Once upon a time, a basketball going through a hoop meant one of two things: a successful free throw attempt during play stoppage — worth one point — or a successful field goal attempt while the clock was running — worth two points. The distance on the field goal attempt … Read more
To date, twelve of the sixteen teams that qualified for the 2018 NBA Playoffs have been eliminated. Of those twelve, zero had a legitimate shot at representing their conference at the NBA Finals next month, let alone winning the championship. Of the four remaining teams, one is the defending champion … Read more
Basketball fans who were born in the mid-1960’s and prior have seen the evolution of the sport in ways we never thought possible. We may like some of the changes and dislike others, but at the end it’s still basketball. It’s not until we reflect back on what we used … Read more
In keeping with the trend towards increased accessibility into the inner workings of an NBA contest–a trend serious enough to give spectators who are able and willing to pay for the privilege a better view of game action than some of the assistant coaches–the nationally-televised games will occasionally feature an … Read more
For years the NBA has gone to great lengths to make its talented athletes and coaches more marketable and appear more personable, and the NBA sideline reporter has played a large role in bringing out these personalities. Post-game locker room interviews and press conferences have always been part of the … Read more
OK, so that went well. First-round predictions included Western Conference 3rd-seeded Portland over 6th-seeded New Orleans in six games. So of course, Rajon Rondo reverts to yesteryear and the Trailblazers not only lose, but get swept. Then Oklahoma City loses to Utah in a series where the reluctant third member … Read more
During the course of an NBA season we hear a lot of statements from personalities considered authorities of the sport that, upon further examination, are debatable. Sometimes we hear these statements so often we just meekly accept them. Not a big deal, but after hearing these utterances once again leading … Read more
For most of the 2018 NBA playoff participants, it’s now time to inactivate the cruise control button–in most cases in effect since early March–and get serious. After about a six-week hiatus, the games count again. Only a handful of teams in the Western Conference got to experience playoff-level intensity at … Read more
The National Basketball Association is in a good place. It is globally popular, has recognizable stars, a healthy television contract and is looking to capitalize on the slowly declining popularity of baseball to improve its standing among the major sports. Even the off-season, while nowhere near as active as baseball’s … Read more
About 20 years ago, after periodically experimenting with hosting the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball’s Final Four in cavernous sites like Houston’s Astrodome and the Louisiana Superdome (as it was called at the time) with seating capacities in excess of 60,000, the association finally decided that forevermore, the top level … Read more
