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USA TV Talk Sports with Justin Mazzarese
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11/12/05
Justin Mazzarese
NBA Needs to Change Focus
Upon coming up the year anniversary of quite possibly the worst incident in sports history, the November 19 brawl that was not only between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers but Ron Artest versus fans, the NBA has taken �great� strides to restore the image that they so poorly advertised in the post-Jordon era. They are now trying to clean themselves up, much like steroids in baseball, by enforcing a dress code to cover up their hip-hop image that they actually wanted to promote.
This attack on players attire seems to be focusing on Allen Iverson, who has been an itch that the NBA has been looking to scratch for a long time because how he presents himself. Ironically this is the guy that the NBA should be marketing the most. There is no one in the NBA that plays the game like Iverson plays and I�m sick and tired that this guy gets a bad rap for the way he dresses. So what if he has tattoos all over his body, it�s who he is. I am sure with all the marketing geniuses that are out there can advertise Iverson�s heart and passion for the game, instead of focusing on his due rag and platinum chain- he was the shortest player ever to win an MVP.
The NBA has been in disarray ever since the clean-cut, proven winner and air-apparent to the Jordon thrown, Kobe Bryant, was caught doing things that a dress code is not going to fix. The new dress code is not going to stop players like Ron Artest from running into the stands and punching anything that you would consider a fragile commodity. Artest even admits that �I'm going to continue playing hard and out of control, like a wild animal that needs to be caged in. I'll let the referees handle it.� Good thing that Stern put dress code in, right? While were on a roll we mine as well mention Latrell Spreewell, who makes $13,000,000 a year and wanted more money from the Timberwolves to �feed my family.�
The dress code is not going to change the attitudes of the players, which needs the most improvement. It was that attitude and lack of enthusiasm towards their job, playing a child�s game, that resulted in a bronze medal in the Summer Olympics in 2004. In my opinion, that is actually where this poor attitude started.
In 2004 Olympics, the NBA�s best product lost to Puerto Rico in the opening round! For those illiterate to sports, that means the first team that they faced in the tournament not only beat them, but embarrassed them 92-73. How does a country that is practically apart of United States, defeat us?
And don�t even say �Oh, maybe the world is catching up to us in basketball.� Whoever says that is just selling them selves short and not looking at the picture of the attitude of the players.
The worst part of the entire situation is that a couple of NBA�s elite did not want to part-take in the Olympics. Kevin Garnett, Mike Bibby and Shaquille O� Neal all did not participate because they simply did not want to, sounds like a good enough reason to me woundn�t you say? Commissioner David Stern felt this was an adequate excuse and let this slide by. Man, I wish my mom was as understanding as Stern was when I say �I didn�t mow the lawn because I didn�t feel like it.�
The NBA is going to need to do a lot better in improving their image than a silly dress code. Much like a dress code does not stop private school kids from doing heavy drugs, drinking alcohol and having sex; its not going to stop the players from acting the way they do.
Copyright 2006 Justin Mazzarese. All Rights Reserved.
Reprint without permission is prohibited.
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