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.

Whoops! Miami Newspaper Advertisement Celebrates Miami Heat Title

Previously on Outside the Boxscore, we featured an erroneous Macy's advertisement from a Philadelphia newspaper claiming the Phillies has won back to back World Series titles in 2009.

Well, now a Miami newspaper accidentally ran another Macy's advertisement claiming the Miami Heat had won the 2011 NBA title.

We get more from Daily Mail:

It was hard enough for expectant Miami Heat fans to watch their team lose to the Mavericks on Sunday, but a mistaken advert congratulating them on their win just rubbed salt into the wound.

A full-page ad that ran in Monday's Miami Herald reads 'Congratulations Miami' next to photos of Heat championship T-shirts and hats from Macy's.

One T-shirt reads 'Heat 2011 NBA Finals Champions' and the ad shows the Heat's logo on a hat with the words 'NBA Champions.'

And to make matters worse, the ad ran under a story about the Heat's loss.

Despite claims the advert was a mistake, some commentators had suggested it may be a clever marketing ploy designed to garner national attention for a fraction of the price.

Here is the advertisement that ran in the Miami Herald:

Let Celebration-Gate Begin! Did Dwayne Wade/Lebron James Celebration Spark Mavs Comeback?

With the Mavericks rather shocking comeback against the Miami Heat in game two of the NBA Finals, some might point to this infamous moment as being a possible spark.

After Dwyane Wade's three pointer gave the Heat a fifteen point lead, Wade's subsequent strut and "celebration" with Lebron might have given the Mavericks a much needed spark:



(Courtesy of NBAVideosNow)

Did The Miami Heat Just Lose the 2011 NBA Finals?

In one of the most shocking finishes to an NBA Finals game that I have ever seen, the Dallas Mavericks came back from a fifteen point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to win game two of 2011 NBA Finals over the Miami Heat.

It appeared from the common fan view that the Heat were well on their way to claiming game two and taking a 2-0 lead to Dallas but the reemergence of Jason Terry and the clutch play of Dirk Nowitzki ended that dream for many Miami fans.

While the Heat offense turned into something similar to that of NBA Jam, the Mavericks kept their cool and continued to do what led them to success throughout the playoffs. So credit, the coaching of Rick Carlisle and the calm of a team that was facing a very impressive storm in uncharted waters.

For the Miami Heat, they reverted to the old Miami Heat of November/December 2010 that couldn't win a game if their lives depended on it. For a team to look so good, fall so fast, it just boggles the mind of how it occurred.

Questions now abound for the Miami Heat: Why didn't Dwayne Wade only get two touches with less than three minutes to play? Why didn't Chris Bosh foul Nowitzki before his final bucket with a foul to give? Why did Lebron James jack up those three point attempts instead of trying to go to the basket? How does this team bounce back from such a tough loss?

I find it hard to believe that a team can lose the NBA Finals based on one game but the way the Heat lost this affair, it's tough to see them fighting back in Dallas to send this series back to Miami.

However for an NBA season that has included more twists and turns than romance novel, it doesn't surprise me that the NBA Finals mirror that.

Lebron James "Heats Up" In 2011 NBA Finals Game One In Video Form

After one game of the 2011 NBA Finals, Lebron James and the Miami Heat hold the 1-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks with a 92-84 victory.

Lebron James dropped 24 in the game and here are three of his memorable highlights.

The first one comes before the end of the third quarter as he hits a buzzer beating three:



This one comes in the middle of the fourth as he explodes past Shawn Marion for the dunk and the foul:



And finally, the exclaimation point as receives an alley-oop pass from Dwayne Wade for the slam:




(Courtesy of NBAVideosNow)

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.

Derrick Rose Posterizes Joel Anthony - 2011 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4

The Chicago Bulls are now only one game away from being eliminated by the Miami Heat as they fell last night by the score of 101-93.

However for Bulls fans, Derrick Rose had an impressive highlight as Miami Joel Anthony was the victim on a Rose poster dunk:



(Courtesy of The Basketball Jones)

Speedy Dwayne Wade Gets A Steal and A Slam

So far, the team that looks like the favorite to win it all is the Miami Heat after taking a two-game series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers.

In game two of that series, Dwayne Wade shifted into overdrive with this impressive steal and slam:



Bonus: Here is the Mario Chalmers to Lebron James Alley-Oop also for your viewing pleasure

Can The Miami Heat Turn Tragedy Into Triumph?

Being the huge Kanye West fan that I am, a famous line from one of the rapper’s songs should be the battle cry with which the Miami Heat should live by right now:

“Now that that don’t kill me, can only make me stronger.”

Strength is exactly what the team needs at this moment. Despite coming up with a big win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the eleven days prior to that victory were a nightmare. With five straight losses during that period, the Heat appeared to be a boxer stuck in the corner as opponents continue to pummel them into a TKO. Even with the occasional bright spots where they seemed to recover, it would be followed with another barrage of punches smashing into their body or a final haymaker in the final seconds to seal the W.

In the first loss to New York, the Heat entered the fourth quarter with the lead, only to see the Knicks battle back to win the final quarter by six points and the game by five. Four days later, Orlando came into town and the Heat maintained control of the game entering the fourth with a nine point lead. All of the sudden, Orlando was able to come up with the magic the team was named after and finish plus-12 in the quarter for a three point victory.

The Heat didn’t even bother to show up the next day when they went to San Antonio, as the Spurs would keep them on the ropes all game long and finish the game with a 30 point blow out. Vowing to bounce back, Miami squared off against Chicago two days later and again were holding all the cards with a two point lead going into the final twelve minutes. The end result was a 24-21 fourth quarter in favor of the Bulls and a one point win for the team from the Windy City.

Miami’s struggles would only continue when Portland came into town. The Blazers slowly shredded the team apart, coming up with a nine-point win and keeping the downpour of losses showering upon the Heat. The forecast called for no end to the horrible losing streak the franchise was dealing with as the faced off against the Lakers. Luckily for them, there was a break in the weather and a 94-88 win over Los Angeles.

Even though they have awaken from their nightmare, Miami should get used to dealing sleeping uneasy. Their recent problems made news all over sports websites and television. All this attention and intrigue over them losing is both unexpected and gratifying to the rest of the world.

When the Heat were formed during the off season and held the big bonanza ushering a new outlook for the franchise, there were only a few groups of people who wanted them to succeed: the team, the front office, and their fans. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh came before their legion of supporters and vowed to win multiple championships. All three players made the idea of winning inevitable thanks to their signatures on their new Miami contracts.

That’s where they made their first mistake even before they took the court as a team. The utterance of such thoughts to the public is just like Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk: you are just going to get the rest of the NBA and the nation angry, bringing out the beast in your opposition.

When the team landed James after he famously decided “he would take his talents to South Beach”, people around me asked my opinion on how they would do this season. Without hesitation or a moment to process the information, I was able to summarize what they would do in five simple words:

“They won’t win the title”

The game of basketball is built on a team concept and having strong assets, starting from the face of your franchise all the way down to the last guy on the bench. This is why the Lakers have been able to win back-to-back titles; they are a more complete team that can beat their opposition in a variety of ways while being able to handle anything that comes at them.

Miami has a great core with James, Wade, and Bosh, but what about the rest of the team?

Mike Miller is a great piece for the team, but appears to be still adjusting to his new surroundings. Udonis Haslem fits well with what they need for size and rebounding, but has been out for the majority of the season because of injury. The rest of the team is filled with aging veterans (six of the fifteen players are either 32 or older) or unproven commodities (three guys have three years or less experience in the NBA).

That recipe won’t win you an NBA title, even with three future hall-of-famers.

So this current losing streak isn’t shocking in my opinion, nor should it be for the Miami Heat. They should take this experience and cherish it, because it will prove useful for them in the future. For now, and probably until the end of their careers, the microscope will be magnified whenever their playing horribly and losing consistently. That’s because the expectation is that they will always win, a standard that will not only haunt them, but will also not be discussed as thoroughly as their losses.

No one said winning comes easy and now the team is starting to realize that and cherising it deeply with the knock off of the Lakers. They are starting to see that success will come with difficulties, and that losing will be the only news that will be talked about in regards to the Heat.

Their roster will improve during the offseason with young talent they bring in through the draft and free agents that will sign with them down the road. They just need to understand that they will be a powerhouse in the league, but that will come with time. Patience is a virtue that leads to championships in the NBA, a quality that should have been pushed upon them before they threw their victory party over the summer.

For now, they just have to find a way to embrace their challenges and humble themselves into understanding that championships are earned in the NBA, not given.

With that, I leave this discussion with one final quote from Kanye West that the Heat should continue to carry with them on their journey forward:

“But I'm a champion, so I turned tragedy to triumph…”

Miami Heat vs New York Knicks For The East Finals: A Dream Come True

Two of the most celebrated franchises in NBA history.

Five superstars who have legitimate chances at making the Hall-of-Fame.

High octane offenses that want to get up and down the court with scores near 120.

Sounds like the beginning of a new great rivalry in the NBA.

If Sunday’s immensely-hyped match up between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks showed anything to the public, it’s that this is the start of something special. Whether it’s Dwyane Wade throwing a lob for a left-handed thrashing at the rim by LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony sticking King James at the end of the game and getting a help side swat by Amar’e Stoudamire, this was a preview of what’s to come in the next five years for these two.

Now, the public can only hope for one outcome come playoff time: an Eastern conference final between these two squads.

Getting that dream to come true will be tough for both teams this season.

The Heat are one of the top seeds in their conference after a slow start to the season and are loaded with talent thanks to their big three with James, Wade, and Chris Bosh. What may stop them from reaching championship status is their lack of toughness and size on the defensive interior, while also dealing with concerns of a shaky outlook at the point guard position.

With the Knicks, their biggest problem is timing. While the Heat were able to gel the team since the offseason, the Knicks will look to take the crash course on molding a group together with only 23 games left in the season. They also have holes in regards to protecting the rim and issues swirling around the effectiveness of their complimentary players.

Along with their own personal questions, the Heat and Knicks face the dilemma of a new look in the league based upon geography.

The West has owned the title of being the elite conference since the 1990s. Teams that were dominant since that time are now hovering near the end of their runs with their stars entering the twilight of their careers (Spurs with Tim Duncan and Lakers with Kobe Bryant). Of all the current top four teams in the West, only the Oklahoma City Thunder have a face for their franchise under the age of 30 (Kevin Durant).

The dominance that has been the signature of the West is now slowly filtering over to the East. In regards to the top half of the current playoff standings in that conference, three of those teams have superstars in their mid to early 20s. The Heat’s big three are all in that age gap, along with Chicago’s Derrick Rose (22) and Orlando’s Dwight Howard (25). With many of the squads on the Eastern half of the United States improving and creating a strong core based upon youth, just getting to the conference finals will be difficult task for any of these teams, let alone a highly hopeful New York vs Miami matchup.

Yet, sports are never pre-determined, so a final of this magnitude is still quiet possible. Not only is this outcome achievable, but it would be extremely promising.

Of course, many will be screaming and clamoring for one half of the East Finals to feature the usual Celtic, especially after their hardship last season and their four year supremacy nearing the end. As deserving and enticing it would be to see a youthful team try to topple the veteran Celtic team, no other match up would have more hype and be more mouth-watering than to see New York and Miami go at it.

As former teammates on the U.S.A Olympic team in 2008, the five superstars are close with one another and all equally dying for a shot at the title. Only Wade and James were lucky enough to even reach the pinnacle that is the NBA finals, with the former Marquette superstar being the only one to actually taste success by winning it. Stoudemire, Anthony, and Bosh have all been superstars on their former teams, but never had enough to make it to that next step.

The star power of this matchup is the biggest draw of all. The idea of having all five of these players on the court, trying to out do one another, and being the key standout to win the series is fascinating. Imagine if either one of these players were to emerge as the main force carrying his team to the next level while beating the other out to earn a berth in the Finals. The concept that one of them could hold that above the others for the rest of their life would give them the gas they need to give it their all from the tip off at game one to the last horn sounding off to signal the end of the series.

If both teams were able to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, it would be a premature start to this new rivalry. Last Sunday’s matchup between the two only gave a microscopic look as to how intense and alluring this rivalry could be. Both will continue to improve with a stronger complement of players and time to gel with one another, leading to the magnitude of a rivalry that the public has never seen before.

Just as the Lakers vs Celtics rivalry changed the scope of the NBA in the 1980s, the Knicks and Heat rivalry will undoubtedly alter the landscape of the league and usher in a new era of professional basketball in the 2010s.

Maybe, if we are all lucky, we can see that time begin in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals.