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Title: Why current-era NBA players want to team up instead of defeat each other Post by: Spider-Dan on October 30, 2011, 08:05:42 pm There is one significant difference between the Russell/Wilt/Bird/Magic/Isiah/Jordan eras and the era of today:
USA Basketball. Prior to 1992, every four years a select few college athletes would play a few games with their rivals, then they would go to the NBA and never play with them again (save for a meaningless All-Star exhibition every year... and even those had drama (http://bleachersbrew.blogspot.com/2008/05/freeze-out.html)). Players primarily looked at their rivals as enemies to be defeated (a not-unreasonable stance). But then, you had the Dream Team. Every 4 years, the best NBA players would get together and work towards a common goal over multiple games: winning the gold for America. And then you add the World Championships, and you've got even more games where players aren't seeing each other as hated rivals, but as important teammates needed to accomplish a bigger goal. Look at the way the Dream Teamers gush over their time in '92. These were seasoned veterans... Hall of Famers, even... and they were overcome with a sense of comradery and teamwork. Throw a bunch of young twentysomethings in a similar environment and you don't think they'll become buddies? Note that football has nothing remotely similar to USA Basketball and while baseball and hockey have analogues, international players are widespread enough (and of a high enough playing level) to diffuse most of the effects of the absolute elite players teaming up every few years. If you want to get back to the old days and eliminate the occurrences of players teaming up for titles, one of two things needs to happen: 1) USA Basketball needs to go away 2) International competition needs to advance to the point where a few good American players teaming up is not a big deal Title: Re: Why current-era NBA players want to team up instead of defeat each other Post by: Phishfan on October 31, 2011, 09:34:41 am If you want to get back to the old days and eliminate the occurrences of players teaming up for titles, one of two things needs to happen: 1) USA Basketball needs to go away 2) International competition needs to advance to the point where a few good American players teaming up is not a big deal I really don't care to see either of these happen. Title: Re: Why current-era NBA players want to team up instead of defeat each other Post by: JVides on November 01, 2011, 06:09:43 pm Spider, I don't disagree with anything you wrote, but I found your (correct) use of the word comradery interesting, given that I've never seen it spelled any other way than camaraderie. You live, you learn.
Anyway, another factor is league growth. The league is diluted. Before, you couldn't help but have several Hall of Famers on good teams (Bird / McHale / Parish, Magic / Kareem / Worthy, etc...). Now, the lone superstar surrounded by decent guys seems to be the norm (Dwight Howard comes to mind). Players are doing for themselves what their front offices cannot. Title: Re: Why current-era NBA players want to team up instead of defeat each other Post by: Dave Gray on November 01, 2011, 06:36:13 pm I don't really see how players wanting to play with other players any different than wanting to play for a storied organization (like you see with the Yankees) or wanting to play for a specific owner or a bigtime coach. Those kinds of things have always swayed players. This is just another form of that.
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