Ode to MJ (WWKD - What will Kobe do?)
June 1, 2008 – 8:07 am Posted by jim in » NBA
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I’m not from Chicago, and I don’t live there now but for a string of years the Windy City was my home, and I became a MJ and Bulls guy. It was a great run during those dynasty years, and from time to time I still pull out my DVD set and re-live it. After Jordan left the game for good, I became utterly disinterested with the NBA. Iverson was fun to watch, and the Lakers with Kobe and Shaq were interesting, but not enough for me to really care. When Kobe and Shaq split up, whatever was interesting to me about the NBA was lost. No disrespect intended to the Spurs (or Pistons) and their Championships, or to LeBron and his individual talent; but I just couldn’t get into it for whatever reason.
But this year I’ve become interested. Keep in mind that I don’t live in an NBA city (Nashville), and so I don’t have a motivating fan interest from that perspective. Yet, the Celtics vs Lakers match-up is compelling to me, and I can be happy with whoever takes home the trophy. For me, the story-lines I seem to care about are as follows:
1. KG and Paul Pierce deserve to win one. Will they?
2. Can Kobe bring a championship back to LA, and put to rest that I-only-won-because-I-had-Shack thing.
Because of my MJ/Bulls ties, ultimately I must pull for the Lakers because Phil Jackson is at the helm. Then, there’s that picture above of MJ and Kobe. I have that pic saved on my computer because I wondered if Kobe would ever get close. For a true MJ loyalist like me, the answer is no. But at least Kobe has the opportunity to remind people who might have forgotten him amidst LeBron and others, that he is dominant.
Back in the day when I was fond of judging people, professional athletes were sometimes on my list - “those greedy athletes, their shameful behavior, blah, blah, blah, blah…” But eventually I discovered we are all cut out of the same cloth: our core identity is a reflection or image of God; we all desire the same things - love, peace, freedom, worth, purpose, and contentment; and we all suffer from misplaced dependencies, seeking the above things from a source not capable of supplying them. Let’s say Kobe brings the gold back to LA, or KG finally gets his. It will be a great accomplishment for either one and an indisputable fact of sports history but won’t ultimately supply the love, peace, and freedom they desire. It works the same way for you and I. Our achievements, appearance, possessions, level of fitness, knowledge, position, whatever…are to be enjoyed, celebrated, and shared but all of these can change, and are not the source of what we most deeply desire.
I don’t know for sure; but I sometimes wonder if MJ especially has run into this outside the game.
4 Responses to “Ode to MJ (WWKD - What will Kobe do?)”
By bryan on Jun 1, 2008 | Reply
couple thoughts…
1. i totally agree that gaining status and earning medals doesn’t provide that sense of satisfaction that our souls are truly craving. i can say this with confidence because it seems like no matter what i achieve, i always set my sights for bigger and better things. i am so quick to forget the good things I have and what I’ve done when i start to immediately focus on the next goal. right now my goal might be to get a book written and published, but i’m sure if i did achieve that, suddenly i’d want to be a best-selling author or a multiple-book author. i don’t think these cravings are bad if we recognize them for what they are and realize that we’re made for something better.
2. as a born and raised New Englander, I’ll be rooting hard for the Celtics. But like Bill Simmons, I think they’ll be hard pressed to win this series. Kobe is the best player on the court, and the Lakers’ role players have the edge on the Celtics’ supporting cast. I’m going with the Lakers in 6, but I’ll be hoping to see the Celtics win in 7.
By Luke Gelinas on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
I too will be rooting hard for the Celts, and I too think they very probably won’t win. Did you see the way the C’s were throwing the ball around during the last few minutes of game 5? They looked nervous, and unsure of themselves; KG still often seems afraid or unwilling to pull the trigger down the stretch.
So yes, I’m with Simmons too–though I did find his most recent article on ESPN sort of annoying. He was just a bit too negative, I think, and overly harsh. I for one am glad just to see the C’s back in the Finals.
By Zeke on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
Jim, I realize you don’t follow the NBA much based on what you wrote, but let’s at least spell Shaq’s name correctly. He is a large man and would not be happy to find out you disrespected him like that.
Also, a couple of other notes:
1) Kobe can’t touch MJ, for a variety of reasons accurately pointed out in the Simmons chat today
2) I’m not sure about Jordan, but I know other athletes have certainly experienced let down after finally winning the big one for validation. Supposedly after the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl win with Troy Aikman, he sat in the locker room just watching everyone else and was quoted saying “is this really all there is”?
3) As one of the few people left in this country who watches the NBA without rooting for a specific team, I am always fascinated by guys and teams that people latch onto. For example, why is it that you say Pierce and KG “deserve” to win one? I’m sure plenty of guys on the Lakers have worked just as hard, some are just as talented, and many of them have never won a title. I kind of think they probably all deserve it equally, and it’s unfortunate they can’t both win, but that’s sports I guess. I just wonder if the media and public feeding athletes the idea that they deserve a certain payoff fuels their desire for a title, or an MVP, or whatever it is that gives them the validation they feel like they need.
By jim on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
hey zeke, us laker fans spell it “Shack” now but since you insist, i changed it.