Michael Beasley Fined By the NBA

Here’s an interesting story of the NBA’s Michale Beasley. Insider say he is a head case and the Pat Riley will have his work cut out for him. Check out the link below.

http://www.examiner.com/x-426-Sports-Examiner

Roy Williams Discusses The Tar Heels

The North Carolina Dynasty Continues in Chapel Hill. Roy Williams continues to reload at each and every turn, every year. North Carolina will be led by Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green. Roy Williams discusses Tar Heel recruiting and fortunes. Click Link Below.

http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/inside/roywilliams/

Shooters and Scorers Have Always Ruled Basketball

In Basketball there is nothing like a shooter; someone who could light it up twenty to thirty feet out from the basket. You may have your favorite, but I have mine. They are listed in no particular order.

Pistol Pete was a scorer he could score inside are out, create in the open court. Knock down a twenty foot jump shot or pull up for a soft jumper in the middle of the lane. Pistol could drive to the hoop or score in the lane seventies style on anyone who had the misfortune of guarding him. Pistol Pete if he played today would be a Street baller, he was absolutely way ahead of his time. He was quicker than Earl Monroe. Contrary to what others think of him he was quick on defense as well.

Pete Maravich would take over game . One against five. Pete Maravich averaged 44 points per game in an era when there was no three point line. He was a phenomenal player who could do just about anything on a basketball court. Someone estimated that if Maravich played with today’s three point line he would have averaged 57 points per game.
Maravich had so many moves that no one could stop him. Pistol Pete Maravich lift on his jump shot was simply amazing. He was a showman extraordinaire on the basketball court. The world truly misses a basketball Legend; Pistol Pete Maravich.

Allen Iverson is perhaps as they say in boxing the smallest and greatest pound for pound player to ever play the game. Rocket quick with a silky smooth jump shot; Iverson has a lunch bucket mentality with a big time game. He can light it up in the open court. Iverson’s crossover dribble is legendary. His jumper from twenty-five feet out is deadly. Iverson has a skill at backing up his defender with his quickness and using the dribble to break the ankles of his defender.
Iverson’s game is special. He always came to play no matter what and he gave it his all even when he was the best talent on the team . Allen Iverson is a multi talented player who can light it up with his ability to use his quickness to free up a fabulous transition game.

A shooter can make shots and do it consistently. A shooter can make 15 or 20 shot in a roll.

Larry Bird was a shooter. He could shoot with either his right or left hand. He had a killer instinct. He came to play. He was not quick. He had a silky smooth shot and his release was text book. Bird understood the game, because he lived the game. He was a shooter and a competitor. He would do whatever it took to win a ball game; primarily because Bird was a shooter.
Bird ruled the three point line and he led the Celtics to 3 NBA Championship in the eighties. Bird was just that good. He knew where he was on the floor and although he did not get lift with his jump shot, he could get his shot off easily because of timing and the ability to use both hands.
If you could beat Larry Bird, you would have to out think him. No area on the court was a weak spot for Bird, such was his range.

Rick Mount- Little known by today’s players. Rick mount was a sharpshooter who could fill it up from twenty to twenty five feet. He could do it consistently and it earned him a respectable career at Purdue and a career in the American Basketball Association during the late sixties and early seventies.

Earl Monroe-Earl Monroe created the spin move. Later perfected by Magic Johnson, and used by nearly all NBA players today. Monroe could shake and bake in slow motion. He was not exceptionally fast, but skilled players have a way a creating their shots and Monroe did it with moves. He was adept at moving through and around in close quarter around the basket to make soft floaters in the lane. Monroe was not a jump shooter, but he was a creator, a magician with the basketball.
The better the competition, the more Monroe raised his game. He was in a word silky smooth a creator with the basketball. Earl Monroe was the greatest one on one player that ever lived. He was an innovator who could create his shot based on the situation. Pete Maravich had this skill as well, Maravich had the total package, but in terms of creating a shot; there was no one better than Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.

Eric Gordon-As it turns out Eric Gordon only played one year of College basketball but his game is destined for greatness in the NBA. There are not many players that you get excited about watching. particular offensive players that can take it to the hoop and create while doing it or pull up for a long 25 foot jump shot. Gordon is a throwback. He’s strictly a scorer. He played in a style like Maravich without the show time theatrics. Gordon is a scorer, plain and simple. He has one idea and that is to get to the basket, either by slashing and driving or creating and driving all in one quick motion.

He has tremendous lift in his jump shot and tremendous moves close in the mode of Earl Monroe. Make no mistake this player is the real deal. I predicted he will go within the top five in the  NBA draft. Gordon went number six to the Clippers. Gordon’s release is lightening quick. He can come off a screen shooting. He is an exceptional player and totally gifted, given his young age.

Review-Loose Balls- The Short Wild Life Of American Basketball Association

Loose Balls- The short wild life of the American basketball Association is without a doubt my all

time favorite basketball book.

This is a book of interviews from the GM, Owners, coaches, and players who were a part of the ABA from it’s inception in 1967 to the last league championship game in 1975. The ABA was Showtime with a capitol “S” and it was also a proving ground for Innovative rules that are a lasting part NBA today of our game even today. The most famous rule carryover from the ABA is the three point shot. The NBA adopted this rule from the ABA and it has been a fixture in both the college game and the pro game for many years.

The ABA was a league of Mavericks and some of the games most notorious players, played in this league and they were characters. Let see there was, John Brisker, who became a mercenary in Africa, following his ABA career. He was killed in Africa, following this occupation. He was a tough, take no prisoner Forward. Then there were interesting characters like Marvin ‘Bad New” Barnes, the 6-9 Power forward from Providence, who in seventies terms was a player. He rarely practiced and it was no big deal for him to show up to a game with two ladies hanging on his arms. Barnes played for the Spirit of St. Louis.

Warren Jabali was the leagues bad guy, only a 6-2 guard, but he was tough as nails and intimidated nearly half the league until someone clocked him one day. These were the characters, the interesting stories, but there were some who could really play the Game George Mc Ginnis for one. He played one year for the Indiana Hoosiers, before turning pro with the Indiana Pacer, then part of the ABA. I w=once saw McGinnis score 51 points in a high school all-star game, he was a man among kids. McGinnis went onto team with Julius Ervin on Philadelphia in the NBA after the ABA folded.

Dan Issel, was a power forward from the University of Kentucky, who played under Adolph Rupp, without a doubt . Issel was a player and played for the Kentucky Colonels and the Denver Nuggets in the ABA. He was an all-star forward and after the league folded he remained with the Nuggets as part of four ABA franchises that switch to the NBA. The others were the Indiana Pacer, San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets. All four of the former ABA teams have prospered in the NBA as well. David Thompson made a name for himself in the ABA. The Skywalker was known for leaping out of buildings with his jumping ability, while playing along side, Dan Issel in Denver.

The most famous ABA player and an ambassador even now for the league is ABA alumnus, Julius Erving . It was in the ABA where the Legend of Doctor J was born. In the five season that Erving played in the ABA He averaged 28 points per game, pulled down an average of 12.1 rebounds and shot 50% from the field.. He won the League MVP award three times, sharing the final award with George McGinnis in 1975.

Erving was a magician on the floor, he could literally do things that no one ever dreamed possible. Doctor J gave us what was the most memorable dunk that was ever in the first ever ABA Slam Dunk Contest. By the way the ABA created what is now the NBA Slam-dunk contest. The NBA like the idea so much that they adopted it and it is now a huge attraction during All-star weekend. The ABA held it’s first Dunk contest in 1972 and Julius Irving won it with a full court take off from the top of the foul line dunk., at the time this dunk had never been done before. Many have done it since. But Doctor J is the original to first to ever do it. and I might add no one has top the where Erving took off from the foul line. His dunk remains the longest ever.

You must understand this was like seeing a man jump from a standing position on earth and land on the moon. It was unheard of for any basketball player to accomplish such a thing. But Erving did it. The NBA quickly adopted the NBA slam dunk contest to is a stellar event even today particularly the elaborate dunks that were so much a part of that league.

There were man other stars in the ABA like Indiana’s Roger Brown, Miami’s Mack Calvin, Charlotte’ Joe Caldwell, Wilt Chamberlain, briefly Coach for the San Diego franchise. Rich Mount, Louie Dampier and Artis Gilmore were big draws for the Kentucky Colonels. The ABA was a Showtime league, with great entertainment and great stars like Travis “Machine Gun” Grant, the former star of the Kentucky State, who could light it up from anywhere on the court. As could, World B. Free and Ron Boone.

Be sure to purchase a copy of the book Loose Balls, by Terry Pluto. It is a fabulous history of the American Basketball Association. If all else fails you can get a copy of the book at your local library.