Published Daily  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Genuis or just plain lucky

Legendary Celtic coach Red Auerbach was key to the championship teams during the 1950’s, 1960’s up through the middle 70’s. Key to much of the success was Auerbach seeing the potential of a Bill Russell he arranged a trade with the St. Louis Hawks. Russell joined a team with backcourt wiz Bob Cousy, this is where the story takes a turn most are probably not familiar with. Auerbach didn’t want the point guard at the time he became available. This is the explanation, Cousy a New York City guy played his basketball at Holy Cross in the Boston metro.

At the time of the draft most fans wanted the Celtics to draft Cousy, but Auerbach refused, instead he wanted center Charley Share who played at Bowling Green University. Auerbach’s response, “Am I supposed to win, or please the local yokels” hardly an endorsement of Cousy’s potential. Then fate would take a sharp left turn, the Tri-City Blackhawks (today’s Atlanta Hawks) drafted Cousy. Being an east coast guy Cousy had no desire to play for a Midwest team so he informed the Blackhawks owner he wanted $10,000, a figure which at the time would have broken the bank. According to an inflation and cost calendar in 2023 that would be $123,152.28 not a great amount of money for a professional contract but unheard of in 1950.  History indicates unable to come to an agreement Cousy was moved to the defunct Chicago Stags.

The Stags went out of business so Cousy, and others were placed in a dispersal draft. Even then owner Walter A. Brown wanted the other two but drew Cousy’s name. Cousy would immediately become a key contributor to the success of those 1950 Celtics and consider this fact, the coach didn’t want him and neither did the owner. It should be of note Charley Share despite his potential had a 10-year rather average NBA career. With the passing of Bill Russell last July Cousy at age 94 Cousy along with Satch Sanders are the last of the bunch from the the glory days of the Celtics.  

Finish this season first

I’m excited, I’m looking at 2023-24 for Mizzou at the end of January. I know what you are saying, “Let’s finish this season in front of us first”, I say okay but how about looking ahead anyway. The roster is not set in this aspect, I have no idea how many players might chose to exercise their covid season. With that issue aside let’s check the current roster, there are 15 players listed. Mizzou has 5 players committed most with signed commit letters; they are:

Trent Price 6-foot 8 power forward

Jordan Butler 7-foot center

Anthony Robinson 6-foot-3 point guard

Curt Lewis 6-foot-5 wing

Danny Stephens 6-foot-7 wing*

*preferred walk on

Athletes impacted by a covid season could include mainstay seniors Kobe Brown and Isiaih Mosley, based on their own court production Mizzou could prove quite formidable with the remaining roster plus incoming talent. The only issue for these two, will the NBA come calling? Because the roster is in such a state of flux, I’m not going to commit myself and say, “This is the 2023-24 Mizzou Tigers.” The only returners we know for sure are those listed as underclassmen. 

I ain’t hatin’

Recently I spotted a plaque for a wall in my Man Cave. It was titled “Laker All Time Greats” and a trading card of each player was displayed, as I surveyed the plaque one name stood out for me. Wilt was there, Kareem and Jerry West, it also contained Shaq, Magic and James Worthy. On the top row right was a card featuring Rick Fox and my thought what’s he doing there? Understand this, Fox was a valuable part of several Laker championship teams but an all-time great Laker?

Every player listed on the plaque is enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame with the exception of Fox. Fox could have easily been replaced by Elgin Baylor or Gail Goodrich who are members of the Hall of Fame. For all practical purposes we could travel back even further in time and include George Mikan and others who played for the Minneapolis version of the Lakers. I titled this account I ain’t hatin’ because I didn’t wish this to be considered an attack on Rick Fox. Those who saw him play will validate his contribution to the success of the Lakers during the time he was a member of the team.

Maybe the coach is already in place

I’m sure if we asked Rodney Terry, I believe he’d tell us truthfully. Terry had no idea February 2023 would find him head basketball coach at the University of Texas. Officially he’s interim having replaced Chris Beard who was suspended and later fired. Beard’s termination came as a result of a domestic issue with his girlfriend being the basis. As for Terry, he’s paid his dues, at age 54 there have been a number of stops during his coaching career. His resume includes four high schools two as an assistant two as head coach, in college it was four assistant coach positions plus head coach at Fresno State and UTEP.

All in all Terry has over 30 years coaching the game. As for Texas with Beard in charge the Longhorns were expected to compete for the Big XII crown this season, after the firing most were unsure what might occur with the program. To date it would appear there have been few glitches under Terry. As this is written the Longhorns have a 15-win season thus far and sit in first place in the Big XII with a 7-2 record. At the time Beard was fired the sports media was full of replacement names for a replacement coach, I only remember one account mentioning Terry’s name. As for Terry he’s probably been preparing for this job for a number of years.

I finally figured it out

Locally KC media pretty much ignores SEC coverage and I believe I understand the predicament. It’s related to geography, allow for a further explanation. A drive from Kansas City to any present Big XII school is at most 10 hours and minutes away, that’s road mileage to the University of Texas in Austin. Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are in the neighborhood of 8 hours, Iowa State is a little over 4 hours while K-State is 2. The University of Kansas depending on your metro location is less than an hour drive. Now contrast that with a drive to Gainesville Florida 16 hours from Kansas City, the University of Georgia is a 12-hour drive.

Now I realize folks from Kansas City are not driving to a large number of games, but you get the idea. It’s far easier to drive to a Big XII match than one in the SEC. In addition its far easier to identify your “neighborhood” than someone else’s. Although Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor are newer members of the conference the history of the Big 6, Big 7 and Big 8 have been known in the Kansas City media for years. The shortest drive from Kansas City to any SEC school might be Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas, a little over 3.5 hours. This is the issue and one that cannot be resolved unless local media decides to provide more coverage. The Big XII will expand in 2025 adding UCF, Brigham Young and Cincinnati. Houston will also arrive, but the conference exists in Texas at present with Texas Tech and Baylor. My premise could be invalid based on other factors, what do you think?