Will the NCAA take over the hearts of NBA fans?
Start with an article by Jack McCallum at SI.com, where he begins with:
"Last week I spoke at a gathering that included about 75 boys' high school basketball players. Before I began I asked: How many of you like the NBA better than you like college basketball?
One youngster raised his hand.
One out of 75..."
and end with Duke's push to market college basketball where it is said that:
"...Between Ron Artest, the Pistons and Pacers, Kobe Bryant's unhappy summer, and Latrell Sprewell's lament that his contract wasn't sufficient to feed his family, not to mention the Olympic failure, the general deterioration of basic basketball skills, and the increasing reliance on petulant teenagers, the NBA is as vulnerable as it has been since about 1980..."
Add to this an article from the Portland Tribune by Kerry Eggers that reveals the thoughts of Steve Johnson and you definitely have some food for thought. After watching the infamous "brawl", Steve had this to say:
“As I watched that brawl over and over, I couldn’t help but believe that for me, this was kind of like the end,” he says. “What happened in that game was the result of things that are going on in our sport at its foundation. There is nothing pure anymore. And the result is that you get people who are playing, from the youngest ages, for all the wrong reasons. “They’re not playing for the competition. They’re not playing to be the best. They’re not playing for their teammates. They’re not playing to win. They’re playing because they want the lifestyle it can bring. The cars. The jewelry. The attention. We’ve created this situation, and I’m not sure how we get out of it.” (thanks ABM)
Boy, it pains me to think that the Portland Trailblazers played a role in this fall from grace. I know they did. However, I am proud to say that the Blazers have made great strides in cleaning up their act. Unfortunately, others have come in to take their place. I like college basketball, but I love the NBA. I hope that Stern and other teams take notice and follow the Blazer's lead in making changes that will bring the NBA back to the glory it once knew.
*hat tip yoco::CollegeBasketball*
"Last week I spoke at a gathering that included about 75 boys' high school basketball players. Before I began I asked: How many of you like the NBA better than you like college basketball?
One youngster raised his hand.
One out of 75..."
and end with Duke's push to market college basketball where it is said that:
"...Between Ron Artest, the Pistons and Pacers, Kobe Bryant's unhappy summer, and Latrell Sprewell's lament that his contract wasn't sufficient to feed his family, not to mention the Olympic failure, the general deterioration of basic basketball skills, and the increasing reliance on petulant teenagers, the NBA is as vulnerable as it has been since about 1980..."
Add to this an article from the Portland Tribune by Kerry Eggers that reveals the thoughts of Steve Johnson and you definitely have some food for thought. After watching the infamous "brawl", Steve had this to say:
“As I watched that brawl over and over, I couldn’t help but believe that for me, this was kind of like the end,” he says. “What happened in that game was the result of things that are going on in our sport at its foundation. There is nothing pure anymore. And the result is that you get people who are playing, from the youngest ages, for all the wrong reasons. “They’re not playing for the competition. They’re not playing to be the best. They’re not playing for their teammates. They’re not playing to win. They’re playing because they want the lifestyle it can bring. The cars. The jewelry. The attention. We’ve created this situation, and I’m not sure how we get out of it.” (thanks ABM)
Boy, it pains me to think that the Portland Trailblazers played a role in this fall from grace. I know they did. However, I am proud to say that the Blazers have made great strides in cleaning up their act. Unfortunately, others have come in to take their place. I like college basketball, but I love the NBA. I hope that Stern and other teams take notice and follow the Blazer's lead in making changes that will bring the NBA back to the glory it once knew.
*hat tip yoco::CollegeBasketball*
posted by KJM at 10:47 AM
<< Home