Basketball from a fans perspective

Loyalty only extends so far

The Lakers will face the Thunder this evening, since this is written ahead of time I have no idea who wins. If I just look at the record the home team Thunder will win. It’s mind boggling for me my Lakers facing the Thunder and not being favored. If you are part of Thunder Nation I’m not disparaging your team they are clearly better than the Lakers thus far. As for the Lakers I’m trying to figure out what the issues are and can come to only one conclusion…the coach. I applauded the hiring of Darvin Ham because I believed he'd be a different voice and have a different agenda. Last season’s poor start and play up till the Westbrook trade I blamed (unfairly) on the departed Westbrook. The Lakers made a stretch run earned a playoff berth and managed to play in the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets.

The draft and free agent acquisition I approached the season feeling real good regarding the Lakers. A slow start again and then the Lakers began a stretch of very good play. Play good enough to win the first in-season NBA Tournament, since then it’s been all downhill. They might end this game against the Thunder with a .500 record something I certainly didn’t think possible just a few weeks ago. As for the headline I’m beginning to give Ham the side-eye, I hope you are familiar with the term. Ham’s not lost to me completely, I’m at the point where I’m not going to attempt to defend the coach from any negative comments. He’s not completely lost for me however I’m a slight bit uncomfortable with several of the ugly Laker losses recently.

He chose another career

I practically jump up and down with excitement anytime I discover information previously unknown. In this case some of you might have known this earlier…I didn’t. Legendary Jazz artist Al Jarreau past away in 2017 but during his brilliant recording career he managed to win 7 Grammys. Just in case you might still be unfamiliar with his name Google it. Better yet you can hear his voice singing the theme song of the Cybill Sheppard-Bruce Willis 1980’s television series Moonlighting. Did you know Jarreau could have chosen another path in life, basketball or maybe football?

Jarreau was selected an All-City basketball player in Milwaukee in 1958, in 1957 Jarreau was chosen All-City in football. Later at Ripon College in Wisconsin it became basketball only, there is no indication why Jarreau left sports behind except he admitted he wasn’t a good student. Later he claims with urgings from coaches and professors the classroom became his friend. He graduated with a degree in psychology and earn a master’s in vocational rehabilitation at Iowa. He worked in the field counseling war veterans and others before the lure of performing musically took the lead. In a manner of speaking perhaps it’s a good thing, the world would have lost a very talented voice.

There was no real merger

This account is a rehash of one on the same subject earlier, it’s been my contention the last year or so there was no ABA-NBA merger in 1976. There are several reasons why I believe this to be the case. In the case of the AFL-NFL all AFL teams came into the fold of the larger NFL. The NBA selected the franchises they wanted which included Denver, San Antonio, Nets and Pacers. None of those represented super large population bases but they probably were the best run and in the best financial shape versus many of the others.

The ABA began operations in the fall of 1967 with 11 teams, by the time of the merger the league had been reduced in numbers primarily related to finances. The bleak financial picture would be the downfall with NBA owners able to decide who they wanted and who were left out in the cold. The ABA teams above became members while the Utah Stars, Spirits of St. Louis, Kentucky Colonels and Virginia Squires went out of business. As additional proof this was no merger, it’s believed in the merger of the late 1940’s all the BAA teams merged with the NBL becoming today’s NBA. To make matters worse all ABA players didn’t make the cut, those on the merged teams did. As for the others they would be placed in a pool and selected in a draft based on that NBA team’s record.

Those players who never made it in the NBA were denied pension rights and just last year after years of fighting were included. As for the records they were lost to eternity even the players who eventually were able to play in the NBA, you can locate their stats however they are separate from those in the NBA. The NBA referred to it as a merger but it was really a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS affair. This is pure speculation on my part, I believe if the ABA had been able to remain operational for 2-3 years a true merger might have occurred.

Gen Z

If you’ve read Off the Dribble any length of time you’ve noticed there is always mention of a player or event of the past covered. Is this relevant or even important you might ask, well I did just that. I have two Generation Z guys who are also basketball fans. While their interest cover a range of topics most of which I have no clue we have common ground. They enjoy the product (basketball) as they see it being played today. It got me to wondering, am I putting them (or you for that matter) asleep discussing Doctor J. or the UCLA dynasty of the 1970’s or some other event in the history of the game?

I posed the question to my two Gen Z co-workers Keenan and Caleb, “Do you enjoy reading the history and is it important to you?” Both answered in the affirmative, based on their response I will continue the effort to provide you content containing present day basketball news and activity along with historical events and characters of the game. This I read a long time ago and it says, “You don’t know where you’re going until you find out where you’ve been.” The statement applies to life as well as basketball. With that said the history will continue if it’s not for you skip it but hopefully you continue to read the other stuff.