Lex Nihil Novi - Sonics Cry Uncle as Jo Jo, Hondo, and the Duck Combine for 82

Sonics Cry Uncle as Jo Jo, Hondo, and the Duck Combine for 82




January 19, 1973










bob




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The "Brisker" on the Seattle side of the boxscore was John Brisker, a guy who really lived on the edge.

From the Wikepedia write up on John Brisker:

Brisker received a reputation as one of the most volatile players in basketball. According to his Condors teammate Charlie Williams, “He was an excellent player, but say something wrong to the guy and you had this feeling he would reach into his bag, take out a gun and shoot you.”[1] He was ejected so often for fighting that he was nicknamed "the heavyweight champion of the ABA." The Condors made much of Brisker's reputation as an enforcer; their media guide portrayed him wearing a pair of six-shooters.

Brisker's most infamous moment came against the Denver Rockets. He was ejected only two minutes into the game for a vicious elbow on the Rockets' Art Becker. For unknown reasons, he charged back onto the court three times after Becker before police finally ushered him to the locker room.

Disappearance in Uganda

In 1978, Brisker went missing after he traveled to Uganda. Some rumors claim he went to Uganda as a mercenary; others say he was invited as a guest by Idi Amin.[1] The last confirmed communication from Brisker was in April 1978, after which it has been speculated that he was executed by a firing squad when Amin was removed from power in 1979. He was declared legally dead in 1985 by the King County, Washington, medical examiner.[

Was Bill Russell the Supersonics coach then?

No. Russ was with the Sonics from 1973-74 through 1976-77.

swish

Wow, that fourth quarter must have been a barn burner of a garbage time: 38-34!

Sam

Arguably the player with the biggest impact on the modern NBA in that boxscore was Spencer Haywood who sued the NBA, contending that the league's bylaw prohibiting teams from signing players until their original college class had graduated was an unfair restraint on trade.

The NBA settled and began allowing the drafting of underclassmen. This, of course, became the floodgate we are all so familiar with now.

Haywood never lived up to his potential as a player (think coming out early had anything to do with that?) He acquired a huge cocaine habit and, according to Bill Simmons, finally sought help when he found himself trying to pay off a hitman to kill then Laker coach Paul Westhead who had suspended Haywood for the 1980 playoffs after he nodded off during game warmups.

Yeow!!!!