Basketball from a fan perspective

It ain’t over until the…. you know the rest of it

Is Laker Nation pleased, I have no idea but I am.  The Monday evening win (116-108) versus the Jazz clinched the number one seed for the Lakers.  It ain’t over till it’s over, the Lakers with a short window (LeBron) must make hay while the sun shines.  Okay no more cliches from me, let me just say we are yet to determine the NBA Champion...stay tuned.   

Did the NBA get it right?

We are entering the second week of NBA re-start and the question...did the NBA get it right?  It is certainly early however the “Bubble” the league created appears to work.  Baseball had to cancel a game due to the virus, so far, the issue has not risen in Orlando.  Several questioned why the NBA was even attempting to complete the season.  That question cannot be answered by a few simple thoughts and it will not be attempted.  We are yet to see how the virus impacts the NFL however for now let us just say the NBA may have gotten it right.  The only loser to this point are the fans unable to view their favorites in person.  They must satisfy themselves with watching the game unfold on our television sets the same as those in Dayton, Albuquerque, and Kansas City.   

Winners

It is funny Kansas and Kentucky fans are constantly arguing with one another which program is most successful.  If we just check out won loss records the winner is Kentucky with 2,293 wins, Kansas has 2,274.  As for several others there are a likely a few surprises for many of you, North Carolina wins total 2,261.  We must factor in one consideration the dates these schools began competing on the court. 

As an example, Kentucky first began play in 1903, Kansas in 1899 and North Carolina 1911.  Norfolk State an HBCU institution has registered 1,223 wins, then we have Missouri State.  The Springfield school which began play in 1909 have moved from the NAIA, to NCAA Division II and finally NCAA Division I.  Weber State in Ogdon Utah has over 1,000 wins but only began play in 1963, wow what a winner.   If you check out the history you will discover Weber State’s only suffered 11 losing seasons in 57 years of Division I basketball, that is outstanding. 

Late bloomer

We often use the term late bloomer to describe an athlete with a late developing career, that would be an apt description of the Pelicans J.J. Redick.  If we checked his high school and Duke honors, we might conclude Redick was on his way to the hall of fame.  National Player of the Year, 2X All-American First Team are just a few of the honors when the Magic in 2006 made him the 11^th pick in the first round.  

After 7 seasons in Orlando Redick was traded to the Bucks and from there the Clippers. 

If we look at the numbers, it will appear the Clippers were the location Redick became grounded.  His shooting especially from the 3-point line made him that guy “you can’t leave open.”  Free agency witnessed Redick moving to the Sixers for two seasons and last year to the Pelicans.  He is 36-years old now and nearing the end of his NBA career.  If we look at Redick 2010, we might believe this guy might not make it, little did most of us realize he was just a late bloomer.   

Basketball from a fan perspective

Broadcast partner

Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz were the voice of Laker broadcasts.  Hearn was behind the mic for 3,338 consecutive games beginning in 1965, the streak ended in December of 2001.  Hearn had to undergo a medical procedure which caused him to miss the game.  Hearn’s final game was the 2002 NBA Finals where the Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets.  In August of that year Hearn died at the age of 85, the broadcast legend was gone. 

We can state a portion of the combo was gone, color analyst Stu Lantz on the job since 1987 continues in the role Laker Nation is accustomed.  Since the death of his long-time broadcast partner Bill McDonald becomes his third associate.  Lantz, a guard played competitively at the University of Nebraska and later briefly in the NBA.  This is background on the Lakers color analyst Stu Lantz whose voice has been heard first on radio and later television since he began in 1987.   

Teammates

This is written prior to Ja Morant and Zion Williamson facing one another in the Grizzlies-Pelican game.  The Rookie of the Year (Morant) versus the runner up, the former AAU teammates will meet once again.  Although both grew up in South Carolina it was in different towns, AAU basketball brought the two together as teammates.  This was AAU basketball however there have been high school teammates who were talented enough to play in the NBA. 

Probably the most famous high school teammates were Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson who played at Akron’s Central High School.  After high school, the two traveled separate paths to the NBA, Thurmond and Johnson are enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame.  As for the present we have Jerami Grant and Victor Oladipo from DeMatha High School in Maryland, Thon Maker and Jamal Murray were teammates at Orangeville Prep in Canada.  Ben Simmons and D’Angelo Russell from Monverde Academy in Florida, there are others these are but a few.   

Small ball

The NBA is in restart mode so we have no answer to the question, will small ball for the Houston Rockets?  Robert Covington is the tallest Rocket in the starting lineup, and he stands 6 foot 7.  The middle of the season the Rockets chose to make a change getting rid of all their Big Men and resorting to a small ball lineup.  We must keep in mind the Warriors making this change allowed them to win three NBA Championships plus contend for several others. 

There were skeptics (including me) in the audience that did not believe an NBA team could win with a small lineup.  Keep in mind the Warriors did have Big Men however they were not the focus of the offense, the Rockets have no Big Men since the middle of the season.  Mike D’Antoni teams have always contained plenty of scoring and limited defense.  The next few months should prove interesting.   

The return

Coach Brad Underwood, the student body, alumni, and fans of Illinois basketball are excited.  Illinois number 21 or 22 depending on which poll you read received the good news regarding two players. Illinois finished last season in 4^th place in the Big 10 with a 13-7 conference record and 21-10 overall, many hoped they might compete for the conference championship.  The renewed effort would be dependent on two key contributors to last season returning. 

Earlier 6-foot 5 guard Ayo Dosunmu and 7-foot center Kofi Cockburn both submitted their names for NBA early entry.  Relax Illini fans change is in the air, in this instance it becomes almost celebratory.  On Friday Dosunmu announced he was returning to Illinois, that declaration was followed by Cockburn indicating he too was headed back to Champaign.  Both should lead the way as Illinois battles for Big 10 supremacy in 2020-21.   

Records are records

At the time the Sonic franchise moved to OKC there was a key provision.  As a condition of the move all records would remain in Seattle.  Where am I going with this story…straight to the Forum and Staples Center.  A fan claimed, “The Lakers only won 11 championships 5 of them were won in Minneapolis.”  We are unsure if it was an effort to negate the total however, he is correct. 

In 1960 it is likely records were not even considered at the time this move was made.  We have a few more examples for that fan to consider that exists throughout the NBA.  The Sacramento Kings have Oscar Robertson and Tiny Archibald’s jersey hanging in the rafters, neither played for the franchise in Sacramento.  Bob Pettit’s jersey hangs in Atlanta although he played for the St. Louis Hawks.  Unless there is a “Seattle” provision does it really matter where a team’s record or athlete may have first existed.  

Basketball from a fan perspective

No excuse corner

What…. you were expecting an excuse for the Lakers poor game against the Raptors Saturday night?  You read the byline correctly, this is the no excuse corner.  I am not going to critique every Laker game from now throughout the playoffs.  Let us just say I was extremely disappointed in the loss and hopefully they will play better in the future.  It should be of note the Raptors have no Kawhi Leonard, yet their won-loss record is better than last season.  You might remember the Raptors are defending NBA Champions, okay, there is the excuse you were waiting for.   

Could it be?   

There is a story circulating which is just a rumor at this point but might be worth reporting, it relates to Michigan State recruiting.  5-star prospect Max Christie arrives on campus in the fall of 2021, the story has All-Everything Emoni Bates and Big Man Enoch Boake reclassifying and arriving at the same time of Christie.  This is rumor at best, and we must await the decision.  In this day of prospects graduating a year early it is not beyond the realm of possibility. 

The three all arriving at the same time on campus could effectively change the basketball landscape for Michigan State in a positive manner.  The University of Michigan fielded a lineup of five freshman starters, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson.  This group of freshmen was talented enough to contend for the 1992 NCAA Championship, this incoming Michigan State crew could send a similar group of talented athletes on the court.  I hope it is not placing undue pressure on the trio if they should all arrive at the same time.   

Free Throws 

The emphasis is on “free” and nobody receives a pass on shooting them. Hall of Fame athlete Rick Barry once said; “Nobody is guarding you; it should be the easiest shot in basketball.” I think we might conclude Barry knew the subject matter well. He shot .893 over the course of his 14-year career; separately it was .880 in the ABA and .900 in the NBA. Consider this, court length the 3-point line and other variables exist depending on the level of competition. Did you realize standing at the free throw line the distance to the basket is 15 feet. It does not matter if we are discussing junior high basketball, high school, college, or the NBA.

The only difference is FIBA which measures at 15.9 feet. It is my belief a portion of the difficulty shooting free throws kids do not practice it enough. A long-time metro Kansas City basketball coach affirmed the view of most youngsters with this account.  He claimed once he ran all the drills and allowed the players to free-lance, he discovered most headed for the 3-point line.  The coach did not indicate whether any of his players ever practice shooting free-throws.  We could make the following claim, it is not exciting for the shooter; they grow up with the mind set of scoring a 3-point basket in the waning seconds of a game. Shooting free-throws is just not cool, sexy whatever adjective you wish to use.

The hardest working man in broadcasting   

Kevin Harlan might be the hardest working man in sports broadcasting.  He is one of the lead play by play announcers for the NBA on TNT broadcasts.  Perhaps April to September might be the only time we might find him at home.  The reason is clear, in addition to the NBA he also broadcast NFL Football.  As an example, several years ago, Harlan provided play by play for a Saturday afternoon telecast of the Mizzou-UCLA basketball. 

The Mizzou-UCLA game was played in Columbia, so Harlan boarded a flight at the regional airport and flew to Washington D.C.  A little under 24-hours later he was the voice behind the NFL telecast of the Chiefs game against Washington.  Harlan must lead all broadcasters of all sports in airline miles traveled.  We have no idea if Harlan owns a dog however if he does there might be a problem.  With so little time at home we should not be surprised if his dog might attack him believing he was an intruder.  

I love it

History has always been a subject that fascinates me, I cannot speak for the world, but I have an American opinion.  According to studies many Americans are not fond of the subject no matter if it is a discussion on politics or history of the nation.  The chronicle of basketball has always been interesting in this fact, “You don’t know where you are going until you realize where you have been.”  Hopefully, the look back in Words eye view proves interesting to you as it is me.  Researching the history has been a learning experience for me as I am able to gain additional knowledge on basketball.  On the other hand, if history is not your thing feel comfortable skipping it and check out the next story. 

Basketball from a fan perspective

We know your name

The Thursday evening Laker-Clipper game was close, only a put back shot by LeBron prevented an OT.  We mentioned the players missing in action but its more than that.  We know your name, media folks who were on the Laker bandwagon until this tight win.  We heard you, “They (Clippers) barely lost and (Montrez) Harrell and (Lou) Williams didn’t play.”  The statement is certainly true, no argument here.  We have no idea what unfolds for the balance of the season and into the playoffs. 

This we know, the Lakers will miss Avery Bradley no doubt, they will miss Rajon Rondo.  Can these bandwagon media types say with certainty that Markieff Morris, J.R. Smith or Dion Waiters might be able to offset Harrell and Williams?  We do not know at this point; we must wait for the championship to be completed.  We know your name, media members extolling the virtues of the Lakers one minute and changing your tune the next all based on a close win.  Question, it wasn't a loss was it?   

Should the name be changed?

For those reading this in foreign lands or Americans unclear on the history of the nation.  Removal of Confederate statues, monuments, symbols, and name changes have been in the news.  These symbols represent the American Civil War concluded 155 years ago.  What about more recent times, those which include the nation’s segregation past?  That is where our portion of the story begins, Adolph Rupp and Kentucky basketball. 

From 1930-1972 Rupp’s Kentucky Wildcats dominated college basketball like UCLA in the late 1960’s through the middle of the 1970’s.  Kentucky like Missouri was a slave state but failed to succeed from the union however the state and many of its residents held on to its segregationist past.  An arena was opened in 1972 in downtown Lexington and Adolph Rupp’s name was placed on the building.  Fast forward to 2020, a group of the University of Kentucky faculty are desiring a name change for the arena.  They claim Rupp was racist and that is the basis for their request. 

Sidebar here, the SEC was the last major conference to begin recruiting black athletes. 

Prior to his 1972 retirement Rupp did recruit and add one black player to the roster.  A recording made prior to Rupp’s death in 1977 he makes the claim he tried to recruit Wes Unseld and Butch Beard two outstanding black Kentucky talents at the time.  Do you view the request for a name change to the arena valid or do you take the position Rupp reflected the segregationist south of the period?      

I wonder why

Former point guard and coach Mark Jackson and his family are likely not suffering financially, we guess he is compensated adequately by ABC/ESPN working as a color analyst.  If he saved just a portion of his NBA salary as a player money should not be a question.  Most reading this might have forgotten or maybe did not realize he once served as head coach of the Warriors.  Jackson was fired in 2014 after leading the Warriors to three consecutive playoff appearances, this was something not experienced by the team in 20 years. 

As for the present it seems every time an NBA head coaching job opens, we hear several names mentioned, we are accustomed to Jackson’s name to be among the missing.  Assistant coaches, previously fired coaches are always given an opportunity to coach…not Jackson.  I happen to believe Tom Thibodeau is a good coach, but the guy was hired by the Knicks after being fired by the Bulls and Wolves.  He is not the only example, how about Luke Walton.  Fired by the Lakers without missing a beat Walton was hired as head coach by the Kings.  Whatever Jackson did while at Golden State must be serious or is, he being blackballed for some reason? 

Basketball from a fan perspective

Cream City?

The number of jersey changes in the NBA is staggering, I am unable to keep up with them.  Yesterday afternoon I turned on the Bucks-Celtics game.  The team from Boston was decked out in their usual green jerseys, the jerseys worn by the Bucks had me confused.  One of the Bucks players standing at the free throw line across the front of the gold colored jersey were the words “Cream City.” 

My first thought, Wisconsin has farming including cows, maybe it represents the state. 

Then I thought that does not make sense, no livestock in downtown Milwaukee.  A search on the internet provided the answer.  “It has nothing to do with the dairy industry. "Milwaukee's known as the Cream City because of the yellow, cream-colored bricks that were first discovered and made here in the 19th century," says Historic Milwaukee tour and membership coordinator, Josh Ballew. Dec 27, 2019”   

Forbes speaks

Any time Forbes speak people sit up and pay attention, they are the go-to resource whenever finances or wealth is part of the discussion.  You want a list of the wealthiest individuals in the world, check Forbes, roll of wealthiest corporations Forbes is your source. What about sports teams in 2019, would you believe three of the top six most valuable sports franchises in the U.S. are in the NBA. 

*Dallas Cowboys $5 billion

*New York Yankees $4.6 billion

*New York Knicks $4 billion

*New England Patriots $3.8 billion

*Los Angeles Lakers $3.7 billion

*Golden State Warriors 3.5 billion 

Owner, GM & coach

Allow me to introduce the new owner, gm and coach of the Pelicans, Stephen A. Smith.  Mr. Bravado went off on the Pelicans for only playing Zion Williamson 15 minutes in their loss to the Jazz 106-104.  There are numerous occasions we might question why an athlete is not in the lineup, this is not one of them in my view.  Although Zion started the season late due to injury almost four months have elapsed since he last sat foot on a court competitively.  Every time I make the claim, I am going to ignore Smith he does it to me again. 

Smith questioning the decision making of an athlete or organization, I am often forced to question, “Does he (Smith) have all the information are is he just like us?”  We have no idea why Zion only played 15 minutes however Coach Gentry, General Manager Trajan Landon or David Griffin vice-president of Basketball Operations might have knowledge why.  It might be a good idea to include Smith in a Zoom conference call, this method would provide the reporter all the updated information he needs.   

Battle: Los Angeles

This is no reference to the 2011 Sci-Fi movie rather it was a Thursday evening game between the two Los Angeles NBA teams.  This Battle Los Angeles took place not on a studio lot it was in Orlando rather than Southern California, the teams would meet for the fourth time.  Players were missing on both sides however the Clippers might have been impacted more than the Lakers.  The Lakers were winners 103-101 in a highly contested heavyweight type championship bout. 

The season series between the teams is now tied 2-2.  Paul George and Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Clippers while it was Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Kyle Kuzma off the bench for the Lakers.  LeBron did not shoot the ball well but managed to score the winning basket.  He took the shot with seconds remaining missed and followed his shot sinking the basket.  The Lakers now have an 8.5 game lead in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference however the playoffs await.  The playoffs are the determining factor in an NBA Championship despite Thursday night's game.   

Basketball from a fan perspective

The experiment

By the time you read this the Jazz-Pelican and Clipper-Laker game will be in the books.  According to figures released by the NBA 344 players have been tested since July 20 with 0 positives.  With the outbreak of the virus among baseball players let us look at the logistics.  Baseball has begun and soon football will as well, these sports will be forced to travel from city to city.  NBA players are housed in a bubble, the only opportunity to leave is for emergency purposes. 

Even barbers have been flown in to take care of the players hair care needs.  Several players left Orlando, when they returned, they were COVID tested and quarantined prior to interacting with teammates.  Having experienced quarantine firsthand lets state with conviction it ain’t no fun but is necessary.  Did the NBA get it right over major league baseball and the NFL?  Only time will tell if the experiment worked however as was pointed out earlier the logistics of the sports are quite different. The NBA could afford to do what these other sports were unable to accomplish.   

Top 10    

Once upon a time you said, “foreign player” and you might automatically receive a frown.  The first few numbers arriving on these shores did not measure up to the level of play expected.  That is no longer the thought process, numbers of players have arrived from Europe and Asia to enhance NBA rosters.  In this attempt to compile a complete Top 10 my list contains active and retired players.  With that statement below is my list and not in any order just the best of the best including the nation of their birth. 

Dirk Nowitzki-Germany

Giannis Antetokounmpo-Greece

Hakeem Olajuwon-Nigeria

Nikola Jokic-Serbia

Yao Ming-China

Patrick Ewing-Jamaica

Steve Nash-South Africa

Joel Embiid-Cameroon

Drazen Petrovic-Croatia

Tony Parker-Belgium

I found it extremely difficult to whittle my list to just 10 players, there were several players that could have been included.  I thought long about Diekembe Mutombo or Toni Kukoc however their body of work while good did not measure up to earn a spot.  There were others considered but they along with the two mention would earn second team distinction.  

Coach

It appears for the present time the Nets will begin this re-start of the season with Jacque Vaughn at the helm.  We figured the team would either name a head coach or offer the job full time to Vaughn.  Neither event occurred so we begin this re-start with the former point guard leading the way.  Vaughn has plenty of experience coaching, first an assistant with Spurs then head coach of the Magic.  Vaughn then served as an assistant with the Nets and became interim head coach when Kenny Atkinson was fired.   

NFL rather than the NBA

The NFL Eagles placed a memorial plaque to Kobe Bryant on a wall at their practice facility.  As most are aware Kobe grew up in Lower Merion Township about 12 miles from downtown Philadelphia.  The plaque contains “Kobe’s 10 Rules.”

. Get better every single day

. Prove them wrong

. Work on your weaknesses

. Execute what you practiced

. Learn from greatness

. Learn from wins & losses

. Practice mindfulness

. Be ambitious

. Believe in your team

. Learn story telling

Conference strength

Anytime a discussion is held regarding conference strength the conversation begins with the Atlanta Coast Conference.  With traditional powers such as Duke and North Carolina leading the way the ACC is almost always heard in the discussion.  Until recently it was Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference and the “others”, over the last few years the conference has witnessed Auburn, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and LSU and others raise the level of play in the SEC.  The same might be said for the Big 12, dominated by the Kansas Jayhawks over the years. 

Recently Baylor, Texas Tech and West Virginia have contributed to the increase in strength witnessed by Big 12 play.  Back in the day it was UCLA dominated Pac-12 play but that no longer exists, Oregon and Arizona are competitive.  The Big 10 was once the bastion of Indiana basketball and Bobby Knight, those days are gone.  Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland, and Wisconsin are the names most mentioned these days.  As for the Big East, Syracuse left the conference years ago, and Georgetown is a shadow of the competitive basketball the Hoyas once played.  Only Villanova and Creighton appeared prepared night in and night out to battle foes.

Basketball from a fan perspective

3 games a total of 69 minutes

The total above represents James Wiseman’s college stats while enrolled at the University of Memphis.  You know the full story, ruled ineligible until a charity of his choosing was reimbursed, the 7-foot 1 240-pound center/power forward chose to leave school.  This latest development certainly fails to represent a done deal however the Warriors through Zoom met with Wiseman and appear intrigued by his game.  

Wiseman’s moves around the basket and swiftness up and down the court would potentially be a good fit. For once LaVar Ball might be correct in his judgement, the elder Ball claimed the Warriors were not a good fit for LaMelo Ball.  Based on the skill set Wiseman possesses he just might be a better fit for the Warriors.  Zoom is just an electronic method of communicating in the age of COVID-19, the genuine test will the Warriors decide to bring Wiseman in to work him out?  With everything in the NBA pushed back due to pandemic we shall see what eventually develops regarding Wiseman. 

At home

The numbers are small but several on NBA rosters decided to remain at home.  These players made the decision with concerns for their families being the first concern.  M.I.A. on the NBA restart this week are:

Avery Bradley-Los Angeles Lakers

Victor Oladipo-Indiana Pacers

DeAndre Jordan-Brooklyn Nets

Wilson Chandler-Brooklyn Nets

Trevor Ariza-Portland Blazers

Davis Bertains-Washington Wizards

Willie Cauley-Stein-Dallas Mavs

Thabo Sefolosha-Houston Rockets

It should be noted Victor Oladipo stated early he intended to remain at home, Oladipo’s been spotted in Orlando.  At this point we remain unsure if he intends to play the remainder of the NBA season or return home. 

Bits n Pieces 

Sometimes the news moves swiftly you miss a story that should have been reported.  Shame on me, Rivals-5-star prospect shooting guard Max Christie verbally committed to Michigan State.  Christie a 6-foot 5 shooting guard is in the Class of 2021 but would join with 5-star Emoni Bates a 6-foot 9 inch small forward or shooting guard and 4-star Enoch Boakye 6-foot 10 center in the Class of 2022.  Christie made his attention known prior to Boakye however the news was reported in reverse order.  We cannot be for sure however it would appear Michigan State basketball will continue winning basketball now and into the future.   

Jordan Wood and Zach Kent will be on the basketball court this fall and winter for Howard University and Delaware State.  What makes these two so unique or standouts when they attend separate schools?  I am happy you ask the question, both Wood and Kent are white players attending historically black colleges.  We have no idea the talent level of the duo, Wood is a freshman and Kent a transfer from the University of Tennessee. 

I stopped counting, there are a minimum of 8 athletes born after Vince Carter entered the NBA in 1998.  Trae Young, Kevin Knox and Zion Williamson are just a few names.  Originally Carter planned on retiring after the 2019-20 season was complete, the pandemic fixed that.  He decided to quit now rather than wait until the end of the season.  Kenny Smith gave him the nickname “Half-Man, Half Amazing.”  Carter was a high-flier with his dunks back then, Carter is likely flying a notch below the skill level we witnessed 20 years ago.  Next stop for him the halls of fame are likely to call, we could see the FIBA and Naismith Hall of Fame for Carter soon.

Basketball from a fan perspective

Class of 2022

Michigan State’s Tom Izzo has done it again recruiting, earlier the coach managed to secure a verbal agreement from the top prospect in the Class of 2022 Emoni Bates.  Reports indicated Bates might head for the G-League or overseas after he graduates in 2022.  That could occur but for now it appears he is aligned himself with the Spartan program.  If Bates is enrolled in 2022, he should have talent around him for company, Rivals 4-star prospect Enoch Boakye has given his verbal commitment to Coach Izzo.  Bates is a slim 6 foot 9 and 205 pounds and likely will play shooting guard, Boakye is nearly 6 foot 11 and checks in at a hefty 240 pounds.  Boakye will likely play center or power forward, the prospect for the future of Michigan State basketball would appear to be very good.  

Crime of the Century

The title might be somewhat misleading, there was no loss of life although several might describe the events as a robbery.  Rest assured at the time that was far from the thoughts of the parties involved.  Ozzie and Daniel Silna made their millions in the textile industry but also were owners of the Spirit of St. Louis, the ABA team.  At the time, the NBA-ABA merger the ABA Spurs, Nets, Nuggets and Pacers moved into the NBA.  The remaining ABA teams were dissolved, and the players placed in a pool for dispersal to other NBA teams.  The only sticking point what to do with the Silna brothers. 

The surviving ABA teams agreed to pay the brothers $2.2 million ($906 million 2020).  In addition, the brothers would receive 1/7 of the television revenue of the four surviving ABA teams in perpetuity.  If you are unfamiliar with the definition of perpetuity it is defined as endless.  Your first thought might be “What were they thinking” to sign a contract with no end date?  The first-year payment was made the brothers received a modest $500,000, as the NBA increased in popularity the financial payment to the brothers has been on a steady and upward trend. 

“In January 2014, a conditional settlement agreement between the NBA, the former ABA clubs and the Silnas was announced.   As part of the deal, the Silnas are reported to be receiving a $500 million upfront payment from the former ABA teams.   In return, the former ABA teams will get majority stake in the Spirits of St. Louis Basketball Club, L.P., which will retain control of a portion of the TV revenue streams of the former ABA teams, with the option to purchase the remaining stake held by the Silnas in the future.   Also, the Silnas will drop their litigation against the league seeking a share of additional media revenue streams, with the NBA agreeing to grant some of the disputed funds to the Spirits.” *

*Wikipedia

Traded for Kobe

Most either forgot or do not realize a trade was required for the Lakers to acquire Kobe Bryant, that detail will be forthcoming.  As for our subject Vlade Divac is vice president and general manager of the Kings, in 1989 we knew little about him.  Divac began play for a team in Yugoslavia prior to that nation breaking apart.  This 7-foot 1-inch Serbian was drafted by the Lakers and began play in the 89-90 season.  Divac made the NBA All Rookie team that first year, over the next six seasons he distinguished himself for the Lakers.  He was never a focal point of the offense however his skillful passing lent a great deal to the Laker success.  Then it came, he was traded, this move had nothing to do with his skill set it was just the athlete the Lakers could acquire. 

Jerry West then VP and GM was enthralled with the potential he saw after working out Kobe Bryant.  West was aware the Lakers had no opportunity to draft Kobe, in the 1996 NBA Draft the Hornets selected Kobe with the 13^th pick.  The Lakers would trade Divac for the draft rights to Kobe and that is the history.  As for Divac he would move on to the Sacramento Kings and became a vital key to their success over the years.  The one sticking point they never were able to beat the Lakers in a playoff series but that was no fault of Divac.  In the 2004-05 season Divac would return to the Lakers but that would be his last year as an active player.  Retirement saw him involved in humanitarian efforts in Serbia and Africa.  Divac was promoted to vice president and general manager of the Kings where he remains today. 

Sterling was not the first   
There are occasion we tend to believe this is the first time ever for an occurrence.  That might have been the general belief at the time Donald Sterling was forced by the commissioner to sell the Clippers, despite the general belief at the time this was not the first time.  Mavs owner Mark Cuban has often been a pain in the butt for former Commissioner David Stern and now Adam Silver, but he is nowhere close to Sterling or Ted Stepien for that matter.  He disappeared from the NBA ranks so long ago much of this account had to be researched.  Stepien purchased the Cavs in 1981, by 1983 he was gone having sold his interest in the team. 

Was he forced out, no record to that effect exists however that is the general belief by many at the time?  What made Stepien so incendiary was the manner he ran the Cavs; this was prior to the lottery being instituted although there might questions if that would have helped them anyway.  Stepien traded 1^st round draft choices like nobody’s business, one year he fired three head coaches while hiring another four.  The Lakers have Stepien to thank for Magic Johnson, the Cavs made a trade with the Lakers the previous year giving up their first-round draft pick.  That pick would become Magic Johnson and the rest of the story is Laker history. 

Basketball from a fan perspective

Googles

Lew Alcindor sustained a scratched cornea prior to the historic 1968 UCLA-Houston game.  How much the injury effected his play we do not know.  This is history, the Elvin Hayes led Houston Cougars defeated the UCLA Bruins ending the Bruins 47-game winning streak.  Once in the NBA and a name change Kareem Abdul Jabbar suffered an eye injury missing 17-games in the 1974-75 season. 

Once he returned to action, he wore googles from that point till the end of his basketball career.  Why out of the blue did this come to the forefront you might ask?  Anthony Davis missed the Laker exhibition game versus the Wizards due to sustaining an eye injury in the previous game.  Tall guys have this problem due to their height and opposing players swiping at the basketball when it's above their reach.  Perhaps the nearly 6-foot 11-inch Davis should consider wearing googles, they worked capably for Kareem. 

The scale remains unbalanced

Most of us are aware WNBA player salaries are nowhere near the level of the average NBA player.  Several in the WNBA have chosen to sit out the season due to corona or social issue concerns, stepping forward with help is Kyrie Irving.  Irving's KAI Empowerment Initiative is committing $1.5 million to aid in the support of several WNBA players.  This commitment of funds by Irving’s group will aid the cause greatly since the scale remains unbalanced regarding salaries. 

Are there others?

Based on their college and NBA careers yesterday we posed a question.  We believe the trio of Michael Jordan/James Worthy/Sam Perkins might be the best in college and the NBA.  We could locate 5-6 teams with great starters however the teammates were outstanding in college but only registered limited or no success at the NBA level,  In 1970 UCLA faced Jacksonville State for the NCAA Championship, 7 foot 2 Artis Gilmore plus 7-foot Pembroke Burrows clearly were talents.  Gilmore is in the hall of fame; Burrows became the tallest law enforcement officer in Florida State history. 

St. John’s and Chris Mullen come to mind; Walter Berry was outstanding but never came close to the numbers he exhibited alongside Mullen.  We could make the same statement for LSU, Shaquille O’Neal Hall of Fame but Stanley Roberts never approached his LSU numbers.  Chris Jackson (Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) was good however his career was cut short and, in this corner, we believe the NBA may have black-balled him that story for another time in the future.  Much nearer to the present the University of Indiana had two outstanding players, Cody Zeller, and Victor Oladipo. Oladipo certainly has been more successful at the NBA level.  This will conclude the account unless someone can add names. 

He is not we have been advised
Over the years I have read several stories indicating how frugal number 23 Michael Jordan is.  We heard the story, “He’d (Jordan) would rather spend your money than his.”  We had no ability to determine if the story was true or false.  In this instance we know the accuracy or at least the reported truth.  Once upon a time Michael Jordan had a lawsuit filed against Chicago area department chain?

The store had used his likeness in a series of commercials the only problem they appeared to have made little if any effort to contact him.  The suit went to trial and the jury sided with Jordan the court awarded him $8.9 million dollars.  After the judgment was rendered Jordan stated he “intends to sign the check over to 23 area charities he believes have benefited Chicago area residents.”  We gained insight into Jordan’s personality viewing “Last Dance”, much of it confirmed what we believed.  MJ is one of the most competitive persons alive, despite this mantra it appears as an owner he's remained in the background with his Hornets.