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Basketball from a fans perspective

The plight of the basketball Big Man

Will Peyton Marshall all 7 foot and 300 pounds be able to grow his game at Mizzou? By growing his game I’m simply stating be able to do all those things that will allow him to be a draftable commodity in the NBA. Consider the fact it’s more important to play successfully at Mizzou however don’t think the NBA is not in the back of Marshall’s mind. The question is asked for a couple of reasons, the Big Man game has all but disappeared. Offenses in the college game has followed the trend in the NBA, the emphasis now is 3-point shooting. Personally I hate seeing huge men standing outside 3 chucking up shots. 

The point I’m attempting to make, Marshall might have a “Shaquille O’Neal” breakout while at Mizzou and still be a second thought come NBA draft time. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, we have no idea if Marshall can make the leap from high school to Division I basketball. Check this next portion, I might refer to it as the plight of the Big Man in today’s basketball. Thanks to sharpshooting Steph Curry and others the game has become one of inside-out rather than outside-in. The first name I will mention is Udoka Azubuike, some might remember he played his college ball at Kansas. Although his time at Kansas was somewhat limited due to injury he was thought highly enough to be made pick 27 in the first round of the 2020 draft by the Jazz. He’s now with the Suns but will likely be backup to DeAndre Ayton.

Purdue center Zach Edey decided to return to school rather than face an uncertain future in the 2023 draft. The 7-foot 4 300-pound Edey registered good numbers but after receiving lukewarm draft news must have decided it might work to his advantage to acquire additional skill. The last name to mention is rookie Colin Castleton, he’s operating on a two-way contract with the Lakers. Castleton undrafted must have impressed the Laker coaching staff for his summer league play. He stands 6 foot 11 and 230 pounds, despite this fact the Lakers are still “searching” for a veteran post player.

Is the ground still moving?

I’m unsure if I can remember a period in time, conference teams and conferences across the nation have shifted this much. The Big XII Conference now finds its teams in four time zones, what happened to that regional thing? Big 10 sports will soon be operating in all four time zones as well, as this is written direction of the Pac-12 is an unknown. This shift causes a number of problems chief among them rivalries. Will Oregon and Oregon State become a rivalry of the past, what about Washington and Washington State? All four of those former Pac-12 schools will play in different conferences next season.

One more issue a friend brought to my attention the travel. No, not the teams the parents. There are parents who journey to see Bill or Belinda play. Going forward these parents must be more selective in which opposition games they intend to travel. Similar to most moves this one is certainly generated by revenue despite what you might believe. What remains of the Pac-12, as this is written the future remains somewhat murky. In closing there remain schools desiring to move or change conferences, a school at the top of most lists is Florida State followed by Gonzaga.

I know it’s early

We are weeks ahead of the start of NBA training camp, I know it’s early. Why not take a look at the 2024 mock NBA draft to check out a few names. Aaron Bradshaw the 7-foot freshman center at Kentucky is the top choice for nbadraft.net., the other sites echo the same person. Matas Buzelis a 6-foot 11-inch 190-pound shooting guard/small forward is number one for nbadraftroom.com and tankathon.com., he will be in action for the first time with G-League Team Elite.

Another name listed in the Top 7 on all sites is Ron Holland a 6-foot 7 small forward, Holland will also begin play this fall for G-League Team Elite. Keep in mind this is early, I am reminded of Kobe Brown now with the Clippers. Near this time last year the Mizzou forward’s name was no place to be seen yet he was made pick 30 in 2023. Then again consider this fact, the Lakers had two undrafted players Colin Castleton and D’Moi Hodge sign two-way contracts. We also could look at Austin Reaves now a starter for the Lakers, he was undrafted too. 

Bits n Pieces 

All of us realize how much travel exists during the NBA season. Obviously, the Warriors intend to cut down on the travel, particularly in the preseason. They will play five games but never leave the State of California. This is the schedule as announced, the Warriors open against the Lakers at home on Saturday October 7, they face the Lakers again this time in Los Angeles on Friday October 13. On Sunday October 15 the Kings will serve as host against the Warriors, and the Kings will visit San Francisco on Wednesday October 18. The preseason will conclude with them serving as host to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs Friday October 20.

Who is Gilbert Arenas, of course we know him as a former NBA player? I’m unsure why but lately he’s been all over my news feed. Generally speaking he’s been off base in his takes as far as I’m concerned. At the same time I can state he’s got the right to speak his mind, I can also state I’ve got the right to disagree with the majority of his takes. One of the most ludicrous his belief (at least he said it) Shaquille O’Neal is a better player than Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Why am I bothering to discuss this, Arenas offers no proof besides his opinion and the fact he once played in the NBA. Sorry Gilbert those two facts are not strong enough for me to come to your side of the table.

Mizzou’s schedule will contain a meeting with Illinois, beyond that the balance of the non-conference portion of the schedule is not set except these three games. Recently it was announced Mizzou will face Seton Hall and Minnesota. These are two schools that if memory serves me correctly have rarely been on Mizzou’s schedule. This will be a home and home series with Minnesota, with the first game scheduled November 16 there, next season the teams meet in Columbia. Mizzou will return to Kansas City and T-Mobile Center for the first time in four years to face Seton Hall on December 17. Although the date is yet to be finalized Mizzou will face Illinois December 20-23.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

They have a history

Daryl Morey is president of the Sixers, prior to assuming that role he once served as GM of the Rockets. James Harden and Morey have a working relationship from their days when both spent time with the Rockets. That relationship appears to have died now with Harden calling Morey “A liar.” This kerfuffle deals with Harden’s desire to be traded…his choice of a destination is the Clippers (he’s originally from L.A.).

I have no idea what the issue(s) are with Harden after all he talked his way out of Brooklyn after he apparently wasn’t happy there either. It seems one of the issues upsetting to Harden is no attempt by the Sixers and Morey to offer him a long-term max contract. The indication at least for now the Sixers plan on opening trading camp with Harden scheduled to be there. All this becomes null and void should the parties come to an agreement by early October. In this instance I believe we all must wait and see how this story plays out.

Naismith Hall of Fame

All who were enshrined over this past weekend are to be congratulated. I’m going to repeat what I heard an NBA TV reporter state. “The late David Stern wanted the NBA to become an international game.” That is certainly true based on those honored on Saturday, without checking the history the 2023 Class might be the most international in Naismith history. We had Dirk Nowitzki, formerly of the Mavs and Tony Parker who spent the majority of his NBA career with the Spurs, he’s from France. Finally we should note Pau Gasol of Spain, Gasol’s career would witness him playing for several NBA teams

He might be most strongly associated with the Lakers, Gasol and Kobe Bryant combined to lead the Lakers to back-to-back NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010. Each of these honorees proved their value to their teams and the NBA but broke new ground. Nowitzki was the first Euro player to win the NBA MVP award, as for Parker he too broke fresh ground. In 2007 Parker won the NBA Finals MVP also a first for a Euro. We conclude with Gasol a vital key to back-to-back NBA Championships won by the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. It should also be of note Gasol was the first international player selected rookie of the year.

I know for me it’s been back and forth

This has been an issue for me in the past, I’ve gone back and forth on this matter. Does it signify anything where a team’s prospects might be rated in comparison to others across the nation? On the one hand you can state with conviction that until these prospects play we really have no idea of their skill. On the other hand a highly rated number of prospects attracted to a program leads one to believe that coach and his staff are beating the bushes in an attempt to add talent. That is the case for my Mizzou Tigers, the recruiting has faltered over the last few seasons. As for the Class of 2024 the prospects look really good according to several scouting sites.

As for yours truly it’s probably a little pride mixed in with this glowing report as well, realizing its early in the cycle but check this out for the Class of 2024. As I indicated earlier and you certainly are aware good recruiting is certainly a key to success for any basketball program. Mizzou has gotten off to a great start regarding Class of 2024 prospects. The Tigers are ranked number 3 in the nation by 247Sports while they are number 6 by Rivals. Another site, on3.com places Mizzou at number 8 on their poll. In all three instances this is likely the highest positioning ever for the Tigers. Of course this is all propaganda unless it translates into success on the basketball court, naturally this is the hope for Mizzou Nation. Hopefully Columbia Missouri becomes a choice destination for basketball talent.

Why is it necessary to some

I hope to continue writing hard hitting accounts without resorting to ludicrous making statements, you want to know why? I read another piece recently about Wilt Chamberlain, the writer detailed a number of the amazing feats Chamberlain accomplished during his career. The very first, not the second or third email written by a fan read something similar to this. “The NBA back then only contained 8 teams (partially correct), it was easy for Chamberlain at 7 feet to dominate a smaller NBA.” A fan I would term a defender responded in this manner, “A lesser number of teams means the talent pool was much smaller, opposing teams had the choice of the top college players nothing close to a watered-down share of existing talent which might exist today.

I pose the question to readers once again, why must some individuals attempt to negate efforts of athletes of the past? I’ve mentioned this on several occasions and this time again. Athletes of today in all sports are better conditioned than most in the past. In the 1950’s and 1960’s the off-season meant just that for athletes of that period. Training camps were the time athletes prepared for the season ahead. Despite these apparent negatives I believe in adjustments, who’s to say Chamberlain and other All Stars wouldn’t have made the necessary changes to play at that level. The NBA contained only eight teams, by the time Chamberlain retired there were 16 teams. I continue to ask why…why must some continuously downgrade the efforts of those of the past?

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Basketball from a fans perspective

It was a good week 

Coach Gates and staff did it again on Friday, it was a great recruiting week for Mizzou and Class of 2024 prospects. Early in the week on Monday 6-foot 6 190-pound Marcus Allen listed as a hybrid committed to Mizzou, at the close of the work week on Friday 7-foot 300-pound center Peyton Marshall announced he would also be headed to Mizzou. These two join 6-foot 5 190-pound point guard T.O. Barrett who verbally committed June 29. This might appear to be a bold statement on my part, despite that fact I’m gonna say it anyway. 

How about the best recruiting week in basketball history for Mizzou since we first begin tracking this stuff. Now for the disclaimer, all three of these prospects have done thus far is make a verbal commitment. Between now and August 2024 one or more could change their mind although all three would certainly be doubtful. In addition they might not play at the level projected, that is always that possibility as well. In any event I think most in Mizzou Nation should feel good about the basketball program once again. After suffering on the court and especially in recruiting it appears Dennis Gates and staff are working at resolving one aspect. 

I never claimed to be correct…but   

A few weeks ago I wrote of the effort by Royals owner John Sherman to build a downtown ballpark. I made it known I was opposed for several reasons chief among them who pays. I detailed the background of Chase Center, Climate Pledge Arena, Intuit Dome and the planned 76 Place. It was pointed out each of these arenas was and will be completed without a single taxpayer dollar. I made note of the fact Sherman at the time I wrote the account made no mentioned of what he intended to pay. I stated I was opposed without a promise by Sherman of his contribution. Well my interpretation upset at least one person, it was pointed out having baseball (or the NFL, NBA) makes a city “major league.”

This is me, why is a major league team validation of a city’s status? I will cite an example for you, I’m unsure of the number but when Kansas City served as host for the NFL draft several businesses indicated revenue was down for those 3-4 days of the event. There must have been a circle surrounding Union Station home of the draft. The further away your business was located from Union Station the    less monetary return was received by the entity. My account dealt with baseball however it would be the same if we had an NBA team. Having a major league team displayed on the front of a jersey doesn’t always earn a city major league status. In closing since my account was written Sherman’s stepped up and pledged $1 billion toward the $2 billion project. Despite the pledge I remain opposed to the stadium until I see a positive in the peoples favor. As a reminder I never claimed to be correct…but it is my opinion there is no requirement for you to agree.  

NBA coverage will be weird next season

The headline is the comment of JJ Redick who I believe still works for ESPN. Although I no longer view the network at the level I once did it remains the leader. Sorry Fox Sports your football coverage NFL and college are good, no NBA and not a great deal of college basketball coverage why would I choose Fox Sports? That’s a discussion for another time and place, now for the subject at hand. Redick’s comment is true and easy to understand. A seismic shift occurred with the Worldwide leader at the conclusion of the NBA championship. ESPN/ABC pulled the plug on analyst Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy however Mike Breen will continue in his role as play-by-play broadcaster.

Why Jackson was tenured remains unclear, the departure of Van Gundy is slightly different. It was claimed the former coach wanted to return to the bench although that was never confirmed. Moving in to replace the duo will be Doris Burke and Doc Rivers. Mark Jones remains in place as the backup broadcast crew, as this is written there’s been no indication who will become his analyst-partner. On the studio side ESPN decided to release Jalen Rose, the NBA Finals will now have Malika Andrews change positions with Mike Greenberg. Thumbs up on the move by Burke, thumbs down on Rivers. I’ve never liked Rivers as a coach so I’m supposed to listen to his commentary now. One more vote, thumbs down for Malika Andrews. I’m not the least bit impressed by Andrews and I believe someone else more worthy could have been placed in that position.

In the news

An unknown percentage of basketball fans were familiar with Overtime Elite, this new league started in 2021 was relatively unknown by a greater percentage until the 2023 NBA draft. The June draft saw the Thompson twins Amen chosen with pick five by the Rockets, his twin brother Ausar was chosen by the Pistons at six. I’m sure this caused several to set up and take notice of this new league. The Thompsons are yet to set foot on an NBA court. Perhaps they might be overrated however I don’t believe that to be the case. Will they be successful in the NBA, time and play will determine that question. In the meantime OTE made news once again, and most interesting it involved twins as well.

Matt and Bewley Ryan left high school joining OTE in its first year of operation. Due to age requirements unlike the Thompsons these brothers are ineligible for the NBA draft until 2024. They made a decision, they will begin play at Chicago State this upcoming season. Besides the brothers ability there is at least one non-basketball question surrounding these twins. Since OTE is a pay for play league I wonder how this might impact these young men and their eligibility? As far as we can determine there appears to be no question regarding this matter and perhaps we must await the heavy hand of the NCAA for a decision. In any event should they be no eligibility questions and the Ryan’s are able to play Chicago State basketball should be quite interesting this season.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

What week is it?

I’ve got to admit it, I’ve lost track of the number of days and weeks Christian Wood’s been discussed. Is he a good fit for the Lakers, is he not a good fit? To be honest nobody really knowns for sure, it would appear AD is going to play major minutes at the 5 position, Wood or someone would be his backup. Where does that leave Jaxson Hayes signed during free agency? The roster provided by ESPN’s NBA page has Hayes playing backup to AD, so how does that work if the Lakers sign Wood? From what I read and hear my view is polar opposite of most in Laker Nation…they want him. Allow me to clarify, it’s not the fact I don’t want him on the roster the issue is his defense.

I’ve not seen Wood play much but it appears he is skillful offensively around the basket, the problem is his defensive intensity. I’m hearing commentary “If we get him here Wood will be able to see the Big Picture, we can motivate him to maintain his consistency.” The other issue of course is money, the Lakers have only veteran minimum to sign him. Okay let’s check out the other portion of the story, if Wood is so valued why is he still a free agent? NBA training camps open in about 6-8 weeks and he’s got no home. Are the Lakers or some other team negotiating with Wood to sign on the dotted line? All we are hearing at this point is Lakers…Lakers…Lakers. Occasionally another team is mentioned in the Wood sweepstakes, in conclusion this remains a mystery signing.

Where are they-from January 31, 2023

I’ve mentioned this previously, sports in this age, unlike the past lacks characters. You know those individuals who are just as entertaining with their persona as their sports talent. Baseball of the past was full of these characters, sadly they no longer exist in today’s game. The college and NBA game never rivaled baseball in this area, but it too had its share of characters. Just like baseball we must look at the past to uncover just a few of these individuals. We have the late Billy Tubbs Oklahoma coach along with Mizzou’s Norm Stewart. He’s not generally thought of in this role, but Celtic Larry Bird could be included in the discussion. The late Marvin Barnes played in the ABA and later moved into the NBA is also included along with center Darryl Dawkins.

Tubbs was a good basketball coach, listening to his speech pattern actor Jack Nicholson would come to mind although I’m sure Tubbs was speaking in his natural tone. Once during a heated game Oklahoma fans were tossing debris on the court. Tubbs was asked to address the crowd over the P.A. system and his remark was classic. “No matter how bad the officiating is etc. etc.,” who manages to address a gathering in that manner? Naturally, Tubbs was assessed a technical foul and left the floor. Mizzou’s Norm Stewart once asked if his team contained any McDonald’s All Americans. “We don’t have any, but we eat there” was the coaches response. This one is also classic, the coach hated spending a dime in Kansas. Anytime Mizzou played Kansas in Lawrence this is how travel would occur.

The team would be bused to Kansas City and spend the night in a hotel on the Missouri side, the morning of the game there would be another bus ride from Kansas City (MO) to Lawrence. Marvin Barnes did not realize time zones existed, at the time he played for the St. Louis ABA team. His team playing in Memphis on Eastern Time the landing time back in St. Louis (Central Time) was explained to Barnes and confused his answer to the coach. “I ain’t getting on no time machine.” All we saw was Larry Bird streaking down the court on a fast break or shooting plus defending. What most don’t realize and opposing players agree Bird was a notorious trash talker on the court. In the NBA Three Point contest Bird said, “Who’s coming in second?” Finally we close with the late Darryl Dawkins, the Sixer center had the habit of naming his dunks. Dawkins broke more than one backboard while in the NBA.

I can’t see that far from here

The 2024-24 Big XII Conference race should be quite driven, Bill Self and Kansas basketball will have more than the usual test on their hands. This 16-team (and maybe more) conference will likely be one of the best in the nation. I’m sure the SEC, ACC and Big 10 might be contesting who comes in second place. Imagine Kansas having to go through this minefield of teams to win a championship, Kansas State, Arizona and Arizona State.

Also included on the schedule is Cincinnati, Baylor and Houston. I’m sure I’ve overlooked several teams but my intent was simple, I wanted to give you an inkling of the level of competition Kansas will face. Included in the mix are TCU, Texas Tech and Iowa State. Of course the headline reflects the reality, I am too far from this expanded conference to determine how any of the teams might play. This was only an attempt to have you think about the expanded Big XII Conference and how it would look, Kansas has long been the power. Will the Jayhawks remain in the power position they have always maintained?

Where they play sometimes doesn’t matter 

We held one of those discussions where talent arrives in the NBA from colleges the Big Boy programs come to mind first. We tend to look at Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, UCLA and others. We forget guys like Steph Curry who played at Davidson, Ja Morant from Murray State or Damian Lillard Weber State. In the count we’d include Kawhi Leonard San Diego State and CJ McCollum Lehigh The names mentioned are just the first few that come to mind, outstanding NBA talent without major college credentials. If we looked at an earlier time in history we could point to Dr. J. Julius Erving, he played his college basketball at UMass or maybe Indiana State’s Larry Bird.

How about Robert Parrish Centenary, our list could also include the names of George “Iceman” Gervin Eastern Michigan or John Stockton Gonzaga. Whoa… hold on a moment you say, several of those schools have large student enrollments. The student population is not part of the discussion, the classification of the school is the issue. Not a single school mentioned plays in what some consider a Power 5 conference. To borrow a line from an old saying “Cream rises to the top.” If a prospect demonstrates more than adequate talent it doesn’t matter what school they might have attended. Sure there were questions about Steph Curry and others however they provided us proof they were/are talented enough to play at the NBA level.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Bits n Pieces

ESPN continues to blow up its NBA programming lineup. Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy have gone from the NBA side, as you are aware these moves were made recently. There is one more move contemplated, this one just a change rather than termination. A report is circulating that the network intends to replace Mike Greenberg with Malika Andrews as NBA Finals Host. I probably am in the minority but have not been impressed with Andrews, I guess I will watch less of the NBA Finals in the future.

From what is written does Arizona State really desire to become part of the Big XII? There have been a couple of disparaging remarks emerging from Tempe regarding the change. The single statement “I’m not going to Morgantown (WVU), I’m going to send the assistant AD.” That was made by athletic director Ray Anderson, he’s since apologized for the statement. It’s further being reported ASU president Michael Crow has made his thoughts known and he’s not a happy camper either about the move, it’s going to be quite interesting to see how ASU adapts to this change.

The second coming

Peyton Marshall might be considered the second coming of Shaquille O’Neal. Marshall is listed at 7 feet tall and 300 pounds which is certainly in the realm of the Big Aristotle. Now before I continue this glowing report allow me to state Marshall is likely matched against 6 foot 7 maybe one or two opposition players who might be 6 foot 10. As you can see he might not have faced topnotch competition while enrolled at Kell High School in Marietta Georgia. His skill set around the basket is so similar to that of Shaq although that might be unfair to him. Rather than Shaq perhaps he needs to be the best version of Peyton Marshall. Where am I going with this glowing report, Marshall is a Class of 2024 prospect. He was committed to Auburn and then de-committed, it was reported Marshall was leaning toward Ole Miss as his school of choice.

Then it occurred, John Bol a 7-foot 1 190-pound center made his commitment known on July 31…it would be Ole Miss. Bol is well short of Marshall in the weight department however they play the same position. Will Marshall choose Ole Miss too, that’s doubtable at this time. Who’s up next on Marshall’s list of possible schools, it could be another SEC school…Mizzou. This is certainly only speculative at this point, Marshall is to soon make his decision known by the end of the week. For those in Mizzou Nation our fingers are crossed. Just in case Mizzou misses at Marshall there is a back-up plan in place, it’s always good to have one. He’s identified and with an offer on the table is Khaman Maker. Also in the Class of 2024, Maker is a 7-foot 215 pound 3-star prospect he attends Trinity International School in Las Vegas Nevada.

Hype part II

I wanted to update or correct a portion of yesterday’s “Is the hype machine working overtime?” The portion related to Cavs rookie Emoni Bates and a modification to a portion of his story. Yes he was Gatorade Player of the Year while in high school. Although he changed high schools before graduation the buzz around him continued, it remained as he re-classified and enrolled at Memphis. The hype did seem to lessen a bit for Bates after his apparent flameout and injury.

His transfer to a bad Eastern Michigan team resurrected his stock. Bates was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft by the Cavs but that was not the original forecast. I remember once reading an scout who claimed Bates was "ready for the NBA as a high school sophomore." His prospects faded as he matured from high school into college. Was Bates overhyped in a similar manner as Wemby has, I think we can say yes? I ask the same question for him I did for Wemby. Was Bates overhyped…possibly, was he a contributor to the hype…NO.

He’s got game

Laker guard Austin Reaves has quickly become a favorite of mine and members of Laker Nation. His teammate claims the 6-foot 5-inch shooting guard doesn’t receive the credit due him because he’s white. Excuse the spelling in this instance, this is a direct quote from point guard and backcourt mate D’Angelo Russell. D’Lo says, “They prolly discredit him because of his skin color, but he got game. A lot of black dudes in the league got one (game), maybe one white boy they know can hang and get it at any park back home. I can bring him to any park back home, and he gon hold it down.”

It’s clear Laker management saw this in Reaves as well, they were not about to allow him to walk in free agency. In addition to his free agent payday he also managed to secure his first big shoe deal with Rigorer a Chinese shoe brand. You remember the Reaves story don’t you, he informed those interested NBA teams he would seek out his own deal, don’t draft me was the word he uttered. As for the team that turned out to be the Lakers. We discovered last season once second year man Reaves was inserted in the starting lineup LeBron James was singing his praises. It is clear his backcourt mate Russell has his back as well. Reaves is certainly one of the keys the Lakers hope will lead them to the 2024 NBA championship.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Is the hype machine working overtime?

The saga continues, I pose the question to you. Was the hype machine working overtime regarding Victor Wembanyama? Many claim Wemby is the most hyped basketball player ever, even more so than LeBron James. I’m unsure if that’s the case, consider this view it was LeBron’s senior year of high school when the hype went into hyper drive I believe. I remember a great deal of hype surrounding Zion Williamson during his senior year of high school. Perhaps my memory has begun to fade because I don’t remember others of the past. Someone mentioned Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar), he certainly was highly touted in high school but that was 1965. We must consider the fact times have changed, there was no ESPN nor SportsCenter, Rivals or McDonald All Americans in Alcindor’s day.

These methods of generating information (and maybe hype) would come along 8-10 years later. The only method of hype at that time was newspaper sport pages along with basketball magazines but even those fell short of what we see today. I suppose back then there were questions regarding Alcindor’s college destination but nothing close to a hype machine. I believe we could look at Emoni Bates, he was Gatorade Player of the high his sophomore year of high school. I reluctantly placed Bates here however the hype expired after his Gatorade Player of the Year as a high school sophomore. Back to Wemby, as I’ve tried to state from the beginning we have no clue of his future success. Is he being over hyped…possibly, is he contributing to the hype…NO.     

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Columbia   

For those who might not be into movie trivia the headline is a throwback to the 1967 classic starring Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Recently Mizzou Nation published a list of prospects headed to Columbia. Among the names mentioned was 7-foot 3 220-pound center Trent Burns from Houston Texas, he’s begun his senior year of high school at PSAT-XEA Academy. Headed to Columbia in October is Ryan Jones Jr., he’s a 6-foot 8-inch 225 pound forward who attends the Rock School in Gainesville Florida.

I have no idea of either youngsters ability but this is the portion I love, this coaching staff under Dennis Gates is “beating the bushes” in an attempt to identify potential talent. I’ve stated on numerous occasions it appeared the previous coaching staff was unable to be successful in recruiting talent for Mizzou. Those above represent just a few of the scheduled visits upcoming. In addition the list indicates an additional four prospects have already visited however they are yet to make a commitment, once again the key I perceive. Several mentioned Dennis Gates as the reason for their visit. There is no guarantee any of the prospects sign with Mizzou, in addition there is no assurance of their ability to adapt to the college game. The key, Mizzou, is certainly in the house attempting to recruit with the Blue Blood programs of the nation.

Trade of a Hall of Fame player

It’s been mentioned more than once that the Lakers have always had a great scouting system. The problem is that every player drafted is unable to be utilized by the Lakers. Julius Randle, Alex Caruso, Brandon Ingram and though injured Lonzo Ball. This is a small list of players the Lakers have drafted or traded for over time but later moved to acquire other players. While the names above are talented Adrian Dantley was as well, in addition he’s been enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame since his retirement. You are probably asking yourself how this occurred. Adrian Dantley played his college basketball at Notre Dame University and this history note occurred while he was a freshman.

Dantley played a key role in his school upsetting UCLA and halting their 88-game winning streak. At the beginning of his NBA career Dantley was drafted in 1976 by the Buffalo Braves and he was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1977. A 1977 trade sent him to the Pacers but he only remained there for a brief time, Dantley was traded to the Lakers. He played on the Abdul Jabbar Laker team along with Jamaal Wilkes, Lou Hudson and others. Once again Dantley was on the move being traded this time to the Jazz and later the Pistons. What is so amazing to some Dantley stood 6 foot 5 but played small forward at 208 pounds. Over the course of his NBA career his numbers. 24.3 points per game during his brilliant career, he was a six-time NBA All Star during a 15-year run.

The Rifleman

Chuck Connors is a name I came across while conducting research. The late Connors is known more for his acting ability than sports, there are others however Bo Jackson is the name that comes to mind discussing athletes playing two professional sports. This Brooklyn New York native attended Seton Hall as a two-sport athlete, leaving school he began a pro career. From 1940-42 Connors played minor league baseball. He entered military service during World War II which interrupted his career for a time. He was discharged from service at the end of the war and resumed his playing career this time as a basketball player. It’s easy to understand gravitating toward basketball, Connors stood 6 foot 5 inches a height far above most of the period.

Connors would join the Boston Celtics in the inaugural season of the BAA, at this point the story of the broken backboard is covered and a portion of the account corrected. Connors is reported to have been the first to break a backboard, it was not a slam dunk in the manner of Darryl Dawkins or Shaquille O’Neal. He is reported to have broken the backboard with a shot and not a dunk, that story sounds incredible. Connors only played with the Celtics until 1948, baseball became his sport of choice again. He would conclude his baseball career as a member of the Cubs in 1952. From that point on Hollywood was calling and Connors moved into movies and television, it was television and The Rifleman series that his star began to shine intensely. Connors died in 1992 at the age of 71, his thespian story is different from several actors. We have seen professional athlete retire from the game and move into the entertainment world as an actor, for Connors it was the opposite.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Class of 2024

All the evidence indicated 4-star prospect Marcus Allen was headed to Mizzou. The Miami native had several choices in front of him Stanford, Michigan, Arkansas and hometown Miami to name a few. I could have written this 2-4 days ago but wanted to wait until his verbal commitment was firm, he did this on Monday. As for the specifics Allen stands 6 foot 7 and weighs 190 pounds, 247Sports describes him as a hybrid. 

I guess that says he can play small forward or shooting guard. Allen joins 6-foot 5-point guard 4-star prospect T.O. Barrett, Barrett verbally committed to Mizzou at the end of June. What is interesting at least for me is that both players bypassed schools in their “backyard” they could have chosen. Barrett is from Edmund which is next door to Norman home of the University of Oklahoma. Mizzou is ranked number 28 in the nation in recruiting by 247Sports, I’m sure this number should rise with the Allen commitment. 

Laker Nation

This issue of Los Angeles being a Laker or Clipper town has become a topic of conversation again. I’m part of Laker Nation however like a number of members I don’t live in Los Angeles, truth is I’ve never even visited the city. I have seen the Lakers play on occasion but not there, it must be quite different there but there is history. Although Los Angeles is not the city of origin the history certainly provides a basis for the why. The Lakers were struggling at the game in Minneapolis, in 1960 owner Bob Short moved the team to Los Angeles. Success occurred on the court and despite setbacks eventually resulted in winning championships.

As for the Clippers the story is certainly different, home base was Buffalo then a move to San Diego in 1978 occurred. The team remained in San Diego until 1984 when they made a move to Los Angeles. Owner Donald Sterling made the decision to move the Clippers to Los Angeles without league permission. The move was not peaceable, the NBA filed a lawsuit against Sterling and the NFL indirectly came to his aid. The NFL Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles and a suit had been filed by the NFL, the courts ruled in favor of the football team, the NBA believing it would lose dropped the lawsuit. Based on the history will allegiance of Los Angeles fans change once the Intuit Dome opens? From what I read there are Clipper fans in the city it’s just the fact they are clearly outnumbered.

I hope this information is correct

The once proud Pac-12 Conference now consists of only four schools, the members are Washington State, Oregon State, Cal and Stanford. Several conference members have voted to depart for the Big 10 and Big XII Conference in 2024, I believe that to be correct. New additions to the Big 10 are Southern Cal, UCLA, Washington and Oregon. The Big XII adding Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado and in 2024 it will become a 16-team conference. More interesting is a report indicating the Mountain West Conference is considering a merger with the remaining Pac-12 members. From where I sit it’s going to be a little bit difficult to judge how the basketball will be impacted by these new schools especially the Big 10 Conference.

He’s gained weight

Tall guy Victor Wembanyama is receiving all the hype, that’s not unusual considering he was the top pick in the 2023 NBA draft. There is another tall guy who technically is a rookie too, his name is Chet Holmgren. You remember what occurred last season, Holmgren was made the second pick in the 2022 NBA draft by the Thunder and he was prepared for the NBA until injured. He suffered a Lisfranc injury which sidelined the thin Holmgren for the season after a brief summer league appearance. I decided to check medical sources for a definition and it’s this, *“Lisfranc (midfoot) injuries result if bones in the midfoot are broken or ligaments that support the midfoot are torn.” It should be noted here that this type of injury could have been suffered by an athlete at 195 pounds or 250.

Last season a number of the same stories we hear about Wemby’s weight we read and heard about Holmgren. It’s clear summer league play in 2023 appeared to detail he was ready for play in the fall and winter. In addition to demonstrating his talent on the basketball court the “Thin Man” has managed to gain a bit of weight. Standing 7 foot 1 and 195 pounds his stature was questioned by some if he was prepared for the rough and tumble world of the NBA. Well Holmgren’s not grown in height but now checks in at a “massive” 208 pounds, there is no doubt for me. The youngster will have some bumps along the way as he attempts to adjust to NBA play, I could be wrong but believe he is capable. The Thunder finished last season two games below .500 so with Holmgren added to the lineup improved play is expected by management and fans of the team.

*American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

That’s actually okay for me

You’ve caught me in one of my non-ranting moves, I’ll explain. I just checked ESPN’s early Top 25 list and the Mizzou Tigers are no place in sight in any of the beauty pageants. Ordinarily I would be stomping about the house questioning why, this time I am okay allow a further explanation. Last season the first under Dennis Gates, like most in Mizzou Nation the expectations were low, after all only three players remained on the roster. All who could escape did so and that’s understandable, they had been recruited by the departed Cuonzo Martin. Kobe Brown now with the NBA Clippers remained and helped lead Mizzou to a 25-win regular season record plus an additional tournament win.

That was the best Mizzou had accomplished since the 2011-12 season when they won 30 games. Back to Gates, he recruited on the fly and produced a winning team, what occurs in year two? On paper the 2023-24 team looks stronger than last season but you know what is said, “They don’t play games on paper.” Why am I so optimistic, I can say the apparent mix of talent. Four players who could have left remained and they will provide the foundation. Veteran talent arrived in the transfer portal plus a legitimate Big Man. I hope 7 foot 5 Connor Vanover can approach the numbers he produced for Oral Roberts last season, 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. The SEC looks tough once again and the Mizzou roster must produce, one thing for sure they will not sneak up on anyone as they did this past season.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

He definitely fell and bumped his head

We live in a different age, an age that says, “Let’s tear down the accomplishments of those who came before us.” The guilty party this time is former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, for this reason alone he’s come to a conclusion. “But outside of his skyhook, what did he actually do”, those are the words of Arenas. Further reading in Basketball Network we discover, “Gilbert Arenas has Shaquille O’Neal over Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the greatest center ever.” I’m not going to cover this jaded view in its entirety only point out a couple of facts. The most critical Arenas was 7 years old the year Abdul Jabbar retired from NBA play.

What I am stating is exactly what’s in front of you, Arenas never had the opportunity to see Abdul Jabbar in action except for YouTube and a few specialized programs on NBA TV and other sources. Another point just this past season LeBron James broke the NBA all-time scoring record, the record was set in 1984 by who else…Abdul Jabbar. Think about this a record that stood for almost 40 years and no one but James came close to setting a new mark. I certainly place myself in the category of loving the play of Shaquille O’Neal, he comes in second for me behind Abdul Jabbar for the Lakers. As for center play period Shaq is further down on my list, this conclusion no matter what Arenas thinks and places in front of me. As the headline reads Arenas definitely bumped his head and suffered a concussion on this one.

There is nothing I can do

The Christian Wood drama continues with my Lakers and I’m tired of it. It seems half of Laker Nation want Wood signed and the other half say an emphatic NO. I place yours truly in the latter category, no argument from this corner Wood is clearly talented however the negatives in my view outweigh the positives. Although his time has been limited with each team should the Lakers sign him it will be team 8. There are NBA players with an equal number or more on their resume but there is a difference.

The difference as I see it, those players were/or age 30+, they had/had been in the league for a while, Wood is 27 and will have birthday number 28 next month. Should the Lakers sign Wood it won’t be the first time I was not please with a player they acquired. I could look toward last season and Patrick Beverly and two years ago with Russell Westbrook. I’d have to say I’ve been more concerned with players the Lakers have drafted and traded over those acquired in trade. As examples most recently I could point to Lonzo Ball, Jordan Clarkson or Kyle Kuzma…I hope that makes sense.

Re-write 

I once worked for a marketing manager who often made this statement. “We are moving so fast the wheels are falling off the wagon,” that statement could certainly apply for the Big XII Conference. By the way this is the second re-write, the first one was written Friday afternoon. By Friday evening around 8:00 p.m. Central Time the breaking news required a re-write. Arizona State along with Utah had been voted in to become members of the Big XII, Thursday evening Arizona had accepted an invitation. With Southern Cal, UCLA, Oregon and Washington moving to the Big 10 this will be the last season for the Pac-12. Back to the Big XII, this will now become a 16-team conference. I cannot speak about the football but the basketball is certainly going to be exciting and certainly competitive.

What is to occur in the future with the remnants of the once proud Pac-12 Conference? Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford and Cal hang around but how long do they endure with no conference affiliation? I cannot imagine the Pac-12 will survive at this point and be able to reach out to any school. My best guess is that the remaining schools will likely depart for the Big 10 and Big XII at an early date. There is one less power conference in existence now with the expected demise of the Pac-12. It will disappear like the Southwest Conference did, this conference with schools mostly in Texas was a premier conference from its founding in 1914 until its demise in 1996. Nowadays few remember the SWC except old-timers and sports historians. All I can say is pay attention to the news it certainly moves at a swift pace than I am able to publish at times. Finally with a 16-team conference we could foresee an east-west conference of 8 teams each.  

Growing the NBA game

I didn’t realize this until it was pointed out, did you realize outside of the U.S. the nation with the most NBA players is our northern neighbor Canada. This past season there were a record 22 Canadians spread throughout the 30-team league. I realize that number might appear trivial however not by me. The NBA is always looking to expand the product, it probably hopes two pre-season games in the fall will accomplish just that. 

The Raptors will play the Kings in Vancouver on Sunday October 8, that will be followed by a match between the Thunder and Pistons in Montreal on Thursday October 12. The NBA has games scheduled in the second (Montreal) and third (Vancouver) most populated cities in Canada. Once the Grizzlies left Vancouver the only Canadian city with an NBA franchise was Toronto, we can speculate of the future as usual. Will the NBA return one day, I believe that will be the case although its likely years from now. 

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Basketball from a fans perspective

Bits n Pieces

John Bol is a 4-star prospect in the Class of 2024, the 7-foot 1 forward attends Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita. The highly rated Bol had a number of visits planned over the next few weeks. On August 21 it would be Florida, there were two visits scheduled in September. On September 9 he planned on a visit to the University of Michigan and September 23 Bol had Mizzou on his travel schedule. On July 28 Bol verbally committed to Chris Beard and Ole Miss. I guess the only way he will see Mizzou arena is when Ole Miss arrives in Columbia to play the Tigers. I learned he’s not related to the late Manute Bol or Suns forward Bol Bol, evidently Bol must be a common last name in Sudan similar to Smith or Jones in the U.S. 

Auction house Sotheby’s will soon take bids on the 1972 jersey worn by Wilt Chamberlain. It’s being reported the jersey is likely to sell for $4 million. This is the Game 5 Laker jersey Chamberlain wore in their championship victory over the Knicks that year. I read the account and I have a question which for now will remain unanswered. I’m guessing at the time celebrities place items for bid it’s assumed the owner is reimbursed a portion of the sale. With Chamberlain deceased and no direct lineage who receives the payout once the jersey is sold. Chamberlain never married and had no offspring, I once read there were siblings. If he had lived Chamberlain would be 87-years old so it’s reasonable to believe a brother(s) or sister(s) could still be alive.

Construction needs to be increased at warp speed at the Intuit Dome site, why do I make this statement? That might not be me rather its Clipper guard Terrance Mann. Mann appears upset with the arrangements at Crypto.com, he went on record with this claim, “It feels like we are the little bros over there. They treat us different.” What exactly is he stating, do the maintenance staff at Crypto.com refuse to perform work task quickly for the Clippers? Are Clipper players and coaches ill-treated by workers at the arena? I hope this statement is just Mann’s imagination. I find his comment a little bit difficult to believe. Remember that old adage I’ve used, “Just when you think you’ve heard it all you hear one more thing, that is certainly true here?

At the time LeBron James arrived in the NBA it was said, “He’s got an NBA ready body.” It was true, James was listed as 6 foot 8 and 240 pounds when drafted in 2003. The 2023-24 Laker roster indicates he is now 6 foot 9 and weighs 250 pounds. That’s not surprising James was 18-years old and had not fully matured, most of us gain weight as we mature, over time James is no different from any of us. On the other hand maybe he is, get this former Laker teammate Stanley Johnson has made an interesting claim. Johnson says James is 6 foot 10 and “close to 300 pounds.” This is another one of those accounts we cannot verify, do you believe the Laker roster or Stanley Johnson?

The building

Viewing video of Intuit Dome planned home of the Clippers in Inglewood I was reminded, construction cameras have allowed me to be there. This is a basketball blog so for our purposes arenas will be the focus. Thank goodness for construction camera’s, they have allowed me to “visit” the progress of assembly without leaving my home. This certainly is not intended to be in any type of order, the first construction cam video I remember was Sprint Center in Kansas City. I watched the arena now known as T-Mobile Center from the dirt around it being bulldozed to its completion in 2007.

Over the years there have certainly been many others I witnessed being built. Similar to my hometown I saw the dirt being moved until the arenas were completed in the following cities, please note these are not in order of construction. North of Kansas City in Milwaukee thanks again to a construction cam I was able to view Fiserv Forum being built until it opened for business in 2018. East of Milwaukee, in Detroit a construction cam allowed me to see Little Caesars Arena being completed in 2017. These could also be included in my list, Chase Center in San Francisco (2019) and Golden 1 Sacramento (2016) along with Barclays Center Brooklyn (2012). I could add one more arena, this one in Seattle, two issues here. There is no NBA basketball in the city yet and this was not new construction. The former Key Arena was gutted and only the iconic roof was left in place, the arena re-built became Climate Pledge opening in 2021.

On the horizon yet to be finalized are 76 Place in Philadelphia and arenas in Las Vegas and San Antonio should they be confirmed and construction begun. Las Vegas is interesting in that Tim Leiweke Oak View group is claiming his partners intend to build a $2 billion 20,000 seat arena along with a resort and casino. Good news for the taxpayers of Nevada, Clark County and Las Vegas, Leiweke claims no tax funds will be utilized in this project. There are other arenas however those named are among the number I remember observing construction as they were being completed.   

NBA businessman

Generally speaking we tend to look at Michael Jordan as the barometer of success for NBA athletes. After all since retirement MJ has accumulated enough wealth to be listed as a billionaire. Yes MJ’s done okay for himself but so have a number of others. One of those names was a pretty good basketball player too, Junior Bridgeman was a first-round draft pick in 1975 by the Bucks. Bridgeman retired in 1987 and understand this, he never earned more than $350,000 during his time in the NBA.

He owned at one time over 250 Wendy’s and Chili’s restaurants and a Coca-Cola bottling distributorship. Bridgeman doesn’t have MJ money but his net worth is reported to be in the neighborhood of $600 million. On occasion we read stories about NBA players and other athletes who suffer in retirement due to one fact. They spent money too lavishly, owning scores of automobiles and homes. They were unable to see the need to invest a portion of their earnings. I have no method to validate this statement that I’m about to lay on you without offering any proof. I believe Dennis Rodman (and others) probably have a modest amount of the fortune earned during the time period they played in the NBA.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

This is interesting

I read this on Tuesday from a .com website, “Three reasons why the Lakers must sign Christian Wood.” Then another one read, “Big-name free agents the Lakers resist the urge to sign.” There were three players in this account and the first name mentioned: Christian Wood. I find this quite interesting two accounts one opposing the other, I have no intention of re-telling the story for either. What I do intend to ask, if Christian Wood is such a valuable free agent why hasn’t another team besides the Lakers attempted to sign him? There’s an old saying, “One man’s treasure is another man’s junk.” A quick synopsis of bits and pieces of information on Wood. The first piece is his salary, although he’s a veteran Wood is only 27-years old and is highly unlikely to sign for the veteran minimum. According to more than one source the Lakers can only offer Wood the veteran minimum.

I admit I haven’t seen a great deal of Wood in action but a true concern exists for me. His bio indicates he’s played for 7 MBA teams which is certainly a concern. I have read when Wood is engaged he offers a great deal of offensive and defensive presence. You did notice I said engaged, what I’ve read there is difficulty sometimes in Wood being unfocused while on the court. Strange as it might sound I’m on both sides regarding Wood, I wouldn’t be upset should the Lakers fail to sign him. I’d just as soon have the Lakers give minutes to Colin Castleton after his summer league play. Here’s what I see, after a successful draft and free agent acquisitions it appears the Lakers are ready to compete for the 2024 NBA championship. A potential malcontent certainly wouldn’t aid the team this upcoming season, on the other hand could the possibility of championship make for a change in attitude. Naturally at this point we have no method to prove that.

I ain’t no trained medical professional

It is far too early to determine whether Bronny James, who suffered cardiac arrest, manages to play this season. As the headline reads I certainly claim no expertise in the medical field. This I do know, Southern Cal had a similar case last year, freshman forward Vince Iwuchukwu also suffered a cardiac arrest incident. After treatment and medical clearance he was able to return in January 2023 to play for the Trojans for the balance of the season.

It’s far too early to determine if that might be the case for James as well. As for the now…it’s possible without the medical setback James might have been a backup guard in the 2023-24 season anyway. It’s quite possible Southern Cal might have the best backcourt in college basketball. Returning is All-Conference guard Boogie Ellis and added to the team is Rivals number one prospect in the Class of 2023 Isaiah Collier. I certainly don’t wish to make any projections on the health of Bronny James, at this point in time we just don’t know.

A story

This account is related to the recent drama on ESPN, a New York Post story claims one of the reasons Jeff Van Gundy was terminated was the networks belief Van Gundy wanted to coach again. The account goes on to claim the network wants Doris Burke on the A-broadcast team. She would team with Doc Rivers, who the network is enamored with along with Mike Breen. This series of moves leaves Mark Jackson without a job, he’s laid off. B-broadcast team play by play guy Mark Jones has no analyst with the departure of Burke. Let’s take these moves one by one, first the account claiming Van Gundy wants to coach again.

There are several questions, does ESPN have confirmation Van Gundy wants to coach again or was he fired for other reasons? The NBA has “control” of the network broadcast groups, did Van Gundy’s continued criticism of officiating and other things rub the NBA hierarchy the wrong way? As for the move of Burke I can only speak for myself, she is a talent at analyzing the game, I can understand why they might want her teamed with the top broadcast crew. As for Rivers I’m unsure how to respond to this move. I’ve been a longtime critic of Rivers coaching, how am I to react hearing him making suggestions on coaching strategies when I have questions about him. Finally Mark Jackson let go by ESPN is a little surprising to me and maybe others. I’m unsure what occurred here unless the network just decided it was time to move on from him.

Revisionist history

The Buffalo Braves moved to San Diego and were re-named the Clippers and a later move placed them in Los Angeles. The Braves moved due to poor attendance and the fact they were less than successful on the court. Was a single decision responsible for the move to Los Angeles, we don’t know but check this out. The late Moses Malone would be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame, he was a three-time NBA MVP and 12-time NBA All Star. That represents just a few of the honors Malone would receive but I’m getting ahead of myself. Malone signed with the Utah Stars of the ABA out of high school and one year later it was the Spirits of St. Louis. The Spirits were one of the ABA teams dissolved, their players were placed in a draft pool.

The NBA dispersal draft would see the Blazers chose Malone with the express intent to trade him. They had Maurice Lucas, Bill Walton and Lloyd Neal and figured “they didn’t need him.” Malone was traded to the Braves who failed to keep him as well. He wanted playing time and the Braves were unable to give him the minutes traded him to the Rockets. The balance of the story is left to the annals of NBA history. As I see it two teams missed the opportunity to play this Hall of Fame performer. The Blazers would see Walton suffer a series of injuries which forced him to miss major portions of the next few seasons. Malone would have a more successful NBA career than Lucas or Neal. As for the Braves unable to provide him the playing time he wanted Malone only played two games for them. Who knows…if they had gained additional talent alongside the talented Malone they may have been able to remain in Buffalo.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

It’s your list

What if I did this, ask you to name the top 10 barbeque restaurants in the Kansas City metro. After you wrote them down or gave them to me verbally this response from me occurs. “How could you leave off Gates (or Joe’s Kansas City) from your list?” Notice the last sentence and the underlined portion, I asked for your list, unfortunately you failed to include a restaurant (or two) I believe to be the best in the metro. Well a similar event occurred in the basketball world. I’m quite sure you are familiar with the name Julius Erving a.k.a. Dr. J. a member of the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Dr. J. is a 30,000-point scorer and has numerous other accolades besides those mentioned, this is what occurred…asked to name his top 10 players he left LeBron James off his list. I don’t understand but must concede this is HIS list and not mine. Well to Stephen A. Smith it matters not what Dr. J. believes the list is bogus in the eyes of Smith. Now we have a member of the media who appear to be at odds over a list compiled by a hall of fame player. Did you notice at the beginning I attempted to point out this list belongs to Dr. J., I would have included LeBron James on any list containing the best ever but this ain’t my list. Guess who else it doesn’t belong to…Stephen A. Smith?   

A new name

The Spurs may or may not have a new arena in the planning stages. It’s been mentioned over the last few weeks the Spurs have figured with the drafting of Victor Wembanyama in June a decision was made a new arena was required. It was mentioned the belief a larger than normal number of fans will now be flocking to see the young Frenchman. In the meantime the present use arena known as AT&T will undergo a name change before next season.

The AT&T folks apparently decided at some point they no longer desired to have their name placed on the arena. At this point apparently Spurs management begin a search for a new corporate sponsor. That new sponsor turned out to be Frost Bank a regional institution. An official announcement has not been made yet so there are no dollar figures to entertain. I do have a question, because these corporate sponsorships are several years in length I wonder if the Frost Bank name will move to the new arena? 

The worst owner in NBA history

A few of you reading this only go as far back as Donald Sterling. Sterling the former owner of the Clippers was a bad owner Ted Stepien was light years worst, who is he you ask? Because I divulge basketball beyond my years I am acquainted with Stepien. How harmful was he, before he was forced to sell the Cavs a rule regarding draft picks had to be placed in affect, “A team must have at least one first-round pick in every other draft moving forward.” The pick doesn’t have to be their own, but they have to be guaranteed a pick from some team somewhere in every other draft.” The previous portion you read was from Sam Quinn NBA writer for CBS Sports. In case you are curious about Stepien and why did he make such an impact on the NBA? It’s generally agreed he was/is the worst owner in NBA history.

Think about this for a moment, in the rich history of this basketball league dating from 1946 up to the present. Consider the numbers who’ve owned teams during this period and for one guy to be identified as the worst owner. The Cavs were an expansion team, according to the records Stepien purchased a 38% interest in the team continuing to obtain shares until he owned 82% of the stock. Once he owned the majority of shares the circus moved into full effect. During the 1981-82 season Stepien fired three head coaches and hired 4 in their place…in a single season. Between 1981 and 1985 the Cavs traded five consecutive first round draft picks, hence the Stepien Rule came into being. The NBA had to prohibit teams from making trades in the manner of the Cavs owner. The Cavs playing poorly begin suffering at the gate so what does Stepien do about it? He threatens to move the team to Cincinnati, Toronto or Pittsburg after attendance began to decline.

Do you think the statements made by former Clippers owner Donald Sterling were racist and insensitive, allow me to introduce you to Ted Stepien? The history doesn’t provide us complete detail, but the NBA was reported to have “forced” Stepien to sell the Cavs. In April 1983 he sold the team to the Gund brothers George and Gordon. As a businessman Stepien probably believed the moves he made were in the best interest of the team they were proven to be unwise. As for his racial comments, unlike Sterling or former Suns owner Robert Sarver they made private racist statements, Stepien appeared to see nothing inappropriate with his racial comments since he made them to the media. This is a compact version of the chaotic time when the Cavs had Ted Stepien as owner. This is a compacted history, there is additional detail on the net.

Coach still recruiting

Kentucky has a late addition in the Class of 2023, his name Zvonimir Ivisic and he’s a 7-foot 1 220-pound center. Ivisic is considered one of the top European prospects in basketball, Ivisic is from Croatia. If you think this was a “soft commitment” consider this fact. Kentucky has in place Aaron Bradshaw a 7-foot 207-pound freshman center along with 6-foot 11 233-pound sophomore Ugonna Onyenso. As you can see there is plenty of beef and height in the pivot. I’m not familiar with who returns or is incoming for the Wildcats beside the three named. If coach Cal has an effective point guard they will be a tough foe for any of the SEC rivals they will face this fall and winter. As per usual I make no declaration of the ability of any of the names including the late addition Ivisic.

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Basketball from a fans perspective

A theory

You’ve read my rantings about inadequate media coverage of Mizzou sports in the Kansas City region, some might believe it’s untrue but it is, the key issue is geography. First a little background, in 1928 Mizzou became a member of the Big Six Conference. Later as schools were added it would become the Big 8 and finally the Big XII, in 2011 Mizzou left for the SEC. All schools in the conference were in the Central Time Zone except for the departed Colorado Buffs.

In addition geography had all Big XII schools connected in one form or another. As long as Mizzou was part of the conference there was a tie in once they departed the connection left with them. This is the example to consider, Kansas shares a border with Missouri, Oklahoma and a smaller portion with Iowa (Iowa State). Oklahoma shares a portion of its border with Texas and it’s Big XII members in the state. In some eyes Missouri has no connection with Auburn in Alabama or Kentucky, the media probably figures their viewers are unconcerned with the happenings with those programs. Of course Kansas and Bill Self don’t escape completely.

The KC market contains a number of journalist who graduated from Kansas University, they continue to place their school in the forefront of media coverage in this market. Finally with the most recent expansion by the Big XII there will now be a presence in the Eastern and Rocky Mountain Time Zones (UCF & Brigham Young). This move is unlikely to change the media coverage in Kansas City. In closing keep in mind this is pure speculation on my part, just a theory which cannot be validated. NOTE: After this account was written the administration for the University of Colorado decided in favor of a return to the Big XII. In addition reports exist UConn and Arizona are reported to be exploring a move to the Big XII. 

“The land down under”

I’m sure some of you are familiar with the term, “The land down under.” It’s applied to the Australian continent because it lies in the southern hemisphere which is interesting. Without checking a world globe I believe most of the African continent also lies in the southern hemisphere too. Back to the story at hand, there are reports up to 17 Australian players will begin arriving in the NBA over the next four years. The disclaimer of course is a percentage of that number might choose to remain in Australia in the NBL. It’s likely when discussing Australia the first names that come to mind are Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball combo guard Josh Giddy with the Thunder. 

Perhaps it might be Ben Simmons with the Nets or Joe Ingles Magic and Patty Mills of the Hawks and others to consider. Despite the fact we are familiar with Ball and Giddy neither was close to being the first NBL players in the NBA. We must return to 1991 to discover the first player from Australia to play here, that would be Luc Longley drafted by the Wolves. Although he played for other NBA teams his play with the MJ Bulls certainly was one of the keys to their NBA championship success. Others would follow Longley such as Andrew Bogut, Aaron Baynes, and Matthew Dellavedova. Several have played outstanding while others had only average NBA careers.

As for our account here it should be noted that a number of the reported 17 are not all native born in the manner of Giddy and others. A percentage of talent arrived in Australia from other nations to compete professionally. The names below should not be considered the only NBA prospects, those listed play in the NBL. There are another number of Australians who play basketball at American colleges and universities, after an internet search I was unable to locate a number for you. Can we just state the number of Australians is probably greater than we maybe realize.  

Ariel Hukporti 7-foot 250-pound center – Melbourne United (Germany)

AJ Johnson 6-foot 5 160 guard – Illawarra Hawks (USA)

Bobi Klintman 6 foot 10 225 forward – Cairns Taipans (Sweden)

Mantas Rubstavicius 6-foot 7 185 guard – New Zealand Breakers (Lithuania)

Alexandre Sarr 7-foot 1 205 center – Perth Wildcats

Taran Armstrong 6-foot 6 190 guard – Cairns Taipans

David Okwera 7-foot 251 forward – Perth Wildcats  

I unsure it this was covered previously

My research department is limited to one individual (me), I’m unsure if this was covered previously. If it’s already been reported skip reading it. We’ve discussed NBA expansion in this blog and the fact Seattle and Las Vegas appear to be the most viable candidates. Seattle has the “new” Climate Pledge Arena for the new Sonics to begin play when expansion comes about, what about Las Vegas? For this purpose the long-range plan is up for discussion.

Here’s what we read, Tim Leiweke whose Oak View Group was principally responsible for Climate Pledge Arena is moving from that project onto Las Vegas. I mentioned this on one of my social media sites and was questioned on it. There is no guarantee this project moves from the talking stage to the first shovel full of dirt is turned over. This is the surface proposal, a 20,000-seat arena exclusively for the NBA team. In addition a casino and resort will be adjacent and all this is projected at $10 billion. Leiweke claims, “On this arena, I’m not asking you for any money,” Leiweke explained during a Q&A session. We’re not going before the state, We’re not going before the county. We will go build it on our own privately.”

Mike Allen

Fox 5

KVVU-TV

I didn’t have the answer

My wife and I were driving home one evening when a tune came on the radio. I don’t remember the song title however a portion of the lyrics sung by the artist contained the words “24 seconds” and it caused me to think, “I told my wife, as much as I know about basketball and especially the NBA, I have no idea how the league arrived at a 24-second clock?”  Well, I had to discover the answer, for many of you too young to realize the league did not always operated with a shot clock. In a 1950 game against the Minneapolis Lakers with George Mikan the Fort Wayne Pistons gained the lead in the game and began passing the ball rather than taking a shot.

The game simply became one in which teammates passed the ball back and forth and guess what, it worked. The Pistons were able to beat the Lakers 19 to 18, NBA owners decided the game needed a fix. “The NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock during the 1954-55 season to speed up the game. The number 24 was devised by Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone, who divided the game’s 48 minutes into 120, the average of 60 shots per team in games played from the previous three seasons.”   Like anything else over time, the average number of shots has probably varied up or down however the NBA continued to use the 24 second shot clock as it’s barometer. The shot clock demanded a team shot the ball within the 24-second time limit, no longer would teams be able to hold the ball.

ESPN.com