Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The strange and unusual development

Because we as fans are not part of the discussions we must guess the series of events. Glen Taylor remains the owner of the Wolves, for nearly two years the public was informed Taylor intended to sell the team. The purchasers would be former Yankee baseball player A-Rod and his partner Marc Lore. Lore’s bio indicates he’s an entrepreneur, businessman and investor. I cannot provide the exact date, it was as recently as 7-10 days ago, Taylor announced in so many words the sale was off. It was cancelled then it wasn’t because Taylor said, “He would still negotiate with A-Rod and Lore.” This latest development would appear to be the basis for the reported cancellation of the sale.

Adrian Wojnarowski ESPN Insider (and others) claim the partnership of A-Rod/Lore are arriving with plans to cut the payroll of the team. Woj claims the prospective owners want to eliminate the luxury tax the Wolves are paying. My thoughts, anytime you begin a discussion of this type as an owner you are certainly not discussing the 12th or 14th player on the roster. Salary discussions involve those at the top of the food chain KAT, Rudy Gobert and maybe Mike Conley. How Anthony Edwards impact the bottom line is unknown, his salary at present is nowhere close to those named. With me having no knowledge of Ant Man’s contract perhaps he’s due for a boost in salary. The Wolves haven’t won anything yet however this is the best team they have exhibited in quite a time. This is another story which must be followed to it’s conclusion whatever that might be.

“He ain’t coming through that door”

Who becomes the next coach of the Kentucky Wildcats? That is the question for much of the college basketball world. We know who turned down the job, that would be Dan Hurley at UConn. Just kidding folks, after winning the 2024 NCAA championship Hurley’s not headed anywhere except home. As for the NO’s, Jay Wright retired as coach at Villanova and has no desire to head back to the cauldron of college basketball. Nate Oats Alabama Crimson Tide has also said no along with Billy Donovan Chicago Bulls coach. Those are the coaches who gave an early no when questioned on taking over at Kentucky.

At or near the top of the list is Scott Drew at Baylor, Tommy Lloyd Arizona, Bruce Pearl Auburn, Buzz Williams Texas A&M, Brad Underwood Illinois. Rick Pitino’s name was mentioned but this is pure speculation, he’s 72-years old and Kentucky probably has no desire to repeat this effort in 3-5 years. Those are the names being circulated by the media however I’m sure there are others I might have omitted. Kentucky might be one of the most high-profile basketball programs in the nation and its likely no school’s assistant will be considered. Before this was published came word Boogie Cousins says the next Kentucky coach should be Rajon Rondo, despite Cousins belief in his former Kentucky teammate this is highly unlikely. I have no speculative power regarding this hire.

Where they have been

The Clippers are anxious to move into the Intuit Dome in the fall. For the first time in forever they have a building that belongs to only them, that’s not to state only basketball will be played in the arena. The truth of the matter they will be responsible for who comes or who goes, the Clippers will have the best dates, no longer must they contend with Sunday afternoon games. I thought it would be noteworthy to look back at the succession of arenas the Clippers have called home. There was no intent to cover the time spent in San Diego, this covers the after move only. The team moved from San Diego to Los Angeles and settled in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, this was 1984-1994.

 From 1994-1999 home for the Clippers was the Honda Center (formerly known as the Pond at Anaheim). Staples Center (now Crypto.com) opened in October 1999, this saw the Lakers, NHL Kings and Clippers it all requires play dates. This I believe without offering you any proof, the Clippers were the last franchise to sign a lease agreement which most likely placed them behind the Lakers and NHL Kings for scheduling dates. I’ve stated this over and over, pro teams such as the Lakers and Clippers should not be sharing the same space. This ends in October 2024 when the Clippers move into a building where they are the primary tenants. The Clippers will have a clear advantage over the Lakers…their own building something the Lakers cannot say as they continue to share with the NHL Kings.

He's come to the forefront

An athlete can be a member of an NBA team and still remain ‘somewhat invisible,’ that is the case for Rui Hachimura Laker. Since so little is known about the Lakers power forward I decided to do a deep dive. He was born in Toyama Japan about 419 km from Tokyo 26 years ago, his mom is Japanese and his father is from Benin a nation on the western continent of Africa. What I found interesting after playing baseball he later gravitated to basketball. Hachimura begin playing basketball in high school and this next portion should be noted as well.

Gonzaga has long recruited international players, either coach Mark Few’s staff scouted him or he was brought to the attention of someone associated with Gonzaga. He arrived on these shores and four years later found himself in the 2019 NBA draft and chosen by the Wizards in the first round. His adjustment to the NBA was low key, that first year saw him score at a 13.5 ppg clip. Hachimura earned a spot on the NBA Rookie second team in 2020. January 2023 saw him traded to the Lakers. He was moved in and out of the starting lineup until this season, at a point after the first of the year his role as the starting power forward was solidified. Standing 6 foot 8 and 230 pounds he’s filled a number of roles for the Lakers this season, one of them is winner.