The NBA Parade & etc about the 2022 NBA Draft.

 Driving down Market Street in the Warriors NBA Championship Parade was like coming home. I was raised in San Francisco, played my high school ball at Lowell High and my college hoops across the bay at Saint mary's College. My best NBA playiing days were spent as a power forward for the San Francisco Warriors. My jersey #14 hangs from the Chase Center Arena rafters. I am the local boy made good. I like to think of myself as the First San Francisco Warrior. My teammates and opponents knew me by my nickname, The Mad Manchurian because I was born in Harbin, a city in the previously indempendant country of Manchuria -  now part of China. The Mad part has to do with my on-court intensity, which at times I've been told appeared to possesses some of the qualities of madness. 

This small history of Tom Meschery was going through my mind as my wife, Melanie and I were driving down Market Street in a pomegranate flame plainted Chevy lowrider convertible with all the hydraulics. Melanie and I have been part of all the Warriors' victory parades since the first of the Dubs era in 2015. For the last two, we took Melanie's grandson John-Clark and the following year, my granddaugher, Carson, both were avid hoopster. This year, back in San Francisco, where this team originally began in the fall of 1962, my son Matthew and his 10 year old son, Leo, were with us. I instructed them to make sure they waved to all the old people in the crowd lining the sidewalk who might have seen me play. I think they thought I was joking. Hall of Fame Warrror's legend, Rick Barry, who brought the NBA title to San Franciso for the first time in 1975, was riding in the yellow jeep in front of our car. Although in his late seventies, the fans recognized Rick instantly. Some imitated Rick's underhand free-throw style to prove it. Rick was a heck of a better player than I was, but our parade lowrider outshone his jeep. Such little competitions between teammates never end, do they? The Warriors players were in open air busses in front of us. At times the parade came to a halt and some of the players descended onto the street to greet their fans. It looked as if half the City of Saint Francis was out to honor their Dubs. On our drive home from the parade, I told my wife to prepare for next year's parade.  Considering the return of injured frist round draft choice 7 foot 1 James Wiseman and the improvement of this years' two outstanding rookies, Mosed Moodey and Jonathon Kuminga, the Warriors could very well be a better team next season. 

ETC ABOUT THE DRAFT

i have changed my mind about Chet Holgrem, His slight 7 foot body weighing in at 196 pounds might be sturdier than I first believed. If this is the case, Chet with his superior skll-set should go number one ahead of Jabari Smith. Paulo Banchero, who is half Italian and holds dual Italian U.S. citizendhip might be the most NBA ready. Banchero value is well known by the teams. Except the Italian part. My wife and I love Italy, Florence escpecially, and for that reason would select Banchero number one. This is called subjective analytics. 

The mock drafts are all showing the Kings picking Jaden Ivey at number 4. I predict if they do, it will be to trade him to the Washington Wizards, who covet Ivey, in return for a vet power forward, a defensive minded wing and our choice when their seleciton comes at ten. It's the smart move to get veteran help. We'll see if i'm right. If they keep Ivey, then they made a huge mistake, which has often been the case with the luckless Kings. I hope I'm wrong. I like Coach Mike Brown and wish him only the best as he takes over the Sacramento Kings. 

The Warriors pick at 28. They were lucky with Jordan Poole at that late pick three years ago. Crossing my fingers. I wouldn't be surprised if they chose a pure point guard. Curry will need rest in the future, and really Jordan is best as a scorer. But the deal these days is tall, long and athletic. 

Keep your eyes on the Spurs. Pop and Co alwasy manage to find someoen good out of the hoard of wantabees. 

My choice of a poem today is all about nostalgia. Guess it had something to do with being in San Francisco, driving down Market Street, thinking of past glories.  

EARL HE PEARL MONROE  by Tom Meschery

In the rec league
they called me Black Jesus.
When I walked onto the court
the crowd parted like the Red Sea.
In college someone found a rhyme
and I became the Pearl
I guess I've been a mixed 
metaphor ever since.
Today, when I back a player
down toward the paint
and spin into my shot,
I know before the ball leaves
my fingers it's going in.
At that moment I can heal the lepers,
raise the dead. 

One Happy Warrior

 The Dubs are back doing the work of Dubs, winning NBA Championships. My wife Melanie and I watched and cheered as the Warriors, led by a brillian offensive performance by Steph Curry and a relentless defensive performance by Andrew Wiggins steadily and convincingly out-smarted the athleticism of the Boston Celtics. I was surprised after the game, watching the presentation ceremony how demonstrative Curry was, who even when excited is not overly emotional. This Championship must hve meant a lot to him, perhaps more than any ohers. Perhaps it had something todo with the pervious two horrivic losing seasons, that and perhaps having the Core triple sec vets of Splash Brothers and Drayone back together healthy. And perhaps it had to do with mirroring the first championship of 2015, the oen without Durant. I'm only guessing that there was someting to prove. 

What needs to be said is that as good as this tem is, next years' Warriors, barring injuries, should be stronger and deeper. The CORE vets of Curry, Thompson, Green, Wiggins & Porter will be back Poole and Little Glove, Payton ii, will return more seasoned and improved. And the roster will round out with improved rookies: 7'1' James Wiseman, first rounders Kuminga and Moody will be ready to contribute after a summer of work and a complete training camp under their belts. 

On Monday my wife and I will be in he Championship Parade again. We've been in all ofthem so far. This year we will ake my son Matthew and his son, Leo, my 10 yaar basketball playing grandson. I hope rubbing elbows with usch NBA luminaries will inspire him to continue with the sport. I will get the chance to visit with old teammates, Rick Barry, Al Attles and other NBa players from my time on the court, like the Jim Barnett. Good times, great memoires and a historic future to look forward to. 

From my upcoming new collection of poetry: Clear Path from Random Lane Press

WATCHING THE WARRIORS ON TV

      for Melanie because I promised

Of course you are right as you remind me, don't you,
that it's you sitting beside me as I watch the Warriors
play whomever. Aren't you? Because there have been 
twelve years of opponents, equal to the years we've 
been married and three ouy of four championships rings,
not on our fingers, but for us, gold wedding bands
that mean we're also winners. See my darling
how I've woven in as cleverly as Gerard Manley
Hopkins' spring rhythm, you, deserving of praise.
How could I be a fan without you by my side,
looking up occasionally from the book you're reading
to make a sly but knowledgeable observation.

.

The Right Side of History

 Laking about the LIV, Rory McIlroy said it without being explicit that he is on the  "right side of history." Let me explain how I interpreted his words. The LIV is not about a competitive tour. The ABA had every right to form a new league competing with the NBA, so did World football have the same right to compete with the NFL. We live in a free market economic systerm. The problem with the LIV is it is sponsored by killers and misogynists. So, Rory, even if you don't want to come right out and say it, you ARE on the right side of history. 

The PGA has suspended the golfers who are playing in the LIV.  I'll be sorry not to see Dustin Johnson, little Kevin Na, DeChambeau and his strange mechanics, but they are not on the WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY. I'm reasonably certain that the Old White Men who cntrol the PGA are not suspending these golfers because they are playing in a league that is supported by killers and misogynists, but I could be wrong, being an old white male myself, I should cut others of my ilk some slack. 

So, in the world of golf, it seems that greed has, for the time beomg. won over moral and ethical behavior. It is a lesson that is a legacy of four years of Donald Trump's opening his can of greedy worms. It is a legacy we should all regret. But then, I don't have a lot of gambling debts the way Lefty has. 

Sacramento Kings' fans should cry out in a loud voice, "Not Jaden Ivey!" The Kings need long, tall and athletic wings, they already have speed and handles.

Warriors get on the boards! Shameful what the Celtics did to you on the glass.

I don't blog much about baseball, so here's a fine small poem about America's pastime by Robert Hamblin. 

A HERO FOR ALL SEASONS

I remember Eddie Yost

who raised the base on balls
to the level of art.

Who took batting practice
to practice not to hit.

Who once fouled off nineteen
third strikes to earn a walk.

Who persuaded kids too small
for football and too short
for basketball
that littil'uns could aso be big'uns. 
  

If You're a Fire Guy, , , some thoughts on the 2022 Finals

 It's hard if you're  a fure guy to control the flames. Guess about whom I'm talking. Draymond, are you reading this? Prrobably not, already in Boston in a hotel room dreaming about tying up Horford again, as you did in Game Two at Chase Center. You were "The Man" my man. You set the tone for the rest of the game. Your teamates picked up your vibe. The Celtics did not shoot so well with hands in their faces, did they? I loved the Fire, Draymond. But, please be careful that the flames don't burn you. The Warriors must have you playing not sitting in the locker room waiting for the league to fine you for a Flagrant Two. 

I wonder how many people listend to Coach Kerr talk about Steph Curry's physical conditioning. All of us who've been Curry fans from the day that he stepped on the court at Oracle Arena should be able to see the difference between Steph's shoulders then and now. It's a visual. Coach Kerr praised his super star for that growth, for that intelligence of growth, for Steph's indomitable will. My wife, Melanie, once told me that Steph Curry is every grandmother's wish for a son-in-law. It's a good way to put it that as a model for youg men, there is no better one than Steph. 

I was delighted to see how much better Jordan Poole played. I was delighted to see how delighted Steph Curry was when Poole hit that incredibly long jumper almost at the half court line. Leadership???

If thee is a most valuable player on the Warriors over the length of the playoffs, may I sugges he is Kevon Looney. I'm sure not one Warrior would argue with me. In the "old days" when I played, there used to be a way of describing Looney's talent for rebounding. We'd say, "he has a nose for the ball." We're not always talking about centers. 

Shout out for Gary Payton II, coming off a fractured left elbow, his shooting arm, and playing D the way he did, and scoring and bringing energy up and down the court. You've found a home in the Bay Area and in the hearts of all Warriors fans. 

There is a constant truth in the NBA: NBA Finals Championships are won by DEFENSE. End of story. 

End of Blog. 

PS. When will the NBA stop treating the Playoffs as a separate part of the season and wait until the playoffs are over to hand out individual awards. When? Write the  NBA. Complain. I hope you flood the office. Most of the awards are usually right on, but others are not, such as Coach of the Year and Most Improved Player. Write, Write, Call, Instgrapm. Tweet, Email. Blog. 

ODE TO THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 2015   By Tom Meschery

One small change and the line begins: Good luck,
timing, and the stars. This morning I’m still seeing
Curry’s three float through the sky of the arena
reminding me of a lesson in geometry:
An arc is a segment of the circumference
Of the circle – from foot (the flat plane of release)
that travels in silent degrees over the moon.
That it drops into the hoop is a matter
both of mathematics and imagination.
 
I am watching this arc with my arm in a sling
Having had my shoulder replaced with titanium,
A science of a lesser degree than the one
Curry, and his teammate, Thompson,
use to turn mathamatics into a sport.
 
As far as my titanium shoulder will allow,
I raise my arm to salute the Splash Brothers
And their teammates, three out of five,
Bogut, Barnes, and Green
And all the other players off the bench, Iguodala,
No small part of the equation called teammates.
And raise it up again through pain
To honor the others: players and coaches,
Gentry, Adams, and Kerr for his coaching
That were it not intense, looks much like joy.
 
Something so old inside me called desire
Yearns to play again, to shake off years,
Travel through the television screen
And be six-six again, called undersized
Like Draymond Green snatching rebounds,
Playing beyond our skills because we will it,
Because we know that timing gives us wings.
 
And wherever they are, the old Warriors,
Nate and Rick, Al and Jeff, I wonder, if like me,
They’re watching these new Warriors, Dubs,
Seeing how luck, timing, and the stars triangulate.
 
            
          

A Little Bit of a Lot

Do yourselves a favor and read the article in The Athletic today about Ukranian Slava Medvedenko, Shaquille O'Neal's backup on the Lakers' teams of the early 2000's. Slava is defending his country from Putin's army. It is a story of bravery and resolve. He has invited Shaq to come to his home country to visit and appear in support of the Ukranian people. The minute  the playoffs are over, Shaq should go. 

I've become a big fan of Marcs Thompson's sports writing. How can you not with lines such as these, talking about our dear Dubs: "The Warriors have shown they can take their foot off the pedal. If they've got room for error, they're not above using it." Makes an old retired rhetoric teacher's heart glad. Let's not take the foot off the pedal tonight, okay?

When I read that the Sacramento Kings have hired two assistant coaches and it is not mentioned that newly hired Coach Brown has not approved the hire, I start to worry. Hiring assistants should be exclusively the job of the head coach, not the job of the GM or the owner. 

Absolutly loved the comeback by the Warriors reserves two nights ago. Kerr kept them in even after a worried Coach Kidd brought back his starters. The comeback continued until the 25 plus deficit was reduced to 8 points. Might have been interesting to see what the reserves could have done had they been left in after that. I believe in miracles. 

Glad to see the 49ers comitt to Trey Lance at QB for next season. Also delighted to see that the Raiders are evaluating Colin Kaepernick as a back up QB. What I saw breifly on TV, Colin looks in great shape. Congrats to the Raiders for showing some courage, giving Colin that chance to prove himself when no other NFL team had the cajones. 

Joel Embid complains about not being selected NBA MVP, "What more can I do?" He asks. Okay, for starters: learn to shoot deep 3 pt shots like Jokic; learn to pass/assist like Jokic; learn to facilitate the offense like Jokic. End of story. jokic is Chapter One, you're Chapter Two. 

Great Coach Kerr line about Luka Doncic, "He can make 3 pt jumpers in his sleep." I think Kerr was talking about nightmares. Still, the ball stays in Luka's hands too long. When the rest of the Mavs' team is handdling the ball and getting shot opportunities, the Mavs are a much tougher team than when they rely mostly on Luka. Tonight at Chase Center we'll see if the Warriors can close out the series. 

Don't forget WNBA star, Brittany Griner, a prisoner in Russia. Write letters, Email, Instagram, get on Facebook. Get angry sports fans!

While 50 Republican Senators refuse to pass a basic gun control law HR 8 that would tighten background checks, another 19 elementary school children have been murdered by a guntotting crazy in the town of Uvalde,Texas. (The greatest of shame upon you senators.)

The following poem was written after the Nazi airforce bombed the city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. God will do the same for the dead children of Uvalde, I pray.

IN GUERNICA THE DEAD CHILDREN   by Norman Roston

In Guernica the dead children were laid out in order on the sidewalk

In their white starched dresses.

In their pitiful white dresses.

On their foreheads and breasts, the little roud holes

Where death came in like thunder

While they were playing their important summer games.

Do not weep for them Madre

They are gone forever, the little ones

Straight to heaven to the Saints

And God will fill their bullet holes with candy.