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Basketball from a fans perspective

There is a change at the top, but not what you expected

The NCAA Champion is the UConn Huskies as they defeated SDSU. The Final Four witnessed UConn being seeded 4, SDSU was a 5 while FAU was a 9 and Miami also a 5, not a number one in sight. We have no number one team playing for the championship which is certainly different. What occurred was the transfer portal, NIL or something yet unnamed for this change. All those examples mentioned could be the basis, on the other hand there might be nothing at all.

A high seeded Blue Blood program had a crucial turnover or a key missed shot. The coach could have inserted a player at a point the players leadership was required and the move failed. I remember one game a player sunk a basket at the end of the game, those were his only 2 points for the game. Another example, the difference maker for SDSU was a vital player. He’d transferred to SDSU from another Division I program, the season before that he’d played at a community college. So there it is one thing and several others, the solution is to not overthink this tournament.

The NBA is NOT going out of business!

You might wonder why the headline, researching caused me to come across several negative stories written about the NBA. I’ve held no conversations with Commissioner Silver, not a single meeting with any team owner. These cynics were claiming TV viewership is down and the NFL remains at the top. They want to give us the impression the only one’s following the NBA now days are those who play NBA2K regularly. By the way I had to look it up, the average age of an NBA2K player is 17-years of age.

Tell me something I don’t know that information is easily gained but what does it prove. It’s been mentioned previously but worth a reminder, someone provide clarification but I believe this to be a fact. I can only remember a single NBA team on the market over a one-year time frame. That was the Pistons and it involved the death of the owner and my best guess, there must have been legal entanglements to resolve which took time. Second to that, if team ownership was such a cash drain why are potential owners lining up to purchase teams? Robert Sarver placed the Suns on the market, Mat Ishbia announced his intention to become principal owner of the team. $4 billion is reported to be the sell price of the franchise. Is ESPN/ABC and TNT going to cease telecasting NBA games, I doubt it. One of the considerations these cynics fail to take into account are the options.

As recently as 10 years ago we had fewer choices in our TV programing. Truth is with broadcast, cable and streaming services I’m unsure pollsters are accurate on what we are viewing. Rest assured all NBA teams are not earning revenue, those losers soon manage to locate new owners. Those critics of the association will not read this however as I often say, “I’m from Missouri you’ve got to show me.” More than likely there are additional issues which are probably missed by me, see if you can uncover them.

Mizzou news

From Columbia Missouri it’s been lose two players, gain two. Ronnie DeGray III and Mohamed Diarra decided to transfer. As noted earlier 6-foot 5-inch shooting guard John Tonje from Colorado State is transferring to Mizzou. On Wednesday came this news from Noah Carter, the 6-foot 6-inch senior small forward could have left but instead decided to remain. This is good news for Mizzou Nation for at least three reasons. 1. Carter provides veteran leadership to this Mizzou team which certainly aids in winning basketball.

2. After transferring from Northern Iowa and playing this past season Dennis Gates provides us with proof, he’s a player’s coach. 3. Carter’s stats certainly are not going to wow anyone but he plays tough defense and could score the ball when required. Recruiting news is slow in coming this time around compared to last season. I don’t remember now but it seemed within days of hiring the coach had recruited his first player. My intent is to be on the front line as soon as there is an announcement you will be notified.

It was over at age 29

The NBA career of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was over by the time he was 29-years old. It wasn’t an injury that curtailed his NBA career it was his belief, I’m unsure in today’s climate if this would occur in the NBA. Born Chris Jackson he converted to Islam and underwent a name change. Playing at LSU with Shaquille O’Neal, his former teammate claims he was the best player on that team. Jackson as he was known then was a lights out shooter and automatic at the free-throw line. In 1990 he was made the third pick by the Nuggets; his third year Jackson was inserted in the lineup and his numbers began an upward trend. He led the NBA in free-throw shooting on two different occasions.

In 1991 he embraced Islam and changed his name and his career. He began refusing to stand for the National Anthem as a sign of protest, soon he was allowed to remain in the tunnel to avoid the drama surrounding his move. Eventually the Nuggets traded him to the Kings in 1996. From that point on Abdul-Rauf left the NBA, he played at a number of foreign destinations before retiring in 2011. He’s 54 years old now, although his NBA career was cut short due to his protest, he appears to hold no ill will toward any of the parties involved. We are not that far removed from 2011, however it’s my belief the entire matter could have been resolved in a much simpler method over forcing Abdul-Rauf from the NBA.

Am I missing something?

A great many historical events, especially in the early days of sports, must be believed. Depending on the time period we often have only the words of those who witnessed the occurrence. Later sports writers detail it for future generations and that is the end, or is it? Did Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in 1927? There is no visual proof we believe he did because someone bothered to write it down. The first college basketball game occurred February 9, 1895, when the University of Minnesota played Hamline or did it?

There is no film offering us proof that the game was played. The name Ossie Schectman is lost to history, Schectman playing for the Knicks scored the first basket in the first Basketball Association of America game November 1, 1946. There is no film of the game so maybe it wasn’t Schectman, it could have been another player? By now you are probably asking “Where is he going with this account?” I’m going to use 1970 as our starting point, any sports event occurring prior to that year likely was never filmed. Sports events after that time are probably recorded on film, video tape or some other entity allowing us to view it in 2023. Did Wilt Chamberlain score 100 points in a March 2, 1962, game, there is no film or television only the 4^th quarter radio play by play.

The YouTube video you are about to see appears to start in the middle. ESPN’s Mike Greenberg is describing the Chamberlain game and those in the studio appear to be somewhat unsure the scoring binge actually occurred. Some appear to believe “Because I didn’t see the film, I’m skeptical if it actually occurred.” Also included for examination is the 4^th quarter radio broadcast, am I missing something, some in the studio appear uncomfortable with the facts?

Is Wilt Chamberlain's 100 Point Game All A Lie? | Pat McAfee Show - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Agchvbxd8A