Lemme Break down the NBA for All of You

Here we are again, back in that state of cautious optimism, placing our faith deep within the unknown.  "But this time it will be different!" we cried, immediately envisioning a day when Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul will light up the Garden.  They even toasted it, which in 13 states is actually considered to be a legal declaration.  And then the tweeting started.  Reports flew in, explaining that for some reason, Chris Paul no longer wants to call Nawlens home.  And so we overanalyzed his every move.  We examined his words, we held him under a microscope, waiting to see a sign, any sign.  But guess what?  He says he's happy now.  

Carmelo Anthony to the Nets was plastered all over the intra web in the past week.  It was a done deal the media called, and when Chris Broussard saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.  But then it wasn't.  And then it really wasn't.  And then it was dead.  But not before we overanalyzed everything once again.  Sounds familiar, no?  Well, believe it or not, this summer, some people became fairly interested in the movements and actions of the free agent crop.  There was ESPN's Lebron Tracker, which in any other scenario would be revealed for what it truly was, which is glorified stalking.  We theorized, and hypothesized, but never realized.  We asked:

- "Look at his shoes!  They're Purple and Green.  Wait, aren't those Chris Rock's favorite colors?!?!  He must be coming to the Knicks"

- "But why Greenwich?!  Maybe he's trying to lure the New York Audience in, lure the Cleveland audience in by being from there, lure the Miami audience in by leaking it' Miami, and then he'll turn around and shock us all!!"

There are many more questions just like this that we all asked.  It was like a druken one night stand, where you talk the dirtiest talk of your life, promising you're going to make her hear color, make her see sound.  And then you wake up the next morning, realizing the pure irrationality of your actions, and you become sick with yourself.  We mistook Lebron James for a member of the Illuminati, thinking that he was leaving clever clues everywhere like a coked up version of Where's Waldo.  But guess what?  The King knew where he was going since 2008.  He, Wade, and Bosh had decided this.  But no one believed it.  "What about all the rumors?!" we asked, dumbfounded that this reality show could have possibly been scripted.  

And then it hit us (me).  We watch basketball for basketball, longing for a historic night on any given evening, hoping that what we witness will be worth recalling.  We care about the legacy of it all.  We care about the importance of sports, the rarity of a pass-time capable of transcending the bonds of its intention and interweaving with society.  And it's because this is the closest to greatness that many of us will taste.  At least, the pantheonic greatness associated with sports.   But guess what?  Not everyone sees it this way.  These superstars have managed to remember that man is inherently self-interested.  

So why does this matter?  The dust has cleared, and the summer is beginning its descent into fall's reintroduction to reality.  And the reason that any of this matters is that this is the NBA today.  It's no great surprise that athletes care about themselves; they are blessed with talents than an infinitesimally small group of humans are, and have a small window to utilize said talents.  But in the past, to think that a group of the most talented players in the NBA would get together and decide to play together would have been absurd.  Maybe it's the modernization of it all.  These guys can text, tweet, message, and poke (not on facebook...) eachother whenever they want.  When Isaiah and Magic kissed, everyone was creeped out, in part because of what just happened, and in part because these guys weren't supposed to be friends; they were supposed to go kick the living shit out of one another!  Now days, the NBA has morphed from the Marine Corp to a Frat house, where battalion members who you lived and died with have been transformed into your beer pong partner.  

The point I'm trying to make is that we have entered an age of macro-entertainment.  Historical significance no longer matters when what's hot is what's trending on twitter.  And in some ways, it's not like it's the role of an NBA player to maintain a legacy.  And as today's generation of athletes begins to realize that they can have what they want even down to the team they play for, we see sports evolve, just as it has before.  When Jackie Robinson stepped on the diamond, sports drastically changed forever.  When Ali refused to join the draft, sports became more important than ever.  When Len Bias blew his brains out with blow and when Magic announced he had HIV, sports became more mortal than ever.  And when Lebron made his Decision, sports became more simple than ever.  Find your friends who are superstars, agree to play together, and soon enough, you will.  That any NBA team now thinks it is bigger than the interests of its superstar is insanity; the balance of power has swung, for now, fully in favor of the athlete.  

So, it was just a toast, right?  It couldn't have anything to do with the Nets Nuggs deal mysteriously falling through.  It couldn't have anything to do with Raymond Felton being signed with a 3rd year team option, which can be exercised during the same offseason Chris Paul has the ability to opt out.  The point is, in today's sports climate, don't ever doubt the insane.  Three friends got together in China 2 years ago and made a decision that then became The Decision.  Like it or not, this is the NBA we live in now.  Might be time to start drinking the Kool-Aid.  Although, I could understand if you'd need a chaser to wash it down.