Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20220409

A32 sports
Diasabra 9 aPriL 2022

NBA At 75: What to expect at the league’s 100th anniversary

cially in a wildly and rapidly make it more social ... I think together and keep it at the top
changing world where tech- that will be dramatically dif- of the list.”
nology evolves constantly ferent,” Ballmer said. “I think
and ideas flow just as quickly. the stadium experiences will Nobody knows what will
be dramatically different, but happen. But the players of
“You could have a separate the broadcast is where I think now are laying the ground-
league,” Los Angeles Clip- ... there won’t be a broadcast work for whatever will come,
pers owner Steve Ballmer anymore, it will be a digital just as the players of yesterday
said. “There are obviously interaction.” did for the players of today.
leagues in Europe. But you
have to say, ‘What’s the pur- Innovations in travel -- faster The way LeBron James sees
pose? Do you want the best planes, for example -- could things, it’s on each genera-
players from Europe to play change the way games are tion to take the game and
in Europe or do you want scheduled. Innovations in push it forward.
them to come to United fitness could allow players
States and play in the greatest to recover more quickly. The “It’s a responsibility, for sure,”
league in the world?’ I think ball could become some sort said James, a four-time cham-
the answer is the latter, be- of computerized tracking pion with Miami, Cleveland
(AP) - It was David Stern’s the 75th anniversary season cause you want to see the best device. Virtual reality, some- and most recently the Los
running joke. He would for the National Basketball of the best play against each thing that only a small per- Angeles Lakers. “Somebody
get asked when the NBA Association is winding down. other. To have an NBA team centage of people experience did it before me and put it in
would be adding a Euro- Nobody knows for certain in London would be nuts; now, might be something a position where it was my
pean division and his an- where the NBA will be in 25 the travel would wipe people more mainstream by then, responsibility to make sure I
swer was almost always years, when it’ll be celebrat- out, so you’re not going to do allowing fans to have a true kept it where it was and also
the same. ing its 100th anniversary. that.” in-arena feel without leaving make it even more grand and
their home. make it better than what it
“In 10 years,” the then-com- The only safe bet is that Where Ballmer sees change was and represent this league
missioner of the NBA would things will be very, very dif- coming is in the way the It will be different. with the utmost respect.
say. ferent. game is experienced.
Oscar Robertson only hopes “I’ve held that title of the am-
Thing is, it wasn’t intended A play-in postseason tour- Technology, he insists — and the decision-makers in 2047 bassador of the league. No-
to be a joke. Stern was always nament was added in recent believes — is everything. treat the league with the same body ever told me to do it,
looking ahead, looking for the years. An in-season tourna- Technology is what truly al- reverence as was the case at but I felt like if I wasn’t going
next thing, the next innova- ment is probably coming lowed the game to grow, be- its 25th anniversary, its 50th to do it, who was going to do
tion to keep the league mov- in the next couple years. By cause NBA games can now anniversary and now as the it? I took that with a lot of re-
ing. He oversaw expansion, the 100th anniversary, having be watched on phones and league celebrates its 75th. sponsibility, and I’ll continue
pushed toward getting the more teams seems certain. tablets in just about all cor- to do it until I’m done play-
league on television around Seeing more women in lead- ners of the world. “The game is a great game,” ing the game.”
the world, found ways to take ership roles, on the court and the Hall of Famer said. “The
revenues to record levels. off, also seems certain. “I think the broadcast, the 3-point shot is electrifying ... And in 25 years, he hopes —
way we think about the and the fans love it. As long and expects — to see some-
It took more than 4,700 play- Maybe a 4-point shot gets broadcast, the way we use as the fans want the game, it’s thing even better than what
ers and nearly 14 million added. Robot referees. The technology in the broadcast going to be fine. I just hope the world enjoys now.
points to get to this spot, but possibilities are endless, espe- to enhance the broadcast and the players and owners get

Power signs with Sabres; Michigan to NHL exodus begins

(AP) - The Michigan exodus is bres the rest of the season. players. Beniers could soon join the cob Truscott (Vancouver), forwards
under way. expansion Seattle Kraken after they Thomas Bordeleau (San Jose), John
Johnson and Blankenburg are ex- took him second in the draft, while Beecher (Boston), Eric Ciccolini
Less than 24 hours after the loaded pected to join their new team Mon- Brisson was a 2020 first-round pick (New York Rangers), Mackie Samo-
Wolverines were knocked out of the day and could also get plugged into by Vegas. skevich (Florida) and Dylan Duke
Frozen Four short of a national title, the lineup right away. (Tampa Bay) are the other Michigan
some top players moved on to their Goaltender Erik Portillo (Buffa- players with rights already owned by
next goal in the National Hockey Blankenburg was a free agent, while lo), defensemen Luke Hughes and NHL clubs.
League. Johnson was the fifth pick in the 2021 Ethan Edwards (New Jersey) and Ja-
draft. The skilled 19-year-old forward
Top pick Owen Power signed with had 17 goals and 47 assists in his final
the Buffalo Sabres, and fellow Ca- college season and had five points in
nadian Olympian Kent Johnson four games at the 2022 Olympics rep-
inked his three-year entry-level con- resenting Canada.
tract with the Blue Jackets on Friday.
Michigan captain Nick Blankenburg “Kent Johnson is a remarkable young
is joining Johnson in Columbus after man both on and off the ice,” Blue
signing a one-year deal. Jackets general manager Jarmo Keka-
lainen said. “He is a highly-skilled
U.S. Olympians Matty Beniers and and creative player who can bring you
Brendan Brisson might not be too out of your seat whenever he’s on the
far behind in the aftermath of Michi- ice. We’re thrilled that he is taking the
gan’s overtime loss to Denver in the next step in his career and look for-
NCAA semifinals. ward to his growth and contributions
as (with the Blue Jackets) for years to
Power could make his NHL debut come.”
in a matter of days. The 6-foot-6,
214-pound defenseman was more There are similarly high hopes for
than a point-a-game player for Mich- Beniers and Brisson, who starred for
igan and will get some valuable pro the U.S. at the Olympics on a team
experience by suiting up with the Sa- featuring more than a dozen college