2012 NBA Playoffs: Let the Players Play the Game

A couple of days ago, Larry Bird expressed his displeasure for the "soft" play of his Pacers, which caused them to ultimately get knocked around by the Heat.

I agree with him, and would also like to add "most of the NBA" to his quote.

Nobody really knows the exact moment when basketball got soft. My guess would be around the late '90s. Some would argue closer to the Malice in the Palace incident. But we'll get to that later.

The '80s and '90s were a glorious time for the NBA. Basketball was surging in popularity, cities were reinvigorated with teams that enthused their populace. Hardcore and casual fans were loving every bit of it. 

Part of this popularity was due to amazing players, while the other big part was the level of competition. Simply put, guys were tougher back then. Trash talk was prevalent, and hard fouls were accepted as part of the game. Flopping was unheard of; any player caught exaggerating for a foul was labeled as weak.

Matchups like Bird-Johnson were especially looked forward to. Others like Jordan vs. the Bad Boys caught the fans' attention. Whenever they were on the court, you could expect the physicality to ramp up. The crowd couldn't get enough of it. 

I really could go on talking about how the rough play enticed fans. But instead, let's get some examples for better clarification.

This is a video of the famous Kevin McHale clothesline on Kurt Rambis. It was the epitome of rugged play back then. A lot of teams (most notably the Knicks and Celtics) enforced a policy of "no layups" where they would rough guys up who dared go down low. They would deny the easy points at all costs.

In case you're wondering, there was no technical foul on this play. No flagrant either. It was just classified as a regular foul. If you watch the whole thing, Bird even goes over to help Rambis up, because he accepted it as the nature of the sport. It really is a marvel.

In contrast, this video is an example of a common occurrence these days. No contact was made, but Griffin acted as if there was. Instead of focusing on doing a play or something like it, he chose to try and get the call. This is what is ruining the NBA.

I don't want to link to all the other instances of flopping or horrible technical calls. It is way too common these days. Search "flop" or "horrible flagrant" and you will have no trouble finding examples.

Keep in mind, there is a difference between a cheap shot and physical play. Cheap shots are fouls committed either after the play, or unnecessary hits (punches, slaps) that have no connection to the play.

The fact that people called for (and got) a suspension for Udonis Haslem because of this foul worries me. Was it hard? Yes. Was it brutal, as the headline described it? Of course not. It was him sending a message to the Pacers and bringing roughness into the equation. That would have been totally fine a decade ago.

In my honest opinion, I think it really became bad around the time of the Pistons-Pacers brawl. What happened then was a disgrace on so many levels. Many encouraged tougher rules and heavier punishments after the incident.

What they didn't realize was that it was an isolated incident, which had never had any precedent in the many years before (those trying to link the Tomjanovich incident seemingly forget the 27 year gap between them.)

But that is old news. What is happening now is ridiculous. You can't even trash talk without being called for a technical. The talking used to add to the anticipation of games. Not only are the players weak physically, they are apparently emotionally delicate.

That is why I love to root for teams like the Grizzlies or Bulls (especially the Grizzlies), because they are tough, no-nonsense guys. Flopping is disgraceful to them, and they don't stand for it. Players like Noah and Randolph love to get physical and play tough basketball. It's also why they both have some of the best home-court advantages in the league.

Perhaps this is me screaming in a tunnel, waiting for a response. Either way, I wouldn't care. Me and millions of others long for the days of tough play and tough players. In fact, I can't wait to see the Pacers and Heat battle it out tonight. I want to see the physical play take a front seat. Whether or not that will ever happen is unsure.

All I know is that basketball was a lot more fun the old way.