Basketball from a fan perspective

He said it---“LeBron James without Lonzo is not going to win a championship in L.A. I guarantee that.”         LaVar Ball February 7, 2019 

Bits n Pieces---We are aware Rajon Rondo doesn’t like the nickname “Playoff Rondo.”  He says that indicates he doesn’t play as vital a role during the regular season as he does during the playoffs.  We can debate that till next season, in the playoffs especially Game 6 Rondo whatever you wish to call him was in full effect.  He came off the bench scoring 19 points while shooting 72% from the floor, he also managed 4 assists with his sparkling play.  I made it known to friends Rondo’s play at the point and scoring was just as crucial to the championship win as LeBron and AD. 

If we use 1946 as the starting point of the NBA that would be 74 years ago.  The Laker and Celtic franchises each has won 17 championships during this period nearly half.  One more note, ever wonder why it’s the “association” rather than league like other professional sports.  At the time, the Basketball Association of American and National Basketball League merged a decision was made to use association in its name rather than league.  This was done to avoid any legal complications due to the merger between the two leagues. 

Allow us to introduce you to Sam Ayomide Onu a 7-foot 260-pound center in the Class of 2021.  Onu attends Phelps School in Malvern Pennsylvania; the city is described as a borough in Chester County about 25 miles west of Philadelphia.  Originally from Nigeria he’s been in the U.S. the last four years attending school.  As for his school of choice that will be announced this evening, it will be Memphis, Kansas, Illinois, or Wake Forest. 

The LeBron MVP in the finals has revised the conversation again, who is the G.O.A.T.?  For those unfamiliar with the term it simply implies G reatest O f A ll T ime.  We continue to here Michael Jordan’s name, Kobe, Kareem, and others mentioned.  I once participated in this discussion but no more.  We are talking about too many great athletes playing in different generation of the NBA.  How can we accurately project unless they could play at the same time?  That will not occur so the argument (or discussion) becomes ludicrous because neither side can prove anything. 

Bet most of you didn’t realize there are 5 seasons in a year, this year is unusual due to the pandemic.  Despite this fact the seasons remain the same, they are winter, spring, summer, fall and basketball.  Now you know the facts behind each of the seasons.   

Talent doesn’t always win--- I’m not sure who made the statement however my ears picked it up at the conclusion of the Laker-Heat championship game.  Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, or Mark Jackson said, “The Lakers were not the most talented team.”  Whichever commentator made the statement I am in complete agreement, except for LeBron and AD the Lakers might not be that talented.  Following the NBA over the years we can say that might sometimes be the case, talent helps but it doesn't always prevail as proof we can check out the 2004 Lakers.   

That Laker team was considered superior in talent to the Pistons, that Laker team had Shaq, Kobe, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone.  They had Horace Grant, Derek Fisher and Rick Fox yet lost that championship series 4 games to 1. The Pistons had talent, Chauncey Billups, Rashad Wallace, and Ben Wallace but that was about it.  The Lakers had 5 Hall of Fame players in their lineup, we are counting the late Kobe Bryant who will be inducted in the spring of 2021.  The 2020 Lakers might not be the most talented bunch but is it necessary if you win it all?   

He needs an introduction---At the time, the University of MO-Kansas City hired Billy Donlan most of us said, WHO?  We made this statement because we didn’t realize Donlan had previously served as head coach at Wright State for six years.  Donlan was fired at Wright State in March of 2016 after his team posted a 22-13 record, 13-5 in the Horizon League.  March of 2019 Donlan was hired as UMKC’s coach and led the team to a 16-14 record and 8-7 in the WAC.  UMKC returns to the Summit League a conference of mostly Midwest based schools.  With a return to the Summit expectations are high for continued success.  It should be of note Donlan is the first coach hired by UMKC with prior head coaching experience.