Jan
30, 2001
NBA BASKETBALL - - - - -
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GOIN'
AT IT
By
SCOTT STEVENS
Some
people think the NBA needs rivalries to win back its fans. Others think
the NBA needs to market the varieties of stars that already exist to naturally
create rivalries. It’s a thin and murky line.
The
first school of thought doesn’t see any rivalries in the NBA. It concludes
that the West is top heavy and the East is rail thin. It resigns to frequent
player movement and a lack of team loyalty to establish this excitement.
The
Patrick Ewing trade seems to have left the East without a major adversary
to cling to. Indiana vs. New York and Miami vs. New York will never be
the same again. Chicago and Cleveland lost its spice before Jordan retired
the first time. Out West the Lakers, Kings, Sonics and Rockets like fighting
amongst themselves better.
Another
faction stresses the importance of marketing the new NBA stars. They call
for a more inclusive group that goes beyond Kobe and Vince. There’s Webber,
Wallace, Garnett, Duncan, Grant, Finley, Allen, Francis, Iverson, McGrady,
Davis, Hughes, Odom, Rahim, Jamison, Nowiztki, Marion, Lewis, Petrovich,
Van Horn, Jones, Spreewell, O’Neal, Harrington, Bender, McDyess, Best,
Bibby, Miller, Terry, Brand, Artest, Hamilton, Marbury, and Miles and I
know I missed a few. The wonders and riches of the NBA were laid out so
clearly by Erving, Majic, Bird, Thomas, Nique, and Jordan that we are in
the midst of basketball revolution. Two high school kids dropped a C-note
last week and they're coming. Some top division one programs know seventh
graders. The NBA needs to let its resources catch up with its product.
Instead they butt heads over how to promote their game. According to Peter
Keating of ESPN Magazine, David Stern and league entertainment president,
Adam Silver, differ greatly on how to market the league.
The
league is on the clock!
The
power forward spot out west is a natural for rivalry development. You’re
almost guaranteed a great match up at the four out west. Webber vs. Wallace
vs. Garnett vs. Duncan vs. Malone vs. McDyess vs. Robinson. Jason Kidd
and Gary Payton are natural rivals at point. They’ve been going at it since
Payton was in high school. Jason Williams, Mike Bibby, Steve Nash, Damon
Stoudamire, and John Stockton could easily turn into viable enemies. I
don’t think the Lakers like the Blazers too much. They shouldn’t like the
Rockets, Kings, Spurs, or Clippers either. Nobody likes Utah, never have,
never will. In fact the only people who like Utah are their fans. Most
Jazz players have to learn to like the Jazz. I always cross my fingers
on draft night that the Jazz will pick up some foreign player I’ve never
heard of or a guy I don’t like so I don’t have to deal with the internal
demons that govern rooting for Utah.
The
possibilities for rivalries in the East exist also. Iverson vs. Marbury,
McGrady vs. Carter, need I say more? The Heat and the Hornets probably
don’t like each other all that much. As long as the Oak stays in Canada
every team this side of the border has a reason to hate the Raptors. The
Knicks and Nets can take feuds over cuties from the club last night to
the court. Why should the Magic stand the Heat or the Bucks put up
with the Pacers. The possibilities are endless.
If
you build it they will come. The league needs to stop the tippy-toeing
and push their young stars. Give them a chance to make mistakes in front
of the camera, they’re going to make them anyway. Empower the fans to create
their own stories then sell them right back to’em. You’d think it’d be
easy.
