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Almost Over: Pro game is not the college game
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Published: June 15, 2008
The NBA season could end before midnight.
The end can't come soon enough for some people in Winston-Salem, Durham, Chapel Hill and other North Carolina cities, which seems curious given the state's self-proclaimed affection for basketball and its role in developing many of the NBA's finest players.
Everyone with half an ear for basketball talk hears the negative litany every now and then: too much money and not enough passion, too many selfish shooters and not enough selfless defenders, too much wrestling and not enough ballet, too many tattoos and not enough Tyler Hansbroughs.
Or, more to the point: It's not college basketball.
If the critics compare a March NBA game to the NCAA Tournament, they can build a persuasive argument. When a detached fan compares one meaningless regular-season NBA game to one meaningless regular-season college game, or a late-round playoff game to a late-round tournament game, the passion gap narrows considerably. The basic difference: A pep band generally beats an amped-up rock recording.
In many cases, contemporary college basketball also features too many selfish shooters who don't play defense consistently and too many muggers who drain finesse from the recipe, with the officials' and the conferences' consent. In some cases, such as Southern Cal's relationship with O.J. Mayo, money questions enter the arena through the elephant door.
Big bucks -- from commercial partners, TV and boosters -- undermine the purported values of college basketball, especially when colleges turn basketball into their fund-raising entertainment subsidiary. The money rolls in, and not just for soccer scholarships, either. The money fattens massive university endowments, makes coaches the highest-paid employees on campus and pumps up salaries for assorted administrators.
The money seldom slows down persistent increases in tuition and athletics fees for paying students. The money seldom benefits the athletes directly, other than financing luxurious travel accommodations, leather-lined lounges or the tutors who help keep them eligible for the next gig.
If you get right down to it, the NBA playoffs are less about money than the NCAA Tournament, which covers nearly 90 percent of the NCAA bills for all sports, mainly through the CBS contract.
Of course, a robotic showdown between two uninspired NBA teams on a dull winter's night can cure any sleeping disorder, and a Duke-Carolina classic can leave the ears ringing until the next morning. Both levels have flaws. Both possess the ingredients for compelling athletic drama.
The NBA and its TV partners promoted the finals as a return to glory. Celtics vs. Lakers. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy vs. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Basketball the way it was meant to be played.
They loaded up the old videotapes and interviewed the old superstars. They showed youngsters what "Showtime!" and the old Boston Garden meant to the sport's history. They presented the tangible proof of how the NBA emerged from a suicidal business spiral and grew into an international institution. All the evidence implied that the new-age Celtics and Lakers could cleanse the air of referee Tim Donaghy's scandal and perhaps win back borderline pro fans (Reagan Democrats?).
Although the hyperbole exaggerated claims, at least the teams had navigated a wiry playoff thicket to reach the Finals. Although this series hasn't approached selective memories of the nostalgic Celtics vs. Lakers showdowns, it has delivered some incredible swings. The biggest occurred in the fourth game, a bizarre classic with a numerical anchor attached to the record book. No team had ever overcome a 24-point deficit in the Finals until the Celtics rallied past the Lakers 97-91 and seized a 3-1 lead.
The flip-flop distressed MVP Kobe Bryant, who made only 6 of 19 shots and scored 17 points. His plans for dealing with such a psychological blow?
Bryant contemplated the answer, suppressed a smirk and replied: "Whine about it tonight. A lot of wine. A lot of beer. A couple of shots. Maybe, like, 20 of them. Digest it. Get back to work tomorrow."
There's nothing like a modern role model to dilute the nostalgia.
When the Lakers came to work on Friday, Coach Phil Jackson gave them the day off. Readers of the Orange County Register gave them a hard time. In a highly unscientific poll that begged for the ultimate result, readers were asked to choose among several examples of Southern California sports collapse that made them the sickest.
The top three totals: 2008 Lakers-Celtics (Game 4) 61 percent; 1986 Angels (needing one out against Red Sox, blow World Series shot) 24 percent; 2005 Southern Cal Trojans (lose Rose Bowl lead and mythical title to Texas) 11 percent.
Los Angeles fans feel nauseous, but other basketball fans might feel encouraged about the state of the pro game. Boston made the moves to put Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce together, but Coach Doc Rivers maintained his philosophy and his system. The Celtics won the fourth game with defense, just as they clawed through two seven-game series to win the East with defense.
The superstars sacrificed stats and egos for the larger goal of pursuing a championship that would validate their careers more than a few extra millions. They play the game the right way, which should serve as cause for celebration, not dismissal.
■ Lenox Rawlings can be reached at lrawlings@wsjournal.com.
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