Right now we are in the midst of a bit of a lull in the American sports calendar. The NBA and NHL seasons are over, NFL training camps have yet to begin, and Major League Baseball is still pre-All Star break, so baseball games are not yet in the national spotlight. So right now, the national spotlight is really on soccer and tennis, and that is very unusual in the United States. The Copa America tournament ended last night in wild fashion, the European soccer tournament just reached the knockout stage, and Wimbledon is now officially underway. It is a time that is just begging for something in the sports world to grab our attention, and if we look a little closer, then we can find just that, but we need to pay attention to it for all the wrong reasons.
The Olympics used to be an event that united the world, even if it were only for one month every couple years. I will always believe that the World Cup is the sporting event that unifies worldwide attention more than any other, but the Olympics should be second. Whether it is the summer or winter games, I have never been an Olympic fanatic, but it is always a nice break from the sports we normally enjoy in this country.
Everyone knows about the "Dream Team" in the early 1990's and the impact it had on basketball throughout the world. An all-star team of American basketball players demolishing international foes may not have seemed especially significant at the time, but since then we have seen the game of basketball grow exponentially on a worldwide scale and in the long run, the Dream Team has been something that benefitted the game of basketball. No longer is the game just full of Americans, but the NBA is now full of players from throughout the world. Hockey has always been at the forefront in the Olympics as well, as the NHL has become infused with talent from all over the world that we can watch compete for national pride at the Olympics once every four years.
It is great to watch basketball and hockey in the Olympics but, at least in my opinion, the best thing about the Olympics is being able to watch sports that we never see on a daily basis. The winter games are known for the bobsled, the luge, ski jumping, speed skating, and what I really enjoyed watching two years ago, the biathlon, which combines skiing and, of all things, rifle shooting. The competitors cross-country ski with rifles on their backs, then get down on their stomachs and try to hit targets with those rifles, and continue to alternate between the two over the length of the course. I was enthralled by it because of how unique it was. While I was always cheering for the American contestants, I just enjoyed watching the event because it was something we never get to see at any time other than during the Olympics.
Those were the Winter Olympics. The summer games should be the same way. Michael Phelps came to fame for his swimming prowess during international events, and it is only because of the summer games that I know about things like the breaststroke or the butterfly, and I think that most Americans feel the same way. Sure, it might be nice to watch our basketball team destroy its opponents, but I would venture to guess that at least 99% of NBA fans would rather see their favorite team win an NBA title than see the American basketball team win a gold medal. When it comes to NBA players, I think they feel the same way. LeBron James did not break down into tears when he won a gold medal like he did when he led the Cavaliers to an NBA title. Other Olympic sports that include professional players are the same way. I am sure that most any tennis player would prefer a win at Wimbledon more than an Olympic gold medal. A professional golfer would trade a gold medal for a green jacket in a minute. I don't tune in to the Olympics to see LeBron James or Rory McIlroy or Andy Murray compete. I tune in to watch those athletes in the biathlon or the speed skaters or the bobsled teams filled with names I do not know. That is the reason why the Olympics that are just over a month away have the potential to be an international disaster.
When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chooses the sites for its games, there are many factors that they need to take into account. Do the sites have the means to host a worldwide event? That means a stable infrastructure, a workforce that can handle any construction needs, an ability to handle the accommodation of all of the athletes, media, and fans that come along with the event, and many other things.
Rio de Janeiro was selected by the IOC as the site for the 2016 games after a vote in 2009. Despite what, at the time, seemed like some small questions about the capability of the city to host a worldwide event, it was still years down the road. Brazil is a country more than capable of taking on a worldwide audience (it hosted the 2014 World Cup), so at the time of the vote, it seemed like Rio would be a worthy city to host the games. However, along the way, a few things happened, and now with just over a month to go until the opening ceremonies, Rio is in the news for all the wrong reasons.
As I said before, when I get alerts on my phone that LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Stephen Curry have decided not to play in the Olympics, it does not bother me at all. If the best NBA players decide to pass on the Olympics right after they finish a long and grueling NBA season, it does nothing to dissuade me from watching the games. The American "B squad" could easily win a gold medal, and with guys like Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving still deciding to play, we will not even be sending a "B squad" to the games. It will be more like an "A- squad." The Olympics are not for the professional basketball players. They are for the athletes in other events in which the peak of their career is an Olympic gold medal. That means the American fencing teams, the American rowing teams, the American water polo teams. The athletes on those teams are the ones to which the Olympics mean the most. The athletes on those teams are the ones that work their entire lives to play in Rio on the world's biggest stages.
So with all of that said, this is where it is time to focus on Rio and its preparation, or lack thereof, as the 2016 Olympic host. The controversies that have already begun before the games have even begun are many, and I will give the city the benefit of the doubt in some of those cases. The Zika virus is what is probably the most known problem when it comes to the upcoming games. This disease, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is usually never fatal, but it has been, and will continue to be, a major factor in the decision of athletes, fans, and members of the media to attend these games.
The fact that anyone attending these games needs to worry about such a disease is bad enough, but when you look a bit deeper into the details of the virus, it only gets worse. The virus usually will cause something similar to the effect of food poisoning in those who contract it. Unpleasant? Yes. Something warranting consideration by potential Olympic medalists? Absolutely not.
Even worse is the long term effects of the Zika virus, which include damage to an unborn fetus. Olympic athletes are usually within the age range of those planning on having children in the somewhat near future, and this is why the Zika virus really comes to the forefront. The next summer games will not come around until 2020. By then, it is likely that many of these athletes will, for one reason or another, be either unwilling or unable to compete. Maybe it will be due to age. Maybe it will be due to familial responsibilities. Maybe it will be due to any other type of limitation. This may sound like a very pessimistic point of view, but for many of these athletes, 2016 will be their only chance to reach the peak of their athletic careers. The fact that both women and men (who can transmit the disease sexually) even have to take this risk into consideration is not something we need to be worried about one month before these games begin.
However, unlike what I may be using as a pessimistic platform, I am still willing to give the city of Rio the benefit of the doubt. Obviously, no country or city can anticipate the onset of a disease transmitted by insects, but the fact that it did happen is still a massive concern. If the virus were the only cause for concern, then in my mind, despite my better judgement, Rio still gets a pass. Nevertheless, the Zika virus is only the beginning.
Another log that has already been thrown on to the fire occurred earlier this year when the governor of Rio was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This, even more so than the recession and the onset of the virus, can be explained as another unforeseen scenario. Following this, 81 year old Francisco Dornelles was appointed as the acting governor and was thrust into a role that I am sure he had no expectation of assuming. Again, I will do my best to give the city of Rio, and the country of Brazil, the benefit of the doubt. However, that is where my sympathy ends.
In recent days, Dornelles spoke to the press about what he thought could be major problems for the upcoming games, and described the situation as potentially calamitous. As I said before, Rio has known that it will be hosting these games for seven years now. For that reason, I feel that some of the problems they still have not addressed are inexplicable and unforgiveable. The first of those problems is the lack of public transportation to and from the sites of the games. Dornelles admitted that money that was supposed to be used to expand the metro lines was never found, and that people might have difficulties reaching some of the sites. He also admitted that, partly due to this, the security at the games will most likely not be sufficient in some places. To put it into his own words, "...without the security and without the Metro lines there will be difficulties." Really? I never would have guessed that with a lack of sufficient transportation to and from the Olympic sites that security forces would have a hard time doing their jobs!
Finally, what prompted me to write this piece and what really caught my attention when it came to this topic was the water conditions in and around Rio. As I stated earlier, events like rowing and sailing and the pentathlon are in large part unique to the summer Olympics. When is the last time you watched rowing on television or even wondered at all about rowing in general? Most likely, the answer is never. That is what the Olympics are for. Every four years, these men and women who devote years and years of their lives to these sports have their one moment to shine in front of the world, and right now, we are about a month away from that moment. The city of Rio should be proud to provide such a stage. However, the city is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It is absolutely embarrassing itself.
As a city prepares to showcase itself on the world stage, it owes not only itself, but its inhabitants and its government, the benefit of the doubt that it will shine as brightly as possible while the world watches. All you have to do is look up the conditions of the water in and around Rio, and you will see first hand that the city has utterly failed in its responsibility to do that.
The water conditions are absolutely atrocious. Schools of fish are washing up dead on the shores. Garbage, that literally includes baby dolls and living room couches, are floating in the water. Scientists are saying that while the conditions may not actually be deadly for humans, they are certainly riddled with viruses. The disorder that surrounds the water conditions are beyond awful. They are utterly dreadful, and to think that athletes from around the world will actually have to compete under such conditions is disgraceful.
Athletes involved in water sports are talking about taking "simple" precautions. Those precautions involve wearing specialized suits and goggles to avoid any and all contact with the contaminated water. They involve encapsulating water bottles in order to avoid them coming into contact with any water outside their boats or kayaks or canoes. How can the city of Rio think this is acceptable?
These rowers and swimmers and sailors have spent their entire lives training for this moment. They have no business having to consider such deplorable conditions on top of the pressure they already will have to face.
I give many of these athletes credit for attempting to take these conditions in stride, but at the same time, I want to question their judgement. It is because of conditions like this that I find absolutely no fault at all with professional golfers or basketball players when they choose to bypass this shot at winning an Olympic gold medal. However, it is also tough to hold any grudge with other athletes that see this as their only chance at glory.
The chances of myself and anyone that agrees with me actually affecting the IOC executives is miniscule at best. In all honesty, I will probably watch many of the upcoming Olympic events, even if it is just to see how bad the conditions will be for some of the competitors. The fact that these people will have to deal with attention like this for all the wrong reasons is completely unfair to them though.
I will be keeping an eye on the medal count this coming August, but I will also harbor a resentment for the IOC when I watch these games. It may not make a scintilla of a difference on the selection of future hosts of the Olympic games, but I just hope that getting the word out about the reprehensible conditions in Rio can enlighten someone out there.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: Former Diamondback Mark Reynolds hit a bomb of a walk off homerun yesterday to beat us in Colorado. Hopefully tonight will be better as a struggling Phillies team visits the desert. Right now the focus needs to be on winning individual series', and I think that can happen against Philadelphia.
Daily Giants Update: Most prognostications I have come across have crowned a healthy Dallas team as the upcoming NFC East champions, but with the nature of the NFL, we all know that health is the greatest of equalizers. We are still a few weeks from training camp though, so all is positive in 32 NFL cities, and that includes the team in blue at Met Life Stadium.
Daily NBA/NHL Update: Drafts have just been completed, and we are about as far away from the opening of the season as we will ever get. Any offseason news has the possibility to be significant, but there is nothing to report on that front right now in either league.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
A different type of rookie initiation
When we think of young players transitioning from amateur athlete to professional athlete, we focus on their abilities. Can they hit a curveball? Can they dunk a basketball? Can they catch a football? There is no doubt that these are important questions to ask, since these amateurs are about to attempt to make a living playing a professional sport. However, we never think of the lives of these guys off the field. While we see them in the spotlight, the reality is that many of them are not always in the spotlight. These are young kids becoming adults just like all of us fans have become. That is why when I heard of a new program being instituted by the Indianapolis Colts, I was both surprised and pleased.
The NFL used to have a rookie symposium that was held for all drafted players. This was basically a crash course in life off the field for an NFL player. However, the league did away with this course and while it may have seemed like a bad idea at the time, I think in the long run it will actually end up being a good thing.
The first flaw with the symposium was that it was only for rookies that were drafted. NFL teams have 53 players on their active rosters each week, as well as players on injured lists and practice squads. After seven rounds of the draft (including compensatory picks), we had 253 players drafted in 2016. Divide 253 by the number of teams in the league (32), and you get an average of just under eight drafted players per team. So if the league held the rookie symposium for all of those players, then about eight rookies on each team would get the league's lesson on life as a professional.
That is great, right? Not so fast. The rookie program that the Colts just held was for 30 rookie players. That means that they were bringing in 22 players as rookies that would not have been invited to the league symposium.
Again, let's take a look at the math. To make it even, I will say that each team will bring in an average of 20 undrafted rookies this year. 20 multiplied by 32 is 640. Once again, to make it even, let's round down to 600. That means that there will be 600 young men who have spent their entire lives working at just a shot in the NFL entering the league in 2016.
I know this is a lot of numbers, and I am by no means a mathematics major, but I want to use the numbers to drive my point home. 600 is a very, very big number in this case. While the majority of these guys completed at least some college credits, it is likely that, for better or worse, they were much more focused on football than they were on going to class. Football had most likely been their main focus since they were in middle school.
From what I can find, about 20% of the players in the NFL were not drafted. That means that prior to this season, 20% of the league did not have to attend this rookie symposium. That is why the fact that the symposium no longer takes place, and rookie initiation into the league is left up to each individual team is something that I think benefits everyone in the long run. Those 600 undrafted players now have a chance to at least get some sort of education about what it is like to be a professional athlete.
The fact that the Colts just held a course on dining etiquette is easy to laugh at. Why do these big football players need to know about which fork is used to eat a salad or which side of the plate your water glass is on at a restaurant? And in reality, most of them probably do not need to know that. But the Colts' course was more than just dinner table etiquette. It was about how to handle bringing in paychecks the size of which they have likely never seen before. It was about how to deal with family and friends after you made this money. It was about the positives and negatives of media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. It may seem meaningless, but it really has a lot of meaning. When we think back to the night of the draft and the Laremy Tunsil fiasco, young men should realize that these are lessons are invaluable, no matter how petty they seem.
Another reason I like the fact that each team now is able to conduct its own rookie introduction course is that each individual team can tailor its course to the market they are in. Since I already mentioned Tunsil, I will use his as an example. He is a first round draft pick who will be coming into millions of dollars and thrown into a life in Miami. Imagine all of the temptations that come along with that. 99.9% of young men in their early 20's would blow that money faster than they would ever think possible. However, since Tunsil now has the responsibility of representing a multi-million dollar franchise and a multi-billion dollar enterprise, he needs to learn how to handle himself in a respectable manner. These team-tailored programs can educate him and all of Miami's other rookies about these responsibilities in a detailed and structured manner.
Now, let's look at the possible life of a rookie joining a franchise at the other end of the lifestyle spectrum. Shaq Lawson was drafted 19th overall by the Buffalo Bills. Like Tunsil, he will still have the pressure of being a first round pick weighing on his soldiers. However, playing your home games in Buffalo is much different than playing your home games in Miami. Therefore, the fact that the Bills can develop their own rookie program not only helps him and Buffalo's other rookie players, but it helps the Bills organization as well.
Teams can teach these young players about whatever they feel is necessary based upon the life of becoming a professional athlete. Sure, dinner table manners are nice, but for a guy like Shaq Lawson who went to college in South Carolina, he should be able to learn more about life in Buffalo. Obviously, it snows a ton there. Maybe there are routes and roads to take during bad weather that will get Lawson to practice faster. Maybe there are areas of the city to live where he can be surrounded by a larger percentage of younger people. I don't know, and he most likely does not know either. The Buffalo Bills organization does know though. That is why they need to educate these rookies about things like that. It may seem insignificant to me or you, but for these kids who will now be making a living in completely foreign territory, it is extremely significant.
I do not want to sound like someone that thinks each and every rookie that enters the NFL is completely clueless about life off the field. I am sure that plenty of them will have no problem adjusting to life as a professional. However, I like that teams can now provide much more useful guidance for them than what a generic rookie symposium did. As is the case with any sort of class or program, there will be many people who learn from them and there will be many people who find them completely meaningless. How these young men decide to handle these programs is only up to them.
It is easy to view the NFL as a monopoly that treats its players as nothing more than disposable income that can be endlessly mixed and matched in whatever way the league deems fit. In many ways, I could not argue that fact. In this case though, I am glad to see that the league is providing some guidance to its youngest players. The players may be nothing more than commodities, but any sort of real-life education they can provide them with helps everyone in the long run. Maybe the league has one less off-field issue to deal with, and maybe some kid who never makes a roster has a better understanding of life off the football field. In this case, I give the league, as well as each franchise that takes advantage of this opportunity, credit for doing what is best for all parties involved.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: After sweeping the Phillies in four games, Arizona won again last night in Toronto, and the five-game winning streak is the longest of the season. Robbie Ray faces off against J.A. Happ this afternoon as the Diamondbacks look to make it six in a row in a very rare visit above the border. And as a side note, if you have never seen Kevin Pillar play center field, then you are cheating yourself. The guy is a human highlight reel, and he made another spectacular grab yesterday.
Daily Giants Update: We still have over a month until training camp opens, so right now it is just preseason prognostication mode. If you are even a casual Giants fan, you know that predicting how the team plays makes winning the lottery seem easy. Hope for the best, and expect the unexpected. That is the life of a Giants fan in 2016.
Daily NBA Update: Unlike the NFL, the NBA wastes no time in getting the offseason underway following the completion of the season, as the draft is already tomorrow night. The 76ers have the first overall pick and have reportedly already informed LSU forward Ben Simmons that they will choose him, and that means it is likely that Brandon Ingram will go second overall to the Lakers. The Celtics pick third overall, and it seems like that is where the drama will really begin. Big names have been mentioned as possible draft day trade targets, and with free agency opening right after the draft, we could see a whole lot of big names on the move. It should be an exciting offseason for the NBA.
The NFL used to have a rookie symposium that was held for all drafted players. This was basically a crash course in life off the field for an NFL player. However, the league did away with this course and while it may have seemed like a bad idea at the time, I think in the long run it will actually end up being a good thing.
The first flaw with the symposium was that it was only for rookies that were drafted. NFL teams have 53 players on their active rosters each week, as well as players on injured lists and practice squads. After seven rounds of the draft (including compensatory picks), we had 253 players drafted in 2016. Divide 253 by the number of teams in the league (32), and you get an average of just under eight drafted players per team. So if the league held the rookie symposium for all of those players, then about eight rookies on each team would get the league's lesson on life as a professional.
That is great, right? Not so fast. The rookie program that the Colts just held was for 30 rookie players. That means that they were bringing in 22 players as rookies that would not have been invited to the league symposium.
Again, let's take a look at the math. To make it even, I will say that each team will bring in an average of 20 undrafted rookies this year. 20 multiplied by 32 is 640. Once again, to make it even, let's round down to 600. That means that there will be 600 young men who have spent their entire lives working at just a shot in the NFL entering the league in 2016.
I know this is a lot of numbers, and I am by no means a mathematics major, but I want to use the numbers to drive my point home. 600 is a very, very big number in this case. While the majority of these guys completed at least some college credits, it is likely that, for better or worse, they were much more focused on football than they were on going to class. Football had most likely been their main focus since they were in middle school.
From what I can find, about 20% of the players in the NFL were not drafted. That means that prior to this season, 20% of the league did not have to attend this rookie symposium. That is why the fact that the symposium no longer takes place, and rookie initiation into the league is left up to each individual team is something that I think benefits everyone in the long run. Those 600 undrafted players now have a chance to at least get some sort of education about what it is like to be a professional athlete.
The fact that the Colts just held a course on dining etiquette is easy to laugh at. Why do these big football players need to know about which fork is used to eat a salad or which side of the plate your water glass is on at a restaurant? And in reality, most of them probably do not need to know that. But the Colts' course was more than just dinner table etiquette. It was about how to handle bringing in paychecks the size of which they have likely never seen before. It was about how to deal with family and friends after you made this money. It was about the positives and negatives of media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. It may seem meaningless, but it really has a lot of meaning. When we think back to the night of the draft and the Laremy Tunsil fiasco, young men should realize that these are lessons are invaluable, no matter how petty they seem.
Another reason I like the fact that each team now is able to conduct its own rookie introduction course is that each individual team can tailor its course to the market they are in. Since I already mentioned Tunsil, I will use his as an example. He is a first round draft pick who will be coming into millions of dollars and thrown into a life in Miami. Imagine all of the temptations that come along with that. 99.9% of young men in their early 20's would blow that money faster than they would ever think possible. However, since Tunsil now has the responsibility of representing a multi-million dollar franchise and a multi-billion dollar enterprise, he needs to learn how to handle himself in a respectable manner. These team-tailored programs can educate him and all of Miami's other rookies about these responsibilities in a detailed and structured manner.
Now, let's look at the possible life of a rookie joining a franchise at the other end of the lifestyle spectrum. Shaq Lawson was drafted 19th overall by the Buffalo Bills. Like Tunsil, he will still have the pressure of being a first round pick weighing on his soldiers. However, playing your home games in Buffalo is much different than playing your home games in Miami. Therefore, the fact that the Bills can develop their own rookie program not only helps him and Buffalo's other rookie players, but it helps the Bills organization as well.
Teams can teach these young players about whatever they feel is necessary based upon the life of becoming a professional athlete. Sure, dinner table manners are nice, but for a guy like Shaq Lawson who went to college in South Carolina, he should be able to learn more about life in Buffalo. Obviously, it snows a ton there. Maybe there are routes and roads to take during bad weather that will get Lawson to practice faster. Maybe there are areas of the city to live where he can be surrounded by a larger percentage of younger people. I don't know, and he most likely does not know either. The Buffalo Bills organization does know though. That is why they need to educate these rookies about things like that. It may seem insignificant to me or you, but for these kids who will now be making a living in completely foreign territory, it is extremely significant.
I do not want to sound like someone that thinks each and every rookie that enters the NFL is completely clueless about life off the field. I am sure that plenty of them will have no problem adjusting to life as a professional. However, I like that teams can now provide much more useful guidance for them than what a generic rookie symposium did. As is the case with any sort of class or program, there will be many people who learn from them and there will be many people who find them completely meaningless. How these young men decide to handle these programs is only up to them.
It is easy to view the NFL as a monopoly that treats its players as nothing more than disposable income that can be endlessly mixed and matched in whatever way the league deems fit. In many ways, I could not argue that fact. In this case though, I am glad to see that the league is providing some guidance to its youngest players. The players may be nothing more than commodities, but any sort of real-life education they can provide them with helps everyone in the long run. Maybe the league has one less off-field issue to deal with, and maybe some kid who never makes a roster has a better understanding of life off the football field. In this case, I give the league, as well as each franchise that takes advantage of this opportunity, credit for doing what is best for all parties involved.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: After sweeping the Phillies in four games, Arizona won again last night in Toronto, and the five-game winning streak is the longest of the season. Robbie Ray faces off against J.A. Happ this afternoon as the Diamondbacks look to make it six in a row in a very rare visit above the border. And as a side note, if you have never seen Kevin Pillar play center field, then you are cheating yourself. The guy is a human highlight reel, and he made another spectacular grab yesterday.
Daily Giants Update: We still have over a month until training camp opens, so right now it is just preseason prognostication mode. If you are even a casual Giants fan, you know that predicting how the team plays makes winning the lottery seem easy. Hope for the best, and expect the unexpected. That is the life of a Giants fan in 2016.
Daily NBA Update: Unlike the NFL, the NBA wastes no time in getting the offseason underway following the completion of the season, as the draft is already tomorrow night. The 76ers have the first overall pick and have reportedly already informed LSU forward Ben Simmons that they will choose him, and that means it is likely that Brandon Ingram will go second overall to the Lakers. The Celtics pick third overall, and it seems like that is where the drama will really begin. Big names have been mentioned as possible draft day trade targets, and with free agency opening right after the draft, we could see a whole lot of big names on the move. It should be an exciting offseason for the NBA.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
The LeBron James debate
Now that the 2016 NBA Finals are officially over, we can let the results sink in and immediately jump to thousands of conclusions prematurely. The seven game series was at times a dud, thanks to multiple blowouts, but in the end, we got a great seventh game, and that is all that really matters. There is the question about Stephen Curry's uneven performances, there is the question about Draymond Green's suspension and the impact it had on the series, and many other interesting talking points. However, obviously the biggest point of contention after the series is what it did for the ever-changing and evolving legacy of LeBron James.
I will save you the time and not go into detail about the expectations of LeBron coming into the league straight out of high school and his background. If you are reading this, then you already know all of that. What I do need to say though, is that I am a LeBron James fan, and I always have been. I am not one of those people that hated him out of the blue after he decided to leave Cleveland and go play in Miami. At the time he made that move he was a free agent. The emphasis there is on FREE. That means that he can go play wherever he chooses, no matter what other people think. He went to Miami, and all of a sudden millions of people hated him. Then when he returned to Cleveland, millions of people liked him "again." If you are one of those people, then get out of here. I have no time for your cynicism or jealousy of him. I will stop my rant about that there, even though I could go on forever about it. Right now, I just want to focus on LeBron James as of today.
Stephen Curry has been the league MVP for the past two seasons, and he has deserved the award both times. After blossoming into a superstar last season and winning a title, he did what was hard to imagine and got even better this season. He shattered shooting records and was clearly the best player during the regular season. All of these accolades never took anything away from James though. LeBron has been the MVP of the league four times, and he has now won three championships. No one ever was suggesting that Curry had overtaken James in terms of all around ability, but with the way that Curry was playing, the topic had been raised, and somewhat legitimately, that LeBron might now be number two in the pecking order of NBA superstars.
When LeBron's Cavaliers met Curry's Warriors last year in the NBA Finals, it was clear that Cleveland was at a distinct disadvantage. Kevin Love had been hurt early in the playoffs, and Kyrie Irving was injured in the first game of the Finals, and he missed the remainder of the series. LeBron was without the second and third best players on his team, and role players were now thrust into starting positions, while bench riders became significant factors coming off the bench.
While James clearly was playing with a team that was not near 100%, I do think that many people gave him too much of a pass. It was as if he was playing one against five in the eyes of many. While Cleveland was not the team it was during the regular season and into the postseason, this was still the team that came out of the Eastern Conference. It wasn't as if it was LeBron and a bunch of guys they picked up at the park on the way to Game Two. LeBron played very well throughout the series, but Cleveland was unable to overcome a great Golden State team, and the Warriors won the series in six games. Does LeBron get a pass for that? Somewhat, yes. Totally though? No. So after last season, LeBron had reached the Finals six times (once with Cleveland, four times with Miami, and then again with Cleveland), and had two rings to show for it. 99.9% of the players in the NBA would love two championship rings, but for James, the bar had been set much higher.
In 2007 when James led the Cavaliers to the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland was simply not the better team, and San Antonio swept Cleveland. Then, in 2011, LeBron and the Miami Heat lost in six games to the Dallas Mavericks in what is the biggest stain on James' resume. The Heat took a 2-1 series lead into the fourth game of the series and LeBron then had what many consider to be his worst game ever, scoring only eight points on 27% shooting in 45 minutes. Miami lost that game, and the next two as well, and LeBron was criticized without end for his collapse in the final three games of the series that Dallas eventually won in six games.
In 2012, things got much better as the Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder and James finally captured his first title. Miami then won again the following year, and James was the best player on the floor in the deciding seventh game after what was (in my opinion) the most thrilling basketball game ever thanks to Ray Allen's miracle shot in Game Six. However, the next year the Heat were blown off the floor by the Spurs in five games, and LeBron was now 2-3 in the Finals. His teams had been completely overwhelmed by the Spurs twice, and he had shriveled once against the Mavericks. Despite winning two titles, he had three losses that stuck out in the minds of many. When LeBron returned to Cleveland and went to the Finals last season, while his team was clearly not close to full strength, they still did lose, and his record in NBA Finals stood at 2-4. Fine by the standards of most since he did have the two rings, but not acceptable for someone who was destined to be the greatest player that the game had ever seen.
Then came the 2016 Finals. With a Cavaliers team that was now fully healthy getting a chance at revenge against the Warriors, LeBron had no excuses. Nothing other than a title would be acceptable. Golden State blew Cleveland off the floor in the first two games, but Cleveland responded by beating the Warriors by 30 in the third game. With Game Four in Cleveland, and the Cavs down two games to one, LeBron and his team were facing what could possibly be dire circumstances. A loss in the fourth game would mean that the series would shift back to Golden State with them having a chance to win the title at home in Game Five. And what happened? LeBron (along with Kyrie Irving) were terrible in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors took a 3-1 series lead and it seemed as if Cleveland was dead in the water. Most people (myself included) thought LeBron was looking at a fifth NBA Finals loss, with another dud performance in the games that mattered most. What we did not see though, was what LeBron James saw. This was going to be different. There would be no 2011 disappearing act. There would be no record points differential loss in five games like what he suffered against the Spurs in 2014 in Miami. Something changed in LeBron's mind, and as someone who has been a fan of his since he came into the league, I must say that it was a joy, and in many ways a relief, to witness.
Game five in Golden State. The Warriors had a chance to clinch a second consecutive championship on their home court. All the odds were against Cleveland. The only problem was, someone forgot to tell that to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. They teamed up for a legendary performance in the fifth game, as they both scored 41 points, and despite still being down three games to two, they had Game Six back at home. They had to follow it up, and LeBron did just that. After scoring 41 points in the fifth game, he decided to match that, and he scored 41 points again in the sixth game.
After being down three games to one, Cleveland had won two straight, and as in the case in any sport, when it comes to Game Seven, all bets are off. Where the game is played does not matter. How you got there does not matter. It is one game for all the marbles, and in this case, it was for the NBA title. LeBron would either answer the bell and bring the city of Cleveland its first professional sports title in over 50 years, or he would suffer another NBA Finals defeat. He had two options to choose from, and right from the start, it was clear that he was going to answer the bell. He put up a triple-double, led the Cavaliers to their first ever title, and on the way blocked an Andre Iguodala layup that will surely go down as one of the best plays of his career. When the series ended, LeBron led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. It was clear he was the MVP of the series. Not only had he ended Cleveland's championship drought, but he had left his impact in the biggest of ways on the biggest of stages in the biggest of games. For LeBron, the fifth, six, and seventh games of the series were emphatic stamps on the positive side of his ever-critiqued legacy.
So after he led the Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit, the first time in NBA Finals history that any team has overcome such an obstacle, the biggest question was where it put him in the pantheon of greatest players of all time. I have heard all sorts of opinions from all sorts of people on this topic, and I have to say that the majority of them have been afflicted by the "prisoner of the moment" disease. Is LeBron an all-time great? Absolutely. If he retired tomorrow would he walk into the Hall of Fame? Yes. However, is he the greatest to ever play the game? No, and I don't think he ever will be able to claim that title.
Based upon overall talent and skill level, LeBron is in the conversation for the best to ever play the game. His ability to do everything on the court is legendary, and what he did this season only solidified that statement even more. There is a difference between overall ability and greatest to ever play the game though.
In my opinion, and I would guess the opinion of most basketball fans throughout the world, the greatest player ever is Michael Jordan. Jordan was an unbelievably great all around player, and his six championship rings validate that. Along the way with those six rings, he also won the MVP of the Finals six times, and never lost in the Finals once. Six for six, with six MVP's. It is impossible to overlook that. If he had not left the game for two years to for some reason I will never understand, try to become a professional baseball player, a legitimate argument could be made that he would have had a chance to win eight consecutive championships. He won three, left for two years, and then won three again. Add his scoring prowess, his defensive ability, and his overall impact on the sport, and I do not see anyone passing him in the foreseeable future.
In recent days, I have heard LeBron's name mentioned as the second best player to ever play the game, and I wholly disagree with those who think that as well. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has scored the most points ever in the NBA. He won six championships and six MVP awards. He also was probably the best college basketball player ever, winning three NCAA titles at UCLA. I know those three are not at the NBA level, but I think with nine overall titles, you could argue that Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest to ever play the game of basketball.
Next, let's look at the two transcendent centers from decades ago. Bill Russell won an unprecedented eleven titles with the Boston Celtics, and if you are asking about the "greatest winner" to ever play the game of basketball, then there is only one answer to that question, and Russell is it. However, the game was much different back decades ago when he played, and as it has evolved, the center position has become much less emphasized. The same can be said about Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt played in and era where someone of his size was such an aberration that his numbers can easily be skewed. So while Russell, Chamberlain, and Abdul-Jabbar all put up extraordinary numbers, I still do not think they are at the level of Jordan.
Now, since I am mostly focused on LeBron, I want to mention Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. Those are the first two names that should come to mind when you think of the top tier of overall talent. Robertson played long enough ago that most fans today do not remember him, but he was the only player in the game to ever average a triple-double for an entire season. Ask any NBA fan how hard that is, and they will tell you it is nearly impossible. The only reason it is not impossible is the fact that Robertson actually did it. However, Robertson only won one title, and (somehow) only won one MVP award.
Magic Johnson is next. Magic won five titles, was the MVP in three of those series, and also was the league MVP three times. Until LeBron James came along, he was known as the greatest all-around player to ever play the game. By that I mean the greatest combination of size, scoring, passing, rebounding, and defensive ability. Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Russell can trump him in one of those categories individually, but in my opinion, Magic Johnson was the greatest ever to combine all of those attributes into one.
And before I delve into where LeBron fits in on this list, I want to recognize some of the other greats so they do not get overlooked. Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird, Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, John Havlicek, Isiah Thomas. Those are just a few of the names that also need to be mentioned. However, now that LeBron James has won another title, I think it is time to start mentioning him as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Best ever? No, and I don't think he can ever reach that level. Top five? Maybe, but not yet. I need to see more championships from him before I can say that. Right now though, I do believe that LeBron is in the top ten of the all-time greatest players in the history of basketball. The only thing that will prevent him from ever reaching the top is the fact that he has failed on the biggest stage multiple times.
I have always considered it better to have won multiple titles and never lost to be better than winning multiple titles as well as losing some, but I am beginning to come to realize that winning many and losing some as well might in fact be even more of an achievement. Michael Jordan won six titles and never lost once. Is that great? Absolutely. But if he won six times and made eight Finals series would that be even better? I think it may be.
The same goes for quarterbacks in the NFL. Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana both have four Super Bowl rings in four Super Bowl appearances. All time great? For sure. Tom Brady has four Super Bowl rings in six Super Bowl appearances. He has the same amount of rings as Bradshaw and Montana, but he has played in more Super Bowls than both of them. Is that actually a greater accomplishment? If you wanted to argue that it is, then you could convince me that it is.
So while LeBron James now has three championship rings, he is surely not the greatest player of all time, and I do not think he can ever have a legitimate claim to that spot. However, he has already reached the Finals more times than Michael Jordan did, and LeBron is still only 31 years old. That means he has many more years ahead of him to add to his resume. If he wins multiple titles before the end of his career, I think he can claim a spot in my top five players of all time. Right now he is 3-4 in the Finals. Even if he were able to win two more rings (which I think is definitely possible), he has to have a legitimate claim to one of the greatest ever. He is already climbing up the lists of career points, rebounds, assists, and all other kinds of statistical categories, so who knows where he will stand on those dockets by the time his career eventually ends.
What really amuses me though is the fact that we are already talking about where LeBron may end up at the end of his career. He still has many more years ahead of him to play, and I think the sky is still the limit. Can he pass Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever? It would take a ton of rings for him to do that. Can he pass Russell as the winningest player ever? Probably impossible. Can he pass Chamberlain as the most dominant player ever? The chances are very, very, very slim. Might he pass Abdul-Jabbar as the top scorer in the history of the sport? Most likely, no. Could he pass Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson as the greatest all-around talent ever? Yes, I think he can, but he still has a lot of work to do in that chase.
Right now, I think I view the guys I have mentioned multiple times as the greatest to ever play the game. Jordan, Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, Johnson, and Robertson. Rank them as you wish. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and can use their own set of standards to do that. LeBron James is not at that level quite yet, but like I said before, I think he is already one of the ten best players to ever play the game, and he has the potential to crack the top five.
Recent superstars like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan I think still have done more in their careers than James, but if LeBron can win at least one more ring, I think he surpasses all of them, and many would argue that he has already surpassed all of those guys. So while it seems like hours since I first started writing this piece, my bottom line is that James is right now a top ten talent, with the potential to be top five, but no chance to be number one unless some miracle happens and he somehow blows past Jordan's six rings.
No matter my opinion though, I think right now we just need to appreciate how good James actually is and stop trying to critique each and every miniscule fact about him. He is a once in a generation talent. While he may not have lived up to the initial expectations, I think it is easy to say that the initial expectations were unrealistic. This guy is an all-time great, and will walk into the Hall of Fame whenever it is that he decides to retire. Until then, I will just hope to see more and more of the greatness that he displayed in Games five, six, and seven this year. He ended the 54 year drought of professional sports failures in Cleveland, and I expect that this past Sunday will not be the last time he will be known as an NBA champion.
Daily NBA Update: Obviously, I do not need to go into detail about how the season ended, as I just spent quite a while giving a synopsis of the fallout from the Finals. I do have to say though that despite the numerous blowouts, Game Seven made up for that all. It was thrilling down to the final buzzer, and LeBron's block as well as Kyrie Irving's clutch three pointer will go down in Cavaliers history as two of the biggest plays ever in the history of the franchise. Congratulations to LeBron and the Cavaliers.
Daily NHL Update: Rangers. Ugh. Next year. Maybe.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: Arizona completed a four game sweep of the Phillies and are in Toronto tonight for the first time in I don't even know how long. It has been years in years since the Diamondbacks played in Toronto, but that is why I like more interleague play. Arizona is still six games under .500, but there have been some positive signs, and winning four straight, no matter how bad the Phillies might be, is always nice.
Daily Giants Update: Obviously, at minicamps the news is always good since teams are playing in shorts and t-shirts. Quarterbacks and wide receivers do nothing but excel, even though they play with no defense on the other side of the field. There is still quite a while until we even get close to the games mattering, so until then, all we need is no one getting injured. And on that front, so far, so good.
I will save you the time and not go into detail about the expectations of LeBron coming into the league straight out of high school and his background. If you are reading this, then you already know all of that. What I do need to say though, is that I am a LeBron James fan, and I always have been. I am not one of those people that hated him out of the blue after he decided to leave Cleveland and go play in Miami. At the time he made that move he was a free agent. The emphasis there is on FREE. That means that he can go play wherever he chooses, no matter what other people think. He went to Miami, and all of a sudden millions of people hated him. Then when he returned to Cleveland, millions of people liked him "again." If you are one of those people, then get out of here. I have no time for your cynicism or jealousy of him. I will stop my rant about that there, even though I could go on forever about it. Right now, I just want to focus on LeBron James as of today.
Stephen Curry has been the league MVP for the past two seasons, and he has deserved the award both times. After blossoming into a superstar last season and winning a title, he did what was hard to imagine and got even better this season. He shattered shooting records and was clearly the best player during the regular season. All of these accolades never took anything away from James though. LeBron has been the MVP of the league four times, and he has now won three championships. No one ever was suggesting that Curry had overtaken James in terms of all around ability, but with the way that Curry was playing, the topic had been raised, and somewhat legitimately, that LeBron might now be number two in the pecking order of NBA superstars.
When LeBron's Cavaliers met Curry's Warriors last year in the NBA Finals, it was clear that Cleveland was at a distinct disadvantage. Kevin Love had been hurt early in the playoffs, and Kyrie Irving was injured in the first game of the Finals, and he missed the remainder of the series. LeBron was without the second and third best players on his team, and role players were now thrust into starting positions, while bench riders became significant factors coming off the bench.
While James clearly was playing with a team that was not near 100%, I do think that many people gave him too much of a pass. It was as if he was playing one against five in the eyes of many. While Cleveland was not the team it was during the regular season and into the postseason, this was still the team that came out of the Eastern Conference. It wasn't as if it was LeBron and a bunch of guys they picked up at the park on the way to Game Two. LeBron played very well throughout the series, but Cleveland was unable to overcome a great Golden State team, and the Warriors won the series in six games. Does LeBron get a pass for that? Somewhat, yes. Totally though? No. So after last season, LeBron had reached the Finals six times (once with Cleveland, four times with Miami, and then again with Cleveland), and had two rings to show for it. 99.9% of the players in the NBA would love two championship rings, but for James, the bar had been set much higher.
In 2007 when James led the Cavaliers to the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland was simply not the better team, and San Antonio swept Cleveland. Then, in 2011, LeBron and the Miami Heat lost in six games to the Dallas Mavericks in what is the biggest stain on James' resume. The Heat took a 2-1 series lead into the fourth game of the series and LeBron then had what many consider to be his worst game ever, scoring only eight points on 27% shooting in 45 minutes. Miami lost that game, and the next two as well, and LeBron was criticized without end for his collapse in the final three games of the series that Dallas eventually won in six games.
In 2012, things got much better as the Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder and James finally captured his first title. Miami then won again the following year, and James was the best player on the floor in the deciding seventh game after what was (in my opinion) the most thrilling basketball game ever thanks to Ray Allen's miracle shot in Game Six. However, the next year the Heat were blown off the floor by the Spurs in five games, and LeBron was now 2-3 in the Finals. His teams had been completely overwhelmed by the Spurs twice, and he had shriveled once against the Mavericks. Despite winning two titles, he had three losses that stuck out in the minds of many. When LeBron returned to Cleveland and went to the Finals last season, while his team was clearly not close to full strength, they still did lose, and his record in NBA Finals stood at 2-4. Fine by the standards of most since he did have the two rings, but not acceptable for someone who was destined to be the greatest player that the game had ever seen.
Then came the 2016 Finals. With a Cavaliers team that was now fully healthy getting a chance at revenge against the Warriors, LeBron had no excuses. Nothing other than a title would be acceptable. Golden State blew Cleveland off the floor in the first two games, but Cleveland responded by beating the Warriors by 30 in the third game. With Game Four in Cleveland, and the Cavs down two games to one, LeBron and his team were facing what could possibly be dire circumstances. A loss in the fourth game would mean that the series would shift back to Golden State with them having a chance to win the title at home in Game Five. And what happened? LeBron (along with Kyrie Irving) were terrible in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors took a 3-1 series lead and it seemed as if Cleveland was dead in the water. Most people (myself included) thought LeBron was looking at a fifth NBA Finals loss, with another dud performance in the games that mattered most. What we did not see though, was what LeBron James saw. This was going to be different. There would be no 2011 disappearing act. There would be no record points differential loss in five games like what he suffered against the Spurs in 2014 in Miami. Something changed in LeBron's mind, and as someone who has been a fan of his since he came into the league, I must say that it was a joy, and in many ways a relief, to witness.
Game five in Golden State. The Warriors had a chance to clinch a second consecutive championship on their home court. All the odds were against Cleveland. The only problem was, someone forgot to tell that to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. They teamed up for a legendary performance in the fifth game, as they both scored 41 points, and despite still being down three games to two, they had Game Six back at home. They had to follow it up, and LeBron did just that. After scoring 41 points in the fifth game, he decided to match that, and he scored 41 points again in the sixth game.
After being down three games to one, Cleveland had won two straight, and as in the case in any sport, when it comes to Game Seven, all bets are off. Where the game is played does not matter. How you got there does not matter. It is one game for all the marbles, and in this case, it was for the NBA title. LeBron would either answer the bell and bring the city of Cleveland its first professional sports title in over 50 years, or he would suffer another NBA Finals defeat. He had two options to choose from, and right from the start, it was clear that he was going to answer the bell. He put up a triple-double, led the Cavaliers to their first ever title, and on the way blocked an Andre Iguodala layup that will surely go down as one of the best plays of his career. When the series ended, LeBron led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. It was clear he was the MVP of the series. Not only had he ended Cleveland's championship drought, but he had left his impact in the biggest of ways on the biggest of stages in the biggest of games. For LeBron, the fifth, six, and seventh games of the series were emphatic stamps on the positive side of his ever-critiqued legacy.
So after he led the Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit, the first time in NBA Finals history that any team has overcome such an obstacle, the biggest question was where it put him in the pantheon of greatest players of all time. I have heard all sorts of opinions from all sorts of people on this topic, and I have to say that the majority of them have been afflicted by the "prisoner of the moment" disease. Is LeBron an all-time great? Absolutely. If he retired tomorrow would he walk into the Hall of Fame? Yes. However, is he the greatest to ever play the game? No, and I don't think he ever will be able to claim that title.
Based upon overall talent and skill level, LeBron is in the conversation for the best to ever play the game. His ability to do everything on the court is legendary, and what he did this season only solidified that statement even more. There is a difference between overall ability and greatest to ever play the game though.
In my opinion, and I would guess the opinion of most basketball fans throughout the world, the greatest player ever is Michael Jordan. Jordan was an unbelievably great all around player, and his six championship rings validate that. Along the way with those six rings, he also won the MVP of the Finals six times, and never lost in the Finals once. Six for six, with six MVP's. It is impossible to overlook that. If he had not left the game for two years to for some reason I will never understand, try to become a professional baseball player, a legitimate argument could be made that he would have had a chance to win eight consecutive championships. He won three, left for two years, and then won three again. Add his scoring prowess, his defensive ability, and his overall impact on the sport, and I do not see anyone passing him in the foreseeable future.
In recent days, I have heard LeBron's name mentioned as the second best player to ever play the game, and I wholly disagree with those who think that as well. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has scored the most points ever in the NBA. He won six championships and six MVP awards. He also was probably the best college basketball player ever, winning three NCAA titles at UCLA. I know those three are not at the NBA level, but I think with nine overall titles, you could argue that Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest to ever play the game of basketball.
Next, let's look at the two transcendent centers from decades ago. Bill Russell won an unprecedented eleven titles with the Boston Celtics, and if you are asking about the "greatest winner" to ever play the game of basketball, then there is only one answer to that question, and Russell is it. However, the game was much different back decades ago when he played, and as it has evolved, the center position has become much less emphasized. The same can be said about Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt played in and era where someone of his size was such an aberration that his numbers can easily be skewed. So while Russell, Chamberlain, and Abdul-Jabbar all put up extraordinary numbers, I still do not think they are at the level of Jordan.
Now, since I am mostly focused on LeBron, I want to mention Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. Those are the first two names that should come to mind when you think of the top tier of overall talent. Robertson played long enough ago that most fans today do not remember him, but he was the only player in the game to ever average a triple-double for an entire season. Ask any NBA fan how hard that is, and they will tell you it is nearly impossible. The only reason it is not impossible is the fact that Robertson actually did it. However, Robertson only won one title, and (somehow) only won one MVP award.
Magic Johnson is next. Magic won five titles, was the MVP in three of those series, and also was the league MVP three times. Until LeBron James came along, he was known as the greatest all-around player to ever play the game. By that I mean the greatest combination of size, scoring, passing, rebounding, and defensive ability. Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Russell can trump him in one of those categories individually, but in my opinion, Magic Johnson was the greatest ever to combine all of those attributes into one.
And before I delve into where LeBron fits in on this list, I want to recognize some of the other greats so they do not get overlooked. Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird, Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, John Havlicek, Isiah Thomas. Those are just a few of the names that also need to be mentioned. However, now that LeBron James has won another title, I think it is time to start mentioning him as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Best ever? No, and I don't think he can ever reach that level. Top five? Maybe, but not yet. I need to see more championships from him before I can say that. Right now though, I do believe that LeBron is in the top ten of the all-time greatest players in the history of basketball. The only thing that will prevent him from ever reaching the top is the fact that he has failed on the biggest stage multiple times.
I have always considered it better to have won multiple titles and never lost to be better than winning multiple titles as well as losing some, but I am beginning to come to realize that winning many and losing some as well might in fact be even more of an achievement. Michael Jordan won six titles and never lost once. Is that great? Absolutely. But if he won six times and made eight Finals series would that be even better? I think it may be.
The same goes for quarterbacks in the NFL. Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana both have four Super Bowl rings in four Super Bowl appearances. All time great? For sure. Tom Brady has four Super Bowl rings in six Super Bowl appearances. He has the same amount of rings as Bradshaw and Montana, but he has played in more Super Bowls than both of them. Is that actually a greater accomplishment? If you wanted to argue that it is, then you could convince me that it is.
So while LeBron James now has three championship rings, he is surely not the greatest player of all time, and I do not think he can ever have a legitimate claim to that spot. However, he has already reached the Finals more times than Michael Jordan did, and LeBron is still only 31 years old. That means he has many more years ahead of him to add to his resume. If he wins multiple titles before the end of his career, I think he can claim a spot in my top five players of all time. Right now he is 3-4 in the Finals. Even if he were able to win two more rings (which I think is definitely possible), he has to have a legitimate claim to one of the greatest ever. He is already climbing up the lists of career points, rebounds, assists, and all other kinds of statistical categories, so who knows where he will stand on those dockets by the time his career eventually ends.
What really amuses me though is the fact that we are already talking about where LeBron may end up at the end of his career. He still has many more years ahead of him to play, and I think the sky is still the limit. Can he pass Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever? It would take a ton of rings for him to do that. Can he pass Russell as the winningest player ever? Probably impossible. Can he pass Chamberlain as the most dominant player ever? The chances are very, very, very slim. Might he pass Abdul-Jabbar as the top scorer in the history of the sport? Most likely, no. Could he pass Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson as the greatest all-around talent ever? Yes, I think he can, but he still has a lot of work to do in that chase.
Right now, I think I view the guys I have mentioned multiple times as the greatest to ever play the game. Jordan, Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, Johnson, and Robertson. Rank them as you wish. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and can use their own set of standards to do that. LeBron James is not at that level quite yet, but like I said before, I think he is already one of the ten best players to ever play the game, and he has the potential to crack the top five.
Recent superstars like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan I think still have done more in their careers than James, but if LeBron can win at least one more ring, I think he surpasses all of them, and many would argue that he has already surpassed all of those guys. So while it seems like hours since I first started writing this piece, my bottom line is that James is right now a top ten talent, with the potential to be top five, but no chance to be number one unless some miracle happens and he somehow blows past Jordan's six rings.
No matter my opinion though, I think right now we just need to appreciate how good James actually is and stop trying to critique each and every miniscule fact about him. He is a once in a generation talent. While he may not have lived up to the initial expectations, I think it is easy to say that the initial expectations were unrealistic. This guy is an all-time great, and will walk into the Hall of Fame whenever it is that he decides to retire. Until then, I will just hope to see more and more of the greatness that he displayed in Games five, six, and seven this year. He ended the 54 year drought of professional sports failures in Cleveland, and I expect that this past Sunday will not be the last time he will be known as an NBA champion.
Daily NBA Update: Obviously, I do not need to go into detail about how the season ended, as I just spent quite a while giving a synopsis of the fallout from the Finals. I do have to say though that despite the numerous blowouts, Game Seven made up for that all. It was thrilling down to the final buzzer, and LeBron's block as well as Kyrie Irving's clutch three pointer will go down in Cavaliers history as two of the biggest plays ever in the history of the franchise. Congratulations to LeBron and the Cavaliers.
Daily NHL Update: Rangers. Ugh. Next year. Maybe.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: Arizona completed a four game sweep of the Phillies and are in Toronto tonight for the first time in I don't even know how long. It has been years in years since the Diamondbacks played in Toronto, but that is why I like more interleague play. Arizona is still six games under .500, but there have been some positive signs, and winning four straight, no matter how bad the Phillies might be, is always nice.
Daily Giants Update: Obviously, at minicamps the news is always good since teams are playing in shorts and t-shirts. Quarterbacks and wide receivers do nothing but excel, even though they play with no defense on the other side of the field. There is still quite a while until we even get close to the games mattering, so until then, all we need is no one getting injured. And on that front, so far, so good.
Friday, June 10, 2016
The legacy of Muhammad Ali
When Muhammad Ali passed away a week ago, the world recognized that not only had it lost a sports icon, but it had also lost a cultural icon. Ali burst on to the scene because of his boxing ability, but he will be remembered for much more than what he did in the ring. The confluence of his talents, his beliefs, and the tenor of the culture in the 1960's all created the perfect storm for Ali to become one of the most iconic and legendary figures of the 20th century.
The eyes of the world right now are focused on the city of Louisville, as a funeral procession is underway for Ali. Pallbearers include Will Smith, Mike Tyson, and Lennox Lewis, and other historic athletes like Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are part of the commentary. The fact that famous names like those are all taking part in the proceedings are really all you need to know about how significant this day really is. Obviously, the day is all about remembering arguably the most iconic figure in the history of sports, but it has also brought about conversations that I believe are worth addressing.
There are two topics that have stirred conversation in recent days in relation to Ali, and I want to tackle both issues. The first is whether or not there will ever be "another" Muhammad Ali. This is a topic that seems to come about all the time throughout the sports world. Since Ali has just passed, the debate has re-emerged. Will there ever be another Ali? The same has been asked about Michael Jordan. The same has been asked about Babe Ruth. The same has been asked about hoards of other athletes. As a matter of fact, the same has been asked about hoards of people in other fields, but for the purpose of this piece, I will focus on the world of sports.
Athletes like Ali and Ruth and Jordan are of the rarest breed, yet it seems like we continue to reach to equivocate them with present day athletes, and I hate that this continues to happen. When guys like Roger Maris, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds were breaking records set by Ruth, it seemed as though the public was constantly looking for reasons to find fault with them. No matter what they did on the baseball diamond, there was always something preventing them from being the "next" Babe Ruth. Maris had a bad rapport with the press. Aaron was fighting against racial prejudices. Bonds was playing in the midst of the steroid era. There was always something that was in the way of them ever being able to live up to the standard that Ruth had set so many years ago.
Now don't get me wrong, these barriers were not completely fabricated. Did Maris have a rocky relationship with the press and the public when he was chasing Ruth's single season home run record? He absolutely did, and his actions and attitudes definitely played a part in that. Maris was just as much at fault as the public was when it came to such a rocky relationship, but in the grand scheme of things, it was Ruth's constantly looming presence that was the root of the problems.
When Hank Aaron was approaching Ruth's career home run record, millions of people wanted to see him fall short simply because of his race, but again it was Ruth's looming presence that played a part in the feelings of many people. The same goes for Bonds, even when he was surpassing Aaron's career record. It was bad enough that Aaron had overtaken Ruth, but now a man who everyone believed was fueled by performance enhancing drugs was about to set another new record was being celebrated by some was almost even worse.
As if the Ruthian standards were not enough, the NBA world went far beyond those after Michael Jordan retired. Following his retirement, fans began to be so protective of his legend that until this day, they will never even consider putting anyone anywhere near his level. Jordan is a saint and everyone else is nothing but a sinner.
It started with guys like Grant Hill and Anfernee Hardaway, and has continued on down the line to guys like Kobe Bryant and, of course, LeBron James. Jordan fanatics stand firm in their protection of their idol, and no matter what, he will be the Babe Ruth of basketball. Even if his records are surpassed, they will always be surpassed by people who in some way will never measure up to the totality of the legend that is Michael Jordan and everything that comes along with it.
So that brings me to Ali. Will there ever be another Ali? My answer is firm. No, there will never be another Ali. However, will there ever be supremely talented boxers that come along in the future? There absolutely will be. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the most polarizing figures in modern day sports, and as a professional he has never lost a fight. However, the overwhelming majority of the public views him and Ali in completely different worlds. Boxing is a sport that has become far less popular than it was half a century ago, but that does not mean there are not talented fighters out there, and that does not mean that there are more talented fighters who have yet to make their mark on the sport. So even if there may never be another Muhammad Ali, that does not mean that we should make it our own obligation to make sure of that. Ali was one of the most talented fighters to ever step in to the ring, and his greatness may never be matched. However, to simply brush aside the talents of each and every fighter that comes after him is not right. There may never be another Ali in terms of ability, but there are plenty of young fighters out there who may one day make their own mark on the boxing world that will be as unforgettable as Ali's.
Another issue that has come up since Ali's passing that I want to address is how much of an impact he had outside the ring. Not only was Ali a boxing icon, but he was a social icon as well. His outspoken disagreements with the government when it came to the Vietnam War have been well documented, and the fact that Ali was willing to tackle social issues in conjunction with what he had to deal with in the ring made his legend grow exponentially. As I said before, the fact that Ali's rise to fame happened in the 1960's played a huge part into him becoming the iconic figure that he is remembered as today. Not only was the boxing world ripe for the picking in the 1960's, but the social world was as well, and Ali used his prominence to make his name known in both worlds.
Thanks to the willingness of Ali to speak out against politics and things outside the sports world, Ali became more than just a star athlete. He became the face of an entire generation. No matter the ethnicity, Ali was able to grow into the spokesman for an entire generation of youth. Sure, young black people were able to identify with Ali completely, but young people of other races were able to do the same. When Ali refused to be drafted into the U.S. military and claimed that he had no quarrels with the Vietnamese, it struck a tone with young people throughout America. They saw friends and family being sent across the country to fight a war they had no interest in fighting, and when an enormously popular public figure like Ali said what he felt, young people agreed with him, even if they had never seen him fight in the ring. Ali's legacy is tied tightly to this activism, and it is what made people who had no interest in sports still able to identify with him.
So just like how there have been conversations in recent days about there ever being "another" Muhammad Ali, it has also sparked debate as to how modern day athletes (and celebrities in general) should take stands when it comes to issues that go beyond the boundaries of their own fields. People who speak of Ali with the highest regard highlight his social activism and involvement just as much as they speak of his ring prowess. They say that when athletes, or other celebrities in general, reach the highest of platforms, they have a responsibility to bring about a social awareness that will awaken their supporters. It is as if because Ali was publicly outspoken when it came to matters outside of the sports world, it means that each and every modern day athlete has to do the same thing, and I fervently disagree with this assumption.
Sports fans invest our time and our money on the greatest athletes in the world because we want to watch them perform at levels we have only ever been able to dream about. We watch sports because of what these people can do on the field. We don't watch sports to hear what they have to say about politics or any other kind of social issues. While we might care deeply about such issues, that is not the reason we watch sports. If I want to hear about political or social issues, I don't turn on ESPN. If I want to hear about the NHL or NBA playoffs, I don't turn on CNN. There is a reason that CNN and ESPN exist independently of one another. People covered on CNN have no responsibility to cater to ESPN viewers, and people covered on ESPN have no responsibility to cater to CNN viewers.
Muhammad Ali was one of the few athletes that was able to blur those lines. However, it is unfair to expect every superstar athlete to follow in his footsteps. Just because there are men and women out there that make millions of dollars in the business world does not make them obligated to ingratiate themselves to the sports world, and just because there are athletes out there that make millions of dollars does not make them obligated to ingratiate themselves into the business world.
Ali was able to appeal to people of multiple walks of life, but just because he was able to do so does not mean that every athlete that follows him is required to do the same. There are plenty of athletes out there that want to speak their mind when it comes to issues outside the sports world, and they are more than welcome to do so. However, there are also a whole lot of athletes that do not want to concern themselves with the world outside of sports, and it is their right to do just that as well.
Prominence in one field does not bring about a social responsibility to voice your feelings in every field, and anyone who thinks that is the case is mistaken. With money comes responsibility, but that responsibility is not unlimited. Just because someone is an expert in one field does not require them to be an expert in all fields. I do not expect an athlete to get up in front of the world to make a political speech just as I do not expect a politician to address the world on the current state of archaeology.
Muhammad Ali was one of those rare and unique figures that was able to make himself noteworthy because of his ability and willingness to address multiple issues and show an expertise in multiple fields. Just like Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan, people like him do not grow on trees and do not come around all the time. Ali set a standard that only a select few have even dreamt of approaching, and it is because of this that his passing is such a significant event. Ali blurred the lines of color, political affiliation, financial status, and many other things that included being one of the greatest athletes that we have ever seen. So how about we stop trying to instantly find and anoint the next Ali or the next Ruth or the next Jordan. How about we recognize the greatness of these men, but also recognize the greatness of those that have come and will come after them. It might be hard to do when we have such vivid memories of these icons, but if we can recognize politicians and businessmen for their individual greatness, we need to do the same for athletes. There will never be another Muhammad Ali, but that is completely acceptable. Let's recognize him for what he did in and out of the ring, but at the same time let's be willing to appreciate anyone that comes after him that might pave their own way to a legendary status such as his.
Daily Diamondbacks Report: Arizona has dropped seven of its last ten games, and now sit 10.5 games out in the NL West. On the positive side though, Zack Greinke seems to be zoning in and proving that he is worth the $206 million the team spent on him, as he shut out Tampa Bay in his last start. Paul Goldschmidt has been hitting better as well, and that is another good sign. The Miami Marlins come to town starting tonight, as Patrick Corbin takes the mound. Corbin has been struggling a bit thus far, but he beat Jake Arrieta his last time out and hopefully he can notch his 4th victory of the season tonight.
Daily Giants Update: No breaking news on this front, as all the reports are about OTA's that involve no tackling and a whole lot of insignificant drills. At this point, the best news is that no one has gotten hurt and there are no holdouts. The offseason has just begun though, so there will be much more news to come, and hopefully all of it is good.
Daily NHL Update: The San Jose Sharks staved off elimination last night in Pittsburgh in a game that started out in wild fashion and then finished with two goaltenders standing on their heads. It seemed like every chance in the first period was being converted into a goal, and from then on neither team could find the back of the net. The series moves back to San Jose now with the Sharks still down three games to two.
Daily NBA Update: After being beaten in Game 1 and then blown out of the building in Game 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back and blew the Golden State Warriors out of the building in Game 3. Game 4 is tonight, and I still think it is a must-win game for LeBron and the Cavs. If they go back to Oakland down 3-1, I doubt the series goes past five games. Stephen Curry has been completely absent from the first three games of the series, which has been a total shock. I have to say that I expect Curry to finally bounce back tonight, and I think the season and the NBA title is on the line. In my opinion, the defending champion Warriors answer the bell tonight and they well head back home with the title in their grasp. It is up to the Cavaliers to prove me wrong though, and I am hoping they do just that.
The eyes of the world right now are focused on the city of Louisville, as a funeral procession is underway for Ali. Pallbearers include Will Smith, Mike Tyson, and Lennox Lewis, and other historic athletes like Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are part of the commentary. The fact that famous names like those are all taking part in the proceedings are really all you need to know about how significant this day really is. Obviously, the day is all about remembering arguably the most iconic figure in the history of sports, but it has also brought about conversations that I believe are worth addressing.
There are two topics that have stirred conversation in recent days in relation to Ali, and I want to tackle both issues. The first is whether or not there will ever be "another" Muhammad Ali. This is a topic that seems to come about all the time throughout the sports world. Since Ali has just passed, the debate has re-emerged. Will there ever be another Ali? The same has been asked about Michael Jordan. The same has been asked about Babe Ruth. The same has been asked about hoards of other athletes. As a matter of fact, the same has been asked about hoards of people in other fields, but for the purpose of this piece, I will focus on the world of sports.
Athletes like Ali and Ruth and Jordan are of the rarest breed, yet it seems like we continue to reach to equivocate them with present day athletes, and I hate that this continues to happen. When guys like Roger Maris, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds were breaking records set by Ruth, it seemed as though the public was constantly looking for reasons to find fault with them. No matter what they did on the baseball diamond, there was always something preventing them from being the "next" Babe Ruth. Maris had a bad rapport with the press. Aaron was fighting against racial prejudices. Bonds was playing in the midst of the steroid era. There was always something that was in the way of them ever being able to live up to the standard that Ruth had set so many years ago.
Now don't get me wrong, these barriers were not completely fabricated. Did Maris have a rocky relationship with the press and the public when he was chasing Ruth's single season home run record? He absolutely did, and his actions and attitudes definitely played a part in that. Maris was just as much at fault as the public was when it came to such a rocky relationship, but in the grand scheme of things, it was Ruth's constantly looming presence that was the root of the problems.
When Hank Aaron was approaching Ruth's career home run record, millions of people wanted to see him fall short simply because of his race, but again it was Ruth's looming presence that played a part in the feelings of many people. The same goes for Bonds, even when he was surpassing Aaron's career record. It was bad enough that Aaron had overtaken Ruth, but now a man who everyone believed was fueled by performance enhancing drugs was about to set another new record was being celebrated by some was almost even worse.
As if the Ruthian standards were not enough, the NBA world went far beyond those after Michael Jordan retired. Following his retirement, fans began to be so protective of his legend that until this day, they will never even consider putting anyone anywhere near his level. Jordan is a saint and everyone else is nothing but a sinner.
It started with guys like Grant Hill and Anfernee Hardaway, and has continued on down the line to guys like Kobe Bryant and, of course, LeBron James. Jordan fanatics stand firm in their protection of their idol, and no matter what, he will be the Babe Ruth of basketball. Even if his records are surpassed, they will always be surpassed by people who in some way will never measure up to the totality of the legend that is Michael Jordan and everything that comes along with it.
So that brings me to Ali. Will there ever be another Ali? My answer is firm. No, there will never be another Ali. However, will there ever be supremely talented boxers that come along in the future? There absolutely will be. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the most polarizing figures in modern day sports, and as a professional he has never lost a fight. However, the overwhelming majority of the public views him and Ali in completely different worlds. Boxing is a sport that has become far less popular than it was half a century ago, but that does not mean there are not talented fighters out there, and that does not mean that there are more talented fighters who have yet to make their mark on the sport. So even if there may never be another Muhammad Ali, that does not mean that we should make it our own obligation to make sure of that. Ali was one of the most talented fighters to ever step in to the ring, and his greatness may never be matched. However, to simply brush aside the talents of each and every fighter that comes after him is not right. There may never be another Ali in terms of ability, but there are plenty of young fighters out there who may one day make their own mark on the boxing world that will be as unforgettable as Ali's.
Another issue that has come up since Ali's passing that I want to address is how much of an impact he had outside the ring. Not only was Ali a boxing icon, but he was a social icon as well. His outspoken disagreements with the government when it came to the Vietnam War have been well documented, and the fact that Ali was willing to tackle social issues in conjunction with what he had to deal with in the ring made his legend grow exponentially. As I said before, the fact that Ali's rise to fame happened in the 1960's played a huge part into him becoming the iconic figure that he is remembered as today. Not only was the boxing world ripe for the picking in the 1960's, but the social world was as well, and Ali used his prominence to make his name known in both worlds.
Thanks to the willingness of Ali to speak out against politics and things outside the sports world, Ali became more than just a star athlete. He became the face of an entire generation. No matter the ethnicity, Ali was able to grow into the spokesman for an entire generation of youth. Sure, young black people were able to identify with Ali completely, but young people of other races were able to do the same. When Ali refused to be drafted into the U.S. military and claimed that he had no quarrels with the Vietnamese, it struck a tone with young people throughout America. They saw friends and family being sent across the country to fight a war they had no interest in fighting, and when an enormously popular public figure like Ali said what he felt, young people agreed with him, even if they had never seen him fight in the ring. Ali's legacy is tied tightly to this activism, and it is what made people who had no interest in sports still able to identify with him.
So just like how there have been conversations in recent days about there ever being "another" Muhammad Ali, it has also sparked debate as to how modern day athletes (and celebrities in general) should take stands when it comes to issues that go beyond the boundaries of their own fields. People who speak of Ali with the highest regard highlight his social activism and involvement just as much as they speak of his ring prowess. They say that when athletes, or other celebrities in general, reach the highest of platforms, they have a responsibility to bring about a social awareness that will awaken their supporters. It is as if because Ali was publicly outspoken when it came to matters outside of the sports world, it means that each and every modern day athlete has to do the same thing, and I fervently disagree with this assumption.
Sports fans invest our time and our money on the greatest athletes in the world because we want to watch them perform at levels we have only ever been able to dream about. We watch sports because of what these people can do on the field. We don't watch sports to hear what they have to say about politics or any other kind of social issues. While we might care deeply about such issues, that is not the reason we watch sports. If I want to hear about political or social issues, I don't turn on ESPN. If I want to hear about the NHL or NBA playoffs, I don't turn on CNN. There is a reason that CNN and ESPN exist independently of one another. People covered on CNN have no responsibility to cater to ESPN viewers, and people covered on ESPN have no responsibility to cater to CNN viewers.
Muhammad Ali was one of the few athletes that was able to blur those lines. However, it is unfair to expect every superstar athlete to follow in his footsteps. Just because there are men and women out there that make millions of dollars in the business world does not make them obligated to ingratiate themselves to the sports world, and just because there are athletes out there that make millions of dollars does not make them obligated to ingratiate themselves into the business world.
Ali was able to appeal to people of multiple walks of life, but just because he was able to do so does not mean that every athlete that follows him is required to do the same. There are plenty of athletes out there that want to speak their mind when it comes to issues outside the sports world, and they are more than welcome to do so. However, there are also a whole lot of athletes that do not want to concern themselves with the world outside of sports, and it is their right to do just that as well.
Prominence in one field does not bring about a social responsibility to voice your feelings in every field, and anyone who thinks that is the case is mistaken. With money comes responsibility, but that responsibility is not unlimited. Just because someone is an expert in one field does not require them to be an expert in all fields. I do not expect an athlete to get up in front of the world to make a political speech just as I do not expect a politician to address the world on the current state of archaeology.
Muhammad Ali was one of those rare and unique figures that was able to make himself noteworthy because of his ability and willingness to address multiple issues and show an expertise in multiple fields. Just like Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan, people like him do not grow on trees and do not come around all the time. Ali set a standard that only a select few have even dreamt of approaching, and it is because of this that his passing is such a significant event. Ali blurred the lines of color, political affiliation, financial status, and many other things that included being one of the greatest athletes that we have ever seen. So how about we stop trying to instantly find and anoint the next Ali or the next Ruth or the next Jordan. How about we recognize the greatness of these men, but also recognize the greatness of those that have come and will come after them. It might be hard to do when we have such vivid memories of these icons, but if we can recognize politicians and businessmen for their individual greatness, we need to do the same for athletes. There will never be another Muhammad Ali, but that is completely acceptable. Let's recognize him for what he did in and out of the ring, but at the same time let's be willing to appreciate anyone that comes after him that might pave their own way to a legendary status such as his.
Daily Diamondbacks Report: Arizona has dropped seven of its last ten games, and now sit 10.5 games out in the NL West. On the positive side though, Zack Greinke seems to be zoning in and proving that he is worth the $206 million the team spent on him, as he shut out Tampa Bay in his last start. Paul Goldschmidt has been hitting better as well, and that is another good sign. The Miami Marlins come to town starting tonight, as Patrick Corbin takes the mound. Corbin has been struggling a bit thus far, but he beat Jake Arrieta his last time out and hopefully he can notch his 4th victory of the season tonight.
Daily Giants Update: No breaking news on this front, as all the reports are about OTA's that involve no tackling and a whole lot of insignificant drills. At this point, the best news is that no one has gotten hurt and there are no holdouts. The offseason has just begun though, so there will be much more news to come, and hopefully all of it is good.
Daily NHL Update: The San Jose Sharks staved off elimination last night in Pittsburgh in a game that started out in wild fashion and then finished with two goaltenders standing on their heads. It seemed like every chance in the first period was being converted into a goal, and from then on neither team could find the back of the net. The series moves back to San Jose now with the Sharks still down three games to two.
Daily NBA Update: After being beaten in Game 1 and then blown out of the building in Game 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back and blew the Golden State Warriors out of the building in Game 3. Game 4 is tonight, and I still think it is a must-win game for LeBron and the Cavs. If they go back to Oakland down 3-1, I doubt the series goes past five games. Stephen Curry has been completely absent from the first three games of the series, which has been a total shock. I have to say that I expect Curry to finally bounce back tonight, and I think the season and the NBA title is on the line. In my opinion, the defending champion Warriors answer the bell tonight and they well head back home with the title in their grasp. It is up to the Cavaliers to prove me wrong though, and I am hoping they do just that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)