Basketball from a fan perspective

“Just shut up and dribble” 

That headline uttered by Laura Ingraham of Fox News has gone down in history. It was her response one evening to a social stance LeBron James had expressed.  Ingraham believed then (and probably now) they should do athletic things and not express opinions on non-sports issues.  Wednesday the world was anticipating NBA playoff action, there was none.  The events in Kenosha Wisconsin reverberated across the nation affecting the NBA.

First it was the Milwaukee Bucks who decided to pause play, they were soon followed by the balance of remaining NBA teams in Orlando.  It was hinted play would be halted without a champion being crowned, late Thursday afternoon teams agreed to resume play.  The NBA remains a player’s league therefore their action was nothing like that of other sports.  It was reported several baseball players sat out although all the games were played, the NHL and NFL continued to operate although individual players may have sat. 

On Thursday it was reported many NFL teams cancelled practice for a meeting with players.  As for the basis of the NBA pause it was another police shooting of a black man, the incident is under investigation by the Kenosha Police Department and there is no resolution as this is written.  We live in a different age; we have athletes most in the NBA who refuse to just dribble or score touchdowns.  Today’s athletes have a social conscience and really are unconcerned if we the public and fans agree with their actions.  

It’s different today

Bill Russell stands 6 feet 9-inches, his listed weight is 215 pounds.  If Russell were to arrive in the NBA today, he would be a power or small forward, the NBA of 1956 he played center.  Russell’s defense especially his shot blocking ability led him to play the center position.  There are other changes, at 7 feet tall and 245 pounds the Mavs Dirk Nowitzki would have played center, we know of course he spent his career at power forward. 

The same could be said for present Mavs power forward Kristaps Porzingis, he is 7 feet 3 and 240 pounds and would have been a center a generation ago.  Former Senator Bill Bradley and Knicks player was the teams small forward during their championship years.  Bradley stood 6 foot 5 and 205 pounds; in today’s NBA he would be a shooting guard.  Those are just a few examples of the game’s growth in popularity along with the growth of its athletes.  We are fast approaching position less basketball a period we send 5 guys on the court despite the position.  Heck the Rockets are literally there right now, can it work only time will tell. 

Bits n Pieces 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver indicates the 2020-21 season will likely be delayed.  The original planned starting date was for December 1, now Silver claims the date needs to be moved further back.  It is likely we might be talking January or possibly February, his explanation makes sense, he wants fans to be able to attend games.  It is hoped a later start will allow the pandemic to subside and perhaps there will be a vaccine developed.      

I am fast becoming a card-carrying member of the Luka Doncic fan club, he does not play for my Lakers, but I certainly enjoy seeing him in action.  He checks all the boxes as an up and coming NBA star in fact he might already be there.  Is it wrong for me to state I see a little Larry Bird in him, am I making this sound racial?  I hope not because Doncic can straight out hoop as they might say. 

One of the Atlanta Hawks owner is a celebrity with nothing to do with the team, that would be Jamie Gertz.  She was active in the 1980’s with a number of movie and television projects.  She did not purchase the Hawks alone her husband Antony Ressler were part of a group purchasing the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.  In 2015 this group assumed ownership of the Hawks, as for Gertz how much she is involved day to day might be a question.  She represented the team in the draft lottery, most recently on August 20. 

This news might have slipped passed you at the beginning of the 2019-20 NBA season.  38 nations of the world are now represented on rosters throughout the NBA rosters.  The number of foreign athletes’ total 108. If you are old enough several reading this account might remember back to the days there were few foreign athletes on NBA rosters, this offers proof of the game’s growth over the last several years.