“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

I was watching a college basketball game on Saturday night (2-1) and I decided to go online to see what is going on in the world. And all of a sudden BAM!! I saw “Breaking News” from the NBA.

The Dallas Mavericks have traded their superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for superstar Anthony Davis. There are other pieces to the trade but who cares. The main pieces are Doncic for Davis. WOW WOW WOW!

Word is the Mavs got fed up with Luka not being in top shape and also his lack of taking defense serious. Yes he almost unstoppable on offense. But it is fact Doncic does not take D serious.

And he cries A LOT about fouls being called on him. Since he has been in the NBA, he has been in the top five of obtaining techs. But damn can he score!! He and another superstar Kyrie Irving led the Mavs to the NBA Finals last season.

Davis is a all around superstar. He can score in the low post, score at the high post, he has the mid range game and he has a 3 point range too.

PLUS Davis always is at the top of the NBA in blocking shots and in rebounding. He is a rim protector. So with this trade, the Lakers no longer have a rim protector. Unless they not finished in the trade market. How about a trade and obtaining Robert Williams III currently on the Blazers?

Players in the NBA are shocked with this trade. Saw a interview with Kevin Durant and he could hardly get words out of his mouth in discussing the trade.

The Lakers have a few that HC JJ Reddick has to deal with. First of all, even if he is STILL playing like he is Luka’s age, James is 40 years old. AND he and Doncic play the same position! This is a major problem readers.

Here is another thing. HOW is a young HC in Reddick going to handle Luka and James on the same team? This is going to be VERY VERY interesting.

One thing for sure AD already has a relationship with Mavs HC Jason Kidd as well as Irving. And the Mavs still have other very good players. Mavs owner says the Mavs are built to win NOW!

NBA fans now this right now. The Lakers are NOT built to win a title this year. They are just not built to win a title this year. Again are the Lakers owner Jennie Buss finished with the trade market? Umm we will see.

Question, did Lebron James know about the trade? Word is NO he did not!! How can that be sports fans? Rumors are AD was aware of the possible trade to the Mavs. This trade is SHOCKING NBA fans. The biggest trade in years and years!

AD is 31 and Luka is ONLY 25 years old. So Davis is in his prime. Luka is not. But Doncic is already one of the best players in the world.

Lebron FOR SURE will not take serious a out of shape Luka!! James is doing what he is doing at age 40 because he keeps in tremendous shape. I think Lebron is Doncic’s idol. So he WILL listen to James as long as James is a Laker.

Again can Luka and Lebron play together? I do not think they can. Both want the ball in their hands most of the time. Well then again when Luka joined the Mavs, the question was can Luka and Kyrie play together. Again we just have to see.

I can go on and one readers. Bottom line is THIS TRADE IS SHOCKING!!! It just is. If you know me, you will know I am a hoops junky. I can watch a high school game, college game, the WNBA game and of course the NBA.

I just love the game of basketball. I was cut all three years in high school at Seattle’s Roosevelt High, but I kept working and working on my game. And I because a fella you DID NOT want to leave open. Obtained a rep in community centers and parks in the Central Area of Seattle.

Of course that was when the Central Area was the Central Area. Which is another story. Those reading this and grew up in the C.A or C.D will understand.

Anyway, I always have covered the sports world and entertainment with my media. Now I am really trying to blow up my “Sports Inner City TV” especially in the digital world. Otherwords, online streaming. Via right here on my website. Not You Tube. Because I play copyright music.

When our dearly departed Sonics were here, I covered morning shootarounds for years at Key Arena aka Climate Pledge Arena. Of course I am waiting for our Sonics to return to Seattle.

In the 80s and 90s and even into 2000, it was real basketball in college and the pros. The three point line started in 198o in the NBA. Players were shooting them but not too many. Guys like Larry Bird and Reggie Miller were shooting a lot of 3s. Earlier Rick Berry was shooting a lot of 3s.

The mid range game was at it’s peak. 15 to 20 foot jumpers. Or drives to the hoop. But things have changed readers. Changed big time. In my opinion because of one player. Steph Curry. He came into the NBA firing!! From half court for goodness sake!!

Curry does not give a damn!! His first HC, Mark Jackson gave Curry and Washington State alum Klay Thompson the green light with the Golden State Warriors!!

All of a sudden millions of young kids wanted to be like Curry instead of Mike (former guest Michael Jordan). Also guys like Damian Lillard and Tre Young pull up from 35!! The gyms in America was full of players firing up 3s at will!! HCs for some reason allowed players with no outside game, to come down and fire up shots from 25!!

The college game has a 3 point problem too. Even if the 3 line is not as long as it is in the NBA, players are still passing up OPEN mid range shots to pass out to a guy in 3 point land. Like in the NBA, a problem.

So folks are asking is this a reason why NBA ratings on TV are down? Well some can say because of streaming the ratings are down. You can obtain NBA League Pass and watch games via your phone. Like I do many times.

But truthfully I think the main reason NBA ratings are down IS because of too many 3s being thrown up. As a basketball junky I want to see tremendous moves to the hoop from players like Ja Morant or Anthony Edwards or even 40 year old Lebron or even young Wemby of the Spurs,

I do NOT want to see Victor at 7-5 with his shoes on, pulling up from 30!! I want to see a great windmill dunk by Victor. Taking off from the free throw line. This is what I want to see.

I do not care what Adam Silver says. Too many 3s are being thrown up in the pros and colllege basketball. As a basketball juny, the game is becoming UNWATCHABLE.