A fans perspective

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He chose a different path

Marcus Spears, distinguished by his 13-year career in the NFL as a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, made a significant impact on the football field with his imposing stature of 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds. However, his son, Marcus Spears Jr., opted not to follow directly in his father's footsteps, instead choosing to pursue basketball. At 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds, Spears Jr. brings a different build and athletic profile to his sport of choice. On Saturday afternoon, with a national television audience watching on NBA TV and other platforms, I had the opportunity to see Spears Jr. display his basketball skills during the Jordan Classic.

Representing Dynamic Prep from Arlington, Texas, Spears Jr.'s team secured a 75-63 victory against Roman Catholic Cahallite High School from Philadelphia. This marked the second occasion I have observed Spears Jr. in action, and once again, he did not disappoint. He has earned a 5-star rating and is widely regarded as the top prospect in the Class of 2027. While high school performances can be difficult to translate into future success, Spears Jr. consistently demonstrates the focus and commitment that indicate he is fully engaged in the game. It should be of note although he only scored 15 points he played an all-around game. Currently, he holds offers from ten different schools, but as he is still in the middle of his junior year, he has yet to decide where he will continue his basketball journey at the collegiate level.

The Future Ahead  

This is my attempt to address the critics who allege that "The NBA could shut down at any moment." While some challenges within the NBA are acknowledged, it is important to recognize that any organization involving people will inevitably experience occasional setbacks or incidents that may be uncomfortable for players, teams, and the league itself. Such occurrences have happened in the past and are likely to continue in the future. Nevertheless, there are clear indications that the NBA remains strong and well-positioned whether you wish to acknowledge it or not.

1.The record-breaking television contract now in effect with partners NBC/Peacock, Prime and ABC/ESPN. TNT wanted to remain a partner, however, the guess is the financial clout required was beyond the amount they were willing to pay. 2. Every season there is a crop of newly minted players anxiously looking toward an NBA future. All will not succeed, some will have limited success and others become budding superstars. I could name a few names but you might have others in mind, NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Austin Reaves are both 27 years old. Cooper Flagg just experienced his 19th birthday while Anthony Edwards is 24 and Victor Wembanyama is 21 years old. All those named are on the cusp of an NBA All Pro career but they are not alone, they represent the names that come to mind for this account. 3. The NBA is positioned in a unique standing I believe, NFL football is clearly the leader in fan appeal however the NBA is not a great deal behind.

It’s my belief without offering you a shred of evidence that the game might be just as popular or might exceed baseball in fan appeal. 4. NBA apparel sales consistently surpass those of other professional sports, with the possible exception of the NFL. To verify this observation, one could conduct an independent survey of fan attire to assess its validity. 5. The discussion concludes with a brief consideration of NBA franchise ownership. Contrary to prior sentiments such as "No one is watching the NBA" or "I stopped following games after Michael Jordan retired," current trends demonstrate continued high interest in the league. Notably, NBA franchises remain highly valued, with numerous individuals and investment groups expressing interest whenever a team becomes available for purchase. This ongoing demand suggests that NBA team ownership continues to be perceived as a sound investment. 5A. This is additional proof from a world perspective, I’d bet money if you took along a photo of Michael Jordan and Jayden Daniels to a basketball game in Paris or Berlin and ask fans this question, who is this? I’d bet huge sums of money the 62-year old Jordan would be easier to identify over the 25-year old QB of the NFL Commanders.

The concern

College basketball fans are familiar with the name Darryn Peterson, NBA scouts too. If you check a number of 2026 NBA mock draft sites most have this 6-foot 6 Kansas wing listed as the top pick while others place him second or third. Based on this fact alone you gather there is a belief he is “NBA ready.” Despite the platitudes in his direction there is a real concern beyond his ability to play the game. It’s the injury bug, as an example this is written December 27, Kansas has won 10 of the 13 games on its schedule thus far.

Peterson has played but four of those games, he’s clearly demonstrated his skill scoring nearly 20 points a game while shooting 53% from the floor. An assortment of injuries have been the culprit which has kept him off the floor for an extended period. At that point, an ESPN report reveals that Peterson’s family has become involved in addressing his health condition. Despite missing from the lineup others on the roster of Kansas have stepped up. Its apparent with or without Peterson Kansas is facing a huge task in the Big 12 conference, other than the SEC the Big 12 might be the second toughest in the country. Arizona, BYU, Iowa State and Houston are just four of the power teams in the conference. Rest assured Bill Self is optimistic Peterson should be able to return to the lineup soon, he’s needed.

He is a surprise no longer

I attempt to avoid the hype machine surrounding teams and players as much as possible, despite my best intentions I surrender on occasion. I claim to have done this with the Spurs Victor Wembanyama, so far ‘The Alien’ has lived up to the hype surrounding his NBA play despite a couple of hiccups. He is the future of the NBA provided he is able to avoid serious injury which certainly would curtail this account. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder burst on the scene somewhat different but is also there. On Tuesday evening fans of the Mavs and a national television audience were treated to the Cooper Flagg Show. The 19-year old led the way to the 131-130 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

For Flagg it was 33 points and understand this, he shot 66.7% from the floor with 66.7% of it coming from the three line. There was also 9 rebounds and 9 assists providing us proof that the 6-foot 9 youngster has an all-around game. I had been critical early in the season of Jason Kidd, the coach placed Flagg at the point. It was explained during the game why the move was made and I am now satisfied. In addition to my satisfaction I intend to leave the coaching up to the guys who get paid, which is not me. This next statement was made by yours truly recently and I will repeat it. It’s my belief with the youthful talent (SGA, Wemby & Flagg) the NBA is about to enter another period similar to that which occurred during the Magic/Bird/Jordan era. Could I be wrong, of course that’s possible however I don’t believe that to be the case.