February 8, 2012

Coin Flip to Lottery: Did the Rockets Tank to Get Olajuwon?

"They were losing on purpose. It was a business decision" Frank Layden, the former Utah coach, reporting what an anonymous Houston Rockets' executive told him first hand. And why wouldn't they, well besides integrity and respect for the game, when at worst they would get Jordan or Olajuwon. In those days the two teams with the worst record would literally flip a coin to decide the 1 & 2 draft positions. With that system, tanking games was an effective and almost guaranteed option to land … [Read more...]

The 1984 NBA Draft: How It Changed Basketball Forever

Ever wonder who exactly made the decision to draft Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton? And what the hell they were thinking? Or how Houston managed to get the #1 pick in the 1984 draft after having the first pick and drafting Ralph Sampson (21ppg 11rpg 2.4bpg his rookie season) the year before? Sixers fans, ever wonder if we had a real chance to get MJ? How about why Barkley said "Oh, fuck" when he heard Commissioner Stern announce that Philadelphia had … [Read more...]