NBA Lockout

The NBA lockout has left several questions to be answered.  Will there be NBA basketball in October?  Is the league going to be able to retain its top tier players when the lockout ends?  Are the players compelled to play International basketball for the money, or is it for love of the game?  I want to believe that there are still players that play for the love of the game.  The amount of money that athletes can make in this economy, however leads me to believe otherwise.

This lockout is not only going to hurt the players and owners, but it will also hurt the fans.  If the season is indeed canceled, players entering their prime will lose a year in basketball longevity.  This will leave fans deprived of one less year of the NBA’s great players and teams.  Just imagine what Michael Jordan’s phenomenal career would have been if he hadn’t retired.  If he had played in those five seasons he had lost, he would probably have become the all-time scoring leader and would have had more championship rings.  Jordan ultimately left the game because of a loss of passion, but he exemplifies the fortitude of great players.  As a fan, I love watching records being broken and dynasties in the making.  The NBA season finished with such high ratings; I would hate to see it decline because of a stoppage.Kobe Bryant will play his next basketball game at the age of 34 if the NBA season is indeed canceled.  When players play into their 30’s, their athletic ability starts to dramatically decline.  They can’t rely on their athleticism to play at a high level.  The great players are able to work through this, but are never the same.  For example, we may have seen the last of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.  Manu Ginobili has already stated that he is considering retirement after his contract expires in 2013.  Tim Duncan is no longer the go-to MVP he once used to be.  And Tony Parker has been involved in numerous trade talks.  They are also fresh off an 8th seed upset by the Memphis Grizzlies. Add a year of downtime, and this dynasty is finished.The struggling franchises are going to have a tough time bringing back fans after the lockout.   Some cities were already having a hard time filling out the arena.  Just think about how many fans they will lose when there is a stoppage.  There is also a possibility of teams losing their international players to their national teams.  Another possibility is having marquee players injured overseas or in pickup games.  Just imagine the league starting the year without Deron Williams, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony.

Athletes have to make the same decisions that college students have to make.  The players will have to compromise less money and years in their contract for the bigger picture of the NBA. The same can be said for UC students paying more for their tuition to further their careers.  This lockout will definitely hit the NBA market negatively.  The only thing I know is that I will always be a fan of the NBA.

Written by Kyle Higashidani
Edited by Sarah Gross