Basketball from a fans perspective

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I see you and I hear you

You are upset at the actions surrounding Nets guard Kyrie Irving, that’s okay. This is no attempt to criticize you for your stance but allow this added input. Let’s check out the background, the City of New York not the NBA laid down a rule at least one vaccine shot is needed for entry into a public building. That would apply to Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden which lie in that privy. Later Nets management came forward and said he could not practice or play with the team. This from the Nets GM “We have no choice but to play without Kyrie.”

Now, imagine this scenario to play out, Irving is allowed in Barclays (or MSG) unvaccinated. He meets not only his teammates but front office personnel plus ticket agents, ushers and food handlers. This scenario could be considered oversimplified because its unlikely Irving would meet all those employees but. In the arena those fans sitting in the $1,000 seats are served by an usher who passes by Irving, you get the result, I hope. We are in a strange time; we have a view our rights are in danger because there is a belief government is forcing citizens into areas, they believe have become an infringement.

Our journey now takes us from Brooklyn to Philadelphia for this added news. You might remember reading or hearing a declaration from Ben Simmons claiming he would never play in Philly. There were reports he’d even moved out of the metro, evidently those reports turned out to be false. All that’s changed now, Simmons has reported to training camp. We are unsure at this point if he plays for the Sixers, or a trade is in his future to somewhere. This story like that of Kyrie Irving has been a continuing developing story, stay tuned.

Is he the one?

Yao Ming retired from the NBA and the Rockets in 2011, since then at least 3 Chinese prospects have either been drafted. Each of those prospects was thought to be the ONE, the NBA successor to Yao. Allow me to introduce to some Fanbo Zeng, he began as a 6-foot 9-in 190-pound forward and now stands 6 foot 11-inches. Zeng originally from Harbin China has played for Windemere Prep School in Windemere Florida, a city in the Orlando Metro. Zeng has signed with Team Elite in the G-League and has declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. As for his future will he prove skilled enough to be drafted next season? It should prove interesting if Zeng indeed becomes the successor to Yao Ming especially those in China.

The NBA

As we approach the dawn of another NBA season the question might be asked…how healthy is the league? Neither you are I can see the books of any of the 30 teams, despite this fact the health of the NBA would appear good. This statement is made despite the pandemic which affected the 2019-20 season significantly. Using Forbes as our barometer the NBA places three of its teams in the Top 10 in the World in value with the Knicks at 3, the Warriors and Lakers at 6 and 7, respectively. The Intuit Dome is on the horizon for the Clippers, the planned arena is expected to cost $2 billion. When it opens in the 2024-25 season it will move in front of the Chase Center in San Francisco opened in 2019 as the newest arena in the league. Most NBA arenas more than 15 years old have undergone renovation to update them with the latest amenities and services.

Billion-dollar arenas continue to be built for existing teams, there is no ability to predict which city might be next in line for a new building. A new television contract is on the horizon for the NBA, in addition to increase revenue for owners the players collective bargaining agreement will certainly be adjusted upward. Another potential revenue stream might come about just as the Inuit Dome is completed. NBA expansion might be in the works by 2025 with Seattle and one other city vying for a franchise. How does this affect the health of the league, owners will receive added revenue derived from expansion? These are the keys as we look toward the future, there are events on the horizon we may have overlooked however these mentioned are probably front and center.   

“It’s Gotta be the Shoes!”

NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball has a signature shoe now. The youngest brother signed with the Puma company and his shoe will debut in December, price is $125.00. This is vastly different from Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee) and the Air Jordan commercials he helped popularize in the middle ‘80’s. Not only did the Air Jordan brand rise to the top of the food chain so did the Nike brand. Earlier Magic Johnson and Larry Bird held the world captive with their Converse commercial.

It was Mars Blackmon who propelled Air Jordan and Nike to areas not envisioned to that point. From the middle ‘80’s up to the present-day vast numbers of NBA players have signed with Nike, Air Jordan, Converse and other shoe brands. Consider this fact, the first Air Jordan’s sold between $65-70 which is a figure sneakerheads would love. LaMelo owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. J., Magic plus Bird and MJ. Thanks to these past NBA greats shoes can retail for $125 with a percentage to the athlete in this instance LaMelo Ball.

Who is the best?

Recruiting top notch talent to your campus is key to success on the basketball court. We need look no further than Duke, North Carolina and more recently Kentucky. Polls are artificial in a sense, as an example what occurs if the school discovers that 5-star can’t miss prospect does not adjust to the college game successfully? We checked 247Sports to figure out who is competing for the top prospects on their website. Currently this site and others place Anfernee Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers at the top.

They are followed by Michigan and Gonzaga, where is Kentucky on their list? The Wildcats are ranked number 10 followed by Kansas at 11. Just in case you wondered I will save you a search, they place my Mizzou Tigers number 50 in the nation which in my view is good. Consider in that Notre Dame, Auburn, Oregon have fewer top recruits arriving over Mizzou. What do you think, do we place more emphasis on this information than is valid?