I remember the good old days.
The golden era of the NBA.
I recall with love watching Magic Johnson float a sky hook over the original "Big Three" to steal a playoff game in the Boston Garden, unheard of in the '80s. I remember "There's a steal by [Larry] Bird." I can still hear, "Shot over [Craig] Ehlo ... Good! The Bulls win! The Bulls win!"
Maybe I was spoiled. I started watching the NBA at the greatest time for professional basketball, where arguably the best laced them up and went at it for love of the game, not for their next contract.
As spring turned into summer, my dad and I would sit down and consume the entire NBA Finals. I sat and watched Bird and Magic meet up over and over again. As the '80s turned into the '90s, I watched the "Bad Boys" relinquish their reign, unceremoniously, to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. And as a dynasty unfolded before my eyes, I was treated to Patrick Ewing's Knicks and Jordan's Bulls taking part in some of the best series ever.
Now what?
Free agency and money have taken away the passion that ruled the NBA. The incessant need to protect NBA players with flagrant foul calls has taken the hard foul away from the playoffs. All that's left is a weak imitation of a league I once loved.
The best team in the NBA is a squad with three all-stars and a bunch of other guys. Do you think these guys would have even made the playoffs back in the day? It's true, the NBA now features better athletes, but not better basketball players. If you think this statement is false, I implore you to watch a game from the '80s and watch how everyone played defense, everyone could hit a mid-range jumper, and everyone played team ball.
Obviously, the game changes and the league now reflects that, but worse than that is the state of the proud franchises that once ruled the NBA. Boston, until this year, was in the doldrums. One of the all-time greats, Bob Cousy, was ashamed to wear Celtics Green before the new three revamped the greatest championship franchise in the NBA.
The Lakers have been caught in an undertow of mediocrity since Shaquille O'Neal left town. Their star player, Kobe Bryant, requested a trade this past offseason and many felt General Manager Mitch Kupchak was on his way out. The Lakers no longer sold-out games, and even local media had them pegged for another less than stellar season. Luckily for Los Angeles fans, who pay top dollar to watch a team that has not won a playoff series since 2004, the Lakers are playing well over their head and currently have the top record in the West.
On the other side of the coast, Chicago was rumored to be ready to welcome Bryant to the United Center. For some reason, however, GM John Paxon thought it was a better idea to hold on to Luol Deng, and keep the chemistry that had Chicago reach the playoffs two straight years. That's not the only ridiculous action Paxon has done since Chicago started playing meaningful April games again, however. Paxon paid top dollar for Ben Wallace and then traded away a younger Wallace in Tyson Chandler. He then went and drafted Joakim Noah when there was a pressing need for a low-post scorer and Kevin Garnett itching to come to Chicago. Paxon didn't pull the trigger on two of the top players in this or any generation and now the Bulls are running nowhere.
Over the Christmas Holidays, Paxon fired Head Coach Scott Skiles because he had lost the confidence of his team. Now, Noah has been suspended for actions detrimental to the team. In fact, the players voted to extend his suspension. To top it all off, Chicago is the most underperforming and disappointing team in the NBA at week's end. The Bulls have come a long way from many believing this team was the favorite to win the East this year.
Head further East, and it gets worse. One word: Knicks.
It's been a long time since people in New York could hold their heads high in Madison Square Garden. If Cousy had a hard time showing Celtic pride, imagine what the likes of Clyde Frazier, Willis Reed, and Patrick Ewing are thinking of the current Knicks that get on the court night in and out. The debacle starts from the top and works its way down.
James Dolan has turned the franchise upside down and what Isiah Thomas has done to the Knicks is downright criminal. It started with the Knicks' poor play since Thomas became in charge of creating a competitive team. It got worse when Thomas took over. And it got embarrassing when Anucha Browne Sanders accused Thomas of sexual harassment, and Dolan stood by him. Can you tell me in what other corporate environment would Thomas be allowed to keep his job? It's not like he's doing a great job; the Knicks are terrible.
Then if things could not have gotten worse, Thomas lost all faith and trust of his players.
The Knicks head honcho told Stephon Marbury on a flight to Phoenix that he was no longer the starting point guard. Marbury exploded on the flight, returned to New York the next day missing a game against the Suns. Thomas then told Jamal Crawford to poll his teammates on whether they wanted Marbury to be allowed to play the next night against the Clippers.
The Knicks voted unanimously to bench Marbury.
So Thomas, who called for the vote, played Marbury 34 minutes in the game.
I remember a time when you looked at the paper at any time during March, April, May, or June and you would see Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York at the top of their respective division. Now it seems in this day and age, the only thing we can expect are greedy players, isolation plays at the end of games where everyone stands around and lets one man win or lose, and the fall of the once-great franchises.
I just hope the good old days aren't the last I can remember of good basketball.
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