Monthly Archives: January 2022

A GOOD GUY

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Sad story out of New York City.

A 22-year-old police officer was shot and killed. After reading the story, found out the young man played high school basketball and was a team manager. If you have coached before, you know how special and important managers are to your team.

Jason Rivera who was on the force for 14 months was fatally shot Friday night responding to a domestic dispute in Harlem.

Josh Krinsky, a history teacher at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School and Rivera’s basketball coach where Rivera played his freshman and sophomore years:

“He was an outstanding teammate.”

“He encouraged everyone.”

“He never complained about playing time.”

“Everyone really loved him.”

“He was a positive influence every single day.”

“He was so responsible.”

“He was really kind.”

“Whatever the drama was in high school, he was never a part of it.”

(Source: New York Daily News)

In a letter written to his commanding officer at the police academy, obtained by PIX11 News on Saturday, Rivera wrote he wanted to become an NYPD officer to improve the department’s relationships with the communities it serves:

“Growing up in New York City, I realized how impactful my role as a police officer would [be] in this chaotic city of about 10 million people. I know that something as small as helping a tourist with directions, or helping a couple resolve an issue, will put a smile on someone’s face.”

(Source: WPIX 11)

Rest in peace Jason…

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

NATE OATS ON JAHVON QUINERLY

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“I think he’s been trying to play hard. He’s been trying to play the right way. He’s been giving us great effort. He may have been the best guard in the country last year for a stretch there at the end of the year, he got tournament MVP and he did all that coming off the bench. Some guys are more well-suited to come off the bench. Maybe there’s a little less pressure. They can see how the game goes.”

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

SHOOT YOUR REGULAR SHOT

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“I’ll get tagged on something on social media, like, ‘You ruined the game,’ Anybody who knows basketball knows where I stand on that. It’s an amazing way to play the game. It opens up the creative. Everybody loves to shoot the ball. But you can’t skip the work and years and years and years and years of reps that I put in and everybody on this level has. So, don’t skip that process. It is a fun way to play, and it’s dope to know that everybody feels an attachment to it. People are going to talk s–t. Hate and love and criticism and celebration — everything. That’s why I stay so even keel.”

You tell ’em Steph. Shoot it up and sleep in the streets.

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

WHAT WE’RE GONNA DO RIGHT HERE IS GO BACK…WAY BACK, BACK INTO TIME

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Big ups to NBA TV.

Sunday night they showed the Chicago Bulls-Orlando Magic game from January 16th, 1993. The game was played in the Windy City. Orlando pulled out the victory in OT, 128-124.

Gotta love the “pop up” facts throughout the game. I use a few in this entry.

Shaq was a rookie for Orlando. He played 50 minutes in the game and scored 28 points on 11 for 14 shooting and pulled down 24 rebounds. Bulls big man Bill Cartwright fouled out with 1 point. Mr. Bill played 27 minutes. 1 point in 27 minutes? Come on man. He was 0-6 from the field and get this, he had 1 rebound.

Shaq-Attack would average 23.4 PPG that year and pull down 13.9 RPG. He was named Rookie of the Year. Compare that to Wilt Chamberlain’s rookie season (37.6 and 27.7) And Kareem Abdul-Jabber’s rookie season 28.8 and 14.5) Cartwright’s rookie season with the Knicks? 21 and 9. Let me stop on Bill, he was a good dude.

Scott Skiles scored 31 points for Orlando on 9 of 15 from the field. He played all 53 minutes. Skiles was perfect from the line, 12 for 12. He also dished out 10 assists. By the way, Skiles holds the NBA record for most assists in one game, 30. He did that on December 30, 1990. Magic beat the Nuggets 155-116. Skiles played 44 minutes. And he was able to score 22 points. What a performance!

Back to the Bulls-Magic game. Michael Jordan dropped 64 points on 27 for 49 shooting. He had 6 rebounds and 1 assist. If LeBron James took that many shots in a game, had 1 assist and snatched 6 rebounds Social media would destroy him.

MJ was pissed after the game.

“When you blow a six-point lead in less than a minute, there is something wrong with that. Getting 64 points doesn’t mean anything when you lose,” said Jordan. Robin had 17 points on 7 of 16 shooting including 0-2 from distance and 8 assists.

Bulls led by six with :44 left in regulation.

Chicago was 2-3 in games in which Jordan scored 60+ points in his career. It would be the last time he scored 60+ points in a game.

Orlando shot 3 for 6 from downtown. Chicago, 4 for 13. The 3 wasn’t huge back in the day. Jordan made a 3 with 3.4 left in the game to finish the scoring.

The Bulls 57 wins that year were the fewest of their six championship teams.

Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach was wearing a sweet brown, leather jacket on the bench.

Steve Kerr was a member of the Magic and as you know, later on his career he would play for Chicago. In this game he played 2 minutes and scored 1 point. Greg Kite was on the Magic. He played 2 minutes and didn’t score.

Nine months after this game Jordan would announce his retirement from basketball.

Magic finished 41-41 that year and missed the playoffs. They won the draft lottery and picked Chris Webber #1 overall who they traded to Golden State for Penny Hardaway and 3 1st round draft picks.

Those were the days my friend…

E-mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com