The Jock Strap
with Brian Bruce
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The NBA is a sport of overpaid prima donnas and isn't a team game. But, I love it!
Oh boy. After looking back at the title I just created, I can just hear one of my good friends, a local basketball coach, shrieking out loud in his office as he reads it. Ah yes, the magic of the blog. It can make people love you, it can make people hate you, it can make people agree with you, and it can most certainly make people wonder what in the heck you're thinking about.
Here's the deal with the NBA. It's not a team sport. Actually, it pretty poorly played basketball. You have an absolutely ridiculous 24-second shot clock that is there for no other purpose than to make sure that scores are high and excitement abounds. Teams can't play any zone defense and can't double-team opponents, which, once again, gears the game towards one-one-one play and fans' excitement.
You don't see five or six passes, a great cross-screen on the low blocks, and beautiful entry pass to set up a strong move and a kiss off the glass for two. You see Allen Iverson go between his legs 5 consecutive times, put a "killer crossover" on a defender (better known in the rule book as "carrying" the basketball, otherwise known as a turnover), and cut to the hoop for a ridiculous reverse layup when a simple right knee-high form layup would have done just fine.
The NBA isn't about team basketball. The NBA isn't about good defense (until teams actually start caring when the playoffs begin). The NBA is about bringing fans to the gates with outstanding individual plays and high-flying action. So, for the traditional basketball fan who accepts no other form of basketball than the team game, and won't so much as watch anything else, the NBA is clearly not for them. College basketball would be that person's bag.
All this being said, though, I really enjoy watching NBA games. Don't get me wrong, college basketball, for my money, is the best basketball you'll find anywhere, with team play, great defense, 100% effort all of the time, etc. But, I still love the NBA. I know it's a league filled with a bunch of overpaid prima donnas, but I'll tell you one thing, those guys can flat out play.
I love watching NBA games because you are watching the best basketball players in the world and many of the world's greatest athletes battle it out on a nightly basis. You get to see guys do things athletically on a regular basis that 99% of the population can only dream about doing. So, no, it's not a team game. It's about individuals and exciting the fans. It's about a silly 24-second shot clock and final scores of 125-112. But, it's also about watching incredible athletes play basketball, and I'm all about that.
For more on the NBA, check out www.nba.com.
My goodness, I can just see my good friend, the local basketball coach, slamming his keyboard down in disgust of what his favorite local sports broadcaster just wrote. :)
Here's the deal with the NBA. It's not a team sport. Actually, it pretty poorly played basketball. You have an absolutely ridiculous 24-second shot clock that is there for no other purpose than to make sure that scores are high and excitement abounds. Teams can't play any zone defense and can't double-team opponents, which, once again, gears the game towards one-one-one play and fans' excitement.
You don't see five or six passes, a great cross-screen on the low blocks, and beautiful entry pass to set up a strong move and a kiss off the glass for two. You see Allen Iverson go between his legs 5 consecutive times, put a "killer crossover" on a defender (better known in the rule book as "carrying" the basketball, otherwise known as a turnover), and cut to the hoop for a ridiculous reverse layup when a simple right knee-high form layup would have done just fine.
The NBA isn't about team basketball. The NBA isn't about good defense (until teams actually start caring when the playoffs begin). The NBA is about bringing fans to the gates with outstanding individual plays and high-flying action. So, for the traditional basketball fan who accepts no other form of basketball than the team game, and won't so much as watch anything else, the NBA is clearly not for them. College basketball would be that person's bag.
All this being said, though, I really enjoy watching NBA games. Don't get me wrong, college basketball, for my money, is the best basketball you'll find anywhere, with team play, great defense, 100% effort all of the time, etc. But, I still love the NBA. I know it's a league filled with a bunch of overpaid prima donnas, but I'll tell you one thing, those guys can flat out play.
I love watching NBA games because you are watching the best basketball players in the world and many of the world's greatest athletes battle it out on a nightly basis. You get to see guys do things athletically on a regular basis that 99% of the population can only dream about doing. So, no, it's not a team game. It's about individuals and exciting the fans. It's about a silly 24-second shot clock and final scores of 125-112. But, it's also about watching incredible athletes play basketball, and I'm all about that.
For more on the NBA, check out www.nba.com.
My goodness, I can just see my good friend, the local basketball coach, slamming his keyboard down in disgust of what his favorite local sports broadcaster just wrote. :)
Archives
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]