Basketball from a fan perspective

The fear

Sometimes a loss is disappointing but not devastating, that’s what occurred Wednesday evening I believe.  Have you ever had the feeling you want your favorite team to win but dreaded the game?  That was me all day Wednesday as I waited the start of the Mizzou-Tennessee game that evening.  Sure, enough the game turned out to be bad as I feared.  There is a reason why Tennessee is number 7 in the nation they are good, are they Gonzaga or Kansas good?  That’s yet to be determined but the blistering shooting plus the defense of Tennessee completely took Mizzou out of their game. 

The final score read Tennessee 73 Mizzou 53, the Vols shot 50% from the field and a sizzling 71.4% from the 3-point line.  As for Mizzou the tough defense by Tennessee forced the Tigers into 36.4% shooting from the floor and a paltry 18.8% from 3, Mizzou turned the ball over 21 times much of it caused by the defense of the Vols.  I thought Tennessee’s Yves Pons must be 7 feet tall based on the number of blocks and intimidations he registered during the game.  Surprise, surprise, I check his bio, he stands 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 215 pounds.  This game should serve as a teaching lesson for Mizzou, they must use Tennessee as a barometer to move their game up a couple of notches.  Disappointed but not broken hearted, Tennessee proved to me and others they are good.    

This won’t change your mind

The late Len Bias who played at Maryland will be enshrined in the college basketball hall of fame in the fall of 2021.  In 1986 Bias was made the second pick in that year’s draft, celebrating the honor friends convinced him to try cocaine which led to an overdose and his death.  A life tragically lost at the age of 23 years, he never suited up for the Celtics who chose him. 

In May 2021, the Naismith Hall of Fame will honor the late Kobe Bryant with enshrinement as well.  In 2003 Kobe was charged with rape while in Colorado, he claimed the sex was consensual the accuser said it was rape.  The case never went to trial as a monetary settlement was agreed upon between the two parties. 

In both instances we have two outstanding basketball players who will be honored with selections to the hall of fame.  What occurred outside the basketball court should not be a basis for these two and perhaps others to be excluded, despite this view my commentary won’t change your mind.  Days after the death of Kobe a nationally known news person brought up the rape charge, news grows old but some of us never leave the past in the past. 

COVID sports

NBA play just stopped in the spring; the NCAA cancelled March Madness.  Just like that we witnessed the end of basketball in 2020 or at least we believed at the time.  The NBA wanted to conclude the 2019-20 season so through a great deal of work and effort the NBA Bubble came into existence.  We witnessed a re-start in Orlando and although there were complaints the season concluded successfully with the Lakers winning the championship. 

In late November college basketball resumed as well, as this is written there are mixed messages at this point.  With no NBA type bubble many players and teams were forced to cancel games as teams were compromised forcing cancellation of some games.  As for the spring of 2021 the NCAA has no plans for missing the tournament two years in a row, all games will be played in Indianapolis.  By this undertaking, it is hoped this will prevent a large scale shut down.  The health and safety of the athletes is at the top of the list, this is the reason I stated being double-minded.  I relish the ability to see athletic competition however the safety of the participants is a key consideration.     

Bits n Pieces

In addition to American players in the NBL the Australian league a group are owners, the South East Melbourne Phoenix are owned by Romie Chaudhari a California entrepreneur.  Owning a stake in the team are John Wall Rockets, Dante Exum, Cavs along with former players Zach Randolph, Al Harrington and Josh Childress. 

Please explain the difference between LeBron James “recruiting” free agents and Danny Ainge or Magic Johnson performing the same task?  This belief regarding LeBron has followed him from Cleveland to Miami back to Cleveland and now Los Angeles.  In the instance of Ainge and Magic they are attempting to aid the Celtics and Lakers in maintaining a competitive team.  Isn’t LeBron performing the same task except he’s on the court?

This is not important to my friend; he informed me quite a while ago he is not impressed with McDonald All-Americans or how many stars a youth might compile.  That’s him not me, 7-foot Chet Holmgren has moved into first place in the Class of 2021 by ESPN.  Holmgren dislodges Emoni Bates who’s been the number one prospect in the nation since his freshman year of high school.  After witnessing Holmgren in action especially in a game versus Bates there is no argument from this corner. 

I hope you see the humor in this next basketball inspired story.  Manu Ginobili spent several successful seasons playing for the Spurs, he was certainly one of the keys to NBA Championships for the team.  Ginobili is generally credited with introducing the “Euro Step” to the NBA.  Although Ginobili played in Europe for a time that’s not his home, he was born and grew up in Bahia Blanca a province in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  It was Argentina where he first took up the game and begin developing his skill.