Season 36 MBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 1 Houston at Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City 90, Houston 81

WHITE'S RECORD-TYING BARRAGE OF 3S WINS OPENER FOR LARIATS

OKLAHOMA CITY -- When Oklahoma City point guard Walt White is on an offensive tear, his Lariats team is tough to beat. And in this playoff opener, the seventh-season veteran was incendiary, going 8 for 12 from 3-point land on the way to a 31-point performance, leading the defending champions to a 90-81 win over the Houston Iguanas.
White experienced his worst campaign this past season, averaging just 10.8 points per game. But in two contests, he sparkled, winning MVP of the Game honors, and Oklahoma City was the victor in each game.
The 6-4 White was MVP in this game, but needed some help from his teammates to secure the victory from a stubborn Houston team.
Houston boasted the league MVP and scoring leader in rookie forward Vic Hitler, as well as the league's fourth-leading in scorer in T.K. Masterson. Both made the prestigious All-MBA team. But with Lemon Jell-o putting the clamps on Masterson and Abe Binder shutting down Hitler, the Lariats were able to stay ahead of the visiting Iguanas the entire game, though the lead was never a comfortable one until the end in this high-scoring affair.
Game two will take place in Houston...a must win for the Iguanas.

20-Plus GVP Performances
-- Houston center Sanjay Patel had a 15-point, 5-rebound game, adding an assist and a blocked shot.
-- Oklahoma City's Walt White added 2 rebounds and 2 assists to his 31-point outburst.
-- Despite fouling out while keeping Houston's Masterson in check, Lemon Jell-o of the Lariats won the showdown between the two All-MBA guards. Jell-o was a perfect 7 for 7 shooting for 16 points, nabbed two of each in rebounds, steals and blocked shots.
-- Rookie forward Reckless Abandon of Oklahoma City celebrated his first playoff outing with an 18-point performance, grabbed 1 rebound and registered 3 assists.
-- Earning a his first start of the season following an 18-point game in the final game of the regular season, Lariats forward Abe Binder held league MVP Vic Hitler to 8 points while scoring 12 himself. Binder was the game's top rebounder with 8 and led everyone with 3 steals.

GAME NOTE
The three players White tied for most 3-pointers in a playoff game are:
**Cappy Gambol of Milwaukee in Season 5 against Houston
**Horn E. Goatweed of Milwaukee in Season 23 against Dallas
**Didger A'doo of Chicago last season, Season 35 against San Jose

The all-time mark of 10 3s in one game (both in the regular season) is shared by Tommy Zoop of Oklahoma City in Season 24 and Cheetos Jones of Philadelphia in Season 31.

NEXT UP;
Charleston, trailing one game to zero, fights for its playoff life on the road against the super kiddie corps from Seattle, which has not lost in five outings. It's win or go home for the Mountaineers in this first round, best of three.

--

MBA Season 36 Playoffs...Round 1, Game 1...Seattle at Charleston

Seattle 81, Charleston 77

SECOND-HALF SURGE BY STAMPEDE STEALS GAME 1

The red-hot Seattle Stampede used a 28-point third quarter to spearhead a come-from-behind second-half effort to win an important road victory to open this best of three playoff series.
Charleston led 40-35 at the half but had no answer for the balanced Seattle attack, which has now won five consecutive games going back to the end of the regular season.
Rookie power forward Sven Marquardt of Seattle shared Game MVP honors with Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston in this high-flying ballgame.
Both teams shot well from the floor, with the Stampede at 61.4 percent and the Mountaineers a smoking 70.5 percent. But Charleston was limited to just 44 shots, partly because Seattle outrebounded them 18-11.
The only free throw missed by either team came with 3 time units remaining and Charleston Hall of Famer Max Payne at the line to shoot 1 and 1 with his team trailing by four.
Chuckie "Swishcat" Sellegren of Charleston, who led everyone in scoring with 21 points, fouled out with 52 time units remaining in the game and his team trailing 69-65. His counterpoint for Seattle, rookie guard Wimsy Greenfoyle, fouled out with 35 time units remaining and his team ahead 77-69. Neither Garfoyle nor Sellegren could stop the other from scoring.
Seattle thus returns home with a chance to earn a spot in the MBA finals for the first time since Season 28.

20-plus GVP Performances
--Ginger Vampire, point guard for Seattle, led all with 7 assists and 2 steals while scoring 9 points and grabbing 3 rebounds while blocking 1 shot.
--Rookie shooting guard Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle registered a 16-point game with 3 rebounds and 1 steal.
--Rookie power forward Sven Marquardt of Seattle was brilliant in his playoff debut with a 20-point game with 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
--Veteran Seattle forward Smokey Talisker had 13 points, led everyone with 5 boards, had 3 assists and blocked 1 shot.
--Point guard Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston scored 20 points, had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot.
--Veteran shooting guard Chucky Sellegren of Charleston led everyone in scoring with 21, going 3 for 3 from behind the arc, and grabbing 2 rebounds before fouling out.
--B. Quiet, power forward for the Mountaineers, had 19 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.

NEXT UP: Houston Iguanas travel to Oklahoma City to begin their first round playoff series. This marks the third consecutive season these teams have met in the playoffs. In Season 34, Houston beat the Lariats 3-0 in the finals to win their fourth championship. Last season, Oklahoma City got revenge by eliminating Houston 2-0 in round 1 en route to their first title ever.

SEASON 36 SUMMARY AND POST-SEASON PREVIEW

MBA SEASON MARKED BY SURPRISES, CLOSE RACES
The competition for playoff spots was, as usual, extremely tight, with the surprise team being the defending champion Oklahoma City, which lost Hall of Fame center Max Payne, but retained first in the West. Home teams were never more dominant, winning a record 34 (68 percent) of the games.



MIX OF OLD AND NEW TOP INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS LISTS
Rookies Vic Hitler of Houston and Magnus Dragonhof of Chicago were, respectively, the top scorers and rebounders in the MBA, punctuating the talent influx this season's newcomers had on the league.
In a season replete with superb rookies, Hitler, the 6-7 forward of the Iguanas, was not projected to be a star. But all he did in addition to winning the scoring title with 19.2 points per game, was capture the Rookie of the Year award and the Most Valuable Player in the MBA. He was the sixth rookie to ever win the regular season MVP and the sixth to win a scoring title.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City's do-everything guard Lemon Jell-o won the steals title for the fourth consecutive season and picked up his first 3-point shooting championship.



FIRST TIMERS DOMINATE ALL MBA TEAM
Two rookies made the first team All MBA squad, just the third time a pair of newbies made the prestigious list. Only L.B. Damned of San Jose has ever made the All MBA team prior to this season.
The MVP vote was a close one, and featured two members of the Houston team finishing in the top three point-getters.





POSITION RANKINGS
Hall of Fame guard Ching-Chong Chung of San Jose showed he can still play in his 11th season, registering the biggest single-season jump in position rankings, going from 16th in the league last season to 7th this season for his new team.
The center position featured half the league starters scoring excellent campaigns, with rookie Dis Reflexia of Seattle and second-year man Naceg Gecan both finishing ahead of 11th season Hall of Famer Max Payne of Charleston. Rookie Magnus Dragonhof of Chicago finished in the upper half, tying for fourth place with steadily improving veteran Wayan Garuda of Sacramento. The cards of the pair who tied for fourth best center are so similar they could be brothers from another mother.


TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL STATS FROM THE FOUR PLAYOFF TEAMS
There are no clear-cut favorites among any of the Season 36 playoff teams. Charleston vs the hard-charging Seattle and Oklahoma City vs. Houston are as close to even matches as we can remember in this league.
Only Seattle, with its three rookie starters, is without a franchise championship in this quartet.
If I had a gun to my head and was told to pick a champion, I would say Charleston. But really, it's anyone's guess.

All Star Game

EAST 85, WEST 53---in Dallas, 36th All Star Game

After a somewhat close first quarter, the All Stars from the East Division dominated the West Division stars in what turned out to be a 85-53 beat down. The East now leads the West 23-13.
Sharing the MVP honors for the contest were Chicago's Didger A'doo and Houston's rookie forward Vic Hitler. A'doo had 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, while Hitler had a game-high 19 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assist.
Two other players exceeded the 20 GVP limit for the contest. Hall of Fame center Max Payne of Charleston had 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot. Lemon Jell-o of Oklahoma City had 10 points, a game-high 8 rebounds and a game-high 4 assists in a losing effort.
Ching-Chong Chung of San Jose added 16 points to his overall All Star Game total and moved up the list to be the fifth all-time scorer in the game's history with 109 points, passing Mamadou Zongo's total of 102 points. He is also third overall in 3-point baskets made.
Hitler became the fourth rookie ever to garner an MVP award in All Star Game competition. The others were M.E. "Lou" Harris from Seattle in Season 14, Hall of Famer Joey Two-Tones of Dallas in Season 18 and Dean Wormer of Sacramento in Season 23.
Hitler also became the fifth rookie ever to be top scorer in the All Star Game. The others were: guard M.E. "Lou" Harris of Seattle, with 25 points in Season 14; center Bart Pitbull of Philadelphia, with 20 points in Season 17; guard Joey Two-Tones of Dallas, with 28 points in Season 18 and forward Dean Wormer of Sacramento, with 27 points in Season 23.

TOP ALL STAR GAME SCORERS ALL TIME
1. Uncle Bob Masterson 158
2. Curly Hogbottom 126
3. Tommy Zoop 123
4. Diamond Dallas Paige 114
5. Ching-Chong Chung 109



UPCOMING BRACKET:

Philadelphia (1-4) at Houston (3-2)
Dallas (0-5) at Milwaukee (2-3) (crossover)
Charleston (3-2) at Chicago (3-2) (Charleston won first meeting 91-71)
Seattle (2-3) at Sacramento (4-1) (first of back-to-back games between the two)
Oklahoma City (5-0) at San Jose (2-3) (featured game) Oklahoma City won first meeting 74-66)

Season 36 at the Halfway Point

At the halfway mark, some observational points include:

**The Eastern Division features another tight 3-way race with the top teams, Charleston, Chicago and Houston leading the charge as predicted. Milwaukee is waiting in the weeds and Philadelphia has no chance.
**In the Western Division, it's been topsy-turvy time as the two teams predicted to finish on the bottom are currently 1-2 in the standings. The defending champion Oklahoma City Lariats lost Hall of Fame center Max Payne and replaced him with a cut pile guy, Phuc Mailife, who is performing admirably. Rookie forward Reckless Abandon has been as solid as his predecessor, the retired Stone Flinthorn and the result has been a 5-0 Lariats team. Sacramento replaced 80 percent of its starting lineup with good, if not great, players, and has once again been a surprise at 4-1. Whether it's too late for Seattle or San Jose to get back into the playoff hunt remains to be seen. Both of those teams suffered tough injuries, with Seattle losing All-MBA forward Smokey Talisker and San Jose losing veteran guard Jerry Curl. Both are returning soon.
**Owner Tyler Masterson shocked the MBA world by benching Hall of Fame guard Hrundi V. Bakshi, who he replaced with up and comer T. Kanes Masterson. The move has paid off, with Masterson leading the league in scoring at the halfway mark with a 21.6 points per game average.
**Rookies, as projected, are making a huge impact. Half of the rookies added to the MBA are starters for their teams, but the big shock is 6-7 forward Vic Hitler of Houston, who was not on anyone's radar as a world-beater, turning in a half season where he is scoring at a 20.4 ppg clip.





**9 starters will be lost to retirement at the end of this season, with Milwaukee and San Jose the hardest hit.
Milwaukee lost both its starting center and its backup center along with forward Bruno Pantanal, a rookie of the year and starter for all 6 seasons on the Greyhounds.
San Jose loses the only Hall of Famer in forward Gato Do Mato, along with veteran starting guard Jerry Curl.
Seattle will lose one of the best players in the franchise's history, Smokey Talisker.
**And yes, Pug Mahone has announced that he will return for yet another season in the cut pile.
**All three players who suffered 3-game injuries, Jerry Curl of San Jose, Smokey Talisker of Seattle and Heater Van Meter of Milwaukee, have had enough and will retire at season's end.



SEASON 36 ALL STAR GAME TIDBITS

**The East holds a 22-13 advantage over the West, but the West has won 3 of the last 4 contests, including last season, and 7 of the last 9.
**Dallas will host this season's game. It has two starters for the West in center Necag Gecan and power forward Gulemon Mon-Mon.
**Philadelphia's Ama Spikie, needing one more award to make the Hall of Fame, did not make the All Star Team, but he will return next season to the league. He is a four-time All Star having a horrible season.
**Also noticeable by his absence on the All Stars is Hall of Famer Gato Do Mato, a six-time all star who is also scoring less than 10 points per game this season and will be retiring at the end of the campaign. His lack of points has contributed mightily to the poor 2-3 Fighting Amigos mark in the first half.
**The other two active Hall of Famers, Ching-Chong Chung of San Jose and Max Payne of Charleston were solid picks this season for the All Star Game. Both will start for their respective squads.
**Six-time all star and Hall of Famer Hrundi V. Bakshi is not on this year's star team and is not starting for Houston, although he is currently leading the league in 3-point shooting off the bench and will return next season.
**Three rookies made the All Star Game this season, the most since Season 30. In the past five seasons, either one or no rookies made the team.
**Only one All Star Game player will be retiring after season's end---Bruno Pantanal of Milwaukee.
**There are seven first-time All Star Game players.
**Chung of San Jose, has the most All Star appearances with his 8th selection. Only three players have made more appearances:
Uncle Bob Masterson with 10
Mamadou Zongo with 10
Curly Hogbottom with 9
Chung is tied with Doug Fresh and Jonny Cockaroo, who also had 8 appearances.
**Chung is tied for fifth all-time as far as being an All Star Game starter. This will be his 6th start, matching the starts by Diamond Dallas Paige, Soul Duran, Tommy Zoop and Saggital Occlusal.
The Top 4 Players in All Star Games Started Are:
Curly Hogbottom-9
Mamadou Zongo-8
Boone Doggle-7
Uncle Bob Masterson-7
**Chung is the only former MVP of the All Star Game appearing in this contest.
**Chung comes into the game in 9th place all time in All Star Game points and third in most 3-pointers made.
**The MVP of the past two All Star Games, Smokey Talisker of Seattle, will not appear and will never appear again.
**The toughest position to make an All Star Game remains a guard position in the East. Bop-Bop of Charleston, with his 20.0 GVP, is the only player with a GVP of at least 20 to not make the team.

SEASON 36 PREVIEW

A killer draft that included a deep and talented rookie class and a number of proven veterans changed the landscape of the MBA coming into Season 36, making for a dispersal of talent that leaves the league without any patsies and a possible power shift from the East to the West.



THE EASTERN DIVISION

1. CHARLESTON MOUNTAINEERS: Went into the draft needing to replace four of five starters and ended up getting three of the top four rated players. Team was 3-7 last season and in last place in very competitive East. Not only did they get back last season’s Rookie of the Year forward B. Quiet (who they lost in dispersal draft), but they added All-MBA center and latest Hall of Famer Max Payne from Oklahoma City as well as excellent third-year guard from Chicago, Beezow Doo-Doo Zopitty Bop Bop-Bop. Second year forward Buck Naked improved tremendously and will play next to Quiet.

2. CHICAGO GALE: One win away from winning a championship last season, the Gale lost their glue guy, guard Beezow Bop-Bop in the draft, along with solid starting center Wayan Garuda. But they replaced Garuda with 6-11 rookie Magnus Dragonhof, who is somewhat of a mirror image of his predecessor. Veteran power forward Nobby Nabob improved greatly in the off-season, and if League MVP (both regular season and playoffs) and scoring leader Didger A’doo can come close to repeating his superb season, Chicago could make the playoffs for the third straight season and challenge for the title again.

3. HOUSTON IGUANAS: Houston has been in the playoffs three consecutive seasons, with one title, since Hall of Famer Hrundi V. Bakshi joined the team. In a shocking move by coach Tyler Masterson, the fifth-ranked (tie) player of all time will be replaced at the two guard by third-year forward T. Kanes Masterson. But Bakshi or Masterson, the Iguanas will be hard-pressed to continue their playoff streak, thanks to the loss of both starting forwards to retirement following last season. An influx of three solid rookies in the draft (center Hodor, forwards Vic Hitler and Blue “Rondo” Alaturk) as well as second-year forward Harry Verducci softens that loss somewhat. Center Sanjay Patel , who followed his All-MBA season of two years ago with a runner-up spot last season, will have to continue scoring and rebounding at a high rate. Houston has talent and depth, but do they have enough?

4. PHILADELPHIA PHOBIA: The Phobia fell one win short (5-5) of a playoff spot last season, but lost starting guard and Hall of Famer Ching-Chong Chung to San Jose in the draft. Patchy Fogg or Ted Hose will have to replace Chung in the starting lineup and neither has a track record that indicates they can match even a declining Chung’s effectiveness. Ama Spikie is coming off his finest scoring season, having led the Phobia and all centers with a 15.1 average last season. He is one award away from the Hall of Fame. Sunny Osiris and Gabba Penton are solid forwards and Jitter Bugg scored 13 per game at the point as a rookie but lacks defending skills.


5. MILWAUKEE GREYHOUNDS: The Greyhounds were right there again last season with a 5-5 record in the tough East, but they lost two key pieces in their starting lineup. Benny Lava, a fixture at point guard for nine consecutive seasons finally hung up his Nikes and last season’s leading scorer Art Vandelay (15.9 ppg) was lost to Chicago in the draft. Fourth-year man Ruby Rickio has Lava’s ball handling skills at offense, but can new starting forward Timm Brrrr replace Vandelay’s points? Longtime starters Steve Carter, Heat R. Vanmeter and Bruno Pantanal are back, but getting long in the tooth.


THE WESTERN DIVISION

1. SAN JOSE FIGHTING AMIGOS: Since Season 25 the Amigos have been a playoff fixture, finishing first seven times and second twice in the West. They lost a good scorer Schweaty Ballz and starting center Kevin Mickle from last season’s 7-3 team, but picked up two veteran guards in the draft and actually look better overall. Jerry Curl and Hall of Famer Ching-Chong Chung are both getting older, but might have enough left to make San Jose serious title contenders. Hall of Famer Gato DoMato was All-MBA for the fourth time last season and his running mate at forward L.B. Damned was second in the league in scoring with a 17.5 average. Seven-footer George Gershwin will have to play as big as his size in the middle . The rebounding specialist is the youngest starter on this squad, starting his fifth season. In other words, San Jose is old and needs to get it done now.

2. SEATTLE STAMPEDE: The polar opposite of San Jose in playoff success, Seattle has gone without a post-season appearance in the last seven seasons. They went 4-6 last season thanks to a 4-1 second half of the campaign and appear ready to build on that momentum. The Stampede had an excellent draft, concentrating on rookies and nabbing a trio of good ones. Center Diss Reflexia is a 6-7 dynamo and will be a key starter immediately along with 6-9 forward Sven Marquardt. Rookie guard Wimsy Greenfoyle can shoot with the best of them but plays no defense, so Seattle went and got under-achieving guard Julio Ganatra to be a starter next to veteran Ginger Vampire. And of course, late-blooming star Smokey Talisker, a first-team All-MBA forward and the team’s leading scorer (16.1) returns, but at a new position, small forward.

3. DALLAS DEMONS: The Demons are ready to make a giant leap from last season’s 2-8 cellar finish and should be one of three teams contending for the second playoff spot in the West. Talented second-year center Naceg Gecan will be joined on the front line by a pair of newcomers to the team, veteran 6-11 power forward Gulemon Mon-Mon and dynamic rookie small forward Danke “Donkey” Shame, who is amazing offensively around the basket despite his 6-5 size and plays really good defense to boot. Veteran point guard Fat Bob Herzfeld moves back into the starting point guard post with the departure of Jerry Curl. He will be joined by the team’s top scorer, Troells Rasmussen (16 points per game) at the two guard.

4. OKLAHOMA CITY LARIATS: The defending champions lost two giants from their title team of a season ago, having lost the league’s leading rebounder and solid defender Stone Flinthorn at forward and Hall of Fame All-MBA center Max Payne to Charleston in the draft. They will still be in the thick of it in the suddenly competitive West, thanks to a talented rookie class that allowed them to snatch 6-8 forward Reckless Abandon, rated the No. 2 newcomer. He should fill in nicely for Flinthorn, but the Lariats were forced to replace the runner-up MVP Payne with cut pile center Phuc Mailife. Mr. Everything, guard Lemon Jell-o returns as the team’s top scorer with 16.2 per game, having won the steals title in the MBA three years running. Taylor Quackstick (15.9 ppg) returns his exciting forward play. If point guard Walt White (13.0 per game) can return to his big scoring ways, Oklahoma City could be right in the hunt again.

5. SACRAMENTO RIVER DOGS: After over-achieving with three playoff seasons in four campaigns, the bubble finally burst for the talent-bereft River Dogs last season, as the team went 3-7 to finish fourth. But although we have them dropping to last in the division this coming season, the Sacramento team will be much improved, adding four new starters to go with their best returning player, Alejandro Lemieux. Funsy Van Slochum, in his 13th season, comes over from Charleston to start for his fourth different team. Solid 6-3 guard Achtu Meinlieber, a fourth-season reserve for Houston, will man the other backcourt spot. Center Wayan Garuda comes over from Chicago and is another good addition, as is 6-8 forward Bruce Hammer, who scored 14.9 for Seattle last season. Sacramento might contend yet again in the West, only this time, it won’t be as much of a surprise.


THE ROOKIES

No. 1 MBA fan Phil Davia likes to know the rookies joining the league each season, so here we go. This is one of the most talented influx of new guys we’ve ever had. For example, last season only three rookies started for their respective teams. This season seven of the 16 new guys will be starters, with more right on the verge. The top three will battle for rookie of the year and are projected as immediate stars. In roughly ranking order, the Season 36 rookies are:
1. Diss Reflexia, 6-7 center, Seattle, will start and be in running for rookie of the year … powerful rebounder for small pivot; plays good defense, has scorer’s mentality and is superb shooter with down-low moves.

2. Reckless Abandon, 6-8 forward, Oklahoma City, will start for defending champs and be in ROY running … not a great rebounder for his size, but plays excellent defense and is best rookie in the draft on driving to hoop; great passer, excellent shooter with range.

3. Danke “Donkey” Shame, 6-5 forward, Dallas, will start and be in running for rookie of year … will bring Dallas fans out of their seats with down-low moves and dunking ability for a small forward; also plays superb defense.

4. Blue “Rondo” Alaturk, 6-9 forward, Houston, will start … tough defender, good passer

5. Sven Marquardt, 6-9 forward, Seattle, will start … excellent rebounder, can score down low

6. Hodor, 6-8 center, Houston…will back up fixture Sanjay Patel but is immediately top-flight sub

7. Magnus Dragonhof, 6-11 center, Chicago, will start … great size, great rebounder, can score some

8. Vic Hitler, 6-7 forward, Houston, won starting job, steady player, does everything fairly well

9. Wimsy Greenfoyle, 6-2 guard, Seattle, sharpshooter will be first guard off bench, plays no defense


THEY MADE THE LEAGUE, BUT BARELY

Pricklebush Tickletush, 5-11 guard, Chicago, will be fourth guard on team … excels at on-ball defense
Chas Witkowski, 6-0 guard, Dallas, fourth guard on team, decent ball handler, shoots a little, hacker
Louie Subgum, 6-4 guard, Milwaukee, fourth guard on team, good passer, good shot, hacker
Ceasar Seizure, 6-7 forward, San Jose, fourth forward, can’t rebound, good defensively

STRAIGHT TO THE CUT PILE
Verbal Kent, 6-2 guard, aggressive rebounder, too-aggressive defender, hacks like hell
Moshi Moshi, 6-0 guard, best ball-handling guard among rookies but plays little D with no shot
Pelton Crane, 6-0 guard , can’t dribble or pass or shoot…plays decent defense and rebounds OK

OPENING GAMES

Dallas at Oklahoma City....Season starts out with a bang as improved Dallas meets defending champs in what could be a telling game in the West

Philadelphia at Chicago...home team begins long playoff run against once-dominant franchise fallen on hard times

Milwaukee at San Jose...Projected best in West against projected worst in East

Seattle at Houston...Let's see if excitement about the Stampede is warranted as they go on road against tough Houston. (boldface equals biggest upcoming game)

Sacramento at Charleston ... Pre-season favorite Mountaineers host rebuilt Sacramento team in crossover.

Their Place in the MBA Pantheon

Every season, as MBA commissioner, I place retired players into envelopes based on the (1) the number of awards they have won and (2) their overall scoring average.

The best of these, of course, go into the MBA Hall of Fame. The rest are distributed within the envelopes and between the players where they are ranked.

Currently, besides the Hall of Fame, there are five envelopes, with the top players not in the Hall of Fame in the envelope marked "Tier 1." The worst envelope, is, of course, the dreaded Tier 5.

So for the first time, I make these retirement placements public. Maybe you will enjoy the final placements and smile at the names of the past where these new retirees are surrounded.





As an added sidenote: Boo Radley, who turned the tide in the MBA Finals, coming from the cut pile to shut down Chicago's Didger A'doo for eventual champion Oklahoma City, was originally cut at the beginning of the season by, who else, Chicago.