The attitude of the NBA players today is similar to that of society, in my opinion. Many people today want more than they can have. 20-30 years ago, credit was expensive. If you wanted something, you saved up until you could afford the item you wanted. You wouldn't buy an expensive car because the interest rate was 12%. You wouldn't charge an expensive pair of jeans to the credit card because interest was 20-30%. You wouldn't go on the expensive vacation because the Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) was not available at 3% and most likely non-existent due to the original mortgage at 15% and no significant equity had been built up through a massive property bubble. Basically, money has become easy over the last 10 years and people started living large.
What does this have to do with NBA players today?
These same values are evident in NBA players today. They do not want to put the work in and win on their own. Do you think Isiah Thomas would have left the Pistons to join up with Jordan and the Bulls? Would Ewing have left NY to join the Bulls? Would Larry cross the country to join Magic or would Drexler go south down the coast to join with Magic? These guys had loyalty to their franchises and wanted to win in their prime years on their own. They had pride and were not looking for short cuts. (Guys did try to join with others - like Malone in LA and Pippen in HOU - but that was at the end of their careers when they were shells of their former self and none of them were successful).
When you look at Garnett/Allen/Pierce, they were three guys who all had success on their own (success meaning deep playoff runs). Towards the end of their career, they banded together and won, but they were assembled via trade and their original franchises (Minnesota and Seattle/OKC were fairly compensated).
The difference between what they did and what Bosh/LBJ/Wade did is the 'Heatles' are all in their prime. That, in my opinion, speaks volumes of them as people and competitors. I consider this to be no different than guys on the playground unable to keep King of the Court, so two of the best players join another top player on his team weakening the competition (i.e. competitive balance) and thus holding court. Sure they are winning but it really is hollow.
This new big 3 mentality and entitlement is a reflection of society today. Look at how the CEO's of big banks operate on Wall Street. The rich get richer and screw everyone else - including their own workers as they lay off thousands to protect their own pay and bonus. This, in my opinion, is like LBJ/Wade/Carmelo/Bosh all wanting the max contracts and to win as well because they can't do it on their own. So they say, "Lets join together, screw over the rest of the league, and tell each other how awesome we are." - (or in Wade/LBJ case, make fun of Bosh while they compliment each other).
It might be a little extreme but when I see LBJ, Wade, Carmelo, Bosh, and Amar'e* all on one team, I see 4 franchise players and one franchise foundation piece (Bosh) on 2 teams versus 5. That is great for 2 franchises but pretty sh!tty for the other 2.5 (Bosh doesn't count as a whole franchise). If there was a hardcap, players would not be able to do this because after 3 years, the max players salaries would eat up 90% of the cap, there would be no exemptions to continue to attract talent (and why would they go there in the first place? For the chance to WIN), and teams with top talent and money would not get to have another $6M each season to buy a championship piece when the previous year signing was a bust (yes, you, Mike Miller) therefore creating accountability.
The accountability of an organization/management comes back to how I ended post #800:
(*Amar'e got to NY by fair means - offer was not matched by PHX)
What does this have to do with NBA players today?
These same values are evident in NBA players today. They do not want to put the work in and win on their own. Do you think Isiah Thomas would have left the Pistons to join up with Jordan and the Bulls? Would Ewing have left NY to join the Bulls? Would Larry cross the country to join Magic or would Drexler go south down the coast to join with Magic? These guys had loyalty to their franchises and wanted to win in their prime years on their own. They had pride and were not looking for short cuts. (Guys did try to join with others - like Malone in LA and Pippen in HOU - but that was at the end of their careers when they were shells of their former self and none of them were successful).
When you look at Garnett/Allen/Pierce, they were three guys who all had success on their own (success meaning deep playoff runs). Towards the end of their career, they banded together and won, but they were assembled via trade and their original franchises (Minnesota and Seattle/OKC were fairly compensated).
The difference between what they did and what Bosh/LBJ/Wade did is the 'Heatles' are all in their prime. That, in my opinion, speaks volumes of them as people and competitors. I consider this to be no different than guys on the playground unable to keep King of the Court, so two of the best players join another top player on his team weakening the competition (i.e. competitive balance) and thus holding court. Sure they are winning but it really is hollow.
This new big 3 mentality and entitlement is a reflection of society today. Look at how the CEO's of big banks operate on Wall Street. The rich get richer and screw everyone else - including their own workers as they lay off thousands to protect their own pay and bonus. This, in my opinion, is like LBJ/Wade/Carmelo/Bosh all wanting the max contracts and to win as well because they can't do it on their own. So they say, "Lets join together, screw over the rest of the league, and tell each other how awesome we are." - (or in Wade/LBJ case, make fun of Bosh while they compliment each other).
It might be a little extreme but when I see LBJ, Wade, Carmelo, Bosh, and Amar'e* all on one team, I see 4 franchise players and one franchise foundation piece (Bosh) on 2 teams versus 5. That is great for 2 franchises but pretty sh!tty for the other 2.5 (Bosh doesn't count as a whole franchise). If there was a hardcap, players would not be able to do this because after 3 years, the max players salaries would eat up 90% of the cap, there would be no exemptions to continue to attract talent (and why would they go there in the first place? For the chance to WIN), and teams with top talent and money would not get to have another $6M each season to buy a championship piece when the previous year signing was a bust (yes, you, Mike Miller) therefore creating accountability.
The accountability of an organization/management comes back to how I ended post #800:
Matt52 wrote:
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