Re: McDonald's All Stars

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

Michael J.King Sr. wrote:

> Now I must also say that I liked his play in college and
> I saw every game of Kentuckys that was televised this past season. I
> was
> much more impressed with  Chris Herrens play and I must admit some
> prejudice as Chris went to Durfee High in Fall River my High Schools
> (New
> Bedford High) arch rivals  and I have followed his up and down career.
>
> Still he truly stood out and considering he played with a fractured
> hand
> makes his play even more impressive.

Hi, MJK. Do you remember your local boy Dana Barros? I think he was from
your own neighborhood (New Bedford), as were other slick guards
recently. I remember going to watch Dana in the Boston Shootout. He and
a NC Tarheel's signee named Steven Bucknell (Governor Dummers) led the
Boston entry coached by Dave Cowens into the finals. Back then, Dana had
a slick cross-over move that pushed the edge of legality. He would speed
dribble the ball  (as he still does as a Celtic) forward untile he
engaged his first defender at the left corner of the free throw line,
then he would slap a hard cross-over 10-foot bounce pass all the way to
the other corner of the free throw line, chase it down well ahead of his
defender, and then calmly catch and shoot a 15 foot floater into the
net. I'm still not sure this is legal (a 10-foot pass to yourself), but
I don't see why not after all, and it was ridiculously effective over
and over in the game I saw.

If I remember correctly, that was the first All Star tournament I saw
where a non-black guy (Stanford University recruit Todd Lichti) won the
slam dunk contest. :-)  He won it by rising up with the ball scooped
down below his knees and then hammering it up suddenly to flush it down.