The Element of Change

The following sequence of emails was compiled on June 2, 2018


Michael and Bob,

I do not usually post on the weekends, but your comments have ignited something in my brain.  It seems to me that no sport or artform can stay static and long endure.  All must change and adapt to the times or they will die.  With baseball, there have been many changes to the game over the years.  There was the Dead Ball Era, the Steroid Era, and now the Juiced Ball Era.  Also, there was baseball before Babe Ruth and then there was baseball after Babe Ruth.  And as evidenced by the number 42 that is now retired in all baseball stadiums, there was baseball before Jackie Robinson and there is baseball after Jackie Robinson.

I, for one, see such changes everywhere.  There was music before Louis Armstrong and then there was music after Louis Armstrong.  There was dance before Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers and then there was dance after.  There was ballet before MIsty Copeland and there is ballet after. There was the Royal Family before Meghan Markle and we will soon see what the Royal Family is after.

From my perspective, the introduction of the "black" element into any "white" environment signals a moment of change that is irreversible.  Nothing afterwards will ever be the same ... nor should it be.

Now back to my meditation ...

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins

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You say so many great and interesting things!

But the link between Naismith and McLendon that you talk about is the most fascinating of all.  I wonder what Naismith thought of McLendon's "approach" to basketball.  I am also tempted, however, without my knowing the psychological, cultural, and sociological  dimensions of that link,  to say that one can find powerful echoes of that link within the mind and soul of Barack Obama.

The mystery and wonder of "links" plays out in other ways.  For example, what does one make of the fact that Jessye Norman "owns" Mahler and Wagner, not to mention Strauss's Vier Lettze Lieder, (sings her parts better than anybody else)?  Can one conclude that this late Romantic music is, in some ineffable way, "Black?"  Is basketball? 

Michael

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Skip,

you have entered the realm of the unanswerable sports debate - who is the greatest basketball player. As Michael says this question is hampered but the difference in the times and by the evolution of the game. For instance, how do you compare the scoring abilities of a player who played before the three point shot with one who played after? Unlike baseball, which has remained relatively stable over the years (not stagnant, but stable) folks can compare the stats from different eras to bolster their arguments. The stats in basketball are influenced by so many other factors. 

Having said that I will weigh in. Each era has seen the game refined to a higher level, and in these eras there are players that push the envelope of that refinement. We know that James Naismith invented the game in 1895 in Springfield, MA. But that early game was quite different than the one played today. It was the coaches and players who developed the game after its invention so that by the 1930s it was pretty much the game we see today. 

One of the greatest changes that happened in professional basketball was in the 1950s when the NBA became integrated. (There is a good coverage of this in Nelson George's book Elevating the Game) That was when an African American style of playing the game started to become the benchmark. The African American game was faster, based on the fast break, which was developed by African American John McClendon in 1936 (or so) when he was at the University of Kansas, where he was one of the last students of James Naismith. His close association with Naismith puts "black basketball" right into the dna of the game. This game developed independently as a result of segregation, finding its place in high schools in DC, HBCUs, and black neighborhoods; played by the Harlem Renaissance and the Globetrotters, filtered by jazz and blues and other elements of black culture, before making its way into the NBA.

Once black players entered the NBA, the black style of basketball lagged behind, hampered by "white" coach's lack of vision, disdain for African American cultural sensibilities, and control over the way the game was played. This control would be challenged beginning in 1967 with the establishment of the American Basketball Association (ABA) which allowed black players to play more freely. When it folded/was incorporated into the NBA in 1976 the professional game had changed forever. 

This is not to disregard the way that Russell or Chamberlin or The Big O and others, changed the game in the years before the ABA. During the late 1960s and early 1970s you had the amazing NY Knicks featuring Walt "Clyde" Frazier who epitomized the cool point guard and the hard playing Washington Bullets (who had to change their name in the era of increasing gun violence) featuring Earl "The Pearl" Monroe who was one of the most creative guards in the game. The ABA just completed what they started. 

I know this hasn't really addressed the question of who is the best, but I think I have written enough for now. I will just ask one question: Do you think that Michael Jordan could have reached the NBA finals with the level of talent that Lebron is working with on this year's Cavaliers? 

Bob

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Michael,

I think you are right about each era needing to be judged by its own standards.  After all, Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double for an entire year some fifty-five years before Russell Westbrook duplicated the feat.  There is a reason why Jerry West is the logo. And we should not forget that West's running mate Elgin Baylor still holds the playoff scoring record. And Russell has how many rings?  And Chamberlain not only averaged 50 ppg one season but later on also led the league in assists.

Nevertheless, the pundits have tended to universally proclaim Michael Jordan as the GOAT.  However, based upon what we are seeing now from Lebron James, we at the very least need to modify the designation to GOHT -- Greatest of His Time. The same designation that currently applies to Lebron James.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins

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Interesting question.  My answer is that both men were the dominant players in their respective eras.  The game is always changing -- rules, officiating, three pointers, players, coaching strategies, approaches to strength training and regimens, and diet and physical exercise more generally, the number of teams, the length of the regular playing season, the rules and structure of the playoffs, etc. etc., and so I know no fair way to rank players from different eras.

That said, think about Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.  They can be compared because of the temporal overlap, if I remember things aright, of their careers.  I will defer, however,  to the judgment of others on this pair.  I am not sure what the benchmarks or measures are for thinking about Russell and Chamberlain, but I strongly suspect that there is room for reasonable and principled disagreement here on what the relevant and fair markers are.

Michael

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Last night my youngest daughter gave me an early Father's Day gift.  The "Platinum Angel" busted her budget to take me to see the Golden State Warriors battle the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the 2018 NBA Finals.  It was a thrilling game with both teams playing seemingly to their maximum capacity.  The first half ended with Golden State's Steph Curry hitting a thirty foot three point shot right at the buzzer to tie the score at 56.  The second half ended with Cleveland's George Hill missing the second of two free throws but his teammate, J. R. Smith, secured the rebound.  However, the score was tied at the time and inexplicably Smith ran the ball back to half court instead of attempting to score. Thus, the game went to overtime, where the Golden State Warriors finally prevailed 124-114. 

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers-golden-state-warriors-2018053109/

That was the game, but what startled me more than anything was the dominance of one player ... Cleveland's Lebron James.  Last night Lebron scored 51 points by himself and he personally "carried" the Cleveland team to what should have been a victory against the vaunted Golden State Warriors in the deafening Oracle Arena.  It was amazing.  He was amazing. This spectacle started me thinking about the legacy of Lebron.  Without question, Lebron James has reached the point in his career where his career numbers form the foundation for a good argument that he is the greatest player of all time ... eclipsing even the legendary Michael Jordan. 

I pondered all this late into the early morning hours and thought about how fortunate I was to have been able to see Lebron play last night.  I may never see another NBA Finals game.  Indeed, after watching last night's game, I am not sure that there is any game that could compare. But, for one night I was there ... and I witnessed basketball greatness.  I shall cherish that memory for ever.

I wonder what great sports memories, basketball or others, that you may have and why?  And if you are in the basketball realm and have you seen both Michael and Lebron play, which one would you say is the best?  

Peace.

Everett "Skip" Jenkins