On September 5th, 1979 Ann Meyers of UCLA made NBA history when she signed a $50,000 no-cut contract with NBA's Indiana Pacers. She became the first woman given a tryout by an NBA team, and she worked with the team through training camp, but eventually was not chosen for the final squad. She then became a color analyst for the NBA at a time when there were very few women in sports casting.
Will there ever be a woman to play in the NBA? I doubt it. I think the professional game is too physical. This is not anything against women, but I believe the NBA has the best all around athletes of any sport in the world. To play in the NBA, one needs most of the following: height, speed, jumping ability, agility, hand-eye coordination, etc. It would take a very special, and spectacular woman to make the switch to the men's game.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
This Month in NBA History
Earlier this month (August 3rd, to be exact) was the 61st anniversary of the NBA. So to celebrate that, here are some significant moments in NBA history from the month of August.
On Aug. 3rd, 1949, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. The BAA included the Boston Celtics, Minneapolis Lakers (later LA Lakers), New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors (later Golden State Warriors), and the Rochester Royals (later Sacramento Kings). The NBL included the Syracuse Nationals (later Philadelphia 76ers) and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (later Atlanta Hawks).
On Aug. 6th, 1962, the Philadelphia franchise’s name was changed from the Nationals to the 76ers. The name was the "76ers", after 1776, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia.
On Aug. 8, 1992, the USA Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, featuring NBA stars for the first time, won the Gold Medal at the Barcelona Olympics and were known as the “Dream Team."
On Aug. 25th, 1965, Boston Celtic Bill Russell signed a contract as the NBA's highest paid player, making one dollar more than arch-rival Wilt Chamberlain.
So although August is usually one of the slowest times for the NBA during the year, some significant things have happened in the past. For more significant moments in NBA history, check out http://www.nba.com/history/this_date_august.html
On Aug. 3rd, 1949, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. The BAA included the Boston Celtics, Minneapolis Lakers (later LA Lakers), New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors (later Golden State Warriors), and the Rochester Royals (later Sacramento Kings). The NBL included the Syracuse Nationals (later Philadelphia 76ers) and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (later Atlanta Hawks).
On Aug. 6th, 1962, the Philadelphia franchise’s name was changed from the Nationals to the 76ers. The name was the "76ers", after 1776, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia.
On Aug. 8, 1992, the USA Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, featuring NBA stars for the first time, won the Gold Medal at the Barcelona Olympics and were known as the “Dream Team."
On Aug. 25th, 1965, Boston Celtic Bill Russell signed a contract as the NBA's highest paid player, making one dollar more than arch-rival Wilt Chamberlain.
So although August is usually one of the slowest times for the NBA during the year, some significant things have happened in the past. For more significant moments in NBA history, check out http://www.nba.com/history/this_date_august.html
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
LeBron James & Wilt Chamberlain
What do LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain have in common with each other, but with nobody else in the world? They are the only two NBA players to have changed teams as the league's reigning Most Valuable Player.
Wilt Chamberlain was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968. Reportedly, Wilt asked for a trade from the Sixers after winning his 4th (and final) MVP award. The motivation of the request remains a dispute. In the 67-68 season, the 76ers in Wilt's final year went 62-20, losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers went 52-30, losing in the NBA finals. In the 68-69 season, the 76ers without Chamberlain went 55-27, losing in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Lakers, with newly acquired Chamberlain, went 55-27, losing once again in the NBA finals. So the trade did not seem to make much of an immediate impact for either team.
LeBron James famously left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat as a free agent this past July (2010). He even had a one-hour tv special on ESPN called The Decision where he announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach." This followed the 2009-2010 season where James won his 2nd MVP award of his young career. During the 09-10 season, the Cavs in LeBron's last season there went 61-21, losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the Celtics. Miami went 47-35, losing in the 1st round of the playoffs. The immediate impact of James changing teams has yet to be determined.
Two great, hall of fame players leaving their teams after great seasons. I imagine LeBron's decision this summer will have more of an impact than Wilt's did in the Sixties.
Wilt Chamberlain was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1968. Reportedly, Wilt asked for a trade from the Sixers after winning his 4th (and final) MVP award. The motivation of the request remains a dispute. In the 67-68 season, the 76ers in Wilt's final year went 62-20, losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers went 52-30, losing in the NBA finals. In the 68-69 season, the 76ers without Chamberlain went 55-27, losing in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Lakers, with newly acquired Chamberlain, went 55-27, losing once again in the NBA finals. So the trade did not seem to make much of an immediate impact for either team.
LeBron James famously left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat as a free agent this past July (2010). He even had a one-hour tv special on ESPN called The Decision where he announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach." This followed the 2009-2010 season where James won his 2nd MVP award of his young career. During the 09-10 season, the Cavs in LeBron's last season there went 61-21, losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the Celtics. Miami went 47-35, losing in the 1st round of the playoffs. The immediate impact of James changing teams has yet to be determined.Two great, hall of fame players leaving their teams after great seasons. I imagine LeBron's decision this summer will have more of an impact than Wilt's did in the Sixties.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The 1996 Los Angeles Clippers
The recent death of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright makes one wonder if the 1996 Los Angeles Clippers have been cursed. In the 14 years since 1996, there have been numerous problems in the players lives, including drug use, illnesses, serious injury, and death. This is especially strange when you consider the type of people who become professional basketball players. Individuals must be young, strong, athletic, and generally healthy to make it to the NBA. So let's take a closer look at the rosters of both the 95-96 and 96-97 Clippers teams.
The roster in 95-96: Brent Barry, Terry Dehere, Antonio Harvey, Lamond Murray, Bo Outlaw, Eric Piatkowski, Pooh Richardson, Stanley Roberts, Rodney Rogers, Malik Sealy, Keith Tower, Logan Vander Velden, Loy Vaught and Brian Williams (aka Bison Dele).
The roster in 96-97: Brent Barry, Terry Dehere, Kevin Duckworth, Rich Manning, Darrick Martin, Lamond Murray, Bo Outlaw, Eric Piatkowski, Pooh Richardson, Stanley Roberts, Rodney Rogers, Dwayne Schintzius, Malik Sealy, Loy Vaught, and Lorenzen Wright.
Stanley Roberts
Roberts missed all but 14 games in the 1993-94 season, then all of the next season, due to an Achilles tendon injury, first in one leg, then the other. After an unassuming 6-game spell with the Rockets, as a member of the 76ers in late 1999, Roberts was banned by the NBA for drug violations.
Rodney Rogers
On November 28, 2008, Rogers was involved in a dirt bike crash in rural Vance County north of Raleigh. Rogers hit a ditch while riding through a trail and flipped over his vehicle's handlebars. Rogers is paralyzed from the shoulders down as a result of the accident, and doctors have given him only a 5% chance of ever walking again.
Malik Sealy
Sealy was killed in St. Louis Park, Minnesota on May 20, 2000. He was driving home from a birthday celebration for teammate and best friend Kevin Garnett in downtown Minneapolis when his SUV was struck by a pickup truck traveling the wrong way down the highway. The truck was driven by 43-year-old Souksangouane Phengsene who survived the accident with head and chest injuries. Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt. Phengsene's airbag deployed, but Sealy's SUV did not have one. Blood tests indicated that at the time of the accident, Phengsene had been driving drunk; his BAC was 0.19%. The legal limit in Minnesota at the time was 0.1%. He pled guilty to a charge of vehicular manslaughter, was given a four-year prison term, and was released from prison in 2003. Sealy was 30 years old.
Bison Dele
Dele is believed to have been murdered at sea by his older brother in 2002. In July 2002, Dele and his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, sailed on the South Pacific Ocean along with skipper Bertrand Saldo on Dele's catamaran, the Hakuna Matata. Dele's brother, Miles Dabord (born Kevin Williams), was the only person involved in the voyage who was seen or heard from after July 8, when the party was in Tahiti. Dele and Karlan had previously kept regular contact with their banks and family members. On July 20, Dabord was by himself when he brought the boat into Tahiti.
On September 5, police used a sting operation organized by Dele's family and friends to detain Dabord in Phoenix, AZ. Dabord had forged his brother's signature in order to buy US$152,000 worth of gold under his brother's name. He had used Dele's passport as identification. Mexican police later found that Dabord had been staying at a hotel in Tijuana, Mexico. Two days before, the Hakuna Matata, which had been registered in Tahiti under another name, was found off the coast of Tahiti with its name plate removed and some possible bullet holes patched. About the same time, Dabord phoned his and Dele's mother, Patricia Phillips, telling her that he would never hurt his brother and that he could not survive in prison.
The FBI became involved in the investigation along with the French authorities and concluded that Dele, Karlan and Saldo were probably killed, and then thrown overboard, by Dabord. Given that the bodies were likely dumped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it would be highly unlikely that the three would ever be found. Dabord, the only major source of information regarding the case, intentionally overdosed on insulin and slipped into a coma. On September 27, 2002, he died in a California hospital. After Dabord's suicide, officials did not expect to find much more regarding the case. Dele was 33 years old.
Kevin Duckworth
Duckworth died of heart failure on Monday, August 25, 2008 in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. He collapsed in his hotel room, and emergency services were unable to revive him. His death was confirmed by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Duckworth was in town as part of a Trail Blazers group hosting a free kids basketball clinic. An autopsy identified the cause of death as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure. Duckworth was 44 years old.
Dwayne Schintzius
In November 2009, Schintzius was diagnosed with leukemia. With a bone marrow donation from his brother Travis, he had bone marrow transplant surgery at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa on January 12, 2010. As of February, the surgery was considered a success.
Lorenzen Wright
Wright was last seen alive on July 18, 2010, at around 2 a.m., leaving his ex-wife's house and was reported missing by his family on July 22. His dead body was found July 28 in a wooded area in Memphis by Hacks Cross Road, near Winchester. ABC Channel 24 in Memphis reports that a 911 call was received from Wright's cell phone at 1:00 a.m. on July 19; the caller was speaking with the dispatcher when several gun shots rang out. The case is being investigated as a homicide.
So as you can see, something fishy was happening. Beware of any NBA player that played for the Clippers in 1996.
The roster in 95-96: Brent Barry, Terry Dehere, Antonio Harvey, Lamond Murray, Bo Outlaw, Eric Piatkowski, Pooh Richardson, Stanley Roberts, Rodney Rogers, Malik Sealy, Keith Tower, Logan Vander Velden, Loy Vaught and Brian Williams (aka Bison Dele).
The roster in 96-97: Brent Barry, Terry Dehere, Kevin Duckworth, Rich Manning, Darrick Martin, Lamond Murray, Bo Outlaw, Eric Piatkowski, Pooh Richardson, Stanley Roberts, Rodney Rogers, Dwayne Schintzius, Malik Sealy, Loy Vaught, and Lorenzen Wright.
Stanley Roberts
Roberts missed all but 14 games in the 1993-94 season, then all of the next season, due to an Achilles tendon injury, first in one leg, then the other. After an unassuming 6-game spell with the Rockets, as a member of the 76ers in late 1999, Roberts was banned by the NBA for drug violations.Rodney Rogers
On November 28, 2008, Rogers was involved in a dirt bike crash in rural Vance County north of Raleigh. Rogers hit a ditch while riding through a trail and flipped over his vehicle's handlebars. Rogers is paralyzed from the shoulders down as a result of the accident, and doctors have given him only a 5% chance of ever walking again.Malik Sealy
Sealy was killed in St. Louis Park, Minnesota on May 20, 2000. He was driving home from a birthday celebration for teammate and best friend Kevin Garnett in downtown Minneapolis when his SUV was struck by a pickup truck traveling the wrong way down the highway. The truck was driven by 43-year-old Souksangouane Phengsene who survived the accident with head and chest injuries. Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt. Phengsene's airbag deployed, but Sealy's SUV did not have one. Blood tests indicated that at the time of the accident, Phengsene had been driving drunk; his BAC was 0.19%. The legal limit in Minnesota at the time was 0.1%. He pled guilty to a charge of vehicular manslaughter, was given a four-year prison term, and was released from prison in 2003. Sealy was 30 years old.Bison Dele
Dele is believed to have been murdered at sea by his older brother in 2002. In July 2002, Dele and his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, sailed on the South Pacific Ocean along with skipper Bertrand Saldo on Dele's catamaran, the Hakuna Matata. Dele's brother, Miles Dabord (born Kevin Williams), was the only person involved in the voyage who was seen or heard from after July 8, when the party was in Tahiti. Dele and Karlan had previously kept regular contact with their banks and family members. On July 20, Dabord was by himself when he brought the boat into Tahiti.
On September 5, police used a sting operation organized by Dele's family and friends to detain Dabord in Phoenix, AZ. Dabord had forged his brother's signature in order to buy US$152,000 worth of gold under his brother's name. He had used Dele's passport as identification. Mexican police later found that Dabord had been staying at a hotel in Tijuana, Mexico. Two days before, the Hakuna Matata, which had been registered in Tahiti under another name, was found off the coast of Tahiti with its name plate removed and some possible bullet holes patched. About the same time, Dabord phoned his and Dele's mother, Patricia Phillips, telling her that he would never hurt his brother and that he could not survive in prison.
The FBI became involved in the investigation along with the French authorities and concluded that Dele, Karlan and Saldo were probably killed, and then thrown overboard, by Dabord. Given that the bodies were likely dumped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it would be highly unlikely that the three would ever be found. Dabord, the only major source of information regarding the case, intentionally overdosed on insulin and slipped into a coma. On September 27, 2002, he died in a California hospital. After Dabord's suicide, officials did not expect to find much more regarding the case. Dele was 33 years old.
Kevin Duckworth
Duckworth died of heart failure on Monday, August 25, 2008 in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. He collapsed in his hotel room, and emergency services were unable to revive him. His death was confirmed by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Duckworth was in town as part of a Trail Blazers group hosting a free kids basketball clinic. An autopsy identified the cause of death as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure. Duckworth was 44 years old.Dwayne Schintzius
In November 2009, Schintzius was diagnosed with leukemia. With a bone marrow donation from his brother Travis, he had bone marrow transplant surgery at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa on January 12, 2010. As of February, the surgery was considered a success.
Lorenzen Wright
Wright was last seen alive on July 18, 2010, at around 2 a.m., leaving his ex-wife's house and was reported missing by his family on July 22. His dead body was found July 28 in a wooded area in Memphis by Hacks Cross Road, near Winchester. ABC Channel 24 in Memphis reports that a 911 call was received from Wright's cell phone at 1:00 a.m. on July 19; the caller was speaking with the dispatcher when several gun shots rang out. The case is being investigated as a homicide.
So as you can see, something fishy was happening. Beware of any NBA player that played for the Clippers in 1996.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Flagrant Foul Analysis
Since the title of this blog is Flagrant Foul, I figure I should at least talk about the topic of flagrant fouls. The flagrant foul is one of the more misunderstood rules in the NBA and I think we have reached a point where refs are declaring hard personal fouls to be flagrant anytime the fouled player spends any amount of time on the ground (which in some cases, the fouled player knows this and draws it out longer than necessary).
Let's take a look at the official rule according to the NBA's website:
This video shows what was called a flagrant 2 foul, but I don't think there was much of a follow through. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAYXb5MqXY I'm not entirely sure it should be a flagrant 1. To me, it looks like Devin Harris went for the ball but missed and ended up taking out Moon. Also in this video the officials look at the replay to determine if it is a flagrant 2 or not, the problem with that is in slow-motion, fouls tend to look a lot more hard and intentional than if it were just seen in real time.
The significance between getting a 1 or 2 assessed is the size of penalty. A flagrant 2 is immediate ejection and a higher fine. The good thing if you feel there has wrongly been assigned a flagrant foul is that the league office reviews each one to possible change the decision on if it was a foul or not. However, while it is unlikely and rare, the league can take a personal foul called in a game and turn it into a flagrant later.
According to foxsports.com, there were 53 flagrant fouls assessed to players during the 2009-2010 season. Portland's Juwan Howard led the way individually with 4 flagrant fouls.
The flagrant foul is different than the technical foul or the personal foul and can effect a game's outcome and a player's income. I think the days of super-physical ball has been shut down with more hard fouls become flagrant fouls. I personally, wish more hard contact were still allowed.
Everlasting Gobstoppers are delicious.
Let's take a look at the official rule according to the NBA's website:
a. If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpreted to be unnecessary, a flagrant foul--penalty (1) will be assessed. A personal foul is charged to the offender and a team foul is charged to the team.That is quite vague, so the NBA also has a section explaining it a little better:
b. If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpret-ed to be unnecessary and excessive, a flagrant foul--penalty (2) will be assessed. A personal foul is charged to the offender and a team foul is charged to the team.
These fouls are considered unnecessary and/or excessive. There are two types of flagrant fouls, 1 and 2. A flagrant 1 is unnecessary contact. This is usually when a defensive player swings and makes hard contact with the offensive player or makes hard contact and then follows through. A flagrant foul 2 is unnecessary and excessive contact. This usually has a swinging motion, hard contact, and a follow through.This video seems to be a good example of a flagrant 1 foul. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l95q5N9tFJw
This video shows what was called a flagrant 2 foul, but I don't think there was much of a follow through. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAYXb5MqXY I'm not entirely sure it should be a flagrant 1. To me, it looks like Devin Harris went for the ball but missed and ended up taking out Moon. Also in this video the officials look at the replay to determine if it is a flagrant 2 or not, the problem with that is in slow-motion, fouls tend to look a lot more hard and intentional than if it were just seen in real time.
The significance between getting a 1 or 2 assessed is the size of penalty. A flagrant 2 is immediate ejection and a higher fine. The good thing if you feel there has wrongly been assigned a flagrant foul is that the league office reviews each one to possible change the decision on if it was a foul or not. However, while it is unlikely and rare, the league can take a personal foul called in a game and turn it into a flagrant later.
According to foxsports.com, there were 53 flagrant fouls assessed to players during the 2009-2010 season. Portland's Juwan Howard led the way individually with 4 flagrant fouls.
The flagrant foul is different than the technical foul or the personal foul and can effect a game's outcome and a player's income. I think the days of super-physical ball has been shut down with more hard fouls become flagrant fouls. I personally, wish more hard contact were still allowed.
Everlasting Gobstoppers are delicious.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The Kobe vs. Jordan debate
Since Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to another title (Kobe's 5th overall) earlier this month, the debate on where he is compared to Michael Jordan historically. The problem with this obviously, is that Kobe is still playing and it is hard to compare careers when one player is not done yet. However, I believe I can strongly make the argument that Kobe is not on Jordan's level...yet. Let's break this down based on some very important factors: championships, awards, and stats.
First up, championships. Now it's obvious that Jordan has 6 rings and Kobe is now at 5, so Jordan still wins this argument. But people keep bringing up, "what if Kobe wins again next year or gets a couple more?" Well, I don't like to place full emphasis on greatness based on championships. While Bill Russell has the most (11) and he is one of the greatest players ever, without his teammates he would not have so many. Robert Horry has 7 rings, but that doesn't mean he was better than Jordan. On the opposite side, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, and Reggie Miller all retired without rings, but that doesn't mean they aren't some of the greatest players to ever play. So while championships can be helpful, they don't tell the whole story.
Next, awards. I think the regular season MVP award is the most telling sign of a players greatness. The most MVP's (6) were awarded to Kareem Abdul Jabbar (for the 70-71 season he won under the name Lew Alcindor) Two people are tied with 5 MVP's: Bill Russell and, of course, Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant? He has two. Fewer than other great players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Wilt Chamberlain.
I think Finals MVP is the next most telling award of a players greatness. and while Kobe has 5 championships, he only has 2 Finals MVP awards. His other 3 rings, the MVP went to a guy by the name of Shaquille O'Neal. Michael Jordan won the MVP for all 6 of his championships. So I don't think there is the same value between Kobe's 5 rings and Jordan's 6.
Finally, stats. I'm not going to go through much on this, mostly because I am running short on time today. Scoring leader for a season seems to be a pretty hyped stat each year. Guess what? Jordan has 10 scoring titles. Kobe? 2. Now as far as all time stats go, I don't feel like that can be tackled until Kobe is done playing too. Kobe will probably surpass Jordan on most all time stats because: 1) Kobe didn't go to college like Jordan 2) Kobe didn't retire for 2 years in his prime to play baseball.
So there you have it, even though I'm sure this blog won't get many readers, I needed to make the argument as I see fit. BTW, Kellogg's Fruity Snacks are awesome.
First up, championships. Now it's obvious that Jordan has 6 rings and Kobe is now at 5, so Jordan still wins this argument. But people keep bringing up, "what if Kobe wins again next year or gets a couple more?" Well, I don't like to place full emphasis on greatness based on championships. While Bill Russell has the most (11) and he is one of the greatest players ever, without his teammates he would not have so many. Robert Horry has 7 rings, but that doesn't mean he was better than Jordan. On the opposite side, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, and Reggie Miller all retired without rings, but that doesn't mean they aren't some of the greatest players to ever play. So while championships can be helpful, they don't tell the whole story.
Next, awards. I think the regular season MVP award is the most telling sign of a players greatness. The most MVP's (6) were awarded to Kareem Abdul Jabbar (for the 70-71 season he won under the name Lew Alcindor) Two people are tied with 5 MVP's: Bill Russell and, of course, Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant? He has two. Fewer than other great players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Wilt Chamberlain.
I think Finals MVP is the next most telling award of a players greatness. and while Kobe has 5 championships, he only has 2 Finals MVP awards. His other 3 rings, the MVP went to a guy by the name of Shaquille O'Neal. Michael Jordan won the MVP for all 6 of his championships. So I don't think there is the same value between Kobe's 5 rings and Jordan's 6.
Finally, stats. I'm not going to go through much on this, mostly because I am running short on time today. Scoring leader for a season seems to be a pretty hyped stat each year. Guess what? Jordan has 10 scoring titles. Kobe? 2. Now as far as all time stats go, I don't feel like that can be tackled until Kobe is done playing too. Kobe will probably surpass Jordan on most all time stats because: 1) Kobe didn't go to college like Jordan 2) Kobe didn't retire for 2 years in his prime to play baseball.
So there you have it, even though I'm sure this blog won't get many readers, I needed to make the argument as I see fit. BTW, Kellogg's Fruity Snacks are awesome.
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