The other night I watched the repeating highlight of Kevin Durant possibly injuring himself during warm up drills for his Phoenix Suns debut. We now hear that he in fact injured his ankle. An unpredicted ending to a week filled with negativity and criticism about NBA players and “load management”.
Everyone from Sir Charles Barkley and Shaq (who both make millions “analyzing” current players), to other current players, to fans spent the week sharing their disdain for all things NBA (star players, salaries, playing time, and all the usual points of criticism).
I have no doubt that the coming days will be filled with comments about KD’s fragility or some other means of demonstrating a complete lack of sympathy/empathy. In fact, I’ve already seen evidence of this on social media. That’s what I get for spending too much time on social media, right? I know that we all have opinions and it’s a bit much to expect fans to listen to the professionals (doctors, physiotherapists, exercise scientists, etc). But it doesn’t seem like to much to ask that the guys making millions to “analyze” the sport to, at a minimum, present a qualified professionals opinion? One? What good can possibly come from having guys, whose opinions are shared without the slightest bit of research, “analyzing” something?
As for KD, I pray that this injury is minor and he’ll be back AND FULLY RECOVERED in no time. Anyone who has followed his career knows that he has battled through and recovered from some difficult injuries:
1) three foot surgeries while with OKC, including a bone graft on his foot (the kind of surgery that has too often failed to save other basketball playing, 7- footers careers).
2) a torn achilles tendon, on the same leg as his foot surgeries, while with Golden State.
While it is well known that as humans we have certain physical limits, beyond which we reap few long-term rewards, and incur increased long- term risk; we tend to try to ignore those facts. After all, we once started children working before their teen years and worked them well beyond eight hours a day. Surprisingly, that led to greater health and longer life expectancy. Just kidding, the exact opposite occurred. This is the genesis of the demand that highly paid athletes (and Twitter workers for that matter) work through whatever they may be feeling, as not to disturb our entertainment. As though the limits of high-level human function can be increased and sustained based solely on desire. So even in today’s environment, where the stars of the league are doing more than ever to prolong their careers, it seems counterintuitive that they would be criticized for their efforts. Many employ chefs, trainers, and routinely consult physicians to maintain the conditioning required to consistently play the game at a high level. Others seek out chemical based means of physical and mental maintenance to be ready to perform on demand. In both cases, criticism awaits every misstep.
The days of driving into the lane and taking hard fouls to get a chance at 3 points have been replaced with running all over the court, chasing 3 point shooters. So which one is more difficult? Which one is harder on big men? Truthfully, no one cares enough to ask those who would know.
Does the average NBA fan care even stop for one moment to consider the changes in the game and how they impact players? Do the “analyst” care enough to get the opinions of people trained to know? I would submit that neither do. Instead we are routinely treated to stats like “Player X is the first player to ever score a triple double, while taking at least one left handed shot, and wearing low top sneakers”, so we can all feel like we’re witnessing history. The league coverage today is less about giving “fans” information and more about controversial comments that generate ratings, views, clicks, and provide fodder for fans to engage with their own comments. As with every other area of life today, we are swimming in information, but encouraged to form and intensely defend opinions without using any of it.
Maybe that’s why “in a world of $100K cars, $1000 phones, and $7 coffee; some now question the value of the NBA itself? Maybe that’s how we can simultaneously love and support our favorite teams, while criticizing the players, and holding negative opinions about the league. Of those three entities, which two actually control ticket prices? This is the equivalent of being upset with the Chic-fil-a employees because the spicy deluxe combo price was increased. Worse still, the refrain that the current players aren’t as good as our exaggerated, fantasized, memories of a previous generation of players; is clearly not based on anything remotely scientific.
Is it just me or is it weird that a generation with hundreds of channels, high definition pictures, and televisions literally everywhere; complains more than the generations that had grainy black and white televisions or spotty reception provided on 3 channels in technicolor? We have gone from being unhappy because we missed the game, to being unhappy because we didn’t see it live (recorded), to just being unhappy. Somehow even as technology has moved us forward in unbelievable ways, we have managed to receive what can only be described as advances, in a uniquely ungrateful way.
I’m just glad that Evil Knievel is not trying to jump 17 buses in this current entertainment environment. Half the audience would be too busy trying to get a selfie of themselves at the event to actually see the event and the other half would be complaining that he only jumped 15 buses when they saw him live. Um, excuse me, does the fact that a man risked his life and continually sacrificed his health for our entertainment have any value?
I wonder if we will hear any commentators from last week walking back their previous comments? Will we hear new comments from Sir Charles? Will we hear altered comments from Shaq? I doubt it! Will the “play until you fall over” crowd admit that they rarely have more facts than those who have studied and understand how our bodies reach and maintain peak performance? Does that part really matter to anyone anymore? Maybe it never did?
Honestly, is anyone calling “balls” and “strikes” anymore? Is there a trustworthy person standing behind home plate, who will make every effort to get the call right and allow us to relax and enjoy the game? In an age even when those calls may not be popular, they are more important and necessary than ever. Sorry to have mixed my metaphors here, but I need someone, anyone to acknowledge that the rehab from three surgeries on any body part is hard. I need someone to say that the fact that doctors can repair the body better than ever today, does absolutely nothing for the mind, which has to keep re-climbing the same hill. A person doesn’t have to drive their car off a cliff to have an incredible recovery story. Sometimes just overcoming a nagging, reoccurring, almost career ending injury will do; especially if that person returns to performing at the tip top of their craft.
It takes ZERO character to stick a moist finger in the air and turn whatever direction the wind is blowing. Sadly, too many people want to do and say whatever seems popular, in the moment, these days. Too many opinions can be altered without a single stitch of new or even accurate information. It cost nothing to follow the crowd, to seek out and adhere to the latest popular opinions. The value of that endeavor is equal to its price.
Imagine a world where the people who could enlighten us and move our understanding forward, chose instead to just parrot whatever we say back to us. Knowledge, wisdom, integrity, empathy, and yes character can take us a lifetime to develop; but their value is immeasurable and worth every step along that journey.
“ A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
Muhammad Ali
