Rich kids run basketball now

[Professor Emeritus]

I realized this years ago. shyt They're already running the league now. No more guys who came up on the playground like Dr. J ,Magic, and Allen Iverson.

I once saw something to the effect that Draymond is the only current star that went to a inner-city public school. Not sure if that's true or not.

 

[010101]

NATURALLY*

 

[FaTaL]

And obviously you can’t crash out like Lenny Cooke because attitude and behavior matters. Look how Lenny acted like he was Vincent Chase back in the day then got cooked by Bron — but still was given the benefit of the doubt because of skill. And if ultimately didn't matter because his attitude was weak.

These new gen AAU and nepo babies mostly know how to act even though it’s inevitable you will be someone like Mikey who is kinda ehhh, but has hype yet still finds a way to mess up his shot.

Cooke failed because he was trash against guys his height/weight. If he was truly motivated he could have made the league as a backup but he just didn’t have it in him. Some guys egos just can’t handle it if they’re not head and shoulders better then everybody

 

[Michael's Black Son]

Cooke failed because he was trash against guys his height/weight. If he was truly motivated he could have made the league as a backup but he just didn’t have it in him. Some guys egos just can’t handle it if they’re not head and shoulders better then everybody

But we can all agree that Lenny had a wack ass attitude even though he had the tools to make it to the league. Because if Joakim Noah could make it and stick around the league for a bunch of then Lenny could’ve — and should’ve — gotten his act together and been as useless as Kwame Brown on a NBA roster.

In his mind, he thought the league was coming to him even though he was still a high schooler. He saw some real competition in that camp and it was a wrap.

Oh, and I’m sure chilling with Foxy Brown’s brother didn’t help.

 

[cyndaquil]

I mean, kinda

Nowadays even if you are kinda nice off natural talent, by the time your 14/15 you have been completely outclassed by these AAU circuit kids already because they've been training and practicing around the clock so you aren't even good enough to look like you have a chance

The best shot you got if you haven't been in the circuit is if you hit a crazy growth spurt and end up 6'4" and up by the time you 15

shyt happened to me. I tried out for basketball team at 14 never played before was tall for my age and never played I was faster and stronger than everybody but coach cut me and told me to play football.

Ironically I was switching to basketball from football cuz I hated it

 

[Trojan 24]

Damn when you think about it.....

The crossroads was Kobe and AI.

Iverson represented the rough, hood, grindy underdog baller with elite raw talent.

Kobe was the polished, rich kid of an NBA player that's not from the streets but balls as good as anyone.

The league wanted more Kobe's and fewer AI's. Of the NBA stars born the mid 90s or later, how many have the stereotypical hood background? Doesn't feel like any of the big names have that story and damn near all of em came from 2-parent homes.

Now here's the rub, Kobe wasn't handed a damn thing when he got to the league. His own coach was hating and wouldn't give him PT. He grinded and became one of the best ever and AI lacked the discipline to extend his career. It actually is fascinating to almost see their roles reverse in their careers

 

[Doctor Doom]

AAU has killed public high school ball. Scouts aren't going to the local high school to look for talent. "Club" sports is becoming way too prevalent for shyt that used to be high school.

Reason why only the NFL popping like that on some real shyt

 

[FaTaL]

AAU has killed public high school ball. Scouts aren't going to the local high school to look for talent. "Club" sports is becoming way too prevalent for shyt that used to be high school.

Reason why only the NFL popping like that on some real shyt

Simply a myth, if you have the talent you will be discovered with the internet around. There’s so many d1 options for any good player out there

 

[diggy]

NBA players' kids should be somewhat decent

 

[aceboon]

AAU has killed public high school ball. Scouts aren't going to the local high school to look for talent. "Club" sports is becoming way too prevalent for shyt that used to be high school.

Reason why only the NFL popping like that on some real shyt

AAU been around for a 100 years, that has zero to do with it, its the private/prep schools and basketball factories that have increased in numbers over the last 20 years

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

Shai and Embiid are not foreign players. They both played in NCAA. If you include them as forgeiners then most of the best players of the ‘90s and 2000s were also foreigners.

Hakeem is from Nigerian and Ewing is from Jamaica. That means the two best centers of the ‘90s were foreign.

Dikembe also won 4 DPOYs just like Gobert. So the best defender of the ‘90s was also foreign.

If Tatum and Brown needed Porzingis, then MJ needed Kukoc. Shaq and Kobe needed Rick Fox (Canadian).

Duncan is from the Virgin Islands, Nash is from Canada, Dirk is from Germany. That means 5 of 10 MVPs of the 2000s were foreigners. The Spurs won 4 titles with all foreigners. And Kobe also needed Pau.

Sounds like the ‘90s and 2000s were even more dominated by foreigners than today.

Well no shyt lol.. If they weren't born here, they are foreign. When did you event this other definition of it?

And you still naming a few at each period.. And most were not top 5 to top 10 in the league.. We have 5-10 of these players up at the top of the league all in the same YEAR, and all young. With more to keep coming says the current rookie of the year..

 

[Grifter]

Tell players to stop having sons.

 

[Nero Christ]

This is ultimately bad for every sport where money and class is the predominant barrier of entry.

I'm not even sure where the middle class and poor can go to for another avenue toward athletic greatness.

Even E-Sports are dominated by groups of investors and people with lots of money. And lack of quality Internet and other equipment already limits the talent pool there.

Contributing to this also is how public schools are seeing their funding cut. Grade schools used to be a good place where talent could hone their skills and build their name. Now you have schools cutting their sports programs much like they did art programs...shyt is all fukked up

 

[Remote]

Contributing to this also is how public schools are seeing their funding cut. Grade schools used to be a good place where talent could hone their skills and build their name. Now you have schools cutting their sports programs much like they did art programs...shyt is all fukked up

Off topic but Rick James used to say that music sucks now because nobody learns how to play instruments, because music programs are cut in most schools now.

Physical education is cut in a lot of schools. So that in part contributes to lack of conditioning and poor health.

The point I'm trying to make is, you're right. There is a certain component of...things getting cut in fundamental places like elementary and grade schools having an impact down the line.

 

[Slaimon Khan Shah]

Cam'ron "I do it Timmy the Hardaway"

Sla'mon "I do it Penny the Hardaway"