Old school sports fans would argue that there was once a time in the golden age of sports when a great player stayed with his team. He and the team were bonded and if someone spoke the name of that individual they knew it was just like saying the name of the team because both were interchangeable. Then players like Shaquille O’Neal (5 championships), Kevin Garnett (1 championship and 1 finals appearance in 3 years) entered the stage. These players and the recent events of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have shown us that this is no longer the case or is it? It would be easy to bash these individuals as many have done for their alleged disloyalty to their respective teams but let’s take a moment to really examine exactly what their collective efforts will mean for the NBA.
Now I’m no expert but I am old enough to remember the dynasties created by the likes of Larry Byrd, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Byrd and Magic were fortunate enough to walk in to an organization that already had a rich history of winning. Upper management did most of the wheeling and dealing that was needed to keep these team’s winning traditions intact. Jordan’s situation represents probably the best example of having a dynasty built around him but everyone knows that his opinion greatly influenced how his team was constructed. This was the case because no one in Chicago including the owner Jerry Reinsdorf wanted to see him go. In other words, measures were taken to keep him happy. I wonder if Cleveland’s owner Dan Gilbert with all of his scathing criticism even considered this valuable piece of history or was he just being…well cavalier when considering James’s happiness as a player. Is it possible that with all of his wealth and promises of prosperity that he forgot that the most important thing to a player with championship potential is to actually become a champion? Let’s face it in every superstar athletes tenure time is of the essence. First steps become slower, verticals become shorter and aches and pains take longer to go away. History has shown that great players need other great players to win. When I look at the Cavalier’s roster I personally don’t see a great among them other than Anderson Verejao possibly.
Now it could be argued that Gilbert gave his best efforts at building a team around James that best complimented his strengths but the performance of these players and the look on Lebron’s face at the end of their playoff run was the most telling of all that it just wasn’t enough. Lebron’s actions are indicative of a man who no longer wishes to wait for destiny or the team owner to get it right. The efforts of him and his new teammates are exactly what owners have been doing for years; taking destiny in their own hands. To accuse him of cowardice, selfishness and quitting is just wrong.
Wade, James and Bosh’s actions represent a new trend in not just basketball but in sports in general. They have in essence taken the game and moved it to a new court, revealed the true power of free agency and made owners like Gilbert painfully aware that they are not the only ones who can have meetings, which decide the future of a franchise. Old school fans that have become owners may argue that Lebron James and his cohorts have no respect for the simpler times when owners controlled everything. Well things are not so simple anymore. The natives have become restless and down right disobedient. I guess there must be something in the Gatorade eh Dan?
2 comments:
Agreed. However, I wouldn't consider Dan Gilbert putting forth "best efforts" when he kept the dude that apparently did the horizontal pokey with LeBron's mom. And, sorry, but the Cleveland team was LeBron - which is always a flaw. Even in Jordan, Magic, Bird days - there were about three other guys who got less press but were as equally valued and treated as such. I would beg that these new fanboy owners of teams (Gilbert and Cuban) need to remember that this is a business. Cheer on the court, make sound decisions behind the desk. Otherwise you're like Richard Pryor in Brewster's Millions.
Very true. There was very little evidence of the Joe Dumars, Horace Grant like heroism in that was found in the teams of old. I would've bounced too! LOL!!!! horizontal pokey... that's hilarious!
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