Posted by TMS:
Posted by OasisBU:
Maybe Larry should have worded it differently so that people wouldnt take it the wrong way. I agree with Jazz on that - he is in a position of power where he is seen as a role model and should be careful about the things he says because of the way they are interpreted. However he should also not be afraid to speak his mind, because that undermines what this country is supposed to be about.
As far as the NBA earning more $$$ by having more white athletes on the floor...I think thats a bunch of BS. I am white, and the reason I watch basketball is not to see other people like myself on the court. I watch it to see the best athletes in the world compete in the greatest game ever created by man - I do not care what color they are, how many tatoos they have on their bodies, or if they listen to country music, rap, whatever. I like watching Europeans play because of their shooting and passing fundamentals, I like watching black american players because their athleticism, shooting, dunking, defense, and swagger is some of the best you can find on any field or court, I like watching Yao because he is really the first Chinese player to have an impact in the NBA - he has size, fundamentals, and he is a pretty funny guy. I think Nene is pretty cool too.
The thing is when I am watching basketball I am not focused on the fact that Dirk is white and Webber is black - I am thinking these are two of the best big men of our time leaving it all out there, and the product is extremly entertaining, even if the guy/team I am rooting for loses.
In that sense Bird is wrong, I dont agree that white players would make me more interested in watching the NBA.
i agree...1 of the most popular athletes in history was Michael Jordan...i don't think the color of his skin had anything to do w/why people idolized him...maybe greatness just transcends race, & in Michael Jordan's case, transcends the sport entirely...i think that's what Magic was talking about when he mentioned Larry Bird & the respect he gets among blacks & whites alike...i'm Asian, & i don't idolize Yao Ming just because he's Asian...i admire him for his talent & game...same goes for all the rest of the NBA players i admire.
a big problem IMO is that there aren't any more Magic's, Bird's, Jordan's, Doctor J's...guys who revolutionized the game & the popularity of the sport who were the type of players who the media could portray as heroes to the kids who admired them...now we have Allen Iverson & his domestic disputes being reported on by the media, Kobe Bryant getting accused of rape & admitting to cheating on his wife, players getting caught w/weed & guns at airports, players getting into late night brawls at Strip Clubs, arrested for DUI's, etc...those types of things can't be helping matters for the NBA to revive its image with the general public.
You are right, we have no more Jordan's, Doctor J's, Magic's etc - guys who played amazing ball on the court and had class off of it. However I think a large part of the problem with todays players is noot only their actions, but the sensationalization that the media does to every little thing pro athletes and celebrities do. The line between being an athlete and a celebrity has become more hazy lately.
People like to read about the bad things people do instead of reflecting on the positive. That is a problem with society as a whole. Players have a responsiblity to represent themselves in a classy positive manner because they are role models for all of us. However they are human and make mistakes - the media chooses to focus on those mistakes and turn them into "news."
There are a lot of problems with our country. The racial tension here is at an all time high - it may nto be publicly spoken out about but nobody has delt with the issues in a positive way since the days of MLK. Society has taken a major downturn with its focus on the negative actions of a select few who are glorified through the press. One day you are famous for having talent, the next you are ebing ripped to shreds by the media because you have become too successful. Watch the news, its only bad things they are telling us. How many people died in Iraq today, how many terror plots are currently in action against the US and its allies, how terrible the economy is, etc.
They never focus on the fact that our economy is recovering (slowly, but it is coming back pretty strong). That most celebrities and sports players do good things with thier money to support the communities surrounding them, that a free Iraq really is a big deal in a part of the world that has been troubled since the days of early man. America is buying into what that little box called TV tells them...and the problem is when people speak their minds, when they tell the truth, the media shuts them down and paints them as villains.
My point is the media is as much to blame for the negative way players are portrayed in the NBA as the players themselves.
