m. inferno
New member
here is the article..
hris Kaman, and not David Lee, is the great white (American) hope.
The Los Angeles Clippers center was picked by NBA Commissioner David Stern today to replace an injured Brandon Roy is Sunday's All-Star Game in Dallas. It's a nice honor for Kaman - being an All-Star this is - but his inclusion in the league's showcase event also ends a dubious streak.
The last white America player to appear in the All-Star Game was Brad Miller, who made the team in both 2003 and 2004. Before Miller, Wally Szczerbiak and John Stockton were the two other white Americans to become All-Stars.
While the number of elite American white players has declined in the NBA, there has been an influx of European-born players making their mark in the league. Since 2004, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Russia), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Pau Gasol (Spain), Mehmet Okur (Turkey) have been named All-Stars. Steve Nash (Canada) and Manu Ginobili (Argentina) have also made the All-Star during that time.
But why so few white Americans? When the percentage of African-Americans in the Major League's declined, baseball started a program to bring the sport back into the inner city. I'm pretty sure the NBA isn't going into rich suburbs and encouraging kids to put down their lacrosse sticks and start shooting hoops again.
Maybe these things just go in cycles, kind of like the great New York City basketball player. Once the hotbed of hoops, NYC isn't what it once was. There's not a single All-Star from the city. Carmelo Anthony was born in Red Hook, Brooklyn but moved to Baltimore when he was eight. In fact, the host city, Dallas, can claim two All-Stars this year; Chris Bosh and Deron Williams.
Lamar Odom, who is pretty darn good, is probably the best New York City has in the NBA today.
And yet, where would you rank Odom among NBA players. Is he in the top 30? Top 40? Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Oakland are producing better NBA players.
Come to think of it, Chris Mullin is very unique; a white All-Star from New York City. We may not see another like him, white or black, for quite some time.
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I want to thank loyal reader "Jets10" for helping to support my point about the lack of quality New York City players in the NBA. He reminded me that Ben Gordon, from Mount Vernon, "is pretty freaking good." So good in fact that the Detroit Pistons are the biggest disappointment in the league outside of New Jersey. Gordon is and was a back-up shooting guard. He's an above average scorer who doesn't play a lick of defense. Hence, he's a back-up. Always was, always will be.
Julius Hodge? Which NBA team does he currently play for? And Lance Stephenson doesn't belong in the argument and neither does the Big East since the discussions is about New York City players currently in the NBA. I repeat, currently in the NBA. I hope Stephenson does buck the trend. But since you brought up Stephenson, whatever happened to the last "phenom" from Coney Island by way of Lincoln High School who was going to be a big star in NBA. I can't even remember his name but I believe he's related to Stephon Marbury.
I rest my case.
hris Kaman, and not David Lee, is the great white (American) hope.
The Los Angeles Clippers center was picked by NBA Commissioner David Stern today to replace an injured Brandon Roy is Sunday's All-Star Game in Dallas. It's a nice honor for Kaman - being an All-Star this is - but his inclusion in the league's showcase event also ends a dubious streak.
The last white America player to appear in the All-Star Game was Brad Miller, who made the team in both 2003 and 2004. Before Miller, Wally Szczerbiak and John Stockton were the two other white Americans to become All-Stars.
While the number of elite American white players has declined in the NBA, there has been an influx of European-born players making their mark in the league. Since 2004, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Russia), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Pau Gasol (Spain), Mehmet Okur (Turkey) have been named All-Stars. Steve Nash (Canada) and Manu Ginobili (Argentina) have also made the All-Star during that time.
But why so few white Americans? When the percentage of African-Americans in the Major League's declined, baseball started a program to bring the sport back into the inner city. I'm pretty sure the NBA isn't going into rich suburbs and encouraging kids to put down their lacrosse sticks and start shooting hoops again.
Maybe these things just go in cycles, kind of like the great New York City basketball player. Once the hotbed of hoops, NYC isn't what it once was. There's not a single All-Star from the city. Carmelo Anthony was born in Red Hook, Brooklyn but moved to Baltimore when he was eight. In fact, the host city, Dallas, can claim two All-Stars this year; Chris Bosh and Deron Williams.
Lamar Odom, who is pretty darn good, is probably the best New York City has in the NBA today.
And yet, where would you rank Odom among NBA players. Is he in the top 30? Top 40? Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Oakland are producing better NBA players.
Come to think of it, Chris Mullin is very unique; a white All-Star from New York City. We may not see another like him, white or black, for quite some time.
*************
I want to thank loyal reader "Jets10" for helping to support my point about the lack of quality New York City players in the NBA. He reminded me that Ben Gordon, from Mount Vernon, "is pretty freaking good." So good in fact that the Detroit Pistons are the biggest disappointment in the league outside of New Jersey. Gordon is and was a back-up shooting guard. He's an above average scorer who doesn't play a lick of defense. Hence, he's a back-up. Always was, always will be.
Julius Hodge? Which NBA team does he currently play for? And Lance Stephenson doesn't belong in the argument and neither does the Big East since the discussions is about New York City players currently in the NBA. I repeat, currently in the NBA. I hope Stephenson does buck the trend. But since you brought up Stephenson, whatever happened to the last "phenom" from Coney Island by way of Lincoln High School who was going to be a big star in NBA. I can't even remember his name but I believe he's related to Stephon Marbury.
I rest my case.
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