Posted by 4949:

I agree, its tribal, but the "typical white american fan has no one to root for?"

White and black players are different. It doesn't necessarily mean one is better' than the other. And besides, this is just basketball. Some of the greatest players in Baseball, NFL and Hockey of all-time are white. Perhaps if blacks were given an even plain in the social world, it might be an even, if not a different story. Tiger Woods for instance is making a case that blacks can be as good as anyone in golf. If Josh Gibson got the chance to play along side Babe Ruth, he might of been a better hitter in HR's, or just as good. So they say. There's a lot of Caribbean athletes in major league sports today, but hardly any have really stuck out as much as the others. There are rarely Asians, and even more rare are American Indian athletes. All and all, I hate to sound like I'm constantly defending playa, and maybe I am, but the underpriveledge societies in this country alone have been made to believe that they would not amount to anything better. So with that, I don't beleive we would ever truely know who is a better athlete, if there's even such a thing, not until everyone gets the chance to show they're stuff.

As for basketball? I like basketball and even though no one knows what race I am (and won't know), I enjoy watching the game and the athlectic abilites that all of these players exhibit, white, black, asian, hispanic, whatever.

Posted by 4949:

I agree, its tribal, but the "typical white american fan has no one to root for?"

White and black players are different. It doesn't necessarily mean one is better' than the other. And besides, this is just basketball. Some of the greatest players in Baseball, NFL and Hockey of all-time are white. Perhaps if blacks were given an even plain in the social world, it might be an even, if not a different story. Tiger Woods for instance is making a case that blacks can be as good as anyone in golf. If Josh Gibson got the chance to play along side Babe Ruth, he might of been a better hitter in HR's, or just as good. So they say. There's a lot of Caribbean athletes in major league sports today, but hardly any have really stuck out as much as the others. There are rarely Asians, and even more rare are American Indian athletes. All and all, I hate to sound like I'm constantly defending playa, and maybe I am, but the underpriveledge societies in this country alone have been made to believe that they would not amount to anything better. So with that, I don't beleive we would ever truely know who is a better athlete, if there's even such a thing, not until everyone gets the chance to show they're stuff.

As for basketball? I like basketball and even though no one knows what race I am (and won't know), I enjoy watching the game and the athlectic abilites that all of these players exhibit, white, black, asian, hispanic, whatever.

Posted by bigpimpin:

http://www.nykfanpage.com/editorials/viewarticle.php?articleid=215

Posted by bigpimpin:

Okay BlueSeats, I apologize.

I would like to bring into discussion the perception of the NBA becoming too urbanized, and that every implemented rule and policy that has been installed, in popular belief, was done to de-urbanize the league.

The article is my opening argument.

Posted by bigpimpin:

Okay BlueSeats, I apologize.

I would like to bring into discussion the perception of the NBA becoming too urbanized, and that every implemented rule and policy that has been installed, in popular belief, was done to de-urbanize the league.

The article is my opening argument.

Thanks. Well, my own position on this is that too often what is done toward that end is advanced by blacks as being done for racially motivated reasons (either by Stern or for the white viewing audience,) and I don't buy it. Stern had no problem building up the image of the league with Jordan and Magic, both of whom are black. And as the article mentioned, Barkley was first to be antagonized by Iverson's image.

IMO, people make the mistake of associating a a person's negative feelings about hip-hop style with their feelings about an entire race. I'm sure their are many blacks, particularly of an older generation, who are as turned off by the image as it's assumed the average white is. I know blacks that wouldn't dare sport a neck tattoo and a durag, for their own sensibilities, and/or their parent's.

This whole NBA dress code is a prime example. In the old days the charge against whites was that they refused to integrate and assimilate blacks into white America, yet in the NBA the players are paid fortunes and asked to wear the attire of dignified America (for lack of a better term) and this is considered a racial assault? I think being required to wear field-worker clothes, or escaped prison garb (which much of hip-hop attire grew out of) would be a far greater racial assault than standard American business wear is. So what is the problem - that blacks are expected to follow the same codes as whites? It would be racist to think that they couldn't, or shouldn't.

I don't see anything wrong with the league trying to maintain a professional image. In Clyde's day this was never a problem, today it is, but it's not necessarily racial. If whites were shlepping around wearing in sandals and swim suits they'd crack down on that too.

Is it possible that the youth of today is a little too invested in this "urban" image of themselves? Would it be okay if they were just Americans, or perhaps International NBA players, every once in a while?

Posted by bigpimpin:

Good solid post BlueSeats, but I think the NBA embraced the hip hop generation until "it" became a problem as far as the league's image, appeal, and attitude.

Then it desperately wanted nothing to do with it.

Posted by bigpimpin:

And I doubt very seriously if you are unaware of the racial overture behind such a ruling.