Just Thinkin, Again

   Basketball has been a very big and constant part of my life for many, many years! It has helped to shape how I approach things and get work done. Remembering, not too clearly, sitting in front of the tv as a kid watching the beloved UK Wildcats play a game and the reaction of my parents to everything going in I was 'hooked' then and there! This was in the late 1960's and Uk had a very good team, as they often have, loaded with talented players such as, Larry Steele, Dan issel, Mike Pratt, Louie Dampier and Mike Casey. The thrill of getting involved in the game and questioning every call made by the refs felt very intoxicating! As a child, I certainly did not know what it felt like to be drunk but I have to say that being a life-long fan of these Uk Wildcats is the closest thing I can compare to that condition. It's intoxicating!

   Certainly, our state does not have the monopoly on loving the game of basketball!  In many states in America, basketball is a "way of life" and has produced multiple players who have impacted the game for several decades! Throughout our country, basketball seems to be a year-round sport with just as much intensity as during the normal season of games, whether collegiate or professional. Heck, even in the back-yards and gravel-courts all over the land there are very often some rather intense contests as in any arena or stadium anywhere!

   My love and passion for basketball only grew more rapidly as I got older and continued to follow those great and some not-so-great Uk teams of the last several decades. Neighborhood friends and family members often made up our local, street teams, and we spent many summer days and nights engaging in on-court 'wars' that taught us toughness and consistency. Without sounding brash or cocky, I would have to say that our teams won lots of those games and we even travelled throughout
the Lexington area of Kentucky challenging and beating several of the toughest opponents there were
then. What fun it was to bring home that excitement and pride (humbly, of course) back to our families and neighbors after the all the sweaty battles were done and we stood tall as the winners!

   With all that being said, I wanted to talk about the subject that has been argued over and brought up over and over again through the years here in the bluegrass state. That subject is, bringing Professional basketball back to Kentucky once again. For those ho may not be aware of it, our state once had one of the better pro-teams of the 1970's in the ABA's Kentucky Colonels. That team was loved by many and caused quite a bit of excitement of their own after their inception to the league in the late 1960's!  Based in Louisville, Ky and decked-out in blue and white uniforms (for the most part) the Colonels were a 'natural' for this basketball-crazy area. The fast-paced and playground-type of entertainment the ABA brought was an instant favorite with fans and adding to that the very colorful and somewhat rogue red, white and blue ball, made for some intriguing dialog among the die-hard owners and commentators of the 'old man' NBA!

   Even though it had a rather short life-span, the ABA, and the Colonels in particular, served up the brand of basketball that the masses were craving. Fun, intrigue, imagination and loads of talent! They had all it took to combat the boring and stone-faced NBA, it seemed. Everything except proper 'backing' and promotion. The ABA folded its tents and "gave up the ghost" in early 1976. Some teams were melded into the NBA while others, those beloved Colonels included, had their players put into a special dispersal-draft and the players were divided-up between each team. What a waste of talent, time and treasure for the league and its fans!

   Presently, there has been a rather sizeable push for the adoption of n NBA team back to the city of Louisville to share the spectacular facilities of the University Of Louisville cardinals, the YUM Center downtown. Over the years this push has gained speed only to fizzle-out and be forgotten.
Despite the serious efforts of city officials and businessmen, there is so far no plan put in place to bring an NBA team here as of yet. No worries, though because even now the banner is being raised once more and the call is going out to the NBA suits that Kentucky is ready and wants an NBA team
to begin playing and bringing great talent to our area again!

   As a fan, I am excited and somewhat engaged in the discussion of this possibility. My question would have to be, though, whether a small city like Louisville and even smaller neighboring city like Lexington would be able and willing to support a pro team here? The cost of seasonal-tickets and merchandise along with food and beverage costs would certainly test the wallets of the people.
It may not be a feasible endeavor but there is certainly no lack of enthusiasum among the fans!

   Whatever the near future holds concerning professional basketball in Kentucky, some could say that it is already here in the form of John Calipari and his very successful Uk teams! For the tenure of his time as a coach of the Wildcats, Calipari seems to have found a successful recipe for winning as many games as possible, going deep into the tournements of March and mounting banner after banner aloft in the rafters of the great Rupp Arena!  He is a winner and so are the Kentucky Wildcats!

   The fans of basketball in this state are winners as well! Their love, passion and loyalty to the game is quite a wonder to see and one that does not appear to fade as each generation comes along. Its a 'way of life' for many and , if I can say it, an almost 'religious experience' for others!

   So whether an NBA team ever occupies the YUM Center or not, basketball will always be 'king' of sports in this state and the darling of many little boys and girls who first watched the game on tv and then went out into their drive ways and gravel-roads to fantasize about hitting that 'game-winner' and becoming the next basketball superstar for the ages! 

   A big thumbs-up to those who are trying to make it happen and to those who dream of watching "their team" rip up the NBA and raise the banner high for the bluegrass state once again!