Rip City 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

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  All my Portland-area hoopers and wannabe hoopers!!

  Come play at the Rip City 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament July 25th & 26th! Divisions for all ages, abilities and skill levels. Activities include the tournament, Slam Dunk contest, 3-Point Shootout and a Youth Skills Challenge.

  Benefits Special Olympics Oregon -- so hurry and get your team signed up before registration closes July 10th.

Taurasi to Sit Out WNBA Season; Should Force League to Action

Diana Taurasi will sit out the upcoming WNBA Season.

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  Diana Taurasi made news this week by announcing she wouldn't be suiting up for the WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury for the 2015 season.

  Instead, she is going to rest. But here's the catcher, she's still going to get paid -- by her Russian team, UMMC-Ekaterinburg

  During the WNBA's off-season (which happens to be twice as long as the four-month summer season), Taurasi, like many women's players go overseas to earn a living.

  To protect their investment (UMMC is reportedly paying Taurasi $1.5 million this season) and secure Taurasi for the following season, the Russian club offered to pay her to sit out the 2015 WNBA season.

  Get paid to rest -- not a bad gig.

Two Leagues, Year-Round Seasons
  To be honest, I'm surprised Taurasi/UMMC is the first instance of this happening. The best players in the world play year round, between the WNBA and Europe, Asia or Australia.

  One full season overseas (September-May) is hard enough on your body. Remove the summer months to rest, recover and rejuvenate? I don't know how they do it for an entire year.

  Taurasi has played 10 year-round seasons. That's a lot of wear and tear to put on an aging body, in a cutthroat, short-lived profession.

  I look at what Taurasi has done for 10 consecutive years and say she's made a sacrifice. To play year-round, at the highest level, puts an amazing toll on your body. My body wouldn't have held up for one year-round season, let alone 10.

  This is where I get to why.

Why Play?

Taurasi was the league's MVP in 2009, & two-time Finals MVP.

  Why has she sacrificed? Why do players like Diana Tauarsi, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, et al play in the WNBA, when financially it might not make sense? It's not for the money or the glamour of the WNBA. They sacrifice to help the league maintain and (hopefully) grow.

  First, to have the opportunity to play professionally at 'home' has to be an incredible feeling. It's something I was never able to do.

  Secondly, and what I think is most-important, is that they don't want the WNBA to fail.

  Players feel an obligation to the opportunity. The WNBA hasn't always been around, and players want it to succeed. In order for it to succeed, the best players need to be on the court.

  We are just now at the tail end of players' careers who remember a time when there was no WNBA. When there was no viable opportunity to play professionally in the US.

  The the Tamika Catchings, Sue Birds, Diana Taurasis, the Deanna Nolans.

  As we get further away from that generation, there might become a time when the league is taken for granted. When players assume the league has always been here, and will always be here.

  It wouldn't shock me to see more players sit out WNBA seasons to allow their bodies and minds recover from the longer, more financially rewarding overseas seasons. Especially as the younger generation asserts itself.

Moore is one of the top young talents in the league.

  Point blank, it looks bad for the league to have one of its top five players be paid more NOT to play.

  And I don't blame Taurasi. A basketball career is finite, and she's trying to make the most of it financially.

  But it could become a turning point.

Danger Zone?
  Here's what needs to happen -- somehow, someway -- the WNBA needs to find a way for this not to become a trend. Otherwise, they'll be in danger of becoming a second-tier league, or worse, obsolete.

  The players who have sacrificed to help the league, that's still in its infancy, grow, need to see the support from the WNBA in return.

  The WNBA has league maximum and league minimum salaries -- for both veterans and rookies.

  In 2013, the minimum salary for rookies was $35,190. The league's top four drafted players earned at maximum $48,470. Every other rookie, earned between 35k and 48k.

Maya Moore plays WNBA off-seasons in China.

  The minimum salary for a player with three-plus years of experience was $55,000 while the maximum salary for a six-plus year player was $107,000.

  Based on her 10 years of experience, Taurasi is at the 107k maximum. Again, her contract with UMMC is $1.5 million. (Keep in mind, most overseas salaries reported are post-tax earnings, while WNBA are pre-tax.)

  You do the math; what would you do?

LeBron vs. Steve Blake Analogy
  While the WNBA pay scale is a nice idea, it doesn't make sense.

  A 10-year veteran role player, should not earn the same salary as Diana Taurasi --a three-time WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, three-time Gold Medalist, etc). Why? Because she doesn't bring the same value to the franchise, nor to the league.

  I'll give you an NBA comparison to make it more obvious: Should LeBron James and Steve Blake earn the same salary? (I bet even Steve Blake would say 'of course not!')

  Currently, they're both in their 12th NBA season. So under the WNBA's pay scale, they would earn the same salary. Instead, this season LeBron will earn $20.6 million from the Cavs, while Blake will earn $2.1 million from the Trail Blazers. Seems comparable for what they bring to their teams and to the NBA.

  I'm not here to compare and argue NBA vs. WNBA salaries. They're different animals, and cannot be compared. But if the WNBA is to remain relevant in the women's basketball world, the powers that be must come up with a solution to compensate, and keep its best/most-visible players on their court.

The only uniform you'll see Taurasi in during 2015.

Franchise Tag Solution?
  Franchise tags are used in the NFL, but in a different manner than what I would be suggesting. In this instance, franchise tag means superstar.

  Each of the 12 WNBA teams should be allowed two (?) franchise tags. Teams can then pay those players whatever they deem fair, and either the league raises the salary cap, or franchise tags do not apply towards the salary cap. (The current salary cap for WNBA teams is $913,000.)

  The number of players who garner the Taurasi-types of salaries overseas are very few. Likewise, the number of players who the WNBA should tag as superstars should be just as few. In fact, allowing 24 franchise tags for the entire league might be too many. But that's not for me to decide.

  This is a solution I came up with in 20-minutes, give-or-take a few. There are many other options, and there are people much smarter than I who should be working to find a solution.

  Because as it stands right now, the WNBA needs its superstars exponentially more than they need the WNBA. I certainly don't want to witness the league's demise, but whatever their solution, the WNBA better be working on it ASAP.

LINKS:

WNBA Salaries 2013 Season

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Piazza del Duomo in Milan. 

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  I found myself awake way too early one morning last week -- like 4am early. Not able to go back to sleep, I grabbed my iPad and began checking out the morning news. You know, the important stuff, my Twitter and Instagram feeds.

  One thing led to another, and 15 minutes later I was on Google Maps looking up an address in Milan.

  A NikeLab post got everything rolling. NikeLabs are boutique-like stores in nine locations around the world, Milan being one of them. Since I'd spent so much time in Milan during my two seasons playing in Italy, I was curious where the newly re-branded shop was.

Fiera in Milan.

  Once I located the shop, naturally I wanted to see where it was relative to the places I ran around most in Milan -- the Duomo, the Brera neighborhood (where the NikeLab is located), and Corso Como.

  Before I knew it, I'd scrolled to the north, to Como, trying to remember the route I'd drive to practice every day -- so I could find where our gym was on the map.

  Then I found my first apartment, and the train stations in Como centro. I'd walked to and from the train stations often, as that was a much easier (less stressful) way to get to Milan. The least amount of driving, the better!

Pre game with Nev.

  That took me to where I lived during my second season in a villa just outside of Como (though, I had a little tougher time finding that place). Then to the nearby McDonald's, where my teammate Nev had an unfortunate encounter with the McDrive (drive thru) one evening.

  It's always interesting, the things you remember most vividly. They're not necessarily what you'd think. I spent nearly two years in Italy, and none of my immediate memories are on the basketball court. I'd gone to Italy to play basketball, yet the memories that resonate with me the most, have nothing to do with basketball.

  Of course, I have great memories of basketball moments in Italy. It was the only place I was ever able to win a championship. I played with a group of women who were very passionate about the game, and pushed me to become a better player and more well-rounded person.

Celebrating our championship.

  Practices and games were never uneventful, but that was part of the job.

                                                      

On the Court Growth

  My first two seasons abroad are probably the two that shaped me most as a professional basketball player. The groundwork was laid into establishing the expectations and commitment required to be successful.

View of Lake Como from above -- Mt. Bisbino

  I still think, to this day, had I been on any other team, in any other country, I wouldn't have played 10 seasons overseas.

  I experienced just the right amount of successes and challenges to inspire me to push for more. And I was surrounded by some great teammates who were supportive and great examples to me.

Off the Court Growth
  Italy also gave me my first experiences living in Europe -- as a person, not a basketball player. I spent many an hour in the coffee bar run by two of our fans. 

  The internet connection at my apartment was challenging, and I had 11 TV channels that were all in Italian -- so I didn't have much choice: go out and live!

Leaders of Pool Comense.

  During my downtime in between practices, more often than not, you could find me at the coffee bar with Cheru and Francy.

  They spoke Italian, I tried to understand and speak back.

  I spoke English, they tried to understand and speak back.

  They explained places or things about Como that were important -- whether it'd be the local banks scheduling a strike, or good restaurants around town.

Francy & Cheru.

  I read the paper (not the days after games, however), and learned more and more Italian words.

  I tried every coffee bar fare they offered up. And grew to understand that I should limit my chocolate croissant and piadina intake, and that cappuccinos should never be ordered after 11am.

  It's where I grew to love coffee too!

  It was a fun way to learn a new culture -- I wouldn't trade those afternoons in Como for anything.

  I've written before about how special my experiences in Italy were, but I was inspired once again to share some memories after last week's Google Maps walk down memory lane!

In Milan one summer.

Teammates Kim & Mara.

Via Indipendenza in Como -- the street I lived on.

Teammate Nev and I at the coffee bar.

Como from above again. This time from the tram.

Como.

Buffs4Life Fun Run Recap

Di addressing the crowd after the Buffs4Life Fun Run.

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  I've made two long-weekend visits to Colorado in two months. Most recently, mid-July, to celebrate one teammate's wedding.

  The first visit, in June, was for another college teammate -- Di Spencer.

  Late this spring, Di was diagnosed with MS, and her Buff family wanted to reach out and provide a helping hand.

  Buffs4Life selected Di to be their main beneficiary this year. The premise behind Buffs4Life is 'Buffs Helping Buffs'. With all the former student athletes that have donned a University of Colorado uniform, no matter the sport, there's bound to be a few in need of help each and every year.

Some of the women's hoopers that turned out in support of Di.

  This year Di was that Buff.

  Through the efforts of countless Buffaloes, $8,000 was raised for my teammate and great friend Di.

  It was a special weekend; teammates and their families, staff members, and friends from our playing days turned out in droves in support of Di.

  I know Di was especially touched just by the turnout and the support.

  Thanks to the people with Buffs4Life for coming to Di's side -- it means the world to her, and to those of us who care about her!

Some pictures & a video from the Buffs4Life weekend in June.

The Friday night BBQ turned into a friendly 15 yard race between former football players.
The '94 Heisman winner was victorious.

Linda (in Coach Lappe mode) addressing the crowd at the start line.

Laps getting the crowd fired up for Di.

Pre race mingling.

The crowd getting ready to start the race.

Buff teammates and families ready to walk for Di.

Britt, Coach Barry and Kami catching up during the 5k (or was it 3k?).

Summer is Serious Returns

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  All my hoopers -- no matter where you live -- here's your shot to go to Barcelona in September with Nike Basketball.

  Grab your phone, and have a friend record your skills --your nicest dunk, your range from three, your best ball handling -- show off your A-game and you might be selected!

  Upload, and share your video via social media (Twitter, Instagram, FaceBook) with #SummerIsSerious (#SearchForTheBaddest if you're outside of the US). And don't forget to register here to make it all official.

  If the kind folks at Nike Basketball like your game, you'll get a player card, a nickname, and earn a spot on The Baddest Draft Board (100 spots). After that, you never know what might happen -- you could find yourself on a plane to Barcelona with the Swoosh!

  It's pretty easy. I did it last year. And if you get selected, the payoff is is well-worth it.

  Questions? Let me know!

IMPORTANT LINKS:

Summer Is Serious and Draft Board

Event Information and Registration

My entry from last year:

The player card Nike made for me.

The video I submitted.

Buffs4Life Fun Run for Di

Click image to register for the Buffs4Life Fun Run.

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  Diana Spencer came to Boulder with a name suited for royalty. Better known as Di, she quickly became a fan favorite, and more-importantly a teammate favorite, with her fun-loving personality and big heart.

  How could you not adore a girl who lists some of her favorite things as: Elvis, Scooby Doo, the Golden Girls, James Dean, and Peeps.

  Di is everything you could want in a teammate. No matter what, she was always willing to put, you, and the team before herself.

  As another teammate, Tera wrote, Di was the "type of player who was selfless, encouraging and committed to our team. Off the court, Di was fun loving, supportive and had a laugh that was contagious." 

Di, Kate and I as Freshmen. (1999)

  I was lucky enough to be in the same class as Di. Naturally, we became pretty close friends after four years together at CU. We share a lot of memories: some difficult, some funny. But the moments that come to mind when I think of Di immediately put a smile on my face.

A few 'Di' highlights:
  I remember Di taking control of a stuffed duck while we rode around Boulder in Eisha's car -- bringing that toy to life, and having it dance and sing away as onlookers couldn't help but laugh and smile.

The epitome of Di as a teammate.

  I remember running along side Di during one of the many Saturday Breakfast Club runs -- trying to help Di keep her mind off how tired she was, so that she'd make her 5k time and get a few pre-season Saturdays off.

  I remember Di saying hello to virtually every person we passed on campus with a big smile on her face, and when you asked her what their name was, she'd have no idea. But regardless, she remembered their faces and wanted to say hi.

  I remember Sunday omelettes too. Di makes an amazing omelette that she'd occasionally treat her teammates and friends to on lazy off days.

Always up for a good time.

  And other moments that will remain just between teammates.

  I'm going to venture a guess, and say that anyone who has ever spent any time with Di, doesn't smile at the mention of her name. You can't help it.

  In just a few days when she visited me one season in Germany, the support staff and my teammates loved her. At various times throughout the remainder of the season, long after she'd gone, they'd ask me how my friend Di was doing.

Time to Support Di
  Why now, of all times, am I writing about Di?

  Di was recently diagnosed with MS and now it’s time for us to give her our support.

Di at the Alumni game in 2008. 

  Buffs4Life, an organization that helps former University of Colorado athletes in need, is hosting a Family Fun Run on June 22 at the Omni Interlocken Resort.

  All funds raised from this event and money donated will go directly to Di, assisting with out of pocket medical expenses. Buffs4Life also will match 100% of all proceeds raised.

  Whether you were her teammate, a friend or a fan, we invite you to join us for this “Fun Run” to support Di. I plan on being there!

  Even though we're scattered throughout the country, and in some cases the world, Buffs are always one.

  We love you, and we're all here to support you, Di!

LINKS:

Buffs 4 Life Fun Run

Saying No to the Blue Chippers?

Mercer celebrates after beating Duke.

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  Not long after Duke lost to Mercer last Friday, a question popped into my head:

  How long until longtime winning coaches (Coach K, in this case) forego recruiting players who are destined to depart their programs after one measly season?

  How long until they decide they want to invest in a player for three to four years again, instead of eight short months?

  The next day, Syracuse lost to Dayton. Followed by Kansas losing to a junior/senior-led Stanford team.

  All longtime winners. All top-tier seeds, loaded with young stars destined for NBA stardom. All losing (early) in the NCAA Tournament on an increasingly regular basis, to teams with more-experienced, older (gasp!) players.

Cinderella No More
  Conversations of March Madness past always centered on the Cinderella story. A mid-major or small school upsetting the top dog, and going on a small run in the tournament. One or two Cinderella stories were destined to happened every couple of years.

  The conversation, then, shifted to this: would Cinderella ever win it all? When the question was first posed, I didn't think it could ever happen. There was no way a no name program would ever string together six wins in a row against the competition that the NCAA Tournament boasted.

Cinderella came up short in the Final two straight years.

  Then Butler University made two consecutive trips to the NCAA Final in 2010 and 2011. And seemingly, every year after, 'small' senior-led teams were making a considerable amount of noise come tournament time.

  It's becoming more common with each passing year for the highly touted, legendary programs to lose to small(er) programs with less-touted players on a regular basis in the NCAA Tournament.

  Whether it's Cinderella or a lesser-touted, senior-laden team, those schools have one thing in common: experience.

Experience Wins Out
  From the jump this March Madness 'season', it was clear -- to me -- that the more experienced teams (Virginia, Florida, Michigan State) were the ones to beat. For the record, Michigan State is my pick to win it all.

  Experienced teams hold several advantages over young, star-studded teams: team cohesiveness, maturity, understanding of each other and their offensive/defensive systems, trust in one another... I could go on and on.

On to the Sweet 16 -- second Round win at Colorado.

Buffalo Example
  It was no different with my Colorado teams in college. My freshman year, we had a sophomore and freshman filled roster. We took our lumps, and lost more games than we won that season.

  Fast forward two years, and that same roster advanced to the Elite Eight.

  Nothing changed over the course of those two years. Not our players, not our plays, not our coaches. What did change was us.

  We grew up, we learned how to compete on the collegiate level, we learned how to play with each other, we knew how to prepare for big games, and we knew how to beat teams that appeared to be better than us on paper.

  Nothing prepares a player like previous experience.

Who Are You Recruiting?
  My attention, then, turns to those who make the decisions, the coaches: who do you want on your team? Who are you recruiting?

  At the end of the day, what is the point of college basketball? To win games? To make money? To recruit the top players? To recruit the best players for your program?

  Money, over time, has become the ruler. For the college programs, and for the players. The lure of huge NBA contracts have driven the players to leave college early on a regular basis. And attracting top-tier talent brings prestige, media coverage, and with that, money, to the program and university.

  In my opinion, both the college and the NBA game have suffered since the 'one and done' rule came into effect in 2006.

Recruiting the Blue Chippers
  Drawing the top name recruits each and every season is always beneficial to a college program. You can't deny that.

  Top recruits attract other top talent, they draw fans, it's glamorous, and you would think it would result in a lot of championships. But at an alarming rate, those top ranked recruits are becoming 'one and doners'; playing the NBA-required one season post-high school, and then leaving college early for the NBA.

  So in reality, recruiting those highly touted prospects is resulting in a lot of roster turn-over, freshman and sophomore filled rosters, and inconsistent performances in the Big Dance.

  It's grown to be beneficial in every way but the one department that really matters: winning in March.

  How long until coaches start to take note?

  Thoughts?

Would You Say That to Your Daughter?

Playing days in Sweden (2010-2011).

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  This week, a guy I don't know all-that-well, but respect a great deal -- for his work promoting women's athletics, and women's basketball more specifically -- made an important post on his Facebook page. He'd had enough -- of the constant snide remarks disparaging women's hoops and its athletes, and the lack of acknowledgement.

  I 'liked' his post, and commented on it. A few days passed, and I found myself thinking more about what he had said while I was running on the treadmill.

  I felt I needed to add something.

  But before we get to my thoughts, here's the post, in full, from Ben York:

WARNING: I’m getting on my soapbox…I don’t know where else to post this, so here we go.

I’m a women’s basketball guy. Always have been.

Some people like women’s basketball; others don’t.

I get it. And – trust me – I’ve heard every reason why. (I could get on an entirely new soapbox here, but that’s for another day. Maybe.)

The WNBA announced today that Magic Johnson (and other investors) purchased the Los Angeles Sparks to keep them in LA. Obviously, this is huge news for the league and women’s basketball fans in general (at least, it should be). Not only will this generate substantial awareness for the league, the business acumen of the ownership group has every intention of increasing profitability and long term staying power. Having a successful and thriving franchise in a major market like LA makes the WNBA better.

To be frank, though, what pisses me off are the people who continue to enthusiastically and consciously dismiss the WNBA as second-rate or “less than” while subsequently ignoring centuries of stereotypes and dogmas that promote women as inferior.

We aren’t asking you to love the WNBA. We don’t even need a ton of recognition. At this point, whether it is fair or not, a simple mention of scores or highlights (no matter the outlet) makes us giddy.

Acknowledgement, however, is another story.

This was most recently evidenced by the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl. Nearly every major media reported that it was the city’s first major championship since 1979, ignoring the Seattle Storm’s championships in 2004 and 2010.

Maddening, but if I’m honest, nothing new.

Yet, perhaps the most infuriating aspect of the so-called “debate” has been the response by detractors to completely disregard the league. As the brilliant Mechelle Voepel stated recently, the WNBA isn’t pretending (or even trying) to be one of the four major sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL).

Nevertheless, it DOES feature the absolute best women’s basketball players in the world. It DOES set a tremendously empowering example for young women. It still can be improved, but it DOES represent the fundamental equality and opportunity that we ALL deserve. And in spite of the misdirected venom that is routinely spewed, it DOES continue to grow in attendance, ratings and sustainability.

To me, that’s pretty amazing.

Ultimately, I don’t know if things will change. I don’t know if the misogyny (don’t kid yourselves; it absolutely exists) will improve. I hope it does.

I’ll close with this: many players don’t have to play in the WNBA from a financial basis. That is to say, they do it because they care about what the league – in its truest form – stands for.

I respect the hell out of that.

Twenty years from now, I hope an eight-year-old young woman still sees one of her favorite WNBA players on ESPN and sets a tangible goal to make a living playing basketball professionally.

She deserves it.

/gets off soapbox

My nieces, Stella & Sadie, playing earlier this year.

Add R-E-S-P-E-C-T
  I'll see Ben's 'acknowledgement', and add respect.

  If you've ever read a comment section of a women's basketball article online, you know it can be an ugly place. It seems the comment 'who cares' never fails to appear. Many times, however, it goes much further than that.

  Or we've all been in a room, where women's basketball (or any women's sport for that matter) is brought up, and similar sentiment is repeated.

  I've done my best over the years to ignore those comments, but I've always found them disheartening. I've never really understood people who take the time out of their day to specifically diss women's basketball, or female athletes in general.

  And why is it acceptable?

Imagine You're Talking to Your Daughter
  Like Ben, I understand, women's athletics is not for everyone. You're either a fan, or you're not. I've found the only time someone converts to women's basketball fandom, after never having cared for the sport, is after they have a daughter.

  To those who have ever said, 'it doesn't matter, it's *just* women's basketball' (or something equally disrespectful), I have this to say to you: imagine you're talking to your daughter, or your niece, or your sister, or your girlfriend. Would you ever discredit, disrespect, disparage, or take away from what she is doing then?

  Girls playing sports is hugely beneficial --  to her psyche, her confidence, and I think, to our society in general. Strong, confident women; that's a good thing, isn't it?

  And equally important is girls having female role models to look up to. Why would we tear them down?

I looked up to Tamika Catchings in HS, & was thrilled to meet her. ('99)

Stopping the Disrespect
  Growing up, I was lucky enough to train on a daily basis with the best players in the Portland area, both boys and girls. We trained together, we played with each other, we competed against each other, and we worked our tails off together. But we respected each other as well.

  On a regular basis, pros or NCAA stars would come in to train alongside us. Our new training partners probably came in thinking 'who are these high school kids, and why am I training with them?'  Some of them most-definitely thought, 'why am I working out with girls?'

  Their first training sessions with us always went the same: our trainer would have us do the drills/competitions he knew we (the high school kids), and maybe specifically, us girls, would succeed in. And more often than not, the visiting stars would come up short against us in those competitions and drills.

  Immediately, that changed the perspective of our visitors. Those drills alone, gave us the respect we desired.

  In turn, it made our training sessions that much better. And probably made us all -- boys, girls, and visiting stars alike -- better players in the long run.

  We, the girls, found a way to earn respect on the court.

  Off the court, the respect isn't going to magically appear. But I don't know how we've allowed the constant disrespect to continue for so long. And we shouldn't allow it to go on.

  Here's your challenge, the next time your hear someone say 'who cares, it's just women's basketball', call them out on it. Ask them if they'd ever say that to their daughter. Or if they want their daughters to grow up having athletes as role models.

  It matters.

  Because like Ben, I too hope that in 20 years, that eight-year-old young lady sees her favorite player on TV and wants to grow up and be just like her.