Michael Jordan is the personification of everything good in sports and life. Greatness is exemplified in one's ability to "talk it and walk it". Whether he returns to the NBA or not, it was a foregone conclusion that his possible final moment would be one to be remembered. Millions will say, I saw Michael Jordan's final game and championship winning shot. In talking to athletes over the years, I've come to understand what defines athletic greatness. Those who are great want to be the one to determine the outcome of the game. If they succeed, they want the glory. If they fail, they'll accept the blame, and they make others around them better than they are. Also, they understand what it takes in a given game or at a given moment, to win. By that definition, only a few deserve to be called great. M.J., Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Ted Williams, Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Billie Jean King, Reggie Jackson, Wayne Gretzky and Muhammad Ali are a few of those who are or were truly great athletes.
What makes Michael Jordan even greater is his acceptance and understanding of the responsibilities that go with greatness and beyond the game he plays. He protects his image like he does the basketball when he drives to the hoop for the winning shot. He understands reality and perception must go hand in hand. His life is not his own, but he never complains and he has been able to dole out enough of himself to satisfy the needs of his family, his sponsors, the NBA and basketball fans. My greatest admiration for Jordan comes from his ability to do so much, for so many, with such great consistency and constant success. We all know he's a special athlete. More importantly, he's a special person.
If Jordan is the personification of everything good, then Latrell Sprewell is what's bad. His choking tirade against his coach is but one example. His efforts to sue the NBA, his team and anyone else who suits his whim makes him the worst kind of human being. One who is hypocritical. He doesn't "talk it and walk it." To claim his punishment for attacking his coach is prejudicial is not only laughable, but damnable. He accuses others while being guilty of the same crime. Sprewell reportedly spewed invectives and racial epithets at an Asian Oakland, California police officer who was arresting him. He has attacked teammates and is challenging people who were involved in a car accident he allegedly caused. He went on 60 Minutes to claim he's misunderstood and not the bad guy the media and others make him out to be. The record and his actions speak otherwise. He has taken being a hypocrite to an art form.
The NBA may be on its way from the penthouse to the outhouse. Its reputation of being the "golden child" of sports is quickly becoming tarnished and they only have themselves to blame. Commissioner David Stern used "star power" to make the league a financial and sports powerhouse. The plan was sound and successful. But like great empires, the league is about to crumble from within. The agents and their players control the game. Instead of making sure the golden goose continues to lay the golden eggs, the agents and players are more interested in squeezing the goose for every egg now. The lack of financial and common sense foresight has created a wide division between the players/NBA and the fans. Once fans can't relate to the players and thus the game, then disinterest is sure to follow. The league and players are about to go down the same road baseball did when that trust and bond between the sport and fans was irretrievably broken with a strike that wiped out the World Series.
If greed is now a reality in the NBA, then perception indeed will kill off the NBA's popularity. The perception is that the league is made up of multi-million dollar kids, who take drugs and could care less about the game. The lack of a drug policy that includes testing for marijuana is ridiculous. It gives the image that players think they're above the law and bullet proof. Whether we like it or not, the public generally see athletes as role models. If indeed kids are impressed by athletes, then their drug indiscretions will leave two very bad impressions. One, if athletes can do it, then it must be a "cool" thing to do. Secondly, if they don't have a rule against it, then it must not be a bad thing to do.
If the NBA is to salvage its reputation and continue to be a success, the players and their agents must realize the players have to be responsible on and off the court. All they need to do is look at Michael Jordan to understand how that's done.
I feel better now.
I'm Ron Barr.
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