Are Today’s NBA Superstars Just Leaching Off Previous Generations?

After he and his teammates allowed the Dallas Mavericks to celebrate a championship on his own court, LeBron James stood before the press and was asked about the issue of people being happy to see their team’s disappointing finish.

“All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today,” he replied according to the Associated Press. “They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do…”

In certain regards, “The King” is right. Since the aftermath of the game six meltdown, the public is returning to their normal lives and routines. Sports fans will only have baseball to look forward to now that basketball is over for the time being (with the reboot date for the 2011-12 season unknown since the current Collective Bargaining Agreement will be up at the end of June).

Yet, the quote isn’t a reflection of the hatred between James and the public, but more so a sense of entitlement that is beginning to fester into the minds and personalities of many rising, young NBA stars of today.

That concept was most illustrative with this Miami Heat team and its inaugural Kanye West-style concert performance they put on when the big three was brought together. The combination of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh was set to be a frightful sight for anyone who opposes them, but their self-arrogance and haughtiness was a disrespectful spectacle for the NBA and those who came before them.

How could three players come out right and celebrate a dynasty when all three of them combined only have one NBA title since entering the league eight years ago?

Never did the thought of combining to become superior cross the minds of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird (except for the original “Dream Team”) and nor should it have: they all understood that the definition of greatness lies within the body of work and not their own personal feelings. In other words, it’s not how you look or how talented you are, but what you have done and how hard you work to get better.

The late 1980s-90s generation were not well off like the stars of today are; the generation of NBA stars in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s didn’t create a golden path towards millions of dollars, fans, and endorsement opportunities. There was no universal appeal for basketball; baseball was the American sport most played around the world 20 years ago. Prior to entering the NBA, they were not followed on Twitter or on Facebook and were not showered with publicity and attention by the media.

Most were not even noticeable by everyday people if they were walking down a street.

Their personas and the intrigue they created through the public was made over time. They were beloved by the world because of what they did throughout their career and not the hype surrounding their possible potential. The Jordan-Bird-Johnson period built a new era of basketball on their own and changed the game so much that today’s players are still reaping benefits from them.

That’s apparent when Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Joe Johnson are just a handful of players under the famous Jordan shoe line.

Today’s generation is obviously spoiled in the fact that so much of the groundwork has been laid out by the previous greats before them. This leads into the biggest conundrum with today’s generation: work-ethic and expansion of their game

When Jordan, Johnson, and Bird entered the league, there were flaws to their game that rendered them handicap from being champions and great in their sport. Jordan was a master of flight who had no other means of dominating outside the paint. Johnson had great court vision and versatility, but was more of a full court player with no ability to shoot. Bird was already a great precision scorer from the perimeter, but couldn’t make plays for his teammates.

Despite those inabilities, the three worked hard to not only overcome those shortcomings, but to become better “all-around” players. They understood that just relying on their special abilities wouldn’t allow them to be as great as they hoped. They worked tirelessly to turn their weaknesses into a strength that would make them hard to contain on the court.

What did all that hard work get them? A total of nine titles in their first eight seasons in the NBA (four for Johnson, three for Bird, two for Jordan).

This need to work to expand and improve as an all-around player is what is missing with so many of the great stars of today. Only a few players have shown they were willing to put in the time to be a reflection of past stars.

Derrick Rose was able to grow by leaps and bounds from what he was when he left Memphis to join the NBA three years ago. He can now extend out to the perimeter and be the main source on offense rather than just attacking the rim and being only a facilitator like he was in his first two seasons. It is even more obvious given the jump he and his team made in one year (an MVP award and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance).

Sadly though, Rose is in a small demographic of today’s great players who have evolved into that necessity of becoming that better, well-rounded player needed to become a champion.
The failures of the Heat were obvious given that their flaws were on display for the public to see.

James’ was reluctant to punish foes like Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, and Deshawn Stevenson, who are all small in stature and could not match up to his athleticism, in the post simply because he has no post game. Unless there was a turnover to ignite their team on the break, the six-foot, eight inch, 250 pound forward was helpless to stand around and do nothing in a half court game because his shot wasn’t falling.

Great players find a way to win, but James was nowhere to be found when his team needed him the most.

Wade and Bosh were just as useless in almost the same capacity as their other big piece of the puzzle. Wade has always been a great scorer, but he constantly missed key shots and couldn’t create easy shots for others (which has been a knock on him for years). Bosh is the type of player who has always appeared to loathe becoming a better physical presence in the paint on both ends of the court, a need the Heat was lacking sorely en route to losing the series.

Through it all, all three players also couldn’t cash in on the one area that was complimentary for them to earn during the game: their free throw shooting.

Hitting free throws at key moments is a clutch quality that is required in order to reach the pinnacle of success in the NBA. Jordan and Johnson couldn’t do that early in their career, but when the spotlight of the Finals shone down on them, they were able to capitalize. The Heat will have to learn that great teams make others pay for giving them free opportunities at points (see Dirk Nowitzki’s free throw shooting as a reference).

The Miami trio aren’t the only superstars of today who are subject to scrutiny. The idea of entitlement is an epidemic that is spreading widely throughout the league.

While the rising star of Kevin Durant has a long career ahead of him at such a young age, 22, his game must expand if he hopes to push his team as the favorite to win the West next season. His jumper and ability to score may be uncanny to anyone in the NBA, yet, it is his inability to create for himself and others and a lack of a back-to-the-basket game that continues to be the Achilles heel that has plagued him since his days at the University of Texas.

Another superstar who is nearly equal in his ability to put up points from anywhere is Anthony. Ever since he first stepped onto the court for the Orangemen, the now 27-year-old forward has been known as an unstoppable force who can pull from the outside or go to a post game depending upon his match up. Yet, since his only year at Syracuse and into his eight seasons in the NBA, he appears to be the same lethargic defender he’s always been and a player who has tunnel vision with no court awareness.

It’s difficult to imagine today’s players not eclipsing greats of the past, simply because of the physical specimens that they are and the tools they have before them. Jordan, Johnson, and Bird would have surely revered in such advantages and qualities, especially if they were as prominent early in their career as they were in their later years.

Alas, it appears that anointing these young players early on may only come back to haunt them for their unfulfilled abilities and goals they may never truly reach when the end comes near.

Out With the Old Guard, In With the New

The Dallas Mavericks victory over the Miami Heat was many things. It was the end to a great career for Jason Kidd, a defining moment for Dirk Nowitzki, catapulting him into the upper echelons of the greatest forwards to play the game, a long awaited pay off for owner Mark Cuban, and another sorrow filled event for LeBron James.

The Mavericks not only toppled the highly despised Heat, but they stood as a last vestige of the old guard in the NBA, a group of highly successful players entering the twilights of their careers and phased out by a newer, younger group of established and emerging stars. Players like Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan are being replaced by names like Stephen Curry, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and numerous others.

With the departure of the old guard, the league also loses a state of mind that those players carry with them. An all business, hypercompetitive drive that drove many of the era to greatness. The shrewdness and bravado of Kevin Garnett, the killer like attitude of Kobe Bryant, the silent but deadly demeanor of Tim Duncan. With every great player on the last leg of their career, also hangs the attitude that was the driving force behind the many memorable moments left behind during their run. The NBA is now at a crossroads, one in which we’ll see the newer group of stars adopt these attitudes and carry on the legacy, or a complete transformation of the league in which players focus on being liked by one another and attempting to ensure they don’t come off as a bad teammate or being too cocky.

What many of these players have yet to realize, is that calling out teammates and being overly confident is what has driven the greatest in the game over the leagues history. Greats like Russell, Bird, Magic, MJ, Kobe, etc., all didn’t hesitate for a second to straighten out a teammate or chirp about any issue in the post game press conference. The greats are driven by success, and every single obstacle standing in their way, whether teammate, coach, friend, or family, was taken care of and disposed. Victory was their ultimate goal, and nothing was going to stop them.

This new generation of NBA superstar is still young, but shows no true signs of steering towards the ways of legends past. The leagues most talented player teamed up with a buddy, who should have been a rival, and another superstar for the chance to play together in a young city and chase titles. The league’s MVP is far too humble, letting poor performances by teammates slide under the radar as he absorbs all the blame. One of the leagues top performers has issues taking command late in the game, allowing a much more confidant but less talented guard shoulder the load in the closing minutes. In case you couldn’t guess it, the players just touched on were James, Rose, and Durant, arguably the top three young players in the league at the moment. Yet here they are, all three unwilling to take charge and become the big man on campus. Why is this?

First off, many of the young players in the league are the not only the best on their team, but are also on teams that are made up of mostly young players. The Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder are perfect examples of this. Derrick Rose is easily the best player on that roster, but whom does he have to teach him the ropes. What seasoned guard is there to guide him through his career, and more importantly, call him out and teach him how to be a commanding leader both on the floor and in the locker room. The answer? Nobody. The Bulls, despite being successful, lack a veteran presence on the team that can assume a leadership role and mentor the young players.

Swoop down to OKC and you’ll find the same situation. The Thunder are lucky enough to have four extremely talented young players that look to be the core make up of their future. Westbrook, Durant, Harden, and Ibaka. All four are superbly talented, but again, who is there to teach them how it all works. Sam Presti needs to go out and secure the Thunder a no nonsense veteran that will put Westbrook into his place and inspire Durant to become the leader of that team. When that dynamic is settled out, the rest will fall into place, but the beauty of MJ and Pippen was that Pippen knew his place, and that’s a lesson Westbrook will need to learn in order for the Thunder to reach their full potential.

This theory holds true for nearly all of the top young stars in the league. In Orlando, a lack of veteran presence has possibly been the hold up on Dwight Howard reaching his full potential. Despite their fading talent, the old guard still has a role to play in the development of the new guard; the only issue is whether or not they are willing to listen.

The second theory on why the new group of NBA stars seems to lack the “killer” gene stems back before any of them stepped onto a college basketball court, much less a professional one. Many of the leagues young stars played in one of the biggest booms of AAU basketball to date. Any young star worth his salt in an NBA uniform surely played in the ranks of AAU ball, being placed on select teams with other great talents and traveling the country to play the same teams again and again in different tournaments. The AAU dynamic is one that has not received much credit to the cause of the, “lets all be friends attitude.”

The fact of the matter is; many NBA players have actually shared the same basketball court for years by the time they reach the pros. Players like Kevin Love and Michael Beasley played AAU ball together, and their only one of hundreds of examples of this. Even if players weren’t on the same team, it’s almost a guarantee that at more than one point during their career they played another great player. Add this on top of the fact that many players play for multiple teams, chasing the teams that provide the most exposure and talent. All of this wrapped up creates an environment in which players are constantly in contact with other great players, developing friendships that are reignited at next tournament and carried upwards through their careers.

Team hopping and consistently facing the same competition also creates the need to acclimate to any team or set of teammates. This dynamic was especially well chronicled in George Dohrmann’s book, “Play Their Hearts Out.” Recent findings with the questionable recruiting done by perennial powerhouse Indiana AAU also demonstrate the darker side of competitive amateur basketball.

The combination of these two ideas, a past dominated by AAU basketball and the current lack of veteran leadership on many young NBA teams has led to the situation the league finds itself in now; an aging group of old veterans with an old school attitude, and a crop of young stars emerging in the league, carrying with them a new kind of competitiveness, one in which everyone can seemingly turn off the switch with the final buzzer and all be friends the same night.

(Originally Posted At Two Point Diversion)

The Dallas Mavericks Win 2011 NBA Finals (Final Seconds/Post Game)

For the first time in their franchise history, the Dallas Mavericks claimed their first NBA championship over the Miami Heat with a 105-95 victory in game six of the 2011 NBA Finals.

Here are the final seconds of game six and on-court aftermath:



The next below video is the post-game celebration that includes interviews with Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd:

2011 NBA Finals More About Altering Identity Than Hoisting The Trophy

This year’s NBA Finals may crown the champion for this NBA season, but the teams that will play in it have been ready for this moment way before the start of this year.

In 2006, Dirk Nowitzki and his Mavericks slumped back into the locker room after being shellacked by the Heat in four straight losses, which was proceeded with wins in the first two games of the Finals. With that being the franchise’s only attempt at winning a title in their history, it was chalked up as another tally in the lose column for a team with no championships despite being constant regulars in the playoffs.

Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were all heralded as dynamic players who were deeply beloved and followed since all three were drafted in the top five of the 2003 NBA Draft. Since they all joined up with the Miami Heat last summer, they have now been identified as the biggest antagonists in all sports because of their selfishness to come together and form an overpowering dynasty intent on taking over the NBA.

Both teams will now come to a head in the NBA season finale, with the winner understanding that it’s not just the Larry O’Brien trophy at stake, but a bigger justice of shedding away the negative connotations attached to themselves and their franchises.

The only two remaining members from the 2006 Mavericks team may be Nowitki and Jason Terry, but the rest of the team is filled with members who have been tagged with the same identity of being a choker throughout their careers.

Point guard Jason Kidd will go down in history as one of the top point guards to have ever played the sport of basketball. Yet, despite the numerous triple-doubles, all-star selections, and gold medals he’s won with the USA Olympic Basketball team; the former University of California, Berkeley star has come up empty in his previous thirteen postseason appearances (including two Finals losses to the Spurs and Lakers as a New Jersey Net).

Being in the playoffs regularly was always a part of Peja Stojakovic’s career. Having played in 76 postseason games for the Kings, Hornets, and Pacers, the 33-year-old sharpshooter was a notable part on a variety of team’s runs through the playoffs. Yet, he’s always come up short of being on a franchise that can truly call themselves champions.

Nowitzki, Kidd and Stojakovic’s inability to claim an NBA title as their own isn’t just reflective of Dallas’ key players, but for everyone who currently wears the teal and grey colors of the Mavericks. Of all the fifteen players on the current roster, no player has ever gone on and been a part of a championship team.

Being successful is an identity many of the guys on the squad have always had, but their constant failing to win a NBA title has always dominated their triumphs.


Supremacy is exactly the reason James, Wade and Bosh decided to join and stick around in Miami. The idea of “taking their talents to South Beach” was an excellent notion in the eyes of the three superstars. The choice to control their future was in their hands after the end of 2010 NBA playoffs, but none of them could have imagined just how hated they would become when it happened.

Prior to this season, the three were the darlings of the league. They were beloved in any city they went to play in and sold out stadiums anytime they were the opposition’s road team. All three were deemed saviors of their franchises and for a league whose key players were entering the twilight of their careers. Never had any of them ever had to endure being hated and mocked at any point in their career.

That is, until after their big declaration in Miami.

As they hosted, boasted, and toasted during their celebration party with the city after they all signed on to be a part of the Heat, the would proclaim loudly that not only would they win a title for their city, but they would do it on numerous occasions.

This became the defiant moment when they turned from the face of the NBA to the heels of the league. Everywhere they went they were booed extensively and fans would cry bloody-murder for their teams to destroy them.

When they finished the month of November with a 10-8 record, they were denigrated and laughed at for their pre-season, boastful antics. After constantly dropping games at the tail end of the fourth quarter from January through March, they were scorned as a franchise with high-end talent who were incapable of finishing off teams. Even coach Erik Spoelstra’s comment of players crying in the locker room was made a mockery of and added gasoline to the fire of labeling the Heat as the league’s top adversaries.

All that bantering and targeting of the big three in Miami as the enemy did was enrage them and allow them to grow stronger together for a greater cause: win the championship to erase those labels.

Winning the title is everything to each player in the NBA. It allows them to reach heights that most would do anything to get to. Only fifteen players a year get to say they are champions and reaching that status can do wonders for their legacy.

The Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks understand that concept very well; as the winner of the 2011 NBA Finals will not only be champions, but finally erase the labels they have come to be identified with.

2011 NBA Western Conference Finals: All About Legacy

When Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook step on to the hardwood at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, they will be the center of attention in a very foreign territory.

On the other side of the court, Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki will be treading in familiar waters that they’ve been yearning to return to since their last dip in that pool during the peaks of their careers.

The stage the four players will play on is the 2011 NBA Western Conference Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder face off against the Dallas Mavericks for a chance to compete in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Intrigue will be a theme that dominates each minute of this series; but a more overbearing concept will be laminated into this battle once game one tips off: legacy.

Determining where a player sits in the echelon of NBA greats will always be measured by a player’s accomplishments. How many MVPs a player wins, the number of times he tops the league in scoring, or other awards and statistical categories he dominates each year will forever be placed side-by-side when comparing one another. Yet, one area of a player’s resume ultimately decides their ranking amongst the all time greats: championships.

Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, Reggie Miller, Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, and Karl Malone all had sparkling NBA careers and could form one of the most elite teams every assembled. Despite their awesome abilities, the only flaw that will forever haunt them and keep their names out of discussions as the greatest players of all time is not having that chance to clutch the Larry O’Brien Trophy as their own.

For the Thunder and Mavericks, it’s this theme of legacy that will be at the heart of this series.

Oklahoma City is in a unique position to cement their legacy in such a miniscule time frame. A team that lost over 60 games under their previous alias just over three years ago (Their last season as the Seattle Supersonics in 2007-08) and were eliminated in the opening round during their first trip to the playoffs in 2010, they are now just one step away from contending for top honors in the NBA.

Along with the four-year transitional period the team endured, the Thunder’s chance to carve their legacy in the NBA history books at this point in time is astonishing because most of their personnel are still entering the infant stages of their careers.

Of the fifteen players on their current roster, only two of them are older than the age of 30. Five of their players have more than five years experience in the league and only three have made it to this point in the playoffs on previous teams. The core of the team is comprised of guys who should be finishing up college at this point in their lives (Durant and Westbrook are 22, James Harden and Serge Ibaka are 21).

Despite that inexperience, Oklahoma City has a golden opportunity to seize the moment and control their own destiny moving forward. Chances to etch a legacy in history don’t come along very often, regardless of how off-the-charts a person or team’s talent may be (look up Dan Marino for evidence).

One team with a group of individuals who understand this is their counterpart in this series; the Dallas Mavericks.

While the Thunder were brought together to form a youthful core comprised of enough talent to be contenders for years to come, the Mavericks were assembled with one notion: to win and to do it quickly.

The Dallas roster is peppered with veterans with at least nine years of experience in the league (nine of their fifteen players) and most of their squad is 30 years of age or older (also nine of their fifteen players).

Although most of their roster is made up of stars with illustrious NBA careers, many are missing that one label on their resume as NBA Champions that would allow their careers to come full circle

Nowitzki is always in the discussion as one of the best, big man scorer ever with the ability to score from anywhere, but has been more tormented throughout his career for his inability to bring home the title to the city he’s played in his whole twelve-year career. Kidd is arguably the second greatest point guard ever (behind Magic Johnson), but will never be able to defend that honor in any discussion until he wins a title.

Peja Stojakovic is one of the best three-point shooters ever, but came up short on his numerous attempts to become a champion during the Sacramento Kings’ glory days. Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and Tyson Chandler all have immaculate NBA careers, but each have yet to complete a season on a team that was crowned as the best that year.

Not only is everyone on their roster gunning to win now to complete their legacy, but their also hoping to erase the notion that this franchise has been notorious choke artists in the past despite their consistency as a playoff entrant.

Since the start of the new century, Dallas has never been below a fourth seed in any post-season. In the past five years, the Mavs have been division title winners twice (2007 and 2010), the top seed in the West twice (2007 and 2010), and won the Western Conference once (2006).

Although they have all that acclimation, they have yet to call themselves NBA champions. In their only appearance in the Finals during the 2006 season, they were ousted by the Miami Heat in six games.

Defeat is perception that will last a lifetime for whichever team losses this series. This Western Conference Finals will feature two franchises on different ends of the spectrum; one with a bright future ahead of them and another nearing the twilight end as of their tenure of dominance.

Either way, one thing is for certain: a legacy will either be paved or nearing culmination once the horn sounds in the final elimination game.