A fans perspective 

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Is he no longer on their radar

I’d mentioned Ethan Taylor the Big Man from the Kansas side of the Kansas City MO metro in the past. This 7-foot 244 pound post player is now enrolled at Link Academy in Branson Missouri for his senior year. Although a number of schools are recruiting him no decision has been reached at the time of this report. At one point I believed Mizzou might have the inside track but somehow all that changed, it appeared Kansas had moved into a commanding position conversely that might have changed as well.

Last week was a profit for Kansas as they received commitments from four Class of 2026 top talents they had been recruiting. Who are they, Javon Bardwell a 6-foot 7 5 star prospect who plays small forward. There is also Taylen Kinney a 6-foot 3 5-star point guard, then Trent Perry who is a 6-foot 4 small forward and 4-star prospect. Finally there is Davion Adkins a 6-foot 9 4-star prospect center and there lies the issue for Taylor. Personally, I’m unsure if that were the issue or the fact Michigan State has accelerated its effort to recruit Taylor, my conclusion could be completely off base. I sure would like to see him in the Black and Gold of Mizzou but that probably will not occur.

They were first

Confusion often surrounds the history of the three-point basket in basketball. Contrary to common belief, the shot did not originate with the American Basketball Association (ABA) or through the subsequent merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Instead, the three-point basket was first introduced by the American Basketball League (ABL), a lesser-known league that operated for one full season and half of its second before dissolving between 1962 and December 1963. The ABL was established in 1961 by Abe Saperstein, then owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, who sought to position the league as a rival to the NBA.

The inception of the ABL was largely due to Saperstein's dissatisfaction with the NBA. For years, his Globetrotters had greater recognition than the NBA itself, frequently participating in double-header events where they played the first game, followed by an NBA matchup. Saperstein asserted that he was promised an NBA franchise should the league expand to Los Angeles. However, this did not transpire as expected; instead, Bob Short, then-owner of the Minneapolis Lakers, relocated his team to Los Angeles. Feeling betrayed, Saperstein subsequently founded the ABL. The league launched with eight franchises located in Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, Hawaii, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It is important to note that at the time, the NBA did not have teams in Chicago, Cleveland, or Washington, and the Royals had not yet moved to Kansas City to become the Kings. The ABL faced significant financial challenges from its inception: Hawaii’s team relocated to Long Beach, California, the Los Angeles team disbanded midseason, and the Washington franchise moved to New York. Beyond Saperstein, several individuals involved with the league would later achieve wider prominence.

The late George Steinbrenner, who would later purchase the Yankees, was owner of the Cleveland Pipers. Bill Russell is credited for being the first black coach in professional basketball. Russell was the first in the NBA, John McClendon coach of the Pipers was hired several years before Russell. When the ABL went out of business December 31, 1963, a number of players made their way to NBA jobs. Connie Hawkins banned from the NBA played in this league and later the ABA, he might be the most named player in this upstart league although Bill Bridges also had several outstanding years in the NBA after the ABL folded.    

Quite a worldwide journey

Allow me to introduce you to Miikka Muurinen a native of Finland, he is listed as 6-foot 10 but in several accounts he is 6-foot 11 or 7 feet tall. In any event he’s been on an international basketball journey for a youngster who is only 18 years old. His bio indicates at age 15 he moved to Spain Zentro Basketball Madrid, the following year it was Sunrise Christian Academy in the Wichita Kansas metro. In March of 2024 he competed in the Euroleague Next Generation Tournament in Dubai. In June 2024 Muurinen enrolled at Compass Prep in Arizona for the 2024-25 season.

As of this publication he’s rated a 5-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN. Although he attends high school in the U.S. it appears he would be eligible for the 2026 NBA draft. He is extremely tall and continues to grow think Wemby in the weight department. Lacking weight as a youth is not a terrible issue, we need look no further than Wemby to see a possible future for Muurinen, it was reported Wemby was 210-213 pounds at the time of his NBA draft. The Spurs are now reporting Wemby is up to 235 pounds, Miikka Muurinen should also gain weight in the future. Based on his journey so far Muurinen is certainly a name to keep track of for future reference. The NBA continues its international growth. 

Meanwhile…

Fans of Rutgers Nation were excited at the beginning of last season, two of its freshman crop, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey would begin play for them. The two were as good as advertised based on the events of the NBA draft. Harper son of former NBA player Ron would become the pick number 2 in 2025 while teammate Ace Bailey was chosen as the 5th pick. Based on these two you might believe Rutgers had an incredible year overall, that was not quite the case. Rutgers finished the 2024-25 season with 15 wins and 17 losses, because I only had the opportunity to see the Scarlet Knights in action once I cannot detail the difficulty. We witnessed Harper headed to the Spurs while Bailey was the choice of the Jazz.

Flory Kuminga is a 6-foot-6 forward who now attends Lawrence Woodmere Academy in Woodmere NY on Long Island. Kuminga also plays for the AAU New York Rens. He is currently ranked as the number seven prospect in the Class of 2029, which makes him an eighth-grade student who has already achieved five-star status. If Flory’s last name sounds familiar it should, he is the younger brother of Warriors forward Johnathan Kuminga. For additional insights into his playing style, viewers may refer to the YouTube video below displaying his talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNrg0PoL8d8

Does Hakeem Olajuwon really stand 7 feet tall, why is that a question after all the passage of time? A photo of Victor Wembanyama is the basis for this latest question and account. As mentioned “The Ailen” worked out over the summer at the ranch of Olajuwon a.k.a. “The Dream.” In the day of photoshop we become suspicious of some of what we see. In any event a photo of Wemby standing next to Olajuwon makes the former Rockets center look quite small. Of course the Spurs now are reporting measurements of Wemby indicate he now stands 7-feet 5 inches in height, could he continue to grow? I certainly cannot respond just provide additional detail on others. Former NBA players Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan were reported to be 7-feet 7 inches, Ming Yao stood 7-foot 6. Those named are the most noteworthy tallest players in NBA history. For your information a few fans claim Olajuwon stands 6-foot 10.