Thursday, August 26, 2010
Old School:
These are days when “school” is center stage. School is nearly back in sessions for thousands of Minnesota’s kids. We know that because stores have been selling their supplies for more than a month (a pencil for a penny anyone?) and the Great Minnesota Get together is off and running. That always unofficially signifies the end of summer and the start of the school year. In basketball terms, OLD school is en vogue, big time. While you are out at the fair, try T’Wolves on a stick by swinging by the team’s booth and placing your vote. I love this too. You will play a part in what old school uniform the Wolves wear this season. This season, the league will honor the 35th anniversary of the 1976 merger of the NBA and ABA. The Wolves will be one of many NBA teams that will don the unique ABA uniforms. And no, the Flint Tropics will not be honored (see Will Ferrell). The Wolves, since they have no actual history in the ABA, will honor a pre-Wolves Minnesota basketball team. There were the Muskies and Pipers who were ABA teams that briefly called Minnesota home.
Those two American Basketball Association (ABA) franchises were playing here in the turbulent late 1960’s. I don’t remember those teams specifically but I do fondly remember the ABA.
Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel and Louie Dampier of the Kentucky Colonels. Former Laker and one of the NBA’s 50-best Wilt Chamberlain played in the ABA before it disbanded and he was with the San Diego Conquistadors. Willie Wise, Rick Barry, Julius Erving, Connie Hawkins and my all time favorite, Spencer Haywood. John Brisker, George McGinnis and Jim McDaniels, Swen Nater and Bobby Jones, Mack Calvin, David Thompson and Warren Jabali. The ABA was loaded with talent and was a legitimate contender for NBA talent much like the old AFL challenged the National Football League. And that Red, White and Blue ball. That was as cool as the real Converse one-star’s back in the day.
What many people don’t know is that Minnesota has a rich and involved past with the ABA. The ABA’s initial headquarters were located in Minneapolis as the league selected George Mikan, the former Minneapolis Lakers great, as its commissioner. The Minnesota Muskies were charter members of the ABA back in 1967, they went 50-and-28 but were off the fan’s radar. That great team couldn’t draw anyone to the newly built Sports Arena built next to the Old Met and thus the Muskies spent only one season here. The Muskies later became the Floridians (of Miami).
The very next year, the Pittsburgh Pipers moved to Minnesota and that franchise lasted only season here. Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins was the star of that show and for those who never saw him, the Hawk was simply amazing! His autobiography, “Foul”, was must read stuff when I was a kid. The Pipers wound up back to Pittsburgh. I still don’t get that.
And if you want to get the real skinny on the ABA, read “Loose Balls by Terry Pluto. Great stuff.
Speaking of uniforms, the T’Wolves will tip the 22nd season in the NBA with changes made to their still new togs. The tweaked uni’s will opt out the color green and feature the primary colors of blue, silver, black and white. And the familiar tree line has been chopped down.
By the way, look for a third alternate road uniform midseason with the home uniform remaining white and the road color blue. And don’t forget, cast your uniform ballot in person at the Wolves kiosks located at the Wolves booth in the Fan Central Building (corner of Underwood St. and Dan Patch Ave.).
All You Need Is Love:
Staying on topic, Rolling Stone magazine just released its list of the top-10 Beatles songs of all time. What’s curious is that “All You Need Is Love” is missing from the list. It’s one of my top-10 FabFour songs and I thought of it just as USA Basketball shouted out its roster for the 2010 Men's National Team. Wolves’ standout Kevin Love is on the team. Folks, this is a big deal!!
Love is proudly patriotic and will be with the team when Team USA shoots for its first gold medal at the event since 1994. Love told the media that “It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to represent my country on an international stage and I look forward to doing everything I can to help the team bring back the gold from Turkey." In the Wolves off season of serious change, Love stayed put and will be a building block for Team Rambis entering the upcoming season.
Joining Love on Team USA will be Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets), Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies), Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers), Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers), Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers), Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls), and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
Keep your eyes out for the FIBA World Championships. They’ll tip August 28 through September 12 in Istanbul, Turkey, with the winner automatically earning a bid to the 2012 Summer Olympics (July 26-Aug. 12 in London, England).
Where's My Bobblehead:
There’s good and bad news for the Minnesota Lynx. First the bad. Bummer they were bounced from the post season after giving it a determined run to the end. Twins fans can relate to this one as the Lynx lost too many leads and that proved costly.
The good news is that the team was able to sign All-Star guard and Minnesota’s most popular female basketball player Lindsay Whalen to a multi-year contract extension. Whalen is a three-time All-Star selection, a 2008 All-WNBA First Team member and finished runner-up to Candace Parker for the 2008 Most Valuable Player Award. This team has many big days and brighter moments in its future.
They stumbled this season because of injuries and too many new faces. Give them time.
The team got this one right by putting the foundation’s biggest building block in place. That’s Whalen. Nice. And I never did get that special edition Whalen bobblehead.
Have fun at the fair! See you there!
If you like good shows on TV, get ready to catch the third season of SPORTS FINAL. Retooled, energetic and packed as always with the top players and sports newsmakers in our region, Sports Final will return to it’s new home on the CW/Twin Cities-23 in just weeks. Sports Final gets you inside your favorite teams, including the T'Wolves, with exclusive interviews, team notes and as always, offering you the best guests and a full interactive website. We couldn't be more excited about the Vikings upcoming season and as you read every week, my love of the T’Wolves and all the possibilities surrounding the Wolves in this new NBA season. See you out at the State Fair with updates on Sports Final! Day ON!
