Charlotte
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Charlotte GM/head coach Bernie Bickerstaff is doing some bickering about some Olympic stuff. He wants the Olympic head coach to have more say in the selection of the team and for the team to be named earlier. He also says America needs a complete overhaul in teenage basketball education, with more of a focus on fundamentals. He doesn't specify how that should be done. Not to worry! I fill in the details. The answer, my friends, is Basketball University. Read all about it in today's NEWS@ Southeast report.
Bickerstaff points out that high school and college coaches are limited by various rules in their interactions with players during the offseason, and that the AAU system is a star-driven system where coaches pander to the team's biggest prospect. Instead, he wants to see youngsters learning fundamentals under a consistent philosophy throughout their careers.
He is right that there needs to be a better solution. He is wrong that it needs to be a consistent philosophy.
What is really needed is an entire educational and participatory system where young players can learn from the best. It doesn't need to be a consistent philosophy: it just needs to be the best. Players should be able to benefit from the wisdom both of someone like Patrick Ewing and someone like Michael Adams. Learn both the defensive prowess of a Michael Cooper and the spot-up three-point shooting of a Craig Hodges.
Aiming for a consistent philosophy is the wrong thing to do.
The right thing to do is to start a franchise of Basketball Universities. Each one has multiple basketball courts and is open 24 hours for unsupervised access to members even into the middle of the night. Parents can bring their kids to shoot around or practice passing, rebounding, or defensive drills. Each University has a library with books and videos. Former and current players occasionally attend to give lectures to packed gyms, and then can choose to participate in some kind of game of their choice. Courses are offered on a semester basis, with lessons meeting at regularly scheduled times as the coaches lead the players through various fundamentals. Competition, of course, abounds.
You can read more about it in my November 6, 2003 proposal here. Interested in starting one of the first Basketball University franchises? Email me atpmaymin@uhoops.com.
TEAM NOTES
Vote Emeka Okafor in 2004. Check out Charlotte's new webpage at okaforin04.com: Join the Okafor in '04 campaign today and watch this champion and patriot lead his franchise forward. He's a born leader A tireless worker. And he is the people's choice!
Sign up herefor the free, official email newsletter of the Bobcats.
John Delong ofThe Winston-Salem Journalwrites: Perhaps the best answer comes from Bernie Bickerstaff, the head coach and general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats. Bickerstaff suggests two major changes, one involving specific selection of the Olympics team, another dealing more in general with the teaching and development of our young players in the United States.Bickerstaff's micro solution is to give the head coach more powers in the selection of the team, and to name the team earlier. This Olympics team was put together largely by Russ Granik, the NBA's deputy commissioner, and as players dropped off and were replaced, the roster clearly got out of whack. The final roster wasn't announced until July 8... Bickerstaff's macro solution is perhaps even more significant. He said the United States needs a complete overhaul in the way youngsters are taught the game and developed. That means putting more emphasis on teaching fundamentals at an early age, then following with a consistent philosophy at each level.
Scott Fowler ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: Marbury said he had found an open gym and worked on his shot for 90 minutes alone on a recent day off, and that obviously helped. Allen Iverson added 16 points for the United States and Carlos Boozer had 12. Tim Duncan, in foul trouble early and playing oddly passively late, scored nine. The Charlotte Bobcats' Emeka Okafor kept his warm-ups on the entire game.The U.S. players seem confident they will win two more games and take the gold medal.
OurSportsCentral.com writes: On Sunday, Aug. 22nd during the 1st game of a doubleheader, the Knights took the field in the newly unveiled jerseys of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.Fans were able to participate in a silent auction for the jerseys, with all proceeds going to the Bobcats Charitable Foundation. Bobcats’ Coach/General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff was on hand to throw out the first pitch of the game, and the Bobcats’ new mascot, Rufus Lynx, was also in attendance.