A fan’s perspective

Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

There is no Goat

The headline comes from Julius “Dr. J” Erving, who said, “There is no one athlete who you can look at in any sport and just say that was the best that ever did it. It’s all an opinion.” These few lines are probably unlikely to change many minds, but they may persuade a few readers. After considering his statement, I agree with Dr. J. My problem with GOAT debates is simple: they compare players from different generations. Later, I will propose a way to settle the argument—have the athletes face one another on the court.

Of course we realize that’s not practical, some are in their 70s and 80s while others have passed. The NBA has changed greatly over the years; some current players are even the grandsons of former NBA players. Statistics can be compared across eras, but numbers alone prove little. In the days of Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, the NBA was more physical than it is today. Most players from the 1950s probably would not earn a roster spot now, although a few exceptional athletes might because their talent transcended their era. I believe Chamberlain could have played in 2026, and the same may be true of West.

On second thought

Are you similar to me in this manner, you write or make a statement and then have second thoughts? That was the case in Wednesdays edition of Off the Dribble. I wrote of the Top 7 backcourts in the NBA and believe a further explanation is required. Tell us Larry Laker, “Are you saying out loud the other 23 teams have trash backcourts?” The explanation is simple, that’s not what I’m stating. Take for example the Blazers, the paring of Dame Lillard and Ja Morant positions two exciting dynamic players in the backcourt for the Blazers.

The ESPN depth chart currently places Jrue Holiday as the shooting guard and Dame at the point, where does that leave talented Ja? It’s apparent the minutes will be reduced for one of the trio…will it make for a happy team? The Blazers and several other teams have talented backcourts there is always a question regarding cohesiveness especially with these new parings. There is also a talent issue from this perspective one or more teams might possess an outstanding two guard and an average three or vice versa. So in closing please give me a break, as one of the headlines of this blog states, this is written from a fan’s perspective and not from someone with all the answers.

I’m pleased but scared

Mizzou basketball fans are “swimming in shark-infested waters.” We love that our Tigers look ready to compete at a high level, but that excitement comes with some fear. When only the Mizzou faithful were optimistic, everything felt manageable. Now, national media members are beginning to view the Tigers as a legitimate threat—dare I say, a possible Final Four team in 2027? That would be rarefied air for this program.

The latest example is veteran college basketball analyst Andy Katz, who recently ranked Mizzou No. 2 among his Top 10 Final Four dark-horse teams. My excitement is easy to understand since midsummer, I’ve believed this could be the most competitive Mizzou team in program history. The roster has depth at every position; the challenge is getting everyone to come together. The SEC remains one of the nation’s toughest conferences, and injuries are always a concern. Despite my trepidation, I’m excited and ready for the drama of SEC play this winter and into the spring of 2027.

He receives no love

A website titled HooperParadise’s Post provided us their list of Top 10 players in Lakers History. Naturally anytime a similar list is published someone always finds fault with it. In this case it involves but a single player:

James Worthy

Magic Johnson

LeBron James

George Mikan

Shaquille O’Neal

Wilt Chamberlain

Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Jerry West

Elgin Baylor

Kobe Bryant

The letters begin to pour in; “LeBron James is not an all-time Laker” and others written with a similar tone. For a variety of reasons many in Laker Nation become upset anytime LeBron’s name is mentioned. The truth is I’m unsure why so much scorn is aimed at him especially from Laker fans. I’m unsure of the basis, is it the length of time LeBron spent as a member of the Lakers? On the other hand it could have been expectations, was he expected to lead the Lakers to multiple championships?

The criticism certainly cannot be based on time spent with the Lakers: Chamberlain played five seasons in Los Angeles, compared with LeBron’s eight. Nor can it be about championships since each led the Lakers to only one title. As for me I may have hoped for more championships with the arrival of LeBron, but I cannot hold that against him simply because the Lakers won only once, in 2020. In the end, I can find no clear reason for the anger directed at him by a large contingent of fans especially those in Laker Nation; all I can say is that LeBron receives little love despite his outstanding talent.