WBA To Hold Tryouts
Published on February 2, 2006 under World Basketball Association (WBA) News Release
The World Basketball Association will hold its Free Agent League Tryouts on March 24th & 25th, 2006 at Life University in Marietta, Georgia. This camp will be conducted in order to give free agents an opportunity to be exposed to the 14 teams in the WBA. There will be a Free Agent Selection Draft held directly after the camp.
Last season, approximately 40 players were drafted by the 12 teams in the League. This season, 66 players will be drafted, as each team will select in 8 rounds. Drafted free agents will report directly to team training camps after the Free Agent camp, joining vets and protected players for preparation for opening night. Teams participating in the 2006 WBA are... Eastern Conference: Anderson, SC; Gainesville, GA; Greenville, SC; Macon, GA; Peachtree City, GA Central Conference: Tuscaloosa, AL; Cleveland, TN; Marietta, GA; Murfreesboro, TN; Rome, GA Western Conference: Biloxi, MS; Arkansas; Mississippi; South Haven, MS; Slidell, LA The WBA is a stepping stone for you aspiring pro players! In 2004, numerous players moved on to professional playing jobs overseas, as well as, in the CBA and NBDL - even the NBA - as former WBA players David Young was drafted by Seattle and Kyle Davis was signed as a free agent by the New Jersey Nets. Currently, Josh Powell is playing with the Dallas Mavericks and Damien Wilkins with the Seattle Sonics.
CATCHING UP WITH THE WBA COMMISSIONER:
Catching Up With Mike Glenn by Micah Hart
To look at Mike Glenn's stats from his time as a Hawk, one wonders if there has ever been another player like him. The team's all-time leader in FG percentage, Glenn shot over 50% from the field in each of his four seasons with the team, including a team-record .588 in 1984-85, his last season with the team.
While making over half his shots is not impressive for all players (and would certainly be a great goal for any player), one would normally expect that kind of production from a center or post player. However the 6-3 Glenn was a guard, and it's not often you see perimeter players hitting shots so consistently (of the 21 players in the NBA currently hitting more than half their shots, only five are guards - with former Hawk Jason Terry leading the way at .518).
Since retiring from the NBA, Glenn has branched out to interests outside of playing, including becoming a successful author and speaker. Recently he also became the commissioner of the World Basketball Association (WBA), a fledgling league spread throughout most of the South. Hawks.com had a chance to talk to "Stinger", as he was known in his playing days, to find out about all of his current activites.
Hawks.com: As it is referred to in the title of this feature, we have to ask: What are you doing with yourself these days?
Mike Glenn: I am keeping busy. Right now what takes up most of my time is I am the commissioner of the World Basketball Association (WBA). It's the league's second year, and we are just trying to bring a lot of growth and stability to it. We are going to different cities, speaking with the city councils, mayors, and other leadership. We are just doing everything we can to make the league sound and continue to grow at a reasonable pace. We had seven teams in the first year, and we will have 12 this year. So I am overseeing the growth of the league as commissioner.
Hawks.com: How did you get involved with the league?
MG: I've known the founder of the league, Leroy McMath, for a long time. He asked me if I would serve as commissioner, and I said yes. I saw it as an opportunity to get involved in the community and in the lives of young athletes, so I chose to do it. It has taken me in a different direction, provided me with new growth and new challenges. It's definitely been energizing.
Hawks.com: Have you spoken with (NBA Commissioner) David Stern about the difficulties of being a commish?
MG: (laughs) No, not yet. But I would like to talk to the NBA's league office and the league's GMs to firm up relationships with them.
Hawks.com: How do you view the placement of your league with all of the other leagues out there (NBDL, CBA, etc.)?
MG: I maybe view our league a little differently than others might. I think our league is a separate entity that has its own life. A lot of people see it as a showcase for players to move on to other leagues, but I see us as a part of the communities we are involved in. We are bringing help to the people around us, and our players have to understand that coming in that they are going to play a role in giving back. We are there for these kids' futures, we want them to aspire to go as high as they can go, but we also are living in the present and its important that we stay a part of the cities we play in.
Hawks.com: With your busy schedule, do you have time to keep up with the league still and the Hawks?
MG: I've kept up some, but not as much as I used to (as a Hawks broadcaster). But I have a lot else that takes up my time other than the WBA.
Hawks.com: What other things are you working on?
MG: Well, in just a couple weeks, I am releasing my third book "Lessons From My Library, Volume II: The Integration of Sports History". Basically, it's about how many of the black sports pioneers sort of get lost in the shuffle behind the ones that everyone knows, like Jackie Robinson. Even black history scholars tend to gloss over the subject. When you are dealing with subjects like lynching and the right to vote, the integration of sports sort of gets marginalized and swept under the carpet. Some of the great sports heroes have been forgotten, and it's a shame that people haven't seen some of the best African-American athletes of the first half of the 20th century.
Also, the book will coincide with the opening of my new exhibit at the Decatur Library in downtown Decatur. It's a collection of rare books, newspapers, and other artifacts, and the title of the exhibit is "From Molineaux To Michael: African-Americans in Athletics". It will show athletes all the way back from Tom Molineaux, who lived around the turn of the 19th century, all the way up to present day.
Hawks.com: What do you think of the state of the league these days?
MG: I think the league is doing fine. They are doing a great job of growing new stars. It's a very exciting league, and the athletes are just tremendous nowadays.
Hawks.com: As a former sharpshooter, what do you think about the shooting prowess of today's players?
MG: I think it's less. The athleticism has begun to outweigh shooting and some of the other facets of the game. The three-point shot has become such a vital part of shooting, and I think it affects the psychology of shooting. You can shoot 34-35% from 3-point range and be considered a good shooter. I know for myself, since shooting was my expertise, shooting less than 50% from the field really bothered me - I couldn't sleep when I was missing shots. So to me, shooting 35% is horrible! I would hate myself for that - but now you can pat yourself on the back for that. People aren't as concerned about missing anymore. You have to really care about missing, care about hitting your shots, care about shooting a good percentage to be a good shooter. But today's emphasis on the dunks and three-pointers has seen the in-between game disappear, and the in-between game is where the jump shooters live.
Hawks.com: Any players remind you of yourself?
MG: I look at guys like Allan Houston, Ray Allen as players who are similar to how I played. Those guys have such pure shots with the release and the rotation on the ball. And I guarantee they are aware of how many they make and miss!
Hawks.com: What do you think of the young players on the Hawks?
MG: I like them, in particular Josh Smith. He has such potential, it can't even really be measured now. This is a golden time for him. The team is doing a great job of developing him, by allowing him to grow and make mistakes. Players need a chance to grow, to see what they can become. It's like being a teenager - you need time to find yourself before you can become an adult. This is his opportunity to find what he can do and what he needs to work on - but he must continue to be challenged. If he is still challenged, he can be a real star in this league if he stays on the right track.
COACHES CORNER:
The Game That Changed It All: Texas Western Wins
By Steve Tucker, Writer/Columnist www.probasketballnews.com
Jan. 10, 2006
CoachTucker is now a contributing writer/columnist for Pro Basketball News. Tucker has coached on the Professional, Collegiate, & International Levels, winning championships on all of those different levels of play during his career. He has been the Head Coach of teams in the ABA, IBA, USBL, & GBA. He has as well led collegiate teams to the NCAA, NAIA, & NJCAA National Championship Tournaments. Tucker is one of the few coaches to have ever won championships on the professional & collegiate levels. Coach Tucker is now the Director of Basketball Operations/Head Coach of the Murfreesboro Musicians of the WBA.
Nearly 40 years to the exact date of the NCAA national
championship game that changed all of basketball, comes
the movie "Glory Road" to the big screen. Glory Road tells
the story of Texas Western's (now the University of Texas at
El Paso) journey to the national championship in March of
1966. What made Texas Western unique is that in the
history of the game, it was the first time a college basketball
team had started five black players, and that its top seven
players were black. Texas Western played and defeated the
heavily favored University of Kentucky on that March day in
1966, 72-65, to win the NCAA championship. It was also the
first time in the history of the game that a team of color had
achieved such great success on a national level.
The date was March 19, 1966, the place was College Park,
Md., and the once-defeated Texas Western Miners were
matched up against the No. 1 team in the nation for the
national title. Texas Western started five black players while
Kentucky started five white. Kentucky was led by legendary
coach Adolph Rupp (the Baron of the Blue Grass). Rupp's
Wildcats had been an outstanding team all during the
1965-66 season and few thought that Texas Western could
stay on the same court . There was also the belief that five
black players would not be "smart" enough to defeat an
all-white team like Kentucky. On that day, that rumor was
truly proven to be a myth, as the Miners dominated with
their play and decision-making. The game showed that African-American players did measure up and that they could perform on the big stage with great results.
It also marked a time for change athletically, socially, and in every respect in the United States. This game was a part of changing not only the make-up of basketball on all levels, but also in the way we lived our lives within our country at that time, and even today. The game between Texas Western and Kentucky had much more to do with social changes within our society than it has ever been given credit for.
Texas Western came into the NCAA Tournament with a 23-1 record. It was a tough road to the Final Four for Texas Western, which had to win four tourney games before playing for the title. Their tourney run included overtime victories against Cincinnati (78-76) and Kansas (81-80, 2OT) in the Midwest Regional. Western defeated Utah 85-78 in the semifinals of the Final Four, but most felt the winner of the Kentucky-Duke game (UK defeated Duke 83-79) would go on to win the championship. Texas Western was truly an underdog and not very highly regarded in any way, and the teams multicultural make-up (seven blacks, three Hispanics, two whites) only heated the feelings of disregard towards the team and its coach, Don Haskins.
From the opening tip-off Texas Western took the battle to Kentucky -- as in the early moments of the game Western center David Lattin threw down the first of his four awesome rim-shaking dunks over UK All-American Pat Riley (yes, that Pat Riley). Western's Bobby Joe Hill and David Lattin led the way with 20 and 16 points, respectively, and Orsten Artis added 15.
But this was a team victory in the truest sense. Haskins' teams were to become known for that during his Hall of Fame career.
Haskins would become known for his gruff demeanor during his legendary coaching career at UTEP. He was nicknamed "Bear" for his being such a tough taskmaster. Now in the Hall of Fame, Haskins is extremely proud of his one and only NCAA national championship team.
Recently appearing on an ESPN2 talk show hosted by Stephen A. Smith, Haskins reiterated his strong feelings about the game. "I get tired of people calling the game an upset," Haskins told Smith. "We had an outstanding team and the best team won."
Months after the game, Haskins received hate mail and death threats, but it never detoured the job he did with his Texas Western (and UTEP) teams before retiring in 1999. Many of Haskins players and assistant coaches went on to successful careers in coaching -- including Nolan Richardson, who played for Haskins at UTEP and coached Arkansas to the national title, and Tim Floyd, who had great success at several colleges, and coached in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets.
Lost in all the racial and social issues that surrounded Texas Western's title game win was the fact it beat truly a great team in Kentucky -- which had been ranked No. 1 all season. The Wildcats were led by three of the greatest players to ever play at UK in Pat Riley, Louie Dampier, and Larry Conley. Riley and Dampier scored 19 points each in the title game and Conley had 10. Many have commented on the class that the UK players showed after the game in the manner they congratulated Texas Western. It has also been said that Rupp was not quite as cordial, but the game must have had an impact on him, for Rupp himself went on to aggressively recruit black players following the historic loss.
Rupp was not the only one to overlook Texas Western's big win, as the only celebration given to the team took place in El Paso. Normal practices of the day, like a visit to the White House to visit the President and an appearance on the famed Ed Sullivan Show did not happen. Even TV coverage of the Final Four dismissed Texas Western's landmark accomplishment by giving the game no recognition or coverage. Only Kentucky's defeat of Duke in the Final Four semifinal game was shown to the TV viewers.
Even tournament officials snubbed Texas Western by only voting the late Bobby Joe Hill to its Final Four All-Tournament Team, and snubbing David "Daddy D" Lattin, who had been truly outstanding in the championship game. Meanwhile, Kentucky had two players voted to the All-Tourney team (Dampier and Riley).Still, the seed was set for change in both the sport of basketball and our society as a whole, and this win only made that seed grow faster.
After the victory, college basketball conferences in the south started to recruit and sign black players into their programs. Both the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference followed the trend and the rest is history. North Carolina coach Dean Smith, who would later break Rupp's all-time win record with 879 victories, signed the first black player to ever play in the ACC in guard Charlie Scott. Scott had an outstanding career at UNC and later in professional basketball in both the ABA and NBA.
The trend of integrating both college and professional basketball with black players took off in the late 1960s and 1970s. Before Texas Western's big day, both college and professional basketball were sparsely integrated with black players -- as segregation was shamefully and widely practiced in the United States, especially in the deep south. High school sports were hardly integrated at all in the Southeast and deep south.
Today, we have seen the integration of the game of basketball over the years and today, players are judged not by the color of their skin, but by their ability and skill. This attitude has also opened the doors of both collegiate and professional basketball to the international player. Now, there have never been any studies done to detail the effects of the 1966 national championship game on the downfall of segregation -- but it is known that after the game attitudes, changed and doors were open to the black players within basketball and throughout the nation in many different aspects and ways.
So March 19, 1966, was a pivotal day within the sport of basketball on all levels, and within our society, which helped change the views of how we view people of all colors, races, and nationalities on a more equal basis. That in itself is a great thing, and the men who made up the Texas Western team are finally receiving the credit. These men richly deserve our thanks and applause!
Even Wheaties latest "Breakfast Of Champions" cereal box features the 1966 Miners. At the time, the players did not realize the significance of what they had done. Recently, Lattin, Nevel Shed, Jerry Armstrong (a white reserve player), and assistant coach Moe Iba were recognized at the NCAA National Convention.
Lattin said, "The further we got away from it, the more we saw what it had done for race relations, and to help kids get an education."
Shed added, "It would have happened along the line, but this was the right time, for it happened during the struggles of the '60s, and there were so many athletes out there that wanted to show they had the same talents as the white folks."
Glory Road is in theaters now. I encourage you to see this Walt Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer film about a team that overcame great odds to become champions!
(Coach Steve Tucker is also a Writer/Columnist for www.nrvsports.com)
PLAYER NEWS:
Duke Freeman-McKamey Signs in Argentina Former Rome Gladiator Duke Freeman-McKamey (206-F-80, college: Fordham) recently signed to play with Obras Sanitarias Buenos Aires of the Argentinean LigaA Division for the 2004-5 season. Freeman-McKamy averaged 5.7 points and 5 rebounds for the Gladiators over the final 10 games of the inaugural 2004 season.
Willie Taylor Former Rome Gladiator, Signs in Italy Willie Taylor (197-G-81, agency: Kingstone, college: Va Commonwealth), who joined the Rome Gladiators late in the inaugural 2004 season, has signed a contract to play with Garofoli Osimo of the Italian Lega2 Division. Taylor joined the Gladiators averaging 18ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.5apg, 1.5spg, while leading the team to two wins to finish the regular season.
Mario Austin Signs To Play In Italy's Top Division After averaging 22.9ppg, 10.3rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0spg for the Jackson Rage and leading them to a first place Regular Season finish, 2004 WBA League MVP Mario Austin (206-F/C-82, college: Mississippi St.) has signed a contract to play for Laurentina Biella in Italy's Series A Division. Austin, joined the Chicago Bulls at the completion of the inaugural WBA season and participated in the 2004 Rebook Rocky Mountain Revenue in Salt Lake City, before making the decision to go to Italy.
Anthony Grundy Signs To Play In Sweden Former Raleigh Knights player Anthony Grundy (189-G-79, college: N. Carolina St.) has signed to play with Ockelbo BBK in Sweden for the upcoming 2004-05 season. Grundy, averaged 20.8ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.4apg, 2.1spg for the Knights and was picked as a First Team All-League selection in the WBA. He was also chosen as the 2004 WBA Defensive player of the Year.
WBA PLAYERS GET THEIR SHOT IN THE NBA:
Kyle Davis Rome Gladiators Player Signs With New Jersey Nets
David Young Raleigh Knights Player Signs With Seattle Super Sonics
"THE WBA IS A LEAGUE OF OPPORTUNITY"
FRANCHISE/TEAM NEWS:
MURFREESOBORO MUSICIANS NEW COACHES BRING NBA/ABA EXPERIENCE
With the hiring of Coach Steve Tucker as Head Coach and Director of Basketball Operations the Murfreesboro Musicians Professional Basketball Franchise brought into its franchise one of the most experienced coaches in professional basketball outside the NBA.
"Several candidates were considered, but we felt Coach Tucker is a perfect fit for our program--we are excited he accepted our offer and came to Murfreesboro early to help us prepare for the 2006 WBA Season," said Team President, Dr. Aldrich T. Perry (whom everyone calls "Doc").
Coach Tucker is in high demand and spends his winter seasons as a top coach in the the more traditional professional basketball leagues in the USA, having coached most recently the Texas Tycoons to a 21-10 record (#4 league power ranking & playoff appearance) in the ABA. Coach Tucker has also coached in IBA, USBL, GBA, and abroad internationally.
Coach Tucker is one of the winningest coaches in Pro Basketball (see his profile on the Musicians website, www.musiciansproball.com) and brings years of experience to the new expansion franchise-Murfreesboro Musicians.
Tucker will be assisted by area coaches looking to gain pro experience. One of which is a young and enthusiastic coach named Mike Holloway! Coach Holloway has coached on the high school level in Rutherford County, but now is getting his shot to coach in the pros! In addition, Gerald Oliver from Greenville, TN will serve as NBA development and assignment coach. Gerald also brings a lot of talent to the table having served George Karl and the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant for 5 years in the NBA. Coach Oliver as well has coached in the CBA, USBL and at the University Of Tennessee in the collegiate ranks.
Doc states...."When you are preparing players for the NBA--you need NBA caliber coaches. Steve and Gerald collectively have coached over 50 years and have several dozen "students" that have or are presently playing in the NBA. That's the kind of one-two punch we need to win championships. You will have to drive 3 hours east to the Atlanta Hawks or 3 hours west to the Memphis Grizzlies to find coaches and players comparable to what we are putting together in Murfreesboro with the Musicians. We are going to surprise some people this first yea!"
Get Plugged In!!!
GO MUSICIANS...
WBA Announces 2006 Teams & Divisions:
Eastern Division Griffin, GA Gainesville, GA Anderson, SC Marietta, GA
Central Division Rome, GA Cleveland, TN Murfreeboro, TN Tuscaloosa, AL
Western Division Mississippi (Jackson, MS) Arkansas (Little Rock, AR) Gulf Coast, MS Southaven, MS
NOTE: The WBA will Tipoff its 4th Season on April 21, 2006, and will play a 20 game regular season.
"COME OUT & SEE THE FASTEST GROWING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE IN THE USA - THE WBA!!!"
COURTSIDE:
WBA TRIO PLAY IN CBA ALL-STAR GAME
Three former WBA players were selected to play for the CBA's Eastern Conference in the CBA All-Star Game for the 2005-06 season most recently. Carl Mitchell (6'9''-F-79), who was a member of the Rome Gladiators last season, has played very well for the Albany Patroons this season, while averaging close to 15 points and 10 rebounds per game for most of the season. The Rockford Lightning sent a pair of former WBA players to the All-Star Game. Marlon Parmer (6'3''-G-80), who played for the Bristol Crusaders 2004 WBA team, has averaged 21.6 pts, 7.6 assists and 4.2 rebs for the Lightning this season. Rookie Center Kenyon Gamble (7'0''-C-80), who has been a pleasant surprise for Rockford this season, is averaging 6.8 pts and 5.8 rebounds, while his biggest value has been his 2.7 blocks per game. Gamble was a member of the Magic City Court Kings in the WBA last season.
The World Basketball Association (WBA) is a spring/summer based professional basketball league, which is preparing now for its 2006 season. Many players have used the WBA as a proving ground and stepping stone to better opportunities. Former WBA players dot the rosters of D-League, CBA and top leagues around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.wbaball.net.
PRO BASKETBALL NEWS:
NEXT UP, 100? Strategies, rules changes, make is a possibility By David Dupree, USA TODAY
Forget the comparisons to Michael Jordan. For now, at least, Kobe Bryant is in a Wilt Chamberlain stratosphere. The Los Angles Lakers star scored 81 points in Sunday's 122-104 victory against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest scoring output in NBA history to Chamberlain's 100-point game 44 years ago.
Bryant's performance on Sunday has reopened the question whether a player will score 100 points in a game in this era.
And while Bryant raised eyebrows when he scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks last month, his 81-point outburst makes the 100-point barrier suddenly look not so unattainable.
"I still don't think it will ever happen, but the amazing thing is that we are even discussing that question and contemplating it," says TNT analyst Steve Kerr, one of the top shooters in NBA history and a former teammate of Jordan's. "If you had asked that question three days ago, the world would have laughed at you.
"Now we have to seriously consider if a man can score 100 points again. That, in itself, is shocking."
Bryant shudders at the prospect of scoring 100 points but doesn't rule it out. "I guess it's possible," he said during Sunday's postgame news conference, then quickly added that it's "unthinkable."
Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay, an ESPN analyst who coached against Chamberlain and Jordan and has been following Bryant since he was in high school, says a 100-point game is only possible if it is against a very weak team, "and everybody's objective is to let him do it."
Individual scoring has been the NBA's biggest story this season with three players - Bryant, Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Cleveland's LeBron James- averaging more than 30 points a game, the first time that has been done since 1982. Also, there already have been eight games in which a player has scored at least 50 points this season; that happened eight times all of last season and only five in 2003-04.
While Bryant's total Sunday night was otherworldly, it is just part of an exceptional stretch. In the 10 games he has played this month since returning to the lineup after a two-game suspension for elbowing Memphis Grizzlies forward Mike Miller, he is averaging 45.5 points. If Bryant's league-leading 35.9 points a game holds up, it would be the highest since Jordan's 37.1 in 1986-87.
With those kinds of numbers, if anyone has a chance to score 100, it is Bryant. By the numbers 1.1: Kobe Bryant's scoring average jumped (from 34.8 to 35.9).
5: Times the Lakers have scored 81 points or fewer this season.
11: Points he scored against the Raptors on Dec. 7, 2005, the teams' last meeting.
14: Point difference between his second-half output (55) and the Raptors' (41).
41: Total number of points by Bryant's teammates.
53: Points after three quarters, tying Allen Iverson's season high.
80: Combined points of the Raptors' starters.
88: Times an NBA team scored fewer than 81 this season.
Unlikely outbursts Bryant's 81-point game Sunday marked the 101st time an NBA player has scored 50 points in a game. Players with the lowest career points-per-game average who have scored 50 or more points in a game: Player, team Career high Avg. Games Walt Wesley, Cleveland 50 (Feb. 19, 1971) 8.5 590 Tracy Murray, Washington 50 (Feb. 10, 1998) 9.0 659 Tony Delk, Phoenix 53* (Jan. 2, 2001) 9.2 521 Willie Burton, Philadelphia 53 (Dec. 13, 1993) 10.3 316 Dana Barros, Philadelphia 50 (March 14, 1995) 10.5 850 *Overtime Source: Elias Sports Bureau
"Nobody has that type of shooting touch," Kerr says. "He shoots the ball so well from any range. LeBron is capable of getting 50 or so, but he's not the shooter Kobe is. When Kobe gets hot, he's the only one capable of doing that kind of thing."
Adds Ramsay: "That's a ton of points, but nothing that he does really surprises. He can pull up, post up, drive to the basket, is athletic, has hang time, is flexible and is very, very competitive. And on top of that, he wants his team to win above everything else." Because their styles are so similar, comparisons between Bryant and Jordan are inevitable. Bryant wishes they would stop.
"He was Michael Jordan, and I'm Kobe Bryant," Bryant says. "We're two different players, and I just wish people would let it go, because you can't compare what I'm doing to what he's doing. " He's one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player of all time, and it's not fair to us of another generation to be compared to such greatness."
Kerr, however, thinks it's extremely difficult not to compare the two. "It's the will to win, the desire, the absolute undying belief in himself, the arrogance or confidence or whatever you want to call it," he says in describing what Bryant and Jordan share. "Nobody else playing today has that. Kobe is exactly like Michael when he gets that look in his eye."
Changes favor athletic players, At least one thing the NBA's eight 50-point games this season have in common is that they were done by perimeter players (Bryant four times, James twice and Iverson and New Jersey's Vince Carter once each). These players have the ball in their hands frequently, they play facing the basket most of the time and they have a green light to do, basically, whatever they want with the ball.
Over the last three seasons, the only true post players to reach the 50-point mark have been Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire.
One reason is the changes in the NBA rules designed to increase scoring. The changes, which went into effect last season, eliminated hand checking and opened the lane by making it illegal for any defender to be in the lane for longer than three seconds. The changes shifted the advantage to the slick ballhandlers, players who can get their own shots off the dribble and are athletic enough to make three-pointers and drive all the way to the basket. These players also are tough enough to get fouled a lot, then make their free throws.
"If you are athletic and can put the ball on the floor, the rules benefit you," Ramsay says. "It's that simple, and no one takes more advantage of that than Kobe."
Kerr says the elimination of the hand check has been a boon to scoring, especially to players such as Bryant. Since defenders aren't allowed to impede his progress with the hand check, opponents have often found themselves at his mercy this season.
With the perfect basketball body - a 6-7, 210-pound frame - and a drive to work on his game during the offseason as much as he does during the regular season, Bryant has set a lofty standard for himself.
If Bryant played on a championship team, with more skilled teammates, he wouldn't score so many points. He wouldn't have to. Though he has the 81-point game and the 62-pointer this season, his single-game high during the Lakers' three NBA championships run was 56.
"He has to score big numbers now if the Lakers are going to win," Ramsay says, "and even then they don't win sometimes. When he was playing with Shaquille O'Neal, that just wasn't the case. He knew he didn't have to score big for them to win except on rare occasions."
The really good teams in the league now don't rely on one scorer to carry them. The Detroit Pistons, for example, who are challenging the Chicago Bulls' all-time record of 72 wins in a season, don't have a player among the league's top 15 scorers. Of the teams with the top five records, only the Dallas Mavericks have a player in the top 15: Dirk Nowitzki, averaging 26.1 points.
Teams such as the Lakers, the Cavaliers with James, the 76ers with Iverson and the Houston Rockets with Tracy McGrady have no choice but to turn their stars loose if they want to win.
Comparisons to Wilt
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Monday night on "The Phil Jackson Show" on Sirius Satellite Radio that before Bryant's outburst that he wouldn't have thought a player could score 80. He also said he thought Bryant's 81 was more impressive than Chamberlain's 100-point game.
"Yes it is," Jackson said. "(Knicks center) Darrall Imhoff was interviewed about it. Darrall said (Wilt) was fed the ball every single time he came down the court and he turned and shot it every single time.
"It was a decided advantage that they had and it was just an outright determination that they were going to get 100 points for Wilt that night. In fact, they tried to leave other people open and other guys wouldn't even shoot the ball.
"But you've got to hand it to (Wilt). He was a great player but that was a night that they went out to score 100 points and milked it. Last night, there was a desire for Kobe to get his 80th point but until that point in the game that was all pure competitive action."
Wilt Chamberlain, the only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a game, completed the feat in 1962.
Chamberlain had two assists en route to his 100; Bryant had two Sunday.
Ramsay says Chamberlain was different type of scorer than Jordan or Bryant.
Chamberlain was the NBA's strongest man and just a dominant, overpowering player who was not only unstoppable once he got the ball near the basket, but also had a nice 12- to 15-foot turnaround one-hander off the glass. But Chamberlain was strictly a post player and needed someone to feed him the basketball. Bryant, and Jordan before him, doesn't need anyone to give him anything.
"Kobe can get whatever shot he wants whenever he wants it," Ramsay says. "Michael was the same way."
Bryant scored in every way imaginable Sunday. Among his 28 field goals, he had three dunks, three layups, seven three-pointers, eight baskets from three to 10 feet, three from 11 to 15 feet and four from 19 to 22 feet. He also made 18 of 20 free throws.
Ramsay says the best way to defend Bryant is to double-team him every time he touches the ball, "no matter where he is on the floor." But not even that guarantees anything.
"He is so agile, he can back out of a double team and get to where he wants to shoot it," Ramsay says.
Bryant attributes his scoring prowess to maturity.
"I think it's a combination of learning the game, and I trained my butt off this summer, and I really put the pedal to the metal, so conditioning-wise, I'm ready. I prepare myself every day, so I'm ready for that."
Though his supporting cast isn't among the league's best, Bryant says he couldn't accomplish what he has without it.
"I need help from my teammates," he says, "and they recognize it and give me the ball in certain situations. They set excellent screens for me." Bryant has also brought new excitement to the NBA and even has opponents clamoring to see him. Fans who missed Sunday's game can purchase it online with Google, and NBA TV is rebroadcasting it three times this week (today, 3 p.m. ET; Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET; Friday, 5 p.m. ET).
"It's amazing. Beyond amazing," says Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban. "He's on another level from any other player at this point. It's like he is toying with teams.
"If you push up on him, he just takes two steps back and shoots from further out. I hope the NBA adjusts its TV schedule so we all can see him play more. It would be fun to watch and fun to debate how far a one-man show can drag four other players in a team sport."
World Basketball Association Stories from February 2, 2006
- Marietta Storm to Announce Franchise on Thursday - Marietta Storm
- Musicians' First Tryout Camp Successful - Murfreesboro Musicians
- WBA To Hold Tryouts - WBA
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