I believe in B-ball ...

Don't forget that Sabonis also played many years in Russia. He is pretty old. He also to me doesn't seem to be 7 feet, that is probably because his vertical jump is about 3 inches. Yao has got a pretty good jump, but I don't think they want him to do to much jumping. The weight on the knees. I was a major Olajuwon fan, I always felt the official were rough on him.

Oh, Hakeem was dreamy. I loved Patrick for a very very long time, though, that poor noble warrior. Watched both of 'em since Phi Slamma Jamma days.

I always wanted the twin towers concept to work; but, unfortunately, Ralph Sampsons knees just wouldn't make it. That is the weak link between all that height and weight on a human knee joint. Put the extra pressure of the game and boom. Patrick also had major knee problems. Kept him limited to floor duty and slow up court movement.

Ah, Patrick. Was supposed to be the savior of the Knicks. Hmm, guess not. But yes, it was his knees that finally did him in. I think we won't see many good big men until the knee problem is somehow solved (artificial joints, anyone?). And then, if a big man always has to be somehow engineered, what do we do? Start knee replacements in High School? Seems pretty disturbing to me.

Ah, BillW, are you a Boomer Sooner?

I can't forgive Ewing for introducing that extra step into the move across the lane that all the hulking cretins (you there, Shaq?) now exploit. Felt the Knicks gave him an incredibly raw deal, though, and the karma from that is the reason they suck now.

Olajuwon was unbelievable during that championship run of theirs. Balletic footwork and an ungodly sense of his defender's balance. You know he actually came to basketball fairly late? He was a soccer goalie growing up.

Anyway, Manute Bol never lost use of his knees. Perhaps he could be your prototype, Jes? (Watched 'Nute a lot growing up in Northern California, when he was launching 30 foot threes with the Warriors.)

jespah, Sooner born and Sooner bred and when I die I'm Sooner dead, go Oklahoma, go Oklahoma, go Oklahoma - OKU!

Such wonderful, thought provoking, intellectual words. Yes I am a Boomer-Sooner.

I think they give Shaq far too much. His arms are are like tree trunks, and he is allowed to use forearm shivers too get room.

Olajuwon was unbelievable. He stole the ball from guards. He walked on at the University of Houston campus after taking a cab from the airport. Never touched a basketball before. He was a world class goalie, so he always had good hand control. I don't know why the refs always gave him hell.

Yup, I wonder if the late entry into basketball helped him, knee-wise. (Did you know he was "Akeem" for years and years because he was too modest to correct someone's erroneous spelling?)

I totally agree about karma. Patrick worked SO hard, though.

Speaking of stretching the rules, though, did you see Selena Robert's piece on Michael? Really disturbing. She's basically suggesting that Michael never got called for all his travels et al because he was in with the refs, to the point where they were out procuring ladies for him:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/sports/basketball/15ROBE.html

That's shocking. I thought he went from Akeem to Hakeem upon conversion to Islam. (joke)

Hey, I think the business side of the NBA -- including the officiating and the hefty fines handed out for criticism of it -- is as a crooked as Shaq's back when he "dislodges" his defender. Hate the league. Love the game.

Heehehehehe...

Yeah, I've certainly been like "huh???" about many calls (or lack thereof), but this article was an eye-opener for me. Yikes.

Re NBA reffing: It's more an art than a science. When I was in training to be a youth b-ball ref some years ago, we were told not to use NBA refs as examples. High school and college refs pay closer attention to the rules. For that and other reasons, I much prefer the college game.

Go Ducks! (Though they were trounced by the Bearcats earlier this week.)

I read an article a while back on the way the refs are trained, and there is one very crucial difference between officiating the NBA -- and it was given as something of an excuse for inattention to traveling, palming, and C. Webb's favorite offensive foul -- holding off the opponent with the off-arm as you go up for a shot. Unlike officials at every other level, NBA refs are trained to watch the defensive player rather than the offensive player.

Still, it just seems to me that a lot of it is straight-up pandering to preferred players and teams. Steve Javy comes most immediately to mind, though Nick "Knick" Bavetta earned quite a reputation for favoring a particular team in the tristate area on crucial plays...

I think part of why NBA refs act as they do is that they're part of the entertainment package at a game. Not as bad as refs in pro wrestling, but there are some resemblances! Was it Mindy Rudolph who used to race down the court dramatically signalling a foul? Now that was theater!

Good point, D'art! (Theater/ sport.)

There's something to that. There used to be a ref (or umpire, whatever) in the NFL (back when I watched it on Monday nights) who gave the best "First dowwwwn." That's football, though, and there's a lot of lulls in the action where I don't mind seeing a ref's personality. In the ebb and flow of an NBA game, you shouldn't even notice the officials.

You are so right, patiodog, about how refs shouldn't be noticed. Less is more, except you can't let a game get out of hand. Making too many calls and being flamboyant is a great way to get the attention of players, coaches and fans (i.e., parents at kids games)--and then the fun really begins!

I've got some sympathy for you officiating types; I reffed a little league game -- just one -- when I was in high school, and I don't envy anybody the thankless task of doing that.

Wouldn't mind coaching a kids roundball team someday, though...

Joey Crawford was Hakeem and the Rockets worst official. But, I do know it is in the eyes of the beholder. I had season tickets 8 rows up under the goal. You could hear the grunts, groans and all the skin smacks. It was unbelievable. If a ball game was called for all the real fouls, there would be no action. So now the referees get to call what they want and it would be impossible to see everything. Dennis Rodman use to just push off for everything, no wonder he couldn't keep a woman or a man!

What amazed me about Rodman was his ability to be simultaneously loathed by and favored by the officials. And for such an unstable human being he certainly displayed a remarkable intuitiveness about the psychological shortcomings of the guys he guarded.

(Sorry I pop in on everything, but I haven't found anybody since I've moved here who really knows basketball. They watch the Sonics when they're winning, boo at every call that goes against them, and that's about it. One thing that I miss about Chicago........)

The thing about Rodman for me is I have never seen anyone play defense like that man and still be ready to hit the boards. The #1 defensive man ever, and play so supid like he did. I think the refs were scared of him. He didn't back down and got fouls for just a look. I really loved to watch him play and such a disappointment. The guy was pyscho!

He was a GREAT defensive player, GREAT rebounder, and great at the mind games, too. He let that all get the best of him, but I loved (when he was with the Bulls, not while he was with the Pistons) how he just totally freaked everyone out before he'd actually done anything.