LeBron The Answer ? .. by David Stern <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">David Stern, NBA commissioner When I became commissioner in 1984, we were using a fire extinguisher in one room and a stoker in the next. Yes, there were teams teetering on the brink of economic disaster. Yes, there were people who said our league was too black, that our league was drug-infested, that our players were making too much money. Yes, there were violent incidents. But there was also opportunity. The cable industry was about to double. Satellite TV was about to come upon us. New arenas were about to go up all over America. Globality was about to become real. And a gentleman named Michael Jordan was meeting Phil Knight, making sports marketing a new genre. Now Michael is gone, and just like after Larry and Magic left the game, people are saying, "It's over!" But the reality is, we're once again dealing with opportunity. The digital revolution. Brand extensions. Globality. LeBron is a piece of this. Yes, just a piece. Look, I'm constitutionally devoted to lessening the pressure on him as much as I can. But do you think Cleveland's going to make the playoffs this year? Michael Jordan was great his first few years, he scored lots of points. But he didn't become Michael Jordan until after he won. LeBron may be the most gifted 18-year-old basketball player in the history of the world. That's why ESPN covered his high school games to much public debate. That's why Nike picked him. That's why Cleveland made him the No.1 pick. Do I see something deeper in LeBron? Yes. But that something deeper is the buildup. I've never seen anything like this. We weren't out there beating the drums for him. This was purely the media, the market and corporate America speaking. We are beneficiaries of an extraordinary hype around an extraordinary talent. But to people who think LeBron is the answer, I ask, what's the question?</div> ...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sasha:</div><div class="quote_post">Very good article, but please provide the link.</div> Thats right, thats a big no no. Stern is right on the money.
Good comments. Lebron isn't THE Answer, but he IS part of it. So is Kobe, Shaq, TMac, Kg, TD, and the rivalries that may be spurning. You're going to see basketball leading headlines (good or bad) and you're going to see news about a lakers feud, between two players, that 'lasts' a day make front page on CNN. Love it or hate it, this is the new NBA. Its not about one star or a pair of stars, but its about a large highly scrutinized talent pool and an ultra competative edge.
People love to argue who "the best" is. When MJ was playing, it was "who is the next MJ?" Why can't these people just admire these players as who they are? Every board I go to, the board is saturated with "who is better than who?" and even here, we have 100 threads that have the same stuff in them. Don't get me wrong now, sometimes comparing players can be fun, but overlikk for this topis is extremely boring in my opinion. So great call Manu, people just refuse to accept this group movement of superstars.
