NBA Fines and Suspends Meyers Leonard for Saying Antisemitic Slur
During a livestream while he was playing a video game on Monday March 8, Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard said an antisemitic slur. The NBA has announced that Leonard will be fined $50,000, suspended from team activities for one week, and required to participate in a cultural diversity program. If Leonard had been an active player then he would have forfeited each of his game checks during the suspension, but because he is currently on the injured list he will still be paid by the team; this loophole makes no sense, and hopefully the NBA will close the loophole: a suspended player should not be paid, regardless of his injury status. Per the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, a $50,000 fine is the maximum amount that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has the authority to issue for "any statement having, or that was designed to have, an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best interest of basketball."
Here is Commissioner Silver's official statement: "Meyers Leonard's comment was inexcusable and hurtful and such an
offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society. Yesterday, he
spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better
understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely
remorseful. We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory
comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to
uphold the core values of our league--equality, tolerance, inclusion
and respect--at all times moving forward."
TNT's "Inside the NBA" did not ignore this story--which is an improvement over how "Inside the NBA" initially ignored antisemitic comments by DeSean Jackson, Ice Cube, and former NBA player Stephen Jackson last summer. "Inside the NBA" positions itself as more than just a basketball highlights show, and after staking out that position they have assumed the responsibility to speak out about all relevant issues, as opposed to picking and choosing certain issues.
Ernie Johnson opened the segment about Leonard by reading Commissioner Silver's statement, and then each panelist commented. Charles Barkley condemned what Leonard said, and stated that everyone has a responsibility to become better educated. Barkley also noted that Julian Edelman--the New England Patriots wide receiver, who happens to be Jewish--wrote a social media post both criticizing Leonard but also expressing compassion and offering to meet with Leonard to help educate him about this topic. Barkley pointed out that Edelman extended a similar invitation to DeSean Jackson last year after Jackson made his ignorant and offensive comments about Jews, and Barkley said that he agrees with Edelman's approach of "constructive criticism and compassion." Barkley stated that he prefers Edelman's approach to the "cancel culture."
Prior to Edelman's social media post, Leonard
posted online, "While I didn't know what the word meant at the time, my
ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish
community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong." Leonard
added, "I am now more aware of its meaning and I am committed
to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type
of hate and how we can fight it." I will not speculate about what Leonard knew or did not know, or about what is in Leonard's heart. The simple fact is that what he said is unacceptable, and it is important that the NBA is emphasizing how unacceptable it is.
Shaquille O'Neal, who helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title, mentioned that the franchise has a Jewish owner and that the franchise will not tolerate what Leonard did. O'Neal also pointed out that Miami has a large Jewish community that will want to be assured "that he is really sorry." O'Neal noted that athletes are highly scrutinized for what they say and what they do, and they have a responsibility to act accordingly.
Barkley added that comments and words that he and other players used to
say to each other in locker rooms and other private situations would get someone
fined, suspended, or fired today, so all people must be careful about
what they say because you never know who is watching or listening.
Kenny Smith disagreed with Barkley: "You don't have to 'be careful.' You just have to educate yourself...I don't want him to 'be careful.' I want him to realize what he is saying or what he is trying to be careful of saying is not tolerated." That is an excellent point, but then Smith attempted to link Leonard's antisemitic slur to Leonard not kneeling during the National Anthem. There is no valid connection between hate speech and standing for the National Anthem; to suggest otherwise is to assert that anyone who stands for the National Anthem is a racist, which would be an absurd and offensive position (perhaps that is not what Smith means, and hopefully he will clarify that at some point). Also, standing for the National Anthem is a job requirement for NBA employees, though the league provided leeway regarding this requirement during the "bubble" portion of last season. People have a right to kneel or not kneel, and employers also have a right to determine conditions of employment, as I explained in a recent article:
I am not deeply offended by people who kneel for the National Anthem,
but I am puzzled by what they think they are accomplishing. The
National Anthem is not the Confederate flag; it is not a symbol of
oppression, unless you believe that this country is fundamentally evil. I
believe that this country has done wrong and must do better, but that
this country is also, in President Abraham Lincoln's heartfelt, eloquent
words, "the last best hope of Earth." I believe that there are other,
better ways to protest injustice, and/or call attention to specific
situations than not standing for the National Anthem. The playing of the
National Anthem is a moment when all of us can stand together in
gratitude for what this country has accomplished, and in hope for what
this country will accomplish in terms of righting past wrongs/doing
better in the future.
Although I stand for the National
Anthem, I can respect someone who peacefully decides to kneel--but only
if that person is also willing to accept the potential consequences of
that action. If the National Anthem is that offensive to one's ears,
then the political and economic systems that enable the NBA to exist and
thrive are also offensive.
It really is simple. The NBA, as a
private employer, has a right to play the National Anthem before games
with the expectation that its employees will stand respectfully while
the National Anthem is played. Each person has a right to decide what
terms of employment are acceptable financially, morally, and
otherwise--and each person has a right to decide to seek employment from
an employer whose rules and policies align with behaviors that are are
palatable to that person.
It is good that the "Inside the NBA" crew commented about what Leonard said and why it is wrong. "Inside the NBA" is one of the most respected and influential studio shows, so people pay attention to what is discussed and what is not discussed. However, I find it interesting that the Leonard situation was not mentioned at all until near the end of TNT's coverage last night. Usually, when the "Inside the NBA" crew has something to say about a social or political issue that takes place during the first segment of the pregame show.
Labels: Adam Silver, Ice Cube, Inside the NBA, Meyers Leonard, Miami Heat, NBA, Stephen Jackson
posted by David Friedman @ 6:06 PM
Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part V
In a February 9, 2016 Sports Illustrated article reflecting on the nearly 20 years that had passed since the announcement of the NBA's 50th anniversary all-time team, Jack McCallum--one of the selectors of the NBA's official 1996 list--not only provided his personal update to the list, but he ranked the players in order, "something we didn't do on the politically-sensitive original panel," notes McCallum.
Here is McCallum's list (an asterisk indicates that the player was not on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List):
- Michael Jordan
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Magic Johnson
- LeBron James*
- Oscar Robertson
- Larry Bird
- Bill Russell
- Jerry West
- Tim Duncan*
- Elgin Baylor
- Kobe Bryant*
- Bob Pettit
- Moses Malone
- Shaquille O'Neal
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Karl Malone
- Julius Erving
- Elvin Hayes
- Charles Barkley
- Walt Frazier
- John Havlicek
- Scottie Pippen
- George Mikan
- Dwyane Wade*
- George Gervin
- Rick Barry
- David Robinson
- Isiah Thomas
- John Stockton
- Stephen Curry*
- Bill Walton
- Jerry Lucas
- Kevin Garnett*
- Clyde Drexler
- Dave Bing
- Dirk Nowitzki*
- Bob Cousy
- Patrick Ewing
- Willis Reed
- Hal Greer
- Dave Cowens
- Kevin Durant*
- Jason Kidd*
- Allen Iverson*
- Bill Sharman
- Chris Paul*
- Dolph Schayes
- Kevin McHale
- Paul Arizin
Thus, McCallum added LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, and Chris Paul, and did not include Nate Archibald, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Sam Jones, Pete Maravich, Earl Monroe, Robert Parish, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Lenny Wilkens, and James Worthy.
Similar to previous articles in this series, this article will not reconsider the entire 1996 NBA list but instead focus on comparing the 11 players McCallum added to the 11 players McCallum did not include.
In Part I of this series, I listed four methodologies that should be used in no particular order to compare players from different eras:
1) How great was a particular player in his own era?
2) How highly does a player rank overall in key statistical categories?
3) Based on a skill set evaluation, how well would a player have performed in a
different era when facing different rules and circumstances?
4) Did the player have a historical impact on the game, in terms of forcing
rules changes and/or influencing shifts in style of play?
In Part II, I called the inclusion of Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan "obvious and indisputable." Kevin Garnett is a logical choice and Allen Iverson's selection should not be controversial, though some may disagree. By February 2016, it was also obvious and indisputable that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, and Jason Kidd had earned their way on to the list. At that time, Curry had won one MVP (he earned his second MVP a few months later) and one championship (he won two more titles in the next three years, but only after Kevin Durant joined forces with him and captured two Finals MVPs while Curry took a secondary role). Paul has not won an MVP, and by February 2016 he had not even reached the Conference Finals once despite playing for some very talented teams.
Capsule resumes are provided in Part II for Bryant, Duncan, Garnett, Kidd, and Iverson. Capsule resumes are provided in Part III for Durant, James, Nowitzki, and Wade. To avoid confusion, it should be emphasized that a capsule resume includes all statistics and awards at the time I wrote the article in which the capsule resume appears, but the analysis of which players to include or exclude is based on the statistics and awards at the time the list being discussed was posted; for players who have been retired for a while that does not make a difference, but for some players--including Stephen Curry--it makes a big difference. Curry's complete resume is presented in the next few paragraphs, but near the end of this article I will discuss whether or not Curry merited inclusion on the 50 Greatest Players List in February 2016.
Stephen Curry has won two regular season MVPs (2015-16; he has ranked in the top five in MVP voting three times). He won the 2016 regular season scoring title, and he has led the league in free throw percentage four times (2011, 2015-16, 2018). Curry led the NBA in three point goals made for five straight seasons (2013-17). He led the league in total steals twice (2015-16), and he led the league in steals per game once (2016). Curry has made the All-NBA Team six times, including three First Team selections. He is a seven-time All-Star. Curry has played in the NBA Finals five times (2015-19), and he has won three titles (2015, 2017-18).
Curry is often referred to as the greatest shooter of all-time. That is a subjective designation. Is Curry a better shooter than--to name just a handful of great shooters--Jerry West, Pete Maravich, Reggie Miller, or Ray Allen? The answer depends on the criteria used to make the determination.
Curry ranks seventh all-time in ABA/NBA regular season three point field goal percentage, and he has never led the league in single season three point field goal percentage. Curry ranks first all-time in ABA/NBA regular season free throw percentage.
Curry is one of 12 ABA/NBA players who have won at least two regular season MVPs and at least two championships; the list includes Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mel Daniels, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. Daniels and Curry are the only members of that group who did not win a Finals MVP.
Curry is an average defender at best. He gets a lot of steals because of his quick hands and his ability to anticipate plays, but opposing teams often set screens and run other actions specifically to target him. His durability has been erratic; he played at least 78 games in five straight seasons (2013-17), but he only played 26 games in 2012 and five games in 2020. Essentially, he missed two complete seasons before the age of 32, and it is unlikely that a 6-3 guard will become more durable as he enters his mid-30s.
Chris Paul ranked in the top five in MVP voting four times, including
a second place finish in 2008. He won the 2006 Rookie of the Year award. Paul led the league in regular season assists four times
(2008-09, 2014-15), and he led the league in regular season steals six times
(2008-09, 2011-14). No other player has led the league in steals more
than three times. He led the league in playoff assists three times (2008,
2011, 2014), and he led the league in playoff steals once (2014). Paul
has made the All-NBA Team nine times, including four First Team
selections, and he has made the All-Defensive Team nine times, including
seven First Team selections. Paul is an 11-time All-Star.
Paul ranks sixth all-time in ABA/NBA regular season assists (9953), and he ranks seventh all-time in ABA/NBA regular season steals (2273).
Paul
is so often praised as the best leader in the NBA that it has become a
running joke on TNT's "Inside the NBA" every time Charles Barkley
mentions Paul's leadership. Paul is a feisty and combative player at
both ends of the court. He seems to have had a positive impact on
winning with certain teams, but his abrasive personality has not always
been well received by teammates, and has not resulted in championship level playoff success. Paul has only
reached the Conference Finals once, and he has never played in the NBA
Finals. Paul seems to wear down during the playoffs, perhaps at least in
part due to his size (he is listed at exactly six feet tall, but he is probably shorter than that). Paul has missed the playoffs three times, and he
has lost in the first round six times. The ultimate mark of leadership
in a team sport is team success.
The players from the original 50 Greatest Players List who McCallum did not include in his updated list should not just be discarded without acknowledging their accomplishments. As I wrote in Part II, "Players from earlier
eras should not be judged based solely or primarily on numbers, at least
not
without placing those numbers in the context of the vast differences
between
eras." In Part II, I discussed my reasons for not including Sam Jones, Earl
Monroe, Robert Parish, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Lenny Wilkens and James
Worthy, and I explained why--as of 2008--I still considered Dave DeBusschere to be a Top 50 player (in Part III, I agreed with the
Boston Globe that DeBusschere should no longer be ranked as a Top 50 player).
Nate Archibald ranked in the top five in MVP voting twice (third in 1973, fifth in 1980). In 1972-73, he became the first--and remains the only--player to lead the league in scoring (34.0 ppg) and assists (11.4 apg) in the same season. He led the NBA in mpg in 1972-73 (46.0 mpg), and he ranked in the top 10 in mpg three other times. Archibald won the All-Star Game MVP in 1981, the same year that he was the starting point guard for Boston's championship team. Archibald led the 1981 Celtics in assists, and he ranked fourth on the team in scoring.
Archibald made the All-NBA Team five times, including three First Team selections. He was a six-time All-Star.
Archibald is a historically significant player because he put up dominant statistics despite being barely six feet tall in an era dominated by big guys. Prior to Archibald, Wilt Chamberlain was the first player to win at least one scoring title and at least one assists title, but Chamberlain did not lead the league in both categories in the same season. More than 30 years after Archibald retired, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and James Harden each won at least one scoring title and at least one assists title. Westbrook is the only player who has won at least two scoring titles and at least two assists titles. Assists are awarded more generously now than they were when Chamberlain and Archibald played, and the style of play has also changed significantly as the three point shot has become a primary weapon, the rules no longer permit hand checking on the
perimeter, and it is much less common for offenses to revolve around a big man posting up.
Despite Archibald's historical significance, his superb 1972-73 season, several other quality seasons, and the likelihood that his skill set would serve him will in today's game, I agree with McCallum's decision to not include Archibald on the 2016 updated list. Bryant, James, Duncan, Durant, Garnett, and Nowitzki each won at least one regular season MVP, each were perennial MVP candidates during their primes, and each had longer primes than Archibald. Wade, Kidd, and Iverson also sustained All-NBA level production longer than Archibald did, so I agree with McCallum adding those nine players.
As of February 2016, I would not have removed Cunningham or Maravich. It was too soon to add Curry, and if I were to have added Paul at that time it would not have been at the expense of Cunningham or Maravich. Thus, of the 22 players that McCallum switched around, I disagree about four of them.
In Part III, I argued that Cunningham and Maravich were both Top 50 players as of 2015: "Cunningham and Maravich both had careers cut short by injury/illness but here I am looking at peak value and, particularly in Maravich's case, historical impact on the game." Durability is important, and durability is accounted for in my evaluation methodology in terms of all-time statistical rankings, but it is also important to look at how great a player was during his era, how complete and/or dominant his skill set was, and the player's historical impact. Also, although Cunningham and Maravich had shorter careers than many great players did, both of them played at least a decade. When Julius Erving was still playing, he was asked about comparing active players to retired players, and Erving responded that you need to let each player play at least 10 seasons before trying to rank players. That 10 season mark does not have to represent an absolute minimum requirement, but it is a good guideline, and in that context it should be noted that Cunningham's pro career lasted 11 seasons, while Maravich's career lasted 10 seasons.
Cunningham not only won the 1972 ABA MVP but he also finished in the top five in NBA MVP voting twice. His skill set was complete: he scored, defended, rebounded, and passed at a high level. His 21.2 ppg regular season career scoring average ranks 41st on the all-time ABA/NBA list, ahead of--among others--David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Elvin Hayes, John Havlicek, and Dirk Nowitzki--and not far behind Dwyane Wade and Hakeem Olajuwon. In the 1960s and 1970s he played very much like the great small forwards of the 1980s would play, and his versatile game would serve him well during any era.
If you buy the premise for including Maravich on the original team--and I not only do, but I would rank him in the top 30 all-time as of 1996--then you cannot take him off of the list merely due to the relative brevity of his career; he can only be supplanted by players who have a higher peak value, because the case for putting Maravich on the team is based on how great he was at his best.
Maravich was the best guard in the NBA during his prime, an incredible scorer whose playmaking skills were ahead of his time--and often baffled his teammates, who sometimes fumbled his passes because they did not realize that they were open (or that they were open for a player like Maravich). Maravich's 24.2 ppg regular season career scoring average ranks 20th on the all-time ABA/NBA list, slightly ahead of Julius Erving, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, and Shaquille O'Neal, and just behind Kobe Bryant, Dominique Wilkins, Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Damian Lillard, Larry Bird, and Adrian Dantley. Maravich had three point range, but the NBA did not add the three point line until his final season. He was a better athlete and leaper than casual fans may realize, and his skill set/flair would fit in perfectly with today's game: in 2021, Maravich would be a smaller, quicker version of Luka Doncic with a much better outside shot, and it is reasonable to say that Maravich would average at least 30-35 ppg, 8-10 apg, and 6-7 rpg. Maravich is one of the most historically significant players of all-time, and he influenced the great point guards of the next generation, including Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. Before Magic Johnson made "Showtime" famous, that description was applied to and associated with Maravich. Maravich is not a Pantheon-level player, but he is in the category right underneath the Pantheon and he is a Top 50 player.
McCallum wrote brief blurbs about each of the 50 players he included on his updated list, but he did not provide many details explaining his choices. He noted that he cut Billy Cunningham--"one of my all-time favorites"--because "his time at the top wasn't that long." McCallum said that he removed Wes Unseld because "for all his rebounding, outleting and intimidating, Big Wes wasn't that great of an offensive player." McCallum wrote of Pete Maravich, "Remember we're talking about the NBA, not college, where Pete might be in the top 10 in history."
I agree with McCallum about taking Unseld off of the list, though the way that McCallum described his reasoning reminds me of a story that Kenny Smith tells about Tyson Chandler's early detractors, who complained that all Chandler does is play defense and rebound. Smith noted that those are rather significant contributions to team success. Chandler is obviously not an all-time great, but the point is that defense and rebounding are important categories to consider when comparing and ranking forwards and centers. The correct justification for not including Unseld is not his offensive game, but rather that he was not one of the elite players of his own era, let alone one of the elite players of all-time. Unseld won the regular season MVP and made the All-NBA First Team as a rookie, but he never again made the All-NBA Team and he never again finished higher than eighth in the MVP voting, though he did win the 1978 Finals MVP. Unseld is without question a Hall of Famer, but he was a fringe Top 50 player in 1996, and he was not a better player than the numerous perennial MVP candidates who entered the league since that time. Two more recent players who share some similarities with Unseld are Ben Wallace and Draymond Green. All three players are undersized power forwards/centers who are unselfish, rebound well, and defend well. Unseld was one of the best outlet passers of all-time, while Green is the best open court playmaker among these three. Wallace ranks third in this group as a passer, but first as a shot blocker. All three are great players and champions, but none of them belong on a 50 Greatest Players List.
By February 2016, Curry had won one regular season MVP and one championship while making the All-NBA First Team once. Curry added to his resume in the next few years, and he would be a worthy choice now, but not in 2016, and not in place of Cunningham or Maravich. When McCallum made his updated list, Maravich's resume was longer than Curry's and Maravich's peak value was no worse: Maravich earned two All-NBA First Team selections, won one scoring title, was on his way to back to back scoring titles before blowing out his knee, and he finished third in the 1977 MVP voting behind two of the greatest centers of all-time (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton) when both centers were at the peak of their powers in a league then dominated by big men. McCallum ranked 2016 Curry ahead of not only retired players who had better overall careers, but also ahead of Curry's contemporaries Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitkzi. A great player who is 6-9 or bigger is almost always going to be more valuable than a great player who is 6-3 or shorter. McCallum is deservedly respected as a basketball writer and analyst, but he ranked Curry higher than Curry should have been ranked in 2016.
McCallum added Jason Kidd and Chris Paul, but in 2016 I would not have added Paul (and I would not add him in 2020 over Cunningham and Maravich, though I might consider adding Paul in place of another player, but that would be outside the scope of this article).Younger fans who did not see Kidd in his prime may question taking Kidd over Paul. I discussed Kidd's resume in Part II, but it is interesting to
contrast Kidd's career with Paul's career. Many of their career accolades and career statistics are similar but I would take Kidd over Paul because of Kidd's consistent and demonstrable impact on winning.
Many players are praised for their
leadership, but often the reality does not equal the hype. In contrast, there is
tangible evidence that Kidd was a great leader who had tremendous impact on team success.
Kidd's teams made the playoffs in 17 of his 19 seasons. Teams tended to
improve when Kidd joined the roster, and then regress after he left: the
Dallas Mavericks improved from 13-69 to 36-46 in Kidd's rookie season,
and they regressed to 20-62 in the first full season after Kidd was
traded to Phoenix. Phoenix went 40-42 in 1996-97 (including 23-10 with
an 11 game winning streak after acquiring Kidd from Dallas) and 56-26 in
1997-98 during Kidd's first full season with the Suns. The Suns went
51-31 in 2000-01 (Kidd's final season with the team), and they went
36-46 in 2001-02. Meanwhile, the Nets went 26-56 in 2000-01, and they
went 52-30 in 2001-02 in Kidd's first season with the team. Kidd led the
Nets to back to back Finals appearances in 2002-03, the franchise's
first trips to the Finals since the ABA glory days when Julius Erving was
the best player in pro basketball. The Nets have advanced past the
first round of the playoffs once since they traded Kidd to Dallas in
2009, and they have missed the playoffs eight times during that period.
Kidd joined the Mavericks in 2009, and they advanced past the first
round of the playoffs for the first time in three years. Two years
later, they won their first (and only) NBA title. Kidd signed with the
Knicks as a free agent in the summer of 2012. Without Kidd, the
Mavericks missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999-00, and the
Mavericks have not won a playoff series since 2011. With Kidd, the
2012-13 Knicks posted the franchise's best regular season record (54-28)
since 1996-97, and they won a playoff series for the first time since
2000. Kidd retired in 2013, and the Knicks have not made the playoffs
since he retired. Kidd is not solely responsible for the good--and
bad--fortune described above, but there is no question that throughout
his career he had a significant impact on winning--and winning is the
most important statistic.
Although it is true that teams tended to improve after Paul arrived and regress
after Paul departed, the movement in either direction was not quite so dramatic with Paul as it was with Kidd; further, Kidd's impact on winning was also felt during the postseason, as he lifted the Nets to two NBA Finals and he helped the Mavericks win the franchise's first (and only) NBA title. All great players impact winning to some extent and Paul is
no exception to that rule, but Kidd's impact was more profound. The great effect that Kidd had on Team USA is also worth mentioning; Team USA squads in the 2000s that did not have Kidd (and, it should be noted, Kobe Bryant) failed to win gold medals despite having very talented rosters, but Kidd's teams went 46-0 in five FIBA competitions, capturing Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2008.
Early in his career, Kidd was sometimes referred to as "ason" because he had no "J." In his rookie year, Kidd shot .272 from three point range and .698 from the free throw line, but he finished his career with a .349 three point field goal percentage and a .785 free throw percentage. He shot at least .800 from the free throw line in 10 seasons. Except
for his rookie season, Paul has always been a good three point shooter, and he is also a better free throw shooter than Kidd; perhaps one could argue that Paul did not do as much skill set work at the NBA level as Kidd because Paul arrived in the league as a better shooter than Kidd, but Kidd deserves credit for working so hard on his shooting even though he was already a top player. Skill set development is also about figuring out how to mesh one's skills into the team concept. Kidd not only improved his shooting, but he demonstrated that he could play different roles; as his career progressed, he evolved from being a drive
and dish point guard to a player who could not only set up his teammates but could also open up the court by making timely three
pointers. Paul's game has remained the same throughout his career, and he places the onus on his teammates to adjust and adapt to how he plays.
"Stat gurus" have always loved Paul, and they probably still believe that Paul should have won the 2008 regular season MVP instead of Kobe Bryant (they were wrong to believe that then, and they are wrong if they still believe it now). Paul is a great player and a first ballot Hall of Famer, but I would choose Kidd over Paul without hesitation; I would rather contend for championships with Kidd as my point guard than try to figure out why my team is not contending for championships despite Paul having great "advanced basketball statistics."
Put it another way, based on peak value in 2016 I would have taken Curry over Paul and, as noted above, I would not have put Curry on the list at that time.
Analyzing McCallum's list makes one thing very clear: the emergence in the 2000s and 2010s of several of the greatest players of all-time--players who are not just Top 50, but Top 25 and even Top 10--has pushed several outstanding players off of the 50 Greatest Players List. In 1996, I felt that every player who had won at least one regular season MVP probably should be on the list, but as the number of MVP winners has grown--and as some questionable MVP selections have been made--I would no longer say that winning a regular season MVP automatically qualifies a player for the 50 Greatest Players List.
---
Further Reading:
Part I of this series can be found here.
Part II of this series can be found here.
Part III of this series can be found here.
Part IV of this series can be found here.
Labels: Allen Iverson, Billy Cunningham, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Pete Maravich, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan
posted by David Friedman @ 10:18 PM
Giannis Antetokounmpo Wins All-Star MVP With Perfect Shooting, Leads Team LeBron to 170-150 Win Over Team Durant
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have the first perfect shooting performance in NBA All-Star Game history--Hal Greer shot 8-8 from the field en route to scoring 21 points and winning the 1968 NBA All-Star Game MVP--but he set the NBA All-Star Game record for most field goals without a miss (16), and he captured his first All-Star Game MVP by scoring a game-high 35 points as his Team LeBron routed Team Durant, 170-150. Antetokounmpo played just 19 minutes, so he scored nearly two points per minute. Most of Antetokounmpo's shots were lightly contested--if not uncontested--dunks, but he also shot 3-3 from three point range. Each team shot 3-5 from the free throw line as both teams spent most of the game not even pretending to care about defense. Perhaps the league and/or the players think that the fans want to see uncontested dunks and wide open three pointers, but I think/hope that true basketball fans want to see competition. A contested dunk is a great play; an uncontested dunk is just performance art.
Antetokounmpo is not responsible for the lack of defensive resistance, and he is a fitting recipient for the second annual Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Game MVP award because he is a team-oriented player who plays hard and has the right mindset about the game, much like Kawhi Leonard was a fitting recipient for the first Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Game MVP last year.
Damian Lillard scored 32 points for Team LeBron, including the logo three pointer that ended the game under the fourth quarter scoring system that designates the winner as the team that finishes with 24 more points than the leading team had at the end of the third quarter (in honor of Kobe Bryant's number 24 jersey); in other words, because Team LeBron led 146-125 after the third quarter the winning team would be the first squad to reach 170 points. Lillard shot 11-20 from the field, including 8-16 from three point range.
Stephen Curry, who seemed to be having an in game shooting contest with his All-Star teammate Lillard, finished with 28 points on 10-19 field goal shooting, and he also shot 8-16 from three point range.
Chris Paul led Team LeBron with a game-high 16 assists, and he passed his way past Magic Johnson into first place on the NBA All-Star Game career assists list (128).
Team captain LeBron James made it clear before the All-Star Game that he opposed having an All-Star Game during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that essentially he was playing under protest. James scored four points on 2-7 field goal shooting in just 13 minutes. His squad has won all four games under the current format, so he is the Red Auerbach of NBA All-Star Game general managers, and he joked after the game about wanting to retire as a captain so that he can maintain his perfect record.
Kevin Durant may have fared better as a general manager if he had been able to play for his squad, but he sat out due to injury. Bradley Beal, the current league scoring leader, topped Team Durant with 26 points on 10-16 field goal shooting. Kyrie Irving added 24 points plus a team-high 12 assists. In a game tailor made for James Harden's all offense/little defense game, he scored 21 points while also posting a game-worst -23 plus/minus number; somehow, in a defense-optional game he still managed to have the least defensive impact, to the extent that during his 32 minutes his team could not keep pace despite how many points he scored.
The most positive aspect of the night, by far, is the attention that the NBA focused on HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and the funds that the NBA provided for those institutions. The TNT pregame show included an excellent feature story about the history of HBCUs, and the contributions that HBCU alumni have made across a variety of fields. This is an important part of American history that all of us, regardless of race, should know about and appreciate.
Prior to the game, three anthems were performed beautifully. First, the Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the poem written by James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson. Next, Alessia Cara performed the Canadian National Anthem. Finally, Gladys Knight performed the Star Spangled Banner.
Team LeBron played for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant represented the United Negro College Fund. Each team could win money on behalf of its fund by winning a quarter and/or by winning the game overall. Team LeBron won the first three quarters in addition to winning the game, and thus raised $1.25 million for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The NBA will contribute $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.
There is not much analysis that can be provided about the game itself. Zion Williamson, the fourth youngest NBA All-Star ever (behind only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson), set the unofficial NBA All-Star Game record for missed dunks as he shot 1-5 from the field in the first quarter, but he bounced back to finish with 10 points on 5-9 field goal shooting in 14 minutes for Team Durant.
Team LeBron won the first quarter, 40-39. The teams played less defense in the second quarter, which Team LeBron won, 60-41. Antetokounmpo scored 24 points on 11-11 field goal shooting in the first half, and his name was probably already being engraved on the MVP trophy at halftime. Team LeBron won the third quarter, 46-45. Team Durant scored 25 point in the final stanza before Team LeBron scored the necessary 24 points to clinch the victory.
Prior to the All-Star Game, Domantas Sabonis won the Skills Challenge after finishing second in the event last year. Then, Stephen Curry won the Three Point Shootout in a photo finish over first-time All-Star Mike Conley, hitting his final shot to edge Conley, 28-27. This is Curry's second Three Point Shootout win.
During halftime of the All-Star Game, three players who have less than 60 combined career regular season NBA dunks competed in the Slam Dunk Contest: Anfernee Simons, Obi Toppin, and Cassius Stanley. The scoring of the five judge panel was questionable at best. Simons was crowned the champion after beating Toppin in the final round, with three of the judges choosing Simons while two of the judges picked Toppin.
The NBA changed All-Star Weekend to All-Star Night, cramming the
Skills Challenge, the Three Point Shootout, the Slam Dunk Contest, and
the All-Star Game into one evening, ostensibly to follow the proverbial
"health and safety protocols." Of course, the reality is that the league
held a one day All-Star Weekend because canceling the event entirely would cost the league a significant amount of
revenue, and the league's main priority is to maximize its profits.
All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were last second scratches due to
the "health and safety protocols," because their personal barber just
tested positive for COVID-19. Amazingly, the NBA was able to immediately
determine that there is no way that any other players or NBA personnel
heading to Atlanta for All-Star Night were potentially exposed to
Embiid, Simmons, and/or the barber, so the event could proceed as
scheduled. No replacement All-Stars were selected; even though Embiid
and Simmons both play for the Philadelphia 76ers--and thus would have
both been on the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the traditional
format--in the current format each had been drafted to a different
squad, so the end result of their absences was that each All-Star team
had 11 available players.
I have been an NBA fan for almost my entire life, and All-Star Weekend has always been one of my favorite events. I am not sure that the event should have been held this year under these circumstances, and I am sure that the game and the satellite events were not as compelling as they were back in the day, but All-Star Weekend will probably always be must-see TV for me, and the NBA clearly believes/hopes that many other fans feel the same way. Raising awareness about and funds for HBCUs is a good thing, but if that were truly the league's primary goal then that could have been accomplished without having All-Star Night. The athleticism, shooting skills, and passing skills of these players are undeniable, and it would be wonderful if someday soon the pendulum swings back to the way things were when the players competed during the game as opposed to just taking turns showing off their skills with no defensive resistance being applied.
Recent NBA All-Star Game Recaps:
Kawhi Leonard Leads Team LeBron to 157-155 Win over Team Giannis as New Format Results in Exciting Fourth Quarter Competition (2020)
"After three quarters, it seemed that the new NBA All-Star Game format had not inspired many players from either team to even pretend to play at a fraction of their full capabilities. Fortunately, the fourth quarter--a race to 157 points based on adding 24 points (in honor of Kobe Bryant)
to the 133-124 lead enjoyed by Team Giannis over Team LeBron at the end of the third quarter--featured high level play as both teams looked fully engaged: Team Giannis' Kyle Lowry seemed to try to take a charge on every defensive possession, players from both teams contested almost every shot, and the level of physicality ramped up to top notch regular season levels, if not even first round playoff levels.
It is mystifying that most NBA players seem to need external motivation
to play their best in the All-Star Game, but with a substantial portion
of the weekend's festivities dedicated to the memory of
Bryant--including naming the All-Star MVP award for him--it would have
been a travesty for the players to just sleepwalk through the entire
proceedings. Kawhi Leonard is a pioneer of the less than commendable
load management scourge, but at least he always plays hard when he is on
the court. Leonard scored a game-high 30 points on 11-18 field goal
shooting (including 8-14 from three point range), grabbed seven
rebounds, dished for four assists, and received the first Kobe Bryant
All-Star Game MVP Award as his Team LeBron won, 157-155."
Kevin Durant Wins his Second All-Star MVP as Team LeBron Overcomes 20 Point Deficit to Defeat Team Giannis, 178-164 (2019)
"The All-Star Game sunk to such depths a few years ago that there were
even whispers that it might be discontinued. Instead, the league changed
the format from East versus West to a format in which the top two
vote-getters conduct a draft consisting of a pool of other All-Stars
selected by fans, coaches and media members. LeBron James faced off
against Giannis Antetokounmpo in this year's All-Star draft. Popular
consensus was that James, whose draft strategy seemed to be focused on
acquiring every major player who will be a free agent soon, got the
better of Antetokounmpo--but it did not look like that initially, as
Team Giannis led 53-37 after the first quarter and 95-82 at halftime.
Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 38 points on 17-23 field
goal shooting, including 10 dunks. He also had 11 rebounds and five
assists. He set the tone in the first quarter with 16 points.
Antetokounmpo's
Milwaukee teammate/All-Star teammate Khris Middleton added 20 points on
7-13 field goal
shooting, including 6-10 from three point range. Middleton scored 12
first quarter points.
To coin--or repeat--a phrase, it seemed like Team LeBron was in 'chill
mode' during the first half, but in the second half they exerted at
least some defensive effort and they rained down a barrage of three
pointers. Team LeBron outscored Team Giannis 96-69 in the second half
while shooting 22-49 from three point range. The teams combined to
attempt 167 three pointers during the game, compared to 108 two pointers
attempted.
Kevin Durant earned MVP honors by scoring 31 points on 10-15 field goal
shooting (including 6-9 from three point range) while also contributing
seven rebounds. He had 11 points on 4-4 field goal shooting in the
fourth quarter. Durant's Golden State teammate Klay Thompson finished
second on Team LeBron with 20 points on 7-16 field goal shooting (6-12
from three point range) and he had eight rebounds and four assists as
well."
LeBron James Earns Third All-Star Game MVP as Team LeBron Outlasts Team Stephen, 148-145 (2018):
"LeBron James scored a game-high 29 points on 12-17 field goal shooting,
grabbed a game-high tying 10 rebounds and dished eight assists as Team
LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145 in the first year of the NBA's new All-Star selection format;
instead of the traditional matchup featuring the Eastern Conference
facing the Western Conference, a team of All-Stars picked by LeBron
James faced a team of All-Stars picked by Stephen Curry. The NBA tweaked
the All-Star Game in the wake of several subpar All-Star Games,
culminating in last year's farce.
Before the 2018 All-Star Game, James already held the NBA All-Star Game
career scoring record (314 points) and yesterday he surpassed Julius
Erving (321 points) to set the record for most points scored in ABA and
NBA All-Star Games combined. Bob Pettit (1956, 58, 59, 62) and Kobe
Bryant (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) share the record with four All-Star Game
MVPs each, while James joined Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and
Shaquille O'Neal as three-time winners; James previously earned the
All-Star Game MVP in 2006 and 2008."
The NBA All-Star Game Has Become a Farce (2017):
"The Western Conference's 192-182 victory over the Eastern Conference is
without question the worst NBA All-Star Game that I have ever watched.
Other than the MLB All-Star Game that ended in a tie (and many NFL Pro
Bowls of recent vintage) it may be the worst major professional league
All-Star Game ever. When the reigning two-time regular season MVP
literally lies down on the court instead of attempting to play defense,
you know that the event has jumped the shark"
Labels: 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, HBCU, LeBron James, Stephen Curry
posted by David Friedman @ 2:33 AM
