Basketball from a fans perspective

Published daily except Tuesdays & Thursdays

Breakout game

Thursday evening Bronny James had the game that made his critics shut up. Sure it was a G-League game however it was still good, the only downside the South Bay Lakers lost the game 106-100 to the Valley Suns. It was a game high 30 points on 57% shooting from the floor which included 3 for 3 from the 3P line, he finished up with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. I am pleased with this continued development in Bronny’s game and hope it continues. His stats look good for the season, 14 points a game 3 rebounds and nearly 3 assists. I will backtrack a bit and remind you of my earlier comment regarding young James. I had no problem with Bronny being drafted although I didn’t believe then as I continue to believe now he was ready for the rugged play of the NBA. He wasn’t going to play major minutes with the parent club an extended period of play was required with South Bay. I have no inside information at this point the best destination for Bronny to date is not the Lakers but to remain with the G-League affiliate South Bay.

Bill Belichick

I listened to a conversation on sports talk radio on Thursday regarding Bill Belichick. As most are aware the longtime NFL coach has been hired by North Carolina as the school’s head football coach, that part is surprising but not the basis for this rant. One of the radio host indicated “Belichick wanted his son to take over as head coach with the Patriots if he’d remained there, in addition his son might take on an assistant coach role at Carolina.” They proceeded to discuss fathers and the fact some chose to clear a path for their offspring.

The two hosts appeared to have no issue with this process and my mind immediately began racing. As I’ve indicated there is not much NBA talk here but I’ve heard plenty of conversation regarding nepotism when it comes to LeBron and Bronny James. My objection last June to Bronny James was I didn’t believe he was ready for the NBA, the relationship to his father was not that important to me. These two radio host certainly don’t set the standard but I did find this interesting. There is no issue regarding nepotism it appears to matters more who you are, there is no occasion for me to wish ill will toward the Belichick’s I have no connection to Carolina, we shall see what unfolds.

He returns…to a degree

The Clippers announced Kawhi Leonard returned to practice for the first time this season. This was actually the first time he’d worked out with the team since last season. This was no declaration he was ready to play but it certainly gives Clipper Nation hope for his return. There remains a question, Kawhi is now 33-years of age with a long history of injuries can he return is the question? The quick response is yes however will the “old” Kawhi be able to return, allow me to elaborate? I remember Kobe Bryant and his Achilles tendon tear, he was 34 and after a time was able to return to the Lakers. I don’t remember reading it but it seemed to these amateur basketball eyes of mine he wasn’t the same.

Kobe returned and would play two more seasons for the Lakers but it seemed to me the lift was not there. He’d lost a step or two on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, for him this must have been devastating. The positives we read from coach Lue should be expected, he certainly would have no reason to downplay the comeback attempt of Kawhi. The portion of this story that concerns me most, although Kawhi and Kobe were comparatively the same age Kobe didn’t have close to the injury history of Kawhi. According to ESPN Kawhi “has missed 204 of a possible 460 games since joining the Clippers in 2019.” That is an astronomical number to have missed, two and a half seasons worth of games. I truly hope Kawhi is able to return but when he does I wouldn’t expect the “old” Kawhi if I were you, that version is history.

The dangers of court storming

Mizzou is not any different from any other school in this instance. The thrilling 76-67 win over then number one Kansas triggered the student body to storm the court. As I stated Mizzou is not any different however in this instant court storming became quite expensive. The SEC issued a fine of $250,000 to Mizzou for last Sunday’s action, the SEC in a manner similar to others prohibits such action but why such a large fine? This is from KSDK’s website, “It is Mizzou’s second violation of the SEC rules since they were instituted in 2023.

The first was when football fans stormed the field after a win against Kansas State on Sept. 16, 2023. The punishment for violations starts at $100,000, escalates to $250,000 for the second offense and is $500,000 for the third violation and each violation after that. The money goes to the SEC Post-Graduate Scholarship Fund because it was a non-conference game.” I checked Mizzou’s schedule, with the addition of teams to the SEC they will only play Tennessee (current number one) once. This game will be played in Knoxville, if Tennessee is still number one and Mizzou beats them there is no danger of an expensive court storming. 

And you wonder why?

In the past up to the present day a number of athletes have been “bad actors” for a variety of reasons. When they make an error no matter they should be called out for their actions. This is for the media and their often misguided or miss-aligned attempts at a message. Often we are reading or hearing the words of someone who was never talented enough to play the game at a high skill level such as what they report. I have no idea where it began, however, the feud between Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith could be used as an example. My response is simple, although athletes, especially in the NBA, accumulate huge sums of money they are subject to many of the same issues we face.

The only difference between them and us is their vast financial wealth which allows them to avoid some of the pitfalls of life. They had a difficult day on the basketball court, who critiqued the difficult day you experienced on the assembly line or in the office? I’m not claiming those in non-sports fields escape free, they too are subject to review however theirs is quite different. Most generally it’s one on one between you and the supervisor it’s not a dress down between you and a couple of million folks. All these media members are attempting is to gain clicks for their podcast or viewers for their program. Keep this in perspective next time Gilbert Arenas, Stephen A. Smith or some others go off.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published daily except Tuesdays & Thursdays

What about him

Too much basketball and I have difficulty tracking it all. I turned on the Marquette-Wisconsin game too late to review it, Marquette was a winner 88-74. This became win number 9 for the Golden Eagles against a single loss so far this season. I thought for a moment, every time we discuss winning basketball coaches Shaka Smart is omitted from the conversation and the question might be why? Smart burst on the scene at Virginia Commonwealth in the 2009-10 season as he led his team to a 27-9 record. After six outstanding seasons an offer arrived he couldn’t turn down, the University of Texas. I remember saying to others in 2015 this is the perfect job for him at least that’s what I believed.

Texas is abundant in high school basketball talent Smart wouldn’t have to leave the state to recruit. The bright picture I painted back then did not come to fruition, sure there was only one losing season at Texas but nothing at the level expected by others including me. In 2021 Smart took over the Marquette program, that very first season resulted in a 19-13 record. From that point on his teams have been 29-7, 27-10 and at present 9-1 as this is written. Unlike the seasons experienced at Texas his Marquette team has earned an NCAA invite each season. I am forced to this conclusion is Smart better suited to coach at so-called mid majors over schools where the spotlight shines so much brighter? I pose the question however I don’t have the answer, what do you think? Am I on to something or is this work history only coincidental?

Cooper Flagg sweepstakes

The NBA season has just commenced, the race to draft Duke’s Cooper Flagg has begun. I decided to take an early look at several NBA mock drafts, it is unclear which NBA team might be the winner. As I’ve stated I’m unsure if these guys copy from one another but here goes. The first is bleacherreport.com and tankathon.com indicate the Nets will have the first draft pick in 2025 and will select Flagg. On the other hand nbadraftroom.com and nbadraft.net believe the Pistons choose Flagg.

This might be considered good or bad depending on where you are seated. I would tend to believe most fans might be joyful if their team is able to draft Flagg, others might be disappointed with the fact of “another losing season.” As the season has begun and barring the possibility of additions after this is written this is how I see it. Short term the Pistons appear to have a more stable roster than the Nets, don’t misunderstand my observation. Both teams are on the same plane, I happen to believe the Pistons are slightly better. In a sense it doesn’t matter, if Flagg is as talented as we are told there will be no problem for him to become a starter for either team.

Court storming 

I don’t like to see students storm the court, it occurs after the home team’s victory, this past Sunday we saw it in full effect. Mizzou hasn’t beaten Kansas since February 4, 2012, which saw the Tigers win 74-71 on that day. Victories haven’t come easy for Mizzou so the excitement by the student body is based on the drought of wins and Kansas being the number one team in the nation. With a 12-year drought you can see the enthusiasm regarding the victory but is court storming a good thing?

While I understand the WHY I remain critical and the chief reason is the risk of injury. Scores of persons running onto the basketball court from all directions and there is a possibility someone could be severely injured should they stumble, fall and be trampled. In the past there have been efforts made by administrations to curtail court storming but the majority of time it appears to be in vain. In conclusion despite my excitement in the win I didn’t want a court storming. I am pleased coach Gates called a TO allowing the coaching staff and players for Kansas to leave the court area.

In case you forgot

This has been mentioned in the past but I thought I would remind you again. I belong to a nostalgia ABA social media group, my hope was to gain insight into what this startup league was like while it existed. One of the more interesting aspects for me was gaining an understanding of the history. The 1976 agreement was no merger rather it was “expansion” of the existing NBA. The older more established NBA absorbed the 4 teams it wanted and allowed the others to fall by the wayside. The history says expansion, if a league expands it takes in all the teams such as what occurred with the NFL merger in 1966.

The NBA expanded in 1976 adding the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers and New York (Brooklyn) Nets. The Baltimore Claws had folded which left 5 teams which ceased operations most of its talent dispersed throughout the NBA. A number of players didn’t earn roster positions with the existing NBA teams they were forced to look toward Europe to continue play. Remember at that time there was no G-League or its equivalent in addition the NBL in Australia wouldn’t begin play until 1979. Do you think NBA owners were playing hard ball…you bet they were. There is no one in place who remains a part of the expansion. NBA team owners has changed 3-4 times since 1976, truth is the Buss family is the only remaining long term owner, Dr. Buss didn’t purchase the Lakers until two years after the expansion agreement.   

Overrated

This is your warning ahead of time, you are about to read my thoughts regarding Kansas basketball. There are portions that might be offensive to your hearing so you can stop at this point. Okay now that many of the Kansas faithful have stopped reading we can proceed. It seems every season Kansas basketball is rated number one or near the top of teams in the nation. 

By the time March Madness comes around and they have fallen short much of Jayhawk Nation refuse to believe anything’s changed. I love Dick Vitale but he is one of the main culprits, every pre-season he and a host of others pronounce Kansas “The best college basketball team in the nation.” By the time the calendar turns to April that is rarely the case, they are a good team annually but not great, the Jayhawk has his feathers plucked. In 2022 they won the whole thing, many claim they could have won in 2020 if not for covid which caused the cancellation of the season without a championship. The 2022-23 season Big XII season saw Kansas finish with an unlike 10-8 conference record and 23-11 overall. 

Hear me, Bill Self has not forgotten how to coach but the change is from an area few thought might have been possible. Kansas is no longer getting the cream of the crop of college talent, we could use A.J. Dybantsa as the example. Who could have figured Kansas and BYU in competition for the top player in the nation? That player with the opportunity to play for Bill Self and that Kansas history…chooses BYU. BYU, like several other programs across the country is ready and willing to compete with Kansas basketball and its history. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published daily except Tuesdays & Thursdays

He's made his commitment

BYU has competed in football and basketball for generations. The school located in Provo Utah has long been a destination for athletes of the Mormon faith, apparently there wasn’t a great deal of recruiting for non-Mormon athletes. All that’s changed in recent years as BYU attempted to compete with other Division I programs. The reward is snagging A.J. Dybantsa, just in case you are unfamiliar with his name allow me to impart a degree of information. He’s a 6 foot 9 wing and every prospect rates him the top prospect in the Class of 2025.

He attends Utah Prep Academy in Manti, Utah which is located about 80 some miles south of Provo. Prior to his Tuesday announcement Dybantsa had reduced his list of possible schools to four, they were Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama and BYU. He made BYU his choice, which is quite enlightening to those who follow recruiting. Consider this, can you imagine beating out North Carolina and even Kansas for the nation’s basketball talent? All I can say is the Blue Blood programs better take into consideration time brings about change, that change is BYU being competitive in recruiting top notch talent to it’s campus.  

Am I easily pleased? 

Mizzou men's basketball was terrible last season. There is an explanation for the poor play but no requirement to digress, I'd rather look ahead. On3.com ranks team basketball recruiting by numbers, Mizzou was number 14 for 2024, as for the upcoming 2025 class Mizzou is ranked 18. Proof is in the production but it’s exciting to see the recruiting effort by Coach Gates and his staff. The SEC is the toughest conference in basketball but hopefully the future ahead for Mizzou is bright.

I see a difference, since legendary Coach Norm Stewart left the program’s had a number of outstanding highs and more than a few lows I can remember. Despite changes in the landscape recruiting remains important whether its that high school prospect or transfer portal talent. All things being equal I believe coach Dennis Gates will move Mizzou to a level never before experienced. The headline asked the question and I’m ready to respond, no I don’t believe I’m easily pleased. The difference for me is the ability to see the Big Picture, that’s something a number in Mizzou Nation might lack at times.

They have assets

What type of human are you, does accumulated wealth make one a better human? The answer is clear of course not, however, finance can be key depending on your beginning. We are aware that a number of professional athletes, despite earning huge sums during their career are broke in a short space of time after retirement. On the other hand there are in this instance NBA players with a plan. Each had middle class beginnings however they are now wealthy beyond even their belief at one time. You know who they are, one of them is still active…LeBron James. His estimated net worth is reported to be $1.2 billion, when he retires I could foresee his portfolio increasing in worth due to his entrepreneur efforts.

Up next is Michael Jordan a.k.a. Air Jordan, the net worth for him is a whopping $3.5 billion. Following MJ is Erving Johnson most know him as Magic or the Magic Man, his net is $1.2 billion. A name probably few are acquainted with is Junior Bridgeman, his net worth is $600 million but consider this fact. Bridgeman had a 12-year NBA career where he earned about $2.95 million but never earned more than $350,000 in any one season. We close this look at NBA wealth adding Shaquille O’ Neal to our list, Shaq’s net worth is reported to be in the neighborhood of $400 million. The point of this exercise is to offer proof that a number of players have a plan for after the NBA, these 5 profiled are the proof. 

Louisville basketball

I watched a portion of the Duke-Louisville game on Sunday, Duke would prevail 76-65. Do you realize the rich basketball history of the Kentucky school? When they first began competitive basketball Louisville competed at the NAIA level, fact is their 1948 team won the NAIA Championship but it doesn’t stop there. The National Invitation Tournament no longer holds the glamour it once did, March Madness has overtaken it in popularity among fans of all persuasions.

Despite that fact in 1956 it was still a prestigious tournament, that was the year Louisville would succeed winning it all that year. What about the NCAA Tournament, Louisville won in 1980, 1986 and 2013 detailing for all its rich basketball history. By my count Louisville has sent 18 players into the NBA, it’s likely Wes Unseld is the most well-known but there have been others throughout the years. Currently Terry Rozier of the Heat is probably one of the recognized players who honed his skills playing for the Louisville Cardinals.  

Just me rambling

I’m looking once again at an issue that appears to only concern ME, follow this. “In 1962, Franklin Mieuli purchased the majority shares of the team and relocated the franchise (from Philadelphia) to the San Francisco Bay Area, renaming them the San Francisco Warriors, playing most of their home games at the Cow Palace in Daly City.” As the excerpt from Wikipedia indicates the team never really had one location they called home until a number of years later. Further research indicates during the 1971-72 season they failed to play a single home game in San Francisco. Apparently at that point a decision was made to change the name from San Francisco to Golden State. It makes sense based on the Warriors moving to Oakland that season which lasted until 2019.

Of course that 2019-20 season Chase Center opened and the Warriors moved across the Bay to San Francisco again. I’m a nostalgic guy, I understand why the team adopted Golden State in front of their name, that was then this is now. Don’t think a name change is practical, check these examples. The Washington Bullets became the Wizards, New Orleans and Charlotte changed names. The Hornets name returned to Charlotte and New Orleans adopted a new name (Pelicans). In other sports the NFL Washington team has become the Commanders and the Cleveland baseball team is now the Guardians. Name changes for the franchises mentioned occurred for a variety of reasons, this is simply to point out a team if it chooses can undergo a name change. On the other hand consider the fact I could be rambling and there is no requirement for the Warriors to make a move of this type.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published daily except Tuesdays & Thursdays 

I will have none of that!

The yelling and screaming from Mizzou Nation about being number one. Truth is I’m unsure if Kansas is actually number one after losing to Creighton earlier, the weekly polls are yet to be published. Sunday afternoon was a rare occasion, Mizzou beating Kansas whatever their ranking was/is 76-67. This was certainly a team effort, however, leading the way for Mizzou was two players with Kansas drivers licenses because they are from Kansas City Kansas. Tamar Bates led the way with 29 points and Mark Mitchell chipped in with 17 but it was the defense by these two and others that led to the victory over the Jayhawks. After being down 20 plus points Kansas whittled it down to 14 points at the half.

Kansas did manage to come roaring back and erasing much of the deficit but fell short near the end. I have long held the belief teams attempting to overcome large deficits plain run out of gas. Running up hill will eventually wear you out and much sooner if the ground is level, that certainly had to be a contributing factor to the Kansas loss. Of course 39.7% shooting by Kansas plus 21 turnovers certainly didn’t aid the cause. What happens now going forward for Mizzou…the tough, tough SEC. Despite talk from the Big XII, ACC and maybe others the SEC is the toughest basketball conference in the country. As for Kansas I respect them, Bill Self has an outstanding team. Whether they are good enough to win the Big XII Conference race at this point remains a question mark.

Plumbers and carpenters

That was the term JJ Redick applied to many of the NBA’s players of the past prior to becoming head coach of the Lakers. It went something similar to this, “The NBA was made up of guys who could have been plumbers and carpenters” or similar words. As a party of one I am getting a little tired of talk similar to that from Redick and Gilbert Arenas. Progress has been amazing for the NBA today, we can check out the world of medicine first to see the change. Depending on the extent of an injury players can have surgery during the summer and early fall and return to the court within the same season.

Medical improvements have seen this occur, how about training. In the ’40’s, ‘50’s and ‘60’s there was little if any off season training. Supplementary nutritious food additives have aided the player of today versus his father and grandfather. Okay those are a few of the advantages I see for today’s player over many of those in the past. The athletes of the present day might have been superior however not by much. You don’t think Wilt Chamberlain or Jerry West couldn’t play today provided they had the same advantages as most of today’s players. Don’t fall into that trap by figuring those in the past were so much better than many today. Let’s just say most athletes today have so many additional aids to ensure player development over those of the past.

Have the Roos turned the corner

You just read the headline and your first question, “What the heck is a Roo and what corner is he talking about?” First answer, the University of Missouri-Kansas City team mascot is a kangaroo. The second part of the question requires a little more detail. From the first year (1954-1963) they were known as the Kansas City Kangaroos, the school was named the University of Kansas City. In 1963 the school became part of the University of Missouri system and a name change, UMKC Kangaroos from 1963-2019. In 2019 the decision was made to change the name, one more closely identified with the city…Kansas City Roos.

As far as the basketball it’s been mostly down despite the fact they have played a Division I schedule since the 1994-95 season. In spite of fresh players and successive coaching changes success was sorely lacking on the basketball court until the arrival of Marvin Menzies. The team was below .500 in his first year but finished with a 10-6 conference record good enough for second place last season. Projections are one thing, the doing is something else. The Roos have been predicted to finish in first place in the Summit Conference for 2024-25. In all the years of play the Roos have never ever been invited to the NCAA Tourney, is this the year they receive that invitation?

Bits n Pieces of information 

Alijah Arenas was the Rivals number four prospect in the Class of 2026 and a 5-star prospect, you notice I said was. More on that later, he’s a 6 foot 6 inch shooting guard and plays for Chatsworth Charter High School in Chatsworth California. Currently Arenas has offers from 18 schools among just a few are Alabama, Cal, Fresno State and his father’s school Arizona. If you didn’t make the connection with the last name his father is former NBA player Gilbert. Arenas made news recently when he made the decision with his father to reclassify and will move into the Class of 2025, he’s yet to be moved by Rivals but expect that to occur soon.

I confess, the game was watched by me because Bronny James was playing however I was pleased with the outcome. Pleased that I saw him play a good (notice I didn’t say great) game, I didn’t turn it on at the beginning however it appears Bronny was a starter at shooting guard. He scored 16 points had 4 rebounds 2 assists and a quality blocked shot. At a point one of the Clipper players had the ball on a breakaway layup or at least that’s what he thought. Bronny trailing the player elevated at nearly the same time and smacked the ball off the backboard. Naturally there were areas requiring improvement, Bronny was 0 for 4 from three and managed to only shoot 40% from the floor. As for the game in total this was far beyond what has been exhibited to date by him, hopefully Bronny can continue on this upward trajectory, he was a vital contributor to the 119-111 victory over the Clippers.

No argument from me, there are times and circumstances that require a coach be fired. There are also times guys are like the old saying, “An empty wagon makes the most noise.” In the middle of the week I caught a portion of the drive-time guy on local 810 sports radio. During a course of discussion he began speculating whether Mizzou’s Dennis Gates might be fired at the end of the season. The problem for me he never mentioned a single reason for the termination. If he’d bothered researching rather than just running off at the mouth he would be able to detail why Mizzou was 8-24 last season. In addition the SEC race is yet to start, allow the season to play out before you begin to talk about firing someone.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Bits n Pieces of information

The question regarding 76 Place the Sixers planned arena is neither good nor bad, the Philadelphia City Council was scheduled to discuss the matter this past Thursday. That meeting has been postponed and will be held on Wednesday December 11. As an outside observer the question of a Sixers arena appears to have sharply divided the city. The mayor plus labor unions and other interested parties are speaking on a new arena in the affirmative. Neighborhood groups and other interested parties have voiced opposition to the planned construction. I will continue to follow the developments and provide additional updates as soon as possible.

Who’s to blame, the Lakers are in a very dark place currently. They are not a terrible team but they are not really good despite having LeBron and AD on the roster. The supporting cast or rather lack of one appears to be largely the culprit. Someone suffers an injury and the next man steps up, the only problem that scenario has been lacking for a time. I will inform you where I’m going, I am looking at the 2025 NBA draft. It appears the Lakers have two second round picks but then I thought. What good is this going to do if the youngsters are never infused into the lineup…see where I’m going?

Recently I discovered the Bally Sports Midwest/ FanDuel channel contains a program titled FIBA World Basketball. It’s my understanding the presentation is a weekly report on FIBA basketball, this should aid my effort to provide additional basketball content. I ought to also be able to discover the names of those players NBA scouts consider to have the ability to play in the association. In the future I should be able to come across a name or two worth noting.

Nothings change…yet

Some of you might remember I wrote of an unidentified NBA official questioned whether Duke’s Cooper Flagg was the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft. It wasn’t a talent issue as I read it rather his potential ceiling as an NBA player. This particular official questioned whether Flagg would be a C, B or an A talented NBA player. In other words is there superstar capability for him in the near future? If the question is valid as the media member wrote it I’m unsure if it can be answered immediately in my view. Based on this issue I decided to consult the sources I utilize for information.

That would be the 2024 NBA mock draft unless these guys are copying off one another all place Flagg at the top of their mock draft. An early indication there are “holes” in his game. As a 17-year old freshman adjusting to play at this level should be expected. In addition his notoriety will certainly precede him, imagine the guy who claims, “I shut down Cooper Flagg.” As for me I am willing to wait on the anointing, the anointing that says Superstar…then again it might never occur. As for the mock draft with him as number one check them out below for yourself:

bleacherreport.com 2025 mock

bleacher.com 2025 mock

tankathon.com/mock%20draft

nbadraftroom 2025 mock draft

nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/?year-mock=2025

Standing in line

Please tell me if NBA ownership is such a losing proposition why buyers are always about. We could use the Wolves as this example, the perspective new owners are fighting with the present owner because he refuses to sell the team to them. Alex Rodriguez and partner Marc Lore, after paying huge sums of money, are offering Glen Taylor even more money. Let’s go back in history, in 1979 Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers, NHL Kings and the Forum paying Jack Kent Cook $67.5 million, in 2023 that would be equivalent to $280 million.

As this is written if for example Jeanie Buss decided to sell the team today the value of the Lakers alone is a reported $7.1 billion…yes with a B. Even more interesting, the Lakers are not the most valuable NBA franchise, that honor goes to the Warriors at $8.8 billion. Right behind them are the Knicks, $7.5 billion and then the Lakers. Landing in the 4th spot are the Celtics at $6 billion and the Clippers round out our top 5 with an assessed value of $5.5 billion. I was curious are there any NBA teams valued under $1 billion? There ain’t any, according to the figures provided the Grizzlies are in last place but worth a kool $3 billion. Next time someone walks up to you and claim “nobody is watching the NBA” you have a choice. You can be blunt and inform them they have no clue what’s really going on or you can be nice and say okay thank you.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

I was determined

On more than one occasion I’ve mentioned the difficulty in me viewing west coast games. In the Central Time Zone where I live NBA night games are usually not over till 12:00 a.m. and in some instances even later. I was aware there was a double-header on Thursday evening, I decided to check it out while it was in progress. The Warriors were hosting a young Rockets team, the game appeared quite competitive. Tuning in late I noticed Steph Curry on the sidelines, at some point I also saw Draymond Green on the bench. I discovered both were sitting out the game due to injury and my thought, this should be interesting.

Could the “baby” Warriors secure the victory without Curry and Green in the lineup? I would soon find out Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga introduced himself to the Rockets. The third year forward is playing good basketball, on Thursday it was outstanding as he experienced an NBA career evening. Kuminga led the way to the 99-93 win over the Rockets scoring 33 points shooting 60% from the floor with 50% behind the 3P line. As with a team sport Kuminga was not alone there was help especially from Andrew Wiggins (23 points). This is a report on the Warriors and Kuminga but I immediately thought about my Lakers in so much trouble at present. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are reported injured, can somebody-anyone on the Lakers step up in a comparable manner to the level we saw Kuminga on Thursday evening?

The SEC

This statement embodied the Southeastern Conference at a point in time. It was said as a joke however it was true, “there are two seasons in the SEC, football season and spring football.” That mindset is a long ago view because the conference once thought of as a “football” conference only can play basketball with the best conferences in the country. A recent example was the ACC/SEC Challenge, this saw SEC teams win 14 games while losing only 2. The ACC is competitive in football but has a rich long history in basketball.

Michael Jordan and James Worthy in the past, today its Jason Tatum along with Scottie Barnes and a host of others. They represent a number of former SEC players who played and are now in the NBA. Under a succession of hall of fame coaches Kentucky long dominated play in the SEC, even though that’s changed now. Athletic directors of conference schools hired young and upcoming coaches and in other instances hired a few who tasted success elsewhere. If we look at current standings we find 8 of the SEC schools are highly ranked in various polls around the nation.

Those days are gone

Tomorrow afternoon the Mizzou Tigers will serve as host to the Kansas Jayhawks. Each team will view it as a regularly scheduled game but it wasn’t always that…it was WAR! From the days of the Big 7 to the Big 8 and then the Big XII Missouri-Kansas basketball was an intense rivalry. Once Mizzou moved to the SEC in 2012 the grudge match was replaced by Illinois-Missouri. Legendary coach Norm Stewart hated Kansas so badly he refused for his team to spend a single penny in the state. For those unfamiliar with the geography Kansas City MO is actually closer to Lawrence KS than it is Columbia. Stewart would have his team bused to Kansas City where they would stay overnight in a hotel.

On game day the Mizzou team would board a bus for the 50 minute drive to Lawrence. Whether this animosity existed with the football teams is an unknown however it sure existed in basketball, as for the all-time win loss record it’s held by the Kansas Jayhawks. The only holdover from the rivalry days is Kansas coach Bill Self, Dennis Gates becomes the latest Mizzou coach unfamiliar with the history. Rest assured Kansas will face a hostile crowd from the assembly however nowhere near the level of past meetings. There is an obvious reason why the student section of Mizzou is likely comprised of those who were 6-8 years old at the time Mizzou departed for the SEC. Despite what some might say there is no more rivalry with these two schools in my view despite the geography.

Mysteries

A number of mysteries have existed throughout time, does the Yeti or Abominable Snowman exist…What about Big Foot sightings. Hundreds of people over the years claimed to have seen the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, how about visitors from other planets? Many have seen UFO’s and these were piloted by beings not of this earth. There are some who claim they were abducted by these beings from other worlds. Then we arrive at the mystery of the 100 point Wilt Chamberlain game, it belongs with those already mentioned. Why do I make that statement, there are many who claim it never occurred or it’s a mystery. If we travel back in time the world of 1962 was quite different from today. No video of this game exists back then television coverage was practically non-existent compared to the present day.

Several years ago a portion of the radio broadcast of the last few minutes are so of the game was discovered and has been placed in the Smithsonian Institute. The only other proof we have is a photo of Chamberlain holding a placard with the number 100 scribbled on it. A number of conspiracy theorist claim the game never occurred because there is no video proof. So this game just like the Yeti, Big Foot and ET remain a mystery for some. It’s up to you to believe it or not on March 2, 1962, Chamberlain playing for the Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks. This mystery game occurred in Hershey Pennsylvania a town located a little over 100 miles north and west of Philadelphia. In those days, the NBA would often play games away from their home arenas and that was the case here. If the event occurred as reported the box score indicates 5,000+ fans were witness to this game that might have never occurred.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Embarrassing

The game was so bad, I decided to change channels, I can’t provide details because the move by me occurred in the middle of the second quarter. It appeared to me that the game was not trending in a positive direction for the Lakers. That’s what I believed Wednesday evening as the Lakers faced the Heat on the road. The Lakers have become the medicine to cure bad play for the opposition. A 29 point loss to the Wolves was followed by an even larger margin loss to the Heat (41).

The loss to both teams allowed the Wolves and Heat to return to a .500 record…see what I’m suggesting. I’ve long maintained the Lakers generally have little issue scoring points the problem is giving them up. I’m really unsure if this team could defend against Montverde or Link Academy prep schools. Some might remember I speculated at the beginning of the season that the Lakers could contend for a playoff spot, this is highly unlikely to occur if they continue playing basketball in a manner similar to what’s been exhibited the last two games. Despite my negative tone I will continue to root for them to win because I’m a fan.

Deep, deep pockets

Do you have plenty of disposable income…enough to afford you the means to buy you an NBA team? Perhaps you might have partners willing to go in with you, that’s what A-Rod and Marc Lore are attempting to do purchasing the Wolves. What about the present group of owners, the Laker ownership of the Buss family had real estate holdings which allowed Dr. Buss to purchase the team. To my knowledge they are strictly basketball now, which fails to place them on as high a plane as it once did. With that said let’s begin this look.

Who are the NBA owners at the top of the food chain, the name at the top shouldn’t surprise. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s net worth is $125 billion, it’s no wonder he can afford to build a “palace” like the Intuit Dome without any type of tax assistance. How did Ballmer earn his humongous wealth…he worked for it. Ballmer was hired by Bill Gates at Microsoft in 1980, he became president in 1988 and CEO in 2000. It’s reported under his leadership sales doubled and profits were tripled that’s Ballmer’s bio. In second place with a net worth of $33.1 billion is Dan Gilbert Cavs owner. Gilbert earned his money in the mortgage field and owns Quicken Loans in addition to his NBA team. In third place is a newcomer Miram Adelson worth a reported $29.8 billion, Adelson arrives via the wealth of the family’s casino empire.

Friends and family in St. Louis the next name you are familiar with, in fourth place is Stanley Kroenke owner of the Nuggets and NFL Rams. Kroenke’s net worth is reported to be $16.9 billion, his wealth was accumulated in real estate although now that’s only a portion of his financial holdings. Mat Ishbia is owner of the Suns, his net worth is reported to be $13.1 billion, his wealth comes from the mortgage industry. There you have it the top five wealthiest owners of NBA franchises and a brief look how they were able to accumulate their wealth.

The outcome might have been different

For unknown reasons, this story popped up on my feed although it’s not the January anniversary. It was January 17, 1960, the NBA world might have been turned upside down. The league back then only contained 8 teams, what might have occurred in the event of tragedy. We don’t know because thanks to skillful flying it was avoided that night. The events unfolded in this manner, although there existed jet travel the Minneapolis Lakers charter was an old DC-3 aircraft. The Lakers had played the St. Louis Hawks and were returning home, shortly after takeoff disaster almost struck. After taking off the aircraft lost its electrical power and that vintage aircraft contained no radar.

For this to be a real first class emergency they flew into a massive snowstorm. Several Laker players feared the aircraft was going to crash somewhere in Iowa. Thanks to the skill of the pilots who were looking out the window for a location to land it turned out to be a cornfield in the town of Carroll, Iowa. The geography indicates the town is located about 100 miles north and west of Des Moines the capital of the state. After buzzing the town a couple of times they were able to land the aircraft successfully. There were no casualties, however, a bunch of scared and with no heat cold basketball players and their coach plus the pilots. In 2010 the 50th anniversary the town and the Lakers had a basketball court built in the corn field a location tragedy almost struck the Lakers and the NBA. In case you are unfamiliar with a DC-3 it first flew in 1935 so that provides you an idea of how old an aircraft this was. In addition by this time jet travel had begun and this aircraft was propeller driven.  

Maybe he wasn’t that good

The headline is not intended to be mean spirited, it’s just a statement I believe of fact. LiAngelo Ball is not talented enough to play in the NBA even in a reserve role, I know this because he’s 26 years old now. The middle of the three brothers is at an age NBA players either have or about to sign their second contract. Ball’s signed neither but let’s return to the past briefly, the finger of blame can be partially aimed at his father LaVar. After his legal issue and suspension young Ball was facing LaVar decided to withdraw his son from UCLA rather than face a year’s interruption of play.

NBA scouting reports indicated he was not as talented as older brother Lonzo and baby brother Melo were. Although sidelined with a history of injury Lonzo is a Bonafide NBA talent, Melo was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021 and has clearly demonstrated his talent. As for Angelo currently he’s playing in Mexico for the Astros de Jalisco in Guadalajara. Rest assured this is not the future he might have envisioned at a point in his life, it was NBA or nothing for him. We close this chapter with a peak at the braggadocious LaVar Ball, he often spoke of all three son’s playing in the NBA one day, at this time I believe he must satisfy himself with two of the three.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Opinions

We all have them, for the most part no argument is forthcoming from me unless. The “unless” is those times you attempt to use your opinion as fact, this is the example. A local high school basketball player is in the middle of his junior season, last year his team was a state champion. I don’t know how much he played but at 7 foot 1 and 245 pounds his numbers were respectable. This youngster averaged nearly 12 points 9 rebounds and 4 block shots per game and then the letters began regarding the story.

The first 2 or 3 were complimentary the 4th one not so much. This writer said, “Not very impressive stats for that height!” My first thought, did you see him play during the season? I have no idea if the team’s offense was run through him…do you know? How can an individual come to a certain conclusion without all the evidence in front of him or her? I saw no indication this gentlemen had any type of basketball background other than being a “fan.” I attempt to be real careful whenever discussing budding talent, this basketball player could be in the NBA in 5-6 years for all we know.

ACC versus SEC

Based on the Tuesday evening scores it would appear the much heralded ACC is not as strong as some might believe. Of the 10 games played only Clemson managed to win a game for the conference, they beat SEC Kentucky 70-66. The other 9 games saw SEC teams win over the ACC, this is not in the order of the time they played. LSU over Florida State 85-75, South Carolina put away Boston College 73-51. In other play Mizzou beat Cal 98-93, sidebar here. Cal where the Pacific Ocean is a short distance from the campus, this school is now in a conference some schools are near the Atlantic Ocean…oh well.

Continuing, Georgia over Notre Dame by a score of 69-48, Arkansas slid by Miami 76-73 while Ole Miss did a number on Louisville 86-63. Texas A&M was a winner over Wake Forest 57-44 while Oklahoma beat Georgia Tech 76-61. We close with Tennessee blasting Syracuse 96-70. This is just a one game series and the NCAA Tournament will be the ultimate judge but it appears things have changed. In the past whenever the subject of the SEC came up in conversation football was always the first thought but that is no longer the case. There are 6 additional games scheduled on Wednesday night, the ACC might win all of them but still come out with fewer wins than the SEC.

What about the NBA

Periodically I check mock draft sites for news, this one has Cooper Flagg at the top however in second place is an unknown to me. In this instance I’m looking at nbadraft.net’s latest mock, they place Egor Demin in that position, who exactly is this guy? I don’t know however let’s explore together this prospect, he’s a 6 foot 9 200 pound guard. Demin is from Moscow Russia, his bio indicates international play with Real Madrid.

Despite international play he’s only 18-years of age, Demin is enrolled at BYU and in his freshman year at the Utah school. His numbers are decent so far, 14 points and 6 assists a game which includes 57% shooting from the floor with 44.1% from three. The only blemish on Demin is his horrible from the free throw line with a 57.9%, that part of his game definitely requires work. In the same manner as a number of these prospects I’ve not witnessed him in action although I hope too real soon. Egor Demin the prospect nbadraft.net claims will be the second pick in the 2025 NBA draft.  

Is college still important

Of course college remains important educationally, I’m speaking of basketball. This issue was approached in the recent past and the question remains. With so many opportunities to advance one’s basketball development is it important to attend college? Euro basketball is available although to my knowledge few high school players have traveled eastward. Americans playing in Europe have been comprised of former NBA veterans along with several undrafted college players. There is Australia, LaMelo Ball and a few other high school players chose this route to the NBA rather than college.

Overtime Elite (OTE) takes in players without high school diplomas, they are given the opportunity to gain a high school diploma while playing basketball and being paid. There are professional teams in China, Asia, the Philippines and Japan however according to information I could uncover there are no American high school players in any of the countries mentioned. I have no analytics to present for you only an observation…yes college remains an important portal on one’s journey to the NBA. I believe Name Image and Likeness might be more beneficial than ever. A prospect can play basketball earn income and remain relatively close to home. The furthest location in the continental United States is less than 7 hours flight time. If we add Alaska and Hawaii to the picture naturally the travel time increases significantly.    

Bits n Pieces 

What I’d like to see occur in the State of Missouri but it will not take place. I’d like to see the teams compete in a pre-season tournament and it could be titled the Show Me Tournament as a nod to the state motto. The state has five Division I programs spread from one corner to the other. They are the University of MO at Columbia, MO State University in Springfield, St. Louis University, Southeast Missouri State located in Cape Girardeau and University of MO-Kansas City or Kansas City. With rare exception have the teams competed against one another so a tournament might be out of the question. Despite the fact I’d sure like to see it.

This issue places me in the middle regarding Bronny James, I expressed the belief earlier I didn’t believe he was NBA ready and to date that appears to be the case. The fault is not his alone according to Charles Barkley and I agree. The Lakers are shuttling Bronny back and forth between their G-League team and the parent club. This routine is not conducive to the learning process in the words of Barkley and I am in agreement. I have been critical of Barkley overtime due to some of the statements he’s made especially as a member of the media. So what happens for the immediate future, the Lakers must make a decision in my view. Either keep him fulltime on the parent club or assign him to the South Bay Lakers for an extended period, back and forth ain’t gonna cut it.

Speaking of Mizzou the latest KenPom ratings place the Tigers at number 53 in the nation. Naturally, one might desire their team be ranked higher however I’m okay with it, allow me to briefly explain. This Mizzou team is an unknown to me however it appears the coaching staff has been highly competitive in attracting high school and transfer portal talent. I am not just approaching this from the tournament angle but if this ranking proves true its good in that area as well. The tournament is a field of 64 and should Mizzou play at the level projected they should earn an NCAA berth.

 

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Your friends and associates

On occasion I ask you to contact your friends and associates with this information. If they enjoy reading about basketball from a fan’s perspective then Off the Dribble is for them. I admit there is bias on my part, I love Mizzou basketball…the same for the Lakers. Despite the statement there are a large number of players, events and historical information I attempt to impart to the reader. Off the Dribble has been a labor of love for a number of years by me. Writing is not my daily occupation however its easy for me to put pen to paper about basketball for a variety of reasons. Tell your friends, neighbors and whoever loves the game at its various levels this blog might be of interest for them.

The complaints

There are two complaints we read or hear every couple of days or so, we speak of those involving Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s game. They are A. He needs to gain weight (237 pounds) or B. He needs an inside game. The Sunday evening game was not telecast on any of the sports channels and I don’t have NBA League Pass. The following numbers are compiled from the box score in the Spurs 121-115 victory over the Kings.

This is his output, Wemby scored 34 points on 64.7% shooting from the floor on 55.6% of it from behind the three line. He also added 13 rebounds and 10 assists, the only downside was his 78% shooting from the free throw line, it becomes the third triple-double for the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. As for the complaints or criticisms maybe he will maybe he won’t, i.e., gain weight or develop an inside game. Wemby appears to be doing okay for himself in his second NBA season, is he on the way to superstar level? That view is yet to be determined however he sure seems to be on his way.

Why

Whatever it takes to improve the Lakers I will entertain it, as for the other. It seems on a daily basis feeds arrive on my iPhone with various players the Lakers could acquire. I’m all in on any trade except when they don’t make sense. I’m unsure the length of Paul George’s contract however as a free agent he could sign with the Lakers. Those kind of moves are never going to occur however there are others the Lakers have been noted as trading partners.

A trade with any Eastern Conference team could occur but if it involved a Western Conference team it ain’t happening for obvious reasons. Example recently a proposal came across my desk with a suggested trade between the Kings and Lakers…I didn’t bother reading it because it’s never going to happen. There’s not a single team willing to make a trade to a team that could be considered a rival for a playoff berth. Not only are both the teams in the same conference the Kings and Lakers are in the Pacific Division. Next time you read of a trade proposal check from the perspective of both sides, does it even make sense?

They could have retired

Where is it written that a worker must retire at a specific age? In the instance of the names I’m about to reveal, love of the game of basketball is the power behind their labor. These are not in any order just as they come to me, we begin with Dick Vitale. The veteran ESPN analyst has been sidelined due to health issues, it is unclear if he will resume duties behind the mic this season, he turned 85 last June. Continuing in the broadcast field we have Bill Raftery who had birthday number 81 last April. Rafe is also a broadcast analyst, he’s worked the college game for CBS Sports and is now working for Fox Sports 1.

Also in the role of analyzing the game but for NBA audiences we have Hubie Brown. Brown is the eldest of the bunch turning 91 years of age last month. This was written prior to the announcement that this would be his last broadcast season. If we turn to coaching there is 76 year old Leonard Hamilton head coach at Florida State, heading the basketball program at LaSalle is Fran Dunphy who is 75 years old. At Miami (FL) is 74 year old Jim Larranaga who continues to turn out winning teams. Without a great deal of research these are the names that come to mind, I’m sure there are others I probably overlooked. In closing I ask the question again, must you retire once you receive a certain age in number?

I’m am going to yell loudly….

If I hear one more person indicate to me Cooper Flagg ain’t all that. By the time this is read Flagg will have played an unspecified number of games at the college level, he’s yet to play a full season of basketball at this level. In addition I’d like to point out that he’s only 17 years old. I’m not going to mislead you rest assured there are parts of Flagg’s game he needs to improve if he intends to play in the NBA next season. The leap from college to the NBA always requires adjustment and he no different from other prospects.

With that out of the way allow me to say this up front, I wonder where all the naysayers come from. Are these the same folks that questioned the ability of Victor Wembanyama last season, I wonder how that turned out. Flagg has enough talent for the NBA, and if he eventually becomes an All Pro player is certainly an unknown factor at this point. Are those questioning the ability of Flagg simply attempting clicks or do they honestly believe the words coming out of their mouths? Maybe he can’t play but please allow him time to prove he can’t, thank you very much.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

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He was St. John’s basketball

Yesterday morning came word Lou Carnesecca had passed away at 99 years of age. Carnesecca replaced another St. John’s legend Joe Lapchick when he took over the program in 1966. I don’t remember Lapchick other than reading about him, Carnesecca is a different narrative. You’ve heard of the right place-right time and that might have been the story here. The Big East Basketball Conference was just coming into its own at the time Carnesecca became head coach at the school.

His teams battled with Georgetown with Big John Thompson were titanic basketball matches. Carnesecca retired in 1992 after 24 years at the helm of the program, his teams won 526 games while losing only 200. The record book indicates there have been 24 head basketball coaches since the program’s inception, there are significant names besides Lapchick. Just a few of those names include Rick Pitino, Fran Fraschilla, Frank McGuire and Mike Jarvis. The name Lou Carnesecca is enshrined in the College and Naismith Hall of Fame, another giant of the game has passed.

I hope I’m not a contributor (I probably am)

This time last year I (along with others) was singing the praises of rookie Victor Wembanyama. Was I a contributor to the hype machine surrounding the 7 foot 4 (223.519 cm) rookie. Yes I probably was to a degree however there was good reason, Wemby’s height plus his offense and defensive ability tended to mesmerized me. Well here I am again but this time it’s a college player, Cooper Flagg, the presumptive top choice in the 2024 NBA draft. 

I watched his effort against Arizona on Friday evening as he led his Duke Blue Devils to a 69-55 victory on the opponents home court. The first half of the game saw Flagg taking what seemed like a number of shots but few found the basket. The second half of the game saw the shots that missed in the first half found the bottom, he shot 45.5% for the game with 40% of it from three. As for the balance it was 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots. Unlike the Duke-Kentucky game this time Flagg had help from his teammates…this manifested itself in the victory. 

Excuse me if I become excited seeing a talented player demonstrate his skill especially in a game against the number 17 team in the country. Hype machine working overtime maybe so, last year it was Wemby, this year it’s Flagg…who will it be next season? There are a number of candidates to choose from, at the top of the list might be AJ Dybantsa at Utah Prep HS. Rivals and other prep sites indicate his choice is likely to be BYU.

Is it fair

The NBA is talking expansion although the league’s provided no timetable when it will occur. The three primary city’s mentioned are Seattle, Las Vegas and Mexico City. This is a brief discussion regarding our neighbor to the south and whether they even want an NBA team. Three obstacles are mentioned whenever we discuss Mexico the first is the language barrier, criminal activity and finally altitude. I’ve never traveled to Mexico City so what you are about to read is opinion only, it might not represent fact. Language-the overwhelming portion of the population is Spanish speaking, despite this fact it’s my belief if one remains in the touristy area there should be no communication issues.

The second obstacle is the crime problem which permeates the life of residents. The density of population could be a contributor to that fact, check this out. The New York City metro population is reported to be 19.5 million (2023), as for Mexico City its 22.5 million (2024). The third and last issue is altitude, Denver is referred to as the Mile High City because its altitude is 5,280 feet above sea level exactly one mile. Mexico City is even higher, its 7,350 feet above sea level. The NBA and NFL have played games in the city, I’ve not read any complaints regarding altitude in either instance. In closing the one area there appears no problem is financing, its reported there are a number of businesspersons in the city and nation who could afford to bankroll an NBA team. Will Mexico City obtain an NBA franchise, only time will tell.

How about the front office

Based on the earlier look at women filling the role of game officials I was asked the question, “What about ownership or executive positions?” This is the result so let’s check it out, women in leadership roles in the NBA. We begin with the long tenured Jeanie Buss of the Lakers, also Gayle Benson Pelicans owner and Nuggets owner Ann Kroenke. Also included in the number count is Miriam Adelson along with her son who own 69% of the Mavs. With the death of owner Paul Allen in 2018 as executor of his will there was a belief Jody Allen would eventually sell the Blazers.

As far as can be determined it appears Allen will continue in the role of owner at least for the foreseeable future. There is no indication she desires to sell the team. Also included in the list of owners is Ashley Smith of the Jazz. Holding minority ownership in the Bucks is Valarie Daniels-Carter and in the same manner Sarah Blackley of the Hawks, the last holder of stock in a team is Shelia Johnson of the Wizards. All of the following names have executive positions with the respective NBA teams named. We disclose the name of Lara Price Sixers, Gillian Zucker Clippers, Melissa Proctor Hawks and Matina Kolokotronis of the Kings. I am unsure if this list is complete, the women mentioned are the only ones I could uncover for this story.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Production meeting

I have no expertise in the broadcast field, since I was a youth I’ve listened and viewed personalities over that time. Some of you might have more information than me on this subject…production meetings. On occasion I’ve heard mention “a production meeting” prior to going on the air. That was television but I wonder if it exists in sports talk radio, allow me to inform you where I’m going with this latest rant. 

We have in KC Sports talk radio two dummy’s and I am being nice with the word. Whenever they hold a discussion regarding basketball they become even dumber. The latest was last week’s Duke-Kansas game and I am paraphrasing what I heard. One of the hosts said, “I’m not hating on him (Cooper Flagg) but I can’t see him as the top pick in the NBA draft.” My response is simple, I’m pleased you are not conducting the draft for an NBA team because you don’t have a clue. Seth Greenberg ESPN college basketball analyst detailed video of Flagg double-teamed practically every time he touched the basketball in the Kansas game. Greenberg pointed out Duke must do a better job with their floor spacing.  

This caveat from Greenberg, when asked if Flagg would be the top pick in 2025 he said, “Of course.” He went on to explain floor spacing in the NBA will be much different than in college. In closing I wonder if Dumb and Dumber schedule production meetings? We can have different opinions however they should be to a degree based on valid information. I cannot in truth watch a single game and decide the future status of someone, that’s ludicrous.

Continuing to progress

I found this interesting and wanted to share, the NBA for years has been the most diverse pro sports league in its hiring practices. From coaching to front office positions to its game officials. We could look at one particular area, game officials. The 2024-25 season witnesses a record number of women serving as NBA referees, there are 8 which is the most in the history of the league. Some might scoff at the number taking into account the number of NBA teams in operation (30).

If we contrast that number with other sports we can see there is much catching up to do by the others. Currently there are 3 female officials in the NFL, in baseball there is no female officiating at the major league level, the NHL currently has a single woman serving in this role. Does this provide us proof that the NBA is superior over other professional sports? That’s not the intent here, it’s simply to point out the league has made a concerted effort in the area of hiring game officials.

This is unusual

Pat Riley once served as coach of the Heat, for more years than I can count he’s been president of basketball operations for the team. The complete bio indicates we must travel back in time to 1995, that gives you an idea the length of time he’s been associated with the Heat. Based on that fact alone we are about to witness an unusual event in his life. Without a check I’ve lost track of the number of statues surrounding Crypto.com arena, in the future there will be at least one additional. A statue honoring Patrick James Riley will join the others placed there earlier.

Unless you are a certain age you might not realize the impact Riley made on Laker basketball history. He was a novice coach when first hired yet he was able to lead the Lakers to victory after victory. Don’t misunderstand a team must first have talented players and he did, Kareem, Worthy, Coop and the Magic man to name just a few. We hear the word 3-peat often, most recently it’s been applied to the NFL Chiefs as they attempt to win their third consecutive Super Bowl. The phrase came into common usage from Riley as his Laker team accomplished the feat, the Lakers were 5 time NBA champions under his leadership. This is but a brief explanation why there will be an additional statue erected…one of Pat Riley at Crypto.com.

The right place and right time

Ochai Agbaji was born in Milwaukee but grew up in Kansas City MO. He would attend Oak Park High School and later Kansas University, I had more than enough opportunity to see Agbaji in action based on these facts. I believed in 2022 he was a legitimate NBA prospect, that turned out to be the case. He was made the 14th pick in the first round of that year’s draft. It may have been the right time (first round) but it wasn’t the right place (Utah), because the Jazz are on television so infrequently I never got much of an opportunity to see him in action. Like the majority of rookies there was an adjustment period for Agbaji including a stint in the G-League.

I believe once he returned to the varsity team the reserve role kept him on the bench for the most part, then it occurred. Last February Agbaji was part of a trade package where he ended up in Toronto. Perhaps his talent is now fully evident, he’s been placed in the starting lineup by the Raptors. In addition to that the NBA depth chart on the ESPN NBA page list Agbaji as the starter at small forward although its likely he’s a shooting guard. It’s still early but if we check out his numbers they are double what he registered while a member of the Jazz. We must see if this pattern continues and Kansas City has two in the NBA Clipper coach Ty Lue and Agbaji. Early on draft night I stated it was the right time, now in Toronto maybe it’s the right place as well…we shall see.