Sunday, July 31, 2011

The Sleazy World of Basketball Recruiting

Editor Note: This column is not a blanket statement of all AAU coaches or situations. It is not an indictment of the players who play 4 and 5 games a day auditioning for coaches. It is about a system that is just out of control and my experiences with it. It is not intended in any way shape or form to indict the hundreds of guys who volunteer their time and do it the right way. The guys who have no motivation except to help kids better their situation. These are the unsung heroes.

David Salinas seemed like one of the good guys. Did I really know him? No, I talked with him at a high school game when he wanted my son to switch teams. He made a very persuasive low key presentation about why Houston Select would be best for my son. Personally, I felt all the switching around and hopping from the team to team was one of the problems with the summer world of AAU basketball. My son had committed to a team and decided to stay with it. It was a good team, one of the top 5 in the country the year before.

David Salinas was found on his water craft dead, a victim of suicide. A real tragedy for his family and the people associated with him. At last count, Coaches were bilked out of over 8 million dollars....or so it appears. Hopefully they find the money. Apparently it is gone. I have to say the coaches have shown a ton more restraint than I would have. Maybe the ones still employed don't want to talk too loudly because they know the NCAA may come around.

I always heard David had coaches investing with him. The guy who told me said it was life long coaching friends. I never connected the dots. In fact, the smartest guy in the whole situation was Tom Penders. He told Salinas up front that it did not seem right, that with Salinas' control over players, it looked like too grey an area for him to get into.

Salinas was great friends with Rice University coaches. Rice is a school no coach from other schools will talk down about. They do not compromise on academic standards and the kids they get attending that school have in general, great character. Who can doubt a guy who associates with guys as good as the people from Rice? You've heard of guilt by association, well in David Salinas' case it might have been innocence by association. To read more about this fascinating case click below:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1188681/index.htm
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A young man gets asked to commit to a school he wants to attend. Before the biggest camp of the year, the ABCD camp, where high schoolers like LeBron James among others will attend, the young mans dad and player are advised to go through with the recruiting process.

When the young man goes to camp, he plays well and gets some good ink on the various internet sites. The local school goes to every game he plays in and makes it look apparent that they are interested in this player. The player keeps playing well throughout the summer season from the local school as well as many high major hoops powers. The AAU coach keeps telling the player to go through the recruiting process. One time, when Colorado State was talking to the player, the AAU coach grabbed the phone and blatantly asked the assistant for some ski lift tickets. It wasn't a joke either. To the college coaches credit, he said he didn't know where he could even get any for himself. The coach kept persisting and asked for tickets and an exhibition game, with a hint hint but not outright said, that he could deliver said player. ( An exhibition game is not legal, but was a way for the various AAU teams to play the college teams on their first game. They would get paid 10 to 40k per game depending on the school, and get some ex college players to suit up and pay the players a hundred a game and pocket the difference. Nike and Adidas supplied these guys free unis and shoes, so they already had it all. )

All of a sudden the players phone stops ringing and there is panic. This player is too good for this to happen. Luckily, the player is connected to a former college coach and he ends up getting a scholarship. The coaches that come around say that they were looking at him, but with the local coach making it known they wanted him, they figured local kid, local school and they backed off.

After the player is in college for a year, his parents receive a call from an above board AAU coach who says the reason he stopped being recruited by the local school and other high major D-1 schools is that the AAU coach said he would deliver this player with an exhibition game and the money that comes with it...unbeknownst to the parents or the player. The father told me that he got to talk with the local coach (since fired) a couple years later. This coach was a really nice man and the father wanted to let him know they had no clue that this had happened and was really sorry. The bad part was the coach could have really used this player.

And that is one of the big problems with the AAU summer circuit. I have had countless parents tell me how mad they were because the AAU coach got paid for their kid going to a school and they got nothing. Now, I never heard this said about David Salinas, or the Houston Hoops for that matter. In fact, most of the players loved David from what I saw. And most coaches said the Houston Hoops were a class act.

I have seen some kids have a choice of 2 schools, with one being an obvious great fit, only to choose the worst of the 2 because the AAU coach got paid.

Again, I don't want to label all coaches in AAU this way or all college programs. Just know it goes down. It happens fairly often. An old saying used to be "Chicago kids know what they are worth." That probably means they have a street agent or pimp AAU coach. If you want to read about how crazy it is, read Play their Hearts Out by George Dohrman. It says it all.

Also, a friend told me this saying about the summer circuit:"The names may change but the game remains the same." It is guard oriented. It is ball hog basketball, because there are motives here and they are 1) I want to get rated as the best and 2) I want to be a star. The kids are drilled into this mode. These are the motives that are eating at the fabric of the game. How many really tall guys do I see that go nowhere near the post because they want to be highlight reels. Note to you coaches, it is not a coincidence that Shaq and Tim Duncan won so many titles. Guards are nice, but a big man that is dominant can help you dominate. Yes, every once in a while you will see good team basketball in the summer. But in many cases it is ball hog basketball and you might never know how good the big men are.

What you are left with as a spectator is a really terrible game like the finals of the NCAA tournament this year. Fundamentals are overlooked the majority of the time, again not by all. The motivational factor for a ton of the coaches are What's in It for Me, or maybe they are a parent. There are a ton of unqualified coaches and the last 10 years has produced an AAU team on every street corner. I would say in the last 10 years AAU teams have doubled. And the play has watered down accordingly. Every kid thinks he is a D-1 player. In my mind there is nothing wrong with going to a good NAIA school or a good D-2 school and graduating. Every year a number of NAIA schools and D-2 Schools defeat D-1 teams. Fact is, many a D-1 school used to be D-2 not that long ago. Parents, D-2 is a free education. If that is what your child gets embrace it and make sure he graduates.

One coach that will be nameless had the exhibition rule named after him (colleges no longer get them thanks to his up front abuse...he was a Houston guy.) This same coach had the world by the tail. He had 3 surefire pro players on his summer team, and once you got past his arrogance he was a very good coach. That just wasn't enough. One game in LA we had the bleachers by the baseline. We had to go all the way to Los Angeles to play a Houston team that both coaches refused to play because their egos were too big. This team had some players our team cut. The game was close and a time out was called. All parents were on this little bleacher behind the huddle in the end zone baseline. He chewed his team out and said the other team sucked. When he sensed these parents coming out of the stands...parents who couldn't stand him... he started stammering "Oh don't get me wrong, now they are damn good."

This coach started a board of directors with connected wealthy businessmen who could mentor some of the players. One generous man started a tournament and brought LeBron James to Clear Lake High for a weekend tournament. He did it without blinking an eye. He gave the coach money for the foundation in cash. He spent over 5 grand on junk at the tennis shoe company executive store and brought back some rubber watches for the board. That was the final straw. Unfortunately, the board was going to do some good things for the players that did not get D-1 offers as now this guy had 4 teams. They were going to scour the NAIA and d-2 ranks for some scholarships. Never happened.

AAU coaches will tell you that they are getting these guys scholarships. Most of the guys on the team above had them in the bag without ever playing a minute of AAU ball. AAU ball had nothing to do with their getting a full ride. These guys had the scholarship in the bag.

But the high school season is meaningless in most cases and the AAU guy has the free shoes.

I believe it is harder being a parent of a player than being a player. There is a ton of anxiety when scholarship times come. As a parent, you don't need behind the scene deals that can affect the integrity of your child.


Monday, July 18, 2011

Words Not Meant but Words That Kill


People will say almost anything in the heat of competition. Most of the times these words are not meant but are said in the heat of the moment. In the emotion of the event, especially when there is a crowd present and the stakes are fairly high, these words can kill. They can kill friendships, relationships and in the worst case scenario people.

I was playing in a big high school game in what was another lifetime. This was a time when every kid seemed to go to the games and I went to a very big high school of around five thousand kids. And, to show you how crazy it was, sometimes the students would attend the games with their parents. How uncool in these days in times, right children. Yet then it was common.

I was going to ask a very nice girl out. This in itself was going to be quite a chore in and of itself, because my dad made sure I understood basketball and books and that was it....girls would destroy both, or so I was brainwashed.

When this lovely creature came into the gym, the game was in progress. Yours truly was in mid air drifting out of bounds by the baseline. As this was happening I screamed a profanity laced tirade about 2 feet from her. She and her parents heard every word, and these words were much less accepted during that era. I got up and ran down court, but the damage was done. Words from my emotional mouth destroyed any chance for a date with this young lady. (Note, it was probably just as well. I was totally lacking in what girls want at that age...money and a nice ride. My parents car was called the "gas mobile" because it smelled like fumes. It was a white Chevy station wagon with no air and a stick shift...yes no air in Phoenix, Arizona. Also, I would have had a price to pay with my dad. If I had a bad game within a month of a date he would have reminded me in no uncertain terms. On top of that I still had some pimples the Clearasil wouldn't hide. And then what would I talk about? Pro Wrestling or back episodes of Dragnet?? So it was good it did not go down.)

Now let's fast forward to modern times. Kobe Bryant recently called a referee a name that questioned his sexuality and some would say his manhood. Some even say that using this word that starts with an F is the latest form of racism. Now, lets say for openers this is happening in a competition that is really serious. There is a crowd that very few can even imagine playing in front of and the stakes are huge. Let's also admit that Kobe is definitely the alpha dog and with the game on the line, he might really get carried away and have that hair trigger moment at anytime. So Kobe uses a word that suggests the ref is gay.

Later, he gets fined for 100k. I would be willing to wager Kobe did not mean that word, but in the heat of competition, things really tend to slip out. Remember, this game was played in a huge arena. A big fine was paid and the league and Kobe apologized profusely. This time the word did not kill much except probably some momentum in a game now long over. Personally, I believe he did not mean what he said.

However, many times, in many cities, this very word has sparked many a fight and has no doubt resulted in a number of deaths. When it was said during those circumstances, was it said out of fear and was it really meant? I have no idea. This brings back the saying, "I am the master of my words until they leave my mouth". Words. They can kill relationships and much more, even if you don't mean them and just say them in the emotion of the moment.
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Bill Simmons talks how he would settle the strike in the NBA and how it differs from the NFL strike. Very funny and good as usual. http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6749669/if-ruled-nba-world

Are women better team mates? Check this article out: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-20110717,0,6408488.column





Friday, July 1, 2011

How Good are these Guys? A Journeyman NBA Player


I hear the following statement and have to cringe: "Chris Bosh sucks." I heard that more than a few times during the season and the playoffs as well. He would usually follow up the bad game with a super game the next time out. So really, how good are they, these players in the NBA?
I was at the John Lucas workouts at the Rice University basketball practice courts a few years back watching the college players and the NBA players go through the drills. This was the place where aspiring collegians drafted from around the country would work on their games. Pros coming into a contract year would come to polish their chops hoping to hit the jackpot with a big contract. The highlights after the drills were done were the scrimmages.
Cutino Mobley was on one team and he was going against a major d-1 guard on a top twenty five team. Cutino Mobley was a very talented player but definitely not an NBA superstar. The guard he was going against was a player who might have been a marginal NBA player if he was not so injury prone. In fact, this guard was for sure better than any guard on my college team and most of the college guards we played against.
There is an unwritten rule that you don't get too hot and heavy in the scrimmages. The pros definitely don't want to risk injury for a meaningless game and neither do the collegians. However, the collegian got into Cutino's face a little too much and what happened next was ugly. Only it wasn't what you would expect.
Cutino Mobley took the young man to school. He demanded the ball every time down, and the pros always get it in these situations. Only he demanded the ball in the post. Instead of doing guard moves, Mobley abused the collegian down low. It was pretty crazy and it was like it was nothing for him. Cutino was getting fouled and just kept doing drop steps, slamming, just basic basketball moves that a big man would envy. All the moves were fundamental. He was getting fouled hard but it didn't matter. All the moves were basic non flashy moves. On defense he completely shut his adversary down. It was sad to watch because I know the young man.
The next time you hear some person say on a talk show that so and so is sorry, take it to the bank that he probably isn't. Because a pro like Cutino Mobley made an excellent college player look like a grade schooler. That's how good these guys are. And Chris Bosh definitely does not suck. He is most excellent.
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I almost have to laugh when I hear people talk about the college game being better than NBA basketball. This season was one of the best in recent years. We had great players in their twilight like Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant. We had superstars that were in their prime like Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Amare Stoudamire, Carmelo Anthony and more. And the up and comers like Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant.
Yes, it is a long season. I get that. I also don't know how they play so many games. A 30 game schedule can break down a very good athlete. Most of these players will pay the price dearly later in life. The joints of the human body can only take so much pounding.
It is a shame the NBA season is headed for a possible prolonged work stoppage. This is even more so after such a great season. I get it. Unlike the NFL, the NBA is not a cash cow for many teams, especially the smaller markets. This is a sport that financially has to get some kind of grip.
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Everything that has been said and thought about the NBA playoffs has been written. Here are a couple of final thoughts:
I'm not going to pile on Lebron and the Heat. He has never been picked up for any problems we are aware of. It does strike me as strange that he does not move without the ball or have any kind of post up game. He had an old Jason Kidd on him and refused to back him down and shoot a mid range turn around. Hopefully he works on this. Everyone says he chokes...another thing I am getting tired of hearing. We all wish we could choke as well if this is choking.
Speaking of chokers, it wasn't that long ago that that label was put on Dirk. He has shed the label as well. As for me and most of you, I think I speak for us all when I think "I wish I was good enough to just be the last man on the bench of an NBA team playing in the championship."