The Temp is Rising

I read this morning in The Athletic about the Sun working to establish a G League team for next season. Good for them.  Sometimes I make comments at the end of articles. I wasn't going to, until a I read a comment about this article posted by a reader. It was not about basketball, but climate change. He questioned if in the future there would be a Suns team to write about, given that with climate change, the heat in AZ would be intolerable. That made me think of all the other cities in the NBA that are going to be massively affected by climate change: San Antonio, Houston, Orlando, etc. The City of Miami is going to be flooded. The Sun's new owner Matt Ishbia might want to consider moving his team to the Northwest  and let KD finish his career where he started in cool and beautiful Seattle. 

Today's 7.25.;23 Athletic had a marvelous, touching story about how Charlie Villanueva has helped rookie Celtic draft choice Jordan Walsh deal with their mutual condition, Alopecia, a disease that keeps hair from growing and lightens ones skin. According to one of the comments following the article,  when Villanueva was playing, Kevin Garnett said to him that he looked like he had cancer, a mean and childish thing to say. I had never thought of KG as a knucklehead. To bad, he was one heck of a player. If he hasn't done it already, let me suggest that he apologize publicly to Charlie and meet Jordan Walsh who is  a Celtic draft choice and embrace Walsh, also publicly. Of course, he doesn't have to. He can continue being a childish knucklehead. But one day, God forbid, KG might get cancer and then he'll have to look in the mirror. 

Just thinking: Anybody out there just a wee bit tired of hearing: Ya Know, bottom line, at the end of the day? And as much as I admire Leborn James, I could stand to open a sport page and not see his name for a few days. 

Women's soccer players are finally going to be paid the dame as the men's team. About frigging time. 

I just watched SLAM BALL. Holy Hops! They have finaly come up with the perfect sport for people suffering from hyper active disorder. Major sponsor Red Bull? 

While the super sports are going on, the fishermen are out abong the streasm and lakes, among them, my two son-in-laws. Here's a fishing poem for all the fishermen.

CATCH   

I imagine us dancing, a Mexican ballroom somewhere
(anything instead of fishing)
In faded, pre-war elegance, tropically flowered wallpaper
(jigs, flies, speckled lures and mr. twisters)
Drooping lushly like the evening sea-breeze
(damn the wind, they won’t bite now)
And you in sailor whites – tuxedo, if I blur my eyes
(black, shiny, slimy leeches, grubs, chubs, fathead. . . )
The band plays 40’s swing, a dark man croons “Darling”
(I’m a rapid oxidizer,” you announce, sweat streaming down your nose)
“Darling, Take My Heart. . . “
(walleye, pike, sunstroke, crappies)
And my red dress spins faster as you lift me off he floor
9jesus Christ, a four pounder!)
Its ruffled hem streaming round my knees
(landed)
Like a school of tiny iridescent fish
(darling, take my heart)
You sing at last.
 
             Ethna McKiernan

This & That July 19th

 I was struck this morning with Sam Amick's article in The Athletic about Joel Embid in which he sude the term RINGZ CULTURE. What a shame it has come to that. Historically it minimizes so many great NBA teams that reached the Finals and lost. I'm thinking of th great Utah Jazz teams of Stockton and Malone, and Charles Barkley's and Kevin Johnson's fabulous Suns' teams. To them I add my marvelous 1967 San Francisco Warriors team with Nate "The Great" Thurmond and Rick Barry. We lost to Wilt's 76ers, which was a great team even when with Moses Malone at center they later lost to Walton's Trailblazers. I never wore diamonds on my finger, but what shines most is in my heart. Ringz are finally  just glitter. 

Let's hear it for Sabrina Ionescu, the WNBA player who shot lights out 37 pts in the recent 3 pts shooting contest at the WNBA All-Star Game. There's a lot of talk already about a NBA vs WNBA shoot out between Steph Curry and Sabrina. Advertisers are lining up. So are Vegas odds makers. Aside from her miraculaous performance, there is a point to be made here. When you see shooting like this and watch the recent WNBA games, I don't think it is too farfetched to believe that someday there will be a female who can make it on to an NBA team. Okay, not in any of the power positions, but how about as a point guard who can shoot like Ianescu? Of course, she'd have to have the body and strength of Serena Williams, but is that so hard to visualize? I wrote a novel called She's Got Game about a female college All-Star who forgoes the WNBA to try out for the NBA. It's in manuscript and waiting for an agent. Any agents out there, I'm listening. 

Hurrah for Carlos Alcaraz for defeating Novak Djokovic for the singles mens' championship at Wimbledon.  A worthy young champion. Spain should be proud. One takeaway from the presentation at the end of the match. Ever since COVID, I stopped cheering for Djokovic when he refused to be inoculated. I don't do selfish well. So, I was thrilled the young Spaniard defeated him. But Novak's concession speech made me change my mind about him. It was so honest, I couldn't help to believe he's a much better person that I thought. Yes, he's still wrong about COVID, but he understand what it takes to be an athlete, to be gracious in a loss. I still won't cheer for him, but I will not bad-mouth him either. 

Here's a poem I wrote after watching the Wimbledon. 

RACKET   by Tom Meschery

To his astonishment,
his shot goes wide
its fault he seems
to be assigning
to the racket
staring up at him
out of his hand,
not to any misjudgment
on his part.
Fingering the stings
he speaks to it
as he might speak
to an enemy
Perhaps  a change
of rackets
will be all it takes.
He threatens or cajoles
while in the stands
we wait for service,
his rage to end
and the match to continue,
down 40 love.   

Was Blazer GM Telling Dame Lillard the Truth?

 It is my belief that the Portland Trailblazer's General Mgr. Joe Cronin was lying to Damian Lillard. He had no intention of building around Lillard, That was made very clear to me when after drafting Scoot Henderson, he didn't instantly try to trade him for veteran players to help Damian achieve his goal to legitimately compete for a ring. (There are plenty of teams in desperate need of a poing guard od Scoots caliber/potential. Scoot was the only asset for which Cronin had a chance to find the value he needed to convince Damian he spoke the truth instead of speaking out of the wrong side of his mouth and waiting for Damian to realize that he was stalling. Frightened, probably to take responsibility for initiating the trade  of  one of Portland's beloved sports figures.  Lillard deserved better. Let's see if Cronin can do the right thing now and find a place for Damian on a contender. It can be done, if Cronin really cares. 

A few comments about free agency. There are a lot of new multi-millionaires today. Good for them. It's going to be interesting to see what the Rockets do now that they have VanVleet as their point guard. I was happy to see Draymond did not depart and the Warriors resigned him. He got stability with a 4 year contract, and the Warriors got a financial savings to help them avoid the punitive new CBA rules. Some folks I know who hated Draymond's "Punch" asked me why not trade him? My answer to that is it would be like a wheel trying to turn without a hub. All in all bringing in Chris Paul and moving Jordan Poole to the Wiz where he can start over is best for Jordan while Paul will be best for the Warriors. People are asking how does a pick and roll expert like Paul fit into the motion offense that the Warriors run. Don't worry. Coach Kerr is smart. Paul has a high basketball IQ. They'll figure it out much to the amazement and regret of the rest of the league. I'm also getting my head around the Warriors' two draft choices and liking the choices much better. My old team has not finished filling out their roster, so more on the Warriors to come.  

I think the Boston Celtics will regret trading Marcus Smart. I think the Grizzlies improved their team greatly by acquiring Smart. Brooks is gone and Steven Adams will be back, so now the Griz will have two adults in the room to tone down the Ja Morant weirdness when he returns. Smart is the kind of tough and honest dude who I believe might be able to influence Ja, show the kid (for truly Ja is still a kid)  how to be a real pro.

Are the Celtics a better team with Porzingis? Only if he can stay healthy and have the same year he had last year with the Wizards. If so, it's not going to be easy beating Boston in the paint.   

The Lakers helped themselves by obtaining Gabe Vincent. They better hustle and sign Reeves. There is still an AD problem to figure out, or a problem with energy and toughness AD himself needs to figure out. He's like a part of his core game is missing, but it is essential. 

What's happening with Hardin? Only the Gods know. No loyalty on his part and not on GM Morey's part either. Hardin took less money last year with the expectation he'd be rewarded this season. Not happening. Perhaps here's the opportunity for a three way trade of some kind to bring Damian Lillard to the 76ers. Just thinking. 

Does the Beale trade make sense for the Suns? Absolutely. They gave up nothing and got one heck of a basketball player with a high IQ in return. I don't like their bench, but they have the rest of the summer to figure out how to find solid vets to fill in around the core of Booker, Beale, KD and Ayton. I've heard a lot of grumbling about Ayton, but he's still young and still 7 feet and can still rim run and block shots. Does he really have to do more with the other three around? Let's all cross our fingers KD stays healthy. 

Do I really care about Kyrie? Not a wink of sleep will I lose over the fate of that Knucklehead. And as the old cliche goes, Leopards don't change their spots, I predict that Kyrie will do something stupid this coming season. I do believe that the Mavericks may have finally found their center. And I applaud them for bringing back Seth Curry. The more space they can create for Doncic the better. Seth can shoot the three.  

Denver lost Brown. They'll miss him. The Pacers will love him. Brown is a hooper. I wouldn't be surprised if Donte DiVincenzo winds up back with the Bucks. They resigned Middleton and now must,  MUST, sign  Lopez. And Giannis MUST spend all summer perfecting his mid-range jumper. 

That's all dear readers, for the moment. Lot's of trades and deals to come I'm sure. Congrats to the Warriors' nee GM, Donleavy. He's stepping into some big shoes. So with Myers on my mind, I offer a poem I wrote for him after he departed.

THE GROUT IN THE WARRIORS’ MOSAIC

              for Bob Myers, GM of the Golden State Warriors

 

It's impossible when reading this 

Not to see the function of the man as glue.
Or see that, were it not for him,
Each tile would find it’s way to waywardness.
 
I’ve been a Warrior and a Warrior fan
And know the function of each player
On a team, to a man, must stick together.
It’s how a team succeeds, how teams win.
 
It’s like the writer says, mosaic,
On their own, as a wall, or ceiling
Beaufiful as they are, can not survive
a season. They need grout applied
 
by a steady hand. The craftsman
but much more, an artisan who sees
an angle butts well against the square,
the square against the trapezoid.
 
And when fit together into a portrait
Or a landscape or in the case, less anyone,
Not recognize the subject of this poem,
Bob Myers, stands back and observes
With satisfaction of a job well done.
 

Tommy Smith & John Carlos & etc about the NBA

 John Carlos, Tommy Smith, Dr Kenneth Noel & Dr. Harry Edwards were honored by inducting the four men  into the California Hawaii Legacy Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Sacramento, CA, the city in which I now live. Over the years since Smith and Carlos  made history in the 1968 Olympics by raising their black gloved fists on the winners podium as the "Star Spangled Banner "was being played, the two sprinters have gone from national pariahs to heroes of the Civil Rights movement. This is only one of many such awards Smith and Carlos have received, since our country has long ago come to acknowledge the bravery of what they did in 1968. I'm writing this blog to not only remind people of Carlos and Smith, but to remind my readers that their was a third brave soul on the podium that afternoon during the medal ceremony. Below is a poem I wrote in this person's honor;

DOCUMENTARY

    for Peter Norman (42 -2006)

I'm reading about fires raging in Australia
dark, particle filled smoke hovering over xitiesw and towns
images of kangaroos leaping before the rushing flames,
eucalyptus trees burning like torches.

North of th3e fire, my friend's son is working to save lives

He writes his parents he is in no danger but Australia is in flames.

Somewhere I read that the continent of Australia 

contains eleven out of the twelve most poisonous spieces of reptiles on earth.

Their coastal waters teeming with sharks.

In the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City,

Peter Norman, an Australian, having won the silver medal

stood on the podium with with Americans Tommy Smith and John Carlos

when they raised their black gloved fists int the air

Norman, a white man, wore a badge of solidarity.

The Australian Olympic Committee

never forgave him for that one act of bravery.

The call them fire storms. The Ausstrains are praying for rain.

The Australian Olympic Committee never allowed Norman to run for his country again. 

ETC ABOUT THE NBA

I've been thinking about the Golden State Warriors draft and trade. I'm not sure why so many of the talking heads still believe Draymond Green is entertaining  leaving the Warriors, if he ever did. 

Draymond is going out with the horses he came in with. Jordan Poole is gone replaced by Chris Paul.

The Warriors drafted the hot 3 point shooter from Santa Clara University, Brandin Podzienski. The young talented but raw Baldwin II has joined Poole in Washington. In his place the Warriors drafted the 6'9" power forward 22 year old Trace Jackson Davis, the son of Indiana Pacer's power forward Dale Davis. Trace comes in with a grown man's body and can already board and bang. He's got the genes. Podzienski by all accounts sizzle from the 3. And then, we have 18 year NBA All Star Chris Paul coming off the bench to lead a second unit in which these two draft choices will certainly be a part. 

If all of the Warriors remain healthy, are the Golden State Warriors a stronger team than last years. 

And if you think they are, can they win another championship. I leave you with that question unanswered. Be thoughtful. Do not stress over the lost of a talent like Poole. Remember Monte Ellis  who Warrior fans adored was traded and what was the result of that trade?  

Dream Whisperer

 Back in the day in a Warriors vs Lakers' game in Los Angeles, we were ahead of the Lakers by 2 points going into the final seconds of the 4th quarter. Lakers' ball. The ball was in the hands of LA's point guard Dick Barnett. (actually no one called guards points or shooters in those days, just guards) Dick would become legendary years later as a New York Knick and member of the Knicks' two NBA Championship teams. Back to the story. So, there was Dick dribbling the ball up the court, hippity-hop, which was sort of his style of dribbling. He could really "handle" the ball. Modern day translation: Dick Barnett possessed a great handle. With only seconds left on the clock, Dick was moving at a fast pace. I was watching this action unfolding from my position defending Rudy LaRusso standing on LA's baseline. I could see Dick was not going to pass the ball. Dick was being guarded by Al Attles, no slouch on D. Barnett made it as far as midcourt on the corner nearest the announcers' table and within hearing distance of their great play by play broadcaster, Chick Hearn. I thought Al had trapped in that corner. Seconds left, Barnett rose up for a jumper. Dick's jumper was mechanically perfect from the waist up and an awkward hilariously funny kick back looking thing from the waist down. All of us, players, coaches, fans, and ushers saw what happened next. The ball rose back-spinning into the air. It reached it's apex and descended. It is at this point, Dick Barnett turned to Chick Hearn and said. "Baby, we ah in ovahtime." The ball hit nothing but net. We were tied and had to play a 5 minute overtime period. This is one of Chick's favorite stories part of which is also part of my story that I tell in my forthcoming Memoir: They Called Me The Mad Manchurian. I have long forgotten if we won the game in overtime or not. It doesn't matter who won. In my mind Dick Barnett won the game with that shot. There's probably a stat sheet somewhere that would answer the question who won, but who really cares. 

Why am I relating this tale? I just finished watching The Dream Whisperer, the story of Dr. Dick Barnett's successful 9 year quest to get his Tennessee A&I University teams that won 3 consecutive national championships inducted as a team into the Basketball Hall of Fame. It's one hell of a story of determination. And on this Juneteeth day honoring the end of slavery in the United States profoundly appropriate. 

One closing remark. Dick and I are about the same age. I'm 85. I watched Doctor Barnett on the TV screen walking, sort of hunched over with a little hop to his hip in his step.  And at first thought Dickie, your getting old, but then realized that's the way Dickie Barnett always walked. He was growing old while he was growing young. Dick Barnett, great shooter, funny man, intelligent and honorable,. Thanks for the memory and memories. 

I never wrote a poem about Dick. I probably should have, but I did write one for his friend and teammate Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. Here it is.

EARL THE PEARL        By Tom Meschery

     For Earl Monroe

In the rec leagues
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 a 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
lepers, raise the dead.