The view of a fan

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It is a big deal

Toni Bryant Class of 2026 committing to Mizzou is a big deal. He chooses the Tigers over Kansas, North Carolina, plus the fact Michigan and Arizona and nearly 20 other schools’ had offers on the table for Bryant. Of course you realize this is quite a coup on the part of Dennis Gates, Kansas and Carolina are considered Basketball Blue Blood programs. Here’s what to like about the 6-foot 10 Bryant choosing Mizzou over the others, “Coach Gates is laying a foundation and I want to be part of taking it to the next level.” The words of this prospect mean little if he fails to live up to what is hoped to be a dazzling time at Mizzou.

This journey is not exclusive to Bryant, he and other prospects including those in the transfer portal must be able to mold their skills into a cohesive team.  In discussing incoming talent on Tuesday I omitted 4-star Scottie Adkinson, he is a Class of 2027 point guard who verbally committed in July as well, the St. Louis native said via X, “MIZ I’m staying home” As this is written (Sept 10) according to 247Sports.com Mizzou has the 3rd best recruiting class for 2026, On3.com places Mizzou at the top of its list. Hopefully, you can see as Bryant declared Gates and his staff are laying the foundation for a successful basketball program in the State of Missouri.

Have the Lakers become an international team

This is not intended as a complaint, but rather as an informational observation. I recently discussed the prospects of the Lakers for the upcoming season with a friend of mine. Following our conversation, my friend remarked, "Soon the Lakers are going to become an international team." Upon reflection, I realized his assessment may well be accurate. The NBA game exported by former commissioner David Stern has continued to grow on the world stage.

My primary focus remains on team performance; while the individual journeys of Laker players hold interest, my central concern is their ability to contribute effectively on the court. The NBA, much like Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League, now features a growing contingent of international athletes. Of course the bulk of soccer (football) athletes has always contained a large number, so I hope this trend represents positive progress. While not all individuals listed below will secure roster positions, the following names reflect both the player and their country of origin:

Rui Hachimura-Japan

Luka Doncic-Slovenia

Deandre Ayton-Bahamas

Maxi Kleber-Germany

Christian Koloko-Cameroon

*Adou Thiero-Mali

Augustas Marciulionis-Lithuania

*Born in Salt Lake City, his parents are from Mali

The last Top 10 Picks

In June 2025, Cooper Flagg, Duke forward, was universally recognized as the leading candidate for the top draft pick. If someone other than Flagg had been chosen the world would have stopped spinning on its axis. Okay that’s a slight bit exaggerated but you understand the belief of what might have occurred in the NBA community. When considering other number one draft selections over the past decade, outcomes have varied widely due to numerous factors. Some athletes do not make a significant impact until the second or third year in the NBA. There are others who fail to live up to expectations due to performance issues at the professional level.

Unfortunately, injuries can also significantly affect the potential path of a top pick, in this instance Zion Williamson is the first name that comes to mind. There is no question on his potential I believe, he’s suffered injuries that have seriously impacted his career. Much earlier, 2007 Greg Oden’s career was derailed more severely, Oden was no longer in the NBA by year 5. In addition to that he never was able to play complete season. With these considerations in mind, we analyze whether each player met initial expectations. Notably, only Ben Simmons and Victor Wembanyama have achieved the distinction of being both the first overall draft pick and Rookie of the Year. Could Cooper Flagg make for a trio of top picks who earn that honor, it’s certainly possible?

2025 Cooper Flagg-Mavs

2024 Zaccharie Risacher-Hawks

2023 Victor Wembanyama-Spurs*

2022 Paolo Banchero-Magic

2021 Cade Cunningham-Pistons

2020 Anthony Edwards-Wolves

2019 Zion Williamson-Pelicans

2018 Deandre Ayton-Suns (Simmons missed 2016-17, his rookie year was the 2017-18 season)

2017 Markelle Fultz-Sixers

2016 Ben Simmons-Sixers**

*NBA Rookie of the Year

**Draft year

The NBA in Europe

As former commissioner David Stern extended the NBA footprint he mentioned Europe being primed for expansion. At the time it was believed the Knicks would fly across the Atlantic Ocean and play teams located in Paris or London. That was the plan, it’s been revised to an extent since then. Prior to expansion being implemented there will be major refinements to be made for “NBA Europe” becoming a viable basketball product. Rather than provide my view of this move I thought it better to provide an AI generated observation of this “NBA Europe” plan. Commissioner Adam Silver has met with a group of European partners who plan on taking on this task. “The NBA is actively exploring the creation of a new professional basketball league in Europe, in partnership with FIBA (International Basketball Federation). This new league would not be a G League (NBA's developmental league) but rather a standalone, top-tier league potentially rivaling the Euroleague. 

The NBA envisions a 16-team structure with 12 permanent members and 4 teams qualifying annually through the existing European basketball system. The league aims to integrate into the European basketball landscape, with teams also participating in their respective national leagues.” With the blessing of partner FIBA would NBA Europe displace the Euroleague? That question remains unanswered for a time however you are witness to the efforts of the NBA to continue growth worldwide. Operating at present are NBA Africa headquartered in Johannesburg South Africa, founded in 2021 there are 12 teams at present. The NBA has no teams in Asia but is aligned with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), Japan’s B League and Korean Basketball League (KBL), Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and East Asia Super League (EASL). In addition the Australian Basketball League (ABL) is included. A number of players have come into the NBA from these leagues in Asia and Australia. As for the primary subject of NBA Europe for now it’s in the embryo stage awaiting to be born.

Do they see a future

Christian Koloko is likely to finish this upcoming season with the South Bay Lakers. That’s certainly not shocking or surprising news however his future development is what is under consideration here. How about a brief check on his past, Koloko was born in Douala a city in southwest Cameroon on the African continent.  He moved to the United States while in high school, college scouts saw enough of him in action for Cal, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Harvard and Princeton all made offers. Eventually he settled on Arizona and slowly developed his talent, after being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year he believed it was time for the NBA. In the 2022 NBA draft Koloko was drafted in the second round and then the setback.

He developed a blood clot which sidelined him for half a season, January 2024 the Raptors waived Koloko. With the health issue looming over him no NBA team could sign him until he was medically cleared to play, one year ago the Lakers signed him although he was yet to be cleared. Once he the clearance was issued the 7-foot 1 Koloko would play 37 games last season, with Jaxson Hayes sidelined for a period he saw additional play although he looked raw at times. He and Trey Jemison who also came aboard last season were in competition for a roster position. At the time I had no idea which one the Laker brain trust believed had the higher upside, it turned out to be Koloko. In conclusion don’t expect the second coming of Kareem or Shaq, the idea as he develops his game he could turn out to be a defensive shot blocking backup center. With a height of 7-foot 1 and 230 pounds it would appear he should have the physical tools. 

The view of a fan

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The Dream

Until the injury cropped up Victor Wembanyama was even better in his second year over his first. We have been informed surgery corrected the problem he dealt with. Over the summer his hiatus took him all over the world to at least one unusual location. There was a spiritual detour with Shaolin monks, in addition Wemby studied kung fu and body movement techniques. There was basketball training as well, he’s worked out with Hakeem Olajuwon former Rockets center. There have been few complaints about Wemby’s game except in one area. I remember Charles Barkley in particular claiming the 7-foot 4 Wemby had no inside game.

There was no disagreement with the statement, Wemby’s inside game was certainly limited however I should point out this fact. Although I don’t particularly care for Big Men shooting from distance Wemby performs the task at an excellent level. In closing I will provide you a reminder, Kareem had his sky hook and Shaq had his power game. Olajuwon had a move in the lane that was well-known as “The Dream Shake” keep this in mind. Wemby is not being drilled on shooting from three with Olajuwon as his tutor. We must wait and see how the training turns out however Wemby appears to be a “sponge” when acquiring guidance. I believe based on his summer events we might see an improved player on what was witnessed his first two years in the NBA. We better be prepared for the new and improved Victor Wembanyama.

Hey, didn’t you use to be Ben Simmons?”

NBA training camps open in under 50 days as this is written, there are several high profile free agents yet to find a team. Probably the name familiar to most is Russell Westbrook late of the Clippers. He certainly is high profile however this focus is regarding Ben Simmons. I had read stories on Simmons prior to seeing him in action for the first time, that opportunity presented itself his freshman year at LSU. I saw a 6-foot 10 inch 240 pound point guard and was totally mesmerized, he didn’t shoot particularly good from distance…no matter it was the other things he did so well. Simmons was skilled at distributing the basketball which probably enhanced his value to NBA scouts.

In 2016 the Sixers made him the top choice in that year’s draft, a summer injury prevented him from play until the following season. In 2018 Simmons would be named NBA Rookie of the Year based on filling the box score across the board. That might have been the high point for Simmons in the four years he spent with the Sixers. From their he moved to the Nets for several years and this past season it was the Clippers. From his first season with the Nets until last year he’s never been able to return his play to that of his rookie year. As I indicated earlier Simmons never shot from distance even in college, something has caused him to lose his way as an NBA talent. I once told a co-worker “I’d like to have Simmons on my team,” now I am unsure if that statement is correct any longer.

Far too many moving parts

Over the last few days I’ve seen a number of video reports from various individuals on the Kawhi Leonard no play contract. I concluded my effort viewing a YouTube interview with host Rich Eisen and guest Pablo Torre. You view it for your own satisfaction, Torre answered every tough question Eisen dealt him. I have discovered since my first report in 2019 that the NBA had conducted an investigation of the Clippers, until this investigation is completed I intend to refrain from reporting until a finalized statement is made by the NBA. You will discover below an AI assessment of the earlier investigation. Prior to any judgement being rendered allow this expression of my belief if the Clippers are proved guilty this certainly would not be the first for the NBA. There are probably other clubs in the past maybe up to the present operating in a similar manner. They happen to not be caught as the Wolves were in the past and perhaps the Clippers in the present day.

“Allegations: During the summer of 2019, Kawhi Leonard’s representatives, led by his uncle Dennis Robertson, made demands for improper benefits as part of his free agency. These requests included part-ownership of the team, access to a private plane, a house, and guaranteed off-court endorsement money.

NBA’s Response: The NBA investigated the Clippers following these allegations.

Outcome: The league cleared the Clippers of any wrongdoing in this matter but stated that the investigation would be reopened if new information emerged.”  

This for Gen Z

It has been noted that some members of Generation Z express skepticism regarding certain historical events in the NBA, particularly those related to records set by Wilt Chamberlain. This skepticism often arises from the lack of available video documentation, leading some to question the occurrence of specific achievements. For context, while the NBA consisted of only eight teams during Chamberlain's rookie season, it had expanded to 17 teams by the team he retired. Throughout his career, Chamberlain regularly competed against the best of the best for that era. We can count at least eight All-Star centers he may have faced night in and night out.  

They include Bob Lanier, Wes Unseld, Zelmo Beaty, Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy, Nate Thurmond, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Keep in mind each of these opponents brought a different set of skills whenever they faced Chamberlain. While not all these names may be well known to contemporary audiences, it is important to note that each of those named has been inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame. That fact alone should provide proof that Chamberlain faced competition even in an NBA comprised of a smaller number of teams. This fact demonstrates that Chamberlain faced significant competition during his career, if not in every game, then certainly in the majority of his matchups.

2075

Will the NBA change radically by 2075, that’s 50 years in the future, I’m certainly not prepared to fully answer the question in detail? On the other hand I could look ahead at some changes I could see that just might occur. These are my views and I am not arrogant enough to believe these are the only future changes. Stay tuned for the future of the association which will continue to unfold in the future.

*The NBA will have expanded by then, there will be an additional 4 North American teams. NBA Europe will be operational by this time and play on the European continent will be in effect. Eventually a genuine world championship will occur, NBA America vs NBA Europe.

*Play at the college level to gain entry to the NBA will become less and less important. Athletes desiring for an NBA career will play in an enhanced G-League, Team Elite and other venues will be sought out. The NBA will continue to use the college game as a farm system for additional talent.

*Athletes continue to grow in height, there will be a return to post play with a slant. There will be additional versions of Victor Wembanyama, Big Men who can play with guard skills, they must also be proficient in shooting from the three line.

*Expect an explosion of international players in the NBA by this time. At one time NBA teams turned up their noses at these players. That belief no longer exists, as evidence says The Joker, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Wemby are prime examples of the growing trend. Despite the growth of international talent that of the home grown variety will continue to be infused into NBA teams.

The view of a fan

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CORRECTION

If you read Off the Dribble early Sunday morning Sept 7 it contained an error. The story titled “Not surprising” included a mistake which was corrected with an hour of publishing. Some might have read the name Donald Sterling being identified as the Clippers owner, that has been corrected he’s no longer in that capacity. Steve Ballmer is the owner of the Clippers team at present. My apology for the error, in addition I wanted to bring it to your attention rather than bury it where it might be missed.

NBA dynasties

The first NBA dynasty was that of the Boston Celtics, a part of the time they were winning the NBA contained a smaller number of teams. For this purpose I am only counting the first 10, the Celtics won in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969. You certainly can see a trend with those Cousy-Russell-Havlicek-Bird Celtic teams, can you say dynasty? In ‘90’s it was the Jordan Bulls winning in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. The Lakers have won more than the five listed here, 2000, 2001, and 2002 then again in 2009 and 2010. Now you are wondering where I’m going with this story, straight to former coach Phil Jackson who led two of those teams, the Jordan/Pippen Bulls and the Kobe/Shaq/Gasol Lakers.

I would like to clarify that the following perspective reflects Jackson’s opinion rather than my own. Jackson asserts that it is difficult to characterize the Robinson/Duncan era Spurs teams as a dynasty, he makes this statement primarily because they were never able to achieve consecutive championships. Regardless of whether one agrees with Jackson, it is undeniable that the timing supports his argument: the Spurs captured NBA titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014, which remains an impressive accomplishment. Considering there are NBA teams that have never reached the Finals, this raises a pertinent question: Is Jackson correct in suggesting that repeating as champions is a necessary standard for a franchise to be considered a dynasty? You be the judge on this one.  

I missed this one

Missouri head coach Dennis Gates has made another notable addition to the program with the unexpected commitment of Toni Bryant. It was announced Monday that Bryant, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Zephyrhills Christian Academy in Tampa, Florida, has committed to Mizzou. As a member of the Class of 2026, Bryant is ranked as high as 14th and as low as 23rd among national high school prospects across four major recruiting sites. Rivals awards him a five-star rating, while other outlets assign four stars.

Earlier this summer, the Tigers secured a commitment from Jason Crowe Jr., a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Inglewood, California, who verbally committed in July. These commits suggest that Coach Gates is focused on establishing a consistent pipeline of talent to Columbia, Missouri, for the Tigers basketball program. While expectations vary among supporters, sustained competitiveness and regular NCAA tournament appearances remain key objectives for the program’s continued growth. I made this statement regarding Crowe Jr. and can repeat it here. Bryant could relinquish his commitment since its verbal however the hope is he remains steadfast, this time next year he should be on the campus in Columbia. As this is written Mizzou sits at number one in recruiting for the Class of 2026, those prospects must turn into winning basketball. 

He's the one

Every season it seems I pick out a Laker rookie to observe his play. In this instance that player is Eric Dixon who is likely headed for the South Bay Lakers, allow me to explain what I like. He is 6-foot 8 and 260 pounds which says nobody will push him around under the basket. The part of his game the most enticing is his shooting, he led NCAA teams in scoring while playing for Big East Conference member Villanova. Dixon scored at a 23.3 ppg average and shot a sizzling .407 from three. I know what you are probably thinking, he took 2-3 shots a game for such a prolific number, that is not the case. Dixon took nearly 8 three’s a game but still managed to go undrafted in 2025.

There were two concerns scouts expressed, he lacked elite athleticism and there were defensive limitations with his game. Those are certainly red flag issues which prevented Dixon from being drafted but not super critical, allow a brief explanation. Lack of athleticism is not exactly a new thing except to say a player can be taught effective methods to “hide it” much as possible. The defense is a different matter, I once read Magic Johnson said he wasn’t a good defender but learned how to play team defense, that could be the case for Dixon. He was injured while the Laker team competed in Summer League play that is the reason you failed to see him in action. As for the future, Dixon can be taught methods to improve his defense stance in time, as for now I intend to keep an eye on his development at South Bay and with the parent club over the upcoming season.

The view of a fan

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Not surprising

The NBA announced it would begin a formal investigation into the story Pablo Torre broke on Wednesday. You remember he reported under the table payments were made to Kawhi Leonard to circumvent the salary cap. Torre indicated Clipper forward Leonard had signed a $28 million contract with Aspiration Fund Adviser, LLC. It’s also been acknowledged owner Steve Ballmer was an investor with the company which filed for bankruptcy this year. “In the filing they indicated they owed the Clippers $30 million and a company referred in the filing to KL2 Aspire LLC $7 million, Leonard is listed as the manager of that company in California filings. KL is his initials, and 2 is his jersey number.”

The law firm hired by the NBA to investigate this matter is Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a Manhattan based firm. I am going to speculate at this point, everything you’ve read so far are facts. I am going to return to 2019, although he doesn’t talk much we read “Kawhi wants to return home,” home being the Los Angeles metro. It appeared the Lakers had the inside track to sign him and at the 9th hour he decided to go with the Clippers. Leonard’s uncle acting as his nephews agent wanted extra incentives in the contract which the Lakers said no, was this the concluding reason Leonard and company looked toward the Clippers? We must wait for the investigation to be completed, at this point based on the evidence we’ve obtained, I have serious doubts whether anyone escapes from this investigation without a penalty of some sort.

from ksbw.com

He speaks

A voice of college basketball Tom Izzo Michigan State’s men’s basketball coach made an interesting comment recently which caught my attention. He was discussing Name, Image and Likeness and portal transfers in conversation, he hinted the transfer issue might be the most problematic. Izzo claims (without naming names) there are coaches reaching out recruiting players to their program during the college season. He said and I paraphrase the NBA and NFL have contracts in place, you cannot talk to that player until free agency, of course no such policy exists for men’s college basketball.

If this is true and I happen to believe Izzo I’m unsure if there is much that can be accomplished to prevent it. We must depend on the integrity of that coach to run a “clean” program. On the other hand what about that coach on the hot seat? The basketball program’s suffered a couple of losing season and there is expectation of turning out a winning team at the very least an NCAA tourney invite. Can we expect that coach under tremendous pressure to not succumb to the demands in front of him? I certainly don’t have an answer to that question, at the same time I cannot respond to Izzo who turns out winning teams year after year. One or more of his players might fit the account he detailed story for us. I have no idea if this is the answer but I will toss out the word anyway…integrity.  

Baloncesto en México

For those unfamiliar with Spanish, the headline translates to Basketball in Mexico. Recent readership analytics indicate a substantial following from Mexico, highlighting an unexpected level of interest in basketball within the country. While I have not personally visited Mexico, I previously assumed basketball had a modest presence. Research reveals that association football (soccer), boxing, and lucha libre (wrestling) are the most popular sports. Nevertheless, Mexico features several professional basketball leagues, with the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) as the premier competition.

Established in 2000, the LNBP consists of 14 teams. Soles de Mexicali is located in the northern city of Mexicali, Baja California, while Eel Calor de Cancun represents the Yucatan Peninsula in the south. Additionally, Capitanes de la Ciudad de México participates in the NBA G-League, based in the country’s capital. Given Mexico City’s existing NBA-approved arena and its metropolitan population of 22.75 million, there is significant potential for future NBA expansion into the region. It aids the NBA effort that Mexico City lies in the same time zone as most in the United States. While Spanish is the primary language, it is unlikely to present a barrier given the city’s global profile, I urge readers in Mexico to continue absorbing the content of Off the Dribble.

A change but this time it was different

We are at the dawn of the college basketball season, I thought it appropriate to look at two individuals Gene Bartow and Jon Scheyer. You are probably wondering about Bartow, he was a good basketball coach who would later leave the program at UCLA. Of course Scheyer is the present head coach at Duke. Bartow began his basketball career at Central Missouri State (now UCM) after 3 coaching all successful seasons at other schools he replaced the legendary John Wooden at UCLA. Bartow in two seasons would register a 52-9 overall record and a 24-4 record in the conference yet left to start the basketball program at UAB in 1978.

UCLA earned a tournament berth each of the seasons Bartow was at the helm but failed to continue the trend of winning championships. Did the pressure of winning place too much of a burden on Bartow and the UAB job became an escape plan for him? Although Bartow never won an NCAA championship he was highly successful with this move to UAB. Fast forward to 2022 and Jon Scheyer, he replaced another legend, Mike ‘coach K’ Krzyzewski. This time it would be different, Bartow was the new guy, as for Scheyer he played at Duke. Later Scheyer would be hired as an assistant coach, in 2018 he was named associate head coach. Although Scheyer was replacing an NCAA championship legend coach he was familiar to the Duke faithful, perhaps they may have been more accepting of this change over that which occurred with Wooden and Bartow.

The view of a fan

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They might be the exception

As a general rule I don’t discuss salaries, in this account the salary has led to a successful second career. Scores of players have retired from the NBA and must wait on their pension to kick in around the age of 45, how do you survive while waiting on your pension? Several players laid the groundwork for life after basketball and this is the portion I find most interesting. The two players profiled were certainly outstanding players during their career but far from superstar status, that’s what makes this next bit of information so interesting and informative.

Vinnie Johnson is his name, from 1981 through 1991 he was a member of the Pistons. Johnson was nicknamed “microwave” because his appearance in the game meant instance offense. He was one of the key members of the “Bad Boy Piston” championship teams. After the 1991-92 season he retired from the NBA while on the Spurs roster. Today Vinnie Johnson’s net worth ($500 million est.) far exceeds his NBA earnings although they were key to life in retirement. He founded the Piston Group an automobile supplier to General Motors and the Ford Motor Company. As a supplier Johnson has managed a successful and financially rewarding second career.

In March of this year former NBA player Junior Bridgeman passed away, financial wealth will not fill the void however his family should be financially secure with his net worth estimated to be $600 million. Bridgeman was drafted in 1975 by the Lakers however he never played for them. Three weeks after the draft he was included in a package of players traded to Milwaukee for Kareem Abdul Jabbar. It is interesting Bridgeman spent the bulk of his NBA career as a sixth man as well. The 1986-87 season would be Bridgeman’s last and the first as he began building his business empire. He owned several Wendy’s, Chilli’s and Fazoli’s Restaurants before selling them to become a Coca-Cola bottler. These are but two examples of former NBA players who utilized their NBA salary to build a business domain.

I don’t hate anybody

My belief has always been, “Tell me something I don’t know, I don’t want your opinion.” That might sound as a strong statement but allow me to explain. If you’ve read this blog for a time you might tend to believe there is no one on television I appreciate, that is truly not the case. In the age of social media we have many in the field who make outlandish statements for the express purpose of creating clicks. In college basketball there are a number of analyst I enjoy, they are insightful and informative without hyping themselves. This is not in any order but I begin with Jay Bilas of ESPN, this former Duke basketball player turned analyst is one of the best at his craft.

I enjoy Jay Williams also a Duke guy, he works for ESPN too. Former coach and ESPN guy Seth Greenberg also makes the cut for my team. I continue with Clark Kellogg, Rece Davis and Jon Rothstein of CBS, so far I’ve just mentioned television guys, how about those in print? Some of these folks perform double duty print and television, Gary Parrish and Andy Katz are two names that come to mind, Parrish for CBS while Katz works for the Big 10 network but pops up on television at times. This exercise omits a number of voices of reason (for me at least) who perform their craft at a high skill level. Next time you read of me complaining about a particular media person take into account it’s not all of them. It’s only the ones who wrap themselves up in the story they are reporting.

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul”

The headline is from a portion of a poem titled Invictus by William Ernest Henley (1849-1903). The line is meant to point to the fact you are in charge of your actions in life and how you respond to the adversities that come about. After reading this I came across Kawhi Leonard stories in Basketball Network and Basketball Analysis. “The Claw” as he’s nicknamed has remained an enigma even in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career. It’s claimed he didn’t sign with the Lakers due to Magic Johnson announcing to the media in 2019 they were in conversation. The account in Baskeball Analysis points out Leonard and his uncle (acting as his agent) didn’t trust the Lakers. We don’t know the full details, however, that seems pathetic to me i.e., his reasoning for not signing.

Michelle Beadle then working at ESPN was more critical of Leonard in 2018. Shortly before Leonard left the Spurs a great deal of turmoil existed within a team fighting to earn a playoff position. A portion of this I’d written earlier with teammate Tony Parkers view of what was occurring with Leonard. This quote from Basketball Network and Beadle about Leonard. “You don’t talk, you don’t defend yourself. You’re coming off as an obnoxious diva.” We know the mystery surrounding Leonard, he says very little and must believe his play speaks for his action. All that is well and good but when you are absent for long periods of time on the court it fails to aid your cause and fans to sympathize with you. In closing notice, in nowhere did I indicate Leonard was not a valued talent, fact he’s Hall of Fame worthy. His NBA career truly reflects that portion of the poem, he is the master of his own fate and the captain of his soul.

UPDATE: This was written prior to the Pablo Torre report of under the table payments made to Leonard. 

Nobody stays in college anymore

As we prepare for the 2025-26 college basketball season to begin I’m actually looking to the June 2026 NBA draft. The truth is after the NCAA Championship is decided the wheels begin to turn, who is headed for the NBA. The annual NBA draft has become more a freshman/international edition through primarily the Top 10 players. If I were a betting person, I would place large sums of money and claim there will be no upper classman pick through the first 7-8 players selected. This past season it was a forgone conclusion Duke’s Cooper Flagg would be the top pick, in 2024 it was not as clear cut but most mock drafts placed the name of Zaccharie Risacher at the top. In the 2023 draft everyone and their brother knew weeks in advance the top pick would be Victor Wembanyama.

With this information taken into consideration who is the top pick for 2026, of course that is yet to be decided although there are three primary contenders for the honor. Ahead of the season most mock sites list AJ Dybansta from BYU at the top, in second or third place depending on the mock site is Darryn Peterson who will play at Kansas or another Duke guy Cameron Boozer. Also under consideration is Nate Ament from Tennessee along with Mikel Brown of Louisville. A possible sleeper add the name of Karim Lopez an International player from New Zealand. All those named are either freshman or international players and none of the names are guarantees. At this time we have no idea if their season will prove rewarding or if the athlete decides they might require additional seasoning prior to making the leap to the NBA.

The view of a fan

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Déjà vu all over again

The late Yogi Berra Yankee great was reported to have uttered the headline used above. That indeed might be the case as a story unfolds that is curiously similar to one in the distant past. Kawhi Leonard is receiving additional income not reported, this news story broke on Wednesday morning by podcaster and former ESPN Contributor Pablo Torre. As I have often stated I don’t discuss salaries unless there is an element requiring an explanation…that is the case here. I intend to repeat this as reported by Torres, the media member indicates the Clippers are over the salary cap which is not surprising.

The surprise is how they apparently circumvented the cap. Torre claims Kawhi Leonard signed a contract to a “fake job with a fake company.” Torre claims the amount of money to be paid Leonard is reported to be in the neighborhood of $28 million, the Clippers immediately denied the Torre story. I hope you are not expecting a statement from Leonard, he rarely speaks to the media on any subject let alone something as volatile as this claim. There is another question which for now remains unanswered, have other teams in the NBA, NFL or other sports skirted the league salary cap? In closing I will state, there is no issue on my part with income earned by any professional athlete. The problem as I see it are “backdoor deals” or those of a questionable nature to acquire additional income. Just as sure as I’m typing this there will be a legion of fans coming to the defense of Leonard, that’s okay and if you believe this is okay you have the right to express your opinion.

As for the Clippers and the NBA that’s a far different matter, the team could be in for a hefty fine. In year 2000 the Wolves were caught in a similar type of payment arrangement to a team member, once the incident was fully investigated the NBA levied a fine on the team, suspended the owner and GM for a period. In addition the Wolves forfeited five first round draft choices although two were later returned. That was a different commissioner but if this is true I can hardly see the Clippers simply walking away from this potential landmine.

One of my favorites

“If you are always the subject of conversation you must be doing something correctly!” I’m unsure if I originated this statement or not however it fits Arkansas coach John Calipari. This exercise will not provide you anything you probably didn’t know already, he was a player at a point. Calipari was a point guard at UNC Wilmington and Clarion from 1978-1982, from that point he immediately moved into the coaching ranks. He became an assistant under Bill Self at Kansas from 1982-1985 and from 1985 to 1988 he was also an assistant at Pitt. At UMass he took on a new role as the basketball world took notice as his program became nationally known.

Calipari decided to take on the role of an NBA coach and it would be the Nets, however, that didn’t work for him. From 2000-2009 Calipari was the head coach of Memphis and then it was a long period leading the basketball program at Blue Blood Kentucky. In 2024 Calipari moved to Arkansas and the hoped plan is to duplicate Kentucky. In addition Calipari has sent a number of players into the NBA, truth is some prospects landed at Kentucky and now Arkansas due to this connection. Critics claim Calipari is not good at managing play on the court but I counter that argument with he’s got assistant coaches too. Isn’t that a part of their responsibility to aid in game management? I’m not going to make any predictions for the upcoming season but will simply state Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks will be a force. 

The Wemby Warriors

Are prepared for the 2025-26 NBA season, we can never project possible injuries but leaving that aside they should compete. In the June 2025 draft the Spurs with the second pick chose Dylan Harper a 6-ft 6 inch 215 pound shooting guard. ESPN projects Harper in the starters role, whether that comes about is an unknown. The statement is made because his backup is listed as Stephon Castle who was named 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year. The point guard is DeAaron Fox who was acquired in the middle of the season from the Kings. This youthful Spurs backcourt is 19 (Harper), Castle (20) and the “old man” Fox an ancient 27 years old.

At small forward, Devin Vassel and power forward Harrison Barnes and in the post is the real Big Man Victor Wembanyama. For those who loved to harp on how thin Wemby is probably have not seen him recently. A blot clot issue shut him down near the middle of the season however he’s been cleared by the medical staff to play. The 2023 nbadraft.net mock listing indicated Wemby was 210 pounds by draft time. Today’s roster indicates he now weighs 235 pounds which says he shouldn’t be pushed around in the paint. Other than the weight issue the other “complaint” regarding Wemby cynics claim, “He needs to develop an inside game,” my response is baloney. Despite his 7-ft 4 (or 5) frame as most of you are aware Wemby’s got a very capable shooting game that extends to the three point line. Will the Spurs earn a playoff berth, that is possible however they must get lucky in the ever so tough Western Conference of the NBA?

Whatley vs Drexler

I promise this is the last visit of this subject, some might remember I wrote how inept the Kansas City Kings were in drafting talent. I wanted to briefly revisit two of those drafts, 1983 and 1984. I intend to look at 1984 first, at that time Gonzaga was unknown for producing NBA talent. In addition, John Stockton was a smallish point guard who might have been overlooked at the time Kings scouts were analyzing talent, the Kings get a pass here choosing Otis Thorpe over Stockton. As I attempted to point out Thorpe had an extensive career playing for the Kings and several other NBA teams. Thorpe failed to acquire a Hall of Fame career as did Stockton nevertheless it was significant.

On the other hand the 1983 draft was a different matter, Clyde Drexler’s Houston Cougar team was loaded with talent as he and his teammates demonstrated during the season. With pick 13 the Kings chose Ennis Whatley from Alabama, at 14 the Blazers chose Drexler. I checked Whatley’s numbers at Alabama, they were good but certainly not outstanding (13.7 ppg, 6.3 assists), he was a 6-foot 3 inch point guard. The 14th pick was conveyed to the Blazers who chose Clyde Drexler. Drexler was a member of the Phi Slama Jama crew with the Houston Cougars. Was there an unknown factor why the Kings passed on Drexler and instead chose Whatley…history fails to detail that reasoning. All I can say is Whatley despite being a McDonald’s All American had an undistinguished NBA career as for Drexler we know how that turned out.

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If you are a certain age

George Raveling died on Tuesday, he was 88 years of age, the headline says it all. Most reading this have no idea who he was and his contribution to college basketball. I’m going to begin his story in the middle, Raveling as a young man was in Washington D.C. at the time of the 1963 March on Washington. After Dr. King finished his “I have a Dream Speech he handed the paper to one of those on the speakers stand which happened to be Raveling. He’s held onto this piece of American History since that August 28, 1963, date. *“In 2021, he gave it to Villanova University. It is intended to be used in a long-term “on loan” arrangement.

It is currently on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.” As for basketball played at Villanova but begin coaching just a few years after his playing career was over. It was Villanova and Maryland as an assistant coach and then head coach at Washington State followed by Iowa and completed his coaching career at Southern Cal in 1994. In 2013 Raveling was enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Two years later 2015, Raveling would be honored as the Naismith Hall of Fame also added his name to the list of honorees. He was retired from the game a time ago but continued to participate in other methods. George Raveling a name that basketball fans should be familiar with, R.I.P.

*Wikipedia

Better than Curry

The NBA draft can be unpredictable, with some selections meeting expectations and others falling short. This was especially apparent in the 2009 draft. At the time, general managers and scouts could not accurately predict Stephen Curry's future performance. The first pick that year was Blake Griffin from Oklahoma, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward known for his athleticism. Griffin missed his rookie season due to injury but was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2011 and received additional accolades during his career. James Harden, selected third, has also had a notable NBA tenure and is currently a member of the Clippers.

Other early selections in that draft included Hasheem Thabeet (2), Tyreke Evans (4), Ricky Rubio (5), and Jonny Flynn (6), all of them chosen prior to the Warriors picking Curry. The names chosen before Steph Curry were thought to have more potential than the smallish point guard who was picked seventh. Scouts and front office folks really missed the boat on this one, his NBA career has been outstanding. Curry’s become a four-time NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, among other distinctions. Five years after retirement expect an induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame, the College Basketball Hall could also name him an honoree. Curry’s selection as the number 7 in the draft highlights the unpredictable nature of the entire draft process.

A demoralizing injury

Some might remember the August 27 Off the Dribble, the portion written about the Kings. Yes, the Kansas City version of the Kings conducted a number of suspect draft picks. The talent never materialized at the level hoped for, there was one I omitted in that piece. His name was Phil Ford, after an outstanding college career at North Carolina the Kings made this talented point guard the second pick in the 1978 NBA draft and he certainly proved worthy. Point guard Ford along with backcourt mate Otis Birdsong were quite a pair, Ford would be named 1979 NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA Second Team and All NBA Rookie First Team, that says a great deal about his prospects for a successful career.

In his rookie year against the Bucks in a victory Ford had 22 assists, 26 points 5 rebounds and 5 steals, good numbers for a 6-foot 2 point guard. In his third year Ford suffered an eye injury which required surgery, this occurred in February 1981 forcing him to miss the balance of the season. Ford would return the following season however he was never the same player, he was traded to the Nets moved on to the Bucks and finished his NBA career a member of the Rockets. The eye injury derailed what many considered a promising start for Ford and also provides further proof. Kings management conducted a number of pathetic drafts while the team was in Kansas City…selecting Phil Ford was not one of them.

New beginning and new partners

The 2025-26 NBA season will commence on October 21, 2025. For the majority of fans, including this author, opportunities to attend NBA games in person are limited; therefore, most audiences experience the NBA primarily through televised broadcasts. This season introduces a new media rights agreement, marking the first time since 1989-90 that TNT will not be among the league’s broadcasters. Instead, two new streaming platforms, Peacock and Amazon Prime, have joined as official partners. As a result, viewers may need to subscribe to one or both services to access certain games, or opt to forgo those matchups. The weekly broadcast schedule has been established in advance and is outlined below.

Monday – Peacock

Tuesday – NBC, Peacock

Wednesday – ESPN

Thursday – Amazon Prime-90

Friday – ESPN, Amazon Prime

Saturday – Amazon Prime (afternoon), ABC (primetime)

Sun – ABC (afternoon), NBC/Peacock (primetime) 

The view of a fan

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Your Top ____

I read a writers account, he listed his Top 10 All-Time NBA players who changed the game. I decided to list my own list, keep in mind this was not the best scorer, rebounder or assist person. It wasn’t the best defender it should be that player who “Changed the Game.” The following names are not in any order, a 1 or 2 sentence behind their name provides you the why I believe they changed the game. Once I began compiling MY list I discovered it was impossible for me to limit the count to only 10 so I took liberty and added 2 additional players. In addition they are not listed in order of ranking:

Hakeem Olajuwon-He wasn’t the first player from the African continent but still the best. I believe this two-time NBA champion may have been the driving force behind the NBA developing talent from the continent. In addition seeing his success caused little boys there to emulate Olajuwon.

Michael Jordan-He was the driving force behind all those championship Bulls teams, few were as driven to win as MJ was. At present Scottie Pippen has attempted to downplay MJ’s will on those teams, don’t believe it. It’s difficult to measure a will to win however it’s been said he never wanted to lose at ANYTHING.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar-The Captain and his skyhook, rarely did he miss the shot when taken. What I fail to understand is why no younger players decided to consider the unblockable shot. The dunk was banned in college basketball during it time.

Bill Russell-The Celtics were already a successful team before Russell joined. After his arrival, the team achieved even greater championship success, his presence playing a significant role. Russell set the tone for later centers how to play effect defense in the NBA, nobody played it like him. “I can’t block every shot but I can make them think I can.”

Magic Johnson-Before Johnson, guards typically ranged from 6 feet to 6 feet 5 inches in height. Johnson was one of the first point guards with the size (6-9) to also play forward or center. He played four positions in the 1980 NBA championship game which contributed to the Lakers' success playing guard, forward and center.

Wilt Chamberlain-Chamberlain contributed to the NBA's transition toward increased prominence. Known for his rebounding and scoring abilities, he influenced rule changes such as adjustments to the width of the key. His exploits have become legendary, his 100 point scoring game…his 55 rebound game. The 1961-62 season saw him average 50.4 points a game.

LeBron James-Entering the NBA at age 19, maybe no one with the exception of Wilt Chamberlain came into the league Day One ready to play at this level without playing in college. James has had a long career playing at the top at age 41, in addition he is the league’s all-time leading scorer.

Steph Curry-Curry is recognized for his exceptional shooting, which has influenced NBA offensive strategies by increasing the emphasis on perimeter scoring. He like Allen Iverson was a shoot first point guard, unlike Iverson Curry was able to lead his Warriors team to numerous championships.

Oscar Robertson-Robertson is noted for being the first player to average a triple-double over the course of an NBA season. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing over 200 pounds, he brought physical strength to the guard position. It’s difficult to comprehend, nearly 27,000 points scored without benefit of a 3-point line.

Kobe Bryant-Bryant entered the NBA directly from high school and is frequently cited among the most accomplished players to do so. His extensive career including NBA championships provide evidence he was a game changer, there is probably no player with the work ethic of Bryant.

Larry Bird-Bird was known for his versatile skills, including shooting, rebounding, and free throws, as well as for his competitive style of play. Not the swiftest player on the court he still managed to hold his own with many of the NBA stars of his era.

Allen Iverson-There is no way to probably leave the toughest player in the NBA off this list, 6 feet and 155 pounds. AI of the ‘Killer Crossover,’ he didn’t invent the move it was actually Tim Hardaway. AI took it to another level thus he became a game changer for the NBA.

I said the Top 10 performers who changed the NBA, unfortunately anytime a list of this type is compiled someone is omitted. This is not intentional at least on my part, based on this fact I am adding two names for a total of 12 players who changed the game. Even with that number I’m leaving off one or maybe two players worthy of being added to this list. Question, did you include any above on your list?

Meanwhile…

“Do not buy a Bugatti right away,” those were the words of Kelly Flagg to her son Cooper, what I found interesting the two are not that far apart with their idea of how much should be spent on a vehicle. Mama Flagg says the maximum amount he should spend is $180,000, Cooper indicates his figure is $200,000. He will earn $28,000,000 from his New Balance and Fanatics contracts, I don’t have the dollar amount for his Mavs rookie contract. As you read just a short time ago I don’t detail NBA player contracts. In any event my guess is Cooper will listen to his mom and will be prudent with his spending. I realize the NFL is tuning up for its start however I can hardly wait to see Flagg and others in action.

History indicates the Celtics lead the NBA in championships with 18. The number is correct, however, do they actually lead the NBA in the number of championship wins? I am going to entertain a coaches challenge at this point and say the Celtics are tied with the Lakers, you might say how is that possible?  Check this out, the Lakers won the 1948 National Basketball League championship (NBL) before moving to the Basketball Association of America. In the BAA the Lakers won the 1949 championship, later during the summer of 1949 the two leagues merged and formed the National Basketball Association or NBA. 

The road leading to the 2026 NCAA Championship would appear to be quite a mix of teams. As an example ESPN places Purdue in the top slot, the defending champion Florida Gators in second place. In the CBS Sports poll St. John’s is in first and Houston in second, USA Today places the Houston Cougars as the number one team in the nation followed by the Duke Blue Devils. On3.com has Purdue in first, Houston in second place. Finally we close with SI.com, which places Houston in the top position followed by Purdue number two. As you can see each of these dot com sites believe they have knowledge to which team will be crowned the 2026 champion, the only question is which one. Will that champion be from Purdue, Houston, Duke or an unnamed team? 

They never fouled out 

A few reading this might be aware Wilt Chamberlain never fouled out of an NBA game. He played 14 years in the NBA for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers. Chamberlain averaged 48.5 minutes a game throughout those 14 years and 1,205 games. Once reading this fan letters begin pouring in from fans. “He couldn’t have been playing too much defense if he never fouled out.” During his playing career the NBA didn’t track blocked shots so we can only guess the number, it’s estimated he averaged 8.8 blocked shots a game during his career. I was aware of the Chamberlain record however the other names were a surprise to me, the following are names that might be a surprise to you as well. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr played in 1,038 games without fouling out, unlike Chamberlain he was a reserve player however the number of games remains noteworthy. The other former player’s name is lesser known, he is Antonio Daniels. Daniels played for 6 NBA teams during his career, unlike Kerr he was a starter at a number of these stops, he played 952 games without fouling out. The last name on the list is a surprise to me as well, it’s Kyrie Irving Mavs guard. Irving’s appeared in 875 games during his time in the NBA and is yet to foul out of a single game. It’s easy for critics to claim they played little defense or something similar. Did game officials miss fouls these individual may have committed…of course that occurred for them and it happens for Kyrie as well. While critics might debate defensive involvement or officiating decisions, these players’ records stand as statistical facts within NBA history.