Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson Had Fundamentals Today's Players Do Not
In addition to being some of the greatest players in the history of basketball, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Oscar Robinson, Jerry West, Kobe Bean Bryant (yes, Kobe is a part this group) and numerous others, all have something in common that many of today’s young pups do not.
Let me enlighten you: Modern ball players—at the collegiate and professional level—lack (yes, lack) a firm understanding of the offensive and defensive fundamentals of the game.
For those of you with your eyebrow raised and (there shouldn’t be many of you), I will defend myself shortly. But, afore I proceed, allow me to mention that during their imposing careers, all of the aforementioned legends played with unbridled passion fueled by an inextinguishable hunger to win at all costs.
That being said, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this thing.
I am the first to concede that superior athleticism is both matchless and unteachable; just ask Miami's own, LeBron James—sorry Cleveland, still too soon? However, a true warrior's key possession while in battle is his knowledge of how to be effective offensively (with or without his weapon), and of how to neutralize his opponent’s offense, despite its potency or lack thereof.
Allow me, yet again, to elect Mr. James and his most recent playoff performance to illustrate this point. “The King” and his former “supporting cast”—as he often called that group of grown men who played along side him in Cleveland—were brimming with offensive talent last season, but of an athletic brand.
Night after night, Cleveland fans were awed by their home-team’s acrobatic, fast-paced (not including Shaq), run-and-gun approach. And on the defensive end, James mystified opponents with his uncanny shot-blocking ability and end-to-end quickness.
In fact, the Cavs finished poised and favored to win it all, amassing 61 wins and only 21 losses.
(Then came wily ol' Boston in the second round of the playoffs).
Now, I don’t feel the urge to refresh you all's memory as to what unfolded, since massacres aren’t often forgotten. I will acknowledge, however, that Boston—who appeared to be stuck in first gear until the very beginning of May—clawed and scrapped their way to one of the most exhilarating seventh games in NBA finals history, while the spry members of LeBron and Co. suffered an inconceivably early playoff exit.
Why? Well, the answer is theoretically simple really. Not counting Rajon Rondo's 71 assists (a series high), the Cavs were humiliated due to their lack of fundamental play—period.
That circus act (which included errant passes, piss-poor shooting, laughable defense and a lifetime's worth of turnovers) can only be attributed to the entire roster’s failure in mastering the basics.
But they (both current and former members of Cleveland) are certainly not alone. In fact, ever since the '95 lockout, the NBA, once a spectacle of unrivaled craftsmanship, elegance and teamwork, has devolved into a showcase for haughty, tattooed infants who live and die by the slam-dunk (you know who you are).
What happened to shooting with proper form, sliding your feet on defense, dribbling with control, and moving without the ball? What happened to boxing out for rebounds, shooting respectably from the charity stripe, and making crisp and calculated passes? Where have all the fundamentals gone?
