A "TEAM" that plays "BEAUTIFUL" and "UNSELFISH" basketball

Shout out to the San Antonio Spurs!!! Shout out to NBA Hall of Famer, Earvin "Magic Johnson for giving the Spurs crazy love on their team play. Shout out to coach Popovich too!

Watching them play is like watching poetry in motion, and yes the way the Spurs play is beautiful. Very. The Spurs play the game of basketball the way it was meant to be be played - together and unselfish. The have the best coach, the best point guard and a true legend in his own time, Tim Duncan. Manu Ginobliiii adds to the mold big time. The big three. Players are moving, players are passing the ball, and the ball is not even touching the ground is an amazing thing to see. 

I'm thinking back on how I coached my team's to play "unselfish basketball." I didn't like seeing my team play so selfishly and dribbling in one play, so I stop, the practice and told my team to start playing "unselfish", so I told my team no they'll be no dribbling is allowed. 

The looks on the faces where like, "coach, o_O at me, but I told my team, "your're playing selfish basketball, and standing around in one place dribbling the ball, and everyone is standing around watching you "trying" to do And 1 moves." We need to play team ball! The first couple of times my team didn't do so well, they dribbled the ball, so I said, "go back and try it again, you can do it, just try not to space too far from each other." It worked and I was watching the ball being without touching the court not one time. I was simply amazed at what I saw. My God. 

Lots of times during our games you would see the ball just flying up and down the court. I'd be yelling, "look up look up!" What a beautiful sight to see, I'd be amazed during and after games. After one of our games, a 60 year old man asked me, "how old are those kids?" I jokingly asked him did he want to see their birth certificates? I also mentioned to him that I prepared my team early on. 

I caught the little mishaps early and we fixed them, so by the time the season started my team was ready to play basketball. Why not give your all to your team. Your team will give their all, "unselfishly" with "sacrifice" too.

I didn't know what I was doing when I told them this, it was something that just came out of "instincts."  Life instincts roll over to basketball insticts of "unselfishness!" It's about WE not I. 

Watching this every game was amazing and my team went on to win a championship. I'm glad my son left me with his "unselfish team play!"

Good team play, RIP Point guard Chavis

Some similarities here between the Spurs and Rens, you think? (Haha) 

Remember this about the "Renaissance Rens?" "To this day, I have never seen a team play better team basketball. ... The way they handled and passed the ball was just amazing to me then, and I believe it would be today." 

-- John Wooden

Who were they? Remembering The Rens

NBA Honors Black Fives Era Pioneers

A SALUTE TO "TEAM BASKETBALL!" 

Pacers continue to have "inconsistencies" at getting the ball to their big man

Before the Pacers/Heat game last night I said to myself, "which Pacers team will show up tonight." Watching how "inconsistent" the Pacers have been in the last two series of getting the ball to their big man has been a problem. 

I think this starts in the huddle with Coach Vogel not telling his players to "consisently" pound the ball inside. I don't see this enough. If I have a true center I think I might want to immediately use his services by going directly to him. True point guards know exactly how to do this. They know the correct passes to throw into the post. I'd like to see more lobs to the basket where the big man can go and get it and finish strong. Throw some bounce passes into the post. Do whatever you have to do to get your big man the ball. 

This Pacer sometimes play "equal opportunity basketball." (Me & my turn)>>> 2007 Washington Post Sports article John Thompson Jr. once said, "It wasn't the time for equal opportunity basketball!" - John Thompson Jr. 

Below is Hibbert's shot chart. He made most of his shots in the paint and only missed two. 

Shot Chart for Roy Hibbert 

I remember Hill dribbling down the court to make a pass to David West in the right corner of the court, West then ...whoa wait...oh no he didn't ...smh...Roy wide open with his hands ready RIGHT UNDER THE BASKET and West throws a cross court zip pass right by Hibbert and I was like, "you've got to be kidding me did I just see this?!!?" Roy had his opponent sealed under the basket, and all West had to do was dip the pass in there for two. He didn't. George received the last pass and missed the ill advised jumpshot.

I think in the third quarter Hibbert may have had only one touch. 

I don't know what's going on, but the Pacers selfishness is causing "inconsistency" and losses which shouldn't happen. It's a total mismatch in the post, guard and teammates should whole heartedly and unselfishly change their mentalities to get their big man the ball at will. 

Let your center carry you, believe in him to the fullest, it's amazing how he believes in you as his teammates and thinks so highly of you, but do they think the same about him?

We know 90% percent of the game of hoops is mental, the other 10% is physical. 

RIP to my son. He was setting big men up in the post when he was a youth. I taught him at a very early age how to play the point guard position. His head was always up, saw the whole court, he knew his first pass was in the post or he'd attack and dish the ball. 

Chavis was a very unselfish player and could run a team. Check out his point guard skills from youth to high school.>>>Chavis Harris Highlights. 

Play basketball the right way can be a thing of beauty. Check out the new San Antonio Tribute video below narrated by Laker and NBA Hall of Famer, Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Hibbert, in 41 minutes, shot 5-9, 12 points, and 13 rebounds. He was also 2-2 from the line. He altered shots, and played good defense Now, what does this tell you? This tells me to give my big man the ball a lot more. Roy did most of this on his own, but yet and still he helped his teammates when they need him too but didn't/doesn't get the same respect on a consistent basis.   

A Salute to a true D.C. forgotten hoops legend

The Godfather Of Go-Go Chuck Brown one Bootney Green's favorites

I've read many articles, seen many video's of legendary player's from different cities and even in different countries. Some of the best player's get left out of those conversations. Normally, it's the player's of the past. After high school, I moved into the Washington D.C. area, from Baltimore. Baltimore, by the way was one of my stops along the way being a kid of military parents we lived in many places here in the states and overseas. Although I was born in Roswell, New Mexico, I've always admired basketball hoops wherever I ended up living. Bridgeport, Connecticut, Goldsboro & Dudley, North Carolina, Suitland, Maryland, D.C. & New York. One thing I love in the summertime was basketball hoops and of course outdoor summer concerts.

I wanted to focus my attention on a D.C. basketball legend who played in the famous Urban Coalition Summer League at Dunbar High School in the district. A back in the day hoopster that really never got his props for representing D.C. hoops especially during the mid 1980's. Those summer month's were as they say, "SICK" for D.C. summer basketball. Clarence "Bootney" Green (Spingarn/Cheyney) was one of the best to ever get it done in the Urban Coalition Summer League. 

We've heard about the legendary D.C. hoopsters such as: Curt Smith, Greg Jones, John Battle, D-Nice, Steve Francis, Pep Tyson, and many more, but why haven't we heard about one of the best to ever do it in the nation's capital. The best one to light it up consistently on a hot summer's day at the Urbo. People need to know how it was back in the day at the Urban Coalition. Dunbar High School was an amazing place to be in the summertime with so may high school, college and professional hoopsters from all over. Muggsy Bogues, Sam Cassell, Penny Hardaway, Sherman Douglas, Darryl Prue (former Gtown Ass't/WVU/DunbarDC, John Battle, Curt Smith, George Lynch, Hubert Davis to name a few Bootney with and against. Those were the days! 

When you see the names of the player's Bootney has play with or against in this famous D.C. historic summer league your mouth will drop to the floor. You will be in awe of this man they call "Bootney!" "LOOK AT HIS NUMBERS AGAINST SOME OF THE BEST TO EVER DO IT ON THE HARDWOOD" in the DMV. Numbers Don't Lie! Check out the newspaper clippings. Bootney mentioned to me he didn't know his mother had kept these sacred articles all of these years and he almost cried when his mom gave these articles of the past to him. "Ok Kent I didn't know my mom saved all this she said asked me do I still have my old clippings I said naw, she well I have something for u and gave me a folder full. I almost cried!!!! - Clarence "Bootney" Green  

  

Here's Bootney after one his games (yes, he's still hooping) with his old high school coach John Wood who still has an impact on his life today! "My high school coach John Wood came out to watch me play today, it's amazing how much he has touched my life and still is a big part of it. Just want to say thanks for everything u have done for me, glad ur still in my life love u coach!!!!"

Salute to Clarence "Bootney" Green!!!