Tuesday, February 11, 1997
OPINION:
Today’s league is characterized by huge egos and
commercialism
They were understated in their greatness then, and they were
understated Sunday afternoon. A name called out, a simple wave and
a smile, and a step onto a podium reserved for the very finest.
Sunday’s celebration of the 50 greatest players in the history
of the NBA was one of those magical moments where the best were
called forth to be honored by their legions of fans.
Every time a name was called, an image flashed through my
mind.
Magic Johnson leading the fast break.
Tiny Archibald, the quickest point guard ever, whizzing by a
defender.
George Gervin’s finger roll.
Bill Russell’s eight championship rings.
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game.
For every player, a defining moment.
This was our chance to honor these players simply for the way
that they played the game. There was no laser show, no fireworks,
no pomp and circumstance, just a simple celebration for those who
defined the game.
This was the right way to handle it, for the hoopla that
preceded the All-Star Game would not have been appropriate. Such
laudatory entrances weren’t a part of the game then, and so they
weren’t included in the presentation Sunday. It’s hard to imagine
Bob Pettit or Elgin Baylor being introduced to the noise of
fireworks and rap music.
Even the contemporary players, like Charles Barkley, Clyde
Drexler and Patrick Ewing, all played during that wonderful time
when the game was what mattered. The focus wasn’t on endorsements,
hype or trash-talking, but on victories and accomplishments.
Seeing these players who spanned the generations take their
rightful places among the best allowed us to hearken back to a time
that has begun to slip away from today’s game.
And what a wonderful time that was. Don’t you remember growing
up watching Dr. J and Dominique Wilkins fly? How about that classic
Laker fast break? Larry Bird coming off a screen and hitting
another 18-foot jump shot? It was moments like these that defined
the NBA and took it from its middling ABA days to the international
giant that it is now.
But it is the sheer grace and dignity with which these players
played the game that has begun to erode away. This is not a
condemnation of a new style of play, because the NBA is simply
metamorphosing as it has before.
The problem is, the new generation of players lack the
overarching love for the game and the desire simply to win. The
respect for the game has fallen by the wayside. Now, the emphasis
lies on contracts, all-star snubs, hype and egos.
For all of the bluster from the Juwan Howards, the Reggie
Millers and the Derrick Colemans, it’s still the Hakeem Olajuwons
and Michael Jordans who remember the way to the ultimate
conquest.
It used to be that the best way to show someone that you bested
him was to beat him and let him look at the final score the next
morning. The way to show that you were the best was to win.
Bragging rights didn’t come from one dunk or three-pointer, but
from thick gold championship rings on the fingers.
While perhaps the different approach to the game may not be a
total negative, the new generation of players  the Kidds, the
Hills, the Hardaways  have yet to establish the legacy that
the greats crafted during their heyday.
How fitting was it, then, that Shaquille O’Neal, the lone
representative from this cadre, did not attend.
Let’s look at his excuse as an example of his lack of respect.
He begged out because of a bum knee. Jerry West missed the
celebration but he was having surgery. Pistol Pete Maravich
couldn’t attend either; he’s dead.
O’Neal, with a chance to take a place among the best, failed to
show because of a tender knee. He is the champion of this new
legion of players, a man with an ungodly contract with an ego to
match, a man who has won exactly no titles, no MVP awards and one
scoring title. Shaq is the epitome of today’s players, and it was
strangely symbolic that he did not attend.
He isn’t ready to take his spot among the other luminaries,
simply because, like the rest of his peers, he hasn’t made an
indelible mark yet, aside from poor free-throw shooting.
So while we applaud those who made our jaws drop, who made our
eyes light up and our voices rise every time they performed, the
stark differences between their NBA and the new NBA came to
light.
Until the new players like Shaq can step to the fore and carry
the heavy mantle that has been set before them, they should not be
allowed to take a spot next to the 49 best ever. Instead, let’s
remember the NBA when it was at its very best, a level that will
not be seen again.
Mark Shapiro is a third year student and Daily Bruin Staff
Writer. Responses to this column can be e-mailed to
mshapiro@media.ucla.edu