All Quiet On The Western Front

Usually, no news is good news. But the more no news there is coming from New York, the more it looks like that the season is going to lock-out and is going to disappoint a whole slew of fans. Two weeks until training camps have to be officially cancelled, many hope that both sides of the negotiations start to pick up and make an agreeable contract that both sides are happy with. Unlike NFL, the NBA is fighting a different fight. But just like the NFL, the NBA stands to lose millions of dollars as well as fans. Basketball is fighting a good fight with the regular people. Regular people who do not understand how physically demanding a sport can be and how freakish an athlete of that type of caliber is, think to themselves, how hard is it to dribble a basketball, shoot a ball through a hoop and stand in the way of someone whose goal is score and score on you is kidding themselves. Basketball is a sport unlike any other (though most can say their sport is unlike any other). Can you imagine being able to jump more than 10 feet? Can you imagine running so fast while dribbling some kind of ball and then making a sick move to blow by your defender or break their ankles? Can you imagine running around teammates, being able to catch, square up and shoot with accuracy to be known as a clutch shooter, a go-to guy, a game changer? All these things are what kids practice for everyday. To be able to take the last shot. To be known as a clutch player, a great shooter, a lock-down defender, a great leader, a great scorer. If the NBA loses the season or even part of the season, they are taking some great tells of the games away from everyone.

Besides losing money and some causal fans, it is scary to think many of the great superstars are signing overseas. Are we saying to great players that there are better opportunities and more money to be made overseas than here. I can vicariously say that the USA produces the most quality and quantity basketball players than anywhere else in the world. Yes, there are the Dirks, the Nashes, the Yaos, the Gasols but how many great legend NBA players are foreign born? MJ, Bird, Magic, Malone, Stockton, LBJ, Shaq, Kobe, D-Wade, D-Rose all these guys grew up here, played hard top basketball here and are starring here. By sending them overseas, we are saying that, though we produce great players, we can’t keep them here because we can’t agree on something.

Sending great players overseas also presents some problems for their respective clubs as well. Barring from injuries (as this is probably the number 1 reason why they wouldn’t why their stars or even bench players to play), you have to think about how much wear and tear it would on a body on someone say Kobe who is older, banged up and seems to be losing a step. What about the contract as well? Many have an opt out clause that states that as soon as the NBA season starts, they would be able to rejoin their NBA team. But China has already stated that any person that signs with a Chinese team will not have their option, so as a player, they are forfeiting their year with their respective NBA team. If a free agent player right now did that, it might be the best thing for them. They aren’t committed to another team which means they don’t have a source of income and with a lockout looming guarantee money  by playing in China may be their best option. Wilson Chandler has already taken advantage of this loophole because of his free agency and is signed to play in China. While technically Chandler could play in the NBA for part of the season if his Chinese team isn’t fighting for the championship, it does come with a price to play overseas. Most importantly is his health and injuries. Reports have already come out that Michael Beasley of the Minnesota Timberwolves has broken his wrist during a tour in China. While freak accidents happen and injuries may occur, Chandler has already made the commitment to compete in China regardless of the lockout.

But while no news is usually good news, the only news anyone has is that the next meeting won’t resume until Wednesday and everyone, including fans, will wait and bite our nails hoping some good news comes out of NYC.