There’s arguably more talent in the NBA right now than there has ever been in any professional sports league. Still, as a socially conscious basketball fan, I’m cynical about the game’s future.
While many star athletes are notorious for arrogance, self indulgence, and bad judgment, irreverence and disloyalty are currently the fastest spreading problems in the NBA.
Sure, the free-agency era has contributed to frequent roster changes and financial competitions rivaling those on the hardwood, but never before have we seen superstars carry out such public displays of ignorance, selfishness, and betrayal.
Whether the primary motive is competitive or fiscal, there’s usually NOTHING inherently immoral about a free agent choosing to leave his team for a better opportunity. Chris Bosh and Amar’e Stoudemire demonstrated this by fulfilling their contractual obligations to their respective teams, and venturing to new organizations with class this summer.
Unfortunately, the league’s biggest star couldn’t follow their lead.
We all know about the Lebron James “Decision,” and how the Ohio native essentially led a public execution of Cleveland in front of a national television audience on July 8th. Not even NFL prima donna Terrell Owens would be egotistical or foolish enough to host such an event (if he could still get a job).
...to you being a jerk.
The only thing more surprising than the King’s blatant disrespect for the Cavaliers organization, their fans, and the rest of the NBA, was his ability to out-scum reporter Jim Gray during this PR disaster (a feat most sports aficionados once deemed impossible). Justifying this “event” as a philanthropy endeavor had the opposite effect Lebron’s “inner circle” hoped it would achieve, as live television feeds revealed tearful Clevelanders turning their Lebron replica jerseys into “HEAT” uniforms by torching the hero-to-zero’s Cavs merchandise in the streets.
The Heat is On
Now, just several weeks after James embarrassed economically-depleted Cleveland, it appears another NBA star could soon be abandoning a different struggling location.
Chris Paul, the league’s top point guard, is reportedly demanding a trade out of New Orleans, a city which has recently endured far worse than a few mediocre NBA campaigns. While it’s hard to believe any sports stories these days (many “Lebron-Watchers” errantly vouched for “sources” all summer), Paul’s departure would undoubtedly sting the city and franchise (Hornets pun-intended). Unlike Lebron, Paul (a three-time All-Star who led the Hornets to the second round of the 2008 Playoffs) has not played out his deal. With two years left on his contract, leaving the Gulf Coast now would make CP3 look almost as negligent as BP (not quite, but you get my point).
Of course it’s unreasonable to expect long-term commitments from all athletes in cities facing hard times. It isn’t too much to ask, however, for such glorified public figures to honor their agreements in the short run. Paul can go wherever he wants soon enough (just as long as he doesn’t ”take his talents” to ESPN when announcing his intentions), so for now he should focus on rehabbing his injured knee (CP3 only played 45 games last season) and helping his current squad in 2010-11.
There's no ME in CP3
(SIDE NOTE: While Paul has supposedly indicated he’d like to be a New York Knick, seeing CP3 in Orange & Blue would, to me, be bittersweet. Having spent some time rebuilding homes in Katrina-devastated New Orleans, I know this city and the entire region needs a beloved figure like Paul a lot more than NYC does.)
For years, the NBA has done an incredible job supporting outreach programs for communities in need of role models and support. It’s amazing to see the kind of influence young athletes (including both Lebron & Chris Paul) can have on people throughout the country and world. Players like Sacramento’s Samuel Dalembert (the UNICEF National Ambassador for his home of Haiti) have been advocates for important issues, and as inspirational off the court as they have been on it. Still, recent trends are alarming. Basketball is starting to look more and more like professional baseball, where small market teams struggle to retain stars seeking bigger paydays and spotlights.
As part of a league that prides itself on caring about its history and fans, NBA stars need to monitor their sport’s direction. If not, the league’s ambassadors may one day be even more phony than a certain announcement that recently took place in Greenwich, Connecticut.
