NBA Fans Should Be Disappointed by Selfish Actions of Stoudemire, Rondo
When Amar'e Stoudemire left the Phoenix Suns in search of a better offer, we were all reminded that that's what players do in the NBA.
When he showed a fire extinguisher who was boss on Monday, we were reminded that the NBA is a "business" only when convenient and more of a dysfunctional free-for-all the rest of the time. Stoudemire gets paid a lot of money to be so utterly ridiculous—he'll make just a hair under $20 million next season.
What kind of business pays a guy that much money only for him to injure himself amidst the most important games his team will play all season?
A poorly run business, for starters.
Professional basketball has become professionalized in all the wrong ways.
Sure, the NBA is ultimately about making a profit. Every agent reminds his or her client of this, and those clients in turn remind the fans via an uncritical media.
Don't like the fact your franchise player is acting like a spoiled brat? Too bad. Get used to the abandonment and woeful disregard for loyalty, because business is business.
Or is it?
Not all businesses are equal. Some are uncompromisingly cutthroat, sure. But others live by a code of ethics, a more conscientious standard operating procedure that starts at the very top. The NBA has legislated as much with a series of rules designed to protect referees, players and the sacred ground that is league prestige.
But what about the fans? And what about the messages these larger-than-life personalities send to those fans (especially the younger ones)?
After all, those are the people spending ungodly amounts of money on tickets, merchandise, hot dogs and the combination of chips and orange ooze popularly described as "nachos."
These are the people who waited patiently while millionaires quibbled over their millions, shamelessly epitomizing the memetic notion of "rich people problems." Along with his ruling class of owners and agents, David Stern looks out for just about everyone except the consumer.
Where is Ralph Nader when you need him?
Stoudemire's momentary lapse of judgement notwithstanding, this has been the year of the selfish star, and the biggest losers in the equation are fans.
Dwight Howard spent the year contemplating his future and taking virtually everything but his fans into consideration. The same logic went into "The Decision"—a choice LeBron James insisted wasn't one bit selfish. After all, he'd have to take a pay cut!
Never mind that the financial difference was negligible on account of endorsement opportunities and Florida's lack of a state income tax. And never mind the fact the desire to win a ring is every bit as selfish as wanting more money.
Like the Orlando fans sitting through Dwight's indecision, Cleveland fans learned that the NBA isn't just a business—it's a business that seemingly flaunts its disregard for loyalty.
That neglected virtue haunts negotiations, locker rooms and the hardwood alike.
As disappointed as Knicks fans may be about Stoudemire's masochistic tendencies, the fans in Boston are almost as pained by Rajon Rondo's careless decision to pursue an official and bump him (inadvertently or otherwise).
Chances are that Rondo didn't even take the time to assess the potential consequences, and that's precisely what's wrong with the psyche adopted by so many basketball celebrities. Fans and teammates alike are afterthoughts for these guys.
Lamar Odom is at one and the same time both a quintessential victim and perpetrator of this sad trend. It was front-office selfishness that ultimately landed him in Dallas, but it was his own self-pity that derailed a solid opportunity to help the Mavericks.
Unfortunately, fans have little recourse in the matter...other than taking the unthinkable step of no longer being fans.
Until this business remembers that its customer base is the reason it exists, the NBA will continue to look more like an especially contentious episode of Mob Wives than an organization modeling the kinds of choices we should expect.
