Leave it to the NBA to not only dilute the quality of what's supposed to be high-level basketball, but also to let a bit player screw up a blockbuster trade. I mean, sorry, David Stern, but what type of business let's a minor player block a huge business deal? The NBA, that's who, because bench player Devean George had a veto of the Jason Kidd-to-Dallas deal because he can protect his "Early Bird" rights. Read all about it here.
"Early Bird" rights?
Sounds bird-brained to me.
Making trades in the NBA is difficult enough to do already, and the whole universe is bizarre because teams don't always like to trade for players who can help them today but for expiring contracts. So, enter Dallas, who actually wants a player who can help it today, and Devean George up and blocks the deal. Not a Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or Dwight Howard, but Devean George.
And what makes matters worse is that he wasn't getting good playing time in Dallas, and the trade would have offered him the opportunity to play more and showcase his stuff in New Jersey. So what did he do?
He vetoed the deal. Better to preserve "Early Bird" rights even if you might get few offers precisely because you're riding the pine than to waive them, play and get some good offers.
How much longer are fans of basketball (as opposed to the NBA's entertainment ball) going to put up with this nonsense?
Devean George might have his "Early Bird", and I suggest that in the firmest and classiest form of civil disobedience that basketball fans flip the NBA owners an "Early Bird" of their own.
You just can't make this stuff up.
(And I apologize to all of my readers for overusing the word "stupid" in the past couple of weeks, but it's the most eloquent word I can think of to describe this mess, an ill-advised NHL ad campaign and the activities of certain U.S. Congressmen yesterday).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I couldn't agree with you more, Prof. George has an opportunity to make himself more valuable by going to New Jersey.
I shockingly agree with Mark Cuban -- that George's agent threw him under the bus. Devean needs to listen to someone else. Hopefully he'll wisen up over the weekend while he hides out in LA.
Absolutely. And it seems like, more and more, the NBA is turning to showmanship rather than smart strategy. Just look at all the hype of the All-Star weekend and especially the Slam Dunk contest. Insane.
BUT, I gotta give it to Dwight Howard -- it's amazing how he walks the line between said showmanship and actual game skill. He's also prepping some crazy dunks for the contest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIz7sYjp1Sc
The one stunt he does, the mid-air, bounce-off-the-backboard, left-hand-right-hand dunk, that's sick.
Post a Comment