What happens when you’re young stays with you forever

In the early 1970′s, the fact is, ‘Mr. Clutch’ was the first favourite NBA player of this corner …

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Jerry West still is a reluctant sports hero
West can best be described as one of the most conflicted legendary sports heroes of our time. He is a man who has had a lifetime of success in nearly all facets and has never been comfortable with that.

Part of that might hark back to the third nickname, the one he likes the least: “Zeke from Cabin Creek.” That was placed on him by other players from bigger cities when he arrived in the NBA in 1960, the second pick of the draft and perhaps a comparative hick. He had been an All-American at West Virginia, and nobody questioned his basketball credentials. Nobody but him, that is.

“I didn’t think I was good enough to play in the pros,” he said back then.

As the second-youngest of six children growing up in the relative poverty of Cheylan, W.Va., and learning his basketball craft mostly alone on muddy outdoor courts with cheap hoops, West couldn’t have been less prepared for something like Los Angeles.

“Cabin Creek was about a mile away,” he said, elaborating with a snapshot of life in the ’50s in a coal mining state. “That’s where we got our mail. I’d run there and back. Maybe that’s why I was in such good shape to play basketball. I remember running past Wade’s Pool Hall on a Saturday morning. You could tell how wild a time the coal miners had had the night before by how many of the windows were broken out.”

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While time and increased maturity have succeeded in developing an increased appreciation for the outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the game of terrific players like, e.g. The Great Bill Russell, the ‘Big O’, Kareem, Dr. J, the ‘Moutain Man’, Magic & Bird [because they will forever be linked together], Isiah, MJ, Hakeem, Duncan, etc., it can never overshadow what it meant to these young eyes, late at night, watching on a grainy black & white TV a certain player, wearing #44, who just kept hitting big shot after big shot, in an effort to help his team win a rather silly game, played the Right Way, in short pants with a round ball and an elevated basket.

Although time marches on … you can never ever replace THAT.

It’s baaaack …

Pistons go back to basics

If this keeps much longer … KSB [much appreciated, JE Skeets!] is going to be listed as a Detroit Pistons’ mouth-piece.

Not to fear, however … as this correspondent has always had a predilection for anyone, and anything, linked with Making A Commitment To Excellence.

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Courtesy of nbaroundtable …

Curry going back to basics
“No matter what the rules are, the game of basketball goes to the most aggressive teams and players,” Curry said. “We want to be the team that’s always on the attack, both defensively and offensively.”

• Pay attention to detail.
• Daily conditioning and player development sessions.
• Increase the intensity and consistency at the defensive end.
• Increase scoring in the paint.
• Establish clearly defined roles. Curry expects to play 10 or 11 players on a regular basis.

Click the link and read the whole thing.

Close your eyes and listen intently.

Do these words and simple concepts harken back to a different place?
A different time?
A different hairdo? 

Say, perhaps, the 1982-1983 season … when a certain young relatively inexperienced assistant coach was promoted internally to the head man’s chair, for a team – and a GM who was himself a HOF immortal – that had recently captured an NBA Title but was also in need of re-direction, at that time, with a fascinating combination of wily vets, established All-Stars, and a certain ‘New Kid On The Block‘ [an athletic 21 year old, 6-9, 225, PF], who was ready-to-rock-and-roll into Prime Time.

Hmmmmm …

Could it possibly be … delectable symmetry?

… in the same season featuring the ‘Re-birth of SHOWTIME, in LA‘.

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The most important sentence in the whole article?

“[Rasheed] Wallace, who has been at the practice facility most of the summer, has complied.”

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First-class stuff, all around, from the new Sheriff … in [Mo]Town.

Showtime in the Motor City.

Shaq’s all-time ranking, as a dominant player

In his weekly chat, David Thorpe [ESPN NBA Insider/Analyst] provides his succinct assessment of Shaquille O’Neal’s legacy, as an NBA player, when all is said and done:

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Christopher, Germany: Hi David, love your chats. After they ended their carreers, who ranks higher on the all-time list: Shaq or Kobe?

 David Thorpe: Shaq.

Nate (New Haven): David, no way shaq ends up higher. Kobe’s got 3 rings, 5 finals appearences, same number of all nba teams and 8 more defensive team appearences. What planet are you living on?

 David Thorpe: Shaq is top 3 all time in terms of pure dominance. His stats are unreal. Here on earth, we consider such things.

Christopher, Germany: who are the other two all-time-best in pure dominance?

 David Thorpe: I’d suggest Wilt and Kareem, in totally different ways.

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Well … this corner of the blogosphere does NOT concur with Mr. Thorpe’s opinion … in regard to the ‘Big Aristotle’, as a once dominant NBA player.

Speaking strictly as a Center … Shaq doesn’t place in the Top 5 all-time … amongst those I would choose to anchor the middle for a Dream Team.

1. Bill Russell [11 NBA titles in 13 years ... nuff, said]
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar [the greatest offensive force in hoops' history]
3. Hakeem Olajuwon [the most skilful Post Player of all-time]
4. Wilt Chamberlain [the most physically dominant player in any era]
5. Tim Duncan [the Big Fundamental ... nuff, said]

When considering other players, as well, who’ve played other positions … at least, the following individuals would also rank well above ‘the Diesel’, in terms of their all-time dominance … 

1. Michael Jordan
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Magic Johnson
4. Larry Bird
5. Kobe Bryant

… at the height of their physical prowess.

There’s no doubt whatsoever that Shaquille O’Neal is the single Most Powerful Force [of Nature] in the history of the game … i.e. combining Size, Strength, Speed, Agility, Quickness, Explosivity and Intelligence.

This FACT is a given.

BUT[T] … and, it’s a rather LARGE One, at this point … there is simply NO WAY, SHAPE or FORM, he should legitimately be listed amongst the MOST EFFECTIVE [i.e. 'the Greatest', or 'the Best', or 'the Most Dominant'] players of all-time.

Whether your are ranking by (i) most championships won, (ii) most all-star appearances, (iii) most prolific individual statistics, or (iv) most combined areas of standard productivity/efficiency measures … including overall skill level and/or competitive will, etc., … neither Shaq’s actual performance nor his crunched numbers [associated with his overall body of work] stack up well, in comparison with the greatest players in the history of the game.

The most exciting basketball player on earth

For those who came of age through the 1970′s & early 1980′s … it doesn’t get any better than this … as the ‘White Shadow‘ profiles Julius Winfield Erving, II.

Part I

Part II

Part III

youtube.com is absolute Gold … when it comes to things like …

‘the Doctor’.

Chris Bosh should be starting for Team USA

This is the answer which was given in this space [August 4, 2008]  to the following question:

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5. Carlos Boozer and Chris Bosh will be fighting for the back-up Center minutes; who should win the job?

This is a silly question.

If Team USA wanted to dominate the international competition this year … the most potent line-up it could put on the floor would see Carlos Boozer at the 4/Power Forward AND Chris Bosh at the 5/Center positions, not ‘fighting for the back-up Center minutes.

For further explanation, see the link provided in the answer to Question #3.

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that was asked by the good folks at Upside and Motor, in their Team USA Blogger Roundtable [to which this corner had not received an invite ].

10 days later …

Raptors’ Chris Bosh emerging as a leader for the U.S. team: Draws rave reviews from coach, teammates with strong showing on defense

and it is somewhat gratifying to see that one or two others in the basketball community [at-large] have at last begun to ‘see’ what this corner has known about this young man [Chris Bosh], as a Center in the NBA, for a VERY LONG TIME …

De-constructing the mystery that is Chris Bosh [April 21, 2008]

It never ceases to amaze what some so-called ‘NBA experts’ think they understand about the game.

Commemorating the greatest basketball player of all-time

Calls grow louder for Boston to erect statue to honor Bill Russell
He’s the most decorated sports champion in a city of sport champions. He won 11 world titles as a player, two of those while simultaneously coaching and playing. He was named to the All-Star team 12 times and Most Valuable Player five times.

But in the city he so decorated, there is no statue, plaque, street marker or tunnel that mentions the name Bill Russell …

“It needs to be done,” Kilbert Pierce Jr. said. “It’s not an easy thing either. It’s a real touchy subject. Russell was never one to mince words. That was then, this is now. It doesn’t seem Bill Russell is holding a grudge against Boston. It’s time for Boston to show appreciation by building a statue to him.”

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Time for the City of Boston to step up to the plate and simply … Do The Right Thing for Mr. William Russell.

Sacred hoopsters for all-time

If you could choose but 12 players and 2 coaches from amongst all those who have ever played the game to form YOUR personal team, and represent what it is YOU stand for, on and off the court …

Who would these 14 be?

These are mine:

Starters:
PG – Magic Johnson
OG – Michael Jordan
SF – Larry Bird
PF – Kevin McHale
C – Bill Russell

Bench:
Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Julius Erving, Dennis Rodman, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Rick Barry, Hakeem Olajuwon

Head Coach:
Red Auerbach

Assistant Coach:
Phil Jackson

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Who is on YOUR team for all-time?

NBA at 50

Boston vs Cleveland, 2-2

This is what was written in this space on Dec 20, 2007 …

The Man at Crunch Time

about the plight of this year’s Boston Celtics and their pseudo transcendent superstar, Kevin Garnett.

Now, 5 months later, as the Celtics enter the 2nd phase of their Conference Semi-finals match-up with the Cavaliers … nothing much has changed, i.e. the team with the best W-L record in the League (this season) is still struggling to score the ball coming down-the-stretch of close games against a quality opponent.

Exactly as Magic Johnson (TNT NBA Analyst) suggested during last night’s national TV broadcast (Game 4) … the Celtics better find an answer to their 4th Quarter problem, i.e. KG scored ZERO points in the final 12 minutes, and fast … because

“Each round you go further in the Playoffs, the team you face gets better … and the Detroit Pistons are sitting there … waiting for the Boston Celtics … knowing how to WIN on the road.”

Yes, sir, this year’s Celtics can get past the lesser version of this year’s Cavaliers … by winning their 4 home games, as the No. 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference, with home-court advantage … but Boston will not advance to the NBA Finals this post-season, if they cannot win a single game at The Palace of Auburn Hills, where the Motor City Zoo Crew play their home games.

The C’s will only get one more chance to solve this riddle … Game 6, in Cleveland … before their 2008 playoffs begin in earnest, vs Detroit.

What Makes a Great NBA Player?

Not sure when this specific segment first aired live … but, so far, this is the 1 video clip that every aspiring anybody … in any field of endeavour, anywhere in this world … absolutely NEEDS to watch, in order to maximize their ability to succeed in Life, in a gargantuan way …

“Charles, Kenny, Earvin “Magic” Johnson … see, that’s why you log-on to NBA.com … for that kind of stuff.” – Ernie Johnson

THE ANSWER … and mandatory viewing … for those few who aspire to greatness.