by Paul Knepper Basketball is a young man’s game. That’s never more evident than during the playoffs after a grueling 82 game season. A basketball player’s prime is typically between the ages of 25-27 and 30-33, so when superstars on the top teams hit their early to mid thirties their teams drop from the ranksContinue reading “Changing of the Guard”
Author Archives: Paul Knepper
Tractor Traylor Was Larger Than Life
by Paul Knepper Robert “Tractor” Traylor was a freshman at the University of Michigan the same year I was. The six-foot-eight, 300 pound center was literally and figuratively the big man on campus. His career was marked by disappointment and scandal, but the Michigan faithful loved him any way. He died Wednesday of a heartContinue reading “Tractor Traylor Was Larger Than Life”
15 Most Iconic Baseball Photographs
by Paul Knepper In today’s digital age every significant sports moment is tweeted, posted on Facebook and Youtube and replayed on highlight shows for days on end. Yet, there’s something sublime about capturing the essence of a moment in a photograph, especially in the pastoral game of baseball, whose golden years predated television and theContinue reading “15 Most Iconic Baseball Photographs”
Top 20 Sporting Events I Wish I Had Attended
by Paul Knepper Ever see footage or hear a sports fan waxing poetic about a classic sporting event and find yourself wishing you could have been there in person, taking in the sights and sounds, riding the emotions of the crowd? Suspend belief with me for a moment and assume you could travel space andContinue reading “Top 20 Sporting Events I Wish I Had Attended”
Darius is Dreaming
by Paul Knepper University of Michigan point guard Darius Morris confirmed yesterday that he will remain in the NBA draft. The sophomore point guard was Michigan’s best player last season and nearly led the Wolverines to a second round upset over Duke in the NCAA tournament. He has an NBA body, great talent and hasContinue reading “Darius is Dreaming”
Kiper vs. McShay
The NFL draft is underway and that means ESPN’s two prominent draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay will undoubtedly be engaging in heated debates over the next few days. If you’ve ever noticed, they’re never in the same place at the same time. That’s because they would likely tear each others heads offContinue reading “Kiper vs. McShay”
Artest Then and Now
by Paul Knepper Tuesday afternoon Lakers forward Ron Artest was named this year’s recipient of the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. I know that sounds like a headline from The Onion, but it’s no joke. The citizenship award is presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association and is named for the second commissionerContinue reading “Artest Then and Now”
D’Antoni’s the Guy
by Paul Knepper I’ve spent the past 24 hours reflecting on the Knicks season that came to a bitter end at the hands of the Boston Celtics Sunday night and there’s one image that sums it up for me. It’s not Amar’e standing in front of the Garden, arms spread wide, embracing the challenge ofContinue reading “D’Antoni’s the Guy”
Pink Clyde
The Knicks didn’t look very smooth in Game 3 of their series against the Celtics Friday night, but Clyde sure did. The legendary point guard always stepped up his game in the post-season, so you had to know he was going to dig deep into his eclectic wardrobe for the first playoff game at theContinue reading “Pink Clyde”
Who is the Most Exciting Young Player in the NBA?
It’s NBA playoff time, when legends are born. Some young players are taking the opportunity to cement their reputations as superstars in the league. Kevin Durant won his second consecutive scoring title this season at the age of 22 and continued to sizzle, dropping 41 points in the Thunder’s Game 1 victory over Denver. TeammateContinue reading “Who is the Most Exciting Young Player in the NBA?”
Paul Knepper 