Basketball from a fans perspective

He remains in the draft

It was 2005, that was the last NBA draft we believe an NAIA player was selected. That players name was Robert Whaley selected with the 51^st pick by the Utah Jazz. You are like me the name is unknown because he played but briefly in the NBA. We could witness the first NAIA player selected in the 2021 draft since Whaley. 6-foot 11-inch 240-pound EJ Onu from Shawnee State in Portsmouth Ohio announced he was remaining in the draft.

We are guessing the youngster must have been informed by one or more teams he would either be drafted or given an opportunity to earn a spot through a free agent contract. Onu was a two-time NAIA All American and the 2021 NAIA Defensive Player of the Year. The significance you might ask, once upon a time the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA provided the NBA with several outstanding talented basketball players. Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen are just a few who displayed their talent at NAIA schools prior to an NBA career. It should be of note all the names mentioned are in the Naismith or College Basketball Hall of Fame.

His name is not mentioned

If we compiled a list of the Top 10 College Coaches, there are at least two names generally omitted. Certainly, Gonzaga’s Mark Few is at the top of the list but second to him might be Dana Altman at Oregon. It should be of note both Few and Altman coach in the Pacific Northwest, this concise look covers the Oregon coach but let’s briefly return to his past. Altman arrived at Kansas State after a single season at Marshall as head coach. Although his record was above .500 during his tenure it seemed he failed to deliver the promise most expected. After the 93-94 season Altman would become head coach at Creighton University. After a few average seasons, the basketball program began to develop under his leadership.

At the time Altman departed in 2010 for Oregon his Creighton teams had won 327 games while losing only 176 for a .650 winning percentage. Since his arrival at Oregon his teams have never won less than 21 games in a single season, annually, his teams earn an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Why don’t we know his name, for the same reasons we don’t know Mark Few? The Pacific Time Zone start for Oregon games and the fact he’s never played for an NCAA championship. Unfortunately, that is sometimes the barometer used to judge the degree of success. For me, any guy who is close to 700 wins for his career provides me proof he can coach. Allow me to introduce you to Dana Altman Oregon Men’s basketball coach. 

Location, location

New York has the Knicks and Nets, also the Jets and Giants. In baseball we have the Yankees and Mets also representing the city. Looking westward in Chicago, we have the baseball Cubs and White Sox. Further west in Los Angeles there are the baseball Dodgers and the Angels, we also have the Rams and Chargers plus the Lakers and Clippers. Technically not the same city but close by we have the baseball Giants in San Francisco and Athletics across the bay in Oakland. For years I’ve tried to figure out why animosity exists between Laker and Clipper fans other than the usual “My team is better than yours.” I’ve recovered from Kawhi Leonard & Paul George spurning the Lakers, since Doc Rivers left, I’d forgotten he covered Laker championships banners in Staples Center. Then with that it hit me, it’s the building every one of the cities or areas we name with more than one franchise in the same sport has its own arena or stadium the exception…. the shared space in Los Angeles.

Anytime the other teams across the nation face one another they return to their home field or court except in Los Angeles. Maybe it will exist with the NFL too because the Chargers and Rams share the same stadium. As you are aware Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is building his own arena and perhaps that will resolve some of the conflict with these two fan bases. History says the Lakers first played at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena later it was the Forum and in 1999 moved into Staples Center. After arriving from San Diego, the Clippers also played in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, they later moved to Anaheim and played at the Arrowhead Pond in the city, it was believed they would sign a permanent lease.  The deal fell through, and they would sign a contract and be included among the tenants for Staples. Clippers are the new kid on the block having several years of pathetic play while the Lakers were winning championships, that’s changed now with the Clippers becoming winners. They are yet to ascend to the top of the NBA world.

She’s not going to be hired

I will publish this anyway it’s unlikely the NBA proves me wrong. Perhaps by the time this is published Becky Hammon returns to the Spurs bench. She will not be hired for any of the remaining head coaching positions open. The NBA was pretending it was ready to hire a female as head coach however that is not the case. It is going to take a brave team owner to state, “I’m hiring ________ because she is the best person qualified to lead this team to _______.”

There is no method to determine which team will be the first, many of us believed that would be the Blazers however they chose Chauncey Billups. The NBA has been the clear winner over other professional sports in its diversity and gender hiring. The NFL has continued to promote the Super Bowl game official but who hired the first official, it was the NBA? As far as we know baseball and hockey are yet to hire its first female official and in the coaching ranks…well.

The 1971 Bucks

The Bucks were an NBA expansion team only in their third year of existence. They had struck it rich, a coin flip with the Suns would give them the opportunity to draft Lew Alcindor. Neal Walk would be selected behind Alcindor but had nowhere near the career. The 1970-71 team which would be crowned NBA champions finished the regular season with a 66-16 record. That team was quite formidable with Hall of Fame players Oscar Robertson at the point and Kareem Abdul Jabbar at center.

Other Bucks who aided the championship effort was shooting guard Jon McGlocklin now a Bucks broadcaster. They also had Lucius Allen, Bobby Dandridge and Greg Smith. They beat the overmatched Baltimore Bullets (Wizards) 4 games to 1. Those Bullets had some All Stars too, headed to Naismith from the Bullets was Earl Monroe, Wes Unseld and Gus Johnson. Perhaps the Suns will exact their revenge on the Bucks all these years later for winning the coin flip and having the opportunity to draft Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar).