Gold Coast Blaze lose to Melbourne Tigers

After coming from behind at home to beat the Melbourne Tigers earlier in the month, unfortunately the Gold Coast Blaze couldn't do the same thing on the road last night.

I was out at trivia last night (which we won for the first time ever!) and since I don't have Fox, I didn't get to see the game.

Checking out the boxscore, here are my thoughts:

• The big 3 (Harvey, Ubaka & Maxey) all delivered, scoring more than 75% of the team's points
• They got virtually nothing from Goulding and Vanderjagt
• Mika Vukona had 6 turnovers but only 2 points 2 boards. The Tigers had just 6 turnovers for the entire game.
• Tigers dominated the paint outscoring the Blaze inside 52 - 30
• Tigers were led by youngster Daniel Johnson with 20 points, 6 boards
• Tigers had a balanced scoring attack with 4 players scoring 15 points or more
• Melbourne hit a very tidy 16 of 18 from the line

The Gold Coast Blaze really need to start getting some wins on the road if they're going to work their way up the NBL ladder.

Tim Hardaway honoured by the Heat

It may have been the second night of the new NBA season but for me the night was about one thing only ... Tim Hardaway getting his jersey retired by the Miami Heat. He may have got in trouble over recent years for "those comments" but he has been and always will be one of my favourite players.

I was heart broken when I was first in the US (almost 15 years ago) and saw a couple of Golden State Warriors' games and Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin were coming off the bench under Rick Adelman. When he was traded to Miami I hoped it would give his career a second win and indeed it. Timmy was back to his best and teaming up with Alonzo Mourning they wreaked havoc in the east, especially the New York Knicks. Fittingly his jersey was retired tonight before the Heat played the Knicks.

Here's the official report about the ceremony from NBA.com. Click on the title to read the whole story and see an interview with Tim himself from after the event (for some reason it wouldn't embed on the blog).

NBA.com: Hardaway's No. 10 retired by Heat
MIAMI (AP) -- Saying he was 'overwhelmed,' Tim Hardaway beamed Wednesday night as he watched his No. 10 jersey raised to the rafters by the Miami Heat, never to be worn again. With about 50 family and friends looking on, including the other two parts of the famed 'Run TMC' trio -- Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin -- that he first captured NBA acclaim with, Hardaway's oversized jersey was hoisted skyward before Miami opened its season against the New York Knicks. 'Tonight, I stand before you truly humble and grateful,' Hardaway said. Hardaway had hugs for everybody -- players, coaches, even referee Joe Crawford, no small feat considering how much the player loved to clash with officials during his playing days. Before he came to Miami, only three other players had worn No. 10: Kelvin Upshaw, Clinton Wheeler and Manute Bol. No one had since Hardaway left the Heat in 2001.


Here's a good story about Tim from the Miami Herald. Click on the title below to read the full story.

Former Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway's honor arrives - Miami Heat - MiamiHerald.com

Tim Hardaway's career wasn't defined here, but it was completed here. His signature move wasn't developed here, but it was shown off a few times here. His courage wasn't discovered here, but he was at his most courageous here. The legacy of Tim Hardaway was a cross-country creation that started on the South Side of Chicago, continued south in Texas, moved west to California and settled here in Miami. This wasn't Hardaway's last stop, just his most significant. So it's here that the legacy was fortunate enough to be celebrated with Wednesday's jersey retirement ceremony. Fortunate because Hardaway is simply one of the most unique, special players in the history of basketball.

John Rillie update

Came across this article on Twitter earlier today. If you haven't heard what John Rillie is up to since he's not in the NBL this season, check it out below (click on the title to read the full story). I heard about this business earlier in the year and wish JR all the best with it.

While the article says that John is focussing on the future, he hasn't officially retired ... so I don't think he's completely ruled out playing again, should the right opportunity present itself. Stay tuned

Rillie focused on future

Former National Basketball League star and consecutive games record holder, John Rillie, has returned to the sport but in a new capacity. The 2004 Olympian is a part owner of BrevAlto Management, a new company specialising in sports and player management.

Apart from his NBL and Olympic experience, John also played ball for Gonzaga in the US college system and for powerhouse club AEK Athens BC. Rillie intends to use his broad experience and extensive contacts to assist both junior and senior players in maximising their potential nationally and internationally, including at NBA and WNBA levels.

Whilst basketball is clearly his area of expertise, Rillie and his fellow directors will also be utilising their broad expertise to assist athletes in sports other than basketball.

The transition from player to ‘manager’ is a natural progression for the self confessed basketball junkie.

Green with envy

Its now less than two days until the NBA season kicks off and I for one can't wait.

However, I'm green with envy as a couple of my friends (JVG, Nick & Keith) are at the season opener between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. That's right, live at Quickens Loan Arena ... KG, Ray Allen & Paul Pierce vs Shaq & LeBron!

I've been a Boston Celtics fan since the late 80's and despite being "only" the first game of the season, this is truly a marquee matchup. I saw the Celtics play back in their dark years in the late 90's and its been way too many years since I've been to the US. Hence my (Celtic) green with envy comment ...

Basketball shooting legend - Oscar Schmidt

I came across this article on Bounce Magazine and had to give it love by sharing it here.

Oscar Schmidt made our list of the top ten all-time greatest shooters but wouldn't be known by that many people, especially the younger readers. Read (click on the title below to read the full story), learn and make sure to watch the video clips. The man was a legend ...

The Semi-Automatic: Oscar Schmidt | Streetball, Sneakers, Bobbito, Nike Air Force, Jordans

Basketball, broken down to its simplest compound, is about scoring more buckets than the team you’re playing against. The Semi-Automatic refers to players who leave bodies in their wake with their innate ability to get buckets. And few players can truly say that they are, or ever were, on the same level as the man known as “Mao Santa”, aka “The Holy Hand.”

Who is the greatest player to never wear an NBA uniform? Valid arguments could be made for asphalt legends like Joe Hammond aka “The Destroyer” aka “Dirty Hand Joe”, Oakland’s Hook Mitchell, Pee Wee Kirkland, Earl Manigault aka “The Goat” and others of similar stature. But don’t forget about Oscar.

“Who is that?”, you might be asking yourself. Oscar Schmidt is simply a legend among legends from Brazil. Outside of America, along with those enligtened souls within the USA who understand the man’s place in the game’s pantheon, he’s considered one of the greatest basketball players to ever grace God’s green earth.

Gold Coast Blaze vs Cairns Taipans

I didn't make the trip down the coast last night. Traffic would have been rough not to mention that its the what used to be Indy, then SuperGP, now V8 weekend in Surfers. For this reason (V8's), I'm not surprised to see that it was another disappointing crowd of roughly 2400 which is less than 1/2 the stadium's capacity.

From reading the game recap on the NBL website, this is the most pleasing part:
"but it was the defense of the Coast that was most impressive in a sign that the bottom placed team had turned the corner"
In the two games I've seen so far this season the Blaze have struggled on the defensive end getting killed on the boards and general allowing easy buckets. As the team gels and learns Coach Joey Wright's system, this was something that I knew would improve eventually.

Here's the other highlights from the game/boxscore:

• Ayinda Ubake (Chewbacca) top scored with 25 points (9 of 12 from the field) including 4 triples
• Anthony Petrie was a beast defensively with 10 points, 4 boards, 5 blocks and 2 steals
• Dusty Rychart was well and truly shut-down scoring just 2 points and 5 turnovers
• Erron Maxey was again solid with 15 points, 7 boards
  

The Blaze convincingly won the game 80 - 63 despite not getting much on the offensive end from young-guns Adam Gibson, Chris Goulding or Greg Vanderjagt. The win takes the Gold Coast Blaze off the bottom of the ladder and when they get all cylinders firing look for them to make a move up the leaderboard.

Ayinde Ubaka (Chewbacca) led the Blaze in scoring

Anna Bligh and the Gold Coast Blaze

I mentioned a few weeks ago that one of my friends had essentially put together the relationship to have Queensland Premier Anna Bligh as the Gold Coast Blaze's # 1 ticket holder this season. It was this friend that hooked me up with the corporate seats for the last game and why we were treated like VIP's by the Blaze. Yes, I'm people who knows people! LOL

Anyway, when we were at the game last week my friend started to organise a time for Anna to meet the team, the front office and officially receive her #1 jersey. This all took place earlier today while the team were shooting around before their game tonight with the Cairns Taipans. Here are a couple of photos from the event:

Premier Bligh with Blaze captain James Harvey

Premier Bligh with Blaze team and GM Dave Claxton