Why did it come to this?
You may remember on September 6 we discussed the inconsistent rulings of the NCAA. The organization gave their stamp of approval for a student-athlete who suffered a family illness but ruled against Kerwin Okoro with a death. Briefly the father of Okoro died late last year and Okoro’s brother in the spring. This New York native wanted to be closer to his family after this double tragedy. Okoro transferred from Iowa State to Rutgers and applied to play immediately the NCAA denied his request. Guess what the venerable organization has now done, they changed their tune. The NCAA reversed itself and has now granted Okoro immediate eligibility.

It’s really not our call
I admit I am guilty in falling into the same trap of you. I’m referring to discussions surrounding the admittance to the Hall of Fame versus those to be excluded. Prior to Bernard King being enshrined last week I read more than one letter indicating King didn’t belong in the Hall. We might have an opinion regarding a player and that’s okay but thumbs up or down is not our call. The decision belongs to those who have the power of the vote; potential honorees have been excluded due to not receiving enough votes. A candidate should be of high moral character, no drugs or legal issues. Major League Baseball has a serious problem besides Pete Rose (betting on games). It’s been determined a number of baseball players may have enhanced their career numbers taking ban substances.

This discussion is based on conversation on the 2014 Hall of Fame class. Host Vince Cellini and Dennis Scott of NBA TV were discussing players who could be considered. One of the names they mentioned was Robert Horry, “Big Shot Rob.” During his 17 year career his scoring average was a meager 7.0 ppg, his highest regular season scoring average 12.0. Horry has 7 championship rings, 2 with the Rockets 3 with the Lakers and 2 with the Spurs. Any players close to Rob in number of championship rings, how about Michael Jordan. Need a clutch shot at a critical point in the game; give the ball to “Big Shot Rob.” Just because the rings are mentioned should not be the primary consideration for the Hall. Charles Barkley is in the Hall so is Karl Malone and several others who never won an NBA Championship.

Bits n Pieces
Eudora Kansas is about 35 miles from downtown Kansas City (MO). One of the famous residents from Eudora was Hugh Beaumont. The Beaumont name might be unfamiliar to a number of you. He played Ward Cleaver the father in the ‘50’s television series Leave it to Beaver. This television character might someday be superseded by Mitchell Ballock as Eudora‘s most famous citizen. Ballock is a 6-4 175 pound shooting guard; he’s received a scholarship offer from Creighton University. Did I mention Ballock is beginning his 8^th grade year? They won’t see him at the college until at least 2017.

Kobe Bryant might not be the only veteran unable to play at the beginning of the season. Reports indicate Rajon Rondo may not have recovered enough from his ACL surgery begin play. I checked the Celtic roster after reading the report, third year man Avery Bradley and rookie Phil Pressey are the only point guards available to Coach Brad Stevens. Don’t be shocked if Pressey is the starter should Rondo be unable to begin play. I have downplayed the grit of Pressey since he left Mizzou and he’s continued to prove me wrong. I speculated he wouldn’t be a 2013 draft pick that I correctly called. After he was picked up by the Celtics as a free agent I thought he wouldn’t make the team. Imagine my surprise---no shock when he was extended a contract. Pressey may never be an NBA All-Star but I won’t doubt his ability from here on.

We have no idea if LeBron James is interested in returning to Cleveland. We know for sure Magic rookie Victor Oladipo wanted no part of the Cavs or at least that’s the view he expressed. The 2^nd pick in the 2013 draft choice later attempted to clarify his comment. He claimed it was nothing personal against the City of Cleveland or the Cavs. He said; “the Cavs roster contained Dion Waiters (SG) and Kyrie Irvin (PG).” Both players played major minutes for the Cavs and are only 21 years if age, Oladipo might have thought his NBA future was somewhere other than Cleveland. The Magic indicate they intent for the 6-4 Oladipo to play both guard positions.

Have you seen the new uniforms of the Pelicans? The road uniforms are dark blue and the home are white. Both jerseys contained the name New Orleans across the front of the jersey. The location name is common for road uniforms in the NBA although not with all teams. As an example the Kings road jerseys have Sacramento across the front, the same for the Thunder which read Oklahoma City. On the other hand the Pelicans follow the example set by the Spurs, Lakers and other teams who don’t include the location name on their road jerseys.

Correction
This is an update to an earlier account of the Fox Sports family of channels.  Previously the network announced it had secured the rights to Big East basketball.  Because Big East was all that was mentioned we assumed incorrectly the network would only contain games from that conference.   The network released the balance of its basketball telecast schedule and it includes Big XII, Pac-12 and ACC basketball. Coverage post-season conference tourney games will also be provided. Fox Sports 1 will compete with CBS, CBS Sports, and the ESPN family for viewers.

Mexico
They did it, Mexico slipped past Puerto Rico 91-89 to win the gold medal of the 2013 FIBA Americas championship. In the past the best ever finish for a Mexican team was 6^th place, they had never finished in the medal round until Wednesday. Basketball may never become the number one sport in Mexico however a number of folks in the nation are well pleased. The win is a building block for the future of basketball in Mexico.

?????
There is no requirement for me to comprehend or understand NCAA rules. Rules regarding practice versus play are certainly confusing. Last month Syracuse played four exhibition games against Canadian teams. Mike DeCoursey Sporting News writes; “it’s roughly two plus weeks before college teams can begin practice.” Last year Mizzou journeyed to Europe and played a series of exhibition games too. The question is how do you play exhibition games without a degree of practice?

He doesn’t get it
I’m not sure of the website but it said; “Suns release Michael Beasley.” Reports had been circulating for the last week or so this going to occur, it certainly isn’t shocking news. Beasley was released due to a marijuana arrest in Phoenix and this might have been the final straw for the Suns organization. I looked up his numbers, toss out those of last year this 6-9 lefty small forward can score against anybody. Scoring the basketball is not his problem, he’s outside now after becoming the number two pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

He’s out of the NBA because he’s failed to grasp there is an excepted maturity level required.
Drafted by Miami he went to Minnesota and finally Phoenix all three in five years. Is his career over, Mike Wilbon of ESPN says; “every NBA team can have at least one knucklehead, he (Beasley) cannot play for a bad team. He must go to an established team like the Spurs.” Wilbon might be correct; a good team not dependent on his production might be willing to take a chance on him again. NOTE: This was completed prior to print, the Heat have signed Beasley to a contract. Based on the Wilbon declaration this sounds about right, the Heat certainly doesn’t need him to win.

When did he leave?
I’m sure UNLV is embarrassed over the recent public misstep. The school had placed a billboard advertising tickets for UNLV football and basketball. The billboard contained the telephone number and displayed the photos of football coach Bobby Hauk and basketball coach Lon Kruger. Whoa, hold on a minute I thought Kruger was coaching at another school? It’s true, unfortunately someone at the school failed to inform the billboard designer Kruger left for another job. In fact he’s been the head coach at Oklahoma for two years and is headed into his third.

And the point is --------
86 letters in one day, that’s the number the mailman delivered to the Zimmerman household in Las Vegas. The letters were addressed to Stephen Zimmerman a Rivals 5-star prospect. Zimmerman attends Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas the same school of Shabazz Muhammad. It’s not just his hometown school after this Class of 2015 7-footer, he’s received offers from a total of 19 schools. According to reports the UNLV letters were not all the same, the appeal was different in each letter.

The one sport
Occasionally a significant story or event in the sporting world not basketball related is discussed. I don’t make that a habit, noteworthy events are worth commentary. I informed a couple of acquaintances; “NFL and college football seasons have begun, for me there is only one season-----basketball season.” Basketball activity slows down during the summer months but never really ceases. Mention of another sport is only a temporary departure from Words eye view.

Bits n Pieces
Did you hear or read the other Gary Payton statement? He says; “Him and Shawn Kemp are the original Lob City.” In this instance there is no reason to dispute Payton‘s assertion. Truth was Payton was tossing lob passes to Kemp when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were toddlers. Check out YouTube for “Top 10 Alley Oops: Gary Payton to Shawn Kemp.”

I’ve changed my mind, it’s my belief Tracy McGrady belongs in the Hall of Fame. Numbers never paint a true picture but his are comparable to Kobe Bryant. In fairness to McGrady most of the 7 NBA teams he were bad, some really bad. Check out the numbers, he even played on some bad Magic teams. The nearest McGrady came to playing for a good team were the Yao Ming Rockets. Even then he was injured for portions of those seasons with the Rockets.

Did you read the Rockets hired Hakeem Olajuwon to tutor Dwight Howard? Take this for what its worth, Abdul Jabbar says he met Howard on his arrival in Los Angeles. “He’s (Howard) a nice enough guy” was the response from Abdul Jabbar. Nowhere in the interview did he indicate Howard asked for tips in playing the center position. Howard had the all-time leading scorer in the NBA (38,000 points) available to him and didn’t ask for one bit of advice. We must assume Howard is more willing to be tutored by Olajuwon over Abdul Jabbar.

I hope this story isn’t true regarding former Rocket Royce White. You remember White was the rookie who has mental health issues, those issues kept him from flying with the Rockets last season. He now belongs to the 76ers but “Houston we (may) have a problem.” In any event a former girl friend is filing domestic abuse charges against White. If this is true a fan stated the case far better than me, he wrote; “Sounds like he is afraid of flights, but not hitting women in fights.”

Mexico
The first semi-final game of FIBA Americas witnessed Mexico beating Argentina 76-70. The announcers hinted the win might be considered an upset. Is the tide changing among Latin American nations? We might pose the question because Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic have long dominated play among Latin nations. If we use the NBA as a barometer there are more NBA players from Argentina than Mexico. I checked basketball-reference.com for the following information. Gustavo Ayon key to the win over Argentina is just the third athlete from Mexico to play in the NBA.  Mexico will play Puerto Rico for the Gold Medal, ever how far Mexico advances it is significant.

The numbers were close
Did you read or hear Jeremy Lin’s comments while visiting Taiwan. Lin stated he thought the Rockets coaching staff lost faith in him. He claims “his inconsistent play led the coaching staff to come to that conclusion.” Lin may have thought he should have played at a higher level, nothing wrong with that. Part of his difficulty I believe could be blamed on the New York sports media, they were certainly guilty of over hyping Lin.

Allow me to clarify my point Lin is an NBA player, he‘s not the “Lin-sanity” player we witnessed with the Knicks. It’s possible the Houston media and fan base might have hoped for the second coming of Lin-sanity. The game is always more than simply numbers, they do aid us however. If you check Lin’s numbers with the Knicks and with the Rockets you will realize they are very close. Across the board they were comparable to the previous season with the Knicks.

It’s worth mentioning
7 touchdowns and 462 yards passing in one game, that’s the box score for Broncos QB Peyton Manning. One game fails to make a season especially the first game of the season. The Broncos must compete throughout the regular season prior to even thinking Super Bowl. Should we expect this feat to be accomplished again next week? Of course not but it’s noteworthy to see records broken or tied. That was the case last night, no QB has tossed that many TD’s in a single NFL game in 44 years. An excellent outing for “over the hill” Manning.

It’s Bill Self
The most vociferous Kansas hater cannot deny the success of Kansas basketball. The more recent accomplishments can be attributed to outstanding talent and Coach Bill Self. Once it was clear Mizzou was to leave the Big XII Conference the majority of complaints we read or heard came from the Kansas Administration. They were most likely echoing the views of Self. Perhaps it was our location, situated on the Missouri side but roughly 40 miles from the Lawrence Kansas campus. We heard few if any complaints at the time Nebraska and Colorado left the conference, later Self declared “he’d never play Mizzou again.” Although Colorado had left the Big XII the previous season they managed to pop up on the non-conference schedule of Kansas. With those tidbits of history to contemplate the following are thoughts of a barber shop patron this morning.

He said “you know Bill Self still holds a grudge against Missouri.” His statement caught me off guard, he reminded me of a narrative I believed I share with you once. Mizzou was searching for a head coach to replace venerable Norm Stewart. Among the candidates were Quin Snyder a Duke assistant and Bill Self then head coach at Tulsa. For reasons never fully explained the school hired Snyder over Self and we know the history of Mizzou basketball under Snyder. After Self was passed over he moved to become head coach at Illinois and was hired at Kansas when Roy Williams left. As for the view of the barber shop patrons belief he could offer no proof other than his word. I guess we might assume Self could still hold feelings of resentment if for no other reason than “you didn’t hire me.” Hindsight informs us Self clearly would have been the superior hire over that of Quin Snyder.

Thanks to ESPN
I submit for your reading pleasure further proof of the inconsistent policies of the NCAA. *“Villanova's Tony Chennault was granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA, allowing him to play immediately after arriving with the Wildcats.” Chennault’s mother was in ill health and this Philadelphia native wanted to be close to her and his brother. I wish someone smarter than me can figure out why it’s okay for Chennault to transfer and gain immediate eligibility and that of Kerwin Okoro profiled last Friday. Both athletes suffered tragedies in their families. It appears illness is a priority over death in the family. The NCAA gave its stamp of approval in one case and turned down the other. I find little difference between the Chennault case and that of Kerwin Okoro. *ESPN.com

It’s a question of money, maybe
The Bulls and Grizzlies play a pre-season game at Scottrade Center in St. Louis on October 7. Four days later (October 11) the Heat and Bobcats will also play a pre-season game at Sprint Center Kansas City. Shocking as it might seem I didn’t attend last years pre-season game and don’t plan on attending the one next month. I can’t speak for NBA fans in St. Louis or Kansas City, as for me cost is a factor. Why should I pay regular season pricing for an “exhibition” game? I could justify shelling out large sums of money for regular season or playoff games. Could I be persuaded to attend a
pre-season game if the Lakers were one of the contestants? I plead the Fifth Amendment; “I respectfully decline to answer any questions, without first speaking with my attorney.”

If they don’t have enough going on
The organization continues to embroil itself in controversy.  The O'Bannon cases, Miami University are just a few examples of cases that continue to embroil the NCAA in controversy.One of the account appears to be resolved although you might ask why the public had to become involved. It appears the NCAA always dispenses justice with a blindfold, there is often no humanity involved in the decisions. Heard you read or heard the saga of Kerwin Okoro? Briefly Okoro a basketball player was enrolled at Iowa State and transferred to Rutgers. His father died in December 2012 and his 28-year old brother died last spring.

After these twin tragedies in succession the Bronx native wanted to be nearer his family so he transferred to Rutgers University in New Jersey.  Okor wanted to play immediately and petitioned the NCAA. The rules of this governing body fail to take into account a catastrophe such as a death in the family---as this is written Okoro will forced to sit out this upcoming season. The second case is resolved now however this is the story. A former U.S. Marine enrolled at Middle Tennessee wanted to play football, NCAA said no. It turned out the former serviceman had played intramural football while in the service. From all indications there was no pay involved. Once the media broke the story a firestorm of criticism came forth, what did the NCAA do, they reversed their earlier ruling.

On the other hand
I stated in the above story how the NCAA often dispenses justice with a blindfold. The NCAA approved Michael Dixon Jr.’s appeal to play this season at Memphis. If you remember the tale this former Mizzou Tiger’s scholarship was revoked after two alleged sexual assaults. A police investigation never resulted in criminal charges being filed however it was enough for Mizzou’s administration. Dixon Jr. missed playing last season due to these off-court actions. The 6-1 point guard petitioned the NCAA to play immediately.

Well stated
This response from a Laker fan says it all, he was reacting to chatter regarding the Lakers tanking the 2013-14 season. The team would lose on purpose to position themselves the opportunity to draft a cant-miss prospect such as Andrew Wiggins. “If we lose giving it our all I can live w/ that. Trying to get cute and lose on purpose is gutless.” The other point we assume that athlete to turn your team around is a legitimate star. What if that player turns out to be a knucklehead Michael Beasley type? Talent exhibited on the basketball court immaturity off it. Worst yet a Greg Oden type whose series of injuries have kept him on the sidelines for much of his NBA career. I can concur and reaffirm, to lose on purpose is gutless.

It might be a good move
Jeremy Tyler went overseas to play so did Brandon Jennings. Tyler has tasted little success however Jennings has managed an NBA career. A third athlete is about to try the same route of Tyler and Jennings. Aquille Carr a 5-7 148 pound point guard who committed to Seton Hall has decided on Europe instead. Can he translate outstanding high school play to the pro level? The question is unanswered at this point; reports indicate Carr has a 48-inch vertical. A comparison could be made with current Nuggets guard Nate Robinson (5-9); he’s been measured at 43.5. Carr might indeed be making a mistake however keep in mind he probably has no aspiration to attend college. Ask the the question once again why are high school players forced to attend college? Those headed to the NBA only remain 1-year anyway.

Is he serious
Did you read or hear the words of former All-Pro Gary Payton? “The Glove” as he was nicknamed for his defense claimed Jazz point guard John Stockton was a nemesis. Payton claimed “Stockton was more difficult to guard than Michael Jordan.” First it’s been too many years since all three were on the court at the same time. Please don’t consider this a knock at Stockton, he was a multi-talented player. Stockton was selected to the NBA’s 50^th Anniversary Team a 10X All-Star Game performer. He finished his career being selected to the ‘92 Olympic Dream Team and ‘96 team winning Gold twice. With this play during his NBA career it’s easy to see why he was inducted in the Hall of Fame. This is only a brief portion of the brilliant career of John Stockton. I find Payton’s statement a little difficult to comprehend.

People I was just joking!!
I'm acquainted with several Kansas basketball fans.   A husband and wife I met recently probably wish they hadn't said anything to me.  They invited me to attend Midnight Madness at Allen Fieldhouse next month.  I said; "you've seen those vampire movies, they walk into the sunlight and burst into flames------that might happen to a Mizzou fan."  I followed it up with the following; "is it okay if I wear my Mizzou garb inside?"  Naturally they found my attempt at humor only slighlty funny. 

Addendum to the Roger Brown narrative
I wanted to clarify a portion of the Roger Brown story. It was titled “Most of us had no opportunity to see him play.” Basketball was on television at the time, the trouble it was NBA and college only. Despite it attempts to compete with the more established NBA they were never able to secure a national television contract. Games were only available to those in league cities or local television. The ABA-NBA merger wasn’t a merger in a true sense, most ABA teams were dissolved.

The Nets, Pacers, Spurs and Nuggets moved into the NBA. Players from those dissolved teams were placed in a pool and NBA teams conducted a draft in order of their previous season record. NOTE: This is worth mentioning again, the Kansas City Kings (with the second pick) had an opportunity to draft 21-year old Moses Malone. *“In two seasons in the ABA, Malone had averaged 17.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.” In a cost saving effort move the Kings choose 6-2 shooting guard Ron Boone, a sound player but no Malone. *Wikipedia.

The focus is Andrew Wiggins
I'm interested in Joel Embiid’s progress more than highly touted Andrew Wiggins. The 7-foot Embiid landed at the Lawrence campus with far less fan fare than his highly touted teammate. Unlike Wiggins and several of his more celebrated teammates Embiid most likely will not head off to the NBA immediately. Although he has the body of a man (230 pounds) this native of Cameroon in West Central Africa is raw. He arrives at Kansas with little competitive basketball behind him.  I can appreciate Kansas players can't I?  It's a number of the school's fans who sometimes irrate me. 

He played his high school ball at The Rock, a college-prep school in Gainesville Florida. YouTube video is available however it could be somewhat misleading. Consider the fact the 7 foot Embiid might have been matched against centers with less height and weight than him. The college will be a better-quality check of his ability. Coach Bill Self will assign a coach to work with Embiid; its too bad Danny Manning is no longer on the scene. This young man certainly fit’s the student-athlete model arriving with a 3.0 G.P.A. from high school.

　
Names of note
I realize it’s early, in fact so early you might forget the names. There are two sleepers to keep in mind for the 2014 draft. The first name of note is Jerrelle Benimon; he’s a 6-8 245 pound forward. Benimon plays for Towson University which competes in the Colonial Athletic Association. Benimon will be returning for his junior year at Towson, his sophomore numbers 17.1 ppg, 11.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game. The second is playing professional basketball currently, his name is Ondrej Balvin. Balvin stands 7-2 and weighs in at 280 pounds. He’s from Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic and plays for Cajasol Banca Civica Sevilla.

The Shark
Jerry Tarkanian will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on September 8. Tark nicknamed the “The Shark” had a number of coaching stops during his brilliant career; his greatest success was at UNLV. His Runnin Rebel team won the 1990 NCAA Championship. A number of purest disliked Tarkanian and the style of basketball of his teams. Tark’s won-lost record during the course of his coaching career was a sparkling 729-201. The only coaching stop we might state he failed was at San Antonio. Tark was hired in 1992 to coach the Spurs but didn’t last for a lengthy period, he was fired after 20 games.

Tark and then owner Red McCombs fell into a disagreement over player personnel. He would return to coach at the collegiate level with Fresno State, Tark remained at the school until he retired in 2002. The NCAA always seem to be lurking over him throughout his career. *“After being fired from the Spurs, Tarkanian sued the NCAA, claiming it had harassed him for over two decades. The harassment, Tarkanian claimed, started when he wrote a newspaper column alleging that the NCAA was more willing to punish less-prominent schools than big-name schools. Although the NCAA did not admit harassing Tarkanian, it settled out of court in 1998, paying him $2.5 million.” *Wikpedia

Listen to the man
"I'd never count Kobe out in anything."  That was the quote by Antwan Jamison one-time teammate of Kobe Bryant.  He was responding to a question regarding recovery from injury.  Jamison recently signed a 1-year contract and will remain in Los Angeles however it will be with the Clippers.  Understand where I'm going with this discussion?  Jamison has no basis to remain on Kobe's good side; he's free to state whatever he believes about Kobe or anyone else for that matter.  

Most of us had no opportunity to see him play
September 8 the Naismith Hall of Fame will induct another class of former players, coaches and contributors to the game. One of the enshrined will not be in attendance to provide his acceptance speech. Roger Brown who spent most of his career with the Pacers died in 1997. Most of us never had the opportunity to see Brown play he spent his career in the ABA prior to the merger. It’s my belief his exclusion from the NBA would not have occurred in today’s climate.  The setting was 1960 the times were quite different. Brown, Connie Hawkins and several others were banned from NCAA play during ‘60’s due to a point shaving scandal. A number of players received money in exchange for not scoring points, thus gamblers were able to gain an advantage in placing bets. To clarify the story a bit gambler Jack Molinas provided Hawkins $250 but claimed he never ask “Hawk” to shave any points.

As for Brown there was never any indication he took money or shaved points, the misunderstanding he was acquainted with Molinas this was America in the ‘60’s. Years later Hawkins would sue the NBA and the high court would rule in his favor. “Hawk” arrived in the NBA as a 27-year old rookie  his play for the Suns, Lakers and Hawks led to him to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. The NBA would resend its ban on Brown however he was to never play.  Brown's numbers don’t provide much insight into his value to the Pacers franchise. Lets simply state this 6-5 guard is one of four Pacers in the teams history to have his jersey retired. Brown was excluded by the NBA but the Hall of Fame will correct the oversight it’s too bad he wasn’t honored during his lifetime. If NBA TV is available to you be sure to view the ceremony and discover Roger Brown.

Is there movement in H-Town?
Immediately after Dwight Howard signed with the Rockets Omer Asik requested a trade. The belief is Asik last seasons starting center did not desire to play a backup role. The Rockets stated they had no intentions of trading him and he would remain on the roster. The latest Houston development was signing 38-year old free agent Marcus Camby. This is the last circuit around the NBA for Camby; he will certainly not play major minutes however a question remains. Will the Rockets retreat from their “we’re not trading him” stance on Asik they took earlier? Howard couldn’t play with 7-footer Pau Gasol how does it become easier with the 7-foot Asik the question might be asked?

“The World Wide Leader”
I’m not sure if ESPN still uses the catch phrase above, I thought of it do to the recent statement by its broadcast president. ESPN’s contract with the NBA expires after the 2015-16 season; President John Skinner says “they will do all they can to retain the broadcast rights.” This is news on several levels, first of all the first warning shot has been fired at Fox Sports 1. The recently re-branded Speed Channel intends to extend its telecasting footprint. The second portion is for NBA haters, they maintain the stance that nobody is watching the NBA anymore. Corporations such as the Disney Channel owner of ABC/ESPN make few moves considered unprofitable. If they believed the NBA was so unnecessary to their bottom line they would drop the broadcast like a hot potato. Despite the cynics we can safely conclude advertising dollars and viewers make the NBA profitable and well worth broadcasting.

I wonder if----
Hearnes Center former home of the Mizzou basketball team will re-open for basketball on October 25. The old arena built opened in 1972 is still in use for wrestling and volleyball, men’s’ and women’s’ basketball moved into Mizzou Arena. In 2004. An exhibition game against Oklahoma City University will be played but that’s only a portion of the story. The 1993-94 team has been invited to the game along with former Coach Norm Stewart. That team went undefeated 14-0 in the Big Eight and finished 28-4 will be honored. The team was led by guard Melvin Booker with an 18.1 scoring average and 4.5 assists per game, the elder Booker will be on hand for the game. Devin Booker Rivals 4-Star and number 27 player in the Class of 2014 may also attend. As was mentioned previously Mizzou has an offer on the table for 6-5 Devin. You suppose this might be one more effort to lure the son to Columbia?

There is only one season----its’ basketball season 365/24/7

　
They must be joking
The NCAA is a joke; we all waited for punishment to be issued to footballs Johnny Manziel. I almost fell off my chair when I heard the news------½ game (30 minutes) suspension in Texas A&M’s first game. Anyone out there ever remember an athlete in any sport suspended for half of a game?

“I Have a Dream”
The 50^th Anniversary of the March on Washington has a basketball connection. Many of you reading this might be unfamiliar with the name George Ravling. Ravling’s been head basketball coach at Washington State, the University of Iowa and Southern Cal. Currently he’s Nike’s Director of International Basketball. The basketball connection, 27-year old Raveling was a member of the volunteer security team. He was stationed a few feet from the podium where Dr. King delivered his speech. Raveling says “I don’t know what possessed me.” As soon as the speech was completed and Dr. King turned from the podium and was walking away Raveling asked for the speech. The paper was handed to Raveling without any questions. We can assume Raveling had no idea the “I Have a Dream” speech would go down in American History. Where is the speech today you ask? Raveling says it’s in a bank vault in a Los Angeles bank.

24 hours of basketball
You might believe the athletic departments govern the basketball programs--- guess again. How about the NCAA which is responsible for the tournament and policing of the sport? That’s not correct either although the organization does have initials however in this instance the initials are E. S. P. N. The NCAA has no basis for scheduling 24-hours of basketball, however ESPN does. The 2013 collegiate television season kicks off on November 11, the first game Kent State at Temple at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The final game played will be Florida at Wisconsin 9:00 p.m. on November 12, a total of 12 games will be played in the 24-hour period.

The name on the front of the building might change
Renovation is in the news for Rupp Arena in Lexington Kentucky. The plan is to add private suites and members only lounge to the home of the Kentucky Wildcats. Wikipedia indicates this 23,500 seat arena has been open since 1976. How many 37-year old arenas are still in seasonal use without a retrofit? Madison Square Garden is older but its undergone two renovations since opening its doors in 1968. I’ve never attended any event at Rupp but sounds like it might be in need of an overhaul. Until I began researching this story I didn’t realize the arena was not on the campus which further compounds the issues. In this day of corporate names talk is Rupp might be replaced with another name. Although not decided at this point if it does occur a name change upsets Big Blue Nation as much as renovation. Stay tuned for further developments.

Check out our northern neighbor
Hockey and the NHL will always remain the most popular sport with our northern neighbors. Although hockey is king the popularity of basketball has been on the rise in Canada for a significant number of years. If you remember in the July 19 edition of Words eye view it was reported Canada has produced the largest number of players born outside of the U.S. that number will only increase over the next several years. We mentioned UNLV’s Anthony Bennett the first Canadian picked number one in the history of the draft, he will join fellow Canadian Tristan Thompson as a member of the Cleveland Cavs.

The 2013 draft also produced Canadian Kelly Olynyk this 7-footer will lace ‘em up for the revamped Celtics. If you check most 2014 mock drafts all have the same number one pick next June. He might remain at Kansas but for now speculation is Canadian Andrew Wiggins will be a one n done entering the ‘14 draft. The Mizzou roster contains 6-11 power forward Stefan Jankovic and 7-footer Keanau Post. Jankovic played limited minutes last year as a freshman while Post is a junior college transfer. A number of players have emerged from Toronto however collegiate and NBA players have come from all over the nation. There are a number of Canadians on collegiate teams throughout the U.S.

I’m retreating
From a position I took earlier, I said no more editorials on my part until the NCAA made a ruling on Mizzou’s Frank Haith. The coach stated he was eager to meet with NCAA officials, in mid June Haith he accomplished that. Two months have elapsed since the meeting and still no official word from the NCAA. The NCAA has been “investigating” the improprieties that occurred at Miami University since August of 2011, it’s now August 2013. Two years have elapsed since this story was first reported by Yahoo and the NCAA began its investigation.

We can conclude criminal trials have been completed in less time than it’s taken for this matter to be resolved. If as it’s claimed the NCAA has no subpoena power how can you successfully conduct an investigation? Does the NCAA accept the testimony of convicted felon Nevin Shapiro? I’ve stated and re-stated my position nothing’s changed for me; if Haith is guilty some sort of punishment should be administered. There have been so many media leaks regarding this investigation it’s been difficult to track them. If Haith is guilty Miami not Mizzou should suffer the penalty after all Haith was vetted prior to his hiring.

There is only one season----its’ basketball season 365/24/7

　
Mizzzzzoou
University of Missouri basketball announced its first Class of 2015 commitment. A verbal commit was received from 6-6 175 pound shooting guard Ronnie Suggs on August 25. Suggs is from Washington (MO) about 50 miles from downtown St. Louis. I haven’t seen him play nor do I even know if he can play. This I do know, Frank Haith and his coaching staff continue to beat the bushes all over the nation for talent. Suggs is awarded 2 stars by the scouting source Rivals.com. A Mizzou fan commented; “when is Haith going to recruit a 4-star or McDonalds All American?” This view is not totally correct, several 4-star athletes have committed to Mizzou during the tenure of Haith. The first McDonalds All American recruited is yet to arrive; I might ask the fan if All American status ensures success on the basketball court.

Comedy or something else
I think I have a sense of humor; sometimes my wife misses my intended point. That’s okay; on the other hand attempting to add humor to a subject it’s got to be easily understood. Unless its clear comedy is the intent the letter writer can appear to not make sense or just be plain stupid---sorry I’m just calling it as I see it. The Lakers announced new jerseys would be worn for specific games this season. The article prompted this response from a reader. “This move is all merchandising. Enough is enough! The only team that should have a new jersey, is New Jersey.” His comment regarding merchandising might be correct. On the other hand his last sentence if he is an NBA fan he should realize the Nets no longer reside in New Jersey. Maybe he was referring to the Devils of the NHL only he knows for sure.

My town
This is a rehash of a 2012 story; I thought it might be of interest to those who were not readers at the time. The Cincinnati Royals moving to Kansas City and becoming the Kings might never have occurred, there were a series of events that had proved fruitful the move would have never occurred. A pro basketball team would have been playing here much earlier than the Kings 1972 arrival. Kansas City was chosen as an ABA franchise, I’m not referring to the start-up ABA 2000 the original ABA. The ABA of Dr. J., Moses Malone and George “Iceman“Gervin, Kansas City would have been a destination in 1967. *“The Denver Larks/Rockets/Nuggets, a team that had originally been assigned to Kansas City, Missouri, moved to Denver without playing a game in Kansas City due to the lack of a suitable arena in Kansas City.” The interesting portion of the narrative (at least for me) at the time the Royals moved arrangements were made for them to play in Municipal Auditorium which was in existence prior to 1967. As for the name change the baseball Royals were here and the decision was made to choose another name----Kings. *Wikipedia

“The Worlds Most Famous Arena”
The headline is one of the many titles bestowed on MSG, Madison Square Garden or simply the Garden. The arena might be forced to move based on New York City Council action. The council granted MSG Company a 10-year lease beginning right now; can you hear the clock ticking? In the fall of 2023 the Knicks, Rangers, NIT Basketball and Ringling Brothers Circus will operate from a yet to be announced location somewhere in Manhattan. If a new building is eventually opened it would continue a long-line of arenas with the same name. *“It was the site of two venues called Madison Square Garden, the first from 1879 to 1890, and the second from 1890 to 1925. A third Madison Square Garden opened in a new location, on Eighth Avenue between 49^th and 50^th Streets, from 1925 to 1968.” In 1968 the present building was opened at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, it should be noted the present location has undergone two major renovations, 1989-1991 and recently 2011-2013. The edict set by the city council has nothing to do with the age of the building, MSG sits atop Pennsylvania Station and the city wants the space to expand and develop the station. *Wikipedia

Hall of Fame for him????
Either I missed it or it hasn’t occurred yet, the official retirement of Allen Iverson. We know Tracy McGrady’s made his official. Now the debate begins T-Mac a Hall of Fame player? He certainly was a talented player no argument but Hall of Fame is questionable. T-Mac was quite traveled during his NBA career playing for 7 NBA teams. He was an All-Star on more than one occasion but key did he make any team better? The question might not be fair we could ask the question of a number of HOF players. Throughout his career T-Mac was an athlete who scored a great quantity of points (18,381), won a couple of scoring championships but played little defense. Despite his point totals it seems he was missing in action due to a slew of injuries during portions of his career. I might be questioned how I could include Iverson in a HOF discussion and exclude T-Mac. Despite the sometimes volatile relationship with Coach Larry Brown Iverson was a leader for those 76er teams. In addition he won an MVP award something T-Mac was never able to accomplish.

Trust me
Every time someone says “trust me” you immediately become suspicious of that person. That might be the case here, hopefully you believe I‘m telling you the truth. Emmanuel Mudiay will make known his college choice this evening on ESPNU. This is written prior to his official notice; I intend to run it on Monday morning whether I am right or wrong. Rivals awards him 5-stars and rate him the number two prospect in the Class of 2014. ESPNU also awards him 5-stars however they rate him number five on their list of prospects. This 6-5 197 pound point guard from Prime Prep Academy in Arlington received offers from Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kentucky and Southern Methodist.  The list was reduced to Kentucky and SMU only.  It’s my belief Mudiay will opt for the 40 or so interstate miles between his Arlington home and the Dallas campus of SMU. I’m offering no proof for you other than my gut feeling however part of the feeling is based on history. Can you think of any period of time SMU was vying with Kentucky for any athlete in any sport? 73-year old Larry Brown has bested John Calapari, can you believe it?

ADDENDUM Hope you had an opportunity to view the Under Armour Elite 24 game.  Sure enough Mudiay made a verbal commitment to SMU. The youngster then went on to to be named MVP of the game. 

Last week
I omitted what I think is significant information regarding Allen Iverson’s career. He will likely be excluded from the Collegiate Experience (college basketball hall of fame). It’s easily explained he left Georgetown after his sophomore year. The James A. Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield (MA) definitely waits for this diminutive guard. There is no doubt the 14-year veteran former MVP and 11-time All-Star will be enshrined, the only question is when. The time period for Iverson’s selection is unanswered, this we know he will be enshrined.

Denzel
Did you have an opportunity to view the Denzel Washington interview on ESPN SportsCenter; he was promoting his movie “2 Guns.” Most fans don’t realize the 58-year old Washington and two times Academy Award winner was an athlete back in the day. It should be of note he played freshman basketball at Fordham for P.J. Carlesimo. He played football in high school so it’s not difficult to see Washington in the role of football coach in “Remember the Titans.” In the movie “He got Game” he was Jake Shuttlesworth the father of Jesus (Ray Allen) Shuttlesworth. The father-son shootout wasn’t necessarily staged Washington proved he’d picked up a basketball previously. It seems almost every Laker game the television cameras locate at least three or four celebrities who are generally in attendance. Jack (no last name required), actor Andy Garcia and Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. can be spotted by the cameras.

　
Chris Broussard
It is extremely difficult to detail the entire ESPN First Take debate. As usual Broussard is entitled to his view on any subject manner. It just seems the positions he often takes I’m on the opposite side however in this instance so was his studio counterpoint. The debate was regarding the recent dialogue surrounding the all-time Top 3 players. Broussard (as his usual position) defending his man LeBron James. Broussard said; “LeBron 3-peat this upcoming season and winning 2 or 3 more championships if he returns to Cleveland will justify his all-time best status.” Freddie Coleman his counterpart disagreed; “it’s about creating a legacy, he (LeBron) can’t go from team to team chasing a ring and then be considered an all-time great.” Coleman is correct; there have been a number of athletes in the twilight of their careers that left teams to contend for rings. There is no need for LeBron to resort that posture he’s only 28-years old far from the end of his career.

Charles Barkley might be the first player that comes to mind, Barkley retired without the ring. The later edition of Shaq might have been after rings as he moved from the Suns to the Cavs and finally the Celtics. Although Broussard didn’t elaborate I believe he might have been looking to the future of the Heat and its aging roster. The future would be quite bright for the Cavs with a veteran LeBron added to the youthful team currently assembled. For those who believe this is hatin’ on LeBron thread forget it. My belief you don’t create any type of legacy moving from team to team. No need to point out Kareem won a championship prior to his arrival in Los Angeles. Does anybody reflect on the players Milwaukee days? Regardless of the future LeBron James will go down in history for his Miami accomplishments. There is no guarantee in Cleveland or anywhere else for that matter.

Where does he fit?
A time period might elapse before the question can be answered. Last season I wrote of Austin Rivers and his problem adjusting to the NBA. Rivers had an undistinguished rookie campaign to say the least, Greivis Vasquez was traded last month however the Pelicans backcourt remains crowded. Coming over from the Kings is 23-year old Tyrke Evans who played some point for them. The Pelicans drafted Nerlens Noel but traded his rights to Philly for 23-year old Jrue Holliday a point guard. At this point we’ll identify hold over Eric Gordon as a shooting guard, by the way he‘s 24-years old. In addition the Pelicans list Rivers as a point, see where I’m going with this story? Maybe its good Rivers is humbled a bit based on the report I once read. I offer no proof but it was said while at Duke “he wanted to be Kobe without any credentials.”

He made it official
This is written on Wednesday so it’s not official yet. Former NBA All Star Allen Iverson will announce his retirement this week. He’s not played in the NBA since 2010, he was kinda retired already. For all the Iverson negatives during his career there were an equal number of positives. This 6-foot (I say 5-10) 165 pound combo guard was one of the toughest going. His weight might be exaggerated as well, ever seen a guy that size dunk a basketball? Okay I forgot about Spud Webb and Nate Robinson but you get the idea. He might have been the first combo guard; his slight build mandated he become a point guard in the NBA. Iverson would have none of that and fortunately his first coach was Larry Brown.

Brown a point guard in his playing days would allow Iverson to assume the role of shooting guard. He would later fall out with his coach over him missing practice. You’ve heard the audio or seen the tape where Iverson debates the value of practice. He would spend the largest portion of his playing career in Philadelphia playing for the 76ers. The 6ers had made him the 1^st pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. The numbers never tell the true impact of the athlete, Iverson’s numbers; 26.7 ppg and 6.2 assists per game. His assist numbers might surprise a few people who consider him just a gunner. The numbers will be eclipsed by others but pound for pound I doubt if there will ever be a tougher NBA player.

Bits n Pieces
An acquaintance and Kansas fan noticed the Mizzou polo shirt I wore one day. Naturally it provided him commentary which I basically ignored. Kansas and Missouri no longer compete in the same conference the rivalry is no more----at least for me. It might be difficult to determine by letters to the Kansas City Star. It seems every time a story is published on Mizzou letters began flying in from identified Jayhawk fans. It‘s like they have no life other than to find fault with everything Mizzou. They raise the silliness to an even higher level, this from a letter writer. “How many times our team (Kansas) is on national television versus Mizzou.”

Memphis (TN) has been a basketball hotbed for a number of years. We only need check out the roster of Memphis University to see the talent. The school has done little recruiting outside the region, there is no need based on the locally produced talent. The latest are three brothers, K.J. Lawson a 6-7 forward in the Class of 2015, Dedric is a 6-8 forward Class of 2016. Baby brother Chandler is “only” 6-3 and will be entering the 7^th grade when school begins. No projections on future stardom for any of the brothers just names to store in your memory bank.

We read Andrew Bynum is looking forward to “better” fan support in Cleveland. This is not a fight between Cleveland and Los Angeles to determine which city has the most dedicated fans. It’s the failure of Bynum to acknowledge his immaturity, no need to rehash the number of juvenile offenses he committed while a member of the Lakers. Based on this past season Philly fans might no be so receptive to Bynum either.

Talk about moving up, can we say together Phil Pressey. After going un-drafted in the June draft Pressey is a Celtic squad based on his Summer League play. The latest development comes from the Celtic website; its written Pressey will back up Rajon Rondo. Should Rondo not be able to return immediately there is a hint Pressey may start at the point?

Bits n Pieces
A number of stories emanated from Los Angeles and Houston after Dwight Howard chose the Rockets over the Lakers. One of the first stories circulating; “he left the Lakers because he thought the reins of leadership should have been turned over to him.” Another report said; “he wanted the Lakers to amnesty Kobe.” We have no idea if the reports are accurate this one is fact, it’s based on an interview with the player. “He asked Laker management to hire Phil Jackson after Mike Brown was fired.”

July 19 Words eye view contained a story on international NBA players. It was pointed out one of the most populace nations in the world India was yet to produce an NBA player. That might change at some future date with these two brothers. Sim Bhullar played last season at New Mexico State; big brother is really BIG standing 7 feet 5 inches and weighing a hefty 360 pounds. Tanveer made a decision to follow his older brother to New Mexico State. Tanveer is on the smallish size he’s “only 7 feet 3 inches tall and a trim and slim 300 pounds.” The brothers were born in Canada however their parents immigrated to the country from India. It will be interesting to see if the brothers form a twin-tower tandem at NMSU.

Derek Fisher signed a 1-year contract with the Thunder over the summer. Fisher indicates this will be his last year in the NBA; he will retire at the end of the season. Cynics will claim Fisher should have probably retired 5 or 6 years ago.

Perhaps I made too much of the Knicks-Nets battle recently. Frank Isola sportswriter for the New York Daily News wrote a column on the subject. “Best team in New York? Since when did they hand out a trophy for winning that title? The Nets have never won an NBA championship, and the Knicks haven’t won one since 1973, which feels like forever.” Isola may be correct---one of the teams needs to win an NBA Championship before deciding who the King of New York City is.

Sometimes you just don‘t know
Noah Trister wrote a piece on the best and worst draft choices of each NBA team. The draft choices that warranted being chosen we can name most of them by heart. As for the misses that’s another story, I‘ll only list those beginning with the year 2000. How about Darko Milicic picked by the Pistons in 2006 (a story was written recently). He was chosen behind LeBron James and before Carmelo Anthony? Based on an outstanding season at Gonzaga the Bobcats made Adam Morrison the number three pick in 2006. Morrison had a decent rookie year (11.8 ppg); an injury caused him to miss the entire 2007-08 season. After returning to action he was never able to resurrect his career, 2010 would be his last year in the NBA.

The Bulls second pick in the 2002 draft Duke was standout guard Jay Williams. After a promising start his NBA career was cut-short by a motorcycle accident, today he is a basketball television analyst for ESPN. Draft experts claim the 2013 draft was weak by comparison to many in the past. It’s always been my view an accurate assessment is not possible until two or three years later. Sometimes adjustment to the NBA occurs much sooner, other times we overlook an athlete. Question, how many were familiar with Damon Lillard? A better question how many of you were familiar with Weber State or even the location pf the school? Point guard Lillard burst on the scene and snatched the 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year trophy from Anthony Davis. Many in the media had pronounced Davis Rookie of the Year prior to him setting foot on an NBA court.

They tend to do a better job at times
Many of the best interviews I’ve witnessed have been conducted by those in the media who don’t cover sports. I would cite 60 Minutes as an example; I still remember an interview conducted on 8^th grade basketball player Tyson Chandler. Certainly at that time I don’t believe any of us believed he was headed to the NBA. The 60 Minutes reporter interviewed mom and son asking questions beyond that of a sports media person. The same television news magazine would interview Brad Stevens many years later. Stevens had burst on to the scene after leading Butler University back to the national spotlight. The story was told of the 36-year old Stevens first date with his future wife, he took her to a high school basketball game. Of course at the time we had no idea Stevens was on his way to becoming head coach of the Celtics. This is no endorsement of his future NBA success, the interview left many of us with a good opinion of the man revealed in the interview. Maybe what I might fail to realize all sports fans don’t toil in that field. Example, Wolfe Blizter at CNN has been covering hard news for years he also turns outs to be a Wizards and NBA fan. The same might be said for former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw who also counts himself a member of the NBA fan alliance.

“Show me the money”
Cuba Gooding Jr. (Rod Tidwell) shouted the statement on the telephone with Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire) sports agent in the movie “Jerry Maguire.” The August 9 edition of Words eye view featured a story on the increased value of the 76ers franchise in just a few years. A report on the Warriors franchise from Darren Rovell ESPN business analyst was quite interesting. Rovell said; *“in 2010 the Warriors were acquired by Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber they paid $450 million dollars. The 2013 assessment of the Warriors franchise is $800 million dollars.”

It’s not just one franchise whose value has increased the recent sale of the Kings provides us proof of the entire league.  Seattle and Sacramento interest were matched against one another to determine which group would succeed in acquiring the Kings. The Maloof family would sell the franchise to an ownership group represented a group wanting the team to the team to remain in Sacramento; the Kings were sold for a record $535 million dollars. I had written previously and it bears repeating, every time an NBA franchise is for sale prospective owners begin forming a line. Those buyers might well here the phrase “show me the money.”

“You Can’t Go Home Again”
The above was the title of a classic novel by Thomas Wolfe, it was published in 1940. The indication is a person can never return home after experiencing life elsewhere. Once again it’s proven untrue, world known “know it all” Jason Whitlock has returned. He really never left he’s just returning to ESPN.com, you do remember once upon a time they fired him. To briefly refresh your memory he made disparaging remarks about ESPN reporters Scoop Jackson and Mike Lupica. I would leave him alone if he’d cease attempting to convince us he knows basketball. Over the years he’s written few baseball and hockey stories, those sports certainly have had degrees of controversy. It’s my belief he doesn’t write about them because he’s not entirely familiar with the sport. He’s not renowned for his basketball knowledge but thinks there is a requirement to write on the sport while providing little if any insight.

Wait and See
Fox Sports 1 had its official launch on Saturday; it’s intended to compete with the ESPN family of channels. Basketball fans must adopt a wait and see attitude with this new channel. Fox Sports.com offered a preview detailing programming and the basketball appears to be limited; for the upcoming season only Big East basketball would be telecast. As reported earlier the network lured veteran college basketball analyst Bill Rafftery from ESPN, Gus Johnson will offer play by play for the network. As stated earlier basketball fans must wait and discover if Fox Sports 1 really intends to compete with ESPN. ESPN might no longer offer Big East basketball but can provide viewers SEC, Big XII, Big 10 and ACC basketball.

Another Tiger added to the fold
Mizzou received another Class of 2014 commitment over the weekend. 6-8 210 pound forward Jakeenan Gant gave his verbal to become a Tiger after his campus visit. Gant is rated a 4-Star prospect and is the number 44^th player in Rivals list of 2014 prospects. ESPNU awards Gant 4-Stars and ranks him the number 37 prospect in the nation. The youngster attends Effingham County High School in Springfield Georgia, the town is located about 30 miles northwest of Savannah. Where is the guy who claimed Mizzou would be unable to recruit in SEC country?

Come to think of it
I’ve long realized my problem with Whitlock is the belief he almost never “informs me of something I don’t know.” He certainly has the ability to express his view on a subject---it just so happens when he moves into basketball he loses even more credibility. I might be incorrect in my observation; there are a number of writers I have admiration for. I’ve discovered for the most part they write on basketball they don’t delve into other sports and then drift back to our sport. I thought why not provide you some of the writers I read regularly. I might add I don’t always agree with their writing however I’ve found them to be informative rather than just opinionated. Mike DeCoursey of the Sporting News, Jay Bilas ESPN, Mike Katz ESPN and Ken Berger CBSSports.com are names that come to mind.

Thanks Chris
I didn’t realize how swiftly time had passed until SI’s Chris Mannix reminded me in a story.  His beginning headline read; “6 weeks till NBA training camp open.” I had to stop and realize it is the middle of August, where has summer disappeared? Training camp indicates the beginning of the NBA season is on the horizon that excites me. 3 to 4 weeks later several schools schedule Midnight Madness and the collegiate season begins in earnest. For others of you there is the close of baseball and beginning of the NFL and college football. For those who share my passion there is only one season for us-----basketball season!

Nothing to see here move along
If there is no “news” why is it necessary to manufacture it? It seems in this Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Internet age many in the media are stumbling over one another. The media is often guilty of printing or reporting stories from reliable sources, they conduct business in this manner in an attempt to provide us with breaking news. I admit I read and hear so many stories I sometimes forget where I read a story. This is the example shortly after the MLB announced the suspension of A-Rod and 12 other baseball players I read a column. The headline read; “Why doesn’t the NBA admit its connection to the Biogenesis clinic.” Note other than the baseball players there had been no mention of any NBA names connected to the Miami clinic. On Tuesday Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the issue, he said briefly as far as he was aware there were no NBA players connected to this story. If there is a legitimate story even one that’s negative I might prefer to not write on it, most times I have no problem if the media chooses to cover it. I have a huge problem with fantasy writing which is what this appeared to be.

“Patience is a virtue”
My view on the above quote has always been a fix is not always in the works based on your timeframe. I wish I could impart that to my fellow Laker fans, I see an avalanche of complaints regarding Jimmy Buss, Mitch Kupchak, Phil Jackson and the maintenance staff at Staples. Okay I exaggerate on the Jackson maintenance staff part, I hope you see the direction I’m going with this. Your team trails the Celtics by one in NBA Championships won (16) and it’s difficult to be patient. It’s difficult if the Lakers appear to be treading water. The Lakers exceed the salary cap so a series of 1-year contracts is probably all they can manage at this point.

Fans must also consider the team is attempting to clear cap space for 2014 free agency.
In the last few weeks the Lakers have signed Robert Sacre, Chris Kaman, Jordan Farmar and Nick Young. This quartet all agreed to 1-year contracts which means they could all be gone after the 2014 season. The other issue I’m hearing from a number of Laker fans which seriously disturbs me, “the Lakers should tank the season.” The team loosing in order to qualify for the lottery is disgusting. As limited in talent as the 2013 draft was the ‘14 draft should be light years ahead. It doesn’t appear from their activity the Lakers intend to purposely lose. Laker fans have certainly been disappointed when their favorite team loses; I too suffer along with them. On the other hand I could not in good conscience root for any team I thought was losing on purpose.

CBS Sports Doug Gottlieb said; “Miami is the only (Eastern Conference) team I see that hasn’t improved in the off-season.” The Pacers, Bulls will have improved rosters in 2011-13 with the return of All-Pros Danny Granger and Derrick Rose. Another potential roadblock for the Heat might be the “old” but improved Nets, the Hawks might be a factor too. The playoff format will not force the Heat to play all of the teams mentioned however consider the following, the Heat were worn-down after experiencing tough playoff series against the Bulls and Pacers. This is not an indictment of the Heat it’s pronouncing an improved NBA Eastern Conference in 2013-14. The Heat will be forced through a “minefield” in an attempt to repeat as NBA Champs. Akron (OH) native LeBron James might find it attractive to direct the moving vans drive north after the 2014 season.

Somebody else must save the world
On August 1 Jason Whitlock wrote; “Is LeBron James on the verge of taking a new job that can save NBA?” The story indicated James was considering running for a high office in the players association. August 12 LeBron must have changed his mind, it’s now been reported James has decided against running for an office. Whitlock must now search elsewhere for someone to "save the NBA and the world."

Do you have an exclusive on a nickname?
Does a nickname belong to only one athlete or person? This is the example; James Shields is probably unknown to the majority of you. I’m not going to quiz you in this instance, Shields pitches for the Kansas City Royals. As this is written Shields has a 9-8 won lost record, he stands 6-4 and 215 pounds. This is no criticism of the pitcher it’s clearly aimed at the local sports guy. Last night on the 10:00 p.m. sports report the anchor began describing highlights of the baseball game. He said; “Big Game James” etc. etc. etc. I ceased listening hearing the term Big Game James being attached to Shields name.

Does a nickname only apply to one athlete or can several other athletes also be given the nickname? I’m really unsure of my facts however I can only remember one athlete with the nickname Big Game James. Worthy was given the nickname because he helped win important games. That athlete is Hall of Fame and former Laker James Worthy is that player. At the time the NBA selected its 50^th Anniversary Team Worthy was one of the honorees. The 6-9 225 pound Worthy was an NCAA Champion while at North Carolina. In addition he was a 3X NBA Champion while a member of the Lakers and a 7X NBA All-Star player.

He has no job as this is written
Word is circulating the Pistons are talking to 7-footer Jason Collins although he remains unsigned. The Collins twins (Jason and Jaron) will be noted as good collegiate players with marginal NBA talent. It helps both brothers height was advantage, the NBA always look first at your height and that has always been a bonus. Jason set himself apart from other NBA players when he announced after the 2012-13 season he was gay. They whoever “they” are claiming Jason’s best years may be behind him at age 34. GM’s claim his sexual-orientation is a non-factor, is that truly the case we might ask?

It could occur I guess?
Fox Sports.com looks ahead to 2014 with its NBA mock draft. I thought it interesting Chris Mahr indicated the Lakers could make North Carolina’s James McAdoo their top choice. McAdoo is a 6-9 230 pound power forward who despite sophomore numbers of 14.4 ppg and 7.3 rebounds a game decided to return for his junior year. Outside of McAdoo’s number I’m unsure if the writer realized the significance of his mock draft. James second cousin Bob played for North Carolina as well. In addition cousin played for a number of NBA teams including the Lakers from 1981-1985. Bob provided a spark off the bench aiding the Lakers in winning two NBA Championships during the Showtime era. Cousin Bob was elected to both Halls of Fame, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and The College Basketball Experience in 2006.

　
Are you serious?
This has long been the era of corporate names on the front of stadiums and arenas. Although we might not like the name there are two alternatives. We can continue to refer to the building by its old name or adopt the corporate name. I think I will stick with the old name for the Rose Garden which houses the Blazers. The new name for the former Rose Garden is; “Moda Center at the Rose Quarter.” Moda is a health care provider which operates principally in Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Bits n Pieces
Talking to an acquaintance about free agent signings and trades; “I cannot offer an explanation why there appears to be more player movement (coaches too) in the NBA.” There are no figures to offer it would appear the NFL and MLB have a lesser number of changes.

*I’m made as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” The quote from the 1976 movie titled Network. The late Peter Finch won an Academy Award for playing nutty newscaster Howard Beale. What am I mad about you ask? A local Kansas City Star columnist who covers political and metro news decided to wade into the area of sports. Without any basis (other than his opinion) he’s decided it would be a detriment for Kansas City to obtain an NBA team again. It’s his view an NBA team would impact the Chiefs and Sporting Kansas City. I say baloney; it’s always been my belief (and I could be wrong) fans are passionate about “their” sport alone. Soccer fans don’t purchase season basketball or football tickets, same for football fans or basketball for that matter. *www.imdb.com

P.A. announcers and broadcast teams must be real careful with this one. The Utah Jazz roster contains two players with similar last names. Third year man Alec Burks and rookie Trey Burke. In addition to similar last names both players have Kansas City connections. Alec grew up in Grandview a suburban city south of Kansas City (MO). Trey grew up in Columbus (OH) however his mother is originally from Kansas City. She graduated from Ruskin High School before heading off to college where she met and later married Trey‘s dad.

The media is fixated on the age of the Lakers, bet you didn’t know this fact. The Spurs (who revamped their team) their roster average age is 1.3 years younger than the Lakers. Even more interesting the oldest average age team is the Heat at 30.4.

Who won the 1st battle of New York?
Earlier I wrote and completed a story regarding the first year of the Nets in New York, 2012-13 was the initial year of the “Battle of the Boroughs.” The Manhattan Knicks versus the Brooklyn Nets a rivalry that would hearken to the long ago days of the Yankees/Dodgers/Giants in baseball. My hockey knowledge is limited so I’m unsure if the Rangers and Islanders have ever been true rivals. One thing for sure if you are fan of the Knicks or Nets you will disagree with my assessment, it’s my belief the first year battles between the two boroughs was a draw. The Nets certainly became highly visible certainly more than all the years they claimed New Jersey as home (sorry Jersey fans). I believe the Knicks feeling challenged for the first time in ages rose to the occasion. Don’t know if it was a full season under Mike Woodson but they definitely played better. At the end of the season the won-lost record of both teams was nearly identical and both made the playoffs. 2012-13 was basically even in the books so we must look to the future.

The following is a brief but incomplete of happenings since both teams were eliminated in the playoffs. Knicks point guard Jason Kidd retired and moved from Madison Square Garden to Barclays Center to become head coach of the Nets. Later came the semi-drama of draft night, prior to the Knicks pick the Nets pulled off a blockbuster trade. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry would be headed to Brooklyn for half of the Nets bench. The only Net starter headed the other direction was Gerald Wallace; the Nets would also surrender draft choices. To bolster the Nets bench veteran Andrei Kirilenko was signed as a free agent. As for the draft the Knicks chose 6-6 shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. from Michigan a skilled shooter, he would be projected off the bench along with J.R. Smith. The Knicks then went out and acquired Andrea Bargnani from the Raptors. Is this the end for Amar’e Stoudemire as a Knicks player, both play the same position? A late addition as this story was completed the Knicks added veteran point guard Beno Udrih who last played for the Magic.

Does the NCAA have any credibility left?
The question becomes relevant once again. I’m not going to touch the Johnny Football story as it relates to the NCAA. At a point you think there is no more news one more story beckons. Jay Bilas who played basketball at Duke and now is an ESPN analyst tweeted information he’d discovered. Turns out the NCAA fan shop was selling jerseys of collegiate football players and also had available autographed photos of Reggie Bush. You remember back to the time the NCAA punished Southern Cal football revolving around the same Reggie Bush. The NCAA shut down that portion of the fan

site once Bilas brought this issue to light, as usual this policing organization was tardy to the party. In addition the Ed O’Bannon lawsuit against the NCAA is still pending; O’Bannon played basketball at UCLA and noted his image on a game approved by the NCAA. The NCAA appears to say; “you (athletes) can’t profit off your name but we can” how hypocritical can you be, an organization responsible for policing the actions of collegiate programs over a various numbers of collegiate sports. There was a need in the past, there is a need in the present, and there is a future requirement for a policing organization. I’m just unsure if that is the NCAA in the manner it’s currently operating.

“They don’t believe fat meat is greasy”
I have no idea where the above saying originated, the explanation is simple. It was meant
to simply state sometimes individuals fail to believe the truth of a situation even when they hear or see it. Last week I wrote Bill Self indicated he might be open to an NBA head coaching position. After the Kansas City Star reported the story it prompted a slew of letters. All I can state there’s a number of who live in the land of make-believe rather than the State of Kansas. I based this on the number questioning “how could Self consider leaving Lawrence for the NBA.” I’d bet money they would have no qualms changing employment if it meant greater financial reward and more prestige.

You take a chance
I just finished NBA TV’s David Aldridge discussion of the 2013-14 Lakers. It was his view losing Howard to the Rockets the Lakers gambled and lost. Gambled from the standpoint they traded for a player in his free agent year. Aldridge indicated a number of teams wouldn’t trade for Howard due to the possibly of him leaving as he did the Lakers. In baseball you cannot steal second base with your foot on the first base bag; in other words you must take chances in order to taste success. The Lakers rolled the dice on Howard and lost, win some lose some. In two or three years this would no longer be Kobe’s team it would become Howard’s team and that’s a question. Does Howard have the capability to lead? Philosopher Charles Barkley said on NBA TV July 5^th; “I don’t think Howard has the mental toughness to be a franchise player.”

Now we become aware
Joshua Harris majority owner of the Sixers is exploring purchase of the NHL Devils however that’s not the key story. The speedy fiscal growth of an NBA franchise or at least the one he owns is the account. *An NBCSports story indicated the Sixers were purchased for $287 million are now worth $418 million according to Forbes.

I researched the purchase date of the Harris group **October 18, 2011 a little less than 3 years ago. If Harris sold the Sixers today he’d walk away with a cool $131 million dollar profit. We can guess the fiscal growth of the other 29 teams might not be quite that vigorous. On the other hand it provides us the why “for sale” signs on NBA franchises don’t often remain on the market for very long. *NBCSports.com and **NBA.com

This is shocking news----Not!
Kansas Coach Bill Self informed the world his thoughts on the NBA. He indicated a willingness to listen to an offering from the NBA if a coaching position should present itself. NBA haters (there are a number of them out there) might discover this is shocking news. They might question; “doesn’t the university pay him enough? “ As for the pay the answer is they do pay however it’s my belief Self is like any other coach. He has a desire to coach at the very highest rung---sorry hater that’s still the NBA.

There is no immediate worry Kansas faithful the 76ers don’t have a head coach however I doubt if they are looking his direction. Kansas fans might not be pleased with this announcement, at the same time why should they be shocked. Former Butler Coach Brad Stevens moved to the Celtics rather easily, most thought he was a lifer at the school. Self is certainly entrenched at Kansas however if a suitable NBA opportunity presents itself don’t be shocked or even surprised.

Nobody wants to see this terrible team???
The NBA announced its’ 2013-14 schedule, opening the season in the late game is the Clippers at the Lakers October 30 on a TNT telecast. The Lakers have been designated as one of the Christmas Day games December 25 on the ABC Network, they face the Heat. Speaking of the Heat-Lakers which team would we guess makes the most national televised appearances? That should be easy, the Heat is two-time defending champions, in addition they have LeBron James however it’s not them. The Lakers have been placed on national television broadcast 29 times versus the 27 of the Heat. Why do the networks insist on forcing us to see this bad Lakers team?

Next time
You see a poll naming LeBron James the all-time best consider this letter from an insightful person. I was reading a Canadian basketball website, the site asked readers to choose the all-time best Canadian high school player, a respondent wrote. “A poll like this will always be skewed to the newer generation because the younger folks never saw these guys play etc. etc” His email pointed to the inaccuracies of these types of polls. They are entertaining however I wouldn’t place too much stock in any of them. Another example, ESPN claims the latest poll they conducted indicates LeBron James is the most popular player in the NBA. I don’t doubt the polls findings I do question what ESPN is attempting to prove. As they say in baseball, location, location, location. Is LeBron James the most popular NBA player in Southern California? I’m sure fans in that portion of the country acknowledge LeBron’s skill but most popular, I seriously doubt that. How about NBA fans in Boston or Cleveland?

Passion rather than stupidity
This is somewhat unfair for me to attack someone without hearing the discussion from the beginning. I turned on my television to ESPN this morning in the middle of an interview in progress. An individual unfamiliar to me stated; “MLB had a better drug policy than the NFL or NBA.” At that point I changed channels; his comment was without merit to me. Earlier I’d seen a Bob Costas interview on The Today Show. Veteran baseball broadcaster Bob Costas was discussing the possible lifetime ban on the Yankees Alex Rodriguez and several other baseball players. I thought to myself who was the ESPN guy attempting to fool the public. MLB earlier suspended Ryan Braun for the season, as I was completing this piece it was announced A Rod would be suspended at least through the 2014 baseball season.  Braun, Rodriguez and 11 other baseball players have received season ending (50 games) suspensions.

I don’t remember the NFL or NBA ever suspending that number of players for improper drug usage. Because I didn’t view the entire interview perhaps the individual was attempting to point out MLB uncovered the offenders and took action. I have no idea of the drug policy of the NFL or NBA, as for basketball I admit I’m passionate about it, at the same time I don’t blindly believe there are no issues of concern relating to drug use. Uncovering offenders (in MLB) and punishing them certainly is not providing proof of a superior league drug policy over the other pro leagues. This is the largest number of players suspended at one time since the Black Sox scandal of 1919. The better question in any sport might be why doe the offenses occur rather than my league is better than yours.

I offer no explanation
During the NBA Championship series Coaches Greg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra both addressed the high turnover rate in the coaching profession. Did you realize since the end of the season 12 of the 30 NBA teams have either hired new coaches or in the process to hire. The NBA has endured a number of ownership changes over the past three years. Maybe the new group of owners are not satisfied with how quickly the fortunes of their teams have changed. Sometimes the moves are plain bizarre, the Cavs were not moving at the pace owner Dan Gilbert thought he fires Mike Brown. He then hires Byron Scott and when Scott is not as successful as the owner thought he fires Scott. He replaces the fired coach with Mike Brown who was fired by the Lakers.

Changing coaches certainly doesn’t appear to be racial as an example; the Nets Avery Johnson who is black was fired last December and replaced by white P.J. Carlesimo. The interim coach was not retained and Jason Kidd who is black was hired in his place. I just did a quick check of NBA teams I think this is pretty accurate. Popovich (1996), Spoelstra (2008) and Brooks (2008) may be the longest current tenured coaches in the NBA. The Bulls Tom Thibodeau has been on the job since 2010, as for his counterpart Pacers Coach Frank Vogel it’s 2011. Kevin McHale of the Rockets was also hired in 2011. You think failure to win is the issue? Winning doesn’t guarantee longevity either look at Del Negro (Clippers) and Karl (Nuggets), both were fired at the conclusion of record winning seasons. If you are offered the opportunity to serve at as head coach for an NBA team it might be a good idea to keep your suitcase packed, you just never know. Time line and dates; www.wikipedia and www.espn.com/nba

“You can’t really do that”!
After Mizzou first hired football Coach Gary Pinkel he made this statement; “we’re going to close the borders.” He intended to ensure the best football players in the state would be recruited by Mizzou they would not leave the state. The statement sounds nice but it’s not practical for a variety of reasons. Recently I wrote of Class of 2016 talent Jayson Tatum, I mentioned he was being recruited by Mizzou and Kansas. A Kansas City Star reporter writing on Tatum mentioned Mizzou had lost on two St. Louis talents Bradley Beal and Ben McLemore. He didn’t detail the reasoning behind both players choosing to leave the state. At this late date it’s impossible to detail the recruiting process, this is fact Rivals indicates Mizzou had offers on the table for both players. Beal headed south to Florida and McLemore headed west to Kansas.

You wanna know what’s funny?
Once upon a time (when high school players could declare for the draft) I heard this cry. “College basketball is being ruined by all these youngsters going into the NBA.” The game might be ruined but I believe in a different manner, many youngsters who never applied to a college are still not there! They enroll at XYZ University however everyone knows they are only “student/athletes” for one maybe two semesters. These student/athletes declare for the NBA Draft at the conclusion of the collegiate season. Those same people who claimed college basketball was impacted by high school athletes are now making the same statement regarding the one and done athlete. Just a few points, a citizen of the U.S. can vote at age 18, they also can legally sign a contract at the same age. In addition no parental signature is required to enter military service. As an 18-year old you are prohibited from purchasing alcoholic beverages (age 21) and you are also denied entry into the NBA. Others claim the NBA should adopt the college baseball rule. You enroll in college you obligate yourself for the next three years. Why force someone to attend college who has no desire (at age 18) to become a student?

I overlooked him
Last week we discussed differences between Andrew Wiggins of Kansas and Jabari Parker of Duke. I stated Parker might have an easier transition to the collegiate game due to several returning starters at Duke. I said Kansas lost its starting team to the NBA and graduation. The cupboard isn’t exactly bare in Lawrence Kansas, in addition to an outstanding class is sophomore Perry Ellis. Ellis was a Rivals 5-star prospect in the Class of 2011, the 6-8 225 pound forward turned down offers from hometown Wichita State and Kentucky. A veteran Kansas roster limited Ellis’s time on the floor his freshman year. Expect Ellis to demonstrate the talent he displayed at Wichita Heights High School and why Jayhawk fans should be pleased.

He‘s headed to South Beach too
Greg Oden is headed back to the NBA and to the Heat. In my view this is the best move for the young man, it certainly was the safest move for a variety of reasons. Oden becomes an addition to the defending NBA Champs, after all the team has won back to back championships. He’s expected to play a role but it’s my belief there will be a lesser amount of pressure on him than in Dallas, Sacramento or New Orleans. Just an observation on my part, I wanted to express my thoughts prior to the media. I will not read any comments or view NBA TV on this subject until after Monday’s Words Eye View is published.

“It’s gotta be the shoes”
Once upon a time a co-worker once said to me; “I sure will be glad when basketball (NBA) is over.” Naturally I asked why and he responded; so I can quite seeing the shoe commercials on television.” I left that company a number of years ago, I’m not sure if he’s still there are not. We are witness the shoe commercials haven’t gone away, it anything they might have become even bigger. Basketball shoes are a multi-billion dollar industry that’s why we continue to see them advertised on television, print ads and the internet. The headline is the quote from Mars Blackmon a.k.a. Spike Lee in numerous Air Jordan commercials. How popular are shoes you might ask, Michael Jordan hasn’t laced up a pair of Air Jordan’s (in the NBA) since 2003. Nike released the Air Jordan 8 Retro in June 2013, this month Air Jordan 3 will be re-introduced. How much is MJ worth, according to Forbes the Jordan brand (shoes, sportswear etc.) pays him $80 million dollars a year.

Of course the focus is on Jordan because he raised the bar to unimagined heights. They say (whoever they are) timing is everything. Those in front of Jordan couldn’t do it, Dr. J. wasn’t able with Converse, same for Magic and Bird with the brand. Kobe, LeBron, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose and others have received large financial income from shoe contracts. As this was being concluded the NBA Store announced release of the Nike Air Max LeBron X, the shoe retails for $164.95. Of course there are other high profile athletes under the Nike banner, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony to name a few. Nike is the world wide leader in shoes sales so it’s to be expected we‘d see them in the lead with high profile athletes. Adidas has Dwight Howard, John Wall and Derrick Rose, Andre Miller, Jameer Nelson and Isiash Thomas sport the Reebok brand. The basketball shoe business is big business and will continue to remain huge into the future. By the way have you seen the new Blake Griffin Jumpman 23 commercial? It’s titled; “Blake and Drain,” see it.

Fix the Lakers
Most concede (me included) agree the 2013-14 Lakers will not compete for an NBA Championship; it’s possible they will make the playoffs. As with most Laker fans I will approach the season with lowered expectations, they are down but not out. Quality free agents will be there 2014 but that becomes a headache for me (and maybe other Laker fans). The media is ripe with Carmelo Anthony/LeBron James stories possibly headed to the Lakers. I realize this is shocking but I don’t want either talent however that decision is not in my hands. My preference would be to re-build this team through the draft, trades and free agents. Potential free agents do not include James and Anthony, I seriously doubt if James would sign with the Lakers anyway. I’ve been unable to convince a single person I’ve talked to if a move occurs it will be a return to the Cavs. How could LeBron return after Dan Gilbert talked trashed about him?

Gilbert didn’t trash Coach Mike Brown he just fired him, Brown has returned. As for Carmelo Anthony there is no argument regarding his talent, the question is can he become enough of a team player to lead a team to an NBA Championship? Anthony is a player a team might covet but never (at least to this point) makes your team better. Grantland's Bill Simmons (and noted Celtic fan) was on Colin Cowherd’s radio program recently. Among the subjects discussed was Simmons fix for the Lakers. I have no intent to believe anything this Celtic fan (and Clipper season ticket holder) has to say about a fix for my team. You don’t agree with my assessment of the Lakers; read Gary A. Vasquez of USA TODAY Sports. He covers this subject too and he doesn’t believe the Lakers are a “basement team.” This Laker team is better than the 2004-05 edition which had Kobe Bryant and that‘s about all.

He might be a better comparison
Several in the media have made comparisons between incoming Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins and LeBron James. It’s my belief the comparison is based on talent rather than the physical stature. For me the physical piece is a key to LeBron’s success on the court. Wiggins is the same height (6-8) of LeBron however in the weight department he weighs in at 205 pounds versus LeBron’s 249 pounds. It’s my belief the physical comparison of another athlete is nearer to LeBron than Wiggins. From my perspective the athlete forgotten in this discussion is Duke’s Jabari Parker. The media fails to focus that at 6-8 and 225 pound Parker’s frame is nearer to that of LeBron than Wiggins.

A reminder of note Parker was considered the number one prospect in the Class of 2013 until Wiggins reclassified. Wiggins was number one in the Class of 2014 until he reclassified, Rivals and other prospect sites moved him in front of Parker. Freshman Parker might have an easier adjustment to college ball than freshman Wiggins, what is the basis for my view? The talent of both aside as mentioned previously Kansas lost all five starters, although the incoming class is one of the best in the nation they are still freshman. As for Duke they also have an outstanding freshman class however there is a difference between the two schools. Duke returns starters and reserves who played significant minutes.

Should a team recruit for right now or the future?
It’s a valid question several of us believe, there is a story beside the question. Mizzou is recruiting guard Devin Booker rated a 4-star prospect in the Class of 2014 by Rivals. In addition 2014 ESPN 100 rates him number 16 in the nation. There is a connection with Booker his dad Melvin played at Mizzou and led the 1994 team to an undefeated conference record of 14-0. It would appear a slam dunk to offer a scholarship to the son of an outstanding athlete. I offer you no proof or inside information this is pure conjecture on my part.

Mizzou might be unable to secure the services of Booker for 2014. My belief is based on numbers; the current roster has three shooting guards most likely to remain through Booker’s freshman year. Mizzou has already received a commitment from Class of 2014 small forward/shooting guard Chris Sandifer. In this instance the recruiting effort by Haith and staff might work against them. This focus is on Mizzou however checkout any top 100 list and you will see a common factor. The same schools show up with several uncommitted athletes.

Kinda sorta basketball connected maybe?
I missed this news item last I didn’t realize the Madison Square Garden Company purchased the Forum last year. The Fabulous Forum as it was nicknamed was built principally by former Laker owner Jack Kent Cooke. The Lakers played their games in the city owned Memorial Sports Arena from 1960-1967, during some point the owner and the city had a disagreement and Cooke decided to build his own arena. The Forum (later re-named The Great Western Forum) served as home base for the Showtime Lakers of the ‘80‘s. The GW Forum would remain home until the Staples Center was completed and opened in 1999. *“Faithful Central Bible Church, home to a predominantly African-American congregation over 12,000, purchased the Great Western Forum at the end of 2000 and began holding its regular service there each Sunday morning. However, Faithful Central representatives have said that their intention in purchasing the arena was never to convert into a religious building, and in 2009, the church discontinued regular use of The Forum for its church services.” The building is being completely renovated and will become a stop for concerts and other entertainment use. *Wikipedia

Dennis Schroeder
We began reading draft assessments on Dennis Schroeder months prior to the 2013 NBA Draft. Schroeder from Braunschweig Germany was the 17^th pick in the first round by the Hawks of Atlanta. Last season Schroeder played for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig, he could be described as a wiry 6-2 168 pound point guard. He is only 19-years old so most likely will be brought along slowly as he adjusts to the NBA. We witnessed his play in the Summer League but I often express the belief Summer League is not a true barometer of NBA skill. Analyst and former coach Sam Mitchell said on NBA TV recently, “A lot of people compare him to The Glove Gary Payton.” It’s unfair to make these types of comparisons but often this is our only method to assess a player’s skill. This is no endorsement of Schroeders’ future NBA success just a profile of the player.