NBA Special Report: In order to be the champion, you have to beat the champion
Basketball pundits say it possibly could be a generation thing, because today’s youth seems to think they can’t win an NBA championship title unless they have a star studded roster. It came to a point a few years ago when Shaquille O’Neal departed from the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant demanded to be surrounded by all-star level talent or he would leave the team too. When he was asked where he’d like to play, he said he’d play on Pluto at this very point.
This year’s LeBron’s decision to leave the team he served seven years for created a lot of controversy. LeBron, abandoning the Cleveland Cavaliers leaving his home town in order to join his best friends Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, created turmoil all around the world. It raised an interesting question, are today’s superstars unlike what the legends of the past were like?
Critics say one could not imagine Bill Russell joining the same team with Wilt Chamberlain, who battled each other through their careers with the NBA, instead of playing alongside each other just to win a championship. For more than about ten years, both legends encountered each other on the court to win the NBA title, yet the thought of them being on one team did not cross anyone’s mind because that would just take the competition out of the game.
Former basketball Legend Michael Jordon scrutinized LeBrons decision to play for the Miami Heat and said “There’s no way I would have called up Bird and Magic and said let’s play together. I was trying to beat those guys.”
Magic Johnson also voiced his opinion regarding James choice and said "We didn't think about it cause that's not what we were about. From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird."
Experts say that the new mindset in the NBA seems to be for a man to beat the best, is to team up with the best, contrary to what use to be believed, in order to be the champion you have to beat the champion. The pattern of leaving your team and joining other stars is becoming quite common. Recently Amar’e Stoudemire, who was the star player for the Phoenix Suns decided to depart his team for the New York Knicks because they offered him a deal worth almost a $100 million dollars for over a five year period.
However, there are always exceptions, Kevin Durant the young aspiring star decided to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunders and signed a five year extension, even though the All-Star player had an option to go to almost any team he wanted. However, he believed in the Thunders and wants to take his team to the next championship, as he exclaimed in one of his interviews. Kevin did not hold any press conferences, or bother joining the free-agency drama. He quietly re-signed with his team and announced it via Twitter.
Although he certainly had the choice to collaborate with his 2007 draft fellows, Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Greg Oden in Chicago Bulls, which in comparison to the Thunders, is a millions times better than it.
Durant told the press recently that he is quite similar to Larry Bird; he likes being home, enjoys his moms cooking and is not the sort of a guy who likes a lot of attention.
NBA enthusiast’s say maybe there is still hope for the league, perhaps there are still players out there like Kevin Durant, who understand that rivalry is important in sports and without competition in the game there is not much left in it.
Let’s just hope we see more players who are all about the competition and finish of the status-quo so we get to see, matchups like Jordon’s Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons or Larry Birds Boston Celtics vs. Magic’s Los Angeles Lakers in the near future.
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