LeBron or
Smith? 🤔
Football versus
basketball
Smoothie King Arena was electric earlier this week, the debut
of Zion Williamson was the basis for the excitement in the building. New Orleans is a football city, it begins and
ends with Saints football. The Hornets/Pelicans
probably haven’t given fans much of an opportunity to become excited about
them. That was then, this is now as the Pelicans
were able to draft Zion. The jury is
still out regarding Williamson is there a viable NBA career in front of Zion? What’s
needed by the Pelicans is unknown to me, we believe he can play, the next move(s)
are left to GM David Griffin.
The challenge
Today the Big 12-SEC challenge kicks off, for the first time in years Mizzou will be part of the challenge. Mizzou’s participation is only part of the
story, this writer long believed the Big-12 was a superior basketball
conference to the SEC. As for football
that was a different matter. SEC
football is among the best in the nation offered as recent proof is LSU
National Champions. Alabama, Auburn
along with Florida almost always field outstanding football teams.
Once Mizzou left the Big 12 for the SEC it was believed by me
and others, they would struggle with football but could compete effectively against
SEC competition. This was a (mistaken) belief
on my part, I believed Kentucky, LSU and perhaps one other team might be the primary
foes the Mizzou would face. Unfortunately,
that’s not been the case at least to date. Mizzou has not played at the level
expected and SEC basketball has improved dramatically from the time Mizzou
joined the conference.
We have no control
Numerous issues exist in our life we have no control, despite
this fact we often become upset we need to place it in the back of our mind. There might be an issue or concern you could affect
directly or indirectly, that’s a different circumstance. As LeBron James gets closer to exceeding Kobe
Bryant’s scoring record a few Laker fans have become upset. Kobe Bryant spent 20 years wearing number 8
or number 24, LeBron is a “hired gun.” The
Lakers drafted Kobe, but LeBron chose the Lakers through free agency.
Kobe and LeBron arrived in the NBA straight out of high
school, however their careers took different paths thereafter. Kobe would spend his entire career a Laker,
as for LeBron he wore a Cavs, Heat and Laker jersey during his brilliant
career. Time and circumstance marches on
for everyone, we might use John Stockton as an example. No, he wasn’t a Laker great, but he bested
one. Magic Johnson was on his way to an
all-time assist record if not for the HIV virus which forced him to retire earlier
than he might have planned.
Stockton eventually caught Magic passed him and now holds the
individual assist record for the NBA. The
assist record represents just one of many in all professional sports, we cannot
or rather should not get caught up in those things we have no control. Rest assured Kobe might have an issue with
LeBron eclipsing his scoring record but he’s the only one. Just ignore the accomplishment when it occurs
if it’s that bothersome. Someone once
stated, “Records are made to be broken” and that adage still holds true today
in 2020.
