I haven't been paying too much attention to the off season trades and acquisitions so I was shocked when I saw what the Lakers squad looks like for the upcoming season. They are now stacked with Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, and several other veteran players.
I know there is much more to winning than having big names on your team, but if they can develop the right chemistry and keep all the egos in check, they should have a dominant year.
I'm sorry, but it's that time of year again and I have to voice my concerns yet again about All Star Weekend. Apparently the NBA has not read my previous complaints on this blog about their Dunk Contest format.
It's been a tough year for basketball fans. Covid kept spectators out of the arena, the NBA went Woke last year and now I hear they have decided to narrow down the participants in the slam dunk contest from four to just three. Why on earth?
I may be opinionated but I am also humble. There are few things I brag about and I think most people do most things in life much better than I can, but I could do so much better at organizing the NBA dunk contest than whoever made the decision to allow this lame format.
I will still watch the highlights and look forward to it but I just don't understand why they would put such restrictive limits on the main event from Friday night All Star Weekend. Are they also going to limit the 3 point contest to just 3 participants?
Maybe they should invite a couple professional dunkers like Jordan Kilganon or Jonathan Clark to participate to motivate the NBA players to really bring it. This was a great series to watch a couple years ago and it offered a more in depth look at a long-term dunk contest. I really enjoyed this show and I'm sure any dunking enthusiast would too.
I can appreciate the safety protocols that professional sports implement these days but when I look back at old NBA footage I am reminded how tough the sport used to be. I'm sure there are tough players today, but the game has definitely changed. Big men don't bang under the basket like they used to. They stretch out beyond the arc, play with more finesse, and shoot the 3.
When I see current video highlights entitled fights, they usually end up being pushing matches or just technical fouls. When players "fight" these days they push each other then run away or wait for their teammates to quickly restrain them before anything can happen.
This is a big contrast from the basketball toughness of the 80's and 90's. Names like Charles Oakley, Rick Mahorn, Kenyon Martin, Xavier McDaniel, Darryl Dawkins, Maurice Lucas, Bill Laimbeer, Charles Barkley, and others come to mind. When those guys threw a punch they actually connected. Even the guards were much scrappier and physical back then. I can't blame today's players for not being as physical, they have no choice since the game has just evolved.
I don't advocate dirty play, but I still remember so many flagrant foul plays between the Lakers and Celtics. I remember seeing the Pistons and Knicks go after Jordan, especially during playoff times. Back then you could block someone's shot or dunk on a guy and stare them down and talk smack to them. Today you get a T for even thinking about it.
It's been interesting to see the evolution of the game and how it has softened over time. I am all for clean play, sportsmanship, and safety, but I still miss some of the hard nosed, physical, old school basketball from the past.
