You don't really want greatness do you?

Here is a piece I did last May for a local sports newspaper,

I revised it and I share it here because I think its still relevant...

This piece was inspired by a series of Nike commercials on greatness that's said...

MONEY DOESN'T EQUAL GREATNESS

DIAMONDS DOESN'T EQUAL GREATNESS

FAME DOESN'T EQUAL GREATNESS

ENDORSEMENTS DON'T EQUAL GREATNESS

KRIBS DON'T EQUAL GREATNESS

WINNING DOESN'T EQUAL GREATNESS

ONLY GREATNESS EQUALS GREATNESS!!!

Like a lightening bolt, questions quickly invaded my brainwaves like the U.S. raid on Iraq, after watching this commercial. Do the current crop of baby b-ballers have what it takes to truly achieve greatness? Greatness like superstars before them, Magic, Jordan, Kareem, Bird, Dr. J, Walt Frazier, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and many others who did battle of yesteryears hardwood.

Where are the players that care more about winning than looking good? That put team first? That leave it all on the court? That spend the off-season and downtime perfecting their game instead of playing NBA LIVE on playstation and partying at the All Star Weekend and other celebrities- infested parties?

We are in a time where players care more havin the bling bling than a championship ring. Where players get a pound or pat on their backside for missing a free-throw, what part of the game is that? The average teen foregoes the full four year college experience to enter the draft with dreams of getting PAID IN FULL, if they go to college at all in some cases. What's next droppin out of high school and entering the draft early. Are scouts gonna start scouting 6 foot 9 jr high school players next. Players now have more tattoos and technicals than assist and rebounds. Now its not uncommon for a player to get more press for his off-the-court antics than they do for their on-court performance. Players care more about making Sports Center's top ten plays of the day than winning.

Many of today's players make great plays and have great moments, some even have great games or maybe a great series, but very few have great seasons and even fewer will have great careers.

Last year three teams with losing records make the playoffs and The Cleveland Cavaliers were looking to a 19-year-old rookie who came straight out of high school for leadership. It could be argued that The Lakers looked to Magic for leadership in his rookie year, but the difference was Magic played all 5 positions that season including center when Kareem went out. He won the NCAA title and then an NBA championship back-to-back, how many today can claim such a feat.

We have players now like Allen Iverson (who I love to see play and is one of the nicest on the court today) score 50 points several times in a season where his team loses the game. Michael Jordan made his teammates better and got they all involved then he took over a game. The Bulls built a franchise around him. Last years the Lakers got rid of the coach with the winningest record, 832-316 and playoff percentage .717 (175 playoff wins the most ever, 9 titles as a coach, 1 as a player, back to back to back titles 3 times, 2 with Chicago and 1 with the Lakers) and the most dominate big man in the game to build around Kobe and now they are home watching the playoff like I am. But it is hard to build a franchise around a player today with free agency, very few players play their entire career in one uniform.

Sure cats like Dominique Wilkins, Jordan, Dr J and others were nice to watch when they dunked the ball. The difference between now and then were they went back down the court and played defense instead of beating on their chest and celebrating one score.

Players like Daryl Dawkins came straight out of school that didn't start with Kobe and Kevin Garnett but it took them the four years they would have been in college to truly mature in the NBA. LaBron is just a freak of nature, but for the hundreds of others that want to forego college wont be as lucky or successful. Players used to have respect for their coaches, now coaches who don't get along with that rookie-phenom or young franchise player gets fired. The mission statement of the new NBA is I AM NOT A ROLE MODEL.

Anybody can be a good player, anybody can be famous but when the 15 minutes of fame fades like the melody of ya favorite song, who today will be remembered as a great player? To all the youth out there with champagne wishes and hoop dreams, how do you want to be remembered?

Like the commercial says

ONLY GREATNESS EQUALS GREATNESS!

And greatness last forever. You don't want greatness do you?

© AJ (AJ ROK) WOODSON

HIP HOP JUNKIE 4 LIFE

revised from a piece I origianally wrote for Metro Competitor- May 2004