Sunday, May 31, 2009

Lebron & the Cavs: allegory for the NBA


What's happened to Lebron & the Cavs? The answer's in the question. Not "the Cavaliers." Nope. "Lebron & the Cavs." Superstar product. Not person. Product. Vehicle. Hook for marketing. Hype for kiddies. Of course you have "Kobe & the Lakers." Star vehicle, not pure sports. I won't offend you and say NCAA Div. 1 basketball is "pure," but it's no NBA Ringling Brothers. Go on and debate the various facets and angles of this stuff. The Forty Million Dollar Slaves angle. The middle age white man abandoning the sport b/c it's too young, black and "arrogant" (that's always a hoot for me...I guess you have to be a quiet Uncle Tom not to be "arrogant"). The Kobe ejaculating on a hotel worker's face then telling her to get the f**k out, then buying off his equally golddigging wife angel. So, so many.
And you can use "Lebron & the Cavs" as your case study...

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obviously you're a Magic fan.

Anonymous said...

HATER!!!

Lebron=the future of the NBA. Kobe=asshole.

Robert M said...

You are all over the place in your writing today.
I think your issue is that the NBA as a business contributed to the loss by Clevelands team on the floor. They didn't have the best team on a match up basis and lost.
Playoffs are different because you have time as a coach to adjust to the main team, analyze whom might step up on the bench and prepare a game plan for them if you have the horses.
As we all saw Cleveland didn't have enough horses.
As to Lebron, Kobe, Superman and all the rest this is the real lesson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ5SVDYBNrY

Christopher Chambers said...

True--I wanted to be as broad brush as possible b/c there are dozens of potential angles to this story beyond the more obvious or direct ones.

Anonymous said...

SoCal 82Tiger Says:

Professor there is no news here! Professional sports are now the bastion of huge corporate sponsorship dollars. The middle aged, middle class white man (and EVERY man or woman for that matter) has abandoned regular attendance of at least 4 of the major professional sports (Hoops, Baseball, Football & Hockey) … With the advent of home theater and plasma screens the best (and most affordable) seat in the house is now in your own living-family room!

Your assertion that pro sports has become to “too black” and “too arrogant” rings hollow in my mind. In much of sport - We have become a nation of in your face trash talkers. Just another reason for the growth in the family appeal of NASCAR, as stars are pressured to tone down clownish behavior. The ghettoization of culture that you often rant against has infected sports and sport fans too… The days of most people wanting our sports heroes skillfully go about and quietly thrill us at their jobs is over!!! In many major sports the thought to encourage athletes to let their actions on the field speak for themselves has been long gone for years.

Now granted you might say with a smirk that “white folk” sports such as NASCAR (or Golf?) attendance continues to grow across this country (not just the South) – But that’s due to the huge push by NASCAR and the PGA to promote events as an economic “Family Fun” deals, that are as American as Apple Pie! Every race or tournament is a party that people can afford to attend, get close to the major stars (with NO attitude), AND by the way what’s not to love about big fast shiny cars running full out at 200mph plus or watching the greatest man to hold a driver or putter be a popular and likeable “man of color”?

Like it or not Horsepower like great athletic talent is sexy to young and old, men and women, haves and have-nots!!!

Be honest dude - High paid “slaves” in sports come in every color and truthfully for Hoops the new “hood” for great B-ball talent is shifting to Eastern Europe. Much to the chagrin of the shallow lovers of stereotypes it appears that white men (from Eastern Europe) CAN jump and play ball...

Your are right on the track about college ball however, the love of the game seems clearer, cleaner, and less corrupted by economic forces – Mostly because the sport accountants, lawyers, and media image makers have not fully succeeded in their efforts to suck the joy out of the fans or the players in college sports…

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