Basketball from a fan’s perspective

A change 

Ric Bucher covered the NBA for ESPN; he now works for SiriusXM NBA Radio.  In the middle of the NBA season there were reports circulating the Warriors were uninterested in James Wiseman.  Wiseman is the 7-foot center the NCAA practically forced to leave Memphis over a “pay or no play.”  The NCAA wanted his family to pay a charity $1,000 due to an impropriety they believe occurred. 

We pick up today’s Wiseman account, according to Bucher the thought process has changed with Dub Nation.  They now intend to draft Wiseman should he be available when it’s their turn in the 2020 NBA Draft.  Some fan emailed the story claiming “He’s (Wiseman) has only played 3 games.”  Another reminded him several athletes have arrived in the NBA with little playing time.  Might Wiseman be considered raw…no doubt but given time who knows. 

Is there a place in today’s game?

Mizzou has three new players arriving on campus in the fall, the one with the most unknown potential might be Jordan Wilmore.  Wilmore stands 7 feet 3 inches and weighs nearly 300 pounds.  If this were 10 years or more ago, a program would be salivating at the potential of a giant becoming part of your basketball program.  This is 2020 not 1960 the game has changed but is it for the better? This is not your father’s basketball game; it’s become a game that places the emphasis on the 3-point shot.     

It’s likely Wilmore will not play major minutes as a freshman unless he distinguishes himself in practice.  None of these giants will cause us to forget Wilt, Kareem or Shaq, at the same time it’s too bad coaches are unwilling (or unable) to adapt their offense and defense to the talent at hand.  Across the state line in Kansas we have senior Udoka Azubuikie, an NBA scout stated, “It this was 10 years ago Azibuike would be a lottery pick.”  Most mock sights place the Kansas Big Man as a late first round or early second round pick.  In closing we ask the question from the beginning, is there a place in today’s game for the Big Man?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULH291hK01c

Touché

The NCAA has taken the first step in its undeclared war with the NBA.  A subcommittee of the body has suggested athletes be allowed to profit from endorsements.  They cannot include revenue from school apparel, or anything connected with school markings.  In addition, the athletes would be able to hire an agent to aid them in marketing opportunities.  Thus, begins a first step to allow athletes to earn income attached to their prominence.  This proposal is in the elementary stage and there is no time noted for it to go into effect.  In addition, there might be revisions prior to the final amendment being implemented. 

NBA championship…not this time

The 1976-77 Sixers were an NBA power that season, they ran roughshod over the NBA until they faced the Blazers in the finals. The firepower on this team was outstanding, Dr. J. on one wing and George McGinnis on the other. Caldwell Jones was the center while Doug Collins was the shooting guard and Henry Bibby at the point. From the Sixer bench came Joe Bryant (Kobe’s dad) along with Darryl (Chocolate Thunder) Dawkins and sharpshooter World B. Free.

There were other members of this vaulted team however the names mentioned were keys to the success of that Sixer team. The Sixers 50-32 record secured 1^st place in the Atlantic Division; the Blazers finished the season in 2^nd place in the Pacific Division with a 49-33 record. These teams would face one another for the 1977 NBA championship.  Betting odds are based on the here and now, I was unable to locate any history.  I have got to believe the firepower of the Sixers must have made them the overwhelming favorite to win the series.   

There was only one problem as Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich would state some years later in another championship series, “Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”  The Blazers had a healthy Bill Walton at center, Maurice Lucas was the power forward. The balance of the Blazer roster was made up of “Rodney Dangerfield” guys, you know the ones who don’t get no respect. The Blazers would win the 1977 championship 4 games to 2, someone forgot to inform the Blazers they were not supposed to win this series.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Change is in the air

Daishen Nix is a Rivals 5-star prospect, Nix was headed to UCLA.  Notice I used the word was, Nix a 6-4 shooting guard has decided to cast his future lies with the NBA’s G-League.  He becomes the third athlete from the Class of 2020 deciding on a professional career over attending college.  I have stated all alone the next move is on the NCAA, does the body have any plans in the works to combat a rising tide. 

All future 5-star prospects will not head in this direction, the majority are likely to continue heading off for college for one or two years.  A payout must have been a factor in the decision by Nix, he will sign a $300,000 contract. Three players headed to the G-League is certainly nowhere close to rushing tide, but it is different.  Up to this point few high school players have left high school for the G-League.   

You thought I would not go there

The Lakers received a $4.6 million loan from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program.  The money has been returned however there are questions from this fan.  We realize the season to date has been a problem, the Lakers suffered financial loss allowing them to apply for a loan.  If they did not need it why apply, better yet why was it returned if needed?  We have no opportunity to see the “books” so the answer will never be known. 

Sonics

The franchise is in Oklahoma City, it’s been in Oklahoma since 2008. There is a connection to Seattle. Although no present Thunder players remain from those days Kevin Durant (inactive this season) spent his rookie year in the city. With that said how about an all-time Sonics time, after all there was history from 1967-2008. For several years, any mention of the franchise “The Reign Man” was mentioned, Shawn Kemp. Although his NBA career sputtered at the end his years in Seattle were exceptional. With that these are the names:

Shawn Kemp

Gary “The Glove” Payton

Ray Allen

Spencer Hayward

Jack Sikma

Honorable mention might include

Gus Williams

Sam Perkins

Fred “Downtown” Brown

Detlef Schrempf

Xavier McDaniel

With any list depending on your age some of the names might be unfamiliar. Check out YouTube or historical .com NBA sites for yourself.

What do you think?
I read a bleacherreport.com article discussing past NBA drafts, which was the worst draft in history, it might depend on how you might rank basketball talent? The focus was the 2000 NBA draft however a respondent mentioned 2005. How do we value a good versus a poor draft? In 2000 Kenyon Martin was the number one pick that season, Martin had a 15-year career playing for several NBA teams…was he an All-Star?

The balance of draft picks 2-10 had careers, what did they do to distinguish themselves besides several years of play? Not a potential Hall of Fame among any of them. We could make a similar statement regarding the 2005 NBA draft with one exception. At number four the Hornets (Pelicans) selected Chris Paul, the only likely candidate for the Hall of Fame of any of the Top 10 of that draft. Is it necessary for every draft class to contain a Hall of Fame candidate…of course not? In this instance we can say with certainty these two drafts might be the worst in recent history.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Re-start

News report indicate a select number of teams will open facilities May 8.  The indication is this will occur in locations less impacted by the pandemic.  The guess is New York, Los Angeles and Golden State are likely to be among the last to resume practice.  As updates are available they will be provided. 

I hope

The Bulls announced the hire of Marc Eversley as general manager.  The Bulls had endured a degree of negative publicity regarding minority hiring in the front office.  Eversley is an African American, the tidbit of information indicates his background is that of assistant general manager for the Sixers.  Was Eversley hired due to the negative media coverage the Bulls were receiving?  Hopefully, that is not the case, and this was a genuine hire due to Eversley being the best candidate interviewed. 

Is it still funny?

2013 witnessed the New Orleans NBA franchise being re-branded as the Pelicans. At the time the late Tom Benson purchased the team in 2012 he wanted to change the name. He wanted a name more in tune with New Orleans appropriate, he wanted Jazz but that was not possible. The Jazz now in in Utah retained the name at the time they moved from New Orleans. Despite the fact there is likely little jazz played in Salt Lake City management turned Benson down. South Louisiana apparently is ripe with Pelicans and the team adopted it as their new name. You heard laughter from Bangor Maine to Seattle Washington, the pelican name was deemed funny.

Well this writer had no issue with the name, in fact I thought it more appropriate than THUNDER. When the Sonics relocated to OKC nobody seem to have an issue with that change. This is information I discovered in researching the birds. I am unsure if they would be placed in the category of eagles, hawks, or some other predatory bird however they are not worm eaters. The diet of Pelicans consists of fish, amphibians, turtles, insects’ birds, and mammals. The eating habits alone place them in the category of fierce. If you are prompted to laugh at the nickname think on this a moment. The franchise was prevented from taking the Sonic name, but don’t you think Thunder is kinda of a dumb name for a team, admit it?

Our G-League discussion

Greg Brown 6-8 forward had a choice; he could head to college in the fall or sign a G-League contract.  The 6-8 forward was rated the number 8 prospect by Rivals in the Class of 2020 decided in favor of Texas.  According to reports Brown turned down a $300,000 contract (terms unknown) to the G-League.  The issue raised on Monday about the NBA going to “war” with the NCAA apparently is a real thing.  

Another Euro

Aleksej Pokusevski of Serbia submitted paperwork to the NBA offices, Pokusevski’s name will be included in the 2020 NBA draft.  His stat line indicates he is 7 feet tall; one mock site lists his weight as 190 pounds another states its 205.  At this point as with most Euro athletes we have little ability to determine his ability to play at the NBA level, one issue is quite clear he needs to gain weight.  Even playing small forward at his weight might tend to indicate Pokusevski will be beaten up physically in a short time.  

It’s not just the NBA

As we are all aware basketball has become a world game, who are they and where are they located in the world. Below is the list of basketball leagues throughout the world and the date they first began play, also included is the number of teams and the year play first began in most instances: 

Euro League (16 teams)

Spain’s Liga ACB (17 teams, (1957)

Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) (16 teams, 1966)

Russia’s VTB (United League) (13 teams)

Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (18 teams)

Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) (16 teams, 1920)  

France’s LNB Pro A (18 teams, 1921)  

Adriatic League (ABA) (14 teams, 2001)  

Greek A1 League (14 teams, 1940’s)   

Australia’s National Basketball League (8 teams, 1979)  

Lithuania’s LKL (10 teams, 1993)  

Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) (20 teams. 1995)

12 leagues throughout the world play basketball. If we exclude football (soccer) the only other sport played world-wide is baseball and that is not in the same numbers as basketball.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Covid-19

I am unsure if this was the order of events, but I believe its correct. Covid-19 shut down the NBA regular season first, then it was college basketball. Later baseball spring training and then college spring sports. We add one additional casualty…Words eye view. For the immediate future publishing will occur every other day. Please continue to follow Words eye view with this revised schedule, thank you.

????

Mizzou Nation was aware the Tigers were seeking to fill two roster positions. Based on the 2019-20 season one area of suffering for Mizzou was making 3-point baskets. Mizzou Nation mentioned several names the team were exploring, after dropping several names the one commitment was a relative unknown. Edward Chang is a 6-7 215 pound small forward from Salt Lake Community College. Chang committed to San Diego State but played a reserve role. 

He transferred to the junior college where he played a great deal more.  Chang's specialty…3-point shooting, we must reserve our judgement on this move for now. Mizzou also added point guard Drew Buggs transferring from Hawaii, he scored at nearly 10 points a game while dishing out 5.4 assists.  Buggs arrives as a graduate transfer and he along with Chang fill a need for the Tigers.  At this point both are warm bodies, we have no idea of their ability to play the game.  

If Xavier Pinson remains in the NBA Draft Buggs becomes an insurance policy, we could make the same statement regarding Mitchell Smith or Jeremiah Tilmon also in the draft.  Chang would replace one or both with his 3-point shooting skill.  Chang and Buggs join 7 foot 2 inch 245 pound Jordan Wilmore profiled last November, it's hoped this trio will provide an improved Tiger presence in the 2020-21 season.  

Danny and the Miracles

In 1988 Danny Manning literally picked up an average team, he led the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA Championship that year.  Many believed this might have been the least talented Kansas team in history, in truth it might have been but thanks to Danny they won it all.  His basketball acumen and leadership led the way that season for the Jayhawks.  He would become the first pick in the first round of the 1988 NBA Draft by the Clippers. 

Manning never fulfilled the NBA promise due to injury but managed a 15-year career with several teams.  2006 to 2012 Manning returned to Kansas as an assistant coach, in 2012 he left for Tulsa as head coach.  Manning served as head coach at Tulsa for two seasons prior to his hire at Wake Forest.  After 6 seasons Manning was fired on Saturday, he was never able to raise the basketball program as hoped. 

This is not an end of the world scenario Manning will be hired again in the future.  Coaches have been fired and become winners with another program, they could be the case here.  It should be of note this Mizzou fan has a personal relationship with Manning.  While Manning was an assistant at Kansas, I had a personal encounter with him.  I was in Dallas waiting for my flight to take off for Kansas City and Manning was a few short feet from me.  I walked up to him asked for his autograph which he graciously signed.  

This is not 1949

Are we at a point as my friend suggests the NBA is going to war against the NCAA?  My colleague believes this might be the case based on two high school players headed for the G-League plus future planned moves.  My ire is aimed at the NCAA which continues to operate with a mindset in the past plus strange rulings.  Someone needs to inform the NCAA this is not 1949, you cannot continue to operate as you did in the past.  There are two basketball examples to explore, the first is the University of Kansas and the other Memphis University. 

How Silvio De Sousa arrived on the campus in Kansas was scrutinized by the NCAA based on information uncovered during the Adidas trial.  Pay was to have exchanged hands to allow the 6 foot 9 De Sousa to enroll at Kansas.  The school would not allow him to play beginning in October 2018 due to an NCAA investigation, February 2019 the NCAA suspended De Sousa for the season.  May 2019 De Sousa won his appeal and was granted eligibility, there was no further explanation to our knowledge other than he could play. 

Meantime in Memphis the NCAA determined in December 2019 James Wiseman was ineligible to play.  It was revealed his coach Penny Hardaway donated money to the program five years previously therefore he was deemed a booster.  Wiseman was required by the NCAA to pay $1,000 to a charity of his choice.  He must have said, “Thanks but no thanks I’m outta here, I’m headed for the NBA.”  As this is written Wiseman is in training preparing for the 2020 NBA Draft.  The NCAA will not cease operations but might indeed lose some of its ability to govern unless changes are made. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Covid-19

I am unsure if this was the order of events, but I believe its correct. Covid-19 shut down the NBA regular season first, then it was college basketball. Later baseball spring training and then college spring sports. We add one additional casualty…Words eye view. For the immediate future publishing will occur every other day. Please continue to follow Words eye view with this revised schedule, thank you.

Test Bed

The definition for the headline above, “A piece of equipment used for testing new machinery, especially aircraft engines.”  We are not discussing aircraft engines rather this discussion centers on the NBA Draft whether its June, July or August.  NBA fans like me wondered, “How are they going to conduct the NFL Draft.  Most were aware it would be strictly teleconference-video due to the pandemic.  Despite a few glitches in the first round a no family/audience draft was conducted smoothly.  My only complaint NFL Commissioner Goodell appeared somewhat awkward at times. 

Dear Commissioner Silver,

I hope you or the assistant commissioner watched the NFL Draft.  There were a few glitches which I hope were noted by your staff.  If the NBA must conduct a virtual draft the NBA should now be better prepared.  

Larry Laker 

Stephen A. Smith is correct

You did not misread the headline Smith is correct in this instance. I know I have been on the other side often regarding this gentleman. Smith was discussing the 2^nd installment of Last Dance and the fact Scottie Pippen indicated he wanted to get paid. If you remember seeing the telecast, it was pointed out there were 121 NBA players being paid more than Pippen.

Smith said and I paraphrase, “Owner Reinsdorf should have torn up the contract and signed Pippen to a revised one.”  We guess Smith did not hear the portion of Last Dance when Reinsdorf said, “We were not going to issue a new contract.”  Stephen A. Smith is correct the owner should have signed Pippen to another contract, he refused so that fact becomes part of revisionist history.

One of those names

The history of basketball has witnessed several unusual names. As an example, the late Baskerville Holmes played at Memphis and later in the NBA, it was said his mom was inspired by a Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles. God Shammgod was not his name legal name, Shammgod called himself Shammgod Wells until he finished high school. When he enrolled at Providence, he was informed that he would have to register under his legal name.

Since it would have cost $600 to change his legal name to Shammgod Wells, Shammgod stopped using the alias.*  Former Nugget guard Fat Lever is a holdover from his childhood, his little sister unable to pronounce Lafayette it came out as “Fat.” Where am I going with these stories, we are headed to the latest name to be added to the group. He is named after a cognac; Courvoisier McCauley plays for Lincoln Memorial a D II program. McCauley is a 6-4 shooting guard who hails from Indianapolis Indiana.

*Wikipedia   

Who is to blame?

Bulls forward/guard Scottie Pippen was one of the catalysts for the Bulls of that era. I decided to DVR ESPN’s Last Dance and looked at it again recently, you know what they say? Hindsight is always better than foresight but consider these issues. Pippen coming from a large family with two members in ill health wanted protection that could be the basis for signing a 7-year contract. I remember a portion of the program owner Reinsdorf said, “We were not going to renegotiate his contract.” 

On the other hand, at that time the University of Central Arkansas was an NAIA school, it did not have the prestige of a Kentucky, UCLA, or some other larger more well-known institution. I wonder if Pippen's agent might have been a contributing factor to him signing a long term financial limiting contract. On the other hand, perhaps, Pippen underestimated his NBA value initially. We must assume Pippen was aware he was good but might have underestimated his ability.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Covid-19

I am unsure if this was the order of events, but I believe its correct. Covid-19 shut down the NBA regular season first, then it was college basketball. Later baseball spring training and then college spring sports. This morning we add one additional casualty…Words eye view. For the immediate future publishing will occur every other day. Please continue to follow Words eye view with this revised schedule, thank you.

Mental Awareness Health Month

We are a little over a week from May so we can begin a discussion on mental health. You might ask the question, “How is this issue connected to basketball?”  It is connected in more ways than you might realize. Former NBA player Metta World Peace was the first player we can mention discussing mental health in the open. More recently the Cavs Kevin Love has spoken on the issue as well. Bet you did not realize several NBA and former NBA players have committed suicide in the past.

Ricky Berry had a promising career with the Sacramento Kings when he arrived in 1988, in the summer after his rookie year Berry died of a self-inflected gunshot wound, he was weeks short of his 25^th birthday. In 1982 Bill Robinzine who spent the bulk of his career with the Kansas City Kings died by carbon monoxide poisoning in his vehicle. Former Kentucky and NBA center Mel Turpin died in 2010 also by a gunshot wound. Could the suicide of the trio been prevented, we have no idea? There remains a stigma regarding mental health which many of us are still unprepared to discuss, visit a health care professional.

Miller Time

The MillerCoors Brewing Company supplies Miller beer, the company produced a series of television commercials with the proclamation, “It’s Miller Time”. The idea behind the ad your work is complete it is now time to sit back and relax and drink one or more beers. On May 7, 1995 Miller Time in Madison Square Garden meant it was the stage for Pacer guard Reggie Miller’s amazing performance. The Knicks and Pacers were battling in a playoff game. Miller was able to score 8 points in 9 seconds allowing his Pacers to mount a comeback and win the game. If you have not seen this amazing sequence or may have forgotten it check out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoCpMguR4cQ

Another declaration

Leandro Bolmaro is a 6-foot 6-inch 180-pound shooting guard from Argentina. Not much is known about him other than he played the last two seasons in Spain for Barcelona. Information from nbadraft.net projects Bolmaro as an early second round draft pick while nbadraftroom.com indicates he would likely be a middle second round choice on their site.

Remember him?

Is this true, we cannot validate this story so take it in that manner? A San Francisco writer claims the Warriors have little interest in drafting LeMelo Ball. It makes sense even if Ball is available, we’ve discussed this issue previously and this writer was in the middle. I could foresee having two-point guards on the floor at the same time although Steph Curry takes the lead role. Could there be another factor as to why the Warriors don’t hold LeMelo Ball in such high regard? We don’t have an answer and probably won’t until the NBA draft is held.

Former Memphis center James Wiseman has not been discussed in conversation regarding the NBA draft much. You remember his story, most mock drafts leading into the college and NBA season listed him at the top. Once the NCAA suspended him and he decided to leave school he’s become invisible. The early indication Wiseman would prepare for the draft however a funny thing occurred in between time. It’s not set in stone, but his stock began sliding downward in several mock sites. Why this trend occurred we cannot determine, he might no longer be the top choice but expect to hear his name called early in the draft.   

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

I was surprised 

Originally research led me to a page detailing the St. Louis Bombers a history previously unknown to me and perhaps many others. Prior to reading the article like many of you I believed the Hawks (now in Atlanta) were the only NBA team the city ever had. I am unsure if the next portion of information was mentioned at the time the account was published.

The Bombers were a Basketball Association of America franchise that came into existence the same season as the Knicks and Celtics. The BAA founded in 1946 was a 16-team league that would later merge with the National Basketball League. This reconstructed league (BAA and NBL) was re-born as the National Basketball Association in 1949.

The Bombers roster might be unfamiliar except for two names. Ed Maccauley nicknamed “Easy Ed” would later play for the Celtics and end his career as a member of the St. Louis Hawks. The other name is Johnny Orr former long-time coach at Iowa State University. The Bombers played in the NBA until 1950 when they went out of business, there is no indication why the St. Louis franchise folded.

Phil Jackson

Perhaps somewhat lost in all the hype regarding Last Dance is the coach. We might debate PJ on his X’s and O’s, but the guy could certainly coach. He’s not been given his just due in several instances. Folks have claimed, “You got Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe who couldn’t win with that talent?”  It is my contention PJ suffers the same fate as the late John Wooden UCLA’s legendary coach. It’s always been my belief talent alone cannot produce a winner and we can look at both franchises.

Most of the Bulls talent was in place at the time PJ became head coach. We could make the same statement about the Lakers, Shaq and Kobe were there ahead of PJ. MJ said at one point he intended to play for PJ only although he finished his NBA career with the Wizards and another coach. Talent alone will not win if you do not have the right stuff. Another example, the Pistons won two championships with the late Chuck Daly at the helm.

Daly’s long-time assistant Dick Versace was hired by the Pacers, within two years he was fired. Someone wrote, “I don’t know how he could sit next to Daly so long and know so little about basketball.”  The statement is somewhat misleading because Versace was a successful head coach at the collegiate level for several years prior. The point, he lacked the communicative and cajoling skills to win at the NBA level. Whatever PJ had cannot be bottled, to date I’ve never read a single player complain about him even the mercurial Dennis Rodman.

Pink Tim Floyd

“The Bulls are calling Michael Jordan's bluff, hiring the coach he said he ... "To (play for him) is like starting all over again and that's what I don't want to do. ... who derisively called him "Pink," as in the rock group Pink Floyd.” *  Floyd went on the radio in Baton Rouge’s ESPN outlet after the Sunday premier of Last Dance to inform us his side of the history.

Read the account for yourself and draw your own conclusions. One tidbit Floyd communicated he met with Jerry Krause before he took over the Bulls. For still unknown reasons Krause was serious in his desire to replace Phil Jackson. Krause died in March 2017, so we have no ability to hear his side of this volatile issue. Although owner Jerry Reinsdorf had the last word was Krause responsible for the demolition of the Bulls.

*tampabay.com 9/13/2005

A mountain too steep to climb

7 or 8 years ago it could have been slightly longer I had a conversation. I was aware the youngster played basketball; he was going into his sophomore year of high school. I asked him if he intended to play in college and where he wanted to play. With no hesitation whatsoever he quickly said “Kentucky.”  I responded, okay certainly having no desire to inform him I did not believe that was possible. This youngster did manage to play at the collegiate level, he secured a scholarship to an NAIA school.

Nothing in the world wrong with that but I believe sometimes our aspirations don’t always match our ability. Three players from the 2019-20 Mizzou team intend to test the waters regarding the NBA draft. I ain’t no scout or evaluator of talent but I can say they need to forget it. None of the trio in my eye has demonstrated they are NBA ready. There are occasions players slipped in under the radar and this might be the case although I seriously doubt it. The NBA contains the best 400 basketball players in the world, nothing wrong with your thinking it’s a matter of proving it. Earning a spot on an NBA team might be a mountain too steep to climb.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The villain

After viewing the first two episodes of Last Dance have you concluded who was at fault? Are you ready to declare someone the villain for breaking up the Bulls? On the other hand, perhaps, you believe there might be more than one person. I posed the question and several friends provided their view. Who was the villain if there was one? That last Bulls team might have been capable of winning 2 or maybe 3 additional championships.

We have the role of several party’s front office and players we could point toward. How much did the ego of Scottie Pippen impact the picture? Pippen was underpaid and management indicated they had no intention of amending his contract. How about owner Jerry Reinsdorf or GM Jerry Krause? Michael Jordan must be included in the mix as well. Who was responsible for locking Krause out of the locker room after a game? Phil Jackson was unnamed but is it possible he might be a culprit as well?

John Brisker

If John Brisker is still alive he would be 73-years old; Brisker would have retired from the NBA at least 40 years ago. The reason this tale begins in this manner he disappeared in the African nation of Uganda in 1978 when the nation was in upheaval. Our story begins in Detroit where he was born in 1947, in his young adult years he played basketball for Toledo University but left school for the ABA. The game is quite tame from the days Brisker played he scored baskets as easily as he threw a punch.

Numerous fights might occur anytime the 6-5 210 pound Brisker was in the game. It was reported he was ejected from a game once for throwing an elbow two minutes into the game, can we say there were anger issues for Brisker. In 1972 Brisker left the ABA for the NBA Sonics where he remained until 1975. We don’t know if his volatile temper was responsible for leaving him without an NBA job it certainly was not his talent. Reports indicate he bumped heads with Sonics coach Bill Russell. He may have been black balled from the NBA we really do not know.

Brisker’s combined ABA-NBA numbers detail ever how brief he was a 20 point 6 rebound a game talent. In 1978 after traveling to Uganda he was reported missing, unconfirmed reports indicate he was executed by an Idi Amin firing squad. In 1985 the King County (Seattle) Medical Examiner at the family’s request had Brisker deemed legally dead. So that is the condensed version of John Brisker a talented basketball player who might have been so much more. He would have been but age 30 when his life apparently ended.

Winningest basketball programs 

A portion of the figures have not been updated as this is written, they reflect the all-time win-loss totals for collegiate teams through the 2018-19 season. If we checked the list you might be surprised at several of the teams, I was. As an example, UCLA with all it’s winning under John Wooden placed at number 7 with 1,887 wins. The number 15 program was a surprise for me, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers with 1,792 games won.

How about this one, number 9 St. John’s recorded 1,854 wins since the school began play in 1908. In my home state another surprise for me, Missouri State in Springfield has 1,670 wins versus the University of Missouri in Columbia with 1,655. Louisville with its rich basketball tradition was further down the list than expected, they were listed as 26 with 1,722 wins. Kentucky and Kansas battle for the top spot with Kentucky ahead by just 16 games. These numbers are through the end of the 2019-20 season, Kentucky’s win total is 2,318 and Kansas stands at 2,302.

Another re-visit    

He’s at it again, Nick Ziegler that is because he’s compiled another list. This time Lonzo Ball is the focus, the writer mentions 3 players the Lakers could have drafted. If you remember Ball was made the second pick in the 2017 draft. Ziegler names Bam Adebayo, Jason Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell as players the Lakers could have chosen. Tatum was taken 3^rd by the Celtics while Mitchell was number 13 by the Jazz and Adebayo was the Heats pick at 14. Of this trio Mitchell had the best season runner up to Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons, remember the story.

In some circles a number believed Mitchell should have been ROY due to Simmons being drafted in 2016 and Mitchell in 2017. As for Tatum he scored nearly 14 points a game for the Celtics in his rookie year, Adebayo was a “late bloomer.”  Adebayo’s break-out year became his sophomore season. As for Ziegler’s assessment he’s correct, the Lakers could have drafted any of the three. We know the story, they drafted Ball and he’s now in New Orleans. Was the choice a bad one, probably not the issue that might have impacted his career as much as his shot…injuries. Ball played but 52 games his rookie season and 47 in his sophomore year.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Who is the King of Los Angeles?

Fans in Southern Cal arguing about which team is most popular. One side arguing the Lakers the other claiming the baseball Dodgers are the most well-liked. Almost comical one of the fan letters included the Raiders during the period Los Angeles was home, the Raiders won the 1983 Super Bowl. The Raiders moved back to their city of origin Oakland in 1995. Few writers mentioned the NHL Kings and not one vote for the NFL Rams or Chargers.

Is it Laker championships or Dodger World Series wins that have made these teams so ingrained in the psyche of Los Angeles? Not one letter writer claimed the Clippers which is telling. The Clippers led by owner Steve Ballmer have attempted to raise their footprint in the City of Angels. Will moving from Staples Center to their own arena in Inglewood aid the cause? As for which sports teams is tops, we can only make an educated guess, perhaps its something not connected with championships.

You might see this different

Sometimes outstanding college players fail in the NBA, generally its due to a talent issue. The ability to play successfully at the NBA level requires far more ability and effort than college. On the other hand, what about the question of injuries impacting an NBA future? As an example, Bill Walton was an outstanding player at UCLA, he continued that play for his first few years in the NBA. At some point injuries began effecting his play, no longer able to produce at a high skill level he would become a valuable 6^th man for the Celtics.

A website clutchpoints.com wrote, “Biggest Draft Busts in Bulls History.”  Eddy Curry probably so, we could make the same statement regarding Marcus Fizer. Both failed to reach the expectation first believed by the Bulls. They included Jay Williams in the number and that is where the argument began for me. Drafted out of Duke with star stamped on his forehead. Williams had an average but potentially improving outlook for his sophomore year in the NBA.

Unfortunately, a motorcycle would impact his career to a greater degree than any opposing player. Williams ignored the clause in his contract prohibiting him from riding a motorcycle. Suffering a devastating injury despite months of re-hab he was never able to return to his previous level. Today he covers the college and NBA game for ESPN. No, I refuse to include him in the list of Bulls draft busts, an injury forcing him to retire is not the same as lack of talent. It should be of note the Bulls paid him the balance of his rookie contract although they were not required since he violated a portion of the agreement.

“The sky is falling”

The headline read, “The NBA Might Have Ended College Basketball as We Know It”. That was the account written by Lane Higgins and Ben Cohen for the Wall Street Journal. I believe it is important for one to stay in their lane. This publication is well known in the realm of Wall Street and finance, lesser known in covering sports. In any event the writers use the G-League signing of Jalen Green as the basis for their view.

If we believe their take every high school player in the nation will decide in favor of playing professionally rather than heading for college. We cannot blame Green or Isaiah Todd who committed later, we all want to get paid. We had two high schoolers (Ball and Hampton) opt for pro careers in Australia. Now Green and Todd (and maybe others) will commit to the G-League. Four players choosing to play professionally is not exactly an avalanche leaving for the professional ranks.

The ball is clearly in the NCAA’s court at this point, this organization needs to emerge from the dark ages and provide rules and regulations that no longer reflect 1950 thinking. The NCAA has appeared to be the enemy of the athlete and has not always operated in a manner favoring them, there are serious issues which require a serious response. Example, James Wiseman and the ruling his coach was a booster for the Memphis program. The NCAA admits the financial pledge made to the school occurred several years prior to Penny Hardaway’s hiring yet who was punished, the athlete? Prior to us believing college basketball is dead wait and see how this plays out before we play taps for college basketball.