Thread: "star system"
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Old Thu Jan 10, 2002, 01:56pm
rainmaker rainmaker is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mark Padgett
If there are any of you out there naive enough to believe there is no star system in the NBA, please read "Calling The Shots" by Earl Strom.

After reading his book, you will never have to ask that question again.
I'd love to, but can't find a copy. Do you have one I could borrow?

I don't follow the NBA much, and don't much care, except that the way things go on TV really does affect the kids that I work with.

I do know that I saw one play by Shaq which I am quite sure would have gotten anyone else kicked out of the league for a while that wasn't even called. Shaq went up for a dunk, and was heavily guarded by Arvydas Sabonis (I do watch the Blazers occasionally). Shaq hung on the rim, and while he was hanging he lifted his feet and kick Sabonis in the chest. Although he had no reason to be hanging, he was up there about three seconds with his feet all sideways and his gunboats planted firmly on Sabonis, who fell backwards onto a cameraman. It was replayed several times because the announcers were trying to decide whether Sabonis' feet were in the "free circle" or not. No one bothered to check where Shaq's feet were.

That one play did it for me. If Rasheed Wallace had done that, he would be in jail right now, absolutely no question. I'm not defending Wallace, but I think the same standards of behavior should apply to Wallace and Shaq, and everyone else in the NBA.

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