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Basketball from a fans perspective

On the road…no matter

Based on the Game 2 win by the Heat and a tied series most of us wondered what might occur in Miami. After the first two games in The Mile High City the series the Nuggets journeyed to Miami for their Game 3 win 109-94. The Heat played well, the Nuggets played better, especially The Joker. Nikola Jokic’ set an NBA record not in points but his entire game total. The 6-foot 11-inch Jokic’ fails to impress anyone with his athletic skill, his sometimes unorthodox shots often find the basket. You wind up questioning yourself, “How did that shot go in?”

Jokic’s expertise in passing the ball often found a teammate cutting to the basket in addition he does other things often unseen. As for the game The Joker had 32 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. He was helped ably by Jamal Murray, after his poor Game 2 performance Murray came out of the locker room on fire, he led the way with 34 points but it wasn’t just the points he dished out 10 assists. As a team the Nuggets had a 58-33 rebound advantage. Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 22 points and pulled down 17 rebounds but only shot 33% from the floor, Jimmy Butler led the way for the Heat with 28 points. I am all over the map with this series, I maintain the Nuggets are the better team but the Heat appear to have more moxie.

The bully was placed in check

If you witnessed Shaquille O’Neal play you remember he often bullied opposing centers, at 7 foot 1 and 350 pounds he used his body to full effect offensively and defensively. Despite Shaq often playing the role of intimidator there was one opposition player who gave Shaq all he could manage. This quote from the Big Aristotle gives us an idea of what he meant. “Hakeem Olajuwon. Most guys are tri-dimensional-one move, two maybe three. Olajuwon had seven moves on each block, he was hard to stop.”

Hakeem Olajuwon stood 7 feet and was 255 pounds but it was not his pure power alone. It’s often been written in his native Nigeria his first sport was not basketball that would come along later in life. As a child and youth soccer (football) was the sport Olajuwon would first excel and it’s been stated many of his moves around the basket were that of a soccer player. 14 of his 15-year NBA career he spent as a member of the Rockets and he was a key reason why they would become two-time NBA Champions (1994-1995). Olajuwon is a triple honoree having been enshrined in the Naismith, College and FIBA Basketball Halls of Fame. You’ve now learned Olajuwon was quite a difficult opposing player for Shaq.

The brothers Silna

Ozzie and Daniel Silna were successful businessmen in the textile industry. In addition the brothers wanted an NBA team, they were never successful owners but they certainly became historic for what they accomplished. The brothers purchased the ABA Carolina Cougars moved the team to St. Louis where they became the Spirits of St. Louis. This was done in the hope that once the merger occurred, the brothers would become NBA owners. The only problem at merger time was the NBA chose to go another direction, the league dissolved the St. Louis franchise. This was not done without the brothers being compensated.

The Silna brothers received $2.2 million in cash (in today’s economy about $10,633,025) and this key portion of the agreement. The brothers would receive 4/7 of the television revenue of the NBA teams and this is where it became really interesting. The first year of the agreement the brothers received $500,000, from that 1980-81 season after that point revenue increased substantially in succeeding seasons. Through 2014 payment has been made to the Silna’s in the amount of $300 million. Oh, the portion I failed to mention the agreement with the Silna’s never ends, it was to exist in perpetuity. It’s been reported the NBA has attempted on several occasions to renegotiate the agreement to no avail. 

NBA Champions

Recently I was checking a list of NBA Champion teams over time. To no surprise the Celtics and Lakers were listed with 17 a piece, at the bottom were several teams with no championship history. Sitting at the one spot was the Thunder, I got this puzzled expression I know. “The Thunder have never won a championship” I thought and then it hit me. The previous incarnation of the Thunder the Sonics won it all, the team not the name moved from Seattle to OKC. I then reflected on an argument expressed by TV analyst Jeff Van Gundy, he said “The Lakers should only count the championships won since the team’s been in Los Angeles.”

For those of you unfamiliar with the history Van Gundy is correct, the Lakers won 5 NBA Championships while the front of their jerseys read MPLS. We could go down the list of championship teams who no longer wear the jersey of the city they once represented. The Hawks are yet to win a championship in Atlanta however in 1958 they did win while headquartered in St. Louis. Can the Kings contend they are champions, they won it all in 1951as the Rochester Royals who became the Cincinnati Royals who became the KC Kings...I’ll stop at this point. Do the Warriors count the two championships won in 1947 and 1956 while the team was located in Philadelphia? There is no argument here, only opinion, who is to determine the right and wrong of history?

He did it again

I don’t watch daytime soap operas; I believe it’s General Hospital Stephen A. Smith has appeared in the soap more than once. Surely limited as his role might have been I’m certain there were lines to memorize. If not a speaking part maybe an entrance or exit was required, it might have been just a grimace required. That’s his mantra, actor over journalist although he bristles anytime someone refers to him as anything but a journalist. In any event the journalist/actor/critic continues to say whatever he wants no matter that some of his so-called reporting might be called into question. Just a couple of points, a tweet on June 8 was quite interesting.

Smith was critical of Nikola Jokic and complementary at the same time. His words not mind, he refers to the Nugget center as “A tub of lard.” He goes on to claim the Nugget center has no post-up game like Shaq, “He’s more like Kevin McHale.” Well friends, we finally discover Stephen A. Smith knows very little about NBA basketball. Where is it written a center must have a power game to be forceful. Second to that, Jokic is not a muscular athlete although he weighs 284 pounds. Jokic as a tub of lard is doing the two-time NBA MVP a huge disservice. It’s not only Jokic, but also Dame Lillard too, the bombastic Smith has gone on record “demanding” Lillard be traded especially to a contender. A trade will occur when the Blazers decide it will occur not Smith. My co-workers have been telling me for weeks I should quit listening to Smith…they are correct because most often he doesn’t make a great deal of sense with some of his takes.

A new coach in place

Gregg Marshall had Wichita State on a steady upward trend. In my view the school had moved from number three to number two in the State of Kansas. The culmination might have been the Shockers beating the Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament in March 2015. Marshall was on top of the world until he was forced to resign in November 2020. An investigation uncovered physical and verbal abuse by the coach and Wichita State could no longer support him. Because the season had started assistant coach Isaac Brown was hired as interim and later, he was made full-time head coach.

That first season with a Marshall roster Wichita State finished a modest 16-6 and was invited to the NCAA Tournament. From that point up through the 2022-23 season Wichita State was a blip on everyone’s radar struggling to a 15-13 and 17-15 record. Brown was fired and Paul Mills was hired as head coach. Mills arrives from his head coaching position at Oral Roberts; his last team at Oral Roberts finished the season with a 30-5 record. It’s hoped the new coach will be able to duplicate the record Mills established at Oral Roberts. At this point Mills is supposed to revitalize Wichita State basketball which at a time one of the most highly rated mid-major programs in the nation.