Posts by Ed Odeven
Wes Unseld, Hall of Fame center, dies at 74
Wes Unseld, a steady inside presence who battled larger centers Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Willis Reed, and Nate Thurmond in a Hall of Fame career, died on Tuesday. He was 74. Unseld led the Bullets to four NBA Finals appearances, including a title in 1978. The 6-foot-7 Unseld played his entire 13-season career…
Read MoreNBA Board of Governors to vote on plan to restart season
A crucial NBA Board of Governors vote is scheduled for Thursday. The topic on the docket: restarting the 2019-20 season. According to published reports, the plan with the most support is to bring 22 teams to Florida to complete the season and set the stage for the playoffs. Other proposals have called for all 30…
Read MoreAdam Silver issues urgent memo to deal with racial tensions
While the United States deals with protests and looting in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, Adam Silver wrote a memo to NBA employees on Sunday night. The NBA commissioner’s thought-provoking comments touched upon systemic injustice in the United States. Silver noted the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, two African-Americans who were killed…
Read MoreFIBA outlines guidelines for basketball’s return
FIBA has established a set of guidelines to aid basketball governing bodies in their quest to resume matches and related events. All FIBA competitions have been suspended since mid-March due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In an article published this week, FIBA said guidelines and a risk assessment tool will assist in making decisions about…
Read MoreDisney World emerges as potential site for NBA season relaunch
The NBA confirmed on Sunday that it is considering finishing the suspended season at Disney World in Florida. “The NBA, in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association, is engaged in exploratory conversations with the Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-20 NBA season in late July at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex…
Read MoreLegendary Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan dies at 78
Jerry Sloan, who amassed the fourth-most victories in NBA coaching history, died on May 22 in Salt Lake City. He was 78. Sloan battled Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia in his latter years. A 2009 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Sloan guided the Utah Jazz from 1988 to 2011. Sloan…
Read MoreBasketball Bundesliga to stage playoffs in June
Pro basketball is returning to Germany on June 6 as the Basketball Bundesliga resumes its season, heading straight to the playoffs. The German Basketball Bundesliga will stage a 10-team playoff tournament, it was announced earlier this week. The 35-game competition is set to wrap up on June 28 in Munich. The 2019-20 BBL campaign has…
Read MoreGeorge Karl says NBA should abandon push for season relaunch
With no finalized plans in place for how or when to relaunch the 2019-20 NBA season and/or playoffs, George Karl voiced his opinion on the matter. In a weekend tweet sent out to his 90,200-plus Twitter followers, Karl insisted that it’s time for the NBA to turn the metaphorical page and begin preparations for next…
Read MoreNBPA conducts poll to see if players want to relaunch season
An informal NBPA survey shows most NBA players want to get back on the court for games. The National Basketball Players Association sent it in a text message to players on Tuesday, according to published reports. The NBPA poll contained one question (“yes” or “no”) to gauge if players wanted to complete the 2019-20 season.…
Read MoreCBA chief Yao Ming outlines options to relaunch season
Yao Ming, the Chinese Basketball Association president, said there are three potential plans for the league to resume its season. Appearing on CCTV last weekend, the CBA boss outlined the 20-team league’s options as follows: complete the full schedule, alter the schedule and cancel some games to shorten the season, or declare the regular season…
Read More