For a brief second last night, a king was dethroned. The
reaction to the simple shove that briefly put LeBron James on his keister, symbolizes the disgust people have for the direction the NBA is heading.
Yesterday Chicago Bulls big man Nazr Mohammed pushed the divine James
during a second round playoff battle at the United Center. After a technical
foul was assessed to James after his brush with Mohammed, Nazr took out his
frustration through action.
The aftermath has caused quite a stir on ESPN and
social media. Mohammed has received death threats from LBJ backers and marriage
proposals from Bulls enthusiasts. This is not a surprise. Die-hard fans will
stick by their players through thick and thin. What caught my attention was the
reaction of those considered “casual” NBA fans.
Over the years, my interest in
the NBA has subsided. A game where defense won championships has turned that aspect of the sport into a joke. Players labeled as “defensive specialists”
carry the stigma that they do not belong. Flashy dunks land players on
highlight reels, which it seems is all superstars care about. (Ask the Clippers
how that mentality worked out for them)
Nowadays, I would label myself as a casual observer of
a once promising league. My initial reaction to what happened to LeBron during
the Madhouse Malay was “take a seat you chach” because as much as I hate the
NBA, I hate everything James stands for.
Kids line up in droves to buy his
jersey and referees provide him with every opportunity to flaunt his talents
without obstacles. He controls the league and the media. Major networks flock
to cover what he ate for breakfast or whether he will practice for
thirty minutes rather than forty minutes before a game.
Still there are fans and
players that are fed up with James as well as the majority of other superstars
in the league. The special treatment they receive tarnishes the purity of the
game. Good riddance that Mohammed stood up for himself, other non-superstars,
and fans that are tired with the new NBA. Someone needed to literally push LeBron
off his high horse for a moment.
This is not an attempt to stir up a Jordan-James debate. Jordan loved the spotlight just as much as James does, and received the benefit of the doubt quite too often. Former Utah Jazz guard Byron Russell would be the first one to back up that claim. I want to acknowledge overlooked All-Stars like Tim Duncan and Kevin Love as well as Hall of Famers like John Stockton. Guys that went about their business in a professional manner and put their team first.
James and the superstars of today have
attracted a novel following to the sport. However, fans of yesteryear desired a
nanosecond that would bring us back to the good old days when the name on the
front meant more than the name on the back. Those were the days when players
were not kings on the court, and divas off it.
Follow Nick Kapetan on Twitter: @KapN93
The Sports ReKap will start to air again next August on
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If you agree with Nick's view tweet using the hashtag #Lebroning
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