Hi this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “.
The National Basketball Association season begins tonight with 2 games; Golden State at Brooklyn plus an all-LA battle as the Clippers go against the defending champion Lakers at the Staples Center.
The Toronto Raptors begin their regular season tomorrow night at ” home ” in Tampa Bay when they host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Amalie Arena.
The push by the NBA to launch the season before Christmas in order to cash in on big TV money is officially underway.
It will be interesting to see after a post season conducted in a bubble at Orlando, Florida if the players are able to stay as safe and as healthy operating outside of a bubble.
The games are big news today. Last week the big news was Giannis Antetokounmpo signing a 5 year extension with the Milwaukee Bucks for $ 228 million dollars.
That’s a lot of bucks for the Buck, but unlike many other pro sports signings, this one didn’t make me flinch.
To begin with, how can you not be impressed with the back to back Most Valuable Player in a league that’s star driven. In a nutshell, he was the biggest star among big stars for 2 straight years.
But beyond his on court ability, my opinion of Antetokounmpo, a.k.a. ” The Greek Freak “, was heightened by the way in which he conducted himself in these negotiations
For most of the last two season when asked about his pending future with the Bucks, the response was virtual silence.
He did explain at one point that talking about free agency in the future would be disrespectful towards his present teammates and the Bucks organization as a whole.
Yes, there was some sensationalism as the signing saga rolled on, but in the end, Antetokounmpo went with loyalty to the only NBA organization he’s ever played for, maybe the only organization he ever wants to play for.
In this day and age in pro sports, especially in basketball, that’s refreshing.
I’m Fred Wallace