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Politicking

Victor Wembanyama voice his concern (and I paraphrase) he didn’t understand why he wasn’t included in the MVP discussion. So what occurred following his statement, Wemby’s name was later mentioned along with SGA and The Joker. A number of fans were critical of the Spurs star because they claim he was politicking to have his name included in the conversation for MVP. This is my opinion on the matter, if Wemby didn’t have numbers to back him up it would be ludicrous. Basketball remains a team sport however if we just looked at team won-loss records it should be SGA and Wemby. Before you scream loudly I’m not stating The Joker doesn’t belong in the discussion, I’m looking strictly at a teams’ won-loss record. It’s the Thunder first and then the Spurs, the Nuggets are sitting in 4th place in the Western Conference.

He’s got a great deal of pressure

This is an introduction to some the name Tyran Stokes, he’s a 5-star prospect and the number one high school basketball player in the Class of 2026. Stokes is a 6-foot 7 small forward, currently he’s being recruited by Kansas, Kentucky and Oregon. As for the headline there is pressure no matter which school he chooses, unfortunately there is more for one over the others. Which school is the culprit in my view, it’s the University of Kansas and the explanation follows. Kansas basketball has won over 40 games the past two seasons but has failed in two areas.

Winning the Big 12 championship which the Jayhawks almost always manage, the second, advancing deep into the NCAA tournament. There are basketball programs across the nation that would love to have a record similar to Kansas however a number of fans in Jayhawk Nation have expressed their frustration with developments the past two seasons. There is a third expectation that didn’t come about, for a variety of reasons Kansas fans believed Darryn Peterson was a disappointment although he remains an NBA lottery pick. Should Stokes choose Kansas the expectations will be over the moon, Kansas fans (and the Kansas City sports media) will not be very patient if Stokes fails to deliver at the level expected.

Who is the real deal

I’m going to detail a bit of the history behind this account, it certainly is quite different from the usual story you might find in this blog. I am unsure of a date or time I first became acquainted with George Gervin. The Spurs guard first signed with the ABA Spurs and matured in the NBA with that same team. He’s been honored by his selection as a member of the 50th and 75th Anniversary NBA teams. In addition to that accomplishment Gervin is enshrined in the College and Naismith Hall of Fame. Gervin was a master at the finger roll, a shot that came off his hand smooth as silk. I’ve never read how the nickname Iceman came into being but he was the first I remember applied to him.

Anytime you said Iceman to practically anyone they knew who were likely referencing, there was no question. For the first time to my knowledge George “Iceman” Gervin who is now age 73 has competition for the nickname that’s always been associated with him. name. 27-year old Caleb Williams quarterback of the Chicago Bears has taken on the nickname after the past NFL season he experienced. Some might remember the feud between Shaq and Dwight Howard on who was the “real Superman”? We have a similar situation here only this time its legal, the term Iceman has been trademarked by Williams. The original Iceman (Gervin) filed a lawsuit three days after Williams, creating a legal dispute over who rightfully owns the term. You are the judge, this case is presented to you for a ruling…..what’s the outcome in your court? 

Twin Towers

This account is prompted by a question, I was asked if I was familiar with Artis Gilmore? In today’s college and NBA game we’ve moved from a “Twin Tower” approach. Perhaps the first evidence of this was the San Francisco Warriors, they had 7-1 Wilt Chamberlain on the roster. Later they would draft 6-11 Nate Thurmond and Chamberlain at center and Thurmond at power forward were the first power duo on record in 1963. Several years later 7-2 Artis Gilmore would be paired with 7-0 Pembrooke Burrows to form twin towers for Jacksonville (FL) University in 1970.

Sidenote, Gilmore went on to a hall of fame career in the ABA/NBA, Burrows as well but in a slightly different arena. He went to work for the Florida Highway patrol and standing 7-feet tall he remains the tallest Florida law officer in their history. Ralph Sampson 7-4 was drafted by the Houston Rockets, he played power forward next to Hakeem Olajuwon (7-0) already installed at center. Next up the combo of Shaquille O’Neal (7-1) and Stanley Roberts (7-0) both were LSU’s dynamic pairing. We close with the Admiral i.e., David Robinson (7-1) at center, Tim Duncan (6-11) joined him at the power forward position for the Spurs. There may be other combos however those named are the standouts for me, just thought the trivia might be valuable to you.