Awards are nod to the past
There have been mixed opinions about naming every NBA award after a legendary player, but here we are.
The NBA MVP is now called the Michael Jordan Trophy. The NBA devised the Clutch Player of the Year and named it the Jerry West Trophy. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year will win the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. The NBA Rookie of the Year will be awarded the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy. The NBA Sixth Man of the Year will earn the John Havlicek Trophy, and the NBA’s Most Improved Player will get the George Mikan Trophy.
These ideas are all part of the NBA’s tribute to its legends. Previously, the NBA Finals MVP was named for Bill Russell; the All-Star MVP Award is the Kobe Bryant Trophy; the Eastern Conference MVP Award is the Larry Bird
Trophy; and the Western Conference MVP Award is named after Magic Johnson.
“Let me begin by saying of course Michael Jordan is now a governor in this league, of the Charlotte Hornets, one of my 30 bosses right now,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “I want to make clear he was not looking for an additional honor and he had to be, frankly, persuaded to accept this.
“It was the feeling, though, as we worked through the 75th anniversary and in discussions with our players and our Players Association, that there was even more we could do as a league to honor the great players of the past. I think when we were looking then to add a name and association, a new one, to the MVP trophy, I think for everyone, they said, ‘Who better than Michael Jordan?’ ”
The NBA has sought in the past decade to introduce, in a sense, some of its legends to a younger generation, but the NBA lacks the quality film of games from the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s like the NFL has. Some current players are NBA historians and some are not. But there needs to be more respect given to these pioneers.
“I think it’s important for the league that we constantly celebrate the past,” Silver said. “Part of it is for the young players coming to this league and winning trophies, that those [former] players aren’t forgotten, and that the values they brought to the game, the way they helped build the game to what it is today, continue to be remembered. So we thought through those trophies, that was a perfect way to do it.”
Will worlds collide?
Two decades ago, the NBA would not have been able to put together a competitive team of international players to compete against American players in an All-Star Game. That is no longer the case. Could the league borrow an idea from the NHL and have a US vs. the World game, like it has done with the Rising Stars game? And would that penalize any American players who would be left off that team but were AllStar worthy?
An international team could include Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pascal Siakam, Lauri Markkanen, Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gobert, Domantas Sabonis, Jamal Murray, Ben Simmons, Deandre Ayton, Andrew Wiggins, RJ Barrett, OG Anunoby, and Franz Wagner.
Not a bad team. But it doesn’t sound close to reality, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“Part of it is that right now roughly 25 percent of the league was born outside of the United States. So part of it, in fairness to the players, like if we were to do sort of an All-Star format or something like that, I wouldn’t necessarily want one pool to come from 25 percent of players and the other pool come from 75 percent,” Silver said. “But again, look no further than the World Cup. There’s no doubt that nationalistic fervor that you see when you’re playing for your country is second to none. I mean, it’s something we all can connect to.
“When you look at the international growth of the NBA, it’s not just that 25 percent of our players. But if you look at our two last MVPs. Somebody mentioned to me earlier today, the top five scorers in the NBA are from five different countries. US represents one of those in Jayson Tatum, but then four other countries, and we know who those players are.”
It has been the NBA’s long-term vision to become an international league in which the world’s best players would come to play.
“I’m sorry David Stern isn’t with us,” Silver said of his predecessor. “Sort of it was his vision to truly make the NBA and basketball a global sport. It began at the league in 1992, shortly before the Barcelona Olympics and the Dream Team. We saw the impact that had.
Now looking back 30 years, 30 years of playing games in México City, it’s really happening.
“I just think that for my colleagues and for me, we just have to stick with it. We have to continue to recognize this is an incremental process. But then all of a sudden you’ll see a jump. For example, we saw with Yao Ming in China, where all of a sudden you have a oncein-a-lifetime, transformational player come from a market. That can also have a big impact. But the only way you can take advantage of that is if you’ve laid the groundwork and put in all the thousands of hours it takes, brought that game to the market in a grassroots way and then to be ready for it.
“I think that’s what we’re going to continue to see with this sport. It’s only going to continue to grow on a global basis, which is what makes this so exciting for me and for all our fans.”
Layups
Don’t expect any major changes in Detroit despite the Pistons being one of the league’s most disappointing teams. The Pistons led the Clippers by 14 points with 3:34 left and allowed Los Angeles to force overtime and then pull away for the win. Without former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham ,whois missing the rest of the season with a shin injury, the Pistons have struggled mightily, especially holding late leads. Coach Dwane Casey was hoping his club would take a significant step into playoff contention, but it has yet to learn how to win and the roster is still painfully young. The or- ganization supports Casey, but if he steps down, he’s likely to take another position in the organization. A prime candidate to succeed Casey would be former Celtics assistant Jerome Allen, who is a rising star in the coaching ranks and is expected to be a serious candidate for upcoming NBA jobs . . . Charlotte forward Miles Bridges watched his team’s win over the Lakers courtside and it appears the sides are nearing an agreement on a new contract. Bridges pleaded no contest in an assault case involving the mother of his children and he certainly will face a considerable suspension from the NBA once his contract situation is settled. The Hornets have endured a miserable season under coach Steve Clifford, besieged by injuries to LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, in addition to losing Bridges, who was on the verge of being an AllStar before his off-court issues . . . On Jan. 5, teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts, so expect them to begin clearing roster space. The Raptors already waived Justin Champagnie, while the Celtics will have to make a decision on forward Justin Jackson and center Noah Vonleh, whose contracts will be guaranteed for the season by Jan. 10. Players such as Carmelo Anthony, Eric Bledsoe, Hassan Whiteside, DeMarcus Cousins, and Isaiah Thomas are available and interested in returning to the league. Look for several of these veterans to draw interest for teams on these 10-day contracts.