Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Enamored

Big Man Udoka Azuibuike stands 6-foot 11-inches and weighs 280 pounds.  Scouts contend the Kansas center has limited offensive skills, they claim Azuibuike’s excels on the defensive side and in rebounding the basketball.  His introduction to the college game left much to be desired when he first set foot on campus, he is light years ahead of his play as a freshman.  As proof of his progress Azuibuike was named Big 12 Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season.   

We did the same thing with former Kansas center Joel Embiid, it took him a few injury free NBA seasons before we discovered his talent.  I am not sure where to

place Embiid on our list of elite NBA players, but he earns a place.  Azuibuike will be drafted in 2020, the question might be where?  On several mock draft sites, his name appears as a late first round or early second round draft pick.  This is no prediction of future stardom; just say he gets drafted.  Plenty of practice and Big Man coaching Azuibuike could turn out to be a diamond in the rough.

The bar may be set too high

There are NBA players are enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame lacking NBA Championships.  For several reasons, we attached a player’s greatest based on winning a championship.  Who are they, Karl Malone who spent most of his career with the Jazz?  During his career, the Chicago Bulls blocked his team’s path to an NBA Championship.  

The Round Mound of Rebound Charles Barkley could also be included in our count and then we George “Iceman” Gervin of the Spurs. David Thompson and Alex English are additional hall of fame players lacking an NBA Championship.  We could also add Patrick Ewing, Dominique Wilkins, and others.  We have John Stockton and Gus Johnson plus Chet Walker and Roger Brown.  This list is incomplete, but it provides a list of players with successful NBA careers, they just happened to come up short in the championship department. 

History of television and college basketball   

College basketball has been broadcast on television since 1940 that was the date the first experimental game was telecast from Madison Square Garden.  World War II impacted the growth of television especially in the sports world however basketball would gain a toe hold in this new medium of mass communication immediately after the war.  During the 1950’s we’d witness an increasing number of basketball games become available however most were regionally telecast. 

Those reading this under age 40 might find it difficult to believe in this day of ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports Network, and the YES Network there were few nationally telecast games prior to the mid- ‘60’s.  No coast to coast telecast for basketball only regional, that would change forever in January 1968.  Number one UCLA led by Lew Alcindor faced number two University of Houston led by Elvin Hayes.  The TVS Network was able to string together a gathering of network and independent stations to link up forming a national television audience.  

The game was played in Houston’s Astrodome before 100,000 fans and would become the first ever nationally televised college basketball game.  Many trace that game for the groundwork that would become the sports networks of today.  Eddie Einhorn owner of TVS sold his interest in the network in 1980 although still operating today it is on a much smaller scale than its heyday.  The history cannot be compiled in a few sentences however this is intended to provide a brief overview. 

They were banned

Most do not remember or might not be aware of this history.  The Air Jordan 1 the original shoe was not really banned however controversy did surround the shoe at the time it was introduced.  The Red and Black shoes violated NBA policy at the time.  Prior to 1984 teams either wore mostly white sneakers or black shoes, those were the only ones allowed at the time. 

The introduction of the Air Jordan would change all that but not without a fight.  It has been reported Michael Jordan was fined $5,000 every time he laced them up for a game.  All that is changed now if we look across the NBA landscape and witness the many colors and styles of basketball shoes today.  One more change in the sport influenced by Michael Jordan.