Category: Local News

News and updates on players, coaches and more from Grand Rapids, MI #BeerCityUSA

30 Years Later, Part 8: Jerry Sichting

Jerry Sichting was a scrappy 6-1, 190 pound guard from Martinsville, IN who excelled in three sports in high school, including   quarterbacking his team to a 14-0 record in 1974. He played at Purdue alongside Joe Berry Carroll.

He was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 4th round of the 1979 NBA Draft but never played for them. He started the season with the Indiana Pacers and spent five season in his home state before being traded to the Boston Celtics before the 1985-86 season. Sichting became a fan favorite and a scrappy defender, even getting into a donnybrook with Ralph Sampson in Game 5 of the NBA Finals before winning his Championship ring in ’86. He would later play for the TrailBlazers, Hornets and Bucks before retiring in 1990. Sichting later made his way to the broadcast booth with the Celtics.

His coaching career is mostly as an assistant with the Timberwolves, Warriors and Wizards and currently in Phoenix. He had other stints at Marquette and Martinsville High School.

30 Years Later, Part 7: Robert Parish

“The Chief” was the oldest of the Big Three, he played the most games and you won’t find any of his collegiate statistics in an NCAA record book. Robert Parish came out of Centenary College in 1975 and was drafted by three different basketball teams in three different leagues but chose to sign with the recent NBA Champions Golden State Warriors, who were already in a  bit of a decline. His college stats are unknown because of a NCAA rule named the 1.6 rule, which is like trying to get credit from ITT Tech to transfer to Stanford.

In 1980, Red Auerbach traded 2 first-round picks, including the #1 overall included to Golden State for the #3 overall(McHale) and Parish. And so began The Big Three Era.

Parish played in an NBA record 1161 games and is the oldest player to win an NBA title(as of 2015) and 3rd oldest ever to play an NBA game.

The Chief is a consultant to the Celtics organization and is a mentor and coach for the Boston big men.

30 Years Later, Part 6: Kevin McHale

Kevin McHale may be the best power forward to play the game before we saw Tim Duncan take the floor. McHale, the 6-10 power forward voted the #1 player in the University of Minnesota’s 100-years of basketball, was drafted third overall by the Celtics in 1980.

After playing his rookie year coming off the bench behind Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and helped Boston win the 1981 NBA Finals. McHale was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year following the ’84 & ’85 campaigns and would also win titles with the Celtics in 1984 and 1986. Named to the All-NBA First Team in 1987, the 7-time All-Star, was also a 3-time All-Defense First Team winner. McHale’s #32 is hang in in the rafters at the TD Garden, while his #44 Golden gophers jersey is retired by Minnesota.

McHale took over the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004-05 for 31 games, leading them to a 19-12 record. In 2008 he took the reigns again, this time for 63 games amid a 20-43 record. In 2011, the Houston Rockets hired McHale and he’s helped them progress to a Championship caliber unit, losing in the Conference Finals this past year.

You can look forward to another uptempo, chaotic brand of basketball in Houston this year as the roster has been updated and the quality of talent has been upgraded with the addition of Ty Lawson at the point.

30 Years Later, Part 5: Greg Kite

When the Boston Celtics selected Greg Kite in the 1st Round of the 1983 NBA Draft out of Brigham Young University, the 6’11” center was coming off a 4-year career in which he averaged 6.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Lucky enough to spend time on the court with HOF inductees Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson, Kite won NBA Titles with the Celtics in 1984 & 1986. He was part of the inaugural season of the expansion Charlotte Hornets in 1988-89 and later played for the Orlando Magic, starting in their second season of 1990-91. Kite played for 7 teams and retired in 1995.

 

30 Years Later, Part 4: Dennis Johnson

Straight Outta Compton to the Hall of Fame

Dennis Johnson wasn’t going to the NBA. Hell, he wasn’t even going to play in college.

Coach Jim White asked DJ to come play at LA Harbor College, a 2-year college which lead him to Pepperdine University where he developed into a tough defender with huge leaping ability. Drafted 29th by Seattle in  1976, he played for legends Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkens. Helping the Sonics win the 1979 NBA Title, DJ was named Finals MVP.  Traded to Phoenix after the 1980 season, Johnson changed his game from a scoring 2-guard to an all-out scoring machine. When   Phoenix traded him to Boston following the 1983 campaign, DJ changed his game again, becoming a pass-first point guard. The Celtics won titles in 1984 & 1986 before Johnson retired after the 1990 season.  The Celtics retired Johnson’s #3 in December of 1991.

Johnson passed away in 2007.

His nephew, Nick, was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 2nd round of the 2014 draft. The Rockets recently traded Johnson to the Denver Nuggets as part of a deal for Ty Lawson.

 

30 years later, Pt. 3: Rick Carlisle

Considering those of us here in Michigan have our own fine opinion of Rick Carlisle and the job he did in the Motor City, I’ll do my best to be the Celtics homer I am to describe what possibilities this ‘86 Celtic has in the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season.

Born and raised in New York state, Carlisle attended Lisbon HS before finding his way to the University of Virginia to play alongside the likes of Ralph Sampson and Olden Polynice. Drafted in the 3rd round at number 70 overall by the Celtics, he played 3 years in Boston, playing in 3 NBA Finals, before spending a season each in New York and New Jersey. After only 5 games in New Jersey playing for Bill Fitch, Carlisle was waived by the Nets before coach asked him on the same call to add him to the coaching staff. Thus, his coaching career began. Later, he be called upon by Celtic teammate Larry Bird to be an assistant in Indiana with the Pacers.

After a long run of Eastern Conference Finals appearances with the Pistons, he was being tossed to the side in favor of the original coaching maverick, Larry Brown. Carlisle soon found his footing and again made a new home office in the vicinity of fellow Celtic and Pacers GM Bird. Friends from their time in Celtic green, Carlisle was an easy choice for Bird after his success with the Pistons. When Carlisle eventually took Dirk Nowitzki and a ragtag team of Mark Cuban’s Mavericks to an NBA Finals win, it was the icing on the cake and the notch needed to make writers and historians realize his true greatness as a coach.

After a year in which Dallas had the top offense in the League before making a franchise and team chemistry alteration in adding former Celtics mercurial point guard Rajon Rondo to the mix, the Mavericks are rife with salary-cap room and the ability to choose their direction for the future with only Dirk, Chandler Parsons, Devin Harris and Gal Mekel on the books for under $30M and Monte Ellis($9M) and Raymond Felton($4.5M) holding player options for next year. With an expected salary cap of over $67M, the Mavericks are in position to chase marquee free-agent, LaMarcus Aldridge, who is from Texas, as well as Kevin Love and others.

If the Mavericks are able to move a couple pieces and sign a higher-tier free agent, I expect them back in the Playoffs in the deep Western Conference. But barring a major free-agent signing or a spectacularly unexpected trade, the Mavericks will not be making the move back to the NBA Finals next year.

(photo credit: nbae getty images)

30 years later, part 2: Larry Bird

How easy is it to figure out this story? The greatest shooter of all-time ends up in the front office back in his home state, loses his best player for a year due to a freak injury during Olympic training and then his team fights their way to a deciding playoff/lottery game in the season’s final day.

We all know what Larry Legend did for the Celtics back in the ‘80s, but what he’s got going into next year for the Pacers is a force to be reckoned with. After losing almost a full season to a horrific (at least, on video) injury to his leg, Paul George returns to an Indiana Pacers team that nearly made the Playoffs this year despite numerous setbacks. With key figures like David West, George Hill and the new cast of role players returning as well, Frank Vogel looks to have a roster that can get him back to the Playoffs and quite possibly contend for an Eastern Conference title. A late-lottery pick and an expiring contract could be the bait the Bird needs to capture(trade for) another prized star, possibly Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge. The key will be health, as it has been for years in this league. Another factor may be the possible movement of Roy Hibbert, Luis Scola or one of the many “unknown” guards.

I look for the Pacers to make a staunch comeback in the 2015-16 season and end up in the Top 5 in the East. With a couple moves here and there, the Legend could once again have this team in the NBA Finals.

30 years later, Part 1: Danny Ainge

Gritty, reliable hustler. It showed back in ‘86 and it’s shown in his undeniable need to make the next big move, acquiring players, contracts and draft picks that are both desirable and talented, as well as being able to liquidate assets if necessary. We saw that this year with the acquisition of Brandon Wright in the Rajon Rondo deal, moving him to Phoenix when the opportunity to add one of the most desired player contracts in the league arose in lightning bug Isaiah Thomas.

2015: Boston owns both their 1st round pick and the Clippers pick(Doc Rivers), as well as their own and the 76ers’ 2nd round pick.

2016: Boston owns their pick, the Nets’ 1st round pick(Pierce/Garnett), the Mavericks’ 1st round pick(protected 1-7 until 2021) and the Timberwolves 1st round pick(protected 1-12, or becomes 2nd rd. picks in 2016 & 2017).2nd round picks from Cleveland, Dallas, Miami and Philadelphia are also on the board of possibilities. Boston will lose its’ 2nd round pick to either Memphis or Utah in 2016.

2017: Boston has the right to swap picks with Brooklyn(Pierce/Garnett), but would convey its’ own 2nd round pick(protected 31-45 or extinguished). Boston owns 2nd round picks from Cleveland and the Clippers, as well as their own.
Although draft picks aren’t the asset they once were, think 1992(Shaq, ‘Zo, Laettner, Sprewell) & 2003(LeBron, Carmelo, Bosh, DWade), they can be the “raise the bet” to get a deal done(see Brandon Knight to Phoenix). When players like have to decide where to sign next year, the ability to complete a sign-and-trade, though more difficult than in past NBA off seasons, can be the edge needed to get a top or 2nd tier player to build a franchise around. Ainge has the assets, the financial freedom and the cigars to get the Green back to the Finals.

 

LeBron: Winning one for good-bye?

Can a title allow LeBron to ask The Question?

With the enormous crowds tuning in to watch LeBron James in the NBA Finals, one has to wonder whether or not this may be the last time we’ll see him in Cleveland, again.

After trying for years to lead Cleveland to the promised land of NBA Champions, James took to the airwaves to make The Decision, a mis-guided attempt to raise some money for the local Boys & Girls Club in New England where the event was aired live and the King made the ultimate choice to “take my talents to South Beach.”

Cleveland was devastated and heart-broken as their local hero had somehow turned his back on a city, if only by trying to find the way to an NBA title and grow as a person, player and brand. James went to four straight NBA Finals, winning the middle two, and now has “come home” to Cleveland to lead the Cavaliers to the promised land he himself had to learn how to find by going to Miami. With the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals and on the verge of taking a 2-1 lead with a Game 4 at home and the opponents nearing the cracking point even though they’d won 67 regular season games, I think we may be seeing the last of LeBron in Cleveland for the second time in his career.

If James can lead the rag-tag bunch of junkyard dogs to an NBA title without their second and third-best players, All-Stars Kyrie Irving(kneecap) and Kevin Love(shoulder), he has accomplished what he’s gone there to do, which is bring the first major league title to Cleveland since 1964. Is that enough for the King to make the move into free-agency and ask the Cleveland fan base, “Can I go to Hollywood, sign with the Lakers and be America’s cross-over superstar?”

Although Cleveland’s initial shock and disappointment of losing him again will be drastic, the long-lasting effects of allowing and, in fact, pushing your local-star, mega-talent out the door and into the spotlight that he deserves if that is the path he and his family would so choose. Jumping into the movie business is something that we’ve already seen him do with the release of the Trainwreck trailer during the Finals. He’s personable and friendly, his smile allows fans to believe him. His ability to perform in the clutch transfers to the ultimate spotlight of the Showtime gold. Stars flock to stars and James being in LA would be great for the league, even though they’re doing fine with stars in small- to medium-size markets. If he can win with these current Cavaliers playing in the Finals, he can win with anyone. Let’s get him that challenge back and get him out West for a couple years. Being added to headline at Point Forward with Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle and projected pick Jahlil Okafor, the Lakers could focus their free-agent needs on lengthy defenders and 3-point shooters with ball handling skills. (Kobe has 1 year left, he can tie Mike with 6 rings. Don’t be so sure he wouldn’t jump on board.)

But, why does the Cleveland fan have to take all the pain? Why would they say “go to LA”? What could possibly stop the animosity that occurred last time he left? The King is theirs, he always will be. See Jim Brown & Rock n’ Roll. He would have given them their first major title in 51 years. I also believe, no matter what the situation, that LeBron will someday buy the Cavaliers from Dan Gilbert, more likely sooner than later. They’ve dealt with the Drive, the Fumble, the Decision and the Manziel fiasco, but even this Celtics’ fan says let’s help the ‘Mistake by the Lake’ save the ‘More Flames for James’ t-shirts and accept the fact that the best player ever should be in the spotlights of Hollywood.

Let’s hope that once the Cavaliers raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, it’s Showtime!

It’s About Basketball

As it has been quite some time since I have picked up the pen (so to speak), I thought it was time to dust off the keyboard of reminiscing and dreams and plunk out of few lines of what I might call wisdom, others may see it as ramblings of an almost septuagenarian. The beginning of my page work started the day I had to send an old friend to the happy hunting ground. A sad day indeed for me, strange in a way, because I really never had a place in my heart for the old stray that showed up one afternoon. After I did the so-called deed and put her to rest I sat at my desk punching out prose thru tear filled eyes. Maybe I liked her a bit more than I thought. Better times behind us both, better place for her and a hole in my heart for a while, I guess maybe even to this day just shy of nine years later. So, as I move on here I thought I might write a bit again, fill in the space between those must chores on the “Honey do” list and my time with my current hound and my love of music, although I cannot sit and listen to anything while I write.

I thought I might go back to about the fall of 1993 I was a reasonably newly licensed pilot and thought I would have an adventure with the boys, one my own son, the other out pseudo adopted “red-headed step child”. Refresh me a bit here, but as I recall, I called down to Pontiac to where the Pistons played and managed to score three tickets, not really even in the nosebleed seats but then again not quite court-side either. I called the local holiday Inn the old way, by telephone; that for me was a bit before my knowing how to just scoop up a room on the internet, and got us a place to stay overnight. I reserved a nice Cessna 172 from our local airport and told them it would be for an overnight cross country to return the next day after lunch about a 24 hour rental.

Even though the plane had been fueled up prior to our arrival I did a thorough preflight check, visually checked the fuel for water amount and pulled the dipstick for the oil level. Good to go I started up and warmed the engine. The instruments looked right so I turned the weather on the radio and taxied east to the numbers. After running the engine up and checking both magnetos I visually cleared both directions, announced our intentions on the radio, pulled on to runway 28 (280 degrees on the compass, almost due east and west) which is 75 feet wide and paved with asphalt and powered up for takeoff. The cool weather and light load, just me and my son was no work for the 150 horsepower Lycoming engine and we gained altitude quickly. Turning south at 800 feet above ground level we headed south to the big airport to pickup our other passenger.

About 20 minutes later we checked in with the tower at Grand Rapids and were given clearance to land and taxi to the local fixed base operator. I called the tower ground control for taxiway clearance and we headed out to the big runway among the commuter planes and big passenger jets and us So here we are, running with the big dogs, the three of us in the four seat little Cessna, what a treat. I wonder who was more excited, the so called “Pilot in Command” (that would be me) of the two passengers on their way to a Pistons game in their private airplane.

The flight to Pontiac at about 120 miles per hour was basically uneventful, scudding clouds with snow squalls falling from them were occasional flown around at the discretion of the pilot as we were in uncontrolled airspace for most of the trip.. As we checked in the Pontiac tower we were assigned the left runway landing toward West at the same time a twin business plane was landing in the same direction on the right runway next to us. Yeah, we’re big time now. “Passengers, this is the Captain speaking; Please secure you drinks and put your seat belts on ding, ding, ding.”

We taxied per the instructions of the tower and tied the plane down in the required area and secured it for the night.

As we ordered a bite to eat at the airport restaurant (certainly not the best food) the snow started to come down wet and heavy. We ordered a cab and it seemed to take forever to get to the Holiday Inn but the bill was not too bad so I think he was just going slowly and being careful considering the weather. After we checked into the hotel and got cleaned up a bit we ordered another cab and headed for the Stadium. As I recall the place was not full but almost and there were some great players to watch.

(GSCeltic can add a paragraph or two here about the game and who was there because I can’t remember. And whether on not the Pistons won.)
11/14/1992: Pacers 104 @ Pistons 100; Detlef Schrempf 26 pts, 11 rebs.
We took another cab back to the hotel and hit the tv for a while. I checked the weather for the following day and the storm would subside and clear sun and sky’s were predicted by about 10am. Good, I can sleep in.

We got up and had breakfast in the hotel and found the place was packed with a large group of kids all dressed up and in makeup. It was some kind of a modeling and talent competition and fretful parents who seemed to be living vicariously through their children hoping for a win that day. Seemed a bit strange, but whatever makes one happy as long at doesn’t affect me is pretty much all right with me.

This is beginning to sound like “On the road again.” (Play it Willie) Back in the cab and onto the airport we found the plane encrusted in ice but thankfully the sun as shining quite brightly and it would not be too long before it thawed. We headed back to the airport restaurant and ordered second breakfast, (just like the hobbits) and had some more coffee. I knew I would pay for it on the flight home where the only bathroom is the one at any airport you take the time to land at.

As we left and gained altitude we began to see orange dots all over the Michigan countryside. It took me just a moment to realize it was opening day of firearm deer season and the orange army had hit the woods. It was very cool seeing all the hunters sitting along side fields and in woodlots enjoying the rite of passage into the winter season and hoping for that big rack buck to stroll lackadaisically into their sites and become something of bragging rights around the fireside chats during the long cold and snowy winter.

Sometime after lunch we landed at the clean but wet runway in Greenville, Michigan and were picked up by my bride in our ride and headed home.

I recall being a bit worn out, wallet somewhat empty but my passengers just chatted away about this play and that play. There is really no price you can put on that.

Since I am writing this for a blog of an acquaintance and it is sports oriented I thought I might just talk about the subject at hand which is hoops.. What do ya think? Was it about basketball?

 

Chatton MacLaren is a retired builder who writes short stories and vignettes as a hobby. His other interests are outdoor sports, mostly involving water and woods and playing acoustic stringed instruments music. He and his wife of 25 years and their dogs live in the woods and waters area of Mid-Michigan.