LeBron's 2004 SLAM cover
Lang Whitaker of SLAM Magazine is one of the co-authors of FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History. Go buy it, now.
Lang and I talked a lot on Tuesday night at the FreeDarko party about many of the topics I brought up on Wednesday’s show, so it made too much sense to have him on today to discuss that, and a whole lot more, about the goings on in the NBA.
We talk a bit about the book, his role and try to put this iteration of the game of basketball into proper historical context. Is the game — and the NBA — better off now than it was when the Knicks were winning games in the 70s and 80s? I’m talking point totals, not generations, by the way.
We spend a good deal of time talking about perception and reality of the league, fighting and why David Stern has been so hell-bent on cleaning up the game during his tenure, even though the game is far cleaner than it was before he took over. Is it all because of Ron Artest? Is there more PR behind his decisions than just that?
With LeBron going back to Cleveland tonight, Lang and I discuss his return and whether or not this event — this one regular season game — will have some transcendent cultural significance. Will it be a night to remember simply because LeBron is coming back, or does something have to happen? Excuse the Philly in me, but do jerseys have to burn or batteries have to be thrown for this to be more than just a footnote in NBA history? Lang is quick to point out that history can be made in a different way — LeBron could drop 50 points. Wouldn’t that be something.
We continue on the Heat and wonder if people are just freaking out way too soon. With the long-lead time of SLAM’s magazine (not website, which is constantly updated) how have they been able to cover the Heat this season? More than just Miami, how do the challenges of needing to put a magazine to bed so long before it hits newsstands impact how they cover the league?
We talk about two conversations that took place at the event on Tuesday and both center around the idea of parity. First, do fans in cities that have no shot to win mitigate their expectations heading into the season? Is Kevin Durant enough for Thunder fans or at some point will they need to seriously contend for titles? Are Clippers fans — or even regular season NBA watchers — okay with Blake Griffin stealing headlines in a loss, just so long as they can show all their friends how amazing he is? In other words, from an interest level, how important are wins in cities where winning has never really been part of the equation? (Allen Iverson comes up somewhere.)
And to that point of parity — or a lack thereof — we discuss the comparison to international soccer where the top leagues always seem to have no more than 3-4 teams that can contend for the title every year. Is that the same system as the current NBA, and is that okay for fans…and the league?
Lang brings up a great point I hadn’t thought of that is a huge difference between the EPL and NBA: relegation. The Clippers don’t have to worry about getting sent down if they finish in last ever year and that lack of pressure changes how teams handle season to season.
Could you imagine if instead of getting Tim Duncan in the draft, the Spurs had to play a season in the D-League?
Thanks to Lang, FreeDarko and to you. Enjoy the LeBronathon tonight.
