Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

A petition was begun

Prior to Sunday’s NFL action a select group of “fans” generated a petition on change.org. These special folks wanted the Chiefs to bench starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After the Super Bowl loss in February the team has not performed at the level fans expected. No single player is irreplaceable but who these fans were suggesting replacing Mahomes was never made clear. This is a basketball blog why are you discussing the Chiefs and NFL? The single reason, most (including media members) have no idea what it takes to run a professional team. Fans sit in their Lazy Boy recliner drinking alcoholic drinks and believe we have all the answers.

My indignation is aimed at the media as well, for me I rarely watch TNT’s Inside the NBA, ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown! I don’t make the statement believing I’m all knowledgeable on the NBA or basketball in general, I do it for the fact I want information not entertainment. For me, the game is the entertainment, there is no requirement for me to see Charles Barkley criticized the view of Kenny Smith or Shaquille O’Neal. Give me information I can use which often is lacking in these programs. As for fans, we can fall back on the definition. “A fan or fanatic, sometimes also termed an aficionado or enthusiast, is a person who exhibits strong interest or admiration.”  I hope you focused on the word derived from fan i.e., “fanatic” do you sometimes fit the description or do you know someone that applies?

The experiment is over…

Remember how I expressed my concern with the LAkers trading for Russell Westbrook. A .com site has proposed the LAkers trade Westbrook to the Knicks for a bunch of players. Yes, Westbrook can be a turnover machine at times, but we knew that fact when he was acquired. We’d hope the other things he brings to the table would override that issue, but trading Westbrook is silly. The LAkers are not at the top of the NBA standings but they are not at the bottom either.

Thus far there have been bad losses and OT wins and part of this occurring with no LeBron in the lineup. To suggest Westbrook be traded after 14 games is not only silly it’s stupid. Westbrook’s has produced three triple-double games and barely missed on another four. This member of Laker Nation is not blinded to the turnovers and hopefully that will be addressed once LeBron is able to return to the lineup. Westbrook will not be forced to run the offense as much with the help of LeBron. I continue to claim if the LAkers are playing this poorly by December 25^th radical changes must be implemented. Until then we in The Nation must remain calm.

Kansas City…home of sports architects

Sprint Center (now T-Mobile) was the brainchild of various architects who call Kansas City home. The arena was designed with NBA and NHL hockey in mind, although neither sports franchise exists here the architects do. Besides T-Mobile Center below is a partial list of those arenas with a Kansas City connection.

American Airlines Arena-Miami

Little Caesars Arena-Detroit

Fiserv Forum-Milwaukee

United Center-Chicago

State Farm Arena-Atlanta

Barclays Center-Brooklyn

Wells Fargo Center-Philadelphia

TD Garden-Boston

Ball Arena (Pepsi Center)-Denver

Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse-Cleveland

AT&T Center-San Antonio

Amway Center-Orlando

Moda Center-Portland

As you can see almost half the NBA arenas currently in use were designed or partly designed by a Kansas City based architectural firm. Despite no NBA team architects from the city’s fingerprints are all over arena designs throughout the league.

Now we know the full story

Below is another story about the NCAA which continues to wield its power in a highly unusual manner. The NCAA is upset with the Athletic Department at Oklahoma State due to statements they made which displeased them. As for this account it’s Mizzou basketball and the recent incident where Mizzou guard DaJuan Gordon was forced to sit and couldn’t play in the game against Central Michigan. We had been led to believe the NCAA had forced the former Kansas State guard to the bench.

On Friday Coach Cuonzo Martin explain the details of the suspension. “He played in one game that was certified, Martin said. “Martin said the event in question was sanctioned by the NBA, but not the NCAA.” Martin said neither Gordon nor the Missouri staff knew he was doing anything wrong by playing in the summer league game.” * How is an athlete to be fully aware of all the rules and regulations the NCAA imposes on student-athletes?

*missouririvals.com

The offspring not so well

We believe son’s follow their father’s in the game of basketball. We don’t know whether it’s a force issue or just the desire to do what dad did. The unfortunate, apart from Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry the play of the sons exceeds that of the fathers. In most circles Michael Jordan is considered the best to ever play the game, Marcus and Jeffery Jordan managed to play collegiately but neither came remotely close to the skill level of their famous father. Neither son was good enough to earn a look by an NBA team.

 We could make the same statement for the offspring of Rick Barry; Barry too is enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Jon, Drew and Brent had NBA careers but nothing close to dad Rick. If you are a certain age, you might not remember what a talent Bill Walton was prior to injury. Injury and all without checking we could say his numbers exceed those of son Luke. The career of Tim Hardaway Jr. has been good however it comes in second to dad Tim Hardaway Sr. for most NBA fans. This list certainly is incomplete the idea was to show you several father-son combos who played in the NBA. There are instances the careers of the fathers have been more successful than their offspring.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

No retirement for now

The Warriors Steph Curry has reached the top of the world in basketball or at least that was the thought. Only the honor of being enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame awaited the point guard. Oh, you say there is another distinction missing Curry is yet to receive. Yes, there is the jersey Steph wore while he played at Davidson. Depending on the school an athlete must have received his degree for his jersey to be retired. Despite Steph’s outstanding pro career with the Warriors that jersey might be retired prior to the one he wore at Davidson. Two things could take place, Steph could return to school and receive his undergraduate degree, or the policy might change allowing his jersey to be retired.

Batman and Robin---apparently not the case!

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were keys to the championship run of the Bulls in the ‘90’s. We always believed MJ was Batman with Scottie taking on the role of Robin, we have since discovered all is not good between the two. Perhaps it was always there but the ESPN series Last Dance might have opened a festering wound. On television and in the media, Scottie began to distance himself from MJ in speaking of his time with the Bulls. Scottie detailed the day-to-day actions of MJ and Bulls management and how it affected him.

In fact, if we took a poll currently most believe the two might not like one another although it certainly was clear on the basketball court. All we can do at this point is guess why this rift has developed between the two. Perhaps it was there all along and we just never noticed it. Speaking of tossing folks under the bus Scottie moved on to his days with the Houston Rockets. Scottie claims the 1997-98 Rockets Super Team he joined was a failure, the team had “an old Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley’s lack of dedication”, Pippen’s words not mine. In closing one point is clear, have you noticed nary a word spoken from MJ on his former teammate? We can conclude it’s clear MJ doesn’t care what Scottie has to say at this time.

The decision 

Two talented NBA players are sidelined, and neither one is injured. We know the story on Kyrie Irving, no requirement to detail that any further…no movement exists. The other is Sixer Ben Simmons who is still incognito. We don’t have all the details on Simmons, nor do we need to detail them here. It was thought by many (including this writer) this issue would be resolved by the middle of November. Although I once believed the issues with Simmons and the Sixers would be worked out that apparently is not the case.

Simmons is still an incredibly talented athlete despite his poor to average ability to shoot from anywhere over 15 feet. If I’m the GM of X team I refuse to gut my team to obtain Simmons however I would certainly try a trade to get his services. The problem at this point apparently is a meeting of the minds, talk with teams hasn’t progressed to an acceptable level to arrange a trade. This part is pure speculation by me however I believe this next statement to be true. Ben Simmons would prefer to play anyplace in the NBA except in Philadelphia.

Hair

The title is not a reference to the 1968 Broadway Rock Musical with the same title. In this instance the discussion is hair on the head or in the case of athletes such as Michael Jordan no hair. In this age, the shaved or bald look is in vogue with athletes. We see a delegation of athletes with dreadlocks, braids, cornrows, ponytails, Afros and other hair styles. Hair rarely causes an issue in the workplace except on occasion, this account is one example. A local high school basketball coach decided in addition to his focus on offense and defense he would emphasis hair stylings for his team. “Each athlete will maintain a neat, well-trimmed haircut”, as the Kansas City Star noted “What defines neat and well-trimmed?”

The only problem the coaches edict violated a school district policy already in place prohibiting discrimination based on the choice of one’s hairstyle. Is this a cultural issue since the coach is white and there are black team members? There is no quarrel on my part with the coach in one instance, a coach oversees team policy, he becomes the decider on policy except in this instance. He cannot enforce any rule which violates that in place by a higher authority, in this instance we are discussing the power of the school district. We should take one fact into consideration we (especially in America) are living in a different age. You might read this account and claim we are usurping the authority of the coach; we believe that is not the case. If you disagree with my take that’s okay too.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

No bragging

The LAkers survived on Wednesday evening, they won in an OT game over the Heat 120-117. You will hear no bragging from this corner, no braggadocious on my part until I believe the Lakers play a “complete” game. The LAkers with a 7-win season thus far finds 3 of those wins occurred in OT. I realize the Lakers have been handicapped by injury, but I refuse to use that as an excuse. LeBron or no LeBron this veteran team should play smarter basketball. With two of the losses coming against the Thunder the LAkers must play better. Have I given up, of course not I remain a loyal despite my disappointment in their poor to average play to date?

Letters of Intent

Mizzou announced the signing of two expected prospects for next season and one unknown. Forward Aiden Shaw and guard Christian Jones signed LOI after verbally committing earlier. Jackson Francois a walk-on also signed a letter of intent, now for a little background on these Class of 2022 prospects. Aidan Shaw is a 6 foot 8-inch 190 pound 4-star prospect, he’s a wing who plays at Blue Valley High School in Stillwell Kansas; the city is in metro Kansas City Missouri. Christian Jones is a 6-foot 6-inch 190-pound combo guard from the home of the head coach East St. Louis Illinois, he’s a 3-star combo guard. Jackson Francois is a 6 foot 3 shooting guard, he’s at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas and is the son of the new Mizzou Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois. 

Why is this shocking?

A website (unconfirmed) claims NBA general managers are scared to trade for Nets guard Kyrie Irving. We don’t know if the story is valid but why is this shocking if true. We are not discussing talent; he is among the most gifted players in the NBA it’s the other things. This probably sounds strange in reading due to the stance taken in the past in this blog. There have been individuals earlier who sacrificed their career to make a better world, Curt Flood in baseball is a name that comes to mind first. The difference between Irving and Flood is $$$, the Nets guard is in a secure financial position in the world.

That was not the case for Flood who suffered in two ways, he eventually returned to the game but was nowhere near the player he was on leaving. As for the money he certainly was compensated but probably never made up for the money lost. Perhaps a trade is the answer, Irving sent to a team far from New York City which allows him to play this season. At this point two events must occur to rectify the situation, covid must be eradicated (not likely soon) or Irving is traded. This is also unconfirmed; a fan claims Irving has missed 65% of his team’s games during his career. The question might be how valuable are you in missing that considerable number of games?

Big Man-Ball is no more…kinda

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn declared for the 2021 NBA Draft; the 7-foot 285-pound center would later withdraw his name. Former Kansas center Udoka Azubuike was a first round draft pick by the Jazz in 2020. The 6-foot-10-307-pound Azubuike only saw action in 15 games last season, why it might be as simple as the Big Man is no more in the NBA. The Warriors drafted 7-foot James Wiseman from Memphis however his rookie season was cut short due to injury. Will he be able to move into the Warriors lineup in the 2021-22 season? We’ve covered this subject in the past, but it appears the NBA wants Big Men who can stretch the floor i.e., a 3-point threat. If we look at the 2022 mock draft by two websites it has 10 Big Men centers including Cockburn, they say will be drafted. These are not in any order of draft status:   

Mark Williams 7-foot, Duke  

Ibou Badji 7-foot center, Senegal  

Walker Kessler 7-1, Auburn

Yannick Nzosa 6-11, Congo  

N’Faly Dante 6-11, Oregon.

Ariel Hukporti 6-11, Germany

Hunter Dickinson 7-1, Michigan

Khalifa Diop 6-11, Senegal

Jalen Duran 6-11, Memphis

We have no idea if these traditional Big Men will be drafted or can adapt to the NBA of today. Interesting fact, athletes have continued to grow to considerably larger heights than most it is up to coaches to prepare them to play in the modern NBA.

The unicorn

There I go, using the word I hate in describing a basketball player…Unicorn. Chet Holmgren’s first game was quite outstanding. The 7-foot 1 inch 190-pound (ya, he’s skinny) Holmgren did this, 14 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocked shots and 6 assists. Sure, the game was played against Dixie State, there are two changes forthcoming for the school. 

The first has already occurred, they have moved from Division II to Division I. Second to that the name will change, the school is found in St. George Utah will soon become Utah Tech. Back to Holmgren as the top prospect in the Class of 2021 he became the highest profile prospect Gonzaga’s ever recruited. Ever seen a 7-foot unicorn (dang I said it again) dribble the length of the court, how about the ability to dribble around his back? There will be a period of adjustment for Holmgren and Gonzaga however he should become a valued member of the Bulldogs.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Confusion reign’s once again

Guard DaJuan Gordon transferred to Mizzou from Kansas State after last season was complete. The box score for the Mizzou-Central Michigan game did not list Gordon in the lineup. It turns out Gordon didn’t play on Tuesday in the 78-68 victory over Central Michigan. According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch Gordon was suspended by the NCAA for the game. What did he do, it seems Gordon played in a non-sanctioned game over the summer? Did he receive financial compensation for his play in this game, once again we are confused by the actions of the NCAA. In other Mizzou news this should be of note, in years past Saturday Night Live ran a segment titled Bizzaro World.

In this Bizzaro World, Kansas is eliminated as the destination for a prospective talent and Mizzou is still workable? Could this really be the case or is it something else, truth is Kansas is out of the running while Mizzou is kinda in the picture? Mark Robinson a 6-foot 7 wing from Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita has reduced the number of schools, in the running for his services Duke, UCLA and Mizzou. Did you just read that last sentence correctly…Mizzou? This 5-star prospect in the Class of 2022 will make his decision known among the three schools mentioned. Mizzou has an outside chance however its likely Robinson’s choice is liable to be either Duke or UCLA. As for the basis for his interest in Mizzou, before Sunrise he attended Bishop Miege High School in the Kansas City metro

NBA records that will never be broken

You might have heard the saying, “Records are made to be broken.” that adage has validity except in exceedingly rare instances. A writer for The Score detailed 5 records that will never be broken. It’s interesting 2 of the 5 unbreakable records were covered previously in Off the Dribble. We wrote of the 100-point scoring game of Wilt Chamberlain which occurred March 2, 1962. The nearest attempt to eclipse the record occurred on January 22, 2006.

That was the evening Kobe Bryant torched the Raptors for 81 points, I was an NBA League Pass subscriber and I sat in front of my television as shot after shot was sunk by Kobe. I said to myself “He’s (Kobe) going to break Wilt’s scoring record.” That was not the case as he came up 19 points short, but it was an amazing game. November 5, 1971, the Lakers beat the Baltimore Bullets (Wizards) 110-106, they would not lose another game for two months. This team with Wilt Chamberlain at center along with guards Jerry West and Gail Goodrich was plain unbeatable. The Bucks led by Kareem Abdul Jabbar would halt the streak beating the Lakers 120-104 on January 9, 1972.

Fans want a winner

This is written ahead of the Wednesday evening game. The schedule has the 1 win and 9 loss Pistons at the 1 win 9 loss Rockets, someone will end the evening with 2 wins the other with 10 losses but its more than the game. Fans want a winner and neither team is winning at this point and that upsets fans. The first statement might be “We need to trade ________ “or “We should have signed______ while they were free agents.” Next up its likely the coach is the one on the hotseat but that shouldn’t always be the case. As an example, if LAker Coach Vogel is under consideration it’s understandable. The LAkers are supposed to compete for the NBA Championship, yet they hover around the .500 mark.

The hope for fans of the Pistons and Rockets are not so glamorous. The Pistons under Dwayne Casey finished last season 20-52, Stephen Silas is a first-year coach, his Rockets finished 17-55 last season. Hopefully, you see where this is headed, we have two coaches whose teams are not anywhere close to being competitive. We are not going to look at the past only the future, Casey and Silas need adequate time to build competitive teams. Casey is in his fourth year but still requires time to build HIS team. Silas is in a different situation, only in his first year at the helm Silas requires at least three years to mold the Rockets into the type of team he wishes. Will both coaches be given time, time to build a competitive team? Only the passage of time can answer that question.

The barn door is wide open

You are wondering, how does that headline impact basketball. It comes from an old saying, “It’s too late to close the barn door when the cows (or horses) have already escaped.” It’s easily understood, if the barn door had remained closed there would be no need for an animal roundup. In this instance we are referencing college basketball talent, Yahoo Sports listed 10 athletes that will possibly be one and done prospects. The season has just begun, and we are discussing who is leaving for the NBA. Is this issue bothersome…of course but there is really nothing that can be done about it? Despite the efforts made the larger number of first-year students are enrolled for their freshmen year only.

What’s occurred to curtail the one and done athlete, practically nothing. A small number have chosen foreign shores LaMelo Ball might be the most recent example for us to review having played in Australia prior to his NBA debut. The jury is still out on G-League talent from the 2021 NBA Draft. Taken in that draft were Jalen Green by the Rockets, Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors and Isiah Todd Buck. It should be of note all three were NBA first round choices in the draft. Yet to make an impact is Overtime Elite a startup league in 2021. They are recruiting talent that’s yet to finish high school, the league says 16-18 years can earn incomes over $100,000 annually. I’m unsure if I had a 16-year-old I would allow him to quit high school to play professionally. The overwhelming amount of talent continues to head off to college for one year, despite the landscape change this will continue to be the choice of most.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Outstanding games by all

Andre Drummond was inserted in the Sixer starting lineup with Joel Embiid covid restricted. The Sixers lost their game against the Knicks but if not for Drummond it might have been worst final score. Drummond scored 14 points and pulled down 25 rebounds. Steph Curry led the way as the Warriors won game 9, he scored 50 points along with 10 assists as his team topped the Hawks. Russell Westbrook registered his first triple double aid the LAkers in an OT win. Westbrook had 17 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, on the other side the Hornets LaMelo Ball scored 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a losing effort. Adding in the Laker win was Anthony Davis with 32 points and 12 rebounds, from the LAkers bench Carmelo Anthony would arrive scoring 29 points.

I’m not following through

Recently Shaquille O’Neal went on record claiming “I could handle Wilt Chamberlain” or something close to that. I ask a couple of co-workers, “Should I response in Off the Dribble,” both said “No, he (Shaq) is just trying to get clicks.” Despite their recommendation I’m going to respond anyway, we are overwhelmed with these types of comments, players of this generation claiming they were better than the veterans. Chris Bosh even weighed in on the issue claiming, “I was better than Bill Russell.” What’s the deal with Bosh, O’Neal and others? Shaq has always been one of my personal favorites, the raw power he showed while playing the post was a thing of beauty. In addition, his play was key to the three championships the Lakers won in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

No telling the count of championships this Laker team might have won if he and Kobe Bryant could have managed to place their egos in check, but that’s another story. Wilt Norman Chamberlain arrived in the NBA in 1959 drafted by the Warriors then in Philadelphia. Wilt was 7 foot 1 and weighed 275 pounds versus Shaq at the same height but 325 pounds. Are there doubts of Wilt’s strength, there is no record he ever broke a backboard as others did but he revealed his muscle in a nationally televised game. All the first half of this game Wilt had dunked on the basket, early in the second half it was discovered Wilt managed to break the metal hoop which supports the net. The game was stopped while the arena maintenance crew changed the basket, which is strength. Now could Shaq have played bully ball against Wilt; we have no idea. This I believe the outcome would result in which team won the game.

All American Teams

I’m unsure about you, I can’t remember the last time I read of an All-American College Basketball Team. It seems in this age of One and Done, G-League and Australian play an increasing number of athletes are no longer playing college basketball. Jae Morant of the Grizzlies might be an exception, he returned to Murray State and left after his sophomore year for the NBA. We can make the same statement about the Knicks Obi Toppin, he also returned for his second year before leaving for the NBA. It’s likely there are other NBA players who returned to school but these two are the first that come to mind. Overall fewer and fewer high-profile athletes stay in school for any length of time.

Once All-American teams consisted of seniors and juniors, on occasion a highly touted sophomore or first year player might earn a spot. Recently The Sporting News and 247Sports announced their All-American teams for the 2021-22 season and a strange thing occurred. The team assembled by 247Sports was made up of first year players only. There is danger with this type of set-up, we realize the giant leap needed to move from high school to collegiate level basketball. I certainly have no intent to sit anyone up for failure however let’s be real it just might occur. The names chosen by 247Sports certainly have the high school credentials to succeed but we just don’t know. Have All-American teams gone the way of the dinosaur, no longer a relevant thing or is it just me?

What did I expect?

The LAkers would be 11-0 currently, just kidding folks. What did I really expect, certainly not a 6-win 5 loss record? I believed an adjustment with new teammates would take time, my guess the LAkers would be 8-3 or at least 7-4. LeBron is out of the lineup but the glitch we are witnessing appears to be more serious. Are Vogel’s rotation the problem? Two of the 5 Laker losses have come against the Thunder, I’m not trying to trash the Thunder but their record as this is written is 3 wins and 6 losses.

If not for the LAkers they would have only one win. Not able to see all the games due to my Midwest base it appears the main issue, sustaining leads. With the exception I believe of the Blazer game in losses the LAkers appeared unable to sustain an advantage, in the instance of the Thunder it was large. There is still time to change the culture however at this point excuses won’t do; this is a veteran team which should be able to come together.

NBA records that will never be broken

You might have heard the saying, “Records are made to be broken.” that adage has validity except in exceedingly rare instances. A writer for The Score detailed 5 records that will never be broken. It’s interesting 2 of the 5 unbreakable records were covered previously in Off the Dribble. We wrote of the 100-point scoring game of Wilt Chamberlain which occurred March 2, 1962. The nearest attempt to eclipse the record occurred on January 22, 2006.

Wilt just loved to eat

The legend that is Wilt Chamberlain continues to supply us stories, this one on his eating prowess Teammate Jerry West claimed he saw a meal one evening while the LAkers were in a Kansas City hotel. This from the recollection of West. “I open the door and he’s got a towel tied around his neck, (and) he’s got a pair of basketball shorts on. That’s all he had on, “West explained. “I look around and I said, ‘Oh my God, what is this guy doing?’ There three (giant) racks of ribs, there were six 7 Ups---he drank 7 Up like it was water

There were two one-pound brisket sandwiches…Coleslaw, potato salad, barbecued beans, barbequed chicken. I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen here tonight?” West says Chamberlain went out and grabbed 25 rebounds.* We add to the discussion Pelicans forward Zion Williamson; the injury that sidelined him will heal in time the other part is under debate. Reports continue to circulate Williamson is on the north side of 300 pounds. If Williamson had the height of a Chamberlain or a Shaq probably no issue but at 6 foot 6 that’s a great deal of weight on his frame. He is asking for future knee problems unless he reduces his weight. We don’t know if the weight is muscle or fat, we tend to believe it’s likely fat although we have no method to prove this.

*www.sportscasting.com Nov 8, 2021

 

 

 

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

This is interesting 

Of the four California NBA teams the one at the top is most surprising. The LAkers expected to compete for the championship have played up and down in this early season. Minus Kawhi Leonard the Clippers are at .500 basketball as this is written and the same could be said for the Kings. We believed the Warriors would be improved in 2021-22 but they have gotten off to a faster start than most thought possible. The 8-win 1-loss start is interesting on quite a few levels, they have the best record in the NBA. Sharpshooter Klay Thompson is still sidelined and although he is on the court shooting and conditioning, he is yet to appear in a game.

We can make the same comment about second year man James Wiseman who missed a major part of last season with injury. On the court and aiding Steph Curry is shooting guard Jordan Poole. The former Michigan Wolverine has come to the forefront, and we might question…will Thompson have a job? Andrew Wiggins might be the Invisible Man, hardly noticed for the things he does. The return of Iggy, Andre Iguodala has added his presence to this team certainly stabilizing the reserve corps. Draymond Green has been his usual self, the point-power forward and sometime center is 8.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. Naturally, other teammates have been key to the resurgence of the Warriors. We know the ability of Steph Curry, but this Warrior resurgence appears to not be led by the sharpshooter.

What we see

The uncomplimentary column on Monday on the NCAA only pointed out judgements made for basketball. Rest assured those of you who follow the college football game can point to similar issues about that sport. We are not sure if this statement is correct, it would appear judgements are made toward the largest revenue generators (football & basketball). Are track & field athletes, swimmers and others scrutinized in the same manner? We cannot answer that question however surely judgment should cover all collegiate sports activities.

SEC basketball

Upfront confession, I don’t know a great deal about SEC basketball. I knew even lesser in 2011 when Mizzou joined the conference. I believed at the time it was Kentucky and Florida alone, gigantic mistake on my part. The league appeared more interested in football competition over court action, after all with Alabama, Auburn along with LSU and Georgia that was the belief at the time. That has changed, football still reigns supreme however the basketball programs at each of the conference schools has improved considerably.

Kentucky has legitimate competition on the court now for SEC superiority, we cannot point to one date and state when the change occurred. In addition to John Calipari at Kentucky others such as Bruce Pearl, Rick Barnes, Ben Howland and Tom Crean produced winning programs prior to their SEC association. As for the others Buzz Williams, Eric Musselman and Frank Martin have generated contending teams. There are other coaches omitted from this brief account, but it’s hoped you get the idea, the SEC in 2021 and into the future is more than just football.

Who?

Austin Reaves is likely an unknown to most NBA fans, who is he? Reaves played his college basketball at Oklahoma; despite this fact he wasn’t drafted in 2021. It was reported he informed teams to not draft him, his preference was to make the choice his own. The 6-foot 5-inch Reaves signed a free agent contract with the Lakers and then went ahead to show what he could do in Summer League play. Although Reaves had competition for a roster spot his hustle, shooting and defense came shining through. He earned a place on the season opening roll, but would he play? Injuries to one always affects another especially for a rookie and that’s exactly what occurred, two players in front of Reaves went down with injuries.

Reaves is currently playing about 20 minutes a game; he’s shooting 55% from the floor and 40% from 3. What has endeared him to Frank Vogel and staff is his defensive prowess. Is it possible Reaves sees the floor as a starter in the future for the LAkers or another team? He might become Fred VanVleet, undrafted in 2016 the diminutive point guard has been one of the keys to the success registered by the Raptors thus far. If there is a reserve role in his future Reaves could become the next JJ Redick managed a long NBA career as a reserve, in addition he became a much-needed commodity. Does Reaves become JJ Redick or Fred VanVleet we don’t know, this we do know. Reaves can play in whatever role the LAkers or another team might need.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

What!

Did we misunderstand the statement or was he misquoted? In this instance we are discussing newly elected Mayor of New York City Eric Adams. We reported a week or so ago mayoral candidate Eric Adams “said” he wanted to lift the mandate allowing Kyrie Irving to play for the Nets. Has there been a change, after the victory on Tuesday we are hearing a slightly different story from Adams? Once again, the question must be asked, did we simply misunderstand the earlier statement or was it a media misquote or something else. I was critical of candidate Adams because it appeared he intended to make an exception for a single citizen which I pointed out as wrong in my view. Now it appears that was not the case as the mayor has changed his mind or did, he?

The passage of time

With the 75^th Anniversary NBA season began we profiled all teams in that inaugural season. On Friday we covered BAA teams beginning play in 1946 the 75^th Anniversary. Further research shows all the teams closed shop on the dates shown. The history why these teams went out of business is still unclear. The Stags are the only team with a history we could uncover. Abe Saperstein owner of the Globetrotters bought the Stags in June 1950. By September, his deal had fallen apart, and Saperstein requested his money be returned. “Podoloff, acting on behest of a group of other NBA owners, “foreclosed” on the Stags due to their inability to repay a $40,000 loan that enabled them to finish 1949-50 season in first place. It marked the end of the NBA in Chicago until the Chicago Packers were joined in 1961.” *  

Chicago Stags (1946-50)

Cleveland Rebels (1946-47)

Detroit Falcons (1946-47)

Pittsburg Ironmen (1946-47)

St Louis Bombers (1946-49)

Toronto Huskies (1946-47)

Washington Capitols (1946-49)

*Wikipedia

The inconsistency in the NCAA  

Readers of this blog are aware I’ve had issues with the NCAA for a time. Before getting into details allow me to say there is a need for a body to administer procedures for college athletics. The difficulty the NCAA has often appeared haphazard in the manner of their rulings. In addition, it “appears” with basketball punishment is only aimed at smaller profile programs. High profile schools either receive a symbolic penalty or in the case of Kansas basketball it drags on never settled. Naturally if anything here appears incorrect it will be retracted, here goes.

Kofi Cockburn-Sold his Illinois paraphernalia prior to NIL, according to reports reimbursed the school despite this fact the NCAA decided a penalty was needed. Cockburn was suspended by the NCAA for the first three games of the season.

Oklahoma State-Former assistant coach found guilty of improprieties, the incident or series occurred 5 years ago. November 3, 2021, OSU after an appeal received notice the school will be prohibited from post-season play in 2022.

Kansas-The program along with head coach Bill Self were accused by the NCAA of 5 Level 1 violations in September 2019. Level 1 is the most serious of all violations, the NCAA prior to the start of every season announces Kansas basketball will be penalized in the spring. I believe we most are unsure in the spring of what year (century) that might occur.

Creighton-In June 2021, the NCAA found an assistant for the school received unauthorized funds, this incident occurred in 2017. From cbssports.com, “Creighton is not being punished with a postseason ban. Instead, its most severe sanctions are tied to recruiting visits, all of which were self-imposed by the school.” So essentially Creighton and OSU have the same issue before the NCAA, OSU is punished but Creighton escapes.

James Wiseman-Prior to becoming head coach Memphis supporter Penny Hardaway contributed funds allowing Wiseman’s family to move from Nashville to Memphis. The NCAA ruled this gesture a violation, the player was ruled ineligible after a single game until the money was repaid to a charity of choice. The parents of Wiseman must have said “forget that” their son withdrew from school and prepared for the NBA Draft. He was made the number two pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Warriors. 

No place in this report did I state the parties were innocent, in all instances the schools and individuals appear to be guilty as charged by the NCAA. The five examples cited detail a portrait of the inconsistency of the NCAA in its judgement. Am I bias in my reporting, you better bet I am, but I would also say this account is offered with the best research I was able to compile?

Right place and time

Being at the right place and time certainly might apply to Andre Drummond. The LAkers signed him near the middle of last season, we’ll re-visit the period briefly. At the time LeBron was injured and out of the lineup so too was Anthony Davis, it was hoped the lean defensive minded Drummond would bring a degree of stability to the center position. It didn’t work for the LAkers as planned, once AD returned, he said Drummond created a spacing problem between the two. You know the balance of the story the LAkers were not about to sign Drummond to a max contract based on what they had seen.

Fast forward to early November, Drummond now with the Sixers is backup to Joe Embiid but that’s not as bad as might be perceived. Embiid sat out a recent game against the Blazers, starting in Embiids place was Drummond. The Sixer Big Man registered 7 assists, 14 points and 15 rebounds, how about that for the stat sheet. Rest assured he’s not going to experience numbers similar when he faces other NBA teams. Drummond will not have games like this every night, but it does prove when called on he is a producer. As for his time with the LAkers, it was a case of the right place and time which clearly wasn’t the time with the LAkers. UPDATE: With Joel Embiid testing positive for COVID it appears Drummond's on court time will be extensive over the next 10 days.  

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

He’s the tallest in the land

We have no idea if Jamarion Sharp can play basketball, this we do know. Standing at a height of 7 foot 5 inches he is the tallest collegiate player in the nation. Sharp is a newcomer at Western Kentucky although he is beginning his junior year, previously he spent two seasons at John A. Logan a junior college in Illinois. Sharp has been working on his conditioning and food intake intending to build muscle, he says he now weighs 237 with a goal in mind of 240 pounds.

With a father standing 6 foot 9 and a mother 6 foot 3 it’s easy to understand where he acquired his height. There certainly will be an adjustment for Sharp from playing junior college ball to Division I, even so it might be worth our time to see Western Kentucky in action this season. If you thought Western Kentucky was the only school with an offer you can forget that thought. Sharp claims Oregon, Baylor, Louisville, West Virginia, South Carolina, San Diego State and others had offers on the table for his services.

Only three

Founded as the Basketball Association of America in 1946 only three teams are still working today. The three are the Boston Celtics, New York Knickerbockers and Philadelphia (Golden State) Warriors. Teams no longer running in the 75^th Anniversary are: 

 

Chicago Stags (1946-50)

Cleveland Rebels (1946-47)

Detroit Falcons (1946-47)

Pittsburg Ironmen (1946-47)

St Louis Bombers (1946-49)

Toronto Huskies (1946-47)

Washington Capitols (1946-49)

 As you note most BAA teams went out of business after one season, therefore teams were needed if the league intended to remain in business. Teams from the National Basketball League which had begun in 1937 merged with the BAA in 1949 becoming today’s NBA. Technically the National Basketball Association began play in 1949 although the earlier date (1946) is considered the leagues beginning. The basis for most of the BAA teams ceasing operations is lost to history.

“Play him at center!”

Just when you think you’ve heard or seen it all there is one more, this is that one more. Bobby Knight was Indiana and Team USA Olympic coach and Michael Jordan played at North Carolina. We are just now hearing the story, the crusty Knight had nothing but praise for the youngster at the time. Knight bubbled when discussing the ability of Jordan and said, “His game is better suited for the NBA.” You’ve heard part of this story previously, draft time in 1984 the Rockets took Akeem Olajuwon (the spelling was later corrected) with the first pick.

The Blazers had the second pick, Knight was reported to have called the Blazers GM and begged him to take Jordan. Knight was informed by the Blazers GM “We need a center” which Knight replied with several profanities, “Draft Jordan and play him at center.” The Blazers would choose Sam Bowie from Kentucky who managed a 10-year NBA career but nowhere near what Jordan experienced. Despite what we might believe there might have been another factor working, the Blazers had drafted Clyde Drexler in 1983. Perhaps they believed they didn’t need two athletes who played the same position. Don’t you find it interesting both Jordan and Drexler are in the Hall of Fame?

You a little gray now

No argument, basketball is a young man’s game. We argue about elderly LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, and they are 36 and 37, respectively. If we mention a little gray now, we are referring to the “old guys” who remain in the game. We have 81-year-old Larry Brown currently an assistant coach with the Memphis Tigers. Brown’s certainly been around the block during his long coaching career, why is he back in the game…because he loves it.

72-year-old Gregg Popovich longtime Spurs head coach is reported to be leaving soon. He is the longest tenured coach in the NBA at the reins since 1996, you count the years if you care. Next up, longtime basketball analyst Bill Raftery, he’s now 78-years old but it’s clear his love of the college game continues. This one-time coach moved behind the microphone over 30 years ago and it appears he’d got no desire to retire. There are others who are collecting social security and likely have their AARP card, they are listed below, the age is behind the name:

Rick Pitino-69

Leonard Hamilton-73  

Coach K.-74

Dan D’Antoni-74

Cliff Ellis-75

Jim Boeheim-76

Jim Calhoun-79

Dick Vitale-82

It’s being reported Vitale is suffering health challenges, it is unclear at this point if he will return to the mic as a college basketball analyst this upcoming season.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Del Harris

His name is likely unfamiliar to a majority reading this unless you are steeped in NBA history, currently Del Harris is serving as vice president of the G-League. This is now what occurred in the past, the names familiar to most is Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, Harris was coach in between the two for the LAkers. Technically Mike Dunleavy took over the team in 1990 but left after but two years despite a winning record, the team was in a coaching maze with Randy Pfund, Bill Bertka and Magic Johnson coaching from 1992-1994.

As you can see there was a lack of stability at the head coaching position. Del Harris was hired in 1994 and stabilized the team, after his hiring the team took off and each succeeding season won more than the prior one. The 1997-98 team won 61 games during the regular season but lost in the Conference Finals. The following season after a poor start the team decided to make a change and Harris was fired. It should be noted the first NBA coach Kobe Bryant played or was not Phil Jackson it was Del Harris. Although Kobe would later become all world Harris would bring the 17-year-old Kobe slowly. In fact, Kobe would not become a full-time starter until his third year in the NBA.

Memphis basketball

Although it was only an exhibition game this past Sunday Grizzlies point guard Jae Morant was seated courtside. Jae was in attendance as Emoni Bates took the floor for the Memphis Tigers. It’s being reported Morant has also taken on the role of mentoring young Bates. Playing against Lane College Bates scored a modest 12 points in his first collegiate game as the Tigers beat Lane College 88-49. We made the statement earlier Memphis Tigers basketball will be must-see viewing this upcoming season.

The statement could apply to Grizzlies basketball as well, Morant is tearing up the NBA. Memphis Tennessee might have the two most exciting basketball players in the NBA and college. In closing Sporting News.com named Bates to it’s pre-season All American team. With the number of athletes leaving school after their first year the honor of being named an All-American doesn’t hold the significance for fans it once did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N77b9ch_gjs

See if you find this as interesting as me

We discuss Power 5 Conferences (Big 10, Pac-12 etc.) all the time. What names a Power 5 Conference, is it student enrollment? No that’s not it, Notre Dame has less than 10,000 undergraduate students yet is considered a Power 5 school. Those not in a Power 5 Conference are considered Mid-Majors, this is the interesting part. As you are aware BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and University of Central Florida will move into the Big XII Conference in two-three years.

These schools are considered Mid-Majors but become Power 5 school’s once they move into the Big XII. Nothing changes except a technical change, enrollment likely remains the same as everything else, in 2023 one or more is invited to the NCAA Tournament as a Mid-Major. The next season (2024) the invitation extended to them will be as a Power 5 school. This is just one more thing that causes you to scratch your head in wonderment.

It’s a marathon not a sprint

The NFL season is 17 games in 18 weeks, if the Kansas City Chiefs begin the season slowly, they can be playoff eliminated quickly. On the other hand, an NBA or MLB team can play poorly at the beginning yet recover and remain in contention for a playoff position. 17 NFL games versus 82 for the NBA versus 162 games for baseball can make a heck of a difference. NBA teams expected to contend for the playoffs hope for a fast start however that’s not always the case. We could use the 1994-95 Rockets were coming off an NBA Championship however this Rockets team finished the regular season with a 47-35 record.

This team finished a disappointing 3^rd in the NBA West Division, what did they accomplish that season? The Rockets repeated as NBA Champions despite a rather average record, in the playoffs they barely won each of their playoff series. As for the Finals these Rockets would sweep the Magic 4 games to 0, there are probably other examples, but these Rockets come to mind first. As for the media folks we understand, they bring to our attention the poor start of contending teams, it’s good for a fast start however we forget. The NBA season is a marathon and not a sprint, a team can never be counted out unless they are below .500 with little time left in the regular season. Even that statement is not always correct teams with less than stellar records have earned playoff berths. 

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Kofi Cockburn vs the NCAA

The Illinois Big Man has a dilemma, he’s been suspended for the first three games of the season. What did he do, Cockburn sold his Illinois stuff last spring? He unloaded his Illinois jersey and other paraphernalia when it appeared he was headed for the NBA. We are not sure of the order of events without checking, we are unsure if he entered the transfer portal first or declared for the NBA draft. Whatever the case Cockburn changed his mind and decided to return to school and BAM, the NCAA had its case. This summer Name, Image & Likeness became the watch word for college athletes across the nation. No longer bound by NCAA regulations college athletes could earn income from their name, image or likeness. That last man on the basketball or football team is unlikely to secure a business arrangement.

As for others it was a different story many of the high-profile athletes begin signing contracts earning income through NIL, one of them was Tyrone “Ty Ty” Washington Kentucky first-year point guard. Washington signed an agreement with Bluegrass Motorsports Porsche in Louisville. We make no attempt to detail what Washington does for the dealership, we understand Washington is driving an $80,000 Porsche Cayenne SUV around campus. So, this is your story, one guy sells stuff and earns income, but his timing was bad. Based on this fact the NCAA is laying its heavy hand on Cockburn suspending him. It would really be great if this archaic association would rule in an athletes favor for once instead of always laying its heavy hand down. My apologies if it appears I have an issue with the NCAA, I DO! This is not an attempt to declare Cockburn innocent of anything, he is guilty but is it necessary to punish someone for an undertaking no longer in effect just because it occurred.

The “leaders”

After 7 games the projected NBA Champions have similar records. As this is written the Nets of Brooklyn have 4 wins and 3 losses ditto for the LAkers. It is certainly too early to project the Nets or Lakers as contenders for the 2022 NBA Championship besides the fact we are leaving out the other contenders. Are the Bucks going to simply roll over and allow the Nets to win the east without a fight? In the west besides the usual suspects there is one candidate we seem to always ignore…the Utah Jazz. They are primed and ready for the Western Conference battle ahead, still in their prime but down a bit are the Suns.

The road to the NBA Finals was not filled with the landmines that usually occur this past season. The defending champion LAkers were plagued by injury and the others didn’t play as well as expected. As I not giving the Suns their just due, of course not? I happen to believe there were events which allowed the Suns to play for a championship which are likely to not be clear this season. The Clippers are an enigma missing Kawhi Leonard for perhaps most the season. We can add the Warriors to the list they certainly will be a better team than we saw last season. I believe the Suns are good enough to be projected into the playoffs beyond that I am unwilling to speculate.

The debate will continue

Temetrius Jamel has gotten off to a swift start thus far in the 2021-22 NBA season. Oh, you don’t recognize the name, you might be more familiar with Jae, Jae Morant that is. We reported earlier on the monster game he had against my LAkers. He’s continued to prove his worth to the Grizzlies and just might cause us to question Zion Williamson being drafted ahead of him. We cannot really blame the Pelicans despite the emphasis on small ball the NBA is still a Big Man’s game, Morant at 6 foot 3 and 174 pounds versus Williamson at 6 foot 7 and 285 pounds.

We can acknowledge “diamonds” can be found all around us, they can be uncovered at Duke, UCLA, Kansas or Murray State. Murray Kentucky in road miles lies closer to Nashville Tennessee than the more well-known University of Kentucky. As for Zion the two were one-time teammates on an AAU team while in high school. As for the present it’s not just the LAkers, Jae is on a one-man crusade against other NBA teams too. As this is written he leads the NBA in scoring with his 30.4 point per game average, he is shooting 54.4% from the floor (40.8% from 3). In addition, Jae is distributing the ball at a 7.8 assist rate per game while shooting 84.8% from the free throw line. Jae’s game has continued to grow in this his third year in the NBA, what’s that you say about Zion?

Can he play or is it NYC?

The Knicks have gotten off to a fast start this NBA season. We can say part of this is based on the play of Julius Randle, adding Kemba Walker certainly didn’t hurt. Obi Topping in his second year has become a spark off the bench but it’s a starter we intend to check. The starting center for the Knicks is Mitchell Robinson, although his numbers are not astonishing this 7-foot Big Man has proven his value to the resurgent Knicks with his defense and rebounding. Mitchell arrived in the NBA with a gigantic question mark surrounding him, he enrolled at Western Kentucky then changed his mind.

Robinson withdrew from Western Kentucky intending to work out for the draft, with only high school play on his resume the Knicks made Robinson the number 36 pick in the second round of the 2018 draft. We guessed correctly he would be raw, and it would take time to become acclimated to NBA play. Back to the pre-draft, the LAkers among others brought Robinson in and were reported to be interested in drafting him. The Knicks would choose Robinson in front of the LAkers thus depriving them of this budding talent. We can say with conviction he’s not going to make Knick fans forget Patrick Ewing once occupied his position. He will if he continues to work on his game improve it step by step. The Knicks apparently have picked up a sleeper in the draft and the hype might not be all New York.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Russell Westbrook can’t shoot!

Why be shocked by the headline, it’s true. Westbrook’s career numbers reflect him being an average shooter at best, .473 from the field and .343 from the 3-point line for his career. We could simply define Westbrook as a volume shooter, what is a volume shooter you might ask? “A volume shooter is a player who takes a lot of shots to score a lot of points”, that sounds about right for Westbrook. It’s the other things that make him such a talent, his ability to distribute the basketball in addition he’s a monster on the boards.

For a guy 6 foot 3 he often outrebounds much taller and heavier players, his past problem revolves blending his game with teammates. It’s been said (probably unfairly), Westbrook was the culprit in James Hardin and Kevin Durant leaving the Thunder. Now with the LAkers this might be the last opportunity for the 32-year-old Westbrook to win a championship. The road to an NBA Championship lies in front of him with an older but veteran team in LeBron, AD, Carmelo and crew. At this point in his career the basketball is most certainly in the hands of Russell Westbrook, let’s see what he can do.

Remember him?

Adem Bona the 6-foot 10-inch 225-pound prospect from Prolific Prep in Napa California was headed to Kentucky or that was the early sign. Instead of that occurring the Nigerian-Turkish player instead has decided in favor of UCLA over Kentucky as his school of choice. ESPN and 247 Sports awards Bona 5 stars while Rivals ranks him a 4-star prospect. Whatever the case it would appear Mick Cronin and crew have another high-profile athlete headed to the Westwood campus of UCLA.

Texas

If you are associated with the sports program at the University of Texas, you might avoid this. If you are fan or just live in Texas forget this it will only upset you, so you have been warned. By now you realize Texas along with Oklahoma will soon leave the Big XII for the SEC, Mizzou has been an SEC member since 2012. Mizzou left the Big XII due to Texas and they will soon become rivals again on the football field and basketball court. At the time, the Southwest Conference dissolved Texas along with others became members of the newly formed Big XII Conference. Within a time, headquarters for the new Big XII was moved from Kansas City to you guessed it, Dallas. Then what occurred, it was discovered through the Longhorn Network formed after entering the Big XII the University of Texas was earning more revenue than other conference members.

Mizzou along with others complained, what was the result? The University of Colorado left for the Pac-12, Nebraska left for the Big 10. Mizzou along with Texas A&M left for the SEC. Have we seen this movie before, Texas moving and shaking by leaving the Big XII after receiving much of what it desired? The most interesting part of this picture Kansas coach Bill Self focused his ire on Mizzou, the coach a winner on the court but a loser with Mizzou fans. Is it the border between the two states that caused the issue between Self and Mizzou? His Jayhawks played Colorado and Nebraska although they too had left the conference. Self finally relented on a charity match and then it occurred. He agreed to a home and home series which was to have begun last season. Covid prevented the game to be played in Kansas City however Mizzou will play Kansas in Lawrence on December 11^th, a rematch will be played next season in Columbia. You might ask is the feud over between Kansas and Mizzou, I don’t think so?

Did we overlook them

Recently we profiled arenas throughout the NBA, and we omitted Seattle. Why did we skip over the Emerald City? No NBA team presently exists in Seattle although there is a strong probability when expansion occurs in the next 4-5 years Seattle will one of possibly two teams added to the NBA. Is the Climate Pledge Center a new building, not hardly but more on that later? The lone tenant of the arena for now is the expansion NHL Kraken.

The most interesting part of the story this refurbished arena was considered unfit for NBA play at one time. The lack of an adequate facility is the main reason the Thunder exist, and the Sonics don’t Climate Pledge is essentially a new building although one of the names familiar to most is the Seattle Center and later it became Key Arena. It opened in April 1962, this renovation turning the arena into Climate Pledge is the 3^rd renovation since the 1962 date. How am I so sure the NBA will return to Seattle, I’m not however that appears to be the prevailing thought in much of the present NBA ownership.

Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Things you do while waiting on Monday

Sorry Nets Nation this is funny to me, I know the LAkers haven’t set the NBA on fire either. ESPN’s Stan Verrett reporting on the slow start of the Nets said, “They don’t have Irving, Kyrie or Julius!” I stopped a moment before it registered with me, I’d forgotten one of the All-Time greats Julius “Dr. J.” Irving had once played for the New York Nets. I was reminded of an earlier occurrence, remember when Stephen A. Smith and others had a conniption about Team USA Olympic basketball?

Wonder how that turned out, did Team USA win anything? It’s difficult to assess the Nets and the Lakers thus far, we have injuries and missing players to consider. With the Lakers we used the phrase “fresh faces” in strange places or words to that affect. Did you realize although Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard returned the Lakers have only three players from last season, these two played elsewhere? Do we expect the LAkers or Nets for that matter to continue to perform at this level, we have serious doubts that is the future for both franchises?

NIL

Just in case you were unfamiliar the headline is Name, Image and Likeness which is now in effect. Up till recently NIL only applied to college athletes, it’s now been extended down to the high school level. He’s 17-years old and his name is Mikey Williams. Williams has signed a shoe and apparel deal with Puma, the dollar amount was not revealed however we assume it is quite lucrative. All this for the 6-foot 2-inch guard, Williams is a junior at Vertical Academy a prep school founded by his father.

Vertical intends to play ta national schedule in the 2021-22 season. As for the future that’s an unknown at this point, Williams has received scholarship offers however his basketball future is somewhat murky. Unless there are changes Williams is not eligible for the NBA Draft until 2024. Williams is the first NIL high school player with a shoe and apparel deal rest assured there will certainly be more, the basketball landscape has changed in America.

Pronounce my name correctly…. please   

There are players in the NBA with exceedingly difficult names to pronounce. In fact, quite a few have difficult first names as well. I remember watching a Bulls-Celtic game and listening to the player introduction reminded me of a story. Public address announcers might need to be more conscience of the correct pronouncing than maybe a television or radio broadcaster.  On a personal note, when meeting someone for the first time I try and place a mental note to aid me in remembering. This method doesn’t always work however now than it does. Naturally, the easiest name to remember is a person is the same name as yours. 

Back to the story early in his NBA career a public address announcer mis-pronounced Robert Horry’s name during player introductions. He said; “From the University of Alabama 6-foot 10-inch Robert Horr-rey”. It’s reported after the game Horry approached the P.A. announcer after the game and said, “The H in my name is silent, my name is pronounced “Orrey.”  We don’t know for sure if the story is true however it’s reported to have occurred. By the way despite the length of time he’s been in the NBA I still have difficulty with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name.  Not his first name it’s his last name, as much as I try it always sounds as if I’m stumbling over it trying to pronounce it. The easiest for me is to just say Giannis, everyone knows who I’m discussing, LOL. 

It’s November

Our coverage for the most part during the summer into early fall has focused on the NBA to date. The main reason colleges (and high schools) have yet to begin play, all that changes soon. We discount the fact a small number have played exhibition games; these are strictly intended to prepare for the season. We’ve heard team practice is not the same as an actual opponent. It’s better if you are guarding someone who is not your teammate.

November 9 all that changes as number 1 Gonzaga plays Dixie State, Kansas will try to prove their number 3 ranking is proper as they play Michigan State. Houston Baptist is matched against number 5 Texas, number 17 Ohio State faces Akron while Central Connecticut and number 24 UConn are scheduled. If we include the schools mentioned earlier there will be more than 100 in action on Tuesday. These early matchups don’t count for much except in the instance of number 3 Kansas-Michigan State pairing or number 10 Kentucky and number 9 Duke. This game between Kentucky and Duke is somewhat unusual, a match between two traditional power teams.

Best all time 

Bleacher Report profiled the 7 greatest LAker teams of all-time. The picks did not include any of the George Mikan led Minneapolis teams. Although the selected one’s were outstanding one surpassed the others in my view, that would be the 1971-72 LAkers. That team led by coach Bill Sharman won 69 regular season games losing only 13, the Bulls would exceed the won-loss record but not the other. That LAker team won a record 33 games in a row an achievement which remains to this day, I know you are saying there were not that many teams in the NBA back then. That statement is true at the time the NBA consisted of 17 teams however the streak certainly deserves its place in the annals of NBA history.

The team, Sharman had Wilt Chamberlain at center, the power forward was Harold “Hap” Hairston, Jim McMillian at the small forward with Gail Goodrich at one guard and Jerry West at the other. Hall of Fame forward Elgin Baylor was a member of the team but only played 9 games that season before retiring. The LAker bench was outstanding with one of those key players being a guy by the name of Pat Riley. They won the Western Conference Semi-Finals, Finals and NBA Championship losing only 3 games while winning 12. No need of boring you with further numbers let’s just say they too were outstanding. In case you wondered which team ended the winning streak. Kareem Abdul Jabbar with his 39 points and 20 rebounds led the way to victory for the Bucks. Four Hall of Fame players, Chamberlain, West, Goodrich and Baylor on one team, which would be referred to as a Super Team today.