Perhaps the NBA’s Highest Paid Spectator

Stephon Marbury continues to be surrounded by controversy. In his time with the New York Knicks, he has been involved in controversy and scandal. Now, the Stephon Marbury saga takes another bizarre turn. As a healthy professional basketball player, he will be paid millions just to watch:

“The New York Knicks have no plans to do anything with Stephon Marbury, except pay him his $21.9 million salary and give him a great seat to watch all their games.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni and team president Donnie Walsh said that they will not waive, buy out or trade Marbury…”

link: Knicks to pay Marbury $21.9 million to ride bench

For the average basketball fan who buys the tickets and supports the team, this may be a bit strange. Perhaps to the New York Knicks, paying someone almost twenty two million dollars not to play is a shrewd business decision. It is just that most fans will be trying to understand the rationale.

Catherine Forsythe

A Double Win for Candace Parker

Rookies are not suppose to do this. Traditionally, there is a learning curve, as first year players adjust to professional basketball. Candace Parker, however, is a unique talent:

“Candace Parker received the WNBA’s most valuable player award Friday, becoming the first player to win the award along with the rookie of the year honors. The Los Angeles star was unanimously selected rookie of the year.”

link: Sparks’ Parker wins rookie of year, MVP honors

It seems that Ms Parker has adjusted well and made her presence felt. Kudos to Candace Parker. It was a remarkable introduction to professional basketball.

Catherine Forsythe

The Women’s Team Is Part of the Racist Olympic Blunder

It seems that Spain’s Women’s basketball team adds to the social blunder of the men’s national team. The women posed by a similar advertising photograph:

“The advert features two large photographs, one of the men’s basketball team, above, and one of the women’s team. Both squads pose in full Olympic kit on a basketball court decorated with a picture of a Chinese dragon. Every single player appears pulling back the skin on either side of their eyes. The advert carries the symbol of the sport’s governing body.”

link: Spain’s eye-catching faux pas

To those who think that this is just a fun gesture, ask any child of oriental ancestry how much “fun” this is. It speaks of taunting, bullying and racism. It is completely bewildering why no athlete on the men’s team or the women’s team had the gumption to say that he/she was not going to do this - and that it was wrong.

And it is wrong - on so many levels.

Catherine Forsythe

Spain’s Racist Blunder at the Beijing Olympics

The Spanish Olympic basketball team needs a lesson in what it is to be good guests. Left on their own, they blunder. In one insensitive picture, they have managed to insult a whole nation.

In an advertisement for a Spanish courier company, the basketball players are pictured pulling back the corner of their eyes:

link: Spanish basketball team poses for offensive picture

This is simply insulting and these men should know better. These are athletes who play basketball at the highest level. The team from Spain were 2006 FIBA World Champions. Men like Pau Gasol and José Calderon are NBA professionals.

In an equally poor attempt at spin and damage control, José Calderon called the picture as “an affectionate gesture” and “appropriate”. Do Mr Calderon and his team mates not know that it is insulting and racist? Perhaps they should ask any school kid. It is far from “appropriate”, Mr Calderon. It is ignorant.

Catherine Forsythe

Beijing: Expectations of Only Gold

If there is one gold medal expectation at the Beijing Olympics, it rests with the men’s basketball team. All members of that team are professional basketball stars. The head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, has a stellar, legendary college record. However, the days of American dominance in basketball are gone, as foreign players have improved their hoops skills. Nevertheless, the American men’s basketball team are expected to dominate and win gold. Anything less would be considered a failure.

Other nations know that the Americans can be beaten. At the world championships in 2002, the USA finished sixth. At the 2006 world championships, the USA improved to a third place finish. And at the last Olympic Games, the USA men’s team won the bronze medal. So that gold medal expectation will involve overcoming some obstacles of international basketball. Three of the major challenges are:

• zone defense - The teams that the USA men’s team will face know that they are at a disadvantage playing man-to-man defense. That is not their strength. The advantage in playing the American professionals will be a disciplined zone defense. This approach will allow the lower percentage long range shots. However, the zone defense will attempt to stop drives to the basket and limit the high percentage shots. The US team will need reliable shooting from long range to draw out the defense and allow the guard to find the seams in the zone. The long range accuracy will be essential.
• the officiating - The American professionals are used to NBA officiating. The international game is different and is officiated differently. There will not be the deference to the superstars that each one on the American team experiences in the professional game. There will simply be fouls that will not be called. That must be expected and composure maintained. It will be problematic if the Americans lose their focus because the international game is refereed in a different manner.
• size - Despite being all elite players from the NBA, the basketball team going to Beijing is small by international standards. Again, that will put more emphasis on the long shot. However, the rebounders for the American team must work for position. The international teams will count on their size for a rebounding difference, on both ends of the court.

And finally, with parity in the international game, there is still some distinction in beating the American professionals. The game against the Americans is the game that other teams want to win. The Americans are still ‘Goliath’; and the other teams will see themselves as ‘David’ and wanting do whatever it takes to beat the American powerhouse.

The Americans have the best players. There is no doubt about their individual skills. The best team is yet to be determined.

Catherine Forsythe

Team USA: Men’s Olympic Basketball

The final selection for the USA Olympic basketball team was named and there were not really any surprises:

“…Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Jason Kidd were among the 12 players selected for the squad. Completing the team were Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams.

“It was a very difficult selection process,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said during a news conference. “When you have as many outstanding players as we have in this country — to select a group of 12 is obviously going to leave out a number of outstanding people.”

link: US selects James, Bryant to lead Olympic basketball hopes in Beijing

The one possible weakness that other teams might exploit is the lack of three point shooters. There is Michael Redd, Kobe Bryant and possibly Carmelo Anthony to force other teams out from the zone defense. Teams will try to pack the lane with the zone defense so the outside shooting is crucial. It would be reassuring to have another ‘Ray Allen type’ of shooter who can score over the zone. And yes, even a shooter like Ray Allen can go into a slump as the recent NBA playoffs showed. However, the international teams would chance being beaten from long range than with anything close to the basket. Any Lakers fan or Celtic fan will verify how effective that defense is.

Catherine Forsythe

This CP3 Plays for Los Angeles

Candace Parker has made her debut as a professional basketball player. As expected, she was brilliant:

“…Parker scored 34 points, the most in a WNBA debut, and added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury 99-94 on Saturday.”

link: Parker’s 34 points most in WNBA debut; Sparks spoil Mercury’s ring ceremony

There does not seem to be any lingering impact from the dislocated shoulder that Candace Parker suffered earlier this year at the collegiate level. Ms Parker was shooting three point shots. She tried two from three-point-land and made both of them. Her points total would have been higher had she been more successful from the foul line. She missed eight free throws. That is half of her free throw attempts.

Nevertheless, it was an impressive start to a professional basketball career. She is absolutely an advertising executive’s ‘dream come true’. It is obvious that she enjoys her sport and she excels. Candace Parker wears the number three for the Los Angeles Sparks. This ‘CP3′ will be a big part of women’s basketball. She’s just a terrific athlete.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster