A TRUE LEGEND NOT JUST IN LAKERS BASKETBALL AND THE NBA.
A TRUE LEGEND NOT JUST IN BASKETBALL IN GENERAL.
A TRUE LEGEND NOT JUST IN SOCAL SPORTS FOR THAT MATTER, BUT…
A TRUE LEGEND IN SPORTS, PERIOD.
I’m not going to go on about the nine NBA championships that he won – one as a player in 1972 and eight as an executive as he basically built the Magic Johnson/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar “Showtime” dynasty in the 1980s.
Or how, along with Elgin Baylor, essentially started pro basketball in Los Angeles as his rookie year in 1960 was also the Laker’s first year in Southern California, having moved to the Sports Arena from Minneapolis that season.
Or any of the other stats and accolades that he attained over the course of his career.
Or how if Yankee Stadium was the House That Babe Ruth built,
Or if Dodger Stadium was the house that Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale built,
Or if Pauley Pavilion at UCLA was the House that John Wooden built,
Then the Forum in Inglewood, which opened in 1967, was the House that West and Baylor built;
I’ll leave that for ESPN, Fox Sports, and other sports channels and news sites to cover.
I’ll just say this…
Without Jerry West, there would have been no Los Angeles Lakers as we know them.
And I’m talking about off the court after his playing career was done as well as on.
That was my prominent thought when I heard about his death this morning.
And along with the surprise of me posting Laker-based stuff on this blog in the middle of baseball season,
That will be my prominent thought going forward.
Of course it goes without saying that this multiple Hall of Famer and a member of the NBA’s All-Time 35th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary Teams, whose impact was so big that he was and remains the model for the NBA’s logo,
Will be missed on an extremely pronounced scale.
REST IN PEACE, MR. WEST.
AND BE SURE TO GIVE BILL WALTON AND ALL THE OTHER HOOPS LEGENDS OUR PERSONAL WARM REGARDS
I can see why the NBA logo (at top right hand corner) was modeled after this man. Photo courtesy of si.com
The soon-to-be head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers? Photo courtesy of latimes.com
MY THOUGHTS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE OF THE LAKERS HIRING THIS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP COLLEGE COACH
It’s been all over the sports news in So Cal the past couple of days;
The Lakers seemingly very much wanting to hire Dan Hurley, the University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball coach whose Huskies won their second straight NCAA championship a couple of months ago.
According to various sources, the Lakers want this guy badly, to the tune of offering him at least $100 million according to the Lakers Nation site.
After reading the feature article and Bill Plaschke’s column in the Los Angeles Times regarding this coach and his personality and approach,
Here’s what I have to say about the whole thing…
It’s not going to work.
Hurley should stay at Connecticut and build a legacy there, like John Wooden did at UCLA.
Here’s why…
Dan Hurley, the son of longtime New Jersey high school hoops coach Bob Hurley and brother of former Duke standout and current Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley, has a personality that can be best describes as intense and in-your-face;
In Plaschke’s column, he quoted Hurley as saying that he can be “an a**hole” in order to get players to perform to their capabilities and win;
He has also had incidents with opposing fans in the form of yelling at them and saying things a coach shouldn’t say.
An intense and in your face style personality and style can work for high school and college kids – Bob Knight, the legendary coach who led Indiana to three national championships and was the leader of college basketball’s last undefeated team in 1976, is the perfect example of that.
But as far as men in the NBA?
One word…
NO.
Can anyone imagine Hurley trying to get in LeBron James’ or Anthony Davis’ faces when he feels they need to do a better job at something?
Not without some confrontations between player and coach that no one needs.
In short, men trying to feed their families in the NBA will tire of Hurley’s personality and approach fairly quickly.
And unless he changes such, which I doubt as one can’t change his personality in the tradition of the leopard not being able to change his spots,
Add to that the fact that successful college coaches rarely succeed in the NBA or even the NFL;
Pete Carroll, who was fired by the New York Jets and the New England Patriots before he came to USC and ignited the Trojans’ glory days in the 2000’s, and Nick Saban, who was fired by the Miami Dolphins before he became about as God-like as Bear Bryant at Alabama with all that dominance, are perfect examples of that.
Well, let’s just put it like this,
Should Dan Hurley be indeed hired as the Lakers’ new head coach,
I would give him two years at the helm.
At the most.
Unless they – at the very least – go far in next season’s playoffs, which I honestly don’t see them doing.
Of course, my opinion means absolutely nothing as the Lakers will probably hire Hurley and give him the keys to the Lake Show kingdom.
But that’s how I see all of this.
I’m looking forward to see how this works out at this time next year.
AN UPDATE:
Hurley did, in my opinion, the right thing and the smart thing in announcing that he turned down the Lakers’ $70 million offer to remain in Storrs, CT as the Connecticut coach and go for a third straight national championship next season;
Something that hasn’t been done in college basketball in nearly fifty years, since John Wooden’s seven NCAA titles in a row from 1967-73 in Westwood.
I wonder if he read this post and took my advice to heart…
FILE PHOTO: Apr 8, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley celebrates after winning the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Photo courtesy of reuters.com
YES – LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I HAVE HEARD THIS SAD NEWS.
In fact, I was in my bathroom when I overheard the TV news person announce Bill Walton’s death;
I didn’t even know he was sick with cancer, which the UCLA and NBA (including a stint with the Clippers) legend apparently didn’t want anyone to know.
Unlike more or less everyone else, I enjoyed his commentary at basketball games, particularly Pac-12 and UCLA contests.
And a personal fun fact:
I had the pleasure of meeting Walton and getting his autograph while a student in Westwood and a member of the UCLA band in February of 1990;
It was after the game where he and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had their numbers retired as Pauley Pavilion was celebrating its 25th anniversary, so it was obviously a big day for Bruin Nation as Bill and Kareem’s numbers, along with Ann Meyers Drysdale and Denise Curry on the women’s side, were the first to be retired by UCLA basketball.
Bill, along with Ann and Denise, signed my game program, which I still have to this day.
I’ll leave listing all his basketball exploits – the 44 points in the 1973 NCAA Championship Game and the 1977 and 1986 NBA titles that he won with the Portland Trailblazers and the Boston Celtics, respectively – to the other news sources,
But I will state this as far as his career…
As far as physical durability and injury issues over the course of a stellar sports career,
Baseball had Mickey Mantle.
Basketball had Bill Walton.
I honestly can’t think of two other sports legends who had bigger problems staying healthy than those two;
As far as Walton, I felt sympathetic over all the issues he had with his feet in particular and his back after his playing days were over as the man was apparently living in agony.
I saw and very much enjoyed his ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, which only reinforced my sympathies.
And with his hippie-like, non-conformist personality and lifestyle in his protesting the Vietnam War, being a big fan of the Grateful Dead, and his clashes with Coach John Wooden during his UCLA days,
Including a famous story of how coming off an undefeated, national championship season in which he was voted National Player of the Year, he arrived at the first Bruin practice of the following season sporting a beard, which was against team rules, and telling Wooden that it was his right to wear a beard with the great coach replying,
“I admire a person who stands up for his beliefs, I really do. And the team will miss you.”
Which sent Bill rushing on his bicycle to the nearest barber in Westwood to get arguably the fastest shave and haircut of all time.
It should obviously go without saying that this man will be VERY MUCH missed on a PRONOUNCED scale, especially in Bruin Nation.
Rest In Peace Bill Walton,
And be sure to give John Wooden our most highest regards.
The big redhead doing battle during his UCLA days…
HOW I SEE THINGS ULTIMATELY UNFOLDING FOR THE THREE SO CAL WINTER SPORTS TEAMS IN THEIR PLAYOFF RUNS
SEASON RECORDS AT A GLANCE…
Los Angeles Clippers: 51-31, Fourth place in the Western Conference
PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPIONS, finishing two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns
FIRST ROUND OPPONENT: Dallas Mavericks, starting Sunday, April 21st
Los Angeles Lakers: 47-35, Seventh place in the Western Conference
Finished third in the Pacific Division, four games behind the Clippers
Won three of four games over the Clippers in this season’s Hallway Series
Beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 110-106, in the NBA Play-In Tournament on April 16th
FIRST ROUND OPPONENT: Denver Nuggets, starting Saturday, April 20th
Los Angeles Kings: 43-27-11, 97 points, Eighth place in the Western Conference (one more regular season game to go)
Currently in fourth place in the Pacific Division
Clinched spot in the playoffs as a Wild Card (as of now)
REGULAR SEASON FINALE: Chicago Blackhawks at Crypto.com Arena, Thursday, April 18th
FIRST ROUND OPPONENT: Dallas Stars if the regular season ended today, also possibly the Edmonton Oilers – TBD
L.A. Kings players enjoying a moment…
MY PREDICTIONS:
I’ll give the three winter sports teams,
Who happen to share the same arena in downtown L.A. for their home games – though the Clippers will be moving to Inglewood next season, playing at the Intuit Dome next to SoFi Stadium,
Plenty of credit for having solid seasons that ended with winning records and postseason berths.
However…
From what I’ve seen from those Lakers, Clippers and Kings,
They gave me the impression of teams that weren’t consistent enough in their play;
One night they would be outstanding world beaters, the next night they would be so bad, they’d lose to CIF State Champion Studio City Harvard-Westlake (in the Lakers and Clippers’ case) or the University of Denver, who won hockey’s NCAA title in what is called the Frozen Four (in the Kings’ case)
Because of that, and the opponents those three teams will be facing in their first round,
I feel I have no choice but to officially predict…
First round exits for the Clippers, Lakers and Kings.
In either five or six games.
I certainly hope they prove me wrong, as it would be nice to see a Lakers vs Clippers Western Conference Finals,
Or the Kings hoisting what would be their third Stanley Cup.
But I simply don’t see that happening,
Especially with the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard hurting and the Lakers’ Anthony Davis and LeBron James seemingly being so brittle.
So I’ll just go back to enjoying baseball and softball,
And rooting for the Dodgers to get it together as they haven’t been so great as of late.
A Clipper and a Laker going at it during a Hallway Series game…
Looks like it rained on this outdoor basketball court…
THE REASONS FOR NOT HAVING BASKETBALL POSTS ON THIS BLOG AS OF THIS MOMENT ARE FAIRLY SIMPLE ONES, THAT ARE TWOFOLD:
I feel that November is too early to focus on basketball, both the pro and the college kind, right now as I’ve always felt that November – and especially October in the NBA’s case – is too early to start the basketball season
and…
Football season is still going strong, and beginning to peak at the high school and college levels with the CIF Southern Section and Los Angeles City playoffs in full swing and the traditional college rivalry games – including our Crosstown Rivalry – coming very soon
In other words,
I just feel that there’s no time for me to give the proper coverage that the Lakers, the Clippers, and UCLA’s and USC’s men’s and women’s basketball teams deserve at this time.
At least until after Thanksgiving, as my plans are to have articles on So Cal’s pro and college basketball teams in early December, after college football’s regular season ends.
So don’t worry So Cal hoops fans, you’ll see stuff on the Lake Show, Clipper Nation, and the hard court versions of the Bruins and Trojans soon enough,
As well as some of the other colleges in So Cal whose hoops teams are having good starts to their seasons;
By the Christmas holidays to be precise.
In the meantime…
Next week will be a big week for this blog, the biggest week of the year;
Being that it will be Crosstown Rivalry Week as for the tenth year I will be posting articles covering the annual and upcoming clash between UCLA and USC.
Among the posts will be,
The 35th anniversary commemoration of something personally historic – my very first in-person UCLA vs USC game, and…
A 30th anniversary commemoration of what was an epic Bruin-Trojan battle at the Coliseum that I had the pleasure of seeing live
As well as my annual preview of the game, my post game analysis of the game,
And the number one tradition of this So Cal Sports Chronicles blog…
My annual predictions of how I see the Crosstown Rivalry Clash unfolding and my pick of who I see winning the game and the Victory Bell, INCLUDING MY PREDICTION OF THE FINAL SCORE.
Which will appear on this blog exactly two days before the kick off at the Coliseum,
Which in this case will be on Thursday, November 16th.
So as I hope one can understand, although the hoops coverage will eventually appear there’s simply no room for me to do any real focusing on basketball as of right now.
But as has been the case since 2015, I’m planning this year’s Crosstown Rivalry Football coverage to be a good one;
The Lakers’ LeBron James (left) and the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (right) facing off during a recent game. Photo courtesy of th.bing.com
CHECKING OUT SOCAL’S TWO PRO BASKETBALL TEAMS AS THEY HAVE BOTH MADE THE NBA POSTSEASON
AND HOW I SEE THEIR PLAYOFF FATES UNFOLDING
Regular Season At A Glance…
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Record: 44-38, tied with the Golden State Warriors for fifth place in the Western Conference
Will be the fifth seed for the conference playoffs
Will play the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns in the best-of-seven conference quarterfinals starting on Sunday, April 16th in Phoenix
Will face either the top-seeded Denver Nuggets or whoever emerges as the eighth seed from the play-in tournament in the conference semifinals if they beat the Suns
Top Players:
Kawhi Leonard, F: 23.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg
Paul George, G: 23.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg (currently injured, but may be available in the Phoenix series)
Russell Westbrook, PG: 15.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 7.6 apg
Ivica Zubac, C: 10.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg
Marcus Morris, F: 11.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Record: 43-39, seventh place in the Western Conference
Third winning season in the past four years
Will be the seventh seed for the conference playoffs
Will face the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in a play-in tournament game at Crypco.com Arena on Tuesday, April 11th
Will face the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the conference quarterfinals starting on Sunday, April 16th if they beat the Timberwolves
Top Players:
LeBron James, F: 28.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 6.8 apg
Anthony Davis, C: 25.9 ppg, 12.5 rpg
DeAngelo Russell, PG: 17.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 6.1 apg
Dennis Schroder, PG: 12.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.5 apg
Austin Reaves, G: 13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Kawhi Leonard (left) scoring on the Lakers with Anthony Davis (right) looking on. Photo courtesy of hoopshype.com
Thoughts and Predictions:
It’s nice to see that both of SoCal’s NBA teams who call the arena formerly known as Staples Center home,
Finished with winning records, and
Will play in the postseason
When the Lakers faced the Clippers in the fourth game of their Hallway Series last April 5th, it induced some interest from me due to the fact that the two teams had the exact same record going into that latest showdown.
Of course, that was before the Clippers once again showed who was the better pro hoops team in L.A. with their 125-118 win over the Lakers, their 11th straight and their 36th win in the last 43 meetings between the two clubs;
Not to mention the third straight year that Clipper Nation swept the Lake Show.
Which is why Janet Jackson’s classic “What Have You Done For Me Lately” is the perfect song to play for Laker fans who point at the 17 banners whenever Clipper fans lord their dominance over them.
As for how I see things playing out over the next two months for these two teams…
Having played well of late, and being that this play-in game will be at home,
Though I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they lost,
The Lakers’ chances of beating the Timberwolves and moving on to play Memphis in the official first round are pretty good.
However,
That will most likely be as far as they will go as that Lake Show is too inconsistent to give them a real chance of beating the Grizzlies in a seven-game series.
As has been the case these past few seasons, they need more lock-down defenders.
But kudos to LeBron and company for that winning record, which they certainly earned as they struggled mightily for much of the campaign.
The Clippers had a 1-2 record against Phoenix this season, and they’ll open on the road as the Suns will have the home court advantage in this first round,
But I see them having a decent chance to win and move on to the conference semifinals,
Particularly if Paul George, who suffered a hyperextended knee on March 21st and hasn’t played since, is healthy enough to be available at some point in that series.
If he’s not and doesn’t play, it will be a tough go and it won’t be surprising to see the Clippers’ season end early.
But if George does play, I like their chances.
Even if they will most likely fall to the Denver Nuggets in that second round.
If either the Clippers or the Lakers make it to the NBA Finals, I’ll have a complete preview of that and a prediction of whether that Lake Show will hang a record 18th banner in Crypco.com Arena’s rafters,
Or if Clipper Nation will be at long last celebrating that first title.
Until then…
The Clippers’ Nicholas Batum (#33) trying to guard LeBron James (right) as he brings the ball up the court. Photo courtesy of bonusbettor.com
A THIRTY-NINE YEAR OLD RECORD FALLS AS THE LAKERS’ STAR PASSES AN ALL-TIME LEGENDARY ICON
It happened about an hour or so ago at the arena formerly known as Staples Center (as of this writing, of course).
And it’s being kept in the Lakers’ family, which I’m glad about.
It was a foregone conclusion that LeBron James would break Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s all-time scoring record, which he set when he passed Wilt Chamberlain against the Utah Jazz in Las Vegas in 1984;
I was a junior in high school back then, and now being in my mid-fifties,
Well, that should illustrate how long Kareem held that mark.
It was a fadeaway jumper that sealed the deal, as shown here (courtesy of YouTube, click on the link):
I’ve always liked those white uniforms! Photo courtesy of silverscreenandroll.com
I remember LeBron as a high school super-phenom at St. Vincent – St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio, everyone proclaiming him as the chosen one and the next hoops legend.
After…
Four NBA Championships
Four MVP awards
Four NBA Finals MVP awards
Nineteen NBA All-Star Games
Three NBA All-Star MVP awards
Two Olympic Gold Medals for Team USA
A spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team
Four-time AP Athlete of the Year
Three-time Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, and now…
The NBA’s all-time scoring record
I think it’s kind of safe to say that LeBron has achieved exactly what everyone had predicted for him when he began his career with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers twenty years ago.
As he has stated that he wants to play into his forties (he’s currently thirty-eight) and possibly alongside his son Bronny, who’s currently a huge star at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth and as sure as I’m typing this will be a one-and-done player at whatever college he plays for and will be a very high first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft if not the number one overall pick,
It’s a fairly sure bet that LeBron will pass 40,000 points before he hangs them up.
But for now,
Let me join the sports universe in congratulating this basketball legend,
And officially state that I’m looking forward to his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame,
Which I predict he will be elected by a unanimous vote.
CONGRATULATIONS, LEBRON!
Going up against a San Antonio Spur. Photo courtesy of allindiaroundup.com
IF YOU ARE A STUDENT-ATHLETE IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE AND YOUR HEART’S DESIRE IS TO SOMEDAY PLAY IN THE NFL, NBA, OR WNBA,
YOU NEED TO READ THIS POST.
A couple of weeks ago or so I felt compelled to do a little bit of research.
I was curious as to the exact odds of a football or a men’s or women’s basketball player in college one day achieving the extreme blessing and privilege of wearing – and getting paid to wear – a uniform in the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, or the Women’s National Basketball Association.
So after finding out exactly how many student-athletes participate in those NCAA athletic programs, here are my findings…
For those football student-athletes aspiring to make the NFL:
There are 73,712 young people who play football in all of the NCAA’s three divisions.
Of that number, 11,050 were given scholarships to be in those programs;
We’ll base the odds on those 11,050.
Among the National Football League’s 32 teams, there are seven rounds and 224 available picks in the annual ballyhooed and televised-by-ESPN NFL Draft held at the end of April.
Meaning that the official odds of hearing one’s name getting called by Commissioner Roger Goodell or some guest at that podium is…
ONE IN 49.
Which means there’s about a 1.57% chance that someone who plays for Georgia or TCU (who recently played for the national championship at SoFi Stadium), or UCLA or USC, or who plays for any of the other 127 Division 1 teams will be able to cointinue their careers once their time as a Trojan or a Bruin (or whoever) is over.
Meaning there is a 98.43 % chance of one’s career being over after their last college game.
As for those aspiring – and usually one(season)-and-done – student-athletes dreaming about the glamourous life in the NBA:
There are 4,654 men among the 358 teams that play Division 1 basketball in the NCAA.
In the National Basketball Association’s draft, there are but two rounds with a mere sixty overall picks.
Meaning that the official odds of having one’s name announced and going on the podium to hug Commissioner Adam Silver and puting on a Lakers or a Clippers cap is…
ONE IN 78.
Meaning there’s a 0.012% chance that a Bruin hearing cheers in Pauley Pavilion or a Trojan hearing “Fight On!” at the Galen Center, or someone who plays for Duke, North Carolina or Kansas, will ever be among the approximately 450 players who are currently showing what they got in the NBA.
Which means that the chances of one’s life in hoops being finished after college or high school is 99.98%.
And now, for all those young women hoopsters who see themselves playing in the WNBA one day:
There are 16,509 women student-athletes involved among the NCAA’s three divsions that field women’s basketballl programs.
Among them, 4,503 have Division 1 scholarshps, which is what I’ll base the odds playing WNBA ball on.
The WNBA Draft consists of three rounds and 36 total picks among its twelve teams.
Which puts the official odds of playing for the Sparks at Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center), or the Aces in Las Vegas, or any of the other ten teams, is…
ONE IN 126.
Which means there’s a 0.007% chance of being paid to play women’s pro basketball in America, which is the foremost reason why playing overseas is common.
Meaning that the chances of a women’s basketball career being over after college is an incredible 99.99%.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND…
It’s not my intention – at all – to discourage anyone who wants to play for the Rams, Chargers, Lakers, Clippers, or Sparks.
Or any of the other NBA, WNBA, or NFL teams for that matter.
If that is what a high school or college kid really wants to do, I hope and pray for them to be successful and wish them all the best in that endeavor.
HOWEVER,
The point I am making is this,
If I had a son or daughter whose aspiration is to play pro football or basketball,
I would insist, demand and require that they obtain their college degree and have a career that they could enjoy to fall back on in case they are among the 98 to 99% of those who never get a paycheck to wear an NFL helmet or an NBA or a WNBA uniform.
And that’s all I’m saying to any young football and basketball player who may be reading this.
The Lakers’ LeBron James (right) going against the Clippers’ Paul George (left). Photo courtesy of actionnetwork.com
LOOKING AT HOW OUR TWO NBA TEAMS’ SEASONS ARE UNFOLDING TO THIS POINT
At A Glance / By The Numbers
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Current Record: 13-10, fifth place in the NBA’s Western Conference
Second place in the Pacific Division behind the Phoenix Suns
Key Players:
Paul George, F – 23.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.3 apg
Kawhi Leonard, F – 10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Marcus Morris, F – 14.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Ivica Zubac, C – 10.6 ppg, 11.7 rpg
Norman Powell, G – 14.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg
John Wall, PG – 12.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 5.6 apg
Last Game: Lost to the Utah Jazz, 125-112, on November 30th
Next Game: vs the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, December 3rd
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Current Record: 8-12, 13th place in the NBA’s Western Conference
Fifth (and last) place in the Pacific Division
Key Players:
LeBron James, F – 25.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.2 apg
Anthony Davis, C – 26.2 ppg, 12.8 rpg
Russell Westbrook, PG – 15.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 7.3 apg
Lonnie Walker IV, G – 16.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Austin Reaves, G – 10.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Last Game: Beat the Portland Trailblazers, 128-109, on November 30th
Next Game: at the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, December 2nd
CROSS HALL / BATTLE FOR L.A. SERIES (all games at Crypto.com Arena – the place formerly known as Staples Center)
Clippers beat Lakers, 103-97, on October 20th
Clippers beat Lakers, 114-101, on November 9th
Tuesday, January 24th
Wednesday, April 5th
NOTE: Clippers have won nine straight and 34 out of the past 41 games against the Lakers
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook driving to the basket against a Clipper during a game from earlier this season. Photo courtesy of tonamcdonough.blogspot.com
A Few Thoughts:
For the Lakers and Laker Nation, that 2020 championship won in the COVID-19 bubble was a flat-out and straight-up aberration.
How can I say otherwise when during the two season before and after that triumph, they were a bad basketball team.
Like lots of other fans and pundits, I more or less buried them after they had won but two of their first eleven games, with their rival Clippers continuing to own them in two of those losses.
Being that they have gone 6-3 since then, including a bone-breaking last second shot loss to the Indiana Pacers,
Because they have been playing better of late after that AWFUL 2-9 start, I haven’t thrown dirt on that Lake Show’s grave just yet.
But I think it’s safe to give my opinion that they’ll be lucky to make the playoffs this year. Again.
Knowing that this won’t be a popular view – at all,
Only a commitment to a youth movement, which includes probably and eventually letting go of two sure fire Hall of Famers in Russell Westbrook and LeBron James (who will break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all time scoring record very soon) along with seriously letting much too injury prone Anthony Davis go as well, will return the Lakers to the NBA’s elite.
The problem is, that won’t happen as the fans will will not stand for any of that.
And neither will owner Jeanie Buss.
Such is the burden of a franchise whose 17 NBA titles is tied with the Boston Celtics for the most in history.
As for the Clippers…
Once again, they are the better basketball team in the arena formerly known as Staples Center, as they have been for the past several seasons save for 2019-20.
Incidentally, for all those Laker fans who are screaming “Count the banners!” right about now, I have a song that was a big hit in the mid-1980s that completely holds true today regarding that purple and gold-wearing team.
A song that needs to be the number one question asked of that club.
And a song that you REALLY need to listen to that I dedicate to you all;
It’s called “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” by Janet Jackson.
Here’s the link to the video (which former Laker Girl Paula Abdul choreographed and has a cameo in by the way), courtesy of YouTube:
If their two superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, could only stop missing games due to being injured so much and get healthy once and for all,
Those Clippers would be serious contenders in the West.
But until Leonard and George, whose chances to make the Basketball Hall of Fame are likewise quite good, can stay on the court and not be so brittle,
I see another season where they’ll likely make the playoffs, but once again will enter as a lower seed and will be lucky to get past the second round.
At least they’ll probably continue to beat up on their Laker rivals,
Unless of course Anthony, Russell and LeBron lead that team on such an incredible tear that reminds their Laker Nation of the Shaq/Kobe and “Showtime” days.
As someone who grew up during the time when Kareem, James Worthy and Magic Johnson were spectacularly leading that show at the Forum with Jack Nicholson and all the other A-list celebrities sitting court side with those Laker Girls doing their thing,
I miss those Showtime days.
I really do.
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (right) driving on the Lakers’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left) in a game in 2021. Photo courtesy of celengenkangen.blogspot.com
AS THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON REMAINS IN ITS FIRST MONTH,
LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO A PINK POODLE – AS A FAN AND AS AN ATHLETE – IN THE SPORTS UNIVERSE.
Or at least, it seems to have been that way for thirty years or so;
An African-American male who prefers a certain other sport over football and basketball.
Who prefers playing a certain other sport (in pick-up form in the park on weekends) over football and basketball.
Who prefers watching a certain other sport to watching basketball and who likes watching such every bit as much as football.
Who has been a fervent fan of such other sport for over forty years, dating back to when he was ten years old.
The sport he prefers in general?
Baseball.
The sport he prefers to play over football and hoops?
Softball.
The African-American male who fits this description, who prefers to watch college baseball/softball and Major League Baseball over the NBA and like to watch college baseball/softball and MLB just as much as he does college football and the NFL?
ME.
Don’t get me wrong,
I like basketball, having grown up with the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s “Showtime” era, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being not only my favorite Laker from those days and my all-time favorite basketball player,
But also one of my all-time favorite athletes.
Plus as far as I and countless others are concerned,
John Wooden is the greatest coach in the history of sports. Period.
How can you not call someone who led his team – my alma mater UCLA in case you didn’t know – to ten national championships in a twelve year span, including seven NCAA titles in a row, anything less?
And I have been a fervent fan of and have immensely enjoyed watching UCLA’s football team at the Rose Bowl for three and a half decades, with ESPN’s College Game Day, featuring Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso with his wearing of the mascot head,
Being my favorite sports show.
Not to mention rejoicing when the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium few months ago.
But when it comes down to it,
It is baseball (and softball for playing) that holds my number one spot in the sports universe.
I believe being in my mid-fifties as opposed to being in my twenties or thirties has something to do with that as my Generation X is perhaps the last one to have their formative years be in a period where baseball was still considered the National Pastime and a major focus of sports in this country.
The original classic movie The Bad News Bears from 1976 and the Dodgers being in the World Series in 1977 and ’78, when I was nine, ten, and eleven respectively, were the main factors in the baseball bug biting me and permanently leaving a mark.
Not to mention going to my first big league game at Dodger Stadium on my 11th birthday – Don Sutton threw a shutout, the Dodgers beat the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) 5-0, and I and all the other kids under 14 years old got a free Dodger helmet that afternoon,
Watching the highlight show This Week In Baseball and the Johnny Bench vehicle The Baseball Bunch on TV,
And getting to participate in my town’s little league in 1979 as I was on the Santa Monica Sunset Little League’s Major Division Dodgers, where I wasn’t very good but improved to the point to where I became the team’s starting catcher and hit .409 for the season (over forty years later, I still remember my batting average!).
Another factor in me preferring baseball and softball to football and basketball is that I have always loved to hit – and still do this day!
Hitting line drives, watching them jump off my bat, has always giving me a satisfying feeling as although hitting a baseball and a softball is considered the most difficult thing to do in sports,
I’ve always found making jump shots harder.
A GREAT shot of two Baseball Hall of Famers during their days at Locke High School in South L.A. in the early 1970s: Ozzie Smith (left) and Eddie Murray (right). Photo courtesy of pinterest.com HOW CAN I DO AN ARTICLE LIKE THIS WITHOUT INCLUDING THIS MAN: Jackie Robinson stealing home in the 1955 World Series. Photo courtesy of mancavepictures.com I ALSO CAN’T HAVE A POST LIKE THIS WITHOUT INCLUDING THESE PIONEERS: The Negro League East All-Stars, 1939, featuring Josh Gibson (top row, third from right). Photo courtesy of baseballhistorycomesalive.com
AS FOR BEING BLACK AND PREFERRING BASEBALL (AND SOFTBALL) TO BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL:
It makes me feel like the proverbial pink poodle because,
Well, let’s put it like this…
If there is any African American born after 1980 who feels the same way I do about baseball and MLB, preferring such to the NFL and the NBA,
I would very much like to meet him or her.
Which is simply being honest.
At least, that what it seems as I can’t think of any fellow Black person of African descent who is in the Millennial Generation or Generation Y,
Who – in the case of the So Cal Sports Universe – likes watching the Dodgers and the Angels over the Rams, the Chargers, UCLA’s Bruins and USC’s Trojans on the gridiron,
Or the Lakers, the Clippers, or the WNBA’s Sparks.
Or even the Kings, the Ducks, the Galaxy, LAFC, and SoCal’s newest team, Angel City Football Club of the Women’s Professional Soccer League, who will play their first official game this Friday at Banc of California Stadium.
The fact that African American participation in Major League Baseball has been at a low of not quite 8% in recent years compared to nearly 20% in the 1970s doesn’t help things any.
As well as the fact that while baseball players have to toil in the minor leagues for a number of years for low pay before getting their chance in “The Show”,
Football and basketball players can make millions right away, right out of high school in basketball’s case.
Which is why I do get that young Black athletes seemingly prefer hoops and football over baseball.
Granted, things are getting a little better as I’ve noticed more Black faces at the college baseball and softball level in addition to MLB.
But that hasn’t made me stop feeling like a pink poodle in the sports universe.
Which to be honest, I don’t mind.
At all.
As the saying goes,
“I have to do me.”
I like being different to what is seemingly “normal” and “accepted” in Black culture, in this case an African American who considers baseball as his favorite sport over football and basketball.
As I have said earlier in this post,
If there are any other fellow Blacks who feel the same way I do about the sport that in my book remains the National Pastime,
Don’t be shy.
Don’t keep it a secret.
Own it!
Let me known in the comments below, either on this page or on this blog’s Twitter and/or Facebook pages.
Maybe we can catch a game at Dodger Stadium one day.
An encouraging sight! Photo courtesy of cronkitenews.azpbs.org