It's hard to believe today, but until the 1940s basketball was considered a sport better suited to shorter men than to taller, less nimble players. George Mikan, a 6-10 giant of a man who possessed superior coordination and a fierce competitive spirit, was one of the prototypes for the dominating tall players of later decades. Towering over most of his competitors, he was one of the most effective scorers of his day, averaging 22.6 points over a professional career that lasted nine years -- one with the Chicago American Gears and eight with the Minneapolis Lakers.
Mikan was so hard to defend and to score against, in fact, that the NBA had to change its rules of play in order to keep him from completely overwhelming the league. Few players have had such a huge impact on the game. In 1950, Mikan was voted the greatest player of the first half of the century by The Associated Press.
The notion that someone could be tall enough, and jump high enough, to deflect a ball while it was above the basket was unthinkable before the 1940s. But that changed when Mikan perfected the art of goaltending -- then a perfectly legal practice because it was considered impossible when he played college ball.
"We would set up a zone defense that had four men around the key and I guarded the basket," Mikan recalled. "When the other team took a shot, I'd just go up and tap it out." He swatted away so many would-be baskets at DePaul that the NCAA decided to outlaw goaltending.
Mikan did seem to single-handedly overpower the rest of the league at times, so much so that the NBA tried to make it more difficult for him to score by expanding the width of the key, from 6 feet to 12 feet. The 24-second clock also came about because of Mikan. In a game in 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons decided that the only way they could win was to hold onto the ball and not let the Lakers have it. They ended up winning, 19-18, in the lowest-scoring game in NBA history. The league implemented the 24-second shot clock a few seasons later.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Kekaula new TV voice of UH football
Ever since he first tried to get his then-size-14 foot in the door of professional broadcasting as a college student, Robert Kekaula has had his eyes on the prize: doing play-by-play of University of Hawaii football.
"I started in 1987 with News Radio 99 and Don Robbs," Kekaula said. "I had read in the paper they had gotten the UH contract, so I called up Don and tried to convince him that I should do the play-by-play for UH. That didn't work. So, I tried to convince him that I should do color. That didn't work, either.
"He (Robbs) convinced me I should do schlep work. That worked."
A quarter-century removed from carrying equipment, fetching drinks and performing microphone checks, Kekaula has landed the jackpot of sportscasting positions in Hawaii: the UH football TV play-by-play job. He'll debut with Oceanic Time Warner's pay-per-view and UH channel in September.
If there is celebration in that, there is also relief. "I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance (at UH play-by-play) because that job doesn't come open very often," Kekaula said. "You don't see many get the opportunity."
For much of his 46 years, those enviable jobs have been held by a small handful, with the iconic Jim Leahey the most recent caretaker of the lineage.
Now, Kekaula will succeed the 68-year-old Leahey, whose descriptive play-by-play accounts first captured his imagination decades ago as a Big Island youngster.
"Jim is the greatest storyteller I have ever known; I grew up watching him," Kekaula said. "When I first got in the business, I told him that."
Kekaula, a Kamehameha Schools and UH graduate, "never lacked for confidence — and I mean that in a good way," Robbs said. "Whatever he did he came well-prepared for. He always believed he could do radio and he worked to make it happen."
Kekaula had a voice in putting together the broadcast team that will also include Darren Hernandez and Nate Ilaoa. "I specifically wanted those guys because of their personalities," Kekaula said. "In talking to them, the idea I had is that we have to constantly think we're sitting on a couch and what would we say if we were describing the play we just saw. I want us to have good fun doing it. I want to step up the entertainment value and not lose the integrity of the game."
Kekaula said, "People pay good money for pay-per-view and we feel obligated to give them not only the X's and O's and ABCs and have some fun along with it. For example, the first successful shovel pass we come across I want Nate to explain to us exactly how that works. I've always thought Nate had to be a special cat to be able to turn his back on the defense and make that catch."
In forming his own team, Kekaula will be breaking up another. He and Bobby Curran have worked side-by-side on Warriors football for the past 12 years on KKEA 1420-AM radio. "I have nothing but good memories of those years," Kekaula said. "After I got the job and cleared everything with my people (at KITV) and everybody was on board and official, the first thing I did was call Bobby. Then, I drove out to his house and talked to him.
"He understood. He knew it was something I wanted to do for a long time."
***
[9/22/11] Kekaula and Hernandez will talk story
"I started in 1987 with News Radio 99 and Don Robbs," Kekaula said. "I had read in the paper they had gotten the UH contract, so I called up Don and tried to convince him that I should do the play-by-play for UH. That didn't work. So, I tried to convince him that I should do color. That didn't work, either.
"He (Robbs) convinced me I should do schlep work. That worked."
A quarter-century removed from carrying equipment, fetching drinks and performing microphone checks, Kekaula has landed the jackpot of sportscasting positions in Hawaii: the UH football TV play-by-play job. He'll debut with Oceanic Time Warner's pay-per-view and UH channel in September.
If there is celebration in that, there is also relief. "I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance (at UH play-by-play) because that job doesn't come open very often," Kekaula said. "You don't see many get the opportunity."
For much of his 46 years, those enviable jobs have been held by a small handful, with the iconic Jim Leahey the most recent caretaker of the lineage.
Now, Kekaula will succeed the 68-year-old Leahey, whose descriptive play-by-play accounts first captured his imagination decades ago as a Big Island youngster.
"Jim is the greatest storyteller I have ever known; I grew up watching him," Kekaula said. "When I first got in the business, I told him that."
Kekaula, a Kamehameha Schools and UH graduate, "never lacked for confidence — and I mean that in a good way," Robbs said. "Whatever he did he came well-prepared for. He always believed he could do radio and he worked to make it happen."
Kekaula had a voice in putting together the broadcast team that will also include Darren Hernandez and Nate Ilaoa. "I specifically wanted those guys because of their personalities," Kekaula said. "In talking to them, the idea I had is that we have to constantly think we're sitting on a couch and what would we say if we were describing the play we just saw. I want us to have good fun doing it. I want to step up the entertainment value and not lose the integrity of the game."
Kekaula said, "People pay good money for pay-per-view and we feel obligated to give them not only the X's and O's and ABCs and have some fun along with it. For example, the first successful shovel pass we come across I want Nate to explain to us exactly how that works. I've always thought Nate had to be a special cat to be able to turn his back on the defense and make that catch."
In forming his own team, Kekaula will be breaking up another. He and Bobby Curran have worked side-by-side on Warriors football for the past 12 years on KKEA 1420-AM radio. "I have nothing but good memories of those years," Kekaula said. "After I got the job and cleared everything with my people (at KITV) and everybody was on board and official, the first thing I did was call Bobby. Then, I drove out to his house and talked to him.
"He understood. He knew it was something I wanted to do for a long time."
***
[9/22/11] Kekaula and Hernandez will talk story
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Wilt
A message to the generations of basketball fans who have grown up in the nearly four decades since Wilt Chamberlain retired or the dozen years since his death: You have no clue.
There has always been big. Wilt was bigger.
He was always so large and so strong and so many of his feats so utterly overwhelming, it was simply not enough to call him the best player in the land or on the planet. Too narrow, too constraining. He needed an entire constellation as a description: the Big Dipper.
There has always been big. Wilt was bigger.
He was always so large and so strong and so many of his feats so utterly overwhelming, it was simply not enough to call him the best player in the land or on the planet. Too narrow, too constraining. He needed an entire constellation as a description: the Big Dipper.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Derek Jeter 3000
NEW YORK >> Mobbed by his pinstriped pals after the ball sailed into the left-field seats, showered by ovations from his fans, Derek Jeter stood alone — the first New York Yankees player to reach 3,000 hits.
A fitting crown for the captain, on a sunny afternoon when it seemed he could do anything he wanted.
He lined his first home run of the year at Yankee Stadium. He tied a career high going 5 for 5. He singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. And, for good measure, he stole a base.
"Something I will remember for the rest of my life," Jeter said.
With a swift swing of his shiny black bat, Jeter jolted himself into historic company, hitting a solo home run off Tampa Bay ace David Price in the third inning Saturday. He became the 28th major leaguer to hit the mark and joined former teammate Wade Boggs as the only players to do it with a home run.
A fitting crown for the captain, on a sunny afternoon when it seemed he could do anything he wanted.
He lined his first home run of the year at Yankee Stadium. He tied a career high going 5 for 5. He singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. And, for good measure, he stole a base.
"Something I will remember for the rest of my life," Jeter said.
With a swift swing of his shiny black bat, Jeter jolted himself into historic company, hitting a solo home run off Tampa Bay ace David Price in the third inning Saturday. He became the 28th major leaguer to hit the mark and joined former teammate Wade Boggs as the only players to do it with a home run.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Yao to retire
Yao Ming, one of the seminal figures in the globalization of the NBA, has decided to retire after nine injury-plagued seasons with the Houston Rockets, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Yao played just five games last season, and hasn’t been able to fully recover after having surgery in January to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. The veteran center informed the Rockets, the league office in New York and NBA China of his decision to leave the game within the past 48 hours, sources said.
Yao was set to become a free agent once the league’s lockout ends. He was once poised to become the league’s dominant big man, but lower-body injuries repeatedly sidelined him over the course of his career. He missed at least 25 games in five of the past six seasons.
Yao, who was the top overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft, finishes his career with per-game averages of 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots.
Yao had hoped the surgery would allow him to return for the 2011-12 season – and said he’d like to return to the Rockets. But he also conceded that he may have already played his final game.
***
SHANGHAI >> A large scroll behind the player who brought China to the NBA and the NBA to China summed up the occasion.
"Ming xie," it said in large Chinese characters that, loosely translated, mean "Yao Ming, thanks, the end."
Yao, with teary eyes at times and dressed in an equally somber black suit, closed the book Wednesday on his eight-year career with the Houston Rockets, conceding that injuries finally got the best of him.
"My past six months were an agonizing wait. I had been thinking (about my future) over and over," the 30-year-old Yao said in comments translated into English. "Today I am announcing a personal decision: ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening."
Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more.
"My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it," Yao said.
Yao's wife Ye Li and their 14-month-old daughter, Yao Qinlei, and Yao's parents, Yao Zhiyuan and Fang Fengdi, were in the room. Qinlei was dressed in a red qipao, a traditional Chinese dress.
He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd.
"I will be always with you," he said.
Yao played just five games last season, and hasn’t been able to fully recover after having surgery in January to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. The veteran center informed the Rockets, the league office in New York and NBA China of his decision to leave the game within the past 48 hours, sources said.
Yao was set to become a free agent once the league’s lockout ends. He was once poised to become the league’s dominant big man, but lower-body injuries repeatedly sidelined him over the course of his career. He missed at least 25 games in five of the past six seasons.
Yao, who was the top overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft, finishes his career with per-game averages of 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots.
Yao had hoped the surgery would allow him to return for the 2011-12 season – and said he’d like to return to the Rockets. But he also conceded that he may have already played his final game.
***
SHANGHAI >> A large scroll behind the player who brought China to the NBA and the NBA to China summed up the occasion.
"Ming xie," it said in large Chinese characters that, loosely translated, mean "Yao Ming, thanks, the end."
Yao, with teary eyes at times and dressed in an equally somber black suit, closed the book Wednesday on his eight-year career with the Houston Rockets, conceding that injuries finally got the best of him.
"My past six months were an agonizing wait. I had been thinking (about my future) over and over," the 30-year-old Yao said in comments translated into English. "Today I am announcing a personal decision: ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening."
Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more.
"My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it," Yao said.
Yao's wife Ye Li and their 14-month-old daughter, Yao Qinlei, and Yao's parents, Yao Zhiyuan and Fang Fengdi, were in the room. Qinlei was dressed in a red qipao, a traditional Chinese dress.
He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd.
"I will be always with you," he said.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
John Mackey
John Mackey revolutionized the tight end position - his incomparable ability to catch passes off the line of scrimmage helped usher the NFL into its pass-happy modern era.
Mr. Mackey remained on the forefront of change in pro football after he retired. He pushed for better health care and championed the cause of former players, even as he battled dementia.
Mr. Mackey, the Hall of Famer for the Baltimore Colts, died Wednesday at age 69. Mr. Mackey's wife notified the Baltimore Ravens about her husband's death, team spokesman Chad Steele said Thursday.
"John Mackey was one of the great leaders in NFL history, on and off the field," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "He was a Hall of Fame player who redefined the tight end position, and he was a courageous advocate for his fellow NFL players as head of the NFL Players Association."
Mr. Mackey played for the Colts from 1963-71, during a time when tight ends were viewed as additional offensive tackles. His breakaway speed, soft hands and bruising running made him difficult to cover, giving quarterback Johnny Unitas another top target. They combined on a 75-yard touchdown to help beat Dallas in the 1971 Super Bowl.
Mr. Mackey finished his career with 331 catches for 5,236 yards and 38 TDs. His efforts after his playing days were just as important as his performance on the field.
An NFL labor agreement ratified in 2006 includes the "88 Plan," named for Mr. Mackey's uniform number. The plan provides up to $88,000 a year for nursing care or day care for former players with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, or $50,000 for home care.
***
I remember John Mackey as the tight end on the Johnny Unitas-led Baltimore Colts when I used to play them in Strat-O-Matic football. Memorable for his highlight videos breaking tackles after the catch. Precursor to such tight ends as Ray Chester and Charlie Sanders. Not to mention the Antonio Gates' of today.
Mr. Mackey remained on the forefront of change in pro football after he retired. He pushed for better health care and championed the cause of former players, even as he battled dementia.
Mr. Mackey, the Hall of Famer for the Baltimore Colts, died Wednesday at age 69. Mr. Mackey's wife notified the Baltimore Ravens about her husband's death, team spokesman Chad Steele said Thursday.
"John Mackey was one of the great leaders in NFL history, on and off the field," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "He was a Hall of Fame player who redefined the tight end position, and he was a courageous advocate for his fellow NFL players as head of the NFL Players Association."
Mr. Mackey played for the Colts from 1963-71, during a time when tight ends were viewed as additional offensive tackles. His breakaway speed, soft hands and bruising running made him difficult to cover, giving quarterback Johnny Unitas another top target. They combined on a 75-yard touchdown to help beat Dallas in the 1971 Super Bowl.
Mr. Mackey finished his career with 331 catches for 5,236 yards and 38 TDs. His efforts after his playing days were just as important as his performance on the field.
An NFL labor agreement ratified in 2006 includes the "88 Plan," named for Mr. Mackey's uniform number. The plan provides up to $88,000 a year for nursing care or day care for former players with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, or $50,000 for home care.
***
I remember John Mackey as the tight end on the Johnny Unitas-led Baltimore Colts when I used to play them in Strat-O-Matic football. Memorable for his highlight videos breaking tackles after the catch. Precursor to such tight ends as Ray Chester and Charlie Sanders. Not to mention the Antonio Gates' of today.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Austin Rivers player of the year
For Austin Rivers, career day at school was always a little bit different. Other students had to explain what their parents did for a living, but not Austin. For as long as he can remember, his dad, Doc Rivers, has been a head coach in the NBA (since 2004 with the Boston Celtics and before that with the Orlando Magic).
“It seemed like my dad was always a thousand miles away, coaching,” says Austin, 18, PARADE’s 2011 Player of the Year. “I’ve been on more planes than I can count.”
But back home in Florida, Austin, a point guard at Winter Park High School near -Orlando, was making his own mark on the court. He had a big senior year, scoring a -season-high 46 points against Florida’s Montverde Academy and 38 points against highly ranked St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.). And last month, Winter Park won the state championship for the second year in a row.
By topping PARADE’s list of 40 seniors from 22 states (compiled in association with Sporting News), Austin edged out several other players who had big senior seasons, including Bradley Beal (committed to Florida next year), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Chase Fischer (Wake Forest), and Wayne Blackshear (Louisville).
Meet the 2011 All-America High School Boys Basketball Team:
“It seemed like my dad was always a thousand miles away, coaching,” says Austin, 18, PARADE’s 2011 Player of the Year. “I’ve been on more planes than I can count.”
But back home in Florida, Austin, a point guard at Winter Park High School near -Orlando, was making his own mark on the court. He had a big senior year, scoring a -season-high 46 points against Florida’s Montverde Academy and 38 points against highly ranked St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.). And last month, Winter Park won the state championship for the second year in a row.
By topping PARADE’s list of 40 seniors from 22 states (compiled in association with Sporting News), Austin edged out several other players who had big senior seasons, including Bradley Beal (committed to Florida next year), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Chase Fischer (Wake Forest), and Wayne Blackshear (Louisville).
Meet the 2011 All-America High School Boys Basketball Team:
Name, Position, Ht. High School College* FIRST TEAM Austin Rivers, G, 6'4" Winter Park (Fla.) Duke Bradley Beal, G, 6'4" Chaminade (Mo.) Florida Anthony Davis, C/F, 6'10" Perspectives (Ill.) Kentucky Chase Fischer, G, 6'4" Ripley (W.Va.) Wake Forest Adonis Thomas, F, 6'7" Melrose (Tenn.) Memphis Rodney Cooper, G, 6'6" Russell County (Ala.) Alabama Dantley Walker, G, 5'11" Lincoln County (Nev.) UNLV DJ Gardner, G/F, 6'6" Okolona (Miss.) Mississippi St. Trevor Lacey, G, 6'4" Butler (Ala.) uncommitted Wayne Blackshear, G/F, 6'5" Morgan Park (Ill.) Louisville SECOND TEAM D’Angelo Harrison, G, 6'3" Dulles (Tex.) St. John’s Adam Smith, G, 6'1" Fayette County (Ga.) UNC Wilmington Tony Wroten, G, 6'5" Garfield (Wash.) Washington Chane Behanan, G/F, 6'7" Bowling Green (Ky.) Louisville Cody Zeller, F/C, 6'11" Washington (Ind.) Indiana Trey Burke, G, 6'1" Northland (Ohio) Michigan Kyle Caudill, C, 7'0" Brea Olinda (Calif.) Boston College Jahii Carson, G, 5'10" Mesa (Ariz.) Arizona St. LeBryan Nash, F, 6'7" Lincoln (Tex.) Oklahoma St. Angelo Chol, F, 6'9" Hoover (Calif.) Arizona THIRD TEAM Wesley Saunders, F, 6'6" Windward (Calif.) Harvard Shelby Moats, F, 6'8" Waconia (Minn.) Vanderbilt Devonta Abron, F/C, 6'8" Seagoville (Tex.) Arkansas Jarvis Threatt, G, 6'1" Highland Springs (Va.)Delaware Amir Williams, C, 6'10" Detroit C.D. (Mich.) Ohio St. Jordan Baker, G, 6'3" Tempe (Ariz.) Pepperdine Branden Dawson, F, 6'7" Wallace (Ind.) Michigan St. P.J. Hairston, F/G, 6'6" Hargrave Military (Va.)UNC James McAdoo, F, 6'8" Norfolk Christian (Va.)UNC Xavier Ford, F, 6'7" Harrison (Colo.) Buffalo FOURTH TEAM Julien Lewis, G, 6'4" La Marque (Tex.) Texas Jake White, F, 6'7" Chaska (Minn.) Wichita St. Johnny O’Bryant, F/C, 6'10" East Side (Miss.) LSU Tanner Wozniak, G, 6'5" Keswick Christian (Fla.)FIU Myck Kabongo, G, 6'3" Findlay Prep (Nev.) Texas Reese Morgan, G, 6'3" Palos Verdes Pen. (Calif.)Cal Poly Michael Gilchrist, F, 6'7" St. Patrick (N.J.) Kentucky Colin Gruber, G, 6'3" Harbor (Calif.) N. Arizona Ryan Spangler, F/C, 6'8" Bridge Creek (Okla.) Gonzaga Marquis Teague, G, 6'2" Pike (Ind.) Kentucky
Dodgers declare bankruptcy
The Dodgers have filed for bankruptcy protection, a bid by Frank McCourt to preserve his ownership of the team by prodding a judge to override the rules of Major League Baseball.
McCourt will ask a Delaware bankruptcy judge Tuesday to approve interim financing to meet this week's payroll. McCourt would then retain immediate control of the Dodgers, with the intention of negotiating a television rights deal that would satisfy the court by paying off all creditors in full.
The bankruptcy proceedings mean the Dodgers could end a third consecutive season with no resolution to an ownership issue clouded by the divorce of McCourt and his ex-wife, Jamie.
McCourt will ask a Delaware bankruptcy judge Tuesday to approve interim financing to meet this week's payroll. McCourt would then retain immediate control of the Dodgers, with the intention of negotiating a television rights deal that would satisfy the court by paying off all creditors in full.
The bankruptcy proceedings mean the Dodgers could end a third consecutive season with no resolution to an ownership issue clouded by the divorce of McCourt and his ex-wife, Jamie.
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