Basketball from a fans perspective

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We have come to a halt for now

Intuit Dome is now open officially the project is finished, I had posted earlier entertainer Bruno Mars would be the opening act, October 23 the first regular season game will be played by the Clippers as they begin the start of the season. As for other projects I will state they appear in a holding pattern. The only one approved thus far is a new arena in Oklahoma City has been announced but that’s about it, no architectural renderings have been produced to date.

The arena has a planned opening of 2029 which is still possible however groundbreaking must occur by the end of this year to reach the established timeline. In Philadelphia, the water is certainly murkier than in Oklahoma City, there are residents and city government concerns on 76 Place at Market East. I’d reported earlier Camden New Jersey is now in the middle of this project hoping to lure the Sixers to move across the state line. In San Antonio, the Spurs want to build a $1.2 billion arena and stadium downtown. The Express-News indicates the Spurs are working with city officials trying to figure out who pays. There you have the latest information available on various arena projects.

What if I told you

If you live in Chicagoland and age 50 and below you thought it was the Bulls. As far as you were aware Chicago’s had only one NBA team and that’s the Bulls, that is actually not the case. Chicago and the NBA go back to the origins of the league…that long ago. Chicago was an inaugural member of the Basketball Association of America (NBA) which began play in 1946. The Stags were good, the first season saw them finish with a 39-22 record. In the playoffs the Stags won in the semi-finals against the defunct Washington Capitols 4 games to 2

Despite this fact in the finals they lost against the Philadelphia Warriors 4 games to 1. The following season would be the only losing one in their brief history, after the 1949-50 season they closed shop. With that came a bit more NBA history, Bob Cousy was drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks but wouldn’t sign. Cousy’s draft rights were traded to the Stags and when the team folded a dispersal draft was held. The Celtics chose Cousy and the balance of that is NBA history. Home court was Chicago Stadium which later became the House of Michael Jordan but that would be much later. In 1961 the NBA expanded and Chicago was awarded a franchise nicknamed the Packers. The basis for a name change is unclear but the second season witnessed a name change as the team became the Zephyrs, year three the franchise moved to Baltimore Maryland.

Expansion teams suffer in their early years due to the number of losses. Despite this issue they managed to draft a Hall of Fame player Walt Bellamy who became NBA Rookie of the Year in 1962, this was followed by Terry Dischinger who was 1963 NBA Rookie of the Year. Bellamy is in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame, Dischinger was honored by his selection to the College Basketball Hall of Fame. After this move Chicago was without an NBA team until the expansion Bulls were born in 1966. The Bulls become the third NBA team to have Chicago on the front of their travel jersey.

The rivalry continues

As this is written I’m unsure if the Pac-12 still exists, despite my statement I believe a portion of the conference lives on. Arizona and UCLA longtime conference rivals will continue their own court battles. This will be done despite the fact these two Pac-12 members are now in separate conferences. Arizona’s now moved into the Big XII and UCLA is a member of the Big 10. According to the statement the school’s will face one another at least 3 times over the next 4 years.

This development reminds me of the Kansas-Mizzou rivalry, at the time Mizzou departed for the SEC parties associated with the Jayhawks were upset with the move. I continue to believe to this day without offering you any proof it was Kansas coach Bill Self. A charity game between the two schools was primarily responsible for renewing the rivalry again. This effort to continue play with rivals is not new, Rutgers was a member of the AAC from 1991-2013. At the time Rutgers departed for the Big 10 Conference they continued non-conference play with one former longtime rival.

Did it begin with him

I just watched Iceman on NBA TV, the copyright says 2023, although I’ve never seen it before I’m sure some of you have. Magic Johnson claims, “Without George Gervin there would be no Magic,” a compelling statement made by him. Although Gervin is in the Naismith Hall of Fame for a number of reasons his name is missing in conversation when we discussed the best ever. Although Magic was born in Lansing it’s only 100 miles as the crow flies from Detroit. Detroit, nicknamed the Motor City and it was also the home of Motown and headquarters still for much of the American automobile industry. Gervin was born April 27, 1952, in Detroit.

His bio indicates “He struggled on and off the basketball court until his senior year, a growth spurt allowed him to average 31 points and 20 rebounds.” It was Eastern Michigan were he made his name although initially he began college play at Cal State-Long Beach. Gervin tasted success on the basketball court however a fight with an opposing player and yearlong suspension caused him to withdraw from school. Initially he played for a team in the defunct Continental Basketball Association, later it would be the San Antonio Spurs of the ABA. How did the nickname “Iceman” come about, it was claimed he played the game at a high skill level without sweating. There is so much to cover about the man most of it his interaction with other human beings over basketball. He is one of those individuals enshrined twice, in the College and Naismith Hall of Fame, time and space will not permit all there is to the George “Iceman" Gervin story.