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The return of a Kobe

His name is Kobe Bufkin, there remains a question if his parents named him after the Kobe which remains unclear. Since he just turned 22 in September it’s certainly plausible that could be the case. Bufkin’s had an unusual journey to arrive with the Los Angeles Lakers, allow an explanation. The 6-foot 4 guard was an All-State high school basketball player in Michigan, he was a 2021 McDonald’s All American. Bufkin had a slow start at the University of Michigan his freshman year but showed vast signs of improvement during his sophomore year.

He would then declared for the 2023 NBA draft, Bufkin was made pick number 15 in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks. From that point on it seems he fell off the edge of the earth, two years in which Bufkin received little playing time on the court. In September 2025 he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and was waived by them in October prior to the start of the 2025-26 season. He was traded by Detroit’s G-League team to the South Bay Lakers, after appearing in 14 games for South Bay the parent club signed Bufkin to a 10-day contract. JJ Redick is looking for scoring off the bench and must believe this addition will prove beneficial for them. So there you have the story behind this Kobe and his connection to the Los Angeles Lakers.

A revolving door

The conference season has just begun and change is forth coming early, Kansas City or the University of MO-Kansas City is at the forefront. The school announced veteran coach Marvin Menzies will be replaced at the end of the season. I have long been unsure if the administration of my hometown university desires to play Division I basketball at a competitive level. The school moved from the NAIA level to Division I under Lee Hunt in 1987, memory says that was his only job….move the basketball program to the next level. Sounds somewhat easy however its been mostly downhill over the decades. Menzies is the school’s 7th head coach since 1996.

Every coach at the helm has a losing record with the exception of Billy Donlon (2019-22), in his three years his teams won 46 while losing 39 games. There must have been issues the public was unable to see, Donlon left the program at the end of 2022 and took the job as associate head coach for Clemson. I have long held the belief that without offering a shred of proof over time there’s been a divide between the athletic department and the school’s administration. Despite the passage of time the divide remains in place otherwise a high profile coach would have been hired day one. Once the school moved from the NAIA ranks to Division I my hope (and others) was a St. John’s or UCLA type program, an urban basketball power. My hope never materialized and the truth of the matter I’ve given up.

An uncommon occurrence

If you’ve read Off the Dribble any length of time you might be aware of this single fact. There are a number of concerns I’ve expressed 99% of them I can do nothing about except complain, one of those complaints is the NBA All-Star Game. I resent the change in the format of the game today, it reminds me of a playground or YMCA pickup game in the manner teams are place together. Despite that fact it is time to profile what might be a historic event, I checked all-star history and uncovered the fact there have been 45 rookies to play in the all-star game since it was first played in 1951, 25 of them since 1969. Since that year fewer and fewer rookies have been named NBA All-Stars, Michael Jordan was named to the 1985 game however since then only 5 rookies have been selected.  

Michael Jordan-1985

Shaquille O’Neal-1993

Grant Hill-1995

Tim Duncan-1998

Yao Ming-2003

Blake Griffin-2011

All-Star voting continues at the time of this account, with final selections pending there is a possibility of a 7th rookie being named to this year's NBA All-Star roster. Voting closes at midnight on January 14, and the starters will be announced on Monday, January 19. Current frontrunners in the voting include Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Anthony Edwards. Additionally, Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg has attracted considerable attention, receiving a notable number of votes and potentially earning a position on the 2026 NBA All-Star roster. The starters will be announced first and then the reserves, in all probability, the balance of the roster might not be revealed until sometime next week.

He’s got an offer in middle school

This is a report only, I make that statement because the athlete profiled is only 13 years old, his name is Omar Muhammad and he’s in the 8th grade. Muhammad is an outstanding talent and appears more gifted than his competition on the basketball court however with that statement comes a warning. What will be his position by the time he graduates high school in 2029 or 2030 is the question, Muhammad is 6-feet 2 inches tall and is likely to continue growing. Muhammad could gain several additional inches by the time he graduates from high school. If you check out his Instagram video you will see video of him scoring on high wire dunks.  

Home for Muhammad is West Fresno California were he attends Reyburn Intermediate School. By now you are wondering “Why is he profiling an 8th grade basketball player?” For this reason, last week Kansas offered him a basketball scholarship but they appear late to the party. According to Muhammad’s Instagram account he’s received a total of 7 offers from Division I programs. Among the schools with offers for him are Tennessee, Missouri, Arizona State, Rutgers and now Kansas. If you followed the sport any length of time you are aware time to time we are made aware of a new phenom, sometimes that youngster goes on to great things and other times the competition catches up with them. In any event you should store this youngsters name in your memory bank for the future.

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