Caught Bob Dicesare’s column in today’s News and flipped when I saw part of his take about the “Raptors In Buffalo” scenario:

“If Buffalo lands a Toronto Raptors preseason game then let’s use the night to celebrate our basketball heritage. Bring in Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith, maybe Ernie DiGregorio and Bob Kaufmann, and acknowledge their place in Buffalo sports history. And while we’re at it, let’s raise McAdoo’s No. 11 to the rafters at HSBC Arena in recognition of all he achieved as a Brave and beyond. “

Halleh - freaking - lujah!

For too long we have seen ourselves as a city that is highly ambivelant about the NBA, almost to the point that where we enjoy such a status. Almost as if we’re supposed to be proud of not caring about basketball at its highest level here.

For whatever reason that may be it’s time to trash that mindset, at least for one night if this Raptors/HSBC Arena idea comes off. Let’s celebrate the fact that this city was once home to an NBA franchise, and one that gave us some great moments to boot during its short-but-sweet run at the Aud.

Bring in Boston, the team that had become the Braves’ archrival and opponent during two memorable playoff series. How about Atlanta? A nice young team whose roots also date back to Memorial Auditorium in the forties. Or if we want to have a villain - send in the LA Clippers, the club that bolted from Buffalo three decades ago in a bizarre franchise ownership change.

And at some point during the evening, do exactly what Dicesare suggested. Put a sky blue #11 up to rafters at HSBC Arena. Quite frankly, someone who is celebrated amongst basketball’s all time greats in Springfield certainly deserves far more of a presence in the arena than a passing notice and photo in the “Headlines” area of the venue.

But I highly doubt that you’ll ever see the right thing done. We’ve personally pushed for this virtually since McAdoo was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. The good folks downtown know of our mission, know others who are on board, and ought to know that he deserves such an honor as much as anyone who has ever worn a Buffalo pro sports jersey in this town.

That they appear not to is a shame and nothing else.

There was a lot of buzz and excitement back in 2005 when the ABA Buffalo Rapids debuted here in Buffalo, giving the city its first pro hoops team since the NBA Braves departed in 1978.

But that excitement quickly disappeared as the team became enmeshed in cash flow and other operational problems, none more glaring than the team’s inability to secure a permanent venue to call home. The team moved from the Burt Flickinger Center to the Park School, Niagara Catholic, Buff State Sports Arena, Hilbert College and even the Gow School. Disgruntled fans, unable to find where to go from game to game, quickly bailed on the team. The owners left, new owners took over, the team was renamed the Silverbacks, and naysayers then threw ridiculous charges of racism against the team, citing the franchise logo bearing the image of a black gorilla.

This past season the franchise was inactive, but now the ABA is back, with a new nickname, new ownership, and returning is their former coach Rich Jacob, who held the team together through its darkest days and actually fielded a respectable squad despite all the off the court chaos and distractions. This time they are promising to make it work.

“We’re very excited” said Coach Jacob, who was on hand tonight as the “Buffalo Sharks” held a kick off party at Club Infinity in Clarence to welcome their supporters and start up season ticket sales.

The Sharks will play their home games at the Koessler Center on the Canisius College campus, and, as if to prove that there will be no repeat of the venue hopping which marred the franchise’s inaugural season, there was a certified letter on Canisius letterhead laminated and on display at the season ticket table, validating the secured agreement between the franchise and the college to host the home games of the Sharks. Officials from the College were also on hand tonight to welcome supporters and make themselves available for questions.

Owner Vincent Lesh has been a long time music and concert promoter here in Buffalo, and for him this is his first foray into sports management. “One thing I know how to do is put people into seats, and we’re going to promote the heck out of this team and bring basketball fans out to see this team” promised Lesh. Sharks season tickets run from $225 for courtside seats down to $75 for general admission, based on an 18 game home schedule. Lesh also stated that once up and running, tickets will be available at ticketmaster outlets and online at ticketmaster.com.

Lesh admitted that the Rapids/Silverbacks business model was a disaster from the get go. “I have no bad feelings towards the Nice’s or the Weir’s (former team owners) but their way of doing business is out the window. We’re going to run things differently to make things work.” Jacob added, “We have the experience now and know what worked and what didn’t so hopefully the benefit of that experience will pay dividends.”

The Sharks will have competition for the WNY pro hoops audience. Three weeks ago a competing ownership group unveiled the debut of the Buffalo Dragons, who will join the Premier Basketball League and play its games at the Flickinger Center downtown. The Dragons have come up with a unique business plan, intending to field a team of Chinese players and video stream its games into China.

We asked both Lesh and Jacob if this city can support two minor league basketball teams. Both chose their words carefully in their reply. “They are going to have their thing and we are going to have ours” said Lesh. “We have already signed up major sponsors, including Labatt and Met Life, who believe in our product and know we can develop and grow a fan base.” Jacob was proudly showing off some of his newly recruited players at tonight’s event. “These are young men who will have a connection to the community.”

So how did the “Sharks” nickname come to be? Lesh laughed and replied. “We had a sponsorship deal in place that involved the name and that fell through. But we liked the nickname and it stuck.”

The team has a web site, that for now is nothing more than their snazzy logo.

Remember that night back in 2005 when close to 4000 fans packed the Flickinger Center for the inaugural game of the ABA Rapids? The game was delayed for over an hour as fans stood in a massive line outside the venue to check in through one available metal detector. “Those fans are still out there in the community, and we want to win them back” said Jacob.

The 2008-09 Sharks season begins in mid November, with the schedule to be announced later this summer.

-Andrew Kulyk

You know. I mentioned something in the last NBA Playoffs post that really deserved a bit more of a mention than it did and probably a post of its own is deserved.

Heck yea, it does.

If you’ve lived in this town for a long time and are in your fourties or higher, then you certainly remember the short and sweet stint of the Buffalo Braves and their superstar center Bob McAdoo. I don’t need to rehash what he did as Brave, or that his scoring prowess while in Buffalo was the catalyst for his eventual induction into basketball’s Hall of Fame in Springfield a few years back.

But what many people may not know is that he did not hang up his sneakers after his NBA playing days ended in 1986. He simply took his high scoring act across the sea to Italy starring for Philips/Tracer Milano, Fabriano and Forli while pumping in twenty seven points per game in a seven year span in which he led Milano to two Euroleague titles. He finally called it a career in 1993 ending a tenure in pro ball that lasted over two decades.

What’s the big deal, you ask?

This season the Euroleague is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with the announcement of a list of its fifty greatest countributors(players,coaches,officials) and on that list is none other than Bob McAdoo. McAdoo joins plenty of other notables including Manu Ginobli, Vlade Divac, Mike D’Antoni, and Drazen Petrovic who made big names for themselves on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Congrats Bob, on a highly esteemed and much deserved honor!

This one’s for all the diehards out there paying close attention to the NBA Playoffs.

Yeah, me and the other three of you out there. OK, maybe four or five.

For the past week or so I’ve done the following: Work in the daytime, come home and watch hoops until I go to sleep late at night. Little if any Stanley Cup Playoffs for me (just tell me how the Sharks are doing as I’ve got them in the pool), no visits to the downtown ballpark, and setting records for fastest click of the remote control to NBA TV anytime I hear or see the words “NFL Draft” coming out of my HD set.

Week one of the “most wonderful time of the year” is in the books and your unofficial(self appointed is more like it) WNYM NBA postseason correspondent is here with some offbeat commentary on the games that were. Maybe somewhat of an awards ceremony, if you will.

The “Why Home Court Matters” Award.

The Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were manhandled in their first two games in Boston in losing by an average of twenty one points and were looking exactly like a young team with a losing record that hadn’t been to the postseason in nine years.

Enter Philips Arena into the equation and my oh my how quickly things change. The youthful Hawks overran the Celtics playing with a bundle of enthusiasm and energy led by the rim rattling exploits of Josh Smith. And voila! We have a series(maybe)! Tip of the hat as well to Michael Bibby for doing the nearly impossible and making the series interesting after calling out Celts fans for being “bandwaggoners”. Uh, Mike…you’re playing in the king city of bandwagon sports fans. Just sayin’

The “Hello America, Now You Know Who I am!” Award.

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets. Chris has had an impressive career thus far in winning the ROY award in 2006 and has been mentioned as a prime MVP candidate this season with LeBron, Kobe, and KG. But let’s face it, spending your NBA career in Oklahama and New Orleans isn’t exactly going to get the word out about yourself, and not making the playoffs adds to that as well.

Enter Games 1 and 2 in New Orleans as Paul scores 69 points dished out 27 assists in two routs of the Dallas Mavericks and in the process completely outclassed future HOF point guard Jason Kidd. Paul leads a outstanding Hornet team that is solid in nearly all facets of the game. Shooters? Peja Stojakovic. Muscle underneath? Tyson Chandler, David West. Bench? Jannero Pargo, Bonzi Wells. If the Hornets stay together in the future, look out!

The “Funniest Moment of the Playoffs” Award.

This may be the best highlight of an otherwise dull series.

Honorable mention to Philips Arena going without the shot clock for much of the second half in game 3. Those time clock operators probably date back to the franchise’s days at Memorial Auditorium. (Yes, THAT Memorial Auditorium!) Speaking of the Aud….

A moment of silence to remember the passing of Darrell Garretson. He was a longtime NBA official working games for nearly thirty years also serving as NBA Supervisor of Officials for years as well.

But here in Buffalo he will always be the man whose whistle effectively ended the Braves 1974 season in Game 6 of their series against the Boston Celtics. His foul call on Bob McAdoo as time ran out in regulation of a tie game sent Jo Jo White to the free throw line for the series ending free throws. Very likely the most infamous referee whistle ever blown in Buffalo. Ever.

The “Ummm, Remember Us???” Award.

The San Antonio Spurs. Amidst all the hype of the stacked Western conference, the surging Lakers w/ Gasol… The reworked Suns w/Shaq… The Cinderella story in New Orleans…the 22 game win streak in Houston, the Spurs were admitttedly somewhat lost in the shuffle. The winning of the first two games of the Suns/Spurs series did help a bit, but it wasn’t until they annihilated the Suns on the road in Game 3 that eyebrows were raised. The Spurs raced out to a huge lead in the first quarter and never looked back with Tony Parker lighting up the LED board with 41 points. On another note….

The “Why You’ll Never Be Amongst the All-Time Greats” Award.

Shaquille O’Neal. Anybody who gets fouled intentionally at points of the game outside the final two minutes of play probably gets this award. But really, we’ve been hearing about this guy’s weaknesses at the charity stripe since the days of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and O’Neal is still a basket case when it comes to free throws.

That door you just heard slam shut could be one of two things(if not both). 1: The Suns’ championship window of opportunity, or 2: Steve Kerr packing his goods in Phoenix and headed back to being a televsion analyst.

The “Trends I Find Most Disturbing” Award.

Two share this award. First is the “fans wearing same color Tshirts for the playoffs” promotion that is sneaking its way into the NBA. Two major problems with this. One, this is a hockey thing, it simply doesn’t look right anywhere else and lets hope the trend doesn’t spread to the NFL or MLB. Also only the color white is acceptable. There have been some pretty hideous colors in the stands this past week taking focus away from the action.

Another trend somewhat unique to hockey is the whole “we gotta send a message to the other team” crap. In basketball it has appeared in the form of a hard and cheap foul in the final moments of a blowout. There couldn’t be a more utterly useless waste of energy than seeing Brendan Haywood knock LeBron James to the floor towards the end of Game 2, ditto Hornets/Mavs Game 3(the combatants’ names escape me right now). Leave that hockey stuff where it belongs.

The “We’re Trying to Build a Winner Like the Ottawa Senators Circa Late 90’s-00’s” Award:

The Toronto Raptors. If you love a bunch of stereotypical finesse Euros bombing three’s from the perimeter with Chris Bosh as the token inside guy, well then you’ve found nirvana at the Air Canada Centre. Carlos Delfino, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon(k, he does have some toughness in him) and Jason Kapono(well he’s got a Euro sounding name!) fire away from downtown. When the shots go in, its a joy to watch. Otherwise….bleccchhh!

The “So THAT’S What Became of That Guy” Award:

Jameer Nelson. Remember him? The leader of the St. Joseph’s basketball team in ‘04 that had an undefeated regular season and wound up being the consensus player of the year? There he was Saturday in Toronto jamming the dagger into the heart of the Raptors season in scoring 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter on the way to giving the Magic a 3-1 series lead.

Runner up - JJ Redick, riding the end of the bench for the same Orlando club.

The “Schizophrenic, Playing to the Level of Our Competition Team” Award:

The Detroit Pistons. Is this the team that won fifty nine games during the regular season? Or is it the team that gave the lowly Knicks their two brightest moments of the season in defeating the Pistons twice? Seems like we’ve been seeing more of the latter here.

On a good note, an upset of the Pistons may be a good thing. If nothing else hoops fans won’t have to be treated to the ear-splitting - nails - screeching - across - the blackboard sound of the Pistons PA guy. DEEEEEEE-TROIT BAS-KET-BALL!!!!!

The “There’s a Reason I Haven’t Said a Word About This Series” Award.

The Utah Jazz/Houston Rockets.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz…..

No, I’m not insinuating that this has been a dull series and quite frankly far from it. The Z’s signify what I was doing when Houston rallied to win game 3 and Memo Okur made a critical rebound late in game 4. A novel concept would have been to have had at least ONE of these games begin prior to 10PM ET during this series.

Well, that wraps up this edition…..see ya as the playoffs progress!!!