putting this up for memory's sake: response to Bill Simmons' mailbag:
I was reading your latest mailbag and you made this comment:
" In pickup basketball, there's an unwritten rule to keep teams relatively equal to maximize the competitiveness of the games. That's the law."
That is obviously very true. I'd like to extend your argument further: The competitive equality is a must in pickup basketball because it pays off better on the collective egos of the winners. If I pick a fight right now with pre-Miyagi Daniel, I would win handily, but it doesn't bring the same level of pride as Rocky beating Drago. In a perfect world, this is all we ask of our athletes - that they put competition ahead of money, and that the biggest payoff that attracts them to play is not money, but the pride of winning over tough competition (if I could put a picture/footnote here, the most appropriate would be KG's "ANYTHING'S POOOSSSIIIBBUUUHHHLLLLL" in 2008").
Sadly, this is not true, especially in today's consumer-driven sports environment. Surrounded by stories of athletes who made it but didn't manage their earnings well ('Toine), they have learned that securing the maximum money now is the most important (not their fault). As a result, they have learned to emulate the actions/words of those before them who earned the biggest paycheck. They learned that MJ said he wanted to win, so they copied him. MJ said he wanted to win championships more than anything, so they said it. Sadly, MJ only said (explicitly) that he wouldn't have played with Bird/Magic recently -- if he had said it 15 years ago, LeBron would have copied it as well.
Everybody wants to "be like Mike" in that he is a global icon, won 2 slam dunk trophies, and is revered all throughout the league. Nobody (except for maybe Kobe, KG, and Timmy, who still has strands of competitive DNA) wants to "be like Mike" for his ruthless desire for winning, his work ethic, and be scrutinized by the media 24/7. "Winning" only means something if it came in the face of opposition. Defeating Barkley in the 93 Finals definitely meant more than beating Big Country Reeves and the Grizzlies in the regular season.
Perhaps this shouldn't be as absolute as it sounds, but I'm afraid some athletes just put on the mask of "I want to win like MJ" without understanding the man behind the mask, thinking it would make them more "marketable". The NBA used to be filled with athletes who were competitors because they brought the mentality of pickup basketball with them. Now, the allure of money and fame, of "being like Mike", has blurred that vision. Instead of Rocky picking up his gloves and beating up tough opponents, one after another, LeBron showed us that he is more content in playing one Apollo Creed after another, pounding them to a pulp.
It's not as much about competitive pride anymore than it is about money, and sadly, championship rings are now viewed as assets rather than victory badges. Again, it's not their fault. I guess it's our job as fans to adjust to this new ideology or leave and watch another basketball league. But we're not touching the WNBA or the NBDL, so we linger.
Love your columns, Simmons. Keep 'em up!
