Basketball from a fan perspective

Generally, I avoid politics

Thunder players have upset an Oklahoma legislative member, he is upset with the players and the management for allowing them to kneel during the National Anthem.  This member has threatened to remove tax incentives the team received when they arrived from Seattle.  This in my opinion is strictly a play for publicity by this legislator however KC’s mayor made his own news. 

He invited the Thunder to move to Kansas City should the Oklahoma legislative effort become valid.  Of course, the mayor was not serious although it should be of note T-Mobile Arena opened in 2007 is NBA ready.  KC’s mayor was invited to see a Thunder game and the effort was reciprocated; OKC’s mayor extended an invitation to a Chiefs football game.  Generally, I avoid politics in Words eye view because our opinions are so varied.  This is one time I am making an exception; I am out.   

Lakers

The Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960, over that time several exceptionally talented athletes have played at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, The Forum and now Staples Center.  Many of those athletes are in the Naismith and College Basketball Halls of Fame.  Most of these athletes played point or shooting guard while others were small forwards and centers.  Missing from the list are power forwards, we can count on one hand the number who played the position for the Lakers exceptionally.  We might begin with the late Harold “Hap” Hairston, the 6-foot 7-inch Hairston was really a tweener, he played the position by default but certainly did an admirable job. 

Next up is AC Green, he was the power forward on the Showtime Laker teams.  Green was no scorer but played tough defense and could score when called on, those Laker teams did not need him for that.  Pau Gasol was acquired in a trade with the Grizzlies, many said the 7-foot Gasol was not tough enough.  That statement is far from the truth, The Spaniard could score and rebound the basketball with the best of them.  Gasol was one of the keys in helping the Lakers win two consecutive NBA Championships.  Finally, we arrive at the present and Anthony Davis, AD might combine the best elements of all the athletes mentioned.  AD is in his first season with the Lakers there is no guarantee he resigns with the Lakers but if he does?   

We do not know

Much news was made when Makur Maker chose Howard University an HBCU school over Kentucky and others.  It is highly likely he is a one and done athlete we do not know if his choice will change recruiting.  HBCU’s or Historically Black Colleges and Universities once provided 90% of the black athletes in the NBA and NFL.  Enrollment opportunities began changing in the middle ‘60’s as schools especially in the Deep South began recruiting black players.

As an example, the University of Texas began recruiting athletes who would have attended Texas Southern or Prairie View, Auburn and Alabama managed to corral athletes who might have attended Alabama A&M.  Many of the names have been mentioned in the past, they read like a who is who.  Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Sam Jones, Travis Grant, Elmore Smith are but a

few names mentioned here.  HBCU schools once the bastion of talent might be that one day again, Maker certainly is shining the light in that direction. 

His vocabulary  
If you lived in the New York Metro you have been listening to Knicks broadcaster Walt Frazier since 1980.  If you are a certain age you might not realize Frazier played 10 seasons for the Knicks and is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, he received the honor in 1987.  How good was Frazier, he was selected a member of the Top 50 Players in its first 50 year’s? 

Those outside the metro able to view Knick games on NBA League Pass or NBA TV might be   unfamiliar with his broadcast stylings. During a portion of a Knicks game Frazier used the word sagacious in a description of the games action. I had no idea of the definition nor do I remember hearing the word in the past. For dummies like me I decided to check the dictionary for a

definition; “having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd”.  Thus, ends today’s teaching moment from Walt Frazier courtesy of Larry Laker.

dictionary.com