Less than two decades after James Naismith invented basketball, he attended a game between Kansas and Missouri and was appalled when he saw Rule No. 5 of his Thirteen Original Rules of Basketball being violated. That rule calls for, “No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking,” because the premise of basketball was that it would be a non-contact sport. Even by 1910, however, players were doing what comes natural, gleefully banging into each other like a bunch of early-day Charles Oakleys
Hubbard column: In a thankless league, we still manage to, well, give thanks
In the spirit of the approaching holiday, I spent a modest amount of time researching the word “turkey,” because I wondered how it might symbolize the essence of the current NBA. There seemed to be a logical connection. One web site pointed out that the poultry bird became a popular food item because it was an excellent source of meat, and beyond that, it was “easily shot.” Our heroes at the NBA have done an excellent job of shooting – themselves
Hubbard column: David Stern needs to rediscover the magic of David Stern
In February, David Stern will – pardon the term – celebrate his 28th anniversary as NBA commissioner. It seems doubtful that he will be honored in a halftime ceremony anywhere, although the optimists among us are hoping there will in fact be multiple NBA halftimes. If that is to happen, Stern will have to venture into territory that he hasn’t visited since – well, who knows? For the sake of discussion, let’s settle on the early ’80s at a time when he
Hubbard column: It’s not complicated – Michael is simply being Michael
The sports world spent most of two decades witnessing the savage competitiveness that was Michael Jordan and, frankly, not only enjoyed it, but also idolized it. When he was a player and got that nasty, comic book-superhero look in his eyes while staring down a challenger, everyone – with the notable exception of opponents – loved it. That includes, you’ve got to think, all current players. For Jordan, games were combat, a test of wills, and he elevated them to levels that
Hubbard column: Live from New York! It’s the NBA and Saturday Night!
By now, the writers responsible for Saturday Night Live spoofs are papering the halls of NBC with Kim & Kris scripts. After a couple of weeks off, a new show is scheduled this week and you can bet Kardashian-Humphries will get major play. Ah, the NBA and reality TV: Fantastic! The announcement Monday of divorce plans between the couple came after only 72 days of marriage. You can google “Kardashian and over-under” and see that projections of how long the relationship would
Hubbard Column: Comedy, perhaps, but was that Gumbel’s intention?
One element previously missing from NBA negotiations was introduced last week, and we have Bryant Gumbel to thank for that. At a time when NBA fans were at their most depressed about the potential loss of the season, Gumbel took matters into his own vocal cords and provided a little comic relief. Thanks, Bryant. We needed that. Hard to believe, but some were offended by Gumbel’s suggestion on his HBO show Real Sports that David Stern was like a “plantation overseer.” Come on.
Hubbard column: The side with the most islands wins
By Jan Hubbard As far as I can tell, there is no truth to the rumor than in the last couple of weeks, people who participate in the illegal activity of cockfighting have been naming their roosters “David” and “Billy.” NBA commissioner David Stern and union chief Billy Hunter pecked at each other quite a bit after Stern cancelled the first two weeks of the NBA season. As always, Stern was the aggressor. In a series of radio and television interviews, Stern came
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