March 10, 2007
Cultural Stereotyping in the NBA
Jay wrote this today:
I got into an interesting conversation with a guy on the GO train a few weeks ago about stereotypes in the NBA. The conversation started off with us talking about TJ and how he needs to learn to slow down a bit, to relax and use his speed as an asset, not a detriment to his game. It then got into talk about Jose (wow, never happened before) and his ball management, but how he is getting beaten too often on quick drives.
Anyway, from there, we started talking about how there seems to be a tendency to talk about the European ball players and their ability to manage flow, take smart shots, be under control, while the American players are talked about in more athletic terms. Was it simply a case of the old black/white? Were the white Euro players being given additional credit for intelligence while the black players were given additional credit for their athleticism?
We threw around a few ideas and decided that it wasn’t as cut and dry as that, but there did seem to be some trends. Let’s look at Manu Ginobili. Probably as good of an athlete as there is in the game, but what does he get talked about most for? His “flopping”. I don’t think he flops that much more than let’s say, MoPete, but when Mo does it, it’s a good defensive play, a smart veteran move. When Manu does it, there seems to be a bit more venom in comments, from commentators and NBA players (especially NBA players).
I think the whole TJ/Jose comparison is one that works well. I’ve noted a lot on RF how TJ needs to get under control a bit more, use his speed better. But when you read a lot of comments and listen to fans, there is always talk about how he makes stupid mistakes, how Jose is a smarter ball player. Is that really true? I think they’re both smart players, just with different games. Jason (White Chocolate) Williams is a stupid player, the guy makes horrible mistakes each time down the court. Anyway, by no means am I saying that Jose/TJ is a cultural debate, it isn’t…but I think if Jose had the exact same game, but was a kid from Brooklyn, you might see some different comments.
Another example: Kevin Garnett. Probably one of the smartest players in the league, but the focus is always on his athleticism. True, that could be because his athleticism is astonishing (one of my favourite players), but nobody ever talks about how he makes so many smart decisions, doesn’t force anything, knows when to attack, gets his teammates involved, etc.
Anyway, just some food for thought. I’m not trying to create a big issue here, but it really is something people should think about. Have a listen around the league or check out some of the things you read online or in the papers. There tends to be a bit of a slant.
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