One of the reasons why sports is so ubiquitous is not only because of the celebrity of its performers, but a lot of the issues that are pervasive in society—issues surrounding race, ethnicity, and class—are (usually) suppressed for a moment, allowing us to enjoy the competition inherent to the game. Now, I am not saying that sports are free of those issues, but for the most part, sports remains the main forum where people of different colours, creed, economic status, and ethnic backgrounds can look past those superficial characteristics and play just for the love of the game.
I can just imagine all the eyebrows that are raised. Look, sports are still male-dominated. I will not even pretend that there is gender equality or that anything other than a heterosexual identification will be accepted in the locker rooms because everyone knows that is not true. Bear with me though. To illustrate my point, just look at the National Basketball Association (NBA). I cannot think of another profession where you will see people of colour as employees and employers—although it is odd that there is only one person of colour who is a majority owner in a league where an overwhelming majority of the players are African-American, but I digress—in a sport that is adored by millions in North America.
Headlines in the NBA have gripped us over the past few years. From Jason Collins to Donald Sterling to Barnes-versus-Fisher, the NBA has produced news stories that really did not emanate from the hardwood, but from issues off the court. It will interesting to see what happens this season.
The regular season tips off on Tuesday, October 28. Are you ready, hoops fans?
What an offseason the NBA experienced. LaMarcus Aldridge, the player who was wooed by a number of teams, landed with the Spurs after playing with the Blazers for almost ten years (the Raptors were one of those teams, which is kind of ironic because they elected to draft Andrea Bargnani over Aldridge in 2006). The free agency gaffe between DeAndre Jordan, Clippers and Mavericks almost broke the internet in July. The return of injured superstars Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant, in what some are speculating as being Bryant’s final season (although I disagree). The draft lottery that saw Jahlil Okafor drop to the third overall selection after being touted as the best player in the country in high school and a championship season at Duke University. Ty Lawson was traded to the Rockets, adding to their stacked roster, and making them an even more viable contender for the championship. The Raptors quietly improved their roster with blue-collar players. The Grizzlies locked up their big man for another five years. The first full season of Paul George since his gruesome foot injury in 2014 should be not only inspirational, but exciting, as he will now play power forward. Thank God there are only ten more days.
What have we learned?
Keeping up with the Dubs
Well, the Warriors, the champs, kept their roster intact in an unquestionable “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. At this point, I would be hard-pressed to not include them as a championship contender. The Spurs are, at this point, the team that will challenge them for the western conference crown.
Size doesn’t matter
Again, we are seeing that big market teams (New York, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Chicago) are not where the marquee free agents tend to flock. The small market teams (Milwaukee, San Antonio, and Indiana) stole the show with Aldridge, Greg Monroe, David West, and Monta Ellis signings, respectively.
The Lakers still dominate NBA headlines
The Lakers have not been a good basketball team for a couple of years. They are still reeling from the departure of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, both of whom were not healthy while in LA. Nevertheless, two headlines were discussed ad nauseam in NBA circles this summer, which included speculation into what the Lakers were going to do with the number two pick, and subsequently, analysis of their pick, D’Angelo Russell. Add that to Bryant’s impending return from injury and a slew of sneaky free agency signings, and the Lakers are one of the teams that will be watched with particular attention.
The West is better than ever
The level of parity just increased with the Rockets, Clippers, Grizzlies, and Spurs all improving their rosters. Good luck to the Warriors, they will need it.
The East is wide, wide open
Even though Las Vegas gambling odds will peg the Cavaliers as the favourite to win the east, I would still argue that the conference is still very much up for grabs. The Bulls, Raptors, Heat, and perhaps Wizards, should not be counted out summarily as they all improved their teams far more than the Cavaliers enhanced their roster.
The rules have changed
No longer will the division winner be guaranteed a top-four seed, and ultimately, home court advantage. Previously, there were teams with inferior records ahead of teams with superior records, simply because the former won their respective division while the latter was in a division that was tougher. The implications for this change will result in the teams with the best records at the top of their respective conferences.
Picks:
Most Valuable Player: Chris Paul, Clippers
Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel, Pacers
Rookie of the Year: Stanley Johnson, Pistons
Sixth Man of the Year: David West, Spurs
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Pelicans
Most Improved Player of the Year: Paul George, Pacers
Eastern Conference Champions: Bulls
Western Conference Champions: Spurs
NBA Champions: Spurs
It should be a fantastic season with lots of unpredictability. Get ready, hoops fans!
On a serious note, I would like to end this column with a moment to address the tragic headlines that reverberated throughout the media this past week when it was reported that Lamar Odom was rushed to hospital after being found unconscious in Nevada. The events that precipitated his emergency transportation to the hospital are not being debated by me, but I do not think that it is necessary to highlight them here. The prognosis appeared to be rather inauspicious, initially, but fortunately, as the week progressed, it seemed as though Odom’s chances of survival improved, albeit somewhat marginally. Nearly a week later, he is still not out of the woods, but there is growing hope that he will survive. The maelstrom of media coverage on his condition was unequivocally due to his connection to the family—America’s guilty pleasure—whose name I will not mention because I do not want to detract from the seriousness of the situation or obscure the fact that Lamar Odom had a career and purpose in life way before reality television. The adoration and respect felt by his former teammates, coaches, friends, and family was evident by the outpouring of support throughout the week. It would be great to see him on the court again someday, but at this point, I am sure that people would be relieved to see him survive, and live a life free of vices, surrounded by loved ones.