The Illusion of the NBA

When I was much, much younger, I saw the NBA quite differently. The players were portrayed as seemingly flawless human beings; charitable, friendly, committed to basketball and possessing an obvious love for the sport.

It wasn't difficult to imagine that these players were friendly with each other on and off the court, during games and training alike. All those highlight reels and profile videos show players getting along, working together as a team and playing basketball as though nothing else in the world mattered. It's a nice picture, but a little too perfect.

Sooner or later, you start to read about what really goes on. You find out that even a championship squad that can play beautiful team basketball is comprised of players that really don't get along. You read about players doing unadmirable things and getting into trouble. You hear the trade demands, the arguments, and you're exposed to the ego. When the illusion of the NBA (and indeed, professional sports as a whole) is broken, you see a rather ugly side of the game that need not have anything to do with the actual sport.

I still love the game of basketball, I love the NBA and I admire the great players past and present. But as I've grown older, I've become less naive and more aware of the NBA's lesser qualities.

What events opened your eyes to the dark side of the NBA? When was the illusion shattered for you? And would you rather the illusion of the NBA was the real picture?

OK, let's have a discussion.

I agree with you Andrew. As a kid the world of basketball was presented as perfect. There was nothing negative about it that i saw. I liked Charles Barkley and little did I know that he spat on a fan (i found this out 3 yrs ago). I also didn't know anything about Roy Tarpley and his drug addiction and Chamberlains claims of being a whore . Now all i see is the league being at a crisis point with a bunch of bad asses who have too much money and ego's that escalate year to year. Never saw that side as a kid, oh well, i put that aside and i love the game just like i did 5, 10 yrs ago. The players mis-represent the game to the world, but i don't judge them on what they do offcourt, it's their PERSONAL life, i judge what they do ON the court

I Love This Game

Well I cant say that as a kid I thought the NBA was all clean and "all about the game of hoops" since I was first exposed to local hoops here in the Phils. where basketball games sometimes became wrestling matches in the early 70s and 1980s and hoops was highly political and controversial.

Another thing is that I don't think my perception has really changed that much. I think its really the players who have changed. The game is becoming more about all the money, getting the biggest contract, selling playoff tickets during the offesason, not getting hurt so you land the fat contract etc...

I mean back then players would play through injuries, for most players it was about winning, regardless of whether they were nice to the fans off the court, for most players it was about playing to win when they were on the court.

Although I'm not saying that the game is any less excting or the players less interesting, I just dont like the way the focus of players have shifted away from winning and playing for the fans which is pretty much the general direction that all primetime sports in all other places in the world is going nowdays. Its sad really. But its not that bad.

Anyone seen the "Champion" Sportswear ad on tv?? Usually airs on TBS, there is a part where you see a guy dribbling a dollar printed basketball and the announcer says when did money become more important than the game we play?...in the end they say there are still champions out there playing everyday (the normal people ofcourse, wearing Champion sportswear) I understand that ad, like the guy above (you're new, so welcome ) said, it's too much about the money now days, screw that and play with all your heart guys!!

I never see anyone chastising a plumber because he doesn't do it "for the love." Like everyone else players do what htey do to make a living. For most of them, yes, it is about the money. I don't blame them either.

uhhh, us Aussie guys only saw the nice side of the league because we got "NBA Action" which is all flowers and candy. The worst thing you might see there is Dikembe hitting his head in the shower because he's too big for normal buildings, during the holding court segment.

The other thing we had was "One on One" magazine and that usually didn't have anything too bad in it. PBT publishes all the shit from the internet, and that's when you start to find out about the negative side of the league... Unfortunately the first two sources are dead in Australia, which leaves you with all the bullshit on PBT and the internet, which we didn't really have at an earlier age.

What I want to ask you all is Why do you think it was not about the money bak then?
Because the players played through injury?
Because they seemed more emmotional?
Becasue the biggest pay way like 50,000 or less?
Because of great rivery?
Its got alot to do with economics, let me take u though my thory y players get paid so much

Prices go up-> salery has to go up->ticket prices go up->more pple show up-> bigger selary for those who the crowd wants to see->Lugsury tax and cap space prevent some players from re-signing-> y should a player go and play for a team who will pay his 10mil when he can go for 15?
why do people change jobs? would selary have anything to do with it?

Its thanx to those guyz in the past like Wilt, Magic Larry etc that fans fomr allover the world want to be part in NBA. Again to the cycle...

U talk about the ugly site of the NBA, and i tell u this , u cant change a peson, some learn some dont. and i think the big pay player understand that if they do somethings wrong it top news if a minimum player got shit its barly anounced.

and about that commercial for Champion, i havnt watched it but form what u told me they say its about the money.. but didnt thay sponcer NBA at one stage? i remmeber having a jersy with Champion on it?!

I think that the league has changed quite a bit. The media exposure to the NBA increased with MJ and everyone (team owners and GMs) saw how one special player could carry you to the top. Which is why they started investing in younger college and high school players who are not mature enough to handle the NBA, both physically and mentally. That's why the on-court product has gone down because many of these players are just not ready for the NBA. Also, the types of players have changed. In my opinion, the NBA reached its zenith during the 96-97 season. The season-long NBA at 50 celebration was great, there was a likeable dominant team in the Bulls, a likeable dominant player who parents could tell their kids to imitate, and also most of the other players still played to win. The playoffs that year were very good. However, everything went downhill after the season. Marv Albert started it with his arrest and everything that followed, Spreewell's choking incident was terrible, and Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller were involved in that fight, though it was mostly Charles. Webber also didn't help by his criticism of the Wizards. Then Pippen and the Bulls exchanged unpleasantries almost through half the season. The playoffs helped (Highest rated Finals ever) but after Mike retired, many people lost interest.

What I want to ask you all is Why do you think it was not about the money bak then?
Because the players played through injury?
Because they seemed more emmotional?
Becasue the biggest pay way like 50,000 or less?
Because of great rivery?
Its got alot to do with economics, let me take u though my thory y players get paid so much

The point I was trying to make, and perhaps I didn't make it clear enough, is that it didn't seem that way. Sure, money has always been a factor, whether it's the Celtics announcing they'd pay Bill Russell $1 more than Wilt Chamberlain, or one of today's stars demanding to be paid what they feel they are worth. Sure, money has always been a motivation, but it's something that I for one did not think about when I was much younger.

U talk about the ugly site of the NBA, and i tell u this , u cant change a peson, some learn some dont. and i think the big pay player understand that if they do somethings wrong it top news if a minimum player got shit its barly anounced.

I realise that. Again, my point was these things never seemed to be apparent when I first started watching the NBA.

I saw the Dark side of the NBA when my friend told me they got hookers in hotels during away game stays!

I saw the Dark side of the NBA when my friend told me they got hookers in hotels during away game stays! And i heard that MJ slept wit a chick...and i still tell my friends and they don't believe...mainly cos NBA players aren't really icons in Oz...and if they are they have a near-perfect image!

I first realized the NBA wasn't it what it projected itself to be sometime in the mid-'90s. Back then, the Mavs had the 'three J's' - Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. NBA Action was portraying the trio as close buds on and off the court and they each wore a rubberband to symbolize their closeness. However, I was surprised that despite the talent and the apparent 'friendship' among the three, the Mavs kept losing and couldn't make the playoffs. After that season one of the J's got traded after the other until no one was left. I then read a newspaper article that the three were squabbling all along, not passing to each other during games and Kidd and Jackson were even fighting over a celebrity chick (Toni Braxton I think). Dennis Rodman in his book 'Bad as I Wanna Be' commented that the NBA did not allow players to be themselves. I guess this is was he was talking about.

I think with the prevalence of media, through the internet primarily, the NBA is unable to cover what the league and its players is really all about. They're just normal people, working for a paycheck, protecting their invest (themselves) for the next big contract, needing some occasional lay on away games. They're not idols to be put on a pedestal.

I first realized during the NBA Lockout. How it wasnt playing for the love of the game and getting paid on the side, but playing for pay. I know some love the game and are reluctant to get paid for something they enjoy.

Kidd and Jackson were even fighting over a celebrity chick (Toni Braxton I think).

I think that part of the story was later found to be fabricated. The rest of it was apparently true though.

i found the darkside when jordan choked up reggie miller, it was strange to see the icon no.23 choking the hell out of reggie, dont get me wrong it was all in good fun though right??


and another thing, through a childs eyes the world is perfect, its not until you get older and realize and understand how cruel it is.

Even the greatest basketball player ever .. MJ had his problems and everyone know about them .. coulnt get out of the ATL gambling his paychecks away.

Back in The Day: It waz all bout the love of da game, da passion to just play the game regardless of who your teamates where and how much money u recieved

Now: It iz all bout da money and beef on da court. everybody iz now so picky bout dere teamates (T-Mac). everybody wats a lot of money o they threaten to leave the team (J-Kidd)