Michael Jordan Wanted to go to UCLA

By Ryan McNeill

A site called “Insomniac’s Lounge” reported yesterday that Michael Jordan’s first choice to play college ball was UCLA but the Bruins never recruited him.

The writers of the site went to Borders on the weekend to look around and noticed a booked called “Playboy Interviews: They Played the Game” which is a collection of old interviews with various athletes. I guess some people do read Playboy for the articles, eh!

What Insomniac’s Lounge wrote in their post “What Might Have Been” is that, “with masochistic curiosity, I had to check to see if the most heartbreaking interview I’d ever read was included in this volume. Not surprisingly, it was. In either a 1992 or 1993 interview, Michael Jordan reflected on his days playing high school ball and revealed: ‘I always wanted to go to UCLA. That was my dream school….But UCLA never recruited me.’”

Can someone else please varify this report for me? As a loyal Tar Heels fan I’m shocked by these claims – there’s now way that any hoops star in the ‘80’s would have chosen UCLA over the chance to play for Dean Smith, right? I know there’s the allure of playing for the school that John Wooden coached for, but that was in the past by the ‘80’s and Smith was still coaching at North Carolina. Why pass up the chance for play for a coaching legend in order to play at a school where a coaching legend used to coach.

Thanks again to The Big Lead for pointing our this article – those guys are doing some great stuff over at that Blog!

Alvin Williams: Heart of a Warrior

By Ryan McNeill

A lot of people get upset about writers referring to athletes as warriors because they feel the only warriors are those that fight in wars. For the most part I agree with that assessment but Alvin Williams is different from most basketball players because he laid it all out on the line every time he laced up his kicks. The quote that best sums up Williams comes when he was quoted a couple seasons back as saying “if I can never walk again because of what I love to do, that’s a chance I’ll take. I’ll die on the court. That’s what I want to do. That’s how I want to play.”

How often do basketball fans get treated to athletes who genuinely love the game of basketball? Far too often playing in the NBA becomes someone’s ticket to riches instead of a chance to live out their childhood dreams. Williams made $40 million during his career in the NBA yet he still hopes to latch onto a NBA roster next season just to prolong his playing career. From what I know about Williams I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of him pulling a “Pat Borders” just to be a part of a basketball team somewhere.

Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star did a great job of pointing out Williams heard in a column he wrote today called, “Above All, Passion.” Feschuk opened his column by writing that “it was once pointed out to Alvin Williams that his basketball philosophy was diametrically opposed to that of Vince Carter, his long-time friend and Raptor teammate. This was near the end of the 2003-04 season, when it seemed as if Williams never played without a limp and an accompanying dose of pain. The Toronto point guard missed 26 games that season to the various knee and ankle ailments that have derailed his career, but Carter was missing games, too, occasionally for what Vinsanity would describe as precautionary reasons. To Williams, the idea of a precautionary benchwarming was ludicrous. He wanted to play now, today, on this possession and the next one. Sitting, resting, heeding Carter’s warning to preserve his body for the long run — they weren’t options Williams considered.”

Feschuk then finished off his article perfectly by writing, “you wonder why on earth would he keep at it, with bone scraping bone in knees and ankles ground to bits? Certainly (Vince) Carter could never understand Williams’ addiction to being out there, pain and all. ‘(He can be) courageous now, or have longevity,’ Carter once warned. Williams knew one way: now over later, courage over caution, hooping over healing. As he said a couple of years back, so gravely you could only believe him, so pointedly you could only admire him: ‘This is the only thing, other than my family, that I have a passion for and I love. And I’d give my life for it.’”

It would have been great to see Williams finish up his career with the Raptors and provide this team an example of what it means to be a true professional. While Williams would have no longer had the same type of role on the floor, I can’t help but think he would have been another Darrick Martin for the franchise. Adding salt into the wound are local reports that the Raptors are looking at Martin to fill the vacant roster spot Williams leaves – why not let Alvin stick around to be around the game that he loves? Williams has $14 million remaining on the next two years of his deal and the buyout was for close to $10 million, I don’t get why the Raptors wouldn’t let him stick around to be a player-coach like Martin was last season.

Raptors fans will be sad to see Williams leave but we wish him the best of luck with his future.

Charles Barkley for Governor of Alabama

The Birmingham News ran a great story today that claims Charles Barkley intends to run for governor of Alabama in 2010.

Barkley was quoted in the Birmingham News as saying “Alabama, that’s my home. I’m thinking about running for governor; they need the help. If it wasn’t for Arkansas and Mississippi, we’d be dead last in everything. I think we can do better.”

Later in the article Barkley was quoted as saying he’s serious about his desire to run for politics and that he’s “got to get people to realize that the government is full of it. Republicans and Democrats want to argue over stuff that’s not important, like gay marriage or the war in Iraq or illegal immigration. They push those issues because they play well on TV and because they deceive people. When I run – if I run – we’re going to talk about real issues like improving our schools, cleaning up our neighborhoods of drugs and crime and making Alabama a better place for all people.”

Barkley then sounded off on how the youth in America are lacking direction and guidance. Barkely told the paper that, “people will tell you this is America and there is a level playing field. That’s the most BS you’re ever going to hear. If you’re poor, if you’re dodging bullets and drop out (of school), it’s not a level playing field. There are too many black kids and their parents who do not value a good education. There are places where a black kid who is a good student and tries to speak correctly, you hear stuff like, `He’s trying to be white.’ Well I say, if that’s true, we need more kids trying to be white.”

Up until that point I was starting to think that Barkely wasn’t just blowing hot air and that he may actually be a decent politician if given a chance. Then he continued to flap his gums and his diarrhea of the mouth killed that idea in my mind.

Barkley told the Birmingham News that, “I really believe I was put on Earth to do more than play basketball and stockpile money. I really want to help people improve their lives, and what’s left is for me to decide how best to do that.”

That definitely isn’t what a bunch of people struggling to make ends meet want to here. Why would they vote for yet another fat cat that’s rich beyond belief while they struggle to make ends meat? With an asinine comment like this Barkley looks like he went from a promising career in politics to bum in less than 30 seconds.

While I may feel that Barkley tarnished his “rep,” you never know what voters will do when they have a chance to vote for a “star” running for office. Earlier this month I spent a night in Alabama and those folks would be just the kind of rabid sports fans that would vote a sports star into their government – just like California voted a movie star like Arnold Schwarzenegger into office.

Hey! Whatever Happened To: Rod Strickland

By Brian Taylor

New York!

Home of egos, hip hop, killa taxis, greasy pizza and the “New York” point guard. Point men that are from the area are usually flashy, entertaining, oozing machismo and turnover prone (see: Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair, Kenny Anderson). The one guy to really start this era of player into the here and now of basketball was the one and only Rod Strickland (his moms calls him “Rodney”).

Strickland was the product of the Oak Hill and Mouth of Wilson high school basketball juggernauts that included the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Jerry Stackhouse. At 6’3”, Strickland was big enough to take guards into the post, but also fast enough to blow by anyone respecting his jumper. He broke his hand in a game, and had the habit of wrapping each and every finger since the injury. Along with Miami Heat-Alum Kevin Edwards, Rod got his swagger on at DePaul University, making “Blue Demons” just as fear-inducing as “Blue Devils”. In 1988, David Stern called his name, and sent him on his way to his hometown New Yawk Knicks. For any kid from the Bronx, playing for the Knicks would be a dream come true, problem is, if the guy ahead of you on the depth chart is an All-Star (Mark Jackson), you won’t get any burn. After playing only 51 games for his home team, Rod was shipped to San Antonio for Mo Cheeks (yep THAT Mo Cheeks), where he flourished under Larry Brown. I remember an old school Nike commercial, with Rod showing off his patented “Rod and Roll” crossover move. With “the Admiral” David Robinson just coming into his own, Rod had a field day driving, slashing, dishing and scoring until the Fun Police Commissioner (Coach Brown) got into a beef with him, prompting Strick to opt for free-agency.

The TrailBlazers “showed him the money” and pretty soon, Strickland was playing All-Star caliber ball, averaging 17 points and 8.5 dimes per game. At the peak of his career, he was shipped to the Bullets and would become part of a team that returned Washington to playoff contention after a 7 year-hiatus. That team included a young, raw Chris Webber and All-Star Juwan Howard and fought hard before bowing out to MJ’s dynasty. What people don’t know is that Rod lead the league in assists his first year as a Washington Wizard, hooking Juwan and Chris up with almost 11 dimes per game (5 of which would always make the crowd jump out their seats). Strickland was indeed a major talent, but you all know what comes next!

Along with pioneering the “New York” point guard role, Rod also pioneered the “JailBlazer” moniker, as he was the guy to start the trend of Portland having a prison basketball team. Rod never really got along with Coach Adelman, got caught up in the area’s marijuana scene and had the obligatory run-ins with local law officials. When he came to D.C., he played his ass off, but that didn’t come without missing practices, showing up 20 minutes before game time and other crazy stunts. Strickland wasn’t exactly the best teammate either. I remember watching a game where the Wiz were in Charlotte, and then Wizards’ forward Tracy Murray is sporting one of the worst black eyes this side of boxing. None of the announcers mentioned it, and it came out the next day that the two had a brawl at the team hotel, with Murray (at 6’7”, 225) having accused Rod of…well..”pitching AND catching” so to speak. Strick was hard on himself physically as well, doing Kobyashi hot-dog impressions right before games (he didn’t feel right unless he chucked some of that up). The Wizards tried to run Strickland alongside Mitch Richmond (from the Webber trade) in the supposed “best backcourt in the East” and the team went back to its playoff-missing ways. After promising to be an angel in his brief stay in Minnesota, Rod got charged with smashing someone’s parked car, and then peeling out, getting in trouble with law enforcement up there. His rap sheet included swinging on police officers, DUIs galore and other police blotter material. Getting up in age, Strickland tried the typical league tour (signing here and there to teams needing PG help) before finally chilling out for good in 2005 after 16 games with T-Mac and Yao, and a 3 month stint with a Lithuanian team.

Flint Star: “All We Do Is Ball”

By Will Tran

A copy of Marcus G. Davenport’s Flint Star DVD has been on my computer desk for some time. A documentary depicting the life of individuals attempting to leave the ghetto through basketball, I already had a few preconceived notions about the film. I have never lived in what people would deem a “rough” neighborhood rife with crime, guns, and drugs, so it might be an alarming yet insightful experience to be an outside observer. However, in my opinion, the subject matter appears to be overdone. Eminem’s 8 Mile chronicled the life of a rapper who wanted to “get a record,” leave his decrepit slum of a hometown, and live the rich life. Even the less glorified, less Hollywood, and more street Through the Fire detailed the life of numerous athletes, mainly Sebastian Telfair, from their time in the streets to the NBA…if they got that far. Yes, most hit the wall as one man interviewed in Through the Fire states, “There comes a time when you realize that you won’t get paid for this [playing basketball].”

I do not have issues with people wanting to be professional athletes or any other type of famous icon; however, I have issue with those that feel that there is no other way to be successful. The Flint residents are blinded. They see basketball as the only key to success and place absolutely no value on education which to them is merely an obstacle. Mateen Cleaves, one of the successful Flint athletes, mentions how he went to school just to make whatever grade needed to keep him eligible to play basketball.

“Hey! Whatever Happened To:” Nick Anderson

By Brian Taylor

Why You Might Remember Him: Ah yes, Nielson “Nick” Anderson, the 6’6” shooting guard out of Illinois who would have one of the most up and down careers in the history of professional sports. I guess the crazy thing about Nick was the extreme to which he flew, then crashed and burned. Coming out of Illinois in 1989, Anderson was picked 11th (behind obvious hall of famers Danny Ferry and last week’s victim, I mean subject, Pervis Ellison), by the fledgling Orlando Magic, who’s jerseys were the only reason to come to a game. When he finally landed in O-Town, he made a splash in his rookie year, averaging 11 points a game on a team that featured NBA dinosaurs like Terry Catledge and Reggie Theus (right before his T-NBC days). It wasn’t until a certain large, young center from LSU landed on the squad that Nick’s career took off, averaging 20 points a game. Shaq’s arrival took Orlando from NBA curiosity, to Eastern Conference Playoff possibility in two years, and out of all the guys that benefited, Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson came up the most (with Nick putting a half-dollar on the New Jersey Nets). Anderson was usually the third scoring option behind the Diesel and “pre-Kobe” Penny, but had a deadly mid-range game and killer “drive-and-see-what-happens” instinct. Anderson was often a terror in the low-post, using size and strength to get his points. Defensively, he was a rock too, embarrassing His Airness, (the Ed Nealy #45 version) by picking his pockets clean in the playoffs, making Mike look played out. You would probably compare his game to New Jersey’s Richard Jefferson today.

Forty Million Dollar Slaves: Part 2

After reading the Sports Illustrated article called “Forty Million Dollar Slaves” earlier this week I’ve found a lot of my reading material has involved this topic so far this week.

While reading through Relevant Magazine this afternoon an article called “Let My People Go” by Eric Sullivan had a stat that 27 million people are in modern day slavery across the world. 27 MILLION! That number is nothing short of shocking for this Canadian kid who’s grown up in Toronto suburbs where enough money to pay for rent, food and entertainment is expected.

In that same article by Sullivan he had a great quote by Leo Tolstoy that gives a lot of merit to Rhoden’s book. Tolstoy says that “the essence of all slavery consists in taking the product of another’s labour by force. It is immaterial whether this force be founded upon ownership or the slave or ownership of the money that he must get to live.”

Doesn’t this quote by Tolstoy perfectly sum up what David Stern and his misfits do to players in the NBA? If the League doesn’t like your style of clothing they fine you. If you speak your mind to reporters following the game they fine you. If you have a problem with an authority figure they fine you.