February 2026

Title: The Cricket

By: Doctor Cricket Dunkenstein

A few years ago, after I returned to planet earth from a sabbatical on Pluto, I began to become bored with the game of basketball as it was being played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).  The Euro League games had more appeal to me. College games were always great to watch.  Then, one young basketball player reignited my flame of interest in the professional game in the NBA

 The game had changed since the ‘good ole days’ when I was hoopin’ on the planet of Pluto.  I was changing too … … … .

Sure, I thought the NBA players were great, extremely skilled, the best of the best.  I liked to tune in and check these guys out individually.  They blew me away with their talent and skills.  However,  after a couple of quarters of any NBA game, it became boring to me. The team game was disappearing and the fans enjoyed and were paying for the entertainment of the spectacular display of the individual athletes.  The intrinsic value of team play did not appeal to the average fan.  The League was changing the rules and the manner it was to be referred in order to suit the money of the fans.

I wouldn’t ever totally abandon watching the best professionals play basketball as long as it was on planet earth.  So I watched parts of the regular season NBA games.  Sometimes, I’ld check on the score and tune back into a game if it was close in the end.  I enjoyed watching the three  Stooges: Larry, Curly, and Mo,  (Shaq,  Kenny, & Charles), present highlights scores and talk about the games.  I personally knew these three ‘cats’,  and had some very limited basketball experiences with these guys.  They were so likeable, funny, honest and knowledgeable about the NBA professional game.  Even if they talked too much and strayed into non-sense at times, I enjoyed their show of entertainment – especially when they drove poor Ernie crazy.  I  would make an effort  to tune in to view them on TNT in order to keep track of the games and NBA players.  But watching all 48 minutes of a regular season NBA basketball game did not appeal to me , at least not like it did in my good old days while playing on Pluto, … … .

I mean, back in those days,  I loved watching all the players and teams,  … … Wilt, Kareem, Karl, Bird, Magic, Kobe, Shaq, MJ, Isiah , The Admiral, Timmy… all of them … from the 70’s to the end of the 90’s …into about 2010. Then, things slowly changed.  There were  hundreds of great guys to watch in today’s game, but the team play issue left me wanting. 

Back in the old NBA days I liked watching the players play basketball because they were innovative thinkers with skill,   masters at working together on the court.  They were thinkers with clever calculated reactions.   The games they played in those years fascinated me and fulfilled my fix for the sport of basketball. 

But by 2017 the thrill was gone!    The boredom of regular season games set in … … … .  B.B. King singing, ‘The Thrill Is Gone” was more interesting than a complete NBA basketball game.  

Then, one day, I was watching Euro Sport on the satellite in my crib, and I saw this skinny baby face kid playing basketball.  There was something in his looks and in his ‘Moves‘  on the basketball court that I found unusual … … …,  he was interesting to watch.

He looked like a cricket jumping around all over the basketball court … … .  I soon found out he was a ‘Frenchy’,  just a young baby croissant hoopin’ jumpin’ cricket.  He was fun to watch as he tried to swat everything in the air with his long skinny arms.  He had the energy and the jumping skills of a cricket.   Long legs and arms …  … floppy, yet coordinated.  He played as if he loved the game.

A few years later, there was this same kid, ‘The Cricket’, playing for the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team.  He was only 19 years old the first time I watched him play in the NBA.   He looked  to me as if he was much younger … … .

Back in the day, some people said watching the Spurs was boring basketball, but not to me.   I loved watching the Spurs play basketball in the NBA back in those championship years.  Those ‘Pop’ coached Spurs were my kinda basketball teams.  I watched most of those guys in college.  So, I found it interesting that the Spurs organization was gonna select this kid from France.  The young ‘French Cricket‘ and Spurs would be an excellent match.

The ‘Cricket’ was the first overall selection in the 2023 NBA draft, taken by the San Antonio Spurs.  That made a lot of connection sense to me. 

But , oh boy,  a player that young has many possible outcomes in his career,  … … lots of potential issues could arise in his development. 

 The word about how good this young kid was already out on the streets by 2019.  Tony Parker, former Spurs NBA Hall of Fame player, had him under his wing in France.    The word was ‘potential’ … …  and the baby face , skinny as a rail, floppy, cricket jumping swatting kid from Paris  wasn’t even 18 years-old.  Now,years later,  there he was a Spur with Pop coaching him.

There is always a  very high risk of financial  investment for any NBA organization when placing a high draft selection –  not to mention the increase risk with a number one draft selection  – and even more risk invested into any 18 year old young man.  I thought this young kid, ‘the cricket’, basketball player would be an added risk, due to the inherited God given stature and size, … … he looked frail and thin.

Ability was not a big obvious risk and question when watching him play basketball, however, fragility was a risk.   Maintaining health in the NBA,  a demanding Man’s Basketball League, was simply a questionable issue for any young player.  Someone built like a cricket would have to be special and lucky. But the Spurs  had hope, and foresight that things would work out because of the kids ability and his potential was already on display.   

I agreed with the Spurs assessment and draft selection.  But remained skeptical … as I had watched a lot of NCAA Stars with his skinny frail stature struggle in the NBA.  Sam Bowie, drafted number two ahead of Michael Jordan, came first to mind when thinking about how injuries changed the sport of basketball destiny. 

Sam was a great 7’2″ tall skinny player at the University of Kentucky.  However foot fractures limited his career in the NBA.  He played many years professionally, but he never bloomed into the flower he was projected to be in the draft.  Injuries limited his potential.

I ask myself, …  would a similar fate reach this young French basketball player

Then,  I watched the cricket play in the NBA in 2023-24.  My optimism grew, somewhat … … he had talent. I remained reserved. 

I watched more of him in 2024-25, some injuries were surfacing.  My optimism was tapering,   but  signals on potential skill and accomplished performance was growing exponentially.  He was talented, especially for someone of his height.  Every time I watched ‘The Cricket’ play basketball in the NBA, I was impressed. 

He still had lots to learn,  but he had spunk, … … energy, court presence.  The intangibles were lurking in his game.

Recently in 2025-26, he was at his best yet, importantly, so far, he avoided serious injury.  

THE CRICKET BROUGHT BACK MY LOST  LOVE OF WATCH NBA BASKETBALL.  

I started to tune into every San Antonio Spurs game just to check up on ‘The Cricket’

My Basketball Faith & Belief In The NBA Was  Restored

… restored …. Then, a thought occurred.

What if , … …  yes, what if I could bestow  all the knowledge of basketball from the planet of Pluto onto Victor Wembanyama

Why not , … … 

I never met ‘Pop’, but I knew all about him.  Our roots come from the same sycamore trees. 

We were both Hoosiers, , Auburn and Merrillville Indiana roots.  I had played the Air Force Academy basketball team 8 times in my career. 

I  knew, if Pop wanted to draft the Cricket #1, he was on the right career track.

But then, …. unexpectedly, Coach  Pop had health issues …  what would happen to the Cricket? 

I didn’t know anything about Mitchell Johnson, Pop’s replacement Coach, … , 

One bad Coach could send this kid into the history of failed potential … … 

R. C.  Buford, one of Pop’s right hand men,  was fazing out … moving upward in the organization  … further from the court, closer to more paperwork. Owners do strange things , I did not know anything about the Spurs ownership organization and owners always have the last word. 

I knew a little about R. C. Buford from way back to our days at ‘He’s NOT Here,  at the U.N.C. , Dean Smith Basketball School.  He helped rope in Victor.   

But what was going to happen to  the Victor Wembanya without Pop running the show?

I ask myself, why would I invest my time to write about Victor Wembanyam.  Who the heck wants to hear anything about basketball from some old, pseudonym author named,   Doctor Cricket Dunkenstein … … … especially,  probably not Victor Wembyama, a very young talented phenom worth millions of dollars.

But I had a history with the ‘Zen  Master’  Phil, in Chicago,  … … I learned in that experience that one single positive thought can be worth a lot in the success of a basketball team.  I idea can create the butterfly effect in sports.  I wanted to try to do this regarding Victor Wembanyama. 

SO I STARTED WRITING  – AGAIN.  …    . Writing about Wemby, and watching this ‘kid’ play basketball.  I created WembanyamaOnline.com .

The initial writing and decision to forge ahead with this project can be found on the presentation: ‘A Texas Road Trip’ .  (see learn more blue box below)

Just maybe a little  something,  something would help Victor,  he was young , any help, would be good help, help, or would it not, if I never could reach him.  I had a front row seat to the Bulls through Chip, and with the ‘Zen Masters’ blessing.  I had no access to Victor. 

The last time I had these imaginary thoughts about how great a basketball player was going to change the entire game was in 1982, about Michael Jordan.   We played several times together I those years.  He wasn’t yet the best basketball player on earth, but something made me think he just might be one of the greatest to ever play the game.  I was thinking about the similar thought now about Victor Wembanyama in 2026.  I wanted him to learn the history of the game.

Now in May 2026,  Victor Wembanyama, is playing in the ‘BIG APPLE”, the center of the basketball world, in the 2026 NBA playoffs.  … ….  I have spent the last eight months writing about him, the Spurs and basketball on WembanyamaOnline.com 

I was not ready for this deep run into the playoffs by the Spurs, I thought I would have one more year to complete this website … …. . Nevertheless, I am about 80% finished.  It’s June 2026.  Now, I have to find a way to get him to read what I have written.  At least some of it.  

What a delight it has been to watch Victor Wembanya and the San Antonio Spurs during the 2026 NBA basketball season,  …

I saw R.C. outside the locker room hugging ‘Wemby last night, after game seven of the WVF.  … What a night.  

I am going to try to send something to R.C.. It can’t hurt to try, right.  Ask about the post card from Hawaii, he probably doesn’t remember, but I do.   Maybe I can help Victor teach R.C. some French.   He is going to need it if he escorts the team to the 2027 Spurs games in France.   “Decor”

“Sometimes Ya Don’t Always Get What Ya Ask For, But Ya Get What You Need”, said Mick Jagger.

Below are videos of a young Victor Wembanyama playing basketball in France.