It was late last night, so the details are hazy. But in the midst of falling asleep, I had this semi-conscious epiphany: What do you get when you put together Warriors F Stephen Jackson and NBA Commissioner David Stern? Why, Kanye West, of course.
Stephen Jackson, David Stern, and Kanye West; Since When is it Against the Rules to be Outspoken?
Think about it: Stern’s stature within the professional sports community is similar to Kanye’s place in music--a legacy that’s still being written, but with a track record that’s beyond reproach, and unrelenting arrogance that somehow goes unpunished. Then, of course, there’s Captain Jack, one of the most impetuous players in the NBA, and someone who, everyone’s reasonably sure, is at least 85% insane. Mold those two characters together, and you get Kanye, who President Obama called a “jackass” after his latest exploits.
Jackass or not, Kanye’s a fascinating character study that encompasses much of what makes NBA players perplexing: impossibly talented, but destined to live on his own, insane planet of perceived slights, paranoia, and outlandish outbursts. We’ll get to the Stern side of his character later on.
For now, Kanye's dichotomy between uber-talented denizen of the pop universe and... well, "jackass," perfectly encompasses the problems that too often face the NBA. Namely, that talented people can be idiots. Two of the most infamous NBA examples are Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson.
They've been married for eternity thanks to their involvement in the "Malice at the Palace" but really, they've been kin for much longer than that. Both have a tendency to say and do some crazy, crazy things. Like when Stephen Jackson said, "I make love to pressure." Or when Ron Artest said during the playoffs that "Brandon Roy is the best player I've ever played against."
(Note: this sometimes leads to accidental brilliance, like the above Jackson quote, or when Ron Artest advised kids to, “Stay focused and stay away from unknown females.”)
And another binding tie: Artest and Stephen Jackson are the only two players that have ever been fined for demanding a trade in public. Yesterday, Jackson was fined $25,000 for making public statements regarding a trade that were deemed "detrimental to the NBA." This seems pertinent, because it illustrates the league's lack of tolerance for these two characters. Since when is it illegal to demand a trade in public? Remember when Artest's new teammate, Kobe Bryant, demanded a trade of his own? To wit:
Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, did not return messages seeking comment, both newspapers reported. But on Friday, he told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford, “Kobe’s position remains unchanged ... Kobe would like to be moved.”
I don’t remember hearing about any fines, then.
As for this particular situation, it began exactly how you’d expect it to: with the Warriors star handed a microphone at a block party. Asked about Golden State’s playoff chances, he surprised the crowd by saying he didn’t think he’d be in there next year. When pressed to elaborate by Dime Magazine, Jackson said only this:
Dime: You made a big declaration earlier today by saying you wanted out of Golden State. When did you decide this?
Stephen Jackson: It’s not about a decision I made. It’s just things are in the air right now. I really can’t get too much into it right now, but I’m just looking to go somewhere where I can go and win a championship.
So that's a "trade demand" that's "detrimental to league", but telling ESPN's Chad Ford, "Kobe would like to be moved" isn't? And more importantly, how is Stephen Jackson's transgression any worse than Lebron James' opening courting of the New York Knicks? If we're going legislate annoying behavior with arbitrary fines, how about we do something about interviews like this:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| LeBron James | ||||
| ||||
Jon Stewart: Have you made up your mind yet? Are you going to stay in Cleveland? Have you thought about another city to play in?
Lebron James: Ah... (Smiles) You know, I’m here in New York now, with you... I’m here now.
That Stern and the NBA office have the gall to admonish Captain Jack--but allow the adulterous flirting between James and the Knicks to continue unabated--speaks to a larger arrogance on the part of the league that’s been borne out in their handling of everything from the NBA’s dress code controversy to their refusal to address a growing crisis in officiating. In short, the NBA and David Stern can do and say as they please.
And that’s where it comes back to Kanye. Stern chafes at the outspoken behaviors of players like Artest and Jackson, but in serving up ridiculous fines, stonewalling the city of Seattle, and running roughshod over the personal liberties of his players, he’s no less a jackass than Kanye West. And yes, that makes Stephen Jackson the Taylor Swift of this scenario.
"Talented people can be idiots," sure, but it's not Stern's right to legislate that type of behavior while turning a blind eye to that of his stars. It wasn't Kanye's right to jump on stage and hijack Taylor Swift's acceptance speech. And both decisions speak to an underlying arrogance that's far more repulsive than anything Stephen Jackson may have done to the Golden State Warriors. Sorry, but this Stephen Jackson thing is yet another example: David Stern can be a real jackass, sometimes.
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