In a look back to 2002, we watch highlights from LeBron James’ first ESPN2 appearance against famed Oak Hill academy.
With the sports world on a pause and everyone encouraged to continue social distancing to stay home and flatten the curve of the spread of coronavirus, there have been some unprecedented giveaways of content from various leagues and channels. ESPN is one of those, moving up the release date of their “The Last Dance” documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. But even before that, they have been sharing more and more classic footage from their archives on their YouTube channel.
Among the classic footage that ESPN has released on YouTube is LeBron’s first appearance on ESPN, when his St. Vincent-St. Mary’s squad upset the previously No. 1 ranked Oak Hill Academy, who had just seen Carmelo Anthony go to Syracuse. You can see the type of environment that surrounded LeBron’s games, being played at Cleveland State because their high school gym couldn’t contain the demand.
I’ve got to shout out my colleague and fellow hoops junkie David Lieberman for alerting me to the ESPN archive of LeBron footage, which we will certainly be revisiting during the NBA hiatus.
Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale said the initial shock of the 2020 NCAA tournament being canceled left him despondent. Then Vitale said he quickly became grounded in the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic that’s prompted all NCAA spring sports to be canceled and pro sports leagues to be put on hold. “I love March and college basketball as much as anyone. But what’s going on is bigger than sports,” Vitale told USA TODAY Sports by phone. “When peoples’ lives are at risk, basketball goes on the backburner. Initially, I thought postponing the NCAA tournament made more sense. Those three weeks, there’s no greater time in sports for mom, dad, grandma and grandpa. But at the end of the day, we’re dealing with an infectious disease. I said to myself, ‘My friend, you love basketball. But you love people more.’”
Everyone agrees Silvio De Sousa should be suspended, but for how long?
Depending on who you ask, Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa should be suspended for a few games or for the rest of the college basketball season for one very specific moment in an all-out brawl at the end of the Kansas-Kansas State game Tuesday night.
With only a few seconds left in Kansas’ 81-60 win in Lawrence, Kansas State guard DaJuan Gordon stole the ball from De Sousa, who was dribbling out the clock. Gordon went in for a meaningless layup, De Sousa blocked the shot and Gordon landed on the court, where De Sousa taunted him.
Seconds later, dozens of people surrounded them for a scuffle that spilled into the stands.
But at one point amid all the chaos, De Sousa picked up a stool and had it over his head as if he was ready to swing it at someone. Before he could, what appeared to be an assistant coach standing behind him pulled the stool out of his hands.
Kansas coach Bill Self said he saw that moment in person and called it a “terrible image” and guaranteed consequences. But what should those be?
ESPN analysts Jay Williams and Richard Jefferson were among those who weighed in.
“This is not acceptable,” Williams said Wednesday on ESPN’s Get Up. “This is wrong. There shouldn’t be fights. But I also want to put this in perspective: This is a rivalry game. This is a rivalry game. And look, the kid made a play at the end. He stole the ball and got his shot blocked. This is a bigger issue with Silvio De Sousa. I think he will be suspended — and should be suspended.”
Tuesday night after the brawl, ESPN’s Dick Vitale called for a much harsher punishment for De Sousa for picking up the stool and raising it over his head, ready to hit someone with it.
Calling the brawl “absolutely sickening and unbelievable,” Vitale said:
“In 40 years I’m on TV, I haven’t seen anything like that, unless you go to the NBA and look at the Pistons brawl that took place in the Palace. I think there’s no doubt in my mind that De Sousa never, ever should put a uniform on again in college basketball. None. As Seth [Greenberg] said — and I couldn’t agree more — he’s holding a chair! I mean, that’s criminal. He’s going to hurt somebody.
“I don’t want to hear any excuse that they stole the ball with time running out, should have never done such. Give me a break. That was ugly! Where were the coaches, the assistants keeping their team on the bench? That’s the first rule: One assistant should take charge and make sure that no one gets there. It is sickening. There’s no place in the game. That was almost criminal what De Sousa has done. I’ll be shocked if he ever wears a [Kansas] uniform again.”
However, when discussing Vitale’s comments Wednesday on Get Up, Williams and Jefferson agreed that suspending De Sousa — who also did not play during the 2018-19 season because of a possible NCAA violation — for the remainder of the season is too severe of a punishment.
Williams called Vitale’s suggestion “a little bit extreme,” while Jefferson said, “That’s a little much,” and emphasized De Sousa should be reprimanded for his intent by picking up the stool in the first place.
Jefferson suggested up to 20 games with 13 regular-season matchups remaining on the Jayhawks’ schedule. He said:
“Even though he didn’t get a chance to use the chair, it wasn’t because he individually decided to put it down. It’s because someone took the chair out of his hand. He actually turned over his shoulder [as if to say,] ‘Who took my weapon?’ Right? He should be suspended for 15 to 20 games.”
Williams said “maybe 10 games” is a better suspension length:
“You know what’s really funny? We’re not allowed to be very harsh and critical on kids because they’re in college, and then also we are. The thing about being a kid is you’re going to make mistakes in the heat of the moment. There’s a learning opportunity there for Silvio De Sousa, and I don’t want to take away the whole season. Maybe, 10 games.”
No word yet on whether Kansas and Kansas State, the Big 12 or the NCAA — or a combination of all of the above — will deal out the suspensions or other penalties to De Sousa and others involved in Tuesday night’s brawl.
