Tag Archives: Kent Bazemore

So Good to Be Back

Posted on by
Reply

KB hams it up on Media Day. AP photo courtesy of The Basketball Jones.

Rejoice! Basketball is back!

The NBA opened its regular season on Tuesday night, with lots of big national stories right away, but two relatively low-profile teams, the Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic, may be of most interest to local fans.

Orlando opened its season last night with a surprising 102-89 home victory over the Denver Nuggets. Although Glen “Big Baby” Davis and J.J. Redick led the way for the Magic, the big news here is that Kyle O’Quinn of Norfolk State made his NBA debut, becoming the fourth NSU Spartan to play in the league. Although O’Quinn played just three minutes, he filled up the box score with a field goal attempt, a personal foul, a defensive rebound, and a turnover.

Out west, the Golden State Warriors have started their season 1-1, opening with a road win over the Suns, and then returning home for a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. ODU alum Kent Bazemore has made the Warriors’ 15-man roster, but has been inactive for each of the first two games. The Warriors play on the road against the Clippers tonight; Bazemore may be activated in place of Kareem Rush, who was scheduled for an MRI today following a gruesome knee injury in the game against the Grizzlies. (Click here to see the injury, if you’re so inclined. If not, watch the clip anyway and stop it after the sick reverse dunk by Rudy Gay.)

Stay tuned to follow as we await Bazemore’s debut and O’Quinn’s first NBA points.

Basketball is back!

Once Were Warriors (Or, A Reason to Buy the League Pass)

Posted on by
Reply

ODU’s Kent Bazemore has landed in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. Photo by Preston Gannaway, courtesy of pilotonline.com.

Although he was not selected in the NBA draft, Kent Bazemore of Old Dominion has signed a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors. While some of Bazemore’s money is guaranteed by the contract, a roster spot is not. Should he make the team and appear in an NBA game this season, Bazemore would be the first ODU alum to do so since Cal Bowdler suited up for the Atlanta Hawks in his final NBA game on April 17, 2002 (an 89-81 loss to the Celtics – Bowdler scored two points and grabbed two rebounds).

(Incidentally, ODU fans will be sad to learn that Bowdler will no longer be the color commentator on Monarchs radio broadcasts; he has returned to Atlanta for a front office job with the Hawks.)

Writing for Yahoo!, Austin Chang has a thorough account of Bazemore’s success for the Warriors in the NBA summer league. Chang (who knows waaaay more about the Warriors than I do) predicts that Bazemore stands a fair chance to make the team but would not likely see much game action as a rookie.

Even if Bazemore makes the Warriors roster, Chang expects him to spend some time in the D-League this season. Interestingly, the Warriors are in the process of moving their D-League affiliate from Bismarck, North Dakota to Santa Cruz, California. I’m sure that Bismarck is a lovely place in the winter, but I am equally sure that a person could do worse than to find himself in Santa Cruz:

Before you start to feel sorry for Mr. Bazemore, remember that into every life a little rain must fall: Bazemore’s trademark number 24 is not available with Golden State, as the number is retired for Hall of Famer Dick Rick Barry. (Tip of the cap to @JazzMangat, who pointed this out to Bazemore on Twitter.)

ODU and Monarch fans will sorely miss Kent Bazemore, but here’s hoping he’ll do them proud as the ninth Monarch to wear an NBA jersey.