AleksandarN
Starter
Making sense of senseless acts
By Bill Walton
There's no other way to put it: I was stunned and flabbergasted by what I personally witnessed on the court at the end of the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game Friday night. The shock, dismay and sadness has not diminished at all with time, as I've been sickened and repulsed while reflecting back on the mindless and senseless violence that took place that evening.
This is my 30th year with the NBA, and Friday night was, without a doubt, the low point.
The foundation of the NBA took a cast of thousands decades to build. In one night, Ron Artest and others tore it all down.
I've just been over-the-top saddened and embarrassed – the whole time struggling desperately and mightily to figure out ways to move forward from this madness. This is the NBA, professional basketball. It is supposed to be about fun. It is supposed to be about going to an event to have a good time. As I consider what got us to this place, I'm reminded of the strategically placed poster that I have on my office wall. It's got a big, beautiful eagle soaring above a majestic scene. The caption reads: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
And now, more than ever, is a time for everyone to see.
It is a privilege and an honor to play in the NBA, and many people in that game Friday night abrogated those privileges and disgraced the honor of the NBA. This league has been built on the blood, sweat and tears of thousands upon thousands of people. The awful nature of the developments Friday night in Detroit – players going into the stands, fighting fans – has an incredible impact on every aspect of the game.
Everyone of us who has ever been involved with the NBA is now going to have to go to great lengths to explain ourselves. All the goodwill and capital that has been built up over decades has been severely damaged.
Do the guilty players have any idea they are financial partners with the league? That their ultimate compensation and surreal lifestyle is directly tied to the revenues their tragic behavior has now put in jeopardy? Do these perpetrators know this is a contract year for the league and its players?
The NBA has always been at the forefront at dealing with problems head-on through education. And while the NBA has made great strides in convincing the public of the greatness of our game – we're in an entertainment and public relations business – that is a battle that has to be fought and won every single day.
“ We're supposed to have a civilized society here in the United States, where you don't just resort to vigilante justice. ... People who are in the public arena and don't prepare themselves for these possibilities are doing themselves, the NBA and our society a serious disservice. ”
— ESPN analyst Bill Walton
Today, that job is just so much more difficult. The ability to attract fans – what makes it fun, the experience, the atmosphere, the sense of happiness and joy and escape from real-world problems – is the core aspect of the entertainment world. Now we have to start over. To have it all come tumbling down in just a few, short, mind-numbing seconds is an absolute disgrace.
NBA games are played for the fans, and for the fans only. It has nothing to do with the players.
I cannot imagine a scenario that would come up that would cause a player to go into the stands and attack the fans. NBA Commissioner David Stern was just too nice, and the penalties he handed out – a season-long suspension for Ron Artest and long-term suspensions for Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal, among others – were inappropriately lenient.
To personally experience this unprecedented level of violence, and then have to listen to the NBA Players' Association and the guilty players' agents drivel on in a ludicrous and ill-advised attempt to defend and excuse this atrocious behavior is simply preposterous.
Suspensions? How about termination? Like what would happen in any real-world scenario.
There will always be the excusers and enablers who will say, "Well, when somebody throws a beer at you or yells at you, you're supposed to respond." I do not understand that mentality at all. People have been yelling and screaming at me my entire life. You deal with it appropriately. I can't emphasize strongly enough how wrong I feel all the players were for going after the fans.
Looking back at the sacrifices of the thousands of former players and hundreds of current players who are outstanding citizens and behave appropriately on a regular, day-to-day basis is a way to understand the solid foundation that the NBA has built over decades. To have it all dragged down by the senseless and foolish violence we saw Friday night is maddeningly disgusting. Today, there is a greater incentive and motivation than ever to go after the other teams' star players, in the sickening hope of provoking ever more reprehensible acts.
In the end, it all comes back to a player's professional responsibility to prepare himself for every eventuality. The same way you prepare yourself for a game-winning shot, or to step to the free throw line with the game in the balance while everybody is yelling at you – that same preparation applies to the possibility of violence breaking out at any time.
NBA basketball is supposed to be a celebration of good times. Isn't that the whole reason we have sports? So people can settle their prideful differences without resorting to violence?
There are no winners in this whole fiasco.
Yes, the fans are tough. But that's no excuse. I don't think it's inevitable that an event like this would occur. The players need to start listening to the on-going programs the NBA offers, starting from rookie orientation, on how to deal with every single issue they could face. One of those issues is how to deal with out-of-control fans. It's the same way you do it out on the streets – you walk away and you call the authorities.
We're supposed to have a civilized society here in the United States, where you don't just resort to vigilante justice. There are people who are well trained to deal with others who are out of control. People who are in the public arena and don't prepare themselves for these possibilities are doing themselves, the NBA and our society a serious disservice.
The impact of this nightmare will be felt everywhere. It's going to be extremely difficult for Indiana to have any kind of season or near-term future. This will stay with the team and the players well beyond this season.
Detroit is the best team in basketball and will be able to recover from this – the Pistons' suspensions were puzzlingly short. And this really creates an even greater opening for the Miami Heat, which now has a much easier path, and one fewer team to go through, toward the Eastern Conference championship.
But this debacle extends far beyond the basketball court. It is the court of public opinion where most of the damage has been inflicted. I'm a very active member in the NBA Retired Players' Association, and I've spoken to hundreds of ex-players and coaches in the last few days. The shock and dismay as to what went down on that court Friday night is astounding.
The livelihoods of professional athletes and entertainers are very tenuous to begin with. To have that delicate balance thrown so far out of kilter by self-inflicted wounds is disgusting and senseless.
The new NBA season was off to such a great start, from the momentum of the China games to the excitement of new and rebuilt teams to fresh, emerging stars to Grant Hill's miraculous return to an exciting crop of terrific rookies. Friday's events in Detroit and the lingering stench makes the recent nonsense of Latrell Sprewell, Alonzo Mourning and Artest's requests for time off seem miniscule and farcical.
This is serious.
Now everyone in the NBA family is in the untenable position of having to start all over.
We are only in the early stages in how this disaster will be addressed. But I believe in the leadership, commitment and vision of David Stern. Working together is the only way the NBA, its players, partners and sponsors can turn the corner.
The fans have to believe in the credibility of the product. They have to believe in the validity of the competition. And most important, they have to believe they can have a safe, positive and entertaining time participating in the NBA experience.
But the tough questions are only just beginning – for everybody – particularly as they relate to the fans' decisions as to how to spend their time and money.
It's staggering, endless and just so depressing. I've had an extremely difficult time, personally, trying to move beyond this. This is all of our lives. The responsibility of the participants toward the ongoing promotion of the game itself, and the business of the game, cannot be taken lightly.
We need to reclaim the game, and taking that responsibility seriously and personally is the best place to begin.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1929553
By Bill Walton
There's no other way to put it: I was stunned and flabbergasted by what I personally witnessed on the court at the end of the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game Friday night. The shock, dismay and sadness has not diminished at all with time, as I've been sickened and repulsed while reflecting back on the mindless and senseless violence that took place that evening.
This is my 30th year with the NBA, and Friday night was, without a doubt, the low point.
The foundation of the NBA took a cast of thousands decades to build. In one night, Ron Artest and others tore it all down.
I've just been over-the-top saddened and embarrassed – the whole time struggling desperately and mightily to figure out ways to move forward from this madness. This is the NBA, professional basketball. It is supposed to be about fun. It is supposed to be about going to an event to have a good time. As I consider what got us to this place, I'm reminded of the strategically placed poster that I have on my office wall. It's got a big, beautiful eagle soaring above a majestic scene. The caption reads: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
And now, more than ever, is a time for everyone to see.
It is a privilege and an honor to play in the NBA, and many people in that game Friday night abrogated those privileges and disgraced the honor of the NBA. This league has been built on the blood, sweat and tears of thousands upon thousands of people. The awful nature of the developments Friday night in Detroit – players going into the stands, fighting fans – has an incredible impact on every aspect of the game.
Everyone of us who has ever been involved with the NBA is now going to have to go to great lengths to explain ourselves. All the goodwill and capital that has been built up over decades has been severely damaged.
Do the guilty players have any idea they are financial partners with the league? That their ultimate compensation and surreal lifestyle is directly tied to the revenues their tragic behavior has now put in jeopardy? Do these perpetrators know this is a contract year for the league and its players?
The NBA has always been at the forefront at dealing with problems head-on through education. And while the NBA has made great strides in convincing the public of the greatness of our game – we're in an entertainment and public relations business – that is a battle that has to be fought and won every single day.
“ We're supposed to have a civilized society here in the United States, where you don't just resort to vigilante justice. ... People who are in the public arena and don't prepare themselves for these possibilities are doing themselves, the NBA and our society a serious disservice. ”
— ESPN analyst Bill Walton
Today, that job is just so much more difficult. The ability to attract fans – what makes it fun, the experience, the atmosphere, the sense of happiness and joy and escape from real-world problems – is the core aspect of the entertainment world. Now we have to start over. To have it all come tumbling down in just a few, short, mind-numbing seconds is an absolute disgrace.
NBA games are played for the fans, and for the fans only. It has nothing to do with the players.
I cannot imagine a scenario that would come up that would cause a player to go into the stands and attack the fans. NBA Commissioner David Stern was just too nice, and the penalties he handed out – a season-long suspension for Ron Artest and long-term suspensions for Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal, among others – were inappropriately lenient.
To personally experience this unprecedented level of violence, and then have to listen to the NBA Players' Association and the guilty players' agents drivel on in a ludicrous and ill-advised attempt to defend and excuse this atrocious behavior is simply preposterous.
Suspensions? How about termination? Like what would happen in any real-world scenario.
There will always be the excusers and enablers who will say, "Well, when somebody throws a beer at you or yells at you, you're supposed to respond." I do not understand that mentality at all. People have been yelling and screaming at me my entire life. You deal with it appropriately. I can't emphasize strongly enough how wrong I feel all the players were for going after the fans.
Looking back at the sacrifices of the thousands of former players and hundreds of current players who are outstanding citizens and behave appropriately on a regular, day-to-day basis is a way to understand the solid foundation that the NBA has built over decades. To have it all dragged down by the senseless and foolish violence we saw Friday night is maddeningly disgusting. Today, there is a greater incentive and motivation than ever to go after the other teams' star players, in the sickening hope of provoking ever more reprehensible acts.
In the end, it all comes back to a player's professional responsibility to prepare himself for every eventuality. The same way you prepare yourself for a game-winning shot, or to step to the free throw line with the game in the balance while everybody is yelling at you – that same preparation applies to the possibility of violence breaking out at any time.
NBA basketball is supposed to be a celebration of good times. Isn't that the whole reason we have sports? So people can settle their prideful differences without resorting to violence?
There are no winners in this whole fiasco.
Yes, the fans are tough. But that's no excuse. I don't think it's inevitable that an event like this would occur. The players need to start listening to the on-going programs the NBA offers, starting from rookie orientation, on how to deal with every single issue they could face. One of those issues is how to deal with out-of-control fans. It's the same way you do it out on the streets – you walk away and you call the authorities.
We're supposed to have a civilized society here in the United States, where you don't just resort to vigilante justice. There are people who are well trained to deal with others who are out of control. People who are in the public arena and don't prepare themselves for these possibilities are doing themselves, the NBA and our society a serious disservice.
The impact of this nightmare will be felt everywhere. It's going to be extremely difficult for Indiana to have any kind of season or near-term future. This will stay with the team and the players well beyond this season.
Detroit is the best team in basketball and will be able to recover from this – the Pistons' suspensions were puzzlingly short. And this really creates an even greater opening for the Miami Heat, which now has a much easier path, and one fewer team to go through, toward the Eastern Conference championship.
But this debacle extends far beyond the basketball court. It is the court of public opinion where most of the damage has been inflicted. I'm a very active member in the NBA Retired Players' Association, and I've spoken to hundreds of ex-players and coaches in the last few days. The shock and dismay as to what went down on that court Friday night is astounding.
The livelihoods of professional athletes and entertainers are very tenuous to begin with. To have that delicate balance thrown so far out of kilter by self-inflicted wounds is disgusting and senseless.
The new NBA season was off to such a great start, from the momentum of the China games to the excitement of new and rebuilt teams to fresh, emerging stars to Grant Hill's miraculous return to an exciting crop of terrific rookies. Friday's events in Detroit and the lingering stench makes the recent nonsense of Latrell Sprewell, Alonzo Mourning and Artest's requests for time off seem miniscule and farcical.
This is serious.
Now everyone in the NBA family is in the untenable position of having to start all over.
We are only in the early stages in how this disaster will be addressed. But I believe in the leadership, commitment and vision of David Stern. Working together is the only way the NBA, its players, partners and sponsors can turn the corner.
The fans have to believe in the credibility of the product. They have to believe in the validity of the competition. And most important, they have to believe they can have a safe, positive and entertaining time participating in the NBA experience.
But the tough questions are only just beginning – for everybody – particularly as they relate to the fans' decisions as to how to spend their time and money.
It's staggering, endless and just so depressing. I've had an extremely difficult time, personally, trying to move beyond this. This is all of our lives. The responsibility of the participants toward the ongoing promotion of the game itself, and the business of the game, cannot be taken lightly.
We need to reclaim the game, and taking that responsibility seriously and personally is the best place to begin.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1929553
