It’s a familiar refrain: the National Basketball Association is in decline with brand name super stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry in their final chapters.
Those nattering nabobs of negativism --I plagiarized that line from Spiro T Agnew --must be missing the professional basketball playoffs.
The opening games of the two semifinals this week will be talked about years from now.
In one, the San Antonio Spurs 7 foot, 4 inch center, Victor Wembanyama scored 41 points with 24 rebounds and three blocked shots to lead an upset of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. (In regulation he tied the game with a 28 foot three point shot.)
In the other, the New York Knicks, anchored by their three starters from Villanova -- the Nova Knicks -- came from 22 points down with 7:52 to go in the game to win by double digits.
However these series turn out, it’s clear the NBA has stars to fill any void and the game is as exciting as ever.
The sky is falling theme isn’t new. In the late 1970s, as the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics dynasty was over, Oscar Robertson retired and it wasn’t obvious that Kareem Abdul Jabbar had ten more seasons, was the league in decline ? Then Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and, a few years later, Michael Jordan burst onto the scene.
Same for the next cycle with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal. Then LeBron and Steph.
All professional sports like having a strong New York team, it’s the Big Apple, the marketing capitol of the world. But the Knicks haven’t won a championship in 53 years and memories of Willis Reed, Clyde Frazier and Bill Bradley have faded.
It still may be uphill to win it all this year, but the past two weeks have rekindled New York’s basketball dreams as the Knicks have rattled off eight straight playoff wins.
The Spurs have produced super star big men, Tim Duncan and David Robinson, both on any all time NBA all-star lineup. In the not too distant future, they may be only the second and third best San Antonio centers.
Wembanyama, the remarkable 22 year old Frenchmen -- maybe the greatest import since Lafayette -- continues to dazzle in every phase of the game.
Some years ago my friend, the late sportswriter John Feinstein asked Boston’s Red Auerbach, the oracle of the NBA, who was the greatest player.
Michael Jordan, he replied, but noted if he were starting a team, his first pick would be Russell. (Auerbach died 20 years ago)
Jordan and Russell both were great as 22 year olds. Wembanyama is even better at 22, He has a long way to go to measure up to those legendary careers. It will be exciting to watch.
But, wow, would Auerbach love to watch him.
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