When I was 18 years old I got stationed in the state of Washington. Although the weather took a while to get used to I soon learned of many things to love about the North West. But, nothing compared to the experience of watching Ken Griffey Jr.
I've only witnessed a few players in sports that take your breath away. They make you forget for a moment anything else that is going on. You just become lost in their greatness. Not only was Griffey great but he made it look fun and easy. I could watch him play all day long!
As with much of life things don't usually end on a high note. Griffey's career was no different. Notorious for not stretching when he was young his body started breaking down. I kept watching though because from the early days You never knew what Griffey would do next. Although he did reach over 600 home runs and made it to the Hall of Fame I still believe he could have even done more. That's how great Ken Griffey Jr. Was.
In my opinion Ken Griffey Jr. Had the sweetest swing I have ever seen in baseball. His enthusiasm and flair made him not only likable but magical. It's not every day you witness someone enjoy the moment while looking good doing it. Griffey was that guy!
As I watch his Hall of Fame induction ceremony I finally understand Griffey. He's that guy that is great but still sees himself as a normal guy. He's almost insecure being the focus of everyone's attention. It totally explains his smile and his at ease personality. It was him trying to get the focus off of his uncomfortableness in the spotlight. How I love me some Ken Griffey Jr.! The sweetest swing I've ever seen.
Where do I start with this one? I promise I'm not bitter but watching Piazza's Hall of Fame induction was bitter sweet.
Mike Piazza was my favorite Dodger at he time he was traded to the Marlins in May of 1998. I still remember where I was when it happened. I was still in the Navy and sat in my truck in the 32nd street Naval base outside of my ship the USS Rushmore. The Dodgers did get some good players in the trade, including Gary Sheffield. But, this is Mike Piazza were talking about.
Piazza was drafted in like the 62nd round of the Major League Baseball draft as a favor to his dad's good friend Tommy Lasorda. Once us Dodger fans got a glimpse of Piazza we were hooked. His quick swing was lethal! For the years he was in LA he averaged over 30 home runs, 100 rbi, while hitting well over .300. The reason this was a big deal was because the Dodgers did not have a history of high average power hitters. Piazza's only weakness seemed to be his inability to throw out base stealers.
I won't write much about why Piazza was traded from the Dodgers. Only to mention it was right after the short ownership of Fox took over. I do know that it crushed Dodger fans and it's the main reason I'm watching Mike Piazza go into Cooperstown as a New York Met. To all the Mets fans out there congratulations on all your successful years with Mike Piazza. His speech was impeccable. I will always love me some Mike Piazza. Although bittersweet I am nothing but happy for his achievement!
The Dodgers have some smart guys running their organization. No doubt about that. They have 6 guys in their front office who have been general managers in the MLB. I'm not going to sit here and pretend I'm smarter than these guys. But, there are some things that I just think are common sense that maybe these guys don't see.
There is a love for Clayton Kershaw in LA that is strong, and that's how it should be. He's a class act that has carried the Dodger pitching staff for years. But there are some ways that Dodger management has handled him and other pitchers that I don't agree with.
The Dodgers should not let Kershaw pitch before June. He has a tendency to run out of energy towards October. Can you blame him? These guys start pitching in February and have to go all the way to October. Yet, every year they let Clayton Kershaw pitch like a beast in the regular season only to see him start to run out of gas in the playoffs. To me it's obvious what the problem is. Pitching in LA during the summer can be hot and traveling all over the country can be exhausting. So why haven't the Dodgers started Kershaw later in the season?
The main reason is because if the Dodgers don't make the playoffs then none of this matters. The other reason is because baseball is so much about history and tradition. It's the one sport where people rarely step outside the box thinking. I just believe that if they would have started Kershaw in June the last couple of years he would just be getting into his zone come September and October. Another example of this in baseball was when the Washington Nationals shut down Stephen Strasburg at the end of the season and didn't allow him to pitch in the playoffs. They had him on a pitch count for the season and instead of starting him later they started him at the beginning of the season. That potentially cost the Nationals a chance at a World Series.
The other option besides starting them later in the season is to use a 6 man pitching rotation. I believe this should also be used more in the Majors. The Dodgers have a Japanese pitcher this season Kenta Maeda. In Japan he's used to pitching every 6th day. Since he's come to the Dodgers he's doing a great job but usually every other game he pitches. This tells me that his body just isn't ready on that 5th day. When a pitcher still goes out and pitches even if his body is not ready it usually leads to injuries. I believe this will happen to both Maeda and Urias the same way it has to Kershaw and even the Dodgers other injured pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu.
So as Clayton Kershaw sits on the disabled list I'm stuck with what could have been. I'm also frustrated that teams like the Dodgers, even with a stacked front office will not look at these options. I truly believe putting Maeda, Urias, Kershaw, Ryu (if he pitches again), Kazmir, Norris, etc, into a 6 man rotation will allow bodies to heal over the long season. Of course the most obvious thing to do is shorten the season but I guarantee you they'll never consider that idea. So instead this overly passionate Dodger baseball fan will continue to see the smartest front office in baseball not do what it should to protect it's pitchers. Instead, I'll continue to watch pitchers need surgery because they worked their bodies too hard.
The subject of Tim Duncan is a complicated one for me. As a lifelong Laker fan I am programmed to dislike all of the competition. Somehow through the years I've stopped being a hater and I try to appreciate the moment. I will try my best to be objective but I may resort back to my homer ways. Feel free to correct me or give your opinion as well.
Tim Duncan came into the league in 1997 when the Spurs were already a very good team. David Robinson was the focus of that team and came into the league with much fanfare. Tim Duncan came in with close to the same expectations. I don't think anyone could have predicted the impact he would have though. Honestly, the only negative I can think of with Tim Duncan is the way he would complain about a foul being called on him. Outside of that one minor thing he's been a classy guy his entire career.
I even read a story about when he was going through a divorce. His wife had met another man and was seen with him. Tim Duncan quietly divorced her while continuing the season. It's not my job to judge people on whether they should divorce or why. I am simply stating that at no time did he smear her or act irrational. I appreciate and respect that in someone.
He was an impact player. He played the power forward position but could easily be a center and could also step away from the basket and shoot the ball. The Lakers matched up against the Spurs what seemed like every year and Duncan always seemed to be a beast. Although I don't believe you have to be a fan to respect someone I also don't believe you have to dislike someone just because they're not on your team. That allowed me to respect Tim Duncan without ever being a fan of his. He always seems to say the right things during interviews as well. This guy just seemed to get it. But how about his work ethic? At 40 years old I don't know if I've seen a big man age so gracefully. I don't know his diet or his exercise routine but to me it seems as though he stayed consistent his entire career. I don't know if it's lack of drinking, partying, etc. I just look at him and he doesn't seem much different than when he came in. Good parenting?
As Tim Duncan retires I feel as though another era in the NBA has come and gone. Just like the Magic Johnson/Larry Bird era now goes the Kobe Bryant/Tim Duncan era. Although I miss the good ol days I enjoy the process more than I used to. So now I watch the young Lakers and Spurs and wonder which of these young players will retire someday and leave their own legacy. Congratulations Tim Duncan! I know you'll be successful in whatever you do in the future. From a Laker fan that hated you almost your entire career, congratulations on finishing as one of the best players in history. Tim Duncan is right up there when discussing what it means to be a professional in sports.
Life as an LA Dodger fan
It's October 1988 and I'm a 12 year old kid living in Pomona, CA. In my mind life as a Los Angeles Dodger fan at the time seemed magical. The Lakers(story for another day) were dominating the NBA with Magic Johnson, Kareem, and Worthy running the floor. The LA Raiders had also enjoyed some great years including Super Bowl wins in 1980 and 1983. But in 1988 the city belonged to the Dodgers. Orel Hershiser had a season to be remembered. While breaking a long standing record that has yet to be broken, he also won the Cy Young award and MVP of the World Series. I will never forget the moment Kirk Gibson hit the home run off of Eckersley. I was the only person left in the living room of our house once the bottom of the 9th inning started. Everyone else left to do various things. Food was being cooked and family was shooting hoop on our backyard basketball court. I wanted to play because back then I had to be good at shooting from the outside because I was smaller than everyone else except my cousin Ruben. But I had to be Larry Bird because i was last to pick who I wanted to be. Magic was already taken by my cousin Joe and my brother Michael was always Michael Jordan. Once again another story. To me Larry Bird was the next best player in the league behind Magic. Anyways, I couldn't leave the living room until the Dodgers batted in the bottom of the 9th. Mike Davis who would not even play for most teams gets onto first base. Vin Scully announces that Lasorda had been talking with Kirk Gibson in the clubhouse. I will just be honest that just about nobody believed Gibson could bat or do anything at the plate. My belief at the time wasn't necessarily that Gibson was going to do anything, but as a child I believed anything could happen. I was going to watch the game until the last out no matter what but when you're a child hopes and dreams are still imaginable. Sure enough, Gibson comes up to the plate and accomplished what was actually improbable but felt impossible in my childlike mind. He hits a home run off of Eck and if you doubt my fascination of Vin Scully just replay his call of the entire situation. Movies have tried to duplicate the moment ever since. Gibson didn't do much more the rest of the series but Hershiser dominated it. Not only did he win 2 games and save another but he also hit 1.000. I've seen many Dodger games since hoping for the same result but have yet to see any player or game that rivals that peek. Hershiser in the Mets series and A's series come close plus a few before and since. Since then though the Dodgers have not won a World Series title. At the time even as a 12 year old I promise that I accepted that as the only one The Dodgers might ever see. I was clueless in many ways a month after turning 12 but apparently realizing that my favorite baseball team may never win another World Series was already probable to me. I have had higher expectations of the Lakers and endured many more lows with my Raiders than the Dodgers. Probably because of that moment in my life where i fell in love with the Dodgers and how mUch I valued that moment.
It's 2015, my Dodgers are losing to the Mets in the playoffs and I'm yelling at the tv. My blood pressure is high and I disagree with so much more of the process than I did when I was 12. At 39 I have over 3 times the years to reflect on. Only the Lakers have won a championship since 1988. It's October 12th, 2015 and after Clayton Kershaw lost game one of the series for the Dodgers, Greinke won game 2. And now the Dodgers start one of the journeymen pitchers they paid a bunch of money to just to eat innings. Instead of getting an A pitcher for 20 million they got 2 foe 20 million. Might seem like value in many businesses but not the sports business. After scoring 3 runs in the top of the second inning Brett Anderson gave up 4 runs in the top of the second and then another 2 in the 3rd. Well, I think it was 6 runs. I turned the channel. After giving up a 2 run double in the 3rd to put the Dodgers 6-3 Don Mattingly left Anderson in. At that point I couldn't handle it any longer. If there aren't any pitchers in the bullpen that can do better than 6 runs in 3 innings I don't have time to watch that mediocrity. How do you not bring another pitcher in after or before that last double? I know that there were two outs and they just want him to finish the inning. But in the playoffs there is no tomorrow. Orel Hershiser had to have Tommy John surgery shorty after the 1988 season. But he will tell you that it was worth it. There is no tomorrow when it comes to the playoffs. I tried not to look but just checked on the Dodger score. It's 8:29pm and they're losing 10-4. When I turned it was 6-3. Brett Anderson didn't give up any more runs but the Dodgers brought in their other expensive inning eater Alex Wood. The thing about inning eaters is that they have about a 4 era and don't usually win in the playoffs. Like I said earlier, signing two guys at 10 million was not better than one for 20 in sports necessarily. The Dodger's have a deep team but baseball is not football. Especially in the playoffs. The older I get the more I want to be a fanatic of my own life not a sports teams ran by businessmen that don't understand success in sports is not necessarily the same in business.
I have no idea what my future is or how my relationship with the Dodgers will change. I do know that it doesn't make sense for me to be so emotionally involved when I don't receive anything in return a majority of the time. Giving my love without enough love in return.
The Dodgers lost last night. It was brutal, they had their best pitcher of the year pitching and still lost. Couldn't score enough runs. Oh well, I hope the Cubs win the series. Their fans have been very patient for a long time. Plus, Back to the Future two predicted the Cubs winning the world series in 2015.
A day in Oakland as a Raider
I don't even know how to start this. Many people believe your either a Raider or a hater. Just admitting that you're a Raider fan puts you into a category. Separate from all of that is first person experience. This one day in my life as a Raider fan, as I traveled to Oakland to watch the Raiders play the Jets.
It's 5:15 AM on Sunday, November first, 2015. I wake up to my wife screaming, "why are you still here?" Right away I'm freaking out because I traveled for work for many years. Having to wake up in different time zones, at different times required an alarm clock. It always made it hard to sleep. Add in sleeping in a strange place and being late becomes a paranoia. I grab my phone and realize it's only 6am. My flight isn't until 9am. I gather my thoughts and realize this is going to be awesome. I finish getting ready and head out the door after putting on my black and silver #24 Charles Woodson jersey. I park in the new C parking garage at Orange County John Wayne airport and walk into the airport feeling so lucky. I meet up with my cousin Josh and we head to our gate. We hang out at the bar while we're waiting for our flight and it's full of Raider fans going to the game. One woman is wearing a tutu and Raider jersey but everyone is pumped up. This season has already provided more excitement than any of us Raider fans could have hoped for. We finish our drinks and begin boarding. It's pretty much a Raider flight. In the back of the plane during the entire flight you hear the usual Raiiiderrrr chant as the back of the plane sounds kind of rowdy. We exit the plane and head for a taxi. Most people are heading to the stadium on the BART but I talk my cousin Josh into going to brunch at El Torito. We take the taxi to the San Leandro El Torito which is right on the water. It's packed and they tell us it'll be a 45 minute wait. I walk into the bar and see a table empty and sit down. I motion to my cousin to join me and before we know it there's champaigne in front of us done. We eat some tacos and some other food until we're stuffed and then we head out. We take an uber over to the stadium and then walk up the gates. The parking lot is packed as usual and even though I'm stuffed the bbqs still smell so good but I don't even care because I just want to get to my seat. We go through security and stop to get ourselves a beer and then bang we're at our seats.
I love this place. As a Raider fan I've always felt like I was on an island. We have a reputation that is not always correct but who cares, I embrace it. But in Oakland inside the Coliseum I feel at home. It's also the only time where even Raider fans all get along. Let's be real. Some of the Raider Nation is less than friendly. But even the most hard core gangster is your family on game day. It's unfortunate that there are people like that at all but that's the reality we live in. People are insecure and angry so that's what they exhibit. The Raiders exit their tunnel and the biggest applause is probably for Khalil Mack followed by Carr. The game starts and the Jets move down the field towards us and they settle for a field goal. The first Raider possession starts off slow but somehow culminates into a TOUCHDOWN RAIIIDERRRRS! The Raiders never look back and win the game 34-20 and now have a 4-3 record. Carr is easily the best quarterback for the Raiders since Rich Gannon. He's a very likable guy and has a strong arm on top of being extremely accurate. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment. It has been a long 12 years since the Raiders have been a good team. There were two 8-8 seasons but the rest of the years were something like 4-12, 2-14, 4-12, etc. There are many Raider fans that are just hard working blue collar people and we are passionate about our Raiders. Al Davis struggled running the team in the years before his death and it's taken a few years for his son Mark and General Manager Reggie McKenzie to rebuild this. I've tried to be patient but with so many Raider haters out there it's been tough. We leave the stadium and take an Uber back to the airport. We get to the airport by 5:30 and our flight isn't until 9pm. We hang out at the sports bar by our gate and watch Sunday night football between the Broncos and Packers as well as game 5 of the World Series between the Mets and the Royals. We have some Calamari, Pretzels, Cobb salad, beer, Jameson, and water while we wait for our board time. We arrive back in Orange County and after paying 20 dollars for parking I drive home to Mission Viejo. I get home around 11pm and since I have to be to work by 7am the next morning I force myself to go to bed. I wake up feeling like a million bucks and start my day back at work. It's just a day in the life of a die hard Raider fan living in Southern California. I'm so blessed and lucky that I have to look up at the sky and give thanks to the power that be and the loved ones who made this life possible. My youngest son turns 16 on November 12th so it's time to focus on making that day special for my young son Garrett. He's a special young man and he makes me smile just with the thoughts of what he's capable of in this life. Once again I just feel so lucky to have experienced what I have in my life.
Below is a link to the boxscore on NFL.com
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015110109/2015/REG8/jets@raiders#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000571888&tab=recap
As I've written before, as a kid growing up in Southern California the local sports scene caught my attention early. First, it was the Tommy Lasorda led Dodgers. Then, it was Magic Johnson's Lakers who made it showtime. Finally, it was the Los Angeles Raiders who completed my trinity of sports. They had just moved to LA when I was 6 and then a couple of years later won a Super Bowl. For me, winning and sports went hand in hand. I watched each of my teams win championships when I was young. Only to realize that I was lucky to experience so much winning at one time. I remember when the Raiders played in a basketball game for charity against the teachers of the high school where I lived in Pomona. I got a poster autographed by each of the players that were there. It cemented my affinity for the Raiders. I had no idea at the time of the polarization that being a member of the Raider Nation came with.
Fast forward about 25 years later and the Raiders have moved back to Oakland and now will either move back to LA, stay in Oakland, move to San Antonio, or St. Louis. Only two of those are an option in my world. Staying in Oakland is the preferred choice. If that comes with approval for a stadium I'll just continue flying to Oakland to see my Raiders each season. The Raiders started in Oakland and from personal experience of watching Raider games in the Coliseum they are the Oakland Raiders. The energy and love for the Raiders in Oakland is immeasurable. When I'm in the stadium during a game everyone is on the same team with one purpose. Although many might not agree or get along outside of the stadium, for a little while we're all Raiders. There are die hard Raider fans in the Oakland area and they deserve to keep their team. Every year they've supported a team that isn't always good. With the stigma that comes with being a Raider fan it's not always easy being a Raider fan. The fans in Oakland deserve to keep the Raiders.
That being said, I'm also 45 miles from Carson. I could go from visiting Oakland for a couple of games a season to being a season ticket holder. If they decide they're moving to LA today my name is on a list tomorrow for season tickets. I already share Raider season tickets with my cousin so it's a no brainer to buy them if they move to LA. My fantasy football team name has been the LARaiders for about 15 years now hoping that they would move to LA eventually. On opening day I was sitting in my seat next to my son and we're watching them play on a baseball field. Although I don't need a reason to want them to move to LA, there are plenty of reasons why I want them here. I also will always associate them as being the LA Raiders because that's when I first fell in love with my Raiders. Yes, love. I'm ridiculous, borderline obsessive. It is what it is.
Today or tomorrow the NFL owners will vote on a team or two teams to move to Los Angeles. It could be the Rams, Chargers and Raiders, or Rams and Chargers. If it's the Rams and Chargers I'm fine with that as long as it means a stadium for the Raiders in Oakland. It's hard for me to focus on work right now, thus the reason I'm writing this instead. As long as they don't move out of California I'll be alright. My only requirement is that in the next couple of years I will be able to stay in CA and see a Raider home game on an adequate field with no dirt. I think Raider fans deserve at least that much after all of these years supporting our team.
***Update 6:48pm January 12 2016***
NFL Owners voted 30-2 for the Rams to move to Inglewood and play at a new stadium where the old Hollywood Racetrack used to be. Chargers have the option to join the Rams in Inglewood. Rumor has it that Raiders get 100 million towards a stadium which really isn't that much. Especially since Rams value will go up 400 million just by moving to the LA market. That's me guessing though and I'm no expert so I'll stick to what's reality. Reality is that Mark Davis is still "looking for a home for the Raiders". Which to me is disappointing while watching Stan Kroenke celebrate victory. As usual the rich get richer. Chargers can still stay in San Diego if they choose and receive 100 million towards a stadium. Which like I said is about 8 percent of what it costs to build a stadium. Carson stadium was supposedly going to be 1.7 billion. I've heard Mark Davis refer to a stadium in Oakland being 1.1 billion so what around 8-9%? Couldn't the Raiders and Chargers hold out for a better deal then that
Besides the obvious differences between the two, like Lebron's size and advanced physical maturity coming out of high school. I believe there is a key difference between the two. It may be the key factor in why Kobe Bryant got just about every ounce of potential out of his career, while Lebron James has to look deeper for motivation. There are positives and negatives for each individual.
First of all, let me explain what I'm alluding to. Both Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are players that can be considered best in the league. While opinions like who is better can be debated, you canot debate that both were the best in the league at some point. I say that because someone will call one of them "trash" or other words that should automatically eliminate the opinion that spoke the words. I'm simply looking at what might contribute to Kobe Bryant's incredible focus and determination while Lebron James sometimes seems satisfied to be there. I believe much of that can be traced back to their childhood and the psychology of both people.
While Kobe Bryant was raised without any of the insecurities that overwhelm many of us every day. Lebron James came from a very humble background including being raised by a single mother. In addition to having to focus on basketball Lebron also had to be the man of the house and deal with the insecurities of not having money. Kobe Bryant never had any of those concerns. He didn't have to worry about what he was having for dinner. He also didn't have to worry about what his classmates would think of his parents car or his clothes. Because Kobe Bryant had the confidence that all of these things were adequate he didn't have to worry about these things as focused on his goals. Since Kobe Bryan'ts father Joe was also a professional basketball player he either had to reach another level to feel he achieved or not do it at all. So from an early age Kobe Bryant's focus was to be an all-time great. While many of us were just trying to fit in and be accepted, he was taking advantage of all his privileges to become even better than his father was. Kobe Bryant also has incredible focus. Even while battling through a court case in Eagle Colorado he would fly back and be able to focus on the game that night. Guys like Dwight Howard have trouble focusing on their profession with just the basic distractions that come in life.
Of course with Kobe there is also the negatives. I believe that because Kobe was the youngest sibling and the only boy he grew a little entitlement and arrogance. Both entitlement and arrogance can be positives and negatives depending on the situation. Kobe alienated teammates and didn't care what they thought about his shooting. At times that helped him reach of goals of personal success but also caused some people not to like him and some players not to want to play with him. For others that had the confidence to stand up to Kobe it gave them motivation. Motivation to work harder and be better so that Kobe couldn't admonish them. Some of the most successful people have some sort of combination of arrogance, entitlement, or narcissism. I only know Kobe through 20 years of watching him play so I have no idea what that combination is. But after hearing him speak and listening to how he treated some teammates I have my opinion of the combination. I probably should have picked another player because I might be subjective about Kobe. But him and Lebron are great comparisons so that's why I continue. With Kobe I learned to accept the good with the bad. Realizing that the Lakers don't have 5 championships without Kobe I had to accept Kobe with all of his ingredients to truly appreciate the success. That's also not taking away from what Shaq did as well.
Lebron James is much different. I could argue that no player coming out of high school has ever had the ingredients to be a great basketball player like Lebron James had. Kevin Garnett is a close second but couldn't handle the ball like Lebron. Lebron James came into the league built like a man already. While Kobe Bryant was a skinny kid similar to Brandon Ingram this year, Lebron had a physique unheard of coming into the league out of high school. Magic Johnson was the closest comparison to Lebron in my opinion. I still see more of Magic in Lebron's game while I see more of Michael Jordan in Kobe's game. Lebron can play any position, guard any position, while also being what seems to be a good team player. Lebron much of the time looks like he would prefer to pass and set up his teammates over doing it himself. If Kobe Bryant had Lebron James' body? I believe we would have witnessed the most dominant ball hog ever seen in basketball. I believe Shaquille Oneal is the most dominant player I ever watched but Lebron is a close second. Michael Jordan relied on more finesse being 3 inches shorter than Lebron. But Jordan also had bigger hands than Kobe. So the comparisons can go so deep.
My point with Lebron is that he should be even better than he is. There are times I've watched him lose a game or a series where he never tried to take over. Other times where I thought he tried to take over too late. I just know that with the teams he's had in the Finals I was surprised when he didn't win. Yes, the Spurs are a great team. Greg Popovich in my opinion is the best coach in the league. He's similar to the Patriots Bill Belichick. Most of the time he just seems way smarter than the other coach. I've studied Lebron James' body language and at times he seems as though he's ok after a loss. You can't say that about Kobe Bryant. That's why the debate will never end with these two and guys like Jordan. I'm sure somewhere there is an equation that could spell it all out for us but none of us know it. Instead, we all stand up for our guy and say why he's the best. I try to stay objective while at the same time appreciate while avoiding hate.
When I was a kid I couldn't stand Michael Jordan. I didn't like his swagger, his isolation play, or his Bulls against my Lakers. As I get older I'm not as emotional and as one sided. I can sit back and appreciate players like Lebron James even though I'm not a fan. I appreciate the way he kept his team strong even after going down 3 games to 1. I look at his block on Iguodola at the end of game 7 and I felt how much he wanted to win the series for the city of Cleveland, Akron, and Ohio. I watched one of the most dominant NBA players ever humble the sudden arrogance and swagger of the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry. As a Laker fan I can sit and appreciate the 9 championships that I can remember. I was young for the first championship with Magic Johnson but I remember the rest. Of course I want my team to be good. But I'm not going to be one of those myopic fans that believe my team should always be the best. I can be genuinely happy for Cleveland and Lebron James. Not many players have had to endure the hate that guy gets. With the hate I think it fuels his ambition to win. For a guy from Akron Ohio this has to all be amazing to him. Yes, at six foot nine it was known from an early age he'd be a very good basketball player. But sometimes we all have different ideas of success. While some of us are just happy to be there? Others have goals that far exceed ours. Although they might not achieve their goals or their goals might sound ludicrous. It just shows how many ingredients go into us all but specifically into a sports athlete.
Another comparison could be Steph Curry and Allen Iverson. Steph's father played in the NBA so Steph seems comfortable in the NBA. Iverson struggled. He struggled with the chip on his shoulder and with the media. There are many more I could point too.
Everyone knows this saying and today it applies to Kevin Durant. In my opinion Kevin Durant is one of only a handful of players in the NBA that can carry a team. After watching the NBA Western Conference Finals where the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Golden State Warriors I felt Durant and Russell Westbrook went to one on one mode instead of staying patient for good shots.
Now, the NBA has been turned upside down with Kevin Durant joining his rival. This is not a new tendency for sports players. For a little over a decade players have been banding together to create super teams. The first time I can remember it happening was with the Houston Rockets in the 90s. Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, and Scottie Pippen all joined the Rockets in hope to win a ring. It didn't work as that was about the time the Lakers with Shaquille Oneal and Kobe Bryant went on their 3peat! But now teams have found a way to do it with the salary cap. The Larry Bird rights have turned into a loop hole that allows teams to accumulate talent.
The Golden State Warriors now have 2 of the top three players in the NBA. For Kevin Durant it does probably mean multiple championships. Of course teams have to create chemistry and Durant is an isolation type player while the Warriors rely on ball movement and solid defense. Of course having two deadly shooters like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson does not hurt. The reason this super team is so deadly is because each of these players is still young. Now Golden State own the Bird rights for Curry, Thompson, Durant, and Draymond Green. With NBA rules they'll be able to add mid level exceptions and mini mid level exceptions. This will allow the Warriors to add a player here and there like they did the day after signing Durant.
The problem with these super teams is that it makes basketball more like baseball and futbol/soccer than it does American football. In American football and the reason why I believe there is so much competitive balance is because of the salary cap structure.
Most contracts in football are not fully guaranteed allowing a team to cut a player that is not performing without having to pay the entire balance of the contract. In baseball and basketball contracts are fully guaranteed. With not enough talent to go around in the leagues, teams are forced to spend the same amount of money for a player that is not worth the contract. In basketball Lebron James will receive a max contract and is one of a few players who deserves it. Yet, a player like Mike Conley will also receive the max. Although the disparity between Lebron and Conley is large Memphis was forced to pay Conley the max because of the lack of Lebron type players. Therefore, it's highly likely that Memphis will end up regretting the contract given to Conley while Lebron might be underpaid.
What it does to the competitive balance in basketball is completely remove it. Since the Warriors made the NBA Finals without Durant it's safe to say they'll make it there with the addition of Durant. Of course like I mentioned before there is chemistry. They also lost Harrison Barnes so there will be some adjustment. But with a lineup of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and anyone else it's literally unfair to the rest of the league. For a few years we'll be stuck with the NBA Finals matchup of the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. With free agency the way it is in football and the salary cap, teams have a much tougher time building super teams. The only super teams in football are the ones that keep the same top level quarterback for long periods of time like the New England Patriots.
I'm not wanting to be a hater here but with the new salary cap it just made it that much easier for the Golden State Warriors to create a super team. Of course I can be completely wrong here but I suspect it will be the Warriors and the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals next year. If not I will be surprised. But when guys like Kevin Durant would rather join their rivals instead of trying to beat their rivals it's a new era of competition where players would rather accumulate championship rings instead of creating a legacy. Kevin Durant will never be in Golden State what he could have been in Oklahoma City with even one championship.
