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Issue Date: October 30, 2005
5 ways to fix the NBA
With Tuesday's tipoff of the new season, one of basketball's most outspoken figures offers his plan to rehabilitate the game.
By John Thompson
As a former player and NBA insider, I know the unsavory incidents that occurred during the past season are not a true reflection of the league. On many occasions, I have had the privilege of meeting with and talking in-depth to players from around the league, and I have found them to be very decent men. Shaq, Reggie Miller, Ray Allen and so many others come to mind. But, like any league, the NBA has its share of problems that, if not corrected, could seriously damage its public credibility. These five steps would go a long way toward restoring the NBA's image:
1. Give us a show on the court.
No, I'm not talking about wild theatrics after a slam-dunk worthy of an ESPN "play of the night" -- I mean a great performance demonstrating your passion for basketball and your team.
When I played with the Boston Celtics in the mid-1960s, we had our fun. We joked around in the locker room. Sometimes we'd spend nearly three hours in there before a game. But as the hour leading to game time approached, you could see the seriousness set in on our faces. We took joy in our mental and physical approach to the game and, as a result, we earned championships.
2. Be a role model.
A lot of young guys are entering the league out of high school nowadays, and even though the league will implement a minimum age requirement of 19 (and one year removed from high school) for incoming rookies next year, that's still a tender age to be a millionaire. Veteran players have to lead by example. Keep the petty things private, and show these kids there are rules and standards to strive to meet. Responsibility is not just doing what's right, it's letting others know you're doing it and resenting their not doing it.
3. Spiff up.
In the old days, when a player was injured, he sat courtside in a suit and tie. More recently, players have worn sports leisure outfits and T-shirts ... like they've been hanging out in a pool room. It should not have taken a league-wide dress code for players to clean up their acts.
4. Listen to the team owners.
Commissioner David Stern represents the owners, and he remains a strong, steady voice for them. He is not afraid to show he's appalled by the disrespect he sees for the game. But his firm hand needs to be reinforced by the people who write the checks. The owners must stand up when one of their "employees" does something embarrassing.
5. Empower the coaches with more than a title.
Most coaches have little or no authority to enforce their will, and the players know it. The coach yells at the player for showing up late to practice, and the player shrugs it off. "If the owner doesn't care," the player reasons, "why should I?" The team's front office should have the coach's back. We will never be so modern, or "real," as they say, that we don't need someone in charge. It all comes down to respect for yourself and others.
Let me add that I consider myself fortunate to have received my education and made a living playing and coaching basketball, and I continue to work within the game. I love the game, and I beg everyone in the sport to take a little better care of it.
John Thompson is an analyst for TNT Sports. He played on two NBA championship teams and, in 1984, he coached Georgetown University to its first national championship title.
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Where have all the heroes gone?
Poor shooting, coaching carousels and arrests aside, four recent incidents have contributed to the NBA's bad rap:
Near the end of a game between Detroit and Indiana, players exchange punches with fans. Pacers' Ron Artest is suspended for the season.
A feeble showing by star-studded Team USA in the 2004 Olympics magnifies the league's shortcomings (fundamentals, anyone?). The Dream Team's three losses in the struggle for bronze include a 19-point thumping by Puerto Rico.
Latrell Sprewell rejects a $10 million annual contract, saying, "I've got my family to feed."
Kobe Bryant's sexual assault charges, eventually dropped, shatter this marquee player's image.
-- Ranald Totten
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