LeBron Should Not Have Been Fined

June 5, 2009May 23, 2010Danny Vinik Leave a comment

NBA Commissioner David Stern fined LeBron James 25 thousand dollars after he refused to talk to the media after losing game six and the series to the Orlando Magic. James certainly made a mistake in blowing off the media, but he does not deserve to be punished. The Cavs were expected to reach the NBA Finals easily and losing the series to Orlando must have stunk immensely, specifically for LeBron who’s individual skill level is one of the greatest of all-time, but has yet to reach the Finals.

I can understand that LeBron would not want to talk after the game. I think anyone who has ever played sports can understand that. As a fan, you want to see the players rise above their anger and embarrassment at defeat and show their character by speaking with class, but you can’t expect that.

LeBron made a mistake, but not one worth 25k. I certainly wouldn’t want to face the media after a loss like that, but I’m not LeBron James. With such high expectations for the Cavs, LeBron would have been sliced up by a media eager to criticizetheir stars. I understand why he didn’t talk afterwards. David Stern has no right to dictate whether players speak to the media after the game. LeBron hurts his own image by not speaking. He doesn’t tarnish the game. Stern, butt out. Continue reading “LeBron Should Not Have Been Fined” →

Kobe Survives

May 17, 2009May 23, 2010Danny Vinik 2 Comments

Rockets Lakers Basketball The Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals with an 89-70 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of their series. And Kobe can breathe a sigh of relief. Even without Yao Ming for some of the series, the Rockets still pushed the Lakers to the brink of elimination and for Kobe to a career-crippling defeat. Kobe has faced so much scrutiny over the years for his character, his skill, his attitude, but this was a bit different.

This was Kobe vs Shane Battier. People have always wondered how good Kobe is, if he can carry a team to a championship, and if he is as good as Jordan (he’s not). This time though it was is Battier better at defense than Kobe is at offense. This was new to Kobe.

This Rocket team has limited scoring, especially with Yao out, but has great defensive players in Battier and Artest amongst others. Could the defensive stalwarts of Houston outlast Kobe and his Lakers?

Almost.

Battier played defense on Kobe like Kobe had never faced before throughout the entire series. Every shot, Battier has his hand millimeters from Kobe’s face. He fights through screens and hip checks every possession. He pushes Kobe around and forces him to his inefficiencies. Still, Kobe hits a shot and struts back up the court saying, “He can’t guard me” Continue reading “Kobe Survives” →

Big Baby Shouldn’t Have Apologized

May 13, 2009May 23, 2010Danny Vinik 3 Comments

Glen “Big Baby” Davis hit the biggest shot of his life, sprinted up the court in excitement, and bumped a fan along the way. The fan didn’t fall down or get injured whatsoever, but he was a kid. And now the boy’s father and Magic fans are outraged that Davis would do something like that.

Seriously people, this is absurd. It’s not like he took a swing at a fan or had any malicious intent at all. Big Baby was excited – who wouldn’t be – and as he celebrated by running up the court, arms flailing, he accidentally made contact with a fan who was less than a yard away from the court. It’s like getting upset at a player who jumps into the stands and tries to save the ball. It was a split-second emotional reaction, not an intended attack on the kid.

The uproar over this is beyond absurd. Competitive sports must always maintain their integrity, honesty, and humility, because no one likes a sore-winner or a sore-loser. But the politically correct, be-super-careful-what-you-say attitude has now infiltrated the NBA.

And guess what? The Magic fans of course got there wish, because the NBA wasn’t going to risk the bad press that of course manipulate this innocent celebration into a savage attack. Davis today said, “If I’ve hurt anybody or if I’ve done any harm to anybody, please forgive me because my intentions were just harmless”. Continue reading “Big Baby Shouldn’t Have Apologized” →