July 24, 2006 ...We
finished our audit of the Orlando Summer League. As such— I have posted the BasslineSpin.com review here. ...We remind you that the purpose of this site is to
give you independent thought. Our All-Tournament Summer League Teams are based
on raw data rather than rah rah. ...Good for Dallas for recognizing that Rawle
Marshall, and Josh Powell just don’t have it. The two were traded to
July 21, 2006 ...So the Maloof Family and the Sacramento Whigs have reached an
agreement on a proposal for a new downtown arena in Sacramento. Pending
approval by the Board of Supervisors—the deal will be on the ballot in November
of this year for the people of California’s capitol city to vote on. At its
core, as I understand it, is a quarter cent sales tax increase that would hit
the average voter at four dollars per month. I hope it passes. But I think the biggest hurdle is going to be
getting the public to approve a deal that calls for ANY money out their own
pocket. As an example - a conservative KFBK listener I know - claimed the other day that “there was no way
in hell” he was paying for any NBA
player’s “bling”. An attitude as shallow as that will be what needs to be
overcome in a short period of time if this deal is to fly. If it does
fly—Sacramento will secure its status as a ‘major-league’ city for the next
30-plus years. The eyesore that is the land where the arena will be built will
certainly flourish - taking advantage of the natural appeal of the Sacramento
River which sits a block away. I do remember sleepy Sac before Reggie Theus and his gold Mercedes came to town. We
tailgated at the Pig Bowl, and the biggest match up of the year involved the
Kennedy High School basketball team. We had the downtown Holiday Inn but not
the Hyatt, the Grand Sheraton, or the Old Sac Embassy Suites. Before 1985 we
drove to Oakland to see Earth, Wind & Fire at the Oakland Alameda County
Coliseum Arena. These days—Prince, and U2 have
both spent time in Sacramento playing at ARCO. My point is—the Kings have been
good for Sacramento. The urban feel of the NBA has added a dash of soul to an
otherwise bland city in the shadow of the Bay Area. ...Do I think NBA players
make too much money? I do. This wasn’t always the case—but I have arrived at
this conclusion over a period of years. They are paid well mostly for the
scrutiny they have to deal with. The competition and pressure is intense—and
until you’ve worked an 82-game regular season—it is hard to appreciate the
grind that it is. They do work hard. I do feel though that almost every case of
celebrity mirrors the overall status in the USA. It is ‘have or ‘have-not’.
Those that have—usually have way more than they need—to the point that they
cannot appreciate what it is like to live check-to-check. As Chris Rock pointed out there is a difference between
being rich and being wealthy. Wealth is handed down from generation to
generation. The bank is filled with savings. $10 parking isn’t an issue. “Rich”
could go away in a weekend trip to Vegas.
July 4, 2006 ...Ndubi Ebi is on the
Celtics summer roster. ...The Portland Trailblazers average age is now 24 years
old. The Blazers are training at
July 3, 2006 ...The
Sacramento Bee is reporting that Taj Gray and Yemi Nicholson will join Justin Williams, and draft pick Quincy Douby on the Kings Summer League team in Las
Vegas. ...Peja Stojakovic
has agreed to
a deal with New Orleans/OKC. He will reunite with Byron Scott who was an assistant in
July 1, 2006 ...The 2007 NBA Draft list #1 is here.