Davidson sends message about value of education
There’s no questioning the fact that presumptive two-time NBA most valuable player Stephen Curry is the most accomplished athlete to ever come out of tiny Davidson College in Davidson, N.C. He spent four years there, putting the school on the map athletically, and it’s right to think the college would want to honour him.
But the school is rightfully proud of its reputation as an academic institution, far more than for its sports, and decided it won’t retire Curry’s number until or unless he gets the degree that eluded him in his four years there.
It’s the right decision and sends an important message about where sports fits in at the highly regarded academic institution.
› A broken marriage
The goings-on in Sacramento have been wild to watch all season, with difficult personalities who can’t seem to get along, from rookie GM Vlade Divac and old-school coach George Karl to the challenging roster of personalities dominated by the headstrong DeMarcus Cousins. Things blew up again this week when Cousins had to be restrained when he was screaming at Karl during a timeout. Cousins was suspended for one game for “conduct detrimental” to the team. It’s unimaginable that the two will be asked to coexist beyond this season; the question is if Sacramento will trade Cousins before or after they let Karl go. As for the suspension, it was levied by Divac, but Cousins placed the blame elsewhere: “That wasn’t no suspension from the organization,” he said. “That was a suspension from the head coach, there’s a difference.”
› A never-ending saga
Eventually — like about the middle of July — the Where Is Kevin Durant Going story will be over, the all-star will sign somewhere as a free agent and the basketball world can get on with its business. Until then? Yeesh. Durant was in Boston this week when a story surfaced that, yes, he likes the Celtics. Boston fans started to palpitate at the thought of getting him. It was the same story earlier this year when he was linked to Golden State. He has been going to Washington for years, it seems; he has said he likes Toronto (how’s that, Raptors fans?); and, once some segments of the New York media start thinking about the possibility of a Knicks play, it could get truly crazy. It is a sign of the times and Durant has handled it well, seemingly far less bored of it than some.