A fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday through Sunday

No one remains ‘home’

There was a time an athlete played for one team his entire career. Naturally with a few termed superstars moved it was usually at their request, on occasion the home team gave up on them too soon and traded them. In recent years free agency has increased the opportunity to move, in the NBA it’s become the norm. It's uncommon to see players like Kobe Bryant or Steph Curry, who are drafted by a team and stay with them throughout their careers.  As for player movement, we see the teams of Los Angeles Clipper guard James Harden, the Clippers are his 5th NBA team.

Don't become offended, if you are a Harden fan I'm not picking on him, in today's NBA it is somewhat common for players to move, generally at their request. LeBron James has played for the Cleveland Cavs, Miami Heat and returned to Cleveland. His last stop is with his current team the Los Angeles Lakers. How about Kevin Durant, it's the Sonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and his present team...the Houston Rockets. See where I'm headed, whether it’s a trade or free agency, no city remains home for a career. I’ve not formulated an opinion, this is one of those instances you are the decider. In your view has increasing player movement whether through trade or free agency made for a better NBA?

Time for a divorce

It’s been mentioned on more than one occasion west coast games are a hindrance. They end far too late for me (and maybe others) living in the Midwest and east coast time zones. In any event I checked the score of the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavs game, the Clippers held a 5 point lead at the half. On Sunday morning I was quite surprised to discover the final score which read Mavs 114 Clippers 110, that’s the purpose of the headline. Cooper Flagg set a record in the Saturday night game, with his 35 points he eclipsed LeBron James by 5 days becoming the youngest player in the NBA to score at least 30 points by age 18. Missing in action for the Mavs two key players Anthony Davis and PJ Washington which validates my point of contention.

I’ve said since day one Flagg will step up and perform the task required of his team. As for the Clippers it's been mentioned on more than one occasion in some pre-season polls that the Clippers were projected to compete for the NBA championship. The loss to the Mavs becomes number 15 for the season versus only 5 wins. There are several other teams with worst records than the Clippers however its not by much. It’s difficult to understand the Clippers position with the talent assembled. Unfortunately, the key for the Clippers is Kawhi Leonard and that presents a problem without going into further detail. James Harden plus Ivica Zubac have done the best they could to lead the way however it’s not been enough so far. It’s not coaching, this has been mentioned in the past. I believe Tyronn Lue is among the best in the NBA however even he can only do so much. What does the future hold for the Clippers, I believe it might be time ‘to blow up this team?’ The future (based on age) certainly doesn’t look promising, that’s my opinion, what do you think?

They listened to the caw-caw

Some fans expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with the broadcast team, which likely influenced ABC/ESPN’s decision to reassign Doris Burke from her role as a lead broadcast analyst. She will team with Mark Jones or another commentator on the network’s secondary team. Former NBA player and analyst Tim Legler will move up to work alongside Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson. The exact reason for Burke’s reassignment is unclear, however, there has been speculation regarding its motivations.

I’d mentioned this previously my issues with Jeff Van Gundy’s commentary style, particularly his tendency to deviate from game analysis. For instance I remember one Laker game in particular, Van Gundy discussed the appropriateness of displaying certain championship banners in Crypto.com rather than focusing on the live action. Regardless, the network has made its decision---Burke remains employed, but some view like me view this change as less than favorable. Before you come to the wrong conclusion I like Tim Legler, he’s informative without becoming too technical in his explanation. I believe Burke was as well however it didn’t work for her. Am I going to quite watching NBA games on the network, of course not?

This is true I believe

I’m convinced of one factor, the Mizzou basketball program will never be taken seriously until. It will never be taken seriously until Dennis Gates group either ties or wins the SEC outright. Gates now in his 4th year inherited a program in agony in 2022, new coach in place not much was expected so what occurred? They went out shocked the world with a 25 win season and NCAA invite. In his second year the team collapsed for a variety of reasons but rebounded last season winning 22 games plus beating a number of Top 25 teams. Once again Mizzou received an NCAA invite but lost its first round game.

With an outstanding recruiting class plus most of last season’s holdover what’s expected in 2025-26? Apparently not much, Mizzou is projected in the middle of the pack once again not a bad team but not one capable to compete with Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama and several others. The team across State Line Road won fewer games than Mizzou yet is projected as a Top 25 team. Guess who is missing from the list, Mizzou, despite acquiring a significant number of talented players in the transfer portal. I believe one .com site rated them number 28 or 29 in the nation. This is the basis of my contention, until Mizzou wins the SEC or the NCAA tourney the basketball program will not receive much attention except by students, alumni and fans.

Who is it for you

Throughout NBA history, there have been players who opponents found particularly challenging to face due to their relentless competitive spirit. These athletes consistently demonstrated a warrior mentality, doing whatever was necessary to secure victory. Michael Jordan stands out as the quintessential example—renowned for his unwavering competitiveness across all aspects of sport. It is evident that his drive extended well beyond basketball. Kobe Bryant also exemplified this commitment to excellence.

A frequently cited anecdote tells of a teammate expressing interest in joining Bryant for a workout; when the teammate arrived at 6:00 a.m., he discovered Kobe had already been in the gym since 5:30 a.m., honing his skills. While other notable figures could be mentioned, Jordan and Bryant remain two of the most formidable competitors in the league’s history. As for today’s NBA, several players are known for their intensity and competitive edge. Although I will not single out any individual, the following is a list of current players who are reputed to inspire a similar level of respect from their peers and opponents. Did I omit a player that should have been on the list, it’s your call because I believe the choice is strictly yours.

Victor Wembanyama

Luka Doncic

SGA

Ja Morant

Nikola Jokic

Stephen Curry