Basketball from a fan’s perspective

An addendum

This second portion of KC Sports Talk radio involves Kansas State and Mizzou basketball. Because I indicated I ceased listening last year this is what I heard in the winter and spring of 2023. One station over the other appeared to have a lovefest regarding Jerome Tang at Kansas State, as for Dennis Gates at Mizzou not so much. For Gates it was more “He’s doing a good job” and that was about it. I’ve come to a conclusion and fully understand the difference between the two.

Allow this brief explanation, Gates smiles in his press conferences but appears to approach the game from a no-nonsense position. On the other hand Tang is gregarious and has an outgoing personality which causes many in the media to rush him for a cool sound bite. For Gates this just doesn’t exist, keep in mind this is last season with both in their first year at the helm. Both schools received NCAA invites although Kansas State advanced further than Mizzou. Just my take…someone else might have a completely different view of this matter.

When is he gonna win some games

Prior to writing this account of Victor Wembanyama I thought I would get ahead of some of the negative stuff. No…the Spurs lost again on Tuesday night this time to the Wolves 114-105. Wemby’s contribution was 17 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocked shots added to his NBA leading total. I know your next statement, you borrowed it from me. I borrowed it from my co-worker, “He should be able to block shots he’s 7 foot 10 inches tall.” Truth is Wemby is not that tall” (or at least that’s what we’ve been told). Has a rookie ever led the NBA in blocks, I’m glad you ask the question?

I researched the answer for you, in the 1985-86 NBA season Manute Bol had 397 blocks and average 5 blocks a game. Wemby will not approach those numbers but consider this fact. Bol did not present the offensive presence Wemby does, Bol was in the lineup for the Washington Bullets (Wizards) to rebound and block shots. In any event with a 20+ lead over his nearest competition Wemby will become the second rookie to lead the NBA in that field. As for assists he’s not in the conversation with centers Nikola Jokic or Domantas Sabonis, as for the others Wemby is right there with them. Weaknesses, I’m sure there are various Wemby examples but similar to all facets of his game it’s a work in progress, he will improve.

A father’s lament

“Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball” those are the words of LeBron James. He was describing son Bronny however I remain unsure why or who it was intended for. Allow me to explain further. At the beginning of the week ESPN’s 2024 mock draft removed Bronny’s name and indicated he’d be drafted in 2025. I’m guessing the father took exception to what ESPN had done, this is the difference for me,

If for example the GM of the Pistons or Spurs informed LeBron “Your son is not going to be drafted this year” his tweet (X) on social media might be understandable. ESPN carry’s a great deal of weight however it’s only indirectly connected to the NBA, the Worldwide Leader controls the broadcast only they have nothing to do with player personnel decisions. That is with the exception of Stephen A. Smith, he’d like us to believe he can call “somebody” and that somebody will follow his lead. Back to LeBron a moment, perhaps the reason his tweet (X) was sent out and later deleted he realized it might appear somewhat questionable.

This would fix it

I am making NO CLAIM on my insight, this comes from the University of Alabama’s athletic director. I didn’t read it in detail but his proposal the home team is forced to forfeit the game. Money will not solve the issue because I understand the SEC fines member schools for rushing the court. The fine is not coming from the students pocket so they could probably care less about a fine. What might smack them good about the head is “losing” a game they actually won. I believe this would fix it, it would place an immediate stop sign around the bleachers. Students would think twice about rushing the court realizing they might cost their school a win, I like it. I hope it can be implemented by next season to avoid potential injury to players, students and anyone else involved in the melee’s we’ve seen.

Tell me it ain’t so

I have no idea if this is true so take it for what it’s worth. If reports are halfway accurate it appears there are NBA teams indicating they will “draft” Bronny James. This is in the hope of attracting pop LeBron to play alongside his son which he’s always claimed he wanted. As a member of Laker Nation I am unsure how much more the Lakers can receive from LeBron. Talented as he is even at this age I am prepared to move on to someone else. Don’t misunderstand my comment, if LeBron stays I’m okay, if he decides to leave and play with Bronny that’s okay too. Now for the youngster, I’ve said this over and over I believe Bronny is talented…the question is he talented enough to play in the NBA, that’s quite possible?

Do I envision NBA stardom for Bronny, that’s a difficult question to answer as this is written. Currently he’s not even the best player on an underperforming Southern Cal team, that would be guard Boogie Ellis. There are publications that indicate Ellis might be a second-round draft choice. This is the picture, we have a reserve player who might be drafted in the first round versus a guy scoring at a 17 point per game clip. Please tell me what’s wrong with this picture, can this really be the case? I hope no one believes I’m hatin’ on Bronny that is not the case I happen to believe he’s just not NBA ready at the present time. As this was being completed came word from ESPN, they have removed Bronny’s name from the 2024 Class and moved him to 2025.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

A Generational Player

We say a generation is 20 years, when we speak of a generational player this is the criteria. A player who excels at the game at a high skill level, in a sense he might re-invent portions of the game. Although we claim 20 years I believe we can have generational players in the same timeframe the following is the example. Bill Russell arrived in the NBA in 1956 with the Celtics, Wilt Chamberlain in 1959, both would change the game. Russell with his defensive ability primarily shot blocking and Chamberlain the prolific scorer. Two players arriving in the NBA at nearly the same time with both being generational but there are others. You might disagree with my choices however there are perhaps 11 players in the history of the NBA I would consider generational, 3 could be added to our total. With that here goes, LeBron James, he was the one anointed King James at the time he first set foot on a basketball court. There might be a question why I am including Allen Iverson in the count, if I’m not mistaken he didn’t bring the crossover to the NBA but he certainly perfected it.

At 6 foot tall and 150 pounds AI was fearless on the court, he wasn’t afraid of any opposing player. Michael Jordan, MJ the player who forced the Pistons to invent “The Jordan Rules.” What can I say about Magic Johnson, a 6-foot 9-point guard who was by his name magical in distributing the basketball. Next up Elgin Baylor, he played small forward at 6 foot 5 and despite his stature was a scoring and rebounding machine. Some might question the inclusion of George Mikan however he was beyond a doubt the NBA’s first Big Man and a scoring machine for the Minneapolis Lakers. He began as Lew Alcindor and later became Kareem Abdul Jabbar, how good was he? The NCAA had a no dunk rule put in place while he was in college. Later in the NBA he would eclipse Chamberlains all-time scoring record before LeBron broke it recently. You say you need a shooter, how about Steph Curry? He is the most accurate 3-point shooter maybe in NBA history.

Need someone to take the shot with seconds remaining in the game…Steph’s your man. They nicknamed him the doctor because it was said, “Watch him operate on the court.” His given name is Julius Erving but the world knows him as Dr. J. This next player comes with an asterisk, it has nothing to do with his ability rather it was his start. Kobe Bean Bryant warmed the Laker bench for the first year or so of his NBA career. Once he was inserted into the lineup he became one of the best shooting guards of all time, can we say he was driven…I think that fits. Shaquille O’ Neal 7 foot 1 and 350 pounds, he played a power game and intimidated many opposing centers? How much power did he have, Shaq destroyed at least two NBA backboards. O’ Neal was responsible for the NBA adapting the collapsible rim. This account of generational players ends with the inclusion of Victor Wembanyama. I can hear you now, “Larry what are you doing including a player who’s only played ½ a season?” He is included for one reason alone, he is 7 feet 4 inches of budding talent and potential. IF he manages to avoid major injury the sky is the limit for Wemby, I believe he’s just that good. By now the wheels are turning, why didn’t you include Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Giannis Antetokounmpo or others. My answer is simple each of those names are outstanding players however their impact was lesser than those named, they were difficult to defend and had mad skills however they failed to change the game.

Mike Price

I wasn’t familiar with the name Mike Price, allow me to explain his connection to what you are about to read. If you are a friend or relative of Price this is not intended as a slam at him it’s intent is to point out an error in judgement. There was a story published regarding Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald, he’s in the College and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. A New York reader said, “I wish the Knicks had drafted Archibald instead of Price. I researched the 1970 NBA Draft, with the 17 pick in that’s year’s draft the Knicks settled on Price.

Two picks later at 19 the Cincinnati Royals (Kansas City Kings) chose Tiny.  Price had a 2-year career with the Knicks and another year with the ABA Pacers that was it. The numbers registered at Illinois by Price appear good however not exceptional. As for Tiny’s numbers at UTEP they were superior to those registered by Price. Walk with me on this, Price played in the Big 10 while Tiny was enrolled at mid major UTEP. As for my New York City guy the information I just provided is likely the reason the Knicks went the direction they did. What’s always said, “Hindsight is better than foresight.” The last portion is most telling, Tiny is a NYC guy, he played his high school basketball at DeWitt Clinton HS in the Bronx.

“The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room”

Portions of this were written in the recent past, if you remember it I won’t be offended if you decide to skip it. I have a friend who admitted to me “I like Stephen A. Smith,” why don’t you like him? This is not a hate issue because that is a word I rarely use, let’s just say his persona offends me and I will explain. Is Smith wrong in his view of the basketball world, of course not? Although it’s been rare there are occasions when Smith’s expressed a belief I agree with, if that is truly the case Larry Laker exactly what’s your issue with the guy?

 There is more than one issue, he’s a New York guy if he wants what is best for the Knicks so be it. It’s my opinion he might visit a particular subject and just pontificate it until you scream STOP, mute the sound or change channels. We are often given his view of NBA stuff through “his sources.” There have been many of these type stories in the past, one late last year involved Pacer guard Tyrese Haliburton. I’d mentioned this previously, Smith claimed to have contacted a front office person with the Knicks prior to the 2020 draft. He points out he told this person the Knicks needed to draft Haliburton. Of course that failed to occur as the Knicks would draft Obi Toppin (from Brooklyn) who is now a member of the Pacers. Two things occurred, the person he contacted had no authority to make for a change or Smith is making up the story.

He is doing this because Haliburton is having a career year and he knows the Knicks could have drafted him. In closing perhaps it’s a New York City thing, have you witnessed Smith increasing his volume in a number of discussions? This is the impression I get, “I’m gonna get as loud as I can to compensate for my point.” I’m sure the crew managing the board must adjust the mic for Smith, the louder he becomes the more a decrease in volume is required for him. As for the headline, it’s Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) from the movie American Gangster.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

NBA Rookie of the Year

I believe I declared the race over in early January, I said this as well. I don’t have a vote in the matter, I would be shocked if anyone other than Victor Wembanyama is named 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. Yes, I realize the Spurs lost once again but the last time I checked the game remains a team sport. One talented individual can make a basketball team better but not necessarily a winner, that is the case here…the Spurs roster is adequate but not great. Sunday evening Wemby had another one of those games, his effort was outstanding and the 5 blocked shots he registered continued his league leading ways.

Curious about the number I decided to check the record book. 7-foot 4 Mark Eaton playing for the Jazz accumulated 456 blocks in the 1984-85 season, in second place we find 7-foot 7 Manute Bol a member of the Wiz in 1985-86 had 397 during the season. With 30 games remaining in the NBA season Wemby could easily exceed 200 blocks. It’s unlikely Wemby wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year but certainly should received a few votes for the plaque. The youngster shines in two areas, I’ve mentioned this previously blocking shots and rebounding the basketball. As Kennan says the rebounds and shot blocking detail for us the effort Wemby makes for his game, he’s got a trait all athletes fail to possess. That’s the most exciting part of the bright NBA future for Victor Wembanyama.

They have deep, deep pockets

Some of you might be unfamiliar with the Koch family, they are among some of the richest in the nation…perhaps in the world. The family has been involved in all types of investments but to my knowledge sports has been excluded that is up to now. You might have read Nets owner Joe Tsai with 49% of the team is placing 10% of the shares on the market. Julia Koch widow of David Koch reveals a desire to become an NBA owner purchasing the 10% share.

This sale share would include Barclays Center, the WNBA Liberty, and the Nets practice facility. It would appear the three adult children of Julia Koch are probably more involved in the sale over the mother. The NBA will conduct a background check however unlike other instances there is no question regarding the finances of the Koch family from Wichita Kansas. According to Forbes, Koch has a net worth of $69.1 billion, that’s with a B. In a short amount of time the NBA family will most likely include selected members of the Koch family.

Abomination

I had to double check the headline, I wanted to ensure it was used correctly. One of the definitions for the word is Horror…that certainly applies to Mizzou basketball for the 2023-24 season. What most of Mizzou Nation believed promising has turned into a dreadful performance. So what occurred, a bunch of stuff 98% of it bad? In Dennis Gates I trust, I wanted to get that out of the way first. Unlike the Laker coaching situation the coach at Mizzou is on solid ground, there have been a series of unfortunate issues most of which were unplanned. Guard Sean East II came to the forefront this season but he was missing in action due to injury for two games. Transfer Tamar Bates with his play and scoring (13.6 ppg) has been one bright spot in a dismal season.

These backcourt twins have been steady most of the season but they have been the only ones. Now for the disappointments, I’m going to lead with Connor Vanover. All 7 foot 5 of him has been moved to the bench and likely out of the rotation. He’s somewhat limited but 7 foot 2 Mabor Majak has replaced Vanover in the limited minutes. I’m going back to the holdovers I expected more than what we’ve seen, guard Nick Honor and forward Noah Carter. Both exhibited strong play last season which has been missing for the most part. I believed Aiden Shaw would play better in his sophomore year that’s not turned out to be the case. At this point I will cease before I begin crying, just joking. Despite high expectations for the season they just didn’t prevail for a variety of reasons.

Are you worried, I’m certainly not

A well-known sports site on its mock draft places three international players 1, 2 and 3 in 2024. Of course they approach this from a “sky is falling,” it is clear they appear worried, I’m not. Who are the players you might ask, they are Alexandre Sarr a French youngster playing in Australia. Sarr stands   7 foot 1 and weighs 217 pounds, following him is Nikola Topic’ a 6-foot 6-inch 200-pound point guard. Topic’ hails from Serbia, the third pick by this mock is another French youngster Zaccharie Risacher.

Risacher is a 6-foot 9 204-pound small forward. This is just one mock draft site, in addition this is the mid to late February. By the time the June draft comes about all three of the names will likely be drafted, they might not be in the order projected but it will occur. We’ve heard the concerns expressed previously with Giannis, Joel and The Joker dominating the MVP vote over the last several years. Seeing a Wemby in action is exciting and in addition provides us proof of the growth of basketball worldwide. I cannot make you feel comfortable about the development of the game internationally but I’m not worried and neither should you.

NBA ranking

What do you suppose the net worth is for your favorite NBA team? The team at the very top according to Forbes surprised me, perhaps it might be an astonishment to you as well. In any event below are the top 5 and their net worth. Apply billion behind the number:

  1. Warriors $7.7 

  2. Knicks $6.6 

  3. Lakers $6.4

  4. Celtics $4.7

  5. Clippers $4.65

  6. Bulls $4.6

  7. Mavs $4.5 

  8. Rockets $4.4

  9. 76ers $4.3

10. Raptors $4.1

Any surprises for you in Forbes Top 10, there certainly was for me? I was surprised to see the Golden State Warriors at the top of the list. The Nets at 13 and the Wolves at number 29 was also a revelation. I would have thought with the Nets being located in New York City their net would be somewhere in the Top 10. As for the Wolves nothing stood out for me I just thought they might be higher on the Forbes list.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Trivia

After I read this NBA trivia I was forced to the record books to check for myself it didn’t make sense. I read that the late Walt Bellamy appeared in 88 games one season during his NBA career. I thought that doesn’t make sense and is it even possible? As the NBA has increased its number of teams so have the number of games played risen, despite this fact 82 games in a season is the standard. You can check for yourself but this is what I discovered.

In the 1968-69 season Bellamy began play as a member of the Knicks, at a point during that season he was traded to the Pistons. He played 35 games for the Knicks and another 53 games for the Pistons, that makes for a total of 88 games. Of course you realize back then there was no load management, unless a player was injured he was expected to be available to play. I guess a similar occurrence could occur today however its highly unlikely for a variety of reasons most of which have been pointed out.   

Maybe he can say, “I told you so!”

I have written on more than one occasion and you’ve read for yourself. The almost laughable statement made by Shaquille O’ Neal just in case you don’t remember here it is. Almost everyone (including me) might have gone overboard in our praise for Victor Wembanyama’s skill set. Shaq said, “We’ve seen him before, his name is Bol Bol.” Naturally his TNT mates almost laughed him off the studio floor, I agreed with them. What has Bol done that’s made Shaq lineup in his corner. It didn’t help his cause when Shaq concluded “He (Bol) is lazy.” Bol had a breakout game Saturday evening for his Suns team, he managed to fill up the box with impressive numbers.

Bol didn’t start the game for the Suns but managed to contribute 25 points on 11-17 shooting and snatched 14 rebounds off the boards. I’m quite sure Shaq is proud now that he's got proof of the ability of Bol in any future discussions. I cannot address the “lazy” term hung on him, I do believe there is a developmental issue in some instances. We’ve seen evidence of this shortcoming in the past, a number of Big Men are slow in their ability to adapt their game to the NBA level. Standing 7 foot 3- and 220-pounds Bol’s frame certainly closely resembles that of Wemby. This is good, maybe outstanding however play in one game fails to offer convincing proof. His game certainly provides us detail but Bol must accomplish this over and over and over, did I say over?

Time for change

A number of schools prohibit court storming, I’m unsure if there are any conferences forbidding it. This past Saturday Wake Forest had beaten Duke and I’m sure the students at Wake Forest were excited about hammering Duke. I’m sure no one was intentionally attempting to injure a Duke player but that’s what occurred. Kyle Filipowski Duke center sustained an injured knee when a Wake Forest student ran into him. It certainly is unproven however Filipowski claims “It was intentional.” Earlier a similar court storming caught Iowa’s Catlin Clark colliding with a student.

I’m unsure the first time a court storming occurred and I do understand the excitement. The home team was able to beat a visiting team that was expected to be a loss, I believe we get that. This occurred last season when Jerome Tang took over the K-State program, after beating rival Kansas students stormed the court. Tang went to the P.A. with minutes remaining in this year’s game students were told to remain in their seats, which they complied. It is time for this ritual to end, not because of Filipowski or Clark it’s just the fact a player or fan is going to be seriously injured.  

Kansas City sports talk radio

Some might remember it’s been nearly one year since I gave up. I quit listening to KC sports talk radio for several reasons, the key motivation.…the Chiefs. Don’t misunderstand its clear why the Chiefs dominate the local airways they have won 3 Super Bowls in the last 5 seasons. I discovered from the end of February through roughly July Chiefs talk continued to prevail. Did I expect NBA talk, of course not we no longer have an NBA team. What I found interesting despite this fact was one host routinely called local guy Kevin Harlin who broadcast NBA games and discussed everything in sport except the NBA.

It was not that fact alone, some of the statements made by these hosts were downright outlandish. I gave these examples in the past but will repeat them. One host wanted to start the college basketball season in January. His reasoning, the Chiefs domination of the airways he claimed, “we didn’t have time for basketball.” This from another host, “__________ is just interested in playing golf now, he’s waiting on his son to replace him once he retires at _______.” I wondered what that host might think about Bill Self and his basketball team this season. Finally from another host, “Oklahoma’s Trae Young has no ability to play in the NBA.” I wonder what that particular radio host might say now. I guess when you are on the air 3-4 hours a host can make a number of outlandish or stupid comments. 

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

November 17, 2023

You are probably asking the question, what’s the significance of that particular date? Allow a brief look at the present period first, on Friday evening Wemby had another 5-block game against my Lakers. Despite the blocks and his effort the Spurs lost the game 123-118. As for the blocks, that equals his total for the previous game, 10 blocked shots in consecutive games. Based on the numbers you can see why he continues to lead the NBA in that department. As my friend Keenan says, “Block shots detail your effort.” I might add to his statement.

The number of rebounds a player manages to accumulate during the course of a game. Wemby had 10 rebounds which matches his season average. As for the headline date I looked at his season long record. In that November17 game against the Kings Wemby scored 27 points in a loss but had 0 blocked shots in 30 minutes. That’s the only game to date he's failed to register a blocked shot. Wemby certainly has a height advantage but he might have a “heart” advantage too. In addition he joined Jamaal Tinsley (2001), the only rookies to have a 5X5 game. This would be at least 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks in a game. 

Houston has a point to prove

Houston has been involved in a historic basketball game in history, I’ve written in the past they were matched against UCLA playing what became known as The Game of the Century. It occurred on January 20, 1968, and it would become the first nationally televised game in history. Since then Houston basketball for the most part has produced competitive teams since that time. Over the years many have looked at the program as it moved through several conferences. The first was the Lone Star Conference then it was the Gulf Coast and later Missouri Valley.

For a time Houston played as an independent, it was during this period they played UCLA in 1968. Later the school would become conference affiliated joining the Southwest Conference first. When the SWC dissolved Houston moved into the newly formed Conference USA and from there it was a move to the American Athletic Conference. The expansion of the Big XII saw Houston apply to become a member of the conference. Last July Houston officially became a member of the Big XII and in their first season are on the road to a possible Big XII Championship. Now Kelvin Sampson and crew can boast they play in one of the best maybe toughest basketball conferences in the nation.

It’s the age we live in

A full week after the Super Bowl a “fan” claimed a Chiefs lineman was offsides on the touchdown play that was the winner. It was his opinion a penalty would have killed the drive thus preserving the win for the 49ers. He took this one step further by posting a photo of said play with an arrow pointing to the “offending” Chiefs lineman. I checked out the photo and noted the line judge standing some distance from the play, I believe he might have been close enough to toss a flag if he saw an infraction. We are discussing football but this issue has clearly occurred in college basketball as well as the NBA.

Decisions by officials are made in the blink of an eye, there are occasions when they miss plays, they are missed because game officials are human beings. This fan had a clear advantage over the line judge if an error had occurred. He could have viewed this video 10-15 times before he could come to the conclusion that officials missed the proper call. Officials have the opportunity to stop the game and review the play on video, even with this a mistake might still be made. Allow me to say this at the end, whatever the sport it’s a darn shame. We have individuals take one play out of a 60-minute football game or a 48-minute basketball game and decide “that’s why the 49ers (or Clippers, Bucks) lost the game.”

Chicago

Earlier I listed my Top 10 players from New York City and more recently it was Los Angeles. It’s now time for the Windy City edition, the best ballers Chicagoland has produced over time. I must always state if the name is unfamiliar to you check the archives for additional detail of that player. Each of these players were outstanding in the NBA, in the instance of Anthony Davis he is still an active player. With that said let’s begin the list, the names are not in any sort of order:

Mark Aguirre

Terry Cummings

Isiah Thomas

Dwayne Wade

Anthony Davis

George Mikan

Tim Hardaway

Derrick Rose

Tony Allen

Who did I leave off my list, well I could have included Maurice Cheeks, Michael Finley, Eddie Johnson plus a number of others who missed the cut. The names on this list took their game from the high school gyms of Chicagoland to the NBA. In the instance of Thomas, Wade, Mikan and Hardaway they took their game all the way to the Naismith Hall of Fame.

It must be a French thing

Louis Vuitton is a French luxury fashion house, my research uncovered the fact the company is much older than I first thought. The company first begun in 1854 is a world fashion leader. The Louis Vuitton line cover a wide range of fashion items, women’s purses, perfume, watches and large numbers of other items relating to style. Over time the company have used a number of celebrities such as actors, musicians and models in their marketing campaigns. For what I believe is the first time Louis Vuitton has signed an athlete to their brand.

The athlete Louis Vuitton embraced is Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. Draft night June 22, 2023, we witnessed Wemby announced as the first pick in the draft by commissioner Silver. Later we saw him interviewed by the ESPN television assembly, we saw a great deal of Wemby that night, even the suit he wore was on display. The dark green double-breasted suit worn that evening by Wemby was tailor made by Louis Vuitton. Can you imagine the amount of material required for his 7-foot 4-inch frame? Further we determined the majority of his outerwear is from his association with the Louis Vuitton fashion house. So there you have the story of Victor Wembanyama and unlike the 1971 movie classic The French Connection this time is unique.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

What do you think?

I read a story I’d like to share, a writer indicated commissioner Adam Silver was an exceptional leader. He was not greeted in the same manner of the NFL’s Roger Goodell or baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. Generally it appears when Silver is introduced to the public he doesn’t hear the chorus of boos the others received. Silver performs a similar role as the others, he works for the owners. He does represent the league but it’s ownership he’s beholden to. Silver worked in a number of capacities for the NBA since his 1992 hiring. In 2006 he became chief operating officer and deputy commissioner, when David Stern retired in 2014 Silver was named commissioner. Maybe the baptism of fire he underwent cemented a different view for fans over the others.

In the same year he took over operation of the league he forced then Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell the team based on racist remarks he’d made. To compound this move Silver placed a ruling in effect which banished Sterling for life, he could never associate himself with the NBA in any capacity. For those who don’t remember the events allow a brief explanation. The NBA took away the Clippers from Sterling’s ownership however he was paid market value for the team. I cannot be for sure but guess its more than the one event that’s painted a positive for Silver with much of the public. The next extensive venture will be NBA expansion, in the fall or winter 2025 Seattle and Las Vegas will likely be awarded franchises. Beyond that its unclear for me the direction of the NBA however unlike the view expressed by Stern any additional expansion will be to Canada or Mexico it will not be Europe.

I know, some of you are sick of this

At the beginning this is a Victor Wembanyama story, if you are one of those in the headline you can stop at this point. First allow me to defend my position, this is not the long-ago NBA. A rookie such as Wemby cannot arrive on the scene and instantly make his team a playoff contender. Let’s conduct a study of two All Star caliber players, both names are familiar to you, one from the past and the other remains active today.

In the 1992-93 season the Magic were 41-41 in Shaquille O’ Neal’s rookie season, the following year they were 50-32 and a playoff contender. As you can see there was improvement however they were not immediately a championship contender. The 2003-04 Cavs recorded a 35-47 won-loss record in LeBron’s rookie season, the following year they improved to 42-40 finishing two games above .500. As you can see neither of these perennial All Pros were able to reverse the fortunes of their team in a single season. There are certainly others however these two were the first that came to mind. Let’s check out the 2022-23 Spurs won-loss record, it was much worse than what the Magic or Cavs registered, the Spurs were 22-60 prior to Wemby’s arrival. In his Thursday night game (a loss) Wemby’s line read 19 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 5 block shots. The 5 blocked shots added to Wemby’s league leading NBA total.

“With the 500th rebound of his career Victor Wembanyama becomes the third-fastest player to total 1K+ points, 500+ rebounds, and 150+ blocks in their career. The only two players ahead of him are David Robinson (47 games) and Shaquille O’Neal (43 games).” I should be noted Wemby accomplished his number in 50 games. Finally consider this fact height alone fails to make someone outstanding at rebounds or blocking shots, however it details effort and a work ethic.

*SI.com fastbreak

This is my list 

I’m unsure about you but this college basketball season has been topsy turvy. We are fast approaching March, the NCAA Tourney is yet to begin but I’m confused. Who wins it all the first Monday in April, I have no idea however I can make a few guesses. I could begin with the defending NCAA Champions UConn Huskies, they are in my first 5 of contending teams. Besides the Huskies the Houston Cougars have probably been one of the more consistent teams this season. We cannot omit Purdue, the Boilermakers could go all the way to the championship as well.

Those are the top candidates to win it all, how about the second tier of teams? That would include the Kansas Jayhawks, Duke Blue Devils, Carolina Tarheels and Marquette Golden Eagles. I could add Arizona, Tennessee, Baylor and Iowa State. The NCAA Tourney always contains a Cinderella team, Florida Atlanta surprised all of us and so did Loyola Chicago. If we look way back the most improbable champions might have been North Carolina State in 1983, that team finished with a 26-10 record and 8-6 in the ACC. Another was the Kansas Jayhawks in 1988, they finished with a 27-11 record and they were only a 9-win conference team. As you might see there are a number of viable candidates who could win in 2024.

Beneath the radar

Usually NBA mock drafts contain large numbers of international players, most of us are unfamiliar with the names come draft time. What about an American most don’t know, we could say he’s flown “beneath the radar” for most of us.” Part of the reason for his potential hidden talent Cody Williams plays at Colorado. Colorado’s record as this is written is decent enough, they have 17 wins while losing but 9. Their record is respectable but not one that’s going to be mentioned on SportsCenter much.

At this point I must say I haven’t seen the 6-foot 8 190-pound Williams in action as this is written, I’m dependent on the words of others who indicate he’s got an NBA future. Similar to others in the past Williams has been in the top five all season, the latest nbadraft.net places him in the top slot. I will continue to follow his progress, based on this position I have serious doubts we might see him in action outside of Colorado games. Although he’s got a low profile he might decide to skip the NBA Draft Combine in May since it appears he’ll be picked in the top 10.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Your Top 5 NBA players

Name your group, i.e., your favorite NBA players. No explanation is necessary other than that particular player. I had to think about mine, first of all the names are not placed in any specific order. I have no intention to defend my list because it belongs to me. I should further explain, if these guys are on television or I have a rare opportunity to see them live (Doncic) you’d better bet I will attempt just that. It’s quite possible my favorites list is going to differ wildly from yours, with that here goes:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

D’Angelo Russell

Victor Wembanyama

Anthony Davis

Luka Doncic

Steph Curry

Jason Tatum

I realize there are 6 names on my list but I thought it was too difficult to exclude one of the names, I adapted by creating a 5a and 5b.

Once upon a time

That’s how most fairy tales begin however this is a tale of a different type, at one time DePaul basketball was a model of on-court success. This Chicago school tasted victory quite often over the years particularly under the late Ray Meyer, you’ve heard of the legendary George Mikan, his coach was Meyer. DePaul sent a number of players to the NBA maybe the last great one was Mark Aguirre (1978-1981). Aguirre and Mikan would be enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame with Mikan’s addition in the Naismith Hall of Fame. After Meyer retired his son Joey took over operating the program and it worked for a time.

In 2018-19 DePaul won 19 games the last time the school finished above .500, we must return to the 2006-07 season to see a DePaul team win more than 20 games. The school’s changed conferences, changed coaches yet continues to underperform. The question, has it become that difficult to recruit quality players? This once great basketball program has fallen on such hard times on the court few under the age of 30 know the history that once existed especially under Ray Meyer. At the time, the University of MO-Kansas City began playing Division I basketball I envisioned a “DePaul” type program, competitive basketball in an urban setting. Unfortunately UMKC never reach the levels I envisioned and DePaul has been unable to return to it’s glory days.

A decision has been reached

Derik Queen is awarded 5 stars by Rivals and 247Sports, both sites regard Queen as the number 15 prospect in the nation. The 6-foot 10 245-pound Queen is enrolled at Montverde Academy in Montverde Florida although his home is Baltimore Maryland. Among the teams offering scholarships were Houston, Kansas, LSU, Indiana and Maryland. As recently as last week a Kansas fan website believed they were a favorite for Queen however that is not the case. On Wednesday Queen made his announcement known by giving a verbal commitment to attend the University of Maryland. 

I came across his name

He’s headed to a college in the U.S. or maybe the G-League its claimed, his name is likely unfamiliar to most it was to me. His name is Khaman Maluach and he’s from South Africa. Maluach’s been attending the NBA Academy located in Saley Senegal a nation located in West Africa. He’s 7 foot 2 inches and 250 pounds but the balance of his stats leap out at us. Maluach has a 7 feet 4.5-inch wingspan, his hand span is 9.5 inches which says to me he can provide quite a defensive presence if nothing else.

Maluach has offers from Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA to name a few. I have no idea if he can play however all the schools listed must believe that to be the case otherwise why the scholarship offers? In my mind’s eye I can see Jon Scheyer thrilled about having Cooper Flagg and Maluach on the floor for his Blue Devils. Another name I will attempt to follow for a decision as to where he’s headed even if it’s the G-League.

That can’t be right…can it?

David Thompson is 69-years old now, the spring in his leaping ability departed long ago. Although he measured 6 foot 4 inches in height Thompson was reported to have a 44-inch vertical when he played at North Carolina State. Thompson was made the number one pick by the ABA Nuggets and NBA Hawks but chose to sign with the Nuggets. This “marriage” was made unique in that he was one of just a few players who was not forced to change teams when the ABA-NBA merger occurred.

You’ve heard the story about great leapers and their ability to touch the top of the backboard, Thompson could accomplish the feat. In any event that’s what we’ve been led to believe. His career only lasted 9 years, injuries and drug issues might have been the biggest factor in curtailing his career. In any event Thompson sought treatment and returned a changed man. He retired at the end of the 1984 season, he’d played the last two seasons for the Sonics. This is but a thumbnail sketch of one of the all-time great basketball players…you say how great? Thompson’s been enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQPVKQIFxVk

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

G-League Team Elite

I wanted to briefly revisit the commissioners discussion involving the Team Elite. My research indicates several players playing for Team Elite can earn up to $1 million dollars annually. That’s certainly a significant amount of money however the advent of NIL has placed them in second place. “There are at least three college basketball players earning above that amount with Bronny James earning $5.9 million. On the surface it would appear Team Elite is not going out of business however it no longer becomes the draw it was intended when originally begun. Fact, all basketball players in college are nowhere close to earning million-dollar salary’s however you can see the dilemma it presents for the NBA. 

“Did I do that?”

An American television comedy program titled Family Matters began in 1989 and ran for 9 seasons. A minor character named Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) came to the forefront and was actually to become the star of the program. Urkel was a first-class nerd, whenever he did something that caused a catastrophe the first words out of his mouth were, “Did I do that?” I feel like Urkel after I was singing the praises of UConn recently and the fact they were the number one college basketball teams in all polls.

This rise in the polls occurred on Monday and they were number one on Tuesday. Tuesday evening saw the Huskies were matched against the Creighton Bluejays 85-66. I wasn’t able to view the game but the after comment I found entertaining and wanted to share it with you. Coach Dan Hurley said, “Coaches did a bad job coaching, and players did a bad job of playing.” Despite the loss to Creighton I continue to maintain UConn will likely be there at the first Monday in April. Of course that’s barring an upset someplace in the NCAA Tourney.

Trae shoots from distance…splash

Will that be the announcement from Laker television broadcaster Bill McDonald next winter? You are probably saying to yourself, “Doesn’t Trae Young play for the Hawks?” Yes, that would be the case for Young as this is written in February 2024. Are the Lakers looking past the time LeBron James will be leading them, that well could be the case? A story has been circulating that the Lakers will make a trade to acquire Young.

Who do the Lakers trade to acquire the All-Star caliber point guard? D’Angelo Russell’s got to be at the top of the trade list although I would be reluctant to include him in any trade however that’s my observation, not management. Other than Russell the Lakers have a significant amount of talent to include in a trade. On the other end would the Anthony Davis-Trae Young combo be lethal to opposing teams? Young is a streaky shooter, my description of him…volume shooter. Despite Young’s shooting I’d have to admit he’s a superior assist man over Russell.

Nicknames

It seems as though nicknames have generally fallen out of favor in recent years. Based on that fact we must return to the past to cover most of them. We could begin with Julius Dr. J. Erving, he was supposed to have been given that name do to the manner he operated on the court. Another name from the past was the late Marvin Bad News Barnes, he was in a sense unwelcome news when he arrived on the court. Wilt Chamberlain had a couple of nicknames, The Big Dipper and Wilt the Stilt are the two most common. Shaquille O’ Neal went outside of basketball naming himself The Big Aristotle. Paul Pierce was nicknamed The Truth one I never figured out.

Another nickname confusing for me, Kevin Garnett certainly was large but how did he become The Big Ticket? Allen Iverson simply became The Answer or for some it was AI. A nickname for Giannis Antetokounmpo I never liked is The Greek Freak indicating he’s some kind of creature. We have Charles Barkley, The Round Mound of Rebound or Sir Charles. Anthony Davis is more commonly known as AD or The Brow. Kevin Durant has several nicknames but is generally referred to as KD, next up is Isiah Thomas of the Pistons, he was given the nickname Zeke. This story is closed out with another name from the past George Iceman Gervin, how he was tagged with the name is an unknown. Those are just a few of the names I uncovered in my research…there are many, many more.

What to expect

I mentioned recently I had become part of an American Basketball Association social media group. My hope was to pick up bits of information regarding the ABA unknown to me. Since I am not personally acquainted with any of the group’s members I have no idea of the age range. I have gained insight into the league that made the NBA take notice of them. As you were aware the recent NBA All Star Game was held in Indianapolis, of course the city was an original member of the ABA. I must explain that part to inform you of the next portion and my view.

At least two group members expressed disappointment that the ABA was not mentioned once. Think about that for a moment, the NBA consumed the ABA, they took in the players but not the records. Why would the NBA desire to entertain a discussion on a league that no longer exist? There was a discussion I found very entertaining. Three Hall of Fame players Larry Bird, Reggie Miller and Isiah Thomas discuss Indiana basketball. Bird of course played his high school basketball at French Lick and Indiana State, Miller spent his NBA career with the Pacers and Thomas begin his NBA career at the University of Indiana.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

This is troubling

Ohio State upset Purdue over the weekend 73-69 but that wasn’t my focus, my attention was on Purdue’s Zach Edey all 7 foot 4 and 300 pounds of him. His game was decent, 22 points 13 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. I’ve mentioned over and over despite his Player of the Year accolades last season the NBA has taken a hum hold view of his NBA potential. I didn’t see the game only a photo taken at a point, Ohio State’s Evan Mahaffey is shown blocking an Edey shot at the basket. Players have shots blocked all the time except in this instance I checked Mahaffey’s bio and this is troubling.

Mahaffey stands 6 foot 6 inches in height but is, reported to have a 6-foot 11-inch wingspan. Because I didn’t see the game nor the block I must guess the series of events. Opposing Edey for most of the game must have been Flex Okpara 6-foot 11-inch center, according to the box Okpara was limited offensively. As for Mahaffey did Edey make the same mistake a number of Big Men tend to do at times. Raising the ball from waist level to take the shot, sometimes especially a guy with long arms you are providing them an opportunity to block you. Personally I’d like to see Edey in the NBA however having his shot blocked by a player of Mahaffey’s stature is a little concerning.

Where in the world are we?

That’s an interesting question based on the worldwide growth of basketball. We could be in Canada and not following the NBA Raptors. We could be attending a game between the Windsor Express and the London Lightning two teams in the National Basketball League of Canada. On the other hand we might find ourselves in Montreal watching the Alliance and Calgary Surge teams who play in the Canadian Elite Basketball League which began play in 2019.

On the other hand we could journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the UK, there in action we might see the Bristol Flyers and their opposition in the London Lions. Heading onto the European continent we'd find a number of teams from several nations all part of Euroleague basketball, Wemby's former team Metropolitans 94 is a member. Despite turmoil in the Middle East we find teams in the Israeli Basketball Premier League competing against one another. Our flight stops next in Australia and we take in action from the National Basketball League or NBL, several players began honing their skill in the NBL prior to heading for a U.S. college or the NBA.  

Flying in a northerly direction we land in South Korea and take in a game from the Korean Basketball League, this between two teams representing the capital city. The Seoul Samsung Thunders are facing the Seoul SK Knights, not that unusual, the NBA has the Lakers and Clippers in Los Angeles and the Knicks and Nets in New York City. This is but a small number of professional basketball leagues around the world, their numbers far exceed the total of football and baseball teams around the world. The game at least the NBA version might not be growing however worldwide is a different story.   

This is interesting 

Until 1947 major league baseball was segregated, black players were not permitted to play. Jackie Robinson would go on to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers that year, he began play in Negro Leagues baseball. This was the “major leagues” for black baseball players until Robinson broke the color barrier. By now you are wondering where I’m headed, how about Dr. J., Julius Erving? On are about 2020 this occurred, MLB baseball recognized “Seven Negro Leagues as major leagues and adopted the statistics of more than 3,400 players in those leagues from 1920 to 1948 into the official record.”

Exactly how these records are listed in Cooperstown is unknown however they are no longer excluded as they had once been. Back to Dr. J. who started this research project, if we looked up the point totals for Dr. J. NBA.com indicate he scored 18,364 points in his 11-year NBA career but he actually totaled more points than that. According to figures I was able to discover Dr. J. scored a total of 30,026 points if his ABA numbers are included in the point total. I used the doctor as the example however there are other former athletes who played in the ABA and NBA. The NBA needs to do the same as Major League baseball include ALL the records.

*The Athletic

Who placed him in charge?

If you go to ESPN’s NBA page you will note Stephen A. Smith’s face all over it. There are several subjects and players he provides us his view. My question, who appointed him in charge of EVERYTHING? The latest example is the dunk contest held at NBA All Star Weekend. The competition has become a ho-hum event and needs a boost, according to Smith we are aware of the why. Mr. Smith has determined the problem with the dunk contest can be laid at the feet of LeBron James.

Smith claims because LeBron refuses to compete it’s gone downhill. There is no argument at 55 years of age (just kidding) he remains the face of the NBA but why is the problem LeBron’s alone? There are other high profile players who are non-participants in the dunk contest. There is no requirement for me to go over the rosters of NBA teams and begin naming names. The point I’m attempting to make the fact the dunk contest is so lack luster is more than LeBron James alone, its bunches of other players who refuse to participate. Maybe somebody should take time and explain that to Smith.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

I said it

My Kansas friends didn’t appreciate my social media post on Sunday. I asked the question because I didn’t see the game, how did Kansas beat UConn. The Huskies appear to be the best team in the nation based on their 24-win record and occupying the top spot in the AP and Coaches poll. A brief look back informs us the Jayhawks won 69-65 in the game played at Allen Fieldhouse December 1. A home game must have certainly assisted in the win for the Jayhawks.

Was there anything else that stands out looking back two months ago? The Jayhawks shot a sizzling 50% from the floor and a solar 64.3% from the 3-point line. The Huskies only shot 41% from the floor but a fair 39% from three, in addition they were only 50% from the free throw line. As for the other areas the box score indicates they were pretty much even. In any event the win looks outstanding on the resume for Kansas, they along with Seton Hall are the only schools to date able to claim victory over coach Dan Hurley's Huskies.

A coaching change

You know the old story don’t you, “A coach gets too much credit when the team wins and too much blame when they lose.” That is the case for Jacque Vaughn, as the Tuesday edition was being completed came a major announcement. The Brooklyn Nets make it known head coach Vaughn had been fired, at the time of his firing the team had a 21-33 record. While this is not news of a shocking nature it still makes for a question regarding Nets management. Since the team moved to Brooklyn there have been 6 men not counting interim coaches sitting in the first chair since 2012.

I have no idea if the same management is in place however consider this one fact. Nets management hired two head coaches (Jason Kidd, Steve Nash) with no prior coaching experience. At this point it is my guess the Nets will have an interim take over for what remains of the season. Perhaps management might have a name under consideration as this is written, a hire is unlikely before the middle portion of April would be my thought. Kevin Ollie former NBA player and current Nets assistant coach has been promoted to the first chair with interim coach placed in front of his name. We shall see if this change moves the Nets into a more favorable realm.

A fix was not there

The East won 211 to the 186 scored by the West squad, that is no typo. There were 200 points scored by the winning team and a fix I expected was not there. Some might remember last season I expressed a belief how terrible the NBA All Star game was last season. It had nothing to do with the score it was the manner the teams had been assembled. We had players from Milwaukee teamed with players from Los Angeles i.e., east and west guys on the same team.

Too much for me I boycotted the game pining for a return to the original format. I hoped change was in the air and it was, the league announced it would return to the East-West format. I sat down in front of my television Sunday evening and what I saw was indescribable. NBA All Star games have never seen outstanding defensive efforts this one had ZERO. I watched through the first quarter then changed channels. I’d hope the action would be improved however it wasn’t, I watched through the 3rd quarter and could take no more. I’m going to say it, some of you will be displeased with my statement. It’s my belief the 3-point shot indiscriminately used is going to kill basketball at all levels. I happen to believe the shot, like anything else in life, should be fulfilled in moderation.

The All-Star game saw its use at the very worst level in my opinion. As with most of you I took so many courses during my educational process I don’t remember who said it. The quote goes something like this, “Everything cycles, clothing, shoes, vocabulary and a number of other things might go out of style but eventually return in some form.” I have been ready for quite a while low-post basketball to return and not so much darn emphasis on shooting from distance.

A name to follow

On Sunday, the South Florida Bulls beat the number 24 Florida Owls 90-86. The win for the Bulls became number 20 for the season and they are likely to earn an NCAA invite. This discussion centers on the coach of the Bulls, Amir Abdur-Rahim. After a time spent playing at Garden City Community College and Southeastern Louisiana he moved into the coaching ranks. His first job in 2006 was an assistant at Murray State, from there it was three more stops as an assistant before being hired as head coach at Kennesaw State in Kennesaw Georgia.

Abdur-Rahim’s slow start as a head coach was certainly underwhelming to say the least, he began with a 1 win 28 game loss record. By the time he left for South Florida he compiled a 26-9 record this past season. I am unfamiliar with who might have been in place when he took over the program but winning 20 games at this point in the season certainly says outstanding to me. At 42-years of age this is not likely his last stop, if he continues his winning ways I could see another Division I program reaching out to Abdur-Rahim. By the way if the last name sounds familiar it should to some. He is the brother of Shareef who played in the NBA and is the current president of the NBA G-League.

“It’s up to him”

Those are the words of LeBron James answering the question. He was interviewed and the subject centered somewhat on Bronny and whether he leaves USC for the NBA. LeBron indicates the decision belongs to his son, naturally I would guess input from the parents would impact Bronny’s choice too. I am sure Bronny’s health has made for a different conclusion versus this time last season. 

As he was preparing for college it’s likely the belief most believed he’d be a one and done athlete. Health matters drastically affected the plan, and this is what I saw. Once the medical staff approved him for play a decision was made by the medical and coaching staff, Bronny would take on a reserve role. Despite playing limited minutes through his freshman year he’s been unable to do anything that provides proof he is ready for the NBA. For me this is more than simply playing a reserve role it’s the shooting. The 5.6 points a game as a reserve is not critical for me, the 36.5% from the floor and 27.5% from three is bothersome. His assist and rebound numbers in a reserve role are good. Okay Larry Laker you are providing a wealth of negatives exactly what’s your position?

I am NOT proclaiming Bronny's not an NBA prospect I just believe he’s not ready currently. I realize Bronny (and LeBron) want to combine their talent on a team however I believe both will be better served in the 2026-27 NBA season. As conditioned as LeBron James is I could see him play limited minutes despite his age being a factor. This is my view alone, a final decision is yet to be made by the James family we must wait for a May 2024 answer.

Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Wow

Will NBA G-League Team Elite be shut down, that’s not a statement however it could be at some point in the near future. Commissioner Silver pointed to a fact I believe most of us hadn’t considered. Silver pointed out there are college athletes Bronny James and Shedeur Sanders to name just two whose incomes far exceeds those playing for Team Elite. The same story might prevail for rival OTE also providing salaries to its participants. No decision has been reached at this time but the future for G-League Team Elite and OTE might be in serious jeopardy.

Bits n Pieces   

By now you are aware I take the State of Missouri motto seriously. In case you are unfamiliar it says, “I’m from Missouri you’ve got to Show Me.” That’s it, don’t tell me Show Me by what you are able to accomplish and that’s the point for me. I’m uncomfortable with Laker coach Darvin Ham, I’m not calling for him to be fired but confused by his statements. This is an example, after signing Spencer Dinwiddie the coach said, “Maybe I’ll use a three-guard lineup in some instances.” He would be utilizing Austin Reaves, D’Lo and the newly acquired Dinwiddie in this projected lineup. My first thought is a team’s lineup, you are giving up height. On the other hand this is not intended to be a permanent move only if the game allows it.

I came across an interesting story one unfamiliar to me and probably you as well. There is a shoe, PF Flyers, which apparently has been on the market since the early days of basketball. The shoe looks remarkably similar to the Converse Chuck Taylor’s. According to my research the PF stands for Performance Fit and this shoe first arrived on the market in 1937. Originally a product of the B.F. Goodrich Tire Company the shoes are now manufactured by Kassia Designs. This might be a first, it was not Dr. J., Magic or Bird with the first basketball shoe endorsement. The honor goes to former Celtic Bob Cousy, his signature shoe was first made available in 1953.

This is a little different basketball story you might have heard previously. PJ Tucker wants to leave the Clippers but he refuses a buyout. You might remember Tucker was acquired in a trade October 31, he’s indicated he didn’t ask for the trade to the Clippers and he desires to play for another team. Based on his very public stance the Clippers fined Tucker a record $75,000. Tucker is now 38 years of age and his stance is interesting…what do you think?

It was the money

4-5 years after its founding (1967) the decision to sign with an NBA or ABA team might be clear, in the first year of operation no one has any idea what will occur for this startup league. Based on the future being unknown money became the decider in that initial ABA season? For the late Mel Daniels the decision was simple, it was the money…the explanation now follows. After playing for the University of New Mexico Daniels says the higher number was the decider. Drafted by the NBA Cincinnati Royals (Kings) “They offered $15,000 as a bonus and $17,500 salary. On the other hand the Minnesota Muskies of the ABA offered $15,000 bonus and a $30,000 salary. So somehow the higher number won out.”

Daniels was named ABA Rookie of the Year with 22 points and 15.6 rebounds a game and then a strange thing occurred…a trade. It’s been mentioned on several occasions that a substantial number of ABA teams were hemorrhaging money, the Muskies were one of those teams. Daniels along with others was traded to the Indiana Pacers where he would spend the major portion of his basketball career. After retirement Daniels remained in the game as an assistant coach, he helped develop a guy by the name of Larry Bird while he was an assistant at Indiana State. Daniels was honored and enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2012. He died in 2015 complications from heart surgery, he was 71. Daniels bio indicates he was a poet, he wrote more than 20,000 poems in his lifetime. Mel Daniels is a name you should be familiar with from basketball’s rich past.