A fans perspective 

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday

I didn’t know that

The late Jim Brown is an NFL legendary running back, he should have won a Heisman Trophy but that’s another story. He was a member of the Browns championship team, get this back then his first four years the NFL only played 12-game seasons, his last five they were 14-games played. Today running backs play 17-game seasons, although he played a lesser number of games and only 9 seasons he still ranks 11th all-time in rushing with 12,312 yards. Brown is also enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. I believe most of us were aware of his exploits on the gridiron but this is the Brown few of us were aware. Just this year, 2025 I discovered while also playing football and lacrosse at Syracuse he was on the basketball team.

How good was Brown on the basketball court, good enough to be drafted into the NBA. Standing 6-foot 2 and 231 pounds I imagine few would be brave enough to take a charge from him. In the past the NBA draft contained a much larger number of rounds than today, in the 1957 NBA the draft comprised a total of 14 rounds. Brown was chosen as the 68th pick in the 9th round by the Syracuse Nationals (Philadelphia Sixers now). So you discover that along with me Brown might have played in the NBA back then. It certainly was quite possible, there existed a great deal more separation of professional seasons than now. Look him up, Gene Conley, he was drafted by the Celtics in 1952 but he was also a baseball pitcher he played for a time with the Boston Red Sox and also was a reserve forward for the Boston Celtics in the same season.

NBA Watch Guide

The season will be upon us before we realize. As most of you are aware there are new broadcast partners and hence a change in days of the week. Mark this on your calendar or whatever you keep track of important stuff. The NBA preseason begins on Thursday, Oct. 2 which features the Knicks and the Sixers from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. The teams will play again of Saturday, Oct. 4. Tipoff for that game will will take place at 11:00 a.m. With that said here goes, by the way this is subject to change:  

Sunday-ABC afternoon NBC Peacock night

Monday-Peacock

Tuesday-NBC early game Peacock late game

Wednesday-ESPN

Thursday-Prime

Friday-Prime early game ESPN late game

Saturday-Prime early game ABC late game

Who wins in April

Last year near this time the men’s college basketball poll had Florida as the number 21 team in the nation and Kansas at 1. Of course we know how that turned out, so what happens this upcoming season? Check back the first Monday in April and you will discover the winner. In between time there are plenty of contenders and this is interesting, Kansas is not one of them according to SB Nation. Who are the potential NCAA champions according to them:

UConn Huskies

Florida Gators

BYU Cougars

Kentucky Wildcats

Michigan Wolverines

St. John’s Red Storm

Duke Blue Devils

Purdue Boilermakers

Houston Cougars 

I misjudged this move

Near the middle of last season Jimmy Butler was making lots of noise, he wanted out of Miami. He even dared go to war against Pat Riley paterfamilias of the NBA and the Heat, February 5 he received his wish. The Heat traded him to the Warriors in a multi team trade, the Warriors were struggling and I wrote “How is Butler going to help them when they are lacking height and rebounders?” I am admitting to you I was wrong, the Warriors did show improvement advancing to the Western Conference playoffs defeating the Grizzlies before eventually losing to the Wolves.

So as you might surmise the Warriors have proven me wrong once, do I make a dire prediction again and they win the Western Conference. Okay that might be a gigantic reach however this team will continue to go as far as Steph Curry’s lights out shooting and mercurial Draymond Green’s defensive presence. There is still the issue surrounding Jonathan Kuminga, for now there are too many moving parts to this story which makes this too difficult to call. He could be traded or he could sign an extension. After wallowing around the first portion of last season the addition of Butler and better play saw them win 48 games and finish in 3rd place in the Pacific Division, can they win 48 games in this upcoming season, the division looks mighty tough and I just don’t know.