Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Bits n Pieces of information 

Just kidding folks, we realize expansion is on the minds of NBA owners. Recently the Board of Governors met although commissioner Silver indicated expansion was not a topic of discussion. Of course NBA fans are curious to know if and when Seattle and Las Vegas will be added as the 31st and 32nd teams in the league. A question was asked by a member of the media if Climate Pledge Arena was up to NBA specifications, some might remember this is the refurbished Key Arena. I’m not sure about the interior portions of the arena however the website indicates it now seats 18,300 for basketball up from the 17,072 of Key Arena.

I’ve covered Hubie Brown previously, his name popped up again on one of my social media sites. Brown could have retired years ago after all he’s 90 years old, he’s got to be a great-grandfather maybe a great-great grandfather. He’s been associated with the NBA for 50 years in some capacity. Brown’s longtime association with basketball and his contribution has seen him enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. You now he must love the game, he continues working when he could have retired ages ago. Hubie Brown former point guard, coach at several stops and broadcaster. He’s a name you should be familiar with from basketball’s rich history.

Although the game has changed the prospect of adding a quality Big Man to your program continues to be intriguing to a considerable number of college basketball coaches. Based on that fact Eric Reibe from Potomac Maryland would appear to be one of those budding talents, the 4-star prospect stands 7 feet tall and weighs 230 pounds. There are a number of offers pending for this Class of 2025 prospect, Kansas, UConn, North Carolina and Creighton are just a few of the more than 34 bids for his services. This certainly is no hint of future success on the basketball court just a name you should become familiar with.  

What he said

Over and over I’ve admitted Shaquille O’Neal was a favorite of mine. If you thought it was because of his tenure with the Lakers its more, it goes back to the days I first saw him play at LSU. This continued on with him being drafted by the Magic, I followed and rooted for him at that same time I was cheering for the Lakers. Once Jerry West managed to secure him in free agency I was overjoyed. Fast forward to the present day, the Big Aristotle provided us his assessment of the Spurs Victor Wembanyama. This is a little different in one aspect, prior to his arrival Shaq questioned Wemby’s potential. All that’s disappeared now, Shaq acknowledges the budding talent of the 7 foot 5 Wemby but does question one aspect.

As a post player who played down low Shaq questions whether the youngster can dominate the NBA as Shaq did. Despite Wemby’s height and his increased weight of 220 pounds I would ask the question. In today’s NBA is it really necessary for Wemby to dominate the game in the post? It’s my belief given time and development of his game the youngster could be just as dominate but in a different manner. One thing for sure Shaq is forgetting, the game’s changed whether he likes it or not. There is no longer a requirement for post play of the past. I don’t have the answer my intent is to provide you the view of Shaq and to determine your thoughts but pose the question, is Shaq correct in his view? As a fan I just happen to disagree with the view of Shaq regarding this issue.

“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated"

Our headline is one coined by writer Mark Twain an American writer, humorist, and essayist. His quote could easily fit the Pac-12 Conference in recent weeks. We thought the conference was on its death bed, everyone was escaping leaving Oregon State and Washington State the lone remaining members. This league was definitely on life support, “the patient was expected to die anytime” only it didn’t occur. On Thursday came word, the league had used an automated external defibrillator or electronic panels to “shock” the conference and revive it.

This is what occurred, San Diego State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State have been invited to become members of the Pac-12, this move is to be complete by the 2026 season. If you didn’t make the count there are only six teams, two more teams must be added to be recognized as a conference. The door is probably closed on Stanford, Oregon, UCLA and USC to return to the Pac-12. Will the two additions to the conference be geographical additions, could it be New Mexico, New Mexico State or Grand Canyon as an example? I will advise you of the two additions as soon as they are announced.

The rise of

Last season we saw Shai-Gilgeous Alexander rise to the top of an elite NBA talent. I hesitate to call him the best combo guard in the NBA however he certainly might be close to the best. His rise might have been indirectly responsible for the lesser play we saw of Josh Giddey, he took a back seat in the Thunder offense. You remember Giddy don’t you, big guard (6-8) from Australia, in 2022 the Thunder may have believed they had uncovered a diamond in the rough. On June 21 Giddey was traded to the Bulls for Alex Caruso so what exactly occurred?

I’m not exactly sure, if we look at his numbers they certainly were not terrible however this next portion is pure speculation for me. The factors, the rise of Gilgeous Alexander, the two in the same backcourt appeared to not work successfully. Gilgeous Alexander moved ahead of Giddey with his prolific shooting and the other things. Lastly, the elephant in the room, Giddey’s possible relationship with an underage girl. He was under a microscope by the NBA for weeks, that must have impacted his play to a degree. He was finally cleared but in a manner similar to Kobe Bryant the episode was held over his head by a number of fans.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

It’s rare for me

I have attempted to keep my crying and moaning to a minimum regarding the Lakers. I’ve been critical of head coaches but I believe even that’s been rare. As for members of the roster that’s rarely occurred until now. My concern is aimed at forward Christian Wood, after his play with the Mavs my anticipation was the Lakers have obtained a good one. Needless to say I was disappointed in the 6 foot 8 Wood’s play season long. I decided to wait to determine what will occur in his second year with the team and then BAM. He missed the last two months of the season having surgery on his left knee, an arthroscopic procedure was performed in March.

We were all ready to go when The Lakers reported in early September Wood would require arthroscopic surgery on that same knee. First the good news, the surgery was reported to be successful, here’s the unwelcome news. Wood will miss training camp and the exhibition season, it’s being reported he might miss the first few weeks of the regular season. I have no idea of his medical history, maybe the surgery has been pending for a time. Who’s responsible for waiting till late August for surgery therefore missing training camp who’s responsible, the Laker medical staff or Wood? Lets just say at this point I’m disappointed, this would have been ideal for him with Jarred Vanderbilt also reported to be missing time. We have no idea now but he could have moved into the role held by his teammate.

This conversation occurred

I’m unsure how this began, I was discussing NBA basketball with my wife (a rare occasion). I said “I heard and read a number of complaints about Yao Ming. There were many who claim he didn’t play long enough in the NBA to deserve hall of fame recognition.” I went on to say, “Many thought the arrival of Yao Ming would open the door for additional talent from China.” It didn’t occur, there were a few players from China since Yao but not one managed to remain or star in the NBA. So what occurred, while conducting research I came across the name Hansen Yang. It was believed Yang would enter his name in the 2024 NBA draft, that didn’t occur so we must look toward 2025.

Yang is a 7 foot 1 250 pound power forward/center who plays for Qingdao in the Chinese CBA. He’s drawn a great deal of interest although similar to most prospects there are areas of his game requiring improvement. Currently reports indicate Yang might be a better defender at this point in time, will he submit his name for the 2025 NBA draft, only time will tell. *“Defensively, he lacks lateral quickness and overall mobility, which limits his ability to hedge ball-screens, switch and defend out in space. Yang is forced to play drop coverage, where he can be quite effective due to the flashes he has shown as a paint defender. The next step for Yang as he continues to mature and get older is to improve his overall athleticism. He’s not very quick, currently lacks ideal strength, is not a vertical athlete and his lackluster mobility isn’t ideal.” The statement, “mobility isn’t ideal” bothers me however it’s not a game changer.

*SI.com Mar 10, 2024

From High School to the NBA

I cannot provide the date nor time, several years back there was talk of high school players in the NBA. You might remember the last player to accomplish the feat successfully was LeBron James in 2003. That came to an end in 2006 and since then the NBA has seen the One and Done rule. It’s not actually a rule but the fact a player must be age 18 and one year after their high school class graduates. The latter portion of the rule has not been monitored closely in my view. In any event these changes have occurred which says the NBA will never draft a high school player again. The NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement says so without me providing you details.

The advent of youth play particularly in Australia, a small number have utilized the Land Down Under as a steppingstone to the NBA. The last issue is the opportunity to play at home, Overtime Elite founded in 2021 took high school talent paid them…and groomed them for the NBA. The number of players from OTE is not overwhelming however the league has only been in operation a short amount of time. I’m unsure if this is a true reason however I’ll toss it out there anyway…NIL. Name, Image and Likeness has allowed a number (not every athlete) a significant income. These days if the athlete’s diet consist of Ramen Noodles it’s because he enjoys them not the fact he’s run out of money. There are a few athletes who might have been able to make the leap from high school to the NBA but why is it necessary these days?

Family first

Gregg Popovich’s always appears cold as ice, despite the gruff appearance that is not the case. Recently I heard two story’s which Pop won’t appreciate but they will be told anyway. The first involves Robert Horry at the time he was a member of the Spurs. His daughter was hospitalized and he was preparing to play in the evening’s game. His coach told him Go to the hospital and stay there until she is released. His daughter did recover and returned home, Horry returns, once again he is preparing to play.

Pop told him to go home until his daughter is well. He indicated years later he lost his daughter but he would never forget what Pop had done for him. Stephen Jackson share his Pop story, he said his wife had suffered a miscarriage and he was also preparing to play. The coach told him to take time and when you get your head together then come back. Those are but two former Spurs players who speak of Pop with a great deal of respect. Rest assured those two were not special, I have no method to prove my statement. I believe Gregg Popovich has attempted to be coach and father figure to all his players over the years.

I don’t know this to be a fact

Recently you read about Hansen Yang who may or may not decide to make himself available for the 2025 NBA draft. This prospective power forward hails from China but wait there is more. Since the retirement of Yao Ming it’s my belief the NBA hoped to see another Asian player in the league. If its not Yang making the grade the name we might hear is Keisei Tominaga who is from Japan. Although Tominaga grew up and developed his game in his native Japan he traveled to the U.S. to enhance his play.

The first stop was Ranger, a community college located in Ranger Texas about 125 road miles west of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro. Tominaga played at Ranger College for two seasons prior to attending the University of Nebraska, he went undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft. This past July Tominaga signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the NBA Pacers. His reported shooting prowess has a tag hung on him that places loads of pressure on him. He’s been nicknamed the “Japanese Steph Curry” which for me certainly places a bullseye on the 6 foot 2 178 pound guard. For now it appears play in the G-League for now but keep an eye on him. For some strange reason, any discussion on Asian players we overlook Rui Hachimura now with the Lakers.

The look ahead     

I took a glance at the calendar and it indicates there is just a brief time (Oct 4) NBA exhibition play begins. The NBA regular season begins Tuesday Octobert 22, the defending champion Celtics will serve as host to the Knicks in the early game. The late night game for the Midwest and East Coast Time Zones will feature the Lakers facing the Wolves at Crypto.com arena. There might be college exhibition games scheduled prior to Monday November 4 however that is the date teams begin non-conference play. There are 65 games scheduled on that date from the east to the west coast. Memphis will serve as host to my Mizzou Tigers while HBCU Howard University will play Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse. 

The broadcaster

Who are the top broadcasters in the NBA, between ABC/ESPN/TNT do you have a favorite? For these purposes I’m excluding color analyst only the play by play broadcasters. Radio is vastly different, that broadcaster must be quite descriptive since he becomes the “eyes” of the listener. Television is a different matter, we can see the game there is a visual picture. There is no requirement for the broadcaster to be quite as descriptive except in one instance. The late Chick Hearn Laker broadcaster simulcast games on radio and television.

Being on radio and television at the same time forced Hearn to broadcast games differently from most. What occurred, those watching Laker games on television were given a plus description of the game. I mentioned Hearn but the names below are national broadcasters. I will mention the name of Bob Costas, he’s no longer broadcasting the NBA but when he did it was outstanding. At the top of my list is Kevin Harlin TNT broadcaster, the father-son Eagle combo, Ian the father and Noah the son. Mike Breen is one of the best although at one time I had a degree of difficulty with him. We close this with the names of Ryan Ruocco and Matt Devlin. It’s being reported that once NBA broadcasts move to NBC Mike Tirico will take on responsibility for NBA broadcast. 

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Bits n Pieces of information

They need a Mars Blackmon character or something, allow me to explain further. The name Mars Blackmon might fail to register with a substantial portion reading this, the character was portrayed by Spike Lee in dozens of Air Jordan commercials back in the day. Of course His Airness Michael Jordan was featured in the commercials but it was Mars Blackmon who was just as much the focal point of the commercials maybe more than MJ. Recently I saw the first New Balance commercial featuring Cooper Flagg, in my opinion it was bland rather than entertaining. Listen folks, I have no expertise in this area but long believed commercials should do two things. They should Sell the product and Entertain, the New Balance ads do neither. Don’t take my word alone, check out YouTube and decide for yourself.

The talk of adding UConn to the Big XII conference has stalled, don’t misunderstand what I am communicating I’m not saying the Connecticut school will never join the Big XII. There are a bunch of moving parts one being a television contract. As I attempted to point out previously the Big East is more than UConn but it is a key, could Fox cancel its contract should UConn leave? That question and others cannot be answered by me. I have but one question why does commissioner Brett Yormark continue to add teams? There are now 16 teams in this expanded conference, I’ve read the basketball schedule this upcoming season will see some teams play one another only once. Of course in the past teams have played a home and home schedule. Of course everything is money generated so I guess that’s the answer.

I don’t remember the name perhaps you may, his name Dink Pate and he’s from Dallas Texas. Pate was a 5-star prospect at the time he graduated high school. Although he could have chosen colleges Alabama or Arkansas he decided in favor of G-League Team Elite in 2023. He just turned 18 last March making him the youngest American player in professional team sports. Pate had a pedestrian first year as a pro but was probably looking forward to year two. Of course by now you are aware G-League Team Elite closed shop so he attempted to enter his name in the 2024 NBA draft but was turned down. Based on that fact Pate had to find a team and he did, he’s headed to Mexico having signed a contract with the Mexico City Capitanes of the G-League.

I’ve often wondered

Both football and basketball require talent and skill to play the sport at an exceptional level. There is a difference in this manner, I received this insight from a former high school and college football player. Jerome informed me of his observation. “You cannot expect an 18-year old football tackle to play in the NFL yet an 18-year old basketball player could come into the NBA and dominate.” There are host of basketball players who while not dominating the game certainly held their own against 29 and 30 year old veteran pro players.

Who are they, this is speculation on my part because neither Wilt Chamberlain nor Abdul Jabbar were able to play as teens in the NBA although I believe they could have. We certainly could name LeBron James as a day one player, also add the name of Moses Malone to our list. If we fast forward to present day we could see the names of Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama added to a list. Both of them were 19-years old when they arrived in the NBA and despite their age were able to compete immediately. Attempting this from memory I’m quite sure I’ve omitted one or more players who could be on this list. This really provides us little evidence of Jerome’s belief but I’ve detailed for you a number of youthful NBA players.     

Which sport…chose one or maybe not

I saw video of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes playing basketball. Although he moved as smoothly on the basketball court as he does the football field its clear he made the correct choice. At 6 foot 2 and 225 pounds he is a “tweener”, too short to play small forward probably not tall enough even for a big shooting guard too. How about another player and sport, that would be the Yankees Aaron Judge. Judge played three sports in high school, pitcher and first baseman, wide receiver for the football team. In basketball he played center and once averaged 18.2 points, the difference between Mahomes and Judge is size.

Judge stands 6 foot 7 and 282 pounds, despite his size Judge chose baseball over the other two. He might have been a dynamite power forward if he’d chosen basketball. How about LeBron James, a 6 foot 9 inch 250 pound wide receiver in high school if he’d continued he would have become a tight end in the NFL. Two NFL tight ends one in the NFL Hall of Fame are up next. Tony Gonzalez played for the Chiefs and Falcons but he also played on Cal’s basketball and football team, at 6 foot 4 and 255 pounds he was too “small” for the NBA. Antonio Gates story is quite different in one aspect. He wanted to play football and basketball at Michigan State, that would not occur Nick Saban didn’t want him playing basketball so Gates decided on Kent State. He played both sports but he also was 6-4 and 255, the NBA was out of the question, he would spend his NFL career all with the Chargers. Danny Ainge now an executive for the Jazz played baseball before beginning his NBA career with the Celtics. Of course the athlete many refer to as the GOAT Michael Jordan at one time retired from the Bulls played minor league baseball for a time and then returned to the NBA.

One of the names that even predates Jordan is Gene Conley whose major league career was quite different. Rather than choose one sport over the other how about playing both at the same time? Conley was a reserve player for the Celtics while pitching for the Red Sox, other than Bo Jackson (who never played basketball) Conley was one of the few to accomplish this deed. At an earlier period actor Chuck Conners played for the Celtics and the baseball Cubs. This look should certainly not be considered complete, I located at least 10 additional names that could have been included in this account.

The decision

It was clear this member of Laker Nation was displeased with the JJ Redick hire. My preference was the guy who turned down the job UConn’s Dan Hurley, if not him former player/broadcaster Mark Jackson. I give Steve Kerr all the credit in the world for Warriors success however a portion of the roster was assembled and played for Jackson. That’s another story, no need of continuing to repeat it…what about Redick? I read and hear negative accounts regarding his perceived lack of experience and possible success on the basketball court. There is no requirement on my part to root against the guy before the first jump ball.

There will be adjustments made by Redick based on his lack of coaching experience. This is the portion I do like, it appears he’s assembled a capable coaching staff and a veteran one. Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks have served as head coaches, Greg St. Jean and Bob Beyer have been long-time NBA assistant coaches and that’s only a portion of the staff. A head coach is the final decider however it’s imperative a coach listens to the advice of his staff as a key to on court success. Unless there is an apparent problem at the beginning my intention is to allow Redick time to implement his program. This was my plan initially with the departed Darvin Ham. Since 1960 the team’s first season in Los Angeles and not counting interim coaches the Lakers have hired only 23 head coaches. I’d bet money there are several NBA teams with more hires in less time.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Haters be hating…why?

Hakeem Olajuwon was forced once again to defend the back to back championships of his Rocket teams. The Houston Rockets won in 1993-94 and repeated in 1994-95, I didn’t read the account but it’s probably similar to some of the others I’ve read. The championships were won at the time Jordan retired and was playing baseball, of course he would un-retire but that’s another story. This one you’ve been hearing since 2020, the NBA championship won by the Lakers shouldn’t count. If you remember back to the time the covid pandemic was ravaging the world and this country. The NBA’s solution the playoff games would be played at one site with no one but the players and coaching staff in attendance.

I’m unsure why some folks just love to rain on your parade, if you say “30th street runs east-west they will claim it’s a north-south street.” I can offer you no explanation as to why this thought process exists, this has been my experience. There have been teams in all professional sports I personally disliked, I can acknowledge the fact they won without disparaging their accomplishment. The Nuggets have beaten my Lakers two seasons in a row, one year they even went on to win the NBA championship. I’m disappointed because they beat my favorite team but I cannot pretend the accomplishment was not legitimate. Bottom line, people get over it that team you love to hate won, doesn’t matter if you are fond f that fact or not they are winners.   

He’s been quiet until now

It’s been so long a time I almost forgot his name, he’s a father and promoter. LaVar Ball has surfaced once again to let us know he’s still around. Upset with the Lakers he’s attempting to secure roster positions for his three sons. Recently he allowed the world (and Steve Ballmer) he wanted Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo to unite as teammates on Ballmer’s Clippers. There’s a little thing called a contract and ability that might prevent his desires from ever coming to fruition.

Lonzo played a total of 35 games in the 2021-22 season however injuries have sidelined him since then, he is reported to be ready to play for the Bulls in the 2024-25 season. After several training camp tryouts LiAngelo has never been able to secure a spot on an NBA roster, the question remains is he a genuine NBA prospect. The youngest brother LaMelo I believe might be the most talented of all the siblings. He’s signed a 5-year contract, the Clippers must make a trade if they hoped to secure his services. I’m always “Never say never,” all three Ball brothers could wind up with the Clippers. I have serious doubts it will ever occur this is just a father’s wishful thinking or his attempt remain relevant.

Timing

There is an old adage that says, “Timing is everything,” I am not going to attempt to dissect the statement, I’m only here to report on this story. Coach Penny Hardaway at Memphis fired 4 coaches, the act in itself is not that big a deal. Assistant coaches leave programs all the time, this one is a timing issue. Generally speaking coaches are replaced at the end of the season, with school in session and the college season less than two months away this is certainly different. There are unconfirmed reports indicating Memphis basketball is in serious trouble with NCAA violations.

Several websites are reporting facts behind the termination, until there are more particulars available I intend to reserve further commentary. In addition anytime the NCAA is involved in an investigation in recent years I have questions. Remember the Kansas fiasco, supposedly Kansas basketball committed 5 egregious violations of the most serious nature. The end result after a 2 ½ year or so investigation was a simple slap on the wrist by the NCAA. On the surface it would appear the coach and the university might be facing problems connected to the departed coaches however can we really be sure? Over the next few weeks we should be able to better determine evidence of specific events.    

38,387

The number above represents the accumulated points scored by Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The point total established by Wilt Chamberlain was broken by him on April 5, 1984. The scoring record stood for 38 years until LeBron James exceeded the Abdul Jabbar number February 7, 2023. The skyhook did not represent the entire point total however certainly the vast majority of Abdul Jabbar’s points were scored in that manner. How did this almost impossible shot come into his inventory, my research uncovered an interesting fact.

I’m sure standing nearly 7 feet 2 inches in height this next statement will astound you. Questioned on the shot he said, “It was the only shot I could shoot that didn’t get smashed back in my face,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “So I learned to rely on it (skyhook) early, and it was always something that I could get off, even in traffic.” This reminds me of another shooter who developed an unorthodox shot to avoid the block, that would be Jamaal Wilkes. The Wilkes shot was attempted with the ball on top of his head toward the rear, he said a similar thing to Abdul Jabbar…to avoid an opponent’s attempt to block his shot. Back to Abdul Jabbar, this is no effort to mislead those who never saw him play, every skyhook didn’t result in a basket. Opponents would often attempt to push him off the block due to his 230 pound (104.326 kg) weight.

For those who might not have read an earlier account or may be unfamiliar with how the skyhook became part of our lexicon allow a brief explanation. At the time Abdul Jabbar played for the Bucks broadcaster Eddie Doucette had a different angle. Unlike today the broadcasters for the team sat in the upper portion of the arena. Doucette said, “When he (Abdul Jabbar) took the shot it appeared to come out of the sky.” There you have it…the story of perhaps the only field goal effort rarely blocked, missed yes, blocked hardly.

There is basketball too

Anytime there is a discussion of Canadian sports our minds focus on hockey. Hockey, more specifically the National Hockey League, then it becomes football Canadian style. Football in Canada is played on a wider and much larger field than what we are accustomed to in the NFL. From there we’d probably move onto the NBA and the Toronto Raptors but wait there is more. Are you familiar with the Canadian Elite Basketball League…I wasn’t? This startup pro basketball league had a 2017 birth and began play in 2019. Presently the league consists of 10 teams spread throughout 6 provinces of the nation, at the present there are 5 teams in the Western Conference and 5 in the Eastern.

Eastern Conference

Brampton Honey Badgers                      Brampton, Ontario

Montreal Alliance                                    Montreal, Quebec

Niagara River Lions                                St. Catherines, Ontario

Ottawa Blackjacks                                  Ottawa, Ontario

Scarborough Shooting Stars                  Scarborough, Ontario (Toronto)

Western Conference

Calgary Surge                                       Calgary, Alberta

Edmonton Stingers                                Edmonton, Alberta

Saskatchewan Rattlers                          Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Vancouver Bandits                                 Langley, British Columbia

Winnipeg Sea Bears                              Winnipeg, Manitoba      

There is a mix of players with a contingent from American colleges, Canadian and international players. The CEBL mandates 70% of a team’s roster must be Canadian.

The CEBL has a number of television partners:

TSN/TSN+

Fox Sports (Australia)

TapGo (Philippines)

SingTel (Singapore)

Astro (Malaysia)

Basketball from a fans perspective

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Remember when….

In years past an All American basketball team was comprised of seniors a collection of juniors and sophomores. Some years we might uncover a freshman such as Lew Alcindor, Anthony Davis or Carmelo Anthony. That scenario no longer exists, truth is most of us are unsure of who earns a spot on an All American team. The names listed below are the All Americans for 2024. Don’t worry I wasn’t familiar with several names on either team. 

FIRST TEAM

RJ Davis SG North Carolina, senior

Zach Edey C Purdue, senior

Dalton Knecht SF Tennessee, graduate

Tristen Newton PG UConn, graduate

Jamal Shead PG Houston, senior

SECOND TEAM

Hunter Dickinson C, Kansas, senior*

Kyle Filipowski PF/C Duke, sophomore

DaRon Holmes III PF Dayton, junior

Tyler Kolek PG Marquette, senior

Mark Sears PG Alabama, senior 

*additional eligibility, Dickinson has returned to Kansas for the 2025-26.

Take note, the first team is three all seniors and two (2) graduate assistants. The second team contains one junior and one sophomore. What’s missing from this All American list…freshman? That’s not to say first year players are missing every season it just so happens that was the case for the 2023-24 college season. The landscape’s changed those freshman believe talented enough are off to the NBA after but one year.

Bring it on

The last quarter of the 20th Century NFL football has clearly been the leader in the hearts and minds of most Americans. Despite that fact the league finds itself following the NBA in one area…Christmas Day. December 25 Christmas Day and through the evening have long been the exclusive domain of the NBA. That existed until last season, this past year the NFL scheduled games on Christmas December 25 which fell on a Monday, the NFL generally plays games on Monday so it wasn’t that unusual. Once Christmas was over and the television numbers were compiled they were outstanding for the NFL. Fact is the NFL surpassed the NBA games, that was not unusual. 

It was believed the Christmas Day NFL games were an anomaly and strictly based on the calendar. With the holiday falling on a Wednesday we’d not see a repeat of 2023, that’s what was thought to occur. The NFL decided to repeat what most believed they wouldn’t schedule. The NFL has games scheduled Christmas Day I seriously doubt if the NBA has an issue with the competition. The true NBA fan will be tuned in, he or she might watch the NFL game if its more enticing than the NBA game. We shall wait and see what develops from these “sports wars,” meanwhile below is the schedule for games:

Spurs at Knicks

Wolves at Mavs

Sixers at Celtics

Lakers at Warriors

Nuggets at Suns    

The best

Who is the best college basketball player might depend on who is holding the discussion. In this instance its college basketball coaches according to CBS Sports. The coaches rank them in this order, Cooper Flagg (36%), Mark Sears (22%) and Hunter Dickinson (16%). It remains interesting Flagg is rated the best college basketball player and is yet to register a single minute on the court for Duke. Up next is Sears who played outstanding basketball at Alabama. Looking at his numbers this point guard scored at a 21.5 point clip, he shot .508 from the floor and .436 from the 3-line along with 4 assists a game.

Finally there is Hunter Dickinson at Kansas. Dickinson is a 7 foot 1 260 pound post player who averaged nearly 18 points along with 10.9 rebounds a game this past season. Dickinson is a three point threat, his Achilles heel however is his free throw shooting. This is what I find most interesting, despite the fact these three are highly rated by college coaches for the NBA that is a different matter. Flagg is the only name that can be found on two mock draft sites. Don’t become confused by my statement, I’m not saying Sears and Dickinson are not NBA prospects. As this is written in middle August their names are excluded from these mock draft sites.

A change

Michael Jordan sold his majority share in the Hornets, he still retains a minority share of the team. Dwayne Wade owns a portion of the Jazz while the Hawks have Grant Hill as an owner. Once upon a time Magic Johnson owned a piece of the Lakers but sold it to acquire a stake in the baseball Dodgers. All of us are aware LeBron James has long made his intentions known, he wants to own an NBA team as well. Hopefully, this list is complete however there might be a new pending owner.

Sharpshooter deluxe Steph Curry announced the fact he wants to become an NBA owner. Curry’s announcement caught us off guard, unlike LeBron who’s long voiced an opinion Curry made no previous indication this was his intended future. I have no idea of his wealth however taking a partner or multiple partners I don’t see why not. The question might be which team, that is likely an important consideration. With a planned Las Vegas, Seattle and possibly Mexico City expansion franchise it would appear the field is wide open. On the other hand it could be an existing franchise, just recently the Celtics were placed on the market.

Basketball from a fans perspective

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This guy is a stud

I don’t watch BIG3 basketball, it’s never appealed to me however I caught a portion recently while channel surfing. In action on the court for one of the teams was Michael Beasley, I wondered what occurred for him. It seems such a brief time ago he was thought to be the beginning of the revitalization of Kansas State basketball. The 6 foot 9 235 forward was a Wildcat standout, there were no illusions he was not headed for the NBA after his freshman season. That was indeed the case, Beasly was made the number 2 pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft. That was the beginning and 11 years later it ended with Beasley playing for 6 NBA teams and the Heat would bring him back two more times. Is it safe to use the word journeyman considering the considerable number of NBA teams?

It’s interesting listening to Beasley discuss his life today, he indicates there were rather poor decisions made during his NBA career. His last year in the NBA 2019 his mom was dying and certainly basketball took a back seat in his mind, we have no idea what occurred with the Chinese teams and the lone one in Puerto Rico. This we do know, I have never read a single complaint from any of his coaches regarding his bearing on the court…as I indicated it was off the court issues that were the problem. Recently Beasley indicated he’d suffered some mental health challenges during his time in the NBA, we have no idea how that impacted him career wise. Beasley is 35-years old now his basketball career is nearly over and it’s a shame in a sense. Most of the world never saw the Kansas State version of Michael Beasley, you too might have said “this guy is a stud.”

Can he play

It’s unnecessary for you to agree with me in this instance and others. Regarding NBA players my belief has always been “can he play.” This is fact, for a time Euro players remained home few attempted to play in the NBA. I’ve mentioned in the past the number of factors that caused this to change but it did. We began seeing an ever increasing number of Euro players in the NBA. Despite the fact a number of Euros have been outstanding, Hall of Fame’s Dirk Nowitzki comes to mind first there have been a number of duds. Truth is we could make the same statement about several American duds, they exist on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The majority of sports media and fans in this country are often unfamiliar with Euro names, I have read and heard complaints along these lines.

The westward move from Europe to the U.S. is real, what about the eastward move from the U.S. to Europe, yes it exists too. For years, a number of NBA players with lack of opportunities here have traveled east to continue playing basketball. On the other hand there have been a number of American college players in Europe, this is due to more opportunities to play. After all consider this fact there are roughly 400 jobs in the NBA, there are not as many openings as one might believe every season. This is what I uncovered. “As of February 28, 2024, 84 Americans were playing in the Euro League, which is more than the next four countries combined. This is a significant increase from the 2000-01 season, when only 14.6% of players were from the United States. In 2019-20, that number had grown to 31.9%.” Basketball is unlike any team sport in the world other than soccer (football). The NFL, MLB and NHL are fractured world-wide but nothing like basketball, especially the NBA. 

Additional evidence

I am returning to a previously covered subject…Wilton Norman Chamberlain. I have a bother, the length of time since his death plus the fact it was 1973 when he last played. A number of fans question his scoring prowess along with much of what occurred during the time the 7 foot 1 275 pound Wilt played. A website compiled just a few of the opposition he faced night in and night out during his brilliant NBA career. He faced bonified competition more than some in this generation want to acknowledge.Depending on your NBA recognition all the names will not be recognizable to you, look it up if you are unsure. With that said here goes, of course Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar are names familiar to most of you. This list by no means should be considered complete, there are a number of outstanding players omitted from this list. In addition all the names below are in the Naismith or College Basketball Hall of Fame with the exception of Smith. 

Artis Gilmore 7 foot 2 240       

Elmore Smith 7 feet 0 250    

Nate Thurmond 6 foot 11 225

Bob Lanier 6 foot 10 250   

Walt Bellamy 6 foot 11 225

New Jersey in Da House

Is the planned arena in Philadelphia on life support at this point in time, that is an unknown however the other party is loudly proclaiming they are ready. Who are the THEY, that would be elements in the State of New Jersey. Camden made noise a few weeks ago when 76Place at Market East began to slowly sink. The governor of New Jersey along with the legislature of the state appear to be firmly behind this effort to secure the Sixers.   

*“The project, which would be self-financed by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (the entity that owns the Sixers), would be eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives. Because the project would contain both an arena and a full-scale mixed-use component, HBSE could be eligible to receive two Aspire tax credits worth up to $400 million each.”

So there you have it, this is certainly nowhere close to being finalized however the chief question remains. Are the Sixers ready to move across the Delaware River? That question cannot be answered at this point however it appears New Jersey’s intent is certainly serious. Just in case you had a question I’m quite sure the team would remain the Philadelphia 76ers despite their address. Most fans in Kansas City MO indicate they would have no problem crossing State Line Road to see the Chiefs and Royals in action at a Kansas address, more than likely the same would occur in Philadelphia.

*roi-nj.com.

Do you remember

It was just a brief time ago, Makur Maker was on top of the world, born in Kenya from South Sudanese parents who later immigrated to Australia. He would become a 5-star basketball prospect at several schools the last being Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix. The 6 foot 11 236 pound Maker made news again, he announced his intention to enroll at Howard University. Maker became the highest profile athlete an HBCU school had recruited when he enrolled in 2020. That would appear to be an outstanding accomplishment however it was not to be, Maker played in but two games after suffering a groin injury which forced him to miss the entire season.

Oh well, there would always be his sophomore year. That would not be his future, at the end of his freshman season Maker declared for the 2022 NBA draft, with this move the hope to attract high profile athletes to HBCU schools died. I’m guessing at this point despite his notoriety the NBA did not consider him ready for play as all the teams passed on him. Maker returned to Australia and played the 2021-22 season for the Sydney Kings of the NBL. The following season it was the Wizards G-League team and then China. The 2023-24 season Maker played for the Raptors 905 the G-League affiliate of the Raptors. In the instance of Makur Maker hopefully one day he earns an NBA roster spot. As for the hope HBCU schools would begin recruiting high profile athletes it would not occurred at least to this writing. Of course the door remains open for that one or two athletes to make the move.

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

You don’t say

The 2023 NBA draft saw two French players chosen at the top of the draft. As you are aware Victor Wembanyama was made the top pick in the first round. This was followed by his fellow countryman Biel Coulibaly who was made pick 7 also in the same round. Fast forward to the 2024 draft and we witnessed Zaccharie Risacher being the number one pick followed by Alex Sarr at two, we had the first two picks in this draft both from France.

In total the last two NBA drafts contained a total of four players from France, this might appear to be a trend however there is a great deal of labor if they are able to draw even or better yet past Canada. I was a little surprised the statistics I uncovered indicate our northern neighbor has provided the most NBA players over time 61 in total. As for France it's currently in second place with 47 players, there are an additional 67 nations of the world that have produced NBA over time. Besides Canada and France the following are the top talent producers:  

Serbia-33

Nigeria-30

Croatia-23

Brazil-20

Puerto Rico-20

Spain-20

Argentina-16

Senegal-14

The “New” New York Knicks 

If you live in the Boston area or you are a Celtics fan you better avoid reading this. I have no intention to trash your team…fact is they are closer to repeating as NBA champions than my Lakers are to earn one. Why the warning you ask, I say this because the Knicks have a chance to better the Celtics in the upcoming season. Before I go any further allow me to say we must consider injuries, they are a factor no matter the sport. IF the Knicks manage to avoid major injuries (which impacted them) they will be serious contenders for an NBA championship.

This is the how, power forward Julius Randle returns to action after injury. Center Mitchell Robinson who provides rebounding and defense is back from injury too. Mikal Bridges arrives from a trade with the Nets, he joins his Villanova/Knick teammates: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The Villanova gang are proven winners having tasted success with an NCAA championship. I would slight OG Anunoby if he were not included in this look at the Knicks. Arriving in a December trade he was a valuable contributor to their success. Despite the glowing report by yours truly outside of major injuries there is this consideration. The Celtics after their championship run of last season are not going to roll over and play dead. The Knicks must be able to bring their A game to the court each night which they certainly appear capable of.

It's rare

Recently former Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki said this in a recent interview, “I should have retired two years sooner.” He left the game in 2019, as for the headline few athletes no matter the sport rarely make the same confession. In the case of Nowitzki he entered the NBA in 1998 which says he played an amazing 21 seasons…quite an accomplishment. Realizing the comment of Nowitzki there are others who might have stayed too long, Vince Carter is a name that comes to mind. TNT’s Kenny Smith once dubbed Carter “Half Man Half Amazing for his spectacular dunks.

Carter played an amazing 22 years in the NBA, at the end he was no longer the highflyer that had thrilled fans and teams alike for years. Much earlier we might have made a similar statement regarding Shaquille O’ Neal. The last few years of his NBA career were not pretty as he moved from team to team maybe chasing another championship ring, he’d ceased being the dynamo we remember on the court. LeBron James will turn 40 before the 2024-25 season ends, why is he still playing? I don’t have the answer for him or any of the others named, perhaps it’s the love of the game or something we as fans are unable to see.      

We okay   

The recently completed Olympics, especially the basketball portion prompted this account. The NFL is riding mighty high these days, they have permanently moved NFL games into the Christmas Day calendar for now and into the future. The television numbers certainly prove people are tuning into the NFL over the traditional calendar of NBA games. Commissioner Roger Goodell and company believe there is no sport surpassing NFL football…oh but there is despite the belief shared by many in the NFL community. If we exclude the U.S. the number one sport in the world remains soccer or as the world refers to it football. There’s not a single nation in the world that fails to play soccer (football), the second most popular sport played world-wide is not the NFL.

The game the world plays is basketball, do you want proof of this fact? If I had large sums of money I would place a wager on this belief. I believe you could travel anywhere in the world and this would occur. Place a photo of Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady in Paris, Berlin or Athens I believe maybe 4 or 5 of 10 persons might be able to identify him and provide his name. If you repeated this act with a photo of Steph Curry, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant 8 perhaps 9 of 10 persons could correctly identify the player. That’s okay Goodell, continue to hold onto your belief, I for one can acknowledge the fact this number one position in sports only applies in the U.S., the remainder of the world following NFL football is quite small by comparison to that of the NBA and basketball in general.

The Bullets

Baltimore is similar to my hometown, no NBA here. The chief difference I didn’t discover until recently the city had two NBA franchises and both were name Bullets. Some might be aware the Wizards franchise in Washington D.C. was once the Baltimore Bullets, prior to that the Chicago Zephyrs. Let’s set a timeline here to unravel what occurred in years past. The original Bullets began play in 1944 in the American Basketball League, hopefully to not confuse you this is not the same American Basketball League that operated from 1961-1963.

In any event these original Bullets played from 1944 to 1947 then moved into the Basketball Association of America. Following the merger with the National Basketball League they moved into the NBA in 1949 and played until 1954. The only history I can detail indicates the team struggled on the court, this may have been a key to their demise at the end of the 1954 season. Baltimore remained without an NBA team until 1963 when the Zephyrs moved to the city. The team remained in the city another 10 years before moving to Maryland becoming the Capital Bullets then Washington Bullets and in 1997 the team was re-named the Wizards. Baltimore now suffers the same fate as Kansas City and St. Louis, there will never be another NBA franchise that refers to the city as home.  

Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

He’s an enigma

Gilbert Arenas was a good but not great NBA player, he was a 3X All NBA All Star. That’s the good, as for the bad there was one single incident in his career that stands out for us. He was suspended for most of the 2009-10 NBA season, he’d brought a handgun into the Wizards locker room over a dispute with a fellow player. The player pulled out his gun on Arenas who in turn did the same. No shots were exchanged just an ugly incident for the Wizards and the NBA. Arenas would eventually leave the NBA at 30 years of age, was it possible he could have played a few more years that’s certainly a possibly.

It’s my belief his past actions may have caught up with him and the NBA had grown weary of his questionable behavior. Despite what you might believe the NBA has a point that simply says…” That’s too much and no more.” The Grizzlies waived Arenas in 2012 with him playing insignificant minutes that season. Since his retirement Arenas similar to other athletes has become a podcaster, this has caused him to become a lighting rod for controversy based on some of the comments he’s made over time. The latest Arenas comment was detailed in last Friday’s Off the Dribble. You might remember I wrote Duke’s Cooper Flagg had signed a contract with New Balance, they do manufacture basketball shoes but are not one of the major players. Signing Flagg might be an attempt by the company to improve their marketplace share we just don’t know. In any event the story caught the eye of Arenas and he felt compelled to critique it. All realize Nike is the clear winner regarding basketball shoes and apparel and that’s where this story goes a little sideways.

Without offering a shred of evidence Arenas decides “Nike didn’t want Flagg” which is certainly strange from my standpoint. As I’ve stated previously I have no clue if Flagg can play competitively in college let alone the NBA. Apparently he signed with New Balance because he chose to, maybe he did this because their plant is only 25 miles from his Maine hometown. We really have no idea why Flagg signed with New Balance. The second part of this story Arenas has no idea if Nike reached out and Flagg just decided he'd rather go with them over Nike.   

An implied black eye

This blog detailed the Basketball Africa League a few weeks ago just in case you are unfamiliar with BAL here are a few brief details. It was founded in 2019 and is a co-op effort between the NBA and FIBA. Recently the BAL and its association with the NBA came under scrutiny based on events in Rwanda. An ESPN media person questioned the NBA and its role with Paul Kagame. If you are like me you are probably not familiar with Kagame’s name, he is currently serving as president of Rwanda although he’s considered a dictator by several in and outside the nation of Rwanda.

That is the question raised by ESPN, why is the NBA conducting business with Kagame based on the manner he presides over the nation. Two U.S. senators have accused the NBA of being more interested in profits over human rights violations. The initial response of the NBA is to defend itself, which certainly was expected. At this point I will refrain from going into further detail while awaiting a further NBA response. A story of this magnitude contains several layers, in all likelihood it will not be resolved quickly, I will continue to follow developments as they become available.

I stand corrected 

You might have read the discussion of basketball shoes, it was mentioned Converse Chuck Taylors were the “Maybach” of shoes back in the day. The statement remains correct however there was another entry. I’m unsure if college players wore PRO-Keds but several NBA players did. If the names are unknown to you take time and google the player. Among those who wore the shoe, Lou Hudson, Bob Lanier and Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald. I was shocked to discover the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar sported PRO-Keds.

According to the information uncovered the shoes were a staple for the players named from the 1950’s through the ‘80’s. That would indicate they were the shoe of choice at the same time a number of players wore Converse Chuck Taylors. Another site claims the shoe was intended to compete with Converse Chuck Taylors. From a vintage era photo it appears Tiny Archibald wore Converse PRO-Keds while a member of the Kansas City Kings, this would 1972 and possibly lasted through his 1977 trade to the Nets. Where these NBA players financially compensated, I have no idea but believe they must have been. 

Don’t slay the messenger

Read it for yourself, Andy Katz longtime college basketball scribe is the responsible party. I am only offering this for those who may have missed it. Folks in Lawrence Kansas are likely to boo and hiss Katz for his ranking, it was him not me ranking the Top 10 fan bases in the nation. With a warning “Beware of the Phog” those in Jayhawk Nation believe they are the best, not according to Katz. He rates Kentucky with the top fan base and UConn number 2.

Where is Kansas on his list, he ranks them number 3 in the nation. At 4 is Duke and the Top 5 concludes with Purdue at number 5. Whether you agree with his ranking or not it’s certainly true, college basketball fan bases are light years ahead of ALL NBA teams. It’s my belief a number of NBA fans attend the game expecting to be entertained. That doesn’t exist at these college arenas and others throughout the nation. As for Katz my focus was 1-5, did he correctly identify the basketball arenas that contain the most high-spirited crowds?