Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

“This is not what I signed up for!”

The story you are about to read is one of speculation consider that ahead of reading. It’s being reported James Hardin a.k.a. “The Beard” want’s an exit stage left from the Nets. No Kevin Durant and the other guy only playing on the road, the bearded one has been forced to carry a sizable portion of the offense. Daryl Morey is now with the Sixers however he spent time with the Rockets. Morey was responsible for the Rockets acquiring Hardin and the two are reported to have a working relationship. Hardin likely signed with the Nets figuring there was an opportunity to win an NBA Championship. If a championship is not in his future, is he willing to remain in Brooklyn? That question is the height of speculation currently, we shall see what occurs over the next 5-7 months.

The growth spurt

My growth spurt occurred when I was about 11, over the summer I grew about 2 inches. Despite the growth I never reached my hope for 6 foot in height. For others, especially athletes their growth spurt produced different results. Shaquille O’Neal claims he stood 6 foot 4 as a 10-year-old. If you remember the history Shaq’s stepfather was in the military and stationed in Germany. Dale Brown then LSU coach was conducting a basketball clinic which young Shaq attended. The coach was reported to have ask him “How long have you been in the Army?” Shaq was a teen by this time but stood about 6 foot 8, he told the coach “I’m still in junior high.”

We know the rest of the story Brown kept track of the youngster and when it came time for college, he’d kept track of Shaq who would later play for him at LSU. For some the spurt didn’t come or maybe it was different. The Lakers Anthony Davis was a 6-foot 3-inch point guard in high school, he now stands 6 foot 10. How about another example, as a high school freshman Kevin Garnett was 6 foot 3, he now is a towering 6 foot 11? Michael Jordan was 5 foot 8 his first year of high school, his growth spurt would take him to 6 foot 6. I know what you are thinking, these giants had gigantic parents, true in some instances not all. As an example, 7-foot 1 Wilt Chamberlain’s father was 5-foot 8-inch and his mother 5-foot 9. 6 foot 10 Moses Malone had a 5-foot 6-inch father, and his mom was a mere 5-foot 2-inches in height. We must believe somewhere in the genetics of these two families’ there was a grandparent or great grand who might have affected the growth pattern.

Boy, could he trash talk

You can stop reading this if you’ve heard the story! Larry Joe Bird was a notorious trash talker during his playing days. Teammates and opposing players claim, “He’d talk to anyone in ear shot.” He was a prolific shooter and depending on the location he would send the ball boys out, “What’s the scoring record in this gym?” Naturally, he would try to eclipse the record but there was more. The Hawks played the Celtics in New Orleans back in the day, Bird was so hot from the field he began shooting with his left hand.

Bird ended the game scoring 55 points, proof of his scoring ability. We all played H.O.R.S.E. but not in the Bird style, he took a shot and lost his balance falling into the Celtic trainer. Bird’s response, “Off the trainer and off the backboard.” He once asked an opposing player “Did you see that shot (referring to his shot), did your mama see it.” Now in some circles including your mother in any discussion is grounds for a fight. Those are just a few of the Bird stories which have circulated since the Celtic great retired in 1992. Rest assured there are probably hundreds more.

Best of the best-UCLA

Due to the legendary John Wooden UCLA has produced a wealth of basketball talent primarily while he was coach. As with other programs we decide to check out the Top 10 UCLA players all-time. Here goes and see if you agree with the list. 

Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar)

Bill Walton

Keith Wilkes (Jamaal)

Sidney Wicks

Gail Goodrich

Walt Hazzard

Marques Johnson

Baron Davis

Reggie Miller

Curtis Rowe

Lucius Allen

I can count, that’s 11 former UCLA players and there are countless others who could have been included. If some of the names are unfamiliar to you look them up.

Which one are you?

Those of us not skilled enough to play the game often become fans of the sport. These Fans come in all varieties, but they share a common trait, due to this sharing I believe they fit in three (3) categories. The first one we cover is the one we often contend is the bandwagon fan, you never hear of them rooting for or discussing the team in conversation. Often when you hear them conversing on the team your first thought might be, “boy I’ve never ever heard them talk about ________.” The second type of fan is one who identifies with the team no matter their won-loss record. He is a proud  ________ Nation Fan, they will defend the team to the max in arguments. Don't say anything disrespectful about their team. 

This can be a college or professional team doesn’t matter, they are loyal to the core no matter. They proclaim, “If I get a cut I bleed (the team colors). The third and last type is the rabid fan, visiting the house you discover they have a room dedicated to their favorite team. In addition, if they attend the game in person, you might see them dressed in all manner of garish costumes designed by them fan to demonstrate loyalty to the team. You could be confused, sometimes fan 2 and fan 3 appear to be the same but they are not. Now that you read this little exercise have you decided what camp you fit in? Maybe you believe there might be more than 3 types of fans and you could be correct too.