STEM has always been part of everyday human life for thousands of years. From the Sumerians creating the wheel to the many African American inventors of the modern age, STEM has changed the world in a myriad of ways. The way we turn on a vehicle with our keys, the way that electricity flows in a home, and the way how space travel is possible deals with discoveries and inventions. Back to basis, human history is filled with developing more simplistic tools to advanced computerized systems. One of the most important technological inventions are the computer and the iPhone that have changed the whole world for years. In the time frame of the thousands of years of human history, a diverse assortments of events happened. During ancient times, after the Ice Age, there was the Neolithic agricultural revolutions causing crops being domesticated. Later, there was the Bronze and Iron Ages that saw the Great Pyramids of ancient Egypt, other architectural marvels, and the growth of modern medicine that has helped human lives. During the centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ, there has been even more mathematical, engineering, science, and other technological discoveries like the finding of DNA to the mapping of the whole human genetic code. One of the most unsung scientists was George Washington Carver. He was a great scientist who aided in nutrition of farm families. He developed many recipes dealing with peanuts, etc. Another chemist named Percy Lavon Julian made chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. Lonnie George Johnson is an engineer who invented the Super Soaker water gun. One of the greatest STEM leaders of all time was the late Dr. Annie J. Easley (1933-2011). She was a computer scientist, mathematician, and rocket scientist. She worked for the Glenn Research Center of NASA, and she was one of the first African Americans to work at NASA. Birmingham, Alabama was the place of her birth, and she was an expert in computer engineering. She loved to ski too. So, we remember the past, so the present and the future can be better. That's our creed in living our lives.
On this Hispanic Heritage Month (during October of 2021), it is important to celebrate Afro-Latino leaders. One Afro-Latino leader is Maria Isabel Urrutia. She was an Olympic athlete. Also, she was the first person to win gold for Columbia at the Summer Olympic Games. She was a politician at the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. She was born in March 25, 1965 at Candelaria, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. She was involved in the shot put, discus, and weightlifter. She has fought for black people, women, and other marginalized people in the nation of Colombia for years. Miriam Jimenez Roman wrote a book entitled The Afro-Latino Reader: History and Culture in the United States. She leads the Afro Latino Forum that helps to raise awareness of Afro-Latinos in America. Jose Celso Barbosa was a physician, sociologist, and politician. He was one of the first Afro-Puerto Rican to have a medical degree in America. He was the executive cabinet under Puerto Rican Governor Charles H. Allen. He joined the Puerto Rican Senate, he fought for statehood. He also formed El Tiempo or the island's first bilingual newspaper. Afro-Latino Sylvia de Villard is from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has been an actress, dancer, and activist. She studied at Fisk University in Tennessee. Her ballet group was called Africa House. Her Afro-Boricua El Coqui Theater. It is one of the greatest Afro-Latino institutions in the world. del Villard fought anti-black racism along with Carmen Belen Richardson. Julia de Burgos celebrated her Blackness in one poem and her activism work. Arturo Schomburg is a well known Afro-Latino scholar who helped to form the Schomburg Center in Harlem (that celebrated African American culture and cultures from all over the black African Diaspora).
This year of 2021 is now the 75th year anniversary of the NBA (the National Basketball Association). It was born on June 6, 1946 at New York City. It went from a small league to have now of 30 teams (including one in Canada), and one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States of America plus Canada. For decades, it has featured some of the best players in basketball players in history. It has included many activists who stood up for racial and social justice long before it became popular. One example is that Bill Russell fought for civil rights in America during the 1960's. Bill Russell is one of the top 5 greatest players of all time in my opinion. Its original name was the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It later changed its name to the NBA on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball League (NBL). NBA Players now including some of the highest paid athletes by average in terms of their national income. During the early years of the NBA, it was found in large arenas, small gyms, and a mix of large including small cities. The teams, during the early years, were found in the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors, Syracuse Nationals, etc. The Pistons moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Detroit in 1957. The first person of color in the NBA was the Japanese-American Wataru Misaka during the 1947-48 season. He played for the New York Knicks. The first black African American player was Harold Hunter, who played for the Washington Capitol in 1950. Later, more black players came into the NBA like Chuck Cooper, Nathaneile Clifton, and Earl Lloyd. One of the leading centers of the early days was George Mikan, who won 5 NBA Championships. He was part of the Minneapolis Lakers being the league's first dynasties.
By 1954, the NBA introduced the 24 second shot clock in order to encourage shooting and discourage stalling. If the clock ends, and one team fails to make a shot, the ball is given to the other team. The rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics in 1957. He took the league by storm. The guard in the Celtics was Bob Cousy, and the coach of the team during the start was Red Auerbach. They led the Boston Celtics to win 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons. The center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959. He was a dominant individual star of the 1960's being one of the top 5 best NBA players in history. Wilt Chamberlain has the single game record in scoring being 100 points in a game and rebounding (being 55 rebounds in one game). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports. The 1960's was a time dominated by the Celtics and other players from other teams too. One of the greatest players during the 1960's and 1970's was Oscar Robertson. Oscar Robertson was an outstanding NBA player who can play defense and offense including Elgin Baylor. Elgin Baylor's creativity influenced the creative offensive displays of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James. The Celtics won in 1968 and in 1969. The League evolved. By the end of the 1960's, the Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles, the Phiadelphia Warriors moved to San Francisco, the Syracuse Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers, and the St. Louis Hawks moved into Atlanta. By the late 1960's and 1970's, the rival ABA league existed. The ABA was the American Basketball Association that had more freedom and had just as much great talent as the NBA. The NBA later saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, and others. Rick Barry also came into the ABA too. ABA stars were like Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires. Jerry West of the NBA was the picture on the logo of the league too. The ABA merged with the NBA by the 1977 season. The 1970's saw excellent players like Jabbar, Dave Cowens, Erving, Elvin Hayes, Walt Frazier, Moses Malone, Artis Gimore, George Gervin, Dan Issel, and Pete Maravich.
The popularity of the NBA soared by 1979 to 1998. The three point field goal was added to the NBA in 1979. In 1979, the rookies of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird joined the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics respectively. They changed the game forever. The NBA increased in its growth and support. Both players faced each other in the 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game. They played against each other in 3 NBA Finals (1984, 1985, and 1987). Magic won 5 NBA titles, and Bird won 3 NBA titles. Then, you have Isaiah Thomas who played for the Detroit Pistons, and he was born in Chicago. In 1984, David Stern became the NBA commissioner. He was the best in history helping to grow the league internationally not just nationally. In 1984, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olujawon, and other legends were in the league. Michael Jordan had an immediate impact when he came into the league. Michael Jordan struggled in the beginning, and later, he became the greatest NBA player of all time with his courage, scoring, defending, and all around leadership. The league grew in 1988 and 1989 into Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, and Minnesota. In 1989 and 1990, the Detroit Pistons won 2 NBA Titles with Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, and other playing in the team. Chuck Daly was the coach. Most of the 1990's was dominated by the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan as the team leader. The Bulls back then was coached by Phil Jackson. The Bulls won 2 3 peats from 1991-1998. Hakeem Olajuwon and other players won back to back titles with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. The international growth of the NBA happened with the 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team. It had Michael Jordan, Bird, Magic, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and NCAA payer Christian Laettner. The Dream Team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 11 of its players and 3 coaches were elected to the Hall of Fame as individuals. In 1995, there were the Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies. In 1996, the Women's National Basketball Association of the WNBA was born with support from the NBA. Michael Jordan retired on top in 1998 for his 2nd time after he won his 6th NBA Championship.
A 1998 lockout shortened the 1998-1999 season. The Spurs from San Antonio won their championship in 1999 with David Robinson and Tim Duncan. The Western Conference dominated the league after Michael Jordan left the Bulls.Phil Jackson led the Lakers and Gregg Popovich led the San Antonio Spurs to have 10 titles in the 21st century. By 2000, Shaq and Kobe Bryant won 3 straight NBA Titles from 2000 to 2002. The Spurs beat the Nets in 2003. The Pistons won the NBA Championship in 2004. After the violence on November 2004, the league changed its policies by limiting the sale of alcohol, increasing security, and having stricter rules. The fight was between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons. In 2005, the Spurs won the title, and the Miami Heat won it in 2006. In this time, Lebron James was in the league. From early won, Lebron James would be another all-time great. IN 2007, the Spurs beat Lebron and the Cavs. In 2008, the Celtics beat the Lakes in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant used that defeat as motivation to win back to back Championships in 2009 and 2010. This was after the USA Redeem Team winning gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. The new Big Three of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade helped to win championships in 2012 and 2013. In 2011, Drik Nowitzki won it for the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James came back to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. By this time, there was the Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson being leaders of that team. The Warriors had the best record in league history with 73-9 in 2016. In 2016, LeBron won his championship with the Cavaliers to overcome a 3-1 deficit. In 2017 and 2018, Kevin Durant used his skills to win the Finals against the Cavaliers. The Toronto Raptors beat the Warriors in 2019 with Kawhi Leonard winning another title. The pandemic was in the 2019-2020 season. Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus early on. The 2020 Finals between the LA Lakers and the Miami Heat ended with Lebron James and the Lakers winning another title. In 2021, the Minnesota Bucs won their first championship in a long time with Giannis as the MVP. The NBA Cares program helps to promote social responsibility in addressing social issues worldwide. Now, the NBA is here and still strong after 75 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment