Basketball from a fans perspective

On the other hand

Some might believe I was too tough on former NBA player and podcaster Gilbert Arenas. He like anyone else is entitled to his opinion, the problem for me is that I’ve found he often takes up causes that cannot yield results. The Sixers nor Larry Brown are going to apologize to Allen Iverson. The policy existing today wasn’t in place back then. If we take the Arenas view all errors of the past require an apology and is not going to occur. Fair or not we are governed by those laws and rules in effect today, there is no method which enables us to return to the past for resolution.

As for Arenas, should I forget he once brought a handgun into the Wizards locker room a violation of NBA policy. Later he apologized for the incident but that didn’t keep the NBA from suspending him for 50 games. Listen to what he says today, “I wasn’t suspended for violating the NBA’s gun policy, instead I was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.” Okay with that said I wonder if Arenas might believe the NBA owes him an apology too. The late David Stern was commissioner in 2010, should there be an apology forthcoming from Adam Silver? I don’t think that would be the case, as for Arenas I think there are other causes he could take up that might prove more important than many details he often shares with his listeners.

A tougher schedule

This is written on Friday ahead of the Mizzou-Georgia game to be played on Saturday. The Mizzou record is 8 wins and 5 losses opposite of this time last season. As for Georgia I have no idea who wins the game however I’d like to visit the schedule. There was no argument that the non-conference portion of the schedule had to be improved in Dennis Gates second season at the helm. A couple of teams Mizzou played in its non-con schedule have proven to be no pushovers. 

Seton Hall came into Kansas City and T-Mobile Arena and beat Mizzou 93-87. The Pirates have lost only one game since their victory over Mizzou and now have 9 wins and 5 losses. The second game of the season saw Mizzou play Memphis, that game resulted in a 70-55 Memphis win. Those Tigers now have a 12-2 record and sit in first place in the American Athletic Conference. The 73-72 loss to Jackson State was ugly and certainly a game Mizzou should have won, no excuses offered. I might have mentioned this previously Mizzou must play at a much higher level over last season.

“We just suck”

The headline above is not my words, it belongs to LeBron James and he is describing recent play of his Laker teammates. As you might be aware with the Friday loss the Lakers have now lost 4 games in a row the 10th in their last 13. As I pointed out as much as I love the Laker franchise I certainly don’t recognize this team taking the floor now. On Friday against the Grizzlies (at home) they managed to get off to a good start however it didn’t end in that same manner.

How bad has it become, I was at home and had an opportunity to see the game on ESPN. This is not a first-hand account because I didn’t expect them to win hence I didn’t bother with watching the game. This is really bad on my part, as for the game itself they allowed the Grizzlies to score 33 points while only recording 19 themselves in the 4th quarter. How do you stop a losing streak, it’s simple you do those things that allow you to win whatever they might be. I have NO desire to find another team, the Lakers are still my crew however I’m clearly disappointed at this stage. As I close remember what I wrote, this is the no excuse zone, I intend to offer you no explanation.

Baseball trivia

No, you did not miss read the headline, it says what is says. We have discussed athletes who could and some did play sports other than the one of note. We could look at the Harlem Globetrotters one of the pioneers of the game have an interesting history one connected with baseball. There are three Cooperstown Hall of Fame players who once played for the Globetrotters, this was posted on a social media platform. The players, Ferguson Jenkins, the late Lou Brock and the late Bob Gibson. The history indicates Gibson played basketball at Creighton University, 

As for the others there is little mention of basketball in their background. Although Jenkins played for several major league teams he is closely associated with the Chicago Cubs, during his major league career this pitcher won 284 games and was a Cy Young winner plus he was a three time All-Star. The same statement holds true for outfielder Brock his most productive period was as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock had a lifetime batting average of .293 and he compiled over 3,000 base hits. Brock’s teammate during a portion of his career was flame throwing Gibson who accumulated over 3,000 strikeouts while winning 251 games during his time in the majors.

I didn’t know

Sometimes I come across basketball trivia by accident, that is the case here. Kevin Bradshaw’s name popped up on one of my social media feeds…by now you are asking who the heck is Kevin Bradshaw? He once scored 72 points for U.S. International in a game against Loyola Marymount January 5, 1991. The scoring feat broke the record against Division I opponents of 70 points established by Pete Maravich. The 6-6 Bradshaw enrolled at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach Florida after high school. After playing his first two seasons at the school he withdrew and joined the U.S. Navy and that’s where the second portion of his basketball exploits begin. While in military service he began to play with a Navy team which included David Robinson.

Bradshaw was released from the Navy and recruited by U.S. International the coach believing his run and gun offense would work for U.S. International. His junior year Bradshaw averaged 31.3 points a game but raised it to 37.6 as a senior. Including the two seasons at Bethune-Cookman he would score 2,804 points and a 25.3 point per game average. Despite his scoring prowess in 1991 NBA teams decided to pass on Bradshaw. He went on to play 11 years professionally in Israel and once scored 101 points in a game. In 2005 he became a coach a position he currently holds in Israel. Far too much time has passed but I would really be curious why the NBA overlooked him. We read and hear all the time teams needing scorers off the bench and it would appear Bradshaw might have been just that.