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There’s no question that David Stern
did a lot to raise the consciousness of the NBA. He was a firm believer in
promoting matchups between two great players in a game and he knew that when
the matchups don’t raise the pulse of fans, the ratings are bad. But, before
Stern took over in 1984, his model emerged – just by chance.
From the e-book The Crossover “This
model of basketball as big-time entertainment rode in on the backs of two men,
of course: Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird. They not only redefined the
game for the modern television era.
In doing so, they capped a period of
basketball’s development and stamped their personalities for a decade.
By the
time they were done, the game was speeding on from where they’d brought it.
They were a bridge between the old and
the new, their impact inseparable from the place both pro basketball and the
country were in when they emerged into the spotlight three decades ago.”
Recently I was thinking about the
phenomena taking place in the WNBA with the emergence of Caitlin Clark and
Angel Reese and realized they played against each other in an NCAA national
championship game in 2023 and attendance records were being set at that
tournament and for the entire season. It’s déjà vu!
The NBA in 1980 and then
the WNBA 44 years later having a renaissance because of four great charismatic
players- two black and two white-and maybe
unwittingly showing cracks in the country’s lingering racial baggage, is
ironic. Has anybody else realized this crazy coincidence?
So, embrace this rebirth of women’s
pro basketball and the fact that all the women currently playing will benefit
from the emergence of one Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. I think the great female
players of the past who had to play in near obscurity will also benefit from
this emergence of interest in the game.
I did an internet search to see if there
were others in sports media who saw this connection and I could find only one -
a tweet from Magic Johnson that said it all: “When I think about Caitlin Clark
and Angel Reeses’ impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and
me. Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA
Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball. Caitlin
and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite games were the
highest viewership records at the time.”
Let’s just enjoy the ride!
Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are two of the most electrifying players in women's basketball, known for their incredible skills and basketball IQ. Here’s a breakdown of their strengths and play styles:
Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)
1. Scoring Ability:
o Clark is a prolific scorer with deep shooting range, often compared to Steph Curry for her ability to hit logo threes.
o She has led the NCAA in scoring and can create her own shot off the dribble or spot-up.
o Exceptional at scoring in transition and pulling up from anywhere on the court.
2. Playmaking:
o Clark is one of the best passers in the game. Her court vision allows her to make difficult assists, often threading the needle in traffic.
o Averaging nearly a double-double in points and assists, she elevates her teammates' play.
3. Athleticism and Size:
o At 6’0”, Clark uses her size effectively to shoot over smaller guards.
o She’s quick and agile, making her dangerous in transition.
4. Intensity:
o Known for her swagger and competitive fire, Clark thrives in high-pressure situations and doesn’t shy away from the big moment.
________________________________________
Paige Bueckers (UConn Huskies)
1. Scoring Efficiency:
o Bueckers is an efficient scorer with a smooth midrange game and a high basketball IQ.
o She excels in finishing around the rim with finesse and creativity.
o While not as reliant on three-pointers as Clark, her accuracy from beyond the arc is excellent.
2. Playmaking:
o Bueckers has elite passing ability and a knack for making the right play in almost any situation.
o She’s more methodical in her approach compared to Clark, often dissecting defenses with precision.
3. Defensive Prowess:
o Paige is a solid defender with quick hands and great anticipation, often creating steals that lead to fast breaks.
o Her off-ball defense and ability to disrupt passing lanes are notable strengths.
4. Leadership and Poise:
o Bueckers plays with a calm and composed demeanor, making her a reliable leader.
o She rarely forces plays, relying instead on making high-percentage decisions.
________________________________________
Comparison
Final Thoughts
• Clark is the more explosive offensive player, capable of single-handedly taking over games with her scoring and flair.
• Bueckers is a more balanced player, excelling in both offense and defense with an efficient, controlled style.
• Both are exceptional leaders for their teams, but their styles differ: Clark’s fiery intensity contrasts with Bueckers’ calm poise.
In a head-to-head matchup, their impact might depend on the context—Clark’s scoring and high-energy play could dominate fast-paced games, while Bueckers’ all-around game might shine in a structured, defensive battle. Both are generational talents, and their rivalry will be a treat for basketball fans as Bueckers is expected to go first in the WNBA draft. When Clark passed Pistol Pete Maravich’s NCAA record for most points she was referred to as “Ponytail Pete” not for just the record but for her style of play (does everything with flair) and some refer her style of play to Steph Curry- mainly for the long-range shooting and basketball IQ.
Paige Bueckers has traditionally been a point guard but because she has such versatility in her game she has been playing as a power forward in some of Uconn’s games this year because of player injuries at that position. Now that sounds like Magic Johnson who played all positions depending on the opponent and team injuries.
Boston
Red Sox announcer, Joe Castiglione became nationally known when the Red Sox won
the 2004 World Series, and his end-of-game catchphrase was “Can you believe
it?”
This
column will feature those “hard to believe” events that happen often enough in
the world of sports. Stay tuned!
The Enigma Known As The “Pistol”
His high school basketball career didn’t start well since he was a short – 5’2” tall, 90-lb eight-grader shooting warm-ups with varsity boys - five years older than him and ten to fourteen inches taller than him. He was often laughed at by the crowd because of it.
Fast forward and this 5’2” eighth grader became the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points with an average of 44.2 points per game. These achievements were made before the three-point line came into existence. His NCAA record for total points was broken by Caitlin Clark from Iowa State this year.
Pete Maravich was one of the youngest players to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, cited as “perhaps the greatest creative offensive talent in history,”
He became part of the All-NBA First and Second Team four different years and was a five-time NBA All-Star.
Pete Maravich became the master of playground moves, circus shots, and hotdog passes considered to be outrageous during his period. Many think he was more “style” than “substance”. He was obsessed with improving his skills – spending hours practicing his shooting, dribbling, ball handling, and passing.
Maravich was one of those guys who some called a point guard and others called a shooting guard. As I researched his ranking as a point guard, I could only find two sources that ranked him. Ranker.com in their 2024 ranking of 145 top point guards of all time had him as the 13th greatest point guard of all time – just ahead of Bob Cousy- with Johnson, Curry, Robertson, Stockton, and Iverson as their top 5. Gary Payton and Russell Westbrook were ranked 11 and 12 to put Maravich’s ranking into perspective.
HoopsHype in their 2024 ranking of 20 greatest point guards had him number 16 just behind Nate Archibald. Cousy was number 9 in their ranking with Johnson, Curry, Robertson, West, and Thomas as their top 5. ClutchPoints in their 2023 ranking of the top 25-point guards of all time had Curry as number 1 followed by Johnson, Thomas, Robertson, and Stockton. They had no ranking for Maravich as a point guard but in Clutchpoints greatest “shooting” guards ranking, they have Maravich at 13th behind Miller and Carter.
Rankings have always been one of the most common points of disagreement among sports fans.
My argument for point guards is that Cousy was called the “Houdini of the Hardware” and was considered by most experts as the greatest point guard for his era but with one MVP, 13 All-Star games, 12-time All-NBA Team, 8-time assist leader, and 6 Championships it seems he should have been ranked higher in the point guard ranking.
Cousy and then Maravich were the forerunners in the NBA for running fast breaks and exciting crowds with their creativity and mind-boggling passes up until the Magic and Larry tandem entered in 1979-80 and changed the NBA by featuring a 6’9” point guard who played all five positions and a multi-faceted “point forward” with extraordinary court vision to excite NBA fans and change the NBA forever. When Maravich spent his last year in the NBA with the Celtics, the 3-point line was just instituted, and Pete went 10 for 15. He didn’t play many minutes because of his lingering knee injury.
The 1976-77 season was as good as it got for Pete Maravich's professional career before his knee failed him. Pistol Pete trumped Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the season's MVP, for the 1977 scoring title. The Pistol had 13 40+ point games, including his famous 68-point obliteration of the New York Knicks. But the entertainment value in his offensive potency didn't help much in the win column as the Jazz once again missed the playoffs.
If Pete didn’t have the injured knee when the 3-point line was introduced there’s no telling how we’d be ranking him today. Pete was active as a Christian after he retired from the game in 1980 and while playing basketball in a gym at a church in Los Angeles he suddenly died of a heart attack at age 40.
Five Greatest Sports Moments From the 1970s
1) "The Fight of the Century" – Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier (1971)
2) The "Immaculate Reception" (1972)
3) Billie Jean King Defeats Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" (1973)
4) Secretariat Wins the Triple Crown (1973)
5) The "Thrilla in Manila" – Ali vs. Frazier III (1975)
Honorable Mentions
Avid sports fans will appreciate the catchy phrases, play on words, metaphors, humor, and innuendo employed in this carefully metered rhyming scheme (four lines with the second and fourth lines rhyming and each line has seven meters (syllables). Readers could improve their sports knowledge, test their sports acumen, and be challenged to unlock the meaning. Some poems are easy to figure out but enjoyable to read and others may be difficult to interpret. These Teasers will be added to the Booklet which now has over 250 SportsTeasers which you get free with the free subscription. The booklet will be updated quarterly
so you’ll always have an updated digital version which becomes a historical sports chronology and valuable collector’s item.
WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS
NIL still flying blind
Rebels star QB leaves team
Promised dough not in writing
NIL looks more like a dream
“LOO-IE, LOO-IE”
El Tiante’s last cigar
First Latin player for Sox
’75 World series ace
Hall of Fame voters throw balk
BASEBALL’S DEATH EXAGGERATED
World Series gate increases
Beats last year by a large spread
Is baseball on upward swing
Or just Judge & Shohei instead
KING OF THE HILL, TOP OF THE HEAP
Start spreading the good news
The Liberty did not lose
Stewie and Sabrina not hot
But it was Jones who was boss
A JAUNT WITH JEANTY
Called “Superman”and “phenom”
Compared to Sanders and Payton
He’s Poised to win the Heisman
It’s Boise States new weapon
GET
A KICK OUT OF THIS
New
dynamic kickoff rule
Showing
increase in “return” rate
Big
plays are fan favorites
New
rules seal kickoffs fate
HERE
COMES THE JUDGE
Fastest
to hit three hundred
Breaking
Kiner and Ruth marks
Can
he break his own record
Sixty-two
leaving the parks
A
TRAGIC ENDING
He
was a dazzling player
“Johnny
Hockey” to his fans
Killed
with brother riding bikes
No
more sister’s groomsmen plans
NO
MORE BLOOM FOR THIS ROSE
The
Big Red’s “Hit King” has passed
“Charlie
Hustle” an enigma
A
seventeen time All-Star
Gambling
on games his stigma
WOEFULLY
WHIPPED WHITE SOX
Set
record for season losses
Worst
team in modern era
Reinsdorf
made bad decisions
Reasons
not a mystery
MOVE
OVER BABE
Three
homers, ten RBI
Baseball’s
all time greatest day
Founder
of 50/50 club
Showtime’s
the GOAT all the way
OUI, OUI, OUI
France invades NBA
draft
Take the top two
and sixth picks
They are raw and
talented
Which team gets
the better fix
SHA
SHA BOOM
Wearing
silver medal home
A
wet block slows down the gold
Comes
back from unfair “weed” tests
Performed
in superstar mold
THE
LEGACY OF “KATY, BAR THE DOOR”
This
“Katie” barred all rivals
With
fourteen gold medals won
Sets
womens Olympic record
LA
in sight- she’s not done
DIAMOND
ENCRUSTED G.O.A.T. NECKLACE
Eleven
Olympic medals
She
earned the symbol she wore
Thirty
world Champion medals
She
fought the “yips” and gave more
TORSO
WINS 100 METER RACE
Thompson
crossed first with his foot
Lyles
crossed first with his torso
Olympic
rules are torso wins
The
American steals the show
KINGS
OF THE COURT
Three
masters at work- game over
Curry’s
three pointers win gold
Durant
sets the points record
James
gets MVP in fold
PASS
THE BATON PLEASE
Women’s
relay team wins gold
Eight
straight gold Olympic win
One
tenth second off world record
Gave
USA record a spin
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