NBA Notebook: The Shot That Was... Or Wasn't

11/22/2014

"I promise I won't be as bad as that Goodell guy in handling these new cases."

Ryan Fox

Last Thursday, November 13, the Memphis Grizzlies were down to their last prayer against the Sacramento Kings 110-109. With less than 0.03 seconds, G Vince Carter inbound the ball to teammate SG Courtney Lee, who got off the winning shot in the paint for a miraculous 111-110 victory. Everybody said that was in jubilation on the Grizzlies while the Kings were stunned. It seemed like that game would go down as an NBA classic…or so it seemed.

After looking at the replays, many Sacramento Kings officials believed they found something that the referees and the NBA missed. On the inbound pass, it looked like that the ball had touched a Grizzlies player before Lee caught it to make the game-winning shot. By rule, the clock would had started at that point in time and would have run out before the Grizzlies could get off one final shot.

From that time, the Kings sent a letter to the NBA to protest the decision, saying the basket should not have counted. Under the current NBA Constitution, the Kings are allowed to make a protest to have the call reverse. At the same time and under the same rules, the Memphis Grizzlies can make a counterargument saying the basket should be allowed to stay. However both sides need to present enough evidence to prove 100% beyond a doubt that their argument is correct.

The NBA announced on Monday, November 17, that hearing will take place on December 2.

Adam Silver’s Headache

For the most part, it seemed like the focus was how NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handled both the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases. Everybody was pitching their two cents into the matter, criticizing NFL’s domestic and child abuse policies. But during this past week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver might be on the phone for some advice.

On Tuesday, the news came out that Cobb County police in Georgia were re-opening an old investigations involving allegations of child abuse against All-Star Houston Rockets Center Dwight Howard. The investigation stems from an original investigation earlier in the summer in Florida where Howard was accused of hitting his child with a belt buckle. However there was no evidence to support the claim, but the Cobb County Police obtained new information to renew interest in the case.

If that wasn’t enough, you have the case of Charlotte Hornets G/F Jeremy Taylor. Last month, Taylor pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence assault (for violently shoving a woman onto the ground) and malicious destruction of hotel property. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation and must complete 26 weeks in a domestic violence intervention program. He was originally suspended 11 games without but then on Wednesday, Silver added an additional 13 games to Taylor’s suspension to bring the total to 24 games. However the NBA Player Association released a statement the following Thursday, essentially accusing Silver of violating the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement and that the suspension was without precedent and excessive.

Now if Adam Silver was smart, he would have paid attention to what was happening in the NFL with similar cases and see what not to do. However unlike Goodell, Silver might have to deal with the NBAPA in regards of the Jeremy Taylor case, which could bring a whole new element and headaches into the matter.

Jason Collins Retires

This past Wednesday, there was a big retirement in the NBA. After playing in the NBA for 13 years, F/C Jason Collins decided it was time to hang up the sneakers. This time, there was no comeback in the works.

However his stats will not get him a bust into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Collins’ career numbers are as followed: in 13 years, Collins played in 735 games, 477 games started, averaged 20.4 minutes per game, a career .411 shooting in field goal, .647 in free throws, averaged 3.6 points per game, and had 3.7 rebounds per game. He was not voted to any NBA All-Team nor All-Star Teams. Collins was originally drafted by the New Jersey Nets back in 2001 and played with 5 other teams before returning to the Brooklyn Nets in 2014, where he finished his career there.

But what will get him a place in the HoF was what he did. On May 6, 2013, Jason Collins openly admitted he was a homosexual. Then on Feburary 23, 2014 he signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets to become the first openly homosexual athlete to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues. Soon afterwards you had the likes of football players Michael Sam and collegiate basketball player Derrick Gordon of University of Massachusetts coming out and openingly say they were homosexual.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Jason Collins spoke about his retirement. He said, quote, “After last season, especially over the summer, my body was talking to me like it does to all professional athletes after a certain while. It's a young man's game and Father Time is undefeated. Got another one.” He may just be another player on the court but off the court, Collins was a pioneer and an inspiration for the next generations of athletes.

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