A basketball fans perspective

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday

On the other hand….

It’s great the Spurs don’t have me as an advisor for one reason alone. I thought Wemby should have not played Game Four if I’m in charge, that would be my call after he suffered a concussion in Game Two. Given medical clearance and inserted into the lineup Wemby appeared slow and unable to play at his usual level. I’m not sure what his game total was for the first half however this should be of note. The Spurs found themselves 19 points behind at a stage, Blazer shot after shot found the bottom of the basket. Those shot attempts by the Spurs including Wemby turned out to be mostly misses, with 34 seconds remaining in the second quarter it was Blazers 58 Spurs 39. 

The second half of the game would see a complete turnaround, the Spurs scored 33 points in the third quarter to the Blazers 16. It was even more severe for the Blazers in the 4th quarter as Spurs shots found the bottom of the basket while that and Blazer turnovers aided the Spurs to score 40 points in the quarter. As for that Wemby guy he didn’t shoot well from three but there was no requirement, he shot 52% from the floor. That shooting produced 27 points and he snatched down 12 rebounds and contributed 7 blocked shots plus 4 steals. His presence around the basket probably mentally blocked an untold number of attempts. The focus is Wemby however the 114-93 victory was a Spurs team effort. De Aaron Fox was the leading scorer for the Spurs with 28 points along with 7 assists, Stephon Castle contributed 16 points and 8 assists. The win gave the Spurs a 3 games to 1 lead as the teams return to San Antonio to close this out.

Generations

Consider the scenario of residing in a city for decades, reaching the age of 65 or 70, without experiencing an NBA championship within your lifetime. Alternatively, one might witness a championship as a child, perhaps at age 10 or 12, but grow to adulthood and reach the age of 64 or so without celebrating another title. Over the years your team might have been successful even earning continuous playoff berths. Your team might have played for an NBA championship but never won, ask the Pacers as an example.

The experience I just described has become common place for NBA fans of the cities listed below. It is important to note that several franchises (such as the Kings, Hawks, and Clippers) are no longer based in their original locations. Nevertheless, the duration referenced remains accurate, illustrating why fans in these cities may feel dissatisfaction due to such extended periods without a championship. It was said the old Brooklyn Dodgers would play excellent baseball but fail to win a World Series until 1955. Fans of the team adopted this motto; “wait until next year” indicating there is always hope.

Kings 74 years NBA champion-1951

Hawks 67 years NBA champion-1958

Suns 57 years- not once

Clippers 55 years-not once 

Knicks 52 years NBA champion-1973

Jazz 51 years-not once

Nets 49 years-not once

Pacers 49 years-not once

This is the proof

Keldon Johnson has been one of the keys to the success of the San Antonio Spurs this season. Although prior to being named Sixth Man of the Year most NBA fans might have been unfamiliar with his name. A brief check of his background indicates he played his college basketball at Kentucky for John Calipari. Johnson was the 29th pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Spurs. The 2025-26 season would be a breakout year, although a reserve he played in all 82 games during the season averaging 23 minutes a game.

Johnson’s play along with teammates was a contributing factor in the excellent season play of the Spurs. You might find this trivia interesting, Johnson becomes the second Spur to be named Sixth Man of the Year, he joins Manu Ginóbili who won the honor in 2008. The other part of Johnson was covered previously however its repeated here. The native of Chesterfield Virginia grew up near the City of Richmond, despite that fact playing for the Spurs and living in Texas he’s become a “real” cowboy. Johnson has purchased a 22-acre ranch in the hill country where he spends the majority of his off season time. The ranch includes horses, cattle, goats, llamas, and other animals. When he's not wearing a Spurs jersey, the Sixth Man dons cowboy boots and a 10-gallon hat, embodying a true cowboy off the court.

Meanwhile….

Me as with a number of other NBA fans were certainly aware of the defense of Marcus Smart. He set a tone for playing defense while a member of the Celtics. After he left the Celtics and while playing for the Grizzlies I lost track of him. At the time the Lakers signed him I questioned it, “I wonder how much gasoline is in the tank at age 32?” He’s never been a shooter although at times he was clutch with the Celtics. In any event his play with the Lakers has been exemplary. This is certainly worth mentioning, Smart became the first Laker in the teams’ history to accomplish this feat. He scored at least 20 points and recorded five steals in back-to-back games against the Rockets. Since the Lakers founding in 1947, no other player in team history has ever accomplished this.

It is often suggested that visiting teams are at a disadvantage in certain venues, resulting in losses as soon as they step onto the court. While this assertion is not entirely accurate, there are locations where it is notably challenging for opponents to secure a victory. Without looking at numbers Cameron Indoor home of the Duke Blue Devils is one of those buildings. Although the record the last few years has not been exemplary Allen Fieldhouse where the Kansas Jayhawks play should also be included in the count. For years, the opposition hated to play in Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Wildcats court where they held court (a play on words for you). Of these arenas probably lesser known is The McCarthey Athletic Center the Gonzaga Bulldogs arena, there are others across the nation but I wanted to profile just a few for you.

It’s likely you’ve read this statement over and over from me in the past, I intend for the 99th time to refrain from commenting on click bait. You know a former player or media member will make a statement which appears outlandish to me. Before I proceed everyone is entitled to their own opinion on a subject. The stuff I hope to avoid are the comparisons, “He played in the 1950’s he couldn’t play with today’s athletes be it college or the NBA.” We have no time machines allowing Player A. to return from the 1950’s to competition today. I am giving you advance notice, should I slip again you have my permission to ignore it, thanks in advance.