Mavs Monday Donuts: 'Hot Spots,' 'FinDog' And Cooking Curry
DONUT 1: A MAJOR SETBACK?
In what is seen by many as a setback regarding the resumption of play in the NBA, the Chinese government recently issued an order delaying the restart of the Chinese Basketball Association, all, of course, in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
We've written in this space often about the power of optimism, about the importance of normalcy and about our collective love of the game. But - and maybe this is just my mood at the moment - my willingness to care about the quick return of the NBA is eroding.
The White House is talking about America sustaining "only'' 200,000 coronavirus deaths - and about what a success that will be. Ignoramuses are still everywhere on Facebook insisting that since "only'' a handful of Texans have died, we're not a "hotspot'' and should be granted our "freedom'' to work and play.
If we "only'' suffer 200,000 deaths, that will be twice the number of Americans who died in World War I. If we don't stop it soon enough, 200,000 figures to become 400,000 - the number of Americans who died in World War II.
I want my NBA back. But I want us, all of us, to get on the same page when it comes to priorities.
DONUT 2: HOME WORKOUTS
Stephen Curry and his brother Seth Curry (of the Dallas Mavericks) talk about "workin' out'' ...
See? The Stars Are Just Like The Rest of Us!
DONUT 3: THE WORLD WILL GO ON
At some point (I think), the world will go on. Basketball will go on. Games will be won and lost. People will be hired and fired.
And maybe ... FinDog will take over the Chicago Bulls?
"Michael Finley would be amazing in that role,'' Mavs owner Mark Cuban tells DallasBasketball.com. "Fin has had a huge impact on the Mavs. ... Amazing.''
It's a story you can only get on DBcom. Read it here.
DONUT 4: THE LAST ONE
Nuggets at Mavs. That was the last one. ESPN did the game, and there is behind-the-scenes stuff about the preparation and the unfolding of the night worthy of examination. That examination is here.
DONUT 5: A LETTER FROM THE FRONT LINE
In our recent "Whitt's End,'' Richie Whitt published a note from a friend who is a nurse at a Dallas hospital, and very much on the front line of the COVID-19 fight. The note - an Open Letter to Us, really, written beautifully and horrifyingly - is about what it's really line on the battlefield.
Read this excerpt:
I read notes from the infectious disease fellow and they have no proven treatment that can stop this. Stuff I’ve read and heard in the news is not the truth.
What I do know: I’ll be reusing disposable equipment, that is being shared between different health care providers.
One very seasoned nurse is standing next to me, “look at the patients, they are dressed in space suits and we have only coffee filters tied to our faces.” Yes we are essential, but disposable.
Read the rest of "Whitt's End'' here.
DONUT 6: LUKA'S APOLOGY
It appears Mavs star Luka Doncic retweeted something that he thought was innocuous ... when in fact it included some racial/ethnic ravings. Luka, of course, had no idea about the latter and has apologized.
And we move on ...
DONUT 7: OR ...
Michael Jordan on a basketball court is "greatness'' in every single way. But in college? He was no Kareem.
I guess this was some SportsCenter thing. A survey. People voted. And they picked Jordan as the Greatest College Basketball Player of All-Time.
Who did this?
Jordan was brilliant at North Carolina. He won national player of the year honors once, among other things.
But Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? In his first varsity game at UCLA he scored 56 points. His record there was 88-2. In his three seasons he won three national titles. ... and in each of those tournaments he was named Most Outstanding Player.
Jordan is in a competition for Best Mere Mortal College Player.
But Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? There was nobody close.
Which is why Kareem's tweet is so perfect.
DONUT 8: QUOTABLE
Our - Richie Whitt.
DONUT 9: PEOPLE DO LOVE LISTS, PART I
It's called, "Ranking the Best NBA Players On TikTok.'' OK.
DONUT 10: PEOPLE DO LOVE LISTS, PART I
It's called, "The Top 5 Miami Heat of All-Time.''
OK.
DONUT 11: WHAT'S ON TAP?
Not a damn thing.
DONUT 12: THE FINAL WORD
"I don’t know the date and it won’t happen until we can be absolutely certain everybody can be safe. It’s safety first, no ifs ands or buts about it. I’ve been optimistic it could happen before the start of June, but who knows now? So we listen to the scientists.” - Mark Cuban.
