In one of the highlights of National Basketball Association history last season, the Indiana Pacer’s Ron Artest got into probably the worse brawl in NBA history — physically hurting fans, emotionally hurting players and tearing up Commissioner David Stern’s reputation as the rest of the nation watched on. Artest may have earned a season-long suspension, but he carved himself a place in NBA history as one of the biggest badasses of all time. And, ironically, instead of losing fans, Artest earned himself legions of supporters waiting for the next season to roll around. Forget that he averaged 24.6 points or that he was voted the NBA’s 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year. Step aside Dennis Rodman, the NBA’s got a new thug in town. What’s wrong with the picture here? What happened to the good ‘ol players: Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, or Hakeem Olajuwan, who played key roles on their teams, made their assists and shots, but never had a hardcore fan following because they chose not to be as exuberant as their teammates?
Look at two of the top NBA players: Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, averaging 22.4 and 27.5 points, respectively, and compare them to Tim Duncan’s 22.5 points. It’s amazing to think of how many headlines Bryant and Iverson have made, but try to remember the last time you even read anything bad about Duncan. Unlike many of the NBA’s badasses, Duncan passes and will play in the Olympics without a fuss. However, most fans are unimpressed. I often hear, “Well, Duncan’s boring to watch — he’s too fundamental.” Are you going to tell me that just because someone is so good and fundamentally sound at doing what he does that he’s not worth watching? That’s like telling me that Michael Jackson’s so fundamentally good at singing that you’re not going to listen to him anymore.
It’s sad to think that the golden era of “Old School Basketball” is coming to an end and we’re welcoming in an age of newbies that have high averages only because they refuse to pass. I’d take a day of watching the 1993-94 Championships (Phoenix Suns vs. Chicago Bulls) over the 1999-2000 Championships (Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers) not because I hate the Lakers, but because that’s when basketball was good. It wasn’t just about Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan; there was Kevin Johnson and BJ Armstrong. All of these players made you care and want to root for them because their star players made them key-players by passing the ball. Sadly that’s not the case anymore.
The NBA is deviating from the fan-loving team sport it once was and turning into a one-man show interested in their own self-interests and not yours.
