A Quote by Mel Daniels
The ABA really loosened up the NBA and introduced innovations like the three-point shot and the Slam Dunk and other competitions at the All Star Game. And we had all the hot young players.
Related Quotes
When the NBA first resorted to it in 1979, I must admit I thought it was a circus rule, the equivalent of asking players to be shot out of cannons or swallow swords, something borrowed from the stepchild ABA with its red, white and blue basketballs. A 3-point line? The beautiful game of basketball didn't need a clown shot.
You look at today, it's a different situation. You have a game that has been transformed into a game where almost every shot is either an outside shot - a three-point shot - or a dunk.
You gotta try something people ain't seen before, and you gotta go to the gym and work on your dunks. In a slam dunk competition, don't show up with three dunks. You got to have eight or nine dunks because if you get into the finals and two guys may do the same dunk or one guy does the dunk better than the other.
I frankly think the NBA All-Star game has run its course, the whole dunk contest... The game - if those guys actually played hard in that game, it'd be the best watch ever.
When I was younger, I used to dunk and they criticized me for the dunk. They said I couldn't be an All-Star because I dunked too much. So in order to get the respect from the people, I felt like I had to change my game.
I got hooked up with the NBA Nation and the next thing I knew I was judging the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown. They needed somebody who can travel on the weekends and go up to eight different cities.
After the NBA and ABA merged, players could come out after high school. Still, there were only a few cases prior to Kevin Garnett coming out in 1995, so Nike and the other companies were only involved in the college game.
A slam dunk or a breakdance move is limited by what the physical body can do. Now, a skateboard is limitless by design, by not only the dynamic of the board and the way it goes but also what you build to skate on. Basically it's like a slam dunk contest that will progress every for the life of the sport. Five years from now there are going to be kids doing stuff that we didn't think was possible.
The Energy job was probably the key. It kind of transitioned me back into the States. It gave me a link to the NBA. And I got to make some contacts and meet some players and get players set up and learn the NBA game and terminology and coaching those type of players. It was certainly a huge, huge key to getting to the NBA.
I won an MVP trophy with the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association. I didn't even start. I was a sub on this team. This was, like, an All-Star game where we had athletes from different teams, different mixtures. We had, like, the only black team in the league, basically. We had four players go to the All-Star game.
There haven't been that many players, both men and women, from South Africa breaking through on the pro level. It's not easy because you have to really start playing tennis at a young age and be exposed to the right competitions and other players from around the world.
I feel that the All-Star game is more like a party because its made up of a lot of elements. However the core of All-Star is still the 48 minute-game and all the fans will pay all attention to the showcase of the players excellent skills. The result of the game is not much of a concern.
It was probably when I had a game point at 3-1 in the first set and it was a really long point, and I did a passing shot after a huge rally. Maybe from then I was like, 'Okay, that's not normal.'
When you have a guy like Chris Paul, who's the best point guard in the world, saying I should be an All-Star, and other coaches and players coming up to me and saying I should be an All-Star, it's an unbelievable compliment.
I am really irked by healthy NBA players resting. I really don't understand it. Players in the past have played all season for years. I just don't love it. I feel like it hurts the integrity and competitiveness of the game. It's got nothing to do with the TV partners; it's about cheating the fans.
As a player, NBA All-Star Weekend contains a lot of joy and a lot of excitement. Even with all the hype built into the game, it's really a special honor to be selected among many great players.
Related Authors
Brittney Griner Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Dennis Rodman Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Diana Taurasi Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Jabari Parker Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Jermaine O'Neal Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Jrue Holiday Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Kobe Bryant Quotes
American
Basketball Player
LeBron James Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Magic Johnson Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Michael Jordan Quotes
American
Basketball Player
P. J. Tucker Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Rasheed Wallace Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Ricky Rubio Quotes
Spanish
Basketball Player
Shaun Livingston Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Spencer Dinwiddie Quotes
American
Basketball Player
Tyler Herro Quotes
American
Basketball Player