Bam Adebayo's Scoring Outburst Highlights Why Tanking is Terrible
On April 9, 2023, I declared, "The toxic combination of tanking and load management cheats the fans who
buy tickets to see their favorite players, compromises the integrity of
playoff seeding, devalues individual and team statistics, and creates a
host of issues regarding legalized wagering" (emphasis added).
There are many examples of inflated/devalued statistics, but the tragicomical farce perpetrated by the Miami Heat--and their partners in crime, the perpetually tanking Washington "Wheeze-hards"--tonight is Exhibit A: Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on 20-43 field goal shooting and 36-43 free throw shooting as Adebayo's Heat won, 150-129. Adebayo made just seven of the 22 three pointers that he jacked up, and he scored six points--all on free throws--in the final two minutes with the Heat leading by 25 or more points. Officially, Adebayo now owns the second highest single game scoring output in NBA history, surpassing Kobe Bryant (81 points) and trailing only Wilt Chamberain's legendary 100 point game. Unofficially, this travesty--this "traveshammockery" (travesty, sham, and mockery)--should have a giant asterisk next to it, and that asterisk should include a picture of Adam Silver's face wearing clown makeup.
The "Wheeze-hards" gave up 40 first quarter points on .542 field goal shooting, with Adebayo scoring 31 points on 10-16 field goal shooting; their only goal is to lose, and they achieved that goal in a spectacularly disgraceful manner. Perhaps the Wizards assumed that the Heat would call off the dogs once the outcome was no longer in doubt, but by that point Adebayo was so close to surpassing Bryant that the Heat began force-feeding him the ball. Even tanking teams apparently have some standards, so the "Wheeze-hards" began focusing all of their meager efforts on not letting Adebayo score, and then the Heat began fouling to get the ball back and missing non-Adebayo free throws on purpose to generate more shot attempts for Adebayo.
The "Wheeze-hards" have been tanking for several years and have made the playoffs just once since 2018 (2021, when Russell Westbrook averaged a triple double for the fourth time in his extraordinary and often underrated career. Adam Silver should relegate the "Wheeze-hards" and other tanking teams to the G League and should forbid the tankers from receiving the national TV revenue that teams share. I know that he will not do that--for a variety of reasons--but drastic measures must be taken to prevent the NBA from degenerating into a complete farce.
How absurd is it that Adebayo scored 83 points in an NBA regular season game? Adebayo's
previous career high was 41 points in a 128-124 Heat loss versus
the Brooklyn Nets on January 23, 2021; that was one of just four times
that he scored at least 35 points in a game in the first 624 regular
season games of his NBA career.
Luka Doncic is a great player, but after he poured in 73 points in a game on the same day that Devin Booker scored 62 points, I called out the NBA for destroying the sport and the record book:
Regular season NBA games are starting to resemble the NBA All-Star
Game in terms of lack of defense/lack of competitive effort, and last
year's NBA All-Star Game may have been the worst basketball game ever.
Prior to Monday, there had been one day in ABA/NBA history during which
two players had 60 point games--and now that has happened twice in five
days. Pointing out such facts is not "hating." The NBA powers that be
have drastically altered the game, and not for the better: instead of
featuring the best athletes in the world competing at the highest level,
the NBA has degenerated into a glorified skills exhibition. I have
attended dozens if not hundreds of NBA games in person as a credentialed
media member or as a fan, and I have seen firsthand that even "non
shooters" in the NBA can shoot an absurd percentage on uncontested
warmup shots; this helped me to understand how great NBA defense is (or
was). With all due respect to Doncic, in his 73 point game he shot .850
from the field on shots that were not much more difficult than warmup
shots.
The modern NBA has lowered the bar competitively, which devalues each game and cheapens the record book.
Less than two months ago, I wrote about how much the NBA has changed for the worse in the 20 years since Kobe Bryant's 81 point game:
The rules changes and style of play changes from the past 20 years
suggest that the NBA decided that fans have such short attention spans
and so little appreciation for the nuances of the game that the only way
to keep them interested is to transmogrify the sport from a game of
ball movement and player movement featuring diverse offensive strategies
into a one dimensional game during which teams jack up as many three
pointers as possible; three point field goal percentages have not
improved in the past 20 years, but the volume of three point shooting
has more than doubled. "Stat gurus" may
believe that high volume three point shooting is inherently efficient,
but shooting twice as many treys at less than a .360 clip while
eschewing midrange shots and shots in the paint does not add up to
efficient basketball, nor does it create aesthetically pleasing
basketball.
At its best, basketball is an all-around game featuring skillful offense balanced by shrewd, physical defense. The step back move as
utilized by Adrian Dantley, Larry Bird, and Dell Curry was a thing a of
beauty. I used to practice it in my driveway while being careful to not
take an extra step. In contrast to that technical artistry, what is
called a step back move today is a travel and/or an offensive foul if
basketball's rules were enforced as written. Commentators and fans scoff
that old school players "had no bag" (did not have a bag of fancy ball
handling moves), but the reality is that what is called a "bag" today
includes traveling, carrying, palming, and flopping and flailing
to bait referees into calling fouls against defensive players. No
player epitomizes the NBA's emphasis on elevating offense over defense
more than James Harden, who literally "traveled" through the NBA's record book thanks to the generous whistle that he received during his prime years.
Bryant
scored 81 points in a game and averaged 35.4 ppg at a time when most
NBA teams struggled to score 100 points per game; it is easy to picture
prime Bryant averaging at least 40 ppg in today's NBA, and the same
should be said of Michael Jordan. Julius
Erving's hands are so big that when he played he could catch a
basketball with one hand and go up for a shot without touching the ball
with his other hand; it is tantalizing to dream about the wonders that Erving would perform in today's game
when defensive physicality on the perimeter has been eliminated while
offensive players are permitted to do just about anything with the ball
short of running from one end of the court to the other with no
dribbles. Erving shot .343 from three point range in his final three ABA
seasons, so it is easy to picture Erving becoming a successful, high
volume three point shooter if that had been a point of emphasis during
his career--and that would have made him impossible to guard in today's
NBA, leaving defenders with the unenviable choice of watching him bury
three pointers or watching him fly to the hoop to dunk without facing
rim protectors.
I often think about Erving, and I lament how much the game has deteriorated since the era when he ruled the court (and the airspace above the court). Erving shares the ABA playoff single game scoring record (53 points) with Roger Brown, and Erving scored a career-high 63 points in a four overtime loss in 1975, but his NBA single game career high was a relatively modest 45 points. He could have scored a lot more points, but Erving did not chase personal glory or individual statistical achievements. I asked Erving about that, and he replied, "Putting your second team in when you're up a lot of points is really
what you should do. I mean, those guys want to play, too. To just run it
up to 125 so the crowd can get hamburgers or whatever, that’s not
good," and then he added, "Yeah, putting a guy back in the game so he can get an assist for a triple double or whatever, that’s crass. It's just crass."
"Crass" is the perfect description for Bam Adebayo jacking up 22 three pointers and scoring 83 points in a 21 point blowout win versus the tanking "Wheeze-hards."
Labels: Bam Adebayo, Julius Erving, Kobe Bryant, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards
posted by David Friedman @ 11:58 PM
NBC's NBA "Throwback Tuesday" Hit All the Right Notes
NBC's "Throwback Tuesday" doubleheader telecast took viewers on a sentimental journey complete with the old NBA on NBC graphics and music. I grew up with the NBA on CBS in the 1970s and 1980s, but the NBA's run on NBC from 1990-2002 was very memorable both for the quality of play and the quality of the broadcasts. During those dozen seasons, the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen Chicago Bulls bagged a pair of three-peats (1991-93, 1996-98) bracketed around the Houston Rockets' back to back championships. Then, the San Antonio Spurs ushered in the Tim Duncan era by winning the 1999 NBA title in the wake of Michael Jordan's (second) retirement and a lockout that shortened the regular season to 50 games. Phil Jackson came out of a short-lived retirement from the Chicago Bulls to coach the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant L.A. Lakers to three straight titles (2000-02). During that era, NBC also covered the exploits of the 1992 Dream Team in the Barcelona Olympics, an epic event that inspired many of the international players who have dominated the NBA in recent seasons.
Thus, the NBA on NBC covered one of the most consequential eras in NBA history, a period that featured three three-peats, Houston's repeat, the first of Tim Duncan's five NBA titles, and the debut of NBA players performing for Team USA in the Olympics, which planted the seeds for the emergence of European stars such as Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic.
Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas, and P.J. Carlesimo hosted the "Throwback Tuesday" pregame show, fittingly called "NBA Showtime" in a nod to the NBA on NBC's original pregame show. Throughout the night, Storm, Bob Costas, and others made a point of acknowledging key members of the NBA on NBC family who have passed away or were not able to join "Throwback Tuesday" for other reasons, including Bill Walton (passed away in 2024), Steve "Snapper" Jones (passed away in 2017), Dick Enberg (passed away in 2017), Marv Albert, Ahmad Rashad, Julius Erving, and Matt Guokas. I did not hear Peter Vecsey's name mentioned; he has always been a divisive figure so perhaps his omission is not surprising--but the "Viper" was a memorable participant in the old NBA on NBC broadcasts.
The first game of the doubleheader was a dud on the scoreboard as the San Antonio Spurs routed the Philadelphia 76ers 131-91, but the telecast provided a great opportunity for Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike "Czar of the Telestrator" Fratello, and sideline reporter Jim Gray to reminisce not just about their shared time at NBC but their careers in general.
Costas mentioned the numerous great 76ers who started their careers in the ABA--including George McGinnis, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, and Moses Malone--and he gave a plug to the recently released ABA-themed documentary "Soul Power." Costas began his broadcasting career as the play by play announcer for the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis, and he proudly calls himself an "ABA guy." His historical knowledge and his reverence for sports history add much value to every broadcast that he does.
Collins recalled scheming with his teammate Julius Erving to miss a free throw on purpose in a late game situation so that Erving could slam home the game-winning putback. It was very meaningful to Collins to return to Philadelphia, where his NBA playing career began and where he served as the team's coach from 2010-13.
Fratello talked about broadcasting games with play by play partner Marv Albert, who for decades was the witty, wry, and knowledgeable voice of the NBA. When Albert called a national game, his presence made it seem like a big event.
Gray recalled being a young reporter working in Philadelphia in the early 1980s when Erving was the NBA's biggest star, and Gray remembered covering a young Kobe Bryant for the NBA on NBC. It is poignant to see footage of Bryant at the start of his great career now that we know his life would end at just 41 years old in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of his 13 year old daughter Gianna and seven other people.
As the Spurs put the game out of reach, Costas referenced Marv Albert's line about "extended garbage time," but Doug Collins gently countered by noting that Hubie Brown would get upset if NBA Draft
coverage returned to air late after a commercial and missed announcing a draft pick; that moment was special for one of the 60 best players in the world, Brown would lament. Collins' point was that "garbage time" may seem insignificant, but it is important to the players who get on the court after not getting much action for most of the season. Collins also said that Hubie Brown is the "gold standard" for NBA color commentators, and Collins mentioned that he learned a lot from Brown. Brown is the best, but Collins is one of a select few who rank right behind Brown.
While the 76ers absorbed a blowout loss--something that 76ers' fans have often suffered through during the seemingly endless "Process"--Collins noted that he was not coaching the 76ers when they started tanking 13 years ago. Fratello wisely pointed out that some teams tank and never get out of the tank--a sentiment that applies to the 76ers, who advanced to the second round in 2012 with Collins as their coach, and have not advanced past the second round since going into the tank in 2013. The 76ers have not "tanked to the top," nor has any other team; the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder obtained franchise player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not by tanking but by shrewdly acquiring him via a trade with the L.A. Clippers--and in that same trade, the Thunder also acquired the draft pick that became Jalen Williams, their second best player. The Thunder then tanked to obtain more draft picks, but they acquired the two centerpieces of their championship team from one trade, not from tanking.
Near the end of the game, NBC ran a graphic comparing the NBA in 1990 with the NBA in 2026: in the 1990-91 season, NBA teams averaged 106.3 ppg and 7.1 three point field goal attempts per game, while in the 2025-26 season so far NBA teams are averaging 115.3 ppg and 37.0 three point field goal attempts per game. In 1990-91, the Denver Nuggets led the league with 12.9 three point field goal attempts per game, while in 2025-26 the Sacramento Kings rank last in the league with 30.1 three point field goal attempts per game. "Stat gurus" insist that NBA teams are optimizing possessions by jacking up so many three pointers, but there is no way to prove that to be true when every single team is jacking up three pointers; when every team jacks up dozens of three pointers per game then of course the championship team will be a team that jacks up dozens of three pointers per game--but high volume three point shooting is a high variance approach to the game, so it would be fascinating to see a team like the 1986-87 Showtime Lakers face any of the recent NBA championship teams. The 1987 Lakers averaged 117.8 ppg on .516 field goal shooting while attempting just 5.5 three point field goals per game. Would the Lakers' ability to relentlessly attack the paint wear down a modern team, or would a modern team's three point bombing shoot the Lakers out of the gym? I would pick the Lakers in such a matchup, and it would be fascinating if a modern NBA team had the courage to buck the trend of high volume three point shooting in favor of efficient shooting from all areas of the court.
Prior to the second game of the doubleheader, Isiah Thomas talked about the Spurs' sound organization (a marked contrast with how the 76ers have been run in recent years, though he did not say that), and he mentioned that when he visited Gregg Popovich he noticed that there was just one picture in the office: John Havlicek. Carlesimo said that he had not known in advance that Thomas would mention this, but that it brings to mind a story from when Carlesimo worked as an assistant coach for Popovich. Carlesimo recalled that Popovich was thrilled when Havlicek presented a trophy to the Spurs, and that is when Carlesimo learned that Havlicek was Popovich's favorite player. Carlesimo knew Havlicek, and he was able to arrange for Popovich to meet Havlicek.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings, 114-103. The game telecast did not feature throwback broadcasters, but Grant Hill and Noah Eagle ably called the game while Storm, Carlesimo, and Thomas did the halftime show and the postgame show. During the game, NBC showed some highlights of Grant Hill playing for the Detroit Pistons in the 1990s when NBC broadcast his games--and then NBC showed a picture of Eagle as a child during the 1990s, reminding us how quickly time passes!
At the end of the telecast, Storm, Carlesimo, and Thomas talked frankly--and lovingly--about how much it meant to them to be back together on air again. As Thomas said, you never know when they will all be in the same place at the same time again, so this was a moment to cherish.
I have seen wry social media comments prior to last night's telecast making fun of the people who suggest that NBA basketball was better back in the day; such comments argue that it would be odd that basketball is the only sport where basic evolution has not happened. I won't comment about other sports in this article, but I strongly feel that the NBA game was better in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s than it is now, and after watching a retro telecast it is evident that NBA telecasts--from the studio shows to the game broadcasters to the graphics (which were clearer and more readable on the retro telecast than on modern telecasts)--were better back in the day, too. It was refreshing to watch an NBA doubleheader devoid of screaming, hot takes, and general foolishness--and it was wonderful to listen to broadcasters who know and respect the history of the game, in marked contrast to uninformed and ungrateful commentators who disrespect the players who laid the foundation for the modern NBA: J.J. Redick is making millions of dollars per year now not because he is so intrinsically special, but because Bob Cousy and the other great NBA players from the league's early years laid the foundation for what has become a multi-billion dollar business in which even average players and average coaches become millionaires. Billy Martin once said that George Steinbrenner was born on third base but thought he hit a triple, a sentiment that applies to Redick and many others who now benefit from the hard work (and superior talent) of those who came before them.
Labels: ABA, Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas, Jim Gray, Julius Erving, Kobe Bryant, Marv Albert, Mike Fratello, NBC, P.J. Carlesimo, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs
posted by David Friedman @ 11:18 AM
Reflections on How Much the NBA Has Changed Since Kobe Bryant's 81 Point Game
Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81 point game, which is still the highest single game scoring total in ABA/NBA history by anyone not named Wilt Chamberlain. Bryant led his L.A. Lakers to a 122-104 win over the Toronto Raptors, capping a 10 game run during which Bryant averaged 45.5 ppg; he finished the season averaging a career-high 35.4 ppg--the NBA's highest single season scoring average since Michael Jordan scored 37.1 ppg in 1986-87--to capture the first of his two scoring titles.
Prior to Bryant's outburst versus the Raptors, there had been nine 70 point games in the NBA's 60 season history--six by Chamberlain (who still holds the single game record with 100 points), one by Elgin Baylor (71 in 1960, which was the NBA single game record before Chamberlain rewrote the record book), one by David Thompson (73 in 1978, the "non-Wilt" record for 28 years until Bryant scored 81), and one by David Robinson (71 in 1994). In the past nine years, five players have joined the 70 Point Club: Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, and Luka Doncic. After Embiid's 70 point game, I wrote about the NBA's recent explosion of 60 point games and 70 point games:
The recent proliferation of 60 point games raises a question: Are we
blessed to be living in an era filled with more elite scorers than pro
basketball has ever seen, or do other factors explain why so many
players are having 60 point games? I would argue that rules changes and
style of play changes have increased scoring across the board, which
leads to more 60 point games: the game is placed at a faster pace now,
with less physicality, and with a vastly increased usage of the three point shot.
The (over)emphasis on three point shooting has not only resulted in
more scoring by three point bombers--including Curry, Harden, and
Lillard--but the near-abandonment of the paint defensively has made it
easier for players to drive to the hoop and score in the paint. Old
school players like Julius Erving and Michael Jordan who rarely shot
three pointers would put up huge scoring numbers in today's game because
(1) perimeter defenders would not be allowed to touch them and (2) most
teams do not focus on rim protection, which means that after Erving or
Jordan beat the first defender they would have an uncontested runway for
their aerial acrobatics.
Without taking anything away from the
talent level of today's top players, I would argue that the league's
overall talent level is
watered down by expansion and by the influx of players who played little
to no college basketball. This means that the best players are able to
feast on weak teams: Embiid dropped 70 on a terrible San Antonio team
that emerged from tanking with a young roster that has no idea how to
play winning NBA basketball. This also means that the best players are
able to exploit matchup advantages even against good teams because many
of the good teams lack depth: a star player who logs heavy minutes in
today's NBA is going to spend some of those minutes sharing the court
with vastly inferior bench players, but if you look back to the 1980s
the best teams often had Hall of Famers coming off of the bench (Kevin
McHale early in his career, Bobby Jones, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, etc.).
Scoring
60 or 70 points is a big accomplishment in any league, but there is
good reason to believe that it is easier than ever to score 60 or 70
points in the NBA.
How much has scoring and three point shooting increased in the 20 years since Bryant's 81 point game? In the 2005-06 season, NBA teams averaged 97.0 ppg. Only five teams averaged at least 100 ppg, with the "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns leading the league with 108.4 ppg, nearly 6 ppg more than the second place Seattle SuperSonics. NBA teams averaged 16.0 three point field goal attempts per game while shooting .358 from beyond the arc. Just over 20% of the league's field goal attempts were three pointers.
Bryant scored 81 points in a game at a time when teams often failed to score 81 points in a game; in the 2005-06 season, the Lakers scored 81 points or less in six games, the Raptors scored 81 points or less in two games, and the league's lowest scoring team (Portland) averaged just 88.8 ppg while scoring 81 points or less in 22 games.
So far this season, NBA teams are averaging 116.0 ppg, with the lowest
scoring team (Brooklyn Nets) averaging 107.9 ppg. NBA teams are
averaging 37.0 three point field goal attempts per game while shooting
.359 from beyond the arc. More than 41% of the league's field goal
attempts are three pointers.
The rules changes and style of play changes from the past 20 years suggest that the NBA decided that fans have such short attention spans and so little appreciation for the nuances of the game that the only way to keep them interested is to transmogrify the sport from a game of ball movement and player movement featuring diverse offensive strategies into a one dimensional game during which teams jack up as many three pointers as possible; three point field goal percentages have not improved in the past 20 years, but the volume of three point shooting has more than doubled. "Stat gurus" may believe that high volume three point shooting is inherently efficient, but shooting twice as many treys at less than a .360 clip while eschewing midrange shots and shots in the paint does not add up to efficient basketball, nor does it create aesthetically pleasing basketball.
At its best, basketball is an all-around game featuring skillful offense balanced by shrewd, physical defense. The step back move as utilized by Adrian Dantley, Larry Bird, and Dell Curry was a thing a of beauty. I used to practice it in my driveway while being careful to not take an extra step. In contrast to that technical artistry, what is called a step back move today is a travel and/or an offensive foul if basketball's rules were enforced as written. Commentators and fans scoff that old school players "had no bag" (did not have a bag of fancy ball handling moves), but the reality is that what is called a "bag" today includes traveling, carrying, palming, and flopping and flailing to bait referees into calling fouls against defensive players. No player epitomizes the NBA's emphasis on elevating offense over defense more than James Harden, who literally "traveled" through the NBA's record book thanks to the generous whistle that he received during his prime years.
Bryant scored 81 points in a game and averaged 35.4 ppg at a time when most NBA teams struggled to score 100 points per game; it is easy to picture prime Bryant averaging at least 40 ppg in today's NBA, and the same should be said of Michael Jordan. Julius Erving's hands are so big that when he played he could catch a basketball with one hand and go up for a shot without touching the ball with his other hand; it is tantalizing to dream about the wonders that Erving would perform in today's game when defensive physicality on the perimeter has been eliminated while offensive players are permitted to do just about anything with the ball short of running from one end of the court to the other with no dribbles. Erving shot .343 from three point range in his final three ABA seasons, so it is easy to picture Erving becoming a successful, high volume three point shooter if that had been a point of emphasis during his career--and that would have made him impossible to guard in today's NBA, leaving defenders with the unenviable choice of watching him bury three pointers or watching him fly to the hoop to dunk without facing rim protectors.
Labels: David Robinson, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Wilt Chamberlain
posted by David Friedman @ 9:37 AM
Russell Westbrook's Unreported Resurgence
You would not know this from following many of the mainstream NBA media outlets, but 37 year old Russell Westbrook is having an excellent, resurgent season following an offseason during which it appears that the only offer he received was a non-guaranteed, one year veteran minimum deal from the Sacramento Kings; that is the type of contract given to a fringe player whose ability to perform as a rotation player at the NBA level is questionable at best, not to a future Hall of Famer who is still a very good player.
Westbrook is averaging 14.0 ppg, 7.2 apg, and 6.8 rpg in 25 games this season, including 15.1 ppg, 7.7 apg, and 7.6 rpg in 19 starts. It is not his fault that Sacramento's highest paid and highest profile players are terminally allergic to playing good defense, nor is it his fault that the Kings appear to be outmatched at coach more often than not in the wake of last season's decision to fire two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown.
Instead of stories documenting how well the unwanted Westbrook is playing at this advanced stage of his career, we are inundated with hot takes about how terrible it is that the L.A. Clippers cut the disgruntled and unproductive Chris Paul.
Westbrook being overlooked and underrated is nothing new. In 2014, I discussed Westbrook's ascent to MVP caliber status and noted that he seemed poised to inherit Kobe Bryant's dual status as "best guard in the NBA and vastly underrated superstar." Westbrook has been very underrated for most of his NBA career, with the exception of the 2016-17 season, when the voters correctly selected him as the regular season MVP after he became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple double for an entire season. Westbrook averaged a triple double in each of the next two seasons, but he slipped to fifth and then 10th in MVP voting. By the time that Westbrook averaged a triple double in a season for the fourth time (2020-2021), he was no longer a top 10 MVP finisher, an All-NBA Team member, or even an All-Star. Only two other players have averaged a triple double in a season: Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Nikola Jokic (2024-25). In his triple double season, Robertson finished third in MVP voting (behind fellow Pantheon members Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain), earned an All-NBA First Team selection, and made the All-Star team, while Jokic finished second in MVP voting, earned All-NBA First Team honors, and made the All-Star team in his triple double season. Robertson averaged an aggregate triple double during the first five seasons of his NBA career, and in that time span he never finished lower than fifth in MVP voting while making the All-NBA First Team and the All-Star team in each of those seasons.
Media members have created a distorted narrative in which triple doubles are significant unless they are posted by Russell Westbrook. Westbrook became the all-time triple double leader in 2021, and he has normalized all-around greatness to the extent that he is punished for being a statistical unicorn. Every other NBA player who has a unique form of greatness is praised for that uniqueness--think of Stephen Curry's record-breaking three point shooting--but Westbrook's greatness is not only dismissed; it is often mocked.
Labels: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Nikola Jokic, Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook, Sacramento Kings
posted by David Friedman @ 7:07 PM
Assessing Chris Paul's Legacy and Leadership
The L.A. Clippers parted ways with 40 year old Chris Paul in an unusual but in retrospect not surprising middle of the night move, informing Paul that his services are no longer desired. The Clippers can waive Paul and eat his $3.6 million salary, agree to a buyout, or wait until December 15 to trade him (due to the NBA's arcane salary cap rules), but until those details are decided the team has sent him home in a move that strongly suggests that he was not merely unproductive (2.9 ppg on .321 field goal shooting in 16 games this season) but also a toxic locker room presence; there is no other reason to deal so harshly and abruptly with an established, veteran player, let alone one who will deservedly be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Paul recently announced that he planned to retire after this season, so this sudden end--or at least interruption--of his farewell tour brings to mind the scene in "Forget Paris" when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told Billy Crystal (who played an NBA referee in the movie) that he can't eject him because he is on his farewell tour, and Crystal snarled, "Let me be the first to say, 'Farewell!'"
In his prime, Chris Paul was an elite playmaker, a deadly midrange shooter, and a feisty, crafty defensive player. He earned his selection to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team with an impressive resume that includes four All-NBA First Team selections (2008, 2012-14), and five All-Defensive First Team selections (2012-16). He led the NBA in steals six times (2008-09, 2011-14), and he ranks second all-time in total regular season steals (2728). Paul led the NBA in assists five times (2008-09, 2014-15, 2022), and he
ranks second all-time in total regular season assists (12,552).
However, no history of NBA stat padding is complete without an extensive chapter on Chris Paul's inflated assist totals, and it is shameful that the NBA selectively corrects some statistical errors (including taking away bogus triple doubles from LeBron James in 2006, 2009 and 2014) while letting other statistical errors remain in the record books (including Paul's inflated assist totals). These inflated numbers matter and they affect the legacies of multiple players because Paul is credited with breaking many assist records in the regular season and the playoffs.
Proving that Paul's assist totals are inflated does not mean that he was not a great passer; two things can be true at the same time: Paul was a great passer, and Paul's assist numbers are inflated.
Paul is often lavishly praised as a great leader. The way that the Clippers jettisoned Paul is just the latest piece of evidence that Paul's leadership has been vastly overrated by media members who are either gullible or who push preferred narratives regardless of what the facts show.
In Notes About the 2020 Christmas Day Quintupleheader, I compared the leadership styles of Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo:
Perceptions and descriptions of leadership are interesting. Giannis
Antetokounmpo is a great leader, regardless of whether or not media
members have figured that out yet.
Charles Barkley so often says
that Chris Paul is the best leader in the NBA that this has become a
running joke during TNT's telecasts. LeBron James is also often lauded
as a great leader. These characterizations are puzzling. Paul has hopped
from team to team, and he is often at odds with his teammates and/or
coaches. Paul's vaunted leadership has not resulted in a single NBA
Finals appearance, let alone a championship. When someone is called a
great leader but his teams have not accomplished much it is fair and
logical to ask: "Where exactly is this great leader leading his
followers?" Paul is a great but undersized point guard. He demands a lot
from those around him, which can be a good thing at times, but his
leadership has not had the same impact or generated the same results as
many other better leaders have achieved during his tenure in the NBA.
James
is on the short list of candidates for the title of greatest basketball
player of all-time--but neither his greatness as a player nor his
charitable endeavors off of the court prove that he is a great
basketball leader. LeBron James' failures as a leader are well-documented, although many media members prefer to downplay these facts.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
is a better leader than LeBron James or Chris Paul. Antetokounmpo works
hard, he encourages his teammates, and he is not looking for shortcuts.
Consider his response to questions about why he re-signed with
Milwaukee now as oppose to waiting and testing free agency.
Antetokounmpo said that if he had delayed his decision then this would
have put tremendous pressure and scrutiny on his teammates, who would
have had to constantly worry about and talk about whether or not he
would stay. Antetokounmpo said that if he had waited then he would have
harmed his teammates and squandered a season during the prime of his
career when he and his teammates have a chance to reach their ultimate
goal: winning an NBA title.
It is impossible to imagine LeBron
James or Chris Paul answering that question that way, or conducting
themselves in that way. James has won four championships and four Finals
MVPs; no one can question his greatness as a player, not can anyone
question his ability to raise a team's level--but James has also
presided over the implosion of multiple teams, and he wasted prime years
during his first stint in Cleveland: just imagine what might have
happened if he had fully committed to the Cavaliers franchise and helped
to build the program as opposed to always having one foot out the door
before eventually fleeing to Miami.
In contrast, Antetokounmpo
has a finely honed sense of urgency and sense of the moment; every game
is precious, every season is precious, and you cannot afford to waste
games or seasons because you think that you are heading toward greener
pastures. Antetokounmpo gets it. James has been successful despite
lacking those qualities at times, not because he consistently displays
those qualities. In other words, James is so talented that he and his
teams are sometimes able to overcome his flawed leadership style.
Isiah
Thomas joined an awful team and helped to build a two-time champion.
Michael Jordan joined an awful team and helped to build a dynasty.
Antetokounmpo is a throwback to that kind of wonderful old school
mentality.
A few months after I wrote those words, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA title since 1971, beating Paul's Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo won a championship without whining about his teammates or coach, and without forming (or jumping to) a super team. Antetokounmpo has been a great leader throughout his 13 seasons in Milwaukee, and even if he finishes his career with another team that will not diminish what he did in and for Milwaukee. After Paul scored a playoff career-high tying 41 points to lift the Suns into the 2021 NBA Finals, I explained why that one great performance does not change his overall resume:
Paul is a great player, but for some reason he gets more credit for his
(limited) playoff success and less blame for his (extensive) playoff
failure than other great players do. It is obvious and indisputable that
Paul authored a tremendous performance in game six, but that is part of
a larger legacy, and does not define his career--particularly if this
playoff run does not result in a title. Many media members have a
strange way of quantifying leadership. If our mission is to go to point
Z, and our leader only takes us to point M, then it is difficult to
rationally argue that our leader is a better leader than someone who led
his team to point Z five times--or, to put it more bluntly, when I
think about the best leaders in the NBA in the post-Jordan era, I think
about Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and LeBron James. Each of those guys
has/had a different leadership style, but each played a major role in
multiple championship runs; love them or hate them, they led their teams
to point Z. Chris Paul is in his 16th season, and this will be his
first NBA Finals appearance. You may retort that Paul has not always had
the best supporting cast around him, but the reality is that he has had
a lot of talent around him in multiple organizations while spending
most of his career losing in the second round or earlier; either his
leadership has been overrated, or leadership itself does not matter as
much as raw talent. I am not saying that Paul is not a good leader, but
the popular notion that he is the best leader in the NBA is not
supported by the most important evidence: sustained team performance at
an elite level.
It may seem like I contradicted myself about James' leadership abilities in those two passages, so I should clarify that I don't think that James is as great a leader as many people say that he is, but I think that he is a better leader than Paul and I think that--despite his documented leadership failures at times--his leadership played a role in championship runs, which contrasts with Paul's leadership style that often led to internal problems on his teams.
Regarding "sustained team performance at an elite level," Paul posted a 12-15 career record in playoff series. Here are the career playoff series records of some notable point guards, listed in approximate chronological order (some careers overlapped):
Bob Cousy 16-8 (won six NBA championships)
Oscar Robertson 8-9 (won one NBA championship)
Jerry West 16-12 (won one NBA championship)
Walt Frazier 11-6 (won two NBA championships)
Magic Johnson 32-8 (won five NBA championships)
Isiah Thomas 16-7 (won two NBA championships)
John Stockton 17-19
Jason Kidd 16-16 (won one NBA championship)
Steve Nash 11-12
Allen Iverson 6-8
Tony Parker 30-12 (won four NBA championships)
Russell Westbrook 12-13
Derrick Rose 4-7
Stephen Curry 24-6 (won four NBA championships)
Kyrie Irving 15-6 (won one NBA championship)
Contextual factors beyond any one player's control affect team results, but there is little evidence that Paul is a great leader and a lot of evidence that teams he led imploded with him at the helm. For example, in the 2022 playoffs, Paul's Phoenix Suns lost game seven in the second round to the Dallas Mavericks, 123-90. Here is how I described the massacre:
Stunning. Unprecedented. Humiliating.
I am disinclined to use
hyberbole, but I am at a loss to describe what the Dallas Mavericks did
to the 64-18 Phoenix Suns in Phoenix in a 123-90 game seven rout. By the
time Chris Paul--supposedly the best leader in the NBA--made his first
field goal his Suns trailed by 40; the Suns were so far behind they
couldn't see the Mavericks with a telescope, a time machine, or a
fortune teller.
I added the following:
Am I belaboring the point? Am I making too much of one game? If you
think so, then consider how much grief Kobe Bryant was given about his
supposedly bad performance in the 2004 NBA Finals, when his
injury-riddled Lakers lost 4-1 to the Detroit Pistons. Now, imagine that
Bryant--whether as a 17 year old, a 27 year old, or a 37 year old--went
into the playoffs leading a 64 win team and then lost by 33 points at
home while the other team's star outscored his entire team for more than
a half, and while Bryant put up a second quarter boxscore consisting of
one point, no rebounds, no assists, no steals, and no blocked shots.
What do you suppose might have been said about Bryant after such a game?
I
say that players should be evaluated by the same standards. A player's
legacy is not defined by one game, but by his overall resume. When I
look at Bryant, I see a 5-2 Finals record, I see his team generally
winning as the favorite and generally being competitive as the underdog.
I see him putting up tremendous individual numbers on a consistent
basis. For those reasons (and more), I put him in my pro basketball Pantheon.
When
I look at Chris Paul, I see no championships despite playing for
several excellent teams. I see his team losing more than once as the
favorite. I see that no player in NBA history has blown more 2-0 playoff
leads than Chris Paul, whose teams have squandered such an advantage
five times: 2008 versus the Spurs, 2013 versus the Grizzlies, 2016
versus the Trail Blazers, 2021 versus the Bucks, and now 2022 versus the
Mavericks. Paul's Clippers also blew a 3-1 lead versus the Houston
Rockets in 2015; the Clippers split the first two games when Paul was
out with an injury, but then after his return in game three they
eventually lost three straight games. Paul is now 3-5 in game seven
showdowns.
In light of that evidence, I try to understand why "stat gurus" and media members pump up Paul to be more than he is.
The
harsh reality is that there is nowhere to hide in the playoffs. Players
can inflate and manipulate their numbers to some extent in the regular
season, and "stat gurus" team up with media members to craft
agenda-based narratives advocating that those players receive various
awards--but then the playoffs arrive, and every year we see Harden go on
his "concert tour" and Paul cough up so many playoff leads his voice
should sound like General Grievous in "Star Wars."
I've been
saying this for well over a decade, but maybe people will pay attention
now (I doubt it, but I'll keep trying anyway): Paul is an undersized
player who consistently wears down and/or gets injured in the playoffs.
He is a great player who has a lot of heart, but undersized players
simply cannot be as valuable as players who are 6-6 and bigger who have
comparable skills (let alone bigger players who also have superior
skills). There is one player 6-3 or under in my pro basketball Pantheon:
Jerry West, who would give the business to any other similarly-sized
player in pro basketball history. Isiah Thomas did not quite reach
Pantheon-level, but he led Detroit to back to back titles without having
a teammate who made the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team, and he had a
winning career record head to head against Bird, Magic, and Jordan.
People who compare Paul favorably with Thomas have absolutely no idea
how great Thomas was, and how durable he was until the very end of his
career...
Luka Doncic right now has still not reached his peak, but as a versatile
6-6, 240 pound multi-position threat he is already better than Chris
Paul ever was or ever could be. That is not a knock on Paul so much as
it is a statement of basketball reality: the great 6-6 player is better
than the great 6-0 player every time, and even more so in game seven.
That game seven was not an isolated debacle. As mentioned above, Paul's teams have a history of playoff self-destruction:
Paul's teams have blown five 2-0 series leads, his Clippers squandered a
3-1 lead versus the Rockets in 2015, his game seven record is 3-5,
and--as noted above--his Suns disappeared in game seven at home versus
Dallas last year. Every time Paul loses, excuses proliferate like weeds
in an unmaintained yard.
Paul's poor leadership is revealed in other ways. Without any evidence supporting his assertions, Paul has repeatedly trashed the public reputation of Scott Foster, who consistently grades as one of the NBA's top referees, a topic that I discussed in Blaming A Referee for Losing After Posting a "Triple Single" is Not Great Leadership:
Paul is often called the best leader in the NBA, and he is the current
President of the NBA Players Association. Paul is attacking the
credibility of an employer who pays him millions of dollars per year as
part of a multi-billion dollar business that is based in no small part
on the credibility of the competition between teams; without that
credibility, the NBA is not in the sports business but rather in show
business (maybe that business model would still work--it has worked for
pro wrestling for decades--but that has never been the NBA's business
model, and fans of pure basketball would be repulsed if the outcomes of
games were proved to be predetermined)...
Great leaders do not attack the credibility of the business that
feeds their families. Great leaders do not insist on playing if their
level of play is harming the team.
The media narratives about
players such as Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, and others
are fascinating to observe. Chris Paul is supposedly a great leader
even after he posts a "triple single" with an awful plus/minus number
while "leading" his favored team to a blowout loss.
Russell
Westbrook is supposedly a terrible leader even though he helped turn
around the season of a not particularly talented team that was
devastated by COVID-19 and various injuries. Yesterday, after
Westbrook--who was a game-time decision due to an ankle injury--posted
26 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists (team-high numbers in all three
categories) in Washington's 132-103 game three loss to Philadelphia at
least one commentator called this an "empty" triple double. You can be
sure that if Westbrook put up Chris Paul-like numbers of seven points,
six assists, and five rebounds then that same commentator would have
attacked Westbrook for quitting. Westbrook had as many rebounds in that
game as Paul has in three games versus the Lakers! Westbrook's
plus/minus number (-15) was better than the plus/minus number of every
Washington starter except for Alex Len, whose plus/minus number was -14
in just 11 minutes. The Wizards are the eighth seeded team playing the
number one seeded team, but Westbrook had a great game while playing
hurt against a superior team. Paul is on course to lead his second
seeded team to defeat while playing terribly. Who is the better player
and better leader? This is not just about one season or three playoff
games; the numbers and the true narrative (not the media's fictional
narrative) are consistent throughout both players' careers. Westbrook
was an All-NBA Team level performer for four teams that reached the
Western Conference Finals, including one team that made it to the NBA
Finals. He is currently tied for third on the all-time playoff list with
11 triple doubles (matching Jason Kidd, and trailing only Magic
Johnson's 30 and LeBron James' 28). It would be fascinating to look up
the media coverage of other playoff triple doubles to see how many have
been described as "empty." Granted, the same commentator who called
Westbrook's triple double "empty" also called Jimmy Butler's triple
double "empty"--but Butler posted 12 points on 4-15 field goal shooting
with 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and a -18 plus/minus number in a 17 point
loss as his sixth seeded Heat were swept by the third seeded Bucks to
become one of the few Conference champions ever swept in the next year's
playoffs. There is no comparison between how Butler played and how
Westbrook played; lumping those two performances together is
intellectually lazy, at best.
Stephen Curry is lauded as a top
three MVP candidate for leading his team to "play out" (instead of
"play in") to the playoffs despite having two opportunities to win one
game to qualify for the playoffs. Damian Lillard has recently pointed
out that last season his own MVP candidacy was dismissed because of his
team's low playoff seeding, and Lillard said that to be consistent the
media should not tout Curry as this season's MVP. My consistent take is
that Lillard was not a legit MVP candidate last season, nor is Curry a
legit MVP candidate this season. I agree with Lillard that the media's
MVP narratives are not consistent or fair.
Paul's obsession with bashing Foster betrays a sense of entitlement that the NBA never put in check:
Paul acts like he feels entitled to say whatever he wants to say and
act however he wants to act without facing any consequences. He refuses
to take responsibility for his actions, and instead casts aspersions on
Foster.
Foster is the easy target here. As the saying goes,
the fans don't buy tickets to see the referees but to see star players.
However, based on what we saw and heard there was nothing unusual about
the ejection. If Paul truly believes that Foster is biased against him,
then why did Paul keep talking after getting a technical foul? It must
be emphasized that Foster walked away after issuing the first technical
foul; this is not Jake O'Donnell versus Clyde Drexler or Hue Hollins versus Scottie Pippen/the Chicago Bulls,
instances when officiating bias was an obvious pattern. O'Donnell's
grudges against multiple players led to him losing his job despite
grading out highly, while Hollins' bias was so obvious that his name was
the first one that came to many people's minds when the story first
broke about an unnamed referee (who later turned out to be Tim Donaghy) intentionally making wrong calls.
Paul
has publicly created a narrative that Foster has a grudge against him
without providing any proof, knowing full well that he is immune from
consequences because Foster will not be permitted by the NBA to publicly
respond. Why should media members or fans believe Paul? Paul has proven
to be both a cheap shot artist and a whiner throughout his career, and
there are many players around the league who have feuded with him,
including both teammates and opponents. I am not aware of a single other
player accusing Foster of bias, and Foster consistently grades out as a
top referee. I watch a lot of NBA games, and while my focus is much
more on the players and the coaches than the referees I have never felt
that Foster is incompetent or biased.
It has become popular to
suggest that the NBA should never assign Foster to officiate a game
involving Paul's team. That is nonsense. If Foster grades out well
enough to officiate the NBA Finals and Paul is fortunate enough to be
carried to the NBA Finals by Stephen Curry then how can the league take
that assignment away from Foster? No, the answer here is simple: if
there is objective evidence that Foster is nursing a grudge that
prevents him from officiating Paul in an unbiased manner then the NBA
should fire Foster--and if there is no evidence of that, then the NBA
should fine Paul for his comments, and make it clear that if he makes
additional comments questioning the integrity of the officiating then he
will be suspended. That is how former Commissioner David Stern would
have quashed this nonsense that current Commissioner Adam Silver has
allowed to fester for several years. If Paul is correct that the NBA
organized a meeting with Paul, Foster, and others then the outcome of
that meeting should have been an understanding that Paul's job is to
play, Foster's job is to officiate objectively, and that if this ever
becomes a public issue again then the person at fault is going to be
disciplined by the league. Instead, Silver is letting one of these
guys--and my strong suspicion is that the culprit is Paul--make a
mockery of the league.
It is fascinating and revealing to observe so many media members covering the release of a 40 year old player averaging 2.9 ppg as if the move is an inexplicable decision and a disrespectful action. Chris Paul is an old, poor performing player on a losing team, and he reportedly is not on speaking terms with coach Ty Lue. Lue is a championship-winning coach, and he does not need advice or
so-called "leadership" from a washed up 40 year old player who has never
won a championship.
Leadership is about results, which means uplifting those around you individually and collectively. Leadership is about setting an example of personal accountability. Leadership is not about empty slogans or about narratives unsupported by facts. In his prime, Chris Paul was a talented and hard-working player, and he accomplished a lot for an undersized player--but the objective evidence demonstrates that he was not the leader that so many people hyped him to be. The value that he provided during his peak seasons was that he
was a great passer, an excellent midrange shooter, and a gritty
defensive player; he no longer provides great passing, shooting, or defense, and thus the Clippers parted ways with Paul precisely because Paul provides no value to a team beyond on court contributions. If Paul were a great leader, then the Clippers would keep him around to lead, much like the Miami Heat kept Udonis Haslem around long after he was no longer a productive player.
Labels: Chris Paul, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Clippers, LeBron James, Phoenix Suns, Ty Lue
posted by David Friedman @ 12:12 PM
Charley Rosen: Basketball Bard
Charley Rosen, author of more than two dozen books and confidant to Hall of Fame basketball coach Phil Jackson, passed away on September 13 at the age of 84. Last year, Rosen was inducted in the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Few people embodied the essence of being a basketball lifer more than Rosen. The 6-8 Rosen earned team MVP honors in each of his three seasons at Hunter College (1959-62) while setting school records for scoring and rebounding. In 1961, he played on the gold-medal winning U.S. squad in the Maccabiah Games, along with future pros Larry Brown and Art Heyman. Rosen never played in the NBA or ABA, but he spent some time with the Scranton Miners of the Eastern Basketball League (EBL) before teaching English at Hofstra.
Rosen wrote many articles for a variety of magazines, including "Dr. J Makes the Whole World Feel Good" for the March 1973 issue of Sport, which was then edited by the incomparable Dick Schaap. Rosen had high praise for Julius Erving, who was in the middle of his second pro season: "By the time he finishes his career, the people who care about
basketball history may look back and say there were two doctors who
shaped the sport. The first was Dr. James Naismith--and all he did was
invent the game. Dr. J made it an art."
In 1975, Rosen published his first book, Maverick, which he co-wrote with Jackson, who then played for the New York Knicks. Stan Love, who played five NBA/ABA seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, L.A. Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs, introduced his friend Rosen to Jackson, and the rest is basketball (and writing) history. Stan Love, who passed away on April 27, 2025, is the father of current NBA player Kevin Love, and the younger brother of Beach Boys singer Mike Love.
In 1979-80, Rosen coached the men's team at Bard College; he described his experiences at Bard in his book Players and Pretenders. Rosen served as Phil Jackson's assistant with the CBA's Albany Patroons from 1983-86 before becoming a CBA head coach with Albany, Rockford, Oklahoma City, and Savannah. Rosen's experiences in the CBA formed the basis of his hilarious 1992 novel The Cockroach Basketball League. Rosen coached the SUNY New Paltz women's team from 1993-95, and subsequently became a regular contributor to a variety of websites, including ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, and HoopsHype.com. For the past 30 years or so, he typically produced a new book every other year.
Rosen was an engaging storyteller
in addition to being a shrewd observer of basketball strategy and
tactics. Overall, I found his work to be entertaining and informative, but it must be noted that Rosen could be sloppy with his research, and some of his writing contains egregious errors. I won't give him a pass in life or death for errors that are inexcusable, but I will say that I generally found his skill set analysis of players and teams to be on target. For example, Rosen understood that Kobe Bryant was better than Dwyane Wade at a time when many media members who were biased in favor of Shaquille O'Neal--and thus against O'Neal's former teammate Bryant--could not bring themselves to acknowledge Bryant's greatness. Rosen also displayed an astute understanding of the differences between NBA basketball and FIBA basketball, and he explained why statistics can be very misleading. It is popular in many quarters to assert that college basketball is somehow a purer or more fundamentally sound form of basketball than NBA basketball, but Rosen cut through that nonsense nearly two decades ago with words that are still relevant today: "The NBA game has a huge advantage in player talent, offensive and
defensive prowess, coaching, officiating and the overall quality of
performance in every aspect but one. The only advantage the college game
enjoys is the consistent enthusiasm of its players. And this is true
only because some veteran NBA players on basement-dwelling teams will
take an occasional game off late in the season. The worst NBA team would
trounce the NCAA champs by upwards of 30 points."
Rosen's death caused me to think back to my formative years as a basketball fan. I have enjoyed watching, playing, reading about, and writing about basketball since I was a very young child. Basketball is a lifelong passion for me just as it was for Rosen. Basketball books that I read before the age of 15 that significantly impacted and influenced me include Basketball's Biggest Stars by Angelo Resciniti, many editions of The Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball edited by Zander Hollander, A Loose Game by Lewis Cole, The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam, Daniel Rudman's 1980 anthology Take it to the Hoop, Stuff Good Players Should Know by Dick DeVenzio, The Legend of Dr. J by Marty Bell, and The Lonely Heroes by Merv Harris--but that list would not be complete without Rosen's God, Man and Basketball Jones, a book that crackles with memorable phrases and keen insights; it was published in 1979, and I read it from cover to cover some time in the early 1980s when I was 10 or 11. An important concept from that book that stuck with me ever since is that you cannot fully understand what is happening in a basketball game if you are only watching the ball, because there are nine players who do not have the ball whose movements (or lack of movement) are significant. A funny line from that book that still makes me chuckle is Rosen's description of Elvin Hayes after delineating the different ways that various forwards play and after noting Hayes' propensity to shoot fadeaway jumpers: "If there are small forwards, power forwards, defensive forwards, and penetrating forwards, then Elvin Hayes is the only backwards-forward in the NBA."
At the end of the first chapter of God, Man, and Basketball Jones, Rosen waxed poetic about his love for basketball:
Basketball is one-on-one and burn-on-burn.
Basketball is ballet with defense.
Basketball is a blur of acrobatic giants, perilous abandon, and ram-slam-in-your-mother's-eyes dunk shots.
And for even the most casual fan, basketball can also be a dribbling, leaping, flowing salvation.
He concluded the book with this thought: "He who lives by the jump shot dies. But a true vision of Basketball Jones releases the selfless energy that sustains the game, sustains life, and brings them both to victory."
If heaven is a playground--to borrow the title of Rick Telander's classic 1976 book about basketball in New York City that I read a few years after my first exposure to Rosen's work--then Rosen is hooping now without having to worry about bad knees or bad calls, and he is enjoying the full glory of the selfless energy of Basketball Jones.
Labels: Angelo Reciniti, Basketball Jones, CBA, Charley Rosen, David Halberstam, Dick DeVenzio, Julius Erving, Kobe Bryant, Lewis Cole, Marty Bell, Merv Harris, Phil Jackson
posted by David Friedman @ 4:05 AM
Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and 2008 "Redeem Team" Headline Nine Member 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes nine inductees (eight individuals plus one team), with six inductees having NBA ties: Carmelo Anthony,
Dwight Howard, Danny Crawford, Mickey Arison, the 2008 Team USA squad (the "Redeem Team" that beat Spain in the Olympic gold medal game), and Billy Donovan (an NBA
head coach for 10 seasons who is being inducted based on his
accomplishments as a college coach, capped off by leading Florida to
NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007). The other three inductees are women's players Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and Maya Moore.
Howard may be one of the most underrated players of the past 25 years; it is baffling that he was not included on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. Howard earned five straight All-NBA First Team selections (2008-2012), won five rebounding titles (2008-10, 2012-13), and captured three Defensive Player of the Year awards (2009-11). The only centers with more than five All-NBA First Team selections are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10), Shaquille O'Neal (eight), Wilt Chamberlain (seven), Hakeem Olajuwon (six), and George Mikan (six). The only players with more rebounding titles than Howard are Wilt Chamberlain (11), Dennis Rodman (seven), and Moses Malone (six). Only Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, and Rudy Gobert won more Defensive Player of the Year awards (four each) than Howard. Howard made the All-NBA Team for eight straight seasons and then he averaged at least 13.5 ppg and at least 10.5 rpg in each of the next four seasons after that run. As a 34 year old reserve, he averaged 7.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg while anchoring the paint for the 2020 L.A. Lakers as they won the "bubble title."
Howard said that when he was 10 he told his father that he would be the number one pick in the NBA Draft, and his father "believed in me as much as I did, but you wanted me to commit to it. I wrote down my goals and I placed them above my bed, along with my cross. And you helped me work to achieve those goals, day after day. Look how life works. Pops, Mom, your son is in the Hall of Fame." Howard thanked Robert Parish, one of his four Hall of Fame presenters. Parish was his grandmother's favorite player, and Howard recalled that during his rookie season Parish helped him and was "one of my biggest inspirations."
Next, Howard recognized several Hall of Famers who inspired him but were not able to attend the ceremony. Bill Russell, who passed away in 2022, wrote the book Russell Rules, which Howard said "allowed me to understand the game at a whole different level. That book taught me about leadership and the importance of staying committed to my goals." Howard noted that Dikembe Mutombo, who passed away in 2024, "motivated me to challenge and battle for every shot." Howard praised Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as "My GOAT," and described him as the only player in NBA history who had "two Hall of Fame careers"--first as Lew Alcindor, and then as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Howard said that Dennis Rodman is one of his favorite players and "the greatest rebounder ever."
Howard then turned his attention to his other three Hall of Fame presenters, thanking Dominique Wilkins "for inspiring me," and describing Patrick Ewing as not only a coach but also a mentor. Shaquille O'Neal and Howard have engaged in some verbal sparring over the years, and Howard described those disputes as "sibling rivalries." Howard said that he and O'Neal are now "brothers in this fraternity of basketball."
Howard said that The Little Engine That Could "was my favorite book and my greatest inspiration. Like that little engine that could, I used to repeat to myself 'I think I can.' Eventually, it became, 'I know I can.'"
Howard and then-Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy did not always see eye to eye when they worked together, but Howard stated that he would not have become a Hall of Famer without Van Gundy pushing him: "There is no Dwight Howard without Stan Van Gundy. You taught me what it means to stay ready."
After acknowledging his teammates from the 2008 Olympics and the 2020 Lakers, and his wife and children, Howard concluded, "You only die once but you live every day."
Mickey Arison, inducted as a Contributor, bought controlling interest in the Miami Heat in 1995, and under his leadership the team became one of the NBA's model franchises with three NBA titles (2006, 2012, 2013) and seven Eastern Conference titles (2006, 2011-14, 2020, 2023). One of Arison's key moves was hiring Pat Riley to run the basketball operations (Riley also coached the 2006 championship team). Arison's presenters were Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, and Alonzo Mourning. Arison called Hall of Fame selection "the highest honor" in the sport, but noted that it was not an honor that he had ever sought. He said that during the time that he has owned the Heat, his plan has been simple: "Do right by south Florida, and build a winner."
The best NBA referees do their jobs without calling attention to themselves. For 32 years, Danny Crawford was at the pinnacle of NBA officiating. He was selected to work in the NBA Finals--the top honor for an NBA official--in each of his final 23 seasons, and in 30 seasons overall. Some referees are hot-tempered in general, and other referees seem to hold grudges against certain teams or players, but when Crawford officiated a game you had confidence that he would keep matters under control without becoming the center of attention and without letting any personal feelings get in the way of objective officiating.
Crawford delivered a brief, prerecorded speech. He called induction "an incredible honor," and he thanked David Stern and Adam Silver for their leadership of the NBA and for providing him the opportunity to be an NBA referee. He gave a special thank you to "fellow Hall of Famer Darell Garretson, who taught me how to referee at the highest level." Crawford appeared on stage, presented by Isiah Thomas and Tim Hardaway.
It is easy to forget how far USA Basketball had fallen after the Dream Team's triumphant 1992 romp to Olympic gold in Barcelona. Team USA finished sixth in
the 2002 FIBA World Championship, an embarrassing performance by the country where basketball was invented. Team USA struggled to get a bronze medal in the
2004 Olympics. Team USA's bronze medal performance in the 2006 FIBA
World Championship meant that Team USA had to earn qualification into the 2008
Olympics. In The Real Story Behind Team USA's Losses in Previous FIBA Events, I explained that Team USA needed to improve defensively and to create
better team chemistry. The addition of Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd to the
roster in 2007 solved both problems, and Team USA dominated the 2007 FIBA Americas Cup--Team USA's first gold medal in any FIBA
event since 2003--before Team USA won Olympic gold in 2008. The 2008 gold medal-winning squad is known as "The Redeem Team," and is the 14th team to be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame. Both Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony played for that team.
Jerry Colangelo, the USA Basketball managing director who assembled the "Redeem Team," called that time the highlight of his basketball career. Colangelo recalled that he had just two conditions when David Stern asked him to run USA Basketball: he requested total control of the selection of coaches/players, and an unlimited budget. Colangelo said that Stern did not like the idea of an unlimited budget, but Stern went along with it after Colangelo vowed that he would raise any needed funds by finding sponsors. Colangelo also provided a great tribute to George Raveling, who recently passed away. Colangelo said that Raveling always wanted to be called "coach," that he spoke with Raveling multiple times per week, and that Raveling was a mentor to many people in the basketball world.
LeBron James said that Kobe Bryant was the 2008 team's "missing link that we needed in order to regain the dominance with Team USA" because Bryant "brought a sense of seriousness to the team. He made us lock in. We knew, once he joined, that he was going to be committed, we couldn't be doing nothing half-assed. Kobe wasn't going for that, so it made myself, CP, Dwade, Melo, we locked in even more because we wanted to show him that we could get to that level as well." James' statement is a tacit--or not even that tacit--admission that prior to Bryant joining Team USA the squad was not fully locked in and committed to doing what needed to be done to win at the highest level. Remember that at that time, Dwayne Wade was the only player from that younger generation who had won an NBA title (Bryant already had won three). Bryant's pivotal role on the "Redeem Team" should never be minimized or forgotten.
Team captain Jason Kidd, who spoke with characteristic modesty about his role, provided essential leadership and mentoring not just for young point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams but for the entire squad.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski called winning the 2008 Olympics "the best moment of my coaching career."
The next inductee, Billy Donovan, is perhaps best known to younger fans as an NBA head coach but he was honored primarily for his outstanding 21 year college coaching career during which his teams made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and four Final Fours while claiming back to back NCAA titles (2006-07). He is one of only four men to win an NCAA title as a coach and appear in the Final Four as a player. Donovan was presented by Rick Pitino and Maurice Cheeks. Donovan said, "Faith and belief have been incredibly powerful in my life, and it's not been the faith and belief in myself but it's been the faith and belief that others have had in me when there was really no sign or evidence to have faith." Donovan credited Pitino's "belief, faith and confidence in me" for helping him become the player and coach that he became. He said that he and Cheeks have worked together for nine years and that Cheeks' knowledge as an NBA All-Star, NBA champion, and Hall of Fame player have been invaluable. Donovan spoke of his steep learning curve as a young NBA coach fresh from the college ranks, and mentioned how much Cheeks helped ease that transition.
A lot has been said and written about Carmelo Anthony, and this is not the time or place to revisit all of that. He has vocal detractors and ardent supporters. I don't believe in false praise, nor do I believe in unfair criticism. Anthony has accomplished more than most people who ever play basketball. As a freshman, he led Syracuse to an NCAA title; as a professional, he established himself as a lethal one on one scorer. Ultimately, basketball is a team sport, and individual greatness in a team sport is defined by elevating your team to championship contention: he did that in college, but he did not do that in the NBA. Anthony never played in the NBA Finals and he reached the Conference
Finals just once in his 19 season NBA career while posting a 3-13 career
playoff series record; any player who wins an NBA title posts more
playoff series victories in one year (four) than Anthony had in nearly
two decades. Read that sentence again, and consider that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won more playoff series in 2025 than Carmelo Anthony won in 19 NBA seasons!
In Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part VI,
I summarized Carmelo Anthony's place in pro basketball history: "Even in his
prime he was not a great all-around player. He was a
championship player in college who regressed in terms of having a
championship mentality in the NBA, which is unusual. Most NCAA champions
who have the necessary physical talent to excel in the NBA--which
Anthony obviously does--hone the championship habits that they formed in
college, but Anthony did not. He was never the best player at his
position, he played for talented teams that did not seriously contend
for the championship, and he resisted when his coaches tried to guide
him toward having more of an impact on winning." Therefore, I do
not rank Anthony among pro basketball's 75 greatest players--even though he was selected to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021--but it is clear that he deserved first ballot Hall of Fame selection, particularly because the Hall of Fame recognizes accomplishments at all levels of the game. Anthony's Hall of Fame resume includes his college championship, prolific NBA scoring, and extensive FIBA experience.
Anthony was presented by Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson. Anthony gave a very powerful speech, describing poetically how he overcame the doubters and deprivations of his youth by staying focused on his vision of what he could become. He declared, "Tonight I don't just step into the Hall of Fame. I carry with me the echoes of every voice that ever told me I couldn't. I walk with the shadows of every alley, every cracked court, every empty plate. I stand for the dreamless, the doubted, the dismissed, for every soul still trapped in the places I broke free from, from Red Hook to Myrtle Avenue." He said that his father "left this world too soon but you never left me." Anthony added, "Your name is my name. Your spirit walks with me in every step I take." He praised his sister Michelle for being his protector and for believing in him "when I didn't even know how to believe in myself." He thanked his mother for teaching him, "Love is action. Sacrifice is quiet. Faith is louder than fear," and he told her, "You are my hero."
He concluded with a message to his children:
Your father isn't perfect, but he is proof--proof that struggle doesn't mean surrender. Proof that the road can be rough and still lead to glory. And so again I say to every child listening, they will tell you to be realistic. I say be relentless. They will say you are dreaming too big. I say dream louder. They will try to label you, box you in, count you out, but remember statistics don't measure heart. They don't account for fight. They don't see the storm that built you. You were made for more. You are more than possible. You are inevitable.
Selected Articles About Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies:
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inducts 13 Member 2024 Class, Including Vince Carter and Jerry West (Class of 2024)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2023 Class Includes Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and Gregg Popovich (Class of 2023)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2022 Class Includes NBA Players Lou Hudson, Tim Hardaway, and Manu Ginobili (Class of 2022)
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes 15 New Members and Honors Bill Russell a Second Time (Class of 2021)
Kobe Bryant Headlines the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Class of 2020)
The Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes A Diverse Class of 12 Inductees (Class of 2019)
Thoughts and Observations About the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2018)
Reflections on the 2017 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony
Reflections on the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016
Bobby "Slick" Leonard Remembers the ABA During his Basketball Hall of Fame Speech (Class of 2014)
The Basketball Hall of Fame Belatedly Welcomes Roger Brown (Class of 2013)
Reflections on the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Class
The A-Train Makes an Overdue Arrival at the Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)
Dreams and Memories--Some Personal Reflections on the 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (Class of 2006)
Labels: 2008 Team USA, Basketball Hall of Fame, Billy Donovan, Carmelo Anthony, Danny Crawford, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Jerry Colangelo, Kobe Bryant, Mickey Arison
posted by David Friedman @ 5:21 AM
Kevin Durant is the Ninth Member of Pro Basketball's 30,000 Point Club
The Memphis Grizzlies built a 19 point lead and held on to defeat the Phoenix Suns 119-112, but the headline story from that game is that the Suns' Kevin Durant joined the elite 30,000 point club by making a free throw with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter. Durant finished with a game-high 34 points on 12-18 field goal shooting. Ja Morant scored a team-high 26 points as the Grizzlies improved to 36-17 while dropping the Suns to 26-27. The Grizzlies have the second best record in the Western Conference, while the Suns are fighting just to earn a berth in the Play-In Tournament; the Suns are yet another example of how the "Big Three" model of instant team building fails more often than it succeeds.
Durant is the 30,000 point club's ninth member, and the first new member since LeBron James became the eighth (and youngest) member in 2018, one year after Dirk Nowitzki joined. Before we reflect on Durant's excellent career, it must be emphasized that it is shameful that the NBA and its media partners call Durant the 30,000 point club's eighth member, ignoring the fact that Julius Erving scored 30,026 points. ABA numbers should be counted offiically by the NBA, just like the NFL officially counts AFL numbers. Erving was just the third player to score at least 30,000 points, and he was the first "midsize" (6-7 or under) player to accomplish the feat; nearly 40 years after Erving retired, the only other "midsize" players who have scored at least 30,000 points are Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Ignoring Erving's accomplishments and statistics skews the ubiquitous conversation about the greatest players of all-time; Erving is often left out of that discussion, but he deserves to be prominently mentioned. Erving starred in the ABA for five years before enjoying a spectacular 11 year run with the Philadelphia 76ers.
He made the All-Star team in each of his 16 professional seasons, he
never played for a losing or non-playoff team, and he is the only player
to win an MVP award in both leagues. Erving won four regular season MVPs, three championships, and two Finals MVPs; he did a lot more than just score, but he was also one of the greatest, most consistent scorers of all-time, with scoring averages ranging from 20.0 ppg to 31.9 ppg in his first 14 seasons.
Durant is unlikely to join James in the 40,000 point club, but he has come a long way from being a skinny rookie who was played out of position at guard before blossoming in his second season after being shifted to his natural position of small forward. Durant spent his prime years at small forward but as his body developed and the league began favoring smaller lineups he became a devastating weapon at power forward, stretching the floor while not being afraid to attack the hoop. Durant had a high, loose dribble as a young player but he developed into an effective ballhandler. He did not average at least 4 apg until his sixth season, but he averaged at least 4 apg in each of the next 12 seasons. Durant won four scoring titles, and he posted two 50/40/90 seasons that exemplify how complete his scoring repertoire is: Durant is renowned as a midrange assassin, but he also posts up, drives to the hoop, drains three pointers, and not only draws fouls but shoots his free throws at an elite (.882) clip. Like Erving, Durant has an all-around game, and an impressive list of accomplishments, including two Finals MVPs, two championships, and one regular season MVP.
Six of the nine members of the 30,000 point club are in my Pantheon (an asterisk denotes that the player is in my Pantheon):
Pro Basketball's 30,000 Point Club
1. LeBron James* 41,623
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 38,387
3. Karl Malone 36,928
4. Kobe Bryant* 33,643
5. Michael Jordan* 32,292
6. Dirk Nowitzki 31,560
7. Wilt Chamberlain* 31,419
8. Julius Erving* 30,026
9. Kevin Durant 30,008
Labels: Dirk Nowitzki, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain
posted by David Friedman @ 3:25 AM
The Jimmy Butler Saga, and Why Kobe Was Greater than Shaq
I don't plan to say much about the Jimmy Butler saga until it is resolved; I have never trafficked in rumors and speculation, and I am not going to start doing that now. The basic facts are known to anyone who follows the NBA: Butler is dissatisfied with the Heat because he wants a contract extension that the team declined to offer, Butler has broken various team rules while making his dissatisfaction clear, and the Heat have suspended him on two separate occasions for a total of nine games. Butler is a six-time All-Star, but he made his last All-Star appearance in 2023 and it is clear that the 35 year old is past his prime, though still an effective player when he deigns to show up and play hard.
The Heat will pay Butler $48.8 million this season (minus the $3.1 million that he lost due to being suspended), and he has a player option for $52.4 million for next season. During his long tenure in Miami, team President Pat Riley has not shied away from confronting Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, so he is not going to have the slightest hesitation about confronting Butler; after last season, Riley publicly rebuked Butler--who missed the playoffs due to injury--for speaking about how well the Heat could have done with him in the playoffs, and Riley has made it clear that he--not Butler or any other player--runs the franchise.
One might think that it is reasonable for the Heat to expect Butler to show up on time and play hard in exchange for receiving over $100 million this season and next season, but Butler declared that he has lost his "joy" and will not be able to find it again until he is with a different team; when the lost "joy" escalated to missed flights and other violations of team rules, the Heat reasonably decided to not pay an employee who has declined to do the job he is being paid to do.
Butler is following in the shameful footsteps of--among others--James Harden and Damian Lillard, players who decided to say and do whatever is necessary to enable them to not only breach their contracts but also be traded to their destinations of choice. This is business as usual in the modern NBA, which is why I had not yet written about Butler--but listening to TNT's Shaquille O'Neal insist that it is acceptable and understandable for Butler to not "go all out" because the Heat have not given a contract extension to Butler provided an excellent reminder of why Kobe Bryant was greater than Shaquille O'Neal: Bryant consistently practiced hard and played hard while focusing his efforts on doing everything possible to win championships, but winning championships was not always O'Neal's top priority.
O'Neal said that he understands how Butler feels--"You don't want me, so I don't want you"--because he went through that experience more than once during his career. O'Neal has cultivated such a likable image during his post-playing career that it is easy to forget the contentious dealings he had with multiple teams during his playing career, including the Orlando Magic, the L.A. Lakers, and the Miami Heat. Lakers fans remember O'Neal declaring that if the big dog is not fed (the ball) then he won't guard the house (play defense in the paint), and they also remember O'Neal asserting that because he got injured on "company time" he is entitled to have surgery "on company time." That decision to delay his toe surgery not only probably cost the Lakers the 2003 championship (which would have been a "four-peat" not seen since Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics to eight straight titles from 1959-66), but it probably influenced Jerry Buss' decision to choose to build the Lakers around Bryant and not O'Neal; that turned out to be a wise choice that resulted in the Lakers winning championships in 2009 and 2010 while O'Neal settled for one post-Lakers' title as the Miami Heat's second option behind Dwyane Wade.
After O'Neal announced his retirement, I titled my tribute to his career Shaq Achieved So Much--and Could Have Achieved So Much More, and this is how I summarized his legacy:
O'Neal has an infectious joy for life, he has generously donated to many
charities and he ranks among the top 15 players (and top five centers)
of all-time. Yet, despite everything that O'Neal accomplished--and even
considering that he rightfully should have received at least two more
regular season MVPs (2001, 2005)--there is still an inescapable sense
that he should have accomplished even more than he did. Phil Jackson
recently said of O'Neal, "This is a guy who could and should have been
the MVP player for 10 consecutive seasons." If O'Neal had approached
training, practicing and conditioning with the mindset of Michael Jordan
or Kobe Bryant then O'Neal could have established a body of work that
would have credibly put him in contention for the mythical title of
greatest player of all-time (as I explained in my Pantheon series
it is very difficult to pick one player as the greatest of all-time,
though it is possible to select several worthy candidates for that
honor); O'Neal had a great career but no knowledgeable basketball
analyst would rank him as the greatest player of all-time.
Thus, considering O'Neal's history it is not surprising that he is siding with Butler. O'Neal has never believed that a player should be expected to give maximum effort at all times if the player is dissatisfied for any reason. O'Neal's TNT co-hosts Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley pushed back, arguing that Butler has a responsibility to fulfill the terms of his contract. Johnson framed this as a matter of personal pride/integrity, while Barkley emphasized that Butler should not let his teammates down. Smith agreed with those points, and he noted that Butler may be trying to get more
money but all that he has done so far is cost himself more than $3
million that he may never recoup.
Labels: Jimmy Butler, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Miami Heat, Pat Riley, Shaquille O'Neal
posted by David Friedman @ 2:25 AM
