I need to thank the Frisco Chamber of Commerce members for welcoming me last week. They won’t forget to VOTE FOR HANK. It was great to meet the people that work hard to make Frisco tick as reliably as a century-old grandfather clock. I look forward to representing them all on the court.
Bill Musselman, Eric’s father, had a few tricks of his own when I played for him at Minnesota. In big games, I would change out of my uniform at halftime and put on my jeans and a T-shirt. Then I would go and sit in the stands in the very front row behind our defensive basket. I would call out numbers and color codes to the team, preventing backdoor cuts and blind screens, among other mistakes. It was like having a coach behind your basket so you don’t fall asleep and get beat. Jim Brewer was MVP of the Big Ten in 1972-73, averaging only nine points per game, but he also averaged 13 rebounds and six blocked shots each game because he had an extra set of eyes on the floor — me. It was illegal, but it worked. Continue reading “Crazy George in College” »
Coach Al McGuire brought the house down once at a Medalist Coaches Clinic in Cleveland, in my hometown. He said, “All love affairs end. Eventually the girl is gonna put curlers in her hair.” And, after the laughter stopped, he added, “We all have made the mistake of falling in love with the dimple instead of the entire woman.” Hysterical laughter followed for three minutes.
I really miss hearing the street smarts of Al McGuire. He always closed his speeches to basketball coaches with this saying: “Life is what you allow yourself to see.” Continue reading “Crazy George and Jimmy V” »
While Dirk and his Mavs recover from gallivanting overseas, the Hefster (me) prefers to plant his flag here at home, in Eddie Nájera’s backyard. Eddie, I’m calling you out! Give me a fair shot at making the Texas Legends. I speak fluent Spanglish and once got arrested in Tijuana.
The D-League finally announced its draft date – Nov. 2 – http://www.nba.com/dleague/texas/2012DraftParty.html. The first question is, why did that take so long?
There is no answer to that one, but there are answers to the next few questions:
When do the Texas Legends pick?
The Legends pick eighth. Note: The D-League draft is not a snake draft this year, so the Legends will pick 8th each round, not just the first round. Well, not in every round: In the third round, the Legends will pick in the Maine Red Claws spot at 4, concluding a trade from last year. Continue reading “D-League Draft to be Nov. 2” »
One of the funniest and smartest people I ever knew was the late Al McGuire from Marquette. When I was at Minnesota, we played against McGuire and Marquette in 1973 and 1974.
One time shooting guard Larry McNeil was upset at his lack of playing time and confronted Coach Al on why he had his son, Allie, on the team, a marginal player at best. Coach Al looked him in the eyes and said, “Because he’s my son.” Case closed. Continue reading “Crazy George and Al McGuire” »
Tomorrow will mark a change with the Baker’s Dozen, though TexLegends Nation is not going anywhere. While it is a quiet time in the basketball world, Major League Baseball is reaching a crescendo. Even if you swear by basketball and curse baseball, you have to love the postseason of any sport…
Continue reading “10/11/12: A Baker’s Dozen – Shortening-Flavored” »
The Dallas Mavericks’ loss to FC Barcelona Regal on Tuesday may seem a concern for the perennial Western Conference contenders, but head coach Rick Carlisle certainly had more important concerns no his mind. Meanwhile some former teammates squared off and Tu Holloway looked for a home, or did he? Continue reading “10/10/12: A Baker’s Dozen – Barcelona-Flavored” »
In the fluid race of “Who is the most over-bearing commissioner in America’s sports?” David Stern may have conceded some ground Monday in Italy. The NBA commissioner left himself some wiggle room regarding sponsorships on jerseys as well as on the topic of NBA teams moving to Europe. He also threw a zinger at any players upset over the recently-announced anti-flopping rule. Before Stern’s time to shine, though, guess which player of the 00’s is ready to head to China and which is talking retirement … Continue reading “10/09/12: A Baker’s Dozen – Stern-Flavored” »
When Coach Bill Musselman left Ashland College to coach the Minnesota Gophers, I followed him and played for the Gophers from 1971 to 1975. We sold out Williams Arena every game, largely because the billboard outside the arena said, “Pre-game show 7 p.m. Game-time 7:30 p.m.” Continue reading “Crazy George’s first paydays” »