Remember a time when basketball was a game? A game with rules that were enforced? Where physical contact was not allowed? Where referees called players out when they traveled, double-dribbled or carried the ball?
Personally, I blame Rodman. He ruined the "game" for me. All of a sudden it was about showmanship. About making a name for themselves on and off the court. Basketball died when Dennnis donned the wedding dress.
No longer a game, it became purely for entertainment. "Make it exciting" they said. "Just let them play".
So the rules became more of a suggestion, less of a requirement. 1 and 1/2 steps wasn't good enough - go ahead and take 2 and 1/4..... Go ahead and turn the ball over 90 degrees as you slowly dribble.....it's more dramatic that way. Stiff-arming the competition.....aw, that's okay as long as you don't push him down.
I gave up on professional basketball in the 90's. By the late 90's, going into the millennium, I had to give up on college ball. Now, high school hoops are just as bad. But then, what can you expect with role models like what exists in the NBA.
At work, the Big 12 tournament was playing on the break room television. In the 2 minutes I watched, I counted two traveling fouls, three 3-second lane violations and one offensive charging. How many did the refs call? Zero.
At some point, the game was gone and we were left with entertainment. The best analogy I can come up with is that the NBA is to basketball as the WWE is to wrestling. It's all about who can put on the best show and draw the biggest crowd.
