The Insanity of NBA Trade Talk



Credit: Eye on Basketball


A long time ago, ESPN’s Colin Cowherd said that NBA trade rumors and the offseason are more interesting than the games themselves.

And that was one of the last times I intentionally listened to nationally-syndicated sports radio.

Whether it comes from media or the creativity of our own minds, the analysis of potential moves in the NBA inspires efforts like the ESPN staple trade machine, prematurely customized jerseys and obligatory blog posts discussing our opinions on the opinions of these dreamt-up transactions. (You love this, don't you?) If there’s something in sports that truly defines ‘insanity’ – doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result – the NBA rumor mill fits the bill.

This is why on so many levels; the chatter around Carmelo Anthony is pretty amusing. It’s full of the expected irrationality that makes the rumor mill spin so wildly day after day.

So before going further, let this excerpt from the latest from The Perpetual Post stay with you throughout the rest of this Scribe post:

“… for at least the next few seasons, any significant NBA player who has a chance to write his own ticket now will be placed under the same microscope as (LeBron) James. It’s a shortsighted perspective because no other player took on nor was bestowed such hype around his every move as James was.”

And that’s the nature of trade talk, isn’t it? No matter what the situation is, player movement will naturally be compared to yesterday’s blockbuster.

There’s something about the NBA, rather than other sports, that allows for the trade rumors to stick around as long as they do.

What keeps the rumor mill less insane in baseball is the length of the season. It’s long enough all fans have the same sense of hope about their teams in April and May, no matter how dire reality might be. When teams fade in June, the chatter will reign because a) the higher profile teams are always looking and/or b) like the Nuggets, a mediocre-to-bad team can’t let a free agent star just walk away without trying to get something in return. In addition, there are about a gazillion players in a baseball organization with the major league club and several minor league teams, giving managers there wherewithal to essentially trade one fan base’s fervor for right here, right now with another’s deep reserves of hope and patience.

With baseball, you have a media culture that seeks out anything to be a story because they spend about as much time with the players as the coaches and managers do. Some will sound the five-alarm bell around the trading deadline, but more often than not, stories about slumps, hot streaks and tired bullpens tend to linger over the course of a season.

In football, trades are a big deal because of their relative rarity. I say relative because while moves such as Clinton Portis-for-Champ Bailey are pretty rare, moving players for draft picks happens slightly more frequently (see Moss, Randy). In the NFL, you’re moving draft picks because while a roster has 53 active players and a handful more for the practice squad will be veteran-laden, football is a sport that ravages men quickly as they age. Draft picks, more so than existing players, are vital because of the meat grinder the sport I truly is.

With the intense and short season, the media in general tends to be focused on the present. After all, a majority of the active roster hits the field during a given game, compelling reporters to seek out multiple players and coaches in order to meet their deadlines. The most far reaching it gets is the postseason thanks to the wild cards and division titles on the line. Only after the Super Bowl does it get heavy into player movement and as we evidence these days, lockout talk.

Ah, the NBA. Fifteen guys per roster. Even with the growth of the D-League, you still have less than twenty players officially affiliated with a NBA club. Maybe it’s the lack of anonymity of the players on the court. Maybe it’s the image questions that have forever swirled around the league. Maybe it the painful dearth of credible basketball reporters (some are better than others, but those with an agenda make themselves heard over the respectable ones in the field). A combination of this let rumors drench NBA coverage like Patrick Ewing’s sweat.

[It’s hard to speak on other leagues such as the NHL and international soccer brands, but they must share some traits with the three most popular American sports leagues.]

So for those who seem to be fatigued by the latest spin on Carmelo’s future, consider that we’ve been down this road far too often. Though it’s easy to believe that this is a recent phenomenon, it’s the nature of the league, dating back generations to when the NBA first began to gain a foothold in the popular sports landscape. Sadly, it’s not going to change any time soon.

Insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Sabotage

Deep down, I want to see the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals.

Realistically… no one has a clue which teams will play in the NBA’s Spring Classic.

Oh, sure, there are millions who want the spoon-fed Cleveland Cavaliers/Los Angeles Lakers matchup just as they clamored for these same Lakers against the eventual champion Boston Celtics eleven months ago.

There are millions who just don’t want to see Kobe Bryant playing in his sixth Finals; skeptically wondering if – or vehemently demanding to know why – we’re supposed to forget about Colorado as the arguably best player in the world has found himself back in the spotlight for sterling play. He’s also finding himself back in the good graces with some on Madison Avenue as there is a player of comparable skills, intensity and jersey sales that he can be paired up with (hint: it’s LeBron James!).

There are plenty who do want to see KB81, Pau Gasol and their teammates lose again in June; harkening the pointing and laughing that the New England Patriots endured after losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl 42 as if the word ‘hubris’ was created for that thrilling, but agonizing night.

There are many in the masses who want to see James shine again in the Finals, but with a different result. After being annihilated by Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs in 2007, the Cavs reloaded for what has been destined to be a return appearance. The cast of characters should be far better in this play as Mo Williams, an underrated Delonte West and a very good team defense should give us a better show. For all of the Biblical references that surround him, James has done everything humanly possible to match the hype and expectations since he arrived on the scene. Yet, as we all know, that means little in this ‘win today or leave tomorrow’ culture.

Deep down, I want to see the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic ruin all of our visions of seven grueling games of Number 24 versus Number 23.

I don’t want to sabotage the Dream Finals so much as I wonder how many of these recently converted NBA fans are really going to hunker down and watch teams from seemingly unsexy markets do battle for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Neither the Nuggets nor the Magic have that superstar – a term used far too loosely these days – who brings instant recognition from the unfamiliar. Denver’s Carmelo Anthony has been one of the best players in the NBA since he arrived with James and Miami’s Dwayne Wade, his fellow classmates of the 2003 Draft who have actually reached (in Wade’s case, won) the Finals before Anthony finally made it out of the first round during these playoffs. Dwight Howard came out of high school one year later and is a consistent jump shot away from truly becoming the league’s most dominant big man. Yet, ‘Melo has never seemed comfortable in the non-basketball glare while for Howard and his goofy-but-fun personality, big men other than Shaquille O’Neal or Yao Ming don’t sell the way the ‘little’ guys do, regardless of what Greg Oden tells you.

Neither the Nuggets nor the Magic were supposed to be in the conversation of the best teams in the league. Yet, despite Boston’s title defense and hype around western teams such as New Orleans and San Antonio, this quartet features the teams that have been the absolute best from start to finish all season long. It took a long time to warm up to Denver, even after the trade for Chauncey Billups, because of the franchise’s recent implosions. The Magic were supposed to have been a second-round casualty because their offensive playbook consisted of just two plays: throw the ball inside to Howard and shoot a three.

These are two teams that outside of the keenest NBA observers are not following the script. In Johnny Ludden’s column for Yahoo! Sports, Kenyon Martin said it perfectly after his team spoiled The Lake Show in Game 2:

“Y’all can go home and play NBA Live or something,” K-Mart grunted, “if y’all want to see that matchup.”

“They got a fight on their hand over here,” Martin said. “And Cleveland got a fight on their hand, as well. It ain’t just going to be us and Orlando lay down, so they can play in two weeks.

“That ain’t going to happen. I’m going to make sure it don’t.”

If both of these teams win out and meet in the Finals, will many of you turn off the TV because the Dream Series that has been projected since last fall did not come to fruition? Any combination of these final four teams will provide us with a great championship series, no matter which names receive top billing. Let’s just hope that the sporting public will afford the same interest and appreciation, regardless of which teams are left standing.

Say What?!?!: Speaking of Madison Avenue, this article just came through Advertising Age's website while putting this post together. Not everyone will be excited if this 'dream' comes true.

Fluid

Until Gatorade's latest campaign, What's G?, (which could be far better), they were pretty darn good in presenting strong and at least relevant, if not compelling, television advertisements on a consistent basis. So while the mere sight of those ads make some people cringe, here's an elixir.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how a sports-themed ad should be done.



Can anyone point out a poor TV ad from the Jordan/Jumpman brand?

Because Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Richard Hamilton and Joe Johnson are not the names that even the non-sports fan can immediately recall, this commercial may not have the... panache?... that one with other Nike-endorsed players (see LeBron and Kobe) would hold.

However, this ad - featuring four players of different offensive abilities to go with four different teams - has a way of making you see all four on the court, despite there being four 'separate' games. For a fast-paced spot, it keeps the action fluid, shows the product in use and features audio that actually enhances the visual movement.

These seem like simple goals and there are hundreds of creative agencies that are out there, trying to achive those goals and craft an image for their clients that is supposed to help invoke an emotional response to make a positive connection in order to sell the product/service. You'd be amazed how often that goes wrong.

Forgotten?

No video from the old and new Yankee Stadiums thanks to an all-day rainstorm that won't let up until tomorrow morning in the northeast.

Yet, it was still a day off from the hustle and bustle, including some writings that desperately need some editing. Instead, if you do not enjoy the benefits of NBA League Pass, you missed this incredible third quarter from Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony (courtesy of the league's YouTube channel).



It was phenomenal indeed, but it brings up the question; has Anthony faded from the conscious of the basketball fan - having been so far surpassed by Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and these days, Chris Bosh - or is there too little attention paid to his game? Thoughts? Leave them here.

Forward (VI)

After this, just one more. A smorgesborgh, if you will, of other sports to watch out for throughout 2008. For now, this sixth installation speaks about the most criticized and self-critical league ever known.

NBA: Will we keep looking for the Next Jordan? A while back in Sideshow, an article from Page 2’s (ESPN) Chuck Klosterman was referenced. It’s probably the most truthful article written in decades, if not ever, about the National Basketball Association. He described the league as “hopelessly, endlessly, incorrigibly narcissistic,” but explained further:

“When people hear the word "narcissistic," they associate it with egotism, but that's not really accurate. The failing of the mythical Narcissus was not his obsession with himself; it was his obsession with his image. And this is what prompts the NBA to wrestle with itself. No other league is as preoccupied with how others feel about its product.”

This is the league, however, that recreated the template of sports superstardom that is hard for anyone to duplicate. The emphasis on the individual is unlike any other from a team sports organization. From the unusual physiques to the near-nudeness due to the uniforms, NBA players are arguably the most recognizable athletes in the industry. The potential for these athletes, however, to transcend the sport took some time and luck to determine.

Baseball players were some of the first due to their early start in the sports landscape. Football stars followed suite once the NFL began to grasp the power of television. Yet, because the NBA has always been in some sort of need for revival, the singular face of the league was undefined. The Bill Russell-led Celtics, Oscar Robertson-led Royals and Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers and Lakers were not enough, despite their uncanny talents and public demeanors. Race plays a significant role, whether we like it or not, but there was something else that not even Magic Johnson or Larry Bird in the 1980s possessed.

Somehow, Michael Jordan had it.

Before Jordan, it took the press’ unquestioned pulse on the sports world and some social firestorms to make athletes seem bigger than life. Muhammad Ali (and Jack Johnson before him), Joe Louis, any Yankee Hall-of-Famer, Johnny Unitas, Jim Thorpe, you name it. Though Fortune 500 companies had long ago made their foray into sports, the union between Jordan and Nike changed how popular athletes would be introduced to the world on a grand scale. That very union attracted many other offers for him and started a tidal wave of endorsement deals and sponsorships that has yet to show signs of subsiding.

Jordan has the looks, the talent, the accolades, the insatiable drive to dominate and an apparent apolitical stance that offended neither consumer nor business. He was the first black star athlete with undeniable crossover appeal. Even in a progressive era as the 1990s, this was unique and it was hard to imagine that the Association, or any league, could find similar success with another player.

They’re still searching for it.

When Jordan first retired following his third title with the Chicago Bulls, roundball columnists were asking who would become ‘The Next’. The roll call: Harold Miner, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and the highest anointed of them all, LeBron James. Not surprisingly, most of those players had or have reached just a fraction of Jordan’s popularity with the public and the corporate community (and ‘Baby Jordan’ Miner faded rather quickly). The expectations were unfair and unrealistic, but that hasn’t stopped the A from trying again with Wade and James. All the while, a different brand of superstar emerged that countered the ‘clean-cut’ campaign for Jordan.

For better or worse, stars with ‘hood appeal’, ‘street-cred’ and ‘ghetto superstardon’ written all over them became the focus on the league. Allen Iverson was the first anti-Jordan superstar (and this moment solidified that status), and he singlehandedly carried a fledgling Reebok into the 2000s. Any guard with a crossover and bravado seemingly followed suit (Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Baron Davis, ‘White Chocolate’ Jason Williams). The influx of hip-hop culture with these newer players may have opened new doors in the coded ‘urban’ centers, but it also invited a socioeconomic rift that turned away many casual fans. Race, economics, generations, you name it.

Because these two contrasting campaigns were openly competing for the public’s conscious, every little negative tidbit regarding a player or the games themselves became a referendum on the NBA.

It still does.

You can dissect any news related to the NBA and find that no matter how insightful the discussion can be about the game, its players or teams; the conversation always comes back to the league’s image. A low-scoring game invites people to scream about the salaries of players. When someone takes thirty or so shots in a game, players are selfish and dumb (because Jordan himself never took more than ten shots in any game). When more international players are drafted, it’s becomes some conscious plot to undermine the African-American athlete. When Steve Nash wins two MVP awards, some columnists and fans take Commissioner David Stern to task for championing a white player in a league full of black ones. Can the A get a fair shake? Not when it is so open about its desires of finding another Mike.

The league changed on-court play with new ripples for offense in order to move away from the dominant defenses of the 80s and 90s. The marketing of their already-known and industry-leading community relations initiative (branded as NBA Cares) has been turned up since the Brawl a few years back. Wade and James are the most marketed players in the league; Wade’s championship with the Heat have catapulted him major pitchman status while James was placed in Jordan’s shadow when he was still in high school barely five years ago.

All the while, there are a sign of the anti-Jordan athlete, even within the Jordan brand, Jumpman. Carmelo Anthony, its signature player, may run with Iverson now, but he was categorized with him during his rookie season. Marbury went from And1 to his own inexpensive and successful ‘Starbury’ line, even though his image has taken a turn for the worse in recent years. There were failed attempts to find more of those types, such as the adidas contract bestowed upon Marbury’s troubled cousin, Sebastian Telfair.

It’s apparent that the NBA wants to be admired in the way that few leagues are. The NFL, Major League Baseball and college sports (mainly basketball and football) don’t have these internal struggles out in the open as much as the NBA does. Other than baseball, the aforementioned leagues have a similar composition of players as the A; many black players grew up poor, working-class or middle-class. Baseball, itself, has an increased presence of Latino and Asian players and dwindling number of blacks and whites.

So, why do all the image problems really fall into the NBA’s lap? Because no matter if it’s Derek Jeter or Peyton Manning or even the true collegiate pitchmen, the coaches, those leagues never had what the NBA banked on for the better part of twenty years. They didn’t create nor fall upon what the Association had in the palm of its hand.

Jordan.