LeBron, D-Rose and Eight Other Guys Capable of Either Ruining or Saving the NBA
I'm about as big an NBA fan as you'll find. I've been playing basketball for 20 years and watching the game just a shade under that long. I take the state of the game very seriously, and unfortunately recent years have given me ample reason to believe the pro game is in serious jeopardy of becoming a complete joke.
It has nothing to do with talent; the average NBA player has become, if anything, more talented and more gifted over the decades. It has a lot more to do with the fact that the league (and the competitive landscape) is now being shaped by player agendas rather than the actual games played on the court.
Sadly, I nearly turned my back on the NBA last summer after watching LeBron and his buddies execute their carefully planned scheme to laugh their way to multiple rings. Then when I heard Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony start up, I thought about it again.
Really, who wants to spend eight months a year watching a league that is at the mercy of a select few inflated egos who feel its reason for existing is solely for their gratification? Players who feel that competition and hard work are nothing but nuisances to be squashed at the contract table.
Needless to say, I feel like now, more than ever, individual players have the power to set the tone for how the NBA will be for a very long time. Some players are taking it down the path of the superteam and the impatient prima donna. Down that road, you have a culture where it will be perfectly OK for even the league's best to take the cheap route to success.
And yet others strike me as the yin to this ego-driven yang and are perhaps the league's best hope at retaining any semblance of parity and preserving the essence of the game. You know... competition. As opposed to a 30-team slaughterhouse for the top few markets to feast on, where entire seasons will be highlight-filled insults to any and every sport fan not residing in said markets.
Problem 5: Chris Paul
1 of 10
I like Chris Paul.
Let's get that out of the way. His game is mesmerizing, and I think he, unlike LeBron or Carmelo, has had a real taste of losing and braved through it.
That said, I think he sets just as bad a precedent for the NBA as those two did. Sure he's happy right now, because the Hornets are holding it together.
The moment they have a few bad games, every headline around the league is "Chris Paul Unhappy?" because even though he never said, "trade me," he's made it clear his loyalty depends on immediate results at this point. Talk about putting pressure on your team.
Obviously, all this is for a reason. CP3 wants to leverage himself into a winning situation one way or another. Last summer his "people" dipped their foot in the media pool and put it out that he wanted off the team. After some negative early feedback, they took it all back, and Paul went on record denying it.
What they didn't tell us, however, is the ultimatum still stands. He's just giving the Hornets one last chance. "Win now, or see me to the door." No word on whether he would lose a wink of sleep over helping the Hornets hit the seabed that much faster.
Meanwhile, we may have already seen the best of CP3 whether everyone wants to admit it or not. Injuries have already changed his game, and some team may be about to overpay (in dollars or trade value) for a superstar who has fewer great years left in him than expected.
So, worst case scenario for any potential Paul move: New Orleans goes under, and some other team (possibly New York) has serious roster problems and maybe an albatross in the long run. All while feeding into the age of the superteam. Not a very good net gain for NBA fans.
Problem 4: Deron Williams
2 of 10
Again, huge fan of the guy's game. Top three point guard, no doubt in my mind.
But again, this guy is capable of doing serious damage in at least two places before it's all said and done.
First off, unless Jerry Sloan miraculously comes back to Utah, Williams will have been personally responsible for the untimely and frankly unceremonious retirement of perhaps the most reputable head coach in the NBA. The damage is done in Utah.
At least they were able to cut out Williams shortly thereafter and get something for the future in return.
Now he's in Jersey, and Mikhail Prokhorov just inherited the painful task of dealing with his imminent free agency. If he thought the Carmelo talk was a distraction to the team, he hasn't seen anything yet.
Somehow, I don't see a pile of wins in the Nets' immediate future, which means they'll have to expend that much more energy coming up with alternative reasons for him to re-sign (i.e. Brooklyn, prospects, etc.)
In the end it's a strain that a rebuilding team doesn't need. Prokhorov is showing more and more that he's the type to bluff (he is after all a businessman), so he'll talk the whole time like he has it under control.
Which he more than likely won't, and you can bet D-Will's people will exploit it.
Problem 3: Dwight Howard
3 of 10
2012. It's coming... Where's he gonna go?
"I hear Lakers."
"I say Celtics!"
"Imagine if New York signed him!"
I swear I'm getting déjà-vu. It's like The Decision Part Deux... hopefully without the TV special.
So Dwight Howard, the NBA's best center and all-around athletic monster is starting to feel that "win or bounce" feeling as his free agency approaches. While there's nothing wrong with that in principle, again it comes hand in hand with public grumblings every time Orlando goes through a tough stretch. And each time a new volley of Summer 2012 rumors is sure to follow.
The worst part of it all is Howard himself will have little to do with the fiasco. He might play into the hype, but I honestly don't see him whoring himself in the media like we've seen from others. Meanwhile every web journalist and his mother's cousin will kick up their own little frenzy.
Maybe if we're lucky, we'll end up tainting another playoff series in the process!
You get the feeling no matter what happens, Howard is just a very muscular lightning rod for the real problem (see: us, rumors).The best thing for him to do would be to re-sign early and skip the hoopla, but that's just because of the toxic media climate surrounding big name free agency these days. Talk about all the wrong reasons.
Conversely, if he just bolts Orlando (an upper crust team) under pretense that he needs more help, look for one more super-mega-team to terrorize both the NBA and your last nerve. I would never expect that from Howard, but then again I would never have expected it from LeBron either.
If it does go down, the superteam theory will become impossible to discredit. That, and that alone, is enough to land Howard on this list.
The only good thing about The Decision, and the two years of pointless speculation that preceded it, is that it's over. Unfortunately, it's very possible we're about to take that terrible idea and do it all over again.
Isn't that the definition of insanity?
Problem 2: Ricky Rubio
4 of 10
Don't get me started on this kid.
First of all, overrated. Absolutely overrated. I'm not saying Rubio's game isn't pretty looking, but how this instantly translates into NBA stardom is beyond me. I could be wrong; pro scouts aren't complete idiots.
I just feel like the reality of being checked by NBA point guards is going to knock a lot of the swagger out of Rubio's game. I also happen to think he's 90 percent swagger. You do the math.
But despite all the unanswered questions, Rubio has apparently bought into his own hype so utterly and completely that he feels the NBA should accommodate his agenda before he even reports. The series of events surrounding his selection by the Timberwolves can only be described as insultingly transparent.
He was packed and ready to make the big move overseas...
Then the plan changed (as plans are wont to do), he ended up slipping to Minnesota, and suddenly you can't get him over here for all the paella in Spain.
At first, Rubio had a pretty nice cop-out in that the Timberwolves were forbidden by NBA Draft rules to spend the dollar amount required to buy him out of his contract with FC Barcelona. This made it incredibly easy for him to appear happy to be a Timberwolf (i.e. not come off as an entitled Euro-punk).
He thought he was in the clear, but David Kahn flew to Spain and back seemingly every week that offseason to negotiate a lower buyout... and darned if he didn't somehow pull it off. The door was wide open for Rubio to take the reins in Minny.
But Ricky had different plans, suddenly deciding he wasn't ready for the NBA. His family wasn't ready for the move. His game needed time to develop. He looked forward to being a Timberwolf but at some point in the future also known as "not now."
In a twist that absolutely no one could have expected (how's my sarcasm?), Minnesota is likely seeking trade options for him. The NBA will have to wait until Rubio lands on a team that he feels is worthy of him, preferably Sacramento or New York. Just nowhere cold...
So here's another guy who subscribes to the "what can my team do for me" philosophy, who has the distinction of not having breathed a single NBA breath in his life and seems to think New York is located in Florida. At this point, he'd better be Pistol effin' Pete if he honestly thinks he's worth all this.
I don't see it.
Problem 1: Who Else?
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If you're surprised, you obviously forgot the picture on page one. Or perhaps you're a Heat fan in a self-induced state of denial.
Now you may argue that LeBron's impact on the future is old news by now, that he's already executed his personal scheme and the damage is done.
And yet the real damage is far from done, and the worst is yet to come.
Let's get the obvious out of the way: once Miami starts winning ring after ring after ring, it's going to be mighty hard to get interested in the "competition" in the NBA. If you thought you were bored with the Spurs and Lakers monopolizing the Finals for the past decade, get ready to drop dead from boredom.
That said, that's not even the worst part of LeBron's decision (or as I call it, "The Great White Flag").
One effect this whole fiasco has had that few people discuss is the way mere exposure to it seems to shut down our collective common sense. You have people who say they lost respect for him because he's taking the easy way to a ring, then say he can win some respect back by winning a couple of rings.
Uh... what?
That's not the worst part. The precedent he sets could be more devastating to the league than anything LeBron himself does.
You have him to thank if no team feels safe anymore. You can thank him for bringing players' super schemes into the public eye as condonable.
You can thank him for this weird little standoff between teams and their superstars, where trades are now decided not by on-court necessity, but the need for a franchise to cut its potential losses.
Worst of all, you now have a precedent for absolutely any player, no matter how big, to take the easy route. If the reigning MVP can do it, pretty much anyone can. There used to be a line in the pyramid beyond to which a talented enough player would say, "No thank you, I'm better than that." LeBron has all but erased that line.
I'm reminded of a Chris Rock joke about trying to tell a kid in Marion Barry-run Washington to just say no:
"Don't do drugs, you won't be nothing."
"I could be mayor."
Now replace "do drugs" with "take shortcuts", and "mayor" with "NBA Champ." The Miami gang-up just kick-started a culture where players will have less and less incentive to work hard or put together any kind of great performances to get what they want. So basically, you can thank LeBron if the NBA is becoming "Where Amazing Used To Happen."
Solution 5: Kobe
6 of 10
If you've known me for some time, you're probably surprised by my first entry for the good guys.
That's because for the better part of the last decade I couldn't stand either him or the Lakers. That is, until the Dark Side moved to Florida. Now I'm just sorry he doesn't have more years left in the tank.
Now, is Kobe's ego any more modest? No, though he does keep it relatively in check. Was Kobe any less spoiled as a player? Uh, he had Shaq for eight years. The good Shaq.
Wait, didn't Kobe demand a trade once? Yes, he did. You can view that one two ways:
a) He wanted off a team he felt was not committed to winning. He didn't have his people put any rumors out or hint months in advance at the possibility of leaving. He went on the radio himself at the end of a bad season and said it himself in no uncertain terms.
b) He just wanted to light a real fire under Mitch Kupchak's hindquarters to get serious. Eight months later, bam, free Pau Gasol.
Also, I seem to recall that after getting through the offseason without being moved, Kobe proceeded to shut up and play his heart out as always. There were no "mysterious" "disappearances" (yes, I must quote both words individually).
That's because Kobe has always shown that for better or worse, he's always a ferocious competitor. Love him or hate him (it's so easy to do both), nobody ever accused Kobe of not trying, quitting or folding in a "bad situation."
So when the consensus New Best Player in the World pulls the biggest heel turn in modern NBA history, suddenly an aging Kobe is reminding people what a competitor used to look like.
Solution 4: Rajon Rondo
7 of 10
Because he's a bonafide star, while barely cracking double figures in points. Some people think his low scoring is a reason to knock him as a player, but really it's a sign of why he's so good.
I know what some of you are saying: he's in Boston, he has it all. And yet he's going to be around even after the Big Three either fade or disband, and he's going to be the unquestioned leader of this team. And all indications are he relishes the opportunity.
If you've seen Rondo play, ever, you know why he is considered so elite. He is absolutely everywhere on the court, he goes all-out on every play with unusual stamina, and he has no illusions of himself as a scorer. He sticks to what he knows and does just that better than 99 percent of the NBA.
He's a perennial league leader in assists, steals and triple-doubles. He has actually missed out on some triple-doubles due to low scoring. I expect many people will be reluctant to agree with me, but Rondo was the real reason the Big Three hit the ground running the way they did in 2008.
Rondo is a perfect example for kids who think that basketball is about nothing more than making baskets. He may never be a complete scorer, but then again, maybe that's what makes him the player he is. He goes at everybody he sees secure in the knowledge that there are several other ways to kill you on the floor.
His game is very grounded and unorthodox, which makes him less of a media draw. He will never quite have the all-encompassing name recognition of some other guys, and this actually helps him. He gets to fly a little more under the radar, and we the fans are spared the absurd chore of reading two years worth of blind guesses on where he'll be when his contract is up.
Also, as Big Three make their exit and times get tougher, Rondo will lead at least long enough to show others that jumping ship is not always the way.
On and off the court, an all-around breath of fresh air.
Solution 3: Kevin Durant
8 of 10
It was like the "Anti-Decision."
Right around the time LeBron was answering questions from a sock puppet in a Jim Gray mask on national television, Kevin Durant decided he too would use a mass medium to announce where he would be taking (or rather keeping) his talents.
That medium just happened to be Twitter, in under 140 characters. No press conference and no promos. Durant was lauded for the exact reasons LeBron was criticized: ego and attention-seeking (or KD's lack thereof).
Thank god there's still regular life-sized NBA stars, we collectively thought. This wasn't just Anthony Tolliver or Kyle Korver tweeting their new deals, this was the league's leading scorer and likely future MVP. Durant quietly played the all too valuable yin to Lebron's narcissistic yang (and the couple that followed).
Durant sets an increasingly rare example by keeping alive that dying breed of superstar who simply shuts up and plays.
He doesn't beg for attention, he doesn't waste chalk, and he doesn't do the Cabbage Patch after dunks. The most off-color comment he ever made was to call Chris Bosh a fake tough guy after he talked trash to a teammate. Chris Bosh... I have a niece who wouldn't let Chris Bosh talk trash to her teddy bear.
Durant is quietly reminding people that nine-figure salaries don't necessarily have to go hand in hand with egos of planet-eating proportions. He's also one of the few players in the world capable of emabarrassing any of those egos on any given night.
For the moment at least, Durant is doing his part in offsetting the message that LeBron, Carmelo and company are sending with their dog and pony shows. And he's doing it as the unquestioned leader of his own (pretty darn good) team. Go figure.
I'd be lying if I said I know what's going to happen in 2015 though.
Solution 2: Derrick Rose
9 of 10
As is the case with Durant, I don't think Derrick Rose was trying to send a message this summer. Whether he meant to or not, however, he most certainly did.
It has become known via LeBron James himself that Rose did not visit or call him to recruit him to Chicago. Apparently LeBron took exception at someone in the NBA failing to assume the position on cue, as he saw fit to bring it up in the media.
I like to think he said "f#^* LeBron" when asked (as he undoubtedly was) by Bulls brass to go out of his way for the two-time MVP. Perhaps he simply saw a lot of trouble for nothing in adding LeBron's massive ego to the roster and chose to spare himself and his team some grief. Another example of how to really be a leader.
Particularly telling was the fact that he went on the record as very interested in playing with Dwyane Wade. This shows that it wasn't just reluctance to share that gave him doubts about playing with LeBron. Whatever the reason, he just didn't need LeBron that bad.
Rose embodies the exact opposite of the "cut and run" superstar. He welcomes a challenge as opposed to fleeing from it, and doesn't feel a need to be armed to the teeth to do battle. His attitude is a refreshing balance of "team first" and "I'll do it myself," which I suspect will become a rarer and rarer quality in the All-Stars of tomorrow.
I reiterate, I couldn't tell you whether Rose is consciously sticking it to LeBron and Miami, but I suspect he's not. He's just putting his head down, playing the best basketball he possibly can, and setting a fantastic example in the process. Luckily, being just as much the athletic freak as LeBron is, he is capable of getting the attention of impressionable young basketball players.
He doesn't buckle under pressure, he doesn't shy away from MJ's shadow, and he is silently telling the basketball world, "There is a better way to do it." That's exactly why you have to love him.
Meanwhile, look who's about to dethrone the two-time MVP.
Solution 1: David Stern
10 of 10
Blasphemy, I know.
But really, who on this planet holds the power to actually do something about this player circus? Who can actually say "enough of this" and get anyone's attention, except the guy who signs the paychecks?
David Stern has never come out and said he had a problem with the Miami mega-merger, because to do so would be to undermine the concept of free agency and player rights. It would needlessly portray the NBA as approaching dysfunction, which is something he needs about as much as a rematch of the Malice at the Palace.
Make no mistake, Stern is not afraid to put the clamps on his own players and remind them who's in charge. He just won't name names; he's too smart for that.
This is as close as anyone has and ever will get to a power grab against the league. That's not even a bold prediction. We're talking the two best players in his league not named Kobe, attempting to use collective bargaining rules to turn it into a device for their own aggrandizement. No single pair of players could ever top that.
More importantly, I don't see a dictator like Stern being too pleased about someone other than himself having the power to provoke a league-wide paradigm shift. One has to think with the close grip he keeps on things, he can't be too keen on mega-clusters of his best earners confined to a fraction of his markets, watering down the rest of the product he's trying to sell.
So what can he do? It's all been thrown out there already... Hard caps, franchise tags, profit sharing, you name it. Each one has its merits which I don't need to get into right now, but let's say that the point is to limit players' ability to scheme half the NBA into financial ruin. Contraction is the last thing he would consider, so the answer has to be in the new labor agreement.
Anything to protect free agency from being abused like this. The Miami Heat are a perfect example of why new rules get made; sometimes it's just not fair. The same reason Lew Alcindor got dunking banned in the NCAA at one point.
League-wide parity serves everyone from the fans to the the teams themselves. The players will just have to live in a nightmare world of actually having to try harder if they want a gold trophy to go with their millions and millions of dollars.
