josh howard

i was attempting to avoid writing about this ... but here we go

i've heard it said that the nba is a thug league that has lost touch with reality. you can label all the stereotypes you want based on a bunch of tattoos and identity problems. my thought (as i once read somewhere) is that the major problem with the league is the "finish line"

for older players (best example: mj), signing a huge multi-million dollar deal was not the "finish line" or goal of their career. i'm sure making some mad coin was a goal, but it was not the ultimate end. for all these younger guys (who all seem to have the same story of growing up poor, getting out of rough situatiions) things are different. they do not have the same "athletic" goals (read: desire to be champions). instead, they grow up using sports to overcome the rough situation/neighborhood, so the "finish line" (or ultimate goal) is a multi-million dollar contract.

they reach that "pinnacle" and have nothing left to aim for, so they are a direction-less millionaire with a lot fo free time and a lot of money to waste.

i'm sure these broad generalizations don't apply to everyone ... but look at the recent nba news: josh howard, the drug incident at transition. these guys seem to lack a sense of direction. imagine if you were given multiple millions right after college (or after a year of college) ...






here's why i'm glad we won the draft last year: this upcoming draft looks weak! but we would prolly take rubio (so we would have ended up with a stud pg anyway)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=DraftWatch-080922&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos1