Basketball from a fan’s perspective
Last Dance
This is no debate regarding Michael Jordan as the GOAT, this
is an examination regarding him as a world-wide phenom. Magic-Bird arrived and due to their rivalry
on the court both athletes were able to “dip their toe” into the world of
advertising. Just a short time later MJ
did them one better, he placed his entire body in the pool. How did he become the advertising icon you
ask, there were several significant events?
At the top was MJ’s ability to win at the highest level i.e.
NBA championships.
We do not know if this was MJ driven or his agent, one or
maybe both believed it was time to brand his image on several products. The first was his creation of the Air Jordan
shoe and apparel line. We have read MJ
was close to signing with another company.
Aligning himself with Nike rather than other shoe brands
raised his stature far above his 6-foot 6-inch frame. It was pointed out his Air Jordan brand,
McDonalds, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, Wheaties and other products by far exceeded his
Bulls income at a point in time. MJ last
played in 2003 yet his Jordan brand continues to dwarf the athletic shoe and
apparel line of the competition. This is
brief account how Mike Jordan became Michael Jordan the billionaire.
We have questions
The draft combine scheduled in May had been cancelled
earlier, now it has been reported the lottery is also cancelled. The draft scheduled for June 20 has also been
pushed back. Among the questions remaining
which requires an answer is NBA free agency, last season it began June 30th
at midnight and ended July 6.
As this is written the NBA is committed to finish the 2019-20
season, how does that impact the season should we continue play? We can mention there are a significant number
of high-profile free agents who will be available whatever the date. Just a few of the names, the Lakers Anthony
Davis, Spurs guard DeMar Derozan and Celtic Gordon Hayward are on the
market. At this point we can only
speculate how free agency will be impacted by this pandemic NBA season.
Short People
In 1977 Randy Newman wrote and sung a pop tune titled “Short
People.” What exactly is considered
short we might ask? The average height
for a female is 5 feet 3 inches while males are 5 feet 9, was Randy Newman
singing about you? As for basketball
over time emphasis has focused on taller and taller players. Despite this fact several players of below
average stature have managed NBA careers.
The late Red Klotz might have lost more games than any basketball player
in history.
5 foot 7-inches, he played for Villanova and later for the
original Baltimore Bullets. Klotz was a member of the Washington Generals and Nationals competing
against the Harlem Globetrotters. The
shortest NBA player ever was Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues who stood 5 feet 3
inches. Bogues played for Wake Forest
and began an NBA career in 1987 with several NBA teams lasting to 2001. 5-foot 7-inch Spud Webb ‘s NBA career ran
from 1985-1998.
In addition to his height Webb defeated Dominique Wilkins in
the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest in 1986. The
NBA’s history contains the name of Wat Misaka who played for the New York
Knicks in 1947. Misaka of Japanese
ancestry became the first non-white player in the NBA. By no means should this list be considered
complete, there are several others who played the game under 5 feet 9 inches
tall.
Has the NCAA outlived
its effectiveness?
The disclaimer is published upfront, this writer has long held
concerns regarding the capability of the NCAA. “The National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization
that regulates student athletes from 1,268 North American institutions and
conferences. It also organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and
universities in the United States and Canada and helps more than 480,000 college
student-athletes who compete annually in college sports.” *
The next portion that
should be most concerning. “In its 2016–17 fiscal year the NCAA took in $1.06
billion in revenue, over 82% of which was generated by the Division I Men’s
Basketball Tournament.” * There is no
argument left to their own devices many of the schools would run further amok. A
person would have to living under a rock to not realize someone needs to steer
the ship. It is my contention the NCAA blinded by the monetary factor has not always
operated in the best interests of many of the colleges and universities it is
responsible for leading.
My friend claims the NBA is going to war against the NCAA, I
was not sure about his theory, but he could be on track. David based his belief
on the high school players headed for the G-League rather than college. The
G-League as it was constructed was intended to attract high school prospects
with no desire for college. Over the years it never quite worked out as
planned. NBA teams utilize the G-League as a training ground, now comes word
the NBA is adding an unaffiliated team.
This new team will be comprised of prospects straight out of
high school and will not be affiliated with any NBA franchise. The NBA
eventually hopes to add four or five similar teams in the future. In addition,
a G-League team in Mexico City will be added next season also unaffiliated with
an NBA franchise. There you have it, is my friend David correct? This is a
developing evolving story, so the future is somewhat unclear. NOTE:
Prior to publication one additional Class of 2020 prospect is headed to
the G-League rather than college, this totals three athletes.
*Wikipedia
