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Cap

The headline is one of the many nicknames of Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Simply stated Cap stood for Captain which he was for those Laker teams in the ‘70’s. For me Cap will remain at the top for me despite his NBA point total being eclipsed, the reason has nothing to do with points or rebounds. A friend Greg sent me an article Abdul Jabbar wrote, it detailed his past and present relationship with Laker LeBron James. I found the account written by Cap insightful and interesting. He’s come a long way from his humble beginnings since his berth in Harlem New York.

I’m Ol Skool, the volume of work on and off the court by LeBron James certainly is noteworthy as it should be. The next portion I intend to discuss has nothing whatsoever to do with athletic ability. For me Cap was always more than a basketball player, he was an author, activist and more plus he will always remain at the top of my list of NBA greats, if I were to place a percentage only half having to do with basketball. I’m not going to attempt to detail the why, I would fill up the page with achievements. You are aware of most so I will leave it at this point. Born Lew Alcindor in 1947 his Muslim conversion saw a name change to Kareem Abdul Jabbar; I will just refer to him as the Cap.

Knoxville

I continue to be confused by fans at times, Texas fans literally ran Rick Barnes out of town when he coached there. He’s not won an NCAA championship since his arrival in Knoxville however his Tennessee teams have always been quite competitive. That’s my concern this afternoon, my Tigers are in Knoxville to play the number 5 or 6 team in the nation depending on which poll you follow. What do I expect, a competitive game and Mizzou wins by at least 5 points.

Road games have seen Mizzou sidetracked, the shooting and defense have been missing for large portions of the games. Looking back at the road losses hitting a few key shots and forcing a larger number of TO’s and it’s a winner rather than a loss. It’s to be expected, if we look at the conference Alabama leads the way with 7 road wins. A&M and Tennessee are 4-3 on the road, all the others are at .500 or below, someone needs to corner Todd Leabo of 810 WHB and explain to him. SEC teams (Mizzou) don’t always win on the road. Perhaps he failed to check Mississippi State and uncovered the fact they beat a good TCU team in the Big XII/SEC Challenge.

I find this interesting

Many reading this blog are aware I’ve been following the progress of Emoni Bates. If you remember as a high school player, he was chosen Gatorade Player of the Year, quite an honor. He’s been headed to the NBA since his sophomore year of high school. There have been several bumps in the road on the way to a possible NBA career. I guess in a sense we could toss out the less than spectacular freshman year at Memphis. He’d reclassified which meant he was a 17-year-old in college, certainly a maturity factor had to be taken into consideration. In addition an injury sidelined him, the next announcement he was transferring. It would be a return to home and Eastern Michigan University, Bates production at EMU has been successful however his team is not particularly good.

I’ve tried to “read” his game as a sophomore since his numbers certainly have shown dramatic improvement over his freshman season. Now 19 and eligible for the NBA draft does he submit his name, or will he wait an additional year? If Bates continues to see his name pop up on mock draft sites, I cannot imagine the 6-foot 10 170-pound wing remaining in school. Keep in mind I’m taking what others produced however they range as high as pick 50 or as low as 21. An athletes name on a mock draft site is no guarantee of anything however I will close with this bit of information. Last October not a single mock site contained Bates name, several list his name although they fail to assign a number. The sites below provided a number behind their pick, we must assume Bate’s shown enough improvement, or these guys are coping after one another. We end this inquiry by asking the question, is he ready for the rigors of NBA play?  

nbadraftroom.com 44    

nbadraft.net 50   

yahoosports.com 33

bleacherreport.com 21

sbnation.com 26

Bells

While conducting research I came across the name Walt Bellamy. There was a plethora of great centers playing during the 1960’s through the 1974 season, for a number of reasons his name is missing among the greats. Bells as he was nicknamed held his own against Russell, Chamberlain young Kareem Abdul Jabbar and others. Let’s check his bio, at the University of Indiana he was a three time All American and 1962 NBA Rookie of the Year.

The 6 foot 11 Bellamy was the anchor for the Chicago Zephyrs who would move to Baltimore and be re-born as the Bullets. From 1970-1974 Bells occupied the center position for the Hawks and performed admirably. He would become a 20,000-point scorer in the NBA and later he was honored by his induction into the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. The records indicate Bells pulled down 30+ rebounds four times during his career a feat few have been able to accomplish. Check out the scoring and rebound numbers in the spotlighted games.

35 pts and 30 rebounds vs Celtics 1/10/1962

33 pts 30 rebounds vs Lakers 2/4/1962

37 pts 37 rebounds vs Hawks 12/4/1964

30 pts 30 rebounds vs Lakers 2/6/1965

I’m sure some reading this will claim “He did that against an NBA consisting of a smaller number of teams.” Guess what, I’m going to agree with you, but the numbers are still amazing no matter the era, or the competition Bells might have faced. He retired from the NBA in 1974, his later life consisted of work with the NAACP, the Urban League and the YMCA in the Atlanta area. On November 2, 2013, Bellamy died at the age of 74 and is buried in Atlanta’s South-View Cemetery. This is but a brief account of one of the NBA’s greats who somehow has been overlooked in the annals of the history.

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Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

The Lakers were active in the trading market up to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time February 9. The first trade that broke saw the Lakers trade Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano Anderson plus Damion Jones and two 2027 first round picks. Arriving to wear purple and gold are D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt but wait there’s more. The Lakers then sent Thomas Bryant to the Nuggets for Devon Reed and three second round picks. The day was closed out with Patrick Beverley moved to Orlando for center Mo Bamba. As you can see by the flurry of activity the Lakers were quite active in the trade market. As for the headline allow me to explain, GM Rod Pelinka has been on the hot seat for months with many in Laker Nation.

The prime objection Pelinka wasn’t moving fast enough to address team needs. Now the day is complete and I’m reading as many letters complaining about the trades as praising them. Because I’m a “glass half full rather than half empty” guy I am reserving time to allow the trades to marinate. The only trade I will comment on for now is Russell Westbrook, the Lakers had to move him. It’s being reported the Jazz will likely release him and the Clippers are reported to be interested in signing him. I’m actually okay with the prospect of Westbrook moving across the hall at the arena. This team has practically been re-tooled from its season start. Are the Lakers preparing themselves for a run to earn a playoff berth?

He’s smooth

I’m no Kyrie Irving fan, never have been although I have no problem acknowledging his tremendous talent. I was particularly interested to see what his first game with the Mavs would be like since it was   available on ESPN. Even better the Mavs minus Luka would be facing the Clippers who they might meet in the playoffs. Skates, that would be my description of Irving’s moves on the court, without registering a blink it seemed he scored 24 points dished out 5 assists and grabbed 4 rebounds. Irving’s scoring and leadership was key to the 110-104 victory over the Clippers.

All was not positive as there were more turnovers than might have been expected, but part of that can be attributed to new team and new teammates. It’s easy to understand why many NBA teams were lining up to acquire his services. Irving is an exceptionally talented basketball player despite being a knucklehead at times. I can only speak to the portion I see, throughout his travels in the NBA (there have been many) I’ve yet to read or hear a complaint from a teammate. There is no method to prove my point but the trade to the Mavs provides visual proof he’s smooth.

And now there are none

I hear and read rumors of trades all the time, I can say in truth rarely does one slip past me offering a surprise…this one did. I rose on Thursday morning to discover the Nets traded Kevin Durant to the Suns, so here goes. Durant and TJ Warren to the Suns, heading east to the Nets in the exchange is Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected future first round draft choices. So what does this entail for the Western Conference race?

I’m glad you asked the question and in truth I can only say I don’t know. With CP3, DeAndre Ayton, Devin Booker and now Durant added to the lineup what do you think? You know what “they” say, on paper the Suns are the best in the west maybe in the NBA. What they often forget to mention the game is not played on paper its played on the hardwood. Okay you claim I’m shortchanging the move of the Suns that is certainly untrue, I believe they are very good.

Yes, a shot clock is needed

The final score read 4 to 2, no that wasn’t a baseball, hockey or soccer game. There is no shot clock in Oklahoma high school basketball, so this is your strategy. If you have an opponent, you believe you can’t beat you hold the ball game long. Weatherford High School beat Anadarko 4 to 2 and get this, the half time score was Weatherford 2 Anadarko 0. Understand this, Weatherford was ranked the number 3 high school in Oklahoma while their opposition was 9. The attempt to steal the game from a higher rated team didn’t work, in addition it must have been really entertaining for fans of both teams. I have no idea what the high school association is thinking but after this I’m sure they might entertain adding a shot clock next season.

Akron Ohio

We hear mention of the city and automatically think of LeBron James, but Akron knew basketball prior to James. Teammates in the Naismith Hall of Fame, not too uncommon bunches of Celtics and Lakers can lay claim to that story. How about high school teammates enshrined in the hall, has it ever occurred? My friend Alex has the answer since he’s from Akron originally. Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson were teammates at Akron’s Central High School, Thurmond’s NBA career ran from 1963-1977.

He played for a number of teams but is primarily known for his tenure with the San Francisco Warriors. Thurmond’s high school teammate, Gus Johnson played from 1963-1973 most of his best seasons spent as a member of the Baltimore Bullets (Wizards).  Thurmond was enshrined in the Naismith Hall in 1985 and 2006 in the College Basketball Hall of Fame. As for Johnson it would be 2010 when he was accorded the honor. Both have now passed, Johnson died in 1987 and Thurmond in 2016. So there you have it, the teammates and this is a good trivia question to stump your friends.

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The trade went down

Russell Westbrook is headed to Utah, the Lakers will receive from the Wolves D’Angelo Russell, from the Jazz Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. More on this in the Friday edition of Off the Dribble. It should be of note Russell was originally drafted by the Lakers in 2015 and is now 26-years old.

You must play the game(s)

If I’d told you 6 months ago Kansas basketball would have one more win than Mizzou, I’m sure you might have found the statement outrageous? Despite the manner the ball bounces that’s exactly our location. What does this imply for Mizzou Nation, we expect every time the Tigers hit the floor again…a win naturally. On Tuesday evening what I didn’t expect was an uphill fight all evening long as Carolina was able to sink three-point baskets which kept them in the game. The box score (Mizzou 83 South Carolina 74) details the ugly win for Mizzou.

The Tigers shot 51% from the floor and 48% from three however on the other end of the court saw Carolina shot 52% from the floor and 36% from three. Mizzou managed to match Carolina in rebounds 28, key might have been timely scoring from four Tigers. Kobe Brown led the way with 19 points 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Sean East had 15 points and Nick Honor scored 14 D’Moi Hodge chipped in with 12 points. The ugly win becomes number 18 for Mizzou and moves them closer to 20 wins. The last time a Mizzou team was able to win that total would have been the 2017-18 season, the Tigers finished the season 20-13. In closing a point for WHB 810 Sports radio, KSU was also a winner beating TCU 82-61.

By the way 810 Sports guys we don’t award grades by hires. We don’t decide one guy is an A hire and the other a B grade when their win totals are only one game apart. I’m really curious, the criteria used by your station alone to determine Tang was the better hire, absolutely no one is every awarded a grade based on whatever scale utilized. Dennis Gates and Jerome Tang have both had outstanding seasons so far. Mizzou was predicted to finish 11 in the SEC while KSU was projected 12, both programs have exceeded expectations. Now it’s on, two difficult road games, Tennessee on Saturday followed by Auburn you’ve probably never heard of.

I know it’s just me

Much later you are going to read my critique of Kansas City Sports Talk radio. I believe on a scale of 1-10 it’s only a 5 unless the discussion centers on the Chiefs. That’s the basis of my Wednesday morning rant, I didn’t set the bar too high for this one. This is no NBA town, so I certainly didn’t expect to hear what I heard at 6:00 a.m. this morning. I’m going to paraphrase the words of a local host because I didn’t record them. He reported LeBron breaking Kareem’s scoring record in a hum-ho manner. The conclusion by this host, “Basketball’s a team sport so a point total record by an individual is not that significant” or something similar.

This would be my response to that statement, did you feel the same way as Aaron Judge was chasing the Roger Maris home run record, once broken that was an individual record? What about locally, you praise the fact Patrick Mahomes threw for over 5,000 yards that too is an individual record. You then go on to close out the discussion by stating “The prospect of the Super Bowl pre-occupied your thoughts.” An NBA scoring record that’s been in place 39 years and you offer a less than enthusiastic observation. Me ceasing to listen to your station offers little in the manner of impacting your ratings however that is the path I have chosen for the immediate future.

Black History Moment

Earl Lloyd passed away in 2015 at the age of 86, most even some in the NBA don’t know his story. After playing high school basketball at Parker-Gray in Alexandria Virginia, he would move on to compete at West Virginia State University an HBCU school. Lloyd was drafted into the NBA in 1950, three years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. Lloyd was one of three black players drafted that year but was the first to play in the NBA. Game scheduling sent Lloyd into his first game one day ahead of Chuck Cooper of the Celtics and four days prior to Nate “Sweetwater” Clifton drafted by the Knicks. Lloyd would play only 7 games for the Washington Capitals before the team folded. The nation engaged in the Korean War at the time and Lloyd was drafted into the Army. He would return to the NBA in 1952 after experiencing combat during the conflict.

He suffered racial bigotry and ill treatment, but it was nowhere near what Robinson experienced in baseball. Lloyd indicates much of the public was accustomed to seeing black and white players on the same team in many colleges. This portion from Wikipedia. “Regarding the racism black players faced in the early years of the NBA, Lloyd recalled being refused service multiple times and an incident where a fan in Indiana spit on him. However, Lloyd persevered and said that these instances only pushed him and made him play hard. Saying he didn’t encounter racial animosity from teammates or opposing players, Lloyd said of fans’ antics, My philosophy was: If there weren’t calling you names, you weren’t doing nothing. If they’re calling you names, you were hurting them.” If you check his career scoring and rebound numbers, they appear average and they were, Lloyd was a defensive specialist during his career. It should also be noted he; Clifton and Cooper have all been enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame. 

He was Colin Kaepernick before Kaepernick    

Some stories require them to be told as precisely as possible. Leaving out any portion of the story might lead one to come to a different conclusion, the story is too demanding to communicate in a shorten version. That’s what I have here, the story of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf born as Chris Jackson. It’s claimed while at LSU he was the best basketball player on an LSU team that contained Stanley Roberts (7 foot 285) and Shaquille O’Neal (7 foot 1 250). Shaq says without pause Abdul-Rauf was the best basketball player on that LSU team.

Others make the claim Rauf was “Steph Curry before Steph” which provides you an idea of his shooting ability and basketball skill. Raul also accomplished this while suffering from Tourette Syndrome a condition of the nervous system. From Wikipedia, “TS causes people to have “tics.” Tics are sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people do repeatedly. People who have tics cannot stop their body for doing these things. For example, a person might keep blinking over and over.” Check the listings for the Showtime documentary Stand which provides additional detail on one of the best basketball players you’ve probably never heard of.

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Bits n Pieces 

Sam Mitchell is a favorite analyst on NBA TV, he’s insightful without being overbearing as some who perform this task. I’ve always enjoyed his take on the NBA and players except this time. Covering the evening scores he said this about the Clippers Monday night win. “By the end of the season they might be the best team in the Western Conference.” They certainly are playing better basketball with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the lineup consistently. I realize once the playoffs occur the Clippers will not be forced to play all the contenders. These are the Nuggets, Grizzlies or Kings however there are the Suns and Kyrie Irving Mavs and maybe the Lakers to contend with. As for Mr. Mitchell and his current view of the Clippers this is my take, “Show me, I’m from Missouri.”    

The SEC and SWAC share an anomaly, each conference has three schools with Tigers as their symbol. We have the Mizzou Tigers, Auburn Tigers along with the LSU Tigers in the SEC. The SWAC has the Grambling State Tigers, Jackson State Tigers and Texas Southern Tigers. Tigers might not be the most used symbol among schools, but it certainly appears to be quite prevalent. We have the Memphis Tigers, Clemson Tigers, Tennessee State Tigers, Towson Tigers, Pacific Tigers, and Princeton Tigers. It might be a good idea if a school is considering a change in its symbol, they might choose something other than a Tiger.

It’s okay

Victor Wembanyama could be drafted in June and fall flat on his face by late winter 2023. I doubt that occurs but if you wish to argue he’s too skinny or something else about his game consider these facts. 200 NBA scouts and executives were salivating after seeing him in action last October against G-League Team Elite. LeBron James said, “Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he (Wembanyama) is more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor.” This is Giannis answering the question, “He’s incredible. I believe in 2045, everybody is going to look like Victor.

His skills, the way he can shoot the ball, the way he can move, he’s extremely fast for his size, he can block shots, he can be a threat on the defensive end, he’s unbelievable.” Steph Curry approached his definition different from the others. “He’s like the (NBA) 2K create-a-player, every point guard that wants to be 7-foot. Cheat-code-type vibes, man. He’s a solid talent. It’s great to watch.” There have been other NBA players such as Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert praise the future of the NBA with Wemby in some team’s lineup. I begin this account by stating you have no basis for believing what I say, I’m just a guy who loves basketball and enjoys writing about it. The athletes I mention have insight to accurately analyze talent, we need to listen to them.

Black History Moment

The late John Wooden has been closely associated with UCLA basketball. For good reason his UCLA teams dominated college basketball from 1965 through 1975, there was an earlier moment in the coaches history when he faced segregation head on. He coached at Indiana State (yes, Larry Bird’s school), the school was yet to move to Division I, they competed as an NAIA program. Kansas City has served as host for the tournament since the NAIA’s founding in 1937. Wooden’s 1947 team received an invitation to play in the NAIB as it was known then.

Wooden refused the invitation, the NAIB had a rule in place no black players were allowed. At the time most black players were enrolled in HBCU schools. The coach likely wrote the NAIB a “nice” letter chewing them out regarding their rules, Indiana State had a player named Clarence Walker on the squad. In 1948 with another winning team the school was invited to the tournament again. This time the rule banning black players had been lifted and it’s believed Wooden was the driving force. Not only the tournament but the hotel stay as well. It was reported Walker was allowed to stay in a hotel with his teammates although segregation was strictly in forced at the time. John Wooden a white man caused a landmark change in how this tournament would conduct itself in the future.  

Hey guys, you left me

This might not be the order but let’s pretend it was. Kevin Durant joins the Nets with Kyrie Irving at point guard and James Hardin shooting guard. The Nets would now contend for an NBA championship which will never occur now. I’m not saying the Nets will never win a championship, they will not win it since two of the trifecta are no longer in place. James Hardin informed the Nets last season he’d had enough and demanded a trade. Hardin is now entering his first full season as a Sixer. Last week Irving decided his time was up in Brooklyn and he also asked the Nets to trade him. So now Durant must be saying to them, “Hey guys, you left me,” I thought we intended to win a championship. 

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Where has the time gone 

I believe this to be correct, I think LeBron James first NBA game was televised in 2003 and I saw it. There was a great deal of curiosity on my part, could this high school phenom make the gigantic leap to the NBA. I certainly wasn’t thinking Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s scoring record would be broken let alone by this 18-year-old on my television screen. I’ve followed his career from Cleveland to Miami and back to Cleveland. I was displeased when he left the Cavs, but his return home made all that okay.

Then the rumors started, free agency would detail several teams were after his services including my Lakers. I admitted it back then and will admit it now…I hoped LeBron would pick another team. As you are aware he chose my team and the rest is history. There’s been only the one championship and based on the team’s health and his age that might be it. I never imagined all those years ago that 18-year-old on my television would become the NBA’s leader in total points. He would break the record established by Kareem Abdul Jabbar who broke the total set by Wilt Chamberlain. Interesting the NBA’s all-time point total set by three Lakers.

He's raw

The headline certainly belongs to Mizzou’s 6 foot 10 Mohamed Diarra, he’s from Paris France by way of Garden City Community College in Garden City Kansas. Of all the new players on this Mizzou team Diarra is the most fascinating for me. An international player, how much did he play prior to coming to this country? The question was asked by me and others at a point, Mizzou was badly outrebounded with their munchkin lineup…why was DIarra not playing? Coach Gates eventually answered the question by stating he’s got a great deal of catching up to do. I thought a moment, the leap from community college basketball to Division I SEC might be as wide as the Grand Canyon.

Nobody is able to accomplish the feat quickly however there is movement on Diarra’s part. We’ve seen the coach utilize Diarra in increasing minutes over the past few weeks. Although his movements on the court are somewhat animated his ability to go after the ball is not. The recent box score details two games of 10 rebounds for Diarra and one area that’s good for him…free throw shooting. He’s not the team leader but 65% ain’t too bad. This part I don’t know, he played two seasons at Garden City and this season at Mizzou will be three. I’m unsure if there is a covid year available, if so, Mizzou would have two additional seasons to train the Big Man from France.

Chicago and the NBA

If you are a certain age the Bulls are likely the only Chicago NBA team most who are reading this can identify. Some of you a slight bit older might remember the Packers, the NBA decided to expand, and Chicago was awarded a team which began play in the 1961-62 season. That team would only last two years in Chicago, year three saw them re-locate to Baltimore and re-named the Bullets. The problem poor attendance and a poorer team. Okay that’s good, you have knowledge of at least two Chicago teams. Did you know there was a third team, in fact this team was an original member when the league first began play. The Chicago Stags came into being in 1946 as a Basketball Association of America team and moved into the NBA in 1949 with the merger.

1950 saw the Stags close up shop, the city would remain without a team until 1961. What I find most interesting it appears at least on the court the Stags were a success. When they ceased operations, the team had won 145 and lost 92, their playoff record was not very good 8 wins and 14 losses. The records are incomplete however it appears the Stags may have been under financed which cause them to cease operations. There is a Bob Cousy connection, the point guard was drafted by the Blackhawks (then in existence). Cousy wanted more money than they were willing to offer, thus he was traded to Stags and when they went out of business a dispersal draft was held and Cousy would become a Boston Celtic. This concludes the brief history of Chicago’s first NBA team and one few even realize existed at a point in time. If I were a betting person, I would place a very large wager 20-30 Chicagoans are unfamiliar with the Stags.   

                                                                     

Black History Moment

A little-known story recently revealed in the last few years. HBCU North Carolina Central University played a game against Duke University. You might say “Big deal, this happens all the time” and my response might be this game had more significance than that. The game was played March 12, 1944, in the segregated south of the day. There would be no method for a college game to be hidden today but it was a different time. NCCU had one of the best black basketball teams in the nation at that time, Duke was good, but both had numbers of students serving in the military during World War II.

It was reported coverings were placed over the windows to ensure no one saw this all-black team playing an all-white team in 1944 North Carolina. How all those involved managed to keep this out of mainstream Durham remains a mystery to this day. Players took a different route to the gym to ensure no one was followed. The shorten version of this story NCCU won the game 88-44, after a break the two teams mixed their squads and played another game, certainly a violation of the Jim Crow laws of the era. The Durham police never discovered the game was being played nor was it published in the two newspapers of the day. There is no official record the game ever took place, the question might be did it occur or was it fiction?

Has this occurred to you

Ever had someone try and persuade you to agree with them and you refused? I remember one instance in particular, the City of Kansas City sold Kemper Arena former home of the NBA Kings. One of our previous mayor wasn’t keen on building a new arena, he led an effort to increase the seating. Kemper opened in 1974 (now Hy Vee) went from its original 17,500 seats to 19,500. The next mayor elected wanted an arena to go with a revitalized downtown entertainment district. This mayor got the project rolling and the Sprint Center (now T-Mobile) opened in 2007.

The basketball seating capacity was 18,972. Now this is where the difference of opinion comes into the discussion. It certainly doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the old arena (19,500) contained more seats, the question from my acquaintance it was larger than T-Mobile. With my bad eyesight I informed him my belief the arenas were about the same size. He continued to press the point in an attempt for me to agree with his view. Sorry Charley, I can’t see it (LOL) if you believe the Kemper Arena is larger that’s okay, that’s just not how I see it. Once he figured out, I wasn’t going to budge from my original position he gave up. Now friends this really proves nothing, he could be correct however with no physical proof I refused to change my position.

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The past weekend

What happened this past Saturday, was it an anomaly? Every regional team within 125-mile radius of Kansas City team lost their games. We can begin the account with the Kansas City Roos (UMKC) located in the middle of the city, they lost to Oral Roberts 85-57. The Mizzou game was not played in Columbia rather Starkville Mississippi where the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 63-53. West of Kansas City is Lawrence home of the Jayhawks, but they were on the road too, Ames Iowa.

They were losers to Iowa State 68-53, traveling further west on I-70 we arrive at Manhattan Kansas home of Kansas State. The Wildcats too were on the road playing the University of Texas and following the same pattern suit losing their match 69-66. Okay I just figured out the problem and I guess by now you have too. Other than the Roos the other three teams were all on the road. So we now can conclude the home team with the exception of one game prevailed.

You dance with the one that brung ya  

The title of this piece was attributed to the late Darrell Royal Texas football coach. His explanation “he meant he would use players and plays that had been successful in previous seasons.” Although it’s only been a season and a half that might be the case for the Lakers Russell Westbrook. As one story was being finished, I received an alert indicating the Nets had traded Kyrie Irving to the Mavs for a host of players and draft choices. No reuniting with LeBron James which has been mentioned since the Irving news first broke.

It’s apparent there are few takers for Westbrook, and it appears the Lakers will sink or swim with him on the team. On the surface this member of Laker Nation says it appears to be working i.e. Westbrook off the bench with the second unit. Westbrook’s scoring average is at a career low however that is dictated more by the role he is now playing for the Lakers. He is rebounding the ball at a 6 a game and his assist total is 7.5 both good numbers for a 6-foot 3 inch-point guard. The only three numbers that stick out for me his shooting from the floor and three certainly nothing to write home about. Westbrook’s shooting from the line back to his OKC days was only average and that’s continued.

Maybe it’s a sealed locker room but I’ve heard not one single complaint regarding Westbrook. So the Lakers need to prepare themselves for a stretch run to earn themselves a playoff berth. As for Irving should he not sign with the Mavs we’ll deal with that over the summer. I’m going to close this out with a late breaking account, this trade becomes curiouser and curiouser if bleacherreport.com is true. The dot com site claim Nets owner Joe Tsai didn’t want Irving to become a Laker. Whether it was the fact Irving wanted to rejoin LeBron James or something else, the wish was only partially granted Irving got his trade.    

Who wins It all

Jay Bilas former Duke player turned ESPN analyst is one of those voices when he speaks, I listen. He was discussing the potential 2023 NCAA champions and he provided us a few names.

Purdue

Alabama

Houston

UCLA

Arizona

Tennessee

Texas

Kansas

Xavier

UConn

Virginia

What do you think, does the Bilas list have any surprises for you? Surprises for me, Texas, Xavier and Houston. There might be others but those stand out for me.

The mouth of the South

Every time Charles Barkley makes a statement, I agree with he provides me with two or three that only make sense to him. The latest Barkleyism, “Why Tom Brady’s career is unparalleled and way better than LeBron James.” Mr. Barkley you do realize one of the individuals you are discussing played in the NFL while the other plays in the NBA. Even the dynamics of the ball are different, a football is oblong and can bounce but certainly not in the same manner of a round basketball. You do realize the physical requirements for an NFL quarterback are far different from playing point forward in the NBA. Tom Brady’s had an amazing NFL career no disagreement here, but my question is why the comparison? Finally I don’t know about you, but I’ve grown tired of the constant comparison of player A to player B which is rampant in this day and age. It’s quite clear Barkley has fallen into this trend as well.

Black History Moment

The history has been corrected; it now says Bill Russell became the first black coach in the NBA. Russell took over the Celtics in 1966 and served as player coach until 1969. Who was the first black coach in professional basketball, that would be the late John McClendon of the Cleveland Pipers? Now I’m sure you are unfamiliar with the Pipers; they were a team in the newly formed American Basketball League in 1961. This should not be confused with the American Basketball Association which came into existence in 1966.

How McClendon was hired in the first place is even more interesting. The owner of the team was a person who was later identified more with baseball than basketball, George Steinbrenner. It was reported When the team was searching for a coach Steinbrenner informed his GM “Hire the best basketball coach available.” This GM sought out and hired McClendon and the rest of the story is history now. In the middle ‘50’s McClendon’s Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State) teams won three consecutive NAIA championships, so the coaches resume detailed success on the basketball court. McClendon’s success would see him enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.  

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Out of sync

Mizzou started the game appearing out of sync and it remained that way throughout, final score Mississippi State 63 Mizzou 52. It wasn’t the rebound factor this time which affected the loss it was the shooting or lack thereof. Mizzou was only outrebounded by one, as for the shooting Mississippi State didn’t shoot that great but it was atrocious for Mizzou. 32% from the floor and 26.1% from three is pretty bad. Kobe Brown usually the all around leader only scored 11 points with 7 rebounds.

One positive note for Mizzou the 6 foot 10 Mohamed Diarra came off the bench and snatched down 10 rebounds for the game. Toulu Smith of Mississippi State was the chief nemesis for Mizzou. The 6-foot 11 245-pound front court man led the way for Mississippi State as he scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds. This road trip did not turn out as I hoped, and now a return to Mizzou Arena on Tuesday to face the South Carolina Gamecocks. 

Was Red all that analyzing talent

Red Auerbach won nearly 1,000 games during the course of a brilliant coaching career. Auerbach spent three seasons as head coach of the Washington Capitols and one season with the Tri-City Blackhawks before his Celtic hire in the 1950-51 season. For the next six seasons the Celtics were a plus .500 and a playoff team. During that period we saw them lose in Division Finals or Semi-Finals every season until the 1956-57 season. That particular season witnessed the Celtics finishing in first place and they won their first NBA championship. This is the stealth portion of the story; Auerbach went against the thought process of the day.

Most centers were expected to be prolific scorers and that was not the case for Bill Russell. Russell was a defensive whiz at the University of San Francisco, he could score but that was not his primary role. Back to Auerbach, he spotted Russell early and wanted to draft him, but the Celtic record would prevent that. The shorten version of the story, Ed Macauley a Celtic player had an ill son in St. Louis at the time. The St. Louis Hawks drafted Bill Russell however he’d never see the city except as an opposing player. A trade was arranged, and Russell would become a Celtic and the NBA was changed forever by this move. We can debate the Auerbach record prior to the acquisition of Russell, at the same time we must recognize his shrewdness. He drafted a defensive minded center which went against the thought process at the time.   

Iowa State versus Jalen Wilson

So you thought it was Iowa State playing against Kansas, that’s what most believed. It was actually as the headline read since Wilson was the only player with his 26 points and 9 rebounds who was prepared to play. Even Grady Dick mock draft first round pick only scored 7 points in 31 minutes. Kansas shot 38.6% from the field and 26.1% from three, they equaled Iowa State in the rebound department with 32. All game long Kansas appeared to be out of sync, adjustment after adjustment was made by Bill Self to stem the tide of the Cyclones to no avail.

The final score would read Iowa State 68 Kansas 53, this makes for a question. After losing to Tennessee in the non-conference portion of their schedule Kansas blitzed everyone including my Mizzou Tigers. The “experts” said after losing all the talent from an NCAA championship team Kansas came by prepared to compete again. You listened, I heard them too as they continued to sing praises of Bill Self and Kansas basketball. Evidently, we have two features working here, 1. Kansas basketball is not as good as they first thought and 2. The best basketball conference in the nation (Big XII) has knocked them down a few notches. Kansas could still win the regular season crown however it’s likely to be one shared by them with one or two teams.

I’m violating my policy of yesterday

The decision on Kyrie Irving I would leave to you regarding his move. I just read this morning of a proposed trade which “forced” me to comment. Austin Reaves and Max Christie would head to the Nets in exchange for Irving and I say an emphatic NO! I’m not going to debate Irving’s talent only state I’ve seen the Lakers populate the NBA with youthful talent attempting to win championships. Reaves chose the Lakers having signed in free agency, once the deed was accomplished, he proved to be NBA worthy. Will he ever approach “Kyrie Irving” numbers, who knows however he’s proven to be a talent.

I’ve seen less of Christie’s play however I’m looking at him in this manner, the Laker scouting staff in the past has been spot on in evaluating talent. This ability might be proven once again in the case of this former McDonalds All American and Michigan State shooting guard. The Lakers made him the 35 pick in the second round of the 2022 draft. Christie is still wet behind the ears turning 20-years old later this month. The Lakers would do good to hang onto “old man” Reaves age 24 as well. The only players from the Lakers to depart in my view should be Patrick Beverley and maybe Russell Westbrook.

The old NBA draft

At a point in time all draft eligible prospects arrived in the NBA from colleges and sometimes even junior colleges. That was then, this is now…the overwhelming majority of players still enter the NBA from that route. I’m not going to place a date, date and time however we have witnessed an increasing number of Euro players drafted into the NBA. They continue to improve on a yearly basis, the best currently. That would be your choice, is it Nikola Jokic or Luka Doncic you decide. Maybe Victor Wembanyama might be included in the conversation…is this too soon? The National Basketball League (Australia) has seen a number of players arrive on these shores. Some are native (Josh Giddey) while others such as LaMelo Ball left high school in the U.S. and returned after a year prepared to play in the NBA.

I’m unsure if the G-League is operating at the manner believed when it first set up operations. There’s been a change, added among the competitors was Ignite. This G-League team is comprised of high school talent who decided in favor of a pro career over college. In 2021 Overtime Elite came into existence, it operates similar to Ignite except the 6-team league is also high school players. I cannot provide you names but it’s my understanding there is no requirement for a diploma to play. OTE will allow you to finish high school while playing in the league. We have seen an increasing number of players arrive from the African continent, the vast majority play for Euro teams. As you can see talent now comes into the NBA from a number of different directions. Truth is some of these prospects arrive from venues that didn’t even exist 10-15 years ago.

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Bits n Pieces 

Sometimes the news must be reported without providing commentary. This is one of those occasions and Kyrie Irving is the basis for my statement. The Nets point guard has requested the team trade him prior to the trade deadline which occurs February 9. Do the Nets or should they agree to his demand becomes the question at hand. No argument on this in, Irving remains a tremendous basketball talent. Good luck, I know you have an appropriate answer.

I wrote as recently as Friday the Big XII might look different next season. This was based on a belief Texas and Oklahoma would leave the conference one year earlier. Well just like the quiz show The Price is Right we might say “Come on down” as Texas and Oklahoma are joined at the table. Included in the negotiations are ESPN, Fox Sports and the Big XII Conference. Reports are negotiations reached a point whereby a resolution could not be concluded. It appears Texas and Oklahoma will be members of the conference until 2025.

Why must I be the Don Quixote of the basketball world? I read or hear dumb stuff and though I could ignore believe it’s my responsibility to respond. One of the latest Bronny James earning a place on the McDonalds All American team. One letter writer posed the question, “Wonder how much LeBron paid to get his son on the team.” That and numerous others asking why Bronny over player A or B? I cannot answer the question because I’m not privy to inside information. Suppose we approach the question in this manner…LeBron paid for Bronny’s McDonalds selection. Will it serve a purpose with that announcement? You have the information in front of you, will you refuse to watch the game? Better yet will you stop eating at McDonalds, those are the questions I want answered.

This is a real head scratcher, over the course of time as a member of Laker Nation I’ve seen a number of trades. For the most part my view has always been, “The move is to improve the team.” August 2022 the Jazz traded Randy Beverley to the Lakers for Stanley Johnson and Talen-Horton Tucker, I was especially concerned with the decision on Tucker based on my belief he was the future for the Lakers. 

Beverley is a defensive specialist who is most often unable to toss the ball into the ocean. Besides that issue I’ve always seen him having a pit-bull mentality. Where are we at present, it’s February 1 and it seems at least once a week I read or hear the Lakers are “looking to trade him.” The latest report indicates Beverley will be traded before the NBA trade deadline expires February 9. If I could corner vice-president Rob Pelinka I’d like to ask, what the heck were you trying to do trading a promising Tucker for journeyman Beverley.

It’s been reported should he choose to leave Eastern Michigan Emoni Bates will be drafted in 2023 if he chooses to leave school. According to reports he could be drafted “Anywhere from 20 to 45”. If that would occur that would place Bates in the middle of the first round or into round two. NBA scouts see his outstanding offense (29 points in the first half of a recent game) and are excited but question what else can he do? This is the quandary I spoke of recently, is he able to make teammates around him better? His assist totals are really low but playing on poor team there are questions. The games I’ve seen on television it appears there is a problem for him in passing the basketball. The hindrance might be the difficulty teammates have scoring baskets off Bates potential assists.

Once the NBA expands the franchise in Seattle will probably have Chris Hansen’s investment group involved in the ownership. That takes care of the Pacific Northwest team which will occupy Climate Pledge Arena (re-built Key Arena). The only portion of this arena remaining from its 1962 opening is the iconic roof line. The other city reported to be in the running for an expansion franchise is Las Vegas. A new arena is under construction expected to open in 2025, that would be the All Net Resort and Arena. 

This 23,000-seat arena is being led by Jackie Robinson who would be a member of the ownership group. All indications point toward LeBron James being a member of the ownership group too. Although I’m sure the NBA strongly desires him to be part of an ownership group many in the public arena think otherwise. Unlike Michael Jordan to some LeBron James is a lightning rod of controversy. His take on social and civil rights issues is upsetting to a percentage of the population. As for me LeBron’s stance on issues is not my concern, he should be free to speak his mind as we all do. 

I was curious, Rui Hachimura wore number 8 while a member of the Wizards, after the trade to the Lakers what number would he choose? I spotted a change immediately the first time he came onto the court wearing a Laker jersey, it was 28. I figured he decided to change numbers as players sometimes do. The significance of the change was Hachimura’s idea allow an explanation. He informed Laker owner Jeanie Buss he wanted number 28, the 2 representing Gianna’s number, and 8 which Kobe wore for his first few years in the NBA before switching to number 24.

Records are made to be broken

History will be made in the NBA in a week or so, we might see it in person on television or video. Believe you me we’ll see LeBron James break the NBA points total established by Kareem Abdul Jabbar in 1984. Kareem broke the record set by Wilt Chamberlin in 1973. Therein lies an oddity, although each of the three played for other franchises the points total was established while they wore purple and gold of the Lakers. Just in case you are wondering whose record Chamberlain broke that would be Bob Pettit.

Pettit began his career with the Milwaukee Hawks and remained with them through their tenure in St. Louis, Pettit scored 20,880 points during his 11-year NBA career he retired in 1965. This is what I find most interesting, several players would later eclipse the point total of Pettit. After Chamberlain established the record which Kareem later broke, we had this occurrence. Five players have exceeded the point total of Chamberlain who once held the record, they are in the following order. We have Dirk Nowitzki then Michael Jordan followed by Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and LeBron James.

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It wasn’t that close

Mizzou won game number 17 and 5 th in the SEC over LSU 87-77. Believe me when I state the game was not as close as the final score would indicate. Mizzou had 4 players in double figures with Kobe Brown leading the way with 26 points. It seemed as though LSU outrebounded the ball better however the final stats indicate it was only by a 32-30 margin. It was the offensive rebounds as LSU had a 12 to 4 advantage. Mizzou managed to score 17 points as the result of LSU turnovers.

Mizzou’s largest lead was 18 points while LSU never held a lead, Mizzou had a 15 point lead with a little over two minutes remaining in the game. Should Mizzou have beaten LSU…that certainly is the case however they didn’t concede an inch to Mizzou. The part of the box score I love by these Tigers, assists. They had 26 of them, there was one instance the ball was passed around the perimeter with three players touching the ball. The third player receiving the pass shot in a three-pointer. The point I’m attempting to make, the passers just as easily could have taken the shot but had no issue giving up the ball for what they considered a better shot.

The last portion is a discussion of coach Dennis Gates and his impact. First of all it is totally unfair in my view to compare Gates to Dennis Tang at Kansas State. I don’t won’t to get into “my dad can beat up your dad” debate but look around. There is no other coach that’s impacted a basketball program in the manner of Gates. You might remember all the noise we heard about Mizzou’s soft schedule? We had the same issue with the hire of Gates.

The others

Larry Bird did something farfetched by today’s standard, he was drafted in 1978 by the Celtics but didn’t play. With another year of eligibility he returned to Indiana State. History says Red Auerbach was aware of his status but drafted him anyway with knowledge he wouldn’t be in the Celtic lineup until the following season. Once in the Celtic lineup Bird would go on to become NBA Rookie of the Year. What about the others, Bird was the 6 pick in the draft but what about the careers of the others. The Blazers with the top draft choice that year chose Mychal Thompson, his best years were spent as a member of the Lakers.

Thompson was a huge contributor to several of the Laker Championships won during the 1980’s. The second pick was point guard Phil Ford chosen by the Kansas City Kings. Ford was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1979, later an injury would cut his NBA career short playing only 7 seasons for the Kings, Nets, Bucks and Rockets. Kentucky player Rick Robey was the 3 pick and had an 8-year career but most of it in a reserve role. Michael Ray Richardson drafted by the Knicks might have been second only to Bird. He too had an 8-year career but was barred by the NBA due to substance abuse issues. Purvis Short spent 13-years in the NBA and had a 17.3 point per game average. So there you have a brief look at the players drafted ahead of Larry Bird.

The demise of the Big XII

Now that I have your attention allow a further explanation. The Big XII Conference is going nowhere although this time next season it might look different. Those of you reading this are aware Texas and Oklahoma are departing for the SEC. We are hearing both schools desire it sooner rather than later so how does that impact the newcomers. Will Cincinnati, UCF, Houston or BYU all petition their present conference to leave? Will one, two are three maybe all four compete in the 2024-25 season as members of the Big XII? My gut tells me it wasn’t Oklahoma but the University of Texas the ringleader in this move.

Even more interesting one of the reasons Mizzou is now in the SEC is because of Texas. An in balance of revenue sharing is what we read, i.e. Texas was receiving more television revenue than other Big XII schools. Please don’t try and call me out on the last statement it’s only what I read, as often stated don’t slay the messenger I’m only repeating another guy’s report. Reading this you might come to the conclusion I’m opposed to the future whatever occurs. That is not the case, the planned moves are going to occur whether I like them or not. I only have one desire, Texas and Oklahoma to receive as much grief from KU fans as they dished out to Mizzou.  

The NBA in Kansas City

Did you realize Kansas City might still be in the NBA except for a series of events. I came across this account and wanted to share with you again. The American Basketball Association was born in 1967 with the intention to begin play in 11 cities, one of the franchises to be placed in Kansas City. The Kansas City franchise was never given a name, nor did it ever play at least here. History indicates the principal problem was a basketball arena. This would have been prior to Kemper or T-Mobile Center being built. In 1967 the downtown Municipal Auditorium was the primary basketball arena in use at the time. Despite negotiations adequate play dates were either not available or there was a lease space issue.

Prior to the start of the season the franchise would be moved to Denver without playing a single game in Kansas City. The Denver Larks were born but they would never play under that name, shortly before beginning play they were changed to the Rockets, and they would play as the Rockets until 1974 being re-named the Nuggets. The Nuggets would continue play as an ABA franchise until being absorbed into the NBA in 1976. I prefer to not use the term merger for several reasons, a number of the ABA teams went out of business and the NBA really chose the teams they wanted. This included the Nuggets which we discussed, Pacers, Nets and Spurs. So Kansas City had a pro team which eventually became an NBA team and who knows, we might still have the franchise operating.

That’s what I once heard

A number of you might have heard the old story, “Who was the only guy to hold Michael Jordan under 20 points a game?” This was a joke pointed at Dean Smith Jordan’s coach at North Carolina. The offensive scheme of Smith did not allow Jordan to fully display his talent. Once Jordan reached the NBA, we discovered he might be a better NBA player than he was in college. The latest player to duplicate the Jordan rookie year is Paolo Banchero of the Magic. The 6 foot 10 Banchero played at Duke last season but declared for the NBA draft after his freshman year. Check these numbers out: 

 Duke 17.2 points a game           Magic 20.7 points a game

          field goal .478                              field goal .433

          rebs 7.8 a game                          rebs 6.4 a game

          3 pt. .338                                    3 pt .316

In fairness Banchero’s Duke numbers represent his complete freshman year, his numbers with the Magic represent a little more than half of the NBA season. Up through the end of January 2023 you can see there’s been no drop off in his production.

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Don’t slay the messenger

Many of you understand the meaning of the headline as for others, it simply states one might deliver information which a portion reading or hearing it might not be pleased. That is the case here but that comes later. I’m unsure if I missed this maybe so, in any event new Laker Rui Hachimura was in the starting lineup on Tuesday. The Lakers faced the Knicks in MSG and the place looked packed. Short version, the Lakers were able to come away with a 129-123 OT win. LeBron James led the way with a triple double 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. AD was right behind him scoring 27 points along with 9 rebounds. 

As for Hachimura he contributed 19 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 66.7% from the floor and 50% from three. The only negative on his part, free throw shooting. Despite being a 76.8% shooter for his career Hachimura only shot 50%, oh well you can’t be perfect. What I found interesting when he was drafted in 2019, I don’t remember it being a big deal in Japan. Evidently the trade to the Lakers must have been really big in his home country, I’m unsure if it was a streaming service or what. It was reported the system crashed in Japan as large portions of the nation wanted to see Hachimura’s first game as a Laker. No disrespect toward the Wizards but this trade appears more important to Japanese citizens than Hachimura simply being drafted. Just sayin’, I have no method to qualify my statement as truth.

Are you superstitious

In this modern age few of us will admit they are superstitious; this account is partially based on a conversation with my wife. She looked at the cup containing my morning coffee, her words; “You and that cup.”  That’s stuff of the past, after all we are in the 21^st Century. Those types of beliefs belong in the Middle Ages, if not then at least the 19^th or early 20^th Century. Nobody is superstitious anymore well maybe; they still persist and I’m reluctant to admit it I am one who practices superstitions to a degree. I’m not talking about a Friday the 13 or the number 13 in general. This is not walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror or having a black cat crossing your path.

Those above are but a few superstitions I’ve either read about or had family members who practiced them. Statement of fact it should make sense to not walk under a ladder of someone working above your head. My superstitions are sports related allow me to point out just a few examples. The coffee mug my wife mentioned at the beginning of this account cup remains clean and, in the cupboard, unless. The unless part, the Lakers must have won the previous night or afternoon. It’s an NBA World Champion cup from 2020, doesn’t mean a darn thing just me. Want more, this only applies about half the time. Whenever the Lakers, Mizzou or the Chiefs play I will usually wear appropriate apparel. This includes logo baseball caps as well when venturing outdoors. So there you have it my sports superstitions, do you have any?

Upcoming key dates

There are dates involving the NBA you need to note on your calendar. As you are aware almost immediately as the college season concludes players decide if they are going to return to school or submit their name for the NBA draft. The first date of note is the deadline for early entry, this is roughly 60 days prior to the draft, it’s April 23, 2023. Almost a month later in May the draft lottery is held and that’s where we discover the destination for Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson. A yet to be announced date, the NBA draft combine will be held in Chicago.

The May event will see a number of prospects have an opportunity to be seen and analyzed by a collection of team scouts and management. During the combine players are run through a series of drills to determine their agility, strength and other intangibles. Over the past 2-3 years fewer athletes projected as top draft picks have participated in the combine. All is not lost however, if a prospect doesn’t receive positive feedback or something else occurs, he can withdraw his name, but this must be completed by June 12. The culmination of all these moves or potential moves is the NBA draft which will be held the evening of June 23 at the home of the Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center.

I’m glad we didn’t have to play them

The recently concluded Big XII/SEC weekend saw Mizzou easily defeat Iowa State then ranked number 12. Kansas State beat Florida 64-50 and this is what a member of Mizzou Nation told me. “I’m glad we didn’t have to play them,” a reference to playing Kansas State. Jerome Tang has done wonders in a short space of time with the basketball program in Manhattan. Just to prove how tricky games can turn out, Kansas State faced Iowa State on January 24 and lost to them 80-76. The game was played at Hilton Coliseum but that alone is an interesting fact since Mizzou blew out Iowa State immediately thereafter. In any event let’s check out the Wildcats and Jerome Tang. You remember Keyontae Johnson don’t you, he played last season at Florida but suffered a medical emergency.

This from Wikipedia, “On December 12, 2020, Johnson collapsed on the court in a game at Florida State. When he arrived at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, doctors assessed him to be in critical, but stable condition. After three days in a medical induced coma at Tallahassee Memorial, Johnson was taken back to Gainesville, Florida for further treatment.” In May he entered the transfer portal and in August Johnson committed to Kansas State. It’s not just Johnson, the diminutive Markquis Nowell has also been a valuable contributor to the success of Kansas State. The 5-foot 8-inch Nowell from Harlem leads the Big XII in assists at 8.2. He’s got a little scoring punch too at 16.9 points a game. As this is written the Wildcats are in a 3-way tie for first place in the Big XII and none of the three are the Kansas Jayhawks.

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Genuis or just plain lucky

Legendary Celtic coach Red Auerbach was key to the championship teams during the 1950’s, 1960’s up through the middle 70’s. Key to much of the success was Auerbach seeing the potential of a Bill Russell he arranged a trade with the St. Louis Hawks. Russell joined a team with backcourt wiz Bob Cousy, this is where the story takes a turn most are probably not familiar with. Auerbach didn’t want the point guard at the time he became available. This is the explanation, Cousy a New York City guy played his basketball at Holy Cross in the Boston metro.

At the time of the draft most fans wanted the Celtics to draft Cousy, but Auerbach refused, instead he wanted center Charley Share who played at Bowling Green University. Auerbach’s response, “Am I supposed to win, or please the local yokels” hardly an endorsement of Cousy’s potential. Then fate would take a sharp left turn, the Tri-City Blackhawks (today’s Atlanta Hawks) drafted Cousy. Being an east coast guy Cousy had no desire to play for a Midwest team so he informed the Blackhawks owner he wanted $10,000, a figure which at the time would have broken the bank. According to an inflation and cost calendar in 2023 that would be $123,152.28 not a great amount of money for a professional contract but unheard of in 1950.  History indicates unable to come to an agreement Cousy was moved to the defunct Chicago Stags.

The Stags went out of business so Cousy, and others were placed in a dispersal draft. Even then owner Walter A. Brown wanted the other two but drew Cousy’s name. Cousy would immediately become a key contributor to the success of those 1950 Celtics and consider this fact, the coach didn’t want him and neither did the owner. It should be of note Charley Share despite his potential had a 10-year rather average NBA career. With the passing of Bill Russell last July Cousy at age 94 Cousy along with Satch Sanders are the last of the bunch from the the glory days of the Celtics.  

Finish this season first

I’m excited, I’m looking at 2023-24 for Mizzou at the end of January. I know what you are saying, “Let’s finish this season in front of us first”, I say okay but how about looking ahead anyway. The roster is not set in this aspect, I have no idea how many players might chose to exercise their covid season. With that issue aside let’s check the current roster, there are 15 players listed. Mizzou has 5 players committed most with signed commit letters; they are:

Trent Price 6-foot 8 power forward

Jordan Butler 7-foot center

Anthony Robinson 6-foot-3 point guard

Curt Lewis 6-foot-5 wing

Danny Stephens 6-foot-7 wing*

*preferred walk on

Athletes impacted by a covid season could include mainstay seniors Kobe Brown and Isiaih Mosley, based on their own court production Mizzou could prove quite formidable with the remaining roster plus incoming talent. The only issue for these two, will the NBA come calling? Because the roster is in such a state of flux, I’m not going to commit myself and say, “This is the 2023-24 Mizzou Tigers.” The only returners we know for sure are those listed as underclassmen. 

I ain’t hatin’

Recently I spotted a plaque for a wall in my Man Cave. It was titled “Laker All Time Greats” and a trading card of each player was displayed, as I surveyed the plaque one name stood out for me. Wilt was there, Kareem and Jerry West, it also contained Shaq, Magic and James Worthy. On the top row right was a card featuring Rick Fox and my thought what’s he doing there? Understand this, Fox was a valuable part of several Laker championship teams but an all-time great Laker?

Every player listed on the plaque is enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame with the exception of Fox. Fox could have easily been replaced by Elgin Baylor or Gail Goodrich who are members of the Hall of Fame. For all practical purposes we could travel back even further in time and include George Mikan and others who played for the Minneapolis version of the Lakers. I titled this account I ain’t hatin’ because I didn’t wish this to be considered an attack on Rick Fox. Those who saw him play will validate his contribution to the success of the Lakers during the time he was a member of the team.

Maybe the coach is already in place

I’m sure if we asked Rodney Terry, I believe he’d tell us truthfully. Terry had no idea February 2023 would find him head basketball coach at the University of Texas. Officially he’s interim having replaced Chris Beard who was suspended and later fired. Beard’s termination came as a result of a domestic issue with his girlfriend being the basis. As for Terry, he’s paid his dues, at age 54 there have been a number of stops during his coaching career. His resume includes four high schools two as an assistant two as head coach, in college it was four assistant coach positions plus head coach at Fresno State and UTEP.

All in all Terry has over 30 years coaching the game. As for Texas with Beard in charge the Longhorns were expected to compete for the Big XII crown this season, after the firing most were unsure what might occur with the program. To date it would appear there have been few glitches under Terry. As this is written the Longhorns have a 15-win season thus far and sit in first place in the Big XII with a 7-2 record. At the time Beard was fired the sports media was full of replacement names for a replacement coach, I only remember one account mentioning Terry’s name. As for Terry he’s probably been preparing for this job for a number of years.

I finally figured it out

Locally KC media pretty much ignores SEC coverage and I believe I understand the predicament. It’s related to geography, allow for a further explanation. A drive from Kansas City to any present Big XII school is at most 10 hours and minutes away, that’s road mileage to the University of Texas in Austin. Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are in the neighborhood of 8 hours, Iowa State is a little over 4 hours while K-State is 2. The University of Kansas depending on your metro location is less than an hour drive. Now contrast that with a drive to Gainesville Florida 16 hours from Kansas City, the University of Georgia is a 12-hour drive.

Now I realize folks from Kansas City are not driving to a large number of games, but you get the idea. It’s far easier to drive to a Big XII match than one in the SEC. In addition its far easier to identify your “neighborhood” than someone else’s. Although Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor are newer members of the conference the history of the Big 6, Big 7 and Big 8 have been known in the Kansas City media for years. The shortest drive from Kansas City to any SEC school might be Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas, a little over 3.5 hours. This is the issue and one that cannot be resolved unless local media decides to provide more coverage. The Big XII will expand in 2025 adding UCF, Brigham Young and Cincinnati. Houston will also arrive, but the conference exists in Texas at present with Texas Tech and Baylor. My premise could be invalid based on other factors, what do you think?