Basketball from a fans perspective

A bit of trivia

There is another NBA record that will likely remain with just these two players. In the history of the NBA (1946) only two players in the league history have been Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season. The first name might be more familiar than the other but they are Wilt Chamberlain with the Philadelphia Warriors and Wes Unseld of the Baltimore Bullets, interesting in that both were centers. Chamberlain was first to accomplish the feat gaining the honor in 1960, years later in 1969 Unseld was able to gain the honor as well: No block shot totals exist for the pair, the NBA did not begin to track them until the 1973-74 season. 

Chamberlain 37.6 points, 27.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists

Unseld 13.8 points, 18.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists

What happened was

The American Basketball Association was born in 1967 with 11 teams throughout the nation. Of course you are aware expansion by the NBA in 1976 took in the 4 most profitable teams. The Pacers, Spurs, Nets and Nuggets moved into the older league while other teams were dissolved. What happened was…what if there had been no ABA because the “other” league was still operating. The American Basketball League began play in 1961 consisted of 8 teams with the Kansas City Steers being one of the leagues franchises. The ABL was quite innovated with its approach to the game, it was this league and not the ABA that first utilized a 3-point basket. In addition instead of a 24-second clock the ABL utilized a 30-second clock, they had an 18-foot wide free throw lane while the NBA was at 12 feet. Later the NBA would also widen its lane to 16 feet. How did the ABL come into existence you ask?

In the early days of the NBA they couldn’t draw fans so the Harlem Globetrotters would often play first and then the NBA game. This arrangement worked successfully for both however this is where it becomes messy. The late Abe Saperstein owner of the Trotters believed there was a deal in place. Saperstein was promised an NBA franchise in Los Angeles, of course that would not be as Bob Short then owner of the Lakers was allowed to move his team from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. Saperstein believing he’d was betrayed began his own league to compete with the NBA. ABL ownership was under financed which forced the league to cease operations after one full season and ½ of the following. The Kansas City Steers lost the first championship series to the Cleveland Pipers 3 games to 2. The 1962-63 season, which closed in December saw the Steers crowned ABL Champions. Once the league went out of business a number of coaches and players found their way to NBA jobs. This is the brief history of the even briefer American Basketball League.

Meanwhile….

This quote comes from the 1986 movie Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood in the lead role. Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway (Eastwood) informed his recon team when he first took over, “We’re paid to improvise, overcome, adapt.” That’s should be adopted by college basketball coaches today, this is not your father’s Big XII Conference. What is interesting to me the greatest number of complaints regarding the portal and Name, Imagine & Likeness have come from coaches who’s teams for a variety of reasons failed to succeed. A coach recruits that portal player believing he fits the coaches system, it’s soon determined that is not the case. It’s the same case, recruiting a high school youngster and later discovering he can’t fit your system. The college basketball landscape has changed, coaches must improvise, overcome and adapt.

He's got a vivacious wardrobe, allow an explanation. There are several generations of Knicks fans who primarily recognize Walt 'Clyde' Frazier for his distinctive suits and his role as a commentator on the MSG Network. Known by the nickname Clyde, he was instrumental in the Knicks’ two NBA Championship victories. He has been inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame, highlighting his exceptional college and NBA career with the Knicks. Following his retirement, Clyde transitioned seamlessly into a role as a color analyst for the Knicks, where he has become a fixture alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Breen. Regarding his attire, it is best described as unique and unparalleled, with a sense of style that is exclusively his own.

The battle is now officially over, Marc Lore and his business partner Alex Rodriguez are assuming ownership of the Wolves and WNBA Lynx. The sale of these franchises had been held up like forever by Glen Taylor owner, he claimed Lore and Rodriguez had failed to make a payment which the partners denied. Back and forth they went in court until an arbitrator was appointed to settle the dispute. The arbitrator sided with Lore and Rodriguez in February and Taylor is no longer challenging the sale. It is also being reported the two business partners added others to the ownership group. So maybe the longest running sale for an NBA franchise in history has finally concluded.

Dylan Harper of Rutgers has declared for the June draft which is not a true surprise. It had been rumored since the beginning of the college season he was likely to be a one and done freshman. The 6 foot 6 inch 215 pound Harper was a McDonald’s All American prior to his single season at Rutgers. As for the NBA Draft depending on which site was utilized Harper was projected as high as the number 2 pick and as low as the number 4. Harper is one of the son’s of former NBA player Ron Harper who played for the Cavs, Bulls and Lakers.

Have you noticed

This occurs with many team sports, there are several that struggle to achieve success. The challenge could be related to the roster, the management, or ownership. It is important to note that maintaining a top position in team sports is extremely difficult. Because this is a basketball blog that will be our focus here, specially the NBA. The follow history will detail a few teams who consistently faced challenges. Our study begins with the Washington Wizards, they ended the 2017-18 season with 43 wins and 39 losses. Since then, have experienced seven consecutive losing seasons. They are not alone in their futility, we have the Sacrament Kings to explore.

They have shown improvement as this is written they are hovering around .500, for two consecutive seasons the Kings had winning records even earning a playoff berth last season. Prior to that they were beyond a doubt the worst team in the NBA, from the 2006-07 season until 2023-24, they experienced 16 consecutive losing seasons. The last team we’ll look at is the Detroit Pistons, they are currently improving however from the 2008-09 season onward, they only had two winning seasons (2015-16 and 2018-19). It is evident that three key elements are necessary for success on the basketball court: a talented roster, a good coach, and a cooperative front office working towards creating a winning team.