The Battle for the Soul of Basketball

Last night a good portion of our country caught the NCAA Men’s National Basketball Championship game between the University of Kansas and the University of Memphis. Those who caught the game were treated to a dramatic ending that included an overtime-inducing three pointer and an emotional come from behind victory by Kansas. Despite the eventual result I think most people would agree that from a pure athletic and skill standpoint, Memphis was the better team. But in the end Kansas wanted it more, and they played with a passion of a group of guys who knew they would never have a chance like this again.

That Memphis did not is really not a surprise. This was a team assembled by shoe companies, agents, hustlers, and boosters to put their program, coach, and players in the spotlight that is needed to make it to the NBA. In short, Memphis stands for everything that is wrong with basketball today and I suppose it is fitting that in the end it was Kansas, where basketball’s creator Dr. James Naismith once coached, that took them down.

Watching Memphis’ four starters address the media after the loss, I was amazed to see such little emotion. Annoyance? Sure. Frustration? Some. Despair? None that I could see. Each seemed to be gazing past the assemble sports writers, all wearing inappropriate smirks that suggested their elation that they are now eligible to cash in on NBA riches and fame. There was a coldness about them that made me interested in how they would have celebrated had they won. If you know the history of this team none of this should surprise you.

The problem here starts with the relationship between William Wesley and Memphis’ coach, John Calipari. Wesley (his wikipedia profile which links to articles about him) is one of those 21st century influence peddlers who has used his relationships with various NBA players, shoe companies, and agents to create a powerful hand in professional basketball today. Assuming he only involved himself in the NBA this would be tough to complain about, it is a business after all. But Wesley has extended his influence to high schools and AAU programs and has the ability to push kids towards certain programs, Memphis being his favorite. The formula is simple. Wesley pushes basketball prodigies to college coaches. Colleges push kids toward shoe companies. Kids become pros and their coaches (at Wesley’s urging) push their kids toward certain NBA agents and coaches win championships, make money, and maybe even get a shot at the NBA. I am not naive enought to think that this kind of thing would not always happen, or that it is not occuring in other sports, but few other sports have an image problem as bad as basketball so I think it is of note when this model fails, as it did last night.

The truth is I understand to a certain extent why America does not embrace the NBA. As much as I loved Michael Jordan, his success created the formula of the “star” athlete that overshadowed the team. This has created a new NBA, one rife with stories of contract disputes, forced trades, entourages, and other assorted ugliness. What got lost in Madison Avenue’s crowning of Michael Jordan was that his true success only came when he accepted Phil Jackson’s triangle offense and became part of a team. That this point was lost is one of the great tragedies of basketball because in its’ core no other sport is as conducive to team effort as basketball.

But in the face of this ugliness there has long been signs of a fight against this new way of thinking. The San Antonio Spurs and their professional, team oriented approach has flown far too low on the radar the past seven years. The rise of international stars who bring a passion that cannot be matched by many of our own players. The emergence of Steve Nash, the epitome of a team player, as one of the faces of the NBA. But it has been the past season that has really been the most promising development of basketball in a while. It started off with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce each giving up a portion of their spotlight for a chance at glory. The rise of three quality and professional players who each make their teammates better in Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Brandon Roy. It is culminating right now in one of the finest basketball seasons in NBA history where teams who emphasize the individual (Denver Nuggets) are being replaced by teams who emphasize the team. This was the context with which I watched the game last night and it is why I couldn’t help but root for Kansas, and why in my mind the stakes were even higher than usual.

UPDATE: Check out these two articles (especially the second) for further evidence of ugliness in the NBA.