GAIL GOODRICH SUPERSTAR

After writing about Allen Iverson re-signing with the 76'ers  and old friend of mine was curious why I haven't written about my all time favorite player Gail Goodrich. I wondered the same thing and it got me thinking about all the great little guys in NBA history. Bob Cousy, Calvin Murphy, Nate Archibald, John Stockton and Isaiah Thomas to name a few. But in my eyes Goodrich is one of the all time great little guys. Most people do not know that he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. He's a five time NBA All-Star, one time NBA Champion, two time NCAA All-American and won two NCAA titles with UCLA

Because I grew up playing basketball in Los Angeles just like Gail did, I might be a little biased, but there is no denying how great he really was. He was one of my two sports idols growing up (the other was Jerry West). Gail was told at every level that he was too short and too skinny to compete-just like me.
He was quick, had great fundamentals and could really shoot the ball-just like me. He went on to an illustrious Hall of Fame NBA career. Just like me...in my head. His dedication and strong work ethic has truly motivated me in basketball and throughout life.

Thanks IR for reminding me!

Here are a few clips and other links I found on Gail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ug-ikmg6Fg (NBA)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9bEA4NcBlc (College)

http://www.nba.com/history/players/goodrich_summary.html (NBA.Com)

This NBA star is known as "The Answer"

Final answer-
Who is Allen Iverson?

Allen Iverson came out of retirement today to rejoin the Philadelphia 76er's. It really is the right place for him. He will start, the fans will love him and he should be able to find some wrinkles in the Princeton offense that Eddie Jordan runs. He just might be the answer Philly has been looking for to help them get into the playoffs.

Here is his emotional press conference on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2nJf3myysE

Here is a video of some of his best crossover moves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Rv4AtufwE


Posted by Reality Basketball's Chris Bavelles

SHOWTIME RETURNS AS THE LAKERS ROCK DOWNTOWN L.A.

It is always fun to go to an NBA  Basketball game. But going to a Laker game takes it to another level. They play at Staples center right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. LA Live is right across the street and features the west coast home of ESPN. The place is really jumping. As you walk into Staples you pass by a giant statue of Magic Johnson and the Lakers home pre-game TV broadcast which sets up right outside and has a very live feel. After you settle into your seats the Laker pre-game begins and it is pretty cool. A giant circular silky curtain screen descends down  from the scoreboard with classic video images of Laker greats and the current team. All this and the game has not even started.

I must say that on this occasion I was very grateful for all the pre-game hoopla since the Lakers jumped out to a 24 point lead in the first half on the hapless New Jersey Nets who are now 0 -17. 

Kobe was on fire for most of the game and pretty much did what ever he wanted to do. I took this shot from 15 rows up behind the Laker bench.

If you are interested, here is a good review of the game from The Orange Country Register:
http://www.ocregister.com/sports/nets-221607-jackson-points.html

Photos by: Chris Bavelles

High School + Europe = NBA

Who knew? The Milwaukee Bucks, thats who! I wonder how all the NBA teams that passed on Brandon Jennings feel right about now, specially the Minnesota Timberwolves...remember they took Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn 5th and 6th in the draft. How is that working out for them right about now.

Without a doubt the current favorite for Rookie of the Year is the  Milwaukee  Bucks Brandon Jennings, who continues to play lights out basketball. So far in November he's averaging 26 points, four rebounds, and nearly six assists on 47% shooting from the field and 51% from deep. You know his success is driving college coaches crazy.

Remember, Brandon hooked up with Sonny Vacarro who helped him skip his freshman year in college and go overseas to play professionally in Europe. He did his one year there and now is lighting it up in the NBA. He might have been the first but he won’t be the last. This remains a route that is best suited for only the elite players like a Brandon Jennings. The lack of game action last year hasn't held him back a bit. In fact, it's hard to imagine Brandon playing at this level if he was coming out of Arizona instead as he originally intended.

Jennings 55 points - YOUTUBE

Jennings plays more like a 2nd or 3rd year player mainly because he spent a year playing against some of the best players in the world, competing against men. He learned team basketball and how to really play the game. He also got a chance to travel around Europe as a 19 year old. 


Chris Bavelles

Lakers Fill Up With Premium Gasol

The Lakers gave the league a little sneak preview as to what kind of team they have. At one point the Lakers had Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant all on the floor at the same time. That is a little scary. Gasol had a great first game back: 24 and 13. Chicago Bulls 93 - Los Angeles Lakers 108
	Nov 19 1 2 3 4 T Bulls 19 23 25 26 93 Lakers 25 28 31 24 108

Basketball's Lord of the Rings

The Los Angeles Lakers received their Championship rings last night, then went out and casually beat the Los Angeles Clippers. The ring ceremony was was pretty classy in my opinion, they celebrated all the championships the team has won since moving to Los Angeles by trotting out great Lakers from all the championship teams. Jerry West from the first L.A championship in 1972. Then we got to see a bunch of great Lakers from the 80's, 90's and 00's including: Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, A.C. Green, Rick Fox, Robert Horry and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Great night for Laker fans.

Check these pictures out from a Yahoo Sports article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Lakers-new-championship-rings?urn=nba,198796

Kobe Bryant now playing "Free Safety"

Lakers will get their Championship Rings in the season opener against the Clippers this Tuesday, October 27, 2009. They get one more moment to celebrate and then it is back to work. This years Laker squad is improved over last years. Basically they swapped Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest. RON ARTEST...WOW.

I like the way Ron Artest is weaving his way into the fabric of the Los Angeles Lakers. Pre-Season is finally over and it is clear the Lakers with Ron Artest have a lot of defensive options. Besides adding toughness to the squad, Ron Ron gives the Lakers a lot of options both defensively and offensively.

Offensively he can play inside or out. He is an excellent passer and hits the offensive boards. When Kobe is taking a rest, he can step up as a #1 score if need be.

Defensively he totally changes this team. Now if  Phil Jackson so chooses, he can now put Artest on the other teams best player (Think LeBron James, Carmello Anthony, Dwayne Wade) and have Kobe move back to "Free Safety" where he is really good. This will also allow Kobe to be fresh for the 4th quarter.

If the Lakers stay healthy, they will repeat as NBA Champions.