Those who know me know I never root for the Golden State Warriors. There’s nothing about that team I like. I don’t like Steph Curry’s smugness. Kevin Durant’s sensitivity about the smallest things is a bigger chart topper than Ralph Tresvant. Draymond Green’s poor attempt to be the great Bill Laimbeer is annoying. And don’t get me started on their legion of bandwagon fans.
With all that being said, the Warriors are good for basketball. Not just the NBA… basketball. Why?
Let’s go back to the 1990s and early 2000’s of the NBA. It was a time when, if you were fortunate to have multiple true stars on the same roster, they bickered. Just ask Shaq and Penny. Shaq and Kobe. There was always a stench of “I have to be the man”. It literally ripped apart the Orlando Magic franchise. That and two missed free throws by Nick Anderson. It worked in Los Angeles because the Laker brand trumped all. Plus, players could always unite against the passive-aggressive pettiness of Phil Jackson. But for the most part, the stars had the mindset of being the singular reason for winning.
Look at today’s Golden State Warriors. Not to oversimplify things but the big difference between Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr is ball movement. Simply put, the ball moved more under Kerr. It allowed stars to be stars. There is enough touches to go around. Shots for everyone. No… not those shots.
It’s much more palatable to watch than a lot of basketball in the 90s. Throw the ball in the post and watch four guys stand while the post player dribble 1,345 times to back down his opponent. Ugh.
For all the manufactured angst, the ball moves more in the NBA now than it has since the 1980s. With the NBA being more of a global game, the FIBA influence has put an indelible stamp on the league. The movement and spacing on offense is a beauty to watch. Knockdown shooters has opened space for players to drive to the basket. The NBA has recognized that freedom of movement allows the game to be played like a high level jazz band.
The Warriors also show the positive side of AAU. Wait… hear me out. There’s a lot of legitimate criticism of the AAU environment but one of the things it provides to the top notch players is an opportunity to play with players on their level. By learning how to be a good teammate with other skilled players, you see less of the “I have to be the man” mentality in the NBA.
We’re seeing it on the college level. It’s not about recruits as much as it is recruiting classes. Ask Duke. Ask Kentucky. Getting great players to play with other great players is becoming a norm.
Golden State is a perfect example of this. Can you imagine if you tried to bring in a Kevin Durant type of player to Philadelphia with Allen Iverson? It would fail miserably. Iverson was your prototypical “I have to be the reason we win” guy. The current Warriors share the ball. Whoever is open (and hot) that night will get an ample amount of touches. What a novel concept.
One night it’s Durant. The next it’s Curry. And when you go all out to stop those two, Klay Thompson takes over. The Warriors are a machine built of skill and a willingness to share.
So I’ll be sitting around rooting against the Warriors knowing that it’s as futile as rooting against Alabama football. There’s a certain sense of inevitability in their greatness. That’s why fans need to quit complaining and understand what great time we live in. A time unselfishness among stars. A time where the top players are willing to take less money to win rings. This mentality with help all franchises whether they’re in a large market or small market.
If you’re truly a basketball fan, like or hate the Warriors, you should respect what they’ve done for the game.
Oh yeah… there’s one more person to thank. The one person who stepped out there and took all the criticism for laying the foundation. The one who showed sacrificing and unselfishness is truly greatness… Thank you LeBron. If it wasn’t for “The Decision”, we wouldn’t have the great basketball landscape we have today.
