Andrei Kirilenko, Tracy McGrady Keep it Real

In a sports world where a soon-to-be 45-year-old pitcher can demand 28 million dollars to work one day out of every five, something seems off.

The theme, of course, is money and greed. Too many players are like Alex Rodriguez, who might opt out of his current huge contract to sign an even bigger one.

Thankfully, there are still players like Andrei Kirilenko and Tracy McGrady out there—guys who play for more than a big payday.

In the Utah/Houston series, it was about more than money for Kirilenko and McGrady. It was about the game of basketball. It was about being able to perform on the court. It was about winning.

After playing only 16 minutes in Game One, Kirilenko had to wipe away tears while he spoke to reporters about his lack of playing time.

Then there was McGrady.  He told Stephen A. Smith that "it was on him" if Houston didn't get out of the first round.  This from a player who hasn't won a playoff series in his entire career. Now he was putting the fate of his team on his shoulders.

Fast forward to the end of Game Seven. Houston had just lost on their home court. Apparently, it was on McGrady.

His body language spoke volumes as he sat down to field questions from reporters. His answers were quiet, and he emphasized how disappointing the loss was.

Then he elaborated on how hard he'd tried, and how he wondered if there was something else he could have done. He spoke about how perhaps an extra shot or an extra rebound could have made the difference.

Then he tried to compose himself.  And he came up short.

"I can't do it man," sighed McGrady as he fought back tears and left the room. 

If you hadn't watched the series, you might have thought T-Mac posted a Dirk-esque performance.  But McGrady averaged 25 ppg, 5.9 rpg, and 7.3 apg. 

Really, what more could you ask for?

In Kirilenko and McGrady, you find two grown men getting emotional about a game they both love to play.

And I admire that.  

Think about it:

We live in an era where athletes haven't made it until they get their names on a sneaker.  

We live in an era where we dub a point guard "The Next Big Thing" and then watch him as he gets arrested on gun possession charges.  

We live in an era where cornerbacks are "making it rain."

We live in an era where star quarterbacks are involved in illegal dog fighting.

These are the athletes we're expected to root for. Charles Barkley said he didn't want to be a role model—but it wasn't his choice to make.  Kids look up to pro athletes. There are kids who look up to Michael Vick.  And I'm sure, somewhere in Coney Island, there are kids who look up to Sebastian Telfair.

Instead, they should be looking at guys like Kirilenko and McGrady, who let the public in on a little secret over the past few weeks: They're human.  They love playing basketball.  And at the end of the day, it isn't about money or a shoe contract. It's about the game, and helping their team win.

That's what sports should be about.  Not the money, or the commercials.  Growing up, I wanted to be Michael Jordan, with my tongue hanging out and my heart on my sleeve. Or a professional soccer player, playing for love of the "Beautiful Game."

Nowadays, we have athletes in the news for all the wrong reasons.  And kids are seeing it all too often. So, I leave you with this: Who was it that you pretended to be when you were growing up? Was it someone with a fat shoe deal? Or was it someone like Andrei Kirilenko and Tracy McGrady?