Has the NBA gone soft? I don't think so.
Firstly, lets talk about the players and the NBA.
It's not a matter of going "soft," it's about how much money these guys are making. Sure they COULD take those hits if they really wanted to, and I’m sure they would be fine. But the question is who is stupid enough to take those risks?
According to Basketball-Reference, in 1986 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made approximately $2 million a year. You know who else makes $2 million a year? This guy:
 |
| Jordan Farmar. Courtesy of: Wikipedia.org |
Mr. “I Accidentally Broke Kobe's Finger So The Lakers Traded Me To The Nets.” Okay, maybe trade is a little misleading; he was let go and signed with them in the offseason. Who is this guy you ask? Most people would have no idea what this guy did, except for that fact, and ultimately that's all his career is probably going to amount to.
And on a side note, Kobe played through his broken finger, taking the Lakers all the way to the finals. Something Jordan never did, or had to do.
You know how much Kobe is being paid? In 2009, Kobe Bryant was paid $21 million. So, let's bring this back to the discussion of the "soft NBA," and fouls. Why are there so many of them? The reason is, when you have assets that are worth $21 million, you're going to protect them. The toughness of the league and the NBA has not changed, but in order to keep the NBA watchable, and its star players on the court and off the bench they have to be protected.
Now, just because I use the word “protected” doesn't necessarily mean that they need to be. Diamonds aren't weak, they're precious items. And like all precious items, you need insurance.
I'm sure Kareem got into his fair share of fights, but nobody liked it when he sits on the bench. Especially the fans. What are you going to say to them when they pay hundreds of dollars for tickets to watch Kareem play, but instead they see him on the bench because he wanted to play Mr. Tough Guy?
The situation is compounded when players are paid tens of millions of dollars, especially because the people who run the NBA aren't paying these guys to sit on the bench. They want to get the most out of their money, and having them hurt or injured are not worth the investment.
Just because the players from the 90's might have beaten each other up, doesn't make that we should now. It's a matter of progress. You want to them to fight? November 19th, 2004. Pacers-Pistons. Which is my birthday, a strange coincidence. However, the aftermath is millions of dollars in salary are lost, and no one is going to give away $10 million dollars just because he wanted to throw a punch at this guy or that guy.
 |
| Clearly, the face of insanity. Courtesy of: EightPointNineSeconds.com |
It's true that the rules have been changed to favor guards more, and speedy players have advantages. However, the rules are the rules and players adapt to them as they always have.
The bottom line is, this is basketball. Basketball is a game revolving around taking a ball, and putting it through the rings of a hoop, in any way possible. You want to see a fight? Watch boxing. Watch MMA. Pro Wrestling. Take your pick. Keep it out of basketball. At the end of the day, it's a child's game, which grown men are being paid millions to play. Act your age.
Secondly, lets talk about the game.
When it comes to anything competitive, the idea is to win. In order to play the game, you have to play by the rules. When it comes to winning, the idea is to exploit the holes in those rules as best you can in order to win. February 24th Bulls-Heat game, Boozer is turning to face up Bosh, Bosh gets clipped on the nose, pretends it's a full on hit, sells it to the ref, that's a foul and a turnover, Heat's Ball.
I'm a Bulls Fan, but as much as I hate that aspect of the game, ultimately it's a part of the game and as competitors they need to be doing everything in their power to win. That is what it means to be a winner.
Just because someone decides to throw a punch, that's being a winner? By being irrational and putting yourself before the team? Because you decide, "I want to be a tough guy” and throw a punch, get double tech'd, now you're out of the game, and your team is down a guy. This is what it means to win?
Get it straight. Nothing is gained in basketball by letting people throw punches. This is a game. Not a way for you to let out your aggressions towards other people. At least if that is your intent, do it the basketball way. What is the point of the game? The point of the game is to win. You do what you need to in order to win. That's what it means to be a winner.
On the topic of technical fouls, I’m not a fan of how technicals are given out these days. However, the only people affected by this are the drama queens who refuse to play ball and decide to slow down the game with their theatrics.
 |
| Drama Queen. Courtesy of: MontanaWriter.com |
The NBA made a decision to rein in their players who have taken it upon themselves to be bigger than the game. In this respect, it's a good decision, and it's not going to change anytime.
Bottom Line: Be a Pro.
Thirdly, Sportsmanship.
It's a game man. Come on. No one hates anyone for playing a game. Stop being such a flamer. Those are mostly just storylines cooked up by the NBA to create drama and increase viewership. Very few people in the NBA hate each other, i.e. All-Star Game.
For the love of the game.
- J.K
No comments:
Post a Comment