The NBA celebrated its All-Star Weekend in Cleveland
and capped its "NBA at 50" celebration with a moving
introduction of 47 players, including the sons of Pete
Maravich. Among the news from the weekend:
BREAKFAST IN CLEVELAND: On NBC's "Meet the Press" on
Sunday -- taped on Saturday -- NBA Commissioner David Stern,
Grant Hill, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley sat down with
NBC's Tim Russert and Bob Costas for 30 minutes. Topics
included Dennis Rodman, player attitudes, being a role model
and social responsibility. Hill, on the NBA's younger
generation: "You got to understand, a lot of these guys are
young, and some of them didn't go to school of course, but I
think as we grow as people we'll become better and
understand, you know, we have to respect people like that
because they paved the way for us." Barkley: "This is
business. We're trying to promote a business, make it
bigger and better. And until they understand that, and I
think it's going to take time. ... But if we don't reel em'
in, try and let them know 'Hey, this is not just playground
basketball this is a big business,' it's bad for the fans
right now." Jordan, asked about remarks made to him by
Allen Iverson regarding respect: "The game has been here a
lot longer than Allen Iverson or Michael Jordan, Grant Hill
or Charles Barkley." After remarks on Iverson, Stern
interjected, "I'd just like to say that I think it's been
blown up a little bit out of proportion. Allen Iverson
didn't say that a few days ago, he said it months ago and it
gets recycled." Jordan, on the NBA when he retires: "I
think the NBA will survive. I think the NBA will be just
fine. I think it's got a great infrastructure with a lot of
young players coming up" ("Meet the Press," NBC, 2/9).
LOOKING AHEAD: The TIMES' Clifton Brown, under the
header, "At 50, The NBA Might Be Losing A Step," writes,
"There were enough signs this weekend to suggest that the
league's future will mirror the probable future of society -
- sometimes better, sometimes worse, often unpredictable"
(N.Y. TIMES, 2/10). In Baltimore, John Eisenberg writes "it
is possible the league will miss [Michael] Jordan far more
that it realizes when he is gone" (Baltimore SUN, 2/9).
DOWN ON THE KIDS: Many of the NBA's "50 Greatest
Players" present at Friday's press conference gave their
opinions on the state of the league and the attitudes of
many of today's younger players. In N.Y., Fred Kerber wrote
a "majority of the legends" said some of the younger players
"are steering the league on a dangerous course through
rotten attitudes, a disregard of the history of the game and
a near complete lack of fundamentals" (N.Y. POST, 2/8). The
press conference was picked up by many media outlets. Here
is a sampling of some headlines from around the country:
N.Y. POST: "Legends Trash New Breed. Say Players' Bad
Attitudes Are Doing Harm to NBA" (N.Y. POST, 2/8).
WASHINGTON POST: "NBA's Greats Give Not-So-Great Review. At
All-Star Weekend, Old And Young Can't Get Together On State
Of Game" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/8). WASHINGTON POST: "Old
School Educates New School" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/10).
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: "Amid All-Stars, Iverson Responds To
His Critics" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/8). ORLANDO
SENTINEL: "Path NBA Is Taking May Not Be Fan-Tastic"
(ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/9). ORLANDO SENTINEL: "It's The Same
League, Not The Same Game" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/8).
PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS: "Attack On Iverson Is Relentless"
(PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/10).
MORE RESPECT: CNN/SI's Mark Morgan looked at the young
generation of NBA players. Iverson: "I respect everything
that the older guys have done for the league, I respect what
they're doing for the league right now. But once I get on
the basketball court with these guys, I mean business."
George Mikan: "Hell, they wouldn't be there to play today if
it weren't for us." Magic Johnson: "It's too bad that the
respect factor is not there in terms of younger to older
guys." Walt Frazier: "I don't think the players are
different, I think management is different." CNN/SI's Phil
Taylor: "I think that [the young players] are getting a
little bit of a raw deal. They're getting criticized, and
they're 19 and 20 year olds, and they're being criticized
for acting like 19 and 20 year olds." ("This Week in the
NBA," CNN, 2/9). Jordan: "People are growing tired of seeing
some of the young players who don't give the fans their
money's worth, who don't come to play ever night. And I
think you'll see a downturn (in popularity) in the next five
to 10 years. That's a shame" (Tim Povtak, ORLANDO SENTINEL,
2/9). Stern: "Our [young players] are unfairly singled out"
(WASHINGTON POST, 2/10). Iverson was also asked about his
attitude by TNT's Craig Sager after winning the MVP Award in
the Schick Rookie Game ("All-Star Saturday," TNT, 2/9).
IVERSON'S BACKERS: In Philadelphia, John Smallwood
notes that "if this negative perception of Iverson continues
to perpetuate itself, it might even hurt his marketability."
Reebok Chair Paul Fireman, on Iverson: "Allen's not viewed
negatively by the kids" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/10).
CAN'T JAM IN NYC: The NBA "hasn't been able to get a
large enough facility" for its NBA Jam Session for the '98
All-Star Weekend in New York City, according to Mitch
Lawrence of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. The league couldn't get
the Javits Center and has "rejected the idea of having fans
schlep out to the Meadowlands." NBA Deputy Commissioner
Russ Granik: "Right now, the Jam Session doesn't look good"
(N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/9).
CROCE PLAYING HOST IN '99: League and city sources told
Bob Ford of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER that the 76ers will
host the '99 All-Star Game at CoreStates Center. An
announcement will not be made for "at least" two weeks, but
76ers President Pat Croce said, "We're very hopeful"
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/9).
